A Guest Post from Cari :)

I am so very excited for this post! A while back I asked readers if they would be interested in doing a guest post and Cari wrote me and said she would :) What a blessing this article is and I am so excited to share it with you. Please visit Cari's blog over at

The Blog of a Writing Maiden.

As always if you are interested in doing a guest post just let me know your email in a comment and we can get it set up :)

And now Cari's post:

The Lord has made us to be creatures with souls and emotions, like Himself.  With this comes a desire for friendship and relationship.  But, so often, we can easily develop negative feelings towards people: anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy.  Even in our own families, it can be easy to find fault and to get in arguments.

I'd challenge you to consider: we live for a very short time.  We will soon be dead.  It is a simple fact of life, and we do not have long upon this earth to really love each other.  Our lives should be focused on preferring others, and serving the Lord, but instead, we easily get caught up in what other people are doing and how they compare to ourselves.  Our lives should be taken over with a servant's heart, but in reality our hearts want to serve ourselves.

            
I believe the Lord has been teaching me recently about how I view and treat those in my own family.  If someone does not do something up to the standard I would wish, I sometimes get upset with them.  I think I am trying to confront them in a biblical way, pointing out their faults in love, but that is not really the case.  In reality, I think I was really just trying to convict them of what I thought were sins in their lives (and they may have been).  But, I was not pointing anything out with biblical love.  I was irritated with them, and was just trying to get them to change into how I wanted them.
                 
They may have faults, and sins they are struggling with, but you see, God does not call me (or anyone else) to be the Holy Spirit.  It is not our jobs to convict people of their wrongdoings.  That is not to say we can never point them out.  But, for single young ladies like myself, I think we should really be striving to focus wholly on the Lord and OUR relationship with HIM.  Instead of focusing on others' shortcomings, we should be focusing on our own, and repenting from them.
                
I might easily avoid something which another struggles with each day.  And that is their struggle, which the Lord will work with them on.  He doesn't need my help; He knows fully what He's doing, and what is the best approach for that person.  I might not struggle with that thing they're struggling with, but I have many other struggles.  And my struggles are not theirs.
     
I think it's important to have understanding for each other and I believe that is a part of having brotherly love.   Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;" We need to understand that we are each going to have a different walk, and we are each going to have our own unique struggles.  I believe this is where forbearance comes in as well.
             
I know I still do not completely grasp all of this; it is all so profound (not what I'm saying, but what I was trying to explain).  The way God's love works, and the way He wants us to live is so complex even in its simpleness.  I really think I'm just scratching the surface of the iceberg in what I'm learning now, and when I die, I really think I'll only have made a small dent.  Even when I begin to think I know what love is, I'm just catching a small beam of it, and looking at it in awe, when the whole of it is so magnificent and bright in its glory.
            
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
         
May the Lord be praised!  He is patient with us, even when He looks down here to earth and sees us messing up our relationships, and blundering around with clouded vision.  He loves us anyways, and He is still willing to teach us, over and over again, how to love like He does.  He is patient with our feeble efforts to understand Him and His love - He is awesome!  His might is really unspeakable, isn't it?  "For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods." Psalm 96:4

Super Quick! :)

The washer just finished and I need to switch the clothes over!

 We just graduated from our amazing parenting class and the Women's Pregnancy Center after (over) 12 weeks! That was bittersweet for sure! I met so many amazing women there and it was such a blessing from God! We got a brand new, in the box, pack and play and it is ADORABLE!!! We are doing a Noah's Ark theme and it even coordinates with that! :)

Tomorrow (Lord willing) I will be posting a first of guest posts! I am so excited for it and hope you all come back and read it :) Also, if any of you are interested in doing a guest post just comment with your email and I can get back to you :)

Today is the day Jason and I get a small taste of HOME! His sister and her husband are visiting from NY and we are going to have lunch with them. I AM SO EXCITED!!!! I can hardly wait to spend time with them :) It seems like we haven't seen family in forever (when in reality it is just a few months but it feels like forever).

Any ideas for cheap, fun Christmas gifts? Jason and I set a limit of $20 to spend on each other and we are trying to be as creative as possible to make it stretch! It is a fun twist that is for sure :)

Do any of you do cross stitching? I have fallen in love with it all over again! It is very relaxing to me and makes me feel productive :)

Well, I am off to make myself look half way presentable! Lol :) Just to leave you with something visual-here is a picture of me last week at 17 weeks pregnant! And yes I missed that update. Ahem. Cough. We will just gloss over that!

