Oh, baby baby!

Sooo,
It's been QUITE a while since my last post. And by quite a while, I mean over a year. Time flies when you're having fun, I guess!

So many things have happened in this past year. I am completely overwhelmed at how much God has carried us through & all that He has blessed us with! The main blessing being that my husband & I are expecting our first baby in January!

We are beyond excited & can hardly wait for this little bundle of joy to come & fill our lives. It will be the biggest transition yet in our marriage & lives thus far, & although I can't say we feel prepared, we are completely ready to be parents & experience this wonderful new chapter book in our lives!

Hopefully this blog will morph along with our family & become a place where pictures & events of & in our family will be captured, stored, shared, documented, etc.

Details of our baby: I am 16 1/2 weeks along, & feeling more & more uncomfortable as "baby O" or "Teek" grows & develops. Even though this baby is not even half way through it's gestation, it is amazing to think he/she already has all it's working parts & just needs time to grow bigger & stronger! God's design in creating human life is TRULY amazing!

We lovingly & affectionately call our baby "Teek" for many reasons. Teek is short for Teekvah, which is the Hebrew word for Hope. We chose this name because we had been trying for a baby for 7 months before we found out we were expecting, FINALLY! It was hard on me to wait & be content with where God had us for that long when my heart's desire was to have a baby, but I am so glad He brought me to a place where I truly trusted Him & His timing. All in God's timing... Psalm 18:30 says "His way is perfect"...

We are holding on to that verse as we prepare for a Winter baby in the Midwest. Okay Lord, we believe You when You say Your way is perfect. Trusting. =)

I can feel our baby moving & grooving in utero already! I felt him/her move for the first time on my birthday. It was a GREAT birthday present! It's such sweet blessed assurance of the life that's developing & growing. I LOVE to feel the baby move... It's like nothing else I've ever experienced!

We can't wait for our 2nd Sonogram to see the baby! Our first was at week 6. Still too little to see any physical features or hear a heartbeat, but we were able to see the baby at one of it's tiniest tadpole-esqe stages & see the heart beating... thump, thump, thump, thump. SO COOL!

We decided long ago, way before we talked about trying for a family, that we did not want to find out the gender of our baby. We both love surprises, although I probably more than my husband, but we thought there are so few good surprises in life that are good, that this is one that we could just let be.

The excitement & thrill of waiting till that moment right after he/she is born & the announcement of what the gender is, is what keeps me positive in moments of weakness when I don't feel very good or "just want the baby here now".

We've caught a lot of flack from extended family & friends about waiting to find out the gender, which I think is a bit unreasonable for them to voice their opinions so negatively, but it hasn't swayed or persuaded us to find out. In fact, it's mostly just fueled our fire to wait! (This would be my defiant, strong-willed side coming out) I think it's funny when they ask "How will you decorate the nursery if you don't know if it's a boy or a girl?" & "How on earth will you clothe your child?" & say things like "You do realize people will just get you colors like yellow & green & gray & brown for all your showers, right?"... The list goes on.

My response: We like neutral colors & have no problem buying the basic things in neutrals & just waiting till the baby is here to decorate the nursery to be more gender specific with things that can be changed out easily if we have a different gender baby down the road. We don't want to have to buy all new things anyways for our other future children. Also, we plan on having most of the showers be after the baby is here. It's more fun that way too so others get a chance to hold & meet the baby!

And just what do you suppose our parents & parent's parents did to clothe their children without knowing what gender it is before the baby was born? Hmmm... =)

I guess I just like the "old fashioned way" of doing things. Okay, I'm off my soapbox. Just wanted others to have an idea of our point of view without being haggled for making the choice that we made.

*Note: I in no way am against those who choose to find out the gender of their baby, we might do that for a future child. We have simply just made the decision not to this time around.

Anyways, we are over the moon about welcoming this new, precious little life into our hearts & home! We view it as a gift & blessing from God! Again, I stand in awe of His wonderful creation & the life that He has given me!

Since Teek can hear now, these songs are ones I want him/her to hear... They are things we will instill in our baby's life.

Life is frail

Lately, "life" has been on my mind. Many thoughts about it; living, the business of being born, one's last moments on earth, dying, heaven, hell, and the life we lead in between our beginning & end.

