Thursday, November 14, 2013
His Truth is Marching On
I had a vision the other day at church while listening to the song "His Truth is Marching On." I pictured in my mind a battle field of solders that had been knocked down and seemingly defeated. Then slowly the first soldier in line arose from the ashes, picked up his flag, and continued to press on. The other solders gently arose as well and continued to truck through the battle zone carrying the flag to victory. It made me think of an unquenchable fire. The enemy is trying to snuff out the flames, but it's too late. The light might seem to dwindle for a moment only to pick back up into a stronger roaring blaze that cannot be put out. This vision is God's Word. His truth shall prevail and is marching on.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
RACE
Reciprocal Assessment Career Evaluation.
Kyle and I had begun to pray last Fall about the idea of being missionaries. It was what had drawn us together in the first place but something we had put on the back burner for a while after getting married and having our first kid. When we began to talk about it again I was pretty apprehensive. After all I had just been down that road and "caught nothing." I had attempted to raise support but never was able to get enough to go long-term. I was with World Team in France but didn't really see any harvest or fruit of my ministry while I was there. Kyle and I had just finished listening to the "Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson, which is what got us discussing the idea of missions again. In his book he emphasizes circling your dreams in prayer and not giving up. He also talks about faith and how it requires action. Often in the Bible God's actions were proceeded by an act of faith. For example, Moses stepped into the Jordan river, and THEN the waters were parted. Both Kyle and I thought God might be asking us to take a step of faith. We had been waiting for a miracle from God to pay off our loans before we would consider serving in missions again, but after listening to the Circle Maker we felt compelled to take action and trust God would part the waters later. Of course we would continue to do our part in paying down our loans, but if we waited till they were totally paid off, we would never go. So Kyle and I prayed asking God to confirm if missions was the direction He wanted us to go. After praying, I flipped on the TV and it happen to be on the Christian channel. Beth Moore was speaking on Mark 4, the story where Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus was talking to a crowd but then zeros in on Peter. Beth looks at the camera and says, "Just as Jesus focused in on Peter, even among a large crowd, so does He want to focus in on YOU." Then she proceeded to tell the story. Jesus tells Peter to go back out and cast his nets again. Peter replies, "But Master, we have fished all night and caught nothing, but at your request, we will let down the nets." Beth goes on to say, "Someone listening has tried something and has caught nothing, but God is asking you to do it again. This time He is using a new net."
I got chills just listening and felt like it was a clear answer from God saying "Do it again. This time you have a new net." What my new net is, I'm not totally sure, but I think it's Kyle. It's a family. It's a different time, a different season, and this time I believe we will have a big catch.
So with that confirmation, Kyle and I filled out the application and began heading in that direction. World Team accepted us based on our application and they we're going to extend an invitation for us to come to RACE but thought we needed to have more headway in our student loans first. I was a little confused. Had we not heard God right? So we again put the book of doing missions back on the shelf and continued living our "normal" life. Little did we know that God had not ignored our act of faith. Since then, Kyle has been promoted to a position that is allowing us to pay off our loans in 3 years, something we would never have been able to do at his old job!
Back in May I had been feeling a little depressed, like I had no vision. I wasn't really sure what I was passionate about anymore and felt stoic and just blah. I was telling Kyle how I felt and eventually our conversation opened up to the dream I once had to serve in France. It also re-kindled the passion Kyle had to serve as a pastor or help start a church that would function as a homeless shelter on the side. We began to share our dreams again and saw how they fit together like a puzzle. Up until this point we had forgotten about RACE and the whole Beth Moore thing. But through our discussion we thought, "Why not give it another shot?" It was only two months away from July RACE. We re-contacted World Team and showed them our plan to pay off our student loans, and how God had provided a job for us to be able to do so. With that, they extended an offer for us to come. Then just before we left for RACE, Kyle got another promotion which ended up giving him vacation time allowing him to take a week off and still be paid.
So just like Mark Batterson would say, just because God doesn't answer your prayer right away, does not mean the answer is no. For us it was wait. And now we are seeing God answer in a way much bigger than we expected.
RACE was even better than we could have imagined. The boys did so well on the trip. They had their own personal nanny, allowing Kyle and I to be fully engaged. I had been through RACE before so it wasn't a huge deal for me to step out and go feed James when needed.
