Meanwhile at the O'Neill's... Mama Couldn't Get Her Act Together

Hello folks... It's been awhile. I've been so hit and miss lately, that I thought I'd update you on what I've been up to.

S enjoying her pink heart Valentine's Day pancake :).

First off, tomorrow marks 16 weeks of pregnancy! I heard baby's heart beat at my appointment on Thursday, I am officially into maternity pants, and things seem to be progressing well thus far. This is the good news!

The harder news? I shared with you in my review of Desperate that I've been struggling lately to keep up- I've felt tired and nauseous and slightly depressed {hate that word, but not sure how else to describe my heart and mind right now}.

One of you wisely suggested that I get my thyroid checked. Since I do have hypothyroidism in pregnancy, and was already on medication for it, I had never considered that it could be contributing to my lack of energy and motivation.Well, I just got my latest blood work back, and sure enough- my levels are still low, and the doctor has doubled my dose.

So I've been fighting zero energy, nausea, a daughter who no longer sleeps through the night... and I haven't been coming out on top. My house is a wreck, and I just can't seem to keep up, no matter how hard I try.

Even motivation for things I normally love {like blogging here, reading, and spending time with friends} has been shot. All I want to do is sleep and eat :). I am hoping, and praying, that my new dosage of medication kicks in and makes a big difference soon!

Lot's of issues with leaky pipes have interrupted our normal routine over the past three weeks. Maintenance men in and out, water shut off for hours at a time, and the inability to do laundry or dishes or even shower on my own time table has thrown me for a loop.

On top of it all, this week I threw out my back- for about three days I was unable to lift anything, sit still, stand up, or move without serious pain. Thanks to the Lord's mercy, lots of icing, and my awesome chiropractor, I am seeing great improvement, but I'm still not back to normal movement and ability.

This is why you haven't heard much from me lately :). My desire is to get my life back in order, my home running smoothly, and regular postings here.... but I really can't predict what the next few weeks might hold. All I can say is I will do my best- I've missed you all, and the spiritual encouragement and challenges that you bless me with.

S using her "top" (lap top) for a recliner

I don't want to sound like a total downer- despite the struggles, there have been countless blessings. I am thankful for:

1. Great friends who help us out in a pinch- letting us come over to do laundry and shower, caring for my daughter and home when my back flared up, and donating chocolate to my cause as needed ;).

2. A lovely Valentine's Day- My friend The Birth Bug and her son J came over for a play date. We had a blast with heart shaped donuts, pink heart shaped pancakes, and play time in the sunshine. I actually managed to surprise my husband with a little gift {the second surprise I've successfully pulled off in nearly five years of marriage! he is just too perceptive ;)}, and we ended our day with a sweet steak dinner at home, Martinelli's sparkling cider included.

3. Yesterday I started really noticing this baby moving around! *BEST* feeling ever.

4. Our pipes are in one piece, water is on, and I am able to do my normal household tasks again freely!

5. There have been sweet days in the Word and prayer, despite the dry and hard days. 

So there you have it folks- my life for now. What have you been up to lately?   

P.S- In case you missed it, I shared about loving your spouse in light of 1 Corinthians 13 at A Biblical Marriage this week. You can read Part One here, and Part Two here.

Monday's Resolution {Fighting Doubts of God's Love}

We are picking apart Jonathan Edward's 70 Resolutions, one week and one resolution at a time. Don't forget to start where he did- "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake."

Photo by Justin Lowery

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it. 

For those of you whose only knowledge of Jonathan Edwards is "Sinner's in the Hand of an Angry God," for those who think of him as a staunch, cold theologian... I offer to you Resolution #25, as proof of his balance, commitment to the whole cannon of Scripture, and tender heart.

Edwards resolved himself to know God's love, to meditate upon it, and to fight with all of his might against anything that caused him to doubt it.

Have you ever doubted God's love for you friend?

I sure have.

I've seen my sin, my ugly, my lack of desire for all things good and holy and of Him... and I've wondered- am I really one of God's chosen ones? Do I really know Him? Does He really love me?

