We are blessed to live in a cookie cutter American Dream neighborhood: white fences, coordinating houses close together, finely trimmed yards, sidewalks for dogs and strollers, playground, swimming pool with kid fountain, and cute street lamps. So why is it still so hard to get to know neighbors? We even attended a neighborhood block party this summer and met a bunch of people including about five other families with new babies like us. I have walked next door to say hi to my new mom neighbor a few times, but it seemed like pulling teeth to get to know her. It has made me think of all kinds of reasons why we aren't meeting better friends: "We just don't look friendly enough", "We live to close together" or "We just aren't cool enough". Then I finally just realized something that changed my perspective on why we haven't met any friends: We have to be friends to make friends. So last weekend I texted my neighbor (right, I know way to be friendly, but it was actually a response text to her response to my phone call that told her that their dog was eating fertilizer in their back yard) and said that we would love to get together with them. She said, "Wouldn't it be great to have friends so close?" I was so relieved that it wasn't any of the above reasons that we hadn't hung out before. But of course now we are booked up for our weekends to hang out til Christmas.
I always have this image in my head of James and Kate's neighborhood parties and how close they were with their neighbors, and I guess I wish we could have that too. Just enough to have coffee with another new mom during this winter, or have someone close enough to swap babysitting! I think I'm always looking for my "Kris McGrail" (my Mom's best friend) that might be right down the street and I don't know it yet!
My heart is also heavy thinking of my neighbors and hoping that they can know the peace I have in Jesus. I don't want them to get to the gates of Heaven and look at me and say, "Why didn't you ever tell me how I could be saved!? I lived right next door!" I hope that everyone reading this knows that Jesus loves them so much and died to make it possible to go to Heaven. All that He asks in return is that you ask Him to come into your life and save you from your sins. And He will! It is that simple. I don't want to be an overbearing "Christian" that makes the people around me feel guilty, but I want to be clear that I have something worth sharing: Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" John 10:10 and "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16. My hope is that I can be an encouragement to those around me that they might see Jesus through me. I give Him all the praise for my life and am so thankful for all my blessings (including my sweet baby boy:) and even all the struggles that He has seen me through.
(Sorry this post was long...sometimes my heart just rambles)
first time when we went to the playground with Clarksons, Haffs, H & L, and my parents, and he loved it! He is also expanding his food repertoire and eating A LOT! He finished 3 cans of baby food with cereal at one sitting! He loves his cousins and took his first cousin bath with Livy. It was super cute and he didn't mind sharing his ducky since he could grab her toes. I am so thankful for such great parents who always encourage us to get out and do fun stuff even though it can be exhausting. The last day we went to the Turtle Back Zoo and saw a really great model train show! Here are some photos from our busy fun filled week with cousins, dogs and trains!:
