The Uncontainable Truth

Operation Christmas Child

2010-11-10T07:15:00.005-06:00

This year, one of my closest friends is heading up Operation Christmas Child at our church. The mission of Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Read below about how you can help a child during the Christmas season.

1. Tell us about OCC

Operation Christmas Child is one of the ministries of Samaritan's Purse. This ministry is all about sending a simple gift around the world to a child in need. Last year the United States collected 5.2 million shoe boxes filled with small toys, candies and hygiene items. These boxes are sent to over a hundred different countries where they are given to children along with a comic book about the gospel in their language.

2. What stories have you heard about children that have received boxes?

I have heard so many stories that have shown me how present God is in this ministry. I know that when you decide to pack a box that God has already picked out who will receive it. Start praying for that sweet little child and as you walk through the store God will let you know what he or she needs.

There are two stories that stick out the most to me. One is about someone who put a five pack of toothbrushes into a box. People kept asking "Why are there five in here?" but they didn't take them out they just sent them along. When the box was given out, it turns out that there where five people in the child's family that received the box. God knew the need and put in on the persons heart who packed the box.

There was a little girl who told her mom she did not want to go to school, the reason was that her shoes were embarrassing. They were beat up, messy and put back together with wire. Her feet would get wet on the way to school and then be cold as she wore them all day. She tried to convince her mom to let her stay home that day. After her long walk to school she sees that the kids all have these boxes. She goes to get one herself and when she opens the box there is a brand new pair of shoes. Immediately, she asked who had given her this box and the gospel was shared with her. Today she lives in the US and packs boxes for Operation Christmas Child every year.

3. Why did you decide to get involved?

Our church is a Collection Center, which is where all the boxes from the Montgomery area come to be sent to the processing center. There was an announcement in church at the end of July that there was a need for a coordinator. I immediately felt like it was something that God was telling me to look further into.

4. Why is this organization so important to you? Tell me how it has impacted your life.

Operation Christmas Child has become very important to me over the past few months. When I began working with this great ministry I knew it was amazing ministry for kids. I have now had the opportunity to hear and see some of the kids that it touches. Getting more people involved has really became a passion of mine when I heard these numbers: in the US we collected 5.2 million shoe boxes, Mexico City alone as 6.6 kids who would benefit from one of these shoe boxes. Even if every box from the US went to Mexico City we would still be short. That simple stat fires me up to get everyone I know to make a box. We are told in Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." I know it is not always easy to take off and go on a mission trip across the world. There are issues like taking off work, getting the money raised but here is a simple and easy way to directly impact one child a world away.

5. How can others get involved?

There are so many different ways to get involved! You can pack your own box and take it to a drop off location near you. Pack any standard size shoe box full of small toys, hygiene items and school supplies. For about $20 you can fill a box completely!! Check out http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC/ to find a drop-off location, ideas of what to pack, downloadable labels, and ways to track your box to see where it goes! National Collection Week is November 15-22 so get packing!!

You can also contact your locate Collection Center Coordinator to help with the packing and loading of the boxes from your area. This is a major need because each Collection Center pack thousands of shoe boxes to be shipped to the processing centers.

Year round volunteers are needed to help with preparing and promoting National Collection Week. There are needs for people to help with Church Relations, Community Relations, Prayer, Promotion and Area Coordinators. These positions are a great way to take the next step in getting involved on the next level. No matter what your spiritual gift there is a way for you to become more involved with OCC.

Your simple gift will change a child's life. That child will have a present to open at Christmas and because of that gift they will hear about the love of Jesus.

To donate a box to a child in need this Christmas, click here to get started.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Six Months Old

2010-11-08T07:15:00.001-06:00

Maralee & Adeline

It is so hard to believe that another month has gone by and our girls are now six months old! In six more months they will be one!!!!! They always say that time flies as you get older, and I really do feel like it has flown by these past three months of them being home with us. I am a pretty sentimental person but I am trying to not linger on the memories and enjoy the present. These girls are growing up right in front of my eyes and I don't want to miss any second of it.

Adeline

Six Months Old

We had our six month doctor's appointment and Adeline has hit 10 pounds! Maralee is right behind her at 9.11 pounds. Can you believe we are in the double digits? When I think that we started at two pounds it makes my heart feel such achievement for these little fighters. We are still wearing newborn clothes but are hoping to move into some of our bigger clothes over the next two months. Both sets of eyes are looking good and we should only have to go back one more time before we are cleared. The girls received their six month shots and also are starting the RSV shot which will help their premature lungs during flu season. We are still on formula and he thinks we will be able to start rice cereal in another month. One thing that we discussed in detail was their bedtime sleep habits. The past month they had been going to bed after their 10:30/11:00 feed and would wake up around 4:30. That was a lot better than 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. but he encouraged us to start a new schedule that should help them sleep through the night. Our goal is to start weaning that 10 p.m. feed back to 7:00 p.m. so they sleep from 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. I don't know what Raleigh and I will do with ourselves when that time comes!!!!! One of the hardest things about our new schedule is letting them cry when they wake up at 4:30 a.m. and see if they go back to sleep. We decided that it would be easier for us to let them cry if they started to sleep in their nursery upstairs. The first couple of nights were hard hearing them scream through the baby monitor but after about three nights, they are sleeping until we come in their room the next morning! I am so proud of them adjusting to this new routine that benefits us all! :)

Maralee

Six Months Old

Also, we have started to have more interactive play time. At three months, they love to grasp things and have started to study what is going on around them. I went a little gift card happy at Target and bought all of these fun little developmental toys and videos for them to watch. It is so much fun watching them learn! One of the biggest things that we try to do each day is our exercises to build their muscles. They get tummy time on their Boppy pillows and we also kick their legs and practice pulling our necks up. Our pediatrician pointed out that Adeline's neck is stronger on the left so we also do an exercise to help her strengthen the right side of her neck for better head control. Raleigh got out the Johnny Jumper and padded it with blankets so the girls could sit in it. Of course, they aren't ready to jump because their feet barely touch the ground, but they have fun swinging around in circles. When they do this, they turn their head in the direction that we are in so I think that is benefiting their head control as well. They also are starting to have little conversations with us and we get an occasional squeal from time to time that is just too darn cute.

Christen & Adeline

Raleigh & Maralee

I think as time goes on, we are going to get to experience so much with them. Our pastor stopped us the other day and asked how we were doing. He has three kids that are in high school and middle school and he said for us to just try and enjoy each stage of their lives and somehow the next stage is always better than the last. That made sense to me and it is so encouraging for the future. Thanks to everyone that has prayed for these girls to grow big and strong; they are truly little miracles.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Technical Upgrades

2010-11-08T07:01:00.000-06:00

I wanted to give everyone a heads up that over the upcoming week Raleigh will be doing some major technical work on the blog. We are going to start self hosting the blog soon - this will allow us to have more features that we currently cannot. We should be back up and fully running by this time next week. There will still be posts going out this week and should be able to still view all of the older stuff as well.

The important thing to remember is that the www.theuncontainabletruth.com is down, but we will still be available with full content on www.theuncontainabletruth.blogspot.com during the upgrade process. Also, you can still read individual post through Facebook or any other reader you may currently use.

Thanks for being patient with us and hopefully we will have some neat stuff to show you in about a week!

You're my boy blue!

2010-11-04T07:15:00.000-05:00

So I was going through the ole' digital photo album the other day and came across this little photo, which other than pictures of our girls - is just the cutest thing!

Yep, this was Obi when he was just a pup! He's so tiny and cute. We couldn't find his breed anywhere around here so we had to get him online. I found a breeder and we were given first pick of the litter. We were shown this little adorable fellow and another that was wearing a crimson colored sweater and was also the Alpha Male. Seeing as we naturally dislike anything in crimson (sorry Grandpaw Jim) and we already had an Alpha (fe)Male in the house, this little fella was the obvious choice.

You're my boy blue!

-Raleigh

Dolka Pots: Godwin T-Shirt Winner

2010-11-03T07:15:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Ashley Carson for winning a free Godwin Family Adoption T-Shirt! Thanks to all who participated and stay tuned for future giveaways.

Under Pressure

2010-11-02T07:15:00.003-05:00

This month I realized that I put too much pressure on myself to succeed. This revelation occurred to me last Monday as our family was driving to Dothan. The warm haziness of the sun had just drifted beyond reach and darkness started to set in as we drove south on Highway 231. Raleigh and I had been in a tizzy earlier that day and we were finally discussing our gripes with one another. Lately, I have been a bit of a grinch. My tongue has been short and I haven't really enjoyed the companionship of my husband. Everything he had done last month just plain got on my nerves. If he took all of the covers at bedtime I felt like he was doing it to make me feel cold. If he drank the last gulp of water out of our shared cup, it was his fault it was empty. When our big dog was hysterically hyper I threatened to have him stay in Dothan next time we visited because it was Raleigh's fault that he was acting this way. Anything and everything about that boy was just getting on my nerves.

Needless to say, what conversation we had up to that point in the car had been limited. Finally, neither one of us could take the silence any more and on that two hour drive we both apologized for the way we had been treating one another. Raleigh said that he has been having trouble being at work instead of home with the girls. He knew our dog needed to be exercised but he would rather spend time holding and kissing our babies instead of running. He was having a difficult time managing all of his responsibilities and he felt like I had too high of expectations for him. He was right about the last one. I expect way too much from my husband. I want him to be the perfect family man and I often ignore any signs of struggle.

Raleigh did have some blame-worthy moments this past October, but I take first place in the one instigating the problems. It all goes back to my need to succeed. Last month, I was stressed. I finally realized that on our drive home. As the cow pastures and peanut fields passed by my window, my heart began to soften. I just started to talk, hiding my tears in the darkness of the night. I felt so bad for the way I had been treating Raleigh. He was such an easy target and it made me feel better to place blame on him rather than myself. As I was talking, I realized that the pressures in my life are put there only by me. I used to think it was my circumstances or my job. Whenever I used to feel stressed I thought it was because I had to do what I was doing and if I could only choose how to live my life I wouldn't feel stressed. I realized that ever since I stopped working outside the home I have still put pressure on myself to stay busy. I think that made me feel like my days were still worthwhile; that somehow what I do now is still just as important as having a real job that gave me a pay check every two weeks. I want my life to be filled with substantial days and not let any hour go to waste.

So, the question I had to ask myself, "Is caring for my babies wasteful?" My answer every time is, "No, it most certainly is not." I realized that the babies are not the root of my issue. I think the reason I feel this way is because I still have my own goals that I want to see fulfilled. If I don't take time to work on these goals, I will feel like my purpose in life was never accomplished. I don't want to look back in twenty years and wish I had taken more time to devote to this ambition but at the same time I don't want to miss out on any moment with my two beautiful little miracles. So, is now the time to accomplish these goals?

This is where my problem lies. My girls are my number one priority besides God and my husband. Period. End of discussion. When our day starts, I do everything that I have to for them. We eat, change diapers, play, learn, grow, and sleep. That takes up a major portion of my day. What time I have left is juggled between friends, family, household commitments, quiet time with God, the blog, learning to sew, and my goals among other things. Every day is different but I try so hard to keep consistency. I think that if I stick to my planner as a guideline, I will get everything accomplished. But, I think I push myself too hard some days. When it looks like I'm not going to get things done, I start to feel anxious. That is where the pressure begins. It is this need for perfection that is driving me nuts. I need to be satisfied to focus on quality rather than quantity.

Before the girls were born, I really felt like God was calling me to go deeper with my writing. Our whole experience in the NICU

My quiet time is way shorter these days and my prayers have been more of thankfulness than anything else. I have SO much to be thankful for and I feel like now is the time to act on how gracious He has been to me. Last year was a time for seeking out my purpose and I felt the calling on my life. Why is it so hard now to accomplish it? Why am I second guessing it? I think it is because I see this huge picture and I'm not taking it one step at a time. If I have learned anything, it is to trust God and give Him all control. I need to take some time to spend with him in genuine prayer. My soul is yearning to scoot closer to Him so I can rest my head on His shoulder. He needs to stroke my hair and tell me everything is going to be okay. I need to look at Him and realize that Christ is perfection and it is our goal to live our lives like Christ but not as Christ. I need to know that what I am doing is meaningful in His eyes and is part of His plan for my life.

So, friends, I think I need to spend some alone time with God. I need to remember that what I am doing is very meaningful. It is growing me into the woman that I want to become but that woman needs to stop putting so much pressure on herself. I have to get past this need to succeed and literally take things one day at a time like I did this summer. Getting back to the heart of the matter, I have to trust in God's perfect timing. If this goal of mine is meant to be fulfilled in the near future, it will. I need to remember what God has already taught me so I can continue to move forward instead of going backwards. This month might be a little different for my blogging. As important as it is to me, I might not be posting as much material this month as I have been. Who knows, I might be posting a ton if I feel His gentle prompting...I guess we will see as the days unfold. All I know is I need to spend some genuine time filling up my soul through His truth. Thank you for allowing me to share such tender feelings; I already feel like this is a step in the right direction.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Monthly Memory Verse: November

2010-11-01T14:22:00.009-05:00

Happy 1st of November Everyone!

I started to think about what verse I wanted to memorize this month and the word prayer kept coming into my heart. Lately, our small group has been talking a lot about how powerful prayer truly is. We have been saying that prayer is what brings us closer to God and it deepens our relationship with Him. But, it is also a way for us to listen to what he is telling us to do. Prayer is a necessity in our pursuit of living our lives like Christ. So, this month I wanted 2 Corinthians 13:8-9 to be my memory verse.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.

Now, I know we typically do two verses a month, but today I just wanted to focus on one. I must admit that last month I got behind on my memorizing so right now I am choosing to just memorize this verse. Have a great day!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Harry Potter and The Great Debate

2010-10-29T07:58:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter is a household name these days, however some prefer to think of him as he who must not be named. Whether it's the critically acclaimed seven part book series by author J.K. Rowling or the billion dollar blockbuster films - Harry Potter is everywhere. I thought with Halloween upon us and the release of Part I of the final Harry Potter film this November we should kick this hornets nest and see what kind of discussion we can stir up.

For those unfamiliar with the series - Harry Potter chronicles the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's quandary involving the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people. - wikipedia

Once the books became best sellers, many Evangelical Christians were very outspoken in their disapproval of the magical stories - some going as far as holding old fashioned book burnings and others calling it a "gateway" book that will lead uninformed children into the worship of pagan practices. Many other Christians, myself included, are not as eager to compare the series to demonic magic as they are stories of fairy tale magic - such as Cinderella, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings - the latter two of which are beloved by the Christian community.

So how do you know if Harry Potter is a good thing or not? The catch is that there is really no way to figure this out other than to read it. Whether you are trying to determine this out for your child or yourself there is only one way to know. I think if you read the first book you will find that the book is really not about magic. Yes, it has magic in it, but that's not what it is about. The clear theme of Harry Potter is that love conquers all; that courage and bravery in the face of evil, particularly death, are noble and virtuous moral choices. Emphasis on the choice part. There is evil in this world, and if you haven't picked up on it yet, I am no longer talking about Harry Potter. True evil is out there, and while we may not come across it on a daily basis (or ever) there is such a thing as evil magic, the bible tells us this much.

Finally, let us not forget that in every choice we make in life, even reading Harry Potter - we have a responsibility. A responsibility to question things and search our the answers through the Lords written word and prayer. Harry Potter is what it is. Just as wine is simply a drink, Harry Potter is a fantasy story. In the hands of a weak man, either can corrupt; yet when mixed with a little responsibility both can be enjoyed.

This topic could probably be discussed for years and I encourage it and hope that you leave some feedback if you have read the books. Try to keep your comments spoiler free for anyone who is on the fence still. You don't have to agree with me - I have spoken with some people who strongly disagree with me, yet we still respect each other. So again, please leave some feedback with your thoughts. Thanks!

Raleigh

Two by Two

2010-10-26T07:15:00.002-05:00

The month of October has flown by!!!! I am behind on some of my posts, but I will try and get caught up this week so y'all can see what all we have been doing. This past Sunday, we attended our church's Fall Festival. It was a Trunk or Treat and it was so much fun. A little overwhelming, but also really fun at the same time!!! We decided to dress our family up like Noah's Ark and the girls were little lambs. They were too stinkin' cute!!!!!!!!

Adeline & Maralee's first Fall Festival

Sunday, October 24th

St. James UMC

Maralee (sleeping) & Adeline

Our Ark!

Raleigh, Adeline, Christen & Maralee

It was really funny because most people thought we were shepherds instead of Noah and his wife, but that still made sense so we went with it! There were so many kids at the Fall Festival and at one point I will admit I got a little nervous. We kept the girls away from most of the kids and it worked out for our group to get an end parking spot so we weren't in the thick of the crowd. Our group consists of baby girls and they were all dressed up so adorable that evening!

Adeline, Maralee, & Me with our friends Olivia & KC and Mary Harris & Stephanie

We love our small group!!!!

Maralee, Adeline & Mommy

Shhhh.....sleepy Maralee

Adorable Adeline

Adeline, Maralee & Daddy

Besides going to the Fall Festival, we went to Dothan on Thursday to attend an open house for a kitchen that Raleigh had designed. It was my first time to see his work and I was really impressed. I am so proud of my husband and the gifts that the Lord has provided for him to be an architect. It is really cool to see the before and after pictures and know that my husband was the one that designed it. When we went home, we were able to test out driving our whole family in the van. We folded down some of the back row seats so the puppies could have a pallet to lay on. It was so nice having all of that room!!!!

Lu Lu is loaded up and ready to go!

Our trip was short, but the twins got to visit with some of their great-grandparents. My parents have discovered the kids consignment sales and they bought this little play yard for the girls. It is really fun to watch them focus on a toy and try to figure out how it works. Every day they are discovering more on how to use their hands. It is so neat watching their brains think and learn.

Na Na & Adeline

Paw Paw and Maralee

The twins are learning & growing!!!!

Even though our family is in Dothan, we still get to see them on a regular basis. On Saturday, Raleigh's brother and his wife (one of my best friends from college!) came to Montgomery to watch Auburn play LSU. I am a member of the Jr. League here in Montgomery and one of our big fundraisers is called the Holiday Market. I had been volunteering for it all week, but on Saturday Kari Beth and I went shopping at the market and we both got some great Christmas gifts! It was really fun spending some girl time with KB while the boys watched the twins. That afternoon we all celebrated as Auburn beat LSU!!! We are ranked #1 in the nation right now which is great but we still have some really tough games ahead of us. It is just fun to see Auburn doing so well with us still having such a young team. War Eagle!!!!!!

