Ever had a song's lyrics hit you so hard that you are just floored by the truths found in them? The following song lyrics is one of the few that just make me cry out to God in thanksgiving and anticipation for heaven. ENJOY it, SAVOR it, fall down one again and praise God for His love and His work in your life, and that He saved you and has allowed for you to be in HIS heaven!!
So Shall We Live
Light of the world with hope fills the sky, for gone is the power of the darkness.
The tomb that held the Son of God breaks with a cry from heaven, "He who was dead is RISEN!
Up from the grave ascended! The reign of death is ENDED!"
So shall we live, for His cross has gone before.
Christ has spoken all our freedom, He's broken all our bondage
And opened God's heavens to man
0, saints rejoice and lift up your voice for we bear the wounds of our Saviour.
For just as Christ was crucified, now we who are buried with Him, are raised in newness with Him.
We share His resurrection, our blessed liberation!!
So shall we live, for His cross has gone before.
Christ has spoken all our freedom. He's broken all our bondage, and opened God's heavens
So shall we live, and so shall we reign
In glory and power, now and forever
So shall we live
Blessed, the name of the Lord!
So shall we live
Blessed, the name of the Lord!
AMEN!!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Look who's here!
Well, we made it! Isaac made his entrance on September 2, 2010 at 11:57pm with 3 minutes to spare before the new day. He was a healthy 9lbs 3oz and 20 3/4 inches long. He looked great. I had prepared myself to cry one last time when I saw his shortened arm but it seems such of a small thing to cry over. As I held him in my arms I kept on thinking to myself, who cares about his hand, he is healthy and in my arms...I couldn't ask for anything more!
I am so glad to be home! I was admitted to the hospital 10 days before I was induced because of high blood pressure. Being in the hospital was a huge challenge for me. I have been a stay at home mom for over 6 years and I love my job! I hated going from being with my kids all day long to seeing them for one hour a day. Talk about a difficult transition. I am thankful because now I appreciate where God has me with my home, my husband, and my kids even more.
The labor and delivery were pretty uneventful on my part, however Curtis made a great impression on the hospital staff. As I was getting my epidural Curtis was standing behind me watching. I was breathing through the needle pokes and all of the sudden we here heavy moaning and breathing. Curtis had been watching a football game and my first thought that he was responding to a bad play in process but as a glanced back he was sitting down in a chair with his hands grasped around the arms of the chair staring off in space and shaking mildly. He was in the midst of a seizure, yes, you read that right a seizure! Curtis has had a few seizures before but never in front me. Immediately they left me to tend to Curtis. Yeah, don't worry about the pregnant lady everyone look at Curtis! They paged the doctors and nurses, in a few minutes I had my room full of doctors and nurses. Once they realized that it wasn't me who had the seizure and realized it was Curt, they all had a good laugh about it. Curtis is obviously fine. Isaac is great! I love him so very much. I know, random ending sorry, I am tired! Here are some pictures
I am so glad to be home! I was admitted to the hospital 10 days before I was induced because of high blood pressure. Being in the hospital was a huge challenge for me. I have been a stay at home mom for over 6 years and I love my job! I hated going from being with my kids all day long to seeing them for one hour a day. Talk about a difficult transition. I am thankful because now I appreciate where God has me with my home, my husband, and my kids even more.
The labor and delivery were pretty uneventful on my part, however Curtis made a great impression on the hospital staff. As I was getting my epidural Curtis was standing behind me watching. I was breathing through the needle pokes and all of the sudden we here heavy moaning and breathing. Curtis had been watching a football game and my first thought that he was responding to a bad play in process but as a glanced back he was sitting down in a chair with his hands grasped around the arms of the chair staring off in space and shaking mildly. He was in the midst of a seizure, yes, you read that right a seizure! Curtis has had a few seizures before but never in front me. Immediately they left me to tend to Curtis. Yeah, don't worry about the pregnant lady everyone look at Curtis! They paged the doctors and nurses, in a few minutes I had my room full of doctors and nurses. Once they realized that it wasn't me who had the seizure and realized it was Curt, they all had a good laugh about it. Curtis is obviously fine. Isaac is great! I love him so very much. I know, random ending sorry, I am tired! Here are some pictures
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Updates on Isaac
Sorry that it has been so long since my last update! I am in the homestretch of my pregnancy, and boy what a pregnancy it has been! Nothing has changed in regards to Isaac's hand and health. He is still missing his left hand and is still healthy everywhere else, which is a blessing! And from the looks of it on the ultrasound, he is going to be a big boy! I had an ultrasound a few days ago when I was about to be 33 weeks, and found out that Isaac is already weighing in at 6.1 lbs! WHOA! Now a typical baby at this point would be around 4 lbs. That is a big difference at this stage of the game! If I carry him to term that means he could be an 11 lbs baby!! ELEVEN POUNDS!!! Oh, and plus he is in a breech position! Craziness! Other than that things are well here, we are all getting excited about his arrival!
