2012

Ok....if you have a pulse you probably have been hearing lots about the year 2012 and how some experts say it is when cataclysmic happenings will begin. Basically, the end of the world. I was chatting with a new friend the other day who watched a show on the History Channel about this very topic. This girl was honest enough to share with me how anxiety ridden she was over seeing this program. She was unable to sleep well and could not get the program off her mind. Well, this got me thinking. This new friend of mine is a church goer and more importantly, a believer. Why does she even give this kind of "stuff" a second thought? Why is she churned up over something that the History Channel tells the viewers is going to happen or might happen? What is that all about. This is how I see it....

As believers, it is sooooooo important that we KNOW WHAT WE KNOW! Know what I mean? If we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, then we must....must....come to know what His word has to say to us. Just ONE of the reasons for knowing the word of God is to know how to deal with this "scary" stuff that the world would like us to get caught up in. If we are a people, walking around all caught up in fear, bogged down by worry and anxiety, what good are we to His kingdom? Amen?! I praise God as I write this and think back on that conversation I had we my new friend. I was able to give her a few words that comforted her. What an honor! The only reason I had anything firm to say to her was because I am familiar with what God has told us. His comforting messages didn't just jump into my brain. I gobbled them up! I have stored them in my heart for times when either I need them for myself or someone else. I think it is important for you to know that I too get kind of caught up in those History Channel or Discover Channel shows that talk about the end times or prophetic teachings (Nostradamus type stuff). They are so captivating aren't they!! Well, the more familiar I have become with the Word of God, the quicker I am able to spot a lie when I see it/hear it. In a totally wrong, twisted kind of way, I think I might still get caught up in watching these shows so I can watch how often they actually say things that are counter to what the word of God says. Yeah, I should not do that but it is so fun! So, let me finish with some verses that come to mind whenever our enemy tries to get me all stirred up with anxiety about how the world is going to end.

First off, God tells us to be careful with what we allow our hearts to soak up..

Prov 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

(once that yuck is in there....you can't get it out!)

Here is a quick, must know, go-to verse...
Phil 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (emphasis added)

Here are some very specific verses regarding what Jesus has

to say about the end of the world as we know it...

Matt 35-42
35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.* Only the Father knows.
37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

So........if you believe the very words of Jesus, then just go back to the Phil verse!!

No worries!

Peace out, girl scout!!

The Christian walk summed up in TWO words.

I am a simple girl. Well, not really cause I often make a mountain out of a mole hill and need my peeps to bring me back to reality. I was listening to the radio and the talk show was about the basics of being a Christian. This really hit home for me. Here is how it went...

If you consider yourself a Christian, your walk can really be summed up in two words.
Trust and Obedience.

Yep. Those two words really have it in a nut shell.
1. Do you trust God at His word?
2. And are you obedient to it?

I either trust God and believe what He tells me is in fact true OR I don't. The answer to that determines my actions and reactions to everything in life. Also, am I being obedient or disobedient? This is the question I can and should ask myself in regards to EVERYTHING that happens in my life. It is either one or the other. Ouch. The closer I get to God, the more I KNOW Him, the more I realize I am being disobedient and not trusting of Him at his word. Again, ouch!! Being a Christian is not for the faint of heart. No sir. It is the most painful, heart wrenching, pride-breaking, joyous, glorious, amazing thing I have done or will ever do. I will conclude by saying,I truly am....a pile of poo! But, the God of creation loves me anyway!! Why? Just cause! Thank you Jesus! Gotta love that.

Here we go again...I am back at His feet!

It is Monday....my children are back at school after a 5 day break for Thanksgiving. I love my children dearly. I really do. I would jump in front of a bus for them. I would trade my life for theirs in a heartbeat. They are the reason I get up in the morning. Having said that.....boy, can they shut....me.....down! This blog is actually being done in order to spare my dearest friends about a hour of venting. For those of you with children...I know you hear me. As my children age, it seems I am aging twice as fast. Can I get an Amen?! I totally understand and hold tight to the fact that the goal in parenting is to love them and raise them to be loving, God fearing, productive individuals. I get that but good grief....can I pick a different goal cause that one seems too hard sometimes. How about this for a goal... get them to smile or walk or hug or speak?? How about a goal of getting them to fuss or cry? Ooooo. Ooooo...how about, the goal in parenting is to get them to go to the potty! Now, that is one I can achieve.

Ok...seriously. Raising children is so tough. More accurately, it is impossible without the loving kindness and words of wisdom from God. After a meer 5 days with my children, I am graveling at His feet for scraps of something to lift my spirits. I need Him to remind me that the goal will be accomplished (if I don't give up). Gal 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Without Him, I would feel so discouraged. Discouraged in what? Well, how about this for just one example. I have been a parent for 11 1/2 years and I just learned that one of my children has not changed underwear in 4 days. Seriously. I can't even teach them the basics. This is where my head goes. What on earth did I do wrong? What am I not doing that I should be doing? Well, God assures me that He is with me. He says to me, don't be discouraged. ( Even in the dirty underwear part of my life. ) Deut 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I have learned that keeping a healthy sense of humor is very VERY important when parenting. Without it, things get very gloomy very quick! I have a child...who is sitting in school...right now....with underwear that have been on the same tush since Thursday!!!! (this is being posted on a Monday!) If I am not able to find the humor in that...I think I have lost the ability to laugh. (out of respect for my children, I will not mention which one it is but just so you know, all three of them are old enough to change their own undies!)

As a mom...a fallen, sinful creature. A mom that truly wants to do the best I can do...these are the things in my head this morning. I am kind of all in a fuss over some minor family "things" that occurred over Thanksgiving, I am still fighting off a virus that won't quite, my husband is AWOL cause he prefers the company of men dressed in camo and bright orange over me, I have a very messy house, loads of laundry, empty cupboards, a bare frig, a house decorated in fall pumpkins and a faux lighted Christmas tree with no decorations yet. I have science projects to supervise, Nativity scene projects to guide, spelling words to help with, presents to get, presents to wrap, bills to pay, animals to care for...and oh yeah....I need to make sure I put together an unforgettable Christmas season filled with warm fuzzies memories. I also need to remember to try and make it snow ever-so-slightly on Christmas Eve. (Can't forget that!)

I am going to be bold and say that many of you have different things that are going on in your head but it is ALL kind of the same. Right? Well, these are the words that I am resting in from our God. Phil 4:8 tells us...Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I will close with another great verse that I will rely on and rest in...and I would urge you to do the same.

Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.

Amen!!

While at the Football Hall of Fame...

Ok...it might be official. I am off my rocker. I admit it. I am not ashamed to say...I am completely nuts. Crazy!! Crazy for Christ that is. I spent the majority of the day helping with a field trip that my children's school went on. The 4th and 5th grades went to the Football Hall of Fame. This "iconic epicenter of all that is sacred on Sunday afternoons" happens to be about 25 minutes from the kids school so the trip itself was not that momentous of an occasion. Never the less, it was a field trip and these kids are 9, 10 and 11 years old. They could be going to dig a sewer line but if you said "field trip" to dig a sewer line they would be excited. Know what I mean? But, I am rabbit trailing again....I am crazy cause all I could think of as I walked through the "museum" was Jesus. See! Told ya! I am off my rocker. Here is what was going through my head. (read on at own risk!)

I had never been to the Football Hall of Fame and quite frankly, never intended on going...ever but I get to be a stay-at-home mom, they needed volunteers, so I volunteered to go. As we entered the parking lot, I started thinking about this three hour tour of our All-American Sport of FOOTBALL. I pondered how I actually felt about football. I grew up in the Cowboy vs. Steelers era as well as the 49ers era. My father was all about football on Sunday afternoons. The sounds of Monday night football are positive ones for me. The Super Bowl was an exciting time. The truth is, football conger's up warm-fuzzies for me. I enjoy a cozy, cold weekend when there is nothing to do but eat munchies and watch a good ball game. Now, I can't say I watch every play or even know what is going on at times but I can certainly enjoy the sport. I can appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to play.


