Heart At Home

A Big Calling

2011-02-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

Christian motherhood means dedicating your entire life in service of others. It means standing beside your husband, following him, and investing in the lives of children whom you hope will both survive you and surpass you. It means forgoing present satisfaction for eternal rewards. It means investing in the lives of others who may never fully appreciate your sacrifice or comprehend the depth of your love. And it means doing all these things, not because you will receive the praise of man — for you will not — but because God made you to be a woman and a mother, and there is great contentment in that biblical calling.
~Doug Phillips

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T06:51:00.001-08:00

I am so in love and blessed!

2009-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Wondering why I have been missing from my blog for the last few months?
HERE IS WHY..... Isn't she beautiful?

Abigail Joy

Aug. 17, 2009

5lbs 7oz

God has answered our prayers above and beyond we could have ever imagined. At 12:10 am on Sunday. August. 17, 2009 we got the call of our dream. Our daughter had been born and we needed to get to the hospital to meet her. We couldn't believe it, could this really be happening? We had waited so long to add to our family, 5 and 1/2 years, 4 miscarriages and 16 months of adoption approval and waiting. We only had a few weeks notice but it is perfect, she is perfect! We loved her from the moment we set eyes on her and everyday it grows. Emma is loving her new role as a big sister and with everything that comes with a new baby, we are loving every minute of being new parents again.

Being Creative

2009-07-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

I love to be creative especially when it comes to making gift. Emma loves to make things too. She has gotten that creative gene from me. For Father's Day this year she wanted to make something for her Daddy. I saw this idea once so I knew what we would make. We had fun making his gift together. Here are some pictures of it...

Of course Daddy loved it and wears it proudly

The waiting is hard, the journey has been long.

2009-07-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well it has been 15 months since we started our journey to adopt. I think in my mind I thought we would have heard something by now. It is hard to wait on things so out of our control. It is hard for me at times to rest in God's plan. We see the now, not the big picture of God's plan. I want things to happen in my timing. Sometimes God grants that and other times it isn't His plan. That is were I have to trust and rest in Him. Rest in the truth of His word, the bible and the promises He gives us.
My heart still grieves for our babies we lost and I wish things could have been different. I want to be a mommy again so badly. I love being a Mommy. But I know God has a plan so I rest in that.

"Beause of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail .They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; the" therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those who hope in him to the one who seeks him."

Lamentations 3 : 22-25

Be Still....

2009-07-12T14:47:00.001-07:00

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

The Lord Almightly is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46: 10&11

I am blessed

2009-06-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to the best Daddy and Husband in the whole world. I am so blessed and thankful God has given you to me. I am so proud of you and the wonderful Daddy you are to Emma. Thank you for leading our family in the way God has called you to do. It is my joy to be your wife and help mate in life.

So Cute

2009-06-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

Emma's Ballet Recital 2009 ! A proud moment for Mommy and Daddy plus so cute watching 5 and 6 year old little girls dancing their little hearts out.

Look what we been up to...

2009-05-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a full few months!

I had wonderful Mother's Day with my family. I am so blessed to be Emma's Mommy. I love her so much. She is growing up so fast. She is 6 years old but I want to keep her a little girl as long as possible. There is so much pressure for young girls to grow up so fast. I want her to enjoy being a little girl and delight daily in seeing her do this. I feel so blessed to have her at home with me everyday. Even though there are days that it is a challenge I won't change it for anything!

We celebrated my wonderful parent's 40th Wedding Anniversary. My sibling and I had a open house at our house for family and friends. It was wonderful time seeing many people whom have not only been good friends of my parents over the years but have had impact on my . My parents love God and each other and have been a great example to us. They are awesome grandparents and love each of their grandchildren deeply. My Dad is always showing picture of his grand kids to anyone who will look. He is a proud Papa and Dad. I love then very much and feel so blessed they are my parents.

Emma fell off her bike 2 weeks ago and had to have it operated on and pins put in. We spent three days in the hospital and now has this pretty blue cast. She is doing good and healing well.

So life has been full and mostly fun and I am thanking God daily for the blessing of my family.

God's Voice

2009-03-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. ~ C.S. Lewis

Encouragement

2009-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Encouragement is something that is so easy to do and yet so under used in our lives. It is so easy to get caught up in all the business of our daily tasks and even our own challenges that we can forget. I know with myself, I will think of something that I want to do or say to someone but then don't always get to it.

