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Ep. 19 How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe | Practical Motherhood
Motherhood

Ep. 19 How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe | Practical Motherhood

June 29, 2022

Hey there, you’re listening to Naptime Theology and today we are discussing the very practical topic of wardrobes and clothing. And, more specifically how us Christian moms can prioritize building a capsule wardrobe that will save time, look cute, and help us better steward our time and resources. 

Mundane and Majestic

Well, today is going to be a very practical episode. And before I begin, I just want to say that sometimes I’ve struggled with the practical side of being a wife and mother. I think I’ve always found more value in studying the Bible and knowing more about God. And, therefore, finding those things more important to post about or write about for my blog. And, of course, those things are valuable. But in my head I sometimes separate the mundane things, like organizing a closet, as something that doesn’t bring as much glory to God. I haven’t been seeing all of my work as a wife and mom as a way to give glory to God. 

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that we are to do all things to the glory of God. That means even our mundane tasks at home are to be done for His glory. We also read of the Proverbs 31 woman in the Bible. She had many, many mundane and normal mom-duties that she did each and every day. Her example shows us that those things are important things to do well for your family and that they are done for God’s glory.

I personally love bonding with other women about practical things in our lives and our homes. But I think I don’t always make the connection to having those things glorify God each day. Maybe it’s the stark juxtaposition between scrubbing muck off the floor and reading a 16th century commentary on the book of the Bible. The mundane to the majestic. That is sometimes a big jump to make. But I’m really trying to focus on God’s glory in every moment of my life, even the mundane ones. Because the reality is that He deserves the glory for each moment, whether it’s mundane or majestic. So for this episode today, I pray that you can see how a mundane, practical thing like organizing your closet brings glory to God because it helps you to be a better steward of your time. And that also frees up more time to serve others during your day. That’s what I hope to encourage in you today, friend. 

The small things in our lives are not things we have to do before we can bring glory to God. If they’re in service of others and in service of your home, then they themselves bring glory to God. And that makes them important. 

Building a Capsule Wardrobe

So, let’s get to how to build a capsule wardrobe. I know you’ve been there: looking in your closet, not sure what to wear. You try on an outfit that just doesn’t feel right and then try on another. But nothing is working and all you can think is, “I have nothing to wear.” 

I have definitely felt this way and when I knew I was going to move here to Oxford, England I finally decided to do something about it. I decided to create a capsule wardrobe for myself. And, spoiler alert, I think it works really well and I’ll probably never not have one. 

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothes and accessories that includes only items considered essential. These wardrobes first appeared in America in the 1940s as a way to purchase your entire wardrobe at once. They were advertised then as a small collection of garments designed to be worn together which harmonized in color and line. I saw an advertisement that noted the whole wardrobe could fit into one suitcase! Most capsule wardrobes are only meant to last for one season or around 3 months. Then you will need to shift items depending on the weather where you live.

I’ve personally seen capsule wardrobes become more popular in the last couple of years as the minimalist movement has also gained popularity. Some capsule wardrobes have as few as 30 items total and some grow to 60 or 100. It really depends on the creator of the wardrobe.

Why a Capsule Wardrobe?

Now you may be wondering why I chose to do a capsule wardrobe. For me personally, the biggest reason I made a capsule wardrobe was because I knew that I would be moving to a country and I needed to downsize all of our belongings, including my clothing.

But in general, creating a capsule wardrobe for yourself will really save you a lot of time. As busy moms, we don’t have a lot of time to ourselves as it is and simplifying your wardrobe can provide a few extra minutes in the day.

A third reason to create a capsule wardrobe is to keep your items to a minimum. Now, I’m not saying I fully subscribe to total minimalism, I think you can take it too far. But, in this category of clothing, it is way too easy to have so many clothes that you don’t know what to do with. As Christians we are to be good stewards of all things that we have, even our clothing. And I think that creating a minimal closet is one way to steward my clothing well. In the long run, I will end up being more intentional about each item of clothing I purchase and wear.

