tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36593134831859718192024-03-25T07:59:07.242-06:00Making Music for The MasterThoughts on making life a melody of praise to The Lord.Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-85726919213381903602023-12-05T15:19:00.001-06:002023-12-05T15:19:07.873-06:00The Homemaker's Christmas Creed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlKN8wUWRXy-e3Ad-s-KGXW9RTXrJWTRdGy2WCZwDT7c18AcQSaIQBiul1eZ7Hl2qsZX-H2JoUH4cF_xPPPD2R3oMzv3nK8PSAzEE3kd3oEoKrnH5ur9DyV_WPJ0-JvkEZMJfPQtRXdSoUrKDXh7GqV4TPb05o9ssTZ81HgmP9YcGk2XFpcKvU3BH8EML/s5694/pexels-yan-krukau-6209496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5694" data-original-width="3796" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlKN8wUWRXy-e3Ad-s-KGXW9RTXrJWTRdGy2WCZwDT7c18AcQSaIQBiul1eZ7Hl2qsZX-H2JoUH4cF_xPPPD2R3oMzv3nK8PSAzEE3kd3oEoKrnH5ur9DyV_WPJ0-JvkEZMJfPQtRXdSoUrKDXh7GqV4TPb05o9ssTZ81HgmP9YcGk2XFpcKvU3BH8EML/s320/pexels-yan-krukau-6209496.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Just a semi-humorous, but mostly serious series of things I've been thinking about lately. :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Though I sing all the Christmas carols with the sweetest voice at church, and do not choose to speak gently and with charity to my children and husband, I am become as an off-key piano, or a harsh, grating trumpet blast.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And though I give the perfect gifts, and choose the most fancy stocking stuffers for everyone on my list, and wrap everything with gorgeous bows and paper, and give not the gift of charity, I am nothing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And though I cook the best holiday foods, invite all the people over, attend all the gatherings dressed to the nines, and have the most Pinterest-worthy decor and cozy aesthetic all throughout my house, and have not the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, it profiteth me nothing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Charity chooses to be still when a relative says something insensitive at Christmas dinner. Wipes the child's nose for the umpteenth time without complaint. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Charity doesn't look at the gift someone else received with envy and discontent. Nor at her own gifts with pride and entitlement.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Charity does not speak loud and brashly at the Christmas party, giving others no chance to get a word in edgewise. Does not focus on her own desires and refuse to notice when her family needs to take a step back and rest. Does not explode in anger when the child causes her to run late for choir practice. Gives her husband loving grace and the benefit of the doubt if he speaks shortly.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rejoices not in the selfish consumerist mindset so common in our world, but rejoices in the simple joys and blessings God has poured out upon her.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bears all the inconveniences and heartaches that can sometimes mingle with the joy of the holiday season. Believes the best about her loved ones, instead of assuming evil motives. Hopes in the soon coming of her Saviour, and rejoices in His precious birth. Endures with patience the thousands of questions from her children, "Is it Christmas yet??". </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Charity never faileth. But whether there be lovely decorations, they shall be messed up by little ones. Whether there be delicious baked goodies, they shall be burnt accidentally. Whether there be fun plans, they shall be unexpectedly interrupted. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">For nothing is ever "perfect" in our fallen world...but with God's peace, joy, and charity in our hearts from His Spirit within us, we can make this holiday season special in many simple, beautiful ways. We can shower Christ's love on those around us, and remind them of the Babe that came to Bethlehem, to save His people from their sins. <i>Emmanuel. Love Incarnate. Charity personified. </i>The reason we celebrate this beautiful season, despite imperfect circumstances. He is worthy of all the worship and praise.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-12408542902466568982023-08-15T04:39:00.001-06:002023-08-15T04:39:17.767-06:00Growing Through the Stones<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxxdF1lDxNvVASRfincrEnkC7UsrvFLxhaN_K96jHC90kmitcWpTDox4ZA1N0a-V1A8uPz81bPqFBhORVbDPTTtJ7Rj10gv0cQ607OV_jKnJDNrnGjq5glJp4hvp2lgXMHncE7VoYeJ0aSFOJ8tclIQ4n0N8ioZeLZgjZs6t8W92FicL9aSWOKxyp-ttK/s4032/IMG_1543.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxxdF1lDxNvVASRfincrEnkC7UsrvFLxhaN_K96jHC90kmitcWpTDox4ZA1N0a-V1A8uPz81bPqFBhORVbDPTTtJ7Rj10gv0cQ607OV_jKnJDNrnGjq5glJp4hvp2lgXMHncE7VoYeJ0aSFOJ8tclIQ4n0N8ioZeLZgjZs6t8W92FicL9aSWOKxyp-ttK/s320/IMG_1543.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A few days ago, as I was leaving our little apartment for the day, I looked down and saw this sweet little pansy, just growing right through the cracks of the paving stones. It was so unexpected, such a beautiful little spot of sunshine on the pavement, that I had to snap a quick picture before going.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I realize this post will probably sound a little cliche. But I kept thinking about that little flower all throughout the day, and wanted to write about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">How do I respond when God has me in a hard place? A place that it seems my margins have disappeared, and I'm left with pressures such as I've never experienced before? How do I respond when I feel like I don't have room to breathe? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May I, like this little flower, choose to flourish and shine bright for others, even in the tightest and hardest spaces. May I push steadfastly toward the Son (spelling intended ;), not letting my seeming lack of resources discourage me. May I trust in the nourishment and grace that is given me, day by day and moment by moment, not fretting over if or when my reserves will run dry. May I be a person that makes others stop and think of their Creator.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-6546060162971859572023-08-07T06:10:00.000-06:002023-08-07T06:10:00.739-06:00Life in Berlin<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-esf9kSE1M7278aBkcvfybUDdZxHFBFKDZj4GLgv3pVrwkRF70k0YQz3ZRfm19RAKacjqPmz5KkZeJoH0nNavj5WpYreoGwVSXq0O-GiizghjdZeowZ9eKmgNKhZg3UIqJNgynoLxUrQxSBE1rUP50UmgvP5I3WQwPj-7WMg66jDOoxkUZ3ae8TUPSR2L/s3913/pexels-petra-nesti-9195887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3913" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-esf9kSE1M7278aBkcvfybUDdZxHFBFKDZj4GLgv3pVrwkRF70k0YQz3ZRfm19RAKacjqPmz5KkZeJoH0nNavj5WpYreoGwVSXq0O-GiizghjdZeowZ9eKmgNKhZg3UIqJNgynoLxUrQxSBE1rUP50UmgvP5I3WQwPj-7WMg66jDOoxkUZ3ae8TUPSR2L/s320/pexels-petra-nesti-9195887.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Hello, all!</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Well, here we are in northern Berlin, our home away from home for the next 2.5 months. We have been here for nearly three weeks now. I wanted to write a little update post with a few random thoughts and observations about living in Germany, (albeit short term). These are in no particular order. :)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">1. I have actually come to enjoy hanging out the laundry. I thought that would be one of the biggest annoyances about living in Berlin, but really, it hasn't been bad at all! Yes, it takes a lot longer for clothes to dry, especially if it's humid out, but somehow the rhythm of slowing down to hang them out and fold them off of the clothesline is something I've rather enjoyed so far. :) I have a feeling this verdict is heavily affected by the fact that I actually have a covered back porch where I can hang the clothes, haha! If I was continually watching for rain, I would have a hard time getting ANY clothes dried, because it has rained off and on nearly every day since we came!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">2. Speaking of weather, God has blessed incredibly in that area. It has gotten up to 80 degrees ONE day since our arrival. Every other day it has been highs of 65-70 degrees. SO nice! This morning it was actually 59, with a stiff breeze and high humidity, so it was actually chilly out...in August!? We have no AC, and were expecting it to be miserably hot in the house nearly the whole time we were here, so every beautiful day is an absolute gift that we are enjoying thoroughly. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">3. There are some really surprising things that you can't find here, or are expensive to the point of being impractical to buy. Brown sugar. Chocolate chips. Molasses. Vanilla. All of these are things that I totally took for granted as nearly universal staple ingredients! How do they do without chocolate chip cookies?? ;) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">4. That being said, the BREAD here is the best I've ever had in my entire life. There is one particular type that is croissant dough, boiled in soda water like you do when you make soft pretzels, then baked. So it tastes like a pretzel on the outside, and the inside is perfectly buttery, flaky croissant. It's every bit as delicious as it sounds, and we are probably eating far too many of them, but they cost around $0.40, so it's easy to justify, lol.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">5. We are walking, a LOT. To give an idea, we've been here just under three weeks, and I've tracked nearly 60 miles of walking on my phone. :O We've been averaging 5-6 miles per day all told. Depending on where we are needing to travel, we walk between 1 and 2 miles to get to bus and train stops, transfers, etc. The buses aren't always super reliable, so several times now we have missed one (or it just hasn't showed up), so we ended up walking the route that we would have taken the bus. It's been really good for us though, both Luke and I have lost weight! He actually had to cut a new hole in his belt the other day. Yay for working off all the bread we are enjoying, haha!! :D</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">6. Berliners LOVE their flowers and gardens, and it is sooo beautiful to see! I love the huge variety of fruit trees, flowering bushes, roses, etc. that we see as we walk. I've been trying to take a few pictures of them, and may make a post with some of those at some point. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">7. It's hard to describe how utterly massive this city is. A few days ago, we were out doing outreach, putting mailers and John/Romans into mailboxes. We walked nearly 5 miles going up and down driveways, stairs, streets, etc., and hit about 500 mailboxes. When we finished we were marking off what we had done, and it was a TINY little triangle of space on a partial map of Pankow. Pankow is one district. Out of 12. :O If you start to think about the vast task of reaching 8 million people in the greater Berlin area, it is overwhelming in the extreme. However, God hasn't asked us to personally reach every person, only to do what we can with the resources we have and the strength He gives us. So that's what we are trying to do! We've been busy preparing for a large outreach effort at the end of August, when a group is coming from the States to help. We have been assembling 15,000 tract packets to hopefully get out during those 10 days, at the end of which there will be a special meeting. We are praying for God to bring visitors and fruit from the labors!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">8. I FINALLY feel like I'm starting to get the hang of grocery shopping in German grocery stores. It's still a bit of an overwhelming experience sometimes, because most things have no English on them, and the store is laid out completely different than stores I'm used to. Plus, like I mentioned earlier, several times I've searched high and low for something, only to be told later that it can't be gotten here, lol! But I do think I'm starting to get better at meal planning and buying within a good budget here. It's very different from home, because I have almost no food storage in our Airbnb, besides the countertop. So I'm doing what many Germans do, and walking to the grocery store every 3-4 days with my reusable grocery bags on my arm, and my water/juice bottles ready to return for my deposit. ;) When shopping, I try to be conscious of the fact that I have to carry the heavy bags back home half a mile, so I am careful how much liquid stuff or flour/sugar I buy in one trip, due to weight. I think I'm getting it, though! :)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">9. A full night's sleep is a treasure of great price. ;) Our boys have taken a very long time to adjust fully to the 7 hour time difference. Also, Nathaniel is naturally an insomniac, and we now sleep in pretty close quarters (his bed shares a wall with our bedroom). So far, we have only had one entire night of no boys screaming or bouncing against the wall. That's been a challenge, for sure, and we actually ended up separating the boys so they wouldn't wake each other up so often. That helped a little, but things are still pretty rough at night for Nate (and us by extension ;). So we'd sure appreciate prayers in that regard!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">10. I absolutely love the house we are staying in. It is a fully detached house at the back of our host's property, in a lovely and quiet area of Berlin. It has tons of big windows, a fully covered but breezy back porch with a table and chairs where we eat often, a ping pong table, TWO bedrooms and bathrooms, a nice sized kitchen...it's an incredible place, especially considering that we originally were looking at having to stay in a one room studio apartment while we were here. Our host has been beyond kind and welcoming to us, and is actually interested in hearing more about the work we are helping with in Berlin, so I am very excited to be able to talk with her more about spiritual things! Please pray for Viola and Andre, and their three kids. I am so hoping and praying that we will see them saved, baptized, and growing in The Lord! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">11. The coffee here is......sad. :( You'd think European coffee would be great, but it's actually really hard to find a good cup of coffee anywhere! Almost all the coffee shops sell super watery, weak coffee that is from a Keurig type machine. The other day, I took a half hour train trip to go to a shop that actually had an espresso machine like the coffee shops in the states. ;P It still wasn't the greatest, but definitely better than most of what we've been able to get here. I think I miss my coffee machine more than any other home comfort. ;) It's being looked after and enjoyed by my sweet sis-in-law and her husband, so that makes it a little easier, haha!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">12. God is growing us in many ways through this trip. The travel itself was truly nightmarish...the boys didn't sleep a wink for almost 18 hours of the 22 hour travel time, and Luke had just come out of a surprise surgery for kidney stones the DAY before we left, so he had a stent placed and was in a ton of pain the entire trip. The adjustment has been challenging. We miss home and family, a lot. BUT, God has also answered so many prayers in so many unexpected ways, and has carried us through every difficulty, and I don't want to lose sight of that! I've been trying hard to be grateful for all the many ways He has provided for us and worked in our lives. I haven't always succeeded in that, and God has really revealed to me lately how selfish I can be as a wife and mother. :( It can be so easy to let my own comfort or convenience become more important to me than training my children well, or cherishing my husband. By God's grace, I'm working on this every day. I know He isn't finished with us here, and I pray we will be open to however He chooses to use us!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">That's all for now...I love you all, and am so deeply grateful for each one that has supported and lifted us up in prayer! That means the world to us!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></div>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-21816381855316394912023-05-13T17:01:00.003-06:002023-05-13T17:07:24.916-06:00This is Motherhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrS6G_wTacEOMb04dBEfMJzvGMhsa-uPKOaX5IXHz22SfpDW3uaZzVdrLJCIMeZjE_VS5bLidzxFqBOJNQUmaaJ0eh4UmIn9zu51QSLgTTNkRefn0VcnmNZZo2uW3-Mr_w32E8SgWyAbR1aXI_ypkZYdqP78ap1qpqTPNC8PzQ2PTn4u-nU_fbbWwaw/s2601/IMG_0070.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2601" data-original-width="1951" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrS6G_wTacEOMb04dBEfMJzvGMhsa-uPKOaX5IXHz22SfpDW3uaZzVdrLJCIMeZjE_VS5bLidzxFqBOJNQUmaaJ0eh4UmIn9zu51QSLgTTNkRefn0VcnmNZZo2uW3-Mr_w32E8SgWyAbR1aXI_ypkZYdqP78ap1qpqTPNC8PzQ2PTn4u-nU_fbbWwaw/s320/IMG_0070.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Sometimes I look at the life I am living with wonder and astonishment. I have heard many say that motherhood is hard...and unlike those that told me marriage would be hard, (see <a href="https://makingmusickforthemaster.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-they-didnt-tell-me-about-marriage.html" target="_blank">this post</a>), I actually kind of agree with the "Motherhood is hard" group. It's hard, and crazy, and very, very chaotic at times. And amazing. I cannot let myself miss that part, too. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Because sometimes frustration bubbles up inside me at the blotch of snot that stains the front of nearly every dress I wear, from my two toddlers wailing into my lap over their many real and perceived woes. Or how sore and tired my back is, all the time, from hefting 30 pound kiddos many dozens of times per day. Sometimes I just want to kiss my husband and have a two minute conversation with him without hearing angry screams over the refusal to share a cardboard box that is somehow the best toy in all the world. (MUCH better than the approximately 3,768 <i>actual</i> toys that my children own.) Sometimes hearing "MAAAMAAA!!" while I'm taking a 2 minute bathroom break makes me want to run away and hide.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">But then...oh, but then...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My youngest turns around in a patch of sunlight on my kitchen floor, and looks at me with huge, sparkling blue eyes, chubby pink cheeks, and a tiny cowlick curling up over one ear, and my heart melts. My two year old says, "I wuv you!" in that utterly endearing way of his, and I could weep for love of him. They give each other a squishy brother to brother hug when one of them gets up from a nap, and I want to gather them up in my arms, snot and all, and never let them go. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I never expected the suddenness of the mindset shift some days. Don't misunderstand me: I am not excusing my own sin when I shout, "<i>Don't shout at your brother!!</i>" instead of going into the other room and speaking quietly. But sometimes I can swing so quickly from utter irritation over training and disciplining for what seems like the ten thousandth time that day, to feeling utterly knocked over by the weight of the blessings God has poured out on me. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This is the life. This is the life I dreamed of as a little girl, the life I prayed for as an awkward and frizzy haired teenager with braces, the life I cried with longing for as I neared the age when it would be a possibility.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I prayed so long and so hard for the things I now hold in my hands. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Please, God...help me not to forget this. Help me to see Your fingerprints in my life. Help me to remember Your mercies to me. Don't let me miss these precious moments, right here and now, because I'm too busy having a pity party for the hour of sleep I lost last night.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I want to remember everything. Looking over as my fingers type these words, and seeing the man of my dreams sitting cross legged on the floor, building the most awesome Lego marble coaster ever, as Eben avidly tests it out over and over again. The way the sun warms my arms through the window and the shadows of the trees outside dapple the floor. Hearing Nathaniel hum a little song to himself as he plays. I want to view this journey of motherhood as a tool God is using to sanctify me, a good and precious gift from the Father of lights, not just something I have to struggle through. I want to choose joy, even when a nap sounds better. I want to say yes to my family over myself. I want to seek after God's face, and fill my cup from His Word, so that I can pour out to my loved ones with sweet abandon. I want others to look at my life and say,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">"<i>There</i> is a woman who loves her God. <i>There</i> is a woman who loves her family. <i>There is a mother</i>."