tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281131562024-03-05T21:34:40.096-05:00Just as I AmAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.comBlogger571125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-33097964490764356392018-07-03T10:32:00.003-04:002018-07-03T10:32:30.404-04:00Ephesians Bible Study<div style="text-align: center;">
I wrote this 8-week study on the book of Ephesians for the women at my church, </div>
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and I'd love to share it with you. </div>
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You can download <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h9wsIa2rRuAyE2Ju4cexhoMPIvFhCqsH/view?usp=sharing">the cover</a> and <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwfbDeeVHEJic05UWXAtcVZkenk5b18zNWpGNjZaUnVVTEJZ/view?usp=sharing">the study</a>, and then you can upload it to Staples if you'd like to get it printed as a hardcopy (I think it's around $10 to get it printed and bound!)</div>
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May the Lord use His Word for his glory and our good. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcQMloyJuvKF9igT26q9KMszk0g0dLtHGAU0UrdXij2wJGWq5_vmexxa3Hr5csIPLybpsRGDloWAZu8je8KNhwMGtu210WNkZF1JO1R9PEu6LvAt82xnf91xi9OamHpq0v_oh3Q/s1600/20746411_10212837828555865_8741658761168146314_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcQMloyJuvKF9igT26q9KMszk0g0dLtHGAU0UrdXij2wJGWq5_vmexxa3Hr5csIPLybpsRGDloWAZu8je8KNhwMGtu210WNkZF1JO1R9PEu6LvAt82xnf91xi9OamHpq0v_oh3Q/s320/20746411_10212837828555865_8741658761168146314_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h9wsIa2rRuAyE2Ju4cexhoMPIvFhCqsH/view?usp=sharing">Ephesians cover</a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwfbDeeVHEJic05UWXAtcVZkenk5b18zNWpGNjZaUnVVTEJZ/view?usp=sharing">8-week Ephesians Bible Study</a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-48966241043135939952018-03-07T09:47:00.003-05:002018-03-07T09:47:53.795-05:00Esophagitis <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4Tf0r2rkCtbpz4QOKJ3eM2f-yWJR5JwGEf8ipb_n-kRQS97gWGosZGJyXfejmmChON0_csKLQynlu-2FVm3Pwd4zOFjX0xvOWotTqHu0j5HAH7Oz5FW9lrXF3K9FY8p9Yp6awg/s1600/DSC_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4Tf0r2rkCtbpz4QOKJ3eM2f-yWJR5JwGEf8ipb_n-kRQS97gWGosZGJyXfejmmChON0_csKLQynlu-2FVm3Pwd4zOFjX0xvOWotTqHu0j5HAH7Oz5FW9lrXF3K9FY8p9Yp6awg/s320/DSC_0075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">one of my favorite photos of Grace, about 5 years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">----------------------------------------</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I want to word this post carefully,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">because what we believe about the character of God is always, always,</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">always</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">t r u e.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I was laying in the hospital,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">wide awake at 2 in the morning,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">watching my sweet girl try to sleep in between nurses-checks,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">God was Sovereign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and faithful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I was discussing the possibility of a feeding tube with a GI nurse,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">God was Sovereign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and faithful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When my panic was at an all-time high,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">wondering if life as we knew it was about to change forever,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">God was Sovereign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and faithful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our circumstances never ever <i>ever </i>change who God is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>We firmly believe this</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've been re-affirming it to my own heart over and over and over amidst the confusion and anxiety of the last 6 weeks, as I watched my daughter seemingly deteriorate before my eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>What 8-year-old says they can't swallow </i>anything<i> without pain?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We would have clung to the character of God no matter the outcome for Grace,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and we would have, God help us, believed that the character of God was <b>good,</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">even if the news had been what we feared.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">in God's relenting mercy shown towards our family,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and towards our sweet Grace...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...and in God's mysterious way of hearing and answering </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">so many prayers </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">on our behalf....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">....the biopsy results were<b> negative</b> for the worst case scenario we feared so much.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grace has "just" GERD esophagitis.</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A condition that is treatable, healable, manageable.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our 8-year-old will very soon be able to eat whatever she wants.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which, currently,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">is fettuccini alfredo</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and macarons. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(expensive taste, I think :))</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We marvel at the mercy God has shown us.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We praise Him for hearing and answering so many prayers for Grace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and we pray that we would have had the faith that even in the worst case scenario,</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">we would have praised Him still. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friends, thank you for praying so fervently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for texting, emailing, messaging...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...we have sensed the body of Christ around us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I have prayed for our sweet 8-year-old's heart,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have prayed that even she would have seeds of faith planted at such a tender age,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and through all of her tears of</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"why can't I eat? I'm starving and I cannot eat"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">over the last 6 weeks,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">she would realize the ever-present help of an Almighty God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grace knows that so many people have been praying,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and she knows that God has answered.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you, thank you, thank you.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">---------</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And, if you've never heard of <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/esophagitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20361224">esophagitis</a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">neither had we.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It leads to Grace's exact symptoms:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">problems and pain swallowing,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">feeling like food is "stuck",</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">chest pain. reflux.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We are fearfully and wonderfully made,</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and "he knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust"</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Psalm 103</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-79919316054785880062018-02-27T19:37:00.004-05:002018-02-27T19:40:18.437-05:00Waiting<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today wasn't as good as yesterday, but we ended the day happily (after a major freaking out and sobbing that a french fry hurt her throat)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We ended with our sweet 8-year-old eating almost an entire uncrustable </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(she said it was super soft!), </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">plus a yogurt tube. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{When we end the day with tears that she's hungry and can't eat, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">my heart shatters and my panic level skyrockets}.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> She also ate an entire McDonald's cheeseburger at lunch time (CRAZY!),</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and drank like 20 ounces of slushee, so all-in-all, pretty good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <i>I mean, when you list it out like that, that's fairly normal amounts for an 8-year-old.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She said over-and-over her throat wasn't as good as yesterday,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and I told her over-and-over that people are praying and praying and praying. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That encourages her heart as well as my own.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thank you.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We simply wait on all the test results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We wait, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and we plead with the Lord for Him to show mercy.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And I plead with the Lord for him to help my heart to handle it,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">if even the worst is true.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Words from Spurgeon are speaking to my heart tonight:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Let the morrow be what it may, our God is the God of tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whatever events may have happened, which to us are unknown, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">our Jehovah is God of the unknown as well as of the known. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are determined to trust the LORD, come what may. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If the very worst should happen, our od is still the greatest and the best. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Therefore we will not fear...The Lord liveth, and what can His children fear?" </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Truly, what is there to fear? Let the morrow be what it may.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for praying with us and for us. We wait.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-26012952376592974592018-02-26T19:42:00.001-05:002018-02-26T19:48:44.073-05:00Answers to Prayer<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">At 9 o'clock this morning, I was on the phone with the GI nurse, </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">discussing the possibility of a feeding tube for Grace. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><b>There was a distinct danger that she was not going to be able to sustain the amount of liquid she needed to simply survive. </b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />Nine hours later, </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I told Matt that I think we are seeing prayers answered before our very eyes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />Grace drank over 25 ounces of liquid today.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">PLUS Ate 3 popsicles.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">5 pancakes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">half a chocolate chip cookie.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">and a normal-8-year-old-sized serving of mashed potatoes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />Right before bed Grace said,"My throat feels a little better".</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><i>{holy moly, right??}</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><i><br /></i>Biting back tears, I tell her that <i>so many people </i>are praying for her,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">and God is making her better.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />She smiles, and says,<i>"I'm a little closer to fettuccine alfredo, mom".</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><i><br /></i>which is like her favorite food in the world, </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">which over the last 6 weeks she's repeatedly said no to, </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">and repeatedly told me to not even talk about until her throat is better.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />We're still praying, and we feel your prayers.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">We will get all the test results back this week. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Whatever is going on, today was a good day, and we'll take it, and rejoice in it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><b>The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5</b></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-73133588199240732292018-02-26T15:54:00.002-05:002018-02-26T15:58:52.458-05:00Thank you<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The words fail me to adequately express my gratitude, comfort, and encouragement </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">that your replies, comments, texts, and emails over the last few days </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">have given to me - </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and our family. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>But I'll say it anyway - thank you.</b></span></h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-----------------</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Brothers and Sisters, </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Please keep praying.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>It's working. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>They're really, really, really <i>working.</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Grace has started some medicine, that is theoretically too soon to be working...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...however, she's eaten more today than she has in days</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">AND</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">she's drinking. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Like actual liquid.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">without much complaint.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She drank most of a 6 ounce juice box earlier today. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">six ounces!!!!!! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>(although at the end she said it was "bad for her throat" and "hurt her chest")</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and just now she poured herself some orange pop, and drank a couple ounces.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(did you read that - she GOT herself a drink! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and, yes, at the moment, all rules on appropriate food and drink are gone. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>She thinks she can swallow orange pop, she can try!)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We should hear esophageal biopsy results by the end of the week. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We're holding out for a plan forward (read: hopefully treatment) until then. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my momma's heart is desperate to see my sweet 8-year-old eat and drink normally. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She just told me she dislikes going to school because she sees all the yummy food the other kids are eating and she wants to eat it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and I cried a little bit more inside.