Chosen or Allowed?

Read this and wanted to share!

So now that I am pregnant many simply say that God "allowed" me to become pregnant and didn't chose to bless us as I believe it is His plan and not my own that we become pregnant. So I thought we should explore the subject deeper. Both biblically and scientifically which as you will se points right back to God as our creator of all human life.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" Jeremiah 1:5

So first do you have any idea the pure miracle of how one conceives a child? Do you know how there are SOOO many things that have to go perfectly in order to just become pregnant? First the man must have good seed that will be healthy enough to make the journey. And some don't. Next the woman must be able to ovulate a healthy egg, have no blocks or scaring in her tubes, have a healthy uterus and a healthy environment for the "seed" to travel through. Again many different problems that many women have. Next the sperm must swim the distance equivalent to swimming from LA to Seattle!! Sometimes in a day!!! Once it has swam all that way then the really hard part starts, penetrating the shell of the woman's egg. If that happens then the baby has begun its life but we aren't done there. Now the baby must move through the tubes and burrow into the lining of the uterus (if it is a healthy uterus). Now you would test positive on a test. So let's stop there for a second. How do you expect all of that to happen without God's hand in things? There is just so much that can go wrong and has for years for us and many others.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:13-16

Now we come to the forming of a child. The tiny human begins to form. He or she must grow all its organs. The brain, lungs, liver, heart, arms and legs and every other part of the human body from just a few cells. Have you ever watched one of those videos that goes through that step by step? It is AWESOME!! Who else but God can perform such a miracle or masterful work of art? I certainly can't!
Then the birth. There is no time in my life that I feel closer to God as when I give birth. He designed our bodies to perform just as He has planned. They don't need to read a book on how to birth the baby it doesn't need a class. We might think we need to but if we were stuck somewhere with no medical attention or "qualified" Dr available to deliver the baby it will still come. Our bodies have been designed this way. This is why even women in a coma can still deliver a baby because the body doesn't need a manual on how to do it. God built it in.

So looking at what a tiny human must go through to get here how can you deny that God placed that child there to begin with? That God CHOOSE to form this human being instead of "allowing" it to be formed. Maybe it is just an easy way to disconnect with all life being God's design and God being the creator of ALL human life. That we could ever think that a child isn't God's will is beyond me. So if you are still thinking that I am just a crazy nut lets look at the scripture a little closer.
We have already seen Jeremiah 1:5 where God said "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" so looking here God clearly had a plan for this child BEFORE he was even conceived!! He was chosen (as was his mother to carry and raise him) before he was born or as my husband would say before he was a twinkle in his father's eye!! And we already saw Psalms 139:13-16 where it shows how God is the one who "knit me together in my mother's womb" and "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." So not only are we formed by God but again He has all our days written before they came to be! How much more do we need to explore!! God has CHOSEN us!! Before we were even formed!! So why wouldn't a new life that He is still forming be simply allowed and not wonderfully and purposely made? It can't!! Let's continue shall we?
Psalm 135:6 tells us:
"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth," So don't you think that it pleases Him to form new lives that He already has a plan for? If it didn't please Him do you think He would do it?

Here we find verses that show that we are chosen to enter the world not allowed:

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, Ephesians 1:11

The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. Isaiah 49:1

And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, Isaiah 49:5

Here we see that we are crafted by God:

and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, Genesis 48:4

"He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb Deuteronomy 7:13

He has made everything appropriate in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone, Isaiah 44:24

Here we see that children are a gift and blessing from the Lord:

"Blessed shall be the offspring of your body Deuteronomy 28:4

He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." Genesis 33:5

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

So perhaps you may find yourself with a surprise pregnancy. But remember it is only a surprise to you!! God has a plan better then ours. There are no surprises to our Lord!!
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
And the next time you see large families with 5, 8, 12 or more children don't think that they are so irresponsible for having so many. On the contrary I think they are more responsible since they have taken what the Lord has given them and accepted the responsibility to raise them and teach them. "He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, Deuteronomy 7:13
Don't think that any child is a mistake cause how can they be when the Lord made it so clear that every child is from Him and not simply something He allowed to happen but something He formed and designed. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" Jeremiah 1:5
No child or pregnancy is too much for you to handle when you know that the Lord is the one who chose you to have and raise the child. All life comes from the Lord and it is no accident! God is in control!!

Written by Shawnicy Barnhart

Shoestrings

A friend wrote the following on his blog and it was a good analogy to life. He said I could share it here.

She tried hard as she could to get the knot out of her shoestrings. She pulled harder and harder but the knot only got tighter. At last she brought the knot to me and in a matter of seconds the knot was gone. Just like us isn't it? We try so hard to fix our problems only to make the knot tighter. Why is our Father the last option? Why not bring your knot to Him now?! TTK!

--Billy Short

In Christ Alone

I was convicted of whether or not I was satisfied "in Christ alone" by reading a blog post made by another Christian woman. Am I living as Paul talks about in Philippians 4:11-13? Are you?

I pray you check out the post and examine your own life. You may find you are, or you may (like me) find that you need to learn to be content in ALL things.

