Best Caught Moments per the Camera Phone

Ok, I am at a coffee shop getting some VERY important things done. :) I just couldn't resist. These are the cutest pics we have, first beach trip, first boat ride, just about got my passy, and my new lazy boy! Love you all! Thanks for making having a baby so fun and letting me be that crazy mom!!!!!!!!!
K

Unnecessary Fussiness

This is a very undignified phrase the Bullock home has derived in order to describe fits or extreme fussiness displayed by Cross in a situation that by no means justifies such behavior. Similar to unnecessary roughness, a common term used in football to describe: well, just what it says I guess. That is actually a term that has always been confusing to me, but I guess that regardless of the fact that football is a contact sport, there are still times when too much force is unnecessary. Let me give you an example of unnecessary fussiness so that you will plainly see how there is no room for this type of behavior. Our most common example is the blood curdling squeal that happens when we try to burp Cross in the middle of his bottle. He makes a horrible face and often arches his back and goes into sheer, hand shaking panic. The whole while I am thinking to myself, “we do this every single day”. Actually, if you do the math, he has experienced this same routine over 800 times in his short little life. You would think he would rest assured that more milk was on the way. Hasn’t Mommy and Daddy proven faithful in this matter? Another example would be when we know he is exhausted but continues to fuss rather than to drift off into a reviving rest. This again is plainly unnecessary fussiness due to such a simple solution. Well, in order to have unnecessary fussiness, there must be room for necessary fussiness. Similar to football in the way that there are clearly times when knocking someone into next week is perfectly acceptable behavior. For example, as Cross’ senses have heightened, sometimes sudden, loud noises startle him and the cutest face ever seen by mankind appears and this is plainly a time of need. It starts with wide eyes, then the lip slowly protrudes and then the sweetest noise of panic begins and loudens with time and to top it off I am quiet certain he is saying “I need my Mommy” (or my Daddy but I like the previous just to be honest). Another example would be when Snick takes it upon herself to clean Cross’ tonsils when we aren’t looking. Now that plainly justifies a degree of helpless fussiness. As so often happens with raising a child, I couldn’t help but think about how God must have a similar parenting terminology. See, when Cross wants more milk, I am always thinking, “Mommy has it all under control. Of course I am going to meet your need.” On the flip side, when Cross has been struck by an unexpected fear, nothing thrills me more than to sweep him up and hold him tight, assuring him that everything will be okay. Ask yourself today, is your current complaint necessary or unnecessary fussiness. If you have had a loved one pass, I can guarantee God’s greatest desire is to love and comfort you. If you have a sick child or have been struck by a natural disaster, I feel I can safely say that God is hurting for you and desires to love you through your time of need. However, speaking from personal experience, I have certainly been guilty of millions of examples of unnecessary fussiness. For example, when we were moving here I went into sheer panic after hearing the price of private health insurance in North Carolina. Literally, within the hour I found out that we could actually keep our current policy which was nearly half the price. Now that was unnecessary fussiness. I know my Heavenly Father was probably rolling His eyes going, “I’ve got it all under control. Of course I am going to meet your need.” That is just one tiny example of an often bumpy roller coaster ride that I allow my emotions to take. As I was rolling this concept through my head, I felt like the Lord showed me the “scariest” part of this entire analogy which is the fact that of all the “unnecessary fussiness” situations that I can think of regarding Cross, they all are actually ones that I have caused. For example, that burping thing, well I could easily just let him suck down the whole bottle without the annoying interruption, but I am doing what is best for him in the long run. Same with the enforced naps and bed times, what he wants is to stay up and I could allow that, but for his own good (and honestly for the good of all involved) I “make” him go through a short period of fussiness in order to have a better day in the long run. What situations do you think God could actually be causing in your life? Ones that although could make you “fussy” for the moment, truly are what will bring about a better good in the long run (often too for everyone involved). So, I have a challenge for us all, let’s trust our Dad to be faithful to handle all of our problems big and small. Let’s trust that He is capable and more than willing to meet our every need (just not necessarily our every want). Finally, let’s rid our lives of unnecessary fussiness, because just to be honest, seeing it in Cross as well as in myself, it is SO unattractive! 

