Feeling the love~17 weeks!

Baby weighs 5 ounces this week -- about as much as a turnip

Length: 5 inches, head to bottom

That's right! I have definitely felt our baby moving inside! The first time I felt these little kicks, was after dinner on Friday night (16 weeks, 5 days to be exact). We were sitting at the dinner table with Paul's parents in our cozy, coastal cottage when I started feeling these little pokes, about every few minutes. After I had officially felt several, I shared with everyone that I was feeling what felt like popcorn popping in my belly! Even as I type this, I JUST felt another little popcorn POP!! I'm in love with our little popcorn popper :) We went to church last night and after worship, once we sat down, I began to feel 3 pops, right in a row. Each time I felt the baby move, I would poke Paul, so he knew, too. Feeling this miracle move causes my heart to skip a beat. Quite honestly, the best thing I have ever felt.

We are so grateful beyond words, overflowing with joy, filled with hearts of thanksgiving, yet these phrases still lack sufficient gratitude toward our Heavenly Father for this miracle growing inside. Besides, when you think about it, words are just that...words...empty and meaningless... if not backed up with our actions, right? How do we show our Father how grateful we are for all that He has done for us? I think it's by living a life that is pleasing to Him. So, what pleases God?

"and find out what pleases the Lord" Ephesians 5:10

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

Faith in God. Seeking Him wholeheartedly.

"and do not forget to do good and share with others for with such sacrifices, God is pleased." Hebrews 13:16

Do good things for others and share generously.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

The Message puts it like this:

Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs." Psalm 69:30-31

Worship God through music. Thank Him through prayer.

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:7-8

Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,

and don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

"But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." I Timothy 5:4

Do not neglect to care for family members in need.

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior." I Timothy 2:1-3

Pray. Pray for everyone you know, in every way you know how. Pray especially for government to govern well.

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" Colossians 1:10-13

Reflect the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Strive to know God better. Press on, even when it is difficult. Give thanks.

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8

If you are selfish and ignore the needs of others, you ignore God, as well, and your life will be nothing but weeds. Listen to God and allow the Spirit to use you and you will harvest eternal life.

"Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Romans 15:2-4

Ask "how can I help others?" Not in a way that is most convenient, but where it is needed most.

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17

The Message:

Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives, ready for love, don't for a moment escape God's notice.

Humble. On our knees, face to the ground. Acknowledging our need for God.

To me, these verses about "what is pleasing to God" are set up kind of like a sandwich. You need 2 pieces of bread, one on top and the other on the bottom to hold the fillings together.

The top piece of bread is the first verse,

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

The bottom piece of bread is the last verse,

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17

The fillings are all the verses in between.

The fillings, while tasty and important, cannot hold the sandwich together. You need to have the 2 pieces of bread first, and then you can fill your sandwich with the good things.

I read this quote this morning by Andrew Wommack and have been thinking about it in regards to what is pleasing to God,

"A person whose actions are not right, but who trusts the Lord, is more pleasing to God than an individual who is doing the right things, but has no faith in God. It's not a case of those who act the best will get accepted, and those who act the worst get rejected. That would put some of the followers of other religions ahead of many Christians, but that is not what the Bible teaches."

Trying to please God simply with our performance is meaningless. Good works will flow from a heart that is earnestly seeking after God. Acknowledging where we have fallen short of perfection and our desperate need for His forgiveness are far more pleasing then good works alone.

I need to remember that. Seeking after God through prayer, reading my Bible, and worshipping through music are essential to pleasing God, as well as doing good things. My heart cries for this child growing inside to be a kind and generous person, but more than that, I want them to earnestly seek after God in humility. These lessons are better "caught" then "taught", which is why I'm making this my prayer.

Lord, I want to know you better. Teach me how to love others the way you have loved me. Remind me of the blessings you have given me, so that I do not adapt an attitude of complaining or comparison. Use my trials so that Your Name will be honored and others will be comforted. Reveal to Paul and I, how and where you would like us to serve, regardless of what we feel is convenient for us. Amen.

The pics are smaller, because I took them with my iPhone :)

Daddy, getting ready to see his baby

17 week baby

I'm folded in half like Gumby :)

Press Play to see our flexible pretzel baby

17 weeks

Oregon Coast

Our furbaby, Tank, and our Baby B

Will update more pics from our beach weekend soon!

Love,

Paul, Gretchen, and Baby B