More than Rubies

When The Word Reveals Sin

2012-01-21T05:06:00.000-08:00

"She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms." Proverbs 31:17

I have felt led to do a series of posts on here that takes a much closer look at the Proverbs 31 woman. I have had a slight case of writer's block however. I could not see where to start. Was it with organzing and cleaning the home? Should I start with respecting our husbands? As I read the verses that I had read so often, the Lord worked as only he can and illuminated time and time again verse 17.

My flesh recoiled. Read the second part of the verse listed above. The first part I can deal with, sure,us moms and wives have to be strong. But,she did what? She "strengthened" her arms. She had time to EXCERCISE! She did everything she did and still took care of herself.

This was a new concept to me. I have never noticed before where this amazing woman did anything but work and sacrifice for others. She certainly did not appear in other verses to give much thought to her needs. She didn't even sleep for crying out loud! The word tells us nothing about he eating habits, but I think there is enough in verse 17 to tell us she did, in fact, take care of herself. It would take a miracle of God for her body to hold up to all she had to accomplish if she did not.

But why? If she had no weight or other health problems, why bother to excercise? This is the trap I had fallen into and where my sin was revealed. I am blessed to not have a weight problem. Now sisters, please do not hate me if you do struggle with weight. TRUST me I have my own issues to deal with, but weight has never been one of them. So I never worried about eating whatever I wanted, drinking my beloved Dr. Pepper, or working out. Who has time and why bother if I do not need to lose weight? I have too many other things to worry about.

Wow was I wrong. First, let's look at why the lady in Proverbs 31 may have cared to care for herself. She loved the Lord and His word and wanted to do what it said. So consider these verses.

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

It was easy for me to look past the first one. That was the standard growing up when it came to why we shouldn't smoke or drink in excess. I mean, I was healthy, so no special care is needed, right? I do not do things that are intentionally harmful to my body, so that is good enough. It was not, however. And it was also not so easy for me to looking past the issue of self-control noted in Galatians 5. The benefits of and DEMAND to practice self-control is noted throughout the Bible. I always thought about it in the context of things that were "bad" or had an immediate negative effect. Such as, I knew I needed to practice self-control to stay off of Facebook if there was work that needed to be done. But what the Lord revealed to me was that if taking care of myself for the simple fact that I am His was not enough, there was more. I was lacking self-control.

In 1 Corinthians Paul says "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (vs 27) We are to make self-control a practice in our lives, and what we eat and how we care for ourselves is as much of an area to practice as any other. We are to be doers and not hearers only, and as I heard from a wonderful speaker recently, the opposite of doing is disobedience. I had not only sinned, I was (gasp) living a LIFESTYLE of sin!

Indulging whenever I wanted was not practicing or strengthening my self-control. However, intentionally denying myself my fleshly desires when offered the chance for fast food or sweets would give those self-control "muscles" quite a workout.

Sweet sisters, I am writing this not to make you feel bad or to discourage. Caring for yourself may not be the issue with you. This sin was mine for the Lord to deal with me personally about. However, I wanted to show you how digging into His word can reveal not only sin, but motivation to do better when you haven't been able to find it anywhere else.

There are two books out currently by some very smart, believing women that address the subjects. The first is "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst and is written to more specifically address the issue of food. I had the priviledge of getting to read it before it hit store shelves and it is amazing. Check it out here. The other is by Candace Cameron Bure (yes, that is the one and only D.J. Tanner, lol!) Find out more about "Reshaping it All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness" here. Candace addresses a lot of what I mentioned in this post, and it is a fantastic read so far.

I do not know how often I will post, but do hope and pray the Lord will continue to reveal to me how he wants me to address each aspect of this section of His word. Won't you join me as I do?

God bless,

The New Year

2012-01-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

I set some goals for the new year, as most do. One of them was to take better care of myself. Another was to do better at getting up at 5:00 am. Still another was to eat lunch with my son at least once a month. So far so good, but it is only January.

The goal most pertinent to you guys, however, is to do a better job here. I feel led to do a series that examines each aspect of the Proverbs 31 Woman, verse by verse, as overwhelming and convicting as it may be. So I'm gonna give it a shot....let's see if I get up a post by the end of January.

In the meantime, what were your New Year's goals, and how are you doing?

'Tis the Season

2011-12-12T06:11:00.000-08:00

Can I just be honest with you? I had kind of given up on this blogging thing. I felt lead to do it, but God of course, but the ideas for posts weren't coming, and honsestly it seemed like no one was reading. Number one blogging mistake, right? They won't come if you don't write. Then, out of the clear blue, the More than Rubies Facebook page has EXPLODED! Well, in terms of the same 12 "likes" that have been there for MONTHS and that I so cherish has grown to close to 70. Not quite a mushroom cloud, but an exlplosion on my scale at least. I have no clue where everyone is coming from, but I know God is bringing them. So to those of you who are new, welcome. I so want to build a community based around helping each other be more like the Proverbs 31 Woman, and it looks like He is making that happen. A community interacts however, so your comments and ideas will keep it going.

So for today, a topic near and dear to my heart. How do you deal with anxiety? I don't just mean the big things, but the small things that put a damper on everyday life in general? Those things that steal your joy little by little each day. For me, crazy though I know it is, it is the fear of illness for my family, and me. Not colds an such, but vomiting. Yep, you read that right. I have a phobia of vomiting, and I fear for anyone in my family to go through it. I have my own story I plan to share soon, but first I'd like to hear what you have to say... how does He whisper sweet peace to you in your daily life?

God's Waiting Room

2011-10-24T02:00:00.000-07:00

"Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance." Joshua 14: 13

Many of us have heard the story of Caleb. He and some other Israelite men were sent by Moses to spy on the people of Canaan. While his fellow spies came back and filled the people's hearts with fear, Caleb encouraged the people. He knew God had promised them this land and that no matter how huge, strong, or powerful the inhabitants were they WERE going to win. The damage was done however, and the fear in the hearts of the nation of Israel cost them forty more years in the wilderness. Caleb did no walk away empty handed however. He was promised a land blessing due to his faithfulness.

What many of us who have heard the story several time over the years miss, what we really know but we do not really consider the implications of, is that Caleb had to wait 45 years for his blessing!!!!!!! Scripture tells us that Caleb's blessing was because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly, but he was not rewarded immediately. He was not allowed to enjoy the promised land while only those who did not follow the Lord wholeheartedly were forced to wander the dessert. Caleb had to wander with them.

When he was 45 he came to Joshua and asked for what he was promised and received it. Scripture gives no indication that his faith or even his body had weakened during this time. He did not give up or quit because he wasn't getting what he was promised fast enough. He did not neglect to ask because he had given up. He kept the faith and when he did get to enjoy his reward, it was all that much sweeter.

I am blessed to be in a place today where I am enjoying sweet, peaceful, ordinary life in a way I never have. The past several years of our life, though wonderful and full of blessing, have been chaotic and uproarious as well. Stress of working outside of the home, a baby born with a chronic illness, many moves, and financial struggles have been our wilderness and is has ended in what I hope and pray is where we will get to stay. Though I know there will be more hard times through the years, this current time is blissful. We are not rich, but we are making it and digging out of debt, I am working from home, and we get to live in the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Our daughter is healthy and has a great team of doctors, and our son and daughter both have many opportunities they would not have had anywhere we have lived previously. Though during those years when it wasn't so easy I cannot say I was always a saint, I never doubted that God had something better and bigger for our family in His time.

I wonder if when Caleb got his land he spend his nights worrying what was going to burst his bubble. Would fire or famine take it all away? I hope not. I hope he enjoyed every minute of God's good gift. Knowing what I know from scripture about Caleb, I imagine I need not worry about that. At times I find myself worrying that this will all disappear, but I am trying and going to keep trying to remember that God gives us good gifts to enjoy, and more than that to use for His glory. I want to do both.

So if today finds you in a time of wondering in your own wilderness, I want to encourage you to do as Caleb did and continue to follow God wholeheartedly during this time. You will be much better prepared to recognze and enjoy the blessing when it comes. If you are enjoying good gifts today, really ENJOY them, and find how you can use them to glorify our mighty God.

God bless,

Goderruptions

2011-10-16T04:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that "Goderupption" is not a word, and while it may sound like an erruption of God, which could be awesome or terrifying (probably both) it is meant to be a combination of God and interruptions. Of course the idea that God has to intterupt somewhere means that you are not exactly where you supposed to be or doing what you are supposed to be doing, right? I had a day full of God changing plans, my plans, to what He had planned just yesterday.

We have family visiting. The fall foliage here is beautiful right now and way better than where they are from, so we went in together and split the cost of a minivan rental. Everything was all paid for and taken care of electronically, and I even patted myself of the back for saving over a hundred dollars through choose my own price bidding.

