Miracles

God is so amazing...sometimes the way He works just overwhelms me!
One morning I was praying, when I was pregnant with Noah, and God gave me this song and I wrote it down and haven't really looked at it again in a while. Then last week in prayer I felt God prompting me to look back through my journal and I came across these words again and immediately I felt God give me a melody for part of it! Once again, I got busy and haven't thought about it since last week. But, this morning while I was praying the song kept repeating itself in my head and I just wanted to share it and I hope it encourages someone else the way it has encouraged me...

Against all hope, in hope I believe
In the substance of things hoped for but can not be seen
clinging to the promises of God
not wavering in doubt
I am strengthened in my faith and give glory to my God

I am fully persuaded that my God has the power to do what He says He can do
I am fully persuaded that His promises are true

I believe that you are faithful
I believe that you are true
I believe that you are Holy
and I know that I love you

You have given me a miracle, you have heard my deepest cry
You have caught my every tear and given me my hearts desire
Through hard times. trials and pain
By faith i've not lost but gained
Your love and mercy overwhelm me
they flow so endlessly

I believe that you are faithful
I believe that you are true
I believe that you are Holy
and I know that I love you

My life and my time is in His hands
I submit to His will and I yield to His plan
You are not a man that you should lie
So I stand before you now and lift my voice in faith and cry

I believe that you are faithful
I believe that you are true
I believe that you are Holy
and I know that I love you


I know that in Gods perfect timing He will give me the melody for the rest of the song but right now I have what I need to get me through the trials facing me right now!
Last week Pastor Allen talked about miracles and finding hope in a hopeless, dead end situation and that is what I am doing! I am taking down my dead end sign and replacing it with hope! For I know that just like it says in Mark 4:22, God will reveal all things and everything that is hidden will eventually be brought to light! So I can't give up, I must have hope that relationships can be restored and pain can be forgiven and the past can be healed!

Another song really spoke to me this morning...an oldy but a goody...

You alone are my strength my shield
to you alone may my spirit yield
you alone are my hearts desire
and I long to worship you

God is a God of miracles and they are everywhere if you just take the time to take your eyes off the problems and focus on the many things we take for granted...it is a miracle that I am still married to the same man after 8 years, it is a miracle that I have a beautiful, healthy son, it is a miracle that we always have just enough to make ends meet each month, it is a miracle that the seasons change each year and the sun comes up each morning and I can breathe each breath I take! Thank you Jesus for coming and humbling yourself to live among us and for your grace and mercy that are new to me each morning! You are truly a God of miracles!

Long time

It has been a long time since I have written and I have missed it! Nate is on his first hunting trip since I have known him and it is 8 o'clock and i'm already in bed! HA! I'm a party animal!
I always want this blog to be about the reality of a "normal life" and so once again I am just going to "get real! "
I am having a hard time finding balance in my life! I know and believe that my priorities should be God, Nate, Noah and then friends...but this has not been the case! I feel like it's Noah, Noah, then a lil Nate and a lil God and no friends!
Over the last 3 years, while I was working at New Life Women's Center, my relationship with God grew so much...we had an hour of prayer every morning, I taught Bible studies all day, lead worship once a week; I was immersed in His word and His presence! Now I find it hard to even pray for 10 minutes without being intterupted !! Instead of listening to worship music, it's Blue's Clues and Baby Einstein music all day! I have been reading the same book for 3 months, much less finding the time to do a Bible study! I feel like I am going crazy!! AHHH!
Then, after taking care of Noah all day, I am so exhausted at night that I feel like I have nothing left to give to Nate! Running this photography business takes up all my spare time (when Noah's sleeping) during the day and I feel like all I ever talk to Nate about is the business and his new job which has been all consuming(NOT complaining, just stating the facts) and then my brain is mush!

I spend alot of time with my parents but as far as friends are concerned or a social life it's pretty much non-existent and I struggle with, is it fair for me to leave Noah to have girl time, is it selfish for me to want to leave Noah with Nate so I can go do something I want without them?!
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being a Mom and I love staying at home with him and I am so proud of Nate and our business and so thankful for all the business we've been doing I just need to find some balance!
I find myself being the person that I used to be; the person I have worked so hard to not be! Getting angry really easily and allowing it to fester instead of getting rid of it quickly and being quick to forgive! Being extremely controlling and having to always be right! I hate those things about myself!
But like everything else is life worth anything, you have to work at killing the flesh and being more Christlike and when all I do is take care of everybody else, and neglect my relationship God, then slowly but surely, the flesh creeps back in!

I want to be a good mom and I have waited so long to have Noah and he is such a blessing to me but am I really doing the right thing by him if I don't take care of myself and my relationships!??!!
Sooooo...I am already thinking about New Years Resolutions and I am going to find some balance in my life for 2011! I need more JESUS for sure! I miss the times I had with Him, He truly is my best friend, who is ever faithful no matter how much I neglect Him! He never leaves me or forsakes me! Thank you Jesus!

