moving mountains

"...For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, 
you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, 
and nothing will be impossible to you."  

Matthew 17:20

This week has found me heavy hearted for a dear friend. Along with many others, I am being called to walk beside her, encourage her, and pray for her. It is a beautiful thing to see so many stand together with her and for her, in solidarity.

In addition to the heaviness I feel for my friend, I have also struggled with what I would call spiritual warfare - the attack of the Enemy on my internal being, aiming at my soul. It has left me irritable, angry, sleepless, unproductive and wrestling with myself. I am weighed down by the burden of all this ugliness in my own life. Upon inquiry, it seems that some of the others lifting up this friend are experiencing similar weighty-ness.

Why? I wondered. Why would we be the ones experiencing these blatant spiritual attacks? Why this group of women on the outside? We are walking a friend through a difficult time, and feel elated at the opportunity to be there for her. So why this wrestle in our own darkness?

Because we are moving mountains.

I am not sure how it works, but somewhere in the spiritual realm our prayers are being heard. They are powerful, effective, faithful. They are the opposite of what sin and Satan want to accomplish. Prayer changes the path of darkness being etched into our lives. Prayer sets the Light in motion.

People tell me they want to do something. Praying doesn't feel like enough. That is the voice of one who wants to distract from the only thing that does make a difference.  Though we may feel ineffective, the Enemy's attack is proof that we are deemed worthy opponents. Prayer is the one thing that will move a mountain of this magnitude and our prayers are changing a life. So, one fistful at a time, let's move this mountain.

"...For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, 
you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, 
and nothing will be impossible to you."  

Matthew 17:20

The words in Isaiah struck a encouraging chord in my heart this week, promising that though we are in a desert wilderness, one day the mountain will forever be gone, the valleys raised up, the rough and rugged places made smooth...

"In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; 

make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 

Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; 

the rough ground shall become level, 

the rugged places a plain. 

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together."  

Isaiah 40:3-5

39 weeks

39 weeks today!

39 weeks and my clothes must be shrinking in the wash. I am positive the shirt I am wearing today fit me last week without showing off my midriff or the stretchy top panel on my maternity jeans.

39 weeks and I am doing a lot of parenting from the couch... which unfortunately, doesn't work as well.

39 weeks and I am officially not cooking dinner anymore. Alright, if you know me well you know that I stopped a few months ago, but it seems like 39 weeks is an appropriate time to claim it. Officially making frozen meals and take-out for the next few weeks.

39 weeks and my belly button is still an inny, not an outy. Well, you can call it flat, at least. I suppose it is nothing to brag about.

39 weeks and I am still trying to kick a cough left over from a headcold that my kindergartener brought home from school last week. She seemed unphased by the virus, but it knocked me flat and I haven't quite been able to get up again.

39 weeks and my doctor told me I should buy cupcakes to bring into Annike's class for her birthday instead of make them. I cannot tell you how very difficult it was for me to grasp this idea, and I went back and forth on it at least 10 times. I really wanted to bake them and decorate them so cute, and making them myself seems like the economical thing to do. Would I be disappointing my daughter if I didn't bake them myself? The answer is definitely no. She and her classmates loved the cake pops I BOUGHT, and at a dollar each for a class of 11 students it really did not break the bank. I shouldn't sound so surprised that my doctor was right.

39 weeks and we are in the middle of mad crazy birthday week, with Annike's on the 19th, Sommer's on the 22nd, and Baby due to make an appearance any day. My biggest challenge is resting enough because there are soooo many other things I need (want?) to be doing.

39 weeks and I am slow. Oh so slow. Heaven forbid I walk out the door and forget something because it delays us by 8 more minutes as I amble back and forth from the car to the house and around the house looking for whatever it is. We are late. For everything.

39 weeks and I am more in love with these girls than ever before... and so excited to add another little someone to the family!

In these final days before Baby makes his or her grand entry into our lives I need to ask any and all for your prayers. I have done this with each of my other pregnancies and been SO blessed by the results seen and felt almost immediately in my life. I want to thank you now for anything you offer up in prayer for me. Here are a few specifics...

• Health - A healthy baby and a healthy Momma are the most important outcomes!  Please join me in praying for this.

• Rest - My sleep is  interupted I am often awake for two or more hours in the night... so frustrating because I am simultaneously exhausted. Pray that I can sleep well, and that during the day I will know when my body is telling me to get back on the couch.

• Timing - One of our biggest anxieties is making it to the hospital in time. My babies come fast and we would like prayer for the timing to be perfect, as only God can decide. I was also 2 weeks past my due date when I had Sommer (which was one of the most tedious and exhausting things I have ever done) and I would love to not repeat that.

• Decisions - We have some big decisions to make in the next week... like a name for our child. Yes, we have procrastinated making that decision. We are also faced with the option of induction because of my speedy labors. Pray for us to be wise!

