Great is Your Faithfulness-- New EVERY Morning

I have been getting lots of questions as to how I am doing so I figured it was time to update! So far so good! I am just a little over 11 1/2 weeks now! It will be 12 weeks on Thursday and it feels SO good to get time under my belt! 
How am I feeling physically these days?
  At the beginning of my pregnancy it was pretty much the same every day.. I just never felt the best after I ate. The smells at work REALLY got to me.. Especially the trash in the kitchen with the coffee grounds and banana smell and not to mention the smell of spit from a guy that chews tobacco.. LOVELY! But I was hungry ALL THE TIME! To the point that it was driving Andy nuts!! Whoever said that you are not supposed to consume any extra calories in your first trimester did not have a friend in me because I just did not see how that was possible. 
  Then as weeks progressed nights became very rough for me. It would begin at the end of my work shift.. and then just escalate until 1 or 2 in the morning. I was just super nauseous and having horrible headaches! Lots of bloating and minor cramping with all thats going on in that belly of mine!! :-)       
  Now... it seems like every day is very different.. Last week I struggled with HORRIBLE headaches and finally gave into taking some Tylenol because otherwise I was in tears! But icing helps A TON too! (Thank you Lord for blessing me with a Massage Therapist friend who will give advice to me and answer all my questions and concerns!! I have just been very blessed by all the moms around me! God has just opened so many doors of friendship for me and I could not be more thankful!!) As far as nausea goes.. it seems to be completely random.. sometimes its mid afternoon.. sometimes its night.. makes it hard to know how the day is going to go as far as work but I know that the Lord will give me the strength to do what needs to be done! Thankfully so far this week, headaches have not been present much at all! As far as food goes.. I went from weeks ago.. wanting to eat all the time.. to now.. nothing sounds appealing or sits the greatest. 
  On the bright side, I still consider myself so blessed with how things are going.. sickness could always be worse and thankfully I have yet to throw up.. which I have never done well with. So thank you Lord! I will take headaches over vomiting any day! I do not deserve this pregnancy and yet the Lord has blessed me with child anyways! So I am trying to keep that in mind... because who am I to complain.. when there are so many people out there desiring what I have. I do not want to take it for granted! 

Prayer Request for physical needs--
  Just that I can serve my husband to the best of my ability to keep up with the house, preparing meals (It's hard for me to want to prepare anything when it creates mess and I can't keep up on the mess there is already... especially when I clean 6 hrs a night at work) and remember his needs as a husband from his wife to be satisfied and loved.  Also that I would be able to keep working as long as I can and that the Lord will give me the energy and the sustaining I need to do so.
  
 How am I feeling spiritually and emotionally?
   I am overall doing very well emotionally. I have not been stressed or worked up over much of anything.. especially over little things! This is all very good for Andy :-) I still struggle to trust in the well-being of the baby.. because I am not seeing or feeling anything yet (of course...) But it still has been such a wonderful journey spiritually and really seeking the Lord and his faithfulness! Again I have been blessed by so many moms to encourage me from their own experiences with the fears and joys of pregnancy! The struggle for peace has not been as big of a struggle lately.. I still wake up in the morning on my back and kind of panic.. just because my bloated belly from the night before is gone and I am briefly flooded with fears but quickly feel God's peace agian.
  The scripture that has been going through my mind a lot lately is Lamentations 3:22-26:


      The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
   his mercies never come to an end;
        they are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
     "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
   "therefore I will hope in him."
       The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
   to the soul who seeks him.
      It is good that one should wait quietly
   for the salvation of the LORD.


  Every morning no matter what that day may hold in store for me... My God is faithful.. his mercies are new EVERY morning!! Great is Your Faithfulness!


Great Is Thy Faithfulness


Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou for ever will be
Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/0-9/4him/great_is_thy_faithfulness.html 
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
Great is thy faithfulness

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me


Prayer Requests for Emotional/Spiritual needs--
  I have really been trying to get in the word more. It is kind of difficult because I do not have the stamina I had before I was pregnant to focus and be able to read for all that long. My eyes seem to be giving me some trouble.. but just that the time I do spend in the word that the Lord would really be working and refining me. I have been struggling with some internal frustrations that are very sinful just because I have such strong opinions on the matter.. and I have really been trying to let this go.. I need to control my tongue more and filter what I say... so if you could be praying for purification and freedom from the grasp my feelings and opinions are having on me I would so appreciate it! Also, just that the Lord would really be preparing me NOW to be the mom I need to be! That I would be the daughter of the King I need to be... in order to be the kind of mom I need to be :-)


Another question I have been getting A LOT is--What are you plans when the baby comes? 
  Well... I am going to work as long as I feel it is safe for baby and I.. but once I feel it is time.. I will STAY AT HOME!! I will finally do what I have always wanted to do... and that is to stay at home and raise our children! I look forward to being a homemaker to my wonderful husband... who I will be celebrating one year of marriage on Easter (April 24th)