Speaking of purchasing, another reason to create a capsule wardrobe is so that you can save money. You may find that investing in some solid, everyday wear pieces costs money up front, but you’ll be wearing them a lot in a capsule wardrobe so it makes sense in the long run. I would say that you should be careful with what you purchase and make sure it is quality. And if you are able to shop around at thrift stores, or charity shops as they’re called here in England, you can save even more money on your minimal closet. 

My Personal Experience

I first created a winter capsule wardrobe when I moved to Oxford a year and half ago. I didn’t really sit down and make a summer capsule wardrobe because I think I was still adjusting to life here and, to be honest, I felt quite cold for most of last summer and still wore a lot of my winter items during June, July, and August. But, now that I’m more acclimatized, I have definitely benefited from having a summer capsule wardrobe. I don’t think I will ever go without having a capsule wardrobe put together ever again. 

Using a capsule wardrobe means that all of your clothing pieces will match and be in the same color palette. That makes it very simple to get dressed every day and simple to get dressed to go out. It also takes out the guessing of getting dressed because I’ve already taken the time to make sure the pieces go together and match ahead of time.

On a more personal note, I also think that having a capsule wardrobe has made me a better steward of my clothing. Now instead of having clothing in my closet that I don’t use because it doesn’t match or I don’t have the right thing to wear with it, I wear all of my clothing items. And, now that I have clothes I like to wear, I find myself taking better care of them so that they will last longer. I’m also not constantly looking for items to wear so I don’t spend a lot of money on clothing all the time. We can honor the Lord with how we steward our clothes!

And more so, when we are stewarding our clothing well, it will take us less time in the morning. So not only does it help us steward our clothing, but also steward our time. 

Utilizing a capsule wardrobe has really helped me and totally taken away the anxiety that can sometimes surround getting dressed in the mornings. And I think it can do the same for you! If you’re feeling like you have too many clothes and you want to downsize, or maybe you know you spend too much on clothing and you want to stop, or if you want to be a better steward of your clothing and your time, a capsule wardrobe may be your answer.

And you may think that I am recommending getting rid of all the clothes you own and buying new ones. Definitely not! I am a big fan of used clothes and keeping the clothes that you already own. You may have to whittle down your closet in this process, yes (especially if you only want to have 30 pieces). But I think there’s a good way to keep the clothes you love and work them into your capsule wardrobe.

How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe

So, how do you create a capsule wardrobe? I’ll walk you through the steps that I took and share what I’ve learned. I got a lot of information from my mom who has done capsule wardrobes for a while. And my mom got inspiration and information and a few specifics from Janice’s website called The Vivienne Files. That website has SO many options for capsule wardrobes and even more detailed instructions than what I’ll share today if you want to check it out. I will link it in the blog post for this episode. Just a word of warning though, there are a TON of sample capsule wardrobes to look at on her site. It’s really helpful, but I found that when I was preparing my capsule wardrobe I just had to stop looking at some point and decide on my colors and pieces of clothing. So, don’t get stopped in your progress by endlessly looking at the beautiful wardrobes Janice has created. 

Choosing Your Color Palette

The first step in creating a capsule wardrobe is choosing your color palette. When I made mine, this was an overwhelming task for me! How will I know what colors I want to wear for the next three months? 

There are lots of ways to choose a color palette for your wardrobe. You’ll need a few neutrals and few accent colors. I’ve seen whole capsule wardrobes based on a colorful scarf or inspired by a wallpaper print. 

But, the easiest (and most economic) way I found to find your color palette is to use your own clothes. You already have a color palette of sorts in your closet, you just have to find it.

So, pull out all your clothes and sort them by color. Then look at the colors you have the most items in and that could possibly be your color palette that you already own. It’s likely that you own a lot of similar colors, those are the colors you are naturally drawn too. And, those are the colors you will most likely want to have in your color palette. Your color palette should not be the rainbow, pick out at least two neutral colors and two accent colors.

This was the method I used to find my own color palette. I pulled out all of my clothes and sorted them by color. I had a lot of colors in my closet, but there were 5 that had the most pieces overall: navy blue, cream, gray, blush pink, and turquoise. 

See how easy that was? These are the colors I’m naturally drawn to and ones that I already own in my closet. This is a win-win situation because not only did I know which colors I liked for my palette, but I also didn’t have to purchase as many clothes cause I already owned these!

