Good morning friends,

If there’s one thing I could sit down with you and whisper over you right now it’s, “God’s got this!”

It doesn’t matter if “this” is stress from work, school, relationships, sickness… God is there with you in the mess, and he can make something beautiful from it. How do I know? Because I’ve seen him do it over and over again in my life.

One of the hardest times in my past was December of 2009. I was pregnant with boy #1 and was teaching 7 classes for two different schools. Despite this situation, I thought, “No big deal! He’s due during my Christmas break. Easy Peasy!” I had visions of getting all my grading done and then having time to finally get the nursery in order.

As the Fall progressed, #1 carried so low that I had to wear a belly band while I taught, so he didn’t feel like he was going to hit the floor. I also drank a ton of smoothies to keep myself hydrated during my classes, and I remember sitting at my desk spending hours grading paper after paper while #1 danced around from my Oreo overdose.

As finals week approached, I still wasn’t worried. Not even a little bit because baby was due the Monday after finals week. My Mom had me two weeks late, so the thought of him coming early didn’t even cross my mind.

You’ve guess this already. He came early.

A week early the Monday of finals week. After a two-day stay in the hospital, we got to go home on Wednesday.

Wednesday afternoon we pulled into our driveway, however, our house had no windows. Months ago we had scheduled for windows to be installed mid-December and that was the day. Baby and I had to wait in the car while the installers put a window into the baby’s room for us. When we got in the room, everything was covered in dust. Hubby ran out to the store to get an air purifier, and then baby and I tried to get some sleep with the racket of the other windows going in.

That night I laid him down in the bassinet beside my bed expecting him to go to sleep like he did at the hospital. He didn’t.

At 5:30am the next morning I finally called my Mom begging her to come and rescue me. I had no idea what I was doing, and 72 hrs into being a Mom I was calling “uncle!”

She coached me through how to co-sleep with baby, so he could eat and I could get some sleep. Then she came and helped out that whole next week. My hubby set me up on the couch with a wireless key board and mouse, and my Mom sat close by as I held baby in the Boppy on my lap, sat the keyboard on the edge of the pillow, and cranked out 80 graded essays in record time.

That was not the way I had planned to welcome my #1st child into the world. I had visions of the nursery being done. Of a calm peaceful first week, but none of that happened. Just 10 days after he was born, we got snowed in Christmas Eve in the biggest snow storm Oklahoma had seen in decades. For three days we were stuck inside with my entire family. 5 other adults, me, and a newborn. It was every bit as nice and crazy as you imagine it to be.

With God’s help, a creative husband, and good Mama, I made it through those first few weeks of baby #1’s life. It wasn’t ideal, but it is one for the story books!

This isn’t the only time I’ve seen God come to my rescue. Time and time again through people, his words, or just a sunset, he lifts my head and reminds me that he’s on his way. That HOPE is here.

Just this morning as I was doing my daily quiet time, I was reminded of Psalms 3

³ But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
⁴ I call out to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.

⁵ I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
⁶ I will not fear though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side.

⁷ Arise, Lord!
    Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
    break the teeth of the wicked.