Guess I have been kind of quiet on here…have had a lot on my mind and on my heart but every time I sat here I just began to ponder and couldn’t really put it all into words…what a ride the last year has been but so thankful to have gone on it! We say God is in control of our lives as Christians and that we trust Him but then when He takes us somewhere uncomfortable or we feel the slightest bit of pain we try to take the control back. About a year and a half ago I was so “comfortable” where I was (and that is not a good place to be) and as a peson that doesn’t like changes at all, I didn’t envision what was just ahead…God really got my attention and did some drastic changes…and the pains along the way certainly were not pleasant but I am so thankful He did…and is still doing! I hope to get on here more often and blog some more and be a little more consistent…but life is busy so I will pop in when I can and hopefully encourage some of you along the way as well! God Bless!
Spring…New Life ..New Beginnings April 14, 2011
This morning had a great start…I was actually able to get out of bed without waking up my little man, get my cup of coffee and get my reading materials together..and then he woke up…happy as usual and wanting to snuggle. Snuggling is fun..especially with a warm little chunky monkey(as we like to call him around here-lovingly of course!) As I sat him down on the couch next to me I heard the familiar “lap, lap” from him…so I sat him against the pillow with my right arm around him and propped my Bible on my left knee and we snuggled…as I read and enjoyed the best of both worlds-my quiet time while snuggling. Times like these go way too fast….I know this by looking at the pictures on the wall of the six older children preceding him. He thinks everything is a kitty-the squirrles that raced through the limbs of the tree in front of the window, the birds popping in and out of the bird house and pecking at the grass…I wish every day could start like that..but eventually I would probably end up taking it for granted…just like the start of Spring…I am so thankful for the start of the new season this year..and for Easter coming.
You see, it has been a long winter…a winter that started way before December..or even before any snow actually fell and the winds blew.
I just finished a study with a Godly group of women on the book of James…early on in the study I came across a verse that stuck with me through the whole study..I had read it tons of times but this time was different…this time it was meant just for me and I have clung to it throughout what seemed like the longest time of this winter time of my life…
James 1:2-4, 12-Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so thst you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything…Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
Trials…joy? Those two words don’t seem like they would go together…and they didn’t at first with me. At first I just acted like it didn’t bother me and put a good face on..or at least tried to until I knew I could let my guard down…it was like a dam breaking…so I just started to go into a “hibernation” type of mode and didn’t really go much of anywhere unless it was something I committed to and HAD to be at…I found that God really speaks to our hearts…and if we are quiet enough we WILL hear his voice…boy did He have a lot to say to me! He also showed me who the friends HE put into my life were…and taught me an important lesson about checking for fruits in the lives and the influence of those I spend time with. I had taken for granted some very special people in my life and during this season, they were there and it seemed like at times they were holding up my arms when I just couldn’t hold them anymore, encouraging me, praying with me…and loving me through it all. I think the most important thing I have learned from all of this takes me straight to the cross…FORGIVENESS…at the root of it all and what held me back in this season of winter was a lack of forgiveness for others …I could say all I wanted that I wasn’t angry or bitter but in reality it was slowly eating away my heart from the inside and affecting my relationships on the outside….and taking its toll on Dave and I. I am so thankful for the messages God out into the hearts of people and that He never gives up on us, His children. It seemed as though everywhere I turned and heard a message, God was constantly tugging at my heart…to let go…God is so good and His love is so unconditional…I had gotten so used to carrying around the pain of anger and bitterness that when it was gone, I finally felt like I could breathe…and cry..not because of hurt but I saw what holding onto all of it had done…and seek forgiveness of those closest to me…I wasn’t the only one hurting during this winter season..the other person, the person closest to me was hurting himself while watching my hurt destroy me…but God wasn’t done…He had a bigger plan..and He always has the victory! God has brought on Spring..not only outside in the green grass and new life blooming through the flowers and trees…but also in me and for that I am so thankful! I have heard this song before but now it is as it has new meaning and was written just for me! 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
The Last Week of 2010.. December 29, 2010
We only have a few days left and we will welcome in 2011…we will have the memories and lessons of 2010 to look back on. I am looking forward to a quiet New Years Eve this year..last year was the first time I was asleep at midnight…what a night that had been! Our little Seth had above his eye split open (and if anyone knows me well, they know I DON”T DO BLOOD…esp when it is one of my children that the blood is coming from) so that in itself was almost enough to put a damper on our night’s festivities…but we also had our two girls fall to a stomach bug during the evening..so at the prospect of the rest of us dropping like flies to the illness, we called it a night and hoped we would wake and find out it was a bad dream…not so fortunate! We have higher hopes this year…just for quieter..a little less eventful.
