
Wednesday, October 29
Not Ready Yet

Sunday, October 26
The Journey, Explained

Along this journey there was a short, dark tunnel when we lost our first baby to a miscarriage at 14 weeks. I believe that it happened as part of my growth in Christ - to teach me that I needed to trust Him. There are many that would argue that my baby was not taken by Christ. I agree that He did not want my baby to die, but I do believe that He allowed it because He knew that in the "big picture" it would make me a better, stronger person. Soon after that I was pregnant with my precious James.
Although my growth in Christ continued after James was born, I think I got cocky. I think I felt like I really knew God, and therefore I had the ability to call on Him whenever I wanted to. Without realizing it, I was starting to boss God around. The voice that I heard, and called His, was really my own. It seems that after two and half years, and two miscarriages later I can finally see this as the truth. I had taken matters into my own hands, and masqueraded it as being "from God". I think that the enemy saw this, and leapt into action. I had allowed space for him to enter in, and he couldn't wait to deceive me into believing that God had failed me.
The enemy lead me to believe that the words I thought I had heard from God regarding our baby were lies. I've spent the last couple of months asking God, "why did You lie to me"? However, because I know that God doesn't lie or deceive us, I had to ask myself whether the words I heard had really come from God at all.
"But any prophet who fakes it, who claims to speak in my name something I haven't commanded him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. You may be wondering among yourselves, 'How can we tell the difference, whether it was God who spoke or not?' Here's how: If what the prophet spoke in God's name doesn't happen, then obviously God wasn't behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him." Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (the Message)
So, after several weeks of being mad at God it has become abudantly clear that I did not hear Him speak these words. I was so eager to make Him speak to me, the enemy filled in and caused me to hear these lies.
All of this made me realize that I have not been seeking God the way I had originally intended. I was beginning to try and make God's will look like mine. I was trying to mold Him into something that would suit my needs and wants, and I forgot entirely about the desire I had to learn about His needs and wants of me. I decided that I needed to take action to get back onto the path of the journey I had originally started. The journey to know God better, and to live a life that would be pleasing to Him.
I admit that there is a part of me that believes that I needed to come to this realization before God would bless us with more children. I am not doing all these things for that purpose though. I am happy to see where it takes us, but I don't want to allow my dreams to blind me of God's will for me.
The journey continued when I read a blog about a youth pastor and his wife who had to recently confess a dark sin to their church, friends and family. There were consequences of this sin, however in confessing it they are now able to make steps towards restoration and healing. Reading her blog inspired me, and suddenly I felt that it was important that I confess a few things myself. I emailed her with my confession, and then went on to write about it in what has become my testimony.
I then went to talk to the pastor of my church and his wife last week. I had a few questions for them, and they answered them to the best of their ability. I made my confession to them as well, and also to two close friends. My pastor encouraged me to share my testimony and confession with my Bible study group - and I hope to do that this week.
I also asked him if there was ever a reason for anyone to be "re-baptised". There is actually an account in the Bible where a group of people who were baptised by John the Baptist were re-baptised after the Holy Spirit was sent to Earth after Jesus' resurrection. So, it is not unheard of. I asked my pastor if I could be re-baptised. For years I have been disappointed under the circumstances for which I got baptised. I want to make a statement publicly to declare my confession of my faith to God, and I want to make it right. He supported my request, and we are making plans to have a full immersion baptism in December. I am STOKED!
So that is where I am at right now. I am slowly making amends with God so that I can get back on track in growing in Him. I may not always succeed in trying to obey His will for my life, but I do hope that I have learned something about not trying to enforce my will on Him. There is a long way to go before there will be complete healing, but I have definately been feeling a lot better in the last few days.
All that being said, I do believe that we will be blessed with more children. I don't know when, or by what means, but I definately do not think that our family is yet complete.
Thursday, October 23
A Journey

And for anyone who might be getting all excited that this has to do with being pregnant, it doesn't - I am not pregnant.
Monday, October 20
23 Months!

<----- Getting goofy with Uncle Matt.
James is a smarty pants, and uses mostly full sentences to talk to us now. He still mostly says "you" when he means "me" though. So, he will say "You want milk please?" instead of "I want milk please?". We are working on it though. With some help he can say the alphabet, and count to twenty. I am so proud of him! He is pretty good at recognizing things that are grouped in twos and threes. For example, if there are two school buses in a parking lot he will say "Two school buses". He also knows how to get to both sets of grandma and grandpa's homes, Auntie Robin's house, Auntie Terri's house, and Mama Bartel's house (our new neighbours). When we turn down the street to any of these people's homes, he will immediately tell us. Or, if he sees a different car turn down that road he will say something like "Red truck going to Grandma's house!".

