Three, four, maybe five days will go by, and I'll be doing great. Bouncing around the apartment, cleaning, reading, learning, memorizing scripture, praying... and loving it. Throw in the occasional nap, time to make dinner for the hubs, and my days are (pretty much) full.
But sometimes... something creeps up on me. Call it fatigue, call it laziness, call it discontentment, or just chock it up to hormones. Sometimes it's a horrible mix of all of those things, but most days it starts with one and slowly becomes the others. It will start with a day where I'm so tired that I can't even focus on the words on the pages of my Bible, so I sleep that day. I'll get up in time to make some dinner for the two of us, and shortly after it's bed time.
The next day, I enjoyed my restful day so much the day before, I decide to take another one. But this time, instead of sleep, I may sit down in front of my favorite TV show on Netflix. Before I know it, half of the day has gone by and I haven't done a single thing! Leftovers sound pretty good for dinner....
By day three of this downward spiral, I'm frustrated with myself for the time I've wasted. I'm discontent in where I am, what I'm doing, and thinking, "Why on Earth am I a stay at home wife?!"Cue the hormones and the waterworks... and then I'm completely useless and Kip is trying to comfort me, wondering where in the world this all came from. Can we go out to eat so I can console myself with a huge plate of fajitas?
I am just like the Israelites, who constantly forgot their God, what He had done for them, and what He had promised them. Forgetting, struggling, remembering, praising... Forgetting, struggling... I am so thankful that God is so faithful, because I have no hope outside of him.
There you go. Splat. A blog post that I've basically thrown onto the wall haphazardly and hoping it sticks. Maybe one day in the middle of one of these spirals, I'll get to go back and read this and remember how silly I am, and I'll be able to repent quickly and shake myself out of it. ;)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
A Lot of Questions
Hello all,
Today my brain is turning over so many questions. I often need to write things out to really think them through, but typing is much faster and can keep up with my thoughts much better. This may be a long post, but I hope it is useful to all of us, and I hope I can get some opinions/answers/more thoughts on it all.
First of all, here is where my thought trail begins: the world we live in today is a completely different world than it was 15, 30, 50 years ago. Today, we are all connected through so many social media outlets. Facebook allows us to "keep up" with people we wouldn't normally "keep up" with. Twitter allows us to read others deep, humorous, or informational thoughts and share them with others, or to post our own. Instagram allows us to share pictures of our feet on the sidewalk and our lunches for that day. (Just kidding, I love Instagram!) One idea can travel thousands of miles and touch millions of people, thanks to Youtube, as well as these various forms of media. We spend so much time "connected" to people via the internet, without really being connected to people. (Check yourself next time you're tweeting or instagram-ing while out to dinner with a friend. How many times do you check your phone? Are you really with the person you're posting about, or is your brain too busy being "social?") What was life like before all of these new inventions? Well, I don't really know or remember. But I can assure you, time spent with people was spent with people. Being "social" didn't mean sitting behind a computer screen or smart phone, and communication was more than 140-character messages. People wrote letters (New Testament, anyone?), spoke to one another, and read books. And I know this: when people had a cause to stand up for, they spoke to people about it. I can't imagine Martin Luther King Jr. accomplishing what he did by debating with his opposers on Facebook. The thought is almost humorous. I can't imagine Paul writing a letter to the church in Corinth via Twitter, hash-tagging #Corinth so everyone could read it. All I'm saying is, people knew how to communicate well. And sometimes I wonder, have we lost a vital skill? Are we out of practice? Perhaps we have pruned the synapses in our brains too far, and our focus for the written word has become a little shorter?
Now, all that to say: I understand that there are definite pro's to new technology. We can communicate important information much quicker than we could before. Imminent storms, national security threats, invitations to events, information available for research, good news from loved ones, etc... I mean, today I played "Words With Friends" with my Dad who lives in Romania while we were on Skype. Years ago, missionaries waited months to receive letters from family and friends, if they were able to communicate with them at all. These are all good things.
