A Dust Pan...

As part of our Bible curriculum for homeschooling, we are reading through a book about missionaries, Missionary Stories with the Millers.  I highly recommend it!  It is a wonderful book with true stories of true heroes of our faith... I have enjoyed it just as much and maybe even more than the boys, but they do get excited when it is time to read from it!

Last week we read a story that has really stuck with me, and I wanted to share a portion here with those of you who still stop by for a visit, in spite of my lack of consistency! 

The story takes place in South Africa, and is about a little boy who begged to go to the mission with the missionary, because he wanted to learn about Jesus and learn to read the Bible.  This required the little boy leaving his family and walking for 9 weeks to get to the mission!  What commitment and dedication on the part of a child!  I can not imagine doing that as an adult...

Once at the mission, the little boy enthusiastically learned all that he could... he was like a sponge, soaking up as much as his little brain could contain.  The following passsage is what spoke to me and has really had me thinking...  he has just learned about a dust pan, something he has never seen before...

"Thank you!" called the boy as he hurried past on his way to school.  Slipping into his seat, he waited for class to begin.  As soon as the teacher called his name, Tisese rose to his feet. "Teacher," he told the missionary solemnly, "I want you and everyone to know that my name is no longer Tisese, 'the animal which runs through the woods'.  Now that I am a Christian, my name shall be 'Dust Pan' forever!"


"Dust Pan?" the teacher exclaimed, surprised.  "Why ever would you want your name to be Dust Pan?"


"Because, Teacher," the boy replied earnestly, "I was just passing your house and saw your wife sweeping, with that tool called a dust pan in her hand.  She carried all the dirt out of your hut with it.  I want to be a dust pan, too, so that when I go home I may carry out the dirt from the lives of my father, my family, and all my friends.  I want to be a Dust Pan for Jesus!"

And Dust Pan did just that!  When he went back home, it took time, but he eventually led his whole family to Christ... even his father who was one of the most famous witch doctors and killed almost 600 people a year!  What a powerful story!

So, what would you change your name to in order to symbolize what you would like to do for Jesus?  I have been thinking and thinking about this... what common, everyday object would I want to be called if it symbolized what God was using me for in His Kingdom.  And I am still thinking...   what about you?

A Love that Never Fails or Disappoints...

 

This post has been brewing in my heart for the past few days, as Valentine's Day has been approaching.  And I now find myself with a few moments of quiet and an opportunity to put my thoughts here who for whoever happens to pop in for a visit. 

I always like to not only focus on our "worldly" reasons for holidays, but I like to think about the spiritual significance they can also have... so I have been thinking about how the love of God always satisfies and how His love is the only one which can meet the deepest, most unspoken needs of our hearts.  Years ago I was truly ministered to as I read "The Perfect Love" by Ruth Myers.  I had just suffered a big-time broken heart as my fiance had broken things off and we were no longer engaged or even seeing each other... my future was uncertain, I had 3 friends who were engaged and whose weddings I was in (how hard was that!), and I was just plain hurting.  So I sought comfort in God and His Word... and He spoke powerfully to me through His Word and through the book I mentioned above.  He brought total and complete healing to my heart and I found a love that would never abandon me or change His mind about me. 


I wanted to share a few quotes from "The Perfect Love" that truly ministered to me.  It has been years since I read this book, but some of the passages I can remember as if I read them yesterday...

"This is where we find the kind of love we most deeply need - not in human relationships, but in God.  If we want real love, ideal love, perfect love, God's heart is where to find it.  It's the only love big enough to meet the God-sized needs of your life and mine."


"Indeed God can and will go beyond merely meeting those needs.  'God is so vastly wonderful,' wrote A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God, 'so utterly and completely delightful, that He can without anything other than Himself meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is.' ... God has proven to me that He can more than satisfy my heart - as I let Him." (page 7)


"I discovered that God's lovingkindness is good, abundant, marvelous, precious, and better than life.  It extends to the heavens, and the earth is full of it.  It is from everlasting, and it will be built up forever.  It is mine for all the days of my life and for all of eternity.  The Lord shows it to those who trust Him, who fear Him, and who call upon Him.  It follows us, surrounds us, and crowns us.  By it we enter His house, by it we expect answers to prayer, and through it we will stand unshaken, for it will hold us up when our feet slip.  It satisfies us and is the one unfailing basis for rejoicing and being glad all our days.  It is infused into all God is and into all He does ..." (page 99)

So, for those of you who are sad, lonely, or depressed this Valentine's Day, lift your eyes up, focus them on the one who died for you, who passionately and fiercely loves you, who will satisfy your every need, and who alone can give you all the love your heart desperately desires.  Find joy and contentment in His love... and He will bring peace to your heart and soul.