It's my sin that causes me to doubt. I know that God hates sin, and I am so stuck in it, so covered with it, that I am sure his deep displeasure covers me right along with it.

BUT in Christ, it is no longer my sin that covers me or defines me. Through faith in Him, the precious and spotless blood of Christ covers all of my sin. I've been washed white as snow. In Christ, God the Father loves me, because He looks on me and sees His perfect Son.

When my sin causes the doubts to come swirling in, I need to resolve to run to Christ.To claim His blood, to cling to Him. I need to run to the Word, read the promises, and remind myself that yes, He does indeed love me, and call me His own.

Remembering and being firmly convinced of God's love for us is vital to our walk with Christ.Instead of obeying Him out of fear, and with a performance, must-earn-His-favor mentality- basking in His love helps us to endeavor after joyful, Christ-centered obedience.

We love Him because He first loved us. We obey Him because He loves us, because we long to please Him, because we desire to be conformed into the image of Christ.

The book that transformed my thinking in this area is Elyse Fitzpatrick's Because He Loves Me (you can read my review of it here). I highly recommend it to you if you struggle with confidence in God's love for you, or if you wonder why His love for you is so desperately relevant to your sanctification as a believer.

"but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," Deut. 7:9

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." Ps. 103:8 

What causes you to doubt God's love? What Scriptures have been precious to you as you fight for confidence in His love?



 

Training my Toddler in Truth

"Reading" books is a favorite pastime

My daughter kills me with cuteness. At eighteen months, she is talking like nobody's business. She knows about 50% of the lyrics to "Row Your Boat;" can tell you what noises a cow, dog, cat, monkey, rooster, sheep, horse, and lion makes; and identifies objects such as clementines, teddy bears, and pancakes with fairly clear English.

This coming from the babe born 13 weeks early. We didn't know if she would ever catch up to her peers, so to see her excelling in language development is beyond encouraging!

I've taught her to habitually say "please" when she wants something, and we are working on "thank you"- she can say it, but she does so reluctantly and begrudgingly. Even now her sin nature is actively asserting itself ;). I've started to point out colors, and we work on counting {though she hasn't gotten past three}.

Working so hard to teach her these basics has caused me to feel convicted about the lack of spiritual training I'm imparting. What are colors and numbers without knowing the God who created them?

More importantly, how can I teach my little girl the important truths of God's Word, when her understanding is so limited and she is still so young?

As I muddle through this question, day by day, I've come up with a few basic ideas to answer it. I'm still wondering, however, and unsure of the depth of the solutions I'm finding...

Incorporating prayer into our daily routine. We pray as a family at dinner time, and lately I've been trying to remember to do the same before breakfast and lunch {terrible that I forget, but it's the truth!}. When my daughter says "Amem," it usually means she wants to eat, so I guess the habit is rubbing off a little :). I also am making it a point to pray together before bed time. I want her to learn to pray by hearing Mommy and Daddy pray. I want her to get a glimpse of who Jesus is through listening to our conversations with Him.

Reciting Scriptures out loud. I repeat so many nursery rhymes and songs throughout the day, and S really does pick up the words. Why not do the same with Scripture verses? It seems like the most basic one, so I've been reciting John 3:16 to S at different periods of our day. She says "John," and that means, "Do it again Mommy!", so on we go. She will repeat the occasional word after me- "life," "Son," etc. She certainly doesn't know even a percentage of it by heart, and I realize she doesn't understand the meaning of it, but I want the pieces to be there for the day she can finally put them together.

Reading my Bible and Bible story books. Oftentimes S is awake and playing nearby while I read my Bible in the mornings. If she wants attention or interaction, I read my daily passages out loud. Sure, she has a short attention span, but it can't hurt her to listen in and out of snippets. We also have several Bible storybooks which I try to read from each day. Side note: I must say I'm disappointed with the vast majority of children's Bible books! I find that many of them take way too much artistic license with the text, and apply stories in a way that seems somewhat in congruent with Scripture. Do you know of any solid ones which you could recommend? I am definitely interested!

So this is me, clumsily attempting to teach my little one about the Lord.

I'd love your feedback! How do you intentionally train your toddlers in the truth?