One thing that I do sometimes to help make it a priority is to write down a few names of people who I want to encourage this week and what I want to do. It can be simple or more involved depending on the needs or the reason. By writing it down it just seems to make me get to it. This is a great thing to involve children with to and is teaching then practically how to care, have compassion or encourage others. It is really neat when they start to think of a idea on there own. It is a practical way of being Jesus hands and feet to those people God has placed in our lives. It could be family, friends, neighbors, or even strangers. I never want to miss a opportunity to bring a bright spot or blessing to some ones day.

Here are some simple ideas or examples:

*a phone call or email

*a hand written note or card just to let someone know you are thinking of them.

*a smile or thank you

*offering practical help to someone in need, a meal, babysitting, help with a project they can't do on their own, driving or shopping etc.

* a visit or having someone over for a meal or a games night.

* sharing baked goods with a neighbor

* inviting a friend to go for a walk, ice cream or coffee

* and my favorite is the " just because" things to simply let someone know you care or are thinking of them.

So my blog today is a reminder for me and it can be a challenge for you too! We all know how we felt when some one took the time to encourage us. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money or even time but it might just be priceless to the person on the other end.

Always in my heart

2009-02-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

Valentines is a time we celebrate love. This weekend as I have enjoyed time with my sweetheart and our sweet daughter we are also remembering our sweet babies in heaven. It's been a tough few days for me. I am so loved and so blessed but heart has a whole in it. Last Valentines Day we lost our 4th baby. My heart is full of love and full of sadness all at the same time. Yes, as each day as gone on it has gotten easier to cope and yet the loss is still so real and so close to my heart. In a way time does heal and yet I think there will always be a whole in my heart for our babies until I hold them someday in heaven. They were my babies, created out of our love. Oh how I wish things could have been different but it wasn't so we trust in God's plan and ask for his healing. I will always love and never forget their short lives.

This is a great song I came across in my journey of healing and it has brought us much comfort.

Glory Baby- Watermark

Glory Baby, You slipped away

As fast as we could say baby, baby

You were growing, what happened Dear,

You disappeared on us baby, baby

Heaven will hold you before we do

Heaven will keep you safe

Until we're home with you Until we're home with you

CHORUS

We miss you everyday, miss you in every way

But we know there's a day when we will hold you, we will hold you

And you'll kiss our tears away, when we're home to stay

*We can't wait for the day when we will see you, we will see you

But baby let sweet Jesus hold you, until mom and dad can hold you*

You'll just have heaven before we do

Sweet little baby, it's hard to understand it

Cause we are hurting, we are hurting

But there is healing, and we know we're stronger people

Through the growing, and in knowing

All things work together for our good

And God works his purposes

Just like he said he would, just like he said he would

CHORUS

BRIDGE

I can't imagine Heaven's lullabies

And what they must sound like

But I will rest in knowing

Heaven is your home

And it's all you'll ever know, all you'll ever know

CHORUS

The Wait

2009-02-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Waiting can be so hard at times. Right now the wait for me(us) seems like it has been so long. My husband and I are waiting to adopt. We are so excited about adding a new little one to our family. Actually we would like to add a few new ones if God allows us. I have joked with some people before that we are "paper pregnant". The road to this point has been a long one and then the road to adopt has felt long for us too, although we only started the process in April'08 and we were done all our classes, paper work, homestudy etc in about 6 months and were officially approved in October'08. Which is pretty fast because when we started this journey we where told it can take up to 18months to get approved.

We have desired to have more children since Emma was just over a year old and after the loss of our 4th baby a year ago we decided we just couldn't go through that again. So with broken hearts we looked to God for His will. We love being parents and I LOVE being a mom. I asked God to take away the desire for more children or lead the way for other options. It wasn't that Emma wasn't enough to complete our family but we have so much love to give and didn't feel we where done. God has opened the door and our hearts to adoption and we haven't looked back. Of course it hasn't been easy, but we feel like it is God's plan for us.

We have done alot of reading etc about adoption on our journey and I read a article written by adoptive parents that talked about how often people look at adoption as plan B yet it is for some families God's plan A all along. It has taken awhile for me to get my head and heart around that and believe it to be 100% true for us. I don't know why we have gone through all that we have to get to this point but God has a plan in it all. Yes there are days( most days) that my heart still aches for our precious babies but we rest in knowing they are safe in the arms of Jesus until we hold them in heaven.

So we wait for God's timing and His perfect child(ren) for us. We wait with open arms and hearts. We want it to be soon but more then that we want it to be from God and that is worth the wait.

New van!

