What you are about to read, I pray is an encouragement and helps you through a tough moment. Empty. Blah. Comatose. Motions. All words used describe myself the past few weeks or months or just certain days. What is it that Paul says in Romans, "I don't understand what I do...for what I want to do, I don't do, and what I hate, I do." I do not want to feel this way. I want to be vibrant, loving, overflowing with kindness, patient and kind...you know, the fruits of the Spirit. Yet, I am struggling for a minute. Am I depressed? It's definitely possible. Do Christians get depressed? Absolutely. It's actually something that I would call a generational curse in my family. I must actively fight it off. Yes I know I have so much to be thankful for, but there are still days when ugliness gets through.
As much as I looked forward to a new adventure, I also loathe the process of everything new again. I've done this a time or two. "This ain't my first rodeo." We've moved 8 times in 9 years of marriage. I've been all over the mid-west. Every time there's a bit of an adjustment period. I truly miss my old friends terribly. I try to put on a brave face. I go shopping at the normal stores, but nothing feels familiar. I miss my blood and church families. I'm complaining. And I'm so sorry. No one wants to hear this. Every body has their own "stuff" they are going through. My mom always says, "Sarah, you could be in the hospital with tubes up your butt and in your nose"...well that would definitely be worse mama.
So here I find myself raw before the Lord. Wounds exposed. Feelings of loneliness, sadness, anger, tired of being tired. And the only thing I keep coming back to is, His Presence. Isn't that the only thing that truly satisfies us completely. Even if I had all the things I truly think I want back in my life, I still would be craving His Presence. He satisfies. He fills. He delivers. He upholds. He gives. Over and over without fail, it's just His Presence. So here I sit, while the world turns crazy around me. The boys screaming, Bella cooing, the T.V. blaring, and me trying to get a grip. Just get in his presence. Draw near. Get closer. Whatever you have to deal with this day, this season, get into the presence of the Lord. Let Him be your strength through the empty days.
Your presence is all I need
It's all I want, all I seek
Without it, without it there's no meaning
Your presence is the air I breath
The song I sing, the love I need
Without it, without it I'm not living
I will exalt You, Lord, I will exalt You, Lord
There is no one like You God
I will exalt You, Lord, I will exalt You, Lord
No other name be lifted high
There will be no one like You
And no one beside You
You alone are worthy of all praise
There will be no one like You
And no one beside You
You alone are worthy of all praise
If you want to hear the song...copy and paste http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT1LWYVnBVw
Monday, December 9, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Light
Our road here in Kentucky is not what I would call safe or an easy drive. It's beautiful at times, but mostly curvy, twisted, and downright scary. I've had it on my heart to write about it for about a month now, but you all know how incredibly busy it is to move a home, let alone with 3 kids, dogs, cats, and a bazillion cows and goats. So that is why I am finally getting a few minutes while the kids are "resting" to get this out of my head and onto paper before my brain explodes from thinking about it so much. Keep in mind I'm sleep-deprived and a smidge insane. :-)
Turning onto Convict Rd (save the jokes, there's nothing I can do about it, it was someone's last name, not a prison community) seems fine and dandy at first. It is a one-laner. There's a tree tunnel through most of it. It looks kind of pretty at first.
That's how I started out my journey of life. I thought it looked so pretty and easy. I thought it was safe and gentle...at first. Then along the way of this road and life for that matter, there are cliffs. Drop-offs into ravines and rivers that could sweep you away if you're not careful and don't hang on tight.
Where our property starts...the covering of darkness over convict road ends. It's like BAM, you start driving up the hill to LIGHT! Freedom from the claustrophobia of the trees and darkness. It will end. Whatever junk you are going through, it will end. Jesus will help you through even when it feels He won't. Grab on tight to that wheel! Do not let go of Him! And when you get to the top...to the light...there is abundant blessing! Blessings so thick I cannot even count them all! And abundant joy!
