– I learned from a friend who was pregnant just a few months before me that their are a lot of common pregnancy issues that for some reason are never mentioned, referenced in books and film, told to girls and women as they grow up, even though they’re pretty standard pregnancy “side effects,” if you will. One nobody told me about? Subluxated ribs. Basically this means loose or dislocated ribs, and it can happen even before the baby is big enough to punch and kick in that area. Thanks, relaxin. :P

I’ve been dealing with a lose rib for months now. Some days it’s worse than others, but still a surprising nuisance I might have liked a bit more warning for. Haha.

– In the picture above, a first attempt at a little sweater for our baby, in progress. It’s worked top down in a raglan style, and due to needing some special shaping for the collar it will have, I had to frog and restart several times. But it’s looking good now. Although, somehow I’ve wound up with more stitches in the cuff of the second arm than the first, and haven’t yet been able to figure out, even with counting stitches, comparing, etc. where the cause is. Fun when stuff like that happens, huh?

– “The Lord will fight for you, and you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14

Ever seem to have a verse follow you? Well, this one has followed me for several years now. Sometimes I won’t see it for a while, but then, suddenly, two people post versions on Facebook, someone quotes it on Instagram, a friend mentions it in conversation all within a few days.

In Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God,” “be still” means to cease striving. To stop and just know that God is powerful and has control over all things. That he defeats the enemies and brings peace regardless of our strengths or our weaknesses.

In Exodus 14:14, the message to Israel is much the same. They were afraid of Pharaoh and his armies, who were pursuing them. They began to question Moses, “Were there no graves in Egypt so you brought us here to die? It would have been better for us to stay and serve the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!” But Moses responded by telling them to have faith, that they would survive and would never see the Egyptians again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still…food for thought…