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A Mother's Musings

Andy & Elizabeth — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:36:15 GMT

Allow me to stray a bit from my typical blog content, and reflect on something the Lord is working on in my heart.

This last weekend was Mother's Day, as you well know. Over the last few years, since becoming a new mom, this has quickly become my favorite holiday. My favorite holiday used to be Valentines Day--anyone else love to hand out valentines to all your friends? I will still hold a special fondness for Valentines Day, but these days the position of favorite goes to Mother's Day.

The reason I love Mother's Day so much has everything to do with my three boys, and my husband, who does a wonderful job of honoring me. I cherish this day as a time to remember my first son, Collin, and the blessing he was and is to us. I also stop with renewed reverence as I thank God for the gifts he has given me in my sons. It is such a privilege to be a mom, and sometimes I can forget that. Sometimes I forget how great a responsibility the Lord has given me to nurture and LOVE my boys. (Titus 2:4, "...admonish the young women to...love their children.") It is a God-given responsibility to instruct them in the things of the Lord and make sure they are learning how to act in society. Not to mention, keeping them safe and healthy (these two things can prove very difficult at times, with boys!) I thank God for making me a mom!

In the last 8 months I have been challenged a few times in my parenting. God has brought some circumstances into our lives that has made this burden for mothering much greater on my heart. I have had to deal with tough questions like, how can I really keep my children safe from people who want to harm them or don't love them with a Christlike love? Or, how can I trust that everyone has my child's best interest in mind? Or, should I compromise my view of parenting when another parent wants me to more closely resemble theirs? These questions, and others like them, were not just ones that popped into my head from some irrational fear or insecurity...they are valid questions that were raised because of some difficult and uncomfortable circumstances. These questions are also raised simply because we move so often...how do we know who to trust with our kids if we just met them two weeks ago--this is a constant situation we face.

I am still working through the process of considering these questions and not letting it slip into irrational fear, distrust or bitterness. It is good to be careful, but not to worry or have irrational fear. The Lord protects, the Lord is sovereign. He loves my boys even more than I do. He does always have their best interest in mind and He will take care of us through any circumstance.

I am convinced that these are good questions to think through and answer, seeking God's wisdom. As Judah and Asher's mom, I am supposed to be guarding their hearts and minds and keeping them safe. It is my job to be watchful, to be careful, to be alert and protective. To take precautions and foresee danger. To feed them when they are hungry and to feed them spiritually as well. When my patience is thin, to draw on the strength of the Lord to show them Christlike love and humility. I get the privilege of doing this and of loving them unconditionally. In return I have the pleasure of receiving their love, but I also more fully understand God and His love for me.

Being a mother is a blessing! Nothing has taught me more about myself and about God. As my boys grow bigger and we have the joy of interacting and communicating more with each other, I only realize this blessing and responsibility more. I thank God for giving my sons to me and that includes my dear Collin, who I treasure and look forward to seeing again in heaven.

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day, remembering your moms and, if it applies, thanking God for your children. I hope you all have a good week! Thanks for reading and for praying!

Got an update?

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:03:14 GMT

We have been having a wonderful time updating our supporting churches on the weekends. It has been a bit tiring for Andy to take on this extra responsibility in addition to his work week, but the blessing of being with our supporting churches and seeing some individuals who support us has been invaluable for all of us. Andy and I so much enjoy being in churches and the opportunities we get for ministry. Andy has enjoyed getting to preach again and I have loved doing my part in the presentation and reconnecting with old friends. Last week we were privileged to visit a church in Rome, NY, where we got reacquainted with friends who are now the pastor at the church. They have 3 beautiful children and our 2 boys absolutely loved playing with them! Judah still talks about his new friends. So, we have enjoyed the blessings God has given our boys during this busy time too.

Please pray for us as we continue our meetings. We have one near NYC this weekend (April 22nd), and then we will leave for meetings in the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia area. I would specifically ask for your prayer as I prepare for a devotional that I have to give on May 4th. I will be speaking to ladies during their mother/daughter banquet in Manassas, VA.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

I <3 NY!

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:51:55 GMT

One of the benefits of moving so often with our missionary work, is the privilege of being able to see some of our nation's notable attractions that all of the sudden become local sites for us. Last weekend I had the privilege to be in New York City with my twin sister, Deborah. She came from Sioux City, IA to visit us on our current building project in New York. After we picked Deborah up at the airport, Andy took the boys and let Deb and I make our way to the city for a fun sister weekend. It was so fun and memorable. I'm so thankful to God for keeping us safe and for allowing us the opportunity to do that together.

Since my sister is pregnant and restricted from walking too much, we decided to not try and do EVERYTHING that there is to do in NYC. Instead, we window shopped on 34th St. and along Broadway. We enjoyed supper at Ellen's Stardust Cafe and were treated to live music by the singing servers who are aspiring Broadway stars. Thanks to a special gift, we were able to enjoy a Broadway show as well. On Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and walked to Rockefeller Plaza to hopefully make it on TV on the Today Show. Did you see us?

I think our favorite part was going to Central Park on Saturday morning and enjoying a Starbucks coffee on one of the park benches. This is my third time to the city, and I've decided that Saturday morning is definitely the time to be out and enjoy the city! It is so quiet, peaceful and spacious (comparatively speaking). Our last stop before heading home was to see the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry.

