Changes

I hate change, I really do. Unfortunately it is the one of the most consistent things in life, and according to a personality test from work I thrive on it! Yeah I know, its crazy and I've wondered if it is wrong. So given that fact, I guess my only option here is to learn to deal with and adapt to the inevitable changes that will come.  Lately I've been reading quite a few books.  Many of you who know me know that I love to read, but rarely have time anymore.  However, I picked up David Platt's Radical book a couple of months ago and it has changed my thinking on quite a few things.  It also inspired me to start reading more non fiction books. So, consequently since then I've read or am finishing the following books:
Radical - David Platt
Crazy Love - Francis Chan
Sun Stand Still - Steven Furtick
Our Last Great Hope - Dr. Ronnie Floyd
Loving Our Kids on Purpose - Danny Silk
Weird - Craig Groeschel

I've come to the conclusion that God is trying to speak to me through major repetition here.  All these book are different, but have lots of similarities.  My intent here is not to give a synopsis on these, but suffice it to say that I would highly recommend any and all of these books to anyone.  I'm amazed by how each of them were able to take a passage of scripture that I have grown up hearing and quoting and make it more real than I thought possible.  As Christians we're called to stand out and be different - but how many of us do that?  The stories in the new testament are pretty clear, Jesus called the disciples to think differently, act differently, live differently, serve differently.  They were called to give up everything and follow Jesus - even in the midst of severe persecution.  I have to admit here that my life looks nothing like that.  I live in a good neighborhood, have a nice house, 2 cars, Kyle and I both have good jobs, etc. We aren't really sacrificing anything, we aren't being persecuted for our faith.  So for me, right now today, the Christian life is easy, which is a far cry from what Jesus said the Christian life would be like.  So in all of this, I guess my mindset is shifting, my attitude about many things is changing and I'm confident things in my life will start changing....so don't be surprised if those of you who are around me most start noticing it! :)

Ok now on to the update:  Kyle, Ryleigh and I are all doing well.  Since my last post, we've had a visit from my sister and her husband - we had a great time even though it was a short weekend. The day they left I did really good till I came back inside from waving goodbye.  Then I sat on the couch with Ryleigh and just lost it, not really sure why, I'm just more emotional about those goodbyes now.  My best guess is because the relationship there is changing...remember from above, I hate change :)  My sweet innocent little girl looked into my face and said "mommy's crying?"  "what's wrong?"  I proceeded to tell her that I just missed Aunt Ally. She leaned in, kissed me on the cheek, and wiped my face and said "it's ok mommy, I miss Ally too."  So precious!

Ryleigh is getting so big, it seems like everyday she looks less like my "baby girl" and more like a kid. We're discovering she will be a girly girl too, she wants to put on makeup, chapstick and even perfume like mommy!  She's very independent and has a temper (not sure where either of those came from - I'm blaming her Papa ;) )  Last weekend we had family pictures taken.  Well, at least we attempted to have pictures taken.  Ryleigh was less than cooperative even though I used every trick in the book to bride her into behaving and smiling.  My kid is such a ham, this picture thing should not be hard, but I've learned that she just won't perform on command! :)  Hopefully we'll get some good ones from the photographer. She has sent me this one so far - we love it!

After the professional pictures were done, we met up with Mimi, Pappy, Uncle Ryan and the cousins to visit a local pumpkin patch.  Ryleigh opened up there and just laughed and played.  We got some of our own pictures, but this is one of all three of us that turned out pretty good! :)  She's still not smiling much here, but we had to take what we could get!

This weekend, I'm going with my mom to pick up the toddler rails so we can turn Ryleigh's crib into a toddler bed...another scary change for me!  I'm not sure I'm ready, but I think she probably is, so we're going to try it now while she is still too short to open her own room door.  That way when she gets out of bed in the middle of the night (since I know it will happen, I'm not even bothering to say "if") she will just sit in her room and not come get us! 

Kyle and I are both doing well, just busy with work and Ryleigh, but we love it.  On the changing front, I've been even more amazed as how God works recently.  I'm fairly new to the work of corporate life (only been working a little over 5 years since I graduated) but I've been so blessed. In my 5 years at my company I've had 3 jobs.  What is significant to me here is that I didn't really seek any of these jobs out, the opportunities were brought to me. I've been fortunate to see some different areas and just this week, God has opened a new door and a new opportunity. I'm nervous and excited, but confident that just as God has placed me in the right places as the right times in the past, he has a plan for this new opportunity as well.  Well...that's what's going on in our life - lots of changes!  I suppose they're not all bad and I'm trying work on how I adapt to them. :)