The Messy Coffee Table

Maternity photos by Adriana Brito I'm the kind of girl who likes to document everything. Pregnancy is no exception. I have a first-time mom's journal I've been using for the past 7 or so months to track everything about this pregnancy, as well as a devotional dedicated to engaging with God as pregnancy progresses.  I'm also the kind of girl who likes to learn from other people's stories. Shocker...pregnancy is no exception here either! One of my biggest goals in preparing for the birth has been the elimination of fear, and I've learned that for me, hearing ALL the stories helps me in that journey. There's a lot of horror stories out there...I'm not talking about getting caught up and dwelling on these. But it has helped me to hear and read real stories of real moms who had healthy babies and all the different methods they've been able to do so.  Something about knowing the depths and heights of what it can be like to deliver a baby brings me comfort....

At six months pregnant, things are starting to get a little uncomfortable. Organs are getting all kinds of squished and re-located these days. There's just less space for everything in general. Depending on how I sit or carry myself, I either feel completely short of breath, or my back is aching. I'm either squishing my lungs and diaphragm together or compressing all the muscles and ligaments in my lower back...and there's no longer much of an in-between. It's lots of fun! And it makes singing a little more...challenging. It feels like going back to basics, trying to stay in tune with my body at each moment, remaining grounded enough to support the sound.  As a singer, good posture is important. When I sang in choirs, how we sat while learning parts and how we stood while performing were all part of singing well and maintaining vocal health. In many cases it was even part of your grade. Learning how to carry yourself properly was just as important as the notes and phras...

Patience [ source ] [ pay -shehns] quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness when confronted with delay "You tilled the soil of my life so patiently Grace to grace you held my hand faithfully Transformed my worries into peace Springing from the ground you helped me see that I am blooming." (Shaida Escoffery, 'Blooming') There is something about plants these days that is teaching me a lot about my relationship with God. With each artist I've featured so far, there's been some theme that's come out of our conversations related to God's creation: it's intricacies, it's depth, it's need for care and cultivation by a patient gardener willing to endure the elements, or even the failures, and especially the waiting. Oh Lord, the waiting. I know all of us have been there a...

Enduring ( source ) [in- dur -ing] lasting, permanent abiding, timeless, patient imperishable, durable "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name."  (Edward Mote, 'The Solid Rock') When God knit us together, I believe he put a spark in all of us that He invites us to discover. A thing that, when you do it, feels like it's in your blood, like it's a part of you, something to cultivate and stoke into a flame. These are the lasting gifts, the things God deposits in us, designed for kingdom work that brings him glory. But a flame needs fuel to keep burning. Are any of you feeling burnout? Maybe this is you today: you've thrown what feels like everything onto the fire and haven't had time to stop and gather more kindling. And now, you feel like a little pile of ashes, embers burning red and gold, still alive, but just barely.  Maybe what we need is not mo...

Rooted [ roo -tid]:  ( source , source ) having developed from something very strongly and firmly fixed having an underlying support having a close relationship with one's environment "You make all things work together for Your glory and for Your name.  When I doubt it, Lord, remind me I'm wonderfully made.  You're an artist and a potter. I'm the canvas and the clay."  (Pat Barrett, 'Canvas and Clay') If other artists are anything like me, I'm sure many of them would agree that we are our own worst critics. When something is forming by our own two hands - like clay on the wheel, or words on a page - the image in our head of what we want it to be, while helpful in directing our vision, can sometimes get in the way of something equally important to an artist: discovery.  When I look at life as it is today, it is not like I imagined it would be 10 years ago. When we're young, we set our sights on lofty pictures of what we think we want to become. ...

Manifold [ man - uh -fohld]: ( source ) having many different forms, features, or elements many and various not capable of being counted, enumerated, or numbered, hence, indefinitely numerous vast in quantity or number, profuse, abundant having more than one layer being designated for something for many reasons "Summer and winter, springtime and harvest  sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness  to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love."  (Thomas Chisholm, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness') Something that has always stressed me out in job interviews is the prompt, "so tell me a little about yourself!" I know, this should be an easy one right? But it makes me so anxious - my palms get a little sweaty, I overcompensate by smiling too much as I  think to myself, where do I even start? Do I only talk about my employment history? Do I talk about where I'm from? How is this person going to get a complete, accurate pictur...