Breath of Heaven
Christmas – the time of year we reflect on the miracle of Christ’s birth… The breath of heaven that came down to give us the opportunity of everlasting life. And Mary, what an amazing example of faith. One of my all time favorite verses was uttered by her, at the moment she was told that she’d give birth to our Savior and her act of faith,
‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Luke 1:38
2 years ago today, we were quickly admitted to the hospital expecting to deliver our 30 week baby due to unexpected complications with his umbilical cord. Day after day in the hospital I found myself uttering those same words.. May your word to me be fulfilled. Along with verses of healing and provision. Instead of a super early delivery, we were able to beat our doctors expectations (51 days later) and bring a healthy baby boy into this world and home.
Faith – It’s not WHEN you will receive, but knowing that it will come. It’s a practice of taking your mind off the timing and onto the expectation of what you had requested.
What are you believing for today?Many times when I thought about faith I thought about what the Bible says of the mustard seed and moving mountains… And sometimes I lost hope. I guess I couldn’t mentally ‘see’ myself moving a mountain. But perhaps I just needed a different perspective of the ‘mountain’.
Faith…
– closed lions mouths (David)
– parted the Red Sea (Moses)
– brought walls down (Gideon)
– gave life to the barren/lifeless (Sarah)
– delivered a family from destruction (Esther)
– fed thousands (Israelites after leaving Egypt, loaves & fishes for the five thousand)
– healed my baby’s umbilical cord reverse flow (which has a 70% mortality rate) and we have been blessed with our own breath of heaven (the Sejeras)
Each began with an action. To know what God says in His word. To ask. To take action. And to believe (have faith) that it is done.
If it’s provision you need, ask and have faith
If it’s healing, ask and have faith.
If it’s deliverance from depression, ask and have faith
You have all that you need. And God is there, always there. Ever present, anxiously waiting for us to call out to Him. To ‘remind’ him/utter His Word. To speak with authority and claim what is ours. His promise came to us in the form of a baby. He was, is and always will be able to meet all our needs.
May your Word to me be fulfilled…
Grace for the journey… Jerusha
Driving Rain
Hydroplaning – it happens when a tire encounters more water thank it can scatter. Water pressure in the front of the wheel pushes water under the tire, and the tire is then separated from the road surface by a thin film of water and losses traction. The result is loss of steering, braking and power control.
It was raining pretty heavily the other day… And I watched a truck hydroplane seconds away from me as I was driving to work. He slide and spun into the dividing wall that separated us. I was thankful that my kids were already safe at school. Thankful that no one was injured. Thankful that it wasn’t me.
Then, as it always seems to happen, God spoke to my heart. To use what just happened in my physical reality to understand the spiritual reality I was facing. to SLOW DOWN. It’s raining in my world. And not the good, gentle and refreshing rain. But the overwhelming outpouring of battle after battle. The ones where you find yourself on edge… driving, in pouring rain. I’ve been through these ‘valleys’ before, but never this intense. I know He’s leading me to something new but I know my Spirit has gotten weak. I know the driving rain will end, but I can’t seem to see two feet in front of me, so I get anxious. I drive faster. I want to get out of the rain.
But in reality, God has given me the ability to overcome (Psalm 18:32-36) . I just need to slow down. To not let the battle (water) come between me and my relationship with Him. To not lose my traction. To understand that my journey forward may be slow sometimes, but that He will keep me steady. He will keep me grounded. He will protect me. He will bring me through.
Psalms 18:32-36 ‘He clothes me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me securely on the heights. He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and your humility exalts me. You widen a place beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way.’
Grace for the journey – Jerusha
Count it all joy..
Today was tough. I knew God was in control. I felt such a covering over my family. And yet, it was still tough.
Right when G’s surgery was starting we were all being evacuated from the waiting room due to a possible tornado in the area. Really??? Steal, kill and destroy is what ran through my ‘battle ready’ mind. And my God was faithful. Baby did great!
We are on the ‘clean’ floor at St Francis where some of these babies are fighting for their lives and cannot be exposed to the general population. I just heard a code blue announced and as I hold my sleeping and healing baby in my arms I can’t help but feel some of the anxiousness in the neighboring room. James 1:2-5 kept coming to mind.. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
How can anyone find ‘joy’ in any of this??!!
My half past midnight interpretation of this is this.. It’s not about having to be in a constant state of happiness. It’s about knowing the One who is able, will get us through. The one who heals is coursing through my baby’s feverish body.. The one who never changes, WILL do what He has promised. And in that, I not only find peace but an abundance of joy. God’s got this. He has every one of these precious babies on this floor.
