A Little Update

It's been a bit of a busy month. Very busy.

And Brennan is more mobile now. He's consistently walking, even though crawling is still faster. And he's getting into just about everything, until I walk out of the room he's in...and if he's not in my arms, he freaks out. Immediately.

Lee keeps reminding me that Bella went through this phase, and it was a lot for me to handle then. But it's hard when they both want to be on me...all of the time...

So, it's hard to write. Just since I've started writing this one post, I've gotten up to replace Brennan's current choices of toys with more appropriate ones. This takes constant strategy all day long. If he chooses one of Bella's sacred toys - like her new Jessie from Toy Story doll (which is the reward for being potty trained!) -

I have to coax it away from him before she has a meltdown, or causes him to have a meltdown by taking it from him. Because now he screams at her when she tries to take anything away from him.

I'm happy that he can stand up for himself. I'm happy that neither one of my children seem to be push-overs...at least not with each other. And honestly, it's sometimes funny when he refuses to let her take a toy from him...and he screams. It's hard not to laugh.

Lots of things going on now...Bella's using the potty with very few accidents. No more diapers for her! I'm thankful to my friend Rebecca Reine for inspiring me with the 3 day potty training method. It has worked!

Brennan is about to turn 1! That's crazy. It doesn't seem like a whole year has passed by. Since it's a busy time of the year for us and our families, we're just going to do something small at home and then have his and Bella's birthday parties together in the same day. It will a fun time of celebration!

So, school has begun. The students are back at UL, and Cafe Chi Alpha is as lively as ever - with a lot of new faces, which is really exciting. Our routines are a little out of whack, but we're trying to keep the kids on their normal schedule. I want them to be at the cafe to see new people, as well as their "friends" who love them so much. Some events are just too crazy for me to try to keep up with 2 mobile, active kids, so I will be at home. But I'm ok with that. It's taken me 3 years to feel this way, but I am definitely ok with being at home.

Every woman's role is different. I cannot compare myself to anyone else. It's amazing to me how God can make women so unique and different...our dreams, desires, goals, may be the same, but we will each have our own steps to getting there. It won't be the same way. But, what I have learned that the women in my life - those single, married, with kids, and without kids - are the most supportive, encouraging people who are helping me make sure that I am doing what I can to make my dreams come true. And I hope to bring that same encouragement to them.

After all, we are in this together.

And I must say that I am very fortunate. My husband is my biggest fan. He supports me and encourages me, which is priceless. There is no one else I'd rather be on this journey with.

We Are in This Together...

We are thrilled to be a part of Crossroads Church here in Lafayette.


We love it. It's a great place for us and our kids. Lee has been a part of the worship team for about 3 1/2 years now. It's been a great opportunity for him to use the musical gifts that the Lord has blessed him with. And it's cool that people enjoy watching him worship. We've been stopped in Target, Walmart, and restaurants by people who attend the church, and they always tell him how much they enjoy it when he sings and plays. That's quite a compliment.

Once, he was getting his hair cut by one of the coolest hairdressers ever - Morgan Willis at Dore' Dore' Salon in River Ranch, and he was just talking to her as she cut his hair. A girl came around the corner and asked him, "Do you sing and play guitar?" Lee was a little shocked and said yes. She continued, "Do you play at Crossroads?" Lee again said, "yes."

She said, "I recognized your voice from around the corner, and I had to come tell you that I love it when you sing and play."

Lee was in shock. He said Morgan was too.

It's an honor to be recognized by others for the gifts and talents that God has placed within us.

Recently, Pastor David asked Lee and I to be a part of the prayer team when we are available. As many weekends that permit it, there is a special time during the worship service for people to have someone on the prayer team agree with them in prayer.

The past 2 times that I've been able to be a part of the Prayer Team, I've been able to pray with people about decisions being made and the safety of children. I've also prayed with people who are hurting. My heart breaks for them...with them.

I feel so blessed, and so humbled by the grace of God. If it wasn't for His grace and mercy, I could be that person standing there. It's by His grace that I'm not.

And because I know that it is God's grace and mercy working in my own life, I agree with them that God can and will do the same for their lives. I believe that I will hear them proclaiming the miracles and glorifying God because their prayers have been answered.

This world is full of people who are hurting. For just a few minutes during a worship service at Crossroads, I am able to agree with them, encourage them, and walk away still believing with them for a miracle. My faith is stretched with theirs. I am looking forward to hearing of the answers to our prayers.

I'm thankful to be a part of a church family where we can share our joys and sorrows with each other. I am carrying these burdens to the cross of Jesus now. And I know that my church family is carrying mine too. We don't have to live this life alone and on our own. We are in this together.

Poetic Justice

You can see it coming in a chick flick from a mile away. You know that the girl is going end up with the guy. And if she doesn't, I end up not liking the movie because it didn't end the way it should have!

