Quiet Time

Quiet time is what I need - every day. I call my devotional time my "quiet time", and I need that every day too. But I also just need time to myself that's quiet. If you put a label on people, I would definitely have the "introvert" label. That means that I get energized by alone time, whereas extroverts get energized by being around people.

It's been more difficult lately to find that time. One, because I have a 9 month old who has lately decided that everything within her reach should be crumpled, banged on the floor, and then eaten. Two, because I am living in transition and don't have a home of my own where I can go into hiding. (Sad, I know...but exciting too!)

But having some time to myself makes my day go so much better usually. So, I've realized that to make this happen, all I have to do is ask my wonderful husband. Sometimes I get huffy and irritable, thinking that he should just read my mind and know that I need him to watch Evangeline for half an hour so I can go outside for a little bit. Well, he can't read my mind but he does listen and try to make me happy when he can. So I ask and I receive. Yay for wonderful, sweet husbands! 

A Day in the Life

Well, there is not really any such thing as a normal day since we moved from Wake Forest. But here is a day in my life as it is now. :) Maybe I'll do another one of these when we get to Pennsylvania.

A little before 7am...looking for mama to feed her!

 8:15 am--Getting McDonalds on the way to visit Angel at the market in New Smyrna Beach

9:30ish--She stayed happy in the basket for about 5 seconds! And I couldn't just

choose one of the pictures I took right then, so I included the next two as well...

10:15am--Still at the market listening to the Beu sisters sing oldies and dancing with Granna

11:45am--Finally home and Uncle Josh is back from taking his comprehensive exams! Yay!

12:45pm--Eating at Pit Masters in DeLeon Springs...Evangeline liked to suck the bones!

1:55pm--Adam decided to brave the love bug invasion and change the oil before we leave on Monday.

 3:00pm--Baby's down for a nap! I decided to work on our new blog.

4:30pm--Evangeline woke up but was not a happy camper the rest of the day.

Daddy decided to walk her around while watching 'Eureka', our new obsession.

5:45pm--I decided to carry her in the Ergo while I started dinner. She still wasn't happy,

but she stayed pretty content as long as I was moving around. And I was able to get something done!

 6:30pm--Adam took over dinner when I realized I only had half an hour left to do a whole lot of packing,

since we won't be around much Sunday and are leaving early Monday morning.

(Oh, and I couldn't choose between these two either!--also 6:30pm)

7:55pm--Baby finally in bed! I got to enjoy my dinner (albeit after everyone else had finished)

with my parents and sister Angel for the last time this trip. Lower quality photo because I accidentally left the camera in Evangeline's room and wasn't about to risk waking her up! So it was taken on Adam's phone.

*picture coming*

9:30pm--Relaxing with the family in front of the TV before bed.

~Hannah~

Discipline, Part 2

Well, speaking of a lack of discipline...it's been a while since I wrote that I was going to be writing "over the next few days"! Oh well. My friend Amanda wrote a blog post recently, and whenever she does it reminds me to, so here I go.

I have actually been doing better with being disciplined about having my quiet time. I say this today, of course, when I have yet to spend that wonderful time alone with Jesus. But overall, ever since we've arrived in Florida it has been easier to keep a schedule with things like that. I also just started a new Bible study. It's on the life of John, by Beth Moore. Having a structured Bible study seems to be important for me--at least at this time in my life.

The other thing I am really excited about is that Adam and I have finally become consistent in having a devotions time together. A big part of that is us having the same sleep schedule for once, but I think we have also come to realize how important it is for us as a couple. We are listening to/reading Jeremiah, talking about it, and praying together. I really believe that our marriage is becoming stronger because of this, and that makes me so happy!

I probably won't finish this little series on discipline. There are still lots of smaller things to be disciplined about, of course. But at this season of life, my spiritual discipline is really the main thing that matters. I don't have a home to take care of and I am not taking any classes (although I do still have reading to finish before training!). 

Discipline, Part 1

Don't worry, I'm not talking about disciplining Evangeline...yet. :-)

I'm talking about discipline for myself. Or maybe, my lack thereof. I struggle every single day to make myself do the things that I know I should be doing, but for some reason don't want to do (anyone else reminded of Paul?). They are not painful things. (Ok, exercise can be painful.) They're just things that I feel are important to living a healthy life, spiritually and physically. And things that are important in my quest to continue "becoming excellent".

I started reading 'The Discipline of Grace', and was so thankful for just the first few chapters, because they fit exactly with how I've been feeling regarding my lack of discipline. The author writes about how we seem to have it in our mind that if we have a bad day spiritually, God will withhold blessings from us because of that. And if we have a good day spiritually, He will be more likely to bless us. This isn't true though. Even if we completely understand that we are saved by grace, we forget that we are also to live by grace. Praise the Lord for this, because I need all the grace I can get. Thinking about it, I've realized that some of the biggest blessings I've received have been on days I've deserved them the least.

