2,712 Hours

According to the little stork in the top right corner of this page, that's how long we have until Sam gets here. 113 days. 16 weeks. Less than 4 months. 2,712 hours. And as I'm typing this, the clocks in my office are steadily ticking- tick, tick, tick- moving us closer and closer to the big day.

I don't mean that to sound ominous or dark, but it is scary to think that in that short time, there's going to be this little stranger in our house that we're responsible for. This baby that we've never met is going to move in, and it's up to us to make sure he's healthy and well adjusted. I've got to teach him how to walk, talk, throw a spiral, bait a hook, tell a joke, talk to girls, drive a car, use the bathroom, shave, ride a bike, tie his shoes, pray, wear a tie, do laundry, cook a steak, use tools, and on, and on, and on, ad infinitum. And that's the thing that concerns me most.

When I'm in public and see kids acting up, my gut reaction is to blame the parents. They should teach their kids better. When a kid can't throw a ball, spell his name, or count to ten, I blame the parents. They're responsible for what their child doesn't know, and now I'm jumping into that pond with them.

If Sam plays t-ball and can't throw it to first, that's on me. If he gets to kindergarten and doesn't know his ABC's, that's me. If he gets to middle school and is disrespectful to a teacher, my fault. Liz and I are responsible to teach him everything he needs to know. It's up to us. He is our responsibility. This little life is in our hands (I know that ultimately it is in God's hands, but you know what I mean). God is giving us this little person and saying, "Raise him. Teach him. Take care of him." That's a big deal.

So, we covet your prayers and encouragement. We won't be bashful about asking for help, and hopefully our friends won't be bashful about answering our questions. I just want to raise him well, and the day is quickly approaching when we'll find out how it goes. Tick, tick, tick...

-Jared

Thankfulness

In light of all the recent "misfortunes" of our home, I feel the need to do some confessing. Bear with me, please. Yesterday, as I was getting ready for our bible study, I ran across some things that were rather convicting, which is exciting. I've been brought up to know that Satan doesn't bother you if you're no competition for him. If you're not working for the Kingdom, then why would he bother you? Well, its good to know that the Lord is working and so is Satan. Well, I was reading about how Satan is very sneaky and deceptive. Of course we as Christian people wouldn't allow clear lies into our lives, Satan has to find ways to sneak lies into our lives. I became convicted of some of the things that I allow Satan to sneak in...for example TV. I love TV! Ever since I was a little girl, I would be mesmorized by it....tuning the rest of the world out. The love between the two of us began at a very young age and has carried me through. So I realized, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that I allow these shows to bring worldly issues that clearly oppose the Truth into my home, and into my life. OUCH! As I began to process this with the Lord, I was reading about a friend who was convicted of the same thing. She was sooo bummed that she couldn't watch her shows anymore, then the leader of the bible study talked about that true conviction isn't bummed or sad. It is resolved. When we get rid of the things that take the place of the Lord, we make room for Him to do work. I shouldn't be sad about my show...that all seems really silly now. I'm excited that the things I get rid of can make room for what the Lord wants to do.When I went to bible study, the girls and I were talking about being thankful. Bridgette had said she ran into this guy in Brookshire Brothers who was so proud about working there for 5 years. He was so excited he told her about it! A perfect stranger. We were talking about how, if that would have been us, we would have been bummed to still be in that job that long, and looking at what everyone else had gotten in life. But he was so thankful for where he was, and what he had accomplished. Throughout the night, we kept bringing that guy up... "Thankful for your Brookshire Brothers" is what we would say. This morning when I was driving to school, I still kept thinking about that..."Thankful for my Brookshire Brothers". I was convicted, AGAIN, about being thankful. I may never have the house of my dreams, but I certainly have a lot more than a lot of people. Who cares if my living room floor is now just concrete? Praise God I have a home. Praise God we have home owners insurance, friends who can tell us what to do when stuff like this happens, and people who will spend all day pulling carpet up. I'm realizing that I need to be more "thankful for my brookshire brothers". I'm so thankful for friends who help me realize all the blessings in my life. I clearly need reminders of this or Satan will have me looking at everything that is going wrong.So this post is simply called thankfulness. I'm thankful that God still convicts and moves in my life...even when I am quite frankly a stubborn mule at times. I want to encourage you to find something that you're thankful for...even in the midst of wet carpets and TAKS tests and all the other craziness of the world. Feel free to write what you're thankful for too! I'd love to hear about it.
~Elizabeth