We were at the main World Team office for the first few days. We learned about World Team, where they serve, what their vision is, what there core values are etc. One thing that had bothered me as a single was the amount of money I would have to raise. I didn't see why I would need a 401K or insurance. I just wanted to raise as little as possible, trust God, and just GO! Well, now that I have a family I see things a little differently. I'm grateful for World Teams policy of making sure their missionaries have a 401K and health insurance. Not to mention, as we get older, so will our supporters. Eventually we may be able to live our 401K when we're older and not have to rely so much on support. Another thing that I realized this time around is how much they emphasize innovation. What I mean is, for a while I wondered if I was with the right agency because I wasn't sure if my gifts and passions would be fully used with World Team. I wondered if perhaps I should be with an organization that is more specific in what they do - like Youth For Christ, whose main goal is reaching youth. Then it occurred to both Kyle and myself that with World Team we really have a lot of liberty to use our gifts and passions as seen fit. Kyle used the analogy of a parking lot. Perhaps with YFC I would be working directly with this parking spot. I could be totally on fire for working with youth, but if my heart were to ever change and I felt more passionate about, let's say, orphans, then I would have to switch agencies. However World Team is like the entire parking lot. If for a few years I want to focus on a prayer ministry, I can. If down the road I want to focus my attention on orphans, I can. If later my heart is breaking for the poor and the needy, then I could work with them as well. The main goal is to make disciples and to draw them into groups we call churches, but with World Team, there are countless ways that that could be done. So really, I'm much more excited about World Team knowing that I won't be limited and can use the talents and passions God gives me to serve. Not to mention, the location of where we want to serve could even change down the road. If Kyle and I feel the Holy Spirit guiding us elsewhere, there are several country choices we could serve via World Team. Their focus, however, is the unreached places in the world that have little to no evangelical influence.
The second portion of our time at RACE was the part where we were being evaluated to see if we would be a good fit with World Team. We did many group projects, shared our testimonies, endured tough questions, received constructive criticism, and by the end we both felt thoroughly known, yet deeply loved. One scenario they did was put all the candidates in a room except for me and two others. They received a letter that we had been kidnapped and they had to devise what they would do in a situation like that. Most of them laughed at first, knowing it was just a theoretical situation. After we walked back in the room and the role-play was done, the director said, "Ok, I know it was hard to get into this scenario since it wasn't real, but what if it were real. I want you to close your eyes and imagine..." and then he started listing the names of the kids at RACE. "Noah, Levi, ELIJAH..." When he got to my kids' name, I started balling. It really did make us realize there is a cost to following Christ. If we were going to be missionaries, this was something we would have to consider. It's hard to imagine anything happening to my family, but the truth is, that could happen anywhere in the world, and if it's going to happen, why not have it be while serving the Lord.
After much prayer and consideration, and speaking with our pastor, Kyle and I signed on with World Team. We hope to serve in France, but actually some of the other places they thought we might be good a fit were in Italy and Brazil. I think it would have to be quite clear for us go somewhere else, but we're open to it should the Lord lead.
One of the passages I had read before going to France the first time was in Mark 9. It seemed to be a Rhema word from God regarding the country. It's the story about the disciples trying to cast out a demon but could not. They get into this theological debate as to why they couldn't cast the demon out. Then Jesus shows up and is able to cast out the demon. But before the boy is set free, he foams at the mouth, shakes, and then appears dead. Jesus takes him by the hand and he gets up, set free from demon possession. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't cast the demon out and Jesus says "This one comes out only through prayer and fasting." To me the country of France represents the boy. It needs to be set free as well but will only be set free through prayer. At first the country may seem dead (much like it does spiritually right now), but then Jesus Himself will pick it back up and restore life free from demonic oppression.
As I was praying the other day in regards to where God would have us serve, I decided to open my Bible back up and pick up reading Mark where I had left off. I had been reading the Book again just during my personal quiet time. It just so happens that that passage is exactly where I had left off. Coincidence? I don't think so. This time as I read it, the part to me that stood out the most was, "This kind only comes out through prayer." I have had the desire to start a prayer ministry there, and this seemed to be God's way of confirming that desire.
One thing I had been nervous about at RACE was the France team finding out I was there and wondering why I was going back down this road again. Would they want me back there after leaving early? Would they trust me again after I had had many doubts about being there before when I was single? As it turns out, the field director from France happened to be in Michigan this past week. He and his wife came over for dinner and put my fears to rest. They were very encouraging and supportive of Kyle and I pursuing ministry with them again. They did ask a few questions regarding Kyle's desire to be in France and reminded me that it was a commitment, which I would expect, but over all we felt like if we were to serve in France with World Team that we would be welcomed back.
So that's where we stand now. We're excited about the prospect of being missionaries again and the possibility to be back in France. Now it's just a matter of raising support and paying down our student loans. We anticipate this will be a 3-5 year process but would welcome a miracle should the Lord allow us to go sooner.
