The days have been passing so quickly! I've meant to sit down and blog several times lately, but my real life has kept me too busy. The highlights of my month have been a visit from Rebecca, Brandon, and Ava, a joint birthday party for the girls, a wedding in Tennessee for my father-in-law and his new wife, Mary, and a second spontaneous trip to Tennessee only a few days later. It has been nice to spend time with family and see my father-in-law marry such a sweet lady.
The Blue Springs Church in Tennessee broke out in revival the weekend of the wedding. After we got home, we got such good news that my cousin, Justin, had gotten saved, and that God was doing great things for so many people there. Phillip called me and said, "It's probably crazy, but if I could, I'd take Avery there and get him prayed for." He said that he knew God's arm wasn't shortened, and the He could reach us anywhere, but he said that he felt like the dad in the Bible that just needed to get his son to where Jesus was. I told him to do whatever he wanted, and that we'd make it happen. So, on a whim but with great hope, we packed up everything but the kitchen sink, and headed to Tennessee. I took my own cleaning supplies and our air purifier, and we put Avery in the bedroom at my aunt and uncle's house. We knew we wanted to take Avery to church to get prayed for, but he really isn't supposed to be in public beyond doctor's appointments. We went ahead and took him, and he left his mask on during service. We had a great prayer for our son that God would perform a miracle in his body and give us strength as a family to do what we need to do. No, there wasn't a lightning bolt or thunder or anything else for that matter, but there was heartfelt prayer and such a powerful spirit as we prayed. Phillip asked me, "Do you think we're crazy?" I told him that I'm sure some people might think we are, but they've probably never been as desperate for God's help.
Avery is doing well in so many ways, but he still has so many needs that we're praying God will move in. The most urgent at the moment is his eyes. Avery is scheduled for an eye exam under anesthesia with surgery to follow the same day. He has been to two eye specialists over the last few weeks, and it seems Avery has a pretty serious condition. The doctor won't know for sure until he is under anesthesia and can look better, but he's pretty sure that his retina in the right eye has already started to detach, and the left eye is on the same track. He said depending on the specific issues he sees, he will do surgery to try to correct it, but he said his vision has already been damaged. Avery has so little that he can enjoy in his life right now that the thought of him having severely impaired vision makes me so sad. We're really hoping and praying that whatever the condition, it can be repaired.
Big news this month is that my little Emmy is walking. She hasn't fully mastered it, but she's well on her way. It makes me so happy to see her progressing and growing, although sometimes it seems like it's just too fast!
This blog has taken me three different days to finish, and now, I'm once again needed elsewhere. Take care, friends!
Bethany
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Emerson Rose is 1!
In just a few minutes, it will officially be my baby girl's first birthday. My mind keeps going back to all the feelings I was experiencing 12 months ago as I waited for her arrival. There's no doubt about it; we have been blessed!
My biggest concern after finding out I was expecting again was having a healthy baby. I admit, I was pretty anxious about it all. At my 20 week ultrasound at the specialists' office, I was beyond relieved to see pictures of two kidneys, a 3-vessel umbilical cord, and what appeared to be a perfect little baby. But when I heard the words, "It's a girl!", I was shocked and thrilled! I had prepared myself for another rotten boy...after all, they come in threes, right?
I missed a lot of precious time with her throughout her first year, which has caused me to cherish each moment I get with her even more. Today I am just so thankful for such a wonderful gift, Emerson Rose.
I certainly prayed a lot of prayers for my baby girl, and honestly, I felt guilty to even say whether or not I preferred a girl or boy - much less pray about that. Gender seems so insignificant in light of health and well-being. But God was gracious to us, and He knew that in the deepest part of my heart, I was hoping just a little (okay, a LOT) that I would get to have a daughter of my own. These two verses came to mind as I started this post.
For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: I Samuel 1:27
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4.
Happy Birthday, Princess Em!
