More Love To Thee

Treasuring

2009-11-02T08:41:00.001-05:00

As our little one's time growing inside of me draws to a close, I have really been treasuring these moments, these days, of being great with child... for I know that all too soon, he or she will have grown up in the blink of an eye and we'll be wistfully looking back to these precious days. I want to memorize every kick, every hiccup. I want to remember the amazement of seeing little feet and knees poking out... the wonder of feeling the tickle of little fingers deep inside. And I never want to forget the amazing journey on which our Father has led us, to get to this point, for the day seems even brighter after the darkness of the night.

I find myself torn between wanting our little one to be born right now because I just can't wait to meet him or her, and wanting things to stay just like they are forever because I know I am so going to miss being pregnant! But thankfully we don't have to choose, and our Heavenly Father has the day of our child's birth perfectly planned.

We are so excited to meet this precious one for whom we have waited so long... to know if we have a son or a daughter, to kiss those soft cheeks and smell the sweet head, to whisper words of love and hymns of praise and the story of how many people have prayed for this moment, and how faithful our God has been to hear. But most of all, we long to teach our son or daughter about our great God, and how we pray that He will be pleased to save this little soul even at a young age, and to use this child mightily for His Kingdom.

This has been such a special and precious time for us, and we are overwhelmed with praise for God's goodness. I don't think the sheer magnitude of what is about to happen has hit us yet-- the responsibility and stewardship being given to us is staggering-- but we know that our God will be with us each step of the way.

How we appreciate your continued prayers for us, dear friends! We would value your prayers for a safe, peaceful, and natural birth; for wisdom and grace as we become parents; for the salvation of our son or daughter; and most of all, that God will receive glory through our lives.

O Lord, Thou art my God;

I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name,

For Thou hast worked wonders, plans formed long ago,

With perfect faithfulness.

Isaiah 25:1

Special thanks to my dear sister for the above photos,

and praise to God for the special blessing of being able to treasure the joys of pregnancy along with my sister and dearest friend... how we longed for and prayed for these days!

Abundance

2009-08-05T16:30:00.008-05:00

Bless our God, O peoples, and sound His praise abroad,

Who keeps us in life, and does not allow our feet to slip.

For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.

You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.

You made men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water,

Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

Psalm 66:8-12

Yesterday morning, I sat and cuddled a wee little man, just 5 days old-- our second foster baby. He was with us just a few days, but the time we had with him was precious.

As I sat there with him yesterday, listening to his little baby squeaks, feeling his soft skin, and smelling that sweet baby smell, and all the while delighting in the kicks and squirms of my own little one in the womb, I was sobered to think about what our lives were like one year ago.

One year ago yesterday, we found out that our third little one had died in the womb. That was one of the most difficult times of our lives, but our gracious Heavenly Father brought us through the fires of affliction for our good and His glory. We never would have chosen that road for ourselves, but He chose it for us, in His sovereignty, love, and grace. He has been with us each moment, no matter how much pain we were experiencing, and He has upheld us with His matchless grace and strength.

And now, He has indeed brought us out into a place of abundance. We certainly do not deserve the great blessings He has given to us, but oh, how we thank Him for His mercies. We cannot even comprehend His goodness and lovingkindness toward us. Last year at this time, when all seemed as dark as the blackest night and we were waiting so fearfully for the physical process of the miscarriage to begin, we never imagined that one year later, we would be in this place-- this place of abundance.

This season of joy in our lives is even more special, even more amazing, because of the journey the Lord brought us through to get here. Truly, He is all-wise and so very gracious.

Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His lovingkindness from me.

Psalm 66:20

A Season of Quiet

2009-07-07T08:38:00.006-05:00

The past several weeks have been so full... full of settling into our new home, loving our little foster baby and then saying goodbye to her a couple of weeks ago, soaking up the sunshine and the mild summer breezes we've been blessed with, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the kicks and tumbles of our own sweet wee one in the womb.

(photo by my talented sister)

But with all of this fullness has come a desire for a season of quiet-- at least in my little place here on the web-- and some re-ordering of priorities. I'm prayerfully considering the future of this blog, and while I haven't come to any definite decisions yet, things will be much quieter around here for a while, at least. I do want to continue to keep all of you updated about our little one, as so many of you have prayed for us and gone through the difficult journey of the past few years with us. You have shared in our sorrows and trials, and now we want you to be able to share in our joy as well.

