Virtuous Living

Halle's Birth Story ~ Part 1

2012-01-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

Prior to having children, having an unmedicated birth experience was never even on my radar. Never. Still, as many of you moms know: motherhood brings about many changes. I initially thought that women who actually wanted to have unmedicated, natural births were just plain crazy. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why these poor women just didn't take advantage of the breakthroughs in modern medicine (that the good Lord had provided) in order to escape the "torture" that we call childbirth. Little did I know, after having a "epidural-fiasco" with my first baby and a "pitocin-fiasco" with my second baby, I would become one of these "crazy" women.

In addition to my dissatisfaction with my first two birthing experiences, I was inspired by my friend who gave birth to her first-born naturally. Remember that? If not, you can read about it here. I was also inspired and awakened to the downside of birth interventions after watching The Business of Being Born. You can see the trailer here.

So, while pregnant with my 3rd child, I got a midwife and a doula and prepared for my first unmedicated birthing experience. Boy, did I have high hopes! I pictured myself after having the baby feeling a sense of accomplishment and strength. I had thoughts of a deep sense of affection I would feel for my baby right after birth.

To my dismay, I ended up in a ridiculously long labor, felt a horrendous amount of pain in my lower back, and gave birth to a posterior baby. I walked away from the experience convinced that "torture" was indeed the appropriate term for an unmediated birth. If you think you can handle the gory details of that one, you can read about it here.

So, why on earth would I try to go for another unmedicated birth with baby #4? (I did mention I was crazy, right?) I figured that if I prayed alot and took the proper precautions needed in order to make sure my baby "spinned" I could avoid another posterior birth. Then, I could finally have my ideal birth experience.

My faith that God would help my dream birth become a reality was increased after I read this birth story this birth story. I thought that if God would have that much mercy and love toward this woman, why wouldn't he do the same for me. I also found a website called Spinning Babies, in which I found a ton of information on positions and exercises I could do to turn my baby. I did them and I did them often in the weeks leading up to the birth of the baby!

To be continued...

Happy 1st Birthday Halle!

2012-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

My baby girl turns 1 year-old today!

Here are some fun facts about Halle:

1. The name Halle means "unexpected gift" and that she was!

2. Halle already has 4 and 1/2 baby teeth!

3. If one of our children could win an award for "The Messiest Eater" she would most definitely win. She doesn't just like to eat the food, she likes to feel the food (a tactile learner perhaps?). In fact, here's what I found her doing with her oatmeal this morning:

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Wordless Wednesday ~ Girls Room Inspiration

2012-01-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

This photo added to ideas for what I might want to do in my girls room. I love the photo and the shag rug!

Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com via LaSandra on Pinterest

Kitchen Playdates

2012-01-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

When I spotted this book at the library, I immediately thought of a friend who has a knack for making a simple recipe come alive! I thought that some of you might also find it useful! Lauren Bank Deen, author of the book, Kitchen Playdates, explains how she did a little reinventing after having children;

"The arrival of my children changed an aspect of my life that I was pretty happy with: the opportunity for social spontaneity, including the occasional nightcap or a long Sunday brunch at a restaurant. Of course my husband, Anthony, and I are absolutely crazy about our kids, Mathias and Natasha, and can't imagine life without them. But we have both had a little pang for certain aspects of the way things were.

Family life is chaotic-there's just no way around it. So, I decided, why not embrace it? I'm a problem solver by trade and temperament; how hard could it be to do the family thing and see friends, too? Through a little trial and error I found that I didn't have to give up my former life, just reinvent it a little."

Deen decided to write a book that would provide parents with the tools and inspiration they needed to have Kitchen Playdates. She defines Kitchen Playdates as, "a playdate that includes the grown-ups, complete with great food and if you're up for it, a cooking project with the kids." Doesn't that sound fun!?

You can find out more about Kitchen Playdates here.

New Goals, New Habits

2012-01-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Source: nataschasworld.tumblr.com via Skye on Pinterest

In order to reach new goals in 2012, I know that I am going to have to embrace new habits. Nevertheless, many great points are brought up in this article about the need to try and tackle one new habit at a time. I don't want to get over ambitious by trying to tackle 30 new habits only to burn out after a week! So, I am going to try and focus on a few that I know will have major impact.