As I walked through the Hall of Fame I was in awe! It is a beautiful building. Everything is top of the line. Everything is so pristine!! The man who took all the parents around to give them the lay of the land as the kids were getting the 411 in another room actually used the word "artifacts" to describe sweat socks and old jerseys. ARTIFACTS! Sadly, one of the other mom's happened to be an art history major and this about shut her down. I think someone had to give her a paper bag to breathe in! Seriously. The general theme of the architect of the building was kind of a spiral. Possibly a pun on the "perfect pass". Don't know. There were very few angles in this place. It all just f l o w e d from one amazing display to another. The lighting was perfect, the acoustics were orchestra-esk, every inch was pristine. Not one drop of dust...anywhere. Much of the lighting was motion activated so when someone stepped up to a display, the lights came on. There were touch screen computer displays that gave information upon information. The coolest item...an entire "room" ( I use quotes cause it was not actually a square room as we think of rooms..it was kind of circular in shape ) that housed the Super Bowl trophy for this 2009/10 year. Kind of cool. The strangest item...well, I would have to say it was a toss up between the actual shoe of a famous kicker and a sweat stained, holey sock. Now, when I say shoe of a kicker, I should mention that it was actually 1/2 a shoe as this kicker was born with only 1/2 a right foot. Yes. I am serious. (please don't miss my satire here. I am in NO way trying to be disrespectful of this gentleman. I really do think it is rather amazing that he was able to pursue his dream in spite of his physical limitations). One of the last things we did was sit through a 24 minute long playback of the previous years Super Bowl game. At least I think it was the most recent one? Not sure. Any who, the sound system was intense, the screen was theatre size...the seating even moved during the showing. As I sat there, I was in awe by the players on screen. The passion, the motivation, the drive....remarkable. Not only from the players but the coaches, the announcers, the fans at the game. Even the other people watching what I was watching! Amazing! Truly astonishing. There were lots of other people at the Hall of Fame too. Mostly men. Most of them wearing their favorite teams jersey and carrying a camera and/or video camera. Some interesting facts that I was given while there...90 million people from the US alone, watched the 2008 Super Bowl game. They estimate that close to 1 billion world wide watched at least some of the game. That was billion with a "b"! Again, amazing.


Now, just think of all the energy, power, money, prestige, time, talent, blood, sweat and tears that go not only into each game but into each practice as well. Shoot, into the Hall of Fame itself. Almost uncountable!! I think it is safe to say that these men (along with some of the women in their lives) give all their strength and power to this game. They love every second of it. They give their ALL! Why? For the love of the game.

Now, what if we did that for our Creator? What if we did that for the one and only person who has the power to give us eternity with Him or eternity without Him full of pain and suffering. What would this fallen world look like?


I will leave you with this task, given to us by our Lord.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Just something to think about. Blessings.

I have the secret to a good night sleep, EVERY NIGHT!

The ugly truth is that human beings do not have a thankful heart by nature. Nope. Some of us are more thankful in general, as a baseline frame of mind but by nature we are a selfish lot. Own it or not...that is the truth. However, being thankful, REALLY BEING thankful can become part of our everyday. It must be practiced and become a "habit". We don't get up in the morning and start cking off the things we need to do...like brush teeth, get dressed, take a shower, etc. We just do these things. Right? Well, having a heart of gratitude can be one of those automatic things you do. We must practice it though. For our country, November is a great time to get a booster shot of being thankful. I cherish the fact that I have come to this "thankful heart" realization while my kids are still young so I can train them up to be thankful. Being thankful will not be an afterthought for them like it is or was for me. Praise God!! (that is my hope anyway) Here are some interesting statistics as collected by a secular study.

Gratitude and Well-Being
A large body of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher levels of well-being. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships [18][19][20]Grateful people also have higher levels of control of their environments, personal growth, purpose in life, and self acceptance. [21]Grateful people have more positive ways of coping with the difficulties they experience in life, being more likely to seek support from other people, reinterpreted and grow from the experience, and spend more time planning how to deal with the problem.[22] Grateful people also have less negative coping strategies, being less likely to try and avoid the problem, deny there is a problem, blame themselves, or cope through substance use.[22]Grateful people sleep better, and this seems to be because they think less negative and more positive thoughts just before going to sleep[

Ok...let me highlight THIS part again... grateful people sleep better. (Thus the title of this post! Who out there doesn't want this!)

Let me conclude by saying a few things.
1. I needed to go to scripture to see what God had to say about being thankful.
2. I am so flawed that I need to practice this type of heart attitude in order for it to become part of my life. I was not raised in a grateful environment. Lots of grumbling, arguing, negativity....I don't want that for my children. I want something better!


God is clear about being thankful. He asks us to ALWAYS be thankful. Yikes. Say again? Well, in several verses, we are called to focus on being thankful for everything. Even yucky stuff. Now, God is not wanting us to be happy and thankful FOR the yuck that happens in our lives but He wants us to get our eyes off that yuck (cause it is going to be there) and look at the good. Sometimes the best thing a person is able to see in a situation is their faith. As they look around they see nothing else good. They have only their faith to cling to. Some of us have tons of wonder around us but ONE thing that is yucky will drag us down into a huge pity party. (Don't you hate that when you do that? Me too!) Wherever you fall right now, get your eyes off you...get them on Jesus and read some of His word.

Psalm 100:4-5 from the Message bible says: Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Philippians 4:4-7 from NKJV says: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 in the NIV says: 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

These are just a few verses. There are so many! This last one is a great one. Did you miss it? Verse 18 tells us what God wants for us. He wants us to be joyful, do lots of praying (cause that is how we get closer to Him so in essence He is telling us He things we rock and He wants to chat with us!!) and be thankful ALWAYS!

If the God of the universe, the creator of all things is telling me He wants me to be thankful....well, golly gee. I think I aught to make it a habit. Amen? Amen.

FREE refills!!

Free refills. We all love um right? Dinner is less stressful when we are out to eat at a place that gives free refills. You know what I am talking about. The bill is less, the kids are happy, there is no stress trying to make the food and the drink last the same length. Right?


You might be asking why on earth are you talking about this Michelle? Glad you asked. I can tie all things back to God and this is no exception. I serve a God that specializes in FREE REFILLS! Praise God for that cause this girl needs to have a refill quite often. A refill of what you ask? Well, I am a girl who always is in need of doing some self monitoring and checking to see if I need a refill of the power of the Holy Spirit and an infilling of the love of God.


As mom, homemaker, wife, daughter, friend, neighbor, ministry leader, etc....( I could go on with all my titles but that would be bragging! ;0) I find that my joy, peace, patients, kindness, and love for ANYTHING and ANYONE gets depleted often. Quickly and often to be exact. I have come to the realization that one person has put a label on me... (the label of Wonder Woman.) One person has me thinking that I have to be all things to all people that I come in contact with. One person is right there to point out when I fail miserably at being wonder woman. Guess who that one person is? It's ME! For crying out loud, I do it to myself. Then, when I am exhausted, fall short of what I expect, I start being rather feisty with all those around me. Now, by "around me" I mean...my kids, my husband, my friend, my in-laws, my kids teachers,....oh who am I kidding...the girl cashing out my groceries at Wal-mart is fair game for me when I am in need of a refill!


I am here to tell you that this exact mindset is what the Holy Spirit can completely take care of. Yep. I tell ya....if I am honest and come to the foot of the cross with all my shortcomings, my God is right there. Ready to help pick me up. Ready to fill me up with the love He has for me. Praise God, I have the Holy Spirit at work inside me and when my tank is on E, I know it. My soul is not feeling the way it should be feeling. It is at these times when my running to God has such a powerful impact on my life. In order to be helped though, I have to be real. I have to be honest about what is going on inside. God already knows...we just have to bring it to Him and He can then help us to heal. Sometimes I am all good and things are going wondrous!! Other times I need to "be healed" 10x's a day. I am a weak, leaky girl that needs a refill... often.

How do I know that I need a refill and not just cranky and I will get over it? Good question. I can tell because I have come to a place where I am honest with myself. Rather, I try hard to be honest with myself. Another way I know that I am in need of a refill is because the Word assures me (and you) that when we accept Christ, we get the Holy Spirit too! Cool! Sounds like a BOGO to me!! Scripture goes on to explain how the Holy Spirit has great power. One specific verse goes like this...

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

Act 1:8

Let's face it...don't we need all the powerful help we can get! Amen!

