Reflecting on Those Who Have Gone Before

In the past few weeks many people I know have lost loved ones, friends and family. And for a few that I know it has been several people. And it makes me sad. We are to mourn when others mourn (Romans 12:5), so it is fitting that I am saddened by those around me in mourning.

But there is a hope in all this. Many who have passed were known to be believers. So while their bodies died, their souls are with Jesus. One scenario in particular is that of someone I know wanting to attend the funerals of two people close to them, but the funerals are/were on the same day, one in Texas, the other in Florida, at the same time So an impossible situation. But he honored the one who could not attend by honoring a request of the family. And this had me thinking about the few funerals I have missed the past few years.

Mrs. Schnieder...a feisty 80+ woman in the church. Oh she was a spitfire. She lamented that women no longer wore gloves and hats to church, but confessed that she knew it was more important that people came to church, no matter what they wore. I remember sitting beside her on Wednesday nights and hearing the stories of her and her husband moving from Nebraska, their camping trips, the time when her daughter(and family) lived in Hawaii, to searching for geode's. And she would share scriptures that she felt I needed to know. I don't even recall why I could not attend her funeral, but I look forward to seeing her beyond the pearly gates when the time comes.

My cousin Jesse. This one was hard, he died so young, in his 30's. I loved him dearly, was close to him when I was younger. In fact, for a while I lived with him and his wife while they were pregnant with their first daughter.

And thinking on this, has me recalling Hebrew 11 through 12:1. The genealogy of faith, those who hoped for a day to come, who has righteousness counted unto them. I am looking at the world around me right now, the chaos, disorder, hatred, and wondering how much more has to go wrong before God calls us here on earth home. How much longer until we are reunited with all who have already gone home? There is no answer, we do not know, but we need to live in anticipation. We need to look forward to the day that is to yet come like Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Israel and some many others did before us.

Relating to Pregnancy

For those who know me personally (or have read this blog for at least the past year), you know that I have been pregnant.

Just yesterday I came home from the hospital, now a mother of 3 (1 daughter, 2 sons). Overall I enjoy motherhood, I love watching my children grow, learn, discover. Discipline is not fun, but it is vital, and luckily at this stage  almost 6, 4, nb) discipline means no tv, or no special toys.

Pregnancy on the other hand - it is hard, even brutal at times (and I am not talking about labor just yet). Each of my four pregnancies were different (1 miscarriage last year). Very little was similar from one to another. Weight gain was different, nausea/vomiting happened in all, but to very varied degrees, leg cramps, hip/back aches...oye! But no matter what, a pregnancy that goes to term will have the end result of labor, and of course, a baby.

The labor part has been on my mind lately, obviously due to the fact that I was going to go through the experience. But I was not just thinking about the personal physical aspect of labor. I have been in awe on how God uses the labor/birth process in scripture to convey the end times, how the world will labor before the Rapture and Tribulation.

Matthew 24:8 - "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Mark 13:8 - "For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

1 Thessalonians 5:3- While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

Revelation 12:2 - and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

I feel now, that women of faith, female followers of Christ, who have birthed can relate to this portion of God's word unlike anyone else. It doesn't matter if you had a vaginal or c-section birth. In the weeks leading up to the baby arriving, a woman's body aches, it hurts, it practices the real ordeal. All of those are the beginning of birth pangs. For the past 2 1/2 weeks I have been miserable. Unable to sleep, always uncomfortable, lacking focus, constantly wondering if this was the real ordeal, nauseated and even vomiting. Not a pretty pregnancy glow to be seen (not sure if I ever had one).

And here's the other thing, why God is absolutely brilliant with His details, there are still pains after the baby is born. The woman's body has to return to it's pre-pregnancy state, go back to "normal." And it takes time. The body doesn't spring back right away (yes we all know that one woman  - she is a unicorn). I am 3 days out from giving birth, and having my easiest experience by far and I look 3 to 4 month pregnant, waiting for my milk to fully come in, things are still swollen, and at most getting 3 1/2 hours of sleep at a time.

