Listen.

April 10, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres9 Comments

Oh, the amazing things God has in store for you when you simply LISTEN.

As many of you know, I was raised a Protestant, in the Southern Baptist Church – if you don’t know this, please read this to get better acquainted with our story. Craig was born and bred a Catholic. Luckily, when God asked me to convert, I did so. He asked me at a time in my life when I had pulled away from Him, but through a beautiful friend and co-worker was becoming more and more drawn to the Lord. And the Roman Catholic Church was perfect for me. The routine, the beauty, the ceremony of it all. I found peace in Christ, and while I was oh so far from perfect and the person God was molding me to become, I saw so many changes occurring in my life.

As a child, we went to church every Sunday. We went to Sunday School every Sunday before “big church”. We went to Family Night on Wednesdays. I sang in church. We were very very very involved in church. And then, slowly, the older I got, the more I pulled away – and for the wrong reasons. I pulled away because of PEOPLE, not because of BELIEF. Instead of finding a new church home in college, I just didn’t go to church. Sure, I went with my parents when I visited, but really, I was only “there” – I wasn’t paying much attention.

Fast forward to late 2008-2009, and there I was, in church every Sunday, albeit alone. I began to sing with the choir. I attended Mass during the week occasionally. I had this desire to learn and to grow. My life was changing.

In 2011, God asked me to make a bigger change. He wanted me to stop choosing my own dates. He wanted me to let Him choose for me. He led me to Catholic Match. He chose my husband – and what an amazing choice He made (believe it or not! 🙂 )!

When we first got married, Craig & I were attending a parish in Dallas, Georgia. We really enjoyed the homilies (sermons), but there were some changes being made we didn’t agree with. We felt God calling us. We left that parish and ended up at St. Francis of Assisi in Cartersville, Georgia, where we instantly were welcomed with open arms! We were both immediately received into the choir, and I began to Lector. It was WONDERFUL to be involved again! It was WONDERFUL to have a church family!

As a little more time passed and we discovered the ‘reason’ we hadn’t yet conceived a child, I felt constantly compelled to do more. Seek Him more. Serve Him more. Pray more earnestly. Spend more time with Him. I continued to listen, and I kept feeling that we should attend a Protestant/Non-Denominational church, in addition to Catholic Mass. I kept brushing that thought aside. We were comfortable in our routine, and besides, Craig wouldn’t go to both services with me – would he?

After repeatedly having this feeling, I audibly told God, “If this is what you want, then you are going to have to help me out. You are going to have to work on my husband’s heart.”

A week or so later, I was driving home from work and I felt the Holy Spirit pulling me, “You need to go to Wednesday night church. Don’t you miss that??”

Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I did ‘miss that’! Hmm…Our friend, Julia, goes to church on Wednesday nights… I should ask her if I can tag along.

Lo’ and behold, that very night, Julia texted me…that maybe I should join her for church on Wednesday nights.

Did you just get chills?

I went, and I loved it! In the next few weeks, I continued to go, and then, I mentioned to Craig I would love for him to join me…and that maybe we could go on a Sunday too – in addition to Mass.

And he not only agreed, but appeared delighted and looked as if I had read his mind… Isn’t it interesting how God works? 🙂

And as we continued going to church all over the place 🙂 I felt God pulling at a familiar heartstring…One I remembered feeling a loooong time ago…but had been kind of silent for a little while. I felt God telling me I needed to minister. And the more I discerned that call, the more I knew He was calling me to minister to singles – an demographic I feel is often very much overlooked by the church. And this time, instead of running away, fast and furious, I listened. I heeded His words, and I realized that no matter how inadequate I am, HE IS NOT! And, through Him, I can do all things.

This blog is another example of listening. What began as a way to keep family updated morphed into a daily message. We felt called to turn this into more than a mushy family update, and make it an expression of our faith. We were cautioned by MANY that much of this information was TOO PERSONAL to share, but we responded with our hearts – This is what God asked of us, and we have to take this leap of faith.

I don’t love airing our personal PCOS/infertility details. It isn’t always comfortable to share of beliefs with the world. But God asked us to make this blog about more than just us, so we have, at whatever expense that may bring.

So, as is usual now, last night I met Julia for dinner and had my favorite Salmon with Garlic & Herbs from Chili’s (I cannot get enough!), and then, we drove to Full Turn Church for our Wednesday evening Praise & Worship, and message from Pastor Alan. We sit on the second row, right in the middle. Julia always apologizes for wanting to sit way up there, but I love it. I love sitting in the front of church. It’s a challenge to be less distracted and more attentive to God. As usual, the message was an awesome one. I felt the Holy Spirit on my heart the whole time – mainly about praying over my infertility, and praying for faith and guidance. I prayed and prayed and prayed. And then Pastor Alan stepped off the dais and came to stand right in front of me. And my heart was beating FAST.