Now, if this method of using your own clothes doesn’t work for you, maybe you’ve pulled out all of your clothes and nothing really comes to the top for a color palette, then I suggest you take a look at the website I talked about above for inspiration.

You might also have just one or two pieces that you really love; those could be your inspiration for your entire capsule wardrobe palette. You could also look at the tones of your complexion and hair to help you pick your color palette. There’s a lot of flexibility in choosing your palette.

Keep in mind that your capsule wardrobe is not going to be what you wear forever. Depending on where you live, your capsule wardrobe will most likely change with the seasons, which is just three months. So, if you pick a palette and then realize you don’t like it as much as you thought, you can change it after a couple months when you prepare for the next season.

So, while there is a lot of flexibility in how you choose your palette and which colors you choose, there should not be flexibility in this next step.

Empty Your Closet

Now, this may be the hardest part of creating a capsule wardrobe. But it’s also really important to make your capsule wardrobe work! 

Get rid of the clothes that are not in your color palette.

Yikes! That may sound like a lot of clothes and a lot of waste. But if you used the method I did, where your own clothes created the palette, you shouldn’t be getting rid of too many clothes. 

When I made my capsule wardrobe, this rule made purging my closet very easy. I was no longer making decisions about how much I liked certain items, nor did I have to think about the last time I wore something. I simply just had to see if it was in my color palette. Then, when it wasn’t I could put it in the donate pile. And when it was, I could keep it in my wardrobe.

And, by the way, I do suggest you donate your clothing. Or, even better, if you’ve got the time, sign up for Poshmark, take pictures, and sell your clothing online. You could even use what you make from your old clothes to purchase new items for your capsule wardrobe.

I will say, it was a little bit difficult to get rid of everything that was not in my palette. I had this one black dress that I really liked, but navy blue is my neutral color, so it had to go. But now that I’ve used my capsule wardrobe for a while, I can tell you that this step is definitely worth it! 

You don’t want to keep that one-off item because you most likely won’t wear it. The whole point of a capsule wardrobe is that all the clothes match together and it’s very easy to get dressed every day. So get rid of whatever garments do not match your chosen color palette. 

If you did not find that many clothes in your closet to make up your palette, then maybe hold on to a few clothes that are not in your palette and get rid of them once you have filled in some of the gaps in your capsule wardrobe.

Fill Your Closet With Your Capsule Wardrobe!

Now that you’ve purged your closet and removed those items that do not fit into your capsule wardrobe palette, it’s time to fill in any gaps that are left.

This is another step that provides you with flexibility. Would you like to only have a certain number of clothes? Maybe 30 garments? Maybe you’d rather have more clothing and more options but all in the same palette? 

Whatever you choose to do, do it and stick to it. 

Maybe you already have three pairs of jeans that you love, don’t buy more. Focus on tops that will fit with your palette and expand that way. If you have plenty of tops, look for neutral trousers to go with. If your closet is full of dresses in your palette, find a sweater that can go over the top. Maybe you just need one or two more tops to complete your capsule wardrobe, that’s an easy fix.

I feel like I can’t give too many instructions on how to exactly build your wardrobe piece by piece because it will be different for everyone. This is where I would say that website or Pinterest comes in handy. Use it for inspiration regarding how many pieces to have in your wardrobe and what your capsule wardrobe should be made up of. 

Be sure to keep in mind what activities you do on a regular basis when filling your wardrobe. If you are at home all day with kids, go casual. If you work at an office, dress it up. You get the idea.

I have both my winter capsule wardrobe from last year and my summer capsule wardrobe I’m wearing right now detailed on my blog. You can take a look for inspiration at naptimetheologian.com.

And, just as a side note, if you do decide on a number like 30, you do not have to count your workout clothes or undergarments in that number. Just the outer clothes and shoes that you own.

