Tag: Bible

Jonah Michael

Trusting in God often feels like taffy being stretched and pulled. You feel like you might break but it’s stretched just far enough that you change and bend. Then there’s rest to process and adjust.

Stretched but never broken. That’s how I feel.

This last week has been one of those stretching weeks. One of those times in my life where I’ve been stretched far beyond what I thought capable. If you believe the idiom “God never gives you more than you can handle”, just know it’s not true. He definitely allows things in your life that go beyond your capacity, reasoning, wisdom, and strength.

The amazing thing is that in those times, God also carries you and shows you His glory, His strength, and His faithfulness.

Not many people know this, but we were expecting our 13th baby this fall. There was a .03% chance that’d we’d get pregnant again. I won’t share how I know this percentage, just trust me that I know. We were very shocked and were dealing with a lot of emotions surrounding being pregnant again. It’s not like we are getting younger! And we have two grandbabies! Andrew is coming up on 50 next spring!

We were busy processing all the emotions of it and just coming to the point where we were starting to feel excited. Then, the bleeding started.

Over this past week, over the very day my mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer 24 years ago, we lost our sweet baby. We’ve never, in all our pregnancies had to walk this road. And I’ve always been grateful to God for that. It had always felt like something I wouldn’t be able to handle. Yet, here we are. And we’re being so sustained by God.

So many people brought us beautiful flowers that have cheered my soul!

He has walked us through each and every moment. We’ve felt lifted up and held by prayers. We’ve heard of people we don’t even know who have prayed for us. People are bringing meals and flowers, giving hugs and a listening ear. It’s one of those times in life where God is made tangibly known.

Weeks ago, when we had just found out, we had the very strong intuition that we were having a boy. We had no names picked out at all and nothing coming to mind.

One day, I was driving and praying about it all. I asked the Lord, “is there a name you want for this baby?” Right away Jonah came to mind. My very next thought was, Andrew won’t like that name.

About a week went by and Andrew and I were in the kitchen making dinner. He said, “You know, I had a boy’s name come to mind the other day but I don’t think you’ll like it.”

“Oh, yeah, well what is it?” I asked.

“Jonah.”

I laughed and shouted, “NO way! I had that very name come to mind a few days ago and thought you wouldn’t like it.”

We knew at that moment God had named our child.

Having to say goodbye to your child too early is not an easy road to walk. There is so much sorrow even though we never got to meet this little guy. He is a part of our family forever, even though he won’t grow up with his siblings. And there’s so much grief in our house with everyone grieving a different way and at different times.

But there’s so much good too. Knowing that Jonah went straight from the safety of the womb to the safety of Jesus’ arms is a blessing none can deny. He’ll never have to know the difficulties of this world.

Seeing our children love a baby from the moment they heard about him is amazing. Not one of them questioned adding another sibling. They just jumped up and down, excited to welcome him. And they cried when they heard he went to heaven early. Having our kids know beyond the shadow of a doubt that babies are a blessing and a gift is an immeasurable blessing.

Feeling God’s love wrap around us as we go through this has strengthened our faith and trust in Him. He’s always here, never leaves or forsakes us, and always carries us through. I’ve felt Him nearer than I have in a long time and have been so comforted by Him. He is so so good, all the time.

Jonah means ‘God’s sovereignty’. God showed us through this that He is on His throne with might and strength for us in dark days. He is a fortress and a refuge we can run into and be safe.

We gave Jonah the middle name Michael, which means ‘Who is like God?’. God displayed His power in protecting me as I miscarried. God showed His glory in so many ways, including how He gave us Jonah’s name. God showed His immeasurable and all powerful love through those who have ministered to us. There is truly no one like God.

Though we are still grieving and will for awhile, I wanted to share this with you all while it’s fresh in my mind. I want you all to be reminded that God is good. He loves you so much and cares about the tiniest details of your life. He is there in sorrow, He is there in joy.

I don’t know how we’d make it through something like this without God. If you are walking without God as a close companion, I want to encourage you right now to pray, ask Him to come into your life and show you His sovereignty and glory. Ask him to prove to you the answer to “Who is like God?”

You’ll find there’s no one like him.

I Never Thought We’d Be Here

Sometimes in life, you can look at where you are and think, I never thought we’d be here. I remember early last spring feeling as though we were in a reprieve, a rest spot. I remember having this anxious thought during that time, “uh oh, what’s coming, Lord?” He told me to prepare for the ride ahead and to rest in the moment. Much easier said than done.

Then the rains started to fall and the flood waters rose. But somehow, I knew that was only part of the ride. My spirit told me something more was coming and it was going to be later in the year.

