New Camera = Christmas Photo Shoot!

Living between the Advents

Advent means: the coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important.

This season has a little different spin on it to me than ever. Our church is talking about what it means to be celebrating the advent season of Christ's birth while we also are living in our own waiting time for Christ to return again. And how when we just celebrate the birth of Christ and forget the other advent we are in, we begin to become products of our environment; but when we only look to the return of Christ and fixate on being with Him in heaven, we lose sight of the beautiful gift of today and the way Christ calls us to be His image bearers, here now. 

So I'm not sure that this all makes sense or ties together but I have been thinking about how I am waiting for this new time in my life, to me a mom and waiting for this little boy to come into our lives. Romans 8:22 talks about how "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth....we groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved, But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they have already have? If we hope for what we do not have we wait for it patiently." 

I just wonder how I am doing at hoping for the return of Christ. Do I really believe that he is coming back? I  love the tangible example of creation groaning as in the pains of childbirth. The fact that we are going to go through hard painful things as we wait just like a mother in labor pains through childbirth for the hope of her sweet baby coming.  I think of the ways that even in this pregnancy I can become so fixated on the the future life ahead that I loose sight of the gift of the PROCESS. And how if I live as if the baby isn't coming I would probably be doing harm to the baby and myself by neglecting the things that are important for the his health as well as being totally unprepared and caught off guard. 

As we get farther into our labor class we are taking, one of the theories of this class is that while in labor if we tense into our contractions they are actually LESS PRODUCTIVE. They teach that we have to learn to relax into contractions to allow them to do their work. They often say we have to get ourselves out of the way so that the baby can come.  Every time I hear that now I think WOW how spiritually significant that is in our lives. We often want to wish the bad things and painful things away in our lives and we tense, avoid,  and run. How can we learn to except and embrace the painful "contractions" of life and allow them to do their work in us as we wait on the Lord?

How are we at living between the advents? Believing Christ for his return as well as living today as His image bearers. 

Time for an update

It's been a while since we have posted anything so I thought I would give a little life/baby update. I am 27 weeks along and started my every two weeks doctors appointments. Everything seems to be progressing along just fine. The doctor says I measure about two to three weeks big but the little guy is not fully turned yet so the measurement may not be accurate, she says we will know better once he turns all the way. 

Adam and I just started our first of a series of 12 birthing classes. We are taking a course just out of a woman's home called the Bradley Method. So far even in just one week I feel more prepared for labor, which is good  I have been having a growing fear of the fact that this child has got to come out! So I am excited to continue the class and feel more and more prepared. Adam has already been such a great encouragement doing the newly learned exercises with me every night this week! 

I am wanting to post some pictures of my belly,  for you guys (steph- to grant your request) to see and also just for us to always have a record of to show the babe someday BUT our camera is broken, so we are in the process of buying one.....so stay tuned for some belly shots! 

This week we have started the process of transforming our office/guest room into a nursery. We are hoping to paint a little and set up the crib and things this weekend. It makes it more and more official that a little baby is coming here to live! Crazy!! 

Outside of baby news, Adam and I have been doing well. This is a busy time for him at school right now with all of the Christmas events happening that require him to be there and run videos or sound.  He enjoys it but is ready to be done with all the evenings he is spending at school. We drove to Tennessee for Thanksgiving to spend time with Adam's dad's side of the family. We had a great time and always wish we could stay longer. The women threw me a wonderful baby shower that was so much fun! We can't believe Christmas is right around the corner, we were able to put up our Christmas tree this past weekend. My mom always made homemade hot chocolate whenever we put up our tree so it has been fun these past few years to continue the tradition of sipping on some yummy hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music as we put up our tree!