Thankful Day 6- Tim

I am thankful for Tim.  After the Lord, he is my closest friend.  We have experienced so much life together and there is no one more I enjoy spending time with.  I am so thankful for the privilege to live life together with him.

Wow, we have lived in four cities, 4 cars, 2 pets, 6 homes, planted a church, started and sold a business, bought and sold our first home and 2 little nuggets later here we are.

He brings so much joy to my life.  He enjoys being silly and the kids love it! He is definitely known as the “fun parent” because of his adventurous side and the kids jumping on his back.  Not only for the kids but he also brings out the silly side of me and if I’m getting all wrapped up in the details of do I have enough snacks, diapers, wipes, drinks, possibly pacie, etc., he stops me from my mind exploding and keeps me in the moment.

He is full of integrity.  This was one of the first qualities I noticed about him even before we started dating and this has not changed.  What you see is what you get.  He does not try to be something he is not.  Yes, he is a learner and a processor, but he tells it to you straight and does not hide things of where is heart currently is.  He is honest and will do his best to be as accurate as possible. Throughout our marriage, I can honestly say he tries to always be honest with me even about hard things.  He’s not one to act like something never happened. 

He loves me well.  Regardless of my response sometime, he loves me well.  He will put me before himself and know what’s important to me.  This speaks volumes to my heart.  Of course he is awesome with the kiddos.  They never have to question for a second and they are showered with Daddy hugs daily.

This year we have had the privilege of visiting different states in the US and it’s so fun to experience these new adventures together.  We know each other so well which makes it easy to travel, make crazy plans on trips, and just hold hands as we experience new adventures together.  Truly this is a gift from the Lord.

Also, being parents together and discovering all the joys of parenting has been an adventure. We may have different approaches at times, but the end result desired is the same and we are like minded in wanting our children to see God in the mist of our parenting and disciplining and so this keeps us unified and seeking the Lord for salvation for our children.

Those are just a few of the many qualities I LOVE about my best friend.  I love how he points my heart to the Lord and to drink of him and know the Lord will be the only one who will satisfy my every need.  

Thankful Day 5- Grace

I am thankful for Grace.

I once didn’t know who God was.  I didn’t know until God showed me there's more to this life than working hard, marking a name for myself, and trying to keep my ever feeble body healthy. 

Ephesians 2:1-8: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following he prince of power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of man kind.”

I was once dead spiritual and by nature children of wrath.  Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”

There is nothing I could do by on my own to earn God’s love or grace because if it was by my efforts, it wouldn’t work.  I am dead in my trespasses and fall short of God. It’s like I am dead at the bottom of the ocean, not floating on a raft, and God saved me and gave me life.  All his doing and none of my doing.

BUT God….

Ephesians 2:8-10: “But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were death in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

This reminds me it’s not of me, but ALL by his Grace.  His sacrifice is a gift from the Lord.  He is rich in mercy and gives me life. I didn’t have my act together first and then God saved me.  I didn’t do nice things for other people and then God saved me.  I didn’t have my life in order and then God saved me.  It was through his grace and sacrifice. I am thankful. 

Ephesians 2:13: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

I cannot earn his love, He freely gives it to me as a gift from him. 

I am now:

A new Creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17- “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Not rule following but a changed heart. Galatians 3:13,14: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”- So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

Freedom. Galatians 5:13- “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but through love serve one another.”

This grace makes me walk different in my daily life.  There is no greater strength or a firmer foundation than the perfect, powerful gospel of Jesus Christ. As I strive to be a loving wife and mom, a encouraging friend, and love others around me, it’s not in my ability but by the grace and love that has been given to me. As I walk deeply in knowing the Lord, these things fall into place.  These are gifts from the Lord.  They are ultimately His and I get to participate in what He is doing in their lives.  I can only do this by God’s grace he has bestowed upon me. 

So thankful for Grace.

