Hope

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.For I am the Lord your God. Isa. 43:2–3

I love that verse. Unfortunately, it takes me back to early last winter when I wrote it on some large note cards and taped them up to the wall in my dad's transplant room in San Antonio (sigh). This season of grief is hard. So many thoughts, memories, emotions flooding me daily. Longing for just one more hug from my dad, one more phone call just to check in, one more laugh......I miss those things so much. I just want more. Pregnancy isn't helping. The rush of hormones that has taken over makes crying that much easier. This is only a season. Seasons change. They don't last. Even our favorite seasons. There is a season for everything under heaven. We hang on tight to our favorite ones, wishing they wouldn't go, and we cry out in desperation for the uncomfortable seasons to pass. They will.

I am loving this season of Eli walking, talking more, trying so hard to communicate verbally. It's precious and exhausting. But such a blessing. I have such a wonderful family and it's amazing for me to think that we will be together for eternity. I will have more! I will hug my dad again, I will hear him laugh...thank you Jesus for hope that does not disappoint!

Denver and ......!!

We spent last weekend in Denver with some great friends and their 2 kiddos. We had a blast. October is the BEST time to see Colorado!! The leaves are changing and it is beautiful!
This was one of our favorite hiking spots when we lived there. It's in the foothills, not far from our old home, just 20-30mins and you're in the mountains hiking next to a stream- so dreamy.
We borrowed their backpack and Eli loved it! It was chilly, but he was a champ. So of course the next big news is that I'm Pregnant!! Another little Hobson will be here late June! I can't keep secrets very well and we are feeling blessed and super excited to add to our family! God is good!!

Paradigm shift

Life isn’t about what we want or think we need. It’s about having open and humble hearts to receive what a loving God gives. He gives life and breath today and for that I am thankful. We are not promised tomorrow. Nor are we promised the answer to the questions of why?

“ Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?

Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

Truth

I love reading the Word. When I do, I find I am always challenged, refreshed, and at times comforted. After my Dad passed, (I hate thinking that, saying that, and writing that, so I will say “graduated” from here on out) I made it my goal to read through the entire bible. How can I say I’m a believer if I’ve never done that? If I’ve never read God’s entire word? He knew it so well. He had read through it several times and listened to it in the car several more times. His encouragement ALWAYS came from Truth. Always!! I miss that more than words can say.

I’ve started with the New Testament this time. Admittedly, the Old Testament takes perseverance and I don’t have any extra to spare right now.

So today I was reading in Acts about Paul and his ministry. His story amazes me. It proves that God’s plan WILL be accomplished and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Paul was persecuting new believers/followers of Christ after the resurrection and Jesus stopped him (literally, as he was traveling) and rocked his world. How can you see and hear Christ and not be changed? Paul then believed and took his story and the good news of Christ’s resurrection throughout much of Asia and some of Europe. As he was about to return to Jerusalem, a friend warned him not to go. He knew that Paul would be persecuted and imprisoned there, but Paul said, “I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Going on further to say how he would not be persuaded those gathered said, “The will of the Lord be done.”

For some reason that line struck a cord today. The will of the Lord be done.

At first I was burdened, thinking, what if God calls me to do something difficult like Paul and countless others through the centuries who have suffered for their faith. I really thought about that for a while. Okay. The will of the Lord be done. This is not my home. The only reason I’m here is because God has placed me here for Him. For His purpose. It’s so freeing when I actually stop and think about that. Should more illness or death come... The will of the Lord be done. Should blessing abound even more.... The will of the Lord be done. Soak that in. We have nothing to fear, The will of the Lord be done!!

Amazing Accident

To begin, here are some fun new pics of E! Playing in laundry, resting (for 0.5 seconds) and playing some more. Love it!

E and Dad getting ready to go out on a rainy day! We were so thankful for the rain last week! Loved it, fall is finally here!

As for my amazing accident, they are pictured above!! In the middle of making some chocolate chip cookies, I realized I was short 1 egg. Run to the store? No, sleeping baby. Neighbor? Nope, not home. Google? Yes!! I found that I could substitute 2 Tbs water and 1/2 tsp of baking power for an egg. I then remembered Michael wanted oatmeal choc chip cookies and I experimented by adding a little less flour and some oats and they turned out amazing!! Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside! I'm not a baker, so I must brag. To prove, I had to wipe the dust off my Kitchen Aid mixer (after dragging it out from the back of a bottom cabinet).

#Ask5for5

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5
Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you Amy and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps.

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.


p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today

Still learning toddler lessons

Our precious baby turned ONE today! And I learned a hard lesson. I looked at him today and felt this crazy, incredible love for him. I thought, how can my heart even know a love this deep and wide...my heart is overflowing. I tried to imagine how this is God’s love for us, His children. Wow. Too much. Then I had a little scare with E tonight. He got sick, fever, ect, had a little spell after bath that freaked me out- literally almost taking him to the ER. My better half, stopped me, calmed me down, and once I came back down to earth I reassessed Eli and realized he was ok. But man! It was scary. I kept thinking, what if some happens to MY baby. And you know how it can go after the fact, all the what ifs can flood your mind and I was beside myself. I couldn't’t even imagine living life without him. Is that really how God see’s us? Yes. He can’t imagine us not spending eternity with Him, the loving Father that has numbered every hair on our head. Wow. Too much. Then I realized, Eli isn't mine. He is the Father’s. And I am overwhelmingly thankful that I have been entrusted to be his mother, to raise a man who knows Jesus, trusts God, and serves others...still too much to think about at times. And that was my toddler lesson for today- he’s really not mine. When I am tempted to have a mom freak out moment, when my heart begins to race, like it did tonight, I have to trust that he is in the hands of a God who loves him more than I can imagine. He protects him. I do trust. I will trust. We prayed Psalm 91 over our sweet baby and he is resting, healing..I trust.

