All For A Bag Of Chips!

Cravings of a Pregnant Woman

So, tonight before the clouds were rolling in, Preston and I decided to go for a quick bike ride.  The warm evening breeze felt lovely on our faces as we rode excitedly like two children ready for summer.  When we felt the first few raindrops and saw the dark clouds ahead of us, we thought we'd better turn back so as to not get caught in the rain.  Back outside our apartment we watched the lightning dance through the clouds and listened to the thunder off in the distance with thrilled grins on our faces.  We love watching thunderstorms...when they're harmless.

I wanted a bag of chips, so we decided to make a run to the grocery store just down the street.  "Should we ride bikes or take the car?" Preston asked.  We considered an exciting bike ride, but settled for the car instead.

"Woah, it got so dark all of a sudden,"  I pointed out, as we pulled up to the grocery store.  With a shrug, we entered the store and I went off in search for my chips, while Preston looked at some potential movies to rent.

A few minutes later, with chips and popsicles in my hands, Preston called to me from the end of the aisle, "We have to go now."  At first I thought he just wanted to get home.  As we approached the checkout area, a worker said to us, "Did you hear? You guys need to either get in the back of the store or leave right now."  Determined to buy my chips, and not completely realizing the gravity of the situation, we swiftly went through the self-checkout aisle as people cleared the store.  The stupid popsicles' barcode was ripped, so I left them at the counter, grabbed my chips, slipped a $5 in the machine and retrieved my change.  And out the doors we ran.

I cannot explain how intense the rainfall and the wind was as we ran to our car.  Crazy loud tornado alarms were screaming through the wind and rain, adding to the suspense.  Praying in tongues like madmen, we frantically got into our car and off we drove.

"Just down the street...we just have to make it down the street to our apartment," I kept thinking to myself as Preston tried to drive safely and quickly through the blackness.  We commanded the storm to subside, we prayed for protection and covering over Fargo, we prayed for PEACE PEACE PEACE - inside us and all around us!

The wind and the rain were so strong that Preston had difficulty seeing where the road was.  Less than a block from our apartment it just got worse!  "Jesus!  You had the peace to release and command the storm to be still!  Help us to have Peace!!!"  I kept praying, commanding, praying, trying to take authority... "God, YOU are in control!  YOU are in control!"  I declared.

When we finally made it to our parking spot right outside out apartment sliding glass door, which was unfortunately locked, the wind was swirling around outside to intensely that Preston didn't want us to get out and get swept away.  The car was moving from side to side and we continued to pray for a hedge of protection so we could get into our apartment.

"Ok, I'm going to make a run for it," Preston said, "and you stay in here --"
"No!  Why??!!"  I protested in fear.
"I don't know how strong the wind is and I don't want you to have to run all the way around.  So I'm going to and unlock the sliding glass door for you..."

I quickly agreed with his reasoning, even though it felt horrible to separate at such a critical moment.  I prayed like I've never prayed before as Preston ran through the storm.  I realized how scared I was as worse possible thoughts flashed through my mind.  "God, I'm scared!  Please help me not be scared!"  Preston biffed it on the grass, but was quickly back to his feet again and running around the building.  I took my sandals off, knowing I would run much more effieciently through the grass barefooted.  I grabbed my chips, and intently watched through the sliding glass doors into our apartment for the first sign of Preston.  Just a few moments later I watched Preston throw open the door.  Out I booked it toward the door, heart beating in my throat, and soon I was safely inside with my husband in no time.

Relief!  Thank you Jesus!  We made it!!!!

But the survival focus was not over.  Preston directed me to the bathtub, I grabbed lighters and candles, my computer, phone, purse, water, and chips of course, and settled in the tub as Preston attempted to get the mattress off of our bed.  I told him to put on some worship music from his already-charged computer and I called my parents and told them to pray, relaying to them the situation.

The sound of the storm seemed to settle and Preston went into the hallway to check out the status from other neighbors.  The sweet man who lives above us assured us that the storm had passed and everything was alright now.  Phew!

Preston and I laughed in amazement at what we had just experienced.  We both specifically remember a shift in the intensity of the wind and rain when we were praying in the car, just before Preston had to run out to unlock the sliding glass door for me.  We are convinced that our prayers (along with many others' prayers, I'm sure) made a huge difference, causing the storm to pass and releasing protection over us and the city.  I am curious to know how the rest of Fargo is doing.

All I know is that God is such a good Papa and nothing is too big or scary for Him.  We are His precious children and He loves us so much!  This truth gave me the peace and the courage I needed to take authority and trust that we would make it home safely.  As I declared in the car on the way home, "You are in control, God!  You are in control!"  I was declaring that this storm could not hurt us because my Dad in Heaven holds us in His hands.  I do not have to fear, for I have everything in Him - Courage!  Authority!  Peace!  Strength!  Hope!  A Sound Mind (clear thinking)!  And no fear!

Thank you God for protecting us through this storm.  This was an experience that I would rather not have repeated in my lifetime, but it causes me to think of all the millions who have been through worse...and I pray for them.

P.S. -- Our patio chair is missing, nowhere to be found in the dark, wet night.  We will look for it when daylight comes.   However, our birdfeeder is still in tact!  And yes, I am gratefully indulging in my bag of chips...And for those of you who know me well, it will come to you with no surprise that the chips are in fact flaming hot cheetos, my favorite. J

Baby Wise

A friend recently introduced me to Baby Wise which is a series of books on how to successfully raise your baby from infancy and beyond.  There is a little controversy out there over the Baby Wise method, but I am very impressed by and excited about what I have read so far in On Becoming Baby Wise, as well as from the different testimonies of mothers I know who have raised their children using Baby Wise.

This method helps infants to synchronize their feeding, waketime and nighttime sleep cycles.  A common method for mothers when raising their babies is to let them fall asleep immediately after feeding.  On the contrary, Baby Wise method emphasizes the importance of maintaining a consistent feed-wake-sleep cycle.  This, along with other guidelines provided in the book help babies learn to sleep through the nights earlier and more successfully than many who do not follow this method.

I am excited to try Baby Wise with Courage!

If any of you other Mothers have tried Baby Wise, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

...Now I Know Just What You Are!

It was an amazing experience watching our little baby move around inside me.  As I held Preston's hand and cranked my head for almost an hour to watch the ultrasound screen, most of the time trying desperately to make out what part of the baby I was seeing, I felt the butterflies in my stomach - though not yet from the baby's movement - from the excitement and awe of seeing our very own child for the first time!  Wow!

So, it turns out our predictions and inklings were true all along - 2011 truly is the year of COURAGE...Courage Ruah Hall!  He is one active little boy, that's for sure.  Though I cannot feel him move around yet, we saw him spinning around and moving his limbs for almost an hour.  He was playing hide-and-seek most of the time as he buried his face low in the bottom of my womb.  Once he was in a good position for a potentially good shot of his face, he covered it with both his arms.  Haha.  I hope to go in sometime when he's bigger to see if we can get a better photo.  But I am overjoyed and pleased with today's experience!

I didn't realize how much my belly has actually grown.  But seeing today's picture compared to the one from a couple months ago, I can definitely see the difference!

12 weeks

19 weeks

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,

How I wonder what you are?!!

Just one more week from today and I get to find out just "what you are!!!"

You are a diamond in the sky, you are a treasure in my heart, you are a miracle growing inside me.  You are beautiful and wonderfully made.  A child of greatness, a child of the King, a child with great inheritance.  I love you!

I found this perfectly appropriate wall decal on tradingphrases.com  that I plan to get for the Baby Room.  This is J.M. Barrie's famous and brilliant quote from Peter Pan about the beginning of fairies.  I love it so much!!  I can't wait to put it up on our bright turquoise wall by the crib!

Turquoise is Preston's and my favorite color - the color of my blue diamond he gave me in the sky- "like a diamond in the sky."  So even if the baby is Story, we think turquoise is still the perfect color.  AND even if the baby is Courage, well, we think this fairy quote is still perfect!!!  Our child will be a Neverland/Fairy/Peter Pan child because that is who his parents are :)

Photos of our baby room to come...stay tuned.

Love,

Bethany

Countdown to Baby's Gender

14 days!

Just 14 days and we find out if it is Courage or Story who is growing inside me!

I cannot tell you how exciting and how almost frustrating it is - frustrating because I am just dying to know who the little one is!  

One of the downsides to being such the "planner" that I am is that I tend to want things now - once I'm ready, I have a hard time being patient.

So these next 14 days might be trying for me. 

I guess I have to learn to focus on the process and enjoy each moment.

I've started a journal to my baby, as suggested by Preston, and I've titled it

"Before You Were Born."

The clock towers on the cover have to do with the Peter Pan fairy tale, Preston's and my romance, and so much more.

I figure once I find out if it's a boy or girl I can dress the little owl on the front accordingly (since right now it's pretty "girlie").

I'll put the name of the baby on the front too.

The journal consistes of letters to Baby, encouraging him or her, speaking life and destiny over him or her and prophesying over him or her.

It's awesome to just sit with God and hear His heart and love for this little one.

But, I tell you, I feel so limited because I don't know if the baby is Courage or Story.

I feel like once I know, then I can better prophesy and speak specific things over him or her.

And I can't wait for that!

Meanwhile, I have busy and super early mornings at work to pass the time.

I come home, go on the computer for a little bit, maybe - and this is a BIG maybe - I get a few household things done, and then I crash either on the couch or in bed for a good 3 to 4 hours.

This routine is not one I would likely choose.  Except my body is just so exhausted ALL THE TIME!

I cannot wait for when I have more energy - especially with spring FINALLY peeking in here in Fargo.  And I can go bike riding, play outside, exercise...and not take 4 hour naps every day!

But I know it is important to listen to my body and to recognize that there is a beautiful miracle at work inside me!

So, 14 days to go!!

Happy Earth Day!

Isn't it cool that Earth Day falls on Good Friday,

which celebrates sweet Jesus' sacrifice

in saving the whole earth?

I like that...

Here is a tribute to a super amazing man that I love:

I am a man, a king and a servant

I've seen many palaces; I've spent nights in the dirt

I've walked these dirt roads, 

I've sailed these great seas,

I've seen powerful dreams released and increased.

I've had friends that were closer than brothers,

who loved me more than a mother,

and I them.

Yet I always knew it would come to an end.

But the end was only the beginning.

It was only the climax of what is in the happening.

What I am shaping is a new awakening 

of life and purpose in a world that is quaking.

I burn with a vision,

I'm passionate and driven,

and my Father is my favorite companion.

I was born for this world,

born to breathe life into empty souls.

Born to live and die, to die and live.

My paradigms don't fit these minds,

these keys I hold find

hidden doors to hidden times.

I know what what rejection is more than anyone else.

I've injected it as I've wrapped people up in my heart,

as other forces tried to tear me apart.

I know what betrayal is - 

a total derail of what could have been real,

what could have been life,

but instead a love disloyal,

assassinated with a kiss 

and he missed his time to rise.

I embraced him anyway, 

I wish there was another way,

but he died that day

and I followed my way

to my long awaited mortality.

It's for humanity - 

my God's great idea.

My Dad's favorite design

He gave me His vision, a desire to rewind

what was taken from Him.

I've engulfed abandonment, 

absorbed a world's sinfulness

so that it rid me of an sliver of hope

that someone is still there for me.

It was the deepest darkest hour of my life

where even my loving Father turned His face away

where I felt like the weight of a thousand earths

was put on my chest until I died that day

The heaviness that crushed me to the point of death

it was what I had to bear to snatch

my Father's children back

So I released my final breath

remembering the treasure in heaven

I exhaled my spirit, prevailed death,

and restored the standard again

Now I have died and gone below this sad corrupted earth,

I have passed the point of no return,

passed the point of fatal departure

But my Dad, He pulled me up by the hand,

and shocked this world with one command -

"Arise and shine, you shall live!"

and I rose from below to give

this world a chance to breath, to grow,

to fly and soar and kill the foe!

We are restoring a broken world to its original design.

Heaven is our token, 

and everything in it is yours and mine.

Heaven and Earth is waiting to be reunited,

lighted by the face of God.

Be ignited by this taste, 

don't waste what was bought.

I am a man, a brother and a lover

and I am yours

if you'll have me

<3

Happily Ever After (Part 3 of Our Story)

Ok, so here is Part 3 of our lovely Story...

from the point of Preston's proposal to our wedding, honeymoon,

and today...

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

In the Fall (2009), the second Tinker Bell movie came out, which looked epic because it was called "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure!"  As we watched the movie, it became clearer how even more prophetic it was, and how liken the story was to our own!  First of all, Tinker Bell is assigned the great and glorious mission to create a special scepter that will hold a piece of the blue moonstone for when the Blue Moon arises and releases the perfect light through the moonstone to create pixie dust!  Something went wrong along the way, so Tinker Bell - the mighty clever one she is - set off on a quest to search for a lost treasure.  And guess what she created for this quest?!  A Hot Air Balloon!!!  AND, guess what the hot air balloon was made out of? A wish flower!!  Could it get even more prophetic or significant for us?  Well, yes, actually...but we didn't put the pieces together until the eve of our wedding...

One More Trip to Neverland

We made one last trip to the coast together and stayed with our favorite friend out there, Billy.  We told him our story, for when we first met him in January 2009 (our first trip out there), we had only been friends.  Now we were getting married!  So we shared with him our amazing story and he loved it.  As we were getting ready to fall asleep, he asked us if he could tell us a bedtime story!  So he made one up right there.  It was a very special story that spoke so true to my heart, so afterward I told him he had to write it down and give it to us.  

The story was about a princess with a glass heart.  Her Daddy, the King, was the maker of all hearts, and hers was most unique.  Everyone wanted to look at and hold her glass heart, which led her to get her heart broken by a prince who didn't know how to handle her heart.  As a result, she locked herself up in her tower and hid her heart under her pillow, swearing to never let anyone touch it again!

One day a new prince from a far off land came to visit the King and to meet His daughter.  The princess didn't trust him, for she didn't trust anyone, but the prince was patient and wise and spent much time with the King.  Slowly but surely the princess let the prince in, but when he asked to hold her glass heart, she panicked and shut him out, just like all the other princes.  

The princess asked her Father why he gave her such a fragile glass heart.  The King answered her sweetly, "You are to be treasured and treated with care like fragile glass.  The man who can hold your heart will treasure and care for you.  I knew who you were before you were born.  I knew the love and life that your heart would carry and I wanted all to see the beauty and love your heart would hold.  I gave you a glass heart because I wanted people to see into it."  

The prince was gentle and never gave up.  And when he won the princess' trust, the princess asked him why he wanted her glass heart, "Do you want my heart because it is rare and valuable and a prize for you that no other man can find?"

The kind prince told her, "Where I come from glass is as common as stone.  Do you know what it is like to live in a glass kingdom?  Everyone can peer in and see you no matter how thick the walls.  I want your heart because I love you.  I know how to handle glass and I cannot stand to see your heart uncared for." 

This story completely blessed me.  I totally identified with the princess, and this story was such a gift to me.

Why New Years Day?

We chose to get married on New Years Day, January 1st, 2010 for several reasons.  We ideally wanted to get married as soon as possible because, well...why wait?  So we were looking at November, which would give me a little over three months to plan.  I always wanted to get married outside, but I couldn't wait for next spring!  No way!  We had so many amazing and prophetic ideas for our wedding.  We wanted our wedding to be one big message of childlikeness and freedom for people of all ages.  So we decided we shouldn't try to rush it into November.

Psalm 110 was a passage that spoke largely to both of us individually.  There was something magical in that passage about sitting with Papa God at His right hand and watching the Lord extend "His mighty sceptor," and something beautiful about "the womb of the dawn," and "the dew of your youth," seemed to woo us into that passage.  So, we thought, wouldn't it be cool to get married in January of 2010, since the date would be 1-10?!  So we looked at some dates in January and asked our families what they thought.  

Both Preston and I each have a close relative who lives overseas (Preston's brother and my uncle), both of whom we would want at our wedding.  The only thing about that is only certain days worked for them.  For example, January 2nd, which was a Saturday (an ideal day for a wedding) would not work for either of them because they would need to be back in their countries by Monday (and overseas fights always take a couple days).  So we decided on the 1st, Friday, New Years Day, so that our relatives could fly out Saturday and be home in time for their jobs.

Once in a Blue Moon

On the eve of our wedding, which was New Years Eve 2009, we discovered that there was a blue moon!!!  First of all, a blue moon only happens every two and a half years.  Second of all, a blue moon on New Years Even happens much rarely than that!  The next time a blue moon falls on New Years Eve is in 2028!  Third of all...well, how many people can say that there was a blue moon on the eve of their wedding?  AND...even though I know a blue moon isn't really "blue," the fact that I have a blue diamond seems to be pretty prophetic.  Not to mention the Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure movie being all about the blue moon in addition to having a hot air balloon in it...Geeze, I'm overwhelmed, are you?!  Who could plan that?!  God?! :)

So, since the date was 1-1-10, we thought, how about we get married at 1:10pm?  Seems practical, right?  So we had an early morning of getting ready for the "Big day."  Preston and I had our first "meeting" before the wedding (where he saw the bride for the first time) on that famous bridge "where we met in the middle as a riddle began to unfold" just years before.  (It truly is quite the riddle, isn't it?).  It was raining, so I wore my rainbow rain boots underneath my fairy wedding dress, and Preston held a great big umbrella. It sort of felt like Narnia with the Narnia-style lamps on the bridge (you know, like the lamp where Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus, who also holds an umbrella).

Our Narnia Bridge, where "we met in the middle..."

"...and a riddle began to unfold..."

Thankfully, the rain let up a little for the pictures with the whole wedding party, which took place on a little playground behind the church.  We got married inside a beautiful round church with high ceilings and a skylight, and wonderful acoustics.  Prophetic Artists painted on the stage as the worship band led everyone in praise.  The chairs were all set up in a giant circle with a little square stage in the center and a canopy of bright kites hanging beautifully above.

"and we were wed beneath a canopy of kites and rainbows..."

The Wedding Ceremony Begins...

At 1:10pm Beni Johnson (our officiant) blew the shofar, ushering in the bridegroom.  Out came Preston in his white tuxedo with a turquoise superhero cape, surrounded by children dressed in superhero costumes and princess dresses to Benjamin Dunn's song "Levitating Love."  Followed by his groomsmen, one by one, looking sharp in their black suits and bright red superhero capes carrying different treasures and placing them each into the giant treasure box, (generously lent to us by my wonderful Grandma).

Beni sounding the shofar, ushering in the bridegroom...

Preston's brother putting our kite in the big Treasure Chest on the center stage

Next, my Peter Pan Wedding Song came on (which I re-recorded in a studio, thank you Jeremy Edwardson), and as my voice sang "We watched the fairies..." out stepped my fairy bridesmaids, one by one, with their beautiful tie-dye dresses and fairy wings, painted faces and painted feet (*sigh, it was spectacular), each carrying a special treasure just like the superhero groomsmen.

My beautiful sister carrying down the aisle the treasure box
Preston gave me for my birthday 2009

Following the fairy bridesmaids were Preston's niece and nephew in their fairy and peter pan costumes.  Jacee, the fairy, dropped pixie dust down the aisle and Coy (Peter Pan) proudly and carefully carried the pillow with a little treasure box on it, which held our rings.  Finally, the climax of the song, "From the clocktower, I'll sing you a story..."  and my dad and I walked out.  I wore a white fairy cape with a hood instead of a veil.  My hair hung in long braids on each side with bright feathers in it.  I wore a key around my neck, some facepaint, and my white fairy wedding dress had brightly colored tulle underneath, around the bottom.  My shoes were turquoise, just like Preston's, and I held a side bouquet of flowers - purple and yellow lilies wrapped in a great big green leaf.

Jacee & Coy, our little fairy and Peter Pan walking down the aisle!

"From the clocktower I'll sing you a story..."

My dad lifted my fairy hood and kissed my cheek, and my mom took my fairy cape as I turned to join my bridegroom.  And the ceremony begins!  When Beni said "You may kiss the bride," Preston surprised us ALL by pulling out yet another THIMBLE - a gold one with a bride and groom on top!!!!!

Dad lifting the "veil" (fairy hood)

Preston surprised me with a thimble just before the "You May Kiss The Bride"
My face says it all!

The Treasures

Among the treasures that our groomsmen and bridesmaids carried down the aisle were both the treasure boxes that we had given each other on our birthdays, our first kite we flew together, the sand castle that Preston gave me for my birthday, a balloon on a string, a beautiful Peter Pan book, a giant key, a mini drum from Africa, a pan flute, a canister of wine (for communion), a globe we found at an antique shop, and a word that said "peace" (for Preston and I had made a covenant of peace early on in our relationship).

On the tables at our wedding and reception were jars with candles inside them (to represent a song and concept I wrote about "catching lightning in a jar" during a thunderstorm).  Also, crayons were everywhere!  Not to mention those copies of the coloring picture we had found at the castle. My mom made some amazing rainbow colored cupcakes that looked perfect next to all the brightly colored candy in jars.  We also provided Starbucks coffee in the lobby.  

Preston and my wedding cake was my favorite, and my mom did such a wonderful job!  It was a cake made to look like a sand castle, with a little fairy and prince on top as the "bride and groom."  There were also little miniature shovels and buckets in the "sand" (which was delicious brown sugar), and whipped cream around the base of the cake so that it looked like a castle in the clouds!!

Recognize the castle picture next to the cake?

This was of course the best day of my life!  My mom surprised me with a song she wrote and played it at the reception.  It was all about me being Tiger Lily, and Peter Pan, and whomever I wanted to be at make believe time...  I also surprised my dad with a song I wrote long ago about him walking me down the aisle.   We had our dances, Preston and my first dance to "Up In The Stars" by Owl City/Swimming with Dolphins, the Father-Daughter dance to "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman (which makes me ball my eyes out!), and the Mother of the groom dance to "Find Your Wings" by Mark Harris.  We danced our hearts out and then jumped in our car to head for our honeymoon.

The Honeymoon

Our honeymoon, the night after the blue moon ;) We went to Fort Bragg, California.  We wanted to go somewhere on the coast that wouldn't take too long of a drive and would be some place new where we'd never been before.  Our good friend Billy from the coast had come to our wedding and at the end he handed us a key and said "there is something for you out there on the table."  It was a treasure box, which we eagerly took with us on our honeymoon.  We opened it up that night and inside was the perfect gift!  It was the written story about the princess with the glass heart! AND an actual glass heart! With a rainbow swirl in it!!  WOW!

It gets better...The next day, Preston looked through a site about Fort Bragg to see what we could do that day.  As I was getting ready for the day, he exclaimed, "Bethany!  Look at this!  Glass Beach!"  What is Glass Beach, we both wondered.  Apparently there used to be a landfill by the ocean (before people realized that it wasn't a very good idea to pollute the ocean), and over time, the waves and the tide of the ocean has washed over and softened the glass (from broken bottles and such), and has made it look like a beautiful, glistening treasure island beach!

God is so prophetic and so romantic, and He loves to play along with us in our love songs and love stories.  When we explored the beautiful glass beach, we collected a few glass pieces to take home with us as a reminder (which we later discovered people are not supposed to do -- oops!  It was all in innocence, I swear!).  I had the brilliant idea to using the glass pieces to make a glass castle painting to hang on our wall as a reminder of the amazing story!

The beautiful glistening Glass Beach!

So here we are a year later, and there is a baby growing in side me.  Now, from our story there are several things highlighted, such as Story itself.  If this baby is a girl, we will name her Story.  However, if the baby is a boy, we will name him Courage.  We picked the name Courage last year as we thought of creative, destiny-filled boy names.  We like the name Courage because it has destiny all over him.  A child named Courage will grow up to be bold and courageous.  He will know who he is - the son of a Courageous Lion.  I've mentioned before that Bob Jones prophesied that 2011 is the year of the roaring Lion, and that this is the year of Authority.  To Preston and me, this means Courage too.  So, now you know the significance of both Story and Courage, and only time will tell which one is coming this Fall!