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Hippity Hoppity Easter Is On Its Way!

We are gearing up for Easter here at the “Robbins Nest”…it’s our first with “baby G”, and I couldn’t be more excited!

On the menu will be: food catered by my sister Katie Farrell, of Dashing Dish! We are deciding between a spring lunch like grilled shish-kabob skewers, rice pilaf, and greek salad…OR doing brunch with frittatas, gluten-free pancakes, and turkey bacon. Of course there will always be one of her famous fruit trifles for dessert!

For a fun treat, I am preparing adult Easter baskets with some of my favorite beauty products for the gals…and yummy chocolates for the boys (pictures to come, as I don’t want to spoil the surprise!)

Here is last year’s tablescape…I can’t wait to see what I create this year! (*If you know our family you know that I LOVE to entertain and decorate, but am a TERRIBLE cook…but my sister is actually famous for cooking! So between us three girls, we have the best holiday gatherings!)

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What are YOU doing for Easter? I would love to hear your plans below! Happy Easter from “The Robbins Nest” and our cutest little EB, baby G!

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Sources: I got the napkins, and napkin ring holders from Pier 1 last year!

We are in the home stretch…counting down the days until we meet our firstborn son, baby Gabriel…

These final days have been filled with so many emotions…excitement and exhaustion–anticipation and anxiety for what is to come.

And as I try as hard as I can to foresee into the future, the Lord continues to remind me to be still in this moment, and to recall his provision, and rest on his promises.

I am thankful. I had a truly supernatural pregnancy. Today was the last of my weekly checkins with my doctor (which by the way, if you are in the metro Detroit area, and need a good one, I have one of the best in the US! He made this pregnancy so peaceful for us, and works with most of our friends and families we trust)…and even our doctor said “you guys this was the closest you could get to a perfect pregnancy!”….it went without a hitch. But that didn’t surprise me–we believed for that. We prayed for that daily. And still my mind skips ahead to the labor/delivery/recovery…

Quickly my type A logical mind tends to stray away from all of the things that went well, and tries to quickly jump ahead to all of the things that “could” happen…”How will labor be?” “How quickly will I heal?” and “How in the world will this child eat every two hours?” and “Will I ever sleep again?” And each time that I tend to sway this way, I am reminded that Christ uses our “unknowns” to create a complete dependency on him, so we may KNOW HIM more.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says: ““My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.”Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.”

When we are weak, He is made strong in us…

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Sarah 39 Weeks – Pregnant With a Promise

 

One day, as I found myself frantically fearing the unknown (don’t judge…LOL…I was overly exhausted that day, and of course, my 9 month preggo hormones are raging)…I felt the Lord speak to my heart and say “Sarah, have I not provided for you so far? I need you to focus on me. Focus on now. Recall my provision. Stand on my promises. You’ve had the best pregnancy, and I’m not going to abandon you at the finish line.”

He reminded me of the story of the Israelites, who were journeying to their promise–the Promised Land. Although they knew the blessing was at the end of the journey, they would constantly block their blessing when they faced fear and the unknown….yet we see all the way from Exodus through Numbers the times the Lord provided for them, even in the midst of pressure (He parted the red seas, eradicated their greatest fear–the Egyptian army–before their very eyes, the manna that came down from heaven, he made bitter water sweet to drink. He faithfully provided in the midst of pressure. He never left them in their journey). Yet the Israelites always erred toward the fear of the future…forgetful of what the Lord had done up until this point. In fact when they got to the end of their journey, literally bordering the promised land, they sent spies into the land. 10 of 12 came back with a negative report. And instead of recalling God’s provision and standing on His promises, they believed the naysayers and most didn’t make it into the promised land because of their ultimate disobedience and lack of faith in the Lord. I thought “Lord, don’t let me be the Israelites! This child is a promise. You have been on the journey with me this far! You certainly won’t leave me now!” 

Immediately I knew that I had to get in a place of peace. I played worship music. I sat down with a notebook and pen. I began to recall all of the ways God provided for us throughout our lives. I wrote down every answered prayer.Then I wrote down his promises…. I wrote down scriptures I found in God’s word such as:

-He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Deuteronomy 31:6Amplified Bible (AMP)

6 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in dread before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”

-He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. 

Philippians 1:6Amplified Bible (AMP)

6 I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

-He has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 

2 Timothy 1:7Amplified Bible (AMP)

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

-My sleep will be sweet (and even baby Gabriel will be a sweet sleeper). 

Proverbs 3:24-26Amplified Bible (AMP)
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

-Gabriel will be a blessing, and not a burden (like many moms make motherhood feel for first-timers!)

Psalm 127:3-5Amplified Bible (AMP)

3Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.

God will continue to exponentially multiply and accelerate our business even while I am taking time to focus on loving my newborn (enlarging our borders, expanding our territory). 

1 Chronicles 4:9-10Amplified Bible (AMP)

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, and that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil so that it does not hurt me!” And God granted his request.

-We will have a Psalm 91 atmosphere in our home, and in the hospital. 

-We will have a supernatural delivery and recovery (just like our pregnancy)! 