We got home on Saturday afternoon and Deborah left the next day. We were both tired, she was probably exhausted, but it was such a great weekend! It meant a lot to have her visit us and we will always remember our time together in NYC!

A special thank you to Deborah for coming, to her husband, Luke, and her in-laws, Mark and Jo, for keeping her two girls while she was gone.

The blessing of help:

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:50:47 GMT

Recently we were blessed to have a group from one of our supporting churches in Pennsylvania come up to help with the building project here in New York. The group included several very capable men who volunteered their services for a week. Three of the men's wives came along as well to provide snacks and meals for the week. While the group was here they were able to build a garage for the parsonage and also complete the shingling on the entire parsonage. A few of the men also helped Andy with his electrical work inside the building. It was amazing to see how fast they worked and what they were able to accomplish in just a week's time!

There are several reasons why this group was such a blessing to us. The primary reason was just the Christian fellowship we were able to share. It was an encouragement to have their help, but also their personalities, which added a different and fun atmosphere to the work week. I mentioned the ladies who came along to make the food--well, they not only fed their own group, but they also fed us builders! We ate lunch and dinner (and sometimes snacks) with the group every day! What a blessing! Around about Tuesday, I stopped to wonder why I had so much extra time to play outside with my boys....then I realized: it's because I don't have to cook! We loved not having to cook and also having their fellowship for every meal. Our son, Judah, especially enjoyed their company! He remembers his new friends with fondness and misses eating and playing with them. His favorite was playing the guitar and singing with them.

One of the biggest ways that the group blessed us was just by being there. What a blessing it is as a missionary to have one of our supporting churches care enough about us and the work that we are doing--enough to volunteer of their valuable time and COME! It is difficult to express how much it means to us that our supporting church cares about us. We loved seeing their familiar faces (perhaps every missionary would understand the blessing of seeing a familiar face after being surrounded with unfamiliar faces in a new area). I feel like we got to know them so much better and vice versa. This will be a very special church to us for years to come!

Concrete Jungle

Andy & Elizabeth — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:39:37 GMT

Below is a blog entry I wrote on November 19th. I have not posted it until now because we have been having issues with our internet and computer. You may be happy to know that I have since stopped searching for the illusive baby formula at our local Walmart-- One: because I don't need it anymore (yea!!) and Two: because I now know that it is located by the checkout aisle. hmmm. I would have never looked there!

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We're not quite in New York City, but we are still experiencing our fair share of culture shock here in the shadow of Albany, NY. Our home is about 8 miles driving distance from Albany, which of course translates into 20-25 minutes drive time. (We no longer equate miles traveled with minutes on the road! Drive time used to be simple: 15 miles meant 15 minutes. Not here.)

I am enjoying getting to know our new home, but my 3+ hour trip to Walmart today almost did me in. It is only 4.5 miles from my home, but somehow it took me 20 minutes to find the parking lot. Once I got in the store, I was pleased to find that I didn't immediately feel "turned around". Have you ever walked into a different store (same chain, different store) and discovered that the whole store seems turned around: The grocery aisles are where the pharmacy should be and the check out lines are on the wrong end? This happens to me most every time I walk into a new Walmart. I get used to the one in my town, then I move and have to figure out a new one. It's just another adjustment to make in a life of frequent relocation. Anyway, like I said, I was glad that I did not immediately feel discombobulated. Key word: IMMEDIATELY. It did come, eventually. Most likely because this Walmart has two floors--Yes, two floors! The first floor was grocery, pharmacy, paper goods, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, etc. The second floor contains the clothes, home goods, do it yourself supplies, baby supplies, shoes, crafts, etc. Needless to say, it took me much longer to accomplish my shopping list! Of course they had to put the baby section on the top floor in the very opposite side of the elevators (oh yeah, they have elevators and escalators that accommodate your shopping cart). I had two highly annoying experiences during my first Walmart endeavor. The first was the absence of the baby formula. I searched the baby section high and low and STILL could not find the baby formula. You would think it would be in the baby food section, but it wasn't! Thankfully, I am not out of formula right now because I never found the formula. Where else could it be? The second annoyance was when I was looking for some window suction hooks. I went to the craft section on the second floor and could not find them. I finally found someone working there and asked her where they could be. She told me they are in the "Kids Crafts" section on the bottom floor in the back of the store. Of course. Silly me, checking in the "adult" craft section. Funny! Oh well! I know it will get easier the more I practice! : )

New York, at last!

Andy & Elizabeth — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:48:49 GMT

Well, we made it to New York! Thank you all for praying for us as we were trying to make our way here! To review: we left Iowa on November 1st and made it as far as South Bend, IN, where our truck broke down. In really simple terms, the drive shaft and transfer case dropped out from underneath the truck while we were driving down the interstate. It was a difficult two days as we tried to line up tow trucks, a parking spot for our trailer, a mechanic, lodging, etc. The Lord truly helped us as we felt completely at a loss when first faced with our situation! Some of the details were worked out quickly, but some were not. We ended up towing the truck to a friend's house in Sauk City, WI (our last build site location). Our friend is a Dodge mechanic, so he graciously offered to not only work on our truck for us, but to also keep our family in his family's home while we waited for the truck to be fixed. We were there for a full week. We left again for New York on November 11th and arrived at our new home in Guilderland on the 12th. The truck ran great! Praise the Lord!

