Ann-Marie B.

Just to Confirm...

2011-08-29T10:51:00.000-04:00

Confirm 1. To support or establish the certainty or validity of; verify.

"After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my dearly loved Son , who brings Me great joy.'"

Matthew 3:16-17

Lately God has been doing a lot of confirming in my life. I don't know about you, but I like confirmation. To be honest though, I have always felt that my need for confirmation pointed to my own weak faith.

Until today!

Today He brought Matthew 3:16-17 to my mind. It's a familiar passage. We reference it often in regards to following Jesus' example in baptism. But God showed me another aspect of this occasion I had never considered.

Confirmation!

When the Father descended in the form of a dove, He was not only saying He loved Jesus and was proud of Him. He was giving us confirmation. This Man is who He says He is, I'm confirming it!

Ohhhhhh...I never thought of that!

God knew we would need confirmation from time to time! I guess the real gauge of my faith here is not do I need confirmation, but do I even realize it when He gives it. Am I so busy asking for it that I don't see it right there in front of me?

My God is so good! No matter how long it takes for me to learn something or how many confirmations I need, He is patient. He never says, "Ann-Marie, when are you going to get this?". Instead He lovingly reminds me.

Oswald Chambers was so right when he said,

"Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us."

I smell rain!!

2011-08-22T11:49:00.000-04:00

Whenever I read the story of Noah in Genesis chapter six I can't help but put myself there in the situation. Most of the time I've imagined stepping into Noah's wife's shoes. What would my reaction be if Brad came home one day and told me that God had told him to build an "ark". The ark here is metaphoric for anything that seems straight-up crazy! I think the support of Noah's wife can be attributed to a little detail tucked away in Genesis 6:9 "...and he walked in close fellowship with God." She knew she could trust her husband because she knew he walked with the Lord. Considering this puts the story into perspective for me, and I am able to say that I would support Brad's "ark" whatever it may be.

Lately though, I have been putting myself in Noah's sandals! Sure, his family was supportive but that was it!!! Not another person, not a single friend, no one else ON THE EARTH believed him! In fact, I imagine they outright mocked him. They probably took great joy in sitting around laughing about the crazy old man building a boat and claiming his God told him to do it. The women probably stood around the well and gossiped about his wife and how they pitied her and her loony husband. But Noah never wavered! The Bible never records an instance of doubt on his part. "Did God really say that???" He had walked with the Lord enough to know His voice. He knew God's character. He knew he could trust Him.

Noah could smell rain!!

I, too, have heard God's voice. Countless times in my life He has spoken, and, although I have not always obeyed without hesitation, I have learned to trust. There were times when His directives were exciting, times when they scared me to death. When He said leave your family and friends and move to another state I thought He was crazy! When He said stop homeschooling I thought I would die. When He said move your family to Mexico we were scared and our family thought WE were crazy! But in all of these instances, no matter how scared I was, no matter how crazy I thought God was, or people thought I was...

I could smell rain!

It's one of those times in my life when, it's not raining yet, but I'm going public with my "ark"! Many years ago God put a desire in my heart, a burden for the orphan. He and I have had an ongoing conversation about it for several years now. More than once I've been ready to jump in head first and He has held me back. We've been sitting on the shore together and He has been teaching me things. I've learned things I didn't even know I needed to learn. I've learned things I didn't want to learn. I've given up my will for His. I've gained even more trust in Him. I've run off without Him and came back to find Him patiently waiting for me. I've told Him my plans and how I want this whole thing to work out. He has patiently listened and lovingly shown me His plan!

Now, the construction begins. It's out in the open. People are becoming aware. I'm thrilled to death and scared to death at the same time! He hasn't given me the full blueprint. He reveals it just a little at a time. I step out in faith and He reveals the next step. I have no idea what the finished project will look like, but

I can smell rain!!

I covet your prayers! Please pray for our family as we emb"ark" (oh that's cheesy!!) on this new adventure. Pray that we would continue to be led by God and not step out on our own. Pray for the child/children that He will eventually bring into our home. Pray for God to be glorified in EVERYTHING we do.

