100 Days to Go...

Today marks 100 days until my due date - seems like forever away and tomorrow at the same time. I have so much to do before the baby joins us.

I had my doctor's appointment this morning and everything went perfectly. The doctor said everything was as it should be and that the baby had a nice strong heartbeat. I did find out that I will have another sonogram at about 35 weeks.

Last month I had some liver function tests that were a bit off, so I had to repeat the liver function test today. The doctor suggested that I might have gallstones and said she wanted to make sure that my levels didn't continue to increase. I just got the results a few minutes ago and nothing is elevated now! Praise the Lord! One part of the test showed that one level was a bit low, but I'm not sure what that means. It was low last time also and this time its lower still. I guess she will tell me in three weeks when I go back. In three weeks when I return I will be changed to an every two week cycle for my appointments because of starting the third trimester. When I go for my next appointment I also have to drink the orange flavored sugar water then check my glucose levels an hour later. Everything was perfect today! I took my eight year old daughter with me to the appointment and she was just fascinated with hearing the baby's heartbeat and being there for the appointment. The doctor made her feel like a special big sister too.

Please continue to pray for the precious little one (who loves to jump around and kick) and that the next 14 weeks are healthy for the bundle of joy and for me. Thanks!

Choices

Watch this powerful video that shows how a single choice ripples and can destroy a family... - (Thanks Lisa for emailing the link to me.)

* You may want to shield little eyes and ears from the start of this video *

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

As parents we are entrusted with precious treasures when God gave us our children. When they are young its our responsibility to be careful what their little eyes see and ears hear.

It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. ~ Luke 17:2

Pray for families. Pray for men and women, fathers and mothers that when they make choices they are choices that will positively effect their children and their world... Choices that make our Heavenly Father smile... Choices that lead others to HIM!

"Let no Christian parents fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Serving Others

Rick in Alaska

Serving others through mission work can be life changing both for those who are served and those who have the honor of serving. This morning our Work and Witness Team (short term missions) to Alaska shared during our morning worship service. It was great to hear from each team member (five adults - my husband, Rick included and two teens) how God worked in their lives during their time in Alaska and to hear that some of them are considering future mission trips.

This morning in Sunday school we discussed the financial aspect of going of Work and Witness trips (mainly airfare). I was pleased to hear that others hearts are burdened to make a difference closer to home also and to use the money that would have been spent for travel expenses to make a difference in the lives of people closer to home. I think both types of trips have value.

This evening during our missions service we were privileged to hear from two of our teens who traveled closer to home for their Work and Witness project. Last year they traveled to Mississippi to help with the hurricane repairs (which are still ongoing). It touches my heart deeply to see young men striving to serve and finding their place in ministry. Pray for Nathan and Timothy that God will continue to work in their lives and lead them to the ministries where HE can use them.

Have any of you taken part in a short term mission project? If so how did it change your life and or world view? If you haven't been on a short-term missions trip would you consider it?

I am Strange!

Last week when I took my kids to the water park, I was walking in the lazy river (this picture is not of our community water park, unfortunately). The lazy river is about 3 feet deep and has a current that flows to move the tubes everyone is required to use. I put the tube around myself and instead of floating, I walk - have to get some exercise somehow since the gym was vetoed for me. As I was walking down the lazy river, picking up trash and stray tubes, a thought for a blog post came to mind, so I hit the next exit and grabbed my bag to find a pen and paper. How many people would jump out of their tube on the lazy river on a hot, sunny day to run back to their chair to jot down a few notes for a blog entry? I know, I'm strange!

My husband returned from a Work & Witness (short term missions) trip to Big Lake, Alaska last Wednesday afternoon and his short term service encouraged me to think about life. Our lives as Christians are 24/7 Work & Witness projects. No matter where we are or what we are doing we should look for opportunities to serve others regardless of their faith. Acts of service could be as simple as picking up litter on the sidewalk or holding a door for someone or they may require more thought, sacrifice and effort. We need a constant open line of communication with our Savior, Jesus Christ through Bible reading and prayer so we are alerted to His will for each moment of each day.

