Beautiful and Modest Outfits

I was online researching for modest apparel this morning and found a few more sites! Here you go guys ^_^

http://www.shabbyapple.com/ a bit pricey but here are some pictures of what they sell there.


http://putsomethingon.com/index.php/

http://www.jcpenney.com/ (Super Great Prices!) Great Sale going on!

http://www.womanwithin.com/

http://www.4evermodestapparel.com/ (Great Prices!!!)

http://www.expressiva.com/ (If you are nursing a baby you totally should check this out. It's pretty neat)

http://www.seraphine.com/us/

http://oldnavy.gap.com/ (Great Prices!!!)

New Apartment =)

Hello Friends,

As you all know, March 1st was supposed to be our last day in the condo and on February 28th we got a phone call from a complex we were praying about that we were approved for a 2 bedroom duplex in a much better neighborhood. March 1st we spent the day moving out.

By the Grace of God, we were able to schedule a moving company and we are now living in our marvelous 2 bedroom duplex apartment. Thank you all for praying for us and encouraging us.

Our little boy loves his bedroom and sleeps through the night. I (Marie) am 18 weeks pregnant now and we find out baby#2's gender April 3rd! We're extremely excited and so is Aidenn. He is going to be a big brother. Praise God!

I hope you all have a marvelous weekend.

God bless!

Moving Again

In June of 2013 we (the Samuels) moved from our tiny basement apartment in Takoma Park, MD to a spacious 1 bedroom apartment in Temple Hills, MD. It's called LynnHill Condominiums, and we are currently renting the condo from an owner. We knew when we moved into this building that it was pretty dilapidated due to owners not paying their condo fees. We live on the 6th floor and the elevator does not work. This has been a consistent challenge for us. Along with our water being cut off regularly, pest infestations and rampant prostitution and drug use happening on our very floor. We considered our stay a blessing since our rent was very cheap. Now however, God seems to be bringing judgement on the condominiums. The WSSC has ordered our water be cut off on March 1st due to unpaid water account charges from the Condo owners over $100,000. As a consequence the Condos will be considered unfit for human habitation and all owners/tenants will be ordered to vacate immediately. We received this letter on Monday, February 10th. 

We need to move by March 1st and are looking for any leads in the DC metropolitan area (but particularly somewhere close to Alexandria/Arlington, VA since that's where I (Tyrell) work, somewhere like southern PG County for example would be great). By God's grace I make a little extra change and we can probably afford something up to the $1100 mark...though that might be pushing it. $900-$1000 would be ideal. We'd love a two bedroom apt but may have to settle for a one bedroom temporarily. If you know any condo owners who are renting that would be great too since rent usually goes up in typical Apartment complexes. If you don't have any leads, your prayers are greatly appreciated in this time. Currently, we are set to visit three apts on Saturday Feb 15th but I'm not too hopeful for any of them. 

Though this is tragic. We are encouraged by God's sovereignty. Marie is pregnant with our second child and going up and down the steps are becoming increasingly difficult especially with having to carry a one year old. Though our place was renovated and a fairly nice apt, losing hot water and noticing we weren't "alone" anymore (hint hint) in our place we began considering to move. This was dicey though since our lease isn't up til June. Now God is definitely telling us to leave and He is making a way for us to do it. 

We have two weeks to find another place to live. Until our next post help us pray that all goes well with the apartment search and especially the apartment we applied for Feb 16th.

God Bless you all!

Tyrell, Marie, Aidenn and our unborn one :)

November 6, 2012

3 Months! ^_^

Birth Control

Coming from a Roman Catholic background, I tend to look at my sisters' lives see them doing something good like having a natural birth and making it a law that I must follow in order to glorify and honor the Lord. I find myself constantly in chains, entangled in laws I've placed on myself. Our Lord, so faithful and merciful continually points this out to me and shows me the idolatry in my heart. As you all know my husband and I have been convicted about birth control since before we were married, by the grace of God we were with child soon after we married. The Lord in His wisdom saw it fit to allow us to have a C-section and as a result we were told not to have children for at least 18 months. We now use a method of birth control and it hasn't been easy. The enemy never ceases to labor and my husband and I have to constantly wrestle against condemnation and much more. Not sure what the Lord is doing but looking forward to learning more about the will of God concerning our family size. We don't know whether it is something we ought to surrender to Him or our responsibility to plan as a couple. It's all so confusing. We're still reading the word and praying. Lord willing He will answer our cry soon.

