Testimony Tuesday - Vanessa

[As some of you may know, I have been getting together a few testimonies to share over the summer, I have decided to share one each week via Testimony Tuesday-- I hope you enjoy reading stories of how God has been working in the lives of these beautiful women and men of God-- If you would like your testimony to be shared please email me at breezy_218@hotmail.com]

Vanessa has been a close friend of mine ever since we met at Joy Bible Camp back when we were little girl campers.  I have been able to see this wonderful lady grow in the Lord, both through study of the Bible and learning from past experiences.  Vanessa is one of the few ladies I know who truly embodies a quiet and thankful soul.  So enough of my talk- meet Vanessa:)

A few girls from camp--Vanessa is second from the right

At the age of three years old before bedtime .. I prayed with my parents to ask God into my heart. My mother has always been my best friend and (more importantly) my inspiration to live closer to God because she takes hardships in life and allows God to take control of them. This is something I have struggled with all of my life.

About 8 years ago now (2007) when I was in grade seven my mother took ill. She was too weak to get out of bed unless it was for doctors appointments. She was in too much pain to eat or drink or even sleep. Through what felt like 1000's of tests after about 6months .. A doctor revealed to us that they found a lump that could potentially be cancerous.

Watching my mother and best friend go through that kind of pain left me feeling helpless and alone and because of that I fell into a deep depression and turned to self- harm which I believed made me feel better at the time.

It wasnt until I went to a weekend retreat at the alter call that I opened my eyes and realized what I was doing was wrong. I dropped to my knees and surrendered all to God. I appologized for trying to "fix" things MY way and re-commited my life to Him. As tears were streaming down my face in that moment alone between myself and the Lord, I felt a burden lifted off of me and felt physically lighter.

Throughout the days/months that she was sick SEVERAL people were praying individually and in prayer groups for moms healing. What I consider to be God's miracle, she gradually started getting better and what was first pre-diagnosed as cancer was never confirmed. To this day she is still with us and that has taught me to never underestimate the power of prayer.

At age 17 I celebrated my love and Faith in God by being baptized in front of friends that feel more like brothers and sisters(bre being one of them! =]) to me at an AMAZING Godly camp that feels more like a home as both have shaped me in my Christian walk after 12 years! The verse that relates most to me and my walk with the Lord is as follows:

Deuteronomy 31:8:

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you: He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; Do not be discouraged."

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Painful Anticipation

Have you ever known something painful was going to happen to you- so much so that you anticipate the pain over and over again? 

For me, it's needles.  If I know I am getting a needle I worry about it for a long time, and it makes the actual getting of the needle so much more stressful and worse for me.  Another example: this whole labour thing- I find myself watching those TLC shows... making the thought so much worse than it needs to be.

Wes and I were talking about this yesterday after church-  Do you think Jesus had these same thoughts?  He knew he would be killed by one of the most painful deaths there are his whole life.  Knowing that he was fully human and fully God, we were talking about whether or not he would anticipate the pain as we found most humans do. 

But here is the thing.  After the pain, there is joy.  After the needle, I am healthy.  After the labour, we will have a beautiful baby (boy or girl- not sure yet). 

But Jesus knew the greatest joy, having his children come back to him.  He knew this sacrifice was the only way that we would be able to spend eternity with him.  And through his completely unselfish act, he went through all the pain that came with his death for us... for you... for me.

I think the fact that Jesus was fully human and fully God is so amazing.  He knew the pain that awaited him yet loved us that much to endure it.  Now it's our part to decide whether we will accept his gift to us or not.

First Visit

On the more positive side of things- I had my first prenatal visit yesterday!  

I am in good health and everything is running smoothly. 

I found out I was 12.5 weeks pregnant (compared to the 12 I thought)

They took blood- alot of blood (the nurse laughed at me because I was shaking- yes I am still terrified of needles and the thought of them)

We have our first ultrasound in a bit over a week! (Hopefully we will see a beautiful baby and the heartbeat!)

Pray guys- keep praying for Wes and I as we go into this new part of our lives-  I cannot wait to be a parent (though I am not going to lie I am terrified of the labour part)

We Are Excited!

I would just like to clarify.  Wes and I are excited to be parents- we are even more than excited!

So why do I say this?  Well, maybe it is just my luck, but I feel that when dealing with the doctors so far, it tends to be sympathetic looks more than excited. 

Example:
The first doctor we visit back in May to tell us that we were truly pregnant made sure to tell me that "being pregnant is not a disease- it is not contageous"... I was in shock... yes, I know it's not a disease... thank you for clarifying? 

Since then, for each doctor we have seen, each has a piece of advice for me.  But each one concurs that we must not be excited for this baby, due to the fact we are young. 

Sorry for a rant, but I just wanted to let everybody know that we are so excited and we cannot wait to meet Baby Marshall!

Frugal Dates

[Don't forget about the opportunity to share your testimony!]

Wes and I love to spend our Saturday afternoons with each other on a "date night" (or in our case afternoon).  Due to the fact that we are both young, I'm in school, and we have a baby on the way- we have had to make these dates more on the cheap side (though I must say they are just as great). 

Here are some ideas we have done (I would love any more ideas as well!):

• Hikes
• Wes and I love hiking and walking down trails.  We are currently checking out the local waterfalls and trails (they are plentiful!)
• Beach Days
• Now that summer is here, we find ourselves at the beach quite a bit-- it's free, fun and cools you off
• Movie Nights
• Wes and I love renting movies (or watching them on Netflix)- we try to make it so one of us picks it and the next time the other gets to pick (how else would I get him to watch my chick-flicks?)
• If you want to go out for a movie- get a SCENE card (I know... sounds like another commercial) but seriously, the points add up quickly- that or look for coupons on cereal boxes
• Drives
• This may not be the longest date, but we find we talk alot while driving around.  Since Wes is a bricklayer, and I grew up in a family full of bricklayers, we love to look at the houses and make up our dream house
• Mall
• This could end up being a cheap date- or could backfire-  Set a budget and spend a few hours shopping (and not going over the budget)
• Card Games
• I grew up loving card and board games, and every now and again we pick out a few games and play them:)
• Festivals
• During the summer, there are little festivals everywhere!  Look in a local newspaper for one and check it out:)
• Skiing/Snowboarding
• Yes, this winter this option may not be doable due to the pregnancy but Wes and I love to get away for the day to snowboard and ski (Wes=snowboard Bre=Ski).  If you are a student like myself, there are often good deals for certain days:)

This being said, it never hurts to go a little more out there now and again.  We love going away for weekends (Winter Retreat Weekends, Cottage Weekends, Spend nights at a nice hotel), but we just have to make sure it is an occasional thing. 


How do you save money when planning your date nights?