Are you floating down the river of life just looking at the scenery and enjoying the ride or are you looking for ways to serve and love those you come in contact with each day? As my brother, David, told me one day, he walks around with his eyes open. We should all strive to do likewise.

Remember, we may not receive a reward on earth, but keep living, loving and serving during your time as a stranger on this earth and prepare for eternity with Jesus in the home we were created for... All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. ~ Hebrews 11:13

22 Weeks and Counting

My friends, Jim and Cheryl, took some pictures of me and the kids on Saturday, July 26th since I've been negligent on taking pictures this pregnancy.

I saw my doctor today (almost 22 weeks along) and she said that everything is going terrific with my pregnancy now. She had me do one blood test today to check for an issue with my liver that may be nothing at all. She said that I'm doing well and that the baby is doing great. My blood pressure was perfect today - of course I went to the appointment alone and didn't have to rush my family who would rather be sleeping off to an early morning appointment they would rather miss. Rick would like to be at every appointment, but he'd like to be beamed there without having to get out of bed. So I will be going to my future appointments alone unless there is some reason I need someone else to drive.

Thank you all for your ongoing prayers for me and the baby!

August 1 Update - I received an email from the lab with my results for the liver function tests and some of them are elevated. Then a while later I got an email from my doctor's office saying that the doctor reviewed my results and needs me to repeat the test at my next appointment and that the orders are in the system already. My guess is that they want to make sure the levels don't increase in the next month. The doctor said she wanted to do a test for Cholestasis of Pregnancy when I mentioned that I was experiencing itching all over my body. I thought that it might be from a combination of sun screen, chlorine and dry skin, but she just wants to be sure.

Up for a Challenge?

I receive email newsletters from Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Revive Our Hearts Ministries) and she posed a challenge in a recent message. Actually she gave options for multiple challenges (involving husbands, your pastor, your pastor's wife, and the television). Check out this link and decide on the best challenge for you and your situation. I think all four of them our worthy of consideration and any of the four could be a catalyst for spiritual growth in our lives.

Give it a try it could change your life!

Do Something that Matters!

My church (in cooperation with churches throughout our church district) is raising money for wells in Haiti through the Haiti Water Project. The Haitian wells were the focus for our VBS offering this summer and we are extending the opportunity to contribute to the offering over the next couple weeks in order to help the project even more.

Watch a short piece highlighting how the Haiti Water Project is making a difference in communities in Haiti -- and how we can all get involved.

For churches in Haiti—where more than half of the eight million people there don’t have access to safe drinking water— it means they can become the source of both the literal and spiritual water of life. Young children in Haiti have to walk up to six hours each day to retrieve water.

For approximately $1,000, a church can build one well that will affect the lives of two thousand-plus people for years to come. If each of the 500 Nazarene churches in Haiti had a well on its property, it would mean one million changed lives. Various groups are partnering with local churches in Haiti to empower them to provide sustainable water resources for the people in their communities. It’s a dream right now. What would it take to make it a reality? Consider making a donation.

THE HAITI WATER PROJECT: GET INVOLVED

The Haiti Water Project is a simple concept: Create sustainable water resources that empower local churches in Haiti to meet the needs around them. Here are 4 simple ways you can get involved:

Learn.

Find out more about the needs in Haiti and how you can get involved. Start with the Haiti Water Project site at www.caribnaz.org, and then do some research on your own.

Talk.

Raise awareness about the need for clean water in Haiti and the ways we can all get involved. Talk about it with people you know.

Join the Haiti Water Project cause on Facebook, and invite your friends. Spread the word about the need and the simple ways we can help meet that need.

Teach others through your words and actions about how they can get involved in God’s call for action in our world — and specifically in Haiti.

Act.

The cost of a well is as little as $1,000. Individuals can donate part (or all) of the cost a well, or groups can go in together to donate the cost of an entire well.

Come up with creative ways people can give.

• Example: Give Up Your Bottles. In the U.S. we spent $15 billion (yes, billion) on bottled water last year. That’s enough money to supply clean water for all of the 1.1 billion people in the world who don’t have access to safe water. Give the money you would normally spend on bottled water in a month to the Haiti Water Project so people in Haiti can have clean water.