We are thankful for the CBM mission family and our friends who helped us in so many ways! God took care of us and we feel humbly blessed as we see how God's people have given of their varied resources to help us. Many of you have asked how you might give to help us with our growing financial need. As we look at all of our expenses, we estimate the total added cost to us was around $2000. (This total would have been much more had our friend in Wisconsin not helped us with the repairs! He saved us thousands of dollars!) The best way to give would be through our mission agency's website: cbmoffice.org. On the right side of the page you will see a "Give A Gift" link. Clicking on that link will direct you to the pay portal. The memo on your gift should include our names. Thank you if you give, and thank you for praying for us! We are so grateful for God's loving care and that He uses His people to be such a blessing in our lives. We have seen this time and time again and we remain humbled. God is good; we have much to be thankful for!

We are mostly settled in our new location. We are so thankful to be here safely! Andy has this week off of work because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so we are making the most of it! We will be working on getting our trailer home ready for the winter, decorate for Christmas, eat Thanksgiving dinner, and celebrate two birthdays: Asher's FIRST! and my 29th.

We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and that God's blessings will be at the forefront of your minds!

Thank you again for your prayers for our family!

Life is anything but boring...

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:26:53 GMT

God is keeping our life interesting. I feel like my life is in a state of constant upheaval lately. There is so much inconsistency in the day to day schedule when we are moving our home and switching project locations. Not to mention traveling on the weekends in order to update our supporting churches. All these things are good and exciting, but after awhile, can make me long for a "normal" life where we don't move 3+ times a year. Recently, this longing was brought to the forefront of my mind...

This last week, while we were on our way to New York for our next building project, we had a major disruption in our plans (but we rest in knowing that nothing was a surprise to God.) Andy and Judah were in the truck pulling our trailer home behind them. I was in the van with Asher following them. We were nearing exit 77 on I 80/ 90, near South Bend, IN. Andy called and said something didn't sound right with the truck, so he was going to exit and check it out. Not 1 minute later, a huge dust erupted from under the truck and loud noises of "mechanics" hitting the pavement flooded my ears. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Pieces from our truck were flying all over the interstate. I saw Andy coast a few more yards in order to reach the next exit, but I stopped right away so I could get out of the car and check out what had fallen from the truck. Andy came back to me to see what in the world I was doing, and he began to understand what we were looking at: his u-joint, driveshaft, etc. We were in shock as we looked at everything, realizing how big of a repair this was going to be.

We spent the rest of the day calling tow companies and friends and family, trying to formulate a plan of action. This is what we settled on: a missionary friend came down from our home office in Rockford, MI and he pulled our trailer to a church parking lot in Stevenville, MI. Our truck stayed parked where it was in front of a toll plaza until we could arrange for a tow truck to take it to Sauk City, WI, where a friend of ours is a certified Dodge mechanic. He offered to do all the work for free, all we need to pay is for parts. What a blessing to have God's people rally around us to help us in our time of need!

We spent that night in our trailer home at the church in MI and woke up the next morning to drive back to our truck and try to arrange for towing service through AAA. After FOUR hours on the side of the road with two little boys who did NOT want to be stuck in the van, we finally had a tow truck come who could help us with our problem. He towed us to Joliet, IL, where Andy's brother, Jeremy, met us with a flat bed trailer on which to haul our truck up to WI.

Today (Friday) we are here in WI, waiting for parts to come in so that our truck can get fixed. The same friend who is fixing the truck is also letting us stay at their house for however long we are here. They are a blessing to us. We know that this may be a lengthy layover. We are disappointed to not be in NY yet, but thankful that God kept us safe and is providing for us in this unexpected trial.

Please pray that God would help this truck repair to go smoothly and that after it all, our truck would run well and would be able to finish pulling our trailer home to NY where we are supposed to participate in our next building project. Please thank God for the friends and family who helped us while we were in such need. Please ask God to help us with the very real financial burden that we now have--He is already providing! Praise Him!

Thank you all for your prayers! Next time I hope to write to you from Guilderland, NY!

It's raining acorns!

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:31:26 GMT

Oh, the pleasures of being parked beneath two huge oak trees! The past two weeks it has been literally raining acorns on our home. If we lived in a normal house, we would probably hardly notice this natural occurrence, but since we live in our 5th-wheel trailer, we hear every single acorn that falls. It's like when it rains, we hear every single rain drop that falls. The latter is nice and can even be comforting or lull us to sleep, the former does much the opposite. It sounds like we are being attacked or that someone is constantly throwing rocks at our home. I must say that today it is better though. Where as we used to hear a few acorns every 5-10 seconds, today it has been a few every 2-3 minutes. Either the squirrels are done jumping around the trees with their harried gathering, or maybe the acorns are just done falling. Well, we won't be here much longer to "enjoy" this mild annoyance. We will be leaving Sauk City on October 13th and heading for our property in Marshalltown, IA. We look forward to living on our land and working on the maintenance issues there. We will also be traveling every weekend to update some of our supporting churches. We are updating churches in Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa. Appreciate your prayers as we pack things up and leave friends here and as we do lots of traveling next month!