My biggest concern after finding out I was expecting again was having a healthy baby. I admit, I was pretty anxious about it all. At my 20 week ultrasound at the specialists' office, I was beyond relieved to see pictures of two kidneys, a 3-vessel umbilical cord, and what appeared to be a perfect little baby. But when I heard the words, "It's a girl!", I was shocked and thrilled! I had prepared myself for another rotten boy...after all, they come in threes, right?
I missed a lot of precious time with her throughout her first year, which has caused me to cherish each moment I get with her even more. Today I am just so thankful for such a wonderful gift, Emerson Rose.
I certainly prayed a lot of prayers for my baby girl, and honestly, I felt guilty to even say whether or not I preferred a girl or boy - much less pray about that. Gender seems so insignificant in light of health and well-being. But God was gracious to us, and He knew that in the deepest part of my heart, I was hoping just a little (okay, a LOT) that I would get to have a daughter of my own. These two verses came to mind as I started this post.
For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: I Samuel 1:27
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4.
Happy Birthday, Princess Em!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Busy, Busy, Busy!
Sorry for the boring title this week. I'll blame it on the heat, because so far, this July has been HOT!
A month ago today, we brought Avery home. It has been FABULOUS having my family together! I have to admit, most days I'm busier than I've ever been. Little Em is a tornado that crawls through the house, making messes, scavenging for crumbs or anything else to eat, and she is teething...so, she is occasionally grumpy. Hard to believe that about my little princess, I know! Avery keeps me hopping too with all the feeds, meds, therapy sessions, appointments, etc. Bryson has been so helpful and entertains the others so well, but yes, he needs his mommy a lot as well. Some days I stay in my jammies and feel like I'm in a tri-athalon that has diaper changing as one of the main events!
This morning, I heard clapping coming from the boys' room. Bryson had climbed in our bed at some point during the night, so I left him and slipped in the bed with Avery. It was 7 a.m., and I was hoping I could coax Avery into a few more minutes of sleep. When I laid down next to him, he grinned his big grin and rolled toward me. He put one little arm under my neck and wrapped the other one around me. Then he stuck his open mouth on my cheek so I could feel his teeth (that's his version of giving kisses!). As I squeezed him back and said, "Thank you, Avery!", I could feel his body shaking as he was giggling. We just stayed in that position for several minutes, and then he would roll away for a minute, and come right back to kiss me again. With the other kids asleep, I just stayed in his little skinny arms and enjoyed those precious minutes. It was one of those moments that makes all the stress fade for just a moment.
That's just the way you have to take life sometimes: the good with the bad, the amazing with the ordinary, the joy with the sorrow, the peaceful with the REALLY LOUD! I'm thankful that God's mercies are new every morning because sometimes I must require a lot. Regardless of how it comes, no doubt about it, I have been blessed.
And here's what the little guy is doing now after he had the nerve to wake me up early... :) It's what I'd be doing too if I could!
Hope all of my reader-friends are enjoying your summer and staying cool!
Bethany
A month ago today, we brought Avery home. It has been FABULOUS having my family together! I have to admit, most days I'm busier than I've ever been. Little Em is a tornado that crawls through the house, making messes, scavenging for crumbs or anything else to eat, and she is teething...so, she is occasionally grumpy. Hard to believe that about my little princess, I know! Avery keeps me hopping too with all the feeds, meds, therapy sessions, appointments, etc. Bryson has been so helpful and entertains the others so well, but yes, he needs his mommy a lot as well. Some days I stay in my jammies and feel like I'm in a tri-athalon that has diaper changing as one of the main events!
