Being gracious in relationships...

I was reading today from Proverbs 31 Ministries and found a devotion with the title "Grace Covers". I wanted to share a few quotes from it because it's a good reminder in ALL our relationships that we need GRACE!

"Bringing criticism, judgment, and self-righteousness into your marriage is all too easy. Saying "Why didn't you…" "You should have…" or "I told you so" requires no effort. But being gracious is what we need in marriage, and that's what Christ calls us to be. We're human. We're going to disappoint one another. We're not always going to meet each others needs."
"We shouldn't spew hate. We should seek to understand. We should ask God for wisdom. We should love. Not necessarily in an "ushy-gushy, touchy-feely" sort of way; but rather, in an, "I am going to choose to react gently and behave kindly because that is what God is asking me to do" sort of way. Cementing this line of thinking in our mind will help us to make the right choice. There are things we will do because we are doing them for God that we otherwise might never do for a spouse, co-worker or friend who makes us mad!"
"The world is watching; sizing up how we behave. When we are one part of a divergence in personalities, what will they see? Stirred up strife or lovingly covered offenses?"

What if we were to stop stirring up strife when it comes to the people in our lives who have different personalities than us...they are OIL while we are WATER. Why do we put them down, pour water on their fire or think their passion is arrogance? Why is it hard to get past the fact that we all have differences in our personalities and that is OK. Is it pride because we might think someone is against us when really they are just being the person God made them to be and sharing the things that God put on their heart? God made us all different for a reason! In the body of Christ, some are the hands and some are the feet.

We're human and going to disappoint one another. We're not always going to meet each others needs. Being gracious is needed in our relationships, and that's what Christ calls us to be. This is something I have been thinking about for some time now while watching relationships and circumstances and discovering how amazing it is that we are all different!!!! I am thankful God knows our hearts and gives us grace. Don't others deserve that from us???

count down...

We are counting down...I am 32 weeks and 1 day pregnant and have 8 more weeks to go. Our due date is April 6...I say he will be born on April 4, my mom says March 22 and Jesse says March 23...but NOW he is saying he wants him to be born on April 1 (April fools day). He just thinks that would be a fun day to have a birthday! :) Had another appointment today and things are still looking good. I have been blessed with a healthy pregnancy.
It is crazy just waiting to get to 12 weeks pregnant to the general "safety zone" and now I have less than that left! I have really enjoyed being pregnant...my favorite part is knowing he is growing and feeling him move!!!

the move

From Kingwood we moved to Sugar Land to work with a church plant and lost our jobs there due to the finances and economy so we were at a crossroads...we had a lot of decisions to make and God took us to Colorado Springs, CO. We were there for 6 months and just a couple weeks ago decided to move back to the Houston area to be closer to family and friends. We weren't expecting to be pregnant, but obviously God wanted us to have this baby and we are so excited to meet him! We won't ever have this "first baby" experience. This whole process of losing our jobs hasn't been easy but God has provided and shown us over and over again that HE is in control NOT any man!!
We LOVE Colorado and God defiantly had a plan for us being there but know God has another plan for us right now. Our time there was amazing, so refreshing and we have great memories!!! It was a great time of healing and just time together! I wouldn't trade those 6 months for anything!!! At first I wasn't "on board" to move back but God worked on my heart and I am so glad HE took us there and glad HE brought us back to Houston to spend the last couple months of the pregnancy with people we love...as well as the birth of our baby boy! So here we are trying to get settled in and prepare for the next step in our journey...can't wait to see what is next!!!

Baby Belly Boy

I am 31 weeks and 4 days pregnant and we are so excited to meet our "baby belly boy" Hudson Cai. He has been moving so much over the last couple days. I keep feeling a lump, which I think is his backside, move from one side of my belly button to the other. He is cracking me up. I never would have imagined how it really felt to have a baby, a real little person, moving in my tummy!! It's JUST simply AMAZING!! He makes me smile when I can feel him move! It's amazing how God creates and molds a new person...so many details and so complex...it is just mind blowing!!!

A LOT has changed

So much has changed since my last entry. We lost our jobs, moved to Colorado Springs, CO and having a baby boy on April 6.
We have been through a lot of changes over the last year and are most thankful to be reminded GOD knows us and loves us always!

painting

The other day a very wonderful friend asked me to paint clouds on her little sweet daughter's ceiling (she is redecorating her room with animals and such). So I did some research and found the best technique out there! :) I had lots of fun doing it but wow did my neck hurt afterwards...standing on a ladder for 4 1/2 hours looking up is kinda neck aching.
I had a couple of oops moments:
I just started my first cloud, I was looking up, my eyes set on the ceiling with paint container in the other hand and then realized I was paying attention to the hand holding the paint container cause I had paint dripping down my shirt and down my pants. Hahaha, it was a good thing I decided to add more paint to my paint brush because that is when I realized what I was doing. I was pouring paint down the left side of my body. I was covered in paint.
Then just 5 minutes later I knocked the the paint container off the ladder and it feel behind the door. and down the wall the paint went. White paint, yikes, and of course I couldn't get down the ladder fast enough to catch it as it traveled down the wall to the only place that the carpet wasn't covered. So I panicked, BUT it came up and it was all good. I thought, what a way to start my paint day. After those moments I really didn't have any other oops moments to speak of...those were all at the very start and then I got my grove with paint, paint brush, sea sponges, towel, rags and other supplies all balanced on the top of the ladder with me! I laugh now how I managed it all, finally!
What a great day I had with a paint brush and music. It brought me great joy especially when they came home and really enjoyed the clouds on the ceiling! So, thank you to my great friend who let me express my love for painting and use a gift.

Benny and time out

Our dog, Benny, got put in time out the other day for eating my chocolate pudding...I left the empty container on a box next to the couch to get some water and I hear him getting into something...he was licking up what was left of my yummy pudding so I sent him to his bed...it's funny because he knows when I say "go get in your bed" that he is in trouble...he goes there and sits until I tell him he can get out. That is all Jesse's doing...he taught him that when he was a puppy, which was one of the best things to teach him! I told Jesse, "I put Benny in time out today". We laughed about that later...really, yes I put Benny in time out...what is time out for a dog you ask? Well, it's when does something wrong he goes in his kennel bed with the door open until his punishment is over. Yes, well, for now he is like our kid so there you have it!!!