Over the last 12 weeks there have been several people that have asked when I was going to write a blog about Meritt. Everytime my answer has been the same...The love that I have, the experiences that have came are all so overwhelming that I can't begin to put it into words. Now I know as she grows there will be cute little stories that result in life lessons that will be fun to share but as for a blog about Meritt in general, well I don't know where to start and I don't know where to end. I will share a revelation that came to me in the car the other day.
My therapy is writing. Since Meritt has been born it has been on my mind and heart to write of her. To write of the overwhelming love and emotions that overtook Brian and I when we looked at her for the first time. Everytime I begin to write of this I am so overwhelmed with my love for her that I cannot put it into words. I find myself sitting in front of a blank screen wondering where I should begin the blog and 10 minutes later the screen is still blank so I shut the computer and leave the entry for another day.
A couple of days ago I was driving in my car thinking of this very thing when a thought came to me. My whole life I have been told that the love that God has for us is so grand that there is no way to possibly grasp it. The love that He has for us is unmeasurable. I couldn't help but think that while the love that I have for Meritt is so big that it can't be described; God's love for us is even bigger. It is even better than the love that I have for this precious girl. It is so funny that in the last 12 weeks my thoughts have been totally transformed. When Meritt is with us we are constantly taking care of her and giving her all the attention that a newborn needs (it is ALOT). Then when she is away the thought of her consumes my mind. Brian's parents and mine have babysat her several times and I trust them both more than they know. It is not the thoughts of if she's ok instead it is the thoughts of just how much I love her. I find myself praying multiple times a day just a simple prayer of thanksgiving for the blessing of Meritt. As you read this I am sure you get my point. She consumes my mind and she takes up a very large part of my heart.
I am humbled and overwhelmed to know that God loves us even more than that. I am thankful that God's love stretches farther than any number we can count, higher than any distance we can go, and longer than any ocean or land. Thanks be to God for His unmeasureable love!!
Babbling Brooke
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Plaid Settee Sofa
It is the size of a loveseat but much nicer than a loveseat. It is made of silk, the edges of the skirt are scalloped and it has wonderful colors that make a plaid pattern. This settee has many stories to tell and to this day it is one of the most special pieces of furniture that I own. The first story that the settee can tell is this...my mom and I were in a small french furniture shop when we spotted the settee. I was very young so it was a loveseat to me with very little meaning. To my mom this was the perfect piece of furniture and she knew the very spot she wanted to place it in her home. She looked at it for sometime asked a few questions to the clerk and then we left. She called my dad at work to tell him how she found the perfect piece of furniture and that she loved it. My mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and when we got home I remember being astonished...the settee was sitting in our den. My dad had gone out that very day and purchased that settee and surprised my mother and me.
The next story this settee tells is of living with my nana and papa. Several years ago my grandparents decided to add onto their home and build a sunroom. They were looking for furnishings for the sunroom and my mom gave them the settee. Soon after the sunroom was built my nana got diagnosed with parkinson's disease and began a downward spiral with her health. My nana who has always been such an energetic spirit suddenly had to lay down alot. This settee was where I saw her lay many times. Two years ago July 29th my nana had a stroke. The stroke affected her health more than any of us could've imagined. Because of her decline in health my grandparents moved to an assisted living home. My grandparents had to do some serious downsizing to fit into their now two bedroom apartment at the assisted living complex. This is where the third story comes into play.
The third story is of Brian and I getting the settee. When my grandparents downsized we acquired the settee. It now sits in our master bedroom under a large window. It was here in the room when Meritt came home for the first time, it has let Meritt and myself lay down and rest after a night of little rest and it is always happy to let my dirty clothes lay on it :)
A simple piece of furniture but it is a piece that brings back so many special memories. There are happy stories and sad stories I am so thankful for the memories that it brings. I hope that you all can look back and remember something as simple as a piece of furniture and let memories pour in.
The next story this settee tells is of living with my nana and papa. Several years ago my grandparents decided to add onto their home and build a sunroom. They were looking for furnishings for the sunroom and my mom gave them the settee. Soon after the sunroom was built my nana got diagnosed with parkinson's disease and began a downward spiral with her health. My nana who has always been such an energetic spirit suddenly had to lay down alot. This settee was where I saw her lay many times. Two years ago July 29th my nana had a stroke. The stroke affected her health more than any of us could've imagined. Because of her decline in health my grandparents moved to an assisted living home. My grandparents had to do some serious downsizing to fit into their now two bedroom apartment at the assisted living complex. This is where the third story comes into play.