I know, not exactly light, but I have a tendency to ponder the things that I don't completely understand. It helps me to form either opinions about the subject in question or to form deeper questions to ask myself, others, God...

Many people I know have been having babies lately, there is a Christian family I know that just recently lost their 18 year old daughter to a random, deadly infection/disease that overcame her body unexpectedly, my Grandpa is not in good health & he is about to, Lord willing, see his 90th birthday in a month, one of my friends miscarried her 10 week old baby this past week...

You see, this is why I have been pondering these things. They are weighing heavily on my heart. Life is such a blessing. Death too, can be a blessing, if you know where you're going & you've accepted Christ.

However, fear of the unknown is real. My thought & conclusion on that... God is bigger. He is more powerful, & fear has no room in my mind, heart, home, life.

What about you? Have you ever thought about birth, life & death?

I know this is random, but I would like to know your thoughts... Life is messy, & sometimes in my need to organize things I get these ideas in my head about "changing the world" & "fitting the mold"... In all honesty, I'm glad God didn't make us to fit a mold. We are created in His image!!!! That's an AWESOME thought!

Okay, enough babbling for one day... Maybe this will make you think about the things that truly matter in life. I am. I am thinking... mulling over... praising my Creator!

Life is good, my friends!

          

To be content, or not to be, that is the question...

After going to Nicaragua, I have been plagued with an ever-present thought about whether or not I am truly content.

While in Nicaragua, I read these verses during my quiet time early on in the week. It grasped hold of my heart as I had seen such poverty stricken people living in joy & love just hours before reading this.

The verses are found in Philippians 4:11-13

They say "For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, & I also know how to live in prosperity; in any & every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled & going hungry, both of having abundance & suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

It hit me after many years of knowing the last sentence of scripture, the context that it was written in. Somehow knowing that changed the way I thought about the verse.

I have a very finite mind. But, thanks to God's perfect timing, I really learned the lesson of being content in EVERY circumstance I am. Whether that be true poverty, or in prosperity. And being content I have also learned is finding joy in my God, no matter the life I have been given. No matter the type of living situation I am in. No matter the people that I have brought into or out of my life.

True contentment is being able to praise the Lord in every situation... On command, or not! By choosing to bring glory & praise to my Father always I am building a strong testimony for Him. It is a blessing to Him & others around you when you are content.

So, a hard lesson to learn... Or at least for me. But a lesson I won't quickly forget. It might have taken God taking me to Nicaragua to see that, but He is faithful & loving & patient!

Loving Him & placing my footsteps carefully into His as I walk along this journey we call life, is one way I can please Him. Thankfully I don't have to worry about repaying Him for loving me, because I can't! He paid the ultimate sacrifice for me, puarely because He loves me!

I don't know about you, but that is the only God I want to serve. I count it all joy, my friends!

Is your heart truly content in your situations in life right now? How about yesterday, or 2 months ago, or 10 years ago?

Make the choice to be content & trust Him! He's waiting lovingly & patiently to show you what it means to be His follower.

Blessings to you all today!

Oh YEAH!

I am so pumped to go on this missions trip to Nicaragua!!!

I can't even tell you! And our journey so far, even before we go, has been such a blessing a learning experience.

I should expect God to do...... these things... But I know I don't really, fully & completely expect it because otherwise I wouldn't be surprised every time He comes through!

We are now fully funded for our trip, & any other moneys that we collect will be donated specifically toward Kaitlyn & Darby. We are just so blessed.

Thank you to all who have acted monetarily in supporting us & teaming with us also in prayer this summer! We can't thank you enough for your prayers! Truly, we could not be doing this without the prayer support that has been offered up in our behalf, & on the behalf of those that we come into contact with while down in Nicaragua. =)

We are praying right now that one of Kinch's sisters gets her passport back in time to go on this trip because when she received it in the mail, their was a typo on it, & she had to send it back to get the error corrected. So, please pray that she will get it back in time to still be eligable for this trip!

I am so excited now that I can hardly sleep at night... Let alone get to sleep in the first place! =)

God, please use us in a way that only You could. Please help me to fade away completely so You are the only One seen. Help me to love others as You love them. Perfectly!