You might NOW be asking...what kind of power? Again, such a great question! The power the Holy Spirit gives us is listed in scripture. It says...

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

Galatians 5:22,23

Now...let's ponder this for a moment. On my very best days....I might possess these for a moment or two. Prior to my relationship with Christ, uuuummmmmm...never did I possess these. Maybe some of them for a while but never several of them or any of them for any length of time. I can testify that I am able to identify within myself when my Holy Spirit is NOT in full throttle. He's in there but my flesh has covered him up. All sorts of things cause this. All sorts of things that are either in my control or not in my control. The point is, I need a refill of what the Holy Spirit has for me. The world, my own poor choices, or maybe the people around me have eaten all the "fruit" of the Spirit. Time for a refill!!! Praise God they are FREE!!!

Here is how I get a free refill. It is an active process...I have to actually DO something. This is what it looks like in my life.

1. Ask God for what I need. Get on my knees and get into his presents. (scripture says you have not because you ask not! Ask and you shall receive)

2. Read some of the Word. ANYTHING! Just open it up! Sometimes I know where I need to go, other times I have no clue so I just open it.

3. Listen to praise and worship music. This fills me so quick!! It really does. Now, I am not talking about "churchy" music. For some, it might be "churchy" music that makes you think you are in a pew. For me, I need rockin' artists that are speaking God right to me!! If you don't have any favorite artists I encourage you to get some. Some of my favorites are listed on my web page (the link is on the left side of this blog). The wonderful, God directed songs out there are endless!!

The truth is, each person needs to figure out how to get an infilling, how to get refreshed by the Holy Spirit. This process is imperative in your Christian walk. Without refills, I would be just an empty vessel. Empty and available to be filled by the yuck of the world.

PS....you are not allowed to say..."that's great Michelle but you don't know my life. I am too busy to do any of that!" Remember, if our enemy can't get us sinning, he will just get us busy!

Recent Mom's Group discussion

I lead a mom's group bible study. Our discussion this week is on parenting in a way that God has instructed. Sounds like a lot to cover, right? Well, yes and no. With the guidance of a wonderful "study book" of sorts by Chip Ingram called House or Home we are getting what I feel to be such great, quick, concise parenting info. What parent doesn't want some help along the way! Amen! Any who, there is a verse that is kind of the Cliff Notes to parenting. (yall remember Cliff Notes! C'mon....you know you used them) It is Ephesians 6:4. Such a great verse. So much there in so few words. Here is how it goes...

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead,

bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

Such great stuff! For dads, it is VERY easy to exasperate or provoke to anger, our children. Right? We can take out dad and insert mom and put in the word, NAG! You know we can do this sooooo easily. Per this study that Chip Ingram has done for us, there are four things in this one verse that we are to do as parents. Better put, what God has called us to do as parents.



1. Don't provoke

2. Bring them up

3. Train them

4. Instruct them

Don't provoke-

don't tease them or nag them to the point of anger. Our kids getting angry with us is going to happen but don't push buttons. Don't say things to try and make them angry cause they made us angry. Don't say things to them to proof you are the parent in the situation if your only point is to get back at them.

Bring them up-

simple and easily over looked. In order to bring them up, you have to BE there! Be present, be available. Parenting is a hands-on kind-a thing!

Train them.

In some versions of scripture the word used here is discipline them. These two words, when taken back to their original intent and meaning, are interchangeable. It means to train, to teach, to coach. The word disciple is part discipline. So often, parents use the word punishment and discipline to mean the same thing. Punishment might be part of discipline but only part of it. Do you see the difference? The "train them" or "discipline them" part of this verse is the active part of parenting. It is what you DO to change, encourage, stop, etc certain behaviors in your children. So often I see parents getting so frustrated with some of their child's behavior. Reality is, the parents have not done any training to NOT have them behave that way. Humans are a strange creature. We are born with all this sin tendency. It is just there! Has anyone ever had to teach a child to misbehave? It is up to the parents to train, teach the behaviors that are desirable. No matter what age our children are, they are going to do things that need correcting or training as to the proper, expected way to do them.

Instruct them.

This is similar to the above, "train them" but involves what we SAY to them. If you think about it, with small children, there is constant training going on. Rather there should be. As our children get older, the physical training of them decreases and the instruction part of parenting might edge out. However, if a child/teen does not respond appropriately when instruction is giving, then the parent has to revert back to training them. We might have to DO something rather than just talk to them. The hope is that our training has "worked" so well that the older they get, the instruction is all it takes. (please keep in mind, instruction is needed when they are you also.)

There is so much that can be talked about with this but I guess I would like to wrap up these parenting cliff notes. At the base of how God wants us to parent our children is love them. Love them unconditionally and make sure they feel the love that you have for them. Part of that love really is training them, instructing them and bringing them up to be Godly people. Some children are VERY strong-willed and take lots of training and instruction. VERY strong-willed. (did I say very?) These kids give us gray hair, cause us to loose sleep at night and bring doubt into our minds as to our parenting ability. Other children are easy as pie in all aspects. Most children are somewhere in between. So, if I stick to parenting the way God has instructed me to parent, I can cover all the different "types" of children that need to be parented. Some are easy some are hard but all of them are God given, precious and need me/us/ you to PARENT them. Love them, teach them, talk to them, show them how to be Godly people.

To make sure your child actually feels all that love you have for them, a great book to read is The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Blessings!

Scripture planted into my heart is invaluable!!

This blog comes after a few weeks of such great sadness. An eleven year old boy from my children's school died tragically. A few days after his death, a 16 year old boy from the high school my kids will attend died tragically. One, a practical joke gone horribly wrong. The other, a tire blow out causing the car to flip and no seat belt. So many families in my circle are involved with both these children in many ways. Both deaths seem so random. So difficult to make any kind of sense out of. Both children...good kids...just being kids. Complete accidents in the true sense of the word.


As a Christian, it is at these times that I get the most "benefit" from my belief. Because I have committed many verses to memory, the comfort that is promised from the Word becomes undeniable. (referring to James 1:21) Here is where my head goes...

Why on earth did this happen? It just does not make sense!

Scripture says..."lean not on your own understanding"

Both children appeared to be true believers. Why them?

Scripture says... being a Christian does not mean suffering will not exist.

Boy, such tragedy makes me wonder about my faith.

Scripture says..."if you falter in times of trouble, how strong is your faith!"

They were just children!

Scripture says...no one is promised tomorrow.

I know my God is good.

How on earth can something good come from this!!??

Scripture says...for those that believe in God, He will take everything and use it for good! What satan tries to use for bad, God will take it and use it for good.

Those are just a few verses that have come to mind over the past few days. For me, they are comforting. For me, they directly answer questions I have. How is possible that those verses come to mind? (I certainly am NOT a scholar. I am just a regular girl.) Well, scripture also says that the Holy Spirit will bring forth the Word when the Word that fits the situation is needed! How cool is that! So what is next?

1. I will pray for the families of these dear children.
2. I will rejoice because they are both in the arms of their creator and in complete bliss as I type this.
3. I will pray for a hedge of protection around my dear ones.
4. Most importantly, I will continue to get to know my God because without Him, life is just too full of ups and downs to give the soul any true, lasting comfort.

Amen? Amen.

