Last night the baby got up twice which could have been worse, but I was still wishing that it was zero times. I know I'm not the only mom who dreams of uninterrupted nights of sleep. I enter this place where I start to bargain with or even beg God for sleep. Is that too much to ask? Then last night this verse about God and how He neither slumbers nor sleeps came into my head. I'm sure it was by chance.
Psalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
10 things
So I've been neglecting this blog, because I don't FEEL like being vulnerable. ick.....but I'm working on that. SO as to follow the example of friends I'm simply going to list 10 things that I am thankful for and/or make me happy. I am supposed to write the bulletin cover for next Sunday, so I better get real soon, pray for that please.
in no particular order
1. When my kids willingly give me hugs and kisses
2. A friend telling me they love me as their friend
3. Coffee mixed with hot chocolate in the morning
4. Dennis kissing me goodbye in the am when I am mostly asleep
5. When V nearly sleeps through the night
6. Naps
7. Being included
8. pretty paper/fabric
9. blog comments (no hint intended :)
10. I heard my ring tone at the end of a movie the other day (son of rambow, check it out!)
this would make 11, but this pic makes me happy...abbie in the back goofing it up, traci is in the moment with a sincere smile...we were all getting our groove on....love it.
in no particular order
1. When my kids willingly give me hugs and kisses
2. A friend telling me they love me as their friend
3. Coffee mixed with hot chocolate in the morning
4. Dennis kissing me goodbye in the am when I am mostly asleep
5. When V nearly sleeps through the night
6. Naps
7. Being included
8. pretty paper/fabric
9. blog comments (no hint intended :)
10. I heard my ring tone at the end of a movie the other day (son of rambow, check it out!)
this would make 11, but this pic makes me happy...abbie in the back goofing it up, traci is in the moment with a sincere smile...we were all getting our groove on....love it.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
quote to chew on...
Excerpts from The Indwelling Life of Christ, by Major W Ian Thomas, Chapter 9;
The Holy Spirit always exposes the flesh for what it is, and there is nothing more infuriating to the carnally minded Christian than when those who are spiritually discerning remain unimpressed with him i spite of so much self-advertisement.
Consent, therefore, to die to all that you are which does not derive from all that Christ is, and thank Him for His willingness to make it real in your experience.
sometimes I'm not sure what side of that (the first sentence) i'm on...
The Holy Spirit always exposes the flesh for what it is, and there is nothing more infuriating to the carnally minded Christian than when those who are spiritually discerning remain unimpressed with him i spite of so much self-advertisement.
Consent, therefore, to die to all that you are which does not derive from all that Christ is, and thank Him for His willingness to make it real in your experience.
sometimes I'm not sure what side of that (the first sentence) i'm on...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
How do I smell?
So the title doesn't seem to be as eloquent as I imagined this post to be when i decided to write 30 seconds ago. However, it is the question that ran through my mind like a scrolling marquee as I read this verse:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many; peddling the word of God, as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. 2 Corinthians 3:4
So I've copied this verse down and maybe I shouldn't write anymore, as scripture does speak for itself. But I have often wondered what my aroma leads people to; life or death? There are a few people in my past in particular that I've had to learn to say a prayer for and move on because I know that I wasn't living in a way that would exemplify Christ's values. I cringe at the thought. What about now? I think on the outside I do so so. On the inside sometimes there is this attitude that creeps up like a ugly green monster and before you know it a spiritual battle is raging in my head. Victory is the Lord's as always, but what am I doing to spark the fight in the first place? Is there a spiritual deodorant that works from the inside out? I suppose that I have it already in the Holy Spirit, need to work on the daily yielding....
Verse 17, YES!! I feel like there is this marketing of Jesus going on out there and as my pastor said once, "we don't need to make God look good, He is good". But how will people know that when we are not speaking from sincerity? I know He is bigger than all my shortcomings and greater than my best day. I still get mixed up in that you don't have to do anything but even that takes effort. I just want to live truth and not get bogged down in too many gray areas.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many; peddling the word of God, as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. 2 Corinthians 3:4
So I've copied this verse down and maybe I shouldn't write anymore, as scripture does speak for itself. But I have often wondered what my aroma leads people to; life or death? There are a few people in my past in particular that I've had to learn to say a prayer for and move on because I know that I wasn't living in a way that would exemplify Christ's values. I cringe at the thought. What about now? I think on the outside I do so so. On the inside sometimes there is this attitude that creeps up like a ugly green monster and before you know it a spiritual battle is raging in my head. Victory is the Lord's as always, but what am I doing to spark the fight in the first place? Is there a spiritual deodorant that works from the inside out? I suppose that I have it already in the Holy Spirit, need to work on the daily yielding....