A little help, please?!

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:38:06 GMT

How many of you find it difficult to ask for help? I am raising my hand too. I have theories on why I have trouble asking for help; excuses why I should and like to be self-sufficient. I'm very tempted to lay those out for you right now, in fact. But, instead of doing that, I want to tell you about what God did in my quiet times this week, and how He is helping me.

If you're like me and every other parent in this world, you are often left in bewilderment and stand in confusion as to how to handle certain situations with your children. As Judah, our oldest living son, reaches 2 1/2 next month, he is getting to be more independent and tends to assert that independence in new and sometimes undesirable ways each day. Recently we have tried to encourage his independence in one area: potty training. It's been a work in progress for almost three weeks now. He has had really good days, but this week he has seemed to have a setback.

As I have been navigating this training process and as I see Judah's new struggles with independence and obedience emerge, I got to the point of just total confusion, disillusionment and an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. (Ever been there?) One day during my devotions, it was difficult for me to focus as I had these issues on my mind. So, I prayed about them, and it occurred to me that I should have been doing that all along, but it's just hard for me to ask for help--even from God! So, I began to ask God to give me wisdom into Judah's spirit and personality and God-inspired words to teach and train him. I found encouragement in this time of prayer, and then I decided to open my Bible and start reading.

As I was turning to the text in Galatians, I "just happened" to open the Bible to 1 Samuel where there was an ultrasound picture of one of my baby boys. I automatically assumed it was a picture of Collin, thinking that I probably would have kept his ultrasound picture close since those are some of the only pictures we have of him. But, as I looked more closely, I realized it was the first ultrasound picture we had of JUDAH, taken when I was just 57 days pregnant (only 11 days after I knew I was expecting again). This picture reveals nothing about Judah's form, all you can see is just a speck of white that we were told was a baby. I didn't even know this picture was in my Bible, but as I sat staring at what I knew now to be my boy Judah, I cried, knowing that even as a month old embryo, my God KNEW Judah perfectly: He knows Judah's petite form, his friendly(!) personality, his overwhelming joys, his tragic sorrows...everything about him--better than I do! And as I considered this truth, I realized that God was telling me that He would help me parent Judah in a way that is perfect for Judah. He knows Judah perfectly and established me to be his mommy. What a privilege and what a responsibility!

This week I learned again to be okay with asking God for help. I can't do it on my own, and I'm absolutely not meant to! God has given me help in the form of a wonderful husband and father to our boys, and He has promised to give me wisdom if I ask. (James 1:5)

I'm so thankful to be a mother who has God as my helper!

Our next project

Andy & Elizabeth — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:49:04 GMT

The location of our next building project has been revealed to us. We will be serving with Grace Baptist Church in Guilderland, NY. It is located very close to the state capital, Albany. We will be helping this church to build a parsonage for the future pastor. They have not hired a fulltime senior pastor yet, and most of the reason for that is because they need to be able to offer the senior pastor a parsonage in which to live since housing is so expensive in that area. We look forward to serving with lead builder, Sean Genung and his family. We will also be joined by two other builder families.

We are excited to say that we will be moving to Guilderland around the first of November, which means little Asher will celebrate his first birthday in New York, and we will celebrate the fall/winter holidays there as well. After investigating some of the important details, (is there an Aldi close by? A Walmart close by? A Starbucks close by?...etc.) I am glad to say that this looks like an exciting location for us. We don't know that much about the church and it's ministries yet, but we look forward to meeting the people and understanding their unique passions for ministry as a church body!

Thank you for praying for us as we anticipate our move this fall!

Back in business!

Andy & Elizabeth — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:28:46 GMT

Well, it's been a really long time since I last made an entry on this blog. I was getting so many spam comments that I considered deleting my blog account. However, I just couldn't commit my heart to the idea of no longer keeping up this ministry blog. So, I'll endure the spam comments--unless someone out there knows a way to block spam comments???

Anyway, we have been having a busy summer so far. Summer is always a welcome time for us because it means more time outdoors and that is like adding an extra room to our house. However, autumn is really our favorite season, and I was pleased to hear the weatherman say today that we have just 4-6 more weeks until the weather starts changing. Fall brings football, cross country, marching bands, an extra hour of sleep, pumpkin farms, apple orchards, back to school sales, cooler weather, candy corn, an end to mosquitoes, colorful landscapes, my birthday and more football! This fall will be extra special because we'll be moving to our next build project (we don't know where that will be yet) and we'll celebrate Asher's first birthday!

We can't wait for fall!

Well that was interesting...

Andy & Elizabeth — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:38:00 GMT

Have you ever been on an Amtrak train? If you're anything like me, it is something you have always been interested in doing, but have never quite found a reason to do it. The idea of riding on a passenger train has always fascinated people, I believe. Riding across the deserts, hills and plains of America at fast speeds, all the while partaking in the beauty of new places is intriguing.

