Beautiful Grace

No words, I am simply without words.

Speechless, captured by God's goodness.

Hovered over by His faithfulness. Loved poured out over our family, too much to even comprehend. Fully aware of something so precious, yet at times cannot wrap my heart around it. A visible awareness of a prayer prayed so much that is now sitting before our eyes. What a wonder!! Makes me stop and think....what else do I doubt God with, or for. What else do I feel guilty laying before the God of the Universe and letting Him do the weaving in my life and the life of my family.

Sweet little Ellery Grace,

You were prayed for and over since before you were even you! Days, weeks, months, a length of time I can't even remember. You entered the world with a story attached. You have 3 brothers or sisters that Daddy, your brothers, nor I have yet to meet. They were carried in my tummy for only a short time before they got to go live with Jesus, but they will forever be carried in our hearts. Your big brothers never, ever stopped praying and believing God for a baby. YOU, beautiful baby are that answer. Never did one day go by in between all the heartache of having three miscarriages did they skip a day. It was a simple prayer, yet so heartfelt. Once you began to grow inside of me they did not stop....up until the day you were born. You are loved. You are a beautiful picture of God making beautiful things out of the dust of our lives. The grace of God being poured out onto our family.

Forever we will give the Lord thanks....great is HIS faithfulness.

Out With The Old

I cannot believe we are coming to the close of another year. I blinked and 2012 has become almost a distant memory!! When I was out for my run yesterday I was flashing back through some memories of this past year.  I think one of the most amazing memories I had was spending the day at The Big Ticket festival in June with my sister. Worshipping under the stars with Chris Tomlin singing How Great Is Our God was an indescribable moment! 

It has been a year with blessings, sadness, joys, heartache. It's been a year that we have grown in our faith as individuals but also as a family. I have witnessed what it means to have a child-like faith through each of our boys. Sometimes they simply take my breath away and make my heart overflow with love for how they approach life. Their heart felt, humble prayers may seem so simple, but yet they have taught me so much.

My hope and prayer for you is that you find in Christ a hope and purpose for each day. He can take your tests and make them into testimonies. He can take your sorrows and give you comfort, peace and even joy. He can take your messy days and make them into moments to glorify Him and give Him praise. If I have learned anything about the character traits of God over the past year it is that He is indeed a God of faithfulness and grace.

The top three viewed posts of my blog this past year were:

Never Expected This

Life

The Highest Of Highs To The Lowest Of Lows

 

Looking forward to what God is going to write in the pages of our lives in the coming year.....it is indeed a blessed journey!!!

 

 

Happy New Year To You!!!

 

 

 



Never Expected This

Little did I know when I wrote this post, God was about to do something amazing in the lives of our family.

NO WAY was I ever expecting this:

But there is already more to this story:

I was having some pain in the side of my abdomen early on so I went for blood work to check my HCG levels (pregnancy hormone). I didn't hear anything back from the Doctor for 2 weeks so I assumed the levels looked good.  Until this week when I was in with Caleb for his well-child was I informed that in fact my levels did not increase at all like they were supposed to have done.

So I had another blood test, and left the office completely devestated that I never knew things did not look good~and Chad and I prepared ourselves for a third miscarriage.

But then I got this phone call...the Doctor called and left a message yesterday for me (that I had to listen to a dozen times) that said my blood test looked very, very encouraging and he'd see me at my initial appointment, in a few weeks.  PRAISE GOD!!!

So, we are thanking God for this miracle and asking our friends and family to join with us bolding praying that our little one will grow well and we will see a little flutter on that ultrasound screen!! We have complete faith that sometime in early 2013 we will be holding our sweet little son or daughter in our arms.

Thank you for praying in faith along with us for this new little life. We are overjoyed at the things we've already seen God do!

I've seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling.

I've seen MIRACLES just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That's what FAITH can do.

This Time Was Different

Last Sunday we sang this song in Church. We've sung it many times, and I've listened to it dozens more over the past many months.  When I was singing it Sunday though, it was different. I had this lump that kept forming in my throat and tears that I couldn't stop from flowing.  Every space around me was filled with His presence.

