Finding Life

So often, we look for life within ourselves.  We also seek to feel alive through pleasurable experiences.  It leaves us empty, feeling as though we are the only ones who did not succeed.

We have been given life.  We are meant to feel alive.  Why do we feel so dead?

We are disconnected from the vine - only hanging on by a thread.

"I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."  John 15:5

Did you know God wants to enjoy communion with you? 

Read until you hear from Him.

Pray until your soul finds peace with Him.

May God give you the faith to believe His promises.  May you again delight in Him. 

"For whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life and obtains favor from the Lord."  Proverbs 8:35 

We often see children rejoice over simple things - flowers, bugs, and airplanes.  How we long for the wonder of rejoicing!  Are our adult minds too mature for such rejoicing?  No!

"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure."  Psalm 119:162

Go to the Word and prayer, not for the sake of doing your religious duty.  Go to meet with God. Come back transformed.  Know the refreshment and rest of your good shepherd and father.  Life is there.

John 14:6  "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Hard Fought

"We'll fight for you, little girl."

My husband affectionately said this to our baby girl as she sat in front of me on the play mat.

I sighed, feeling the weight of that fight. 

Our precious girl appears to have suffered a vaccine injury 2 months ago, and it has been a battle to know how to move forward.  I have another major appointment tomorrow, so I spent the entire morning preparing my paperwork.

As my husband's words echoed in my head, I wondered how the appointment would go.  At the same time, I could almost hear God say to me, "I'll fight for you, little girl."

Immediately, my heart was comforted.  Joy and peace flooded my soul.

You see, only minutes after the positive pregnancy test more than a year ago, the Lord gave me Exodus 14:14 for that pregnancy - for this baby girl. "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

Thank You, Lord, for fighting for me.  For us.  For Your people.  My eyes are on You - trusting Your will and Your ways and Your Sovereignty at that appointment and always... by Your grace.

The Youngest Servant

"...let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves..."  Luke 22:26

Our flesh longs to be the greatest, doesn't it?  We want to exercise our authority, be admired, and be served.

Jesus shows and calls us to a different way.

As we follow Him, we find ourselves taking the simple tasks.

May we walk in the example of our Lord today as we wash bodies, train children, keep a home, and prepare meals.  We can do all these humble tasks and be walking in the very will of God.

What a joy and what a delight to be simply His youngest servant...a place of position, not age.

When "Me Time" Isn't Enough

Countless blogs and articles for young moms encourage us to take “me time.”  The message is clear: We can’t keep going without a break.  We need to cultivate our own interests and desires apart from our families.  At the very least, we need to take time away to pamper ourselves. 

Have you tried it?

Whenever I take “me time,” it’s never long enough.  And the house is never clean when I come home.  Shouldn’t “me time” come to its conclusion as I breeze into the house, greeted warmly by a happy husband, happy kids, clean pets, and clean house?  With no one needing anything?

That’s not how it goes.

If I stay home for “me time,” it is inevitably interrupted.  If I leave my home for “me time,” the time passes quickly, and I soon find myself heading home to clean the messes, meet the needs, and make the meal. 

Sure, it's nice while it lasts, but feelings of frustration and irritability often follow “me time.”  Am I the only one?  I believe God has given us a different pattern.  Stay with me...

When Jesus walked this earth in public ministry, He had tens and hundreds and even thousands of people constantly making demands of Him.  That's a lot more than I have.

Where did Jesus go to get refreshment?  Did He take “me time?” No.  He went away to pray.  

My flesh finds this repulsive.  All I want is a pedicure or a nap or some coffee.  And God wants to ask me to pray?  I don’t have one. more. ounce. to give.

Newsflash: Coming to God in prayer isn’t about what you bring.  It’s a child, coming to her Perfect Father, to receive.  

When I choose to pray, I discover that God is on my side.  Reflecting on Who He is and praising Him and making known to Him my confessions and needs…I come away equipped and rested, even if circumstances haven’t changed.

Today, when all we want to do is survive until "me time," the Lord beckons us to Himself.  There is no valid excuse for declining His invitation.

Isolation Orders

We came home from the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) more than 7 months ago.  And we have been home - only home - since then.  
 

At first, it was an absolute delight and relief to be home.  No more trips to the hospital.  No more separated family.  

It was also a little scary.  Our baby girl was still having “spells,” where her heart would stop beating and she would stop breathing.  We would watch her oxygen levels drop on her monitor.  She would have to be stimulated to be revived.  Someone described it as being like SIDS but assured us that she would outgrow it…eventually.  Between the hospital and home, she had 14 of these episodes.  Fourteen times, the seconds seemed like hours as we helped her start breathing again, wondering if this "spell" would cause brain damage or be the time we would have to say goodbye.  I still have flashbacks and other symptoms of PTSD because of it.  I’m learning to handle beeping noises better now.  

At the beginning, I was happy to have the isolation orders.  Our girl weighed only 4 pounds when we brought her home and required around-the-clock care.  She had trouble nursing, so I was exclusively pumping for her, too.  There was no time to think about having visitors, much less going out.

As she grew and started to give me more sleep, I started to think about venturing out.  I thought Christmas would be our first outing – the Christmas Eve service at church and the family Christmas party.  Nope.  I thought we would be released in time to go out to dinner for my birthday.  Nope.  I thought Easter Sunday might be our first time at church.  Nope.  And now I’m hoping that Husband’s birthday will be the day.

