pregnancy update- baby#5 {26 weeks}

wearing my favorite non-maternity pregnancy shirt
 + my DIY dyed jeans

I can't believe it's already been one month since my last baby update. I thought it would be fun to do a questionnaire this time- these are the questions I read on almost every pregnancy update blog, and I always enjoy them! :)

How far along: 26 weeks {almost 3rd trimester already!! crazy!}

Weight gain: average at this point...but I have been pretty hungry lately, so that might change! hahah! I'd like to keep it average until the end- if it's too low, I won't be able to feed the baby very long, too high and I might be painfully pushing out another 9 lb. 9 oz. baby for 3 hours like the first one... ;) So average would be great. Working on a new cookie recipe {pic below} probably doesn't help any in that area though... ;)

Maternity clothes: I wore an old maternity shirt for the first time yesterday and it was too big in the chest... {I'm still not sure how that's possible?!}... I can button most of my jeans, but I wore a bella band one time and it was incredibly nice. I don't have any maternity shirts that really fit me well yet {the baby is so high it makes all of mine look like a tent at the bottom}, and I don't want to buy any for just 12-14 weeks...but I might have to buy a few to make it to the end. 

Stretch marks: not so far this time, thankfully. I think I did all the stretching I needed to do in round 1. That one left me with a few permanent reminders. :)

Sleep: most of the time it's good, but sometimes I have terrible insomnia and wake up at like 4:20 for the day after going to bed at 11-12.

Exercise: Still feeling good- I have been able to stay with my normal workouts and teaching as usual so far {doing less hours per week overall, and at a lower intensity if needed}, and my energy level seems to be getting even better, which is so, so good!

Best moment of this week: being able to run 3+ miles without any discomfort on Wednesday- that was AMAZING! I couldn't stop smiling- the people on the trail kept looking at me like I was crazy. Here was a little of my view from a bridge that gorgeous day:

Miss anything: Seeing my abs and being able to breathe deeply through my nose. I'm hoping they both return soon...

Movement: He's getting much stronger- his kicks are harder, but his moving is still infrequent compared to the other gymnasts I've hosted in utero...

Food cravings: Chocolate frozen yogurt with M&M's still, and lots of grapefruit

Anything making you queasy or sick: I couldn't drink coffee for THREE whole days this week. It was so sad. I didn't even want to smell it, and that's never happened in all of my days. I had half of a cup this morning and am slightly regretting it.

Gender: Boy. 

Have you started to show yet: Yes, I have a definite bowling ball now!

Here's 22 weeks, and today, 4 weeks later- you can see a bigger baby bump for sure: 

Labor signs: I have Braxton Hicks contractions all the time. I don't consider them false labor, I think they're my body working out for the real deal in a few weeks. Labor is like the Crossfit games, and BH's are like going to the gym every day to get ready for them! :D

Belly button in or out: out- only in the last 3 pregnancies though! 

Wedding rings on or off: On. I've been able to wear them all but with the first baby.

Happy or moody most of the time: It depends on my exhaustion level that day. I'd say happy most of the time, but way less happy at night when I'm really tired. :(

Looking forward to: A 10th anniversary vacation with the hubs, hopefully before the baby comes! woooohooo!

Did you take a vacation while you were pregnant {or recently, non-pregnant}? Where did you go? We haven't finalized anything yet, so we're still deciding. We're vacation hikers but I know I need to rest too before the baby comes... :)

When did you get BH contractions? Mine have been consistent for at least a few weeks now. 

Do you notice any difference between boy and girl pregnancies? I'm hungry for protein with boys, and am usually less moody with boys than girls. :) That's usually how we predict the genders and are right! :)

updating faded jeans with dye {before and after}

Do you have one pair of jeans you love to wear over and over again? 