2009-01-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

I am excited. We where happy to trade in our old 1998 Windstar van this weekend for a new to us 2005 Montana. We really wanted to wait until the spring but the old van had a different plan. So we decided that we just couldn't justify putting anymore money into the van knowing it's time was up. I feel like we are living in luxury. All these little things that we just got used to with the old van is all so exciting in the new van. You know things like working heat in a few seconds, rear defrost, all the doors open so easily, no noises and clunking. I can't wait to have air conditioning in the summer, it's been a few summers with out that. I could give you a list of other things but I am sure you get the picture. Any way, we feel very blessed even though we are back to having a car payment it is worth the piece of mind to know we have a more safe and reliable vehicle. We are thanking God for providing a van with in our monthly budget, right at the time we needed it. God is Good!

At the heart of it

2009-01-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are reading one of the best parenting books we have read or come across. It is called "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp. We are only about half way through( not because it isn't good but we both have other things on our plate right now so it is taking us a while to get through it) but it has been so good so far. I don't think it is new but I was told about it from a homeschooling group I go to. It is just the kind of book that makes sense and is supported by scripture. Now, I am sure like many books of this nature there will be things that we don't totally agree with but it has been a real inspiration and encouragement to us as parents so far. I can't wait to finish it.

He talks alot about how as parents we get so caught up in correcting and shaping our children's behaviour that we forget about the condition of their heart.

He says " The parenting task is multifaceted. It involves being a kind authority, shepherding your children to understand themselves in God's world, and keeping the gospel in clear view so your children can internalize the good news and someday live in mutuality with you as people under God."

" You exercise authority as God's agent. You may not direct your children for your own agenda or convenience. You must direct your children on God's behalf for their good."

These are just a few quotes from the book. It is a reminder as christian parents what a awesome and challenging responsibility we are called to.

It also has caused us to look at our own heart and sometimes what you see isn't pretty. Because like our children what we say and do is also a reflection of our hearts.

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" Luke 6:45

How many times a day do I do and say things that don't reflect the spirit of God in my life. I am just so thankful that we serve a God of grace, love and mercy. May we keep our eyes on the truth of God's word and our hearts in tune with Him as we are on the journey.

If you haven't read this book yet and you are a parent I encourage you to do so. It won't be a waste of time and I pray it will bless you as it has us.

A New Year's Prayer

2009-01-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when we reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. I am not really good at making resolutions but I do like to make a few goals and evaluated my life a little. My passion, my heart, my priorities. Making changes where needed. This was a prayer in my devotional the other day. It seems like a good way to start this new year, 2009. I thought I would share it with you and my prayer is it will be a blessing to your heart as it was to mine as we start afresh and new.

Father, You are Holy and call us to be Holy. Yet, we confess that so often our hearts wander from You, our speech does not glorify You, and our actions do not honor You. Soften our hearts to receive the words Your sweet Spirit has to speak to us. Clothe us with humility. Take away our desire to always be right and have our own way. Help us to seek Your Word in all that we say and do. Help us to submit to Your Word; allow it to penetrate those deep places in our hearts that resist change. If necessary, put us through the refiner’s fire to burn off those things that keep us from walking in step with Your character.

Give us hear ts that love and seek after Truth above all else. Give us wisdom and discernment to reject the lies of this world and the evil one. Guide us into all Truth. Guard our hearts and keep our eyes fixed on You. Grow in us those things that will make us more like You. As we study Your Word, fill us and saturate us with You!

Today, Father, we surrender our thoughts, our speech, and our hearts. Thank You that You are Faithful and True. We trust You will do a mighty work in us and through us this year and carry it on to completion until the day we step into eternity with You. Help us to trust in You with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. Help us to acknowledge You in all our ways so that we can hear Your voice as You say, “This is the way, walk in it.”

Lord, we love You and thank You that You love us. May our lives be a living testimony of You. We ask this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord who will do immeasura bly more than we could ever ask or imagine. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Wendy Blight Proverbs 31 ministries)

Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.” Lamentations 2:19a (NKJV)

Ephesians 6:17-18, “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.” (NKJV)

Preparing our Hearts for Christmas

2008-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. I love all the activites that go along with the Christmas season. So much preparation goes into these days. Preparing our houses, doing baking, cooking ,shopping and wrapping the gifts. I love making everything special for my family. Creating memories to last a life time.

I also want to make sure in my time of preparation that I remember to prepare my heart for Christmas. For the celebration of my Lord and Saviours Birth. We have been doing Advent as our bible time in our homeschooling this past month and it has been been a blessing to have that time each day to focus and prepare for Christmas. Emma And I have done some neat activities to keep our heart in tune with the real meaning. It is so easy to get carried away with all the other stuff during the holidays. We are so saturated with the ads and commercials on TV that as parents we need to bring balance to that for our kids. I have been really thankful for the special times we have had has a family preparing our hearts for Christmas. All the other activities are fun too and don't get me wrong I do get into it but I am glad that I know the truth and the meaning behind Christmas. I feel blessed that we can teach it openly to Emma. My prayer is as a family in all we do during this time that the light of Christ will shine through us.

