Saturday, May 23, 2009

Where to begin?

Betsy here again. Yes, it's been quite some time since the last post. Neither of us have been able to decide what to blog! Most of my update is internal. And most of you are probably way ahead of me in this, so bear with me. This may be a long post, so I'll put it into categories.

SPIRITUAL: The Word


A fellow blogger and christian author, Joanne Heim, finished her latest book, "Misplacing God: And Finding Him Again". I've been reading Joanne's blog for a couple of years now and really like her a lot. She asked us to answer a question about our "quiet times" several months back, saying that if we respond, we'll be in her book. She also said that if we would review the book that we would get free copies! Sure enough, I got my copy about a month and a half ago! It was well timed. Reading it has helped me view the Word of God in a renewed way. I thought it could be another uninspired book with checklists to follow daily to meet my God quota, but it was so much more personal, passionate and encouraging then that. Joanne's open and honest personality shine through and as one who has been following her day to day for a couple of years, I know that it's the real deal. I highly recommend this if you are feeling like your well has run dry!



Around the same time I received that book, we had that dinner at 4MS with the Sara Groves concert. I had forgotten how much I loved Sara because it had been years since I'd sat down and listened. Scripture, truth and life intertwine so well in her music and, as Boyz II Men would say, it's like food to my soul. I'd also had a good conversation with a friend over how challenging it was for me to read the Bible regularly.

I took all of those things happening together as a challenge to do better. I have been setting aside the time of Jude's first morning nap to sit quietly and read and pray. As is usually the case when we choose to do something that's so important, it was exactly what I have needed. Just like in any exercise, I am seeing results! It's so silly that I've kept God at arms length. Now I see it was only hurting me. It wasn't like I was any less of a believer, it's just that I've been trying to make it all happen on my own. I was only holding back from the true life and peace that I can now see I was missing. Ah, I'm stubborn sometimes.

PHYSICAL: Walk the Walk

This new practice is spilling over into my physical life. I started walking regularly. Our subdivision is exactly half a mile around so I try to get in at least a mile and a half. I know some of you could run or walk circles around me, but I am taking my time and just trying to be regular at it. Slow and steady wins the race, and I am definitely slow and steady! I haven't exercised much since my last knee surgery and I have to build up the strength in my legs if I am going to do anything athletic again!


FAMILY: Hey Jude


Jude is approaching the 9th month of life outside the womb. He has 4 teeth (2 are just coming in). He has the cutest crooked smile in the world. He learned how to give kisses that make our hearts melt. He is focused on walking. He can take a step and then he'll try for another and fall. All of this is on his own, we haven't been pushing it because we heard that babies who crawl for a while have good hand eye coordination. He's been crawling since 6 months so I think he'll be okay. He walks along the couch facing it and inching along, but he just started turning and walking one foot in front of the other, barely holding on with one hand. It's an adventure watching his changes and I want to go wake him up and cuddle him right now, but I won't.

That's quite an update, I hope you made it through, and if not, that's ok. I hate to talk about myself so much in a post, but like I said, most of my goings on have been internal. The external has been mainly watching Jude, a trip to Indiana with my sister, and catching up with Crossings family and other friends over many dinners. It's been a good month.

God Bless.

4 comments:

michaelCODY said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
michaelCODY said...

Jude is getting so big. And I like his little Harrison Ford-Han Soloish- sideways smile. See example:
http://trevmurphy.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/ebay_aceo_hansolo.jpg

bill said...

good update, babe.

michaelCODY said...

Thanks, man. It isn't much, I do what I can and in this case it certainly wasn't much, I just really do think that he is getting big.