My favorite pair ever is this pair of Miss Me Jeans:

Rob loves them like crazy, and so do I. I bought a pair of them on eBay a year or two ago, and wore them for a year, then bought the same pair in a better size on eBay again because I loved them so much. :) {I sold the first pair in my first Mandy's Closet!}.

I've worn them so much they are starting to show all the love I've been giving them. I wish I had taken a picture of me wearing them this week before I dyed them, but here's the before shots I did get:

Still wearable, but the hip to knee sections were yellowing in the fade too, which is what bothered me the most. 

I definitely didn't want to sell them anytime soon, but I wanted them to be a bit more dressy looking since they are trousers and were darker to begin with, so I decided to dye them myself.

I'd tried dyeing pants before and didn't have the luck I'd hoped for, so I did a little more research this time around and tried to follow the instructions more closely with my beloved jeans. :) {here's a tutorial I found helpful!}

On my previous attempt, I'd only used denim blue and it was glowing bright blue {think brand new pair of cowboy Wranglers blue}, so this time I bought two packets, denim blue and black to mix to give it a darker look. Next time, I would try navy blue only like Kate did.

I followed the machine directions, but only used 1/2 of each packet/bottle, along with a cup of salt because they were cotton. I used the smallest, hottest load setting and that black packet sprinkled a little bit of everywhere. I prefer the liquid version! ;) I let the jeans soak for 20 minutes in the hot water and then ran a full wash cycle, then washed them again in warm water with detergent.

Here's how they looked "after" dyeing with 1/2 black and 1/2 denim blue:

It was too dark outside to get a clear pic without a flash... {sorry!}

I liked them, but they ended up a bit more violet than I wanted:

So I decided to use the rest of the 1/2 denim blue and 1/2 salt and do it all again. It was less dye per gallon of water of course, so it didn't come out much more blue, but I liked it better.

before:

after {the final result!}:

They are kind of vintage blue! :D I like them. :)

I'm happy with the way they turned out! Like I said, I wouldn't be against trying the navy RIT color next time, but I didn't want to go overboard or too dark with my favorite pair. I just wanted to bring a little color and life back into them. It ended up being a fun experiment! {good thing too, or I might have seriously cried! ha!} :)

Have you ever dyed your old jeans?

Did you know black dye is just every color mixed together? I had no idea until it spilled on the side of my washing machine... :)

walking through dry season with God: 6 symptoms of growing away from Him

Have you ever felt like you were in a dry season with God?

I have. It felt like there was a thick brick wall between me and God. I would try to lift it but always gave up because I was way too tired to try.

I've tasted the joy of walking close with God all day long- of Him being constantly in my mind, of songs of praise going up all through the day. I've walked with Him in prayer all day in short little conversations, and my heart was full to the brim.

So when I felt the arrival of a dry season a few weeks ago, it was all the more devastating to me.

Like a physical season, it didn't come on all at once. It wasn't hot one day, and cold the next.

It was a slow change...just barely noticeable.

My heart started feeling a little more distracted and a bit less focused on God, and before I knew it, it really felt like I started to lose joy in Him too-  but just a little each day. And then after many, many days later, I realized how much different I felt than the month before.

I'd walked right into the dry season without even noticing.

Looking back, here were my symptoms that had developed very slowly:

1. I started reading less of the Bible.
I started reading my one-year Bible in January, and I started 7 days late because- get this- on January 1 I tried like 4 times to either use a daily reading app or to find my special Bible and I couldn't get any of them to work. I made the joke {and the realization too}, I guess God doesn't want me to read it like that, because He sure isn't making it possible. And so I went back to my regular reading for a week.

But you know what I did? I finally found my one-year Bible a few days later and started reading it because I wanted to be able to say I read it through in a year again.

Now- it isn't bad to read a daily Bible by any means, but for me each day had less reading time than I would normally spend by at least 1/2 or maybe more, and I started reading it differently than how I normally would.

