Ladies, Ladies…All the Ladies!!

……How great thou art!  I’m sitting in my kitchen.  Chris and I were outnumbered today in the napping department.  He apparently couldn’t sleep last night because I was snoring. (what?!)  I slept SO WELL last night, BUT Chris seems to think that I have Mono right now… so literally I sleep and sleep and I’m ALWAYS tired and achy.  Both boys decided they weren’t going to bed this afternoon… and I’m furious…it’s dark and rainy… PERFECT sunday nap weather.  arrrrrrr……anyhoo… we still went to church today.  It’s so wonderful to worship.  Who thinks that they can truly experience God and NOT worship? This is something that is always confusing to me.  I digress.  As we sang how great thou art tears flooded my eyes.  what a wonderful God we have.  He loves us so much.  I am so blessed. 

Yesterday we celebrated our sweet baby girl’s first birthday.  I can’t believe she’s one.  I can’t believe we’ve been in Birmingham one year.  God has been so good to us.  How great He is….oh how my soul sings.  I was flipping through an old notebook of mine trying to find a piece of paper to write out my grocery list and came across some words of a song I wrote right before we moved to Alabama… I had forgotten about it…it’s so fitting that I find it one year later.  These words were as true then as they are now.  Our God is the same..past, present, future…….His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever Amen.  I pray you all realize how great and mighty our Lord is…. and may all of your souls sing high in praise of Him today.  May He reign in your hearts and forever be your Lord.

        Be Our Lord   –Jenny Pruitt

Holy Father, we come before you

and we praise the one who’s brought us here

What a joy to stand in your pesence

What a gift, you receive our prayer

 

Be our eyes, that we may always see your glory

Be our ears, that we may hear your words

Be our hearts, Lord you’ve given more than we deserve

Be our lives, come and be our Lord

 

Holy Father, we bathe in your blessings

with grateful hearts, we owe all to thee

for it was love, your love so amazing

that gave us life, gave us hope, and set us free

 

so Be our eyes, that we may always see your glory

Be our ears, that we may hear your words

Be our hearts, Lord you’ve given more than we deserve

Be our lives, come and be our Lord

Be our lives, come……..Be our Lord

It was been FOREVER since I’ve written.  I went up to Raleigh, NC to visit one of my dear friends… a missionary in Mali Africa… she’s home for the summer…well.. I suppose home is Africa…but she is in the states for the summer.  Anyhoo… I returned from my trip sick (what is the deal with my immune system these days)…. and now I am awaiting the arrival of my parents for the weekend…. so things are crazy… but one thing that I realized while I was away was that I love my family… I missed my family… and I love what I do.  I know these all seem very common sense and crazy that I would say I love my family… but honestly… I was sort of “done” when I left.  I SOOO needed a get-a-way… but sometimes it takes missing your loved ones to realize the blessing in them… so that’s what this past week was for me.  I am very blessed and thankful.  My friend said something that really stuck with me…she was talking about some of the struggles in Africa…”You know we are called to answer the call… and sometimes the call hurts.”  I needed to be reminded of that.  We are called to be examples of Christ first and foremost… our allegiance is to Him.  I think about all of the times I decided to allow my pride to win in an argument with my husband… or the times I just chose to yell at my kids because I was angry instead of exerting a Christ-like patience.  Swallowing our pride… settling as the “peacemaker” instead of the winner….choosing prayer and a quiet heart instead of anger…all of these things are very difficult… and sometimes leave us “wronged”… but we are called to something higher….. and sometimes that call hurts.  Sometimes it doesn’t make sense….but I am called to follow the commands of Christ.  I am understanding more that passage in the bible when Jesus was talking about turning the other cheek.  I have always thought that turning the cheek is about us being meek and small and weak…but it’s not.  It’s the harder road… it is for the stronger…it is for bolder…it is for those strengthened in Christ.  I don’t know if any of this is making any sense… I’m writing while my boys are watching Diego.  :( 

I just wanted to encourage all of you today to choose the higher call…..the one that hurts….but in the end… the one that will only bring us closer to our Lord.  Use your difficulties today to strengthen you in Christ… not abandon your faith.  As one of my dear cousins always says… “Obey what you know!”  We know the truths of Christ are the TRUTH… they lead to peace and hope and joy.  Blessings to you this day.