If you’re not sure where to purchase clothing for your wardrobe, I would suggest getting it all second-hand! I love the thrill of finding the exact thing you’re looking for at the thrift store. When I was building my first capsule wardrobe, I made a detailed list of everything I needed on my phone. Then whenever I went to the thrift store, I would read through the list before browsing so I could look for exactly what I needed. Many times, I found exactly what I was looking for! And if I didn’t I used the Poshmark app to find some specific things. It’s a clothing resale app where people list their clothing and you buy it through the app. They have a similar app here in England called Vinted (that’s V-I-N-T-E-D). They are both good apps and it’s super easy to search for a specific item of clothing on them. I found it useful to be more specific when I was at the end of creating my capsule wardrobe.

Using as many of your own clothes as possible and shopping second-hand in this way will really make building a capsule wardrobe affordable for you.

So, once you’ve chosen your color palette and decided how many items you want, fill in the gaps by making a list of what you need and finding it to purchase. 

Try It Out | Wear Your Capsule Wardrobe

Then, when you’ve gotten all your clothing, it’s time to try out your capsule wardrobe. 

Go for a couple weeks without buying any clothing. Only wear your capsule wardrobe. 

Not only will this give you a chance to see your hard work in action, but it will also solidify your wardrobe as you go. You’ll find out exactly what you are missing and want to add to further complete your wardrobe. And, maybe you won’t miss anything, then you did a good job planning it out! This also gives you a chance to change your mind if you decide there’s something that’s not good. I’ve found that fine tuning your wardrobe is really worth it. Take the time to look for quality pieces that you like and will enjoy wearing often. And then keep those items, getting rid of others.

My Current Capsule Wardrobe

Having a capsule wardrobe has really made my life as a busy mom MUCH easier and I want the same for you, friend. So I hope you give it a try. I’ll just end by describing my current capsule wardrobe. 

I have kept pretty much the same color palette I chose when I moved here except that I’ve changed the cream color to pure white. I was finding the cream color to wash out my face and it is not often paired with navy blue in patterns while white is often paired with navy blue, so I’ve found clothes much more easily with white as a neutral instead of cream. So my current palette is: navy blue and white as the neutrals. Then turquoise and blush pink as the accents. I’ve found that I really like navy blue and white, so that’s mostly what I own. There are just a few pieces that are the accent colors.

There are pictures of my whole capsule wardrobe on my blog at naptimetheologian.com so you can go and see the individual items that I own. My current capsule wardrobe consists of 9 tops (one of those is a long-sleeved one), 4 outerwear pieces (a cardigan, a jean jacket, a pullover sweatshirt, and a rain jacket which is essential in England!), 2 pairs of jeans (a light wash color and a dark wash color), 1 pair of dress pants or trousers, 2 skirts, 6 dresses, 1 jumpsuit, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 1 pair of ankle boots, 1 pair of brown flats, 1 pair of wellies (or rain boots). That brings us to a grand total of 29 items! My goal is to keep my capsule wardrobe to 30 pieces, so I’ve done it currently! And I did find almost all of my pieces for my wardrobe at thrift stores here in Oxford. I only bought two of the tops brand-new and they are t-shirt type tops so they are not as expensive anyway. Everything else was either found at a thrift store or was still in my wardrobe from the winter time. The weather here is not all that warm to me, so I do still wear a few things that I also wore in the winter time (some dresses are especially easy to warm up in the winter with a pair of leggings underneath). And I wear my navy blue cardigan with almost everything. 

This time around when I made my capsule wardrobe, I was definitely more confident about having patterns in it which you can see from the photos. The first time I did my winter wardrobe, the pieces were all pretty much solid colors with a few stripes. So, I think that confidence comes with time. If you’re not feeling very confident in what to put in your capsule wardrobe, maybe try starting out with solid colors that match and building from there.

Well, I think that about finishes this episode. Talking through something like capsule wardrobes can only go so far in a podcast. So, head over to my blog at naptimetheologian.com to see the pictures of my current capsule wardrobe and my winter one too if you’re interested. You can also leave me a comment or ask a question there, I’m happy to help you in your capsule wardrobe endeavors! 

I love the camaraderie and fellowship that we women can have over practical things like building a wardrobe. It’s lots of fun to share fashion tips and inspiration together. I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about my experience and the tool that works for me today. Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you. Thanks for listening to Naptime Theology today.

