Known and Sanctified

My pregnancy has gone well so far. I've had little complications aside from a couple leg cramps and daily backaches. I go in for check-ups every two weeks and it is the same ritual. They ask if I've been out of country or in contact with Ebola, check my weight, take a urine sample, ask the same questions that always have the same answers, ask if I have any questions, measure, and then check the baby's heartbeat and send me on my way.

So at my last appointment, you can imagine my concern when they sent me to the hospital for a non-stress test since the baby's heartbeat was abnormally fast. I was worried. The practitioner told me everything was fine and it was just for extra measure, but I didn't believe her. She wanted to keep me from panicking. I was certain something was wrong. Why? Well because, it's still hard to believe there's a baby inside of me, and I'm still shocked that my body is doing something so phenomenal, and it doesn't seem possible to be so involved in creating life. It made sense to me that something was wrong. Besides, things had been going way too smooth.

I went to the hospital and they monitored heart rate and uterine activity for an hour. I lay there listening to our daughter's heartbeat while feeling the little bulges protruding on my tummy and receding again. While she makes it very evident that she's in there, it doesn't seem possible that in a few short weeks my husband and I will embark on an incredible journey, a journey I had always imagined but one that seemed far from reality. After an hour, it was determined that our baby was doing great, and that her earlier heartrate must've been a fluke.

Of course, I shouldn't have been worried. While driving to the hospital, Jeremiah 1:5 came to mind. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee..." What profound words. God knowing us on such a personal level after birth is humbling and astounding, yet to imagine that He knows us before being formed is beautiful. I know that God is protecting her, and He's creating her, and He knows her and loves her more than I ever will.

I look forward to raising His daughter with my husband, and I'm thankful to be a small part of this beauty.

Headbands Shadow Box

You are going to want to Pin one of these pictures for future reference. This is a super easy and cheap craft to make and is great for decorating the room and keeping headbands in one place. Our nursery is pink, green, and white with a jungle theme. The elephant trunks hold the headbands, which I loved more than buying hooks.

These are the little wooden elephants which can be found in craft stores. I found these at Michaels.

Here is the finished product. We painted the green first and then placed masking tape over the inside green section before painting the white section. We painted the elephants pink and hot-glued them onto the shadow box.

You can then add your headbands. It even holds the bulkier headbands and you can hang multiple headbands on each elephant. Also, if you have flower or bow hair clips, you can clip them onto the tails of the elephants. We don't have any yet which is why they aren't pictured.

Emily's Date & Weight Predictions

Let's play a game. This will be a Date & Weight game in which you can choose the date you think Emily will arrive and how much you think she will weigh. Her expected due date is January 26th to help you out a little.  I can't wait to hear all of your predictions! I will add them to the calendar which will be posted near the end of December. Be sure to read the rules under the calendar.

Family and current blog followers had first dibs. Here were their selections:

Date & Weight Game
January 11th – February 14th
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21 Aunt Amanda: 7lb, 8oz	22	23 Uncle Lyle: 9lb	24 Aunt Kelsey: 8lb, 5oz
25	26 Daddy:  8lb, 1oz	27 Mommy: 7lb, 3oz	28 Grandpap Phillips: 7lb, 10.5oz	29 Grandma Hughes: 8lb, 4oz Aunt Gabby: 6lb, 4.2oz	30 Grandma Phillips: 7lb, 12oz Whitney S. 7lb, 8oz	31
1	2	3	4 Jenny M: 7lb, 1oz	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14

Rules:

1. In order for your date and weight selection to be added to the calendar, head to my facebook page by clicking here. Like my page, "The Content Mom," and then write a status or comment on my page with your chosen date and weight. You can choose any date between January 11th-February 14th.

2. There can be multiple people with the same date and weight.

3. There will not be any prizes associated with this game, however, you may claim bragging rights if you come closest!

4. If two or more people choose the same day, the person who wins is the one who comes closest to her weight at birth. If you are the only person who claimed the day, you automatically win regardless of weight.

5 Long-distance Date Ideas

Getting through the holidays is never easy when your loved one is miles away. You watch as others spend time together while you spend a majority of your time looking single even though you're not. Once upon a time, this was my husband and I. While we were dating and engaged, he was in Grad school at the University of Oregon while I attended West Virginia Wesleyan College. Thankfully, we'd see each other for a few days around the holidays, but then it would go right back to the way things were. It wasn't easy. Besides a few people, many doubted our long-distance relationship would last, and they didn't hold back their opinion. Opinions aside, we made it work. We were loyal to one another and we loved one another, and here we are today married and getting ready to have our first baby!