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But, my momma's heart is also encouraged to see her </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">running around </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and playing cheerfully today,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">helping give the puppy a bath,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">terrorize the puppy with bows after said bath,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and even eat a decent amount of pancakes.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray with us for complete healing of whatever Grace is dealing with,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and pray with us for the strength and grace to wait and trust in the meantime.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>And pray this sweet little girl's heart will lean into Jesus all the more,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>lean into the God that never sleeps nor slumbers,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>who's ever-present with us even though we feel the earth give way.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and, at the moment, the earth feels like it's giving way.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>but we will.not.fear, for He is With us.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>and that is enough for today.</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>amen.</i></span></h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-66210041257012395802018-02-24T20:54:00.000-05:002018-03-07T16:09:39.597-05:00Prayer Request for Grace<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<i><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sharing about Grace so more people can pray.</span></b></i></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b><br /></b></i>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMVjhnHMAb4OEWZchRSMTEEkZGciFRgJHfq3czsbEVO4bxJE32qmrZFbrZ3cT9eL-g4PDZWAuVo2HKYuxC4kkLvErnDIwaDZydqmCgeX7WhboEO2pcBGxjrhdyQ8KExJtPCYvDg/s1600/26198604_10213932698246923_8691080051876601617_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1285" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMVjhnHMAb4OEWZchRSMTEEkZGciFRgJHfq3czsbEVO4bxJE32qmrZFbrZ3cT9eL-g4PDZWAuVo2HKYuxC4kkLvErnDIwaDZydqmCgeX7WhboEO2pcBGxjrhdyQ8KExJtPCYvDg/s320/26198604_10213932698246923_8691080051876601617_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For those of you who may not know:</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">About 5 weeks ago, Grace was completely fine in the morning -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ate breakfast, got dressed, normal third-grader-stuff.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Five hours later, she wasn't feeling well. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She had a fever, felt like she couldn't swallow that well, and chest pain.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We thought it was viral. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Or actually, didn't think that much of it</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Kids get sick, right?</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Well, kids do get sick,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">but Grace really hasn't gotten better.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For five weeks she hasn't been able to swallow and complains of chest pain.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Over the past 5 weeks we've gone from soft foods</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">breads, bananas</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to smoothies and shakes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to thinner smoothies and thinner shakes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to liquid </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to basically only ice-cream and popsicles</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">because they melt. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She says stuff is "bad" for her throat and that her throat feels swollen and tight, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and it hurts to swallow.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">obviously, we've gone through the ringer of childhood illness testing - </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">she doesn't have strep, mono, or anything like that.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--------------</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A few nights ago she was trying to take a bite of mac-and-cheese</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">which I was just shocked she was willing to try!</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And she started shaking.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thinking she was cold, I asked if she wanted a blanket.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She said</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">no, I'm just worried it'll hurt.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and then I went to the bathroom and cried and cried. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My poor Gracie-girl. Afraid to eat.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">------------</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As her symptoms progressed, our testing progressed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We got a pediatric GI appointment scheduled,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and were holding out hope, just stringing along until that appointment. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But Grace began to eat less and less, drink less and less...and then refusing all food and drink...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...when the GI doctor, who couldn't give us any medical advice over the phone because we weren't technically a patient yet, just sent us to the ER (<i>in order to get a GI consult through the ER).</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, 2 days ago, I took my 8-year-old to the ER of the great children's hospital near us.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When the GI docs heard what was going on, 3 of them showed up in our ER room.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The ER doctor was blowing us off,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">but the GI doctors were outstanding.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">super encouraging, super comforting, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">saying that they symptoms I was describing they hear all the time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and then they admitted us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMM5tc__TZE75G5FoeU8M8LK8ASu4sAleT8XNaJ-DvKMY2jPufhJfb2HK2XFicB105FHZ3gNYlKJC22B8_iJ8-1F3jDcLVKDQ-OLrTxtXCNsx022myDe3ktiqJH3fN2lTWooD2MQ/s1600/IMG_2640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMM5tc__TZE75G5FoeU8M8LK8ASu4sAleT8XNaJ-DvKMY2jPufhJfb2HK2XFicB105FHZ3gNYlKJC22B8_iJ8-1F3jDcLVKDQ-OLrTxtXCNsx022myDe3ktiqJH3fN2lTWooD2MQ/s320/IMG_2640.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After a just a night in the hospital,</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we got some testing done.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And are now home, waiting biopsy and other test results.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She also has this cool wireless probe on her esophagus,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">measuring acid, sending data to this monitor.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She thinks it's pretty magical, which it basically is. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When she gets too far from the monitor it'll beep, and you have to hold it up to the middle of her chest to reconnect it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She's basically ironman for a few days. ;-)</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-----------------</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Would you pray for Grace?</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please pray that the diagnosis is simple and easily treatable.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(The GI doc thinks there are two likely diagnosis -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">one is simple, the other not-so-much -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">not-so-much as in chronic, life-long, and complex)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Poor Grace is hungry...SO hungry...but whatever is going on with her is making it painful to eat.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She's lost weight, and I'm counting bathroom trips </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to make sure she's getting enough popsicles in her to count.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today, she ate 6 popsicles,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a couple bites of mac and cheese and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a couple bites of a cinnamon roll.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That's it. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and that's actually kind of a lot to what she was eating a few days ago.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And then before bed she was crying she was starving but saying she couldn't eat anything.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I pray with her, reassure her the doctors are helping, get her tucked in,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">then leave her room and cry.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our sweet girl. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Something is wrong,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">so very wrong.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>She's hungry but whatever is going on in her esophagus is causing her </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>to not be able to eat.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-----------</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please pray with us that the Author and Giver of Life</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">will HEAL Grace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fully and Completely.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray with us that the Author and Giver of Life will bring much peace, much comfort,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for my mama's heart, for Gracie's heart...<i>for our family.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray that our family can establish a sense of normal. </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In January, while these symptoms were escalating with Grace,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Matt also had the flu that totally wiped him out for a few weeks, so it just seems like it's been a long time when we had any "normal" family life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray that the Lord will comfort Gracie's heart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray the Lord provides scriptures that encourage all of us.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray that the Lord will provide food ideas she can eat.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray that in the midst of all of this she'll feel well enough to do normal 8-year-old-stuff.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray that the testing results are diagnostic but it's an <b>easily managed diagnosis.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We are not strangers to health crises.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Lord has provided in the past and will provide again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know it,<b> fully know it.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pray my heart knows it now.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We are trusting that when we get on the other side of this we can update on the million ways the Lord showed His Provision and Providence through this all...much of which comes through the prayers of our family and friends.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">------------------</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;<br />you shall cry, and he will say, "Here I am".<br />Isaiah 58:9</span></h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">UPDATE Found <a href="http://journey2guat.blogspot.com/2018/03/one-of-my-favorite-photos-of-grace.html#.WqBSFCPMzxg">HERE</a></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-51889710292052824362017-02-26T19:32:00.003-05:002017-02-26T19:32:55.978-05:00life with multiple sclerosis<div style="text-align: center;">
five years ago tonight,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i sat at my floral-tablecloth-covered kitchen table.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my father-in-law was at my sink doing dishes.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I told him I should really get up and help.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
he told me to keep sitting.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i kept sitting.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the MRI paperwork in front of me stared back,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>haunting me with its results. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the world seemed to go on around me as I watched.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>shock. I think it's called shock.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
---- </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{five years and two days ago}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i stood in my 5-year-old's room, finding clothes for him to wear to church.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
dear friends were picking the kids up;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my leg wasn't working well enough to attend.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I hobbled around downstairs with a make-shift cane,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>wondering what in the world was happening.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
friends came.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>they prayed with me in our entryway.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
although we didn't know what was wrong,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I think our hearts sensed the severity.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
------------</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{five years ago this afternoon}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i sat in the doctor's office,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a dear doctor I had come to know and love through various pregnancy difficulties.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I fully expected to hear about some minor blood clotting issue.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
she came in the room.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
she skipped any of the usual pleasantries.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>your MRI report came back,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
she began. <i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and then it would be the first time we would hear the words we never expected to hear.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>multiple sclerosis.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
for months after those words</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I would jolt in the middle of the night,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>instantly awake.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my first thought would be </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>it was just a dream.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and then I would realize it wasn't a dream.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>the weakness and tingling were an all-too-vivid reminder of reality.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and yet,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the deeper the pain,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>the deeper our reality of faith becomes.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the beloved apostle paul said to the church in philippi that what had happened to him - imprisonment! - had really only served to advance the gospel.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and my heart beats a similiar prayer. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whatever happens to me, <b><i>may it only serve to advance the gospel.</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>five years from now,</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>whatever happens to me.... </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>more symptoms or not....</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>if I can use my left hand or not...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>if vision gets worse or not....</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>if spascity gets worse or not....</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>{may it only serve to advance the gospel}.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am humbled to bear such a disease. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>may I walk worthy of this disease called multiple sclerosis,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
