Oh, Soul So Far Astray

 

I know there are people who think that “being good” is all it takes to make heaven, but yesterday was the first time I’d actually talked with someone who felt that way.  It breaks my heart that Jesus paid such a price for us and people either don’t know or don’t want to acknowledge his sacrifice.  “Being good” is a side effect of being saved, it’s not what gets you there.  There is only one way to God, Jesus said anyone who tries to come in any other way is a thief and a robber.

This song has been on my heart all day.  It’s my prayer for that woman and for everyone else who thinks they’ve found another way… “Oh, soul so far astray, come and plunge today in the blood that stained the old rugged cross”

(sorry it’s so shaky… this is the best video I could find in my quick search)

The Glory of God

 

I felt it yesterday as I prayed in advance for our bible study and all the women involved… it built as we gathered together and prayed in His Name for a sweet sister whose battling cancer… it built more today as I met with friends and broke the bread of life with them over lunch… it built even more as I prayed off and on throughout the day for different people and needs in my life… and then tonight as my pastor stood up and proclaimed the promises of God it burst out of and over me.  Rivers of living water flowing out. 

People who know me know how I am, and that doesn’t change when I walk through the church doors.  I’m not (usually) loud, don’t like drawing attention to myself, I’d rather just hang out in the background and be a wallflower.  But when the glory of God comes down there’s no holding back!

I’ve stood on mountains and stood in awe of His creation, I’ve stared up at the stars and wondered at His awesomeness, I’ve held my newborn babies and been overcome by His workings and attention to detail… but there is nothing like surrendering totally to the presence of God!  Leaving everything else behind and worshipping Him with all that I am… feeling His glory come down and those rivers of living water flowing out, nothing can compare!

I don’t know, we may whisper and sit quietly in awe when we finally make it to heaven… but I have a feeling there will be a little shouting and leaping for joy on those hills of glory, too!!  What a privilege to get a small taste of that here on earth!

Praise Him

I wrote a long post this afternoon… and my computer ate it.  It was really good, too, sorry ya’ll missed it!  The condensed version is when we draw nearer to God He will draw nearer to us and all those things that seem so impossible to overcome now… habits, addictions, stinkin’ thinkin’… will not be so hard because we’ll be letting Him handle it instead of trying to do it on our own.

I’ve been thinking today about answered prayer and recognizing the hand of God.  I don’t ever want to overlook what God’s doing.  A friend is in the hospital, Saturday things were looking really bad and they were expecting to have to do surgery… Sunday she’d made a huge recovery!!  Miracles like that are kinda hard to miss, but what about the things that are easier to overlook.  The light bulb moment when it all clicks and the boys understand and put into practice the things I’ve been trying to instill in them.  Or the light bulb moment when it all clicks and I understand and put into practice what God’s been trying to the teach me!  I pray that we never fail to give God the glory for every thing He does.

Bless the Lord

 

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 
Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

This psalm was on my tongue tonight as I knelt down to pray.  I can’t quote it all but it was in my heart.  Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits!!   Just look at all He has done for me… it takes my breath away… and when I think of how often I fail Him I’m humbled… and yet He has not dealt with me after my sins or rewarded me according to my iniquities, for as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy to them that fear Him.  Bless the Lord, O my soul!!

We also sang this song tonight.  Ever wonder what your purpose is?? Here it is… this is one of my favorites, never fails to sharpen my focus.

Top 10 Things NOT to say when asked "What?! No school today?"

 

10. Well normally yes, but this time of year I need help with the planting and plowing.  ~oops, this is the reason for when our school year stops and starts!  used this one!!

9. Goodness, no!!! I graduated 18 years ago, but thanks for the compliment!

8. No, we homeschool. We're just out to pick up a bag of pork rinds and some Mountain Dew, then we gotta hurry home to catch our soaps.

7. What?! Where did you guys come from?! Oh my gosh! I thought I told you kids to stay at school! I'm sorry. This happens all the time. (sigh) ~ gotta remember this one!

6. There isn't? Why, you'd think we would have seen more kids out then, don't you? ~have actually said this before but in my defense I was just clueless and actually being sincere…

5. We're on a field trip studying human nature's intrusive and assumptive tactics of displaying ignorance and implied superiority. Thanks for the peek! ~wonder if I could pull this one off??

4. On our planet we have different methods of education. (Shhh! No, I didn't give it away... keep your antennae down!)

3. Oh my goodness! I thought that today was Saturday...come on kids, hurry!

2. Noooooope.Me 'n Bubba jes' learns 'em at home. Werks reel good!

And the number one answer we should NEVER give to the question: "What? No school today?"

1. "What? No Bingo today?"

Bless His Heart

Jacob yesterday….

Jacob today…

We took a little trip to the doctor’s office today just in case that other eye decided to totally swell shut, too… hasn’t slowed him down a bit though!

Best Laid Plans…

 

How’s that saying go??

We had a great start to the morning.  Woke up at a decent hour, everyone in a good mood, wonderful attitudes for school…. then I had a great idea. 

So I spread shaving cream on the table for Jake to practice writing his letters… only problem was I forgot what that would do to the other two!  They couldn’t stand it.  Ok, I can handle that, I tell them they can play too but they have to finish what they’re doing first.  They do, and I take advantage of the break to read some in Proverbs…. and God takes advantage of my reading to convict my heart. Ok God, I hear you!

The boys finish playing in the shaving cream when it’s all off the table and on them.  We clean up and head back to do more school.  Jake decides he’d rather read library books, so I send him to the other room while I focus on the big boys.  They start math and mysteriously every thing they’ve ever learned about math flies right out the window!  You’d have thought they’d never looked at a math problem.  Oh well, being clueless is no excuse in this house!!  Once they make peace with the fact that ‘no, mama will not cross off all the problems on the page’, they are eventually able to finish. 

Then the phone rings… someone needing one of those favors that sounds like a snap until you get started and then suddenly it’s not so simple.  Ok, no problem, the boys eat lunch while I start on that project.  Then they decide they want to play outside which sounds great to me.  One thing I’ve learned about myself is I really need quiet time to decompress during the day.

Just as I’m about to call them back in Cade comes running to say that Jacob’s been stung by a bee.  Sure enough, poor little guy got it right on his eyelid.  Ok, no problem, we pray, I doctor him up and we head for the rocking chair for some cuddle time.  Cuddle time also turns into teach-while-rocking-time which really worked better than expected.

So the point of this whole post was to say how thankful I am for the peace God’s been speaking to my heart.  Life is going to happen… we can throw a fit or roll with it, but it’s going to happen.  More days than I would like it’s just one thing after the other… that’s life, but it’s much better for my children’s spirit (and my blood pressure) when I trust God to work it out and just roll with it.

Oh, and to top it all off, the dog just brought in a mole, or gopher, or mouse, or something, and dropped it on  my rug!!  There are not enough paper towels in the world to make that not icky to pick up…