The NorMel House

I haven't had the gift of words lately. Seems that grief can rip the words right out of your mind and leave you seeking answers to questions but not knowing what those questions are. I can't explain the way I feel or why this seems to have knocked me down so hard when I knew it was coming. I thought I was prepared. I'm starting to learn that you can never be prepared for the loss of a child. "I know you hear me, I know you see me Lord. Your plans are for me, goodness you have in store, so Thy will be done..." The words so beautifully sung by Hilary Scott so often ring through my mind. May, by God's Grace, I find my way to holding on to this truth.

God, in His wisdom, called home another baby Hoeksema this week. While we don't always understand God's plans we trust He knows best and will continue to guide us, even through this.  "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." Psalms 139:16 ESV Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we mourn the loss of our little one. Melynda and Norm The NorMel House

7... 7 pregnancies... 6 babies in Heaven, and 1 I'm not sure of. Its been a rough go for the last while. When you think you don't want children anymore, but at the same time get choked up over things you don't expect anymore. Got to the point where I was convinced I was pregnant, and over 9 days took 3 pregnancy tests that all said negative... But I knew that couldn't be right so I called the fertility clinic and they said to come in for bloodwork... So I went in, and tried not to think about the phone call I'd get later in the day. I ran errands, I did some shopping and eventually ran out of things to do and started for home. And then the speakers in the car rang, just as I pulled in my driveway. Probably a good thing as I had a meltdown when she spoke. "I have the results from your bloodwork and it is positive but the number is pretty low. Its only at 28. We want you to come back in two days to repeat it and we'll monitor you for a bit." I bawle...

A snippet of one of the books my hubby and I are reading together before bed. I have to admit tonight's chapter is something I wish all couples would read before getting married. There's a lot in here I have always believed, a lot I need reminding of, and even things I'd never realized or considered. We're reading through a book by Dr James Dobson called "Love for a lifetime: Building a marriage that will go the distance." Our current chapter has pearls of wisdom I think could prevent a lot of marital issues and I can't help but want to dwell on it for a bit. I think I'll have to do some studying. I highly recommend reading this book if you are intending to get, or are married. For now I plan to close my eyes. Have a blessed Sunday tomorrow! The NorMel House

Reading:      1Samuel 18:1-4, 23:15-18           After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.           While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph , he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel , and I will be a second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made a covenant before the Lord.  ...

Confused... Puzzled... Confuzzled That's how my brain is atm (at-the-moment). Have you ever had it that you really badly want something, but at the same time you really don't want it and you can't figure out how that can possibly be? Weird thing is, I really don't feel like I FEEL anything about it other than confusion over the emotions that surface randomly. It's all rather puzzling. After wanting and losing so many children I came to a point where I thought 'I really don't want any more children.' I didn't get to keep the ones I've had but I don't feel the desire or need to have more. Maybe it's a defense mechanism... but it doesn't feel like it. It almost feels logical. Like it's time to move on, and live life outside of that desire. I've never had an issue getting pregnant, it usually happened the 2nd or 3rd month we tried. For some unknown reason I have just never carried to full term. The only change the Fertility ...

Reading: Genesis 26:12-16 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.” Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 6:11 For if you forgive m...

I'm broken. My body is broken. My mind is broken. And my heart's been broken many times. Sometimes my brokenness is obvious. Sometimes its only obvious to the people closest to me. Sometimes I hide my brokenness from everyone and pretend I'm fixed. It doesn't work. I'm still broken. In truth, we all are. Some are obviously broken by cancer or disease or illness. Some are broken by alcoholism or addictions. Some think they're not broken but their brokenness comes out in gossip, slander, lies, pride or deceit. We're all broken. We live in a broken world and not one of us escapes it. But don't give up. If you take anything from me let it be this: though we broke our relationship with God He didn't break His promise to us. He sent His only Son to die for us that our brokenness will one day be fixed; our wounds will one day be healed; our tears turned into joy. Give your brokenness to Him and trust in His saving grace and almighty power. I look fo...

Reading : James 4:4           You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.           Romans 12:17-21           Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this , you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.           It seems that these two scripture passages conflict with one anothe...

#2 Friendship With Christ Read :      John 15:9-17          As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you what you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. ...