I used to spend an hour or more in reading and prayer and would soak up the words. When I started the daily Bible, I started reading it to get done instead, and I effectively put myself on a starvation diet of God's Word. I had been hungry before, and I shrunk my stomach- my desire- for the Word by not listening to the Holy Spirit's leading that I shouldn't be reading it like that, and that I needed more.

2. I started praying less.
My time in the Word became so efficient {ahem} that I felt less need to spend as much time in prayer as I had before. I wanted to go on and get on with my busy day since I was done early, and slowly my prayers got shorter and shorter.

3. I became restless and started focusing on other things.
When I started reading less and praying less, my heart started looking for things to do and my mind for things to think about. What am I not happy with here? Hmmm... what can I fix? What projects can I work on? Previously, I'd been extrememly {and unusually} content, and slowly I felt the contentment grow into discontentment in so many areas.

4. I felt my prayers start to hit a wall, and I knew it without a doubt.
I prayed and asked God to show me what I was doing wrong, and I knew He hadn't left at any time, but that it was something I was doing that was breaking fellowship. My heart felt tired and stubborn, and I didn't even feel like trying. {BIG red flag for me then}. I knew God wouldn't forsake me in this time- and for that I kept asking, even though I felt like I couldn't communicate with Him and didn't know for sure why.

5. We missed church for a few weeks due to sickness and commitments.
Without fail, when I feel my heart start to harden, I remember that we have missed church for a Sunday or two. I promise you, no matter what season I'm in, when I miss church my heart feels parched. The Holy Spirit is filling and He always refuels me even more in the presence of the body of Christ. 

When I miss being in that refueling, I can tell every time. I'm kind of dumb and I forget this constantly, and it always takes me a while to remember it. ;) And what I've found even stranger? My heart can long with all of it's being to be back in church on that first Sunday morning we return, and Satan has a full out war on my spirit that very morning. I kid you not. Every time. It testifies to the fact that the Holy Spirit is there, because Satan sure does hate it like nothing else.

6. My attitude changed.
After having all these symptoms, they all seemed to lead to my joy starting to wane in every area. My heart was feeling more stubborn, more irritated, more unloving, more unhappy- because I wasn't walking in the joy of the Spirit of God. I had let myself get farther away from Him, and my fruits started to look less and less like His.

I hated it. There's nothing like being self-aware and knowing what your heart normally feels like versus what it does when you're away from God. You've tasted the joy of the Lord, and nothing compares to it. You want it back, even though you feel powerless to get it back.

when things started to change
So realizing that about my attitude just felt like my breaking point. I realized over a few weeks my heart was steadily losing joy, but I didn't know why. I cried to God, and told Him I am weak and I have nothing to offer you, Lord. My heart is failing, and my flesh is weaker than weak.

And I wish I could say I instantly got an answer, but I didn't. I kept crying, I kept feeling the wall, I kept trying to figure it out. I was too tired to keep pushing. I even told Him I'd pretty much make the worse martyr/sufferer ever because I give up so easily. I'm pregnancy-tired and I want to quit already. I am terrible at suffering.

But to no credit of my own, I kept offering up those weak, sad little prayers, and God was faithful to answer me in His time.

I didn't know what was wrong- I thought I was merely being discontent, or irritable, but He slowly revealed all of those symptoms to me, and where my outward symptoms had started in the inner person- in my lack of fellowship time with Him. I had wanted to repent- to turn away from seeking after myself, and I needed His help to even see where to start.

I had been neglecting the most important thing in my whole day- soaking in His Word and in His Spirit, for the sake of getting it done and for the pride of reading it through in a specific way, in direct disobedience to what I felt Him leading me to do.

Ick. But I wanted to know what I was doing wrong more than anything. It got to a point where I would rather give up anything than to lose fellowship with Him, and I told Him that. I couldn't stand to be away from Him, even for a little bit at a time for a few weeks.

I really started to understand even more what David meant when he said, "Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere."

