“And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3 (NIV)

In 1882 U.S. cabinet maker Peter McGuire introduced his idea for a new holiday saying, “Let us have a festive day during which a parade through the streets of the city would permit public tribute to American Industry.” A dozen years later President Cleveland signed a bill into law designating the first Monday in September “Labor Day.” For many Americans today is a day off from work, a chance to cook-out and hang-out in the lingering warm weather of summer.

A day off from labor, however, was not a new concept when McGuire suggested his holiday. The concept of a day of rest was first declared by the Lord in Genes is. In illustration, God rested the seventh day after creating the world and He deemed the day of rest holy (Gen. 2:2-3). He didn’t call it Labor Day – He called it the Sabbath.

Sabbath is a not a day of tribute to workers, it’s a day of tribute to their Maker. It’s a day to rest your body while renewing your mind by making the focus of the day your Maker and your relationship with Him. In the Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is the focal point of the week – not just a day of laundry or list-making to gear back up for the week ahead. The Jewish people spent three days preparing for Sabbath, and three days reflecting on what they had learned or encountered of God during the Sabbath. They were a Sabbath-focused people, and therefore a God-focused people.

Keri Wyatt Kent, author of Breathe, writes, “This creates a rhythm of life that puts our focus not on our stuff or our schedule but on the opportunity to meet with God.” Kent reveals:

“We are created in the image of God, and he modeled for us a way of life that makes sense for how we are created. Here’s how to dance the dance of life, he said: work, be creative, use your imagination, throw yourself into it, whether you are washing dishes, reading to your kids and running a household, or trading stocks, reading corporate reports, and running a business. …At the end of each day, stop. Take a rest, eat a good meal, get enough sleep, and refresh yourself. Take time to think about your day, to notice where God was in it and where you were blessed, and to say, “It’s good.” Then go back at it the next day. And after six days, take a whole day off. And say, “It’s really good.” Spend a whole day just pausing, just reflecting on how really good it is, and then start the dance again, at a sustainable pace.”

That sounds really good to me. Whether you are here with me in the United States today, or someplace else on God’s green earth, may this Labor Day mark the day that you and I decide to rest and become God-focused people.

Dear Lord, I want to rest in You. Show me how to live this way. Meet me there in my time of contemplation, reflection, and worship. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

But what happens when you choose from the 2nd list 90% of the time? I’ve found that you end up living a bit too spiritually. It becomes very easy to come up with your own theories, meditate on certain scriptures and ignore others that are also important, become judgemental of others (specifically traditional Christians) and worst of all, you end up having a 2nd hand relationship with God and cheat yourself of the connection your soul desires.

Lately I find myself in this boat. I’m praying and reading blogs, waiting for that divine revelation. I’m praying and listening to music, waiting for that one line to bring me to tears. I’m praying and going for a walk, waiting to hear God’s voice. And sometimes it really happens that way. But I’m finding more often than not, God impressing on my heart “you won’t find it there…nor there. It’s in my word.”

Why is it so much harder to sit down and read my bible than to do any of those other things? I know the answer, yet honestly, it doesn’t often change my actions for long. I know God’s truth is within his word. I know words spoken that pertain to today are sitting in there for me to read first hand. I know learning and hearing about God are done through other people’s interpretations when you don’t go directly to the source yourself. But still, day after day, I find it hard to sit down and open my bible. But I know that when I do, oh man, I regret every other time I didn’t. I just wish that feeling would last. But no, the struggle continues.

Anyone else with me on this? I know there has to be someone out there that isn’t the perfect Christian we want everyone to think we are. Well whether you admit it or not, I just want you to know that you’re not alone. There is no perfect person and no perfect Christian. This is my weakness – admit to yourself, what’s yours?

 “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” – 2 Samuel 22:31

But then sometimes in life we have to make hard decisions. Decisions where there is no right or wrong. Where we have to make a choice without having proof that it’s the right thing to do. There is no crystal ball saying go down this path and God hasn’t shut all other doors making this choice the only option. It’s a hard decision that no one else can make for you – you just have to make it and see how things play out based on that decision. It’s the scariest choices in life but in the end, the most rewarding. These choices help challenge our beliefs and make us weigh our priorities. They make us grow as individuals and help us become a better version of who we are today.

