Two Week Notice

Dear Mommy & Daddy,

   Consider this your two week notice. Ready or not, here I come!
            - Jacob Daniel Pranger

My Sweet Little Pumpkin,

   My mind still can't comprehend, seeing your sweet face in just a couple of weeks! The big question, will you be early or late or right on time? Such a mystery! We know whenever you decide to come, we will be ready! My eyes get all teary eyed every time I think of holding you and kissing your sweet face. I have prayed for that moment and look forward to it so much. In that moment, you will be placed in my arms and into our lives forever. Seeing you will be the sweetest moment of our lives.

   Secretly, I will be watching your daddy. I can't wait to see his expression when he sees you for the first time. I have been blessed and spoiled to carry you in my belly for the past 38 weeks. And we have become pretty fond of each other. Mommy is so in love with you! And I can't wait for daddy to feel that same love when he gets to see and hold you for the first time. Daddy has been playing with you almost every day. He likes to feel you move around and poke you in hopes you will kick him. He prays for you and talks to you too. (He's the more manly voice you hear. The sweeter gentler voice is me :) ) At first daddy felt a little silly talking to my belly, but he got over that. A few weeks ago, daddy put his hand on my side and you kicked him right away! I was cheering you on as you played with him- it was really cute. I'm pretty sure you have long legs too, because you sure like being spread out!

   The midwife said last week, your head is down and in position. I am 1cm dilated and 25% effaced! Which means you are getting ready to meet us!! And you are super low! Yesterday when I went for a run, I thought you might fall out. (And yes, I am still running! Go me! I'm taking it easy so don't worry.) And apparently, I have been getting Braxton Hicks and didn't even realize it, my midwife pointed it out to me. So what I need you to do is to make labor really easy for mommy, okay? If you could just make the real contractions feel like the fake ones that would be great.

   My sweet little boy, I can't tell you enough how excited I am to meet you. Two weeks left! Your baby shower is this weekend, then mommy and daddy will be as physically prepared for you as we can be! God has been so good to us to bless us with you. We love you with all our hearts.

Until We Meet,
Mommy

Whose pumpkin is bigger?

Aren't these the cutest shower favors ever? And daddy helped decorate all the cute faces! 

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Safe in the arms of Jesus...

A year ago today, James and I lost our first baby. I wasn't very far along, so we kept the loss pretty private and to those close friends and family who knew we were expecting. The Lord has laid it on my heart to write a little about it and share my experience.

Miscarriage is very common and happens to a lot of women. They say one in every three pregnancies ends in miscarriage. I was surprised to learn of how common it was after I had miscarried. My miscarriage was between the 5th-6th week and I can only imagine how much harder it would be to lose a baby later in pregnancy. I can't offer any words of wisdom regarding how to go through the loss of a baby; but I can share with you how the Lord brought me through it and share what I learned. I must admit I am a little nervous writing this because it is so personal. However, I hope and pray my post can be a blessing and an encouragement to you.

We were shocked to find out we were expecting a baby and he or she was due in May. It only took what seemed like a moment to go from shocked to super excited. The instant love a mother feels for her baby is unexplainable. And James and I were both so excited to become parents! I had already begun thinking of who the baby would look like, would it be a boy or girl? Would he have daddy's ears or mommy's nose? I couldn't help but smile as I day dreamed about the little life growing inside of me.

Around the end of the fifth week I noticed some spotting. I was determined to not be an overly worried pregnant woman, so I thought it was probably okay. I had read that that was normal and could be implantation bleeding. The next day, I asked my doctor in our church and he calmed my nerves by telling me that it was probably implantation bleeding and to not worry! But the bleeding continued throughout the week. I had come to accept that I was probably losing the baby. I waited until our scheduled doctors appointment on Friday to find out for sure. I still had such high hopes that just maybe everything would be okay with the baby.

As the nurse did the ultrasound, she didn't say anything and was very quiet. This time she didn't print out a photo of our little sack baby and give it to me. Instead she told us to wait in a specific room and the doctor would be in soon. It wasn't a room where we went last time but more of a private sitting room area. I thought this couldn't be good. James and I just sat in silence not wanting to say what was on our minds. I still clung to a little bit of hope that baby was okay. Then reality hit when the doctor confirmed my worst fear, that we had lost our baby.

