March for Emmalyn!

April 30th I will be participating in my first March of Dimes walk in Abilene!

I am so excited and so very humbled to be a part of this amazing foundation!

For who you ask? The answer is simple! This sweet, sweet face!

You see, this is my precious niece Emmalyn Kae! She is a miracle straight from God! She decided she needed to jump into this world 10 weeks early and surprise us all! It was a surprise infact! A scary, exciting, nervous, anxious and most definitly prayer filled journey through NICU and the first few months at home! She is amazing and growing so much and I'm so honored to be her AUNT! So, please keep this team that is forming in your thoughts and prayers, and if you felt led to help give to this foundation, a website is being formed and will be up soon and I will post it! There will be many fundraisers in honor of this walk, as well!

Such a tiny angel! God is so good!

Power in Prayer

I'm not sure exactly where I've been since I last wrote....I was pretty dedicated to this blog for a LONG time...But everytime I thought about blogging, I would start and just couldn't get enough words together to create a blog worth reading. Today I realized I need to blog about prayer. Maybe it's because I haven't spent enough time on my knees lately and I'm feeling that conviction or something else. It seems like when I stop praying, stuff starts happening! Is that true? I'm not sure!

I have sooooo many prayer requests right now, but for some reason, I don't feel that I should share any of them. I have friends who need prayer, co-workers who need prayer, family who needs prayer and of course, we need prayer. I guess you just could pray that God takes care of everyone on our prayer list. He knows who they are and knows their specific needs!

I just wanted to share one last thing, I found this scripture online while researching what God has to say about praying and wanted to share it with you:

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

This says to me that NO MATTER how rough things may be, always turn to God and He will guide you in the direction you will need to go!

and finally ~

Psalms 145:18 (NIV)18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

This tells me, that I should tell God my heart (He already knows it anyways, so why hide it from Him????) and share with him my dreams and hopes and desires and He will listen to me. He will be near to me and hold me in His arms and comfort me!

May you each be blessed!

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......