I heard such exciting news last week! A sweet friend found out they were expecting their first baby! I. AM. THRILLED!
If you know me, you know how much I LOVE children! Seriously. I have always had a baby in my arms whether real or a doll. I have always loved babysitting, working in the nursey, just doing anything that has to do with babies. I am so excited and so looking forward to having my own children… it almost too exciting to wait for.
Loving children as much as I do and wanting my own so much, it breaks my heart to see babies and children who cry and are not wanted. I found out a friend who I used to attend church with is pregnant and the little green monster popped his head in my heart. She is unmarried and not following a Biblical lifestyle, yet she has been given this amazing gift of bringing a life into the world. Not fair.
Then I was at the library last week and I saw a young mother in the rocking chair with about a 3month old baby. The mother looked about my age, maybe younger and unmarried. She laid the precious babe in her carseat after feeding her her bottle and the baby started to cry. I then heard the mother say, “G-D would you shut up!” It broke my heart hearing and brings tears to my eyes typing it out. that poor baby! I wanted to go pick it up and hold it and love it, but instead I said a prayer of protection for it and continued my business.
Driving home I kept thinking how unfair it was that these unmarried girls would get the honor and privilege of caring for and raising this precious child when there are so many who want babies yet do not have them.
Children are such a precious thing and it is such a privilege to be given a child to rear and bring up in the Lord.

Psalm 127:3
Children too are a gift from ADONAI; the fruit of the womb is a reward. The children born when one is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. How blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them; he will not have to be embarrassed when contending with foes at the city gate.

It is so sad that people don’t view children as a gift and blessing. So many times people say they wish they could do something to change the future… what more could you do for the future than raise children to have the same views as you? Children are the future. Unfortunately, the Muslims have this concept down. They have loads of children that they are raising up to follow in jihad and Islam, thus their population is skyrocketing. While the Christians are having their 2.5 children, and not training them in the way of the Lord and well our numbers are few. This may seem harsh to some, but we need to wake up and realize it. It’s time for us to realize that children are a reward and who doesn’t want a reward? If children are a blessing, don’t you want to be blessed? I know I do.

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: babies, baby, blessing, Caleb, child, children, children are a blessing, Children too are a gift from ADONAI, Christians, editorials, expecting, first child, gifts, God, How blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them, Islam, jihad, Lord, LucyLillie, Muslims, photography, photos, pictures, pregnant, Psalm 127:3, reward, The children born when one is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior

Hope. It’s hard to describe what hope is, I think. I really love the description of what hope is… it gives me hope just to read it

Hope
A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. Hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety.

I think that is just a beautiful way to put it! I’ve been learning that we must keep hope even when it seems that whatever we are hoping for is all but lost. The Bible even says:

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

When it seems all hope is lost, our hearts are heavy and down and it is hard to be hopefully for things we have waited or are waiting so long for. It seems like there is no hope left is when the Lord will show us to keep holding onto hope.

Ecclesiastes 9:4
For as long as a person is linked with the living, there is hope.

As long as you’re living you will hope and as long as you’re living there will be hope for those hopes to happen.
Hope goes hand in hand with trust. You can’t have trust without hope.

Hebrews 11:1
Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see.

We need to continue trusting in our hopes. It’s much easier to believe something when we see it then when we don’t.

Romans 8:24
But if we see what we hope for, it isn’t hope – after all, who hopes for what he already sees?

It takes more to believe and hope for something when you can’t see it, it also makes you trust and hope in God more.  So… where do you put that hope though? Do you put it in material, yourself, or God?

Psalm 27:14
Put your hope in ADONAI, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in ADONAI!

Psalm 37:34
Put your hope in ADONAI, keep to his way, and he will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psalm 38:15
For it is in you, ADONAI, that I hope. You will answer, Adonai my God.

He knows our hopes and desires and He will answer us in His timing and with His answer. Just remember to continue to hope even when it seems lost!

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in your hope, be patient in your troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer.

Remaining Hopeful Always,

©AmandaDixon2009

Each Saturday join Jacque (Mama) @ Walking Therein, and many others who are taking their Saturdays and expressing their praise to the Lord. To participate, you can post a Psalm or a praise and tell what impact it has had on you. Make sure to link up your SP&P too! I hope to see you on there!

This Week’s SP&P: Sorrow into Joy, Frustration to Peace

Tags: Adonai, believe, desire, desires, Ecclesiastes 9:4, God, heart, Hebrews 11:1, hope, hope deferred, hopeful, hoping, Jacque Dixon, Lord, Meme, patience, patient, Proverbs 13:12, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 37:34, rejoice in hope, Romans 12:2, Romans 8:24, Saturday Psalm and Praise, Scriptures, trust, Trusting is being confident of what we hope for convinced about things we do not see., wait, waiting

Christian “Dozer” Drews

Prayers and Loves to Mr. Drews, Marshie, Austin, and Noah and all the extended family! Waiting with you til the glorious day that we will all be reunited with him!

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: boy, Christian Drews, drewsfamilytx, drowned, family, Jesus, Lord, love, loving memory, Marsha Drews, missing, one year anniversary, star, Texas, three year old

I just have to say how much I love the Hebrew language. It has to be the most beautiful sounding language ever! Ever since I memorized the Aleph Bet and Im Na’amin, I have had a big desire to learn the Hebrew language, but am not getting very far very fast!
Last week, one of the Jewish twitters I follow linked to a Meydad Tasa page… While I had no idea who that was, I clicked over to see what it was about. I was so pleasantly surprised with what I found. This kid sings beautifully and the songs he sings are Psalms and Jewish blessings! There are two that I really love. One of them I can’t find the lyrics in Hebrew and the other I have the Hebrew lyrics, but can’t translate them! But I love to listen to them over and over again anyway.

