last day, rejoicing about rest.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

Definition of yoke =
something that couples or binds together.
What Jessi is bound to =
an endless effort to be the best at something that I fail
constant comparison that I can't live up to
the need for more energy
a burdened soul
a heart craving more from myself and everyone else
What Jesus' yoke does for me =
frees me from absolutely everything.

So, I may not actually sleep through the night for another few months but you
better believe this week, and this lifetime, I'm rejoicing in the ultimate
rest I find in the completion of the cross.
Without His grace & rest-inducing
love for me, I am like the most frustrated hamster stuck in her own exhausting wheel.
Or like Glory, if we gave her sixteen shots of espresso and left her in the crib.

After experiencing rest in God, I'm more Glory like this:

And that feels nice.
Now, I think I'll rest in the completion of a delightful end
to my first annual rejoice week.
ahhhhhhh.

rejoice, day tres.

... but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

To think of the hundreds of cheesy youth group songs I could conjure up about this particular piece of scripture. To think of all the times I sang those songs, looked at those stickers, saw those t-shirts and didn't totally understand how beautiful the strength of the Lord is.

Lately I've been telling Nick that before this pregnancy is over, I'd like him to take our handy flip video camera and film me getting out of bed in the morning. It's an actual laugh. For some reason, that is when my crazy pelvic pain is the worst and I have to pull myself up with the bedside table and I genuinely limp/walk hunched over for the first few minutes. It's the closest I've ever come to real physical disability and I know it's still crazy minor compared to what some people live with every day.

But it's not just that...
It's at lunch with I spill the whole jug of milk and both kids are crying,
it's when a friend is hurting and I feel utterly useless,
when I even imagine trying to get all three of my kids up
or down the stairs in a few weeks,
when someone hurts me and I feel lost and alone.
weakness.
I got nothing - no hope, no way to do life on my own.

Till Jesus, that is. I just wait on Him, surrender, and all the
strength I could ever ask for or imagine is there.



Like if Elias could suddenly pick up this giant pumpkin.
Which of course, he probably can. Well, Glor can for sure.

signs of strength to help me rejoice today:
- I should be terrified to be the wife of a church planter, to move cross
country again, with three kids under three. And honestly, when I pray about
it, I know He will make me able.
- One area of my life where I feel like I've waited on the Lord
and I'm now running - my marriage. There may be seasons
to come where it's more like crawling, but for now, I see
God strengthening us in the same ways... at the same time.
- good friends help me to feel the strength of God.
Either by sharing a laugh or sharpening me with correction, I'm
better off with them and much tougher.

your turn.

rejoice week, day two.

Have you ever gone through a season where you should have felt intense pain and didn't? Or maybe you should have been miserable and instead, you were content? When I was pregnant with Glory, a lot of you know, we went through a season where we should have felt intense fear and for some reason - though I'm a worrier to the extreme, I couldn't make myself worry, couldn't make myself fear.

Ever since that time, if a friend has been in need of peace, if I've felt in need of peace - I've felt this insane trust that God would provide it. I truly believe that He gives it in the perfect measure that we need - if we will only stop looking at ourselves to answer all the questions on our own.

So today, I'm rejoicing about peace. In John 14, Jesus says,

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world
gives you do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid."

I love this particular promise of Jesus', because it is so clearly NOT conditional, NOT seasonal, NOT pending on our behavior. No matter what, He left us with the Holy Spirit - the comforter to bring peace to our hearts and he promises that it's like nothing we've ever had here.

some particular pieces of peace I'm rejoicing over:
(I'm sorry, I can't help myself with the alliteration)
- that I'm saved by the blood of Jesus. Regardless of what I do,
when God sees me, He sees me
covered in the blood of Christ and that will not change.
- that no matter what happens in politics, in Africa, in the future, in the
courthouses; Jesus appoints and allows it all.
- that at some point, pregnancy has to end. It's a gift, but it's
also a massive relief to know that I won't be pregnant
with this baby six months from now.
- when Glory sits still for like ten seconds, just to enjoy sitting with me.
- pictures like this of our backyard like this.



So, how about y'all? What makes you feel peaceful these days?

Kayleigh Anne Freeman

Hey y'all, just a quick note in between posts.

Would ya'll hop over to the blog dedicated to Kayleigh Anne Freeman, from Charlotte?
She is a sweet ten month old who has never left the NICU and is very likely to lose her battle on earth to go be with Jesus in the coming days.

On top of the massive burden of having their baby in such peril, the Freeman's have been under massive financial stress and have already lost their house to foreclosure. Pray for them and pray about giving to them.

