Praying for their Footsteps

I think I am going to have to move Praying for their Footsteps to Tuesdays. So I will hopefully post every Tuesday starting tomorrow...

Something Profound...

Our pastor has a herniated disk, so he has been unable to preach the last couple of weeks. We had a guest speaker yesterday named Dan Hall. He said something, which to me, was profound, at least in the way that he said it. And since I am just going to share the Word he was preaching from and the profound statement, it may not be as profound to you, but it was major to me. And the Scriptures called out to me in a new way - funny how the Scripture is so alive and true. I hope it speaks to you...

"Immediately, he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.' And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened." Mark 6:45-52

This is what Dan said: It was the disciples who were afraid of the wind and of seeing Christ walking on the water. We all at some point have storms in our lives. In fact, my own pastor, Calvin Kelly says often, "You are either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or about to go through a crisis." How do you weather the storms of life?

This is what was to me profound. This is what I wrote down:
"God was doing something different to fix the problem (than what the disciples expected Him to do.) The disciples assumed He did not care because He was not doing the same things they were doing and because He was not doing what they expected Him to do."

You see Jesus had commanded them to get into the boat and go to the other side. He then prayed, and then was going to walk across the water on ahead of them to the other side. Right before this they had witnessed Jesus feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, but their hearts were still too hard to recognize that it was only because He was the Son of God that He was able to perform a miracle to feed the 5,000. They focused on the miracle not on who He was. So in the storm, they were afraid.

In the storms of life, Lord, let me trust You and fix my eyes on You no matter what Your solution is!

War Eagle!!!

I am participating in the Alabama Bloggers football carnival because I want to represent what I believe to be the best team. I married an Alabama man, and I was born into a mixed AU/AL marriage. I rarely bring up football on my blog, unlike my friend, Josh, who's blog tends to focus on our wonderful team and his unwavering optimism of its abilities. I love Auburn. I love the school. I love the football team. I love almost everything about it. It was my home away from home for four years, and where I grew closer to Christ and made many friends. It is a place of precious memories for me, even though I got my major in civil engineering, which I no longer use, and studied for long hard hours to make grades that were often less than satisfying.

Auburn men and women are Auburn men and women for life. Most fans are people who went to school and graduated there, who found community and character there while they earned their degree. The sense of the school is summed up in the Auburn Creed:

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn.
Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and
trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which
I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid,
and in clean sports that develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with
my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things,
I believe in Auburn and love it.
-George Petrie (1945)

Friendship

I have been struggling for quite some time with a person in my life who seems to be perfect. This summer I read, "The Friendships of Women" by Dee Brestin, and it really helped me see that my thoughts on friendships are quite normal and so are my struggles and desire for more intimate friendships. It helped me move past my hangups though this is still very much a place of struggle for me. I often feel defeated by the aforementioned person's seeming perfection. However, I know that she cannot be as perfect as she seems. No one could be as close to God on this side of eternity as it seems she is. I am waiting upon God to tell me if she is a person to let go of or to continue to bear burdens with. But, she has caused me to examine myself, and for transparency's sake, these are what I believe to be true about me:

• I am not an expert on anything
• I am not perfect
• I am a sinner
• I mess up every day
• I need God in my life desperately
• I am still blessed in my position in life despite my imperfection
• In my weakness and need, He is strong within me
• I must become more humble and generous in my ability to meet the needs of others
• There must must must be less of me and more of Him

In a nutshell, this means that though my heart desires intimacy, it must not be for intimacy's sake that I seek and serve. I must be because Christ is my all and everything. I must be more proactive and intentional and die to self not just daily, but hourly, minute by minute if necessary, and believe me, it is necessary. A quote from "The Friendships of Women" says,

"When your own needs for intimacy are being met, it's easy to slide into complacency concerning the needs of others. If a newcomer does come [to a bible study], she senses the group's intimacy and feels like an outsider looking in. How diligent we must be to pray for the love of Christ to continually flow through us so that we continue to reach out to those newcomers with hearty welcomes when they arrive, along with extending invitations for coffee, and affirming emails. Likewise, we need Christ to touch our eyes so that we see women as He does."

Though I desire intimacy, I rarely reach out to form intimacy with a newcomer and I want to turn this around for Christ, which means I must die and He must live. I must strive to do that which makes me uncomfortable. "Our dependence should be on God alone - for only He is without sin, and only He will never let us down" (The Friendships of Women, p. 176). There is no friend like the friend you have in Christ - none. This reminds me of the old hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Enjoy!