All that to say, while I want very badly to do better at being disciplined, and I do feel that it is a matter of bringing glory to God in all that I do, I am not writing this because I necessarily feel guilty (anymore). I am writing because it's nice to get it out there, and to have some "virtual" accountability. And maybe even be able to encourage someone else who lacks discipline.

I'll write posts over the next few days about things I want to be more habitual about but haven't because of lack of discipline.

The Never-ending To-Do List

I usually like to-do lists. They keep me on track and I love that feeling of checking stuff off. The best part is when I look at the list and realize everything is done and I can have some relax time without feeling guilty!

Recently, however, I have developed a never-ending to-do list of things to be done before moving day. It is stuck up on the refrigerator, taunting me all day long. Half the time I add something to this list without checking anything off that day. I loathe this list. It makes me feel overwhelmed, unaccomplished, and guilty whenever I'm doing something that's not on the list.

I also have this terrible tendency to just not do anything if I feel like I can't do everything. I don't know why this is. I think it has connections with my tendency to not want to play games if I can't win, or answer questions I'm not 100% positive about, or try anything that I am pretty sure I'll fail at...ok, it's called pride.

Lord, in the middle of my overwhelmed, unaccomplished, guilty, prideful, worried and tired life, help me to remember to be still and know that You are God. You will not give me more than I can handle. Everything on my to-do list will eventually be done, and even if it's not the world will go on. Thank you for giving me peace beyond understanding and the strength to do what must be done. Thank You most of all that I do not need to do anything to receive grace and salvation from Jesus...He finished that list on the cross.

A little more info for you...

I figured that after my last post, maybe I should go ahead and give you some more information on what's going on...like, where I'm going! Here is the update email we sent out a few days ago. If you already got that then you don't need to read this--no new information yet!
P.S. Do you think it's weird that the email was written in third person? I just couldn't figure out a better way to word it.

Dear friends and family,

Hello from the Sharick family! We hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer so far. Hopefully most of you know by now that we have a beautiful baby girl, Evangeline Zoe. She will be 6 months old on June 30th and is so much fun! We're attaching a picture of the three of us. Adam is working at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center nearby...it is the top rated in the country and has been a really great place for him to work. He enjoys it and financially it has helped us out a lot, especially with a new baby! Hannah is still babysitting an almost 2 year old little girl two days a week. She brings Evangeline with her and practices for the future when we have more than one child. (-:

The other big news is that Adam is done with his stateside classes at the seminary here in Wake Forest, and we've officially been accepted by the International Mission Board to serve as missionaries for two years in Tokyo, Japan! Adam will graduate with his M.Div. in International Church Planting when we return.

We are so excited to have this opportunity to go do what we know God has been calling us to for several years. We will be working alongside the missionaries who are already there, as well as Japanese Christians, to do church planting, evangelism, and discipleship--particularly among the urban young adult crowd. We have been hearing about so many great things happening and can't wait to be a part of what God is doing there right now.

Our schedule for the rest of the year will be pretty chaotic. We will be leaving Wake Forest at the end of August to spend 3 weeks in Florida with Hannah's family. From there we will go up north to spend 3 weeks in Pennsylvania with Adam's family. We will then have 8 weeks of training near Richmond, VA. Training will end December 16th, and from there we'll have about two weeks before we arrive in Japan! Our scheduled arrival date is December 30th, 2011...Evangeline's 1 year old birthday!

If you are a Christ-follower, we would love for you to partner with us in prayer as we prepare to go and when we are there. Also, if you are near Wake Forest/Raleigh, in Central Florida, or near Pittsburgh and you think your church would be interested in learning more about what we're setting out to do, let us know! We will try our best to come and talk to whoever is interested. We can use all the support we can get.

Here are some of our prayer requests/praises for right now:

• Praise that we got medical clearance and have been officially accepted by the IMB! It was a long and sometimes frustrating process, so it's a wonderful feeling to be through that.
• Pray for us as we get ready to move. Packing is stressful, especially knowing that there is a very limited amount that we can take! Pray that we will have wisdom in weeding out the material possessions that are not worth taking or storing.
• Pray that our marriage will be strengthened during this time.
• Pray that we will continue to grow in our personal relationships with Christ.
• Pray for Evangeline during this time of transition...change is hard for little ones (ok, it's hard for us too!).
• Pray that we will be able to raise the money we need. Although the IMB will cover all our living expenses while we are in Japan, we are required to raise the money we need for travel expenses to Adam's modular classes and tuition. The total we'll need to raise before training begins is going to be close to $9,000-$10,000. Pray that God will provide this through the churches and many people who are supporting us.
• Another financial prayer request is that we will be able to pay off Hannah's student loans, or come close to it, before we leave. We have been able to save quite a bit towards them so far, but it would be great to have those behind us before we leave! 

