Battle For The Mountain

How do I know that spiritual warfare is real? Because Mount Rainier. While I know that isn't a proper sentence, it is firmly my answer.

When I started reading a book (thank you, Katie!) about spiritual power, and the authority we have as redeemed people in Jesus to make a difference in our lives and world....I knew I would come up against some attack. I even assumed the attacks would be pretty big. The first few days were pretty steady. I could, I thought, identify the source of whatever thought I was thinking, or feeling I was experiencing. But the enemy is clever. He retracted his claws just enough so that I couldn't FEEL him scratching me, though the scratching continued.

One week into acting in the authority of Jesus, my world (in my head) is in shambles. I am a terrible mother. I am not attractive enough. I don't have any gifts. I may have a few (puny) gifts, but I am too lazy to use them. I am an ineffective friend. Brian comes home and is quiet....so he clearly doesn't love me anymore and is trying to find a way to tell me he wants out of our marriage.

So, Mount Rainier. As I was driving to work this morning, I looked to where the mountain always is. But today, it was gone. The gray drizzle had perfectly covered our gigantic mountain as if it were completely erased from the sky. Did I suddenly start wondering if the mountain had disappeared? Of COURSE not. That would be pretty ridiculous! I know where the mountain is, because I have seen it day after day. I understand that Mount Rainier cannot simply vanish. So why do I question the presence, promises, and truths regarding the CREATOR of the mountain?!

Satan has nothing to gain from me wondering where a mountain has gone, so he doesn't dedicate any time to attempting to fool me into questioning such things. But he has everything to gain from me questioning God. So he lies, distracts, and throws blows that he knows will get me spinning and wondering if what I know is real....is really real.

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that you are greater and more immovable than the mountain. Satan has no power aside from that which you permit him to use. He knows the time of his rule on earth is running out, because Jesus won the battle on the cross. Help me to see his attacks for what they are, and empower me to push back in faith so that I can be effective for your kingdom. I know where you are, because I see you day after day. Sometimes you are hidden behind the drizzle, but I have no need to question where you are.

How do I know Jesus is real? Because Mount Rainier.

Cobwebs On My Ceiling

I consider myself a very consistent, two-notches-above-mediocre housekeeper. My laundry is folded and put away right after it is washed 98% of the time. I clean out my fridge once a week. If you were to look around my house, you would probably agree that though the floors aren't necessarily "eat off of them clean," (I have three kids and a dog....it isn't even a goal at this point in my life) things are generally clean.

I go through my days feeling like I have a fairly steady handle on the cleanliness of my home until, BAM! I accidentally turn on the bright, overhead light in my bedroom. And there it is: a legitimate infrastructure of cobwebs on my ceiling. I am at once put in my place. I can THINK things are clean because of the lighting (or lack thereof) in my house!

Now, I am not saying that having cobwebs on my ceiling makes my home a filthy place. It doesn't. The big messes are dealt with as they happen, and prevented when possible. But I do mention the cobwebs, because the Lord speaks to my heart in this same way. I can walk around THINKING that my heart is pretty tidy. The big sin is dealt with, and avoided when possible. Then, BAM! God turns the lights up a little brighter to show me corners of my heart I didn't know needed cleaning. Ugh.

Thank you, Lord, for being a gentleman in the way you show me the "cobwebs" of my heart when the time is right for me to see them. Thank you for never letting me settle in too comfortably, where I would miss the peace that comes from knowing the dust has truly been removed. Thank you for cleaning my heart for me, by the blood of Jesus, when I don't have a tall enough ladder to reach, or a strong enough disinfectant to kill whatever has soiled it. You promise to give me a perfectly pure heart, and you ask me to act in obedience on the journey to get there. So thank you for the bright lights; time to start clearing cobwebs.

Evie is THREE!

Welp, our first little baby-blessing has turned three. *sniff* Though she has looked and spoken like a big three-year-old for quite a while, it is still hard for my momma-heart to come to terms with the fact that my baby is growing up. Evie is silly, sassy, sweet, very opinionated, and very caring. She loves to sing; dance; play dress-up; help with chores, and in the kitchen; and play with her sister. She ADORES Ada, and the feeling is certainly mutual! Listening to them giggle has to be the sweetest part of my days. Evie also loves books, ponies, pink, purple, and anything sweet haha. We love our Eves and though we wish she would stay a baby forever, we are loving watching her develop into who God has made her to be. What a wonderful thing it is to be her mommy!

For her birthday, we had a lovely little weekend! Friday morning, some of her favorite friends (and mine!) came over and made gingerbread houses. It was a sweet (hehe) time together, and quite hilarious to watch them all create with such different personalities! Evie's place at the table was an absolute disaster afterward. While little Gracie's spot had, truly, not as much as a smudge of frosting anywhere. Saturday we had the family over for a little pizza and ice-cream cake. I had the day off, so we got to spend the entire day together as a family. Pretty big stuff around here. Evie also received calls from friends who live out of town, as well as birthday gifts in the MAIL! All in all, a wonderful weekend for a wonderful girl. Happy Birthday, sweet Evie!

