My Glimpse of Heaven on January 7, 2015

I had a glimpse of heaven on January 7, 2015.  Not a "Heaven Is For Real" glimpse.  I already know heaven is real, because the Bible says so.  This was a "hang on to this hope" glimpse of heaven.

Aralyn and I had just returned from the outlets to exchange a few things we had got for John.  It was a FUHHHHHRRREEEEEZZZZING COLD, windy day.  One of those days where you're like, "Why in the world do I still live in a place that makes my face hurt!!!!"
Nonetheless, we ventured out because we love our daddy/husband and wanted him to be able to wear the shirts we had gotten him for Christmas.  I even splurged on Chick-Fil-A when we were out because I was craving their waffle fries.  That was a side note... I digress. 

When we got home, I immediately put on my slippers and we both got cozy. As I was walking into my kitchen I got this feeling over my whole body that stopped me dead.in.my.tracks.  I will try to explain it to you as best I can, but I truly feel there aren't words to totally explain my feelings. Before I go on, for those of you who don't know, here is my life story in a nutshell:
                    - Born into a lovely family
                    -  Diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis( arthritis that old people get) at     3.5    
                       years of age
                    - Asked Jesus to be in my life at age 5
                    - Childhood filled with much pain due to JRA
                    - Had double hip replacement at the age of 16
                    - Later in life, some pain here and there... disease just took a toll on my body
                    -Taught first grade for 8 years
                    -Got married to John at age 29
                    - Had Aralyn at age 31

You need to know that my JRA took such a toll on my body, that my joints have permanent contractures and it is hard for me to move in certain ways to this very day.

So... this feeling that stopped me dead in my tracks.  For about ten minutes, and ten minutes only, my whole body felt so loose and fluid.  I was moving my legs like I hadn't in YEARS.... YEARS people. I literally felt like I could have ran around the block or jumped as high as the sky.
Aralyn was playing with some of her toys in the kitchen and I just got very excited and I remember saying out loud,

"Oh my goodness, Lord... is this the day that you are choosing to heal me?"

 (I must admit that I have slacked off on praying for healing, because I have gotten so use to my life with RA. But that's another story for another day.) 

Not wanting to waste any moment of this special feeling, the only natural thing to do is dance 
with your little baby girl. 
 And praise. 
And hoot and holler.  
We were dancing and marching all over the place beaming with smiles and adoration. 

I felt joyful, elated, confused, shocked. All with in the span of ten minutes. 
And then as soon as the feeling came, it went.  I could've been sad, but I was thankful.  You know why?  Because it gave me hope.  And that is why I share this story with you.  Not to boast, but only to encourage you if you feel you have no hope.  
My friends, there is a heaven. There is a hope, and hope has a name....

       JESUS

The book of Revelation in the twenty first chapter tells us: 

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.......  'I am making all things new!' " 

No more pain. No more crying. No more wishing for a different body.  I will have a new one. Hallelujah! 

Another portion of Scripture that gives me hope is Philippians 2:9-11:

"Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Do you know why this gives me hope???  Because it says that every knee is going to BOW before Jesus.  Guys, I can't kneel at this stage in my life.  My knees are shot. They don't bend.  They creak, they crack.  But on THAT day, I WILL kneel and bow.  I don't know how it's going to happen, but I will, because the Bible says so. 

Now excuse me, while I go dance in my kitchen.  

Sidenote:  If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior and would like to experience the hope I have talked about, all you have to do is pray and acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you need Jesus to be the Savior of your life.  See this link from a godly man, John Piper who I love learning from: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/if-you-want-to-become-a-christian

   

What Fires Me Up..

I did an exercise the other day in my Lara Casey #powersheets packet called "What Fires Me Up".  The whole purpose is obviously to list the things that set your soul on fire with the intention of doing more of them.

So....here's my list:
(These are in no particular order)

Drinking a yummy, hot beverage

Laughing so hard, tears come

Telling funny stories/Being told funny stories

Encouraging others- speaking truth into their hearts
Quality time with John and Aralyn

Singing
Music
Jazz

Being silly

Getting a good start to the morning

Making something thoughtful for someone else

Getting/Receiving mail

Reading the Bible

Writing

Road trips

Traveling to a new place

Visiting cute restaurants/coffee shops

Eating delicious food (especially if there is bacon in it)

"Clicking" with a stranger

Playing fun games

Pretty colors

Deep thinking

Being spontaneous

Reading something truly inspirational

Feeling the Holy Spirit move in my life

Being around a lot of hustle a bustle

Visiting large cities

Being around my family

Mini golfing

Pretty journals

Volunteering

Serving

Teaching- especially young kids

Being in natural sunlight

Compliments for a job well done

Being in a place that has really great ambiance

That's just a start.  What fires you up?  Go do it. 

