The number one question

"Where DID she get those curls?"

I have no idea. Both Joel & I both had "baby" curls when we were small, but nothing like this. Shes my little Shirley Temple. I never pictured myself with a curly-top girl, mostly because my hair is stick straight...and I've spent half the better part of my adult life trying to find a hairspray strong enough to help my hair hold curl for at least a half hour.

I love when people ask "Do YOU curl her hair?" and I'm all like, "Yes. I permed it this morning." ;-)

Sometimes I catch my mom delicately twirling each curl around her finger, to make it go 'boing!' I don't know how long she'll have this head of hair, but you better believe I have no plans on her first haircut any time soon.

Turning Pages

Somebody find my seventh grade yearbook, because I'm turning back into that little 13-year-old girl I once was.

A few of you know me from back-in-the-day when I wore overalls to school and did math...for fun...at recess. I also read. A lot.

And I'm proud to say: that girl is back! I may have contacts now - and the braces are gone - but deep in my heart, I'm a student who loves to learn. I was thisclose to being valedictorian (darn you, Callie!). Nevermind the fact that I had to just Google valedictorian in order to spell it correctly. What I'm trying to say is, I'm embracing the inner part of who I am - which is that nerdy little 13 year old whos reflection I still see in the mirror each day. I've tried to outgrow her, but she's persistent, and no matter how hip & trendy I try and be on the outside, I will always be the straight-A-striving, overachieving, book-loving fool I was meant to be. Is no wonder I fell in love with a man who was homeschooled and graduated high-school at the age of 16! My heart nearly burst out of my chest when we started dating: "Hooray, we can do cross-words together!"

But back to the reading. I just signed on to be a Thomas Nelson book-reviewer-blogger-whathaveyou. Have you heard about this? Brilliant! The publishing company, Thomas Nelson, is giving away free books to bloggers to review. Sign up here if the seventh-grader inside you wants to do book reports, too.

So anyway, I figured, as I wait for my first book to arrive, I will choose one of my own favorite books to review just to get started. Upon looking at the back page however, I realized that this book is also indeed a Thomas Nelson book, so go figure.


Sam introduced me to this book a few months ago. She said: "Its like Jesus calls you up each morning and leaves a voicemail..."

The author, Sarah Young, explains that she had read a book years ago that talked about waiting quietly in Gods Presence, pencil and paper in hand, recording what she believed He was saying. This was so refreshing to me, to read someone else who shares this experience, because often this is what I do when I find some time to sit quietly. So the book, Jesus Calling, is written in the first person, as if Jesus were talking.

I was reading todays and thought I'd share:

"As you get out of bed in the morning, be aware of My Presence with you. You may not be thinking clearly yet, but I am. Your early morning thoughts tend to be anxious ones until you get connected with Me. Invite Me into your thoughts by whispering My Name. Suddenly your day brightens and feels more user-friendly. You cannot dread a day that is vibrant with My Presence.

You gain confidence through knowing that I am with you - that you face nothing alone. Anxiety stems from asking the wrong question: "If such and such happens, can I handle it?" The true question is not whether you can cope with whatever happens, but whether you and I together can handle anything that occurs. It is this you-and-I-together factor that gives you confidence to face the day cheerfully."

Psalm 5:3
3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation

Across The Street

Its symbolized by a stack of paperwork on the kitchen table that never moves.
A few file folders, a bunch of bills, some school registration forms and maybe a book or two. Lots of Post-Its.

Its often a joke around my parents house – that stack of paper.
If my mom is reading this right now, she’s smiling I’ll bet.

But I want to tell you what it represents.

The other day, I was at my parents house picking up my daughter, and I saw the stack. (It seemed to be growing larger.) Not all of the paperwork is urgent… its just important enough not to toss. It basically represents a long to-do list.

Yet, the other day when I noticed it again, neither my mom nor my step-dad was inside. No one was at the kitchen table working on the stack.

Instead, my step-dad was across the street, helping his neighbor move some furniture. My mom was at the same house; weeding.

But let me step back a moment.

I loved the neighborhood I grew up in. My parents house was at the top of a cul-de-sac, perfect for riding bikes with the neighborhood kids.

We knew our neighbors names. Their kids were my best friends growing up. Sometimes we would have Christmas parties together and put on a little talent show. I enjoyed the neighborhood.

Except for one house.

As a little girl, I was afraid of the man who lived there, because one time I hit a baseball into his garage and he said "Its mine now!" and slammed the door. He and his wife didn’t have small children, so I assumed he didn’t like any children. Therefore, it was the one house I skipped when I sold Girl Scout cookies.

I remember my step-dad telling me a story that years ago, his car wouldn’t start and he desperately needed a ride to the airport. He began knocking on neighbors doors, seeing if anyone was home. When he got to that house, and the man answered, my step-dad humbly asked for a ride. The answer was no, and the door was shut.

Even after all these years, its the one house I ignore when I drive into my parents driveway to visit.

A month ago, my mom called me and sounded serious. She informed me that the man who lived there had just passed away suddenly. He left behind his wife, who was on vacation when he passed.

Can you imagine being that woman? I pictured her, on an airplane, knowing when it landed at Sea-Tac that she’d be coming home to an empty house. It broke all of our hearts – so my parents decided to do something about it.

I have watched my parents, over the course of the past month, carry over food, mow her lawn, weed her garden, do her laundry, fix her lightbulbs, feed her cats, and everything else under the sun. What’s more is that they spend time with her. Sometimes at night, when the sun is going down, my parents go over just to watch television with her, so she's not alone. And I know for a fact that its not their choice of programming. They simply sit with her on the couch, and laugh with her at the comedy on television, so that shes not by herself.

So, what does this have to do with the stack of paperwork?

