Life is uncertain

In life we see daily that things can change in a moment and we realize we have no control over reality. This last week we were told a young girl who's dad goes to our church lost her daughter to SIDS. Devastating! How do you wrap your head around that? I will be honest with the blessing of our new son I can't honestly begin to put my thoughts there. In fact Scott and I tried to talk about it and I don't think either of us could stomach it. As I talked with Scott all he could really say was God gives people grace. I know this unfortunately I can't wrap my head around it all. I have been in fervent prayer over this young girl and this sorrowful loss. I've been asking the Lord to give her the grace to continue on.

In saying all this what I am wanting to share most is that your faith in all things has to be put in the Lord. There is no guarantee in life, in love, in finances, in relationships, or any other thing that may come your way. I could share so many life experiences with you to show you how the Lord has tested my faith. If I began to write on my own personal accounts I would have you here all day reading!  By the looks of it it might feel as though you have read all day long by the time I get done with this post.

With all life's uncertainty there are many many circumstances that come your way to test your faith. I know many who have thought that the love that they shared with their mate was unfailing but then they were faced with hard times, their love was turned into bitterness and then to hatred. Before you know it their focus was off of Jesus and they were separated. As we have all seen with the economy you could be some big shot bringing in the big bucks at one point and within a matter of  months you could have lost your job and house and be visiting the soup kitchen for your next meal. In life we as people must see that our fate is not in our own hands and ultimately the Lord does have complete and utter control over all that happens in our life.  We on the other hand have free will to make choices. We cannot blame the Lord for bad things that happen in our life it might be a result of our own sinful choices. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. In sharing that verse with you be careful you don't blame the Lord for all the bad things that happen in your life.

Now on the upside of all this there is good news.  In the Psalms 37:23 the Bible KJV says: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. A person could reflect on this verse and draw many applications from it. Some bible versions particularly NIRV says, If the Lord is pleased with the way a man lives, he makes his steps secure. How sad to see God's Holy Word changed. Read them both over again; compare the two. Do you see a difference? I see no "if" in the KJV. The Lord is so clear in the KJV I like this verse especially because you can clearly see the difference! There are many many more verses in other translations of the Bible that have been changed that ultimately do damage to a christian because they are not truly the same meaning as the KJV. The Lord didn't say if at all. He said the steps of a good man ARE ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way.

Sorry so easily sidetracked I can get. I am very passionate about the KJV being the inspired word of God and truly believe other versions of the bible are bringing about moral decline among believers because so much of it is distorted, watered down, and creates gray areas whereas the KJV keeps things simple and very much black and white! That was all free right there! HAHA!!! In sharing that verse with you I am trying to show you that even though our circumstances in life can be uncertain you can still put your faith that the Lord knows the path you will take and He will order your steps. You can trust Him in directing your path.

The reason these things happen is ultimately so God gets the glory in our life because without Him we could not persevere through a lot of these trials. Thankfully not all trials that come our way have to be burdens. In all things you can look at them in two views. Are they really a burden or is it a hidden blessing. Is God molding you through these circumstances better question are you allowing God to mold you? With the loss of my pastor and my dad Richard this last year I thankfully can say I allowed God to mold me in that time. I didn't push away from the Lord and try to direct my own path. No, on the contrary I clung to Him and had Him literally putting one foot in front of the other. Unfortunately until we are completely broken in life sometimes we don't see our need for our Saviour in our everyday life. How sad we trust Him with our eternal souls being kept from Hell but we are unable to see our need of Him in the small details of our life. Remember all those small details in life add up to the bigger picture of who we really are in Jesus Christ.

So dear reader if you are struggling in life please take time to reflect on your life. Are you reaping what you have sown? Are you allowing the Lord to direct your steps? Are you truly trusting Him 100% in the saving of your soul? Can you think of a time when you know you asked Jesus to personally forgive you of your sins, then turned from them, and asked Jesus to come into your life because you know what He did on the cross was for you and that nothing in and of yourself can get you to heaven apart from the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary. If you can't remember a time I urge you to seek yourself out and get alone with God and ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you and thank Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross!

Friend if you are a believer in Christ are you trusting Him daily with the small details of your life? Your testimony is precious; guard it and treasure it! When we are weak in our faith what does that say about our God? It sends a mixed message to unbelievers so I urge to keep in the Word and walk closely with your Saviour seeing Him in all things big and very importantly the small things. Have a child like faith see him in all things because really when it comes down to it He really is in every facet of our lives.

God Bless~ Chelsie Clem

Quick Saturday

Today I wanted to take ten minutes and thank the Lord for his blessings and if I have any extra time I will share a recap of our week.

Thanking the Lord for...

His protection of our family we have all been sick and last night we prayed for Zane because we were worried for him as he slept alot more than usual yesterday. He slept well and ate well thru the night. Woke up with a stuffy nose but other than that he seems to be doing better and maybe the sleep was much needed :)

His faithfulness in answering our prayers and giving me the strength I need to be the mother I need to be for my children.