The Rapture is when God calls the Church home, and from my studies in Revelation 12, we (the Church) are what the woman gives birth to. And after the Church is birthed to heaven, in a manner of time judgement comes upon the earth. Some of the judgement are focused on the remaining humanity, but a good deal of the judgement falls on the earth itself. Those of who die or are caught up, the world we return to when Jesus has his 2nd coming, will not be the world we left behind. It is going to be drastically changed, through painful means. And just like a woman who has given birth, whose body will never bee 100% back to what it was, I believe we will recognize the world we return to, it will be familiar, but for sure, it will not be the same. And that there is another beauty of a relationship with Christ. We are never the same after we come to know Him. Come to a personal relationship with Him. The shell we have will stay the same, but become softer, we will carry with us His fragrance, the sweet aroma of salvation (to those who want pursue a relationship with Him, to others it will be a repugnant stench), but most importantly the work He will do on our hearts, on our inside will have us being a 180 of who we use to be.

I want to leave you with the song by Lauren Daigle - You Say. Remember who you are in Christ, the world is chaotic right now, there is very little left that needs to happen for the Church to be called home. Live each day faithfully unto the LORD. God bless.

What time is it?

Many people are curious about the end times. Not just believers, but secular people too. Look at Hollywood in the past ten years or so. There are many movies that have been made with an end times bent. Do any of the movies hold true to scripture? Not really, but having studied Revelation, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Daniel, the Gospel, certain parts of certain movies get really close. Which is why if I

happen to watch a movie that is close to what scripture says will happen, my heart aches, and skips a beat.

I am not afraid to share my opinions on things. Especially scripture. Once upon a time it was politics, but scripture...that took over, as it should have. With what I have studied the past few years, I have a responsibility to share God's word, and what is to come.Sometimes I think I scare other believers with my opinions. With my beliefs.

I am not a date setter, I want to make that clear. But I strongly, even passionately, believe we (the world, society...humanity) are in the last seconds of the Church Age. That literally any minute the trumpet will sound, and:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonian 4:16-18

I have read scripture, I have seen the prophecy's and I have seen world history. And I am waiting. I am living life thankful for everyday, doing my best to live for Christ, to share His message, to be a fragrance in the world:

2 Corinthians 2:15  (NASB)

15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

Everyday I have on earth, means that Jesus has not called His Bride home. But I do believe that it will happen soon. That God will not wait any longer, that He will finally have enough and pour out His wrath on a world, but first will remove those who have endured to the end.

Here are somethings I want you to consider, if you think I have lost my mind about my beliefs.

The Bible tells us many things about what will precede the return of Jesus Christ:

1. It will be a time when knowledge and transportation have greatly increased (Daniel 12:4)

2. Wickedness will be rampant as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-38)

3. Homosexuality will be rampant (Luke 17:28-29)

4. Adultery, material greed, and the killing of innocent life will be commonplace (Revelation 17-18)

5. The Gospel will have been preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14)

6. Many false religious leaders and false prophets will have arisen (Matthew 24:23-25)

7. Earthquakes, disease, and famine would be widespread (Luke 21:11)

8. There will be many wars and rumors of war (Mark 13:7)

9. There will be a Jewish holocaust (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

10. Followed by Israel's return as a nation (Ezekiel 37:11-12)

11. Israel's pure language, Hebrew, will return to the land (Zephaniah 3:9)

12. The Ethiopian Jews will return to Israel (Zephaniah 3:10-11)

13. The Russian and European Jews will return to Israel (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

14. The Roman Empire will be revived, but will only be a confederacy (Daniel 2:40-43)

15. Many believers will fall away (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

16. And perhaps the most shocking prophecy can be found in 2 Timothy 3:1-7:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

These prophecies have already been fulfilled—just in this past century, in fact.  Many just in the last few decades.  The Bible's apocalyptic prophecies are being fulfilled right now, for the first time in history.  It is actually happening.  Open your eyes while there is still time.  