Have a blessed day! :)

Some Walk for Life Pictures :)

The walk for life is finally here! We are so excited for this day!

It was freezing out and because it is not supposed to be cold in Fl. (ahem)
I had not brought warm shoes.
So, I wore Jason's.

An adorable balloon monkey my amazing husband made :)

 
Waiting to go onstage and juggle :)

The amazing director of the pregnancy center that has made such an impact
on Jason and I personally. She has such a sweet spirit and is such an amazing woman of God!

Lugging his big bag up there!

 He had to juggle AND talk into the mic! He did a great job! :)

 And they are off!!! :)

Hot chocolate. Did I mention it was freezing?

 I have NEVER liked hot chocolate and yet-I actually drank the whole thing...Wow.

The baby from my view! :)

Remember how I had to wear Jason's shoes because it was so cold?

The Kids loved the balloons!

My amazing husband :)

The sun peeking through the spanish moss :)

Just like a picture Jason took of me with his sister Sarah

way before we were even dating

. Sigh,  he wouldn't even hug the tree though just made me think he was!!!

 Our little and growing family :)♥

Beautiful birds on the pond as we
walked around.

It was a really good day :) God did some awesome things and there was a huge turnout! Thank you all so much for your support! May the Lord richly bless :) And there were some current pictures just to keep you up to date ;) 

What about a woman that got pregnant after a rape?

Note: This post contains some mature content. Reader discretion may be advised.

So many of my late posts have been about abortion. Some of them have been in answer to some comments that I have received which is what this post is about as well. I received a comment this morning that asked a question. The question was this:

"One thing that you did not address, though, are babies conceived through incest or rape. Would you support abortion in those cases? What about these types of pregnancies in minors? I feel so strongly that these are cases where abortion is justified and I adamantly oppose further legislation of abortion specifically for this reason. The progression of the pregnancy poses far more damage to the "mother" than destruction of the fetus, in my opinion. Would you be willing to expand your dialogue to these types of pregnancies? (or at least share the opinion of your "pregnancy center")"

I knew what my stand was about this but I thought that I would let these women speak for themselves. Please take the time to watch this video and see what women who got pregnant through rape have to say:

I found this video  while browsing the internet looking for women's stories and found a website headed up by a woman named Rebecca Kiessling. Please visit her website here: RebeccaKiessling.com.

Not only is Rebecca a pro-life advocate but she is a child that was conceived by a rapist. One thing that she said in her personal testimony that really stuck me was this:

"Please understand that whenever you identify yourself as being “pro-choice,” or whenever you make that exception for rape, what that really translates into is you being able to stand before me, look me in the eye, and say to me, "I think your mother should have been able to abort you.” That’s a pretty powerful statement. I would never say anything like that to someone."

Go HERE to read the rest of her story.

"I think your Mother should have been able to abort you." Would we ever truly look some one in the face and say that!?! I do not believe we could conceive being that rude and hurtful to someone and yet, so many people are saying that today. Even some Christians have fallen for the lie straight from the devil that a rape or illness or whatever (fill in the blank) can some how justify knowingly taking another human being's life (even though that baby had absolutely no choice in the matter).

Rebecca also shared these insights (as a child that was spared an abortion):

"I’m so thankful my life was spared, but a lot of well-meaning Christians would say things to me like, ”Well you see, God really meant for you to be here!” Or others may say, "You were meant to be here." But I know that God intends for every unborn child to be given the same opportunity to be born, and I can’t sit contentedly saying, “Well, at least my life was spared.” Or, “I deserved it. Look what I’ve done with my life.” And millions of others didn’t? I can’t do that. Can you? Can you just sit there and say, “At least I was wanted . . . at least I’m alive” or just, “Whatever!”? Is that really the kind of person who you want to be? Cold-hearted? A facade of compassion on the exterior, but stone-cold and vacated from within? Do you claim to care about women but couldn't care less about me because I stand as a reminder of something you'd rather not face and that you'd hate for others to consider either? Do I not fit your agenda?

