NyQuil and Booger Suckers…Grace in Sickness

The title of this post describes the past week of our lives here in the Curtis household. Coop came down with a runny nose that progressed into an ear infection (again), and I have had the worst cold I've ever had. We've been miserable! Our week included trips to the Dr. for both of us, and lots and lots of tissues. I'm not mentioning all of this just to vent and waste your time. (I promise!) It's just that through all of this the Lord has taught me some pretty major things about myself. You know how sometimes the Holy Spirit will lift the blinders off your eyes and allow you to see yourself for who you really are, and not just what you think you are?? Yeah…it's been one of those weeks. I'll explain.
Our pastor preached a sermon a couple of months ago in which he mentioned how "maturity" in the life of a Christian is not based on knowledge, but on morality. To clarify, to tell how mature of a believer someone is, you look at their actions… not at all the books they've read or the knowledge they posses. This past week I found myself moaning and groaning, rolling in self-pity, and wanting the world to just end. (Mommies with sick babies… you know the feeling.) I'm so thankful for a husband who encourages me and lovingly rebukes me in my sin. I can't even remember his exact comment. It wasn't direct, but it was enough that I knew he could see sin in my heart. Then it happened… The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to my spiritual immaturity. I realized that the winds of suffering were blowing (VERY slightly, might I add), and I was beginning to topple! I began to evaluate my life and found that I have roots that grow very wide, but are very shallow. I've read the books and have taken the classes. I can have the conversations and talk the lingo. But as soon as I get a little sickness, those things are no where to be found and I begin to topple due to lack of depth. It's times like these that I'm made aware of how much I need Jesus. I can't even love Jesus without His help.
I praise the Lord for the humility He is working in my heart. I am faithless at times, but he remains faithful because he cannot deny himself. (2 Tim. 2:13) He indeed teaches His children through their suffering. To all of you who are going through suffering much more significant than a little cold, and are still remaining faithful, Praise the Lord! James said that suffering produces steadfastness that makes us perfect and complete. He is making us like Jesus. Suffering is indeed a grace. Even when we aren't aware of it at times.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation. Oh my soul praise him for He is my health and salvation.

The Mrs.

Positional Grace

I tell you what… I'm one LOUSY blogger! As I set up my blog, I remember thinking that I was going to have to talk myself out of posting random things all the time. Instead, I have to make myself blog. I find myself thinking that I cannot post anything unless I've read 10 books on the topic and are well informed on whatever I plan on writing about. Then I remember that this isn't a research paper--it's a blog! So, with that said… I'll catch everyone up to speed on where we are as the Curtis Family. The Mr. is taking three classes this semester, so he stays super busy. He's taking Intro to Biblical Counseling, Methods of Biblical Counseling, and Religion in the Public Square. They're all super practical and have helped us both. I have been busy at home. I always said that "stay-at-home moms" were important and that being one had to be a hard job, but I didn't believe it until I was one! There is ALWAYS something to be done. This past week, I had a dear friend visit us for a few days. She was visiting Boyce and stayed with us while she was here. She got here Tuesday night. Tuesday morning, Cooper woke up with a stuffy nose. No biggie… he's had several since he was born. I knew the routine: fill 'em with saline, suck 'em out, prop 'em up, and he'd be good to go. He seemed to have gotten better the next day. However, later during the week he started acting like a crazy baby! He cried and cried. He wouldn't nap, he wouldn't let me rock him, and he wasn't eating well. I, along with the Mr.,  thought that he was just growing into this "bad boy" phase. Then it clicked. He  has an ear infection! Duh.. all the signs were painted in the sky and I was looking at the dirt. We called and got him into the Dr. the next day to find out that he didn't have an ear infection…he had a DOUBLE ear infection. Poor guy. He's having to deal with him mommy and daddy learning how to raise and care for him.
         The reason I named this Blog entry "positional Grace" is because after this tough week/weekend, I found myself tired, bitter, lazy, and full of self pity. These things led to neglect of the Word, neglect of prayer, and an avoiding heart. Which, in turn, led to guilt and self condemnation. Many of you know the drill. It's as if I view my initial sin as the first plunge of the shovel into the ground. I feel that if I catch it fast, I can patch up the hole and put the dirt back in--no harm done. But if I neglect it and sin more, digging a deeper hole, I get discouraged thinking about how much "work" it will take to cover the hole back up. So, I quit. I lay around keeping extra busy so I won't have to pray and do the "dirty work" in my heart.  BUT…(that's a powerful three letter word!) the Holy Spirit has been so gracious in reminding me that my standing with God is not based on my performance! I can never re-fill the hole in my life. In fact, my life is one big hole! Christ, through his sacrifice on the cross, is the only way I can ever be right with God again. Jesus not only suffered the wrath for the sins we were aware of at our salvation, he suffered for ALL of our sin. He holds us. I am in Christ. He takes my self pity and laziness and gives me righteousness. Praise God! As Lecrae has said, "Salvation ain't a feelin', homie it's a position." I am not standing at the bottom of a deep hole looking up wondering if God is there. Jesus has filled my hole. Forever.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Jesus Christ from the law of sin and death. for God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. " Romans 8:1-4

Praise the Lord!
-The Mrs.

Little Man is getting BIG!