Kyle and I had begun to pray last Fall about the idea of being missionaries. It was what had drawn us together in the first place but something we had put on the back burner for a while after getting married and having our first kid. When we began to talk about it again I was pretty apprehensive. After all I had just been down that road and "caught nothing." I had attempted to raise support but never was able to get enough to go long-term. I was with World Team in France but didn't really see any harvest or fruit of my ministry while I was there. Kyle and I had just finished listening to the "Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson, which is what got us discussing the idea of missions again. In his book he emphasizes circling your dreams in prayer and not giving up. He also talks about faith and how it requires action. Often in the Bible God's actions were proceeded by an act of faith. For example, Moses stepped into the Jordan river, and THEN the waters were parted. Both Kyle and I thought God might be asking us to take a step of faith. We had been waiting for a miracle from God to pay off our loans before we would consider serving in missions again, but after listening to the Circle Maker we felt compelled to take action and trust God would part the waters later. Of course we would continue to do our part in paying down our loans, but if we waited till they were totally paid off, we would never go. So Kyle and I prayed asking God to confirm if missions was the direction He wanted us to go. After praying, I flipped on the TV and it happen to be on the Christian channel. Beth Moore was speaking on Mark 4, the story where Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus was talking to a crowd but then zeros in on Peter. Beth looks at the camera and says, "Just as Jesus focused in on Peter, even among a large crowd, so does He want to focus in on YOU." Then she proceeded to tell the story. Jesus tells Peter to go back out and cast his nets again. Peter replies, "But Master, we have fished all night and caught nothing, but at your request, we will let down the nets." Beth goes on to say, "Someone listening has tried something and has caught nothing, but God is asking you to do it again. This time He is using a new net."
I got chills just listening and felt like it was a clear answer from God saying "Do it again. This time you have a new net." What my new net is, I'm not totally sure, but I think it's Kyle. It's a family. It's a different time, a different season, and this time I believe we will have a big catch.
So with that confirmation, Kyle and I filled out the application and began heading in that direction. World Team accepted us based on our application and they we're going to extend an invitation for us to come to RACE but thought we needed to have more headway in our student loans first. I was a little confused. Had we not heard God right? So we again put the book of doing missions back on the shelf and continued living our "normal" life. Little did we know that God had not ignored our act of faith. Since then, Kyle has been promoted to a position that is allowing us to pay off our loans in 3 years, something we would never have been able to do at his old job!
Back in May I had been feeling a little depressed, like I had no vision. I wasn't really sure what I was passionate about anymore and felt stoic and just blah. I was telling Kyle how I felt and eventually our conversation opened up to the dream I once had to serve in France. It also re-kindled the passion Kyle had to serve as a pastor or help start a church that would function as a homeless shelter on the side. We began to share our dreams again and saw how they fit together like a puzzle. Up until this point we had forgotten about RACE and the whole Beth Moore thing. But through our discussion we thought, "Why not give it another shot?" It was only two months away from July RACE. We re-contacted World Team and showed them our plan to pay off our student loans, and how God had provided a job for us to be able to do so. With that, they extended an offer for us to come. Then just before we left for RACE, Kyle got another promotion which ended up giving him vacation time allowing him to take a week off and still be paid.
So just like Mark Batterson would say, just because God doesn't answer your prayer right away, does not mean the answer is no. For us it was wait. And now we are seeing God answer in a way much bigger than we expected.
RACE was even better than we could have imagined. The boys did so well on the trip. They had their own personal nanny, allowing Kyle and I to be fully engaged. I had been through RACE before so it wasn't a huge deal for me to step out and go feed James when needed.
We were at the main World Team office for the first few days. We learned about World Team, where they serve, what their vision is, what there core values are etc. One thing that had bothered me as a single was the amount of money I would have to raise. I didn't see why I would need a 401K or insurance. I just wanted to raise as little as possible, trust God, and just GO! Well, now that I have a family I see things a little differently. I'm grateful for World Teams policy of making sure their missionaries have a 401K and health insurance. Not to mention, as we get older, so will our supporters. Eventually we may be able to live our 401K when we're older and not have to rely so much on support. Another thing that I realized this time around is how much they emphasize innovation. What I mean is, for a while I wondered if I was with the right agency because I wasn't sure if my gifts and passions would be fully used with World Team. I wondered if perhaps I should be with an organization that is more specific in what they do - like Youth For Christ, whose main goal is reaching youth. Then it occurred to both Kyle and myself that with World Team we really have a lot of liberty to use our gifts and passions as seen fit. Kyle used the analogy of a parking lot. Perhaps with YFC I would be working directly with this parking spot. I could be totally on fire for working with youth, but if my heart were to ever change and I felt more passionate about, let's say, orphans, then I would have to switch agencies. However World Team is like the entire parking lot. If for a few years I want to focus on a prayer ministry, I can. If down the road I want to focus my attention on orphans, I can. If later my heart is breaking for the poor and the needy, then I could work with them as well. The main goal is to make disciples and to draw them into groups we call churches, but with World Team, there are countless ways that that could be done. So really, I'm much more excited about World Team knowing that I won't be limited and can use the talents and passions God gives me to serve. Not to mention, the location of where we want to serve could even change down the road. If Kyle and I feel the Holy Spirit guiding us elsewhere, there are several country choices we could serve via World Team. Their focus, however, is the unreached places in the world that have little to no evangelical influence.
