Post Script

And I love you in New Mexico and Washington and Illinois and anywhere else I may have forgotten to name. You are divinely placed.

BabiesBabiesBabies!

This weekend I got to go to a Living Proof Live event in San Antonio, TX where I heard my favorite Bible teacher, Beth Moore. It was a wonderful weekend (despite the somewhat amusing spectacle that I am in a swimsuit at the hotel pool!). I really felt blessed when we first arrived at the event and I met a woman (a friend of a friend) whom I had prayed for when she lost a baby to miscarriage a few months ago and found out that she is expecting again! Alright, I know that was a really poor sentence, but it's hard to care when I'm this emotional. I just choked up right there in the Alamodome before the conference even began--it felt like affirmation to me. After that we had an incredible time of worship (it's been a long time since I've experienced worship like that!) before Beth got up to speak. Imagine my surprise when the first thing Beth did was announce that her daughter is four months pregnant and speak a blessing over all of the expecting moms in the room! I truly believe God has a calling on our little ones in their generation because I keep finding out about one godly couple after another who are expecting. I also think it's noteworthy that these little ones are so spread out geographically. I hope you'll join me in praying for the following babies: Baby C. and Baby Girl H. (both making their debuts in December), Baby H., Baby B., and Baby P. (all arriving in February and all part of our family!), Baby L., Baby M. and Baby P. in March, Baby N. and Baby S. in April, and Baby C. in May! These babies represent six states in the USA, 3 cities in Texas, and one of these little ones is all the way in New Zealand!
One last thing about the Living Proof Live message--one key point in Beth's lesson was: "I am an heir of God. My life is not left to chance." It hit me like a ton of bricks and yet made me feel light as a feather. Everything that has happened has been in His hands and the timing of our baby is not a coincidence. My life is not left to chance. Neither is yours. While I wonder how many of these babies' paths will cross and when, God knows every day allotted to each one of them, where they will grow up, who they will marry, who their best friends will be, what their gifts will be. I know some of my friends out there are searching for jobs and learning new cultures and starting churches and stepping out in faith in a dozen other ways. But God knew when you were only centimeters long where you would be in this season and it is not a chance! I am crying. I love the Lord. And I love you, my friends in Japan and Chicago and Dallas and Andrea, whatever state you are in (I can't remember), and Belton, and Bryan/College Station, and Lubbock, and Nashville, and North Carolina. You are divinely placed.

Good News!

Well, Beth and Baby came out of surgery just fine and I think everything is looking good from what I hear. Praise the Lord! And many thanks to the people who prayed for her. I can't wait until our little twin cousins are born. Around six months to go!

My sister

Today I am worried about my sister-in-law Beth. She is thirteen weeks pregnant with our baby's little cousin and she's in surgery to have a cyst removed from her right ovary. It took a little while for Jon to calm me down this morning when they took her to the ER. I feel more at peace now. I just keep reminding myself that God is in control. He will come through for Beth and her little one, I am sure.
I think I might be losing my mind (apparently a common complaint of pregnancy). I almost called the doctor to see if I could go in and hear the baby's heartbeat again just to make me feel better. But then I remembered that I just had an ultrasound yesterday! So I decided to wait on revealing my true craziness to the staff at my doctor's office since it's not likely anything changed since yesterday.

Baby Bump

I had a fun weekend--when I started to get ready for a wedding reception Saturday I realized I couldn't zip up any of my dresses! I had been telling people I wasn't really showing yet. I guess I was wrong! Trish took me on an emergency shopping trip and we got some maternity clothes. Once I got into some clothes that actually fit, I realized how uncomfortable I've been by unconsciously "sucking in!" I have heard pregnant women complain about their changing bodies, but I love everything about it! Every symptom makes me feel like the baby really is going to be okay. And I never got to buy maternity clothes last time, so for me it was fun. I prayed and others prayed for God to give me joy and allow me to enjoy my pregnancy. He comes through every time!

7 in O9!

I am feeling much more confident this week even though I don't have a doctor's appointment again until the 13th! I know a lot of people have prayed for us and I can really feel the hand of God on me. I am so excited about what He is doing! We keep hearing about babies that will be born around the same time as our little one and I think God is doing something really special. So far there are seven babies due within two months of each other in 2009. Four of them are going to be little cousins of our baby and two are friends. God has them all spread out across the country and the world and I really believe every one of them will make it and every one of them will have a heart to know Jesus! We are especially thrilled about the little one our sister Bethany is expecting only three days before our own! I love the Lord who turns mourning into joy! Thanks for the prayers!