Strong and Safe

What jumped out to me this morning:

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him (Psalm 28:7).

There are a lot of things in life. Many interruptions. Many needs. Many cares. Many nagging concerns. Many dreams and aspirations. Many moments of doubt and confusion. Many demands. Many messes. Many duties. Many responsibilities and calls.

The day is full of reasons to feel weak and attacked.

In the thick of all that, what do I really need?

Not another cup of coffee.
Not a nap (well, not exclusively a nap).
Not a nanny.
Not a housecleaner.
Not a better to do list.
Not a better behavior management system.
Not a raise.
Not a cleaner house.
Not a cookie.
Not a vacation.

When the demands outtap my supply and the enemy presses in, crafty, heartless, and pervasive?

I need a strength beyond my own. I need a resource that will not run dry, a fountain of wisdom where I am foolish, a fountain of love where I am depleted. I need strength of faith and strength of character, strength of arms and strength of hope.

The LORD is my strength.

He spoke the universe into existence. He upholds it with the word of His power. His understanding is inscrutable; His great love overcame the greatness of my sin. He does not faint or grow weary. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. I am weak. I qualify. The LORD is my strength.

I need protection from an enemy I cannot see, cannot thwart, cannot escape alone. I need shelter, a hiding place, safety. I can't even see all the darts, can't distinguish every lie, can't escape the blows. I need a helper who will hide me under His wings.

The LORD is my shield.

If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? What can separate us from the love of God? Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, peril, nakedness, sword? No. If He has settled us safe in His arms and declared we will be more than conquerors in the hollow of His hand, then safe we are. The LORD is my shield.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.

1 Month Old

1 month old!

2 weeks old

Dear Calvin,

Oh my. Here we are at the first month milestone. I have already packed up the newborn sleepers and newborn-size diapers. You are vastly over your birth weight (already up to 9 lb 7 oz at your 2 week checkup). You are cultivating some mighty fine chubby cheeks. And it is growing harder to remember what life was like without your sweet presence in our family.

Navigating the world with 4 small boys has certainly kept me on my toes, but I'm so thankful for you and the little posse of cowboys God has given to our family. We look a little like a parade in the grocery store... You in your carseat stroller with Victor pushing, Elliot in the cart I'm pushing, and Josiah with his mini cart. But so far the most direct comment (from a gentleman who saw us sorting ourselves out at the entrance to Cub) was, "Wow, 4 boys? You're so blessed." Which we certainly are.

At one month...

- You are eating and sleeping very well. You have routinely been going to bed between 8 and 9pm and then sleeping until an amazing (average time) of 2am! Sometimes it's 1am, once it was 3:15am! But regardless, that amazing gift of a chunk of hours to sleep at the beginning of the night has been tremendous.

- You can still be a leisurely eater, but it does not typically take more than a half hour anymore. Being the fourth-born, you eat out and about on a very regular basis. Car, park, church, soccer field, coffee shop, etc. Happily, you're a pretty low-maintenance eater, so this works out pretty well most of the time. You also have done well at adapting to sundry brothers forgetting that there is someone hidden under the nursing cover and knocking you on the head or such while you eat.

- You are a sweet little snuggle bug, and I think I'm taking advantage of this a little more than with your bigger brothers. Less agenda, less stress over figuring out a schedule (most days), and more enjoyment of this fleeting season.

- When we're out and about you split time between your carseat/stroller and the Baby K'tan. You do well in both, although when you're alert and feeling perky you push back like crazy in the K'tan to see what's going on around you.

- You are a strong boy, already holding up your head to see what's going on around you. You haven't been a huge spitter, but you will occasionally douse us both. This is typically saved for special occasions when we are far from home and in a public locale.

It strikes me regularly these days, how much we need God to break in and save us from ourselves. And so I pray for you again the verse that is on my heart for you:

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). 

May the strong and personal mercy of God rest on you and make you His own forever.

I love you, little Calvin.

Momma

2 Week Line-Up

Calvin at 2 weeks old

Elliot at 2 weeks old

Josiah at 2 weeks old

Victor at 2 weeks old

There they are ... 4 boys, 4 little newborn onesies, 4 precious little babies.

I can barely recollect what life was like in those early days of Sons 1, 2, and 3, a good reminder that these foggy newborn days are fleeting, regardless of what the middle-of-the-night feeding hours may speak to the contrary.

Calvin is following in his brother's footsteps in many regards--a peaceful baby in general, eating every 3 (sometimes 4) hours, mostly falling back asleep quite easily when done.

The big brothers are acclimating. As one might expect, #3 is having the rockiest adjustment (especially now that Grammy has returned home and the adult-child ratio is stretched a bit thinner). But all are loving little brother, enjoying the summer freedom from schedule, and grateful for each day's mercies.