One day I will learn to expect the unexpected..One day.

There are lots of things that I am not really all that fond of. Tonight's example:

 rap music.

Tobi and I went with some of our youth to the Rock and Worship Road Show last night and I will be honest, at first I was less than thrilled about the lineup. I was SORT OF excited to see Lecrae, but ONLY because my nephew likes them and I thought he might want to go. And I will admit, when he told me at Christmas that Lecrae was his favorite artist and he wanted his CD part of me cringed when I found out he was a rapper. What kind of 7 year old loves rap? Or 4 year old? Or 2 year old?

This week I kept them all, and we listened to LOTS of Lecrae. And I was kind of diggin it. OK, OK I liked it. And I loved that my two year old niece can sing it. So cute.

Anyway, we got to the show last night, and I was in less than high spirits. There's nothing like a Christian concert to get people good and mad and protective over their saved seats. And not to mention the less fortunate (us) who did not have seats, but no one would let us stand and watch. Every ten minutes someone would ask (or tell) us to move along because people couldn't see. I would have been more than happy to swap with them, and sit my lazy tail down and let them stand and SEE.

End Rant.

As you can tell, it was a little aggravating to me. I was ready to go, and the show wasn't half way over. Then we found a spot that no one kicked us out of, and it was time for Lecrae to go on.

There's something about seeing/hearing/meeting someone who you can genuinely tell is in love with Jesus, someone who doesn't want the fame or glory, someone who just wants to reflect the savior who they love. I have very few people that come to mind that really put off that type of vibe, and those people are SO special to me, and rare.  When Lecrae took the stage, I knew he was one of those people from the first words that came out of his mouth.

Later, he said " A lot of people have a problem with hip hop. They say its this really evil type of music, but its not the music that is evil. It is the hearts of men that are evil." BOOM. Tobias was screaming like a mad man, because that has always been said about hardcore. Its really really true. People have such a problem with things that are different. I don't dig hip hop. I have always associated it with people who are too busy stealing TV's, selling drugs, and pimpin' hoes (sorry for the stereotype) to learn grammar.

BUT

I like Lecrae. I like that he stands for something, but still makes music that is worth listening to. He makes me want to go buy the CD and its not my style. He didn't convert me to a rap fan, but he brought Jesus on stage with him, and I like Jesus. A lot. He was the only one I heard get up, and in the middle of his set pray that he would not find his worth in the applause of men, but that he would deflect the glory to the one who was worthy of it. That's raw. And that is real.

If you haven't heard the man, look him up. Watch the video (I apologize for the quality, but I like it better live) and if you're like me and can't understand half of what he said, look up the lyrics.

The first line says "Lord KILL me if I don't preach the gospel." WHAT? I don't know about you, but I just got a little uncomfortable. How many of you would rather DIE than lead people AWAY from Jesus by the way you live your life? You should have seen my face as I sipped my Dr.Pepper and heard those lines. I almost spit my drink everywhere. This song was in your face, real, and moving. God spoke to me more in that hip hop show than he did the rest of the concert.

In the spot I wasn't expecting.

 Imagine that.

Why You Shouldn't Bring A Baby To A Wedding

Tonight, this is how I feel.

A few hours ago, if you had offered me $20 I would have probably given you a red headed 8 month old AND all of his accessories. Now before you start making offers, I said a few hours ago. He's asleep now, and I like him again. He's sweet when he sleeps.

I think he's mad at me for not buying him the puppies we looked at today..because after we left empty-handed he lost his dadgum mind.

Do you ever fight with yourself over which route you should take to get somewhere? Tonight I did just that trying to decide how to get to a wedding. Should I just drive up 67 and change clothes at the church or should I hit the interstate and go home to change? I chose the interstate.

I chose wrong.

After about half a mile on the interstate traffic hit a dead stop. Didn't they know I had a wedding to get to? Uriah wasn't a fan either, because at the exact instant I realized I would not have time to go home and change, Uriah decided if he screamed at the top of his lungs it would move the traffic along.

About 8 minutes into the coasting on I65 and the screamfest I was living in in the car, I decided to just skip a step and change clothes in the car. After all, we were stopped..and I had an undershirt so there was no risk of exposing myself to a trucker or someone we go to church with. :)

45 Seconds after I tried to get the dress over my head wouldn't you know traffic picks back up. So I drove the rest of the way barefoot in a dress and blue jeans.

Don't forget, the screaming is still full throttle no matter how many times I put his pappy in his mouth.

We get to the church and Uriah needs new clothes. Changing him in the car is NOT working out so I get to bring my child, who stopped crying the minute I picked him up, into the church, in just a onesie and socks. In January. Thank GOD for Alabama weather.

By this point my whole body is hot, I'm pretty sure my face was red and I could feel my heart racing. I was legitimately getting angry with my tiny child.

I was getting ready to deal with the fact that he had become possessed and was about to turn green and do a pretty wicked backbend down some stairs.

Once he gets changed he's in a great mood..some would say too great. As if he were planning something..like taking over the wedding.

He sat so quietly..until they started. Then he wanted everyone to know that he had a "dada" and he knew how to say his name. Every time it got silent he burst out in "DADADADADADADADADADA" or just a squeal. A lady came in and sat down next to me with a baby. After Uriah yelled out what sounded like "I do" at one point(the lady laughed and asked if he really just said that or if she was hearing things), the lady leaned over to me and said "That's why we sat here, so they could talk to eachother". What I'm pretty sure she meant was "I came in and sat by your baby to make my baby look like an angel."

Ugh, Her and her good behaving baby.

I told everyone at the reception it was really her baby making all the noise.

Whoops.

