Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Yes, it's been a while...
So I haven't written a blog post since September. I have good intentions but have a hard time sitting down and actually typing an entry. That is changing today. I can't promise when the next one will come, but I am promising to do better. :)
There are a lot of quick updates to make, so here goes...
1. I am 28 weeks pregnant. We are so in love with our little man and so excited to meet him in a couple months. He is due May 27th. I absolutely love being pregnant and am so honored to be carrying this life inside my body. I am blown away all the time by the miracle of new life and am so thankful for all the Lord has done in our hearts and lives through the journey we have taken. He has not left us for a moment and has drawn us so much closer to Him and to each other.
2. Aaron is now a Graduate student at Marquette University. He is in the middle of his first class and is pursuing a master's in some facet of mechanical engineering. There is a little bit of a learning curve with this class, because he is an electrical engineer, but he is enjoying the process and working super hard! I'm so proud of him!
3. After much prayer, we felt the Lord leading us to look for a new church and started the process in November. After going to a few different churches, we now find ourselves at Crossway Church and are so excited to be part of the ministry there and getting plugged in. Aaron is in a men's life group that goes over each week's message and talks about application followed by rousing games of ping-pong, I'm doing a Beth Moore study on the book of James, and we are in a 20's & 30's marriage life group on communication. We have made some great friends already and are so thankful for the Lord's leading and direction in our lives.
4. A couple weeks ago, I hurt my foot. How, I have no idea, but it is hurt none the less. I went to the walk-in clinic to get it checked out. They decided to give me this brace/air cast thing and see how it does in the next week or so from then. They didn't do an x-ray, because of the baby but will if it doesn't get better. It is more sore now than it was before, but I'm trying to use ice and heat regularly and stay off it as much as possible.
5. Yesterday was my 29th birthday. 28 was a great year! It started off rocky with final treatment for the ectopic pregnancy I had last winter but was followed by a year of growth, change, and newness. I finished out the year of teaching, knowing I wasn't going to be going back this year, I joined thirty-one, one of the best decisions we've made (I love my job!), the Lord blessed us with a healthy pregnancy, we switched churches, and we enjoyed a lot of little moments in between. 29 will be a year of growth, newness, and change as well in different ways. We are so excited to welcome our little man into this world and to learn how to do life a little bit differently.
God is good. I am thankful. <3
Friday, September 14, 2012
My New Journey with BSF
Since we decided that I would be home during the day, I have been praying for God to lead me to a women's Bible Study taking place during the day. Every church one I looked into I had either already done, or they really want you to go to that church. Then a friend invited me to go to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) with her this week.
I am so excited about this new journey with BSF! We are studying the book of Genesis. We have small group time, teaching time, and homework to do throughout the week that is just questions and crossreferencing on the passage being studied.
I have already enjoyed the homework so far. Today I had to underline God every time I found it in Genesis 1 (A LOT!). I was reminded once again that God speaks, and it happens. God is in masterful control of everything weaving everything together to work for His plan just as He did in creation. What a beautiful picture!
The unexpected blessing is the other people I know who are doing BSF in other parts of the country. A grandma of two students I have taught that lives in South Carolina is also doing the study, and I feel like we are doing it together.
Thanks, Lord, for giving me just what I needed at just the right time :)
If you are interested in BSF or want to know more about it, head here.
What are you studying in the Bible lately? Have a great weekend!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Little Blessings
I love when the Lord overwhelms me with the little things that are really big things when they occur.
After my post yesterday, I got a message from a fellow thirty-one consultant going through some hard things, and I think I've found a wonderful new friend.
Our ancient wall air conditioner broke today. The maintenance guys came within 20 minutes of my call and gave us a brand new air conditioner. They also replaced our broken garbage disposal.
I am so thankful that the Lord doesn't just care about the big things but loves to delight us by showing His hand in the wonderful little things.
What little things have brought you joy lately?
After my post yesterday, I got a message from a fellow thirty-one consultant going through some hard things, and I think I've found a wonderful new friend.