James is also practices good hygiene. He loves to brush his teeth, to the point where he has his own toothbrush and paste at his grandparent's house. He also loves to wash his hands, ("WITH SOAP"), and I can often find him in the bathroom on his stool washing his hands. He loves bathtime as well, and really enjoys it when I draw pictures on his tummy with his foaming soap. He will also pick up things from the floor, call it garbage and ask to throw it away. He has pooped once on the little potty, but isn't interested in potty training yet. I'm not in a panic with it. In fact, I'd prefer that he be in diapers for our trip to Hawaii this year. It would be almost impossible to be in the middle of potty training on a trip like that!
James finds praying to be humorous. When we ask him to say "Amen" with us, he will bow his head and tightly close his eyes, looking up every few seconds to see if we're still praying. When

James is becoming an avid singer and dancer. He can frequently be heard singing the theme song for "Toopi & Binoo", as well as a song from "Yo, Gabba Gabba" that goes "stay still... stay still... wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, GO, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, GO!". He will also sing "skitta merinky dinky dink", but will usually wait for me to sing it and then chime in with "I LOVE YOU!".

I could say so much more, but I will leave it at that for now. I'll try to save a few things for the big TWO year-old post I'll be doing in a month!
Friday, October 17
Things I'm Lovin'!

These Pringles Stix Pizza flavour are my new favourite snack. They are less than 90 calories per pack - meaning I eat about 3 packs a day. Better than smoking 3 packs a day! Haha!
My (faux) pearl necklace and earrings. Something just feels classy and elegant about wearing pearls. I bought these for my grandma's wedding.
Our half-decent family photo (my family). From left to right: my brother Matt, my dad, my mom with James, Ryan and myself. Our last family photo was taken... well, before James was born!





Tuesday, October 14
Refined by Fire

"'I have refined you, but not as silver is refined (in fire). Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.'" Isaiah 48:10
Friday, October 10
Somebody has been Praying!

Wednesday, October 8
Breaking Down

I really love this picture of James by the way. I felt I should add it, just so that there is some sunshine in this very dreary post. He always has something cute to say, but my latest favourite was when I came down the stairs the other day while he was watching cartoons. I asked "What are you watching?". James said "Bob and Bill". Unsure of what show that was, I went to look at the screen and he was watching "Bob the Builder"! Hahaha!
Sunday, October 5
So Much to Say!

The big house painting project is nearly done. With the exception of a few minor things that need to get done, it looks fantastic! You can view some of the before and after photos here.
This week was very nice, with many sunny days to spend outside. My best friend Robin and I took our two little boys out to a farm and did a photoshoot with them. The photos turned out great - some of you have already seen them on my Facebook album. Here is the link for the rest of you if you want to see them (the one of James by the car is part of that photoshoot, I didn't want to put them on here, as I already had them on Facebook).
Many things have been on my mind lately. I've been challenged in my faith on many different levels this week. God has such a neat way of teaching us, especially through others. I've been challenged this week to:
Pray differently - I get so caught up in "ask and ye shall receive", that I forget to pray "Thy will be done". I really want to start focusing my prayers on thanking God for what He has given, praise Him for what He is going to do, and stop spending so much time trying to convince Him that I know what those things are!
Use my heart not my ears - Lately I've been spending a lot of time trying to hear God. I've been making such an effort to hear Him audibly speaking, that I've stopped hearing the "still small voice"! I've also been spending so much time listening for God to answer my questions, that I haven't been noticing Him subtly pointing out the answers. I've been self-absorbed in my problems, and without knowing it I made a nice open door for satan to feed me lies. I was so eager to hear God speaking that satan stepped in and started feeding me the answers I wanted from God. This lead me to believe that God had deceived me, when in fact, I hadn't even been hearing from God in the first place. I have learned two new things: "evil will come like a wolf in sheep's clothing", and when God speaks I'm SURE I'll know it!
Get into the Word - I am not a good Bible reader. I've been getting better at doing daily devotions, but after the last miscarriage that went down the tubes. I'm back at it again, but I still find it difficult to use the Bible as my sword to fight off daily attacks. I want to get better at that. I want my Biblical knowledge to be sharp, so I can use the Word and speak the Word more. My aunt gave me some really good insight about God's Word this week. I was telling her about how I wanted to hear more from God, and how I was mad at Him for deceiving me (see above), particularly in regards to the miscarriages, and how I thought He had told me the babies were going to make it. She reminded me that I can't expect God to just speak to me audibly all the time - there are times when the answers are right in front of me, and God wants me to go to His Word to find them. God gave us His Word for a REASON, not just as another means by which to fill our time when we're bored. The Word are His chosen promises for us, and we should look to it often. I want also to really start praying the Word, and claiming it's promises. I haven't done this much, and I need to. I believe that this can and will change my life, but I have to be diligent.
Fight off fears - Many diseases, and problems with the human body can be traced back to fear and anxiety. I would usually say that I am not a person who is very fearful. However, I believe that some spirit of fear (in regards to having children) has been lurking around me. My blog also became private because of a fear of losing James, or having him be victim to some kind of abuse - even if it was only his photos. I've probably been watching too much Without A Trace, and Law & Order: SVU. (Perhaps I need to be more convicted about watching shows like this?) These fears have been manifesting in me, and although they may be justified, I don't want to live under them. "God has not given us a spirit of fear", "If God is for us, than who can be against us?". I want to start getting rid of these fears, and allow God to completely rule my thoughts. This is a big task, and not an overnight one at that! Wish me luck on this journey!
Friday, October 3
ONE MORE DAY

Tuesday, September 30
It's Time
Well everyone, I think it's time to go private with my blog. I haven't had any bad experiences, but I have had a few creepy unsigned anonymous comments. If you would like to be on my list, please email me at eternal_13@yahoo.com. I think I'll go officially private on Friday. Thanks!
Monday, September 29
Lonely

Saturday, September 27
Thursday, September 25
Bathroom Cleaning God Talk

"This morning I did my all-dreaded cleaning the bathrooms. I don't know why I hate doing that so much, I tried to change my attitude and prayed the whole time I worked. I thanked God for my home, bathroom etc. That helped, but I also began praying about our current theme of questions these days, like hearing from Him, knowing His will, and feeling confident in hearing that. So, I just admitted my confusion, my desire to live and behave according to His will to please Him. Suddenly I just became quiet before Him, and it came to me, 'What makes you think you have the RIGHT to hear from Me whenever you choose?'. Oh boy. Firstly, I had to admit that I, Robin, am 'expecting' to hear from God at the drop of a hat. The GOD of the universe, creation, salvation, grace, mercy and love has done SO SO SO much for me. He loves me unconditionally, His grace has covered me, and I am a child of His. I suddenly felt a little ashamed for expecting to hear from Him so instantly and with my own discretion. Like I should be able to text message him or something. Ha ha! Like seriously! I think God has things in HIS control, why do I feel the need to hear my future from Him? Is that my last attempt to gaining peace of mind/control over my life? I think God can speak to me, no doubt! But I don't think He's going to tell me my future. And that is probably a good thing. Secondly, I had to ask myself, 'How do I know this is from God now?'. Then I thought 'Do I feel condemned by this?' and I thought 'No, I don't'. But I do feel a fresh prespective and a new desire to place my trust daily in Him. To 'Let go and Let God', and to resume my growth as a Christian. All the while, I need to remember that hearing from Him is a GIFT and not a RIGHT."
Wednesday, September 24
I Love Meeting Bloggers!

Monday, September 22
"Pwitty Gwoss!"
VIDEO CONTENT WARNING: This video is not intended for animal lovers (although I do love animals myself, I still personally find it humorous). This was simply an act of nature that was caught on camera to show to my husband. However, I am going to post it because James copies almost everything I say in the background, and it's incredibly cute!
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Friday, September 19
Busy or Animated?

1. Engaged in activity, as work; occupied.
2. Sustaining much activity: a busy morning; a busy street.
3. Meddlesome; prying.
an·i·mat·ed
1. Having life; alive.
1. Having life; alive.
2. Filled with activity, vigor, or spirit; lively.
Often I find myself, and many times other people, describing James as "busy". It bothers me when I also hear myself being negative about it, saying things like "Yes, he is into everything, it's so tiring". Or people will make a comment like, "Wow, you must all sleep well at night, he is so busy!". It's then that I wonder if I make the negative comments because I am embarrassed, or if I'm just making excuses because I wonder if they think James is like that because he's spoiled or undisciplined? The truth is that I like James as he is. I wouldn't want him to be anything but busy! I love it! I love running after him, even when he's getting into trouble - because isn't that what little boys are all about?! I love that he jumps, climbs, wrestles, runs, and crashes the mini shopping cart at the local store down the stairs busting open the parmesan cheese. These things are what makes James who he is!
Today a lady came to me in the store and said, "Your son is just perfect! He is the perfect mix of cute and animated." She then told me that when they were expecting their first child her husband had told her he would rather have an animated child than a cute child. I loved it that she used the word animated! It really describes James perfectly. He is animated - and I love almost every moment of him being his animated self. Thank you to that wonderful woman who said those kind words. It's so nice to hear those things - and of course she confirmed what we already knew, James is truly perfect for us.
In other news, a dream that I've had for 5 years is finally coming to pass next week! Our house is getting painted! We live in an older, two storey house that probably hasn't been painted in 50 years (that may not be an exaggeration). The painter is getting started on Monday, and I can't wait to post the before and after photos. I think it will be quite dramatic!
Thursday, September 18
Wall Words
Well, I decided to go with Wall Words! Please check out the start of my new blog by clicking on the tab at the top labelled "Wall Words"!
Tuesday, September 16
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