Thanks to all of you who have checked up on us-- I am sorry to have let so much time slip by without any updates. I'll try to post again soon, but in the meantime, thanks for understanding. I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer!

Much love to all of you,

Beka

Finally...

2009-06-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

... I can share with you some wonderful news that I've been fairly bursting about! But don't let me spoil it: head on over to my sister's blog to find out for yourself!

Bless the Lord, O my soul...

2009-05-14T11:47:00.004-05:00

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit;

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion,

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

Blessed Beyond Measure

2009-05-11T15:20:00.005-05:00

On May 2, we moved into our new house.

On May 3, a sweet wee maiden came to stay with us for a little while.

She is tiny and beautiful, and has wrapped her little fingers around our hearts.We don't know exactly how long she'll be with us, but most likely it will be another couple of weeks.

The pace of life has changed a lot around here this past week. I spend my days feeding, rocking, cuddling, changing diapers, and learning to do all kinds of things with one hand-- our little guest very much prefers to be held most of the time.

This is my view from my spot on the couch for some of the day, as I feed and cuddle baby.

She is a healthy eater, delights us with her smiles, and amazes us with how well she sleeps at night-- waking only for two feedings and going right back to sleep.

We love our new house, and are enjoying the quiet neighborhood and the melodious birds that fill the trees in our yard. There is still much work to be done, but we are so thankful to be here.

The Lord has been so vastly gracious to us this past week, giving us incredible strength and grace for each moment. The day we moved in, we were supposed to pick up our little foster baby, so I left the house around noon to get her. Our dear family and church family all pitched in, the men unloading the moving van and the ladies very graciously and efficiently taking over cleaning, painting our bedroom, and setting up my kitchen. It turns out that we were not able to bring the baby home that day after all, due to a small technicality, but I arrived home that afternoon and was moved to tears when I saw what an amazing labor of love our church and family had done for us. My kitchen was sparkling clean, unpacked, and organized, with everything in its own perfect place. Our bedroom was neatly painted, and our bed was even made! I had left the house that morning in a state of chaos, and arrived home to... home. Mark and I really cannot express our gratitude and appreciation for all of the help and support and love that has been showered upon us. We feel so unworthy of such generosity!

Thank you, all of you, for your prayers. There is more-- so much more-- I could say, but my heart is too full for words (seems that's been happening a lot lately!).

My little friend needs a diaper change, so I must go. More to come, soon!

Much love to all of you...

Please pray...

2009-04-29T10:49:00.005-05:00

Just a quick follow-up to my last post (so much for not posting again until after the move!):

We have just received word that this precious little girl will not be coming to us tomorrow. It may be next week, or maybe later, or maybe not at all. All I can say is, please pray for her. Her situation is heartbreaking, and I just want to hold her and love her. It is so hard to keep having this postponed.

Thank you all for your prayers!

Mysterious Ways

2009-04-29T05:00:00.001-05:00

God's timing... it is beautiful, mysterious, perfect, wise, unexplainable, unfathomable.

Five months ago, we completed our home study for infant foster care. We were all ready to begin caring for a little one, and expected a call any day. But days turned into weeks turned into months, and still nothing. We wondered and waited, and prayed. Then we found out that our own sweet little one was on the way, and we laughingly wondered if we'd get a call for a foster baby the next day. But still nothing.

Now, we are two days away from moving, and it doesn't seem like things could get any busier. I'm spending my days packing up the last boxes (no lifting, don't worry!), taking naps, and trying to stave off the pregnancy nausea that keeps coming back (which I am so thankful for, by the way!).

And this is the wonderful, beautiful, perfect, mysterious time that God has chosen for us to welcome our first foster baby.

We actually got the first call about this little girl about two weeks ago, but due to her circumstances, the date for us to pick her up has been postponed several times. We have heard word yesterday afternoon that it seems Thursday will be the day. Thursday... the day before the closing for our house.

We have prayed about this so much, and wondered how this will work, but never once have we doubted that this is God's will for us, and that it is in His sovereign plan for us to care for this precious little girl. We love her already, even though we've never met her--we don't even know her name!--and we simply cannot wait to pick her up on Thursday.

