My mom and dad in about 1967.

Let's play catch up!

Here is a family pics of my parents 40th anniversary party the last weekend in September.

Mom and dad's community group amazingly donated much of the food and services to have this party and we had family and friends from many chapters of their life help celebrate.

Tera tagged me...I was supposed to go to my 6th folder and get my 6th picture, but I just picked the 6th picture on my desktop. This is Miss D at the 930 this month. I would like this piece of art, from Lost Love in D's room.

Update:

• I have a tentative c-section date of April 21st!
• That is 10 weeks away!
• Mike,Neil, and the Sojourn worship team have almost finished their next CD!
• Mike is the co-founder of the Open Sourcebook, an free online liturgical resource for churches. It just launched this month.
• Sojourn has some GREAT new web blogs and resources. Check out TravelBlog. (SO THANKFUL FOR BOBBY GILLES WHO MAINTAINS THIS)
  
• Dorothy had her half birthday this week, that means she is 1 1/2!
• D talks in sentences as of this week. Some of them make NO sense and the other half are clear as day "I don't want noodles mama." "Read stories mama?" "Thank Jesus for cheeseburgers" Mike and I just look at each other shocked. I prompted her to thank to say thank you and she said "Thank you Mike" then started laughing, because she used his first name. She continues to call Mike's parents "Nana and Papa" And has labeled my mother "Sue-sue" and my dad..."Gamp-pa Sue-sue". I am not sure how he feels about that.
  
• We are sill dealing with so much crappy health...We all had colds and for Mike and Dorothy it developed into bronchitis...Mike's back, my arthritis. We just continually have to do life our own way. I have had to step back from a lot of expectations that others have on me and that I have put on myself. It is hard, but it is so nice to remind myself I am putting God first and then my family. And that is all that matters right now.
  

So waaay back in the middle of October I was in my second art show. Our church has this really wonderful "Affordable art show" during the neighborhood fall festival. Also notice the two art pieces behind me, my nieghbor and friend Elizabeth did those and Mike and I got the green one for each other for our anniversary last week. I kind of love that tradition, buying each other a piece of our friends art for hoildays. He got me two pieces last year from our dearest Michael Winters friend.

It is great because the art show has very established/formally trained artists and crafters as well as newbie self trained ones like me. I made purses and onesies just like last year...and sold well (about 90% of my stuff sold!). I have barely sewn since then until this past weekend, when I made my 8 gifts for our churches gift exchange (tell you about that later). I hade a lot of people ask about my cowl (the tube scarf around my neck in the first picture, so I'll probably make some of those to sell next year).
I have got to make more girly onesies and more owls. I am also planning on making toddler shirts...but not until at least after Christmas!

(Thanks to my friend Ashley L. who took these pictures for me!)

Have I ever sent you over to Sojourn Music? It is fantabulous. Our friend Bobby (who I think lurks on this blog but never ever comments) runs it and I just wanted to give him and the site big applause. He works with my man, Mike and all the worship team at Sojourn to provide updates and info on "all-of-life worship". Here is one of my favorite posts, written today.

Oh and here is a picture of Bobby holding newborn Dorothy a year ago, maybe that will bring him out of lurking! Ha!

Love these People

Love these People
Originally uploaded by findingcontentment

Booo. Still no pictures from me so I'll give you some pictures of others.

Courtney told me about bighugelabs.com which is a really fun waste of time! You can create these great photo mosaics with your flickr photos or others flickr photos. I chose some of my favorite photos that friends have taken and here it is!


1. Sojourn Music 028, 2. Kate and Neil lead the discussion, 3. Good friend Jamie, 4. i love this. esp. how ruby is all :D, 5. maternity (3).JPG, 6. Brian&JoJo, 7. Trying to read the paper series, 8. big bite!, 9. Gettin registered

Much thanks to Bobby G, Tom B, Alex O, Leesa, and Courtney for these beautiful photos of these beautiful people I love!