Cooper had his 6 month birthday yesterday. I absolutely cannot believe it! I feel like we were timing contractions just yesterday. Everyone tells you to soak it in because it goes by so fast. I've learned that even if you do try to soak it in, it still goes fast. There's no stopping it! Cooper has been such a joy in our lives. We've learned so much in the past 6 months. Aside from all of the parenting skills you pick up after having a baby, there are many spiritual things you learn. We've learned more about patience, gentleness, service, and love. The Mr. and I were talking the other night of  the Father's love for us, in that He gave His son to people who hated him. We couldn't even fathom giving Cooper to our dearest friends who we know would take great care of him. How great the love the Father has for us! God is so gracious to teach us more about Himself through things we experience in life.

Just a little update on Cooper. He's 6 months old (as of yesterday). He is sitting up all by himself, laughing a lot (maybe because he has such a silly daddy), eating great (daddy again??), and sleeping normally around 8pm-7am or so--sometimes waking in between. He doesn't have any teeth yet, but we're praying they come SOON! This teething thing is no joke. We gave him his first haircut today. I hear the gasps already. I know, I know… How dare me cut his hair so early! I've heard it from my mom and grandma already. :) He was scraggly! I couldn't stand it any longer. He had backwards highlights with dark ends and light bottoms! It may be shorter than I wanted it, but in the end… it's hair. It will indeed grow back. And at least this time it will be all the same length! It is looking like it may be blonde!? He's a pretty good-lookin' little man if I do say so myself. There will be more pics and videos to come!

Grace in the life of the Mrs.

It doesn't make sense to read a blog by someone whose life you know nothing about. So in case you don't know me very well, let me preface my blog with a little "tidbit" about myself…

View from maw-maw's porch.

I was born and raised in a little town called Wilmer, Alabama. And yes…it's as small as it sounds. :) I have a wonderful family whom I love dearly, (as do some of you!) My mom, dad, two sisters and myself lived on "The Hill" along with the rest of my immediate family. "The Hill" is what we call an 80 acre lot of land that surrounds an 18 acre lake with all of my aunts/uncles and cousins living around it, (and maw-maw ruling the roost.) If you can imagine, my childhood was amazing. I thought I was a boy until I was around 10. My days were filled with riding horses, swimming, and playing ball. I trusted in Christ when I was 9. My parents are believers, so through their influence and the influence of our church I was exposed to the gospel at an early age. There was immediate fruit during elementary school, but like many other believers, I began to experiment with sin throughout my middle school/early high school years. Those years were very dark and dry for me. However, in 10th grade my dad took the worship pastor position at Wilmer First Baptist. We had a D-now one weekend on the importance of accountability. God, in His grace, used that weekend to show me where I was deceived by sin and gave me grace to repent of those things and continue to pursue Him. The Lord has been so faithful in my life! He will finish the work He starts in the lives of His children. It was at Wilmer that I met "the Mr." and we began to date. (**For those of you who may be confused… I'm talking about My husband, Ben.)

Just for fun… :) Our first Pic together in 10th grade.

   The Lord was gracious to me during high school and I continued to pursue Him.  I learned more and more about His Word and loved it more and more. He placed people in my life who taught me and discipled me. By my senior year, I had intentions of pursuing some sort of ministry. I ended up going to the University of Mobile and pursuing a degree in order to be a Christian Counselor. Throughout high school the Mr. and I were off and on and by the time we graduated, we had gone our separate ways. I moved on campus at the University of Mobile and began college. My plans for myself were to get in a band, marry the lead singer, and travel the world speaking to huge crowds like Beth Moore.. (I can't help but to laugh out loud!) I finished my first semester… no lead singer boyfriend and no big crowds. I was miserable. It was nothing like I expected. Long story short: The Lord was working in both mine and the Mr.'s life.  Throughout the course of several months, Ben decided to study Theology and become a pastor, I began to hate him less, he started calling me, and bam… the rest is history! We began to date again. The Lord had changed us both drastically since the last time we dated. We were both passionate about the gospel and the Word and it changed our relationship. We got engaged the day after my 19th birthday and I started planning a wedding. I didn't get a scholarship I was relying on in order to continue my education at UM, so that cut our engagement down from three years to one year! He went off to Boyce college at Southern Seminary and I came up after we got married and began working towards my degree. And here we are! Two years later! We're still in Louisville, KY and Ben is about 2 years out from graduating. 
  About a year and a half ago, we were sovereignly surprised with a baby. Words cannot describe the grace of God in giving us Cooper. God knows what is best for us and when it is best for us! Never would I have guessed I would be 22 years old and living in Kentucky with a husband and a baby! I laughed at those kinds of people. Now I am one. :) Being a wife 
and a mom is the best job in the universe! Our culture makes the "stay-at-home mom" look like a last resort for the ignorant woman who can do nothing else. I beg to differ. It is the hardest job I've ever done! The Lord has taught me so much about His character over the last 6 months. We are learning so much about humility and servanthood and how to trust the Lord. We're also learning what true love is. I didn't know my heart could love two rotten ol' boys so much! I'm sure there will be plenty of posts later on in which I vent some more about this aspect of life. So…I'll leave it at that. :)  That's me in a VERY quick little nutshell. 


Praise the Lord! 
-The Mrs. 

Graces abounding!

So, I've wanted to start a blog for a while now. I couldn't decide whether or not it would be a great idea. I'm not a Theologian, I'm not good at English/Writing, and I'm definitely not "Super mom". However, I am a woman who seeks to recognize the hand of God in my life. I want to glorify the Lord by sharing both the monumental graces in my life and also the little everyday graces that we sometimes overlook. Graces Abound--Whether in Salvation or Cloth Diapers! So here it is! Ready or not… I hope that this blog will not only give you insight into the life of our family, but will also encourage you to recognize the Grace of God all around you.


-The Mrs.