ME of little faith!

2011-08-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

"Jesus responded, 'Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!'..." Matthew 8:26

Jesus had to have a little sit-down with me this morning. He had to give me a little pep talk, a gentle reminding.

"Ann-Marie, look at Me!"

If our family were to have our own reality show the editors would never need to use the "bleep" button, but one phrase they would probably hear from me continually is,

"Look at me!"

When I'm talking to my children, or anyone for that matter, I want to know that they are listening. To me, listening requires eye contact. Therefore, like a broken record, I repeat my mantra over and over to the rolling of my childrens' eyes, and their obligatory "yes ma'ams".

So, imagine my surprise when I found myself on the receiving end of my favorite phrase!

"Ann-Marie, look at Me! You've lost your focus. You're concentrating on the winds and the waves. Nothing about Me has changed. I haven't moved. I haven't missed a single detail of your life. But you've taken two steps back. You've thrown out panicky prayers of desperation. You've reverted to depending on your own understanding, when you should be leaning fully on Me. Where is your confidence in Me? Come back to the refuge of My protective wings. Rest in the confidence that I am in control and I love you."

Oh the sting of disappointment when you realize you've let The Father down! When I could have been hearing "Well done, child!", instead I needed chastising. It's a bittersweet moment. On one hand I am regretful over the missed opportunity to bring Him joy. On the other hand, I am thankful! Thank you, Father for loving me enough to remind me when I am missing the mark. Thank you for holding no grudges! Thank you for encouraging me and giving me hope that overcomes my feelings of regret and disappointment.

The journey of faith is very seldom travelled on a smooth, flat road. It is wrought with the highest of peaks and the lowest of valleys. But, by the grace of our loving Father, we learn to remain confident no matter what; not confident in our circumstances, not confident in each other, not confident in ourselves, confident in the only One who NEVER CHANGES!

"Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7

Wisdom

2011-07-08T12:24:00.001-04:00

"I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. I have riches and honor as well as enduring wealth and justice. My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasures."

Proverbs 8:17-21

One of my greatest desires of God is wisdom. Looking back over years of prayer journals, that is the one request most often seen. Today He reminded me that He hears that prayer. All I have to do is ask and He is prepared to pour it out like water in the desert.

This week I purchased the devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It's already changed my quiet time with the Lord! The premise of this book is that Sarah has recorded her conversations with God over a period of time, specifically what He has said to her. It is written as if Jesus is speaking. Awesome!

I've always struggled with my prayer time being one sided, me doing all the talking. No comments from the peanut gallery here! What I've realized through this book is that I can still write and be listening. After I read whatever He leads me to that day, I then record what He is telling me through that particular passage or verse. I begin with "Dear Ann-Marie" as if He is writing me a letter. Wow!!

God is ALWAYS speaking. I am NOT always listening! But thankfully, He is a generous and loving Father, ready, willing, and able to give me wisdom. The means of blessing are as varied as His creation. This week He used a book, an author, to bestow me with a bit more wisdom and I am so very grateful.

FYI, this is what He said to me today:

Dear Ann-Marie,

The desire you have for wisdom will bring you blessings beyond measure. You will gain more knowledge, insight, and understanding. As you focus on Me and our relationship, you will experience peace in every aspect of your life. Even in the trials and the difficulties ...Peace!! You will SEE blessings that you would miss otherwise.

Seek Me and you WILL find Me!

"We don't know..."

2011-06-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." Romans 8:26-27

I never cease to be amazed at the way God can bring a "fresh word". You've read and heard a certain verse or passage countless times and you think you've gotten its message. Then you read it for the hundred and first time and BAM!!... God hits you with something all new!! This passage from Romans is one of those familiar ones. I've turned to it many times when I was so distraught that I just didn't have words to pray. I have taken comfort in the fact that the Spirit was speaking on my behalf when I just couldn't muster the words. When I went through my "dark years" of depression I am certain that His Spirit did most of the praying for me.

But then this morning my devotion led me yet again to Romans and it was like I was reading it for the first time. One of my constant prayers is "not my will Father, but Yours". I know that as much as I love the Lord and I want to glorify Him in my life, I cannot escape the fact that I am human and, therefore, selfish. I can very easily convince myself that whatever I'm asking for in prayer is according to His will. Knowing that, I feel the need to end any request with a quick, "if it's your will, Lord". Today it was as if He said, "Child, don't worry! I've got you covered." He revealed to me that not only is this passage referring to the times when we can't muster a prayer. It also assures us that when we do pray, the Holy Spirit acts as a sort of filter. I know that really sounds holy!! What I mean is that because God knows our hearts and knows that "we don't know what to pray for" He has assigned His Holy Spirit the task of making sure our prayers are "in harmony with God's own will." Pheww!! What a load off my shoulders that is! All this time I've been worried that I would ask for things that were out of His will and He had my back the whole time.

Thank you Father!

Feeling His Pain

2010-11-16T11:53:00.000-05:00

I've got a new notch in my "Mom Belt". My youngest son underwent major surgery last week.

Nothing could prepare me for the emotions a mother feels when watching her child endure pain.

Many of my mom friends offered their advice and words of wisdom from their own experiences. But, like so many other trials of life,

no one can tell you!

You just have to go through it to understand it.

As hard as it has been seeing Jackson in such a vunerable state, there has been a blessing in it.

God has opened my eyes to what other parents and children are going through everyday!

Oh, what I have taken for granted!

I pray that this will forever change my family and me.

Thank you, Father, for healthy children.

Thank you for graciously giving me a wake-up call.

Long Time, No...Excuse!

2010-10-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's been waaay too long, and I gotta just be honest ----I've got no excuse! It's not that I haven't been busy. It's just that when it came to blogging I wasn't feelin' it.

Can I get an Amen?

I'm a girl who has difficulty staying on task sometimes. That being the case, I tend to get a lot of irons in a lot of fires! Fires like, blogging, writing, sewing, couponing, reading, knitting, painting, decorating...

This is all aside from the Priorities of wife, mom, and homemaker!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks I can do all the things that interest me and take care of my family and do it all well! Is it just the "nature of the beast"? (The "beast" being that fact that we are women! )

I do have to say, however, that there is one fire I refuse to let go out! My time with the Lord each morning is the only thing that keeps me grounded. As crazy as my life seems sometimes, I can't imagine how

out of control I would feel without those quiet moments I spend in His Word and in His presence. When it comes down to choosing...God or one of those other dozens of fires...

God wins, hands down!

So, yes, it has been too long! But...I actually do have an excuse...

from the "Great Physician"!

BTW, here are some pics of my most recent "fires"!

We're Online!!

2010-07-08T16:56:00.001-04:00

I just had to post and let everyone know that our book is online!!! The publisher just informed me that the website is "live" and the book is available for order.

Mercy!!!!!!

I felt like this day would never get here and now I don't even know what I think.

All I can say is

God is Good!!

I'm going to place a link on the sidebar for ordering and if you'd like to keep up with our journey as authors you can hop over to our blog

Your Last Breath

Blessings!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

2010-06-20T00:30:00.001-04:00

This is my firstborn. He's fourteen now and much taller than his mamma, but he's still very much my baby.

That's why today was a bitter sweet day for me.

Today my baby "went to work" for the first time!

Brandon has been talking for months now about wanting to find a summer job. That's all fine and good, but he's only fourteen!

But he has refused to let his age be a deterrent.

So, long story short, he called his cousin who has some connections with the local farmers.

Sure enough, cuz hooked him up and today he worked his little hiney off loading hay.

(somewhere around 1200 square bales between 6 guys!)

When I picked him up this afternoon he was covered in so much hay and dirt I barely recognized him.

But I wasn't thinking so much about his appearance as I was thinking,

"My little boy is becoming a man!"

As proud as I am of my son for wanting to work and working so hard, there is another part of me that is so reluctant to accept this new stage of his life.

I know that him having a job makes him that much less dependant on me and that is scary.

I know that my children are on loan from God and He has a perfect plan for each of their lives. So as they race their way to independence I pray!

I pray that God will give me the strength to give them wings.

This Man

2010-06-18T01:28:00.001-04:00

Allow me to introduce My Man.

I've been his bride for nearly 17 years and yet I'm still amazed.

I'm amazed that I found this man. I wish I could tell you that I prayed for him my whole life.

I wish I could tell you that I sought God wholeheartedly on the subject of a future spouse. No, I'm afraid I

was quite a bit more selfish in those days. I knew what I wanted in a husband, but I had no idea what God wanted in my husband !

Thankfully, my momma had my back! Little did I know, as I was growing up, momma and God had

a lot of talks. Despite the fact that I was not seeking God's guidance in this area, she was!

And, not only was a young mom in Michigan praying for the future husband of her little girl. In a little town in North Carolina another momma was praying for her son's future wife.

In my wildest dreams I never could have imagined this man!

I tell him often that he is perfect...for me, and I really believe that.

God knew what I needed and wanted better than I ever did.

My Man and I take every chance we get to tell young people and their parents

to pray for their future spouses!

We also thank our mommas often. :)

Book Proof! Book Proof!

2010-06-16T15:28:00.001-04:00

It's here, It's here, It's here!!!!!

We just received the first proof of our finished book! I. am. so. excited!!!

It looks even better than I had hoped. We're now looking at roughly 4 weeks until we

have it in our hands! Woo Hoo!!! (Picture me doing a little jig here. Actually, don't! I can't dance!)

Blessings Y'all!!

Holding Pattern

2010-06-11T12:26:00.002-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen we've just been informed by the tower that, due to unfavorable weather conditions, we are to maintain a Holding Pattern. We ask that you remain in your seats, and we will keep you posted as conditions improve. We thank you for your patience.

If you've done much flying, chances are you've heard a similar announcement from the captain. I believe chances are just as good that, at least once in your life, you've heard the same announcement from God.

He made such an announcement in my life a few months ago. The last year for our family has been one of Reckless Faith. God whispered His plans in our ears and then waited to see what we would do with His revelation. We were just crazy enough to believe Him, and by His grace we jumped in head first.

photo by Ian Kahn

Freedigitalphotos.net

We sold everything we could, rented out everything else, packed up our three boys and headed South of the Border! For the year that followed God took us out of our boxes and showed us over and over again how much we had limited Him. He changed us, and not in the ways we had anticipated. Isn't that soo how God works!!

In February He whispered in our ears again, and again we obeyed. We returned home, excited and anxious to hear our next directive. What would He have for us to do now? We knew from past experience that He would give us enough light for the next step. During our time in Mexico, He had given us a book to write. Now, with the book completed, we imagined things moving and changing quickly. After all, we had been to Mexico and back with Him!

photo by Salvatore Vuono

freedigitalphotos.net

It's been four months since our return and we have not been given any further directives!

The only thing God has whispered in our ears is, "Be Still!" "What about now, God?" "BE STILL!" "God, just want to make sure we haven't missed anything." "BE STILL!" "So, you want us to just wait here, God?" "BE STILL!"

Why is it So hard to be still? I throw a mini tantrum when the computer is too slow, for pete's sake! I'm a slowpoke by nature. My Man will tell you I LOVE to piddle!! But I must admit that God has me beat by a mile. It has gotten easier to wait for His timing, the older I get. But I still have a LONG way to go.

So, I wait, and I try very hard to enjoy the view while I'm in this Holding Pattern. It's not as if I'm in a valley of suffering or anything. I know that my Father has some changes He wants to make in me before He can take me to the next level of service to Him. I know that He is working in my heart and changing me from "Glory to Glory" and I am SOO thankful. I am thankful that He will not leave me as I am and that He is faithful to "Complete the good work that He began in me."

What about you? Do you struggle with waiting on God? I'm pretty sure everyone does at some time? Let me encourage you to

"Be still and know that He is God".

I also encourage you to share your stories here. I would love to have some company in this!

Blessings!

