THE FRUIT OF OUR LOVE

I know it's pretty late but living in a house that is not yours and not having internet makes it rather difficult to keep up to date with posting. But it's here and it's posted so let's get started!

I would like to brag my pride and joy. The fruit of three years of marriage Meet Kari Natania.

It was never planned. I wasn't going to rush until I turn 28. But I guess God answers your prayers. I'll never forget my covenant with Him to give me our child whenever He sees fit. So I guess this time is the time He sees fit^_^ I didn't even know I was pregnant. In fact, my mum and my sister knew it before me, since they saw the difference in my countenance (!)

Moving few weeks backwards, me and my husband went to this Christian store to splurge (yes, splurge!), and the two shopkeepers started talking to us. We had a good talk and we prayed to each other. When it was the woman's turn to pray, she prayed for our baby - we didn't know I was pregnant - and for my husband's health, although he wasn't sick. Then we parted ways. Later on, my husband had apendisitis, so he had to be rushed to the hospital to get rid of this body part.

Meanwhile, my mum and my sister convinced me to get a pregnancy test to see if I am pregnant. They kept pestering me since I was getting dizzy and a bit nauseous at work. So I did anyway, and straight away I saw the two red lines saying I am pregnant. Indeed I was shaking. And I showed to to my husband when we went to visit him in the hospital. And with his exact words everytime he will tell the story "the first thing I saw when I woke up was those two red lines..." ^_^

For those who think being pregnant is easy and fun either don't have a clue or, if they've been through it, will be the object of my envy. To be honest I never enjoyed my pregnancy at all. I was always nauseous, always tired, always moody - well, actually it was an emotional rollercoaster. And after what I've been through all they way to giving birth, and even after that, I always stress to my husband that we will NOT have another one until Kari's at least two. Even so, if I have it my way, I will wait until Kari's in school.

Nevertheless, I am grateful and indeed blessed with my precious girl. She is my bundle of joy.

Be of Good Courage...

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengten your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." - Psalm 31:24

I know for sure I'm not the smartest person around...in fact I'm not that intelligent at all! Though I'm enjoying the couse I'm currently taking, it is starting to get really daunting...or is it just me being paranoid about getting it over with? Who knows. The bottom line is everytime I attend the class I feel so inferior. I mean I am surrounded by people pretty much double my age, most of them are "bigwigs" being Directors, Journalists, experienced Teachers, University graduates, you know, "veterans...you get the idea. To be honest it makes me feel so small, I mean, I've only gone as far as Certificate IV and that's NOTHING to them, considering that I don't even have the job experience to reach their standard of expertise. Therefore it makes me feel rather, way out of their league.

But then the verse mentioned above will keep popping out in my head everytime I start feeling like that. And the Lord will always remind me of the courage of Joshua and Caleb, going against the wind. That though the rest of Israel wanted to give up and not to go forward they remained confident in the Lord. Not as relevant to my situation but it does make me snap out of it.

God is so good, that though you get discouraged He will come to you and say, "Be of good courage child." That builds me up to put my head up high and believe that "I can do all things through Christ that strenghtens me."

by: Marlyn (DaughterofZion Batch '97)