There is no doubt that this will not be easy. My head spins when I try to imagine how this will all go, especially on the day of the closing. But the Lord's peace pervades, and chases away all the fears and uncertainties, and His words come to us: "My grace is sufficient for you." We don't have to know how all the details will fall into place: we leave that in His hands, confident that the Lord will give us strength and that He will accomplish what concerns us.

Please pray for this sweet little girl. I hope you all understand: I will not be able to give any specifics about her situation or even share her name here, but she needs our prayers, and the Lord knows all the details. Please pray that we will indeed be able to pick her up tomorrow, and that this will not be delayed any longer.

And marvel with us at our Father's amazing, mysterious, unfathomable timing!

Odds and Ends

2009-04-28T09:02:00.005-05:00

Please pardon my long absence from this little place... things are going well here, but very busy. There are boxes, boxes everywhere, as we prepare for our move in just a few days. We're almost ready, and very excited!

Our sweet little one seems to be doing very well, and for this we cannot cease to praise our gracious Father. Today I had my 12-week appointment, which at first was rather frightening, as the doctor could not find the baby's heartbeat with the Doppler. After trying in vain for a while, she took me back to the ultrasound room and we took a quick peek-- we were so relieved to see our little one kicking and squirming, and that little heart beating. Apparently, the placenta is in front, and blocking our ability to hear baby's heartbeat until he or she is a bit bigger. We are just so thankful that God has preserved this little one's life thus far.

I will most likely not be able to post any more until after we move, and we will probably not have internet access for the first few days in the new house, so I may not be back here until sometime next week. I can't wait to share some pictures of our new house with all of you.

Until then, dear friends, may God bless you all!

Another peek inside, and other news

2009-04-06T14:25:00.004-05:00

Today, we had the joy of taking another peek at the miracle that God is knitting together deep inside of me. We were so thankful to find out that everything is still looking good! And this time, we were actually able to see baby moving around, which was quite a beautiful sight. Baby is only 2.7 centimeters long, but has a fast-beating heart and busy arms and legs. This is all just too amazing for words!

***

Our official "due date" is November 5, if anyone was wondering.

***

In other news (we do seem to have a lot of that these days!), by God's grace, we are planning to move in less than a month! This may come as a surprise to many of you, but we've been working on this for quite some time now. We had been prayerfully considering this move since last year, as the townhouse neighborhood we live in is becoming rather distasteful in many ways: some of the goings-on around here are quite concerning. We do love our home here-- it's been our home since the day we were married, almost 6 years ago-- but we believe the time has come to move on.

Back in January, we noticed a house for sale near by. We thought it looked interesting, so we went to see it. And we fell in love with it right away.

Well, I fell in love with it... Mark, who is decidedly more rational than I, had to think about it and ponder things for a while, before he decided that we could pursue it. So we put our house up for sale, and made an offer on the other house. By God's grace, our offer was accepted, and the Lord sent a buyer for our home much faster than we had expected. Things were a bit uncertain for a while, as there were some major issues with the folks who are buying our house, but the Lord has been so incredibly gracious to us and has worked out every single difficulty we have encountered.

So, we are scheduled for two closings on May 1: Lord willing, the closing for our current home will take place that morning, and then the new home in the afternoon. And no, we're not ready-- we have lots of packing to do!

As for the new house, it is a charming 100-year-old farmhouse with a beautiful yard: plenty of room for gardens and picnics... and I can finally have a clothesline! The house needs some work, but nothing that needs to be done immediately; we can settle in and slowly fix things up. And the house is only 2 miles from my parents', which is wonderful.

The Lord's mercies toward us are abounding, and we praise Him for His faithfulness. We are so utterly undeserving of His blessings, and we marvel at His graciousness. I wish I could express more of what is in my heart, but I am just too full for words these days.

But as always, God's Word says it perfectly:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness...
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities...
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

(from Psalm 103)

Joy

2009-03-30T13:40:00.004-05:00

(Read today's previous post first, if you haven't already...)

Precious baby,

I've never been so utterly amazed in all my life.

We had given you over to the Lord... we were so sure that you had slipped away. But there is a reason why God has commanded us to trust in Him with all our hearts, and not lean on our own understanding, for He is God, and His ways are majestic.

Mama got to peek in on you today, and what a surprise we saw. There you were, alive and well, with tiny arms and legs, and a perfectly beating heart. You are measuring 8 weeks 4 days, which is exactly where you ought to be. I can scarcely believe it-- but then again, I know we serve an amazing God.