"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is, and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it.  And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself."  Ephesians 3:17-19 The Living Bible

Thankful Thursday!

"My heart is steadfast, O God;

I will sing and make music with my soul.

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

For great is your love, higher than the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

and let your glory be over all the earth."

Psalm 108:1-5

Today I am thankful for:

• The Lord taking my pain away!  I will forever be thankful for the healing He has brought me!
• The reviving power of the Lord... He has revived me physically, mentally, and most importantly I believe, spiritually, I am so very thankful for all!
• For divine appointments!  The Lord opened a door today for me to share my story to encourage someone else going through a physical health challenge... what a blessing for my "valley experience" to be used by the Lord to encourage a sweet lady as she faces possibly entering a valley herself...
• For the ability to get out and exercise again!  I ran almost 2 miles today!  I have just recently started running again... the last time I ran was late May of 2010.  So thankful for the opportunity to exercise and take care of my body, after all, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit!
• All I have learned about healthy eating through my health problems... we always thought we were eating fairly healthy, but through the help of my chiropractor, who also stresses healthy eating and healthy environments, I have learned much that is helping our family get healthier.  Once you start eating healthy junk food just loses its appeal!!
• For the beautiful weather we have had here today!  We all needed to see the sun and get a good dose of vitamin D!
• For my boys!  We celebrated their 7th birthday this past weekend (they are twins)... it is so hard to believe they are 7.  I am so very proud of them and look forward to seeing how the Lord is going to use them to impact this world for His Kingdom!
• For the quietness of the mornings when I get up early enough to spend time in the Word before starting my day.  This is something I did very consistently until I got so sick, and I am working on getting that consistency back!
• For another day to enjoy life!

Have you taken time today to stop and give thanks for the many blessings the Lord has sent your way?  If not I encourage you to do so, you will be blessed as you take time to thank our Lord for His blessings.  It often gives me the attitude adjustment I need when I focus on being thankful rather than complaining about things that really do not matter at all.  Feel free to join us over here to see more TT posts or to link up with us with your own post!

What am I teaching them?

The boys and I are currently reading through the book of Genesis as part of our homeschooling; and I have just started a new read through the Bible in a year plan.  My readings have me just slightly behind where we are in our school readings, so I am basically reading all the chapters in Genesis twice.  So last night, as I was doing a bit of catch up (already behind a day or two, but that is ok!), I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to see.  I really feel that it is no accident or mere coincidence that I am reading the same thing over again, God has a purpose for it, so I asked Him to help me not to miss what He wants to speak to me through His Word.

As I read Genesis chapter 27 (this is the chapter where Jacob deceives his father Issac and receives his blessing rather than Esau), I was struck by the fact that Jacob's mother Rebekah encouraged her son to be deceptive.  She listened in while Issac spoke to Esau about preparing him a savory dish so that he could bless him before he died.  Then she hastily went to Jacob and said,

"Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.' Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you.  "Go now to the flock and bring me two choice kids from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves.  Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.' " (verses 6-10).  

Jacob questioned his mother, wondering how he could pull this off.  However, she told him basically not to worry, she had a plan... and it was a plan of more deception.  Later, she deceives Issac even more, all to try to protect Jacob from the anger of his brother Esau over the deception which caused him to not receive the blessing of his father.  For in verse 46 she says to Issac, "I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?"  As a result, Issac sends Jacob, with his blessing, to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethel, to find a wife.

As I read this and reread it, I began to ponder... What do I teach my children through the things I do or don't do, the things I encourage them to do, and the things I tell them?  Do I teach them to live deceptively or truthfully?  Do I teach them to live selfishly or selflessly?  Do I teach them to treasure Jesus and His Word?  Do I teach them to walk in the grace of God and to extend grace to others? 

I do not want to be like Rebekah.  I do not want to encourage my children to go down the wrong path, I do not want to encourage them to lead selfish, greedy lives.  I desire to lead my children to live a Godly life.  I desire to impart to them a hunger and thirst for God and His Word, I desire to live every day in way that points them to Jesus, and I can only do that through His power and His strength, through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.  How thankful I am for the precious Holy Spirit of God!  How I pray that He would guide me, empower me, and work through me day by day, moment by moment...