Christmas Eve and Christmas this year held some new events and maybe some new traditions for us. We were invited to an Ice Skating Party in Buffalo Friday morning…neither Dave nor I are ice skaters but he braved the ice while I chased after the baby (it wasn’t too hard to keep him happy and occupied since there were tim-bits and cocoa set up-he had the tim-bits and I had the cocoa!) We got home mid afternoon, settled in for a cozy naptime, then off to church and home to eat goodies, watch a Christmas Movie, and open our pajamas (this we do every Christmas Eve), get ready for bed and drift off to dream land. The kiddos all slept in(or at least didn’t wake me, Dave, or Elijah up) till 8:30 am when we opened presents (after Dave and I had a pot of coffee on and had already downed a cup or so!), ate an awesome breakfast spread and then played, snuggled, slept, sledding, and enjoyed each other until dinner and dessert…I think a great day was had by all!
I see a pattern to our activities this year that wasn’t there last year…this year we like the quiet, the calm…hibernating! Not so eager to get up and go…and be on the go all the time. Quiet is good…I think we can learn more when we are quiet..we can listen better.
At this time of year,people tend to look back over the last year and make resolutions…or things they intend to do over the next year…if you have a quiet moment, I urge you to sit down and think about the last year…think about the times you listened and what you learned…I know I had a lot of lessons learned over the last year..some were little ones and not so hard but there were some that I hope I passed the test and learned enough so I don’t have to visit that again…but I do hope I continue to change and grow from it…change is good and it is the only constant in our lives ( no, that isn’t a quote from me but from some philosopher but it does make sense)…nothing stays the same(other than God himself..He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!)..either we will change for the better or for the worse but we will change..so what do you think? What do you want to change?Feel free to share..I’ll even go first…
*of course I want Dave and I to keep up with the weight loss (and yes my cooking and treats did set us back just a little over the holidays)
*I want to be more consistent in my daily reading and set aside a non – negotiable time every day…even if it means getting out of bed earlier!
* I want to keep a prayer journal so I can have a better attitude of gratitude for the prayers (big and small) that The Lord answers and praise Him for them all!
*Enjoy each day God has given me and thank Him for the blessings in them-if I am alive and breathing then I have two awesome blessings …every day I have my loved ones around me are more blessings He has given me…no matter the circumstances of life!
So go and grab a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa and share with me..no matter how big or small…maybe we can help hold each other accountable and next year we can look back together!
Psalm 77:11-14
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
Getting a clear focus… December 3, 2010
Around our house it is easy to tell that Christmas is only 22 days away-the tree is up, lights are hung and on,gift idea lists are being revised and wish lists are flooding my email inbox everyday, my grocery list for cookie baking is almost done, and lastly as you enter the house you can smell the aroma of the frosted cedar wreath candle I light every year filling the air.
As a child, my parents made Christmas such a special time filled with all kinds of traditions-I remember my mom baking cookies for what seemed like weeks and stashing them in old butter cookie tins every year, hearing the wrapping paper crinkle from behind my parents door late at night, the tall glass candles that adorned the shelves of the bookshelf, putting Jesus in the manger because He was finally born on Christmas Eve,the Italian feast at dinner on Christmas eve, secretly trying to get a glimpse at the presents that were piling up, laying out the “Santa” cookie with a glass of milk for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer,and then there was the fire dept men and “Santa” that came to every house ( I was sooo scared of that Santa that I tried to find a new hiding place every year)…for years after my father’s passing when I was 10 Christmas lost a lot of its excitement and stood as a reminder for what I could no longer have and how life had changed,death seemed to take center stage in my mind during this time of year every year…then just a few weeks before Christmas in 1991, I had my perspective changed forever!I always knew why we celebrated Christmas but now I had the chains that held me broken, my heart healed, and my focus adjusted. Every year since I have taken the time to sit by the tree at night, enjoying the lights, and thanking God for the circumstances that He used to bring me to where I am today…and the birth of His son that gave me the reason (and so many others) for our hope.