It would be easy for my parents to be too “busy” to do any of these things. They both work, they take care of my daughter in the afternoon when I’m on-air, and they have active lives. Its not like they are sitting around each day looking for something extra to do. Their plate is full. And the stack of papers proves it. Plenty of bills to pay, plenty of decisions to make, plenty of things to get done for the next day.

Yet they prioritize. The paperwork can wait another day.

They choose to walk across the street.

What does God expect of us?

A few days ago, a friend of mine who works at World Vision handed me a copy of this book.

Man, I'm glad he did.

I have not.been.able.to.put.it.down.

Granted, I'm only on chapter 3, but thats already deep enough to pause and tell you about the book.

Its written by the president of World Vision, Richard Stearns. He quickly drew me in by sharing the story of how God brought him to World Vision in the first place. Richard was a very successful businessman at a large fine-tableware company called Lenox. He had previously been the CEO of Parker Brothers (Monopoly, Clue, etc). He was in NO WAY looking to leave his position and join World Vision. He was quite comfortable in his large house, with his Jaguar in the driveway, living comfortably with his wife and 5 children.

I'll let you start the book to find out what happened next.

On a personal note, I've toured the World Vision building. Did you know we are lucky enough to have World Vision headquarters right here in Washington State? I'm sad to say I only realized that a few years ago! Located in Federal Way, the World Vision building is something to behold. I walked through the mail room, where every letter is sorted and sent. I attended one of their chapels, and watched a few employees receive recognition for a number of years of service. I saw pictures lining the hallways, each with a story. I left feeling humbled, and excited, knowing that the more I learn about what is actually going on around the world, the more I want to get involved. My husband and I sponsor a little girl named Juliet through World Vision. She lives in Zambia, Africa, and is the same age as our daughter Olivia. Sometimes when Olivia does something new (new words, new milestones) I think of Juliet, and wonder if she's doing the same.

On to chapter four,
Sarah

Hey Guys? Come get me!

My daughter is a rooster. She wakes up with the first dawn of day. Sometimes earlier.

I haven't used an alarm clock in 2 years and 5 months.

She still sleeps in a crib, and has only ever climbed out once. So most mornings, she stands at the rails and yells "Mama? Daddy? Hey guys! Come get me!"

If we don't go right away, we hear the following:

"Guys? Hey guys? Come get me dressed!"

I can hear blankets hitting the floor, or a "ker-plump" sound of her doll being tossed from the crib.

Its usually at this point that I throw my feet over the side of the bed and stumble into her room. And just when I think to myself "Can't-somebody-teach-this-kid-to-sleep-in-what-do-I-have-to-do-to-get-some-sleep-around-here-sheesh---" I crack open the door and see...

that smile.

Faith, Hope & Lullabies

Like most expecting mothers who daydream about their newborn, I had pictured calm, quiet, and soothing moments in a rocking chair as I held my sleeping baby.

A few weeks after I delivered Olivia, what I actually found were frantic, exhausted moments on the couch downstairs while I tried to let Joel sleep upstairs as I swayed with my crying infant. And when I'd had as much as I could take, I'd hand her off to Joel and he would take his turn.

Picturesque? Not quite. Reality? Absolutely.

A few weeks later, Joel installed one of those wall-hanging CD/Radio players in our bedroom so I could play some soothing music...usually as I cried. It didn't take much for the tears to flow, and there wasn't much that could comfort me except for music that focused my thoughts on God. As soon as I'd push the play button, I would take a huge sigh and let the worship music wash over me. Sometimes I would sit and pray and let the music guide me because I was too tired to think up words for prayers. Ever been that exhausted? Where you can't string a sentence together, so you just hope that the Lord can feel your heart instead and know what you're trying to say?

I love this new CD that just came out - I feel like it would be the perfect compliment to those moments. On the one hand, I was overjoyed at my sweet, healthy newborn in my arms. On the flip side, I had never been more scared in my life. I feel like I've finally found an album that honors both emotions! Its soothing lullabies that your baby would love, mainly instrumental tracks, but your mind hears the familiar comfort of songs like "Voice of Truth," "Cry Out To Jesus," and "How Great Is Our God." If you know someone who is having their very first Mothers Day this weekend, this is a must-have gift.

Here's the best news: I'm giving away 30 copies! That's right, 30! And all I ask is that you leave a verse in the comments section that has encouraged you when you were feeling low and exhausted. I ask this because I remember how helpful scripture was to me when I was a new mother. I was filled with anxiety and panic most of the time, and the only thing that could help me get through the hard moments was praying Gods word, often times out loud, and clinging to His promises.

I'll go first with my scripture: The one that brought me through thick-and-thin was given to me by my co-host, Tom. I think Olivia was about 7 days old, and I told Tom I was really scared. Tom said: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 I would recite that over and over, and picture in my mind God replacing all my fears with a sound mind. It really brought me through. Well, that and some medication. :-)

So please leave your scripture in the comments section - and if you are one of my 30 winners I will contact you right away, because I have all the CDs here at my desk.

Happy Mothers Day to you!
Sarah

Its normal to take pictures in a grocery store, yes?

So last night, I took Olivia to the store with me in search of the magazine.

We went to three stores and couldn't find it. Those poor cashiers must have been like "Why is this woman yelling at me because we don't have the latest copy of Womens World? Man, if she's this into that magazine, she should get a subscription."

So finally the fourth store had it. (Shout out to Fred Meyer)

Please note that I found my magazine, and my daughter found something better.



Here I thought my biggest competition was "O" Magazine, or perhaps Good Housekeeping, or even US Weekly, and rather it was Dora The Explorer.



I can't believe I lost to a cartoon.



So while Olivia made her cover girl choice, I decided to restock the shelves.



And you know this wouldn't be complete without...



Yours,
Sarah