Actions vs. Consequences

I was reading about a terribly sad story and it really got me thinking. There was a couple that had two children and really wanted another. After 10 years of trying, the decided to do IVF (invetro-fertilization). Basically, several eggs were harvested from the mom, fertilized in a test tube and then implanted into the mom. Several eggs developed into embryos so the couple decided to freeze some and implant some. They were overjoyed to welcome a baby girl into their family from that first implantation. I can only imagine the joy! As time went on, the decided to go ahead and implant the remaining frozen embryos. (thawed out of course!) Another success! The mom was expecting! As of right now, she has about two weeks to go in this pregnancy. Sounds great right? Well, a few weeks ago, the couple received a call from the infertility clinic. By accident, the wrong embryos had been implanted into her. She was not carrying her own child (no mention of where her actual embryos ended up. That is unsettling in and of itself). As if that news was not jarring enough...the couple has to give the baby to the biological parents after it is born.
Just as I could not imagine the joy of conceiving after so long, I could not imagine the anguish they felt after hearing they had to give this baby up. Now, there is so much in that story that gets my wheels turning but this is the point that came to mind. We get to freely choose our actions. Every action we take is from our free will which is God given. Right? Right. But...we do NOT get to choose the consequences. I am not saying that the IVF was wrong or against God's word. I have some very dear friends that did that and it really is all wonderful. Praise God I was able to have three children the usual way. But, it begs the question, if we are trusting God, if we really know him to be in control and will do for us what is in our best interest, then logic says that we will have the children he ordains. IF we take that decision into our own hands, he is still the one who creates that life but we have taken control of the situation. The outcome, the consequences of our moving outside of God's plan for us, kind of changes things. We never know what the consequences will be. We can be sure that (according to scripture) "all things work together for good" but we don't know what is going to occur in our lives in order for God to kind of....do his thing...to get all things working for good. Know what I mean? Now, I don't think any of that situation or ANY situation is a surprise to God but I do think that he simply wants us to stay in his will 'cause he knows what is best for us. He has a plan!
The next question is....how do I know what his will is? The best answer I can think of is the more I get to know God, the more confident I am that I am operating in his will. Selah

It's been a long, long time!

Ok...I have broken the #1 rule of blogging. I have not posted a new blog for so long. That is a no-no. Being a mom of three children, toss in summer vacation, throw in a menagerie of animals...the result.....no blogging til fall time! So much has happened in the past few months. So much excitement because I have been feeling the presents of God so strongly...can't get away from Him actually. Mom's Support Group is back in full swing and this blog is loosely following what is presented there. The topic of worry/worrying has been on my heart. So, as it goes, this is what I did some scripture study on. Then chat about what I discovered with my mom's at Mom's Group. This is what it looks like in my life...
My youngest child (age 6) was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome this summer. Think about that for a moment. A parent only has to think on that for a quick second to get all churned up inside. All I could think about was...."My heart is so sad. My girl, my beautiful baby girl is going to be the weird girl!" Then I thought, " no one will like her, she will now be a loner which is so different from what her personality is." Then of course I thought this..." no one will marry her, she will never know what it is like to be in love, she will never have children, her life will be empty....blah, blah, blah." Then, I of course I went to this place- "what did I do to cause this. What didn't I do?" Now, keep in mind, all these thoughts went through my head in about, oh, 3 seconds. Yeah. You know what I am talking about. As mom's we take one thing, one simple little thing...and boom! The rest of eternity is played out in our head. The result, we are mentally exhausted. We have not spoken a word, it has only taken us less than five minutes to get this way, AND we still have laundry to do! I am confident that anyone reading this knows exactly what I am talking about. Then, only by the grace of God, I come back down to reality. My everyday has God right in the middle. (this was not the case for years, even though I considered myself a Christian) I have learned so much about what God has to say to us about our everyday lives. He has a lot to say about worry. A wonderful place to start is in Matthew chapter 6. Good stuff! I encourage everyone to read it but here is what I get out of it. Worry is something we all do. It would not even be mentioned in the bible if no one dealt with it. Some are plagued by worry, but most suffer with it for a while and move on. Often we just move on to the new thing to worry about. HOWEVER...if you find yourself worrying, you are no better than a pagan or a heathen. (don't get feisty...those are God's words, not mine) A pagan, a heathen ( a person who does NOT believe in God and only cares for the things that make him/her feel good) operates in life thinking that there is no God that cares for them, does not believe the words God has given are true. BUT as believers, scripture says don't worry. The God who gave us life will not just let us go. He did not give us life just to let us twist in the wind. Even when not so great things happen, God is still in control and he has a plan. His plan always takes what occurs and uses it for good! Always! (Romans 8:28). With this, we can be assured that something good WILL be the outcome from all things. Kind of a broad statement but I so believe it. I have seen it time and time again in my own life! The word also points out (Matt. 6 still) that God cares for the sparrow. He takes care of them. They don't worry about food, shelter, etc. If God cares for a little ol' birdy, why would He not care for you. Following that thought, if you believe He cares for you deeply, then anything that comes up in your life is covered. Right? Yes. Sounds logical. The next thing is often....yeah, but. Well, no buts allowed. The word worry, brought back to Greek, which is what language the New Testament was written in, means divided mind. When we worry, it means our minds are divided. One side says, things will be fine. God is with me. My head knows that. The OTHER side says, "oh boy, oh boy...I need to do something! What can I do , what should I do. Not sure WHAT to do. I am not completely believing that God IS in control. After all, is He going to come down and take care of this situation?" See the division? It is there and it takes over. I know I have been long winded about this but I feel it so intensely. Worry is useless. It does not add one single thing to any of our lives. As a matter of fact the only thing is does is steal the joy from today! (Matt. 6) The best thing to do when this human feeling creeps in....lean on what God says. In order to lean on it you have to know it. Here are some other verses that I have come to know and taken so much comfort in...

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Philippians 4:6,7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (love this version! The Message Bible)

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

This might be my favorite one. To me, this kind of looks like "hindsight is 20/20". Deuteronomy 31:8 says "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” How cool is that! If God is before us....he has 20/20 hindsight! He knows, he's got it covered!!

So, if you find yourself worrying (about work, your house, the bills, your friends, your family, your church, your kids, your kids friends, the weather, illnesses, riding in a plane, the stain you noticed on your shirt! ANY kind of worry) ....think on these verses. God has much to show us. He wants us to understand, I mean really understand, that He is in control. He was our own best interest in mind and He is right there along side us. Got to love that!

wacky "bible thumpers"

Not so many years ago, if I would see or hear someone that -was preachin' about Jesus, raising their hands during a "Jesus" song or saying "feeling blessed" when they were asked how they were doing- as a "bible thumper". Another term you may be familiar with is "Jesus Freak", "Holy Roller", "Bible Banger"...ya know what I'm talkin' about? Please understand, I would not necessarily think bad of these people but I would kind of discount them. I would just brush them off. After all, I believed in God right? I believed that Jesus as the Son of God, He was sent to for us, I belonged to a church and I even went to it on important holidays and even just any regular ol' Sunday! I was all set. Right? I certainly had a bible in my house. (uuuummmmm, not sure where but I KNOW I had one. ......somewhere) I knew there was 10 commandment's and I knew the big ones. Don't murder, don't sleep with someones husband, ...didn't do those. The other 8? Well, they must not have been super important but I knew there were 8 more which was better than others. Right? Any of that sound familiar?



Well, in God's endless mercy and love...He took the time for me. He got my attention and set me on a life long path of learning, understanding, peace, and joy!!



Now, you might be saying...."Well that is great for you Michelle but I am just fine with the above described way of expressing my faith. I am a reserved person and don't feel the need to be over the top with my church attendance, my bible reading, etc. I am doing just fine. I believe in God and thank you very much but I'm all set."



Well, I would like to be bold. I would like you to ponder this scripture...

Revelations 3:16 says...So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.



This is God's words to the church, a believing church, in end times. Selah.



In closing, THIS song and "these wacky bible thumper" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FObjd5wrgZ8 is how I feel and how I would like to worship my Creator. Enjoy.

one verse to remember

Ok....take a look at Psalm 19:1. A friend reminded me of this verse and boy is it important to store in your heart. It says (in my words),that the skys scream of the handwork of God. Let me elaborate a bit more...everywhere on our earth, u can see the work of the Creator. Because the days get so busy and so full of...US...it is easy to miss the obvious touch of God. If you ever get a chance to visit the Western US, the artwk of our heavenly Father will scream at you. I just got back from Big Sky, Montana ( I pinch myself at the blessing of that trip) and Psalm 19:1 was written with that place in mind. As we traveled the countrside, I was once again wondering how a person could think that all that beauty was just a coincidence. Nature IS the way that God talks to all of us. He shares with us a fraction of the Creative power that He has. I posted some pics on my webpage. Take a peak. Another verse in scripture says...no eye has seen and no hear has heard the wonders that are in store for those that believe. How remarkable. God promises us that Heaven will be even more amazing than the most beautiful thing we have ever seen. Selah on that!!!! My tiny mind can't even imagine the wonder. Try it out...even in your own backyard....look at the colors of the flowers, the different parts of a flower, a summer sunset, sunrise, how about a freshly mowed lawn. That gets me! Especially if I did't mow it!! God is everywhere. He is not hard to spot.