Every year for the past few years I have worked with the kids on a book by Lisa Whelchel called The ADVENTure of Christmas..this year I was looking for something different..just something to keep their focus for just a little bit of each day on the real reason we celebrate. I had found a Christmas Edition booklet put out by Our Daily Bread that spans over the four weeks before Christmas. Things have been a little crazy in our lives the last few weeks and I needed something extra to be able to keep my eyes where they needed to be, on Him. I finally sat down in the wee hours of this morning to read yesterday’s devotional..and was so glad I did! What joy and encouragement I found! Here are some excerpts:
Romans 8:27-39 (New International Version, ©2010)
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[b]
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[c] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“There are times when difficult circumstances or personal loss can cause us to feel that Christ has been stolen from our Christmas.How can we find Jesus when life seems to be working against us? Like a spiritual GPS, Romans 8 guides us to God’s never failing love and presence with us.We read that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and intercedes for us.We know that God is for us and we have this grand assurance:He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Finally we are reminded that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus. Look for Jesus in the manger, on the cross, risen from the dead, and in our hearts.That’s where we can find Jesus at Christmas. If we focus only on Christmas, we might lose sight of Christ.”
No matter what goes on around us or in our lives, nothing can take away what God already did, He sent His son to be born in a manger and walk the life of man to take the punishment for all men!
A Season… November 29, 2010
Seasons change every few months and a lot of times we have something in the next season to look forward to…Spring – new life, longer days, nice weather- Summer-warm temps, bright sunshine, swimming, fun outdoor activities, vacations-Fall-cooler temps, apple picking, trick or treating, beautiful color changes in nature, Thanksgiving-Winter-Christmas, snow and sledding, hot cocoa and candy canes, family get togethers….but there are seasons in life as well-times of joy as well as times of trials…and I’ve learned it is in these latter times that we do most of our growing in our walk with Christ. I have been involved in a Beth Moore Study that has spoken directly to my heart every time I open it..it is such a comfort to have God’s Word feel like it was written just to you..like He is speaking to me and it was written just for this moment in time. The Psalms of Ascent(Psalm 120-134)They are so powerful..sit back, grab a cup of tea/coffee/cocoa and have a read…they are not long and you will be so glad you did. Over the last few months-especially the last few weeks- I have learned some important lessons about relationships-both family and friendships..there is only one who sticketh closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24 (New King James Version). Today I look at my Bible as a love letter that was written to encourage, teach, correct, and guide me through the valleys as well as the mountaintops…this now is a valley and during our times in the valleys we are strengthened so we can make the trek up the side of the mountain. The climb is steep and hard but will be worth it once I get there! If I could see this whole picture, I would never want to go through all the pain and tears the last few weeks and months have held..I would skip over and go right to the end result, but walking into the Last Supper even Jesus knew what the Garden held and what would come after and He still sang a song of Praise while He broke bread with His disciples. He still surrendered to the Lord’s will…and that is what I need to do now…get on my knees and give this trial over to Him so He can work how He needs to in the people He needs to. I do know what His word is clear about…Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” There are certain things He reveals to us as He feels they should and in that I am to do one thing-follow what His word says..that is so hard when you get emotions involved…but Jesus walked this earth with those emotions, with real feelings, feeling physical pain as we do..and He endured more physical pain than most of us will ever have to endure…and He did it knowing it was ahead…because He loved us and wanted us to know that if He did it, so could we…but He did it one better..He did it all without sin…He finished the race PERFECTLY…I have made mistakes..I am far from perfect..Ecclesiastes 5:2 is not my strong point “2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.” There are not many times when my words are few…but He is teaching and I am learning. I don’t think this is a season I will forget…I am writing a lot of notes in my Bible and comments, underlining verses and highlighting alot, I have been blessed to have some Godly people in my life that keep pointing me in the right direction, and have been brought to my knees…I can’t wait to get to Heaven and see the storeroom of the bottles of tears that God has collected during this time…the whole time thinking on this Psalm…
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Thanks for listening to my rambling…and take in whatever surrounds you in the season you are walking through right now…it has a purpose and there will be a change in seasons…but through it all remember Malachi 3:6 “I THE LORD DO NOT CHANGE”. He is the same through this season as He was through the last…we are the ones to change..to change more into His image and to be like Him!
