Heart Reflections Live

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Boys at One!

Well, our little men turned one last week, and we had a small family celebration at my parents' place on Sunday after Church- of course they got to try one of Mama's home made cakes for the first time!

Zachary and Christopher- What smart little tykes you are! Christopher (the youngest) was the first to master crawling and walking, with Zachary slightly behind, but little Zachy was the first to figure out how things open, that they are not allowed to touch! He's a thinker, our Zachary.

Here's a funny story: Zachary discovered how to open our refrigerator, so we are always listening for that sound. One day I heard it... snuck up behind him and said firmly ZACHARY ELIJAH ROBERTS!!! He dropped to his knees, and hid his eyes behind his hands ( like when he plays peekaboo), thinking he was hiding from me! Of course it immediately reminded me of Adam hiding from God in the garden. It illustrated so beautifully how silly it is to think you can hide from Almighty God!

Sorry no photos today- hopefully in the near future.

Labels:

posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 4:43 pm 0 comments

Friday, January 09, 2009

Now we are Five...


Yes, our little Zara has reached another milestone too, and as promised, now has a bike like her big sister!

Labels: ,

posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 9:50 pm 1 comments

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

My Miracle Man!!

My miracle man hubby turned 44 this month! How blessed we are to have such a man as head of our home! In our situation, every birthday, anniversary and Christmas becomes a milestone, as we are so blessed to have him in our lives...

You see, my beloved has 3 major heart defects (tricuspet artresia, pulmonary stenosis, and transposition of the great vessels). Max has never had surgery for any of these, and any one of these conditions can cause death before the age of 16. We are so aware of God's Soverignty over our lives, His calling on Max, and the exhortation to number our days.

People often ask us how we cope with this uncertainty "hanging over" our heads, but I believe that God has given us a special Grace in that department, and we've learnt to trust in Him , not our circumstances. We have just about clocked up 6 months without me having to call the ambulance in the middle of the night, which is great as we had a bit of a bad run earlier in the year, what with wasp stings and various other unknown factors. Sometimes I think God allows an attack, just so Max can witness to a certain doctor or nurse on duty, or pray for someone in the next bed without the peace and hope we have.

So, what happens when Max has an attack? His heart goes into AF (Aterial Fibulation), which coupled with his defects, leaves us in a life and death situation. He needs oxygen very quickly, as soon as the ambos arrive. They often put at least one canula in him too, and phone Emergency to let them know Max is on his way again. They immediately stabilize him with amiodorone at the hospital and once his heart rate has calmed a bit, they cardio-invert him to put him back into normal rhythm. Then he's fighting to get outa there and to get on livin' life!

I'll never forget the time he had a turn early one Sunday morning. I rang our Youth Pastor to be on standby to preach, picked up Max from hospital after his cardioinversion, he put his white shirt on, dots and patches showing through, rocked up to Church and he got up just in time to preach!!

People sometimes ask us why God doesn't just heal Max- I don't know, maybe we have a better testimony the way things stand now. God often uses me to share spontaneously with people in hospitals while we're waiting about our faith in Christ in our situation.

The most important thing I learnt when this first happened nearly 6 years ago, and yes back then I thought I was going to lose him on our oldest daughter's first birthday, was that no matter what happened, Satan would never triumph and that God would get the glory!! That brought us joy in the midst of possible pain and adversity, and it taught me to have no fear for the future. If I feared I would have missed out on nearly 8 years of marriage, 2 beautiful daughters, and the little twin boys who are coming late November.

I just want to encourage you to trust God for your future, live to glorify Him, and to treasure the little moments of the life He has granted you.

Labels: , , ,

posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 8:54 pm 1 comments

Monday, January 21, 2008

Zara on her 4th Birthday



This has to be one of my all-time favourite photos of Zara. I call her "My little Curly Top".

Her favourite things at 4 are Being a Princess, gardening with Daddy, playing cooking, and helping with cleaning, and reading -especially Bible Stories.

She melts our hearts...

Labels: ,

posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 2:08 pm 0 comments

Celebrating Talitha's 6th Birthday



Here is a photo of the girls together as we celebrated Talitha's 6th Birthday at my parents' place. She is holding 2 of her gifts- a "Princess" bag and the "Hans Christian Andersen" DVD.

Zara, aged 3, in the photo looks deceptively tall, but she is kneeling on a chair.

Our girls are such a blessing to us!

Labels: , , ,

posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 1:38 pm 1 comments

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

40


I turned 40 this week! On the 16th December to be precise. I spent a lot of time pondering the milestone as it approached over the last few weeks, and the significance of the event.

I was also very blessed this week to touch base with my friend, Heidi, and some of her family, who I've known since kindergarten, and we've kept touch over the years. It's incredible to realize in this transient world that we've been friends for 36 years, despite me being a homebody and she a world traveller. We all caught up together on the 12th- her 40th- so it was lovely to share such a major milestone together... I celebrated last Sunday after church with my extended family, sharing a birthday celebration with my eldest daughter, who was 6 (Is she 6 already?) on the 11th December. My Mum bought a huge passionfruit sponge cake iced in white chocolate icing- Mmmmmm!!!!

I don't "feel" 40... Maybe being a wife and Mama to a relatively young family keeps me young at heart. And while it "sounds" old, I'm reminded that my maternal grandmother looked stunning at 40 and had her 4th child soon after.


I'm also reminded that one of my favourite actresses, Greer Garson (Yes, I'm into old movies!) made her best known films in her 40's including Goodbye, Mr Chips, Random Harvest, and Mrs Miniver where she was the epitomy not only of style, but noble womanhood.

In the Bible 40 has also had a special significance, it denotes testing, a training period, and preparation. During Noah's flood it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Moses was in the deserts of Midian for 40 years, and also spent 40 days on the mountain with the Lord. Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days in the wilderness.

In the Bible, 40 years also represents a generation. There was a 40 year span between Christ's crucifixion and the destruction of Jerusalem. So in my life, I see 40 as very significant. I hope to age gracefully, as my husband and I raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

For us, as women, the Bible is clear on our roles:
1 TIM 2:9-15 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls or costly array;
But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
For Adam was first formed , then Eve.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1 TIM 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

1 TIM 5:9-10, 14 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saint's feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

And of course the mentoring role of a Titus 2 woman:
TITUS 2 :3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

I feel I've reached a personal Renaissance in my own life, as the Lord continues to mold me into His Image. I see a time ahead of renewed learning, as I homeschool our 6 year old in the coming year, and a time of greater creativity, as I begin to dust off my very dormant sewing skills to make things for our family. There are so many books to read, hymns to learn, people to touch as the Lord brings them across my path. I pray that I'll be able to continue to live life to the full, living each day to the glory of God, serving Christ the King.
Here is a photo of Heidi and I in front of our Christmas tree, taken on her birthday, when our families caught up together. (I'm the brunette in the headband!)

Labels: ,

posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 10:17 pm 6 comments