But are some things not fit for Facebook? So many controversial subjects are constantly being debated online, and where I seem to see the most heartache, arguing, and anger is via Facebook. Subjects such as politics, abortion, gay rights, and many others are being argued about via lengthy battles of comments, trailing down someone's profile. Every once in a while, I have inserted myself in an on-going debate on a particular subject. But what I have found is this: Facebook, by definition, is set up to be about self. An individual will post what he/she thinks, wants, feels, or knows. He/she will post pictures of his/herself, statuses, or notes that project an image that he/she wants people to see. Facebook is set up to show off "me" (or at least the "me" I want others to see). And this plays into most people's conversations or debates online. No one is there to read or learn. Everyone is there to say something. The few times I have inserted an opinion or a proven fact, no one listens. Everyone is there to prove their own point, and I've never seen anyone come away from any of those debates with a better worldview, opinion, or mood. Can we really effectively communicate truth within the limitations of social media? Would efforts be more effective by real live face-to-face conversations with people? (Insert your cause here: the Gospel, politics, abortion, women's rights, gay rights...) The written word can be read and misunderstood in so many different ways, that a simple sentence that one person meant as kind or factual can be taken as rude or angry. There is too much room for miscommunication.
That's where another question comes in: is it worth it? Is it worth posting something that is true, when there is so much goofy junk being posted already? (Don't misunderstand me: the question is not whether or not truth is worth standing up for. It is whether or not Facebook or other media is the place to do it.) Let me give you some examples. Anyone remember the Kony 2012 campaign? This was a video that immediately went viral, and was supposed to start a movement. As it turns out, the maker of said video turned out to be a little looney, and the facts of the issue seemed to be mistaken. (Apparently the "movement" has someone continued, though with less enthusiasm than it originally produced due to much controversy.) How about the various memes posted about our President or other political figures in the spotlight? Or what about pictures of Jesus arm-wrestling Satan, or something similar? (lol) Just because a picture with bright red words on it says something, does that make it true? Or does it even communicate a point effectively? If there is truth out there in the sea of memes, viral videos, and popular beliefs, would it really be heard by anyone who didn't already take that stance in the first place?
Now, I want to point something out specifically to those who believe in the authority of the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:23-25 says this:
Christians, what is our place? Scripture clearly indicates how we are to go about sharing truth. Can we really do this online?
Even if you are not a Christian, how do you receive messages put forth by pictures such as these:
My fear is this: we will automatically accept something as truth if we already think along those lines, even if it isn't true or we haven't researched it at all. We act on our emotional ties (don't kill grandma!) instead of reason.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope I communicated my questions and thoughts clearly. I only want to encourage the body towards what leads to unity and mutual edification, and everyone toward a possibly better form of communication and learning. Please share thoughts, comments, and other questions with me. I'm a youngster with a lot of thoughts and a lot of questions.
Love,
Hannah
Today my brain is turning over so many questions. I often need to write things out to really think them through, but typing is much faster and can keep up with my thoughts much better. This may be a long post, but I hope it is useful to all of us, and I hope I can get some opinions/answers/more thoughts on it all.
First of all, here is where my thought trail begins: the world we live in today is a completely different world than it was 15, 30, 50 years ago. Today, we are all connected through so many social media outlets. Facebook allows us to "keep up" with people we wouldn't normally "keep up" with. Twitter allows us to read others deep, humorous, or informational thoughts and share them with others, or to post our own. Instagram allows us to share pictures of our feet on the sidewalk and our lunches for that day. (Just kidding, I love Instagram!) One idea can travel thousands of miles and touch millions of people, thanks to Youtube, as well as these various forms of media. We spend so much time "connected" to people via the internet, without really being connected to people. (Check yourself next time you're tweeting or instagram-ing while out to dinner with a friend. How many times do you check your phone? Are you really with the person you're posting about, or is your brain too busy being "social?") What was life like before all of these new inventions? Well, I don't really know or remember. But I can assure you, time spent with people was spent with people. Being "social" didn't mean sitting behind a computer screen or smart phone, and communication was more than 140-character messages. People wrote letters (New Testament, anyone?), spoke to one another, and read books. And I know this: when people had a cause to stand up for, they spoke to people about it. I can't imagine Martin Luther King Jr. accomplishing what he did by debating with his opposers on Facebook. The thought is almost humorous. I can't imagine Paul writing a letter to the church in Corinth via Twitter, hash-tagging #Corinth so everyone could read it. All I'm saying is, people knew how to communicate well. And sometimes I wonder, have we lost a vital skill? Are we out of practice? Perhaps we have pruned the synapses in our brains too far, and our focus for the written word has become a little shorter?
