The Lord's Storehouses Overflowed

Generosity: liberality in giving or willingness to give

I Corinthians 9:7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

I thought I had almost come to fully understanding how vital the Body of Christ is to our lives -- spiritually and physically. My understanding soared by leaps and bounds this past Saturday. The ladies of GBC (our church) threw me a surprise baby shower, and yes Matt knew from the very beginning. These women gave above and beyond anything I could have imagined, especially since I have only been here since September. Alot of them I have only met a few times, and some listed on the "contributors" card I have not really met at all! They have not hesitated to take Matt and I under their wings providing for our needs as new parents both spiritually and physically. Lord, bless these women for letting the storehouses You've given them abundantly overflow into our's!

And I thought secretly praying for a baby shower was selfish and silly...

Diane had the idea a couple months ago to give us a shower, but because her son was coming home from Afghanistan she could not do both. So she called up Anna and Sarah, two ladies in our mentor group, to plan it all and serve as the hostesses. Anna got to take the contributions and have a hay day with our registry, BIG items and lots of clothes! Boy, has she got excellent taste -- all of the clothing is what I would have picked! Sarah did the devotional, a good reminder to be godly parents and ignore the world's advice.

Cheryl (who offered to give me a shower before she knew about this one), Deborah, Doreen, and Karen (the avid picture-taker and sower of smiles galore!)

Laura, Lois (who offered her beautiful home), and Robin (I'm amazed at how well Robin has me pegged in just the short amount of time we've had with each other. It is quite comforting to know she knows my personality so well since she is my Plan B labor/delivery coach!)

Ruth, the cute and scrumptious cake, and the load of gifts

The gifts we were BLESSED with! The two white small print blankets were handmade/aceented. The bottom one even has "Judah 2006" embroidered on it! And couldn't you just eat up a little boy in those three pants outfits??? I almost got teary when I opened the sweater vest and kakhis! Items not shown are things like our baby book, a beautiful Noah's ark frame, our high-tech nursery monitor, an infant carrier (the kind you strap on to yourself), books and stuffed animals (some interactive), excellent brand of nursing pads, etc., and apparently a Target gift card is coming with further contributions!

And if that weren't enough...as I was working on this post, Karen called me. She said she had just talked with her brother who is getting rid of some nursery furniture just to get it out of their house. Guess what the LAST big priced item we were working on getting was? A glider and ottoman. Guess what Karen was offering us? Yep. A glider and ottoman. No one in their family wants this nice wood-toned blue slip-covered glider and ottoman. Her brother asked if she knew anyone that might need one. She immediately called us up. It is completely free to us. It is not a loaner. It is our to keep for as long as we want it, even after we move to Maryland.

Lord, "thank you" is just a dumb phrase now. Remember my 37 Weeks post? Yeah...even more we sing at the top of our lungs...

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise! We have done nothing to deserve any of this. God is in the business of showing Matt and I His unending and abundant goodness...because HE wants to show it, not because we have asked for it or deserved it.

Would all of my readers just take a moment and praise God with us...and ask Him to bless the socks off of the GBC congregation for being God's instruments of provision?!?

What do YOU think?

Thea had this on her Lj. Follow the two links and choose words that best describe me (one deals with positive traits, the other negative). A statistical chart is set up as people submit their answers so that I can see where my answers agree with others and what my "blind spots" are. The blind spots will be good to know...especially negative traits. Sometimes we do not see what other see! Very interesting! You will be able to see my charts after you choose words, and you can do one for yourself and post it to your own blog!

Positive Traits:
http://kevan.org/johari?name=Spanish+Morning

Negative Traits:
http://kevan.org/nohari?name=Spanish+Morning

Week 37

**PIC OF MATT'S BIBLE UP**

So I'm 37 weeks pregnant today. My hip bones are pretty painful, especially when trying to get out of bed or turn over. I have a burst of energy for about an hour in the early morning when I wake up and then am tired for the rest of the day. Judah is still pretty active and protests his boundaries quite forcefully in the evenings. It's increasingly hard to do simple tasks, especially getting in and out of the car or even putting my own pants on! I've got 3 more weeks until my due date.

