back from the printer

I got a very exciting package in the mail. It was from scrapbookpictures.com and contained pages of my digital scrapbooking all printed out on fabulous paper with impressive color.

I wrote earlier about my April pages, and last week I completed my May pages in one morning. This sort of scrapbooking is so simple, relieves me of all my picture printing guilt and let me say it again, is so, so easy. The templates and idea are from the great Cathy Z.

If you're on the fence about digital scrapbooking, or if you've purchased photoshop elements but haven't really honed your skills, I highly highly highly recommend taking one online class from Jessica Sprague. Right now all of her classes are 20% off and after just the first Up and Running class, you will be able to make these VERY SIMPLE, VERY EASY pages with your own pictures. It's a fun and empowering new skill to have.

Here's a favorite from my May pages. This week I'm going to try to hit up March. That was a good month too...with lots of pictures just begging to be printed and placed lovingly in an album...

five months

Today we are celebrating 20 weeks of pregnancy! Thursday is our ultrasound and I can't wait. My paper chain only has three rings left and it seems so crazy that time has gone by so quickly. I made that thing before Easter and it wrapped half way around our bedroom and now it's just three loops long...

I am feeling really good lately, which is a huge blessing since I'm running around camp most of the time. More than anything, Rory and I are just completely in love with this little life and I am soaking up the pure excitement, wonder and joy we are sharing as my belly continues to grow. There is a happiness in this expectancy that is like no other. And on Thursday we get our first little glimpse at our baby! I can't wait!!!

forgiveness

I've had two remarkable experiences with forgiveness in two days.
Both times it was me asking for forgiveness.

The first was to a friend I've just been cold to. Icy, really. And I've known I've been behaving this way and just kept acting icy because I still felt icy. I even felt justified in my reasoning for feeling icy. But Rory and I had a good talk about this situation, and in the end, whether I had reasons for being cold or not, it was just time to be kind. And to apologize for my unkind behavior. And to ask for forgiveness.

Funny thing is that this person played that they hadn't noticed and told me not to worry about it. But I think that was just a nice thing for them to say. Because in that moment I could feel the room warm up a bit. Whether it had been felt or not on their part, my icy ways were melting and I felt forgiven.

Then today I had a conversation with a friend about a situation that happened almost a year ago. It's a series of events that has stuck with me and I've always been bothered by how it all played out since there never was an opportunity for resolution. But today I had the chance in this conversation to explain my regret, explain how I wished things had played out, and essentially ask for forgiveness, but done so with a 30 minute conversation surrounding the whole ordeal. And again, I felt the air clear.

It's so strange how this biblical principle, is just so, so good for us. So much of the Bible is like that... You might not know why this has been commanded, but once you error on the other side, you quickly learn "oh, this is for my own good. God knew this is for my own good." God knows it's not good to be icy. And that it's not good to think about something for an entire year after the fact. But I'm human, and humans do these things. The redemption in this story is that we were made for forgiveness, for having our wrongs taken away, and for feeling the freedom of a clean heart after hard conversations are had.

It's risky living. Honestly, it would have been much easier for me just to stay my same cold temperature. But in the end, I was wasting SO MUCH ENERGY...because I was created to live in the freedom of forgiveness.

on my nightstand...

I'm reading some great books right now, and just want to pass them along. I just finished Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" and ate the thing up. It's a really interesting premise...all about how to look at your life as a story, and then really figuring out if you're living a compelling, interesting narrative. His own story takes off, after he is confronted by two guys who want to make his first memoir into a movie and they all realize his life just isn't that compelling on the screen. So he makes very intentional decisions as to what parts of his story he wants to put to the side for a while, and what parts he wants to pursue because there is mystery, intrigue and perhaps some good personal character development potential along the way.

I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I started reading the first page.

I'm halfway through Beth Moore's "So Long Insecurity" and that's about right. I'd say about half the time I'm still dealing with this horrible vice, and the other half of the time I'm feeling good and full of confidence :) Here's to hoping the last half will get me to the place where I can say, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh-darn-it, people like me."

Sara sent me Madeleine L'Engle's "Waking on Water." The funny thing is that Sara had me read this when I worked for her and I remember devouring it then. And now as I read it a second time, I can't believe how new every thought and page is. This book is changing my thinking on vocation and how I can use my gifts more intentionally. Paired with Donald Miller's book, these two are giving me lots and lots to chew on.

And finally, "What to expect" has become a staple. My baby is six inches head to rump right now, which makes me feel good and productive. People still are surprised I am five months along, so I try to stick my belly out a bit extra when I tell people I'm five months now. It helps with the large, drawn-out, "You don't look five months!" It's funny how that should be flattering, and yet I always am left feeling like maybe I'm not eating enough or giving this baby enough room. Next Thursday we have our ultrasound and I can't wait for the doctor to kindly tell me everything is looking good in there.

Happy reading everybody!

Fireflies and Songs

Not sure how this works, but Sara's latest album, Fireflies and Songs, is only five buckaroo's at this site. I don't get how music promotion plays out in pricing strategies, but believe me, this is a ridiculous deal.

I have this album playing in my car this week, and the words are so thoughtful and honest. And the whole sound of the album is very calm, relaxed and very sara.

If you go to this site, you can hear clips of each song...it gives you a good feel for her style and songwriting. But the sweet $5 deal is back at that first link I highlighted in the first paragraph...