IT TAKES A VILLAGE

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image via

It takes a village to raise a child. I am a major believer in that phrase. In my pre-baby life I would hear the phrase and then smile and nod. Yes, it takes a village but 'I got this' was my previous mantra. Pre-baby, I would be so proud of the fact that I was an independent woman! Sure, I relied on God sometimes but help from others? no, it's okay, I got this. I didn't want to be a bother and I was confident that I could do things all by my lonesome. And then I had a baby.

Before Luca, I thought, oh a baby! It will be so darling! We'll just go to the backyard and lounge all day and instagram.....(insert crazy/crying laugh HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA). Sorry to burst your bubble (if you are a little bit naive like I was) but becoming a parent has been the hardest thing I have ever done. And I like to think that I have done hard things. Lead teams of volunteers, live in another country at 18, direct conferences, preach, missions trips, run a half marathon, etc, etc...yep, becoming a parent has been harder than all of those things put together. I have seen more tears in the past 6 weeks than in the past 6 months, heck, probably the past 6 years. Oh, how I needed (and still need) my village.

The first two weeks were INSANE. I was a teary, snotty, anxious mess. All of a sudden my world was turned upside down. I had been entrusted this tiny, crying baby who didn't come with a manual. Oh, and my body was feeling as if it had done 6 marathons. Oh and did I mention I was hardly sleeping, ha. I didn't like going into public because I would burst into tears if someone asked me how I was. I lashed out at James way too often. I constantly watched Luca because I was paranoid he would suddenly stop breathing. But my village intervened.

My village made meals when my only goal of the day was to feed my baby...shower if I'm lucky. My village helped with housework and laundry (true friends right there). My village answered my constant questions and gave advice with no judgement. My village held my baby so I could nap. My village gave me hugs, kind words from God and prayers that I needed so desperately. My village blessed my baby with clothes, diapers and toys. My village poured out love and brought flowers. My village reminded me that God chose me to be Luca's mom and that He would give me all that I need. My village loved on James too. My village reminded us that as parents, our need for God would be greater than ever and that's a good thing.

Oh, how I love my village.

My village showed me that it's okay to ask for help. My village showed me that it's essential to accept help. My village revealed how much I need my village. My village inspired me to look around and be a village to others.

We are not meant to be alone. God never intended us to do this whole life thing alone. I'm extremely extroverted and I still have to be constantly reminded that I can't do this alone. Community can be a messy thing...people are complicated but it can also be a very beautiful thing. I hope and pray that you have a village like my village.

My village reminded me of who I was and that I was capable. And I'm proud to say that at six weeks postpartum, I know with all of my heart that that is true. I'm doing this mom thing and I have confidence (imagine that!) and I don't cry everyday anymore, ha! It's still hard but I truly believe that 'I got this'....but not on my own...with the support of my amazing God and my village.

I love you my village and wouldn't be the momma I am without you...you know who you are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

XO,
laura

SO LOVED

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It's Good Friday & Easter weekend and amidst the craziness of organizing services for almost 2000 people, my heart is reminded to pause and remember the why of it all. 

For God SO LOVED the world that HE GAVE His one and only son.

I am loving the simple crossequalslove campaign from Hillsong because it puts the message out so clearly and simply. He loves you.

Happy Easter weekend everyone. If you're looking for a church to attend, come to mine :) I guarantee you'll be surprised.

xoxo,
laura

IT'S A NEW SEASON (+ FREE DOWNLOAD)

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Spring is finally here! I wrote this post on instagram a little while ago but wanted to share it on here as well....

"Spring is coming, which always reminds me that the winter season can't last forever because hope is on its way 💕 "Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, it will be spring again."

There's something so incredible about a new season. God knew what he was doing when he created seasons. Our hearts can handle only so much Winter...I need that newness that Spring brings, I need those lazy days of Summer and even those hard working days of Fall...each season always brings its blessings and challenges and I am always so thankful for the next one. So may your heart be encouraged that it's a new season. Spring is here, winter is over, and God has something new in store for you.

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
-Isaiah 43:18-19

So I made you a couple backgrounds to remind you that it is a new season! Just click below to download.

 PRINT  //  IPHONE WALLPAPER  // DESKTOP WALLPAPER
 

XO!
laura

OUR PREGNANCY STORY

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I've been waiting awhile to share our pregnancy story. It's a bit of a complicated story because there are other stories intwined with it. But it's a story of God's goodness, so I just can't not share it with you. Just a disclosure- this may be a bit TMI as I talk about cycles and ovaries and all that fun stuff haha...don't say I didn't warn you!

When James and I got married, we knew we wanted to wait awhile before having kids. So I went with the IUD as birth control knowing I had a good five years of not having babies. But after two years of marriage, the ovaries started yearning. Little, cute babies everywhere with all their cute baby things...oh that can do some damage to your ovaries.

But James was still in school and then we bought a house so we decided to wait to start trying. Until we had dinner with some awesome pastors who encouraged us re: having babies while we were young. After some prayer and chats, we decided that I would get my IUD taken out and we would give it a go! Surely we wouldn't get pregnant right away.