But, come on. There's so much GOOD in all of this! I've been pondering it lately:

~God is teaching me balance, to be wise with the energy resource He allows me right now. To realize it is OKAY for me to rest and relax most of the day...because He put a kid inside me!
~God is also teaching me to release control of a clean home and accept help from others (Matt). I am much more comfortable and humbled to ask Matt to switch the load from the washer to the dryer, to vacuum, etc. than I used to be. I always felt like I HAD to be the one to do it because he does all the work of providing for us. I also felt it was the best way I could show him I love him, by doing everything around the house so he didn't have to. Praise God for the freedom that continues to come as I learn to "let go and let Matt." :-)
~Judah moves. That means his little body is in working order. His movements are STRONG. That means he is strong. He responds to our pushes and jiggles. That means he has touch. He reacts to noises we make or to various voices. That means he can hear. It may not always be comfortable to have my rib cage pushed on or my bladder rolled over, but if I stay right-minded I remember to praise God for it! Because He has fearfully and wonderfully made our little Judah!
~The pain in my hips, the extra weight on my body, and the roller coaster of my mood has actually allowed opportunity for me to see a different aspect of Matt's love. The caring kind a husband has for his wife. He now helps me sit up in bed every morning because it hurts so badly if I try it myself. He offers himself as a push-off when I need to get off the couch. He tells me how beautiful my pregnant body is to him whether I agree or not. He puts lotion on my legs for me when I ask him to, though he's not fond of the feel of lotion. His patience, oh his patience, when I am having a hard day emotionally whether by way of crying or being irritable. There is nothing like beginning to truly understand what it looks like for a husband to CHERISH his wife...and to be that wife who is cherished!

So, though I do have "complaints," by God's grace I've been able to see the flip side -- that my complaints are really blessings as they mold me, teach me, and show that God has given me a normal pregnancy and healthy baby. A much more blessed side to look at and focus on!

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say,
"Blessed be the Name of the Lord, blessed be Your Name!"

Here's the picture of Autumn's card since she got it...and Matt's AWESOME Bible! I am more impressed with it than I thought I would be...we both love it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you could do anything with an unlimited amount of money and time for Valentine's Day, what would make it the perfect day? Put your answer in the comments for this post so we can all be entertained!

With Whom: MATT of course!
Place: Ritzy hotel on a white sand beach somewhere with aqua blue water and amazing rooms (that include a jacuzzi tub).
When: Stay the night before and all day Valentine's Day.
Breakfast: Belgian waffles topped with fruit/whipped cream for me and butter/syrup for Matt; English-style tea for me, toffee nut coffee for Matt.
Mid-morning: On the beach relaxing; professional massage for both of us together under a white awning with masseuses dressed in white; Kenny G "Paradise" playing softely; snack of varioius cheeses and crackers, grapes, and good water.
Lunch: Hotel restaurant, best seat in the house by the window overlooking the coast; grilled chicken pasta alfredo and caesar salad for me, chicken parmesan with pasta/marinara and french dressing salad for Matt; tiramisu for me and triple berry tostada for Matt.
Afternoon: Cuddled up on a really soft bed with big white puffy comforter and pillows watching a movie with the windows open and the breeze softly blowing; nap with the warm sunshine streaming in.
Dinner: Formal but tropical-ish attire and all spiffed up; candlelit incredible steak dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and sauted veggies (zucchini and squash for me) and sparkling cranberry juice.
Evening: Still in formal attire but barefoot, walk on the beach watching a gorgeous sunset; have a seat on a big comfy blanket and enjoy sumptuous chocolate cake with chocolate moose filling and strawberry compote on top, scoop of top quality vanilla ice cream on the side; again, Kenny G "Paradise" playing softly.

