I don't take change well. Especially where our finances are concerned. Today Scott got news that their pay schedule will be changing at work. While it does come with some options we've been wanting, he'll have to go 18 days without a paycheck. That stinks. We do keep a good budget, but it's still intimidating. In August, the month gas prices seem to soar, we'll have to go 3 extra days before he gets paid. And of course it's coming right when we need to buy school supplies and I'll be going on a short trip at the end of the month. I shouldn't be complaining I know. There are other families that are less fortunate than us and my heart goes out to them. Most people that work in the fast food industry don't get paid enough, and live paycheck-to-paycheck. Seems like making them go 3 more days before getting paid is not the right solution. So I plan on spending much more time on my knees, asking God to righten my heart about the situation and asking Him to provide not only for us, but for the other workers affected by this change. Thanks for "listening" to me. Just knowing this is a safe place to vent makes it better. Please keep this situation in your prayers.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
saying goodbye
I'm beating myself up. And I was a bit miffed at God for just a slight moment today. I didn't realize today was the last Sunday. I was ready to say something amazing on this last day, and low and behold, it snuck up on me. I didn't even realize it. I'm mad at myself. I didn't have anything wonderful to say, nothing poetic came from my mouth. I just had this amazingly shocked look on my face and stumbled over some silly line that I can't even remember now. And then sadness came in. I did know it was coming today, I thought I had another week. I came home and talked to God for a bit and asked Him what in the world happened? I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Why hadn't He made me realize today was the last day? Why hadn't he prepared my heart for it?
The answer?
"You don't need to say goodbye yet dear one, it's not your turn"
That's when I realized I got that dorky-shock-weird look on my face because God was stopping me from making a mistake. It's not time to say goodbye to my friend because we will see each other again. I know we will keep in touch and I know God will keep us in each others lives. Our friendship, though new, will keep going and growing (Praise Him!). And even though it's somewhat new, and we're still getting to know each other, I love that girl like a true sister. So no, today was not the day we would say goodbye to each other. I still wonder if she thinks I'm weird sometimes, (let's be real, I AM weird sometimes!) but I see in her something I long to have myself. A true passion for Jesus Christ. With out a doubt, God put us in each others lives for a specific reason. I am so proud of their family for what they are doing. Seeking Gods will is not always a comfortable place to be in, but they have jumped out of the boat and are standing with both feet in the stormy sea. They won't sink. Their eyes are on the Lord and glory to His name, they won't look away. It's going to be an awesome sight to see what God has in store for them. I'm praying for you girl, and I love love love you!
I know it's cliche' but I gotta say it. :) It's not goodbye, God's told me it's 'see you later'.
The answer?
"You don't need to say goodbye yet dear one, it's not your turn"
That's when I realized I got that dorky-shock-weird look on my face because God was stopping me from making a mistake. It's not time to say goodbye to my friend because we will see each other again. I know we will keep in touch and I know God will keep us in each others lives. Our friendship, though new, will keep going and growing (Praise Him!). And even though it's somewhat new, and we're still getting to know each other, I love that girl like a true sister. So no, today was not the day we would say goodbye to each other. I still wonder if she thinks I'm weird sometimes, (let's be real, I AM weird sometimes!) but I see in her something I long to have myself. A true passion for Jesus Christ. With out a doubt, God put us in each others lives for a specific reason. I am so proud of their family for what they are doing. Seeking Gods will is not always a comfortable place to be in, but they have jumped out of the boat and are standing with both feet in the stormy sea. They won't sink. Their eyes are on the Lord and glory to His name, they won't look away. It's going to be an awesome sight to see what God has in store for them. I'm praying for you girl, and I love love love you!
I know it's cliche' but I gotta say it. :) It's not goodbye, God's told me it's 'see you later'.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
our flowers
We have flowers. Lots of them! Well lots for us is relative. We have had a hard time with our little 'garden'. We live in an apartment, but lukily upstairs. If my husband couldn't have decorated our patio with lots of plants I don't know what he would do. He upset me early on because I had selected and planted a few flowers that I really liked. He also went to the store after I had potted my plants and found some that he liked. He went to work seperating and re-potting all my work, resulting in a loss of blooms on all of MY pretty flowers! Needless to say I was so upset. And I was SURE he'd killed my flowers. He's been assuring me this whole time that we'd have flowers, they just needed time. I was not happy. I wanted my flowers that I had spent the time and effort on. So we've been at odds with the odd green sticks growing on our patio. Finally (FINALLY!!!!) they began to bloom. He was right. And while the one plant I liked the most still has yet to produce pretty blooms, all the other plants on our patio have produced some of the neatest blooms I've ever seen! So now we're okay. :)
I wanted to share with you some of the pretty-pretties I look at every morning while I talk with God. Enjoy.
