I rarely am so affected by something that I feel I should share it with everyone I know. But, this girl is amazing and I pray this song blesses you as much as it blessed me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2zEmtZS6zk
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
You Can Have Peace
We had Chinese food last night. I'm not eating sugar anymore, but I did open my fortune cookies and read them just for fun. I don't put any faith into what they say, I just like to read them and laugh. The first one said, "The most important relationship in your life is with yourself." The second one said, "If you look back, you'll soon be going that way." Now, if we are getting all spiritual, of course I would say that the most important relationship in my life is my relationship with Jesus. But, let's just take it for what it says. I really started thinking about how it's so true. If you are unhappy with yourself and are constantly down on yourself, then the other people around you are going to be unhappy too. Like, when I'm feeling all guilty about yelling at my kids, or not playing with them enough, or whatever the case may be, my kids suffer even more. If my thoughts and opinions of myself are those of guilt, shame, anger, ugliness, bitterness, etc. then it's automatically going to spill onto my kids and there will be no peace in my home.
It's weird because this was part of the message that our Pastor's wife, Sharon Kelly, spoke on Sunday. She said that we can have true peace even in the midst of chaos, but we have to choose to have peace. She also said that if you want to know the true peace of God, you have to accept who you are. Psalm 139:13-16 says this, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." See, God knew you before you were even a thought in your parents' mind. He created you and His works are wonderful. You are wonderful. He sees you as precious, a miracle. If you aren't seeing yourself that way, you should. None of us are perfect. None of us deserve mercy, and yet He freely gives it.
If your thoughts about yourself are full of negativity and strife, then pray this prayer in the same Psalm as was quoted above. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23-24 The Lord will reveal to you any sin in your life that you need to deal with so that you can "continue on in the way everlasting." It may be that the reason you are feeling so down on yourself is because of sin in your life that you need to deal with. However, that's not always the case. It could be because someone has spoken harshly to you, called you names, abused you in some way, or convinced you that you are a bad person. Whatever the cause is, there is healing available to you through Jesus. If you don't know Jesus, you can know him any time you want. He is ready and waiting to accept us just as we are. He wants to give you a peace that passes all understanding. You can have that peace.
If you've never asked Jesus into your heart, it's very simple. It's the best thing you could ever do for yourself and for your family. All you have to do is pray this simple prayer:
"Dear Lord, I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself. I am sorry and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life, I give it to you. Help me to live every day in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. Amen."
He loves you. He wants a relationship with you, and he chose you. But, he leaves it up to us whether we will choose him or not. If you already know Jesus, and even if you don't, Paul teaches us in Phillippians 4:7-9 that we are to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely,admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. If we think on these things, then the God of peace will be with us. He also tells us in verses 6 & 7 to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with thanksgiving, we are to let the Lord know what we need; and when we do that, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Whenever you start to worry, pray. True peace is not found in positive thinking (as in, new age thinking), in the absence of problems or conflict, or in "good" feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. If you know Jesus, then your citizenship in His kingdom is sure, your destiny is set, and you can have victory over sin. Let God's peace guard your heart against anxiety. What are you putting into your mind? Who are you listening to? The second fortune cookie said that if you look back, you'll soon be going that way. That is so true as well! Don't stay in the past, move on! The minute you ask Jesus to forgive you, it's done. He remembers your sin no more. Replace negative and horrible thoughts about yourself with the thoughts of God. If you don't know the thoughts of God, get into His Word. Read what HE says about you and you will begin to have peace.
Wow! I didn't mean to "get my preach on" just from a couple fortune cookies! But, I believe that someone will read this who will need to hear it. God bless each of you as you go through your day. I pray that anyone who reads this blog will come to know Jesus if they don't already know him. And that those who do will be blessed, encouraged and strengthened.
It's weird because this was part of the message that our Pastor's wife, Sharon Kelly, spoke on Sunday. She said that we can have true peace even in the midst of chaos, but we have to choose to have peace. She also said that if you want to know the true peace of God, you have to accept who you are. Psalm 139:13-16 says this, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." See, God knew you before you were even a thought in your parents' mind. He created you and His works are wonderful. You are wonderful. He sees you as precious, a miracle. If you aren't seeing yourself that way, you should. None of us are perfect. None of us deserve mercy, and yet He freely gives it.
If your thoughts about yourself are full of negativity and strife, then pray this prayer in the same Psalm as was quoted above. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23-24 The Lord will reveal to you any sin in your life that you need to deal with so that you can "continue on in the way everlasting." It may be that the reason you are feeling so down on yourself is because of sin in your life that you need to deal with. However, that's not always the case. It could be because someone has spoken harshly to you, called you names, abused you in some way, or convinced you that you are a bad person. Whatever the cause is, there is healing available to you through Jesus. If you don't know Jesus, you can know him any time you want. He is ready and waiting to accept us just as we are. He wants to give you a peace that passes all understanding. You can have that peace.
