Taking a Break

Dear Fellow Bloggers,

I want to thank you for being such wonderful friends! I sure do appreciate those of you who regularly read my blog because you care for me as a person and a friend. I know there are those who check here often as spectators and that is okay with me if they are encouraged in some way.

First of all, everything is going okay so far with the babies. I have another doctor's appointment next week on the 4th which will also be my 45th Birthday. I am happy I was born. I am mostly happy because I have precious family that I have the privilege to love on and care for. Yes, that is the main reason I am happy that God saw fit to knit me together in my beautiful mother's womb.

Our family is going through an unexpected crisis that I cannot share at this time. We are broken and hurting. To those of you who truly care and pray for our family, we would appreciate your ongoing and possibly increased prayers during this very difficult and perplexing time.

Because of this stressful time, I have decided to take a break from blogging. I will keep you updated on the twins as they are due on December 23rd. However, my doctors believe I will go into labor way before that.

If you feel prompted to pray, please ask the Lord to bring peace and strength to us . We need His wisdom and patience. We need comfort and encouragement. We need people to come along beside us who will not judge but help us during this time. Friends are pretty scarce at this season in our lives.

Sending blessings and love to all. And I will be back in the right time!

Ange

The Goodwill Thrill

(click on photos to get a closer look!)

I know what the Dr. said! No more going to the store. But folks I am going stir crazy. This morning I decided to check out our new Goodwill store just down the street...just to get out of the cabin for a spell! I thought I might try to find a couple of gowns but with no luck. BUT...I did find these! We still needed a bumper pad for the crib. It is on the left. It only cost $5.99 and looks like new. I also found this matching set which includes the crib skirt, diaper holder, and 3 padded wall hangers.
I am so excited! The ballerina wall hangers were only .69 each!! The crib skirt was only 2.99 and the diaper holder was only 1.99! And they all look new. I would have paid over $100 for all of this in the retail stores!
I also found a bag of sweet girlie goodies for 2.99. Inside were bibs, burp clothes, socks, and two sets of booties. Here is one of them! So cute!!
And here are the two sets of booties along with pretty head bands for the girls. I ended up with a set of 10 for $4.99!!
And here is big sister Heather sporting the girlie head bands! She is excited about her new baby sisters who are soon to arrive.

Thanks for letting me share my fun and excitement with you! It really is a wonderful feeling and brings such a great sense of accomplishment to find such pretty things for such little money! YIPEE!!!

Blessings everyone!

Ange

We had a pretty productive Saturday. The teenage boys took the younger children outside to clean up the yard. Then the older ones mowed, pulled weeds, and trimmed trees and shrubs. Hubby went grocery shopping at two stores. He saved 100 dollars and only spent $100!! YIPEE! Basically, I just delegated and told every else what to do since I am off my feet for the most part. I cut coupons and made lists.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. As I am writing this, John and the teenagers are making plates for dinner. And we used two crock pots early in the day to save on time and stress.

My 15 year old cooked three pounds of ground beef and put it in one of the crock pots. He added water and 3 packages of taco sauce. It has been simmering all afternoon and the house smells delish!! John is chopping up tomatoes, lettuce and onion for the tacos.

Around 4 o'clock this afternoon my 17 year old son used another crock pot to make this yummy recipe !


Cheese Dip (from the "Fix and Forget It Cookbook")

2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese softened
3 15 1/2 oz. cans chili (we used Hormel with beans)
2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
tortilla chips

Spread cream cheese in bottom of slow cooker.

Spread chili on top of cream cheese.

Top with shredded cheese.

Cover. Cook on low 1-1/2 hour until cheese is melted. Stir.

Serve with tortilla chips.

YUMMY!

I had a sample earlier and it is so good.

Well...gotta go. The family is waiting on me. There are all at the table and I do not want to miss supper!!!

Talk to you later friends!!


Ange

Quick Update

Just wanted to thank the few of you who are praying...God has heard. Fluid levels in the babies' sacs have dropped from border line high to a normal reading!! I really appreciate those of you who have taken time to pray for me and the babies! Hopefully, I will not have any visits to the doctor next week! Have a great weekend and bask in the goodness of God!

