Our God is so good!

It's hard to believe that 6 weeks ago my little man came into the world. 

In reality he's really not that little at all. The wee man is growing like a weed.

Feeling so blest that this weekend we can have Ivan baptized surrounded by family and friends. That this little man can meet his grandad and aunty's plus uncle for the first time. To hopefully get a picture with the five generations that there is on Jamie's side. He's truly been blessed when it comes to the amount if grandparents he has.

Very worried!

Happy

Big ears

Bear hugs

Cute big boy

Cuteness

Daddy hugs

My little boy

My wee son

O we love you

Precious you are

Little smiles

Sleepy hugs

Grasping fingers

Hungry boy

Your our firstborn

Our gift from God

Loved and cherished

You are adored

Ivan James

My Darling boy was born!

It was so precious to welcome a son into my life. He was born safe and sound on Friday 10th August at 9:18 Pm. Couldn't have asked for a sweeter boy.

Ivan James van Berkel

My little son is so carm,

His little smiles and big character are so sweet and touch mums heart. You sleep so well, couldn't ask for a better boy on that regard.

You have been terribly lazy when it comes to feeding, suckling... What's that mum? I don't want to work for it. But you are getting there my boy.

Your crazy long and going to be tall like your father. You fart like him to, but the rest is your mother.

22 weeks

22 weeks, it's hard to believe that I'm over half way being pregnant. Time sure does fly. Baby Raspberry is growing well and kicking up a storm which is just to cute!

If you can spot it, this is a foot.

Tiny nose and big ears.....I wonder who that came from.

Da little cutee

As big as this baby looks I have not a very large bump. Sure it's just to cosy in there at the moment. Which really doesn't matter does it.

The days are getting cooler which makes the perfect weather for knitting....baby stuff of course. Which happens to be to cute for it's own good.

Even Jamie said it's so cute...so it's not just a girl thing!!!!

My favorite part of the day would definitely be feeling the bump bump bump of Raspberry.

Pregnancy

Baby Raspberry is growing, I'm tempted to say like a weed but that sounds just wrong. I'm 17 weeks along now and I have no idea were time has gone. From the moment I had an inkling till now has been a journey though.

I always thought that when I fell pregnant I would keep it a secret for a good amount of time. I found out that boy it's a hard secret to keep. 😁 When we found out Jamie and I decided to tell the family at Christmas. Which wasn't to long to wait, but when you are feeling sick and certain smells make you gag it's hard not to  just tell. I also had a father-in-law who decided to tease us about grandchilden and a sister-in-law who decides to read the back of a beer bottle "Not to be drunk in pregnancy" and basically ask me if I was because I wasn't drinking. (No I just really don't like the taste of most). They had no idea that I really was. 😜

Telling everyone was great. We got a couple of reallys? Like we were pulling a practical joke on them. Heaps of very surprised faces and happy family. It's the first grandchild on either side!

It's been a journey of good days and bad. Plus lots of afternoon naps. Heat and morning sickness don't go together I found out. Those days are over as the days are cooler and I only feel sick if I really need sleep or food. I have no cravings which is funny as to being with it was Mc Donald's and potato chips. I also can eat salad again, think I had like two all summer because I couldn't stand lettuce and mayonnaise. Which for me is very odd and sad for I love salad!

We had our first scan at the end of January. It was very special and sweet to see our little baby Raspberry kicking away and bouncing around. 👣To see the little heart beating away. 💓 It's hard to imagine something that small at times.

Since then Raspberry has grown in size and made me out grow a lot of my pants. First time in at least five years! Bit of an odd feeling truth be told. I have also been able to feel movement and tiny kicks that almost tickle but are completely adorable.👣 They are certainly getting stronger each week too. I'm pretty sure we have a very active baby(who decided today to catch up on sleep 😊)  Hearing the heartbeat for the first time was also very special. Its certainly precious to be carrying this little one.

My little cute bump!

Wait On the Lord

Wait on the Lord.

It's a common phrase in the Bible. So many times God's commands His people to wait. Why, well there is many reasons, to many to list here. I want to talk about something that has been in the back of my mind for the last few days.

I think back to being still and see the unseen word of Wait; and know that I am God. 

God wants us to wait on him as we be still, so He can strengthen us, to talk to us, to provide for us.

How can God speak when we are to busy to listen?

He's a God who wispers more than shouts, a God who talks to us through others.

We need to remember how God speaks and strengthens His people, remember so when we are still and waiting upon the Lord we know what we are looking for. That we know the character of our Savior. For there is so much we could all know if we would wait on the Lord and be still in His presence. So much peace to be found in waiting in Him.