I wanted to share with you some of the pretty-pretties I look at every morning while I talk with God. Enjoy.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
labels
We see them everyday. Everywhere you look, there they are. Bright and pretty, and ready for us to look at. At store's we're overwhelmed with them. Each company doing their best to "sell the product", make it stand out. Think for a moment about all the behind the scenes work that goes into created a label. Teams come up with the concept. Artist draw the sketches. Advertising companies come up with the sales pitch and slogans. Marketing comes up with the commercials and national ads. Ways to get their product noticed and get their image at the fore-front of your brain. All to say, "this is mine, and it's great! better than what's already out there, you NEED to have this."
I am stopping here and praying that this will fall fresh on your ears the way it did mine, because I want you all to experience the bear hug of love I got from my Lord. One that I'm still not ready to be released from. A new understanding of His love is what I've gotten from Him. And again this refreshing came from something silly my boys did, which peaked my interest into labeling things. To God goes the glory for using my sweet "big boys" to teach me yet again how much He loves me, and to teach me how to fall deeper in love with Him.
The boys were given new toy golf clubs from their friend that we babysat for a few weeks. They love them. And although identical in every way, they still argued over whose was whose. Finally my oldest said, "momma, you're just gonna hafta label 'em". We've been here before. So I got out the trusty old Sharpie and went to labeling each tiny piece of each golf set. Putting their name on their 'stuff'. Now when they want to play golf, they carefully inspect the pieces to make sure they each have their own. It's really cute to watch them. And they are very territorial. Neither one can touch the others toy. I've had to do this with a LOT of their toys. They want to know which is theirs. Because they want their own, not someone elses.
It really made me wonder why. What was so important? What was so different about THEIR toy that made them unable to share with each other? They were exactly the same, but each boy held one up higher than the other because it was theirs.
Ever hear of God Stops? Of course many of you have. But I had a different kind of God Stop. He stopped me dead in my tracks and said, "daughter, I wouldn't share you with anyone either". You see, as my boys were dead set on having their OWN. So is God. He wants His own children. So many times I've chosen to step out of God's will, do my own things. Share my 'toys' with someone else. What God made me see was that His name is written on my heart. He does not want to share me with anyone, He wants me all to Himself. To do His will. To be in His sight. To walk in His path. He created me. He formed me. For Him and by Him I remain on this earth. Because He wants me for His good, I still breath. While we are still the same on the outside, on the inside we are much different. We have His markings. We have His love. And the best part about wearing His label? We CAN share it. God doesn't put His sharpie away and only bring it out for the best. He keeps it uncapped and ready for whoever is willing. And not only will He not share us with the enemy, He'll keep us protected under His wing when the enemy wants to swoop in and take us. How awesome is that!
So many earthly labels are too awful to mention. We see someone who's too skinny, overweight, tall, short, pretty, not pretty, talkative, gossipy, mean, shy... etc., and we give them a label. Or people see something in us they don't like and give us a label. How many of those have you allowed yourself to wear? Has someone said something to you or about you that made you give yourself a label? How long will you wear it? Do you shove one off, only to pick up another and put it on your head? How long will you wear it? Take them off sisters. Rip them if you can. They mean nothing. The only label that will make any type of meaningful difference in your life is the label of Christ. Wear that one. Put it on your head, and hold it high. Share it with everyone you meet. Show them how they can have the love of Christ. How long will you wear this label? Forever. Forever and ever and ever. And it didn't take any sketches, marketing, or sales pitches. You see, this label is not written in ink with sparkly letters and pretty pictures. This label is written in blood. A blood that will never wash away. A blood that will turn you white as snow in the eyes of God. This label was written in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
And it's the only label I ever want to wear.
I am stopping here and praying that this will fall fresh on your ears the way it did mine, because I want you all to experience the bear hug of love I got from my Lord. One that I'm still not ready to be released from. A new understanding of His love is what I've gotten from Him. And again this refreshing came from something silly my boys did, which peaked my interest into labeling things. To God goes the glory for using my sweet "big boys" to teach me yet again how much He loves me, and to teach me how to fall deeper in love with Him.
The boys were given new toy golf clubs from their friend that we babysat for a few weeks. They love them. And although identical in every way, they still argued over whose was whose. Finally my oldest said, "momma, you're just gonna hafta label 'em". We've been here before. So I got out the trusty old Sharpie and went to labeling each tiny piece of each golf set. Putting their name on their 'stuff'. Now when they want to play golf, they carefully inspect the pieces to make sure they each have their own. It's really cute to watch them. And they are very territorial. Neither one can touch the others toy. I've had to do this with a LOT of their toys. They want to know which is theirs. Because they want their own, not someone elses.
