Our Dream Came True; But it Has Not Been a Fairy Tale

Blessings on top of Blessings

We decided once we were married that we would let God decide when to bless us with our first child. So for 11 months, we prayed for God to give us a child when the time was right. I was honestly beginning to think it would not happen. Fears of infertility flooded my mind and clouded my heart, but my sweet husband assured me time and time again that God would bless us when the time was right.

I vividly remember how I felt when that first little stick showed two pink lines. I almost did not believe it. It was the happiest feeling I have ever had encompass my soul. I couldn't wait for Russell to get home for lunch. I ran to the store and picked up a little set of hats and mittens and placed them, along with the pregnancy test in a small bag. As soon as he opened the bag, his face lit up with the most beautiful form of pure joy I have ever seen. We were going to be parents!

You call THIS perfect timing???

We found out we were pregnant on June 24, 2014. A week later we found out my husband had been offered a position in Alpine, TX and we would be moving. On top of all of this, Russell was scheduled to depart for Georgia in August to attend a scheduled military training that would last 5 months.  New job, new town, new baby, absent husband. That is a lot to handle but God poured his peace over us and we relished in our new, growing blessing. Our hearts were full of happiness and trust in God's promises. He IS good and faithful.

The unplanned: Hyperemesis Gravidarum

I felt great for the first few weeks of my pregnancy. I ate only healthy, wholesome food, and I walked and worked out daily. I was determined to have the healthiest pregnancy possible! But, by 5 weeks pregnant I was staying pretty nauseated. By 7 weeks pregnant, the nausea had turned to full blown, consist, painful, vomiting. I could not even keep water down. I vomited all day and all night. A few days into my 7th week, Russell made the decision to call the on call nurse at my OB office. He explained that it had been 4 days since I had went longer than 15 minutes between vomiting. They told him to take me to the ER. We arrived and were kindly greeted by nurses with compassionate and knowing expressions on their faces. I was so dehydrated that they struggled to get a good IV in. And I could not produce enough urine for a sample, despite my best efforts. Finally they were able to give me 3 bags of fluid and some IV Zofran. The medication helped no longer than the IV was in my arm. After several hours I am sent home, hydrated, but still heaving and nauseated. As we were discharged, the nurse handed me a packet labeled: What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

I had never heard of HG, so I did some research and immediately began pleading with God to please let this just be bad morning sickness. Please let this not last the whole pregnancy. "Please, God. Let me enjoy this special time". I tried every suggestion anyone gave me. I cannot even express how many times I vomited ginger-ale because people kept telling me it would help. The only thing that enables me to keep any food or fluids down is strong, prescription-strength medication. Well, the weeks have turned into months and the sickness hangs on strong. I am on a medication called Diclegis, and it is the only thing stopping me from constantly vomiting. It took us trying four different medications before insurance would approve my current regime. I am still sick every day, but some days are better than others and for that I am thankful. Even in my sickest moments, I am reminded of God's goodness.

Pressing on

I am 22 weeks 2 days pregnant. OVER HALF WAY!!! I am still sick. Russell is still in Georgia, and I miss him more than words could even begin to describe. Nonetheless, I am proud of him and thankful for his service to our country.  He will be home soon enough and I cannot wait to have my best friend home. He is going to be so shocked the first time he hugs me :) Despite the sickness, our little bean has really grown since he left and this belly is getting BIG!!!

I am still not sure why God chose to bless us with our child at the moment He did, or in the way He did, but I am grateful for the healthy, growing bean that thinks my internal organs are playground equipment. I am thankful for each flutter and kick and each day that our child is allowed to grow stronger. I am so thankful for God's hand of protection over our sweet baby.

I had planned on documenting this pregnancy via this blog from the very beginning, but once the sickness set in, I could not do anything, let alone worry about a blog. Then, once I was finally on my medication I thought of starting it up again, but my heart was still sad over the loss of the "ideal pregnancy" I had spent the last year dreaming about. I had planned on eating so healthy and working out daily. I wanted to give my baby the very best. Now I realize all I can do is the best I can, and some days that is not enough. Where I fall short; God comes in. He has protected this child from the effects of ongoing dehydration and nutrient deprivation. He will provide!