So, as you can see, we have had a busy October. Fun, but busy :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Trusting The Truth: October 2010

2010-10-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

Many, when asked about different fears, rank the fear of public speaking right up there with the fear of death. Now that I have encountered both, I would agree that they both elicit about the same level of fear. So this morning I would like to teach on and have a conversation about fear; let’s just not call it public speaking.
Fear is the emotion that arises when we feel threatened by a physical or emotional or even spiritual danger, whether real or imaginary. Since we live in a dangerous world, fear is a universal and inevitable part of the human condition. Some people experience fear relatively rarely, and for others it is very common. Some primarily experience fear acutely, while others experience it primarily as chronic, low-grade anxiety. Some typically react to fear actively with a fight response, while others react passively, with flight. Some experience fear that is rooted in past traumatic events, others concerning present shocks, while still others primarily about future threats. But regardless of these differences, we all experience fear--and we must all grapple with how to understand and respond to it. We must learn to live victoriously over fear.
To begin this conversation on fear, let us start with a story from early in Jesus’ ministry. After a full day of healing and teaching on the Kingdom of God, and planting the seeds of faith in his growing crowd of followers, Jesus was ready to move on from where he was teaching. Although Matthew and Mark both tell this same story in their Gospels, let us pick up on the story in the Gospel of Luke: Chapter 8, verse 22:
“One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
In hearing this story, I want you think of the storms in your own life. During the midst of your own storm, where are you in the boat with Jesus. Are you with the disciples, scared, calling out for Jesus, lacking in faith? The disciples were veteran fishermen and had spent much time on the water, but they seem to have never experienced this kind of storm. Their boat was being swamped; as they bailed out two buckets of water ten more were pouring in. They were yelling to each other, “Quick! Quick!” It was a scene of chaos and they had begun to panic and were fearful of their own death. In Mark’s version of the story, Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” While the disciples were struggling for life and death, what did Jesus do? He was sound asleep on a cushion in the back. Can you believe he could sleep in the midst of the storm and the yelling disciples?
During your own storms, are you yelling for Jesus, in a panic, wondering why he has not woken up and saved you from your strife? In the midst of the storm there is great contrast between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus was calm and in control. The disciples were panicked and fearful. When they were scared to death, they remembered Jesus, woke him, and cried out to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” They surely did not remember the Psalm that says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” The disciples, instead, got upset and complained to Jesus.
Life is much like sailing at sea. When there is smooth sailing under a blue sky we think life would be that way always or wish to have it that way. But we often face the storms of life unexpectedly. The storms come without warning and cause troubles and fear in our lives. We feel left alone, struggling all by ourselves, and God seems far away. However, even in the storms, I have learned that our Lord is present.
I hope, in telling my own story, my own testimony, of God’s faithfulness and His presence in a hurricane in my life, that you will believe more deeply and will see that by throwing your weight onto the Lord during your trials, even when you think that He is sleeping, that he will be faithful and will take all things, even those that may be meant for ill, and will use them for good. As Paul says in Romans, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” My hope is that through hearing my story that you will be able to cry in your trials with Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him.”
My story begins at the end of last summer. At that time I was living for myself and had finally reached the point where I saw that the path I was on was one of death and that I desperately wanted a path that moved towards life, and life to the fullest. I sought out men in Raleigh who could help guide me and instruct me on how to find this life. I began to study the scriptures and learn about this man, Jesus. I began a relationship with my savior; with no idea how desperately I would need him.
This savior, who has power over nature, as seen in the story of the calming of the sea, existed before time began. Before the creation of the world, He knew me and knew that I would, one day, need Him. And last summer He started a good work in me that would come to pay dividends. When something happens in life, all you have is just what you have right then and nothing more. By the grace of God, I had begun to build a faith that would help me get through and survive my storm.
On January 2nd of this year I awoke at 4am, ate a light breakfast, and loaded up for a day of duck hunting. Little did I know that this day would turn quickly from a day of quiet anticipation into the bloody hell of a warlike nightmare.
Two cars were filled with dogs, gear and still-sleepy hunters: my brother-in-law Will Teague, my father, my uncle Lawrence Davis, Butler Bennett, Bo Bennett and his son Butler, my cousin Linwood Davis and me. We pulled away from our cottage at Bath and drove to a friend’s farm at Pamlico Point. Pamlico Point is an isolated peninsula jutting out into the Pamlico Sound between the Neuse and Pamlico rivers. It is not near anything, but it is one of the best places in North Carolina to hunt for ducks.
When we arrived at 5am we were met at the gate of the farm by two guides. Charlie, one of the guides, led us a mile or so down the dirt farm path to a barn where we unloaded our gear and dressed for a morning of duck hunting. It was windy and cold, about 20 degrees. Here at the barn we split up into groups to be taken to the blinds. My Uncle Lawrence and Butler were in a blind together, as were my dad and Linwood, Bo and Butler, Jr., and Will and I. The others were taken to their blinds while Will and I awaited our turn. Will and I were to be hunting from the farthest blind, the best place to hunt, because this was Will’s first experience hunting. As we waited the sky began to light up as the sun began to rise. Ducks were flying overhead and I anxiously awaited the beginning of the hunt.
Charlie, a rough, tough and quiet man finally arrived in his old Chevy pickup as the clouds took on a pink light as the sun foretold its coming. Will and I put our gear in the bed of the truck and hopped up on the tool box, resting our feet on the many bags of decoys. Shortly, we arrived at the number 7 blind, considered the best at the farm.
Upon arrival, as the sun was just cresting the horizon, we loaded all of our gear and jumped into the little johnboat that Charlie polled out to the blind. Since this was Will’s first experience hunting, he had all new gear: a blind bag that I had given him for Christmas as well as a whole new hunting outfit he had just purchased for this hunt. As we left the shore of the dike along-side the impoundment it was light. The wind was quickly pushing the marsh-grass into waves. Ducks were in all directions. This was going to be a fantastic hunt. One we would remember for many years.
As Charlie was pushing us out across the impoundment towards the blind the excitement was rushing through our veins. I couldn’t wait to get to the blind. This was a “once in a decade” event that we’d tell stories about for years.
Finally! We had reached the blind! Will and I unloaded the boat and Charlie pushed off to set out a spread of decoys. The blind faced east-south-east and the wind was coming out of the west. The strong wind made the 20 degree temperature settle into your bones. I stepped into the blind and set my shotgun in the far corner of the blind and turned to get my ammunition pouch from Will’s bag.
Charlie was completing the spread of decoys and I could not see him or the decoys because of the new camouflage grasses that had been tacked to the side of the blind. Therefore, to get an idea of which direction we would be hunting I stood on the seat of the eight foot by three foot blind. From that vantage point I could see all of God’s majestic glory. The sun dancing on the wind-swept marshes of Eastern North Carolina is medicine for my soul, and I was drinking it deeply.
The spread of decoys had been set and Charlie, having finished his job, was returning to the dike and to the warm cab of his truck. I was watching the horizon for any sign of movement. I was not watching Will as he “geared-up” for the hunt. I did not know his gun was loaded and when he asked about the safety on his gun I answered him but was too busy watching for birds to take the time to check. I did not take the time to instruct Will on any aspects of duck hunting.
Will picked up his shotgun and slid his finger over the trigger, thinking the safety is on. BANG! The shotgun fires and I look down. Will, in his surprise jumped back and the gun falls towards me. I see the fire come out of the barrel as the second shot goes off. I hear the percussion of the blast. I watch as thirty steel BB’s travel at 1300 feet per second into the meat of my left leg, just above the knee. I stare for what seems to be an eternity to make sure what I see happening is actually what is happening. I am blown out of the blind and fall eight feet to the wet marshy ground. I try to stand but my leg cannot bare weight. I fall again.
My body is overwhelmed with all of the terror of a shattered limb. I immediately go numb, physically, mentally and emotionally. My mind is so bombarded with a sea of pain and fear that it shuts down all but the most needed functions. I lay limp with my legs in the shallow water of the impoundment. My head and upper body are cushioned by marsh grass. Will jumps to action as I resign to stillness. I feel a puddle of what can only be my blood, my life, filling my waders.
The storm is just starting, and it is building fast. The boat, from our story in Luke, is being blown about and is taking on water quickly. Where is my savior? Is he sleeping comfortably nearby, not bothering to wake and come help?
Time has slowed to a crawl as the minutes of my life empty themselves from my crushed femoral artery. I am bleeding to death and I know it.
While Will comes around the corner of the blind he shouts to Charlie, our guide, to come back to the blind to help. Charlie finally arrives back at the blind and gives his pocket knife to Will. Will then cuts open my waders and my pants. Amazingly, Will is relatively calm at this point. Next, he takes my belt off and makes a tourniquet around my leg. It takes several minutes for my blood to stop flowing out. During the time Charlie was asking what he could do to help. Since there really was nothing he could do, Will asked him to pray. My remembrance of the simple prayer that Charlie offered was that as he prayed the sun crested the horizon and the whole area was bathed in light. As the light descended on us a peace that is beyond all understanding came over me. It was at this point that I knew I was in a situation that was beyond my control. I knew that if I were to close my eyes I would open them again and be in the arms of Jesus Christ. I truly believed that I was not going to get out of this duck impoundment alive. In my heart I thought that death is easy and peaceful; life is so much messier and so much harder.
It was at this point that I got out my phone to see if I had reception. Never before had I had cell service here, so I figured we would be out of luck again. However, when I checked my phone, I had full service, and although the phone was covered in blood I began to make phone calls. My first call, at 7:30am, was to 911. When they asked where I was, I had no answer for them. There was no way for me to explain to them where I was. After a few frustrating minutes on the line with them my phone cut off due to the soaking it had had. When I cut it back on, I tried my dad’s cell phone to let him know what was happening a few hundred yards away from him. It went directly to his voicemail. I called my mom, who, after hearing me call wolf too many times, was doubtful that the event I described to her was really happening. I asked her to call and request a helicopter, which she did. Over the course of the next hour and fifteen minutes I placed many calls, trying to find someone who could help me. The 911 operator said that she had sent an ambulance, but that they could not find me. Charlie, my guide, had radioed the other guide to go out to the main road to meet the ambulance, but in the rush of things, the other guides ran his truck off the path into a ditch. It seemed that the situation was going from bad to worse, and my life was slowly slipping away.
Finally, an ambulance showed up. Paramedics were rushed out to me in the same johnboat that had brought me out. When they arrived and had assessed the situation they knew they were going to have to move me immediately. Unfortunately, they had not brought a backboard or stretcher. The paramedics, the two guides, and Will each grabbed me and lifted me into the johnboat. With each movement lightning bolts of pain shot through my body. Once we reached the bank of the impoundment I was to be moved up to the ambulance in the same way I had been moved to the boat, but this time the bank was slick and I was dropped. Finally, I was in the ambulance and in safe hands. My dad rode with us to the nearby Coast Guard Station where I was transferred to a helicopter.
While I was being rolled to the helicopter, my upbringing kicked in and I called to my dad to get the names and addresses of everyone who had helped, so that I could send them a thank-you note. While flying over Eastern North Carolina on my way to Greenville I flirted with the flight cute nurse. Once in the operating room I joked with team that had gathered to save my life before the anesthesiologist put me under. I woke up two days later, without my left leg. The storm was breaking.
But where had God been through this hurricane? I had survived, but where was He? In the months following my accident different parts of the story would come out showing that He was there all along. Will had taken an emergency medicine class at Wake Forest because he needed two extra credit hours and it was the class that fit his schedule. His quick action, and the skills he had learned in this class, had saved my life. My surgeons would later tell me that once the gunshot entered my leg and shattered my artery I had from five to seven minutes before I would be dead. Will’s tourniquet and the tenacity with which he held it for over an hour is why I am standing before you today. Also, when Will needed something to tighten this tourniquet he said he just reached out and there was a short, smooth, sturdy piece of oak laying next to me. This is not something you would expect to find out in the middle of a marsh, but it had been placed there. Through the storm of that day the Lord had been present and watching over me.
I remained in the hospital for most of the month of January and had eight surgeries, the last one on my mom’s birthday. Hundreds of friends and loved ones came from all over to wish me well. It was this strong community of Christ that would keep my fears and depression away. In the months that would follow my faith would bring me strength to face the daily fears of living. I relearned how to walk and now can get around almost as well as I could before. I have had to cope with the falls, some of which have been quite spectacular, and with the daily pain of getting out of bed in the morning. I have gotten used to people staring and my favorite part of this has been the little children who have come up to me to ask what has happened. One little girl who came up to ask what had happened, after I told her I had lost my leg, replied, “well, I hope you find it!” The most amazing parts of this journey have been the immediate forgiveness and love that everyone has given to Will. We are now blood brothers and best friends. Only through faith in a loving God is all this possible.
So the storms of life will come. We are not exempt from them because we are Christians. We may actually face more storms because we are Christian. Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! He has overcome the world.
Let us quickly go back to the story of Jesus calming the sea. After Jesus had rebuked the winds and the waters they immediately died down and it was completely calm. At Jesus’ command, the raging storm stopped at once and the wind and the waves obeyed him as if nothing had happened. Call was restored and fear was replaced with amazement. The disciples were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” This shows that Jesus is not a mere man. He is God himself. He is the creator God who is above all things. Though he was in the boat in the midst of the storm, he was above the nature. He was in control. In the beginning he created all things by speaking, “Let there be light; let there be sky.” With the same authority, he sustains his creation and commands the nature. He is in control over everything.
In Jesus there is no chaos. Therefore he can bring calmness to the chaos; he can bring peace and rest to our troubled souls. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace for a reason. After the resurrection Jesus came to the fearful disciples, saying “Peace be with you!” If the disciples had known who Jesus was, they did not need to panic. Their lives were safe in him, as our lives are safe in him. Jesus used the storm to train his disciples to know who he was. Jesus uses the storms of our lives to plant faith in us so that we don’t need to panic, but we can live victorious life. It is not too late to cry out to Jesus. We often cry out when we reach the end of the rope. We struggle hard with our own strengths and despair. But whenever we pray, Jesus is willing to help us. The storm training is hard, but we can grow in a closer relationship with Jesus and we can experience the love of Jesus more deeply. Many times I have fallen flat on my face and have wanted to give up. Tears have come with angry and painful prayers but every time I have grit my teeth and gotten back up. This experience has added a depth to my faith that would not be there had I faced no storms. Christian life does not guarantee smooth sailing, but with a God who is in control over all things, we can face the storms of life and be victorious.
But this requires faith. When the storm had subsided Jesus did not comfort his disciples, or offer them sympathy. It is quite normal to show fear in such a stormy sea. Even a warning of a hurricane, down here at the beach, will send everyone scrambling. But Jesus, rather, rebuked them. He asked “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus saw that the heart of the matter was a lack of faith. Fear is the opposite of faith; fear is a display of unbelief.
Then how can we overcome fear? How can you overcome the fear that comes from the daily storms of life? Fear can be overcome only by faith – faith in God. When we believe in the God who created, and is above, and in control of all things we can be free from fear. We can be bold enough to challenge the storms knowing that our security is in Jesus.

If you have a testimony you feel led to share, please contact christen@theuncontainabletruth.com

Do Gooder: October

2010-10-20T07:15:00.002-05:00

This month we are proud to feature Dolka Pots as our business that is doing good in this world. Dolka Pots is a fast growing business that is helping families bring home their adopted children. Dolka Pots is helping our friends, The Godwins, bring home Zoe Grace by selling their t-shirt to go towards their adoption fund. Read this article and find out how YOU can win a free Godwin t-shirt!

Tell us about your business and why you have chosen adoption causes as your charity project.

We are three moms who make and sell our handmade children’s clothing and baby gifts as a way to help families offset their adoption costs. Our business was inspired by a special little boy named Caleb, who is the adopted son of one of our partners. We began our company as a way to raise the funds needed to bring him home and we had so much fun in the process that we decided to keep going and help other families bring home children through adoption! We really want to see the number of orphans in this world go down and are honored to get to be a part of bringing children home to their forever families.

Why do you feel adoption is important?

There are 147 million orphans in the world. That number is so huge and so very sad! If we all work together to either bring a child into our family or help other families afford the cost to adopt their children, this number can get smaller. All three of us are mothers and the thought of a child going to bed at night without a mother or a father to kiss them goodnight and tell them that they are loved is heartbreaking to us. Adoption is a beautiful picture of the way God invites us into His family—we do nothing to deserve His love yet He adores us and lets us be His children because of Jesus’ death on the cross for us. We are called to care for orphans and one very important way to do this is through adoption.

Do you make the clothes sold on your website? How did you get started and why did you decide to focus on selling on the Internet?

Yes, we make everything sold on our website. One of our partners was in the process of adopting her son, Caleb, and began sewing and selling her wares as a way to offset the adoption fees. To help raise the remainder of the costs for this adoption, the three of us got together and made lots of children’s clothing and sold it at a craft show. Once Caleb came home, we realized that this was something that we could do for other families. Our hope is that we can help families pursue adoption and not let money stand in the way of bringing a child home to their family. There are so many children in this world who need families, and we want to help any way we can. James 1:27 in the Bible says to “care for orphans and widows in their distress.” We want to be faithful to care for orphans by helping them come into loving families and be orphaned no more.

Tell us about any successes/hardships you have had with owning your own business.

We started our business in January of 2010 and it has grown faster than we imagined it would! It has been exciting to expand the way that we have and to be able to help more families with adoption costs. We are all busy moms so it takes a lot of teamwork and multitasking to get everything done. One of the hardest things is not being able to help every family that we want to help. We are thrilled that we have grown to the point of being able to help 2 adopting families per quarter and our hope is that we will grow in a way that can serve as many families as possible. We have entered more craft shows than we originally had planned so our name is getting “out there” and we are beginning to have many return customers, which is very exciting!

What is your purpose for creating Dolka Pots?

Our purpose for creating Dolka Pots is to be faithful to help with the orphan crisis in this world. We hope to make a difference in our community, to share the love of Jesus with people in need, particularly children in need of a family, and to help bear the burden of adoption costs. Our hope is to raise awareness at just how serious the orphan crisis in the world is—it is just that, a CRISIS. We pray that our business will grow and prosper in a way that more people will get involved in helping to decrease the number of orphans in our world. It is a gift for us to get a front row seat in watching some children come home to their families!

If you would like the opportunity to win a FREE Godwin t-shirt just follow the steps below (U.S. only)

1. Click on the Linky Tools to enter the free Godwin t-shirt contest.
2. In the Contest Entry blank, please enter the size t-shirt you would like to purchase (click here to see sizes offered).
3. In the Link blank, leave a link to your blog if you have one.
4. Submit your e-mail address and click Submit Contest Entry

The contest ends on October 26th so submit your entry today!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Check Out My New Ride

2010-10-19T07:15:00.008-05:00

So, we finally decided that we wanted to seriously consider becoming the next Swagger Wagon family. While we were on our car search, I drove the newest model here in Montgomery and loved it. It had DVD players, reclining bucket seats, seat warmers, sun roof, both sliding doors and the trunk opened automatically....it had everything that you could want. After driving that van, I told Raleigh that I was okay driving a van but I wanted the coolest one he could find. Two Fridays ago, Raleigh left work a little early and we drove to a city outside of Birmingham to look at two different vans. I knew we would be looking at some older models but in my mind they still had the same features as the one I had driven. When we pulled up and started to look at these vans, all excitement vanished. The seats were not leather. There was no sun roof. No cool DVD player. Only one door automatically slide open......I looked at Raleigh in astonishment and asked, "Where's all the cool stuff?????" He reminded me that this was an older version and even though it doesn't have the cool stuff it was still in excellent condition. The salesman gave us the keys so we could drive it around the block. As I was driving, I started to fume. I was driving and pointing out everything that it didn't have. After the fuming, I began to cry. I was so sad and I could NOT believe that THIS was the VAN that I would be driving for the next ten years of my life. I felt old. I so did not feel cool driving that thing.