Love,

Ange

A Walk is Simply a Walk

I have been pondering a lot on different things I have experienced in my journey with the Lord. As you can tell, I am drawing on Him alone right now...leaning, trying to rest, trusting,and relying on the One and only true God. He is real. He is active and attentive. And His strength is perfect in all weakness.

To walk with God is simply a walk. It is amazing how we can become so caught up in religion that we loose the beauty and simplicity that Jesus wants to bring into our lives. When I think of a walk, I think of an uncomplicated activity. He just wants us to live simply as we travel the ordinary road of life. He loves to live and walk with us when we are just going about our way.

I have spoken with people who claim to see angels everyday. And then I have cried out in envy because I do not see them. I hear about supernatural occurrences and I wonder why am I not living in the supernatural each day. Is something wrong with me and my family that God would not come near enough to reveal Himself to me in this way?

Then I realize that the enemy of my heart would try and use anything against me to accuse God and try to make me think I am missing something, thus discouragement sets in.


But what about just a simple walk? Is there a miracle in that? And the Lord says yes! He says the ordinary journey of an ordinary person who walks with me is living in the wonder of miracles each day. Companionship with the Lover of my soul is the miracle that I should seek and live.

Many are being taught today that we should seek the sensational experiences of God. If I seek sensationalism, then maybe I am making it an idol instead of living with contentment in knowing that the Miracle Maker lives in me and with me each day in my simple and ordinary tasks. Oh think about the miracles in that!

So many believers, including myself have sought to find the glory on mountaintops, but there is a work in the valley that is also glorious and there is a Light that shines even when I walk on the level paths of simplistic living. We walk in all places...the hilltops, the flat trails, and through the lowest of valleys. The point is not so much where we are walking, but Whom we are walking with.

Lord, walking with You simply, ordinarily, and without complication is the cry of my heart. I do not seek your miracles...I seek Your heart and Your mind. I seek not sensational experiences from the heavenly realms, but I only seek to stroll beside You moment by moment. To hold Your hand, to hear Your whispers, and to enjoy Your smile.

In Jesus Name!

Update! Speaking of walking, I have to giggle...I am not really walking these days...just wobbling! I had a doctor's appointment yesterday with a fairly good report. I am doing well except my blood pressure has crept up a little. So, here is one more thing the doctor's will have to watch over the next few weeks.

With multiple pregnancies,blood pressure is always a factor because there is so much stress on the heart and the body of the mother. The doctor said she does not expect me to go past 34 to 35 weeks. But only the Lord knows! I am just praying for fully developed lungs for both babies.

Today I go to the specialist for the fluids to be checked with both babies. I am hoping for a good report. Thank you to those who have been praying and checking on me. Your thoughts and concerns mean more that I can say.

I will probably be posting another update this weekend, so check back.

And remember, wherever your feet take you this day, may you walk in the miraculous beauty of Your Saviour's presence!

Love,

Ange

Lessons from the Heavens

There are more stars in the sky, than grains of sand on the seashore.


http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=539329



The Heaven's are Your canvas Master Artist. The Earth is where You want to display the works of Your love!



(This video is 7 minutes long but worth the view....so peaceful. Spend 7 perfect minutes with Your Lord!)

Well, preggy mommy was wide awake at the wee hours of the morning with leg cramps. So, my sweet hubby turned on the hot tub out in the backyard. Pregnant woman are not supposed to get in hot tubs because the high temps are dangerous for babies. So we turned the temperature of the water down and I just sat on the edge with my legs in the jets.

The night temperatures here in AZ are getting cooler but not cold. It was in the 60's and the air was crisp. The stars were so bright and there was actually a meteor shower. As I sat in the quietness of the night, I saw 5 meteors shoot across the glittery sky. At first I did not spot any. However, you have to wait for at least 15 minutes to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark. The strangest thing about observing the sky in hopes of catching a few "shooting stars" is that 4 of them I saw out of the corner of my eye..not directly. I spotted them with my peripheral vision. Being the contemplative person that I am, I had a thought.