Our ancient wall air conditioner broke today. The maintenance guys came within 20 minutes of my call and gave us a brand new air conditioner. They also replaced our broken garbage disposal.
I am so thankful that the Lord doesn't just care about the big things but loves to delight us by showing His hand in the wonderful little things.
What little things have brought you joy lately?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Choosing to Trust
The theme of my life this past year has definitely been learning to and choosing to trust in the Lord. I may not have it all figured out, but none of our life circumstances ever take Him by surprise. He continues to use whatever comes to mold and shape us to be more like Him. If it were my choice, I would be holding my one month old baby right now, embarking on the journey of motherhood, but that was not God's will for me. That doesn't mean He has left me stranded or forgotten about me. I am learning to embrace the season God has me in and trust Him for what is to come.
I have recently begun a new journey as a stay at home wife with a part-time income from my thirty-one business, which I love. I never really thought about being a stay at home wife until recently, when my heart yearned to be home. I can't really explain how it happened other than I thought it was going to be to take care of our children. That will hopefully come in time, but right now, I am called to take care of my husband and our home. A lot of people don't seem to understand this, but as Aaron told me last night, it doesn't matter what other people think. I know that in my head, but in my heart, I want people to affirm my decisions. I know... it should be enough that I know it's the right decision, but I'm human ;) Now, don't go commenting that you affirm my decision - I'm just sharing a recent struggle of mine. The hardest part about all of it is that to most of these people, it would be fine if I were staying home to take care of children. That's being a stay at home mom, so it's okay. I have been reminded so often in the past few months that until fairly recently, hardly any women actually worked outside the home, and no, they did not all have babies at home. I love education, I love that I have a degree, and I love teaching, but that is not what defines me. I am a child of God who is called to first be the wife God has called and created me to be. If it were God's will for me to be teaching right now, I would be, but I am grateful for this place He has led me to for this season of life. I am grateful to have the time to love and respect my husband in ways I didn't have time to do before. I am loving this season of learning new things, crafting, scrapbooking, and using my creative talents that before were only used in my classroom.
All this to say, you may not understand where God has led you, or those around you may question you or your decisions. God never called us to understand or worry about other people's opinions. He called us to obey and seek His will for that specific season and day, not worrying about what tomorrow will bring. Will you choose to trust, along with me, that you are exactly where God has placed you in the season of life you are in? You may not understand all of the why's or how's, but God has a plan. Hold on a little longer. He knows. He sees. He will act in His perfect timing.
p.s. I am planning to blog regularly and would love to get to know you. Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about. If you have been encouraged, please encourage someone else. :)
I have recently begun a new journey as a stay at home wife with a part-time income from my thirty-one business, which I love. I never really thought about being a stay at home wife until recently, when my heart yearned to be home. I can't really explain how it happened other than I thought it was going to be to take care of our children. That will hopefully come in time, but right now, I am called to take care of my husband and our home. A lot of people don't seem to understand this, but as Aaron told me last night, it doesn't matter what other people think. I know that in my head, but in my heart, I want people to affirm my decisions. I know... it should be enough that I know it's the right decision, but I'm human ;) Now, don't go commenting that you affirm my decision - I'm just sharing a recent struggle of mine. The hardest part about all of it is that to most of these people, it would be fine if I were staying home to take care of children. That's being a stay at home mom, so it's okay. I have been reminded so often in the past few months that until fairly recently, hardly any women actually worked outside the home, and no, they did not all have babies at home. I love education, I love that I have a degree, and I love teaching, but that is not what defines me. I am a child of God who is called to first be the wife God has called and created me to be. If it were God's will for me to be teaching right now, I would be, but I am grateful for this place He has led me to for this season of life. I am grateful to have the time to love and respect my husband in ways I didn't have time to do before. I am loving this season of learning new things, crafting, scrapbooking, and using my creative talents that before were only used in my classroom.
