Notes of Encouragement and DaySpring: Part 1

One thing I love to do is send notes of encouragement.  It is one of my "spiritual" gifts that I found out about over 15 years ago at the church we were attending at the time.  I didn't even know that there was a way to find out what your gifts were.  After taking the class, all the things that came out as my top 3 were so true, and encouragement was number one.  

Now, have I used my gift to its full potential?...NO!

Have there been times that I have been moved to send a note and it hasn't happened?....(sadly YES)

Do I want to be more faithful at obeying the still small voice of the Lord when he prompts me?...YES!!!!!

However, my desire to obey my heavenly Father in this area is foremost because I Love Him and I want to do what He is calling me to do.  Secondly, I have heard testimonies from people of "how it came at just the right time", "it lifted their spirit", they were "blessed by the scripture", they "didn't feel alone".  So knowing these two very important things, how can I hide my gift?   

One way that will help me use this gift, is that I was given some beautiful cards from DaySpring that will certainly bless the person who opens and reads it.  Several weeks ago, I had been alerted by a dear friend and mentor of an opportunity to do a review for DaySpring.  At the time, I thought how cool to get some free stuff in the process.  However, when I got the cards, I was amazed at the beauty of them and the sweet words and scripture that were written on them.  As I was reading through them, different people came to my mind as to who would get each one.  This may sound a little hokey, but that is how the Lord has done it in the past, and I am sad to say....I had not heard Him speak to me like this in a VERY long time!  

I'm learning that we can get so FOCUSED on our life, that we have tunnel vision, and we can not see the hurting, suffering and needy people around us.  What good is it to the Lord, if we are so stuck right where we are that we can't be his feet, hands or loving voice to the lost and hurting world or a brother or sister in despair.  I am the chief sinner in this area, and the Lord has begun to show me the time I have lost and how He wants me to broaden my view to see what is going on around me.  

I am encouraged to see what will happen and what He will do.  Maybe I wont ever see the fruit on this earth, but knowing I am following the still small voice that leads and guides me is ENOUGH for me!

What are your gifts?  How do you encourage others?

Blessings,

Denise

*The pictures are of several of the "So True" series of cards that I was sent at no cost by Dayspring to give an honest review.  Stay tuned for part 2 of my review!

Giving Thanks

All of November, I have been thinking about what I am thankful for that day.  It has been a transforming experience. 

In past years, I had a desire to create a "Thanksgiving Tree" where all the members of my family could write what they are thankful for on paper leaves.  Then at the end of the season we could save them and each year look back at what we were thankful for during that season of our life.  Well, this year, it took shape and we accomplished the goal!  We all have been reminded of the blessings in our life and have become more thankful.   

 As for me, this exercise has shown me:

1. How my attitude can change toward everything going on in my life if I speak the things that I am thankful for rather than looking on the negative that may be going on around me or to me.
2. How much I have to be thankful for.

3. How it can change the mood in our home when we are focusing on our blessings.  

 While this was an outward expression to remind us of our blessings, it can and should be a daily pursuit.  Yes, I share what I'm thankful for in prayer by my self and with my family, and occasionally I journal about it, but what would happen if I wrote down what I was thankful for each day of my life?  I think it would make a big impact because there is just something that happens when we write things down; it allows us to look back on where we have been and it the process of writing helps us to remember things better. 

The following was the devotional thought from my A Heart at Rest devotional by Nancy Leigh De Moss from Revive our Hearts Ministries.

 

A grateful man or woman will be

a breath of fresh air in a world contaminated by

bitterness and discontentment.

Daily Encouragement (from scripture)

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Col. 3:17)

Blessings to you and your family! 



When in doubt, Seek HIM out!

Many of us experience seasons of sadness and helplessness here in this life.  However, if you call the Lord your Lord and have received Jesus as your Savior, you can be assured of He faithfulness to provide for you in the darkness of the hour.

