Wordless Wednesday

Loneliness... Longings...

It seems that the deeper into the things of God that I go and that I desire to go, the lonelier I feel in this world. I honestly do not desire or long to fit into the world - I long for eternity and the life I will have there - and I long to find people here in my sphere of life, in my season of life, who are like-minded, who also long for eternity... yet they seem so hard to find, why is that?

I long for the things and people of this world to have no affect on my emotions or mental state. I long to be controlled by the Spirit in every single aspect of my being...

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Eccl. 3:11

Just some thoughts from my heart which I had written in my journal recently... I felt led to share these today, maybe someone else can relate...

Lessons learned while being still...

I have been on a journey these past few weeks of seeking to be still...

I have been intentional about slowing down and focusing on my relationship with my Lord and with my family... I have been carefully considering and praying about how to spend my time daily rather than let activities and plans of others dictate my schedule and my calender. It has been absolutely wonderful and very freeing!

I am learning several lessons during my quest to be still more often and wanted to share them here, in hopes they may help some of you.

I am learning that being still is not just a lack of physical activity. In fact, I am learning that you can be still while in the midst of physical activity. In many ways being still is more about our minds and hearts being still and focused on the task at hand rather than being divided among several different tasks. My Lord has shown me that often times my heart and mind are not still, they are running off in so many different directions that I can not effectively do the task I am currently working on because I am too distracted. So I am learning daily to still my heart and my mind. If I catch my heart and mind wandering ahead to future tasks I try to reel them back in so I can have an undivided focus on what it is I am currently doing.

I am also learning that in order to have a still mind and heart, which enable me to more effectively fulfill the calling God has on my life, which at this time is being a wife and mom, I do not have to take part in every single "good" activity that comes my way. This has been hard for me, because I like to take advantage of all the "good" opportunities that come along. However, I am learning to take them to God, and allow Him to reveal to me if they are what He desires for me to fill my time with at this time. I came to the realization that many things that are good are not good for me at this season in my life... they take me away from my family, which is God's priority for me right now. Not only do they take me away from my family in person but they occupy much of my thoughts, causing me to be distracted and divided in my time with them. Instead of having time to have a teachable moment, to spend extra time loving on my family, to make a nice healthy meal for my family, or to spend the extra time needed on a discipline problem, I was having to rush and run out the door to get to this activity or that activity. So I am learning to say "No" to those things the Lord leads me to say "No" to rather than yes to everything... and I can I say it has been very freeing. And I can definitely say it has helped me to quiet my heart and my mind and to have a more undivided focus of the things the Lord would have me to focus on right now.

I am also learning that being still, having a quiet heart and mind, open up the door for me to hear my Lord's voice more clearly, more consistently, and more frequently. I am more aware of the promptings of His Spirit, and more able to quickly obey those promptings rather than waiting until things slow down... which often when I would wait for things to slow down I would forget about the promptings of His Spirit and not follow through... In focusing on having a quiet heart and a quiet mind I have been able to reach out and minister to others, really in rather simple ways; whereas before I would have been to busy, physically and mentally, to take the time to do such things. Also, in taking time to be still and enjoy life with my family, the Lord has brought opportunities for ministry along our path, nothing big or huge, just little things done for others in the name of Jesus. I know in my life sometimes the little things others have done for me spoke volumes more to me than big things... a timely card sent in the mail, a phone call at just the right time, a smile or word of encouragement, a hug, just the fact that someone noticed you were there...


So this journey to be still has been and is a good one... I plan to continue on it. I long to sit at His feet, Hear His voice, and follow Him in those things He has for me to follow Him in, and I long to do all this with an undivided heart. What about you? Do you take time to be still, to quiet your heart and your mind so that you can more effectively hear our Lord speak to you? I enjoy you to do so...

Thankful Thursday

Today I am giving thanks to the Giver of all good things, my Father in Heaven.

I thought I would share my thankfulness in pictures this time...

Hope you enjoy, and are also encouraged to give thanks yourself...