Cultivate Beauty

This is one of my favorite parts of spring, our annual Cultivate Beauty Festival/Kill your TV at my church, Sojourn. The whole idea is to challenge everyone to make space for beauty in our lives by turning off our TVs and cultivating beauty around us. God is creator of all things and he has given us the ability to be creative ourselves. It is a way we can worship God by enjoying in his creation and being creative.

I personally have the goals/inspiration to watch MUCH less TV and spend MUCH MUCH less time on the Internet. I am planning on sewing, gardening, be more creative in playing with Dorothy, and reading more. I am also trying to learn how to use our camera beyond snapping pictures, but really taking care to take nice pictures. Hopefully you'll see evidence of my photography here.


So I challenge you to cultivate beauty, turn your TV or computer for example, just take a break from whatever keeps you bound up and not engaged in creativity.
Draw, write, sing, bake, garden, take pictures, go for a walk, go see a game, write a hand written letter, sew, paint... anything! Just cultivate beauty and thank God for all his beautiful creation.

God, I am thankful for:Mike and Dorothy: baby dedication September 07
I heart them so much.

• Remembering our baby dedication last fall. It was a sweet day with family and friends.
  
• Spring weather
  
• Sewing and crafting
• Reconnecting with friends and family
  
• My church
  
• Getting to know people better over this "web" (this means you Ceece :)
• One of Dorothy's three emerging teeth popped through yesterday!

Praise God for all these things.

Journey to Contentment

So, I don't think I ever really explained why I named my little blog here "Finding Contentment". I kind of explain in my profile to the right. When I was preparing to teach that class at church a couple weeks ago I felt like I should address my so called journey to contentment. So here is what I shared in the class:

As I approached motherhood, I was encouraged to search my heart and deal with sin issues that would hinder me raising my children. I always knew I was a worrier, as far back as I can remember I worried. I like so many others had believed that worrying was normal, everybody worries right? In a conversation with my mom I asked her what I was like when I was little she said lots of sweet things, and one thing stuck out. She told me I was kind of whiny. I don't know about you but there a few things harder to hear than you are whiny. Nobody like whiners and nobody wants to be labeled as one. I also realized that the Proverbs discuss wives who whine. What do I mean? Nagging. I began a journey with two dear friends into this concept of worry, whining, and nagging. As I studied with them I began to realize my language was all wrong. I wasn't just a worrisome person. I was discontent. My discontentment was lack of satisfaction in my situation around me. Here are some examples of my racing mind and discontentment. I worried when Mike was out of town that someone might break in. I worried that my aches and pains before I was diagnosed with RA were MS, Lupus, or Cancer. I worried if I was pregnant, that I might miscarry. I worried that if I had kids that they would get lost or hurt. My mind rarely focused on the goodness and grace from God above. My mind raced constantly about what might happen.

Our worries reveal our lack of faith. When we think about something more than we do about our Lord and Savior, we are not trusting God to be God. Our worries become idols
I was making an idol out of what might happen in my life. My worry was causing me to sin.

Webster's Dictionary defines Contented as :
Feeling or showing satisfaction with one's situation

My definition of Contentment is :
Satisfaction with one's situation, because of their trust in Christ

Flash forward to pregnancy. It was a time that I could have given in to my temptations and worried and I did some but I had victory and growth. I was learning to be content in Christ alone. Our dear friends, Rob and Chandi Plummer encouraged us to pray daily for our babies contentment, that she would be content before she was born and throughout her life. You see I wasn't getting over my worry to check it off my list before I had a baby. I was fighting my tendency to worry so that they themselves wouldn't grow to be discontent.

Due to my RA and my hip being a problem area. I was scheduled for a c-section. Mike being an amazing student and supportive husband watched a documentary and knew how the c-section should go. He talked me through it and told me it was pretty quick, just about 10 minutes. Prior to leaving for the hospital I printed up from the bible:

Philippians 4:4-8

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As soon as they began the surgery I began reciting verses 6 and 7. My C-section was an unusual one. Due to the size of our Dorothy and the size of her head they could not get her out. Mike and the anesthesiologist were all I could see. They were both in a panic. I think it's normal for a husband to be anxious but pretty unusual for the anesthesiologist to seem worried.