Thanks, friends!
Jess

rejoice week, day one.

At Mars Hill, Pastor Mark has been going through 1 Peter and specifically the past few weeks we've been dealing a lot with suffering. In so many ways, unpacking this scripture has shown me how little I really suffer - but it's also shown me how
poorly I handle any suffering in my life. This morning as he was reading 1 Peter 4:13, I was just overwhelmed with the lack of rejoicing in my life. I have so many good gifts, and I spend so much time focused on my own suffering and the suffering of others, without doing the very important rejoicing in it. So this week - I just wanted to mix it up. There won't be many cute kid stories or pregnancy anecdotes, but each day I just want to blog about a good heavenly gift - in an effort to cause myself to rejoice and hopefully, to add another positive place on the internet for a few days.
We'll just call it Rejoice Week. Creative, right?

............................................................

sooooo...... for Day #1, I just want to thank Jesus for good-old-fashioned joy.
That through relationship with Him, I can find pure heaven-sent joy in the worst of days & I can always hold on for the joy that is ahead. In the past years, I've learned how much better joy is than worldly happiness, and how it comes from something much more eternal than temporary pleasure. This verse comes to mind:

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 53:10

Do you know how often I sigh? Or grunt? Or cry? (Answer: Way too often during pregnancy.)
Today at lunch, the kids and Nick and I were all goofing around and Elias
started imitating me. I was enchanted until he made a face I'm sure he sees
all too often - he scrunched his face up, pinched the bridge of his nose, and squinted his eyes
in frustration. Then, GLORY even did it.
That face makes me ill with myself, but it also makes me
ill with the world. Here - I'm weary and tired and just plain frustrated.
Sort of like my sweet when you take away the golf club.



But there's hope - because one day those of us who have Christ will be those running and singing in Zion - with EVERLASTING joy on our heads. No more sighing, no more squinting in frustration, and certainly no more sighing.

So today I'm rejoicing about joy.
For the promise of it in the future and the glimpses of it here today.
like the feeling when I open my Bible most mornings,
like when my husband puts his hand on mine when I'm tired,
like when Glory raises her hands in worship
like Elias when I come to get him in the morning.
Restored relationships, forgiveness when you don't feel like, laughing through tears,
dancing in the morning when you feel like going back to bed.

Thanks Jesus for real joy.

Boston - first steps

So, this is a big, huge week for Gospel Community.

Last night, Nick and I did some teamwork (read: he did most of the work, I just helped type) and got the "planting partner proposal" in order.* If you're unfamiliar with that term, like 99.888889% of America should be, let me explain:

It takes a lot of money to plant a church. Beginning with the hundreds of dollars it takes to just become a licensed non-profit, move on to the pastor's actual salary, the money you pay your awesome graphic designer, then all the supplies it takes you to get this thing off the ground - woosh, it's a lot. $125,000 a lot. That's right, I said $125,000.00.

For sure, Gospel Community will be a church that encourages it's people to tithe and give cheerfully, but until we are able to reach those people - there are no tithers. Here is where the church planting partners come in. Right now, Nick is in the process of praying fervently and asking when necessary for people to come alongside our church and help us get where we need to be. It is a massive undertaking, but one we feel like God is behind and truly - He will accomplish if we're just faithful to do our part.

So the ppp's* are almost done (also, I coined that catchy phrase just now - don't think we go around our house saying it) and they'll be sent out soon enough to churches and pastors around the United States who believe wholeheartedly in the two facts I talked about on Good Friday. But I sure could use your help too, blog-friends:

1. If you feel intrigued, interested, or called to partner with us financially by giving to Gospel Community Church - by all means, send my husband an email ASAP at nick@gospelcommunity.com. He'll get you one of our snazzy ppp's in a hot second.

2. Would you do a little networking for us? We're looking for people, businesses, and churches that understand why spreading the gospel is extremely important and we could definitely use some referrals. Feel free to email Nick with those suggestions as well. Maybe just really rack your brain - do you know any families, any small business owners, or maybe even your own church that would be interested in hearing about our mission and vision? I know a HANDSOME guy who will email, call, skype, video-chat, or maybe even come visit you/them and lay out the vision.

