One Year Later

Yesterday was one year since my LEEP to remove precancerous cells from my cervix.

A year ago, I thought my life was about to take turn dramatically for the worse.

A year ago, I was scared, make that terrified that my dreams of becoming a mother would be gone forever.

A year ago, I had no idea how strong I was.

I was terrified of what would happen. I was worried that they would find out that it was worse than the biopsy showed. I didn't think anyone understood or could understand. And I had no idea what I was doing.

I took it one day at a time and leaned on my husband more than I ever thought I would. I learned that in all of his discomfort with my tears and emotions, he would always be there for me. I learned that he is my rock and my teddy bear all in one. He really was amazing (and still is).

I struggled with what it meant to trust God and be faithful to the command to not worry. I struggled even more with what it meant to take your cares to your brothers and sisters in Christ and ask for prayer. I found myself conflicted in the role of care taker for so many and needing to be cared for, and I learned the importance of being vulnerable even as you care for the broken.

And now I find myself "as big as house" with a wiggling, kicking, little baby growing inside of me and a clean bill of health. I feel closer to my husband that I did before even when he's hundreds of miles away. I feel more at peace and content with the situation and world that God has placed me in. Most of all, I have been humbled to a place of deep appreciation for the glory and majesty of our Lord and the life that we have within him.

I am honored to be able to share my story with anyone who might see this and pray that I might provide hope to someone who needs it.

To read about the events of last here, click here.



My ever growing "very pregnant" belly. :)



Watch What You View

Ladies, this is probably going to be my most unpopular post ever, but I really think it's worth saying. So here it goes:

I don't think you or anyone else proclaiming the name Christian should go see Magic Mike.

In case you haven't seen the trailers, Magic Mike is a movie coming out starring many of today's top male actors as male dancers/strippers. They hint at some parts of romance, but the trailers are essentially little 30 second snippets of half-naked men dancing.

Now, some of you might say that this is just fun and entertaining and shouldn't be taken too seriously. After all, it's just a movie.

My first instinct is that to watch this movie is disrespectful to our husbands. In the same way that we wouldn't want our husbands going off to watch half-naked women swing around a pole, we should offer them the same respect and honor. I've talked about honoring husbands in regards to actors/celebrities before so I don't want to beat a dead horse in sorts. You can find that post here.

But then I know that some of you are not married. What's the harm then? Surely you can enjoy the single life and go watch some eye candy? After all, it's not like you're going to act out the lust that the movie seeks to inspire.

Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

-Part of the chorus in Song of Solomon

To the single ladies I would implore you to refrain from stirring up any additional desire before the time comes that you are able to fulfill those desires with your husband. I know that this is hard to do when our society surrounds us with sexual images, but this is one image you can keep from seeing. 

To guard our eyes and minds is but one way in which we are able to live out the name Christian in a world that seeks to distract us so often.

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel"

-Philippians 1:27

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." 

-Philippians 4:8

Paul not only instructs, but almost pleads with the Philippians to focus their thoughts and their lives around the gospel and the virtues of faith. This isn't just so that they will be good little Christians and march off towards Heaven, but this is so that the witness of their lives will reflect the glory of Christ and the will of God. 

Perhaps you have been invited to go see this movie as part of Girl's Night or a Bachelorette party. Well, now's the time to stand firm in your convictions. 

"Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

-Ephesians 5: 15-16

As hard as it may be to follow the way of the gospel and as tempting and fun as the way of the world seems, I beg of you to think through your movie-watching plans. Pray for the Spirit's guidance and honestly ask yourself if it would be wise for you to see this movie.

Mommy Mean Girls

In my journey towards motherhood I have learned one thing: Moms are the mean girls of the adult world! Seriously! If you want to feel judged- talk about your parenting ideas with other mothers.

If you're planning on a natural birth, someone will tell you that it won't happen and you'll be begging for the drugs.

Say you want to cloth diaper and they will tell you that you will give up after the first week of laundry.

Want to breastfeed? You'll be up all night and you obviously will be flashing people in public everyday.

Don't do daycare. Don't homeschool. Don't do time-outs. Don't let children have any sugar. Don't use this brand. Don't go to this park...