Ah, my day is refreshed just dreaming like that!
ENJOY YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY!

Here are some Valentine's Day pictures. The cards I made and sent people, the gifts Matt and I gave to each other, and the TASTY Strawberries & Cream Cloud cake I made last Saturday. (Two more pics to come when they arrive at their respective destinations and the recipients have seen them.)

Nice Weekend

You know how my days are usually spent either in solitude or talking to people on the other side of a computer screen? Well, this weekend was PEOPLE filled! Saturday we went to a "Pink Panther Party" in Santa Cruz. Half the people were from church, including the host couple, and the other half were "strangers." The food was EXCELLENT thanks to Todd's finesse with the grill and tri-tip. You've never had tri-tip unless you've had his. I was able to make a dessert -- Strawberries & Cream Cloud. Boy was it TASTY! Momma had the idea to cut the strawberries into heart shapes instead of doing it the way the recipe said. You can't go wrong with angel food cake, vanilla pudding, strawberries, and whipped cream. It was GONE...to my delightful dismay (don't have to be tempted at home but still want to eat some!).

Matt and I exchanged Valentine's Day gifts when we got home. He got his first half of his gift -- one that I am still very excited about! It is so his style and works so much better than the thermoses we have. He found, at Toys R Us of all places, an alarm clock that BOTH projects AND plays a cd. We've been searching for quite a while for one. I can not tell you how lovely it is to just open my eyes and see the time rather than taking a minute or two to strain and sit up just to see the stupid clock. He gets the second half of his gift tomorrow (which I can't post pictures of yet obviously). Sometime later this week or maybe Monday (holiday for Matt) we are going to have the meal date portion of our Valentine's Day.

Yesterday was even more people filled:
~Brunch with Todd at the Cozy Cup before church (Matt had clam chowder for the FIRST TIME ever...can't believe it)
~Morning service (Explanation of not giving what is holy to dogs and not casting pearls before swine...excellent message)
~Lunch at Taco Bell with Robin & kids and Curtis and Mandy (Crunch Wraps with beans instead of meat are oh so tasty!)
~Robin's house to kill 30 minutes (So peaceful to be in a home and we loved the layout of the downstairs...thinking towards the future)
~Baptism service (7 people baptised, from old to young)
~Duane and Doreen's house to kill an hour (LOVE their furniture and decorating even though it is still in process...we have VERY similar tastes in color and style)
~Evening service (The basic principles of hermeneudics)
~Denny's with Kim and Moses for a late dinner (and a pancake fix for me)

It was so much fun! But man is it still surprising how tired I get from just being out all day! It has made our hearts glad today to think about yesterday...how God has blessed us so richly with a group of people who are so welcoming and generous with their families and homes. He didn't create the "Body of Christ" just for Himself, you know. Mainly, yes, but He also knows how much we need each other. And for that I thank Him!

Fun with Google

Compliments of Tracie...again, another great idea for a post!

Go to Google Images and type in your response to each question and copy and paste the first picture you get. (I included what my responses were except for my name because I've seen some weird stuff on other people's blogs.)

Beware: If you do this for yourself, you might come up with some not-so-nice pictures when you search for your names. YIPES! Even if it was an ok picture, I did not use any people pictures. So these are the first ones that came up not containing people. I'd feel weird if some stranger posted my picture on their blog, even in innocence.

1. First name:

2. Middle name:

3. Last name:

Maiden

Married

4. Age on next birthday: 25

5. Favorite color: Lisa Frank Colors (Yes, I changed it from what I originally had because bright colors did not produce the exact colors I like. Lisa Frank does, elementary as it is.)

6: Place where you want to live: Anywhere with Matt

7. Place where you live now: I won't put this answer because if you know me you know...but everyone needs to know this is AWESOME that this pic came up first! We just went here last Friday for a lunch date!

8. A habit that I have: Picking at my lips (Mmm, wouldn't mind if coffee was passing over my lips right now...)


9. Favorite food:

Restaurant food - Olive Garden

Home food - fresh pineapple (even better in Hawaii)

10. Favorite animal:

Practical - Lovebird

Impractical - White Tiger

11. Religion: Christian

12. Dream job: Interior Decorator

Look at the next post too...I couldn't resist doing two in one day. The following one has pictures from the retreat last weekend as well as some clear-the-air thoughts. :-)

Ok, You People

First, if you are a woman (or I guess even a guy), READ Sanctifying Truth (link at left). I've only gotten one commenter. The faithful Jaclyn. If you others have read it and not commented, let me know somehow. What I'm posting right now is too important to me to not make sure you ladies are reading it!

Second, surely you all knew the Cheese Post was WAY out of character for me. Let's just say that's what happens when you give your husband your password so he can "see something" with Blogger. Ben, I am impressed with your comment...but it should be directed at Matt. Sure, I like cheese. But I would never waste a post on it! I think you and Matt would get along quite well...

Third, I think we've found the problem with posting pictures on Blogger. Matt had downloaded the new and really different beta test for Internet Explorer 7, and from about that point on is when I started having issues with posting. Yesterday, he had to get rid of it and return to the current version for some web site work he is doing for our church. And so far with this post, I've had no issues! Yeah! So here come all the pictures I've been wanting to post from retreat! Don't forget to scroll down and read about the retreat if you haven't already. Click on the pictures to view it larger if you wish.

Place - The Camp Koinania grounds. Fourth pic is the dining hall and fifth is where we slept.




Sessions - Our speaker Mary Alice, she and Cheryl (piano for worship team) doing a duet at the talent show, the Treasure Chest Mary Alice used props from during her speaking times.



People - Doreen/me/Judah's first lovey, Karen/me/Robin/Betty the retreat mascot of sorts, Room 22 (Bottom Row: Robin, Norma, Sandy who received Christ on Sunday, Top Row: Me, Karen, Tricia)



Random - Me getting made-over in the "Basic Day Look" by Jo (a professional in a salon...after I went to the bathroom and rubbed the blush a little more I liked it), Doreen striking a pose, the "Jury" in a skit during the talent show, the worship team (the tall one in the middle is Cindy, my prayer partner for the next year who happens to be a family practitioner and has delivered babies...but no one purposefully put us together, except God) :-)

Cheese is great!!

I like cheese.

Picrtures Finally!

Don't forget to go down and read the Retreat 1-3 posts if you haven't already.

Me with Karen (right) and Robin (left). Karen is a sweet, spirited lady who is one of my Plan B Maternal/Emotional Supporters for labor and delivery. Robin is a quiet, down to earth lady who will serve as Plan B Secondary Coach to Matt.

Me with Doreen - a wacky fun lady who is not only a wonderful friend, but is one of my Plan B maternal/emotional supporters for labor and delivery.

Retreat III: The Speaker

First, a few notes about today. Guess what I've done for exercise? I walked to Target and Safeway (both within 5 min walking of our door) to pick up a few things. Boy was it HOT! Ok, warm. But I was breaking a healthy sweat. So what did I do then? But of course! I tried the "heated" pool (which in my book is not heated at all). Did I dip in my toes and decide to lay out? NO! The water was cool and refreshing and felt glorious. It was so precious to have the weight taken off my bones and joints. I sat in it for a while, then I walked around and then did some pilates/yoga movements. Then stretched and sat some more. A short dry off/lay out session followed. ::big sigh:: God is good, all the time. Meanwhile, Aut said she was sitting on the other side of a wall from 8 inches of snow (See the pics on her blog since Blogger is still cooperating with her). God created quite the variety, didn't He?

