Searching

There are few times that I have been sort of blogless.

But lately, as you may have noticed, I've been sort of blogless.

I have blogs in my head, but by the time I sit down, I can't translate them into a successful blog that anyone would enjoy reading.

Unfortunately, when you don't feel good, I've realized, everything in your life just takes a back seat. In my case, I definitely have a desire to not appear to be a complainer. And the main thing on my mind is how I feel which means that is the main thing I'd want to write about and that isn't very exciting to anyone.

So please just keep praying for me and this little life growing inside me. I have some good days. I have some bad days. I have some wonderful people encouraging me both near and far. And I have no doubt I will be back to myself in no time.

Praying that "no time" is tomorrow!

More encouragement

It's not that you don't believe in Me or believe My word. It is that your symptoms are speaking louder than your faith. Stop and consider that I am the God that heals you. There is nothing too difficult for Me. Strengthen your resolve to truly believe for complete healing and restoration in this particular situation. Be strong and immovable, says the Lord.

Psalm 107:19-22 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.

From Dear Jesus by Sarah Young

Dear Jesus,

I know You are perfect in all Your ways, so it is impossible for you to be careless. However, I also know You are absolutely sovereign: Nothing happens that You have not allowed. When difficulties in my life overwhelm me -- events You could have prevented -- sometimes it feels as if You are being careless with me. I believe You do equip me to handle whatever comes my way, but I need Your help in using the equipment.

Beloved, realizing you need My help is half the battle. You also need My Word and My Spirit. The Bible imparts to you essential wisdom: My promises to be near you and take care of you, exhortations that help you avoid sinful snares, offers of forgiveness when you “miss the mark,” promises of My Spirit’s living in you and empowering you.

It is important not to be surprised or alarmed by the many trials that enter your life. Until you reach your ulimate home in heaven, you will be at war. When you have a wartime mentality, it’s easier to handle difficulties as they arise. You don’t waste time and energy bemoaning your circumstances; you avoid the trap of feeling singled out for hardship.

I do indeed equip you fully to handle your difficulties. But you have to make the effort to use what I provide: My Presence, My Word, My Spirit. Come to Me when you are heavy laden and you will find rest for your soul.

Scriptures:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.– Isaiah 41:10

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. – 1 Peter 5:8-9

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden…and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:28-29

Order your own copy of Dear Jesus by Sarah Young

Praising the Lord today ...

• for a beautiful island day
• for an almost completely nausea-free day
• for getting to skype with my parents
• for my neighbor Carla bringing her boys over to play

Optimus Prime & Bumblee

Today we went up to Base as a family to eat lunch at the grill and go to the Commissary. Apparently, it was a very special day because two transformers were visiting Outdoor Rec. They made it a very fun little meet and greet. The kids weren't too excited to go near the characters and Sidge got a bit spooked at one point, but they loved the balloons, and Outdoor Rec. did a great job giving us 30 minutes of fun!

P.S. As for how I am doing: I'm chugging away trying to live in the moment. My blogs may a bit more sparse just because I don't feel good and it cuts down on the windows I can "get things done" but I am emotionally doing very well and physically praying for all of this to part soon! So blessed. If you could pray that I would have sweet sleep and nausea-free days, I would so appreciate it.

Billy Graham in Quotes

Thanks to Booksneeze for giving me a free copy of: Billy Graham in Quotes in exchange for my honest review. And, sorry folks, this will not be one I give away. It is just too good! Billy Graham's family put together a collection of his comments spanning seven decades!

Drawn from an unparelleled collection of both personal and published works, Billy Graham provides input on more than one hundred topics, such as suffering, joy, money, addictions, peace, and many more. The book is divided into categories. This means that if you are looking for his "opinion" on peace, you can jump right to that section and hear his voice through the pages.

I do think that is hard to actually hear him through words. Reading is one thing. Listening to the legendary Billy Graham is another. But nonetheless, having the opportunity to have his quotations at your fingertips is quite invaluable.

Kudos to Thomas Nelson for publishing this collection of quotes from Dr. Graham, spanning 7 decades. Over 100 subjects are covered..everything from creation to greed, integrity to war, abortion to marriage.

Friday Funnies

Sidge comes into the room naked.
Sidge: "I'm Captain America."
Isaac: "You are a naked man."
Sidge: "Well, Captain America is just changing his clothes."
*****
Sidge: "What happens if Abigail grows up into a boy?"
*****
Sidge: "Will Scrubby get old?"
Me: "Yes."
Sidge: "Then he will die?"
Me: "Yes, someday."
Sidge: "Will we get old?"
Me: "Yes."
Isaac: "How old will we be when we die? Like fifty?"
Me: "Or older. And then we get to go see Jesus."
Sidge: "I can't wait! I have no idea what he looks like."
Isaac: "Yes you do. You saw a statue of him in the movie Rio."
*****
While puzzling with Auntie Connie, "All that puzzling made me tired," said Sidge.

Our world

I hope this "shares" correctly. It is a Facebook video that I wanted to share on my blog. Somedays we get "bogged" down in thinking our problems are the worst problems. It's why going on mission trips helps us as much as it helps the people we are ministering to. It is remembering how blessed we are.

Click here to watch this video of first world problems read by third world people.

Today I missed my mom a lot. I missed sunny weather. I missed America. But oh how good it is to remember what a wonderful God we serve and how very big the world is!

Psalms 18:2

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Kari Jobe video

An awesomly encouraging video that my mom sent me.

Click here for Kari Jobe's Healer.

Than I normally would

Last night, as I laid next to Sidge in his bed, he turned to me and said, "You are the greatest mom ever."

A few minutes later, while taking a shower (a place of great intellectual thought), I thus began thinking to myself. "Really? Right now? Right now, I am not on my game. The last few weeks/months have been some of my hardest as a mom. I feel like I am surviving each day. And tonight he tells me I'm the best?"

But then I thought about it. Yesterday (and during the last five weeks if I am being honest) I:

• sat on the floor in the midst of a sea of a Thomas trains while they played much longer than I normally would. I normally would have gotten up thinking of all the things that needed to be done.
• sat on the couch reading books for twice as long as I normally would.
• laid in bed with each boy as they went to bed, much longer than I ever normally do.
• spoke much softer than I normally do.
• moved much slower than I normally do.
• went to fewer places and did much less running around than I normally would.

And I thought to myself, as a good friend told me, despite the fact that I don't feel "up to myself", my kids are not suffering. Maybe, in fact, they are getting even more from their mom than they normally would.

The desert is not the danger

Man! I continue to read one thing after another that just seems to meet me "right where I am." I have especially been touched by an online blogger my mother introduced me to: Holly Gerth. Her blog post today was about the Israelites in the desert.

P.S. The Israelites were only supposed to be in the desert for eleven days!

P.S.S. On the other side of the desert was their dream!

We often set out for our journeys with high hopes. I have two friends who are adopting right now. And the road is not moving in the direction they had hoped. It's not moving at the speed it should be. A friend battling an unexpected period of adjustment. A woman facing an illness. A sister experiencing the loss of someone she loved greatly.

As Holly writes, "we set out on our journey with high hopes. Then as the miles go on we begin to feel fear nipping at our heels. We start to question… Is this the way I should be going? Why is this turning out differently than I expected? What if I didn’t hear God right after all?"

Do you have fear right now?

I have fear.

It's hard to admit we have fear. I'm not sure why. We don't want to appear weak maybe?

Bot Holly Gerth went on to say, " With every question the fear gets a bit louder and our confidence a bit lower. If that’s you today, let me lean in and whisper a truth that you must know: There’s always a desert before the dream."

The Israelites faced fear. And they let the fear win and instead spent forty years on an 11 day journey!

What can we learn from those Israelites? We can learn that the desert is not the danger. "The biggest threat is surrendering to fear and letting go of faith.

"So if you find yourself in a desert right now then hold tight to what you know is true and press on, friend. The Promised Land is closer than you think.

And you have everything you need for the journey."

Focus

I've been rereading and rereading some of the following scriptures. Hope they minister to you in your current journey -- whatever it is that is challenging you. When we feel weary, cling to the Lord.

Ps 71:3 "Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually. You have given the commandment to save me for you are my rock and my fortress."

Ps. 71:6 "By You I have been upheld from birth. You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall continually be of you."

Ps. 71:7 "But You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with your praise. And with your glory all day."

Ps. 71:21 "You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side."

Ps. 71:24 "My tongue also shall talk of your righteousness all the day long."
2 Cor. 10:5 "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Bringing every thought into captivity for the obedience of Christ."

Another note tucked in Grama's Bible

"Does it matter what the day looks like outside? Am not I your light, your joy, and all that you need? Day after day I am yours; yours to hear you, your to lighten your load, yours to hear and answer your prayers. I am all yours. You are all mine. And together, as we go, the light goes with us. So shine, yes, shine, in my glory. Be bold to proclaim who you are in me, your Christ, your Savior, your Lord. And as you speak in boldness, I will back my word up with gifts of power displayed so the world will come to me and participate in all I have for them. Yes, so be bold as a lion. Strike out with my word, with my promises. And as you go, you will see my glory manifested. I am coming soon. Be ready and be bold. Be all I've asked you to be for my glory. And as usual, I am faithful. I am merciful. And these signs will show up as you go. So go now. Enjoy me. And then, as you praise and worship me, the streams will start flowing to me, streams of the called ones. So rejoice. Again I say rejoice! My word is so. My word is great. My word is me. Praise the Lord!" -- Grama Gertrude Huisman (February 21, 1993).

Grama's Bible

I was "lucky" enough to inherit my grandmother's Bible when she passed away. The mother of six, grandmother of seventeen, and great-grandmother (still counting), she was the most Godly woman I have ever met. I can only hope to know Jesus like she did.

Just last week, I found the following card, tucked in the back of her Bible. It reads:

This is what I have for you my child; there will be mountains and valeys but I want you to praise me in all things that others can see me in you; be kind and joyful and hold peace and depend completely on me. I will bring him out in a joy you cannot comprehend.

Amen!

Sidge's birthday party

Today we had just a small "family" birthday party for Elijah "Sidge" at our house. We did a superhero theme and invited the boys' best friends: Max & Jackson over. You realize how "little" kids need when you do a small party and your son tells you, "this was the best party ever!" He thought he got soooo many presents! We had a wonderful day.

To view all of the pictures from our day, jump over to our Facebook album here. 

I received a wonderful email from my mother-in-law. There is a part of you, as a mom, that finds it difficult to admit you can't do the "big thing" this year. You want to be the mom. I was feeling this way but was doing a good job reminding myself that this year, with everything going on in our life, a small party was okay.

And then I received an email from my (world's best) mother-in-law. Mother of six kids, she reminded me that it is okay to do simple. That it is okay to lean on others. She told me to feel only:

JOY- that #1, that special little boy is with you and so  adorable! And 2, that his personality  EXUDES JOY at the simplest things! He will be happy as a lark with anything that blesses him on his special day! He "gets" life in that simple way that the Lord wants us all to ... living in the moment-being uncomplicated ... totally SECURE!

 
He just LOVES LIFE!  And he loves you "to pieces". No one can be his "sun and moon, to the sky and back" mommy like you. 
 
So, just in case, if you are feeling a little lacking ... DON'T. You're all he needs and whatever little things other's help do to celebrate, great. But those things are extra. His pretty momma makes his world!
 
So, put on a pretty pair of earrings in honor of his birthday and have a wonderful day watching him turn 4!
 
(and give him an extra hug from me and grandpa, please :) )
 
Love you,

Mom

P.S. Sorry folks, but I have the best mother-in-law in the world. What a gift she gave me in just taking a few minutes to email me a few encouraging words. 

Friends in the rain

The weather has been crummy. I've been told to be ready, that with spring, we'll be blown away by how beautiful it will get here. But right now, we are stuck inside a lot. If the sun comes out for a moment, we try to go outside. Anytime we can. The temperature stays in the 60's, but there is just lots of rain and lots of wind and lots of coolness. Everything is damp most of the time. We have to have dehumidifiers running. We have to hang these "damp rid" bags in every closet to prevent mildew/mold from growing. We don't have central heat so we depend on the fireplace in the upstairs livinf room. It's a very different existence here than I have ever experienced.

There are no malls on the island. No indoor play areas in fast food restaurants. No other inside options except for one place in the Fitness Center on Base called "Stormy's." When it rains or is incredibly windy, there is inside your house. Or inside the house of a friend. And that's about it.

How wonderful it is to have a friend like Carla who lives around the block who will walk over in her pajamas and just hang out with her kids at your house while it is raining outside. Here she is in the picture above reading with my kids on our couch. And she let's me come over to her house and do the same thing. Wonderful woman. Great sons. Beautiful friend.

So blessed to have this friend in the rain.

Here's the truth

Right now, I don't feel well. Battling morning sickness and headaches/migraines. Neither of my previous pregnancies hit me this hard of that I am certain.

However, this will probably be the last time I mention anything related to not feeling well on my blog. I will let you all know when I am feeling back to normal, but otherwise, you can simply stand alongside me with prayers. You can pray for good sleep, extra-big doses of daily endurance, and healing from the headaches and the nausea that have knocked me on my rear end a bit.

However, I am choosing to turn my focus to other things.

What I instead feel "lead" to do is write my blog for those of you struggling. My plight is not a hard one. It is for a time. A brief season. Maybe it will last one more day. Maybe a little longer. Tomorrow may be the end. While sometimes it is hard to remember when you are in the midst of the storm, it is important to remember that storms do not last forever. But some of you, are dealing with plights that might be a bit longer, a bit harder, a bit more difficult to see your way out of.

If it is a daily struggle to remember the truth behind my plight, how much more difficult must it be for someone facing a terminal illness diagnosis, the death of someone they love, the news of something much more tragic that effects there body, soul and/or spirit.

Isn't that what the whole "theme" of my blog has always been about? The scripture, plastered on the blog itself is from Habakuk chapter 3.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

And the next verse continues this encouragement:

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

In my life right now, there is no empty fig tree or vines. There are simply some, difficulties, if you will, in my early pregnancy. Far from that of the Jews in concentration camps. Of POW's. Of victims of war or violence.

Some of you, out there, are dealing with some, difficulties, if you will, and the vines are empty. You are fighting an illness. You are grieving a loss. You are hurting. You are healing. You are lonely. You are empty.

It is for YOU I plan to write my blog over the next few weeks, months, years -- however long. For me and for you. While I encourage myself in the day-to-day life, I hope to encourage you.

There will still be glimpses into our family life. Nothing much will change. But you will find even more encouragement. (I hope.) Scriptures that are ministering to me as I attempt to be the best mom and wife I can be while not feeling the person I want to be.

I am so blessed. So blessed in so many ways.

• Blessed to have this tiny life growing inside me.
• Blessed to have my Aunt Connie here for a season that only God could know was coming.
• Blessed to have a husband who is stronger than any other man I know.
• Blessed to have friends both near and far encouraging me.
• Blessed to have the three children (and fourth) that the Lord has given me.

I also want to tell all those who love me -- friends and relatives -- that I am sorry I am not quite as "active" online and on the phone and in letters or emails. I am really having to focus on the things we need as a family. Extra things are being cut out. We have three young children. We live on an island in the pacific. My husband is a busy doctor. We have to focus on close-to-home.

It is "difficult" to not be the Wendi I know is in there. I would usually consider myself a "Tigger" in personality and energy level. I'm not Tigger right now. More Pooh-like. But that's okay. It's okay. I'm okay. God's okay. We're okay.

And as I encourage myself, I hope to encourage you too.

I cannot "listen" to the worry in my mind. That someone might misunderstand my motives. That anyone might think me complaining. That anyone might think I am ungrateful. I know my heart. And as I write this blog and process my thoughts, I must trust that the core of Wendi will be evident.

Blessings everyone.

Friday Funnies

Sidge: "Why do we have to pee so much?"
Me: "Because when you drink something, it comes out as pee."
Sidge: "Why?"
Me: "Because that's how God made us."
Sidge: "How did he make us like that?"
Me: "Well, he's God, and God can do that."
Sidge: "How?"
Me: "Well, He just made you like that."
Sidge: "Did Jesus help him?"
Me: "Jesus is his son."
Sidge: "Do they make everything?"
Me: "Yes."
Sidge: "Even toilets?"
Me: "Yes."
Sidge: "And animals too?"
Me: "Yes."
Sidge: "Okay."
 *****
Sidge: (looking out of the car window) "I see lotsa pretty dandy-flyins."
*****
Sidge: "What happens after we get old, Mommy?"
*****
Sidge: "What does it mean when you say God will stand by you?"
*****
Isaac: "If we touch someone's penis, is that rude?"
*****
Isaac: "Florida has a problem. And that problem is that they have a lot of mosquitoes."
*****
Sidge: "Why do we have to not lose our balance? Do we need to keep an eye on it very carefully?"
*****
Aunt Connie: "When Abigail sings like that, it makes Daddy melt."
Sidge: "Mommy, how do people melt?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Sidge: "How is Daddy gonna melt?"

You’ve already come further than you realize.

From: You've Come Farther Than You Know

I’ve come on a first date with this cute boy {now my husband} and I’m determined to impress him. But now he’s nowhere in sight. I feel a twinge of panic in my chest and an ache in my legs. I imagine getting chased by a bear. Or a squirrel. Either one could probably take me at this point.

Then I swerve around the next bend and see two things: the parking lot and that cute boy. I was only a few feet from the goal but I didn’t know it.

That’s how it can feel with our God-sized dreams or anything new in our lives. We’ve never been this way before and we’re unsure of exactly where we’re going. Excitement gives way to worry. We don’t know if our hearts can keep up the pace much longer. And by the way, where’s God? Wasn’t he supposed to be taking the lead?

Then all of a sudden, we’re there.

I don’t know how far you have to go on your God-sized dream but I do know this: you’ve already come further than you realize.