It was so exciting to tell our friends and family that we were expecting. And it was one of the hardest things to tell them we had lost the baby. I have to admit, I questioned why. Why would the Lord surprise us with this baby and then take the baby home. I had such hope and faith that it was going to be okay. I prayed for my baby to be healthy and safe. Why would the Lord allow us to go through this loss?

To be honest, I don't know why bad things happen or why tragedies come into our lives. I do believe the Lord allows His children to go through difficult times, so we can only look to the God of hope and peace for our strength. As a result, we grow closer to Christ and learn He truly is all we need.

The Lord gave me this verse the day we lost our baby. "...the Lord gave; and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21 "Blessed be the name of the Lord" kept playing over and over in my head. God is good when times are easy and God is still good when times are hard. Everything good comes from the Lord. He is the giver of life eternal and life physical. Who was I to question my Lord and Savior? He alone knows what is best for my life and I needed to trust Him at this uncertain time.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. " Isaiah 26:3,4

The Lord gave me these verses that I clung to. In the Lord, I could have peace and everlasting strength. This was the first time I experienced God's grace in a mighty way. He gave me a peace that passeth understanding. And I had to just keep my mind focused on God and His promises. I am so thankful for a loving heavenly Father who promises to always carry us through the storms of life.

To those of you who have gone through a miscarriage, it's okay to be sad and to mourn. I was surprised at the times when I thought I was "okay" that I began to cry and be sad. I remember going to Walmart and tearing up as I passed the baby section. Or months later it would just hit me out of nowhere as I was driving. At these moments, I simply prayed for God's strength and comfort. I couldn't turn to my husband for comfort because he didn't know what I was going through. He could pray with me and be sympathetic but he couldn't take the hurt away. I am so thankful he was by my side each step of the way. But God alone knew my heartache and He alone could give me the comfort and strength I needed. May I encourage you to find your comfort and strength in Christ.

And now a year later, I feel so blessed to be 33 weeks and four days pregnant. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Having gone through the loss of a baby, I believe I am even more thankful for this little life growing inside of me. How can I complain when I feel a little sick or tired?! I am thankful for the sickness and fatigue because it means theres a baby on his way! I can't wait to hold him in my arms and see his sweet face and cover it with kisses! I think it's so special the Lord would bless us with this baby. I am so undeserving of such a gift. " Blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Seeing God on the Road

James and I have been on the deputation road now for five months. Time truly has flown! I wanted to share how we have seen God provide for us beyond our imagination since we have stepped out on faith. Living by Faith is the theme of my blog, and it is amazing how God has blessed us. It amazes and humbles me each time God does something for us. I feel so undeserving of His blessings and provisions.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory..." 

Ephesians 3:20-21a

Before we started deputation, we took a survey trip to Russia (so I could see what I was getting myself into!) We booked our tickets and put them on our credit card. This was certainly a step of faith. I hated having that money sit on our card. So I prayed, that the Lord would provide the money for our trip that month. James didn't know I was praying this way, and about a week later he called me to tell me about this huge blessing. I had a feeling it was our tickets being paid for and it was! A pastor and friend felt the Lord leading him to take care of our tickets, and wrote James a check for the whole amount. I couldn't believe it! I had heard of stories like this happening to other people but never personally witnessed it. This was God reassuring me that going to Russia was indeed His perfect will for our lives and He was going to take care of us. I couldn't help but tearfully praise Him for taking care of us and giving me peace about this new journey.

Before we hit the deputation road, we really needed a new vehicle. We had an Isuzu Rodeo but it had just hit the 200,000 mile mark and we had just found out we were expecting little Jacob. So we began to pray and search. The Lord closed some doors, so we kept on the hunt. We came across a small dealership with two Honda Pilots (what we were wanting). The man was from Ukraine, so James closed the whole deal in Russian, which was pretty neat. The price was a little over what we had wanted to spend, but the Lord allowed us to borrow from some friends what we needed to pay cash for the vehicle. We believed the Lord had provided this car for us, and we could pay it off in a few months. As you know I hate debt, so I began to pray that we could pay this off within two months. Again the Lord amazed us. We had a man in our church who wanted to give us $3,000 towards our car. We were in shock that someone would be such a blessing to us. God's provision again amazed me!