In other news, Curtis and I celebrated our 7th anniversary today, which I think is pretty cool! Seven years, that is pretty long in our society. We are looking forward to another 50 years to spend together! Hannah's birthday is just around the corner as well. We aren't doing anything super special, just family. I don't think that I will have the energy being this large and this pregnant! She understands.
Sorry, this post seems to be pretty dull, but hey, it is a post!
In other news, Curtis and I celebrated our 7th anniversary today, which I think is pretty cool! Seven years, that is pretty long in our society. We are looking forward to another 50 years to spend together! Hannah's birthday is just around the corner as well. We aren't doing anything super special, just family. I don't think that I will have the energy being this large and this pregnant! She understands.
Sorry, this post seems to be pretty dull, but hey, it is a post!
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Son of the Promise
Isaac, in the Bible, was the son of the promise that God made to Abraham. The Abrahamic Covenant was fulfilled in Isaac. It is no coincidence that years ago Curtis and I had decided to name our second son Isaac William Wentling. Now every time I hear Isaac's name I am reminded the promises that God has made to me. So, before I dive into exactly what is going on with our sweet son I wanted to type a few of the promises down. God will NEVER leave me or forsake me! He will NEVER put me through anything that isn't for my good and most importantly for HIS glory. God does not make mistakes! God forms our inward parts and knits us in our mother's womb. We are, you are, every baby is fearfully and wonderfully made!!
With that said...we found out last Tuesday during my mid-pregnancy ultrasound that Isaac was missing a part of his left forearm and his left hand. The radiologist stated that he saw his right hand clearly and the left upper arm, his left elbow and then it was a clear stopping point. This obviously came as a shock to Curtis and I. The radiologist also said that everything else seemed healthy and normal size. I initially handled it with grace and even a little humor stating that it was obvious he wouldn't be left handed. As we headed toward the elevator, the speechless shocking part was over and the tears started flowing. I was feeling guilty like it was my fault, I was feeling pity towards myself, pity towards Isaac, and questions of "how" such as, how will he be able to crawl? How will he be able to button his clothes, zip a zipper? How hard will it be when he is frustrated with the things he won't be able to do? How will we handle when he gets stared at and made fun of in school? I cried for the majority of the rest of the day.
The next day was my regular monthly appointment. My doctor said that he personally had never seen this before and instantly referred us to the Maternal Fetal Medicine department of the hospital. By Wednesday night I was feeling pretty much normal again. I knew that being worried over it was not going to help me or Isaac, however it was still heavy on my heart because I could feel the stress actually in my legs of all places. Wednesday night I also started meditating on Psalms 139, specifically verses 13-16
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
I then decided how foolish of me to feel guilty or worried. This missing hand is NOT a malformation, it is a GOD formation! This is the way that God has formed him! God does not and can not make mistakes! HE is the ONE who has formed Isaac, HE is the ONE who knitted him together in my womb. Isaac is FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made! And THAT is stinking awesome and incredible! PRAISE GOD!
That brings us up to today. We saw the MFM doctors and had a really long ultrasound to confirm the other technician and sure enough, his wrist and hand are gone. I thought that I would cry when I saw it, but God's grace carried me through. After talking to a Genetic counselor and seeing the doctor, they are strongly leaning that this is a isolated incident, everything else on Isaac is right on! We will have another ultrasound in about 4 weeks to get measurements that he is still too small for. We may never know scientifically what happened to his wrist and hand. We are leaning that a amniotic band(that is formed early) wrapped around his limb and as he grew the band became tighter, cutting off the circulation, and finally severing the limb completely off and then the limb being so small was reabsorbed into the amniotic fluid.
I am not worried about the labor or delivery but I would appreciate and covet your prayers for raising Isaac in the fear of the Lord. I am already praying that I would not coddle him or show pity towards him. It is going to be difficult for me to remember that I need to train and discipline him the same way I did/do with my other three kids. I need to hold him to the same standard. I don't want him growing up expecting pity from the world. That is going to be hard. Again, thank you for your prayers, continue to pray for us, as we continue to pray for you!
With that said...we found out last Tuesday during my mid-pregnancy ultrasound that Isaac was missing a part of his left forearm and his left hand. The radiologist stated that he saw his right hand clearly and the left upper arm, his left elbow and then it was a clear stopping point. This obviously came as a shock to Curtis and I. The radiologist also said that everything else seemed healthy and normal size. I initially handled it with grace and even a little humor stating that it was obvious he wouldn't be left handed. As we headed toward the elevator, the speechless shocking part was over and the tears started flowing. I was feeling guilty like it was my fault, I was feeling pity towards myself, pity towards Isaac, and questions of "how" such as, how will he be able to crawl? How will he be able to button his clothes, zip a zipper? How hard will it be when he is frustrated with the things he won't be able to do? How will we handle when he gets stared at and made fun of in school? I cried for the majority of the rest of the day.