The third story is of Brian and I getting the settee. When my grandparents downsized we acquired the settee. It now sits in our master bedroom under a large window. It was here in the room when Meritt came home for the first time, it has let Meritt and myself lay down and rest after a night of little rest and it is always happy to let my dirty clothes lay on it :)
A simple piece of furniture but it is a piece that brings back so many special memories. There are happy stories and sad stories I am so thankful for the memories that it brings. I hope that you all can look back and remember something as simple as a piece of furniture and let memories pour in.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
No Regrets
With a little baby here at home it has been lots harder to update this blog. She is napping now and I am going to write...
Have you ever had an opportunity to tell someone how you feel but instead of taking advantage of that moment you watched as it passed you by? Yesterday on the news they shared a story of how a troop from Afghanistan made a youtube video asking a famous actress to be his date to the annual military ball in North Carolina. The video was shown to the actress and she was touched and much to the trooper's surprise she agreed to be his date. I guarantee that he has no regrets for making the video. Now if he had thought about making the video and then never actually done it he would probably be full of regret.
Over the fourth of July weekend we received news that Brian's grandad had taken a turn for the worse. The doctors were predicting he had 48 hours to live. Brian's parents were in Colorado when they got the news. Since they had their camper and truck they had no choice but to drive back to Tennessee. During the days that they traveled back Brian would go and visit his grandad in the ICU and tell him how far they were how much they loved him and then he would report back to his parents how his grandad was doing. On Friday night his grandad was doing pretty bad but he was still able to make eye contact, shake his head yes or no and he could squeeze your hand. Brian waited until everyone else had exited the room before he shared his heart with his grandad. He told his grandad how wonderful Meritt is and how sorry he was that his grandad wouldn't get the chance to meet her, he told his grandad how much his parents loved him and how much he loved him. He also told his grandad that whenever he was ready to go because when his eyes closed he would hear the words that we all long to hear when we die "Well Done My Good and Faithful Servant" he told his grandad that he had lived a good life and that he had served his family and God so well. He promised his grandad that his grandmother would be taken care of. During this talk Brian had tears rolling down his face and his grandad squeezed his hand and fixed his eyes on Brian. No Regrets.
Sometimes it is so difficult to dig deep and to share those raw thoughts. It is so hard because we might cry, the person might not like what we have to say but you have to ask yourself...will I regret never sharing how I feel. So many leave this earth suddenly and we don't have some time to prepare ourselves and to say the things that we are feeling. That is why we should share how we feel everyday.
May we all live lives purely and full of No Regrets.
P.S. Meritt is pretty great and I want to do a blog about her soon :)
Have you ever had an opportunity to tell someone how you feel but instead of taking advantage of that moment you watched as it passed you by? Yesterday on the news they shared a story of how a troop from Afghanistan made a youtube video asking a famous actress to be his date to the annual military ball in North Carolina. The video was shown to the actress and she was touched and much to the trooper's surprise she agreed to be his date. I guarantee that he has no regrets for making the video. Now if he had thought about making the video and then never actually done it he would probably be full of regret.
Over the fourth of July weekend we received news that Brian's grandad had taken a turn for the worse. The doctors were predicting he had 48 hours to live. Brian's parents were in Colorado when they got the news. Since they had their camper and truck they had no choice but to drive back to Tennessee. During the days that they traveled back Brian would go and visit his grandad in the ICU and tell him how far they were how much they loved him and then he would report back to his parents how his grandad was doing. On Friday night his grandad was doing pretty bad but he was still able to make eye contact, shake his head yes or no and he could squeeze your hand. Brian waited until everyone else had exited the room before he shared his heart with his grandad. He told his grandad how wonderful Meritt is and how sorry he was that his grandad wouldn't get the chance to meet her, he told his grandad how much his parents loved him and how much he loved him. He also told his grandad that whenever he was ready to go because when his eyes closed he would hear the words that we all long to hear when we die "Well Done My Good and Faithful Servant" he told his grandad that he had lived a good life and that he had served his family and God so well. He promised his grandad that his grandmother would be taken care of. During this talk Brian had tears rolling down his face and his grandad squeezed his hand and fixed his eyes on Brian. No Regrets.
