I love how God shows us things when we need to see them! As I was doing my daily bible study for the Beth Moore Bible study I joined on Monday, I was lead to a verse in 2 Timothy. There on the opposite page, was a highlighted verse. I have no idea when I highlighted it or why. I did not think I had heard the verse before.
But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
2 Timothy 4:5
Finding this verse made me smile. I need to remember to keep a clear mind, not fear my sufferings and continue to trust God has a specific ministry He has given me to carry out.
Praise God for His faithfulness in giving us our gift!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The Kindness of Strangers
Tom and I have been blessed by our friends and family the past year with everything we have been through. Our friends and family have been there for support, sent prayers, food, cards money and love to us the past year and we are very grateful and thankful for everything they have done. But Tom and I were surprised by the kindness and generosity of strangers.
On Christmas Eve, Tom and I returned home from celebrating Christmas with Tom's family in Kalamazoo. I went in the house as Tom got the mail. Tom came in with a big package that was stuffed in the mailbox. I recognized the return address as a friend I met online. I belong to an online support group for women who have had a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss. One of the women had sent Tom and I a package.
We opened the package and there were four wrapped gifts and a card. I opened the card and read it first. It was not just from one person but from almost 40 people form the group! Tom and I opened the two biggest gifts first. They were both Willow Tree figurines. They were both angels to remind us of our angel babies. The next gift I opened was the smallest. It was a necklace made by one of the women from my group. On the outside is an angel. When it was opened up there is both Grant and Nathan's names next to the day they were born in heaven and their birth stones. It is so beautiful. I wear it all the time. The last gift I opened and began crying immediately. They had given us $350 in Visa gift cards.
Tom and I held each other and cried. We have never been so humbled are peoples' generosity. Tom kept saying that they had done too much, given too much. Women that we have never met care so much about us. We are in awe of those women and we want to thank each and every one individually for your kind gift. A big thanks to Amanda Vosburg for putting this all together. Surely God will bless all of the women for giving to us so generously.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Acts 20:35
Praise God for His faithfulness in giving us our gift!
On Christmas Eve, Tom and I returned home from celebrating Christmas with Tom's family in Kalamazoo. I went in the house as Tom got the mail. Tom came in with a big package that was stuffed in the mailbox. I recognized the return address as a friend I met online. I belong to an online support group for women who have had a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss. One of the women had sent Tom and I a package.
We opened the package and there were four wrapped gifts and a card. I opened the card and read it first. It was not just from one person but from almost 40 people form the group! Tom and I opened the two biggest gifts first. They were both Willow Tree figurines. They were both angels to remind us of our angel babies. The next gift I opened was the smallest. It was a necklace made by one of the women from my group. On the outside is an angel. When it was opened up there is both Grant and Nathan's names next to the day they were born in heaven and their birth stones. It is so beautiful. I wear it all the time. The last gift I opened and began crying immediately. They had given us $350 in Visa gift cards.
Tom and I held each other and cried. We have never been so humbled are peoples' generosity. Tom kept saying that they had done too much, given too much. Women that we have never met care so much about us. We are in awe of those women and we want to thank each and every one individually for your kind gift. A big thanks to Amanda Vosburg for putting this all together. Surely God will bless all of the women for giving to us so generously.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Acts 20:35
Praise God for His faithfulness in giving us our gift!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
My Desires
With Christmas just having passed, I have been thinking a lot about Jesus, as I am sure many of you have. I have been thinking about the sacrifice Jesus made for us. It is hard to think that Jesus knew what was coming and did not run away. I can not understand why He would die for me, yet He did it anyway.
When Christmas time rolls around everyone asks what I want for Christmas. This year what I truly wanted no one on earth could give. I wanted to see my two babies again. I wanted to hold them and kiss them like every other mother gets to do, but I could not get that for Christmas. Instead Grant and Nathan spent Christmas in Heaven with Jesus. It is unbelievably humbling to know that because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, Tom and I will be in Heaven holding our sons again one day.
Jesus already gave me the only gift I wanted this Christmas. He was sacrificed so I could be with Grant and Nathan in Heaven. After thinking about what He has already done for us I feel like I could never ask for anything more. There is so much more I want. I want to have a family with Tom. I want to live a Godly life with a large family. My list could go on and on. I began to feel guilty for wanting more. How could I ask for more when God already gave me the greatest gift of all, eternal life. I am being so selfish asking for more than this, aren't I?
I struggled with this for a bit. Why was I asking God for a family? He has already given me more than I deserve, eternal life in Heaven. In a way I was happy to know that when I leave this earth I will be with God and my boys, but I was struggling with the fact that this may mean I may never have a family here on earth.
I turned to the Bible for answers to the way I was feeling. This is what I found...
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
Did I read that right? I have read this verse many times before but does this mean that not only did God send His son to be sacrificed for our sins, but He also wants to give us the desires of our hearts? Really? God gave me the gift of eternal life with my sons PLUS my heart's desires. This is very overwhelming! God has given me the desire for a family and I know He will fulfill this desire.
Praise God for His faithfulness in giving us our gift!
When Christmas time rolls around everyone asks what I want for Christmas. This year what I truly wanted no one on earth could give. I wanted to see my two babies again. I wanted to hold them and kiss them like every other mother gets to do, but I could not get that for Christmas. Instead Grant and Nathan spent Christmas in Heaven with Jesus. It is unbelievably humbling to know that because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, Tom and I will be in Heaven holding our sons again one day.
Jesus already gave me the only gift I wanted this Christmas. He was sacrificed so I could be with Grant and Nathan in Heaven. After thinking about what He has already done for us I feel like I could never ask for anything more. There is so much more I want. I want to have a family with Tom. I want to live a Godly life with a large family. My list could go on and on. I began to feel guilty for wanting more. How could I ask for more when God already gave me the greatest gift of all, eternal life. I am being so selfish asking for more than this, aren't I?
I struggled with this for a bit. Why was I asking God for a family? He has already given me more than I deserve, eternal life in Heaven. In a way I was happy to know that when I leave this earth I will be with God and my boys, but I was struggling with the fact that this may mean I may never have a family here on earth.
I turned to the Bible for answers to the way I was feeling. This is what I found...
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
Did I read that right? I have read this verse many times before but does this mean that not only did God send His son to be sacrificed for our sins, but He also wants to give us the desires of our hearts? Really? God gave me the gift of eternal life with my sons PLUS my heart's desires. This is very overwhelming! God has given me the desire for a family and I know He will fulfill this desire.
Praise God for His faithfulness in giving us our gift!
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