So the speaker at retreat was Mary Alice, a 57 year old mother of 7 with gorgeous faded red hair down to her mid-thigh. Yes, gorgeous! It was healthy even at the tips! Her love for her family is more than evident. I don't think there's even a powerful enough word to describe how much she loves them. Of her 7 kids, 1 is autistic, 1 is downs, and 3 are severely dislexic (I think 3, and is that how you spell it?). Her oldest daughter is in Cambodia as a missionary, and one of her sons has joined her for a while -- she stuck his homeschool in his back pocket and shipped him off, she said. The rest of her kids, she, and her husband live in an 800 sq ft A-frame house in the country (either NorCal or Oregon, never figured out which). She is a huge part of a women's prison ministry where she lives. Apparently drugs, alcohol, and prostitution are part of her past before Christ got a hold of her. Needless to say, Mary Alice of all women has led a HARD life and she admits to it whole heartedly. But you know what her favorite saying is?

MY GOD IS BIGGER!

This was a different kind of retreat than I am used to. I've always gotten way in-depth, nitty gritty Bible study at retreats. Mary Alice covered large chunks of Psalms 119 and a passage in Hebrews. She never went to the Greek and Hebrew. She never dug to the deepest ravines between the lines. I think normally I would have been disappointed. But not so this time. I needed to just listen and watch Mary Alice.

People. Tried and true genuine JOY was overflowing every nook and cranny of that woman. Joy in her Savior. Joy in the life she has been blessed with. She doesn't have joy just down in her heart...joy IS her heart! The FREEDOM she expressed, even without words, was so refreshing to see. The freedom she has in Christ. The freedom she has from her past. The freedom she has from life's trials. How did she get this joy and freedom? By making "My God is bigger" the theme of her life. She didn't say it was her theme, but I can tell she lives by it every day. She told the doctor who timidly approached her with the results revealing her daughter was downs, "She is fearfully and wonderfully made, and I'm taking her home!" Why? Because God is bigger than downs. Because God knit her together and gave her to the parents He desired for her. She approaches all of life this way. Nothing touches this woman, not because she is strong, but because she understands and clings to the SIMPLE fact that our God is bigger than anything this world has to offer or can throw at us.

And she also portrayed the SIMPLE but most profound and fundamental aspect of our faith...

Just Love Jesus.

Just love Him. Why do we make it so hard? Why do we work, do, serve, minister, and work some more while hardly giving a thought to doing it out of love for Jesus rather than others? By simply loving Jesus, you WILL love others. But just because you love others does not necessarily mean you love Jesus most. If we loved Him with our whole hearts, we would have courage to speak His name, raise our hands in song-worship, seek His face constantly through the day, and so much more. Just. Love. Jesus. So simple, and yet it shames us because we always add more than is necessary.

Believe God is bigger. And just love Jesus.

So simple that it's hard for my brain to grasp the simplicity for all the extras I've added my whole life. When I learn to let the extras go, that is when the joy and freedom will flow!

Retreat II: Fun Bits

ARGH! Blogger is still not cooperating with posting the pictures. I will e-mail them and see what the deal is.

Place - The camp was gorgeous! Set up in the moutains of Santa Cruz, it was such a refreshing and relaxing retreat from busy city streets and hectic noises. The ladies took my pregnant belly into consideration and did things for me I never even would have thought to ask for: the room closest to the conference center, a double mattress on my bed, and a chair beside my bed for me to sit on. Such simple provisions, and yet it truly showed how THOUGHTFUL these ladies are. And without knowing it, Tricia had provided us all with a few "extras" which included the body wash I use here at home but didn't take and the matching lotion that I've never thought to buy. And it works wonders on my itchy stretch marked belly. And what did Tricia allow me to do? Keep both the body wash and lotion! Such a small gesture, but it means so much. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of the "river" that ran beside the camp. You could hear it when you walked outside. And it was gorgeous! But too far down in a ravine and I wasn't willing to get close enough to the edge to take a picture.) :-)