I had to make a hard decision recently. I had to decide what I wanted to do once my maternity leave ended. For months I’ve been fantasizing about being a stay at home mom. To spend the day raising my daughter the way I see fit and not missing a precious moment of her life. About not being controlled by “the man” and working a desk job. But these were all fantasies. They were “Jess daydreams.” I wasn’t the type of person to just quit her career to stay home and be…a housewife. “Just” a mother. The person who cooks, cleans, does laundry, changes diapers and joins a mommy and me group. I worked my butt off in high school. I went to a great, but very hard college and graduated with a good degree. I worked not 1, but 2 non-paid internships to advance my resume in the pile of entry-level applicants. I worked summer jobs and temporary positions. I finally landed a good position in a company that pays for me to travel and stay in fancy hotels. I worked my way up and have favor among the decision makers in the company. I get bonuses and raises. I’m somebody in the career world and I worked hard to get there.

But then the tears formed. Day after day, night after night. Mostly in secrecy as I was confused by these feelings. I was supposed to go back to work and help provide for my family. To do my part. We got Charlotte into the daycare of our choice and I was able to have a fully paid 3 month maternity leave. It was all set. The plan was in motion. But still, the tears came more and more each day. Until finally I broke down and had to admit that it wasn’t emotions anymore. There was something inside of me screaming that my priorities in life had changed and it was time to make a decision. The hard decision to be a stay at home mom. That I would still be “doing my part” for my family, it just wouldn’t be in a financial way. Instead of rushing off to day care I would be making my husband’s coffee in the morning and seeing him out the door. Instead of chatting with coworkers over coffee I will be sipping my coffee as I wake my daughter up for her first feeding of the day. Instead of attending morning meetings I will be strategically planning my day. Instead of doing lunch with co-workers or reading a book I will be tickling my daughter and watching her smile and make noises that she hasn’t made before. Instead of returning calls to international companies I will be making doctors appointments and running errands. Instead of sitting in traffic trying to get home I will be making dinner so my husband can have something to look forward to while sitting in traffic. And instead of trying to get a million things done in my non-work time AND spend time with my family, I will enjoy the overwhelming peace that comes along with our new, tight budget.

So goodbye Outback Steakhouse take-out, goodbye coffee & lattes every weekend while shopping, goodbye buying things whenever I want and goodbye fancy restaurants & parties in the city. Instead, I choose my family. I choose the smiles and laughter. I choose the peace and home-cooking. I choose the budget. I choose the careful spending. I choose being “just a mom” and realize that it’s not that at all. It’s the right decision for me.

*Disclaimer: I’m in no way putting down or judging any mother that has to or chooses to work. I think it’s one of the hardest things a woman can do. It’s just not the right decision for me right now.

Pre-Labor

• Keep reminding yourself that the baby WILL come out. You will not be pregnant forever…even if baby is late.
• As hard as it will be, DO NOT count down until your “due date.” Baby is going to come when baby wants to come.
• Have fun setting up the baby room/nursery but don’t go too crazy. Once I arrived home with Charlotte I realized that the drawers I put everything in made NO sense. Chances are, you’re going to move everything once you develop your own system.
• You will probably get A LOT of newborn clothes. DO NOT wash everything. We have a pile of clothes that she already outgrew and never got to wear. Remember, those cute onesies CANNOT be worn until the umbilical cord falls off. Charlotte’s took over 2 weeks, so she outgrew a lot of clothes before being able to wear them.
• SwaddleMe Sleepsacks have been lifesavers for us. She falls right asleep when wearing one (usually).
• Get a washable/waterproof/vinyl changing pad. DO NOT get the pretty non-waterproof/non-vinyl covers. One little drop of pee and you have to put it in the wash.
• Got a lot of duplicate “baby items” from your shower but don’t have receipts? You have a few options. Go online and add them to your registry (check babiesrus before other stores – their prices are higher so you’ll get more for the return!). Then you can return it to the store without a receipt. Can’t find it on the registry? Go to target or walmart. Both stores will let you return items without receipts. Target gives store credit, walmart gives cash back up to $20 I believe and then store credit after that. We ended up returning a lot of items, keeping 1 of each, and decided to buy more as needed. So far, it hasn’t been needed and we got $30 to Target just from powders, cremes and lotions!
• Buy diapers now. In your first few weeks you won’t want to run out and buy diapers. I loved the Huggies Pure & Natural for newborns because it has a special dip in the front so you don’t cover the umbilical cord. Nothing more challenging than folding down a diaper correctly at 3am.
• Keep walking/exercising. It’ll keep your mind clear and baby moving. It’s the best way to help baby along.
• Enjoy some last date nights (if it’s your first child). Chances are you’re not going to want to use a babysitter in the first few months so this may be your last real date for a while. Chris and I had 3 last dates and all were worth it.
• If people offer you baby clothes/items, take them and wash immediately. You won’t know what baby likes and what you like until he/she is already here and getting to a store isn’t as easy.
• RELAX and enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy. It’s hard to do. And you’re tired and usually in some kind of discomfort but remember, it’s the last time your name won’t be mom for the rest of your life
• Buy books, movies, tv show boxsets etc. While waiting for baby and as a new mom you’ll be up many hours for different reasons.
• Braxton hicks contractions are different than real ones. But if you’re anything like me – you won’t be able to tell the difference.
• Got an iphone or app-friendly phone device? Get the contraction tracker app! It’s free and a real easy way to track how long and frequent your contractions are. It’s how I knew it was time to take a trip to the hospital.
• There is a long list of signs you might be going into labor in many books. Use them as a reference. I didn’t get some of the signs ever and honestly, many of them came just a few hours before I went into labor. Don’t get discouraged…everyone is different.
• Pack your bag for the hospital! Here’s my suggestions that might not be too obvious: hair brush and tie, mascara/light makeup, bath robe & slippers, disposable razor, toothbrush & tooth paste, cheap but cute nursing pajamas (or you can wear the robes they give you- i did both), lotion/stretch creme, deodorant, chapstick, comfy go home clothes (maternity clothes still), cell phone charger, camera.
• Go food shopping/make and freeze food. You will NOT be up for cooking and hubbie won’t be either. We lived off of pre-made chili for many days.
• Sanitize/sterilize bottles, pacifiers etc. before baby comes. I didn’t think to and didn’t realize it should definitely be done before using them. Put bathing things together in a basket and organize clothes so newborn outfits are easy to grab and 6 months clothes are out of reach.