We want the happily ever after ending. Even if it doesn't seem realistic.

We want to see people living in victory.

There's the saying, "Misery loves company." But I think that it's safe to say that most people don't love misery. There are miserable people who don't want to get out of their misery, but it's not fun to be around a miserable person...and to be the one to get them out of their misery - that's almost impossible!

You can't want something for someone more than they want it for themselves.

It just isn't going to happen.

You are in charge of how you live your life.

You can decide if you want to live in victory or in misery.

Sure, circumstances in life can cause you to be miserable. Victories may seem rare.

I'm beginning to chose to focus on the victories - however small or large they may be.

Victories in my life magnify my view of God.

Magnify means "to increase the apparent size of, as a lens does"

I can choose to magnify God or magnify my problems...my unliked circumstances...not getting my way.

Whatever I magnify is what is going to be bigger in my life.

I have a big view of God, but I definitely want Him to appear even bigger to me than He already is. I want to see Him clearer - not through a distorted lens of my way of thinking.

I don't want to live miserable life. I want to have poetic justice.

Really, Romans 8:28 (in the Christian Bible) is about poetic justice.

"All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose..."

So, even when things don't go the way that I think they should...or circumstances hit me harder than I'd like to be hit...I can still focus on the victories that lie ahead.

And no matter what happens in this life...because I have decided to follow Jesus Christ, no matter what...I will live with Him in eternity. It really will be the best happily ever after!!

11 months old...

Tomorrow my little man will be 11 months old. He's 1 month away from being 1 year old.


A whole year has flown by yet again.

Life looks nothing like it did a year ago.

I am not the same person that I was a year ago.

I've grown a lot. I've discovered new things about myself.

Life is quite complicated with 2 little ones who are 23 months apart. But I know that it could be more complicated. I have soooo much to be thankful for.

I have happy, healthy babies. Yes, Bella had to have her tonsils out, but the ENT told us that she is a very healthy girl, which is why she recovered so quickly. Every time we go to the pediatrician for check ups, he commends us on how healthy Brennan is. And most people tell us that our kids are so happy. It's noticeable. We are so blessed. We give all credit to God.

We were married for 5 years before we had Bella. This was intentional. For those 5 years, every time we would talk about kids - either other peoples or having our own - we would pray, "God, please give us happy, healthy babies who will love You and serve You all the days of their lives."

God has answered those prayers. I never want to take that for granted.

Lately, I am being encouraged and inspired! I feel like it has been a while...for awhile I've actually been frustrated. I've been in this "embrace the season" mode lately, and while I've been doing that with my kids - and enjoying life with them...I don't think I've been doing that spiritually. I've been frustrated with God because I wasn't hearing from Him what I wanted to hear.

Yes, I said that correctly. I believe God is always speaking to me...I just may not be listening or hearing what I want to hear...He doesn't answer things my way.

How do I know that God was speaking to me? He was answering prayers...and the more desperate I got, the more He confirmed in my heart and through other people speaking into my life.

This has been encouraging to my heart. It's inspiring me to dream again.

And the answers I've gotten may not have been what I've expected, but I know God is listening to me. I'm no longer frustrated...I am at peace. I have joy. I know God is moving in me and on my behalf. And I'm embracing this season of my life.

That's a lot to be thankful for!

Recent Victories

I have a few victories that I'd like to share:

1. I am currently wearing my wedding ring!!! This has been a personal goal for a few months now. I've been wanting to wear it, but it seems like some of this post-baby weight stuck around in my fingers. Well, a week ago, I put it on...and it fits! It's not going to come off...definitely not loose, but it is not cutting off the circulation either! I'm pretty excited about this.


2. I've been consistently (for the most part) working out at home. I've been doing my 20 minute workout - 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. It's an intense 20 minutes, and I normally don't like high impact aerobics, but this is perfect for me. Just when it's getting started, it's almost over. And I'm keeping up a lot more. I even think that I'm going to move up to level 2. I feel a lot better about myself, and I know that I have more energy. I'm also looking forward to fitting in clothes that I haven't worn in a long time -and even buying some new clothes! This is a huge accomplishment for me!

3. Lee and I have been reading a couple of books together. This is fun for me. I love to read, and it is hard to read without interruption, but I'm doing it. It feels good to be reading again. And it gives me and Lee something else to talk about - and it inspires dreams of our own. Definitely a winning situation.

4. We just finished YMI (Young Minister's Institute). It was a great time for us...it wouldn't be YMI if I didn't learn somethings myself. I am always encouraged by the speakers who come in and share what God has placed on their hearts - and it always, always amazes me how they repeat each other without ever knowing who else said what. The Holy Spirit is amazing like that.

