Ready to Meet You, Sweet Child

Long months of waiting

Long months of praying

Long months of hoping you’ll come

Now the time’s near that you’ll soon appear,

And I’m praising my great God above.

Waiting to hold you

Longing to know you

Ready to meet you, sweet child

Counting the days

‘Til I’ll see your face

Oh, I’m ready to meet you, sweet child.

Sweet child of Mom

Sweet child of Dad

Sweet child of God above

God in His mercy, His grace and His love

Gave you as a blessing indeed.

Waiting to hold you

Longing to know you

Ready to meet you, sweet child

Counting the days

‘Til I’ll see your face

Oh, I’m ready to meet you, sweet child.

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day’s a day

To celebrate the love

Of mothers to their children,

Of children to their moms.

But what about the children

Whose mothers have gone on?

What about the mothers

Who lost a child so soon?

The celebration’s harder.

It might include some tears

For there’s hurt inside some hearts,

Hearts broken from a loss,

A longing for the days,

The days of sweet embrace.,

Those days when Mom was close,

When Mom was here with us.

A longing for the days,

The days that never came,

The baby lost so early,

The child who left so soon.

Oh, blessed be the day

When we’ll reunite in Heaven,

Blessed be the Savior

Who gave His life for us.

For by His grace we’re saved

From tiny ones to grown

And if He is our Savior

Someday we’ll have...

Forever days of love.

Happiness: What's that all about?

Happiness.   It’s a word we hear often, something we all want, right?  It seems everyone has something to say about happiness these days.  But as Christians, where does it fit into our lives?

Here are a few quotes I’ve seen on hapiness:

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” Norman Vincent Peale

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” Dalai Lama

“Don't wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you've got to make yourself.” Alice Walker

“Whatever it is, if it doesn’t make you happy, walk away.” 
Unknown

“Life is too short to be anything but happy.” Unknown

“Dedicate yourself to the good you deserve and desire for yourself. Give yourself peace of mind. You deserve to be happy. You deserve delight.” Hannah Arendt

“I’m happy I have enough self-respect to dismiss the people out of my life that don’t deserve to be there.” Unknown

“To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” 
Albert Cambus

This is what we are hearing in our world, that we deserve to be happy, that it is what life is for, that it comes from somewhere within us, and the situations that make us unhappy should just be walked away from to leave room for more happiness.   The message is clear: it is all about us!  But, what does the Bible say, the creator that made us?

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Romans 13:14

“Since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” Romans 7:18

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:5

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthian 5:21

“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one’” Romans 3:10

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14

“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

‎"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". Romans 15:13

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” Proverbs 10:28

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8

The scripture clearly shows that there is no goodness within us, that God created us for Himself, that He calls us to live holy (separate from the ways of the world), that in Him is found hope and joy, and that Christ saved us from God’s wrath not by anything good we did, but by His mercy.  The bible speaks much on holiness, peace, joy, hope, and love, but happiness seem to be something that the world talks more about, and the scripture is very clear that the only thing that we deserve is death and punishment for our rebellion towards a holy God.

It seems the world has gotten it wrong, telling us we should be happy and that it should come from within us.  The God who created us gives us joy (not a temporary happiness based on our circumstances but a lasting joy based on the love of God, our delight found in His forgiveness, His love, the hope He gives).  He tells us that this is not from within us (where no goodness dwells), but only from Him.  The world tells us to walk away from people that don’t make us happy, yet God tells us to live at peace with others, to forgive, to love, and once again, our joy is found in Him, not to be looked for from others.  If we look to people to bring us happiness, we will always be disappointed.  If we look for circumstances to make us happy, they will change and we will be left unhappy and feel betrayed because we somehow believed the lie that we deserve to be happy.

And what about when bad things happen?  Because they do!  People get sick, loved ones die, friends fail us, and we just cannot seem to do what we ought to do.  When we trust in God and the hope we have in Him, when we focus on His great mercy and love for us, our joy is not taken from us.  Though we be sad, even unhappy in our circumstances, nothing can steal our joy because in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

So please, I beg of you dear friends, listen not to the world and it’s lies about happiness, but trust in our Savior who can bring joy so rich and lasting, nothing like the temporary joy that the world promises.  So don’t give up on people (God is a God of reconciliation), don’t look for more to make you happy, look at how you can spread the joy that the Spirit of God has for us, serve others, do good, and above all love one another for our days are few.  We have a short time on this earth.  Let’s make it count, not by what we get out of it, but by what we can give because we have been so richly blessed by His grace for us.