“So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it “The Lord is Peace”  Judges 6:24

Day 1

This week we are studying Jehovah Shalom: The Lord our Peace.  This particular name has been very hard for me to write on….  I am going to be honest with you and admit that I struggle with the concept of “peace.”  I so desperately LONG for it within my home, within my marriage, within my heart.  I am a worrier to the core and Satan so often uses this as a stronghold against the power of Christ in me.  I am praying for the Lord to teach ME about trusting Him for who He is as the God of ultimate peace as I am praying He will teach YOU!  With that said… let’s begin today by reading about the story of Gideon.

Read Judges 6:11-24

1.       Who appeared to Gideon?

2.      What was Gideon’s response? 

Wow!  Gideon’s response really hit home with me.  This past week my family has been battling one of the WORST stomach bugs we have EVER had!  I was the first to become infected with this HORRIBLE virus…chills, fever, vomiting…really, it was awful.  I prayed and prayed that the Lord would place a shield around me and protect the rest of my family.  As I watched member by member fall prey to this plague I prayed…”ok, Lord… now place a shield around the two of us and spare the three…. Then, Lord place a shield around the three of us and spare the two…..and so on and so on….”  Finally… my sweet little baby was the only one who had not been infected.  We had now all been sick for about a week.  One night, I remember my sweet and faithful husband saying “Oh, Emma Faye, I’m going to pray against you getting this”.  I remember… now extremely bitter towards God’s responses to MY requests….thinking in my head “WHY pray for that!  I mean, come on…of course she’s going to get it!  God hasn’t spared ONE of us… why would he choose to stop now?”  I felt like Gideon.  The children of Israel were not in a very restful… peaceful season…..where was God? I believe if the angel of the Lord had appeared before me this past week… I would have said the same thing…”If the Lord is with us…why then has all this happened to us?”

3.       Have you ever asked God such questions? What was His response to you?

4.      What was God’s response to Gideon’s questions in verse 13?

5.       What does God say in verse 16?

“Surely I will be with you” Judges 6:16

God is the God of peace.  He desires this for us.  He desires that we live in peace with each other and He desires that our hearts are filled with peace… complete reliance upon Him…..that He will be our joy.  I think one of the scariest times for me, is when I feel like I’ve been abandoned.  When I feel like God has somehow left me…that He is no longer working in my life and has handed it over to Satan.  But the fact is….everything is under God’s authority.  Everything has a particular purpose…all that somehow brings Him glory.  Whatever difficult situation you are finding yourself in….God is working in that…and He is working in that with you.  As He states time and time again throughout the bible…”surely I [am] with you” He continues to whisper those same words to US!  His word is truth and these are promises.  After all, He said to Gideon in verse 14 “Have I not sent you?”  He is commanding Gideon to go and defeat the Midianites….be the leader to save Israel.  Gideon….of the weakest clan…and the LEAST in his father’s house…..That is who God is sending.  It sounds absurd.  But EVERYTHING is possible with God… and He finishes what he begins….and He NEVER abandons His “work.”

Read these passages.  What do they say about our God of Peace?