I know to so many people, fundraising for ministry is a little confusing and can seem needy or greedy or a million other things. In all honesty, when we decided to take the job at New Beginnings and were faced with the responsibility of raising our salary, it seemed a little crazy to me. Over the past year and half, God has really used this opportunity to prepare us for the task of fundraising for a church and given us eyes to see the beauty in giving to further the gospel. Even in a period where we don't have tons of money ourselves (by the world's standard) - we've gotten to experience the joy in giving to others and seeing our money and other offerings used to directly increase the fame of Christ. For this reason, it doesn't feel needy or greedy to ask for money - we are genuinely excited to present others with the opportunity to further the Kingdom from near or far by giving.

Either way, you can pray for our ppp's.
And that I keep coming up with catchy church-planting phrases to make myself laugh.

things that take me to my happy place

• low fat vanilla & peanut butter cup ice cream
• the new 'real housewives of new jersey'. I'm serious - that might be crazy tv, but I'm calling it good old cultural studies.
• the playplace at Belle Square. Took the bebes today and I love it. Any Eastside moms want to go next week?
• thinking about the first blog I'll write about Tres. I'm so excited to tell everyone his name and show his sweet little picture.
  
• skirts. I mean, man, they're awesome. Airy and light, colorful and comfy.
  
• a well-timed phone call with my sister. Especially the part where she tells me about how dogs don't hurt when they're in labor & that just proves how much pregnancy is a part of our sin-curse. if that's not true, don't tell me.
  
• the beautiful purple tulips my husband bought me a pike place this weekend, sitting by my bed.
• this video. It's long, but hilarious. My kids HATE mashed potatoes and love each other.
  

the good stuff.

Enough church planting, mommy-talking, silliness blogging. Let's good to what y'all really care about, my stinking cute kids. Here's an update an ALL of them.

Elias:
- E bug's vocab is GROWING. Now, granted, only we can understand most of it. However, we've had a few actual conversations with him in the last few days which has been really cute. My new favorite word of his - flower. Which he likes to bring for me & his sis. Nothing gets me like a cute toddler with a flower and a football.


- Though this picture has nothing to do with it, I have to tell you my favorite Elias tidbit as of late. He has taken to sleeping shirtless. I'm pretty sure he thinks he's a rockstar and he can't fall asleep with fabric on his chest. He looks so tough, till you see his cute little passy in his mouth.


- He is also really starting to enjoy playing with his Gooey. This is what I get to see most of the day. And I love it. Now, cleaning up after playtime is a different story.

Speaking of Glory:
- I don't really know how to talk about beautiful she is. Especially in her purple dress.


- Here she is with my sweet friend, Erin, who visited this weekend all the way from NC. Proof that our little boogie is getting ready to walk. Let's sure hope so.


- Glory's favorite words as of late: baby, sorry, hola (as in the spanish word for hello), mama, and poo-poo. I can't wait for what comes out of that little mouth next.


And Tres, you asked?
- Here's the official update. His transporter (me) is a little beyond uncomfortable. I'm having a slew of bad prenatal symptoms and I'm starting physical therapy this week to hopefully correct a few of them. He is also measuring FOUR weeks ahead of what he should be, but will doubtfully be here any earlier. So - I'm getting excited to hold a big bundle of goodness. This is how I feel.

- However, I refuse to turn this blog (or my life for that matter) into a six week complaining party. So, I will just say I love that boy and I can't wait to have him and I'm going to try and make this face.

- BUT... If you want to picture me in my true habitat, think about me like this.
It's about all I can handle.


Ok, there is the Connolly kids update for the day.
We hope your family is doing well, too!
Jess

here we go!

So, let me just say - I'm sorry if I've left friends hanging in the Boston-church-planting-news department. I've been a bit of a bad updater and informer in general in this area. It's all happening really quickly (from my perspective) and my husband is dealing with it so resiliently on his own, that sometimes I just totally forget what all is going on! The other night he and I were talking and all of a sudden, I realized - we are MOVING in THREE months! Is that for real?

So this post is going to serve as a short-backstory-let-me-catch-you-up-real-quick sort of thing. Some of my best friends in the world haven't heard the long story and as much as y'all know I'd like to tell it, it would be much easier if this whole thing was done in bullet points.

