Celebrating 8 months of baby Nathan!

Today, my baby boy, Nathan, turned 8 months!  The past 8 months have brought me more joy than I know how to express.  I am blessed to be able to stay home with him every day, and I am constantly amazed at the ways he changes each day and the the joy he exudes at the discovery of something new or just with life in general.  It is a joy to experience life through the eyes of a little one; Everything is new and he is curious about everything.  From water flowing from a faucet, playing with Lacy's paws, playing with the remote and cell phones, staring intensely at new people he meets, to banging metal spoons on his highchair and dumping books out of a basket, he enjoys it all.  His smiles and laughter bring joy to my heart every day.  I am so grateful for the miracle of Nathan the Lord has given us.  Here are some of my favorite pictures and moments from this past month.

Big smiles!  I get to enjoy these smiles every day:)

Such a sweet smile:)  

Playing with his new rings for the first time.  These have become a favorite toy.  He especially loves the red one because it is clear on one side and has beads inside that make noise when he moves it around.

Playing with Lacy's paw:)  He loves doing this!  He rolls to get closer to her.  She is a good sport:) Nathan smiles every time Lacy comes in the room.

Playing with books!  He loves pulling all the books out of the basket.  Then, he plays with the books and the basket.  Every day we sit and read for 30 minutes.   Some of his favorites are Dr. Seuss' ABC, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Trying avocado for the first time!  Not so sure about this:)  He did like it, though.

On the verge of crawling!!  He is so close:)

 Praise the Lord for the gift of Nathan!!  You are a blessing to me every day.  I love you, sweet boy:)

Abounding in Thanksgiving

For the past several weeks, the Lord has been taking me on a journey to gratitude.  Not just a once a day, thank you for the food, shelter and clothing, but an every moment, intentional mindset and lifestyle that continually dwells on the good gifts the Lord blesses us with each day.  I realized how selfish I had become and how I tended to complain and whine, rather than reflect on God's blessings and grace in my life.  I am not worthy of any good gift, yet in God's Sovereignty, he delivered me from "the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of his beloved Son."  I am a child of God!!  What greater gift do I need? 

I began reading the book Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, which has been one of the most challenging, convicting and encouraging books I have read in a long time.  In the first chapter, she says, "...choosing gratitude means choosing joy.  But that choice doesn't come without effort and intentionality.  It's a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God's Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace-until a grateful spirit becomes my reflexive response to all of life."  She encourages her readers to "choose gratitude, first and foremost because it is the only fitting response to a good and gracious God who has delivered us from our guilt."  I knew it was going to take a lot of effort on my part to get to the place she was describing and I knew my journey had to begin with God's Word, not just reading, but meditating, savoring, and relishing in God's goodness.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we have so much to be thankful. 

So, I have started my journey to joy.  As Alexander Maclaren says, "Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life."  My desire is to choose joy, to watch for the blessings the Lord gives me all the time, and to express that gratitude through my words and actions to others.  My journey has led me to the following Scripture passages:

Psalm 107:1-2-Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, who he has redeemed from trouble.
Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31-Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
Colossians 2:6-7-Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Ephesians 2:4-5-But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved. 

These are just a few of the many verses that have challenged and encouraged me on this journey thus far.  I want to be the kind of person that offers praise continually, that shows my gratitude to the Lord, the one who saves and gives us hope for each day.  So, with the Lord's help, I press on towards joy, thanking the Lord for the many blessings he pours out on me, daily reminded of the greatest gift he gave me in his Son, Jesus Christ.  In the words of Nancy Leigh DeMoss, "As Christ abounds in His infinite splendor and in His grace toward us, so as we walk by faith in Him, we have abundant motivation-and divine enabling-to live a life that is always "abounding in thanksgiving."