"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..." Eph. 3:20a
It seems that everywhere I turn, this verse keeps popping out at me. Today's Bible study included this verse. As I read & studied for today's lesson, I asked myself the question, "Am I claiming that promise?" Do I really think my God is that big? The thought of Him doing more than I can even think or imagine is an overwhelming thought, but what a comfort to my soul!
The ladies in my Bible study just blessed my heart today. They brought a nice chocolate cake with fudge icing (can you smell it? it was lovely!) and each gave me cards with verses and words of encouragement. It was just what I needed!
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jer. 29:11
Yet another verse that keeps coming to my mind. I remember a little over 7 years ago making the comment to my husband "I can't believe I'm going to be working for a spine company! I don't know anything about this & I won't fit in for sure!" Just this past year, we've both asked why I can't find a job closer to our new home so I can stop driving over an hour to work every day. "For I know..." God knew where I needed to be & when I needed to be there. I am facing parenting a child that has a bone growth disorder, yet God has placed me in a company that produces bone. I have access to asking questions about research and treatments, and a wide array of men and women who have great knowledge when it comes to the technology used to treat this condition! "For I know..."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
I wanted to post this here because I know that there are several who read this blog and are not a friend on facebook.
After some very extensive testing and measuring, etc., the dr. has concluded that our little baby has a condition known as achondroplasia dwarfism. It is not fatal, & if you watch tv and are familiar with the Roloff family from Little People Big World, this is the same condition that Amy Roloff has. Those born with this condition live a fairly normal life other than the fact that their arms/legs are shorter and smaller than normal. Amy has had 4 children (only one has this condition) & her first pregnancy was twins!
The dr. has done an amniocentesis test to confirm that this is what we are dealing with and not a more severe form of dwarfism. The results will probably take about a month to come back, which will put me within a month of delivery. Chris & I wanted to go ahead and know 100% so that we could be prepared. I will likely have a c-section (the thought does not thrill me since both of my others were completely natural), but beyond that, I can still breastfeed and probably will take my baby home from the hospital when I leave.
So, after the initial shock of this reality, the thought came to my mind "WOW! God has entrusted me with of his most special blessings!"
We've talked to the kids. While Grady does not understand, Skyler says she does not care how different her little sister is, she is gonna love her & try to be the best big sister ever.
Due to circumstances, and the fact that I will be having ultrasounds every 2 weeks from here on, we decided to go ahead and find out that our little blessing will be a GIRL!!! We have decided to name her Abigail Cate & call her "Abby Cate" - we felt that she needed a good ole southern name!
Thanks for the prayers as we finish out this pregnancy & embark on another exciting adventure!
After some very extensive testing and measuring, etc., the dr. has concluded that our little baby has a condition known as achondroplasia dwarfism. It is not fatal, & if you watch tv and are familiar with the Roloff family from Little People Big World, this is the same condition that Amy Roloff has. Those born with this condition live a fairly normal life other than the fact that their arms/legs are shorter and smaller than normal. Amy has had 4 children (only one has this condition) & her first pregnancy was twins!
The dr. has done an amniocentesis test to confirm that this is what we are dealing with and not a more severe form of dwarfism. The results will probably take about a month to come back, which will put me within a month of delivery. Chris & I wanted to go ahead and know 100% so that we could be prepared. I will likely have a c-section (the thought does not thrill me since both of my others were completely natural), but beyond that, I can still breastfeed and probably will take my baby home from the hospital when I leave.
So, after the initial shock of this reality, the thought came to my mind "WOW! God has entrusted me with of his most special blessings!"
We've talked to the kids. While Grady does not understand, Skyler says she does not care how different her little sister is, she is gonna love her & try to be the best big sister ever.
Due to circumstances, and the fact that I will be having ultrasounds every 2 weeks from here on, we decided to go ahead and find out that our little blessing will be a GIRL!!! We have decided to name her Abigail Cate & call her "Abby Cate" - we felt that she needed a good ole southern name!
Thanks for the prayers as we finish out this pregnancy & embark on another exciting adventure!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
faith
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
Monday, October 19, 2009
We had an awesome weekend! The weather was beautiful! Although we were busy all weekend long, we were able to enjoy spending time with friends - new & old!
Our services on Sunday were wonderful! One of our missionaries was in our morning services to share an update on his work in China. What a blessing to see how the Lord is blessing his ministry there! He will be returning to China in January and moving to a new location to start a new church. It is exciting to see how the Lord is using he & his family to bring the gospel to the Chinese people.
Last night, our children's ministry kicked off the start of preparations for our Christmas program! I am excited this year because not only does Skyler get to play a major role in our program, but Chris & I will be participating as well. I loved doing this sort of thing as a child/teenager! The program will be Dec 20 - let's hope I can move to walk from one side of the stage to the other - there may be some "waddle action" going on! lol!