This week I'm going to buy a wall decal for my living room that says, "The Lord is the strength of my life..." It's a Psalm. It's my life verse now. There's no way to do it without Him. He's it. He's my strength. I figured out through all the junk life throws at us that I, in my own power, am a huge wimp. Only is it with the Father's mighty hand, that I have true strength.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Go
Four years ago, we moved to this tiny town to begin to raise our family. We bought a 66 acre farm that we never thought we could afford. We slowly started renovating the old farm house, cleaned out the fields, put in lots of new fence, and finally bought cattle and goats. Cattle to eat the grass type plants and goats to eat the woody/weedy type plants. Makes for great hay fields. :) We began "Troyer Family Farm." We have raised animals on only grass and hay alone. No corn, no antibiotics, and no hormones for the past few years. Most have said it won't work, it can't work. But little did they know that's how it's been done since the beginning of time. We are going backwards. Fighting against the new normalcy of farms today. So, after all that, I guess it's time to announce to the world, that we are moving.
Not too long ago, God began planting a dream in Bo's heart about becoming a rancher/farmer. He never thought it would be possible. His job is secure. We have great insurance. I get to stay home with the boys. He only has to work 40 hours a week, which left him time to do his cattle hobby. Well God continued to push him. Bo couldn't see how it was possible. He is very logical. He has done the math many times. He is an auditor...so he didn't think it was time yet and didn't know if there would ever be a time...until the Lord got a hold of him. One day as he was out taking care of the animals, he was arguing with God. He was telling Him how he knew he wasn't supposed to be sitting in a cube for his whole life, and this is what he loved to do so why couldn't he do it??? Why was it taking so long and why why why??? God replied, "Go." Bo didn't quite know what to do with that. God reminded him of the story of Abraham and how he told him to go and move his family and everything he had and that God would provide the rest. So, he came in from working that day and said, "We are putting our house on the market. God told me to go." So we put our house on the market and it was sold in a month.
Remember that 347 acres in Kentucky that Back Hills Farm bought last year...well Kentucky here we come! We are now Back Hills Farm! We have built a house there and will be moving in the next couple weeks! We will be expanding our cow and goat herd and adding pigs, a milk cow, chickens, and whatever else Bo thinks will be productive on that farm! We will be planning a quarterly trip to take meat to our loyal customers here in Ohio and Fort Wayne IN. And soon we will be offering pork and chickens and eggs!
This was about a month ago, but I don't have any recent pics. I will add them once I get there again.
It's all still surreal. We had our last Sunday at church and I still am not sure how to deal with all the feelings of leaving our family of friends, but I know He will provide again just like He always does.
PS- Miss Bella is doing very well. She's eating like a sumo baby and it's completely amazing. Another provision. Praise the Lord!
Not too long ago, God began planting a dream in Bo's heart about becoming a rancher/farmer. He never thought it would be possible. His job is secure. We have great insurance. I get to stay home with the boys. He only has to work 40 hours a week, which left him time to do his cattle hobby. Well God continued to push him. Bo couldn't see how it was possible. He is very logical. He has done the math many times. He is an auditor...so he didn't think it was time yet and didn't know if there would ever be a time...until the Lord got a hold of him. One day as he was out taking care of the animals, he was arguing with God. He was telling Him how he knew he wasn't supposed to be sitting in a cube for his whole life, and this is what he loved to do so why couldn't he do it??? Why was it taking so long and why why why??? God replied, "Go." Bo didn't quite know what to do with that. God reminded him of the story of Abraham and how he told him to go and move his family and everything he had and that God would provide the rest. So, he came in from working that day and said, "We are putting our house on the market. God told me to go." So we put our house on the market and it was sold in a month.
Remember that 347 acres in Kentucky that Back Hills Farm bought last year...well Kentucky here we come! We are now Back Hills Farm! We have built a house there and will be moving in the next couple weeks! We will be expanding our cow and goat herd and adding pigs, a milk cow, chickens, and whatever else Bo thinks will be productive on that farm! We will be planning a quarterly trip to take meat to our loyal customers here in Ohio and Fort Wayne IN. And soon we will be offering pork and chickens and eggs!
This was about a month ago, but I don't have any recent pics. I will add them once I get there again.
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| front |
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| back |
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| view from my kitchen window |
PS- Miss Bella is doing very well. She's eating like a sumo baby and it's completely amazing. Another provision. Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
FIGHT!