The next day was my regular monthly appointment. My doctor said that he personally had never seen this before and instantly referred us to the Maternal Fetal Medicine department of the hospital. By Wednesday night I was feeling pretty much normal again. I knew that being worried over it was not going to help me or Isaac, however it was still heavy on my heart because I could feel the stress actually in my legs of all places. Wednesday night I also started meditating on Psalms 139, specifically verses 13-16
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
I then decided how foolish of me to feel guilty or worried. This missing hand is NOT a malformation, it is a GOD formation! This is the way that God has formed him! God does not and can not make mistakes! HE is the ONE who has formed Isaac, HE is the ONE who knitted him together in my womb. Isaac is FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made! And THAT is stinking awesome and incredible! PRAISE GOD!
That brings us up to today. We saw the MFM doctors and had a really long ultrasound to confirm the other technician and sure enough, his wrist and hand are gone. I thought that I would cry when I saw it, but God's grace carried me through. After talking to a Genetic counselor and seeing the doctor, they are strongly leaning that this is a isolated incident, everything else on Isaac is right on! We will have another ultrasound in about 4 weeks to get measurements that he is still too small for. We may never know scientifically what happened to his wrist and hand. We are leaning that a amniotic band(that is formed early) wrapped around his limb and as he grew the band became tighter, cutting off the circulation, and finally severing the limb completely off and then the limb being so small was reabsorbed into the amniotic fluid.
I am not worried about the labor or delivery but I would appreciate and covet your prayers for raising Isaac in the fear of the Lord. I am already praying that I would not coddle him or show pity towards him. It is going to be difficult for me to remember that I need to train and discipline him the same way I did/do with my other three kids. I need to hold him to the same standard. I don't want him growing up expecting pity from the world. That is going to be hard. Again, thank you for your prayers, continue to pray for us, as we continue to pray for you!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Please Pray for Sam
Please pray for Sam Vanderpool! He was in my class at Grace Academy. He is now at UW Medical Center for acute live failure. The doctors (in their infinite wisdom) told him that it would take a miracle for him to live long enough to receive a new liver. Well, thankfully and sovereignly I know a SOMEONE who is big enough and controls ALL THINGS, including liver transplants!!
This is from Sam's older brother David Vanderpool
"As many of you know, my brother has been hospitalized with a blood infection and acute liver failure. A week ago the doctor said it would take a miracle for him to overcome the blood infection and it would take yet another miracle for him to live long enough to get a liver transplant. It seems we've been blessed with ...miracle #1 . . . and while we get ready for miracle #2, Sam would to have a little fun.
He has asked me to start an NCAA men's basketball tournament pool. Winner gets something awesome . . . like an autographed bed pan ;).
Please fax your bracket (along with a personal note to Sam, if you like) to 1-866-599-8174 or email it to me at DavidRockVanderpool@gmail.com, by game time Thursday. I will print them all up and hand them over to Sam and Mom.
Also, Sam asked that you include any prayer requests. No request is to small!
Typical Sammy Boy.
Thanks for all your prayer and support, we love you too!!!"
I know that his family would appreciate your prayers!
This is from Sam's older brother David Vanderpool
"As many of you know, my brother has been hospitalized with a blood infection and acute liver failure. A week ago the doctor said it would take a miracle for him to overcome the blood infection and it would take yet another miracle for him to live long enough to get a liver transplant. It seems we've been blessed with ...miracle #1 . . . and while we get ready for miracle #2, Sam would to have a little fun.
He has asked me to start an NCAA men's basketball tournament pool. Winner gets something awesome . . . like an autographed bed pan ;).
Please fax your bracket (along with a personal note to Sam, if you like) to 1-866-599-8174 or email it to me at DavidRockVanderpool@gmail.com, by game time Thursday. I will print them all up and hand them over to Sam and Mom.
Also, Sam asked that you include any prayer requests. No request is to small!
Typical Sammy Boy.
Thanks for all your prayer and support, we love you too!!!"
I know that his family would appreciate your prayers!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thank You Lord!
Yesterday Hannah and Curtis got home from work late. All Hannah had time to do before bed was eat a super quick dinner and take a bath. While she was eating dinner though, she told me that during her last recess, she asked God to come into her heart and clean it of her sin! How awesome is that!! God has chosen to call and save my oldest! I rejoiced with her and gave her many hugs and kisses, and all she could reply is that she loved my and now she has a clean heart. Now here comes the hard part. Encouraging a five year old in her new faith, teaching her how to love Jesus more, how to listen to that still small voice inside of her that is the Holy Spirit, and how to keep short accounts between her and Christ in confession of sin. Please be praying for Hannah, Curtis and I as we go through this together. Praise God! Only time will tell if she is truly saved, but still I will rejoice! I definitely think that she knows what it mean to be saved, as any five year old would know. She knows that she has sin in her heart, she knows what her specific sins look like, she knows that only God through Jesus can make her heart clean, and she knows that after her heart is clean it can get little dirt on it again that has to be washed off by saying your sorry when you sin to God. I love it! I love this stage!! Praise God!
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