It really made me wonder why. What was so important? What was so different about THEIR toy that made them unable to share with each other? They were exactly the same, but each boy held one up higher than the other because it was theirs.
Ever hear of God Stops? Of course many of you have. But I had a different kind of God Stop. He stopped me dead in my tracks and said, "daughter, I wouldn't share you with anyone either". You see, as my boys were dead set on having their OWN. So is God. He wants His own children. So many times I've chosen to step out of God's will, do my own things. Share my 'toys' with someone else. What God made me see was that His name is written on my heart. He does not want to share me with anyone, He wants me all to Himself. To do His will. To be in His sight. To walk in His path. He created me. He formed me. For Him and by Him I remain on this earth. Because He wants me for His good, I still breath. While we are still the same on the outside, on the inside we are much different. We have His markings. We have His love. And the best part about wearing His label? We CAN share it. God doesn't put His sharpie away and only bring it out for the best. He keeps it uncapped and ready for whoever is willing. And not only will He not share us with the enemy, He'll keep us protected under His wing when the enemy wants to swoop in and take us. How awesome is that!
So many earthly labels are too awful to mention. We see someone who's too skinny, overweight, tall, short, pretty, not pretty, talkative, gossipy, mean, shy... etc., and we give them a label. Or people see something in us they don't like and give us a label. How many of those have you allowed yourself to wear? Has someone said something to you or about you that made you give yourself a label? How long will you wear it? Do you shove one off, only to pick up another and put it on your head? How long will you wear it? Take them off sisters. Rip them if you can. They mean nothing. The only label that will make any type of meaningful difference in your life is the label of Christ. Wear that one. Put it on your head, and hold it high. Share it with everyone you meet. Show them how they can have the love of Christ. How long will you wear this label? Forever. Forever and ever and ever. And it didn't take any sketches, marketing, or sales pitches. You see, this label is not written in ink with sparkly letters and pretty pictures. This label is written in blood. A blood that will never wash away. A blood that will turn you white as snow in the eyes of God. This label was written in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
And it's the only label I ever want to wear.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
from the Lords lips
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"
That's just what I plan to do today. Praise Him in everything. There will be a lot of clapping and singing in our house today, we've got a lot to praise Him for! Amen? If you're feeling down and out, have a praise day with me. Put on some music and get "jiggy" in praise to the one whose hands formed you. Lift those hands up high and sing to Him, He loves it! Let's start a party of praise in Heaven today Siestas! Send our love to our Father. Today's challenge is simple:
If you love Him, let Him hear it! Fill God's ears with sweet sweet praise and song.
ps - I'm still chewing on the word He gave, it's working out into a devotion and when I'm done I'll post. :)
That's just what I plan to do today. Praise Him in everything. There will be a lot of clapping and singing in our house today, we've got a lot to praise Him for! Amen? If you're feeling down and out, have a praise day with me. Put on some music and get "jiggy" in praise to the one whose hands formed you. Lift those hands up high and sing to Him, He loves it! Let's start a party of praise in Heaven today Siestas! Send our love to our Father. Today's challenge is simple:
If you love Him, let Him hear it! Fill God's ears with sweet sweet praise and song.
ps - I'm still chewing on the word He gave, it's working out into a devotion and when I'm done I'll post. :)
Monday, July 23, 2007
the day wore on
Well the day did get a bit better. I ended up taking them to McD's so they could play and wear off some of that energy. It worked for a bit, but the one we're babysitting didn't take a nap and wasn't very pleasant in the afternoon. But God is good, it was an early pick up. :) My oldest didn't take a nap either and he wasn't much fun this evening. So I borrowed advice from those that commented on my earlier post. Tomorrow is play-group day. :) I think this morning we were all tired and cranky. Tomorrow will be better I can feel it. I'm claiming calmness, and I know that God will be faithful to give it. And I'm also claiming peaceful rest for all of us tonight. I spent some quiet time with God this evening, but I feel Him calling me back.
He's got a word for me tonight Siestas. How exciting! I'll share it with you tomorrow!
Thank you everyone for the comments, you're all very very sweet to a cranky Siesta and I love you for it!
He's got a word for me tonight Siestas. How exciting! I'll share it with you tomorrow!
Thank you everyone for the comments, you're all very very sweet to a cranky Siesta and I love you for it!
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