Am I a Proud or a Broken Person toward others?

From Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book, "Brokenness: The Heart God Revives."

1. PROUD PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE FAILURES OF OTHERS AND CAN READILY POINT OUT THOSE FAULTS. **Broken people are more conscious of their own spiritual need than of anyone else's.
2. PROUD PEOPLE HAVE A CRITICAL, FAULT-FINDING SPIRIT. THEY LOOK AT EVERYONE ELSE'S FAULTS WITH A MICROSCOPE BUT VIEW THEIR OWN WITH A TELESCOPE. **Broken people are compassionate - they have the kind of love that overlooks a multitude of sins; they can forgive because they know how much they have been forgiven.
3. PROUD PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO CRITICIZE THOSE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY - THEIR PASTOR, THEIR BOSS, THEIR HUSBAND, THEIR PARENTS - AND THEY TALK TO OTHERS ABOUT THE FAULTS THEY SEE. **Broken people reverence, encourage, and lift up those that God has placed in positions of authority, and they talk to God in intercession, rather than gossiping about the faults they see in others.
4. PROUD PEOPLE ARE SELF-RIGHTEOUS; THEY THINK HIGHLY OF THEMSELVES AND LOOK DOWN ON OTHERS. **Broken people think the best of others; they esteem others as better than themselves.
5. PROUD PEOPLE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT, SELF-SUFFICIENT SPIRIT. **Broken people have a dependent spirit; they recognize their need for God and for others.
   

Said by Princess

Today we were driving home from the park, and Princess said, "Mommy, what do squid eat?"
Me: "I'm not sure - plankton or sea bugs or something like that maybe. I don't know."
Princess pauses a few minutes, and then: "Mommy, we should ask God. He will know what squid like to eat."

Yes, indeed, God knows. I love it!

Brokenness

It is so funny how God works. For some time now, God has been working behind the scenes in me on selfishness, humility, and pride. I blogged about it briefly in one of my posts, but I don't remember which one now. God has been dealing with it so much so that I felt called to write a bible study about it. I had this nagging feeling about it. I did a little research about it, but not too much. I kinda thought about it, yet I did not let it persist me either. Two weeks ago, God had me outline the study I was to write.

In all of the persistence (read sarcastically) I mentioned earlier, I checked out a book from the library six weeks ago called, "Brokenness: The Heart God Revives" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I finally finished reading it today because it is due tomorrow. (Just keeping it real!) It is an awesome, highly recommended read. You will definitely get something out of it, and it is a short book. However, you might want to take longer to savor it than I did. I mentioned my desire to write this study to my accountability partner, and she directed me to some other resources that came to her mind on humility.

This book and her resources seem to confirm that I go ahead with the time and effort of writing a bible study. How odd and strange, as even though I love to study Scripture, I don't find myself altogether qualified or capable of writing a study for anyone to actually study - not to mention one on pride and humility - who reallys wants to submit to that? :) I keep telling myself that this study will be written for me, and so I believe it to be. And to be quite frank, I am not one to finish something of this magnitude on my own. With that said, I feel that I must continue to be broken before you - humble to bring repentance before you in truthfulness. And I will be sharing a series of surveys from the "Brokenness" book about the way you can inventory your heart and determine whether you are prideful or broken.

Below are some quotes I enjoyed from the book:

"Again and again, God's Word reveals that he is not as concerned about the depth or extent of the sin we commit as he is about our attitude and response when we are confronted with our sin." p.65

p. 67 she notes the anguish of soul one must feel

"It is in His very nature to be repulsed by pride and to draw near to those who have a humble, broken spirit." p. 68

"I believe one of the reasons that so many people live with chronic loneliness is that they are unwilling to die." p. 104

"True Christian community, as Pastor Ray Ortlund described it, is something few believers ever experience, because it requires that each individual let go of "self" and pour out his life on behalf of others." p. 105

A Call to Anguish

A friend posted this on facebook. Brokenness and humility are what God keeps trying to teach me, and when I am faithful to dig, he has me searching the Scripture for these things. This stirred my heart, so I wanted to post on here.

The Crippled Lamb

It's been a while since I've done a book review, and today I read this little book to Princess.
It seems it was written especially for me.
It is about a lamb who is crippled and often feels left out and alone.
But it turns out that God has a special plan for the lamb because he is different.

