Everest...
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever even attempt it. That is just not who I am. I am not the thrill-seeker, live-on-the-edge type of person. I don't totally avoid risk, but my idea of a risk is...asking someone I have never met before if I can pray for them or riding a horse...I am terrified of them. I used to LOVE amusement parks when I was a child/teenager and the last time I went to Six Flags, I rode the Superman Tower of Power. I really thought my heart was going to bust. I was mush on the inside and out when I got off of that thing. It was just TOO MUCH for me! I can't imagine being the kind of person who would attempt to conquer the earth's highest point.
It's true in a literal sense, I am no Apa Sherpa. But in a relational sense, I've climbed a few mountains. Haven't we all? If you have ever had one relationship of any kind with one person, then you have definitely climbed a mountain in the "Relational Mountain Range". Kerry talks about the three mountains we climb in the relational mountain range...Mountain of Misunderstanding, Me-First Mountain, and Mountain of Mistakes. So in a relational sense I am Apa Sherpa...I'm pretty sure I've climbed all of these mountains MORE than 11 times just in the 8 short years we have been married.
The one I can identify most with is the Me-First Mountain. When I face the Mountain of Misunderstanding,I can talk the misunderstanding out till I am blue in the face if that is what it takes to make sure I am on the same page as the other person. And I can ask for and give forgiveness pretty easily while climbing the Mountain of Mistakes. But the Me-First Mountain is one, not that I have trouble climbing, but I'm pretty sure I stand on top of yelling down to the other person, "I'll come down and help you when you do what I need you to!!!" In my marriage, I want to be the wife Jacoby wants, needs and deserve-but if I feel like he is not doing what I want, need and deserve, I can be the opposite.
While Jacoby and I were reading together today and we got to the "Make it Count Moment", I read aloud question 1."Which of these three mountains has derailed your key relationships most recently? Most key relationship (other than with God) being marriage. On three say your answer (insert grin on my face here). 1, 2, 3." I say "Me-First Mountain" and he says "Mountain of Mistakes". I'm thinking..."No wonder we aren't on the same "page" sometimes, we aren't even on the same mountain!
When climbing these mountains of misunderstandings, selfishness, and mistakes...we can sometimes feel like we are at war. And when you are at war you long for peace, you sometimes can't see it or imagine it but there is hope, right? We can lower down that rope of acceptance, we can give traction with those loving actions, and be tethered to forgiveness. Acceptance, love, and forgiveness...I picture them as the valleys in between the mountains. When you find yourself at that point exhaustion and no hope while climbing that mountain, just go down to the valley. There is peace in the valley.
What mountain do you keep gettin stuck on? Or maybe you can't even make it to the top? What keeps you from achieving the peace in your relationship that the valley offers?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
"One Month to Live" Day 9
Love...
What great timing to be reading the chapter on "love" in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. That's what it's all about right? We celebrate the love we have for our children, our spouse, our friends (kids are especially excited about this). We buy flowers, candy, jewelry, all kinds of gifts as "tokens" for our affection to one another.
Today I read and learned the story of why we celebrate Valentine's day. I am sure at some point in elementary school I read the story but if I did...the memory has left me. While teaching kindergarten today to Braydon, we read the story and made a homemade valentine for Daddy (shhhh, it's a surpise for Sunday!!) For those of you (like me) who don't remember kindergarten very well, let me refresh your memory of why we celebrate love on Valentine's day.
Nearly 2000 years ago in Europe lived a priest named Valentine. At that time the Emperor of Rome was not a Chrisian. Because Valentine was teaching others the Christian way and showing love to others and to Christ, he was put to death by the emperor. It was many years before others began to celebrate "Valentine's Day" in honor of the love he showed those around him and the love he had for Jesus.
I am all for the gifts and candy and filling out Valentine cards with my children for their friends, but that is how "we" (meaning people) decided to celebrate it. Showing love to others for no reason other than to glorify God is what he did and I think he had it right. We need more than one day to do that. We should spend everyday doing that. Just think, if you lived your life like Valentine-that you spent so much time loving others and teaching them about Christ's love for them-that 2000 years later people still celebrated "love" in your honor.
But the true love I want to experience with God, and that He offers each of us, began with the greatest gift of all. A gift that never has to be upwrapped, but is like a new present every morning. It never withers like the flowers you get on Valentine's day, never melts like the chocolate, and shines brighter than the diamonds your husband may give you....His precious Son. There is no love that will be celebrated on Valentine's Day that could even compare.
On a different note, I enjoyed reading these statements made by 4-8 year olds who were asked, "What does love mean?"
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is OK."
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
"Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no."
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
What great timing to be reading the chapter on "love" in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. That's what it's all about right? We celebrate the love we have for our children, our spouse, our friends (kids are especially excited about this). We buy flowers, candy, jewelry, all kinds of gifts as "tokens" for our affection to one another.
Today I read and learned the story of why we celebrate Valentine's day. I am sure at some point in elementary school I read the story but if I did...the memory has left me. While teaching kindergarten today to Braydon, we read the story and made a homemade valentine for Daddy (shhhh, it's a surpise for Sunday!!) For those of you (like me) who don't remember kindergarten very well, let me refresh your memory of why we celebrate love on Valentine's day.
Nearly 2000 years ago in Europe lived a priest named Valentine. At that time the Emperor of Rome was not a Chrisian. Because Valentine was teaching others the Christian way and showing love to others and to Christ, he was put to death by the emperor. It was many years before others began to celebrate "Valentine's Day" in honor of the love he showed those around him and the love he had for Jesus.
I am all for the gifts and candy and filling out Valentine cards with my children for their friends, but that is how "we" (meaning people) decided to celebrate it. Showing love to others for no reason other than to glorify God is what he did and I think he had it right. We need more than one day to do that. We should spend everyday doing that. Just think, if you lived your life like Valentine-that you spent so much time loving others and teaching them about Christ's love for them-that 2000 years later people still celebrated "love" in your honor.
But the true love I want to experience with God, and that He offers each of us, began with the greatest gift of all. A gift that never has to be upwrapped, but is like a new present every morning. It never withers like the flowers you get on Valentine's day, never melts like the chocolate, and shines brighter than the diamonds your husband may give you....His precious Son. There is no love that will be celebrated on Valentine's Day that could even compare.
On a different note, I enjoyed reading these statements made by 4-8 year olds who were asked, "What does love mean?"
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is OK."
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
"Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no."
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
Monday, February 8, 2010
A Word from some sweet friends of mine, Clyde and Donna Ledgerwood
What We Believe...
God is bigger and better and closer than we can imagine.
The Bible is God’s perfect guidebook for living.
Jesus is God showing Himself to us.
Through His Holy Spirit, God lives in and through us now.
Nothing in creation “just happened.” God made it all.
Grace is the only way to have a relationship with God.
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
God has allowed evil to provide us with a choice. God can bring good even out of evil events and God promises victory over evil to those who choose him.
Heaven and hell are real places. Death is a beginning, not the end.
The church is to serve people like Jesus served people.
What We Believe...
God is bigger and better and closer than we can imagine.
The Bible is God’s perfect guidebook for living.
Jesus is God showing Himself to us.
Through His Holy Spirit, God lives in and through us now.
Nothing in creation “just happened.” God made it all.
Grace is the only way to have a relationship with God.
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
God has allowed evil to provide us with a choice. God can bring good even out of evil events and God promises victory over evil to those who choose him.
Heaven and hell are real places. Death is a beginning, not the end.
The church is to serve people like Jesus served people.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"One Month to Live" Day 7
Dreams...
If I had read this chapter backwards I could have saved myself alot of grief. After reading the first two pages of Day 7 I almost put the book down...frustrated, upset, disappointed..."why don't I have dreams?",I thought. "Am I really that boring?" It wasn't until I got to the end of the chapter that I felt hopeful and could put my finger on what dreams are inside of me and that they were put there by God.
Let me back up...was it coincidental that the same day the message at church was about passion, the chapter read in "One Month to Live" is about dreams? Probably not. I personally feel like the two are closely related. What are you passionate about? What are your dreams? Chances are, you are passionate about whatever your dreams are about.
