Testing 1,2,3

Okay- so we are wondering who actually reads this blog? Please leave us a comment and let us know you're out there. Our purpose with this blog is to stay connected with friends and family, but we aren't sure how successful it is (Becky, you can disregard this b/c you always give us feedback - thanks :) Anyway, here are some pictures of the baby's room. We can't paint so it is still kind of plain, but we plan to at least put up a border. Anyone know how to do that in a way that is temporary and will easily come off? We pretty much have everything we need- now we are just waiting on the baby LOL

We have a few classes coming up- so I'm excited about that. We are taking a birthing class at a local hospital this Sat. Then I have a breastfeeding class next Tuesday and we have a natural birthing class on June 6th. I will be 36 weeks on May 27th and it is pretty much safe for the baby to come anytime after that. Yay! I'm very ready to be done and have this little guy here. My last day at work is June 12th and I'm not going back. At this point, my plan is to take the summer and just focus on learning to be a mom and getting to know the baby. After that, I will work part time for the church taking care of a lot of administrative tasks that need to be a priority. This will allow me complete flexibility with quite a bit of work I can do from home and it will be nice for me to give more time and energy to the church. From there, we'll see. Eventually, when the baby is older I would like to go back to school social work at least part time. I'm just leaving it all in God's hands since He's been handling things really well so far :)

I'm feeling good some days and bad others. Jermale remains very helpful and caring, but I think he too is ready for me to not be pregnant anymore. Still, we know an infant will be a whole new set of joys and challenges. Jermale is getting more comfortable at Lamar and enjoying it more. Thie church is busy and we still need more people to step up and help in certain areas, but we are making progress and God is blessing Impact.

That's about it for now. Leave us comments we miss all of you!!!!!

Love,

~The Eddies

On Being Pregnant...

Things I don't Like:

• The 1st trimester in general


• Being tired (I know it is nothing compared to what it will be with an infant though)


• Getting up to pee at night and having to go seemingly every 15 minutes during the day
  
• Painful kicks in the ribs and punches in the bladder


• Having an upset/unsettled stomach often


• Being overly emotional and irrational at times


• Acknowledging that I can no longer paint my own toenails (Seriously, I broke out in a sweat last week trying to do this. It will have to be a new job for Jermale)


• Getting winded from grocery shopping
  
• Dropping things, which happens a lot for some reason (and trying to bend over and pick things up is even worse)


• Running in to doorways (this usually happens at work-my equilibrium is off I guess)


• Being mean to Jermale (I really try to control myself, but I know he gets the worst of my mood swings)


• Having this experience and being far away from family and most friends


• Baby brain (this causes me to be forgetful at times, unproductive at work and obsessive at home all because I constantly think about the baby and all things related to him)


• Struggling to shave my legs (this will likely be another new task for Jermale)


• Being hot (I shouldn’t complain too much since I have historically always been cold, but it is pretty bad sometimes and the Texas weather doesn’t help!)


• Being uncomfortable in a general sense that is hard to describe


• Facing the unknown (I’m a planner- labor, delivery, infant care, parenthood- you can only plan so much and I’ll have to learn to go with the flow)

Things I don't Mind:

• Gaining weight (I have been blessed to have a slow and steady weight gain that has centralized in my belly. I have a month and a half left and have gained 17lbs so far)


• Strangers touching my belly (I’ve always been intrigued by baby bellies and I don’t mind people having a little rub)


• Baby hiccups (not the most fun thing I ever felt, but kind of cute and not a problem)


• Eating frequent snacks (I was already a snacker so this was easy to kick up a notch)


• Working (if I wasn't working my days would go so much slower and I'd be a big blob who did nothing all day except eat, make lists and watch episodes of a baby story and bringing home baby on TLC)


• Maternity clothes ( I have found a way to make a lot of my normal, flowy clothes continue to work and the maternity stuff I have isn’t bad)

Things I like:

• The amazing anticipation (waiting for this baby is like no other anticipation I have ever felt)


• Baby movement (I’ll never forget the first tiny pulse, tug kind of feeling I had at 17 weeks. Ever since then it has been so cool for the movements to change and get stronger and more distinct. It is so cool)


• Hearing the heartbeat (I love it every time and it was especially important to me before I could feel him move. Very reassuring)


• How Jermale randomly rubs my belly and talks to the baby (So precious)


• SHOPPING! (I have more fun buying things for the baby than I do for myself)


• Instant friends (It’s crazy how people just randomly talk to you like they’ve known you forever when you have a baby belly. I have heard the question “when are you due?” from every type of person you can imagine)


• Getting the room ready (the more things we get done in the room the more real it seems)


• Not having a monthly cycle! (Need I say more-fabulous!)


