the harvest

Right now we're in that space between planting a seed and the harvest. We're waiting for a few things to grow. Some of them we know we need. We do our best to root ourselves in a sturdy faith that will stand the test of time while we wait upon their realization. Others, of course, we know nothing about. Sometimes we stare at the ground wondering what will fill the empty spaces.

It can be so hard trusting in God to fulfill His promises, even though he always does. Even though He always does.

We were waiting on my husband's raise at work for a long time. Company's are still pulling themselves out of the pit of recession. He finally got that raise last month. It took more effort on Ben's part than we would have ever thought necessary, not just in patience, but in advocating for himself. The Lord answered our prayer and we thought we'd be saved. Little did we know, we'd still be waiting for the difference we anticipated. It seems there is even more work to be done on our end. God is teaching us. Patience, self-control, trust.

We are waiting on other things that I will be purposefully ambiguous about. And because we are starting to catch on to some of the ways our God works, there are probably other blessings (some in disguise) waiting for us to stumble upon them.

So here we are, in the space between, waiting for the harvest. Trying not to waste the wait.

If you understand what it's like to be in this place,  please pray for us. Don't forget to let us know how we can pray for you.

happy weekend,

parenting choices

When we were getting started with wedding planning in the winter of 2007, I was starting from scratch. I hadn't looked at a single bridal magazine, lurked on The Knot or gone into any shops. It just wasn't my thing. I then found myself overwhelmed by all the questions my mom would ask me about details I hadn't yet considered. I often found myself in over my head and needing help.

Thankfully when it came to pregnancy and parenting, I did my research ahead of time. However, I still sometimes find myself overwhelmed by the list of choices to be made. There are the daily choices that are relatively easy like how to dress my son for the day, how to react when he has a mild tantrum, what to feed him and then what else I can feed him after he throws the original meal on the floor...

There are also the larger scale choices like breastfeeding or formula feeding, immunizations, cord-blood banking, sleep solutions and other individual scenarios.

Then there are what seem like no-brainer choices. Child is running a fever, give them Tylenol; child is enduring extreme teething pain on a regular basis try the most natural remedy available.

Sadly, in both of those cases we've faced recalls. By now everyone is familiar with the Tylenol recall. As a mother who trusted in their product I was furious that we had gone through 2 bottles of the affected medicines.

Recently the FDA has banned Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets. I found myself feeling the same disappointment and anger in yet another company I trusted to make a product to help, not harm, my baby. I had chosen these tablets in an effort to not over medicate my constantly teething son. I chose them over numbing gels as there's known side effects.

Yesterday a friend shared this article with me on Facebook. Now I'm not sure what to think or who to believe on this issue. I do know we'll surely stop using the teething tablets we currently have, it's not worth any risk there might be. But for the future of what the FDA could recall, I'm not sure how much weight I can put in their decisions.

So, now some choices that seemed easy from the beginning have become a bit more complicated. What do you think? If you've used these products, how have the recalls affected you + your family?