Now, all that to say: I understand that there are definite pro's to new technology. We can communicate important information much quicker than we could before. Imminent storms, national security threats, invitations to events, information available for research, good news from loved ones, etc... I mean, today I played "Words With Friends" with my Dad who lives in Romania while we were on Skype. Years ago, missionaries waited months to receive letters from family and friends, if they were able to communicate with them at all. These are all good things.
But are some things not fit for Facebook? So many controversial subjects are constantly being debated online, and where I seem to see the most heartache, arguing, and anger is via Facebook. Subjects such as politics, abortion, gay rights, and many others are being argued about via lengthy battles of comments, trailing down someone's profile. Every once in a while, I have inserted myself in an on-going debate on a particular subject. But what I have found is this: Facebook, by definition, is set up to be about self. An individual will post what he/she thinks, wants, feels, or knows. He/she will post pictures of his/herself, statuses, or notes that project an image that he/she wants people to see. Facebook is set up to show off "me" (or at least the "me" I want others to see). And this plays into most people's conversations or debates online. No one is there to read or learn. Everyone is there to say something. The few times I have inserted an opinion or a proven fact, no one listens. Everyone is there to prove their own point, and I've never seen anyone come away from any of those debates with a better worldview, opinion, or mood. Can we really effectively communicate truth within the limitations of social media? Would efforts be more effective by real live face-to-face conversations with people? (Insert your cause here: the Gospel, politics, abortion, women's rights, gay rights...) The written word can be read and misunderstood in so many different ways, that a simple sentence that one person meant as kind or factual can be taken as rude or angry. There is too much room for miscommunication.
That's where another question comes in: is it worth it? Is it worth posting something that is true, when there is so much goofy junk being posted already? (Don't misunderstand me: the question is not whether or not truth is worth standing up for. It is whether or not Facebook or other media is the place to do it.) Let me give you some examples. Anyone remember the Kony 2012 campaign? This was a video that immediately went viral, and was supposed to start a movement. As it turns out, the maker of said video turned out to be a little looney, and the facts of the issue seemed to be mistaken. (Apparently the "movement" has someone continued, though with less enthusiasm than it originally produced due to much controversy.) How about the various memes posted about our President or other political figures in the spotlight? Or what about pictures of Jesus arm-wrestling Satan, or something similar? (lol) Just because a picture with bright red words on it says something, does that make it true? Or does it even communicate a point effectively? If there is truth out there in the sea of memes, viral videos, and popular beliefs, would it really be heard by anyone who didn't already take that stance in the first place?
Now, I want to point something out specifically to those who believe in the authority of the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:23-25 says this:
"Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of truth..."
Christians, what is our place? Scripture clearly indicates how we are to go about sharing truth. Can we really do this online?
Even if you are not a Christian, how do you receive messages put forth by pictures such as these:
My fear is this: we will automatically accept something as truth if we already think along those lines, even if it isn't true or we haven't researched it at all. We act on our emotional ties (don't kill grandma!) instead of reason.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope I communicated my questions and thoughts clearly. I only want to encourage the body towards what leads to unity and mutual edification, and everyone toward a possibly better form of communication and learning. Please share thoughts, comments, and other questions with me. I'm a youngster with a lot of thoughts and a lot of questions.
Love,
Hannah
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
And we shall call her...
Rosemary Louise Staton.
(Rosemary: Latin; "dew of the sea")
(Louise: German; "famous warrior")
When we first got pregnant, we both really thought it would be a boy. We weren't sure why, it was just an initial feeling. But as weeks went on and I started to show a little more, I really felt like it was a girl. Something about the way I was carrying her and the way I felt made me change my mind. We both knew we would be happy with whichever, but we were dying to know. When we finally found out, I thought Kip was going to either faint or jump around the room with joy. He's a Daddy to a little girl.
Of course, we had already picked a boy name but hadn't even come close to choosing a girl name. So, we started throwing a few names around, but never could decide on anything. Rosemary had always been an idea, but we weren't ready to commit to a decision yet. One evening, my friend, Carol, mentioned a friend of hers with a little girl called "Rosie-Lou." Her full name was Rosemary Louise, but the cute little nickname had stuck with her. Well, it stuck with me too, and the more Kip and I talked about it, the more we loved it.