Trying to get real,
Kelly

Proud Wife:)

Hey gang! I want to assure you that any wisdom my husband gives will be a million times more beneficial than anything I have to say. I also laughed and thought to myself, I think the readers really wish we would both shut it and put some baby pictures up for Pete's sake. Cross is the only reason we will ever have hits and people are just kind to read in between! I heard my husband preach the message he is referring to on Tuesday night and let me have the honor and privilidge just to brag for a quick minute. MY MAN IS BEING USED BY GOD. That is all I can say. On the back row sits a wife in awe by God's grace and goodness, but also so proud she is grinning ear to ear! Love you babe, keep Jesus comin, you are awesome at what you do!

Wives can always brag,
Kelly

It's my turn.

Hello Cyberspace - I know that all of you who read this blog are really wanting to find out what my wife has to say. Today, I thought I would give it a turn. I really don't like to write but I did feel like God was wanting me to begin blogging. Why? I have no idea. So, I decided I would just share what's been on my heart lately. Here goes nothing. If you didn't know already I am a Student Pastor. Being a Student Pastor means that I have the privilege and responsibility to preach Jesus to a group of middle and high school students every week. This past week we began a new series in which we are talking about relationships with our parents. Fun topic huh! I really have been blown away by some of the things God has shown me. Ephesians 6:2-3 says,"Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise. If you honor your father and mother, things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." After reading this passage I thought that it sounded really nice. It almost sounds happy. But after thinking about it for a while I began to ask God, What about the person whose dad walked out on them when they were five? What about the mom who had an affair and left your dad for another guy? Because not only did your mom walk out on your dad but she walked out you to didn't she? What about the kid who got the crap beat out of him by his alcoholic father? Do they have to honor their parents. Surely God doesn't intend for them to "honor" their parents, or does He? The simplest way to put it is yes. Yes, God does intend for those children to honor their parents. (Let me make it clear that if you are in an abusive situation, you need to get out now. It doesn't mean that you are supposed to accept being abused.) Do I agree with it or even understand it? Not really. I do know that it's not up to me to understand everything about God for me to do something. One thing I've learned through this is that honoring your parents doesn't mean that you agree with them. It doesn't even mean that you like them. It doesn't mean that you have completely forgiven them for the pain they caused you by their actions. But it does mean that you obey and respect them. Nothing more, nothing less. God didn't say honor your father and mother if they raise you in a perfect home and never hurt your feelings. God said to honor your father and your mother. So my question for all of you today: Do you honor your father and mother? Just some thoughts.

We all have the same calling.