He said he was going to pray over someone, and asked for the anointing oil. Then he began to speak about faith and that with God and your faith in Him there is NOTHING that is impossible. He works in the SUPERnatural, not under the natural law. He mentioned Sarai, Abraham’s barren wife, in the Bible. Physical laws told her there was NO WAY she was going to have a child. She was in her 90’s! And still, Pastor Alan was standing right in front of me.

He sought me out, and asked about our infertility (which he would never have known about were it not for our blog!); he said he knew I had the kind of tenacious faith required for God to work miracles, and he said he knew the Holy Spirit had led us to Full Turn Church…and he anointed my forehead with oil, and the entire church prayed over me for my infertility, for our faith, for our future baby.

People, you should have seen me crying, and poor Julia’s hand probably still hurts today – I was squeezing it so hard, as I shook like a leaf.

God is awesome, y’all.

Look how He led us when we listened. From darkness to light, from light to pure joy, from joy to satisfaction and searching, from sadness and depression to HOPE and GRACE and PURPOSE.

And we haven’t even embarked on how I will minister to singles, yet!

Matthew 19:26

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Really, give your life to Him and LISTEN with BOTH EARS when He speaks – and He will speak! He can take you where no one would ever have thought possible, and accomplish through you the IMPOSSIBLE – by man’s standards. It may seem silly, and it may feel uncomfortable, but He has a reason for everything.

We are blessed with Catholic Mass to have a solemn commune with the Lord; We follow that with a fervent praising, worshipping, learning and growing in God experience at Full Turn; Wednesday nights are another opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in faith and praise. And ~~hopefully~~ soon, I will be helping singles in our community stop and listen for guidance from our Lord and Savior all week long.

Truly, where would either Craig or I be if we had turned a deaf ear when He spoke?

In Him,

My Choice Monday

We Have A Winner!

February 24, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Good Morning Monday Folks!

As I mentioned on Friday, we had the pleasure of guest posting Saturday over at Footprints On My Heart, and we would love for you to visit and see this post for yourself! It includes pictures from our trip a year ago (Oh my goodness! It’s been that long?!?!) to Rome, and we think you’ll enjoy it.

In other news, WE HAVE A WINNER!!! The winner of our giveaway is Pamela James! Pamela, please e-mail me with your mailing information, and we’ll send your prize right over! Our runner-up was Beany Lefebvre, and don’t you worry – We have a gift for you, as well! 😉

And our product choice for this week…

…this glass water bottle by Ello! I personally have this very same water bottle and absolutely love it – It’s BPA-free, and dishwasher safe, plus at 22oz, I know I am drinking as much water as possible throughout the day! This little guy goes EVERYWHERE with me – Pure Barre, work, the gym, to the store, on a road trip… The silicone seal means the water stays fresh and the glass keeps it relatively cold. I keep on my nightstand for my 1-2/night ‘wake up in the middle of the night for water’, and have loved that my water is never warm and always tastes delicious! I’m not sure why but cold water tastes so much better in glass than in plastic…but maybe those are just my taste buds. 😉 Try this one for yourself! You won’t be sorry you made this purchase!

Prayer is our other ‘choice’ for the week! We have a LARGE prayer request list, and just ask that you pray for our intentions, as well as let us know how we can pray for you! Fill in the contact form below – It is 100% confidential, and just sends us an e-mail with your prayer requests so we can pray for you! All we ask in return is that you pray for our list too!

Go back

Your message has been sent

Here’s our list:

Pier’s minor surgery this Wednesday
Our dear friend’s mother, who has just been diagnosed with stomach cancer
Another dear friend whose father has just been diagnosed with lymphoma
The healing of a broken heart for someone oh so special to us
Safety in our travels this week
Healing, patience & understanding for all of those facing the pain of infertility
God’s guidance as we go throughout our days to make the choices we should
A couple very very close to us, for continued healing and miracles

Thank you, Jesus, for your healing & blessings!

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

Isaiah 40:31

“…but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Happy Monday! We look forward to your prayer requests flooding our inbox! Don’t forget to visit Footprints On My Heart to see our guest post!

All Our Love,

TTC Tuesday

Follow The Leader

February 11, 2014February 11, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

TTC Tuesday…While Craig’s most favorite “blogging day of the week” is Thirsty For Christ Thursday, it’s a toss-up for me between Tuesday and Thursday. Some people have asked why on earth we have chosen to share such an intimate facet of our marriage, and our answer is: we were led to. Believe me, I was not excited about sharing our pain with the world in the beginning…but I do feel God is using Craig & I to bring others to Him, and our pain of infertility is an invitation for many to get to know us.

