My Life...

I love it, really I do. But I never thought in a million years that I would be sitting at my computer at home at 11:14am on a Tuesday writing in a blog (or doing anything else from home at this time of day!) God changed my heart and gave me the desire to stay home and take care of the little girl that he has entrusted to Jonathan and I. How truly blessed I am to be able to be here to even just watch her nap.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has prayed Psalm 37:4 for my life (Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.) When I was growing up, I thought "YES, keep praying that Mom! I will get everything I want!" Of course that is not really what that verse means and over the last 5-7 years, God has helped me see that. It means that if I am in communion with Him and truly seeking His will, He will change my heart so that I might fulfill His will. What an amazing God we serve!!! I cannot do any good on my own. It is only through His Grace that that He makes robes of my rags, melts crowns from my calves and makes good from all my wrongs (paraphrases from Caedmon's Call - 40 acres CD). Amazing, truly amazing!

If you've read Emma's blog lately, you know that she rolled from her back to her tummy for the first time yesterday! Our little girl is mobile! She also FINALLY remembered how to turn from her tummy to her back. I can't believe that next week she will officially be 6 months old!! We also started her on cereal this Sunday. She seems to be doing better with it than she was 6 or so weeks ago when we tried to start it. We even went to Target and got her a highchair!


She hasn't wanted to nap today...we are having friends over for dinner...I'm a little concerned she will be a bear if she doesn't get a good nap this morning... Speaking of friends coming for dinner, I better wrap this up and get a few things done before they get here!

Haggai

Lord,

This morning I read in Haggai about his encouragement and rebuke of the people during the rebuilding of the temple. What a huge and monumental task! There was so much to do and because of the exile, they had much fewer resources than during the reign of David and Solomon. We need this encouragement/rebuke from time to time. We become complacent with our lot in life and we begin to lose traction in life. Lord, may you use brother and sisters in Christ to sharpen us and keep our hearts and minds on you and your kingdom. Lord help us to be sacrificial in our giving and in our service to you so that you name may be magnified and glorified throughout the earth.

Most of all, Lord don’t let us complain when we serve you. Cause us to take risks in our relationships for the advancement of your kingdom. Cause us to be bold both when we serve you and give testimony to you and your name.

Matt 23

Lord,

This morning I read in Matthew 26 about the woman who poured an expensive bottle of ointment on Jesus. I remember from prior readings and studies that Judas was the treasurer for the group. Just after this event, Judas approaches the chief priests and asks what he can get for delivering Jesus into their hands. I wonder if it was Judas who was the angriest about the wasteful ointment. I wonder if he was so angry and felt like Jesus was self-serving and he lost faith.

Lord, I pray that I would not be so concerned with ‘doing’ your work that I lose sight of giving you praise and glory. Father, protect me from those feelings and encourage me to understand that the Church and your work is not the same as a business. Perhaps businesses should act more like the Church, and help me to ponder this and question how we spend money even in our own family. Are we ‘doing’ the church thing, or are we bringing glory, honor, and praise to our Lord and King!

Crying...I can hardly stand it...

Well, Emma is in her bed crying her little eyes out. She is SO tired, but refuses to take a nap. I'll go in and comfort her in a few minutes. It's hard to just let her cry, but I know in the long run it's the best thing for her. She didn't sleep well last night (all week, actually). I was up with her from 3-4...it's supposed to get easier...I hope it does...

We love Saturday and Sunday...

Our weekend was fairly uneventful, but that's how we like it! I was able to go have coffee with some of the girls on Friday night. Unfortunately for Jonathan, Emma cried most of the time! Poor thing...I think she is teething! Since she was so fussy on Friday night, I decided not to go to our church ladies brunch. I hated to miss it, but in the long run it was probably for the best. Not only was Emma still a little fussy, but Jonathan and I haven't been able to spend a Saturday together in I don't know how long. We got a few (and I do mean a very few) things done around the house, ran an errand and got movies! We had a great time sitting on the couch together watching a movie and playing with our daughter together! On Sunday after church we had a few people over for lunch. It seems like forever since we've had people over. We really enjoyed the company and the conversation. I hope that we will be more diligent to invite people over after church (even if the house is not clean!)!

Ezk 40-42

This portion of Ezekiel gives many dimensions of what is thought to be the temple. Many readers get bogged down in the details and don’t find spiritual nourishment from the dimensions. I’m certainly not immune to this line of temptation. However, this morning as I read this portion I thought of the precision with which God rules the earth. He doesn’t just say ‘build me a temple’, but He gives us exact measurements to build an appropriate temple. God is precise. The Earth was placed exactly where it is for a reason, and we have been created with all our functions for very specific reasons. The Lord uses precise circumstances in our lives to form us and make us. He uses His Word, events, emotions, and people to mold us into vessels that honor Him.

Lord, allow me to see your precision and allow me to glorify Your Holy power over all.