Well, I had the interesting experience of riding one of these trains last week. Andy and I wanted to go down to Fort Worth, Texas to purchase a new truck. We looked into airplane tickets, but they were too expensive. Driving ourselves was going to be expensive as well, so we decided to take the Amtrak down to Texas and the plan was to drive our newly purchased truck back home.

First we had to drop off the boys in Iowa with Grandparents. Then we caught the train in Burlington, IA. Our excitement for the trip was barely dwindled when our train was an hour late. We were told that we should be thankful it was only an hour late because the day before it was three hours late. We should have taken the late train as a sign of how things were going to be for the rest of the trip, but we kept positive.

We rode 45 minutes East to get off in Galesburg, Illinois. After a 4 hour layover in bustling Galesburg, ILL, we got on the shuttle van with 7 other strangers for a two hour excursion to Springfield, ILL. Andy and I snagged the front bench in the van so that we could see out of the windshield--we both get car sick pretty easy. This leg of the journey turned out to be my most favorite. The driver of the van and the man in the passenger seat were both sports enthusiasts and one just happened to work for the Atlanta Falcons! We all enjoyed some great football conversations! At the conclusion of this ride, Andy told me I was good at "talking sports."--A great compliment, I would say!

When we arrived in Springfield, ILL we had another layover to wait for the great "Texas Eagle" train to take us on a 20-hour journey to Fort Worth, Texas. By this time it was time for supper and we were getting hungry and tired. Thankfully the train was just 30 minutes late, and we got our seats on the lower level of the train. This turned out to be a blessing because all of the activity took place on the upper level, so that would mean "better" sleeping conditions for us.

After a supper of nothing healthy, we settled into our seats amongst our new neighbors: a man with sleep apnea (who warned us that he doesn't wake up happy), a man who illegally smoked in the restroom and had a colorful vocabulary, a man who liked to sing along to his ipod, and two tired moms with their three tired children. On top of that, the air conditioner was broken in our car. All the makings of a very interesting ride! The best part of the night was seeing St. Louis all lit up at night! That was truly beautiful with the arch and the skyline.

Over the course of the night, we got maybe 4 total hours of sleep. Our chairs reclined minimally and we found out that our neighbor did have sleep apnea, which meant loud snoring. In the morning we decided to try to catch the sunrise from the viewing car upstairs. We did get a good view of the sunrise, but a not-so-great view of everything else. With the exception of the St. Louis skyline the night before, the scenery from the train left a little to be desired. We had ideas of seeing great scenery and city sights, but the views of the city were what you would see around the railroad tracks--not usually the best part of the city. Oh well, it was still fun to see the sights which included animals, trees, cemeteries, buildings, etc.

We learned that during the time we spent on the train, some of our fellow passengers had been accused of stealing food, getting in fights with other passengers, smoking in restrooms, possessing drugs, and other non-reputable activities. Oh goodness! God kept us safe though and we came out not missing anything but a pair of shoes.

We finally arrived in Fort Worth to get a look at our new truck. We were thankful that we ended up purchasing the truck so that we could ride home together in the truck and not have to turn around and board the northern-bound "Texas Eagle." What a good night's sleep we had at our hotel in Oklahoma City that night after showers and a good meal!

So, the next time you think it would be fun to ride an Amtrak train somewhere, remember this cautionary tale! haha! Just kidding. I think had we not had the overnight experience, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. There were some good parts about it all: cheaper than airplane rides, no TSA hassles, got to meet new people, no time behind the wheel for Andy, got to ride home together instead of two separate cars, we got to spend time together and we got a lot of new interesting stories!

Supplications

Andy & Elizabeth — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:22:00 GMT

What a blessing to have a God with whom we can make supplication. He listens to our cries for help and wants to help us. He even knows what we are going to ask before we ask it. It is a blessing to keep in mind that He is sovereign over all.

This past week Andy was in a roll-over vehicle accident due to winter weather. He was in our Dodge Ram truck that we use for our ministry work: pulling our trailer and for the building ministry. Andy did not anticipate that he would have trouble driving to work last Saturday morning, but he hit some ice on hwy 131, just North of Grand Rapids, MI, and the truck rolled upside down into the median. As a result, we believe that the truck is totaled. We haven't heard from our insurance agency yet, but from what we can tell, it will be totaled and we will be looking for a new truck.

I'm writing today to ask you to praise God with us for Andy's safety. God brought him out of the accident with no injuries, just minor scrapes and bruises. Also, please pray with us about our need for a new truck. Those of you who are familiar with pulling trailers know that we need a specific kind of truck that will fit our needs. Please pray that God will provide a truck for us that is just what we need and at a good price. We are praying that the insurance company will be fair in compensating our losses and that God will bless with the rest of the finances we will need to pay for the truck. Thank you for praying with us about this matter!

Welcome Baby!