All this to say, you may not understand where God has led you, or those around you may question you or your decisions. God never called us to understand or worry about other people's opinions. He called us to obey and seek His will for that specific season and day, not worrying about what tomorrow will bring. Will you choose to trust, along with me, that you are exactly where God has placed you in the season of life you are in? You may not understand all of the why's or how's, but God has a plan. Hold on a little longer. He knows. He sees. He will act in His perfect timing.
p.s. I am planning to blog regularly and would love to get to know you. Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about. If you have been encouraged, please encourage someone else. :)
Friday, April 6, 2012
Simple Faith
As I taught about the death and resurrection of our Savior this week in my kindergarten classroom, I was again reminded that we are taught to have faith like a child in our relationship with Jesus.
After explaining to my students what sin is, I ask them if they have sinned. I have never had one kindergartener say they never did anything wrong. They know right away that they are a sinner. Many people live their whole lives trying to be good enough, to attain what is unattainable for a human sinner. The only human that never sinned was God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. Sometimes, at this age, it is still hard for them to truly put their mind around what Christ did for them, but they believe it. They don't have a thousand arguments, questions, and misconceptions. They just believe.
Oh, to have faith like a child. So many people refuse to believe the simplicity of the Gospel that "Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 When I read this verse to my students, they believe. They don't debate or ask how this is possible. They just believe that God can do anything.
Do you believe that way? Do I believe that way? As I sit here contemplating the fact that Jesus took my lifetime of sins on his shoulders on the cross that day, I am urged to ask myself this question. Do I just believe, or do I need to have lots of questions answered before I step out in faith and give my whole self to Jesus every single day of my life. There will always be questions, and sometimes there will be answers in this life. Sometimes, we are asked to simply trust and believe that Jesus is who He says He is.
I am committed this Good Friday, the day my Jesus gave His all for me, to give my all for Him. I don't know what this will look like in the coming months and years, but I can not go wrong with Him number one. Will you do the same?
Here is a song that has really ministered to my heart today. Hope it does yours as well. :) Happy Resurrection Weekend!
After explaining to my students what sin is, I ask them if they have sinned. I have never had one kindergartener say they never did anything wrong. They know right away that they are a sinner. Many people live their whole lives trying to be good enough, to attain what is unattainable for a human sinner. The only human that never sinned was God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. Sometimes, at this age, it is still hard for them to truly put their mind around what Christ did for them, but they believe it. They don't have a thousand arguments, questions, and misconceptions. They just believe.
Oh, to have faith like a child. So many people refuse to believe the simplicity of the Gospel that "Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 When I read this verse to my students, they believe. They don't debate or ask how this is possible. They just believe that God can do anything.
Do you believe that way? Do I believe that way? As I sit here contemplating the fact that Jesus took my lifetime of sins on his shoulders on the cross that day, I am urged to ask myself this question. Do I just believe, or do I need to have lots of questions answered before I step out in faith and give my whole self to Jesus every single day of my life. There will always be questions, and sometimes there will be answers in this life. Sometimes, we are asked to simply trust and believe that Jesus is who He says He is.
I am committed this Good Friday, the day my Jesus gave His all for me, to give my all for Him. I don't know what this will look like in the coming months and years, but I can not go wrong with Him number one. Will you do the same?
Here is a song that has really ministered to my heart today. Hope it does yours as well. :) Happy Resurrection Weekend!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Seasons of the Soul
Our souls go through seasons of change just as the year goes through seasons of change. I was reminded of this today as I sat soaking in the warm air coming through my open patio door, listening to the birds chirping away in only the 2nd full week of March. Last year, we were praying for the snow to finally melt. This year, we are enjoying the bliss of an early spring. All I can say is, bring it on! :)
While I enjoy the beauty of this day, I reflect on the seasons of the soul. One of the portions of Scripture that has come to mean even more to me in these recent months is Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.
To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
These, in short, are the seasons of the soul, written beautifully by a man who had lived all of them, tried everything, and finally came to realize that God was all He really needed -- the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon.