My "Word" for 2011

In the past I have often heard of others receiving a "word" from the Lord that they felt they were to focus on in the new year or a new season of their life... I have often prayed for God to give me a "word" to focus on also, to let me know what He would have me to work on in my life and to learn more about from Him.  Well, this year one word keeps coming across my path and into my mind, so I am taking that as my word from the Lord for this year...

My "Word" is...

grace

I know that it is only by His grace that I survived 2010 without going into a deep depression... I know that it was only by His grace that I was able to homeschool my children and take care of my family while in the valley, and I know that it is only by His grace that I did not grow bitter and angry at my Lord for making me go through the hardest time of my life.  I clung to the verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9:  "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 

So I am on a journey with my Lord this year, to learn more about His grace.  I want to consciously recognize and experience His grace, I desire to be more aware of His grace in my life on a daily basis.  I want, through the power of His Spirit, to extend grace graciously to those who are hard to extend grace to.  I want to continue to be living proof that His grace is sufficient... I desire to live in His power and not my own (for my power fizzles out quickly, yet I have a never ending source of His power through His Spirit).

Take a look at this definition of grace from my KeyWord Study Bible:

A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the lovingkindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; ... God's grace affects man's sinfulness and not only forgives the repentant sinner, but brings joy and thankfulness to him.

Isn't that good!  I look forward to sharing my lessons in grace this year with you... what about you?  Is there something the Lord has laid upon your heart that you are focusing on this year?  I would love to hear about it...

Thankful Thursday

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so..."

Psalm 107:1-2

I have many, many things to be thankful for, too many to list here or even on paper... however, I do enjoy taking time on Thursdays to stop and really think about the things I am thankful for and sharing them with whoever might stop by my way.  So here is my list for this week!

• I am thankful for my salvation!  I am thankful that Jesus was willing to pay the price for my sins so that I could know and experience the love of His Father!
• I am thankful to be pain free!!
• I am thankful for memories... just today I was thinking about this silly peppermint container that David loved to wear as a hat when he was probably about 2 or 3.  It was a clear container that fit his head perfectly... he wore it with such a serious expression on his face, he would wear it for hours and just play away.  It was too funny, so glad I have memories and pictures!
• I am thankful for sign language... I often sign "I love you" to the boys when they are in the backseat.  Paul will always sign it back to me with such a sweet smile... I love seeing that in the rearview mirror!
• I am thankful for shelter from the cold, for heat that works, and for a warm bed to sleep in.  It has been miserably cold here, and I am not a cold weather person!
• I am thankful for quiet rides home after trips to the library... the boys are always intently looking at the books they have checked out so I get to enjoy a nice, peaceful ride home!
• I am thankful for the opportunity to attend Bible study with other ladies... we started 1 and 2 Thessalonians today.  I am looking forward to digging into these books and hearing from my Lord as we study.  
• I am thankful for another day of life... another day to enjoy my family, another day to walk with my Lord...

I would love to hear what you are thankful for from this week!  Leave me a comment or join us in your own Thankful Thursday post.  For more TT posts or to join us in sharing what you are thankful for just go here.

Thankful Thursday

"I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to Him, 

as I rejoice in the Lord."

Psalm 104:33-34

It has been quite a while since I have participated in Thankful Thursday... it has always been such a blessing to me in the past to take a few moments and reflect on my week and share things that I am thankful for, big and little.  I hope to post a Thankful Thursday post more regularly this year, as I always have things to be thankful for!

This week I am giving thanks for:

• A new year!  Last year was a tough year for me, so I am definitely looking forward to a new and exciting year!
• The privilege to homeschool my children... what a blessing to spend each day with them, to see them learn new things, and to see the excitement they have for learning;
• My wonderful husband... he is a wonderful man, takes such good care of me and our boys, and truly desires to live a godly life.  He is quick to admit he is wrong and to say he is sorry, and he is quick to forgive me on the rare occasions when  I am wrong...
• My boys finally beginning to feel better!  They have been sick with head colds and the flu for almost 2 weeks, but now they are getting their spunk back... although I did enjoy the 3 hour naps they took each day while recovering!
• The Word of God... I have started a different read through the Bible in a year program and am looking forward to what the Lord is going to speak to me through His Word.  
• And I am so very thankful, as I think I will be for the rest of my life, that God chose to take my pain away and heal my body... I feel like a new person, I am enjoying life, and am loving feeling like being a wife and mom again... thank you Jesus!