Thankful Day 4- This Song: How He Loves Us

 

Thankful Day 3- Coffee

Oh Coffee.  I was never a coffee drinker until about a year and half ago.  It's not always a must but I enjoy waking up in the morning and having coffee as I read or just having something hot as I go about my morning.

Today has been a must needed coffee morning.  Today daylights savings and we gained an hour!  Whoo hoo!!  Yay!  So typically this means you gain an hour of sleep, or it can mean your children choose to wake up an hour early and the clocks rolled back.  My daughter woke up at 5am and her first question to me as I am coming out of a deep sleep is "Can you play with me?" Sweet right? Yes, it is so sweet but also a quick realization how my heart was frustrated.  Frustrated to be woken up so early and not to mention I chose to wake up at 3am to see Tim off as he was driving to Seattle to meet with Mark and the other residents and had no idea was the rest of my early morning would look like.  So needless to say, I did not sleep much last night but did enjoy a tasty cup of hot joe and care bear play time with my girl.  Children are a gift from the Lord whether it is sleepFULL or sleepLESS nights they are little people we have the privilege of pointing to the Lord in the mist of our tired or full rested selves.

May I choose to walk in the spirit today and know the privilege I have to walk in relationship with my Savior.  I once was lost but I am now found  I am a new creation in the Lord and get to walk in newness of life. I get to serve Him through loving on my children and sharing who He is in my life even if I'm sleepy. :) My heart needed to be reminded of this.

And I am thankful the Lord gives us little gifts like coffee. :)

Thankful Day 2- Abide

This is such a strong word: ABIDE.

Abide means to wait for, to remain stable or fixed in a state. 

This word has consumed me over the last few weeks. As I rise in the morning, go about my daily routine and fix my eyes on The Lord for daily strength and wisdom for the day. We all abide In something On adaily basis. Some of us it is the approval of our boss or friends, our newest hobby we are trying to perfect or even a place of escape. 

For me, I can abide in my routine. I like to wake up and have "me" time in the morning,  have breakfast half prepared, and dressed for the day. Does this happen on a daily basis, no. I have young ones who like to wake up in the middle of the night, who like to sleep with us, who need something to drink in the middle of the night, or just cry out in their sleep which wakes up this light sleeper mama. :) 

1 John reminds my heart of abiding in Christ."whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the Same way in which he walked." 1 John 1:6

"Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling" 1 John 2:10

"And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:17

"Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father." 1 John 2:24


I'm learning to rest in The Lord. Drink Him in and not abide in things of this world which are fleeting. Life is constantly changing around me but the only constant, stable foundation is the Lord.  He is always my place to rest, to drink of, my peace and refuge, and person of clarity. 

I'm thankful for the privilege of abiding in Him.  He reveals himself through His Word (the bible) and I get to know Him.  Rest in his promises that He will never leave me or forsake me.  He will calm the storm.  His love is steadfast. He has made me a new creation.  I can rest in knowing He has gone before me and knows the number of my days. He is trustworthy and worthy of all my praise.  My heart is thankful.

Thankful Day 1- Family

I've been inspired by last month's 31 day challenge in which people wrote a blog everyday for the month of October. I decided I am going to write a blog everyday in the month if November. I hope I'm up for the challenge! The theme of this month's blogs will be what I am thankful for. I know this will be good for my heart this month as we celebrate Thanksgiving and all the joy to be had. :)

Today I am thankful for my family. I love living life with them and getting to love on their hearts. Are there crazy moments of crying babies and never ending diaper changes and I feel like my patience is so thin? Of course! But my husband and kiddos are a GIFT from The Lord.

I get to love them in a way that no one else can. I know what encourages their hearts and speaks life in moments of sadness or doubt. I know listening to my husband process his thoughts speaks life to him. To joke about the craziness of young kid life makes it fun for us. I know if in the middle of a quite moment, if I stand up and start singing loud and dancing my 4 year old's face lights up and she is asking me to hold her in my arms and spin her around. I know my 1 year old loves hugs, my full attention and snuggle time. He loves to scream out and if we take turns screaming out he is smiling ear to ear.