I am embracing 3 new habits that will help me achieve some broader goals I have for 2012.

2012 New Habits

1. Be 15 minutes early. - If you know me, you know I have a habit of being notoriously late. In highschool, this was not the case. I was usually early for school, church, and other engagements. I think it may have been the freedom of college that ruined me. Of course, with each new baby I only get worse and believe you me: being late is the pits! The stress of having 4 small children in tow and running late with them is enough to wipe you out! Having a habit of being 15 minutes early will force me to plan and prepare more. This will help me achieve a broader goal of being better about planning my time and money.

2. Wake up at least an hour before my kids. - Whenever I think of a time that I like I was minimally stressed and unusually productive, it was a time that I was getting up really early. I think better and have more energy in the morning. My entire day goes smoother and my attitude is better when my mornings are not rushed and I have some time to myself. By contrast, when I wake to the sound of crying, whining and sibling rivalry, I am not quite so pleasant. Waking up an hour before my kids will contribute to my goal of having a more consistent schedule and of taking better care of my health, since it means I will have to put the kids in bed earlier, go to sleep earlier, and will provide me with more time to exercise.

3. Check my voicemail every week. - Now this sounds simple enough, right? Nevertheless, I have the hardest time keeping up with voicemail messages! Family and friends are always reminding me that my voicemail box is full. So, I have programmed my phone to call me once a day and remind me to check the voicemail. This habit will help me reach a broader goal of being better about returning calls and taking care of business matters.

As a way of motivating myself, I keep reminding myself of the new habits I started in 2011. Last year, we started having family movie night on Fridays as a way for the whole family to relax and unwind after the week. Of course, there were some weeks where we didn't have it, but we had it enough for the kids to really enjoy it and look forward to it each week. Things like this are important to us because we use them as a means to keep a close-knit family and to find balance between work and play. That has gone well, so I know I can add and follow through with new habits this year!

Reinventing Myself in 2012

2012-01-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

In Janurary 2006, I felt the need to "reinvent" myself. I had recently quit my full-time job, given birth to my first child, and declared myself as a stay at home mom (something I never thought I'd do). But, what did that mean for me? What was I supposed to be doing?

My eyes were opened up to a world of possibilities after reading a book called, "Reinventing Ourselves after Motherhood: How Former Career Women Refocus Their Personal and Professional Lives after the Birth of a Child" by Susan Lewis. The book provided me with a realistic sense of both the challenges and possibilities that were before me as I scaled back from my original career path and tried to find a balance between work, family, and myself.

I realized then that I needed to reidentify myself and to come up with a vision for what my life as a mother would look like. Of course, I spent alot of time reading books and blogs on parenting, marriage, and homemaking. I cooked. I cleaned. I tried to embrace my inner June Cleaver. I came up with countless, schedules and routines. I talked to friends and looked for mentors. I also stayed active at church and in my career field. I did consulting. I taught social justice classes. I volunteered on the board of directors for a small non-profit. I took up blogging. In the midst of it all, hubby and I added 3 more babies to our family and bought a house. It is now 6 years later, and I am once again feeling the need to do a little reinventing of myself.

I'll admit that 6 years ago, I was naive to think that the reinventing of myself at that point, would be the last. I took it as a once and for all process. Life has taught me otherwise. I know this time that there may be many more times that I undergo a "reinvention" of myself. In fact, I think it is a necessary and beneficial response to life's changes and challenges. Lewis explains it this way;

Though every woman makes changes in her life when kids come along, this is not a book about every mother today. Nor is there any perfect way to balance our needs for work, family, and ourselves...

What these women have in common is that nearly all of them originally planned to make their careers their top priority, not because they didn't want children but because they grossly underestimated the emotional and physical commitment they'd want to give them. When expectations collided with reality, they adjusted, bucking social movements, professional training, and the expectations of their peers. They transformed not in intellect, ambition, or desire--none of these disappeared.

They had, instead, a change of heart. With that change of heart, they refocused their ambitions, reevaluated their priorities, and redefined success.