You see, the world wants us focused on FEAR. And the Lord wants us focused on FAITH…complete reliance and dependence on the Lord. He wants us returning to the Word, speaking the Word, and believing the Word, because it will never return to us void. (Isaiah 55:11) He is faithful to watch over His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). If we believe that we were created in His image (which I do), then we must believe our words have creative power and therefore carry forth substance. After all, when He said “let there be light”…didn’t light follow? We MUST be seeking and speaking God’s Word.

What words are you speaking over your situation? Words of FEAR of FAITH? Both require the same amount of energy–belief in what we cannot see.

We all face fear in our life–fear of failure (in my case first time parenting)…fear of the unknown…but God’s perfect love casts out all fear.

Feeling uncertain about the unknown is not necessarily a bad thing (as long as you don’t remain in fear)–it’s simply a reminder that we need to stop being so self-reliant–and instead be completely reliant on God…the “unknowns” keep us seeking God’s peace and getting in His presence. Recalling his provision. Standing on his promises. 

Jesus loves you my friend. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’s brought you this far, and will not leave you now.

He is THE ONE who will stick closer than a brother. So cast all your cares upon Him, for He truly CARES for YOU!

XO, Sarah

If you know someone who is facing the “unknown”…send them the link to this post for encouragement. Have them write down every way that God has ever answered their prayers or provided for them. Then, have them write down at least one scripture verse to speak / pray about their situation. For example, If they are in need of healing…google “healing scriptures”. Find one that resonates the most and put it on a note card…and any time they face fear, have them speak it aloud. God’s word brings peace…and even better, God’s word is a promise and brings forth provision. It will not return to us void!

~* And if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or know someone who is, I recommend this book. It’s the ONLY thing I read (besides the word) during the past 9 months of pregnancy. It is full of stories of provision (miracles) of many momma’s,  including my pastor’s story. It is also full of promises (scriptures and prayer) to speak over your pregnancy journey.

~* One more thing–I shared how my baby started as a prayer, and how I had the most supernatural pregnancy in this post. ENJOY! XO

Hopefully I’ll be meeting my little “promise” this week! We appreciate your prayers for a safe–speedy–supernatural– delivery and recovery!

Baby Gabriel,

Oh, how we’ve waited for you. After 11 years of marriage, your daddy and I can already say “son, you were truly worth the wait”! You are our miracle. And to think…you started as a prayer…

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Earlier this year, your Grammy (Fairless) came to your Aunt Emily, Aunt Katie, and I and said “I am praying for a baby under the tree this Christmas!” We all kind of giggled–but to my surprise, I found out I was pregnant with you on my birthday–and that your exact due date would be Christmas Day! (We found out you were a boy on our 11th anniversary too…how cool is that?) Your Grammy’s prayers sure are powerful! Christmas baby!

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That’s how you got your name–I kept calling you my “Christmas angel”! One day, I felt the Lord speak to my heart: “Who was the Christmas angel?” I opened up the Bible to read the Christmas Story. The angel Gabriel was the “Christmas angel”–the angel who told of the most famous baby to ever be born on Christmas–Jesus.

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I want you to know how faithfully your daddy and I have prayed for you, and how we’ve spoken greatness over you. In fact, we prayed so carefully before we selected your name…because we know it will be the #1 thing “spoken over you” over the course of your lifetime. So we wanted you to have a name with strong meaning…and yours means “messenger of God”! We believe you will be a mighty man of God–who is a “doer” “seeker” and “SPEAKER” of God’s word! What a blessing you will be to so many people, including US!

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How we’ve prayed for you…many mommas-to-be download different apps on their phone to tell them about their baby-to-be’s journey. It details weekly what is happening to our bodies, but to yours as well. I chose not to read the part about me (as I wanted to “guard my heart” and “guard my mind” and not be fearful for what is to come). Instead, your daddy and I just prayed that I would have a “supernatural pregnancy”–easy, healthy, and good….and guess what? I didn’t get sick one time! You’ve been good to me my boy! Instead, we use the app to see what’s developing in your little body–and here is what we do…we PRAY FOR YOU! Every single detail…

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For example, when your brain was developing–not only did we pray that it would form and perform perfectly–we also prayed that you would have “the mind of Christ” – ” (1 Cor. 2:16) We believe our prayers, and spoken word over you are one of the greatest gifts we could give you now, and as you grow to be a mighty man of God!

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I’m anxiously awaiting the day I can hold you, and pray for you while you are in my arms–and you can hear the words of greatness that we will speak over you as we look into your beautiful (hopefully blue) eyes! I love your daddy with an unexplainable love–and I can only imagine how much I will love YOU!

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PS- get ready to laugh. A LOT. Your daddy makes me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY!

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We just can’t wait to meet you soon, my (Christmas) angel!

XOXOXO, your mommy (the first lady you’ll ever love!)

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Thank you to Jessica Gliesman for these beautiful maternity photos of me and “baby G”!

Click on the pics below to view the entire gallery=>

Nursery pics to come–be sure to SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEW BLOG to get notified about the full tour! <3

For now, here’s a “sneak peek”…

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PS- if you are a woman trying to get pregnant, or are pregnant and are praying for a healthy, happy pregnancy… prayer is POWERFUL. I recommend this book my pastor shared with me (the ONLY book I read about pregnancy!) I stand in prayer with you! XOXO