• The fact that I never threw up or had heartburn (what a blessing)


• My belly - and pictures of it. (Yes, it is a bit bothersome at times, but for the most part I love my belly and have enjoyed all the growth)


• My birth center (I have never had a hospital birth, but so far I have truly appreciated my experience at the birth center with the midwives and doulas)


• Eating ice cream (it’s really the only real “craving” I have so I let myself indulge pretty frequently)


• Going to Jason's Deli with Jermale after prenatal appointments (it has become a fun tradition)


• Reading, watching videos, and taking classes (Yes, I have discovered I’m an info. junky when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. I can’t get enough)


• Ultrasounds (I only had one so far and it was so amazing. I will have one more at the end of May and I’m looking forward to it)


• Reading to the baby and playing music for him (bonding moments)


• Loving Jermale in a new way (I think back to the day I met Jermale as a new staff member at Calvin College. I was a junior. Little did I know when I shook his hand that he would later become my best friend, my husband and the father of my children. With each step I love him more)


• Loving the baby (it is almost insane how much you can love a tiny person you’ve never really met, but I’m already head over heels for this little guy)


• Seeing God's perfect plan unfold (If we had it our way, we probably wouldn’t have had a baby at this exact time, but God knows best and has worked out every last detail showing us that He is in control and confirming that this life was always meant to be and meant to be right now. I am humbled, amazed and thankful)
  

Here is the whole album of belly pictures my cousin took :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2570479&id=2247339&l=40b89113b2

~Anissa

Back In Texas...

We know that it has been a while since the last time that we wrote a new blog, but what can we say…life is busy! It is now between 70-75 degrees when we leave for work every morning, but hurricane season is about 5 weeks away. We are obviously back in Texas trying to get things back to normal in our lives. The church (Impact United Methodist Church) is now having weekly worship services. It seems like every time we turn around, it’s Sunday again. We have been averaging about 45 people per Sunday. We are looking to get out into the community of Port Arthur on this Saturday for “Prayer Walks.” This will be a time of walking around and scouting out the community for prayer needs, as well as shaking hands w/ and talking to community residents. While doing this and passing out flyers, it is our hope that we might inspire someone to come and give Impact a try. I really want to increase membership so that we can have more volunteers around the church. Now that I am working full-time at Lamar University, I am not as accessible as I was before. I am also excited to get some more ministries going.

As for 4:12, the name of my Student Ministry, taken from 1 Timothy 4:12 (Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity), things are moving slowly. I finally finished painting the Student Ministry room after 3 weeks. We had one meeting a few weeks ago, with a nice turn out, but I have only seen 2-3 of those students at church since then. I do know that the college students do not have a ride to church (I remember how that used to be). I am praying that God will bless us with a van and a driver, as well as young families. I do believe that God will use us this Saturday to bless the community in which we will be walking. Please keep us in your prayers.

On a more personal note, Anissa is doing well with the pregnancy. Baby Eddie is kicking really hard EVERY DAY all the time. I think he is working out in there so that he is ready for his world premier in June. My workout/office is now the baby’s room. It is looking more and more like a nursery. Anissa is doing a fine decoration job, even though she did not want the baby comforter set that I picked out. I tell you what, this baby is going to be on a 6 month probation to prove himself worthy, then he better get a job, because I am giving him a bill for all the stuff that we are buying for him! We are still renting our home out in Michigan and renting an apartment here in Texas. We would like to buy a home w/ more space, but I am scared about these dang hurricanes! I just feel like we are throwing money down the drain, because we really are by putting a rent check in someone else’s pocket! Overall, with all this being said, God is still blessing the Eddies. We would like to thank you for ALL your prayers and thoughts God Bless You! Please send us all the encouragement and prayers you can, while we are in the wilderness with nothing but Jesus!

Prayer Requests:
Adjustment at my new job (Lamar University)
Anissa & the baby
Adjustment to our ever changing lives
Home-sickness- we really miss all of our family and friends, especially now that we are having a baby (come visit us)The continuous covering of God’s anointing and direction

Here's some pictures from our baby showeres in Michigan

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2566664&id=2247339&l=4c8fea8b87

Love,

~The Eddies

PS We tried to change the settings so that anyone can leave comments now. So, give it a try :)

Remembering Felicia...