On the way home from church this morning I told Jacoby (almost in tears), "I don't know what I am passionate about". When he asked me why, I confessed, "Probably because I have done nothing but take care of others for the last 8 years". Okay, I know your feelings are hurt....next time I throw a pity party I will definetly invite you!!!
Kerry states in chapter 7 "God has put us here for a reason and planted dreams within us so we can do our part in seeing them realized."I actually never knew dreams were from God until I read that. I guess I just thought it was something YOU wanted for YOURSELF. Of course He gives us dreams, He is the giver of ALL things good. I can't believe I never thought about it that way before! But today (before I read)I really sat there and thought long and hard and had decided...."I never have had any dreams!!!" Oh, come on! God has never forgotten about me, like EVER, why would he leave me out on this one?
So after all day of thinking, praying, reflecting on years gone by (trying to scrounge up one dream I may have had when I was younger), pouting, reading and re-reading the chapter (I read it three times trying to find some clarity).... IT HIT ME!! A moment of genius-followed by a moment of disappointment. I had thought of a dream of mine, that I NOW KNOW, God placed there!! Exciting stuff huh? And then I thought,"I can't believe it took me this long to think of that...I have always known I wanted to do that!!" I just never knew it was from God. That was my dilemma. That was the hold up...the road block....(gasp) the Rocky Road block. (Any of you reading the book just got that!) ;-) I have figured out what my dream is, learned that it is from God and figured out how Satan is trying to sabotage it...by hiding it and lying about where it comes from.
So my dream is writing and/or public speaking. I have always liked being "read" and being heard. I like to share what I am feeling. I like the fact that what I have to say might encourage ONE person. I love knowing that what God has done and is doing in my life will help others if it is shared. And the dream has ALWAYS been there, just on a different scale. As a child I wanted to write movies and be an actress. It's really the same thing...Now I just want to tell God's story in my life for the salvation of others and not someone else's life story for entertainment of others. And that's the part that confirms it is from Him.
And Kerry is right....dreams do float. My dream has never left. It has always been there. It consistently resurfaces. And God repeatedly sends people my way to encourage my dreams. In fact He did it just TODAY! Today before He spoke a message to me about passion and before He gave me words to read about dreams, He had one of His children encourage me in my dreams, when I didn't even know what it was!!! Okay I know how awesome He is, but He just continues to knock my socks off!
After all this soul searching, I don't know that I am "ready" to tackle this dream at this point in my life...so I loved the part where Kerry said,"Abraham was told by God that he would be the father of a great nation. He was 99 before he had a child. Moses became the leader to guide Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, but first God sent him to the desert to tend sheep for 40 years. Even Jesus Christ waited 30 years before He began His ministry on Earth. Why does God send everyone through the waiting room of life? I believe it's because He wants us to learn to rely on Him. God is preparing us to fulfill the dream by teaching us to trust Him. While we are waiting, we learn that He is right there with us and promises that "never will I leave you or forsake you". We may not understand what God is doing at the time, but we can always trust His heart."
So what if I have been taking care of others for eight years....that's peanuts to Moses! And I know God is just preparing me, now and during these last eight years, to do bigger work than I could have ever done or imagined on my own. You have to admit...He has been giving me some good material to speak or write on these last 8 years, huh?
So here is the risk I am willing to take NOW! I am willing to step out in my faith and be doing some writing and some speaking...anything he sends my way...let's see what happens.
So I hope this has inspired you to figure out what that dream is that is hiding in you. What is it? How can you start living that dream today? What would you attempt to do for God if you knew you could not fail?
MOMENTS FROM TODAY I WOULD NOT MISS IF I ONLY HAD "ONE MONTH TO LIVE":
-DEACON'S FIRST ASSISTED STEPS
-TEACHING BRAYDON HOW TO WRITE...HE IS VERY PROUD OF HIS D'S...SO AM I!
If I had read this chapter backwards I could have saved myself alot of grief. After reading the first two pages of Day 7 I almost put the book down...frustrated, upset, disappointed..."why don't I have dreams?",I thought. "Am I really that boring?" It wasn't until I got to the end of the chapter that I felt hopeful and could put my finger on what dreams are inside of me and that they were put there by God.