Pictures of My Current Wardrobe

My Summer Capsule Wardrobe

Related Posts:

How to Dress Modestly

My Winter Capsule Wardrobe

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  • ,
  • motherhood
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  • summer

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Ep. 18 Grace Before the Curse | Genesis 3:8-13 | Book by Book
Pregnancy | Sharing Early, Miscarriage, and “Rainbow Babies”

Welcome! I’m Deborah. So glad you’re here!

Here you’ll find encouraging, Scripture-filled posts and Bible study tips. Because theology is for every mom! Get to know me here.

Here’s what I’ve written lately…

  • South Indian Chicken Biryani | Aromatic Rice with Chicken
  • Ep. 21 Why You Need a Bible Reading Plan | And How To Choose One!
  • Pregnancy | Sharing Early, Miscarriage, and “Rainbow Babies”
  • Ep. 19 How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe | Practical Motherhood
  • Ep. 18 Grace Before the Curse | Genesis 3:8-13 | Book by Book

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    We are called to know and love the Scriptures that We are called to know and love the Scriptures that God has given us. The most meaningful example of this for me is what David wrote in Psalm 119. That Psalm is 176 verses of praises and benefits of knowing the Scriptures. David loved them! And how can we come to know and love the Scriptures like that without reading them on a regular basis?

And when we look to the New Testament, Jesus constantly quoted Scripture, elevating it to a high place and showing us that we need to know it as well. And then in the epistles we are encouraged to encourage one another with Scripture and Psalms. How can we do all of this if we aren’t reading the Bible every day? So it is clear that we need to be immersed in the Words of Scripture. They are truly the Words of life because they come directly from God and we need them to live each day of our lives here on earth.

To help you read the Bible this summer, I've put together the Psalms of the Summer 2023 Bible Reading plan. 🎉  This plan will take you through the book of Psalms 3 times throughout this summer. Once in June, once in July, and once in August. And there are 3 Psalms selected to memorize along with your Bible reading. I will be following this plan as well.

Why am I reading through Psalms so much this summer? Well, I have actually dedicated the last 3 summers to studying the Psalms exclusively in my quiet times and Bible readings. It has been so encouraging to really dig deeply into this book of the Bible throughout the summertime months. I also realized that when I use the Bible Reading Challenge plan throughout the year, I am only reading a Psalm here or there along with another passage. I believe the book of Psalms should be read in order and studied that way. So when I have the extra time in the summer, I read through the Psalms chapter by chapter… and it’s amazing!

I’d love for you to join me in reading through the Psalms this summer. I will need accountability as I am going to have a newborn this summer! So please click over to my blog at my bio link and download the free Bible reading plan for the Psalms of the Summer. Print it and stick it in your Bible to start reading on June 1st with me, that's Thursday! 💕
    39 weeks and 5 days! 😍 This is actually the lon 39 weeks and 5 days! 😍 This is actually the longest I've been pregnant because my daughter came at 39 weeks. I am so looking forward to having a newborn again. But at the same time, I've done it before and I know how hard it is! 🫠 

One thing that has always helped me when mom life becomes more demanding is reading my Bible daily. So, for this summer, I put together a new Bible Reading plan that I'll be following and it's available on my blog now for you too! Having a plan printed on paper in my Bible is the best option for me, but what about you? How do you stay in your Bible when you have so much going on as a mother? Let me know in the comments! 😀
    "Finding your tribe" is overrated. When I lived ba "Finding your tribe" is overrated.
When I lived back in Los Angeles, I had one mom friend in particular who agreed with me on pretty much everything (I think the sole exception was headcovering). We were often texting each other about what first foods we’d give our babies and what non-toxic baby products we found at cheap prices. It was great! There was a certain ease that came with being friends simply because we agreed and enjoyed a lot of the same things. When I moved here to England, I found that the fastest and easiest way to make new friends was through my church. Both because it was a new place and because we moved when there were still covid restrictions and church was one of the only things we could go to. Now, that means that I have become friends with lots of different people at church who have lots of different viewpoints in parenting and life. 

