The Home Stretch

When I saw my Dr just yesterday he said "Heading towards the finish line, Are we?"  I always feel about this time in a pregnancy that the baby could just come any day.  getting excited and anticipating his or her birth.  However with a past like mine I can anticipate along time even or the expected time and be caught sitting around still anticipating the birth of a child.  My last precious gift I looked for from the end of June since he was my third and they usually come earlier the more times you carry.  Not him He was born July 31st weighing in at 9lbs. -7oz.  A perfect ten on the Apgar score. and holding his head up at birth.
So for me I start anticipating early, and just get to look for "the Day" longer.
Well two nights ago (Early morn April 8th) I was awoken in the middle of the night by this precious child in my stomach, it didn't really hurt but never the less it was like I could see what was going on, as I felt him stretch out in my stomach, I could feel his little feet and body push all the way up in my diaphram as he took a huge stretch. At this pt in pregnancy the baby is just starting to outgrow the little space they have for almost nine mos been comfortably nestled into.  as they begin to outgrow that space we get more excited about their birth.  Anticipating it every day.  They of course just know by God that it's time to come out when it's uncomfortable to stay in, but if you think about it they have no idea what's out there.  They just know they are getting a little uncomfortable staying in this spot!!
Well this morning I awoke thinking of the  baby soon to come out of my pouch!!  And I thought of God and how he prepares our lives and the life of everyone he calls to himself.  How much he must anticipate the rebirth of a new Christian.  As he feels the world around them, becoming so uncomfortable they can no longer bear it. Because of the conviction the Lord has allowed us to feel before we accept him.  waiting for us to come to that point of I don't know what's out there but I can no longer stay here.  I can no longer be cramped in this darkness. It is way too uncomfortable here.  Then we come to the point where we know without  a shadow of a doubt that we must be born again.
It's neat how all of this compares to a Baby being born and made in the womb of a mother.
If you look at God's created world you can see pictures of salvation all over but the pregnancy and birth of a child is by far the closest of them all.    

Seeds of Grace

This whole holiday I've been stuffing myself with "good food" Turkey, ham, dressing, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, potatoes, rolls, cheesecake, you name it we've had it over the Christmas break.  After looking back after I vegged out on anything other than veggies. I thought "Maybe that wasn't so good for my baby" but it was already done.   I did not worry but it concerned me that I may not be eating the best for his or her development.  I think it's because all the starchy foods make you feel blah tired and yes ..fat!!

Well this morning , first day back to school for the fiscal year of 2010, my daughter Gracelyn noticed a red bird pecking the ground out side of our house.  It was a cardinal eating off the ground in 25 degree weather .  God was providing for the cardinal and it was like through that beautiful little bird he said "I am providing for you and your baby just what you need too"  It was so simple yet so beautiful and then the scripture came into my mind from

 Matthew 6:26

 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?

This brought me comfort and reminded me that "God provides for his own" He is in control and no matter what he is taking care of my unborn child.  It is so easy to worry about what we do not know or understand anytime during pregnancy is and can be uncertain. So no matter if your in the first trimester "trying to make it out of the woods of a miscarriage",  the second trimester, "concerned with health and development" or the third, "anticipating the safe and healthy birth of your new little one" just rest in the fact that this baby is Gods creation and you and this child are "Valuable" to Him.  He is going to provide the comfort and peace that we need.

Thought to ponder:  Think about the things that "concern" us about pregnancy and ask God to provide peace and comfort for those needs.

Let's Pray:

Gracious Heavenly Father,

Thank you once again for this little life living, breathing and moving inside of me.  Thank you that you provide for the needs of the birds Lord, the sparrow one of the smallest birds, and they do not worry about how or where to feed their young.  Help me to rest in your peace Lord knowing that you are providing just what I need for where I am in my pregnancy and only you Lord know where that is.  You Lord know exactly what this baby needs daily and I pray you will provide that nourishment for this child's needs.  Thank you, Lord for also taking care of me, Thank you that I am valuable to you along with this child and I can rest knowing that you Lord are my sole provider of all my needs.  Thank you Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Preparing to Breath

What an amazing thing!!  I woke up this morning to the feel of jumping in my stomach.  Not a turning jumping that stopped but an uncontrollable continuous jumping.  At first since it's been almost seven yrs. since the last time I was pregnant, this alarmed me. Then I remembered "hiccups" thats what that is.  And after a few minutes they ceased. I then remembered hiccups in my other pregnancies and what their purpose is.  Hiccups exercise the little ones lungs preparing them to breathe when they are born  As I marveled over the child in my stomach having hiccups, It became very real to me that God is preparing my little one to breathe and that his word says "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!  Today was Gods timing to begin to prepare this lovely child "my sweet baby" to praise him!!!

I think That is ...Wonderful!!!

Psalms 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD!"

Today I believe I am approx. 24 weeks along the date is Dec 28th.  Calculate your date and the day God saw it time to begin to prepare your baby to praise Him.