I'll just be honest..all I really know about Leah and Michael's wedding was that it was decorated GORGEOUS. But that's only because I got to see all that before he started acting a fool.

During the ceremony, all I know that happened was Uriah yelled a lot and the baby next to him didn't. She made noises like twice and the mama gave her the paci and she shut up.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to start a business providing nursery workers for weddings. It would be a lot nicer of a wedding video without all the "dada"s.

Anyway, Leah, Sorry I missed your wedding even though I was there. I assume you did get married..because there was a reception. Honestly, I was in the room and probably wouldn't have even noticed if someone burst in at the "speak now or forever hold your peace" moment. Do they even do those in real life? I don't even know if I had one at my wedding..so don't feel too sad I didn't get to pay that close of attention at yours.

Fifteen blogs for the price of one.

There are three things in life that I am extremely consistent in: being inconsistent, facebook, and eating. I'm reeaaaally consistent with that last one. If it weren't for the scale adding pounds by the minute, I would seriously wait until next month to try to lose any of them.

I hate New Year's resolutions. Once again, I'm really consistent at being inconsistent. I tried setting resolutions a few years..didn't work. So I try not to set them now. I occasionally set little goals, and I try really hard not to set them in January.

This year, I was sort of embarrassed into one. Haha so I bought some sort of belly firming undergarment contraption at Dillard's on clearance because the delivery of my son left my body..um..less than ideal. I guess this makes me a REAL mom. (as if being cut in half to birth my 9lb 8oz baby boy didn't make me one.) All I need now are some super sweet Mom jeans. Anyway, the firming contraption indeed firms, and makes my belly look like a very tight,firm, 5months along pregnant belly.

But hey, its better than flab right? wrong.

I keep telling Tobi that I look pregnant. He's learned a lot since we got married..most importantly he's learned to lie. I always get the response "no you don't, you look beautiful!" "no way, you're skinny" or some other response not fit for a blog. He's learned its better to be nice than to have a crying wife who isn't speaking to you:)

Well turns out, I was right. I went to my home church last week to get Uriah after he spent the night with my parents. When I was there, a friend of ours came up and put her hand on my oh so firm belly and commented on my baby bump. ooooops! haha it probably embarrassed her more than me. One good thing pregnancy did for my body was even out my hormones apparently.For those of you who've known me for any extended period of time you know that I've been known to be..a little..umm..emotional. I used to go hide out in the bathroom and cry when my brothers made fun of me. HA! Somehow, instead of being humiliated and crying, I laughed off the mistake of my phantom pregnancy. Weird, huh? It did, however, make me decide to cut out the cokes and include excersise once again into my day. I ordered some more Advocare from my sales cousin Jeremy, and I have drank 47 gallons (or so it feels) of water today. Maybe I'll get these last ten baby lbs off (and the few I've gained since :/) and then some more.

My second little goal, isn't so little.

I've started reading my bible..all the way through. I don't know how many times I've attempted this. I always get a little bored starting at the beginning and quit. Embarrassing to admit! But this year I have a plan. Literally a plan, on my Bible App on my phone. I don't like reading the Bible on my phone, I can't concentrate and I don't feel like I'm really reading it. So I pull up the plan that has a reading from several different books everyday and read it from my leather bible..you know, the one with my name on it. :)

I think this way will be more successful. I'm reading from 4 different books of the Bible everyday, so I'm not overwhelmed with all the geneology. BUT get this: I actually learned things from the geneology this go round! Who knew there's actually meaning behind a list of a family tree? Its actually really cool to see how it all fits together.

Maybe my intentions have something to do with it.

I teach a girls small group on Wednesday nights (you'd never know it, we've been on sort of a break! Thank God we start back this week!) and one of the girls in the group gave me a devotional for Christmas. One of the first things I read from it was James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

I'm finding it more and more true. And its become my prayer daily.

If you think about it, pray with me. For me, and for yourself, and for the church as a whole. It may just make the difference on whether or not I finally complete a goal and become consistent in something other than facebook and eating. :)

Also, I keep up with a blog of a lady I've never met. Itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com (as well as several others) and she recently posted a blog about finding your passion. Then Haley Hensley posted a blog about the same blog. Ugh, Jesus likes to tell me things over and over until I get it. Am I alone in this? Lately my life has been a little...passionless. I'm content. I have a husband who makes each day better than the last, a sweet baby boy who's smile is the talk of the town, some youth I genuinely enjoy being around, not to mention a thousand other blessings.

I'm comfortable.

Too bad Jesus doesn't call us to be comfortable.

So where do I go from here? I'm now on a search for my passion. Lets be honest, my heart is in a precious country in Africa.

So I guess a more accurate description is I'm on a search for a specific purpose for my passion.

I had a brief text discussion with my brother today, about the Passion conference. (ironic?) and he told me there was a video I needed to watch from the conference about stopping sex trafficing.

I told him I sort of didn't want to watch it anymore. haha I just have a big heart for things like that. I mentioned that I couldn't even listen to my Daraja choir cd because it makes me miss Kenya and feel like a tool for living my life here and being focused on myself and my family when I've BEEN THERE. I have SEEN it with my own eyes. I've been a (very small) part of the change taking place.

His response: Do something about it.

Doesn't he know I have a child? And bills? I told him the truth. Tobi and I are talking about going back. Trying to figure out how, and when. We actually talk about it pretty frequently. Trouble is, we don't have 7 grand plus updated passports, shots, and bill money.

Brent's response? "Trust and obey.".

Sometimes I wonder why I even talk to him.

Please pray for us to follow God's guidance on actively pursuing the things God has given us a passion for.

As well as your own.

If you don't know what you're passionate about, ask God to reveal it. He's always faithful in doing so.