First Yoga Class

No not my first yoga class but my first pre-natal yoga class with this baby!

It was so refreshing, relaxing and limbering.....

I did yoga with Rowan but it was on my own with DVD's cause we lived in rural Michigan with no yoga class in a 30 mile radius much less a prenatal yoga class.

Then - I found out that the instructor, who teaches at the hospital, also owns Infuse Yoga Studio.  I found out I can also go on Monday and Fridays!  I am so excited!!!  Yoga is so special during pregnancy!

I am convinced this is what made my delivery with Rowan much easier - all 36 hours of it. 

Namaste!

Praise God!!!

Awwwwww

I got flowers delivered at work today......  From a group of people that I worked on a grant with.  It was a bright spot on my day..... 

I feel blessed is so many ways - the flowers add to it!

They grow so fast!

I was informed today that the Lime is now a Lemon.....

sigh......

Even inutero they grow so fast!!!

Most wonderful Evening

If you ask a dozen of my friends, a dozen of my colleagues and my family - if I was a work-a-holic they would simply tell you "most definitely!"

Sad I know......

Yesterday I did the most uncharacteristic thing for a Monday and for me.  I sped out of a meeting and met a dear friend from Michigan and her sons, friends and my family.  We had wings at Wild Goose.  Okay - I must admit my hubby was right - not the best choice for the lime and I - but it was so nice to get out on a Monday (I felt decadently evil and a huge slacker at that).  I didn't even think about work for two hours.  I had an appetite AND I had fun.  The after effects of hot wings - not so good - but all worth it!

Note to self - must do this more often.

My baby girls all grown up!

Natalie and Rowan were invited to a Bat Mitvah this weekend and that means "dressy dresses mom!"

Natalie is my budding baby who needs to slow down in growing up.  Her dad is having a hard time with her grown up appearance.  I find her quite breath taking......

Rowan - while cute and dressed up - is STILL my baby girl!




Sigh... they grow up so fast!!!!!

Welcoming Home Baby

I just received the cutest baby knit book I have seen in a while.  I got it as a gift and LOVE IT.

I received it today and could not wait to get yarn to start knitting one of the projects.  Rowan and I rushed out to SASI and purchased some scrumptious Twinkle.

Casted on - and the rest is history!


Rowan votes for this to be the baby's crib blanket....


We haven't told her about the "co-sleeping" part yet....

How Patient is your Heart?

I can tell you that I am not very patient...  many things annoy me but slow people really annoy me.  I just got through telling my daughter today - people who walk through life like they have all the time in the world really annoy me.  This is where I tell you that I confessed this to her AFTER the message today. 

More importantly - where is my heart on patience?  I would like to think that I am patient, five years of patience (lol)....  but I wonder if I could have handled the last more year with more praise and grace than the heart ache I felt and expressed.

I need to work on my patience.  I need to realize that my life is on God's time table not on mine.  I need to realize that God has a master plan for my life and my family's life.  I am such a control freak this is gonna take alot of prayer...  alot of prayer....  Praise God for his Mercy and his Grace. 


James 5:7-11 ESV
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

To look at notes check out Park on YouVersion

My New Favorite Cubs Shirt

I just got my new CUBS shirt for the 2011 Season!!!!!

WE love the cubs.....

yup it's a prego shirt!!!!!

Can't wait to wear it!!!!

What do you do with your Wealth?

Another Great Message today....

James 5:1-6 ESV
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Notes from the message....


Context - Who is James speaking of in this passage? This is written like a prophetic piece from the Old Testament Matthew 19:23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the EYE OF A NEEDLE THAN FOR A RICH PERSON TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” 1st of 3 reasons why these rich are in trouble 1 - These rich hoard their wealth 2 "Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten." 3 "Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days." REASON 2 - These rich got richer by defrauding their workers 4 "Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts."

The poor have no where to turn for help – No power to resist so they turn to the greater authority Leviticus 19:13

Deuteronomy 24:14

“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.

V 15 You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.

REASON 3 - These rich use what they make off defrauding their workers to follow a self-indulgent lifestyle 5 "You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter."

REASON 4 - These rich use their power to oppose the righteous

V 16 "You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you." Instead of HOARDING OUR WEALTH we wisely seek TO GIVE IT AWAY Instead of SEEKING TO GAIN THROUGH FRAUD we STRATEGIZE HOW TO BE MORE GENEROUS Instead of being SELF INDULGENT we seek to be RESTRAINED Instead of using our POWER TO OPPRESS we seek to use our POWER TO HELP

Remember - you can always catch up on Park's Message YouVersion Live!