And we were right as much as I didn't want to be right. The ol' IUD peaced out in early March and I didn't get pregnant until September. My body took a little bit of time to get on track and then James was travelling with Towers & Trees during a number of my "fertile windows" ha. It got to be a bit frustrating during the summer as I discovered my cycle going from 30 days to 32 to 40 (!!!!) to 35. When I look back on my app that tracked all that, we ended up just missing my fertile window days almost every month lols. During those months when my cycle was longer than normal, I obviously took pregnancy tests. I had a friend who hooked me up with those free stick ones so I couldn't not take them (they were freee!) 

I admit it was definitely disheartening to dip the stick and only see one line when it seemed that everyone was getting pregnant around me. But God gave me peace about it and I knew it would happen when it would happen.

September came around and James was in town the whole month. BOOYAH! This was our month to actually "try". Because my cycle was unpredictable, we decided to strategize a bit. So for a two week period let's just say we "tried" a lot. This also happened to be during our local rock festival, Rifflandia, where James played two shows at...so I can proudly say my son was conceived during a rock festival that his daddy played at (pretty freaking awesome, if you ask me, ha!!)

So fast forward a couple weeks...I decide not to test until at least day 32. I didn't feel pregnant. Some women know they're pregnant the second they conceive...I was not one of those. 

But I had a dream.

Let's get this straight though. I dream a lot. I've even had dreams about babies before but this dream was different. I don't even particularly remember what exactly happened in the dream except for the fact that I was pregnant and my sister was pregnant too. I woke up and just knew it was from God. I knew that I was pregnant. I even recorded it in my journal. 

I remember telling James when he woke up and I could tell he thought I was a little crazy. He knew I heard from God but this had been something that had been on my mind for a long time, so logically I could have just had a dream. But I KNEW....like I said before, I didn't feel pregnant but I knew that God was telling me I was. I told a couple friends as well, along with my sister. 

Now my sister was on her own fertility journey. Her and her husband had been trying for almost two years. So it was with so much joy and such a privilege that I could share that God was going to make her dreams come true.

So I waited five long days to test. I still wanted to wait until day 32 to test. I felt so crazy over those five days. One minute I would be talking to my belly saying "Oh hello little guy!" (which was my first instinct that I was having a boy) and other times I'd be talking to God, "Am I crazy? Did I just make that dream up?" 

But Monday morning came and I woke up before six like a kid on Christmas morning. I bolted to the bathroom, peed into a cup and then dipped the stick that would change my life. Immediately two lines appeared. Thank you Jesus. First of all, I'm not crazy...and second of all, but really first of all, I couldn't believe how amazing God is, that he would tell me in a dream that I was pregnant!!! I took two more tests to be sure.

I then woke James up with the news...and this is the one thing I regret. Man all you people who wait to tell your husbands and come up with really cute, creative ways...how do you do that!! I just could not hold it in. James obviously was so excited but he is not a morning person and it was 6am...so let's just say I didn't get the reaction that I wanted and next time I will wait till he's fully awake before I announce the news, lols. 

We told a few close friends and I excitedly called my sister to let her know that a. God was right, I was pregnant and b. she would be pregnant soon. James and I announced our exciting news to both our families one week later over our joint Thanksgiving dinner and that was the best.

And guess what? 5 weeks after I found out that I was pregnant, my sister got the news too. And we just found out she's having a little girl. Little boy and girl cousins who will be born five weeks apart.

HOW GOOD IS GOD!!!! I'm still in awe of his goodness as I feel our little lion kicking away. I can't say I haven't had fears (so many) but his promise has kept me grounded through it all. My faith has grown as I've seen this miracle grow in my sister as well.

And I know some of you don't share this story. Pregnancy is such a crazy, vulnerable thing, my heart breaks as I know so many who have experienced loss but all I can say is, God knows your heart, he is faithful, he is good and he's still at work in your story. Don't you forget that.

Love you to the moon & back,
Laura

ILLUMINATE 2016

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Illuminate 2016. Oh you were so sweet. This was the 7th year we've done Illuminate...incase you're wondering what Illuminate is, it's a conference our church puts on for girls in grades 6-12. We put it on to inspire, encourage and equip girls to live the life God has called them to! Those teenage years were some of my darkest years and I know I would have so benefitted from an environment where I heard of Christ's love for me and that I was not alone in this thing called life. We also encourage the girls to be themselves, they are not objects, they do not need to compare themselves to others on instagram or be something that they're not....they are GOLD just as they are! We also like to PARTY...dance parties, lots of food and special productions (like James singing Bruno Mars- Treasure to the girls as confetti fell from the ceiling #heartmelt)

It's a little crazy doing something 7 years in a row but again I am amazed and in awe of what God did!  He always does something new. I've heard so many stories of so many girls meeting with Jesus. Even if He speaks to one girl, all the work is worth it. I've heard stories that for some girls, this is the highlight of their year...again I'm so humbled that we get to be a part of that.

I'm so thankful for our amazing team who volunteered countless hours to make this the best Illuminate yet! We were also so blessed to have guest speaker Nicole Reyes come to us from NYC...she's phenom.

Most Photos by Stephanie Christo Photography & Photos of Nicole Reyes & the Panel by Behind Elissa's Lens

I'm already looking forward to planning next year!!

XO!

-laura