I kept reciting verses 6-7 as if to assure them that all was going to be OK. The peace of God was protecting me at that moment. I knew that my doctor was yelling, I knew that there was chaos all around me but God was protecting me. I was free from worry because I had finally learned to put ALL my trust in God. After about 25 minutes they had Dorothy out safe and sound. I got to see her and when I did I saw the most beautiful baby. The pediatric neurologist was quickly on hand to tell Mike and I they were going to check her head. I was like OK. I wonder if they thought I didn't care, or didn't understand but that wasn't it. God was working in my mind covering me with his peace, reminding that he was in control. Praise God for how he grew me and protected me and praise God that Dorothy is perfectly healthy.

I share this all with you so that you might be encouraged in your own journey with contentment or if there is another issue in your life that is preventing you from be the parent, spouse, or person Christ has called you to be. Know that the power of God and his word will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So sorry it's been so long!!!

So sorry it's been so long!!! Oh and I was doing so well! Life got busy. Last Saturday we celebrated Dorothy's six months. Tomorrow, My friend Mandy and I are filling in for our friend Karen by teaching the women's book study of Feminine Appeal. The chapter we are teaching on is titled "The Blessings of Loving My Children". It has been such a crazy time preparing. I love teaching but would rather it be with little kids. If you read this before Wed. night say a prayer for us!

I signed up for sitereader a few weeks ago. It tracks who visits, where they visit from (as in what site are they linked from), and where they live. It has been so interesting to see who is visiting this little site. I know some of who is here ie. Miami is my in laws(Dorothy says hi Nana and Papa!), Naperville is certaintly my dear aunt Jane, Wisconsin is probably my friend from high school, Andy. Anyway. It's good to see people are visiting, but please say hi if you can.

Here are some pictures of Dorothy. The first one is her in the hospital the second is at six months. Same baby, same quilt, same sweet but clashing nightgown, only difference is the six month time span!












God Bless you this week friends and family!

My best friends baby...

Madelyn Kate Quillo
Born January 29, to Jeremy and Carrie Quillo
8 lb. 19 1/2 inches

Psalm 51

Sojournmusic.com recently posted my favorite sermon of Mike's (thanks Bobby). He spoke a while back on Psalm 51. Mike explores this passage and what it teaches on repentance, saying your sorry, and confession. I learned the importance of asking for forgiveness (beyond just saying I'm sorry) when I wrong someone.

You can also go and listen to the song Psalm 51. It is fitting that we listen to the album that was dedicated to our dear friend Aaron Marrs. Aaron, a faithful friend to many was lost at sea three years ago this week. I thank God for our time with him.

"Focus on the good"

If you are a mom I really want you to go here and read this entry. It is by a lovely lady that I go to church with, Courtney Bell. OK go, read it and then come back.

Are you back? Good. I really needed that the other day. You see when I am shopping, at church, or at any public place, D stares at people. She loves watching them. I had gotten in the habit of calling her nosey in front of perfect strangers. I didn't realize I was doing this until I read Courtney's entry. So I was challenged to "Focus on the Good". I want to say, "You love people so much, don't you?"

This also reminds me a few weeks ago someone asked Mike if Dorothy was a good baby. He said yes, he spoke of how content and joyful she is. They then said, Oh so she sleeps through the night"? He looked at me. We were both like, what? Does sleeping throughout the night equate a "good baby". D doesn't sleep throughout the night. For the most part she can sleep about 8 or 9 hours and then go back to sleep for another 3. Sometimes she wakes up every 3 or 4 hours. It has worn on me. I was bit sleep deprived there for a while but, I still thing she is a "good baby". So here I go I am focusing on the good. It reminds me of another Courtney (Paris) and how she blogs little notes to her kids, I have always loved that.

