Baby Dreams...

God has really been speaking to me lately and continuing to give me the hope I need that SOON we will become the parents we so long to be. Let me explain...

About two weeks ago, my DH comes out of the bedroom after taking an afternoon nap on Sunday and says that he had the BEST dream ever. He had a dream that he was holding our baby girl in his arms and was giving her a kiss. That was just music to my ears...I can NOT wait to witness that day :)

On Tuesday, one of my teachers tells me that she had a dream that I had a baby girl named June. She didn't know why she had the dream, or what it meant, but she felt compelled to share her dream with me.

On Wednesday, my principal tells me..."Lianna, you WILL have a baby one day. I had a dream last night that you had a baby girl."

Coincidence??

I don't think so.

God's plan to give me hope and encouragment to continue focussing prayers on this goal?

EXACTLY!!!

I Must be a Farmer...

I have said over and over again how HORRIBLE I am at being patient...but the truth is...I am working on it. It's funny because I always thought I was (am) a good teacher...very patient with teaching children a dance routine or how to work out a math problem. But I am NOT good at being patient when it comes to waiting.

It is amazing to me that farmers plant these extravagant crops that cost a TON of money and sit patiently for them to harvest. There is no doubt, no fear, no worrying about whether or not the seeds planted will eventually come to bloom. As a result of God's glory, the patient farmer receives a healthy crop year after year and is given MORE than he can ever imagine.

"…See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm…"(James 5:7-8, NIV)

I too shall wait for God's promises like the farmer waits for his harvest. I will wait with a knowing. I will wait with confidence. And I will put God’s Word into practice, just like the farmer, and I will see the harvest of blessing in my life in return!

Saturday Could be Our Lucky Day!!!

The DH and I are attending a Fertility Workshop on Saturday in the hopes of winning a FREE IVF from our doctor!!! This will be the THIRD workshop that we have attended...and I must say that the DH and I could probably GIVE the workshop ourselves :) But, it never hurts to try...what do we have to lose? Not NEAR as much as we have to GAIN!

So wish us luck!!! Three IVF procedures will be given away on Saturday...which makes for THREE very HAPPY couples :)

Expecting the Best...

I absolutely LOVE my daily devotional book...it seems as if God is placing each and every single one of these verses in my path. Let me back up and give you some history before moving on to the present...

The DH and I moved into a new home in April of 2007. We found the perfect house....just what we were hoping to purchase. It was a little out of our price range, but we had decided that we could do it and we WOULD do it. That same year, we had our first IVF procedure...and I don't need to tell you the ridiculous cost for IVF. After the negative pregnancy test, we set out a plan to try again that following April. AGAIN....another ridiculous cost and AGAIN...another negative pregnancy test. So, 2009 has been a year of trying and attempting to financially get back on our feet again. I also don't need to tell you how the economy is NOT in our corner right now...so we are doing anything and everything to pick up the pieces.

As I am sure most of you feel...sometimes it just seems as if NOTHING is going your way. I have been feeling that way a LOT lately!! The DH is working himself crazy, picking up more boat listings, and trying to make some sales. I am not only working at my school, but also selling Mary Kay, creating cards for my website, and selling ads for Serious.Life Magazine. And because of all these things we are trying to do to survive...we are NOT spending enough quality time TOGETHER.

Okay...back to the present.

I woke up this morning and pulled out my daily devotional. The verse for today?

"Those who wait for the Lord, who expect, look for, and hope in Him, shall renew their strength..."~Isaiah 40.31

What are my expectations? To get out of debt, to get pregnant, to be the best wife to my husband. If I don't expect things to get better, then nothing will get better. God promises to meet my expectations in Matthew 9:29 when He said "According to your faith be it done unto you."

So there you have it....I started off 2009 giving it the title of The Year of New Beginnings. Well, now I'm giving it the title of Expecting the BEST!!

8 Things...

Amanda at Life with the Ledfords, tagged me a few days ago and I'm finally getting around to posting about "8 Things"...



