If We Could Meet for Coffee Right Now...

Hello sweet reader. I have hemmed and hawed (is that remotely close to the correct spelling???) about getting back to my blog. It's taken me weeks! Do you ever struggle with knowing if what you think about saying actually needs to be said? I think any writer must. Not that my following is numerous, lol, but it's my little blog space and for me it's important and sometimes you just want to write when the punch is really there. And then sometimes you just write without it!

At the moment, I'm not feeling a lot of punch, but what I am feeling is the need to move these fingers and then to click publish. Because sometimes it's just about restarting - regardless of if you have it all figured out!

How has life been for you I wonder? Are you still feeling the freshness and motivation of January and a new year? May I just say - my Christmas decorations finally came down but the two trees will make their descent to their boxes tomorrow. Can you believe it? We traveled over Christmas and then I was out of town for a weekend after that and there were just more important things than de-Christmas-fying our house...like recovering from said adventures :).

So let's do this: Let's just talk about where we are and what we see on the horizon shall we?

Are you doing well, really?

Are you feeling overwhelmed or are you feeling strong?

What do you anticipate for the upcoming months and this year?

Were we sitting sharing a cozy table at Nords or Shades or such, I'd ask you those questions. And then you'd say - 'Okay now you talk!'

First question, am I doing well, really?

I can truthfully and honestly say that I really am doing well. My soul is starting to feel deeply excited about this season. I'm starting to settle into my new life season of stay at home mom (or shall we say Executive Director of Residential and Precious Cargo Life :). A dear friend who's a few years ahead of me in this transition recently told me that it took her a year and a half from when she stopped working to really get into the groove of her new life. It really encouraged me! That sounds about right!

Since you know me so well, you know I'm married :). He's great. I love him. Still love those blue eyes. We recently had one of those 'really important moment' conversations where honesty and vulnerability are the drivers and it was the grace of God. Seven+ years into marriage - you know when those moments hit and you can feel the importance of them. Since that conversation, we've been loving each other and liking each other a lot more! God is really good and I'm so thankful He can get us through the yuckiness of our yuck. :) On a marriage note - I am slowly reading Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge. Wow! I haven't read a ton of books on marriage but this one seems unique and their honesty is so encouraging.

Liam is almost a year and half! He is so so so so so so precious. No really - he is. LOL. I am so loving being not just a mama but his mama. Even though we're going through some not-so-pleasant nap transitions - life with him is joy.

In the name of honesty - may I just say - I still have 15lbs to lose to get back to pre-Liam weight. I'm seeing some movement though in the numbers and I am frankly just really glad that I haven't given up! It is taking me longer than I would have ever imagined. But hey - I'm here, I'm healthy and I'm not quitting!

Second question, are you feeling overwhelmed or are you feeling strong?

Ooooohhhh good one! LOL. You know - I had been feeling overwhelmed a lot over the past few weeks - especially leading up to Christmas. And then, one day as I was standing and facing my pantry (which desperately needs a re-org) I felt like God broke through my overwhelmed state and reminded me that my very house simply does not have the power to overwhelm me. It doesn't. It's a house. And because God lives in me - everything has been overcome by Him/me. Not to over-spiritualize a dirty house - but sister you know what I'm talking about! It was like truth clicked in me and I just started taking action. I don't want to live overwhelmed....it's really not from God and it doesn't leave much space for Him either, does it? So I'm really asking Him to teach me how to live above feelings of being overwhelmed....and He is teaching me a lot!

Third question, what do you anticipate for the upcoming months and this year?

Bring it 2013! This is going to be one good year, I'm telling you right now. And you should take that for yourself too! For me, I really feel like I am being prompted to figure out more about this whole topic of showing my husband respect. I mean, I get it, but I don't get it. Do you relate? I so respect Zion. But I think that there is more for me to learn about showing and communicating that - and if you can believe it - I am excited to learn! It's time.

Also, I think this year is going to be about listening and re-learning my identity. Also exciting :) Last month during small group - Zion was sharing about identity. He said that if you look at the definition of the word - identity is more about who you identify yourself with than it is about the individual definition of who you are. Blow me away. It's time that I rediscover who I am created to be because of who He is.

Whew that was a lot of typing! But it feels so good to be back in the blog mode. I have no idea where this blog is going but I know that something feels alive on the inside when I say yes.

Wish we could have had this conversation over coffee my friend.

Hope you're doing well....and I promise the next post will include lots of pictures. Because let's be honest - my favorite part of most blogs are the pictures :).

Love ya'll,
Abi