Dear D,
You are five months. I love how you:

• wrinkle your nose when you see your daddy
• look back and forth at daddy and I when we pray
• sing when you hear music
• cry at the vacuum sweeper
  
• love people so much you can't take your eyes off of them
• grab your blanket and rub your face in it then get sleepy
  
• cross your eyes when you take you pacifier out and look at it
  
• have joy and contenment throughout your days
  
• listen to Nana, grandma, and daddy on the phone
• hate to lay on your stomach
  
• puke a little when you sit up by yourself
• laugh with joy when I come in the room
• listen to books and look at the pictures
• dance and sing during worship on Sundays

I love you!

A year in pictures...

A look back on 2007
...reconnected with the girls in January...we actually got together three times this year!



Quite a bit of crafting and sewing... this was a Valentine gift for my mom.














Beautiful Gracie came in March



Ginger in the spring

An spring afternoon at the park.



August 2nd we got our beautiful Dorothy Jean















D and her friends in the fall



A new home



A growing girl at three months in November



Eight wonderful years this December


...and a very sweet Christmas...

Worship

This past weekend Mike gave the sermon at Sojourn. He taught, “Worship has never been merely music - not in the Old Testament, not in the New Testament, not in Heaven. Worship is a life lived in response to God’s glory, a life that seeks to testify to his glory and worth.”
Here is the link to the sermon: Colossians 3:11-17

Also the amazing new Christmas CD that Mike and the worship team worked on will be here soon. You can get any of Sojourn's CDs there.

Speaking of worship, I am reading one of my favorite authors, Linda Dillow. The book is Satisfy My Thirsty Soul. I'm just on the first few chapters. The book explores similar ideas from Mike's sermon: that worship is an act AND a lifestyle. I'll post more as I read further.

Today's picture is brought to you by some mother/daughter bonding time. That's D singing (aka yelling) while I kiss her. She really likes to "sing" and blow raspberries lately. Today she rolled from stomach to back for the first time. Mike and I then had her do it over and over. She got so mad! My mom says that just about every kid gets mad and that's what entices them to roll in the first place, to get off their stomachs.

Our new little home, that's me peeking out.
Cute backyard!



Sojourn's Fall Festival and Affordable Art Fair.
Lorie bought one of my purses from the Affordable Art Fair!
Lindsay did too!
Mike and Dorothy spent the day together while Terri and I sold our fine products. The Art behind them is the one we bought for D's new room. Sarah Hall did that piece and it's perfect.

Terri, Ellory, Karen, Dorothy(the penguin), and I at our sales table.

Friends Forever...

Little Miss Coffey, Little Miss Cosper, & Little Miss Abell!

Smiling and crafting.

I know, I know, this is turning into a blog all about Dorothy. I know lots of you don't mind that though, especially her grandparents! This pic is her again at just a few days old. Mike and I haven't loaded her newer smiling pics. She is smiling at Mike all the time. She is pretty use to me and she only smiles at me every now and then, but when she does it melts me.

D was measured at her one month check up this week and is 11 pounds 2 oz and 21 1/8 inches. Since late July we have had SOOO many friends who have had babies. There is Thomas, Anna, Levi, our Dorothy, Logan and this week we welcomed Nora, Arlen, and Ruby. Next up is baby Eubanks. It's in the water people.


In other news...
Leesa and I have known each other for about seven years but realized recently that we have the same birthdays and mutual love of crafting. She encouraged me the other day with this:

"At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of
my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong,
stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see
myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up
at a job that they will never see finished, to work on
something that their name will never be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say that no
cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there
are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the
friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My
mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies,
and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and
presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built
a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to
come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his
friend, to add, "You're gonna love it here."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We
cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it
is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at
what we have built, but also at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible
women.

May the passion of your building be fueled by your
faith that the eyes of God see everything."

Thanks to all who commented last time. It encourages me to keep posting when I know you all are reading.
God bless you all this week.

Film Festival coming up...

The Cultivate Beauty Art & Film Festival is happening April 28, 2007.

More details to follow...

http://www.the930.org/cultivatebeauty/

This weeks news...

...the velocity has an article about the 930, check out quotes from pastor Mike Cosper!

Velocity

...and our ultra sound went well. All looks good and looks like a girl. I talked Mike into finding out the gender (I couldn't wait) and he agreed, we had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then bought a pink dress for her after the appointment.