Let's pray:  Thank you Lord  for this beautiful child living and growing inside of me.  Thank you for preparing him or her to live and praise you all the days of their life.  The days only you Lord already know. Lord give me the strength and ability to lead and guide this child to follow you Lord, and may this child praise you all the days of their life. This I pray in Jesus name Amen.

This Christmas Gift

This year everything's been crazy just trying to get everything done.  Kids school parties, extra curricular activities, church functions, decorating and all the fun things that come along with the Christmas Holidays.
I was out shopping the other day for gifts for the kids.  So many different things to choose from, most of them small and electronic this year, I become hesitant on what to buy.  Is it going to be out dated and upgraded after the new year? Should I wait to see if a newer and better one is on the way?  After they play with it for a week or so are they still going to appreciate this gift??  Since everything is constantly changing and  getting better in our material world once you think you've got the best of something you realize they came out with a newer model, better picture, takes pictures has video, more memory etc.....
As I was thinking about all of this I looked down at the baby nestled in my stomach and it dawned on me.  This Christmas I had the gift of life that only God can give.  This child, though I do not know what sex it will be, can never be upgraded, when it's born it will be all it needs to be, God designed this baby especially for our family, and it is the perfect gift from him.  The best thing about it, God gives this gift and it costs nothing.  Now surely by next Christmas it will cost something as I will have another little one to place gifts under the tree for, but the life itself is a perfect gift from Al-Mighty God.

 No Upgrade Needed!!!!

Faith

Fleeting Time

Time is fleeting.  It passes by us so quickly and pregnancy is no different especially if you have other young ones at home and a family to take care of.  One minute you find out your expecting , before you know it your in your second trimester soon after you begin to "show", then your in your third trimester and before you ever have a chance to think your holding a little miracle in your arms. And I am not going into how fast time flies from that moment on but time does fly especially when we are so busy.
Once we have our baby some thing happens to the brain and fortunate for some yet unfortunate for others, you forget almost completely how it was to be pregnant.  Now if you had a bad pregnancy, were sick and miserable this is part of Gods way of saving you from holding anger and animosity against your sweet baby when it is born.  You know that has to be a picture from God about how Christ loves us.  Before we were born again we sinned and we hurt God by many things we said , did and the choices we made.  We did not live our life for God, obey him or show respect to him for the things he's done for we knew not.  However God knew he died for us and he wanted us to be a part of his family.  Now imagine the hurt we caused to him but his word says "he remembers not our sins" once we give our life to him and we are born again God through the blood of Jesus washes away our sin.  They are seen no more. We can live a knew life for our savior loved by our savior and that is awesome.
So the glorious parrrallel to our pregnancy is the pregnancy may or may not be uncomfortable to you,but what ever the case when you look into your newborns eyes it will all be washed away and you will start a new day where you will never be the same again. similarly our sins and choices that once hurt God he washes away and when we become a new creature in Christ our lives will never be the same again.

Let's pray:
Father God, Thankyou that like a pregnancy you do not remember all the times I have hurt you.  Thankyou that you are a loving God who does not hold our wrongs against us. Thankyou for all the things you can show us through pregnancy and help us to see exactly what you want and desire to show us.  Open our spirit and heart to your plan for this child's life and for me.  Thankyou for giving me another child to look foward to and help us to be the parents and mothers that you would have us to be.

In the Begginning

            "In the beginning God created........"  Creation is in the center of our Saviors heart.  He began with creation and so it is no surprise that he is still creating His world, only now he continues his creating through reproduction..  And he allows his children to be part of this miraculous process.  Have you ever thought about what a miracle a baby is? How does something go from the size of a mustard seed to a baby, sufficient to breathe and live, and grow in just 40 weeks time. This is truely amazing!! Even more amazing to me is the fact that all the limbs and the head the organs and everything form perfectly as if they were poured into a mold. We are by far the most complex creature that God created to live on this Earth and just think He can do that in just 40 weeks.  That is why I call this "The 40 week Miracle"

 Today: Calculate and find out when God began your 40 week journey.   Fill in the date you believe you conceived.  You can calculate this by the first day of your last menstrual cycle, add 14 days to it and this is close to the date you conceived. Write this in your Journal.

Pondering Moment:  Take a moment today to reflect on what God is doing in your life and the miracle of  creation,pregnancy and birth.  Stop and thank Him for allowing you to be part of His creation and the honer of bringing a new life into this world.

Let's Pray:

Father, Thank you for choosing me to be a part of continuing creation in Your World.  Thank you for choosing me to be a mother to a child only you already know.  Please Lord help me from this moment on to make decisions that will lead this child into the plan you have for it's life.  Show me how to pray for this child each and every day.  Bless this pregnancy, help me to be well and the Baby to be forming perfectly as you have planned.  Help me really to see the miracle of carrying and giving birth to a child as you would have me to see it.  Help me to rest in Faith knowing you Lord have everything under control.  Thank you again for giving me the gift of honer to bring life into this world and help me to be a blessing to you.