To Germany with Love

Well, Rachel, I figure you are homesick and missing us; because we miss you.  So, I thought since you can not come home - I will bring home to you through this post.  Hope you enjoy some pictures from our day.  :) 

Here I am saying Good Morning - or I should say, rather, "Good Night..."

 This is a basket Abbey bought for me last night while we were out.  I am planning on using it when I go to Aldi for fruits and veggies.  Do you like it?

After breakfast this morning James and I sat down and put the finishing touches on the garden plans.  Mr Crain came over and got it all ready for us yesterday. (Thanks Mr Crain!!) So, we will start planting tomorrow.  (Lord willing and the creek don't rise - or a tornado does not hit!)

Abbey bought Anna and Zak a slip and slide last night while we were out.  It was warm enough this morning for the kids to play in the water before lunch.  This is how Zak took to the slip and slide when he went down for this first time!

 

And.... this is how Anna took to it her first time...

 

You can only imagine how much fun they had on this thing!  It was fun to watch!

 

After getting dried off and hanging our clothes on the line we went out on the front porch for a picnic lunch.  Abbey had surprised them by buying frozen pizzas for everyone.  Zak and Anna were so excited!

So that was our day here in America.  We miss you!  I miss being able to take a picture of something on my cell phone and send it to you.  I grabbed my phone twice last night while we were shopping and realized that I could not send you a funny picture from our time out.  :)  Hope you had a good day.  We love you so much!

Hope to Endure

I regularly write for a blog that seeks to minister to parents who have suffered the loss of a baby due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  I have decided to post my articles here too on my blog.  I trust they are a blessing to you.  If you know of anyone whose family has been affected because of SIDS, would you kindly refer them to the ministry blog.   We seek to minister to all those we can and show that in God there is hope even in the midst of grief.  

“For I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  Romans 8:18

SIDS brings suffering to the hearts of family members touched by its sudden arrival.  It hurts.  It is unseen and nothing could prepare us for the void it leaves in our families for years to come.

When a child dies of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome it causes the parents to feel vulnerable and uncertain of what the future holds for them or other children they have or may have in the future.

Sudden death brings sudden pain, sudden suffering.

 This verse is for us.  It serves as a reminder of sorts for hope when we are hurting.  It is a truth that was penned by the hand of God to hurting hearts.  Our hearts. 

God wants us to know that He sees our sufferings; and He wants us to remember that they won’t last; but there is more!  This truth gives us more than an assurance that pain, hurting and suffering will end.  It’s so much more than that!

It tells us how great Heaven will be; and it uses our sufferings as a compression of sorts that allows us to be able to identify just how great Heaven will be. 

As much as your heart is breaking right now – Heaven is SO MUCH greater than the deepest pain you have felt since your baby died.

Think about all of the times since your baby died that you have cried harder than you ever thought you could cry.  Heaven is so much greater than that.

Think about all of the times when you felt your heart would break and the loss felt to be more than you could physically handle.  Take all of that pain – Heaven is greater than that!

Think about how many times when you have relived the horror of that day.  Heaven is greater than all of the fear we have felt since that day.

So the next time the tears won’t stop – remember Heaven waits for us – and it is great!

The next time fear seems to paralyze you - focus on Heaven.    

Heaven awaits us and all the pain, suffering and heartache that we feel here will be gone.  Done. 

Heaven brings hope.  Hope that we can endure this heartache and pain.  Hope that God is right beside us.  He has not forgotten us. 

“Let not your heart be troubled… In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye will be also.”

And, when He takes us Home – the glory of what He has done in us will be greater than any heartache that was endured in this lifetime; and we will have forever and ever to thank Him for His working in our lives.

I think this verse serves as a reminder:  Don’t despair.  Don’t give up.  We have a blessed hope; and we’re not home, yet!

A Race to Run

This Saturday morning started early.  Really early.

She had a race to run...

She left the house at 6:15 to get there in time to register.

It was the first race she has ever run...

The night before she had been a little anxious.  Would she run well?  Would she place well?  She had sat in my room and talked to me about what the next morning held in store for her.  I told her not to worry about the placement.  Just make sure you finish.  Always finish.

I got there in time to take pictures and make sure she was ready for the race.  It had been her exercise buddy's idea for them to do it.  Abbey had wondered if she could do it; we had told her to go for it.

She did.  Now she was standing at behind the starting line.  Waiting.  Instructions were given.  Then they took a moment to pray for the race.  The sun was shinning down and the morning air was brisk; but not cold.

Finally the moment came.  On your marks, get set, go...

She was off.  Her first 5K.

I went and waited for her at the finish line.  I watched as runner came by me, winded; but close to the finish line.  There were bystanders on the grass and when a runner would come by they would start clapping.  I am not sure what it was; but something came over me.

It was the analogy of life.  We all have a race that we are running.  Someday, we do not know when, the race will officially be over.  We will breathe our last breath and finish the last mile.  Until then we are told to run.

I watched as the runners came by.  One runner was holding onto the hand of a little girl.  They were running together.  Again I was overcome with emotion.  The picture of life.  Standing next to someone who is younger and helping them through the race.  A Dad ran along side his little girl.  They finished together.  He had run races before; he could have finished in better time - but today he ran with her.  His finish time was not as low as it could have been; but his daughter's was higher than it had ever been.  They finished together.

I watched; and was glad I had sunglasses on because there were tears in my eyes.

Then a runner approached where I was standing.  She had run good; she was almost there.  I could see the finish line from where I was standing.  It was just up ahead. She had run long and hard; but she was tired.  Too tired.  She stopped in front of me.  She put her hands on her knees and bent over gasping for air; and as she did she kept saying, "I can't go anymore... I can't do this..."  I watched as she struggled.  She looked up towards the finish line, then shook her head again, "I can't..."

Then from the sidelines two other runners who had finished ran up to her.  I am not even sure they knew who she was.  They saw that she was tired, spent and discouraged.  One runner went over to her left side - the other runner to her right.  They put her tired hands in theirs - each hand was grasped by a runner who had already finished their race.  "You can do this.  You will finish.  We will finish together."

And, together they ran.  One on her right side, the other on her left side - the tired runner in the middle.  She did not sprint in - she slowly trotted in with help from other runners who saw that she needed help and encouragement.  I was overwhelmed.

Is this not the Christian life?  Those who are strong coming up along the ones who are weak and needing help - placing their hands in our and running towards the finish line.  As the trio approached the finish line I thought about the many times in my life when people have come up along beside and told me that I could do the task I needed to do.  I thought about the countless times when I have read either in God's Word or in a biography of a Christian who did much for God and was challenged that I too could finish.

Hebrews 11 came into clear view as I watched the three cross the finish line and heard the cheers of those standing in the sidelines.

Then, I looked back over the horizon.  There she was!  Running.  By herself and running.

Abbey!

I watched as she passed me.  Winded.  Tired.  But still she ran - and she finished!

I was so proud of her!  Proud of what she was doing.  Proud of the fact that she had run - she had dared to do something that she was unsure she could complete.  She did it!

I cheered as she passed me and hugged her when she passed the finish line.

Each of us has a race we are supposed to run every single day.  I want to finish mine.  I want when I go to bed at night to know I accomplished what I was supposed to do that day.  Because someday all of those little daily races will be done.  My life will be over.  I want to finish strong.  I want to help others finish their race.

When I got to Abbey at the finish line she told me that she wants me to run one with her.  Ummm...  I think, perhaps, I  just might...

Have a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping by, I am so glad you did!
Blessings,
~Martie