What faith really looks like.

So one of the most amazing ladies I have ever met had a baby last week. A little boy named Isaiah. She was 33 weeks along and he was born via scheduled c-section. And she goes in later this week for a 3rd brain surgery to fight her 3rd bout with brain cancer.

This is what love looks like. This is what I think is often missing in my life-the ability to live life out loud. To grab fear by the tail and whip it into outer space.

Here is part of her story.  She is a hero: a mother, a wife, a friend, a fighter, a daughter of the Most High.  I am telling you-her faith is a life changer for so many people. I have sat next to her bed praying in tears with her amazing friends and family.  She is what legacy's are made of.

Life big. Live out loud. Live faithfully.

Purpose (and 28 weeks) and Joy.

Morning, lovely, lovely peoples!

Something our pastor said last week that has had me thinking ever since then:

No, but really.  What if I lived like someone who deeply desired everyone to know the love of Jesus: everyone from the homeless people at nearly every stoplight in PDX to the people who don't want to talk about religion at all (PS: I don't like "religion" and neither does Jesus :) Religion is man's attempt to get to God versus accepting God's grace coming to us)?  Tough Monday question but one worth asking and one that has had me convicted for a week.

Also, I introduce to you the Christmas (I was soooo happy it fit-barely...) shirt I put on today (as well as the 7 month belly).  Oh, and one more wee fact for those of you who have not been pregnant, a detail which I was totally unaware.  Did you know women are actually pregnant for 9 months and 3 weeks which means...it is almost 10 months!!!  I know, and people out there thought I only had two months to go :)  

xoxo, an often pensive soul

Anna N

Babe-thanks for working so hard again this weekend. You become more awesome (and funny) everyday I know you.

Ladies-PLEASE wait for awesomeness.

From a pure heart.

I have been more than honored to know my Little for almost four years (next March).  She is by far the most beautiful 16 year old I have ever encountered and my husband and I are always speaking of how amazing her walk through life is (in the midst of quite a few trials) at such a young age. 

She has all of the things that I desire our children to have: a love for God and a desire to know Him, a seriously deep beauty, conviction, passion, faithfulness (how beautiful in a 16 year old!), and dreams.

Here is something she just wrote that I thought I would share to hopefully encourage each of you "to be more child-like."

Lesley-you are one of the greatest gifts God has ever shown me.  It makes me tear up to think that He brought you into my life because you have entirely blessed and convicted me to live differently.  Thank you.

"All people have dreams they want to achieve or the majority of us do .A few days ago I was laying in bed and I realized how I didn't really know what to do with my life. I strangely sat in my room and started asking god what was my calling.. Surgery was something that I always found interesting.I remember being the age of twelve or thirteen and watching television shows on surgery! I have always been a fan of science. Though I figured that being a surgeon would be cool after becoming one what was I going to do? Later on that night I watched a video called Remember Nhu (www.remembernhu.org).This was my inspiration. As all people's callings should be based upon my heart was calling me to love people and help them. A summery of my dreams/calling.

I want to become a heart surgeon and use all the money to make or support organizations to fight against sex trafficking in other countries.Its horrible how these girls get treated and don't get to choice who they want to lose their virginity to.This is important because they are terribly broken and need god. I then want to buy a house and adopt or at least help all orphans and foster kids and teach them about gods unconditional love. I would rather adopt them all and become their mom but I don't really know.Furthermore I want to build a church or help build one in some other country.Most importantly become and be a women more of god I want to extremely love. 

I know this dream of mine is quite big. Some people even think impossible but with god and ambition nothing is.I've realized it's easier to have ambition for doing something if your doing it for someone else than yourself.In this case I'm doing it for him. I made the LORD almighty a promise a couple weeks ago on making a change in this world and I am going to do so.I am going to try.After all it took 1,OOO tries to finally create a light bulb(:

Now I would dearly love for you to try and live out your dreams.It might be put aside for a while because of family, problems, marriage and children not that any of these things are bad.Its important to know that it's okay as long as you return working on your goals, people after a period of time give up. Achieving them or trying to is what counts."

As Timothy Keller so eloquently states: "No child dreams of sitting in a cubicle when they grow up. They dream of changing the world. There is a mission."

"What Men Really Want"

I found this through some meandering through www.goodwomenproject.com and "wow."  ALL should read what this guy writes about. I am always telling my girlfriends to wait and then men desire so much more than we think (meaning past sex, lust, "hotness", etc. ).  

Please, please, please go this link and encourage all men you know that the true desires of their heart are real. That there is a God who created man in His image for His glory and for insane beauty-beauty that is comprehended when God is taken for who He is and we saw ourselves in His reflection.

I recently had a conversation with a lovely lady who said she went on a date with a guy who was rather "physical."  She said she wasn't that type and didn't want that to be central to a relationship and that she desired more. He teared up.  I believe his soul knew that he wanted more but his flesh told him it wasn't worth waiting for...

I know seeing myself in His eyes changed my life.  I am often asked why I tell people to have higher standards (not mulah, friends, I am talking about character) and this alone is the reason.  I know who I was created to be and I feel ALL have that desire within them that they were created for something so much more.

"What Men Really Want"