God is SO Good!

I cannot even begin to explain how happy my heart is right now! God does all sorts of things to amaze me each and every day and show me that He is still in control! Example of the day: A family member and a new friend have the same "disease" -- PCOS. Both were told that it would be VERY hard, if not, impossible to get pregnant without the use of fertility medicines, surgeries and such. BOTH are pregnant! ON THEIR OWN! Our God is an awesome God who is really great at proving to others that He is in control and that He has a "game plan" for each and every one of us! No matter how much we try to plan, how much dr's try to tell us otherwise, His healing hand is in the midst of it all and has always been - It's His plan, afterall! I LOVE it when He works like this and it only makes my heart happy to know that I'm in His plan, too! =) Love you all!!!!!

Here's one of my favorite songs right now:

Our God by Chris Tomlin

Water you turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind there's no one like you none like You!
Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
Then what could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

Romans 12:6-8 

⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Did you know that as Christians, we are all called to serve God and to share the Good News with the world? Well, for a long time I've had this perception that we are all called to go door-to-door and share the Message. For those of you who don't know me, speaking to strangers has been a struggle for me! I get nervous and jittery. My hands sweat and I get shaky. But guess what? God has called us to serve Him using our TALENTS that He gave us! Each and every person on this Earth was given talents. We do not all have the same talents, which is in fact what makes us a part of the body of Christ. Here is what scripture says about that. I know it's a little long, but to get the message to you, you needed to read the entire thing!

I have been praying dilligently for God to show me how to serve Him using my talents. I have asked what exactly are my talents? I don't sing in the choir (yet), I don't go door-to-door (yet), etc. (I say yet, because God can ask me to do anything He needs me to do at anytime and will equip me with whatever I need!) Do we have only one talent? Most likely no. I'm pretty sure I have a mix of a few! I love to help others. I love to give to the less fortunate! I love to craft! I just really feel that God is showing me my talents because he wants me to use them to glorify Him! Have you noticed a lot of things I make have scripture on them? I beleive that I am sharing His word with others just by doing that!

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

 ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

 ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[a]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts

I'm so excited to be able to do this show in a couple of weeks. I am praying for God to show me a way to help the Holden Uganda Foundation by using these talents! I know He will give me the ideas and I will only use them to glorify Him and Him only!

Well, what are your talents? What is He calling you to do? Are you listening? Don't be afraid to ask! But don't be afraid to say "Yes, Lord" when he asks you, for he will not lead you into something that will harm you!

Come Shop It Up!!! =)

Hey all my crafty (and wanna-be crafty) amigos! I'm participating in the Collection of Friends Craft Show February 19th at the Old Boll Weevil Building from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be TONS of vendors showcasing their goods from Scentsy, Thirty-One, Pampered Chef, HOLDEN UGANDA, Mary Kay and even MEEEEE with Close to My Heart (Scrapbooking && Stamping goodies!) Don't miss out on this fantastic day of shopping! I plan to have something special lined up to help benefit Holden Uganda. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click the little button on the right! =) Hope to see you all there!!!!! =) 

Well, yesterday we had a snow day, which was quite boring for me, because J had to work all day :( but it was full of relaxation! We had to go to work at normal times today and man-- was it cold! There should be a law if it's 7 degrees out no one should be able to leave their house! We were pretty low on kiddos today too!! Yesterday I received a recipe for taco soup from Barbie, my Weight Watchers leader, and decided to cook it for supper today! It is sooooo yummy! I'm including the recipe, plus additional items I added are with a star! I'm all about fast and easy, so I use everything canned, dehydrated, etc! 

(not my pic...I couldn't find my camera...)
Taco Soup
1 lb lean hamburger browned ~OR~ 2 chicken breasts grilled and shredded
1 can of pinto beans
1 can black beans*
1 can corn
1 can Ro-Tel with green chilis
1 can stewed tomatoes*
1 can tomato sauce*
1 can tomato paste (or ketchup)*
1 beef bullion cube*
1/8 t Cumin*
Onion
Garlic
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dip mix
**DON'T drain anything!**
Directions: Dump all in crock pot and add about a cup of water and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and cook on low for 1 hour. Serve over tortilla chips, if desired, and top with cheese and sour cream!

**We haven't eaten yet, but I've tasted enough to know this is yummmm-tastic and a sure fire way to warm your tummy!**

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Wow! It's pretty much all I can say after today! We had our follow up and everything went great! The septum was confirmed and my kidneys are perfect, so no issue there! We have the surgery date set and I know March is a little ways away, it's SO CLOSE compared to the 4 years we've been trying!