Andy & Elizabeth — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:47:00 GMT

Dear friends,

Thank you for your prayers! I am excited to tell you that little Asher Edward Smith was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th! After arriving at the hospital around 5:30 am (I think), we eventually welcomed Asher into the world at 7:38 pm that evening. It was a long journey (we watched all of the Macy's parade, all of the Lions/Patriots game, Wheel of Fortune...etc.), but God was present there with us and helped us through each step. Asher weighed in at 7 lbs 6 oz and was 19 1/4 in long! Such a good size for a 36 week old preterm baby! I had always suspected that I was a week further along in the pregnancy than the doctor told me I was, so after I heard how much Asher weighed, I began to wonder if I really was further along than 36 weeks! I was able to deliver Asher naturally--no cesarean section and no other complications! What a blessing to have a safe VBAC delivery! We had the best nurse and doctor during delivery and that made all the difference for me!

Recovery has been so much nicer since I didn't have to have a c-section. I am healing well and I look forward to having my Mom here with me for a couple days to help me recover more fully. Asher is doing well. He had some respiratory concerns during the first few hours of life, but since then he has been the picture of health. There never seemed to be any question as to whether he would get to come home with us right away or not and we were so glad for that! We all were discharged on Saturday, the 27th.

Judah is so very interested in his little brother! His new favorite word is "baby" and it's the first thing he says when he wakes up in the morning. He loves to help with anything baby related: feeding, changing, traveling, etc., and he loves to give Asher kisses.

Asher's name means blessed or blessing. We chose this name because we believe that Asher is blessed by the Lord to have had a safe and healthy delivery into the world. We also feel that Asher is just another one of God's many blessings in our lives. A blessing we don't deserve and don't take for granted. This healthy pregnancy and delivery is such a reminder to us of how good God is to us. We are so blessed.

Thank you for your prayers for our family. As you think of us, you can pray for Asher's continued health, Judah's adjustment, as well as the adjustment that Andy and I are making as we add Asher and his needs to our family.

Thank you!

Up and About!

Andy & Elizabeth — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:34:00 GMT

Good morning, friends!

Thank you for rejoicing with us as I have now been given permission to get up out of bed after 13 weeks down. It feels good to be up and more independent, but you probably understand when I say that it also doesn't feel good to all of the sudden be more active. I'm pretty sore! After being inactive for so long, it will take me awhile to get my muscles built up again. When I stop to think how out of shape I actually am, it's depressing. (Especially when my husband tells me last week that he weighs the same as he did in high school! Maybe not a good thing to tell your pregnant wife who was restricted from exercising since April and on bedrest the last 3 months! ha!)

I got up yesterday and in my desire to give Andy a little break, and also my desire to be an active Mommy to Judah, I went into Judah's room and welcomed the morning with him. I made us our breakfast and fed him. All of this allowed Andy to sleep in a little longer than usual. Not much longer, but I'm sure it felt great to him to be the one who got to sleep in an extra 10-15 minutes.

After that I was ready for a break so I sat down to watch some of the Today show. They were interviewing a member of the March of Dimes organization who said that yesterday was National Premature Birth Awareness Day. How ironic that the day I get out of bed would be a day set aside to recognize the premature birth epidemic in America. "Every baby born before 37 weeks is premature...it is best for all moms and doctors to try to make it to 40 weeks gestation," she said. "Maybe I should go back to bed," I said. : ) I started to feel a little guilty that I was getting out of bed at 35 weeks, but decided that I had been in bed long enough.

Around 10:30 we left the house for some baby shopping. We went to Kohls, specifically looking for a blanket, towel and coming home outfit for the baby. Turned out Kohls was having a major two-day sale and it was packed! It was a little overwhelming, but we found a wheelchair for me and we all set out for the baby section. We found what we needed, but because shopping in a wheelchair in crowded aisles is not ideal, we left without doing a lot of looking at other things.

Next we went to Walmart to get some baby diapers, wipes, formula, etc. Walmart had those electric motor chairs! I felt so funny driving around in one of those things, but it worked nicely for me to be able to get myself around so Andy could push the shopping cart with Judah inside. By the time we were done at Walmart, I was ready to go home and rest.

One of my favorite parts of the day was when we were getting ready to leave for the morning and Judah gave me a goodbye kiss and waved and said "bye-bye!" But I said that I was coming outside with him. He stood outside of the door and clapped and yelled "yeah!" as I came out the door. It was funny and cute! My favorite Andy moment yesterday was when I started helping him put away the laundry and he said, "Are you hanging up the clothes?! Yes!!! You're back!" Then he said, "It's so nice to have you up and doing everything again." haha. Sounds like someone learned a valuable lesson over the last 3 months! : )

By the end of the day I was pretty tired and sore, but not having regular contractions. The only time I got very winded was when I was going up the stairs in the CBM office building to get our mail and say hello to friends. So, as I continue to get my muscles in shape, I will be patient through the soreness. I will enjoy my time with just Judah and Andy before the baby comes.

We can't help but wonder just how long it will be before the baby comes. I heard, although I have not confirmed, that it is going to be a full moon on Saturday...you know what they say about full moons! Judah was the third emergency c-section of the night on Good Friday in April 2009, which also happened to be a night with a full moon! : )

Relief is coming!

Andy & Elizabeth — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:12:00 GMT

Thank you for your continued prayers. We have been blessed to hear from many of you that you are keeping our next baby and me in your prayers!