Today I will choose to love them well. I can only do this through the Holy Spirit and because God loved me first, I know what love is from my Heavenly Father. 1 John 4:7-12:

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

May my heart rest today in knowing I know what love is.  I experience deep communion with my Heavenly Father who's love compels me to love others as He loves me. I yearn to walk in this true of knowing I have life everlasting because of Him and have the ability to love others in this way.

These Days

Ok, so this will be the most random blog post I have ever posted.

Life has been sweet with my little bugs at home.

Neela turned four years old last month.  I know, crazy. She is such a sweet heart and full of life.  She loves art, barbies, dolls, and reading.  She loves her brother and is so caring for his needs.  Man, love her to pieces.  There are times of defiance when I ask her to eat her food at meal time and sassiness when she wants to do her own thing, but I trust the Lord is working in her heart.  We pray for and with her daily for her heart to be softened, pointed to Him, and someday trust in Jesus' work on the cross.  The other night she asked me when God was created.  We had a fun conversation about how God has always been and he is the Creator and not the created.  She thought that was pretty cool.  The other day we were sitting in silence for about 2 minutes in the car and she said, "Where do chickens come from and why did God make chickens?".  So I told her and finished with and then we eat them.  She said, "What!?!" Completely appalled and surprised. But quickly recovered when she learned this is where Chick fil A nuggets come from. Another one, on the way to church this week we were praying for our hearts, others hearts, and for Daddy as he teachings the "mommies and daddies".  Neela's response was, "I didn't know that!  And Mommy, you mean the ADULTS right?"  What a ham. :) She enjoys dance class and recently started swim lesson.

Ashwin is 10 1/2 months old and a complete joy.  He is full of smiles, curiosity, and love for life.  He's on a great schedule and is a fabulous eater.  I cannot get enough of him.  He loves balls and we can roll a ball back and forth!  Crazy I know!  I've been trying to teach him "more" in sign language and he learned it!  We are working on a few more, but he just laughs or smiles when I say "all done", "thank you", or "milk".  He is crawling like a mad man everywhere and is pulling up on everything.  He loves all of Neela's toys, especially all the fake food in her kitchen.  It's so cute to watch the two of them playing in her kitchen together.  Tonight, I think he was teething and fell asleep in my arms.  People, this has not happened in months.  I completely embraced the moment and held him for a long time in the chair, cherishing the moment. Tim and Neela ate dinner without me but had fun conversation from what I heard from the room. :)

Tim and I are enjoying each other and our little ones.  Never a dull moment in the Birdwell home, seriously.  We have gone from moments of snuggles with our little ones, to complete break downs, to sweet prayers before bedtime.  We enjoy our quiet evenings, planned once a month date nights and time with friends.  A few weeks ago we had a "sports" date night which included a game of basketball, lifting weights, and a game of tennis. I told Tim this was a bittersweet date because it was so fun to play sports together but I really sucked it up! I used to be so good at sports, but I have not played anything in years and man did it show. :)  We both have joined a workout group in Austin called Camp Gladiator and thoroughly enjoy it.  It's fun to talk about that since we workout at different times at different camps.  Yeah lame, but it's a fun thing we do right now.

God has been so sweet to give me this time to love on my family.  I've been reading The Power of a Praying Wife and Gospel Powered Parenting.  Man, my heart is being softened and challenged to point my family to Jesus.  My ability to do this is by continuing to fall in love with Jesus.  My heart has to be filled with the truth of Jesus love for us, his beautiful grace and mercy over my life, and for sin to be exposed and repented.  I strive to be honest and real in my parenting in my daily conversations with Neela and through discipline.  I desire to love and respect Tim because of the man he is and encourage his walk with the Lord.  I am so thankful for him and how I am lifted up by him and how we have so much fun together.

Just giving you a look into the Birdwell Home these days!