Everyday Miracles
Lora Armendariz
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Miracles Happen Everyday

God daily shows us how special we are and how much He loves us.  Join me as I write about how my life and the lives of other people who have been touched by God's grace.

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But I Want to Right NOW!

6/6/2014

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This morning I made the horrible mistake of putting my two year-old's shoes on ten minutes before it was time to be loaded up into the van.  Of course in her rational head if Mama puts shoes on her it must mean that it is time to go.  So, I had to listen to ten minutes of a toddler's tantrum while I sadly thought it would be so nice if I could just explain to her that it isn't smart to wait 10 minutes sitting in your car seat and that this would be an ideal time to practice being patient.  Ha!

But, as I thought about all th
e life lessons I wanted to teach and tell my precious little girl, I grimaced and suddenly identified with her frustration.  After all, even today, right now, I'm impatient.  I want to have my babies (I'm huge, hot, and uncomfortable as I get increasingly enormous).  I want my husband home with me (I really really miss him).  I want to have my life back on my own terms.  And I want it all NOW.

Yes, sometimes I do act just as unreasonable as my two year-old. 

I'm ashamed when I look back and realize how impatient and silly I have been during certain seasons of my life.  Like when I wanted to graduate from high school as soon as possible.  Like when it felt like I would never get married or when I just knew it was grossly unfair that I didn't have children yet.  And then, when I do get pregnant I spend the last two months wishing I could get that baby out of me and then wishing I could put her back in when I found out how nerve wracking a newborn can be.  I suppose I must join the rest of the human race who have always wanted it all and wanted it NOW.

Just making a guess, but I bet God watches a lot of this nervous pacing and angry foot-stomping, shakes His head, and wishes we would listen when He tries to assure us that there is a better timing for what happens in our life, that it will all happen in His great timing, and this would be a really wonderful time to develop some patience. 

Yes, He is right. 

When will I learn this great lesson?  When will it be instilled in my heart so that I might carry around His peace no matter what season my life is in? 

In Time.  In time.

Because it takes time to truly learn a lesson like this and completely hone such a precious skill.  And each time we come across a situation in which we must be made to wait, we will be given the opportunity to grow into that peace. 

Ok, since my impatience will not change how fast I get the things I want, I will practice patience.  I will practice trust in God to guide my paths.  I will practice faith in His promise of perfect timing. 


"through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
Romans 5:2-4
Photo by Mindaugas Danys via Flickr
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Not Fearing His Plans

5/12/2014

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I can't  count how many times over the years I've called my Mom or Dad for comfort.  It was a rough week again.  I'm in the hospital.  This time it is for a shortened cervix--the only thing that hadn't yet went wrong in this pregnancy.  I'm here on bed rest until the babies come and fighting fear with almost every breath.  We're only at 23 weeks.  My little girls need more time if they are to survive.

So, I'm listening to the ever comforting voice of my Dad yesterday when something he says shoots straight to my heart.  "Sweetheart.  God has given you these babies for a reason.  They are special to Him.  They must be.  Look at what they have already survived.  He has great plans for them."

He has great plans for them.  For my unborn babies.  He knows their futures.  He knows their hearts, the same hearts He's healed, defying all odds.

And when all this hit me, I felt humbled.  He is allowing Me to be their mother.  He picked my husband to be their father.  He has entrusted us with two souls that are special to him. 

So I prayed.  I prayed for Him to guide me.  Help me be the mother these little ones need.  Help me not be afraid, because He wouldn't have set this before me if He hadn't known I was the woman for the task.

Funny, isn't it?  If you read that verse proclaiming that God has great and good plans for us, you can face any challenge with peace.  Peace that the world is just as it should be.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

Wherever we are, whatever challenges, tasks, worries, and hurts we face, we can face the great plans God has for us and have no fear.

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Happy Mother's Day!

5/10/2014

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The words of God shows that motherhood is incredibly important to Him.  Know that he watches over you, gives you strength for each day, and a heart willing to love beyond all reason. 
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A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.  Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.  She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.  She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.  She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.  She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.  She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.  She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.  In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.  She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.  When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.  She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.  Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.  She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.  She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.  She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.  She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:10-30

Photo 1 by Vinoth Chandar via Flickr
Photo 2 by David J Laporte via Flickr
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Permission to Hug

4/30/2014

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It happened all day long.  My little girl would stop playing, come find me and lift up her arms.  Her toddler babble informed me that she wanted a hug, but with my twins in my tummy taking up all my lap space I couldn't hardly lift her up for a cuddle.  She didn't mind.  I would sit on the floor or invite her up to the couch with me and she'd fall across into my arms in just a way that we were both comfortable.  And she stayed and stayed.

Of course, my mind would race with worries.  Is she sick?  Why isn't she playing?  Should I be doing this?  Am I spoiling her? 

Oh, but in my heart of hearts I knew a great truth--she needed this.  She needed to be held, to be hugged and kissed, and reassured for whatever reason.  And each time I held her I knew by the way my shoulders relaxed and my eyes closed blissfully, that I needed it too.  Holding her felt so right, a balm for my hurts and for whatever she feels she is missing these days.

I forget her life has taken a tumble too.  I've been sick, I've left her with her grandparents for a whole fortnight.  When I got her back she was enrolled in daycare and I have to let others do most things for her such as bathe, dress, and cook for her. When she comes to my arms I can feel that her natural instinct is to find that reassurance.  And, as her mother, that is probably one of my favorite jobs.

I know that as parents we worry about spoiling our children.  We want to guide them to independence, good manners, and respect for others.  It is a tough, tough job.  But I also know that just as in every other aspect of our lives, the Holy Spirit guides us in how we take care of these little souls entrusted to us.  So often I pray, God, am I doing right by my daughter?  Is this the way?  And if I listen to His voice I know the answer.  Yes, parenthood is a road full of discipline, providing good examples, and making sure our children are prepared to succeed in this world.  But parenthood is first and foremost an act of love.  Everything we do for them, from time-outs to putting an extra half-cookie on their plates, is something we do out of an unconditional love. 

Therefore, yes, I have permission to cuddle, hold, and reassure my daughter as much as her heart desires.  Who knows, maybe she needs a few days of this to feel steady again on her feet.  It is one of the few things I can do for her and I'm so thankful to have a precious daught
er to fill my aching arms these days.

Love is patient.  Love is kind.
1 Corinthians 13:4

Photo by familymwr via flickr
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All Things for Good.... Even This

4/11/2014

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Use it all God.  Every hurt, Every heartbeat.  I give it all to you.  You use all things for good.  Use me.
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As I pray those words I can feel it, like a spring bulb emerging from the soil, life is coming out of the coldness and promising beauty. 

Right now, my life is in a tender season where every hurt is deep and hard and every joy is brilliant as the sun. 

God, in His great wisdom, has given me identical twin girls who now a battle a rare sickness before they are even born.  And this has thrown my world upside-down.  I left my husband in Russia to see the amazing medical professionals here in the United States.  I left my daughter with my mother-in-law while I underwent surgery this week.  I lie in bed now trying not to let every worry and doubt shatter my faith into pieces. 

But, with every breath, I feel strength of a new and amazing kind burn within me. God is taking me to new heights, burning away the old and replacing it with a new kind of love and power that comes from Him. 

And everywhere I look I start to see the changes and am amazed.  I am closer to my mother-in-law, loving and appreciating her undaunted insistence to care for her family.  I see and admire the strength and love of my sister who has taken me in to care for me even as she juggles her own full life.  I thank God daily for the courage and trust of my husband who always knows just what to say to take away my worries and encourage me and I can feel his loving arms around me even though we are oceans apart.

Even when I had to go to Houston for surgery and every moment was a challenge just to remember to focus and breathe and pray, I was blessed with physicians, surgeons, and nurses who cared enough to hold my hand and even hug me in the hard moments.  And my brother-in-law who has no experience with pregnancies and babies, took time off of work so that he could see me though the procedure, make me laugh in the hospital, and see me safely back home again.

I can see God smiling at me through every crack in this topsy-turvey world.  His love shines out at me through a thousand souls who pray for us, hug us, love us, and offer a helping hand.

So, God, let me not see this as a time of pity, but a time for your power.  Use it all for Your great good.  I give it all to you. 

Photo by Fountain_Head via Flikr
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God's Olympians

2/12/2014

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I watched that beautiful 15-year-old girl, Yulia Lipnitskaia, skate in near perfection.  It took my breath away and even made my eyes fill with tears.  Then, after the awe wore off, I recognized a deeper feeling within me that had fanned to life as I watched someone else use a God-given gift to recognize an amazing potential.  That feeling was hunger.  Because I know I'm not there yet.  I'm still training, still learning to listen to His voice. 

But the hunger stays and women like Yulia remind me that road to great
things are usually long and difficult.  We can't give up when we don't get what we want in a week, month, or year and then assume that such dreams were not for us.  And we definitely cannot give up when God has given us that hunger.  Hunger to be who he has planned us to be. 

Even when I was littl
e I had a strong desire to show the beauty of life to other, to express it, to let others feel it the way I did.  I've dabbled in sketching, painting, music, and writing.  When I began writing novels ten
years ago I felt something bloom within me.  Like a girl with a secret garden I began cultivating an ability to show life through stories.  And I've known ever since that it was God's path for me. 
 
I'm so glad I had a chance to
watch some of the Winter Olympics this year.  My novel writing has been non-existent since we came home to the States.  I've pushed it to the sidelines as I've concentrated on all the rest of life going on around me.  But, it is time to get back to it.  I'm praying for God to show me ways to find the energy and time to work on those stories.  I'm hungry for it.  I'm hungry to do the work God has made me to do.  He made me to be a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend too and I am ever thankful for how rich my life is. 

I think that each and every Christian out there, daily training to listen to His voice and follow His plans, are God's Olympians.  That's an exciting thought for me.  That in my little corner of the world I can be in God's front line, be the very best at His specific plan for me.  And that hunger is ever present, insuring that I strive for excellence, that I strive for a unique potential, a life full of Him.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
Ephesian 3:20

Photo by The Department of Culture, Media and Sport
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New 

2/3/2014

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I watched my sister with her newest little boy and had to catch my breath.  Her hair was all gathered up into a ponytail and a half-eaten bowl of oatmeal next to her elbow.  But even though that little guy had kept her up the night before and kept her from finishing her breakfast before it became cold, she was still looking at him as if he was the most beautiful thing in the world.

There was no resentment there.  No self-pity.  No anger.  In moments where all sanity could and should devilishly dive out the window, she was calm and choosing to love him with every inch of her mother's heart. 

Oh, God, you truly give us the very best gifts.  I loved how my verse to memorize last week, John 1:16, danced through my head as I watched my sister and nephew together.  How perfectly precious.

Because he was full of grace and truth, from him we all received one gift after another. 
John 1:16

There are so many moments that life seems common and unworthy of anything but trudging diligence to carry on.  But God is so much more imaginative than that.  When I remember how amazing is our God and how His love shines into every little thing of our lives, I can see that precious beauty which alludes me when my thoughts are self-centered and defeated.  For God is full of all things great and we all receive from him one precious gift after another. 

My verse for this week is John 2:5.  It is a command, a simple statement full of promise and faith.  It is, "Do whatever he tells you." 

Because God is full of grace and truth and I can do whatever he tells me and believe he will care for my life perfectly. 

It's going to be a good week.  It has to be.  My God is good.  My God is great.
Do whatever he tells you.
John 2:5

Photo by Jan de Graaf


Where have you seen God's grace and truth this week?

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When Fear Threatens Faith

12/6/2013

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I was doing her hair that morning. Putting all that baby hair into it's little top-knot when the fear rolled over me and I could think and feel nothing else.  Somewhere, deep inside me, I knew God waited with a well of peace, but right then my thoughts raced.  Who would take down her hair?  What will she be like in a few hours after surgery?  What will happen to my little girl? 

An over-active imagination at this point only gives the devil amazing amounts of fuel for torment.  And, I couldn't fight it. 

I had to almost gag down my breakfast.  But I had to eat.  When would we get a chance to eat again?  My husband and I knew that frustration and low-energy brought on by hunger would do nobody any favors on this day.  The doctor had told us to meet him at the children's ward so that he and the surgeon could make a decision about what to do with my little Adela--remove her swollen lymph node or drain an abscess that they suspected was deep within the mass of tissue.

God, oh God, why can't I feel your peace?  Is there any way to feel you, hear you right now?

I was drowning in the fear.  And then I remembered someone telling me to read Psalms on that day. 

So I did.  And peace fought its way back into my heart. 

I needed something exterior of my own pain to force an idea of God's grace into my head.

But it didn't end there.  The whole day was a fight for calm.  A fight for patience.  A fight to retain faith that in every way God was reigning over our lives and His will would be done.

The pediatrician and surgeon looked Adela over and decided to go in first and try to drain what they though was an abscess.  I dressed up in the gown and cap so I could be with her when she fell asleep and them my husband and I sat out in the waiting area.  Waiting.  Trying not to drown in the fear.

I knew in my head that God was there.  I kept praying, thanking him for being part of my life, but the fear for my little girl threatened the strength of my faith.  The faith in His promises.

Yet He was truly with us the entire time.  The surgery went well and when I held her in my arms again, felt the deep breaths of her body and heard her childish babble, fear gave way to thankfulness.

Oh, God, I am such a child still, needing so many reminders of how carefully you watch over us.  Forgive my doubts.  Train me to forget my worries.  Help me to always feel your grace deep in my soul.
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We All Deserve True Love

9/8/2013

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God gave us all a time to be quiet and a time to speak.  Proportionally, I truly believe in listening more than talking and I love the old saying, "We have one mouth and two ears therefore we should listen twice as much as we speak." 

But, I have a hard time listening to stories of abuse and domestic violence.  It pains me to hear accounts of marriages torn by pain and suffering, families trying to endure beyond the fear.  I hate to hear these stories because the intense suffering of it hurts me, too.  These are people who have been injured intimately by the very people who should have loved them completely, unconditionally, and protected them and supported them in life.  To me, abuse and violence is one of the clearest examples of just how broken our world is. 

I have a daughter.  She is beautiful and precious to me.  My husband and I want a brilliant, love-filled present and future for her.  I just finished a young-adult novel that included a story of domestic violence.  This novel, Unclaimed Legacy by Deborah Heal, showed a home with an abused wife and as I read it I thought about some of my dear friends who have been in marriages and homes with this kind of pain.  The thought of my child ever enduring such hurt is troubling and I know I will fight to make sure she never does.  I prayed about it and realized I already have two powerful weapons to protect her--God's word and a happy marriage.  Making God's teaching part of our daily lives while my husband and I continue to love and support each other and care for our beautiful family will help guide our daughter to a happy future.

I believe we all deserve true love and thankfully we have it unconditionally through Christ. 


God, as my child grows, help me guide her towards that kind of love.

Deborah Heal is the author of the Time and Again young adult series.  I recommend reading her novels and reading her article about domestic abuse at http://deborahheal.com/staying-relevant-but-keeping-violence-in-ya-fiction-under-control/ 


Enter her giveaway below for a chance to win the complete Time and Again trilogy signed by the author plus a beautiful mug! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Teething Troubles

8/27/2013

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I could feel God so close to me as I held my daughter, hoping the Tylenol would kick in soon.  Molars.  My little toddler was being gifted with her molars coming in, swelling up her gums, and painfully trying to make an appearance.  She’d woke up that night screaming.  And even when I soothed her she whimpered with pain.

I thanked God for the painkillers, carefully measured them into her tiny mouth and held her close.  The night seemed so large and empty for a while.  I’m so used to filling space that for a few moments I panicked, wondering what I should do (MP3, Kindle?) as I willed her body to respond to the painkillers and  to relax into sleep again.  Then I remembered, I could pray. 

But I was too tired to think of words for Him.  Too tired to think up a genuine praise.  All I wanted in that moment was for the night to seem less empty and daunting.   I wanted to feel God’s presence more than anything I could think of right then.

And, I’d just read an article that recommended a very Yoga-like exercise.  The author had said something to the affect that one should breathe in God’s grace and to exhale your worries, fears… So I did.  Breath after breath.  Slow and deep.  I let God fill the emptiness. 

And He showed me something precious.  He showed me that right there, right that moment, He was pleased with me, pleased with my love towards my daughter, pleased with my honest care of her life, and pleased that I wanted Him to fill my heart.

I rocked her so long, her little hands open and limp at her sides, her long black eyelashes resting on her flushed cheeks.  Through my exhaustion and beyond my desperation, God filled up the night with His presence.
 

Photo by Valentina Powers

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us...

Romans 8:26
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    Lora is a Christian writer, wife, and mother who travels the world with her husband, living and working on ranches.

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