walk worthy of the calling to which He has called.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
whatever happens to me,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>may it only serve to advance the gospel.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----------------------------</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
one of my worst anxieties revolved around the possibility of losing the ability to walk.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
now, i realize that would only be a blip;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a blip in this life that is only as a vapor of air.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>for even if I don't walk in this life,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i look forward to running on streets of gold someday.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
streets of gold, with my Savior, with a resurrected and glorified body.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and oh, hallelujah what a day that will be.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
multiple sclerosis are no longer scary words to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the Lord is the author and creator of life;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>he is Surely the Sustainer of life, too. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b> the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, </b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Blessed be the name of the Lord.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b> </b></i></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-17484238674078544142016-06-06T12:07:00.002-04:002016-06-06T12:07:24.041-04:00Motherhood and the Search for Significance<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Soaking up the new warmth of the early summer sun, I sit outside on our patio, drinking a coke, which feels like a luxury to my normally-healthy-eating-self. the relief for school being out is pallpable. I watch, contentedly, as my 7 and 9 year-olds hurl themselves down the new slip-and-slide, sliding and sailing on the wet plastic, laughing the whole way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and as I watch, I can almost<i> see</i> the sands of time slipping away. It's not going to be that much longer that my elementary-aged-children are satisfied with some simple water toys in our backyard, and the thought of them getting older is almost more than my heart can bare. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xiEd4YAExvc/UDgJn_ahHoI/AAAAAAAACQg/0AY9QfWaitEcyynqN1LocxKjervx-iy0gCKgB/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xiEd4YAExvc/UDgJn_ahHoI/AAAAAAAACQg/0AY9QfWaitEcyynqN1LocxKjervx-iy0gCKgB/s400/DSC_0057.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a flash-back to my 3-year-old Grace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">------------------------ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am grateful for the ages that they are currently, for so many reasons, and am thankful for the tiny bit of perspective that having slightly older children can bring. The days of toddlers and babies and kids that will never, ever, ever sleep through the night seem endless. Those days are oh-so-good, but oh-so hard. A dear friend of mine, smack in the middle of those oh-so-hard days, recently told me that she KNOWS these are the days that she will miss, but pondered aloud how to enjoy them more in the moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As I've been in the throws of this glorious journey called {motherhood} for almost the last decade, and have discussed the HARD of motherhood with so many friends, so many times, I have begun to think that all of the HARD of this journey is, in large part, due to the fact that it all seems so <b>insignificant</b>. The diapers, the midnight feedings, the tantruming-toddlers, the feeding of breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, dinner, and more snacks...it all seems to go on cyclically...and we wonder what on earth we are doing with our days. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Is it significant at all? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Are we accomplishing anything? </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Are we making any kind of difference in the mundane? </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and the answer is an overwhelming, resounding YES.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">YES. YES. YES.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It IS significant. There's a litany of reasons, that you and I could both list off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, straight out of the book of Ephesians, we're given the greatest reason of all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This journey of motherhood is significant, because God Himself has granted us significance in CHRIST before the creation of the world. Significance is not found in what we do or don't do, it's found in who we are in Christ. Ephesians 1 tells us that he Predestined us - if you're a believer in Christ, it means that you were "marked out beforehand" to be adopted as a daughter in Christ - and that's the most significance you could ever long for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the cosmic-changing game of Red Rover, the God of the Universe called your name and put you on His team forever. You have been chosen, you have been called, You have been granted significance in Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next middle-of-the-night awakening, where you have reached your physical limit of exhaustion, preach truth to your heart: you have been chosen by Him, and He sees you now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the middle of a battle of wills with a four-year-old that leaves you close to tears, preach truth to your heart: you have been chosen by Him, and He sees you now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On the days that nothing goes right and laundry piles, dishes loom, and everyone is crying, preach truth to your heart: you have been chosen by Him, and He sees you now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> ---</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our hearts change when we change our thinking (Romans 12:1), so as we let truth from His Word permeate our thoughts, our day-to-day will gradually shift. When you feel like it's all insignificant, all mundane, remind your heart that you have been granted a place in the Divine Family Tree, and the God of all has chosen YOU. He sees, He knows. Motherhood is the furthest from insignificant, even when it feels like it is. Stop telling yourself it doesn't matter, and serve your family, as a daughter of the King of Kings, knowing He has granted you all the significance you could ever want, before you were even born. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ephesians 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-52996237581227996352016-05-10T18:16:00.001-04:002016-05-10T18:16:37.231-04:0014 years later<div style="text-align: center;">
14 years ago tonight,</div>
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I was spending my last evening as a single woman in the periwinkle-painted walls of my childhood room, and I was feverishly packing for our honeymoon.</div>
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because, in the commotion and stress and busyness of student teaching, wedding planning, and moving apartments, I had forgotten to actually <i><b>pack </b></i>for the 2-week road-trip we were going to take for our honeymoon.</div>
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that last evening is burned upon my heart...trying to decide which button-down shirt would look better with the khaki shorts I wanted to wear as we drove...sorting make-up between the stuff I wanted for our wedding day and the stuff I wanted for our honeymoon...a midnight conversation with my dearest friend, as we reflected on life together.</div>
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I awoke early the next morning</div>
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- earlier than I should have for the length of day that would commence! - </div>
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and with a full heart, I realized that that was the day I had long been awaiting.</div>
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-----</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpwInLs3Iid9tPhy0F8tlfNSsOqM3EmqQbujUnm7SdEnQvie8UiUQ6anPAMBjYs0fEjOf2Js0X_tfX0syo4bQfb-vxiIdjFwDzgDR3N7kpu5d8LmPXY8Xlicd3dQOWCblscmskg/s1600/crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpwInLs3Iid9tPhy0F8tlfNSsOqM3EmqQbujUnm7SdEnQvie8UiUQ6anPAMBjYs0fEjOf2Js0X_tfX0syo4bQfb-vxiIdjFwDzgDR3N7kpu5d8LmPXY8Xlicd3dQOWCblscmskg/s320/crop.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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and now, 14 years later,</div>
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I smile at my young-bride-self.</div>
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so full of love, and innocence, and a bit of fresh naivety on the life that would become. </div>
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the life that would become brought a lot of <b>hard...</b></div>
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and yet in that <b>hard</b> would come a depth of faith, a depth of character, and depth of love for each other that I didn't know could exist. </div>
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in that hard would come a depth of understanding of how marriage mirrors the Trinity, how it mirrors the covenantal love our Savior has for HIS bride, and I am humbled to my core to attempt to reflect that love well. There is no other man on earth I'd rather spend the rest of my life with, and I love Matt from the deepest part of my heart.</div>
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14 years ago,</div>
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my oh-so-young self said "I DO",</div>
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for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.</div>
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and today? </div>
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I still do.</div>
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<i><b>oh, how I still do.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Happy Anniversary, Matt! </b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4bEbqPiAXknprcQQ6RcOlydoiYKErA5LItS_a7WZKornnfWGIDNg62U1VhJ79EaHXvVUV1njTnis2nR9Ax6EVfcsbevLiNR57Ved8H6WrqzILWlKdmPJyjQZC6kJ_VIYOMooeQ/s1600/DSC_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4bEbqPiAXknprcQQ6RcOlydoiYKErA5LItS_a7WZKornnfWGIDNg62U1VhJ79EaHXvVUV1njTnis2nR9Ax6EVfcsbevLiNR57Ved8H6WrqzILWlKdmPJyjQZC6kJ_VIYOMooeQ/s320/DSC_0178.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-83738049124890190262016-04-29T17:40:00.001-04:002016-04-29T17:40:23.183-04:00Thoughts on Holiness<div style="text-align: center;">
A few weeks ago, we hosted a casual-but-niceish lunch for some friends and family. We love hosting, and I spent a few days doing what you always do before people come over: cleaning. Toys were put away, bathroom wiped down, dining room table set with my prettiest spring dishes and centerpieces.</div>
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<b>The downstairs looked great.</b></div>
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Then, during the lunch, a friend of mine needed to see our {normally very picked up} bedroom. </div>
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<i>And I inwardly cringed {although happy to let her use what she needed to}.</i></div>
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There was a load of clean laundry tossed on the floor, my usually-made-bed had the covers askew, a few random coffee mugs on my night stand, my make-up from that morning scattered on the vanity. It was completely the opposite of guest-ready, and I cringed with embarrassment! </div>
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-----------</div>
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Throughout this entire year of reading through the Bible, the Holy Spirit has been impressing upon my heart over and over again the need to <b>be holy</b>; the need to <b>be carefu</b>l with how I live; the need to <b>strive after</b> holiness, to <b>carefully follow</b> all of the commandments.</div>
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And after my friend saw our bedroom and I inwardly cringed, promising to clean it up and show her the "real" version, <b>my heart realized:</b></div>
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<b>Are there any areas of my life that are like that hidden bedroom?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>you know, the downstairs of my life looks pretty good:</i></div>
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we're almost always at church, I do my best to study my Bible daily, I attempt to memorize scripture and practice other patterns of spiritual growth and have the downstairs areas {the outward, very visible areas} of my life pretty picked up.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But what if a friend wanted to see that master bedroom area of my life? </div>
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<i>or, even worse, that random guest room closet that stuff gets tossed in?</i></div>
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<b>How embarrassed would I be if a friend saw *those* areas?</b></div>
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The hidden habits like a way-too-critical spirit? the times I lose my patience with my kids? the service opportunities that became duty to me instead of delight?</div>
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<b>What about those areas? How holy are they?</b></div>
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In 2 Samuel chapter 5, there's a small little area of David's life that he neglected, that perhaps the scrolls of scriptures had been pushed aside for a little too long.</div>
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David has a great goal - he wants to move the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. However, he chooses to ignore the very specific, very <b>Divinely-given</b> directions on how to move that ark and decides to forego having the Levites - the priestly tribe - carry it. He decides to ignore that closet in his life, and believe that it will all be okay.</div>
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And yet because of his sin, because of his hidden closet, his friend Uzzah <i><b>dies</b></i>. David's friend paid the steepest consequence one could pay for David's personal sin. </div>
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I think we tend to think that we are able to keep some areas of our lives pretty hidden. The procrastrination-turned-laziness, the envy of a friend's life, the pride in even our church service, the tv show we should've turned off a little bit sooner, the edge of unkindness in a response to a spouse...</div>
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...but those hidden areas always come out, </div>
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and <b>heaven forbid t</b>hey have the same consequences as David's did for Uzzah.</div>
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Is there an area of your life right now that you'd be embarrassed about if someone knew? The Holy Spirit has been gently showing my heart the need to clean out those bedrooms and even the closets, and to truly strive for and work towards holiness. And yet, even in the weight of this truth, the conviction that will come, there's so much Divine <i>forgiveness and cleansing and healing and power</i> found in that cleaning-out process, thanks be to God. </div>
