Expecting a Blessing Baby Shower!!!

Ok.... by now you've realized that I usually over-estimate what I can do. I know I promised details about the baby shower days ago.... and I'm just now getting around to it. Last week was very busy at our house. Well, most weeks are but last week was more busy than normal. So, yesterday my hubby took 4 of our kids and headed to Atlanta to the annual Super Cross (thats dirt bike races for those of you who don't have red-neck boys). This gave me most of the day to catch up on all that had gotten behind last week. Here's a picture of my boys plus Lilly as they are headed out of the drive way for the races yesterday. Us girls tried talking Lilly into staying home with us, but she wasn't having it. She's a daddy's girl and he was so excited that she wanted to go with him more than stay with us.Now the laundry is caught up.... at our house that just means everyone does have a pair or two of clean underwear and a change of clothes. And, I feel like my head is almost above water so I can't wait to share about the baby shower.

Most of you know that I am part of a ministry that provides love and support to expecting mothers living at a transitional home here in Birmingham. We meet with the ladies every other week for encouragement, prayer time and Bible study. These girls have come to be some of my dearest friends. Initially we planned that they would stay with us for 6 weeks after their babies were born but that has been changed. We keep them as long as they will come back because we have fallen in love with these sweet mommas and babies. I love their open hearts and how they just want someone to believe in them and cheer them on. So, that's what we do..... myself and the other girls on the team, love on them , encourage them each week and claim God's promises over their lives and the lives of their babies. Our inspiration to them is straight from God's Word.

"Children are a heritage from the LORD." Psalm 127:3

Well, no one should have a baby and not have a baby shower..... so, we also host baby showers quarterly. Last week we honored 5 mommies and 6 babies (one mom is having twins) with a very special day of celebration. I was overwhelmed with God's goodness as I sat around the room eating cake with these ladies and thinking about how God has brought them from ashes to beauty. They are some of the most beautiful ladies in the world to me. I'm honored to call each one of these girls, my friend!

This is some of the girls and a few babies with Sonia, Heather and me.

This is three of the newest little blessings to be born lately. This works perfectly, because the three of us don't have to fight over who gets to hold a baby during class anymore. Are they precious or what?!!!!

We currently have about 10 girls in the ministry and each one got to invite a friend to join them for the shower. I was thrilled that we were able to provide this special day for them but the night before, I shared my dream for this baby shower with my always supportive hubby and asked him to pray with me. My dream is that we will be able to have a huge baby shower for our expecting moms BUT also be able to invite and provide food and cake for every lady at the center. Because you see, these girls are all family. They are in this together.... they cry together, they struggle together, they pray together, they grow spiritually together..... why not celebrate these babies together? The problem for us is.... that's 300 women!!! WOW! Well, on Friday I shared this dream with some dear friends of ours and they said, "plan on that happening at the very next baby shower..... we'll be happy to cover it". Is God amazing or what?!! He never stops blowing my mind at the generosity of His people. So I'm already gearing up for our spring shower! Can't wait to share it with you.

I'm almost done but I would love to show you the baskets that each mom received. You've never seen a bunch of preggo mommas in such tears of joy and thankfulness. Their hearts are so grateful.

Maggie was our helper for the day. When she is serving others, she is right where God created her to be and she loves it. She loved handing each mom their basket with their name on the tag knowing that each one had been prayed over.

Many of you provided the very items in these baskets and I want you to know how much we appreciate it. I wish you could have been there to see the tears streaming as each dear mom told us "thank you" over and over again. Each basket was overflowing and that just filled my heart with joy. I hope you notice the book in the front of each one. This is the Jesus Storybook Bible and it is one of our favorites at our house. We read from this almost daily. As we began this ministry and I was praying about God's purpose for it, He made one thing very clear. The gospel must go before everything else we do for these moms and babies. If we don't share the love of Jesus and the saving power that can come only from HIM, then we might as well give them an empty basket. Yes, I know, these baby essentials are important but nothing is as important as these babies coming to know the LORD as their Savior and Treasure of their lives.

Last of all, some of you are wondering..... how in the world did you leave this exciting celebration with a BABY?!!! Well, one mommy had meetings and then work all day the next day. Her baby boy also needed a check up and his shots to be able to go to day care..... so he came home with me so we could take him for his appointment the next day. We had him one night and two days and we were lost when we carried him home. We were all head over heels for this little guy. I plan on him returning often : ) Here he is snuggled up with Dallas right before we carried him home. I love this picture!

I owe a huge thank you to Heather and Sonia for all of their help putting this shower together. You two girls are such a blessing to me and our expecting friends!

Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Sunday of praise!