 Who am I to question a God who loves me?

I have no right to feel sorry for myself. Yes, I have spent the last few month vomiting uncontrollably, struggling to gain/maintain my weight, and basically feeling completely terrible. But know what? I ASKED for this. I prayed for God to bless us with a child IN HIS TIMING. And He did. Who am I to question how God answers prayers? Inside my body, a gift is growing that many couples never get to experience. A gift some women would give anything to hold. A gift God did not have to give us. This struggle is preparing me to be a better mother and teaching me patience and acceptance in a way I have never experienced before. This distance makes me love my husband more each day: separation is being used to grow our marriage and every day our bond grows stronger. This unrelenting sickness has given me the utmost appreciation for my body and its strength. I will never again look at my body negatively. I will not stare in a mirror and think that my sides stick out a bit too much, or my cheeks are too big when I smile. I will not be offended by a number on a scale. From now on, my body is the vessel that fought for my child; the body of protection that provided nutrients from my own reserves when nutrients were not otherwise available. This body is amazing.

My body is the body of a woman, a mother, and a child of God; and it exhibits nothing less than perfection. Every scar, every fault, every pound; it is all perfect. A part of God's perfect plan. A plan that once again has proved to be better than the plan I had for myself.

The Blending of My Plans and God's Plans: A Beautiful Masterpiece.

I am not very good at keeping up with my blog, which is quite ironic considering all the things I would like to blog about.

My mind speaks to me in narrative form as if every thought swirling in my mind is meant for pen and paper. I assure you not all of my thoughts are worthy of being written and preserved, but I certainly have a writer's mind. Which is exactly why I went to college and got a degree in communications. I intended whole-heartedly to chase the art of journalism with every ounce of my being. Of course, this was to be after serving some time as a Peace Corps Volunteer where I would learn about a part of my world I had never known, grow my skill set, and mature as an individual. I had big plans for my future. Then, with only months of my senior year at college remaining, the unthinkable happened. The one thing I had been avoiding like the plaque; I met a boy, a rather adorable biologist named Russell. Low and behold,  I decided to chase HIM instead. Luckily for me, he did not run too far :)

So here we are. I am married to the love of my life, and I am so thankful. We have a lovely home, two bratty dogs, 6 chickens and a yearly garden. My life is blessed beyond measure. However, it is nothing like I imagined it would be. Who am I? What am I doing? These thoughts jumble my mind often. My plans and goals changed the moment I met Russell. Traveling the world and chasing down the stories America needs to hear suddenly seemed... well.. lonely. It was not a dream meant for someone in love, therefore the dream changed.

I have tried some new things, some of which have worked and some of which God has closed the door on. I guess I am still trying to find out exactly what God intends for me to be doing, now that He has changed my plans and the desires of my heart so drastically. It is confusing at times, exciting at others. 

I am a wife. I am a homemaker. I am my husband's helpmeet. This is not something I ever planned to be, and it is a role I am still learning to become efficient at. I am learning daily. I embrace it. I love it.

However, I still have a skill set. I am a talented communicator, and I know God will open doors for these skills to be utilized in a way that gives Him glory. I often ponder the idea of writing children's books, and perhaps someday I will! As for now, I am enjoying the blessings God has given me today. I love having the ability to be crafty and tend for my home while my husband works. I love that we are building a home and a relationship that will someday (God willing) be the kind of environement that we see fit to raise our children in. I truly love all of it, but it was not the plan.

The house is tidied, laundry is going, and I am about to sit down with a hot cup of coffee and read a few chapters of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

My health is improving daily and our marriage is growing with each new moment we share as a couple! I have no idea where this love will take us, but I know we will go there together and where ever we go, God will have paved the way. For now I will sit back and watch God's beautiful masterpiece unfold!

Broken Pieces Can Come Together Again

Maximus and Bentley, our bad dogs.

