Seriously?!

Let's go back to Wednesday for a second...I woke up and still had no signs of my monthly friend coming. I was 6 days late, but still in denial and expected it to come at any time. My original plan was to take a test on Friday morning, but I was getting restless and anxious! So I decided to go buy the tests on my lunch break Wednesday, and would wait until Thursday morning to take one. Well, about 2:30 on Wednesday, I couldn't take it anymore. I went into the bathroom at work, stick in my purse, and did my thang! I placed it on the counter and just began to pray. I just asked God for peace in the event that it was negative, and that I just truly wanted His will and not mine. I waited for what felt like 30 minutes, then decided to slowly glance at the result window of my pregnancy test. To my complete and total shock, one word was on the screen: PREGNANT!!! I think it even had the exclamation marks on it :) I just covered my face, sat on the bathroom floor, and cried happy tears of joy to God for this miracle. I always wondered what my reaction would be when I finally saw that word. Words cannot describe what I felt, and am still feeling. It feels like I am pretending. I think it will all be more real on Monday, at my first doctor's appointment. I just want to hear them say, "You really are pregnant!!!" I thank God every few minutes for this beautiful, sweet, precious miracle that He has blessed Brian and I with.

Wednesday evening we made our rounds to share our good news with family and friends. I must say, we have a GREAT support team and this baby will be loved to the max!

So far, the only signs I am experiencing is frequent bathroom trips and FOOD!!! I have found in the last week or so that it seems like an hour after I eat a full meal, I feel like I haven't eaten in DAYS! That was kind of a small sign to me, but of course I let it slide. Right now, my baby is only about 1 mm big, the size of an orange seed!!! I downloaded an app on my iPhone from the What to Expect books. It provides you with weekly updates and this is what it said for Week 5 (which is about how far I think I am)..."Your baby's heart is made up of 2 tiny channels called heart tubes--and they're already hard at work, beating to their own drummer. When those tubes fuse together, your baby will have a fully functioning heart (though it almost certainly already has its grip on yours)." I definitely started crying as I read that! And yes, our baby already has a grip on both of our hearts and we cannot wait to experience God's blessing and miracle of parenthood...

Love is in the air!!!

Love is such a blessing from above! Lately I have been surrounded by love, and love it! My Lord and Savior shows me love each and every day and pours out His grace upon me, even when I mess up so badly. My hubby also loves me unconditionally, and is so very good to me. My friends and family are such examples of love as well. I recently got the opportunity to wish my best friends Justin and Hannah Wofford a Happy 1st Anniversary! A year ago Sunday I had the priviledge to stand with them as they exchanged vows in front of friends, family, and God. They are such a joy to me and I am so happy that God brought them together.

In 18 days, my other best friend Leslie will be united in marriage with her sweetie Brian. I will be standing beside her as she begins this new journey in her life. Leslie, I pray that you and Brian put God first in all things, and the rest will fall into place. I am so happy for you two and wish you many years of love and hapiness. Never go to bed angry and keep your love alive! Also remember that love's not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for...

On July 16th, another sweet couple will be saying "I do." Amy Jo and Adam are such an example of God's perfect timing. They have come through a long journey to get to where they are, and it is so awesome to know that God knew what He was doing the whole time; guiding them and directing them towards each other's hearts. Amy & Adam, I know that God has such big plans for the two of you. Marriage is such a sweet blessing from above, and I know you will enjoy every minute of it...well, maybe not every minute, like when Adam leaves the toilet seat up, or Amy forgets to turn off her straightener and you have to go all the way back home to make sure it doesn't burn the neighborhood down. But you get my point. :)

Love is beautiful and I am so glad to see it all around me. Thank you, God, for showing us Your love, and for commanding us to love in return. I pray that we show love to others the way that You have first loved us...even to those we do not know.

The Power of the Cross

We had our Easter drama, "The Risen Christ" on Sunday night. Let me tell you...the Holy Spirit was all kinds of present in that place! In fact, He showed up long before we did.

First of all, one of our actors had just gotten in from a mission trip to Mexico, and really had not had but 3 hours to practice his lines. He did phenomenal! No one in that church would have ever known he only learned his lines that day.

Also, when we all got there to practice that day, you could feel God's presence sitting in on us, watching us prepare for the night ahead. If you have ever sang in choir or church, you know that usually you just go with the flow in practice and then when the real thing comes, you really sometimes feel that overwhelming presence of the Lord. Well, at this practice, people were raising their hands in praise to Him, and just singing about His glory. It was quite an amazing feeling to just worship Him with my brothers and sisters in choir.

But little did we know that was only the beginning to an amazing night of God working in the lives of those around us. The play started and the actors began to retell the resurrection story. Once again, we could all feel the Holy Spirit as we did our best to reenact this beautiful event. The beautiful love story that God wrote just for us. As the service was concluding and the invitation was given, one of my very close friends took that long walk down the aisle and gave her life to Christ. Praise the Lord! She too felt the Spirit calling her to let Him into her heart and she finally welcomed Him in.

I went home feeling so overwhelmed at the love of God for us...sending His son to die a horrible, wretched death for us...all so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with Him. I know people ask all the time, "Would you die for anyone?" but I think the harder question is, "Would you lay down the life of your child, your own flesh and blood, for anyone? How about the whole world who, in return, mocks you and spits in your face for this sweet precious sacrifice that you made just for them?" I am not yet a mother, but I cannot even fathom the feeling of giving up my child for anyone or anything.

"This the power of the cross; Christ became sin for us. Took the blame, bore the wrath, we stand forgiven at the cross..."

A work in progress...

I have really come to realize lately that I am a work in progress. I have so many faults and God loves me in spite of those. Time and time again He pours His mercy over me without hesitation. Isn't it comforting to know that He does that for us? I think about my earthly relationships...my husband, mother, father, sisters, friends, etc. There are times that we do things and sometimes hurt one another and do not know how we will be able to forgive and forget. But with God...there is no doubt that He will not receive us back into His arms if only we ask. We hurt Him each and every day, most of the time without even acknowledging it. But when we do, and we ask for His forgiveness, He totally wipes out our sins as if they never even happened. What an example of love...

I often struggle with love. Love for those who I do not know or do not like. But God commands us to "Just as I have loved you, you are to love one another" (John 13:34). Wow...can you imagine if every one of us loved each other as He loves us? We would basically be living in a utopia. The word "love" is mentioned in the Bible somewhere around 442 times...God is love. And he wants us to love too...

I'm gonna end this post with a song I learned as a child, and still often think about...
"He's still workin' on me, to make me what I 'oughta be. It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars, the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be...He's still workin' on me."