My thoughts lately...

While I'm home on maternity leave and spending lots of time sitting on the couch holding the baby and breastfeeding her, I've had more time than usual to read and watch movies. I created a list of books that I wanted to read during this time and I added several movies to the Netflix queue that I wanted to watch. So far I've been able to read several books and watch a couple of movies. I just went to the library yesterday to restock on books...by the way, the list of books is getting longer instead of shorter as I keep finding more books that I want to read.

I started reading the first book in The Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Wind, about a week and a half ago. This book is about a Jewish Christian slave girl named Hadassah and the persecution of early Christians. It is one of the books that I have read that I will never forget and often reflect on.

About that same time I started reading Romans during my Bible study time and became interested in Paul's description of himself as a servant of Christ Jesus in verse 1 of the first chapter.

I watched One Night With the King which is about Queen Esther and how she saved her people from death. Then, a few days ago Brent and I watched the movie Lady Jane, which is about Jane Grey being a 16th century Protestant martyr.

Today I finished the 2nd book in the Mark of the Lion series titled An Echo in the Darkness which continues the story of Hadassah. Again - another book that I will not forget and will reflect upon often.

All of these things have collectively had me thinking, mostly during late night breastfeeding sessions, about the meaning of being a servant of God. I've been thinking about the idea of focusing not on what I want in life but what God has for me to do. I've been thinking about the ways that early Christians had to show their faith and the risk that they put upon their mortal bodies by making their beliefs known to others. It's caused me to wonder if I have that kind of faith. It's made me consider my attitude of servanthood. It has made me want to be a better servant and to desire to strive to be more like Hadassah, Paul, Queen Esther, and Jane Grey.

Again, like I've written before, I don't think that things in life happen by chance or luck. I think it was definitely God's work in my life that I've read and watched all these things at about the same time and caused me to really think about this subject.

31 cent ice cream scoops on April 28th

From 5-10 pm on April 28th at Baskin Robbins, you can get up to 3 scoops of ice cream per person for 31 cents per scoop to honor America's firefighters. What a great cause that hits close to home for me since Brent is a firefighter. Maybe I'll be able to take the kids for a special treat and a good deal and a good cause.

Happy Easter 2010

The boys got Zhu Zhu pets for Easter. This is something they've been eyeing (is this how you spell this??) on the television.

Mariah's 1st Easter!

Content in daddy's arms.

What a cutie!!!

Nolan loves to hold his sister

Both of the boys think the world of Mariah but Nolan especially loves to hold her. She's pretty content in his arms, too. Today he said, "She's so cute. She's too too too too cute." We're all pretty attached to her!

Easter Sunday meal with family

Working on the yard - grass seed

Fire Pit on the deck

Brent got a fire pit for the deck for his birthday. Elijah was so excited to try it out. He has always enjoyed making and enjoying a fire when we go camping. Here are a few pictures of him when they tried it out for the first time.

Random Pictures from my Mom's camera

me and Nolan at Miller's on Sunday night - 2 days before Mariah was born.

I look a little tired here, don't I?

Elijah got his face painted like a "Cat in the Hat clown" (this is what he told me!)

at the church Spring Fling

Taking a snack break at the Spring Fling

At the baby shower held for church members and family (pictures are all scrambled up and I'm too lazy to get them in the right order...) This is at my shower that Karen (Brent's mom) held for me for friends and family. These are aunts and cousins from my Dad's side of the family

Brent and Nolan at the shower - I think this is when Brent showed Nolan how to get online on my phone. (he hasn't forgotten how either, of course!)

My crazy, wild, and sweet Elijah in his railroad overalls and hat

1st family gathering at our house

Shower at church for me and baby Mariah held in mid-March

me and my Nolan who is getting so grown up!! (and, by the way, I LOVED that punch)

In February, Papaw and Grandma took Nolan and Elijah to the Ringling Bros Circus in Greensboro (I was supposed to go but I just didn't think that I would be very comfortable riding for an hour and then sitting in those hard seats!)

Nolan checking out the program...I'm sure he memorized it.

Evidently Elijah held his hands over his ears for most of the circus.

Hanging out at Grandma and Papaw's house.