If you've never asked Jesus into your heart, it's very simple. It's the best thing you could ever do for yourself and for your family. All you have to do is pray this simple prayer:
"Dear Lord, I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself. I am sorry and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life, I give it to you. Help me to live every day in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. Amen."
He loves you. He wants a relationship with you, and he chose you. But, he leaves it up to us whether we will choose him or not. If you already know Jesus, and even if you don't, Paul teaches us in Phillippians 4:7-9 that we are to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely,admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. If we think on these things, then the God of peace will be with us. He also tells us in verses 6 & 7 to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with thanksgiving, we are to let the Lord know what we need; and when we do that, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Whenever you start to worry, pray. True peace is not found in positive thinking (as in, new age thinking), in the absence of problems or conflict, or in "good" feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. If you know Jesus, then your citizenship in His kingdom is sure, your destiny is set, and you can have victory over sin. Let God's peace guard your heart against anxiety. What are you putting into your mind? Who are you listening to? The second fortune cookie said that if you look back, you'll soon be going that way. That is so true as well! Don't stay in the past, move on! The minute you ask Jesus to forgive you, it's done. He remembers your sin no more. Replace negative and horrible thoughts about yourself with the thoughts of God. If you don't know the thoughts of God, get into His Word. Read what HE says about you and you will begin to have peace.
Wow! I didn't mean to "get my preach on" just from a couple fortune cookies! But, I believe that someone will read this who will need to hear it. God bless each of you as you go through your day. I pray that anyone who reads this blog will come to know Jesus if they don't already know him. And that those who do will be blessed, encouraged and strengthened.
Monday, April 27, 2009
My Kids Crack Me Up!
Here are a few reasons why my kids have been making me laugh:
~ Sarah gave me her water bottle and said, "Momma, have garbage." Hailey says to her, "Oh no, no, no Sarah! That's recycling!"
~ About once a week Hailey says, "Ok, I'm done with this state. Let's go back to my state now." (We just moved from WA to VA about 5 months ago.)
~ I put a long sundress on yesterday and when Sarah turned around, she looked up at me in awe, then at the dress, reached her little hand forward to touch it and whispered up to me, "Princess." (Can you tell I don't dress up much?)
~ When Hailey saw what Sarah was wearing today she said, "But moooom, I wanted Sarah to wear a matching dress with me." I told her that Sarah didn't have a dress that matched hers and she said, "Well, that just really let me down. Whatever (attitude interjected here.)"
~ Hailey insists on pulling her pants, shorts, or whatever it is way up high like Erkel. Of course, she has no idea who Erkel is, but it's driving me crazy! It's like she prefers to have a wedgie all the time, even though she's constantly complaining that, "Mommy, my underwear's sticking!" Like, get a clue! : )
~ Sarah loves to run into the room, throw her hands up and yell, "Ta-da!" Where she learned this, I have no idea, but it's so darn cute!
~ Hailey asked me the other day, "Mom, can we only talk about butts at home?" Guess what my answer was.
What have your kids been saying? Have a great day everyone!
~ Sarah gave me her water bottle and said, "Momma, have garbage." Hailey says to her, "Oh no, no, no Sarah! That's recycling!"
~ About once a week Hailey says, "Ok, I'm done with this state. Let's go back to my state now." (We just moved from WA to VA about 5 months ago.)
~ I put a long sundress on yesterday and when Sarah turned around, she looked up at me in awe, then at the dress, reached her little hand forward to touch it and whispered up to me, "Princess." (Can you tell I don't dress up much?)
~ When Hailey saw what Sarah was wearing today she said, "But moooom, I wanted Sarah to wear a matching dress with me." I told her that Sarah didn't have a dress that matched hers and she said, "Well, that just really let me down. Whatever (attitude interjected here.)"
~ Hailey insists on pulling her pants, shorts, or whatever it is way up high like Erkel. Of course, she has no idea who Erkel is, but it's driving me crazy! It's like she prefers to have a wedgie all the time, even though she's constantly complaining that, "Mommy, my underwear's sticking!" Like, get a clue! : )
~ Sarah loves to run into the room, throw her hands up and yell, "Ta-da!" Where she learned this, I have no idea, but it's so darn cute!
~ Hailey asked me the other day, "Mom, can we only talk about butts at home?" Guess what my answer was.
