You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, "No one sees me." Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, "I am, and there is none besides me." - Isaiah 47:10 NIV

It's so easy to get caught up in this mess we call life. To focus on the, "I am and there is none besides me." Let's face it: Who doesn't want to make it all about them?

I get very caught up in social media. I try not to. But it creeps in. After all, it's so accessible-- especially to those with a smart phone. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter... You name it. It's all there at your finger tips. So I upload who knows how many pictures a day and update my status and share links, and then I spend way too much time waiting, checking, stalking, and waiting some more. Somehow this ends in unwarranted anger towards people. Perhaps someone didn't text me back. Perhaps someone didn't like a picture I was certain they would. Perhaps no one liked my status or shared my link I posted. Perhaps....

Why does it make me angry? Because I get caught up in the, "I am."
(This idea I'm taking from Beth Moore's study on Daniel I'm currently doing at the women's study at my church.)

It means I get so caught up in me. Thinking about myself and how "wonderful" I am, how creative I am, or how original or how pretty or how blessed and I want EVERYONE to recognize it. I want people to humble themselves before me.

Wait. WHAT?!

Isn't that what we are doing? Getting sucked in to the craziness of this world and wanting it to be all about us? So where is God in all this?

Oh. Right. HIM.

Yeah, you know, The GREAT I am.

Sound familiar? Here I am getting caught up in the "I am" and forgetting the GREAT I am.

Oops.

No, my friends, that's more than just "oops".

What I so easily forget as I spend mindless moments on my social media plugins is that I am not for this world. Another amazing thing a woman in my small group said. I am not living for this world. I am living for heaven. For the days when I will get to spend all my time glorifying God.

But... wait.. shouldn't I be doing that now as well?

There is a simple answer to that question: yes .

I can say I'm only human, I can say I have flaws, but that doesn't excuse me or give me room to skirt away from my purpose. My purpose is to "represent". To shine my light and let the whole world see that I am not for this world.

I am challenging myself to take a step back from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and focus on the relationship that matters the most: My relationship with Christ.

Do you get caught up in the "I am"? How can you challenge yourself to take a step back?

TGIF!!!

Favorite picture of me and the little man from this past week :).
I am so thankful it's Friday. I must admit this past week is a bit of a blur. I felt like I was constantly running on empty. Now, don't get me wrong, it really was a good week (for the most part). Michael and I are really getting a routine down... until he decides he wants to do something to throw it off, or I do. But, ya know, that's life!


Dear Twin Bed
I am so excited we finally invested in you. Michael was never going to sleep in his crib. Ever since the first night we were home and we let him cuddle in bed with us, and then the second, and the third... co-sleeping became our way of doing things. I'm so thankful it was (and still is). However, I am very excited to start Michael in his own room. And I must say, he is taking to you quite well for his naps right now. Not to mention he loves having his own bed to climb onto to for reading or playing time.



Dear Weather
You are truly being ridiculous. I feel like every time I get to do this type of post I feel the need to mention you. Tuesday alone we had snow, sleet, rain, and then sunshine and a high of 55. Are you kidding me? Today it was sunny and sixty, and tomorrow we're under a warning of freezing rain! Make up your mind already!


Both pictures from Tuesday, February 19th.

Dear Kitchen
I promise I will clean you... eventually. I am learning to accommodate my picky eater and make things that he enjoys... as well as sneak in a thing or two that might be green. Please don't start smelling funky or anything due to me not being able to wipe you down every night. You should be thankful I love to cook. You are dirty because you are loved.

Waffle Cookies Recipe to be posted in the upcoming week!

Homemade Mac & Cheese Recipe to be posted soon. Green Beans recipe here!


Dear Michael
I am so thankful for you. You are 100% boy, and that is such an adjustment for me coming from a family that consisted of three daughters (myself included). Please be patient with me as I learn not to freak out over every bump and bruise. You seem to be falling on your head a lot lately from all your running, and you're making mama want to buy you a helmet. Just so I don't turn into that mother, could you maybe slow down just a little... please?



Have a happy weekend! I leave you with a quote to make you think :).
Check out Quotable Life's Facebook Page Here!

The idea for this post came from Ashley, of The Sweet Season.

"The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things...."

Since Michael was three months old, Clark and I have thought he was teething. Excessive drooling, a few fevers, some yuckier-than-normal diapers... but then we'd take a look at his gums and see nothing but the usual shape. No bulges, no white peaking through... nothing. So, we'd move on.

Well, the time is here.

Tuesday I was desperately trying to figure out what was wrong with Michael. Normally he only has 2, maybe 3, #2 diapers in a day. It was maybe one o'clock, and he had hit four. I just didn't understand. The day carried on, Clark took Michael for a while to give me a break, and then he brought him back and went to work.

Around dinner time, I noticed the teeth.
(I promise we weren't torturing him to get this pic!)

I read that it's most common for the bottom two front teeth to come in first, but as always Michael is breaking the trend and his top two are coming in.

It didn't seem to be that bad.

Wednesday we went on our scheduled date, although I must say I felt a little more protective/paranoid than normal. I trust our babysitter whole heartedly, but I know Michael. I just knew nothing she did was going to make him happy.

He didn't eat. He didn't want to do anything. Only watching Mickey Mouse Club on her iPhone seemed to calm him down. When we got home, it only took an hour before he went right to sleep.

For me, teething didn't seem that bad. Michael was just pooping a little more than normal, maybe not napping quite as well, but come bed time he'd just sleep on through.

Until last night.

Last night Michael was hot to touch. As in, I didn't want any covers because it felt like coals were cuddling up beside me. He had a little baby Motrin before going to bed, but in the wee hours of the morning he woke up with an awful cry.

Truly. Awful.

Poor Michael was in such pain and nothing would comfort him. No feeding, no pacifier, nothing.

On went the hallway light. Clark crawled out of bed and got Michael a little more Motrin, the thermometer, and a new diaper.

Fever: 101.

Diaper: #1 and #2

Motrin: Devoured (after a little coaxing)

He woke up again somewhere around 6:30am, but I knew he wasn't ready to get up because of the way he would keep putting his head down and closing his eyes, sitting up, and then repeating.

Fever: 100

Diaper: #1

Motrin: Not given

He finally feel back asleep and slept in until 9:45am. No joke. It felt like Saturday, or a holiday, or a day out of 1,000 that never happens. I can't remember the last time we, let alone I, slept past 8am.

So, now he's down for a nap and I'm saying a prayer that he takes a good one, because I think we'll only be able to have one good nap today, or an absolutely dreadful night (which we may have, anyway).

Might I just say, too, that two out of the four diapers he had today (that is, #2 diapers) have been the most disgusting things since his birth. He hasn't had diapers this runny since I don't know when. It's not exactly fair to compare, since in the beginning we weren't using Rumparooz, but cloth diapers with poop like this... it just isn't fun to clean.

Have any teething stories or helpful remedies? This mama is ALL ears!
(Picture from today.)