8 Things I am Looking Forward To:

1. Being a Mommy
2. Getting out of debt
3. My parents visiting over Memorial Day weekend
4. SUMMER
5. Taking a vacation...and hopefully soon!
6. The pool warming up so we can go swimming!
7. My birthday...I LOVE birthdays :)
8. My daylillies blooming.

8 Things I Did Yesterday (this was really what I did last Sunday):

1. Caught up on all the shows on my DVR
2. Worked on ad sales for Serious.Life Magazine
3. Placed a Mary Kay order
4. Teased the DH about sleeping ALL day
5. Got a massage
6. Colored my hair
7. Watered my new plants
8. Went to bed at 8:30!!!

8 Things I wish I could do:

1. Grow my hair long
2. Get a boat
3. SLOW down...I have NO clue how to do this :)
4. Go back to Hawaii
5. Pay off all of our debt
6. Eat whatever I want and not worry about gaining weight
7. Garden like my mom and my grandmother
8. Win the lottery...I can HOPE can't I???

8 Shows I Watch:

1. CSI...all of them
2. One Life to Live
3. Dancing With The Stars
4. Gray's Anatomy
5. Private Practice
6. Survivor
7. American Idol
8. South Park...embarrassing to say, but TRUE!

I tag Cathy, Deanna, Amy, and Sarah.

Appointed Time...

I am already dreading Mother's Day and I still have a good 3 weeks until it gets here. I am SO ready to be a mom and celebrate this day with my child. I woke up this morning to a surprise from Mother Nature and it really began to sink in that yet again...I will not be celebrating with MY child. It's not my time.



I was seconds away from having a breakdown when I decided to reach for my Bible to look for the Word of the day. God would have it that I opened my Bible to Psalm 113: 9 ~"He gives the barren women a home, so that she becomes a happy mother." This brought a smile to my face, but still I am sad because it's not my time.



Before I left for work, I pulled up my daily prayer from Joel Osteen. It was not an accident that today's prayer was a reflection on this verse, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."~2 Corinthians 1:20 The reflection went on to say that you may not realize it, but God has already said “yes” to His promises in your life. You don’t have to beg God to be good to you. You don’t have to plead with Him to help you. God wants to help you. He wants to pour out blessing in your life. Stand secure knowing that God is faithful! Keep standing, keep believing, and keep following His commands because His promises are “yes” and “amen” in your life! And although his promises are "yes," are they promises for a baby? Will it EVER be my time?



After I finished getting dressed, I jumped in my car and pulled out my daily devotional book. Again, no coincidence the verse for today was "The vision is for an appointed time. Though it tarry, wait earnestly for it, for it will surely come." ~ Habakkuk 2:3 He had been trying to reach me all morning long...but this final verse gave me the peace that I had been wanting.

It will SURELY COME but it will be at His appointed time.



So instead of dreading Mother's Day for yet another year, I've decided to spend this special day with MY mom...which is definitely the next best thing. So, I booked my flight and made arrangements to share this holiday with someone I aspire to be like...the BEST mom EVER! And until His appointed time, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do on Mother's Day.

I Love Jesus...

My mother-in-love showed me this You Tube video this past weekend and I just had to share it. We laughed and laughed and laughed...

Remember to pause the music at the bottom of my blog before playing the video.

Is that not the funniest thing EVER ??? I love old people...they always tell the truth :)

Maxine Monday...

Maxine!!!

Where have you been????

We've missed your Maxine Mondays!!! But never fail...she's BACK!!!

I can't agree more!! It is starting to warm up around here...and to be honest, I'm LOVING it! I am so ready for the summer...school will be out, pool parties with friends, gardening in the yard with the hubby, and just FUN FUN FUN!!!

Is it warming up in your part of the world???

Things that Make Me SMILE...

I really did a lot of praying and soul searching yesterday and have declared today to be a WONDERFUL Wednesday! So I thought I would post about a few things that make me smile...