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David's story ends on a high note. Several months later David decides to truly bring the ark back to Jerusalem.<i> And this time</i>? No hidden closets are lurking. David says, "we did not seek him according to the rule...no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God." {I Chronicles 15} And with triumphant victory, the presence of the Lord - manifested through the ark of the covenant - is restored to Jerusalem. </div>
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I want the story of my life, too, to end on a high note. The next time a friend needs to see my master bedroom, here's hoping it'll be wiped clean, wiped clean by the progressive sanctification only found through the work of the Spirit.</div>
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<i><b>I hope your master bedroom, your hidden closets, will be wiped clean, too.</b></i></div>
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---</div>
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Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?</div>
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And who shall stand in his holy place?</div>
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<b>He who has clean hands and a pure heart...</b></div>
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<i>psalm </i></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-6909879656944552312016-02-21T08:47:00.001-05:002016-02-21T08:47:59.686-05:00Four Years Ago, Today<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I'm thankful for multiple sclerosis.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">those words made me pause, mid Windex-wiping the patio doors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">my heart skipped a beat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>really? </i>that thought had surprised myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">grateful for multiple sclerosis?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And yet, <i>yes.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">an oh-so-grateful,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">resounding,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>yes.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>grateful for multiple sclerosis. </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>----------</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">we crossed the line of demarcation in our lives four years ago today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">my life is forever marked as </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">"before-and-after-MS"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">from four years ago?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>the memories are vivid:</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the MRI machine seemingly cold, sterile;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> taunting me with the possibilities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">hearing the words:</span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">{indicative of multiple sclerosis}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">from my doctor's mouth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">my immediate shock,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the whirlwind of neurological testing,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the panic-ridden months that would ensue. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the friends that would call, write, text. mail coffee gift cards, drop off food. send flowers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">that would talk to me late into the night, as I was awaiting test results. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>the memories are vivid: </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">awakening in the night,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>instantly alert.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> my first thought was always </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>{it wasn't a dream. it wasn't just a dream}</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and then the anxiety would follow,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">over and over,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">nightly,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>the same instant-awake-panic.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>it wasn't just a dream.</b></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>the other memories are vivid as well: </b></i><b><i><br /></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">very, very early mornings with my hard-cover, vintage-floral Bible open before me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the mug of coffee steaming as I poured over the pages,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> searching for answers...searching for help, searching for hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>the memories are vivid:</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">those gilded-pages coming to life before my eyes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">bringing spiritual life in my heart,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">calming my fears,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">giving me so much hope and so much strength and so much faith</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">in a God, a Redeemer, a Savior,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>so much bigger than any of my fears.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">--------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>four years later?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I stand in awe at the Sovereign Hand of God in my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />humbled that He would allow me to walk a road such as MS,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>compelled to want to walk that road well.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am thankful for multiple sclerosis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">it opened my eyes to see </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>the bigness, the greatness, the sovereignty, the providence, the faithfulness, the compassion</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">of our God,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">in a way that I <i>never would have seen </i>without a degenerative neurological diagnosis.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am thankful for multiple sclerosis.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">it allows me to fear less for the future,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">knowing the One who holds it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am thankful for multiple sclerosis,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">for the Lord used it in my life to draw me to Himself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and that is <i>always </i>a gift.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">don't get me wrong.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">there are days that I wish my fingers would work completely,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">or other symptoms would go away forever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">but the symptoms always remind me of the God I serve,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">that His grace is always sufficient, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and that nothing has gotten to my life without<i> first </i>going through the filter of God's Sovereignty.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>and that gives so much comfort, and so much confidence.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">multiple sclerosis was the road the Lord thought would be the BEST option for my life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>how can I argue with that?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the Lord has prepared good works in advance for me to do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>may I do them well,</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>especially in walking the road of MS. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>To God be the Glory,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>great things He hath done.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>great things, even in neurological diseases. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>great things He hath done,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>indeed. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">...they loved not their lives, even unto death...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">revelation 12:11</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-77271249087774313812015-09-08T20:01:00.000-04:002015-09-08T20:01:47.207-04:00Paul's Ephesians Prayer<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you've been a Christian for any time,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm sure you've had the same experience I have in the {prayer request} arena -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">you know, that time when you're in a group and the leader asks "what can we pray for?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>my co-worker's cousin has some medical issues.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>my great-aunt fell and broke her hip.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>my baby's not sleeping.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>work is a lot right now. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Safe travels this weekend for my family.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">y'all, I know that there's a time and a place for these kind of requests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and I know there's a certain mystery in prayer...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a mystery that the God of this Universe, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the God of Angel Armies, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">has chosen <b>prayer</b> as our way to fight that schemes of the Evil one...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the way to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>enter His presence</b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to receive mercy and grace in our time of need.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think it's partly the mystery around <i>how-in-the-world</i> prayer works</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that makes us diminish the power of it, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ignore the purpose of it,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and lower the prevalence of prayer in our lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />have you ever felt like </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>{al}l I'm doing is praying?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>that is a lie straight from the Evil one</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">------------</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">early in the morning, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my coffee cup full,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my hard-cover full-sized notebook opens. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">scrawled notes stare back at me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my thoughts on ancient truths, I will my heart to absorb as much as it can,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">whispering prayers as I humbly come before Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Opening my wide-margin, vintage floral Bible to Ephesians,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">inspired words are about to challenge my own prayer life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul, writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">prayers that God, the Father of all glory,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">will give them <b>wisdom</b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>{an objective understanding, as in, factual knowledge}</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and that God would <b>reveal </b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{unveil, uncover}</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">knowledge of HIMSELF to the Ephesians church.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul prays that we would <b>personally, intimately, know the God of the Universe. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">in the still of the morning,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I got chills.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God will reveal Himself to us! </span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">humbling to the core of my being. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul is praying that<b> GOD </b>would reveal <b>Himself</b> to these Ephesians believers, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that they would KNOW </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>- with a subjective understanding, a deep-down-in-their-heart kinda know </i>-</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the <b>hop</b>e to which He has called them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">hope is our absolute certainty of victory in God.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul prays that </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that they would<b> KNOW</b> the riches of His inheritance,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and KNOW the<b> immeasurable greatness</b> of His power -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that the SAME power God raised Christ from the dead is working in OUR lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's what Paul was praying for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That we would <b>KNOW God HIMSELF better</b>,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and that we would KNOW with all certainty, God is WORKING in our lives,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">working in tremendous ways, and that we have <b>ultimate victory</b> in Christ.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{i can't think of any better thing for which to pray}.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">because, you know?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">as God is revealing His heart to me, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and I become certain of his power in my life,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that kind of trumps all other prayer requests. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let's pray big, Biblical prayers for our friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. I wonder what would change in our churches, our families, our communities, if we begin to regularly pray that God would reveal more of Himself to each of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>{That's a prayer I can't wait to see answered}.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You know how in the beginning of lots of Paul letters he says he "in his prayers"?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that could potentially be a reference to the Jewish custom of specific prayer times -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">kind of like Daniel prayed specific times of the day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Do you have a specific pattern, routine, habit </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">in which you're praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maybe set a reminder on your phone...pray while you're driving...pray in the shower. Go through your Facebook list and pray as you scroll.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">just pray. Big, Biblical prayers.<b> that we may KNOW HIM better.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to the praise of His Glory.</span></div>
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<i><span class="text Eph-1-15">For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love<sup class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-ESV-29205f" data-link="[<a href="#fen-ESV-29205f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1#fen-ESV-29205f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]</sup> toward all the saints,</span> <span class="text Eph-1-16" id="en-ESV-29206"><sup class="versenum">16 </sup>I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,</span> <span class="text Eph-1-17" id="en-ESV-29207"><sup class="versenum">17 </sup>that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,</span> <span class="text Eph-1-18" id="en-ESV-29208"><sup class="versenum">18 </sup>having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,</span> <span class="text Eph-1-19" id="en-ESV-29209"><sup class="versenum">19 </sup>and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might</span> <span class="text Eph-1-20" id="en-ESV-29210"><sup class="versenum">20 </sup>that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places</span></i></div>