Memories

For years, I have been encouraged by a dear friend to really spend some time focusing on making memories. With summer finally here....what better time than now to pass on this valuable lesson. Time goes so fast!! I know you have heard that a million times but it is so true. We can't do a thing to slow it down but we can do tons to make the most of the time we have. What does this look like? Well, for me....I have to make a conscious effort to remember to take lots of pics. At the end of the summer, I love to pour over them. I then upload my favs to any number of sites to put a book together. I use snapfish.com or shutterfly.com. So fun. For those that are not creative or the thought of trying to be creative shuts you down....both these sites have the ability to simply take the photos you want and put them in a book for you! Cool. I am confident I will look over these books for years to come. A guaranteed "warm-fuzzy" generator! In the past, I have given each child a copy of the finished product as a Christmas gift. They seem to love them. Some other things we do: bubbles!! (always fun for any age), sidewalk chalk (old standby), water balloons on a hot day, sprinkler (we have a pool but sprinklers get them giggling), bonfires (this is a must!), picnic lunch at a local park, homemade Popsicles, reverse dinner (go get ice cream before dinner!), grow something (we have a garden and each child has an area that they are responsible to weed. This makes my job easier and they really take ownership. This could even be a potted tomato on the patio.), lighting bugs in a jar (I know, I know...this seems so...."yeah, whatever" but trust me..the kids will pull that memory forward forever!), bike rides, and the list goes on and on. These are just some that we do. As you can see, little or no money is involved. When my children were small, I had to think about making sure I did these. They did not just happen! Maybe if I was a Muppet or something, these types of things would just pop in my head to do. Seeing how I am a real mom, that loves her kids madly but would rather just sit and read a magazine on a warm summer day....I had to kind of push myself to do all this fun stuff. I want my children to look back on their childhood and think happy thoughts. I want to be remembered as the mom who was tough at times but was full of great ideas and full of fun. Don't you want that too? Well, if so, then this does not just happen. It is thought about and planned for. I would like to encourage you to think about what ways you can make this summer the best one yet! My prayer is that you begin to understand how significant you are. Significant first and foremost to our Creator and also to your children. See there...YOU ROCK and you didn't even know it!!

Vertical vs. Horizontal

OK....with summer being here, it has been really tough doing a blog. I hate the fact that I have not written in such a long time but ya know...it is what it is. I can only blog when something moves me and these days...well, with kids home...you know how that goes. Not many moments for inspirational introspection. I did hear something this morning that I just had to "selah" about. I think I mentioned this before but just so you know, "selah" means to pause and reflect. This term is Hebrew and often appears in the Psalms. I love it. Anywho....because I am a girl who has dealt with depression/panic for many years, this saying caught my attention.

Vertical perspective helps eliminate horizontal panic.

Now, think about that for a moment...or...selah.

I put panic, anxiety, worry, and depression all in the same life folder. I first had to deal with panic attacks in my early 20's. If you have ever had one, you know how horrid they are. I dealt with them for about a year. When I say a year, I mean non-stop for one year. Rarely did I experience relief from the terror that one feels in the midst of a panic attack. It was hell on earth. Truly. Along with this panic, I was depressed. I had not come to know the Lord at this point in my life but looking back, He certainly was with me and guided me through this very difficult period in my life. I got through the panic and depression with counseling and medication. The combination of the two helped me to discover things about myself that enabled me to "cope" in a much more healthy way. Let's fast forward to now. I have not had any panic attacks for more than 15 years (praise God) but I will say that depression has come and gone. The level of depression I feel, since coming to know our Lord, is somewhat closer to the normal, human kind of depression. I think that everyone has moments when they feel depressed. I think my moments might be a bit longer or deeper than the average girl...not sure. Nonetheless, being able to deal with moments of depression in a Godly way is key to not only getting through them, but getting through them quickly. This saying, A vertical perspective helps eliminate horizontal panic, really speaks to that. When I came to the realization that this world is NOT all about me, there is a much bigger picture going on, that I am part of a huge, masterful plan by a wondrous creator...then the moments of depression during my day to day living, became "easy" to deal with. Well, not easy. Let's say, doable. I remind myself that my life needs to be from a vertical perspective. VERTICAL!! (that's up girls. = 0)
I get into the Word, I read a book, I sit and get quiet with God, I listen to Christian music....these are the top things that help in these moments. Because I have become a student of scripture I have also come to realize that dealing with yucky stuff such as depression is simply part of our fallen world. Being a Christian does not mean no yuck happens. It only means I have Someone to run to WHEN yuck happens. Christians have a place of refuge. If you have accept Christ you know exactly what I mean here. It is such a comfort...a none explainable comfort! Keeping my focus on the bigger plan that God has vs. my plans is just where I go when my heart feels down trodden, when my soul feels heavy, when my heart feels gray. My prayer is that anyone reading this is able to take this saying, A vertical perspective helps eliminate horizontal panic, depression and worry, and think about applying it to their lives... as needed. Selah!

Just a whisper

Whispers, secrets, cupping your hand to someones ear followed by giggles. We all know this scenario. No doubt we have either been the one doing the whispering, receiving the whisper or watching the interaction from a far. I need you to think back to when you were the one watching the interaction from a far. How did it make you feel? Left out? Self-conscious?
Lonely? Embarrassed? Maybe all these, right? My oldest child is 10 and I have had to talk with her about this very topic. She came to me feeling kinda bad and wanted to know what to do about it. She didn't really ask me what to do but my mommy sensor went off when she started telling me what had happened that day at school. This was my moment to really chat with her. She said that two girls at school were looking at her and one whispered to the other one. They continued to look at her and then went on their way. I asked her "how did that make you feel?" She said "Bad. I think they were making fun of me." It was at this point the momma lion in me wanted to call a few moms and let them know just how mean their daughters were. Of course I didn't do that but I certainly wanted to. This was a teachable moment for sure. I ended up telling her a few things that I hope she will use in the future. The first thing was: she did not know for sure if they were whispering about her. (important for kids to realize it is NOT all about them!) The second thing was: it is important for her to remember how she felt at that moment and remember it when she gets the urge to do the whispering. The third thing and most important by far: we talked about what God had to say about whispering.

Now you may be thinking....God has something to say about whispering? Really? That was my thoughts too but since coming to know our Lord, I realized He has something to say about EVERYTHING that can come up in my life. The subject of whispering and what it does is important to God. He tells us the exact same thing TWICE in Proverbs. Proverbs 18:8 says... The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; • they go down into the inner parts of the body. A few chapters later, He gives us Proverbs 26:22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; • they go down into the inner parts of the body. Now, did God forget that He already said that? NO. It is important, therefore repeated. (think of things that you repeat as a mom...the important things, right?) Now, let's take these verses apart. If you are receiving or doing the whispering...how fun is it? If you are being honest, it is very fun. Delicious morsel is a perfect comparison if you ask me. When we whisper, we need to be honest as to what it's all about. We are saying something that can not/ should not be said out loud for fear of being rude, or mean. Maybe we are whispering something that we should not know. Any way you slice it, 99 times out of 100, whispering is not good. The above Proverbs also say... "they go down into the inner parts of the body." To me, this means that more is done to us than we realize when we whisper. Our souls are affected. The person who sees the whispering has an affect on his/her soul. We can all recall a moment when it felt like someone was whispering about us and how many years have gone by....we still feel that hurt. Know what I mean? How about this verse also from Proverbs, "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends." Oh boy....is that true or what!!?? In both the books of Matthew and Luke, this is said: "Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. " Now, this scripture has multiple meanings. When I read it, one thing I hear is how we need to understand that all our whispers are not limited to the people we whispered to. Our Lord hears them...He knows what we have said. Having said that, the verse in scripture that says..."we will be held accountable for every careless word" has a bite to it. Ouch!! In closing, I guess it is important for all mom's to understand the consequences of whispering. It is important to me to pass on Godly information to my children. I want them to grow up to know what God says about things. I want them to understand that God gives us his thoughts on ALL things. As my babies grow up, the opportunities to teach them God's ways never grow dim. I need to make sure I know what He has to say so I can pass it on to my kids. When I do this, I become a better person and I can better guild them to do the same. (PS....I think it can not be stated enough....I only mentioned God or Jesus once when talking to my daughter about this topic of whispering. I have found that beating my kids over the head with God....kinda turns them off! One of the greatest quotes..."Show them Jesus and use words if you have to" St. Francis of Assisi. )

Who is the smartest?

