I am anticipating Friday the 13th. I expect that it will be THE most exciting day of the year!! Why? That is the day we return to see Dr. King (our Audiologist). Gideon will finally get his hearing aides and hear his mommy and daddy clearly for the first time!

August 26th, we learned that Gideon had moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears. That explains his non-responsiveness to certain sounds and to be honest, I wasn’t that surprised. But I didn’t realize just how much we were missing out on, until last Friday. While playing in my daughter’s room, Laynie discovered something special. Click on the link below and watch the video to see what I’m talking about…

trim.I6Dhdd

Precious, right?!?! You see, the only way we get a smile or a laugh from Gideon is to tickle him. He has never laughed for any other reason. And ever since that day, when my little boy heard something clearly, I’ve been anxiously anticipating our next visit with Dr. King.

Watching that video makes me wonder what my son really hears. Is it like the people in the movies, who just experienced a big explosion and everything is muffled and distant? Or is like being under water; you know someone is talking but you just can’t make out the words?

I feel like that a lot in my relationship with God. Sometimes I think I know what He’s saying, but it’s just so hard to be certain. I know one thing, if I anticipated spending time with the Lord the way I have been anticipating September 13^th, then I’m certain that I would be hearing Him loud and clear!

Are you with me on this? Are you struggling to spend time in God’s Word too? Don’t worry because you’re not alone. We all struggle. But it’s so important to make that time. I read an interview that fitness blogger Mama Laughlin did, and she said this about working out/running- “If it’s important to you then you’ll find time, if it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.” I love that quote! (and Mama Laughlin!) That statement is so true, no matter what you apply it to!

I’m anticipating my son hearing my voice clearly for the first time. I can’t wait…I’m so excited!! I love him so much!! Makes me wonder though, how much more does our Heavenly Father want the exact same thing for us?

Praying you hear Him clearly today and everyday…with anticipation.

Unlike most stay at home moms, I am not a fan of DIY projects. Mostly because I am not creative when it comes to things such as decorating, designing, crafting, cooking…you get the idea. I cannot foresee the finished product. I lack vision.

But on this rare occasion, I decided I would try something I saw on Pinterest. My husband and I recently bought the house we had been renting, and I was excited to update the guest bathroom and make it my own. I knew I couldn’t do anything fancy (reality of a one income family), but I saw something on Pinterest that looked fancy, easy and didn’t cost much….so I went for it.

You can see in the pictures above that it is still a work in progress. Mostly because when you open the cabinets, you can see that I’ve painted only the outside…The inside is still the same old, builder-grade finish. Looking at the half completed cabinets reminds me of how we sometimes present ourselves to the world. Everything on the outside looks good…looks put together. When in reality what is on the inside is something completely different…something unfinished and unrefined.

Am I the only one guilty of this? We live in a world where society expects us to present the side of ourselves that is “finished”… ladies, you know what I am talking about, right? Before I had kids, I was in great shape, I dressed my best at all times, and I wanted everyone to think that I didn’t care what they thought. Silly huh?

Now don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing wrong with being in shape, dressing nice and being confident. (In fact, I need to start working out again…I can only use the “just-had-a-baby-card” for so long). The problem occurs when those qualities don’t match what is on the inside…I’m talking about a heart issue. If our hearts are full of greed, envy and pride… if our hearts are being crushed by the insecurities that plague us… if our hearts are continually crying out in despair…then we are no different than my fancy new cabinets that look great on the outside, but are mediocre & lacking on the inside.

God wants more for our lives. He wants us to be children of integrity. He wants to finish and mold us on the inside. Are you going through a rough season in your life? Do you feel as though your can barely make it through the day? A wise friend recently posted to my Facebook that “We feel the strength of our anchor when we feel the power of the storm.” Who (or what) is your anchor?

Gideon’s diagnosis did not cripple me like I thought it would; although I know we have a long road and many hurdles ahead of us. I’ve never felt more love, support and strength in my entire life. I think that has to do with how I have chosen to allow God to work out my circumstances, and also to shape my view of Him. Rather than turning from Him in hard times, I’m doing my best to lean into Him…to let Him redeem every circumstance. For many years now He’s been refining what’s inside. I’m not finished yet; but I am “confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Where are you right now? Are you like my cabinets?… Finished on the outside, but lacking on the inside? Or are you choosing to trust and allow God to refine and refinish you…the way you were meant to be? (1 Peter 1:7) I hope you are trusting the Carpenter…Because if we’re honest with ourselves, we always are (and always will be) a work in progress.

Have a happy Monday!