This afternoon, I was crying out to the Lord about issues in my life that have become weights to hold me down and that the enemy has used to discourage me.  I cried out with a deep sense of longing asking Him to help me.  I turned to Psalm 25 (because today is the 25th day of the month...so spirtual huh?), and there He was consoling me, teaching me, and loving me.  How awesome is our God!  Are you in need today?  When in doubt, seek Him out!

¹ In you, LORD my God,
   I put my trust.
 ² I trust in you;
   do not let me be put to shame,
   nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one who hopes in you
   will ever be put to shame,
  but shame will come on those
   who are treacherous without cause.
 ⁴ Show me your ways, LORD,
   teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long.
⁶ Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
   for they are from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth
   and my rebellious ways;
  according to your love remember me,
   for you, LORD, are good.
 ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
   therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
   and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
   toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
¹¹ For the sake of your name, LORD,
   forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
 ¹² Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?
   He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.^[b]
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
   and their descendants will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The LORD confides in those who fear him;
   he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever on the LORD,
   for only he will release my feet from the snare.
 ¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ Relieve the troubles of my heart
   and free me from my anguish.
¹⁸ Look on my affliction and my distress
   and take away all my sins.
¹⁹ See how numerous are my enemies
   and how fiercely they hate me!
 ²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me;
   do not let me be put to shame,
   for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me,
   because my hope, LORD,^[c] is in you.
 ²² Deliver Israel, O God,
   from all their troubles!

It's a battle: Got Armor?

“Give ear, O my people, to my law;

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 

We will not hide them from their children,

Telling to the generations to come the praises of the Lord,

And His strength and His wonderful works that he has done.

Psalm 78:1-4

Well it is day 10 of the 21 days of Prayer for Sons which I have been participating in.  While I have been so blessed by the encouragement and wise words that Brooke Mc Glothlin has shared in her ebook Warrior Prayers, I have to confess that it has not been a cake walk.  The enemy has been on the prowl discouraging me in so many ways and by reminding me of my failings and causing me to doubt that anything good will happen from this.  He has even used the voice of earthly people in my life to make me doubt what I am doing.  However, I know this must be the enemy, because what I am doing is what God has encouraged us to do as parents…pray for our children and raise them up in HIS WAYS!

One example happened today when we were with some family and the boys were interested in watching a movie, and when my son asked my permission I had to tell him “no”.  It was difficult to stand up for what I believe is right for my children, especially when it makes them stand out as “different”, or as “a party pooper”.  It was bothering me all the way home.  Then while I was making dinner, my daily encouragement from A Heart at Rest devotional flip calendar by Nancy Leigh DeMoss was as follows:

“As easy as it is to shift blame to peers, entertainment, or secular culture, the fact is parents are accountable for the spiritual condition of the flock God has given them to shepherd.”

And the scripture that was referenced was

 “I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them”

1 Samuel 3:13

Why did this encourage me that what I was doing was right?  Because I am responsible for my children’s spiritual conditions and I need to guide them through this world protecting them from things that will corrupt them and teaching them what is right in God’s sight.  I trusts that the Lord will help them understand in time so that when we (their parents) are no longer there, that they will choose what is best according to the Lord.  This is certainly my prayer.

Then I read my daily devotional by Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries and he referenced Psalm 78 which talks about how gracious and kind God is in continually providing for His people, taking us back and loving us in spite of our rebellious ways.  Several places he talks about how we need to make known to our children and other generations of His commands to us.  For example:

“For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.” Psalm 78:5-8

So I continue on in this battle with the enemy of our souls for the heart of my children.  When we were on our way to spend time with family today, I was thinking about this prayer experience and the following picture came to my mind.

When there are battles, soldiers are called to battle.  If you are in the frontline or on the battlefield, the fiery darts come at you and you are prepared with all your armor and your weapons, because you are expecting them.  If you are on the side lines, you are less likely to expect a dart to hit you, although there is a chance that that will happen.  So as I look toward the next 11 days on this journey, I am securing my armor and taking up my weapons and will be battling for the precious hearts of my

Please share with me your thoughts or encouragement by commenting on this post.  I would love to hear from you!