The second portion of our time at RACE was the part where we were being evaluated to see if we would be a good fit with World Team. We did many group projects, shared our testimonies, endured tough questions, received constructive criticism, and by the end we both felt thoroughly known, yet deeply loved. One scenario they did was put all the candidates in a room except for me and two others. They received a letter that we had been kidnapped and they had to devise what they would do in a situation like that. Most of them laughed at first, knowing it was just a theoretical situation. After we walked back in the room and the role-play was done, the director said, "Ok, I know it was hard to get into this scenario since it wasn't real, but what if it were real. I want you to close your eyes and imagine..." and then he started listing the names of the kids at RACE. "Noah, Levi, ELIJAH..." When he got to my kids' name, I started balling. It really did make us realize there is a cost to following Christ. If we were going to be missionaries, this was something we would have to consider. It's hard to imagine anything happening to my family, but the truth is, that could happen anywhere in the world, and if it's going to happen, why not have it be while serving the Lord.
After much prayer and consideration, and speaking with our pastor, Kyle and I signed on with World Team. We hope to serve in France, but actually some of the other places they thought we might be good a fit were in Italy and Brazil. I think it would have to be quite clear for us go somewhere else, but we're open to it should the Lord lead.
One of the passages I had read before going to France the first time was in Mark 9. It seemed to be a Rhema word from God regarding the country. It's the story about the disciples trying to cast out a demon but could not. They get into this theological debate as to why they couldn't cast the demon out. Then Jesus shows up and is able to cast out the demon. But before the boy is set free, he foams at the mouth, shakes, and then appears dead. Jesus takes him by the hand and he gets up, set free from demon possession. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't cast the demon out and Jesus says "This one comes out only through prayer and fasting." To me the country of France represents the boy. It needs to be set free as well but will only be set free through prayer. At first the country may seem dead (much like it does spiritually right now), but then Jesus Himself will pick it back up and restore life free from demonic oppression.
As I was praying the other day in regards to where God would have us serve, I decided to open my Bible back up and pick up reading Mark where I had left off. I had been reading the Book again just during my personal quiet time. It just so happens that that passage is exactly where I had left off. Coincidence? I don't think so. This time as I read it, the part to me that stood out the most was, "This kind only comes out through prayer." I have had the desire to start a prayer ministry there, and this seemed to be God's way of confirming that desire.
One thing I had been nervous about at RACE was the France team finding out I was there and wondering why I was going back down this road again. Would they want me back there after leaving early? Would they trust me again after I had had many doubts about being there before when I was single? As it turns out, the field director from France happened to be in Michigan this past week. He and his wife came over for dinner and put my fears to rest. They were very encouraging and supportive of Kyle and I pursuing ministry with them again. They did ask a few questions regarding Kyle's desire to be in France and reminded me that it was a commitment, which I would expect, but over all we felt like if we were to serve in France with World Team that we would be welcomed back.
So that's where we stand now. We're excited about the prospect of being missionaries again and the possibility to be back in France. Now it's just a matter of raising support and paying down our student loans. We anticipate this will be a 3-5 year process but would welcome a miracle should the Lord allow us to go sooner.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Highlights of the last 7 Months
Well again, I need to play catch up. I've been too busy to blog these days, but the boys are both sleeping and although I'm sure I will get interrupted here again soon by one of them waking to eat, I'll do my best to update as much as I can.
Elijah's Highlights:
Elijah was sick nearly the entire time we lived in our apartment in Grand Rapids. After some testing and just peaking around the furnace area we believe it was due to mold. We moved in with Kyle's parents and had been living there up until two weeks ago. Elijah's health has improved significantly.
We were certain Elijah would be walking at 8 months. He had been pulling himself up since November, but it wasn't until the beginning of June that he began walking. We were in the living room with Kyle's mom and grandma. It was just 1-3 steps at first. Then a week later Kyle and I went to pick him up from the nursery. He was so excited to see us that he dropped his toys and walked 14 steps toward us! It was a very exciting moment. Now he still kind a walks like a drunken sailor at times, but we no longer count his steps because he is definitely considered a walker now. He still falls down a lot but it doesn't seem to bother him.
He has been doing really well considering all the changes he has been through - moving to Grandma's house, getting a new brother, and then now moving back into our own house. He has his fussy moments and we're trying to teach him "No" "Come here!" "Give me that!" etc. He likes to test us and so we've started swatting his hand and giving spanks when need be, but even those don't seem to faze him that much. He's doing well at the signs "Please,"More," "Milk,"Baby," and "All Done." He can say "Hi" now and says it all the time - especially when we first pick him up from some place, like the nursery.