One teeny tiny problem. The bidding site neglected to tell us that even though we had already paid for the van, we had to have a CREDIT card, not a DEBIT card, to actually take the van away. "We have rented cars before without credit cards!" is what I am sure I screamed at my poor, defenseless hubby when he broke the news over the phone. He explained that each time before we had a return plane ticket. Oh. We have credit cards, we just do not use them and certainly do not carry them. I did not wanted to forced to use it! I was so upset. We had reservations for dinner on top of a MOUNTAIN! It was going to be FUN with my parents, grandmother, and aunt. Everyone would be disappointed. I had let everyone down. Why can things never go right?

Then God touched my heart. Enjoy the day with your family, he said. Have fun, take the girls to a thrift store with some of those coupons you got. Just enjoy the day. So I said, "Okay God, thank you." When it got home, everyone except my mother was actually GLAD to be staying home. My grandmother was tired, my aunt was excited not to be drugged up on dramamine for the day, and my dad was grateful for the rest after driving 600 miles the day before. Wow. Mom was okay too, just not as EXCITED as everyone else. Hmf... oh well, thank you Lord, you know best.

It gets better. Decided to have a date night with the hubby since we had sitters. I tried to use promo codes to get movie tickets. I completely WASTED money when they didn't work and booked two different show times at two different theaters. We coud have gone and seen a show seperately at seperate times, but we did not. That is NOT a date! I was mad and grumpy that we were not going to get to go. I told my husband "I am taking the women to the thrift store, we cannot go to a movie, decide before I get back if you even want to go out to just eat." I am sure he was SOOOOOO excited for an evening together after that.

I passed the thrift store but found it quickly when we turned around. When the light turned is when I realized and I was in a left turn only lane and had to turn on to the INTERSTATE! Not that I am scared or anything, but it was forever before there was an exit to turn around. When I finally could get off I was turning around in a parking and wonder of wonders is was the parking lot of another branch of the same store we were trying to find. We just stopped and went in, one is just as good as the other, right?

Oh no, God gives his children good gifts:) We found some great deals, most that we probably could have gotten at the other store too, but we will never know. But I found the mother load. A pair of 7 For All Mankind Jeans, perfect fit, for $8.99. Now, I do not know much about jean brands, I buy them cheap wherever I can get them, but from a friend I knew these sold for between $150 and $200 on most occassions. I'm thinking HELLO EBAY! However, now that I think about it, I may keep them as a reminder... I just need pray to see what He wants:)

I had also been lamenting about the wig that goes with commercial Strawberry Shortcake costume this year. My two year old desperately wants the costume, which is moderately priced, but the wig comes separate and is almost the same price! My mother found a red toddler wig at this store for $2.99! Yes, thank you Lord for good gifts.

Date night without the movie? Fantabulous! I really think God meant for us to have a night to reconnect, and you cannot do that at a movie or rushing to get to a movie. He had a wonderful dinner, went to get ice cream and sat in the car listening to music as we ate, and then we killed some time in the Christian bookstore and my husband found a great book that I know God had planned for him to find. I got a pretty neat deal too...

Point being, God knows, and he has better things planned, even in the small everyday details of life. Try not to waste this miracle being grumpy like I did for a long time yesterday, but enjoy it fully.

Did You Catch the Encouragement for Today?

2011-10-07T05:11:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31 Ministries had an exceptional daily devotion a few days ago that I am just getting to read. Well, it especially touched me today anyway. Not that they all don't, but this one especially did. Let me warn you...the gist is about dented cans and how the food inside can still be sweet and we are all damaged goods... this goes against EVERYTHING I know about eating food out of dented cans....but that's not the point:)

Just When I Thought I Had It All Figured Out

2011-09-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

I give up! Lol! Had a new job, increased hours, fine because my dear daughter loves preschool, then decreased hours so can't pay for preschool and gas, now dear daughter still in preschool and I am hoping I can make enough working at home to keep her there because she loves it so much.

I have been trying to figure out what the point of the job was anyway. Did I make a mistake in accepting it or even pursuing it? I don't think so. Here is what I have come up with, with some guidance from the Father. I would never had put her in preschool for more time each day if it were not for that job, and being back in the workforce outside of the home for a short time has reminded me of somethings that will make me more successful working from home. So here we go again.....do I have it right this time? Who knows!? We shall see... in the mean time I better get to work. Have a great weekend!

The Tables Have Turned

2011-09-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

It is a very, very strange feeling. I have spend my entire mothering career, over six years, striving, worrying, and aching to find away to stay home with my children. As I said in previous posts, we decided dear daughter should go to preschool at least part-time, but I always knew if income did not support it I could bring her home with me and continue as we were with me working from home.

