Easter 2013 Recap … before Easter?

This is the obligatory Happy Easter post. The Easter bunny actually visited our place a week early, as we had originally had plans to be away over Easter, I wanted Evalyn to have the chance to do the egg hunt at home. Poor girl kept asking if we would go egg hunting out in the grass. Hate to break it to you girl, but an Easter egg hunt wearing a snowsuit just isn’t the same.

So last Sunday when my Mom came for a visit, she took the kids downstairs to play and while they were gone, Mr Easter Bunny made his appearance. When I went downstairs to tell Eva, of course she flipped and didn’t want to come upstairs because she didn’t want to see the Bunny. I don’t blame you kid, that Dude be creepy. I reassured her he was LONG GONE and just left treats behind. That seemed to solve the issue and she came right upstairs.

Of course, this is the first year that she’s really been into the whole Easter egg hunt thing, and it was adorable. Every time she found an egg, she would say “Oh silly Easter Bunny, this don’t beyong here! Des eggs don’t beyong with my movies. Dees eggs beyond in my basket!” She thought it as absolutely hilarious that he would put eggs in the places that he put them.

Here she is on the hunt….

 

The Egg Hunt concluded on the couch where Mr Bunny had left their Easter buckets. And hello, pointless. All week all she has played with is the $2 straw basket and the empty plastic eggs. She could have cared less about the gifts!

And don’t worry … just because she’s yittle doesn’t mean Gwennie had to miss out on the fun.

Because we did our Easter thing last weekend and ended up canceling our plans for this weekend, we’ll just be having a quiet weekend together as a family.

Today is Friday but praise be to God that Sunday is coming. The stone will roll away and by the grace of an almightily God, these beautiful babies of mine have the most amazing promise of redemption!

 

Happy Easter!

Encouragement for Childbirth

As we are getting closer and closer to delivery, I have started to spend some time reflecting on scriptures that I find encouraging and helpful in light of the task that is ahead of me. I have prepared a stack of cue cards with these scriptures and have placed it on my nightstand so that I am able to read them each morning when I wake up and each night before I go to bed. My plan is that when I am in early labour, I will post them in various areas of the house so that I can read them and/or have them read to me while I am labouring. I am also going to make another set of them to pack in my overnight bag that will be ready in case we change our minds and transfer to the hospital so that I will have them there with me as well.

There are a number of verses, and all are very meaningful to me so I thought I would share them with you.

I will start with the two that I have selected as my overall labor verses...

"But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work".
- 2 Chronicles 15:7

"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go".
- Joshua 1:9

"He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might, He increases power".
- Is. 40:29

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength".
- Neh. 8:10

"I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth".
- Ps 121: 1-2

"Shall I bring to the point of birth, and not give delivery", says the Lord?"
- Is 66:9

"Whenever a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her time has come, but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the JOY that a CHILD has been BORN into the world".
- John 16:21

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound judgement".
- 2 Timothy: 1:7

"Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him".
- Ps. 37: 7b

"I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered my from all my fears".
- Ps 34:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it".
- Ps 37: 4-5

"Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God".
- Ps 22: 9-10

"Because the sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame".
- Is. 50:7

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
- Phil. 4:13

"Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not grow weary".
- Is 40:31

Do any of you have scriptures that you have found encouraging to meditate on either while preparing for childbirth or while laboring?

A Letter From Your Mama

I wrote this letter what seems like a long, long time ago, way back in January, a few days after I found out I was pregnant. I couldn't post it then, because it was our little secret, and then I forgot about it until now. I just found it when organizing some files on my computer because we're getting ready to get a new laptop and I decided to post it so that I have it here to remember and to keep with all of the other posts that I will hopefully someday print out and put into a book for the baby.

January 12, 2010

Dear Baby,

You sure surprised me the other day when I found out that you were on your way – making a home for yourself inside of me. Daddy was surprised, too. I am sure this isn’t the only time in your life that you will surprise us. Being surprised isn’t a bad thing. I have found, especially over the past few years, that some of the very best things happen to me when I just stop planning! I have felt every emotion that exists over the past couple of days. I cannot stop thinking about you.

I can’t wait until the day that I can feel you moving inside me. I am so excited to watch you grow. Even more so, I can’t wait until the day that I get to hold you in my arms. I can’t wait to see Daddy’s face when he looks at you, holds you, and kisses you for the first time.

Baby, your Daddy and I were both blessed when we were little because we had wonderful families to teach us, to love us, and help us grow. I can’t wait for you to meet your Nanas and your Papas, your Aunties and Uncles, and your cousins. Your family loves you already, and most of them don’t even know about you yet.

I may not always be able to give you everything you want, sweet baby, but I promise to try to always give you what you need. Sometimes you might think that I am being mean or unfair, but I hope you will always know that I love you.

Baby, I have prayed for you for a long, long time. I don’t know what you will look like, what your name will be, or what kind of personality you will have, but I do know that I love you and I have been waiting for you. Daddy has been, too. Your Daddy and I have always looked forward to the day that we would learn you were going to be a part of our family. Even before your Daddy and I were in love, we both knew we wanted to have babies. In many ways, those desires are what brought us close together in the first place.

Baby, I want you to know Jesus and His love every single day of your life. I want to talk to you about Him, to read to you about Him, to sing to you about Him, to teach you about Him, and to pray to Him with you. I have a feeling you will have a thing or two to teach me about Him, too.

Even though I can’t see you, or even feel you, yet, I know that you are a part of me. I know that God is knitting you together inside me, preparing you for the day you will enter the world. You have already become a part of my world.

I am so thankful that God has chosen me to be your Mommy. I will hold onto you forever.

I love you more than you can know,

Mama

Mary's Song

On Friday night, the dude and I enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner together. Once we were finished eating, we decided to sit down and read the account of Jesus' birth from the book of Luke. This is something we'd like to carry on year after year - especially when we have kids. While reading, a certain portion that I have never really noticed before jumped out to me. I just love that about God's word ... there can be passages I have read time and time again, but sometimes, something completely new jumps out to me.

When thinking about the account of Jesus' birth, I always think about the angel coming to Mary, Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, the birth that took place in a stable, and the visit from the wisemen. But there are other lessons to be learned from this story, as well. An important aspect, I think, is to consider the woman whom God chose to be the vessel that brought Christ into this world. So on Friday night, while reading, my focus was drawn to "Mary's Song", which depicts what Mary said to Elizabeth after she was told she would give birth to Jesus.

And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is His name.
His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as He said to our fathers."
Luke 1: 46-55, NIV.

Other than her first conversation with the angel, this is really the only place during the account of Jesus' birth that we get hear Mary's voice. I am astounded by her words in this passage. Mary was in a position where she had to carry out what might be seen as one of the most important tasks in history ... and one that would not have been easy or without consequences to her physical body, her future, her reputation, and her relationships.

Yet, there is no WHY ME?
There is no ARE YOU SURE I CAN DO THIS?
There is no I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS.

Instead, Mary is seen glorifying and praising God for the great things He had done for her. Amazing, isn't it?