I Will Trust You

Our church has their Spring Musical "Glorious" this weekend, and we went Friday night. Having little Kevin has left me a bit sleep deprived & spiritually dry, which is to be expected - it's a season I've experienced for a couple of months after each baby - and I was enjoying passively the musical until about half way through when they sang “I Will Trust You.” My brain locked in and God used it to refresh my heart. I wanted to share the words with you.

I Will Trust You
Words & Music by Sue C. Smith, David Moffitt, & Travis Cottrell

You can still the pounding of the ocean.
You can move Your hand and stop the rain.
You can speak and calm this storm around me.
But even if it rages on and on… I will trust You.

You can help me stand on ground that’s shaking,
Make the earth a rock beneath my feet.
You can light the road that I am trav’ling…
But even if the darkness covers me… I will trust You.

You have been faithful. You have been good.
You have been perfect to a thousand generations.
So I will not waver, and I will not be moved.
I will trust You.

If I call Your name and You are silent,
If it feels like mercy may not come,
If I cannot see how you will rescue,
I will still believe I’m not alone.
I will trust You.

When the mountains fall,
When the waves come crashing in,
I will trust You.

You are the faithful God,
I will put my trust in You,
I will trust You.

You alone are God,
There is nothing You can’t do,
I will trust You.

I will not be moved,
I will not be shaken,
I will trust You.

Until the last breath I am given,
Or the sky rolls back for Your return.
Until the day when every question’s answered,
Knowing You are with me is enough.

I will trust You.

For information about seeing the musical this weekend, visit Spring Musical "Glorious"

My Heritage

While making dinner tonight, I was listening to Swing Music and thinking about how much I liked the new Star Trek Movie. Then I thought, “This is sort of a strange combination.” I started pondering how the different people in my life have shaped me into the person I am.

I can thank my Grandpa Hogan for my love of swing music, men’s barber shop quartets, old black and white movies, and black tea with milk and sugar. I sure miss him. Heaven will be a sweet place. My Grandma Hogan taught me how to color and has passed on a passion for all things crafty and artistic. I can thank my dad for my love of Star Trek, other science fiction, Mexican food, eating out, and 50’s Rock and Roll Music. I owe my mom for instilling in me the habit of having a personal time with God daily and also for my killer Scrabble game. My Grandma Stelzer has shown me by personal example how to raise a large family by being frugal, showing love, and minding her own business unless asked for advice.

I wish I learned how to be patient like my Dad and Grandpa Hogan. I wish I knew how to keep a clean and orderly house like my mom. I wish I knew how to paint like my Grandma Hogan. I wish I knew how to love animals, for the sake of my daughter Abby, like my Grandma Stelzer does.

But it didn’t all stick.

I wonder what parts of me will stick on my kids.

Kevin is 1 Month Old!

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

He is such a delight! He's very laid back, but by his entrance into the world, I suppose that was to be expected. :) He has a fussy time in the evening, but over all is happy and content.

He's smiling a lot at people! He also has a strong neck and likes to try and hold his head up as much as possible. He likes his bouncy seat, but the verdict is still out on the swing...

Katie said recently, "Mom, he looks like a real boy now that his eyes are open." I didn't want to ask what he looked like with his eyes closed... ;) He is awake more of the day now, in the morning and evening. Overall, it's been a great transition!

What a miracle! I still can't believe that he grew inside of me.

Jer 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

What makes Good Friday good?

This is a re-post from my blog entry two years ago...

What makes Good Friday good? Death, blood, thieves, darkness...

And why did Jesus have to die anyway? Why couldn't God have said, "To cleanse yourself from your sin, you must wash in the river."

Imagine that my daughter Abby stole $10 from a store, and the punishment I set in place for the crime was for her to pay back the $10 plus do 10 hours of work at the store the following weekend.

If she tried to get a bunny to work in her place, I'd insist it be a human - not a bunny. A bunny could look like it were working, but it wouldn't really be taking her place.

If her friend offered to pay the money and work in her place, that would be a justifiable trade. The debt would be paid and the work would be accomplished. However, if her friend was also guilty and had stolen as well, then he would not be a good replacement because he has to work the 10 hours himself.

Our punishment for sin is death - which is in reality separation from God. When we do works of service or personal sacrifices to cover our sin, it's like having a bunny take the punishment for Abby. Someone else qualified must step in and take our punishment for us.

No other human being is qualified because they are in the same boat as us. They also are convicted and the verdict is "guilty."

That is why God himself provided our needed replacement. Jesus lived a perfect life and was not guilty or deserving of death and separation. 2000 years ago on Good Friday, God put our sins on Jesus in some amazing way I can't comprehend, making him take the guilt for all. Only God could do this.

In the most simplistic way I can think of, that is what makes Good Friday Good.

Kevin is here!

I update facebook far more than my blog, so finally, here's a picture of our newest Emerick.

Kevin Thomas was born March 11th at 12:27 PM.

Ear Thermometers - Good To Know!

Summary: Ear Thermometers don't register correctly over 102/103 degrees.

Katie's been sick, and at bedtime her temp went up to 104. We gave her a bath, continued the Tylenol, and she went to bed. at Midnight, it was still high, but then at 4 AM it registered at 105.7! I immediately took my own temperature to check the thermometer, and it was correct: 97.7. Another bath for Katie, plus more medicine, but it wasn't going down.

We called 338-kids and talked to a nurse. After a long conversation, he recommended the ER. She also had stomach pain and a cough. Thinking it might be RSV or Pneumonia, Lee took her into the ER. (Take no chances with high fevers and teeny babies in the house!)

At the ER, her temp was 102.8. A quick change in only 15 minutes. As it turns out, the doctor explained that ear thermometers don't register accurately above 102 or 103 degrees, and they get a lot of scared parents, thinking their child might have brain damage or serious issues. And that is also why we can take our own temp and think it's working.

After a chest X-ray and throat swab, she was thankfully sent home with just a virus...

Which I would have KNOWN had I used a standard thermometer. I never would have taken her in with just a 102 fever. She gets that a few times a year. But 105? That's just scary.

So, from now on, if it registers over 102, I'll pull out the good old under the tongue thermometer that takes an entire 60 seconds to read.

I thought this was very valuable information and wanted to pass it on! Before freaking out about an insanely high temp, try taking it the good old fashioned way first.

Today is the Day

My prayer for Today: