Our little race car driver. Luke's new room will have a race car bed, so we thought we'd keep with the theme!

Happy Fall from Amy & Luke!

Happy Halloween

Tonight is my 2nd Halloween!
I'm ready to race onto the scene!
Hope you all have more treats than tricks...
And that you get your candy fix!

Love,

It's A Girl!

Well-- Luke is going to have a little sister! We are so thrilled-- most of all because she looked healthy and normal. We are very blessed.

Scott was a little shocked, even though he had a feeling early on that it was a girl. Perhaps he is already thinking about the wedding he will have to pay for in the future! I suppose girls are more "high maitenance" in some ways!

I am excited because now I am going to learn to smock and I can go crazy buying cute, pink frilly things! I'll also have a shopping partner- Luke hates shopping so far!

It is still hard to imagine adding another soul to the family, but we are looking forward to it! :)

Long Time, No Post!

Life has a way of keeping us busy, huh?! I have had SO many great blogging ideas-- even lying awake at night thinking of things-- but, I just haven't made my way to the computer to post them! Oh, well!

Life is good-- we had a tiny scare with the baby a few weeks back.... It appears that I had developed a rare antibody in my blood. My doctor wasn't sure if I had picked it up when I had the two blood transfusions after Luke was born, or if I had started producing it in reaction to the baby. So, they checked Scott's blood-- he came back negative, which means more than likely my body is not trying to fight off the baby, and I probably just have this weird antibody thanks to the transfusions. That was a relief, but I will still feel better when we go to have our 20 week ultrasound on Tuesday. I want to make sure that the baby's development is on target and normal. We are also very excited to learn if we are having a baby boy or baby girl Westerman!! I honestly do not care which as long as it is healthy-- plus there are definite advantages either way-- if it is boy, then Luke will have a GREAT playmate close to his age who will be interested in the same sort of things-- they can share toys and he can wear all of Luke's clothes!! If it is a girl, then I can learn to smock and have fun buying tons of pink clothing! So-- whatever God has chosen is fine with us! I'll keep you posted! :)

It's so hard to believe November is almost here! I SO love this time of year! From the changing of the leaves and the cooler air-- things just keep getting better and better! Halloween, costumes, and candy-- Thanksgiving, food, family-- Christmas-- parties, presents!!!-- New Year's, Scott's birthday, my birthday!, Luke's birthday, Valentine's Day, the new baby's birthday-- Spring, Easter!!!! Fun holidays and reasons to celebrate just seem to keep coming one right after another!!!

I sat on the couch tonight with Luke watching my thousandth "Charlie and Lola" episonde (a Disney cartoon Luke is addicted to!) before it was time for him to get ready for bed. He is such a blessing and SUCH a great kid! Every day is a joy with him! I don't know how we can possibly be so lucky with child #2!! He is getting so smart! He understands everything we say and is babbling away himself-- soon to be talking up a storm, I'm sure. We were cuddled up on the couch in the playroom when he reached over and grabbed my hand. Right then it hit me that this is what life is all about-- taking the time to treasure these sweet, simple moments. They go by way too quickly.

Scott and I attended a "new/prospective members" luncheon after church today at Otter Creek. I am SO agreeing with their entire philosophy on the vision of the church! We both feel SO comfortable there and "at home", but it is still an extremely hard decision to leave Woodmont, which we also love for many reasons. We're still visiting, and praying!

Last week in my Bible study on Becoming a Woman after God's Own Heart we examined having a heart for your children. It was a great look at our responsibilities as parents to raise our kids to know God's law and His Word, to teach them God's wisdom, to dedicate them daily to the Lord, and to love them in all circumstances-- just as God loves us. One of the things that really convicted me-- among many... She had us look at the "ideal wife" from Proverbs 31. She had us list the things we felt we had in common with her. This was pretty daunting in and of itself-- she sets a pretty high standard-- I haven't bought any fields lately! :) But, the thing that struck me was when she asked us if there were things in the list that we felt we needed to work on or to add to our life as a parent. The verse that hit me was this: She's quick to assist anyone in need, and reaches out to help the poor (Proverbs 31:20). I want Luke to see a true passion in my life and Scott's for the poor and those in need. I want to give him opportunities to serve others in that way. I really want to work on that, and for God to open our eyes to how He wants to use us for His glory.

So, tandem onto this the powerful missional message at the ZOE conference weekend, and I more than ever feel challenged by the call to really "be Jesus" to those I come into contact with each day. As scary as it is for me, I am praying each day that God will open my eyes to the opportunities all around me. I truly want to step out of my comfort zone and be bold for Him, I'm still not sure exactly what that is going to look like for me though-- but, at least I am opening myself up to the possibility!

ONE WEEK TILL ZOE CONFERENCE! :)

Scott and I have been truly blessed in life to have a great set of friends surrounding us. They are an amazing support system. They have prayed for us when we needed prayer, they have encouraged us, they have challenged us.... This summer we all decided to start a Sunday night Bible study together. We had all been in various small groups-- some of which worked well, some of which were scattered and unorganized.... But, we all felt this deep need to establish this group and take our relationships to an even deeper spiritual level.

All of us are now entering the "30-something" stage of life-- kids, job/career choices, house choices, church choices. Basically, we are all "growing up" and starting to realize just how important our spiritual walk is and how desperately we need good friends on the journey with us-- people we can be real with and share ALL of our lives with-- a level of intimacy which totally surpasses purely social interaction. We want our kids to grow up together, playing, etc. but we also want them to see us trying to grow closer to God as we strengthen the ties with each other.

Yes, our lives are crazily busy and our schedules are maxed out-- but meeting each week is a priority for us... the cost of NOT meeting is simply too great. We are trying to hold each other accountable to this commitment and to be very disciplined about it.

We are studying "Waking the Dead" by John Eldredge which has proven to be a great book for where we are. The basic premise is that we all rob ourselves of the true abundant life that Jesus came to give us because we aren't aware of the many ways we live in denial-- we hide behind masks and emotional/spiritual indecision rather than acknowledging our real reason/purpose for living. God has called us to a life fully alive in Him, and when we hide behind our masks, we rob Him-- and others-- of His glory.

It is so incredible how our group has melded even over the last few weeks once we have started to drop the "masks" and to get real about where we are on the journey. Once you decide to surpass the social appearances and lay everything out on the table for all to see, relationships quickly deepen. People begin to see "Hey, they struggle with the same things we do!"; "I feel the same way at times in my life."

It is no wonder that James tells us in chapter 5 that confessing brings about healing. We can only begin to heal those things we are honest in naming aloud to each other. I am so thankful that we have a safe place in which to do this! I can't wait to look back in 20 years and see how God has been working among us and to see all the ups and downs we have helped each other through. Community is a good-- and necessary-- thing.

ZOE conference is coming up NEXT weekend! Can't wait to worship with everyone! It truly is one of my favorite times of the year! God is so obviously present in the hearts of all those who come to seek Him. We were all practicing last night, and it just felt so good to know that these songs will minister to people in ways we can't even know-- but that at the same time, it isn't about us. There is so much freedom in that!

Safe travels for all of you who are coming! Can't wait to see you-- or to meet you! :)

The LIFE of the Party

We are doing a study of Luke at church and today the sermon was from chapter five. Tonight in our Bible study group we were discussing the sermon and what we had gleaned from the chapter and someone brought up the dinner at Levi's (Matthew's) house. What a scene-- Jesus hanging out with tax collectors and "other people" at a huge "party/feast"! Were these old drinking/cheating buddies of Matthew? Did he want them to encounter Jesus in the same way he had? Is this why he threw the party in the first place? Or, had his buddies heard about Matthew's crazy decision to give up the tax collector life to follow some strange rabbi? Had they come to the feast to see for themselves what Matthew had signed up for and what could possibly be so great about this guy he was so willing to give up everything to follow?

And, at the party, were those guys sitting around laughing amongst themselves about how much money they had swindled from people over the past month? Did Jesus hear them? Did he say anything, or did He let it slide? Or, did those men sense something when Jesus looked into their eyes? Did they have some strange feeling that this man knew them-- and all their sinfulness-- in ways they could never begin to imagine?

And then when the "good guys" showed up to crash the party and stop the fun, Jesus stuns them with: "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

So-- we thought for awhile.... What did that all really look like? What did he really mean by that statement? And-- maybe even more convictingly-- what does that mean for us today?

I would consider myself amongst the "sick"-- even on my best days.... Jesus' use of metaphors is so frustrating at times at least on the surface. He could have answered those guys in more direct terms on so many occasions, but instead, He always seems to paint a word picture for them-- giving them something to chew on for awhile.

The relationship between a doctor and his patient is an interesting dynamic. We don't seek a doctor unless we are sick, and when we are sick, we are desperate for healing and relief. We are in some ways completely at the mercy of the doctor and his cures. We are totally dependent on him to fix what is ailing us. Was Jesus trying to get the Pharisees to realize that they, too, were utterly dependent upon Him-- only they refused to admit it? They were in complete denial of just how spiritually sick they were. Perhaps it is no coincidence that just before this banquet passage Jesus heals the leper and the paralytic-- both of whom sought out Jesus and had faith that He could provide the healing that they needed. A stark contrast with the Pharisee's mind set.

So-- what does this mean to those of us who are definitely "sick" in one sense, too, but who also have recognized that Jesus is the only answer for our lives? When we encounter the sick of this world who don't know Him, how do we meet them where they are and not come across as judgmental or overly fanatical about wanting to share our faith? Jesus also says-- "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire"(Matt. 3:10). He obviously never condoned the immoral actions of the men-- so what does hanging out with sinners really look like? How can you simply associate with "sinners" without at some point having to face the "I am compelled to confront them about the sin in their life" moment? How did you socialize and let them know the truth at the same time? Where is the balance between calling someone from a life of sin and at the same time just loving them the way that they are?

Maybe those are really the easy questions. Maybe the harder questions have to do with why we are not hosting any banquets ourselves. How often do we really go out on a limb and put ourselves in those kind of situations where we know that we are actively pursuing the "sick"?-- those that Jesus made a specific point to reach while He was here. I think we most often have parties for the people who already love Jesus and already view Him the same way we do-- it isn't often that we pull up our chairs to a table with those who don't see faith in the same way we do. Why?!

Are we afraid of becoming the "door knockers" or "spiritual vacuum cleaner salesmen" of our generation? Do we assume that everyone around us already knows His love and mercy-- or that at the very least they have been exposed to Jesus already and have already made up their minds one way or another about Him?

It is all hard stuff to wrestle with! It takes us into scary territory. Reaching out to others can be so uncomfortable. I don't really want to put myself into such a vulnerable position. We live in a world whose mantra is "I'm ok-You're ok". We don't ever want to set ourselves up in the position of telling others that the lifestyle they have chosen to live is not consistent with how God has called us to live. Is that because we know only too well the baggage and sin we carry in our own lives?

It all has to come down to grace. When we can become comfortable simply sharing the wonderful freedom of His grace with others, then real change begins to happen-- in our lives and in other's lives. Donald Miller says that it isn't our job to change people, but rather it is our job to love people. When that connection is made, then God can work to bring about the change He desires.

Lord, please teach me and show me how to do this in real ways in my daily life!! I am so blind to the many opportunities that You lay before me every day to share Your love and mercy. Help me to be less self-focused and more other-focused. You have graciously given Your love and mercy to me-- help me to share it with others!

Future Big Brother!

We can now proudly announce that yet another Westerman will be joining our ranks in March! We are looking forward to seeing Luke with his new brother or sister and experiencing all the chaos that will come with having two! Keep us in your prayers!

Thoughts on Loss and Love

I know all of you have been deeply touched and affected by the haunting images of the Katrina victims. It seems like such an overwhelming tragedy-- you want to help, but you aren't even sure where to begin.... Luke and I went by Target today and picked up supplies which will be taken down this afternoon by a local church to another church in Jackson, Mississippi to be distributed. At least I felt like I was doing something to help.