What have your kids been saying? Have a great day everyone!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Children Are A Gift From God
I actually have two different parts to this post. Part One is from before I left the house this morning. Part two is from now. I went to a charity brunch/auction this morning for an organization called Beautiful Feet. All of the proceeds went to the Crisis Pregnancy Center. The reason why I'm separating this post into two parts is, for one, I couldn't finish my earlier segment due to the chaotic nature of the morning. Secondly, my attitude has changed greatly since this morning. So, here goes.
Part One (6:45am):
As I begin this post, I'm trying very hard to wipe a scowl from my face. It's mostly gone, but not quite. We woke up to the kids fighting at just before 6am. Isn't that always nice on a Saturday morning? And it just so happens that this is the one day when Sarah's gymnastics class was cancelled, so we actually didn't have to rush to get up. Anyway, I decided to stay in bed pretending to be asleep and see if they would stop arguing. Well, it turned into crying...loud crying. So, I dragged myself out of bed and went into the girls' room to see if I could get them to play in there for a little while longer. No such luck. As soon as Sarah saw me, there was no way I was getting out of there without her. I got her out of bed and tried to interest her in some weebles. Strike two. She was already attached to me at the hip with her legs squeezed around my waist. But then, I opened their blinds and saw the most beautiful sunrise I've seen in a long time. It was a giant pink ball rising up from the low clouds which were painted all different shades of pink and purple. We stood and watched it together. (I'm trying to make this moment sound really profound and beautiful.) It actually was quite beautiful, and the moment lasted for all of two seconds because Hailey started whining about needing breakfast RIGHT NOW!
As I have been typing this I have gotten up at least ten times...no joke. Here are a few of the reasons why:
- Sarah has begun a new tradition of "utensil swapping" in the middle of meals. It seems she gets bored with her spoon or fork rather quickly and feels the need to switch them out. This means that she puts her milk laden spoon back in the silverware drawer and switches it out with another spoon. This has happened twice in the past 5 minutes.
- They can't keep their feet off of each other at the table, which results in cries of, "Mom, her toenail scratched me! Mom, make it so she can't reach me anymore!"
- Hailey demanded more cereal and milk and then refused to eat it. I made her to sit down and finish. She did. But then I hear, "Hey mom, look at me!" I turn to look and there is her bowl on her head, milk running down her face. At least it was mostly gone. So, I had to clean her up (and try not to laugh.)
- Sarah continues to think that the floor would be an excellent place for her food to go, rather than in her mouth. She then thinks of how much fun it would be to get up and squish it with her toes. Lucky for me, Cheerios don't squish too easily. Especially when they haven't been in the bowl long enough to get soggy...sigh.
Part Two (2:30pm):
As you can tell from part one, I was pretty frazzled this morning. I am not frazzled anymore, I am humbled. All of the ranting and raving about the kids and how they drove me crazy this morning seems so pointless now. As I mentioned earlier, I was at a charity brunch this morning for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. There was a woman and her husband that shared the story of their daughter, Bethany. She was born on January 22, 2009 and lived for ten minutes. She had several serious medical problems and they were told over and over again by medical professionals that she should abort the baby. They stood up to everyone and decided that even if the baby didn't make it, they were going to keep it. They shared a video of Bethany's ten minutes here on earth. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. It was so beautiful, and so heartbreaking at the same time. You could see how blue the baby's face was nestled in her pink outfit and hat. She was so tiny, and so beautiful. My heart broke for them as they stood up as man and wife to share with us what they went through just a few short months ago. They were both sobbing and struggling to speak, but they were so very strong at the same time.
There was another video that included several young women who had almost had abortions, but changed their minds and kept their babies. I was so humbled being there and realized how fortunate I am to have two wonderful, intelligent, beautiful daughters. I know that there will still be days when I am frazzled, but I have a very strong reminder now that I need to cherish these days while my babies are young and at home with me. What a privilege I have to be able to stay home and raise them the way I want to raise them. With love, a compassion for others, in the knowledge of the Lord, to be kind and gentle, and on and on. Someone once told me that when you have small children, the days seem so long but the years fly by too fast. That is really true. Some day, not too long from now, my girls will be all grown up. I need to make sure that we are connected to one another, that our bond is strong. I don't want one of my daughters to end up on a video like the one I just watched this morning. I have a tremendous obligation to make sure I do whatever I can to prevent that from happening. Not just to my own girls, but to girls and women everywhere. They need to know that there is hope and that abortion is not the answer. They also need to know that even if they have had an abortion, there is redemption and forgiveness from a Savior who loves them. I plan on volunteering at the center in my area and watching what the Lord will do in these women's lives, and how many children may be saved because of it.
Sometimes we need a reminder of just how precious our children are. I couldn't wait to get home and hug them and kiss their little cheeks. I am so happy that God chose me to be a mother. It's not easy, but it's worth every minute.