Let us not rush our time with God and miss out on the blessings of waiting. Let us read His word and prayer to Him with waiting. 

Just as we spend time with our eathly friends we need to spend time with our God. Uninterrupted time, giving our throughs and whole being to the will of our God.

Be Still

Be Still and Know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10a

Here God is asking of us to lay aside the thoughts of life and focus on Him.  While the sons of Korah wrote this long ago through the Holy Spirit, it still holds so much significants for today.

We live in a world that doesn't want us to be still. A world full if deadlines and instant gratification. A place were we are to busy to listen for God's voice and a place were we are to busy to think. We are a culture that doesn't know how to sit still and think without dropping if to sleep. We no longer know how to be still. Our relationship with our Father in heaven suffers for it. We suffer, yet we don't even realize.

Make time... 

We do for many things we love. Yet with God we find it hard. Yet our time with Him is the most rewarding. 

He is the reason we are alive. That we wake up each morning. Have food to eat and a place to live. He alone is the giver of all blessings! 

Don't forget that....!

Thank Him and be still.

Raspberry the dream

We all go through life having dreams. Dreams we desire to be forfilled. Sometimes we dream and wait patiently knowing that the time is not right. Other times we dream and talk about it for it is a possibility.

Everyone has dreams, some that come to pass and some that never do. Life is full of God saying yes, no or wait. As human beings we never fully understand how God works, He is to far above us.

I think so often when God gives us a yes we do a little dance and run into whatever it is, forgetting to even think of the one who forfilled this dream. If we do remember we often grumble, what took you so long! I didn't want it yet...

Let us seek to learn to praise God whatever the answer.

I want to tell you of my dream. A dream I have had for many many years.

I have decided to name this dream 

Raspberry

You are a dream

I have had for years

A dream I knew 

That waiting was best

A dream I thought

May never come true

A dream I had

To trust God with

O God you took

It to your heart

You told me wait

Trust me, My child

But trust I did

My God knew my heart

So after many years

He took me, one step

On the journey ahead

Now I knew

That waiting would be

Long or short

Hard or easy

That God's timing

Is always best

I talked about you

Before you were here

We wondered, How long?

You came in a blink

A blink of an eye

I prayed

Please let this dream live

You lived and grew

I really treasure you

Thank you God

For your forfillment

This great blessing

You placed upon us

This little raspberry

Growing each day

Under your caring hand

And our loving gaze

JH

22-01-18

Living in Nelson

Over three months have passed since Jaime and I got married and nearly three since I came to Nelson. Life is certainly different, part from moving out of home and getting married and part from different towns.

There is the loves and the I miss moments.

Loves;

The weekly shop all by myself

Cooking whatever I feel like eating

Free time

Hugs!

Not waiting for Jamie to text back

Reading all day

Doing the washing

Walking

Phone calls from family

Snuggling in bed on Saturday morning

Fruit trees

Things I miss;

Noisy family

My car(that was never mine)

Wind!

Rain

A house with no flys because the frogs would eat them

Fast washing machine

All the families I worked for.

Carpet floors

The days are very different, not having work yet and having time up my hands. I really love the simple things in life through, like eating from my vege garden and cooking. Seeing Jamie's face when he sees dinner(they do say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach) Visiting Jamie's Oma and having a good chat over a cup of tea. Church activities. Knitting, I think I'm going to run out of wool. I have also been looking for work, sometimes it's an art to pick up interviews and at the moment its not working. We will get there in the end though.

You would think with all this time up my heands I would post regularly, but really I just think I'm not that kind of person. 

You would think with all of the time I have on my hands now days I would post regularly, I think you may be wishful thinking. I'm just not that good at making the time.

2018

It's hard to believe that another year awaits us. It feels like yesterday that 2017 was dawning.

So much has happened this year, so many thoughts, words and actions. A milestone year you could say.

My through wonder to what this next year will bring for Jamie and I. The joys and struggles that face us. 

So much can happen in a year and I think we can never understand that in our childhood, for each year feels long.

Now it flys by to fast in a way, each moment blending into another. Month into month year into year.

I used to be good at remembering the year and months things happened in, but no longer is that the case. I think my brain got to overloaded.

Time is precious, we need to make every minute count. To serve the Lord each breath, to show love and care. 

It's so easy in the business of life to forget why we were created. 

To glorify God and serve him forever!

My prayer is that you may remember this as you go through this year. That you may trully serve and love our God in all things.

May the Lord give you a blessed 

New year!