As I try to close my eyes before the next set of meds and vital checks I remain thankful. For this journey. For my husband who has kept us anchored. For my 2 older kiddos who have shown such love and kindness. For amazing family and friends who have sat in the waiting room, fed my family, took care of my family and most of all lifted us up in prayer. JOY- full of joy.
Grace for the journey- Jerusha
Overflow of Grace
Love and forgiveness go hand in hand. Both require action on our part. Both require personal commitment. It’s a process. There will be days (maybe even months or years) when you don’t feel like loving or forgiving. In those times, it becomes a commitment to act on behalf of someone else. A choice to commit to love and forgive daily – weekly – yearly.
To forgive, truly forgive – is hard. It as to be intentional, it has to be given, it’s a gift we not only give to someone who wronged us, but an un-natural gift to ourselves.
To let go. That. Is. Difficult — That is true LOVE
Thank you Jesus for never giving up on me
Thank you Jesus for loving me despite of me
God chose us
God chose to send His Son to be a sacrifice for US
Because He loves us
Because He’s committed to us
Because no matter what we’ve done, when we ask for His forgiveness – He forgives
Right away
No questions asked
No matter how big or small
So that we can experience His overflow of Grace
Grace for the journey – Jerusha
God has a Plan
I’m a planner, always have been. And if I’ve learned anything in the last 2 decades of adulthood, it’s that things usually don’t go the way I planned. I think it’s God’s way of reminding me that He is in control. He knows what’s best, He knows my future, and I just need to trust. Easier said than done. To be fully surrendered to HIS plan is a journey of faith. This new journey is one I never thought I’d have to walk (and sometimes crawl). Constantly reminding myself – one foot in front of the other.
We were given the prognosis of possible (and probable) downs syndrome at 12 weeks. From what seemed like routine blood test came results that blew away my hopes for a ‘Normal’ pregnancy. Our next steps (minutes, hours, days…) became an exercise of strength, faith and hope. The prognosis is given at this stage of the pregnancy to give mothers time to decide what they would like to do, to keep or terminate the baby. Life happens at conception. It’s a baby from the very first moment it was created (Psalms 139). I became a mother (again :)) the day that the baby was conceived. Your body, mind and spirit come into agreement in developing and nurturing that baby. When we were given the news, I initially felt anxious and grieved. Anxious because I didn’t know anything about downs syndrome. And grief – because what I thought (and planned) was gone. We made the choice to not accept those feelings and take steps
towards God’s plan. God’s good and perfect plan.
- Educate Yourself
- Do your research. And be diligent in finding out the truth.
- Get a 2nd opinion and/or see a specialist. Our OB referred us to a high risk doctor who, with the support of our OB, took amazing care of us and our baby
- Find a support group. They will help you navigate through the maze of what ifs
- Build your core prayer group. I surrounded myself with a group of strong women of faith. They prayed for every visit, listened to my sometimes crackling voice and thoughts, and spoke words of encouragement and life to us
- Allow yourself to grieve (but be careful not to dwell here… you HAVE to move forward).
- Grieving (with God’s peace) allows you to be stripped of all the things you thought you had control of. It allows you to be open to what God has to pour into your life.To be in full surrender to what comes next. Grieving in anguish will do the exact opposite. It will compound negative thoughts and actions… don’t go there.
- This is a crucial time for you to know what God’s Word says and apply it. Say it over and over again in your mind and out loud. Surround yourself in praise and worship. And I promise you, you won’t be able to stay in this stage very long.
- Let Light In
- When my other 2 children were little they were afraid of the dark. When they came running to me afraid, I would always tell them that darkness is just the absence of light. And that all they needed to do was turn a light on. These are the verses that helped me walk those 1st next steps. I hope they shine a light where you need it too.
- Psalms 119:105 ‘Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.’
- Psalms 27:13-14 ‘I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.’
- Isaiah 58:11 ‘The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a well watered garden. Like a spring whose waters never run dry.’
Gio
vanni is a gift. He was born 6 weeks early and with an extra chromosome (Downs Syndrome). AND he was born COMPLETELY HEALTHY. In fact, he and I spent 51 days in the hospital for ‘monitoring’. (I’ll share more of that in a future blog). Our doctors and nurses were amazed at how healthy we both were. They kept using words like ‘puzzled’ and phrases like ‘you’re not textbook’. And why not… ‘but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,’ 1 Corinthians 1:27. He had a plan.
God has a plan. Trust it. Live it. Enjoy it.
Grace for the Journey – Jerusha
For this Child I Prayed
One year ago today, my husband Shawn and I received one of the most life changing news. We had recently (and surprisingly) learned that we would be expecting another baby in the spring. A BABY! We felt so blessed. We couldn’t wait to meet our new little one with pudgy feet, baby giggles and that irresistible baby smell.