His provision. We have had the blessing of receiving meals the whole first week that I was home from the hospital. I can't measure that in anything but a blessing! Also under provision I can put that I have had the huge blessing of having my husband home with me ever since we had Zane and he will be off until this next Wednesday, a total of two weeks!

His Word. Scott and I have had the blessing of committing ourselves to reading the Word together this year all the way through. I can't begin to tell you what this has done for our relationship it's almost an invisible help that I can feel more than see! The blessing of that time together with the Lord is something I never want to stop! This is not just a year thing this is a life thing and I wouldn't have it any other way! I was thinking the other day and was weighing whether or not it would be as much of a blessing to read alone as it is together. To be honest I think it is great either way but I know within my heart that the Lord wanted us to do this together to strengthen us together in Him.

The blessing of family. The girls have been so good and they have been so thoughtful of the time that Mommy needs with the baby to meet all his basic needs. Faith can hold Zane amazingly already. Justice gets to hold him too but with alot more help. Scott has been by far just way more than I can ever imagine or deserve! I can't praise God enough for my amazing husband! Life without him would be incomplete and impossible!

Finally I thank the Lord for my salvation. While Scott and I were reading this week we were in Psalms 22. I was reading aloud and then it hit me what I was reading. It's all prophetic about Jesus' sacrifice for us and as I was reading I was so shaken with what He had to endure for me! I began to weep as I was reading to think that for a sinner like me that He would endure that affliction! It's beyond to me I can't wrap my head around it! Then to think the next chapter in Psalms 23 is such a comfort to us. I continued to be sorrowful over my sin even in that chapter seeing His great love that He bestows as undeserving as I am! God is so merciful and His grace I cannot comprehend!

Thank You Lord for all that You are and all that You do for this sinner.

Beyond Blessed

This last week has been amazing to see the out pour of love and support from our church family! They were all so thrilled to welcome Zane into the house of the Lord! The oohs and awes over him was humorous! It's like they all fell in love with our newest addition. We have been blessed with meals every night since I got home from the hospital and today was a wonderful wonderful day! We went to the Dr and Zane's jaundice is of no concern anymore. Dr Ammari said he looked incredible and there was no need for more blood draws which is great because his poor heels of his feet were looking pretty sad! So we have had him home all day and not connected to a billi blanket. Its so freeing! :o) Justice is battling a bit of a cough and has a very slight fever but nothing that needed antibiotics so that is great. Zane has got his days and nights mixed up to say the least! He is up till 4 am most mornings and then finally lets me sleep from 4-8:30 and then he sleeps most the morning with a feeding every two and a half hours. He slept all afternoon today and then woke up at 4 for about an hour and a half then ate and went back to sleep. I have no idea how I am going to get him on the same schedule as us but I am hoping it will all work out in time! I am still going off adrenaline and love haha! Which is the only thing that is keeping this body going! Oh that and my husband is an amazing help! Faith has fully embraced being the oldest sister and is willing to help whenever she can! My girls have been very obedient since we have brought Zane home which has been amazing! All in all God is good all the time~

Our Newest Blessing

Oh I can't even begin to express the joy and love that overflows my heart! The Lord has been so good to us and blessed us with our healthy baby boy Zane Scott Clem. For any of you who are wondering were we came up with a name like Zane it means God is gracious. As anyone who knows anything about how this last year was for my family and I you would know we have been through much loss but I can say with an honest and grateful heart that I am truly blessed to endure such hard trials because in all of it God's graciousness was so apparent in everything! So when I saw the name Zane and what it meant tears instantly filled my eyes and I knew that was my sons name! So now the blessings of photos for all of you! I love you all sorry this is short but I need to get to sleep tomorrow is our first day in church with Zane!

First born laid on mommy's chest

Daddy cutting the cord look at that smile! Priceless!

Mommy talking to him what an amazing moment!

I have my son safe in my arms!

First family photo!

Daddy first holding him!

Going on the lights for his jaundice.

Relaxed and not minding his temporary home.

The girls playing with daddy while they were up to visit!

I am ready to go home!

Let's do this I am wide awake!

Day two ready to go to the hospital for more blood tests. He slept thru the poke!

Look at that chubby chin already!

I love you baby brudder! She looks so big now!

After first sponge bath at home ready for church tomorrow!

So cozy!

Settled in for night two and we officially feel at home and settled!

God is so good!

Waiting on you!

We have been waiting on you for what feels like forever! We are so excited to meet you. Tomorrow is the day that we will Lord willing greet you into the world. I am so excited to enjoy your toes instead of them hurting my side. To hold them in my hands and feel how gentle they really are. To look at those sweet hands that have been gentle. To experience the joys of your first cry and your father and I holding you! To see the look on your daddy's face, I can't wait to see your little lips and eyes and to see how different you are from your sisters. More than anything Son I am excited to see the Lord in your life and with the inspiration of your name I couldn't be more thrilled to know how greatly God will be an influence on your life. We couldn't agree on a name until we found yours and when we did there was no doubt about what your name was suppose to be! The only time your dad and I agreed without any questions! We love you and are more than excited to meet you!