My soul has endured many seasons during these past months as we have longed, loved, lost, done it all over again, and continued to dwell in the peace that passes all understanding. We may not ever understand why we had to go through the things we have, but we will always know that God never left our sides, and He ALWAYS has a purpose and a plan. Our biggest cry and prayer through all of this has been that our loss and pain would be used for His glory. We have seen glimpses of his faithfulness in using our story already and pray that we would continue to be willing vessels to be used in the midst of some of the hardest days we have endured.
My body is almost back to normal, although I am still feeling effects of the medication I was given for the ectopic pregnancy. My pregnancy hormone numbers are almost back down to zero, which means I will be allowed to do things again (I'm on a lot of restrictions to make sure my body heals the way it needs to.) I am dealing with some kind of stomach virus (or residual effects of the medication) this week, so I've had to miss a couple days of work, but I am praying that I will be able to live my "normal" :) life again soon.
As I enjoy the sunshine and warmth of a new spring day, I feel my soul beginning to awaken and change as the seasons of the soul begin to change once again. I am excited to see where the next season leads and pray that I will handle whatever comes with humility, grace, and love for my Jesus, who has never left me, and continues to carry me through everything that comes.
While I enjoy the beauty of this day, I reflect on the seasons of the soul. One of the portions of Scripture that has come to mean even more to me in these recent months is Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.
To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which was planted
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
These, in short, are the seasons of the soul, written beautifully by a man who had lived all of them, tried everything, and finally came to realize that God was all He really needed -- the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon.
My soul has endured many seasons during these past months as we have longed, loved, lost, done it all over again, and continued to dwell in the peace that passes all understanding. We may not ever understand why we had to go through the things we have, but we will always know that God never left our sides, and He ALWAYS has a purpose and a plan. Our biggest cry and prayer through all of this has been that our loss and pain would be used for His glory. We have seen glimpses of his faithfulness in using our story already and pray that we would continue to be willing vessels to be used in the midst of some of the hardest days we have endured.
My body is almost back to normal, although I am still feeling effects of the medication I was given for the ectopic pregnancy. My pregnancy hormone numbers are almost back down to zero, which means I will be allowed to do things again (I'm on a lot of restrictions to make sure my body heals the way it needs to.) I am dealing with some kind of stomach virus (or residual effects of the medication) this week, so I've had to miss a couple days of work, but I am praying that I will be able to live my "normal" :) life again soon.
As I enjoy the sunshine and warmth of a new spring day, I feel my soul beginning to awaken and change as the seasons of the soul begin to change once again. I am excited to see where the next season leads and pray that I will handle whatever comes with humility, grace, and love for my Jesus, who has never left me, and continues to carry me through everything that comes.
Now, to Him, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end. Ephesians 3:20
Monday, December 5, 2011
Loving the Christmas Season!
Oh, how I love Christmas. There is a hint of sadness in our celebration this year, but it makes me even more thankful for what my Savior has done for me. The Christmas story is a beautiful celebration of birth, hope, and love that we sometimes miss in the hustle and bustle of the season.
Right after Thanksgiving we decorated our apartment for Christmas. Sometimes I wish it could be decorated for Christmas all year long until I get to do it all over again. I love seeing the transformation, the twinkling lights, and all the colors and memories that come along with them. Both of us have ornaments on our trees given to us when we were little and decorations scattered around that come with a sweet memory of our wonderful parents and Christmases before. Last week and this weekend, Aaron and I transformed my classroom into a Christmas wonderland complete with tree and many decorations. I love seeing the wonder on the kids' faces as they stare at the lights during rest time. Beautiful.
When people used to ask me what my favorite holiday was, I would always say my birthday. Since I have become an adult, I always say Christmas. It's a beautiful time where we can celebrate the message of our faith so tangibly, spend time with those we love, and snuggle up under a warm blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. Bliss!
My challenge for myself (and you if you'll join me) this Christmas season is to put Jesus first. Find some way each day in the midst of your celebrating to spend time with the Savior, the Creator, the sweet baby in the manger. I don't want to miss this by going through this beautiful time of year with an emptiness of celebrating all the fluff without Jesus. What a tragedy that would be.