In Christ Alone

Prospering

"Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to see his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered."--2 Chronicles 31:20-21

If we do what is "good and right and true before the Lord", then we can't go wrong. If we do what we can for God with all our heart, we can't go wrong. The Lord will prosper us and what we are doing as long as we are doing it for His glory, in His way, and for Him with all our heart.

What are you doing right now? Is it "good and right and true before the Lord"? Are you doing it with all your heart? Take a moment and contemplate if you are doing what the Lord has truly called you to do. Think about how your life matches up with the commands of the Bible--God's Word. If you are living how God is calling you to live, then He will prosper you!

I'm not saying that you still won't face trials and hardships, but He will bless you beyond your wildest imaginations if you do all for His glory and you do it with all your heart. Start examining your life today. You may find that you are prospering because you are living the way He called or you may find that you need to make some changes. In either case, commune with Him and ask Him to either keep you on the right path or to show you the right path.

Blessed by God!

I feel very blessed this week! So many good things are happening to us. I am continually amazed at how good God is! I know that He loves me, and I know that He cares for me, and I know that He wants only the best for me, but it is still hard to fathom all that. Most people wouldn't think much about some of the things that have happened this week, but I see them as true provisions from God.

On Sunday, someone from church gave us a 1/2 bushel of apples because she was tired of canning apples and still had a 1/2 bushel left. I was able to can some pie filling and make some fresh apple crisp and still have apples left to either eat or make more goodies with. Also, a friend dropped off some things she was getting rid of that we needed and I was able to introduce her to someone who was able to help her with a health problem she had been dealing with.

On Monday we received a financial gift in the mail that was completely unexpected! In addition, it lifted our spirits to know not only that we are loved by friends and family, but that God is definitely at work in not only our lives, but of others as well.

Tuesday I picked up beef that my parents bought and are sharing some with us and with my brother's family. I was also able to pick carrots and someone stopped by and helped me finish picking them (my back was killing me!). I was very happy to send her home with some of the carrots as well and I made a new friend!

Wednesday I was able to get so much more accomplished than I thought I would and a friend called to tell me that she had started volunteering at the local INC, Spot and had been given store credit which she was giving to me because she didn't need anything.

Today we finished school early (because we actually got started early!) and I was able to run some needed errands and found some things we needed at the local resale store (where I used the credit my friend gave me!). I was also able to offer an ear to a friend who really needed to talk and I only pray I was able to comfort her as she has comforted me many, many times before. I was also able to help out my neighbor by keeping and eye on her property while she is gone.

This week we have also been milking my neighbor's goat that she is trying to sell as she is not living at the house right now and a milking goat is worth more than a non-milking goat so we are keeping that up for her.

It feels great to be able to be able to "pay it forward" with our blessings! God blesses us in so many unexpected ways that it just makes me look for more and more opportunities for Him to use me to bless others. It really is true what Christ told Paul, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:32). My prayer is that God continues to use me to bless others and that my eyes be open to every opportunity He gives me to do just that and that I won't be too tired or too busy to see it and that I take full advantage of it. I pray that I can be Christ's hands to those He brings me into contact with. "To God be the glory for the great things He has done!"

The Healing Choice to Forgive

Great devotional here!

The Lost Sheep

I read the following poem in a book I am reading right now on parenting. I thought it was very thought provoking.

It was a sheep--not a lamb, that strayed
In the parable Jesus told:
A grown-up sheep that had gone away
From the ninety and nine in the fold.

Out in the meadows out in the cold,
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought:
Back to the flock, and into the fold,
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd brought.

And why, for the sheep, should we earnestly long,
And so earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger, if they go wrong;
They will lead the young lambs astray.

For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray
If the sheep go wrong, it will not be long
'Til the lambs are as wrong as they.

So, with the sheep we earnestly plead,
For the sake of the lambs today:
If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost
Some sheep may have to pay.

--Author unknown

Great Insight from Another Blogger!

Check out this great blog entry. It really makes you think!

Trials and Tribulation

It must be a theme that many people need to hear right now! Here is another post from a different blog that also spoke to my heart today. May you be blessed!

Tribulation

I first want to apologize for being gone for over a month. We have had quite the time lately.

1. Our bathroom flooded which caused damage not only to the bathroom, but the hallway, master bedroom closet, under the kitchen cabinets, and hallway closet. We then had to deal with the insurance company to get that fixed.
2. We built an addition on the house to give us more space (not completed, but we can use it for storage).
3. Our goats were attacked by the neighbor's dogs and subsequently, the mama died. We are still waiting to hear from the prosecutor about if he will take legal action since our neighbor shows no remorse and still lets his dogs run loose (no animal control in our county).
4. Started our school year a few weeks ago.
5. Trying to preserve the bounty of fall harvest.

All these things have contributed to my lack of time to not only be on the computer, but do my own extra studies.

All that to say that this post on a blog I follow really hit home today. May you be blessed by it as well! I also read the following quotation today that fits:

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. African Proverb