I Can Only Imagine… June 15, 2010
We take so much for granted in life. When we turn the key in the ignition the car will start. When we turn the light switch the light will go on. When we open the fridge the light will help us see. We will go to sleep and wake up to a new day. When we get a positive on a pregnancy test, we will have a baby nine months later…but things don’t always go as WE plan..or as WE THINK THEY SHOULD. With my first pregnancy I went to every doctor’s appointment calm and happy. Only picked out a girl’s name..because I knew it was going to be a girl…they day came, we went to the hospital and came home two days later with a beautiful little girl. Nine months later I found out I was pregnant again..and went through that pregnancy a little bit more incomfortably but still never thought about anything bad…from theminute i found out, I got ready for the new member of our family we would meet in nine months…and sure enough one week over nine months, there came Zachariah! We had our hands full with four kids under 5 so we thought we would wait a bit…then when Zach was two I came home and told Dave confirmation of what I had thought, I was pregnant again…that pregnancy lasted only 10 weeks. We grieved,but we were sure even in our grief that we would have another baby…and SOON! Within 10 weeks I was back in the doctor’s office having an ultrasound to confirm another pregnancy..but this time I felt different…anxious…nervous…and I prayed the whole time…”please Lord, let me see a heartbeat, a strong heartbeat and please let this baby be big enough to measure and just let everything go okay…please Lord..I can’t take anymore heartache.” Oh but God knew what I could handle and it was more than I had ever imagined. For He knew what everyday held-my past, my present, and my future..and HE had just enough strength to carry me through each moment. That’s when the doctor turned the screen and said, “do you want to see, look here…here’s one heartbeat and here at the other end of the sac is the other.” I told him he must be joking but no he wasn’t…we didn’t have a cellphone and I was there alone so I drove home, walked in the house and showed Dave the picture. We were overjoyed! We had lost one baby and now God had blessed us with two! We were so excited but there was a caution to it, we only told those close to us and I was told I had to rest and that there were concerns and risks about carrying identical twins so over the next few weeks and months we did everything the doctor and the specialist told us to right to the letter..and every appointment we went together..we were so nervous! We picked out names-Emma Michelle and Elisabeth Grace. At my 20 week appointment it was Dave’s birthday and he couldn’t get out of work to come with me and we were getting together with family that night so I scooted by myself…everything seemed fine except the doctor couldn’t quite get an accurate measurement on one of the girls but he told me everything looked good and he would see me in two weeks. I will never forget the events that unfolded that night. That night when the doctor did the sonogram he first looked at Emma who honestly looked as though she was praying…hands folded, knees bent and all and the doctor commented to the fact. Then he scanned her sister. QUIET. He looked at us with very sad eyes and said he would be right back..he wanted the nurse to come in..turned off the screen and left. This was the moment we had feared. He came in and continued the scan. QUIET again! Our hearts sank. We went to the hospital for amore in depth scan but knew what was going on. We sat in the waiting room, just the two of us and cried. The tech called us in and she confirmed it. She called the doctor right in front of us and I’ll never forget her words “no doctor, I see a perfect little baby, just no heartbeat. Nothing seems to be wrong here except her heart is no longer beating”. Back at the doctor’s office we sat together and I remember feeling angry. WHY? WHY? So many people have babies who don’t even want them,they have multiples..why can’t I? Why did mine have to die? Dave, the doctor, and I all sobbed. He kept saying how sorry he was but that he knew we would get through it. I cried so much. A consulting doctor that wasn’t from around here told us that we should terminate the rest of the pregnancy and “just start over”. He said the surviving twin would be so damaged and neurologically retarded that we would wish we had never had her. No, we told our doctor that as long as God kept her heart beating, we wouldn’t stop it. He agreed and supported us. The next day the specialist did scans and told us “Elisabeth” had been the donor twin and while Emma had fluid around her heart and was beating so slowly and looked weak, she had seen other babies pull through. We would have lost both