After a couple of loops around the block, we pulled back in the dealership and I just sat in the back seat glaring at my husband. How could he make me drive this thing????? He promised me a cool van and this was all he could come up with? I was laying it on thick. Raleigh stared back at me and said that he was sorry that I was misled into thinking that this van would be like the newest model. He told me that we didn't have to buy it today and we could keep looking. After that, we both sat in the van for a long period of silence. During that time, I just stared at the inside of the vehicle. To myself, I thought, "It does have bucket seats. The trunk space is nice. At least one door slides open." Finally, I looked at the two little faces that were sitting in those bucket seats. Their car seats fit perfect. I was actually sitting in the way back seat and had plenty of room. I looked at my husband and realized how hard he always tries to please me. I knew that he wouldn't want this van if it wasn't a good fit for our family. Our eyes met and we both knew the decision that was best for our family. After an hour of paper signing, we were officially inducted into the Swagger Wagon family.

So, it has been two weeks and I am starting to come around to the fact that I am 26 and drive a van. I just had to stop looking at the negatives and focus on the positive because we really do have a great new vehicle. Only the newest models have all the cool features but ours is really a great car for the year that it was made in. We have driven it to church and it was so easy to load and unload the girls. Our stroller fits in the trunk like a glove. I can actually sit in the passenger seat and recline my chair without it hitting a car seat! We are going to get a DVD player installed and since the seats aren't leather there really isn't a need for seat warmers. Also, both side windows are huge and roll fully down and that is kinda neat. To seal the deal, I have even changed a very poopy diaper in the back seat and I would have never been able to do that in my old car.

What do you mean vans aren't cool.....

The only time I realize I am driving a van is when I pull out my keys to get in the front seat. I have gotten over the fact that it is a van and have come to terms with it being a great purchase for our family. I'm glad my husband found this van for us and that we should be able to drive it for many more years. This whole van experience has really taught me to not be so vain. Again I have learned not to care what other people think and just do what is best for me and my family. I am proud to be a mom that drives a VAN!!!!!! Thanks to everyone that gave us suggestions on what car to purchase for our family! We truly appreciate it!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

For Me Mommy

2010-10-15T10:42:00.000-05:00

So, I have a confession to make. We did not run in the Montgomery Half-Marathon. I know, I know, I had this whole great motivating post about how we would run in it for the girls but.....it just didn't happen. There is really no need for excuses but I do have one :) It just got hard to find time to run. And, we couldn't run with the girls and we would rather spend our time with them instead of running. There. I said it! I would still LOVE to run in a half-marathon and I do believe that thinking of their NICU journey will motivate me to actually complete 13.1 miles but it just didn't happen this year.

Instead, we decided to walk in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. As a former employee of ACS, I really wanted to support this event by being present and walking. It was the first time it was held in Montgomery and was a huge success! But, more importantly, we decided to walk in memory of Raleigh's Me Mommy. Breast cancer took her from her loved ones but her memory is not forgotten! I never had the opportunity to meet Me Mommy but I have heard so many wonderful stories about her. One of my favorites is the fact that she would still water ski even in her later years of life. How remarkable! Also, I always hear what a great cook she was. Mr. Price didn't have pizza until he was in high school because his momma would cook good ole' Southern food for her family.

Maralee and Adeline strolled in honor of Me Mommy

October 9, 2010

5 1/2 months

Raleigh and I did manage to walk 3 miles...next year we just need to do 10.1 more!!! (ha ha)

Adeline in her little hoodie

Me Mommy is smiling down from heaven at her grandson and two great-grandbabies

Beside attending this walk, last week was pretty busy. On Wednesday, my sweet friend Abby came to town to see the girls. Abby and I met in college when we were both Camp War Eagle Counselors. I truly treasure our friendship and am so excited because she and her husband are expecting a baby girl in December! She is so cute pregnant and we had the best time catching up. Abby couldn't get over how much the girls stretched. I hadn't ever really thought about it but I guess they do stretch a lot...must be growing girls!

Abby, Adeline, Maralee & I had such a nice afternoon!

On Thursday we were invited to dinner at some friends that had recently remodeled their kitchen. Raleigh was out of town but I decided to take the girls anyway. It was my first time taking care of the girls by myself in public. They were a little fussy in the beginning and I had to feed them while trying to eat my dinner but all in all it was manageable. My friends' husbands helped me take the girls out to the car and everyone was so willing to hold one girl if I needed any assistance so that was great. I am so happy to be in Montgomery with this group of friends right now. We all have little girls and I just can't wait until they can really play with one another. Below are some pictures that we tried to take that night of all of the girls....

This cracks me up!

Adeline, Mary Harris, Olivia, and Maralee

Adeline and Mary Harris

The girls + baby in the belly

We can't wait for Lily Broox to join us!!!!!

Friends, fellowship is so important in our day to day living. It was so nice to just enjoy the company of others last week. I hope each of you take time to spend with friends this weekend.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Meet the Godwins

2010-10-13T07:15:00.001-05:00

JW and KC Godwin are your typical little Southern family. They got married, moved to a new city, bought a house, and have an adorable baby girl named Olivia. When first meeting this couple, one will crack up at JW's love for Reba and will get helpful parenting tips from KC. This family looks complete on the outside, but on the inside they have a deep desire to follow God's will for their lives. Recently, JW and KC made a life-changing decision for their family. They have answered God's calling on their hearts to adopt a child. Read below about why they decided to do this and how their journey is going. For more information about the Godwin family and their adoption process, visit their blog at ourzoegrace.blogspot.com.

So, you're adopting....why did you decide to adopt?

Adoption is something that has been placed on our hearts for a long time. Ever since we started dating we both mentioned how we had a passion for helping children and how we planned on adopting one day. After Olivia was born we thought that the urge and pull we were feeling towards adoption would, not go away completely, but at least settle down some. Well it did the exact opposite. God started moving in our lives SO MUCH stronger. We both felt moved and called by God to do this. So we finally decided one day that we just had to let go and do it. So we did. And we are SO glad we did. It has been the most amazing journey of our lives.

What made you choose Ethiopia?

We have been asked that question so many times we have to laugh now every time it's asked. We always get put in the situation where we are talking about the adoption, how much God has moved in our lives and then when that question gets asked - all of the excitement leaves. "Why did we choose Ethiopia?" We have no idea. That's it. That's the answer that everyone seems to lose the interest over. I know it may seem a little weird but really we don't know. We both felt called first to doing an international adoption, then to Africa. Then I guess Ethiopia chose us.

Tell us about the adoption process...tips, things you have learned, steps/time frame that it takes.

God always tests us and gives us things that we think we can't handle and puts us in situations to help us learn. Man oh man did he do that when he put us on the path of adoption. Neither of us have the longest patience in the world and when it comes to adoptions - nothing moves quickly. It is a slow process with a ton of paperwork. But looking back over these past few months I think it has been a good thing that it has taken and is taking so long. It has given us time to evaluate ourselves and really focus on what God has in store for us. What his plans are for us. What this adoption will do for him.

You start off by applying with an agency. They then do a few reference checks and as long as everyone says good things about you, and you pay the application fee and you meet the requirements (ie age, years of marriage, age of youngest child, etc.) you are accepted into the program. Yep. That's it. It's that simple.

After that step then it becomes more detailed and tedious. You have to go through a "home study" and if your agency, like ours, is out of the state you live in then you have to find someone in state to do it and coordinate with your agency. During the home study you are asked a number of questions about your lifestyle, your marriage, your parenting skills, your childhood, your parents, etc. They spend about two months getting to know everything that they can about you. You and your spouse will do interviews together and separate.

You will fill out a ton of paperwork, get your fingers prints done and sent off to the FBI and the ABI, in Alabama, or where ever you may live. In that same time you are working on your financial statement. Most agencies like for there to be an excess of $100.00 per individual in the household, including the new addition, by the time all expenses are paid. So it can be a very stressful time if you are trying to make it all work. When you start canceling gym memberships, cutting back on satellite packages and other "extra's" that everyone enjoys, you realize about that thing called sacrifice. But then you realize what you are gaining out of this and how it would be worth living in the dark for 10 years if that would help you get your baby home.

After all of that is complete and you have been working and waiting for about three or four months you start your dossier paperwork. Now this is where it becomes country specific. Friends of our that are adopting from Uganda didn't have to do a "dossier" it was called something else and required different things. But as far as Ethiopia goes, you have to have everything as an original and notarized. You need three copies total, two can be photo copies - one is for the courts in Ethiopia and that is all of the originals, then one goes to your agency, which can be a copy and then you keep one.

You turn that in once it's done and then you wait. I honestly can't say what happens next because we are stuck at that point right now. We are waiting for our referral. It could happen as soon as three weeks or as long as nine months, we just don't know. This is another one of those trying times when you just have to hand it over to God and let him take control.

What advice do you have for other couples that are interested in adopting?

Pray about it and if you THINK you can do it - DO IT! Don't let worldly things slow you down from doing it. While it is an expensive adventure it is an amazing one and God will bless you for it. Trust me. Turn it all over to God. He may have gotten you to pick out a car, but you need to let him drive it. Trust in him and stay focused. It can be very discouraging and you may think things aren't moving fast enough or that you wouldn't make a difference, but that just isn't true. There is one baby out there tonight who is destined to be your baby - he or she may not be born yet, or may already be in an orphanage somewhere, but God knows who they are and all they are waiting on is for you to take the steps to bring them home. Take the leap of faith - it is well worth it!

What struggles have you had along the process?

The main struggle we have had was us trying to figure out a way that we were going to tell everyone about the adoption. We felt that when we told someone what we were doing, we needed to follow it up with an explanation. It took us a few weeks to realize that we didn't owe an explanation to anyone and that everyone was more open, encouraging and excited about it than we thought they may have been.

The second struggle has been one of the biggest ones that almost every adopting family faces - money. It is an expensive thing to do and not many people have an extra 20 or 30 thousand dollars they can use, but God opens doors during the process. If you let go and have faith in God, everything will work out like he has planned.

Are you concerned how accepting your community will be of you having a black child?

We were at first. It is only a natural thing. We are the blonde haired, blue eyed family in deep south Alabama. Anyone who has been born and raised here realizes, even though many don't talk about it, people aren't always accepting of those circumstances and families. So naturally we thought about how people were going to react about us having a black child - but we then stopped and focused again and realized that it didn't care what others thought. We realize that it is going to be at times difficult to explain things to our girls and others, but we know that God will let us know what to say and when.

How has God used this experience to grow your faith?

We have grown in our marriage and our faith together since this has started. We have grown so much closer and have learned how to not only rely on each other for things, but instead how to work together and stay focused on the main goal - bringing Zoe Grace home.

It has also been an excellent way for us both to be able to open up and talk about our relationship and walk with God.

Do you have any fears about raising an adopted child?

The fear of not knowing much, if any, family history is a fear that naturally runs through your mind, but it isn't something that would ever make us stop the process.

We also wonder what our biological children will say and one day when they are old enough to realize how our family is made up, what they might think of that it and how they feel about it.

How can others help you during this adoption process?

Well, the time to fundraise has come and the biggest challenge for us is not opening our hearts and home to another child, but it is in finding the finances to make this happen. We estimate our total costs for adoption fees, document preparation, home study, airfare, travel, attorney fees, etc. to be close to $27,000 - and that's certainly money we don't have just lying around, but we know God is faithful and is leading us to trust Him. By God's grace we've been able to pay the initial fees by practically draining most of our savings and by some private donations.

Honestly, it's a little difficult, mainly because of our pride, to make our needs known to everyone around us, but we also know it's very Biblical to do so. We appreciate your friendship very much and would like you to pray and consider helping us in our adoption. There are three ways you can help:

1.) Prayer - Please pray God will tenderly care for Zoe Grace in Ethiopia until we are able to bring her home, that God would prepare Olivia for the upcoming changes to our family, and that God will give us wisdom, discernment, and insight as we raise Olivia and Zoe to know Jesus Christ.

2.) Financial Support - Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us pay the remaining $10,000 in adoption expenses, to bring Zoe home?

Lifesong has graciously set up a fundraising account for us to raise funds to help pay the "ransom" to bring Zoe home. If you would like to be a part of God bringing Zoe to Himself through our family, you can send your tax-deductible gift starting today October 1st! Lifesong is a trusted organization administering the funds on Zoe's behalf, and will pay the adoption expenses out of fund received. They truly are amazing people and a God send!

Steps to do this:

-Please make checks payable to: "Lifesong"

-You should write "Godwin/#1549" in the memo section.

-You can then mail your check to:

Lifesong for Orphans

Att: Godwin/#1549

Post Office Box 40

Gridley, Illinois 61744

3.) BUY A T-SHIRT –

We have been selected as the family of the quarter by a wonderful website called Dolka Pots. It was started to help families raise money for adoptions. There are two families chosen each quarter and whatever is bought on the website, you have an option to decide which family you would like to receive the credit and then that family gets a certain percentage of the proceeds from the sales during their quarter. They are also selling and making our t-shirts and we get 50% of all proceeds from our t-shirt sales and that will go 100% directly to travel expenses. So I hope you will take a moment and at least look at our shirt and around on their website. If there is anything that you would like to buy, make sure you chose “Godwin family” when you go to check out. We would really appreciate it.

http://www.dolkapots.com/ – our shirts are on the page we are the “Godwin’s.”

I don’t think we could ever say thank you enough to everyone and how supportive you have all been. Thank you for investing in the Kingdom through prayer and finances - it will be an investment with an eternal return! (Matt 6:20). We'll give you an update with a picture of Zoe as soon as we receive it and any other details as we receive them. Please pray this entire process will glorify God and fulfill His purposes! Check out and follow our blog at - http://ourzoegrace.blogspot.com

JW, KC and Olivia

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Twins' Birth Announcement

2010-10-11T13:23:00.001-05:00

Good Monday Morning Friends!

Just wanted to share the twins' birth announcement with all of you! We want to thank Mark Broadway Photography for taking such sweet pictures of our girls. Hope everyone is having a nice Monday :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Chris10's Monthly Must-Haves: October

2010-10-08T07:15:00.001-05:00

Sarah's House

Sarah's House is a new show that I L-O-V-E on HGTV. Words can't describe how I feel about the farm house that she renovated. Her style is superb and I would kill to have a house that looked like that one day!!!! The episode that I first watched was about her re-doing a farm house bathroom. She chose this really pretty yellow fabric for the drapes and she scored an old claw foot tub for $200. This show is really fun to watch if you are into remodeling homes and I like how she sets a budget yet every room looks so elegant. This is a must-watch (Saturdays at 8:30 pm/7:30 central) on HGTV!

Awesome Leggings

Last year, one of my friends had a CAbi party at her house. I went and scored these great black leggings. Now, I know these days everybody has a pair of black leggings, but these are really great. They are thicker so they don't feel like I am wearing tights under a dress and they have this great rouching right above the ankle that gives the leg a very slim look. I have several pairs of leggings and these are by far my favorite. Now is the perfect time to sport the leggings/flats look!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup is a really great tailgating food to serve this time of year. It is so easy to make plus it is very warm and hearty. There are so many recipes out there on how to make it, but here is one that is super easy from my friend Celeste. Here's a tip that I learned the hard way: Make sure you brown your meat BEFORE it goes in the crock pot!!!!!

Mums

These flowers are a must-have for any doorstep! Mums are so beautiful and perfect fall flowers. When I think of fall, I think of pumpkins and mums. Southern Living has some great ideas on how to decorate with mums for the fall!

Ramen Noodles

Okay, this one might sound really weird, but anybody that was friends with me in elementary school can relate to this must-have. Dry Ramen Noodles + Chicken Seasoning = Yummy Snack. I know it is probably not good to eat the Ramen Noodles dry but they are so crunchy and taste so good with the seasoning sprinkled on top!!!! We use to eat this all the time at school and our parents would get so mad at us for eating it dry!!!!! The only time Raleigh went to Sam's with me was months ago and he had to have the industrial size of Ramen Noodles. I have run out of ways to eat them so I have resorted back to my childhood with this snack!

Autumn Scented Candles

I really must-have candles that smell like fall. Changing your candles with the season is such an easy way to transform the smells of your home. When guests walk in the door and they smell hints of cinnamon or whiffs of golden apple, it makes them feel all warm and cozy inside. Pier One has some really great candles that are slow-burning so they last through the season!

Baby Uggs

I found some super cute baby Uggs at Target!!! The ones that I found were less than $10 and are perfect to for the girls to wear with their little leggings as the weather gets cooler. They are just too darn cute!!!

Fitted Leather Jacket

While you are getting baby Uggs at Target, swing over to the Ladies section and score this awesome leather jacket from Xhilaration. It is only $35 and is a great jacket to throw over a little tank with some jeans. Raleigh calls me Grease Lightening but I don't care because I love this jacket that much!!!!!

Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes

If you have never had the combination of chocolate and orange you are missing out! I made this delicious cupcake recipe from Giada and it tastes as good as it looks. Instead of topping it with orange slices, I put one candy corn in the center for my garnish to make it festive. This is a delicious yet sophisticated cupcake!

New Do

This month I really want a new hair style when I get my hair cut. I love Heidi's new bangs that she is sporting on this season of Project Runway. Only problem is A. I don't look like Heidi Klum and B. Again, I don't look like Heidi Klum! Over the years I have had really short hair and have worn it both curly and straight, dark and light. My hair really won't grow much past my shoulders so I think I want to stay close to my same length but just change up the style. Any suggestions????

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Daddy's Girls

2010-10-07T16:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Fall Y'all!

Christen, Raleigh, Adeline & Maralee

October 2010

5 months

Boy, am I LOVING this weather!!!! We have been outside so much this past week enjoying the great outdoors. The other day I was talking to my mom about us not having been on a vacation this year and she reminded me how much fun we have just being outside. It is so true. Raleigh and I love going on walks and playing outside with our family. The outdoors is God's gift for us to enjoy and it is FREE FUN which is great for us! Lately, we have been feeling guilty about not giving the puppies as much attention as they used to get. Before the girls arrived, they were really like our children. Obi and Lu Lu have adjusted great to our babies but they still need to get their exercise and affection so they don't wreck the house. Both of their birthdays are in the month of October so we decided to take them to a local park (it is more like a field) to let them run around on Saturday. I think they enjoyed it because they were pooped the rest of the afternoon!

Raleigh loves his little girls so much. While we are at the park, he was cutting up with them the entire time.

He loves to fly them around like Super Man (or woman in their case?!)

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Miss ADELINE!!!!!

And teach them to walk (not yet, ha ha).......

Mar-Bear loves to stomp her feet!

And let Obi give them piggy back rides....

Daddy sure does love his little girls!

Raleigh with Adeline & Maralee

The weekends are such a great time for Raleigh to spend with the girls. I have really been praying for my husband lately. He just does so much for our family. He is the head of the household and has chosen to support us financially so I can stay home with the girls. It is so hard for him to get up and ready in the mornings when the girls are sleeping so peacefully. Of course, he loves his job but being a new father is such a special time for him right now. He is so good with the girls. We are just getting up once now through the night (thank you, Jesus!!!) but it helps me so much to have him feed one girl while I feed the other for those late-nighters. I know being sleep deprived can be really tough when you work outside the home all day so I am just praying for him to have his usual energy and stamina as he digs into his work weeks.

