Trusting God, Together

I just read a book review on one of my old time favorite sites, LAF, and it reminded me of the overwhelming peace and blessing that comes from trusting God, together.

While my Love and I were still just brother and sister in Christ (ie, before we were engaged) we discussed all kinds of things and soon knew that we were in agreement regarding who should control of the womb. But once betrothed, some topics are destined to be discussed again when you see the bright possibility of becoming a parent glowing in the seemingly near future.

So one evening we discussed it together.

The thought of controlling, planning, tracking, and stressing about having children was… stressing me out! We exchanged a few phrases trying to... I don't know... just discuss it. Then, he said it, the words that set me free!

“Why don’t we just trust God with it.”

Pure. Simple. No words can fully describe the immense swell of peace that I was lifted upon after he said that! Exactly what was busting to get out of my heart came lovingly sweet out of his mouth. I smiled at him and quietly gave my wholehearted agreement! No matter what other's thought, we stood together under God. And the peace of standing under the shadow of His wings is entirely immeasurable!

We bring so much misery (fear, stress, selfishness, anxiety, guilt, frustration…) upon ourselves when we try to take the control of something away from God. It’s an understatement to say that God knows what He’s doing! We open ourselves up to so many blessings (peace, oneness, rest, increased faith, freedom, unity…) when we quit fighting God and acknowledge that He is Sovereign and will work it all (many children, few children, or no children) for our good and His glory!

Just voicing my thanks for the leading of our Lord

in the leading of my Beloved

in the oneness of our hearts and life as we

trust God, together.

1st Fathers Day with her in person!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

TO MY

HANDSOME MAN!!!

Wow. He is a dad!

And I am so glad!

To Know

My first sunrise on what was then David's land. This glory followed a beautiful chilly starlit night spent sleeping under the blanket of heaven with my wonderful father and dear brother David! March 17, 2007

There's a part of our story I often forget to tell. A sampling of a book just reminded me of the sweetness of this memory faded, but still pursued yearning.

December 12, 2006

When David and I were still just getting to know each other as friends and dear brother and sister, he would tell stories from his past, like he still does. And somehow every detail would stay fast in my mind. I knew with absolute certainty if he'd told us that story before; I knew details of a past story that influenced the writing of a current story. Somehow, I could remember almost everything.

First picture ever taken of just us. I'd asked him if he wanted to make cookies with me. He seemed intrigued my my offer, smilingly accepted, and somehow we wound up with cookie on our noses! February 2007

Over for dinner and sharing a childhood book... and more stories! March 9, 2007

Nearly every time he'd finish a story I would have this unfamiliar ache to know more. I would look my brother in the eye and my mind would cry out, "I want to know him!" I did n0t have a "crush" on him or any feelings like that, he was just my friend and brother in Christ, "in all purity". But no matter what our relationship was, I couldn't shake this urge to know more. My curiosity had been stirred, and more than that, my sincere interest. I remember one specific night sitting on the couch, him on his traditional end and me on mine, looking at him, watching him, that friend, that brother, that man, and having that phrase, "I want to know him" resounding inescapably loud in my mind.

And yet, I knew my place. I knew that to know him, to hear the heart, to fathom who he was, to share the visions, to feel the emotions, to understand the man was the honorable and treasured privilege of his wife. So I refrained. The Lord knew my desire, for I believe He filled me with it, and I surrendered it to Him to hold power over. I loved David as a brother, and I did not want to take anything from the woman who would be his wife. To really know him was her gift and privilege, and I knew that. I prayed for her and hoped she would be my friend. :)

March/April 2007.

The day after we'd spent the night on his land (see first pic). Others joined us that day, but I had this desire to be where ever he was. I fought it, "I need to spend time with other folks too!" I instructed myself; but I had this strange desire to go where ever he went, do what ever he did. The Lord works in mysterious and wondrous ways!

The Lord worked and wooed; He blessed and inspired; He led and fed. We grew close, the Lord brought us close.

Hiking late March/early April 2007

He began to knit our minds...

"And I will give them a heart to know me, that I Am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." Jeremiah24:7

and soon our hearts...

"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and He shall give thee the desire of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. " Psalm 37:4-5

and now our lives!

"And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and their children after them..." Isiah 32:39

Covenanted together. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. May 2, 2007

And now

I am his wife.

I bear that honorable treasured privilege.

Now I seek and ache and yearn and crave and pray to

boundlessly know him,

to hear his heart, to fathom who he is, to share his visions, to feel his emotions, to understand my man. The desire is still there,

but now I fan the flame!

This knowing never ends.

O God help me never forget what a magnificent gift I've been given! Make me worthy of such a pleasurable and immense gift! Give me wisdom and grace to not neglect my privilege but to reverence and love my husband according to Your Word.

THANK YOU LORD FOR MY BELOVED, THE CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND!

Bearing Reproof

Today I was doing a little reading regarding child training and read the verse "The rod and reproof give wisdom" Provers 29:15. The article I was reading pointed out that "Reproof is delivered in words. Reproof is designed to impart wisdom and understanding. Reproof corrects the child's perspective and give him a reason to ovey that is higher than fear. " This made me wonder what exactly "reproof" means, and there with the definition was this quote from Pope:

"Those best can bear reproof, who merit praise."

I only have one young child so I don't know a whole lot, but I've been observing other parent-child relations for 20 years, so I've learned a smidgen. ;) I read once that our words of correction should be very few in comparison to the kind words of encouragement and love that we speak to our children. But I thought, "It seems I say so much in the ways of training and correction!" Well then, start talking to her more!!! When she's playing contentedly go to her, look her in the eyes and smile really big and say I love you randomly throughout the day. When we catch each other's eyes, smile, if I'm not smiling already! Increase the number of words I speak so that the majority will be joyful and encouraging words!

Picture an "older" child, say 4 years old. Think how much better he would receive reproof if it was just the sprinkles on a whole cupcake of praise and encouragement!

Just a thought that encouraged me that I thought I'd write down...

P.S. WE'VE BEEN IN THE NEW HOUSE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW!!! WOOHOO! I'll give a more substantial update later.

A thought and a choice...

"If we're going to laugh at it later

we might as well laugh at it now."

~Enjoying lots of love & laughter & life... ;)

Blank Please!

Mrs. Ahlgren needs to find blank paper for packing things up! Obituaries etc. are way too distracting. There was one lady who was 103 years old!

The "profile pic" is my sister and me laughing REALLY hard when we were 12 and 10.

Perspective

Matthew6:25-33

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.