Letters to Beau #4

Dear Beau,

This month has been a month where your Mama has learned a lot. It seems like everywhere I turn the same theme keeps coming up. Some people say that things like that are a coincidence, but I believe almost always its the Lord trying to tell you/show you/grow you in some way. You see, we are dense people, so sometimes it takes BIG LETTERS for anything to seek into our heads and hearts.

At church, we have been going through a sermon series that is talking about shifting our focus from how the world views things, to how Christ views things. It sounds simply enough, but that is contrary to everything that is inside of us. And everything that is around us. Not only is it contrary to what comes natural, but its scary. It involves taking your faith to a level that rests solely on our Savior. Without being in control yourself. Trusting that in fact He is who He says he is. And that He will do what He says He will. And that.is.hard.

But, I have a secret that took me about 28 years to learn.  We were never in control to begin with anyways. This past Sunday, our pastor asked what seemed like a simple question. "Who is Christ to you?" My quick response was duh. He is the Son of God sent to earth to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Now, where is my Sunday School sticker? But then, I slowed down. (Not my strength). And really thought. What I said is true and I 100% believe that Christ is the Savior of our world, but he is also SO much more.

Before I go any further, I want to tell you that who Christ is to me is not who he will be to you. You will have to come into your own relationship with Him. You cannot inherit that from me or your Daddy. But, the legacy of who He is to me is one of the most important things I can give to you. Just like your Nana and Poppa and Nana and Ghee gave to your daddy and me. Also, you can't design your own Jesus like you do when we go get frozen yogurt. (I sure do hope that is still a "thing" for forever because I would be happy if that trend stays.) Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever." But, at the same time different attributes of Christ may be what you focus on the most in a certain season of your life.

So, who is Christ to me? Christ is Grace. When I was in high school and even college, I think that I thought that the Grace of Christ was started and completed on the Cross. And that not getting what I deserved from my sins was all that Grace had to offer. But, in the words of your Aunt Whitney, I was missing my blessing. His Grace is so much more. It's in the everyday. From the ability to rise above what you want to see the needs of others. His Grace gives us strength to meet our every need. Every day is more than we can handle on our own, but through his Grace he meets our every need. From our physical needs to our spiritual needs his Grace covers all of those needs. And for someone like me who prides herself on being pulled together, it is a great sense of comfort that I am never asked to do anything for one moment on my own. And neither are you.

His Grace takes us to places we would never go on our own. It carries us through things that we could never bear alone. It grants us greater Joy than we could have ever known without it. It gives us the desires of our hearts we didn't even know we had. It brings us Hope in the darkest times.

Always remember that His grace is sufficient.

I love you baby,

Mama

Thanksgiving 2013

This year we headed to Monroe for Thanksgiving with my side of the family. And it was quite the gathering! There were a ton of people and Beau had a blast. And overwhelmed blast. He got to meet his great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. It was a great time with food, family, and fun. It could not be beat! 

The holidays are so much fun with this little guy. Christmas is for sure going to be a BLAST!!

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4

Letters to Beau #1

Dear Beau,

Well, it's the middle of the night and for a change I am the one awake not you. So in the quiet and calm (a rarity since your arrival), I have let my mind wander which is something it is quite good at doing. 

It has been such a joy becoming your mama and a whole lot of fun. Sure there have been hard times, but I attribute that more to the fact that we are just getting acquainted with one another. It's odd to love someone so much that you really have just met. All this getting to know each other has let my mind wonder about the future, specifically your future.

Please don't get any ideas that I want you to grow up too quickly because son the opposite of that is true! J.M. Barrie said it best, "Young boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older." This truth is already hard and you are only 7 weeks old. 

So knowing that you will grow older, I have to wonder what your little personality will be like. Will you be impulsive and loud like me? Or quieter and steady like your daddy? Or will you be neither and have your very own speed? Will you like baseball or football or piano or guitar or art or tennis or golf? Will school come easy or will you have to have patience to learn the hard things?

As your mama, these are the easy things to wonder about. I look forward to your first jersey. It's silly, but true. But I want you to know that these easy, fun things to wonder about are also so very not important. As much as I will love to cheer for you, if you never play one down, one inning, one game, one song, one anything I will still love you and be so proud just because you are you. 

Do you want to know the most important thing? It's the hard thing for me to wonder. Because it's the big thing that I know the Lord has entrusted your daddy and I with. I wonder if you will grow to walk with God. Not just a Sunday morning every now and then, but a deep relationship with Him. We pray every night that you will grow to know God early and trust Him. We pray you will be a man of courage and conviction. Something that is not always valued in this world, but we are promised and hold tight to the fact that our treasures are not here. 

Buddy, this is my prayer for you. 

"14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 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.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." 

Ephesians 3:14-21

Although you are much too small to understand this now, one day you will. And one day I (and your daddy) will have many conversations about this. But until then, we will love you. Everyday, all day. When it's hard and easy. And hopefully our tiny amount of love, compared to that of your Heavenly Father, will make you see a glimpse of just how long, how high, how deep, and how wide you are loved. 

Because you are. Loved here on earth and for eternity. Please don't ever doubt that. 

To the moon and back baby boy. 

Your Mama. 

It's a.....

We went to the doctor today and got a great report about Baby Garrott. This of course is the best news. We are so grateful for a healthy baby and pregnancy thus far. BUT, the icing on the cake is that we got to learn what little Baby Garrott was... you know girl or boy. And...

Lea Anderson Garrott, III 

"Beau"

We are beyond excited and cannot wait to meet the little guy. Thank you so much for all your prayers and keep 'em coming!