Prayer warriors wanted

 When I think or myself, "prayer warrior" is not one of the descriptions that comes to mind.  However, I try to bring things, whether for me or for someone else before the Lord.  Yet, I desire for a more structured prayer life.  I want more than just shooting up a prayer when someone asks me to pray for them. I desire to see the faithfulness of the Lord as He responds or answers my requests.  Oh, I have prayed and talked with the Lord, and have seen Him answer in miraculous ways, but wouldn't it be awesome to have prayers topics written out and the answer recorded as a testimony to the faithfulness of our Lord and Savior.  He does hear us and He answers our call. (Psalm 34:17)

Years ago, I went to a women's meeting with my sister-n-law and we heard a wonderful spirit-filled woman of God share with us how to create a prayer journal.  We made a small three ring binder that had the following sections:

1. Meditation on the Scriptures (what has God shown you through your meditation of the scripture)
2. Praise and Thanksgiving
3. Intercession (Divided into the following subsections)
    a. Marriage
    b. Family
    c. Friends/Neighbors
    d. Missionaries/Church
    e. Our Country
4. Personal Petitions
5. Repentance and Forgiveness Prayers

I've taken it out and used it at various times throughout the years, but today I am updating it so that I can use it to keep me focused in my communication with Him.  It is just a tool, and there is no magic about it, but when you journal you capture those moments, feelings or prayers.  When I have looked back in my journals and read the scriptures, thoughts, lessons and prayers, that I wrote down, I have seen the progression of what the Lord was doing in my life and even sometimes in the others whom I have prayed for.  It has been a great reminder of the Lord's faithfulness!

All of this will prepare me for the new challenge that I am embarking on this week.  I have committed to join with Brooke McGlothlin of  Warrior Prayers and many other Mothers around the globe as we pray for our sons in specific ways over the next 21 days beginning on June 8th.  I will be leading my readers over the next 21 days in this challenge and I will be adding a special focus for our "special" boys who struggle with various disabilities and learning challenges. 

I want to encourage you to join in this prayer challenge no matter what the age of your son is.  Even adult sons need the fervent prayers of their mothers.  Let us flood the gates of Gods Throne Room with our praises to Him and our prayers for our sons and then wait for His response! To God be all the Glory!

Mom's day at preschool

The delight of my day was a sweet time in my 5 year olds preschool class.  It was "Mom's day at preschool" and we were invited to come and spend the first half of the day helping our children make a Father's Day gift for their Daddys.  It was so hard for me to just let him make the gift without my perfectionist, symmetrical obsession, but I managed to back off and let him do it.  The second part of the day was having a sweet brunch/tea with the other Moms.  I had a wonderful time fellowshipping with the other Moms in our class. It is the last official get together of the year for the Mom's.  It was a little bitter sweet.

The best part of the day was having my son smile from ear to ear as we played games, and sang songs.  I think it meant a lot to have his Mommy in class for the morning.  What a joy that the Lord has given to me, being able to stay home and raise our boys.  Even though challenges are overwhelming at times, days like this rejuvenate me and give me the boost to keep moving on and enjoying the journey. 

As the school year is coming to a close, I am sad that this stage of our life is ending and we are embarking on new endeavors.  Moving out of the preschool years with my little one and into the elementary years and starting our "official" homeschooling journey.  I also have a soon to be teenager who is moving into a new phase of his life, and experiencing new challenges and changes in his life.  I am so glad that I don't have to do this alone!  I have my husband and the Lord walking on this path with me, and I am learning to enjoy each stage of their lives.

"Busy, Busy..."

It has been so long since I have posted to my blog.  Not because I haven't wanted to, but because I have been so "busy" and haven't had the quiet time to get my thoughts down.  As I was thinking about it the other day, the Veggietales song kept going through my mind.  Can you hear it now...