We are starting to see the wonderful relief that will come when I get up next Wednesday. Not so much because I'll be able to help out with little things around the house, but because we will no longer have the overwhelming concern of preterm labor. A birth before 37 weeks would still be preterm labor technically, but at least we have the confidence of a very favorable outcome of a baby born at this point. Judah was born at 36 weeks, so I would like to make it at least that long again--that is Wednesday, November 24th.

Today was my 34 week doctor appointment. (What a wonderful day I had getting out of the house with not so much anxiety and concern!) I had an ultrasound to check the placement of the placenta and they also decided to check the baby's weight. Thank you for praying with me about the placenta placement. It turns out that the placenta did "grow away" from the cervix, so we no longer have to worry about the problem of placenta previa. Also, the baby is weighing in at a strong 5 lb 6 oz; in the 51st percentile. Praise God!

Thank you again for praying. I am just so impressed with the reality that God is so good. I almost can't believe I'm practically done with my second successful pregnancy. After having a child pass away from premature birth, it is so very special to see God redeem our pain again. We are very excited to welcome home another baby boy.

Please continue to pray for my labor and delivery. I am asking God for the physical strength to get through labor (after 3 months of muscle atrophy, that is a very real concern on my mind). I am also asking Him for great doctors and nurses who will be wise in their evaluation of how things are going, ie: whether I can deliver naturally or if I need to have another c-section. I also ask you to join me in prayer for a healthy baby who can come home with me after delivery. I don't ever desire the experience of leaving the hospital without my baby in hand again. Whatever happens though, we are praying for a safe and healthy delivery for baby and me.

FUN FACTS OF BEDREST:
---It occurred to me today that I have been out of the house exactly 10 times in the last 13 weeks. Wow!
---When I went on bedrest, they had "Back to School" items in the stores.
---Turns out the only thing Andy won't do for me is clip my toenails! haha! Last time my mom did it for me... : )

Thank you for reading and for praying!

33 weeks and counting...

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:48:00 GMT

Well, thank the Lord, there is not much to report this week. Despite a major increase in my contractions, God has kept our baby inside where he is hopefully safe and maturing well. My contractions were increasing all week long and then Andy gave me my shot on Wednesday, and now they are subsiding again. I remember this same thing happened last time with Judah. This newest development has made me rethink my theory that I will last 2 weeks after I get up from bedrest, but we'll see.

We got our first snow today here in Michigan. It was lake-effect snow, I guess. It didn't amount to anything, but it snowed steady all morning.

Andy is preaching in Grand Rapids this Sunday. There is no nursery at the church he is going to, so we have asked our friend to take Judah for the morning at our regular church. Just another thing in a mountain of things to consider when one parent is out of commission. I feel like this whole experience has helped me to better understand my mom, who was a single-parent for seven years. I'm thankful for her in new ways and can see my childhood with a different understanding now. The difference, however, is that she had six kids and we only have one! Amazing!

We continue to count down the days until I can get up out of bed. I have just 11 days left! We have started to think about what I want to do once I get up. I am looking forward to taking a shower like a regular person, going to church, Christmas shopping, etc. Most of all I am looking forward to doing things with Judah again: walking with him, picking him up, holding him, putting him to bed and even changing his diapers! I think Judah is looking forward to it too. In the last few days he keeps coming up to me beside the bed and putting his hands under me like he's trying to lift me and he says, "Up! Up!" Very soon I will be up, Judah. Very soon!

Thank you for your prayers!

32 weeks!

Andy & Elizabeth — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:05:00 GMT

Today we can celebrate 32 weeks, or eight months, of pregnancy! Praise God! We're getting so close to the end! Just three more weeks until I can get up off of bedrest, and just eight more weeks until my due date (but we are, understandably, not expected to make it that far).

We had another doctor appointment yesterday. This time we took Judah along with us. We weren't having an ultrasound, so it turned out okay to have him with us. The nurses and doctor, as well as the whole waiting room, enjoyed meeting Judah and watching him try to help Daddy push my wheelchair down the hall. He did a good job and actually helped a lot when it was time for me to navigate through the doors that Andy was holding open for me.

My favorite nurse was helping us and she and I skipped our usual Christian fiction banter and instead discussed the blessing of being at 32 weeks. She was very congratulatory and encouraged me by telling me how well I have done to stay down for the last ten weeks. Before she left the exam room she told me that she thinks I have had a really good attitude through all of this, considering everything. I told her it is God, not me. She alluded to the verse in Lamentations about God's mercies being new every morning, and then we both started crying! : ) God is so good! That verse is so true! I have witnessed that no matter what kind of day I had previously, or how sore I am when I go to bed, each morning God gives me new vigor and comfort! I'm sure Andy can witness to the truth of that verse through all of this too.

Next the doctor came in. She was uncharacteristically warm and seemed proud of how far we had come together. I told her I have been having more contractions and other labor symptoms. She said she wasn't going to check to see if I am dilated, because she knows I am. I agree, why check at this point? I seem to have more confidence if I don't know the details of exactly how bad things are. I'll just continue to stay down, time any contractions and as long as they stay irregular, I'll just sit tight.

I see the doctor again in two weeks. At that time we are getting another ultrasound to check the position of the placenta. Maybe you remember me asking for prayer about the placenta placement. It was really close to the cervix at my 20 week ultrasound, meaning that I could be in danger of having placenta previa. The doctor wants to check it again just to make sure I'm not still in danger for that condition.

