Ryland

I love my son. 

Almost Done

I thought I would post real quick about this pregnancy since it could end any day now :-) I am so glad to say that I am 38 weeks and 5 days pregnant. This has been such a miracle and blessing that I have been able to go full term this time around. It is funny that I wanted to go full term because now that I am as huge as I am....this is really uncomfortable. I think a pregnnacy that ends at 32 weeks with a healthy baby is actually a pretty good way to go.
I have been able to work up until my decided date of maternity leave. I was able to complete the spring semester women's bible study at church. I signed up for it thinking I would probably miss the last month! I actually had maternity pictures taken this time around and had a baby shower before the baby was born!
I have not had any labor pains yet and am still kinda excited to see what that is all about...I am sure that excitment will last about five minutes into the first contraction and then I will be back to wishing I did not know what they felt like. We will see what this weekend brings :-) That is my uneventful and unexciting pregnancy update at this point....which is kinda nice!

Branded Phoenix

Educate Yourself. Think. Feel. Move to Action

www.Brandedphx.com

Lead Me To The Cross

"everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss.

Lead me to the cross, where Your love poured out

Bring me to my knees Lord, I lay me down

Rid me of myself, I belong to you

oh lead me, lead me to the cross."

Philippians 3:7-11 "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

Last night was a powerful evening as my church community gathered to remember the cross, and to partake in the bread and wine (His body and blood.) As our time together began we sang the above song, Lead Me To The Cross. This song has special meaning for me, especially the line, "everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss." I was so deeply reminded of Paul's words in Philippians about this journey we're called to.....To die to self. To live for the cross. To love one another, To pursue the heart of Jesus, because HE IS OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE. Without Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God's sacrifice on the cross for our sins and Him conquering death on the 3 day by raising from the dead, we would have NO hope in this life. But HE did! He did rise on the third day and He has invited us to join Him in THE story of His life.

John 3:16 "For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life."