Part One (6:45am):
As I begin this post, I'm trying very hard to wipe a scowl from my face. It's mostly gone, but not quite. We woke up to the kids fighting at just before 6am. Isn't that always nice on a Saturday morning? And it just so happens that this is the one day when Sarah's gymnastics class was cancelled, so we actually didn't have to rush to get up. Anyway, I decided to stay in bed pretending to be asleep and see if they would stop arguing. Well, it turned into crying...loud crying. So, I dragged myself out of bed and went into the girls' room to see if I could get them to play in there for a little while longer. No such luck. As soon as Sarah saw me, there was no way I was getting out of there without her. I got her out of bed and tried to interest her in some weebles. Strike two. She was already attached to me at the hip with her legs squeezed around my waist. But then, I opened their blinds and saw the most beautiful sunrise I've seen in a long time. It was a giant pink ball rising up from the low clouds which were painted all different shades of pink and purple. We stood and watched it together. (I'm trying to make this moment sound really profound and beautiful.) It actually was quite beautiful, and the moment lasted for all of two seconds because Hailey started whining about needing breakfast RIGHT NOW!
As I have been typing this I have gotten up at least ten times...no joke. Here are a few of the reasons why:
- Sarah has begun a new tradition of "utensil swapping" in the middle of meals. It seems she gets bored with her spoon or fork rather quickly and feels the need to switch them out. This means that she puts her milk laden spoon back in the silverware drawer and switches it out with another spoon. This has happened twice in the past 5 minutes.
- They can't keep their feet off of each other at the table, which results in cries of, "Mom, her toenail scratched me! Mom, make it so she can't reach me anymore!"
- Hailey demanded more cereal and milk and then refused to eat it. I made her to sit down and finish. She did. But then I hear, "Hey mom, look at me!" I turn to look and there is her bowl on her head, milk running down her face. At least it was mostly gone. So, I had to clean her up (and try not to laugh.)
- Sarah continues to think that the floor would be an excellent place for her food to go, rather than in her mouth. She then thinks of how much fun it would be to get up and squish it with her toes. Lucky for me, Cheerios don't squish too easily. Especially when they haven't been in the bowl long enough to get soggy...sigh.
Part Two (2:30pm):
As you can tell from part one, I was pretty frazzled this morning. I am not frazzled anymore, I am humbled. All of the ranting and raving about the kids and how they drove me crazy this morning seems so pointless now. As I mentioned earlier, I was at a charity brunch this morning for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. There was a woman and her husband that shared the story of their daughter, Bethany. She was born on January 22, 2009 and lived for ten minutes. She had several serious medical problems and they were told over and over again by medical professionals that she should abort the baby. They stood up to everyone and decided that even if the baby didn't make it, they were going to keep it. They shared a video of Bethany's ten minutes here on earth. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. It was so beautiful, and so heartbreaking at the same time. You could see how blue the baby's face was nestled in her pink outfit and hat. She was so tiny, and so beautiful. My heart broke for them as they stood up as man and wife to share with us what they went through just a few short months ago. They were both sobbing and struggling to speak, but they were so very strong at the same time.
There was another video that included several young women who had almost had abortions, but changed their minds and kept their babies. I was so humbled being there and realized how fortunate I am to have two wonderful, intelligent, beautiful daughters. I know that there will still be days when I am frazzled, but I have a very strong reminder now that I need to cherish these days while my babies are young and at home with me. What a privilege I have to be able to stay home and raise them the way I want to raise them. With love, a compassion for others, in the knowledge of the Lord, to be kind and gentle, and on and on. Someone once told me that when you have small children, the days seem so long but the years fly by too fast. That is really true. Some day, not too long from now, my girls will be all grown up. I need to make sure that we are connected to one another, that our bond is strong. I don't want one of my daughters to end up on a video like the one I just watched this morning. I have a tremendous obligation to make sure I do whatever I can to prevent that from happening. Not just to my own girls, but to girls and women everywhere. They need to know that there is hope and that abortion is not the answer. They also need to know that even if they have had an abortion, there is redemption and forgiveness from a Savior who loves them. I plan on volunteering at the center in my area and watching what the Lord will do in these women's lives, and how many children may be saved because of it.
Sometimes we need a reminder of just how precious our children are. I couldn't wait to get home and hug them and kiss their little cheeks. I am so happy that God chose me to be a mother. It's not easy, but it's worth every minute.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Hope In The Lord
As I was driving home from dropping my kids off at preschool this morning, I was following an unmarked white delivery truck of some sort. The only thing printed on the truck was "Isaiah 40:31." I wrote down the verse and continued on to the grocery store, all the while wondering what the verse said. I couldn't wait to get home and find out. When I read it, it was exactly what I needed to hear today. It says this. "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31.