Verse 17, YES!! I feel like there is this marketing of Jesus going on out there and as my pastor said once, "we don't need to make God look good, He is good". But how will people know that when we are not speaking from sincerity? I know He is bigger than all my shortcomings and greater than my best day. I still get mixed up in that you don't have to do anything but even that takes effort. I just want to live truth and not get bogged down in too many gray areas.
Monday, August 18, 2008
I'll be somewhere else, doing something else and be filled with something to write, but by the time I get here it's gone, or quickly fading away. I don't like this. And yet I have kids, and other responsibilities and even now I think I'll be writing this in pieces, as my kids are downstairs playing, but that will only last so long. So as I have a moment I'm going to try to get out some of what's been going on in my upstairs region the past week or so.
My last post had the "Cardboard Testimonies" video. I still can't watch it without becoming a bit pheclemped. Mostly I am just humbled by the reminder of how little I recognize the workings of God. Even when I try to think of what my Cardboard Testimony would be my first thought is, "well, really now, what has God done in my life?" This is ridiculous, I know, but I suppose I have always suffered from the comparison complex. I see the big, amazing, in your face testimonies and rarely look in the shadows of what He has done in mine. And He HAS done great things. SO what would my piece of cardboard say....for now it would say, "wanted to jump to the end" flip it, "loving the ride". Even with that I want to add "most of the time" but I suppose that is the point - growth. If I get another tattoo, remind me that I want it to say that (sorry mom :) .
The other night I was thinking about fear. I like to think I'm a no fear type of gal. I've been bungee jumping (which I've learned is not a good thing to tell your life insurance agent), I'd love to sky dive. I have rational fears, like I did get a little naturally freaked on the inside before I went bungee jumping, but I still did it and want to immediately do it again. Still, I was driving home that night and reflecting on my day. I had been horseback riding and it was the first time in at least 6 years. I used to show and ride from ages 9 to 18, so this wasn't completely foreign to me. Still I was slightly nervous. I wasn't afraid of falling of the horse. I was afraid of looking like an idiot. Even more so I was afraid that the person I was with would be able to tell that I didn't want to look like an idiot. As gracious as she was, I'm sure she could tell. Fear of man...grrr. I truly hate it. How many times does the Bible talk about the Lord being on your side, or going before you and whom shall you fear? Tons of times. Enough times that I should know not to fear by now. I should fear nothing but God. At time like this I realize I have no clue how great and mighty our God is, no clue into the concept of eternity.
My last post had the "Cardboard Testimonies" video. I still can't watch it without becoming a bit pheclemped. Mostly I am just humbled by the reminder of how little I recognize the workings of God. Even when I try to think of what my Cardboard Testimony would be my first thought is, "well, really now, what has God done in my life?" This is ridiculous, I know, but I suppose I have always suffered from the comparison complex. I see the big, amazing, in your face testimonies and rarely look in the shadows of what He has done in mine. And He HAS done great things. SO what would my piece of cardboard say....for now it would say, "wanted to jump to the end" flip it, "loving the ride". Even with that I want to add "most of the time" but I suppose that is the point - growth. If I get another tattoo, remind me that I want it to say that (sorry mom :) .
The other night I was thinking about fear. I like to think I'm a no fear type of gal. I've been bungee jumping (which I've learned is not a good thing to tell your life insurance agent), I'd love to sky dive. I have rational fears, like I did get a little naturally freaked on the inside before I went bungee jumping, but I still did it and want to immediately do it again. Still, I was driving home that night and reflecting on my day. I had been horseback riding and it was the first time in at least 6 years. I used to show and ride from ages 9 to 18, so this wasn't completely foreign to me. Still I was slightly nervous. I wasn't afraid of falling of the horse. I was afraid of looking like an idiot. Even more so I was afraid that the person I was with would be able to tell that I didn't want to look like an idiot. As gracious as she was, I'm sure she could tell. Fear of man...grrr. I truly hate it. How many times does the Bible talk about the Lord being on your side, or going before you and whom shall you fear? Tons of times. Enough times that I should know not to fear by now. I should fear nothing but God. At time like this I realize I have no clue how great and mighty our God is, no clue into the concept of eternity.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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