     What a beautiful thing friendship can be. We all experience friendship through out our lives and can relate to it. Have you ever considered your relationship with God to be a friendship? God has things to tell us about friendship in His word. We can use His amazing wisdom to make our friendships good and long lasting ones.  I'll be working through a 5-part devotional series on friendships my wonderful mother wrote (and passing on my two cents as well); hope you enjoy this series! Friendship with God Read :      Exodus 33: 7, 9-11           Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch is outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting”. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped eac...

 “Be Still and Know That I am God” Read:        Psalm 46             God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the most high dwells. God is within her, she will not fail; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts up his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields wit fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted...

Sometimes we just feel weak. Sometimes we forget where to find strength or think we'll feel broken forever. The Truth is, we are weak. We are nothing on our own. Strength can only be found in our Lord and Savior. We often forget that there is nothing we can go through that He doesn't understand. There's nothing in heaven or on the earth that can separate us from His love. May we all continue to seek Him first, find strength in moments of weakness, comfort in times of sadness. "In this world you will have troubles, but take heart! I have overcome the world!"

What does one do when they're thoughts aren't really their own? When the body isn't balanced and the mind is playing tricks on you; what do you do? Depression is one example of what I mean. Logically speaking there's nothing wrong with a person's life but the chemical balance tells you you can't deal. You can't do it, you can't go on. The mind searches for a reason for these feelings and thoughts, and you find anything to justify them. But if you are lucky enough to see what's going on you know that isn't how things really are. Yes you really feel that way - the emotions are there - but if you could take emotion out of it,  you don't actually think that. So how do you deal with those emotions? They can be overwhelming, they can be over powering, they can make everything feel black, but oh to be Spock and turn them off. I know it's possible to not listen to the ideas formed in those moments, but is there actually a way to change the chemic...

What does God’s word teach about Dealing with Problems? 5.       “Go to Other Believers and Pray with Them”  James 5: 13-16 " Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."             Sickness and sin are an obvious part of the world we live in. In Christ we bring them all before God’s throne. In Christ we are victorious over death, that is eternal death. Yet God in His wisdom does not leave us as lonely individuals. He gives us other b...

What does God’s word teach about Dealing with Problems?   4.       “Trust in God’s Answer even if it challenges you”  Joshua 6:1-6, 20:  "Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.             Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and it’s fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.             When the trumpets sounded, th...

I received a very special gift from a friend this week. She wrote me a beautiful card that brought tears to my eyes and gave me this incredibly thoughtful gift. D is for my angel baby Denver (December 30 2015). The 5 clear beads are for each of my other angelbabies gone before Denver. She knew that mother's day is going to be hard for me again this year and wanted to make sure I knew that she holds me in her thoughts and prayers. As I sit here writing there's tears rolling down my cheeks for so many reasons. The loss of my babies, the sadness of another mother's day to pass with empty arm's, the beauty of friendship, the thoughtfulness of others, the comfort in knowing we have a family in Christ, the knowledge that I am NOT alone, the joy in the knowledge I will some day get to hold my 6 babies in perfection and so much more. She wrote some beautiful words to me that made me feel she understood "Some mothers get to hold and raise their children, others only get to...

Every year these amazingly beautiful flowers sprout up through the weeds in the thing I call our "garden". The owners before us (over 7 years ago) had nice gardens with many pretty flowers. Being the allergy prone person I am, I have nothing to do with the gardens or lawn. I attempted to weed the first 2 years we were here but gave up as I got sick every time... These beautiful flowers continue to return EVERY year without fail and amaze me with their beauty. Through no help of mankind they push through past the myriad of weeds to share their glory and beauty with me every year. And every year again I'm reminded of how amazing our God really is. He created these beauties. He brings them back every year to make me smile and every year again I'm impressed with His stunning creation. There truly is no artist like The Artist. From the NorMel House where we find joy in God's amazing artwork

Sometimes words escape me. Actually, if I'm being honest with myself it happens more often than not. Oddly enough, in both manners of speaking. There are times when I don't think and words just come out, and there are times that no matter how much I want to say something I just can't get it out. When there are no words to adequately describe my emotions, when I'm left speechless by something good or bad. When I see the devastating results that sin can have on our world I often want so badly to impart some great words of wisdom or comfort but there simply aren't any words coming to mind. My heart at times weighs heavy in my chest and it's in those moments I have but one choice. Only one thing makes sense at a time where grief has taken over: prayer. "Let Thy Will be done, dear Father, and give me strength and a willing heart to accept it". God knows better than I ever can, and though I may not understand He will turn all things to the good of those who ...