Thank you. Thank you thank you. I am so grateful for your participation in this big event in our lives. And while I am spending some extra time on the couch this week, I would love to pray for you too... so let me know what you need whispered up to heaven and I will petition right along side of you!

*** post update on 9/21/13 - I had a restful night's sleep for the first time in a long while!  Due to the rain drizzling outside the window last night? Probably not. I am convinced it was due to one or two or more extra prayers lifted up.  Thank you! ***

legacy

I come from a long line of believers. On my mother's side of the family I have had aunts and uncles and great-aunts and great-uncles that have been missionaries to places all over Africa, the middle east, and various countries in South America.

My mother spent the first portion of her memorable life in Liberia, Africa where my grandparents were a big part of setting up a Christian radio station. This station is still broadcasting today.

One set of great-grandparents spent over 50 years in French West Guinea, (currently Sierra Leone) ministering the to the muslim Fula tribes people.

My other great-grandpa was born in Syria, living in Egypt, when he became a believer through some Presbyterian missionaries. It seems to me a conversion that must have been rare and unusual in the early 1900s. Sometime during his young adult years, after his father abandoned the family and his mother and two siblings died, he emigrated to the United States where he married Great-Grandma and spent the latter part of his life as a pastor.

It is this set of great-grandparents, Charles and Mildred, that stand out in my mind as the patriarchs for a legacy of prayer that has been left to our family. Great-Grandpa had his faults, of course. He was known for being a somewhat opinionated male, and for giving long-winded blessings for the food while it got cold. But he and his wife began a legacy of prayer that is still living on today.

I am told this godly couple made it a priority to get down on their knees every morning and pray together. They prayed for a number of things, but it is said that they consistently prayed for their family, all 7 of their children, and all 30-something of their grandchildren by name. And although they passed on when I was around the age of 6, I imagine that they prayed for me too.

You may not believe it, but all 7 of their children became passionate Christ-followers. They each raised their families to believe and follow Jesus, and an incredibly high percentage of those 30-something cousins have raised their families to believe and follow Jesus too. It beats all of the church statistics. Out of this line came the numerous missionaries to countries all over the world that I mentioned above, as well as many others who are living out their beliefs on a daily basis.

My Grandma Grace is the 2nd in line of the 7 children, former missionary to Liberia, and is the first person I think of when I am in desperate need of prayers. This is a woman who knows how to talk to God.

Grandma Grace with 5 of her 7 great-grandchildren.

We had the privilege of celebrating her 86th birthday with her a few weeks ago. She is "retired" but still living out a life long passion to see others encouraged and exhorted as they walk with the Lord.

We timed Grandma Grace's birthday celebration to include a visit from my cousins and their 3 delightful children.

This precious family makes their home in the middle east and are traveling stateside for the summer only. We felt extremely privileged that their busy summer schedule allowed them a few restful days with us, to connect, to fellowship, to pray, to listen, to encourage, and to simply stop and enjoy the sounds of our giggling children while they played together. I wish I could say more about their daily lives, where each day they are confronted with tough choices about how to love people best and how to live believing in a counter-American culture. They are in the process of making some big life decisions that will affect the future of their family. Will you consider joining me to pray alongside them?

Spending time with my extended family often causes me to feel a convicting sort of humility as I realize what an undeserved blessing my family has passed down in the form of prayers. This rich and unusual legacy, begun four generations ago, has produced changed lives.

There are not very many wealthy people in the family, or any second homes or great vacation cabins we will visit with our kids, or valuable antiques that were handed down. But I would not trade the legacy of prayer for anything else I could have inherited.

I feel a strong calling upon my life to ensure that this legacy continues, so that my children, and my children's children, and my nieces and nephews and great grandchildren can identify the beginning of the powerful effect that the prayers of others have had in their lives.

Perhaps you desire a similar legacy for your own family? Don't think when you read this that it is ever too late. You choose the legacy you leave. You have the power to begin it.

baby update

As we anticipate the arrival of our little baby girl, life has slowed to a pace that seems much more managable.  I am currently 37 weeks along, and finally feel like it would be okay if she arrived because we have actually had some time to get ready for another phase of babyhood. 

Reflecting upon this pregnancy, I feel prompted to elicit the prayer of anyone who feels compelled to lift our little family up.  In order to understand some of my prayer requests, it might be helpful to have a brief synopsis of my prenatal history.  Please know that as it currently stands, I am overwhelmingly grateful to have had an overall healthy pregnancy despite some concerns along the way. 