Here goes:

- As of last fall, our plan was to stay here in the Puget Sound area, possibly
transition out of New Beginnings and Nick would transition into a full time
church job. We knew the end goal would be planting (in three to five years), and specifically in
Boston - but I kind of liked to pretend that wouldn't happen. I really like it here:).
- Around Christmas, Nick very gently let me know what the Lord was doing in
his heart and his life and asked me to come along for the ride. As I heard him lay out
his vision for Gospel Community Church in Boston, I really could not deny him or
Jesus my submission. It scared me, but I got on board.
- In March, we got assessed by Acts 29. Acts 29 is a church planting network
started by our church, Mars Hill. You can read about that here.
At assessment, they basically grill you and interview you (in love) to be sure
that you are both equipped and ready for the task at hand.
- Thru our assessment, Acts 29 suggested that we do in fact move to Boston
and get connected with Seven Mile Road, an awesome a29 church north of the
city. By sort of partnering with them, Nick will go through their
pastoral track to get some more training and we get the massive benefit of not
feeling so helpless and alone. Nick has talked a good deal with their pastor,
Matt Kruse, and he is really excited to learn from him. Today, he is actually
skyping in to one of their meetings to get started connecting with them. Hopefully, if
their congregation feels like we're pretty ok people, we will start hanging out with them
as soon as we get out there. Yay!

So, the next steps are:
- Have a baby.
- Continue to love on our family, our friends here in the northwest, and
wrap up our ministry time at New Beginnings for the next three months.
- Begin fundraising for the church. This will be the money that Nick and I will
live off of for the season that we're at Seven Mile and the initial plant of Gospel Community,
as well as the minimal expenses the church needs now for things like websites,
admin stuff, licensing, & print materials.
- Pray a lot. Pray thanks for Seven Mile, miracles in the area of fundraising,
strength for our marriage in a tumultous season, stability for our children,
love for our new city, & wisdom for our future church.
- By August 1st, be all moved out and in transit to Massachusetts.
- Serve, connect, and worship with Seven Mile until they feel like it's time for
us to head out and officially plant Gospel Community.
(woosh, that's a to-do list)

So, that's where we're at. Nick is writing thrice weekly blogs on the Gospel Community website to talk about his mission & vision to let people know what the deal is. I have to really encourage you guys to check those out! This is all stuff that Nick wrote months ago, some before I knew anything about the church, as God laid it on his heart to build a 'gospel community'. Most of what I read there blows my mind at the wisdom God has given him, and it also makes me thrilled for him to be my church-pastor, not just my husband-pastor, one day soon.

This week kicks off our first big fundraising push. Having had to fundraise to work at New Beginnings, this is something we're pretty comfortable with - but it is still a daunting task. I think this Friday I'll write a little update about how that is going and where we are at with it, if you would be interested:).

In summary, thanks friends for caring about our lives and what God is doing. I sure do care about yours and love to read what is going on with you,
but it is a blessing to feel loved and prayed for in the midst of such an adventure.

postponed

Today I went to my first accountability group in a long time with some sweet women and it was good. This has been such a hard week for me - pregnancy and heart wise, and I needed a little rebuke from them about asking for help when I need it and cutting myself some slack.

So, in honor of them and their wisdom, I am going to ask for a pardon. I very much planned to write a Boston/Gospel Community Church blog today and I am just toooooo plum tired. My sweet friend Erin Timmons is here to visit and my pelvic bone may very well be chipping away from the amount of pressure Tres has put on it today. Also, if I owe you an email or a facebook message or a return text or phone call, would you cut me some slack on that as well?

So, sweet blog friends - would you check back tomorrow? Or maybe Sunday? I'll get to it, I promise. I can't wait to start telling you about our church and all that the Lord is doing! And in honor of me, cut yourself some slack today. Eat a brownie (which I'm about to do), decide not to make the bed, or wear your favorite purple shirt for the second (read: fourth) day in a row.

love, love friendlies.

merrrwy.

How many best, best, best friends do you make in a lifetime? 

Not a ton if you're me. 

But my freshman year in college, I was sitting in the GMP at USC and I saw this cute little girl with a blue t-shirt and glasses on. I thought, hmmmm... she looks fun. 

I think like two days later she spent a few hours in my dorm room and I may have even cut her hair..... seems risky now, but it turned out for the best. 

Thinking about Mere makes my want to cry a little tear, and not just because of pregnancy hormones. We have some AMAZING memories and the Lord has really bonded our hearts together - despite being thousands of miles apart & having utterly different lives. She is so faithful to pursue me when I'm busy or forgetful and a phone conversation with her once a week or a coffee date once every few months does my heart some great good. 

She was my maid of honor, I was her matron. I once carried her on my back for like a mile to surprise her for a surprise birthday party. We have honestly laughed more together than anyone else maybe in my whole life, maybe even my husband. She hates onions and that makes me die laughing. Her, Nick, and I were the original threesome. I have a feeling we both still have the same signature dance move. I can't wait to hold her babies or for her to hold mine, for that matter. She once bought me a prenatal massage when I was like six billion months preggo with Elias and it made my whole pregnancy. One time when I was dying from taking too many laxatives, she didn't care and went to sleep, hmph. She loves Jesus a ton and we love to talk about Him together. I love that girl something fierce. 