Last summer Maximus, our dog, broke a very special porcelain doll while my Dad was dog-sitting for us.  Russell was at a military training and Mom and I had went to Bowie, Texas for Haylee and Jordan's wedding. The wedding was beautiful, and I had a great time. But....when we walked in the door, I knew something was wrong. My poor Dad looked so upset.  With his face long and his voice shaky, he said, "I am sorry, but Max broke the doll in the living room. It fell off the little rocking chair and hit the duck." At first I thought little of this, (we have a lot of dolls since Granny loved them and bought them for everyone), but then it dawned on me which doll he was referring to.

I HATE THAT DUCK. Why didn't the big ugly duck break???

When I was a little girl, I was mesmerized by this doll. Granny's sister, Jewel, had made her as a special gift for Granny. Granny kept her in a special case; a safe place away from little hands and bad dogs. My Granny was a smart woman. This doll was much larger than most of the "pretty" dolls I had seen, and I honestly think that was a lot of her appeal to me. I liked big things. She had a sweet round toddler face, huge blue eyes and a bob of wispy blond hair. Her porcelain limbs were chubby and round, and every last detail was covered in baby girl perfection. She even had the prettiest blue dress on. I got in trouble time and time again for trying to hold her, and once for gently (or maybe not-so-gently) brushing her hair. I wanted her so badly, but she was not mine to touch. She was Granny's.

"She is yours now. She has always been yours, I was just holding on to her for you."

A short time before my Granny passed away, she made a comment about the doll and said something along the lines of, "She is yours now. She has always been yours, I was just holding on to her for you." After losing my Papa just a few months before, I was pretty aware that Granny was going to pass away. In some ways knowing made it easier, but in other ways it was harder.  This was one of the harder parts. I hated knowing that she knew she was dying. I certainly hated hearing her say anything about it! I remember thinking, "I do not want your stupid doll, Granny. I want you. I want Papa." But, I just hugged her and forced a smile. Because she deserved that smile. God had already taken Papa, wasn't that enough? Then it dawned on me that Granny and Papa and been together for most of their lives, and it must be terribly hard for them to be apart. Maybe God was taking Granny because He did not want HER to suffer, not to cause ME to suffer? When Granny passed, I was happy her and Papa could be together again, but I missed them both terribly. How about God takes the doll and I get to keep Granny and Papa???

I guess God did not agree with my trade because he has my grandparents and here I am with a broken doll.

 So Many Missed Moments...

The doll incident happened about a month into our marriage. So, I think that made it a little harder. It reminded me how much I wished Granny and Papa could have been there. I wish Granny could have made my wedding dress. I wish that so badly. She was a wonderful seamstress. Its not something I ever mentioned to anyone, probably because she has been gone quite some time now, and I never really expected to get married. But, as a child Granny made me lots of outfits and I always assumed she would someday make my prom dresses just as she had made my mom's and aunt's dresses. When we moved back to Seagraves, I would have never guessed that she would not live to see me go to prom. In fact, I still cannot believe she did not get to attend my wedding. My Granny was so much of the woman I hope to become, and I wish she was still here to guide me. And Papa, too. I wish he could meet Russell.  Most of all, I wish I could touch his big, strong hands. I wonder if they would still seem so big? I don't know, but God's timing is perfect, and His understanding is complete. That is enough.

Broken Pieces Can Come Together Again

I found a doll hospital in Spring, TX that can fix Granny's doll my doll. After a few months, I got the call saying they had evaluated the doll. It is going to cost at least 300 dollars to repair her and it will take about 9 months. They literally have to rebuild her. I almost broke down on the phone. It breaks my heart to know that she won't really be the same doll anymore. Her paint will be retouched by hands that are not Aunt Jewels, and her clothing will be restored by someone other than my Granny. I hate it, but I have to get her fixed. It seems illogical to pay so much money for a doll that cannot even be played with; a toy with no use. But, I have to. If Granny were still here, then maybe the doll wouldn't matter so much? At 24 years old I have spent more of my life missing my maternal grandparents than I was able to spend with them and that just plain stinks.

