Our baby's first picture!

Hello friends-
I just wanted to share with you baby walkup's first photo :) The appointment was great and we got to see a strong heartbeat. Thanks for all your prayers. Much love! -RW

Week 7

Today marks the start of week 7. Thanks for all the encouragement yesterday. I feel a little better today. I picked up a prescription that my doctor called in. It's called Zofran and so far it's working pretty good. Definitely takes the edge off, which is HUGE! I learned that my sweet lil' baby's (which i already think is a girl) brain is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Her arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place. Isn't that amazing!! God is creating a masterpiece and it's inside of me. I think that is incredible. It's such an honor to be a part of this creation. Anyway, I better get going but I love being able to share this with you. I will update after my doctor appointment next week. We will get to see the heartbeat :)

So blessed,
Rachael

Let go and let God....

I got this awesome devotional this morning and just wanted to share with you all...

Surrender: Let Go and Let God Work
by Rick Warren


Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GWT)

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Surrendering your life means:

· Following God’s lead without knowing where he’s sending you;

· Waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come;

· Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;

· Trusting God’s purpose without understanding the circumstances.

You know you’re surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work.You don’t have to always be in charge. Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You are not self-serving, you don’t edge others out, and you don’t demand your rights.

The most difficultthing for many people to surrender is their money. Many have thought, “I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday.”

Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life, because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money,” (Matthew 6:24 NIV)and “Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NIV).

The supreme example of self-surrender is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion Jesus surrendered himself to God’s plan. He prayed, “Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine” (Mark 14:36 NLT).

Jesus didn’t pray, “God, if you’re able to take away this pain, please do so.” He began by affirming that God can do anything! He prayed, “God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that’s what I want, too.”

Genuine surrender says, “Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my life or in another’s life, please don’t take it away!”

This level of maturity doesn’t come easy.In Jesus’ case, he agonized so much over God’s plan that he sweat drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

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Just an update on me, I am very nauseous 24/7. Please say some prayers for me. I actually called the doctor to see about getting some medication. The nauseousness is interfering with everything. I can't work a full day, I can't do anything at home, and i'm not eating near enough because of the fear of throwing up. I don't want to complain because I am so happy to be pregnant. So we will see what the doc says. Thanks in advance for your prayers!

My big opportunity is....

BEING A MOMMY!!!!!



That's right, I have a child growing inside me! And just think all those days of freaking out over fear. Silly me! I wrestled with trying to decide when to post this on my blog, facebook, twitter, etc. But finally decided that this is a life and it deserves to be celebrated. Instead of keeping this miracle of God a secret, I decided to tell everyone. My main reason was prayer. I'd rather you be praying right now for this baby's development than you not knowing. So please join me in prayer for this sweet child of God!

And most importantly-PRAISE THE LORD! I've been waiting on Him to bless us with a child and I couldn't be more excited!

Some news...

Hello my readers,

I have an exciting opportunity that I will share with you next week. Just wanted to get your attention!

Stay tuned!

Love-Rachael

Eternal inheritance

This quote was in my morning daily devotional....

"Your eternal inheritance is priceless, pure, permanent, and protected; no one can take it from you. It can’t be destroyed by war, a poor economy, or disaster. This inheritance, not retirement, is what you should be looking forward to; retirement is a shortsighted goal."

What does that mean to you? And how do you balance retirement vs eternity? Funny- this happens to go right along with the message series my church is doing right now. You can click here and watch the "Balanced" series.

Have a blessed day!

Love-Rachael