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You Use Broken Things

It has been a few days since I wrote which is good because that means it has been quiet in our home and with Oscar. We had an OB appointment Wednesday, September 27, after school and all was well. I am measuring exactly 28 weeks and Oscar's heartbeat was found right away and beating steady at 145 bpm. I got my flu shot and my goodness my arm was sore until today. I feel kind of bad Theodore is going to have to get the shot this year. I am hoping he will not be nearly as sore as I was. My OB said all seems to be going as usually and said due to this being a high risk pregnancy we will begin non-stress testing in the next few weeks. This means I will come in weekly along with my appointments and just get hooked up to the baby monitors for 20 minutes or so. This will allow for Oscar to be monitored and make sure there are no sudden changes with him.
Some other news I have been loved greatly this week by some colleagues/their families at work. I was given two gifts and the funny thing is they came on the same day. The first was a necklace inspired by the verse Matthew 17:20, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." I have quoted this verse before on our blog and most days my faith is strong and unwavering and I have hope and joy for Oscar's life, but there are dark days on this journey when satan steals that hope, joy, and faith I have. This necklace is a sweet, sweet reminder to keep that faith on those dark days even if it is small. In Matthew 17:14-20, it tells the story of Jesus healing a demon possessed boy. Matthew 17:19,  Jesus' disciples asked, "Teacher why couldn't we drive out the demon possessed boy?" Jesus replied, "Because you have so little faith." 
The other gift was a shadow box frame filled with quotes and verses from "Oscar's Odyssey/Stella's Story" thus far. This frame is beautiful and it also has an #OscarStrong bracelet in it and room for me to add other special momentous for Oscar. One of my favorite features of this gift is that the individual used rainbow font colors. When we first found out about Oscar (then Estella) this friend said, "It is very appropriate your doing her nursery in rainbow colors. Estella is your rainbow 'special, rare, beautiful, and God's promise.'" 

Finally, I have been told this week by a few individuals your strength Julie does not make sense and it is true, it doesn't. The joy, peace, and strength I have surpasses earthly understanding and is not my own, it is the Lord's, so if you see me and wondering how I am making it that day and I have a smile on my face please know it is our God not me. I have been listening to this song, Matthew West - Broken Things, for awhile and I think this is a good post to include it on too. Originally when I heard the song I thought it dealt more with Oscar, "it’s never the perfect; it’s always the ones with the scars that You use. It’s the rebels and the prodigals; it’s the humble and the weak" but the Lord showed me this song isn't for Oscar it's for me. He is using sinner: know it all, too demanding, my way or the highway, bossy, broken Julie to share HIS STRENGTH, JOY, and HOPE. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.


 Matthew West - Broken Things

If grace was a kingdom
I’ve stopped at the gate
Thinking I don’t deserve to pass through after all of the mistakes that I’ve made
But I heard a whisper
As Heaven bent down
Said, “Child, don’t know you that the first will be last and the last get a crown.”

 Now I’m just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring so much more
But if it’s true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I am all Yours

 The pages of history they tell me it’s true
That it’s never the perfect; it’s always the ones with the scars that You use
It’s the rebels and the prodigals; it’s the humble and the weak
The misfit heroes You chose
Tell me there’s hope for sinners like me

 Now I’m just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring so much more
But if it’s true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I am all Yours

 Grace is a kingdom
With gates open wide
There’s seat at the table just waiting for you
So, come on inside

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