My heart is too full for words right now. Our God is so good. How we pray that you will come to know Him and serve Him with all your heart.

I love you,
Mama

You Are His

2009-03-30T08:03:00.004-05:00

To our precious fourth baby,

You have brought us joy-- so much joy, these past three weeks. From that evening when your daddy and I sat grinning at each other over plates of nachos, sharing our secret suspicions and then taking a test which confirmed those suspicions... through these happy weeks of loving you and dreaming about you.

We were worried about you in the very beginning, but those fears were replaced with unmitigated joy when, two weeks ago, we saw you for the first time on that ultrasound screen. Your little heart was beating away, and you were even a whole week older and bigger than we had expected!

Mama felt very joyful even during those nights when at 2 am or 4 am, she lay in bed nibbling on crackers, trying to make the nausea abate just a little so she could sleep. She was never happier than during those queasy nights, as she lay there thanking God for you, and rejoicing to know that you were thriving.

Again, we knew joy when, just over a week ago, we were able to peek in on you again, and saw that you had grown and were still very much alive. We were so encouraged, and really believed that the Lord was going to spare you to us.

It's been a wonderful, queasy, sleepy, foggy three weeks. We've prayed for you, thanked the Lord for you, dreamed about you, loved you, and looked forward to meeting you.

But then, on Friday evening, in an all-too-familiar sequence, all of those happy, hungry, nauseous feelings suddenly went away... and in their place, a silent foreboding crept in. We fear you have slipped away, precious one.

We have been praying so fervently on your behalf-- praying that our mighty and sovereign God would graciously spare your life. We pray that He will let your soul live, that you might praise Him. And we will not stop praying. But we've given you back, given you over into His hands. You are His: He created you, and He planned out every one of your days, and only He knows whether you are still alive. Our prayer for you has always been that you will be used mightily of God; we had hoped that He would use you in life, here on earth, but if you can bring Him more glory through your death, than so be it.

We have given you over to Him... but oh, how overjoyed we would be to receive you back again.

From hearts heavy with love,

your daddy and mama

Today

2009-03-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace:
Over all victorious in its bright increase.
Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand.
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry, touch the spirit there.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love.
We may trust Him fully all for us to do,
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest,
Finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

--Frances R. Havergal

Every time I hear this hymn, I think of you, sweet little one. My mind wanders back to those summer days when I used to sit and sing to you, hoping against hope that God would save your tiny life.

Today, 3/6/09, was to be your day: the day that we were to expect you... the day that seemed impossibly far away last July when we found out you were on the way.

But now, the day is finally here-- and you are not. This would have been quite a month for our family: not only were you to be born in March, but your brother would have been turning one year old this month, as would your sweet cousin.

There aren't many words to say, except that we miss you and all of our little ones terribly. We are thankful for the "river glorious" of God's perfect peace, which has borne us through these trials... for His grace, which has anchored us through this storm.

We still believe that He does all things well, and that He is always faithful and kind and loving. And so today, we will plunge ourselves into the river glorious of His perfect peace... nestle into the hollow of His blessed hand... bask in the warm glow of the Sun of Love.

For thus says the Lord,

"I will extend peace... like a river...
As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you."

Isaiah 66:12a, 13a

Every Good and Perfect Gift...

2009-03-04T08:55:00.002-05:00

... is the name of a beautiful new photography blog that my sister Charissa has started. I know you will enjoy her creative, colorful photographs of God's good gifts.

Go pay her a visit at Every Good and Perfect Gift!

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

James 1:17

When all seems dark...

2009-01-29T07:50:00.002-05:00

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.

Micah 7:7-8

Waiting

2009-01-19T09:28:00.004-05:00

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,

And in His word do I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord

More than the watchmen for the morning;

Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6

If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord's people have always been a waiting people... They have cried and do wait; probably their past prayer sustains their present patience. --C. H. Spurgeon

In all your waitings remember two things: Let it not be so much the event which you wait for, as the Lord of the event; the Lord in the event. And take care that you have a promise underneath you-- "in His word do I hope"-- else "waiting" will be too much for you, and after all it may be in vain. --James Vaughan

* * *

These days are waiting days; they are praying days and wondering days and battling days. But they are hoping days-- we hope not merely for a showering of His blessings here in our earthly lives, but for what we know is to come: eternal joy in His presence. The psalmist said, "I wait for the Lord... and in His word do I hope."