Last week was a pretty good week. Both girls have discovered their hands but Adeline has been sucking on her fingers like crazy! It is good for self-soothing but I'm afraid I have two thumb suckers :) I think they are getting close to needing a teething ring, which I think we are receiving this month at the pediatrician. Speaking of our doctor, we went on Friday for a weight check and the girls are both 8.3 pounds!!!!! I can really tell that they are growing. It is getting harder to pick them up one-handed and carry them at the same time. Also, the time in between feeds is getting a tad longer and they are both drinking around 5 ounces each time. Sometimes I remember how long it would take us to just finish one ounce and it makes me so proud of my girls. We haven't seen our NICU family since we roomed-in so last week we visited the day and night shift nurses. It was SO GOOD to see everyone! They all commented on how big the girls had gotten and Miss Kirby and Pamela got to love on the girls for over an hour!!! They joked that they could babysit them in an isolate if we wanted. Hmmm..........

Last week I also visited some local Mother's Morning Out programs. I just want them to go one day a week for development and socialization. They won't start until the next school year, but the lists begin in January. It is so crazy to me how we have to sign-up so early and we only get in if spots are available. I found three programs that I really like so I hope they can get in at least one of them.

All in all, we are loving us some fall! My posts might be a little more sporadic this month because I am working away at their Christening gowns. I am trying to finish them by the end of October so I might be dipping into my blogging time to get them finished. Pictures will come, promise!

Hope everyone has a blessed day!!!!!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Monthly Memory Verse: October

2010-10-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Fall Y'all!

Below are the two verses that we are going to memorize this month. Enjoy!

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ

Ephesians 3:16-18

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

James 1:2-4

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

How to Make a Burp Cloth: Christen's Crafts

2010-10-01T06:28:00.001-05:00

Burp cloths are a great gift to make for a baby shower. Moms always need plenty of burp cloths and you can design one for any occasion. Recently, we threw a baby shower for a dear friend of mine that is having a baby girl but is not sharing her name until she is born. So, I decided to do a lamb themed burp cloth that would be great for church.

To get started, you will need:

Sewing Machine (preferably one that has embroidery capabilities for the lamb)
One 18 inch piece of fabric for the front

I suggest a fabric that can absorb liquid easily. For this burp cloth, I found a very soft white felt

One 18 inch piece of fabric for the back

I used Minky Dot but you can choose whatever...have fun with this selection!

12 inches of wide ribbon
12 inches of coordinating pom pom ribbon
Matching Polyester thread
Sticky Paper (tear away) Stabilizer
Puffy Foam or clear water soluble Topper

Always match puffy foam to thread color for your embroidery

Scissors, pins

To begin, cut out both pieces of your burp cloth fabric. My fabric is 18 inches long and 11 inches wide. It is important that both sides of your fabrics line up with one another. If your fabric needs to be ironed, go ahead and press it before you begin sewing.

Once the fabric has been cut out, it is time to put the ribbon in place. The bottom of the ribbon should be two inches above the bottom of the burp cloth. Pin your ribbon in place and cut the ends so they are aligned with the sides of your burp cloth. Next, it is time to place the center of your embroidery. I chose for my lamb to be below the center of the cloth so it can be seen while the cloth is on Mom's shoulder. The lamb is placed two inches up from the top of the ribbon. To find the center of the lamb, I measured the height of the lamb and divided it in half. Once the center is found, place a sticky dot or a put a dot with a pen in place.

After the center of your design has been found, line it up in the center of your hoop. The sticky paper works great because you can hoop it and then just stick your fabric on top of it without hooping the fabric. Once this is in place, it is time to sew your embroidery. Before pressing start, make sure your needle is in proper place and your puffy foam is on top of your fabric. The puffy foam needs to match the color of your thread because once your machine starts to stitch, it will cover up your puffy foam. Once the design is complete, it will have a three dimensional look. I really like the way the puffy foam adds an additional element that makes the project look very professional.

Once you have completed your embroidery, it is time to switch to your sewing foot on your machine. Sew a straight line border all around your ribbon to secure it in place. Once your ribbon is secured, pin your pom pom ribbon in the center of your thick ribbon. Then, sew a straight stitch through the center of your pom pom ribbon to secure it to the thick ribbon.

To finish the project, it is time to attach the back side of the burp cloth to the front. The pretty side of both fabrics should be facing out when you pin them together. After putting your pins in place, trim off any edges that are not lined up properly. It is very important to have a clean, straight edge before sewing the pieces together. I chose a zig-zag line that secured my edges but it left them looking slightly frayed. This edge will stay in place when washed and I really like the finished look of the edges.

This project is very simple and lots of fun. Be creative and choose a design that fits the personality of the new parents. Giving a home-made gift is a great way to show how excited you are about your friends' new addition!

If you have any questions or photos from burp cloths that you make, please send them to christen@theuncontainabletruth.com

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Hannah's Prayer

2010-09-30T07:15:00.012-05:00

First Samuel tells the story of a woman named Hannah that desperately wanted to bear a child. The Lord had closed her womb and she became very bitter and wept much while praying to the Lord. She made a vow, saying, "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head" (1 Samuel 1:11). Soon, Hannah bore a child and named him Samuel, "because she asked the Lord for him" (1 Samuel 1:20). After she had weaned Samuel, she took him to Eli the priest saying, "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him" (1 Samuel 1:27).

Many women that we are surrounded by pray Hannah's prayer. Most of the time, when a husband and wife make the decision to start adding on to their family, they want it to happen immediately. The couple starts to pay attention to friends that have babies and ask other friends when they are going to start trying to conceive. While shopping, the wife drifts to the baby aisle and gently tugs at little booties as she walks by. Everywhere the couple turns they see babies and they long to have their own little bundle of joy. As months close, feelings of anxiousness and uncertainty surface while waiting to see the results from their home pregnancy test. When the results are negative, the anxiousness is replaced with a sad lump that can't be fixed by the husband. Like Hannah in the beginning of the story, it is easy to become bitter when we don't get what we so desperately want. *According to scripture, prayers can remain unanswered because:
1. Sin in the life of the person praying
2. Lack of faith
3. Praying from impure motives
4. Not praying according to God's will

We are all sinners. Ministers, football coaches, non-profit CEO's; we come in all shapes and sizes but we all share a common identity as sinners. But, some enjoy sin more than others and make decisions based on their own selfish desires. We live for ourselves and not for others. We choose to ignore that nagging voice in our head that says we shouldn't do what we are doing. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." God wants us to repent our sins and ask for forgiveness. He wants us to seek Him first in all the things that we do. The more intimate our relationship becomes with Christ, the better choices we make as to how we live our lives.

But, what if we believe in Jesus and still no answer? Well, we might want to ask ourselves how much we truly have faith in Jesus. Do we make our own decisions in life or do we trust in Him? Do we pray just for the big stuff but handle our day-to-day activities all on our own? God wants us to completely give over our reign of control and have faith in His direction for our lives. "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6-7). God desires for us to be faithful in our beliefs and not doubt His ways.

After examining our first two reasons for unanswered prayer, we might need to think about our motives for the prayer that we are seeking. Do you want to have a baby because your heart longs to raise up a child of faith or do you want to have a baby because your husband is getting bored with you and you think this is a way to make him stay instead of stray? Friends, our motives matter to God. There is no getting around it. James 4:3 tells us that when we ask and don't receive it is because we are asking with wrong motives. We want our prayer to be answered for our own pleasures, not for God's glory.

Finally, we need to be praying according to God's will. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14). Some might ask, "Well, how do I know if this is God's will for my life?" Prayer is a two way street. It shouldn't just be us doing the talking; we also have to learn to listen. When we shut out everything around us and sit still in the presence of God, we become changed. Our hearts feel peace. Our worries are swept away. Our shoulders no longer feel so heavy and tired. The Holy Spirit comes inside us and washes us clean. When praying from a standpoint of God's will, you realize that He is in control and everything will happen according to His plan. You let go of your own desires and trust Him with your life. You realize that even if your prayer isn't answered, God still loves you and you still love God.

**God answers some prayers immediately, some eventually, and some only in eternity. It is easy to become frustrated in our prayer life when we meet all of the requirements and still don't receive an answer to our prayer. We must hold on to the truth of God being a sovereign God. Have you ever noticed that in the word sovereign, the ending is reign? That is exactly what sovereign means. God is the King of Kings and He reigns over us. Submitting to God is allowing Him to have supreme authority over our lives. For wives that continue to have Hannah's prayer unanswered, put your hope in the Lord's supreme power and path for your life. We must be content in knowing that if we have repented our sins, live our lives in faith, pray from pure motives, and ask according to God's will that He will show us His sovereign ways in due time.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

*The Daily Walk Bible. 1 Samuel 1-3.**The Upper Room. May-June 2010, pg. 38.

5 Months Old

2010-09-28T08:15:00.004-05:00

Y'all, Adeline and Maralee are five months old! Wow, has time flown or what?!

I love these outfits!

Adeline and Maralee

5 months

Mom and I took the girls to the eye doctor and their eyes are really looking good. They are far-sighted (which is good for babies) and don't need glasses. Also, they are not in need of laser surgery for their retinas. I ran into another NICU mom at the eye doctor and her little boy had to have the laser surgery. She said he was doing great but he had to be re-released to the NICU for four nights to recover. As much as we love our NICU staff, she told me that the hardest part of the surgery was him being back in the NICU after being home with her. I had such empathy for her and am so thankful that he is once again home with his family!

Maralee was cracking up at her daddy!

Last week was lots of fun. They are getting so animated and it is fun making faces and sounds back at them. Sometimes I just stop and realize that I am a mom. I love it. The other night, Adeline was lying on the sofa next to me and I put my hand on her back to feel her breathe. Just feeling the rhythm of her chest made my heart swell with love. These girls are so precious and I just can't get enough of them. On Friday, we went for a stroller walk and the weather was so nice afterward that I laid a blanket in the front yard for us to get some tummy time. Look how good they did!

Adeline and Maralee getting some tummy time

Miss Adeline holding her head up!

My little cutie, Maralee

Adeline watching Maralee hold her head up

I tell Raleigh thank you all the time for letting me stay at home with them. It is so hard for him to get up and go to work some days but he does it so we can make memories with our girls. This weekend it was just the four of us (six counting the pups) and we had the best time doing nothing together. Friday night we grilled yummy steaks and he let me watch The Last Song. It was okay, but The Notebook and A Walk to Remember are still my favorite Nicholas Sparks books turned into movies.

Saturday we did a little car shopping and I think we are going to get a van. I can't believe I am saying that but it really has everything that we want in a new vehicle. If anybody wants a cute Volvo, let us know!!! :)
After we did that, we sat on the couch and watched football for the afternoon. It was really nice not having a million things to do. Sunday was our first time going to our church as a family. The night before, we got our game plan together on how we would get everyone dressed and ready for church. As soon as we opened the door to leave for church, it started to rain. Raleigh was a trooper taking each of his girls to the car under the umbrella. We made it to church only five minutes late. Once we got there, we sat in the back so we could sneak out if we had to. Adeline slept the whole time and Maralee was awake but just looking around. Once church was over we got to show them off a little and we headed home. The rest of the afternoon it rained so I worked on their Christening gowns while listening to Norah Jones. It was rather relaxing, I must say.

First Family Church Service at St. James

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Christen, Adeline, Maralee, Raleigh

(the lens was foggy and it made the girls look like little angels!)

Friends, I am just trying to soak up every moment that I can with these sweet potatoes! They are already getting so big and we will go for a weight check this week to see how much they have gained. I just thank God for providing such goodness for our family! This month, our church is memorizing Psalm 23 and the last part of this Psalm is my favorite. I have it written on a piece of paper that I keep at my vanity and it gives me such hope each morning.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever

-Psalm 23

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Reflections of Motherhood

2010-09-27T07:24:00.000-05:00

Hey friends,

A sweet momma shared this video with me. After you watch it, scroll down to see my own reflections of motherhood. Enjoy!

My Reflections of Motherhood:

Let Go of Control

Take it One Day at a Time

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

New Wheels

2010-09-24T08:15:00.001-05:00

So, Raleigh and I have been doing some car shopping. Before we had the girls, we thought we would have enough room for our new additions in the two cars we currently own. Well, after a couple of trips to Dothan, we have soon realized that we are crammed pretty tight in our "big" car. I try my hardest to pack light, but between two adults, two babies, and two dogs we are becoming a very close family on our car rides home! When we travel on Raleigh's truck, I have to adjust my seat to the upright position so the car seat can lock into place. Another thing that we have come to realize is the double stroller barely fits in my car. Now that we have permission to go around town, I am going to have to have the stroller when I am by myself. Our cars are great, but they just don't have enough space.

Currently, I drive a Volvo S-40.

I LOVE my car. It is cute, it drives great, and I feel safe. To me, the type of car a person drives speaks of their personality. I love my car so much because I feel like it is me in a car version :) But, now that I am a mother of two, does it still fit my personality? While I adore scooting around town in my bubbly little car, I have to realize that my life does not just revolve around my needs anymore. Now, I need to cart around strollers, car seats, and diaper bags when I go places (and those are just the necessities). As the girls get older, they are going to need more space for their legs and luggage. Also, what if we have more kids? I certainly can't fit three in the car that I drive right now. Hence, the search for a new car. Here is what we have been looking at so far:

Option 1: You got it, the Station Wagon. Still in the Volvo family, it has more room in the back seat and the trunk. While this is still a car (big plus for me) we aren't sure if it has enough space for us when we travel with the dogs and long vacations.

Option 2: An SUV that has a third row seat. Right now, the Toyota Sequoia is my favorite SUV. I really liked the way it drove and I felt like it had a lot of storage once the third row was taken out. The downside of this car to us is the trunk space with the third row in place. It is tiny and there is no way we could travel with our dogs. Also, we really want bucket seats and those are much harder to come by in this car. Some of the Sequoia's that we have found have bucket seats with a center console that can be taken out so that is the option that we would prefer to purchase. This car seems great for a family of four but what if we want to have more kids? Do we purchase this type of car now and then re-access our needs if we have a larger family? Decisions, decisions!

Option 3: I can't believe I am considering this but option three is a VAN. When did I become so old?!? Is it so uncool to be under thirty and driving a van????? We all know the stereotype of a van driver is "soccer mom." When I was younger and envisioning myself as a mom, I totally saw me being just that; a soccer mom. I want to drive the girls to their sport games (and I would indeed love for them to play soccer!), school, and other extracurricular activities. But, now that I am a mom, I feel like the van is totally ripping away at my youth. I mean, a van? REALLY????? As crazy as this sounds though; a van really has everything that I want in our new car. It has bucket seats, a third row, really nice trunk space, and it has all of these cool kid gadgets like DVD players and tucked away storage. The van that I really like is the Volkswagen Routan but it is still a really new van on the market. Does anyone out there drive a Routan? Is it dependable or require a lot of maintenance?

Our other option is the Toyota Sienna.

I mean, a van really does make sense for a family. But, a van?????

Friends, we need some advice! If you have a family, what type of car do you drive? What are your likes/dislikes? For my friends without babies, would you totally make fun of me for driving a van????? :) Leave us a comment with your thoughts.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Book Review: Crazy Love by Francis Chan

2010-09-22T07:05:00.001-05:00

Crazy Love
Overwhelmed By A Relentless God
Francis Chan

Description:
God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not...we all know somethings wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts—it’s falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything. - Amazon.com

Review:
I heard good things about Crazy Love, and I'm going to be honest - I didn't really feel that moved by the first half of the book. It wasn't till about Chapter 5 that I began to realize the impact that this book was going to have on me. Francis begins to create a profile for the "lukewarm" throughout the book. I never really considered myself a lukewarm person - for better or worse I usually have pretty strong feelings about things in life. Francis states, Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens - they have their savings account...They don't depend on God on a daily basis - their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God. Ouch - that hits home doesn't it. I find myself only truly trusting in God in the matters where my safety nets have failed me. Do we desperately run to God each day or do we offer him a few minutes of our time before we pass out at night? As Francis puts it - our leftovers. Again, the truth hurts. What if we were in LOVE with God like he is with us - you know, that crazy puppy love? Stay up till two in the morning talking on the phone kind of love. What if we gave all of ourselves to God, what would that look like? Would we sell our house that is too big anyway so we could give more to him each month? Well that's just - you get it now - crazy. So how do you show God you love Him? Well, what do you do for him? Francis says that it is human nature to love our equals, we love our friends, we love other Christians. To love the less fortunate or our enemy though, that's the kind of love that Jesus has shown us. It's just the kind of crazy thing that Jesus has asked us to do too.

Recommendation:

Crazy Love went from been there done that to I need to reevaluate things quickly. It's the kind of book that makes you ask yourself, What am I doing in my life that requires faith? I recommend this to anyone who feels like there walk with Christ should become more of a run! It speaks to the heart of the "everyday Christian" - which is really a title and nothing more. God is in love with you, Crazy Love explores how you can let Him know the feeling is mutual.

Leave some feedback below and let us know what your thoughts are on Crazy Love.

Point of View

2010-09-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

God continues to answer my prayers. He continually provides for my family and shows us that He is totally in control of our lives. He hears my pleas and He shows me His ways for the health of our girls. I am in awe of His timing and His plans for our future. This past Friday we received an excellent report from our pediatrician. After eight weeks, he gave us permission to cautiously start taking the girls out in public. We need to avoid crowds and nurseries but now we have more free-will to take them out. Hearing that news made me feel like a normal person! The past couple of weeks have felt like captivity and now we have some freedom to go around town. I will continue to run my errands on days that I have help, but knowing that our family can go to church together or go to an early dinner is so relieving. Also, he suggested that we start transitioning towards cutting out the 2 a.m. feed and letting the girls go to about 4:30 a.m. That was great news to hear because we have been waking up in the middle of the night for five months now so we are excited to get a couple more hours of sleep. Since we started this, the girls have been waking up around 3:30 a.m. so we are making progress!

Raleigh, Adeline, Maralee & Christen

First Family Sunday at church!

Sunday, September 19th, Covenant

The Prices

The Ridley's

Another thing that we discussed was their weight. Currently, they both weigh 7.5 pounds. While that is progress, it is still not quite where it should be so we talked about giving them more formula and starting to ween from direct breastfeeding. Making that decision was tough, but I know it is in the best interest of the girls and myself. I have loved the bond that we got to share, but the truth is they are receiving most of their milk from the follow-up bottle. We still have frozen breast milk that we will continue to use during the day but I am going to stop direct breastfeeding. I'm sure a lot of moms out there can relate to the emotional side of this decision but I am staying positive because cutting this will allow for the girls to get their food faster and not burn too many calories.

Gaining weight so we can be Auburn Tigers!