I hope you will be drawn deeper in your relationship with Jesus these next few weeks leading up to Christmas. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, I pray this will be the Christmas you will surrender to the God of the universe who became the baby in the manger in order to take away our sins. That is the best Christmas gift we will ever receive.
I would love if you would comment and share a Christmas tradition you enjoy each year with your family. My favorite that Aaron & I have is every Christmas eve at midnight, we give each other an ornament for our tree. I always look forward to giving and receiving a new treasure that will become linked to a sweet memory with my man.
Right after Thanksgiving we decorated our apartment for Christmas. Sometimes I wish it could be decorated for Christmas all year long until I get to do it all over again. I love seeing the transformation, the twinkling lights, and all the colors and memories that come along with them. Both of us have ornaments on our trees given to us when we were little and decorations scattered around that come with a sweet memory of our wonderful parents and Christmases before. Last week and this weekend, Aaron and I transformed my classroom into a Christmas wonderland complete with tree and many decorations. I love seeing the wonder on the kids' faces as they stare at the lights during rest time. Beautiful.
When people used to ask me what my favorite holiday was, I would always say my birthday. Since I have become an adult, I always say Christmas. It's a beautiful time where we can celebrate the message of our faith so tangibly, spend time with those we love, and snuggle up under a warm blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. Bliss!
My challenge for myself (and you if you'll join me) this Christmas season is to put Jesus first. Find some way each day in the midst of your celebrating to spend time with the Savior, the Creator, the sweet baby in the manger. I don't want to miss this by going through this beautiful time of year with an emptiness of celebrating all the fluff without Jesus. What a tragedy that would be.
I hope you will be drawn deeper in your relationship with Jesus these next few weeks leading up to Christmas. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, I pray this will be the Christmas you will surrender to the God of the universe who became the baby in the manger in order to take away our sins. That is the best Christmas gift we will ever receive.
I would love if you would comment and share a Christmas tradition you enjoy each year with your family. My favorite that Aaron & I have is every Christmas eve at midnight, we give each other an ornament for our tree. I always look forward to giving and receiving a new treasure that will become linked to a sweet memory with my man.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Glory Baby
I've wanted to write a blog entry for two weeks about our precious glory baby, but I wasn't ready. I journaled, I talked, I cried, I prayed, I grieved, but I didn't know how to put it all into words on here. I think I'm ready now. Grief is a strange thing that is such a central part of life. We are born, we live, and eventually we die. The hard part of this grieving is this baby will never get to see the sun, smell the flowers, be held in our arms, or do any of the human things that we take for granted. While this is true, he/she is seeing the Son, smelling the heavenly aroma of perfection, being held in Jesus' arms, and in the only body he/she will ever know, a perfect heavenly one.
Our journey began almost exactly two years ago. When we got married, we knew we didn't want to wait a long time to have children. Both of us love kids and want to raise children to love and serve Jesus. Well, the Lord's plan for our lives is not always our plan. We prayed and waited on the Lord, wanting to know His will as time continued to pass with no pregnancy. After much prayer and a year and a half of trying and waiting on God, we went to a fertility specialist this past summer. After a lot of testing, we found out that the only issue was my ovulation, so I was put on ovulation medication this fall. On November 8th, I had a positive pregnancy test. After having so many negative ones, I didn't know what to do when it was positive. We were ecstatic and so thankful to the Lord for answering our prayers. We still are. Because we were seeing a specialist, they decided to have me get blood draws every other day for a week to make sure everything was progressing as it should. We got a call after the 3rd blood draw that something was wrong - the pregnancy hormone had stayed the same over a period of a day and a half. HCG levels are supposed to at least double every day, so this was a major red flag. We began to pray and got everyone else to pray, knowing both that God could do a miracle and also that might not be His will. On November 15, the day I was scheduled for another blood draw, we both woke up with tremendous peace in our hearts that God would carry us through whatever was to come. Later that day, we found out that our precious baby had gone to rest in Jesus' arms. One tremendous blessing in all of this is that we got the blood draws when we did. If we had been going to a regular obgyn, we wouldn't have an appointment scheduled for a few more weeks and would have found out when the baby actually miscarried. How much more painful and devastating that would have been! Thank you, Lord, for your tiny blessings in the midst of heart wrenching pain.
