GraceLaced Mondays: Giving Thanks to God

Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him.

Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for Him on the ten-stringed harp.

Sing a new song of praise to Him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.

For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything He does.

He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

Psalm 33:1-5

(one of the pretty California poppies from our yard)

I am not sure where to begin. I definitely wanted to post for GraceLaced Monday. I definitely have a little time on my hands...and I most certainly am a blessed grace-receiver who needs to give glory to God.

Please forgive the rambly nature of my thinking these days...

God is not a good God simply because/if/when He works things out the way I hoped they'd go. His character is good throughout and He possesses that unique-to-Him thing called sovereignty, which means He's in total control and has the ability to work all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.

That said, obviously we are rejoicing over many things God has allowed to go the way we hoped...

It was so crazy to have the ferning tests come out negative again when we first came on Tuesday, then to have the ultrasound show such a shockingly low fluid level, which resulted in being admitted...

...which resulted in our being here already when the bleeding and placental abruption scare began...

Thanks be to God! 

Mom brought these daisies in a beautiful pale blue Mason jar all the way from her yard Back Home!

Then to have labor ramp up, us thinking we were welcoming our boy so early - and have that just go away...thanks be to God!


Now we've had several quiet days, and our hearts are grateful, so grateful to be in a place where they're taking such good care of me and the baby. It's a blessing to be in a hospital that is very ready to deal with itty-bitty babies and that has such a kind staff of nurses and helpers.

I've never stayed in the hospital more than a day or two - and only when I've had babies. It's a whole new world, living here. I get to see how much these sweet nurses serve. They are so good to me. My home is here on the post partum hall, by the way, literally surrounded by rooms with It's a Boy! and It's a Girl! bows on the doors...and sometimes I've heard the lusty, angry cry of a discontented newborn...and it's Thank you God that our Baby Boy is NOT here yet. Maybe we'll make a door sign that says Boy Coming Soon...


Right now my days consist of lying around and drinking water. Over a gallon a day. Lotsa bathroom visits. Thank you, God, for water - for good, clean water. Thank you for every day the baby grows inside me.


Thank you for the loving people who are bringing food, watching children, and shopping for groceries. And for the sweet visits I've had from friends, along with little goodies and flowers, too!


Thank you, God, for technology - both the kind that's monitoring our baby's health and the kind that is allowing me to visit with my girls!


We've been doing FaceTime sessions (like Skype). Sometimes I just chat w/one or several of the girls, but then these last two nights, I've read to them from Little House on the Prairie. Our goal was to read through the whole series this summer, and we are still going to try to do that. One little piece of normal for everyone, thanks be to God.


Oh, and another thing to be thankful for is that I got to go outside yesterday. BB wheeled me around the beautifully landscaped courtyard that I can see from my third story post-partum window (thanking God for windows too...that I can see the sky and the sun and the tree tops!)

Saw this little fellow during my escape outside. He and his buddies were frighteningly tame...

And BB. Super dad. Hangs with the kids, then hauls all.the.way.back.downtown to stay the night with me. He's wonderful. Oh, and another beautiful Providence: he finished his current school quarter FRIDAY and we'd already decided he'd not take a class over the summer. Good thing, eh?!

We can see so many ways that God was preparing our family for this...the fact that we'd made almost no plans for the whole summer; the reality that the few plans we'd made were changed or cancelled. Our family had settled into a very quiet, slow life already, as I was on bedrest at home those 11 days. I had some special times with the kids and I'm thanking Him for those moments, too: playing cards with this one, putting rollers in that one's hair.

MK the morning after I rolled her hair. Shirley Temple! Napoleon Dynamite! 

All of this is grace from God's hand - the challenges and uncertainty included, and may we have a heart to give thanks to Him in everything!

One more thing: today's the 31 week mark, hooray! 32 weeks is a big turning point for lung development, so we're hoping and praying for at least that.