So, not only am I moving a whole united states closer to her, but she's got serious roots in Boston - so we're sure to be seeing one another a lot more. This makes my heart more glad than she will ever know. Happy Birthday, Meredith. 

oh, oswald.

Do ya'll just love Oswald Chambers?
I do.



I loved "My Utmost for His Highest", the devotional, in high school and I loved it in college. I took a few years off and just picked it up again a few weeks ago. Perhaps I should be embarrassed that something that was spiritually deep for me in the early years of Jesus-life is still spiritually deep, but I'm not. It's the perfect amount to read in the morning and the Lord always uses it to prompt me to confess something, pray for someone, or change some behavior.

In college, I was a morning girl - I'd get up early, spend time with Jesus and love life. I stopped when we got married and started real life jobs and such and I never quite went back to it.
Um, if you got to sleep next to the hottest man on earth - you wouldn't be so quick to get out of bed, either - so quit judging.
Especially after I had kids, when I heard moms talking about getting up early to spend time with the Lord - I thought they were a little nuts. If my babes were asleep in the morning, so was I. Then a few weeks ago, I figured 'hm... I only have a few weeks till tres is here, my kids basically sleep till 7:30 or 8am, I should be taking advantage of this'. I didn't want to set my alarm and wake up Nick (it's on his side of the bed), so I had a frank conversation with the Lord and asked Him to help me wake up early so we could meet.

Each morning since then (excluding my sleep-in gift from my husband last Saturday), my eyes have just opened sometime between 6:30 and 6:40am. This is NOT me being boastful about getting up early, cause I do NOTHING to promote it. I even kind of usually try to fall asleep again, until I feel convicted and roll out. Plus, after two mornings - Nick told me he was proud of me, and I'm a sucker for that.

Anyhow, the point is - I'm loving it. I get dressed real quick, start the coffee, grab Oswald and spend some time with Jesus. I highly suggest it for mamas who need something consistent and semi-quick. Every morning I want to post like sixteen quotes on the old blog to inspire, so maybe if some of you come out of the woodwork saying you read it, we can make it a weekly venture.

love love.

it's not all that tidy in here.

I once went to a women's conference where this one speaker was saying that after her first few times giving her testimony at the traveling event, one of the other speakers confronted her and gave her a little rebuke. She said, "You're a wonderful speaker, with a powerful testimony - but something tells me; it's not as tidy in there as you make it out to be". My mom and sister (who went to the conference with me) would probably both agree it was one of the worst women's conferences ever, not a ton of spiritual meat, but that one line has stuck out to me since then.

Is it as tidy as it seems in here?

One thing that would really depress me is if people visited my blog daily and saw an unrealistic picture, or something that looks tidy but surely isn't. The truth is, on the bad days - I avoid the old blogger, because I always thing, "who wants to read about my junk?" or I want to avoid sixteen comments telling me I'm great and shouldn't feel discouraged when the truth is:

I am not great. Not at mothering, not at being a wife or a woman. I kind of stink.
However, I love a God who is great and who sometimes redeems my crap & makes some good out of it.

So today's been a bad day. And I should run from my blog, but in hopes that someone will be encouraged - I'm just going to tell you about it. I hope you laugh, or it reminds you of a bad day of yours, or hopefully you get encouraged and can make it through a hard day of your own. So here are some very untidy facts. Enjoy.

- I got my first haircut in an year last week. I waited a whole year because I was trying to grow my hair out & I didn't totally trust the woman who did it last time. I did go to her again, because I just wanted something simple - same length, just thinned out and shaped up. She didn't do a BAD haircut persay, but she thicked it up somehow with layers and made it much harder to style; about the last thing I need right now. I asked Nick if we could go egg her house yesterday and I wasn't really kidding.
- My pelvic pain in this pregnancy is out of this world. With both of my prior pregnancies, I got the normal pelvic pain in the last few weeks, but this started three months out from the end and is intense. When I wake up in the middle of the night to pee, I actually can't walk. If I sit for too long, I will literally have to limp until it subsides.
- I'm scared to have another colicky baby. Really, really scared. If he is healthy, that is the most important thing - but in all honesty, April - July of last year just about killed me and I'm not sure I can go through that again.
- At the grocery store the other day, our kids went absolutely nutball crazy. They generally never act out in public and they both went nuts on each other. Hitting, biting, screaming, throwing things out of the cart - I'm not even kidding. While this is totally atypical of them, it was really discouraging. Not to mention, TWO old women pulled me aside to give me advice on how to handle my disobedient daughter.
- I've worn the same shirt for three days in a row, at some point during the day each day. It's purple and feminine and makes me feel good. I may put it on tomorrow if I feel like it.
- Three times today, my hormones have overtaken me and I've just started crying. No reason other than I'm tired and as big as a house and tired.
- I am stubborn to a fault. When I really, really, really need help the most - I refuse it. After the third crying jaunt of the day, my husband found me with bloodshot eyes and ordered me upstairs to rest while he fed the kids dinner and I refused because I don't like to get help.
Then I gave in and came to write this blog.


