Pleasantness and Peace

The past month has been one of waiting and seeking the Lord.  After getting a second opinion from a doctor I trust, Gregg and I decided that I would undergo a suggested CT scan of my pancreas.  My lipase (enzyme) levels were high which could have signaled cancer, pancreatitis, or nothing!  Of course, I heard cancer and was tempted to become fearful, but I know fear doesn't come from the Lord.  In preparation for the scan, He worked in my heart through my quiet times and prayer.  I usually make these posts about what Zeke is up to, but I wanted to share what the Lord has been doing in my heart through this trial.



Proverbs 3:17 says, "Her [wisdom's] ways are of pleasantness and all her paths are peace."  Verse 13 says, "Happy is the man that finds wisdom."  Gregg and I find ourselves seeking God's wisdom often, and sometimes it's hard to discern exactly what that is.  I've found that the more I'm in the Word and spending time in prayer, the easier that is, though.  My morning devotion described those verses in this way: "Peace consists not of friendliness of circumstances, but in friendship with the Lord."  I love that!  The night before the CT scan I felt the most amazing sense of peace...like God was almost telling me it was going to be okay.  My circumstances hadn't changed, but my friendship with the Lord gave me peace. 

The morning of October 30, my devotion took me to Psalm 34:1-11.  Verse 1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth."  Verse 4 says, "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."  Wow, how true this was as I awaited those test results.  I made it a point, while not always easy, to praise Him at all times and ask Him to deliver me from my fears.  As a negative or fearful thought entered my mind, I took those thoughts captive and audibly spoke praises to the Lord (I am learning to do this all the time).  The following morning I was taken to Psalm 81 where verse 7 says, "You called in trouble and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place..."  This was the day I learned that the scan results were normal!  Praise God!

As we go forward, still dealing with my abnormal thyroid levels and high blood sugar, I want to continually praise God and thank Him for loving me unconditionally.  This morning, my devotion focused on Ecclesiastes 12: 1-7.  The devotion reminded me to offer myself to God in the days of my youth when I'm healthy and strong, not just when I'm weak or sick.  Again, how timely is that!  I don't necessarily feel strong yet, but I want to offer myself in service to the Lord however He can use me.  

I want to try to show Zeke Christ's love as I try to be the Mommy God designed me to be, praying that one day Zeke will choose to accept Christ for his personal savior.  I want to honor Gregg as my husband and spiritual leader, and I continue to seek God to learn what that means.  God's love always leads to peace, and I pray I bring glory to Him as I go about my life as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend. 

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen


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I promise I'll write a post soon about what Zeke has been doing.  He is growing, changing, and developing more each day.  We are blessed by him and honored to be his parents!

Cagle's Dairy Farm 2011

As I mentioned yesterday, we took Zeke to Cagle's Dairy Farm in Canton, GA.  We wanted to take him to a pumpkin patch this fall, and decided at the last minute to go ahead and go this weekend.  The high temperature was around 65, and it was a beautiful sunny day.  Our friends Carlos and Arilea met us there with their two kids, Carlitos and Annalisse.  It was a picture perfect day as you'll see!

After we arrived, and bought our tickets for the hayride, we decided to head over to the pumpkin patch.  Zeke had fun picking out a pumpkin.  He was not interested in the big ones, and headed straight for the tiny one you'll see him holding.  He's a smart boy and knows what he can handle!  We took the opportunity to take fall family photos before we boarded the hayride.



The Hall Family



The Fernandez Family

Toddler Times!

Apparently, I am having trouble writing posts more than once/month.  It seems like even longer since I wrote last.  I posted about Zeke's swim lessons during our hot summer, and now we are seeing high temperatures in the mid-60s!  It's wonderful to have a break from the heat. 

Zeke has been busy becoming a full fledged toddler.  It's hard to believe he will be two in a little over three months!  He continues to be a very happy, easy-going little guy for the most part.  He has realized he wants control in some areas, so we are doing our best to teach him to be obedient to us as his parents so that he will learn how to be obedient to the Lord.  He thoroughly enjoys putting together puzzles, putting things inside things, stacking objects, and doing anything that requires the spatial part of his brain (he got that from Daddy!).  Oh, and he still loves wearing our shoes and his Daddy's hats.  It's so much fun to watch him continue to develop into the little person God created him to be.  Each day is an adventure!