• Example: Host a benefit [fill in the blank]. Showcase your talents (and/or those of your friends) and use the proceeds to partner with HWP. Make it a concert or writer’s night or photography exhibit or …

• Example: Organize a fundraiser to help raise money for wells in Haiti. If you’re into running, you could do something like a community-wide 5K race. If you’re a creative designer type, you could sell T-shirts you design. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination.

Pray.

Pray for the people in Haiti. Pray for church leaders there. Pray for the children. Pray for the families. Pray that God would provide resources for the churches in Haiti to meet the needs around them.

God loves HIS children in Haiti and we as their brothers and sisters can make a difference in their lives through sacrificial giving and prayer. Prayerfully consider how you might ACT to help make the lives of those in Haiti more tolerable.

* Materials and photos used by permission of http://www.caribnaz.org/

Midpoint Sonogram

This morning my family and I went for the midpoint sonogram. It's hard to believe we are at the halfway point now. The sonogram was quick because the technician said the baby was cooperative. The technician was actually running almost an hour behind before he saw me and said that he made up a lot of time with my appointment since the baby posed appropriately. He said that everything looks terrific and that we have a healthy baby. The pictures taken today (19 weeks) were a bit fuzzy (ok not even anywhere near true - they are incomprehensible) in my opinion, but I will scan and post one from today anyhow.
July 16 (19 weeks)

Since the sonogram from today is so hard to interpret, I'm going to share one from June 19th (15 weeks) also, since its a bit easier to see and I feel I owe you something with the title saying "Sonogram."


Please continue to pray for the rest of the pregnancy and for a quick safe delivery. Because of the rod along side my spine epidurals are not even an option. I've been blessed with two quick labors and am hoping for the same this time. Of course as I said before I don't want it to be so quick that I end up having a baby on the interstate so any number of people could see my face on the local news. I had my first baby 6 hours after arriving at the hospital (I wasn't in labor - it was just a precautionary thing because the plan was to induce me in the morning). My second child was born almost 2 hours after arriving at the hospital. We have a different insurance this time and the hospital isn't five miles from home like the last two times. The time the little one decides to bless us with his or her presence will let us know whether its a 20 minute drive to the hospital or a two hour drive (crazy traffic during rush hour). If this one is like the other two it will be born late at night which will eliminate the traffic issues. I guess we will have to wait and see!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

Vacation Bible School

My church is having VBS this week - the theme is Fruits of the Spirit! Please pray for the children that are attending (and those that have been invited, but not yet come) that they will feel the love of Christ and that they will come to a relationship with Him or that the ground work will be laid for them to come to the Lord. Pray also for the parents of those who may be un-churched that they feel comfort with our church or that they find a church somewhere that will meet the needs of their children and themselves.

Pray also for the children's ministers who traveled a great distance in an RV to share the love of the Lord with the children of our community and church. Pray that the workers from our church will sense God's presence in the work they are doing and that all the glory goes to God.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

~ Galatians 6:9-10

Pregnancy Update

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday and the visit went really well. My doctor's main concern was that my blood pressure is high whenever I come to the office. Interestingly enough when my blood pressure is taken away from the doctor's office its always fine. He said that if someone looked at my blood pressure record he'd have to explain why I wasn't on medication for high blood pressure. I assured him that my blood pressure is elevated because I'm rushing around trying to motivate my family to get to an appointment when they'd rather be sleeping. So from now on I'm going to go to my doctor's appointments alone and it will be better for the whole family. Getting myself out the door in time for an appointment is no big deal. The doctor asked the nurse to take a second blood pressure reading after my appointment and the results were perfect. He ordered a panel of tests for blood pressure issues which I completed at the lab yesterday and every single test came out within the normal range.

He still wants me to rest as much as possible and to say out of direct heat and sunlight. He also wants me to drink lots of water (I'm the Queen of Water Drinking) which is no problem at all. My gym membership is on hold until next January per doctor's orders. He said I could go to the pool as long as I went after the heat of the day and as long as I drank water even if I didn't feel thirsty because people often dehydrate while at the pool - again not a problem.

My sonogram is scheduled for July 16th and they will do a thorough check on the baby and the placenta. So I feel that my appointment was terrific news! Thank you all for your concern and prayers - keep them coming :)