A New Season and New Lessons to Learn

Good morning! I'm reflecting this morning on God's great journey in front of me.  As I woke up to the crisp 37 degrees, dropping off my car to get fixed, and stopping by for my first Peppermint Mocha of the season, I was really reflecting.

I don't know about everyone else, but life gets busy but when you take the time to reflect and understand where you are presently and where you were at before this, you really glean some great things.  Not only that but I am listening to a sermon on sacred relationships: the flow of marriage. 

Wow.  Well good news! I have gotten my nesting & decorating started.  Speak of craziness I am in nesting mode, working 40 hours a week up until my baby comes and sometimes trying to keep our home clean, somewhat.  Trying to maintain a wonderful relationship with my husband as I'm getting baby crazy, and maintaing the balance. 

Not even that, but to remember to take care of myself, as well as my husband and this wonderful little baby girl Ellie that is kicking me daily as well as kicking my husband every now and then ;)

We are going to take a mini two day vacation at the end of this month.  Stepping out of our daily routine and taking our first road trip, getting a few things done as well as visitng St Louis Missouri and beautiful nature in southern Illinois. 

CANNOT WAIT! I have 3 countdowns going on, first is our mini vacation.  2nd is our little girl arriving, due date is November 23rd (Thanksgiving week) so we will see when this little girl decides to come join us!

I am planning a baby shower with my mother & grandmother/housewarming, which is bringing me much joy! I am trying to see my friends in the midst of adulthood schedules, life, budget, work, etc, the list goes on.  I am seeking out community where I can find it. 

It is so different the flow of life from when friends were the epicenter to  where you have jobs, families, etc. plus making new friends is a harder journey.  But I can say I am blessed by my co-workers, my boss, and the people who God has placed in my life where I am at the most.  They bless my life and bring me joy as we sit in our cubicles daily and talk about 5 o clock coming around, and talk about random things (since most of us are women anyways). 

Soon I will not be working.  I will be at home with a baby, taking care of , and trying to seek out community but also caring and being exhausted (from what I hear with sleep).  We will see whether it keeps me in more, being more of a homebody.  Or will I just be taking Ellie on journies daily as we take adventures.  I'll keep you updated. 

Not only that but balancing life, career, God's call, and as for now starting in end of November & December I get to focus on a new chapter, wife & motherly duties being my main focus. 

Then soon I will be looking for part time social work jobs closer to where I live as I have been traveling 1 hour back and forth every day to get to work & back. 

As for marriage, it is a blessing to always have someone with you and by your side in all moments, learning to be selfless, learning personalities, going through changes together, and trusting in God and also leaving things in God's hands even when you so bad want to do your social work magic, that is one of the things in social work is you are helping someone help themselves, you do not have control, but you have a God that you can release your frustrations to, and also praying for your husband or wife is a very powerful thing.  It can help and I have seen that in the last 5 months of my marriage. 

Know that no one is perfect, and a healthy marriage has arguments, it's normal, because you have a man's mind & a woman's mind with different ideas working.  So don't be freaked out if ya'll have a disagreement.  It's bound to happen, but if you have love & respect you can talk it out, and also know that is important. If you have God first, then your spouse, then the other things of life, you will learn a balance.  Without the love of God you cannot fully love your spouse, because you don't even know or can't even fathom what life is like.  Be on a team, not be two seperate items.  A team works together, meets in the middle, and makes the team work, give and take, 50/50, 90/10, etc. 

I love my husband, he brings me joy each day when he gets home from work, and he is such a good provider, hardworker, loves me no matter what my emotions or feelings might be like.  I have learned in marriage, many things change, you grow, but you have that initial friendship, companionship, along with seeking God together that will keep your relationship flowing. 

Ephesians 5 New International Version (NIV)
5 ¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^{[a] 6} Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Christian Households

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^{[c] 32} This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

I was reflecting on Ephesians and thinking about this.  I am learning a lot, in being married, preparing to be a mother, and preparing to start being at home more often than not.

I pray God blesses us all in our journeys, in singleness, in marriage, in parenthood, etc.  all the chapters and so thankful for the Bible and it's wise instruction along with many friends, sermons, and wonderful ways to comprehend the many changes of life. 

I pray you all would glean something from this.  As well as I'm so excited as I am 35 weeks pregnant, 35 more days to go, to nest, to enjoy just me and my husband, 66 days until Christmas, and to decorate for my favorite holiday of the year as a wife & our first home together! God is good! He has great blessings out of every chapter :) I am so thankful for what He is doing in our life and we could not be more joyful :)

God Bless,

Mrs Perez (Heather Cheryl Perez)

Yay! :)