Find other posts by other grace-loving believers: GraceLaced

Book Study- Because He Loves Me

Join me and people all over the web for this book study.
Because He Loves Me Book Study

Pick up a copy of the book here, or a kindle version here.

Read the intro and Chapter 1, by January 30.

Carrying my Sixth Child by His Grace

I stopped to ponder what it is like to carry my sixth child in my womb today.  In so many ways, it is very different from carrying my first.  Add two losses and an in utero diagnosis with Turner Syndrome, and there is surely no naivety.  Time passes, and many around me have experienced trials of pregnancy, early losses, later losses, early labor, sick babies, and even stillbirths.  There is so much of me that wishes I could return to that thinking of a young first time mom, just expecting everything to be great, expecting a healthy baby come due date time. 

I won’t lie; the first trimester of this pregnancy was plagued with worry so fresh from Kyson’s passing.  I often wondered if this baby was still alive, or if like two of his siblings, he had passed on while I held him where he is supposed to be so safe.  There were no signs of miscarriage with either of my losses so I it was hard to think that everything was okay when I had no way of knowing.  The ultrasound machine is a wonderful invention.  To be able to peak into the womb and see my baby alive, heart beating so obviously, was so wonderful, but with it brought only the relief for a moment.  There was a wonderful day back in June when at almost twelve weeks pregnant, I was able to take one of those glimpses, to see my child alive, moving around opening his mouth, even waving his hand.  I was filled with such hope until it all fell apart less than two weeks later when sweet Kyson laid so still and lifeless inside me on the ultrasound screen. 

Kyson’s due date came on Christmas Eve, and I made it to the fifteen-week mark in this pregnancy.  It was so bittersweet to miss my sweet baby boy and yet be filled with joy for this child, to be joyful for this wonderful season with the children I hold here on earth and for the meaning of Christmas, yet still sorrowful for the loss of two children.  Hope was found without a heartbeat just days after Christmas seven years ago.  How blessed that this is the time we celebrate Jesus coming to earth, coming to save His people, coming to bring perfect peace, the end to all the sadness, to know that by His grace, my two children, though lost on earth, have life in heaven.

It was at this time that the Lord blessed me with be able to feel this new life inside me, a perfect Christmas gift, a reminder of life.

And so, yes this pregnancy in many ways is so far from that first one nine years ago, but in some ways, it is so much alike.  I still love to look at all the prenatal books and articles.  I still am amazed at God’s handiwork creating our child within me, so miraculously.  Like the first time, I am eager for each first.  That first ultrasound, while it did not leave me feeling confident in the finish line here on earth, was still amazing to see that tiny flicker and know that God had created life.  Seeing him move on that screen for the first time, knowing he is so tiny and fragile, yet living, is still amazing.  Having other children old enough to be amazed by it, who ask to see the pictures, you frame their very own ultrasound pictures of their new baby brother, is so fun.  Those first kicks for this child are ever bit as special as the first baby kicks of my first child.  The first time my husband has felt him, and times since, the first time I placed my hand on my womb and felt his shape, the first time I looked down and saw movement inside me from the outside, all of these are beautiful, miraculous, heart-warming, filling me with love.  And it is not just the firsts, I treasure the moments, the feelings of life when I wake in the morning, when I stop to feel for him during the day, when I lie down to go to sleep, when I wake during the night.  I treasure them all.

Perhaps it would be easy to brush off all the business of this pregnancy as “been there, done that” business.  I could go on with life not in awe because it was nothing new, nothing I had never experienced.  But, no it is GRACE!  My God above has chosen me to be a mother to another child, another miracle, another blessing.  That is a big deal!  In His love and mercy, He has chosen to grow this child in my womb, and I will treasure each first.  I will treasure this journey.  I will treasure my child, this precious gift every day of his life.

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:13-14

"Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." - Jerry Bridges

for Kyson: Due Today

Due today, this Christmas Eve
Yet gone before you came.
It's been six months since you waved goodbye
When I thought you waved hello.
Six months with tears shed for you.
Six months of missing you.
But also six months with you in heaven.
Six months you've been with Him.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ our Savior,
You behold His glory.
As we recite the angel's song,
You sing with the heavenly choir.
As we rest in the peace that Christ brought to earth,
We rest in knowing this:
His plans for you are heaven today
And bringing praise to Him,
And His plans for us are here on earth today
Bringing praise to Him.