I am so elated and it seems like it's a dream and it's really not happening, but God rocks! Seriously! I don't know how I could have gotten through this without His grace and mercy! He is so loving and although it's been crazy and really just flat out depressing, He still shows me His love! People keep asking me if I'm nervous, and really, no, I'm not! I'm so excited! I know recovery will be a little rough, but God is my healer and I'm already taken care of!

So, I know some of you are here to read exactly what the game plan is, so here it is:

February 22nd -- We have pre-op!!! Start birth control. This is kind of funny to me because when I picked up the prescription today, the pharmacist was kinda weirded out by my prescriptions of birth control and pre-natals! This is to thin out the lining of my uterus and prevent me from ovulating.

March 2nd -- D-Day!!! I'm so excited, because this far, this will be one of the best days of my life! I know surgery isn't something really to be excited about, cause, well, it's surgery! But like I said, God is my healer!! She will remove the septum and then place a balloon in my uterus to prevent the uterine walls from collapsing. I will then have to be on a 21 day supply of Estrogen to thicken up my uterine lining, and then 11 days into that, I will have to take Progesterone for 10 days (again! ugh!) to mimic ovulation to help me start a new cycle!

****I'm apologizing in advance for any crankiness, sobbing, snapping or any awful behavior that comes out of me during those hormone treatments! They are AWFUL! And if you think it's bad for you to have to deal with me, try being ME having to deal with the internal effects! I HATE being weepy and grumpy and snappy, nauseous, headaches, and puking, but it is all for the greater purpose, so I'm doing whatever I can to help create life! =)****

March 15-- Post-op I will have sutures and a balloon that was placed in my uterus removed and then we will set up the game plan for the possible IUI in April.

Please please please pray specifically for the following things:

~Pray first for an EARLY MORNING surgery! I won't know the time until pre-op and it was awful last time because I was SOOOOOOOO sick from having to wait for a while and not eating!!!! I KNOW this may sound silly, but I really would prefer this! lol!

~Please pray for my Dr and her staff to perform to the best of their abilities during this time! I have really felt God has blessed me so far by having her take care of us!

~Pray that the hormones don't affect my tummy! I've had enough of this and really can deal with the mood swings, but I'm so tired of tummy-aches!

~Pray that God's will, be done! I know it will, just can't hurt for extra prayers, right?

~Pray that if it is in His plan, a way for us to do IUI in April will be possible. There will be many Dr appointments during that treatment plan, and we have Review coming April 11-15, and NO ONE is allowed off during this time. I TOTALLY understand this, and if it is God's will for us to do this month, then He will allow it to happen, just as He has these last few months! Just when I thought things weren't possible, He was there to show a way!

~Pray that I heal well and don't have any complications (it's a very minor surgery, but still!!) The last surgery I had, I ended up with infection where one incision was made. It was gross, painful and NOT fun!

I just want to thank each and every single one of you who take time to read my blog! It's mainly a venting place for me, and for those of you who have offered prayers and encouraging words, I am so thankful! Thank you to my HUSBAND who has stood right by my side, the entire time, been to EVERY SINGLE Dr appointment, dealt with the mood swings of hormones, held my hair while I puked from hormones & prenatal vitamins, and really just has been my rock (well, next to the Lord, anyways!). Thank you to my ever so understand supervisor and boss! I will continue to feel awful for asking for days off and I'm really sorry for any inconveniences I may have ever caused! I appreciate your concern and really just your hearts, because you are both so compassionate! =) I am thankful for you both!!

If I left anything out, I'm sure I'll write another blog......

Eleven years ago I went on my very first mission trip to New York City, New York. Eleven years ago I was 13. Eleven years ago, I didn't know how God would work in my heart, as He is now. Eleven years ago, I didn't know God. 


We were excited to be going to NYC, and I don't think we really knew what we were in for! We were told that we were going to work at missions shelters and help the homeless! I didn't know what to expect, but man was I excited to go to NYC! We drove for 30 hours from First Baptist, Snyder to NYC on a hot and STINKY charter bus and served God. Is it possible to serve God before you even know Him? I think so, but I'm not sure! Maybe it was just a foundation for the future! Only He knows!


Fast-forward eleven years and here I am. Jeremy & I were having dinner tonight and for some really strange reason, I began to talk to him about missions. I shared with him that I think God might be stirring my heart again and that missions may be in my future. He just looked at me very confused, and stated that I  better not expect him to go, as he has never felt led to go. Which is really okay with me! God calls each of us to serve him in our own way, and if God isn't calling him to serve him in missions, then I believe he would only be going in vain! Or maybe it would touch him? I feel the need to pray for him more regarding having God touch his heart, if it his will, towards missions and giving. I've always had a giving heart, and I thank God for this!