One of those days

2008-12-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today was just one of those days where all you can do is thank God he got you through it. It actually started earlier this week when the brakes on our van went and we had to get them replaced; which our budget wasn't expecting just before Christmas. Then today I came down stairs to do some laundry and as I stepped on to a wet carpet I knew we had a problem. Our hot water tank had sprung a leak and was leaking water into our family room and the carpet was soaked. Of course these things always happen when my wonderful husband isn't home so thanks to my nice neighbour he showed me how to turn the water supply off and helped me clean up some of the mess until Mike got home. I did call the repair guy and he came out this evening and we now have a new water heater. Thankfully it is a rental and it is no charge to us. So we got a wet vac from my brother and got all the carpets clean up(well mostly, they are still wet but not soaking wet) While the guy was here replacing the tank Emma starts throwing up and I got her to the bathroom sink and she ended up plugging it up. She has a flu bug of some sort and I hope we don't all get it. Oh well the bug is in the house. So Mike had to clean that up because I am no good with throw up. She seems to have settled down now and is finally sleeping.
Poor thing. I hate when she is sick, you feel so bad.
To many messes for one day. Let's hope we get through the night with out having anymore excitement.

Birthday Fun!!!!

2008-11-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well I think all the partying is done. Emma turn six on Tuesday and it has been a week of fun. We had a little family get away to Great Wolf Lodge for a few days over her birthday. What a fun place for families. Emma had so much fun. One of the benefits of homeschooling is you can travel at off times and get great deals at places like that.
It is funny how just a few days away as a family can be so refreshing. A break from the normal day to day stuff where the only priority is to have fun and be together as a family. It is a blessing. I am thankful that we can do little things like this and create memories and family bond. I always want to be a family who likes and enjoys being together.
The birthday fun continued today with a family party with our extended family and a few friends. Emma was so excited and of course got very spoiled. I always worry that she has and gets to much, and yet I am so thankful she has Grandparent who adore her and Aunts and Uncles and cousins who we see regularly and love her too. We are so blessed and I want to make sure she knows she is blessed and loved and to be grateful for everything. It can be hard at times to get it in to a little ones head and most important their heart. So tonight after everyone went home and we where looking at all of her new toys etc. I reminded her of these things and she just looked at me and said" I know Mommy I am a lucky girl" I said back " you are not lucky you are blessed".

"Just a Mom"

2008-11-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was little girl I always wanted to be a wife and a mom. As you can see from my profile information it is something that I am passionate about and LOVE and feel blessed with this role God has given me. When Mike and I got married we knew we wanted children . We also knew that we felt strongly that once we started a family that I would stay at home and be a full time homemaker. I wanted to be the one( of course a long with my husband) raising our children , instilling our believes and morals into them.Teaching them daily in the joys and ways of the Lord and His word. I wanted to have order and peace in home for my husband and children. I wanted the focus of my heart to be on home . This would now be my full time ministry. Oh yes, there would be other areas of interest and responsibility but outside my relationship with God, my husband and family would come first.

There are day when I feel overwhelmed, tired and don't have the joy and patience I should. The days I wish my house would clean it self and the laundry would be all caught up or to have a few minutes to think with out being interrupted by someone or something. Or a little extra money so the budget wasn't so tight. But even on those days I am thankful. Thankful that God has blessed me with a wonderful and supportive husband who places a high value on my role in our marriage and home. I am thankful for the blessing of our daughter . I am so blessed to be her Mommy. I pray that soon God would bless us with more children as this is the desire of our hearts.( Many more if it is His plan)

So in a time in our society when being " just a Mom" isn't valued and women are told they can do it all, have the career, the cloths, the kids, the clean house and the happy marriage, I am blessed and proud to say I am "just a mom". But I know it is so much more then that and there is nothing "just" about being a mom. I am living out God's plan..... His good and perfect plan. What a awesome responsibility.

Welcome to my first blog post......

2008-11-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Reading other peoples blogs has been something I have just started. It has been interesting. But I had never thought of having one myself because for the most part my life from day to day is likely not that interesting to others, but it could be fun. I am not one who keeps a regular journal of thoughts or events so I thought that blogging could be a fun and easy way to do that.

It is also a good place to share my thoughts and my heart on being a follower of Christ, a wife and mommy. These are my passions and what makes me tick. Of course I have many other interest and hobbies but somehow they all seem to flow though these 3 things.

So.... I am a simple wife and mom who loves God and pray that through my thoughts and heart this blog will be a encouragement to others. Who knows I maybe my only reader. If that is the case, that's okay too!