 In law school, I’d also have classmates say things to me like, “Oh well! If you’d been aborted, you wouldn’t be here today, and you wouldn’t know the difference anyway, so what does it matter?” Believe it or not, some of the top pro-abortion philosophers use that same kind of argument: “The fetus never knows what hits him, so there’s no such fetus to miss his life.” So I guess as long as you stab someone in the back while he’s sleeping, then it’s okay, because he doesn’t know what hits him?! I’d explain to my classmates how their same logic would justify me killing you today, because you wouldn’t be here tomorrow, and you wouldn’t know the difference anyway, so what does it matter?" And they’d just stand there with their jaws dropped. It’s amazing what a little logic can do, when you really think this thing through -- like we were supposed to be doing in law school -- and consider what we’re really talking about: there are lives who are not here today because they were aborted. It’s like the old saying: “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?” Well, yeah! And if a baby is aborted, and no one else is around to know about it, does it matter? The answer is, YES! Their lives matter. My life matters. Your life matters and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!"

Rebecca is not the only survivor from being conceived in rape. Here is another video that shares men and women's perspectives that were conceived in rape:

I asked my husband his thoughts and this is what he had to share:

Two wrongs do not make a right. To kill the innocent is never ok. Many people wish to be compassionate and perceive themselves to be compassionate yet they have fallen for the world's lie that just because a baby comes from a traumatic experience that the Mother will live the rest of their lives with negative feelings towards their child because of that. When, in reality, just like in the first video three women proved that wrong and many other women have also as well as .

A simple illustration about how pathetic the world's logic is concerning this is:

If a friend of yours attacks or breaks a law that hurts me in some way it is then justifiable for me to have you destroyed/killed just so I won't be reminded as often of the horrible thing that your friend did to me.

Pretty lame huh? And yet this is a lie that so many people believe!

This is proven not only in these videos but also in the stories of real life women and their children. Below is a link to multiple women's life stories who became pregnant by rape. Some on the positive side trusted God and chose to give their child a chance at life and were blessed through. Sadly, others chose to not trust God or were forced or bought into the lie that having an abortion would solve their problem. Tragically, it did not and these women who shared so candidly regret that decision to this day HOWEVER, God took that guilt and shame and gave them hope in and through Jesus Christ. Today all of these women are testimony to what God can do. And how truly, Jesus Christ can make beauty out of even the worst of ashes. 

 Please click HERE to go and read these amazing stories from both sides (you will have to scroll down).

This all together only leads to this: The Word of God is the only firm foundation. You can believe it and prove it right or you can not believe it and still prove it right meaning-the destruction of human life is never the only or right answer. Difficult situations will arise however even in these difficult situations destroying a innocent life will never solve the problem.

Is there hope after an abortion? Absolutely! Jesus Christ is that hope!  And if anything is taken from this post I would pray it be this: whether or not you have been raped, molested, aborted a baby, been abused, and the list could go on and on-there is that hope in Jesus Christ!!!! And it is for each and every one of us! The Bible says: "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Many people heave a sigh of relief and think well I am a good person. Whew. I have never murdered or committed adultery. I am not as bad as ___________ (fill in the blank). Yet, Jesus said if you look in lust you have committed adultery and that hating someone in your heart is the same as murder. That convicts me! We are all guilty with that kind of standard! None of us can live up to it! But that is ok. "God commended His love toward us in this-that while we were still sinners Christ DIED for us." (Rom. 5:8). He took that guilt! He took our shame! He took our sins on His shoulders. He paid our fine. He took our judgement! What glorious HOPE AND TRUTH IS IN THAT! And it is for everyone!

My prayer is that God's love and Word would reach all who do not know Him as their personal Savior. That they would realize that God can take ashes and make beauty out of them. Just like these women whose testimonies we heard about how God took a horrific situation and made something beautiful out of it-their child.

Does abortion really have to be the only option?

I received a comment on my previous post "Would You Help Fight Against Abortion" this morning and thought I would share both the comment and my response with all of you:

"Anonymous said...

I assume the Pregnancy Center also provides free prenatal vitamins? Free labor and delivery hospitalization? Emotional and financial support to those who are kicked out of their homes? Counseling for rape and incest victims who are pregnant with their attackers child? Food, clothing and shelter for the baby and mom? Early childhood intervention where necessary?

Thanks. You reminded me that my yearly contribution to Planned Parenthood is overdue."

My response is this:

Anonymous-

Yes they do actually provide free prenatal vitamins. I have been given them personally.

 As for the free labor and delivery hospitalization they give the resources to people who have no money or good enough insurance for labor and delivery as well as prenatal care. You can then go through these FREE resources (as my husband and I did) and choose the ones that are best for you. God has so provided for us in this way through them helping us even know where to go.