During my last pregnancy I developed high blood pressure around 38 weeks which resulted in an extra long hospital stay for me due to postpartum preeclampsia.  This time around, the doctor has been watching me closely (translation:  there have only been two weeks this entire summer that I have not been in for an appointment of some sort.)  When I entered my third trimester, there was some concern that my amniotic fluid levels were too high, which can be a sign of some birth defects or the baby's inability to swallow and/or expel fluid.  After taking a closer look, it was determined that Baby looks great and I just happen to have a lot of fluid in there for her!  On a whim, I asked the doctor how my measurements compared to my pregnancy with Annike.  It turns out that I had the exact same screening measurements in both pregnancies, they just never caught the high fluid levels last time because I was not being watched as closely with ultrasounds.  Annike turned out just fine and I have every confidence that her baby sister will too.  At 37 weeks, I have finally reached term in my pregnancy, and it would be safe to deliver this child any day now!  Thank You, Lord!

This profile shot shows the newest little bundle during a detailed 31-week ultrasound.

It is hard to tell from the picture, but Christian and I thought she looked just like Annike when we were watching the ultrasound.  There was a view of the bottom of her nose and the resemblance was incredible!  I know she will have her own little characteristics, but it is really hard to imagine having a baby that looks any different than our first... and I would not complain one bit if she came out looking exactly the same!

There are sure to be a great many changes in our home soon.  We would be extremely grateful if any of you prayerful individuals wanted to add one more item to your list, and petition our Majestic Creator for a safe delivery, a smooth transition, and a healthy child.  More specific prayer requests are itemized below:

Prayer Requests:
- A healthy finish to the pregnancy.  With only 3 more weeks to go it would be an amazing blessing if I did not develop high blood pressure or preeclampsia in this final stretch.  The preeclampsia I developed with my last pregnancy resulted in a hospital stay that was mentally one of the most difficult obstacles I have ever overcome.  I would like to not repeat it.

- Safe labor that is quick, but allows enough time to get me to the hospital.  My last labor experience was fast (two and a half hours long) and while that was a blessing in many ways, it also leaves me with nightmares about making it to the hospital this time around.  This is currently the source of my greatest anxiety.

- Just the right name for our baby girl.  Why does naming a child feel like such a weighty responsibility?  I feel confident that our little nameless one will exit the hospital named, and loved, but it seems worthy of dedicating thought and prayer to the subject.

- A smooth transition into parenting 2 children.  Life will be changing.  Though I know God has created me fully capable of raising a second child, I feel anxious about the unknowns in my future.  Namely, the demands on my time, the amount of help that I need, and how I will respond to the upset in the balance of my life.

- That Annike will feel loved and welcomed in the family despite the changes to her little world.  In my heart I believe that bringing a sibling into the picture is one of the best things for her character development that we can provide.  But I also know that there will be some tantrums and some feelings of rejection that accompany the new addition.  I pray for the wisdom to handle it all in the most appropriate way.

- The ability to raise two daughters in a Godly manner.  It seems like a huge responsibility to parent a girl in such a way that she will grow to be an adult who makes wise decisions, has godly character, and chooses to live her life in purity.  It feels like a huge responsibility because it IS!  We do not take that lightly.
Thank you for joining us in prayer for our family.  This next season is likely to be trying emotionally, a stretch in our relationship, exhausting, and at the same time one of the most wonderful seasons we have ever walked through as a family.  By praying for us, you too get to be a part of the amazing, life-changing, things God is going to do in our lives.

intercession

Intercession - prayer on behalf of another. It naturally arises from the instinct of the human heart—not merely prompted by affection and interest, but recognizing that God’s relation to man is not merely individual, but social. (blueletterbible.org)

(Praying Hands)


Anything we do on behalf of another, motivated by purely unselfish means, connects us to the heart of God. He designed us for a life on earth that is not merely individual in purpose, but social as well. Our ability to see others, love them, and act with kindness towards them, must be forefront in His design for us. After all, the greatest command is to "Love the Lord your God... and to Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:36-39)

Intercession is a word I only understand in the core of my being. Putting words to something grasped at the spirit level is a challenge. But the act of true intercession for another puts us at the closest to God's own heart for people as we will ever be. It is the act of praying on behalf of another whole-heartedly in the interests of God Himself, not merely prompted by our own selfish interests. When we are moved by the Spirit of God to intercede we are in our humblest, most unselfish, state. We are relying solely on the mercy of God for another human being. Crying out to Him as if we cared as much about this other person as we do about ourselves. We are in touch with God's heart, and we are powerful in prayer.

Being moved for a loved one who is broken to the point of despair, I find myself on my knees on the behalf of someone else. Crying out, as if it were my own heart that was broken because this person has no strength left to cry out. Perhaps this is one more way that God takes care of His broken children - by giving others strength for them. How comforting to know that God may one day take care of me in this way. That God has taken care of me like this in the past. Out of a power not my own, I am given God's heart, the clarity to ask for Majesty, Justice, Truth, and HOPE.

To pray for another with God's own heart is to glimpse a picture of God's initial intentions for us so long ago when He created the world in perfection. A glimpse of what our world will be like one day.


We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26