On a happy note, this coming weekend my Nana and Papaw, my Dad's parents, will celebrate 50 years as husband and wife. I am so thankful to have them in my life and I cannot wait to spend Valentines with them! Yes, that is right, they were married on Valentines day 50 years ago! How sweet is that?

My Nana and Papaw with Russell and I on our big day!

The Hunter's Wife

Human Weakness or Divine Intervention?

Human Weakness or Divine Intervention?

You can take your pick.

Let us do a little recap:

Those of you who have known me since I was young, know that I have lived a rich life full of love, laughter, and family. However, you also know I have always gotten sick a little easier than my peers, but over all I was a happy, healthy little girl. I could not possibly mention every unexplained sickness I have had over the years, but I will mention the few I remember to be most frustrating, I am sure my mother could tell you much more. As a young child, I threw up frequently and unexpectedly. I would feel fine then all of a sudden my heart beat would pick up in speed, I would vomit on whatever unfortunate thing or person (sorry, Mom) who was in my way, and then I would carry on feeling just fine. I also remember telling my Mom that my heart was "running" a lot.  My mother took me to the doctor over and over; we got no answers. "Take her off dairy" "Its a bug" so on and so forth. My mom tried everything to get answers for me. It just didn't happen. I eventually "out grew" these episodes, but then in high school I caught the flu, just like all of my friends. But unlike my friends, my flu wouldn't go away. I unexpectedly dropped 30 lbs in a few months. I was so tired, eating constantly, and losing weight. The doctors were never able to tell me why and my symptoms slowly faded on their own. Then in college my heart would race uncontrollably at times. It would jump up to the 200's in a matter of minutes. I had one terrifying episode in college where during a livestock judging meet, I vomited bright red blood and was rushed to the emergency room. I never got answers as to why it happened. They pumped my stomach, stabilized me, and sent me home. The doctors prescribed beta blockers. Well.... I trustingly took those beta blockers for 3 years only to find out that I did not need them and that they had damaged my kidneys that were once perfectly healthy. I had some serious kidney infections after this when I had never had a kidney or bladder infection in my life. As you can imagine, by the time I was a young adult, I had grown quite weary of doctors.  I have had so many tests ran,  underwent hundreds of blood draws, and I have even taken some medicines that I didn't need to. Needless to say, I do not like going to the doctor and I often choose to suffer as long as possible before going.

Where we are now:

In July of 2013 I had a small cyst removed from my kidney and I felt GREAT after that healed. My blood work showed pretty severe anemia, but I felt fantastic so we went on with our happy life! I LOVE life with my wonderful husband! My urologist suggested giving up dairy and gluten, so I did. Then in late December of that year, right around Christmas, I caught a "bug" and really have not felt well since. In Early January, about a week after the "bug," I began having nose bleeds like you would not imagine; several a day and some at night. I was cranky and I could not sleep at night without waking very frequently. I felt tired and achy. My head throbbed daily, and when I would lay down at night to sleep I would feel shaky and I could clearly feel every pound my heart made, this made it very hard for me to sleep. Keep in mind I am only 24! After talking with my doctor she concluded that she thought it was an autoimmune issue, which kind of makes sense given my history, but she would need to send me to a specialist if that were the case, (over my dead body). Since I was very clear about not wanting to be poked over and over only to not get answers again, she suggested I do an elimination diet where for 30 days I would give up all food except fresh turkey, wild game, long grain rice, certain fruits, and certain veggies. If I have a food sensitivity I would feel better during this time and then we would slowly add back in other foods and document how I felt. At the end I would know what foods I can eat without feeling icky. Sounds great, doesn't?

I only made it a day and a half.  I felt AWFUL.  