This is a message I think we all need to hear,
and is especially important to teach children
because children always seem to go through periods of insecurities.
All of us were created with a weakness.
And God can use us through our weakness for His glory.
But I think I liked this little reminder today more than sweet Princess.
I loved this little book.

"Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God." 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, The Message

Oh, amen to that passage.

New Verses to Memorize

I have not been faithful to post my scripture memory verses on here lately. But I have a new accountability partner, and she is helping me get back in the groove. I have found that summer has kept me busy, and I like being busy, so much so that now that the busyness of summer is gone, I am bored and unsure how to manage my time with the kids. One of the things I have decided to do to stay on task is to get Princess to memorize her verses while I memorize mine.

Princess's verse to work on:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right." Ephesians 6:1 (sung to This Little Light of Mine)
If we sing this much, I think Speed Racer will learn it too.

My verse:
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 84:2

Praying for their Footsteps

Father God,
Thank you for my children.
Let Speed Racer grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)
I pray that Princess will enjoy good health and that all will go well with him. (3 John 2)
Cause Princess and Speed Racer to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honoring one another above themselves. (Romans 12:10)
I pray that Princess and Speed Racer would both confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord, and that each one would believe in his own heart that you have raised Christ from the dead. Cause Princess and Speed Racer to call on your name, Lord, and save him. (Romans 10:9, 13)

I praise You for Your Goodness and Your Glory, Father.
You are Holy.
By You and Through You ALL things were created.
There is no one above You.
Amen.

Comfort Zone

Last Friday, I drove the kids to mom's house to visit with her and my grandparents. As I was driving, I really felt like I the "summer vacation" of my mind was over, and now would be the time to crank out some more blogs. I had a myriad of posts running through my mind as I drove.

When I first started blogging, the blog world was a safe place to be. I could write my heart out, and not too many people would be reading it. I certainly wanted to be read, but at the same time, if I wrote or said something crazy, I was not worried about too many people reading it. I had very little going on in my life in the way of relationships, so in a sense, I had nothing to lose. I sent the link to my friends, but I did not have many close friends, and the ones I did have were not interested in reading my heart cries on this blog. That was a little disappointing, but at the same time, I just kept writing away and trying to minister to someone else in a similar life circumstance - hoping without ever knowing that this blog reaches someone for Christ. I put my name in blog circles and waited and still not much happened. But somewhere along the way, people started reading.

I was thinking about how I feel somewhat of a celebrity for anyone to want to read my blog, and I know I don't have as many readers as a big time blog would. Being someone who prefers to be behind the scenes, this is a little funny to me - seeking to achieve blog readership yet wanting to be unknown - how can the two coexist right? And my church has started a blog, Valleydale Church blog, and it links to my blog, so suddenly I feel a little shy as you might go to church with me and know me, but I may not know you. *sigh* Regardless, I am just Jamie, a simple girl, who sees God in big ways in small things - one little reminder that God finds significances in things and people who seem sorta insignificant - like me and maybe like you. You are significant and important to God. You are loved by Him with the deepest love imaginable, and as I seek Him, I will continue to pour out my heart and step out of my comfort zone. So more blogs and thoughts to come soon.

Family Pictures

My family and I recently had some pictures taken by a friend, Sarah Cook. Sarah goes to church with us, and she just started her own photography business, Cookwire Photography. We wanted to take advantage of her 50% off sale that she has going on this month, so we met her at Aldridge Gardens this past Saturday.

She posted some pictures of us on her blog. She is a phenomenal photographer, and I thought you would enjoy seeing a few of our photos. If you are in the area and need some photos, she's your gal. You will enjoy getting to know her. Not only are her photos phenomenal, but she is too. She is a wife and mom to three children, one who has autism. If you need any more information about autism, she has several resources listed here.

A New Nickname for Pea

I have thought long and hard for a new nickname for Pea. He just isn't a pea anymore, and he certainly isn't a princess though he plays with them just like Princess does. If this is weird, well, try telling a brother and sister not to share and see what happens and then try telling them that this stuff is one's and this stuff is the others - chaos ensues, so for now, he plays with Princess dolls too, but in a totally different way.