Nate is a wonderful man...not perfect, but wonderful! He deserves to have more of my heart instead of the leftovers! I know that the best thing I can do for Noah is to show him what a healthy marriage looks like...not just tell him, but live it out!
I miss my friends so much! I am going to get a social life again! Woo Hoo! I don't know how but I am going to make it a priority to get away without the boys and share my life with other women!
I also really miss singing, so starting in 2011 I am going to join the choir! Yes, it's a commitment of time and once again, i don't know how i'm going to make it all work, but if it's meant to be, God will make a way!
I know not everyone appreciates me airing my dirty laundry but i think it's important that people know that the facade of a perfect family, doesn't exist...Life is hard and messy and not always fun, but God is so good, and always pulls you through the hard times and the laughter in between makes it all bearable! Do Nate and I fight...sure we do...are there days that it all seems too overwhelming and I just want to give up...yep...do we make mistakes and hurt each other on a daily basis...probably...BUT do we truly love each other...absolutely...do I have joy in my heart...yes...am I blessed...abundantly!!!

This Christmas season, I am making a commitment to focus my heart where it should have been for a while now...not on the things that aren't right, not on the people that don't act right, not on the past, but on being thankful for all the blessings in my life, forgiving those that have hurt me, being the best me I can be for my family!
I just want to love on God, Nate and Noah and some girl friends that have been really neglected!
So thankful for all the people in my life, even the ones that stretch me and help me learn how to be the person God wants me to be! If God is for me, who can be against me! Amen!
I feel better already...it's amazing how writing it all out brings so much clarity perspective...even if only for me! Thanks for reading!

EVERYTHING CHANGES!!!!

Well, God works in mysterious ways! Sometimes that's an understatement! He is definitely teaching us that He is in control and if we only get out of the way, He wants to bless us abundantly...giving us our hearts desires! He is so good! As I wrote about a few months ago, Nate recently started a new job with Center-point, which was a blessing b/c he had been looking for a change for a long time, and the money was good so he was able to quit his second job so we had him back on weekends! So all was great and we were just getting adjusted to the new job and then God does something miraculous! There was a position that became available at the Ark church where we have been attending for 5 years that fell in Nate's lap and all has worked out as only God could have done! Once again, Nate will be changing jobs the end of this month and will be the systems administrator for the Ark and he is so excited! This is truly a dream job that will require alot of time and hard work but in an excellent environment and he will have tremendous opportunity to be stretched and to grow! Challenging but so rewarding and for eternal purposes! :) Praise God! It is so obvious that God's hand is in all of this because as the scripture says, On my own I can do nothing, but with God ALL things are possible!
I love our church and am so thankful that Nate will be able to work there...for those that are married...you understand that when a man loves his job, he is so much happier when he comes home and it makes a huge difference in your relationship! Nate has learned to be content with his other jobs but none of them have truly fulfilled him or been something he looked forward to each day! Ask and you shall receive...we have been praying for years that God would put Nate somewhere he would love to work and find purpose and fulfillment there and in His perfect timing he works all things together for the good of those who love Him! Thank you Jesus!
Now if He can just help me be flexible as everything changes AGAIN! :)


As for Noah...I can't believe he will be 6 months this weekend! I weighed him today and he weighs 16 lbs, 9 oz! He is so big! :)
We have gotten through the peas, squash, green beans and today we started carrots and so far so good! Next is sweet potatoes then fruits!

Here's a video of Noah and his Daddy! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uterlrsegOs

Going to Attascosita (sp?) this weekend to photograph my brother and his family! Haven't seen them in a while so looking forward to spending some time with them!

Baby food

Peas...check
Squash...check
2 veggies down, 2 more to go then we get to move on to fruits! :)
I am attempting to make my own baby food and so far so good! It is actually super easy! Noah wasn't sure about the peas...the first time he was soooo dramatic! He started gagging and spitting them out! HA! But then the next few times he got used to it and eats them no problem now! So today we tried the squash and no gagging but he wasn't thrilled! 2 more days of squash then we move on to green beans then sweet potatoes then fruit!

It's so much fun watching him grow and change each day! I just went through his closet and am finally washing all his 6-9 month clothes b/c he is quickly outgrowing most of his 3-6 months! He weighs 15 pds 9 oz. and I haven't measured him lately but I know he has gotten even longer! He has 2 teeth now and this part has not been fun! :( They really hurt him!

He is bouncing up a storm in his jumper! He loves it! He is almost sitting up on his own...he'll do it for about a minute then fall over! His core needs to get a little bit stronger and he'll be sitting totally on his own! We took Noah to the beach for the first time a week ago and he loved the water!
Then he passed out in his pack-n-play! :)


We have been super busy withe photo shoots but it is alot of fun! We are doing our good friends, the Nemec's, this Saturday and I am really looking forward to it! Well, thats an update on the Saffle's!