1. Our electricity was out at school yesterday from 10:00 until school closing, so I am going to go ahead and predict it will be out when I get to work this morning. But, things could be worse...it could be the middle of July in Florida!!! But instead, it's April and it's SPRING!! And that makes me smile..

2. I also have plans to have dinner with my mother-in-love tonight at Thai Basil---yummy food. You can order your spice on a scale from 1-5...I get a two and I LOVE spicey food...so can you imagine what a FIVE tastes like? WOW! And that makes me smile...

3. I have also been working on my greeting cards site, Greeting Cards for our Garden and it looks AWESOME!! A friend of mine mentioned that he thought it would be a good idea to scan all my cards instead of taking pictures of them. And boy does it make a HUGE difference! Check out my site and let me know what you think :) And that makes me smile...

4. This weekend I'll be hosting a Mary Kay party at a friend's house and I'm so PUMPED!! Yet another opportunity for me to make a little extra money. I also have some Mother's Day specials going on, so if you are looking for something different to get your mom, check out this post for details. And that makes me smile...

5. My principal and I are traveling to Tampa next weekend to watch our theatre students perform Kiss Me, Kate for state. And that makes me smile...

6. This is a picture of Kodi...he's sitting on the couch in the office and has his feet on the coffeetable. And that makes me smile...

7. My parents are thinking of visiting us over the Memorial Day weekend. And that makes me smile...


8. We cleaned the sheets, pillowcases, blanket, and comforter yesterday for our bed. I sleep SO much better when our bedding is clean. And that makes me smile...


9. My nephew is getting so big and he was absolutely adorable on Easter Sunay. And that makes me smile...

What makes you smile on this Wonderful Wednesday?

Heavy Heart and Burdens...

I have a VERY heay heart this week...

Everytime I turn around, evil is trying to steal my joy away...and WHY????

• I received some sad news about one of our teachers this past week.
• My friend, Sarah, just received a BFN...her third IVF and still a BFN.
• A coworker's cousin was diagnosed with cancer about two months ago and died this past weekend.
• My husband shared a story with me about a 22 year old boy that plays amateur baseball, had the GREATEST game of his life, and was looking forward to the majors. Two hours later, he and two friends were hit by a drunk driver and were killed instantly.
• A coworker shared with me that she found out she has skin cancer AGAIN and is going to the doctor on Thursday to hopefully have it all removed.

Why are all these things happening? Not only does my heart feel like it weighs a TON, but I am so burdened by all these events that sometimes it's hard to just keeping going. I DO know that He would never lead me where He doesn't plan to help me through...but am I supposed to learn a lesson from these events? Does He want me to understand the value and the GREAT gift of bearing children? Does he want me to be better at wearing sunscreen when going out in the sun? Does he want me to have a better awareness of drinking and driving?

All I know to do is to continue praying and to continue trusting Him for what I know is true...please lift these burdens and lighten the weight of my heart.

"Fear not; stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today." ~Exodus 14:13

He's Alive...

It is SO hard for me to imagine the sacrifice Jesus made for us...how much He really and truly loves us and the fact that He gave His life so all OUR sins can be forgiven, is just so...POWERFUL!! I think about the pain, the suffering, the humiliation He went through...and all just for us.

One of my favorite songs is He's Alive...it seriously gets me every SINGLE time I listen to it. The last verse is so overwhelming and helps me to remember that when all else seems impossible...He's ALIVE!!




Happy Easter!

100th Post Giveaway WINNER!!!

I apologize for not posting the winner of my 100th post giveaway. So without further ado, the winner of my Greeting Cards for Our Garden giveaway is....

#21

Congratulations JaeMi!!

Please email me at liannap@aol.com with your address and let me know which set of cards you'd like!

Thanks to those that particpated and thanks for viewing my greeting cards site!!! I have been busy making more invitations for baby showers, birthday parties, and summer get togethers! Go check them out HERE!

Pray for Me...Pray for Others

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.





Pray for me...

My heart has been so heavy this past week...my mind has been running on overdrive with the thoughts of having a baby of our own. Please pray that I will be comforted, knowing that our dreams WILL come true.

