Samuel James

Today was the day that Samuel was due to be born. This has been a hard week, but I keep remembering the verse that the Lord brought to Seth and I the day before all the complications started.

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."


I thought I'd share a poem that was given to me from my mother-in-law, who also lost a child. I hope this will encourage other mothers who have lost a child, or others who have lost a loved one. It helped me to see the eternal perspective.

A Baby's Secret
by, J.C. Bromfield

I'm just a little feller... who didn't quite make it there;
I went straight to be with Jesus, but I'm waiting for you here.

Don't you fret about me Mommy, I'm all right... and am most blest;
I'd have loved to stay there with you, but the Shepherd knows what's best.

Many dwellings here where I live, waited years to enter in;
Struggled through a world of sorrow, and their lives were marred with sin.

So sweet Mommy don't you sorrow, wipe those tears and chase the gloom;
I went straight to Jesus' bosom, suffered none of earthling's pain.

I'll be waiting for you Mommy-you and Daddy, Bud, and Sis.
I'll be with you then forever... and give you all a kiss.

My Niece's 2nd Birthday

A Stone

We are all like a stone being tossed by the waves
With every crash we're made a little more smooth
The Lord chooses our waves knowing what will shape us like Him
He never picks waves too big for us to withstand
He is right there beside us when they crash
To keep us strong
To hold us when the pain is too great
To remind us that He is God and we are not
And He sees the entire ocean, the end from the beginning
And someday the waves will cease then smooth stones we will be

Calzones

I didn't get a picture of the actual ones
I made last night, but here a similar one...
This is a really yummy recipe if you like calzones!






Ingredients:
1 pkg. yeast
1 cup warm water
1 T. sugar
2 T oil
2 3/4 cup flour
1 t. salt
1 t. Italian seasoning
Parm. cheese
1 cup each: Italian sausage, ham, and shredded cheese

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in water
Add sugar
Mix in 1 cup flour, oil, salt, ans seasoning
Add remaining flour
Knead dough 5 min, then let dough rise 5 min
Divide dough into 4
Roll into 10" circles
Add 1/4 cup Italian sausage, ham, and cheese to each calzone
Fold dough over itself and crimp edges
Let rise 10 min.
Bake 15 min at 350
Take out calzones, butter and sprinkle parm cheese and seasoning if desired
Cook additional 5 min or until golden brown

If only...

I was struck by these verses and thought I'd share them...

Gen. 17:17,18 "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' And Abraham said to God, 'If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!'"

So often I catch myself thinking this way. If only the Lord would do it my way, then everything would be wonderful... It easy to think that way without knowing the future. This example struck me because we know the end of this story. God had a plan and wanted it carried out according to His will, not according to man's will. I am so thankful He knows the beginning and the end and He is so worthy to be trusted with our lives.

Safely Home

Seth and I have been reading a really good book lately. It's called "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. It talks a lot of the persecution in China but in a novel format. It involves two men, one a highly successful business man, and the other a very intelligent Chinese man. They were roommates in college and the business man had introduced the Chinese man to the Lord, but over the years they lost touch. Now, twenty years later they meet up again, one who has turned from the Lord, one strong for the Lord, willing to die for Him.

It is really convicting how I can become so afraid to share the gospel with others for fear of rejection or something else of no life-risking value, while there are others who wake up each morning wondering if this is the day they will die for our Lord...

The Elderly

I need to start doing better about posting on this blog... I guess that can be one of my New Year's resolutions.

I have been so encouraged lately with my downstairs neighbor. She is old and is a prisoner to her oxygen. I met her probably in August, when I heard below me "Help, help" I went down and she was having trouble breathing, so I prayed with her and she exclaimed, "You know Jesus!" After that time I didn't make much of an attemt to visit her. I just became so busy and there was always something that was more important... We ran into eachother in November again and she said she was disappointed I hadn't visited her. She needed me to get her mail for the next month or so since her neighbor was going on vacation that normally gets it. Over that month I got to know an amazing lady. I now meet with her every day and she asks me to pray with her. She said it means so much to know that someone cares, it helps her get though her day. I only meet with her for probably 20 minutes. I guess to get to my point, there are so many elderly people out there that are prisoners to their homes, they so long for someone to visit them, and I guess this woman has opened my eyes to this world. I was too busy to care or to really see this need on my own. I just wanted to remind others of this need and how much just a little bit of time can mean to someone...

Christmas

Christmas in Iowa...

Clayton pretending to be Superman


Halle enjoying her breakfast



My mom, "Nana", cuddling with Clayton and Halle after their bath



Halle hiding in one of her Christmas presents

Thanksgiving

Here are some pictures of my adorable nieces at our Thanksgiving...

His plans are Greater

Well, it's been about a month now since we lost Samuel. This has just been a crazy past 6 months! We weren't planning on getting pregnant, then we did so we changed all our plans to prepare for this child... Well, now that we've lost him, we have to make another 180 back to our original lines of thinking. That is Seth going back to school for his masters, me getting a job, etc... Life can be crazy, but one thing we have learned through this all is to make plans, but not to count on them. To rest in the fact that the Lord has a plan for our lives and He is working it out through every trial we face. Seth and I were talking and thinking about what ifs. What if I had never gone through this pregnancy? However, we both agreed we wouldn't have changed a thing, because if we hadn't gone through this, we wouldn't have had the privilage of putting a child into heaven. The Lord has also now equipped us to comfort others who go through a similar experience. I chose this new blog title because we truly want this to be true in our lives - Not our will but our Lord's be done in our lives...

Honeymoon, May/June 2006

This is us on our honeymoon in Kauai, Hawaii. We were there 12 days and it was amazing. If anyone else ever has a chance to go, we highly recommend it.

May 20, 2006