Elijah loves being back home. We've baby-proofed the living room so that he can wander around without getting into trouble - though even still he finds ways to get into things he shouldn't - like the curtains. He's even learned to crawl up on the couch now, so our barriers are being compromised and we can no longer contain him in one place without keeping a good eye one him.
He is learning to eat whatever we're eating. He has 9 teeth at the moment and loves toast with butter and jelly, the good 'ol banana and avocado mixture, still his baby food, cheerios, yogurt with oatmeal, and he still enjoys his bottle of milk after his nap.
I'm able to pump about 16 extra ounces for Elijah each day and since he no longer requires as much milk, we don't have to go buy goats milk any more. I've enjoyed our cuddle time as I feed him my own milk again from a bottle.
His hair has turned blond and is presently hanging in his eyes because his aunt Heather is due to have her baby at any moment and so is therefore out of the business of cutting hair.
His new favorite place is the built-in book shelf in our living room - in which he fits just perfectly!
He still sleeps through the night 8pm-8am. It's a wonderful thing! Not to mention his 2 two-hour naps during the day. I'm blessed he's a good sleeper because it allows me to have some sanity between two little kids during the day.
Elijah is a joy and blessing and each day Kyle and I fall more and more in love with our little man!
James' Highlights
James Garrison, named after Kyle's grandpa and my grandpa's middle name, arrived on June 11th weighing 9 lbs 10 oz. He had a full head of dark hair and had brown eyes from the very beginning. He nursed so well and continues to eat well. He now weighs about 14 lbs!!
Labor was only 4 hours this time with 13 minutes of pushing - much quicker than Elijah's birthing process. Megan Deibel was my midwife again and she was there for the delivery! Christine was there as well. I went into the hospital around 2 am and he was born around 5 am. Kyle had to break a few traffic laws along the way to get me there as quick as he could since my contractions were right on top of each other.
James had to be in the hospital for a week after he was born due to low blood-sugar and pneumonia, due to inhaling some of the Meconium. He's doing much better now.
Our youngest little man has been very attentive from day one. He is able to look you in the eyes and often he'll just stair and study my face, as if to say "I'm trying to get to know you mommy." It's the sweetest things to see.
Even on his first day of life outside the womb James has been able to hold his head up. He already looks as though he may role over or crawl at any minute.
James is learning to smile, something he began during our week at RACE. He has the most adorable smile and is either really happy and content, or he is so mad this eyes scrunch up and his face turns red. I think he might have some stomach issues because I've never seen a baby cry so hard and this is pretty normal for him.
I'm allowing James to feed more on demand than I did with Elijah. I don't want to lose my milk supply like I did then. So because of this, James feeds anywhere from 1-4 times during the night. I am slowly moving him toward somewhat of a schedule, but I'm much more relaxed about it this time around. The longest he has gone without waking up to eat is 5 hours. Lately though it's been 2-4 hours that he wants to eat.
Both James and Elijah did so well when we went to RACE two weeks ago. Elijah watched Baby Einstein along the way and James slept most of the time. We had our own personal nanny while we were there named Linda who did a wonderful job with the kids. We really miss having Linda around.
Kyle and My Highlights:
Kyle has been working for Randstad in Grand Rapids and just recently got promoted from Design Engineer to Project Manager Engineer. We now have paid time off and vacation, as well as sick days. They seem to really like him at his job. The promotion couldn't have come at a better time. We planned to go this July to Pennsylvania to World Team and go through what they call RACE (Reciprocal, Assessment, Career, Evaluation). I had been through RACE as a single but because I'm married and have kids, much has changed so in order to consider World Team again, I had to re-RACE.
Kyle and I had been been praying about missions since we were married. Because of being newlyweds and having our first baby, we had put off the idea until God would direct us otherwise. Well, even though we just had our second baby, the timing seemed to be right now. With much prayer we decided to take a leap of faith and take this initial step in the direction toward being missionaries. God seemed to be in favor of this because right before we left, Kyle got his promotion allowing us to be paid during the time we were gone - something we had not budgeted for.
Our time at RACE was amazing. The kids were really good and it was actually a nice break from my day job. We sat through many meetings in the beginning and then did many projects the second half of the week while being assessed, interviewed, and challenged in many other ways. At the end we both felt known, yet loved, and like we had been a part of a new family. It was a wonderful experience that I already miss and wish I could relive. We went home and prayed/fasted/spoke with a pastor and decided to sign back on with World Team in pursuit of being missionaries. Our desire is to go to France, but we are open to change if the Lord should direct differently. I'll blog more specifically about RACE later as well as about the passion for discipleship that Lord has put on my heart.
Other highlights would be :
Having our second baby!
Moving back into our house!
Feeling like we are in a season of relief and answered prayers.
