A baby chang(es)ed everything...

It truly is weird, a few days before Christmas, being pregnant with a baby boy.  As my friend Emily explains, "I really found Christmas to be especially moving when I was pregnant with a boy like Mary was :) I cried thinking about her traveling on a donkey! haha and of course wondering about all my own baby would be, and I didn't even have a baby Savior in me like Mary!"  So true... I feel the same way. Emily, I hope you don't mind I quoted your comment :-) It really is crazy though, to think how different my situation is from Mary's.  I am married and we wanted this child.  It is "socially acceptable" for me to be pregnant.  

Mary on the other hand, was a teenager.  Not yet married.  A virgin.  Yet God chose her to make his appearance on this earth in human form.  Crazy.  But God knew what he was doing.  In fact, hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, the prophet Isaiah explained, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14  Immanuel means "God with us."  Which is exactly who Jesus was on this earth and is today.  

I took a pregnancy test (ok a lot of them) to find out I was pregnant... Mary, on the other hand, heard from angels.  "The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.' You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus." Luke 1:28-32.  Favor with God- awesome.  But hearing from an angel you are going to get pregnant and the name for your child is already chosen- definitely a little freaky.  Mary of course, responds, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:15... Isaiah's prophesy is being fulfilled!  

Nevertheless, this was life changing for Mary... just as having a baby boy in a few months is going to be life-changing for Grant and I.  Except, as I explained before, our pregnancy is a source of excitement among our families and friends, whereas Mary's pregnancy was scandalous and reputation-changing. 

In his [great] book The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey states, "Nine months of awkward explanations, the lingering scent of scandal- it seems that God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for his entrance, as if to avoid any charge of favoritism.  I am impressed that when the Son of God became a human being he played by the rules, harsh rules: small towns do not treat kindly young boys who grow up with questionable paternity (p.32)."

Here's Faith Hill singing about how this baby boy changed Mary's life.. and ours... 

Poor Mary... but to think that through the physical and emotional pain she endured, our Savior was born.  God needed Mary to have that baby because he needed to come back to this earth he created and make things right again.  So Jesus came and because of his birth, death and resurrection, we have been forgiven for all of our sins, past, present and future and can look forward to eternal life with him in Heaven.  

^"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,  while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" Titus 2:11-14. 

Here's a video of "Hallelujah (Light Has Come)," a great song by Barlow Girl and one of my favorites: 

Enjoy :-) So while Mary & I both experienced a Christmas season being pregnant with a baby boy, hers was entirely different from mine... but I am SO thankful & blessed for what she endured to bring Jesus to this earth.  I hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas and experience the joy & peace He offers this season! 

Menu Plan Monday 12/5

our growing family in front of our tree :)

I cannot believe it is December already... and that I'm now in my third trimester.  Time is flying. I am trying my best to think about Christmas and what it is really about NOW, since once it finally arrives, it seems it becomes all about the presents.  I'm loving this e-devotional that comes to my inbox every day... pretty much every day's has been something that really speaks to me at the moment.  Check it out... it's free :-) 

Here's what we are eating this week: 

Sunday: crock pot chicken tortilla soup (see below) & corn muffins... I change the recipe all the time but decided to try to remember it this week. 

Monday: pancakes, eggs & bacon

Tuesday: Sneaky Sloppy Joes, homemade mac & cheese(with less butter), peas

Wednesday: chicken wraps, au gratin potatoes, green beans

Thursday: cheese quesadillas, black bean quinoa

Friday: frozen pizza

Saturday: date night! (aka I was done menu planning... so I'm hoping we just go out!)

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

note: I LOVE soup b/c you really don't have to measure... just add the quantities of the vegetables you want.  I also LOVE cumin and cilantro, so I use a ton of it... and often add more as it's almost done.  Don't salt it until you taste it b/c sometimes the chicken broth is salty. 

 

1 onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 can green chili peppers (or use the tomatoes w/ the chilies)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup of corn

1 can of black beans 

1 can of kidney beans

another other veggies (I've added celery, zucchini, carrots, etc..)

1/2 cup rice (I use brown, but it will increase the cook time) 

4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried cilantro (but use tons of fresh if you have it!)
1/4 or 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or leave out if you don't want it too spicy!)

3 chicken breasts or 6-7 chicken tenderloins

6 cups chicken broth

toppings: cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro if you have it

Put all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high about 3 hours or on low 5-6 or until rice is cooked.  Shred chicken.  Top with sour cream, cheese & tortilla chips.

go to www.orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!

A season of waiting

I've been waiting for answers since the end of January about a career-related situation and have no clue how much longer I will have to wait. I know and believe God has a plan for my life, and that He knows every little detail of that plan...but for my own good, He will not reveal it to me until the time is right. And though it is important for me to plan for the future, my plans may not be what God wants. "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

Knowing this truth is comforting... yet it is still HARD to be in a season of waiting. And it's even worse to be upset about everything when there are so many people in the world who are in much more difficult situations. Yet this is my day to day reality. "This Road" by Ginny Owens (came up on my Pandora station, of course) pretty much summarizes my feelings... with the exception of the first few lines that talk about suffering... because like I said before, with all that is going on in the world, I do not think the word "suffering" applies to my situation. This is painful; it is unfortunate; but I still have a wonderful family, great friends, a home, food & clothes, and for the time being, a job.

So here are my feelings, as stated so wonderfully by Ginny Owens:

In my heart I know your plan is so much bigger
But this small part is all that I can see
And I believe you haven't left me here to wander
Still I can't help but ponder where you're leading me
(chorus)
And I ask why this road
Why this way
And this load
Tell me how far must i go
Till I see
Till I know
Why this road