*expect*

I suppose we will be doing a lot of expecting this month as we get closer to the arrival of the newest family member. I'm bursting at the seams and ready to meet this little acrobat, but he has a little more growing to do, to the dismay of my stomach ligaments. I smiled when I turned the calender to March this morning. How fitting to see the image of the little girl hugging the very pregnant mama with two playing in the back round. And what's more perfect to welcome March than the first snowdrops of Spring? In like a lion, out like a lamb, so they say.

You may have noticed that I added a blog list to the side-bar. I thought I'd share some of the blogging wealth and it seems like a handy way to see who has updated. I can't say I regularly keep up with all these blogs but if I have extra time these are my online happy places. These are some of my favorites for different reasons. Each one encourages, inspires, or just tells its own beautiful story. Some are women I know and love, and some are people I've never met but whose words bless me. There is such power in words for good or evil. Why not flood the Internet with all this goodness? I'll tell you a little about some of them.
My good friend Amy introduced me to Katie at some point this year and I've been hooked ever since. If you don't read this blog, you should. I actually went all the way back and read it like a book. Her story will challenge you and bring perspective. As a kid whose heroes were always Amy Carmichael and Mother Teresa, I found a new present-day hero. It's the stuff I always dreamed I'd do. We share some passions and burdens and I think that if I had some extra lives, with one of them I would join her. She lives in Uganda with her 14 adopted daughters, teaching and feeding hundreds more. Her story is incredible but what I love the most about her is her wild and passionate pursuit of Christ and how she lets His love flow through her. (p.s. You may want to turn the music player down to read this one, I always do.)
Next is Journey Mama. She and her husband are incredible photographers, she's an awesome wordsmith and she lives in India. Those things drew me in, but then I discovered a very honest, funny, beautiful spirit also pursuing our God on this journey.
Then there's Christine, who I like to think of as my online kindred spirit and fellow NJ girl. Her blog is full of lovely pictures and well-told stories of the beauty in her everyday. Her words refresh, encourage and inspire me.
I discovered Andrea over at Hula Seventy and found an instant connection in a love for words,film photography, photo-booths, color and general creativity for the artful soul. She's a bit of a creative genius.
If you have some moments to spare these are well worth a look.
That's all I have time for right now so maybe I'll add a few more later.
Happy March, friends.