Adeline in orange & Maralee in blue

Friends, since my last post about bitterness, I have really done a lot of thinking about our situation. Yes, the girls need to gain weight and they are developmentally behind but I need to start looking at things from another point of view....God's point of view. I need to see them through His eyes. What He sees are two precious little girls that He saved from death. He brought them out of the valley of darkness and into the light of His love. He carried them through the muck and the mire and has landed them on high ground. These girls are a miracle and I should see them for who they are and not compare them to other children. We will forever be unique and I need to follow God's plan for their future and not what is "normal." My mom sat me down last week and told me how thankful I should be that I got to leave the hospital with my babies. So many moms suffer the hardship of miscarriage or their child not surviving the NICU but God chose our girls to live for a reason. He has big plans for these little preemies and I need to do my best to raise them to be followers of Christ. When I let sadness and bitterness take root, I am hindering them from their purpose in life. My attitude just has to change.

Our little sweet potatoes!

Maralee & Adeline

20 weeks

Every day I see the girls making progress. Both girls can roll over from their stomach to their backs. They love to pump their little legs and hold their heads up. It is so cute to see how full of wonder they have become. As I stare at my little girls, I know that God is developing them just as they should be. I am so proud to be their mom and I want them to grow up knowing how special they truly are to this world. Adeline and Maralee are little miracles and I thank my God for them.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Chris10's Monthly Must-Haves: September

2010-09-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Marching Band Music

Our neighborhood has two small colleges that surround it and I love hearing the marching bands practice as we go on our afternoon strolls. Something about hearing the beat of the drum and the blast of the trumpet just puts some pep in my step! When we were at Auburn, I loved hearing the band play because they made the football games so much fun! Marching Band Music = Fun Fall Football Games!

Dooney & Burke Purse

My mom found this purse on sale for my birthday and I absolutely love it! The color is a perfect transition from summer to fall and I love that it is roomy but not too big. The purse is called the Dillen Juliette Hobo and can be purchased online at dooney.com. I think the reason I love these purses so much is because I remember when I was little my mom would carry the old school black and tan bag with the duck logo on it. Dooney purses are very well made and last forever so they are definitely worth the splurge.

J Crew Toothpick Cord

The perfect fall pant to go with the purse! I have not purchased these pants but I really like the look of them. I'm not sure if they will fit me right because my body-type is not toothpick, but I still adore the way they look in this picture. If you can sport the skinny, these would look really cute for fall!

Coupons

One of the ways I try to save money is by clipping coupons. I attended a Southern Savers Coupon Class and it was really helpful for me to get started. I usually shop at Publix and I love their BOGO deals. Recently, I have started the CVS Extra Care program and I think it is a pretty good deal. One tip that I learned at my workshop was to create a separate e-mail account just for coupons. After I set up that account, I started to subscribe to all my favorite products online newsletters to receive their promotions and coupons. This has helped me to get more coupons on one product so I can save more money! I am still learning the best ways to save, but this has been a helpful way for me to break into the world of couponing!

The Beach

Okay, I know this one might seem a little strange for September, but I really needed to go to the beach for Labor Day! This really is a great time to go because it is the last hoo-ra before feeling like you should put the swimsuit away. The weather is usually not too hot in September and the water is very refreshing instead of feeling like bath water in the middle of the summer.

Emily Giffin Novels

When we were at the beach, my sister-in-law let me borrow Emily's book called Love the One Your With. It was so good! This is the same author as Something Borrowed, which I have not read yet. I will admit that it is totally, 100% a book for girls to read on the beach but that made it a perfect fit for me on vacation. It was an escape, not something that really made me think deep about a particular subject. It does have some loose profanity in it, but it is not a vulgar book by any means. Emily's writing style is very relative and I felt like I knew her characters. Isn't the cover cute as well? Enjoy!

Babycenter.com

One of my friends recommended that I join this website to receive weekly updates about our babies. I have really enjoyed receiving these updates and it has given me lots of helpful tips on ways to engage with the girls. Also, whenever I have a concern about them crying or feeding, this website has given me helpful advice and I have learned that they are just being babies!

Toomer's Corner Lemonade

Known as the best lemonade in the country, Toomer's Corner Lemonade is the perfect blend of tart and sweet. This drink is a must-have for anyone visiting the loveliest village on the plains. Toomer's Corner gets its name from the drug store where this lemonade is sold. One of the most popular Auburn traditions is for students to roll Toomer's Corner with toilet paper after a winning game. This lemonade and the history of the drug store symbolizes what is means to be an Auburn Tiger. War Eagle!

Cynthia Rowley Band-Aids

How stinkin' stylish are these band-aids? Who knew you could look so cute sporting a cut? Cynthia Rowley has come up with a new line of designer-looking sticky sanitizers and I can't help but want them. They sure do beat the plain Jane beige cut-covers. Look for these next time you are at your local drug store!

Thomas Donuts

These donuts are the most delicious donuts I have ever tasted! They are big, fluffy, and the chocolate icing is superb. Thomas Donuts has a locally owned donut shop at Panama City Beach, Florida. Early bird locals line up and wait each morning to get a dozen of these yummy donuts for their breakfast. If you are ever in the area, it is on Front Beach Road in Santa Monica Beach.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Bad Boy

2010-09-15T13:49:00.000-05:00

The past week has been really fun watching the girls grow. Last Thursday, they both weighed in at 7.1 pounds! We had to pack up some of the preemie sleepers...very bittersweet!

Movin' on up to tiny newborn clothes!

Since we have reached the seven pound mark, they are really starting to progress developmentally. They have started to focus on us when we talk to them and they like to look at the hanging toys on their swings and chairs. It has been really amusing to watch them think, "Hey, what's this?" One thing that I have already noticed is they can focus in on the television screen when I am feeding them. I do not want to start a bad habit of them watching t.v. but it is fun to see their eyes get big when they focus on the images.

Also, they are starting to hold up their necks. It is too cute because they start out strong and then it starts to wobble right before they can't hold it anymore. Raleigh, always the one that thinks they are so strong, decided to test out the Bumbo seat this weekend. They aren't quite ready for it but they did good for about a minute!

Maralee trying out the Bumbo!

19 weeks

Um, dad, I don't think I fit in this yet!

Adeline, 19 weeks

I really needed this encouragement in their growth this week. One thing that I have been struggling with is bitterness. All of my friends have these healthy little babies that are pudgy and developmentally on track and it has been hard for me not to compare. I know our girls adjusted age is almost two months, but they are still smaller than most newborns. It is also hard to talk about them to strangers when they ask how old my babies are. I have to explain that technically they are five months but they were born premature. I asked Raleigh the other day when he thought we could stop explaining our girls prematurity and he informed me that I better get used to it! Sunday, I went to church for the first time ever by myself while Raleigh kept the girls. It was so good to be back at St. James but it was also really hard to go alone. I want to walk in as a family with two cuties in smocked dresses and have people love on them. That just isn't going to be a reality for a while, I'm afraid.

Struggling with bitterness is like wading in shark-filled waters. It can totally eat me alive if I let it. The other night, I was really tired so I went to bed early but before I turned out the light I decided to read my journal from last year. I treasure my journals because it automatically brings me back to that specific time in my life and all of those feelings. Well, one of my first journal entries was a sermon series that our preacher did on joy killers. He said that the three things that can kill joy in my life are selfishness, bitterness, and fear. Hebrews 12:15 says, "Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God's best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives." I had to really sit back and ponder over that verse the other night. I realized that if I let myself roll around in the pit of bitterness I might never get out of it. If I were to let it steal my joy, I would forever be comparing my girls to others their own age. In doing this, I would lose friendships and wouldn't be an example of Christ to others, therefore, I would be 'hurting many in their spiritual lives.'

So, how do I not get eaten alive by bad boy bitterness? I have to focus on God's power, not my own problems! "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). I have to stop focusing on the negative and remain in the positive. I am SO grateful for our girls and the progress they are making. Also, God chose us to go on this crazy journey for a reason. We asked him to use us and this is how he did it. Our girls are alive and healthy and we owe Him the joy that we have in our lives.

After I read that entry, I started to flip through my journal reading some of my other thoughts. Last year was all about letting go of my fear and making the change to follow Him. On more than one occasion I admired how He had answered my prayers. Of course, they were all answered in His time, but to actually see how He was with me gave me such peace. With peace, comes joy. With joy, comes faith. With faith, comes an uncontainable love for the One and Only Christ.

Thank you God for the joy you have given me! Bye, bye, bad boy bitterness!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Monthly Memory Verse: September

2010-09-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hey friends,

Below is this month's memory verse. My church is memorizing this scripture and they showed a video of a little girl that had memorized it....so cute! If she can do it, so can we!!!! I think it is awesome that parents are teaching their children scripture at such a young age...it is being planted in their minds and hearts so they can remember it as they grow! This month we are just doing this one scripture since it is longer.

Happy Memorizing!

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and they staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

ps: If you are memorizing your own scripture, leave a comment and let us know what you are memorizing!!!!

Book Review: Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

2010-09-10T02:34:00.001-05:00

Outlive Your Life
You Were Made to Make a Difference
Max Lucado

Description:
These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did.

Review:
I have been very fortunate to receive an advance copy of Max Lucado's Out Live Your Life to provide you with an opinionated review of the book. I feel the need to let you know in advance that I was not paid, nor do I have to give a positive review - I just like the book that much!

Out Live Your Life is a book about action. God has called us all - believe it or not, it is simply a matter of whether or not you are going to act on his calling. Max states in the first chapter that "God doesn't call the qualified. God qualifies the called." Regardless of where you find yourself in life right now, you have been blessed beyond your imagination. You have a responsibility to your brothers in Christ to pass on your gifts to those in need.

One of my favorite things about Max Lucado is how his books are always grounded in scripture. Every single lesson or story directly ties back to the word of God. Much of the scripture in this book comes from the appropriately named Book of Acts; where we are encouraged to go beyond surface level judgments of our brothers and to give one another a genuine look to find out who they are and where they have come from. Max references Bono, from my favorite band U2, when he describes the "accident of latitude". Two men can be born with the same God-given abilities but because one was born in the wrong place he is seen by the world as a lost cause.

Mathew 25:40 (MSG) states, Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me. Out Live Your Life delivers this point with such clarity, that a message you have heard your whole life feels new again.

Recommendation:
As I stated before, Max's books are deeply grounded in scripture. Combine that with the fact that he has broken the book down into sixteen easy to read chapters that get straight to the point and this book makes for an excellent daily morning read. Although, I think you will find it rather hard to stop reading it in one sitting once you get going. The book is what I would call gender and age neutral - it takes a message that many would label under "broken record" and puts a welcomed and needed fresh perspective on our calling.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Trusting the Truth: September

2010-09-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

We want to thank our friend Jessica Seagraves for being the first to share her testimony with the world on The Uncontainable Truth. You can follow Jessica over at A Whatley World.

Trusting the Truth

My whole life I have struggled with fears and insecurities. In the last year I have finally grabbed hold of what was causing this to haunt me. My parents got divorced when I was 2 ½ months old. Between the ages of 3 and 4, I was sexually abused by my father. Even just writing those words feels strange. Father is the correct word, because this man was never my Dad. For years, after school when most kids were just playing outside I was going to counseling multiple days a week. I didn’t even details about my body parts, how was I to understand why that had happened to me.

Fast forward years down the road and my Father had re-married and had another daughter. My older brother Taylor was starting to ask questions about our Father and wanting to see him. My mom didn’t want to keep us from anything so although she had full custody she agreed to supervised visitation with Taylor. He came back from that trip raving about his “new sister.” I was of course beyond jealous. That was MY big brother and I wanted to meet this “new sister.” That was when our Father came back into our lives. After that, our Father spent years popping in and out of our lives. Sometimes he would call on birthdays, sometimes he wouldn’t. He would make promises he never could keep. Inconsistency is the best word to describe him.

Once I was the appropriate age to enter into relationships I started to realize things weren’t right. I was severely insecure. I was always scared of being left alone. I felt very ashamed of what had happened to me and felt that if I told anyone they would think I was “gross”, “untouchable”, or worse.

In December of 2008 I met the man I will call my husband in about a month. I was full of fear when I realized I would have to explain to him what happened to me and why my relationship with my Father was so tumultuous. How do you tell this man that you think you want to be with forever that you have this “incident” in your past? I wasn’t even sure what to call it at that point. I was scared he would think I wasn’t worth it. I didn’t think he would want to become part of a family that had that lurking in their family history. He came from a very secure family where his parents are still married. How could I compare?

It is amazing how God works all those little things out. First, when I told him I don’t think you could have seen a more patient and kind man. He just held me, never made a strange face and never thought twice about it. Telling him started making me feel less insecure about what had happened.

Then, January of 2010 I went on a Youth Winter Retreat. The focus of the retreat was about figuring out your “calling.” At that retreat I prayed and I felt God pulling on my heart to do something about what had happened to me. If I just sat here and wallowed in my sadness and self-pity about how much it sucked that I went through that, then the bad guy wins. God is bigger than that. Yes, this horrible thing happened to me when I was young, but God has a plan and his plan is to make some good come out of my pain. Once I felt that calling I spoke with Janeese Spencer, a minister and counselor at our church and she said that God will give me opportunities to tell this story, but first I had to just tell someone so that people even knew.

A few weeks later I told my story to my small group at church and told them that I felt the Lord calling me to share this story because I knew I could touch people’s lives because of it. God started moving. About two months later our church was having a night to share Small Group Testimonies and I was approached to share my story. So I shared my story in front of a very large crowd of my friends and strangers. About two weeks later, I found a job opening with the Family Sunshine Center to be a Prevention Educator. The Family Sunshine Center was where I went to counseling after my abuse. A large number of the people who heard me share my story knew people that worked at the Family Sunshine Center and called in to give their recommendation for me. You tell me God doesn’t move? Without a doubt I have felt God move more in the past two years of my life than ever before. I am now working at the Sunshine Center as a Prevention Educator to help break that cycle of family and domestic violence. Let me break this down for you, I felt God pull on my heart in January, I told my small group in February, I shared my testimony in April, I found the job opening in May, I interviewed for the job in June, and my first day was July 12th. That is how God moves.

God is still working on me and helping me to let go of my fears and insecurities. My father will never be a Dad. Instead, I have better than that. I have a Heavenly Father that will always be there and will always be a Dad and wants the best for me and shows me that daily. I am about to marry the man that my own Heavenly Father hand picked for me that encourages me to be the Godly woman God called me to be.

If you have a testimony you feel led to share, please contact christen@theuncontainabletruth.com

What is Trusting the Truth?

2010-09-08T20:59:00.000-05:00

We all have a story to tell; whether we have realized it or not. Trusting the Truth is a new monthly series where we will share your testimony of how God has impacted your life. This is about how we have trusted God in our darkest hours. It is about relying on the truth spoken by Jesus Christ; our one and only savior. These are all true stories of how people just like you and me have let go of their own struggles to hold on to God's amazing love.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths
Proverbs 3:5-6

Are you willing to share your story on how God has touched your life? If so, send it to christen@theuncontainabletruth.com.

First Family Beach Trip!

2010-09-08T13:54:00.000-05:00

Hello Hello!

So, in case any of y'all have been wondering where I have been the last couple of days, here is the answer....the BEACH!!!!!! I was there for one whole fabulous week. It was A-mazing :) It was truly a vacation I have been looking forward to for the whole summer and it did not disappoint. I spent six glorious days basking in the sun and splashing in the waves. We had plenty of help from family to watch the girls so I got to enjoy some TLC in between their feeds. I can't explain how much I needed that vacation after the summer that we have had. It was so good for my mind, body, and soul to relax and rejuvenate. On September 3rd, my devotion from Jesus Calling said:

"Let the dew of My Presence refresh your mind and heart. So many, many things vie for your attention in this complex world of instant communication. The world has changed enormously since I first gave the command to be still and know that I am God. However, this timeless truth is essential for the well-being of your soul. As dew refreshes grass and flowers during the stillness of the night, so My Presence revitalizes you as you sit quietly with Me.

A refreshed, revitalized mind is able to sort out what is important and what is not. In its natural condition, your mind easily gets stuck on trivial matters. Like the spinning wheels of a car trapped in mud, the cogs of your brain spin impotently when you focus on a trivial thing. As soon as you start communicating with Me about the matter, your thoughts gain traction and you can move on to more important things. Communicate with Me continually, and I will put My thoughts into your mind." (Psalm 46:10; Luke 10:39-42; 1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV)

Friends, I took great comfort in these words. The past couple of months have been so stressful and I needed to hear that Jesus' Presence can refresh my mind and heart. Also, like these words said, during my vacation I was able to sort out what is important and what is not in my life. I tried to just enjoy each day at a time and not get caught up in tomorrow. I still have some personal things to figure out but spending time relaxing and communicating with Jesus gave me some clarity on other parts of my life.

Below are a TON of pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

Maralee and Adeline's First Beach Trip!

( 18 weeks old, Labor Day 2010)

They were wide-awake for their first time on the beach!

Miss Maralee's blue dress matched the ocean!

Lovin' me some Adeline!

I'm sure one day the girls will think this picture is gross, but I think it is sweet :)

Dad, I don't want to go in the water!!!!!

Mooooommmmm!!!!!

Two sets of toes in the sand :)

All Ganny wanted for her birthday were her grand babies!

Paw Paw, Adeline, Na Na, & Maralee

Gabby, Adeline, Grandpa, & Maralee

Starla, Adeline, Nan Nan, & Maralee

Feeding Time is fun at the beach because we get to sit on the deck!!!!!

The Prices

Getting ready to watch Auburn play! War Eagle!!!!

Adeline and Maralee

We need some shades!!!!

Me and Adeline, Dad & Maralee

I love our little family!

This is where we got engaged and now four years later we have two children....such a blessing!

Me, Adeline, Maralee & Raleigh

Well deserved vacation, if I do say so myself!

Me, Adeline, Raleigh & Maralee

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Top 5 Inspirational Football Movies

2010-09-02T00:26:00.000-05:00

The wait is almost over for college football to start up again! If you're looking for a movie to help you get in the spirit, or you need something to watch as you bum around the house on your day off from work Monday, here is a list of my Top 5 Football Movies based on inspirational true stories. Enjoy!

5. Invincible

When the coach of Vince Papale's beloved hometown football team hosted an unprecedented open tryout, the public consensus was that it was a waste of time--no one good enough to play professional football was going to be found this way. Certainly no one like Papale--a down-on-his-luck, 30 year-old, substitute teacher and part-time bartender who never even played college football. But against these odds, Papale made the team and soon found himself living every fan's fantasy--moving from his cheap seats in the upper deck to standing on the field as a professional football player.

4. Blind Side

Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, is taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

3. We Are Marshall

A true story, based on devastating events, set in Huntington, West Virginia, about a small town steeped in the rich tradition of college football. For decades, players, coaches, fans and families have come together to cheer on Marshall University's "Thundering Herd." For this team and this community, Marshall football is more than just a sport, it's a way of life. But on a fateful night in 1970, while traveling back to Huntington after a game in North Carolina, 75 members of Marshall's football team and coaching staff were killed in a plane crash. As those left behind struggled to cope with the devastating loss of their loved ones, the grieving families found hope and strength in the leadership of Jack Lengyel, a young coach who was determined to rebuild Marshall's football program and in the process helped to heal a community.

