Feeling a little like Abraham...

I think I have a taste of what Abraham might have felt like when God told him that his descendants would out-number the stars in the sky. He was probably wondering how that would be possible since he was old, his wife was old, and they didn't have any children to begin that sort of family tree.

Pete and I were talking last night. It's easy to get a little discouraged and wonder, "How, Lord?" How are we going to be able to save money for the Philippines with our money so tight and an economy so bad off? How will the Lord provide? We feel like God is telling us to go to the Philippines, but we have not a dime in savings and an income that just pays the bills and meets our needs. How in the world will this work out and be possible?

We've seen Him provide, and we always have exactly what we NEED. But this ride of faith seems to be requiring so much more faith than I have. Please do keep us in your prayers. Please pray God will show us what next step to take.

He tends His flock

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Is. 40:11

This verse brings great comfort to me! Knowing that God gently leads those that have young makes me picture in my mind God putting his arm around moms and dads and gently leading them while they raise little ones. :-)

Big News!

As many of you know if you've been reading this blog, I was accepted a year ago into a midwife-training program that trains midwives on the mission field. Mercy Maternity Center is the school's charity-based birthing center that serves thousands of impoverished women each year.

We have gone back and forth trying to listen to God's voice and see if this is where He wants our family to go for 2 1/2 years for mission work. After a year of praying, the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit continues to whisper "go." Because our God is all-loving, always faithful and because He holds our future in His hands, we want to follow Him where He is leading and we are beginning this journey of moving to the Philippines to serve the poor in Davao City.

This is so exciting and so scary at the same time! So many thoughts and emotions run through my mind. It is very hard to think about leaving our family and close friends behind for 2.5 years. I am finding many words of comfort from His precious Word and also while reading a biography of Amy Carmichael's life. She was a missionary to India in the late 1800's/early 1900's and her life work was rescuing and caring for children who had been trapped in temple prostitution. When God called her to be a missionary she wrote a long letter to her mother. This is one of my favorite quotes from the letter:

"Many difficulties have risen in my mind; they seem very great, the "crooked places" seem very crooked. But it seems to me that all He asks is that we should take the one step He shows us, and in simplest, most practical trust leave all results to Him."

So, that's what we're trying to do. Just simply take the next step that He shows us and leave all the results to Him. If He is the one calling us to go, then He will make a way for it to happen. :-) We'll keep you updated :-)

Happy New Year!

Creating an Advent Tradition

Last night Pete and I were talking about what we want our children to remember about Christmas. So, beginning one week late we are going to start celebrating the season of Advent by lighting candles representing hope, peace, joy, love and then finally the Christ candle on Christmas.
On another blog I even read how there are even Advent spirals that you walk around which represents the journey Mary took as she carried baby Jesus inside her womb. Children walk around holding candles and when they get to the center of the spiral, they place their candles on a piece of wood. I thought that sounded so meaningful and something that would definitely leave lasting impression in a child's mind.
The last thing we want is our children to think Christmas is about getting toys. I will be the first to admit it is fun to buy the girls toys. A few good quality toys that spark the imagination can become heirlooms handed down the generations. Handmade toys are great or toys that are made from workers who get paid a fair wage. What saddens my heart about the season is the commercialism. I will never understand how people wait in long lines to save money on gifts on black friday. It is so sad to read the story of the Walmart employee that was trampled to death in Manhattan. And, then another story of someone who was killed at Toys R us on black friday. Someone's life was taken away and all because of a bunch of people wanting to be first and hurrying to buy the latest plasma-screen TV or iPod.
Could you even imagine if everyone just slowed down and spent more time with their family baking Christmas cookies as their gifts for friends and neighbors? What if everyone turned off the television so all of the ads for toys and various gadgets were not being thrown in their faces?

In the mornings we get our little nativity set down and I tell the girls the Christmas story as best as I can so they will understand. I asked Kyla why do we give a gift at Christmas time? And she said "because the wise men brought gifts to Jesus when He was a born baby."

So, that's what it's about.

May you enjoy your family traditions this Christmas, and enjoy creating new ones!

My Utmost for His Highest

Every now and then I read from "My Utmost for His Highest". I wanted to share a quote that spoke to me today about obeying God.

"...God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God's will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power."

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35,36

Random thoughts and musings

TODAY

Today is very windy and cold and it feels like winter here in Charlotte. I had a little get-together with some of the students from my childbirth classes and one of my doula clients. Their babies were born in the last several months and I had heard from some of the mothers off and on that they were having a hard time feeling isolated and alone.

So, babies and coffee was born and we met at Dilworth coffee on this windy, autumn day in Charlotte. I don't know if we'll meet at a coffee shop each time (my 2 toddlers were on the wilder side sitting in a coffee shop for 1.5 hours!), but at least everyone got to meet other mommies! It was a good time.

