Oh, Monday Night…

I don’t know why this blog-late-on-Monday-night thing is continuing, but it is.

Oh, well.

Here I sit at the computer, eating toast and trying to think of coherent thoughts to share with you all.

Current time? 10:14 p.m.

And, by the way, toast is my comfort food. Really. I like it best with honey butter, but since we didn’t have any, I’m having cinnamon toast, which is almost as good. 😉

I thought you should know that.

You know…so if I’m ever having a bad day you can bring me toast or something. Haha. 😉

I’ve debated whether to go deep tonight or to just talk about toast.

Deep wins. At least, I think.

So, here we go.

And if you prefer less-deep thoughts, feel free to go on your merry way, knowing now that I love toast. See, it’s not a total loss. 😀

So, what’s funny about the way I’m writing this is that it would be exactly the same way if I were having a conversation with one of you. I’d make a joke or two and avoid the issue for awhile before bringing it up.

Maybe it’s because I don’t want to be sad. And also because I’m debating whether to rant or to cry.

It’s just that no one talks about losing a baby.

It’s like that taboo topic…the one thing you just don’t touch. I have talked about it before…once or twice. In almost 450 blog posts. You get the idea.

And, even if I talk about it, what I don’t talk about is the confusing grief that comes along with it.

Like the fact that I sometimes feel guilty grieving a baby that, if here, would mean that Mae wouldn’t be.

Tomorrow is April 10th…it would have been Isabel’s due date. She’d be two. Tomorrow.

I refuse to cry for the entire day, but I’d be lying if I tell you that my heart’s not struggling a bit. Mostly because I want to remember her. It bothers me that there are no tangible reminders of her around our house. We have an ornament we bought for her, and that’s on the tree at Christmas.

But that’s it.

Everything in me wants to put a little angel on the wall next to all of Maelie’s photos. Or a little quote. Or something. Anything.

But it’s just not done, you know?

So sometime this week we’re going to plant some daisies. A little reminder.

And what you need to know…or, maybe I just need to tell you for my sake…is that I as I spend each day with Maelie, her presence fills our house with more laughter and love and JOY than I ever thought possible.

I never ONCE regretted Maelie…and I love her so much it makes my heart feel like it’s gonna explode. :)

But I still think of Isabel often, and I still tear up sometimes. And wonder.

And that’s why it’s so confusing.

We’re not meant to understand everything, and I guess this is just one of those things. I know I’m certainly not the only person who’s ever gone through this before…and all I can do is trust in His bigger plan.

And love.

Love the amazing little girl I get to wrap my arms around every day. Love her and cherish each moment we’re given.

And be thankful that I get to love another little girl, too…one that I’ll hold someday.

:)

Thanks for listening, friends. I’m glad you’re here.

Sig

Happy Easter!

Sig

When I Remember

I know I’ve posted a lot of music lately.

It’s not that I don’t want to share anything deep…but sometimes music speaks louder than any words of mine ever could.

I’ve been thinking through the words to this song and how true it is.

I can’t help but worship Him.

Wishing you a blessed Easter as we celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Savior!

Sig

His Pain

There are so many times in life when I get wrapped up in

my pain.

An unexpected migraine hits. Knee issues flare up making running difficult. I slam my finger in the porch door on the way inside. (True.)

All of those things consume me when they hurt.

Relationships struggle, crack, or break. Pressure to fix things outside my capability causes stress. Life, in general, fractures.

More pain.

I let it consume me often…wrapping myself up in heartache. I suppose that’s because I’m human and we all do that from time to time. But rarely, when I’m in that place, do I stop to consider

his pain.

Oh, what he must have felt as the weight of the world fell on him…and he wrapped himself in the pain of billions and billions. How much it must have hurt to know that so much of what he went through would never be acknowledged by so many people.

It makes me hurt to think about it.

I still don’t understand why he did it. I know he loved and that’s why, but sometimes I shake my head as I feel unworthy and so, so LOVED all at the same time.

For someone to endure all of that for me…

May I never, ever forget his pain.

Because that pain is what healed mine.

Sig

Reflection

Today in Bible study we were talking about forgiveness…and this song popped into my head. (And stayed all day because that’s what tends to happen.)

It’s a good one to reflect on as we head into Good Friday tomorrow.

Sig

Little Blessings (Pt. 30)

:) My daughter “jamming” to Parachute Band with me. (We are desperately trying to get good video of this…it’s too stinkin’ cute.)

:) Being part of church choir. The people there make me smile.

:) A friend who shares her Diet Coke.

:) Spur-of-the-moment ice cream dates with friends.

:) Prayer…seeing it answered, the blessing that comes from lifting up others, and knowing I’m being prayed for, too.

:) Sore abs. And shoulders and legs and, well… Musta been a good workout the other night. 😉

:) Lullabies and bedtime stories and cuddling with Mae.

:) Goodwill. I’m mucho lovin’ that store right now. Maybe forever. 😉

:) Being held…and learning to rest.