A few prayer requests:
Joseph - this is the son of my husbands cousin. He will be having surgery on Oct 26 for a hernia. He is only a year old and his mother, Sarah, is very nervous at the thought of her little boy being put under. Pray for her nerves, wisdom and guidance for the surgeon, and little Joseph to come through surgery with no complications!
A friend I grew up with - he & his wife just learned that their unborn child (she is 18 weeks pregnant) has a choroid plexus cyst in the ventricle of her brain. About 90% of choroid plexus cysts resolve spontaneously by 28 wks with no residual damage. The other 10% that don't resolve are equated with Trisomy 18 or Eduard's Syndrome which is a severe form of mental retardation. The dr. will do monthly ultrasounds to keep checking the cyst. The baby is a girl & they have named her Bailey, so please keep Bailey & her parents in your prayers.
Our services on Sunday were wonderful! One of our missionaries was in our morning services to share an update on his work in China. What a blessing to see how the Lord is blessing his ministry there! He will be returning to China in January and moving to a new location to start a new church. It is exciting to see how the Lord is using he & his family to bring the gospel to the Chinese people.
Last night, our children's ministry kicked off the start of preparations for our Christmas program! I am excited this year because not only does Skyler get to play a major role in our program, but Chris & I will be participating as well. I loved doing this sort of thing as a child/teenager! The program will be Dec 20 - let's hope I can move to walk from one side of the stage to the other - there may be some "waddle action" going on! lol!
A few prayer requests:
Joseph - this is the son of my husbands cousin. He will be having surgery on Oct 26 for a hernia. He is only a year old and his mother, Sarah, is very nervous at the thought of her little boy being put under. Pray for her nerves, wisdom and guidance for the surgeon, and little Joseph to come through surgery with no complications!
A friend I grew up with - he & his wife just learned that their unborn child (she is 18 weeks pregnant) has a choroid plexus cyst in the ventricle of her brain. About 90% of choroid plexus cysts resolve spontaneously by 28 wks with no residual damage. The other 10% that don't resolve are equated with Trisomy 18 or Eduard's Syndrome which is a severe form of mental retardation. The dr. will do monthly ultrasounds to keep checking the cyst. The baby is a girl & they have named her Bailey, so please keep Bailey & her parents in your prayers.
Friday, October 16, 2009
total sweetness!
Last night, after much encouragement from my husband, I went to Ladies Night at the local pottery shop. It was so nice to sit down and clear my head from everything going on & focus on being creative with a paintbrush. I enjoyed visiting with the other ladies, had some awesome pizza, and painted an awesome pumpkin candy dish - I can't wait until it is fired and I get it back to fill with yummy Halloween candy!
When I got back home around 8:30, both of my munchkins were wide awake and standing at the front door waiting on me. My Gradybug is used to being rocked every night, but with the new baby coming soon, we thought it might be a good idea to start weaning him from that, so we only rock a couple of nights a week - the other nights he goes straight down in his bed.
He was so excited last night because today he gets to go to the pumpkin patch with his class at preschool. I could tell this was going to be one of those nights when we would have to wind down slowly, so after tucking Skyler in, he climbed up in my bed and snuggled in close. About the time got comfortable, the baby started wiggling. I took Grady's hand and laid it over my belly and the baby kicked his hand really hard. I wish I'd had a camera to record the expression on his face - it was definitely a "WOW!" expression! He started laughing and talking to "baby soccer ball"(his name for the baby right now), and every time he would talk, the baby would kick his hand. Skyler & Chris had already gotten to feel/see the baby move, but this was Grady's first experience. It was so cute & so sweet!
When I got back home around 8:30, both of my munchkins were wide awake and standing at the front door waiting on me. My Gradybug is used to being rocked every night, but with the new baby coming soon, we thought it might be a good idea to start weaning him from that, so we only rock a couple of nights a week - the other nights he goes straight down in his bed.
He was so excited last night because today he gets to go to the pumpkin patch with his class at preschool. I could tell this was going to be one of those nights when we would have to wind down slowly, so after tucking Skyler in, he climbed up in my bed and snuggled in close. About the time got comfortable, the baby started wiggling. I took Grady's hand and laid it over my belly and the baby kicked his hand really hard. I wish I'd had a camera to record the expression on his face - it was definitely a "WOW!" expression! He started laughing and talking to "baby soccer ball"(his name for the baby right now), and every time he would talk, the baby would kick his hand. Skyler & Chris had already gotten to feel/see the baby move, but this was Grady's first experience. It was so cute & so sweet!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
So, I guess I've been kinda slacking in the blogging department the past few months.
School is in full swing. 4th grade has its challenges, but overall, Skyler is doing well. She loves all of her teachers. She auditioned for a singing group at school and made it - they had their first performance a few weeks ago at the PTO & they sounded wonderful! The lady who is their director was actually her music teacher at the school in Horn Lake that she attended before we moved last year to Corinth. She & her husband also own this yummy little restaurant downtown - that is what brought them over to Corinth.
We finally secured a piano teacher. The lady teaching Skyler only accepts a certain amount of children & was already full, but she asked Skyler to come & play for her. After hearing her play, she made a spot for her in the lineup - we are so thankful! The Lord has given her an amazing ear for music and we want to develop that as much as possible!