I would love to hear what you are thankful for from this week!  Leave me a comment or join us in your own Thankful Thursday post.  For more TT posts or to join us in sharing what you are thankful for just go here.


 

His Word Fulfilled!

In thinking about Christmas this year and the birth of Christ, I was reminded of all the many prophecies that were fulfilled upon His birth.  How truly awesome is the Word of God!  It is true and never fails... it reminded me of His Word that I read this past summer while in the midst of excruciating pain and in the middle of a very deep and dark valley.  His Word gave me hope while I was in that valley, His Word gave me something specific to pray for, and His Word has been fulfilled in my life!  Praise His Name!!  So I wanted to share what He spoke to me through His written Word this summer.  No matter how deep and dark your valley is, make yourself get into His Word.  He will speak to you, He will give you hope, and He does fulfill His Word in His time...

It all started with Psalm 34:19:

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

I definitely had some afflictions... how encouraging and very comforting to read that the LORD delivers the righteous out of all of their afflictions.  This led me to Psalm 71:20:

"Thou, who hast shown me many troubles and distresses, wilt revive me again, and wilt bring me up again from the depths of the earth."  (emphasis mine)

This in turn led me to Psalm 119:25:

"My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Thy Word."

And then to this, Psalm 138:7-8:

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou wilt stretch forth Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Thy right hand will save me.  The Lord will accomplish what concerns me, Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Thy hands."

And it kept going, this was next, Hosea 6:1-3:

"Come, let us return to the LORD, For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.  He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him, So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.  His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."

Do you see the recurring theme the Lord was showing me?  Through His Word He was telling me that He would revive me again!  I looked up revive in the dictionary... I knew in my heart what it meant, but I wanted to see some physical words, to really grasp what my Lord was telling me.  Here is what the dictionary said:

revive - to bring back to life, consciousness, or activity; to make or become fresh or strong again; to bring back into use

Can I just tell you how much this encouraged me!?  You see, I felt physically, spiritually, and emotionally dead... I definitely did not feel fresh or strong, I felt all used up and weaker than I have ever felt, and I did not feel useful at all, not even as a wife or mother... I felt as if I were just existing.  So these words from His Word, and a fresh understanding of what revived truly meant gave me such hope!  I began reminding God daily as I prayed that He had promised me through His Word that He would revive me, I began to feel hope that one day my pain would be gone and God would once again use me as He saw fit, and I began to know that He would use the very pain I was experiencing somehow for His glory.  How I praise Him for His Word!


You know, if I had not already had an established habit of reading His Word, if I had not previously experienced how His Word could sustain me, encourage me, strengthen me and carry me through, I may not have reached for His Word while in this deep, dark pit.  I would like to think that I would have, but if I had never experienced the power of His Word in my life before I may have thought it would have been futile.  So I write all of this to encourage you... if you have never had the habit of daily reading and digging into His Word start NOW, it is so worth it!  If you already have that habit, don't let it go, don't let the business of life cause it to slip away... it is your lifeline!  And if you happen to be in a deep, dark pit, get your Bible, put it in the pit with you, and read... ask God to give you a Word that you can cling to and can pray back to Him.  He will, for He is faithful and true...

My Story...

I have been told by several that I need to share my story, so I am going to attempt to do that here.  It may take several posts, but that is ok...

Life has been difficult and not what I would have chosen over the past year, however, God has been with me every single step of the way, He has literally carried me in the palm of His hand, He has sustained me, and He is carrying me through the fire, He has not left me alone for even one step of this journey... 

For about the last 2 years I have been having health problems associated with endometriosis.  At first it was manageable and only affected me for about a week out of the month, but as I look back over the last couple of years, I can see now how it gradually progressed and began to literally zap the life out of me.  It progressed to the point of causing me such severe pain 3 out of 4 weeks of the month that all I could do was attempt to survive.  The pain brought me to tears almost daily for the past 4 months... I felt useless as a wife, mother, and friend.  It was no way to live...


So, through a series of God ordained events, my doctor discovered that my endometriosis had gotten significantly worse and sent me to a specialist for a consultation regarding surgery.  I ended up having an abdominal hysterectomy on September the 9th.  There were complications, the endometriosis had grown into part of my colon and 6 inches of it had to be removed.  This lengthened my hospital stay to 8 days and complicated my recovery... but I am on the road to recovery, and every bit of pain I was experiencing almost daily from the endometriosis is totally gone!!  Praise the Lord!

What I really want to share is how God has carried me... many nights as I lay awake in pain I would just cry out to God, calling on the name of Jesus; often that was all I could pray, the name of Jesus, as the pain was beyond excruciating.  One night as I lay there in pain, calling on Jesus, my Lord gave me a vision.  It was of me, lying in the palm of His hand, and He assured me that I was in the palm of His hand and that is where I would stay.  I could not sit in His palm, all I could do was lay there, but He was holding me and He was not going to let me go.

Oftentimes I felt so very alone, like no one cared that I was hurting so.  Many people knew what I was going through, but very few reached out to show care or concern... but my Lord reminded me that I was not really alone, that He would never leave me or forsake me.

God has provided for me... He has and is providing healing for my body; He is in the process of reviving me, spiritually, physically, and mentally;   He provided me with a Christian doctor who prayed over me the day of my surgery - what a blessing that was; He provided wonderful, caring nurses to care for me; He has provided friends to be the hands and feet of  Jesus to us during my recovery; and He has provided a wonderful family who has stepped up to take care of me and my responsibilities until I am well.


So today I want to encourage you, if you are going through a difficult time, know that you are in the palm of God's hand, stay there and rest in Him.  He will take care of you, He will never leave you or forsake you; and no matter how alone you feel, if you are a child of God, you are never alone...

Life goes on...

Well, even though my summer seems like it was stolen from me and I did not really get to enjoy it, life goes on!  Here we are starting another year of homeschooling!  The boys are very excited to be 1st graders and I am excited to be a 1st grade teacher! 

We continue to use Sonlight curriculum which I absolutely love!  Our first week (which was last week) went so smoothly as I was familiar with the curriculum and how to use it... that was a huge plus after not feeling well all summer.  I do not think I would have been able to muster up the mental and physical energy to figure out a new curriculum, so I am thankful the Lord led me to continue with Sonlight!  We also love using Fast Math which a friend gave me to put on our computer.  It makes math so much fun for the boys and really helps them learn their math facts so that harder math to come will not be so hard! 

The boys are playing Upward Soccer and are so very excited... we just started practice and their 1st game is not until the Saturday after Labor Day, what a fun day that will be!  They love soccer so much that they wear their gear around the house and are often up at 7 am dressed to play soccer and practicing in the back yard!

We will also be starting Community Bible Study in a few weeks.  What a blessing it will be to gather with other moms, many who also homeschool, to study the book of Daniel and 1 & 2 Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Peter.  The boys will have their own class and Bible study that is appropriate for their age level. 

The boys have also started piano lessons and are doing wonderfully!  It is such a joy to see them learn new things and enjoy them.  They are also participating in Children's Choir at church and will get to be in the "big kids" musical at Christmas this year! 

So we are busy, and life goes on... and I am so thankful to my Lord for giving me the strength I need day to day.  Not a day has gone by that the Lord has not provided for me and my family the things we need, materially and otherwise.  His grace truly is sufficient and His presence in my life is what sustains me and carries me through...  are you allowing Him to carry you, or are you trying to carry your load all by yourself?

Lessons from a journey in the deep valley...

Life is a journey... sometimes an enjoyable, joy-filled one...

and sometimes one which takes you into what seems like the lowest valley you have ever experienced...

That is where I have been since the beginning of June, in a deep, dark valley.  As I mentioned a couple of posts back, I have been dealing with some health issues and significant physical pain, unlike I have ever experienced before.  It has been HARD and often times UNBEARABLE... but Jesus has carried me through.  He is still carrying me through... I am in the palm of His hand, and there is no other place I would rather be.  I seem to be making a bit of progress, but the extent of that progress has yet to be determined, it is a wait and see what happens next kind of thing... there may be some big decisions to have to make in the next few weeks, so prayers are appreciated for my overall condition and for any decisions we have to make regarding my health...


But in this deep, dark valley I have learned a few things...

I have learned that I truly am loved by my family... My husband has so willingly and without complaint taken over things that I just have not been physically able to do at times.  He has remembered how to cook after almost 10 years of not having to!  He takes the boys for all day outings so I can have a mental break from it all, he gets up with me in the middle of the night when my pain prevents me from sleeping, he goes to doctor's appointments with me even though it means he will have to work late and get home late, he holds me when all I can do is cry, and he prays with and for me...  He is a HUGE blessing in my life and I am so glad he is in this marriage with me for the long haul... for "better" and for  "worse", for this summer has definitely been one of those for the "worse" times.

I have learned that my children love me dearly and have such sweet, sensitive and caring hearts.  How precious when David holds my hand in the van all the way to the doctor because I am crying in pain... how precious when Paul lays down with me and rubs my back to try to make me feel better.  What a blessing that they do not get upset when I do not feel like taking them to do fun things... they just say, "Ok, maybe you will feel better tomorrow Mommy."   It breaks my heart that they often ask me, "Mommy, are you hurting today?  Is your pain better?"  I hate that this has to be a part of their life and that they have to see me hurting and in tears over my pain at times, but what a blessing that they have learned to be sensitive and caring to others who are sick and hurting.

I have also learned that you never truly know how someone is feeling inside, how much they can be hurting physically and/or emotionally.  Yes, you can see a bit in their eyes, but you can never really see into someone else's heart and know how much she is suffering... and I have learned that those who are suffering just want to know that someone cares, that someone is willing to listen, that they are not all alone.  For I have often felt so very alone, even in the midst of a room full of people who supposedly care for you, many who know what you are going through.  When you are longing for a hug and words of concern and hope and none come your way it is a very lonely place... Yet time and time again I have been reminded that God knows my heart, He is concerned with me and with what is going on in my life.  I know and am so thankful that my Lord is with me and that He will never forsake me...

So when I do finally get out of this valley, and even now while I am still in it, I am asking God to open my eyes to those around me who are hurting, who need words of encouragement, who need a phone call rather than an email, who need some actual physical help... and I am asking Him to help me to graciously and selflessly respond to those He opens my eyes to in a way that would magnify Him and bring Him honor and glory.

Precious Encouragement from my Lord

I stumbled across this today... but not really, God's divine hand led me to it. How encouraging it was to me as I am in the midst of one of the top 4 hardest things in my life... may it bring encouragement to someone else...

Thankful Thursday

Trust in him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:8

I have not blogged much at all lately... just have not had the time or the motivation to do so...


We have finished our 1st year of homeschooling and are now in the throes of a hot, humid, southern summer...

I had many plans for this summer, much I wanted to get done that I had to put on the back burner while we were homeschooling.  I have a list of books I want to read, a list of projects around the house that I desire to get done, a Bible study on covenant that I desire to delve into, a portion of scripture that I want to commit to memory (Romans 12), some planning I want to do ahead of time for our school year coming up, I wanted to plan lots of times of fellowship with friends, and I wanted to get some rest and have some lazy days... 

However, my summer days so far have not been exactly what I had in mind...  I feel as if my whole 1st month of summer has been stolen from me...

Many of my days have been filled with severe pain, pain that has kept me from doing much of what I wanted to do.  Pain that has clouded my mind and my thinking and that has caused me to go from thriving to feeling like I am just surviving... and that is NO fun!  So very few things on my to do list have been checked off...

However, my Lord reminded me that He is a Redeemer, He is My Redeemer!  And He can and will redeem everything... so I am praying that He would redeem my health, that He would restore me to wellness and wholeness.  And He reminded me this morning, that in the midst of my pain I am still to be thankful... not that I have been unthankful, but I have not been as quick to give thanks for the many things in my life that I owe Him thanks for.  Even in the midst of my pain and my days of feeling as if I am just in survival mode, I still have MUCH to give thanks for...

I read this this morning in  a short devotional by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and the Lord spoke to me and encouraged me through it...

There's nothing wrong with being totally honest with God, coming before Him with our hurts and intercessions, imploring Him to help and heal.  


But prayer is more than asking.  It is a vehicle of worship and gratitude.  Think about the overall makeup of your prayers.  Are they out of balance in favor of asking and seeking?  Are they top-heavy with complaints about your current circumstances?  Or do your prayers include expressions of gratitude?


These are important questions to ask of ourselves, not to discourage honesty or deny reality, but to help train our hearts to see all that concerns us within the context of God's goodness and blessing.  We must not forget his benefits while dealing with our problems.  Even before His answer is in sight, thank Him - for being there, for listening, for working all things according to His will.


As surely as our "supplications" and "intercessions" are specific, heartfelt, and time-consuming, so should our "thanksgivings" be.  Pave the way with gratitude, and see if prayer "without ceasing" doesn't become your experience instead of your exception.

So in light of that, today I am thankful for:

• My husband, who is so patient and understanding with me when I do not feel well, even when he does not feel well himself...
• For my children, who pray for me, and who snuggle up with me and give me hugs and kisses when I do not feel well...
• A mother and father-in-law who lift me up to the throne of God...
• A new doctor I am going to who desires to help me achieve wellness rather than just treat the symptoms...
• Being a stay-at-home mom - I can not imagine having to get up and go to work feeling the way I have felt some mornings...
• The Word of God... His Word is healing to our bones; His Word gives strength and comfort...
• The privilege of prayer... many nights when I have been awakened with pain I just lay there and pray...
• Friends who pray for me and call me to check on me...
• Hope that one day I will feel well enough to run again for His glory...
• His grace, which is sufficient for my every need...

So I am giving thanks and looking forward to once again living life abundantly as He continues His work of redemption in me...

Friday Fotos!

Thankful Thursday

This week I am so very thankful for some encouragement straight from my Lord.  As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am attending a weekly Bible study with Bible Study Fellowship where we have been working our way through the book of John.  I have learned so much through this study, and I have been tremendously encouraged and strengthened in my walk with the Lord.

God so preciously spoke directly to my heart through the words of our lecturer this past Tuesday.  I have a couple of very tough situations in my life (one much tougher than the other, but both tough), which have required me to share the absolute Truth of God's Word and then to take a firm stand on and for that Truth.  It has been and still is HARD and HEART WRENCHING at times.  I have experienced persecution from those I love and from those whom I thought were friends and who knew my heart.  I have experienced broken relationships and loss of fellowship with some; and I have experienced rejection... all because I have taken a stand for my Jesus and for the Truth that He came to reveal to us through Himself, the Living Word.

Oftentimes I begin to doubt myself and wonder if I have heard God correctly in how He would have me to respond in these situations, and EVERY TIME my Lord so graciously speaks to me through His Word and through sermons or something I am reading to confirm to me that I am doing His will and responding in the way He has and is leading me.

So with all that in mind, the following principle from our lecture greatly encouraged me, as we were discussing Judas and his betrayal of Jesus and Jesus' trial before Annas in John 18...

Principle:  "Those intent on going their own way are not interested in the truth."

How do we respond to those who go their own way and are not interested in the truth?
1.  Accept that I can not change them...
2.  Pray for them...
3.  Continue to stand for the truth - no matter what they say or do...
It is not loving to give in to what is wrong or to be silent.  Jesus was never unloving but He stood for what was true and what was right. 

Where do I stand with Jesus - do I stand with Him or do I stand with His enemies as Judas did?

So what about you?  Are you standing WITH Jesus for the Truth or are you standing with His enemies?  May this encourage someone as greatly as it has encouraged me to keep standing for the Truth!

True Woman 2010 in Chattanooga, TN

I just wanted to share this video from the True Woman Conference I attended this weekend... what a wonderful, refreshing, and encouraging weekend it was!  The Presence of God was powerfully felt and the Peace of Christ permeated the entire weekend.  How I thank and praise my Lord for sending me there...

True Woman 2010 Chattanooga Slideshow - Truly Yours More than 2,500 women gathered in Chattanooga, TN this weekend for the True Woman 10 Conference. These images capture the excitement, emotion, connection and victory that these women experienced throughout the conference. These are the faces of the True Woman movement who are committed to living out God's Truth in their own homes and communities. Steve and Vikki Cook wrote this song especially for the True Woman Conference titled "Truly Yours."

Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful and excited that the Lord has provided me with a way to go to the True Woman Conference in Chattanooga for the next few days!

I received a FREE ticket to this conference approximately 2 weeks ago!  I was still able to find a room at the group rate within walking distance to the convention center, and my pastor's wife was also able to get a FREE ticket... so we are going to soak in His Presence!  We are looking forward to hearing from some great speakers and being refreshed and encouraged in this walk of faith we are on!

I am so very thankful for my husband, who is going to work from home and home school the boys while I am gone!   Say a prayer for him if you think about it!

I am thankful for the Lord and His gracious provisions... what are you thankful for today?

Quotes and thoughts from my reading...

I am currently reading The Grand Weaver, How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives, by Ravi Zacharias.

Today I read the chapter, "Your Calling Matters"...  and thought I would share with whoever still stops by to visit some thoughts that I found encouraging, motivating, and inspiring.

A calling is simply God's shaping of your burden and beckoning you to your service to him in the place and pursuit of his choosing. 


When your will becomes aligned with God's will, his calling upon you has found its home.


It is God's vital purpose in positioning you in life and giving you the vocation and context of your call to serve him with total commitment to do the job well. 


This is what we are seeking - a life and a calling that do not get corrupted along the journey, that cannot be defiled by earthly distractions, and that will not grow dim or dull with time.  

He then shares with his readers 3 ways we can know our calling and recognize its impact...

1.  Have a devout prayer life.  One simply can not know one's call without coming near to God in prayer.
The purpose of prayer and of God's call in your life is not to make you number one in the world's eyes, but to make Him number one in your life.


2.  Be willing to be outshone while shining for God.  Humility is the touchstone of serving God.
Someone who stands under the bright lights of history will never, in God's eyes, outshine the humble attractiveness of the one who humbly serves God.


3.  Make certain that you stay close to those who walk closely with God. 


Know that you are God's temple.  Bathe your life in prayer.  Live out your life in humility of spirit that serves for the right reasons.  Seek the counsel and example of godly men and women.   Finally, exhibit a commitment  to the preeminence of Christ in all things.  These are the components of a call.

May we all recognize, know, and fulfill His calling upon our lives with total commitment...

Wordless Wednesday... We Had SNOW!!!

Running the Race...

This past Sunday, on Valentine's Day, I ran my 1st half marathon!  I ran in celebration of the freedom that Christ Jesus has brought into my life... freedom that can only come from Him!  My running verse is:

"I run in the path of Your commands,

for You have set my heart free!"

Psalm 119:32

I run because Jesus has set me free...

I run because my body is the temple of His Holy Spirit and I desire for it to be a fit place for His Presence... 

I run to keep in shape, so I can do the things He calls me to do...

I run to clear my mind and for stress relief...

I run to spend time with my Savior... the time I spend running is devoted to talking to my Lord and listening for His voice...

Throughout my training my Lord has taught me many lessons.  This has been a spiritual journey just as much as it has been a physical journey.  I wanted to share just a few of the things He has taught me...

No one can do the training for me.  If I want to run the race I have to do the training... it is a choice.  Just as no one can seek His face for me... If I want to know my Lord more intimately, if I want a closer walk with Him, I have to make the time to spend in His Word and in prayer.  I have to choose Him over other things, even other good things...   And just as the strength and endurance come from the training, so does the deeper walk and closer intimacy with Him come from spending the time in His Word and in prayer.


Even if no one is there to cheer me on, I can still run the race.  Approximately 2 weeks before the race my husband found out he was going to have to go out of town for work.  Now, he almost never travels for work.  In the past 12 years he has worked at his job he has had to go out of town maybe 2 times.  Needless to say, I was very, very disappointed... I really wanted him and the boys at the finish line.  I wanted them to cheer me on...   He even tried to get some people to be at the finish line, but couldn't...  However, God had a lesson for me!  He taught me that even if no one is cheering me on here on this earth, my Father in Heaven is cheering for me in the spiritual realm.  I was running for Him and He wanted my eyes on Him, not on whoever might be there cheering for me...  And there are things He calls me to do daily that no one cheers me on in.  I am not to let that discourage me, I am to keep my eyes on Him, and He will, through His Spirit, graciously encourage me to keep going...

Endurance is the key, for the physical race and the spiritual race.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, 

let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, 

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, 

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,

so that you may not grow weary and lose heart."  

Hebrews 12:1-3

My Lord taught me that just as I need physical endurance to make it across that finish line, I need spiritual endurance to make it in this spiritual journey I am on.  I am to consider Jesus, who endured in the face of hostility and rejection,  who endured for the joy that was to come, who kept His eyes on His Father in Heaven, and who stayed focused on the goal, which was redeeming us from our sins.  So during my training and on race day, when I felt weary or tired, when my muscles felt tight and I wondered if I would make, I turned my focus away from myself and toward my Lord.  I would begin to praise Him for the freedom He has given me, for the many gifts, spiritual and physical, He has blessed me with, and for the countless ways He has shown me His love (after all, the race was on Valentine's Day, how could I not think of His amazing love!).  And do you know what happened in those times?  Those were the absolute best times of my running... He empowered me with physical and spiritual strength to continue on, and not to just continue on wearily, but to continue on victoriously in His power and strength!

And by His strength and His power I continued on, straight to that finish line!  And what a joyous feeling that was!!  How I praise Him and thank Him for loving me and setting me free, and for giving me feet to run for Him!

And for those who are curious... I ran the 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 51 seconds!  To God be all the glory!!