When I was (finally) diagnosed with PCOS, it was a shocker…I didn’t know much about the disease and I was scared…but I was also glad to know what was behind our infertility. God took this rotten time and discovery in our lives to introduce us to some wonderful people who inspired us with their stories of infertility and both successful and unsuccessful outcomes, and He led us to where we needed to be – not to another doctor (although we found an awesome one – finally!) but to Him.

Winter Jam 2014 was out of this world amazing, and one of the awesome tidbits we gleaned from it is this: Many times, while singing a powerful song to the Lord, people lift up their arms in praise. As very conservative Catholic Christians, every time Craig and I have been in an event where this happens, I think we feel nervous…and like, maybe if we “participate” we’ll be doing it just to “fit in”… The preacher/speaker at Winter Jam told us this: Lifting up your arms to the Lord is not, and SHOULD not be about show. It is not about fitting in.

When children want to be picked up, what do they do?

How beautiful…It brought me to tears and to a realization of Christ as my true Heavenly Father. I was awestruck at the thought and lifted one arm up to the Lord, praying, “Please help us. We NEED you.” I didn’t feel embarrassed or out of place or nervous. I felt at home.

Psalm 107:19-21

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

Listen to that still, small voice of God. He will lead you to do incredible things you never imagined. He will lead you into situations that teach you and bless you. Reach out to the Lord, your FATHER, and allow Him to heal you and save you.

TTC Tuesday

Thank You, Jesus!

January 29, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Today’s post isn’t going to be too long, but I feel led to post this today. Sometimes, in the land of infertility, (and in life, in general) we complain, and sigh, and grumble constantly. But where is our faith?

Romans 5

5 We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.3 And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient.4 And this patience is proof that we are strong. And this proof gives us hope. 5 And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.

Craig & I, and some of those closest to us, have been the recipients of Jesus’ healing power through faith, patience, perseverance, & prayer. We have to get out of the mindset that the world is out to get us. God wants nothing but the very best for His children. So allow Him to bless you, to heal you.

Isaiah 1:19

19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

Isaiah 58:11

11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ask Him for healing, for help, for blessings, and then have faith, and THANK HIM for all you have and everything He will grant you.

Whether your cross to bear is infertility, disease, depression:

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Why spend the precious time God gave each of us on this Earth being sad and dejected? Have hope and faith and a thankful heart.

Today we are thanking the Lord for His healing and His promises. Thank you, Jesus, for all the many blessings and answered prayers.

Isaiah 40:31

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

When the doubt and the worry and the anxiousness start to overtake you, thank Him and continue thanking Him because our list of blessings never runs out – no matter how little we think we have.

Keep The Faith!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

With The Faith Of A Mustard Seed

January 23, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Good Morning & Welcome to Thirsty For Christ Thursday – Craig’s Favorite Day of The Blog Week!

Do you know how awesome that is? I was listening to “The Bible From 30,000 Feet” in the car on my way home this week – as I usually do, and Skip Heitzig mentioned to all the young women in his audience they should seek a God fearing man for a husband – first and foremost. I certainly prayed for one…and God blessed me so.well. God is GOOD, and by good, I mean unbelievably wonderful.

We have been telling you about the healing power of God we experienced at the service we went to almost a week ago, led by Joan Hunter, but I promised I would explain our encounter further today. Let me begin by sharing this quote from Kenneth Copeland:

The impossible. That’s what we experienced last Friday evening. Faith in Christ, & Jesus’ power – that was all it took for healing to occur. We all know the verse:

Luke 17:6

6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Do we believe that with all our heart and soul? Take a moment to meditate on that verse, and ask God for the faith of a mustard seed.

Craig & I entered A Call To Salvation church last Friday evening, and had no clue what to expect. Neither of us had ever been to this church, or to a healing service of any kind – Catholic, Protestant, or Non-Denominational. All we knew was that God led us to Joan Hunter’s book, and then to come to see her in the small town of Jefferson, Georgia. We just needed to be there.

The service began with some great worship music, and we were really able to set our hearts and minds in the right place. This is the song that touched both of us the most that night:

Oh, it gives me goosebumps to even talk about that evening. God was there. You could tangibly feel Him. After the worship music, we settled down to listen to Ms. Hunter speak a little bit about her ministry and some of the wonderful things God has used her for and done through her.

In her book, “Freedom Beyond Comprehension”, she writes, “Today, I am doing exactly what God has called me to do and ministering wherever He guides me to go. Every day is an exciting adventure. I love to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Wherever I go, the power of God goes with me as evidence that I am walking out His plan for me.”

And lay hands on the sick she did. Many were healed Friday night right in front of our eyes, in Jesus’ name. One woman was having issues with her rotator cuff and when she stretched out her arms, one was about 4 inches longer than the other. We watched as the shorter arm grew to meet the longer arm in amazement. But why were we so amazed? We serve the God who created the Heavens and the Earth, why would He not be able to heal His human creations?

