What Happened Wednesday

There's always that question you get at the beginning of the week..."How was your weekend?"  ...and it's a good question as long you have a good answer for it.  BUT, if your true answer for that question is, "It was terrible, horrible, rotten, and pretty much no good, "  or some other answer that is just as socially awkward, then we usually give the standard answer, "Fine."  Three weekends ago my answer to the weekend question would've been "fine."  Translation - It was pretty shocking, but I really don't want to talk about it right now.  That shock has been the reason I've been MIA to the blog world for a few days...so I figured I'd let you in on that weekend.

You probably know what's coming....but I'm going to pretend you don't :)  So...the weekend started off normal, but this weekend I was supposed to get the dreaded period on Saturday.  Saturday came and went...no period.  My period is usually like clockwork, so I thought about it,... but chalked it up to the new eating  habits along with being super active the past couple of weeks.  Sunday morning I was spending some time with God, talking through some things with Him.  One of things that crossed my mind (obviously), was this period issue.  So, I told God that if I was pregnant, He was really going to have to help me through this...and I had one of those Holy Spirit moments.  Ever had one of those?  They're pretty crazy...but for me it's like I get this overwhelming feeling that I KNOW something is true...usually accompanied by goose bumps.  (I know, if you're not a Christ follower this may sound hokey, but I'm just telling it like it is.  If you check out some stories in the Bible you'll see God has actually been talking to His followers since He created us.  What's changed is our society - if we can't explain it with facts, figures, and research, then we deem it non-existent.)  Well, the thing that the Holy Spirit allowed me to KNOW was that I WAS in fact preggo.  Wow.  I just sat there.  For a while.

I went to church and tried to act like everything was normal.  It wasn't.  I went to buy a test after church, and tried to calmly take it.  I wasn't so calm.  Once it was positive, I tried to keep it to myself for a little bit to let the news sink in.  I didn't.  I told my husband through sobs. (Anybody else been there?)  It wasn't that I wasn't happy to have a new little addition to our family...it was ALL THE DETAILS.  Would we have to get a new car? (Which is always accompanied by another car payment)  Would we have the finances to pay for all of this? (We both LOVE our jobs, but we both work in ministry, remember? :)  And on and on and on....  I have to say my husband gets mad props.  He assured me, calmed me down, and reminded me God would provide.  God has been doing the same thing, continually reminding me that he provides.  (The passage he keeps telling me is included at the bottom.)

So...I'm feeling much better about things, I'm starting to trust God and feel the joy that comes with knowing a new life is growing.  Unfortunately, I'm also feeling much worse physically.  The nauseau has hit, and unlike my other two pregnancies, this nauseau likes to hang around aaaallllllll   ddddaaaaayyyyy.  Ugh!  In fact, as I talk to you I'm wearing my oh-so-fashionable sea bands and sipping on some Ginger Ale.  So I'll have to ask you to forgive me if my blogging suffers for the next few weeks...I'm sure you don't want to read about my puking :)

Slightly Green,
    Lindsey


Here's the passage that's been super encouraging to me:

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds.  They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And why worry about your clothing?  Look at the lilies of the field and hot they grow.  They don't work or make their clothing yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.  Why do you have so little faith?"  Matthew 6:25-30

This is a page from my childrens' bible.  When I read this story to them
called, "The Singer," it hit home so much I cried.  This is an amazing
bible.  If you need one for your kids I highly recommend it.  It's called The
Jesus Storybook Bible and is available on Amazon.

(how lucky we are to have a God that loves us THAT much.  :)

Friday the 13th!

This is the day that most people (if you're honest) get a little nervous on.  Even if you say you're not superstitious, you can't help but freak out a little when you see that neighborhood black cat.  I thought that in honor of this day, when things are expected to go wrong, I'd share an awesome when-it-all-goes-wrong story from one of my sisters (with her permission, of course.)

Her name is Emily and she also has two children.  However, she has her hands even more full than I do at this point in her life because her kids are so young.  Chester is an adorable 2 yr old, and also Noah's best buddy.  Her daughter, Sophie, is almost 4 months old and is the cutest little chunk you've ever seen.  Here is Emily's when-it-all-goes-wrong story, which I'll tell from her perspective (it's so much easier that way):

I'd decided a trip to the grocery store was necessary that morning, so off we went.  The grocery store trip went pretty well, and it wasn't until on the way back that all the fun started.  On the way back, Chester started screaming for some grapes.  I was fresh out of grapes (moms should know to bring a variety of at least 10 snacks for their child to choose from, right??!) at that moment, driving in the van.  We finally made it home, and as I'm trying to feverishly unload the groceries from the car into the house, Sophie decides she'll join in the fun and start screaming too.  (At this point I'm sweating, as if I already didn't feel nasty enough from skipping a shower in an effort to get to the grocery store.)  So, I begin feeding Chester grapes while I'm finishing up the groceries.  It calms him down, but doesn't help Sophie.  Once the groceries are in, I pick up Sophie to calm her down and fix Chester some lunch (mother are experts at doing things one handed, you know.)  While Chester is eating, I sit down to nurse Sophie, who is also hungry.  Of course as she begins to nurse, Chester finishes his lunch.  As he begins to run around the house (in celebration of finishing his lunch, maybe?) I notice the tell tale signs that he has pooped in his diaper.  As soon as Sophie has finished nursing on one side, I lay her down so that I can change Chester (and rid the house of that less-than-pleasant poop smell.)  Well, Sophie does not appreciate the interruption in her meal, and picks back up screaming where she left off.  I quickly change Chester and get him down for a nap (of course we're on a tight schedule that day because we had plans to meet some family that afternoon, so Chester's nap couldn't be delayed until I finished nursing.)  Once I get back to Sophie, the poor thing has worked herself up pretty well.  She is still crying when I pick her up, and doesn't want to eat.  Then, the worst happened...she had cried so hard that all of the milk she had just eaten decided to come back up...all over her, me, and the couch.  (great...)  Now the house smelled like poop and vomit, magnificent!  


Thankfully this story had a happy ending.  After everyone and everything was cleaned up, both children fell asleep - at the same time! (you know the planets have to align for this to happen!)  I was able to eat my lunch in a quiet, clean-smelling house...and let me tell you, it was glorious!

Do you have an incredible when-it-all-goes-wrong story like this?  I bet you do...most of us do, especially if you're a parent.  When you're in the midst of one of these stories, it helps to remember two things:

1 - Later, this will make a hugely entertaining story that will bring laughter to all who hear it
2 - If you're a follower of Christ, nothing...not even the when-it-all-goes-wrong times, can separate you from the love of Christ.  So even though you feel like the biggest loser, idiot, (fill in your preferred word here), that you're not...God's got it under control :o)

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love."  Romans 8:38

If you had a when-it-all-goes-wrong story that came to mind when you read this - please share in the comments section!  We all love to laugh :o)