From Unsealed.com:
What is to come:
The world is in a very real way falling apart. The day is upon us when the world will look like this:

• Millions have disappeared creating disaster, chaos, heart break and confusion.
• Some say Christ came and took His followers, although their voices are being drowned out by those who say otherwise.
• Millions of churchgoers who have been left, say it must have been something else.
• Cultists, spiritualists and the self-righteous will proclaim "anything but God," but they will be anything but right.
• Many will believe a deception of one flavor or another.  Perhaps the CERN particle accelerator opened a wormhole in the time-space continuum.   Still others will say it was aliens.
• When the Church is taken up, Satan and his demonic fallen angels will be cast down to the earth, with power, beauty and answers.  We suppose they will masquerade as aliens with answers.  Aliens they are, but aliens cast out of heaven and not from Krypton.  Their objective is to wreak havoc, before they are sentenced to hell and take as many with them as they can.  
• Everyone wants a cute-little-friendly-helpful-E.T.-phone-home-Close-Encounters alien friend.  That's not what they'll find.  Even Stephen Hawking was wary of contact with aliens.
• I speculate many will say these "aliens" have come to solve the world's problems and for a time it will seem as though they have.
• In the midst of the racial, moral, political, poverty and homelessness tensions, and amid anarchy, war, death, rape, murder, economic and ecological collapse, violence, and polarization, their ideas will seem the right way to go.
• Others will be out front.  Perhaps some of the following: Macron, Pope Francis, Putin, Trump, Netanyahu, etc, but they are not men to follow in days like this.  Love them or hate them is not the point.  God commanded mankind to spread out, fill the earth, and trust in Him and not in mankind's collective ability, but humanity still pursues the Tower of Babel—The E.U., the U.N., and towers reaching to the sky all continue to go up as a declaration of our own collective independence from the only One with any real answers.
• Words like volcano, earthquake, radiation, tsunami, hail and meteor will take on meaning like never before, as God steadily increases the pressure.  He loves you and will pay any price for you to wake up and repent, even if many unrepentant, dead men walking must suffer and perish to give you an opportunity (God is sovereign over everyone).

Friends, if you have not put your faith in Christ, please do not wait. When the church is "raptured," that is taken to heaven to be with Christ, you do not want to be left on earth. I have shared what will happen in the time after that great disappearance. It will not be an easy time, it will be a horrible, desolate, destructive time. There will be pain, hurt, suffering, and punishment unlike any other. 

Remember, today is the day of SALVATION:

2 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB)

for He says,

Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—

DISCIPLINE: Christianity & America

I like this definition of "discipline:" train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way:

Unfortunately, discipline is lacking from society in general, but I see it lacking more dominantly in American society and in most lives of Christians. And I am not immune from this lacking. I have become more aware of the lack of discipline in my life since being diagnosed with gestational diabetes at the beginning of July, But in reality, my awareness of started a few months prior when my OBGYN has my omit carbs from my diet. I was gaining weight a bit too quickly for my pregnancy, and reached the max weight I had gained when preggers with Abigail. 

My first step in getting my weight under control was omitting pretty much all carbs: pasta, bread, cakey sweets,etc. I was still enjoying fruits, in moderation. Basically think lazy keto. I lost weight, baby boy was still growing on target, but I was feeling and looking better. Then I failed the 1 hour glucose test. And then a few days later, I failed the 3 hour glucose test. And my life has been different every since. I had to go hard-core on the carb cutting. The dietitian didn't like that idea, but if I have carbs, my glucose levels spike out of control. I had a great conversation/meeting with the diabetic educator. She told me to try carbs,and if I could manage eating them without spiking great, if not, do what is best for Ari and I. 

So for the last 6 weeks or so, I have been essentially hard-core Keto. No fruits. Very restrictive on veggies. Plenty of meats/proteins, healthy fats, nuts, and good cheeses. Has it been easy? Heavens no! I am essentially eating the anti-American diet. I can't really eat out, unless all I want is a salad with some grilled chicken. I have to cook, meal prep is a must, and since I am eating anti-processed foods, I am going shopping every 3 or 4 days so, instead of 1 time a week. 