The faith of the individuals present that night was, for the most part, astounding. An elderly woman hobbled to the front of the church, hunched over and stumbling. She had suffered five fractured disks in the past year. Jesus healed her. Right then and there. We watched as her spine straightened, and she bent forward to touch her toes. She thanked Jesus each time she bent and each time she thanked Him, the lower she was able to bend, until she was able to touch the floor!

I sat in tears, my heart overflowing with faith and love. What a wonderful God we serve.

When I went up to the front of the church at the end of the service, Ms. Hunter’s daughter, Melody, told me praying for babies is her favorite thing. It made me smile, and as she laid her hands on me and asked Christ to heal me from PCOS, to grant me a new right ovary (again, we did not specify to her which ovary was affected), and a new pancreas, this amazing, tingly warmth crept over my stomach. Jesus is healing me.

Thank you, Jesus.

Matthew 8:17

17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

(Note Isaiah’s role in that verse…Haven’t I told you the book of Isaiah has been popping up in all of our scripture study?! 🙂 )

Luke 7:1-10

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

7 After Jesus[a] had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” 6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

The second half of verse 6 (above) is one of my favorite parts of the Mass, and it is the epitome of the power of faith and Christ to heal us.

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

For further healing scripture, you can click here.

We will end today’s post with one final scripture. I’m going to be using this one as my ‘mantra’ if you will, and maybe you would be blessed by doing so, as well.

James 4:8

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Keep Him close to you, and He will heal you.

All Our Love,

My Choice Monday · TTC Tuesday

Devil, I’m Ignoring You!

January 21, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres7 Comments

Good Morning Everyone!

First, let me apologize we didn’t blog yesterday – I know ALL of you were just devastated not to have our “choices” for the week! Ha ha! Craig and I left the house earrrrly in the morning and were not home until laaaaate last night, so there wasn’t a chance for a good blog. But, have no fear – we did make two choices yesterday for you, so this will be a double post! 🙂

Yesterday, I took the day off work for Craig and I to make our first appointment at ACRM. We were so blessed with a knowledgeable, understanding, thorough care team, who highlighted a few issues with our current treatment program to begin with, and took steps to solve some problems from the get-go! What a breath of fresh air!!!

When we spoke with our new doctor about wanting to pursue options other than IUI and IVF, and about a new option, embryo adoption, we are exploring, she was ready with alternative ideas for us! And what began as a refreshing experience, turned into something absolutely praiseworthy!

You may remember we attended a Joan Hunter healing service in North Georgia on Friday evening. Ms. Hunter is a Christian woman with a healing ministry, traveling around the whole world, asking for people to have faith and understand WHO God is – how loving and powerful! (We are going to speak a little more about this on Thursday!) Craig and I prayed prior to going into the service that God would truly use Joan to bless us, and to show us why He had led us to this conference – which was completely out of our Catholic comfort zone. 🙂

At the end of the service, we asked that Ms. Hunter’s daughter, Melody, pray with us. She asked, in Jesus’ name, to heal me of PCOS, to give me a new ovary (she knew it was my right ovary, and we did not tell her this information…), and a new pancreas to handle my body’s insulin correctly. She asked God to please bless us with a child. As she placed her hands on me, and prayed for healing, I felt a warmth through my abdomen. I felt a peace. Craig and I truly felt the power of God that night. We both left feeling thankful and blessed beyond measure.

Yesterday, at our doctor’s appointment, they performed both an ultrasound and blood-work to check my estrogen levels – which are typically very elevated. There was no strand of cysts (as there usually is) on my right ovary – or my left, for that matter – and my bloodwork came back “perfectly normal” – and not normal PCOS, normal for normal women. Compare this to the previous ultrasounds and blood-work levels of this past 16 months, and the difference is marked. It truly does appear I have a new ovary and a new pancreas, regulating my insulin and thereby, my hormones.

This news was such a blessing yesterday, an affirmation of faith. I am not saying we will finally be blessed with a child tomorrow, or even this year, but God is healing me, and He will bless us with children in His time. We have faith.

To wrap up TTC Tuesday, I would like to share with you this post from “waiting for baby bird”: Devil, I’m Ignoring You!. It’s powerful, and beautiful, and if you are struggling with God’s timing and maintaining faith, it is a message straight from the Lord to you.

And now, let’s back up to My Choice Monday! 🙂

First, something fun – beer ice cream! While this is for “adults-only”, it is so delicious, and a perfectly sized dessert! Click here to see where you can find this yummy treat in your area!

And finally, while I have heard so many raves about White Barn Candle Company’s Marshmallow Fireside, when it came down to decision time, Craig & I fell in love with this scent over the other:

We don’t have a true fireplace – something that makes me a little sad during these ‘harsh Georgia winters’… 🙂 This candle provides a pleasant, homey, evening by the fireplace with a great book scent. Click on the candle for a GREAT price on this candle at Amazon!