Now, here we are, more than four months into unemployment, thinking, I never thought we’d be here. This last week Andrew made it to the third round of interviews for a job we thought he’d get and then he was turned down. The disappointment and feelings of rejection are real. Even when you know whose you are and what God says about you.

I have friends right now facing cancer, chronic illnesses, losing a child, and more. Our situation pales in comparison. Yet, whether it seems big or small to you or to the world, I want you to hear this…

God cares.

He cares so deeply. He cares on an intimate level that only a soulmate can care on. He cares so much that He sends personal reminders at the most perfect moments just so you know He’s thinking about you.

A friend of mine will sometimes post that she was having a really really bad day and feeling miserable and sorry for herself, when along comes a note or sweet gift from a friend, right at the very moment when she needed it most. That’s God! He does those things for us because he cares so deeply for our every hurt, concern, hardship, and situation.

This morning a friend texted and said, “read Psalm 120”. So I did. It was in reference to a completely different situation in my life aside from Andrew not having a job. But then I kept reading and read Psalm 121.

I wrote it out so I could really let it sink in!

And wouldn’t you know it? There was EXACTLY what I needed to hear today. God prompted my friend to text that and get me right on the exact page where He wanted to speak to my hurting heart. And to Andrew’s.

He’s like that. All the time. Start looking for it and you’ll see it. Everywhere.

Another good friend of mine always says, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” I’m telling you, it’s so true!

Adventure on the farm

Did you know the pipe from your house to your septic can come disconnected?

Yeah, me either. Until today.

It’s been an adventure, let me tell you! A week and a half ago, our pipes backed up so a plumber came and cleared them, so we thought. It was fine until yesterday morning, when once again water was fountaining into our basement. (Is that a word? It is now.)

Oh the dishes!

Andrew and a friend tried clearing it yesterday,  because, let’s face it, who wants to keep paying the plumber. No luck.

Today, the plumber came back and scoped the pipe. Turns out it disconnected from the tank so it’s creating its own blockage. Super fun!

Today they get to dig a big hole in our frozen yard and reconnect everything, along with regrading and backfilling. We’ve been so so thankful that we have the apartment to go to the bathroom in. Whoever decided to put two separate tanks in was a genius!

It’s amazing how quickly not having water can throw everything off. I feel all out of sorts and my routine is totally thrown off. The laundry is piling up in mountainous heaps.

It made me think how blessed we really are. People all over the world don’t have indoor plumbing or even clean water. Here I just have to put a coat on and walk 100 feet to the next bathroom.

You never want to see a sign like this with 11 people in the house!

Pretty much everyone I know has commented about 2020. How horrible it was, how frustrating the slightly empty shelves in the grocery stores were. Everyone wanted 2020 to be over.

But in reality, we still had everything we needed. We still had food everyday, a warm house, cars that ran, and running water. We need to focus on our blessings and on the one who gave it all to us!

The Lord has never failed to provide and he won’t stop now. Even as I face an expensive repair bill that I don’t know how we’ll pay, I do know the God who knows. He loves each one of us more than we can know, enough to send His Son to die on a cross for us.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. Acts 17:24-25

And because our God is good and perfect, the memory verse for this week once again did perfectly. He gives life, breath, and everything! Everything! Even the money to fix the septic.

I hope this week you have your trust and confidence in the One who made the world and everything in it. He will not fail you!

Hide It Away

Have you ever been told something three times? If you hear the same thing the times you tend to pay attention, right?

Well, last week I had the same message from the Lord the times. Ever had that experience? He often speaks to me like that. He’ll give me the same message from the different sources in the course of a few days and then I really know I better listen. It’s probably because he knows I won’t pay attention if he just says it once ;).

The first time I was reading Luke with the kids. We read about Jesus being tempted by Satan in the desert. The thing that struck me was every response Jesus gave was Scripture. He knew God’s Word and was able to use it wisely.

A few days later, a friend was talking about the current state of our world and how crucial it is that we and our children have God’s Word hidden in our hearts. And then the very next day, our pastor explained that if we want to walk by faith, we better know what God’s Word says.

Ok, God! I hear you! I’m paying attention. I felt very convicted to start memory verses with my kids and for myself as well.

We’re starting with Psalm 8:1, “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.”

What a great place to start!

Let’s get our hearts focused on how majestic and glory-filled God is as we hide his Word in our hearts. And what a great verse for our present time.

Are you over focused on what’s happening around you?

God’s majestic name is over everything that’s happening on the earth. He is in control and still on his throne.

His glory is far above and greater than all your worries, fears, problems. He knows exactly how your are struggling and he’s powerful enough to calm you and help you!

Focus on his glory and majesty, not this world! And, join us in memorizing his perfect word! Let’s see how many verses we can hide away this year!