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God Said

Have you ever thought about the power and authority that God’s words carry? 

I teach 2nd grade Science, and we have focused a lot on the creation story.

 Genesis 1:3 says, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” 

Genesis 1:11: “Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them’; and it was so.”

Genesis 1:24: “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind’; and it was so.”

Psalm 33:8-9 : “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. God’s creative power is awesome! With His words, He created the universe and all living things.”

We see the Lord’s sovereignty through His words in Ezekiel when He makes a statement then declares that He is the Lord and what He says will come to pass. 

We see  this even in the New Testament when Jesus and His disciples were on a boat and caught in a wild storm. His disciples were trembling in fear. And what did Jesus do? He got up and spoke.

“He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Silence! Be still!’ The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39

Then for my favorite part of this story, the disciples’ response.

“And they were terrified and asked one another, ‘Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” Mark 4:41

I get the Holy Spirit chills as I share these verses. Our God does not have to move from His throne. He speaks, and it is done. He is a God of His word, and He holds all the authority. Even the wind and the sea obey Him. All creation must submit itself to the power of our God. There is no one like Him! 

I grew up in a Christian home, heard all these stories and Scriptures, and yet, sometimes, they just hit me in a new way. These verses have brought me a new wonder of who my God is. He is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. He holds all the power. I feel a sense of holy fear and also a sense of such peace as I think about this. God is all powerful which leads me to a sense of reverence towards Him. But also, in His power, I know that He is just and His heart is for us, which leads me to a sense of unexplainable peace as I submit myself to His authority. 

This is the God we serve. He speaks, and it is done. He is an awesome God. And as the song goes, “Our God is an awesome God He reigns from Heaven above with wisdom, power, and love, our God is an awesome God.”

Eyes on Jesus: My SCH Experience

I have gone back and forth so much on if I want to share this as it seems  personal and could be triggering for some women. Yet, as I was walking through this, I was searching for encouragement or miracle stories, and I couldn’t  find any. Some say that hematomas in pregnancy are very common, yet it doesn’t seem to be something that many talk about.  In sharing my experience, I pray it can bring hope to other women who may be walking through the same thing. 

For the past year I have been longing to be a momma. I prayed so much over my womb, I prayed over our future children’s lives that they would hunger and thirst for righteousness, over my pregnancy and delivery, I even prayed that I wouldn’t have horrible morning sickness. This summer my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I told her I wanted a baby. 

When we found out we were pregnant in September, I could hardly believe it! I was feeling a mix of, “Whoa Lord, thank you!” and “Is this really happening?!” 

I had some nausea and food aversions, but other than that, my symptoms were pretty manageable and I was able to keep moving my body as normal. Then around week 5 I started spotting off and on. After the spotting had turned to bleeding at week 9, we took a visit to the emergency room, where I was informed that I had a subchorionic hematoma (SCH) and was at risk of losing our baby.

I remember lying there in the emergency room bed with my anxious heart beating faster than ever as the doctor started my sonogram. When the doctor said, “There is your baby. Your baby is fine and healthy today.” She kept repeating, “today,” as if something may happen the next day. But I chose to ignore it.  I started to cry and said, “Thank you Lord. I prayed so much.” She paused for a second and said, “He heard your prayers.” 

As the doctor explained to me the risks that come with a SCH, she handed me my bloodwork results and sonogram pictures. When I looked down to see the words, “amenaza de aborto” (which translates to risk of miscarriage), I had to fight back the fear of what could happen. I told myself, Eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes up.

I was given work release and put on bed rest for 10 days. I was so relieved to know what was causing the bleeding so that I knew how to specifically pray. 

Proverbs 18:21 kept coming to my mind. It says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. I, of course, took the doctor’s advice and rested. But I also decided that I wouldn’t accept or dwell on the negative things that could happen to our baby. Instead, I kept my eyes on Jesus who is the ultimate healer and sustainer of life. I anointed my belly with oil and chose to speak life over myself and our little baby. 

I strongly believe that the Lord has given us authority. In fact, Proverbs 18:21 tells us that our tongues have authority. So I told that hematoma that it had to go and it was not welcome back in this pregnancy or in any future pregnancies.

Alan and I went to my next check up to hear the doctor explain that he couldn’t find the hematoma and it must be resolved. PRAISE THE LORD! 

I am now a little over 16 weeks pregnant. We just found out that we are going to have a little boy, and he is extremely healthy and active already. I just praise the Lord for his little life, and I pray that his life and story will draw others to Christ. 

God is good, people. He is too good. We must always keep our eyes on Him.

Christmas in the Dominican

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I think about when I was a little girl and there was so much built up excitement and anticipation for the Christmas season. Our family would go to my dad’s parents’ house every year. We would take an entire day to drive up to their house and gather with all of my dad’s family. All of us cousins would spend so much time making silly videos and laughing our heads off in the basement. Sometimes we would sneak up stairs for a little snack in the middle of the night, but our sneaking didn’t turn out so well as we would end up laughing so much that we would wake up grandma. We lived so far away from family, and so this was the most awaited time of the year for me. 

Now I live an ocean away from my family, and Alan and I only get to see them about once a year which just so happens to land around December. Christmas in the Dominican is a unique experience. Dominicans start decorating around October, so the special season seems to last a little longer than the month of December. There is a traditional dinner here called Noche Buena where families gather around AMAZING dishes and of course with the classic pork with lime. Alan’s mom makes the most fresh and tasty sangria. You will see pigs hanging up and down the roads as people prepare for Noche Buena. Noche Buena provides enough food for everyone to have “recalantao” or leftovers on Christmas Day so no one has to cook. And you cannot forget about the lights at the monument,theater, or the ayuntamiento. You must go experience the beautiful lights and creativity.

 

I love Christmas in the Dominican Republic. But I love it even more when I get to share all these traditions with my family. My family got to stay with us on Christmas day this year, so we were able to give them the whole Dominican experience. We shared the story of Christ’s birth to children from a ministry based out of our church. We visited an orphanage and got to provide snacks and love on the children there. We saw the lights and ate empanadas together. We played games while eating Christmas treats. We enjoyed an amazing Noche Buena dinner with Alan’s family and listened to Alan’s dad sing us songs that he had written. So many of my favorite things with all of my people. I love when my two worlds collide and I can share the place I love so much with the people I love so much. 

As Alan and I expect our baby boy, I think about all the American and Dominican traditions that I want to share with him. And I hope that we can celebrate with all of our family every year too.