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<span class="text Eph-1-20" id="en-ESV-29210"><i>Ephesians 1 </i></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-77586538408744216992015-07-07T18:03:00.003-04:002015-07-07T18:03:39.342-04:00Ephesians 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">i really love summer days. and, though I often grieve my kids not-being-so-little anymore,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will say, ages 6 and 8 are good ages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can say stuff like "go get your swimsuits on", and, well, they DO. ;-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> last week, during one of these fun summer days,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> a casual play-date turned not-so-casual.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and I learned my lesson:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>never NOT wear my swimsuit to the pool with the kids.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>----------------------------------- </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I just started reading through and studying Ephesians with a friend,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and chapter 1 has my heart overflowing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>the selection of the Father, the sacrifice of the son, the seal of the Holy Spirit...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">just 14 verses hold such deep theological truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">truth as in, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>we have been predestined.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Predestined = marked out before hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">before the foundation of this world -</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">before the beginning, there was a beginning, and we were chosen. Chosen to be adopted as sons through Christ. nothing we have done, nothing we could ever do - </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">just His supreme sovereignty chose <i>us</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In that predestination, we have been <b>redeemed</b> and <b>forgiven</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Redeemed has the language of slave trading - we have been traded from a life of sin, a life of slavery to the bonds of that sin, to sons and daughters of the Almighty King, with an eternal inheritance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we have been redeemed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{Redeemed!}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week, at that playdate, our kids were happy and playing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my sweet 6-year-old went to the shallow end, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and that's where my mistake happened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">s<i>ure, sweetie, you can take your floaties off.</i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>the floaties always stay on. </b></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">she happily played in the shallow end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">then she and a friend decided to hang on to the edge of the pool and work themselves around the perimeter. the perimeter of the pool, including the deep end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> about 20 feet away, I yelled to her -</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>you don't have your floaties on! hang on to the edge.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I turned my head and then a second later turned back to her,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and all-in-an-instant my 6-year-old is in the middle of the deep end,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">arms swirling above her head, eyes wide.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am instantly at the edge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Grace! come to the edge! </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">her eyes bigger, simultaneously gulping air and water, barely afloat,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">she shakes her head at me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>She can't get to the edge.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and with out a second thought,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">without thinking about whether or not my phone is in my pocket or not,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or if I should take my fairly-new-probably-shouldn't get-chlorine-on-it white cardigan off or not,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I am in that pool.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am in that pool fully clothed, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">not caring about anything except for the fact that my precious girl cannot get her head above water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>my arms circle around her, pulling her up.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>she coughs and then cries.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>she's scared. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so scared that she didn't get off my lap the rest of the time at the pool. she was the first to leave the pool, the first to get her swimsuit off, the first to sit on my lap during dinner. She wanted her momma's reassurance. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>and her momma needed her precious girl close, too. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>took me a full evening to calm down from that close call!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and as I read Ephesians and read <b>REDEEMED,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I imagine the God of the universe, standing by the edge of that pool for my own life,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and before I even realized I am <i>drowning </i>in my spiritual state,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He jumped in. He didn't even blink an eye, didn't check to see if there were any other better prospects to save...He jumped in my pool,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and rescued me from my spiritual drowning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>to the praise of His glorious grace.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and now, my heart begs me to ask,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>am I living like this?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>am I living like I have been <i>redeemed</i>?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or am I inching my way back around the perimeter of that pool, seeing how close I can get to the deep end of sin - without fully drowning...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">not knowing that that deep end is pull me under before I can do anything about it, and I will soon be gulping and gasping for air?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">am I living like I have been redeemed? forgiven? bought with a price? Am I so sensitive to the Spirit's leading in my life? Am I so sensitive to sin that my be lurking?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">am I living like the God of Angel Armies jumped in after me? </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Am I the first person to cling to my Abba Father, not wanting to leave His side, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but feeling safety in His presence?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I hope so.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>I hope you are, too.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">------</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">if you'd like to follow along, grab your Bible and study Ephesians 1 this week! come back and comment...I'd love to read them and see what your thoughts are. </span></div>
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<i> </i></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-36097790177250595342015-06-21T13:43:00.000-04:002015-06-21T13:43:01.153-04:00Happy 6th Birthday, Grant<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this blog started, long ago, as just a simple way to keep my family (read: MOM) up-to-date with family stuff.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fun family stuff like birthday parties.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and, a couple of weeks ago, we had a very special birthday party for my favorite just-turned-6-year-old. i may be a couple weeks behind, but never late than never, right?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so, let's p<span style="font-size: small;">lay a little blog<span style="font-size: small;">-world re-wind <span style="font-size: small;">here.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">6 year<span style="font-size: small;">s ago, </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i<span style="font-size: small;"> sat in a hospital bed,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">not knowing how soon grant ow<span style="font-size: small;">en's arrival would become.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">in a last-night-of-no-<span style="font-size: small;">kids,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">m<span style="font-size: small;">att and i shared a dinner of all my favorite <span style="font-size: small;">pregnancy foods-</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">me<span style="font-size: small;">xican enchila<span style="font-size: small;">das, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">panera's cheese danish<span style="font-size: small;">es, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">and coldstone creamery's cheesecake icecream.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">we stayed up late in the hospital room talking<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">overflowing <span style="font-size: small;">with the excit<span style="font-size: small;">e<span style="font-size: small;">ment and feelings of having a baby <span style="font-size: small;">soon.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">and then,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">in a whirlwind of emergency and emotion,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">grant <span style="font-size: small;">owen entered the world<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">{to my son} </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">grant,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">you are my favorite little boy.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">if i could <span style="font-size: small;">hit pause on th<span style="font-size: small;">is journey of life,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i would have you be 6 for a long while.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">every day, you become more of your daddy<span style="font-size: small;"> - </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">his logic,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">his <span style="font-size: small;">dependability,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">his e<span style="font-size: small;">ven-keeled temper.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">you <i>are</i> <span style="font-size: small;">your father's son.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">last week,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">when the <span style="font-size: small;">fan in your room started making noise,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">you d<span style="font-size: small;">ecided to<span style="font-size: small;"> open the dresser drawers to change the air flow to <span style="font-size: small;">see if that helped the fan.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">se<span style="font-size: small;">riously.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">you, my son,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">discussed <span style="font-size: small;">{air flow}.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">those engi<span style="font-size: small;">neering genes of your dad<span style="font-size: small;">'s?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">they run strong, apparently.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i> every day, you<span style="font-size: small;"> are your father.</span></i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i love it.</span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i love seeing your mind in work.</span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">i just pray that a<span style="font-size: small;">s much as you inherit that engineering DNA,</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">you al<span style="font-size: small;">so have your father's lo<span style="font-size: small;">ve for our Abba Father.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">your father's absolutely dedication to living a life worthy of the calling.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br />
<i>Happy birthday, Grant.</i><br />
<i>May you seek Him all the days of your life. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-91606839802302754302015-06-21T13:32:00.000-04:002015-06-21T13:32:09.000-04:00Father's Day<div style="text-align: center;">
Our 8-year-old has been taking karate lessons for the past several months.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
one of my favorite lines that the instructor repeats often is this:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>we only use these moves for self-defense. Never to fight, and never on siblings. ;-)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Grant's earned his way up 3 belts, and we've seen in build confidance, self-control, and coordiantion -</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>all good qualities for an 8-year-old-boy to improve upon. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Last week I had a conference with one of the instructors during classtime to talk about how we've seen Grant improve, and to inform me of the future class options. As we started the conference the <b>Sensei </b>asked me several questions about Grant, and then we got to this one:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>What kind of man do you want Grant to grow into in the future,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> and how do you think martial arts could help that?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as I paused, I saw Grant out of the corner of my eye round-house-kicking and forward-lunging through the two-way-mirror, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and I all-of-a-sudden bit back tears in that small, humid karate office.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
for as my heart and mind flash-forwarded Grant to the man I'd like him to become,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I realized there's nothing I'd rather him be than a man like his Dad is. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I envisioned Grant loving his wife and his family with an unswerving, unshakeable loyalty and love, just as Matt has done for us. I envisioned Grant full of integrity...that that man that people will know the adult Grant to be will be the man that he is in private. My heart envisioned Grant being rooted and built up in the Word of God, and fervently and steadfastly preaching and teaching that Word, proclaiming His glory for all to hear. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I bit back my tears in that karate office, and told the Sensei I wanted Grant to love his God, his wife, and his family well, an answer I'm sure that instructor did not see coming.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But there's no other answer I'd rather have for the question of </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What kind of man do I want Grant to be?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>than a man just like his daddy.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Happy Father's day to the man who points us all to Him.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