This week has been a roller coaster. Monday morning we went to Dayton Children's to have a sedated echo with Arabella. When we arrived, they informed us that because she is under 5 months old, they have to monitor her for 12 hours from the time they give her the sedation meds. We were not prepared for that. No one had informed us of that small bit of info. So, since they made me starve her all night and morning, she was MAD! She was TIRED! And so was this mama. They ended up letting me nurse her to sleep and she went through the whole procedure asleep on her own without medication. Praise Jesus!
What we were totally shocked with was the results of the test. Bo and I were fully expecting them to say the hole was gone and we could go on with our lives. That was not the case. The doctor came in looking not so happy and my heart started to break. Not only was the hole still there, it has not even begun to close, and it may be larger than they can actually see in the echo. Another thing of concern is how small she is. She is losing weight weekly. She is 3 and half months old and weighed 8 pounds Monday. He told us he wants her to get the surgery ASAP. Her body is telling us that she cannot continue to do this much longer.
How can my beautiful, precious, baby girl be sick? How can I go on like normal? How do I get through this? I cry out to Jesus! Help me Lord, I cannot do this! He quiets my heart. He dries my tears and carries me through this. Because honestly, I can't do it without Him. He is my strength. He is my help. He is my deliverer.
I have to fight the enemy from getting in my head. He wants to use fear and unbelief against me. I probably sound like a crazy person if I were to tell you the conversations that go on inside my brain. It's almost like I have a little devil whispering in one ear and a little angel in the other. I know it's like an attack from the enemy and I have to have my armor on every day. I am preparing for battle.
So I thank you my friends and family for your continued prayer support! You all are awesome! I have been blessed by emails, texts, cards, messages, and all kinds of ways that God is using you to help keep my spirits up. Thank you again. So surgery is tentatively set for July 30th as long as it passes the board of doctors on Friday. We continue to ask for a miracle of healing. If that means before or after surgery is in God's hands.
What we were totally shocked with was the results of the test. Bo and I were fully expecting them to say the hole was gone and we could go on with our lives. That was not the case. The doctor came in looking not so happy and my heart started to break. Not only was the hole still there, it has not even begun to close, and it may be larger than they can actually see in the echo. Another thing of concern is how small she is. She is losing weight weekly. She is 3 and half months old and weighed 8 pounds Monday. He told us he wants her to get the surgery ASAP. Her body is telling us that she cannot continue to do this much longer.
How can my beautiful, precious, baby girl be sick? How can I go on like normal? How do I get through this? I cry out to Jesus! Help me Lord, I cannot do this! He quiets my heart. He dries my tears and carries me through this. Because honestly, I can't do it without Him. He is my strength. He is my help. He is my deliverer.
I have to fight the enemy from getting in my head. He wants to use fear and unbelief against me. I probably sound like a crazy person if I were to tell you the conversations that go on inside my brain. It's almost like I have a little devil whispering in one ear and a little angel in the other. I know it's like an attack from the enemy and I have to have my armor on every day. I am preparing for battle.
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Message (MSG)
A Fight to the Finish
10-12 And
that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take
everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the
best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to
everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic
contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours.
This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the
Devil and all his angels.
13-18 Be
prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.
Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when
it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth,
righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn
how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is
an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in
this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and
sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no
one falls behind or drops out.So I thank you my friends and family for your continued prayer support! You all are awesome! I have been blessed by emails, texts, cards, messages, and all kinds of ways that God is using you to help keep my spirits up. Thank you again. So surgery is tentatively set for July 30th as long as it passes the board of doctors on Friday. We continue to ask for a miracle of healing. If that means before or after surgery is in God's hands.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Persevere
The verse that keeps coming to mind, "...in this world there will be trouble, but take heart! I have have overcome the world." Jn. 16:33.
God keeps giving us little trials to increase our faith. If not for those trials, we would be devastated. Some seem so overwhelming we feel as though we won't make it through. I could let myself go there with this one. But I have to make a constant choice to rest in Him.