Elijah's Highlights:
Elijah was sick nearly the entire time we lived in our apartment in Grand Rapids. After some testing and just peaking around the furnace area we believe it was due to mold. We moved in with Kyle's parents and had been living there up until two weeks ago. Elijah's health has improved significantly.
We were certain Elijah would be walking at 8 months. He had been pulling himself up since November, but it wasn't until the beginning of June that he began walking. We were in the living room with Kyle's mom and grandma. It was just 1-3 steps at first. Then a week later Kyle and I went to pick him up from the nursery. He was so excited to see us that he dropped his toys and walked 14 steps toward us! It was a very exciting moment. Now he still kind a walks like a drunken sailor at times, but we no longer count his steps because he is definitely considered a walker now. He still falls down a lot but it doesn't seem to bother him.
He has been doing really well considering all the changes he has been through - moving to Grandma's house, getting a new brother, and then now moving back into our own house. He has his fussy moments and we're trying to teach him "No" "Come here!" "Give me that!" etc. He likes to test us and so we've started swatting his hand and giving spanks when need be, but even those don't seem to faze him that much. He's doing well at the signs "Please,"More," "Milk,"Baby," and "All Done." He can say "Hi" now and says it all the time - especially when we first pick him up from some place, like the nursery.
Elijah loves being back home. We've baby-proofed the living room so that he can wander around without getting into trouble - though even still he finds ways to get into things he shouldn't - like the curtains. He's even learned to crawl up on the couch now, so our barriers are being compromised and we can no longer contain him in one place without keeping a good eye one him.
He is learning to eat whatever we're eating. He has 9 teeth at the moment and loves toast with butter and jelly, the good 'ol banana and avocado mixture, still his baby food, cheerios, yogurt with oatmeal, and he still enjoys his bottle of milk after his nap.
I'm able to pump about 16 extra ounces for Elijah each day and since he no longer requires as much milk, we don't have to go buy goats milk any more. I've enjoyed our cuddle time as I feed him my own milk again from a bottle.
His hair has turned blond and is presently hanging in his eyes because his aunt Heather is due to have her baby at any moment and so is therefore out of the business of cutting hair.
His new favorite place is the built-in book shelf in our living room - in which he fits just perfectly!
He still sleeps through the night 8pm-8am. It's a wonderful thing! Not to mention his 2 two-hour naps during the day. I'm blessed he's a good sleeper because it allows me to have some sanity between two little kids during the day.
Elijah is a joy and blessing and each day Kyle and I fall more and more in love with our little man!
James' Highlights
James Garrison, named after Kyle's grandpa and my grandpa's middle name, arrived on June 11th weighing 9 lbs 10 oz. He had a full head of dark hair and had brown eyes from the very beginning. He nursed so well and continues to eat well. He now weighs about 14 lbs!!
Labor was only 4 hours this time with 13 minutes of pushing - much quicker than Elijah's birthing process. Megan Deibel was my midwife again and she was there for the delivery! Christine was there as well. I went into the hospital around 2 am and he was born around 5 am. Kyle had to break a few traffic laws along the way to get me there as quick as he could since my contractions were right on top of each other.
James had to be in the hospital for a week after he was born due to low blood-sugar and pneumonia, due to inhaling some of the Meconium. He's doing much better now.
Our youngest little man has been very attentive from day one. He is able to look you in the eyes and often he'll just stair and study my face, as if to say "I'm trying to get to know you mommy." It's the sweetest things to see.
Even on his first day of life outside the womb James has been able to hold his head up. He already looks as though he may role over or crawl at any minute.
James is learning to smile, something he began during our week at RACE. He has the most adorable smile and is either really happy and content, or he is so mad this eyes scrunch up and his face turns red. I think he might have some stomach issues because I've never seen a baby cry so hard and this is pretty normal for him.
I'm allowing James to feed more on demand than I did with Elijah. I don't want to lose my milk supply like I did then. So because of this, James feeds anywhere from 1-4 times during the night. I am slowly moving him toward somewhat of a schedule, but I'm much more relaxed about it this time around. The longest he has gone without waking up to eat is 5 hours. Lately though it's been 2-4 hours that he wants to eat.
Both James and Elijah did so well when we went to RACE two weeks ago. Elijah watched Baby Einstein along the way and James slept most of the time. We had our own personal nanny while we were there named Linda who did a wonderful job with the kids. We really miss having Linda around.
Kyle and My Highlights:
Kyle has been working for Randstad in Grand Rapids and just recently got promoted from Design Engineer to Project Manager Engineer. We now have paid time off and vacation, as well as sick days. They seem to really like him at his job. The promotion couldn't have come at a better time. We planned to go this July to Pennsylvania to World Team and go through what they call RACE (Reciprocal, Assessment, Career, Evaluation). I had been through RACE as a single but because I'm married and have kids, much has changed so in order to consider World Team again, I had to re-RACE.