It really, really is. Better is one hour in fellowship with God, than getting more time to myself in the morning. Better is one morning in the house of God than a whole week without the refueling of the Holy Spirit's presence.

Oh, I hate screwing up. I used to cry for hours even in kindergarten when I got a 95 on a test- I cried to the point of having to go to the principal's office. Seriously. I hated being wrong, and I beat myself up for it like crazy.

I still hate messing up, but God is so good to me still. He is faithful when I am faithless.

I see more of who God is, and how much He loves me when He teaches me what I'm doing wrong. Losing fellowship with Him in my disobedience was part of His discipline, and He teaches me through His discipline, because He loves me:

Hebrews 12:3-11
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

I can't deny it was painful- being away from God, even just a little when you've tasted the good, is extremely hard. I didn't want to walk through something like that, but He loved me enough to show me where I messed up, and how I was seeking after myself rather than Him.

Oh, friends, our God is that good. He is so full of grace. I would give up on myself in a heartbeat, I am so weak and sinful. I can't praise Him enough for showing me my sins- for making me a new creation, and giving me a new heart that longs after Him. He is like water to my soul.

When we are dry, He is the living water. When we are hungry and faint, He is the bread of life. He will not turn away from you, His precious sheep- He loves you with an everlasting love, and longs to pick you up and carry you when you're too tired. I was too tired, and He showed me and carried me through it, even when it was I who wandered away from His care in the first place.

If you're walking through a dry season, I want to pray for you. You are so not alone, I promise you that. Every believer will walk through them, but our God is so faithful to carry us through, even when our strength fails and we don't even have the energy to try. Don't stop believing He can do it. He can, and He will. He is faithful, even when we aren't.

2 Timothy 2:13

if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. 

Oh, look to the faithful one for strength, sweet friend. He is good. He will show you where you need Him more. :)

Have you ever experienced a dry season? 

What were your "symptoms"?

Are you in one now? I would so love to pray for you today, as would many others! 
oh, it's too hard to try to do it on your own.

the new exterior paint color, gorgeous cakes + the best stress relief

We've been very busy these past few days with parties, yard work, exercising, grocery shopping, and lots of projects were going on at our place this weekend!

Our biggest and most exciting project of the year finally happened- Rob painted the main color on the house!!! Wooooohoooo! {btw, there are not enough letters in that to contain my excitement}. 

Here's a sneak peek at the color- he hasn't done the trim or windows yet, but I couldn't wait to show you:

The color we decided on is called Retreat by Sherwin Williams and it actually looks like three different colors depending on the time of day and the sunlight. It can alternate between green, blue, and gray. Above it looks green blue, and here it looks more like a moody gray:

It looks amazing all trimmed out with Pure White. I couldn't be more thrilled. :) And I even had the chance to finish a few painting project goals this weekend too, which I plan to show you soon! :)

While Rob was painting, I had fun attending a baby shower and then a birthday party on Saturday. There was some serious cake talent happening at both of them! I love making cakes so every time I see a good one I can't help but take a picture. :)

And this one had three 12-inch tiers and all buttercream icing for an 8-year-old boy's party! Isn't it the cutest thing ever? The fire was cinnamon and butterscotch candies melted together! Brilliant.

All I can say is that my piece was bigger than Bella's here, and I ate almost every bite of it. It was amazing.

Yeah, this pregnant girl doesn't turn down cake. I love it way too much for that! ;)

I also love snuggles like these from little girls. She told me I smelled like sunscreen and she wanted to smell my cheeks, but whatever. I'll take any reason for this cuteness:

This morning I'm hoping to leave the dishes undone and head outside to work on the yard while the weather is so gorgeous. We'll see. :)

Teaching BODYCOMBAT is definitely on the agenda for this afternoon... which is a good thing considering all that cake I ate on Saturday! It's going to be a great workout with all that fuel. ;) Of course, it's always fun though. :)

I think it's safe to say almost all combat instructors have way too much fun punching and kicking to music.... :)

Post-workout, Abbie and I look pretty serious about the whole thing here, though... hahaha! We like to stay in the fight. ;)

I always say you can't walk out of a combat class feeling stressed... :) It's a great way to start a Monday! 

