Sunday, March 22, 2009

Words Of Hope

This morning has been a tough one. Day 3 of Avery in the dumps of sickness. With high fevers, crying, fussing, coughing, and wheezing, this has been a tiring few days for all of us. To add on to her RSV, she also has an ear infection... that would explain the fussiness. I was holding her this morning and she sneezed a nice deposit of snot all over my hand... nice. :)

I feel tired and in need of fresh perspective today.

"GOD SPEAKS WORDS OF HOPE"
Hope (yahal & tiqwa in Hebrew), in the biblical sense, has little to do with wishful thinking and everything to do with confident expectation. Hope is rooted not in circumstances but in God himself. Hope has been described as an anchor for our souls because it is grounded in the unchanging nature and intentions of God. Hope steadies our hearts by enabling us to wait confidently for what we desire most - the joy of living in God's presence.

I LOVE what this says! If God's intentions for us are that we lived loved, then I want to live hopeful and not fearful because He is for me. Motherhood has caused me to see my intense need for Jesus... this little sickness Avery is going through has brought me to my knees. And I don't want my circumstances to dictate my hope or lack thereof in God's deliverance. Pin It

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Sick Little Girl

A couple of nights ago Avery had a pretty significant fever and was struggling to catch her breath. I took her to urgent care the next afternoon and had 2 hours of HELL! She screamed through every test, poke, and prod. It was so hard to know I just had to keep her there. She had a chest x-ray done and we found out that she has a mild case of RSV. It was weird to hear the doctor say those words... it felt like a dreaded thing to hear, you know? So many of our friends have prayed for her and we know that she is doing much better because of those words.

It is something I never knew I could feel about another person to see my daughter so sick. My heart was aching so much for her and I wished with all my heart that I could take her sickness on myself. Both Brian and I have been so emotional about the whole thing too. Gosh... we LOVE LOVE LOVE our daughter! I just want to hold her... although she isn't much of a cuddler, so that is out of the question. :)

I am reading a great book called, "The Tender Words of God" by Ann Spangler... short snippets of the Bible that I can read every day (b/c what mom has any time to sit and read for an hour?). The morning she got sick, this is what it said:

"I AM FAITHFUL FOREVER"
The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you if faithful and HE will do it.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

Lord, as I look back over my life I cannot identify a single moment in which you have ever failed me or proven faithless. Your care has been constant even when I couldn't see it. I would be foolish not to trust you. No matter what happens, I know the One who has called me is faithful and he will do it! Pin It

Monday, March 02, 2009

Avery Loves...


Look at this! "Oh my" is about all I can say as I look at this picture. To see this little stinker, whom I adore, looking so cute!

Wanted to give a bit of an update into our little girl and things she is into. Avery really is full of energy and life.
She loves to run in place (good aerobic exercise and random).
She loves to talk ("no" is a daily part of her vocabulary).
She loves Elmo (sometimes to the point of obsession).
She loves going on walks and chasing cats (unless they get too close, at which point she freaks out).
She loves to build towers out of blocks and then knock them down immediately (a fun thing for mom to clean up).
She loves to look at pictures of herself (literally could do this for hours!).
She loves to color and play with stickers (for all of 2 minutes).
She loves balloons (especially trying to catch them).
She loves to read books (I've read some of them well over 100 times).
She love to grab my hand and say "I SEE!" (which translates, "Let me show you something mom!") and drag me around the house sometimes aimlessly.
And Avery loves to dance (her recent favorite is the "Ray" album). Pin It

New Hat

Avery got a new hat and we were just laughing at how much she liked it. She was laughing too as you can see in these pictures!



One thing I have discovered as a mom is the depth of joy you feel when you see your child smile. She really does bring a richness to life and a joy I never thought possible. I love this precious little girl! Pin It