"I'm busy, busy, dreadfully busy
You've no idea what I have to do.
Busy, busy, shockingly busy
Much, much too busy for you.
We're busy, busy, dreadfully busy
You've no idea what we have to do.
Busy, busy, shockingly busy
Much, much too busy for you.


'Cause we're busy, busy, frightfully busy
More than a bumblebee, more than an ant.
Busy, busy, horribly busy
We'd love to help, but we can't!"

Life these days is more like a freeway than a country road.  Everything needs to be instant and fast, and more and more of us are becoming so impatient.  We are all so busy!   Being busy can rob us of being "still" and focusing on the important things in life, and it can sneak up on us so quickly. 

The things that keep us busy can be good things; serving God, bible study, homeschool conferences, taking our kids to their practices and games, helping a friend or family member, watching someone else's children so your friends can have an evening out, planning for our families meals, laundry, and so on and so on.  While all of these may be good and needful, they are not as good and life giving if we are not first with our Lord and Savior, building up our relationship with Him, confiding in Him about the things that burden us or we need help with, and spending time remembering all He has done for us and worshipping Him.

That is the desire in my heart, that I would take the time with Him and stop being so busy, dreadfully busy that I am to busy for Him.

How does your garden grow?

The word gardening can evoke different feelings for different people.  To me it was always a "bad" word, because I grew up having to pull weeds frequently in the yard and never learned how to grow a garden.  Another big one is that I abhor to get my hands dirty.  So when my husband expressed interest in getting a garden plot at the local "Community Garden" in our city, I didn't jump for joy.  However, things are beginning to change....

Earlier in the week, we went over to clear out the weeds that had grown in our plot and get it ready to plant some plants that a dear friend had given me several weeks ago.  That evening did not turn out to be such a great experience, but it was an opportunity for the Lord to work on my character once again.  I blew it, and did a lot of apologizing that evening for reactions to situations that occurred while we tended to the garden. However, it did help me to see areas in my life where I need to change.  It is always best if we can learn from our circumstances, take correction and change in order to line up with how our Creator desires us to live.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction"

Prov. 1:7

During this week, my husband tended to the garden each day, taking one of our sons over with him on occasion.  It was fun for our little guy to work with his Daddy.  At his tender age of 5, he is so curious and interested in anything new.  Gardening is a great opportunity for our son to grow and develop in an area that is really lost in our society today, where parents and kids are most often glued to electronic devises 24/7 rather than being out in nature or working hard to grow their own food.

So this morning was a wonderful time for us to go get some veggies to plant in our garden.  We all went to the nursery and picked out our favorite veggies and then went over to the garden to plant.  As we were planting, we had to work together and we all did our part.  I have to say my husband was so awesome at working with my 5 year old and allowing him to do the work too, my boys have one AWESOME Dad. 

When we came home, I had a much different perspective about "gardening".  Several thoughts came to me about what I found enjoyable:

• It was providing a chance for our family to be together.
• We are learning to work together with 4 different personalities, and desires.
• As a family, we are "learning" how to tend to a garden.
• Our sons are learning to do "work". 
• We are being given opportunity to meet other people in our community.
• We get to watch our plants grow and hopefully reap a harvest of yummy veggies.

Having a garden isn't as difficult as I had always thought it would be, but it takes TIME!  We have to make time to tend to our garden.  We need to pull ourselves away from the things that gobble away at our time; over scheduled lives, TV, Internet, etc...  How exciting to pull away from the crazy fast lane of life and slow down to enjoy something that can benefit us spiritually, emotionally,and physically. 

Hmmm...that sounds rather familiar.  This is also what we need to do to tend to our relationship with God.  We NEED to take time to nurture our relationship with the Lord, taking time away from what we feel are the pressures of this life, having that childlike curiosity we had as a baby christian and seek out the Lord and desire to learn and grow, and working on the one and only relationship that brings life...the fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

What an awesome lesson to learn this week, and I look forward to the harvest both in my garden and in my relationship with God.



Glorious Day

He is Risen!

(Death could not hold Him)

O Glorious Day!

Happy Resurrection Day!



If you doubt His love for you...

If you doubt His love for you...listen to what he did for YOU!



We are ALL unworthy, undeserving, and wretched, but God sees us as His children. 

If you have children, think about each one of them. 

Are they perfect? 

Do the do naughty things, I mean really naughty things? 

Do they make you angry?

Are they unloving, ungrateful, selfish? 

Have they rejected your authority, your love for them? 
Yet,
 wouldn't you do anything, even be willing to lay down your life for them?

Well, we are God's children and He loves each of us and desires to have a relationship with us again.  He loves us so much, that He sent His ONLY Son (who was the only perfect sacrifice) to die in our place.

Now look at Jesus

He was perfect!

He did nothing wrong!

He loved us so much He stood in for us and took the punishment and died in our place!

He was never selfish!

He was rejected even unto death!

It is an indescribable gift, that we have been given, and we are not worthy of it.
The gift has been given, receive it! 
If you have received the gift, take care of it, remember how much it meant to you when you first received it and how grateful you are that you have it.

Don't doubt His love for you!

Ephesians 2:11-18 

¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

 
¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.



The Cross to me

The Cross..means everything to me!
It is painful...knowing my sin is why Jesus had to die.
It is incredible...knowing how much Jesus loved me to die in my place.
It is LIFE...knowing that Jesus being raised from the dead gives  me ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM!
What happened long ago on Calvary is why I can live on this earth without despair.
I am a visitor here and my home is with Him in Heaven...Praise the Lord.

In John 17 Jesus prayed for all believers:

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them (the disciples) alone. I pray also for those (me/us) who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
   ²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
   ²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I have made you^[a] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

God is near..

God is always near no matter how big or how small our need...

Today was the first day of standardized testing that we must do to fulfill a requirement by the homeschooling group we are apart of.  This is not one of my favorite parts of the year, in fact I didn't like taking them as a child either. However, to my delight, today went rather smoothly.  I had been nervous after last year when my son stressed out so much about the "time", that he froze and couldn't function.  So, we were able to do testing this year without a timer, and it worked beautifully.  God was near and heard my prayer!

Then this evening I received a message from a person who "happened" upon this blog. She received tragic news today, and the Lord met her where she was and comforted her in her grief.  God was near and heard her prayers!

The Lord is truly awesome and hears all our prayers.  What a blessing when we see His Hand on our ordinary lives!

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

Psalm 145:18

Heart of the matter

Well, I wasn't able to finish the  "Heart and Home Clean Sweep challenge" that Esther at "Our Simple Country Life" hosted this week, but I intend to finish day 3-6 while we are on our break at the end of the month.  If you haven't had a chance to check out Esther's blog, I want to encourage you to browse her site, it is full of wonderful stuff!  She has insight into God's word that is so precious and has impacted me over the last two weeks since I found her blog.  Here is her link http://oursimplecountrylife.blogspot.com

I was encouraged by her "Heart Scrub" for the last two days, but especially on day 5.  She references the scripture in 1 Samuel 16:7b where it says:

"...the Lord does not see as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart". 

Basically, the Lord isn't overly concerned about what our physical home looks like, but what the heart of our home looks like.  I have been meditating on this and looking at our home to find "areas" that may need to be cleaned up so that the heart of our home sparkles. How is the "heart" of your home?

"I love you so"

The morning started off good, until we were walking out the door and my son couldn't find his jacket.  At this point, I was not happy and did not display calm and rational behavior.  Even after feeble attempts at apologies in the car, we arrived at church with a lot of tension among us.  Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who stopped and prayed over us before we entered the building.  What came next when I opened the bulletin ought to make everyone reading this laugh and know that the Lord is intimately involved in our lives.

