My Own Sweet By & By

So, I know some people may be wondering how I came up with my title to my blog.  While thinking, I came up with the traditional names, you know, "A day in the life of," "Katie's Story," etc.  None of them seemed to fit,and I wanted something somewhat unique.  Growing up in church, I love the old traditional hymns and this is one of my favorites.

"There's a land that is fairer than day,

and by faith we can see it afar;

for the Father waits over the way,

To prepare us a dwelling place there.

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore;

In the sweet by & by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore."

While I know that the time we all go to Heaven will be a wonderful "by & by."  I plan on making my life here on this earth as sweet as possible.  Never taking a single day for granted, and taking a moment to thank God for all his many blessings.  Especially now, now that I have married the love of my life, have a job that I love, and a little girl who has my whole heart!

I think I have always been one, with my Type A personality, to look for something better... there has to be a way to make things even MORE perfect.  Well motherhood changed all that, because I believe nothing is more perfect than my little girl, and it really toned me down a little bit.  She is my own personal miracle.  No, we didn't have troubles getting pregnant, or have any health problems, or any difficulties during pregnancy.  We were very fortunate in that account.  Every day that she smiles, cries, and coos just melts my heart that much more and has brought me so much closer to God, because I know that she came from Him.  She is our gift from Him, and for that I owe Him everything.  I no longer look to see how things can be "better," because in my eyes my life is perfect right now.  The only thing I now want to improve is my relationship with The Lord, because I owe that to Him and my baby girl.  I know that if I follow Him, I will be the model mother, wife, and Christian.

Before Norah Kate was born I was in a rut, a spiritual rut.  I didn't study in my Bible, I went to church but wasn't there mentally, just physically.  I still believed in Jesus Christ as my savior, but that wasn't enough.  I was being spiritually lazy.  I am guilty; I thought I already had everything.  I was married to my soulmate, had a wonderful job, a house that was paid for, essentially no bills, everything... I say this shamefully now, but I feel like I need to get it out because I never talked to anyone about it.  This is the first time I think I have really admitted how lazy I had gotten spiritually.  I didn't pray like a should... I was not a "worker" (this is a term we are using in church services now, how we as Christians should be "workers" for the Lord.  However, God was not going to let his child wander too far.  He gave me Norah Kate.  I got pregnant and watching this little being, knowing it was a gift from God, a true miracle, grow inside me renewed my relationship with Him.  Her birth, the miracle of life itself, made me thirst for Him.  So, now I am rebuilding my relationship with the Lord, and I have a lot of work to do.    During this time, I think about my own mother, she is a spiritual rock.  She knows her scripture, she turns to God for everything, she prays, she amazes me.  She is also a wonderful mother, the epitomy of motherhood.  I want to be that.  I owe it to Norah Kate, I owe it to myself. So pray for me, all you prayer warriors out there... that I can continue to grow closer to the Lord, and that through Him, I will grow as a mother and wife and be a role-model for my little girl.

That is my testimony... A child of God that became lazy, that wandered... not too far, but far enough.  He graciously accepted me back into his arms.  He gave me my little miracle that I needed to bring me back to Him.  So until I make it to the true sweet by & by, I want to eenjoy this mortal world, make the most of it, be the most I can be spiritually, not waste my time here being "lazy."  I want to relish in my many blessings.  Thank you God, for all your many blessings, for my life, for my baby girl and for your Son Jesus Christ that gave his life to wash us of our sins.  That is true love.  Amen.