Let's Start Over...

So.  Hi.  I'm Robin.

Nice to meet you!  

Again.

As a refresher, I am married to Dr. Band Geek and a full-time momma to two blond-haired, blue-eyed miracles, Aubrey Kate and Rhys (pronounced "Reese" but it's the male spelling of what is traditional male Welch name.)

(Not that you asked.)

(I'm just really good at giving that explanation.)

I like all things turquoise, believe pearls are never inappropriate, drink Diet Dr. Pepper like others drink coffee, feel completely off unless I've exercised that day and confess to a bizarre obsession with maxi skirts.

But I love Jesus.  All that other stuff is just, well, "stuff."

So I feel its safe to say y'all assumed we had a lot going on lately.  Thus the radio silence.

And you'd have been correct.

We have been in a season we've lovingly named, "The Pruning."

Jesus said,

"I am the true vine, and my father is the gardner.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in my and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."  ~ John 15:1-8

We have witnessed fruitful branches pruned and branches flat chopped off because they were bearing zero fruit.

It's a hard thing to face the areas of your life bearing NO fruit.  I mean, I think we all know there ARE those branches.  But we don't go around cutting them off ourselves.  Cause largely, we probably keep them around intentionally.  It's easy to justify things or people or activities or even dreams we keep stroking and pouring in to instead of admitting they are IDOLS and need to be taken care of swiftly and decidedly.

And when God decides it's time to prune and cut, He does so.  Of course, He warned us.  Tried to let us release those branches on our own.  Sent us people and events to speak truth to us.  But, well, let's just say my children's stubbornness is an inherited trait.  From both sides of the gene pool.

I was holding on FIERCELY.  And with both hands.

Picture my two year old son refusing to let go of his blue sucker he got from the hair stylist and well, that was me.  Clutching with all that was in me.

(Not that I have ever nor would I ever dare to take a blue sucker away from a toddler.  Cause...CRAZY.)

Oh, there is so much to share.  We are in the middle of The Pruning and what I have learned is I am incredibly human.  Filled with emotions and bitterness I thought I had let go of and moved past and risen above such a long time ago.

And it has also reconfirmed how much I loath...LOATH...crying.

But there has been plenty.

Over the next several days and weeks, I'll fill you in on The Pruning.  What has been pruned, what has been revealed and what has been healed.  

And I'll back up some and post about our regular, normal, every-day life.  

Because over the past six weeks, y'all have missed out on things like...

I can just feel how much you have missed us!  Y'all are too sweet.  

Stay tuned for more!  At some point.  Because, well, pruning is hard and I'm not making any promises about posting on a regular basis.  So let's just stick with SOMETIME and be okay with that, shall we?

Bless you.