Sometimes it is so difficult to dig deep and to share those raw thoughts. It is so hard because we might cry, the person might not like what we have to say but you have to ask yourself...will I regret never sharing how I feel. So many leave this earth suddenly and we don't have some time to prepare ourselves and to say the things that we are feeling. That is why we should share how we feel everyday.
May we all live lives purely and full of No Regrets.
P.S. Meritt is pretty great and I want to do a blog about her soon :)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
So Hard to Say Goodbye
For those of you that don't know Jeff and Ashley Brown they are the pastor and pastor's wife at our church. They are a young couple with the world at their fingertips. Up until 6 months ago they were able to go on a date night whenever they wanted, pick up and go for a weekend getaway whenever the urge hit them and besides caring for themselves they really only were responsible for their 2 dogs. That however was a little over 6 months ago. These past 6 months have been quite the opposite. They have been foster parents to two kids that are around 10 and 3 years old. These two kids have lived in lots of homes in a very short period of time and they have been dealt a card in life that is much harder than most.
Since the children have moved in with Jeff and Ashley their lives have all changed. Jeff and Ashley suddenly had 2 kids that needed love and attention. They have given up date nights, weekend getaways and nights lounging on their couch watching their favorite tv shows. Instead it has all been replaced by caring for two kids who have never experienced the love and attention that most of us have been blessed with knowing. A 10 year old boy with no emotion, no excitement a wall has been built so that he doesn't have to be hurt anymore. When opening Christmas gifts at Jeff and Ashley's he showed no expression, said nothing and he was opening some really cool gifts! At a recent church league game Jeff came off the court when it was over and was greated by 3 year old Jaliegh she ran with her arms open wide yelling "DADDY" and Jeff said "well hey there beautiful." In that moment I was struck with a thought; I wondered if she has ever been called beautiful or told she was beautiful before living with the Brown's.
As an outsider I have watched two children be transformed. I have witnessed them open their hearts and personalities because they were being built up and loved by the Brown's. I have also seen Jeff and Ashley give up their free time to love some children that otherwise would get no love. It hasn't all been fun either, they have patiently dealt with temper tantrums, cleaned up messes, and gone to multiple court hearings. I have seen Jeff and Ashley be transformed and fall in love with these two kids and this past Sunday at church when I saw Jeff and Ashley with the kids I couldn't help but tear up knowing that June 1st will be much harder on them than any of us can begin to imagine.
A judge ruled that on June 1st the kids will move out of state to permanently reside with an aunt and uncle. This is good because they have an older sibling that they will be able to be reunited with. It is sad because Jeff and Ashley have an undeniable bond with these kids and it is going to be so so hard to say goodbye. My prayer for the kids is that no matter how old or how far they go they will never forget the love that the Brown's have for them and the love that our Heavenly Father has for them. I pray that the Brown's will have a peace during this transition and that even though it is going to be very hard I pray God will bless them with a comfort that can only come from Him.
Please join me in praying for Jeff, Ashley and the kids. I also pray that God will create all of our hearts to be more like Jeff and Ashley's. I pray that we will all have hearts that long to serve God more than serving ourselves. Thanks to the Brown's for the lessons that you have taught so many!
Since the children have moved in with Jeff and Ashley their lives have all changed. Jeff and Ashley suddenly had 2 kids that needed love and attention. They have given up date nights, weekend getaways and nights lounging on their couch watching their favorite tv shows. Instead it has all been replaced by caring for two kids who have never experienced the love and attention that most of us have been blessed with knowing. A 10 year old boy with no emotion, no excitement a wall has been built so that he doesn't have to be hurt anymore. When opening Christmas gifts at Jeff and Ashley's he showed no expression, said nothing and he was opening some really cool gifts! At a recent church league game Jeff came off the court when it was over and was greated by 3 year old Jaliegh she ran with her arms open wide yelling "DADDY" and Jeff said "well hey there beautiful." In that moment I was struck with a thought; I wondered if she has ever been called beautiful or told she was beautiful before living with the Brown's.
As an outsider I have watched two children be transformed. I have witnessed them open their hearts and personalities because they were being built up and loved by the Brown's. I have also seen Jeff and Ashley give up their free time to love some children that otherwise would get no love. It hasn't all been fun either, they have patiently dealt with temper tantrums, cleaned up messes, and gone to multiple court hearings. I have seen Jeff and Ashley be transformed and fall in love with these two kids and this past Sunday at church when I saw Jeff and Ashley with the kids I couldn't help but tear up knowing that June 1st will be much harder on them than any of us can begin to imagine.