Back to my point. I have given him a new nickname - a few were tossed around - Pockets, Mr. Pea, Prince, Bug, and probably a few I am forgetting. Now, the name I have chosen is perfect - it fits his personality to a tee. However, it is not truly a label I would like to give my little Pea. Pea is a much safer, friendlier name. Especially considering that my brother and father in law (and less frequently my husband) race go-karts, and I would prefer that no child of mine continue in this tradition. I am none to happy thinking of sending my son riding off into the sunset on a motorcycle to come home lucky to be alive as did my mother in law with my brother in law. Nor would I prefer to see my son go off to war. That being said, a lot of the things my children do or become will be in my control, but a lot will not, and I will ultimately leave them in the safest hands imaginable just as I said in my Psalm 139 prayer. God is the one who holds my children in His hands, in His care, in His safety at all times. I can do my job as a parent, but He is the ultimate parent, seeking and searching for each one in ways that I can never do. So I am hoping not to write his future by the name I've picked and entrust that someday he will need yet another new nickname, because he has slowed down (truly I can't imagine it, but still). What's the nickname you ask - Speed Racer.

Bullying and Whispering

Well, the summer has flown by, and since my kids are not in school yet, it still seems like summer for me. While I have a myriad of posts that I would like to write about and catch up on, it would simply just keep me hiding away in this house with no new blog posts, SO once again, I'm just gonna start with where I am today.

Princess is having potty troubles again, and Pea has started hitting, bullying, and beating up the big boys on the playground. All at only 2 years of age. This is quite a conundrum for a mother. While I am sure there is humor in both situations, I really just want to pull my hair out and scream, "Why me?" But alas, God does have a purpose, if not His own divine sense of humor, that is for me and these little crazies. Just today, we met some friends from church at Chick-fil-a for a breakfast playdate. Well, let me back up to say that hubby and I took the kids to Chick-fil-a over the weekend, where Pea proceeded to hit a little baby girl while in the playground where we could not see him (of course), so neither one of us really knew what had happened. We tried to assume the best, but mentally I was thinking my baby has beaten another baby up.

So back to today, we go and of course, I seemed to be the only mother who had to pay absolute attention to every detail her kids were doing. I mean, my kids seemed to be the only hoodlums there. I am sure all the other mommies were having delightful conversations none of which I was able to participate in for very long. First, Pea clung to me. Then he got stuck, and he seriously, did not know what to do without Princess in the playplace with him. Princess had decided she was not ready to play yet. Finally, she goes in there, and they proceed to act a fool in the playplace. Then Pea hits a boy. I have no idea if it was provoked or not. None at all, but what I proceeded to see was shocking. Little boy who is actually bigger than both Pea AND Princess proceeds to try to hit my son back, so Princess steps in front of Pea and hits Little Boy. Then they proceeded to get in a toddler brawl. Mom of Little Boy and I rushed into the playarea to stop said brawl. Oh. My. Word! What! Just. Happened?

Never fear there was discipline. I am going to have to search the bible for a verse against hitting and for peacemaking. However, when I told hubby about it, he was a proud papa and acted as though it was the best thing that ever happened. Well not really, sorta, but he seriously, told me not to tell Princess "not to hit back" as I had said.

The afternoon was filled with frustrating potty experiences and me thinking God must have forsaken me. Hubby came home. I whipped up a fast unplanned dinner, and then he and Pea went to the store, and Princess and I took a walk. It was a very delightful walk, as she is very fun to talk too. She said that the wind lives in the clouds, but that God decided when to open the door for the wind and when to close the door, so that's how it gets windy. And that God likes to color and do crafts. I said yes, He does. He colors everything we see and even our hearts. We talked about strange things like the road being old and its cracks and how everything needs renewing from time to time (like getting new pavement and a new heart from God).

Then we came home and read Goldilocks and the Three Bears. When we heard our boys get home we turned the lights out and hid in the dark living room. Neither one of my kids like the dark very much, so Princess said, "But it's scary." And I said, "But I am here." Princess: "Oh, yeah, it's not so scary like this." (huddled together) And then the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear, "Remember that - I am with you always even when it seems scary. What do you have to be afraid of with me?" I suppose that means even when my kids are acting afool, bullying, and mothers are looking at me as if I am the scum of the earth. Yes, even then, He is with me. How wonderful is that!