My hope with this post is to make you smile and lift you up. As a mom, this made me laugh and I wanted to share it with all my fellow mom's as we approach Mother's Day 2009.

I was listening to a radio program that had an author on. She was being asked about a new book she had written called The Minivan Days ( or something like that). Now, this author had written other books, she was married to a pastor who was also an author. As I listened to this, my first thoughts were...boy, this couple has it goin' on!! I think most people would think the same. Well, she was asked about the inspiration for the book and she relayed a story that made me smile and helped me realize, once again, the significance of ME. Yep. More specifically, me as a mom. Here is the cute story.

"My husband and I were in our minivan traveling with our kids. In order to keep things to a dull roar, my husband often plays little word games with them. One common thing he would do is say things like....who is the toughest? who is the fastest? Just fun little things like that. This particular time, he asked "who is the smartest?" Without any hesitation, our 8 year old son said, "Mom is!" You can imagine my posture. I was buffed up and feeling pretty good. As I glanced at my husband, I could see a bit of a dejected look on his face. After all, he was an accomplished author, a loved pastor, he had several degrees...the list could go on and on. I, the mom, was also an author but not to the degree that my husband was and I was a teacher. All those things were great but the response was so quick from our child that my husband needed to know what was behind it. So, he asked our son why he so quickly said mom. In the words of my eight year old son, " Mom is the smartest cause she always knows when I need to go potty."

Don't ya just love that? All the worldly stuff that moves our own thought process is just gone. A child responds from the heart. In his mind, his mom cares for his needs. She knows what he needs and WHEN he needs. How wonderful is that. We as moms often forget how special we are. To our children, we are the giver of life and the taker to the potty. We are the maker of pb & j's, we are the giver of baths. Scripture tells us that children are a gift from the Lord. All though it does not seem like such a great gift at times, I wanted to take this moment to remind you, that as a mom, you have been chosen by God to be His arms, His love. For a blink of an eye, we are gifted with the responsibility to be the soft place to fall for one or some of God's precious children. You are more significant that you realize, you are more loved than you realize, you are more special than you realize.....God needs you to hang in there. God needs you to run to him when you don't feel so appreciated. God needs you to keep doing the mom stuff with joy. On those days when it feels like you are small and insignificant, remember this....God chose YOU to mother His child/ren. For that alone, you deserve an Amen siste!!

Is your JOY being stolen? Are you giving it away?

Here is a big question. A really important question that kept me pondering for quite some time. Are you joyful? Now, I am speaking about general terms here. Some days not at all, others yep...but in general, do you experience lots of joy? This is a question that needs some thought. For me, my life was certainly good. I had a kind husband, I had three healthy children, a nice home.... BUT....I was not a joy filled person. Sure, I loved my children, I loved my husband, I had a nice home...etc. You know the drill. But joyful? Full of joy? No. Actually I was rather cranky. Kinda biatchy (pardon my language...that word just fits too well) at times. I have to say, I lived my life like that cause I did not realize something that I realize now. I had control over my joy and if I was not experiencing great joy in general, it was because I was giving it away. Yep. You may be asking, how can a person give their joy away???? Well, I am challenging you to look at it this way.
Do you sometimes let a small thing upset you for hours, days, even weeks? Have you ever gotten really mad at someone and then as time goes by you remain mad at them but when asked why, you have forgotten? Does it shut you down when your children make several changes of clothes in one morning? or how about this... Have you ever had your child say to you after some tyraid, "mommy, you're scaring me!" (yeah, that hurts...I know. I know) Have you ever white knuckled the steering wheel when the person in front of you at a red light does not go immediately (your definition of immediately of course) when it turns green? Or how about this one....have you not allowed your children to play with crayons or maybe play-doh cause it makes too much of a mess. When the points get broken or the colors get mixed...watch out!!! You get the picture right? Now, some of these might be extreme but this is reality for some. I am going to step out of the box and say, everyone reading this said "oh yeah" to at least one of the above listed behaviors. All of these scenarios are what I would call a joy stealer. A kill joy. Each time we allow our emotions to get the better of us, our joy just flies out the window. Now, let's review that last statement. Actually, the we allow portion of it. See that? We have just allowed our joy to be stolen. For me, it was often one step worse...I was just giving it away. A silly moment in my day...poof....gone goes the joy. I have come to learn that there are forces in our world that have the sole objective of killing, stealing and destroying all that is good. The goal is to do one or all three of these things to all that we hold dear. (see John 10:10) This might seem frightening to some. It seemed a bit scary to me at first. However......the only way that anything can be stolen from us, killed, or destroyed is by OUR OWN allowing of this action to take place. Every precious human being (and everyone is precious...see Psalm 139:13-14) has the choice to either fall under the protection of our Creator or not. IF you are one that has decided...yeah.....I do believe in my Creator. You might even say...yeah, I think all this bible stuff is for real and I am willing to take a "walk" to see what it is all about...then guess what my dear friend.....the yucky (technical term) powers that be in this world have NO power over you. You have a protection that comes from the One and Only. The One and Only!!!! Don't believe me? Well, turn to Psalm 91:14-16. Did ya read it? Go ahead. Great...huh. I love that. What comfort it gives me. ( for those that do not have a bible, I would encourage you to put it on your list of must haves. For now though, if you put that verse into goggle, it will come up for you.) Now, knowing that this protection is for us, that still does not erase that fact that the evil one is out there trying to get us to stumble. He wants to steal our joy. He wants to get us all worked up. He wants to get our focus off the warm, fuzzy, squishy stuff and on the yucky, frustrated, bitter, grouchy stuff. Don't let him. I did for years. What joy I now have. What joy I keep. I realized that I am in the arms of a protector. The only way my joy leaves me is if I toss it away or allow it to be stolen. In closing, our enemy knows we can't be touched but he keeps at us. Do WE know he can't touch us unless we let him? Selah.

So many interruptions!!!

Ok by dear friends...this one might hurt so get your big girl pants on.

How many of us get sooooo frustrated with the numerous interruptions that plague our day? Yes, yes, we all get interrupted from our course of actions throughout the day but the kind I am speaking about is the ones from our children. Also, maybe for some, interruptions come from our husbands. In general, do you see these "calls for our attention on any given subject" as an interruption or a opportunity to show our love? Ouch. I know which one I'd say they were. Yuck. YUCK!! The time when our kids are little beings that think we are the center of everything (besides themselves of course), is so short. It really is. It may not seem like it but in reality, it is. It seems so easy, natural and quick for us to go to that place of "WHAT!!" or maybe "NOW WHAT!!" or how about "(heavy sigh) WHAT DOOOO YOU WANT?!" For me, this kind of oh-so- loving behavior seems to rear its ugly head when I am either experiencing a certain time of the month and/or when I am in the middle of something I enjoy most or in the middle of something I hate doing. Well, that kind of covers a lot of time huh. Again, yuck. What to do about this????

Well, for me, I just assumed this is how it went. The day was just about trying to get through it without killin' someone. (maybe this is overstating it a bit but you know what I mean) Keeping in mind, deep down I kind of thought, this CAN'T be how it is supposed to be. This is how I was mothered so I thought it must come to me naturally, to be this way. However, I know fellow moms who do not have this type of mothering as their example but they find themselves doing it too. I think that our natural selfishness, our core "it's all about me" ness, is what this is really all about. Oh great!! Now what!!?? Y'all know what I'm going to say...right? This is what made/makes the difference for me...