And at my last check up, my doctor was happy. My only level (I test 4 times a day) that has been of concern has been my fasting/wake up level. But with more research, and modifying my evening I believe I have taken the steps to get that under control. WITHOUT medication! But it has taken work, and I have to be focused. I have had to keep a good log so if my #'s spike I can figure out what I ate differently. I also live by a clock now. Eat breakfast by a certain point, make sure that I have time for lunch/testing, get in an afternoon snack, eat dinner early enough to have a snack before bed time, but it must be 30 minutes prior to bed, and finally I have to make sure there is 8 hours of fasting after that snack before I test again but before I eat breakfast. 

Its all worth it though. I am doing what is required to keep Ari healthy and myself healthy. And I want to do this as naturally as possible. I had resigned myself midweek last week that I would have to take medication to keep my fasting level in check, but thankfully, after more research I discovered the importance of a protein snack 30 minutes prior to bed. And if I can make that work every day until my my appointment this upcoming Wednesday, I think my doctor will agree. 

Going through this has been having me evaluate my spiritual life. And taking a look at the world around me. I need structure. And when precept is going on at my church, I can tell you my spiritual life is ablaze. When summer comes (and precept ends)...there is still a flame but its not blazing. I need a study, I need something requires me to dig deeper, have homework, come to class prepared. I like studies. I like having something to give my focus too. It helps me. I do well with my prayer life, and meditations, when I don't have a study to focus on. But I will admit that my Bible reading isn't as indepth during that time. But oh boy! Precept starts, I am in the word, I am checking cross references, I blog more (sorry folks, but I am being honest).

And so I have come to realize that the discipline I am exerting in my personal life for my health, I need to exert in my spiritual life. I easily read a few scriptures a day, but God's Word, it is our daily bread. It feeds our soul. Summer time fasting is not what is needed. During the heat (literally and figuratively) we need to eat as well as possible, give our bodies what it needs. And Scripture is the bread of life. We have God's word to sustain us. Yet most of us are not "eating" correctly. A verse or two a day will keep you alive. But when the storms come, the trials....your "fat" stores are going to be low, and you will not last long. But if you are going in depth into God's word, reading more and more each day, overlaying God's word with current events, studying with a passion. You will be ready for the days that are hard.

I wish this lack of discipline I see in myself was a rarity in the christian world. But I feel it is not. Overall, when you look at the world, discipline is the farthest thing from anyone's mind. Society has become about "self" and doing "what feels right." Life is about excess. Governments are taking children from parents for "disciplining," psychiatrist say that telling a child "no" will harm their belief in themselves, and there are so many more examples, just watch the mainstream media.  The word discipline is not in most people's vocabulary anymore. And unfortunately, many in the kingdom are flowing with the world. Scripture tells us this will happen.

Matthew 24:10  (NASB)

10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.

1 Timothy 4:1 N (NASB)
Apostasy

4 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

Discipline isn't fun. Whether it is a parent discipline a child, or a person restraining themselves from treats/pleasures. It takes work, its hard, and it can be frustrating. But there are generally long term rewards. We discipline our children so they that they learn what is right & wrong, and hopefully they will become adults who are beneficial to society, and biblicaly, they serve the LORD for His glory. I am disciplining myself with my diet so my unborn child will not be overly large, we can avoid a c-section (faster recovery for me), and eventually hopefully not have diabetes as I get older. Remember, God disciplines us too.

Hebrews 12:6 (NASB)

6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

Discipline is about love.

• we (parents) discipline our children because we love them
• we discipline ourselves with diet/exercise so we can be a better version of ourself (a type of self love - which can go to far)
• God disciplines us, because He loves us.

Discipline is about love. Not harm. And though when the LORD disciplines us it can be painful, it can be uncomfortable, in the end it is for the betterment of ourselves, and His glory. Which is our purpose in life, to bring glory to God. The world, the little "c" church, and America, for sure, all need more discipline. And now is the time, before God's discipline changes to His wrath. 