I might ask you to pray about another thing. I had a c-section with Judah and many hospitals today automatically make women have another c-section if they've had one before. However, this hospital (in Grand Rapids) is big enough and has enough staff available that they are giving me the option of delivering this baby naturally. It is something I want to do, but I am nervous about the risks involved. I won't go into detail about what could happen, but my mind naturally figures that whatever bad could happen will happen when it comes to me and pregnancy! I'm just a magnet for bad news, it seems. Anyway, we have chosen to proceed with natural delivery and trust that God will give us the right doctors and the wisdom they need to help us deliver safely. We are glad to know that I will be constantly monitored and if things get emergent, they will do another c-section. Please pray for peace of mind for us and that God will make His path for us clear. Pray most of all for a SAFE delivery for both me and the baby!

Well, I'm counting down the days till I get up--19 days, as of today (the 28th). I also started my ninth and final round of antibiotics yesterday. Those pills make me feel horrible, so I'm glad to be almost done with that. Also, I only have two more shots left--Andy should be glad for that!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Back in the twenties!

Andy & Elizabeth — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:46:00 GMT

Well, this week I'm excited to say I'm back in the twenties, but I'm not talking about weeks of pregnancy, I'm talking about days left of bedrest! I have only 27 days left of bedrest at the time of this entry (Wed. 20th). Less than a month to go! I don't know who's more excited...me or Andy! We can see the end! Our spirits are lifting!

I should also say that I am 31 weeks pregnant today. That is wonderful to know and we thank God for bringing me this far in the pregnancy. Andy and I both think that I will get up from bedrest (in just 27 days!) and nothing will happen! We are betting that I last another 2 weeks or so before going into labor, but we'll see what happens. This pregnancy just seems to be going so much better than my pregnancy with Judah. Of course, I had to do bedrest with both pregnancies, but I've had very little contractions with this pregnancy. Anyway, we'll wait and see what happens and keep praying that God grants me as much time as possible with this baby growing inside.

I just want to say again how great it is to have Judah home with me all day! We spend our mornings together playing and "talking" and sometimes watching Sesame Street. He has gotten a little better at listening to me and coming to me when Andy asks him to. He also has no problem sitting with me or giving me hugs and kisses. Before it was like I was just this stranger in his life that he didn't quite know what my purpose was, and I was having trouble with the same questions. Now, however, I feel like his Mama again, and even though I can't do everything for him that I used to, I can see that he still considers me his caretaker. Even though he still refuses to call me "Mama" (will I forever be "Dada")? : )

Andy and I have been thinking about what will define this time of bedrest for us; when we look back on these last 13 weeks, what will we remember? When we think about my last time on bedrest (with Judah) we remember the hospital! I spent my first three weeks of bedrest in the hospital and that was interesting! Showers laying down, Andy sleeping on an uncomfortable cot by a drafty window, watching the Obama inauguration and the Super Bowl on TV, discovering our mad Wheel Of Fortune skills, etc. When we look back at this second time of bedrest, I think we will remember our crazy schedules and all the extra work Andy had because we now have Judah. I will definitely remember the heartache of "missing out" on three months of Judah's life experiences, and how hard it is not to be a mother to him in all the ways in which I want. But, I will also thank the Lord as I remember how good this pregnancy has gone and how strong I have felt throughout. I will for sure remember my new found interest (bordering on obsession) with football! I look forward to weekends so much! College football on Saturday and NFL football on Sunday! Then I go through football withdrawal all week long! Maybe this year I won't forget the rules of play during the off-season...

Thank you all for praying!

Out of the twenties!

Andy & Elizabeth — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:24:00 GMT

Well, this week brings the good feeling of reaching thirty weeks of pregnancy! What a monumental achievement! Thank you God!

I went back to the doctor this week for a regular check up. I wasn't really sure what to expect...I haven't had a "normal" check up in a long time. Once I got there, I learned what 'normal" means: weight check, blood pressure check, measure the tummy, listen for the heartbeat and discuss any symptoms. Nothing too invasive at all. It was a good appointment and I also managed to get an extra shot in the form of my influenza vaccination. We thank God for the good appointment and that everything went well. I go back again in two weeks.

Our new schedule (with Judah staying home and Andy working nights) has been going well so far. Thank you for praying! Judah and I have been getting more time together to play and love each other. I want to cherish this time I have with just him, even though it's not quite how I would like it, but it's God's plan for us.

We had some extra company this week from Iowa (Andy's parents) so Andy's ministry leader was generous and gave Andy a few days off work to be with them. While they were here, Andy and his dad were able to make some arrangements for winter by putting the skirting on our trailer and fixing our water situation so that it will sustain freezing temperatures. Those were great things to get done before winter's cold hits us. One morning the three adults and Judah went to a local apple and pumpkin farm to get some goodies and have fun. They were all really impressed with the farm and enjoyed their time. It was hard for me to be down, unable to fulfill my hosting duties, and to miss out on the activities, but it worked out. Both Andy and I were thankful for the extra help around the house.

Thank you all for reading and for your prayers! Praise God for His sustaining work during this pregnancy!