Labor/Hospital

• Not sure if you should go to the hospital yet or if contractions are real? Call your doctor. I was afraid of bothering him with stupid questions and false labor but they get calls all of the time and are the only ones that know what you should do. Don’t be afraid to look stupid.
• I was told that if you’re just saying “ow” then you’re not going into labor. This may be true for some, but do you know how high your pain tolerance is? I obviously didn’t. I was saying “ow” when I was already hours into labor. Use your own judgement.
• Not sure if it’s a real contraction? Try moving (if you’re sitting, stand up etc.). If it gets worse/stays the same, it’s probably real.
• Communicate with your husband/ride to the hospital. If you don’t need to do a movie-like panic run th the car speeding to the hospital scene, don’t do it. There will be enough going on. Stay calm, breathe, and remember, he’s probably as nervous as you are.
• Be honest with your nurses. If you’re in pain, tell them. If you feel pain coming on but think you can handle it a bit longer, tell them NOW. Hospitals get busy out of no where and you don’t want to be stuck waiting for pain medicine when you really need it.
• Stay positive, stay light hearted, and remember, it’s just one (usually) really long day. It WILL end and your baby WILL come out one way or another.
• If your hospital room has a TV in it, put something fun and light on. We watched 90s tv sitcoms during labor, during pushing and for days in recovery. It’s nice to have something to look at but not really feel the need to WATCH it. Home Improvement was on when Charlotte was born. Who knew I’d be looking at Tim Allen while pushing my first child out. haha.
• “Now is not the time to be a super hero” – Dr. Rudnicki. Take the pain medicine unless you’re really against it.
• It will hurt. But you will have a little baby in your arms when it’s all over.