We learned about a week and a half ago that our baby girl has a hole in her heart. At her two month check-up they heard a murmur, which we know that means we have to go to a specialist. Brody had a small hole when he was born that closed by 4 months of age. Gage had a larger hole that closed by 6 months of age. I went to the cardiologist expecting the results to be much the same for Arabella. The Dr. came in looking a little serious, but I didn't think much of it. He then showed me a picture of the heart, like he always does, and where her ventrical septal defect is. Same place as the boys. Only this hole he said is significantly larger than Gage's was. And if it doesn't start to close by 4 months, we will be scheduling a surgery by 6 months of age to close up the hole. One side is already looking enlarged and the other side doesn't look very good either. He said irrevocable damage can occur if we wait too long. He also thinks that Bella isn't growing as well as she should be because her heart is working so hard and consuming all of the calories that I am giving her. Of course I panicked for a good few hours/days. :) I'm a mama, give me a break. But I have come to live in peace with it. My God is so big, that this problem shrinks with each passing day. He will take care of it...heal it or with surgery...I don't know the way He'll do it, but He will do it. My hope and confidence is in Him.
Another verse I am starting to understand is,
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
I know this is another testing of my faith. I get up every day and pray that God will give me a peace that passes understanding and get me through this. I cannot do it on my own. I can only persevere with His grace. It would be easier for me just to doubt and fret and freak out...which I kind of did at the beginning...but I choose to persevere.
Please pray with us as we are trusting the Lord to heal her. We have a checkup June 26th for another echocardiogram. We want to see that the heart is starting to close on its own. Thank you friends. Bo and I appreciate your prayers. Love you all!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Thankful
I tend to see myself as a fairly positive person. But lately I've been challenged to dig deeper. Of course we all have our bad days...weeks...sometimes years. Sometimes I get in such a hurry to do one more thing that my life is rushing by and I've missed all the blessings that God has laid before me. Psalm 39:6 "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing." This challenge came from a book I'm reading called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. It is literally stripping away a lot of junk from my heart and mind and helping me to refocus.
There's so much going on in our life right now. And I'm positive everyone else is just as busy. We have our normal day...which I'm not sure what normal is yet with three babes. Then daddy, chores, dinner, baths, trying to grab a shower, beautiful sleep...not enough, but beautiful nonetheless. It can all start to run together. She writes, "Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing....Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."
As a mom and wife I feel my life is a fast pace dance that I don't get time to stop and enjoy. Lists of things to do and only so much time to do it. Hurry! Rush! I can do one more load, put away one more toy, feed one more animal, and we haven't even started real school yet...aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! But this week...or at least for today, I want to live in the moment. That's when all time seems to stop and we see the blessing and feel the thanks and smile for all God has given. He is so good. As I read my children a book before bed and sit there with them watching their smiles and enjoy the moment, I realize how wonderful that is. I will never forget these precious moments. What else matters at this point? I am enjoying this gift of life that God has given for such a time as this.
She says something that changes my perspective..."The real problem of life is never a lack of time. The real problem of life-in my life-is a lack of thanksgiving." As I start to be thankful for each moment He gives, He starts to change my heart little by little. This life is too quick to let it pass in a rush. No one ever said I wish I could have worked another hour, did another load of laundry, mowed the lawn one more time. We wish and want for those moments etched in our minds of love and thanks. Lord help me slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God.
There's so much going on in our life right now. And I'm positive everyone else is just as busy. We have our normal day...which I'm not sure what normal is yet with three babes. Then daddy, chores, dinner, baths, trying to grab a shower, beautiful sleep...not enough, but beautiful nonetheless. It can all start to run together. She writes, "Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing....Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."
As a mom and wife I feel my life is a fast pace dance that I don't get time to stop and enjoy. Lists of things to do and only so much time to do it. Hurry! Rush! I can do one more load, put away one more toy, feed one more animal, and we haven't even started real school yet...aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! But this week...or at least for today, I want to live in the moment. That's when all time seems to stop and we see the blessing and feel the thanks and smile for all God has given. He is so good. As I read my children a book before bed and sit there with them watching their smiles and enjoy the moment, I realize how wonderful that is. I will never forget these precious moments. What else matters at this point? I am enjoying this gift of life that God has given for such a time as this.
