God is Bigger

Today has been one of those days where I feel like I just cannot catch up. I didn't even cook dinner last night and somehow the dishes keep piling up! I've made a number of attempts to pick up the house (that was spotless yesterday, by the way!) and feel like nothing changes. So I gave up. We went on a nice walk this absolutely gorgeous day, and then I blew up Marie's little pool and we played in it and with the hose and the sprinkler.

I'm suddenly speechless. How do I describe how I feel about today? Let's see... if I close my eyes to the clutter, the ridiculous amount of packing left to do, the piles of laundry to put away... I can't because that is part of my life. And I can't imagine life any better! The sweet moments listening to my daughter giggle as she splashes in her tiny pool we got for a dollar at a garage sale before she was even born, are just reminders that no matter where we are, what we have, who we're with, as long as I have my little family (that is growing rapidly!) I can't imagine life any better.

It's so easy to forget that. Maybe that is why God sort of forced me to give up on the house and spend time getting some vitamin D with my favorite little Goober. I needed to remember.

On the flip side, I have a little complaining... no, expressing of concerns to do. Jack is not due until July 8. But that date really has very little relevance (other than being my Baby Girl's 2nd birthday of course!) now that we have a csections scheduled for July 1. I know even that date is still 2 weeks and 2 days away, but each day that passes, I get a little bit more anxious for this child to come on his own. At church Sunday, Dr. Mike was talking about the end times. He makes it so easy to understand, I learned a lot! Anyway, the passage was 1 Thess. 5 and in verse 3 it says, "While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then desctruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape." Dr. Mike was commenting on how moms and dads know what that's like. My heart just sank. While it has absolutely nothing to do with the passage, all I could think about was how I'm a mom who has no idea what it's like.

Oh brother, now I'm gonna cry.

I know it's probably insane to desperately want to go into labor and feel all the pain involved. Especially after a glitch-free csection where I not only felt no pain, I felt nothing! And it was actually glorious. But I can't shake the feeling that I'm just not a very good mom if I can't even give birth to my own child. Or at least attempt to.

God knows my heart better than even I do, and I'm working hard to rest in His perfect plan. But I am human, I am a mom, and I long to give birth to my little.. I mean BIG... JackJack. I can't help but be jealous of all the women that I keep coming across who have lived through their ideal birthing experience. It's completely out of my hands, which is definitely a very good thing, but is also incredibly hard.

On Thursday I'll be 37 weeks. For 37 weeks (or somewhere around there), we've been praying for Jack to come on his own on this day - June 17th. Please pray with us! God's will be done! His is WAY better than mine!

35 Weeks

Today I am 35 weeks pregnant. 4 weeks from right now I will either be in the recovery room attempting to nurse my chunky son for the first time while still having no feeling in the majority of my body, or comfortably at home with my precious son and daughter, probably thoroughly stressed out and incredibly happy at the same time. (I think only mom's can truly understand that!)

We're continually praying that Jack comes on his own very soon, but we know that God's timing is perfect. In the meantime, we're attempting to encourage him to come soon any way that we can. For the past two days I've spent almost any sitting down time on my yoga ball. Come, baby, come!

Packing is coming along... very slowly. We just got back from vacation last Saturday. I'm sure I'll post about that soon. But for now, it's time to work. My goal is 6 boxes a day... I better get to work!

July 1 @ 7am - scheduled csection.
July 12 - moving day!

This is an ultrasound picture of our Jack Edward at 30 weeks.  Doesn't he look just like his daddy??

It's All Working Together for GOOD.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Phil. 4:6)

That verse kinda describes the past couple of years of our lives as we've sought God's plan for us. The past couple of years have been racked with anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, and often the lack of thanksgiving and even prayer. And because of that, God has included this verse in His Word to repremand us, teach us, grow us, change us.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:7)

Peace is the result of leaving it all before the Lord. By the grace of God, we've been able to leave it all before Him and have been blessed with peace concerning this huge coming change in our lives...

Derek was officially offered a job in Elkhart, Indiana. We've decided to accept it. We will be saying goodbye to our first home, the only home we've known since we've been married. Where we've built our little family. We'll be *tearfully* leaving Scranton behind in July.

We'd appreciate all your prayers as we transition. Between now and July 16 we are going on vacation, packing the house, giving birth to our second child, finding a house in Elkhart, and moving 600 miles away. Lots to do!

I love being a mom!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Yesterday my father-in-law thanked me for being a part of the family and raising his grandkid(s). Honestly I couldn't help but think how ridiculous it seemed that he was thanking me! I am the one who is grateful to be a part of the Jacobs family and be able to raise my beautiful, wonderful, amazing gifts from God. I am so incredibly undeserving and blessed. Thank You, Father, for blessing me with the opportunity, responsibility, gift of being a wife and a mom!

Since I've already gone on and on about how much I love my child and how wonderful it is to be a parent in past posts, I'll just leave you with this Mother's Day picture...

PS - Stay tuned for some serious and important updates on our life...

Casting Crowns

Derek and I won tickets to see Casting Crowns in State College, PA last week. It was amazing, of course! A great birthday present for me. We also enjoyed hearing Caleb and Tenth Avenue North. Loved all three. Both Tenth Ave. North and Casting Crowns played my favorites so I decided to share one.

Casting Crowns never fails to come out with songs that are incredibly convicting and often exactly what I need to hear. I will never forget when I first heard "Slow Fade." I had been praying about a situation that seemed to rear its ugly head over night. Right then, Slow Fade came on the radio. It was literally like God was responding to my prayer of confusion, not only opening my eyes to the truth of the situation, but convicting me personally to constantly be on guard.


Everybody needs to watch this video and listen to the lyrics. While there is a specific story told in this video, it applies to every area in life. Ask God if there is a chain in your life leading you toward something horrible, and make sure to break that chain now before it's too late.