girls had Elisabeth not given up for her sister. Both doctors told us to be ready by 30 weeks because most pregnancies in this situation don’t go past 30 weeks if they even make it to that mark. We told our family and friends what had happened. They supported us,cried with us, and loved us. We told our other children that we would now only bring home one baby. About two months later, after a cubbies lesson abot Heaven with Abby I asked her the questions with it and one was”What three things do you want to see when you get to Heaven?” She told me” 1. Her grandpa Giese 2. her guinea pig 3. her baby sister. It was at that point that I realized my father had never seen any of his grandchildren..till now. He is now with one of his grandchildren and she is exactly what we will have down here on earth. My little 4 yr old had realized this and taught me such a great lesson! My little girl was right where she was supposed to be…and one day I would see her again. Till then I will look into the same eyes and smile that my father and other loved ones already have with them…
Our Emma Grace was born into this world at 2:42 on her due date..at 40 weeks and weighed a healthy 9 lbs 3 oz. She was a beautiful and healthy baby…passed all her tests with flying colors and even went home after only one day at the hospital…just in time for Father’s Day the next day. I did give birth to her sister, Elisabeth that day as well…that was a very emotional time because while I dealt with the fact that she was gone weeks earlier, now she was physically gone also. I still had her with me all those weeks…and now I really had to let go. I love to look into Emma’s smiling eyes..when she smiles, her whole face smiles! I look into her eyes and feel as though I have a glimpse into a bit of Heaven.. Some days I feel so torn between two worlds but I know that God allowed this into my life for a reason…while I don’t always understand and can’t see the whole picture, I know He can and He gave me my little miracle Emma Grace for a special reason…and I don’t take any day, or event for granted anymore…when you look into the eyes of your little one,or a niece or nephew, granchild, or special child in your life, thank God for every moment…they are all a blessing!!!
Change…ouch, just the word hurts! April 15, 2010
I know plenty of things that need to change…my kitchen ceiling for starters (Dave tore out the tiles over a year ago and we have had the bare beams ever since), the sheets in the bedrooms, one of the hamster’s cages, the kitty litter, the load of laundry in the washer..I could go on and on..but change in me..uugghh..that doesn’t sound too pleasant…CHANGE..there are plenty of people who need to change but to desire change for ourselves? This quote was from the Daily Bread today:
“We often think God has assigned us to change the world around us when in reality He is interested in changing us. Why? To make each of us “a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). God often uses the most unlikely people in the most unlikely places to teach us some of life’s most difficult lessons. And just when we think we’ve arrived, He is instructing us further.”
How many of us would dare pray that God change us? To be useful we need to be willing to be changed…and humble enough to listen to His voice when HE speaks. I know I am far from perfect..now I am a way different then I was 20 years ago (boy that statement made me feel OLD!) and have changed a ton since then but God still has a lot of changing to do in me! So, if you take the time to stop today and lift up your requests to the Lord, try asking the Lord to change you (as I will also) into who HE wants you to be…and hold on because it could be a wild ride!
Now to go and change the bedding….
A New Week..A New Journey March 22, 2010
Monday Morning…doesn’t seem much different than any other day to me. For a stay at home mom (especially us homeschool moms) we still get the kiddos up, get the house cleaned…the only difference (and some days it’s a big one) is the hubbys are at work,,,which means NO REINFORCEMENTS! When my hubby is home I like to think of him as a reinforcement. According to dictionary.com a reinforcement is “something that strengthens”, “an additional supply of personnel” ,”a system of steel bars, strands, wires, or mesh for absorbing the tensile and shearing stresses in concrete work”, ”a procedure, as a reward or punishment, that alters a response to a stimulus.” Not always easy being here, the only adult with a crowd of little people all day long…some days I feel as though I could really use a rubber room…I delight in the idea of someone giving me a time out to go sit in my bed and think about what I did…but as mothers, fathers, adults…and even Christians…we have people watching us to see how we react and respond to various situations.