I am thankful for the beauty of God's creation!
Waterfalls always make me think of "streams of living water"...
I pray that He would cause "streams of living water" to flow in and through me...

I am thankful for precious time spent with my family
and the memories we make being together...
The boys thought this was such a grand adventure!

I am thankful for summer fun spent with friends...

I am thankful for the blessing of my children...
and the joy they add to my life!

I am thankful for the excitement and anticipation
of a new season of life...
we are soon to begin homeschooling!

I encourage you to stop and take time to give our Lord thanks for the many ways He has blessed your life...

Our curriculum is here!!

We received 2 BIG boxes from Fed-Ex today...

with all this "STUFF" we get to use for school!!

The boys were so excited to see so many new books!
And even more excited to learn that they are ours...
and we do not have to return them to the library!!

I can't wait for our new adventure to begin...

It is going to be lots of fun for ALL of us!!

Still here...

I just thought I would let those of you who read my blog know that I am still here! I have just been enjoying the summer with my family... the past few weeks have been absolutely wonderful. I have had time to be still and enjoy my life as a wife and mom, to enjoy lazy summer days with my boys, and to enjoy our weekends with dad...

The computer seems to have lost its hold on me!! I am not as drawn to it as I once was... actually there are some days I wish I didn't even have one! I am finding that instead of spending time reading blogs and looking at stuff online I am wanting to spend my time with my family and seeking my Lord... it has been and is very refreshing.

I am also in the throes of getting ready to homeschool. I have been studying curriculum as I try to decide what we need to order and what we do not need... I have been going through and cleaning out our file cabinet to make room for homeschooling files and record-keeping... and I have a couple of closets to re-organize so we can have an orderly place to keep all our homeschooling books and supplies.

So I am still here, and I will be back with more regular posts soon... but for this season my posts may continue to be a bit sporadic as I spend more time with Him and with my family. I hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

Wordless Wednesday

Encouragement from my Lord...

Today the Lord encouraged me greatly during my time with Him. These past few weeks I have been seeking to be more still... more still with my Lord, more still with my husband, and more still with my kids.

The world does not always understand our need to be still. The world tries to make us go, go, go and do, do, do. At times in my quest to be still I have felt a bit like an alien, like others do not quite understand my desire and my need to be still, especially with my Lord. And I have wondered if I am going over the top in my quest to spend more time with Him and with my family rather than doing other "good" things.

God always knows our thoughts and He knows what is going on in our hearts... and He knows when we need words of encouragement - He sent me some today!

As I was reading my daily reading in a little devotional given to me by someone dear (you know who you are), the Lord spoke directly to my heart! Here is the devotion for the day... may it encourage someone else out there who longs to be still with the Lord.

I am your Father-God, listen to Me! Learn what it means to be a child of the everlasting King. Your richest duty is devotion to Me. This duty is such a joyous privilege that it feels like a luxury. You tend to feel guilty about pushing back the boundaries of your life to make space for time alone with Me. The world is waiting to squeeze you into its mold and to crowd out time devoted to Me. The ways of the world have also warped your conscience, which punishes you for doing the very thing that pleases Me most: seeking My Face. Listen to Me above the clamor of voices trying to distract you. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, for He and I work in perfect harmony. Be still and attentive in my Presence. You are on holy ground. (from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, page197)

I pray this encourages and speaks to someone as it did to me today... may you do what you need to do to make time to be still with Him. You will be eternally thankful that you did!

Happy 4th of July!!

This song always moves me to tears... I am so thankful to live in America where we have so many freedoms. And I am so very thankful for the freedom I have found in my Savior, Christ Jesus.

May you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend... celebrating not only our freedom here in America but also the freedom from sin and death that can only be found in a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.

(pause the music on the sidebar before listening to this video)

Order is good! God told me so...

My Lord so encouraged me this morning during my time with Him. His encouragement really did fill my heart with joy and brought me great comfort...