Anyone who has been in a long-distance relationship knows that creativity must take place in order to keep the relationship strong. With that being said, below is a list of date ideas for the long-distance relationship that stood the test of time for Wes and I. If you've been in this relationship for a while, you've probably done many of these. It's my hope that at least one of these will be a new idea for you or will spark new ideas of your own. I'd also like to be one of the few to say that your long-distance relationship will work as long as it's God's plan. 

1. mail dates

There's nothing like getting home from work or school and finding a letter addressed to you from your date. Instead of going about your single-life ritual, you sit down and take in every word they have to say. By the time you finish reading, it's like you were actually with them for a few minutes. Note: Spray some of her favorite cologne or some of his favorite perfume on your letter before sending it. When it's opened, it'll smell like you, making your date feel even closer to you. 

2. game dates

Thanks to technology, skype and facetime are both options to see your date face to face, and while it's through a screen, it's better than nothing. Aside from just talking, you can plan an evening where you both play a few games together. It can be as simple as I-spy or as complex as Scrabble. If you are still new to the relationship, you could play 20 questions which will allow you both to get to know one another better. Game options are limitless, just be sure to keep it fun! 

3. study dates

Since Wesley and I were both in school during our long-distance relationship, we had to spend time studying. Rather than study alone, we'd sometimes study together. We'd help keep each other accountable and focused for a while, and then we'd take short breaks in between studying to reward our efforts. It may not sound like a fun date, but it was rather enjoyable to be productive and studious while also spending a little time with the other person. 

4. phone dates

Skype is great. Sometimes, however, it has a way of making you feel alienated from your date because you can see them but they aren't actually there with you. When these times arise, it may be best to take a short break from skype and call each other instead. As long as you have a phone plan with unlimited talk time, you can spend a half hour or so talking. The difference between talking over a phone compared to talking via skype is that you both can spend a couple hours on skype but never really have a very close conversation because you're both working on other things. By talking on the phone, it allows you to spend quality time together in which you are both talking for a bit instead of doing other things, which results in a certain closeness that skype just does not give you sometimes. 

5. dinner dates 

For some reason, neither of us thought of this until we'd been in a relationship for a while, and I have to credit my husband since it was his idea. We had gotten on skype to talk one evening and I was feeling a bit emotional because I missed him and and felt alone. We can't skip over the fact that love must have been in the air that day, because everywhere I turned, couples were holding hands or kissing. Wesley, understanding what I was feeling, suddenly had a great idea. He said, "go get dressed up and make some dinner and then we'll get back on here when you're ready." Confused, I went along with his suggestion, and when I got back on skype, he had also gotten dressed up and made himself dinner. He had lit candles and placed rose petals all over his table from a memory box gift I had sent him a few months ago.  To this day, we both agree that this was our most romantic date together, because it came at a time when we needed it most. 

NOTE: I'll be posting gift ideas for long-distance relationships before the end of December, so if the memory box sounds interesting to you, you'll soon find it in the 'For Relationships' tab at the top of my blog! 

The "I Can" Journey

"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." -Philippians 4:13

When I was young, I'd repeat this verse anytime I heard the word can't. My brother would say, "I can't do my homework," and I'd quickly remind him of Philippians 4:13. After a while, he'd complete his homework, thus reminding both of us that with Christ, all things were possible.

Fast forward to now. I still know this verse and it's hidden in my heart; however, I sometimes forget the truth of the statement. You see, when we were kids, homework was the biggest thing in our lives, but now it seems so small in comparison. When I was a kid, I believed this verse over every 'big' thing in my childlike mind, but now, as an adult, I sometimes struggle with believing it for the 'big' things in the here and now. There are two goals I hope to accomplish, and it's so easy to let the word can't slip into my vocabulary. Goal #1: I hope to be a good mom. Goal #2: I hope to write a book. 

There are many days where I feel unable to complete either task. When does the word can't slip into my vocabulary the most? It's when I feel defeated. For writing, it's when I've sat at the desk for an hour and words will not come, when I read over the muck I've written and tell myself it's not good enough, and when I've read another's book and tell myself they are different and more capable of writing than I am. For being a good mom, it's when I've lost my cool with my husband and pray my daughter never sees me that way, it's when dinner concoctions turn out to be disgusting, and it's when I look at other mom's who seem to have it all together and I can't imagine myself ever having it all together.

Lately, I've been reading what God says about me as His child, and that has helped. Also, I've been reading a book by Lysa TerKeurst and these words ring true:

"I am not a woman who should be labeled unable. I am a woman on a journey of learning how to make sure my reactions don't deny Christ's presence in me. I am a woman who says yes to God not because my emotions and reactions are always perfect. No, I say yes to God because He is perfectly able to forgive me, love me, remind me, challenge me, and show me how to weather trials in ways that prove His Spirit resides in me. I remind myself often that people don't care to meet my Jesus until they meet the reality of Jesus in my life." -Lysa TerKeurst, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, pg. 70.