For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in ALL your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone...Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him...I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. Psalm 91: 11,12,14,15

***I had that verse engraved on a money clip when I was a child for my dad, he traveled a lot and I wanted the Lord to always keep him safe. I now have it again and can’t wait to give it to Eli some day...a treasure from his Papa.

Healing

Someone once told me that grief comes in waves, when it hits, you just have to hang on and ride it out (appropriate analogy considering this weekend’s storms). It’s true. Since my dad graduated (as a friend calls it) to his eternal home I miss him and think of him daily which brings me to tears now and then. Today, a wave hit me out of no where, as they often do. Who knew cleaning out your closet would do that?! I found one of my journals that I wrote in during my family’s vacation to Lake Powell last summer. It was our last trip with dad. It was his favorite place on earth. Thank you God for knowing what sweet memories would bless us before the difficult road that awaited us this past year! You guide us and bless us and most times we don’t even realize your hand at work.

At the end of my last journal entry of the trip I found this verse that brought me to tears today:

Psalm 73:23, Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is non upon the earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but my God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and goodness to fulfill his promises. He never left our side through it all, and we will ALL be received into glory, in His perfect timing. Lately, I have thought how it just doesn’t make sense that He should take dad so soon. But He knows why and I trust His plan, even when it’s not what I want. Dad’s flesh and heart did fail, as the verse says, and God was faithful to give him strength. Oh the strength he had was supernatural. Everyone who watched dad go through what he did, up close or from afar, could see how something was different in this man. He was strong, he was joyful, and truly had a peace beyond understanding because he trusted God. He knew whatever the outcome, it was right and that He was there. And now, he is enjoying the presence of his Father, Friend, Savior, and Creator who is his portion forever. My heart rejoices in that. That He will fill us, sustain us, comfort us, guide us, love us, save us....forever. It is so.

What it could have been!!!

That's a starbucks cup Amy, big deal!! Right, but you don't know is what it could have been. In a very weak moment I acted inappropriately and the story is as follows. Upon getting my receipt for my carmel macchiato, I asked the gentleman behind the counter if Pumpkin Spice Lattes (PSLs) were out yet. He replied, "actually, I have the mix right here, but I can't sell them until after Sept 5."

"Perfect!" I said, "because you just sold me a Carmel Macchiato, so why don't you make me a PSL?"

"Sorry ma'am, I can't." he says trying to look disappointed.

"Oh, that's right" I figured, "someone will know if it's opened."

He smirks.

"It's already opened isn't it?!" I exclaimed. "No one has to know."

By this time I have not only gained the attention of his fellow barista, but the few people sitting in the store are actually watching now.

"Sorry Ma'am, I can't." As he turns to walk away, finished hearing my pleas.

Over dramatized, maybe. But a PSL is fall in a cup, and I'm so ready for fall that I will take it any way I can get it, even if it's in a hot cup, in a hot car, when it's 110 outside.

Like I said, weak moment. I'm thankful no one is perfect.

Meltdowns have begun

"No, you can't play with the cord." Obviously he had other ideas as he protests on the floor, under a chair. At only 11 months it's amazing to watch him grow and develop his personality and his opinions, which he was demonstrating above. Love it! But that may change when he pulls his first "demonstration" in Target. We'll see!

So fun to watch him learn and figure things out. To me this picture says, "how can I get this crab to come off the page mom, I've pulled and pulled and he wont budge!" But really who knows what's going on in that amazing little brain...I often wish I knew!

Daddy and E cooking in the kitchen! I love being the sous chef every now and then :-) Thanks for a wonderful dinner!!

Why the narrow gate?

Because it's the only way to truly experience abundant life. Not a life free from storms, but a life free and fully lived in complete trust in the One who created you. Life is hard. Haven't we all said or thought that at some point. Losing a loved one, health issues, financial stress, relationship stress....and the list can go on. Those who enter the wide gate try the "do it yourself" approach, and end up unsatisfied, empty and aching to fill the void that only He can.

He followed the Way that leads to life and is still living free!!

My prayer is that he will too

How blessed am I?! I mean look at him! Both of them. I was blessed with 30 years to spend with a wonderful father (and a stud of a surfer I might add) and 11mo and counting with my little bear cub! We are so thankful!!

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, not let it be fearful." John 14:27

What? No pictures?!

Ok, here's my sweet little guy, who, might I add, feel asleep sitting up in his crib today. Yep, fighting his nap to the very last second!

Who has time for this?

That was my initial thought....a couple years ago when all this blogging, facebook, twitter stuff began. And a part of me still believes that after I have spent the past hour trying to figure out how to even create one these things. So why am I doing it? Simple. When I have time, during little one's naps (and maybe even a few late nights) it's a great way to document the life of our family to those (family and friends) who we have not had the opportunity to "catch up" with us in a while. I have been inspired by occasionally readings some of my dear friends blogs who I (sad to say) felt up to speed with after checking out a few posts. So here ya go loved ones, when you're wondering what the Hobson's are up to, check us out!! And no! I'm still not on facebook. If you see I've joined that, then you know I've really lost it!