One of those days`

Ever have one of those days where you're adding domino's to the row, just waiting for them to fall?  With every domino added, you hold your breath hoping they don't all fall and crash to the ground?

Yep.  Today was one of those days.  I won't go into details, because I feel like the enemy would like me to pout about them and complain. 

What I am going to do is write tonight, so that I may help someone else along their road sometime.  Maybe just one person, but that is enough.

I am human, and have a hard time sometimes.  I'm sure my raging hormones in the 11th week of pregnancy didn't help my situation today.  Sometimes I feel as though a scab was ripped off and I'm bleeding the same wound over and over again.  What is up with that?  I wanna scream at myself, "Get over it Rachel!"

I know that not everyone I come in contact with knows Jesus, so it's not fair to blame their behavior.  I am responsible of my own choices and my own reactions.  I know that's why my purpose, to share Him with everyone that doesn't know him, is evident.  I also know that my Chazown is to help women find intentional Joy, every day, within every circumstance. 

So today, after a few (hormone induced) tears, I want to tell you this.

If you have had one of those days, know that God is in control.

He loves you. 

The enemy cannot steal the JOY within you.

You have purpose, and an intricate plan for your life.

Don't let the bad days, emotions, or mean people get you down. 

 2 Thessalonians 3:3   But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one

Zephaniah 3:17  The Lord your God is with you,  the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;  in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

 

And one of my all time favorites:

Jeremiah 29:11  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.

I'm going to go eat some chocolate ice cream now.  Have a fabulous night!

BIG NEWS!

That's right!  We are expecting Cobb baby #3!  We have waited a while for another blessing, and couldn't be more excited about it! 

Sorry that I've been MIA for a while, but I have been so sick with this pregnancy.  I mean, I was sick with the other two, but this baby sure has it out to get me! Wow! I am counting my blessings, because I know that it means my body is doing what it is supposed to do.  I'm counting the days (twelve) until I'm in my second trimester.  Hopefully the nausea will ease up a bit then.

On another note, please be praying with us for a healthy pregnancy.  My doctors said I'd never be able to have children again.  I had written a blog about this a couple years ago here.   If you would specifically pray for my platelets to stay normal during this pregnancy, it would be much appreciated.   Being in a new town, I have a new Doctor.  He is really wonderful and is going to keep a good eye on me.  I believe God answered our prayers and led me to him.  I'm so thankful about that!

Due to having another scheduled C-Section, we will probably have this baby the last week in March, but my Due date is April 7th, my Mom's birthday!  When I found out my due date, that made me so happy! 

Well, I guess that's our news for now!  We are all ELATED!

God is so good to us!

Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

One Year Later

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I've been thinking about this blog for a week.  I've been wondering what I should write, how I should write it, what I should say.  Today makes a year since we lost everything.  If you don't know our story, you can read it here. ( you can also click on the label "The Fire" in the right column to read our journey)

I sit here now and still don't know what I'm going to write.  There are so many things I want to say.

God is so good.  His mercies never cease.  It's hard to comprehend that it was a year ago today.  This time last year I was hanging out with my family, with no idea what was about to happen.  In some ways it seems like forever ago.  In some ways it feels like a week ago.  I don't think about the fire every day.  Seasons come and go, and in each new season we have had new reminders of what we lost.  I remember the first time it was cold outside, and I went back inside to get a jacket and realized I didn't have one.  I remember when we were packing for vacation and realized we didn't have swimming suits or flip flops.  We still look for things and then realize they aren't here anymore.

Time is a strange thing. 

In the midst of a trial, I know God is there.  We couldn't have made it without him.  I look back at the peace I had and know he had his arms around me.  After the trial, I can look back and see how we have overcome.  How He has overcome for us.  I see the affects of his power, his protection, his plan. My children have been healed from their nightmares and fears.  He has healed their little hearts.  Every now and then, they bring up something that was "burned in the fire" which gives us another reason to talk, once again, about how Great God is. 

I remember all the miraculous ways God provided for us this last year.  I think of the grief of loosing all our precious memories, but being so thankful.  I was overwhelmed with Thankfulness that our family walked out of that house and escaped the fires.  Thankful we could make new memories.  "Stuff" didn't have much meaning anymore, after we walked away with our lives.  Even if we had lost our lives in that fire, we know we would be living in eternity with him.  Because he spared our lives, we have a clearer vision for our future.
I sit here now and pray for all those other families who lost everything that day.  I wonder how those families that don't know the Lord made it.   Are their families still together?  Are they happy and restored?  I have been praying for them all year long, and somehow feel we are connected, but will probably never meet them.   These families make our mission clearer. 


The Cobb Family adventure will not be defined as a story of tragedy.  It will be defined as a story of Overcoming faith, and unending gratitude.  We are overcomers and will continue to move toward the plan and purpose He has for us.  We have a clearer vision for our future-- to tell others about Him and share His joy in every circumstance. We need to tell everyone about Him.  We need to tell them about the one who restores, the one who heals, the one whom Joy comes from.   There is hope in the cross.  There is hope through our Savior. 