1.       Joshua 1:9

2.       Psalm 23:4

3.      Matthew 28:19-20

4.      Genesis 26:24

5.      Isaiah 41:10

Really take time to pray through these verses today.  Realize that our Lord wants to be our peace.  Through our pain, our grief, in our struggles, in our disappointments, even in our defeats, He is still walking alongside of us.  He has not left us out here alone.  I pray that this will bring comfort to your hearts today and that you all will be able to “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Day 2

“…..And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”  Judges 6:18

Read Judges 6:14-24

1.       In verse 17 what did Gideon request of the Lord?

2.      What was God’s response?

I must stop and sit awhile on verse 18.  I think about all of the times I’ve had to wait on my children.  I think of all of the times that I heard, “Mommy… wait, wait….let me go and do this… and then you can see…please don’t move, mommy…”  And I wait….patiently.  Patience certainly is one of the qualities of love.  I just can’t get out of my mind the picture of God waiting for Gideon to come back… asking for a sign… God, all the while, knowing who He was!  He didn’t have to wait… but he did.  I just can’t get that out of my mind.  How precious.  I think about all of the times I have chosen Worry over Trust in my Lord…over belief in who He is… over trust in the fact that He says He is with us.   I think about all of the times I asked God for a sign.  And I can’t help but hear my precious Savior saying to me during those times…”I will wait until you return..”  Until your faith returns… until you are able to see me for who I am… for who I’ve always been….someone who loves you… who is not desiring havoc for your life… but sweet abundance. God is ALWAYS our Peace… I am learning that OUR peace is mostly contingent upon our trust in the Lord.  If we are longing to experience his peace within our hearts, we must believe He is who he says He is… We MUST place our trust in HIM and Him alone.  We must realize that He’s love for us is deeper than anything we could ever comprehend.  Do YOU believe those things?  If you are struggling..as I often am… please spend some time in prayer asking our Heavenly Father to strengthen your faith.

Our faith should stand apart from our circumstances. However, in this fallen world…somehow, sometimes it falls into the trials….somehow it often gets squeezed between the struggles and the heartache…..but that is where Grace comes in.  That is where we have a Lord saying to us… “I’ll wait until you return.” 

3.      Are you going through a difficult time presently?  Why do you feel like it’s difficult?

4.      In what are you placing your trust?  Be honest.

Read Isaiah 26:3

I know that we have studied this verse in previous weeks… but I feel like it is so fitting for today.  Write out these words and commit them to memory.  Begin praying today for the Lord to help you keep your mind on Him…keep your Faith strong and unchanging through the waves of difficult circumstances. Lord, give us trusting hearts.

Day 3

“Ah, Sovereign Lord!  I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

Gideon asked the Lord to prove himself.  God was faithful.  Only then was Gideon able to recognize Him.  Only then was he able to realize that he had encountered the angel of the Lord “face to face” and it brought fear into his soul.  Why? 

1.       Read Exodus 33:20.  What does it say?

2.       What was God’s response to Gideon in verse 23?

3.      What did Gideon do?

Gideon built an altar to the Lord and called it The Lord is Peace.  He calmed his fears…He spared his life…he was the bringer of peace not only to Gideon’s heart and fears..but He was also calling him to deliver Israel “out of Midian’s hand” (Judges 6:14)…He was bringing about peace for His people.  God desires that we live….and live for Him.  Therefore it was part of His ultimate plan to send His son…our Prince of Peace…….. to reconcile us to Him forever.  To not only bring peace to the world FOREVER through redemption of sin…but to bring peace into our hearts as we live out our time HERE on this earth.  I am sure when the Lord spoke “Peace” to Gideon he was immediately calmed.  Gideon’s peace was realized when He recognized the Lord.  Are you able to see the Lord in your life… are you able to recognize him?  Hear him?  Are you looking for Him?

Today I pray that you will be able to open up your heart and eyes to Jesus.  He is in all things and through all things.  Today I pray you will be able to see Him and hear Him.  Spend time today in His word.  Ask Him to speak to you.

Day 4 

“…Peace!  Do not be afraid.  You are not going to die.”

Read Matthew 14:22-32

1.        What were the disciples initial reactions when they saw Jesus?

2.   What was Jesus’ response to them?     

3.When you encounter God working mightily in your life what is your reaction?  Are you surprised?  Do you make excuses for this occurrence other than the Lord, Himself, working?