Kyle and I had been been praying about missions since we were married. Because of being newlyweds and having our first baby, we had put off the idea until God would direct us otherwise. Well, even though we just had our second baby, the timing seemed to be right now. With much prayer we decided to take a leap of faith and take this initial step in the direction toward being missionaries. God seemed to be in favor of this because right before we left, Kyle got his promotion allowing us to be paid during the time we were gone - something we had not budgeted for.
Our time at RACE was amazing. The kids were really good and it was actually a nice break from my day job. We sat through many meetings in the beginning and then did many projects the second half of the week while being assessed, interviewed, and challenged in many other ways. At the end we both felt known, yet loved, and like we had been a part of a new family. It was a wonderful experience that I already miss and wish I could relive. We went home and prayed/fasted/spoke with a pastor and decided to sign back on with World Team in pursuit of being missionaries. Our desire is to go to France, but we are open to change if the Lord should direct differently. I'll blog more specifically about RACE later as well as about the passion for discipleship that Lord has put on my heart.
Other highlights would be :
Having our second baby!
Moving back into our house!
Feeling like we are in a season of relief and answered prayers.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Elijah's and Baby'sProgress
Elijah is 8 months old now. He has two bottom teeth. He is very active and loves to crawl and pull himself up to stand. He enjoys playing peek-a-boo and has the most adorable laugh. He can say "mama" and "baba" and if you say "ah" he repeats it back over and over again until you stop. He eats a lot of avocado and bananas, apple sauce, squash, oatmeal, carrots, peas, and drinks goats milk. He is just getting over what we think was hand-foot-and-mouth disease, which I think means he's immune to it for the rest of his life.
The baby seems to be doing fine. I have an appointment next week which I'm really looking forward to. I'm growing so that must mean the baby is growing and I'm still sick every now and then so hopefully that is a good sign as well that the baby is getting the nutrients it needs.
Yesterday I was 18 weeks pregnant. I've still had some morning sickness, but it's starting to be more spaced out where I have just about as many days a week without getting sick that I do getting sick. My pregnancy has been very similar to the pregnancy I had with Elijah. Hopefully in a week or so we can find out what the sex of our baby is!
The baby seems to be doing fine. I have an appointment next week which I'm really looking forward to. I'm growing so that must mean the baby is growing and I'm still sick every now and then so hopefully that is a good sign as well that the baby is getting the nutrients it needs.
Yesterday I was 18 weeks pregnant. I've still had some morning sickness, but it's starting to be more spaced out where I have just about as many days a week without getting sick that I do getting sick. My pregnancy has been very similar to the pregnancy I had with Elijah. Hopefully in a week or so we can find out what the sex of our baby is!
21 Day Fast
I'm excited for the next 21 days to see all that God is going to do through so many churches that are praying and fasting this month. Last night we went to Radiant and had an amazing time of prayer and worship as well as a powerful message. I was convicted that before God is going to ever give Kyle and I great influence, we need to be faithful where we are at. For the last two years we've been church-hunting and had settled at Gracespring for a while. But then Kyle got a job in Grand Rapids so we moved here and now we're back to church-hunting again. My prayer is that God will give us clear direction as to which church He would have us serving in. I just want a starting point to begin being faithful - even if that means cleaning floors or serving in some other humble way first. I just want to do what I was created to do and that is to glorify Jesus and serve Him with the works He prepared in advance for me to do. Pastor Lee, before he was the pastor of Radiant Church had been praying and asking God where to serve as a pastor. He was hoping for a city or some place where he could be greatly influential. He wasn't expecting God to lead him to the corn fields of Richland. But just like Jesus wasn't born in Rome or some other great city as some might have expected, He was instead born in Bethlehem, a very humble city that many had not even heard of. So if the Light of the Word can come from Bethlehem, what makes me think I need to be in a great city to have influence. Perhaps God has called us here to North Grand Rapids, or perhaps back to Kalamazoo where Kyle and I were born and raised. Maybe one day God would call us to Paris or some other place on the mission field, but I think both Kyle and myself realize that being influential for the kingdom of God can happen anywhere - even in the most unexpected humble of places.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Highlights of the Last 3 Months...
It seems like when I have the most to post about is when I don't have the time to post. So here are just some quick highlights of the last three months:
Kyle and I are found out we are expecting our second child! I am currently 16 weeks pregnant. It was quite a shock at first, but not really since we weren't on any birth control. With breastfeeding I didn't think it would happen quite so soon but we're still very excited about our little miracle.
Kyle got a new job in Mattawan doing design work. The owner, however, had some major anger issues and Kyle didn't feel right about staying. We prayed about it and Kyle resigned after only a few weeks. It was a tough decision because he had been making substantially more money but I'm proud of Kyle for taking the leap of faith to trust God for something else. Just after he resigned, we found out we were expecting another child. Talk about our faith being tested. Here we were with no job and the news of another little one on the way. However, within 24 hours of resigning, Kyle had over 30 different job leads and was able to take a two week temp job the following week just as a fill in until he found a more permanent job. As always God came through and provided a job for Kyle in Grand Rapids. So we prayed some more and decided to rent out our house and move closer to his work. Now, here we are living in Grand Rapids and back to hunting for a church - something we have been doing for the majority of our marriage. But we're very grateful for a higher paying job, especially as our family continues to grow.
Elijah has been crawling for over a month now and can pull himself up. I can't leave him for one moment alone or he'll find the nearest cord to grab or small object to put in his mouth. Everything he touches has to go in his mouth. He's cut two teeth and sadly can no longer nurse because my milk has dwindled to about 3oz a day. I think it's due to my morning sickness and therefore some dehydration causing my milk supply to decrease. We've put him on goats milk - which I know some people think is crazy, but his stomach handles it so much better than formula. Goats milk is lacking in a iron and folic acid - which I make sure he gets through avocados, apples, and egg yolks (well the egg yolks I'm starting today for the first time).
We enjoyed a brief Christmas at my parent's house, interrupted by Kellie being asked to come home and get some blood work done. After only 20 hours or so at my parent's house in Indiana we were told that Kellie was getting induced. She had been having high blood pressure and extreme swelling from her pregnancy. She wasn't due till January 12 but ended up having a c-section on December 23rd. Beautiful Alana Grace was born weighing only 5lbs 2oz but is doing great. All her test came back normal and she is nursing wonderfully. Kellie on the other hand has been held in the hospital and is being treated for toxicity, high blood pressure, fluids on her heart and lungs, and still much swelling. She's doing a lot better today and hopefully will be released today or tomorrow.
Tonight Kyle and I are going to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway - a Christmas gift from his parents. I'm so excited!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Starting Over
Lately I have found myself back in the old rut of the person I hate, trying to prove my point, letting pride be my guide, focusing on the negative, wishing things were different, and so on. I was at my parent's house for a week without Kyle and missed him like crazy so how come we found ourselves fighting even more this week after my return? He drove all the way to Indiana to come and get me and we really enjoyed the ride home together, but after one day we found ourselves arguing over silly little things that just don't matter. I've gotten to the point lately where I've just ignored and ignored the voice of God. I know I'm doing it and it's almost like I am defiantly going against what I hear Him saying. Why? How have I let myself drift so far from the person I want to be. I always wanted to be that wife that encourages her husband, and the couple that everyone looks up to. Now, I'm the one looking at other couples wondering what they do to have it so good. Lie after lie after lie I have been believing. Sometimes I wonder when God is going to give up on me.
Yesterday Kyle and I went to Radiant church to watch "Extremely loud and Incredibly Close" with a Pastor Lee twist. At the end Linda Schell (Sandra Bullock) says to her son, "I went into your room and tried to think like you think... I was searching for you." Pastor Lee quoted this as though God was speaking to us. He said that we are not too far away and that God is searching for us to come back home.
I felt like the Holy spirit was talking directly to me. I want to make each day count and stop living for myself and start loving.
Today at gracespring, pastor Kiser spoke on the abundant life, concluding that giving up our lives to love is really where the joy and abundant life is found. I have been so focused on what Kyle and can do for me, how if he did this or that I would be happier. The problem is that he tries and tries and I'm not getting any happier... only more depressed and disappointed with myself. I've been afraid to love for fear I will give more than he will or fear I won't be taken care of. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me today to leave a debt of love and seek my reward in heaven. So today, I'm hitting replay and getting up again. Will I fall? Most likely. But, like Mark Batterson said in "The Circle Maker.." falling is not failure; failing to get back up and keep trying is.
Yesterday Kyle and I went to Radiant church to watch "Extremely loud and Incredibly Close" with a Pastor Lee twist. At the end Linda Schell (Sandra Bullock) says to her son, "I went into your room and tried to think like you think... I was searching for you." Pastor Lee quoted this as though God was speaking to us. He said that we are not too far away and that God is searching for us to come back home.
I felt like the Holy spirit was talking directly to me. I want to make each day count and stop living for myself and start loving.
Today at gracespring, pastor Kiser spoke on the abundant life, concluding that giving up our lives to love is really where the joy and abundant life is found. I have been so focused on what Kyle and can do for me, how if he did this or that I would be happier. The problem is that he tries and tries and I'm not getting any happier... only more depressed and disappointed with myself. I've been afraid to love for fear I will give more than he will or fear I won't be taken care of. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me today to leave a debt of love and seek my reward in heaven. So today, I'm hitting replay and getting up again. Will I fall? Most likely. But, like Mark Batterson said in "The Circle Maker.." falling is not failure; failing to get back up and keep trying is.
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