a day (or two) in the life.

I feel as though my heart has gone through several “seasons” of growth in the past weeks since I have updated our family blog. The Lord has been busy at work in our family. There is nothing sweeter than His nearness to us, for He truly is our portion.

My lovely grandmother passed away in the middle of September. It has been a time of sorrow for our extended family. God’s grace has allowed it to be more sweet than bitter to my soul. His ways are so perfect. There are several  things I will always remember about her and hold dear. I am thankful that she was able to know Ayden and share the joy and anticipation of our twins’ arrival. Learning about life by observing and being close to those who have experienced more years than we have is a precious gift.

Most recently,  the Lord has begun the process of preparing me for these dear twins and for the beautiful gift He has entrusted to me of being a mother of three. I have been involved in a Bible study of the book of Jonah, which has been a wonderful blessing. Through this study, the Lord has introduced me to several mothers of twins and some dear ladies who I’m sure will become dear friends. He has also used the account of Jonah to teach me about a life interrupted. You know, when God seems to come to you from somewhere out of the blue, and calls you to be obedient in something you can’t quite wrap your mind around… We are faced with a choice: rebel and run in the opposite direction (like Jonah), or embrace the work He has called us to and go along for the ride in obedience and faith.  I have learned in my comparatively short years of walking with Him that the latter is always the better choice!

I am comforted when the Lord calls me to something that is clearly larger than anything I could possibly handle on my own because it is then I am certain to deepen my relationship with Him and have a front row seat to what He will accomplish. The enemy would never want us in an opportunity where we are required to trust God’s power and lean on Him more deeply. He would much rather us stay put. What grace that God chooses to use us! I know full well that He doesn’t have to.

I have to laugh when I look at where I began, and how the Lord has shaped me to  become what I am; and I grin with eager expectation, knowing that He is nowhere near finished! Even just 5 short years ago, I would never have guessed that this is what the Lord would call me to. I would have confidently told you that I was the absolute wrong girl to have twins, let alone be the mother of three before my third wedding anniversary!  It is always good practice to look back over your journey with the Lord and see where He has brought you from, and remember the pit from which you were redeemed! He can make something incredibly beautiful out of an absolute mess.

I have been encouraged by the truth that when we are obedient to God, and His anointing is on it, we can expect HUGE things! His anointing on whatever seemingly small thing He has asked me to do yields a huge and powerful working of His Spirit. People do not need to see me, they need to see the Lord and His redemption all over me. The fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is the marking of God’s presence in our lives. As those who belong to Christ Jesus (Galatians 5:24-25), we are to have joy and peace and patience and self-control in our lives during seasons when others would say it doesn’t make sense to have those things. Why? Because the Lord has marked us with His presence and changed us!

Pure, simple obedience always yields supernatural results, whether we are being obedient in something seemingly small or in the task that is way over our heads. Supernatural results sometimes come when it appears that we do nothing at all – when we walk around the walls of Jericho and they fall to the ground!

So, what is my response and my resolve to God’s calling me to be a twenty-four year old mother of three, and a wife to my incredible husband of only two and a half years? It is to yield, and to fully engage in what He has called me to do, knowing that I will see divine results! This will not be an easy undertaking, but His Spirit and His Word are my equipping. He WILL bring blessing if we do what He has asked. He will produce supernatural results that will blow us away (Habakkuk 1:5). By His grace, I can embrace the great opportunity before me with BOLDNESS and COURAGE. The Lord does not supply a spirit of fear or timidity. The task is bigger and greater than I am, but I rejoice in saying, so is HE!

“Knowing the endless kindness of our God should not only catapult us to our knees to experience it but to our feet, to walk out a lifestyle of obedience that prioritizes submission to His will over all else.” (Priscilla Shirer, Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted)

What is God  asking you to do?

Has He interrupted your life with a task that is far bigger than what you can handle?

To what divine intervention has He asked you to yield?

What is your response?

Go along with Him for the ride. Walk in obedience, and the work He accomplishes will blow you away! We have His word on it!

Tags: family, twins

the fringes of His ways.

Today I got to see my sweet twins! It is so incredible to see how the Lord is forming them and growing them. They are being fearfully and wonderfully made!

I was reading Job 26 earlier. Job describes the Lord’s mystery and His power that is beyond our understanding.

“He stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.

He wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.

He obscures the face of the full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.

He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters
At the boundary of light and darkness.

The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.

He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.

By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”

I was reminded of the marvelous truth that the same God described in these verses is the one who is forming these precious babes in my womb, the one who knows the number of their days, and has determined their appointed times.

Acts 17:24-26, 28a “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’”

How incomprehensible is His grace!! He is a very BIG God – how easily I forget. These pictures are a great reminder!

Lord, I love you! You do ALL things well! May you receive all glory!

Twin #1

Twin #2

Twin #2

the twins in 3D!

Tags: pregnancy, twins

my grace is sufficient.

This clear, simple promise of the Lord has never been so paramount to me. It was a Wednesday night and I was rocking Ayden at bedtime. We had found out that I was pregnant a couple of weeks ago. The thought crossed my mind that it was just possible that I could be carrying multiples. I pondered what that reality might look like for a few moments. I thought about how that would change things for our family.  I’m sure it would be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.  My relationship with William would grow stronger, as we would depend on one another even more and work even closer together as a team. My relationship with the Lord would grow stronger as I would trust His provision and wisdom on an even deeper level. I imagined that I would likely literally pray without ceasing. I also determined that the promises of His Word would take on even greater meaning to me, and His Word would become my delight and my source in an even sweeter way than it is now.

By the time I had considered these things, Ayden was asleep and I went downstairs to be with William. I asked him, “How many babies do you think I have inside of me?” He said, “One…” as if that was a silly question. I kept my thoughts to myself. The next afternoon I was scheduled for my first prenatal appointment. This would be our first look at the new baby! William and Ayden were in the room with the Dr. and I for the ultrasound. The image appeared on the screen and everyone was silent. I mused to myself, “I knew it!” After awhile the Dr. looked at William and said, “Do you see what I see?” He replied, “Yep.”

There were TWO BABIES!!

What an incredible miracle! I later came to the conclusion that the Lord had deliberately given me the thoughts I had the night before so I wouldn’t pass out in the room when I saw the picture! The Dr. couldn’t get very good measurements of the babies to confirm my due date, so she made an appointment for me to come back the following week for another ultrasound. The pictures below are of that ultrasound.

We are so excited and overwhelmed by the Lord’s goodness and His faithfulness to us! I am along for the ride and cannot wait to see what He does! His grace is sufficient…a truth that will become dearer and dearer in the months ahead.

Two Babies!

Baby A.

Baby B.

Twins

What a miracle!

Tags: family, pregnancy, twins