It starts even before the baby is born! Shouldn't you be eating more? Eating less? Don't eat that. Don't drink that. Are you gaining enough? Gaining too much? Don't go down the stairs so fast. Take this class. Read that book.

Oh and if you don't do exactly as everyone tells you to, you're a bad mom. Or you're not a "natural" mom. Or your parenting is "backwards."

And here's the real rub: these comments always come from other mothers- other women who know how hard it is to make all these decisions for your family- other women who are getting judged just the same for their own choices.

What is it that makes mothers so judgmental of other moms? Why can't we all just support one another?

It's the same concept as middle school: the bullies pick on the little kids because they're insecure. We have created a society in which mothers are so insecure that they must nit-pick other moms just to make it through the day. If I put this mom down for adding salt to her baby's homemade food then I'll feel better about what I feed my kid and I'll feel like I'm a good mom.


Here's what I suggest: If your kid is happy, healthy, and loved, it doesn't matter what anyone else says about anything that you're doing for your family. Keep on doing what you feel is best for your family and respect every other mother's right to do the same.

Think of it this way: When you talk with your husband about having a bad day, often times you want him to just listen and sympathize. If you wanted his advice, you'd ask for it. Give other moms the same consideration: listen and sympathize and leave the advice alone unless it's asked for.

With Love and Respect,
A Determined-To-Be-Self-Confident-Mom-In-The-Making

There's A Tiny Human Inside of Me!

I'm 9 weeks 4/5 days pregnant. We had our first doctor's appointment today and got to see our little one and hear it's little heartbeat! Our baby's heart rate was 167 and it was a wiggling away! 

So, dear readers, if you're out there, I beg your forgiveness on the sporadic nature of my postings. This little one is very active and drains my energy like a tiny vampire, but not a sparkly one.

Baby Campbell giving the world a fist bump (or doing a super hero pose).

I'm due November 16th and we are beyond thrilled at this new adventure God has blessed us with.

10th Simple Step to Sustainability: Buy Local

Our next few steps will focus on where and what you buy what you eat. We're going to start with the "where".

Buy Local 

Simon checking out a tomato from the Farmer's Market

There are two ways to buy local: First buy from any local shop. This includes small business and national chains. Buying online might be more convenient (maybe even necessary sometimes) but buying locally saves on the environmental cost of shipping. The second way to buy local (my focus for today) is to buy local foods. You can buy local food from Farmer's Markets or from your grocery store. A lot of produce stickers now say where the item originated from. If buying from a grocery store, try to find produce and other foods that are made in your state or region. Buying pumpkins from New Mexico is better for Texans than buying pumpkins from Maine. (I don't think they grow pumpkins in Maine, but you get the idea.)

How It Helps: It takes a lot of gas, and therefore oil, to ship our food all around the world. Not only does that shipping process use up gas and oil, but there's also the issue of pollution from the vehicles that transport our food. By buying locally, especially from Farmer's Markets, you get fresher produce that caused less pollution and used up fewer resources. As a bonus- when you buy from Farmer's Markets, you're often buying straight from the farmer helping them to earn more for their produce and giving you the chance to ask questions about the product that grocery stores can't answer (What kind of chemicals are used, if any? When was it picked? What type of cleaning process? etc.)

How To Do It: Buying locally doesn't really take much effort on your part. You just have to plan your list a little better and read some labels. If you're going to buy from Farmer's Markets, you might have to get up a bit earlier or do some research about which one is closest to you. All it takes is for you to be a bit more mindful about the things you are purchasing.

Cost: Farmer's Market produce can sometimes be more expensive (usually because it's organic or better quality) but it can also be a bit cheaper. The above tomato cost me 50 cents. I've found that animal products are usually a bit more expensive, but they're more humanely raised and often organic. Buying locally in your grocery store won't cost you much more than you'd pay for other store produce.

Ask around for your local Farmer's Market or call your city hall to see when it is, and brush up on your local geography! Start buying locally and you'll get hooked.

9th Simple Step to Sustainability: Tips to Start Recycling

Today's Step will be a little different. Today we will look at several tips if you would like to start recycling or take your recycling routine to the next level.

Here are some tips to help you start recycling if you don't yet. (I'm not going to go into why you should recycle, as that info is pretty much everywhere. If you have questions or need some convincing, please message me or leave a comment. Id' love to help!)