They reinvented themselves.

Essentially, expectations have collided with reality in unexpected ways for me. As a result, I have again started the process of redefining success in my life. This time, I have more experience to inform my conclusions. For example, I have learned:

1. There are some God-given strengths and passions that a person possesses that are usually present regardless of what season of life the person is in. Trying to suppress them won't work.

2. Although it may be challenging, you will have more peace, joy, and productivity when you embrace and employ your strengths and talents.

3. People are different. So what works for one may not work for another. (Honestly, people told me this, but I didn't get it. I can be slow that way.)

4. Although God's word is clear about the overall essence of what a good mother and wife looks like (proverbs 31), there is still much flexibility when it comes to the specifics of how each woman approaches these roles. Again, I reiterate point #3.

5. The right "balance" of family, work, and self may change depending on what is going on in your life at a particular time.

In conclusion, I am going to be redefining new goals and habits in 2012. One of my goals is to share my this process on this blog and I hope you join me for the journey!

I'm wondering about you. Have you ever reinvented yourself? If so, when and what did you do?

On Santa Claus

2011-12-24T00:09:00.001-08:00

Source: flickr.com via Lizzy on Pinterest

Hubby and I came from two completely different ends of the spectrum in regards to Santa Claus. Hubby grew up in a household where Santa was seen as nothing more than a myth. His family didn't have a Christmas tree and/or many other holiday decorations. He was taught that Christmas should be focused on celebrating the birth of Jesus and Santa, Frosty, and such were simply a distraction from that focus.

I, on the other hand, grew up in a different kind of household. Sure, I knew that Christmas was about the birth of Jesus. I attended Catholic school and we went to Midnight Mass every Christmas Eve. But, I still strongly believed in Santa. I think I literally fell asleep on Christmas Eve with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. I just knew that Santa Claus was real. Come on, he knew what was on my Christmas list and brought me those things every year! Obviously, the man was real!

Because of the differences in our upbringing, hubby and I had to discuss what we would tell our children about Santa. He initially wanted demonize Santa. But, I didn't see the point in that. I wanted to be careful not to lie to the kids. Why tell them he is a real person when he is not? Or, why tell them that Santa is "The Devil" when he is not? So, we decided that the truth was just that Santa is pretend or make-believe.

So, we don't make a big deal about turning the channel at commercials that feature Santa. When we hear our kids singing, "Santa Claus is coming to town" I remind them that he, in fact, will not be coming to town. (Although, some years I wish that he was). Our children have seemed to receive our explanation just fine, until this year.

This year, they asked me could they leave cookies and milk out for Santa. I answered "Well, Santa is pretend. He is make-believe just like Elmo or Big Bird."

They answered, *with sly little grins* "We know. We just want to leave the cookies and milk for him anyway."

I guess they feel the need to test this out in their own laboratory. I find this so amusing, I think I might let them.

Christmas Decor ~ Pinterest Favs

2011-12-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

Source: bhg.com via Rg on Pinterest

Source: withstyleandgrace.blogspot.com via Cherylin on Pinterest

Source: thecinderellaproject.blogspot.com via Hannah on Pinterest

God has been just that good!

2011-12-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

This video is a 2010 review of Mount Zion Apostolic Faith Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. I have had the pleasure of hearing many of the preachers featured on the video, in person. And yes, we believe in having "chuch." And yes, it does get just as exciting and just as hilarious as it looks on this video!

To be honest, even as I watched the video, I began to reflect on my own 2011 review. I found that one minute I was laughing and the next minute I was shouting all over the kitchen. God is just that good! 2011 has been perhaps one of the roughest years of my life! But, I thank God that I can still see his faithfulness!

Have you began to reflect over 2011 yet? Despite the struggles, can you look back and see God's hand working in your life? Have you praised him yet? Go ahead and watch the video. You might find the praise contagious!

Fall Recap

2011-12-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Since there is about a week left before Winter is officially here, I thought I'd sneak in some of my fall highlights.

Urban Prep's football team did very well this year! Here is our family at the final game.

Noelle turned 6 years old on November 19th!