What a great reminder! We don't have to be perfect. We don't have to have it all together. We are on a journey, and as long as we are doing our absolute best, that's enough. As long as we are learning along the way, that's what's important. In our lives we will try and we will likely fail, but we will continue to learn, and ultimately grow in Christ. We will learn that it is only through Christ that we can do anything. Philippians 4:13 rings true when we know that our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we will never be perfect, but we can be perfected through Jesus Christ.

The reality is that I don't have it all together. The reality is that I'm not perfect nor will I ever be perfect. However, Jesus is perfect and He's molding me each and every day. I am journeying on a road that is filled with potholes, jagged gravel, and dirt, but that journey is leading me closer to Christ, and I don't want my road any other way because I long to follow Jesus.

Lessons From A Shower

Every time I take a shower, I lose myself in thought. This morning was no exception. I was thinking about packing that needed completed, crafts that needed worked on, and laundry that needed washed, among other thoughts. I so easily become lost in thought as soon as my eyes open in the morning, and I'd say I'm not the only one. It's normal.

But lately, someone has been stopping me in my tracks and turning my morning thoughts on God. Emily begins kicking me soon after I wake up. Oftentimes, it happens while I'm showering. I immediately begin to move and breath slower so I don't miss each precious kick and tumble. I cherish each time she moves because it reassures me that she's growing healthy and strong. I cherish each time because God has blessed me with this beautiful gift. I cherish each time because I know many women unable to have children.

The truth is that every time Emily moves, I am reminded of how unworthy I am to experience this phenomenal connection. I am humbled that God would allow me the ability to carry this baby. I am humbled that our baby is doing so well, and that there haven't been any complications. Yes, I am already experiencing back pain. Yes, I have an ugly blue bruise after having blood taken to check for gestational diabetes. Yes, I wake up every hour simply to turn over in bed. But, I am humbled and I am blessed, and every time she moves, I don't want to take it for granted.

This morning, I read from Psalm 139. I am reminded of God's relentless pursuit for his creation. I stand in awe trying to understand the fact that God knows these very emotions I'm now sharing with you, and that he knows me, and even Emily, deeper than anyone ever will. This knowledge alone is enough to fall face-down and worship him! Below is part of Psalm 139, but I encourage you to read the whole chapter. It's one of my favorites.

   "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." -Psalm 139: 1-6

Confession Of A Church Girl

Bitterness, confusion, and anger defined my life. They sat like boulders on my shoulders, weighing my entire existence. For the first few months, many would look at me and say "I miss that smile of yours; I can tell you're unhappy."

I began to fake a smile so that everyone would move on. I did things that made me happy, and I tried to ignore the feelings that eagerly threatened to overtake me, saving sadness and silent sobbing for my pillow every night. This worked well, and most people thought I was happy, but a few knew otherwise.

There are some people you can't hide your feelings from because they love others so deeply that they see right through the mask of phoniness. It wasn't long after being around them that my throat tightened as I held back tears that no one else saw. I'd tell them how I felt, and in return they'd listen, they'd love, they'd understand. They did exactly what Jesus did every time I cried out to Him.

A year ago, God revealed to me that I had taken little action in the five years of bitterness, confusion, and anger. I had been quick to defend myself and God over an issue that hit so close to home, and I did it at the expense of hurting others. These people just needed three things. They needed someone to listen, to love, and to understand. They needed someone to come alongside them and love them as deeply as Christ loves them. Instead, I debated them. Instead, I spoke quickly and listened little. Instead, I did not show Christ-like love.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't speak the truth, because we should. What I'm saying is that I did not speak truth at the right time, and I definitely didn't speak the truth in love. Rather than showing Christ's love to them, I showed them fiery and reckless words and tacked on scripture after scripture for authoritative measure, failing to follow the WWJD motto in the process. I did this to so many, mostly over social media, and I don't even remember who they were in order to apologize to them. My prayer is that they will read this and let me know so that I can personally apologize.

In the past year, I've been focusing on my attitude. I'm learning to love deeply, and its been a beautiful process. In doing so, the feelings of bitterness, confusion, and anger are turning into contentment, clarity, and cheer. In doing so, some have asked my opinion on different issues, and I've been able to share the truth in love and at the right time.

Through this process, I've allowed the following scripture to saturate my heart and mind, and its become my prayer that others see Christ when they see me.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." -Galatians 2:20