This train of thought brings me back to the weekend…my weekends are never dull or quiet…always something going on..let’s see this past weekend was Dave’s weekend to work on Saturday so that meant whatever we had going on, I was going it alone…Awana games at the college (supposed to be there by 9:15 am with the kids, games started at 10…made it there by 9:30…after picking up and extra child), spent three hours there chasing after a 4 yr old and taking care of a 8 month old..while cheering on the two playing games (my dd did assist with this some but she was not feeling well), then off to a Penny Carnival (which we ended up leaving with three goldfish ( I know, just what I needed more fish..like I don’t have enough animals with two dogs, a cat, a toad, two hamsters, and a Beta fish already!), then decorate a cake (at the park), then off to Aldi’s for some groceries, then off to go and buy a fish bowl for our newest additions, then off to pick up the oldest two who had been at work all day, then home to unload the car and try to make dinner and get ready for Church on Sunday. What a day!! I was beat…and very weepy which I get when I am tired….and boy was I tired…ok so what was my point in telling you all that I did on Saturday…because in my reading today I thought back to Saturday and all the people I came in contact with. I am a people watcher…always have been. I know there are other people watchers out there as well. Today my reading included Colossians 1:3-12 and in there I read terms such as “we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints-the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven…” later on it reads “and we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:bearing fruit in every good work…” so as I ran around on Saturday with the kids doing my work, what were others seeing…were they seeing a screaming mom, a raving lunatic…or Christ in me? This work that I do every day from the moment my eyes open (and if you thiunk it isn”t work you are welcome to come do it for a day while I take a personal day) to the time it is all done, it is my good work, my calling..it is what God has called me to be and do..to be a wife and mother, to help my husband, to love and nurture my children , to be a keeper of our home…and to reflect the One who lives in my heart while I am doing it….so as you go about your week, think about what people are seeing in you and hearing from you…does it reflect what it is you believe?
Hello world! March 17, 2010
Ok..so I am really new to this blogging thing but I have a lot of things on my mind and life is anything but dull here in our home so I thought , why not share it with others…someone might want to read my ramblings…so here it goes…
A new morning…feels pretty warm out(compared to the -5 we were subject to at times during this past winter…39 is a heat wave inthe morning!)My lil chunky monkey (as we kindly refer to Elijah) is rolling around on the floor in a very good mood…but he is and has been such a good baby and definetly a morning person! Enjoying my first travel mug of coffee in my Summer Stripe Longaberger mug (yes that was a plug for Longaberger..come on you knew it would be in there somewhere after all I am supposed to be selling the stuff and not just furnishing my own home with it!) Time to open the blinds and let the sun in!
I just read My Daily Bread and the title was “Who Are You?” So who are you? If you’re reading this then I probably know your name..and we have crossed paths somewhere at somtime during the last 34 years (yes I am 34 years old…not too bad for a mother of 7 huh?? According to my dd (dear daughter), for a woman that is really young…guess we’ll be keeping her around for a while!) Back to the question at hand…who am I? I am a mother of 7 very unique and different children..I am a creation of God, placed at this time and in this place for a very special reason..I am a wife of almost 15 years to David…I am a child of God, a new creation because of being washed by the blood of His son Jesus (and very thankful for that bc I sure needed a good washing after how dirty I became!)…I am 5’5″ and still carrying quite a bit of baby weight (and I really need to get motivated to get it off!)…I am a daughter to the strongest woman I have ever met, my mom Johanna ..I could go on and on but when you get down to it…I am who I am because of Him! He has taken me and molded me like the potter and the clay..now I have not always been pliable and easy to work with but because of His love, He keeps on shaping me anyway…what about you today? Are you willing to be soft and moldable like a new container of playdough…or hard, difficult and dried out like the remnants I find stuck in the crack of my shoe the morning after Cubbies at Awanas? Read it for yourself in Jeremiah 18!
