18 weeks, 2 days

Time flies when you're having fun! Being pregnant has been so good to me so far. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have been feeling great, a little tired every now and then, but who doesn't enjoy a nap? :) I thought I'd post some pregnancy pictures up for you guys to see. I haven't grown too much, at least I don't think. It's so funny when your belly starts growing. It just becomes a part of you and you don't even realize it's there at times. Of course that may change when I get bigger. I'll probably be toppling over as time goes on, but I can't wait!

To the left is a picture of me at 7 weeks and to the right is a picture of me at 18 weeks. I've definitely gotten a tan and my tummy is definitely growing! :) At 18 weeks the baby is 5 1/2 inches (crown to rump) and weighs about 5 1/4 ounces. The baby also looks much more like a human! Yay - he or she is not an alien anymore!

We go back in for another ultrasound at 20 weeks. This is the big one. The doctor will check everything out - head, shoulders, knees and toes (and everything else in between!) The sex should be able to be determined by then although we won't find out. Some of our good friends are throwing us a party where we will find out the sex. So, I should say that Rose, Lauren & Kristy will find out on Aug 4th, but we have to wait a bit longer to find out. It will be worth the wait though! I can't wait to celebrate the sex of our baby with all our closest friends!

Please continue to pray for the health and development of our little one.

For this child we prayed.
1 Samuel 1:27

Give me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.

You can have all this world.
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone
Give me Jesus.

When I come to die
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world.

Just give me Jesus.

These are the lyrics of an amazing song sung by Jeremy Camp that I heard today as I was cleaning the house listening to Pandora radio. As the song played, I stood there, vacuum in hand, and couldn't help but feel so much peace from this song. I am currently doing a bible study with a few friends from Williston called Me, Myself, and Lies by Jennifer Rothschild. The study is all about the thoughts that consume our minds on a daily basis and how our "thought-closet" is probably sometimes filled with lies we have told our self. What we tell our self depends on the circumstances we are going through in life, right? Wrong! If we have lost a job (I know the feeling!) we may begin to tell our self that we aren't good enough or smart enough to have that job anyway. If we have failed at something we may tell our self that we stupid. If we are going through a struggle we may tell our self that we deserve it. These are all lies. God would never want us to think this way, no matter the circumstance. God wants us to hear the truth that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God wants us to know that every battle is something that brings us closer to him and he will be with us every step of the way, speaking truth into our hearts and cheering us on. Take Paul for example. Paul wrote many letters of the New Testament from a jail cell. Talk about unfavorable circumstances! Paul could have told himself that he was a failure; a no good disciple of Christ. He could have put himself in the corner of that cell and waited to die. But no, not Paul. Paul didn't listen to the lies; he didn't even allow his thought-closet to consist of anything other than God's truths. In Philippians 4:4 he says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say: Rejoice!" Paul is in jail rejoicing! Apply that to your life. How many times have you been in a difficult situation, struggling to come up for air, rejoicing all the way? I don't know about you, but that isn't all too often for me. Later on in Philippians 4:12 Paul says, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." We can learn a lot here from Paul. He gets it. Our contentment isn't dependent upon our circumstances. We can't praise God one day for something good in our life and then curse him the next day for something that went wrong. God's love for us isn't conditional so why is our love for him that way at times? Paul is content whether things are good or bad because he believes the truth that God speaks. Christ is what brings us peace, not the things of this world - not a job, a significant other, a material possession, a friend, a sibling, etc - only Jesus.

So, back to the song at the beginning. In the morning, we need Jesus. When we are alone, we need Jesus. When we come to die one day, we need Jesus. We don't need the things in this world, we need Jesus. ... Times right now are tough for people. We are in an economic crisis. Some of us have other crisis going on. But that doesn't have to turn your world around. Just let it turn you to Jesus.

Many of you know that I lost my job a few months ago due to budget cuts. It was tough. Did I speak lies to myself about my self worth? You bet I did. Do I realize now that I just needed to turn my gaze to Jesus and he would take care of me. Yes. I even knew that at the time, but it was easier for me to just be mad. I wish I had read Philippians chapter 4 in that time of need to be reminded of Paul's story and to hear Christ's truths. Fortunately, God stood by me and saw me through even with the lies I told myself. ... I will not be going back to teach this year, which is difficult to swallow, but God knows me better than I know myself. Rather, I will be the director of the cheerleading program at Sun Country Sports overseeing & running the entire program. Cheerleading is something I LOVE to do and something I have been coaching for the past 4 years alongside teaching. The most glamorous thing about this job is that is gives me the flexibility to be with my new little one come December. What more could I ask for? God is so good! I hope you realize that as much as I do! I'll be praying for you! :)

Much Love!