But that morning… I had taken routine blood tests the week before, not thinking too much of it since this, after all, our 3rd time to this baby thing. We were pros. It was our doctor, and he had ‘news’ to share with us. We were not prepared, I don’t think anyone really ever is. You always think it happens to other people but not me. His words, that as soon as I heard them, felt like strong and swift blows to my heart. ‘Your baby will probably not have a heartbeat when I see you on your next visit.’ (which was 3 days from that call). Baby had a 99% chance of downs syndrome and they didn’t expect him to survive the next few days. SO MANY WORDS. Words I couldn’t comprehend, words that my mind couldn’t catch… I felt like I was drowning in them.
I won’t lie. I didn’t have the ‘God’s got this’ feeling. I immediately felt anguish, grief, sadness (such OVERWHELMING sadness) and loneliness. Our doctor went on to advise that we had ‘options’. All I could remember hearing was ‘no heartbeat’ and ‘options’. But instinctively I advised him that there were no ‘options’, that this was God’s gift to our family. That we chose LIFE. I think I just mouthed what my heart knew but my mind was not yet in agreement with. All my mind could think of was death. Yet my heart knew better. We hung up the phone and just wept… and wept… and wept.
In the midst of our grief and sadness that morning, we decided to stand on God’s Word.
Deuteronomy 31:6 ‘Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave your or forsake you.’ — When we find ourselves in a battle and surrounded – God is with us. WE ARE NOT ALONE
Psalm 139:13 ‘For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb,’ — When we are given a prognosis of sickness and lack – God was there from the very beginning of our creation. It’s His word that brings life and not death. — WE ARE NOT ALONE
Psalm 56:8 ‘You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.’ — In the midst of our sadness, grief and despair – God is there to comfort you — WE ARE NOT ALONE
Because of this step of faith by speaking God’s word that morning, His peace carried me. In that moment, and in the moments I have walked in since then, I am living exceedingly and abundantly above what God has promised me — for this child I prayed (1 Samuel 1:27-28)
After an eventful pregnancy, we delivered our healthy and beautiful baby boy (6 weeks early) in January. And with an extra chromosome, we find that we are even more blessed to have such a gift from God. Giovanni – God is gracious. Yes He is. Exceedingly. Abundantly. Above.
- God hears your prayers – EVERY ONE
- God catches your tears and keeps them – EVERY ONE
So no matter how defeated you may feel – We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39)
And no matter how big our obstacles are – No weapon formed against us will prosper (Isaiah 54:17)
This blog is dedicated to our miracle baby. I hope to share with you what we have learned and the new journey that our family is traveling.
Grace for the journey — Jerusha
Rejoice…. ALWAYS
1Thes 5:16-24 tells us to – Rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in everything… because He who calls us faithful.
It’s easy to rejoice and be thankful when things are going well and promises have been fulfilled. But it’s what we do when we’re waiting. I think for most of us, we feel like the waiting part takes up most of our journey. I challenge you to take a different perspective of ‘waiting’. Because it’s in these moments that we are groomed, fashioned, refined.
Being refined… not easy. It means dying to self, letting go so that God can give you something better. Trusting in a way that you neither feel capable of or comfortable with. Believing with every ounce of your being that God has the very best for you – and not doubting it. REFINED… and REJOICING along the way.
In the last few months, my husband and I have been on quite a journey of faith and hope. Earlier this year we were blessed to find out that we were having another baby. Not just any baby – one that God truly has purposed ‘for such a time as this’. From almost the beginning of our pregnancy, we’ve been bombarded with words from our doctors of the possibilities of death and lack. And throughout each day and week of this baby’s life we have felt nothing but joy and anticipation of God’s faithfulness. And each doctor’s visit brought confirmation of our faith and fulfillment of our prayers. A recent doctor’s visit has landed me in the hospital for a few days for monitoring. Words from the doctor ‘I’m puzzled – your baby shouldn’t be doing as well as he is, but he’s perfectly healthy and strong’. And as I sit here in the hospital at 31 weeks being carefully monitored – I am reminded that God uses the weak to shame the strong (paraphrased 1 Cor 1:27).
All this to say – it’s not the circumstance that we should focus on. It’s what God’s word says about us, and how he will carry, provide, strengthen and bless us.
‘I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.
Isaiah 43:2
I am so thankful for the time spent in the mornings reflecting on God’s word. So INCREDIBLY thankful that I’ve bookmarked verses of faith, hope, and rejoicing. I encourage you to do the same. You may not think it too important as you do it daily and ‘ritualistically’ but there will come a time when these words of hope will flood your soul and give you unimaginable peace. So I leave you with a few of my favorites to help you build or maybe even start your list of God’s promises.
