A thought...or two

The devil is a scheming, conniving, little ... Well you know.

Last night he decided to mess with my baby. We put Emma to bed just like normal, but within just a few moments she was screaming. I let Aaron try to put her back in bed and after that did not calm her down I took a turn. When I went in there she was screaming, shaking, and she just clung to me. She kept telling me it was scary. I got her to calm down a little bit but any time I moved she would start up again. I then began to pray out loud over her. I called on Jesus to calm her and cast out her fears. She calmed down, stopped shaking and when I kissed her goodnight, she just rolled right over and went to sleep.

Well, that made me mad. The devil can mess with me but not my babies. And guess what? He decided to take me up on that. I did not sleep well at all last night (and I even took one of my sleeping pills). I had dreams (that I can't remember) that made me sit straight up in bed, heart pounding. Then this morning was just not a good morning. Every little thing was getting on my worn out nerves. AHHHHH!!

But, the devil ended up losing this round. I went straight to The Source of my life. I spent time praying and the Holy Spirit led me to Matthew 11:28-30. I read it over and over, just soaking it in.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I have more energy now than when I woke up and I have peace. In fact things that typically I struggle to handle well are not wearing me down. The Holy Spirit is continually bringing key words from this passage to my mind. For me those words are: come, rest, gentle, humble, easy, light. I wonder what stands out to you. Go to The Source and be comforted, held, restored.

Today I am Thankful for...

...science that created shampoo and spray to eradicate lice. Now if only they could create something that would kill them all over the house, so that you don't have to clean every little thing with hot water and hot heat. But overall, I am just thankful to be done with the little buggers.

...the great report cards that my boys received yesterday. Alex made honor roll which was actually a very pleasant surprise as he was really struggling with completing assignments. Jackson made high honor roll with straight A's, including an A+ in Math and an S+ in art. (They rarely ever give anything above an S in those classes.) Stephen doesn't actually get grades yet, but his teacher said that he will be reading basic stories by Christmas and is already writing in sentences with spacing and punctuation, and he is grasping math ideas not just numbers. WOW! The brains that these boys have are truly gifts from God. They are smart and gifted in so many areas. I loved just sitting and listening to their teachers praise them.

...the chance to hang out with my mom and sisters this weekend. It is Christmas shopping weekend for the girls. Emma is going along for this trip and I am looking forward to the time with her as well. Shopping, food and girl time---YIPPEE!

Tickle me slow

Emma loves (and I do mean LOVES) to have her back rubbed; or her tummy or her leg or her arm. She calls it tickling. But she will tell me to tickle her back slow. Or "Tickle me slow on my tummy, mommy." When she does this, it is a joy to lay with her on the couch and "tickle" her. She relaxes and has fallen asleep a time or two. It is such a precious time for me and her.

I was thinking about this quiet time that Emma requests (actually she demands) and how special it is to just be with her. If I feel this way as an earthly parent, how must God feel when I choose to climb up into His lap and ask Him to soothe me? He loves me and desires to share that love with me. Sometimes in our relationship all He is asking for is time spent quietly soaking in His love.

My challenge to you (and to myself) is to find a moment to sit in God's loving presence and soak in His love. Ask Him to tickle you slowly and relax, knowing His touch is going to be exactly what you needed.

Today I am Thankful for...

...space heaters. I have one going at my desk in the office, trying to stay warm. I am not sure I would survive if not for my little buddy. Well, maybe I would survive but I would probably be some shade of blue.

...fruits and veggies. I just spent the past 10 days eating only fruits and vegetables in an effort to detox and try to get the cholesterol under control. (I did take last Saturday and part of Sunday off as it was a birthday weekend.) I love the sweetness of the fruit and the variety of vegetables. I have had some awesome salads and stir fry this past week and a half.

...my 10 days of the Daniel diet being over. I am ready for some meat. Though I think I will probably do a better job of adding fresh veggies and fruit into my diet.

...an opportunity to have a date with my husband tomorrow. We don't have big plans and that to me sounds great. Dinner and a movie or games at home. Perfect.

A thought...or two

Our world is a mess. There are children dying from a strain of the flu; there are unborn children who never see this world because their mothers don't want to be inconvenienced; there is senseless death because people can't agree to disagree; people would rather be high than deal with pain; people are losing their jobs and their homes, their dignity and self worth; cancer is claiming the lives of good, hard working, God loving people.


And for most of us that is the outside world. For some of us the mess we see is different. It is a spouse who is not meeting our needs; it is a child who is struggling with school; it is friends who didn't call; it an aging parent; it is the depressing cold rainy weather after a cool summer; it is the job that just sucks you dry; it is begging God to answer and you only hear silence.

Depressed yet?!

Life can be a struggle. We were never promised a joy ride. In fact scripture tells us that we will face troubles and trials. And as I was reading this morning I came across a wonderful verse in Isaiah. I hope that it speaks to you, no matter what you are facing today.

"Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken,

nor my covenant of peace be removed,"

says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10

Today I am Thankful for...

...my baby girl. She will turn three on Saturday. I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. So in honor of her birthday, here are some of my favorite things about Emma:

her laugh

her love of music

her strength (especially with her brothers)

her gorgeous blond hair

her hugs and kisses

her prayers

her stories

her energy

her love and adoration of her daddy

her love of clothes and shoes

her independence

The past three years have been so different with Emma in our lives. She is definitely different than her brothers and yet she wants to fit in. It has been such a blessing to have a little girl and I look forward to the years ahead.

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

Forgiveness Interview

This post is a tough one. I would not typically share something like this except that I wanted my family to have the opportunity to see this clip.

A number of weeks ago I was given the opportunity to share with our church a part of the journey my life has taken in relationship to forgiveness. Our pastor is doing a series on forgiveness and he ended his sermon on that Sunday with the following clip. While this is a small part of the interview (and story), I pray that the impact will be far-reaching and that God is glorified. I am still amazed with the response I have received through e-mails, phone calls, letters, and face-to-face conversations. God is working in a mighty way.

Also, here is the link to the website where you can listen or download the whole message (Jesus' Dying Prayer).

The clip is at this location. http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=c9b5fbfb3bc667c06b04

Do you ever fight with God?

I do.

I never win. But I will argue, disagree, pout and wear myself out, until I finally surrender.

The amazing thing is this...No matter what I say or how I act and no matter how long it takes He is faithful and His love for me never changes.

I can get so caught up in what I think should happen or what I should or should not be doing that I fail to remember that God has always proven faithful. He has never once led me astray or let me down. Yet I fail to rely on that fact and I choose to fight God.

The truth is that God IS faithful and He DOES work all things to His glory and to the good of those that love Him. Now if I can just keep that in mind...

Today I am Thankful for...

...yesterday. I took a personal day and spent the day in silence with God. It was amazing and refreshing. God did not choose to reveal anything "big" but the one thing I really walked away with was HUGE: He loves me! Such a simple concept that we know but we rarely grasp a hold of and live. (Yes-the silence was golden. The only sound was the fireplace, a lawn mower, and me.)

...tomorrow. I am going to a Women's conference with friends. I am thrilled to worship and learn along side of these women. I pray that God will reveal Himself in new ways and draw us closer to each other and Him.

...today. What a gift it is to have each moment. We don't know what each day will hold or even if we will have the next day. I feel so blessed. I hope that no matter what kind of day you are having that you will remember to see it as a gift.