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Wreath Monogram Christmas

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The Calling of Marriage

I'm so thankful for this sermon by John Piper on Honoring the Biblical call to Motherhood:

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/honoring-the-biblical-call-of-motherhood#/listen/full

The world does not celebrate this calling-the high call to marriage-showing the union between Christ and the church; the call to motherhood-pouring your life into your family day in and day out; the managing of a home-having a true vision to create a simple beautiful place, which is a living organism which is a place of refuge in Christ's peace.

Lately, i have been struggling with the adversity of others when it comes to my view (the Biblical view) of marriage and family. Satan has really used it to bring my spirit down at just the right time (when our daughter is 8 weeks old!). Small little comments that are made towards me are not taken lightly, and i often find myself laying in bed at night questioning my calling, having to remind myself of Proverbs 31 over and over again, and verses in 1 John that say, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever"

Here is a part of the sermon where he talks about his mom's influence on his life. its what i wish maggie would say about me someday-

First, God’s honor was paramount for my mother. I wrote:

“I never got spanked for makin’ mess in my pants,
but I did for skippin’ church;
which goes to show mama cared more about keeping; God’s name
and my soul clean
than she did her own hands.”

Second, she was never cynical about my weaknesses but always tenderly empathetic. I wrote:

When I had to give my first “part” in Training Union,
right after promotion day when everybody is older,
she showed me how to write the main points on a card
and listened just before supper while I practiced on her;
she never let on it wasn’t life and death.

Third, she had a Bible-saturated concern for my heart. I wrote:

Mama knew the Good Book—especially the Proverbs;
years later when I was three thousand miles away
she kept on quotin’ Proverbs in her salutations.
The message was always the same—the pulse beat of her heart—
Be wise son, be truly wise:
Fear God and keep your heart warm.

Fourth, mingled with fiercely earnest faith in the realities in heaven and hell and the seriousness of the Christian life, my mother had an utterly uninhibited sense of humor. I wrote:

Maybe Paul couldn’t imitate baby-chatter
or Mrs. Loren Jones or all the characters in a church play;
but mama could—and then how she would laugh!
Why I’ve seen her and Grandma Mohn—
one hundred-thirty years worth of German sobriety—
guffaw till their tears wet the table cloth.
It would start with a short soprano burst
that could split the eardrums;
her silver head would toss backward
and her long white teeth would flash under her sharp nose,
and her tanned neck would redden as the tendons flinched.
She was a vision of health and joy;
and I never felt better than when mama laughed.

Fifth, she took right and wrong very seriously and held me accountable to the highest standards so that I knew in all the conflict I mattered a lot to my mother. I wrote:

And I seldom felt worse than when mama cried:
I got a speedin’ ticket one night
and mama wept like I’d shot somebody.
All the way to the station at midnight she cried
and made me pay it off right then and there.
One thing was for sure:
I mattered a lot to mama.

What I owe my mother for my soul and my love to Christ and my role as a husband and father and pastor is incalculable.

Last Date?!

Last weekend, Jake took me on what we thought/think might be our last date before little Maggie makes her debut. We went to the mountains of North Carolina to look around little shops and drive through the mountains. One of our FAVORITE things to do is to drive around looking at houses, or walk around neighborhoods looking at houses, and we do that a lot in the upstate but almost never make it to the mountains! We drove around Lake Summit and took some pictures of the sunset there, and then went to get dinner at a fun little italian place in Hendersonville! It was so much fun to just hang out together :) Here are some of the pictures i took at the lake and in downtown Saluda!! I'm trying to learn how to use my new camera, sooo i took a lot more BUT here are my favorites from the date!

Maggie's Nursery!

Here's a little sneak peak at Maggie's nursery! It's almost finished, and I have my last baby shower tomorrow :)

her cute bassinet my mom got me!
the chandelier we got and painted :)
her initials Jake handmade (isn't he quite the artist?? ;))
a cute little giraffe Jake's fam gave her and a close up of her bedding!
Jake testing out my new rocking chair/recliner. Got it in celery green in case we have a boy someday!

Maggie's Crib with Lily pottery barn bedding :-)
the curtains that jake and I made, and her bookshelf we painted!
the pictures that Linz painted for the nursery-one of my favorite things in the room!!

her cute little bumble bee mobile!

changing table...
Maggie's bassinet with her white bear in it and my grandmother's bear!
pom poms we hung in the corner of the room!

Also, here's a little peak at muah. If you can't tell, im swollen and feel like a giant rolly polly. I have 2 weeks left so we'll see when she decides to make her arrival!

SHAMESRELLA.

In honor of her return, i decided to do a little post on my favorite kitty, "Camus." Nicknamed Shames or Shamesrella (like Cinderella), she truly is the princess pet of the McCoun household. Of course, when little Maggie makes her debut, she will become the true princess of the house. BUT, I do LOVE animals, especially cats. My obsession began with Blueberry Whisker Twitch in 9th grade, and from there i've had more than my fair share of cats. When my dad and Jake presented me with Shames as a Christmas present in 2009, i was overjoyed!! Not only is Camus the most obedient cat you've ever met, her little snaggle tooth will win your heart over the first time you meet her!! I've been doing a countdown of the days til we get her back (she stays with my parents during the summer while we go to Myrtle Beach) and tonight is the night!!!!! I will definitely be spoiling her with some treats!! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her over the years ;)

Camus after her flea bath!!
Look at that tooth!
sleeping in a wreath :)

Trying out our new thrift store find!
She LOVES to be petted! She is so spoiled!
Sitting on Jake's side!!

34 weeks

in the beginning...4 weeks!
5 weeks!
8 weeks!
12 weeks!
14 weeks!
16 weeks!
18 weeks!

19 weeks!

21 weeks!

22 weeks!24 weeks!
25 weeks!
27 and a half weeks!
28 and a half weeks!
30 weeks!
32 weeks!

33 weeks!

Well, since i'm 34 and a half weeks pregnant, i figured I would document my growing belly on my blog!! As the day we meet our daughter grows closer, I grow more and more anxious. I've had a number of close friends ask me what verses they can pray for me during this time, and the other day during my time with Jesus, He gave me Psalm 16 to cling to:

Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

² I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
³ I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.

⁵ LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful^[b] one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.