About a month ago now, we were in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee for a week long meeting. James and I were out shopping for some maternity clothes (for me not him :) at consignment stores. Our last stop was a cute boutique called Feather Your Nest. As I was looking I could tell there wasn't a maternity section, but a dress caught my eye. It fit my pregnant self with room to grow (added bonus) so I went to purchase it. The shop owner, Sarah, was so sweet. I was telling her why we were in town and about us being missionaries. As I was paying her, she gave me back the $20 bill I had handed her. I was really confused because all I was suppose to get was cents back. She said it wasn't much but she wanted to help us on our missions journey and raising support. I was speechless and thanked her for being a blessing to us. This was yet another humbling experience for me- that God would show His love to me through this stranger. It was such an encouragement and reminder to me that God loves me more than I can imagine.

About a week ago as James and I were driving up to Alaska, we stopped at a tiny motel for the night. James was talking to the man (the owner) about our trip and why we were driving to Alaska. He shared with him our burden for souls in Russia. He said his church supports a lot of missionaries around the world and would be happy to pray for us. After our nice chat, we headed back to our room to unpack for the night and relax. We heard a knock at the door, and James went to check on it. At the door, his wife stood there with cash in hand and gave it to James. She said your stay is on us tonight, we want to be a blessing, and smiled and walked away. James was in shock, he couldn't believe that a complete stranger would show God's love to us. We just knelt down right there and thanked the Lord for taking care of us. I was really thankful that James got to experience the same kind of kindness from a stranger that I had experienced just a few weeks earlier. It was just amazing to see God provide for us.

There are many more ways the Lord has taken care of us, but these are the stories that I wanted to share. I have to admit before we got started on this journey, I was concerned with how it all would "work" out. From the very beginning, God showed me He was in control and would take care of us. His Word promises He will provide our every need. By the time we started deputation, I was so excited to see how the Lord was going to provide our every need. We don't have a physical home to go home to while we travel, but the Lord has always provided us a place to stay and has met our needs above and beyond. I believe this is only the beginning of things to come!

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

May I encourage those of you afraid to step out on faith to simply trust your heavenly Father. He won't call you to a place and then leave you there. He will only bless your faith in Him and take care of you beyond what you could imagine!

" If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." 

Luke 12:28-31

The most important decision of faith is that of your eternal destination. If you have never placed your faith in God concerning eternity, may I encourage you to get that settled. God tells us we can know without a doubt where we will spend eternity. We can live a life of peace and comfort with Christ. If you have any questions or want to know more about how to put your faith in Christ, I would be more than happy to share that with you. It's the best decision I ever made!

My handsome little guy...

My Sweet Jacob,

   Mommy can't tell you enough how much she already loves you. I can't imagine how much more that love will grow when I get to see your slimy little self for the first time and hold you in my arms. (I'm such a cry baby lately, no offense, and am getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it!) I can't wait for my "moment" with you. It will be this moment that I will be thinking about while in labor. Hopefully, it will help keep my mind off the pain for a few seconds. Allow me to explain this moment.

Every time I watch a birthing video, (which you won't want to watch for many many years) I see the mommy laboring in pain during the last home stretch before she gets to see her baby. I can only imagine what's going through her head, probably thoughts of why she got pregnant haha, and just wanting the pain to be over. Then finally that last push, and a few seconds later she hears the soft cries of her baby and he is placed on her chest. In that moment, she forgets about the agonizing hours of labor and looks into her baby's sweet face and just smiles the biggest smile she has ever had in her life. I can't wait for that moment! It is so sweet to watch. I can't wait until my moment with you! I can't wait to see your sweet little face and kiss your tiny nose. And daddy and I agreed, we are going to keep you forever and ever.

Well my son, you are 30 weeks and 3 days old today. Less than ten weeks and you will be in our arms!  Allow me to give you an update. You have been a really good boy this whole pregnancy for mommy, so keep it up when you come meet us! Mommy is still able to go running even with my growing belly. You give me leg cramps some mornings and the occasional charlie horses, but I can't complain!  Other than that everything has been great!

At your 20 week appointment, the doctor was concerned about some fluid (pee pee) backed up in your kidneys. The good news is this is very common in boys and usually works itself out by the time they are born. Yesterday we went to take another look at them to see if it had improved. I was very excited because that meant we got to see you again! You still have a little bit of fluid but not much, so we aren't worried about it. The doctor said it was very minor and we will take another look in about five weeks.

You are one cute looking little guy! :) A couple weeks ago, I was able to get a peek of your cute face and you were just smiling with your eyes opened having a great time in there. This time you were still pretty active but eyes were closed and you were sucking your thumb for a little bit and holding your foot with the other hand. I was surprised at how spread out you were! One leg was up near my ribs and the other one was low by my belly. But I'm glad you are making good use of the space you have! Mommy just loved watching you in there! It was nice to know what exactly I was feeling when you move around inside. You are head down now, which is great! So the soft little flutters I feel low are your little hands and the bigger movements by my belly button are your kicks, and your little bum. :) You make me the happiest mama ever!