She put in a special request for a cake with strawberries!

Noelle had a great time at Chuck E. Cheese's and got a picture with Chuck himself!

And, thanks to hubby, here was what our Thanksgiving spread looked like.

How do I wean my baby?!

2011-12-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but it seems like whenever it comes time to wean a baby, I get complete amnesia.

Although I know I have weaned before, I can't quite remember at what point I got the guts to do so. I also draw a blank when it comes to what exactly "my methods" were during the weaning process. All I remember is that at some point, I got enough gusto and the determination to "go for broke" when it came to keeping a large toddler from hanging off my breasts!

Anne Smith, a Breastfeeding Basics writer, explains;

Webster’s Dictionary defines weaning as “accustoming a young mammal to take food otherwise than by nursing.” Although this event may be very cut and dried in the animal world, for humans the process of weaning is much more complicated, but only because we make it that way. Weaning your baby is part of the natural breastfeeding experience. It doesn’t have to be a time of unhappiness for you or your baby. If done “gradually, and with love” (the La Leche League motto), weaning can be a positive experience for both you and your little one.

That sounds real simple, doesn't it? None of my weaning experiences have gone that smoothly. My experiences usually involve the "crying it out method" to some degree. It seems like allowing children to self-wean would be a much easier route. However, I am usually too pregnant, weak, and exhausted, to wait.

At this point, I am not pregnant. However, I could be classified under the "weak and exhausted" category. So, I am about ready to wean my sweet Halle.

Do you remember when you weaned your babies? Was it ugly? Was it easy? Feel free to share your wisdom and experiences in the comments section!

Wordless Wednesday-Dear Kids,

2011-11-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

Source: joelfelix.com via Kelley on Pinterest

Cooking, Marriage, and Simplicity

2011-11-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

After cooking dinner a couple of weeks ago, I turned to hubby and blurted out, "I don't like cooking and I never will." At first, he didn't respond verbally. He just stood in the kitchen staring at me, as if I had just told him his dog died. He was obviously hurt by my words.

In contrast, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was finally free. I had finally lived up to the fact that I don't like cooking. I don't have to feel guilty anymore. I don't like it, and that's that. I don't have to try to live up to any unrealistic expectations in that department. Whew...glad that's over!

What's really great is that I don't have to feel bad when the holidays come around, because hubby loves to cook (I guess opposites really do attract)! And since I have made my feelings toward cooking very clear to him, he decided that this year he would just do as he pleased in terms of Thanksgiving. Now, let me tell you what that led to...

Turkey, dressing, turnips greens, mustard greens, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, spaghetti squash, sweet peas, rolls, 2 sweet potato pies, butter cookies, and homemade ice cream. Basically: my husband has turned into Paula Deen.

What's really weird is that ~~Paula~~ hubby did it all so quickly that I didn't even realize to what extent he had gone! What's even more weird was the fact that he loved every minute of it. He was happy that he was cooking and I was happy that I wasn't. See, everyone is happy. It's a win win situation. Maybe after 7 years, we've finally figured this marriage thing out! You do what you want to do and I'll do what I want to do. Everything else; we'll flip a coin. It's simple.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

Thanksgiving Decor ~ Pinterest Favs

2011-11-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

Not already wasting enough time on blogs, facebook, and twitter? Well, you can expand your social media addictions by joining Pinterest! The site provides a wealth of design ideas that many are indulging in!

Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving decor ideas from Pinterest:

[Photo Credit]

Photo Credit

[Photo Credit]

Are going to put out any special Thanksgiving decor this year?

More Than Just A Wishlist - 20% Sale Ends Today!

2011-11-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

With so much emphasis being put on toys, electronics, and other material possessions, do you ever wonder how you can keep your children focused on the fact that Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus?

In More Than Just a Wishlist mom of 14 and blogger, Marilyn Boyer, shares Christ-centered Christmas traditions that her family has enjoyed for years!