Hospital Stay

• A lot of people will want to visit. You may want to limit it. You and husband and baby will be very tired and worn out…remind people they can visit you when you get home. And keep your nurse in the loop, she’s usually willing to kick people out of the room so you don’t have to be the bad guy.
• Not sure if you want to have baby sleep at night in the room with you or in the nursery? I suggest the nursery. You’re going to be exhausted and glued to your bed in recovery. Let the nurses soothe his/her crying and change diapers for a few nights. You’ll have MANY chances to do it yourself later on. Plus, if there are any complications – they know what to do and you don’t. Charlotte had one night of choking on mucus she was coughing up. I would have freaked out if I was alone with her when it happened.
• Planning on nursing? The nurses will bring baby to you in the middle of the night so that you can. Just make sure they know this is what you want – if not, they’ll give him/her formula from a bottle.
• Questions? ASK NOW! Nurses and doctors are all around you. Don’t be embarassed. It’s harder to call later on.
• Anything in the hospital room WILL get thrown out so take it home with you! From the disposable post-pregnancy underwear to the huge maxi pads to the baby’s hair brush.
• Witchhazel pads/Tucks and ice packs feel amazing for your sore area. Make sure to bring them home with you AND buy some more when needed.
• Take a shower, brush your hair, put on a little makeup…it’ll help you to feel so much better. Especially if you’re going to have visitors who want to take pictures..and they will.
• Speaking of pictures, call the shots. I told everyone I did not want my “just had a baby” pictures posted anywhere and they respected that. Take some so you have them, but the world doesn’t need to see you in a gown with crazy hair and a fat, tired face unless you want them to.
• Heard that you leave the hospital looking 6 months pregnant? Unfortunately it’s true. It takes days/weeks to not look pregnant anymore. And then, you still have a mushy belly. But remember, you did JUST have a baby.
• Take some of the hospital time to relax with just your family. The nurses take care of you and bring you food and pain meds. Your hubbie will want some quiet time and your baby may not want to be passed around all day long. Your first days home will be tiring and overwhelming, take advantage of the hospital help.

So that’s all I can think of. I’m sure there are more things but I think that’s enough. I will leave you with one funny story. Our first night (or 2nd) back at home, I had to wake up to feed Charlotte. So I set the alarm and somehow opened my eyes after only a few hours of sleep. But I woke up confused and panicked. I woke up Chris because I couldn’t figure out how to sit the bed up to feed her. I was hitting the side of the mattress looking for the controls. It took me a few minutes to realize that I wasn’t in the hospital and my mattress did not have controls. It was a really funny moment that I’ll never forget.

Andrew Peterson is a Christian, acoustic-guitar playing, singer/songwriter from Nashville who is releasing his new album “Counting Stars” today through Centricity Music. This album can best be described by the words: inspired, peaceful, poetic, pensive. Honestly, listening to this album I can feel the artists influences and surroundings: beautiful landscapes, love, God, relationships and the stories that come from these simple yet complicated aspects of life.

These songs, or stories as it seems, are put to beautiful melodies and  are complimented by Andrew’s peaceful voice. Each song gives us a look into the personal life, memories and soul of this experienced artist; and to me, it’s what puts this album above most other singer/songwriters releasing music these days. It’s not about selling records or trying to invoke emotions from the listener – it’s about the heart of the artist and his art.

Check out Andrew Peterson and his album “Counting Stars” to hear the music that soothed the soul of my fussy baby and brought a peaceful, beautiful atmosphere into my home.

But it seems that there is another type of faith active in my life that I’m NOT so confident in. It’s the faith that says “okay, I know that I can take this into my own hands, but maybe that’s not the best idea.” It’s having an answer in your head but then wondering if it’s the BEST answer. It’s the kind of faith that determines how bumpy your path is as opposed to if it’s the right path. It’s putting aside what you think is best and asking God what IS best. And I’m finding that this is a really hard thing to do. I’m underdeveloped in this area but I know God is starting to say “come on Jess, you need to work on this”…and so I am.

So it seems that I have no problem moving across the country with no money but I do have a problem choosing when to say no to something when I want to say yes. Does anyone else have faith issues? I’d love to hear!

What if my hormones go all crazy and Chris doesn’t know how to handle me?

What if we both want to use the tv at the same time and neither one of us wants to mention it (yes, we have 1 tv)?

What if I’m annoying to be with for this many hours in a row?

What am I supposed to do on maternity leave BEFORE there is a baby to feed, change and take care of?

The questions and curiosities are endless!

So over the past 2 days I’ve mentioned these things to my husband. It’s amazing how great communication can be. I’m assured that my craziness is to be expected and he’ll love me anyway. I can voice if I want to kick him off a video game to use the tv but have also found contentment in using my computer to stream Netflix in the bedroom. We went to Barnes & Noble to buy some books and have enjoyed our new blu ray player. So far, boredom does not exist…just excitement and anxiety as we wait for contractions to be more than 2 hours apart.

So hello maternity leave. Hello sleeping until I feel like getting up, going into town at any time, watching movies during the day and reading books with my cat sleeping on the bed next to me. The nursery is 95% complete, Charlotte’s clothes are clean, hospital bags are packed and the car seat is installed. So what’s next? Chris and I are going on a date tonight. Taking the advice of many, we figure this may be our last time to have a nice night out just the 2 of us for a while.

Any other advice on what I should do during this waiting period? I’ve heard sleep, go on dates, relax and freeze some food…anything else oh wise readers?