A Glimpse Into Our First Month

We are a few days shy of our first complete month without electronic entertainment. While we have made a huge change in our use of TV and computers, we have also had huge changes in several other areas in our life that have distracted us from our venture. I guess, we've just been so busy unpacking and...well just living, that we haven't had much time to think about entertainment in general. It hasn't been nearly as difficult as we thought it would initially be. 

The hardest part for me has been getting through the afternoons with an exhausted sleep deprived baby and sleep deprived, pregnant me. I would have so enjoyed laying in bed with my toddler watching a little comfort TV. Instead, with Baby Einstein on loop (just for a little noise in the some what startling silence of our home), we would sit on the floor and look at books, cry, play with her little toys, cry and finally make some dinner and go to bed. I was so surprised when I kind of had to relearn entertaining a toddler without TV. The first few days I actually felt a little lost. I wasn't sure what to do with her. I didn't realize that I had become so dependent on the TV or my siblings to keep my little one distracted and occupied. 

The good news: We are learning.... more everyday. 

I do have to mention how incredibly proud I am of my husband through this process! Not only has he stepped away from video games completely, after a few weeks of being free of the distractions he discovered a huge change in his ability to focus, think and interact with others. He was so convicted with the change he felt and experienced he actually sold his laptop so that it wouldn't be a temptation! I am swelling with pride and admiration in the devotion he has shown to his family and his relationship with Christ. 

On another note, not watching TV every night, or being on Facebook before bed, has made a huge difference in my ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It has also improved my ability to think more clearly and focus on the things that are right in front of me.

Everyday brings more freedom, more intimacy with my family, friends and most importantly God. Without distractions and meaningless entertainment we are spending much more quality time together and our conversations are becoming deeper and richly infused with intimacy and knowledge of each others hearts. 

As we approach this new month, I wonder if it will become more of a challenge as we settle into our new routine? I guess we will have to wait and see. In any case, if one month could profit such freedom, I wonder what is to come in the following year. 

Would you consider trying a year without electronic entertainment? Why or why not?

We are thinking of you all!

With an Earnest Love,

Leah

Nothing is Impossible with God

 We have not been strangers to supernatural God ordained miracles. Once again, we have been incredibly humbled, deeply touched and blessed in one of the most incredibly intimate ways God could have intervened in our doubting hearts. We shared with you several months ago that we were told that we wouldn’t be able to conceive and carry a baby of our own again. We have a special case and situation that makes getting pregnant very difficult, near impossible (we presumed impossible), and in addition my doctors have been concerned for my health and the probability of carrying a healthy baby if we did happen to get pregnant by some bizarre circumstance. Near impossible and doubtably unsafe, over the course of the summer as part of my mourning and struggle to deal with the reality of not holding another child of my own, I let go of all of our baby stuff that Charlotte had out grown and I let go of my dream. I wept and beat my breast in protest and then in absolute defeat I buried my dream deep and apart from myself. 

I had to let it go. It was impossible. So, of course we would pursue adoption. We would save and save, study, plan, pray and prepare our hearts for the lost children waiting for us. We are still saving, studying, planning and praying, but God is sovereign, and He had shown us that the time to adopt is not now. So we began taking a few steps back and turned our focus back on our relationship with Christ and our little family. 

Then over Christmas a miracle meets us in our broken and struggling faith. God spoke; He speaks in many ways, sometime more distinctly and sometimes subtly. When God spoke to us, through His God ways, He spoke so clearly and with such authority and love that we could not deny His voice. What we heard brought us to our knees in startled amazement: “You are going to have a baby. Through My hand alone, you will experience the beauty and joy of bearing another child into this world.” He might as well have said: “You say that this is impossible, but I tell you that NOTHING is impossible for Me.” 

A few weeks later a bright pink plus sign validated and proved the incredible miracle growing inside of me. For indeed, as God revealed to us, we are pregnant again; against all the odds and our doubting hearts, only just over a year after giving birth to our first child. God has a plan for our lives that we haven’t even begun to understand or foresee. We can’t begin to imagine where God is going to lead us or how He is going to use us for His glory through this life. Just when we think we have things figured out and a sound decision or plan to pursue for our family, He brings us to our knees in humility and shows us that our ways are not His ways. This baby is just another step down the road He is leading us and once again, we have been incredibly humbled and left in awe at His hand in our simple little lives. 

Our greatest fear in having another baby has been the health of the baby through the pregnancy and my health. The week our pregnancy was confirmed, I started to panic, but I felt the Lord impressing on my heart that He would carry us through this pregnancy. I didn’t need to be afraid. After meeting with my doctor and discussing the concerns we are all very surprised that I’ve not had any complications so far. Though I am still considered a high-risk pregnancy due to our complications with Charlotte, if God decided to give us a baby against the odds, than I can trust that whatever the pregnancy holds, He has us in His hands the whole way through. So peace fills my heart where fear and anxiety use to occupy. 

Dear friends and family, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are having another baby and we are not the least bit prepared but we are excited none-the-less. We are determined to take each day through this pregnancy with joy and savor the blessing it is to carry an unborn child inside me. When I was pregnant with Charlotte, it was a magical and amazing experience to say the least, but it was also wrought with so many complications, stress and pain that it ended up putting kind of a damper on the whole event. This time around I want to embrace the pregnancy and relish in the miracle of life budding inside me. 

Nothing is impossible with God. We learn that more everyday. I will be reminded daily for the rest of my life with every baby kick and slobbery kiss, that God is greater than I. As I cherish these moments as my stomach grows and the little flutters of baby toes, and look forward to the day when I’ll hold in my child in my arms I will remember that truly nothing is impossible with my God. 

*As an note, though we can't read or respond to your comments and questions on Facebook, we can get comments here on the blog! Feel free to leave a comment if you want to! We would love to hear from you!

With an Earnest Love,

Leah

Home At Last

We are home.

It still feels a little alien to us; being in our own space once again. Boxes are still scattered abroad, nicknacks stuffed here and there until I can find the time to deal with them. We have clutter out our ears, which is ironic due to the mass amounts donating and decluttering we've done through this past year. We are a mess...but we are home.

Years ago my home would have been unpacked, decorated and filled to the brim with friends and family to celebrate. My pantry would be stocked and I'd feel like I had it mostly together. The new mom me is much less worried about the perfection and organization of my home and more concerned about the mini death traps and dirt scattered everywhere...Oh, and trying to console a miserable child almost 24 hours a day. My home looks and feels nothing like it would have even just a year ago.

When we first moved in...I was...let's say overwhelmed and maybe a little crazy about trying to get this place feeling like what I envisioned livable to be. Reality check: when you have a one year old (one that is both teething and still dealing with her mysterious leg/fever problem) eating, sleeping and semi-cleaning become the focus of life-every thing else goes to the wayside. Thankfully my mom was a huge help these past few weeks by helping me gain some ground with unpacking and bringing some warmth to the cold barren walls.

Even still as disorganized and disgraceful as our home may look, it is home and it feels good. I have my husband and my daughter to myself and the beautiful/sometimes overwhelming responsibilities of  a house wife and stay at home mom. Somehow food is on the table in the evenings and the baby cleaned and ready for bed. We are so excited to be home and look forward to settling in and living life together.

Will write more soon!

With an Earnest Love,
Leah