She says something that changes my perspective..."The real problem of life is never a lack of time. The real problem of life-in my life-is a lack of thanksgiving." As I start to be thankful for each moment He gives, He starts to change my heart little by little. This life is too quick to let it pass in a rush. No one ever said I wish I could have worked another hour, did another load of laundry, mowed the lawn one more time. We wish and want for those moments etched in our minds of love and thanks. Lord help me slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God.
Recent "moments"
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| Me and my girl |
Me and all my babes
My momma holding Arabella
At Olive Garden with all of the kids...busy daddy
Going to do the chores as a family
Little rascal stealing his sisters seat. Can you tell he's ornery?
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Answered Prayer
Am I really the mother of 3 children? I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord has blessed us with these three beautiful lives for the time being. He is so good.
Arabella Faith (formerly Bella Faith) was born at 5:56 am on Friday, March 29th. About 1 a.m. I had started feeling contractions about every 6 minutes. I came downstairs to get some water and to change positions to see if this was really the real thing. Around 2, they were 5 minutes apart, so I went and got Bo. We called a family friend to come and stay with the boys through the night. We got to the hospital about 3, and they were 4 minutes apart. The Dr. was at home in Troy and so they didn't want to give me an epidural without his approval. I was not happy with that, but continued to labor and wait. He came in about 4 am and said it was okay for me to get an epidural, but the anesthesiologist was also at home and they had to call for him. The nurse kept assuring me that women give birth naturally all the time and I would be fine. I started to get worried because with the boys I had epidurals and the labor and delivery was wonderful. Finally about 5 am I got the epidural. The nurse checked me and said I was 10 centimeters. Lucky me! I got to labor the whole way without drugs...I'm still a little disgruntled about it. :) So my whole body finally relaxed with the epidural. I fell asleep for a bit because I wasn't feeling ready to push. Finally I felt the need to push and after about 10 minutes my beautiful baby girl entered the world. Lots of black hair and olive skin like her mama!
Her brothers loved her immediately and Brody promised to protect her and fight off anyone who tried to get close to her. So that's taken care of. :)
Our family of 5! I look a bit tired and my face is still has a lovely swollen look to it. :)
We changed her name the week before her birth. A close friend of mine told me the name on the phone and I immediately loved it. I was on my way home to tell Bo but I was sure he wouldn't like it because he's weird about names. He said, "okay, that's it, she's Arabella." And from then on that's what we called her. The meaning of the name is extremely significant. Arabella means, "answered prayer." I can almost weep every time I think of the meaning. She is truly an answer to our prayers. I prayed for a daughter for a long time. Answered prayer. I had people praying for her to be full term. Answered prayer. I had one very close friend praying for 37 weeks specifically. Answered prayer. I had prayers for an easy delivery. Answered prayer. I had prayers for a healthy daughter because she had a two vessel cord. Answered prayer. This girl is God's special gift to me and I am so full of joy with His goodness.
Arabella Faith (formerly Bella Faith) was born at 5:56 am on Friday, March 29th. About 1 a.m. I had started feeling contractions about every 6 minutes. I came downstairs to get some water and to change positions to see if this was really the real thing. Around 2, they were 5 minutes apart, so I went and got Bo. We called a family friend to come and stay with the boys through the night. We got to the hospital about 3, and they were 4 minutes apart. The Dr. was at home in Troy and so they didn't want to give me an epidural without his approval. I was not happy with that, but continued to labor and wait. He came in about 4 am and said it was okay for me to get an epidural, but the anesthesiologist was also at home and they had to call for him. The nurse kept assuring me that women give birth naturally all the time and I would be fine. I started to get worried because with the boys I had epidurals and the labor and delivery was wonderful. Finally about 5 am I got the epidural. The nurse checked me and said I was 10 centimeters. Lucky me! I got to labor the whole way without drugs...I'm still a little disgruntled about it. :) So my whole body finally relaxed with the epidural. I fell asleep for a bit because I wasn't feeling ready to push. Finally I felt the need to push and after about 10 minutes my beautiful baby girl entered the world. Lots of black hair and olive skin like her mama!