RIP Kitty

Tomorrow I will be taking Kitty to be put down and this is one of the hardest things I think I have ever had to do! I know to some it may seem silly...he's just a cat. And I know that putting things in perspective, it could be so much worse...I have a healthy son and husband! BUT...it is still so hard and hurts so bad!
We got Kitty when we had only been married 1 year and he was free in the Huntsville Wal-Mart parking lot! :) He has been apart of our family for 7 1/2 years and he was like our baby before Noah came along! He was so spoiled before Noah! He slept in the bed with us every night, ate on the table with us, got in the shower with us, you name it! He has always been so loving...he never hurt a soul and tolerated alot of abuse from our dogs that have come and gone! :(
I feel like it's my fault that he got sick b/c he was fine before we put him outside when Noah was born! Then, over the last 6 months, he stopped eating and drinking and lost almost 12 pds!
I wish I had all the money in the world so I could pay to have him treated but I just can't justify spending $600 just to get him tested and then if he has feline leukemia then there is nothing they can do for him anyway!
So, Kitty we love you and will miss you greatly! You were the best cat ever!

Everything Changes

So it's been a little while and I have been missing writing!
Noah is 5 months now and changing so much! He has started cutting his first tooth and is chewing on everything and drooling everywhere! He has been a little fussy but so far it hasn't seemed to hurt him too bad thank goodness!
He is still gaining weight on the formula and growing like a weed, he weighs 13 lbs 11 ounces and is 26 in long now!
He is such a big boy, he loves to hold his own bottle when he eats (already showing some independent stubbornness...I don't know where he gets that from!) He is also such a social little guy! He LOVES to be around people...the nursery at church, family, the store, friends, restaurants, he doesn't care who is there, as long as someone is there, unless of course it is someone new and he can't see me...then he freaks out!
I am just loving being a mom! It was really neat...yesterday in Pastor Allens sermon he preached on Hanna and having hope and hearing a word and grabbing hold of it and he used our story as an example....How I had had 2 miscarriages and was feeling hopeless but me and my Dad saw him after another sermon he had preached on Hannah (different message) and he told me that was for me and I was having a hard time grabbing hold but my Dad strongly said YES! That is for us and we are believing God for a child for them! That was probably less than a year before I found out I was pregnant with Noah and here he is! Just a reminder to never loose hope! Noah is my little miracle and such a blessing and I am so thankful that God keeps His promises...He is so faithful!
Nate is loving his new job! We are still adjusting to all the changes but I believe it was a good choice and better days are on their way! No more weekends for Nate! YEAH! We love having him home on the weekends now...we actually have something to look forward to now on Fridays! :)
My Mom decided to stay another week which we are happy about! We have loved having her back and I don't even want to think about her leaving again!
I finished reading the book Divine, by Karen Kingsbury and loved it! Now I am about to strart another book by her, but I can't remember the name now! More to come...
Also I watched the movie, The Last Song, and I must say, I hated it! The book is Soooooo much better and the movie didn't even begin to do it justice! :( So disappointing!
We had a visit from Nate's parents last weekend and Noah got spoiled by his Mimi but it was good to see them!
We have several photo shoots already booked for Sept, Oct, so check out our FB for more info Fall Family Photos. Also Nate is putting together some samples of Christmas cards we can make for you!
http://www.facebook.com/natephoto
So, that's whats new with us!
I hope everyone has a GREAT week! Keep your Hope!

Update

Noah went to the doctor on Monday and all is well! He gained almost 2 pds in 2 weeks being on the formula! He now weighs 13 pds!
We have started trying to get him to sleep through the night again and after a horrific night on Sunday night...last night he did great! I am still waking up to feed him once around 12:30 but then he is sleeping till 7! Yeah!
I am also trying to teach him healthy sleep habits, in other words, when I put him down for his naps I don't need to keep going back a million times to put the passi in and shush him! He has gotten spoiled! So the last few days, nap time has been a challenge! He screams and cries for almost an hour before he falls asleep! I think the longest he slept yesterday was 30 minutes until his evening nap he finally gave up and went to sleep good! it has been torture on me but I know it will be worth it once he figures it out that I am not going to come back in and give him what he wants and he will go down easy for his naps!
Nate has started his new job and is loving it! He has missed being outdoors and getting dirty and working with his hands...he said he feels manly again! lol! Whatever, as long as he is happy! He deserves to do something he enjoys after working a job he didn't enjoy for so long!
I am loving having my Mom here! She watched Noah for me so I could take a nap on Monday which was a lifesaver! Wish she wasn't leaving again! :(
Karen is coming over today...haven't seen her in almost 3 months! Can't wait! Nate's parents are coming down this weekend to see Mr. Noah so we are having lots of company but we are loving it! Hopefully Noah won't get too rotten! :)
Well, I probably won't have time to post again till next week so I hope everyone has a GREAT Labor Day! Nate gets Monday off, Yeah! We get to have a family day! :)

I also want to wish my brother and sister-in-law a Happy 9 year Anniversary! May God bless you with many many more happy years together! Love yall!