Those words...
...the greatest love that anyone could ever know that overcame the cross and grave to find my soul

...and in my heart I pray you'd let your will be done
...I'll trust in you

I will live....
...to love you
...to bring you praise
...as a child in awe of you

...You are the voice that calls the universe to be

...You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me

...You alone are God of all
...You alone are worthy Lord
...And with all I am, my soul will bless your name

Lord, help me to live a life in awe of you and who you are. I praise you with ALL that I am. Not just part of me.  Good and bad times, tears and laughter, joy and heartache. From the time I rise in the morning, until I rest when day is done this has become the cry of my heart. May my life be a reflection of what I believe...


The greatest love that anyone could ever know
That overcame the cross and grave to find my soul
And 'til I see you face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in You

With all I am I'll live to see Your kingdom come
And in my heart I pray you'd let your will be done
And 'til I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I will trust in you Lord

I will live to love you
I will live to bring you praise
I will live a child in awe of you

You are the voice that calls the universe to be
You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me
And 'til I see you face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in you

You alone are God of all
You alone are worthy Lord
And with all I am my soul will bless Your name

Loud And Clear

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live.

Not I, but Christ that lives within me.

His cross will never ask for more, than I can give,

For it's not my strength but His.

There's no greater sacrifice, for I am crucified with Christ

and yet I live.

While standing at the kitchen sink doing dishes this morning God so clearly spoke these words to me, I swear He was standing close enough to breathe on me and make my hair move.

I would choose no other way, nor change anything that has happened along the journey. Thanks be to God for sending His precious son to shed his blood so that I may live.

You Really Must Watch This!

Oh God of the Universe, Creator of all things.  I am humbled and in awe.  No words I could ever write on a page could ever convey how much I adore and love you. 

How Great Are You God.  How GREAT!!! 

To Praise

Faithful

Loving

Friend

Healer

Abba

Counselor

Majestic

Magnificent

Alpha and Omega

Spotless Lamb

Life Giver

Joy Giver

Tear Catcher

Intercessor

Paid My Debt In Full

.....and I belong to Him!!!!!

I lift my hands to believe again, you are my refuge you are my strength. As I pour out my heart these things I remember, you are faithful God forever.

                                                                                                                                                                                





The Greatness Of Our God

I'll spend my life to know, I'm far from close to all you are.  The greatness of our God.

With Everything

I certainly do not have this life figured out~that's why they call it living by faith. 

I do not understand all of God's ways, but I trust in His will and plan. Even when it hurts and I want Him to stop the sifting.

The prayer of my life is that with everything that I am I will praise the Lord. In good times and bad times, happy and sad, drought or harvest. Times of questions, as well as times of answers. I know I need to work on this, because at some of my weakest moments I really struggle. 

Lord, let no hesitation pass under my feet before I run and leap into your arms. You are majestic, mighty, glorious, loving, and worthy of all my praise.

I could not live one second of my life without you.

Let hope rise, and darkness tremble...

In your Holy light...

~~~JESUS~~~

With everything...

What A Promise!

Fail Us Not

Failure doesn’t phase You, worry doesn’t win,
Loss doesn’t leave You afraid to start again,
Our sin doesn’t shock You,
Our shame doesn’t shame You at all

Mistakes do not move You, terror doesn’t tame,
Death doesn’t doom You to life in the grave,
Our suffering doesn’t scare You,
Our secrets won’t surprise You at all

There is nothing above You,
There is nothing beyond You,
There is nothing that You can’t do…
There is no one beside You,
There is no one that’s like You,
There is nothing that You can’t do…

Whatever will come, we’ll rise above,
You fail us not, You fail us not,
No matter the war, our hope is secure,
You fail us not, You fail us not,

You fail us not…

Hatred doesn’t hide You, evil doesn’t ail,
Despair can’t disguise You and tell You that You’ve failed,
Our doubt doesn’t daunt You,
Our darkness won’t defeat You at all

You’re bigger than the battle,
You are bigger than the battle
You are bigger than the battle has ever been