 Prayer for future plans--
  Please pray for Andy.. as he will be taking a huge burden on as full provider of our family and not to mention leader of a wife and a baby! He has voiced to me a few times concern as to how this will all work.. and really nothing I say assures him.. and it is not really what he is looking for. He has had a lot of people voice concern on this... such as.. Well Andy what if you lose your job? What then? Can't Katie work part-time somewhere? etc.. Andy told me even before we were courting that his wife WILL BE a stay at home mom.. and so I know this is truly what he wants.. but it does not make it easy.. as the world voices its own opinion. So pray for my husband that he would hear the LORD's voice and not the world's.. that he will remember that all our basic needs WILL BE accounted for.. because we serve a faithful God. Also, pray that we will honor the Lord with our finances as we transition to one income. Thank you all for your prayers!!!


I think for now.. I do not have much more I can think of to update you on.. Our next appointment is May 3rd (2 weeks from today) so if you could be praying for that! Also.. this is kind of a fun one.. we received our first gift for Baby Hentges! It is definitely not about the gifts but it is definitely fun to be reminded that this is REALLY happening!!

Have a wonderful week!!

His Way Is Perfect

    So, I can FINALLY come out and say what has been on my heart the past month and a half. I am going to be a MOMMY!!! I am currently around 10 weeks along and Monday we went in for our first appointment! It was quite the adventure, let me to you!! I did not expect to go in and have a pap smear done, but that was one of the MANY things that was done at the appointment. I also had blood taken.. I know that is standard, but I just have to tell you it was traumatizing for me. I sat there while the lab tech took tubes and tubes of blood and I tried SO hard to hold it together... She asked me, "Are you feeling okay... you look a little green..?" I explained to her that I do not do so well with blood taken because of one bad experience. I was having cold sensations through my whole body and breaking a sweat.. She gave me a juice box and once I got up... there was a nice big wet butt mark on the chair. Oh boy...One sweaty mess walking out of there... but most importantly, and the point of this whole post is, we heard the HEARTBEAT :-) but no ultrasound :-( Not for another 10 weeks or so...
     But what a sweet sweet sound that is! I am sure all you mothers out there know EXACTLY what I am talking about!! After weeks and WEEKS of wondering if this is all real... it was nice to see evidence. I just have to say... I NEVER realized how much pregnancy is a faith thing.. It takes A LOT of faith to be pregnant. You have trust there is something there, that God is sustaining that life... you don't see the baby until its born.. so the whole time throughout your pregnancy you have to just TRUST that it is there. Now I know once I start showing and feeling the baby... it will not be as big of a faith thing.. but still! You can do very little to protect your little one.. at least that is how I have been feeling. So I do have to say that this stage in my life (pregnancy) has taken more of resting in the promises than any other stage in my life!


This is a journal entry that I wrote weeks ago about how we went about finding out and the Lord's leading in this:

What a crazy last few weeks for Andy and I! We just found out Saturday February 26th, that we will be expecting our first child!!! Andy and I felt that the Lord was telling us earlier in February that it is time for us to open up the possibility of that for us.. well pretty sure it happened... the day we felt lead.. so this is such a God thing!! Actually, on Monday the 21st I took two pregnancy tests, one came back with a faint line(generic brand) and the other(name brand) came back negative.. It was still early and I had a complete peace about it. I felt the Lord just easing my spirit into Him and trusting his PERFECT timing. Well Friday came around and my lovely husband insisted I try again (like a kid on Christmas morning hehe!) faint line again (generic). So I wrote it off again as a no go.. Andy on the other hand.. All he needed was two tests with a faint line to tell him he was going to be a daddy... but I needed more convincing. So Saturday morning when I woke up I tested right away... instant positive.. I just slowly walked to the bedroom in a daze... and nudged Andy and handed it to him.. Completely enough for him... Me on the other hand... not enough.. STILL.. What is a my problem!!? I told him "I am convinced that this stick is lying!" Now do not get me wrong... I definitely wanted to be pregnant.. but I did not want to get my hopes up in case it was not true. Well I came to terms with it and finally felt the joy that is to be felt when one gets these kinds of results..  :-) ... But Sunday came around... and after a baby shower.. I had to stop at target for ONE LAST TEST... instant positive! :-)

Well, I have to be honest with you all.. it is still a struggle for me.. I really do not have any idea why... Its like.. everyday I want to take another test just to see if it is true! I do not want to experience... the pain of miscarrying.. Time and time again.. from my husband, mom, friends, and grandmother have been instructed that I need to just LET THAT GO!! ENJOY THIS!

The ridiculous thing is... I have the signs... sore chest, some minor cramping, tender abdomen, frequent urination, tired... so why is it I am struggling so much with this.. Do I not trust that I serve a just and faithful God who desires to give good gifts to his children.. And even in those moments when he takes things away from us... it is for OUR good.. but MOST IMPORTANTLY for his Glory! I have been asking people for prayer on this issue.. as well as praying hardcore about it myself.