I realize I did not try very long, and that embarrasses me because I wanted this to work. I am ashamed to admit that I gave up so quickly. But, let me explain how those days went. I was eating constantly on fruit or veggies. My stomach was always full, but my body felt deprived. At the end of the first day, after eating the allowed foods all day, I felt miserable. I totaled my calorie intake for that day and it was 875. I need at least 1200. I had eaten ALL DAY long. I told myself I would try again, that I would find allowed veggies with more calories and I would DO BETTER. Well, the next day I  made it until noon following the diet and I had the worst headache of my life. Meanwhile I am thinking, "THIS IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. WHAT IS WRONG." I happened to read an article about low blood sugar. It caught my interest because my Granny was hypoglycemic and I never knew much about it. Anything that reminds me of my Granny is worth a read :) Turns out low blood sugar could cause all of my symptoms. But, I knew the doctors had taken blood a lot over the years. They would know if my sugar was low. But, given my state of misery, I decided to call my doctor to let her know how I felt and to ask if she knew my blood sugar numbers. She pulled up my file and informed me that my blood sugar levels had never been "flagged". I asked her to read them to me anyway. The highest reading I have had in the last 5 years is 74 and the lowest was 64.  She explained to me that normal blood sugar levels are 70 to 100 and anything below 70 is considered too low. I asked her how come I had never been told about it before and she said that my numbers were not alarming, but the fact that I do not have any numbers above the 74 mark is interesting. She also told me that my sodium levels are always low and that I have always been at least borderline anemic, which I already knew. She said it is possible that a combination of anemia and low blood sugar could be causing my immune system to crash, but that it is not the most likely answer but that blood work and testing could tell us if I have a sugar issue... But, we all know how I feel about that.

I felt so confused. 

I just want to feel healthy again. 

The next day I decided I needed a break before continuing the elimination diet.  So I ate something small every 2 hours and drank 8 large glasses of water that day to try to rebuild my system to get me through the next 30 days of torture. I ate from all food groups, I just ate very small portions at a time and very frequently. By 9 am I was headache free. I slept 6 straight hours that night and it felt glorious. The next day I tried it again, and out of pure curiosity, I even ate 2 gluten items, but I paired them with a small protein source as well. Still no headache. Slept through the night again. I still have some weird symptoms we would like answers to, but for now I feel much better and my nose has not bled the last couple days of eating this way. So perhaps it is a sugar issue? I do not know.

It does not make sense. I do not care :)

So, maybe I am too weak (or too weak minded?) to do the diet. Maybe it really would be best for me. But, if drinking tons of water and eating every 2 hours is all it takes to make me feel like a human again, then I will carry almonds and apples in my purse for the rest of my life. I do not know why I have these weird symptoms, and I will (most likely) eventually go have more tests ran to be sure, but for now I am going to try eating this way and see if I continue to improve. Oh and to any of my doctor friends, it is nothing personal ;)

Sorry if you were looking forward to the elimination diet posts. If I have to do it again, I will let you know! Thank you for the support and prayers.

The Hunters Wife

Not Skilled to Understand

 Not Skilled to Understand

Me and Papa when I was almost 3. His lap was the safest, happiest place on this earth.

God's Greater Plan

As most of you know, I am a Christian. Though I have an amazing support system consisting of an amazing husband, huge family, and fabulous friends, my trust rests in God and God alone. However, I must admit that I often find myself questioning God's decisions. My salvation found me when I was 11 years old. I was a stubborn, rambunctious mess of a little girl; feisty, loud, opinionated and a little mean.  Even so, I wanted desperately to believe the miraculous stories my church family presented me, but I was a very logical kid. I found it difficult to grasp the idea of a God with grace and mercy; a God that cared about me... A God that sent His son to die for me. It sounded too good to be true. Shortly after giving my life to Christ, I felt God move in my life in a way I had never imagined, but it was not in a way I would have asked for. I was in the 6th grade when both of my maternal grandparents passed away within a few months of each other. It was a rough year for my family, to say the least. At the time, I felt that God had ripped my grandparents from me. It felt like He was trying to ruin my family. I was unable to fathom the idea of it being "their time to go" or a part of "God's greater plan," and was angered when people told me such things. But even in my anger, God continued to work on my heart and with time I saw that God was making my family stronger. Don't get me wrong, I still mourn the absence of my Granny and Papa. They died far too young and they have missed out on so much. If it was up to me, they would still be here; but, it is not up to me and over the years God has showed me over and over again that I am not in control.  God has never once given up on me, even though I have given up on him numerous times over the years. I suppose that brings us to the purpose of today's post. Once again, God has changed my plans. (He seems to get a kick out of it).

Not Skilled to Understand

I have spent the last few months transforming our home into a daycare. I have completed an absurd amount of paperwork, painted walls, disinfected toys, learned CPR, created a curriculum, and basically consumed myself with the task of becoming an excellent caregiver. Well, God had other plans.

Over Christmas break, I had a pretty rough cold. When it lasted more than a couple days we assumed it was the flu and thought little of it. Then in early January I started to get nose bleeds. At first it was just one. I have had them before, so I did not think much of it. But then it was two in one day, three in one day, 5 in one night, so on and so forth. Needless to say, I eventually called my doctor and we came to the conclusion that I am having an autoimmune response and need to focus on getting better. I have to take time now, so I can be healthy and happy later. If I put it off, it will only get worse. My sickness could be from food sensitivities (which we suspect), a naturally weak immune system, or a more complex autoimmune disease. We won't know which of these it is until I complete an "elimination diet" to hopefully discover foods that are causing my body grief. I will be posting about that daily once it begins. In the mean time, I want to leave you with a song that has been playing repeat in my mind:

I am not skilled to understand
What God hath willed, what God hath planned;
I only know that at His right hand
Is One Who is my Savior!
I take Him at His word indeed;
“Christ died for sinners”—this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior!
That He should leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die,
You count it strange? So once did I,
Before I knew my Savior!
And oh, that He fulfilled may see
The travail of His soul in me,
And with His work contented be,
As I with my dear Savior!
Yea, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this Spring;
That He Who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior!

I am not happy with what is going on in my body. I am not happy that I feel like I wasted a lot of time and effort preparing a daycare that will soon be childless. I am not happy that I have been a total grouch lately. And I am certainly not happy that my nose bleeds all the time. It is gross. I HATE it. But you know what? I do not have to be happy about any of this. I do not have to understand God's timing or His plan right now. I am not skilled to understand. However, I do understand that He loves me, and that He will NEVER forsake me. God has blessed me in ways that I could have never hoped for. His plan is better than mine, and I AM happy about that.  Now for your enjoyment:

1992. 7 and 4 years old and cute as can be.

God Bless

The Hunter's Wife

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

A New Year for God's Sweet Goodness!

2013 was awesome, and 2014 will surely be even better!

well... 2013 was mostly awesome. Let us recap.

 

2013 was a pretty huge year for me and my family, but then again, aren't they all? 2013 was the one year anniversary of a surgery that changed my brother's life and all of the struggles that came with that. And of course, our wedding and honeymoon. Our first married Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now our first New Years. Add  the adventure of beginning the process of opening an in-home daycare, and you have a pretty full year.  Soooo many firsts!

We are spending our New Years Eve resting, enjoying each others' company, and watching football. We had planned on attending a party with some very awesome friends, but since I had been sick we decided not to.

I cannot even list all of the wonderful times my sweet hubby and I have had in 2013! I must say, it has been a great year. However, I would not say that is has been an easy year. I am trusting that God will continue to lead and guide us in all the decisions we are faced with. I hope that 2014 finds you happy, healthy, and spiritually hungry and seeking God!

Happy New Year!

Life DOES Come with an Instruction Manual

Always Read the Instructions 

(Unless you are a man; men are incapable of reading instructions... ok, just kidding but you ladies understand that stab)

I have heard people say "Life does not come with an instruction manual" or "Children do not come with directions" so many times in my life. Prior to this weekend, where I attended The Art of Homemaking Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, I never thought too much of these statements. From now on, I will tell people life DOES come with an instruction manual, we simply forget or choose not to read it.

