Memorial Box Monday: Do Y'all Need A Stroller?

A few months ago, my little family moved from the West coast to the East coast. We lived in a hotel for 5 days and then moved into a cute little house God provided for us. When we moved in, we waited for a week for our stuff to finish being moved across the country. We used an air mattress our landlords lent us, but it had leaks in it so we were basically sleeping on the hardwood floor, my husband and I, with a newborn.

Our stuff arrived and we were so thankful for our lovely pillow-top mattress! However, we had left our car back West, planning to sell it. We had not yet bought a stroller either since this was our first baby and with the move and all, I guess I didn't think of it. After a couple days in the new house, it was apparent we were going to have to get more groceries (surprising, I know :) )!

Well, without a car or the motorcycle (when it arrived, it was unusable; now it is fixed), we resorted to walking the mile or so to the nearest grocery store. One of us carried Baby Zuzu while the other carried all the grocery bags back. My dad would probably call these "character-building moments."

On our way back from the store, once a lady gave us a ride which was God because as soon as we got home, it down-poured.

The other time is the time I want to remember as God's goodness to us...

We were probably halfway back from the store, carrying baby and food, when suddenly off to our left on a side street, a woman's voice called out to us in that Southern drawl, "Hey! Do y'all need a stroller?"

We smiled and said, "Yes, we do." And she said, she drove past us, and the Lord spoke to her telling her to give us her stroller. She said, "I'm a Christian." With that, she opened the back of her SUV and pulled it out.

Ever since then, we have enjoyed the use of this lovely stroller God gave us.

I don't have a Memorial Box yet (oops), but if I did, I would put a toy stroller in it! :)

Adoption On My Heart

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

ephesians 1:4-6

Those whom the Father draws to Jesus, whosoever will receive Him, are adopted into the forever family of God. Amazing! We were not born of Him when we were born into the world, but we were born of Him when we were cleansed with the water of His Word and made alive by His Spirit.

I praise You, Lord! Thank You for adopting me into your family. You are my home.

Once I really got a revelation of this, I realized God's heart was for adoption in a deeper way than I ever suspected. He sets the solitary in families. Though your father and mother forsake you, the Lord will never forsake you.

There are literally millions of orphans in the world today. Close to 150 million at last count. In the US alone, there are approximately 800,000 children in the foster care system. Currently, 100,000 are available for adoption. These are called "waiting children."

Lord, we ask for Your timing. But we know that this is Your heart. We ask you to bring the children You have for me and my husband and for Francesca and her husband to our homes. Open the doors, Lord Jesus. Bring our babies home. We love You, Lord. Amen.

Memorial Box Monday: The Onion Story

This story, The Onion Story, is to commemorate a wonderful thing the Lord did in my life a couple years ago. For more about Memorial Box Monday, click the image above or visit Linny's blog at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com. Most of my life, like many people, if I had to be around onions, my eyes would water. If I ever had to cut onions, this was certainly not fun, since I experienced burning and tears in my eyes and I could hardly see what I was cutting. I didn't like it.Then one day, I prayed to the Lord, "Lord, please, don't let me cry when I cut onions. Help my eyes." I believed. He did it! The next time I was around onions, I noticed I had no issues whatsoever. Then, my friend April was cutting onions for a party (a lot of onions!) and she was wiping tears away. I said, "Let me do that." She asked, "Really?" And I chopped those onions with no burning and no tears in my eyes. Praise the Lord! That was two years ago. I have cooked with and chopped onions since then and have never had a problem. He hears our prayers. Praise You, Jesus.Brittany

Prayer Request for a Car

Here goes Crazy Love- round #2! For more information, go to Linny's wonderful blog at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com...

My prayer request is for a car for my family. We are currently carless... my husband has a motorcycle we bought used and salvaged last year which he uses to get to work. The Lord has shown me to pray for a car, so I thought I would invite anyone reading this to agree with me for this in the Spirit before the throne of our awesome God.

Praise You, Father!

Our loving heavenly Father cares about our every need and He is able. I was thinking about how Linny would say, "Lord, You own the cattle on a thousand hills- could you sell one for me?" :) Right about now, I am looking heavenward, praying something similar...

Brittany

Announcing our third Blessing

For children are a blessing from the Lord. Yes, they truly are. What will keep going after we die but the faithful generations to come. May ours serve and love the Lord with all their hearts. Here is baby Noah Yehoshua just a few seconds born out of the water birth pool. What a birth!!!

Baby #3 Is Here!!!

Congratulations, Francesca and Family! Baby #3 was born on April 9th in the afternoon. He was born at home in the birthing pool and weighed 6 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long. He is doing well and nursing well, praise the Lord! Francesca said she will post pictures soon.

"The fruit of the womb is a reward"...

Looking forward to the birth story (and the name!) and celebrating with a glad heart full of thanksgiving to Jesus,

Brittany

Looking Into My Eyes

I love how my baby looks into my eyes. She is ever observant in her waking hours, checking her surroundings, absorbing what is going on around her. Periodically, she'll check back with me, making sure everything is okay. She does this by looking into my eyes.

And then, when it is time to nap or go down for the night, usually she prefers being gently bounced in the bouncer. I have Scripture songs being sung in the background by children. She has these big, deep blue-grey eyes that show me her very being. "No walls," my husband said in awe. It is a delight, a treasure to KNOW someone on that deep level with no fear of hurt and no emotional walls up from past hurt. To SEE my little child in her eyes is something that cannot be adequately described.

With the music going, I gaze back into her eyes, reassuring her of my presence and that all is well, and in a few minutes, she drifts off to sleep... looking into my eyes. She is literally looking me in the eye and then she'll do a couple slow blinks (or maybe none at all) and her heavy lids drop and her long lashes rest finally on her soft cheeks. Asleep.

Brittany