"It's Always Something"

My dad used to always say that when something in our house would break. "It's always something." Ahh, the joys of home ownership. The A/C leak that Liz mentioned in her last post caused more damage than we initially realized. This morning, I pulled all the carpet out of the living room, and part of it out of the adjoining bedroom. What a mess. Now we get to deal with insurance people and contractors...ugh.

But I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to preach a D-Now last weekend for which I was generously compensated. We had plans for that money, but aparently the Lord gave it to us because He knew this disaster was coming. I guess that's the silver lining- God proved His faithfulness yet again. That, and we get new floors sooner than we had planned.

-Jared

Food for Thought...

So this weekend was yet again a crazy one. I'm really ready for some down time...maybe that will come soon. Jared did a DNOW in Mont Belvieu this weekend and I did some shopping with Patty. We shopped all day! We found a baby book, the outfit Sam will wear home from the hospital, and of course lots of other non essential things. When I got home Saturday night I went to a friend's engagement party while Jared was still gone. Long story short, he got home about 11. I had tried to stay up, but fell asleep in the recliner. When I wake up, I can tell he's all excited about something. And his words were, and I quote, "Liz! So we went to this garage sale and you'll never guess what I bought!" At that moment in time, I felt like the oldest person in the world b/c I knew whatever it was, it was going to be useless junk. As Jared built up the suspense about what a deal this "toy" was I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. And what was this toy you might ask? It was a magic set, full of all things magical. Rings, magic hats, you name it. I was furious! Jared kept saying, "But Liz, it was only $10!". The money wasn't the issue. The issue was that it was another toy that he would play with and forget about in two days. I even said that. Then, the conviction came. Thats the worst. I could see that I crushed his spirit, his "inner child" if you will. I couldn't just be excited that he got something fun that he could bring and show the kids at church. Not only did I crush his spirit, I stomped and spit on it. How awful of me. I went to bed thinking about it, even after we had talked the situation through. How I pray that I won't ever do that again to my husband or even Sam. I think it boils down to the fact that I'm a little envious of my husband's youthfulness. He nevers gets "bogged down" in the worries of life like I do. Why, just this afternoon we came home from church and for some weird reason our air conditioner had leaked all over our carpet. GREAT! This isn't the first of many things that have gone wrong in our little "fixer upper". But, like a true youth, I laughed at the irony of it all. As I sit here and type, Jared found a label maker and stuck the label "dork" onto my forehead. I love this guy. He keeps me sane, in a world that seems to have gone mad. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm going to try not to be so "grown up" this week. Funny how all my life I wanted to be grown up and now I'm trying to embrace youthfulness again? Irony is a killer. More thoughts to come,
~Elizabeth

A Big Day: Tuesday

So yesterday was kinda a big day for me. The school day was normal...well as normal as can be at the end of the school year. What was so big was what happened after school. First off, my wonderful husband mowed our yard (which was starting to look like a swamp), which made me very happy. I had about an hour until I had to leave for our small group Bible study so I decided to listen to some new songs Jared put on the iPod. We recently found the charger to it, so now its like we have an iPod for the first time. Anywho, I was laying down listening to some tunes when I feel Sam moving a lot. So, I put my hands on my belly and I feel him move again. Only this time, I feel him from the inside of my belly and from the outside of my belly with my hands! I jumped up (well I wouldn't say jumped...I can't really do that these days), ran into the living room and told Jared ,"I just felt the baby move outside my belly!" I laid down on the couch and tried to relax and do exactly what I was doing before when I felt the baby. I kept saying, "Did you feel that?" and he couldn't. After a few minutes he said, "Don't tell me when the baby kicks and let me see if I can feel it." So, like a good wife, I did. At this point, I feel the need to say that the song that was playing was "A Page is Turned" by Bebo Norman, which was the song that we played at our wedding while we were lighting the unity candle. Anyway, all of a sudden Jared says, "I felt it! I felt it!" Wow! What a cool moment in time. Of course, I was crying at God's perfect timing. I know...big day for us.