Well, the tables have turned. She loves preschool SO much that I am now looking for a way to keep her in. My boss at my new job cut my hours. We apparently miscalculated the amount of work or the time it would take to do the work. Either way, it means less money. So, instead of my original plan of if it does not work out we are no worse off than we were before, it is now a mad dash to figure out a way to KEEP her in "daycare."

I honestly think she would be heartbroken if I took her out. This is a strange, strange feeling, but she is learning a lot and truly cannot wait to get back each day. I have to wonder if this is the Lord's way of prompting me to go back to work full-time, but only prayer and time will tell. It has been a crazy couple of months, but we have definitely had crazier and we are so very blessed. Praise Jesus for our health and family!

When Working Away From Home is Better... Who Would've Thought

2011-09-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

So my dreams came true and I got to work from home. Of course the true dream would be not to have to work at all other than as a wife and mother, but that is not happening here anytime soon. Working from home has been a true blessing beyond measure and allowed a lot of things to get done that were very, very stressful before. However, the extra time with the kids still wasn't there. We still struggled to do Ashton's treatments, Jackson's school work, and housework. I was up at all hours of the night working, and I was contantly putting the kids off to meet a deadline.

Enter God with a new blessing. My daughter LOVES pre-school so much that I began a part-time job outside of the home. It pays for preschool and still leaves at least as much as I was making at home. I get off at 2:00 so I can pick her up just after her nap, go get my son, and when we get home ALL I have to be is a wife and mother. I miss them like crazy, but my son is in school anyway and my daughter cannot wait to get back every morning. When I was picking her up before nap she was asking to sleep there, so really all I did is let her.

Another schedule change, but everyone seems to be adjusting. Still tweaking the house cleaning schedule, but it will come. And I can still write from home on days when the kids are out of school and I have to be here with them. God is so good... and who would have imagined that working away from home would give me more time to be a wife and mother? It seems that way anyway... I guess we will see. Of course the key is that is it PART-TIME. Thank you Lord for good gifts!

How Much Faith Do We Really Want?

2011-08-25T02:57:00.000-07:00

I was struck with a most disheartening, almost terrifying thought this morning while reading the Daily Devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries. In this devotional, the author (Lysa Terkeurst) makes the oh so true statement that to be women of faith, we must live lives that require a little faith. Most of us live our lives daily in our own little comfort zone, very preditictable for the most part.

These devotions always have a prayer at the bottom. I read the prayer, began to pray it, and then the fear set in. What had I just prayed? Give me more faith? Think about that...is that not akin to praying for patience? The only way to make it stronger is to use it, and the only way it gets used it for it to be tested.

Do we REALLY want that? We should. If we do not, why don't we? We lives lives that require very little faith most of the time. Do we step out on faith, or do we avoid situations we fear will make God look bad? I contest that this is worse than unworked faith, rather it is a lack of faith. We have to position our lives to collide with God's miracles. Often we do not have the choice as they are positioned that way for us. I have been there. Now I am not. Now I need to find a way to make God's work evident in my life, giving Him all the glory, and thanking Him for the choice at this time.

Read the devotional. Consider this. Any thoughts? I would love to hear them!

One last thing. For some reason I cannot comment on my own posts. My sweet friend Rachel, whom I recently reconnected with left a comment on my post about cleaning schedules and I could not respond! I am sorry Rachel. I am working on that. Her cleaning routine sounds like the one I had before this week. I'll be posting soon about how the new schedule we are trying works out. In the mean time, feel free to chime in on that conversation as well:)

A New Schedule for a New School Year

2011-08-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

We are starting a new schedule next week. I have been blessed with a job that will allow me to work for three hours each morning, and it is going to allow us to put our 2 1/2 year old in a spectacular pre-school program during that time. Along with that huge blessing, when I get her she will already have had lunch and be ready for nap, so (prayerfully) will have time to write as well in the afternoons. If that is the case, we will make a little extra each month as well. I am super excited, but there are a number of what ifs out there as well. I have no childcare for my first grader on non school days. My new boss said we will work something out, maybe working from home those days or maybe he can come to the office with me those days. Either way, this is a huge blessing all around.

I am terrified. Even working from home I cannot seem to stay on top of housework. So, I now have a new plan. It is one of those that works great on paper but we will see how it really works kind of things. I have set a daily cleaning schedule and instead of cleaning all in one day we will do a little each day.