A judge ruled that on June 1st the kids will move out of state to permanently reside with an aunt and uncle. This is good because they have an older sibling that they will be able to be reunited with. It is sad because Jeff and Ashley have an undeniable bond with these kids and it is going to be so so hard to say goodbye. My prayer for the kids is that no matter how old or how far they go they will never forget the love that the Brown's have for them and the love that our Heavenly Father has for them. I pray that the Brown's will have a peace during this transition and that even though it is going to be very hard I pray God will bless them with a comfort that can only come from Him.
Please join me in praying for Jeff, Ashley and the kids. I also pray that God will create all of our hearts to be more like Jeff and Ashley's. I pray that we will all have hearts that long to serve God more than serving ourselves. Thanks to the Brown's for the lessons that you have taught so many!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Our Prayer for Meritt
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:19
We have searched, talked and prayed for a verse that we wanted to be our prayer for Meritt. A verse that has words much wiser than anything we could write, something we could pray over her long before she herself ever learns to read. We have found many verses that pricked our hearts both for her and for us as her parents. We discovered that Proverbs has all kinds of wonderful wisdom for parents and there have been many other powerful verses that touched us more than we might have thought. It was when we came upon this verse, Ephesians 3:19 that we knew this was the verse that we wanted to pray over our daughter for the rest of our days.
I have been touched by knowing how blessed Meritt is to be born into a family that cannot wait to teach her the love that Christ has. It is humbling to think that there are children in this world tonight that do not know the love of Christ. It breaks my heart to think of the void that is within so many that have never met or will never know the love of Christ.
21 days left in this pregnancy and we have spent so much time getting prepared. Decorating the nursery, washing all of Meritt's clothes and reading up on as many baby books as possible . We have prayed for Meritt everyday, we have prayed that our marriage will not falter, that our faith will not waiver during this new phase in our life. The preperations are almost complete, it will soon be "go-time" it will be our time to learn, love and most of all get to teach this being the love of Christ!
Thanks be to God for the gift of His love! Thanks be to God for entrusting us with this little Meritt Grace! We are so honored to be her Mom and Dad and we will continue to pray for her and do our best to show her the love that God has for her. Our prayer is that Meritt will grow with a desire in her own heart to share the love of Christ with all that she meets!!
We have searched, talked and prayed for a verse that we wanted to be our prayer for Meritt. A verse that has words much wiser than anything we could write, something we could pray over her long before she herself ever learns to read. We have found many verses that pricked our hearts both for her and for us as her parents. We discovered that Proverbs has all kinds of wonderful wisdom for parents and there have been many other powerful verses that touched us more than we might have thought. It was when we came upon this verse, Ephesians 3:19 that we knew this was the verse that we wanted to pray over our daughter for the rest of our days.
I have been touched by knowing how blessed Meritt is to be born into a family that cannot wait to teach her the love that Christ has. It is humbling to think that there are children in this world tonight that do not know the love of Christ. It breaks my heart to think of the void that is within so many that have never met or will never know the love of Christ.
21 days left in this pregnancy and we have spent so much time getting prepared. Decorating the nursery, washing all of Meritt's clothes and reading up on as many baby books as possible . We have prayed for Meritt everyday, we have prayed that our marriage will not falter, that our faith will not waiver during this new phase in our life. The preperations are almost complete, it will soon be "go-time" it will be our time to learn, love and most of all get to teach this being the love of Christ!
Thanks be to God for the gift of His love! Thanks be to God for entrusting us with this little Meritt Grace! We are so honored to be her Mom and Dad and we will continue to pray for her and do our best to show her the love that God has for her. Our prayer is that Meritt will grow with a desire in her own heart to share the love of Christ with all that she meets!!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Lord for Your Glory
Ever since we opened our office in 2009 we have had the same UPS delivery driver. He comes in almost everyday at about 1pm to make a delivery. At first it was a simple "Hi/Bye" conversation between the two of us but since then we have talked more about his kids, about my pregnancy, where he goes to church, where I go to church, etc. Yesterday he came in and I asked him if he was tired from Tuesday night's storms and he shared a story with me...A few years ago when the tornado hit Union University he was in Union's parking lot fixing to make a delivery. He looked up saw how bad it was and started to get out of his truck to run into married housing. Before he could make it out of his truck the tornado picked up his truck slamming it down on its nose then picked it up a second time and spun it around and slammed it on its nose again. His elbows and back went through the windshield. He said then everything was quiet and dark. The next noise he would hear were the ambulance, police and firetruck sirens approaching Union's campus. He walked away completely ok. He told me he didn't know why God chose to save Him but from that moment he knew that he would share this story to give God the glory in hopes of growing His Kingdom.