Lately I have been wondering if I am just too organized, too structured, or too schedule oriented. I have a place for everything in our house... it makes it easy to find when someone needs it, and it makes it fairly easy to clean up, you just put it back where you got it from. I am also a planner. I usually plan our days and our week, whether it is just time at home together or fun outings out, or appointments or such that we have to take care... by planning things out I find that it helps me to be more productive with my time and I am able to tackle the big things that I really need to get done rather than pushing them to the back burner...

But people have made comments about my organization...

• I can not believe you plan out your meals for each week (well, how else do you know what to buy at the grocery store)
• Your kitchen is so organized, I would hate for you to see mine, it is just chaos...

So I have been a bit down on myself, wondering if I am over the top... but the Lord blessed my heart this morning by showing me that I am not!

I am doing the Bible study, He Speaks To Me, by Priscilla Shirer, and today's lesson was on priorities! She mentions that in Exodus 25-27, when God was giving Moses very detailed instructions on building the tabernacle, that God required Moses to give great attention to detail! Then a bit later in the lesson she quoted this statement from her pastor, and it just made my heart soar...

"A focus on divine order always precedes an infilling of His divine presence." When we want God to show up and reveal Himself to us we have to plan and prepare to place priority on the things that are important to Him. page 34

I know that at this point in my life, it is important to God that I do my best to be a Godly wife and mom, taking care of my family and my home. So I feel He is pleased that I am orderly and in control of our home. Since I am structured and have a cleaning schedule and everything has a place, I do not have to spend lots and lots of time cleaning. I just have to maintain weekly and do big cleanings when it is required. This frees me up to spend more time with my family and with my Lord... during rest times each day I am usually able to spend more time with Him rather than running around trying to get stuff done around the house.

I actually find that being organized and structured is very freeing... it helps me to use my time more wisely and efficiently, and allows me more time to seek Him, and to be the wife and mom that I long to be. I have more time to try that new recipe that looked good, more time to play games or read books with the boys, more time to go for bike rides with the family after dinner... I also find that when my home and life are in order that my thoughts are more orderly and peaceful rather than chaotic and frazzled.

I am so thankful that today my Lord saw fit to encourage me and to let me know that order is ordained by Him! After all, our Lord is not a Lord of confusion or chaos put of peace! 1 Corinthians 14:33.

Thankful Thursday

O God, Thou art my God;
I shall seek Thee earnestly;
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water. ...

Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise Thee. ...

My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:1, 3, 5

I am truly blessed each week by taking the time to think about the many, many things I have to be thankful for... some are big and some are little; but they all are things that I owe Him great thanks for blessing me with. This week I am giving thanks for the following:

• For having time to "be still" - with my Lord, with my husband, and with my children. It has been absolutely wonderful, and I intend to make sure that my life does not get so busy that I do not have time to be still with my top 3 priorities! I will be saying "No" to those things that steal my stillness...
• For the preciousness of God's Word and how it is a healing balm to a wounded soul...
• For the calling to homeschool my children... it is a challenge and an adventure that I am looking forward to! I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for all of us through homeschooling!
• For the privilege and opportunity to be able to pour my heart out before the Lord - and that He is a refuge for me...
• For the love of my children and my husband...

I have much, much more to be thankful for... but that is all I am going to list today. I encourage you to stop right now and make a short list of just a few of the things you have to be thankful for... and share them with me! I would love to hear what you are thankful for today!

For more TT posts you can visit Lynn...

Word-Filled Wednesday & Scripture Memory Verse

Since the 1st falls on a Wednesday I thought I would combine my Word-filled Wednesday and my scripture memory verse for the first half of July. I will be committing Isaiah 26:8-9 to memory for the first half of July... I have been reading "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper, an excellent book and one I highly recommend; he tells how this verse was the mission verse for the passion conferences and the "268 Declaration"... it just jumped out at me and I knew it was the next verse the Lord wanted me to work on hiding in my heart.

Here it is from the NIV:

Isaiah 26:8-9

"Yes, Lord,
walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you..."

Is there a verse or passage of scripture that you are working on hiding in your heart? It makes such a difference to have His Word tucked away in our hearts... I would encourage you to make it a priority...

Wordless Wednesday