Her brothers loved her immediately and Brody promised to protect her and fight off anyone who tried to get close to her. So that's taken care of. :)
Our family of 5! I look a bit tired and my face is still has a lovely swollen look to it. :)
We changed her name the week before her birth. A close friend of mine told me the name on the phone and I immediately loved it. I was on my way home to tell Bo but I was sure he wouldn't like it because he's weird about names. He said, "okay, that's it, she's Arabella." And from then on that's what we called her. The meaning of the name is extremely significant. Arabella means, "answered prayer." I can almost weep every time I think of the meaning. She is truly an answer to our prayers. I prayed for a daughter for a long time. Answered prayer. I had people praying for her to be full term. Answered prayer. I had one very close friend praying for 37 weeks specifically. Answered prayer. I had prayers for an easy delivery. Answered prayer. I had prayers for a healthy daughter because she had a two vessel cord. Answered prayer. This girl is God's special gift to me and I am so full of joy with His goodness.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Just Wait
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
Sounds like an easy task right? I think not! I think that's why the psalmist adds, "be strong! take heart!" It's like he's saying, this isn't going to be easy, so pull on your boots and dig your heels in. This may take a while. All throughout scripture it seems that people are waiting on the Lord to move on their behalf. They want their prayers answered and they want them answered now. If they have to wait, many end up doing things on their own and the outcome is not good. For those who do wait on His perfect timing end up having an amazing story of faith and are blessed. Tons of stories in the Bible reflect the blessing of waiting on the Lord. Some wait for days, some for years, some forever...but because of their faithfulness the next generation was blessed.
The dictionary defines wait, "to stay in a place of expectation." How interesting. I would have said something more like, excruciating and annoyingly wanting something so badly and not getting it until due time. Because for me waiting is difficult. Maybe it's because I'm 7 months pregnant and already I'm counting down the days until this baby gets OUT! I'm expectantly waiting, but sometimes complaining too. I know it's coming, I know the result of this wait is going to be a blessing beyond comprehension, but it's still hard.
There's a change coming in Bo and I's life and we are having trouble waiting. Some days it feels like it will never happen. Some days we are despairing and whining to God. Then are the moments where we have this peace that it will come to pass, it's just not going to be in our timing. God is going to work His perfect plan and we need to sit back and let Him fulfill it. I heard a word from the Lord about a year ago when I was praying about this certain situation. He said, "Watch and see what I'm gonna do." So here we are, still waiting, seeing the things that He has put into motion and understanding more the meaning behind that. There are things that have happened that was completely the Lord's doing. Things where we would try to butt in and make things work, and He totally keeps reminding us that it's not going to work unless He's in it. He said to watch what He's gonna do. How exciting! His work is perfect! His work is excellent! I don't want to mess that up.
Are you waiting? Stay in that place of expectation! Keep praying and know that He is faithful to complete His work. It's never early and it's never too late.
Sounds like an easy task right? I think not! I think that's why the psalmist adds, "be strong! take heart!" It's like he's saying, this isn't going to be easy, so pull on your boots and dig your heels in. This may take a while. All throughout scripture it seems that people are waiting on the Lord to move on their behalf. They want their prayers answered and they want them answered now. If they have to wait, many end up doing things on their own and the outcome is not good. For those who do wait on His perfect timing end up having an amazing story of faith and are blessed. Tons of stories in the Bible reflect the blessing of waiting on the Lord. Some wait for days, some for years, some forever...but because of their faithfulness the next generation was blessed.
The dictionary defines wait, "to stay in a place of expectation." How interesting. I would have said something more like, excruciating and annoyingly wanting something so badly and not getting it until due time. Because for me waiting is difficult. Maybe it's because I'm 7 months pregnant and already I'm counting down the days until this baby gets OUT! I'm expectantly waiting, but sometimes complaining too. I know it's coming, I know the result of this wait is going to be a blessing beyond comprehension, but it's still hard.