The title of the message was "I am dead to sinful pursuits, but alive in the Spirit" and the scripture passage was Galatians 5:19-26.  I couldn't believe it, and showed it to my husband and told him how appropriate for me.  See, Galatians 5:22-23 is in many places in my house and is one of the scriptures I love. I have a strong desire and know my life should be producing this fruit as a child of the Living God.  This is a scripture that I refer to a great deal with my boys, in training them up.

While the message at church did not necessarily contain information that was unfamiliar to me, it did impact me and comforted me.  I felt the love of the Lord taking me aside as a parent would do with their child after disciplining them.  He reminded me of what the traits of sin were and then how He expected me to live.  I was looking up to Him in my spirit, taking in the caring that resounded from Him.  It was so tender and sweet.

After we were home, my husband shared with me, how he was as a young boy and teenager, and how his parents responded to him when he did wrong.  See my Mother-n-law and Father-n-law exhibit very loving and caring qualities that are characteristic of Christ.  They love rather than hate, they instruct rather than tear down, they give generously without a need to receive anything in return, they give of their time, love and resources unconditionally.  These are qualities that my husband and I desire to have in our own lives especially in raising our sons.  We have been blessed that they have been close, so that we can learn from them and learn how to respond in love as his parents did with him when he was growing up.

While today may sound like a "bad" day, I take delight in it.  It was today that I saw again, how much my Heavenly Father loves me, even when I may not behave as He desires. I am still the precious child He created and He has not, and says He will not leave me nor forsake me.  I feel so blessed that our Heavenly Father doesn't give up on us or ridicule us for our failings, yet gently corrects us and gives us direction for our good!

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires. 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"

Galatians 5:22-25

A picture that the worship leader painted of Jesus this morning was very special to me.

When Jesus looked at Peter after he had betrayed Jesus, His look was not one of "I told you so", but was one of "I love you so".  That is how I want to remember the face of my Savior as He looks into my eyes and tells me "I love you so". 

Happy Helper

"David my sweet helper today!"

 He absolutely loves to help out around the house.  It was truly amazing to see him, at 5 years old, loosen and tighten the bolts on the bed we were moving around today.  Later, he put on his apron and helped his Daddy make chili for dinner tomorrow night, while I made our dinner for tonight.

It delights my heart to see him desire to help us and want to be involved with us in all we do. I hope that we will be able to see him maintain this desire as he grows older each year.  It is so important that our children learn to work, doing it with a good attitude and not expect to be served.

I remember the words of Jesus when he said in Mark 10:42-45:

"But Jesus called them to himself and said to them, You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,

 and to give His life a ransom for many." 

These are "Blessings"?

This song “Blessings”, and the testimony of Laura story “delighted” my heart today!  I know there are many circumstances and trials that we experience that we wonder, “God are you there?  Do you hear me? Why don’t you heal my child or me or my husband or my friend? Why does my child have ASD or___? Why do I have to go through ____” 

I identified with her testimony, because my husband was diagnosed with cancer 4 months after we married, and I had so many questions for the Lord that seemed to always start with “why”.  However, I have always looked back on it and have seen the Hand of the Living God was on us, and we both grew so much and He did a work in us, through that experience that we would not trade for anything.  That was a time when the Lord was oh so very close to us and we can see his fingerprints all over our lives during that time and even all these years later.  We have had many struggles, trials, illnesses, heartbreaks, betrayals, and difficult circumstances, but our Lord has been there and He hears us and he has taught us so much through each one. 

After I listened to this song, I thought about how the Apostle Paul talks about the “thorn” that he had to bear.  I pondered how he responded in the Word:

“…a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Cor.12:7-10

What a help for us hearing Pauls testimony, and most importantly the very words of God. Be blessed as you read and listen to the lyrics of Lauras song “Blessings”.   ( I included a link to her website where you can read her testimony and learn more about her music)

Laura Story - "Blessings" Lyrics

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home,

It's not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

http://www.laurastorymusic.com/home

Balance

In the daily grind and the busyness of life, we can tend to miss the joy and fun in each day and even miss actually "being" with our kids.  It struck me today, that I focus so much on school with my 12 year old, health issues, behavior issues and my desire to "train him up" well, that I am really missing out on getting to know him.