2. Remember the Titans

Based on the true story of the explosive events that took place in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971 when African-American football coach Herman Boone was hired to guide an integrated but racially polarized high school team--the T.C. Williams Titans. Angry, stubborn and a rigid taskmaster, Boone faces a cool reception from the team's players as well as an awkward relationship with assistant coach Bill Yoast, a local white man with seniority and a tradition of winning who was bypassed for the job. It's made clear that Bill has feelings of animosity for having to be an assistant under a black man. As the two men learn to overcome their ignorance and bigotry and realize that they have much in common--integrity, honor, and a strong work ethic--they work together to transform a group of angry, unfocused players into a dynamic winning team of responsible young men. In the process, they also unite a divided community and ensure that Virginia will always "Remember the Titans."

1. Rudy

Rudy grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size of the other players. But he had the drive and the spirit of 5 people and has set his sights upon joining the team. -IMDB.com

Descriptions from movies.yahoo.com

Let me know what you think. Did I leave off your favorite movie? Totally get the order wrong? Let us know with some feedback below.

-Raleigh

How To Ice A Cake In Less Than 10 Minutes!

2010-09-01T06:50:00.001-05:00

Hey friends,

Since Sunday was my mom's birthday, I decided to bake her a birthday cake! This is my second birthday cake to make and I must say, it was easier than the first time. To take away some of the stress, I broke up the process into three days. The first day I made the frosting, second day baked the cake, and third day decorated the cake. Below is the recipe, pictures, and a short video I put together on how to ice a cake. Enjoy!

Cake: Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
(Make sure you just use the egg whites to make the cake light and fluffy!)

Buttercream Icing: Wilton's Recipe
(I made five batches of this and doubled the recipe to cut down on time)
1 tsp clear vanilla extract (Michael's and JoAnn's Fabric sells it)
1 tsp. butter extract
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. milk or water (I used water)
1 cup solid vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
1 lb. confectioners' sugar (1 box)

1. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a large mixing bowl.
2. Measure remaining ingredients into the same bowl.
3. Blend on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Scrape bowl when necessary.
4. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy

To convert stiff icing to medium consistency, add one teaspoonful of milk or water to each cupful of stiff icing. (I did this for my colored icing...I added about 3 teaspoons of water to my one batch to get my desired consistency).

Level the top of your cake to have a flat surface for your icing

Make sure to ice the cake on the stand that it will be served on

Birthday cake icing = YUM!

A work in progress

Ready to start decorating!

Mixing the colored icing is fun :)

Lu Lu was jealous that she had to stay outside and not be the crumb catcher!!!

Rough sketch...better to plan ahead before starting!

Finished product! Can't wait to eat it :)

Here is a step by step video I put together to help explain the process.

How to Ice a Cake in Less than 10 Minutes!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Packin' on the LB's

2010-08-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

This post is going to be a quick one today but I promise that next time I post on the girls there will be lots of fun pictures!!!! I've got a praise report....the girls gained weight last week!!!!! We took them to get weighed last Thursday and they were both six pounds, one ounce!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!!!! Seeing that weight made me feel so much better about starting them on formula with the breast milk. Guess it just proves that they needed more milk in their tummy :)

Another praise is that their eyes are still on track. We will have to continue to have check-ups over the next month or two but our doctor said that we are in the safe zone for not having to have laser surgery. That is a huge relief. Next week we will go see the pediatric optometrist to make sure that they don't become near-sighted and need glasses.

Today, we are taking Adeline to have her heart looked at by the pediatric cardiologist. This is just a follow-up to the time that she got fluid around her heart in the NICU. That was such a scary day but the problem seemed to have resolved itself while she was still in the hospital so I am hoping that we will get a good report when we go this afternoon.

On a total side note, I have to say how much I love our Montgomery friends. Last week, two of our best couple friends came over and brought dinner for all of us to eat. They thought of everything from flowers to coordinating paper plates. The food was delicious but the quality time with friends was the best part of the evening. Since we have been in isolation for the past five weeks, I didn't recognize how lonely I had been until our friends came over. We haven't been going places and I realized that the world doesn't stop just because I'm not taking part in activities outside of the home right now. It was a much needed dose of friend time for us.

Also, on Sunday the twins decided to wish my mom happy birthday!!!!! They will be seeing their Ganny soon and I know mom is so excited to get some loving from the girls :)

Alright, that is about all I have time for today. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and getting ready for some college football this weekend. War Eagle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Book Review: The Shack

2010-08-30T06:52:00.000-05:00

The Shack
William P. Young
272 pages
2007

Description:
Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives as the shack on a wintry afternoon and walk back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.
In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book.

Review:
If you haven't heard of The Shack, then you probably live in....well, a shack. The Shack came out in 2007 and hasn't really lost any of its momentum since. Because of it not being "new" when I read it, I thought I new everything about this book already. I had heard what takes place at the shack itself and some of the big ideas it presented. Let me say to anyone who is in this camp - there is plenty of revelation to go around. On the same note, I had a lot of expectations for this book as well as preconceived ideas of what this was about. I will honestly tell you that this book did not disappoint.

The Shack will make you question fundamental principles in your beliefs only to bring you back to the original truth you knew all along - only now your belief is stronger than it was before. As I said before, the book feels familiar. Even if you know nothing about the book - one chapter in and you know exactly where its heading. The strength of The Shack is how it responds to your expectations. Some might say that it turns them upside down, but I think a more appropriately, it clarifies them. I am not going to tell you that you should or will agree exactly with how everything plays out in The Shack, but it will make you question them none the less. Questioning things in life is not evil or a lack of faith, it's actually critical to make sure we haven't stopped moving closer in our relationship to Christ.

The first third of the book plays out much like a crime drama. They are there to help you understand exactly where the lead character is in life so that you can fully understand the significance of what is about to take place. The last two thirds of the book is like one giant breath of fresh air. Literally each page makes you feel as if you are learning what it means to have a relationship with Christ again. The book feels as if it had a checklist of misunderstand things it needed to properly explain, and each word reveals a new mindset. The amazing thing is that these revelations are not really new mindsets but new perspectives of established beliefs.

At one point in the book, Jesus describes "the church" to Mack. He states, "It's simple, Mack. It's all about relationships and simply sharing life. What we are doing right now- just doing this - and being open and available to others around us. My church is all about people and life is all about relationships. You can't build it. It's my job and I'm actually pretty good at it." Those three sentences alone have blown away mine and Christen's prayers for what this blog could be! And that's just the blog, now apply that to your whole life - you see what i mean. Later, Jesus speaks of his presence and says, "You might see me in a piece of art, or music, or silence, or through people, or in Creation, or in your joy and sorrow. My ability to communicate is limitless, living and transforming, and it will always be tuned to Papa's goodness and love. And you will hear and see me in the Bible in fresh ways. Just don't look for rules and principles; look for relationship - a way of coming to be with us." Again, it's not that he is trying to drastically change what you have been taught, but to change the way you think about it.

Recommendation:
If you haven't noticed, I really loved this book. If you haven't read this book, READ IT. If you have read it, read it again - it won't hurt you - or pass along the book to someone else. If this were a classroom, this would fall under the required reading list. Even if none of this sounds appealing to you, read it because it's an extremely well told story. Honestly, you could buy this book for a non believer and they wouldn't know till a third of they way through that it is not just a very well written mystery novel. I actually dare someone to try that and just see what happens when they actually reach "The Shack". In all seriousness, this book is excellent. You will truly miss out on an opportunity to connect with Christ like you never have before. Please, do it for yourself, read this book.

Post some feedback below or over in the community forums and let me know what you think about the book. If you read it when it was fresh, let some of the newcomers now how amazing of and experience this book is.

-Raleigh

Christen's Crafts: How To Make A Picture Memory Board

2010-08-27T14:48:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday everyone!

After the nursery post, I have had several friends ask me how to make a picture board. It is a very easy project that can be done in one afternoon. Below are the steps and the items you need to make your very own memory board! Enjoy!

What you need:
1 foam board (cut in half)
Quilters Fusible Batting
Fabric to cover board (1/2 yard should be plenty)
5 buttons
1 spool of ribbon
Scissors
Staple Gun
Needle & Thread
Hot Glue Gun
Iron and Ironing Board
Razor Blade Knife
Pencil

To begin this project, lay your foam board on your work space and cut it in half with your razor blade knife.

Next, you will need to cover your board with your Quilter's Fusible Batting.

As you can see below, I had enough batting material to cover the back of the board on all sides. If you cut about two feet of batting that should give you enough to cover the back of the board. Depending on the thickness of your batting, you might need to do a double layer to make the board thicker. If you need to do this, just fold the batting over and then cut two feet so it will be thicker.

Once your board is covered with batting, you staple the batting to the back of the board. I started with my sides and then stapled the top and bottom. Put one staple in each corner and then a couple in the middle to secure it to the board. Make sure your staples are long enough to stay in the board. In order for your corners not to become too thick, cut out a square on your left and right side corners before you staple the top and bottom pieces to your board (see picture below, bottom right corner).

After the batting is secured, now is the time to place the fabric on the board. Make sure your fabric has been ironed so there are no creases on it before it is secured to the board. Just like the batting, make sure you have enough fabric to secure it to the back. My fabric length is longer than my batting to make it easier to staple it to the board.

After all sides of the fabric are stapled to the board, now is the time to secure the edges. To do this, simply fold your edge over to make a triangle. Using your hot glue gun, glue the triangle portion of your fabric to the straight edge of your fabric. When you do this, you create a clean line that won't be seen from the front of your board.

The next step is to attach your ribbon to your board. You will have six pieces of ribbon that will overlap to create a diamond look on the front of your board. To begin, we will attach the corner pieces to the board. Using your hot glue gun, glue an inch of the ribbon to the top left corner. Once the glue has dried, pull that ribbon on the diagonal of the front of the board to the bottom right corner. Pull the ribbon tight and make sure you have about an inch to secure to the back of the board before you cut. After cutting this ribbon, secure the bottom right corner to the back of the board with your hot glue gun. Repeat this process for the other diagonal piece.

After you have your corner pieces secured, now is the time to do the middle pieces. It is important that everything is centered correctly so your ribbons are spaces evenly when finished. Lay your ribbon horizontally so it is aligned with the center diagonal and make a mark with a pencil on your center sides. Then, lay your ribbon vertically on the center and make a mark with a pencil on your top and bottom center. After doing this, start with the left center and secure the ribbon to the back of your board with your hot glue gun. Then, run the ribbon so it meets your top center and secure that to the board. Do the same thing on the right side. After your top ribbons are secured, repeat the process starting with the left middle meeting the bottom center.

The final step to finish your board is to add your buttons. You will have five buttons to secure to each point where your ribbons cross over one another. Thread your needle and loop it through the back of your button. Then, over the center of your ribbon, stick your needle through your fabric so it comes out of the back of the board. Once your needle has pierced the back of the board, stick it through again to the front and loop it through your button. Do this about three times until it is tight and then tie your thread in a knot to keep it in place. For added security, you can hot glue the back of your board where the thread is to make sure it stays in place. After you have completed this step, just add some fishing line or one of those grooved edge picture holders to the back of your board to hang it to the wall.

Voila! You have just made your very own picture board! What an easy way to showcase your favorite pictures! If you make a board, send it to christen@theuncontainabletruth.com so we can add it to our site :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Sewing Wars

2010-08-26T08:15:00.005-05:00

The other day, I was reading my friend Stephanie's blog and her post was about how much she loves to sew. She is an excellent seamstress and I am very impressed with her work. Recently, I was given a lovely sewing machine from my gracious in-laws and have been trying to learn how it works. It is a Baby Lock Ellure and it has the capabilities to embroider, as well as, sewing.

I got it right before the girls were born so I haven't had much time to really learn how the machine works. Sewing is a hobby that I have wanted to pick up for years but I had no idea where to begin. None of my immediate family members sew, which made me completely clueless on how the process works. So, the other night, I decided to be brave and try to monogram a onesie all on my own. This is how it turned out.

Y'all, I tried for THREE hours to monogram these onesies and just failed miserably! I couldn't get the material to stay inside of the hoop, then couldn't get the hoop to snap to my machine, and finally I jammed up the thread into a big ball. I was ready to throw my machine out of the window by the time I was finished. I just couldn't believe something that looked so simple could be so difficult! It was so frustrating to me because usually I can pick up on crafty stuff. Oh, no, not this time! After throwing a temper tantrum, Raleigh looked at me point blank and said, "You need help."

So, I got help. While my parents were watching the girls last week, I went to a sewing class and an embroidery class. Y'all, I feel like a new person! Having a teacher explain how my machine works and the steps that it takes to make a garment made all the difference. I think the biggest challenge for me with sewing is that I am not familiar with all of the steps. It is a very methodical process yet there are so many variations of tools to choose from. Take monogramming for example. You know the rough stuff that is on the inside of your t-shirt that is attached to the monogram? That is called a stabilizer and there are like a million different options. Also, the vast amount of monograms to choose from can be rather overwhelming. Do you buy a computer software program or just download them from the Internet? Once they are downloaded, how do you get them to your machine? Then, how do you center it on your machine? Did you know that there is a completely different foot that is attached to your machine to monogram rather than sewing? Who wudda thunk? Not me, that's for sure.

So, after my lessons I worked hard this weekend and actually knew what to do. I ENJOYED the process! Never did I think that was going to happen!!!!! The first thing I worked on were these monogrammed onesies.

I did Maralee's first and spaced the letters a little too far out. Then, I did Adeline's and got them a hair too close. But, for them being my first official project they turned out pretty well I thought. The other project that I am working on are their christening gowns. We are hoping to have them christened in October or November so I have about two months to work on them. At first, this task seemed rather daunting, but I figured the best way to learn was to dive head first! I think doing a difficult project will really teach me the proper steps on how to make a dress. Also, I have an amazing teacher that tells me every stitch and cut to make before I actually do it. You see, that has been my problem. I have been scared to start any sewing project for fear of messing up the fabric. Last year for Christmas, Raleigh let me pick out fabric to make custom valences in our living/dining room. The fabric is STILL rolled up in the corner of my office waiting to get cut. Maybe when I finish these dresses I will finally be brave enough to start that project! In the meantime, the dress that I am making them is called a Babbett day gown. So far, I have stitched together the sleeves and sides of the dresses.

Friends, I really hope to master the art of sewing. Having twin girls means twice the amount of dresses so if I learn how to do this I can save us some major bucks. Plus, it is something special that I can do for them and one day they can give to their children if they want to. One of my best friends growing up always had on smocked dresses and I was always so envious of her outfits. Now, don't get me wrong, my momma always had me in cute clothes, but I wasn't in smocked dresses :)

Do any of y'all sew or embroider? What programs do you use? Do you have any favorite websites to get appliques or fonts? Do you have any easy pattern suggestions for making girls' clothes? I am all ears!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Movie Review: Eat, Pray, Love

2010-08-24T06:50:00.000-05:00

Eat, Pray, Love the movie was a great adaptation of the book written by Elizabeth Gilbert. It tells a story about a woman that leaves her New York City lifestyle to travel around the globe to Italy, India, and Bali in search of everything. Julia Roberts brings the character of Liz to life as we watch her transform from sad to happy by the end of the movie. It is an intimate story of one woman's quest to find pleasure, peace, and love on a year of self discovery.

While the theater seats were occupied by majority females; I wouldn't necessarily describe this movie as a typical Julia Roberts film. The beginning of the movie starts with Liz being very sad and confused about her life. When she first arrives in Italy, she is majorly coping with a horrible breakup and her character is battling depression. We see a lonely woman that finds comfort in food. Soon, she meets new Italian friends and enjoys the essence of the city. By the end of her stay in Italy, she starts to find healing and is ready for the next segment of her adventure. Her stay in the Indian ashram is probably the most difficult portion of her journey for self-discovery because she has to spend a lot of time dealing with her mind. The film did not go too deep into spirituality or her views on God but it did show the difficulty of clearing out space in one's mind to find peace. The last leg of her journey was in Bali, and here Liz finds the balance between pleasure and peace. By chance, she also discovers what it means to love again.

I enjoyed this film but I didn't walk away in love with it. I think the reason I wasn't in love with the movie is it was a rather sad film. That doesn't make it bad, but right now I don't want to watch anything sad. I want to be swept into a fantasy land of happiness when I go to the movies. It was a beautiful movie that was a cross between a Food Network and Travel Channel film. I, like many others who saw it, want to travel more after seeing this movie. Julia Roberts did a great job portraying her character and it was a great version of the book. They used some of the exact lines from the book, which I thought was great. All in all, it was a good movie that made the viewer ponder their own lives and that continual search for peace and happiness.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Doing What's Best

2010-08-23T08:15:00.001-05:00

Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promises is faithful." Last week, I had to be reminded of the truth in that statement. On Friday, we took the girls for what we thought to be a quick weight check at the pediatrician's office but it turned into a two and half hour full check-up. At our appointment, the twins received their four month old shots and we also had another lengthy discussion about their feeding schedule. The discussion was needed because when the girls were weighed they had not gained as much weight as we had hoped for these past two weeks. Both girls weigh 5.11 pounds and are around 19 inches long. While this weight gain shows that they have been growing, it also shows that they aren't consuming enough calories. We were hoping to be closer to the six pound marker so this news was a little disappointing. After talking, we realized that our trial run of weening off the follow-up bottle was not working. So, now our plan of action is to follow up three times a day with 1.5 ounces of formula to make sure that the girls are taking in enough calories to gain weight.

Miss Maralee was a sweet girl this week :)

Friends, I always get upset when we have to go back to formula. It makes me feel like I'm not providing what they need when I am feeding them. I know this is silly, but I always feel defensive and defeated when we have to supplement. After our appointment, I was tired. Tired of feeling like the girls are always three steps behind well-babies. The reality is that the girls are still premature babies...they are healthy, but they are premature. Part of me was kidding myself into thinking that they were just like any other baby when we brought them home but when I saw their weight on that scale, my heart sunk. Our girls are four months old and new born babies still weigh more than them. I know that their adjusted age is four weeks but that still means that the majority of newborns weigh more than they do right now! The truth in that statement is really tough for me.

Also, we were told that we should keep them away from the public for another month at least. Since our six week marker is just around the corner, I was secretly hoping that we could finally start taking them around town. I'll be honest, we haven't been to church since they have been home. We were hoping we could return to church after Labor Day and sit in the back row with them but it looks like we are either going to have to alternate going or wait another month to go as a family. Since we haven't been getting out much, I terribly miss hanging out with our friends. We have a great little small group here in town and it has been so hard not being around them. My number one priority is the girls right now so I just have to remind myself that this is a short season of their lives. Soon, we will be able to go outside and be around people (as long as they don't have a cold!) but I am so ready for that day to come.

But, as Hebrews 10:23 says, I have to remember that God is faithful. I have to continue to have hope that they are going to gain weight and be healthy babies. I can't dwell in the negative or feel sorry for them or myself. All I can do is feed them - breast milk and formula - to help them along the way. I have to realize that there is no reason to feel defensive and I just have to do what is best for them. Isn't that all we can do for our children? This past Wednesday, my friend Katie came over with Ben and it was so good to talk to her since he was a NICU baby. Since Ben is also a preemie, she automatically washes her hands and squirts antibacterial gel before she even touches the girls. It makes me grin every time because she knows exactly what to do. Ben was born in March and now weighs 12 pounds. That gives me such hope for Adeline and Maralee!