I’ve learned that being a good mom friend should not always be about finding the moms that will agree with you on everything. It’s about finding the moms who also love Jesus and live for Him and letting that connect you instead. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is a lot of fun to bond over things like sourdough bread, or co-sleeping, or flower-arranging, or being a traditional wife/homemaker.. But how much more impactful is it to bond over things like worshiping Sunday by Sunday together, praying for one another during the week, studying Scripture together at Bible study, and encouraging each other to keep serving the Lord? 

All the trends that we enjoy that bind us together could never bind us together like our bond in Christ. He’s the one who causes us to live together in harmony and builds beautiful friendships among His people. 

So, finding your tribe is overrated. Go out and find your local church and get connected there instead.

Galatians 3:26-28, “For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
    Okay, here’s what I’ve been thinking in regard Okay, here’s what I’ve been thinking in regard to the #tradwife movement as I’ve seen it here on Instagram. 

Comparison is a thief of joy. As with any trend, we see it and want to make it happen in our own life and home. Now, don’t get me wrong, I actually do a lot of the things that would be considered part of the #tradwife trend… cook everything from scratch, wear pretty, floral dresses, take walks with my child, homeschool, etc... I mean, most of my time right now is literally spent pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen! While all of those things are good and there’s no problem with doing them, they are not the end-all be-all of being a good mother or homemaker. We must look back to the Scripture for definitions of both womanhood and motherhood (and even homemaker-hood from Proverbs 31!). Remember that 1 Peter 3 lays out our role as wives pretty well and it doesn’t have distinctions like what our kitchens or our outfits should specifically look like (except being modest, of course). It says, “In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your pure and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely the external–braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”

So, don’t compare your life so much to what you see online that you feel unhappy with what God has given you. You are not any less of a good homemaker or wife because you have a rental kitchen with a pink wall and very modern cabinets instead of open, wood shelving and a collection of brass pots. As long as you are living your life according to the Scriptures, then you are doing what the Lord has called you to do and that should bring you joy.

..........................

What have you thought about this traditional wife movement? I have another post coming after this, so look for it!
    I came to the realization that even if it did happ I came to the realization that even if it did happen again, if I did lose this baby too, God would still be faithful. I have already walked that road with Him two times and I can do it again in His faithfulness. Of course, it would be sad. But I trust God. He knows whether or not I need to hold this baby in my arms or only in my womb. So, instead of letting my heart worry, I purposed to rejoice in His kindness to give me another baby for however long He wills. 

Isaiah 40:11 helps me when I have anxious thoughts. It says, “Like a shepherd He [God] will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing lambs.” God has tender care for us moms, He knows what we deal with in each pregnancy. And that truth tells me that should the worst happen in my life, whatever it may be, God will carry me in His arms, He will be faithful.

I love the Old Testament book of Lamentations. It is a very sad and chaotic book. The Israelites are being afflicted, their enemies are overtaking them, and it seems as if there is no hope. But right in the middle of the whole book, in the chaos, it says in Lamentations 3:21-24, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail, they are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’”

In the middle of the chaos in our lives, in the times when we just have storm after storm, we can still have hope. God’s lovingkindness is there and He is faithful.

Even if we never have another child after loss or never have children at all, God is faithful. We’re not promised a certain number of kids in Scripture, but we are promised that God is for us and not against us, that Jesus gave His life for us, and so much more. So we can trust God and His faithfulness. I’m so thankful that it’s not dependent on what happens in my life. He will be faithful with or without a “rainbow baby.”

So, I won’t be calling this baby my rainbow baby, but I will be constantly so grateful for this new baby, it is more than anything I could ever deserve. 💕
    The term “rainbow baby” describes babies who a The term “rainbow baby” describes babies who are born after the mother has lost a previous pregnancy or multiple pregnancies. They are supposed to be a symbol of the “beauty that comes after a storm.” 

There is also the more Christian definition from the story of Noah. God sent a rainbow after the worldwide flood as a sign of His promise to never flood the earth again in such a way. And maybe we should read Genesis 6 over more often because I have found this Christian definition rather problematic when we think of it in light of what the Bible says.

When we read the story of Noah in the Bible and when we picture it in our head, we think of Noah and his family in the ark with the animals, the rain coming, and then, once the waters subside, the world being beautiful and happy, lush and green, the perfect place to live. 