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-8849164642954314012023-03-06T13:38:00.002-06:002023-03-06T13:38:52.562-06:00The Hands of My Love<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAUc-W7xzM-5DCl57kpQsCJMwRq7NlP4-uTlgDL_QU8chBlZ9CGzF3lclL7Mbi2t2dNDnen1uWeVCLmRvFBgTkqEUAMqNoJ5unaa7NXxt2RXp9sg3VWp0sDnFCi4LJwbZaf7P-j_2wpl3tcZ7ACrie9L5Nc0LfvxAtV3v4huaD-LVkVdpo0bpGoxFGw/s3000/luke-mykaela-583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAUc-W7xzM-5DCl57kpQsCJMwRq7NlP4-uTlgDL_QU8chBlZ9CGzF3lclL7Mbi2t2dNDnen1uWeVCLmRvFBgTkqEUAMqNoJ5unaa7NXxt2RXp9sg3VWp0sDnFCi4LJwbZaf7P-j_2wpl3tcZ7ACrie9L5Nc0LfvxAtV3v4huaD-LVkVdpo0bpGoxFGw/s320/luke-mykaela-583.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I remember the very day we first met, we were sitting at the kitchen table playing a game with my parents. I asked you how you got the scar next to your thumb, though I wasn't sure if that was something I <i>should </i>ask about, having just met you. Even then, I remember thinking that your hands looked so strong and kind. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'll never forget when you slid that gorgeous, intricate diamond ring onto my finger after asking me to be your wife. You took my left hand in yours for just a moment, and I knew that I would say yes a million times over to being yours for the rest of my life.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I remember the morning of our wedding, a couple hours before the ceremony, when I reached around the corner of the wall (so you couldn't see me! :) to take your hand as we prayed together. It was the first time we'd held hands, and mine fit so perfectly into yours.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They gripped mine with seemingly inexhaustible strength and comfort as I agonized to bring our sweet babies into the world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They held me close and so gently wiped my tears as I wept over the way I didn't recognize myself in the mirror anymore. And even many more times since, when I have wept over much sillier things than that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They work so hard every day to provide for us. And yet they are always ready to help me with the dishes or a diaper change when I'm weary.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I watch them as you play with our boys, tumbling their little bodies around in pillow fights and tickle fights. As you teach their much smaller, chubbier, and less coordinated hands how to catch a ball out of the air. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Those Dear Hands...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They are always ready to do a kindness for others. Always ready to reach across in the car to take my own. Always loving and gentle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My dear husband, your hands are a sweet reminder to me of the hands of my Saviour. They are Christlike hands, for with them you do so many Christlike things. And I am deeply, richly blessed to hold your hand in mine, till death do us part.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>All my love,</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Your MK</i></span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-42759958695928523352022-03-10T14:56:00.000-06:002022-03-10T14:56:16.532-06:00My Second Natural Home Birth Story<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrdrTn2dG0X-FLY6-4tQSWfJ9HoEXFm4qXzDmCFdtzpttyr4Zf7nWcSNefy0iNJ3OEmNVoclMDsFaaZ4Vq5wMcLJM9GA4s0TLSf56KJwa2LSR_L-1o5Qc6dW8G9xmS57w9I_bxqLi_h74E0fDzOmxaMIkIHHvV1PTrOtplZuIkFbX1mR9w6hU8m1uXlg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrdrTn2dG0X-FLY6-4tQSWfJ9HoEXFm4qXzDmCFdtzpttyr4Zf7nWcSNefy0iNJ3OEmNVoclMDsFaaZ4Vq5wMcLJM9GA4s0TLSf56KJwa2LSR_L-1o5Qc6dW8G9xmS57w9I_bxqLi_h74E0fDzOmxaMIkIHHvV1PTrOtplZuIkFbX1mR9w6hU8m1uXlg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Hello, friends!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I wanted to (finally! ;) get on here and post our sweet Nathaniel's birth story for those who are interested in that type of thing. :) This was our second home birth, and I am so grateful for how well everything went throughout the process! I wrote quite a bit down, so forgive me if it's a little long...I wanted to try to remember as many of the details as I could. Here we go! :)</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Nathaniel's birth story</div><br />My pregnancy with Nate was so incredibly hard, it's difficult to describe—especially the last 6 weeks or so. From 26-35 weeks, I was on pretty much complete bed rest, due to uterine hyperactivity. Basically if I was upright, my uterus was contracted hard, and didn't stop till I sat or laid down. Thankfully I did not go into preterm labor with him, but the contractions would wear me out so quickly it was almost impossible to do anything other than get up to use the restroom, shower, or other extremely short term activities. <br /><br /><br />Once I hit 35 weeks, I was cleared for having him at home, which I wanted desperately after such a wonderful home birth experience with Eben. However, as soon as I finally reached that much longed-for 35 week mark, I came down with PUPPPS. Basically a full body poison ivy type rash that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I have had allergic reactions, chiggers, severe reactions to mosquito bites, etc., and have NEVER experienced itching this intense. From my neck to my feet, I was covered with swollen, dark red bumps that worsened to the point that I was only sleeping a couple of hours at night, if that. The only actual cure was to have the baby, but I went to a specialist to try to get SOME form of relief—he said I had the worst case he had ever seen. Thankfully, I was able to get a steroid that did take the edge off the itching and pain enough that I could at least function. I was able to go to church regularly and see other people for the first time in almost three months! I was so swollen from the rash that I actually lost 9 pounds after getting on the steroid. So insane. By the time I was 37 weeks along however, even the steroid was beginning to stop helping, and the rash was flaring back up worse every day. I was absolutely desperate to have the baby before it reached the point that it had before I went to the specialist. I was walking, doing all sorts of exercises, squats, eating the dates, taking the Evening Primrose Oil, doing ALL the things to help things get going. While I love Sabrina and she is an amazing help during my whole pregnancies and births, she is not a fan of trying to hasten labor's arrival for any reason. As I neared 38 weeks, I was becoming so discouraged and frustrated with the complications that just seemed to be piling up day after day, that I decided to go visit my family a couple hours away, just to have a little break from the routine, have some fun shopping, and a couple days of “distraction” so to speak. So I headed up there on Tuesday, September 28, and planned to come back on Friday, October 1. My due date was not until October 12.<br /> <br /><br />On Wednesday morning, I went to an amazing chiropractor that lives near my parents, and got adjusted from head to toe, as well as some acupuncture done that supposedly can help get things going. I didn't have much hope of that by now, but figured why not? That evening, I lost my mucus plug, which was the first sign I'd had of anything even beginning to happen. However, sometimes that happens a couple of weeks before labor actually begins, so I didn't get too excited over it. On Thursday the 30th, Luke had a really stressful day at work, and I decided to surprise him by coming home a day early. As I was getting ready to leave, my mom hugged me, and said “Hopefully VERY soon, I'll be coming to meet your new baby!” and I replied, “How about tomorrow?! That would be just great.” (With some sarcasm thrown in because at this point I was pretty sure I'd be pregnant forever, haha!) Well, I did surprise Luke, and we played some online games together that night with some friends before heading to bed around 10:30. <br /><br /><br />At 2:30 A.M., I had the sudden urge to use the bathroom, and clambered out of bed with my massively pregnant self, still half asleep, but with a very strong urge to go. ;) Before I even made it to the bathroom door, I felt a distinct “shift” inside and my water broke all over the floor! I gasped loudly, nearly giving Luke a heart attack since that gasp is what he woke up to, and told him my water had broken. I was in absolute shock and rather insanely thrilled and excited, because I'd had weeks of prodromal labor with hard, strong contractions that went nowhere, just like with Eben, and this time I KNEW it was actually going to continue and turn into real labor, one way or another! After getting cleaned up, we went back to bed, Luke to sleep and me to try to sleep. ;) I was having strong contractions off and on, but not too painful yet. I think I was just too excited to fall back asleep. But I did lie still and rest till about 6, when I got up and started packing a bag for Eben and puttering around getting things ready. I texted my mom and said, “You know how we talked about you coming to meet baby today?? Well, come ahead!!” ;) She and Mercy got here around 3:00 pm, and were mostly in the bedroom until the end of my labor.<br /> <br /><br />Luke's parents came and got Eben at 7:30 or so, and for the next couple of hours things progressed fairly slowly as we got everything set up for the birth, played a couple games of Bananagrams, and just relaxed around the house between contractions that were only gradually becoming more difficult, and were around 4-5 minutes apart. I really enjoyed this time with just Luke and I, it was just a sweet time of excitement waiting for things to progress. Sabrina came by around 11:30, and checked baby's heart rate, etc. I didn't want her to check my dilation at that point, because I was pretty sure I was only about 4 or 5 cm at most, and didn't want to be discouraged in case it was even less than that. ;) So she headed back out to some other appointments, and told us to call her as soon as things intensified more.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Around 1:00pm, things picked up quite a bit, around 3 minutes apart and very painful, so we called Sabrina back. She came and got the tub ready to go, and checked me at 3pm. (Around the same time Mama and Mercy got here.) I was between 5 and 6 cm dilated, and she said it would be fine for me to get in the tub if I wanted to. I did, very much, because the water helps SO much with the pain of the contractions! However, the water makes my labors stall out. Like a LOT. Which I knew from Eben's birth, but had hoped would be different this time since my water had broken beforehand and kicked things off. Not so, unfortunately. My contractions went from three minutes apart to around 10 or even 15 minutes apart if I didn't do squats or lunges to force them to come. So after only a little while in the tub, I realized I had to get out in order to keep labor progressing. For the next few hours, I mostly labored in the kitchen, leaning over the countertop (even if I sat down on my exercise ball my contractions would space back out again, so I pretty much had to stand the whole time!)<br /> <br /><br />Around 6:30, I was sitting on the ball to rest with Luke's arms around me from behind. We were swaying and watching the sunset, and he was joking with me in between contractions and making me laugh a ton. That was a really sweet and special time looking back...he is so wonderful!!<br /> <br /><br />During those few hours from about 4pm to 7pm, (as I moved from 6-8.5 cm or thereabouts) I was going to the bathroom every ten to fifteen minutes...my body was cleaning itself out COMPLETELY. :/ Not. Fun. I drank over a gallon of electrolyte drinks and water over the course of my labor just to keep hydrated and replace all the fluids I was losing. I tried to labor on the toilet as much as I could, because I knew that usually would help dilation along. Luke was so sweet to support me through this entire time...labor sure will show a partner the most vulnerable things you can imagine! ;P<br /><br /><br />One thing that was different with this labor was that I began to get “double contractions” where one would start to die down and the next one would begin almost immediately, before the previous one had ended. In this way, I had several contractions that were nearly 100 seconds long. This may not sound like a lot, but when you're hanging out in the transition stage of labor for over an hour, 100 seconds feels like an absolute eternity. By 7:15pm, I started to feel a bit like I needed to push, so I got back into the tub. What a huge relief!! My surges spaced back out again, so at 7:45 I got out of the tub and transferred to the shower for a few minutes. I started pushing in earnest while I was in the shower, and didn't like it at all—I wasn't comfortable in there because there was no good place for me to lean on or be supported against. So I went back to the tub again. This whole time, I was in a strange pattern—some contractions I would have a strong urge to push, so I would, but then the next one I would have no urge at all, just intense pain and pressure. Sometimes I would have the urge toward the beginning of the contraction, but it would go away towards the end. I was confused by this, because it seemed like if it was time to push, I should be pushing every time, right??<br /><br /> Sabrina checked me at 8:15, and said that I was fully dilated except for a tiny piece of cervix (almost like a thread) that was just not quite getting out of the way (hence the odd pushing pattern). I think just from her checking me, it finally moved aside, because from that point till he was born at 10:08pm, I was pushing hard with every contraction. I pushed for those two hours in several different positions, but Nathaniel's head was cocked slightly to one side, so it was HARD hard work and very slow progress to move him down the birth canal. My sweet husband was absolutely the best birth partner I could ever ask for during the entire experience...he tirelessly held me up in the birth pool as I pushed, put cool cloths on my forehead, gave me drinks (a lot) and was constantly supporting and encouraging me with soft words, touch, etc. My mom, my midwife Sabrina, and her daughter Helena were also hard at work helping me. I threw up once and got close to it a couple more times, which wasn't fun, but I didn't do that nearly as much as I did during Eben's birth, which was such a relief! </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">At about 10pm, Sabrina suggested that I should lift one leg and put it on the ground flat footed as I knelt at the edge of the birth pool. Because Nate was turned just a bit and progressing so slowly, she thought this would help him finally come. And as hard as it was to change positions, this was finally what made it happen. I blew hard and fast to avoid pushing during the ring of fire...SUCH an intense few minutes!! Finally, his head and elbow came out at the same time—he had his little arm up across his face. Yet another reason it had been so difficult to move him! ;) At 10:08pm on October 1, 2021, our little Nathaniel was fully born. It took him a few minutes to give a good enough cry to get the junk out of his system, so Sabrina gave him just a bit of suction, but overall he did great! I had the placenta about 10 minutes later, which was much sooner than Eben's, and also much more painful than I remember his being. After about 15 minutes in the tub, we cut his cord and handed him to his Daddy so I could go shower and get in bed. I had only very minimal tearing, which healed completely within just a day or two. Very thankful for that!</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /> Sabrina weighed baby, and he turned out to be 8lbs, 8oz—nearly a full pound heavier than Eben had been, despite being born two weeks earlier!! I was SO thankful that Nathaniel had come at 38 and 2 rather than at term or late...I think he would have been at least a 10lb baby had that been the case. He was 21.5 inches long. He grew by leaps and bounds from the very beginning...on October 11, he weighed 9lbs, 2oz—a 15 oz. gain in 6 days!! (Typical weight gain at this age is about one oz. per day. Our midwife was a bit shocked. ;P) At one month, he weighed 11lbs, 13oz, and at 4 months, he was over 17lbs! The first three days or so after the birth, I had extremely intense cramping, it got pretty brutal during feeds especially, but other than that, I felt like my recovery process was so smooth! Evening Primrose Oil helped immensely with the hormonal adjustment afterwards.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And there you have it! :) God is so good to have allowed us to have another wonderful home birth and a speedy recovery. If there is anyone reading this who is considering home birth but not sure about it yet, I honestly cannot recommend it enough! I just love having complete freedom to have my favorite candles burning, music playing, freedom of movement, etc. So special!! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope you all are having a great week so far!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Mykaela</span></div></div>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-10398213387998282592021-07-29T16:09:00.000-05:002021-07-29T16:09:44.837-05:00Life Update! :)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzDBxYXszyBG-q5k-Ghzh0hZvytwAINHnhc5-PEkQdeTsx-yTLic3OSm_D-lGBPh8lF4vpZawILmRdtMfq-JrPLeUmf8cRW7BoWXcNjQgfPLxJV5zZNgzIH3vQeIJNgFXjwNL4jIAd7vb/s4032/IMG_9227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzDBxYXszyBG-q5k-Ghzh0hZvytwAINHnhc5-PEkQdeTsx-yTLic3OSm_D-lGBPh8lF4vpZawILmRdtMfq-JrPLeUmf8cRW7BoWXcNjQgfPLxJV5zZNgzIH3vQeIJNgFXjwNL4jIAd7vb/w180-h263/IMG_9227.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Hello, friends!</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So much has happened in the last few months, it truly feels like it's been years since I last posted anything on this platform. Sometimes it seems like when life changes occur, it both speeds time up and slows it down, all at once. ;)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">First of all, I will share that I write this from my recliner--where I have been almost exclusively for the last three weeks. And likely will be for 6 or 7 more. Shortly after July 4 weekend, I very suddenly started having nonstop uterine contractions with any activity whatsoever, including just standing up or walking to the bathroom. I had a Dr. appointment yesterday, and the good news is that baby is growing and developing perfectly, and is healthy and active! The doctor did not think that the type of contractions I'm having are in imminent danger of throwing me into preterm labor, which is also a blessing. Basically they are just very uncomfortable, and wear me out within minutes of trying to do anything other than things I can do from a reclined or lying down position. ;) Thankfully, my husband has been able to work from home during this time, and has done an INCREDIBLE job of taking care of me and Eben, as well as keeping up with his own work. He is amazing! I thing the most difficult thing has been to adjust to basically no movement, as I'm used to being very active and exercising often during my pregnancies. Praying that I will be able to keep up enough of my strength that I can deliver the baby when the time comes!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Our other news, and much bigger news than a couple months of bed rest...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Luke and I believe that God is leading us to go to Germany as missionaries! This was not something we expected, exactly, and it took us a while to wrap our minds around the idea. We spent much time in prayer and fasting, and are excited to see how God will provide for us to be able to do His will. We are not taking any direct steps until several months after the baby comes, as I wouldn't be able to do much traveling right now anyway, so at the moment we are just waiting on The Lord's leadership with timing. The thought of moving overseas is definitely big, and a little bittersweet, but I know we will have grace for everything when we need it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Life has been a little crazy lately as we have adjusted to so much current and coming change, but we are trying to take one day at a time, and be faithful in the circumstances and place that God has us right now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Our little Eben is growing up so fast! He is just over 15 months old now, has a whole mouthful of teeth, and is pitter-pattering around the house as fast as his little feet will take him! He is learning new words every day, it seems. He sure keeps us laughing with all his antics and VERY expressive faces! :) I'm really looking forward to seeing him interact with his baby brother. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhrj7B3UXC_IlV-e3vFQSVP4yGQh0L4j1_BgmA9g1X_bEf5jzTLf_9xSv0sCFHj_zaCBK7K4afA9D1lmqsDMkFC4fCqwMRfsDb0kQctlaq_1S2ra5cxvjvlVuiUDjyuzRPq8v-h87X_cR/s3571/IMG_9182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3571" data-original-width="2280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhrj7B3UXC_IlV-e3vFQSVP4yGQh0L4j1_BgmA9g1X_bEf5jzTLf_9xSv0sCFHj_zaCBK7K4afA9D1lmqsDMkFC4fCqwMRfsDb0kQctlaq_1S2ra5cxvjvlVuiUDjyuzRPq8v-h87X_cR/s320/IMG_9182.JPG" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_JcAA_Yo_sTrzQYsrXHHXtByz9gsMjI4sqgjYf3b4Uy1xDdIUD9QEta70h2yvKsQhx-rsmMAuZAyh590inGOeFHbmRWTZvOdWZAxSZwEhYJz2951dNuW3bpHr1wGrH8bCwx42fEaynId/s3950/AfterlightImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3950" data-original-width="2199" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_JcAA_Yo_sTrzQYsrXHHXtByz9gsMjI4sqgjYf3b4Uy1xDdIUD9QEta70h2yvKsQhx-rsmMAuZAyh590inGOeFHbmRWTZvOdWZAxSZwEhYJz2951dNuW3bpHr1wGrH8bCwx42fEaynId/s320/AfterlightImage.