5.01.2011

We're Alive!!!

Yes, we are alive! I know it's hard to believe...but we really haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I can tell you that I think about blogging every day, and for some reason or another it always gets pushed to the side & now 9 months later...here I am...finally blogging! I guess I really have a lot of catching up to do! There's so much to say, I don't know how I will ever catch up, but we'll see! :) I hope to be blogging a little more now!

We are all doing very well! Life with 4 kids within a span of 6 years is overwhelming! Don't get me wrong...I love every minute I have with my kiddos and am so thankful to God for entrusting us with these 4 very precious little lives. I think I feel overwhelmed the majority of the time & not sure how I'm going to get it all done in the amount of time there is to get things done, but I'm constantly learning & being reminded that my time spent with my kiddos is ultimately the most important. The past year definitely hasn't been an easy year for me as a wife & mom. Lots of learning & adjusting & growing, and I will forever be learning & adjusting & growing. I'm so thankful that God is patient with me & continues to guide me out of bed each morning reminding of the little lives that he has given me to take care of and to teach to follow & depend on Him. I've always thought and said, "God will never give me more than I can handle", but when I was pregnant with Anderson, I remember David preaching about this and he said "God can and will give us more than we can handle.....(ME: ahhhhhh! noooo!!) for us to learn to follow and depend on him fully!" This is so true....I don't think I will ever tell anyone again that God will not give them any more than they can handle....because He does....and I am a true picture of this. I could never have gone through this past year without His hand literally holding me up. He has definitely given me more than I can handle with 4 very young children, but I think He's wanted to see how I would handle it...would I turn to Him for help? Some days, yes...other days, not so well. I'm still learning & I'm still trying & am so thankful for a God Who understands & is patient with me & doesn't give up on me, despite all my mistakes!
Stay tuned....more updates to come!

3 comments:

Mark and Laura said...

Thank you for your great words of encouragment! I feel the exact same way with 3 kids within 3 years along with all the other changes we've gone through in the last 3 years. I feel so overwhelmed everyday and right now am really struggling with loving my role as mommy. It's lonely and God wants me to run to Him. So thanks!

I'm looking forward to reading more in the near future! =)

Anonymous said...

It was great hearing from you again :)
It sounds like you have 4 great excuses to not be blogging too much! I can't imagine how busy life must be for you taking care of four little ones.
I was hoping that you could provide me with the scriptural support your husband used to say that "God can and will give us more than we can handle for us to learn to follow and depend on him fully." I guess I'm having a hard time understanding how God would want to "burden" us into relying on Him. When I read Jesus' words, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28), I find it hard to believe that he would then turn around and purposely "burden" us so that we turn to him and "depend fully on him". 2nd Cor. 12:9 says, that "God's grace is sufficient for me." If he has laid down his life for me so that I can walk in His grace, wouldn't he then supply all the grace I need in each moment...making it so that in each moment of my life, God's grace allows for me to handle all things.
It would be like my husband, who is the primary provider for our house, to come home from work and deny our family food so that we can then "learn to depend on him more fully" for all our food. That wouldn't feel like love to me.
Life happens, tragedy occurs, trials come, but through it all I feel God's grace...and it's there whether I "depend fully on him' or if I don't. It's unconditional...it's not based on my response but based on what it is, Grace.
I don't know, maybe I'm missing your point. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The van Brackel Family said...

Great post!