Gregg had to travel for work for two weeks, so Zeke and I spent some time in Alpharetta with my parents.  We got to see family and friends, which helped to make the time pass more quickly.  He had his first official baby sitter (Bethany Sides) and did great!  Oh, and I got my hair cut!  Here are some photos from that visit:



Trying to play on Wynna's computer!



My mom and my boy!



My dad and my boy!

 

Zeke with Wynna, Granddaddy, Uncle Jared, Kariss, and Sophia



...and I jump in (look at him smiling at Wynna!)

 

Admiring cousin Kariss!


We also got to see his buddy Luke Jordan and my dear friend, Dena (Luke's mommy), as well as Auntie Tessa.  Then, we headed home to get ready for Gregg's return.  It was a very special moment watching Zeke's face light up when he saw his Dadda!

Here he was just relaxing with Daddy!

Gregg got home yesterday and we decided to go to Cagle's Dairy Farm today to let Zeke see the animals, go on the hayride, and pick a pumpkin.  I'll post the pictures from that trip very soon. 

God bless!

Our little fish...

It is amazing how quickly August passed.  I looked at my calendar two days ago and realized it was September 1st.  Where had the time gone?  Well, much of this month was dedicated to Zeke's swimming lessons.  We registered him for a program called ISR (Infant Swimming Resource).  It is a program created by a physician to teach babies and children survival swimming skills.  Infants learn how to float on their backs and young children learn how to "swim-float-swim."  We attended every week day, and each lesson lasted between 6 and 10 minutes.  It took Zeke 4 weeks to "test out," which means he was able to float and swim wearing summer and winter clothing.  This is because most drownings happen when children are fully clothed (I know it's scary, but it's a sad reality).  Here are some pictures of him in action:



Perfect float!



Getting ready to flip over...



Flipping over to a swim



With his instructor, Michelle, on the last day (notice the trophy!)



Practicing later in the month at Wynna and Granddaddy's pool



While Zeke was busy swimming, my mom and dad spent half the month in Alaska (and Canada).  They had a great time and hope to take the whole family back when the kids are a little older.  Here is a glimpse of their trip:

Zeke and I were blessed to have Gina and Bethany Sides over for a visit.  We don't see them enough, but we cherish the time we get to spend together.  They are a cherished part of our lives!

Our friend, Mollie, came over for an afternoon visit.  She is SO good with Zeke.  He had her reading books to him right away!

Later in the month, Zeke and I went to visit our friends Elizabeth and Bryan's new baby boy, Dex.  We were in a small group Bible study with Elizabeth and Bryan and prayed alongside them as they asked the Lord to bless them with a child.  They adopted Dex this summer, and could not be happier.  It's amazing to watch God's plans unfold.

In closing, I've included some photos of Zeke lately.  He are some ideas of what he is doing these days:

• Added "boo" (balloon), "shoe," "Hey," and "Da" (dog) to his vocabulary)
• Still wearing cloth diapers, although I've had to add more inserts during the day since he is such a big boy
• Doesn't really like getting his hair cut unless it's Sarah at Famous Hair in Acworth!
• Tries his hardest to pull stuff out of the refrigerator if he can, then runs away with his loot
• Loves swimming, bath time, and being outside
• Has an amazing aptitude for puzzles
• Enjoys wearing my socks and/or shoes around the house
• Still loves hats
• Tasted a Lara bar (Mommy made the mistake of giving it to him to expose him to nuts) and tried boycotting mush.  After talking to Madia Bowman, author of Dr. Denmark Said It, we decided to go back to mush solely until he's 24 months old and/or has all of his molars!
• Only needs one nap (3 hours is best, but he doesn't always sleep that long)
• Wears 24 month and 2T clothing (2T pants are still too tight sometimes!)
• Wears a size 6 shoe
• Loves to dance (and has his own unique style...heehee!)
• Has a way of detecting in my voice when I'm getting of the phone and starts saying, "Buh-bye" over and over
• Loves people and is eager to offer a smile and a "Buh-bye" to everyone

As you can see, it has been a busy and fun month.  We look forward to cooler weather as the fall arrives.  We thank God every day for all that he has blessed us with, and know that each moment is a gift!