Now, I’m sure that the vegetation under the water from the flood was green and growing when Noah and his family came off the ark. But the reality of the situation after the flood is that the earth would’ve been covered in the remains of death. The flood killed everyone and everything that wasn’t on the ark. All those bodies and debris were still somewhere. So, there probably was grass growing, but growing with the signs of destruction and chaos everywhere.

When Noah and his family stepped off the ark, they didn’t immediately give offerings to God in worship because of beauty. They did it because they had been miraculously saved from the destruction that surrounded them. So God gave Noah the sign of the rainbow to show His faithfulness in preserving His people. Noah and his family could continue looking for the seed who would crush the serpent’s head that God promised in Genesis 3:15 because they were alive and not killed in the flood.

So, the flood was not just any other storm and I think it is not wise to compare the hard things in our lives, the storms as we call them, to the flood that totally destroyed the world. The sign of the rainbow in the Bible is much, much more than simply the beauty after a storm. It is God’s covenant faithfulness on display to His people after a horribly needed judgment on the entire planet.
    Going to the hospital for an ultrasound has felt r Going to the hospital for an ultrasound has felt really strange! Back in LA my doctor would do one in her little office to check on the baby. Here in Oxford, they're all done in the hospital... Which is usually the place to avoid!  I had my last one yesterday and everything looks great, praise God! That means I won't be back at the hospital again if all goes to plan because... I'm going to have a homebirth this time! 😍

The midwives here in England actually encourage you to have a homebirth if possible. They see better outcomes for mom and baby and it keeps the hospitals open for those who really need it. I've really enjoyed my midwife and her approach to pregnancy and birth. 

Did you have a homebirth? Leave me any tips in the comments below! 💕🤱
    As mothers, we can trust that God knows all the da As mothers, we can trust that God knows all the days of our children, even if they were only a few days or weeks in our wombs. Praise Him for His faithfulness to us in the difficult times of raising babies! 💕
    So, this current pregnancy is actually my 4th preg So, this current pregnancy is actually my 4th pregnancy. I have one daughter who is 5-years-old and then I had two pregnancies after her that ended in very early miscarriage.

One thing I’ve learned from having miscarriages is this: 

every life, no matter how long, should be known and celebrated. 

I only knew about my two other babies for a few short days before they were gone. Those two little lines on the pregnancy tests told me they were there, but then they were gone before the first ultrasound. 

But as their mama, those little lives are still precious to me. They still lived and they were little persons for those days that they lived. And I know that those lives are precious to God because He created them.

In both of my miscarriage experiences, God showed Himself to be faithful. But in looking back, I now see the need to tell other people early on about pregnancy and I wish I had done that then.

There’s a certain assurance in telling other people you are pregnant that I really needed. Not assurance that the pregnancy is going to go through without a problem. But assurance that your friends, church, and family will be there for you if it doesn’t.

This time around, I did tell people a lot earlier on. No, it wasn’t a big announcement on social media with a cute onesie. But I texted my family and in-laws. And then I also texted the ladies at my church, telling them I had just found out and asking them to pray because I have had miscarriages before. Those messages back from family and friends were nothing special, they mostly said, “Congratulations! We’re praying for you!” But those simple words were profoundly encouraging. They knew about this little life that I had inside and they were part of it with me, for worse or for better. And, I knew that they would be praying alongside me for this pregnancy and baby.
    Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon at a garden Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon at a garden centre. It was chock full of beauty. The plants, the seed packets, the tools, the bird houses… you name it, it was beautiful. 

But as I looked at the beautiful plants, potted with compost and some towering high, I was a bit sad and felt like I was missing out. One of the joys of cultivating a beautiful back garden (or an allotment!) would be to buy a big bush plant and settle it in, enjoying it year after year. For me, as someone who is most likely moving within the next year to who knows where, I won’t get that year-after-year return on the work I’m doing right now in my garden. Though I was feeling sad, I said to myself, "wait a minute!" I have plenty of ways to invest and enjoy in my garden right now without waiting for the year-after-year return. I can sow lettuces or radishes and harvest them within a month. I can plant flower seeds and they'll grow and bloom by July. And, so what if I'm not here year after year to enjoy it? It's still nice while I can be here!