The home-going celebration for Felicia Eddie (Jermale’s mother) was today. She passed away on April 1st after a 2 year battle with stomach cancer. All though it wasn’t in this life, we know she still got her healing miracle and was victorious. Jermale and I have been in Michigan since April 2nd and we were able to help with all the final arrangements and spend quality time with the family. The service was a beautiful celebration. Felicia had told all of us that if she passed away she didn’t want a long, drawn out service that was sad and dry. We honored her wishes with up-beat praise and worship music, positive tributes, an inspirational message, and pictures reflecting happy memories. At the end, people were invited to respond to Felicia’s testimony and give their lives to Christ and many did just that. As friends and family said their final goodbyes, they were able to take flower seeds and fresh fruits with them such as apples, oranges, plumbs, and melons. Felicia loved gardening and wanted people to have something tangible to take in her memory. We really felt God’s presence throughout the whole day and thank all of you that prayed for the family. The weather was beautiful and the day really couldn’t have gone any better.

We will be in Michigan until April 18th because we originally had a trip planned for April 13-18 but came early after Jermale’s mom passed. We will be spending time with family and friends this next week and celebrating my grandmother’s 85th birthday along with mine and my niece’s birthdays. We are also having a baby shower while we are here. The pregnancy is still going great. We are 7 months along and time is going fast. Our “office” is taking on more of a baby room feel now that we have the crib, changing table and bookshelf set up. I am anxious to get everything ready. It is so fun to prepare, but overwhelming too because the more we get ready the more the reality of impending parenthood sinks in!

Impact has reached a new milestone as we are about to launch weekly Sunday services starting on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, Jermale and I will not be at Impact for Easter Sunday, but we are excited to stop meeting every other week and begin weekly services. We have various volunteers in place now and we know that this consistency will help the church get more established and grow.

Love you all!
~The Eddies

March Update

Hi family and friends,

Well, we have good news and not so good news. The good news is that Jermale got the job at Lamar University! Not only is this good because he enjoys working with college students and it will help get him connected to the local college culture, but it is also some extra cash flow that will help as we prepare for the baby and because Anissa’s job (which was our primary source of income since the church is part time) does not offer paid maternity leave. So this is a huge blessing! It is an answer to prayer and t really gives us a feeling of security as we count down the baby’s birth.

The not so good news is that Felicia’s (Jermale’s mother) health has taken a turn for the worst. As most of you know, she was diagnosed with (a progressive) stomach cancer in the summer of 2007. At that time she was given less than 6 months to live. But, with a lot of faith and prayer combined with her will to fight the cancer-it has now been almost two years and she is still here. The cancer went into full remission on two different occasions, but came back both times within a matter of months. This last time has been the worst and at this point the doctors have done all they can do. She was told to gather her family together and make plans. Jermale and I got a call from his sister on Saturday saying we needed to come home, so we left Texas at 3:30am the next morning and drove to Michigan. We plan to stay here for the week. Thankfully my job and Jermale’s job have been very supportive and understanding (Jermale had only been at Lamar one week, but his supervisor told him not to worry about anything and take as much time as he needed).

Although Felicia has lost a great deal of weight and is in constant pain, she is doing amazingly well mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This is such a blessing! She still talks about how much she feels God has blessed her and how thankful she is for the opportunities He has given her to bless and minister to others throughout this illness. She does not doubt that God can still manifest her healing in this life and that she could fully recover, but she also acknowledges that He may choose to take her home. She has peace and joy about either option and told us last night “either way I win”. To see this positive attitude and great faith is such an awesome example and helps us all have peace.

Jermale is helping to get paperwork together and prepare for final arrangements and we are both doing what we can to help around the house and just spending time with her. Our prayer request is that she might have relief from her pain and continue to experience complete peace. We want God’s mercy and timing for whatever will happen. We also are asking for prayers for the family most especially Jermale’s father. He is having a difficult time, but does not talk about it and it is hard to know how best to be there for him. It is really good that we are here, but we know we can’t stay long. It is very hard for Jermale to now live so far away and try to still support his family as much as possible. I also pray that I will be able to support Jermale through this time as he has a lot going on with the church, just started a new job and will soon be having a new baby. We know God does not put more on us than we can bear and we are trusting that He will bring us through. I am still feeling good with the pregnancy (6 months along) and I’m so glad to not be experiencing any complications. It is strange to prepare for a new life and a possible death at the same time, but God’s miraculous power can be seen in both events and we know He is in control.

Thanks in advance for the prayers!

Love,
The Eddies

It's a Boy!!!!

It has been a while since we gave an update on life in the South…It has been even longer since I (Jermale) has wrote anything. A lot has been going on over the last month or so; I don’t even know where to start. Well, as you can see, I have given up on dread locks. I’ve had my hair twisted and ready to lock for about a year and nothing has happen, except it grew. As you can see by my Tito Jackson picture, I had lots of hair. That hair prohibited me from swimming, leaning back on furniture and from sleeping on the “good” pillow cases at home (it put bees wax and oil on everything). Anissa was not happy with a brotha! So now its cut and I’ve been getting cold a lot quicker lately. I also don’t recognize myself anymore.

We found out that we are having a baby boy! I am excited. Now I have to get something together so that my first born can have an inheritance, besides student loans. We got some great ultra-sound pictures-you can see them on this link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2520099&id=2247339&l=d41d5. I am now starting to feel the baby kick and move. Its crazy that God has used us to create another life…I know Mary (the mother of Jesus was more fascinated about that than I am). I find myself getting more excited everyday. I mean who would not want another Jermale walking around? Duh!

Last week I had a job interview at Lamar University for an Assistant Director of Student Activities. The interview went great…at least I think so. I was trying to look good in my suit, but I was hotter than a mug! I should hear something from them by next week. I am so excited to get back on a college campus and work with students.

On a spiritual tip, I am seeking God’s face and voice. I feel that I have been in a spiritual plateau and I am ready to go to the next level. I am ready to walk in the destiny that He has called me. I am ready to use the power that He has birthed in me for His will. I mean what good is a tree with no fruit, a car with no motor, a vase that does not hold flowers? We need to serve the purpose which we were created for. If something is useless then its time to get rid of it! I sure don’t want God to throw me away. I am also praying for the spirit of a true worshiper. I want to experience worship in every area of my life. I want my walk to worship Christ, my wave to worship Christ, my blink to worship Christ, my sneeze….ok a sneeze might be too much, but you know what I mean. I am also seeking Christ’s direction on fasting. I’m telling you, I am ready for another level! My prayer can be found in Psalm 104:34: “May my meditation be pleasing [sweet] to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.”

Ministry is going well. We have 4 worship services under our belts now. This week Anissa ran both the Impact Café (coffee shop) and Nursery. She is on the grind for Christ, for real. I have made connections with approximately 10 college age students who are interested in being apart of the Student Ministry, so I am very excited about that. Anissa and I are also starting a kind of support group for young married couples, similar to what we were apart of in Grand Rapids. We feel that it is good to be able to have support and hang out with people who are in or have been in your same situations. The Proverbs 27:17 says that “iron sharpen iron.”

Finally, did anyone see Whitney Houston on that awards show last week? I thought she was going to sing or something…I was bamboozled!

Peace Be The Journey!
Jermale

PS The pictures are of my hair, the church and Anissa & I on Valentine's Day

2009 Blessings

Hi everyone,

Sorry about the update delays lately! If you’ve heard any baby rumors lately – they’re true :) As you can see from the picture baby Eddie is on his or her way and growing fast. (the other pix are from Christmas in Michigan and our trip to Dallas). Our due date is June 24 and Jermale and I are super excited. I am 17 weeks along (a little over 4 months) and things are going well. We knew for a while, but waited until Christmas to share the news when we saw our families in person. Everyone was happy. The first 2 ½ months were rough. Although I never threw up (thank God) I was extremely nauseous, tired and emotional pretty much all the time. Jermale was amazing through it all. He took over all the cooking and cleaning, encouraged me to sleep constantly, found me an amazing expecting mother’s tea, and knew when to comfort me and when to dismiss me during my emotional episodes LOL He is already such an awesome husband and I know he’ll be a wonderful dad!

Our other exciting news is that we finally had our first church service this past Sunday. I can barely describe how amazing it was to see it finally become reality after so much planning and work. We had about 100 people show up. Maybe 30 to 40 people came simply to support our first service, but there were a lot of people from the community as well. The best thing about the day was that God was there. It was so evident. It was our very first service, but by the end about 8 people responded to the alter call and many of them asked to become members right then and there. I felt so satisfied and at peace knowing that we are here for an amazing purpose and that this is just the beginning of what’s to come. The whole day was confirmation. I felt relieved in the sense that we tangibly experienced the reason we move here and for the first time I was 100% happy to be in Texas. I can’t wait to further engage into this ministry and truly impact the lives of people while I continue to grow and learn myself. I will try to post pictures soon of the church (especially the nursery and the coffee shop which were two special projects I helped with).

Christmas in Michigan was fabulous. It was wonderful to see family and even catch up with a few friends. I was feeling really drained before we went and being in Michigan reminded me of the support network we have still in place even though we are far away. The trip was spiritually refreshing for me as well. It was great to worship at Grand Rapids First again and I want to give a shout out to Jamon & Jasmine, Wes & Artina and Kim- the conversations I had with all of you gave me so much spiritual encouragement and helped me come back to Texas re-charged.

Life is good and 2009 is going to be incredible. We wish you all an amazingly blessed year!

Love,
The Eddies