"mom's" work is hard stuff!

As I write this ZC is in the living room, right off the office and she is supposed to be picking up the jar of pennies she unloaded on the floor. This has been an ongoing saga for 3 days. I refuse to pick them up, let her watch tv or even eat breakfast this morning before they are returned to their home. It is a battle of the wills and i feel like giving up. For 3 days she has said ... "I am so tired mommy, i will pick them up in the morning" "I promise I will pick them up when we get home" "Mommy, I am just a little girl i cant pick them all up"

GRRRRR! She is sooooo strong willed!

You know though just makes me think about how I behave and have become rebelious in my life, telling God "well, I know what you want me to do, I don't have time now, I will get to it later, I will do it when I feel like it, on my own terms." I am so grateful that He doesnt ever give me what I really deserve, yes I have been disciplined in my life but seriously I have never gotten what I deserve to get.

Parenting is tough stuff!

Giving Thanks Post #13

Today I am thankful for prayer! Anyone who knows me (in person or on the web) knows that generally my first response to trouble, illness, sadness, grief, etc... is to pray. Prayer is such a beautiful gift. It is at its best a conversation with God a give and take, honest conversation, a sharing of my heart, of my dreams of my needs and a taking of His direction, His peace, His love. When I can get past my insessint need to talk and talk and talk for fear I might leave out just one part of my day, and just be in his presence I find rejuvenation for my often weary soul, I find healing - physical, emotional and spiritual, I find answers to questions, and so much more.

Angie over at "bring on the Rain' has come up with a wonderful idea. She has the most incredible blog. She and her family are experiencing the devastation of loosing a child. You can read her story in her blog but what is most memorable and truly inspirational is the grace she exhibits as she allows God to mold her and shape her while she walks through the aftermath of such a heart wrenching tragedy. I will be honest I did not think I would have much in common with her but oh my goodness I think her words speak to anyone who has experienced extreme disappointment and loss and continue to strive to live as God has called them to do.
Ok, back to her idea .... Praying for our/your children ... I know it is not a new idea but she has come up with a great "system" if you will of praying for them 7 times a day! So go check her out, you wont be disappointed! I promise. Just click on the link below!

Giving Thanks Post #12

Today I am thankful for laughter ... 2 of my 3 kiddos are jokesters (is that even a word?), Ethan plots long and hard to play tricks on his sisters and myself and it seems ZC is coming up right behind him. Tonight I left the room for a moment and i came back to ZC giggling, She was trying so hard to hold her laughter in, almost biting her lip. I sat down, slipped my shoes on my feet and they were full of pennies and she yelled ... GOTCHA and started cracking up so hard she could hardely stand it! I love laughter, i love the sound of my children's laughter, I love the way laughter makes me feel. Laughter is the best medecine!

Hope you had a few good laughs today!

Beace and blessings
sb

Giving Thanks #9

Today I am thankful for God's Provision.
Last week, not this past Sunday but the one before it the kids and I walked out of our Pastor's house (I have a class there each Sunday) to find that the tire which had been giving us trouble ( a slow leak we were having to pump it up about every 3-4 days) had finally given out. It was flat as flat could be. Now I can change a tire but it is not very easy and I was thankful for the men around who were willing to change it for me. Not only were they willing to change it but they took it upon themselves to take the situation and make it a teaching moment for my son E. So there was my 10 year old learning how to change a tire. (we are still driving on the donut which is why dear Daphne I have not gotten with you to arrange a time to get together, I am not traveling much :)
Fast forward to this weekend ...
As I posted a few days ago, I left town to take E to a junior bible quiz competition. My friend Cindy and I in her van with 5 kids (4 girls + E) We were headed about 5.5 hours away. We were having a good ride, stopped for dinner and let the kids play and back on the road. We heard a klunk but the van was riding well, it was dark out and we were on the interstate so we didn't stop and then a little further down the road it was obvious something was amiss. After pulling over what we saw was a tire full of air but NO TREAD! it was crazy, the tread just came off (must have been what the klunk was) So my son, being the awesome kid that he is, immediatley says " I know how to change a tire, I can do this mom" So with minimal help my great son changed the tire on the van while we were on the interstate (thank God it was on the passengers side or I would never have allowed him to do it) It was awesome to see his joy in being able to do this for Mrs. Cindy and myself. He did it with ease and confidence. Cindy told me when we got back into the car that just minutes before we left her husband had gone and replaced the spare tire, which is a full size spare (they had had to replace a tire on a recent trip) We also didn't realize it at the time but we had missed our exit, had we taken the correct exit we would have been on a small country road with NO shoulder. It would have been impossible for us to change the tire and there would have been nothing around.
This is certainly NOT the first time God has made provision for us. Over and over again He has done things like this in our lives/my life. I was angry and frustrated with God over my tire last Sunday but now I see the path that was being prepared and the provision being made. I have NO doubt God will provide for my tire to be replaced soon but until then I will rest knowing
that what it says in the book of Mathew chapter 6 verse 8 - "Do not be like them (the pagans who pray with many words for the sake of praying) for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him"
Peace and blessings to you all

and Praise to the THE ALL knowing, ALL providing God!

sb

Giving Thanks Post #7

Today I am thankful for the rain. As I write this it is raining outside which has caused me to ponder ... (dangerous) Rain is often equaited with sorrow.There is no denying that it is an inconvenience and sometimes uncomfortable (especially in the winter months when it rains and you get wet which is undoubtedly followed by being cold) however, in the old testement God ofen made the skys open and the rain fall as a blessing to those who were obedient to him. Throughout the Old Testement I found several verses where God spoke through His prophets, telling the people to listen,to obey or He would close up the skys and rain would no longer fall, and crops would no longer grow. Even in the ot times He was trying to teach them what James writes in James 1: 2-4 "2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. "

RAIN, SORROW, TRIALS, ETC... THOSE THINGS ARE PRODUCTIVE - PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. THEY ARE USEFUL TO PRODUCE FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, AND MATURITY. ALL THESE THINGS WE NEED TO BE USEFUL TO GOD! ALL THESE THINGS WHICH ARE BEAUTIFUL TO SEE IN A PERSON.

SO TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR THE RAIN!
(Hey,will you all remind me of this post next time a trial hits ;)

Giving Thanks

Miranda over at Enjoying the Ride suggest that since we are now in November we blog about 1 thing we are grateful for each day. So I am getting a start on this a day late but that's okay. I'm going for it anyway.

***Disclaimer***
These are in no way ranked by order of entry. I am very grateful for every gift the Lord has given me.

Today I am grateful for ...
The gift of worship .. being allowed to worship and I don't mean sitting in a pew on Sunday morning attending church, not the freedom that the constitution gives us. I mean the gift of being able to open my heart wider than it has ever known, feeling the God I love through all my senses, taking Him in and just worshipping Him for who HE is. NOT anything He has done for me, or given me, not anything He has created but just because He exists, just because He is the great I AM! Sometime I become burdened with the reality of the fact that He must love me so very much to pour Himself into me so. He must think an awful lot of me to allow me in the throne room. What a loving God we serve.

Beauty from Ashes ...

Sometimes I feel like my life is in ashes, you know kind of a shambles, all fallen apart and not sure how to get it back on track. Sometimes I can't figure out how I got "HERE" in this place, single with 3 kids, mess after mess to clean up (physically and emotionally), small business owner, a past that is in many respects "shameful." At times it feels like there is nothing left of it to salvage. How will I ever redirect it and get it back on track? How will I use it to bring glory to my creator the one who has made me, fashioned me in His likeness, the creator who has the hairs on my head numbered.  How will it ever be the beautiful life I dreamed of. You know the "American dream"  house on a hill, white picket fence, dog named spot, minivan kind of dream? I was recently talking with a friend - I REALLY REALLY wish I could remember who it was who said this (and if you are reading this and you remember talking with me about it PLEASE speak up!) ONLY God can bring BEAUTY from the ASHES .... ahaaa moment it was my sweet new friend Amanda! ok, had to give credit where credit is due ... When something is just broken it is the same object in many pieces, Each broken piece maintains the same basic properties and thus it can be put back together and have the same basic properties. When something is burned, the properties are all broken down, the chemical makeup is changed and it can no longer be what it was - We as humans cannot take those ashes and fashion it into a useful object different from what it started it out as.  ONLY God can take the ashes and give you something beautiful in return. I have been witness to these transformations before, the marriage that was "dead" because one or both of the partners made horrible decisions, the addict who had lived for 20 years clinging to his "drug of choice", the girl who was completely given over to an eating disorder and in turn was killing her body and spirit.  God has worked over and over in all those situations to make Beautiful the Ashes left from the burning fire that breaks us down. He is doing that in my life. He is changing my dreams to line up with His will for my life, He is rebuilding something beautiful just for my little family so that we would bring HIM glory! Thank you God! Take the ashes which I have created myself in my own choices and decisions and create something BEAUTIFUL that it would glorify YOU!

What about you are you tired and worn? burned into ashes from trying to do it all on your own? Are you ready to handover your ashes and wait at His feet while he creates Beauty from what you once thought was destroyed?  I would love the opportunity to pray with you as you wait. Please feel free to leave a comment below you can be as specific or general as you like. Or if you have a story of hope I would love to hear that as well.

Gotta LOVE Bible Gateway
Isaiah 61:3
and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor

Peace and Blessings
sb