This morning, I heard clapping coming from the boys' room. Bryson had climbed in our bed at some point during the night, so I left him and slipped in the bed with Avery. It was 7 a.m., and I was hoping I could coax Avery into a few more minutes of sleep. When I laid down next to him, he grinned his big grin and rolled toward me. He put one little arm under my neck and wrapped the other one around me. Then he stuck his open mouth on my cheek so I could feel his teeth (that's his version of giving kisses!). As I squeezed him back and said, "Thank you, Avery!", I could feel his body shaking as he was giggling. We just stayed in that position for several minutes, and then he would roll away for a minute, and come right back to kiss me again. With the other kids asleep, I just stayed in his little skinny arms and enjoyed those precious minutes. It was one of those moments that makes all the stress fade for just a moment.
That's just the way you have to take life sometimes: the good with the bad, the amazing with the ordinary, the joy with the sorrow, the peaceful with the REALLY LOUD! I'm thankful that God's mercies are new every morning because sometimes I must require a lot. Regardless of how it comes, no doubt about it, I have been blessed.
And here's what the little guy is doing now after he had the nerve to wake me up early... :) It's what I'd be doing too if I could!
Hope all of my reader-friends are enjoying your summer and staying cool!
Bethany
Monday, July 2, 2012
In My Defense...
If you've been a Christian very long, then you've probably found yourself explaining your beliefs at some point. It might have even come to defending your faith. I'll be honest, I don't mind discussing, but I really dislike arguing about religion. I think that religion and politics are two topics that generate a lot of passion, and our beliefs on both subjects are shaped by our life experiences, values, and faith -- none of which can be changed in a mere argument. But in the society that we live in, anyone who chooses to go against the flow stands out like a sore thumb -- our lights either get extinguished or shine so much brighter because of the darkness that we live in, and sometimes we are called upon to share.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt 5:16
I've always been different, and I'm okay with that. I was the girl in public school who dressed differently, acted and talked differently, and who didn't attend a lot of extracurricular activities. I wasn't the most popular girl in school for sure, but I had plenty of friends and for the most part, I was treated respectfully. At the college level, I found that there was much more diversity, and most folks didn't even blink at my noticeable differences. As I entered the profession of teaching, I worked closely with fellow educators and stood in front of perhaps the most critical audience of all...middle school and high school students. Again, however, I found that although I was often questioned about "why?", despite the occasional raised eyebrow, eventually most of my interrogators accepted my responses with something like, "Okay, I get it," and sometimes even a non committal "Cool!" Generally, I was treated no differently than anyone else, except some of my colleagues and friends were a little more careful about their language choices around me, which I appreciated. I have found that most of the animosity toward the way I choose to live has come from people who have either backslidden or have been "enlightened" that a separated life is no longer necessary. I have had a few conversations with people who fall into those categories that have been a bit condescending, and sometimes, downright rude. But like I said, I don't expect my explanations to make us all see eye to eye, especially if the person hasn't been made a new creature in Christ! Being saved and surrendered to Him changes our perspective in a way that all the arguing in the world can never do.
I'm always taken aback when the arguments I encounter, though, are something about there not being a direct command given in the Bible. Truly, I don't seek to live only by the 10 commandments, but by the principles God provided throughout the Word. Sometimes they are really specific principles, but sometimes they are open for interpretation, which gives the reader a chance to prayerfully apply it to our current society. To some who think living for God is just about rules and regulations, they may not realize that people like me really don't feel like we're missing a whole lot, and the peace of God we have surpasses all understanding.
When it comes right down to it, I just want to live a life that pleases God. That may sound trite and simplistic, but it's true. The older I get, the more the world loses its appeal. To say I don't care about what my brothers and sisters think of me would be wrong, however, because as the Bible admonishes us, we should try not to be offensive or to be a stumbling block. Very often, Phillip and I are faced with a situation that isn't spelled out in black and white in the Bible, but we have to decide what we're going to do. We ask ourselves if it is going to draw us closer to God or be a hindrance to us or someone else. We weigh out how it will influence our family and our example for our children. We try to think about whether or not it might be a gateway to something or if it's just a little closer to the world than we want to be. We try to make these decisions based on prayer and the Bible. Sometimes we may not make the right decision, and sometimes we have to look at each other and say, "Let's not do that again," or "Maybe we should do this differently next time."
