Josiah is here!

That's right. We are parents. Josiah was born January 6, 2012, 7lbs 9oz and 20.5" long. And as the one carrying him, I was happy to find out as a first time parent, that babies do, in fact, come out. I was beginning to wonder if he was just going to stay in there. A great lesson in patience, eh?

As you all know, we are very excited to be blessed with this child. The chance to be parents, and have the joy of this little one being here is something the Lord himself has put within us. Maybe we're naive (we haven't gotten to the walking stage yet, or the dreaded teenage years), yet we trust the Lord to know that His plans for us are good. Good and challenging, but always good. His word says that "Children are a gift of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3) and "blessed is the man (and woman) whose quiver is full of them" (Psalm 127:5). We are seeking the Lord how to raise him to be pleasing to God, and though we may have many nights without sleep, frustrations with crying and whining, and difficulties disciplining him, we look forward to it, knowing "that the testing of our faith produces endurance" (James 1:3).

I love the question that most people ask around a newborn, "Who does he look like?", trying to see the resemblances the child bears of either parent. Some have very definitive opinions of which parent the child looks the most like, some may not, but almost everyone is thinking this. So much so like the truth of how we, even as adults, look like our father. 

We have resemblances of our father. Which one is yours? 

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word."You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8: 42-44

"The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." I John 2:4-6

Children of God are to walk accordingly. Now don't get me wrong. I thought I was a believer for many years, because I knew the right answers and walked according to my own self-righteous deeds, but since coming to faith in Christ---Christ himself has made me to look more and more like him. He has done the work, I am just supposed to be obedient to what His word says. And why do I do it? Am I trying to look more like my father? Well yes, but I'm not trying to earn it. It's because I love Him. When Matt and I were dating, I remember him serving me in so many ways. I once came out to find him washing my car--why?---because he loved me. 

I pray that as someone who has been found by God, rescued in his grace, that I would daily look more like him. And not just in appearance to appease my pride. But that as he grows grace in my heart as a wife and mom, as a neighbor, as so many other positions...  that I would be conformed into his likeness (Romans 8:29).

Josiah is being used by the Lord to teach me biblical truths already. But sadly, even though Josiah has two parents that the Lord has redeemed by his grace, that does not automatically make him a christian. Yes, he will come to church with us, already has in fact. Will he grow up knowing the bible? Yes, as well, as memorizing many hymns and christian worship songs. But as great as it is with him growing up in a home that is seeking the Lord, the Lord himself will have to make his heart new just like he did with Matt and I. I am already having to remember that he is the "cutest little sinner I know". 

Please be praying for us as we transition to this new stage of our lives. For Matt and I as husband and wife, to walk in unity and for the glory of God in our marriage. For us as parents and being humbled in this responsibility, For Josiah, that he would grow to be a man that walks with God, and loves the Lord with all his heart, soul and mind. 

Here are just some recent snap shots that we've taken. They grow so fast so you have to take pictures practically everyday right?

Thank you friends and family for being apart of our new life :)

Christmas at the Moores!

Christmas came and went at the Moore Home

On our way back from Thanksgiving travels, we stopped to walk among the Christmas light in Johnson City.

We went and bought a beautiful 7.5 foot slim tree at target and decorated it!

Best Part of Christmas this year was our advent that Matt and I started. Advent means "coming", as in the coming of Christ, so we started by reading in Genesis 2-3 about the creation and fall of man, when the need for a Savior was first revealed. We then continued through key passages where the Lord promises the coming of Christ. It was great to walk through this together and see the scope.

Merry Christmas to all, because the reality of Christmas is still here! Christ has come to save his people from their sins...what a blessed thing this is!

60 days and counting!

Only 59 days until the expected due date! So many things I am working on until he comes...

I'm not working now, last week was my last time to volunteer at the pregnancy center, so I've been busy at home, organizing and nesting lately!
Here is the most recent book that has topped my wish list. It's a christian book that talks about managing a home in a God-glorifying way, with plenty of tips and hints on being efficient and consistent. Let's just say it fits my personality: Large Family and Logistics :)

Something else that I've been working on (while keeping up with organizing and cleaning), is what some would call a home-maintenance notebook. Growing up I would see mom with her binder that she would write Christmas lists in, meal plans, errands etc in and now coming up with my own set of organized lists just thought I would make a giant "Moore Family Binder" of my own. Only I found out that this is now a "hip Christian-wife thing" to do. I have found whole websites and online journals about how women have developed their own "family binders" and have found some good ideas from them too.