Easter weekend More than just chocolate and bunnies and fun. More than just an extra day for a church service. More than just a long weekend. How much more? Well, it's a matter of life and death. If Christ didn't give up His life for us our debt would not be paid, our lives would not be redeemed. But it didn't end there! He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven! This is oh so important. We have a place in heaven because He went there to prepare a place. Death won't hold us in the grave because Jesus conquered sin and death! We are saved, redeemed, delivered, and given a place of glory as children of God because Jesus Christ made it possible! I stand in awe and amazement at this Grace. We are so undeserving, yet Jesus said "Into Your Hands I commit my Spirit". He gave up His life for our sake; how beautiful it is to be loved by God. From The NorMel House to yours, may we give up our spirits into the Father's gracious Hands that our Saviour Jesus ...

Ahhhhh....it has been a while... Once again life has been a whirl of activity and craziness. Excuses, excuses, I know...let's just dive right into the heart of it all. 1 Corinthians 3:16 "Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" When we look at our bodies in the light of this text there are so many things we realize we need to change. Do you take care of His temple? Do you neglect or abuse it? Do you look at yourself in disgust or complain about your body? God created you in His image, and as if that wasn't enough, He gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us! What a blessing to know the Spirit dwells within us. That God is busy renewing our hearts and our lives. Sinful man reconciled to god. The old testament people longed for what we have. If we look we can see what God is doing in us. Wow. Have you ever thought about your body that way before? Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought "I am a Child of Go...

I recently came across a post on Facebook about prolife promoting. I am 100% pro life but I have come across some awful prolife promotions. I've nearly had accidents from the horrific posters they've hung over the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and Im glad it isn't allowed anymore. I don't even want to be associated with the groups who use shocking images to try convince people to be prolife. From someone who has had many miscarriages and held a son who was only 17 weeks along it was one of the most emotionally traumatizing things to have to see. No woman should have to go through that, they're are better ways to make our point. Why not show the intricacies of our children instead of man's destruction. Explain the beauty of life God has given. Right from conception we are unique individuals who simply need to grow and develop. We don't kill our born children because they aren't fully developed. In fact our frontal lobe isn't fully developed til were i...

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! It is believed this psalm was written by David later on in his life after he'd been through many hardships. With this in mind I believe He was able to praise God despite all he had been through because he knew how great and gracious our God is. If you read further in the psalm he gives God the glory for forgiving us, saving us, healing us and redeeming us. We don't always know why God allows certain things to happen, but we do know He will guide and guard us through them. We need to remember to praise Him not only in times of trouble but also in times of peace and prosperity. Give God the glory, bless His Holy Name for "the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting"

What does God’s word teach about Dealing with Problems? 3. “God Centered Prayer” : 1 Kings 8: 56-60 1 Kings 8: 56-60 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised, Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other." When Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple he put God in the center of all his requests. He praised the Lord and prayed for the people. He asked for God’s ...

  Between #puppies  #Norwex #LegArt #leggings and babysitting a little 1 year old a few days a week it's been a busy household here at #TheNorMelHouse Little Polar Piglet no longer is a chubby little piggy, and has become a spunky, playful, energetic and fun little pup. Her brother Knightly Jr (soon to be called Vader) is a super sweet, gentle, calm and endearing little guy. He seems to have his father's gentle and soft side. If I didn't know better I think I'd have wanted to keep him. However they go to their new homes soon, and that's how it should be. I can't keep them all (my husband says so lol). I've gained some new aspects to my life as you may have noticed but I'll save that for another day. Hope your February has been going well! If you're here in Ontario, enjoy the beautiful weather while we have it! From #TheNorMelHouse to yours, hope you have a fantastic Family Day holiday today!

My Polar Piglet. Although, that may not stay an accurate description as the older she gets the less she looks like a polar bear...She's pretty adorable though, if I do say so myself. She's got spunk too and I think she hunts in her sleep. She twitches, growls, makes tiny barking noises and sometimes seems like she's trying to run lol. I will miss these moments. Have you ever raised anything from birth? (Besides a person obviously) seeing them grow and develop from the moment their born. The amazing changes that happen so fast. It's no wonder people say life is fleeting. This little cutie is 33 days old and in those 33 days she's has grown a LOT. She has gone from wiggling to crawling to walking to play fighting. She's gone from eyes being sealed shut to open and seeing and to very obviously watching me. She's gone from momma having to come feed her milk to tromping in the water bowl and eating kibble. You would think that with the amount of puppies I'v...