Ezk 39

Chapter 39 concludes the prophesy against Gog. This judgment against Gog is a mighty judgment and is not for the faint of heart. Ezekiel describes a land that is full of bones with the destruction being very, very great. We have seen Israel be judged and the Lord speaks of that in verse 23 which says ‘And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries,’. Then, in verses 25-29, the Lord speaks of the restoration of Israel. Yes, the Lord takes very specific actions to discipline his children and at times uses harsh punishment, but He is always faithful to His promises. Verse 28: ‘Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.’

May I desire to see the face of God and take Glory in His Glory and not man’s praise of me.

Plastic bags...don't leave home without 'em!

So...I get Emma up from her nap to feed her right before lunch. My plan is to feed her then go to the grocery store. I realize that I haven't eaten lunch and don't want to take the time to do so before going to the store, but know I shouldn't go hungry. I decide to go through the McDonald's drive through and eat in the car on the way to the grocery store. As we are driving to McDonald's, I hear what any mommy hates to hear while their baby is sitting in the car seat in a diaper that is probably too small. I'm in the drive through line and realize Emma is not going to wait (and neither is my sniffer!)...I pull out of the line and pull into a parking space. I get her out of the car seat and my fear is realized! Needless to say, I don't think she (or any other baby, for that matter) will be wearing that outfit again! Oh how I wish I had packed a plastic bag (or two) in the diaper bag! I also wish I hadn't put her in a generic diaper that was really too small. Thank goodness there was an extra set of clothes!! The grocery store will have to wait... The joys (or not so joys in this case) of mommyhood!

And as I finished this post, I realized that the middle button of my shirt is missing...wonder how long it's been gone?

Don't Waste your Cancer...

or you can replace cancer with whatever is keeping you from Glorifying God in your suffering. Pastor John Piper is the pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. He had surgery this week to remove the cancer from his prostate. He wrote this article the night before his surgery. The ten main points are listed below. How often I wallow in my suffering and make it all about me instead of all about God's glory!! These 10 points remind me who my Creator and Sustainer is. Praise God for His sovereignty and for how "...all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) .

Don't Waste Your Cancer...

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that "beating" cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.

Small Groupies

God has providentially brought us together with a group of believers that meets every Wednesday night. It's our small group. We are going through the book of Luke at about the same rate that Pastor Coty is going through it from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. It's been nice to be able to discuss the sermons in more detail and to really think about how it applies to our personal lives. Our small group stretches us to be honest with ourselves as we seek what God's word says.

I was going to take pictures of our small group last night and post them this morning, but I wasn't able to grab the camera. Wednesdays are a little crazy...You would laugh at us if you were a fly on the wall from about 5pm until the time we leave to go to small group. :)

Ezekiel 36-37

This morning I read about the valley of dry bones and how the Lord came to Ezekiel and told him to prophesy to these bones. Ezekiel did and the bones were brought together and sinews attached the bones together and flesh and skin wrapped around the bones. However, there was still no life. They looked like people, but there was no life in them. We are like that until the Lord breathes life into us. We don’t cause ourselves to be given life. We have no capabilities to gain life, but life is only from the Lord. Verse 10 then says that the Lord caused breath to come into them and they lived. I feel like I’ve been traveling through a valley of dry bones over the last 90 days at work. With the Lord as a guide, I hope to voice some concerns to my director today and tomorrow.

Lord, cause me to live, by breathing into me your grace and mercy. Father, cause me to be thankful for the life-giving breath that you have given me and cause me to respond to you in obedience and worship.

Jonathan Kelly

Ezekiel 35-36

This morning I read about two prophesies. One was against Mount Seir and the other was to the Mount of Israel. Two very different prophesies. One is pouring out wrath on a people and the other is giving grace to a people that deserve as much wrath as the first people. The ways of the Lord are a mystery and I certainly don’t claim to have some additional understanding that others don’t have. Certainly the Lord has His Glory in mind and each prophesy brings Glory to His Name. The Lord’s ways are truly amazing, but I keep coming back to verses like verses 24-28 of chapter 36. He will make us clean from all our uncleanness and He will go one step further by putting His Spirit within us. Then He goes one step further by replacing our hearts and minds with new ones and even goes to the extent of giving us a new country to live in. Our proper response is in verse 27 and 28 which is obedience and worship. Obedience and worship seems so easy, but in fact is impossible without the Spirit of God.

All for His Glory and for none of mine!

Jonathan

Good Food and Good Friends

Monday night spaghetti...I look forward to it just as much as I look forward to Survivor (if not more)! We try to have dinner with some friends of ours every Monday night and the menu is always the same: spaghetti, salad (with Briannas Poppy Seed dressing), bread and great thought provoking conversation. Sometimes it's her sauce and sometimes it's mine, but it's always at their house. We feel so blessed to have a couple that we both like. LOL! Jonathan enjoys hanging out with him and I could talk to her all day! What a blessing and we often thank our Father for bringing them to Charlotte. I told Jonathan after we got home last night that I would be sad when we didn't live in the same city anymore. He asked me if she had told me they were thinking about moving and of course I said no. But I'm sure it is inevitable that some day God will move one of us out of this great city. But until then, we will continue to enjoy our friends, their kids, good food and even better conversation!

All about me:

Three names you go by:
1. Nicole
2. Nic
3. Mommy

Three things that scare you:
1. Losing the people I love
2. Clowns
3. Losing the people I love (did I say that already?)