we love you so much, Matt! Thanks for loving us so well.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqT8xYkV9CTQ8hSCSv_pW-JpMbYK__B2Qa7m1EFsuLk3rXnTFH_w_pBv7Jr5A0tNoZt3GFhAMzY_Nnp5LYCA9873aS5UrRm_N2G1s9Xg6lKk_gIo4SUYfVqaL2Nnob2dSbd2w56Q/s1600/100_321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqT8xYkV9CTQ8hSCSv_pW-JpMbYK__B2Qa7m1EFsuLk3rXnTFH_w_pBv7Jr5A0tNoZt3GFhAMzY_Nnp5LYCA9873aS5UrRm_N2G1s9Xg6lKk_gIo4SUYfVqaL2Nnob2dSbd2w56Q/s400/100_321.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January 10, 2007, the day that made Matt a dad.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-21476810881218303942015-03-25T15:02:00.000-04:002015-03-25T15:22:34.001-04:00Just Because He Lives<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Writing is often my therapy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>and, okay, coffee, candy, and some shopping, too.;-)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I sit down at the keyboard, with a steaming cup of strong coffee,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and the words that are often so hard for me to verbalize come flowing out,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">flowing from a deep, deep place in my heart that often begins in the dark, early morning hours with my coffee and my Bible.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know I said <a href="http://www.justasialwaysam.com/2015/02/multiple-sclerosis.html#.VRMChCd33NI"><u>here</u></a> I'd be writing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I've wanted to,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>but have hesitated.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I never ever want to sensationalize my health difficulties. or write about them so many times that y'all are like, anna, get a new neurological disease to talk about. ;-) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">but, as Luke says, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">from the <i>overflow of the heart the mouth speaks</i>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>and how does my heart overflow with what *He* has done for me! </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>i can't help but share.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Share how faithful our Sovereign Lord has been there to meet me in </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">every.single.moment of <i>fear,</i> of <i>questions</i>, of<i> uncertainty</i> over the last three years.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">some Easter decor on my mantle reads</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>{I know my Redeemer Lives}</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and my heart skips a beat when I read it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CYji2rEogk/VRMKLwvWe-I/AAAAAAAAD20/QirQ6cSMj6I/s1600/my-redeemer-color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CYji2rEogk/VRMKLwvWe-I/AAAAAAAAD20/QirQ6cSMj6I/s1600/my-redeemer-color.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">three years ago,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">when the line of before-MS and after-MS had officially been crossed in my life,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and we had been catapulted into a whirwind of every-single-neurological test possible, all leading towards a diagnosis.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> we got closer and closer to Easter.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>and I got closer and closer and closer to the darkest fear of my heart being realized.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">it was within these months of waiting that I would jump in the middle of the night,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>instantly awake, heart racing.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">all I would hear with every beat of my pounding heart was </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">multiple sclerosis</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>thud thud thud thud</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">multiple sclerosis multiple sclerosis multiple sclerosis. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>thudthudthudthudthud.</b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and my first thought of my racing brain would be</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>{it wasn't a dream}. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then I would be up for the day, in the wee hours of the morning, while the rest of my house slept in seemingly blissful unawareness. it was these months that my internet was permanently fixed to MS research - AND <i>what-could-my-symptoms-be *besides* MS</i> research, and while my Bible was permanently open to Job, the tear stained pages greeting me morning after morning after morning.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">we had test after test after test,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">all coming back within normal limits.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>expect tests pointing towards the one thing my heart feared.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and we got closer and closer to Easter,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and my heart raced with fear. <i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> all-encompassing, all-consuming fear.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and then through a series of scriptures,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the Lord addressed every.single.one of my fears.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">not giving me any answers,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">but telling my heart to stop asking why and start asking Who.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who is going to fight for me?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who has done great things for me previously in my life? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who has planned my days from the foundations of the earth?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who has promised me to never, ever forsake me? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Who is going to walk with me, even if I am not walking?</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And as the Lord addressed my fears, we got closer to Easter Sunday.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And my heart started singing the old song I always sang </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">growing up in my Baptist church on Easter Sunday:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Because He Lives,</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I can face tomorrow.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Because He lives,</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>All fear is gone.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Because I know, who holds the future,</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>and life is worth the living, just because He lives.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And singing that song leading up to Easter Sunday brought me to my knees before a Holy God,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">knowing that through His Son's Resurrection, Death was conquered. And in conquering death, He brings abundant life, even in the face of neurological disease.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>hallelujah, the stone was rolled away!</b> <b>hallelujah, the tomb was empty. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>three years later,</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">my heart races with fear much less frequently.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">relapses or symptoms getting worse may remind me of that fear,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">but they remind me oh-so-much-more of How He has conquered death and fear,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">and my life is worth the living, <i>just because He lives.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">i have hope for now, and so-much-more-hope for eternity,<i> just because HE lives.</i> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">even if my MS becomes debilitating in *this* life, how-much-more will my glorified, perfected body mean to me as I am finally able to <b>walk</b> upon streets of gold, face-to-face with my Savior, my body never again stained with the sin of this world?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>hallelujah, the stone was rolled away!</b> <b>hallelujah, the tomb was empty. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And three years later I'm still singing </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- and even 30 years from now, if the Lord grants me that - </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">may I still sing with the army of angels - </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because HE lives,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can face tomorrow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because He lives,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">all fear is gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because He lives - </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">even with multiple sclerosis -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I can face tomorrow.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Just because He lives. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>--------------------------------------------------------------- </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>another of my favorite Easter songs.</i></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-22616602218041012302015-02-25T11:07:00.002-05:002015-02-25T11:07:20.482-05:00Multiple Sclerosis<div style="text-align: center;">
It's almost mind-bogling that it's been three years. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>3 years full of their own challenges, trials, and heartache.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Three very long and yet oh-so-fast years since the <b>line of demarcation</b> in my life.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the line that almost visibly marked itself </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> - before multiple sclerosis, after multiple sclerosis.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
------------------------</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I try hard not to talk about multiple sclerosis - </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*not* because I'm not okay with it, because <b>only</b> through the grace of God, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am very, very okay with MS.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I can discuss symptoms, challenges, problems </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
without any of the shock-and-awe I had three years ago. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
however, I <i>never</i> want to be one of those people</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that goes on and on and on about health issues or my personal problems. I know everyone has their own {hard} that's equally challenging and faith-building, and I never diminish that.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
MS is just my own personal journey. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But Psalm 107 says </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble</b><span class="p">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">And?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">Oh, how the Lord has redeemed me! so much grace, so much mercy, so much redemption -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">How can I <b>NOT</b> talk about it?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">So, as I become so very, very close to the day that three years ago sent us into</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"> a whirlwind of medical tests, deep, deep emotions, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">and a season of our hearts crying out to Him more intensely than ever before,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="p">I'm saying so.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><b>Saying</b> how He has been so very, very faithful. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">Through His sovereign plan,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">He has allowed me to walk this journey of MS.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">He met me so deeply, so personally amidst the pain,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">that now, looking back on my diagnosis, it was one of the sweetest, richest times of my spiritual life than ever before. I could almost <b>feel</b> the presence of the Lord in my life. so many mornings with coffee and tear-stained pages, verses like</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="p">{they loved not their lives, even unto death} </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">touched my heart in such powerful ways, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">they kept me from racing ahead with the overwhelming fear and anxiety that a progressive neurological disease brought.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">Over the next few days, I will continue to write. Write about what He's taught me through MS, what He's done in my heart, and how every single day my tingling, numbness, weakness, only provides such a tangible reminder of His grace, and How I need Him desperately - as we all so do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="p">Lord, How we need you!</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">I write not for anything I've done -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p">ALL for what HE has done.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><i>for our All-Sovereign, All-Powerful Lord has done so very, very much. </i></span></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="p">Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="p"> </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="p"><b> </b></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-56343890975787597992015-02-07T12:53:00.000-05:002015-02-07T12:53:43.707-05:00When your child-bearing years end...<div style="text-align: center;">
like grains of sand in the palm of my hand,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I can almost feel the time slipping through my fingers.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it's slipping so hard and so fast that the tighter I squeeze the faster it goes.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it goes and goes and goes, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and my heart cries and tears come.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the time goes. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>the last few months of having my baby-girl be a semblance of {baby}. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
she turns 6 in a few short months, and from our oldest son,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i know that 5-to-6, Kindergarten-to-first-grade</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
makes them grow up. a lot. from little kid to {big kid}.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbDkxrBRubH6tlJJ-IPqDZzZL6DmLpA261hnCVOvvfHVbPGXWpUH-OeWxB9-zbMWd9IHrJAk2THJeGkuBcnFvf-s3yVZuVKNU_4Ycjm2sejhT2giBm8bJ4w6RankIFYNrExUu6A/s1600/0c17dbe1-056d-46f3-acf2-8e788d9905e4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbDkxrBRubH6tlJJ-IPqDZzZL6DmLpA261hnCVOvvfHVbPGXWpUH-OeWxB9-zbMWd9IHrJAk2THJeGkuBcnFvf-s3yVZuVKNU_4Ycjm2sejhT2giBm8bJ4w6RankIFYNrExUu6A/s1600/0c17dbe1-056d-46f3-acf2-8e788d9905e4" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a sweet throwback to 3-year-old gracie, the age she is in my heart.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it's a heartache I know all parents know,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but my heart aches even more,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as I never knew she'd be our last one.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
until last July 14, when the hard and fast adoption laws sealed our fate,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and ended my dreams of a larger family.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it's a new reality,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and I'm trusting in the Lord's sovereignty more than ever before.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm trying to embrace the qualities of having slightly-older-kiddos.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
qualities like sleep. a slightly more picked-up house. the ability to drink my coffee while it's {mostly} still warm. seeing them develop a sibling relationship.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