Miller in the Middle

2010-06-08T23:54:00.002-04:00

Our middle son Miller turned 12 over the weekend. (isn't he a cutie!!) We threw a little Surprise Party for him with a Survivor Man type theme. He's totally into all the "survival skills"! He's always drawing up plans for a cabin in the woods where he can live a Jeremiah Johnson existence, "off the grid", living off the land.

I can totally picture it!

Funny thing about having three children of the same sex...they're nothing alike! Aside from the fact that they are all of the male species, they are all three quite unique. Miller is not only different from his brothers, he's different than a lot of 12-year-olds. I Love that about him. He's blazing his own trail, the Lone Ranger of middle schoolers! I pray that he will keep that spirit of independence and adventure throughout his life. It's something I wish I would have had at his age. Who am I kidding...I wish I had it now!

I find it ironic that I turned 40 this year and I want to be more like my 12-year-old! I want to worry less about people's opinions of me. I want to be more adventerous. I want to be different. I want to dream big!

I'm a firm believer that God teaches us some of His greatest lessons through our children. Thank you God for Miller and all that I am learning through him everyday.

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him"

Psalm127:3

Naptime!

2010-06-03T17:11:00.002-04:00

Aren't naps the Bees Knees! My eight-year-old, Jackson, still thinks so. (And, of course, my dog agrees.) My two older sons gave up naps for good by age three, (but not Jackson! He would take a nap every day if we would let him. He comes home from school and we have to race to get his homework finished before he gets too tired. Then we try to keep him busy enough that he doesn't sit down and fall asleep. It just makes me laugh because you know that if we wanted him to come home and take a snooze everyday after school...no way Jose! Jackson is one of those children who is always three steps ahead of you. The Lord blessed him with a servant's heart. He knows what you need before you do. I often joke that he makes a better hostess than I do! And I can't tell you how many times his teachers have told me of his "helpfulness" in class. I just cringe imagining him taking over when he is dissatisfied with her teaching skills.

So my theory is that Jackson is so busy taking care of everyone all day that by 3:00 he is slap worn out! So, on some days, (like this one!) I relent and let the Grumpy Bear rest. Because I know one day soon, I'll turn around and he'll be 18 and won't have time for naps.

I better go...this is making me sleepy!

P.S. Jackson's two brothers tease me that he is never going to move out. They say that their dad and I will just have to move out one day while he is napping!! They think they're soo funny!!

There's No Time Like The Present

2010-06-02T13:31:00.001-04:00

freefoto.com

I have a confession to make. I’m a procrastinator! Wow, that feels a lot better! I’ve put that off for far too long. See what I mean?

I’m at this point with the Lord right now where He’s pointing out all the “little things.” Let me just say, it ain't no picinic! If I can be honest here, I’ve always treated the “little things” as no big deal. You know, “little things” like envy, covetousness, jealousy, gossip, laziness, perfectionism, pride, worry, impatience, and, yes, procrastination. These are the actions and attitudes I can usually hide from others. Even if I slip and let an attitude of pride or, perhaps, impatience be seen by others, I can cover it well with excuses like, “I’m a little stressed!” or “I just needed to vent!”

But, what God has shown me recently is how destructive these “little things” are to my relationship with Him. Imagine ingesting poison. From the outside there may be no visible signs of trouble. But, on the inside, your body is being destroyed, eaten by the poison. Sin is a poison! Whether or not we can see its effects with our eyes, it destroys us from the inside out.

Procrastination is not a sin…unless!!! When procrastination hinders my walk with the Lord, it becomes a sin. (Ouch! That one hurt!) Time is a gift from God. Just like money, talents, and abilities, time is a blessing which requires stewardship. If I make procrastination a habit, then I am not being a good steward of the time God has given me.

I’ve excused my little habit all of my life as “just part of my nature.” My mantra has been, “Why do today what can be put off until tomorrow?” Well, the jig is up! God has called me out on this “little thing”, and He’s not having any more of it. He’s made it clear that, if I’m going to be used by Him and continue to grow in my faith, procrastination has to go!

I’m sure you can guess what my initial response was. ~~"Yippee~~!" “Does it have to be today, God?” But, honestly, I’m thankful that He is calling me to this higher standard. I shudder to think of all the time I’ve wasted over the years because of my procrastination; the opportunities I missed to serve Him.

It’s not going to be easy to give up this life-long habit, but, thanks be to God, I don’t have to do it alone. The fact is, I can’t do it! Jesus will do it through me, as I seek to obey Him wholeheartedly.

Proverbs 15:19 KJV

“The way of the slothful man is a hedge of thorns: But the way of the righteous is made plain.”

Proverbs 15:19 NLT

“A lazy person has trouble all through life; the path of the upright is easy.”

Lemonade Makin' Mama

2010-05-26T09:21:00.005-04:00

I just have to give a shout-out to a fellow blogger gal today! This week I had the pleasure of "meeting" Sasha, the talented and generous blogstress behind Lemonademakinmama.com
This blog has got it goin' on and I ain't pickin'!! I encourage you to go check her out and witness the miracles God is doing in her family. You will be blessed! Thanks, Sasha, for sharing your stories and for your help which was above and beyond.
Blessings y'all!

Hydrangeas and Cherries

2010-05-24T22:36:00.007-04:00

I just had to share some shots from "down on the farm"! We returned today from a long weekend get-away and my hydrangea bush and my cherry trees were all bursting at the seams. I couldn't resist sharing ...

Looks like cherry cobbler's on the menu this week!!

We Have a Winner!!

2010-05-15T14:30:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know the winner of the book give-away. Thanks to all of you who commented here and on facebook. Don't you just love to hear someone say they understand! Your words of encouragement mean more than you know. I pray you'll continue to post your thoughts here, not just for me, but for others who may need to hear it.

Okay, the winner is........Sabrina Bragg!!! What a God thing! Sabrina is a friend from long ago, who was one of my first godly mentors as a newlywed. We bothed moved away and haven't seen eachother in years, but she continues to be an example of a Proverbs 31 woman to me. So, now all these years later, I get to say "Thanks!" Love you Sabrina and God bless you.

BTW there will be more give-aways in the future so keep leaving those comments!!

Be Careful What You Pray For!

2010-05-11T11:16:00.011-04:00

I WONDER
by Ruth Harms Calkin

You know, Lord, how I serve you

With great emotional fervor

In the limelight.

You know how eagerly I speak for you

At a women's club.

You know how I effervesce when I promote

A fellowship group.

You know my genuine enthusiasm

At a Bible study.

But how would I react, I wonder

If you pointed to a basin of water

And asked me to wash the calloused feet

Of a bent and wrinkled old woman

Day after day

Month after month

In a room where nobody saw

And nobody knew.

Lately as I pray for my children, I've been particularly burdened to pray for their humility. I know they're kids and humility is a stretch. But my personal struggles with the beast of pride and the falls that resulted have left an indelible scar that I do not want my children to bear in their own lives. Put simply, I would much rather they humble themselves than for God to be forced to humble them!

Well, as they say, "Be careful what you pray for!" As so often is the case, God turned the tables on me. After a few days of earnestly pleading for my children in this area and asking Him to give them a sincere desire to seek His glory rather than their own, God asked me a question. "Ann-Marie, are you modeling humility for your children?"

AWWWW, nuts!!! I was really hopeful He was just going to take care of this one for me. You know, "let go and let God!" I was humbly admitting that I couldn't change their hearts! And, after 14 years of motherhood, I knew no amount of me talking would change anything. So I was taking it to the One who can get through to them and can change their hearts. But with all these years under my belt, I should have also known that He always uses our relationships with our children to teach us about our relationship with Him.

In the weeks that have followed, I have taken an honest and difficult look at myself. Wow! All I can say is, "Thank you, Father!" Thank you for your mercy and your love in spite of my prideful ways. He daily gives me so many opportunities to model humility and true servanthood and I'm ashamed to say that MANY times I have literally turned my nose up in response. I've even joked that everyone can't be a servant or there would be no one to serve. OUCH!

I'm happy to report that my prayers for my children have changed. I now ask God to change me and my heart so that I can model for my children humility and true servanthood. And just like I am powerless to change my boys' hearts, I am powerless to change my own. But PRAISE THE LORD, He is able!!!

Remember...Be Careful What You Pray For!!

P.S. Leave a comment and you could win a prize!!! I just finished reading a great book by Christian speaker and author, Lysa TerKeurst entitled, Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl. I couldn't put it down! In fact, I loved it so much I want to give away a copy. So leave a comment and become a follower of the blog and I'll pick one random person to win her own copy of the book. Be sure and leave your name and a way for me to contact you.

Have a blessed one...

Ann-Marie

Abiding in Him

2010-05-05T12:28:00.003-04:00

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

I believe that when Jesus said to "abide" in Him, he meant for us to make Him our dwelling place. What do we do in our dwelling places? We do most everything there! We live there, we eat there, we rest there, we play there, we work there, we laugh there, we cry there.

When we are in our dwelling places, we let our hair down. We are our truest selves there; no pretense or put-ons. We find refuge and shelter in our dwelling places.

Jesus wants to be our dwelling place. He wants us in our truest forms. He wants to be the place where we find rest and refuge. He wants his heart and his arms to be the place where we laugh and cry and cry out!

Abiding in a physical dwelling provides certain specific needs that might not be met otherwise. But abiding in Jesus, promises to meet ALL of our needs, physically, spiritually, and emotionally and to make our joy complete.

Most of the time I make my abode in the heart of my Savior. But sometimes I find myself straying outside of His protective shelter. Those are the times I really struggle. I long to live in the comfort and peace that only He can provide. And so, I am learning that my struggles can act as an alarm. If you have an alarm system in your house, you know what I mean. When a door is opened something beeps. When I feel frustrated, overwhelmed, impatient, angry, whatever, I know that the Holy Spirit is "beeping" to remind me that I am not abiding in Him.

Thank you, Father for your sweet shelter and for your spiritual "alarm system"!

The Luxury of Questions

2010-04-28T12:21:00.015-04:00

I love the writings of the late Oswald Chambers. Last year Brad bought 'My Utmost for His Highest' and we've been using it as our devotional since then. Of course there are days that I don't even open it, but on the days that I do...WOW! I never fail to be challenged in my faith. Today's passage was no exception. I would sum it up this way...Abandonment to God means "to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions."

My middle son, Miller, is a questioner who is never satisfied with simple answers. He wants to know all the details about which most of us don't even care. In fact, my husband and I often joke that when you tell Miller something you better be ready to answer at least ten questions on the given subject. I often feel that I've reached my "legal limit" and tell him, "Okay, enough questions!". When I read this morning's devotional, it occured to me that, at times, I accost God in the same way. (Swallow hard!)

The scenario usually goes something like this: I seek wisdom and guidance from God. I pray for Him to reveal His will in a certain area. He answers my request and I start in with my questions; questions like, "You want me to do what?", "Are you sure, God?" , "But what about this?", "Can I do it this way instead?", "Do I have to do that right now?". I think you get the idea. Although I love the Lord with all my heart and I pray regularly that I will seek His will above my own, I still act like a child sometimes and have to know all the whys, what fors, and hows!

God knows that in my heart I long to live in total abandonment to Him and to refuse myself "the luxury of asking questions." The words of Mr. Chambers hit me hard! But, I am humbled and thankful to know that, unlike me when my child pelts me with dozens of questions, my heavenly Father is infinitely patient.

This whole line of thought is just another of the many fascinating paradoxes I find in God's word. Think of it this way: God wants us to live in complete abandonment without question, but He also tells us to "Ask and it will be given...". When I put the two truths together I realize that if I want a life of unquestioning abandonment to my King I simply need to ASK! How cool is that!!!

Dear Lord,
I ask you to help me to give up the luxury of questions!! Help me to live a life of reckless abandonment to you!
I love you!

Aha!!

2010-04-27T12:17:00.008-04:00

I love aha moments! Okay no blonde comments!!! God has been gracious lately and really opened my eyes. For several years now I have had this restlessness. I've felt like there was something I needed to be doing, but what that something was has evaded me...until now. Being a creative soul, I have definitely learned that I need to be "creating" on a regular basis. Whether I'm sewing, painting, knitting, crocheting, or whatever. But what God has revealed to me more recently is my need to write. In high school and college writing was a chore. It was certainly not something I did for enjoyment. In my early thirties, however, I started keeping prayer journals. It was a habit born more of necessity than any creative impulse. I needed to keep my mind from wondering during my prayer time and putting my thoughts to pen and paper was the means for accomplishing that. Well, after a decade of prayer journaling I have grown to love it. What was a chore in high school English class is now something I crave. On the days when I don't get the opportunity to journal I feel incomplete in some way.

So, back to aha moments. That restlessness that I've felt ...turns out it involves writing. As some of you already know, Brad and I have had the privilege of writing a book while we were in Mexico. It is in the process of being published as I write this. The big question for me since writing the book has been "Okay, God! Now what?" Authoring the book fanned the flame that my journalling had sparked. What God has revealed to me recently is that writing is what He wants me to do. It is that something that I have felt like I needed to be doing all these years. AHA!!! I can't express to you the excitement I am feeling over this revelation. My absolute greatest desire is to love God with all my heart and to glorify Him with my life. To know that He would bless me with specific talents and abilities is one thing. But to know that he would place a certain desire in my heart and then enable me to realize that desire by glorifying Him...WOW!!!

As a result of His prompting I am refocusing this blog. It is my prayer that as the Lord leads me I will share my journey with Him here. If even one person reads my humble writings and goes away encouraged that God loves them ,then I have glorified my Savior. What more can I ask!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless :)

OOPS!

2010-04-02T12:20:00.002-04:00

What's that saying about "too many irons in the fire"? Yeah, that's me! Somebody asked me yesterday if I had updated my blog lately. When I said yes, she said, "Not the family blog! YOUR blog!". OOPS! Let's just say I've been a little proccupied. ;) But I'm back now and I hope to take more opportunities to share here. I need a place to ramble on about nothing....

When I look back at the last few posts here, it absolutely amazes me the changes God has brought into my life in less than two years. He's cool like that! I can't wait to share with you just some of what He has done and continues to do. Maybe it won't all be ramblings!!

To my friend who reminded me of my little blog...Thanks! I knew there was something missing...

Anniversary Weekend!!

2008-10-31T09:54:00.014-04:00

15YEARS!!! On October 23rd we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. I can't even believe it! Time really does fly when you're having fun. We had a wedding to attend in Charleston so we left the boys with Mom and Dad and we stayed downtown at the Renaissance. It was WONDERFUL!!!

Fall Fun!!

2008-09-30T23:21:00.014-04:00

We had such a nice weekend! Brandon's football game was cancelled because of rain that left the field too muddy. For the first time in months, that meant a Saturday with nowhere we had to go. Did you hear that? I said NOWHERE!!! I started the day off the best way I knew how...I slept until 11:00! I spent the rest of the day doing what I love...piddling. I did a little of this and a little of that and a lot of nothing.

Aside from feeling like we could just breath a little we had a blast watching the boys play. On Friday we took Miller to Dick's so that he could buy himself a "fire starter". You know the little piece of flint that you scrape to make a spark. They sell them in the camping section. Of course, we gave VERY strict instructions as to its use. "Only on the concrete or in the sandbox!!" The mother in me was really rebelling against the whole notion of my beloved ten-year-old starting his own fire. I knew this was more serious than the magnifying glass he usually weilded. But after 12 years with boys I've learned that they just have to do some things. (Although, even as I write this I'm wondering WHY? )

So, after assuring us that he would use caution, stay in the sandbox, and keep his 6-year-old brother out of the fire (roll of the eyes, because the 6-year-old has to be included!), he rushes off with visions of infernos dancing in his head.

I perched myself in my cozy chair and a half which is strategically positioned in front of the window facing the sandbox. What I witnessed over the course of the afternoon cannot be described in words. But what is it they say about pictures?....

These are the days we'll remember...