As I loaded up boxes of diapers, sheets, food....-- it just struck me how VERY blessed we are. Buying those items was no real sacrifice for us. We have been so fortunate and this small gesture doesn't even seem like much. How can we not help when we have a hot meal to eat together tonight in our comfortable home and cozy beds to sink into when we turn out the lights?! I can't even begin to fathom how those people are coping... it truly does break your heart. I am praying that God will use us in even bigger ways in the near future to help out in any way we can. This is definitely not a cause that will be over in a matter of weeks.

I am almost finished with Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller-- what an interesting read. I have really enjoyed his insights on faith. Last night's chapter was "How to Really Love People." It was a great take on how we tend to only relate to people in economic terms. He started by showing us an example with cancer. When you ask people to use metaphors relating to cancer they more than not respond with "we battle cancer", "we fight cancer", "we defeat cancer", etc.-- all terms that have overtones of battle/war. Doctors say that this has a negative effect on cancer patients-- that it stresses them out and puts a lot of pressure on them when they see it as an enemy to be fought in a life and death battle. Then he moved on to our personal relationships and noted that our metaphors there follow a similar pattern-- not battle, but economic-driven-- "we value people", "people are priceless", "we avoid emotionally bankrupt relationships", "we invest in people's lives", etc. Miller comments:

And that's when it hit me like so much epiphany getting dislodged from my arteries. The problem with the Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money.... If somebody is doing for us, offering us something, be it gifts, time, popularity, or what have you, we feel they are priceless.... With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did. [We] used love like money, but love doesn't work like money. It is not a commodity. When we barter with it, we lose. Blue Like Jazz, pg. 218

I am sure that I have treated relationships in my life that way. It is so easy to reduce them to "How will this person benefit me?" or "Are they worth the investment of my time and energy?". That is very hard to admit/confess-- but so often true.

Miller goes on to share-- "Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them. If a person senses that you do not like them, that you do not approve of their existence, then your religion and your political ideas will all seem wrong to them. If they sense that you like them, then they are open to what you have to say." BLJ, pg. 220

When we never allow ourselves to truly open up and love people-- we are the real losers. We are missing out on so much. Everyone has a beautiful story to share and things that we can learn from...

I am starting to see that my religious and political views don't really matter all that much in the scheme of things and that there is an entire world of people out there who need to be loved-- regardless of their views and perspectives on the world. It is too easy to surround myself with people who like me and think like me. Jesus called us to more than that. I think it is finally dawning on me that this is really at the heart of what it means to be "missional". It is getting outside of yourself just long enough to realize that people matter because they matter to Him. It isn't my job to change people-- it is my job to show everyone the love of Christ.

I sincerely pray that God will open my eyes and show me ways to LOVE people.

Blue Like Jazz

Last night I was so blessed to hear an incredible speaker named Donald Miller. Two years ago he wrote a book called Blue Like Jazz which really took off among believers as well as non-believers. He presents an amazingly real view of Christianity. He doesn't profess to be any sort of preacher-- just a "man in the pew" like the rest of us.

His talk last night was "Romeo, Juliet, and Jesus". I can't count how many times I have taught this play to students-- some like it, some don't. But, last night, I was shown a side of the story that I had NEVER considered-- that the entire story mirrors our relationship with Christ. We are the Romeo who has no power to change our name or nature apart from Juliet (Christ). Then and only then can we be "newly baptized" and share in a real relationship with Him. I can't do the entire talk justice-- but it truly was eye-opening for me. At the end, he showed a clip from Baz Lurhmann's remake of the film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. He pointed out that surprisingly, Baz made Biblical/spiritual references throughout the movie-- with a cross in almost every scene. And in the final death scene, he stages it in a church, with Juliet (Christ) laid out as a sacrifice on an altar. Romeo must walk down the aisle and then join Juliet in Death, then Lurhmann pans out to show that Romeo and Juliet are lying within a huge cross made from thousands of candles. - much like Paul talks about us dying with Christ to rise again in a new relationship with Him.