being able to do fun, fun kid activities and have them actually enjoy them and me not just be exhausted from the effort of *getting there*.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but my heart hurts for the days of littler kids, days that I didn't know would be our last until too late.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my heart aches for shopping in the toddler department, signing up for preschool classes, playing in sensory bins, and rocking sweet babies to sleep in fuzzy, footed jammies.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'd like to think I would have cherished those days a bit more had I known they'd be our last.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in my heart of hearts, I thought Miles would be in our family.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but now that our decision of being a family of 4 has been made for us,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the Lord's soveriengty rules my heart more than ever before.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
although I think my heart will always ache,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I trust in truth.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
truth as in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places... </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...no good thing does He withold from those whose walk is blameless...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...all things work for good...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so, perhaps we'll be able to minister to families that also have their child-bearing years end on a "bad" note. perhaps someone, somewhere, will be encouraged to be radical with their faith and orphans, no matter what the journey will hold. perhaps my MS will progress rapidly in the years to come, and it will be a blessing in disguise that we have {only} 2 children to care for.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There are reasons in the heartache, reasons we will never see.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as a dear mentor told me recently,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>nothing happens for nothing.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so, I'm trusting that He, in a way that only our All-Sovereign, All-Mighty Savior can do,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
will work my heartache for good.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and For His Glory.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I wouldn't have it any other way. </b></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-27303669136566790262015-02-06T11:31:00.003-05:002015-02-06T11:31:30.832-05:00Friday Favorites<div style="text-align: center;">
This week has been a little out-of-the-ordinary with our 5-year-old's recovery from her tonsils/adenoids/throat surgery.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Some of my <a href="http://www.momfessionals.com/">favorite bloggers</a> do a Friday Favorites - linking up with them this week. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iFQENjJutlJx3hflFEiNoetcVCldXgjvh7epB0pEqK9ZvpFzfj6l5H9FxjfhrniEVGiYZ317ydzCNcbJ4BZYARKg3TjXApA1CGrRWEssuhrPHTJa9YEOtm8Y8Pe8FrkPNV-1/s1600/fridayfavorites.jpg" height="343" width="400" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
My favorite things from this week?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a husband that loves me enough to re-paint our bedroom.<br />
<i>totally love this paint color!</i><br />
<i>and my husband. ;-)</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Skx60Lnw3Q/VNTnpIeWtLI/AAAAAAAADzM/9XdJlOpZDwg/s1600/IMG_7114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Skx60Lnw3Q/VNTnpIeWtLI/AAAAAAAADzM/9XdJlOpZDwg/s1600/IMG_7114.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
my 8-year-old's first devotional book.<br />
We showed him how to use it, how to look up verses in his Bible and underline them as he likes them...and the very first morning he came downstairs and sat with me at the table to read while I finished up my Bible reading. <br />
<i>I totally choked back tears! sweet boy.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iXuzTgUJCeM/VNTmGoUhjgI/AAAAAAAADy8/3fSwPnCEREI/s1600/IMG_6460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iXuzTgUJCeM/VNTmGoUhjgI/AAAAAAAADy8/3fSwPnCEREI/s1600/IMG_6460.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Cheetah jammies on a 5-year-old.<br />
<i>{she asked if the doctors would recognize her, or if they'd just see a
cheetah. and then said, 'oh, well, they'll see my face." like, for sure
that's the only way they'd know she's not a cheetah. :-)} </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJTxs-ccF2MxB-nzq5YmNASiqKWDZRu69dgGrymVLCDlNnt7RdSmqIHcfZPSbF_vpZ3JCxgK1eeIh5licraYqpZdgglhKmtMzMAJFgPmrzUi-5yu4N0bn0PQ8bB0L1p9_75tzWg/s1600/IMG_7126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJTxs-ccF2MxB-nzq5YmNASiqKWDZRu69dgGrymVLCDlNnt7RdSmqIHcfZPSbF_vpZ3JCxgK1eeIh5licraYqpZdgglhKmtMzMAJFgPmrzUi-5yu4N0bn0PQ8bB0L1p9_75tzWg/s1600/IMG_7126.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
a hopsital that's amazing with children!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQgoqkFFX68/VNTmBXHeQlI/AAAAAAAADy0/ONkskWVX23M/s1600/IMG_7120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQgoqkFFX68/VNTmBXHeQlI/AAAAAAAADy0/ONkskWVX23M/s1600/IMG_7120.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
great necklaces at good prices!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YPzqWfFvt02AqnqnMkHbaPEaURGjX5P9_NWuK9gVpPpwr31Rfy8fRLpf3B6esyGsSs6IiQJVmxbsMetJ1Cp241AnmM8bj11_bnE5If6lyrOAMG5pSCJXYg-m0_9eMI6XAgIwRQ/s1600/IMG_7097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YPzqWfFvt02AqnqnMkHbaPEaURGjX5P9_NWuK9gVpPpwr31Rfy8fRLpf3B6esyGsSs6IiQJVmxbsMetJ1Cp241AnmM8bj11_bnE5If6lyrOAMG5pSCJXYg-m0_9eMI6XAgIwRQ/s1600/IMG_7097.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
toy organization.<br />
<i>my 5-year-old gets her OCD honestly. ;-)</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvDyJYTrCFdfMRptAsyG6b3NAjU_tgr4ZRTLfmT47vFP9rdlJzXVs5kF32ct3Phq-QMP-Gjkb5iLFue4l9anfZgQQsxGl9S1EqejVBn6JVE35Vx8OAdQZe3c5af5SgwaIusAPjQ/s1600/IMG_7106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvDyJYTrCFdfMRptAsyG6b3NAjU_tgr4ZRTLfmT47vFP9rdlJzXVs5kF32ct3Phq-QMP-Gjkb5iLFue4l9anfZgQQsxGl9S1EqejVBn6JVE35Vx8OAdQZe3c5af5SgwaIusAPjQ/s1600/IMG_7106.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Happy Weekend!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-35469730516179340552014-12-06T21:20:00.004-05:002014-12-06T21:20:57.405-05:00Behind the Story<div style="text-align: center;">
a few weeks ago,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i was searching for some random item.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
searching all over the entire house,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I finally decided to open the seldomly-used guest-bedroom-dresser.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
what I found took my breath away.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I stared blankly at the drawer,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not processing the forgetten-about contents.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
blinking my eyes and shaking my head with the dawning of reality,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i quickly shut it and left the room as my tears fell. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>an entire drawer of sized 4T clothing.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
brand new, tags still on.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
neatly folded,<i> waiting</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
fuzzy-lined sweatshirts and cozy cords.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2-piece fitted reindeer jammies and soft red henleys.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> waiting. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
waiting for our sweet Miles. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they remain in that drawer,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
waiting for a son whom will never get to wear them.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
------------------------- </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I've been quiet about Miles. and all orphan care.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not because my heart has forgotten, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but because my heart overflows </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and it's almost impossible to articulate the depth of emotions </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
we've felt the past 12 months of our lives.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
one year ago today,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Matt and I were meeting Miles for the very first time together.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was hugging him for the first time since I met him in January of 2011.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>this is the photo I put on instagram almost exactly a year ago.</i> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BilZgKzKUAo/VIO2CILVLDI/AAAAAAAADv8/61mfR3bQ_XA/s1600/IMG_6587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BilZgKzKUAo/VIO2CILVLDI/AAAAAAAADv8/61mfR3bQ_XA/s1600/IMG_6587.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Miles' shirt and tie and sweet little blazer he'd wear to the Ugandan court.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the ugandan court that would then delay our process,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the delay that would be our first hint that this adoption journey </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
would take a different path than we ever saw coming.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My heart will never understand why the Lord had this path for us.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
why we have an entire drawer full of clothes, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
an entire household of prepared hearts -</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>an entire community of friends and family -</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that will never get to greet and meet and love the intended person.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I will never understand.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But though I have been quiet,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am breaking the silence.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Breaking through our healing hearts to say that I don't want people to see <b>THIS </b>story.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>the story of failed adoption.</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i> </i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>{I want you to see the GOD *behind* the story}.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God who, when originally calling us to adopt,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
provided two *thousand* dollars in TWO WEEKS for us to submit our first paperwork.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God who opened door after door after door in Uganda for us, clearing the path for us to arrive.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God who worked in our family's hearts, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
who made even grandparents love this sweet little boy they had never met.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God who worked in our 7-year-old's heart so much </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that he STILL says our family is a family of <b>five. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>our sweet Grant *counts* Miles in our family, from even around the ocean.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The God who has given me every single doctor I've needed at just the right time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to treat a potentially very serious heart condition.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The God who met us in our pain. Whom loved us through our tears. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God who now has SEVEN Ugandan pastors sponsored monthly through our contacts.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>that's SEVEN pastors preaching the Gospel to people who may never have heard.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that's the God of our story.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that's the GOD I want people to see.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />The God whose ways, even though they are not our ways,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
are infinitely higher than our own. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God who bears our pain and feels our grief.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>{isaiah}</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The God who directs our paths, when even in our understanding, they make zero sense. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>{proverbs}</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The God who chooses to use broken, desperate people, to weave stories for His Glory.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>That's the God we serve.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> See the God <i>behind </i>our story, not just our story itself.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted".</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>job 42</i><b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<b>----------------------</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>sweet Miles, about a year ago. </i><b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNLB5SD9QnE/VIO2KoRM1QI/AAAAAAAADwE/Vs6NYiqgZvw/s1600/Miles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNLB5SD9QnE/VIO2KoRM1QI/AAAAAAAADwE/Vs6NYiqgZvw/s1600/Miles.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-74430788624577992482014-11-07T15:14:00.000-05:002014-11-07T15:23:18.319-05:00Teach me to number my days<div style="text-align: center;">
I saw it while I was racing through Target to get sausage, milk, spinach, and canned pumpkin in the exactly <i>8.3 minutes</i> I had before I needed to be in the school carline. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>a fluffy, frilly, sparkly over-the-top fabulous Holiday dress for little girls.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and I became oh-so-thankful I had only 8.3 minutes or I would've stopped, paused, held the dress up, and probably burst into tears in the middle of the toddler clothing section.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
perhaps it's because last school year, it seemed as though everything were set on a {pause} button as we waited, waited, and waited for the official court date to fly to Uganda.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Perhaps it's because this is the first year I have two kiddos in school</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and it seems like a <i>lot </i>more than one kiddo in school.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
perhaps it's because I'm just older.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>hello, mid-30's. When did that happen?!?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
perhaps it's because I'm grieving the loss of Miles in our family, and I wrestle with the tension of wondering if our family will always be a family of 4 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
while at the same time loving our family being a family of 4.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
whatever it is,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
this school year is flying at record pace.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i seemingly blink my eyes and my kids are bigger. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> and I don't like it.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm done shopping in the toddler-sized section that I've been able to shop in for the past 7 years.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I look at sweet onesies while shopping for a friend's baby shower and finger them longinly.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I remember sweet 5-year-old Grant as I know am doing the same work he did in Kindergarten with his sister.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and my heart aches. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I get a glimpse of understanding of the Psalmist's heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so for now,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I let Grant watch one-too-many Curious George episodes, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as I can't believe he still likes them and I know he won't for very long.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I indulge my 5-year-old's request to carry her downstairs,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