After that, it was time for me to go to the small group bible study that a few of us from church have started. This is only our third week, but I 've grown fond of the time we meet each week. Last night, I began thinking about how the Bible tells us that we are to be "aliens and strangers of this world", and I'm afraid that I do a better job of fitting into the world that standing out from it. My prayer is that people will continue to see something different in me...not necessarily something "weird", but just different and that the difference in me would draw them closer to Christ. Wow, what a huge challenge that is. But I am up for it. I'm so thankful for the time that I get to spend with them and the encouragement and accountability it brings to me.

When I got home and waited for the game (whichever one it was) to go off, I laid back down in the bed listening to the iPod (I know I told you it was like we just got it). Only this time, I heard "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" by Willie Nelson. For those of you who may not know, Willie Nelson was Jared's dad Joe's favorite singer. We would listen to Willie Nelson tapes and records and for the longest time growing up Jared thought he really had an "Uncle Willie". This particular song was one of his favorites, and even after he got sick he asked if Jared would sing it at his funeral. We had it played at his funeral (that would be extremely difficult for a son to do), and the two times I've heard it since he died, I bawl like a baby. This time was no different. Only this time, I kept one earphone in my ear and put the other on my belly, crying the whole time. Some days, I just hate that this world we live in is so full is sickness and death and pain. I miss him. I hate that his "favorite" is having a boy and he won't be here to see him. But at the same time, I'm so thankful that God did a work in his life, that he raised three awesome kids, and that I got to meet him. I know we'll pass on the things that he would have wanted Sam to know.

I know, right? Big Day. Lots of things happening. Lots of things going on in my little head. That's the big stuff for right now. ~Elizabeth

Word of the day: Boanthropy

In our Wednesday adult Bible study, we're going chapter by chapter through the book of Daniel. Tonight we're in Daniel 4. It's the story of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a tree that gets cut down and bound in chains. Daniel explains that Nebuchadnezzar is the tree, that his kingdom will be taken from him, and he will "live with the animals; eat grass like cattle and be drenched with dew." (4:25) Then, it actually happens: "He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with dew until his hair grew like eagle's feathers, and his nails like the claws of a bird." (4:33)

It turns out there's an actual mental disorder called boanthropy which causes the sufferer to believe that he or she is a cow or ox. It can get so severe that physiological changes take place. Some "boanthropes," as they're called, actually grow coarse hair and thick nails as a result of the disorder. They are also known to eat grass, walk on their hands and knees, and moo like cattle.

Fascinating, right? I think this would be a great lesson for kids: Humble yourself and honor the Lord, or He will make you a cow-man. Ok, that's a stretch, but I do think it points out that God is willing to take away anything we put above Him in our lives. For Neb, it was himself. When he lost his mind, he had been admiring his kingdom and said to himself, "Is this not the great Babylon which I have built by my power and for the glory of my majesty?" (4:30) So what I've learned is this: the best idea for life is to keep God first in all things. We are free to enjoy the bleesings of life, as long as we keep them subject to the Lord. Thanks, Daniel.

"Those who walk in pride, He is able to humble." (4:37)

Enjoy your day-

Jared

Jared's First Post

Elizabeth's the one who started this blog, but since it's the "Hollier Family," she encouraged me to contribute. So, here goes...