Let me back up...was it coincidental that the same day the message at church was about passion, the chapter read in "One Month to Live" is about dreams? Probably not. I personally feel like the two are closely related. What are you passionate about? What are your dreams? Chances are, you are passionate about whatever your dreams are about.
On the way home from church this morning I told Jacoby (almost in tears), "I don't know what I am passionate about". When he asked me why, I confessed, "Probably because I have done nothing but take care of others for the last 8 years". Okay, I know your feelings are hurt....next time I throw a pity party I will definetly invite you!!!
Kerry states in chapter 7 "God has put us here for a reason and planted dreams within us so we can do our part in seeing them realized."I actually never knew dreams were from God until I read that. I guess I just thought it was something YOU wanted for YOURSELF. Of course He gives us dreams, He is the giver of ALL things good. I can't believe I never thought about it that way before! But today (before I read)I really sat there and thought long and hard and had decided...."I never have had any dreams!!!" Oh, come on! God has never forgotten about me, like EVER, why would he leave me out on this one?
So after all day of thinking, praying, reflecting on years gone by (trying to scrounge up one dream I may have had when I was younger), pouting, reading and re-reading the chapter (I read it three times trying to find some clarity).... IT HIT ME!! A moment of genius-followed by a moment of disappointment. I had thought of a dream of mine, that I NOW KNOW, God placed there!! Exciting stuff huh? And then I thought,"I can't believe it took me this long to think of that...I have always known I wanted to do that!!" I just never knew it was from God. That was my dilemma. That was the hold up...the road block....(gasp) the Rocky Road block. (Any of you reading the book just got that!) ;-) I have figured out what my dream is, learned that it is from God and figured out how Satan is trying to sabotage it...by hiding it and lying about where it comes from.
So my dream is writing and/or public speaking. I have always liked being "read" and being heard. I like to share what I am feeling. I like the fact that what I have to say might encourage ONE person. I love knowing that what God has done and is doing in my life will help others if it is shared. And the dream has ALWAYS been there, just on a different scale. As a child I wanted to write movies and be an actress. It's really the same thing...Now I just want to tell God's story in my life for the salvation of others and not someone else's life story for entertainment of others. And that's the part that confirms it is from Him.
And Kerry is right....dreams do float. My dream has never left. It has always been there. It consistently resurfaces. And God repeatedly sends people my way to encourage my dreams. In fact He did it just TODAY! Today before He spoke a message to me about passion and before He gave me words to read about dreams, He had one of His children encourage me in my dreams, when I didn't even know what it was!!! Okay I know how awesome He is, but He just continues to knock my socks off!
After all this soul searching, I don't know that I am "ready" to tackle this dream at this point in my life...so I loved the part where Kerry said,"Abraham was told by God that he would be the father of a great nation. He was 99 before he had a child. Moses became the leader to guide Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, but first God sent him to the desert to tend sheep for 40 years. Even Jesus Christ waited 30 years before He began His ministry on Earth. Why does God send everyone through the waiting room of life? I believe it's because He wants us to learn to rely on Him. God is preparing us to fulfill the dream by teaching us to trust Him. While we are waiting, we learn that He is right there with us and promises that "never will I leave you or forsake you". We may not understand what God is doing at the time, but we can always trust His heart."
So what if I have been taking care of others for eight years....that's peanuts to Moses! And I know God is just preparing me, now and during these last eight years, to do bigger work than I could have ever done or imagined on my own. You have to admit...He has been giving me some good material to speak or write on these last 8 years, huh?
So here is the risk I am willing to take NOW! I am willing to step out in my faith and be doing some writing and some speaking...anything he sends my way...let's see what happens.
So I hope this has inspired you to figure out what that dream is that is hiding in you. What is it? How can you start living that dream today? What would you attempt to do for God if you knew you could not fail?
MOMENTS FROM TODAY I WOULD NOT MISS IF I ONLY HAD "ONE MONTH TO LIVE":
-DEACON'S FIRST ASSISTED STEPS
-TEACHING BRAYDON HOW TO WRITE...HE IS VERY PROUD OF HIS D'S...SO AM I!
Friday, February 5, 2010
"One Month to Live" Day 5
Okay I am gonna go straight into the part that I feel was speaking loudest to me. PHYSICAL HEALTH...Not that I am perfect spiritually, emotionally, or relationally, in fact I am far from it but I do feel overall healthy in those areas. And please know that is not a pat on MY back. God has been so gracious to me in those areas.
Physical health, I sturggle with. The whole time I was reading Day 5 I thinking of two of my good friends, Melissa Doddridge and Vicki Miller. Just over 80 days ago these two ladies asked God to take over their lives physically and give them "real power" to do what they knew was best for them. Since that day God has made a way for them to devote one full hour to exercise DAILY. Okay, some of you may be thinking..."That is not THAT complicated, it's just an hour, God doesn't necessarily have to intervine to make that happen". Well each of these ladies are busy moms to FOUR children, they homeschool their children (which equals kids on top of you ALL DAY) and have husbands who are either working from home (which can sometimes mean more work when it comes to meal times....let's face it, hubbys don't like corny dogs and mac n cheese for lunch!) or working out of town for multiple days at a time. They are busy overwhelmed momas just like the rest of us who don't have time to "take care of ourselves". But when they really just gave it to GOD and gave it their all, they could do it! And they could have done it all along...they just needed to trade in "willpower" for "REAL POWER".
Okay.....so what is my excuse? The closest thing I have done to physical activity in the last 9 months has been asking Jacoby where the resistance bands are? (Besides clean my house and that doesn't really count because I am not doing it for physical benefit). I was using the busy, homeschool mom whose husband works alot excuse until Melissa and Vicki blew is out of the water! In my defense I do eat healthy about 75% of the time, but to be honest...I do that more for my husband and kids. Why is it that we moms care more about our kids bodies than our own? We would never treat our chilrens bodies the way we do ours!
So now that I know, all I have to do is stop making excuses and ask God to help me trade in my "willpower" for His "real power", its time to make a change! I don't have a plan in action other than just simply asking and connecting myself to the source....lets see what we can make happen?
MOMENTS FROM TODAY I WOULD NOT HAVE MISSED IF I ONLY HAD ONE MONTH TO LIVE...
-THE BOYS DANCING BEFORE BED
-THE BOYS ROUGH-HOUSING WITH DADDY (IN OUR HOUSE WE CALL IT "RUFFIN")
-DEACON'S FIRST STRAWBERRY
Physical health, I sturggle with. The whole time I was reading Day 5 I thinking of two of my good friends, Melissa Doddridge and Vicki Miller. Just over 80 days ago these two ladies asked God to take over their lives physically and give them "real power" to do what they knew was best for them. Since that day God has made a way for them to devote one full hour to exercise DAILY. Okay, some of you may be thinking..."That is not THAT complicated, it's just an hour, God doesn't necessarily have to intervine to make that happen". Well each of these ladies are busy moms to FOUR children, they homeschool their children (which equals kids on top of you ALL DAY) and have husbands who are either working from home (which can sometimes mean more work when it comes to meal times....let's face it, hubbys don't like corny dogs and mac n cheese for lunch!) or working out of town for multiple days at a time. They are busy overwhelmed momas just like the rest of us who don't have time to "take care of ourselves". But when they really just gave it to GOD and gave it their all, they could do it! And they could have done it all along...they just needed to trade in "willpower" for "REAL POWER".
Okay.....so what is my excuse? The closest thing I have done to physical activity in the last 9 months has been asking Jacoby where the resistance bands are? (Besides clean my house and that doesn't really count because I am not doing it for physical benefit). I was using the busy, homeschool mom whose husband works alot excuse until Melissa and Vicki blew is out of the water! In my defense I do eat healthy about 75% of the time, but to be honest...I do that more for my husband and kids. Why is it that we moms care more about our kids bodies than our own? We would never treat our chilrens bodies the way we do ours!
So now that I know, all I have to do is stop making excuses and ask God to help me trade in my "willpower" for His "real power", its time to make a change! I don't have a plan in action other than just simply asking and connecting myself to the source....lets see what we can make happen?
MOMENTS FROM TODAY I WOULD NOT HAVE MISSED IF I ONLY HAD ONE MONTH TO LIVE...
-THE BOYS DANCING BEFORE BED
-THE BOYS ROUGH-HOUSING WITH DADDY (IN OUR HOUSE WE CALL IT "RUFFIN")
-DEACON'S FIRST STRAWBERRY
Medical update on Braydon...
Braydon is scheduled to see a nuero-opthamologist and undergo two MRI's Feb. 28th-March 2nd. This will answer questions about the enlarged left pupil. Please be praying for it to be NOTHING or God to have already taken care of whatever is WAS!
Today we went to visit Dr. Carl Childress in Longview. He is a Nuero-opthamologist and we have just heard amazing things about him. He does something called vision therapy. We feel like we left there with a very clear, accurate, positive but new diagnosis. Braydon has convergence insufficiency. He basically has some double vision and his eyes are not working "together" they work independently, hence the reason reading and hand-writing has been so hard for us! We just know that GOD led us to the right doctor through a friend. We have searched high and low for answers and asked Him to help us....and we know this is HIM! The doctor said so himself....Dr. Childress said, "We really feel like each patient that ends up in this chair was led hear by the Lord".....AND HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW OUR STORY! That was enough for me!!! Please keep praying for great results as Braydon's does vision therapy over the next 6 weeks.
Today we went to visit Dr. Carl Childress in Longview. He is a Nuero-opthamologist and we have just heard amazing things about him. He does something called vision therapy. We feel like we left there with a very clear, accurate, positive but new diagnosis. Braydon has convergence insufficiency. He basically has some double vision and his eyes are not working "together" they work independently, hence the reason reading and hand-writing has been so hard for us! We just know that GOD led us to the right doctor through a friend. We have searched high and low for answers and asked Him to help us....and we know this is HIM! The doctor said so himself....Dr. Childress said, "We really feel like each patient that ends up in this chair was led hear by the Lord".....AND HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW OUR STORY! That was enough for me!!! Please keep praying for great results as Braydon's does vision therapy over the next 6 weeks.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
"One Month to Live" Day 4
One of my favorite things Kerry said on todays lesson was,
"Often we ask Him to bless us and make our lives more fruitful-our families, our businesses, our finances. But rarely do we like the pruning process we must endure for our prayers to be answered."
And since God doesn't ever like something I need to hear slip by me....he told me TWICE! This week Braydon is studying the story of Noah's Ark. Today we watched "Evan Almighty" with Steve Carrell which is a modern day twist on the story but still gives the basic story line and focuses on the real meaning of the story...Being faithful to what GOD says even when everything you can SEE with your eyes says something different. How is that for a faith-risk? Man, something inside of me just silently wished he won't give me a faith-risk that big to tackle in this thrity days! LOL.
Anyhow....in the movie, while "Evan"(modern day Noah)is following GOD's instruction because at this point every thread of his being just has to...his wife on the other hand is thinking..."ok, he is losing it...he is embarrassing....he is ruining our lives, he's gonna lose his job, our house, etc." And when she shares how she feels with a waiter in a restaurant, GOD speaks through him when he says,
"It sounds like an opportunity to me. When you ask God for more patience, He doesn't bless you with more patience-he gives you more situations to be patient in. When you ask God for more courage, He doesn't instantly give you more courage-he gives you more chances to be couragous. And when you ask God for a closer more loving family, he doesn't give you warm and fuzzy feelings right then-but gives you opportunities to love each other."
Ah yes, pruning. When we ask, we always receive, but not in the way we think we should, but in the way that produces more and better quality fruit!
So what is it you have asked God for that you've expected him to magically fix for you and didn't want to go through the pruning process? Are you in the pruning process now?
For us, we are in the pruning process with our finances. We asked GOD for more, we prayed... "by whatever means necessary Lord help us to get out of debt so that we can be better stewards and serve you!" He answered us LOUD AND CLEAR. If you ever want to know what God has done there...Just ask! We are still in the process but feel like we are nearing the end of it. And He has truly shaped our tree. We are the branches and He is the vine, and we should soon be producing fruit!
MOMENTS FROM TODAY THAT I DEFINETLY WOULD NOT MISS IF I ONLY HAD "ONE MONTH TO LIVE"...JACOBY AND BRAYDON PLAYING IN THE RAIN AND DEACON JUST BEING CUTE!!! ENJOY!!!
"Often we ask Him to bless us and make our lives more fruitful-our families, our businesses, our finances. But rarely do we like the pruning process we must endure for our prayers to be answered."
And since God doesn't ever like something I need to hear slip by me....he told me TWICE! This week Braydon is studying the story of Noah's Ark. Today we watched "Evan Almighty" with Steve Carrell which is a modern day twist on the story but still gives the basic story line and focuses on the real meaning of the story...Being faithful to what GOD says even when everything you can SEE with your eyes says something different. How is that for a faith-risk? Man, something inside of me just silently wished he won't give me a faith-risk that big to tackle in this thrity days! LOL.
Anyhow....in the movie, while "Evan"(modern day Noah)is following GOD's instruction because at this point every thread of his being just has to...his wife on the other hand is thinking..."ok, he is losing it...he is embarrassing....he is ruining our lives, he's gonna lose his job, our house, etc." And when she shares how she feels with a waiter in a restaurant, GOD speaks through him when he says,
"It sounds like an opportunity to me. When you ask God for more patience, He doesn't bless you with more patience-he gives you more situations to be patient in. When you ask God for more courage, He doesn't instantly give you more courage-he gives you more chances to be couragous. And when you ask God for a closer more loving family, he doesn't give you warm and fuzzy feelings right then-but gives you opportunities to love each other."
Ah yes, pruning. When we ask, we always receive, but not in the way we think we should, but in the way that produces more and better quality fruit!
So what is it you have asked God for that you've expected him to magically fix for you and didn't want to go through the pruning process? Are you in the pruning process now?
For us, we are in the pruning process with our finances. We asked GOD for more, we prayed... "by whatever means necessary Lord help us to get out of debt so that we can be better stewards and serve you!" He answered us LOUD AND CLEAR. If you ever want to know what God has done there...Just ask! We are still in the process but feel like we are nearing the end of it. And He has truly shaped our tree. We are the branches and He is the vine, and we should soon be producing fruit!
MOMENTS FROM TODAY THAT I DEFINETLY WOULD NOT MISS IF I ONLY HAD "ONE MONTH TO LIVE"...JACOBY AND BRAYDON PLAYING IN THE RAIN AND DEACON JUST BEING CUTE!!! ENJOY!!!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
"One Month to Live" Day 3...
Time...generally (outside of the computer thing)I am a good user of time. I tend to in most situations make the most out of time, making plans for how and when to do things so that my day and my "to-dos" go smoothly and all gets taken care of. I even complete most of my tasks ahead of time. It's not uncommon for me to be ahead of schedule on lots of things. For instance, I ususally plan my children's birthday parties 4 months before the big day so that I am not rushed. I book hotel stays for medical things at least a month ahead of time. I lay out everyone's clothes and put toothpaste on everyone's toothbrush and lay breakfast dishes out the night before (thanks to Ms. Dee on this one). I feel better, more accomplished and less stressed when I plan my "time" well.
I know it must sound like I get lots of busy work done. I do tend to be more of a Martha than a Mary. Overall though I don't feel like I am a "time-waster" of any sorts. I know that I am taking care of things I am supposed to be taking care of and they are all directly related to the things that bring me joy....my husband, children, family, friends and God. I know that I devote quality time to these important people in my life. And I think that is the very reason I experience JOY daily!!!
If feels good to know I am on the right track in this area! :-)
"IF YOU WASTE YOUR TIME YOU WASTE YOUR LIFE"
What things if any do you waste time on? What keeps you from using that time doing something more worthy?