Let me back up a bit. Yes, I am a house wife. I have a degree and I could get a job to help my husband with finances, and to be honest there are months when I consider it. But, I have reasons as to why I stay at home. It was not a decision that I made with haste, or alone. Though my reasons seem to confuse our independent and materialistic generation, I wholeheartedly believe that we have made the best choice for our family. Maybe it is not the best choice for yours, or perhaps it would be. 

"Think of the things you could afford to do if you both worked."

I assure you we are aware of the things that we do not always get to do due to being on one income. We do not need reminding. We believe in building a home first, and family second. Now, I realize that is no longer the norm. I do not care what is 'normal'. I am a housewife now, so that I can be a stay-at-home mom later. It is much easier to adjust to one income now, than it would be when we are adjusting to being new parents. I believe that faith-based parenting is how children should be reared. Lucky for us, the bible has a nice, clear outline on how this should be done. A lot of parents work very hard to provide for their families; and that is absolutely fine. Some moms HAVE to work. We all have different circumstances. But my question is are you working to feed your children or to buy a designer couch or trip to the Bahamas? Those things are all fine in themselves; God is not against us having luxuries. But are our luxuries a priority? Does that second job provide for your family or for you entertainment? For us, it was the latter. As Nation we need to reevaluate our priorities.

The Art of Homemaking

Last weekend, I learned that there is guidance in the bible for any circumstance we could imagine. I was blessed to attend a conference that focused on being a Godly woman, wife, and mother. Yes, in 2013. How awesome is that? I was so happy with what I learned, and now I know I have SO much work to do to be who God needs me to be! Proverbs 31 carefully and thoroughly tells us women how to be good wives and women after God's own heart. Everything we need to do is broken down into simple ideas and concepts. We just choose to not read the directions. Our society has created a new set of instructions for women which is fueled by feminism and selfishness and driven by monetary concerns. God's instruction set for women is fueled by submission and selflessness and drive by glory for God. Which sounds better to you? I am still studying Proverbs 31, so I do not feel equipped to break it down for you all in the way it deserves to be, but here is a site that does a wonderful job. Please check it out!

The Hospital Forgot to Send us Home with a Instruction Manual

As you know, Russell and I do not have any children yet, so we often wonder how we will do as parents. Parenting is a BIG job! I can not even teach my dog to not bark at the neighbors, how will I possibly teach a child how to become a Godly adult? I was so surprised and relieved to see how many verses in the Bible clearly state how God intends for Children to be reared. Here is a recap on my favorite lesson this weekend:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

It is SO simple when you break it down. We need to love God truly and completely, and we need to teach our children to do the same. We should teach them in our homes, "when you sit in your house". We should teach them by how we live when we are out and about in the world, "when you walk by the way,".  And we should teach them REPEATEDLY; each day should begin and end by giving Glory to an Amazing God, "when you lie down, and when you rise up.".  That seems pretty reasonable to me! But God even takes it one step further. In verse 8 we are reminded that children need more than simply hearing of God. They need to "see" God in our lives, "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." Our homes need to be Godly places, visible to our family and outsiders, "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Learning about this section of scripture brought great relief to my restless spirit. I love children and, God willing, hope to have some of my own someday. Knowing that these precious lives DO come with instructions made me feel so free. It makes sense, you know. Of course God would give us instruction for the most precious of gifts He sends us. Know what is even better? No where does it mention a "wrong way" of parenting. What the bible does mention over and over is LOVE and DEMONSTRATION. God wants his children to show each child how to love God and love others. I think those are reasonable demands. 

LOVE GOD. LOVE OTHERS.

There are many ways in which one could execute the lessons taught by this section of scripture and I would love to hear what you are doing. Someday I will share with you what Russell and I are doing. Today, I just want to leave you with one thought; whatever you are going through; God has most likely covered it in His word. Unfortunately, sometimes you actually have to read it to find it! 

Oh, and we saw the Duggars :) 

Have a Blessed day,

The Hunter's Wife