I AM

making all things new... these are the words that I have heard my Abba Father whisper over me the past few months. I stand in anticipation and excitment to see how God is making all things new. He is purifiying His bride to become more like Christ - because God is doing a new thing. I pray into this...

Jesus continue to create in me and my family a new heart, hearts so in love with you, making our flesh feel dull toward the things of this world.. a fierce love in us to love the things you love.

Jesus, re-new our minds daily by your Living Word, give us new understanding and insight into your will and your heart.

Jesus, give Kevin new opportunity to be the bread winner and know that is all comes from Jehovah Jirah.

Jesus, renew this broken neighbor you have placed us in, renew it with your beauty. "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19
God is making all things new... God's doing it, one person at a time...

And so when on Feburary 1st, our 20th anniversary, we found out that God had a gift to reveal to us, I smile... because He knew that we needed to have a daily reminder that He is the Creator or all, the Redeemer of all, and the Father to all.

I want to introduce to you baby Smith #5. This precious life that God is knitting together in my womb, it is a grand picture of what he is doing in the world. He delights in His creation and he is a God of detail and perfection.

It's a picture of God working behind the scenes, where no human eye can look, He's creating and restoring. He is writing a story, He is the Author and Finisher of all things. As I type I am again overwhelmed with gratidude, of HIS ways, HIS thoughts, they are so much better than ours.

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made"
God reminded me through a teaching at Love Feast this week that the first word formed by a baby is "Abba". God knows whether we are still in the womb or about to enter the grave and every day in between, we have desperated need for our Abba Father.

And so I smile as I think of God whispering over me that He is making all things new, and He is making new creation. And we are gifted again to raise another one of His kids. We do this humbly, and doing this at the age of 40, (I laugh) I dont know, we've grown up some... we know that it is all God, it is, and we need Jesus more that ever.

And so as we go about our daily calling of bringing light into darkness, letting the Holy Spirit that lives in us be the river that runs through the desert, when we get discouraged because we dont see fruit in our actions, or when we parent and we really mess up, or when work is scarce and we dont know where the next job will come from, we are reminded by this life that is growing in my womb, that God is working in the hidden places, He has too, and He is a covenant God, who is always faithful to His promises, we are nothing without Him he is writing our story, to bring glory to his name.
Its a love story of the greatest LOVE and REDEMPTION and we are part of it.

I dont know what God has in store for this little one, but we know that it will be a life filled with HOPE and a FUTURE. And that this new one is LOVED. And we are BLESSED.