Lord, it says in Your Word  that you are doing a good work in me & will continue it till the day of Your return, & I trust that! I claim that. Lord, do a mighty work in my life, in Kinch's life, & in the life of each individual going on this missions trip. Help us to come away with a better understanding of what it means to love, & witness, & bless others. Help us to know You more deeply & personally through this. Bring us closer together as a team, & a family! Break us if we need breaking. Mold us, as we all need to be molded till the very definition of us has everything to do with the fact that we serve & love You. Help me to hear You. Make me quiet before You. Make me to be still & listen. Allow my heart & mind to soak in ALL that You have to offer me. All that You want me to learn about You. Thank You Lord for this opportunity to serve You! I love You, & I ask that You give me strength to show that in all I do & say!!! AMEN!

Obedience

So, God has been doing BIG things in our lives the past few weeks! It's been so long since I've been on. Every time I get on to write, there have been no words coming to me in a manner that might make sense to anyone else.

I finally feel like I have some thoughts placed in somewhat of an organized fashion.

First off, there is NO ONE like our God!! He is BIG! He moves in ways I cannot comprehend, & for that I'm thankful! He does miracles, & He alone can change a heart to love in bigger ways than imaginable.

Second, as a follower of Christ, I am called to GO where He goes in obedience to His leading! This has never been an issue for me as I have never felt called to go into the mission field. So, I guess you could say I've felt safe in my comfort zone.

However, this changed 3 weeks ago when we got a call from my father-in-law with som news that rocked my world. Or at least, my mind! =)

He announced that he, my mother-in-law Wynne, and the girls (my husbands two younger sisters) were going to Nicaragua this June on a missions trip with their church. That WAS big news, but what I wasn't prepared for was the next part.

He went on to ask us if we would want to go.

Uuuuuhhhhh!!!!! Yah, right! Us? Go to another country? Nicaragua?! We can't go to Nicaragua! That was my first response. But, God had bigger plans for us than to stay at home in our comfort zone this June!

I fasted & prayed about going the next day. My answer from God was clear when my husband came home from work the following day.

He said he talked to his boss about going to Nicaragua. His boss goes to our church, but he responded in a way we were NOT expecting. He said "Lets find a way to get you there, but you still need to get paid & we need to still reap the benefit of you working".

He offered the idea to my husband to work some comp days so he could still get paid, & they could still get that week of work out of him. He doesn't have any days to take off till his 1 year anniversary rolls around, so this was an awesome answer to prayer.

So, we are going to Nicaragua, by God's grace & sufficient guidance & protection, we are going to spread the Name of our God among the nations & make Him famous in the lives of more people!

Could you pray for our team? There are 12 of us going. Pray that our hearts would be prepared in this time now before the trip to do whatever it is that God wants us to do while we're down there. Pray that we would be drawn close to our God, & that He would reign in each indiviual life so that our group can accomplish more for His kingdom.         

 *** 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 " Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, & fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness & the work of faith & power, that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, & you in Him, according to the grace of our God & the Lord Jesus Christ."

***1 Corinthians 9:14 "Even so the Lord has COMMANDED that those who preach the gospel should LIVE from the gospel."

Pray that our team would bond.

*** Colossians 3:12-17 " Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your heats, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY in all wisdom, teaching & admonishing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Pray that our safety would not be an issue, in that God would keep us safe & that fear would not have a hold on any of our hearts or minds.

*** Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS."

Above all, Pray that the Name of the Lord would be EXALTED above all else!

*** Psalm 148:13 " Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name ALONE is exalted; His glory is above the earth & the heavens."

Please also pray for the hearts of every person we come into contact with during he duration of our trip! Even people in the airports. And people who don't even come into direct contact with us, but who are affected by our ministry & that of Chosen Children Ministries. Pray that their hearts would be open to Christ's leading in their lives & that they would accept Him. Pray that seeds would be planted & sown with diligence & the love of Christ.

We covet your prayers & know how much POWER God bestows on those who have others praying for their ministry! The power of God is more than we can imagine & I pray God's power into us all that we be filled with Him & know that He holds life in His hands.

