sigh

so most of you know, i have been taking precepts (an inductive Bible study) for the first time this spring. i couldn't even begin to tell what the Lord has taught me through TRULY studying his Word but i did want to share what sums up the last 4 months of my life. our pastor, Jeff, mentioned a quote by Oswald Chambers yesterday while teaching.

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

i have begun to study the Bible on my own and the Lord is teaching me exactly what He wants me to learn. i am not learning who God is from anyone else but from Himself! i am opening His Word and He is showing me Himself in TRUTH. this quote by Oswald (yes, we're on a first name basis) is exactly what i've learned in a nutshell. simply because i know the character of God more and more, my faith is being strengthened tremendously! i have never had the confidence in all things that i do now. it is because i know my God and am knowing Him more. He is so satisfying. i have tasted and it has made me thirsty for so much more! i do not understand all of God's ways by any stretch but i know that He is faithful, He is just, He is gracious, He is compassionate, He is so patient, He cares that I KNOW HIM!

as i sit back and look at my life and in particular the time that Matthew and i have been married, God is so consistent in His character. He has pursued our hearts without giving up on our hopeless flesh. He has been pleading with our spirit to seek Him but all along protecting us and providing our needs no matter how many times that we have forsaken Him for something of this world. His plan is good. His plan is perfect and we desire to be right there with Him in it.

He has now provided us a beautiful home to live in...AGAIN! we are moving in this week. our house in Columbia still has not sold but we are learning and learning through all of this. He is providing what we need and allowing us to move into our awesome house. i know that He will continue to provide in our obedience at JUST THE RIGHT TIME and not a second before. i think about how He has provided everything we have needed for Grey when we had no idea what we were going to do with our sweet surprise!

here we are! the only thing you can't see is the other part of the garage

i love this picture

and i love this one. he tends to find his way into the cookie box more often than not.

classic grey face.

well, here we are as of now. ready to move and settle in our new home. striving to learn and grow more and more each day.

more responsible...

so, I've decided to quite possibly do more than one blog in 2008. This came after the decision to generally be more responsible. I want to actually finish things I start. I hate that about myself...that I have the tendency to give up before I've finished. I think the fact that I now have a son to take care of every hour of every day pretty much, by default, makes me somewhat responsible. At first I was completely overwhelmed with the whole idea of being responsible for another life. Then I actually had the little life in this world and I just did it! There really is no learning to be responsible for those snuggly little babies before they come, you just learn as you go. Thank goodness the Lord has blessed me with some amount of common sense.

Grey is now 11 months old. That means he has been in this world almost a whole year! I cannot believe how quickly it has gone. I have been putting some pictures together for his first birthday and I cannot believe how small he was! I think because I am with him everyday I don't realize how much he grows until I look at pictures. He is the greatest joy and I do not have the words to express my thankfulness for his precious life.

I remember this moment exactly. I couldn't believe Grey was here!

And now we are crawling through his tunnel and playing in his tent!

and stuffing his face with apples while i'm yelling "YOU HAVE TO CHEW OR YOU ARE GOING TO CHOKE!" therefore, I have learned to give him one piece of grilled cheese, apple, bagel, etc. at a time.

Sleeping like a baby!

I'll stop showing you the cutest baby on earth. BUT I will have more pics in a few days! Thanks for joining my new responsibility!