Once my walk of faith started, once I came to understand a little about what having a walk with God really looked like...what it REALLY meant, this was the turning point for me. In God's word, it is told to us in black and white, what not to do. He even tells us why we should not behave certain ways. Now, my thoughts were this....if God is describing ways that little ol' me behaves, must be others have these same issues too! Wow...it's not just me? Ok then. Also, it proves to me that God already knows my "stuff" and if he knows my "stuff" then maybe when he tells me to bring them to him cause he can help...maybe he can. I have found that our Lord....wants us to bring all that yuck to him. He can touch our hearts in places that are so raw, hurting, and hidden, with such healing powers. Some times it is a hurt that is really big. REALLY BIG...like abandonment or abuse. Often it is a hurt that is so everyday...like feeling as if you are a bad mom after you lose your temper for the 100th time. He has given me such grace. He has shown me that when I do this "WHAT NOW" thing to my kids, that at the root of that is really selfishness and pride. Oh...gross. I get upset when MY day is changed because a child once again needs my attention. I get mad when I am not able to complete a task from start to finish. I get frustrated and huffy when my husband interrupts MY morning cause he forgot something and now I need to bring it to him. - If you noticed, I said I or me quite a few times there. Once I started to let God love me. Once I started to understand and really believe that the Word of God was true...for me...then I was able to get at the root of what caused my crazy freak-outs whenever I was interrupted. Allowing the Lord to get at this part of my heart has made me a much better mother. Not by my own strength mind you, but by His grace. I realize how "churchy" that sounds but it is so true. I often find myself at a place of getting really frustrated with the daily grind of interruptions but now I know what to do. I immediately go to Him. I now can stop myself before I do more damage. I can love on my children during these interruptions. I can show them love and understanding. I can show them from a wee age that they matter. The fact that they need me is actually a blessing. THEY are a blessing.
Hear what I am NOT saying. I am not saying that I am great at this whole thing. Oh no. Not even close. I am better. I am more patient, more understanding, more loving. I am more content when my schedule does not go as planned. It is a process, a walk that each of us needs to go on. The freedom, the joy, the contentment is indescribable. In closing, one thing that might be happening if you find yourself frustrated by all the interruptions is your plate is too full!! Somethings have to go my dear friend. Sometimes the things that have to go are good things. Maybe great things. But now I have started on another post topic. To be continued!!

Parenting on Purpose

Ok...Easter break has just ended. Back to reality. My children had from Good Friday off until the Sunday after Easter. I am glad to be back to "normal" or as close to it as I could possibly get. One thing that came to mind recently is, am I parenting on purpose? What exactly does that mean? Well, this is what I mean. Did you chose to become a parent or did the fact that you now have children kind of surprise you? In my case, it was a very conscious thing. All three of my children were "tried for" and I grieve because I would love to have more but due to an auto accident, I am not able to. Ok....think about this in your own circumstance. Whether your child/children were planned for or came unexpectedly....are you parenting them on purpose. How about WITH purpose? Does your day just go by and then the next day just goes by? Do you enjoy your children? Are you savoring the moments you have with them or just getting through them? Are you enjoying the current stage they are in or are you looking ahead to the next stage? I think these are really important questions that each mom needs to ask herself. How about this....have you realized that children have to be taught EVERYTHING!! I mean everything. They don't just automatically have manners. They don't automatically know that eating junk food is bad for you. They don't just brush their teeth each morning and evening even though you have asked them to 1,000 times. They don't just know that they should be respectful of their parents. They don't just know that it is time for bed. They don't just know how to answer the telephone properly. When my son gets all snotty and rude, I must correct him. EACH TIME!! When my daughters get snotty and disrespectful, I must correct them. EACH TIME. Our children need us to guide them each day....often regarding the same things we have guided them about time and time again. I realizes that some people might say, duh....I know this. But do we? Do we really know this and live this with our children? We are their whole world for such a short time. It is during this short time that we must teach them so many things. What an important job we have as mom's. Each day I need to parent them on purpose. On purpose, with intent, with meaning, with a point. The time will soon be here when they will not need me much. I want to love them, teach them, guide them...did I mention love them, while I have them. The days with my kids are not just days to be "gotten through". Keeping this frame of mind is hard at times. Ok...often, it is hard to keep this frame of mind. Especially when you have been up all night with them or they make you want to pull your hair out for any number of reasons. I would like to encourage my fellow mom's to keep at it. Love those babies, TEACH them, guide them and bring them up in the way they should go and rest assure...when they are old they will not stray from it!! ( that last part was from Proverbs! = 0 ))

Found what I was looking for

Ok.....if you have read my previous post, you will know that I quoted a scripture but was unable to locate it's spot in the Word. Well, I said I would work on it and get back to you.

It is Deuteronomy 31:6.

God says he will never leave us, abandon us, or forsake us. Some versions say....never drop us. Cool. Love it!! I rest on this. Amen? Amen.

Faith vs. Fear

Faith and fear. Two little words. They are so significant in my life. I was listening to the radio this morning and heard this quote from Dr. Henry Hendricks. "Faith and fear are always in conflict in the Christian life." sehla!!!! Boy...that really speaks to me. I used to be a fairly fearful person. That is what was at the root of my controlling nature. Now, it took me a while to recognize this root of fear, but that is what it was. In my mind, if I could control all aspects of my surroundings, all aspects of my day, my world, I could keep bad stuff out. Yep...control was the answer. I have come to know....I mean KNOW...that if I am in control then that means I have placed myself above God. ME....higher than GOD! Good grief. When I see it in black and white....how ridiculous. For people that were not raised in a Christian home, this concept of self over God might come easy. The switching around to God over self might take quite a journey. On the other hand, for people raised in a Christian home AND have had some not so great things happen to them (which is more the norm than not), they might have a hard time REALLY putting God first. They might SAY God is first but their actions say otherwise. (after all, where was this God when yucky things were going on?) These people do all the right things, say all the right things but they are not living in any more freedom and peace than a non-Christian. Both scenarios...sad. So, what is a girl to do? Where is the answer? Well, I think the two words faith and fear kind of sum it all up. Well, for me it begins to sum it up. It gives me a starting place. I ask myself...am I afraid? Am I making a decision out of fear or with wise council and prayer? Do I find myself filled with anxiety about (fill in the blank)? Am I the one in control or at least I try to make it feel that way? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then at the root of this is FEAR. Go ahead, think about it. If you peel the layers away, if you get to the root of each of those, as well as many other behaviors, you will find fear. Now, for those that are Believers, or for those that would like to be, or those that are doubtful but are at their wits end so they will try God on for size......I will give you this. In scripture, we are told "do not be afraid" time and time again. As a matter of fact, 365 times. Huh...interesting. Once for each day. Why is this said so much? Well, I have come to know our Lord and He tells us things about ourselves that we don't even realize. He knows that people, believers or current doubting believers or even unbelievers, will be afraid. Because of this fallen world we live in, fear is here. Fear is here to stay...as long as we let it. AS LONG AS WE LET IT. Fear is NOT from God, fear pushes us away from God (not God moving away from us but US doing the pushing), and most importantly, fear masks itself in all sorts of ways. So many ways. Ok....now what do we do? Well, I have come to know some scripture that has been very helpful to me. Well, all scripture has been helpful to me = 0 ) but here are some verses that I find myself leaning on and they have NEVER failed me. NEVER. (did I say NEVER failed me...i am a girl who has been failed by both parents, an adoptive parent, friends, best friends, boyfriends, aunts, uncles, etc...even my husband at times.....now, most of these people mentioned are good, kind, loving people. They did not mean to fail me but they did at one time or another) But God has never failed me...his word has never failed me. Ok....sorry....got off on a rabbit trail. Where was I? Oh yes, verses.

1 John 4:18 says...

There is no fear in love.

Ok....this verse says, there is no fear in love. You might be saying...ok. I get that. Who cares? How does that help me? Well, I want you to see THIS verse.

1 John 4:16 says...

God is love.

See where I'm goin'? Rather, see where God is going? Let's do some math. The word is, can be replaced with the = sign. Right? Right. So, with that, God = love. They are equal. They are the same. If we are fearful...we NEED to know that this is not God's design. This fear that we feel is not from God. NOT FROM GOD!! God knows that we are going to be/feel afraid. He told us we would by saying, don't be afraid 365x's. He is also telling us that this fear is not from him. If it is not from Him, where is it from? or maybe this...regardless of where it is from, we now know it is not from God. Do we really want anything that God says is not from Him? Not me. Not me. I think it is important to say, "in all things be well-balanced" (1 Peter 5:8) sooooo...if you are in the woods and a bear is chancing you, be afraid. And run. Also, I have times when I am feeling what I would call afraid and I have come to recognize it as God giving me the heads up on something. So try to STOP being afraid and just pray about it. Know what I mean? Okay......IF God tells us not to be afraid, how come we all feel so afraid so often? I am going to be bold and say, if you are a person who feels afraid more often than not, this is saying that your faith is not where God would like it to be. I know, I know...who do I think I am!!?? Well, I only speaking from personal experience. When I ran toward God, when I began to dive into my faith and all that that means, when I started to read the Word, we I started to pray.....my fear subsided. My faith grew and my fear subsided. I know that God has me. He has me. He will not drop me or forsake me. (this is scripture too but I am not finding it at this moment...I will work on it and get back to you). When one feels secure, loved, held....fear melts away. Why? Because fear and faith are always in conflict in the Christian life.

Here's a book you will want to get

I was listening to the radio and there was a children's book author speaking about his book. The more I listened, the more I realized I needed this book. I came home....bought it online....received it a few days later.....LOVE it. I think it is a must for anyone who needs to explain pretty big concepts to the little people in our lives. I am going to keep a few copies on hand to give as gifts too. There is a bonus that comes with book too. (who doesn't like a bonus!)
Here it is....I am the kind of girl that understands things best when presented in a childlike manner. I gained some insight from this little book too! BONUS! (I have a link on the book so just click on the title!...I love technology)

What God Has Always Wanted by Charles F. Boyd

More alike than different

Here's the thing...I have come to realize we are sooooo much more alike than different. Now, I know most of you say...Yeah, I know that. But really. Do you realize that? So often in my everyday communication with the rest of the population, I have come face to face with the truth that we are all so alike. In my younger, much less wise days, I felt alone quite often. Now, by alone, I mean ALONE. I felt like I was dealing with issues that no one else was dealing with. I knew my "things" were not too terribly huge or significant but in the same breath, I felt like most people I encountered had it all goin' on and I was far from that place! For whatever reason, I did not have the "answer" to whatever quiz was being given. I thought everyone else did. Heck, sometimes I felt so far out of it that I not only did not have the answers to the quiz, I didn't even know we were having a quiz til after the papers were being handed in. Anyone follow me? (Sorry for the school analogies...I have three children all in grade school)
Well, let's fast forward. I have come to know that we are all so alike. This did not happen when I became an adult. This did not even happen when I got married or even when I started having children. This realization came to me when I was shown a side of our world that is the most important side. Faith. If you have been following this blog, you probably expected me to say that. Faith....such a wonderful thing. More specifically, my faith in Christ. (relax, I am not a bible thumper....I just love Jesus) Now, this was a process. I did not just wake up one day with faith in God. I was raised in a Christian home. A Catholic home to be specific. But the complete understanding of what that really meant did not occur until I became involved in a Mom's Group at a local church. I was invited to come to this group by an acquaintance. My family had just moved to town and I was LONELY!! Sooooo lonely. I had a not a twenty-two month old and a six month old. My husband was working hard and not home a ton. I did not realize this group was faith based and quite frankly I didn't care. I heard free child care, free coffee and adult conversation....I was there! If they required that I come naked, I still would have been there. Yeah...not kidding. Fast forward to now....This Mom's Group was wonderful. It was the beginning of an unfolding of my soul. I began to interact with other mom's, other wives, other human beings...in a way that was new to me. I began to learn biblical principles that had been IN my bible all along. I was seeing them for the first time, understanding them for the first time. Rather than seeing "other" moms and "other" women as having it all together, I began to see that we were all so similar. We just wanted to love our kids, love our husbands, be loved BY them, share our stories...and not be judged. We all needed encouragement that we were on the right path. I can to see... sometimes we all feel fat and ugly, sometimes we all feel like terrible moms, sometimes we all feel like we have no friends, sometimes we all feel alone. I now have Christ in my life (I thought I did before this but came to realize I did not). I have great days, good days, yucky days and down right horrible days. I have friends in my life that I have grown to love in such an incredible way. I can reach out to share heartache. I can reach out to share complete joy and feel their happiness for me. My faith, my continual walk with God showed me all this and more. I have come to learn that our enemy loves to make us think we are alone. The truth is we will never be alone or left behind...we just need to recognize this truth and walk in it. It is an active process. Can I encourage you to step out there and realize what I realized. We are all way more similar than different.

NEW Feature

Just a quick note....take a peak to the left side of my blog and notice the "subscribe" area. A dear friend of mine who happens to be a computer geek ( I say that will tons of love)...applied this to my blog. You can put your email into the space provided and you will get an email update whenever I post a new blog. Cool huh!! Try it and see if it works. Chat soon...

My Mouth....My greatest strength and my most powerful weapon. Yikes

Ok....so...the question is...what do you see as your biggest weakness and your biggest strength? Think about it a moment..............What are mine? Well, thanks for asking! = 0 )

The answer to both is my mouth. Yep. My mouth. My words have gotten me into so much trouble over the years. "Lipping off" as a child, being inappropriately sarcastic, talking too much in class, lying for no reason (even when the truth was just fine to tell....saying to myself afterwards, "why did I just do that!), telling secrets that I shouldn't have, oh boy...the list goes on and on. On the other hand, my words have given encouragement to people in need, greeted people warmly, conveyed a message in the perfect way, gotten me good grades in school, shoot, my words even got me the blue ribbon in a 5th grade poetry contest! (beat that!) In my life now, I get to express my deep love to my children OR I can harp on them like a lap dog barking at the door bell! My words can make my husband feel like a good man and a great dad OR my words can reduce him to a sad little boy. My words can get me lots of quick helpful advice when calling the cable company for the 15th time OR they can get me hung up on and my cable turned off. In my Christian walk, I remember very clearly when it came to my attention that God had lots to say about our tongues. Now wait...the God of the universe, the creator of all things has something to say about MY words, MY mouth? It was at this point that I took an honest look at what harm and what good I was capable of. Never before had I thought about the consequences of my words. Yes, I realized the consequence to ME but not to those all around me, in such a profound way. Let's take a look at a little bit of scripture that deals with what we say. You will be amazed if you are not familiar with these verses OR if you are familiar with them, I think it will be a nice refresher.

James 3:5-10 (Message Bible)
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

(Wow! When I first read those words of scripture, I could not believe it! Now, I was aware that I needed to be nice and all that. But the realization that God had something to say about it! He was clarifying the reality that my tongue, your tongue, people's tongues can do so much damage. They can be quite a blessing as well. To me this as just a call to watch what I say..always...and understand the power it/I have. Let's read some more.)

Proverbs 17:27

The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm.

(Shoot, I thought it was important that I tell EVERYONE what I thought about whatever even if they don't ask! God is telling me that it is not just me that does this but lots of people. I want to be an understanding person...so....keep quiet. Don't talk so much. )

Proverbs 21:23
Watch your words and hold your tongue;
you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.

Proverbs10:19
The more talk, the less truth;the wise measure their words.

This might be my favorite.....

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

(Now, that just says it all!)

In just Proverbs alone, there are 105+ references to our mouths, words, tongues...and what harm they can do or what a blessing they can be. In my walk, when I learned this...it was such an eye opener to me. I needed to get outside myself. I needed our Lord to show me that it was not all about me. My actions had consequences. My words had power. It was up to me to decide if I was going to be powerful for good OR not so good. The choice was mine. So, in my life today, as a mom, wife, friend, etc...I need to remind myself of the power of EVERY word that comes out of my mouth. I need to give life with those words. I have asked for forgiveness for the words of death I have spoken over the years. AND...I have realized that I will always have words of death that are itching to come out. That does not go away. EVER. But, as a Christian, walking with God enables me to give those thoughts, feelings, words to Him. He then calmes me and HE takes my words of frustration, anger, fear and sadness. With His help I have not unleashed those unkind things on those that I love most or even those that I don't even know. I fail miserably at times but I can keep trying and I think I keep getting better. Praise God!! Can I get an Amen!! = 0 )

Oh yeah...one last thing....with the help of God, this verse doesn't seem as scary...

Matthew 12:36 tell us...

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

(I know, this verse hurts but the Truth hurts....I share all this in complete love.)