Many people have asked me how I am doing. It depends on the day. The first week was the hardest as I went through the very painful physical part and the raw emotional pain all at the same time. Time has helped in some ways and made it harder in others. We try to remember the excitement, planning, and love for that precious baby all bottled up in the few days we knew he/she was being knit together in my womb. As time goes on, it's harder to remember those little moments that become blurred with the pain that followed.
There are many questions swirling around in our heads, but there is one thing that has remained constant -- my precious Jesus. He has held us, comforted us, grieved with us, and loved us so lavishly. I have felt so close to the Lord in these past weeks. I am not the same in so many ways as a result of losing our glory baby, but one thing I am thankful for is that my relationship with Jesus can never be the same. I have learned to lean on Him and trust Him in the midst of the storms of life. There is nothing more precious than that.
The verse that has ministered the most to me during these weeks has been 1 Thessalonians 4:13
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."
The verse that has ministered the most to Aaron has been Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I am more in love with my husband today than I could have ever imagined the day we got married. Every one always told us that we would go through things together that would knit us together as one more than we could ever imagine. I knew it was true, but I didn't begin to understand until now. I have seen a new side of Aaron that I would have never asked to see, but God has allowed me to see Aaron's deep character and commitment to trusting God no matter what. Aaron is a man worth submitting to, a man worth loving, and a man worth going through the trenches with. I am so thankful that the Lord has given us to each other. We want more than anything else for God to use us and our glory baby to bring Him honor and glory. This baby's life, however short, has a purpose, and we do not want to miss that!
We have had so many wonderful people carry us through their kindness and prayers than I could have ever dreamed of. Our families, friends, and even distant acquaintances have been there for us in such a real, deep way that I am so grateful for. If you are one of these, thank you. You have shown us the love of Jesus with your words, your actions, and your love. For those of you who have shared your stories of infant loss with us during this time, thank you for your openness, your tenderness, and your understanding. Thank you for using your pain and loss to help us to grieve in a healthy way.
For those of you that have talked to us and loved on us, thank you.
For those of you who have prayed for us, thank you.
For those of you who have felt the pain of this loss as well, we are truly sorry, and we pray the Lord will wrap you in His arms during your grieving process and give you His perfect peace. If you need to talk, I am here.
I am planning to blog more in the weeks and months to come and hope you will join me and comment. That's the only way I know people are reading.
Holding onto Jesus,
Dawn
Our journey began almost exactly two years ago. When we got married, we knew we didn't want to wait a long time to have children. Both of us love kids and want to raise children to love and serve Jesus. Well, the Lord's plan for our lives is not always our plan. We prayed and waited on the Lord, wanting to know His will as time continued to pass with no pregnancy. After much prayer and a year and a half of trying and waiting on God, we went to a fertility specialist this past summer. After a lot of testing, we found out that the only issue was my ovulation, so I was put on ovulation medication this fall. On November 8th, I had a positive pregnancy test. After having so many negative ones, I didn't know what to do when it was positive. We were ecstatic and so thankful to the Lord for answering our prayers. We still are. Because we were seeing a specialist, they decided to have me get blood draws every other day for a week to make sure everything was progressing as it should. We got a call after the 3rd blood draw that something was wrong - the pregnancy hormone had stayed the same over a period of a day and a half. HCG levels are supposed to at least double every day, so this was a major red flag. We began to pray and got everyone else to pray, knowing both that God could do a miracle and also that might not be His will. On November 15, the day I was scheduled for another blood draw, we both woke up with tremendous peace in our hearts that God would carry us through whatever was to come. Later that day, we found out that our precious baby had gone to rest in Jesus' arms. One tremendous blessing in all of this is that we got the blood draws when we did. If we had been going to a regular obgyn, we wouldn't have an appointment scheduled for a few more weeks and would have found out when the baby actually miscarried. How much more painful and devastating that would have been! Thank you, Lord, for your tiny blessings in the midst of heart wrenching pain.