I have heard this verse numerous times throughout my life, but this verse means so much to me now. Two years ago, this was my prayer...just to be able to walk. I had been in a wheelchair for about 3 months and really felt like I had no hope at times. It is a long story for another post, but basically I couldn't walk more than about two feet. And even that was almost more than I could bear. I have suffered from a neurological disorder that affects my feet and legs for about 15 years, but this was the worst it ever was. I was eight months pregnant with our daughter, Sarah. I thought that once I delivered her, I'd be able to get out of the wheelchair. I was wrong. I spent about 5 months in that chair. Isaiah 40:31 was one of the verses that the Lord gave to me in that dark and terrible time of pain. I'm great at remembering scripture, but I'm not very good at remembering the exact scripture references all the time, otherwise, I would have known exactly what this verse said. I believe God gave me this verse today as a reminder of where He has brought me to now, what he has brought me out of, how much he has healed me, given me hope, encouraged me to never give up and most of all, to trust him.
As you know from my earlier post, I've been dealing with back pain this week. Not uncommon to my life, but always a huge inconvenience. However, I can walk. I struggled a tiny bit in the grocery store this morning with the pain in my feet but, I remember when I couldn't even set foot in the grocery store. A few months after I got out of my wheelchair I could use the motorized carts and, eventually, regular carts (after about a year.) I am so unbelievably thankful for what the Lord has given back to me. I am still believing for total healing. Until then, I will praise him every day for what I can do, and forget about what I can't do.
To hope in the Lord is to expect that his promise of strength will help you to rise above life's distractions and difficulties. It also means trusting in God. Trusting helps us to be prepared when he speaks to us. Then we will be patient when he asks us to wait and expect him to fulfill the promises found in his Word. Even the strongest of people get tired at times, but God's power and strength never fail. He is never too tired or to busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel like you are being crushed under the weight of your circumstances, or that you can't take another step (physically or emotionally), remember that you can call upon the Lord. He will renew your strength. Remember what He has done for you.
Here are some verses I'd like to leave you with:
Romans 5:2b - 5 - "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
1 Peter 5:6 & 7 - "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety o him because he cares for you."
Phil. 4:6 & 7 - "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 hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Phil. 4:13 - "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
I have heard this verse numerous times throughout my life, but this verse means so much to me now. Two years ago, this was my prayer...just to be able to walk. I had been in a wheelchair for about 3 months and really felt like I had no hope at times. It is a long story for another post, but basically I couldn't walk more than about two feet. And even that was almost more than I could bear. I have suffered from a neurological disorder that affects my feet and legs for about 15 years, but this was the worst it ever was. I was eight months pregnant with our daughter, Sarah. I thought that once I delivered her, I'd be able to get out of the wheelchair. I was wrong. I spent about 5 months in that chair. Isaiah 40:31 was one of the verses that the Lord gave to me in that dark and terrible time of pain. I'm great at remembering scripture, but I'm not very good at remembering the exact scripture references all the time, otherwise, I would have known exactly what this verse said. I believe God gave me this verse today as a reminder of where He has brought me to now, what he has brought me out of, how much he has healed me, given me hope, encouraged me to never give up and most of all, to trust him.
As you know from my earlier post, I've been dealing with back pain this week. Not uncommon to my life, but always a huge inconvenience. However, I can walk. I struggled a tiny bit in the grocery store this morning with the pain in my feet but, I remember when I couldn't even set foot in the grocery store. A few months after I got out of my wheelchair I could use the motorized carts and, eventually, regular carts (after about a year.) I am so unbelievably thankful for what the Lord has given back to me. I am still believing for total healing. Until then, I will praise him every day for what I can do, and forget about what I can't do.
To hope in the Lord is to expect that his promise of strength will help you to rise above life's distractions and difficulties. It also means trusting in God. Trusting helps us to be prepared when he speaks to us. Then we will be patient when he asks us to wait and expect him to fulfill the promises found in his Word. Even the strongest of people get tired at times, but God's power and strength never fail. He is never too tired or to busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel like you are being crushed under the weight of your circumstances, or that you can't take another step (physically or emotionally), remember that you can call upon the Lord. He will renew your strength. Remember what He has done for you.
Here are some verses I'd like to leave you with:
Romans 5:2b - 5 - "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
1 Peter 5:6 & 7 - "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety o him because he cares for you."
Phil. 4:6 & 7 - "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 hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Phil. 4:13 - "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Slow Down
Today, my back is still out. Well, not ALL the way out I suppose, but it hurts really bad. It has forced me to take things very slowly. At first, I was quite annoyed by this seeing as I needed to get the kids fed, dressed, and off to preschool. Not to mention, I had to get myself ready in the process. So, instead of panicking, I prayed. I quoted scripture in the shower, I quoted it while trying to get my hairdryer out of a bottom drawer, while picking out my kids' clothes, getting them breakfast, etc. God blessed me by allowing Sarah to wake up while my husband was still home, so I didn't have to figure out how to get her out of her crib. He also blessed me with a phone call to my hubby from his carpool asking if they could meet 20 min. later than normal. That allowed me the extra time I needed to get myself ready.