Another great point that he made was how our Americanized culture has stripped the power of the gospel--- that as good consumers, we are always on the look out for the miracle product that will change our life and bring us happiness and fulfillment.... and that we have done the same with Jesus. We want a 5 step plan on how to have a relationship with him that we can easily implement and that, if pursued correctly, will bring us the fulfillment we long for.... He says that it is a complete distortion of Christ's message. That if it were some type of formula, Jesus would have laid it out for us in scripture-- He didn't... Instead he presented everything in terms of relationship metaphors-- Father to child, Shepherd to sheep, King to servant, etc.

Miller's bottom line point was that the very nature of finding Christ resides in that relationship and NOTHING else.... that our "Age of Enlightenment" mentality has robbed us from seeing the amazing beauty of the love relationship He wants to have with each of us-- that we have lost the artistry and beauty of the story, and we have tried to reduce it to something we can prove or measure. He argues that it cannot be done-- which is so hard to accept in our "see it to believe it" world. He says it is simply a beautiful mystery which cannot be explained any more than you can walk up to a blackboard and define the steps it takes for a man and woman to fall in love.

A great example he gave of how our logical minds hear and interpret Christ-- When we read Jesus' claim that we must reject mother and father, etc. to follow Him, we think, "That is so harsh! He was such a by the book kind of guy. How can I ever do that?" But when we read Shakespeare's Juliet say to Romeo deny thy father and reject your family, we think, "Oh how beautiful! What a love story!" We need to reorient our view of Christ in relationship terms so that we don't miss out on the amazing obsession and love He has for us.

Anyway-- it was a SUPER talk that I wish all of you could have heard! It really made me think, and I went home and read half of Blue Like Jazz last night!

I thrive on people who can challenge me to see things in a way I have never thought of, and Miller did just that!

Check out his site for some excerpts from his books!

http://www.bluelikejazz.com/

Making Memories in Destin

We had a great time in Destin.

It was fun watching Luke experience the ocean for the first time.

Luke wasn't sure if he liked the sand on his feet or not! He kept wanting us to get it off!

Mommy and Luke at the beach.

Sunset in Destin!

Luke enjoyed being in the ocean-- he just didn't like to be on the water's edge when the water hit the sand.

Up the Down Staircase

This Sunday, Scott, Luke and I leave for a big family vacation in Destin-- my Mom and Dad, my Aunt, my two sisters, and niece and nephew! Over the past several years, our family has taken trips together-- mostly our West-- to Yellowstone and Glacier. This is the first time we have ever headed to the beach-- much to my youngest sister's delight!

Luke continues to teach me new things about the world and life each day. He is getting very independent lately as far as his mobility. He weighs around 30 lbs. now, so I am more than happy for him to walk everywhere that he chooses, as long as he holds my hand when necessary. One of his favorite jaunts is from our car, inside the Y, to the nursery, and back every morning. He will proudly hold my hand and stroll in the front door, greeting Miss Erin and Mr. Michael each day as they scan our card and say hello to him. Then we head to the double staircase which leads us down to the nursery. I am still amazed at how his walking skills have progressed just over the past few months. Now he can easily hold the railings and maneuver his way down the stairs, slowly but surely.

His persistent stair climbing always draws thoughtful comments and smiles, whether he is going up or down. Perhaps this is because everyone must wait on him or step around him in order to use the stairs themselves! Everyone is sweet and patient with him.

Wednesday, we were headed up the stairs from the nursery. As I was encouraging him with, "Good job, Luke!", "What a big boy you are!", I noticed a precious elderly woman coming down the stairs on the opposite side of the railing. She looked over at Luke and smiled. It occurred to me at that moment what an irony this all was... Luke was trying with all his might to get up the stairs as she was now trying with all her might to get down the stairs... It was a whole "circle of life" realization that at some point, time kind of reverses itself and we all become "young" and helpless again-- just as we started out in the world.