So for now... The Lord is really putting me through a refining process through patience.. I must wait until April 4^th for our first appointment and hopefully then I will have more peace in believing that there is truly a little baby growing inside me :-) 

On my way to my first prenatal appointment I needed some peace going in there.. So I found myself in Psalm 18. In verses 28-30 I  found that peace I needed. 

 Psalm 18:28-30

For it is you who light my lamp;
   the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop,
   and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God—his way is perfect;
   the word of the LORD proves true;
   he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

I went in knowing that whatever the outcome was that the Lord is my LIGHT and that whatever darkness I find myself in.. he will lighten it! With the help of my Father there is no wall that can stand in the way of what he has in store for me.. HIS WAY IS PERFECT and his word is TRUE! In him.. and in him ONLY do I find refuge. Andy and I are very excited for what is in store for us! We praise him for his mercy and his grace as we KNOW that we do not deserve such an amazing blessing! BUT GOD has something he wants to do with this little one in our life and we could not be more thrilled!

There is Power in the Word and Prayer but Did I Mention HYMNS?

We know as followers of Christ that there is great power in the Word of God and prayer... but just recently I have discovered so much joy through hymns! At first I was concerned that I was putting too much of a focus on it because the Word needs to be our ultimate place to find refuge and strength in the Lord because we need TRUTH! We need that sword that the Word of God is, to keep fixed on what the Lord would have us focus on.. but anyways as I really sought this out whether I should be putting such a focus on hymns.. I discovered what a tool it was with Paul! I have a lot of respect for Paul as a follower of Christ... because he was such a man of truth!! Which is seems to be something that the Lord has put on Andy's and my own heart to really keep people accountable to TRUTH! But who knew that something Paul was also passionate about... hymns.. would have such healing power in my soul!

Acts 16:25,26
 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

Ephesians 5:19,20
Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:15-17
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I can not go into great detail at this time.. but hopefully SOON; As to what has really been going on in my heart the past month and half but have not felt that the Lord has put it on my heart to share at this point. I do though, ask that you be praying for me (and Andy :-)) As life can throw curve balls sometimes and that whatever happens that we would seek the Lord with ALL our hearts and that we would find our strength and our refuge solely in him!! Me more than Andy at this time.. I need peace and more importantly to trust in the Lord and his promises! Please pray for the Lord's sovereign hand over our life!

So currently I am working in Eden Prarie cleaning a building (MAC Philantrophies) and so I get SO MUCH time to think, pray(as long as I do not get sidetracked.. as I move fast past through this building), listen, and... SING! Now I am not sure if anyone has heard me in this building.. most of the time while I am there.. there is maybe a handful of people there.. but I do not really care! Let me tell you though.. the acoustics in the bathroom.. are.. AMAZING :-)  But I catch myself so often getting stressed or worried or thinking too far into things (analyzing possible bad outcomes) and I come to a point where I feel like I am spinning.. and then.. I sing! I have pandora on my ipod and I have a station called "Hymns 4 worship!" Absolutely.. wonderful! And the Lord has used it in so many powerful ways to combat the fears and the worries that creep on me.. When I am not in a position to sit in the word and feed off truth! On facebook I explained hymns have such an intimacy that makes me feel like I am dancing with God. How beautiful is that picture! Fear is wrapping its nasty arms around you... doubt is flooding your mind.. worries are eating at your peace and ability to think straight.. and then... our Father in heaven.. extends his arm out and dances with you.. so intimately.. allowing you to cast all your fears, doubts, worries.. and be reminded of who you serve.. An ALMIGHTY, INFINITE, ALL-POWERFUL, and INTIMATE GOD!

Here are a few Hymns that I have found such peace in...

How Great Thou Art
O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The works Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout
The universe displayed;
 
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul,
My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art! 
 
When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
"My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul,
My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
I Need Thee Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
O I need Thee every hour;
I need you Lord, O bless me now,
My Savior, I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain
I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son

I need Thee every hour,
I need Thee every hour,
I need Thee every hour,
I need Thee every hour.

There are so MANY more wonderful hymns! I would post them ALL for you.. but that would be too much :-) But it has been so neat.. because I had a friend that was struggling to trust God's leading in her life.. and I told her just how sometimes it can be so hard to work through that struggle to trust.. in the Word and in prayer.. and that singing praise can be such a powerful thing. DO NOT GET ME WRONG! We has followers of Christ need to be soaking up the Word of God and applying it and being in prayer and supplication AND thanksgiving! At times, at least for me.. I need to clear my head of all that is weighing down on me in order for me to be refined through God's word. It's like it tears down the walls to get your eyes to where they need to be so that you can work on he issue through the time spent in the word and in prayer! But she was just so encouraged and comforted by listening to Hymns.. so it was great to see that this could  be so impactful in others lives in their relationship with our Savior! Have a wonderful weekend! And it's good to be back blogging again! :-)