A Firm Foundation

Okay, so I know I said I'd be back to normal posting on Tuesday, but this has been an insane week. My boss and coworker have been out of town. I'm their backup for things here as well as their technical support for any issues they have down there, so I've been on the phone more this week than I ever care to be.
But this morning, I saw this picture, and thoughts began racing through my mind, and I just had to share.




I've always been taught how important a firm foundation is. And I don't know about you, but a seemingly endless space of nothing but air is definitely not my idea of a firm foundation. It's my idea of a death wish actually.
I found this passage from I Timothy 6:18-21 about laying a firm foundation, and I thought I'd share it with you:


18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Building a firm foundation has two very important steps. One, making sure you have good building material. Two, making sure to avoid the things that will ruin your foundation. See, you can have a great foundation, but allowing yourself to be deceived opens your foundation up to destruction.
I don't know about you, but I want to make sure that my foundation stays strong. I want to be fully grounded in Christ so that I can teach my little Alaena how important a strong foundation is. Just like my parents taught me!

Just Checking In

Well blogging buddies, I'm back from a very restful Thanksgiving weekend. Honestly, I spent a lot of time with my mom just sitting around watching Christmas movies and napping. Of course we put up the Christmas decorations and did some cleaning, but all in all I did pretty much nothing all weekend. And it was great! Sometimes you just need a few days like that.
I went to the Dr. as I said last Tuesday for my sugar test. I haven't heard anything on it, so I'm assuming that my sugar isn't high or anything, which is good. She is measuring big right now though, so they're going to do an ultrasound to check her measurements. Now I know it's early, but the words "measuring big" strike just a bit of fear in my heart. After all, I weighed 9 lbs at birth. And the pictures of my mom after having me where every vessel in her eyes had burst kinda make me oh I don't know, terrified!
But God doesn't give us more than we can handle right? So maybe, just maybe Alaena will be a 6 lb little bundle of joy with a small head. But if not, I'm very sure that God will provide just the right anesthesiologist to give an epidural!
In all seriousness, I'm glad to say that everything looks healthy with my little girl. And I'll try not to get too worked up about the "measuring big" thing. I'll be back around to normal posting tomorrow! Just wanted to fill you guys in on what has been going on.
How did you guys enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend?

You Don't Need Turkey to Be Thankful

Well here we are at the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (well Thanksgiving here in the US anyway, my Canadian friends celebrated it back in October I believe.) I can't believe how this year has flown, but suddenly I'm getting e-mail reminders about the Thanksgiving lunch here at work, and I'm like, "Whoa!"
Sadly, I won't be partaking of the Thanksgiving luncheon today. I have a sugar test today at my checkup for Alaena. Now, everyone told me I should reschedule this appointment so I could eat the lunch, but really it's okay with me. See, I don't need the turkey to be thankful.
I have so much else to be thankful for! Here's just a short list:

1. I have salvation from sin and a promise of an eternal home with my Savior in heaven
2. I have a great, loving, supportive family who are there for me no matter what
3. I have a wonderful church family who encourage and love me in the good times and bad
4. I have a beautiful daughter on the way, who serves as a constant reminder to me of God's grace and forgiveness
5. I have good doctors and nurses who try to ensure that Alaena will be healthy when she arrives
6. I have my blogging buddies who pray for me and try to encourage me along the way

And I could go on and on and on, but you get the idea. The meaning of the holiday isn't found in the food on the table. It's found in the depths of our hearts. In the place where we treasure all those good things God has done for us!
So I ask you, what are you thankful for today (besides the turkey!!)?

What I'm Resting In Today

Honestly I am so sleepy right now that I don't think I can put two coherent thoughts today, so I figured I'd just share a verse with you today.

Check out this verse from Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I don't know about you guys, but rest sounds REALLY good to me! So today I'll be resting in the promise that I serve the giver of rest!

I Want to Be Closer

Last night I stayed at my sister's house. That meant sharing a bed with my three year old niece. This isn't a horrible experience. She's not a kicker or anything, but she gives a whole new meaning to the word close. She's definitely a snuggler.
So I spent a good portion of the night trying to sleep in a spot that was half my body size because every time I tried to move a few inches away for some breathing room, she'd snuggle closer.
Kids are generally like that. They crave closeness. The words personal space mean little to them. Even trips to the bathroom can rarely be taken alone at my sister's house.
It really made me start to think though. God wants me to come to Him like a child. (Mark 10:15) First off, He wants me to trust Him completely, regardless of the situation. But He also wants me to crave closeness with Him.
Check out this verse from James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
He wants us to snuggle up to Him. He wants us to have that close, personal relationship with Him. There's no part of our lives He doesn't want to share.
So draw closer and closer to Him. It's a relationship you'll never regret!

Take It With You

Last week I finished birth and baby classes. I went a little early to avoid having to go around holiday time. Anyway, my instructor was HILARIOUS. She had us cracking up with her comparisons and her horror stories.
One night she was talking about discomfort during the last couple of months of pregnancy and telling us some things we could do to be more comfortable. One thing she suggested was remembering to take our belly with us when we moved. She said the muscles get stretched out, and when you go to roll over or stand up suddenly, you needed to remember to put a hand on your belly and take it with you.
It actually has been a helpful little hint. Makes it easier to move when I take my belly with me. Made me start thinking about some other things it is important to take with me. Check out these verses:

Psalm 116:13, "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD."

Psalm 119:111, "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart."

Proverbs 4:13, "Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life."

James 5:10, "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience."

Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

We take our salvation. We take the testimony of Christ. We take the instruction He gives us. We take the examples of other believers. We take the water that gives us life.
Now, we've heard over and over that we should keep these things with us, hold them dear to us. This isn't any new message. But sometimes we need a reminder.
I must admit, the first time I heard that teacher say, "Take your belly with you." I was like "DUH!" But then I tried to turn over in the midst of the night, when I was half asleep and I forgot to take my belly. And let me tell you from experience, it's not a good idea to forget your belly.
It's also not a good idea to forget the things of Christ. They are treasures to carry with us everywhere we go. So wherever you may go today, take Christ. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Living Peaceably

I've been doing a lot of praying lately about a situation. A situation that sometimes makes me so angry I want to scream (because screaming IS the answer to problems, you know.) Anyway, I've run the situation over and over in my mind, trying to figure out if there is someway that you can brainwash a person to just DO THE RIGHT THING FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
But as much as I've thought about it, I've come to realize that no, I can't change anyone. I can only change myself (with God's help.) And I must leave the rest in God's hands. I also woke up with a passage of Scripture in my head this morning that I know came from God.
The passage is Romans 12:17-19:

17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Now, I must admit, I offered up a few, "But God's" when this verse came to mind. But the thing is that God was trying to remind me that someone else's wrong, doesn't excuse me when I do wrong on top of it.
My responsibility is to keep peace on my side of things. My responsibility is not to return hateful remarks for those aimed at me. My responsibility is to place it in God's hands and know that the Lord will take care of the situation in His time and His way.
Now I'm sure that God will have to keep replaying these verses in my head over the weeks, months, probably years to come. But that is my goal. I'm going to be the peaceful one. I'm going to choose my words prayerfully. And I'm going to put it all in God's hands.
And a few prayers from you guys that I'd keep these verses in mind wouldn't hurt at all!