Currently mine has tabs that are labeled : To:Do list, Calendar, Cleaning(has my weekly cleaning schedule), Baby, Crafts, Grocery, Meal Plans and the list goes on. Something I am really proud of and want to keep working on before baby comes is what I have called my "grocery comparison list".  This is a snapshot of my most recent list:

This allows for me to keep a record of what places have the best deals on what groceries we buy. Then when I am looking at coupons, weekly ads or even just my grocery list, I know where a good deal is!

Just little things that hopefully will help keep parts of life organized for us. I know that if I didn't start these things now, I may never get them done once baby is here (and more babies for that matter).

Community

We live in a great place.

Last night we and some friends from church came and helped us do a "Block Party" to meet our neighbors and build relationships with these people.

We just moved into a neighborhood, and let's just say we are the ethnic minority :)

No worries. God led us here and has been blessing his fruit here. I think we have some of the best neighbors anyone could ask for. Sure we have our few: Matt intercepts a few drunks here and there, as well as some pot smoking smells in the air, but all in all---we have a really great neighborhood.


These are pictures from the block party that Matt and I helped with in one of the projects in Bryan. We had alot of kids come out!

He really wanted his picture taken!

playing games and eating lunch

Sarah was a little overwhelmed by one of the girls :) 

Halloween

Actually, its Reformation Day!

Its was October 31st that Martin Luther spoke out against the unbiblical practices of the Catholic church by posting them on the door of the cathedral ---Wahoo! Now everyone gets to read the bible in their own language and here the true gospel that salvation comes only from the Lord, by grace, through faith and its to the glory of God, not to the praise of any church. 

Matt and I decided to participate and hand out candy this year---which was alot of fun getting to see the neighbor kids and talk to their parents briefly at the door. We also carved pumpkins (something I've always wanted to do and we came up with some fairly nice ones:

Matt amd I are intense when we carve pumpkins!

Yes, Katie wore a glove to remove all the pumpkin innards out of the pumpkin

Focused on the pumpkins...

Matt is very proud on his progress so far

Katie's progress...almost there!

Finished Pumpkins!

Katie's "Cartoony House"

Matt's Pumpkin, titled "He has overcome!"

Cattle Working

That's right. I have officially "worked" cattle. Not once but twice now.

Matt's mom and stepdad own a ranch about 45 minutes north of where we live and twice a year Matt and his sister help with branding, vaccines etc., as they own a few of the cattle as well.

This time I was bale to get the vaccines ready for the guys to shoot the cows with and kept a record of which vaccines we gave to which cow.

Looking at this process makes me very grateful to be a person and not a cow when it comes to getting vaccines. Its the same process: a syringe gets filled with vaccine and gets pushed into a muscle, but I'm glad that people have a little more care taken. I really like not feeling like a cow when I go in and have doctor visits!

Blessed

Hooray for husbands that bring home flowers :)




Matt and I have an uncanny nack for finding deals on large appliances. We have purchased our washer and dryer for under $200 from searching the area. When we went looking for a refrigerator for our new house, we found one we liked, then walked about 30 feet to the back of lowes where we found the exact same fridge for half! Now Matt and I have been looking for a freezer because we like finding deals and being able to freeze them in storage. Last week, we saw this one (also a discounted appliance in the back, due to a small dent in the back) and it had a price listed on it. Matt and I looked and thought we could at least make an offer. So we both agreed how much it was were spending $400 and said our limit would be $500. Matt left to go find a clerk and ask how much it was selling for (and possibly to make an offer). The clerk told him $400, so we were set! Now we have 25 cubic feet of freezer space to fill.....



A friend and I went to see Herman Cain yesterday here in College Station. He's a top contender for the Republican Nomination for President. No big deal :) He was signing his new book in town and I took this picture, then when he walked around (he was done signing books) he came within a few feet of me!

Last night was church community group that we have every week and tonight I'm took black bean salsa. yum! Community Group is where are church breaks up into small groups that meet at people's houses and eat food, fellowship, talk about the message on Sundays and pray with and for each other. I really like the way we have small groups through church. We have inter-generational groups, which means that I get to be in a small group with people of all ages -not just college, or now, young marrieds. I enjoy being with older wiser adults, families with kids, and then younger college age as well. I think its the best biblical picture of community and "living with" (fellowship) people of all ages.