5. So, this one falls into the category of miracle...and I'm choosing to believe it. We have a family envelope that we keep extra cash in. We use this money to do special things with our family - like go on vacation, eat out for birthdays or our anniversary, or even buy something special for ourselves or the kids. Anytime we get cash given to us, we will put it in this envelope, and we try our hardest not to use it unless it's a special occasion.

We used some of the money when we went on vacation in Texas, and for a few other things like taking care of upgrading my computer. So, the family envelope was not at the status that it once was...but that's what it's for.

I counted it recently. It wasn't much in there. Lee asked how much was in there, and I told him what it was before I put a little extra cash in there. Over the weekend he counted it. He asked me again what I had told him was in there, and he told me what he counted. It's almost double what I said we had in there.

This blows me away. I thought outloud, "I wonder if God doubled it." Lee said he was thinking the same thing.

I'm choosing to believe that God reached His hand down from heaven and added money to our family envelope.

It's a wonderful feeling to live in victory.

What kinds of victories are you experiencing right now?

Approachable

I never want to seem unapproachable. I don't want people to think that they can't talk to me.

When I was in college, my roommate Kate and I did everything together. Everything. You often didn't hear our names separate. It was one phrase "Kate & Bri." We are both generally quiet girls until you get to know us...Kate is still quieter than I am...my Latham side kicks in and I can get loud. But, if you were to see us talking and laughing with each other, and then put me in front of a person I don't know well, and I didn't seem like the same person.

I guess I'm just not comfortable in my own skin.

Anyways, we were told by friends (later on, after they hung around us for a while) that they thought we were stuck up at first because we seemed unapproachable. We'd seem snobby because we didn't talk to people we didn't know...or we weren't the same people as we were around our closer friends.


It's a shame, but I still get quieter around people I don't know. I pull back into my shell. I don't know why, but I do. I can speak in front of a crowd of people, but 1 on 1 with a new person can really freak me out! I feel like I don't know what to say...how to start a conversation, what am I going to talk about next when there is a 22 second lull in the conversation...

I don't know why I freak myself out so bad, but I do.

I am getting better. I'm making myself branch out more. Engage in more conversations. Not be a bump on a log around people I don't know.

I want to seem approachable. I want to be able to talk to people I don't know. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me...

I've been told that I have a "nurturing" personality. I do love taking care of people and seeing them be taken care of. And I want to be seen this way by everyone, no matter what because I do believe that God has given this as a gift for me to use to bring glory to Him. But, I don't always see the needs of the people around me. I have to talk to them to hear it. In order to do this, I have to be open and approachable.

Journaling

I'm preparing to teach a journaling class again at YMI this year. This is quite humbling for me because I do not feel like an expert in this area.

Sure, I have a degree in English. I taught in the Louisiana public school system for 6 years.

But journaling is different. It's more of a spiritual discipline - like fasting or praying or worshiping - than it is just writing.

Each person's journal will look different from the next.

Each person will grow in their journaling as it is exercised - just as in prayer, fasting, or worshiping.

There is always room for improvement.

I believe some people begin journaling and quit because it is not producing the kind of things they feel that they should be seeing. They believe it needs to be a deeply emotional, cathartic experience every time they write, and when it's not, it's disappointing. So they quit journaling.

I don't always "feel like" worshipping God. I do not always want to sing songs of praise and worship. But I do, even when I don't "feel like it..." Sometimes I even feel silly singing when I don't want to sing. But I know that I must keep worshipping God beyond my emotions and personal experiences. And I will improve my worship the more I do it.

The same goes for journaling. I try to write everyday. Some days it is a paragraph. Some days it is 2 sentences and then I'm interrupted by one of my babies...Some days it is 3 pages (my journal is a smaller size book) The important part is that I write. I write my joys and my sorrows. My blessings and frustrations. My questions and answers. In my journal I am free to express the real me. And I find freedom in writing whatever comes to my mind.


Journaling is different from blogging. I try to be very honest and transparent in this blog, but not everything that I write in my journal will be seen on here. Sometimes my inspirations may come from my journal, but my journal is a safe place for me to express myself.


When I first taught my journaling class at YMI 2 years ago, I asked Alicia Britt Chole for some advice. She sent me a list of 5 things that have helped improve this discipline in my life:

1. Journaling is a discipline, which means it takes time to develop.
2. Journaling helps you focus your thoughts on God in a noisy, distracting world.
3. Journaling creates a lifestyle of reflection which deepens faith and thought
4. Journaling marks a memory point of God's faithfulness and our growth
5. Journaling provides a tangible venue to go to God first before we process with others.

It's amazing to be able to look back and see what God is doing in me and through me. I like to think of it as a record of where I have been and where God is taking me.

If you have any questions, you can feel free to contact me. I'd love to help you develop this discipline in your life.