You see, these are our grandmothers' names. I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner! They are both so special to us, and I just love the classic names. The more we talked about the name and about the baby, the more the two became synonymous. "Oohf, Rosie just kicked me in the rib." "I can't wait to take Rosie to such-and-such place." "When Rosie gets here..."
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| My Grandma (Mildred Louise) and I at Easter 2 years ago. |
Rosemary is Kip's Grandma (in the video), and Louise is the middle name of my Grandma. Both of their reactions when we told them were priceless... and I'm so glad we got video of at least one of them! And of course, Louise is also the middle name of both of our Mothers! I love the meanings of both of the names, dew of the sea and famous warrior. So soft and strong at the same time, like we pray our little one will be.
My little Rosebud,
You're only a few weeks from your grand entrance to the world, and you have so many people here who love you already. You are named after four precious, beautiful, strong women, and I know you'll be the same. We can't wait to watch you grow, smile, and laugh. We can't wait for girly little dresses, silly made up dances and trips to the gun range with your Daddy. He's already knows you'll be a perfect shot. And I already know you'll be the cutest one out there. I'm praying for you, so very often. I long for the day you're in my arms. Keep growing, but don't make us wait too long. :)
I love you,
Mama.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Thirty Week Feelings
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| 30 weeks! |
Today, I am thirty weeks along in my pregnancy!! Eeeee! :) Six weeks 'til full term and ten weeks 'til due date! I'm so, so ready for little lady to get here. Pregnancy has taken a big turn for me over the last few weeks. It's starting to feel a little less cute and a lot more uncomfortable. Baby girl has decided that she loves curling up right under the right side of my ribcage, and staying there for as long as she can. Especially during car rides. ;) My back and hips have started complaining about the extra weight they're supporting, and lo and behold, morning sickness decided to wait until the end to rear its ugly head. :( It has been so tempting to fall into a "woe is me!" attitude, but then I realize that six to ten (to twelve) weeks of "woe" does not sound fun. I'm trying my best to stay busy and positive and prayerful.
We took a trip last week to East Texas to visit my older sisters. I hadn't seen either of them in months, so the visit was long overdue. Both of them blessed me with hand-me-down baby clothes and a few new maternity shirts. I spent nearly all day Friday organizing baby clothes and putting away different sizes in their appropriate places. [Little lady, you owe your sweet cousins Arabella and Avalee a big thank you for all the cute onesies and dresses you got from them! Don't worry, I hugged and kissed them enough for the both of us. :)] And the maternity clothes were a sweet relief to me, as I've started putting away even more clothes that don't fit and am trying my best to (literally) stretch my wardrobe to last me these last couple months. I officially retired my favorite jeans yesterday. :( It's elastic waistbands for me for the rest of the year!
I recently came across this blog (thanks to Pinterest!) and I really think it's the best advice I've read on dressing well while pregnant. I've had a hard time finding maternity clothes that I really liked, so I've continued to wear a lot of my normal clothes until just recently. I wish I had read this at the beginning of my pregnancy. I could have probably saved some money and frustration by following some of her simple ideas. Next time around, I know what to go for. ;)
[On that note, can I make a point here? Comparison TRULY is the thief of joy. Sometimes I see these cute prego ladies on these blogs, and think, "Yeah! I can do that!" But, when it comes time to get ready to go out somewhere, a lot of times I feel inadequate and frumpy because of what's in my closet and how it looks on my ever-changing body. The truth is, the Lord has made women beautiful. My sweet husband tells me all the time how pretty he thinks I am, and even if I have a hard time believing it, I need to hear it. I promise, your man and your Heavenly Father don't think you are frumpy or ugly or flawed because you don't look like the picture you have in your head (whether you're pregnant or not!). Don't be lazy, but don't let the enemy deceive you.]
That's all I've got for now. Any advice for a third trimester first time mama? Are there things you wish you would have known before pregnancy or birth that you know now? Please share!
Love,
Hannah
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| No make-up Monday. Is that a thing? I'm making it a thing. |
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