Three of your everyday essentials:
1. Water
2. Earrings
3. Cheese toast (most days!)

Three things you are wearing right now:
1. Earrings
2. Jeans
3. Sweatshirt

Three of your favorite drinks:
1. Water
2. Coffee (although I don't drink as much I'd like...caffeine bad for the baby!)
3. A good Apple Martini

Three of your favorite songs (at the moment):
1. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (especially the 3rd verse)
2. Sometimes you can't make it on your own - U2
3. A Mighty Fortress

Three things you want in a relationship (other than real love):
1. Christ as the center
2. Good conversation
3. A best friend

Two truths and a lie:
1. I'm addicted to charlottemommies.com
2. I hate to cook
3. I hate laundry

Three of your favorite hobbies:
1. Shopping
2. Reading
3. Talking to friends

Three things you want to do really badly right now:
1. Pay off all our debt
2. See my husband
3. Wiggle my nose and have a sparkling clean house

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Siesta Beach
2. England
3. Ok...truth is...any beach will do!

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Get out of debt
2. Be a better wife
3. Decorate my house

Three ways that you are stereotypically a chick/guy:
1. I MUST wear lipstick and earrings when I go out
2. I can be pretty high maintenance
3. I LOVE staying at home with our baby

Sloberry Kisses

I can't decide if Emma is giving me kisses on my face or trying to eat! :) But last night she started opening her mouth and slobbering all over my face. I almost cried! I kiss her cheeks over and over ALL the time, so maybe she is mimicking me?! I just love her so much!

Yesterday at church was SO SO SO much better than it has been. Emma basically misses her morning nap and is so grumpy during the service that I don't get to stay. We don't put her in the nursery yet, for a variety of reasons. Right now the main reason is because I think the cold (that turned into RSV) she had last week was caught in the nursery the 2 weeks that I worked in the nursery and took her with me. So we will wait until after cold and flu season to put her in there. Anyway, I prayed Saturday night that this Sunday would be better and that I would get to at least sing and hear some of the message. God was faithful and I was able to be in most of the service. My loving husband was wonderful and took her the one time she was fussy. She fell asleep in his arms! If we hadn't been in church, I would have taken a picture! After she woke up, she was so stinkin' cute I could hardly stand it! She was talking and flirting with everyone sitting behind us.

The service was really good yesterday. Pastor Coty is preaching through the book of Luke. He preached on Luke 6 yesterday. He was talking about being a son (or daughter) of the Most High...what does that look like? Just because you are being blessed doesn't mean you are a child of God. God blesses nonbelievers. People will know the kind of tree you are by the fruit you produce. We are called to love our enemies and forgive much as we have been forgiven much. And finally we must judge ourselves - evaluate the level of our own obedience to God, our love for others, and our own giving and forgiveness of others. That's it in a nutshell, but you can view the whole sermon on our church website (Desiring God Community Church). It's probably not up yet, but it should be by the end of the week.

Rain vs Snow

It's raining here today. People north of us are getting snow, but no such luck for us! We have had a very mild winter. I guess I'm glad, but it would nice to have at least one snow... Since it's raining, I have no motivation to do anything that needs to be done! I want to just cuddle on the couch and watch movies all day long! Jonathan is at work...it's end of the month close and they have had a busy few months. Hopefully, he will be home soon. He needs a vacation!!

Emma is having a good day. I think we are finally getting back into a routine. As some of you know, she was sick last week. It totally threw us off! She really has been kind of off since Christmas. She stopped sleeping through the night for some reason right after Christmas. We've been trying to figure out why. We haven't figured it out yet, but she is doing better! I didn't hear her at all last night until about 5:30am. She only cried for a few seconds and went back to sleep! I was so relieved! Hopefully this is a trend! She's laying on the floor playing under her play gym right now just talking to me! I love it!!

I'm including a few current pictures...Enjoy!

The Kelly's Three - an Introduction!

So...blogging...it seems to be the thing to do these days and since my mommies network got hacked yesterday and is down for a few days, I thought I would create a blog for our family. I'll try my best to update at least once a week and post pictures.

About us:

We became a family on June 24, 2000. When Jonathan and I (Nicole) got married we weren't sure that we wanted children, but five and half years later, the Lord blessed us with Emma Grace (5 months old). And what a blessing she has been!! We thank God for her everyday. Jonathan is a financial manager for one of the largest hospitals in the country. I am fortunate enough to stay home with Emma. Right now our days are filled with eating, playtime and naps! I can't wait until we can bake cookies together, go to the park and make crafts!

God is the center of our family and many of our activities revolve around our church. We firmly believe that God is most satisfied in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Our church aims to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things, for the joy of all peoples. We LOVE LOVE LOVE that our church is committed to being a diverse church and is committed to missions. Many of our posts will include things we have done with our church family.

So...that's us in a nutshell! I'm including a picture of the three of us right after Emma was born. The next post will be more than an introduction and will include some more recent pictures. We hope you enjoy our attempt to keep you all up-to-date with what is going on with us!!