Today I had the opportunity to take my son on a field trip, just the two of us.  I enjoyed time to talk to him without any interruptions.  It was fun to see his extreme joy when he saw the "Google" logo on the building as we were approaching.  Then I heard him say, "Oh, I have always wanted to see this place".  He had a blast and he participated well.

It changed my perspective and caused me to reconsider what is truly important.  There needs to be "balance" in our lives or we can miss out on so many of the special moments with those who are closest to us, especially if we are so busy or focused on the detail  that we miss what is in front of us. 

After today, I am determined to stop more often and enjoy this sweet boy who is in my life and spend some time one on one doing things that are fun and just getting to know each other more. This could be just what he and I need so that our learning becomes more enjoyable.  After all, he is my miracle from God and an answer to a deep longing that I had over 14 years ago to be a Mom.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. 

Delight yourself also in the Lord and He WILL give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord.

Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. 

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. 

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. 

Psalm 37:3-7a

R-R-Rejoice!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;

 for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

My little guy came home tonight with this cute little craft that he made in his Royal Rangers group.  I couldn't help but take this picture to capture the joy in his face and he sure looked CUTE!   It caused me think about the joy that this little guy brings to us. 

We have had challenging issues with him over the last 3 years; delayed speech, test after test and evaluation after evaluation, behavior issues, potty training, seizure episodes and changing to a gluten free, casein free, soy free diet.  However, he is such a sweet gift from God.  Through this experience we are learning to:

REJOICE ALWAYS: on days when things are difficult and even overwhelming, when we are exhausted and feel like we can't go on.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: because we can't do it without the strength of the Lord.  He can heal our child, He knows our children better than we and has a plan for their lives.

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS: even when he has written all over the walls, plugged up the toilet, hit his sibling for the tenth time today, and has melted down one to many times.

FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS! Amen..we are the parents that He has chosen and the Lord doesn't make mistakes.  He will guide us and give us what we need to raise this child.  He doesn't promise it will be easy, but we can be sure that He will be with us and guide us in all our decisions...we just need to ask Him for help.

R-R-Rejoice!

Weeds and Winning

 

Today, I pulled weeds in the yard with my 5 year old.  The experience was full of spiritual analogies.  There was one that I thought was worth sharing. 

I started pulling weeds and I realized that it seemed so much harder since the last time I pulled them about 6 months ago.  (I know, I should pull them out more regularly)  As I continued to work, I realized that the ground was so much harder because we have not had much rain lately and I don't know how often the sprinklers are going on.  The lack of water created this hard soil and it was difficult to get the tools in under the weed so that I could get it out.  This required so much more muscle and the process was so much slower than the last time. 

As I continued pulling weeds, I kept thinking about how the weed represents sin or bad habits that hinder our walk.  Sometimes we allow the weed to grow for a long time and don't have the time to stop and pull out the weeds that have sprung up.  We may say "oh I know I really need to do that, but I'll do it tomorrow".  I thought about how the water represents a combination of the Holy Spirit and the Word, and how when we are not walking in the Spirit or reading the Word regularly, we are not getting watered enough and our hearts can become harder and harder and harder.  The more we put off pulling out these weeds and not getting watered, the weeds in our life become larger and the process of removing them is harder and takes more effort.

So this week I will be watering more so that I can remove the weeds that have grown and I'm sure when I get a closer look, I may see some  smaller weeds to pull out before they become large and are harder to get to the root so they can be removed.  Happy Weeding!

Winning....

Here is my son who won First Place in the Pinewood Derby Car Race that his Royal Ranger Troop participated in today.  He was so excited.  Way to go buddy!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Phil. 4:13