It's amazing to me how when I decide to praise God and speak His Word into my day, no matter what the circumstances, he will honor that. Did my pain disappear? No. But, I had peace and I had the grace I needed to get the kids ready and off to school. My back still hurts, and I still have to get myself to my Lasik eye surgery consultation this afternoon, but I am not worried. I know God is with me and he loves me.
Yesterday was our young moms cell group. The topic was "the entropy monster". The definition of entropy is a system or universe moving from a state of order to disorder. Boy, did that fit my day to a tee yesterday. I woke up with a very sore back, (not as sore as this morning, but still pretty bad), screaming kids, a headache, a very messy kitchen, and a really bad attitude. I needed to get to my mom's group by 10:00 and still had to make two kinds of fruit sauces for the waffles we were all going to enjoy together. So, rather than do what I did this morning, which was the right thing, I did everything wrong. I panicked at the time, I yelled at the kids, I ran around like a crazy person (well, hobbled), and basically ruined the morning for the three of us. I almost didn't go to my group because I felt so guilty about how the morning had gone. How could I go and just pretend that everything was fine? But, they were counting on the sauces, so I figured I had to go.
We got to the car and I broke down. I asked God to forgive me and then I asked my girls if they would please forgive mommy for yelling and having such a bad attitude. Hailey said, "Of course we forgive you momma. We all have our bad days." Sarah just put her pudgy little hands on my cheeks and said, "It's awright mommy, it's awright." I just couldn't believe how quickly the situation turned from a nightmare, to peaceful and "all-is-well" in a matter of one minute. And how quickly my children forgave me. What a wonderful example of how we all need to be.
Anyway, we had a wonderfully happy drive to cell group and the message was so fitting for the type of morning I'd had. Everyone enjoyed the sauces, I got refreshed, and I got to confess to all the moms that I screwed up, had a terrible morning, and that it all changed when I asked my kids to forgive me. What ended up being a terrible situation for me, touched the lives of the women at my group. Several women told me how much it blessed them that I was honest and shared my confession. Who knows? Maybe someone had the same morning? I know that I'm not alone. I felt so much better after confessing aloud that I had not been a very good mommy that morning. I didn't have to share that, but I couldn't go through the morning pretending that I wasn't deeply affected by the way I had treated my kids. We had a great rest of our day. They were peaceful, they shared with each other, they were helpful to me, Sarah took a three hour nap. God was in the rest of the day, and that attitude of forgiveness and compassion has carried into this day. I love Jesus! Here are some notes from our cell group:
How Not To Allow Entropy To Crowd Our Hearts
Read Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8
- Make God your refuge and your fortress. Trust in Him at ALL times.
- Let God's strength be perfect in your life. Operate in His strength, not your own. Read Isaiah 40:28-31. Let Him help you!
- Believe that God is making you new every day. Read 2 Cor. 4:16-17. Don't lose heart, don't give up, keep pressing through!
Heard around my house these days:
- "Mom, come quick! Sarah has the hugest snot EVER!"
- Hailey calls jumping on the couch "learnin' math." (Still don't know where she got that from.)
- Sarah says, "No momma, I do it mysewf!" every time I go to help her with something. Two seconds later she says, "Help pwease mommy." I go to help her and she shouts, "No momma, I do it mysewf!" Another couple seconds, "Help pwease mommy!" We do this several times before she finally lets me help her.
- "Mom, why can't the sky be green and the grass could be blue? That would be super cool."
- "Thanks for letting me help you fold laundry mommy, it just makes me so happy." (I love that!)
- "Mom, why does the Easter bunny only come at night? Does he work with Santa Claus?"
Please feel free to leave comments as to your children's funny things that they say. I love to hear them! Have a wonderful day and remember, there is power in the Word of God. Speak it out. Keep your eyes on what is not seen, instead of what your circumstances may be. You are doing the most important job on earth and you will be rewarded greatly.
It's amazing to me how when I decide to praise God and speak His Word into my day, no matter what the circumstances, he will honor that. Did my pain disappear? No. But, I had peace and I had the grace I needed to get the kids ready and off to school. My back still hurts, and I still have to get myself to my Lasik eye surgery consultation this afternoon, but I am not worried. I know God is with me and he loves me.