Dream Small

Have you heard the song, Dream Small by Josh Wilson? I absolutely love it, add my pregnancy hormones and I sometimes cry when it comes on the radio. Dream Small Video

Here are the lyrics:

It's a momma singing songs about the Lord

It's a daddy spending family time the world said he cannot afford

These simple moments change the world

It's a pastor at a tiny little Church

Forty years of loving on the broken and the hurt

These simple moments change the world

Dream small

Don't bother like you've gotta do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

Dream small

It's visiting the widow down the street

Or dancing on a Friday with your friend with special needs

These simple moments change the world

Of course, there's nothing wrong with bigger dreams

Just don't miss the minutes on your way, your bigger things, no

'Cause these simple moments change the world

So dream small

Don't bother like you've gotta do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

So dream small

Keep loving, keep serving

Keep listening, keep learning

Keep praying, keep hoping

Keep seeking, keep searching

Out of these small things and watch them grow bigger

The God who does all things makes oceans... from rivers

So dream small

Don't bother like you've gotta do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

Yeah, five loaves and two fish can feed them all

So dream small

Dream small

The first few times I heard the song, I just hummed along, but then I started to pay attention to the lyrics, and they hit home. For some time now I have struggled with am I doing enough, am I enough. Am I doing everything I need to do for the Kingdom. And my pregnancy probably has not helped. I have had plans to go back to school and finish my degree. I have struggled with the fact that I have yet to write a book and be "published." But then I took this song to heart. And started talking to God. Those things I struggled with were MY ambitions, MY dreams. Those are not bad things, but had I really considered God. Had I sought His will in my plans. Then yesterday, the following verse was referenced twice.

 



The first time I heard it was while I was driving to pick up my kids from their summer care. I listen to Pastor Nathan Cothen out of Beaumont, TX. He is head pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Beaumont. And Monday through Friday, 4-4:30 p.m. I am blessed to hear him preach on my radio, FM 100.7

His message yesterday was about our motives, "Are you living your life in an effort to be somebody, or in a way that desires to serve somebody?" And in the sermon he came to the scripture above, and it was like I hit a brick wall. It is so simple. We all have a part, and we need to be in God's word, in prayer, and in study to know what it is we need to be doing.

Last night was Wednesday night service, and normally our Associate Pastor Jon is the one who gives a message, but his father, our Lead Pastor, Dr. Redmond, gave the message. And he gave a phenomenal message out of the book of Acts.

Take a moment, and read Acts 3:1-12 (provided below in the NASB translation):

Healing the Lame Beggar
3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” 5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” 7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon
11 While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
He titled his sermon, Do What You Can. And he shared a story about a few conversations he had with a gentleman who is active in the church, who serves. And the man he talked to you was very humble, and he stated he and his wife do what they can. And that is so impactful. If we all, with what resources we are stewards over, just do what we can - the impact would be magnified greatly.

And now I am not struggling like I was on if I am doing enough for the Kingdom. This is my ministry, this is my calling:

Be a mother.
Be a wife.
Be a daughter/in-love.
Be an assistant.
Be a blogger.

Those are my tasks from God. Do I need to finish my degree, no, my on the job experience has better trained me than any of the classes I have ever taken. If money and time allow, one day I will complete it. But doing so won't complete me. In regards to being "published," well, I am, here. I am self-published. And I still have ideas for a few books, and maybe that is where God will direct me one day. But right now, I need to focus on being obedient to Him with this blog, and writing when He tells me to do so. And raising three children, as the Bible instructs in Ephesians 6:4 (NASB) will take plenty of time, prayer, and dedication: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

And this really has hit home to my heart lately as my Connection Group has been doing a study on the book of 2 Corinthians. And having grown up in the church, I have always heard of the Apostle Paul, and always thought of him as Superstar going around that region and creating churches and winning souls. But the truth is, yes he was creating churches, sharing the gospel, and winning souls to the Kingdom, he was a very humble man. In fact, the church at Corinth was upset that Paul wasn't more of a Super Apostle.

And you know, all this brings me peace. I need to do what I can with the resources the LORD has given me. And if I do what I am supposed to, that is enough. There is beauty in realizing my mission field is my family, my connection group, my readers. And if I do what I can, that is what God wants.

