Skip to main content

About Me

My photo
Janine Claire Robinson
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Welcome to my little writing corner. I count my many blessings to be a cherished wife and an ever-learning-loving-growing mother to 3 amazing children this side of Heaven and a precious little boy in Heaven. Together as a family we pastor a precious church community called Redeeming Hope Church. I've had the privilege of loving and following Jesus Christ since my earliest memories as a child. No matter what I've gone through in life, He has always been so present. At heart, I'm an encourager ... so this is a place where I get to wear my heart on my sleeve and share my journey of learning to live a life of love in action.

The choice to LAUGH!

Oh my goodness ... I have not been posting very much in the last few weeks. Truth be known ... all I feel like doing is sleeping!!! So sorry for slacking dear friends. It's been a long time since I was last pregnant and the tiredness and nausea has been quite intense, but then yesterday we got to meet baby for the first time via scan. It is such a surreal moment hearing the little ones heart beat and seeing that little "beanie" on the screen. Our hearts were so humbled and filled with overflowing joy! Our little one is all of 1.32cm big :0) I am nearing my 8th week now and definitely feeling rather hormonal which actually leads me to the thought on my heart today.

In my emotional state I find myself laughing one moment, then so sensitive in the next moment. Ah the joys of womanhood hey! I am one of those people that is all heart - but, I think too deeply for my own good sometimes. You know what I mean? I have been asking the Lord to help me to be more even keeled in my emotions especially as we have 2 little girls. I want them to see that yes ... we certainly do negotiate so many emotions as ladies ... but we have an amazing God that is willing to help us to negotiate even our emotions and not allow them to run away with us. So with all this weighing heavily on my heart this morning the Lord reminded me of a sure way to come through peacefully to the other side ... that is by choosing joy! And that is exactly what I am learning again in this season of my up and down run-away emotions ... to CHOOSE joy. It is my choice even when I feel like crying over misunderstandings or frustrations in parenting or just plain ol pregnant crazy hormones :0) 

Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the Joy of the Lord is our STRENGTH. I heard something today that one good belly laugh lowers your cortisol (stress levels) by 40% and is equivalent to a 3 minute rowing workout! We actually loose weight when we laugh!!! hee hee!!! So 10 good belly laughs today could be like a 30 minute workout!!! No wonder joy increases our strength :0) Ahhhh ... isn't God such a practical God!

If you have been feeling anxious about anything (I have really been struggling with this one for the last few days) then here is our encouragement ... "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ... Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4, 6-7. Today I am making a choice to lay down every one of my emotions, worries, anxieties and in its place, choose to laugh!!! To laugh at the silly little things ... the funny antics of my sweet girls ... the many blessings in my life ... just any ol reason to have a good belly laugh! It beats the stress hands down of thinking too deeply :0) 
"Now may the God of hope fill you with ALL JOY and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 

All my love,

Janine xxx
Labels:

Comments

Jill said…
The seal definitely gave the approval.

Thanks for following me, I followed you back too!

Hope the pregnancy goes well!

http://beourbest.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 04, 2011
-Hynz- said…
Hello, Im a new follower, I just found you through Boost my Blog.
Looking forward to read more of your posts! Congrats on the baby!! Its the greatest feeling of all, right!!

Take care..
http://iamhynz.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 04, 2011
Monica said…
Congratulations on your pregnancy!! Children are such a wonderful gift!! Just stopping by from Boost My Blog Friday, I'm your newest follower and I hope you will follow back.
Monica http://oldermommystillyummy.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 04, 2011
EJN said…
Have a lovely day Janine,
Hoping your day it full of rest, joy and laughter. Congratulations on seeing the first pix of the littlest Robinson. God bless you each, especially the tiny one.
Sending Love and Prayers - J
Friday, March 04, 2011
Treasures from a shoebox said…
So excited to hear about your surprise baby! Enjoy your pregnancy. :) Followed you here from Boost my Blog
Friday, March 04, 2011
Adeye said…
Thank you for the beautiful reminder, my friend. I too tend to let my emotions get the better of me (like every day!). So thaknful today we have a Father who cares so deeply about the things that trouble our hearts.