In His word: this is where our true hope lies. It is not a flimsy, wishful hope for temporal blessings, but rather a firmly grounded hope rooted in the knowledge that He who promised is faithful. He hasn't promised to give us everything we want; He hasn't promised to give children to our family; but He has promised us so many things that are incomparably more precious. It is in those promises that we hope.

Waiting would indeed be too much for our feeble, dusty frames were it not for the promises of His word that hold us up. Waiting would indeed be in vain if we waited merely for earthly blessings without desiring even more the God who gives the blessings.

Because of our hope in Him, because of His promises, we are confident that whatever our earthly circumstances may be, He will work all things together for our good and His glory. We rest in His sovereignty, and find peace in knowing that the Lord is good to those who wait for Him; to the soul who seeks Him (Lamentations 3:25).

Indeed; none of those who wait for Thee will be ashamed...

Make me know Thy ways, O Lord;

Teach me Thy paths.

Lead me in Thy truth and teach me,

For Thou art the God of my salvation;

For Thee I wait all the day.

--Psalm 25:3a, 4-5

Stepping Out

2009-01-01T09:19:00.005-05:00

And so here we stand at the brink of another new year. What is in store for us on this new path, only our Heavenly Father knows. Yes, He knows, for He has lovingly and wisely designed each and every detail, from before the beginning of time.

We do not know what lies ahead of us: this is not for us to know. It is enough to know that He will guide; He carefully reveals every bend in the path at just the right time, giving just enough light for each new step of the way. Sometimes there is no light, and thick darkness enshrouds us-- but it is then, and only then, that we come to know more fully the loving clasp of the Hand that holds... the stong embrace of the Arms that bear.

So put your hand in His, and let us step out-- not tentatively, with fear; but boldly, with the confidence of faith. For although we know not what awaits us in this new year, we do know for certain that He is there. And because of that, I know that whatever we encounter in 2009-- be it joy, sorrow, pleasure, pain, life, or death-- it will be good, for He has planned it all.

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
'Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied:
'Go out into the darkness and put your hand

into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and

safer than a known way.'"

--M. L. Haskins

Good News... Great Joy!

2008-12-24T20:06:00.004-05:00

And the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I bring you good news of a
great joy
which shall be for all the people;
for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10-11

Good news...
God sent forth His only Son, His Beloved, to become poor for our sakes, that we might become rich,
that we might be rescued from our sins and spared from the eternal punishment those sins deserved,
that death might be conquered and we might live forever in glory with Him!

Great joy...
a joy that is not confined to mere happiness-- it is a fullness, an exuberant peace;
a joy that warms the heart regardless of circumstances
a joy that the world cannot give... or take away
a joy that draws us closer to the One who gave His life for us.

Good news... great joy. Can we ask for anything more?

Merry Christmas, dear friends. May you know His true joy this Christmas.

Beka

Quiet

2008-12-10T15:23:00.007-05:00

Just stopping by to say thanks to all of you for bearing with me while I go through a bit of a dry spell... I know things have been rather quiet over here lately.

I haven't had much clarity of thought recently; it's one of those times when nothing makes sense and I feel rather numb. I trust that the Lord will bring me through this, as He has countless times already, and maybe some day soon He'll give me some clearer thoughts to share with you all.

Until then, I don't want to post just for the sake of posting, so I hope you'll continue to bear with me and not give up on me! I hope you all are doing well and knowing much joy this Christmas season.

Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:8-10

Good

2008-11-29T16:26:00.005-05:00

"I'm just so thankful for
everything that comes along,
because I know that it will be good,
even if it doesn't seem good at the time."

--my sweet Grandma S.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Bless the Lord

2008-11-27T08:15:00.002-05:00

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion,
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
* * *
Indeed, He is good, and His compassions never fail. Let's praise Him today!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Note: I had planned on writing a more substantial Thanksgiving post last night, but the Lord had other plans for us... which included Mark's car breaking down on his way home from work last night, about an hour from home, and me going to pick him up, getting home late and both falling into bed, exhausted... but with hearts full of gratitude that Mark was kept safe. Perhaps I will share some more Thanksgiving thoughts here next week... May you all have a joyful day of praising the Lord, today.

We're Waiting...