Ok, that's all the messy facts you get for the day.
I hope you're all having a great day, but if you're not - I hope we can both hold on till tomorrow and find hope in the One who makes all things tidy again.

funniest thing I've seen in a while.

Since I was trying to be a good mama and let my babies have some traditions, we went on Saturday to buy some plastic Easter eggs to hide and then find. Of course, on Saturday, the whole world was basically sold out of them. Instead, all we could find were the pre-stuffed eggs with hard candy. My kids barely get candy, much less hard candy, so we knew we'd have to be creative with how to handle that situation.

I've got to hand this one to Nick - not only for a crafty solution, but a hilarious one as well. He somehow convinced Elias that the candy wasn't to eat - but to smell! So all day yesterday and today I've been actually dying laughing as my sweet son runs up to me repeatedly with a plastic egg, saying "open please" and then taking the candy out, sniffing it, and putting it back in. Some videos to tide you over. The first gives you just hint of the smelling sensation, the second is Glory just being cute with her baby.

Hope your Easter egg hunting was just as hilarious as ours:).

pictures of a connolly easter

egg decorating


playing


baby name witness protection, sorry


food, of course.


all in the family

good friday & Boston

It's good friday.
Nick and I have talked a lot this week about what that means, what this whole business of Easter is about. We celebrate such an amazing gift today.

Because God is just, someone had to pay the price. Someone had to be punished.
For all of our sin.
It was either eternal death for all of us, or one other alternative.
The perfect One, the only Holy man, the only One who had done no wrong - He had to die.
And He did, and when it was over, he promised, "it is finished".
It's the kind of good that makes you weep. The kind of good that leaves you speechless.

But then, Because God is Loving, He had to give us hope.
He had to give us the resurrection.
Jesus came back to show us that not only do we have the truth of a co-crucifixion, we have the hope of a co-resurrection. He not only paid the penalty, He offered the hope and said He would give us new life - the opportunity to respond to Him and follow Him and make the rest of our lives worth living. That's the kind of love that brings you to your feet, the kind of love that makes you tell others - there is hope.

So there it is, not the whole of the gospel - but the part that is overwhelming me this year.
God is just and paid the price for me.
God is good and gave me a hope.
That is good news, good news we have to share.

That being said, I'm going to segway into two questions Nick and I have spent a lot of time talking about lately. The answers are causing us to move cross-country, change it all up, & do something that is not necessarily going to be easy or fun all the time.

1. Why Boston?
On January 29th, 2009 Gallup Press released a study that named the state of Massachusetts the 4th least churched state in the United States. States one through three were Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine making the Northeast the least churched region of the United States. Simply said - this is an area where people do not know Jesus. It's not like the South, not like other parts of the country, where the choice is which church to go to? They simply aren't there. There aren't enough churches and there aren't enough people preaching the good news. It's not even like the Northwest, (which used to be the most unchurched) because pastors & churches like Mars Hill have started responding to the call there - preaching the gospel and sharing the good news.

2. Why does this matter to us?
First and foremost - Boston is a city of great cultural, political, and scientific influence. A recent study showed that 36% of the world's leaders have spent some sort of their time in Boston - learning, growing, grooming, & being shaped. It is an influential city and an influential city that is not being influenced by Christ is scary for our nation and our world. Secondly, it's a city rich with spiritual heritage, with so many of our country's great revivals and pastors having spent time there - it is just actually heart-breaking to see that it is now one of the nation's most unchurched peoples. Thirdly, if we believe in Easter, that the gospel of Jesus is good news, we have to want that for other people - and that sometimes means acting to see that you do as much as possible to tell them the truth.