Now, I want to know how many of you have this type of cleaning routine and how yours works. What do you do daily, weekly, bi-monthly, and monthly? I need suggestions, and frankly I am wondering how it works for you.

God Bless,

Mary and Martha Again! A Breakthrough?

2011-08-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Yes... I am back to this. Our lesson in Sunday School, which at our new Church is called ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship) touched on this today. The lesson was about service, but as soon as they brought up Mary and Martha I could not get past it. I spent the rest of the time half listening to the teacher and half listing to the Lord try again to work this out in my heart and mind. Am I the only one who struggles with this? I have discussed my issues before here with these two women and the particular events of their story noted in Luke 10.

Here are some of my thoughts on the subject in the past.

Neither of them could have had a husband, and we actually never hear of one in scripture. What husband would actually be happy about a wife sitting around listening to the men, and one important as the LORD, and then find out there is NO FOOD!
Wonder what Lazarus would have said if SOMEONE wasn't working on the meal?

Here are some thoughts I had today as I conversed with the Lord.

I (the Lord) fed 5,000 people with two loaves of bread and 5 fish... obviously Martha had underestimated my power.
Martha was serving, but where was her heart and with what attitude was she serving with? I wonder what was going through her head... thoughts like "I have to do all the work." "I wish I had known they were coming." and "Why do I have to do it all alone while Mary gets to listen to the Lord speak?"

I wonder if it would have even occurred to her to be so bold as to almost rebuke the God of the universe if she had be focused on the joys of serving Him rather than being full of negativity. Would she have even felt that she had been wronged, or could she have actually embraced the opportunity? I also wonder if the story would have played differently if she had realized he had the power to simply say "Let there be food" and there a a full meal on the table.

Now, let's apply this practically. Very, very few of us are going to actually have Jesus in the flesh sitting at our table to create a meal out of thin air. If we have guests we are going to have to feed them. So I had the idea, in speaking with the Lord, of "Mary" moments and "Martha" moments. We MUST create, and be intentional about "Mary" moments. Take opportunities as they come and create opportunities when need be to sit at the Master's feet. Whether it be rising early or staying up late to study, praise, pray, journal and other great quiet time "stuff", or taking an opportunity to go to a Lady's Night Out or Women's Conference where His word will be taught.

By the way, those things are okay for us to attend you know. Of course there are things that can keep us from these activities, conferences and such, legitimately. However, we should pray for the wisdom to recognize opportunities to spend this time at God's feet. Go to worship, listen to the preacher, soak in His word at every single opportunity. Have a Godly radio station playing, practice prayer during the ordinary course of the day such as laundry and dishes. Be intentional about learning at the foot of His throne.

And in our "Martha" times, watch our attitude. We must intentionally fight against Satan and take captive every thought for God. Satan does not control our thoughts unless we let him. We should spend our times of service in praise to Him as well. Also, we must not let our "Martha" duties distract us from our "Mary" moments.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts.

When Honoring is HARD!

2011-08-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

With the end of our first summer in our new city comes the possibility of me going back to work full-time. I have been working part-time from home and I am praising Him everyday for the fun we have had this summer. Those who know me know that this has been a dream I have ahd for a very long time.

I have gotten to see and do so much with my precious babies, and the opportunity has been nothing but God ordained and made possible by nothing short of miracles from Him. Still, I continue to apply for jobs full time jobs in an effort to honor my husband. He feels it will be better for us in this season of our lives, and I truly see his point.

Early on when I realized he still wanted me to look despite the opportunity to work from home (adequate but not substantial income) I was heartbroken. I wanted to refuse, cry, scream, yell at him that he must not trusts God or believe that I should be home with our kids. However, I know that he is a Godly husband that relies on the Lord for his wisdom. I KNOW that he is in constant prayer about this and all other situations regarding our family. That said, and after much prayer, I heard the Lord tell me that if I truly believed that about my husband, I should submit and do as he asks, and trust that He, God, will work it out.
I used to think that He (God) wanted me home at all costs, but now I know that may or may not be the case. I used to think it was a sin for me to work outside of the home and that if I had to do it I had sinned in financial decision that put me there. I know that may sometimes be the case, but I now see a different point of view as well. If He chooses for me to go back, and He might for whatever reason, He will also choose the job. It will be flexible enough for me to still take care of the family he gave me, and He will provide caring, loving childcare for the children He has blessed me with. Until and unless that time comes, I am at peace knowing He will provide everything we need in our current circumstances.

What are some circumstances in which you found honoring your husband, or God, very, very hard?