Food - It was tasty! The tomato soup had a kick to it, so I couldn't finish it. As did the scrumptious chicken cheese enchilada. But boy was it all good. Funny thing though. Me, little miss Home Ec major, sat there eating the "meat" on Saturday night desperately trying to figure out if it was pork or turkey. Tasted like turkey. Looked like turkey (mostly). Didn't smell awful like pork. And it was good. So I ate it in my pride without asking what it was. But at lunch the next day I asked someone. Yep. It was pork. Did you know for years upon years I have always been soooo against pork and have told people I can't stand the stuff? But, I ate the whole silly piece on my plate and actually enjoyed it. Matt is grateful since he likes pork. Favorite food item of the weekend? The pineapple sorbet at Sunday lunch. Tricia told me I was allowed to eat a second helping because it was sorbet, not ice cream. I love it when other women help me find the excuses. :-)

Games - Zilch...not a game to play at 9:30 at night and/or if you hate math. Yuck. Scattergories - did you know there are still people out there who haven't played??? I ended up teaching a group of women (after quitting Zilch unashamedly) who had never played. The one who owned it had never even assembled it. Hoopla - I brought it and taught a group of women on Friday night. On Saturday night, I left it sitting all alone on a table while I played Scattergories, but quite a sizeable group of women ended up playing. I was glad to see their enjoyment!

Seminars - There were two beauty seminars given by Jo (face) and Monica (hair). They were quite interesting, and I was able to be the model for the basic day look make-up. It was SO much fun to see a few of the women have their hair and make-up done up. It is so amazing every time you watch someone apply make-up in such a way that it truly brings out the woman's beauty rather than "wow, look at her make-up." We even got a few samples to try at home.

So those are the fun bits of the weekend. To come are the more meaningful things that happened and what I learned. For now, I'm gonna go have a picnic lunch by the pool. It is INCREDIBLY gorgeous here, and I'm hoping to get some more R&R. Though I had a 3 1/2 hour nap yesterday and 9 hours last night, I think the weekend took more of a toll than I thought it would. For those who've prayed for my ribs...they are not as excrutiating today. It goes between a dull tenderness to the sharp pains. Haven't figured out yet what makes it hurt worse. But at least I can breath better!

Retreat I: What a weekend!

Ok, so the exclamation point is a little too energy-filled for what I am right now. Boy, am I exhuasted! But it was such a wonderful weekend. God really answered prayer -- I got to know PLENTY of new women and the ones I already knew a little I got to know alot better.

I requested to room with Karen, and thought it would be nice to room with her, Robin, and Norma. But I could only ask for one. But guess what! They were ALL in my room...plus crazy fun Tricia (who almost immediately started massaging my back when I got to the room) and her neighbor Sandy (who came to Christ Sunday morning! more on this later...). It is overwhelming to see the love of Christ POUR out of these women. The joy and exhuberance they have in serving others. The crazy personalities they have. Well, ok, Tricia and Karen are by far the craziest. Norma and Robin are much more "normal." ;-) I am happy to say that just before we left on Sunday, I was able to tell Robin she can be my secondary coach and then told Karen and Doreen that they can be my "maternal" support and emotional encouragement. I couldn't choose just one. I love them all and see how each of them can help if my family isn't here when I go into labor. Not to mention, if I chose one, the cat fighting over who got to do it might have gotten worse! But it was hilarious to watch! And I felt honored, in a weird way, to be fought over by women who could be my mothers (except Karen, she's the youngest of them).

I will post pictures later when Blogger decides to cooperate. And don't worry. There is much more to come about the weekend. I just don't want to take up the whole Internet with one post, and I need a nap now.

Pray for my left ribs. Something is painfully wrong. I hope it is nothing too serious, and I don't think it is. But it HURTS!

Early Morning Post

Ok, so it's not that early to the rest of you. But a 7:30 am post is unheard of for me. Mostly because I'm never on the computer this early, but Matt left at 7:00 and for some weird reason I'm awake. For now.