So today, I pray first and foremost that you have an amazing Good Friday.
Second, can I ask you all a favor? Can we use this silly mommy blog for Boston today?
Would you pray for us? For those two questions. Would you pray for our path, for all that has to fall in place, for the people who need to hear the truth and for boldness for us to speak it? Would you mention to friends and family over dinner what the Lord is sending Nick to do and ask them to pray as well? Also, would you come back next Friday (and the next & the next) for another Boston blog - since I'll be talking a little bit more about our plans and our needs and maybe convincing my husband to be a guest blogger once in a while? Thanks y'all.

The news is good, friends and we've got to go share it.

a wrap up.

First, I have to address the overwhelming response to the shoe blog. A few notes of importance.
a) that was the most ever comments on a post I've written, ever. Also, there was no rise in the general blog attendance so I think I am about to selfishly ask for 22 comments a day, please.
*this is only a joke. I only have enough time to blog most days, not comment on the 60 sites I read - so please don't feel like I'm one of those*
b) I am such a weirdo that I actually really wanted your advice and I took the time to tally up the responses - which was difficult since most of you broke the rules & picked several. Here are the official results!



D was also Nick's pick, and one of the cheapest. I think those sweeties need to become a staple, but ooohhh - I'm serious, I love ALL of those shoes. I think if I could possibly get two pairs, C would take the cake as well. With two foot long legs - you can't go wrong with anything that makes those things look longer.

........

Second.
In other news, I took some assisted & unassisted maternity photos today. Just to prove that I am actually pregnant. And oh so pregnant. If the massive belly ones looks misshapen, it's because it is - something about Tres being thirty pounds or something.

I think this will be my easter dress, I bought it for Ang & Dev's wedding and never got to go!



THIRD.
I have got to recommend a show to you. Lauren gets all the credit for this one. If you like Lost, you will LOVE Kings. Is anyone else a little obsessed? I watched the first four episodes in like twelve hours. I cannot wait for the next one. Biblically allegorical, which is fun too.
Watch it on Hulu, which is great besides it's little alien commercials.
No, I'm serious - go watch it. Now. And write a blog about it so I can hear what you think.


And lastly, since this has been such a little picture update blog, I will leave you with Gloriana's Easter outfit. I know atleast my mama & Lauren are dying to see it. I'll tell you this - in my one week of really actually attempting to sew, I've decided I HATE patterns. I ended up throwing the pattern away on this and doing it myself, I'm just not meticulous enough to follow all the directions. In the time it took me to make this dress, I also made like six personalized onesies & a sweet tunic for Glor, just because they were more fun without the pattern!
The dress is nothing really, it's the fabric that I love. Oh - she is fashion forward that girl.



I hope that post was just as interesting as the shoe vote, but please do come back tomorrow - I'm going to have our first detailed blog about Gospel Community Church in Boston!

Have a wonderful Thursday.

uh-oh

I am NOT an outside mom, in the slightest. I'm being totally honest in saying that I'd be completely fine sitting on the floor, or on the couch, or running up and down the steps - rather than in the grass or on the road. Don't get me wrong, I love a good hike when I'm not trying to ward off preterm contractions and a good walk outside beside myself does my heart some good. I juts don't like sitting in the heat on the ground, or on a blanket, knowing there are like six billion ants waiting to eat me & my babes. Hence our move to Washington State. I honestly don't mind the rain or the cold and I genuinely don't mind being stuck inside most of the year.

However, this has been one long stinking winter. This past week, something just snapped in me and I decided the kids and I needed to be outside. I swear, a few days it was like 45 degrees and we still all piled outside and pretended like it was in the 70s. We packed our massive triple stroller up with skateboards, goldfish, blankets, and bubbles and just toddled out to play. After about thirty minutes, Elias started saying "col, col!" and Glor's lips were turning blue so we went back in.

All that being said, I think it only took one really long winter here for me to become a semi-outside mom. I still don't want to be camping in the woods in South Carolina in July or anything, I still hate the heat, I still really don't like sweating. But I think this summer will be a turn around for me. Another reason I so abhor the summer is the clothing. Unless my body is in perfect condition (which it never has been), I feel really uncomfortable in anything less than long pants or long sleeves. Don't think I'm kidding - you can ask my sister, for a year in college - I literally never even put on so much as a short-sleeve shirt. And I don't think that's good or normal or anything, but it's my issue.

But uh-oh, I think this will be the summer that breaks me of all my issues. I have to make it through April and May with the heat rising and no air conditioning in our house, and I have two sweet babies who really like to play in the front yard. I have a feeling most days for the next 8 weeks, you'll be sure to find me in a tank top and flowy skirt - sitting on the quilt, blowing bubbles and just trying to stay cool.

breaking the routine

Ok - I'm going out on a limb. My sweet husband is begging me to use some of our tax return monies to buy some transitional clothing that will do me good this summer as I go through end of pregnancy-new baby body-starting to work off three babies weight. I figure once we're good and settled in Boston, once our budget is firm and established, and once my body is one the way back to normalness - I'll add in some real pieces and start building a wardrobe that has no expanding pants or flowing tummies. Well, maybe a few... for comfy days.

