Planting hope and waiting for good

Angie Smith tweeted a link to this blog entry earlier today and it took me a few reads before it finally sunk in. I had to share the most meaningful passage for me...

I'm struck by how many people in my life seem to be in a moment (or a season) of waiting right now. Waiting for an answer, a baby, a pregnancy, a job offer, a clean bill of health, a home to sell, some time away or just plain good news.

I hope the words below encourage you as they did me! My friend Maria just blogged about a similar subject, the value of waiting on God's timing instead of settling because you're focused on your own timeline.

I know that each of these messages are reaching me at the same time for a very clear purpose...

"We bury our swollen prayers in Him who's raised from the tomb. We lay our hope, full and tender, into the depths of Him and wait in hope for God to resurrect something good. Good always necessitates long waiting.

Every tulip only blossoms after cold months of winter wait. Every human ever unfurled into existence through nine long months of the womb waiting. And the only kingdom that will last for eternity still waits, this millennia-long, unwavering-hope for return of its King.

Instead of chafing, we accept that waiting is a strand in the DNA of the Body of Christ. That this waiting on God is the very real work of the people of God."

It's September?!

I woke up yesterday and apparently everyone got the memo that it's fall - cooler temperatures, scarves and ballet flats, the works. Football season is here and I'm excited to experience my favorite season!

But you know what this means....as of yesterday I'm having a baby next month. Holy cow, y'all!

Oh, Baby

Have you ever had a day that was so fantastic, so filled to the brim with fabulousness that you could barely process it all?

I remember at our wedding rehearsal I had my dad walk me down the aisle when things were all wrapped up; nothing was feeling real and I needed a moment to make it all sink in. The entire weekend felt surreal and wonderful and way too amazing to be absorbed as I wanted.

This weekend has been that way a little bit. Bradley and I have known about our pregnancy for nearly seven months, so I've finally gotten the hang of that part. The whole 'baby' element, though, I'm still processing.

So to have a group of my very favorite women on Earth gather to celebrate the impending arrival of baby Mac - well, that left me pretty close to speechless. And absolutely drove home the excitement of having a little boy on the way.

I've spent this weekend, filled with friends trickling in and out of town, in a sort of fog. If I'd really been able to process everything and absorb all of the love and excitement our friends and family were sharing with us, I'd have been in tears from start to finish, no doubt.

I've never seen a baby shower with more thoughtful, lovely details and more excited hostesses. I can't wait to share pictures tomorrow - in the meantime, just know that true friends are irrefutable evidence of God's love. Because surely I could never have done anything to deserve such genuinely giving, supportive, big-hearted women in my life!

"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends."
~Walt Whitman

This probably says a lot about us...

Until just a moment ago, I was lounging comfortably inside, watching the Rachel Zoe Project and salivating over an amazing hot pink Chanel dress.

I realize that B is awfully quiet, undoubtedly doing something way more fascinating than I am. Blue and I get up to explore and we find him in the garage, building a piece of furniture for baby Mac and humming along to 'Prop Me Up Besides the Jukebox If I Die.'

I adore this man.

At his request, I am hanging out for the moment in his sawdust- and country music-filled shop. Gotta get my B time where I can, I suppose!

Wait 'til y'all see what he's building...

Words of Discouragement?

I just read the Facebook status update of someone who's in the homestretch of her pregnancy - just a few weeks to go. She wrote that she's trying to juggle everything beautifully and keep the big balancing act together.

I'd guess she means her life in general; don't most of us feel that way at some point or another? I honestly didn't presume her status update had anything to do with gestating...

In response, someone left a comment reading, "You think this is one [a balancing act] - just wait!" Gee thanks, friend!

It's always my inclination to leave words of encouragement to people who are admittedly not having the most fabulous day/week/life. Why do anything but try and make things better?

With that in mind, let me heartily thank y'all for not responding similarly to my insomnia whinings...I might have cried out of sheer exhaustion. I got a good night's sleep, though, and am so grateful to have friends who don't say, "Think it's bad now? It's going to get way worse!"

(Ok, ok, she didn't quite say that. But it would have felt that way to me!)

Insomnia

....ever had it? Any remedies?

You may not know this about me, but my one true talent in life is sleeping. Day, night, rain, snow, my bed, a guest bed, a hotel bed, a sofa, a large boulder - doesn't matter to me. I've been a champion sleeper since day one and I'd like to believe the four-pound bowling ball I'm carrying around in my tummy will follow in my footsteps.

Last night, however? Total sleep FAIL. Waking, tossing, turning, sighing, getting up, lying down, disturbing our dog's ever-so-peaceful slumber, more getting up, a little frustration, well, you get the idea.

Some would say that at 8 months pregnant this is my body's way of preparing for parenthood. I, however, would like to believe that these final weeks are my last chance to sleep soundly and selfishly.

I was so tired at work today that my body literally hurt. I think it was rejecting the idea of insomnia. So why am I still awake at 9:30 when I've wanted to go to sleep since, well, 1 am?

The obvious answer is that I'm waiting on B to come home and preparing my house for a visit from the brother tomorrow. The more truthful answer is that I'm hoping I'll absolutely exhaust myself and thus guarantee a solid night's sleep. Sounds logical, right?

Cross your fingers and count some sheep for me, girls!

A Virtual Thank You Note

You all know how I feel about thank you notes. (Not to mention unexpected acts of kindness, sweet words and general thoughtfulness in any capacity.)

It's tempting sometimes to maintain a cool front, but being "that girl" who says just what someone needs to hear is a lot more rewarding.

So write the note. Give the squeeze. Share the compliment. Be intentional about it, too - look for new ways to express your gratitude and add a bit of totally selfless sunshine into someone else's (possibly underappreciated, definitely stressed) life.

If you're looking for some ways to do this in the virtual realm, social media guru Chris Brogan recommends the following:

9 Simple Touchpoints of Loyalty
1. Comment on other people’s blogs as often as you can.
2. Reply to people or help them spread the word on Twitter and/or Facebook.
3. Write posts filled with admiration for people you enjoy online, and send links to their work.
4. Connect people with like-minded people before they ask (using LinkedIn or similar).
5. Wish people a happy birthday, or luck with their test, or other related-to-them encouragement.
6. Share job opportunities. You never know who’s looking for more when you’re drowning in too much.
7. Invite people to coffee. Just 20 minutes might really change someone’s day, week, month.
8. Write recommendations on LinkedIn to those whose work you can vouch for. Do it before they ask.
9. Send 10 emails a day to people you’re in danger of falling out of touch with, and make them simple and request-free.

I love that social media has such an impact on our lives; I love even more that people are finding ways to be "that girl" (you know, that sentimental, super-grateful one) and make the online world a more pleasant place to spend our time.

You can read more about Chris' suggestions here.