Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge

for us. Isaiah 43:1b Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 51:11 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Shelley, I am praying these verses for you. That you will delight to pour out your heart to the Lord. I pray that you will find times during the day to meditate on the word of God. I am so thankful to have you as a friend and as a model to my girls. You are truly a gifted musician and teacher. It is so wonderful to see you use those gifts to encourage others. Love, Pam

Shelley, My prayer for you is that you set your heart and eyes on God's perfect faithfulness to you: "The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season." Psalm 145:13-15 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation." Psalm 68:19

Shelley, "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 "So he supplies perfectly measured grace to meet the needs of the godly. For daily needs there is daily grace; for sudden needs, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace. God's grace is given wonderfully, but not wastefully, freely but not foolishly; bountifully but not blindly." -John Blanchard "O Lord, you will will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!" Psalm 40:11 ~Kate

A Mother's Sacrifice Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever. ~Betty Scott Stam

Meditations on a new baby Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy of all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in God's name, I will make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest! ~Elizabeth Prentiss

Work with Eternal Implications A mother . . . by her planning and industry night and day, by her willfulness of love, by her fidelity, she brings up her children. Do not read to me the campaigns of Caesar, and tell me nothing about Napoleon's wonderful exploits. For I tell you that, as God and the angels look down upon the silent history of that woman's administration, and upon those men-building processes which went on in her heart and mind through a score of years; nothing exterior, no outward development of

kingdoms, no empire-building, can compare with what mother has done. Nothing can compare in beauty, and wonder, and admirableness, and divinity itself, to the silent work in obscure dwellings of faithful women bringing their children to honor and virtue and piety. ~Henry Ward Beecher

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" - Phil 4:4 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13 " For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." - Ps. 139:13-16

"Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing." - Ps 145:13,16

I was reminded in prayer of these verses, and particularly of the image of the magi rejoicing when they saw the star of Bethlehem at Christ's birth. I felt that the Lord rejoices alongside your family at your daughter's new life, and I pray that she will bring unspeakable joy to your family. I pray that you will rest in God's plans for her, knowing that He lovingly formed her and knitted her together in your womb of His own will, and trust that God will care for and bless your family, opening His hands to provide for

your every need and desire. As she comes into the world, I pray that your daughter will be protected, sealed, and set apart by God, and that you will be given abundant wisdom, patience, and grace to raise all of your girls in the ways of the Lord. Congratulations, Shelley! I can't wait to meet her! Love, Alison

I think the verse I would like to share with you Shelley is the one that means much to me as a grandmother. It is found in Romans 12:12 'Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be faithful in prayer.' I rejoice that God has promises and plans for a child. I desire to be patient with a child's ability to be impatient, understanding of a child's limitations and imperfections as God is with mine... And of course for Mom daily prayer and studying his word will give us what we need for this and all the seasons of our life. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Isaiah 40:29 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ~Rhonda

Dear Miss Shelley, You have been a great piano teacher. You have taught me a lot of great piano stuff. I pray that your baby will come safely and that you can prepare for your baby. You have shown very much kindness and joy. Heres a verse for your baby.

[13] For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. [14] I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:13-14 ESV) Love, Jamie Dear Miss Shelley, I pray that God will show you His great love for you and your new baby girl. He rejoices over you with His love. God bless you. Love, Rose

Psalm 139:13-14 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are you works; my

soul knows it very well." Dear Miss Shelley, Thank you so much for teaching me piano lessons. God bless you and your baby girl. Love, Charis

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4 For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-10 Shelley, My prayer for you is to be comforted in knowing that God who made you alive in Christ, created you to do this good work that He has prepared for you of caring for your precious new baby. I pray that as you teach her about Gods love for her you would be speaking the very words of God, and that as you care for and serve her you would lean upon the perfect strength that God provides so that God may be praised throughout her life. I am rejoicing with you in this sweet blessing of yours! Love, Elizabeth

Zephaniah 3:14-19 "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD

has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth."

Dear Miss Shelley, I pray that God will show you His great love for you and your new baby girl. He rejoices over you with His love. God bless you. Love, Rose

Psalm 139:13-14 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's

womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are you works; my soul knows it very well." Dear Miss Shelley, Thank you so much for teaching me piano lessons. God bless you and your baby girl. Love, Charis