God, fill me even now. Prepare my heart to spread Your gospel. I pray all these verses into action today! I claim the truth in them. I pray for others who we come into contact with. Please open their minds & hearts to You. Please allow them to see Your Magesty & LOVE for them! Help us to be a blessing & to be worthy of this calling into Nicaragua. Go before us God. Prepare our way. Sharpen us as effective tools to be used for Your glory. Let every one know that we love You & worship only You, the only God who is alive & is full of POWER!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A work in me...

I have been reading in my bible every day for the past couple weeks, which for me, seems to be a miracle. I usually read for a couple days diligently then forget to for a couple of days, then pick it back up again... Not because I feel obligated to, but because I'm STARVING! I starve myself of the nutrients of life! Of the very thing, & only thing, that can fill me up & keep me going. I'm literally starving my soul.

So, lately, my devotions have exploded into an all-out, submersion of my mind & heart that has led to a total abandon of myself, cleaning out all of me & filling myself with all of Him!

Our church is doing the "L3 Journal". Its a year long bible reading plan designed to read & absorb, & ultimately change your life, by reading all of the new testament, plus Psalms & Proverbs. Until now, I had just been reading the alotted amount of Scripture, which was fine, but I just realized I was still hungry & wanting more after I was done with my reading.

Smart one that I am, it took me this long to figure it out, but at least I did... I decided to just open up the word of God & be filled with whatever it was that God wanted to teach me. I want to write these verses down somewhere so I can get them into my mind better & be able to edify others in the process... So, these are a few verses I've delved into!

Romans 12:9-17 & 21 "Let love be without hipocracy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate(devoted) to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless & do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, & weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate withthe humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." Selah

Psalm 66:12 "...We went through fire & through water; But You brought us out to RICH fulfillment."

Psalm 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily LOADS us with benefits, The God of our salvation!"

Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength & my Redeemer."

Psalm 20:13 "Be exalted, O Lord, in Your OWN strength! We will sing & praise Your power."
This Psalm really, Really, REALLY convicted me. How often do I look to myself for power to get through the day? Even once would be too many! God gives me my every breathe... He is so much more powerful than even my small, limited mind & heart can comprehend! I love thinking about & praising Him for His LIMITLESS power!!! =)

Psalm 25:21 "Let integrity & uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You."

Psalm 27:8 "When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek.""

Psalm 28:14 "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, & He chall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
This is a precious scripture to read right after Psalm 20:13 because you know it's HIS power that He fills you with! What a thought!

Hope this provokes you to think about God in all His glorious ways... To know Him on a WAY more personal level, & to deepen your love for our Creator! I worship You, God!!! These verses are my prayer for today.

Overflow

Tonight was Overflow at our church. One word. AMAZING! Overflow is a time of intimate, authentic worship of our Lord, Jesus Christ by ordinary, broken, fallen people who come together as the body of Christ to do just this one thing... WORSHIP!

It is SO incredibly powerful! Words cannot express how completely uplifting & freeing it is to worship all together in an atmosphere like that. My heart is so full of wonder & amazement & adoration of my Abba.

What a blessing it is to be a daughter of the King! He bestows GREAT & wonderous love on me; that of which I do not deserve.

Father, Lover of my soul, Adonai, Rescuer, Protector, Ultimate Provider, Healer, Restorer, Creator, Righteous Judge, Holy of holies, Completer, Savior, King of kings, Jehovah-Yahweh (divine salvation), Mighty One... My Lord is all of these things to me, & SO much more! These were just some of the names of God that were brought to my mind tonight while worshipping.

Having my mind set on Him brings light into my dark world, my heart & soul. God has reached down & lovingly placed me into the palm of His hand. He's ready to love me. He's ready to load on blessings & benefits (Ps. 68:19). He's ready to guide me & ALWAYS give me what is best. I just have to be willing to surrender all of me to make more of Him... To make His name great... So that He can use me as a vessel in whatever capacity He knows & guides best.

Jesus, my God, I choose to lay down all of myself, all of my desires, all of my pride, & I choose to follow You. Lead me in Your paths, God. Help me to build my life on You. Allow me to go through whatever You need me to go through Lord, that I might love You more through it & make Your name famous, that You receive all glory for Your work in my life, & the lives of others. Thank You Lord, for accepting me. For creating me. For loving me. It is in Your name I pray all these things. Amen!!!