I'm not exactly sure at this point what God is calling me to do, but I will faithfully honor him! If I am called to go and serve him in another city, state or even country, I pray that I have my husbands support 100%! I know I am called to honor the Lord and I'm also told to honor my husband! I don't like to be away from Jeremy for more than a day, so I'm not sure how this would work out, but if a mission trip is in my future, I know God has everything taken care of, including this aspect! I know that God will only bless me if I do, and why not do something to share His love for others as He has me?


I found some scripture regarding missions and wanted to share with you, also!

Matthew 28:19 (New Living Translation)

¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 4:2 (New Living Translation)

² Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

2 Corinthians 3:8 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

So, some of you may be thinking, "Okay Amanda! How in the world did you get all this in your head? Why now? But how can you think of doing this when you are busy making a family??" But, why not? My JOB is to first and foremost serve my Lord! Once again, he doesn't OWE me anything especially children! They are a GIFT from Him! And if it is His will, then I will be joyful and praise him! Until then, I will SERVE HIM!!


Also, another contributing factor for me to want to do more, is this family of this precious boy. I don't know this family personally, but I feel God has shared his story with me so that I may be blessed! I personally feel that God is using him already to fulfill his purpose! I love his mother's heart and her dedication to the Lord during this excruciating time in her life! I cannot imagine and I pray for her daily!!!

 

Holden Uganda

2010 Year In Review

Lots of people have been focusing on the past year and the hardships and blessings that were given to them. At this time in my life, I am truly thankful for 2010! It was a very crazy year! A roller coaster with loops and flips and even a part where you go backwards through the ride. But, I love roller coasters and I'm very grateful that God chose me to experience the things I did! I will try to review the year the best I can, and if I leave anything out, so sorry!

February - Found out my sister in law and her husband were expecting. This was the hardest thing I faced all year long. I was filled with jealousy, anger, resentment, and all of the things that only Satan provides. I'm sure he was just having a ball with my heart during that time. After attending church the next Sunday, I felt the Holy Spirit move over me and give me peace. After confessing to them my ugly heart and hateful words, I felt better.

March - I had laparoscopy #1 and HSG #1 (I was asleep!). This was to check for endometriosis and if my tubes were blocked. Everything was all clear. I stayed on Clomid 2 more cycles to help me ovulate. My best friend announced that she was pregnant and this was hard, although not as hard as before.

At the end of May, I decided I needed a break to get closer to God, and to escape from the pain and frustration with being unable to become pregnant. May was also the 4 year mark for us trying. May 26, my niece had her baby Kenzie. It was a blessing to be there the evening after she had her and just love all over this precious girl.

July 18 - My precious niece, Emmalyn was born 10 weeks early. She spent the next 5 weeks and a few days in NICU learning how to breathe and eat. It was very emotional for everyone, and it was a very trying time. I believe that Em was to come early to restore all of our faith in God. She is now 5 1/2 months old and a perfect miracle from the one and only God! I give him all of the glory for healing her and helping her grow and develop! I believe that at this point, I was not a mommy yet because He needed me to be her aunt. He needed me to pray every day for this baby and give everything I could to her!

August - I made the appointment with our new Reproductive Endocrinologist, DR Jennifer Phy. Our first appointment wasn't until December, and it was a very hard time waiting, but it was just another step in our ultimate goal! Now that I look back, 4 months really wasn't that long!

November - My best friend, Nickki, had her baby Rylei. I was so excited to finally meet the final girl of the year! She was (still is, of course) a beautiful baby and I'm so thankful that I am apart of her life! Nickki is pretty much my twin. We are identical and we argue all the time, but it keeps us on our toes! Our poor husbands! They are always having to be referees! She is my sister from another mister and I wouldn't trade her for anything!

December - We finally got to go to our RE appointment! And by God's amazing grace, we were given an answer - I have a septate uterus. After taking an awful hormone replacement, I was scheduled for two tests. One was an HSG #2 (I was awake for this one!) test (which was AWFUL!) and the other was an IVP, which was bad, but not as bad as the first. I just have a bruise from the IV.

I know there were a lot more events in between, but these are the highlights of my year. Although, tough, I am truly thankful for all of the experiences, good and bad, that God allowed me to go through. And everyone is right, He will not give me more than I can handle, and I'm truly grateful for the ability to test and strengthen my faith! =) I hope you are all blessed in this new year!