These flowers were a blessing from above by means of my mom. I've been quite overwhelmed lately with the whole process of labor and delivery. Not overwhelmed in a bad, sad, angry, joyous, anxious, or excited way. Just flat out overwhelmed. I think it is because 1) I now know what my body is capable of and will inevitably do and 2) AWE at the INCREDIBLE way God has designed the female body. You all wouldn't believe how many intricate details work together to form, carry, and deliver a baby. Well, unless of course you've had a baby before. :-) I kept telling Matt that I know God has made me for this. But, God knew I needed someone ELSE to tell me that. And you know what He impressed upon my mom to put in the note that came with the cheery flowers? "You are designed for what is ahead." Stopped me in my tracks and made the tears flood my cheeks and wash away the burdensome overwhelmed feeling. Since that afternoon, instead of being emotionally overwhelmed when I think about the NEAR future, I have that kind of gentle excitement and quiet anticipation within me. Hmm, sounds like God's peace, huh? Thank you, Momma, for your generous surprise and much needed encouragement. I wonder if God plants glorious flowers for YOU every time you send them to Aut and I. I'll definitely have to visit your mansion in glory!

My doc appt went very well yesterday. Matt came back with me and was able to witness Dr. G's amazing turn around in bedside manner. So talkative and friendly again! Praise the Lord! I only gained 1 pound the past two weeks (woo hoo!) and my BP was 110/60 (very good!). My belly measures 35 cm which is right on target for being 35 weeks, and Judah's heartbeat was fine. But here's the interesting piece of news...

I asked Dr. G if he does inductions because we learned about them in class on Tuesday night. He said he does them whenever he can! He explained to us his reasons why and the method he uses depending on when and why he is inducing someone. He said that if I do not go into labor by March 13th, he'll begin induction that day! Now, if that's not a cool but weird thought, I don't know what is! That means that Judah will be born NO LATER than the 13th or a couple days after depending on the induction process and my body. The true end is in sight. No more "how far past the due date will I go?" Now it's just "will I have Judah before the 13th?" It's exciting! Especially since I KNOW now that Nonie and Thea will still be around! But, of course, if he comes early...odie weldie! I'll be callin' up someone from church!

Speaking of, this weekend is the ladies' retreat. I'm looking forward to it, though it will be interesting to find out how I will do at a camp in the mountains (yes there are cabins, not tents) while pregnant. I already got special permission to have snacks in my room even though the camp does not allow it. I'm still trying to decide if I can/should take two or three of our king sized pillows. They're only twin beds, so I'm not sure three would fit. It's just two nights. Maybe I'll be ok?

I am excited about the topic, Treasures of the Heart. It is all about Scripture and how we are to hide in our hearts and such. Perfect for what has been the growing desire of my heart lately! What I am looking forward to most is getting to know more ladies and becoming better friends with the ones I already do know. A few of them know one of my intentions is to single out a couple or three that I can feel comfortable enough calling up to be my secondary coach just in case no family is here when Judah is born. One of them, Robin, her HUSBAND had quite the conversation with Matt and I last Sunday about how his wife would LOVE to be our support person and to feel free to call her up...that she'd get to the hospital the moment we did. Not because she necessarily loves labor/delivery (though she's done it 7 times) but because she just loves to support people. I can see that in Robin. But I've got my eye set on Karen. I have felt from the moment I met her that we are supposed to be friends. Whether it's to establish a good friendship, a mentorship, or to have her help with the birth of our first child, I don't know. I just know God put a spark in my heart for her, and I think she feels the same way. We'll see!

I hope the food is good.

I'm gonna go take an early morning nap. Then it's off to packing, small grocery shopping, baking chocolate chip pumpkin mini muffins for retreat, an afternoon nap with Matt, dinner at (probably) In 'n Out, then off to rendezvous with the ladies who will drive me to the retreat!

Have a splendiferous weekend!