Many people have asked me how I am doing. It depends on the day. The first week was the hardest as I went through the very painful physical part and the raw emotional pain all at the same time. Time has helped in some ways and made it harder in others. We try to remember the excitement, planning, and love for that precious baby all bottled up in the few days we knew he/she was being knit together in my womb. As time goes on, it's harder to remember those little moments that become blurred with the pain that followed.
There are many questions swirling around in our heads, but there is one thing that has remained constant -- my precious Jesus. He has held us, comforted us, grieved with us, and loved us so lavishly. I have felt so close to the Lord in these past weeks. I am not the same in so many ways as a result of losing our glory baby, but one thing I am thankful for is that my relationship with Jesus can never be the same. I have learned to lean on Him and trust Him in the midst of the storms of life. There is nothing more precious than that.
The verse that has ministered the most to me during these weeks has been 1 Thessalonians 4:13
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."
The verse that has ministered the most to Aaron has been Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I am more in love with my husband today than I could have ever imagined the day we got married. Every one always told us that we would go through things together that would knit us together as one more than we could ever imagine. I knew it was true, but I didn't begin to understand until now. I have seen a new side of Aaron that I would have never asked to see, but God has allowed me to see Aaron's deep character and commitment to trusting God no matter what. Aaron is a man worth submitting to, a man worth loving, and a man worth going through the trenches with. I am so thankful that the Lord has given us to each other. We want more than anything else for God to use us and our glory baby to bring Him honor and glory. This baby's life, however short, has a purpose, and we do not want to miss that!
We have had so many wonderful people carry us through their kindness and prayers than I could have ever dreamed of. Our families, friends, and even distant acquaintances have been there for us in such a real, deep way that I am so grateful for. If you are one of these, thank you. You have shown us the love of Jesus with your words, your actions, and your love. For those of you who have shared your stories of infant loss with us during this time, thank you for your openness, your tenderness, and your understanding. Thank you for using your pain and loss to help us to grieve in a healthy way.
For those of you that have talked to us and loved on us, thank you.
For those of you who have prayed for us, thank you.
For those of you who have felt the pain of this loss as well, we are truly sorry, and we pray the Lord will wrap you in His arms during your grieving process and give you His perfect peace. If you need to talk, I am here.
I am planning to blog more in the weeks and months to come and hope you will join me and comment. That's the only way I know people are reading.
Holding onto Jesus,
Dawn
Thursday, November 3, 2011
SonGear - a website with great gifts and a great message!
While perusing the web this Christmas season for the best gifts for everyone on your list, take a quick visit to www.songear.com .
Their main message, Life with Jesus is better, is all over the place in the form of t-shirts, mugs, umbrellas, etc... I love seeing companies that unashamedly share the Gospel with anyone who will happen onto their site. Songear is not ashamed, and neither should we be. They also have many other t-shirts and other products, focusing on walking with Jesus every day.
My husband and I are planning to buy Merry Jesusmas! shirts to wear for Christmas. What a great way to share with the world our love for the Lord and really make people think about the true meaning of Christmas.
As a small Christian company, they need all the orders possible this Christmas season in order to stay in business as time goes on. As we see all over the place, small businesses have a hard time in this crazy economy. Let's help them out!
Head over to www.songear.com for a few minutes today. Be sure to come back and leave a comment here letting us know what your favorite product is. :)
Their main message, Life with Jesus is better, is all over the place in the form of t-shirts, mugs, umbrellas, etc... I love seeing companies that unashamedly share the Gospel with anyone who will happen onto their site. Songear is not ashamed, and neither should we be. They also have many other t-shirts and other products, focusing on walking with Jesus every day.
My husband and I are planning to buy Merry Jesusmas! shirts to wear for Christmas. What a great way to share with the world our love for the Lord and really make people think about the true meaning of Christmas.