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGxhljg34ll6swymMLVpuEp6FYCu-N4-Pu2W7azi5xomVicZdF40rLqoQIi0rSLM0V7y9BODBby6PhBpJjvFiXEnRYSKVtyQ6NDzAyZzM-UXTFeHbf2i7kafv0ob9y18BebBa2bWu3BLu/s3520/IMG_9203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGxhljg34ll6swymMLVpuEp6FYCu-N4-Pu2W7azi5xomVicZdF40rLqoQIi0rSLM0V7y9BODBby6PhBpJjvFiXEnRYSKVtyQ6NDzAyZzM-UXTFeHbf2i7kafv0ob9y18BebBa2bWu3BLu/s320/IMG_9203.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So far, it's seeming like this new little boy is going to be just as active as Eben...he sure loves to wiggle! At my ultrasound yesterday, he was in no less than three entirely different orientations within a 20 minute period. He was flip-flopping from place to place so much, the tech had a hard time seeing some of the things she needed to see! ;) We can't wait to meet this precious new baby, and I am looking forward to another home birth, Lord willing. Once I reach 35 weeks (by September 7), I will be able to be a little less careful about my activity levels, because at that point I'm cleared to give birth at home. I sure wouldn't complain if he were to come a week or two early! ;) We'll see how things work out, though. I'll post my birth story and baby pics here when the time comes!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Well, I think that's about all my news for now...I hope you all are doing well and having a wonderful summer!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-6489942350278195752021-04-29T12:37:00.003-05:002021-04-29T12:37:41.856-05:00To My Child and Future Children...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SCUA3cOUXxFFBQDBDDC5qUWs2_YJYlOJoJqt7xdXYw6-KDiY2w7aHKGJqx7S1mZztKJHv4JcU4F8Q8tYN6znt1JBJGdUF8VSZGX-F-2CD5l34SmoDt8E0H3huYUYWh80Jp3fDxhkfmRN/s2048/pexels-pixabay-326545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SCUA3cOUXxFFBQDBDDC5qUWs2_YJYlOJoJqt7xdXYw6-KDiY2w7aHKGJqx7S1mZztKJHv4JcU4F8Q8tYN6znt1JBJGdUF8VSZGX-F-2CD5l34SmoDt8E0H3huYUYWh80Jp3fDxhkfmRN/s320/pexels-pixabay-326545.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To my precious son...</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May God grow in you the deep spiritual walk of Enoch, keeping close by the side of The Lord.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the perseverance of Noah, working for long years on a God-appointed task.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the faith of Abraham, waiting on God through seemingly hopeless circumstances.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the integrity of Joseph, choosing holiness no matter the temptation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the meekness of Moses, humbling yourself to be used of God greatly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the valour of Joshua, leading courageously when the time is right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the heart of David, singing praises to God all the days of your life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the wisdom of Solomon, discerning right from wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the prayer life of Nehemiah, turning to the God of heaven in all circumstances, good or bad.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the patience of Job, trusting God's hand even in the darkest of adversities.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the steadfastness of Isaiah, preaching the Word to a hard hearted people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the faithfulness of Daniel, not wavering though all about you may change.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the gentleness of John, mingling humility and compassion with strength.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the boldness of Peter, holding fast the Word of God despite past mistakes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the zeal of John the Baptist, working to prepare others for Christ's message.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the passion of Paul, reaching as many with the Gospel as you possibly can.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the teachable spirit of Timothy, learning from others more grounded in the Word than yourself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>May you have the mind of Christ in all things, looking for the day when you'll see Him face to face.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To my dear daughter (if ever God blesses me with one! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the strength of Sarah, bearing your children as gifts from the hand of God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the trust of Rachel, accepting God's leading in the area of the man you will marry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the faith of Rahab, believing God's promises even when you don't fully understand.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the patience of Hannah, waiting on God to fulfill the desires of your heart.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the hospitality of the woman of Shunem, providing for the needs of the people of God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the peacemaking heart of Abigail, using your influence to encourage good relationships in those around you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the inner beauty of Esther, shining your light to everyone who spends time with you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you grow towards the ideal of the Proverbs 31 woman, nourishing your heart, your husband, and your home with joyful skill.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the quietness of Mary, choosing to be still and linger at the Saviour's feet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the servant's heart of Martha, working hard when the time for hard work is right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the loyalty of Mary Magdalene, following after your Lord at all times.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the faith of the woman healed of the issue of blood, trusting that God is able to do the greatest of miracles through the smallest acts of trust.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the boldness of the woman at the well, telling others of the One who gave you salvation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">May you have the encouraging heart of Priscilla, serving God alongside your husband, even in hard times.</span></p><p><i style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">May you have the mind of Christ in all things, looking for the day when you'll see Him face to face.</span></i></p><p><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">For those of you who have not yet heard, Luke and I are expecting our second baby this October! He or she is due on our third anniversary (Oct. 12), and we are so excited to be welcoming a new baby into our family. As I carry this little one, I have been thinking more and more about my responsibility to my children as they grow into more knowledge. How I earnestly pray that they will be stronger in The Lord than I am, and that they will continue to grow even if a time comes that I can't teach them the way I would want to!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-34049828860527117642021-02-01T20:06:00.000-06:002021-02-01T20:06:51.784-06:00Kept and Pondered<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsjWcjczwsF9CL1dN6tmuYSEhU1EdKAINEV7j4pdqQJdZrrgcrgs_hmJdBCWKdT9ZgyPfa14miid1NfcLtEVDgOCpECNJBXxmrUM83iPQ5uypa8EAX0xNiNrGWYZNCkkOLbkQA7PZPrkL/s2048/pexels-ylanite-koppens-612800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsjWcjczwsF9CL1dN6tmuYSEhU1EdKAINEV7j4pdqQJdZrrgcrgs_hmJdBCWKdT9ZgyPfa14miid1NfcLtEVDgOCpECNJBXxmrUM83iPQ5uypa8EAX0xNiNrGWYZNCkkOLbkQA7PZPrkL/s320/pexels-ylanite-koppens-612800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Luke 2:19</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;">Today I'm talking about part of the Christmas story. It's February, I know. It'll be ok. ;)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been considering these verses about Mary lately, and marvelling at the sweet spirit of this young lady whom God called "blessed among women". Side note: Among women, <i>not </i>above! Mary was a sinner in need of a Saviour, just like the rest of us--however, God chose to use her in a mighty way, and there are so many lessons we can learn just from the small amount we do know of her life! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first verse I have listed above takes place right after Mary brings baby Jesus into the world, and heard the story of the shepherds' glorious visitation from the angels. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's look at this a little more closely. In our day, with the completed Word of God in our hands, sometimes we gloss over the familiar stories because <i>we know how things turn out in the end. </i>After all, it's the Christmas story! Most of us could probably quote the majority of it. They go to Bethlehem, Jesus is born in the stable, the shepherds come to worship, and everything is beautiful, right? I think sometimes (at least in my case) we don't think to put ourselves into the Bible characters' shoes and consider how things actually must have looked for them in the moment. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Imagine being 9 months pregnant. Feeling exhausted, huge, sore, and just ready to hold baby on the outside instead of the inside! ;) Then one day, a mandatory taxation decree comes out from a corrupt leader that no one wants in power in the first place. Oh, and by the way, extra bonus, you and your husband have to drop everything and travel 90 miles away (several days in travel alone) to pay these taxes! I'm sure this was absolutely crushing news to hear at such an already challenging time! But they had no choice, so go they did. I can just imagine Mary's mind running over the days, calculating the journey and how soon they could be back, hoping against hope that the baby wouldn't come while they were in a far away city, many miles from neighbors, sisters, or friends to help with the delivery of her first child. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm sure Joseph did his best to help Mary be comfortable on the journey, but long days of travel in the last stage of pregnancy is pretty miserable even in today's world of soft, cushioned car seats, climate control, and the ability to recline in the car. Mary had none of those options. The journey would have been grueling for her, whether they walked or perhaps had a donkey to ride on.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then, to top it all off, they got to Bethlehem only to find that every last inn was full! No bed or cot to relax on after the long journey, no welcoming hostess offering a drink and a meal to the weary travelers, only a stable filled with straw and the smell of livestock. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And then, she went into labor.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Talk about one thing after another! Most likely this felt to Mary and Joseph like the biggest collection of hard and discouraging circumstances they had ever faced. We don't know too much about the details surrounding Christ's birth, so I don't want to take too many liberties with the story...but giving birth is no joke, no matter your circumstances or surroundings. I don't know if she only had Joseph with her, or if he was able to find a midwife or another kindly woman to help deliver the baby, but can you imagine how different this whole situation was than how Mary had envisioned and hoped it would be? It must have been hard at the time to see the purpose behind all of these hardships. And yet, prophecy after prophecy of the coming Messiah was being fulfilled.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We don't know how long Mary was in labor, but eventually, Jesus was safely born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in the trough used for feeding animals. What a bed for the King of kings on His first night in this world in human flesh!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At this point of the night, I'm sure all Mary wanted to do was to rest, recover, and enjoy her tiny new baby, but suddenly on the door step was a group of shepherds wanting to see the newborn Jesus. They told an incredible story of angels announcing the birth of <i>this </i>child, in <i>this </i>town, on <i>this </i>night. They worshipped at the feet of the infant, and left rejoicing and spreading the news of all they had seen.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And now we come to this verse...<i>"</i><i style="text-align: center;">But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." </i><span style="text-align: center;">How much did Joseph and Mary comprehend about the vast significance of this child's birth? We don't know that answer, but we do know that Mary kept all these things that had happened, and meditated on them. She treasured these events, and brought them back to her heart and mind long into the future. What a precious attitude to have! If anyone would have a "right" to complain, to mourn ruined plans, to be angry over all that had gone "totally wrong", it would be Mary! Very little about this situation was under her control. It may have felt so overwhelming in the moment. And yet, she chose instead to focus her heart with quiet wonder on the workings of God that night. She didn't become bitter or frustrated, she didn't fret about the future, she didn't insist on her "rights"...she <i>kept </i>and <i>pondered.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">What a precious lesson for us to learn! In a world that feels upside down, out of control, and chaotic, a world where everything seems to be going wrong and falling apart, <i>God is at work. </i>He has not lost track of His perfect plan along the way. His hands are here, right now, moving hearts and controlling events. 2,000 years ago, He used a corrupt leader and an overbearing edict to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem so the prophecies of Christ's birth would be fulfilled. Today, He can use any person, any circumstance, to further His will. And when this life seems most discouraging, may we choose, as Mary did, to <i>be still</i> and ponder the works of our God.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Love,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-43770587158030327492020-12-04T16:17:00.000-06:002020-12-04T16:17:25.391-06:0010 Gift Ideas for a New or Expecting Mama<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0qNnt06D1OlM42Yj4ZAlIZbO4He8bnDYGqEvZJNqIzTDn0-bdC3hOzuvrTsnQB9MRtYSelSJp8X5abXHZWYtoGGOcCYeI_WTKPkdEe2mIXo9wrOLBp6cLMUDQTiAUsUdBjn-QrZH9Fgm/s2048/pexels-daria-shevtsova-776943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0qNnt06D1OlM42Yj4ZAlIZbO4He8bnDYGqEvZJNqIzTDn0-bdC3hOzuvrTsnQB9MRtYSelSJp8X5abXHZWYtoGGOcCYeI_WTKPkdEe2mIXo9wrOLBp6cLMUDQTiAUsUdBjn-QrZH9Fgm/s320/pexels-daria-shevtsova-776943.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Hey, everyone!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope you are all having a lovely December so far! I got my Christmas decor put up last week and am loving all the cozy lights and Christmas music more than ever before. I feel like every year that goes by makes me love the Christmas season and the deep significance of what we celebrate at this time of year even more. So thankful for our Saviour and His willingness to come to earth in human flesh! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I don't know if you are the same way, but for me it can sometimes be hard to pick out Christmas gifts that are thoughtful and personal, but also not out of my budget. That's why I really love gift idea lists. ;) Not the kind that are like "You could get your man tickets to a Caribbean cruise! Here's a link for 10% off your purchase of $2500 or more!" ...Ok, thanks for that, I'll tuck that away for whenever I happen to become a millionaire. ;) No, I like the ones that just give some simple ideas in an actually affordable price range...things that we normal people could feasibly pull off. :) So today I'd like to give you some gift ideas for the mamas you may know. And no, this is NOT a list of hints for myself, haha! These are just things that I have either received or have thought of as being really nice and helpful things for a new or even a second or third time mom. :) They're in a range of prices, but all under $40. I'll include links where I can!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Himalayan-Glow-HS-1003-Pink-Crystal/dp/B001C3YADM/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=pink+salt+lamp&qid=1607116045&sr=8-8" target="_blank">Pink Salt Lamp</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">These lamps are sooo nice for having in baby's nursery for late night feedings or diaper changes! They give such a soft, warm light that is bright enough to get things done by, but not glaring or harsh. I loved using this when Eben was little and not sleeping through the night yet!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">2. Diapers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">No, seriously. Diapers are expensive over time!! ;P And they go soooo fast!! Getting diapers as a gift is actually a huge blessing because you have to get them one way or another.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">3. (For an expecting Mama) Postpartum Gift Kit</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Larabar-Gluten-Cashew-Cookie-Count/dp/B000ENYWSE/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=larabar&qid=1607116408&sr=8-6">Protein packed snacks</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Mama-Perineal-Pregnancy-Postpartum/dp/B0065ZTKWS/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-p13n1_0?crid=GW5SI2O5FO71&cv_ct_cx=earth+mama+perineal+spray&dchild=1&keywords=earth+mama+perineal+spray&pd_rd_i=B0065ZTKWS&pd_rd_r=47b9d60a-f18b-4dcd-9f06-33a2435f66f6&pd_rd_w=RkKYb&pd_rd_wg=QroBK&pf_rd_p=1835a2a9-7ed8-48dc-ad07-fcd7527bd2bc&pf_rd_r=W1E1RK627BPWSXCSWGPK&psc=1&qid=1607116469&sprefix=earth+mama+perine%2Caps%2C197&sr=1-1-80ba0e26-a1cd-4e7b-87a0-a2ffae3a273c">post-birth healing spray</a>, (SO amazing for helping things heal after natural birth!) and an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-UltraHeat-Technology-Heat-Settings-Washable/dp/B00075M1T6/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=heating+pad&qid=1607116570&sr=8-7">electric</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Carex-Buddy-Heat-Cooling-Neck/dp/B000KBNPQ0/ref=sr_1_6?crid=21MIRCAFE8O7R&dchild=1&keywords=heating+pad+microwavable&qid=1607116647&sprefix=heating+pad+mi%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-6">microwaveable</a> heating pad are all super useful items to include. If I had to recommend just one though, it would be the spray. ;)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-Toe-touch-maintenance-temperature-Removable/dp/B000TK8RCO/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=foot+soak&qid=1607116783&sr=8-6" target="_blank">Foot soak/massage tub</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">These things are incredibly relaxing...you fill it with warm water and it vibrates and does bubbles...ahh! :) (A bonus item to include would be some magnesium flakes to add into the water! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Silas-Creek-Co-Colorful-Pacific/dp/B08KRQS7L7/ref=sr_1_16_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=fuzzy+socks&qid=1607117134&sr=8-16-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQkowRExDSTdDMkxWJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzI2NTEwRlVMOVpOTFpYSFdJJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4OTEyMjRPQ1VXQUYzQ1hCWTQmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl" target="_blank">Fuzzy Socks</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Slippers-Wool-Like-Outdoor-Anti-Skid/dp/B074M8SY8D/ref=sr_1_25?dchild=1&keywords=womens+slippers&qid=1607117228&sr=8-25" target="_blank">Slippers</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I know I'm not the only one who lives in these things. ;)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">6. <a href="https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/gift-certificates" target="_blank">A Shutterfly Gift Card</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Or any other photo service, really. I know for me this is something I have a hard time splurging on, but being able to order a photo book or get some sweet personalized household items is really special!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SUNNYBUY-Womens-Maternity-Sweatshirt-Black-M/dp/B08F26VTQC/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=maternity+sweatshirt&qid=1607117644&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE5TFM1TDQ3OTBaMzcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMzA2ODlWR1BVQ1VBV09CWDMmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDU5Mzc2MUtXNjNIWU5YVEpaNSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=" target="_blank">A Cute and Comfy Maternity Hoodie</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Especially at the end of my pregnancy, I lived in all the soft, stretchy things I had. If they looked cute, that was just a bonus. ;) Basically I felt like a 2 ton walrus, and I wasn't about to be even more uncomfortable in order to look nice, haha!