Luke and I spent Tuesday night with our small group (Scott was in Denver). One of the couples in our group is moving to Knoxville this weekend-- he will start law school there in a week. This was a "going away party" of sorts. Their little boy is 6 months older than Luke. We all hate to see them go, but at the same time, we are excited for them. Change is an inevitable part of life, no doubt, but sometimes it is easier than others.

I have never been good at change. I have openly admitted that for several years now, but that hasn't made the changes I have faced--and am currently facing-- any easier, most of the time. As I am growing older, I am realizing many things about myself-- I am especially weird about some things. I think I analyze life and the world more than most-- this is both good and bad. For example, I have always questioned the church "baggage" that I grew up hearing and being taught, wondering why it was so easy for most people to come to church every week, sit on a pew, and NEVER question things! It seemed as if they chose to live in ignorant bliss. They surely never sat up all night debating a particular part of Scripture or wondering why things were the way they were! They just lived life and enjoyed the time they had... I always had to make things more complicated for myself. But, now, maybe I see that they all probably had those questioning moments in life, but they lived through them, survived them, and chose NOT to make their lives more complicated than necessary! Maybe bliss isn't ignorance after all, but instead it is "release". I need to remember to release all my concerns, frustrations, and questions to God and let Him handle it! When I don't, I am showing a lack of faith and a pathetic reliance on myself instead of Him.

So-- I trust that in "My Summer of Spiritual Discontent" that God will ultimately make all things clear to me, and He will bring me peace about the changes in my life.

Scott competed in his first triathlon on Saturday, July 30th.
He did well and met his goal! He and Luke celebrated at the finish line!

Luke and Mommy on the 4th of July!

I've Seen Fire and I've Seen Rain....

Well-- I can't believe that it has been so long since I last posted! This is a record I am not proud to have set!

There aren't really any good excuses for it. Perhaps there has been so much going on in my world that is simply not good "blog fodder".... Things that are just too intimate to splash around for all to see. Some of those things are extremely wonderful and joyful-- some aren't.

I honestly haven't had the time-- or maybe it's the energy--- to spend on pondering deep spiritual principles or to even begin to think about posting them out here in blog land! I hope that I can write about all the stuff that is happening one day soon-- maybe after everything has been resolved. I hope that comes quickly!!

Beyond that-- life has been good! Our dear ZOE tenor Jason was married a couple of weeks ago! It was a beautiful wedding! Another wonderful ZOE milestone!

Luke is 18 months old today! He is still a great kid, but he is definitely starting to push those limits! He isn't good about sitting still or obeying yet! He just wants to run around and do as he pleases! He has no concept of patience either! Add to his new attitude the complexity of transitioning into a new nap schedule-- and life is interesting! :) He is still a sweetie, though!

It's hard to believe that August is already here! Why does time speed up as we age?!

Scott and I went to a James Taylor concert Sunday night. What a place to people watch! We had grass seats. As I looked around at the sea of young-- and old-- lovebirds, it struck me just how much time had gone by since Scott and I first went to see James Taylor in 1992. We had only been dating a month-- our relationship was so new! We were SO "in love"! We reveled in the summer night and had no clue what the years ahead had in store for us!

Now as we sat and listened to the same songs, on the same grass-- life had taken such a different turn! We weren't so much the infatuated lovebird-type-- maybe more the loving, mature married couple with an 18 month-old! At one point, we were forced to move our blanket to escape the smoke clouds from three teenaged boys who had plopped down next to us.... We ended up behind a couple who were probably in their early 40s. A few songs later, I couldn't help but notice that they hadn't even spoken one word to each other, and the distance between them, even on their tiny quilt, couldn't have been greater. From my outside observation, it really seemed sad. How could they be at a concert like this, with JT singing "How Sweet it Is to be Loved By You?" and act so indifferently towards one another?! Why did they even come? Then it hit me that I NEVER EVER want to be in a place like that in my marriage! I want to do whatever it takes to rediscover and never lose sight of our inner-"lovebirds" and to remember that passion that we shared back in '92!

Scott and I laid back on our little quilt, with our funnel-cake, and felt happy that we were still in love and so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

I wonder if JT will be touring when Luke is a teen? It would be fun to take him! :)