As far as the whole "family" thing goes, it's hard to imagine that in a few months we're going to have one of our own. For four years now, it's just been the two of us, but in four months there's gonna be three. I can't quite wrap my head around how different things are going to be around here. Plus, I'm not exactly "World's Greatest Husband," (even though I have a coffee mug that says otherwise. I found 'em at Spencer Gifts, bought myself like a dozen of them.) now I have to learn how to be a dad, too. It's just weird to think about. It's exciting, and I know it'll be good and fun and all that, but it's just such a huge change.

I'm not sure what I'm allowed or not allowed to write about here. For instance, I have a lot I could say about the NBA playoffs, some new music I'm listening to, or the book I'm currently reading, but I better check with the Mrs. first. Enjoy your day, and thanks for stopping by.

-Jared

Life Changes

So we just got home from a wedding that Jared did, which we had to do premarital counseling for, I know right? How crazy is it that we, who have been married almost 4 years, are doing counseling. Talk about funny if you ask me. So as the bride was walking down the aisle she literally looked like she was going to pass out. Her face was white and Jared even had to tell her "just take a deep breath". That got me thinking about how I felt on my wedding day. I was nervous about falling down the aisle (which apparently is a common fear), but I was so excited that the big day was finally here. The whole day went by so quickly it seems. That was almost four years ago next month. I kept thinking today about how much their lives are going to change and they don't even realize it. Jared and I have both changed so much since the day we got married, for the better I'd like to say. It's like everyday you just learn how to be better and live with someone in a better way. Don't get me wrong, we still have our moments. In fact, just yesterday I told Jared I wish we could argue in a way that we would just talk and get over it....we're not quite there, but we're working on it. Marriage is just such a crazy awesome way for God to unite two completely different people! And not only that, but it's like how God wants you to live your life gets put to the test. Everything that you've learned in your walk with the Lord gets put into practice. Real life experience. It's great. I love being married. Talk about transformation.

Another big change that is on the way is our baby boy coming in August. Samuel Joseph Hollier is "expected" to make his big debut on August 21. I can't even put into words the feelings that I have for this little boy already. The neatest thing is to feel him moving inside me, and not only that but when it happens. On my way to school when I'm rocking out to my c.d.s there is Baby Sam inside me rocking out with his momma! Its like our little hangout time everyday. It's the same on the way home, and I promise you he already loves Monk and Neagle better than any other c.d. I play (mother's intuition we'll say). It's just insane to think that a little baby is growing inside me. I've gotten through the yucky side effects of being pregnant, like being sick, but now I'm really starting to enjoy things. I find myself just praying that he would hurry up and get here. Every time we go to the doctor we have to get an ultrasound it seems. The nurses try to get a heartbeat, but he keeps moving so much that they can't. So we walk over to the ultrasound room to see another little picture of him! I love it,and I think its hilarious that he is one of the few babies that "stump" the nurses. A part of me wanders if he is going to be a REALLY active little boy... probably so. I so desire to be a mom that teaches her son how to be a loving, honest, compassionate person. I pray that God would teach us the right things to say and do, and that Sam would see an example of how to live for the Lord through Jared and me.

Huge changes going on in our lives right now. Although they've been gradual sometimes they feel like they just come up all at once. Like where did my teen years go? Sometimes I just feel just like I'm fifteen waiting to get my driver's license. Time flies right? I love my life. It's so exciting to see where God is going to take our growing family, but its even neater to see where He's already taken us. Wow, God is so good. Elizabeth

My life so far???

So, I'm kinda new at the blogger thing. The fact that anyone would want to read the crazy musings from my day to day life is rather strange to me, but regardless I have decided to start. This would be one of my attempts to keep in touch with my friends and family in a way that might help us actually stay in touch. I have recently felt conviction, after the death of a good friend, that far too often I lose touch with the people that are most special to me. So this is one of my attempts to help bridge the gap. Just FYI...every diary I ever kept has started off good, then about a week later, nothing. And nothing until years later, when I would find it again and laugh at how silly I sounded. Hopefully, this will not be the same. More to come soon, Elizabeth