It is Official

I have crossed though the door I walked through when I started this blog.....

IT WAS OFFICIALLY OFFERED THE JOB OF:

Program Manager of KidSTAR Education Center

Praise GOD!

Thinking Positive

So - I had a lapse of faith yesterday....  (to put it mildly).

After five years of hoping to be pregnant and five years of BFN's I have been a little on edge (again - putting it mildly).

I had some musculoskeletal back pain at work and remembered that I had totally forgot to wear my belly band.  I had texted my hubby the fact and he was so sweet - he brought me my belly band on his way to work.  I was so excited - and went into the bathroom to put it on.  I stepped into the band and wriggle it up over my scrubs only to experience bilateral groin pain that literally made me double over.

I FREAKED!

I tried to relax and tell myself it was normal but about an hour later I was convinced I was cramping and the back pain was worse.... 

So off to home and my bed I came in tears.  I'm twelve weeks - there is literally nothing to do but get off your feet and pray.

My dear friend from Michigan, my prayer partner for the past decade plus, called me and gave me a what for. 

I sought comfort in reading over the sermon notes from yesterday's message and felt like a complete DORK.  My hope lies in Christ alone - not in the certainty of man.  This baby is a gift from God, a testament of his faithfulness and I need to give my fears to him not the statistics of man, not the probabilities of miscarriage, and certainly not on the self doubt that satan plants in our heads. 

Attitude adjustment in place I started knitting a baby sweater - something I have not allowed myself to do because I have been so on edge.  It was like a breath of fresh aire.... 

Praise God!!!!

Hope Lies in Christ

James 4:13-17 ESV
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

My POV

While Rowan graciously shared her POV of my current gestating and mylinating condition I thought I would share my POV. 

This is how I would like to conduct my work days right now - curled up on my bed in like three layers of clothes (despite the fact that I am a human furnace right now I seem to be cold intolerant), my lap top and Rowan's pillow pet and my teddy bear to keep me comfy.....

This is really when I am at my best.  Staying vertical for long periods of time makes me quite the pale, pasty irish red head.

This too will pass as the second trimest looms a few weeks away.

I am not complaining - I am praising God for every second of hormonal rage!

Speaking Ill of each other

I am so excited - we were unable to make it to church today - because Rowan woke up with a  fever and I with unbelievable morning sickness.  That's not why I am excited - I am excited because Park has their messages on YouVersion now!!!!!  I can access them on my iphone!  KEWL


James 4:11-12 ESV
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

They even come with notes!!!  And you can add your notes!!!!

HOW DO WE SPEAK AGAINST – SPEAK EVIL OF SOMEONE? 

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. - 

WHAT DO YOUR WORDS PRODUCE? - WHY DO WE DO IT? - HERE IS HOW IT WORKS Matthew 15:18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the HEART, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, FALSE WITNESS, SLANDER. - LITTLE DO WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE JUDGE & SPEAK AGAINST SOMEONE WE PLACE OURSELVES OVER GOD - HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT GOD? 

12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us. - SAVE James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your NEIGHBOR as yourself,” you are doing well. Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your NEIGHBOR as yourself: Matt 22:39 And a second is like it: You shall love your NEIGHBOR as yourself. Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to a NEIGHBOR; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. - Loving our neighbor is obedience to the law - Loving our neighbor is works that shows our faith How do we love our neighbor? - By understanding how God has loved us as His NEIGHBOR 12 He (GOD) who is able to save and to destroy. -

DESTROY Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather FEAR HIM WHO CAN DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN HELL. - BUT, there is MORE GRACE 

Vs. 6 – There is more grace for the humble - LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR DOES NOT MEAN WE AVOID SPEAKING THE TRUTH TO THEM - It is how we speak the truth - WE SPEAK TO OUR NEIGHBOR WITH HUMILITY - 

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. - 

WE SPEAK TO OUR NEIGHBOR IN LOVE WITH A PURPOSE Ephesians 4:15 Rather, speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE, we are to GROW UP in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, -

WE SPEAK TO OUR NEIGHBOR COMMITTING OURSELVES TO THEM - IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE IT RIGHT - REPENT – CONFESS IT - APOLOGIZE to the one you shared with concerning someone - When appropriate APOLOGIZE to the one you trashed

KEWL

Happy Birthday to ME!

Today is my bday and all I have to say is that I have received the most precious gift ever!

Praise God!!!