What a Life....

This is how my boys spent most of the day today.....


Well, that and fishing. To say they're filthy doesn't even begin to cover it, but they've had fun!

(notice my poor potato rows, between the rain and the boys they don't stand a chance)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I was babysitting today so I had to get up at a decent hour. So I was able to read my Bible before the kids got up, that really makes the day go so much better!

The older boys worked so hard in school this morning, they did a great job and were totally finished by lunch. They love that as much as I do because it means they have almost the whole day to play and it's been gorgeous outside.

I puttered around the house, did a little work in the yard, sat out in the swing and read.... a truly great day!

A Well Balanced Diet

We all know we should eat a well balanced diet..... lots of fruit and veggies, not so much sugar, lots of whole foods, and not so much processed junk. I'm not terribly vigilant about my kid's diet. I try to make sure they eat decent but I don't stress about it.

But I know mothers who never let their kids have sugar or processed foods.... seems slightly overprotective doesn't it? I've also heard some of these mothers say that when their children got older and where given a choice of what to eat they preferred fruit over sugary sweets..... sounds crazy doesn't it?? You'd think that when the reins were loosened the kids would go crazy and gorge themselves on junk. And maybe sometimes they do, but not always. Their parents have intentionally cultivated an appetite for wholesome food in the children so when they're later offered junk it holds no appeal.

This is how I want to be in the spirit.

I've tried to explain it to several people lately and been slightly frustrated at my inability to express my thoughts, but that's what I want. I want to cultivate an appetite for God in my children so that the things satan offers won't be a temptation. I want them to 'taste and see' for themselves how good God is so that nothing else will compare in their eyes.

I've had people tell me "You don't want to be to strict" and "You can't shield them forever", and I agree..... but that totally misses my point!

It's not about strict..... I'm not going to line up all the worldly junk for them and then tell them not to touch. I want to spread a banquet of God's goodness and say "THIS... This is what all you can have!! Look what God has for you, taste and see!!" It's not about strict, it's not about what you can't have or do..... it's about what we CAN have and do.

And true, I can't shield them forever. At some point they are going to grow up and go out to face the world on their own. But I don't have to be the one to expose them to the junk. My job is to equip them to face the world. Show them the better way. Teach them God's word, so that it's so ingrained in them that as soon as satan tries to tempt them their immediate reaction is to rebuke him with the truth.

It sounds crazy to think of raising teenagers who aren't tempted by the things of the world. But you know what else sounds crazy?? Feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish..... speaking to a storm and it stopping immediately...... blind eyes seeing...... lame people walking.... dead people living..... those all sound crazy, impossible. But they're true, they all happened! And God hasn't changed, He's still the same today as He was then. So surely if He can do all that, He can lead me in raising these boys to follow Him!

Not Tuesday, but.....

I should have testified at church tonight..... and I didn't.

It was on my heart for an hour before church, and right up until the service started I intended to..... but I didn't.

But I should have, I knew as soon as it was to late that I should have. And then once I heard the message I REALLY knew I should have!

So here goes, it's nothing new or amazing, just what God placed on my heart this afternoon......

I thank the Lord for being faithful, and for being patient with me. Every time I've fallen flat of my back and felt like I was starting over at the beginning.... He's never given up on me. Every time I felt like giving up, that it was just to hard and I couldn't go on.... He didn't give up on me. He held on to me when I didn't feel I had the strength to hold on. And He put His Spirit in me, so that even when I didn't think I could go on, the Holy Ghost wouldn't let me give up. I thank Him for being longsuffering, and I pray that I don't ever take His love for granted.

Slow to Speak

I had the idea to write a long post about "bridling your tongue"..... but decided that God's Word says it much better than I ever could. Somehow we've gotten the idea that as long as we'd say it to their face it's ok to spout off whatever, and whenever, we want to. I don't think that's what God expects of us.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. James 1: 19-26

and for my NIV friends!!

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

The 3rd chapter of James also deals with the tongue.... very good. Go read it!!

Another Video

Not my kids this time.

I love, love, love this song! I used to sing it in church..... many years ago.

This is my prayer......

Testimony Tuesday

My friend Jen does Thankful Thursday and it looked so fun that I decided to try a Testimony Tuesday!!

My testimony today is one that I haven't given before.... I don't think!

A few months ago I went to the park and then Pizza Hut with some friends, while we were eating I got an optical migraine..... I think that's what it's called, basically an area in my field of vision goes all shimmery. It's like looking at heat waves radiating, very disorienting.... makes me sick to my stomach and leaves a whopper of a head ache afterwards.

This one was a doozy, lasted the entire time we were eating, all while I was running errands, and then for the entire drive home. So by the time we got home I was wiped out. I told the kids to play in their room and I laid down on the sofa.

So while I'm laying there, feeling sorry for myself and hurting to bad to get up and take anything, I started thinking about years ago when I always looked to God for healing from headaches. This was before I started having the migraines and I rarely have regular headaches, but when I did I would pray and every time God instantly took them away. Over the years I got busier and stopped spending as much time with God.... and stopped depending on Him the way I once had. Instead of praying it became second nature to reach for advil.

After a few minutes of thinking of the faith I used to have..... I suddenly realized that my head didn't hurt anymore. I wasn't seeing things, I wasn't nauseated and I didn't feel wiped out.

So today I'm thankful to God for healing me at a time when my faith was low and showing me that I can still depend on Him for everything.

How 'bout you?? Anybody got a testimony??

Cade

In celebration of me finally figuring out how to post video..... here's one of Cade rocking out to Cledus T. Judd!

This kid cracks me up! Watch to the end..... it's hilarious!!!!

Why I Do What I Do

This is for everyone who wonders..... or has asked..... why I would want to spend so much time with my kids.

It's also for everyone who only sees them a few times a year and they act like terrors those few times.





That is why I do it.

Because 98% of the time, that is how my boys treat each other. They have fun together, they play together..... and at 5:00 on a Tuesday afternoon the only care they have is to see how high they can swing.

That's why I do it..... and that's why I thank God every day for the wonderful family He has blessed me with and the desire He has placed on my heart to treasure every moment we have together!

Conforming..... or Transforming??

I've been thinking a lot lately about not conforming to the world. Romans 12:2 says "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Before when I'd read this I'd think more about the outward stuff. And yes I do believe as Christians we should look different from the world. I Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. We should stand out.... maybe look peculiar to some. I Samuel 16:7 says "for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." So I think that sometimes that initial impression of looking different can cause the world to look a little closer and see that something is different about us.

But "The Lord looketh on the heart"..... that's what I'm thinking about lately. Is my heart transformed? Or have I conformed in ways that I don't realize?

For instance, in the way I raise my children. The world, and possibly even some in the church, would say that if I'm constantly preaching to my children that I'll push them away from God. But His word says "thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." So according to God we can't overdo it. No, that doesn't mean that I'm just constantly quoting scripture to them.... but I should intentionally look for teachable moments. Diligently teach God's word to my children..... not just when it's convenient, not just when I think about it, and not just 3 times a week when we go to church. It's my job to raise up my children in the Lord, I can't expect that I can just take them to church and then go on about my life the rest of the week and they'll grow up to be on fire for God.

Or how about in the way I feel about other people? The world says that if someone is constantly unkind to me then I'm justified in not having anything to do with them. Makes sense doesn't it? Or if I don't like someone then I shouldn't have to make an effort to be nice to them. Don't be rude or mean, but you don't have to befriend everyone..... nothing wrong with that is there??

But Jesus says I'm to forgive my brother 7 times 70, and that I'm to forgive him 7 times in a single day if he's repentant. He also says "resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." ~ Matthew 5:39-42 That sure doesn't sound like just helping people that I like!

In fact He goes on to say " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?" So what good is it for me to love only people who love me.... anyone can do that. How am I being transformed if I'm only friendly with people I have things in common with and enjoy being around..... everyone acts that way!!

And I don't just want to be transformed.... I want others to see and be transformed also. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." I want my life to cause others to glorify God. A city set on a hill cannot be hid..... for good or bad people are watching my life. Is what they see cause them to feel comfortable with their own lives, or is it challenging them to reach a little higher? Is what they see so conformed with the world that they can't see God in me? Or am I so transformed that they sense a difference when I walk in the room? I have a feeling I've been dropping the ball.

In the book of Acts when Paul visited Thessalonica it upset some of the people so much that those people carried some of the brothers to the rulers of the city and said "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also." This always jumps out at me. The early christians didn't conform to the world.... they transformed it. They didn't quietly go about their business, they told everyone they meet about Jesus.

Whose world have I turned upside down lately?? Whose world have you??

Taking It Back

"Well, I went to the enemy's camp

And I took back what he stole from me

Now he's under my feet

He's under my feet

Satan is under my feet"

I had a great time at the mom's conference this weekend. It was my first time to go and I wasn't really sure what it was all about..... but a whole 2 days to get away and spend time with friends.... sign me up!!

I came back feeling refreshed and ready to give this whole mothering thing another go! I feel like my purpose as a mother has been clarified and I have a renewed focus.

But that's not the point of this post....

God moved for me this weekend in a way I really wasn't expecting. It was during the last meeting and I was having to hold my eyelids up to stay awake when Sally started giving a part of her testimony.

I won't go into details, but for a few years there's been an area that I've... not really struggled with, but maybe been holding back a little. Basically what she said was, during a time in her life when she had had a lot of loss, she realized that sometimes we just have to choose to believe.

When things are going wrong, choose to believe that God is good. When prayers aren't being answered, choose to believe that God never fails us. It's a choice. We can choose to focus on everything that's going wrong until it consumes us. Or we can choose to believe God and stand on his word, and when we do that we will begin to see all the good and true things that we would have missed if we'd focused on the bad.

Before this weekend, I could have told you all that and believed it. It's not a new revelation. But somehow, hearing this woman who's lost so much more than I have admit that sometimes it's a struggle, but she still has her joy in the Lord, it really took root in my heart.

So today I'm thankful..... thankful to God for his longsuffering toward me, for his grace and mercy, and for answering the cries of my heart in a way and a place where I least expected it.