To focus on one point helps our vision to expand....at least in the heavenly sense. When I learn to be still, wait, and focus solely on the Lord, He enables me to see much more than I ever could imagine. By setting my eyes on Him, my vision expands and my spiritual eyesight is clearer. Through Him, I can see many things. Through Him I can understand and have a deeper perspective of life. Through Him, I can see the hearts of others and feel their hurts so that I can seize an opportunity to encourage them. By setting my sights on the one STAR of all creation, my blindness is healed and I can drink in His beauty and feel His heart. By soaking in the Light of our wonderous Star, I am filled with peace. There was not much sleep for me during the night. However, I am happy I was able to have that quiet time in the beauty of the night as meteors danced across the sky like diamonds.

So as I focus on Him today, I expect to see and notice many things. And maybe I will not be distracted by trivial matters.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." (Psalm. 19:1)

The Art of Losing Myself....From the Inside Out

This powerful Hillsong worship piece has been playing over and over in my head for weeks now. And I know why. If you watch and listen to the lovely video above, carefully read the lyrics as it plays. There are some phrases that really are applying to me in the season of my life. Here are the lyrics. And I cannot help but raise my arms to my merciful God every time I listen!!

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out

This tune is about the art of losing oneself. And boy has the Lord been confronting me on this issue lately. Sometimes I think I have grown and matured so much only to find that I really need more of his tender work in my heart. The Lord shows us the hidden flaws because He wants to purify and soften our hearts. We all hear this truth and know it. However the reality of it is often not genuine until we are living it. One of the phrases of the song says, "Your will above all else, my purpose remains. The art of losing myself in bringing You praise."

Wow, think of that. "The art of losing myself!" It is about control. Is about relinquishing what "I think" and allowing myself to listen to what the Almighty says, embracing His wisdom and instruction, and allowing Him to change me from the inside out.

Last night before bed I was reading a devotion about character. The writer used a photo of an iceberg to illustrate how others usually only see the tip of the iceberg.
However, hidden beneath the depths of the sea is the largest part and often most damaging.

This photo pretty much illustrates what others around us may see or it may symbolize what we want others to see. The tip of the iceberg in the gleaming light...towering tall in its' majesty and in its' white perfection.This really only represents about 10% of one's skill and glory. However, most of the iceberg is hidden below the water line.
The 90% of the hidden iceberg represents our character. It is what dwells below the surface that can sink a ship. So many times we want to portray that we are strong and able. And in our attempt to do so, we neglect our own character...just like the captain of the Titanic neglected the 6 warnings of an impending iceberg. The result was devastation.

God does not neglect the hidden icebergs in our life. He wants to melt them away with His merciful correction so that we do not sink ourselves in our own stubbornness and pride. God is really using this season to confront my own hidden iceberg. That is the 90% that most others do not see.

There is much I cannot do at this time. I have no control over it. I cannot do much cleaning and cooking. I am not able to run my household like I am used to doing. And boy, that lack of control is bringing out some less than lovely stuff in me. In addition, I am seeing that sometimes I do run a ship that is bit too tight at times. God wants there to be order in my home. But He is more concerned about order in my heart.

Now, this is much better. This is beauty under the sea...blossoms in the hidden depths where most do not see. Lord, from the inside out. My soul cries out. Consume me from within so that Your glory may shine without. Melt the icebergs in the sea of my heart and cause your splendor to bloom there.


As the first verse of the worship song says:

A THOUSAND TIMES I'VE FAILED
STILL YOUR MERCY REMAINS
AND SHOULD I STUMBLE AGAIN
STILL I'M CAUGHT IN YOUR GRACE"

What a comfort...a strong assurance to know we are still caught in His grace,
forever in His warm embrace.
All the ice will melt away
should we choose to restfully stay,
to remain and dwell where mercy flows free,
And all that is not of love will melt in me.
Ange Cogburn

Thanks friends for always embracing the good and the bad in me. I appreciate you all.

Love,
Ange