Here is a description of the book:

Christmas can and should be at time that draws families toward Jesus and one another, and impresses upon them the importance of reaching out and sharing God`s love with others. Establishing God-honoring traditions for your kids and grandkids is what it`s all about! As a Mom, let your enthusiasm spill over into the lives of those little ones you influence. With your arm around your children, lead them to touch the lives around them in a positive way for the Lord Jesus during this magnificent season. Join us for a tour of the traditions that have made Christmas special for the Boyer clan for years!!!

You can purchase for this book and other Christmas products for 20%! The sale ends today!

Spaghetti Squash

2011-11-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

[Photo Credit]

I enjoyed Spaghetti Squash for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The squash I tried had been boiled and then seasoned with a little salt and butter for taste. It was surprisingly tasty!

Below is a recipe I found at Steamy Kitchen for baked spaghetti squash with garlic and butter. I am thinking of trying it for Thanksgiving!

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

On Success

2011-11-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

*Note: My intention with this video is not to promote Hip Hop or (God forbid) lack of sleep of any kind. I am simply motivated by this gentleman's promotion of relentless hard work!

Online Jobs = Scams?

2011-11-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

I have spent more and more time over the past few months looking into work at home opportunities. Making a decent amount of money from your living room sounds ideal, right? Nevertheless, it is quite disheartening to find out that many "online jobs" are really just scams!

I started thinking, "I would like to work from home. Are there any legitimate opportunities for such work, or what?!" Today I came across a site called: Money Making Mommy.

The creator of the site, Kelly writes;

Online jobs are becoming more and more popular. With the economy causing more and more of us to be without a job, it’s no surprise people are looking for ways to earn from home, including online jobs, freelance work and more. I understand this all too well after losing my on air radio gig in 2002. The radio station I worked for closed it’s doors and there I was with two kids, a mortgage and no paycheck. Sure, my husband had his job – but we were barely making it with BOTH our paychecks, let alone go down to just ONE!
I wondered, could there be real online jobs out there – could I work at home? Or am I going to get scammed over and over in my search for online jobs? What do I even want to do from home and what exactly are online jobs? Do I have the skills to be able to snag the job I want when and if I find it? There are so many questions that cross your mind when you’re faced with the monumental search of finding a work at home job or way to make money from home. I KNOW this. And online jobs resources on the internet today come and go – A LOT. I’ve been around since 1999 – quietly working away at researching online jobs.
So the creation of Money Making Mommy and the hundreds of pages here on the topic of making money, working at home and online jobs. I’ve invested all my heart and soul into this very website (and still do every day!) that you’re looking over – while searching for online jobs for myself, that search become my job! It has become a labor of love. It has seen many designs, many changes – but one thing always stays the same. The online jobs resources I personally provide are free. I try to provide genuine work at home resources. My goal is to help you in some small way, reach your goal of researching work at home and ultimately finding a career from home that fits you! So get pen a paper out – “My Online Jobs Research” – and start hunting. Start by checking Today’s Online Jobs.
My family and I don’t live a life of extravagance. We don’t have a fleet of fancy cars or a great big house. Money still gets tight at times. The goal of this work at home site was never to get rich. It was to help people. People just like me find online jobs with tools for research, info and suggestions that help them ultimately make money. There are online jobs out there for us all.

I am not endorsing the site just yet because I have not looked into it fully. However, if you are interested, you can find out more about Money Making Mom here! Please come back and leave a comment here if you decide to use the site and have a good experience with it?

Are there other legitimate online jobs out there that you have experience with? Do tell!

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

2011-11-04T09:31:00.001-07:00

Today is my nieces 11th birthday! It seems like just yesterday she was born, (which makes me feel really old)!

A is for Awesome!

L is for Lovely!

Y is for Youthful!

S is for Savvy!

S is for Sharp!

A is for Absolutely wonderful!

Have a Happy Birthday Alyssa!

Knock, Knock...

2011-11-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is LaSandra. I am the owner of this blog. How do you do?

I do apologize for my absence. Life has a way of getting in the way of my commitment to blog. Nevertheless, if you were wondering, I do intend to get back to more regular posts. My wheels are still a turnin' folks!

As for updates, I will have you to know...

My 9-month old, Halle has been trying to walk! She seems to have just the right amount of muscle strength, balance, and determination to push herself to keep up with her older siblings!

