He's A Promise to Be Anything God Wants Him to Be

I am a promise,

I am a possibility

I am a promise with a capital "P"!

I am a great big bundle of potentiality!

And I am learning to hear God's voice and I am tryin'

To make the right choice;

I'm a promise to be anything God wants me to be!

It's easy to forget that the work of parenting goes beyond these long days and sleepless nights. I've decided that parenting a toddler often means gritting your teeth and praying whatever you're going through will pay off one day - potty training, staying calm through a tantrum, etc. Toddlers are awesome, but they're exhausting. 

Listening to Joseph sing "I am a promise" today brought me to tears. He IS a promise. Joseph and Violet are each a promise to be anything God wants them to be.

Joseph and Violet have each been baptized and part of what that means to me is that they are set apart for the Kingdom of God. Adam and I took vows on their behalf to "renounce the devil and all his works, to trust God wholeheartedly, and to serve Him faithfully." We promised as Joseph's and Violet's parents to teach them "the Creeds, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and all other things that a Christian ought to know, believe, and do..." God wants to use Joseph's personality, Violet's personality, their weaknesses and strengths for His Kingdom.

It's a high calling to parent these littles - to wake when they need comfort in the night, to train them in Godliness, to teach them what it means to be a promise... May God grant us daily grace and perspective.

Lyrics from "I Am A Promise" by The Gaither Vocal Band

Stages of Postpartum

Let’s talk postpartum... Even under the best of circumstances, it’s hard. You’re physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Whether the birth was smooth and uncomplicated (my first) or scary and not what you hoped (my second), you’ve had a life-changing experience! It takes time to process and to heal. In the meantime, you’re caring for and bonding with your new baby!

These 6 stages have shown up in some way after both of my babies! I’ve found it’s important to keep in mind that these stages are short periods of time. Nothing lasts forever!  

1) The Adrenaline High 

Your body rewards all of your hard work with an adrenaline high! Your heart is on cloud nine and soaking in every inch of the tiny miracle you’re holding.  

2) Exhaustion 

I remember thinking it took all my energy to walk to the bathroom! The soreness set in and my body was screaming for rest. (As an aside, when any pain troubled me, I began to tell myself "Wait 24 hours." I found after every 24 hours I felt improvement and I knew my body was healing.)  

3) The “We’re Home!” High 

There’s so much pride and anxious excitement in bringing home a new baby!  

4) Tied To Baby 

Little babies require a lot of attention. You spend a lot of time with them and rightly so, but at some point, this feels suffocating. I remember telling Adam, “I miss you!”  

5) The Panic 

Life has changed and you’ve taken on a huge responsibility! With each baby, I had a period of panic. “I can’t do this! I don’t know how to take care of a baby (or, after Violet, to take care of 2)!” And as a friend told me, the truth is you’ve never done this before. It’s okay for it to feel scary and new!  

6) Settling In 

Here’s the sigh of relief. After the five stages above, you start seeing glimpses of what your new “normal” might look like. You troubleshoot the new logistics of getting out and about, your body becomes (somewhat) accustomed to living on less sleep, etc. You know you’re going to be okay!

Have you experienced any of these stages? Does my experience sound familiar or is it completely different than yours?

On Choosing the Name Violet

As Adam and I began dreaming of baby names, we talked about family names. During these conversations, I told Adam about my great-grandparents, “Mom Phillips” and “Daddy Clyde,” about their house with the wall of family pictures and the tree we climbed out back. I told him that they were strong Christians - that Mom Phillips, in particular, had a reputation as a prayer warrior. She was one of those people with a line to heaven that seemed more direct than the rest of us. I was very young when she developed Alzheimer’s, but I vividly remember her prayer on one of our last visits to their house. My Dad asked her to pray for our safety driving home. This prayer was tradition, but Mom Phillips had not been of a good mind during this particular visit. She didn't always remember our names or even where she was. When she prayed though... When she talked to God that morning, you would have never known she was sick. Her voice was strong and her thoughts clear. It still gives me chills thinking about that moment. I pray that I too am so focused on heavenly things that even disease cannot take this part of me. So the name “Violet” is in honor of my Great-Grandmother, Viola “Mom” Phillips. What a privilege for my daughter to bear part of her name and I pray that Violet seeks the Lord the way Mom Phillips did!

“Kay” is after my sister, Kayla. I struggle to put into words how important Kayla is to me, how she’s a part of who I am, how she’s challenged me and encouraged me. We’ve had our ups and downs as most siblings do, but she’s always been one of my favorite people. Kayla is funny, she’s real, and she’s one of the most loving people I know. During our time growing up, I was often frustrated that Kayla wouldn’t just do what we were “supposed" to do, but now it’s something I admire about her. She was always more comfortable in her skin than I felt in mine. Kayla has a tender heart and a particular gift for interacting with people who are elderly, disabled, or very young. Her love pours out and can make anyone feel like the most important person in the room. I know Violet will love her “Auntie K” and I think she will be honored to share part of her name. I pray she also shares Kayla’s confidence and love for people.

Violet Kay, we are so excited you’re here! Perhaps you’ll be just like your namesakes and perhaps very different. Either way, we hope you come to appreciate the beautiful heritage your name portrays. We love you so much and look forward to sharing this life with you!