4.      What was Jesus’ response to Peter’s questioning?

“Come.”  It is hard for me to believe that these men walked with Jesus and yet they still needed proof that He was who He said was.  Still, God does not refuse our requests to convince us of Himself.  God waited patiently for Gideon to come back with an offering and Jesus accepted Peter’s offer to call him out to the water with him. However, Peter was fine amidst the storm until he took his eyes off of Jesus.  Then, he became afraid.  I firmly believe that faith and peace go hand in hand.  We are fully able to experience the “peace that surpasses all understanding” when we remain face to face with our Savior.

Read Numbers 6:22-26

5.       What does verse 26 say?

6.      What does this passage mean to you?

Read Hebrews 12:2-3

It is my prayer today that we fill be able to fix our eyes on Jesus…that we will remember it is HE who perfects our faith… it is He who extends peace….we are to continually keep Him our focus so we may not grow weary and lose heart.  Things around us will not always be peaceful.  We will not always understand why things happen the way they do.  Sometimes I don’t even understand the lessons God is trying to teach me…but He says..

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 

1 Corinthians 13:12

Through Jesus Christ…we WILL understand… we will not see him as a GOOD reflection in a mirror…no… we will stand before him and see him face to face… we will look upon our Lord and we will surely not die for Christ has conquered death.  For He says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world. “(John 16:33)  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).  God—our peace…sent us a prince!  That we may have peace forever.  This is Jesus Christ.  He longs to be our peace.  Embrace Him… Fix your eyes upon Him today… remain in His word.  This is our Lord of peace…this is Jehovah Shalom.

Well, I haven’t written in a long time… I’m having trouble deciding my reasons.  For the most part I feel like I really have nothing worthy to write about these days…. I’ve just been hot.  And honestly, I thought that I couldn’t function last summer because I was pregnant and  had a baby and all.. but I have come to the conclusion that I just can’t function… HOT.  I mean… hot in the temperature sense… I mean,  I can very well deal with my “hotness” physically speaking (jk!  :)… I just don’t like being hot in the summer.  I’m miserable and I just realized this.  The temperature has officially altered my temperament.   And temperament alterations…. make for several altercations.  Being that I am a very NONconfrontational person….these are all VERY much “the summer heat” talking….may I present…..

My Top 10 reasons I know the Summer Heat is Getting me Steamed

(just a little disclaimer… I realize I was wrong in ALL of these)…

1.  Verbally assaulted my husband for buying the wrong ice cream for a cake I had made.

2.  Fussed at Will for throwing up on and around EVERYTHING in the bathroom EXCEPT the toilet.

3.  Told the Discover Card people to never call us again.

4.  Made Josh wear a diaper one day because he kept refusing to go potty when I asked and continued wetting himself.

5.  Rolled my eyes at the “Ice Cream Man” who parked his truck outside of Lowe’s one afternoon when I had ALL the children trying to get them across the parking lot safely–they just kept trying to run his way.

6.  Made both boys take a nap one day just because it was hot and there was nothing else to do.

7.  Was so hot one day and sick of cleaning up the kitchen and wiping down the table YET AGAIN… I simply took my vacuum cleaner and sucked up all of the table crumbs and left over breakfast cheerios through the hose attachment. (Thank you Eureka.)

8.  Got into a heated discussion with my house cleaners because they came while I was tending to one of my children…saw my car… but it took me awhile to make it to the door…so they left…(like I wasn’t home or something?)

9.  I now get great satisfaction in the murdering of all flies in our house.  I currently own a professional Fly Swatter.

And the top 10 reason I know the Summer Heat is getting me steamed….

10.  When the Ice Cream Truck drove by my house yet again today… I just yelled out “seriously”.

I know, I know….I have some issues… I promise you… I’m praying.  I’m trying.  I really am.  Be patient with me… I’m struggling here…Could someone take pity on me and please offer some suggestions of what I can do… we are dying over here on the other side of Hotlanta………..oh and before you start throwing out words like “kiddie pool” and “sprinkler”…. that was soooo May.  We are in July, people… give me somethin’ fresh and new!