In The Waiting...

Joyful Mama!

Expectant big sister!

It seems like only yesterday, but alas...  Elijah is a month old already.  It seems like just yesterday, we were busying ourselves with gardens & chickens, trying to keep our mind (well, my mind anyways) on the simple realization that at any moment I was going to go into labor.  We experienced an amazing pregnancy.  I had back pain for a total of 3 days my whole pregnancy.  Blue Bonnett Liquid Cal Mag solved the leg cramping, screaming, jumping out of bed in the middle of the night problem.  I kept active and limber by weeding and planting our garden.  (The kids helped a ton!!!)  At my doctor's appointment when I was 39 weeks pregnant and it was 95 degrees out, I was as happy as a clam and all smiles.  I LOVE being pregnant!  And I LOVED this pregnancy.  On my due date, I was sure I was going to the hospital.  Instead, our well pump quit working.  "Well, I can't go into labor if I can't take a shower," I told myself indignantly.  Night would come and I prayed that I'd wait til morning.  "I'm just too tired!", I'd tell my Lord.  Days crept on.  The heat wave crept on.  I thanked the Lord for our air conditioner and for my hard working husband who set up a watering system so that our garden wouldn't die for lack of rain.  Friends called or emailed.  I started telling people immediately when I called them, that no, I was not in labor and yes, I was fine.  But I was growing restless.  I was enjoying getting the last minute things done, but I was ready to hold my baby in my arms.  D and I got so restless, that we finally prayed and said, "Yes, Lord, we can go into labor in the middle of the night."  Isn't it funny how in our prayers, we can say Lord, right before we direct GOD how to handle our situation.  Kind of an oxymoron. 

Daddy & his boy...  Kind of look alike, aye?

The day finally came when I awoke and I hoped that the contractions were real.  We went to our scheduled appointment.  Yup, we're on our way to the hospital.  This is my 8th baby.  We're in a hurry to get to the hospital these days.  God has His own way of doing things.  We didn't need to be in a hurry to get to the hospital.  I felt like a watched pot.  The nurse was a sweet heart.  We were all just expecting a little quicker labor.  But, God has His own way of doing things and this time around, He wanted me to relax and wait on Him.  I wish I could have seen the lesson while I was in the middle of it, but life is rarely that way.  Hind sight is 20/20 most times.  By the time labor was intense, I was just tired and hungry.  (no food during labor...  stupidest hospital policy EVER)  I'd been in the hospital for 10 hours and I wanted to be done.  I gave up.  I looked at my dear husband and cried.  "I am tired.  I am starving.  I can't do this.  I want drugs!"  Now, in the midst of the pain and exhaustion, I looked to my husband to sympathize and take it away.  Instead, he responded quite differently.  He reminded me how close we were to holding our baby.  He asked me to wait 8 minutes before getting drugs.  He recognized the signs of transition.  He took action and notified the nurse who called the doctor.  AND a short time later, at 11:37 p.m. on July 3rd, I was holding our newest blessing, Elijah John Czeslaw. 

Elijah at the beach!

When my strength had run out, when my eyes were fixed on my pain, when I could not think clearly, my husband came to my rescue.  He gave me his courage.  He gave me his strength.  He pointed me to the blessing that God had for us at the end of the road.  He was and is my hero.

Looking back, I am amazed at God's great mercy and grace on me.  God kept me strong during my pregnancy.  He protected this baby and knit him together, one cell at a time.  He allowed me to see and learn through this pregnancy and labor His great love for me and also that He really does know best, that He's got it all under control.  I can tell Him what I want, but I really can trust His will for me.  He just loves me that much. 

My new favorite verse is

Mark 5:36  Be not afraid.  Only Believe. 

Jesus said this right before he raise Jairus' daughter from the dead. 
How much of our lives can we apply that scripture to???
Every day.  All day.  In every situation.

Be blessed!
Daniel & Laura

I'm in LOVE!

Our Year in Review

The Zarzycki Family

 I have a confession to make...  I just sent out our "Christmas" cards on Friday.

I never actually expect to get them in the mail before Christmas.  I like to really think about our year, contemplate & reminisce.  Pray & ask God for direction for the coming year.  It is a sweet time for me AND a hard time.  

Time passes so quickly.  Our baby is 11 months old now and officially walking.  My oldest "baby" turned 18 a month ago. 

I'm so thankful that I am able to see my baby's first step, to see her smiling face when she wakes up from her nap.  I'm so thankful I wake up to Lukasz & Anya crawling into bed & not an alarm clock.  I'm so thankful that my husband gives me this gift of full time motherhood, full time wife duty & doesn't ask that I go & help him with financial support.  I'm so thankful that Kathryn comes to me with questions & trusts the answers Daddy & I give her.  I'm so thankful that I can remember the time, not so long ago, when I got up to an alarm clock, rushed everyone out the door, rushed to work, rushed home to feed everyone.  Plop into bed.  Do it all over again.  Because I can remember, I'm thankful even in the really hard times.

This past year was very hard.  The theme was "letting go".  Letting go of people so that God could take care of them.  Letting go of people who I thought were my closest friends, but when I couldn't "be there for them" because of my expanding family, they disappeared.  He is Lord.  He knows best.  He then blessed us with older friends that have been such an encouragement to us, surrogate parents & grandparents.  We love them dearly!

I hope you enjoy a little snippet into our lives.

February 2011

            I’m not sure how it got to be February already!  Last year was so full!  So full of the good, the bad & the ugly!  J 

"Yep, I'm cool, even with this orange hard hat on!"