for the days are soon coming that I won't be able to pick her up anymore.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I bite my tongue about shoes not being put away, for just as I miss those sweet onesies,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I know one day I'm going to miss these sized 4 bright orange tennis shoes being in the middle of my laundry room.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Teach me to number my days.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Lord, let not the tyranny of the <b>urgent </b>crowd out the <b>importance</b> of motherhood. May dishes and laundry and to-do lists never become higher on my list than little hearts. </i><br />
<br />
<i>May I learn to love your Word and time with my Savior. </i><br />
<i>Teach my heart than I'm never to busy for time with You.</i><br />
<br />
<i>May I be exceedingly patient and kind and gentle as you are with me, </i><br />
<i>and my I make the most of these few days,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> before they are vanished like vapor.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>{Teach me to number my days}.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>---------------</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="block-indent"><span class="ln-group">for all our days pass away under your wrath;</span><br /><span class="indent">we bring our years to an end like a sigh.</span><br />
<span class="reftext">t</span><span class="ln-group">he years of our life are seventy,</span><br /><span class="indent">or even by reason of strength eighty;</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="block-indent"><span class="br-ln-group-10">so teach us to number our days,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="block-indent"><span class="br-ln-group-10">that we may gain a heart of wisdom.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="block-indent"><span class="br-ln-group-10">psalm 90</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-22635280333212262842014-10-15T14:09:00.002-04:002014-10-15T14:22:36.010-04:00Luke 5<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Jesus.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Standing by the sea of Galilee.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
crowds of people pressing in on him.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>desperate</i> for His teaching.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
perhaps longing for a miracle of their own.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
perhaps needing Jesus like they needed their very breath.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they rush, press, push in on Jesus.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And Jesus?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
he sees two boats in the water.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
out of all the crowds, all the people, all the needs,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jesus <i>sees</i> two fisherman that were having a very rough day.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>their frustration and discouragement weren't lost on the Savior.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
out of the throngs of people,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jesus SAW them.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He sees me, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in my frustration, in my desperation, in my pain, in my life...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Jesus <i>sees</i>}.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Luke 5.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-19306489890932444512014-10-14T16:01:00.000-04:002014-10-14T16:02:06.035-04:00Joseph.<div style="text-align: center;">
{hey! a brief commercial break. Like the new look?<br />
I'm partial to pink and gold, especially gold glitter ;-)} <br />
<br />
--------<br />
<br />
early in the morning hours,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I, once again, flip the worn pages of my Bible to the story of Joseph.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my steaming cup of coffee - in one of my favorite mugs, a deep sunshine yellow -</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
warming my hand,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i read the words, searching for answers.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it's not a secret that it's been a hard few months for us.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
well, really, a hard year.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but as I have started to emerge from this all-encompassing vortex called </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{adoption and adoption loss} I have been living in the past year, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and started to re-connect with our lives as they should be,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i've learned it's been a hard year for lots of my friends as well.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and my heart hurts for them, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
our lives are just hard, and this side of eternity, we won't have answers our hearts desperately seek.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Joseph. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
rejected by his brothers,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sold into slavery, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thrown into a pit.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
his life wasn't making sense.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
our lives for the past year?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they make no sense</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and believe me, I have asked my questions. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But I get to verse 2 of Genesis 39, and my heart pauses.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{but the Lord was with him and he prospers}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the Lord was with him in the midst of the confusion.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in the midst of the pit, in the midst of the being sold into slavery,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in the midst of the being rejected by his family,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{the Lord was with him}. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and my tears come.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the Lord is with me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and for that moment, the moment in the depth of the pain and grief, I cling to that verse.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{the Lord was with him}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
aand pray that it will be enough for my heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that the truth of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{the Lord is with me}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
will be bigger than all my questions. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I pray it will be enough for your heart, too. </i></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-53025836460198115412014-08-11T18:20:00.000-04:002014-08-11T18:20:15.194-04:00To Everyone Who Has Followed our Adoption Journey<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> i write and hit {publish}, fighting back the tears that have been on the verge for the past several months. this is a hard season for us,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a season we never saw coming,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a season we don't understand.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">here's part of the story. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--------------------------------------- </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sneaking a few moments of quiet during the usual loud of our summer schedule,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I sat my coffee down on the floral tablecloth.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I opened my Bible</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but before I could even read the words, tears clouded my vision.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>it wasn't supposed to end like this, Lord.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>{it wasn't supposed to end like this}.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--------------</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">three years ago,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I met a beautiful toddler boy with deep, beautiful brown eyes.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQJ84fcy4zNm05iykXL89N_nLK76CtOysqzyNyhtgE825gZrmlgC3OIgtX3ZNmYzavSC81Kx-ecxfp3QCp6ZZ502o4JUJS3NYzGFJMyyruzJCZjiH8L5NLl_xe6rfpz6Q8C2d/s1600/annawatson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQJ84fcy4zNm05iykXL89N_nLK76CtOysqzyNyhtgE825gZrmlgC3OIgtX3ZNmYzavSC81Kx-ecxfp3QCp6ZZ502o4JUJS3NYzGFJMyyruzJCZjiH8L5NLl_xe6rfpz6Q8C2d/s1600/annawatson.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">in an instant, my heart loved him.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>loved him like only a mother can.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we pleaded for, prayed for, and advocated for him<i> over and over</i> again.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">through a variety of Divine circumstances,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">about a year ago,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the door for adoption had finally opened for us,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and we were thrilled - <i>thrilled! - </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to announce the Lord's leading in our life to </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">defend the cause of the fatherless and bring Miles </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-a now 4-year-old -</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">home forever.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The Lord clearly led in every step of the grueling international adoption process,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">even using social media in amazing ways.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So many of you -</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>friends near and far -</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">surrounded us and championed our journey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we felt your excitement as you donated money to provide shoes, books, and over 600 pairs of underwear to fly around the world to Miles' friends at his orphanage.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">you {liked} and commented on my facebook and instagram statuses,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and told us time and time again that you were praying for us,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">praying for Miles.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we returned home from Uganda in mid-December,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">our adoption journey became infinitely harder.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Most of you know that we, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">as a family,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">have faced health crises after health crises,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>month after month.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In January I was diagnosed with a heart condition, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">which, through the Lord's sovereignty,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">would allow Matt to travel back to Uganda in March.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In April,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my heart condition returned,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">causing serious chest pain, pressure, and fatigue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The world of international adoption is complicated,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and international adoption laws change regularly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />The US enacted a new law that went into effect recently,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a law that changed the way Ugandan adoptions are processed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This new law meant that after July 14, 2014,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">essentially our Ugandan legal papework would be nullified.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With my heart condition,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it made international travel simply not safe or healthy for myself or our family.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, with grieving hearts,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we recently passed this deadline of July 14,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">knowing that our dream of Miles living under our roof</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">was different than the plan our Sovereign Lord has for us.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My finite, human heart cannot understand the journey the Lord has taken our family on,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but we trust in what we Cannot See to do that which we cannot do.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We hare making plans for Miles to receive some medical care he is in need of,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and<b> he remains our son,</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">whether under our roof in Indiana </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or in the red dirt of beautiful Uganda.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know that words are not enough,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but I will say it anyway.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Thank you.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thank you for supporting this journey with us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">thank you to all of you who have bought a body butter or lip balm or body scrub -</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">every.single.penny has gone towards bringing Miles home.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thank you for all the care and love and prayers you have given us over the past year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">thank you for all your encouraging posts and comments -</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">even through facebook and instagram I have felt surrounded by friends. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mostly,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">thank you for <i>pleading the cause of the fatherless</i> with us,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">even when the end purpose is different than we ever saw coming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">he remains our son. even in Uganda.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>he remains our son.</i></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28113156.post-67908081736310021322014-07-11T11:22:00.001-04:002014-07-11T15:20:22.858-04:00Listen to Your Mother<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In April,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was honored to read as a part of <a href="http://listentoyourmothershow.com/">Listen to Your Mother.</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it truly gives motherhood a megaphone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here is my story. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's bittersweet to share this, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">as our journey with adoption has a different ending than we ever saw coming</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{but that's a different blogpost}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but I was honored to share it along side of the other women sharing their hearts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and, this really was my heart. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">here it is.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>and, yikes, myself on video!!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LIwv-fHUQ0Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the<a href="http://youtu.be/LIwv-fHUQ0Q?list=PL5oPQWgVdsDk-vfoa2dAKVEeUtO7KdvDD"> direct link</a> for people that may want it.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Anna</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17334440538488591130noreply@blogger.com3