After All This Time.......

I can proudly say that my husband his on his way to being a Chaplain for the Army Reserves!!!!



Jeffrey has worked so hard to get to this point and we got the call today. It will be 30-60 days before he receives his oath. More on all that when it is time.



I am very proud of Jeffrey. I asked him today, "Did you ever think ten years ago when we got married that you would be a Chaplain and be expecting your third child?!?" Of course God has plans for us that we could have never imagined. Please continue to pray for us as we begin this new journey.



The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23

I Like It, I Love It, I Want Some More of It

Someone asked me the question the other day, "So, are you one of those people who love being pregnant?"


I quickly gave my answer, "Oh, yes. Aside from the nausea, I love it!"


As I walked away, I began to think about that question a little more.


Yes, I LOVE BEING PREGNANT.


You might ask, "Why? You get all fat. You get stretch marks and swell up. After you give birth, your body doesn't return back to normal."


All of that is true, but the Bible says in Psalm 127:3, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." And really, that is all that matters.


Conception, pregnancy, and birth are all miracles. Think about each detail that must occur at precisely the right moment for each to happen, what each part of the process entails. Only God can perform those miracles.


I can't explain why some people can never have children, why some can have only 1, or why some can have 18. I don't know why some people get pregnant the first try and others take years. I don't know why children are born to unwed teenage mothers or to women who are already grandmothers. I don't know why some children are born healthy while others have birth defects. I don't understand why some women miscarry and why some have drama free pregnancies. Those things are not for us to question. God has a plan in every circumstance. We shouldn't question Him, but trust Him.


I have a student this year that is legally blind because her mom contracted toxoplasmosis during pregnancy after picking up a stray cat in the yard. During parent teacher conferences recently, the mom told me what her daughter said about her blindness, "Mom, I know God can heal me and make me see. But its ok that He doesn't, because He has a plan for me."


WOW!


As an adult, sometimes it is hard to have that much trust and faith in the Lord. Oh, the faith of a child.


Listen to what God's Word says about the faith of a child:

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:2-6


Not only are we blessed with children and teach them, but we should learn from them as well. So many times, as a mom and teacher, I take a step back and say, "Whoa, that kid's got it. Why am I missing it?"


So, yes, I am one of those women who love being pregnant. I love the anxiousness and nervousness that goes along with buying a pregnancy test and waiting for the result. I love hearing a baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office. I love seeing a baby on an monitor during an ultrasound. I love watching my body change because of a growing, thriving baby. I love feeling the kicks, jabs, and hiccups from a baby inside of me. I love watching a child as they experience this miracle with me. I love holding a baby for the first time after birth. I love the stages a child goes through as he grows and develops, discovering his world. I love that God chose to bless the world with children.


I thank God each day for my own children, for the joy and wonder they bring into my life. I pray that I can be the mom that they need me to be. I pray for patience and wisdom to deal with the difficult issues that arise with being a mom. I pray that my children know that I love them even if I am the "meanest mom in the world" because I want them to be respectful, well mannered children who try their best and don't give up (Yes, that homework will be completed before you play and No I will not "just tell" you the answers).



Whatever your circumstances are in your journey of being a mom, I pray that you will find acceptance of where you are and not question why you are there. I pray that you would trust God and His plan for your life and that of your children. I pray that you can go boldly before Our Father and lay down your mommy burdens and desires.



Hug your children and the children of others. Love them. Comfort them. Show them the love of God.

Say a Little Prayer

My family would appreciate your prayers during the next few days. Jeffrey has worked so hard to get to this point with pursuing his master's through Liberty University and pursuing God's will for his life. This week is critical to us in this endeavor. Please pray that we have patience and understanding and that God's will would be done this week, that we will be able to accept whatever the outcome may be.

How Great is Our God

My family appreciates the prayers you've sent up to our Heavenly Father for my cousin Jason. HE IS HOME! Although he has experienced some complications due to all he has been through, Jason is doing quite well. God still performs miracles, and He is the Great Physician!

You may remember when I had asked you to pray for my cousin Patrick, his wife Melissa, and their unborn baby girl. Melissa recently gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Isabella Faith, and they are both doing well.


It is amazing that with the advances in technology and medicine, that some doctor's give up hope on the sick. Yet, our Lord works miracles and heals. What He has done in the lives of my cousins is proof.


A little while ago, I went into the bedroom to find some clothes hangers. I always have to have the TV on something good while I'm digging throught the closet so I started flipping through the channels. I saw Chris Tomlin's name appear on the screen so I stopped. He started singing How Great is Our God (song 29 on the playlist below). As I sang along with him and the thousands of other people at the Harvest Crusade in California, I began to think how great God really is.


I look back at my life and the miracles God has performed in my life, the ways He has watched over me, protected me, guided me, and loved me. He has blessed me in so many ways. I can see where He has had His hand on my life. I see how He placed people in my life for a reason: those that prayed for me and those that challenged me, those that tore me down and those that picked me up.


When I first become a Christian, I would compare myself to others. I wanted to be that type of mom or that type of woman. I would feel inadequate, but I soon came to realize that the best I could be was me. I wasn't these other Christian women that I was coming to know. I wasn't supposed to be like them. I was supposed to love like Jesus loved. That's what God wanted for me. He placed those women in my life to teach me, to fellowship with me, to encourage me and for me to do those things for them and others as well.


You know, I am not perfect (shocker, uh), but the One who is perfect is in control of my life. Why should I allow fear and worry to rule my heart? Whatever He puts before me, I know He will be with me. I can count on God. He has never let me down and I know He never will.


The best decision I ever made was to open my heart to Jesus Christ. I'll never forget that day. I know God had His hand on my actions that day, but I also know that ultimately, it was my decision. God calls us, but we don't always respond.


How Great is Our God that He did not give up on me when I didn't answer His call in a revival.


How Great is Our God that He gave me another chance; He sent Dr. Copass to Calvary Baptist Church to walk me through the sinners prayer.


How Great is Our God that He sent His son Jesus Christ to come to earth, humble himself, die for my sins, and rise 3 days later defeating death.


How Great is Our God that He has prepared a place in heaven for me.


How Great is Our God that I can always depend on His love, comfort, and peace regardless of what is placed before me.


How Great is Our God!

Can you say that?

If not, I pray that you would come to know Him, that you would search out His will for your life.


I pray that you would be able to sing with me, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!

Jason

Thank you for your continued prayers for my cousin Jason. Doctor's put him in a coma in hopes of helping his immune system fight this illness. Please continue to pray for his healing.



Please pray for my mom and grandma as they have flown to Florida to be with my aunt and Jason's wife.





Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!



Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:



Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,



Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,



Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5