Adeline with her buddy Ben

Thanks y'all for letting me get that out. Writing is such a source of healing for me. Both sets of grandparents were in town this weekend (my parents on Friday, Raleigh's on Saturday) so it was good to have them here to help us with the new feeding schedule. When they spend the night, they take the 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. shifts for us. Ironically, I am more tired after getting a full night sleep rather than a disrupted sleep. I think my body realizes what it has been missing! So, this morning, Adeline and I took a really long nap on the couch. I love cuddling with my baby! I am so thankful for our little girls and just have to remember that He ALWAYS provides!

Adeline and Maralee are little A-O - cutie Pi's!!!!

15 weeks

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Romans Road

2010-08-20T08:48:00.001-05:00

Good Morning Friends,

I hope everyone is having a nice morning so far. Does anybody have some fun plans for this weekend? We have grandparents coming into town to get some lovin' from the girls. Just wanted to let y'all know that this post is a new type of post for me, and I am excited to share it. I am participating in a Group Writing Project hosted by Faithful Bloggers and the topic is called Romans Road. Once everyone submits their post, the host is going to compile them all into an online book that we can share with all of you. We were able to pick from a variety of versus in Romans and I chose Romans 8:38-39. Enjoy!

In this life, we will all face different forces to be reckoned with. Those forces take shape in a variety of forms such as daily trials, disease, and death. When we are in these circumstances we ask why God is allowing these things to happen to us. We can't wrap our heads around why bad things happen to good people. Often, instead of drawing closer to God we drift farther away because we are angry, sad, and confused about our present suffering. In Romans 8:38-39 the apostle Paul states, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul is telling us that suffering does not separate believers from Christ but it actually is meant for us to draw closer to His love.

Recently, I experienced first hand the power of God's love. My husband and I were expecting identical twin girls and were absolutely thrilled. As we happily attended baby showers, bought new clothes, and decorated the nursery we were filled each day with bliss. Every doctor appointment showed that the girls were growing and were developing on schedule. Around 27 weeks, I woke up with a sharp pain in my stomach. As the morning continued, the pain became more persistent so my husband rushed me to the hospital. Within minutes we discovered that I was fully dilated and I would have to undergo an emergency C-section. Throughout the surgery I was so scared and fearful for my babies. The girls were born weighing two pounds and were rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Later that day, we learned that both girls had to rely on a ventilator for their breathing and they were in a very critical state. Our physician told us that we faced a long road ahead of us that would be filled with many ups and downs. As time continued, the girls battled several infections that made me fear for their lives. Watching my little girls fight death, I felt hopeless and became very fearful for their lives. Over the course of our 81 days in the NICU, Satan used my fear of them dying to manipulate my mind.

In Romans 8:38, one of the first items that Paul states is that death shall not be able to separate us from the love of God. Instead of distancing ourselves from God's love when we are suffering, we should desperately cling to Him. When He is holding us in His arms, the power of the Holy Spirit gives us strength to fight death or any other trial that we are presently facing. This verse states that 'nor height, nor depth' shall separate us from the love of God. This shows that it is impossible for us to get beyond God's loving reach. His arms will always hold us tightly if we choose Him instead of asking why we are suffering. Bad things happen to good people so those believers in Christ can use their experience to glorify the name of God. When we turn to Christ in our darkest hours, the veil is removed from our eyes and we witness his uncontainable love for us. Psalm 18:22 beautifully says, "But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone."

Friends, seek refuge in Christ during your times of suffering. His love for us is greater than anything else in this world because He gave us the ultimate sacrifice of Christ Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. God is love and we were created by Him to love Him. When we give ourselves to Christ, we know that His love will get us through anything that we face in this life.

Prayer: God, please take away my fear of death. Please hold me in your arms so I can feel your love. I pray for the Holy Spirit to come inside of me and give me strength to fight this battle. Thank you for sacrificing your son for my sins. Thank you for being my help and my shield. I am putting my hope in you alone. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Do Good: Take Them A Meal

2010-08-18T06:40:00.000-05:00

For this month's Do-Gooder, we wanted to focus on a business that has recently helped us out tremendously. Since the birth of our premature twin girls, our friends have been bringing us home-cooked meals so we wouldn't have to fool with making dinner in between visiting them at the hospital and caring for them since they have come home. These meals have been a tremendous gift to us because we have been able to spend more time with our girls. Our friends used a website called, TakeThemAMeal.com, to coordinate the meal schedule. TakeThemAMeal is a free on-line tool designed to coordinate the delivery of meals to someone who is in need. Setting up this schedule is fast and very user friendly. The Meal Coordinator just goes on the website and creates a schedule for the meal recipient. The schedule is visible for anybody to sign up for a day and the recipient receives an e-mail stating who is bringing the meal that day and what they are bringing. The website offers scheduling tips, recipes, delivering advice, and much more! We contacted TakeThemAMeal founders, Scott Rogers and Adina Bailey, and asked them some questions about how this online tool has impacted their lives and many, many others. Because of their simple need for a tool like this, they have changed the world of delivering meals to people in need.

After you first designed your site, how quickly did the word spread about this new tool?

Our intention was to help one friend during a difficult time and we really didn't think about word spreading. When word spread within our church about the site, someone from church asked if they could use it for another friend at our church who was diagnosed with breast cancer and would need meals for a while. From there, we discovered that a few meals schedules were set up in Florida, and then the southeast, and now the entire United States and a few other countries like Australia and Japan.

Tell us about the success of Take Them A Meal.

We define success for TakeThemAMeal.com in how many times people have helped one another through meals. The site has existed for 2 1/2 years and more than 150,000 meals have been prepared to help friends or family members in need.

How has working at Take Them A Meal impacted your spirit of giving to others?

One of the reasons I called Scott Rogers initially to see if he would help me put meal scheduling online is I knew he and his wife are very caring and they would understand my friend's need for meals. Not only is Scott a great programmer, but he serves our community in many volunteer capacities. As we have spent more time interacting with people who are using the site, we continue to be inspired by the way people care for one another. In joy and sadness, friends and families are quick to come together to meet a need. It is beautiful to get to see that happen each day. Recently, a father of a school age child was killed in a tragic accident. Within several hours, the whole school community came together to see that the affected family had meals for several months. It's inspiring to see that people choose to care instead of running away from a difficult situation. It challenges us to do the same.

Has a particular story of a family who benefited from Take Them A Meal touched your life?

There are so many stories, but here's one. About a year ago, a young boy in our local community was involved in a terrible incident outside his home where his body was crushed under a heavy object that accidentally fell on him. Word spread throughout our community and his school community and many people were grieving for this family. It was uncertain as to whether to boy would live and if he did, would he walk again? A meal schedule was set up to help his aunt while she was caring for his siblings at home. His parents spent several weeks with him at the hospital. So many people were praying for this precious boy and months of meals filled up over night. Over time, the young boy began to improve and was even able to come home. In time, he began walking and was able to return to school. I knew of the wonderful outcome, but my heart swelled last week when I saw this young boy for the first time. He walking through the store with his mom and they were headed to get school supplies.

The Bible teaches us to do unto others what you would have them do to you. This website is a great example of how we can serve others through our actions. What comments do you have about how this site can help others in their time of need?
The web site is a great way to organize people who want to all care for or celebrate with a person or family. So often, we are faced with situations we have been through ourselves and we know the relevant needs. Having a newborn in the house or coming home after a surgery is difficult. We know that a friend providing a meal at that time really helped us. When we hear of a similar circumstance, we want to help out with a few meals. The website is a great way to let others know of the need. Unfortunately, we also hear of situations we have not been through, but we can only imagine how difficult they must be. We want to help in some way and while we can't take away the pain, we can show love in a tangible way and that's through food. Well planned out meals that are spaced out over time can really be a huge encouragement to a friend or family that is facing a difficult circumstance.

What suggestions do you have for people that want to start their own online business to serve others?

We never started out thinking "How can we make a web site that lots of other people will use to help their friends?" We had a specific need and we created a solution to our need. Telephone calls and using e-mail replies were going to take too much time when coordinating a meal schedule for many months. We really wanted to help our friend, so we came up with a way people could sign-up online. It's been incredible to see that many others were facing our same challenge and now our site offered an easy solution.    Our recommendation for starting an online business to serve others is to think about something that you love or already do to serve others. Is there a way to make that service of others take place more easily or conveniently online?

What is your favorite thing about working for Take Them A Meal?

We love getting to see first hand how people care for one another in good times and bad.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Who are the Do-Gooders?

2010-08-17T18:45:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,

I am so excited to introduce a new monthly article that we will post entitled, "The Do-Gooder." Who are the Do-Gooders you might ask? These are individuals or businesses that are serving our world by doing good. They are people that shine their light and listen to God's calling to do good in this world. In the book of Matthew; Jesus teaches us why it is important for us to do good. He says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him" (Matthew 12:35). This world is full of good people that are trying their best to serve others through the good they have inside of them. I think it is so important for us to support each other in our efforts to do good because we are creating a community of Do-Gooders. We hope you enjoy these monthly articles and in the meantime try to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12).

If you know someone that is doing good, please share their story by e-mailing christen@theuncontainabletruth.com.

Music Review: Tenth Avenue North - The Light Meets The Dark

2010-08-17T06:37:00.003-05:00

Description:

The Light Meets the Dark is the second major label studio album from Christian pop rock Tenth Avenue North. It was released on May 11, 2010 by Reunion Records. Vocalist Mike Donehey said, "On this record I really tried to be honest about how messed up I am. We wanted it to be a collision between our hearts and God's truth. His grace collides with the dark inside of us. His blood can cover us and I'm trying to call people out and say 'Look, please do not hide your darkness. Expose that to the light.' I know that's the scariest thought, but its where freedom and healing starts to take place. It's where it all starts to happen."

Review:

After their first album Over and Under was quite a success, there was a good bit of hype for Tenth Avenue North's second album. The Light Meets the Dark is an amazing album that speaks of the imperfections in each of us. The lyrics are extremely well written and the whole album seems to be be a journey of missteps that are covered by God's grace.

1. Healing Begins is the feature track on this album. It's the one that you have most likely heard on the radio. Healing Begins kicks off the set with a sweet melody that quickly sets the tone for the rest of the album.

"This is where the healing begins, where the light meets the dark"

4 Stars

Listen

2. Strong Enough To Save plays directly off the opening track but steps up the tempo to create an anthem for God's amazing power.

4 Stars

Listen

3. You Are More is a very catchy melody that speaks about forgiveness/God's grace and sacrifice for us

“This is not about what you’ve done but whats been done for you”

4 Stars

Listen

4. The Truth Is Who You Are is full of energy as the album builds to a climax

“You came to break the chains apart, to wake the dead and sleeping of our hearts”

4.5 Stars

Listen

5. All The Pretty Things is the peak of the album. This track has more pep and spirit than all the others

“Lord I love so many things that keep me from your face, come and save me”

4 Stars

Listen

6. Any Other Way

“Its not enough just to say that your okay, I need your hurt, I need your pain, its not love any other way”

3.5 Stars

7. On And On

3 Stars

8. Hearts Safe

2.5 Stars

9. House Of Mirrors

“but a house of mirrors never helps you see any clearer, its yourself you cant see past”

3 Stars

10. Empty My Hands

“empty my hands, fill up my heart, capture my mind with you”

2.5 Stars

11. Oh My Dear

“until the tears have left your eyes, until our fears can sleep at night”

3 Stars

Recommendation:

Tenth Avenue North is what I would consider pretty mainstream. They are very accessible and are extremely popular with those of you who aren't only looking for "christian music." The Light Meets The Dark is an album wonderfully woven with moving melodies and lyrics that will speak to the heart of all who have fallen short at some point in their life. The entire album is a nice purchase, but it does hit a peak at Track 5, so if you can't afford the whole thing you should definitely pick up Tracks 1-5 because they won't disappoint at all.

Feeding Time

2010-08-16T17:06:00.001-05:00

I'm going to have to type fast today because the girls just can't get settled. We are on a slightly new feeding schedule and it has been tough on us getting used to it. Until recently, the girls have been receiving a follow-up bottle after I have finished nursing to make sure that they were getting enough milk. Doing this extra bottle adds an additional 15 minutes to our total feeding time so it took us around an hour to do one feed. In order for us to wean this extra bottle, our pediatrician recommended us slowly going down on the amount and then stop it altogether. He said that when we did this the girls would probably be a little fussy and would have to feed every 2-2 1/2 hours and boy, has he been right! The girls were fussy this whole weekend and they just don't seem full. I know they are getting plenty of milk but I feel like I am constantly feeding them and they still don't seem satisfied. Also, they seem to not want to take naps in between feeds as often as they did before. I'm not sure if this is just a growth spurt or if I am doing something wrong. If y'all have any suggestions, I am all ears!

Not a happy Maralee!

Since we had fussy babies this weekend, Raleigh and I tried to give them some activity on Saturday. One of the hardest things for me right now is not being able to take the girls outside during the day because it has been so hot. Of course, we still aren't going in public, but I would really love to be able to sit with them outside in the sunshine every now and then. Well, Saturday turned out to be overcast and windy so we took the pups and the girls to a park near our house. The dogs had a field day and the girls were so peaceful. We had the best time doing this little family outing. One of the things that we love about our neighborhood is the variety of parks that we can visit. The one we went to on Saturday is just a big open field so we let the dogs run loose. Obi runs like a thoroughbred and Lu Lu loves to trot along sniffing at the trees and bushes. We took a tennis ball but Obi could have cared less. After the dogs got their energy out, we went for a quick walk around the neighborhood. It was the perfect amount of time for us to get out in the fresh air without getting too hot or sweaty.

Adeline, Maralee, & Mommy

Maralee enjoying our stroller ride

On Sunday, my brother and his girlfriend came to town to visit the girls.

We had a great time catching up with them. My brother loves being an uncle. It is sweet to watch him hold the girls. It is also funny when he hands them back to me when they get fussy! I think another reason both girls were fussy this weekend is that they had not gone to the bathroom in a couple of days. Well, Adeline decided to give my brother's girlfriend a warm welcome....

It was too funny. I hated that she went on my brother's girlfriend but I was also relieved that she finally did her business! She was great the rest of the day and has also been pretty quite today as well.

Friends, I'm not complaining in the slightest, it is just hard work some days taking care of two babies! The hardest thing is trying to please them yet not going completely off schedule. I do better with schedules and it keeps things consistent. I talked to my mom and she said that they are probably hungrier because they are growing. On a side note, we went to the eye doctor again last week. He said that their eyes were still on track but we aren't completely in the clear yet. We will visit him again in two weeks and after that we will see a pediatric optometrist. He said that they could become near-sighted and need glasses so that is why we have to visit another eye doctor. Since I have been in high school, I have had to wear glasses when I don't have my contacts in. Contacts and glasses are such a pain so I am really hoping that they won't have to wear them. I guess we will see....

Also, a final bit of randomness. I broke down and cut the girls fingernails this past week. Their nails are so fragile and I haven't had to cut them but they were getting long and yucky. Of course, the girls cried the whole time making me feel like a bad guy and I accidentally clipped one of Maralee's fingers making her bleed. Poor thing puckered up her bottom lip and gave the biggest yell making me feel so sorry for her! Besides clipping nails, we also had to get out some toe jam. Yum-o. Those girls had their toes together as tight as Fort Knox making it nearly impossible to clean them. We ended up taking a baby wipe and putting it in between their toes like floss to clean them. Oh, the things we do to keep our babies clean and shiny!!!!

A peaceful Adeline after bath time with Daddy

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

What A Graceful God We Have!

2010-08-11T08:15:00.002-05:00

I'll be honest, I don't think I am ready to relive all of our NICU experiences. Today as I was feeding the girls, I watched a little bit of the NICU show on Discovery Health and it was hard for me to hold back tears. Everything on that show is still so vivid in my memory and it is so hard for my emotions not to go spinning out of control when I think about the hard journey that we traveled. Watching the mothers on the show fear for their baby is haunting to me of the emotions that I felt as our little girls struggled for survival. Of course, those shows are intended to be dramatized so it doesn't help for me to hear about how high risk these deliveries are for the mom and the baby. I've never been one that has been able to watch all of these shows about giving birth...the blood is just not my thing. Now that I have had a C-section, I especially don't want to see what I looked like on the delivery room table!!!! Needless to say, I changed the channel. I think it is awesome that Discovery Health has a show about the NICU and I am sure one day I will appreciate it, but today is not that day.

Today, I am thankful. Thankful to God, thankful for my family, and so very thankful that we have two beautiful little girls that are growing big and strong. Spiritually, I am in a state of appreciation to God for the many blessings that He has given us through His amazing grace. I sat outside for my quite time this morning for the first time in weeks and marveled at our mighty God. Granted, it was hard for me to keep my eyes open since I had been up all night, but it was a very nice moment that I spent with our Savior. He has blessed my life abundantly and all I can do is say thank you. I am in this weird state of mind trying to figure out the new road ahead of me. I feel like I have just left a Christian retreat - I had such a "high" from that experience but now I need to apply what I learned to my real world. I want to continue to stay close and rely on God for everything. A couple of months ago, our pastor at St. James UMC, did a three part series on God's grace. It was divided into prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace. Prevenient grace is the grace that goes before us where God is constantly pursuing us. He talked about how God uses us as his tools to get others to come to Christ. Justifying grace is when we get what we don't deserve (like Jesus dying on the cross for all of our sins). After "we are justified (freely) by his grace as a gift" (Romans 3:24) we must repent as an act of our will to turn our lives to Christ. Finally, sanctifying grace is the power for us to live life to the fullest because we have the Holy Spirit within every place of our hearts.

Friends, I know from the depths of my heart that we received God's prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace through our NICU experience. God was calling us to turn that scary time over to Him. He gave us the ultimate gift of life and now He wants us to continue to invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts and minds so we can share His grace with others. I think these three different types of grace are a great way to visualize the Holy Trinity - God is the prevenient grace because He wants all of us to come home to Him, Jesus is the justifying grace because He gave the highest sacrifice of himself possible for us, and the Holy Spirit is what lives inside of us to give glory to our Father and not to this world. So many people struggle with their relationship with God. They felt His call, and confessed that Jesus died on the cross for their sins but they haven't fully invited the Holy Spirit to reside in their soul. I believe that the Holy Spirit is very much our conscience and it can navigate us when we are unsure of what decision to make (good or bad). Of course, with the trinity comes enemies and those are satan, the world, and ourselves. So, I am trying not to let these enemies into my sacred place; instead I am trying to meditate quietly with the Holy Spirit for my direction in life.

As I mentioned on Friday, we visited Mark Broadway photography this past weekend to have the girls newborn pictures taken. That morning as we were taking our pictures, I felt the Holy Spirit inside of me. I was filled with His love as I held our precious little girls. For me, having those pictures taken was like a right of passage. It felt like we were sharing with the world what God gave us. Also, we were able to introduce Adeline and Maralee to some of their extended family members. We had a great time visiting with everyone and I was definitely a proud parent the entire time!

Uncle Bibb, Maralee, Aunt Carla, Adeline

The girls had their first Friday night dinner at Nan Nan's!