• If you are just getting started, start with just one type of recyclable such as paper, plastic, or cardboard.
• Locate your local recycling center. They have them at a lot of major supermarkets, SAMs Clubs, and Wal-Marts. Take a look at what they accept. (It will be written on the dumpster.)
• Contact your local waste management office to inquire about curbside pick up. Many cities offer this service as part of your city fees or for a small additional fee. There are some lucky (and smart) cities that even offer discounts on your garbage fees if you recycle!
• My suggestion is to start with items that don't have to be rinsed or cleaned. Cans, bottles, and plastics should be rinsed of all food particles and cans and glass need to have labels removed. However, paper and cardboard tends to be an easier start: just dump it in.
• Find a container and a spot in your house for your recycling. My paper goes in a canvas bag that hangs on the slider door. Other recyclables are sorted into old laundry baskets on our porch. 

If you're a seasoned recycler, there's always room for improvement. Here are a few tips to make recycling a bit easier and help you to recycle more and throw away less.

• Get a good system in place. Once you're recycling many different types of materials and ones that require cleaning, it can be a little hectic, and let's face it, we're already busy enough. To get your juices going, our system includes all recycling that needs to be rinsed going next the the sink. I then rinse them when I do dishes (great for using the water while you wait for it to warm up). Afterwards, they go out to the porch. If it's hot, raining, or snowing, I might leave the recycling by the slider door until I can get out. (Makes a great kitten jungle gym!)
• Pay attention to what recycling receptacles are at your recycling center. I started recycling glass when they added a glass dumpster to the center by our Wal-mart. 
• Add one material at a time to your recycling routine. This helps to make one habit at a time which helps you to keep the habit going longer.
• Build recycling into your schedule. Whether you load it up on your way to the store, or on Sunday night to take out Monday on your way home from work. Make it a part of your family's schedule to take the recycling out. It's easy to pile up the recycling on your porch, but it's got to make it to the recycling center it's just keeping a bunch of junk. (This is one of the hardest things for us to do!)
• Watch packaging of unusual purchases for recyclable materials. It's easy to get into the habit of recycling your cereal boxes and soda cans, but that new toy for Johnny might have recyclable plastic casing and those inserts in your video games and DVDs can be recycled as well.

There it is. Step 9- ten tips for recycling. Don't know why I didn't make that step ten, but step ten will be awesome as well. (Yep, just looked at my cheat sheet and step ten is awesome!)

Comment Below With Your Recycling Tips!

7th Step towards Sustainability: Cloth Cleaning Towels

In keeping on theme of green cleaning, let's work on reducing paper waste in the cleaning process. Often when you go about your routine cleaning, you'll use paper towels to wipe down your counters, your fixtures, your bathroom mirror... Just about everything. How many paper towels does that add up to? Well, I haven't done the math, but it's a lot! Even the most absorbent paper towels get used up and tossed out for new ones. Cloth cleaning towels solve that problem!

By switching to cloth towels for your cleaning tasks, you can stop the never ending cycle of using and throwing away paper towels, saving countless amounts of paper waste and tress! Back in the "old days" before paper towels, cloth towels were used for all cleaning tasks. That's just what you had. We invent paper towels and out go the cleaning rags.

How It Helps: Paper towels might be convenient but they require many tress to die and are really only usable once. Then, they go to that ever-so-hated place, the landfill. By using cloth towels, you reduce the needs for paper, and therefore trees, while also keeping our landfills a little bit more empty.

How To Do It: Use old washcloths or buy some cheap towels and set them aside to use for your chores. Once they've gotten all yucky toss them in the wash and do it all over again. We have a stack of towels in the linen closet reserved just for cleaning. Now, in all honesty, we do still have some paper towels in the kitchen, but  I go through a roll maybe every two months, probably closer to three or more. (I'm considering going to un-paper towels, but that's for another day...)

Cost: If you want to just use some old washcloths that you have lying around, they've already been paid for so there's no new cost! If you want/need to buy some towels for cleaning, you can get a good bundle at Wal-mart or any other store for $5 or less. Remember: you're using these towels to dust your furniture and clean your toilet, they don't need to be anything fancy.

There you have it. Another very simple and easy step to help make your life a little bit more sustainable.