Thank you so much for supporting us this far. We can't wait to see what God is going to do in the next few years. 

Let us know if you have any questions or want more information!

So I go

I realized the other day that even though I want to be a missionary and I want to tell people about Jesus, if I didn't know that God was calling me to go live in a different country, I wouldn't. I like it here too much. Of course, I would go where Adam went...but if I hadn't been sure that I was supposed to go overseas, he probably wouldn't have married me. My desire to stay where I am comfortable is very strong. VERY strong. It's only the fact that I know that this is what God has given us to do that keeps me going, and keeps me joyful about it, too. How can I not find joy in the fact that my Lord is sending me and my family on such an important mission? So my flesh wants to stay here, where I can see my friends and family, where I can speak the language, where people are "like" me, where I'm surrounded by other believers, where I have a wonderful church family, where I don't stick out everywhere I go because I have blond hair and blue eyes, where I know my way around, where I can read labels when I grocery shop...

But my spirit says go. The Holy Spirit within me says go.

And so I go.

Modesty Revisited

A little more than a year ago I wrote a a blog about modesty. I got quite a bit of flack about it because I was really harsh on women...looking back I realize that I deserved that flack and that I could have written something that would have expressed how I felt and been much more edifying.  My body has changed since being pregnant and breastfeeding, and I'm  getting a taste of how difficult it can be to be modest. That is not an excuse to be immodest...I am just much more sympathetic to those who struggle with what to wear everyday.

That's why I want to share this blog post I found which was written by a lady here at the Seminary on the Women's Life blog. It's encouraging, edifying, and convicting. Best of all, the cross is at the center of it. Please read it and know that I'm sorry if I offended you with my previous post. I hope that you'll continue to be modest for the sake of the cross.

Perseverance in Modesty

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

To Make Lunch for Him

Do you make lunch for your husband before he goes to work?

My mom got up early and made lunch for my dad a lot of days, and I think she still does. I always pictured myself doing that for my husband, but I rarely do. Of course, his work schedule is weird...he works three days a week and actually takes two lunches each day because the shifts are so long and he's doing manual labor the whole time. He has never made me feel guilty or bad for not making his lunches...every once in a while he'll ask me to make the sandwiches or put together leftovers if he's rushed, but usually he just gets it all together for himself.

So, wives of working husbands...should I make lunch for him? Is it my wifely duty?

HM4HB

I think one of the coolest things I've found recently is an organization called 'Human Milk 4 Human Babies'.

I LOVE that I've been able to exclusively breastfeed my baby girl...I don't think anyone would argue that 'breast is best', and what a blessing it has been that it came relatively easy for me and Evangeline, especially after the first two weeks. But two of my friends who had babies around the same time as me have had quite a bit of trouble with breastfeeding. One was unable to continue because her supply almost completely dwindled for no apparent reason. The other persevered and is now successfully breastfeeding, but at quite a large cost (of time and money, since she pumped a lot and she bought donor milk to supplement for a while, which can cost about $20 a bottle). Knowing these two wonderful ladies and the struggles that they have had made me much more sympathetic towards those who end up using formula. **I am not sympathetic towards those who use formula without even trying to breastfeed or because of nonsense reasons. But no soapbox here.**

This is how we fed breast milk to Evangeline for her first two weeks.

So a couple weeks ago I was reading this blog I enjoy, and she was writing about how she participated in donating milk to someone through this organization, HM4HB. I ended up looking on Facebook for their North Carolina page, and was amazed at how awesome it is. People post on the wall when they are in need of breast milk...some are moms who just couldn't breastfeed for whatever reason, some have adopted babies and want them to have breast milk. Then, someone else who has more than enough pumped milk and is in their area responds to their post to set up a time to meet. 

I realize that not everyone would be comfortable with taking milk from a stranger...a legitimate concern, and one I would probably struggle with if I was the one needing breast milk for my baby. However, if the site was selling the milk, I'd be much more concerned. When there is really no benefit to the mother giving her milk away, I can't see why she would knowingly give away tainted milk. That's my opinion at least...I do tend to be optimistic about people in general, but I really don't think there are many people out there who would knowingly make a tiny baby sick.

Anyways, if I had an electric double pump and a little extra time, I would be donating milk to some of those mothers...there are quite a few that post within my area, and I've had a very good supply since week one. How cool is it that mothers can network together over Facebook and help each other do what is best for their babies?

Yes, that really is a cloth diaper!