The one I am sharing today is Al Neharot Bavel which is based on Psalm 137 which was written by Asaph during the time that the Hebrews were being taken into captivity.

Psalm 137
By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept as we remembered Tziyon. We had hung up our lyres on the willows that were there, when those who had taken us captive asked us to sing them a song; our tormentors demanded joy from us -”Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!” How can we sing a song about ADONAI here on foreign soil?  If I forget you, Yerushalayim, may my right hand wither away!  May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I fail to count Yerushalayim the greatest of all my joys.
Remember, ADONAI, against the people of Edom the day of Yerushalayim’s fall, how they cried, “Tear it down! Tear it down! Raze it to the ground!” Daughter of Bavel, you will be destroyed! A blessing on anyone who pays you back for the way you treated us! A blessing on anyone who seizes your babies and smashes them against a rock!

In reading the Bible and more specifically the prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel you see just how important the city of Yerushalayim is to our Lord and that it really was hard for Him to let it be seiged and rampaged.

I believe that this Psalm has an deeper meaning that for us to just remember Yerushalayim. I believe the meaning is that we should never forget God’s word and His Torah. He gave us them for a reason. He gave us them to remember and never forget them. We don’t forget to use our hands everyday, do we? We don’t forget to speak, right? Knowing and remembering ADONAI’s Torah and Word should be so into our lives and it is like speaking or using our hands!

I do not want forget ADONAI’s words and His Torah. I do not want to forget what is important to my Lord!

©AmandaDixon2009

Each Saturday join Jacque (Mama) @ Walking Therein, and many others who are taking their Saturdays and expressing their praise to the Lord. To participate, you can post a Psalm or a praise and tell what impact it has had on you. Make sure to sign the linky this week: “Like a Leafy Olive Tree”, when you post your SP&P, so we link over and read it! I hope to see you on there!

Tags: Adonai, Al Neharot Bavel, Aleph Bet, Bible, blessings, Ezekiel, God, God's Word, hand, Hebrew, Im Na'amin, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jerusalem, Jew, Jewish, language, Lord, Meme, Meydad Tasa, mouth, music, prophets, Psalm 137, Psalms, Saturday Psalm and Praise, Scriptures, songs, speaking, Torah, translation, Yerushalayim

I’m loving Kristin’s Feelin’ Feminine’s “7 Days in a Dress”! It’s been so awesome to pick out outfits to be extra feminine this week!
It’s been SUCH a busy day. Working for the neighbor then coming home and getting everything ready for Sabbath! I had some errands to run, cleaning to do, and lunch to make for tomorrow, and so much more!

Today was another cool outfit cause it was really warm again. I love this outfit cause its “super” and cute.

I got a thing for white skirts… I just love them. They go with just about everything and its fun to get contrasting colors to wear with them.
The shirt is one of my faves too… you can wear just to wear or kinda dress it up. I love it cause its Superman (der) and because its my fave colors.
And because it was warm today and I didn’t have enough time to wash it and style it, I wore it up in a pompadour and messy bun. Here’s a better pic:

I was so happy today when I searched on how to do a messy bun and found a really great how to video. I used to wear messy buns all the time, but the way I was doing them was so hard and time consuming and also used a million pony tail bands and hairspray, so I stopped wearing them. Well this one I found today went up like that *snap* I’m pretty excited now that I “know” how to do it. I really like this way to wear my hair… I’m gonna have to figure out what else to do for the rest of the week!

I would challenge all my readers… well excluding the guys, if I have any, to take part in wearing skirts all week long. It really is fun to be feminine! I can’t wait to mix and match and photograph my outfits this week and see all yours too!
Guess who’s feelin’ feminine,

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: 7 Days In A Dress, Amanda Dawn, Amanda Dixon, attractive, challenge, Cool, Cuatro, cute, Feelin' Feminine, feminine, God, hair, hair style, hairdo, Jew, Jewish, Kristin, Lord, messy bun, modesty, outfit, photograph, photos, pictures, pompadour, pretty, Sabbath, Savior, Shabbat, skirt, Spanish, super, SuperAngel, Superhero, Superman, The Faithful Fashionista, The Favorite Things Event

I’m having so much fun taking part in Kristin’s Feelin’ Feminine’s “7 Days in a Dress”! Not only because I get to dress up a little more than usual everyday work clothes, but also I get to look at all my girlfriends who are doing it too!

Today’s outfit is definitely not something I usually wear. This outfit is not too dressy, but every easy to stuff in.

I really like this jean skirt. I’m not usually one for long and flowing, but I like the way this one is. I think the last time I wore this shirt was last summer on vacation. I dug it out of the back of my closet… I really should wear it more, tho! Its a parody to the Reese’s candy bar logo, which I like cause I like Reese’s. Under the Jesus, it says “Sweet Savior” then “The Only Real Satisfaction” and has the reference for

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.“

I would challenge all my readers… well excluding the guys, if I have any, to take part in wearing skirts all week long. It really is fun to be feminine! I can’t wait to mix and match and photograph my outfits this week and see all yours too!
Guess who’s feelin’ feminine,

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: 7 Days In A Dress, Amanda Dawn, Amanda Dixon, attractive, challenge, cute, Dos, Feelin' Feminine, feminine, For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life instead of being utterly destroyed., Jesus, John 3:16, Kristin, Lord, modesty, outfit, photograph, photos, pictures, pretty, Reese's, Savior, skirt, Spanish, Sweet Savior, The Faithful Fashionista, The Favorite Things Event