THE PHILIPPINES

I haven't written much on my blog about the Philippines and going to New Life International School of Midwifery next year. Most of the time I think about writing and then I don't. I think I'm in a very "speechless" state right now. Pete and I are just doing a lot of praying and waiting on the Lord. I feel an unusually strong tug on my heart to go. This "tugging" only gets stronger when I go to church and the pastor speaks on Jonah. It gets stronger when I pick up my Bible and read just about any passage. Only stronger when I talk to God about it. It's the same "tug" I felt when Jesus called me to himself and asked me to give my life to Him. I don't know what to do with this very "Holy Spirit" type of tugging. It seems like we just need to obey and go! And then the doubts pop up...one after another..."What if we don't raise all the money?"....."What about vaccines for Avery? She had (mild) allergic reactions to the only 2 shots she's ever had."...."what about her skin?"...."what will life be like as a family in the Philippines?"......"what will our families think?" (...ummmm....let's just say that they aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of us moving across the world...)

AVERY's ECZEMA

Avery is being treated by an acupuncturist with an allergy-elimination technique called NAET. So far, it seems to be working, but only time will tell. Currently, her skin looks almost beautiful. And she is happier and happier every day. And, she's no longer allergic to dairy!!! yippeeeee!!
We just praise God and thank him for each and every day that Avery is happy and not scratching. And yesterday and today were days like that. Slowly and surely we are all getting our sanity back :-)

ME

I love being a doula. I'm excited to one day become a midwife, but there is no other word to describe how much I love helping other moms as a doula right now. Whether it is educating them on childbirth and breastfeeding, encouraging them, supporting them and praying for them. It is a ministry in and of itself. I feel so blessed each time I meet with a new mom-to-be.

I started seeing a chiropractor. I've only been two times and I don't remember the last time my back and neck felt so good. My neck and back have been bothering me a lot since the little ones came along. So, this is a huge blessing. :-)

Our sponsored child

Let me introduce you to one of our sponsored children through Compassion International. Diana Novita Sari lives in Indonesia. Pete and I started sponsoring Diana when we were sophomores at Virginia Tech and Diana was a very little girl...I believe she was maybe 3 years old.

Now she will be 14 years old in December! She looks so healthy and is going to school and learning about God. We love getting her letters and Kyla and Avery love coloring her pictures and sending them to her. She thanks us for the girls' artwork. She tells us in her letters about what she is learning in school and praises God for how good he is to her. Sometimes she even tells us that she wishes we would write her more! I guess we need to get better at that!

It is such a blessing to be give to a child who has so little compared to the surplus of what we have in America. Even right now with our economy so bad off, I look around and count my many blessings of having all that I really and truly need. Things might be tight for our family right now, but for so many other kids all over the world things are so tight and food and resources are so sparse, that it's a matter between life and death.

I encourage you that if you have never sponsored a child, go to Compassion's website and get involved. It's only $32 a month. Consider sponsoring a child in an AIDS afflicted area in Africa who lost her mom and dad due to AIDS. Or a little toddler in Ethiopia who is crying very hard because he's hungry and there is no food for him to eat because of the looming food crisis. There's children in every country that can truly be given a second chance at life and health if you sign up right now!! And on top of becoming healthy and eating well and receiving health care, they will also get to go to school and learn about God's love!!

Now, how awesome is that!?!

A Dream Comes True

About one week ago I was accepted to Newlife International School of Midwifery. Peter, Kyla, Avery and myself will be flying to the Philippines in June of this year if the Lord provides the finances for us to go. If the Lord continues to provide and open up doors for us to move to Davao, Philippines, our lives will be changing a lot. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have the opportunity to study midwifery while at the same time serving impoverished women as a missionary. Pete and I have always had a dream to be missionaries overseas, and since the birth of Kyla, I have felt the Lord tenderly nudging my spirit to become a midwife. A dream is beginning to come true. An adventure is about to take place. We have a lot of work to do between now and June, but we know the Lord will continue to guide our steps.

We have to have roughly about $30,000 for the first year which includes all of our family's living expenses, travel costs, missionary visas, tuition, books, and supplies. We are beginning to see the Lord provide for us with friends pledging gifts, and we received word yesterday from one of the pastors of our church here that they might take us on as one of their missionaries. What a blessing that would be. The pastor we met with yesterday encouraged us and prayed for us, and was very excited about the calling that God has laid on our hearts.

Through the Lord's amazing grace and provision we will do this. Only through him, though. This cannot happen at all on our own! Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Apart from Him we can truely do NOTHING. Oh, but with Him, just imagine what He can do!

I've been thinking a lot about how amazing it is that our God came to us as a helpless baby born in the most humble of places. A King. Our Savior. I wonder what Mary felt and was thinking as she brought Jesus into the world.

"Here with Us" by Joy Williams

"It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God can be so small
How tiny fingers reaching in the night
Were the very hands that measured the sky

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Son of God, servant King
Here with us,
You're here with us

It's still a mystery to me
How His infant eyes have see the dawn of time
How His ears have heard an angel symphony
But Mary still had to rock her saviour to sleep

You're here with us

Jesus the Christ, Born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save
To save the souls of man

You're here with us."