Praying for their Footsteps

If you haven't noticed, the blog has been quiet here. Maybe it's because I've been busy this summer, or maybe it's because I've felt more peace in my soul, or because there are some things you want to blog about but you just cannot. At any rate, my home has been so much more peaceful since deciding to follow Him in mission to Arizona. The crazy problems we were having with Princess seem to have somewhat resolved. Yes, she is still emotional at times, but in the normal scheme of things, not in an overwhelming-I'm-not-sure-how-to-deal-with-this kind of way. I don't have a real dramatic story, but God uses us in whatever our story is. It IS dramatic to Him, because each one of us is oh so special to Him (no intent to sing the Special Agent Oso theme song there). I am praising Him for the changes I have seen in my family since I've started posting my prayers here and since my family has pursued Him in mission together.

Today I want to share a prayer of praise, peace, and trust for myself and the kids from Psalm 34:1-14.

O Lord, I pray that I will bless You at all times; that your praise would be continually in my mouth. I pray that I would teach both Princess and Pea to do the same as they get older.
My soul boasts in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
May my children delight in hearing praises to You, O Lord.
May Princess, Pea, and all you reading, join with me in magnifying His name.
Let all of us exalt His name together.
(Think of the good things He has done for you.)

I sought You, and You answered me
and continue to deliver me from all my fears, especially in regards to my family.
Those who look to You are radiant (including my family from time to time)
and our faces (in your radiance) will never be ashamed.
I cried out and You heard me and saved me.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear You, and You deliver them.

Oh, my readers, Princess, Pea, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, continue to fear Him all who know Him,
for those who do lack for nothing.
Young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek You lack no good thing!

Come, Princess, Pea, listen to me as I tell you His words
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Lord, keep my tongue and Princess's and Pea's tongue from evil
and our lips from speaking deceit.
May the children and I turn away from evil and do good;
seeking peace and pursuing it!

Happy Birthday Pea!

My little Pea is 2 years old now, and I am thinking about giving him a new blog nickname, because pretty soon he won't be a pea anymore. :)

Since his birthday was the Monday after we got back on Saturday from our mission trip, we did not do much of anything special that day. In fact, it was not the best day. The kids (and me too) were still adjusting to coming home and getting into the groove of life here. However, I did decide to make him some birthday cookies. Unfortunately for him, they were "Deceptively Delicious" birthday cookies, so probably not the most fun cookies. But, fortunately for me, neither of the kids seemed to notice the deception. :)

Here are some pics of the eating of the cookies:


Still more to come on the birthday party...

Praying for their Footsteps - Psalm 139

I bet you thought I forgot about my own idea to pray for my kids - nope! We've been studying the Psalms at church, and this week we studied Psalm 139. This is one of my all time favorite Psalms, and I thought I would use The Message version along with my own attempts to paraphrase this week to pray for Princess and Pea. Remember if you want to join in to do this too, just add a comment to my blog, as I'm not using Mr. Linky right now.

God, investigate Princess's and Pea's life; get all the facts firsthand.
Each one is an open book to You (even when they are mysterious to me);
even from a distance, You know what each one thinks.
You know when each one leaves the room and when each one comes back;
however, neither one is ever out of Your sight!
You know everything each one says to me each day and the sounds they make
even before the sound or word is ever uttered.
When each one looks around, You are there, everywhere they look -
in the trees, in the sky, in the kitchen, in the bathtub.
Your reassuring Presence is there wherever they are;
You protect them from the boogie man much better than I
and linger even when their fear is gone.
It is almost too much, how wonderful, so wonderful
that is hard for me to even understand much less explain it to the kids.

Is there anyplace Princess or Pea can avoid you?
Are they ever out of Your Sight?
If they climb as high as the sky, You are still there with them!
If they go far underground, You are still there with them!
Even when I am not with them (as now they are asleep in their room),
You are with them!
If they ran away from me as far as they could go out of my eyesight,
You would be their waiting on them going before them.
If they were lost to me, they would be found in You.
Even when it is dark, it is as light to You
because darkness isn't dark to You - it's all the same.
You still see them.

You shaped them even as they grew in my womb.
And I am convinced that you knew them more intimately than I
even before You placed them there.
How I thank You for these precious little ones!
O Magnificent One - You have made each one marvelously,
both body and soul, inside and out.
My adoration is for You in creating each one just as they should be.
You know all about them - in and out,
you know every bone in their sweet bodies,
you know their organs, even each cell that forms all the rest.
You know exactly how Princess and Pea are made
You sculpted them from nothing into something
You know the whole story of their lives,
from conception to the grave to eternity -
all the stages and developments they will achieve You have already seen.
Every day that they will live has already been prepared for them.

Your thoughts are beautiful to me, O God.
Please allow Princess and Pea to find Your thoughts beautiful as well.
Even though we can never comprehend them or even count them.
Let me rise in the morning and live always with You,
and let my children want to do the same!
God, we wait for You to do away with wickedness forever.
Some belittle You, but may my children never want to do this.
Let them never be infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
Let them hunger only for the Real Thing.

Investigate them, Know them,
Find out all about Princess and Pea (and give me wisdom),
Get a clear picture of what each one is all about
(and let me have a picture of it too)
Guide Princess
Guide Pea
on the road and pathway to eternal life.

Today

I am going to follow my friend Brooke's lead, and just start with today as opposed to trying to catch you up on everything that I have experienced in the past three weeks.

I had a biopsy on my thyroid, and for that update, everything turned out fine. The mission trip was awesome, and I will have more to say about it on another post.

Today, we got up and ate and then we listened to VeggieTales, which we often do after breakfast. Pea had a birthday last week, and a birthday party last weekend, and we still had not really opened a few of the presents yet. He received two types of train sets, and we weren't sure what to do with them, but ultimately we kept and opened both of them - they were both Thomas the Tank Engine sets, just different types. He went crazy for them - absolutely crazy. And so did Princess.

We were all out of diapers, so we went to Wal-Mart, and then met some friends at Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Chick-Fil-A was packed out, and Princess and Pea got to sit at a kids table with their friends. Then they played in the oh-so-loud playroom. I was proud of my kids today - they were so obedient and even sat quietly at the table for a while before we left. We came home to Thomas, played a bit, and then off to bed for Pea. Princess played with Thomas and then her ponies that we found on clearance at Target a few days ago.

Then Pea got up. We played and played with Thomas. Daddy came up to see our new Thomas fun.

After dinner, we went to the park, were the kids played and ran and ran in the grass. Then we got sno cones for a treat. Tomorrow we are going to see the trains at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. Our friend, Jeremy, owns a caboose, and we are hoping to ride it.

So this is not my favorite kind of blog to write, but there you go, a summary of what we've done today.

What I hope to blog about soon:
1. Our Mission Trip / Vail, AZ
2. Pea's birthday
3. Bible study thoughts
4. New memory verses

The Truth for Barbara and any others who need to know THE Way,

I received the following comment on my last post:
"Hello! In your sidebar: "Unreached people of the day...". Unreached? No one is "unreached", because evryone is a child of God, no matter which religion or belief they have. There's no religion, who is the "right" religion. All ways leads to God. God is evrywhere and in all beings, and all beings are in God. Barbara"

I don't have Barbara's contact information or I would contact her directly, but I hope you visit again, Barbara, and are able to read my response to you.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You,
O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer! Psalm 19:14

Dear Barbara,

I believe that truth is not relative and that God defines Truth, and I believe that His Truth is given to us as our guide in the Bible, His Holy Word!

John 14:6 says (Jesus speaking), "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." And Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Acts 4:12 also says that "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." So all ways cannot lead to God because the Bible says that Jesus is the only Way and that some ways lead to death, not to Him.

I know we are talking about spiritual matters here, but this metaphor also applies. When I leave my house, I can get on the interstate. It can take me to Atlanta or to Dallas, but that same road cannot take me to New York - I must get on a different road. Just like you have to get on a particular road to get to a particular place in the physical world, so it is in the spiritual world.

Barbara, I wish I could sit and talk with you face to face and tell you these things because God loves you with an everlasting love and He does indeed want to you know these Truths. He is the Creator, and he is the Father over all created things, but we as humans have turned away from Him and believed lies. We want in a sense to be our own god or make a god for ourselves to worship. But all of us fall short of being God - we are less than His perfection. We cannot be a god for ourselves or for anyone else. We are imperfect and without Him, we are powerless. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." However, there is a GOD that longs for us to turn back to Him and have a real relationship with Him in which He guides us.

Because He is the Creator, He is seen in everything - because everything is His handiwork uniquely designed by Him for His pleasure. I think it is true to say that His fingerprints are on everything and everyone and that all beings were created for Him. But this does not imply that all know Him or that He is in all beings. Romans 1:19 says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." One can see God in creation and perhaps KNOW the true God, but He is best known through hearing about Jesus.