Do not forget to join me on Facebook. I am hoping to grow my page there as well..
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Not Gone Forever

2011-08-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

So it has been awhile and I hope to get back at it with school getting started up and finally feeling like we are getting settled after the move. I think there may be some newbies stopping by, so I thought I would post some helpful links for finding out what this blog is all about. First of all, I post all kinds of stuff, but the point is to share what God has done in my life so others can see how amazine HE is. I also enjoy learning more about how to be a Godly wife, more like the Proverbs 31 Woman, so I post a lot about that kind of stuff. I enjoy trying new products and saving money, which is part of that, so I sometimes post reviews and deals that I come across online or locally. I might write about my morning devotion or something the Lord is working on me about. Anyway, here are some links to posts that kind of get at the heart of things. Try here, here, and here. If you are a new friend and you are wondering if I led you here from Facebook, you caught me, lol! I love new friends and like to share what God has done in, with, and for our family:)

His Will, His Timing, and Hindsight is 20/20

2011-05-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday morning and I have just finished some quiet time with the Lord... well, I guess I am actually still in it. I somehow managed to actually get up before everyone, and they stayed asleep. A rare occassion here that both happen at the same time:) As I watch the sun rise over our new home state I am thinking about what God has done in our live over the past 11 years of marriage. Actually, it will be 12 years this month. While it has been everything I dreamed, it has all come in a completly different way than I dreamed.

I made it quite clear that I never wanted to move around. I wanted us and our children to be settled, and my husband agreed. We just recently completed our 11th moved. Not all were to different towns, but we did change town 5 times, four of which were towns we had not lived in before. Not our plans, not our will, but His.

God used that. He changed me to be better able to move out of my comfort zone. I had lived in the same town, in the same house, for 18 years before I went to college. When I did leave, I went with my best friend and joined by boyfriend of 3 years. Not THAT much of a change. I married my high school sweetheart and we completed school in our college town that he had already lived in for a couple of years before I came. Intant friends more me! Still not much of a change.

God knew if I was ever going to have a chance of being successful for Him he had to shake me up, make me move, make me depend more on Him, and make me uncomfortable. My way was easier, more stable, but His made me more useful for Him. I have worried about my kids, but then I am reminded they are really His kids, and He has a reason for what is going on in their lives as well.

Each time we move we are put in the perfect Church to grow in the way He needs us too, and each time we are amazed. We have made amazing, life long friends with each move, and I would not trade any them for all of the stability in the world.

There is so much more and I want to share it all. I hope I can make myself complete this series He has laid on my heart. His perfect will in His perfect timing has shown so vividly in our lives. We have learned and grown so much, and I know he wants me to share.

For this post, know that sometimes what you most fear, is what you most need to become everything He created you to be. Every job change I have had to make, every new Church, every financial and physical hardship has had a specific impact on me to mold me more into what He wants me to be. I pray that by sharing with you, you can see how he has or will do the same with you.

Facebook

2011-04-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

I wanna try to start connecting the blog to Facebook more. Encouraging verses and thoughts, ect. Check out the FB page and "Like" it if you want:)

He Prayed for Me!

2011-04-21T03:26:00.000-07:00

I know I really should have know this, but I was reading about Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane this morning. I have heard and read for years how He prayed for the cup to pass from Him. What human wouldn't? And he was human! He was also God, which is why He was able to do what He did on the cross, but being ONLY God would have made dying on the cross not much of a feat. N, He HAD to be human as well for it to be true sacrifice.
However, this morning, I read the story of the prayer in John 17. He not only prayed for Himself, he prayed a beautiful prayer of intercession for His beloved disciples. Then, wonder of wonders, He prayed for all believers. That's me! Just hours before His death, when he knew full well what the coming hours would bring, the Son, the Great I AM, the Alpha and Omega was praying, interceding, for ME! How humbling. Thank you sweet Jesus for all you did so many years ago and for what you continue to do today.

An update on ideas to celebrate Holy Week. One night we baked unleavened bread to have with supper an discussed how the Hebrews left Egypt so fast they had no time for bread to rise, so that is what was eaten at the Last Supper during Passover, to commemorate. The next day we made risen bread to celebrate a risen Saviour. Last night we made a cross-shaped cupcake cake. (It was supposed to have white icing to show He washed our sins white as snow on the cross, but I used a little too much vanilla!) But we discussed what He did on the cross, and how He is not longer there, but risen. Not sure what we will do today yet, but those things turned out well:) Happy Holy week ya'll!

