I was so blessed to have a friend share with me that the Revive Our Hearts ministry has had a wonderful series on developing a surrendered heart in the area of our fertility! Please listen in on the discussion. It was a refreshing time for me and I trust it will be for you too.
We had a lovely day yesterday.
I made two 9in. jewish coffee cakes with butter cream icing and fresh berries on top.
The girls and I stepped next door and cut some fresh roses the whole front of the house that is vacant is full of beautiful over grown rose bushes!
When everyone was awake we enjoyed singing Happy Father’s Day to daddy with 8 candles atop one cake. Mike was a bit overwhelmed as he pondered the candles and said he didn’t know what he’d do with out all his children. I know he often says he feels like he doesn’t deserve all the love and affection they shower on him. He then gave me a hug and told the children that he couldn’t be a good daddy with out mommy and that I have taught him to be a better dad each year! Then of course I got teary…
Sorry, no pictures as my two year old camera was dropped by one of the children last week and broken. I guess God’s way of saying not to get too into the blogging camera being ruined the week I was chosen blogger of the week and all.
We haven’t decided when to replace the camera yet. I want to get at least a hundred dollar digital and Mike said maybe we can also get a no frills recorder as well before baby comes.
We didn’t really do gifts but colored pictures and spent time together. We of course gardened together -this seems to be our favorite family activity.
We went to church in the evening…
It just was a nice day!
Hope your families had a blessed day too!
Jacinda
After disaster struck in a region of China many infants were left orphaned. Many surviving mothers were too traumatized to produce enough breast milk for their young. A female officer a mother of an infant herself breastfed up to 9 babies. This special nourishment was like a balm for these the surviving mothers and babies as well as the infants in transit to orphanages . The moms were so thankful for the other woman’s love and relieved of much concerned over their babies!
Praise God for the natural desire he puts into mothers to nurture!
My husband came across this site and emailed the link to me. I thought others would be interested too. Foster Adoption- the featured article is about mothers disposing of their babies. And how good God is to rescue many of them in special ways. He preserves His creation!
Blessings
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Our Family: A Testament Of God’s Grace
Thinking back upon my earlier years I realize that what I am living now has always been God’s plan for me. I see how He prepared me in so many ways. Ways of which at the time I did not understand nor did I think would ever produce any positive fruit in my life much less anyone else’s.
I was born to a teen mom and dad. They did not have stability in their lives and I would venture to say I was the only really beautiful thing that came from that relationship.
For with God there are no mistakes. He created me and preserved me. I was born premature at 4.2 lbs. on January 22,1973. In the 70’s premature babies were kept in the hospital even if they did not present any alarming medical problems. For one month I stayed in the care of nurses and an incubator. I wasn’t breast feed nor did I go home to a peaceful family. But I was preserved.
My husband has a similar start. He was born to an unwed teen mom. His mom knew she would give her child up for adoption upon birth. He was an early baby also. He was placed in foster care in a couple’s private home for two weeks until he was placed in his adopted families care. He could not be breast fed under those conditions. He then suffered some infant pneumonia and needed extra care. But he was preserved.
My husband and me did not have godly childhood homes. We were however preserved because God created us and had a plan for our future.
We were both saved he as a 21 yo. and me as a girl of 9. We did not have spiritual training in our homes. As we grew into adulthood we rededicated our lives to the Lord and sought spiritual encouragement through local ministries.
We met when we were both in our late twenties very much wanting to start our own home and family. Whether we were prepared for every area of joining together at the time of our marriage… I can only say again we were preserved through some of the earliest trials of marriage and parenthood as we grew and submitted our weaknesses and circumstances to the Lord.
And He has made things beautiful.
We now have had 9 plus years of marriage. A marriage relationship that has only gotten stronger and caused a closeness with the Lord that continues to grow us.
We have been parenting for 8 years -our oldest turns eight in a week.
It is Mother’s Day tomorrow. I am so blessed! I will be surrounded with my growing babies Luke, Timothy, Michalina, and Sophia with a little one growing in the womb and three in the arms of Jesus waiting for me in glory.
I cry out to the Lord each day for the spiritual strength to love them all as He would have me love them as we grow together under His protection.<img src=”
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I just was made aware of this great site THE ENDOWMENT FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Being in the queesy stage of early pregnancy has it’s plusses! I have given myself permission to read, read, read!
Not only have we perked up in our homeschool reading I have been reading and reviewing some new books I added to my personal pregnancy and birthing library.
Here are some of the titles I have been enjoying.
Christ Centered Birthing by Kelly Townsend
40 Weeks Devotional Guide to Pregnancy by Jennifer Vanderlaan
Lord of Birth by Jennifer Vanderlaan
Newest book! Christian Childbirth Handbook by Jennifer Vanderlaan
( Is in route to me as a gift from author - she quoted me on something-
I don’t remember what LOL)
Pushed by Jennifer Block
The Thinking Woman’s Guide To A Better Birth by Henci Goer
Raising Your Children for Christ a book by Andrew Murray
He is by far one of my favorite ‘oldtime’ Pastor/ writers he had a true heart for the Lord.
I also have been enjoying following some of the discussions on a few birthing groups.
Reading rooms are great because even if you don’t have the copy they are discussing you get the benefit of getting to know the books and decided when and if you will purchase!
I will also revisit the other books I have purchased last pregnancy.
Pleasurable Husband/ Wife Childbirth by Marilyn Moran
The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth by Laurie A. Morgan
Birthing from Within by Pam England Rob Horowitz
Ina May’s guide to Child Birth by Ina May Gaskin
Heart in Hands A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth by Elizabeth Davis
I encourage every woman to seek out the best reading on natural childbirth she can afford. Do inter library searches. And don’t overlook the lending libraries of your local midwifes or Chiropractors!
What you don’t know from personal experience can be gained through others’ wisdom!
After my husband and I realized we were pregnant again we paused a bit thinking over when and how to tell the other children. Just last month our baby Sanctity went to be with the Lord so we wanted to be sensitive to that possibility and still be praising the Lord.
Since we homeschool I just waited for a teachable moment. Taking out a video on the Journey of Life by Moody Science and our NOVA video on LIFE; we reviewed the journey of life from conception to birth. When we got to the description of the stage our baby is at I said “And our new baby growing inside Mommy right now is like that! ” They were very happy to think about this little one growing and started hugging my belly and speaking to baby.
We prayed and committed baby to the Lord as they do understand that sometimes babies are conceived but do not grow to be born but return to the Lord early.
We enjoyed praising God for every stage of life!
I pray we do something similar with each new baby that is given to us. As this really is the essence of thanksgiving that we can thank God for all the blessings He gives even if we are tempted to hold negative emotion about ‘loss’.For in the Christian’s life we see all is for His Glory!
About a month and a half ago we viewed the Blessing God’s Way DVD about doing a Christ centered Blessingway and it was so uplifting. I look forward to having one myself this pregnancy!
Adding that spiritual dimension of praise, thanksgiving, and God’s promises to my pregnancy makes all the difference in my attitude and well being.
May we all enjoy LIFE!
My local Crisis Pregnancy Center is planning a volunteer workshop in April. I spoke with my husband about the possibility of me going so that in the near future I could do phone hotline work! And acquaint myself with the ministry to find any other area of service there. I know I don’t have the time to become heavily involved BUT I really believe I should get the training because in our rural area the hours at the CPC are restricted and phone counsel is especially important to being available to meeting needs as promptly as possible.
So please pray for this… that His will be done and that we would see clearly as to our part in the local ministry to the unborn and their mothers.
Update-
We just had a month and a half of ministry to a hurting mom. She was staying in our home.
It was totally God’s will she be here however our perspective is a bit different about ministry.
The natural stress it puts on us to do this type of thing is just too much in this season of life.
I found I am pregnant ( conceived one week after bleeding stopped from miscarriage!)
So at the March 10th mark I am one month pregnant!
I personally believe that stress does contribute to miscarriage! The cortisone levels rising in my system do trigger uterine tightening in early pregnancy! Doctors argue this but I experience it so I know that for me it is a concern.
So I will limit my ministry to less stressful areas like promoting Blessing God’s Way materials.
I will be journaling as I grow more in my personal walk and attend my local church while growing my baby.
I have gone to one appointment at the doc office to meet a perspective doc and am mentally heading toward UCing again.
I know I have matured spiritually in that I have more peace even in the ‘worst’ scenarios of life and I am so thankful for all the trials we have had! My life is being dominated by PRAISE.
Please rejoice with me!
Update March 17
Found the dates and times for the pregnancy center training are not good for us. So that is a closed door for now. I am so blessed to raise my family and know that is certainly a testimony to all.
May we listen to His leading and do His will in and for our family.
My husband shared this link with me to a CNN report of a ‘handicapped’ mom that against all medical odds had two babies and accomplishes about every mothering task each day on her own.
You have got to see it to believe it. The couple are obviously Christians with tons of faith and love for the Lord! They didn’t have to see the oucome of their pregnancies or the parenting years to trust the Father’s hand! May we all be so trusting!