One of the biggest things the center offers is emotional support through counseling and then also they do what ever they can to help those who do not have a good living situation. I know a lady personally that they helped get into some apartments at a church when she was 6 months pregnant and had no place to go. The director herself came to help her get settled and make sure everything was taken care of financially.

 Not only is there also counseling for rape and incest victims but they also offer amazing adoption support groups and resources so that if the mother chooses to she can give her baby to a couple/family who desperately wants a child. I also know a mother who used that service and is very at peace with her situation and her child is in a wonderful home.

Food, shelter and clothing for the baby and mom-they have so many resources and will work tirelessly to make sure that you and your child are ok. I already mentioned the shelter. As for food and clothing they again help you get plugged in to amazing resources as well as have a 12 week parenting class where you earn baby bucks and use those for diapers, clothes, baby necessities, and at the end receive a FREE brand new pack and play.

As for early childhood interventions there are many resources available for that as well. I am involved in a program where I can earn points and can redeem them for things like clothes and diapers and wipes and any baby need you would have until my child is over two years old!

Many girls are told that abortion is their "only" option. That they could never handle a baby. That it would wreck their lives etc...the pregnancy center also offers post abortion counseling for girls that felt they had no other choice, did not know about these amazing resources, had the abortion and are now dealing with horrible regret and guilt that plagues them for YEARS. They help them see that there is healing and redemption in Jesus Christ! That their sins can be washed away. That He will forgive them and take their guilt.

If anything adoption is always an option. And there are so many FREE resources for girls if they choose life and choose to keep their babies.

Yes, I say babies. Because that is what they are. I saw my son at 9 weeks. He was wiggling all over and his heart was beating. At five weeks his heart STARTED to beat. At six weeks blood began to course through his body. At 7 weeks hands and feet had emerged and his liver was churning out red blood cells (until the marrow formed and could take over). I could go week by week until right now and it would show from the beginning what an amazing miracle is taking place in a BABY. (Source: babycenter.com)

I do not judge these girls at all that have abortions. I pity them because most of them are given no other option. One nurse I know of (from a friend who was there) TURNED THE ULTRASOUND SCREEN AWAY so an 18 year old girl could not see her 11 week old twins MOVING and see their hearts beating. Why? Because they were giving her abortion as her ONLY option.

Another AMAZING resource the pregnancy center gives one FREE is an ultrasound. Last year 64 women came in sure that abortion was their only hope. The ladies at the center listened to them, counciled them, and then said , "Why don't we put you on the ultrasound machine just to make sure that you are indeed pregnant." When they did and these women saw their baby THEIR child moving and their heart beating and SAW that they are in fact a beautiful little person ALL 64 of them CHOSE LIFE and kept their little ones.

Am I saying that it will be easy? No it is not always easy BUT I do know that there are so many people out there who love God and love unborn babies and will do WHATEVER they can to help and support and encourage.

My husband and I have been amazed at how the Lord has provided for us! He is faithful!
There are other choices out there.

Abortion never has to be the only option.

That is my response.

Many of you have seen  my recent posts about the Walk for Life. This is the reason I do it. Jason and I have personally been so blessed with help of even knowing where to go and what to do next. When I first walked into those doors I had no idea where to really start. We were so overwhelmed by love and people that cared so much for us and our baby it just instantly put me to ease.

Here is another challenge though for all of us that my amazing friend Missie from over at Hidden Valley Simplicity commented on that same post:

"Last year I pleaded with a young woman to not abort her baby. She ended up NOT doing so and fell in love at her first ultrasound. Now, her and the baby are like family to us. One of my big things is, if we are going to cry out against abortion, we must---MUST---then help the women raise their babies after they are born!!! It's one thing to save a life. It's another to get involved in that life. It takes time and sacrifice but it's not enough to just prevent abortion. . . we have to do all we can to help that Mama give her child the best life possible, esp when circumstances are not giving Mama any support (financially, emotionally, etc). Are we willing to be there when the baby won't stop screaming at 2:00 a.m.??? Will we let the Mama and her baby be in our home frequently, just hanging out when we love our solitude and privacy, because she needs someone to be there for her? Will we buy things for them when the job the Mama has isn't quite enough for rent, clothes, formula, and diapers?"

What an amazing story but also what weighty questions that I had to ask myself! Are we willing to not just sit in church shouting out amens and hallelujahs when someone stands up and speaks out against abortion. Are we willing to actually walk the walk and do the hard things? To get out of our comfort zones. To serve and to love and to give as Jesus did?