Easter Traditions

2011-04-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am calling on all of my awesome bloggy followers for advice. With my children now getting older (2 and 6) I am looking for ways to get intentional about Holy Week. Specifically, I am looking for creative ways to teach about what happened each day of the week. I would love to hear some ideas from you guys!
Thanks in advance:)

Decoding the Martha vs. Mary Issue

2011-03-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

I hope the title of this post didn't lure anyone here under false pretenses. I do NOT have this issue decoded. In fact, just the opposite, and I would love to get your views on it. I KNOW there is a lesson here, but for some reason I always feel like I miss it. It is one of those stories those of us who have grown up in Church have heard many times, Jonah and the Big Fish, Noah's Ark, Adam and Eve, Queen Esther, and of course many stories involving Mary and Martha. The one I am referring to is the one where Martha is doing all the work and Mary gets to listen to Jesus teach. I would like to issue a disclaimer here. I am being honest because I am hoping to get some clarity. Jesus told Martha that Mary was gonna get to do that, and she should. He did not tell her she could take a load off as well. Every time I hear this or hear a lesson on it I can't get past the "what about me" syndrome. I KNOW it is better to listen to Jesus, but the work has to be done, and Martha was doing it. And while she was told Mary was going to get to do what I am SURE they both wanted to do.... she was not told she could indulge. Hmmm... seriously, I know Jesus is always right and I have a big lesson to learn here, but I'm not there yet.

The closest I have come to some clarity and a breakthrough is this. Perhaps the "seasons" rule comes into play here. This is not my season to do whatever, be it ministry, Tuesday morning Bible Study, Wed. night AWANA, or whatever for whatever reason. It was not Martha's season to listen, but rather to serve. I came to this, and began to feel better about the whole situation when it was brought to my attention that the next time we see Martha her brother has died. She hears Jesus is there and she rushes out to meet him not worrying about the mourners who have filled her home. This time, Mary stays and deals with the company. This was Martha's season to listen and Mary's season to serve. Of course we should all always listen to the Lord, but I hope you get my point.

Okay, enough rambling, I would LOVE to get your thoughts on the matter.

The Last Move?

2011-03-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Awhile back I blogged about our many, many moves. I don't think I finished. It doesn't matter now. I truly believe we are where God means for us to be, and I believe we will be here for awhile. I have no clue if this move will be our last, but I think we will do the majoriy or child raising here. Why? Well, for one thing, EVERYTHING I have prayed for, the big one, the main prayer I have had for many, many years has come to fruition here. "He will give you the desires of your heart." Yes, I know that does not mean He will give you everything you want, but I have waiting, if not always patiently, for His timing. I am home with my babies, taking care of them , raising them. It is NOT everything I thought it would be. Things are not perfect. My work has to be done after they go to bed. This often means I am working into the wee hours of the morning. The ends are meeting, even overlapping, but the overlap is VERY small. He knows just how much bad and GOOD we can handly. I know it sounds strange, but think about it. I have seen in little ways, big ways, and supernatural ways we are to be here in this season of our life. I hope to post about each one. For tonight, we are here, I have to get to working, and however difficult it is, working until 2 or 3 a.m., cutting back, whatever, it is waaaaay worth it to be home with my babies, and I will PRAISE HIM for it.... it is the answer to the prayer those closest to me KNOW I have prayed for a very long time. It is only for a season and very, very worth it. Thank you sweet Lord!

June Cleaver I Am Not

2011-03-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

Oh how I wish I was though... except for the part about not sharing a bed with my husband...but wait... my kids and my new job don't really allow that on a regular basis right now either, lol! Anyway... do you ever get in a groove and think wow, I have it together right now, only to have your bubble burst in a big, or little way? When it comes down to it, the little needles pop a bubble the same as a big one does. For example, I spent the afternoon preparing a loving meal for my family, complete with homemade rolls and homemade cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning before Church. I was feeling quite impressed with my self. The majority of the house work was done for the week. La, la, la, la..... Then my husband asked me to please not park so close to the wall in the garage... very nicely, but here it came. The voice in my head saying "dummy, can't you ever make him happy?" Then I went to get a cap for my son to wear to the hockey game out of the top of his closet and it hung up and brought a ton of stuff crashing down. Again," can't you do anything right?:" Then the self doubt... "did I clean the cabinet good before I kneaded the dough for the cinnamon rolls? What if the powder from our science project early in the day was spilled? Will the cinnamon rolls make us sick?" "You didn't dust today, what were you thinking?'