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">8. A date with her hubby. :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">If the parents are comfortable with it, an offer to watch the baby/kiddos for even an hour so they can go grab a coffee together is seriously SO awesome!! This doesn't even take any money (unless you included a gift card or something), it's only a time commitment. And wow, will it ever be appreciated! :) Dates definitely get more complicated when little ones enter the picture (not that they aren't 1000% worth it, of course!!) Just saying. ;)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">9. A month or two of a grocery shopping subscription like <a href="https://www.instacart.com/?click_id=Cj0KCQiA2af-BRDzARIsAIVQUOeazC5S_NRBDKOGR-qCQPIg7hAwiwlpSvZgwyC_nPm0rAPuYtxgq4MaAgb6EALw_wcB&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=instacart_google&utm_campaign=ad_demand_search_brand_mkag_us-na-catchall_exact_us&utm_content=accountid-1732890876_campaignid-11405595288_adgroupid-109610262697_device-c&utm_term=matchtype-e_keyword-instacart_targetid-kwd-297369219725_locationid-9023534&kskwid=6056004&ksadid=6102128&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2af-BRDzARIsAIVQUOeazC5S_NRBDKOGR-qCQPIg7hAwiwlpSvZgwyC_nPm0rAPuYtxgq4MaAgb6EALw_wcB" target="_blank">Instacart</a> or <a href="https://www.walmart.com/plus?&adid=22222222220446953145&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=482020215025&wl4=kwd-589029869679&wl5=9023534&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2af-BRDzARIsAIVQUOd-mudt8bQc6nRUIIbyhLrPdgBwnFVNzQ0KT2oW7rc_EvcYyV8p-Q4aAjN-EALw_wcB" target="_blank">Walmart+</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I have had groceries delivered once or twice due to just NOT feeling up to taking an infant out grocery shopping...it's truly pretty amazing to be able to stay home and have your groceries show up on the porch. ;D I'm sure this isn't for everyone, but it can be a huge blessing to alleviate that need for bundling up a fussy baby and going out to the store, especially if it has to be done during the day when her man is at work! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-One-Line-Day-Cheng/dp/1452164606/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=one+line+a+day+journal&qid=1607119485&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE4NlZENzQ1MzNVTEcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwNDM1MDUyWU1MVDVBVk9HVFpJJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNzQzMDAxMTdYUDc5STM3V1RYJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==" target="_blank">A One-Line-A-Day Journal</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I have kept one of these very consistently for almost 6 years now. There is a space for every day, just a sentence or two...looking back on them years later is just SO special. As a busy mama, most of the time one or two lines is all I have the time or energy for, so this type of book is perfect!! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And there you have it! I hope this little list has sparked a good idea for your Christmas shopping! God bless you all in this beautiful season!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Mykaela</span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-71989112398593311272020-11-12T23:06:00.000-06:002020-11-12T23:06:00.966-06:00What They Didn't Tell Me About Marriage<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpy_1ixjXE0rUL71thlEV8ISe0coIaB2uvAhn8v_8N_ldrRIT2cybzGhASaxwKjtfEgRcbNZ1d9z3SLdf5wLjzdyFY2xvHlx0QRf-f4mzMiRpSTroV4UZ4W3UGihnfkGD7UK6gmGtMYk4/s2048/luke-mykaela-379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpy_1ixjXE0rUL71thlEV8ISe0coIaB2uvAhn8v_8N_ldrRIT2cybzGhASaxwKjtfEgRcbNZ1d9z3SLdf5wLjzdyFY2xvHlx0QRf-f4mzMiRpSTroV4UZ4W3UGihnfkGD7UK6gmGtMYk4/s320/luke-mykaela-379.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Well, would you look at that, I'm back again less than two months since I blogged last! ;) Today's topic is something I've had on my heart for quite a while, and debated with myself about sharing. But, as you can see, I've decided to go ahead and do it, so here we go!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Marriage. As young women we all have both preconceptions about it as well as a lot of voices of advice and thoughts on the subject clamoring for our attention. Especially after I got engaged, I heard SO many pieces of "wisdom" from sources of all types. Out of all these tidbits, I noticed a common thread. A statement I heard over and over from all different people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">"Marriage is <i><b>hard</b>!!"</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Variations of this statement include referring to it as hard work, an uphill battle, or, my favorite, being told that "The honeymoon stage will wear off one of these days" like it's a painkiller currently sparing us from the agonizing reality that is married life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It's November of 2020, and we've now been married for over two years. I realize that is not very long compared to many, and some people will completely dismiss my statements in this post because I don't have enough marriage experience under my belt to qualify to say anything. Perhaps they are right. However, I can't help but think that maybe they are the ones missing out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Maybe I'm living in a delusion, but if someone were to come up to me and ask how I would describe marriage, "hard" would NOT be one of the first adjectives to come to my mind! Are there hard <i><u>moments</u></i>? Sure. Is my life automatically a shining bed of roses just because I wear a band on my left hand? Nope. There have been times that a difficult conversation needed to be had, and part of me felt like avoiding that talk instead of working things through until we both felt that the issue was resolved. There have been times when sickness or stress at work made it a little more difficult to have grace with each other's shortcomings. But Luke and I live together. We share our lives, our meals, our bed...how and why would I willingly choose to live at odds with someone I have to see that often?! ;)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I am not writing this post as a marriage advice column, because I definitely don't feel qualified for that! However, I just want to share a few things that most people <i>didn't</i> emphasize to me when talking about married life. Things I share with you as encouragement and testimony to God's goodness and grace. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me how incredible it is to have someone as your life partner, your team mate, someone who is always in your corner, so to speak. Someone who is willing to help you get back up when you stumble, forgive and extend grace when you need it, and encourage your heart when you're down.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me how many hundreds of ways marriage could teach me about my Saviour. The parallels and examples I would see through the relationship that my husband and I share.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me the joy that would come after pushing through and having that hard conversation or apologizing when I'm wrong even when it felt uncomfortable and took some humility.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me the fulfillment I'd experience through choosing to cherish another person, finding new ways to make their heart rejoice, and loving them more deeply every day...yes, even after the "honeymoon phase" is past. Side note: That phrase still kind of bugs me because you can act like newlyweds whether you've been married for 5 minutes or 50 years. Letting the romance die is not something that just happens automatically once you've been married for a few years and had kids. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me what a gift it would be to be able to serve my husband when he needs me. Obviously I hate it when he's sick or hurting, but being able to give him the comfort and support he needs during those times is so precious to me! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me that the physical relationship within marriage is, in my opinion, as close to heaven on earth as it gets. Yes, I said that. ;)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They didn't tell me how much more deeply I'd love my husband now than the day we got married. How seeing him play with our son would melt my heart. How wonderful waking up next to my best friend would be...not just the first one or two times, but hundreds of days in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I don't want to put marriage on a higher pedestal than it belongs. In no way am I saying that marriage is the be all end all of life and if you're single you have a sorry existence. I'm not saying that AT ALL. But I feel like way too many people talk down about marriage, and to put it bluntly, I'm really sick of hearing it. I'm tired of seeing young women get married, put little to no effort into their own attitudes, thoughts, and actions, and then blame their husband when marriage isn't as sparkly and perfect as they had hoped. If you are placing responsibility for your heart attitudes onto your husband, of COURSE your marriage will suffer! As will your spiritual walk, your church life, and your day to day living...your husband cannot ever take the place of God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To sum up, what I'm saying is that marriage can be good. Really, really good. And I truly feel sorry for all those who can only describe it as "hard", because I don't believe it has to be. Through God's grace and help, it can be <i>glorious</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Mykaela</span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-74174920103230542592020-10-16T16:05:00.000-05:002020-10-16T16:05:05.169-05:00My Natural Home Birth Story<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Teb7NSTdOjwuAOG98-_rJaSWqFcHVdwQ81CvSsIe6S5D9Q8GBb0gNcpzYTEcCTiACaQ3Vn-qc56gGCXPIgK3sHy7L-dDB34ktKY7B8q4YmA_wX3ZnbXZOxQQoEMWcGVZMqME8jgxmf2y/s2048/KimberlyAlexis-431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Teb7NSTdOjwuAOG98-_rJaSWqFcHVdwQ81CvSsIe6S5D9Q8GBb0gNcpzYTEcCTiACaQ3Vn-qc56gGCXPIgK3sHy7L-dDB34ktKY7B8q4YmA_wX3ZnbXZOxQQoEMWcGVZMqME8jgxmf2y/s320/KimberlyAlexis-431.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Well, it's been a while! ;) I'm not at a point in my life where I'm able to schedule posts, so I'm just posting when I can, and right now that's about every 4-6 months. Haha!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Anyway, I did a poll on Instagram to gauge interest in me sharing my birth story on here, and there was a lot of good response, plus today is Eben's 6 month birthday, so I thought it would be as good a time as any to share...so here goes! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">As many of you know, I was not planning a home birth at first. For the vast majority of my pregnancy, I was seeing a group of three midwives at one of my local hospitals. I had considered doing a home birth with future babies, but didn't want to do it with my first one. Fast forward to March 23, beginning of ridiculous hospital restrictions, general public panic, and lockdowns getting into full swing. I was 37 weeks along. That afternoon, I got an email from one of my midwives informing me that all three of them had been <i>removed from labor and delivery.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I have NO. CLUE. what their reasoning was on that one. Anyway, basically I was going to be delivering with whatever random OB happened to be on call when I went into labor. Ok, disappointing, sure, but I can handle that. But. They further informed me that my husband could "probably" be with me during the birth (how magnanimous!) but would have to leave immediately as soon as I had the baby. ?!?!?! I called Luke at work and promptly burst into tears as I told him what had happened. That day, we decided to dig hard into researching a couple different midwives in the area, and see if any of them would be willing to take me on as a home birth client at a ridiculously late time in my pregnancy. Praise The Lord, they were willing to work with me, we had a generous financial gift given to us, and everything fell into place for me to give birth at home with a local midwife and her daughter!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">All that was left was to wait...and wait, and wait. ;P I went through a TON of prodromal labor. Three weeks before my due date I had 6 hours of pretty hard contractions--they got to a minute long and 3 minutes apart...and then finally died out completely. A week later, same thing, almost 18 hours of on and off contractions, some getting very hard and close together, but eventually petering out. It was an INCREDIBLY frustrating and exhausting waiting period! I felt very well prepared for the actual labor, but all the false starts were getting to me physically and emotionally. My poor husband had so much to put up with during this time, as I did not handle it nearly as well as I should have! :(</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Finally, my due date came (April 14). At 3 am, I woke up with some fluid leaking, and was extremely excited because I was hoping at some point my water would break so I could just GO INTO LABOR already! :'D I continued to leak slowly all morning, and at 1 pm my midwife, Sabrina, came to check things out. She asked if we wanted to keep waiting, or try some more hardcore induction methods. (I had been trying to self induce with literally every method I could find, for the past two weeks. I was walking between 3 and 4 miles per day, eating pineapple, I'd tried castor oil, you name it, I'd done it. ;P) I wholeheartedly voted yes to trying to induce. I was nervous that Eben was going to be huge and I'd need a hospital transfer, which I ABSOLUTELY didn't want under any circumstances!! She stripped my membranes and gave me some homeopathic things to take and instructions to follow to try to get things going. The rest of that day and all day Wednesday we kept on trying so hard. Sabrina told me if I got to 72 hours of my water having been ruptured, I'd need to go to the hospital. By 9 pm on April 15, we were up to 68 hours. I was getting desperate. FINALLY, at 10 pm, things started happening. I started noticing my contractions coming harder and closer together, and by 11:00, I told Luke I thought it was time to call Sabrina and have her come, as well as get my Mom on her way. (She lives about 2 hours away, and was just going to come and hang out in the other room to be around right afterwards.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Sabrina and her daughter came and from the first I was so impressed with how quiet and non intrusive they were. They spoke with Luke in very quiet voices about how things had been going (I was already needing to breathe/vocalize some through contractions because they were pretty hard at that point.) They set up the birthing pool and after a while I got in. The water was SO nice!! It helped immensely as I worked through each contraction. Luke was such an incredible birth partner, reminding me quietly to breathe when I started to get overwhelmed and tense up with the pain. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Throughout the night, things stayed about the same. The water was wonderful, but also relaxed me so much that I had to get out and walk or do squats to keep the contractions going. That was NOT fun...I'm in labor, for goodness' sake, I don't feel like working out right now!!? :'D At about 5 am, things ground to a halt. Just <i>stopped. </i>After 7 hours of hard labor, my contractions were gone. I was beyond discouraged. Sabrina asked me what I'd done that was most effective at causing contractions, and I said it was castor oil, so she suggested I take a dose and we all lie down and rest for a bit while it kicked in. It felt so strange and defeating to go to bed at this point!! I grabbed about a half hour of sleep, then went to the kitchen for a drink. Luke came out of the bedroom and was talking to me, and all of a sudden I had a hard contraction, and knew I was going to throw up. :( He grabbed a bucket, and I heaved until I had nothing left. This was actually an encouraging sign for me, because I knew that it probably meant the contractions were going to start coming again stronger. They did indeed! For the next 5 hours, they steadily increased in intensity, though frequency was very up and down, and I was still having to force them to come by doing squats and/or walking. I threw up either three or four more times during this period...that time is honestly kind of hazy for me because I was so worn out from the pain and vomiting. Sabrina mostly stayed in the back bedroom, letting Luke and I be alone and work through my labor together, which I really appreciated. Finally at 11 am, Sabrina asked to check me. I was at 7.5 cm, 100% effaced. I got up from the couch (lying on my back during contractions was torture, literally the worst pain I've ever experienced...I spent the entirety of my labor in an upright position except for two contractions while Sabrina checked me or the baby)...she said that the next 2.5 cm should go a lot faster.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Did they ever!!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">About 3 minutes after she checked me, the next contraction came. I was standing leaning over the banister of the stairs while Luke pushed on my hips to ease the pain, and suddenly there was a massive "pop" and a rush of fluid. I yelled to Sabrina that something had happened, and immediately felt the urge to push. My water had fully broken (finally!) and I had gone from 7.5 to 10 cm in less than 5 minutes. And so the hard part began. ;) I pushed for 2.5 hours. Hardest work EVER!!! I went back and forth from the birth pool to the toilet (having contractions on the toilet was SO hard and painful, but seemed to be more effective than when I was in the water, so I very reluctantly bore with it. ;) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">During the final half hour, I was kneeling in the water, with Luke putting pressure on my back, and Sabrina and her daughter pushing on my hips on both sides. All three of them were pushing with all their weight during my contractions, and still I was wishing so much that I could have more. Three weeks after I had Eben, my hips were still bruised and sore from all the counter pressure they did! :'D I could not be more grateful for how strong and supportive Luke was during this time. He didn't leave my side except to get something to try to help me, or grab my water glass, etc. He was incredible! At 1 pm, I could finally start to feel progress and tell that baby was almost here! For about 5 pushes, he kept coming further out and then retreating back, which was kind of discouraging, but I knew this was probably helping me not to tear, so a blessing in disguise. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Even at this incredibly advanced stage of labor, my contractions were anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes apart. In fact, once his head was out, it was 5 minutes before the final contraction came that brought him the rest of the way!! I was so exhausted, I think I actually fell asleep in between birthing his head and his body. I'd been in labor for 15 1/2 hours at this point. At 1:30 pm, baby Eben Gray was born into his daddy's arms. I will never forget pulling him up and holding his tiny body against mine. All I could say was "Oh, baby, oh my sweet baby!!" Luke teared up as he wrapped his arms around us both and we just looked at our precious new member of the family. God was SO GOOD to bring Eben here safe and sound!!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Afterwards, I moved to the floor to birth the placenta and make sure everything was on track to begin healing...I had some tearing, but not bad enough to warrant stitching, thankfully! On the whole, I feel like I healed remarkably quickly and smoothly. (Besides the ridiculous amounts of sleep deprivation that followed. That was really really hard...all I wanted was to sleep for about three days solid after all that labor, but obviously that was not an option with a newborn! ;P) Every mother faces that, though, so I definitely gained a new respect for all that my own mom went through to birth and care for me! <3 </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">To wrap things up, I'd just like to say a few things I loved about home birth, and why I would definitely do it again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br />First off, it was quiet and I was in total control of the environment. I had the lights low and all the comforts of home readily available to me. There were no beeping monitors or nurses/doctors bustling in and out. There was no IV port in my arm or hand. It was just a gentle atmosphere all around, because it was <i>home</i>! I also loved that there was no pressure from my midwife in the area of vaccines or shots. I did not want those for my baby, and I know I probably would have had to fight for that choice if I'd been in the hospital. Lastly, my labor was focused around letting my body bring the baby here naturally and without being rushed or pressured. As long as I needed them, my midwives were here and available. Afterwards, they cleaned everything up, put laundry in, helped me shower and get settled in bed to rest and feed the baby, and made sure I got a good meal. It felt overall like a loving and personal experience, which is kind of the opposite of how I usually feel when in a hospital setting of any kind. I have become so fascinated with the natural birth process over the last year or so, and it amazes me how God has designed our bodies to bring our little ones into the world! Though I would never have chosen the circumstances of our switch to a home birth, I can confidently say that I am SO grateful for the experience we had, and I am excited and hopeful that it will work out to have any future babies God blesses us with at home as well. <br /><br /><br />I know I rambled on for a while there, but to be fair, you asked for it! ;P I hope you all are having a lovely fall! Until next time,<br /><br />Mykaela</span></p>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-18248736600072457432020-05-21T15:51:00.000-05:002020-05-21T15:51:05.112-05:00Long Overdue Announcement...!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello, friends!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wow...<i><u><b>so</b></u></i> much has happened since I last posted!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I'm sure most of you have guessed by now, we had our little boy join the family. :) Eben Gray was born on April 16 (How is he already a month old?!) at 1:30 p.m. He weighed 7lb, 10 oz...not so big as we expected considering that he was 2 days late and I was approximately the size of a tanker truck! ;P His name is pronounced just like "even" but with a B.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Due to the COVID craziness, we actually ended up switching our birth plan from midwife assisted hospital birth to home birth at 37 weeks along. This was a pretty drastic decision to make so late in the game, but it was made easier by the fact that I would potentially have had to give birth without my husband if we had stuck with going to the hospital!! That wasn't something I even wanted to consider. I couldn't imagine having Luke miss such a precious event as the birth of our first child! (I also couldn't imagine going through labor without his support!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As difficult as the circumstances of the switch were, I honestly am so thankful we did a home birth. It was such a calm and non invasive experience compared to the hospital. We had all the comforts of our own home, complete control over the environment, no beeping monitors or bright lights or people coming in and out...all around it was just a sweet experience. Plus, I got to do a water birth, which I wanted all along, but our hospital didn't allow, so I had given up on that idea. While our midwife was here and available for us throughout the labor, she mostly just stayed in another room within earshot and let Luke and I be alone as we went through the hard work of bringing Eben into the world together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was in hard labor for 15 1/2 hours, with 2 1/2 hours of pushing time. It was so, so difficult and exhausting, but obviously very worth it for our sweet little man! Luke was SUCH an incredible help and comfort to me through all the long hours of pain. He stayed by my side every moment, encouraging and supporting me both physically and mentally. I am truly blessed with a wonderful husband!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Little Eben has been such a joy to us over the short time we have had him in our home. He is a very serious little chap...still haven't seen him smile except by accident in his sleep! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few pictures for you! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here is one from his 1-month pics a few days ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are quite in love with our little peanut! :) So thankful for a safe delivery and a sweet healthy son!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mykaela</span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-30063099566907598532020-03-17T19:59:00.001-06:002020-03-17T19:59:44.417-06:00Fear Not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello, everyone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy these days, and perhaps even enjoying some extra time with family. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am 36 weeks along now, and feeling <i>very</i> big and <i>very</i> pregnant and <i><u><b>very</b></u></i> ready for this little guy to make his appearance soon. ;) I'm at the point now where I don't have much energy or ability to get things done, (at least not quickly!), so the days are dragging a bit. I'm anticipating the "dragginess" getting much worse in the coming days as our area implements more restrictions/quarantines! Oh, well...this will be an interesting time to look back on, right? ;) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The year my husband was born was one of the worst flood years Missouri has ever seen, so lots of people remember that in association with the time around when he was born. I suppose in ten years or so I'll be telling "E" (baby's full name is classified until he's born) about how "When mommy was pregnant with you, there was ALL this craziness...!!" Haha! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In all seriousness, it is a sobering wake up call to realize how fragile our economic system really is, how foolishly unprepared our generation is for any kind of actual crisis, and to catch a glimpse of where we would certainly be without the merciful hand of God on our nation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the last few months, long before any of this virus chaos started showing up, God has been having to teach me over and over about fear. So often I fail and allow fear to influence decisions...sometimes I'll even catch myself doing it unconsciously, which is sad, because that means I've allowed it to become habit in some ways. :( I have really been working on this area, and praying that my faith would be increased. I wanted to share this poem with you all, in hopes that it will be an encouragement to you. It's not perfectly written, but expresses some of the thoughts I've been dealing with throughout this pregnancy journey. I hope it is a blessing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Fear Not</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Fear not," Jesus tells me, His voice strong and clear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"But Lord, I'm so anxious, there's so much to fear! How <i>can</i> I fret not when my world falls apart?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How <i>can </i>I have joy and sweet peace in my heart?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Fear not," Jesus tells me, "Be careful for naught!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You are safe in my arms, for your soul I have bought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All this worry is sinful, your faith is so weak--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Child, only in me is the rest that you seek."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My thoughts wage a battle, my heart squeezes tight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Faith and fear soon collide in a desperate fight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many voices are clamoring,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some good, and some not--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My soul becomes weary in this battle of thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In all of this chaos and worry and stress,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hear a sweet voice calling "Come, and be blessed!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Fear not," Jesus whispers, "Cast your cares upon me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From your dread and anxiety come and be free.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You cannot control all the trials of life,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But you CAN choose to trust me in storms and in strife."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I turn to my Saviour and seek His sweet face,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Knowing even in hardship He promises grace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And though I don't know what tomorrow may hold,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can choose to <i>fear not</i>, knowing He's in control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></div>
Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-57597324056070838562020-01-10T16:38:00.000-06:002020-01-10T16:38:05.904-06:00I Will Give You Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy New Year, everyone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Isn't it crazy that it's 2020 already? Somehow that number sounds so futuristic. ;) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends! We had many different celebrations around Christmas time--since both Luke's family and mine live nearby now, it makes for a jam-packed schedule of spending time at different homes around the holidays. It was a ton of fun, though, and we are so thankful to have like minded family that we can fellowship freely with and not have to worry about angry dinner conversations or difficult choices on what to refuse participation in politely. I definitely don't take that for granted, because I know so many have to face things like that around the holidays!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Baby boy Orwig is doing very well, and likes to make his presence very known these days with lots and lots and LOTS of movement!! ;) He is such a crazy active little fellow...most especially at night when this Mama is trying to get some sleep. Ha! I'm 26 weeks along, so the third trimester is coming right up. In many ways it feels like this pregnancy is going very quickly, but other times (like when I am trying to get things done and feel like a three ton walrus) it seems like a very long time till he gets here. ;P I know the time will come before we know it, though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This post is one that I've actually been wanting to write since before Christmas, but I keep putting it off because I keep studying more about the topic, and finding new verses that I love and want to include, and well...just don't be surprised if there happens to be a Part 2 to this post at some point in the future! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the biggest things God has been working on me about lately is the idea of <i>rest</i>. Both physical and spiritual. Physically, rest has become absolutely vital to me over the last few months, as some small difficulties with pregnancy have made it extremely hard for me to be the go-getter that I typically am/want to be. And quite honestly, as my body grows and changes with every day that goes by, physical rest is becoming even MORE important! :) Much more vital than physical rest, however, is spiritual rest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To be honest, I have failed at both types of rest quite often lately. Out of frustration with current physical limitations, I push myself too hard and wind up knocked over and hurting a lot more than is necessary. In a spirit of faithlessness, I refuse to trust God and His promises to me and become fretful and worried, living in doubt and fear and stressing out for no reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've never really done the whole "Word of the Year" thing before...I know many friends who have really enjoyed it, but I had just never actually chosen ONE concept to focus on throughout the year. But at the beginning of this year, I realized that God had been speaking to me about this SO much, it was almost a given: my word of the year for 2020 is "Rest". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This has been a lot of intro, I know, but I wanted to give some background into my study and how much it means to me before I just launched in. :) Here are a few things I have written down in my study journal over the last couple months. (Alliterated because I'm Baptist and that's just what we do, haha!! ;P)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. <i>The Preparation for Rest</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." Exodus 16:23</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">God Himself instituted the practice of resting (specifically on the Sabbath) when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Later, He set up this principle for His people to follow. However, God didn't expect or require them to simply drop everything and rest with no preparation or provision <i>for</i> the rest period. They were to <i>make ready</i> in order to be purposefully still and <u>not</u> <u>work</u>. However, this did NOT mean that all tasks were perfectly complete and nothing was left undone before they rested. They made specific preparations for the Sabbath, and when the day came, they rested. Whatever was left undone could simply wait until the next day. In our goal-oriented and perfectionist society today, we sometimes have a hard time resting while there are still tasks to be done. However, there will <i>always</i> be something to do, something to fill our time with. The decision lies with us to let some of that go and CHOOSE to purposefully rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. <i>The Purpose of Rest</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">God's plan for rest is that His children will be refreshed and uplifted. His thoughts toward us are of good, not evil, and His commandments to us are not grievous (burdensome or harsh). Rest is a "good and perfect gift" (James 1:17) from the hand of God, meant to bless, not harm. In 1 Chronicles 22:9 and 2 Chronicles 14:6, The Bible speaks of God giving someone rest as a gift or a blessing. When viewed correctly, rest is a valuable resource and should be treated as such.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. <i>The Placement of Rest</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." 2 Chronicles 14:11</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are familiar with this story, you'll know that Asa was facing terrible, overwhelming circumstances. As in, going up against a <i>million man army </i>with only half that many on his own side. And yet, in the midst of even that circumstance, he was able to find a place of rest in God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may have heard the statement made about joy that it is found in God and does not depend on surroundings or circumstances the way <i>happiness </i>can. Well, from God's Word, it seems to me that rest too can be found even in the middle of chaos, heartbreak, or trial...IF it is a rest based firmly upon God and His promises. It is a CHOICE, not a feeling or an emotion. <i>True rest comes from seeking after God fervently and choosing to trust His Word. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I studied this out, it struck me how many things in our Christian lives are like this. Love? It's a choice and an action...though those warm feelings are sometimes there as well, they are a result of the good choices we make, not the other way around. Joy? Same thing. It's a decision we make to not allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude. It's finding our stability in God. Here's a verse that I found during this study that I thought was SO precious:</span></div>
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<i>"And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about."</i></div>
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<i>2 Chronicles 15:15</i></div>
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4. <i>The Price of our Rest</i></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." Isaiah 11:10</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ultimate place of rest is in heaven, in the very presence of God. This rest cannot be obtained without accepting the price that Jesus Christ paid for our redemption--His own blood. Not only can we not reach heaven without Christ, but even here on this earth we will never find true rest outside of a relationship with him. The world talks a lot about finding inner peace and tranquility, and yet their version of those things are shallow and transient at best if they are not based upon The One who is the true Prince of Peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. <i>The Procurement of Rest</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Psalm 37:7</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This point is similar to No. 3, but I couldn't figure out how to split these thoughts up exactly how I wanted, so two points it is. ;) Like many exercises of faith in our lives, the obtainment of God's rest takes commitment and a daily series of rest-producing <u>choices</u>. This verse in Psalm 37 speaks of waiting patiently for God (choice) and NOT fretting (yet again, a choice). I looked up the dictionary definition of "fret" and thought it was interesting:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Fret: (1) Be constantly or visibly <u>worried</u> or <u>anxious</u>. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>(2) To gradually wear away by rubbing or gnawing.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fretting both violates a clear command of Scripture (Be careful for nothing...Phillipians 4:6), but also wears away and gnaws at my strength, joy, and hope in God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I feel like so many times we SAY we want God's rest and peace, and yet the moment by moment choices we make contradict that desire completely. (And I'm as guilty of this as anyone.) One of the biggest things I've noticed in myself is that I hardly ever give myself a CHANCE to actually rest and be still! Every free or quiet moment is squelched by me trying to fill my time up constantly, many times with useless things like scrolling my phone for the twentieth time that day or doing some other frivolous activity instead of taking a moment to just <i>be still. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes all it takes to find that rest we crave is to remind ourselves of the goodness and bounty of God. </span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." Psalm 116:7-8</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other times, rest can only come through chastisement and repentance/restoration. (As in the case of unrest being due to our own sin or disobedience). </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." Psalm 94:12-14</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I realize this post may seem a little incoherent, but like I said, I have just kept discovering more and more things in God's Word about rest and being still, and it's been really hard to narrow it down enough for a blog post. ;) Let me wrap up with a few more verses I found that I think sum up all these ideas quite well.</span></div>
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<i>"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16a</i></div>
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<i>"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28</i></div>
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<i>"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." Psalm 16:8-9</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:" Isaiah 30:15a</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year, I want to choose to rest in The Lord, no matter the circumstance or situation that I face. How about you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></div>
Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-49218953050135645072019-11-08T23:33:00.001-06:002019-11-08T23:33:58.669-06:00Four Things Marriage Has Taught Me About My Relationship With Christ <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-C_1wNXxvUjP4t433fbzPp_HIJsCG815DyQvXEZon5Ng0aA7iEMbXVIkdqmMjsKW7nyKFw4RZHZgAnYACDIH8aClOHgrUgK2ZXtrcMsrOnjA-d3tJ0h7GbH8MWrqVVrVJzD-CCMv59m8/s1600/luke-mykaela-583%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-C_1wNXxvUjP4t433fbzPp_HIJsCG815DyQvXEZon5Ng0aA7iEMbXVIkdqmMjsKW7nyKFw4RZHZgAnYACDIH8aClOHgrUgK2ZXtrcMsrOnjA-d3tJ0h7GbH8MWrqVVrVJzD-CCMv59m8/s320/luke-mykaela-583%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello, All!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today's post is one that I've actually been considering for some time, but haven't been able to get my thoughts collected clearly enough to write a blog post about it. (Not that this is going to be miraculously coherent now that I'm actually writing it, mind you--I'm not sure I'm capable of such a thing. ;) Still, I shall do my best. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As most of you are aware, Luke and I have been married for just over a year now, and I can honestly say that I am incredibly blessed to have him for my husband, life partner, and best friend. Marriage has been so different in many ways than I imagined it...different as in FAR better than I ever thought! I'm not saying we've had a perfect marriage with zero problems or difficulties, but I can say that these have been few and far between; mostly because he is so good about patiently dealing with issues when they come along, and putting up with me and my flaws incredibly well. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over this very new season of life, God has used marriage to teach me some valuable lessons that I believe can apply to anyone, married or not. I hope that these things will be a blessing to those who read it, no matter what stage of life you are currently in! :) Without further ado, here are four things God has been teaching me through our marriage thus far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. <i>The importance of serving God with the right motives.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One thing that has struck me lately is the fact that <i>motives do matter</i>. If you are doing the right thing for the wrong reasons or with the wrong attitude, then how much good are you really doing? In 1 Corinthians 13, it talks about all the "good works" that you can do that become nothing without the motive being that of charity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Applying this with marriage...I have realized clearly that when I serve my husband out of the deep love and respect that I hold for him both as a man, and as the man in specific that God has placed in my life to lead and protect me, <i>it is so much more fulfilling and full of joy! </i>Tasks can become a blessing and a pleasure, whereas if I'm performing them merely out of duty, they have the potential to become routine or tedious. I believe service to God is the same way--when my heart attitude towards the acts of service are not right, I can very quickly slip into the mindset of either pride ("My church should be thankful they have me") or self pity ("No one recognizes how much I do around here"). None of which is truly pleasing to God. How convicting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. <i>My responsibility to invest in my communication and relationship with The Lord.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few weeks ago this thought really hit me...if I talked to Luke as often and as long as I talked to God, how would our relationship look? Wow. To rephrase, if I were to go days or weeks hardly talking to Luke at all (as I'm ashamed to say I've done with The Lord--short, unfocused prayer times, etc.) we would probably have a really terrible marriage. I know everyone talks about the importance of communication in marriage, so much so that it sounds cliche, but it's really incredibly true. The minute our loving and focused communication starts slipping, our closeness begins to suffer. The sad thing to me is that in the area of my relationship with God, a communication breach is <u>always</u> MY FAULT. Not His. Ever, in any way. God has given me His Word, and promised to speak to me through it. I have everything I need, and yet I fail Him and hinder a close, loving relationship by MY lack of communication. It would be as if Luke came home from work with loving words and arms open wide for me, and I turned my back and ignored him. I wouldn't dream of doing that to my sweet husband...yet how often do I neglect to draw near to my Lord because I "don't have the time"? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. <i>How seriously I need to take sin.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I hurt Luke, even in a small or seemingly insignificant way, it breaks my heart. I can't be content or happy until I have asked and received his forgiveness, and I know that things are reconciled between us. The feeling that I have caused a rift between us is something that I can hardly stand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And yet, so often I tend to take a light view of "little" sins or offenses against God. I've really been convicted about this lately, because obviously I should be much more zealous about keeping a "clean slate" with God than I am even with my husband!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. <i>How much God loves me.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My husband loves me with such a selfless and unconditional love. He shows it every day through his words and actions--there has never been a time when I doubted that he loved me dearly. God has used Luke's love in my life to prove to me how much He Himself loves me. As much as I love and respect my husband, he is a sinner, as am I. And yet, if the love and care of a mere flawed human being can be so sweet and fulfilling to me, how much more the love of a perfect and unchanging God? To take this thought a step further...Luke has seen me at my worst and chosen to love me still. But though he knows me better than any other human on earth, even he cannot see my heart and the sin and folly it contains. God can, and His love for me is still perfect. That is amazing to think about! God knows all my deepest thoughts and imperfections, and keeps on loving me in spite of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope that these thoughts were a blessing to you, whether you are in a relationship or not. They have been coming back to me over and over during the last few months, so I figured it was about time I tried to verbalize them. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm sure once baby comes, I will have a whole new world of things God will want to teach me through that! For those wondering, the pregnancy is going well, and baby seems to be progressing as well as possible! :) I'll be 18 weeks on Tuesday, which means we will be able to find out the gender of our little one in about 2-3 weeks, depending on when I can get the scan before or after Thanksgiving. I'll be sharing on here once we find out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have a wonderful week! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-13507984610762347942019-10-22T11:10:00.000-05:002019-10-22T11:10:46.454-05:00Wedding Pictures!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello, all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been a bit of an adjustment for me, trying to remember to post on the blog, as it's been so long since it's been a regular habit! ;) My apologies on that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since we just celebrated our 1 year anniversary on October 12, I decided to do a post with some of our wedding pictures. (Thank you for the suggestion, Grace! :) If you aren't a fan of wedding photos, no offense taken if you simply pass by this post. ;) Especially since I had a very hard time picking my favorites, and probably posted more than necessary. Oops. Oh well, I had fun reminiscing while I did it!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had my cousin, Kailyn, do our wedding pictures for us. She is from California and has a photography and videography business that she runs jointly with her fiance, Eric. She was gracious enough to come up to Washington for our wedding, and I honestly could NOT have been more thrilled with our wedding photos!! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves in a minute, but WOW...Luke and I were blown away with what a lovely job she did!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll go in sections throughout the wedding day, so it's easy to see how things flowed. The first thing that happened was that the groomsmen got ready at our church building and had their pictures taken, and then my girls and I showed up to trade places with them and start getting ready ourselves. Before the guys left, however, Luke and I did something very special that I am SO glad we did! Kailyn took me out behind the building to a little alcove and had me wait there while she went and got Luke. Then, so as not to have him see me, we held hands around the corner and prayed together. It was about 3 hours before our wedding, and this was our first time ever holding hands, so it was a really special moment!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some handsome groom and groomsmen photos...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And some photos from our prayer together, as well as a moment of incredibly overwhelming joy for me...after Luke walked around the corner, I ran to catch a glimpse of him before he got in the car to go to the park where our wedding was going to be. It suddenly hit me as I looked after him that <i>this was it</i>. This was the day that the long wait was over, and I was marrying my best friend. :')</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My heart is pounding fast again just looking at these pictures. ;) Here are some from the getting ready process with my sweet bridesmaids--all powered by Starbucks, of course. ;P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was so blessed to have some of my dearest friends by my side to celebrate this happy day! :) Here are some from our bride/bridesmaid shoot after we were all ready for the wedding. The area around our church building really provided some pretty cool backdrops!! :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was thrilled to find the dark orange door, since our wedding colors were a kind of dark rusty orange and dark teal. (Though in some of the photos they look black, the bridesmaids' dressed are actually teal).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few pics of the decorations at our outdoor ceremony...I was SO thankful for absolutely beautiful weather on our wedding day!! God was so good to give us that, since we really didn't have a Plan B if it had been rainy or bad weather. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We actually just reserved a portion of a public park (for FREE, no less!) and it worked out perfectly!! There was a nice section that was more or less closed off with trees, and any passersby were very respectful and didn't disturb us at all. It was really nice, because a lot of the "real" venues we'd been looking at were wanting to charge us up to 2 grand....as it was, we ended up spending less than that on the ENTIRE wedding <i>total</i>, simply by being careful, using what we had or borrowing from friends, making nearly all our own food, and letting God's creation cover most of the decorations for us. ;) I was so happy we decided to go with an outdoor ceremony, because it really fit the "feel" that I was hoping for perfectly. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Up next are some photos from the actual ceremony. We had my little brother Kebron as our ring bearer, and a little friend, Ruth, as our flower girl (though every time I call her that, she insists that "They were NOT flowers, they were LEAVES!!" ;P We had her toss real leaves of different fall colors instead of petals). Luke and I sang together, and opted for the threefold cord for our unity ceremony. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We took a very non traditional approach to our first kiss, (which to this day I am SO glad we did!!!!!!). After the preacher pronounced us husband and wife, and introduced us as the new couple, Luke picked me up and carried me off down the aisle! :D We went across a small stream to a secluded area by the riverbank, and shared our first kiss in private with just the two of us. (We didn't even have our photographer there for this, we just wanted to have our first few moments as a married couple to ourselves. :) While this may not be for everyone, I personally didn't really like the idea of sharing that special first kiss in front of 150 people...even people I knew and loved! It just made it that much more memorable to have it be just the two of us. Besides, it's not like they missed anything--we kissed plenty more times at the reception! ;P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our reception was tons of fun, and we shared so many sweet memories with our friends and loved ones who were able to join us. One of my favorite moments was the bouquet toss...and I LOVE the pictures Kailyn got of that!! :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The goodbyes at the end of the reception were kind of a blur for me, honestly...it was very surreal to be actually taking leave of my family there at our wedding! (Our honeymoon was on our way back to Missouri where my new home would be). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ok, this post is getting way too long, but I have to add a few of my favorite pictures from our sunset couple photos in Leavenworth, WA. Leavenworth has some very dear memories for us from all throughout our relationship, so it was super special to be able to take our couple pictures there!! The scenery is so stunning, and by this time the lighting was absolutely perfect. This photo session was actually one of my very favorite memories from our wedding day. Kailyn did such a great job making us feel comfortable and letting the photos be <i>real</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That last picture series with the lamppost is SO special to me. :') My best friend Kimberly and I had taken pictures by that lamp back in 2016 when she came to visit me in person for the first time. Then when Luke and I were courting, we took a photo by the same lamppost...and then on our wedding day, we got those sweet shots. And my heart melts every time. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know this was rather a lot of pictures, and I apologize...like I said, I will not be offended in the least if you happen to have just skimmed through, or just skipped this post altogether! I know a couple of my followers are planning weddings of their own in the semi-near future, so if there are any questions about anything, just let me know in the comments! :) <i> </i>I found it super helpful when I was wedding planning to talk to gals that had recently been through the joys of doing it themselves, and get their tips and ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope anyone that's still with me at this point is having a great week, and that it will just keep getting better from here! :) Happy Fall!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Love,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-69745790707447724052019-09-10T21:17:00.000-05:002019-09-10T21:17:22.028-05:00An Introduction to my New Life<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello, all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ah, where to begin?? This post may be rather long and rambling, we'll see...it's quite hard to condense some of the biggest life changes I've ever experienced into a coherent and put together blog post. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I suppose the first order of business is to announce what some of you may not be aware of yet...and that is that Luke and I are expecting our first little one in April of 2020! We are beyond blessed and excited for this gift God has given us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our one year anniversary is coming up super fast...it is hard to believe we've been married for nearly a year! In some ways, it feels like much shorter than that, but in many ways, it seems like we've always been married. It's hard to remember what life was like before I knew my sweetheart. :) While I won't go on too long about this (so as not to tire my readers who don't enjoy sappiness ;), marriage has truly been such an incredible, overwhelmingly beautiful journey thus far. I thank The Lord every day for giving me a husband who is so loving, kind, and good to me. He treats me like a queen, and I could not be more grateful for the blessing that he is to me. We have SO much fun together, it's rather ridiculous. ;D </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few of our summer adventures have included various travels. In April, we went up to Washington to visit my family. We were able to take a vacation with them down to Sunriver, Oregon, where we used to take trips during my childhood--very nostalgic place for us! My grandparents on my mom's side actually joined us there for a couple days, which was so awesome. :) Luke and I have been to Branson, MO twice this summer, and just a few weeks ago, we drove with Luke's sister and her husband out to Pennsylvania to visit my other brother and sister-in-law! That was super fun, as I've never been farther east than Kentucky or so. It was great seeing a new area of the country, and getting my feet wet in the Atlantic, since I've seen the Pacific from many angles! :) Here are a few random pictures from these trips...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As you can probably tell, we had a very good time. ;) I know I don't usually include so many pictures in a typical post, but I suppose this isn't really a typical post, either. If you're bored, you're free to leave. ;P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had one sweet comment asking me to describe a typical day in my new life as a stay at home wife (soon to be mama!) and homemaker. A quick rundown of a typical week for me would look similar to this...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Monday: I usually go in to work with my husband on Mondays. He works in Moberly, which is about 35 minutes away, so one or two days a week I'll ride in with him and spend the day there, so as to be able to share his lunch break with him. I also usually get all my grocery shopping for the week done on this day. Since he works right across the road from where his parents and younger sister live, I hang out with them quite a bit on Mondays as well...I have truly wonderful in-laws who have accepted me as part of the family so quickly! Monday evenings I help Luke study for Bible Institute (his training for being in full time ministry someday soon), which is on Tuesday nights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tuesday-Thursday: On these days I typically get up with Luke to pack his lunch for him and see him out the door, at around 6:15 a.m. After he leaves, I usually sleep for a while longer. ;) On my days at home, I'll do housework or online work with Amazon, or teach violin, as well as have dinner ready for when he comes home. (Bestest part of the day! :D) I will say, it's pretty crazy how fast dishes and laundry pile up, even with just two people in the house! Not that I'm complaining, though, it's not a burden for me to take care of these things while he's off working hard to provide for me! :) In the evenings he has institute on Tuesdays, we go to church on Wednesdays, and during the summer there is door knocking on Thursdays, so our evenings are usually pretty full.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Friday: I usually either go to work with Luke again on Fridays, or I'll stay home and get the lawn mowed or other random house tasks finished up before the weekend. On Friday nights, Luke and I like to stay up late talking or watching a movie or playing games together...whatever sounds good at the time. :) Especially if we have a quiet Saturday, it's fun to spend time together without worrying about how tired he will be at work the next day. :P</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saturday: These vary quite a bit. Lots of times we try to do something fun, like biking, walking, or exploring some of the many trails around Columbia. Sometimes there are other things happening, like helping a church member out, or going over to friends' places...it all depends. I LOVE it when we have free Saturdays and we can just hang out together! :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunday: Church! :) My new church family here has been SO sweet and made it so easy for me to join in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, maybe that was more information than necessary, but that's a pretty typical week for us. In one other pretty big piece of news, my dad just accepted a new pastorate...in Wildwood, Missouri, where we used to live when I was a little girl!! As a result, my family is going to be moving to Missouri at some point in early November, and living less than two hours away from us!! I am beyond excited about this development, especially with my pregnancy...it will be nice to have my mom and sister nearby to help out when the time gets closer for the baby to come. God's ways are higher than ours!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of the pregnancy, so far it hasn't been too bad! I am 9 weeks along today, and the morning sickness has definitely been present, but certainly not unbearable. It's mainly been manifesting itself in some nausea throughout the day, and food just sounding gross in general. Only very specific things sound appetizing at all. Garbanzo beans, cereal, meat loaf, and smoothies have been high on the list. ;P A week from today, Luke and I get to hear our little one's heartbeat for the first time! We are planning to find out the gender, so I will let you know what that is when the time comes...still have a little while to wait for that yet. :) We already love this tiny baby so much, and can't wait to meet him or her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, long and rambling indeed, but there is a sort of brief outline of my new life as a married woman. ;) I am so blessed!! If you've made it this far, thank you so much for sharing in all this news! :) Have a blessed week!