Nattaya & Nathan Fanning

My First (of many) Blogs about Both our Children!

I just have to say again, I am so excited to be able to tell everyone that we have a SON!!! I have been thinking A LOT about how Natty and Nathan will get along, the different things we'll get to do, decorating, etc, etc, etc! As I was driving to work though and throughout the day, I have been thinking about Nathan's name.

Natty was orginally going to be Hannah, but as time progress, she did not 'feel' like a Hannah, whatever that means. I am so glad her name is Nattaya though. I think I put a lot into naming our children. I just like our children to know that they are a blessing, and want their name to reflect who they are and what we, as a family, believe in.

Natty's name is special to me because she was given my middle name. I was given my mom's middle name, and since Natty's our first daughter, I wanted to do the same. Natty's name - Nattaya - is Thai for wisdom (according to her Grandpa). I think it is so awesome that she will have this heritage to go with her the rest of her life. It is Tim and my hopes and prayers that Natty will grow in the wisdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Natty is already as smart as a whip. She is constantly picking up new things each day. I pray that the Lord would her the same kind of discernment for His Word, as her mind is already developing at an amazing speed.

Nathan's name is special, first because he is our first son. We haven't decided on a middle name YET, but I'll follow up once we do. This year has been challenging with the way the economy has been, the district cuts, and everyone's jobs up in the air. However, the one truth that has always remained constant is that God provides! Nathan means exaclty that, "God provides." God has not only provided us with Nathan, but He's provided a family, jobs, shelter, and food. Nathan is my reminder that God is always going to provide for us, no matter what. In the Old Testament, Nathan was a prophet who rebuked David of his sins, when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. I did some research on Nathan. Nathan not only served King David, but also King Solomon. Nathan was characterized as wise, a steadfast servant of God, and fearless. I know we still have a godo 4 1/2 months before Nathan makes his arrival, but I am already praying that our Nathan, that God's entrusted to us, would stand up for Christ and be fearless as Nathan, the prophet.

With Great Anticipation.......

...and tremendous joy, Tim and I are proud to 'announce' that God has given us a.....

SON!!!

 Pic #1 - In the top picture is a shot of baby's face.  Baby has its fist kind of in front of the eyes.  Below is a side-profile shot.

Pic #2 - The top picture is of his "parts."  He was a very modest boy and did not want to flash us or the technician at all.  The bottom picture is of him sucking his thumb (how precious!).

We are so excited, and so is Natty (in her own little way).  She definitely knows there's a 'baby' in Mommy's tummy and she knows how to be gentle.  She still loves giving my belly kisses and hugs.  She also likes to lay her head on my belly and say "baby!"  Hopefully she'll continue to want to love on baby when he makes his appearance in July.

Tim and I are still thinking of names, but his first name will definitely be Nathan.  I like that Nathan means "God provides...." Everyday Nathan is a constant reminder to me that God provides for us in so many different ways, and to be thankful.

We can't wait to see you in July Nathan!

Please Pray for Pastor Arthur's Family

We are saddened to here of the abrupt departure of one of our pastor's at Harvest. WE, however, find comfort in knowing he is rejoicing in Heaven, with our other loved ones who have gone ahead to meet our Lord before us.

Read about Pastor Arthur here.

In all of this, we remind ourselves that:

1. God's timing is perfect!

2. His thoughts are not our thoughts.

3. God always knows what's best.

4. God has a purpose and a plan.

Halfway There!

Thought it would be cool to update you guys on the developement of our miracle.  =)  Enjoy!

Our pregnancy: 20 weeks


See the big picture

How Our baby's growing:

Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She/He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her/his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her/his head to her/his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she/he's measured from head to toe.)



She/He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. She/He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her/his bowels, and you'll see it in her/his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Does Your Life Begin and End with God?

Happy Friday EVERYBODY!!!!!!

Friday, February 20, 2009




Alpha and Omega



"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."



— Revelation 1:8





There are some who follow Jesus because they want God to conform to their plans instead of them conforming to His.





Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is come into the world." Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to a mountain by Himself alone. (John 6:14–15)

They wanted to take Him by force and make Him the king. They saw the Messiah as a political liberator. They didn't understand that before He will come to reign as Lord of lords and King of kings and establish His kingdom, He would first suffer and die for the sins of humanity.



Sometimes people are that way with God today. They expect the Lord to conform to their conception of Him. They expect God to conform to their plans. They decide, and He is supposed to cooperate.



It doesn't work that way. He doesn't conform to your plans. You conform to His plans.



The only thing that is going to turn us around, conform us, is a change of heart, a spiritual awakening, and that can only happen through prayer and the proclamation of the gospel.



Jesus Christ is not a means to an end. He is the end. He is the all in all. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

Are You Signed Up for the Package Deal?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

More Bread, Please
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you."
— John 6:27

After Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5,000, He went across the Sea of Galilee. A crowd followed Him to the other side.

And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?" Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." (John 6:25–27)Jesus could see right through them. These people had no real interest in the supernatural. Nor did they really have a desire even to know Jesus Himself. They just wanted their food. They wanted Christianity without Christ.

People want forgiveness, but they don't want to repent. They want to go to heaven, they want to wear the crown, but they don't want to bear the cross.

But it's a package deal. You don't get to pick and choose the things that you like. You may think, "I want forgiveness. I want to know I'm going to heaven. But I still want to sin." No. It's not going to work.

You have to decide—do you just want bread, or do you want the Bread of Life?

From Pastor Greg Laurie's Devotion.

Do a self-check...What are your motives?

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Right Reason
Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
— Matthew 7:21

During His earthly ministry, Jesus faced the problem of people who would follow Him for the wrong reasons. He was constantly challenging them to count the cost and to make sure that their motives were right.

He wants us all to follow Him, but He wants us to do it for the right reasons.
To truly come to know God, I must come on His terms and not my own. I must do it His way and not mine.

It is not for me to pick and choose the commandments in the Bible that personally appeal to me or the attributes that I personally find interesting or appealing. It is for me to live life God's way or not to follow Him at all.

It is clear that there are many today who do not follow Him for the right reasons. Jesus taught that there would be those on judgment day who thought they were believers but really were not.
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus makes this radical statement, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
If you are primarily interested in what is cool or what is hip or what is socially acceptable, I need to tell you right now that following Jesus Christ probably won't work into your plans.
But if you are interested in what is right and what is the best way to spend your life, and if you are interested in the hope of heaven and a life with meaning, then there are no other options to choose from.