That is the devil. Yes. I am not saying I shouldn't stop parking too close to the wall, or that I shouldn't have dusted, those are things that need to get done. But I wasn't exactly lazing around all day either, and I enjoyed time with my family. Still, he is GOOD at what he does. I'm worrying about those dang cinnamon roll right now! Ugh... anyone else ever have times like these?

Oh my goodness!

2011-03-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

I am totally here and HAVE to get back to this. God has been doing so much in our lives and I cannot wait to blog about it all. I am extremely busy though, with my new life as a...drum roll please....WORK AT HOME MOM! This is a major answer to a prayer for me... but a lot different than I imagined... which is great for blogging about too... so bear with me please... and thanks to those of you who have stuck around. For now... let me just say I am learning that God, our Creator, knows exactly how much of the easy road we can handle before we try to leave Him behind. So, sometimes when things aren't as easy as we thought they would be.... it is Him making sure we stay close.

Up Coming Review from CSN Stores

2011-01-31T19:09:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! Another review from CSN Stores. After moving and getting settled in, I am looking forward to getting back in the blog routine again. One thing that is always the case with a move is that you always seem to need something for the new house. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores the have almost anything you could think of, from toasters to swingsets, you can find it there. Check them out today, and come back soon to see the review.

We're here!

2010-12-31T07:08:00.000-08:00

We are here, in our new home in our new town, digging out from under cardboard boxes and getting all settled in! I'll be on more soon, but for now, know I'm here, and please don't give up on new content:) Love all you guys!

Two Fabulous Years- Moves 7 and 8

2010-12-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well, last time I got us right up through move #6. We had put our house up for sale, listed it for rent, and moved to our fabulous new opportunity. Everything seemed to be working out. We had people looking at the house immediately, and before we ever moved I got a random e-mail one day at work from someone who heard we were moving, needed a bookkeeper, and wanted to interview me! I interviewed and had a job waiting on me when we got moved. God really, really is good. None of it was all it was cracked up to be, but all in all, our years there were FABULOUS. I struggled significantly with my job, due in part to me, and in part to them, but I LOVED and still love the people I worked with. We really were a family and in the end, they more than did me right.

We rented a very small home to begin with, but it was brand new. I liked it very much, but even though he was the one who picked it out, the size was not something my husband could deal with. About six months after we moved, he was approached by an associate who was in a similar position...he was moving and knew the market was bad. His home was much larger and had a huge fenced backyard. He was also on a dead end street. He would rent it to us for exactly what we were currently paying. This is how we made our first move right before Christmas, move number 8 in the line of moves. In the end, it was the most fabulous move ever and it really was a God thing. We had just joined and AWESOME Church and we were moving into a neighborhood litterally filled with young couples from our Church that had children near our son's age. We all came out every night when it was nice and visited and played. It was like a street party ever night! We were a family, our kids loved each other, and those people helped us through some of the most difficult times in our life.

Our next door neighbors had a son one year younger than ours, and one a year older. They were together all the time. That couple announced they were pregnant in January, and we found out in April we were expecting as well... we were about 10 weeks apart, and it was so much fun being pregnant together. We went through hand-me down baby clothes together, discussed names, and how excited we were that we would be raising our baby girls together. I knew we wouldn't be, but I allowed myself to dream anyway. It was fun.

Then we had Ashton, and everything was perfect. Then we got the call and went through all the Cystic Fibrosis testing and diagnosis. Our dear friends from Cherokee Street and church family from WBC were sent to us from God for such a time as that. I know without a doubt that we were sent to that town, that Church, and that street specifically for that time in our lives. Thank you God and I love you, amen!

Then the time came for the sales tax that funded my husband's job to be voted on again. To make a long story short, it was an ugly, personal campaign and the tax failed. Just a few weeks earlier he had been contacted by another town, one much closer to our families, about coming to work for them. He told them he might be interested if the tax failed, but that he could not discuss it until it knew how that turned out. The day after the election, he received a call and he went to interview. They had been watching and knew the outcome of the election. One week exactly after the tax failed, we had a new job offer. Praise Jesus, we were headed home! Our families were beyond excited, a though we were going to miss our Church family and friends dearly, we knew this was a good move.

During this time we were praying as we always had that our next move would be our last, and although we were excited, we knew this was still not the type of stable job we needed to stay put. We knew this was not the last move, but we prayed that it could maybe be the next to last. Also, during this time, it had been over 2 years since we put up our last house for sale, and after two sets of renters, it was empty and still ours... ouch.

And all that is how we came to move #9, where we are currently, for a few more weeks anyway...