This week daddy and I are taking you to Alaska! You are quite the world traveler already. We love you so much, Jacob. We pray for you every day. We pray we can be the godly parents you deserve, and that you will serve and love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

All My Love,
Mommy


Here are some of the things I have been working on while awaiting your arrival!

Burp Clothes, still adding some personalization to them!

Your reversible blanket! This side is more manly.

Your first blanket :) made with love from Aunt Hannah and Mommy

I know it's adorable! 

28 weeks and 2 days. Smiling with your eyes opened!

Mommy holding photos of you at 30 weeks and 2 days

Your wipe cases! You will be one stylish babe in the nursery!

A Heavy Heart...

My heart has been hurting for the past couple of days for a loved one. The Bible says with knowledge comes sorrow and that is very true. This friend of mine has been away from the Lord for almost a year now. This person is so near and dear to me, I would give my life for hers in a moment. I wish she didn't have to go down this path; but she has made her choices and is now living with them.

When I was informed a couple days ago of how she was choosing to live her life now, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had hoped for so long she wasn't living that way. I had hoped it was just a phase and she would come back to the Lord soon. (Ignorance is bliss.) But ignoring the facts won't change them. My heart breaks for her. I'm thankful I know because it has challenged me to pray more fervently.

It's only by God's grace, I am not in her shoes. I am not condemning her in any way. I too have gone down the wrong path and made choices that were against God's will for my life. I am so thankful that God took the mess I made and made it into something beautiful for Him to use. And for that, I can only give God the glory. I know God can do the same thing in her life as well. I have hope!

In Christ alone, I place my trust.

It's hard to see hope in a situation sometimes. But I refuse to give up on the God of Hope and Peace. I can't imagine how much God sorrows when we stray from Him. I know my heart is heavy, but how much more does God hurt when he sees His children going through unnecessary pain. I wish I could help her choose the right path. I hate knowing how lonely and miserable she is...

I believe she would not have gone down this path if she saw where it would lead her. I believe Satan slowly pulled her in, and before she knew it, she was in over her head. Stuck in a pit she slowly dug for herself. I have been there. Trapped in my own pit. It wasn't an easy climb to get out, but my Savior took me out step by step.

" Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him." Proverbs 26:27

I can't help but think of the prodigal son. My dream and hope for her is that she too would come running home into her Father's open arms. All is forgiven!

"And he arose, and came to his father,
( this part makes me teary eyed!) But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him. For this my son was dead, and is now alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." Luke 15:20 & 24

If there is a loved one in your life going through what seems like a hopeless situation, may I encourage you to not lose sight of the cross of calvary. It's because of the cross, we have hope in every situation. Don't give up on your friend, but pray. Pray fervently. Pray believing. Pray without ceasing.

I believe the Lord wanted me to share this. Maybe in hopes to encourage someone. I know the Lord has lifted my heavy heart by simply writing this out and looking in the scriptures for comfort. I'm thankful I have a God who cares for me and takes my burdens upon Him.

May you have a great week this week!

From the Heart,
Amber
Isaiah 26:3,4

Uphill Battles

Today as I was on my morning run, I was faced with some inclines and tiny hills. Of course to me, they seemed like mountains as I wastrying hard to run up them without stopping. I was tempted as I started my run to go another direction, one without inclines and hills, but I wanted to face the challenge.  I kept reminding myselfthat running downhill would be worth the work of running up the hill. That thought of the reward and ease of downhill stuck with me all morning.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain...now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible." I Corinthians 9:24-25b

Life is much like a race with many roads, some smooth and easy, while others are rough, windy, and full of hills. Trials and hardtimes are like the hills and inclines. But the nice thing about going up a hill is eventually you will come down the hill and be on the other side (the law of gravity!). If you are a runner, going downhill is probably your favorite.  It’s a time you can catch your breath while running at a good pace. (It almost feels like cheating!) I’m thankful for the times in life that God gives us to “catch our breathe” after a hard run uphill.