As a small Christian company, they need all the orders possible this Christmas season in order to stay in business as time goes on. As we see all over the place, small businesses have a hard time in this crazy economy. Let's help them out!
Head over to www.songear.com for a few minutes today. Be sure to come back and leave a comment here letting us know what your favorite product is. :)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Deals, Deals Everywhere!
So I have been a terrible blogger, but here I am again. I think aspiring to write something inspirational every day made me stop writing all together. I'm going to write what's happening, what I'm thinking about, and sometimes something inspirational will come. I'm lowering the expectations on myself. So today, I'm talking about something that I love -- deals. If you know me, you know I love clearance, deals, and coupons. There are some amazing ways to get deals out there and some sites I love to use. I will tell you some of those sites and why I like them. Hopefully you will find them useful as well :) If you're a facebooker, most of these sites have facebook accounts as well that update frequently with new deals.
Groupon - one of our favorite daily deal sites with new deals every day specifically for where you live - we've gotten great hotel, restaurant, shopping, etc... deals through groupon
Living Social - another fantastic daily deal site - we've gotten some great hotel and restaurant deals
No More Rack - I haven't ordered from here yet, but they have great deals that change every day at noon cst - usually designer brand related for much cheaper.
There are LOTS more than this, but these are some of the most popular.
Couponing
There are lots of couponing websites, but these are some of my favorites:
Hip2Save - great site with lots of deals nationwide - she also has lots of great couponing tips and uploads videos explaining how to save more money
A Full Cup - my favorite couponing website with lots of information and support to help you on your couponing journey. If you are looking for a specific coupon, search their coupon database!
My Milwaukee Mommy - Lots of local and nationwide deals - there are similar sites for other cities.
Krazy Coupon Lady - another great couponing site
*My Points, which I told you about above has a lot of the printable coupons available on their site. When you print and use them, you get more points!
Miscellaneous
Pixel of Ink - If you have a kindle, this site could be your next best friend.
*Register for emails from your favorite restaurants and stores. You get free things on your birthday :)
Educator Discounts - This site contains a list of 66 places that give teachers a discount - SCORE!
If you're new to the world of internet deals, this may seem like a large list. Trust me, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Check out one or two of the sites, and let me know what you think!
My Points :) - I put a smiley, because this is one of my all-time favorite sites. Anytime you want to purchase something online, purchase through the link to your favorite websites on this site. You will get points for everything you buy, emails you click on, and other various things. You can use the points to score free gift cards. We order online from time to time and are almost at our 2nd $50 amazon gift card. Check it out :)
Daily Deal Sites
Groupon - one of our favorite daily deal sites with new deals every day specifically for where you live - we've gotten great hotel, restaurant, shopping, etc... deals through groupon
Living Social - another fantastic daily deal site - we've gotten some great hotel and restaurant deals
No More Rack - I haven't ordered from here yet, but they have great deals that change every day at noon cst - usually designer brand related for much cheaper.
There are LOTS more than this, but these are some of the most popular.
Couponing
There are lots of couponing websites, but these are some of my favorites:
Hip2Save - great site with lots of deals nationwide - she also has lots of great couponing tips and uploads videos explaining how to save more money
A Full Cup - my favorite couponing website with lots of information and support to help you on your couponing journey. If you are looking for a specific coupon, search their coupon database!
My Milwaukee Mommy - Lots of local and nationwide deals - there are similar sites for other cities.
Krazy Coupon Lady - another great couponing site
*My Points, which I told you about above has a lot of the printable coupons available on their site. When you print and use them, you get more points!
Miscellaneous
Pixel of Ink - If you have a kindle, this site could be your next best friend.
*Register for emails from your favorite restaurants and stores. You get free things on your birthday :)
Educator Discounts - This site contains a list of 66 places that give teachers a discount - SCORE!
If you're new to the world of internet deals, this may seem like a large list. Trust me, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Check out one or two of the sites, and let me know what you think!
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