I am filled with Joy today.

Joy-- that I am smack dab in the middle of God's purpose.

Joy-- that I have my family to make memories with.

Joy-- that comes from a new perspective on everything that we have, or do, or see.

Thank you for your prayers, texts, cards, emails, gifts, and friendships this past year.  We are so thankful for our family, church family, and friends. 

Thanks for following our Adventure.  We are happy to have you along for the ride.

( If you have instagram or twitter, you can follow our story with the hashtags:  #cobbfamilyadventure  and #lifeafterafire )

Purple People Eater

Monday night, my brother and his family were staying with us and the girls wanted to take a bath.  I put on Caroline’s Cast Cover and she got in the bath.  They played for a long time.  I wish I would have taken pictures of them in there, they were so cute!  When the bath was over, I made sure she was really dry before I took the Cast Cover off.  When I took it off, I immediately felt moisture.  My heart sunk.  For some unknown reason, her cast was soaking wet!  Tony tried to dry it off with a hair dryer as much as he could, but it was still wet.  We decided we would take her back to the doctor the next morning for them to take it off, as they had told us to do when they put it on. 

At 2am Caroline woke up screaming and crying for me.  She said her foot hurt and she couldn’t sleep.  For an hour, I tried to console her and gave her ibuprofen.  She eventually fell asleep.

She woke up crying in the morning at about 7:30 and saying she couldn’t walk.  She was crawling around on the floor.  I called the Orthopedic office to see what time they opened, and hoped to be there when they opened.  To my surprise, they were already open so we loaded the car and headed that way.  They took her cast off and this is what her foot looked like!

 Isn’t  it horrible? The skin had swollen to almost twice the size!  My heart was breaking before my eyes!  Her foot was so wrinkled and swollen, and she was in so much pain!  We let it dry out for about an hour and they re-casted it.  They asked her what color she wanted and she chose purple this time! 

 I sang the "flying purple people eater" song on the way home.  She thought I was making it up.  I still need to look up that song on the Internet so she can hear it. Ha!

The craziest part in all of this, is that her foot wasn’t casted right the first time!  We wouldn't have ever known had it not been soaked.  Her toes would probably not have healed.   She isn’t supposed to be able to move her toes and she could move them freely in the pink cast.  So, they fixed the cast to make it impossible for her to bend her toes, and off we went.  Praise the Lord for that sweet little blessing in disguise!

Things to pray for: 

·         *  Caroline’s foot to heal quickly and completely

·         *  When we go in to the doctor in August that she won’t need to be re-casted and her bones show  significant signs of healing.

·         *  That she can rest well at night, soundly, and peacefully.

·        *   For her to be pain free, while healing occurs!

We believe He is our healer and will make these things happen.  Thanks for taking this crazy journey with us.  Please pray with us.  We will keep you updated!

The Trip of A Lifetime (Part six)

Our second day to Disney Land was to Disney's California Adventure Park!  Here are the girls waiting for the tram to take us to the park!

 Tobin's reaction to seeing "CARS LAND"! He has seen previews on the CARS movies, and he said, "I've waited my whole life for this!"

 In line for his first ride in Cars Land

 The details in the Disney Parks amaze me!  They had radiator caps on the line posts!

 His reaction to seeing Mater!

 My parents, in front of the Cozy Cone Motel

 Radiator Springs!a

 Look at the tire topiaries! Ha!

 The girls FINALLY got to meet MINNIE MOUSE!

 It was super hot, but the rides were worth waiting in line for!

 Look in the last two rows for Uncle Collin, and Tony and Tobin!

 He was so proud when he got off his first real life Roller Coaster!

 Daddy, Mom, and Aunt Carol are in that car!

 Tobin was so excited to Meet Buzz and Woody!

 The girls wore themselves out and took over an hour nap in the strollers!

 We watched the bakers make Cars Bread!

 We ate some too!

 While the girls were sleeping, Tobin and I snuck away to ride some bumper cars in A Bugs Land

 The parade was full of all the Pixar Characters! It was truly amazing!

 See Ezra's peeking eyes?

 This employee was so sweet! Her name just happened to be Rachel!

 Tobin, just after riding the Radiator Springs ride.  It was the best ride I've ever been on! It was worth the whole trip!

 We found more hidden mickeys!

 The park at night was just as magical!

 We just had to get the kids their own Mickey Hat!

 Then, the trip home happened.... It was an absolute beautiful drive!

 We got to see the GRAND CANYON!

 This is where my parents met and fell in love.  Aren't they cute?

 Tobin got his first pocket knife here!

 We stayed the night in Flagstaff, AZ -- the town Collin was born in, then headed out early the next morning.

 A van full of 10 people makes lots of stops! 

We got home about 1am on that Saturday morning.  I was an amazing trip!  We have countless memories that we will never forget! Thanks for bearing with me during my vomit of photos! Ha!  Thanks Dad for giving us the opportunity to take this trip together.  Thanks Aunt Carol for letting us stay at, and somewhat destroy, your home! We miss you so much!