Nan Nan and Maralee (aka this one)

Cousin Gavin and Adeline (aka that one!)

Na Na, Maralee, Paw Paw, Adeline

Paw Paw loves to sing to the girls!!!!

Cousin Hayden, Maralee, Aunt Tracy, Adeline

Cousin Hayden is a ballerina just like the girls' footed pj's!!!!

Cousin Shae, Adeline, Na Na, Maralee

Aunt Starla feeding Maralee

Cousin Stetson and Maralee

Granddad Price has eight great-grandchildren!!!!!

Granddad and Maralee, Granddad John and Adeline

I love this picture of his hands holding her little body!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love

2010-08-10T07:43:00.002-05:00

Book Description:
In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want - husband, country home, successful career - but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

My Review:
Last summer, I picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert as a fun beach read. When I opened the cover to begin reading this memoir of Liz's travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia, the aspiring traveler in me was looking forward to reading about these wonderful places that she visited. If I could travel the world for a year I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately for me, I do not have the money or the time to check out of my Alabama home for a whole year so I decided to live this dream through her delightful experience. As Liz traveled across the globe, she was searching her soul for a balance between God, inner peace, and everything in between. She tells her story with honesty and wittiness; which made her vulnerable to her audience. Whenever a storyteller wears their heart on their sleeve, I am hooked. I would much rather read a book that has true feelings and emotions rather than a fantasy world that I will never live in. As Liz searches for God on her bathroom floor, I understand the exact emotion that she is feeling. When she goes on a "No Carb Left Behind" diet I decide to eat pizza for dinner just because she made it sound so good. While Gilbert travels to India, I find myself interested in learning about her Guru and her teachings because those beliefs are different from my own. Finally, as Liz finds her balance in Bali, I am reminded that life is about learning to love who we are.

Recommendation:
To begin this book, Liz states her religious beliefs. *She says, "Culturally, though not theologically, I'm a Christian. I was born a Protestant of the white Anglo-Saxon persuasion. And while I do love that great teacher of peace who was called Jesus, and while I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, I can't swallow that one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christ is the only path to God. Strictly speaking, then, I cannot call myself a Christian. I have always responded with breathless excitement to anyone who has ever said that God does not live in a dogmatic scripture or in a distant throne in the sky, but instead abides very close to us indeed - much closer than we can imagine, breathing right through our own hearts. I respond with gratitude to anyone who has ever voyaged to the center of that heart, and who has then returned to the world with a report for the rest of us that God is an experience of supreme love." When I first read these words, I became a bit uncomfortable because I realized that I was reading a book that did not directly coincide with my beliefs. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Early into this book I was faced with a decision: Do I read a book that doesn't share my belief on God or not? I decided that I would continue to read this book because I was strong enough in my Christian belief to recognize that others have different viewpoints than I do and I was interested to learn what views she had on God.

As I read the book, I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with her thoughts; especially when she visited the Ashram in India. When she arrived at her Ashram, she sang a morning prayer that said, "I adore the cause of the universe...I adore the one whose eyes are the sun, the moon and fire...you are everything tome, O god of gods..." In the Old Testament of the Bible, it clearly states that "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3-4). Even though I disagree with the Sanskrit that she recited, I do agree with her that the practice of mediation and prayer can bring us closer to God. While she chose Eastern meditation; I am a believer in Christian meditation. **In the book, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster explains the difference in these two as Eastern meditation being an attempt to empty the mind and Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind. He says that what happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart. Simply put, Christian meditation is the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word. Many times, meditation is mentioned in the Bible (Gen. 24:63, Ps. 63:6, Ps. 119:148, Ps.1:2) as a way for us to seek guidance from God and to listen for his direction. In regards to prayer, I agree with Gilbert when she states, "Prayer is a relationship; half the job is mine." Foster states that, "In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God's thoughts after him: to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills. Progressively, we are taught to see things from his point of view."

In conclusion, I would recommend this book but I do want to point out that it does not directly correspond with the teachings of Christianity. If you are struggling in your walk with Christ, this book might not be the best to read at this time because it does not coincide with the major points of Christianity which is the belief that we worship only one true God, Jesus is the way to our Father, and the belief that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit make up the Holy Trinity. Also, some R language is sprinkled throughout the book but it is not heavy handed. I will probably go see the movie because I enjoy Julia Roberts and I also like to see if the movie is the same as the book. Altogether, I enjoyed reading this memoir because it provided me the opportunity to learn about another persons' search for God and I was able to recognize that I could read this book without totally agreeing with her views. We are all in search for inner peace and after closing this book I confirmed that my peace is found in Christ.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

*Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert, 2006. Penguin Books.
**Celebration of Discipline. Richard Foster, 1978. Harper Collins Publishers.

Amazing

2010-08-09T08:15:00.016-05:00

Amazing things can happen when we open ourselves up for the world to see who we really are. Not who others imagine us to be, but our honest, authentic selves that God created us to be. I heard a movie star say one time that she would never receive Botox because her face tells a story and it shouldn't tell a story of her visiting the doctors office. Just as our faces age; so do our minds and bodies. With age can come courage, wisdom, and believing in oneself to follow their heart. Instead of us trying to mold ourselves into earlier days; we should embrace this continued beauty that shines from within. The older I get, the more I realize that time really can just pass me by. Life can quickly become filled with deadlines, headaches, and stress instead of laughter, joy, and inner peace. This past year was quite a journey for me spiritually, emotionally, and physically but I am so thankful to have gone on this ride. I have witnessed that our God is greater than evil and when I allowed myself to submit to his amazing grace; wonderful lessons were continuously learned.

The first lesson that I learned this past year was to follow my heart. I was so unbelievably nervous to start this blog. Last summer, I really felt prompted by God to start writing but I had no idea where to start. I remember many conversations with Raleigh where I would exclaim how crazy it was for me to write. For starters, what would I write about? Secondly, who would even care???? I wondered if my friends would think I was weird or if I wrote down my thoughts others would make fun of me. For the longest, I didn't even share this new adventure with my family because I was scared that I wouldn't get their approval putting my thoughts out on the Internet. Nevertheless, I decided to follow His poking finger and we launched the blog one year ago today. I immediately begged my best friend to become a "follower" so it would look like I had friends that cared about this crazy thing!!!! Soon, I got even more brave and decided to link it to my Facebook page. Gradually, more people began to visit the blog and I was less fearful of what others' thought about me. Each time I wrote, the more I became addicted to writing. It felt so good to share my thoughts without any interruptions or fear of being shot down by a Bible scholar friend. I still wasn't sure where this blog was heading but I knew that it was quickly becoming a very important part of my life.

As the year progressed, I gradually felt a stronger push from the Lord to let go of the world that I was in and trust Him to control my life. Raleigh and I had many tearful conversations about my future as to whether or not I should continue working or stop to follow this desire to write. Round and round we went trying to make sense of our situation. We were very unsure of the timing because if I stopped working, it wouldn't be because of kids or family; it would simply be because we felt like God was calling me to do something else. That something else had no benefits, insurance, or pay. All it held was blind faith and endless possibilities. After much prayer for a sign, one Sunday we got our answer. We sat in church listening to our preacher and we felt like he had written that message especially for us. After that day, we knew that if we didn't follow God He would start looking elsewhere. We bravely made a decision to tell our parents our new plans for our future.

After we shared our news to our families, we discovered that God had blessed us for trusting Him. He answered our other desire for us to start a family! We were overcome with joy and believed wholeheartedly that God was truly in control of our lives. Quickly we realized that the ball was in our court and it was time for me to say goodbye to what I knew in order to take this step in a new direction. Even though we realized that it was time to let go, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to let anybody that I worked with down and I had a hard time deciding when the best time would be for me to break the news. I became like Gideon in the book of Judges and I asked God to show me a sign that He was in control. He had already blessed us with a baby but I still need another nudge to be brave enough to quit. God remained patient with me and totally blindsided me with a double portion of his goodness. Late January we found out that we were having not one baby but two! It was hard for me to contain my emotions because I knew that was a sign from God for me to trust him.

So, that is what I did. I trusted Him. I stopped working and began to write even more. Soon, I realized why He wanted me to trust Him and why He had put writing on my heart. My life changed drastically on April 30th of this year when our girls were born three months premature. Over the past three months, all I could do was cling to my faith in God to get me through my darkest hour.

It has been an amazing experience to trust God with my life. I feel so free. Also, I feel His presence and that gives me more confidence to boldly speak His name to others. I realize now that my job in this world is to be a witness of His love to others. It is my responsibility as a follower of Christ to spread his truth and that everything that I do is for His glory. For years, I have struggled with the word humble. So often, it is confused with words such as meek, tiny, and small. But, I have realized that being humble is the exact opposite of those words. I have learned that who I am is not about me....it's about the light that shines within me. I am so humble because the words on this screen are not my own. I am simply a vessel to spread the message of Jesus Christ. It is all about Him and not about me.

Friends, Christ has shown me that I can be used to glorify his name. He has shown Raleigh and I that we are tools for His trade. Since last September, this blog has received over 17,000 visits. We have over 90 proclaimed followers and receive about 200 visits a day from people all across the globe. This blog is not just an Alabama thang; it has spread to cities in every continent except Antarctica (if you know somebody that is doing scientific research up there, do you mind sharing this with them?!?). As I said before, it is amazing what can happen when we let ourselves go to follow Christ. There is this great quote in The Shack about the church. Jesus says, "It's all about relationships and simply sharing life. What we are doing right now -- just doing this -- and being open and available to others around us. My church is all about people and life is all about relationships. You can't build it. It's my job and I'm actually pretty good at it."

Fellow sojourners, we want to continue to share our life with others. We want to continue to form new friendships and deeper relationships within this community of believers. So, we have asked God to continue to show us the direction for this blog and how it can be used to further share His name with this world. We believe that we should offer more features on this blog than our life story. As you can see, we now have six new tabs on the home page titled Articles, Community, Media, Ministry, Prayer Requests, and Social. Below is an overview of what you can find inside of these tabs.

Articles

Each month we will do a feature article called the Do-Gooder where we highlight people or businesses that are doing good things. This idea was formed through two passages that Jesus spoke in Matthew about doing good. The first is Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" and the other is Matthew 12:35, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him." The first of these will come next week.

Community

This page will showcase a live discussion forum on a wide variety of topics. We encourage you to get in there are start a fellowship with others. Feel free to create your own topics and be active.

Media

We will be continuing our Book Reviews, as well as expanding into Music and Movie Reviews.

Ministry

Monthly Memory Verse
Trusting the Truth: Testimonies from believers on how they decided to live their lives for Christ
Free downloadable lessons that can be shared for youth, small groups, and Sunday School

Prayer Requests

An area where you can share your prayer request with us

Social

Chris10's Monthly Must-Haves are a fun way to show that we can love things in this world such as fashion and food but not be consumed of this world

We want to continue to let our light shine but we also want to create a community where you can let your light shine. One thing that Raleigh heard and has always said is, "If you want to go fast go alone but if you want to go far go together." We need help to continue to make this blog grow for the glory of God. We need prayer warriors and believers to share their testimonies. If you feel God telling you to act upon these requests, please e-mail me at christen.price@theuncontainabletruth.com.

In closing, we are so excited about the expansion of this blog and look forward to what lies ahead. We hope that you continue to follow us on this journey and look forward to your companionship if you feel called to join us. So much of God's glory has been revealed to us and we can't help but share it!

"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth --the Lord God Almighty is his name"

-Amos 4:13

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

Kissin' and Cuddlin'

2010-08-06T10:55:00.001-05:00

We have quite a weekend planned! Soon, we will be taking our first road trip to Dothan. I am looking forward to going home. It seems like it has been forever since I have been home and relaxed. This summer, we only went home once and it was for a wedding. This weekend we are heading home for an engagement party for one of our good friends. Also, while we are at home we will be taking the girls' first professional pictures! I am so excited. We are going to use Mark Broadway photography; and it is really special because he took our wedding pictures as well. I love his style of photography so I am really looking forward to the results. We were supposed to take maternity pictures in May but of course that didn't happen! I am a sucker for pictures and I truly believe that it is worth it to have pictures taken professionally because it really captures this moment in our lives.

Speaking of this moment, I am really loving being a mom to twins. When I was pregnant so many people would say things like, "Whoa, you are really going to have your hands full!" but with them being our first I really don't know any different. The biggest thing right now that is different from having just one child is it takes me longer to feed both of them. When I have help, I can feed them at the same time but it is still hard for me to do that on my own. On Wednesday, the girls were being a little fussy so I did actually manage to feed them together with no help. Boy, was I a site to see trying to maneuver that one! :) In the hospital, we picked up on general mannerisms of the girls but the more that they are at home the more I am realizing their personality traits. Typically, Adeline is the fussiest when she has to go to the bathroom. She isn't as regular as I would like for her to be, but our pediatrician said that she isn't abnormal yet so that is good. Maralee is usually the one that broadcasts her lungs to everyone but it is usually just for attention. She either wants her pacifier or wants to be held so if she gets one of those two things she is content. Right now I have her in our jungle swing with her pacifier in her mouth so she is chilled out!

Another thing that I have discovered about having twins is the double portion of love. I LOVE my mornings with the girls. Raleigh heads off to work a little before eight so that is when my day starts to feed them solo. I am still in my pajamas and as I feed one girl I have the other lying in the bed next to me or sitting upright in the boppy pillow. Adeline really seems to love sitting in the boppy. She fell asleep in it again yesterday! The thing that I love most about this feed is that afterward the girls are alert and we have some play time. They are so cute and I love watching them kick their little legs in their footed pj's and stare at the ceiling. This time is the best because they are satisfied but not quite ready to go back to sleep. Some mornings I will look at the clock and can't believe that I still haven't brushed my teeth! I don't really care though because I know that I won't be able to do this with them forever so I just want to enjoy this moment.


Adeline in her boppy pillow

Maralee getting some play time

I know it is so hard for Raleigh to head off to work everyday with the girls being home. He loves his job but I know he misses them during the day. This morning, after the five a.m. feed, we both stayed up and had the girls on the bed in between us. It was some sweet family cuddle time :)

Some days the NICU seems like forever ago. I look down at these beautiful faces and all I see are healthy, happy babies. All of the nurses told me that I would forget that experience so I am very thankful that I wrote it all down. That experience is a major part of who we are as a family and it will always be a testament of our faith in God. This week I watched the season premiere of 19 Kids and Counting and so many memories came to surface as I watched baby Josie in the Arkansas Children's Hospital NICU. I have not been a regular follower of this show so I had recorded the episode on Josie Coming Home and it really brought tears to my eyes. They had to stay in the NICU past her due date and then when she finally got to come home she was readmitted two days later. I think that would be so hard to come back to the hospital. As I listened to Michelle talk about her experience of being Josie's mom, I understood exactly what she was talking about. After I watched that show, I just hugged and kissed on my girls thanking God for their health. They had a rough experience but they survived!!!! Praise be to God!!!!!

Yesterday we had our follow-up appointment with our pediatrician to check on the girls' blood count and weight. Both of the girls have around the same blood count (they aren't twins are they?!) and it is average...not high and not low so we will be monitoring it still over the next few weeks. Also, they gained more weight! Adeline is 5lbs 6 oz pounds and Maralee is 5 lbs 3 oz.

Adeline and Maralee, 14 weeks

Well, it is getting close to feeding time and I think Maralee is tired of her pacifier. Oh no, Adeline is starting to cry now too! Gotta go but I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

The Nursery

2010-08-04T08:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!

Boy, has this week flown by. Right now, I have two little girls sleeping so I thought I would quickly post some very belated pictures of their nursery. I absolutely love this room; it makes me smile every time I am in it. We really wanted a tranquil, peaceful nursery so it is very soft and simple. The room has great natural light and I really enjoyed decorating it. I hope everyone is having a marvelous day. Enjoy!

Daddy and Maralee

This room was originally an office/craft room for us but when we found out we were having twins,
it was the best room for two cribs! This view is from the doorway and is the left side of the room.
The crib shown above is Maralee's crib. Our cribs are made by Million Dollar Baby and is called the Annabelle 4-in-1 crib. We also bought the matching dresser piece of the collection.
Raleigh and his dad applied the beaded board on the slanted wall to give the room
another architectural element.


We hung these framed scripture verses on the wall next to each girls' letter and cross. Raleigh's sweet cousin reads our blog and she used verses that I had quoted about the girls while I was pregnant. Such a caring and thoughtful gift that I will treasure forever!

The scripture over Adeline's bed.

Door knobs: Pottery Barn Kids

We decided to keep the existing carpet in the room, but I thought we needed a rug to break up the beige! I found this at a local children's store and it was very reasonably priced. It is from The Rug Market and is called 4 polka dots pink. Originally, this room had an ugly ceiling fan in it and I registered for this Payton chandelier from Pottery Barn Kids without Raleigh knowing! Our ceilings are standard height and he said that a chandelier would hang too low but I really wanted one so I registered for it anyways :) We ended up getting it as a baby shower gift so I urged him to try and hang it and it looks great! Perfect finish to a girly room!


Christen, Adeline, Raleigh, & Maralee. The 9 cube cubby behind us is from Home Depot and is a part of the Martha Stewart Collection. Inside the cubby shelves, I found these cute pop-up totes from Pottery Barn Kids. I painted the M picture behind us and found the gingham matte at Jo Ann's Fabrics.

This is the view from the closet. With Raleigh being an architect, he HAD to do a floor plan of the room. He had all of these different options for furniture placement, but we ultimately decided to do this layout. I really like having the rocking chair in the middle of the two cribs. It also is set up across from the door so I can see what is going on in the hallway. Our chair is from Storytime Series and is called the Nava.

Adeline's crib. The side table came with our crib and dresser set and is the perfect size for our room. Since we live in an older home, our windows are not standard sizes. My sister-in-laws mom is a great sewer and she made the curtains for this room. The curtains match the bed skirt and I can lower them to make the room darker.

Mommy and Adeline

I had the hardest time picking out bedding. Originally, I just wanted to do the bedding all in white but I just couldn't settle on a fabric. I knew I didn't want a themed room and all the bedding that I liked was way too expensive (remember, I buy for two!). So, I found some fabric that I liked and a family friend made the bumper pads and bed skirt for me! I think it turned out great! This is a picture of Maralee's bumper pad.

Here is a picture of Adeline's bedding. As you can see, I alternated the ties with the bumper pad fabric. When she made the set, she used the same fabric for the bumper pads as the lining of the skirt. I really think doing this tied each bed together and what I love about these fabrics is the fact that I could use them interchangeably. The fitted sheet is from Pottery Barn Kids (it might be discontinued because I could no longer find the link).

This lamp was one of my projects for their room. My friend found this lamp stand and gave it to me for the girls' room. I had bought this bunny fabric with the bedding fabric and decided to use it for the lamp shade. I just bought a plain shade at Home Depot for $12 and used Tacky Glue to adhere the fabric to the shade. To finish the look, I used my hot glue gun to apply the pink edges and the ribbon going down the shade. Lamps like this in children stores are easily $50 so I saved about $35 doing it myself!

I also made these picture boards to hang snapshots of the girls.


One day the girls will actually enjoy this room but for now it makes me smile :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen