amazing

the past several weeks have been amazing.. my god has held me in his tender hand and brought me to my knees with His amazing miracles.  my words are meager to express the goodness of God.

i would not trade a minute of my last week. God's faithfulness to prepare me for every step is awesome. i struggle to put into words how amazing He is. years ago He gave me a desire for His mission. i am blessed to be in my mission field as my career. i have not always been thankful though. i have had days, weeks, and months where i have wondered why the hardship.

months ago He gave me an increased desire for His missions. when the opportunity presented itself for me to take a short term mission trip to mexico, i jumped. i did not ask why or how, i just knew it was to be. i am thankful for my family and friends whose help has provided me the opportunity to follow this desire.

five days ago at work while i was pursuing a student who i thought was fleeing out of the building, and i heard a pop and i fell face first onto the floor. an ambulance took me from school to the emergency room. i am thankful for this mishap and the opportunities to connect to others and taste the goodness of my Lord.

 i am thankful for--
--my God who is not surprised by circumstances,
--my school nurse who tended to me and kept me from passing out and then came to the emergency room and prayed for me
--the dear ambulance workers/EMTs
--my custodian who was at the emergency room when i arrived and stayed with me and prayed for me
--the teacher who stayed with me in the ER, prayed for me, drove me home, got my prescriptions filled, brought my car to my house,
--the friend who i knew i could call to pick up my children and care for them like her own,
--my coworkers who stepped in without hesitation to help
---my parent volunteers who were my shining stars
--my coworkers who are bold in stopping to hold my hand and pray
--God's faithfulness and provision
--for God's reminder to abandon my cynicism and recognize my enemy is Satan not those Satan uses and those Satan prompts me to hate
--opportunities to stop and see the hand of God
--my best friend who encourages me and shares my love for our Saviour,
--my life group
--my friends and family whose prayers covered me before anyone knew of my accident,


God deserves all the glory. we walk daily in the VICTORY He prepared, planned and gave us. this week i was reminded that ALL people are made in His image. satan is the enemy not people.

dinner:
pizza

currently reading:
let hope in by pete wilson

fervent by priscilla shirer

gideon by priscilla shirer

being the body by chuch colson

the mysterious benedict society by trenton lee stewart

today grateful for:

God's faithfulness

my boys

laughter and silliness

healing

the WORD

my coworkers

my friends

my church

clean water and electricity

freedom to worship

bold Christians

prayer

send

 "as the Father sent Me, 

       I also send you." 

                   -john 20:21

today our worship service and a fellowship meal following were focused on a mission field that was over ten years in the making from our church.  i thoroughly enjoyed hearing the story of the history and prayers that were sowed into this mission field.

i know my purpose as a mother is to prepare my boys for their mission works...as disciples...as husbands...as fathers...as followers and believers.
most days i feel utterly inadequate for this task.

today, i felt pangs of my failure when my oldest went ahead of us to pick out seats for us at the fellowship luncheon.  with a choice of a dozen long tables with 30+ seats and a handful of small tables with 3-4 seats, he chose a segregated table for 3.  i felt i had failed him by my propensity towards introversion.

i have to fight the urge to become a hermit of sorts on a daily basis. but i know that in order to step out for God, i must be bold and seek out relationships.  i have to show and teach my boys this.  it means overcoming that desire for seclusion.  

part of the chronicle of the featured mission field at church is the song, "oceans," by hillsong. 

the highlighted words below from the song, mean a great deal to me.


And I will call upon Your name
 And keep my eyes above the waves
 When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

our pastor included matthew 16:18 in his teaching today.   

it is imperative and reassuring to remember the declaration of this verse, since it is horrifyingly apparent in this age, we are facing the "gates of hell" around the world.

the victory is WON! 

no matter what circumstances seem to show.... 

satan shall NOT, can NOT, will NOT prevail.

dinner:

leftovers (we have leftovers on the sabbath to minimize work)

currently reading:
2 blogs with lenten devotionals:         www.shereadstruth.com and www.aholyexperience.com

1 john 1

matthew 16

various psalms

the secret thoughts of an unlikely convert

24/6

today grateful for:

sunshine

worship

worship music and worship teams & choirs

God's truth

God's faithfulness

God's provision

the WORD

the sabbath

clean water

laughter

to cease, desist, rest

today since it was still icy, too icy for me to venture out before 10 am, i informed the boys that we would observe the Sabbath at home.  when i asked them what the word, Sabbath, meant--- i was shocked that they did not know.   one answer was that it was one day a year where we did something special--i think he was thinking of passover.

so i read them exodus 20:8-11.   then i found a youtube video with an interview of a doctor who had become a christian 10 years before and was now the author of the book, 24/6.  


 שָׁבַת


the root of the word Sabbath (strong's h7676) is  שָׁבַת  shabath---which means to cease, desist, rest.   cease and desist reminds me of legal terms.   i do not believe we should be legalistic with regards to the Sabbath.  as i read in exodus 32:16, observing the Sabbath is part of our covenant with God.   dr. sleeth, the author of 24/6, states by observing the Sabbath all your life, you add 11 years of time spent with God.

the three of us spent time on this Sabbath viewing the video, 21 martyrs, worshiping at 11 am with a local church via their service broadcast live on the internet, having a family night, and having one quiet hour each devoted to a choice of prayer, reading, writing, creating as hopefully guided by His presence.   after the hour we came back together to share what we each did or what God gave us during that time.

from now on, on our Sabbath, we:

---will participate in corporate worship and fellowship,

---will limit electronics to just a few hours (maybe--hopefully working our way to no electronic distractions),

---will not do chores,

---will not do schoolwork, homework (aside from leisure reading), and

---will devote a minimum of one hour to reflection, mediation, reading, writing, creating with a focus upon God.



dinner:

roasted chicken

potatoes

arugula salad with roasted beets

currently reading:
2 blogs with lenten devotionals:         www.shereadstruth.com and www.aholyexperience.com

exodus 

my single mom life

today grateful for:
warmer temps to melt the ice

Sabbath

His provision  

multiple print translations of the Bible

the WORD

my boys' willingness and obedience

technology to connect us to our fellow Christians

a time to laugh

over the past few days, i have had several occasions to laugh and laugh. 

earlier this week, my youngest had a bout of the stomach virus.  he is not sick often, so he has not had much practice being a good patient.  he complained about being hungry and was not happy when i said he could only have crushed ice, small amounts of liquid at a time and popsicles.  he insisted upon eating a few swallows of applesauce.  it did not stay down long.   at midday, when he was no longer vomiting, he leaned back on the sofa and said aloud, "this is the life...sitting on the couch watching tv."  i reminded him of his stomach upset from an hour earlier to which he responded, "oh yeah, except for that."

the next day we all returned to our regular routines.  when my oldest arrived home, he did not feel well, so he took his temp.  he informed me that his temp was 110 degrees the first time and the second time he took it, it registered 99 degrees.  i had to bite my tongue not to laugh in his face.  i told him that if his temp had been 110, he would probably be dead.   i took his temp several times and the highest reading was normal or a a few tenths above.   i chuckled about this again as i read a friend's facebook post about her teenage son's "man cold."

my oldest told me of an issue he had at school.  a few students were harassing him in math class by saying if someone touched something my son had touched they would have "germs" and they would need to make sure to use hand sanitizer. my son stated to the main instigator, "you know hand sanitizer only kills 99.99% of germs and i am in that .01% that is not covered. may i borrow you pencil? (touching the pencil before the instigator could answer)   ohhhhhhh, my oldest is so like his dad.....quick witted and snarky!

today at church, my youngest created a book of kindness coupons for me.  as he handed me this gift, he advised me to, "use them wisely."  of course, that alone made me laugh out loud.   as  i read through his coupons, i laughed.  he had included 2 coupons for a nap, 2 for a hug, 1 for hot cocoa, 1 for breakfast, and 2 for dancing.   he added, "i know how much you like dancing and naps."

a time to weep,
    and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
    and a time to dance...

my dancing is more of a joke and a threat of sorts. several years ago, the boys and i were playing music and dancing/ gyrating/ flailing  around the living room which caused us to begin laughing hysterically.  my oldest son's demeanor quickly changed and he began yelling for me to stop dancing!   i was having a giggling fit and i struggled to form words in response.  after several attempts to get me to stop, he came over and whispered  in my ear, "mom don't you know you are a terrible dancer?!"  i replied, "yes, i work very hard at it and i am practicing so that when you are in high school i can chaperone your prom."   he did NOT think that was funny.   nowadays when we are out in public and the boys are giving me a hard time, i threaten to begin dancing in public.  i have done it once or twice to their horror.

for me, dancing has another fond memory.  andy was a worship team member and leader.  i still miss hearing his beautiful voice.  one of my favorite songs that he sang was, "i could sing of your love forever."  each member of our worship team would sing each of the verses.  andy sang the following verse:

Oh I feel like dancing
It's foolishness I know
But when the world has seen the light
They will dance with joy
Like they're dancing now

on one wednesday night, as andy was leading worship...singing and playing the keyboard, he shouted between the verses, "dance church, dance!"  he was encouraging the congregation to fully embrace praise and worship.  i teased him about his "outburst" later....i also told him how much i loved him, his love for God, his love for leading worship and his heart to listen to God's prompting.

fond memories....from the past and the ones we make each day.

dinner:
pulled pork, caesar salad and  homemade bread

currently reading:
the last girls

john 12

today grateful for:
sunday

church

sunshine and a day of warm outside temps

good health for my family

music

God's peace

thankful, day 24

I am thankful my oldest enjoys cooking with me. When he was little he used to enjoy watching Alton Brown and Emeril. He makes a mean guacamole, delicious farmers breakfast, and yummy apple cobbler. Bacon is what he does better than anyone! Today we made Dutch Apple Bread together.


dinner:
chicken noodle soup

listening to:
christmas music

currently reading:
overcoming dyslexia
pioneer woamn cooks food from the frontier
roll of thunder hear my cry
praying the scriptures for your teenager

today grateful for:
my boys
hanging with my boys
our lifegroup
sunday
thanksgiving sunday at grace
worship songs
cold weather
electricity
good health & safety
working automobile
unity and community

thankful, day 21

I am thankful God led me to this city. The Christian, family centered resources are phenomenal. I am thankful for the resources of TRBC (inc LCA & LU.) While my guys are at wrestling practice, I get to hang out in this terrific space-"Main Street."  Reading, studying, working, accessing wifi and sipping my decaf.





 dinner:
mac n cheese

listening to:
snoring dog


currently reading:
overcoming dyslexia
praying the scriptures for your teenager

today grateful for:
my boys 
our wrestling coaches
my son's middle school-principal, teachers, staff
my son's friends
trbc
God's provision

thankful, day 20

I am thankful for the Junior High group opportunity at my church. The leaders are a blessing as they organize, plan for and lead this vibrant program. I am thankful for their prayers, faithfulness, creativity and joyful dispositions.

dinner:
chicken soup

listening to:
"sing over me - worship songs and lullabies"

currently reading:
run your butt off
1 corinthians 13   
overcoming dyslexia
praying the scriptures for your teenager

today grateful for:
my boys  
God's plan fulfilled in Jesus
the Bible
my pastor's wife
my life group leader
church
a warm fire
safety
God's presence

thankful, day 10

I am thankful for music, specifically praise and worship. This morning as the music started at church,
I was having a difficult time transitioning into worshipping as I had Andy on my mind. I was headed down a sad mental road and the worship team began singing, Be Thou My Vision. God comforted me with this song...as to say, I know you are sad and I am here with you. This was a song Andy lead and sang as a worship leader. We sang it at Andy's memorial service.  In the final verse, I heard God speaking to me---and I was enveloped in the worship!

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

I am thankful for our worship leader and team. I know they pray over what they share on Sunday mornings. To them I say, "Thank you for your faithfulness and focus. And thanks for seeking out the Holy Spirit and listening."


lunch:
BK with friends :)

currently listening to:
fall breeze

currently reading:
1 corinthians 13
time's unending garden
roll of thunder, hear my cry 
kizzy ann stamps 

 

today grateful for: 
our church

praise and worship leaders, singers, and musicians

friends

God's timing

sundays

thankful, day 8

I am thankful for the family oriented mission focus of our church. Tonight we were packing boxes for our mission in Mexico.

dinner:
Mexican dinner at church

currently listening to:fire in the fireplace

currently reading:
1 corinthians 13
roll of thunder, hear my cry
run your butt off

kizzy ann stamps

today grateful for: 
my boys

our lifegroup

our church

missionaries & missions
opportunities

laughter and fun

my students

Fridays

having some yardwork done

a warm house

a working automobile

safety

Jesus

thankful, day 6

I am thankful for the Wed. evening Bible study for busy women at my church. After a hectic day, it is nice to sit and listen and share about what we are learning.

It is a blessing to have a study in evening for working women and have childcare!

It is a joy praying together and for one another. I love the peacefulness.

dinner:
gumbo

currently listening to:
lullaby music

currently reading:
1 corinthians 13
roll of thunder, hear my cry
run your butt off
kizzy ann stamps

today grateful for: 
my boys

my son's Bible teacher

my church

God's patience

peace

my oldest son's willingness to forgive and apologize

my youngest son's sweet spirit

safely driving in the evening darkness

electricity, the crock-pot and the washing machine

"Holy Communion, Batman!"

I have been sort of house bound for the last few days, as my youngest recovers from a surgical procedure. My youngest is energetic...to put it politely. During this recovery, my motherly task has been trying to keep him occupied as about every 30 minutes, he announces, "I'm bored"...and to keep him from busting his stitches wide open. Yesterday, he decided to use the inclined pillow, that has become our family "sick" trophy, as a ramp of sorts. He used it like a skateboarder might, except he has no board...he just runs up it and the leaps into the air.

Since I had to take some sick days in order to attend to my son, I thought I might get to catch up on my sleep. Ha, ha, ha...NOT! There has been something to break up my sleep every night, so far. Tonight, I have not been feeling well. After catching up on some book reading, I turned to catching up on my blog reading. A post, "I think I messed up with my kids" on the "The Worst Preacher's Wife Ever," was a great distraction and reminded me of a story of my oldest son's first communion experience.

It was a Sunday morning in December when my son was either 3 or 4 years old. The annual nativity story was being acted out at our church during the morning service. So all the children, including the youngest preschoolers were in attendance. As the actors moved into their places, I pointed out his friends' parents who were playing Mary and Joseph. When I pointed out the baby in the mother's arms, saying, "Look there's Grant's little brother," my son retorted, "Nu-uh, that's JESUS!"

After the performance, communion was being served. My son clasped his hands together and pleaded very loudly, "Please, please, please can I have some of the snack?" The missionary seated in front of us, turned, smiled and chuckled. In my feeble attempt to get him to lower his voice and sit down, I explained that this was not a snack, but communion. Further explaining that communion is something we do to remember how Jesus died for us. His expression turned to one of horror as he yelled out even louder than before, "Jesus died?!" It took me a second to realize he thought Grant's little brother---whom he firmly believed was Jesus, was now dead.

currently listening to:
silence

dinner: (last night)
casserole

currently reading:
the silver chair
the undistracted widow
Isaiah

today grateful for:
my boys
memories
medicine
technology & bloggers