There's a change coming in Bo and I's life and we are having trouble waiting. Some days it feels like it will never happen. Some days we are despairing and whining to God. Then are the moments where we have this peace that it will come to pass, it's just not going to be in our timing. God is going to work His perfect plan and we need to sit back and let Him fulfill it. I heard a word from the Lord about a year ago when I was praying about this certain situation. He said, "Watch and see what I'm gonna do." So here we are, still waiting, seeing the things that He has put into motion and understanding more the meaning behind that. There are things that have happened that was completely the Lord's doing. Things where we would try to butt in and make things work, and He totally keeps reminding us that it's not going to work unless He's in it. He said to watch what He's gonna do. How exciting! His work is perfect! His work is excellent! I don't want to mess that up.
Are you waiting? Stay in that place of expectation! Keep praying and know that He is faithful to complete His work. It's never early and it's never too late.
Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall
run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Somebody's Praying
Most of my friends and family know that pregnancy and I just don't go together really well. Bo always tells me if I was one of his breeding cows, he would have got rid of me a long time ago. Well thanks honey, I appreciate that. But I understand...I'm horrible at being pregnant. I am sick all the time. I have trouble maneuvering with this little girl sitting on my sciatic nerve. I am tired all the time. I'm cranky...and so many other things. I'm just not myself and it gets old after 6 long months.
Through it all though, God has been blessing me with encouragement from friends and family. Every week it seems someone sends me a little email or letter of encouragement. Whether it's someone just saying, "Hey I'm praying for you!" or "God put you on my heart this week." or an actual snail mail card from someone who loves me. I am just blessed. We decided on a name for a girl a long time ago. It was going to be Brody's name if he would have been a girl. And that name is "Bella Faith" which means, beautiful faith. I thought maybe that would mean that I would have this amazing faith through this pregnancy and that I would be calm and all my fears would just be gone. Well, that is not true. I feel like I've worried more through this pregnancy than any of the others.
God keeps bringing me to tears over the fact that others are "praying me through." It's not my amazing faith that has done it, but many others whose faith has not wavered throughout this time. Sometimes its just my four year old son at the dinner table praying for mommy to feel better and for Bella to grow big and strong like he is. So I've dedicated the name of this baby to all of you who have prayed for this baby girl. Your beautiful faith has gotten me through this far, and I'm believing that it will get me to the end. Thank you friends and family. I love you.
This song is a an old one, but the words remind me how there are so many others who are standing in the gap for those who don't have the faith or the strength to pray. Someone is praying them through. You can listen on YouTube if you don't mind listening to some old-school christian music. I cry every time. copy and paste...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ilYi-PJGyc
Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again
So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause, somebody's praying you through Oh…
Somebody's praying you through Oh…
Somebody… somebody is, Praying
Oh… Somebody is, Someone Somewhere
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me
Somebody's, praying
Somebody's praying… you through
Through it all though, God has been blessing me with encouragement from friends and family. Every week it seems someone sends me a little email or letter of encouragement. Whether it's someone just saying, "Hey I'm praying for you!" or "God put you on my heart this week." or an actual snail mail card from someone who loves me. I am just blessed. We decided on a name for a girl a long time ago. It was going to be Brody's name if he would have been a girl. And that name is "Bella Faith" which means, beautiful faith. I thought maybe that would mean that I would have this amazing faith through this pregnancy and that I would be calm and all my fears would just be gone. Well, that is not true. I feel like I've worried more through this pregnancy than any of the others.
God keeps bringing me to tears over the fact that others are "praying me through." It's not my amazing faith that has done it, but many others whose faith has not wavered throughout this time. Sometimes its just my four year old son at the dinner table praying for mommy to feel better and for Bella to grow big and strong like he is. So I've dedicated the name of this baby to all of you who have prayed for this baby girl. Your beautiful faith has gotten me through this far, and I'm believing that it will get me to the end. Thank you friends and family. I love you.
This song is a an old one, but the words remind me how there are so many others who are standing in the gap for those who don't have the faith or the strength to pray. Someone is praying them through. You can listen on YouTube if you don't mind listening to some old-school christian music. I cry every time. copy and paste...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ilYi-PJGyc
Somebody's Praying Me Through
SOMEBODY’S PRAYING ME THROUGHPressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again
So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause, somebody's praying you through Oh…
Somebody's praying you through Oh…
Somebody… somebody is, Praying
Oh… Somebody is, Someone Somewhere
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me
Somebody's, praying
Somebody's praying… you through
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