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-86633644163860016802019-09-04T12:43:00.000-05:002019-09-04T12:43:27.977-05:00I Have Returned!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey, everyone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been over a year since I have last posted on this blog...and what a year it has been! God has been good in so many ways, I can't even begin to list them all. I'm planning on doing a post outlining our first year of marriage, what's been going on in life, etc., but I wanted to publish a preliminary post first to see what YOU want to hear! Q&A is officially open! ;) If you have any particulars you'd like to know, just leave a note in the comments of this post, or email me at makingmusic4themaster@gmail.com.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm really looking forward to starting to post again every now and then...I've struggled with whether or not to begin again or just leave the blog as is. The Lord has been laying it on my heart over and over throughout the last few months, so at least for now, I'm going to start it back up again! :) The content will probably be a little different, as my stage of life has completely changed since I was last blogging, but I suppose that's all part of growing! Also, forgive me if I'm a little rusty, it's been a while. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope to hear from you soon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mykaela</span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-61390710079232759562018-08-02T18:14:00.000-05:002018-08-02T18:14:06.780-05:00A Love Story Long Awaited<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello, all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The story I'm about to tell has been much requested, and there are many of you I've never given the detailed version to, so brace yourselves. ;) In my last post, I mentioned a special young man that had entered my life. His name is Luke, and this is the story of how we met. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In order to tell that, I have to back up around 4 years, to 2013. That year, my parents took a trip out to Missouri for a conference. While there, my mom met a young lady named Bethany, and they totally hit it off. My mom has 8 kids, and doesn't normally keep in close touch with people, because life is just crazy...but for some reason, (which I can now see was God's hand :), she and Beth kept in contact pretty regularly over the next 3 years. I always enjoyed hearing about her family and how things were going, but never really talked with Bethany myself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In our hectic and long drawn out shuffle of moving from Omak to Wenatchee, they lost touch for over a year. Fast forward to August of last year (2017). One evening, my mom was on the Bible app, and it "randomly" popped up with a name--Bethany is on this app, would you like to connect with her? My mom promptly emailed her and did some catching up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She remembered that Bethany had a brother, and asked right out if he was still single. ;P Subtle, mom. Thanks. ;D Anyway, Bethany informed her that he was, and of all things, my DAD totally jumped on the wagon and started immediately trying to initiate us getting to know each other better! Both Luke and I were completely uninterested at this point. We had both only recently come to the point of being completely and fully surrendered to being single, for the rest of our lives if that's what God's will was! And now, all of a sudden, we were supposed to start getting to know this perfect stranger?! Literally all I knew about Luke at this stage of the game was his name. That's IT. But, we both agreed to pray about it for two weeks. At the end of that time, it didn't seem like there was a neon YES in the sky, but there also weren't any red flags. Reluctantly, we started emailing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We did a few "hello, my name is" type emails, but after that it felt so awkward, at least for me. I didn't know where to go from there. Luke's dad suggested that we could write actual paper letters, which I was very much in favor of. For some reason, it's a lot easier for me to express myself with a pen and paper than in an email. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After about 3 letters, my interest level had spiked by approximately 100%. ;P I wanted him to visit. Very much so. ;) I'll never forget getting the email from my dad while I was at work that Luke was actually going to come!! On December 29, 2017, my dad went and picked him up from the airport, and we met for the first time at my workplace. Over the next few days, I pretty much lost my heart to him. ;) I didn't mean for it to happen, but it just did! I felt completely at home and comfortable around him almost immediately, which is not a typical thing, even for mostly extroverted me. We had the time of our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Luke and my dad left on the same day...Luke to go back home, and my dad to fly down to Jamaica for a week to teach some classes. That was honestly one of the longest weeks of my life. ;) A few days after my dad got home though, Luke made it official, and our relationship really began! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We talked via Marco Polo pretty exclusively at first. After a while, we started using FaceTime as well, and although they aren't NEARLY as nice as talking in person, I am incredibly grateful for technology like this that allowed us to get to know each other!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I realize I'm rambling here...I'll speed things up. In April, my entire family took a three week trip, driving down to MO for the missions conference at Luke's church. Yet again, I had an absolutely amazing time, and was more sure than ever that I really, REALLY liked this guy. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A month later, at the beginning of May, Luke flew out for 4 days and surprised me. It was the most awesome surprise ever...wow. I couldn't believe he'd pulled it off!! Obviously, lots of help was involved from family on both sides in order to keep it a secret. ;) Saying goodbye at the airport at the end of that visit was one of the hardest things I have ever done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then, I booked a ticket to fly out there on July 4, only a month ago. I got in on a Wednesday afternoon, and on Friday, Luke and I went to a place called Hahatonka State Park with his mom and one of his sisters. All day, we wandered around the beautiful trails and hills, just enjoying the day (though it was pretty hot ;P).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eventually, we made our way down to a beautiful spot down by the water. I took my shoes off and waded a bit, and when I came back up on the bank, Luke suggested we take a picture. We stood together and his mom started videoing, unbeknownst to me. ;) Before I knew it, Luke was down on one knee, asking me if I would be his wife. I was SO utterly overwhelmed and overjoyed!!! When I got my breath back, I said YES! (I actually said it 5 or 6 times, I think. ;) He put the most lovely ring I'd ever seen on my finger, and I haven't really left Cloud 9 since. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the first time in my life, I was quite literally speechless. For about 45 minutes, all I could do was grin from ear to ear, with absolutely nothing coherent to say. ;P A while later, as we sat together at the place where he'd proposed, he turned to me and said, "Well? Are we going to jump in?" Ha. Are we going to jump in, indeed. You all know me, adventure calls, I answer. ;D We went up the trail a little ways to an outcropping that hung over some of the bluest (and I soon found out, some of the coldest) water I'd ever seen. On the count of three, we jumped, and it turned out it was deeper than either of us expected...and WOW it was so cold! :D It was the most awesome spontaneous memory, though, I am SO glad we did it. It just made the day that much more spectacular. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next few days were some of the happiest in my life. I don't know why, but I didn't realize how much our relationship would shift after we were officially engaged. I always kind of assumed it would be pretty much the same as it was before (which was <i>awesome</i>). Not so. For one thing, we had waited until after we were engaged to exchange those incredibly amazing words, "I love you". I had <i>thought</i> those words about a billion times. ;) Being able to finally say them freely was the most wonderful thing EVER. :D I think I've said them approximately innumerable times since. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wedding is set for October 12, just over 90 days from when he first asked me! :) We have a wedding website that you can find at <a href="https://www.zola.com/wedding/lukeandmykaela" target="_blank">this link</a>. We were able to meet up with my sweet friend Kimberly before I left Missouri, and she took some lovely engagement pictures for us. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can't even begin to express how grateful I am that God has blessed me with this relationship. Luke is so much more amazing than I ever could have imagined. Without getting too mushy, (haha! ;) I will say that he has loved me infinitely more than I ever thought anyone but The Lord could or would love me! He is incredibly strong, loyal, encouraging, hilarious, and downright crazy handsome. ;) Over this relationship, he has become my best friend, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him! <3 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">May I offer the encouragement that the right man is so completely worth waiting for. If you are wondering why God is taking so long to bring someone into your life, please take heart...it seems long (believe me, I know!), but it is SO worthwhile! :) Keep up the good work in the meantime, you won't regret it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Without further ado, I am giving the "floor" to Luke, who will close out this rather lengthy post. ;) Thanks for sticking it through! :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, this seems like a bad start to happily ever after - we aren't even married yet and she's already telling me, "You're on the floor." ;P But t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">o the topic at hand: I'm no author, but I'll attempt to give the flip-side of the story Mykaela just told by giving a glimpse of things from my perspective. I'll start from the point where Mrs. McDowell reestablished communication with my sister. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first time I can remember ever hearing anything about Mykaela went something like this...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beth (my sister): "Hey Luke, do you remember Mrs. McDowell, the missionary wife I used to email?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Me: "Yeah, I think so..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beth: "Well, we started talking again on the Bible app, and she just asked me if you were still single."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Me: (cringes) "Oh. Great."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yup. That's about how it went. But before you judge me too harshly, let me give some context to the situation. 1) I was 24 at the time, 2) I was not married, 3) I had a number of friends who had been... shall we say, "zealously concerned" about eliminating point number 2 for a few years by then. You get the idea. In short, I was NOT particularly excited about what this development might imply. Like MK said, I had fairly recently reached the point in my walk with God where I was perfectly happy to stay single for the rest of my life if He so desired (yes, it took me awhile to get there, unfortunately), and I didn't want to lose the simple peace that I had by getting caught up in the possibility of a relationship. Honestly, I just wanted to ignore the entire thing. The next day, her dad called.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the next few weeks, I prayed quite a lot, did a fair amount of internet stalking (how else was I supposed to find anything out about a girl who lived 2,000 miles away?), and Mykaela and I exchanged several emails and letters. Eventually, though I was still hesitant to begin a relationship, I came to the belief that God was telling me that I needed to go up to WA for a visit. So off I went, hesitant, but cautiously hopeful as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It didn't take long for me to realize just how awesome this girl was. By the end of the visit, I was smitten. After a couple of weeks spent in prayer, I was confident that a relationship was part of God's will. I'll never forget making the call to Bro. McDowell to officially start things off! I was grinning ear to ear!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In interest of keeping this as short as I can, I'll skip ahead to July 6th. I WAS SO NERVOUS!!! I mean, I was pretty sure she would say, "Yes," but there was still a little voice in my head saying, "What if she doesn't?" But she did! :D Best. Day. Ever! (Shortly to be superseded by October 12th) ;) There are no words to describe a blessing like Mykaela. I do NOT deserve the attention, much less love, of this amazing girl! (No, MK, you can't delete that because it is true - you said I could write whatever I wanted). God has been so good! And let me reiterate what Mykaela said earlier: wait on God. It will be worth it - far more than you can possibly imagine!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-49594807124098842842018-06-14T01:23:00.001-05:002018-06-14T01:23:43.211-05:00Praiseworthy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXEGV3Zd8u_vqFdHGu7Jiah5Lryj7zGMnA9UQjsLflWPfdX0r2M7wdCZQWjrzhOjuKLHYyIFCIy50oYQSF4Wto1kSvCHu7V2dtWByPIRwsSc5q79EyISq9S9avdzG_pEdGcCx5oB2itna/s1600/ancient-art-cosmos-262786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXEGV3Zd8u_vqFdHGu7Jiah5Lryj7zGMnA9UQjsLflWPfdX0r2M7wdCZQWjrzhOjuKLHYyIFCIy50oYQSF4Wto1kSvCHu7V2dtWByPIRwsSc5q79EyISq9S9avdzG_pEdGcCx5oB2itna/s320/ancient-art-cosmos-262786.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi Everyone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today is a day off work for me, and I decided what better time to write a post for my blog readers that have probably kind of forgotten about my existence? :D Today's post is based on my notes from a few weeks ago...I have recently been filling in teaching Children's Bible Study (Sunday School) at my church. We have about 10 kids on average, all children of the church members, so the majority of the older ones are saved and can listen on a functional level. The little ones, not quite so much. ;) Having a mixed age class has been a bit of a challenge, but it's really fun to try to teach deeper concepts for the older ones, but using language that the littles can understand. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am teaching the class along with another lady, and we've been going through Phillipians 4:8 and the things we should be focusing and dwelling on throughout the day. Each 'whatsoever'...true, honest, just, pure, etc. has been our "word of the week" and the central point of that week's lesson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was my turn to teach, and I got the word focus "Praiseworthy". (...and if there be any praise, think on these things.) By definition, it means deserving of approval or admiration, exemplary, or commendable. As I studied this word, one person in the Bible stuck out to me the most as being a praiseworthy person, and that was Joseph. He lived up to this character trait in so many ways!</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Here are a few thoughts I had in relation to Joseph's life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>1. He had an Obedient Spirit.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 37:13, "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Joseph was faithful to obey his father without murmuring or dispute. Even though he and his older brothers had a pretty poor relationship, and they made no secret of their disdain for him, he didn't drag his feet and balk against his father's request. He may not have felt like doing the task, but he did it with a willing spirit, as indicated by his response of "Here am I."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. <i>He had a faithful Servant's Heart.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 39:1-6 "<i>And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, <b>that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.</b> And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Joseph was sold into bondage by his own brothers. These were his immediate family! Of all the people in his life, he should have been able to trust them, but no...they <i>sold him. </i>How much hurt must he have had to overcome in God's strength! It is clear, however, that Joseph did not become bitter and hardened by this massive trial in his life. He didn't have a "poor me, my brothers are such jerks, my life is horrible" attitude. Instead, he served humbly and faithfully in the house of the man he was sold to. This reminds me of the little girl in the story of Naaman. Instead of doing as little as possible and rebelling under these hard circumstances, Joseph and the little girl both served their masters to the best of their abilities. This passage says that God specifically had His hand of blessing on Joseph. God does not specially bless people who are not walking in His will. Obviously, Joseph must have been walking with The Lord with all his heart and striving to please Him. Because of this, God even blessed Joseph's unsaved master! How interesting to note that when our lives are aligned with God's Word and we are walking by His side, He can not only bless <i>us</i> greatly, but those around us as well! Sometimes, our testimony can even be used of God to bring others to salvation. It is both exciting and sobering to come to the realization of how much our actions and spiritual walk can affect the people we are in contact with.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. <i>He resisted temptation and sin with all his might.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 39:9-10 "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Joseph was 100% <i>determined and purposed </i>that his life would stay pure and holy in the sight of God. Even when temptation quite literally came knocking at his door, day after day after day, he refused to be worn down by it. He didn't weaken and begin to compromise as some would have easily been tempted to do, but instead grew even firmer in his refusal to sin. Even to the point of physically removing himself from the situation with all haste, he was willing to go to great lengths to protect his heart, soul, and body from evil. How vehement are we in fighting against the daily temptations we face? Personally, I know there are areas in my life that I have weakened on over time, simply due to the continual nature of the temptation. It is so easy to become complacent or uncaring about certain sins because I see them <i>so. much. </i>And yet, that's when it becomes even more important to fight against them! How will others be affected by my testimony if I become complacent about wrong? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. <i>He truly cared for others above himself.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 40:6-7 "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?"</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We know the story; Joseph was falsely accused by the evil woman who had tried and failed to seduce him, and was now rotting in prison for an indefinite amount of time. At this point, I think most of us would have thrown in the towel, so to speak! What possible purpose could God have in the seemingly endless string of injustices he was having to endure? And yet, even now, in the darkest time of all, Joseph's attitude and integrity were such that he was placed in a position of authority within the prison. God had not forgotten him, but was setting the stage for great and mighty things. We can see that now, reading these passages from Genesis, but Joseph was in the middle of it. He didn't know the end result, or what God was doing, and yet he still remained submitted to whatever God's will was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He performed his duties in the prison well, and we can see from this passage that he truly cared about those under his jurisdiction. He could have done the bare minimum, delivering food to the prisoners and whatever else he was called on to do, speaking as little as possible. Instead, he chose to engage and show compassion on these men when he saw that they were distressed about something. He empathized with them, and sought out whether or not he could help in any way. This is such an amazing display of a Christlike attitude! This is part of the reason I love this story so much...Joseph's life is such a strong example to me! How often do I rush through my duties and the demands of life without taking the time or effort involved to truly care about others? I can see them, but do I actually <i>see them? </i>Do I look at them through Christ's eyes, searching out the hurt and showing compassion? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. <i>He was humble and gave glory to God for his gifts.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 41:15-16 "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, <b>It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.</b>"</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By this time, two years later, the butler had finally remembered him, and Joseph had been brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream. This is a fairly impressive gift to have...obviously there was no one else in the kingdom able to do the task. Joseph could have become self focused and puffed up with pride over this God-given ability, but instead, he deflected the glory and honor back to The One who had bestowed it. His heart was humble and focused on the right thing--The Lord and his walk with Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. <i>He held no bitterness, and forgave freely.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 50:19-20 </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even after all the evil they had done to him, Joseph didn't hold a grudge against his brothers. He didn't seek revenge, though as the second most powerful man in the world at that time, he could have done so with a snap of his fingers. His kindness and grace to them was evident to all involved. He fully lived up to the verse that commands us to love our enemies! His view of all that had occurred was not skewed by his personal feelings or emotions...he acknowledged the fact that every circumstance in his life was orchestrated by the mighty hand of God, for a very special purpose. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In all of these areas and more, Joseph's actions, words, and attitudes were praiseworthy and righteous. How praiseworthy are <i>my </i>day to day actions and interactions? Referring back to Phillipians 4:8, God's Word tells us that we should be dwelling on the things that are praiseworthy. There's another thought. Do I look for the good in what others are doing and focus on that? Or am I picking apart their lives, thinking and speaking about the bad, not seeing the beam in my own eye, so to speak? May I grow daily more and more like Christ in my own life, and look for the praiseworthy in the lives of others!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></div>
Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-15651208502595556402018-04-23T13:32:00.000-05:002018-04-23T13:32:55.745-05:00Fun Post: A Day in the Life Tag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKkQBvGb3o4j1jPD_gMLGf1dqHZk8dznbuNzzoxAns8hLx0bfzvd0JZ02EgXw7pu7Mp2Ed4YMe40yLOW7fEcAnFN6B5jbL4vZs_XXwfYcqgN7mfW0qDA1X9cWtFgFVEieEiLjt0Wn8qEk/s1600/bouquet-business-businesswoman-6374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKkQBvGb3o4j1jPD_gMLGf1dqHZk8dznbuNzzoxAns8hLx0bfzvd0JZ02EgXw7pu7Mp2Ed4YMe40yLOW7fEcAnFN6B5jbL4vZs_XXwfYcqgN7mfW0qDA1X9cWtFgFVEieEiLjt0Wn8qEk/s320/bouquet-business-businesswoman-6374.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am alive. I shall not attempt to apologize for my absence of nearly fifty-six days. In the time since I posted last, a lot has happened, including but not limited to, an absolutely incredible three week road trip out to Missouri with my entire family (minus one), a new job completely different than anything I've done before (in foodservice, no less ;P), and, most importantly to me at least, the continuance of a very special relationship. ;) Yes, as some of you may not be aware of, I am courting. And it's amazing. ;) But I shall valiantly refrain from going on about it, because once I start I don't know if I could stop, which I'm sure no one would enjoy too much. ;D Haha! I will simply say that God's leading and direction in this has been precious to see, and I am so excited to see how He continues to work! And also that Luke is an incredible guy. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today I'm going to do a post I was tagged for by <a href="http://sourcreamchipsgirl.blogspot.com/2018/03/an-average-day-tag.html" target="_blank">Grace</a> over at Grace Notes! She tagged me forever ago, and I took the pictures for this post fairly soon after she did so, but never took the time to sit down and get them all together. :) The idea is to take 10 pictures of a normal day. Since my work is not full time, all of these things don't happen every day, but these are the activities I typically spend time at. :) Hope you enjoy! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SdIjMXA787udRkNFfOWsmd7WHBcqy2Vx7SKy2UxJLOzkglZUmeKR3D3s-lLCqSM3ILrcx96Cda32jwcfTFp-6H28rtInOMBwf_8eVWgmwHjpX0DSjNOlG-YgdEGuVSecX_OuICdTpvFe/s1600/IMG_4796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SdIjMXA787udRkNFfOWsmd7WHBcqy2Vx7SKy2UxJLOzkglZUmeKR3D3s-lLCqSM3ILrcx96Cda32jwcfTFp-6H28rtInOMBwf_8eVWgmwHjpX0DSjNOlG-YgdEGuVSecX_OuICdTpvFe/s320/IMG_4796.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If I'm going to be at home for a while before work, or if I have the day off, I will start the day with coffee in one of my many, many favorite mugs. ;P For me, coffee is not fuel that I guzzle, (since caffeine doesn't do much for me energy wise). It's more of a treat that I enjoy sipping on. Also I'm really picky about it. ;P I pretty much only drink espresso type drinks. Strong, sweet and creamy. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hand lettering is definitely a huge part of my everyday life. I started lettering around 3 years ago, but kind of fell out of it for a while. Now I'm more into it than ever, and spend much of my free time doing that. It's so relaxing and satisfying, somehow! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I work at Costco for the sample company, CDS. I enjoy a lot of aspects of the job, though it does have its downsides, for sure. One thing I enjoy is being able to answer people's questions about where things are located (which I'm not technically required to know, since I don't work FOR Costco, just AT Costco.) Still, it's fun to me to try to memorize where everything is so I can answer questions. ;) Also, I've grown a lot better at cooking very quickly and in a small space. Sometimes now in my own kitchen I find myself using like a 3 foot square of countertop to cook on. ;D One other fun thing about the job is people watching. You wouldn't believe the types of things you notice when you are yourself a fairly unobserved and unnoticed person standing off to the side. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is an odd pic, I know, but I spend a pretty decent percentage of my free time each day on either this app or Facetime. ;) No particular reason. Not like I'm talking to anyone special or anything. Ahem. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's a rare day indeed when I don't spend at least some time playing piano. Music is so special to me and one of my favorite things to invest time in. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hanging out with my crazy family is also special to me. Being the oldest of 8 kids comes with its own fun adventures and challenges. It's awesome though. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In case you needed a demonstration of the last statement I made, here is a picture of Kourage giving Miriam a "ride". Also known as dragging her around the house as she latches onto his ankle. Not weird at all. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cooking for a large family is also its own type of interesting. We have one recipe that we make on a regular basis that has 18 eggs in it. Another one takes nearly 12 cups of flour total. Yeah, we go through a lot of baking ingredients. Heh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I enjoy taking pictures with my phone, and usually end up taking at least a couple of them every day. I'm certainly not anything like a professional photographer, but I like playing around with it. :) Editing is fun, too. I usually do that with two different apps: Afterlight 2 (It costs around $3...totally worth it), and Snapseed. (Free!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This playlist on Spotify is one that I fall asleep to every night. I typically don't go to bed until well after midnight, unfortunately. ;P I'm at my most creative at night, for sure...so that's when I do a lot of my hand lettering, writing, and other creative endeavors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, there you have it! 10 photos of some of my most common activities. :) I would like to tag Sarah over at <a href="https://dreaminginak.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dreams in Alaska</a>. Sorry, I'm supposed to tag more people, but I don't follow that many blogs! :'D If you would like to do this, consider yourself officially tagged. ;) I hope you guys enjoyed this glimpse into my life! I hope to be more faithful in posting things on here, but I know better than to promise anything. Life happens. :) Thank you all for your understanding!! (Looking at you, Jenny! ;) Hope you all have a lovely week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-36839736959740771242018-02-26T09:00:00.000-06:002018-02-26T09:00:06.067-06:00A Cry for Growth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnckFUKZ1ZBZMZ8Gq5vni5PEQt836D84i-uFOg35n3cImZBfQSpyCMhIVhJFB060Hp8JeoGO7AyGK0F7Swie-xYJzzz-KqL9KwdzpCYuBmX2Q6Tw2JG57Zwz41xAAZtCeuHjAoSi21lh7/s1600/pexels-photo-292761.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnckFUKZ1ZBZMZ8Gq5vni5PEQt836D84i-uFOg35n3cImZBfQSpyCMhIVhJFB060Hp8JeoGO7AyGK0F7Swie-xYJzzz-KqL9KwdzpCYuBmX2Q6Tw2JG57Zwz41xAAZtCeuHjAoSi21lh7/s320/pexels-photo-292761.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Prone to wander and to stray,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Prone to slowly drift away.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Though my heart so longs to be</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Nearer, Oh, my God, to Thee.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>So foolish and unwise am I,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Oh, Saviour, do not pass me by!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Please guide me home</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And wash me clean</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Of sins that only You have seen.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And though I stumble and fail again,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Please let Your grace to me extend.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Lead me on to higher ground,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>For through Your love,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I'm heaven bound.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Please help me now oh, Lord, I pray,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>To walk your perfect, narrow way.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And when at last, Your face I see,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>May the past hold no regrets for me.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>May I give my all,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Surrender to You,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And trust that you will see me through.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I know Your love will hold me fast,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>For on You all my cares I'll cast.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I love You, Lord, and though I'm weak,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>In You I find the strength I seek.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I praise Your name for all You've done,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>For in Your Cross my victory is won.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And when I stand before the Son,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I pray I'll hear, "My child, well done."</i></span></div>
Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-30305823781978951212018-02-21T15:35:00.001-06:002018-02-21T15:35:31.432-06:00Hallway Complacency<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Psalm 27:11a "Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path..."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Psalm 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Earth to Mykaela, Earth to Mykaela, come in Mykaela."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Mykaela to Earth, I am alive and have no explanations for my absence. Over and out."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">:'D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have not posted a thing on this blog since over a month ago, and I'm feeling a bit bad about that. ;P My humblest apologies to anyone who happens to still be waiting for signs of life from my corner of the universe. ;)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, today's post is about something that God has been teaching me lately through several different circumstances. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm sure you have heard this popular phrase at least once: "Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway." It's a good thought. However, I could never have guessed that sometimes, the hallway can be pretty nice...and that I would become complacently happy just sitting there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't get me wrong, this quote is supposed to encourage <i>contentment</i>, which I totally agree with! However, there is a big difference between contentment and complacency. Contentment says, "I will find joy wherever God has me at the moment, and if and when the time comes where He changes those circumstances, I will follow that leading and find joy in the next situation!" Complacency, on the other hand, says, "This is really nice here. I think I'll just settle right in, get myself some lemonade, and put down some roots. God had better not move me from here, because I like this situation just fine!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes, it is easy to sink into this attitude, especially if you've been working on and praying for contentment for a long time, and God has finally taught you that difficult lesson. And yet, it is so important to be able to find joy in <i>wherever </i>God is leading you! Sometimes, when He starts opening doors, even to something good, it can be hard to follow and walk through those doors, because new openings mean change. As I discussed in my last post, change is hard for me, as I think it is for many of us ladies! For me, sometimes I'll see a new opportunity for growth and development open up, and even as I KNOW that it would be a good thing, I resist...simply because I'm happy with the hallway. But wouldn't you know it? God usually doesn't let me stay there too long when He is leading me elsewhere. ;) Also, true to His longsuffering kindness to me, that new door is always, <i>always </i>for the better. It leads places I never could have imagined from my little waiting chair in the hall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I feel like this post is a little incoherent, but I just want to challenge you today...if God is leading you to pursue new or scary challenges, go for it! You only live one life, the best thing you can do is live it for The Lord! And you never know just how many beautiful, amazing things God will show you through that step of faith. <3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span>Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659313483185971819.post-41273271915826618922018-01-20T13:26:00.000-06:002018-01-20T13:26:41.645-06:00When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey everyone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope your new year is going splendidly so far...mine certainly is! :) A few weeks ago, a friend from a church I really love asked if I could write a post for their ladies' newsletter. I was thrilled for the opportunity! If you have time, you should definitely check it out online at <a href="http://www.graceandhonor.org/" target="_blank">Grace and Honor</a>...they have articles for women of all ages and stages of life. I've really enjoyed reading them! I wanted to include the post that I wrote on my blog as well, so here it is. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you ever face something in life that looms over your heart like a black cloud? Perhaps it's a tough decision that you desperately need wisdom in. Maybe a time of grief or pain over losing someone you love, or sorrow over family and friends that have turned away from following God. It could be a time of upheaval or change...we ladies sure do love change, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For me, change is a struggle. I know that God is at work, and that everything will turn out for His glory if I am following His will. But when I am here and now, in the thick of it, change is hard. Life can be challenging and scary at times. It is not fun to go through trials, to make difficult choices, or to have someone dear to me pass on to be with The Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes, when facing these looming issues, it's so much easier to be brave and strong during the day. There are things to do, places to go, people to see. It's not hard to keep myself distracted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then comes the night. Stillness closes around me, and with it, the difficult thoughts I've managed to push away all through the day. Fear knocks hard at the door, demanding entrance into my mind. After all, just look at how big and scary this thing is! The weariness of the day tugs at me. Tears begin as a dull ache deep inside--yet another obstacle to grapple with. Sleep won't come, not yet. A choice faces me, and I have to decide which path to take.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From all around, my thoughts are crying at me to follow them. "Break down, have a good cry! Overthink this situation! It's natural that you should worry about this, it's a big deal!" Their clamor can almost drown out the still, small voice of The Spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Praise God, in His mercy He pulls me back from the path of my own fearful thoughts! If I make the choice to pause and listen, He brings dear, familiar words back to my mind, words I memorized long ago... "<i>Be still, and know that I am God</i>" (Ps. 46:10) "<i>Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.</i>" (1 Pet. 5:7) The echoes of His voice grow stronger. "<i>Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.</i>" (Deu. 31:6) "<i>Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.</i>" (Is. 41:10)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His precious promises flow over me in a healing flood. The sinful thoughts, full of worry and care, are completely crushed by the weight of God's perfect, eternal love for me. As I seek His face, He is so faithful to bring comfort and peace!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I can't rise, He lifts me up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I am grieving, He comforts me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I am afraid, He calms my heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I sin, He convicts and cleanses me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I'm confused, He gives me light and wisdom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I cry out to Him, He hears me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I am overwhelmed, He strengthens me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I feel lost, He brings me home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"<i>Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.</i>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"<i>For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.</i>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His strength, not mine. His robes of righteousness, not mine. His thoughts, His plans, His ways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not mine. Never mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In His presence is fulness of joy, and the emptiness of grief has no place. In the palm of His hand is perfect peace, and turmoil no longer tears at my heart. In His Word I find the wisdom and strength I need, and confusion disappears. At His throne of grace I am accepted through the blood of His dear Son, and rejection by people here on earth is irrelevant. In His embrace is deepest comfort, and the ache of tears fades away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His plans for me are just, holy, and right. I don't need to know what the path looks like around the bend, because my Lord is holding my hand and asking me to simply take the next step. As my Shepherd, He knows exactly which steps I need to take as He grows me and draws me nearer to Himself. In the darkness and unknowns, He shows me treasures and reveals His perfect holiness. He goes before me, leading the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tomorrow may hold blue skies or gray, rough roads or easy. That's in His hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>But tonight, I will take a breath, give this to God, and go to sleep.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mykaela</i></span></div>
Mykaela Orwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04072683850161476758noreply@blogger.com2