2. “Seek the Lord First” : Judges 4: 1-7, 23 Judges 4: 1-7, 14a  After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help. Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his troops to the Kishon River and give him ...

At this very moment there is a tiny paw pushing against my cheek, a wet little tongue slicking my chin and a little black nose that keeps poking my face. I've dubbed this little one Polar Piglet. She eats like a little piggy and looks like a mini polar bear. Her brother looks just like their daddy. My fat little puppies have outgrown the neck warmer title and no longer fit in my hoodie. Yes, I'd wear a hoodie backwards and hold them in the hood to snuggle. Don't judge, if you thought of it I just know you wouldn't be able to resist doing it too. Don't deny it! This little moment was a small mercy for today. A rough day made just a bit better by the comfort of a small chubby puppy showing me affection. Small mercies. #TheNorMelHouse where puppy snuggles are cherished and each one treasured

Some days are just hard. You think you're starting to get on top of things but you get knocked off your feet. Grief can do that. It's ok to grieve, it's ok to have a bad day, and it's ok to need time to gather yourself. But make sure you do; don't let your grief take over and keep you down. I know it can be hard. Many things can take you off guard and send your mood spiralling down the drain. I once worked at a place that gave me some seriously emotional bruising. Every day I had to go in felt worse and worse. Im fairly certain that while it was an awful situation, I probably could have dealt with it a bit better if I'd realized it was only one part of my life. I let it take over and allowed myself to become miserable all the time. It definitely wasn't the healthy way to deal with it. Sometimes work can feel like everything in your life, but it truly isn't. My poor hubby had to hear me upset and frustrated and emotional every day! Talk about being a de...

I'd like to share a series of devotionals my mother wrote for a Quilting Retreat she ran with some friends. I've taken the liberty of using them as a basis for inspiration and further study for myself. I found myself digging a bit deeper into scripture and my own contemplations and thought I should share. I hope you are inspired to open your Bible and add your own notes and thoughts as well. What does God’s word teach about Dealing with Problems? 1.       “Believe”: Genesis 18: 13-14             Genesis 18: 13-14             Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”             All of life has ...

Okay, so I may be completely and utterly in love. I love my Miss Roxie and I love her adorable, chubby babies. I am currently curled up on the couch and my hoodie appears to be squirming and grunting. Feeling jealous? Who wouldn't be jealous of adorable squirming, grunting and soft little round bellied puppies. I don't think words can describe how therapeutic and wonderful it is.  I can't help but be amazed at the intricacy of God's creation. Each life is unique, each body depending on so many things taking place just to make even the smallest movements. And so many unaware. We take breathing for granted until it's taken away. We take so many things for granted that we feel are just normal every day functions but it's amazing what a change of perspective can do. Watching one puppy take its last breath made me want to hold these two even closer. Each moment with them is precious.  From #theNorMelHouse where each day over the next several weeks will be fill...

So, here I am... 5 days post vet visits. Two little piglets left. My sweet little Brownie got worse and died Tuesday morning. I may have cried...a lot. It's really hard not to cry when you've put your heart into something, it hurts to lose it. On the positive side Miss Roxie, Knightly Junior and our little Polar Piglet are doing well. Poor Roxie went sniffing around a few times - I think she thought we were hiding the puppies somewhere. A rough couple of days. There are many who will understand my grief over the loss of a few puppies, and there are others that will laugh or think I'm nuts. If you've ever had a beloved pet I'm sure you understand. You love them, care for them, feed them, hold them close to your heart. They become a part of your life, your family, your home; it's like losing a member of your family. I know, I know, they aren't literally your babies, but they are family. As you may imagine the week has been a sleepless one. I was up bottle f...

Rough start. Little Miss Roxie started New Year's Day off with a x-ray at the vets. I felt she was way past due and took her in. I thought she was displaying signs of pre-labor but not progressing enough for my liking. Looking at the x-ray the pups weren't anywhere near lined up or positioned properly so he sent me home. Around 4pm she was having some minor contractions but not pushing and lost what appeared to be placenta fluid... Sadly she ended up having a stillborn boy 2 hours later. She was not trying at all. Poor girl just wasn't having enough contractions and wasn't trying to push. I decided she needed to go to the vet, thinking he could give her oxytocin to bring on labor and hopefully she would then have the rest. The oxytocin didn't work on her and poor little Miss Roxie had to have a cesarean. It's a lot harder on the puppies that way, and the one that had been trying to come didn't make it. Roxie came through like a champ and is doing...