Noah Luke - 6 Months!

     I can hardly believe it has been 6 months...I haven't been blogging much and want to get better. I am not going to remember all the details of this journey and this is a way I can look back on it! Noah's story is special. But what little new life isn't!  When we found out we were having our first little baby boy, Matt and I had 2 names picked out, Jacob Matthew and Noah Luke. Obviously, our Jacob Matthew is 7 years old. When we were expecting Leah, we waiting to find out the sex of the baby. TORTURE! But in the end, I'm so glad we did. What an amazing thing to be laboring and waiting for the "It's A...."! So we had once again Noah Luke or Leah Hope.

 

     Matt and I had talked about another little one. I knew one more would be perfect, and I didn't want them too far apart. (Jacob is 7, and Leah is 4) So we had a nice gap. We talked about it and BAM! haha! Matt and our friend Jake had been in the North West Territory and the last day we had phone communication, I found out I was pregnant. I didn't want to spill it over the phone! So over that few weeks he was gone, I held it in...Kinda :) We had a girls trip in TN with a few of my Best Friends and could not hold that in! So, the kids and I made shirts for the big announcement once we picked them up at the airport. Jacob had a '#1", Leah had a "#2" and I had one on that said "Count our blessings...#3"! He said "ALL READY?!!" He is a Hadden after all!

 

    I was pretty sick, so I was leaning towards a girl. I gave Matt free range on the names. I wanted him to name this baby all on his Own. Of course, he still loved Noah Luke but had picked out Karis Joy, if we had another girl. Still love that name! Karis, means Grace. And we were in a HUGE life change and so dependent on God's Grace, it was beautiful name. A few weeks after Leah was born, I kept having dreams of a little boy, Noah.  I knew that one day we would have another boy but wouldn't dare admit it after just having a baby. I couldn't even think of that! Lol.  But of course, looking back, God was giving me a glimpse. All this time, when we were expecting our first son, we had Noah in mind. If only a name, but I know that God knew, and there was a reason that name was always on our minds.

 

     I know that God is blessing his children all the time. But blessing you with children, with life is such an amazing thing. When you understand the importance of shaping a human being, what a high, and often overwhelming calling.  I can't tell you how many times throughout the day I say to myself that " I love this life. I love my children..." Even in the trying times, In the exhausting times, in the times that test your character and self- control, let's be honest... you can't help but be thankful. I love being a mother, a parent, even when it hurts or is hard. It's so worth it. And I already get a little emotional when I think of the day they will be on their own. I know, I know. Matt and I have often joked that we will be empty nesters at like 45, since we got started so young, which will be amazing. After all, your "goal" is to raise young men and women, with Godly character, to be successful in life according to God's standards and not the worlds, to have healthy relationships, to Love Jesus and experience Him for themselves not because we "say so", but seriously, after being needed and depended on for 20+ years...there is surely going to be some adjusting. You must be laughing...all this spill because Noah is 6 months! hahaha! But it causes you to do some reflecting for sure. I have never been so emotional as I am as a mother. When it comes to my children and Christ, I'm just an emotional puddle. Maybe not openly, but leave me to my lonesome and it get's me every time!

 

  All that to say, I am in love with Jacob, Leah, and Noah. I am thrilled to the core to be their mother, and thankful to my husband who is a wonderful partner in this journey and MORE IN LOVE with him than ever. For those of you with children, you know this feeling. For those of you yet to have children, if I hear any of you are expecting soon...don't be afraid if I cry! Because I will rejoice with you to tears for sure. It is the most amazing thing in life outside of our relationship with Jesus and our husbands.

 

Gah....I'm not crying...or am I? :)

 

 

In celebration of this wonderful little Man who was made and known to God before he was formed in the womb, Happy 6 Months babe!

 

 Brother and sister lovin!

 Talkin....and drollin!

 

 

 

See that sweet new tooth??!! Show off :)

 

<3

 

March Update!

Hello Friends,

It is always a blessing when I sit down to write the newsletter and think of how many of you have lifted us up in prayer in the last month. The ministry God has us here for would not be as strong if it were not for you supporting us in so many ways and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I found out over the weekend that I have not been getting in emails to me if the sender was replying to an email I had sent. Another one of the little annoyances from the hacker that messed with my email back in January. I have the problem fixed now that I am aware of it, but if you have tried to reply to an email I sent I have not received any of them so please resend them, just know that I have not intentionally ignored you.

In Philippians 4, Paul talks about being in many different seasons knowing what it is like to be full or to be hungry, being down and discouraged or abounding in joy, out of this comes some well known verses, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and " My God shall supply all my need according to His riches and glory." Paul was busy with His calling

.

 

W

hen you are busy with God's calling and purpose there is not any place you would rather be. There might be places that sound easier or more desired from our own selfish hearts but in reality I know that I am exalting Jesus right here where He wants me to exalt Him and that is where my joy comes from, that is when my joy is fulfilled as John the baptist puts it in John 3. With that I know that I can do all things and bear all things through Christ who gives me strength and grace no matter the season of life I am in. Because it is out of a heart of being right where God wants me to be, planted next to the source of all good things I can know without a doubt that God will supply all of my needs according to His wealth and His glory.

I have been looking at finances in scripture and this is really the first point - knowing and believing that God is the source. I challenge you to think about where you are, are you close to the source?

Things here have been busy, Amanda has been teaching Jacob and Leah. Jacob is really coming along really well in his reading and Leah is doing well with her letters and numbers. Noah is full of giggles and is learning how to do his best at scooting and kicking. 

Rob and Michelle will be on the road for 6 weeks in NY and VA speaking at some churches out there continuing raising their support as well as visiting family. Mike will be out of town on the rd in KY for most of March so that will leave a lot of the church duties and services to us. Pray for their traveling safety. 

Our wood burning stove has been such a blessing, I don't know what we would do without it through this cold winter, but one thing we have learned is that when it is really windy (Which if you have been here you already know, is pretty frequently) we have had a hard time getting the smoke to draw up and when it gets real bad it will fill our entire little house with smoke, so if you have received a letter or something from us and it smells like a campfire, that is why. It gets really frustrating when you think you get all the smoke smell out and it happens again the next day. I have tried all kinds of things people have recommended to me with nothing working, until a couple of weeks ago I tried something different that a local guy told me about and it seems to be working pretty well right now so we will see how that does. We will have to wait for one of those nights that you feel like the roof is going to come off before we will know for sure.  

I ask you to pray for our church family here, life is hard on a reservation, it is even harder when you are surrounded by sin and there is warfare going on around you in your homes and at your schools constantly. There are a lot of hurting people around us, pray for grace to keep our eyes on Jesus.

If the Lord puts on your heart and you would like to know how you can help with some of our church families and some specific needs that are present in their homes (for example… we have a single mom who has not had running water in her home since the end of last summer) please feel free to ask, there are plenty of other needs to be shared.

Our food pantry has been really starting to take off, we have a lot more to grow and learn in that area but we are going to trust the Lord in how we operate and give according to His store house through His leading.

We had a family who lost their home and everything they own in a fire last week, praise the Lord we were able to bless them with a whole pickup load of blankets school supplies food and baby stuff. They have 6 young children please keep them in your prayers as the Lord is working in their lives through this devastation.

 

Just to keep you in the loop - if you, your sunday school class or church would like to help keep our pantry stocked with canned goods clothes and baby supplies, please let me know  and I might be able to further guide you in some ways to do that.

There is always needs in front of us as we expand our horizons.

As always your gifts and prayers are a beautiful aroma and a sweet smelling sacrifice to me and to the Lord. I thank you for all you do for us. May Jesus ever be exalted among people groups in SD, the USA, North America and all over the world. Lets continue to work at seeing Jesus come back full of majesty.

Learning to serve the Lord in all we do, 

Matt, Amanda, Jacob, Leah and Noah

Things to pray for on our behalf - 

Our serving families - Haddens, Brennans, McIntoshs, Tomkinsons,  Mauws, Martyns.

Sharps Corner Church

All the functions of camp as we are starting to get ready

Our teens here

Pantry to continue to flourish and be stocked

Continued support for the church and ministry here

That Jesus would be exalted in our home