Even though we know we are children of the Most High God, set apart and made Holy by the blood of the lamb, we sometimes don’t act and feel like the powerful, perfect in His sight, superhero new creatures God created us to be. Just like our life circumstances, we are a work in progress.

Although sin is never a joking matter, our bumbling efforts forward in grace don’t always have to be a source of self-loathing and a measuring stick of how far we have to go. We need to give ourselves and others grace, particularly in areas where there is no rebellion but perhaps just a splash of the realities of growing up in the Lord that aren’t perfecto.

When my son lived at home he figured out a clever way to pick apart my idiosyncracies and uncover to me any hint of detected hypocrisy without getting in trouble. He used humor. Even though he straddled the boarder of disrespect with this at times, he revealed truth in such a way I couldn’t help but choke on my food while laughing it was so spot on and funny.

It’s okay to look at yourself in the mirror and admit your not perfect and love yourself anyway!

Being able to accept and love yourself where you are while working to be more Christ-like is important. Lighten up in life in general but be careful to remain sober minded. We serve a Holy God.

Laughter is a gift from God and is medicine to the soul. Laugh and laugh often.

I laughed so hard while flipping through pregnancy memes night before last I had mascara streaming down my face. My husband came in and smiled while I read them to him. I imagine they weren’t quite so funny to him. This week as my uncomfort level has grown with my pregnancy body and its aches and pains I have not always handled myself with stoic grace. I have made sure to share with him regularly my process, when not with words, with grunts and groans as I waddled about the house and struggled to do things that use to be a cinch, directing my husband with an onslaught of new chores as I get the house ready for the baby.

I’m ‘Nesting.’

Yesterday I worked all day in my pj’s and didn’t even brush my hair! I didn’t really realize this until my husband got home from work. 😊 I proceeded to crack jokes about my pregnant reality. He cooked dinner for the third night in a row.

Last night he had a dream. Swans were ‘nesting’ in these trees, squawking, making a bit of a racket. He was thinking they weren’t as beautiful or as big as regular swans. He thought they seemed out of place not floating gracefully in the pond below them.

Hahaha. He would never dream of pointing out my imperfections, even with humor, as my son once did, but my ability to interpret dreams (especially one this obvious!) did it for him.

I’m not exactly the picture of grace and perfection this week as my body fills with extra blood, my weight soars, my circulation struggles and my trips to the fridge and bathroom increase and keep me up at night all while I give a blow by blow account to my husband. I know I haven’t been as charming floating on the water of the Spirit 😂 lately but thank God he still loves me and Jesus loves me too!

I am still beautiful and perfect in the sight of God and so are you, regardless of how you may be feeling or even acting.

I laugh at myself and the reality of my week and I also pray for greater grace to rise above my bodily limitations that I know will tempt me to complain over the next 6-7 weeks.

I pray for each of you too. Live. Laugh. Love.