Oh, and I still have to move this to the pantry room today to complete my goals for last week. It's our old TV armoire that we are making into a food pantry. :) It's a man-job for sure- that thing is heavy!

It will be fun to have a cabinet for the food again! :) I can't wait to see how it turns out!

What's on your agenda for this week?

Have you ever made a fondant cake? 

I've never tried, I'm a buttercream fan all the way... I prefer a little cake with my icing.

this week's thrifted finds: 30+ baby items, petunia pickle bottom, pottery barn + more

Last weekend I shopped at our city's biannual consignment sale and scored big in the baby department! I still have a few baby boy clothes left from our first two boys, but since they have been well used, I wanted to pick up a few more things for this one before he comes this summer. 

I've found a handful of clothes at Goodwill in the last couple of months, but the prices at this sale were better than GW's, because on the last day of the sale almost everything is marked 1/2 off. And the majority of the clothes I picked up were matched sets in better shape than most of what you'd find at the thrift store.

I was so excited to pick up all of these 25 items for $25 {1/2 off $50}, and most of them were either Carter's or Children's Place:

Ahh, they are so cute!! :D When I had boys 8-10 years ago, there were none of these adorable green and brown or gray and orange neutral outfits. Everything was navy and primary or bright. :D

I was thrilled to find so many fun little outfits for the price of like 1.5 outfits at Target! :)

And I even found a few baby goods that I loved- this Carter's striped sweater blanket was $3, and all of those brand new pacifiers in our favorite brand were $3! We love NUK pacis at our house. They are like gold around here....when one gets lost, we all stop and look for it until it's found. :)

And sometime in the next three months, I was hoping to make a few cute burp cloths for this little one...but someone else did it for me! :)  Four boutique-style burp cloths only cost me $3.50, and there was NO sewing required on my part {wohooo} to have all of these adorable ones handmade:

I even picked up a few fun things I might be selling here soon. :) I can't pass up a good deal when I know someone could use them! {if I sell them when I'm done or give them as gifts, I'm technically not a hoarder, right? That show scares me.}

I scored this Pottery Barn diaper bag:

And this Petunia Pickle Bottom one:

And I am in love with this PPB one I found too. It's not perfect, but it's still so darn cute I want to use it as a purse... LOL! :)

Can you tell my favorite section at the sale is the diaper bags? I always walk straight there first. :) 

Do you stock up at consignment sales too? 

I usually don't go to them, but with the new baby coming it was such a good thing I did this time! :)

What's your favorite accessory{ies}?

Mine - bags. No doubt. Shoes are okay, but bags are so much fun? And hey, they're practical too right? ;)

Best deal you scored on baby clothes lately? {other than free/hand-me-downs?}

$1 per item was pretty good last week compared to GW, but I've done better before- I once bought 3 trash bags full of big boy clothes for $25 on Craigslist. It ended up being less than .25 per item or something like that. :D That was a fun day!

today's midwife appointment + I might be scarred for life...

I had an appointment with my midwife this morning, and everything looks great! I'm measuring right on schedule at 25 weeks, and the baby's heartbeat was strong... :D

Even though we only live a couple of minutes away from the midwife, I was still excited to have a reason to get dressed in something besides my workout clothes. ;) {I think I wore exercise clothes to my last appointment, actually... :)}

I got to wear my new-to-me $5 flowy Roxy shirt I picked up at our local huge consignment sale last week. I really like it, and I'm excited to think it might fit me for the next 3+ months! yay! Really, my question is, would it be okay if I wore this shirt every day for the next 3 months straight? No one would notice, right? ;) It's that comfy.