Yesterday was our young moms cell group. The topic was "the entropy monster". The definition of entropy is a system or universe moving from a state of order to disorder. Boy, did that fit my day to a tee yesterday. I woke up with a very sore back, (not as sore as this morning, but still pretty bad), screaming kids, a headache, a very messy kitchen, and a really bad attitude. I needed to get to my mom's group by 10:00 and still had to make two kinds of fruit sauces for the waffles we were all going to enjoy together. So, rather than do what I did this morning, which was the right thing, I did everything wrong. I panicked at the time, I yelled at the kids, I ran around like a crazy person (well, hobbled), and basically ruined the morning for the three of us. I almost didn't go to my group because I felt so guilty about how the morning had gone. How could I go and just pretend that everything was fine? But, they were counting on the sauces, so I figured I had to go.
We got to the car and I broke down. I asked God to forgive me and then I asked my girls if they would please forgive mommy for yelling and having such a bad attitude. Hailey said, "Of course we forgive you momma. We all have our bad days." Sarah just put her pudgy little hands on my cheeks and said, "It's awright mommy, it's awright." I just couldn't believe how quickly the situation turned from a nightmare, to peaceful and "all-is-well" in a matter of one minute. And how quickly my children forgave me. What a wonderful example of how we all need to be.
Anyway, we had a wonderfully happy drive to cell group and the message was so fitting for the type of morning I'd had. Everyone enjoyed the sauces, I got refreshed, and I got to confess to all the moms that I screwed up, had a terrible morning, and that it all changed when I asked my kids to forgive me. What ended up being a terrible situation for me, touched the lives of the women at my group. Several women told me how much it blessed them that I was honest and shared my confession. Who knows? Maybe someone had the same morning? I know that I'm not alone. I felt so much better after confessing aloud that I had not been a very good mommy that morning. I didn't have to share that, but I couldn't go through the morning pretending that I wasn't deeply affected by the way I had treated my kids. We had a great rest of our day. They were peaceful, they shared with each other, they were helpful to me, Sarah took a three hour nap. God was in the rest of the day, and that attitude of forgiveness and compassion has carried into this day. I love Jesus! Here are some notes from our cell group:
How Not To Allow Entropy To Crowd Our Hearts
Read Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8
- Make God your refuge and your fortress. Trust in Him at ALL times.
- Let God's strength be perfect in your life. Operate in His strength, not your own. Read Isaiah 40:28-31. Let Him help you!
- Believe that God is making you new every day. Read 2 Cor. 4:16-17. Don't lose heart, don't give up, keep pressing through!
Heard around my house these days:
- "Mom, come quick! Sarah has the hugest snot EVER!"
- Hailey calls jumping on the couch "learnin' math." (Still don't know where she got that from.)
- Sarah says, "No momma, I do it mysewf!" every time I go to help her with something. Two seconds later she says, "Help pwease mommy." I go to help her and she shouts, "No momma, I do it mysewf!" Another couple seconds, "Help pwease mommy!" We do this several times before she finally lets me help her.
- "Mom, why can't the sky be green and the grass could be blue? That would be super cool."
- "Thanks for letting me help you fold laundry mommy, it just makes me so happy." (I love that!)
- "Mom, why does the Easter bunny only come at night? Does he work with Santa Claus?"
Please feel free to leave comments as to your children's funny things that they say. I love to hear them! Have a wonderful day and remember, there is power in the Word of God. Speak it out. Keep your eyes on what is not seen, instead of what your circumstances may be. You are doing the most important job on earth and you will be rewarded greatly.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Way I Want To Live
Yesterday was Wave Women, our fabulous women's bible study at church. Sharon Kelly, our pastor's wife, gave an amazing message and it really impacted me. Then, later in the day, a dear friend of mine gave me a scripture and prophecied over me. Little did she know, it was EXACTLY what God spoke to me about in the bible study that morning. This is one of those, "It's not weird, it's just God" things.
The title of the message was, "What Does God Require?" It was based on Micah 6:8 - "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Are you fair in your dealings with people? Do you show mercy to those who wrong you? Are you learning humility? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.
I don't have much time, so I will give you just a few of my notes from the service:
1. Act justly - God wants us to administer justice in our everyday life. Prov. 31:8-9 says "Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Don't show favoritism. Even with your husband and kids. Don't put expectations on them that you know they can't meet.
2. Love mercy - Be kind and merciful. Show compassion and love wherever you go. Keep your heart soft. If you pursue righteousness and mercy, you will find life, prosperity and honor. Read Matt. 5:8 and Prov. 21:21.