This is a topic that has circled my head for many weeks now so I thought “it must be blog worthy” if God is causing it to be a reoccurring theme. It kind of goes back to the previous blog of us “just not getting it”. The scripture that God has given me regarding this topic is a popular one called “The Great Commission”. It can be found in Matthew 28:19 which says “therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” As Christians this is kind of an overall theme for our “to do” list. Kind of like an “in a nut shell” as Christians this is what we are called to do. Maybe I have a heightened sense of this topic because our family has recently been “called to the ministry”, a phrase I always hesitate to even say because if there is one person in the world whom I can guarantee does not have any greater calling than the next it is certainly myself. I am a plane Jane gal who is as “average” as they come. I don’t mean that I don’t have a mighty call on my life, and I am certainly sure that I can do all things through Christ and that He has given me gifts and talents to be used for His glory. I am simply saying that I am certain that He has the same for each and every follower out there. So back to The Great Commission: Is that for pastors? No wait; it is probably for those people out there we call missionaries. Maybe it’s for Sunday School teachers or small group leaders, but what about dentists, bus drivers, nurses, home school moms and financial advisors? Do they have a call with the same goal or is the Great Commission just set aside for the super spiritual. Let me assure you that if God is showing me one thing it is that the answer to this question is NO, NO, NO. The topic kind of surfaced when I was talking to a group of woman about tithing. Through that conversation, God showed me that 10% was simply a start towards being serious about our individual role in the Great Commission. I personally thought that was an incredible insight on tithing. For those of you who are familiar with the topic you know that it is a touchy one to say the least and often a confusing one to say the most. Is it Old Testament or New, is it a first fruit issue or an issue of faith? I felt the Lord was showing me that more than anything our giving should be a practical action towards taking our call to the Great Commission very seriously. And just to be honest, I think we would be way more apt to give if we would view our “time, talents, and resources” as a means to fulfill our calling rather than “a good deed for the day” to check off the list. Recently because of an on the fritz CD player I have been subject to listen to talk radio. Not normally my style, but I am starting to see glimmers of why someone would turn to it here and there. Last week I heard a story of a nation who is literally starving to death because of the rising cost of food. The first thing I thought to myself was that someone out there could fix this crisis with a phone call or a simple transfer of funds. NOW PLEASE don’t hear me saying “some rich person out there should sell everything they own and help these people”. I am simply saying that someone could say, “God has given me the talent to build wealth and my calling could be to give an entire nation food in Jesus’ name.” With regards to money, I think 10% minimizes our call and puts the wonder of God using a fallen people in another tiny box. Maybe for you, your role in the Great Commission is to serve coffee on Sunday mornings. For someone else it may be to donate a large sum of money that could open an STD clinic with the message of Purity and God’s love in the blink of an eye. Jeremy and I’s entire livelihood currently depends on people giving to the local church. That alone has put a new appreciation in my heart for people’s role in the Great Commission. More than monetary significance, I pray that we as a whole begin to look at ALL of our resources as a way to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Partly because His Word tells us that is what we are to do, partly because we don’t want one soul to perish, but finally to tell Satan that you have a mighty call on your life regardless of your “profession”. Recently I was listening to Ed Young speak on the uncertainty of the current nation and oh how he hit the nail on the head. He basically said that if we would keep our eyes focused on the Great Commission instead of stocks, housing interest rates and the price of oil how our hearts would immediately align with God’s. I don’t think God is saying “that new shirt is wrong”. I simply think we should always be more pumped about souls coming to Jesus than we are about houses or cars, vacations or “down time”, play dates or even BFFs. Our greatest desire should be to see the love of Christ spread throughout all the nations. Why? Because I honestly think it is His. Let’s all ask ourselves, “do I take seriously the impact my time, talents and resources could make in fulfilling the Great Commission, please let our answers be YES!

Trying to take this thing seriously,
K

Order

…….that is the word for the year. A friend challenged me to pray and ask God for one word that would depict what I knew He wanted to teach me throughout the entire year. It’s kind of like a New Year’s resolution, but only one word and mine was certainly “order”. This is a struggle I have had as long as I can remember. Great wife, slacking at work, great worker, who knows what Jeremy will eat for dinner (or lunch or breakfast for that matter), exercise queen, haven’t seen the gym in months, the list goes on and on. SO, my order is ordained to be:

God
Jeremy
Cross
Our home and our family’s health
Ministry

Now, the only true test to see if you have things in order is to ask yourself how much time you are spending on each. I am sad to say that although I wish for nothing more than to put my King Jesus at the tip top of my list, when you look at time spent I am learning that the 20 minutes here and there just prove how far down the list He really sits. It was like a light bulb went off today and I thought to myself “I have weekend get aways with my husband” “I go to the gym for an hour at the least” “Cross, well we all know what that looks like” so, if time is the test and I say God is at the top of my list I certainly need to rearrange if I want to be honest. But no, I do want Him at the top. I certainly have felt life’s pains when He isn’t. So today I felt like I had a day of victory that I wish was the usual instead of the exception, but by God’s grace “order” won’t have to be the word for 2009 as well. I didn’t set out on a spiritual journey, just took heed to something the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart one day when I was frustrated because Cross wanted something (heaven forbid the 4 month old didn’t just handle it or wait patiently) while I was TRYING TO HAVE MY QUIET TIME. God spoke to my heart and said to have my time with Him while Cross was napping. I have always strived to give God the first fruits of my day, but you can’t really expect to ignore a screaming/hungry/unpredictable child and have God’s blessing on your Bible Study. So, today I tried it and guess what, it worked. Just like God to help you figure out the perfect order. I sat down and thought to myself, no time limits, no laundry, no nothing, just me and Jesus. Then at the “couldn’t be more perfect” time that same friend sent me a text saying that she was praying that I would come face to face with Jesus today. WOW, I hadn’t prayed that for myself lately much less for a friend and I thought, why not, why wouldn’t I want anything more in life than to meet Jesus face to face. That was a great (God ordained) jump start to my time with Him and it only got better and better. Cross started crying about an hour or so in and I stuck that “paci” back in his mouth and continued to dive in with an excitement and an ambition I hadn’t felt in months, maybe years. Why don’t I give God the time He deserves, I mean I am the only one who has something to lose by not doing that. We often act like God is going to be mad if we don’t spend time with Him, but we are by far the biggest loser in this situation. So a weekend get away with Him may be the next thing on the list. I feel like for at least a small moment, my priorities were in check and it felt awesome!!!!!!!! Does God want us to sit in the floor at His feet while letting the house fall apart around us, no way, at 5 til 11 Cross woke up cooing and ready for some milk and God said “we are done”. Baths and diapers, bottles and fun time on the floor took priority and that was also exactly what God wanted. What is your word for the year? It is just April, certainly not too late in the year to start seeking the one thing God really wants you to overcome before December. Kind of like one less bag in your pile of baggage for you to carry into the next New Year. Go ahead; just ask Him what it is and if you already know just take it one day at a time, victorious moments turn into victorious days which turn into victorious years which turn into victorious lives. Now that is something worth fight for!

Obtaining Order,
Kelly

Can't you tell how much he is looking like his mommy, NOT!!

Update...............finally!

Hello friends and family! I am finally sitting down to write a much needed Bullock Family update. Please forgive the lack of pictures, just a miracle that I am even able to get on and write so I promise pictures will come sooner than later. Cross is getting to be such a little fella and not so much a baby any more. He has “big boy” outfits (including vintage button ups and cool blue jeans) and he is “talking” up a storm and starting to really hold his little head and back up so well. I am so that mom that thinks he is the cutest thing since slice bread and I am thankful for all of you who have come into agreement with me and for the grandparents who would even venture to take it much further! We had a great visit home! My father is still under going tests so no real news yet, but thank you so much for your continued prayers. My mom had cataract surgery on one eye while we were home and did awesome, but still has one to go so please keep her in your prayers as well. Now for details on the topic of real interest, Cross, well, Cross is officially a 4 month old. WOW how time flies, I know that is what all of you are thinking and me too, seem like just yesterday……… He has a great report at his check up and weighs in at almost 15lbs and about 25 1/2 inches. He is still a healthy guy, but we have slacked off on our former line backer status and are now looking towards goals of quarter back material. He was a super traveler, but I know thrilled to be back home with his daddy. Speaking of daddy, Jeremy is doing great! I am the proudest wife in all of the world. It is so cool to watch all of his faith in stepping out, surrendering to ministry and moving out in obedience, pay off. I am certain he would love your prayers for his speaking and future/big picture plans for the ministry! Finally, if there are any readers left, I am good. Nothing new, still daily attempting to keep my priorities in check. The Lord has quickened me to the verse regarding time, Eph 5:16 "making the most of your time because the days are evil." I really believe that God wants us to make the most of every moment for eternity and sometimes that means rocking Cross, other times it means having my husband's laundry clean, but it is all for his glory regardless! Thanks again for all your prayers! We promise to have pictures soon!
K