Grady was promoted to the 3's class at preschool. He is enjoying learning his "ABCD's" - it is so cute to hear him sing "now, I know my ABCD's...." He went on his first field trip to the fire station - what stories we heard after that trip. He is going to the pumpkin patch this Friday - better bundle up, it's gonna be chilly!
Church is going well. Church attendance is increasing slowly, but it is increasing. We are praying that the Lord would bless our efforts and grow our congregation. It is hard to believe Chris has been the pastor for almost a year in Corinth. When we started here, we were averaging about 30 folks in service. The past 4 weeks, we've had over 50! Chris said he likes preaching to people and not pews! lol!
I am now 28 weeks pregnant. Other than having amazing heartburn after every meal, I really feel wonderful. BUT....(isn't there always a "but"), we will be going to see a maternal fetal specialist next Wednesday to have some additional tests run. Overall, the baby appears to be great - organs are developing, heart rate is great, blood flow is great, and the baby moves like a maniac. But, the baby is not growing in size like the dr. would like for it to. It is now measuring several weeks behind schedule. My dr. says that I may just be a mother who has smaller babies (Grady was only 6 lbs.), but he also does not want to play any games given our history of pregnancy risks. He wants to get a second opinion from a specialist and make sure there is nothing wrong with the baby that is causing it not to grow. My appt. is Oct 20 at 8 a.m. - much prayer is appreciated for strength, wisdom, and peace.
There are days when I want to ask "Why can't I be normal?!" "Why me?!" I am constantly reminded everywhere I turn that God has a purpose for everything, & while I may not see what that purpose is right now, it is definitely there! Lord, fulfill your purpose in me!
School is in full swing. 4th grade has its challenges, but overall, Skyler is doing well. She loves all of her teachers. She auditioned for a singing group at school and made it - they had their first performance a few weeks ago at the PTO & they sounded wonderful! The lady who is their director was actually her music teacher at the school in Horn Lake that she attended before we moved last year to Corinth. She & her husband also own this yummy little restaurant downtown - that is what brought them over to Corinth.
We finally secured a piano teacher. The lady teaching Skyler only accepts a certain amount of children & was already full, but she asked Skyler to come & play for her. After hearing her play, she made a spot for her in the lineup - we are so thankful! The Lord has given her an amazing ear for music and we want to develop that as much as possible!
Grady was promoted to the 3's class at preschool. He is enjoying learning his "ABCD's" - it is so cute to hear him sing "now, I know my ABCD's...." He went on his first field trip to the fire station - what stories we heard after that trip. He is going to the pumpkin patch this Friday - better bundle up, it's gonna be chilly!
Church is going well. Church attendance is increasing slowly, but it is increasing. We are praying that the Lord would bless our efforts and grow our congregation. It is hard to believe Chris has been the pastor for almost a year in Corinth. When we started here, we were averaging about 30 folks in service. The past 4 weeks, we've had over 50! Chris said he likes preaching to people and not pews! lol!
I am now 28 weeks pregnant. Other than having amazing heartburn after every meal, I really feel wonderful. BUT....(isn't there always a "but"), we will be going to see a maternal fetal specialist next Wednesday to have some additional tests run. Overall, the baby appears to be great - organs are developing, heart rate is great, blood flow is great, and the baby moves like a maniac. But, the baby is not growing in size like the dr. would like for it to. It is now measuring several weeks behind schedule. My dr. says that I may just be a mother who has smaller babies (Grady was only 6 lbs.), but he also does not want to play any games given our history of pregnancy risks. He wants to get a second opinion from a specialist and make sure there is nothing wrong with the baby that is causing it not to grow. My appt. is Oct 20 at 8 a.m. - much prayer is appreciated for strength, wisdom, and peace.
There are days when I want to ask "Why can't I be normal?!" "Why me?!" I am constantly reminded everywhere I turn that God has a purpose for everything, & while I may not see what that purpose is right now, it is definitely there! Lord, fulfill your purpose in me!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thankful For My Savior!
How many names can I use to explain the love of my Jesus,
the life that He gave and so many times will I praise you today.
I lift up my life cause you're always the same
And my offering to you I bring
Chorus:
Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You're the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You're what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I'd need a Savior.
How many songs can I sing to proclaim your wondrous love and beauty so great?
What would I say if you brought down the rain and everyday
I walk through the pain my heart would still say
Chorus:
You're what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I'd need a Savior.
I'd need a Savior
I need you, Savior
the life that He gave and so many times will I praise you today.
I lift up my life cause you're always the same
And my offering to you I bring
Chorus:
Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You're the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You're what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I'd need a Savior.
How many songs can I sing to proclaim your wondrous love and beauty so great?
What would I say if you brought down the rain and everyday
I walk through the pain my heart would still say
Chorus:
You're what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I'd need a Savior.
I'd need a Savior
I need you, Savior
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)