And that little lesson from the garden centre also applies to other areas of my life as I live in places briefly, especially when it comes to friendships. I can sometimes be led to think that it’s not worth the effort to make friends or get to know people when we will be moving on to another place shortly. But that is not true! The investment and work in friendships, even for a short time, is worth it. It is beautiful to get to know new people and love and serve alongside them, or serve them directly. That brings glory to God, even if there’s not a year-after-year return in store for me. And, with an eternal perspective, we will have year after year after year of return on our investments in God's Kingdom. Using our time to love and serve others is never a waste.

1 Corinthians 15:55 says that we should “excel in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
    Living abroad has definitely been an adventure! I Living abroad has definitely been an adventure! I had so many ideas of what I thought England would be like before moving here. It's actually pretty beautiful. ❤️ And I can't wait to enjoy the British summer again this year! 😎

Do you like the summertime better than other seasons? ☀️⛱️🌊
    Just in case you need to hear it today: ✨Nothi Just in case you need to hear it today: 

✨Nothing will replace reading the actual Bible to your children. ✨

There are many good children's Bibles and books out there and they can be very helpful. But nothing, absolutely nothing, will take the place of reading the actual Words of Life to your child/children.

We had some silliness during this morning's reading. As I told my daughter that we need to be reverent when reading the Bible she, of course, asked why. And I said, "Because these are God's Words!" What a blessing to read them and know them. 

May they be precious to you today, friends. ❤️

Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law."
    "There is no death of sin without the death of Chr "There is no death of sin without the death of Christ." -- John Owen

And that, my friends, is why today is called Good Friday, for it is good indeed.
    32 weeks! 🥹 In some ways I can't believe we've 32 weeks! 🥹 In some ways I can't believe we've made it this far and in other ways it's feels like I've been pregnant for a very long time. Each day has its own challenges and worries. Which is why I'm so thankful that Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." And to instead: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Here's to seeking God's kingdom and righteousness in the 8ish weeks I have left!

(Matthew 6:34-35)
    Does God know all things? Yes, God knows all thing Does God know all things? Yes, God knows all things, nothing can be hidden from God. 

This catechism question could fill us with fear... "God knows all about my son!"
But lately it has filled me with hope and comfort. God knows what I experience each and every day. He knows my deepest pain or my brightest joy. He knows my every fleeting feeling from every single moment that I've ever lived. And He holds me under the shadow of His wing. (Psalm 17:8). ❤️
    After reading his commentaries almost daily for th After reading his commentaries almost daily for the last few years, you can see from this picture how happy I was to visit John Calvin's Church in Geneva this week! 😍
    Happy New Year from us! I am definitely looking f Happy New Year from us! 
I am definitely looking forward to what 2023 will hold for our growing fam. ❤️ And striving to look forward to THE new beginning to come. John Calvin said, "No man has made much progress in the school of Christ who does not look forward with joy to the day of death and final resurrection."
    It has been over two years since I laid on a medic It has been over two years since I laid on a medical bed with the ultrasound wand on my stomach to see what was inside. The last two times brought heartbreak as I saw the empty screens confirming the loss of two little babies I only carried for a few weeks each.

But yesterday? That screen was full. 
We're expecting a baby in May 2023.

This pregnancy has already been really different from my first one with my daughter. That is why you haven’t heard from me! I’ve definitely been in survival mode from the nausea and exhaustion. But, of course, I am so thankful for this little one that God has given. I know we often use Job’s famous line when we lose something, but it has been ringing in my head throughout this pregnancy so far:

“The Lord GIVES and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21
    We've lived as expats in Oxford for almost 2 years We've lived as expats in Oxford for almost 2 years. Coming home from holiday truly felt like coming home. I love Oxford. What a challenging, exciting, and enjoyable chapter of life it is turning out to be. And what a grace from God because I could not have been brave enough to do it without Him. 💗
    Our August thus far. This one is just for the memo Our August thus far.
This one is just for the memories. ❤️
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