College application/admissions season + hubby is a college counselor = LaSandra is becoming a borderline single parent.

October 1st was our 1-year anniversary of home ownership!

I've realized, it was foolish of me to think I was going to furnish and decorate my entire house in a year. At this rate, it might take me more like 10!

I've also realized that Halle cannot be trusted near the stairs, which explains her bumps and bruises. Furthermore, Noah cannot be trusted with a pencil, which explains the time I spent erasing unsolicited "wall art" this morning. Lucky for him...he got away with no bumps and bruises;)

Splish Splash!

2011-09-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe the summer is just about over!

Summer 2011 was very busy and fun! Here's what we did to cool off on one of the hottest days of the year!

A Mother's Influence

2011-08-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

I love the way that Pastor Kimberly Ray describes her mother's powerful influence!

The Blessed Life

2011-08-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

I love surprises!

My friend Darnetta, turned 30 on the 30th of July this year. She had always dreamed of doing something special on her "golden" birthday. She had hopes for an intimate dinner party, in which her friends could get dressed up and celebrate with her. However, circumstances did not seem to permit such a thing...or so she thought!!

Yes folks, We. Got. Her. Good!

Not only did she not suspect that her hubby, family, and friends were plotting a party for her, after going for breakfast, lunch, a massage, a manicure, and a pedicure she was also shocked to receive her "dream gift": a Green Apple KitchenAid Mixer!

Appropriately, the theme was: The Blessed Life.

Lessons from Bartimaeus

2011-07-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

When they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Blind. Broke. Begging on the side of the road. What can be learned from a man like this?

Although his circumstances may have looked pitiful, Bartimaeus was no pitiful human being. He was neither frail nor feeble, but a remarkable example of faith and perseverance.

If you could just imagine, for a moment, the level of drive and determination that it took for a blind beggar to have the audacity to shout at the top of his lungs to a man that he could not see, but had only heard about, in an effort to receive his miracle. Just who does this man think he is? Why would Jesus of Nazareth consider stopping for him?

Bartimaeus was rebuked. Discouraged from his desperate cry. Imagine the people around him snickering, Why is he wasting his breath? Jesus is too busy for someone like him. He might as well quit!

Imagine Bartimaeus hearing the mocking. But, still he presses on; "Son of David, Have mercy on me!" he calls.

The result? Jesus stops dead in his tracks. "Call him." he commands.

See, Jesus liked folks who didn't give up easily.

Think about the woman with the issue of blood. The bible says that she had the issue for 12 years and had been under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, but only grew worse. Regardless of all the years of disappointment, after disappointment, after disappointment, she had enough tenacity left in her to say, "If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole!" (Mark 5:25-18)

People like this got Jesus' attention! People like this got what they wanted from the Lord! People like this, with a "I will not be denied!" "I will not be shut up!" "I will not be kept back!" in their soul, pressed on until the Lord gave them what they were looking for!

Jacob wrestled with the angel all night long and said "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Gen 32)

Joseph was still trying to operate in a gift he felt God gave him by interpreting dreams, although he had been sold as a slave and and had spent years in prison! (Gen 4).

After Jesus had already ignored and denied the Canaan woman whose daughter was vexed with a devil, the woman said, "Truth, Lord; yet even the dogs get of the crumbs which fall from the masters table!" (Matt 15:27)

These people were determined to get something from the Lord! And, guess what? They got it!

There is a saying, "God helps those who help themselves." We may not be able to locate an exact "scripture equivalent" of that phrase, but if we look at the word of God we will see a trend of people like Bartimaeus, who are fiercely determined and willing to put up a fight, consistently getting results from God!

Oh Lord, help me to be one of those people!

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Heb 11:6

Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are inheriting the promises through faith and patience.

Heb 6:12

I Love This Song

2011-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Precious Jesus

Verse:
Precious Jesus, how I love You,
how I lift high my voice with Your praise.
Holy Spirit, I implore Thee,
drench my heart as my lips part Your grace.

Chorus:
I am persuaded Lord, to love You,
I have been changed to bless Your name.
I am constrained by this great Gospel,
forever to worship Thee.

She's sangin' it too.