A Crazy Ride

Dropped my laptop on the bare ground in all of my pride last night, but praise the Lord it is still working. In other news Azariah Aideen Samuels is here. Born July 30th in an emergency C Section. Baby is healthy, Marie is fine but in a lot of pain. Please pray for her. I haven't really slept since Sunday...don't think things will change anytime soon. Praying for greater grace :). Wow...I'm a father. Sooo weirrrrddddd!!! The rescue mission begins...May the Lord be merciful to this wretched sinner :)

I'm Amazed at the Lord's ability to take my callousness toward the Church and make me appreciate it beyond measure. He has done this by stripping away members of mines and my wife's real family and allowing the church to take their place. Though this grieves my inner man and requires much wisdom to maneuver through backlash and anger on their part, I am glad that God is sovereign over my sins and ABLE to provide for my wife and I because we are His children. I am also exceedingly amazed that God took this spoiled brat who lived for himself and made him lead, provide for and sacrifice for this lovely lady of mines, and this child. I am not my own nor am I myself these days. Christ literally lives through me. I am simply along for this ride of glory. May God continue to glorify Himself in the shattering of my self. I'm really tired, really stressed, but God is good. In my "apostle Paul" voice, I am the LEAST likely candidate to be a father and husband and those who truly know me can attest to this and give God His due glory.

I must be honest though, since my wife and I started looking at new places to live I've been pretty despondent about life and towards life. In God's sovereignty this has carried over to now and I don't feel much anxiety now that we have moved out of my mom's place and given birth to Aidenn. I thought for sure I would pass out and die when my baby came because it's such a huge change in my life. Everything just feels surreal though, no panic, no anxiety, no psychosis. It's weird though, I don't know how to think of the baby. It's like he's me, but he's not me at all. He came from me, but he is not me. I think it's best described in the analogy of how God created us. We were made in His image, but we are not Him, and He is not us. I want to think that he has the same thoughts as me and the same personality, but he doesn't. He is his own person. When I think like that, I think I begin to think properly though I feel sort of disconnected from him at that point. But I say "properly" because he is not "mines." I am his steward. I am his father but ultimately he belongs to the Lord as do all people who are created by God. Indeed all people are created by God, but not all are His children. Aidenn is my child though, so I will treat him as such and love him as such by the grace God gives me. 

-Tyrell

Labor And Delivery

Our baby is here!!!

Azariah Aidenn Samuels

6lbs 8oz, July 30th, 2012 at 5:05am

What an experience!!! My husband and I spent July 29th driving a truck and moving our things from my mother in law's house to our new place. We watched a movie and later the contractions began. One moment I was sitting down singing to Hillsong's This Is Our God CD and the next I was screaming my husband's name to come quickly because it hurts so much! Before I knew it, the ambulance was here and I was being rushed to the hospital.

I'm at the Hospital, anxious but trying to remain calm. They took me to a room to answer some questions and in the process of answering I threw up all over the floor. The nurse was pretty upset. Later the doctor came in and we found out that I was 5 centimeters dilated but baby was not making his way down.

As some of you know, I have the Arnold Chiari Malformationan. DBecause of this rare abnormality, I had to be closely monitered while pregnant. They didn't know what to do. They didn't know if they should allow me to push, fearing that pushing would add pressure to my brain.

I wanted to have what seemed like the typical "Christian woman labor" A water birth with people praying and pushing for the joy that is set before me enduring the pain like Christ that I may obtain the prize but now we were told that we needed to have a C-section and that I needed to be put to sleep because they could not give me an epidural due to the abnormality in my brain. We were devistated. We didn't know what to do. We had prayed that the Lord would give the doctor wisdom and this was what he thought was best. We prayed then submitted to the doctors orders.

I woke up to the sound of my little boy crying. I'm still recovering and have to constantly confess my envy to the Lord, seeing that I not only idolized other christian women and was envious that I could not take part in their wonderful experience. After the procedure my husband and I were told that we needed to wait at least 18 months to have our next child.

We know that it's the Lord who opens and closes the womb. We don't believe in taking birth control so we are forced down to our knees again, seeking direction from the Lord.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

I'm not sure why the Lord allowed things to happen as they did but I know that He is Sovereign over every detail and that nothing takes Him by surprise.

In this life, I continually seek after ease, comfort, a "good" life and yet He comes in and chooses to glorify Himself through my sufferings revealing to me the evilness in my heart.

Praise the Lord for continually shaking my plans and allowing suffering that I may treasure Him above this life, my health and every vain thing under the sun.