3. Walk in humility - Take God seriously, take yourself less seriously. Keep humility center to your life. Phil. 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
We do this all the time as moms, don't we? If not, we should be. Our children and our husband are our greatest priorities. First and formost, we need to be using these three principles in our homes. Not just because it's a good idea, but because it is what the Lord requires of us. If you are struggling with these areas, pray. Jesus said that we can come to him and ask for wisdom and strength to handle difficult people and difficult situations. He rewards those who earnestly seek him. You will get your day, your opportunity. God has his hand on you. He wants to prosper you. But, we must be living out these principles the best we can. I pray you have a wonderful day resting in the peace that comes from knowing that you are loved by God.
The title of the message was, "What Does God Require?" It was based on Micah 6:8 - "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Are you fair in your dealings with people? Do you show mercy to those who wrong you? Are you learning humility? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.
I don't have much time, so I will give you just a few of my notes from the service:
1. Act justly - God wants us to administer justice in our everyday life. Prov. 31:8-9 says "Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Don't show favoritism. Even with your husband and kids. Don't put expectations on them that you know they can't meet.
2. Love mercy - Be kind and merciful. Show compassion and love wherever you go. Keep your heart soft. If you pursue righteousness and mercy, you will find life, prosperity and honor. Read Matt. 5:8 and Prov. 21:21.
3. Walk in humility - Take God seriously, take yourself less seriously. Keep humility center to your life. Phil. 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
We do this all the time as moms, don't we? If not, we should be. Our children and our husband are our greatest priorities. First and formost, we need to be using these three principles in our homes. Not just because it's a good idea, but because it is what the Lord requires of us. If you are struggling with these areas, pray. Jesus said that we can come to him and ask for wisdom and strength to handle difficult people and difficult situations. He rewards those who earnestly seek him. You will get your day, your opportunity. God has his hand on you. He wants to prosper you. But, we must be living out these principles the best we can. I pray you have a wonderful day resting in the peace that comes from knowing that you are loved by God.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Easter
I can't believe how long it takes me to update my blog! I have every intention of updating it every day, or at least every other day, but then life takes over and I collapse at night without a single drop of energy left to type. I know you moms out there understand what I mean. Anyway, I really am going to try to update this more often.
Things that made me laugh in the last few weeks:
~ When I ask Hailey if she needs to go potty, she says "No, I'm just dancing for normal."
~ Sarah calls cashews "seashoes".
~ They both call their back packs their "pack-packs".
~ Sarah trying to crawl into the computer to hug my family while on Skype.
~ Sarah feeding her bunny-bear (aka, Baby) everything she eats.
There are many, many more which of course I will think of as soon as I publish this post. I am so thankful that I have two beautiful, funny little girls with wonderful imaginations. Here is a picture of them playing peek-a-boo with the easter eggs they found at church:
They were too cute in their dresses. Here's a picture of them at church with their daddy, and then one with mommy:
We had a great Easter, but I have to admit that I was having somewhat of a rough day. I was really, really missing my family a lot. It was the first Easter that I have been away from them, and the first one without my Grandma Peggy and her world famous potato salad. (Well, Gig Harbor famous anyway.) It was also the first Easter where I did everything for my own little family; from the filling of the Easter baskets, to cooking our Easter meal, etc. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing my family so happy. It was just...weird. Weird that I was "Mom", the one in charge of making the day special. I'm so used to going over to my parents house and being with our large family, where everyone brings something to share and we all sit down and eat together. Where my mom is the one in charge of the meal, making sure the table is set just right, that everyone has what they need to make their day special. I gained such a new respect and such a longing for my mom that day, realizing what she goes through every holiday.
There are times when it hits me that I am a mom in charge of raising these two precious children that I have been blessed with. You would think that this would have hit me a while ago given the fact that Hailey is almost five years old...smile. But, I think I was so busy in the early "baby days" that I didn't really have time to stop and think about it. It's really been hitting me lately that I have such an incredible responsibility. Do any of you moms ever feel this way? I am so honored to have this responsibility, but it's also a wee bit scary sometimes. Here are some scriptures that have been meditating on lately:
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." - Psalm 55:22
"If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." - Psalm 91:9-12
"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." - Prov. 22:6
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." - Isaiah 26:3-4
The Lord says in Isaiah 55 that his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and his ways higher than our ways. He also promises that his word will not return to him void, but will accomplish what he desires, and achieve the purpose for which he sent it. Whenever I start to feel the weight of the responsibility of motherhood, I sit back and remember that the Lord is in control. He knew my children before they were born, he formed them, and he will take care of them. Sure, it's my job to raise them in the ways of the Lord, provide for them, be there for them. But ultimately, I must give the weight of my "job" over to the Lord. Otherwise, it will crush me. The Lord will give us everything we need to be the mothers he has called us to be. As long as we rest in the shadow of the Almighty, we'll be ok.
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