I had good luck at the big consignment sale, and I can't wait to show you more of what I found there tomorrow. I may even have a couple of surprises up my sleeve for the next few Thursdays! :)

But back to the appointment, it's weird, but I almost feel like I should be more nervous about this whole birth thing coming up. I just used to be more worried giving birth in the past. This time, I really haven't thought much about it, and I kind of like it that way. It will just happen, you know? I think it helps that my last birth was awesome, and I know it was only because of the Lord. He was so good to me.

Anyway, when I spotted this book the midwives recommended I read on their shelf this morning, I broke down in my resolve not to read anything birth-related and decided to borrow it:

I was feeling pretty good about it until I got to the car, opened the book and flipped right to the page with a very.... um...graphic... picture of a baby coming out face first. I immediately screamed, slammed the book shut, and curled up into a fetal position in my seat. No, no, no....NO....

That's not what it really looks like, right??? Oh my goodness...poor baby. Poor woman.

I can't believe I used to want to be a midwife...or that I've already given birth four times? How is that even possible?

Oh, wow. 

Just please come out head first, baby boy. Please? For your mama?

Oh man, it's such a good thing I can trust in the Lord to get me through whatever happens. Seriously. Or I might be a bit worried. :)

And books? Who needs books anyway?? ;)

Have you read this book? Should I keep reading it?? I'm not sure I can? ha!

Have you seen the documentary The Business of Being Born? Is it traumatizing too? :P

Do you have a clothing item you'd wear every day if you could?

yes, this really happened, and I can't believe it either

Sad to say, I honestly can't remember this happening more than once in all of my 10 years of homemaking...

Since I finished washing the clothes during the evening, the sweet satisfaction lasted less than one hour before the kids added in their dirty clothes from the day . But really, two empty laundry hampers? I'll take that, even if it's only for a few minutes. :)

I still can't believe one of my dreams came true. ;) It's amazing what setting a goal can do for laundry motivation!

And speaking of goals, here's the flannel baby blanket that was on my goal list to sew last week:

I finished it in about an hour, and in the process learned what not to do with binding on blankets! I also remembered that sewing is some form of torture for me. I have no idea why I keep trying? I can't even sew a straight line. Or put thread on the bobbin. {Seriously, that was the longest part of the whole thing. Grrr.} :)

Oh well, at least this sweet boy will have one thing his mama made just for him. Hopefully he won't notice the many imperfections.... ;) 

I also painted a few frames last week, which I hope to show you with finished artwork sometime soon {one of my new prints here, in a different frame!}:

And I painted my globe, which I'm still stoked about! :)

After all that work, I had to celebrate {of course} by indulging in my newest pregnancy craving: a chocolate mix with M&M's. Forget watermelon, I wanted the good stuff:

There's nothing like Braum's frozen yogurt. It's perfectly chocolatey. :)

I even had a yummy red velvet cupcake and a chocolate chip muffin at a shower this weekend too, so the cravings for sweets after that sugar high hit me hard on Saturday, and all I wanted was chocolate! :) Sometimes, I decided, you just gotta go for the sugar and do better the next day. When you're pregnant, sugar is just worth it, you know? ;)

Oh, if only cakes like this tasted as good as the sugared version:

Maybe they're on to something there- next time a craving hits, I'll just stack up my lettuce and pretend it's a cake. :)

Here's our menu plans and goals for the rest of the week:

tentative menu/dinner plans:
pinto beans and rice
asian chicken stir fry veggies {frozen} with rice {I have no idea if the kids will eat this!}
semi-homemade pizza/ frozen crust w/turkey pepperoni

chicken fajitas + refried beans with rice

mexican skillet hodge podge- corn, new potatoes, black beans, salsa, and chicken
tuna salad sandwiches + fruit
oatmeal + scrambled eggs
red potatoes + beans

goals for this week:

make a new budget

hang pictures

cook pinto beans {an all-day process!}

eat only from the pantry this week {I need to pick up two things, but other than that, I want to clean out the cabinets}

keep up with the laundry- or at least get it done for one day hour again! 

make a new kitchen pantry cabinet + move food

paint scroll wall decor

print photographs for frames

And if I do all that, I'll be really excited....haha! :)

What's your favorite ice cream blizzard/mix combo?