Pray for others...

I received a prayer request on my Be Thou a Knight blog for April Rose. She is a sweet little baby, still inutero, that is not expected to make it to birth. Her mother has been given the option to induce (prematurely) so April Rose will at least be alive for a short while, or wait until her due date, when the doctors are unsure if she will even survive the birth. Please pray that this mother and her baby have peace...peace that God is control, peace that April Rose will have ever-lasting life, and peace on whatever decision the mother makes.

Please pray for one of my bloggy friends...she recently went through IVF and will get the results on April 13. Pray for a new beginning for her and her husband this Resurrection Week.


Can I pray for you?

Making a HUGE Sacrifice...

I started my morning reading Angie's blog about the birthday of her sweet little angel Audrey. If you haven't read it yet, please visit this post first and then come back.

As you can imagine, this post literally broke my heart. I sat and cried for at least five minutes and had to wait to dry out before I could put my make-up on for the day.

I think what pains me the most about this post is that Audrey's birth (and death) were over a year ago today. But the hurt and sorrow Angie feels is still as fresh as ever.

I recently read Hannah's Hope...for those of you experiencing the journey of infertility, it is a MUST read. This is my question...how can someone that has waited so LONG to have a child, make the HUGE sacrifice of returning him back to the Lord? I re-read 1 Samuel 1:9-20 this morning to help me get a better grasp and answer this question.

In verse 11 Hannah makes this vow: "O Lord Almighty, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you."

I realize that the day the Lord blesses us with a child, he/she will never truly be ours...but His. The memories we make, the milestones we celebrate with this baby will be small compared to the celebrations and triumphs he/she will experience in Heaven.

Although it is still HARD for me to even begin to fathom what Angie or Hannah experienced on the day their children were taken back to the Lord, I long to experience the time they WERE able to share with their children on this earth.

1 Samuel 1:19-20 says "...the Lord remembered her request, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, I asked the Lord for him."

Last Chance and Summer Knights...

Today is your last chance to enter my 100th post giveaway!!

Please visit this post and leave me a comment letting me know which set of my cards you would like to win!!

And you haven't seen my new blog make-over, head on over to Be Thou a Knight and check it out!!!

I absolutely LOVE how Faith designed it for the summer time. Now, I'm ready for summer KNIGHTS!

Thankful Thursday (Times Three)...

Thankful Thursday (Times Three) is when I post about three things that I am MOST thankful for that week. So here are my three thankfuls for this Thursday:

1. Spending time with my family...

I am having an absolute BALL this week visiting with my family. Sometimes it can be stressful---making the time to see EVERYONE in my family---but because I had an entire week to spend in Houston, I was able to see every single person and some of them even TWICE! I am so thankful that I have such wonderful parents---married for 36 years, respected by their peers and co-workers, loving, and so so generous. Now do you see why I am so thankful to be able to spend a week with them?

2. A new business opportunity...

I joined a VERY respectable team this week and will be selling ads for their business. I have NEVER been in sales before, but with a little coaching from the DH, I think I'll be a pro. I have high-hopes that this new business opportunity will be a success!!

3. Spring Time...

I am loving the spring weather and all the pretty flowers. I spent the day today watching my mom rearrange her flowers in the backyard---I can't even begin to tell you how many species of plants she has!!! I am also going to my grandmother's house tomorrow to pick up some plants to take back with me. She has some gorgeous cacti that I am taking back with me to Florida. And speaking of Florida, the DH has plans to plant two trees in our front yard this year...and I think he will have them both planted by the time I get back home.

What three things are you most thankful for this Thankful Thursday (times three)?

Pray for Me...Pray for Others

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.



You know how it works....



Pray for me...



Please pray for continued strength, determination, and prosperity as I take on a great business opportunity.



Pray for others...



A really good blogging friend of mine had an embryo transfer this yesterday morning. Please pray that this time it will be a success and she will be blessed with a healthy baby.



How can I pray for you?