I love you. So wonderful that you got to see your teeny tiny on the screen. What a sweet moment.

Have a great weekend.
A
Friday, March 04, 2011
doreen said…
What a great message you have shared. I have been trying to convince my ever so intense husband that he needs ti lighten up and laugh some.
I never do New Years resolutions. This year however I decided to do goals. One was to give up worry and anxiety. If I spend 8 hours the outcome will be exactly the same therefor I have wasted 8 good hours that did not add 1 minute to my life but could possibly take hours away.
In a few weeks you will have some energy back...
I am a new visitor and follower via boost my blog.
I do not believe I have followed anyone in Africa yet:)
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Rodney said…
It sure is easy to feel anxious in this world and always good to know that God is our source of hope strength and peace for each new day. Great post!

Anyways, my wifes name is Annette (pastors wife)and she just opened her blog to public setting as she wants to be an encouragement and blessing to people (she is also hoping to do giveaways). I was trying to be an encouragement to her by asking if you would be willing to swing by and say hi as she does not know many people in the blog world? Thank you for considering. Her blog is

http://continuedwonder.blogspot.com/

Thank You,
Rodney(Annette's husband)
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Patti said…
This is such a wonderful post! I love this... choose joy! So true that we always have a choice. That is so easy to forget. I am so grateful that as believers we are not seeking to plaster a happy face on a sad situation but that we have access to the source of true JOY all the time. And reason to rejoice! I love that picture of the seal! :-D And CONGRATULATIONS on your newest little blessing!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reasons to Celebrate

I am quickly typing this in between trying to pack up for Cape, and while packing I am having this to celebrate :0) What to celebrate you may ask ... well you would be amazed at how many amazing blessings you will discover of how good God has been to you when you start looking back and remembering what He has walked you through. Today I am celebrating many wonderful things! I am celebrating how no matter how dark certain moments have appeared to be, His light has ALWAYS broken through!!! Hope & Love have ALWAYS overcome the deepest of fears.  I am celebrating the precious family He has surrounded Brett and I with and the amazing friends and loved ones who have cheered us on and been praying us through. I celebrate how He has cocooned both my daughters hearts with the same peace He has cocooned Brett and my heart with and sheltered our precious family in constant hope of abundant life! I celebrate that as an extended family He has faithfully taught us all how to walk in vic...
69 comments
Read more

We are Seeing the Miracles Unfold!

Precious friends and family ... we are starting to see the miracles unfold! We just KNOW that we are living in the miracle :0) Yesterday we had a scan with the specialist who discovered and diagnosed all of Zac's heart defects in August. It's been about 6 weeks since the day we heard the horrible news. As you may remember, the defects she discovered that day in "that" heart were so complex ... not only one defect, but multiple! There was the issue of only 1 chamber; only seeing one major valve from the heart to the lungs where there must be 2 and then the complication of not being able to clearly see the arch of the aorta. What she saw of it, as well as  several other specialists, it looked too narrow and underdeveloped from what we could understand. When we came back from that first scan and spoke with our friend and paediatrician ... this was one of his biggest concerns. The aortic arch is so important in the functioning of the heart!  So before we went for the...
45 comments
Read more

The Day of Promise has Arrived

Precious friends ... The big day has finally arrived! Come 4pm today we will be taken into theater to meet our precious miracle son! Our hearts are filled with the Promises of our Beloved Jesus. This post is our hearts response of praise and adoration to Him because He has faithfully carried us through each day with "heart peace", strength, hope, faith and incredible love. He has coached us in how to stand leaning into His Almighty power, wisdom and goodness and has taken all the fear out of this journey. Today our hearts are soooooo excited. It is the day of promise ... Zac's appointed day to shine forth His Glory. As a family we want to thank each and every person and family who has lavished their love, encouragement and prayers to stand with us in looking to Jesus, the Great Physician in knitting Zac's inward parts intricately and wholly in my womb. We will keep you posted as we rejoice in great expectation at witnessing God's amazing love in action! Our eyes...
71 comments
Read more