Chocolate with M&M's, ever since I was a little bitty girl. If I'm sharing with Rob, Oreo Cookie Jar {oreos, cookie dough, brownies in vanilla since mine isn't his fave}.

Do you sew? Did you teach yourself? Or is sewing your nemesis like it is mine?

How long does it take you to wind a bobbin?...never mind, please don't tell me the truth. I might cry. Just say 30 minutes instead.

the Lord saves those who seek Him {free psalm 34:6 printable}

I memorized Psalm 34:1-8 back in junior high {17 years ago now???}, and it has been a constant favorite and a passage that I refer to over and over again for comfort in my life. I've always LOVED Psalm 34.

And then in 2009, it became even more special to me after it helped me through my last labor in the most amazing way.

When I quoted those verses as I was having Avalie, they became an awesome source of peace for me in the midst of awful pain. I have no idea why it took me four labors to understand that when I trust in Him, the Lord removes my fears and the pain of childbirth is so much more bearable, because I am no longer afraid, but relying on the Creator of all things for help.

Verse 4 was huge for the last two hours of my labor, and I spoke it in prayer over and over:

"I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

And then verse 6 was a constant reminder to cry out to my God for help. It gave me comfort over and over:

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles."

Every time I was tempted to be afraid when I was giving birth, the Holy Spirit reminded me of these verses and comforted my heart with the knowledge that my Lord is my Deliverer, my Rescuer, and my Redeemer who promises to deliver His children.

And every time I remembered those truths of His Word, my pain would become completely bearable. 

Somehow, replacing my fear with trust in Him changed everything.

I was thinking about the whole abortion situation this weekend, and I really believe that His promises still ring true in that area too- that even in huge, terrible situations outside of our control, the Lord our God hears the cries of His people for help.

Our culture is in trouble- there are so many lost souls.... so many broken, hurting people who need Jesus here. It's like we are feeling the beginning of the labor pains in the world right now, the recurring painful ache of the consequences of the absence of our Lord in the hearts of men.

In financial troubles, in abortions, in job losses, in death, in sorrow, in loss, in childbirth, in the hard task of raising of babies, in failing marriages... we all feel pain after pain, after pain.

In the midst of these aches, oh sweet friends, we have to remember what is ALWAYS true:

Our God saves.

Our God delivers us.

He loves us with an everlasting love, that is far beyond any problem or situation we are dealing with. 

Our God is greater than all things, and nothing is outside His sovereign control. 

He is our GOD, and holy, holy, holy is His name.

He saves us when we cry out to Him, and He delivers us when we seek Him.

But the question is- will we seek Him? Will we cry out? Or will we try to fix it on our own?

I don't want to forget His promises- not even when things are easy or when I'm not afraid. I want to wear His words like a sign on my forehead, and write them on my hand so I'll remember not to try to do it on my own. I know I can't do anything without His help.

I love this verse so much- it means so much to me with all that's happened, I wanted to make a little reminder for myself to remember the truth and His promise on a daily basis. Especially with another birth coming up in the next few months... :)

And I wanted you to be able to remind yourself of His sweet, sweet promise too:

download the free 8x10 printable here 

Do you have a verse/passage that helped you through the hard times?

Did praying Scripture help you in labor too?

the abortionist on trial you've never heard of

warning: this is a graphic post, and very hard for me to write and share as I'm 24 weeks pregnant with my own tiny baby. But it's so important for us to know and pray. Ohhhh.

actual picture from the DA's grand jury report against Gosnell

I didn't even know this until yesterday- but there is a huge abortion trial going on right now and most of the national media is refusing to cover it.