2008-11-22T14:40:00.004-05:00

... for a call to come pick up a little one who needs a temporary home and some loving care.

Our home study is complete, and we were notified yesterday that we have been officially approved by the agency to provide interim care to infants.

Our home is ready, and our hearts are ready: all we need now is a little one to love and care for.

Thank you all for your prayers for us as we have gone through this process. I hope that one day very soon, I will be able to tell you all that we have received the call we've been waiting for!

He has it thus to keep us near...

2008-11-14T17:05:00.002-05:00

God knows just when to withhold from us any visible sign of encouragement, and when to grant us such a sign. How good it is that we may trust Him anyway! When all visible evidences that He is remembering us are withheld, that is best; He wants us to realize that His Word, His promise of remembrance, is more substantial and dependable than any evidence of our senses. When He sends the visible evidence, that is well also; we appreciate it all the more after we have trusted Him without it. Those who are readiest to trust God without other evidence than His Word always receive the greatest number of visible evidences of His love.

-- C. G. Trumbull

Believing Him; if storm-clouds gather darkly ‘round,
And even if the heaven seem brass, without a sound?
He hears each prayer and even notes the sparrow’s fall.

And praising Him; when sorrow, grief, and pain are near,
And even when we lose the thing that seems most dear?
Our loss is gain. Praise Him; in Him we have our All.

Our hand in His; e’en though the path seems long and drear,
We scarcely see a step ahead, and almost fear?
He guides aright. He has it thus to keep us near.

And satisfied; when every path is blocked and bare,
And worldly things are gone and dead which were so fair?
Believe and rest and trust in Him; He comes to stay.

--from Streams in the Desert

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

--Romans 8:38-39

Our God is on the Throne!

2008-11-08T15:00:00.002-05:00

~ P s a l m 4 6 ~

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

I find so much comfort in these words, especially these days, as we see so many sad and disturbing things going on in our world. It is tempting to be fearful for our future, fearful of losing our freedoms and fearful of this nation slipping farther and farther from its Christian foundation... but we need not fear, for our God is on His throne in Heaven, and His sovereignty rules over all.

We are undoubtedly facing some tough times ahead as Christians; we must commit ourselves to fervent prayer and standing up for what is right and true. We know that as followers of Christ, we will be persecuted, and I think that sometimes we have it too easy and we tend to get lazy and "soft" in our Christian walk. Sometimes I think that more persecution is what we need! A few days ago, I was really struck by this passage:

"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power...

And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them..." (II Timothy 3:1-5, 12-14)

May God give us grace to be strong in these days, to give ourselves to prayer for our nation and our new president, to commit to more boldness in our witness for Him, and to defend the unborn and stand up for Biblical morals. I am so thankful that our citizenship is in Heaven, and that the Savior for whom we eagerly wait is coming again.

"Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
I Peter 1:13

For my dear sister

2008-10-29T09:00:00.007-05:00

We've shared much together throughout all the years:
Giggles and heartaches, laughter and tears,
"Sunday night chats" of our hopes, dreams, and fears.

We share loving parents who honor God's Word
Who raised us to love and obey our dear Lord,
And whose prayers for our regeneration were heard.

From our earliest years, we would hope, dream, and pray
That we'd know the sweet blessings of motherhood some day,
Never dreaming that our dear Lord would send this delay.

Last year, we rejoiced and we all were so thrilled
As we both found out that both of our wombs had been filled,
But in the loss of our little ones, God's plan was fulfilled.

pregnant together for a short time...

Now we share a sorrow that words can't express:
The dark, aching heart-pain of childlessness
Waiting and wondering if God will bless.

But this is the trial He gives us to bear;
He's brought this upon us in His loving care.
We must wait on Him, for He does answer prayer.

memory bracelets in honor of our little ones... gift from a dear friend

He knows all our heartache, He bottles each tear;
And when we are weakest, then He is most near.
With such a kind Father, then why should we fear?

So let us be strong, my dear sister, and hold
To the One whose strong, loving embraces enfold,
The One who, in trying us, makes us as gold.

Our story right now is far from complete:
The pain we bear now will make Heav'n the more sweet,
When we see our dear Savior and sit at His feet.

And so let us look with great joy to that day
When all of our sorrows will fade fast away
And in Glory-Land, with Jesus, forever we'll stay.

***
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

II Corinthians 4:17-18