So don’t throw away your confidence, which has great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God; those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalms 55:22
Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.
Psalms 37:4-6
For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Unrelenting faith… God’s uninterupted peace
Today I’m reminded, yet again, to rejoice in hope – patient in affliction – and persistent in prayer (Romans 12:12). It’s been a pretty rough last six months. My faith has never been more tested. Everyday life, pressures on all sides with no relief in sight. I have to admit that I didn’t live up to my own expectations and allowing myself to be defeated. I lost my joy.
But today… I CHOOSE to have unrelenting faith and live in God’s uninterrupted peace. I take authority over all those things that cause confusion and brokeness. I CHOOSE to speak God’s Word over me
- I will ‘not lack diligence, and be fervent in spirit, and serve the Lord cheerfully’ – Romans 12:11
- I will ‘ remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ – Psalm 27:13
- I will trust that ‘the Lord will guide me always. he will satisfy my needs in a sun-scorched land and will strenthen your frame. I will be like a well watered garden whose waters never fail.’ – Isaiah 58:11
Be encouraged. Know what God’s word says… take authority in your life, live in peace and run this race with JOY!!!!
Love is….
Growing up I loved to look through the comics section in the Sunday paper at my grandparent’s house and cut out the ‘love is’ comic. I’d daydream of the day that I was happliy married with a dozen kiddos in tow (yes, I actually wanted a dozen) and living in bliss.
Fast forward 25+ years… I’m happily married with 2 amazing kids and walking in grace.
Since Valentines day is just around the corner… here’s my take on what ‘love is’
Love is…. a gentle answer (especially when everything inside of you feels like screaming)
What I’ve learned in the last 25 years
– As a wife, I need to respect my husband as the head of our
household and love him unconditionally. My opinion may not
always be right. I need to think before letting rash, hurtful
words leave my lips
My counsel to my husband is invaluable and I need to continually pray for wisdom to
guard my heart and mind
– As a mother, I set the tone in my home (for better or worse)
The tone in my voice makes a world of difference in how my children will respond to
discipline
Love is…patient and deliberate
What I’ve learned in the last 25 years
– No matter how anxious you are about moving on to the ‘next step’ – STOP and enjoy
where you are at. Be intentional about making each day count. I made the mistake
many years ago pushing my husband for a baby. It nearly tore us apart, he wasn’t
ready and he just wanted to enjoy being with me.
– Have purpose in all that you do. Make even the small things count. Because those
are the moments in life that you will build on.
Love is… accepting God’s forgiveness
No matter how many times I fail, no matter how many bad decisions I make – God
forgives. And He forgives, completely.
Let God’s love define who you are. You can’t go wrong.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 “Love is patient,<sup class="crossreference" value="(I)”> love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.<sup class="crossreference" value="(J)”> 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,<sup class="crossreference" value="(K)”> it is not easily angered,<sup class="crossreference" value="(L)”> it keeps no record of wrongs.<sup class="crossreference" value="(M)”> 6 Love does not delight in evil<sup class="crossreference" value="(N)”> but rejoices with the truth.<sup class="crossreference" value="(O)”> 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”<sup class="crossreference" value="(P)”>
Hope Floats…
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Have you ever been in that moment, where you’re waiting on an answer or action from God? Waiting for… the right mate, a baby, a job, test results, a stronger marriage… this list is endless. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a big fan of waiting. I thrive on organizing, planning and understanding what’s coming up and when it’s coming. One of my strengths is anticipating needs… so having to hope/want/wish for someone or something obviously doesn’t fit my journey model well. But in every step of the waiting process, God is always there. And when he shows himself to be faithful in my hope/want/wish – he is more generous than I could have even hoped for. It’s the waiting room mentality that we need to step out of. In the waiting room we become anxious, uneasy, 2nd guessing ourselves, over thinking our need, sometimes desperate… do I dare say, not trusting God? When we truly give our hope, need, longing to God – we’re no longer in the waiting room, we are enjoying the journey. Find the silver lining in where you are at, because in this ‘step’ you will find something that will lead you to God’s best for you.
So as you wait – be joyful in hope. Stand firm in your faith. Reflect and medidate on God’s word
- His timing is always perfect,
- His wisdom will lead you,
- His strenth will carry you,
- His voice will give you peace
And if you feel doubt looming – stand on His Word
Psalm 56:8 “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
God is just as excited (maybe even more so) about the next chapter in your life. Like a parent at Christmas knowing what’s under the tree… Enjoy your journey, let your hope… float.
Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.”
Enjoy the Journey 