:) Reflections on perfect Love and sacrifice.

Sig

Complete

So I posted a song yesterday.

Before I read my devotions for today.

You’ll never guess what it was about. :)

So, I’m gonna talk about that for awhile…I know you don’t mind. :)

A huge part of my personality is the fact that I am very social. I need to be around people often, otherwise I go stir-crazy. (And often get pretty crabby.) It’s just the way I’m wired…I get my energy from being around friends and my hubby and (of course!) my wonderfully social and amazingly talkative daughter.

One thing I’ve noticed is that because I get so much energy (and JOY) from people around me, it’s very easy to find my worth in them. What they think of me is important, often more than it should be…

And as a result, sometimes I look to them to feel complete.

That can be a tall order for a human to fill.

I often think of the day I married Tobin…August 3, 2002. I still remember so many details of it, from the donut I had for breakfast to my awesome hair. (Is it bad that my hair was probably my favorite part of the day?!) And from being sneaky and putting my garter on AFTER the ceremony so I wouldn’t have to wear it to completely losing it when we were dismissing guests and I said goodbye to my adopted parents from college. (I had to sneak into the bathroom to redo my makeup! ;))

Good or bad, those memories make up the day when I was sure that I had everything I would ever need now that I had married Tobin.

Without realizing it, I’d called up a pretty tall order for him.

How does a human possibly have it in them to complete another?

They don’t.

Over the years, Tobin and I have had a lot of mountains and valleys. When you throw four houses, three cities, two countries, and one baby into almost ten years of marriage…it’s to be expected.

I’d often find myself feeling empty whenever we were struggling. This person…the one I had expected to be everything that I didn’t have in me…wasn’t following through.

Wasn’t being what I needed to feel complete.

And yet, I know that I can’t look to people to be what completes me. We all know that.

But knowing it and believing it are two different things.

This is some of what I read this morning…

“…In Me you have everything.”

“…Since I am infinite and abundantly accessible to you, desiring Me above all else is the best way to live.”

“…It is impossible for you to have a need that I cannot meet.”

Firm…but gentle…reminders of

All that He is.

And all that I’m not.

And all that my friends and family cannot be.

Because He wants to be IT…what completes me.

Just where my heart is today.

Thanks for reading. :)

Sig

A Favorite

Just a song I’ve been reflecting on today. One of my favorite bands, one of my favorite songs.

Enjoy. :)

Sig

Morocco Love

Ok, thanks for being so patient!

Here are the long-awaited photos from our quick jaunt to Tangier, Morocco.

:) 

Our transportation from Spain to Morocco, across the Strait of Gibraltar. (aka: the ferry that made me sick. ;))

Me on the ferry…smiling and determined to not lose my breakfast. It was kind of a bummer that the ferry was pretty sweet…it had a bar and cafe and tables so we could play games…had I been able to actually sit up. 😉 However, I can’t complain too much. The Dramamine worked and I got to enjoy Morocco.

Us at the northwestern most point in Africa. Interesting travel fact about us…we’ve now been to the northwesternmost and southernmost points in Africa, but nowhere in between. I’m thinkin’ another trip to Africa should be in our future. :)

Baby camel love. I wanted to bring him (or her!) home with me. So soft and cuddly. :)

The obligatory camel ride…that was pretty cool. Something to cross off the bucket list that I haven’t yet written. 😉

Just a cool shot from the coast.

And another…cause I couldn’t decide between them. :)

This was, I think, taken at a different place along the tour. The water was so incredibly beautiful. (But COLD!)

Since living in Indo, I am largely unimpressed by snake shows/charmers. And, to be honest, cobras bring back memories I don’t want to revisit. However, this stop provided a cool opportunity to share with our tour guide that we’d been missionaries, and he was especially intrigued with my snake stories…never thought those would come in handy! 😉

And…we begin the obsession with doors. :) Morocco had cool doors. This one is famous, but I can’t remember for what. But if you Google “green door Tangier”, I’m pretty sure you’ll find out why. 😉

I’m such a dork…no idea why I was laughing. But the door is cool. :)

I like this one. The door AND me. :)

Included in our tour was an authentic Moroccan meal. The soup was ok and the bread was good. The meat was just ok. The couscous was really soggy. But this? I suppose when you cover any pastry with gooey, sugary, caramely yumminess, you’re bound to come up with a winner. Dessert was GOOD. And definitely worthy of making the blog. 😉

So, Morocco was good…the tiny part we saw of it. Truthfully, I can’t wait to go back and explore more of it…the part that doesn’t include pushy sellers and snake charmers. I knew that once I got a taste of it, I’d want to explore more of it…so we’ll see. Maybe for our 15th, honey? 😉

I honestly feel so blessed that we’ve had the opportunities to travel that we have. The world is so incredibly beautiful…and we highly recommend seeing it! (Well, the parts we’ve seen, at least! ;))

Thanks for looking, friends.

Coming soon: Pareeeee…and a few more from Spain.

Sig