I was touched by his story, amazed that he walked away ok, and astonished that he still drives a UPS truck ( I think I would be traumatized to ever get in one again) ha! The words he said made me think...do I use the blessings that God so generously pours out on me for His Glory? The success of our business, the happy marriage that I am apart of, this baby that is coming so soon, the healing of my dad, as you can see this list is endless. My blessings or stories may not be as intriguing and exciting as the UPS drivers but they are real and they have been poured out on me even though I don't deserve them.
My prayer this morning has been to use it all, to use the exciting stories, to use the ever so small, to use the astonishing, to use all the blessings that have been given to me for God's Glory.
I was touched by his story, amazed that he walked away ok, and astonished that he still drives a UPS truck ( I think I would be traumatized to ever get in one again) ha! The words he said made me think...do I use the blessings that God so generously pours out on me for His Glory? The success of our business, the happy marriage that I am apart of, this baby that is coming so soon, the healing of my dad, as you can see this list is endless. My blessings or stories may not be as intriguing and exciting as the UPS drivers but they are real and they have been poured out on me even though I don't deserve them.
My prayer this morning has been to use it all, to use the exciting stories, to use the ever so small, to use the astonishing, to use all the blessings that have been given to me for God's Glory.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
13
13 years ago alot happened. I started highschool, my brothers 4-wheeler got stolen (they were devestated), the movie THE TITANIC came out, I knew then that I would be going to college at Pepperdine in Malibu, CA (didn't happen), I got a phone call that changed my life, and I kissed a boy that turned my world upside down. 13 years ago...1998 it seems like a world away and then it seems as if it were only yesterday.
On March 27, 1998 my parents yelled upstairs "Brooke you have a phone call." On the other end of that phone was a boy, Brian Pearson. We had talked a couple of times at school but really not a whole lot. As I talked to him that night my stomach was doing dances and to think today that we have a baby inside my stomach doing dances...who would have thought? This past Sunday was March 27 and as I wrote my check out at church and dated it I realized it has been 13 years. Wow!
On April 4, 1998 we went to see THE TITANIC it was our first date the movie lasted 3 hours and everyone talked about how long it was but me I was wishing it would've lasted a little longer. He was the highschool quarterback, played basketball, baseball everyone in highschool knew him. I couldn't believe that he was interested in me.
I remember our 1st kiss was at Ashley Warren's parents house in the playroom. It was my first kiss and it was wet and sloppy and nothing like I thought. Since then our kisses have vastly improved but to this day I remember that kiss as if it happened last night.
I can remember praying to God asking Him to please let me marry Brian Pearson. We had some bumps along the way but in the end we did marry and I can't say thank you to God enough. Thank you for the blessing of a husband that is a true spiritual leader, thank you for letting me marry my best friend and thank you for now expanding our family.
13...thankful for 13 years with my best friend and love of my life!
On March 27, 1998 my parents yelled upstairs "Brooke you have a phone call." On the other end of that phone was a boy, Brian Pearson. We had talked a couple of times at school but really not a whole lot. As I talked to him that night my stomach was doing dances and to think today that we have a baby inside my stomach doing dances...who would have thought? This past Sunday was March 27 and as I wrote my check out at church and dated it I realized it has been 13 years. Wow!
On April 4, 1998 we went to see THE TITANIC it was our first date the movie lasted 3 hours and everyone talked about how long it was but me I was wishing it would've lasted a little longer. He was the highschool quarterback, played basketball, baseball everyone in highschool knew him. I couldn't believe that he was interested in me.
I remember our 1st kiss was at Ashley Warren's parents house in the playroom. It was my first kiss and it was wet and sloppy and nothing like I thought. Since then our kisses have vastly improved but to this day I remember that kiss as if it happened last night.
I can remember praying to God asking Him to please let me marry Brian Pearson. We had some bumps along the way but in the end we did marry and I can't say thank you to God enough. Thank you for the blessing of a husband that is a true spiritual leader, thank you for letting me marry my best friend and thank you for now expanding our family.
13...thankful for 13 years with my best friend and love of my life!
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