eternity minded

"He has put eternity on their hearts" ~Ecclesiastes 3:11

"There have been times when I think we do not desire Heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else" ~C.S. Lewis

God has created in all of our hearts, in the deep recesses of our innermost being, a desire to be known and comforted.  A desire for a place we belong.  God created Heaven, an eternity in His presence, to satisfy those longings.  Jesus' death on the cross and triumph over death makes the way to Heaven possible!

Our pastor is going through a topical study of Heaven for the next several weeks.  It is teaching me a lot.

A few things he said that have stuck in my heart:

*Heaven is a physical place, meaning a physical location.  It is where the presence of God dwells.
*We will be able to experience Heaven with our whole being (all 5 senses) because we will be a physical being.
*When we go to Heaven, we will be perfect, but more than that, we will grow in perfection for all eternity without the interference of sin and sorrow.
*We will be ourselves, without sin!  We will be physically recognizable!
*When we go to Heaven, we will have experience immediate and perfect comfort in the presence of God.  This comfort will be real and tangible.

I think about my loved ones and my dear friends who have gone to be with Jesus, and I am comforted.  I think about what a glorious time they must be having, praising and worshiping...just being in the presence of Jesus.  I think about how they are fully recognizable but without sin or blemish.

I am thankful that Heaven is my eternity.

carson's 4th birthday party

This weekend, Jaden's best buddy Carson turned 4! There was pizza, cake and cupcakes, and a giant play climbing gym with a huge ball pit.

the kids seemed to like the ball pit best of all =)

birthday boy!

best buddies

happy valentine's day!

Today I got to enjoy a day at the spa =)  It was very relaxing. 

When I got home, there was a little envelope that said To Mommy and Daddy.  It had cute little heart stickers =)  I opened it and was super surprised!  Jaden made us a valentine's day card!  There was a little hand print and a sweet poem.  So cute!

I heard this song on the radio today and thought it was beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-iMAaG20uE

Hope you guys had a great day!

another pregnancy update =)

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him. ~Psalm 127:3

**34 weeks!**  **less than 2 months to go!!**

Random baby facts:
-Eli's the size of a butternut squash. 
-He can recognize simple songs (like lullabies).....guess I'll be singing to him! =)
-According to baby websites, this baby could drop anytime after this point in pregnancy.  I still feel like he's high, so hopefully he'll drop soon!
-Feeling much more sciatic nerve pain and round ligament pain these days.  A hot pad at night has become my go-to for helping cope with the discomfort. (on a side note, my mom got me a really awesome lower back heating pad for Christmas...I love it!  It's going in my hospital bag for labor).
-I'm definitely having cravings for certain foods...thankfully, they're not crazy like pickles and pb&j.
-Still sleeping at night time (HUUUUUGE praise)
-Still plugging away at exercise, although my pace has definitely slowed down significantly.  I'm also still doing body pump, but at a lower weight/body weight these days. 

I've been working on the nursery this weekend.  No huge projects, just the little tasks: putting crib sheets on the crib mattress, put diapers in the organizer, fold blankets, and put baby clothes in the dresser.  (On a side note, baby clothes are so stinkin' cute!  I couldn't help but say "oooooh, this outfit is adorable!" or "ohmygoodness!  this one's super cute!" to just about everything I pulled out of boxes).

I'm also getting toiletries and clothes ready for my hospital bag.  It's pretty much set, with exception of some small things.  This week, I hope to pack and organize it all in an actual bag.  =)  And, hopefully, I can get Jaden's bag ready too.  He's excited about the idea of having "a very long sleepover" with some of his very best buddies while Derek and I are at the hospital.

Other than the nursery, we didn't do a thing this weekend!  It was very nice to be able to kick back and relax and lounge around the house =) 

baby Eli's shower

baby bumps!

all the yummyness

the group of ladies =)

pregnancy update

I'm officially 32 weeks!!!!  Almost there!  2 more months.  We're all getting excited to meet Eli.

Other updates:

*The nursery's done!  Jaden got to help Derek paint =)  We also have an ottoman and a dresser (which is not pictured). 

*Eli's as big as a squash....somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
*according to internet sites, he should be measuring between 15 and 17 inches
*I definitely have heartburn .... and it is not a fun feeling. 
*I'm feeling more and more out of breath
*Still sleeping pretty well at night, but noticing I have to make more trips to the bathroom
*I'm also still exercising...and I love it!  I think it's a big reason why I sleep better at night.

Hope you guys have a great day!

a thought...

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who not change like shifting shadows ~James 1:17

I am thankful for this truth today.  I am thankful that God loves me and wants to lavish me with His love.  I am thankful that He does not change; He is not fickle or fake.  He is constant and unmoving.