Kermit Gosnell is on trial, charged with 8 counts of murder and infanticide, and numerous witnesses have testified of the most atrocious circumstances in his abortion clinic- dozens and dozens of jars with baby parts in storage, hundreds of babies being "beheaded" with scissors after being born alive, 15-year-olds administering anesthesia, forced abortions, blood-stained equipment, and the list goes on. It's unreal, and it happened here in the US thousands of times.

The news doesn't want to cover this trial because it shows what abortion really is- the murder of innocent babies in it's ugliest form. But the general public needs to know this information- to see what they are really doing by voting for abortion.

While this man has seemingly taken it to the worst and most inhumane degree, the act of abortion- the sacrificing of unborn infants- alone is heinous, even in the most sanitary of conditions. The details of every abortion no one wants to see or hear are being well hidden by the media to protect this awful "freedom" we have.

Oh, friends, I don't understand God's mercy and patience with us here {and my sin is no less sin in His sight}- I really don't, except that every day we all have been given a chance to repent and know Him. Our God holds the power to change the hearts of those going in for abortions, and if we all cry out to Him, maybe He will hear our cry for change, and for the lives of these innocent babies. Please, please pray. We need Him.

Here's more information:

9 things you should know about this trial from the Gospel Coalition,

Yesterday's USA Today column: Philadelphia Abortion Clinic Horror

A UK news article: Philadelphia Abortion Clinic 'Beheaded Live Babies'

Why Is The Kermit Gosnell Abortion Trial Being Largely Ignored By Major News Networks?

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Grand Jury Report {detailing the reasons for the charges against Gosnell}

updated links, 4/14/13:
The mainstream media: See no evil, hear no evil, report no evil

Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Trial Should Be a Front-Page Story

Media Seats are Empty at Gosnell Trial

what is this? + a DIY antique globe redo

Did I ever tell you I have a Goodwill just 5 minutes away from my house? Dangerous, I know, for a serial thrifter like me.... ;)

Of course, you know the truth: that's why we purchased our home where we did. I googled GW's address and found all homes for sale within a 3.45 mile radius.

Naturally, we had some fierce competition to get this close to one. I mean, doesn't everyone want to live by a GW? It's always been my dream, anyway. ;)

Just this week at our neighborhood store, I scored these two fun silver pieces- the candle holder on the left for $2.49 and the heavy dish on the right for $1.99:

I thought I would put pencils in the candleholder, and use the serving dish for parties... but I would really love to know what the serving dish is made out of before I do- it's heavy and thick, but not as heavy as you'd expect it to be? {clearly, I am an expert on vintage metal decor...}

Here's what it looks like on the bottom- very porous and old:

Do you know what it is? Is it aluminum? Or stainless steel? Or did I buy $500 worth of silver for $2? I have no clue, but either way, it's cute for hosting a shower. ;)

And I have quite a thing for globes- I only have one little one, but this big school one for $5 called my name:

I've never tried to buy one at the store before- or even looked for one- so I had no idea that the antique style ones are $50??? Even at Walmart? What? How is that possible? I figured they would run $25- $30?

Amazon, 12 inch globe, $50

And I thought $5 was reasonable. :)

Especially after I painted her coral:

Globes = cute and all.... but a coral globe? I'm in love. {And it should totally be worth like $75 now, right?!} 

I haven't decided where to put it just yet, but I do have a nice collection of GW finds going on in this corner of the buffet! :D

lamp- $5 GW, shade $2 GW, candlesticks- $4 GW, DIY art tutorial coming someday!

It's a good thing I'm never far from an old GW. If I were, I might have tried to go to Walmart and pay $50 for an antique-style globe. ;)

Did you know globes were so expensive??

Most unexpected painting project that you loved how it turned out? {any links? :)}
I'm still in love with this week's coral globe! It's my favorite right now!

Ever accidentally bought a real silver piece thrifting? 
If I did I wouldn't know it... ha!