           We celebrated Ryan’s 18^th birthday a month ago.  He has grown in so many ways this year!  God has changed him.  He went from being a child who hated to read to one that is hard to get away from his books.  He used to be really timid.  Now, he is bold about his faith in Jesus Christ.  I think he’s learning to enjoy the journey, to relax & live by faith.  He continues his apprenticeship with Daniel & homeschooling.

She is our sweet "Bella Bean"!

            Izabella Richelle was born on March 12^th.  From the moment of her birth, everyone has adored her, even those siblings that were a little jealous.  She is a beautiful, joyful, sweet little angel.  Her daddy is almost embarrassed by how much he goes “ga, ga” over her.  J 

          

Lukasz is our reserved one.

In May, Lukasz turned 4 years old.  He loves to be outside, working with the guys.  He loves to ride his bike, play with Izabella, read with anyone who will read to him & do puzzles.  He came up with our new little saying around the house.  He had a little bit of a hard time when Bella was born and would say he hated me.  It about broke my heart.  I prayed & asked God to fix it & that’s when Luke started saying that to me.  Even if we had a really bad morning, at naptime, he would say, “I like you and I love you, Mama.”  God is good.

           

She's our nature lover!

In July, Kathryn turned 14.  She is becoming a young woman right before our very eyes.  How did this happen?  She has become my right hand woman, but with her personality, she has to be reminded that she’s not the “queen bee” around here.  J  That’s my girl!  She loves to teach the younger kids & she was the one who canned most of our applesauce, peaches & tomatoes this year!

            In September, Daddy celebrated his birthday!  He has had another busy year working, Praise the Lord!  He also put together raised beds, put up a deer fence & cut down several trees to expand our garden.  We were blessed with a bountiful garden full of tomatoes, squash, corn, lettuce, kale & more.  His ministry is his family, as he says.  He stays busy mentoring our 7 children, teaching them to think for themselves & to really live for Christ.

            October is my birthday month.  Most of my year has been spent adjusting to having the 7^th, letting go of the “perfect laundry room” myth (I didn’t have a washing machine steadily for almost a month L), learning to balance all that God has for me to do & letting go of the things that are not TOP priority.  Mostly learning to follow the leading of the Lord & realizing that God doesn’t make sense to me sometimes.  But His life for me is abundant & I don’t have to understand.

 

Ha!  I'm not looking!

          Anya turned 3 the day after Thanksgiving.  She is our family greeter!  She smiles & says “hi” to everyone she sees.  She has told everyone that she is 3 now.  She hugs strangers & holds their hand.  She is a sweet little girl most of the time, but then there’s “Miss Crunchy Face”.   She is another go to girl, who has her own ideas on how things should be done.   

Look at that smile!

            Rosalie turned 12 in December.  She is a beautiful little lady.  She loves to smile & giggle & help Daddy with whatever project he has.  She just loves to help & please others.  She is still an avid reader & loves to help teach Anya’s Sunday School class. 

          

Gabe!  Not so reserved! :)

Gabriel turned 6 in December, as well.  He keeps me on my toes every hour of every day.  He’s a smart little man, learning to read, with little instruction from Mama, picks up math like nothin’ and loves to build and take things apart.  He is his father’s son.  He has decided that he’s going to be a carpenter & a preacher when he gets bigger & gave his first sermon to Anya & Luke the other day. 

            My new favorite quote is from Charlotte Mason,

            “Are my children learning enough?  That is the wrong question.  The question is, “What do they care about?  Who are they becoming?  These are the questions that matter most.”

            That’s a glimpse into our year, our lives, our children…  This year has really been one of tremendous joy & tremendous pain.  We are so thankful that we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, help us & carry us through.

As we have reminisced about our 2010 & are planning our 2011, we are eternally grateful for our God.  He came as a babe, lived a sinless life, died on a cross as payment for OUR sin, rose from the dead & now lives in heaven, preparing a place for us to come when we die.  But that’s not all.  He sent the Holy Spirit to live in each of us that accept His free gift, accept our need for a Savior, and accept that nothing that I do can take away my sin, NOTHING but the blood of Jesus. 

Praying for a blessed 2011 for you

from the Zarzycki Family!!!

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

Author Unknown

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor, Mrs. McJames, and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother had told her that if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then may I have your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then will you give me your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay, Honey. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that He can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing... God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

A note from Laura

I read this 5 years ago & have kept it. I ran across it the other day and just couldn't throw it away without sharing it. What a reminder of how Jesus is Lord & I need to be willing to let go of people & things that are not God's best for me. Maybe I should just let go instead of wrestling all night & ending up with a limp. :)

In His Grip,

Laura

I Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice, Honey

Our family went over to a sweet, older couple's house last Sunday. It was totally last minute. Both hubbies forgot to mention that we were stopping by after church. :) But it was so nice. We sat outside. The kids got to play & run & catch frogs. The women chatted & the men "discussed" the business at hand.

But one things sticks out in my mind & in my heart. We were talking about fathers & daughters. He said that he still calls his 1st born once a week, "just to hear your voice, honey." My first reaction was a little envious twinge. But my second & strongest was that sweet reminder that my Father in heaven just wants to hear my voice. Prayer, to me, is not a set of ritualistic words that I must say so that "God will hear me properly" and then He'll do what I say. What if I had the audacity to believe that I am the "one that Jesus loves."... He just wants to hear my voice??? I please Him??? Just like a Daddy I know, rushing in as soon as he hears his little girl fuss & saying, "Daddy's home. I've gotcha. Hi Izabella." That's how God feels about me, his daughter.

I used to have a bumper sticker that read, "I'm a princess because my Daddy is the King of Kings!"

^{I John 3-1} Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

^{Zephaniah 3: 14-17} Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

^{Hosea 3-14} Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

^{John 21-7} Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

In His Grip,
Laura