2015... Let's Do This!

Well hello friends. To say that it's been awhile since I have posted is an understatement.  I'm not blaming it on anything in particular...ahem...having a baby.  The fact is, I just haven't made it a priority. My apologies. 

I love the start of a new year.  I absolutely yearn for the time to come to get a new calendar and fill it out.  I don't make resolutions but I do make goals.  This year I bought a pack of Lara Casey's Powersheets to help me organize my thoughts. 

 I've started filling them out and just really appreciate they way they are laid out. I find joy in filling out forms and seeing things on paper. (I know, I'm weird:)   Go to www.laracaseyshop.com to learn more.  I do, however, believe they are sold out until the spring. I was only introduced to Lara Casey a week or two ago, but man, I wish we were friends:)  

I also started a Bible Study by Jennie Allen called "Restless".  

I was drawn to it because, well.... I feel very restless sometimes. I feel like my mind is just a pool of ideas at times. Ideas that sometimes seem too big to accomplish.  Ideas that I think are great but fear others might find silly.  I struggle with this feeling of restlessness because I never want it to be out of discontentment.  I truly believe God does give us a spirit of restlessness at times, because he is moving us towards something new.  Jennie says in her book:

We are designed to dream

We are called to dream

We must dream

I know the Lord has given me gifts and abilities that I MUST use.  I fear wasting my life. I also know there is a time and a season for things.  Right now my main priority is raising my little girl in the knowledge of the Lord and leading her the best I know how.  So... some of my dreams are solo involved that they might have to wait for a different season of life when I can truly commit time and energy to them. 

As I move into 2015, I believe this is going to be my theme verse. I've read it so many times, but it is just a great section of Scripture to memorize and really commit to.  I feel like it's almost like a checklist for life.

Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great could of witnesses, 

Let us

 THROW OFF everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us

RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE the race marked out for us. 

Let us 

FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

CONSIDER HIM who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

I can make all the goals in the world, but if Jesus in not before them and in them, they mean nothing. 

My Pregnancy Journey... Part 3... This is Really Happening

We were on our way to John's sister's house for a Super Bowl/Birthday party.  I was feeling tired and I ended up sleeping the whole way to her house; about an hour and a half drive.  My back was hurting and I was having a sharp pain "down there".    As I woke up from the drive I said to John, "I just don't know what is wrong with me. I don't feel myself."  Ummm... first clue.

I told Amy about my "symptoms" and she immediately said, "Oh my gosh...you're pregnant.  The same thing happened to me.  You should take a pregnancy test right now."

Whoa Amy, hold the phone.  I wasn't going to take a test right then when the whole family was about to show up!
 I had always imagined I would take a pregnancy test by myself and surprise John when he got home from work.  Well, I did take a pregnancy test the next day, and sure enough it was positive.  It was such a light line, that I took another one the following morning just to make sure.

My emotions were all over the place.
Shock, awe, fear, happiness, panic, endearment...I was going to be a mommy.
 I immediately starting thinking of every possible scenario that could go wrong.  I have a way of doing that.  Why do I do that?  Sigh...

I knew though, that the next nine months would be a test of my faith.  And it was. What an intricate process pregnancy is and how delicate a little life can be.  John and I committed my life and the baby's life to the Lord the day we had the positive pregnancy test.  Again, we had no idea how my body would react to pregnancy.  I had heard stories about women with arthritis who went into a kind of remission during pregnancy but others whose symptoms greatly increased to the point where the pain was unbearable. I felt like I was walking into the great unknown.  I was preparing my self for the worst.

Honestly, my biggest fear was my hips popping out.  I had a double hip replacement when I was 16.  I would always hear women complain about the hip pain during pregnancy.  Naturally, I was worried.  I'll share more on this aspect later. My other fears were preclampsia, blood clots, having to be on bed rest, being so sick I wouldn't be able to teach. my joints not holding up due to weight gain.   I literally had to surrender those fears to the Lord daily.  And he met me every.single.time.  The One who created my inmost being was teaching me so much through the one being created in my womb.

