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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The Victory

11/17/2014

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All of us have or will have to experience times of difficulty, hardships, and defeat.  Sometimes, when you are going through this pain it is a brutal thought to realize God allowed it.  He allowed your body or the body of a loved one to be injured or have a horrible sickness.  He allowed you to lose your job.  He allowed you to be in a car accident.  Or maybe he allowed even the loss of someone you hold dear.

Oh, and it is so difficult at these times to power through on a faith in our God.  A faith that He is doing all things for good.  A faith that there will be victory in this time of extreme defeat.

Its been a hard thought for me, for sure.  During that rough pregnancy, the early birth and various sicknesses of our twin girls, and the continuing hardships I clung to an idea that faith would preserve me and prayer would protect me...but it didn't keep the things I feared away from me.  I still gave birth early, lost a child, and had my world tossed and turned into complete insecurity. 

Oh, it hurts that God did not stop it.

My perfect, holy, and loving God allowed it.

And then this morning I came across a story that put it all into new perspective for me.  It was the story of Lazarus. (John 11) Jesus was told of Lazarus' sickness and chose not to go to him until Lazarus was already gone.  But the death and subsequent resurrection of Lazarus was a powerful demonstration of God's power, glory, and love.  Jesus, though it hurt him deeply to allow such pain for Lazarus and his sisters, knew what he was doing. 

And in the end, he did all he promised to do.  He saved Lazarus from death. 


Then I realized that God's glory has been shown.  Even in these times of hurt I have victory.  And the funny thing is, to me the victory has been faith.  Having survived things that could easily pull families and lives apart, we are stronger now than ever before.  And then I saw it...

Faith preserved me.

Prayer protected me.


My heart was not hardened through the fire but has an even greater ability to love. 

Isn't that a miracle?

My faith, though challenged dearly through this super-long and painful year that my sister accurately has dubbed "The Job Year", is just as strong and maybe even stronger.

But what brings tears to my eyes is the fact that I didn't do this.  I know I didn't.  There were hours of completely darkness, terrible days of weakness, anger, and despair.  I did not keep myself from falling away from God.

No.

God kept me close to him and didn't let me fall.



"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock."
Psalm 27:5

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Courage to Fall in Love With My Premature Babies

8/6/2014

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At first I was afraid to love them.  Ashamed I even dreaded going into that room where their little bodies lay under plastic, hooked up to monitors, their lungs moving as machines ensured their lungs would breathe and liquid running into their veins made sure they kept on living.  Every time a doctor walked up to us I felt like I was dying, just a little.  Every time the phone rang my heart would drop.  My world was torn and I was trapped in a nightmare.  If they survived, the doctors said, they would stay in the hospital for months.

I stood on the brink, ready to jump into one of two deep pools.  Because I could no longer stay where I was and remain sane I could feel my heart falling either into a deep resentment for what God had allowed or a faith that would challenge me to see each moment as a gift. 

I stood on that brink far too long, building up walls, trying not to have to take responsibility for anything. 

But then I jumped.


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Suddenly a face obscured by plastic tubing was beautiful.  The eyes that blinked out at me from below an IV line were precious.  And those girls that scared me more than death itself became my daughters.

I fell deep deep into a love that will never break. 

God gave me this.  He gave me the courage to take a chance on a broken heart.  He gave me the strength to step forward when fear was holding me in place.  He showed me how to laugh during times of grief and smile even when disaster seems eminent.


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And today I’m holding my girls again.  My arms wrap around their growing bodies, devoid of IV lines with lungs that nearly hold their own in the world.  I know, as surely as if it were a palpable, touchable thing, that grace is real.   That miracles happen.

Newborn photos by Falling Star Photography
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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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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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The Expert Grumbler 

4/24/2014

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Each one of us is an expert grumbler, a professional complainer, a bonafide pessimist.  We're so good at it that we can spill forth those negative words and complaints without having to give it a second thought.  We're so adept at throwing around our misfortunes that we can do it without thinking, looking at life through muddy lenses instead of rose-colored glasses.  It is just so natural.

And it is ridiculously sad. 

I'm so guilty of this.  Ask me three months ago what my ideal day would be and I would have told you that I would love an entire day in bed to read, write, and nap to my heart's contentment.  Then came the doctor's orders:  Bed rest and I'm upset at my predicament.  I have been given the order to rest until the babies come and I feel like I'm in prison. 

Oh, Lora, you are such a child still.  God has so much pruning to do of your heart and soul.

And I can't spend dozens of weeks viewing my life like this.  I can't be constantly looking at my life and feeling useless and scared.  I can't.  I won't.  Because as Christians we are more than conquerors.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37

We are to be more than conquers in whatever situation God places us.  That means we are not just to survive, but to work with God to turn it all into examples of beauty and growth. 

After praying about my grumbling attitude this morning I took a deep breath and decided to conquer and rise above the predicament life has placed me in.  That doesn't mean I'm going to stop following doctor's orders.  No, it means that I am going to grow with this and let it all begin to show God's blessings.  No more grumbling.  Time to practice a different skill--praise, thankfullness, adoration. 
Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves."
John 6:43

In what situation have you become an expert grumbler?  Have you a job that seems to get under you skin?  Are your children going through a difficult phase and you just want them older?  Have you been injured or fallen sick and pain and inconvenience threaten to steal your happiness?  Perhaps you've lost a relationship and life feels low and sad.  I challenge you to be more than a conqueror.  Don't just survive.  Let your heart and life move you beyond disappointment so you can see how beautiful are God's blessings.

Photo by CGP Grey
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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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Later

1/20/2014

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Pregnant.  Grumpy. Tired. Nauseous.

I watch the wind blow through the dry grass in the pastures and today my mind would like a spell of winter to match the landscapes outside...cold and sleeping. 

This isn't the easiest season of my life and I know it.  I feel sorry for myself very very often and when I make a to-do list in the morning I want to mark one big black line through it all and say "Later.  That can happen later."  Because you see I do have some pretty good excuses such as I'm having a rocky first trimester, am chasing after a toddler, I'm allowed only one cup of coffee a day, and have been living out of duffel bags since September.  Yuck!  I know you all understand. 

But life was not made for later, it was made for now.  Right now is when my daughter is starting to explode with words and actions that define her everyday as a growing intelligent little girl.  Right now I am only an hour or so away from most my family and dearest friends.  Right now is is when God will show me to have the strength to show Him in me..in the big things and the little things. 

So, even though I could have spent the day on the couch or curled up beneath covers on my bed, I emerged into the world trusting God to give everything I needed to do what is right.  I'm trusting Him to help me not spend the whole day in a tired heap letting my woes kill all enthusiasm. 

Oh, but I'll reward myself later for cleaning, doing errands, and completing tasks.  I just made an apple cake
and I think tonight I might watch a sitcom, drink some warm spiced cider, and eat some cake.  Just because life is for now.  It is not for later.  


Thank you, God for giving me strength to live in the now.


Photo by Joyosity

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

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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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