Happy Half, Ada Lou!

My baby is six months old! I cannot believe how quickly this time has gone by. Ada is 26 1/2 inches long (tall?) and 20 lbs! (Evie describes her as very "squeezy.")

She eats some pureed food, sits up on her own (though still quite wobbly) and is scoot-crawling ALL OVER the place. She can travel across a room in a minute. She is a mama's girl through and through, and loves to play with her big sis and her dog. We just love this little squish to pieces!

Coming up for air!

We Murphys have been busy bees the past few months! I had a lovely maternity leave (actually I spent most of it recovering from child-birth) but it really was such a wonderful time at home with the family. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Well, maybe.....no. I really wouldn't. ;) I went back to work in June, and am still working my three-day schedule allowing me four days at home with our sweet girls. Our girls have been growing, learning, and playing the summer away! Time for a camera-dump. Ready.....go!



Ada snuggles



Helpful sister

Evie made her own breakfast. Ha.

Playin

Silly Sisters

Sweet Potatoes. Sweet Baby.

The rolls!

Snuggles

Smiles!

Love.

Cheese!

Princess

Baby Costanza. You've seen the one where George takes the pic for the photo-lady, right?

Stroller Sisters

Kisses for Daddy

:)

And some for Momma, too.

My biggest girl

Doin the Puyallup!

Seahawks Sprinkles!

Num!

This baby.

I can't take it

She's a meatball

A happy meatball!

I see you behind the camera, Momma!

Picture for baby Eli

Busy Bee

 We have had a fun-filled summer and are so excited for all that Fall will bring!



Dude.....

So.....I haven't done even a slightly decent job with this blog thing. Since my last update, I was placed on bedrest due to preterm labor concerns, then went into preterm labor on January 13th.....then "rested" (meaning did as little as possible to run my home despite running it anyway.) We were blessed with visits, meals, and prayers! And praise The Lord! She stayed in there to cook to full-term.

Ada Louise decided to come in a big way. Water broke movie-style at about 7 am on march 12th. We arrived at the hospital around 8..... Checked into labor and delivery around 8:20ish and were holding our sweet, second Murphy-girl at 10:06 am. Truly, no sooner than I had decided I didn't want to deliver a second baby without pain relief....I had delivered my baby, one pound larger, WITHOUT pain meds...amazing what you can do when there is no other option. ;)

I have had a ROUGH recovery. For the purposes of this blog, I will remember this without needing to provide details.

Ada is amazing! A sweet, snuggly, smiley girl who sleeps well like her sister (4.5-6 hour stretches by two weeks). Evie is the most loving big sis ever. She constantly wants to snuggle her sister and has been such a big help to me, fetching things and entertaining Ada for short periods.

I really will post pictures on the next blog post. Which really will be soon(ish). :)

Still Here!

I haven't found/made time to post anything in months! I will take time to upload some sweet pictures later but needed to break the fast with a quick post! Here is what is happening in Murphy-land:

* I am working at Franciscan Medical Pavilion in Bonney Lake three days a week and am LOVING all the time home with my sweet Evie! The job is pretty great too, but the schedule is what makes it. :)

* Brian recently took a position as a Project Manager with Servpro Puyallup and God is growing and blessing him (and our family) in so many ways through this new position. (Side note: it is pretty intense to adjust to new jobs/schedules for BOTH the momma and the daddy within just four months of each other. God has been so gracious with us and given us a full measure of His peace while we trust Him to help us!)

* Miss Evie Daryn is blossoming before our eyes! I cannot express how madly in love we are with this precious girl. She is speaking so well, picking up something new everyday. She is so funny and starting to really communicate her little personality with us. The best part....is she has been a little cuddle bug these days. I am soaking up every second I can!

* Finally, we have another sweet baby girl on the way!!! She is expected to join us around the first week of March, and we couldn't be more thrilled. We are so excited to see how God blesses our girls through life as sisters, and how our family will change and grow closer to God and each other with the addition of this little lady. :)

So, SO many changes have been applied to our little family this past year. We started praying last October for God to provide a new schedule for me, allowing more time for Evie and the children we so badly wanted to add to our family. He didn't waste ANY time! He has taken a job away, sustained us through a financial drought, and added two new opportunities and a little life to our family. We have learned that He is fully trustworthy, fully in control, and that His timing is perfect. Our Lord is so good, and so faithful to care for our needs. We are so thankful for all He has taught us to draw us closer to Him these past few action-packed months!