Problem:  Finding the perfect starburst mirror for above our console table.  Not willing to pay some of the outrageous prices @ the stores for one. 

Solution:  Make one myself.  

Thank you Pinterest.  

Thank you Debbie for pinning the pin. 

My Pregnancy Journey... Part 2

In the fall of 2012, John and I visited one of our local coffee shops.  We just decided to get out of the house and go chill for a little bit.

The place.was.crowded.  

We ended up at a long high top table that had about eight chairs around it.  We took two across from each other on an end.  As the people kept piling into the shop, a couple, probably in their late thirties sat down next to us.  We struck up a conversation and found out that they were out-of-towners in for a conference at the local convention center.  We come to find out that it was some kind of Christian conference whose focus was on the work of the Holy Spirit.  We definitely believe in the Holy Spirit and his workings, but this conference seemed a little more charasmatic then we were used to.

Needless to say, we somehow just felt really comfortable talking to this couple. We had shared with them that we really wanted to have a baby, but weren't sure which way the Lord would lead due to my arthritis.  If we were to adopt, we were fine with that.  The couple shared with us that they wanted to pray for us as soon as we were all done eating.  We said great!

As we were eating, three more women from this same conference came and sat near the fireplace that was right behind us.  The couple introduced us to these three ladies.  I had a hard time turning my neck to see the women behind me due to my arthritis.  The one lady inquired.....gotta love the people that are bold to just swoop in and ask about your ailment. I'd rather that though, then the people that stare.  She asked, "What's what with your neck darling.  It looks a little stiff."  I told her I have arthritis, etc, etc, etc.   The lady from the first couple we met chimed in and said, "They want to have a baby. We should pray for them," with a huge smile on her face.

Before I could even say anything else John and I had about eight different hands laid upon us and these sweet people were praying for us right then and there in the middle of the coffee shop.  This would have normally made me really uncomfortable, but I had such a peace and I felt such a power in these people's prayers.  It had been so long since someone had laid hands on me in prayer.  And the prayers these women were praying were so very specific.  I remember at one point the one woman was praying for my uterus and my ligaments to be strong during pregnancy and that my womb would be open.
They all had such faith.
After they prayed the one woman looked at me in the eyes and said, "I believe the Lord will give you a baby."  
This was October 20, 2012.
Aralyn Joy was born on October 9, 2013....almost a year to the day we were prayed for.


I share this story ....

1. to be an encouragement first of all to pray SPECIFICALLY for people you know.  

2.  To publicly thank all the people that have prayed for me over my lifetime, especially my mom: a true prayer warrior.  

3.  When the Spirit leads, listen to him!  Even if it is to pray for a complete stranger.  

My Pregnancy Journey... Part 1

I promised to share some of my pregnancy experiences with you. The fact that I got pregnant in the first place is a miracle itself...but aren't all pregnancies miracles? For those of you that don't know, I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was three years old.  I was on many medications when I was younger that had the possibility of making me sterile.

I honestly had no idea if I was ever going to get married.  That's a whole other story.  Find it here.

I was recently looking through my bedside table (you know, that place where you store a lot of "stuff") and found this prayer that I had written on Valentine's Day, 2012.  I have a journal that I write in, but for some reason I wrote this prayer on a single sheet of paper.  I share it with you to relay to you what my heart desires and fears were at the time.

Dear Lord,

So as you know, John and I have been thinking about trying to have a baby.  I laugh, because when we say "trying to have a baby" it sounds like the power is in our hands.  We know that you are Sovereign and have our best interests in mind. You also know the areas that I worry about: finances, teaching next year.  But I have to laugh at that too because what better position to be in than parenting if I am looking to teach.  So, basically I have complete trust in you to lead us how you want to.  You've always been faithful, and you know what is best for us. If you want us to have a baby at this time, then I ask that you open my womb. If it is not the time, then o.k. You know best.  I pray that if it's time to be pregnant that you take away my fears about being pregnant.  I pray that my body will react positively to pregnancy.  I pray that my knees and feet will hold up and be strong.  I just pray that you will sustain my whole body.  I pray for John as it might be stressful for him as well.  You know our needs.  We love you.  We trust you! 

Prayer played a huge part in my pregnancy....it has played a huge part in my LIFE for that matter. I think the greatest gifts (other than my salvation) have been the prayers that people have offered up on my behalf.  I have another cool prayer story that I will share in my next post that relates to my pregnancy.