FAMILY: Growth

As of today, June 27th, I am 24 1/2 weeks pregnant.Less than 16 weeks until I get to meet our gift from God. Now, I have been quiet, even absent for a while. Everything has been going well, but with my husbands training schedule, I have been parenting solo most evenings, so once the kiddos are asleep, I rest. I pretty much veg out, and deal with my braxton hicks contractions.

Life has been good for our family, immediate and extended.

Mother's Day was glorious. We gathered at my in-love's house, our little unit, my brother/sister in love and their son, and my sil's parents. Church was good that morning, and we were all ready for some time together. My sil who lives 10 hours away texted me at one point when we were all gathered, to make sure we weren't eating yet. Notified her steaks were not even yet on the grill. 

Not even 10 minutes later she starts a Facetime conversation with my mil. Nothing out of the normal with this, since they live so far away, we cannot spend every holiday together, and the wonders of technology allow us to see each other in real time. It's beautiful!

As we are all waving/saying "hi" their youngest starts shouting, "I'm going to be a BIG brother!" It took a few yells for it to register with us. So yes, the Midland crew is growing to 5, due in January. We were all happy, hugging, and just overall excited by the extra growth in the family. Our bundle was a surprise, and now we weren't going to be the only ones sleep deprived but blessed.

A little while later lunch was ready and my middle bil said he wanted to lead the prayer. Nothing abnormal, we gather in the kitchen, hold hands and he begins. He then said, "And Lord, we pray for healthy pregnancy's for J (me), L (midland), and L(his wife).....I scream, her mother screams, kids looked confused, my mother in love looks dazed, and my husband says we broke his ear drum.

We never said Amen on that prayer.

But, the conclusion is, all three of us Shuman wives are pregnant.

I am due mid October

Middle SIL is due end of November, start of December

Farthest away SIL is due start to mid January

Our clan is going from 13 to 16, 5 grandchildren to 8!

Oh, and because time has flown since Mother's Day, 2 of us know what we are having.

The original granchild crew is this:

Boy - 6 year old - Midland Crew

Girl - 5 year old - Mine

Boy - 4 year old- Midland Crew

Boy - 3 year old - Mine

Boy - 3 year old - Middle Shuman Crew

My daughter has been the only girl in the group. Let me tell you, she was determined that we were having a girl. Unfortunately the ultrasound did not reveal that, nor did the silly string on the 1st Saturday in June. When it finally dawned on her that the blue meant a brother she flat out cried for 15 minutes.

The next weekend, after church, the kids and I drove up to see the Middle Shuman Crew at my sil's parents house. They did blood work to find out sooner if their son would get a brother or a daughter. WE arrive, and the cake is cut, because none of us are patient, and while we were there for lunch, the gender was the main reason for gathering. We saw blue icing, and hey, Shuman's make boys, no real surprise. But, my brother in law had a cannon, and he didn't shoot it off right away. And then he did.

PINK!

And all of us were confused....did this mean twins, a boy and a girl....or was the cake a decoy.

My sil reassured that twins were not in her oven, but in fact a little girl was. My daughter is now happy that at least she will have a girl cousin, since my husband and I disappointed her in making her yet another brother. 

My husband and I did have a name picked out for our next little boy, and in the week between I tried teaching both kids. Stone learned the baby's name quickly, he loved/s the fact that he gets a brother. Abigail didn't seem interested in learning it. But once she found out her aunt was having a girl, she magically learned the name.

Our little boy, due in less than 4 months, will be Ari Matthew Shuman. Ari means lion. Matthew means gift from God. And that he absolutely is. Once Fall hits, our lives, all of our lives, will never be the same with these three new little blessings. A girl name has yet to be decided for my first ever niece! And the Midland Crew will not know for a few more weeks what their #3 will be.

SERMON

I recently was introduced to Pastor Morris. Please listen to this great sermon by him. Iwas suggested to me by a co-worker. Her and I both realized we had missed a part of the resurrection story. Had you realized this?


Dominion Sermon - Pastor Morris