Rest

 Jehoshaphat: "We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

The Lord: "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf ... Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

2 Chronicles 20 (selected verses)

Wow. Can I read this conversation ALL DAY LONG? Oh how I hear the Lord speaking to us here. God's words are to Jehoshaphat in the Bible but are they not for all of us during our battles?

The "horde" coming against us has seemed great over the past week. One week ago, the pessary fell out (just 3 days after it was put in). Um what? Doc said I was not the first ... but the ... second. That was far from comforting. God's grace, yet again, proved more than sufficient. I had an already-scheduled doctors appointment 1 hour after it fell out. So, my cervix did not go unsupported for long. I mean, wow. It could have fallen out on Saturday or Sunday and we probably would have had to wait until Monday to have it reinserted.

The pessary displacement also proved to have a greater purpose. As of last Friday, I am not allowed to exercise any longer. Phew. But whatever Dr. B says, I do. I can be a LITTLE stubborn, but we take Dr. B's words as from the Lord. While he doesn't think that my exercise caused the pessary to fall out, he takes it as a safe warning to ramp it down. I have to tell you, as hard as it is for my mind to not engage some aerobic activity each day, my body has nothing but thankfulness for the message.

My uterus is measuring at 35 weeks of pregnancy for a singleton (as of today). By mid-afternoon, doing every-day stuff can be difficult. It brings me peace to consider that God slowed me down (with a pretty in-emergent situation) for His daughters to thrive. I have had no regrets in what I have done up until this point in the pregnancy. All the "training" I have done has been proper for its time and season. I am "trained". Now, I rest.

I will walk a few laps around the block (SLOWLY) in the mornings while I pray and listen to my Romans series. I also stretch and do some very mild things on the TRX in the afternoons just to keep my blood flowing. These things are not "exercise" for me but rather a way to ensure that my circulation remains good and well. I'm sure the day is coming soon when these tasks may become impossible. I hope they do.

I go to each one of my doctors every week now. Dr. S on Tuesdays, Dr. B on Thursdays. My cervix is still shut, praise God. It is short, but shut. I get more braxton hicks contractions as the day wears on. They frighten me but I have resolved to thank God each time I have one. I want not to associate them with fear but with thanksgiving for all of the miracles He has already performed in this story. My blood work results, according to Dr. B, are "miraculous ... almost too good". There is no explanation other than Divine intervention ... Divine control.

The Word of God has never been so sweet to us. It is water to our parched souls. So, we hit our knees when we wake to study and pray a Psalm. I study Romans. Steve just finished Galatians and is beginning Ecclesiastes with some of his boys. His Word sustains us, weak as we are. In it, we find no promise of a "happy earthly" end to this story. But we find great promises for those who fear God and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. In these we place our hope.

Your prayers are being heard and taken into account by our Great and Glorious King. Thank you does not do justice to our gratitude for your loving-kindness, sacrifice, and humility to pray for us daily. Thank you for praying the prayer of Nehemiah 11:1 on our behalf. We love you.

Here are some pictures of our life over the past 2 weeks.

I don't say enough about this guy. I mean. He has been a superhero servant throughout this whole pregnancy. He makes my breakfast EVERY morning; he bakes me homemade FROM SCRATCH cookies every 4 days (ummm because I eat like 4 at a time); he has totally ramped up his cleaning, child-playing, and mama-loving over the past 5 months. Oh yeah, and he works his toosh off in 3 very phycially exhausting jobs. Above it all, he has led our family in complete trust in and pursuit of God more than ever before. Thank you, Steve, I love you so much. 

*Pic was taken after a walk around the block in the rain with the girls ... the clouds chased us :)

In her new big-girl bed! We have "some" problems keeping her in it, but overall, she has been a champ!

Birthday parties galore this summer! 

Hope giving the face-painter evil eyes!

My new brace. Eh, I think it helps?

She is a soccer stud, ya'll. Loving our new team, the Carolina Rapids. Team practice twice a week, practice at home, and games on Saturdays makes mama smile (for now). 

 

Kind Nana has come to help. She has been a life-saver. 
*Hannah took this picture!

Good pic, Nana! Hope isn't quite there with the soccer yet, but she likes to pick flowers :)

At our new preschool that we are very pleased with. It is 2 seconds from home. The teachers love Jesus and the kids. I receive pictures throughout the morning. Have to throw this one out there :)

 

Babies A-C at 20 weeks.  

Babies D-F at 20 weeks. 

*Can't get them all in one picture any longer. They all weigh an average of 10 ounces right now! Add in the weights of 6 placentas and all of the blood/fluid, I feel a "bit" heavy but oh so thankful.

One of the girl's faces. Kind of eerie but so incredible. We have pictures of all of their faces by now. 

To close...

We have had a clear calling to proclaim the Gospel NOW when we don't know what will come. God has spoken to us greatly through Matt Chandler's personal testimony when he was in a very similar place. Stay tuned to one of the ways the Lord has enabled us to do this ... we may or may not reveal the girls' names this week through this proclamation :)

I must share one of the greatest gifts God gave us this week: Psalm 23. I've read it many times before, as you may have as well. But isn't the Word so living and active? Does it not speak to us differently each time we take it in and pour it out? Here is some of the Psalm, and here is what I learned ... this time ...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul ... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil, for you are with me ...

Psalm 23 (selected verses)

1. Theology versus prayer: it is not good to talk very long ABOUT God without talking TO God.
2. The valley draws us closer: We are more prone to talk about God when we are in the green pasture and more prone to cry out to God when we enter some fearful ravine. Just as there is a danger in the valley that we might get angry at God and reject him, there is an even greater danger in the green pasture that we might become more satisfied with the grass than the Shepherd. In the dark we hug his knee; in the light we are prone to wander off in all directions. Therefore, as James says, Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.
3.  Everything that is good for us: I might indeed have to lack many things in following the Shepherd, but I will never lack anything that the Shepherd thinks is good for me. As Psalm 84:11says, No good does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. Or as Paul says in Philippians 4:19, My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. But why would a shepherd lead a sheep into a valley filled with danger and death threats? Isn't the only possible answer, "To get to some better place?" Grazing pastures for God's flocks are not fence to fence, but are separated by often very treacherous territory.
4. Comfort for our soul: Don't turn to idols for the restoration of your soul, turn to God, to his Word of promise, and his works of beauty.
*Thank you, God, for John Piper, who helped me see so much of this.