Last month I took a train ride down to Florida with Evangeline (much easier than expected!). On the way back, there was a nice lady sitting next to me who let me change Evie's diaper on her seat. When I took her diaper off and put it in the wetbag (a waterproof bag for dirty cloth diapers), she took the bag and started walking down the aisle toward the trash can!! I said 'Oh, those are cloth diapers!'. She looked surprised and brought them back...she said it's a good thing I said something or those diapers would have been goners. She also said she was wondering why those diapers looked so cute. I have explained to so many people in the past months how the "new" cloth diapers work, and have had so many people say something along the lines of 'Wow, they've come a long way since I (or my mom) used them!'.

I have really enjoyed my adventures in cloth diapering. I remember a few months into my pregnancy when I was researching and deciding whether or not to cloth diaper...it was so completely overwhelming, I ended up bawling my eyes out after spending several hours online and getting totally confused, feeling like I would be a terrible mother because I didn't even know what kind of diaper I wanted to use. After a bit more research and talking to some others who cloth diaper, I finally decided to go for it, and it has been one of the best decisions I have made for our family.

This is her first time wearing one of our cloth diapers...she was only four weeks old, so she kind of swam in them! But they still didn't leak, and she has grown into them since then.

We mostly use Flip diapers, by Cottonbabies. We also have a few Kawaii and Fuzzibunz pocket diapers that we use at night.

Evie with Grandma S...how cute is that jean print?!

I'm not going to write a 'Top 10 reasons to Cloth Diaper' post since it's been done a lot in the blogging world, although if you want to see them you can go here. (Sweetbottomsbaby.com is my favorite place to buy cloth diapers, by the way....free shipping on any order!) I will say that the #1 reason we chose to cloth diaper was economical. It is way cheaper! We've spent probably about $200 on cloth diapers (and some of that is just because I couldn't resist a cute diaper, not that we needed it). The diapers we have are all one size diapers (they adjust from about 8-35 lbs), so they'll last until potty training most likely. I seriously doubt I'll be able to resist buying a few more, especially when they go on sale, but still...if you're really strapped for cash, you can definitely get away with spending about $150 total. There will be a few ongoing costs, like a special diaper rash ointment (although most cloth diapered babies get a lot fewer diaper rashes) and a special laundry detergent (although I found a detergent that will probably last about 150 loads for $11...not bad!). Our water bill is a little higher, but electric is being less affected because I hang dry the diapers every time I can (added benefit to hang drying is that the sun gets any stains out!). We've also got mostly neutral colored diapers, so we can use them on our next child too...more savings!

So all that to say, I love cloth diapering Evangeline! If you want to find out more about it feel free to ask me, but I would recommend going to this blog. Autumn Beck has a lot of good posts about how to cloth diaper and making it work for your family, and she's great about responding to questions...but be sure to check out her recommendations first, since she probably has the answer to your question there somewhere. I really hope that if you are pregnant or have a baby you'll consider using cloth diapers...it might not be for everyone, but if I can do it, anyone can do it.

I've been working on becoming an excellent wife to Adam for 1 year and 8 months, and becoming an excellent mother to Evangeline for 3 months.

Tick Tock

The clock is running down on my time for writing a new post this week!! This one doesn't count...it's just meant to serve as a reminder that I have to write tomorrow, or I'll have failed my challenge after just one week! Ahh...I think I will write a little bit about my experience with cloth diapers so far. I'm a little bit obsessed with them right now, so it's a good thing to write about. (-:

Tomorrow!

The Challenges

Challenge #1: Successfully take 335 days of pictures. (Started 1/30...it's hard to start anything 1/1 when you had a baby on 12/30!)
Progress: 4 down, 331 to go!

Evangeline's 1 Month Picture--1/30/11

1/31/11

2/1/11

2/2/11

Challenge #2: Write at least one blog post a week.
Progress: 1 down, at least 47 more to go this year.

Challenge #3: Continue learning how to become an excellent wife, as well as mother.
Progress: Working on it...(-: I love being a mom, and I STILL love being a wife. I'm even loving finding the balance between the two. Both are still hard, but both are incredibly worth it. Evangeline is almost 5 weeks old now, and we're settling in to a new normal...I'm going to start back nannying next week, and be able to bring the baby with me. I've also started taking Theology (that should make for some interesting posts) one night a week...that helps me feel like I still have a little bit of a life that's not centered around babies. d-: Evangeline is going about three hours between feedings, sometimes four at night...which means the most sleep I've gotten in a row for the past five weeks is about 3 1/2 hours. But I'm pretty amazed at how well I'm still able to function! The house isn't falling apart, I'm not bawling my eyes out everyday, and I think I'm going to be able to keep up with my classwork.

I'm looking forward to a new year (sorry I'm behind a month), and updating you on my new normal. (-: