Resting in Faith.....

  Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led....                                                  

But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading.

The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character, and we encounter many changes in the process.  We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed.  We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes.  A life of faith is not  a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soring on eagle's wings, but is a life of day-in day-out consistency; a life of walking without fainting.  It is not even a question of holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road.  It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test. Abraham is not a type or an example of the holiness of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith-a faith tested and true, built on the true God.  "Abraham believed God...." Romans 4:3  (taken from my daily devotional book)

 

Truly without faith in Him who reigns in all things we would be at the doorstep of despair daily.

I am learning to rest in the promises of God.

I know that might seem like an elementary thought or ideal.  Realistically, I know that I have always been someone who tries to "do" more than someone who "rests".  I struggle with knowing what to and when to leave things to God.  Oh do I struggle with the "why"......

It seems to me that God has been showing me that I don't need to do it all..... and that He doesn't expect me to. I place those expectations on myself and then when I am completely spent and worn out I go to Him and ask "why"?  I am a planner and I love things to be in order. 

I think that everything should have its place...  right?

 

God in His goodness and loving mercy is showing me that there are things that I am trying to do that are truly not mine to do.  There are battles that are not mine to fight.  There are hearts that are not mine to change. There are accomplishments, both physical and spiritual that are not mine to plan and bring about.  There are some things that are not mine to harvest... even the souls of my children.

Over the past 6 months I have been on my knees for each one of my children...even the ones who no longer live in our home!  I have cried a million tears and prayed thousands of prayers for their hearts and their souls.  Yet.....my heart wants more.  I want to KNOW the condition of their hearts and that they are well on their way to a life of living for and to glorify the Father.

YIKES..... It appears that I forgot something.....or really someONE!

The Father

The ONE who loves them more than I do.

The ONE who has the pleasing and perfect will for each of their lives.

The ONE who does all things well.

 

Like I said..... I am a work in progress...

 

So I will keep loving my children with a passion.

I will continue to pray for them on my knees before the great ONE.

I will continue to grow in my understanding of Him who knows all things.

I will trust in Him in times of testing.

I will praise Him for the mercy and grace He affords me everyday as I grow.

AND

I will continue to look for and rest in the promises of the ONE who is faithful in all things! 

I know that my Father sees me! ......Even when I don't see Him in the day to day all of the time.

I know that He loves me........Even when I fall asleep forgetting to praise Him for all He is!  

I know that He is with me!....Even when I am knee deep in diapers, toys and cooking!

I know that He is the one bringing change into my life and allowing for things to happen that are "unexpected" and even sometimes "painful" because it is all for His glory! 

I am blessed beyond what I deserve!
I know that He is continuing to make me more like Jesus and that is enough!

In His Embrace,
laurie

Don't you love the new pictures of the boys!

 

 

 

        

 

A Little Help for our Friends and 2 Very Special Little Girls!

1 John 4:19

We love because He first loved us!

 

This post is long overdue!  I have been wanting to share this story with you all for months....

So without further ado.....

 

I want to tell you about our dear friends!  They are a family of 7 soon to be 9!  They are answering Gods call for their family to adopt 2 sisters from an Eastern European country.  I know they will be an amazing family and welcome their girls home with arm loads of love!

 

They desire to share God's love with those who God holds so dear to His heart! 

They have been "in process" for a while now but hope to be traveling in a few months to bring their

treasures home.  I encourage you to read their story and follow along as they bring the girls  home! you can do that here

 

Check this out!  I LOVE this shirt!

One of their children designed this t-shirt to help raise funds for their adoption! 

Cost~  Just $15!

they also have some other fundraising going on too!

you can find info on the blog side bar or email Amy over here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In His Embrace,

Laurie

PURE JOY

Psalm 100:1-3

 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
     Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 

Levi lost a tooth this morning....

He thinks it is "fun"! 

Innocence........

 

In His Embrace,

laurie



Updates on the Hebbe Family!

 

It hardly seems possible that it is already the 2nd week in February! Seriously, I do not know where the time has gone.  The days melt into each other.  They go by so  quickly! Each one has its own agenda, very seldom is it mine!  I am tired and sleepy by 9pm almost every night....and it is sometimes really REALLY hard to get up at 5:30...but God gives me my portion...He delivers exactly what I need to do each day... and sometimes that can be as simple a thing as a nap!

Lots of "firsts" for all of the boys in our home!

Sam and Jacob  had their first ever "week of finals" a few weeks ago.  They came away from the "drama filled week" with some pretty good grades! 

Levi had his first full day of sledding!  It might seem strange that will all of the snow we have had that he is NOW just getting to really enjoy it....  he goes outside here and makes his own little hill to slide down, but until last weekend he had not been to a "hill" for sledding!  Our friends happen to have a great one in their back yard!  So while we have had a lot of snow, it has also been really cold!  Too cold for him to really spend a whole day outside....at least until last weekend!  I surprised him with a "play date" for sledding at our friends!  He had a blast!

here is Levi at our house off the deck....in the air!

 

 

 

David and Jonathan had their first haircuts from Daddy!

What in the world?

 

Jonathan  all handsome!

 

David just as sweet!

 

 

AND NOW WE KNOW WHAT TV TRAYS ARE REALLY FOR!

SLEDDING IN THE LIVING ROOM!

 

Bath Time was not always so much fun..... just ask Jonathan!

 

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!

This is what they did when I told them it was

time for a Tubbie!

 

 

 

The boys LOVE bath time now!  All I have to say is

"time for a TUBBIE" and they run up the stairs right to the bathroom!

It is one of my most favorite things to do with them! 

In the water.....everyone is happy!

 

JONATHAN

 

 

 

DAVID

 

He looks so serious here....

he is figuring out how to fill and empty this container.....

 

 

Some things that we are working on....

communication....both boys are starting to repeat, or at least try to repeat

words that we speak to them.  It seems that they have a hard time with the

really simple instructions...like stop or no (ha!)  but I can tell them

to "bring mom your shoes"  and they TOTALLY UNDERSTAND AND DO IT!

I don't know why....but it always amazes me what they "get" and don't "get".

We are also working on the boys feeding themselves with a spoon and fork.

OH it is interesting...

I do feed them for the most part..... but they do drink out of a cup and a sippy cup now.

Sleeping..... well they started out going to sleep really well....now....

NOW they like to fool around up there if I leave...so I stay in the room with them for about 30 minutes or so and they are out!  David is usually the first one to be completely out....Jonathan is a much "lighter" sleeper.  They are in separate cribs in our room. 

 

This past week we took the boys for their first doctor visit..... it went pretty well!  Daddy went first with the blood pressure and heartbeat and height and weight.... that seemed to help!  David has gained 4lbs and Jonathan 5lbs.  That is pretty good for 2 months home!  They are really really good eaters! I do not know where they put it all!...... well.... I know where it comes out...they are really really good with that too! 

 

I just "cleaned" up my SD card for my camera....so I should be able to get more pictures more often!  Honestly.... I have seen so many really good "picture moments" but they are SO fast!  I can't always get to the camera quick enough!   Like yesterday.....Jonathan was sitting in a plastic container that they use for their "play kitchen toys" and David was pretending to give him a bath..... he washed him and then washed his hair!  It was SO cute!  And there are the times when they are laughing so hard they are giddy!  Falling down and just laughing a deep belly laugh!  LOVE IT!

 

Getting ready to take the big boys to school...... they LOVE to get their coat and hat on!

 

pretending to do "Nappy Time"!

 

 

 

I hope to post again later in the week....

In His Embrace,

Laurie

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ 

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast

but do not have love, I gain nothing.