Someday, what we acquired and accomplished on this earth will mean very little. I want to make it to Heaven and spend eternity with my Saviour and with all of my friends and family who have already made it. I certainly want my children to see in me the love of Jesus and take them to Heaven with me! By God's grace, I'm going to continue to live my life in a way that is conforming to His image, and not that of the world, for we're in the world but not of it! It's easy to get sidetracked with life being so busy and feeling the pull to acclimate to our environment. My prayer has been lately that I can stay focused on Him and my individual walk. Above all, I want to hear Him say, "Well done!"
I probably haven't said everything as clearly as I would have liked, but that is what has been on my mind for the last week or two!
God bless,
Bethany
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt 5:16
I've always been different, and I'm okay with that. I was the girl in public school who dressed differently, acted and talked differently, and who didn't attend a lot of extracurricular activities. I wasn't the most popular girl in school for sure, but I had plenty of friends and for the most part, I was treated respectfully. At the college level, I found that there was much more diversity, and most folks didn't even blink at my noticeable differences. As I entered the profession of teaching, I worked closely with fellow educators and stood in front of perhaps the most critical audience of all...middle school and high school students. Again, however, I found that although I was often questioned about "why?", despite the occasional raised eyebrow, eventually most of my interrogators accepted my responses with something like, "Okay, I get it," and sometimes even a non committal "Cool!" Generally, I was treated no differently than anyone else, except some of my colleagues and friends were a little more careful about their language choices around me, which I appreciated. I have found that most of the animosity toward the way I choose to live has come from people who have either backslidden or have been "enlightened" that a separated life is no longer necessary. I have had a few conversations with people who fall into those categories that have been a bit condescending, and sometimes, downright rude. But like I said, I don't expect my explanations to make us all see eye to eye, especially if the person hasn't been made a new creature in Christ! Being saved and surrendered to Him changes our perspective in a way that all the arguing in the world can never do.
I'm always taken aback when the arguments I encounter, though, are something about there not being a direct command given in the Bible. Truly, I don't seek to live only by the 10 commandments, but by the principles God provided throughout the Word. Sometimes they are really specific principles, but sometimes they are open for interpretation, which gives the reader a chance to prayerfully apply it to our current society. To some who think living for God is just about rules and regulations, they may not realize that people like me really don't feel like we're missing a whole lot, and the peace of God we have surpasses all understanding.
When it comes right down to it, I just want to live a life that pleases God. That may sound trite and simplistic, but it's true. The older I get, the more the world loses its appeal. To say I don't care about what my brothers and sisters think of me would be wrong, however, because as the Bible admonishes us, we should try not to be offensive or to be a stumbling block. Very often, Phillip and I are faced with a situation that isn't spelled out in black and white in the Bible, but we have to decide what we're going to do. We ask ourselves if it is going to draw us closer to God or be a hindrance to us or someone else. We weigh out how it will influence our family and our example for our children. We try to think about whether or not it might be a gateway to something or if it's just a little closer to the world than we want to be. We try to make these decisions based on prayer and the Bible. Sometimes we may not make the right decision, and sometimes we have to look at each other and say, "Let's not do that again," or "Maybe we should do this differently next time."
Someday, what we acquired and accomplished on this earth will mean very little. I want to make it to Heaven and spend eternity with my Saviour and with all of my friends and family who have already made it. I certainly want my children to see in me the love of Jesus and take them to Heaven with me! By God's grace, I'm going to continue to live my life in a way that is conforming to His image, and not that of the world, for we're in the world but not of it! It's easy to get sidetracked with life being so busy and feeling the pull to acclimate to our environment. My prayer has been lately that I can stay focused on Him and my individual walk. Above all, I want to hear Him say, "Well done!"
I probably haven't said everything as clearly as I would have liked, but that is what has been on my mind for the last week or two!
God bless,
Bethany
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