(Source)



According to the website this picture is found on-this is a 12 week old baby.

"The baby has all of the parts necessary to experience pain, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus. Vocal cords are complete. The baby can suck its thumb. "

Is this little ones life worth it to us? Not only in the womb but like Missie, challenged us, outside the womb as well?

What can we do as women of God? How can we make a difference? For each of us it will be different but one thing we can all do is pray. Pray for these little lives. Pray for their Mama's. Pray to be the hands and feet to make a difference, even if it isn't in a glamorous way. Look around and see who are around us. Do you know a young single Mom? What are ways that you can help her and encourage her? Do you know a young pregnant girl? How can you encourage her and support her? Sometimes we all just need a true friend.

These involve doing.

Going.

Stepping out of that comfort zone.

Are we willing to stop just talking about it and start doing hard things for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

These lives are all so precious to Jesus-both the babies and Mama's. Do we tell them that? Do we show them that?

Or do we judge?

Proverbs 31:8-9 says this:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."

These little ones can not speak for themselves and a lot of these Mama's are destitute, poor and needy.

How can we make a difference for Jesus Christ in these girls lives today?

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

TODAY Jason and I are participating in the Women's Pregnancy Centers Walk for Life (which I wrote about Here). Would you consider giving even if it is just a dollar? We all say we hate abortion yet, this place literally stops abortions. Last year it stopped 64 babies from being slaughtered and with our help may stop more this year. Are you willing to give up a few dollars to SAVE BABIES LIVES?

If you want to give (again even if it is just a dollar) just go to our page (Jason and Katy) and you can make an online donation by clicking on the link below. Jason will be juggling and doing balloon animals and I will be...support lol :) I will post pictures soon Lord willing :)

As always, if you can not give PLEASE pray for us and the walk today that we would be a shining testimony of God's love. It is so special to be walking this Walk for Life with my little one snug inside me :) AND it is FREEZING HERE IN FLORIDA so I am wearing maternity jeans although they are a bit big/baggy still lol :) THEY ARE WARM!!! :)

Is it warm or cold where you are today?

Here is the link to our fundraising page: Jason and Katy's Fundraising Page ;)

BRRRRRRR....I am going to make some HOT tea I think to get me through this morning (it is not even 8am yet yipes).

Fact #1: I am NOT a morning person.

Fact #2: I am strange when I have to be ;)

Hope you all have a great day!! :)

As I wait for the fax to go through...

I am sitting in the office waiting for a fax that I am sending to go through. Since it is 28 pages it is taking a while so I thought why not just update my blog for fun?

So what has been going on in my life lately? Hmmm, let me think:

I found this picture on my computer the other night :) What sweet memories it brings back! It is hard to believe we have been married for over five months. It seems like forever but in a very very good way! I thought I loved him on our wedding day but I am realizing that I really didn't know what love was yet! I am learning more each and every day :)

Ok, so I am not faxing anymore. Just to let you know.

So one of the things I love about my husband is how hard he works! Yesterday and today he has been working on making our front porch nicer :) He painted it and it turned out in an awesome way:

To some it may just seem like a porch but to me it is a labor of love :) And wow it looks SO much better then it did before!!! :)

So then Jason decided to tackle some of the very out of control bushes that were around the porch. He hacked. He chopped. And then did each some more. He was labor and I was management. Well, and picture taker ;)



I am one blessed girl :) I love my husband so very very much and yes my love is amazingly handsome :)

 I am so thankful that the Lord worked in my life the way He did and that He also showed me how wrong I had been in wearing my purity like a badge on my sleeve (thinking I was better just because I didn't do________________________).  God has taught me so much in my relationship with Jason. We did not court and we really didn't date. Does that make sense? Not really! :) God took two people and brought them together in such an amazing way I can not believe it!

We were best friends, God showed him I was the one he was going to marry, we became better friends,



The first picture we ever had taken together.

 he asked me to be in a relationship,

The night he asked me to be in a relationship with him :)

we got engaged-

Christmas Day 2010-The night we got engaged :)

and then one year and two months to the day after we met we got married.

May 28, 2011-the day I married the love of my life :)

 Not what I had in mind for MY plan of how my love life was going to go. God had such a bigger plan. Such a better plan. Wow. :)

Well, that was random. But that is ok :) Now I am off to read the Word with my husband. What is something you can brag on your husband about?  I would love to hear :) Blessings!