Kerry Hasenbalg

Baby, Body, and Busyness Update

I spent the day today waddling around the capital city of the state with the third cleanest water in the US - Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Strange to actually be able to drink hotel tap water! I came out with Scott for the sixth annual Christian Alliance for Orphans conference.  Actually, my main purpose in coming out to MN is to spend some time with my dear friend Paul Singer who has been having a terrible battle with brain cancer.  (please pray for him and his family). 

And as God would have it, the time frame worked out well for me to travel out here with Scott and attend some of the conference during these days.  SCC will be performing and Mary Beth will be speaking at the evening session tomorrow; also, my former boss, Senator Mary Landrieu is also speaking at the conference and many of the Show Hope staff members and my former colleagues in the adoption community will be in attendance as well.  So, for me this week will be a nice reunion with some dear friends in the adoption community.  Apparently, there are over 1100 people who will be attendance at this year's orphan and adoption summit. Strange to think back 6 years when there were only 28 of us in attendance for the first summit.  God has really multiplied the labors in this work. I'm excited to see what God has planned here this week! Anyhow, this is probably going to be my last "hurrah" away from home as I am currently 30 weeks pregnant and looking to stay close to home for the remaining weeks of my pregnancy.  

It's funny being around a bunch of people I haven't seen for a while because to me everyone looks like they have lost a bunch of weight.  I suppose that's normal since I am pregnant - I think that I am just so much larger than others that everyone looks a lot smaller to me.  Unfortunately, I am not one of those women who stays thin all over except for the baby belly.  Nope, I spend the first trimester widening all over first - I suppose just preparing a good base....ha ha.  But, honestly, I am just really grateful that the Lord is sustaining this little one's life in my womb.   

I am going to be a bridesmaid in my brother Tommy's wedding just a couple weeks before my due date and I am so happy for all the other bridesmaids as I will be kindly making them look even thinner in their dresses than they otherwise do. 

I do apologize for not writing of late.  I have no real good excuse...well, other than Scott having been 

away a great deal, preparing our home for baby, finishing the homeschool year, oh and writer's block.

Planning to get back to it - as the Lord allows anyhow.  

Thank you all for your prayers for the baby in my womb.  It means more than I can say.

Started reading an old book of Larry Crabb's called Inside Out....really good read! 

He is Risen! And so were many others indeed!

"And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."  Matthew 27:50-53

Wow, look at that super cool scripture found in Matthew 27:52 - 53. "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And [these saints] came

 out of the graves after His [Jesus'] resurrection, and went into the holy city, 

and appeared unto many!" His death began affecting those in the grave as soon as 

He gave up His Spirit.  He began setting the captives free immediately. 

It is amazing to me how rarely this scripture is pointed out during the holiday season.  I'm not sure I have ever even heard a single sermon on these two verses -  about how the graves were opened after the earthquake as Jesus gave up His Spirit and that bodies of other saints arose - and that later after Jesus resurrection these risen saints went into Jerusalem and appeared 

to many other people...amazing!  

After reading this today in my own study I spent a good bit of time reading commentaries about these verses online.  I posted a relatively short one below for anyone interested in reading more.  Anyhow, just felt like pointing out some of those things which can often remain hidden to us unless we are wiling to study the Word on our own outside of the "typical" holiday sermons. 

And as for me - I just love, love, love that Jesus' resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven means that mankind now has a way to do the same - that through His blood will come the resurrection from the dead for all who are His!  Praise the LORD!  

(a bit of commentary for those needing a bit more on this interesting scripture)

Matthew 27:52 specifically states that thebodiesof these saints were resurrected: "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised." Notice that Matthew does not describe them as having any outstanding or remarkable appearance, as the spirit bodies of Jesus and various others are highlighted as having (Daniel 12:3;Matthew 13:43;Mark 9:2-3; see also Matthew 17:1-2;Revelation 1:13-16).

Moreover, when these resurrected saints of ad 31 went into Jerusalem, they did not restrict their appearance to a comparative few as Jesus did after His spiritual resurrection. Rather, "they appeared to many."

Like Lazarus, and all the others who had been brought up in physical resurrections, these saints lived for a while longer—no one knows for how long—served the purpose for which they were raised, and then died a physical death once again. There is no record of them living eternally after this resurrection.

On a personal note, the Hasenbalgs are doing well and super happy to be together this holiday season.  All seems to be going well with the baby girl in my womb (I'm 25 weeks and 2 days pregnant today).  

Cole prayed at lunch today telling the Lord that if He (God) chose to take this baby to heaven before she got to live with us we would still trust Him and love Him, but that we would very much like it if He (God) would allow a new baby sister to come into our family and grow up with us.  Cole is continually saying things like, "Mommy, it would be great if God gave us another child in our family.  Babies really are miracles aren't they mom. Can you believe God is giving us another child?"  I really find his perspective so beautiful - God has used all the past loss to really teach our family that life really is a miracle not to be taken for granted!

  After lunch we  went swimming and then played a round of minigolf with my nephew TR and wow were my kids thrilled, as their older cousin TR, along with their daddy, are two of their great heroes. 

self-portrait...maya and mommy