Anyhow, I'm determined to buy one pair of sexy shoes to make myself wear them in these last few weeks of pregnancy/first few months of Tres. I know if I buy one pair, I will eventually wear them - even if it is just to church or on our first date postpartum. I think Nick deserves that. In my closet full of flats and tennis shoes, he deserves one pair - meant only to impress him. And since I stick pretty hardcore to the modesty wardrobe, the sex appeal needs to make an appearance in the shoe department.

So, let's hear what you guys think. I'm taking an idea from Miss Ladd, and I'm going to ask for a vote. So come on, lurkers, you too - give us a vote!

selection A


selection B


selection C


selection D


selection E



Most pairs are under $50, fyi.
And I just have to say, I'm already laughing. I cannot imagine myself putting on one pair of these in any circumstance - which means I desperately need to.
Oh, how a few years and a few pregnancies can change you.
Help me, help my husband, pick me out some shoes - please.

that will change you.

Here's a thought that has been in my head the last few days and I would like to share. Maybe it is more of a question. Do any of you mothers of daughters feel like seeing the relationship between your husband and daughter has taught you more of the Lord? I've told Nick a few times in the past week, sometimes on the verge of tears, how seeing him with her just explains so much for me.

Let me back it up. A few days ago, I took this picture.



And it struck me, how you can't see Nick's face - but I know what it looks like. Content, elated, proud. Just to know he's making her smile, he is giving her a thrill. She'll never remember it, but it thrilled her in that moment & so it thrills him.

Then this afternoon while visiting with friends, I was just captured with Glory and Nick on the other side of the backyard. My girl, who can't sit still to save her life - can't cuddle for anything, was just utterly content in her daddy's lap for like thirty minutes. She wasn't sick, wasn't tired, just liked to sit with him. I couldn't take my eyes off the two of them.

I told Nick again on the way home, it's life changing seeing them together. I know that I have that same love for Gloriana, but I'm inside my head - hearing my selfish thoughts and my tiredness, my humanness. But when I see Glor and Nick, it's like I see me & Jesus - she is stubborn and rebellious, rough around the edges and wise in her own eyes - seriously, already. Just like her mama, unfortunately. And Nick, just delights in her. Has from the second he laid eyes on her. She will never understand it, never deserve that love, never be able to start to give it back. Of course Elias has his own little two year old problems and of course we still love him in an intense and passionate nature - but there is something about seeing the same frowny face you make on your baby girl, and seeing a patient papa kissing her bad mood away.

Even with great parents who loved and delighted in me, it changed me even more to see my own husband hold my own daughter and to see their beautiful relationship. I am so thankful that I have him, that she has him, and that the Lord opens my eyes a little bit more each day to His love for us.

photo essay

friday, no thursday.

Poop - all day today I keep thinking it is Friday.
Only to remember that it's really Thursday. We don't have such a typical week/weekend life, but in general - Nick usually doesn't study or do church stuff on Saturday. Plus I usually get to sleep in, plus we generally just let ourselves be really unproductive. And then, when you go to Mars Hill, Sundays are always great.

Anyhow - I've had an uber-productive week and feel great about it, so I'm going to kind of go ahead & kick back tomorrow. So here is my weekend list, the things I'm just dying to do!
- finish Glory's Easter dress! I'm refraining from working on it tonight since it is datenight, but when the kids are asleep on Saturday, I want to knock it out!
- write some thank-you notes, birthday cards, & some how-you-doing cards.
- work on some blog headers for friends! One of my favorite downtime things to do.
- take/upload pictures of the kiddos. It's been too long.
- start personalizing some bebe stuff for Tres... now that his little initials are not going to change.
- make a mini molten chocolate cake. I saw a recipe at the library today with the kiddos that looked like it was going to change my life. PLUS, you can make it & refrigerate it for five days and then make it molten again. PERFECT to send to the Cowans next week!
- go on a slow, slow walk to see if I could possibly walk a mile without having contractions. Lately, I've been able to increase my activity level just a bit by doing some weight training without having any pain, so I was thinking - if I walk at a snail's pace, maybe it will work! We'll see. I know for sure I can't do it with a stroller in tow!

Ok, what's your list?