There are many people I know, who are going through an uphill battle. It’s hard to understand the reason why they have to go through such struggles. And for some people, it seems just as they are about to catch a breath; they are back on the incline. It doesn't seem fair. But we must trust God who knows all things. And through that trust comes peace that passes understanding.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

On my heart right now our two young families, Amos and Liberty Pranger and Chris and Amanda Thorne, who are watching their newborn sons fight for their lives. I can’t imagine what they go through on a daily basis. I do know, it's God's strength alone that helps them on their uphill battle.

For Amos and Liberty, this is the second time togo through this uphill battle with a child. Their oldest daughter has a very rare genetic disorder, NKH. NKH can’t be detected until the baby is born. After a traumatic labor, my nephew Gabriel was in remission. The thought of him having this rare disorder had pretty much vanished from all our minds. It was a waiting game to see how long it would be until he would fully recover.

After ten days, he was making improvements slowly but surely! I didn’t know it, but they were running tests that day to test for NKH. And the results came as a shock to all of us, especially Amos and Liberty. Our hearts sank when we found out the news, Gabriel tested positive for NKH. This family has a long road ahead of them. They are thankful this time around they know what to expect; but it doesn't make it any more enjoyable. They are trusting the Lord, like they do each day, to protect their four children. 

Amanda and Christ Thorne’s son, Logan, has a rare heart disease. Their son is now 3-4 months old, and they have been living life not knowing what each day holds for their son. Her testimony through this has been a blessing and anencouragement to me. She finds reasons each day to be thankful in spite of the storm she is in. You can read up on her blog and their journey here: 

www.everylittleheartbeat.wordpress.com

As an expecting mom, I can’t imagine spending sleepless nights apart from my son as he lay in the hospital. These two families have shown what it really means to live by faith. I have seen their confidence and strength in God. Their hope lies in the Creator of hope and life, Jesus Christ. Thank you both for keeping the faith and being a great testimony to all of us. My heart and prayers go out to you and your little ones. I pray the day soon comeswhen you can “catch your breath” awhile and enjoy the rewards of your faith. I’m thankful the Lord blesses those who are faithful. I can only imagine the rewards He has in store for you all. What a testimony you have been to all those around you. :) 

“...weeping may endure for a moment, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

 For those of you going through an uphill battle, rest assure that God is with you. Though the road seem rough and windy, don't give up- give it to God.

"This trial is not the end of the story, there's a bigger picture God alone can see. Faith will take you through this trial, for we know Who holds tomorrow, and He assures me it's for my good and for His glory." 

Breakfast Blessings!

This morning started off like any ordinary morning. It was time to hit the road again! Within in an hour we were all packed up and checked out of the hotel. My poor stomach was growling with hunger pains, so I let my husband know baby Jacob needed some food. My husband asked a question that didn't even need answering, " Would you like a chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-A?" Is the sky blue? Does great coffee come from Starbucks? Of course! There is always room for a chicken biscuit from the greatest fast service restaurant ever! Well you get the point, so first stop Chickfila! ( My husband sure knows how to keep his pregnant wife happy!)

As we are getting our usual prompt efficient and friendly service through the drive-thru, James phone rang. It was a pastor from Michigan that we had recently been at his church. He was calling to let us know that the church voted last night to take us on for support, effective immediately!! Hooray! What a great way to start of the day. Praise the Lord! As James is still talking, we pull up to the window and I communicate in between the rude driver on the phone and the nice
lady. She hands me our receipt and hat do I notice?! It's a survey which means a free chicken sandwich!! ( I have been getting these quite frequently and I will do almost anything for a free chicken sandwich from the greatest quick service restaurant ever!). Blessing number two of the day! However to our dismay, I notice no honey in our bag for my biscuit and James' burrito is marked sausage not chicken as he ordered. This was a dilemma.

To go back or not? Nah, we were already on the road. Part of life is living with disappointment from the one restaurant that never lets you down. But alas, James remembers we have honey packets that I keep with our tea! The biscuit is saved! And as I'm adding James' salsa inside his burrito ( I'm such a nice wife) I notice it is indeed chicken just a wrong label! Blessings number 3 and 4! I knew Chickfila wouldn't let me down. :)

We certainly received more than our chicken biscuit this morning. I wasn't expecting the Lord to bless us with a supporting church. And it's " ironic" as I was telling James last night about the verses I was memorizing and how the Lord was really speaking to me about Ephesians 3:20 " Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all the we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us."
How I don't want to limit God's blessing in my life by my lack of faith and power from God. He truly did exceeding abundantly above what we could have thought this morning. He turned an ordinary breakfast into a spiritually fulfilling one!