If you’ve ever been confined to your home, even just because you or your child has the flu, you know how real “cabin fever” is.    After having our isolation orders extended so many times, I began to wonder if God had something He wanted to teach me.  Isolation orders may be restrictive, but they do not give me permission to waste my time.  I asked Him to show me how He wanted to use this time.

I began to consider whether there were other examples of isolation in the Bible and thought of Paul being placed under house arrest.

I considered Paul’s example – what did he do while he was under house arrest or imprisoned?  He wrote letters.  He wrote letters to the churches, and many of these letters make up the New Testament today.   

I wonder if Paul knew that the words he was writing were to be read by generations thousands of years after him.   Did he just hope the letters would reach their destination?  I wonder if he wished he could be out ministering to these churches in person, instead of writing from home.  Did he get cabin fever?  Maybe he knew that the letters were inspired by God and serving a greater purpose.  Maybe he didn't.  Whatever Paul may having been thinking, I’m glad he wrote those letters.  I’m glad God put him in the circumstances that brought about those letters.  

While thinking on all of this, I began to believe that God wanted me to use my time, especially while under orders for isolation, to write.  I know my words are not inspired or of any sort like Paul’s, but the isolation orders have led to some journaling, some notes to friends, and this blog.

The hilarious (and slightly embarrassing) part is that no one knows this blog exists.  My husband knows all that the Lord has impressed on my heart and even helped me come up with the blog name, but he doesn’t know it’s here yet.  I’ve never written for the public eye, and I’ve even burned a few journals, not because of their content but because I feel so vulnerable when others read my writing.

This is certainly an act of obedience and something I am doing for my Lord.  If we decide to share this blog someday, I pray that you would grow to know and love Jesus because of it.

Necessary.

One thing is necessary.

At times, I have 15 tasks on my To Do List, and I feel that all of them are necessary.  Anxiety and emotions arise when there is only time to complete 2-3 of those tasks.   Ever felt the same?

Yesterday was one of those days, and Jesus allowed me to read Luke 10:42.  There He states that only one thing is necessary.  Really, one thing?  Well, I took Him at His Word, quieted my heart, listened to Him by reading His Word, and went on with His plans for my day.  Notice that I said “His plans,” not “my plans.”

What a transformation! My grumpy attitude was traded for His joy.  My anxiety was exchanged for His steady peace.  My selfishness was overcome by His love.   The tasks that He has for me were a delight and privilege.

Yes, ONE THING is necessary.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

18 Ways to Help a NICU Family

Do you know someone with a baby in the NICU?  Maybe you’ve been there yourself.  Here are 18 ways to offer help to a NICU Family:

1.  Giftcards.  If you know where the family lives and what hospital they are in, pick up giftcards for any restaurant or fast food in between.  They will often forget to eat or need to pick up food on the go.  Coffee or smoothie places are great, too.

2.  Gas card.  Pay for a few days’ worth of trips to and from the hospital.  Someone is likely taking time off of work.  Medical expenses are piling up.  And the family is filling up their gas tank much more often than normal.

3.  Baby Blanket.  Extra points if you have the baby’s name embroidered on it.  Isolates in the NICU are often covered by a blanket, and a personalized blanket is a special way to “decorate” the baby’s temporary home.

4.  Preemie clothes.  With snaps, not zippers.   If the NICU baby was born prematurely, the family may not have any baby clothes that fit.  When a preemie baby is allowed to wear clothing, footed pajamas with snaps allow easy access to wires and monitors.

5.  Scripture.  Is there a particular Bible verse that you are praying for the family?  Or a verse that you think will encourage them?  Text it or send it in a note!  Be sure to write out the passage and not just the reference.

6.  Pray.  Occasionally text and ask how to pray at that moment.  The NICU can be a roller coaster of ever-changing needs and prayer requests.

7.  Check their registry and deliver items to their door.  Many NICU families never had a baby shower.

8.  Journal or planner.  Attach a good pen.  Every NICU family needs one to keep track of the medical notes.

9.  Offer rides to and from the hospital, and be available for last minute calls.  This is especially helpful if you live close to the hospital or to the family’s home.  NICU moms that have had c-sections cannot drive themselves.

10.  Family photos.  Offer to take or pay for them! Many NICU families lost the opportunity for maternity photos.

11.  Make lactation cookies and deliver with Mother’s Milk tea.  Many NICU moms pump breastmilk for their babies.  Find a recipe on Pinterest, bake, and deliver with a list of the ingredients.

12.  Deliver a bag of healthy snacks to their house (granola bars, fruit, washed and cut veggies, etc.).

13.  Mason jar for the car.  Leave this by their door with a small pad of paper, a pen, and an explanation.  It’s a good way to store memories that would otherwise be forgotten.  As they ride in the car, they can scribble notes of their “good moments” and shove them in this jar.  The baby’s blood pressure cuff and tags can also go in the jar when they leave the hospital.  

14.  Don’t ask what they need.  Just pick something and drop it off.  They won’t know “what they need” for a long time because they need so very much.

15.  Free babysitting. If they have other children, encourage them that their arrangements for the other children are great.  Offer free babysitting, if needed.

16.  Sit outside the hospital and pray.  Let the family know you’re there.   Also let them know you don’t need to see them.

17.  Ask before you hug.  NICU sanitation rules are important.

18.  Assume that it will be a long time before you meet the baby.  Express that you are patient and excited.

What other ways could you help a NICU family?