Ladies, Ladies…All the Ladies!!

At some point in my life I WILL blog again.  This week has been nuts!  First week of school for the boys, Chris is thrown into a new “month Schedule”..and so on.  Last night was Palin’s speech.  Tonight is the Gamecocks.  Tomorrow I leave for Nashville to visit sweet friends.  SOOOOO… as I said one day I will blog again.  Right now, life is keeping me busy.  Just wanted to give shout outs to all of my peeps in blogland.  I will be reading YOUR blogs as I search for something blogworthy of my own to write about.  Right now I’ll just leave you with my top 10 highlights of the week:

1.  After we all made it back home from the first day of school Will looked at Josh and said, “Josh, will you be my friend forever?”  (I think he actually missed his brother.)

2.  I did a “Boston butt” in my crock-pot for Labor Day… poured a little vinegar sauce on top…pulled it apart…just like home in the Carolinas… SOOO GOOD!

3.  Walked in to get Emma Faye one morning and she had undressed herself down to her diaper.  (How in the world!!)

4.  Playing soccer with Will one afternoon.  (He’s actually really good and stole the ball from me.  And I was really trying to keep it away from him!)

5.  Watching Josh walk into his classroom and realizing the Miracle that Jesus has done in his heart.  Exactly one year ago he would BAWL when we would drop him off for Sunday School.  I NEVER IMAGINED that Josh would be ready for a preschool.

6.  Hanging out with my neighbor Gina and seeing the work Christ is doing in her life.

7.  Getting to workout everyday this week!

8.  Getting in the car after school on Wednesday and hearing Will tell Josh, “Josh, did you know that God is the biggest.  He’s bigger than EVERYTHING.. even really, really tall buildings!!!”  Josh’s response, “Oh, yeah, I knowed that.”

9.  Watching Josh carrying his little Lightening McQueen lunch-bag in his hand saying “Oh mommy, I’m so excited about my lunch.”

And last but never least….

10.  Watching Emma Faye INHALE her Chicken Bog one night at dinner.  Chicken..sausage and all….Hilarious!

Oops… sorry I forgot to add this on Sunday… with Emma being a little sick and the boys starting their preschool this week, I’ve been a little rattled.  Anyhoo… hope soon to get to write and process it all.

Question 5: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

Answer: The Scriptures principally teach: What man is to believe concerning God, and: What duty God requires of man.

 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.   Luke 10:19-20

“Jesus Christ says, in effect, Don’t rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me.  The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service, to rejoice in the fact that God has used you.  You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ.  Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it.  “–Oswald Chambers

This hit home with me today.  Oh God.. keep me close to you.  Help me to boast in You and in You alone. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  John 1:1-5

I’ve nothing else to say except that I am memorizing this passage.  Right now, for me, it encompasses everything I am dealing with.  Every struggle, every frustration, every joy.  In Him IS life. My friends, and his light will never overcome the darkness.  It will NEVER overcome the darkness!  Christ has overcome the world!  This is where I rest this morning.  My God has been here from the very beginning…He has created EVERYTHING…there is NOTHING apart from Him.  Nothing!  Be blinded by that Light today.

“Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have words of eternal life.”  John 6:68

Man, oh man have I been struggling today.  We are all sort of under the weather here…just little colds, sore throats…but it’s just enough  discomfort to make everyone a little “on edge.”  I say that in quotes because it’s amazing the meltdowns that occurred in this house today.  HUGE ordeals over VERY minor circumstances.  I’ve just been discouraged.  Mainly, because my children got to me today and I lost my temper with them.  I HATE doing that!!

I kept asking myself… “What!!”  “What is it!!”  “What am I doing wrong?”  “Then, what do I need?”  “What is going to make me happy?”  “What is it!!”  I practically tossed everyone in their rooms this afternoon.  I made EVERYONE take a nap!  I just needed an hour…or even thirty minutes..”Yea, that’s what I need.”  An hour passed…children out of rooms…we are ALL still grumpy.  We blow bubbles.  We play soccer.  We have a snack.  We play trains.  We watch a T.V show.  I just keep watching the clock….three more hours ’til Chris comes home…..two more hours ’til Chris comes home…..thirty more minutes ’til Chris gets home.  I must tell you, I feel like such a WASTE when I am living my life just to pass the time away.  What a waste.  And sadly, that was my day today.  Yuck!  However, as I was reaching for an ice cream sandwich (hey, it was a skinny cow…not that bad) because that was something I thought I needed…the Lord dropped this John 6:68 verse in my head.  And I just paused.  See, I had been searching everywhere for something that would get me through the day… I was turning to anything… even an ice cream sandwich… 

Now, I’m not saying that I wasn’t praying all throughout my day.  But I was angry.  I was frustrated with God.  Why does He make my husband work so much?  I feel so lonely sometimes.  Is it His Will for me some months to literally raise our children as a single mother?  It’s just really frustrating.  But as hard as I try to run from the one with whom I’m frustrated and try to satisfy my needs with other measures… I am reminded that Christ is my answer.  He has “words of eternal life.”  He has words to speak truth to me…. to encourage me that I’m not just passing time.  Oh how Satan loves for us to feel like there is no purpose.  Because with no purpose… really there could be no God… because God created EVERYTHING…why?  Because everything has a purpose and there was a reason…. and somehow under his sovereign umbrella…my three hours in the afternoon playing with my children served a purpose unto Him.  Lord, to whom shall I go?  I praise my maker for turning my “fleeing” into a “chasing” after Him.

I am a sinful mother.  I want to be a perfect mother.  I tend to give myself more grace in my other roles, but not so much in my “mother” roles.  It’s as if those mistakes are unforgivable in Christ’s eyes.  That is where I’m most humbled.  Christ sees those very much the same and very much desires for me to repent and move on.  So this evening has been a process of me moving forward.  I know I need to be in prayer more.  I know I need to be in His word more.   Tomorrow is a new day and His mercies are new every morning.

As I was flipping through my bible–grazing a little–as I was preparing dinner I came across a verse in 2nd Chronicles.  It will be my prayer for my home tomorrow.  Perhaps it may be one for yours.  We need to pray, people.  God wants us to pray.  He wants that devotion.  I don’t know for sure, but I am thinking Quality Time may be one of His love languages.  Give Him that time…Go to Him…He has the words of eternal life.

“Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.” 2 Chronicles 6:40