I know it must sound like I get lots of busy work done. I do tend to be more of a Martha than a Mary. Overall though I don't feel like I am a "time-waster" of any sorts. I know that I am taking care of things I am supposed to be taking care of and they are all directly related to the things that bring me joy....my husband, children, family, friends and God. I know that I devote quality time to these important people in my life. And I think that is the very reason I experience JOY daily!!!
If feels good to know I am on the right track in this area! :-)
"IF YOU WASTE YOUR TIME YOU WASTE YOUR LIFE"
What things if any do you waste time on? What keeps you from using that time doing something more worthy?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
"One Month to Live" Day 2....
Today was more "challenging" for us.....no pun intended. Being a risk taker is something a little foreign in this house. I think this is true for many "families". You have kids, you settle down, everything becomes routine and you stop taking risks. You stop taking physical risks (your family needs you), you stop taking financial risk (your family can't afford to), You stop taking spritual risks (your family.....WAIT A MINUTE!!!)...why can't you take spiritual risks with a family? You can!!!! We are the ones who for whatever reasons don't. I'll be the first to admit it. I don't take many spiritual risks. I come into troubles, I pray, I trust God, I move forward, repeat. That is BOR-ING! It's good....prayer is good, trusting God is good, moving forward is good. But there is SO MUCH MORE!
When we came to our "make it count moment" today I told Jacoby I just don't really feel like I have the opportunity to be bold in my faith. I can't think of one situation God has placed me in to take a risk. He has put me in a place to trust Him fully but not just take a risk and go all out for something he has wanted me to do. I was pretty bummed about that. And then I thought....well I haven't exactly asked Him to do that either. So that is what I am doing now and praying for now. I want Him to give me that chance...that opportunity.....to do something BIG for His kingdom. I don't know what it will be or what it will look like but my eyes and ears are open.
One of the questions I was able to answer today was...
"What is your symbol or metaphor to describe what your life would look like if you were fully engaged?My picture is of an ocean. If I was fully engaged, I would be like the ocean...powerful, constantly moving forward, nothing could stop me.
So what picture or symbol would your life look like if you were fully engaged?
When we came to our "make it count moment" today I told Jacoby I just don't really feel like I have the opportunity to be bold in my faith. I can't think of one situation God has placed me in to take a risk. He has put me in a place to trust Him fully but not just take a risk and go all out for something he has wanted me to do. I was pretty bummed about that. And then I thought....well I haven't exactly asked Him to do that either. So that is what I am doing now and praying for now. I want Him to give me that chance...that opportunity.....to do something BIG for His kingdom. I don't know what it will be or what it will look like but my eyes and ears are open.
One of the questions I was able to answer today was...
"What is your symbol or metaphor to describe what your life would look like if you were fully engaged?My picture is of an ocean. If I was fully engaged, I would be like the ocean...powerful, constantly moving forward, nothing could stop me.
So what picture or symbol would your life look like if you were fully engaged?
Monday, February 1, 2010
"One Month to Live".....
Last night Jacoby and I attended the "One Month to Live" event and read day one of our book. In the discussion questions we chose what five things we would change if we only had one month to live....then we picked one to follow through with this week. Mine is my bedtime. After my children go to bed and my husband is at work I often spend any where from 4-6 hours cleaning house, talking on the the phone, on the computer (ahem, primarily Facebook). And lots of days I am running on 4-6 hours of sleep from the night before. I sit down to the computer at 8 pm and the next thing I know it is midnight! Well that is changing. Let's face it....If I had 30 days to live, I would not be spending so much time on the computer. I would sleep when my family sleeps so that I could be well rested and be my best self for them the next day! So no more computer time for me at night. And my flesh is weak, so I have posted a HOT PINK piece of card stock on my computer that says, "NO FACEBOOK AFTER DARK". So I am challenging myself to take it a step further and not getting on Facebook at all. At least for the next thirty days....maybe longer! Who knows what God is gonna do here!?!?!?
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU TAKING THE "ONE MONTH TO LIVE" CHALLENGE...WHAT DID GOD CHALLENGE YOU TO CHANGE THIS WEEK?
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU TAKING THE "ONE MONTH TO LIVE" CHALLENGE...WHAT DID GOD CHALLENGE YOU TO CHANGE THIS WEEK?
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