Romans 5:8 says that "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Oh, sweet one, God loves you. He seeks after you and longs for you. He loves you more than you could ever begin to imagine. "For God so loved the world (that means you, Barbara, and that means the Jino of China too) that he sent His only Son that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Unreached? Yes, all those who have never heard the good news of Jesus are unreached. They need to hear about how incredibly awesome He is!!

I pray for those who are unreached because they have never heard the precious good news of Christ, and we, His servants, are to find ways to take His message to them. Romans 10:17 says, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:14-15 say, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

My friend, truly, I long for everyone I know to know this glorious life-changing truth.

Romans 10:9-10 say, "if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

To be saved:
1. admit your sin, your imperfection, your need for God
2. believe in Christ as one who came to die for you
3. confess that you want Him to be Lord over you and submit yourself to Him.

If anyone reading this wants to know more about Christ, please contact me here, and I would be happy to talk about this on a personal basis. Also please visit this link for more information.

Praying for all who read to be stirred by Him,

Marital Wisdom

I have about a million and one things that I would like to tell you, but I don't have time to even start and finish tonight, so I am going to direct you to Nancy Leigh DeMoss's site about marriage today. I happened to click on a few blogs and found this interview (July 16, 2009) to be encouraging and challenging. I hope it provides a tiny amount of marital wisdom for you, as I certainly hope to glean some from it.

What's Up?

You may wonder where I am and why I have not posted since last week. I am getting ready for a mission trip to Vail, Arizona. We leave on Saturday, July 4th, and come back on July 11th. I am working like a busy little bee to get everything packed and the house as clean as time will allow before I leave. I've had some distractions, but God is good and His purpose will be achieved.

New verses to memorize:

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

James 1:2-3 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

PS. I am loving the LPM summer siesta bible study - "Me, Myself, and Lies" by Jennifer Rothschild. Great study.

I'm Learning

Last week when the A/C was still out, we visited my mom's house and hung out at her pool a lot. Once again, I learned something. I happened to be sitting out of the pool at this particular time, and my daughter wanted to jump into the pool. Pea had already been jumping in, so she wanted to do it too. And, she wanted to do it BY HERSELF. You know how that goes - they are so jealous of one another, so they have to try to one up the other one. Anyhow, she wanted to do it by herself, but she lacked the follow-through confidence to make it off of the ledge without hurting herself when she jumped. The first time her back hit the wall. The second time her bottom hit the wall. So I said, "Okay, you can't do that anymore." She got in one of her moods and sat down angrily on the edge of the pool. Since I was really a sideline viewer and not an actual participant of the drama, I realized what I had done, which I so often do. I kicked her confidence when it was already low. Of course, what I intended to say was that you need to stop and either jump farther or hold Nana's hand to learn how to jump farther, but that's not the first thing that came out.

My daughter is a lot like me - very sensitive to others, and she really wants to do it right the first time, or she feels like a failure. And of course, as a child, she is still learning how to be confident and do things even when she might mess up at first. The difference between us is that as a child, I did not have an outlet to voice my fears or failures, and as such, I struggled with insecurity and low self esteem for a long time (still do at times). I was taught to stuff my thoughts inside and not to have emotions. My fear is that I will make my daughter into me. So, even though, sometimes there are a lot of emotional fits and tantrums which are unpleasant, I am hoping my daughter has a voice and can learn to talk about these things in a healthy way.

I gave her a few moments to cool off, and then I said, "I'm sorry, Princess." She said in a small voice, "That's okay, Mommy." Then she got up and tried again and had a lot of fun.

Ephesians 6:4 says, "Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Lord, help me to parent so as not to provoke to anger. Help me to see my children through your eyes that I might encourage when encouragement is needed and instruct when instruction is needed.

Praying for Their Footsteps

Father God,

I pray for Princess that she would grow in understanding of You, Lord, and what it means to tell other people about Jesus. Help her to understand that you do not have to know everything about Jesus to know Him and be His child.

Lord, I pray that Princess would not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifice God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16

Lord, I pray for Pea that he would do to others as he would have done to him. Luke 6:31

I pray that both of them will grow in love - love that is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

I pray that that would grow in love for you - that they would desire to obey your commands, because your commands are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

I continue to pray that they may come to know you at an early age - for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

The Flowers

One day earlier this week Princess decided to pick a flower off of one of the day lilies. I was fine with her picking a flower. From time to time, we let her pick our flowers for enjoyment. This time however, she picked a bloom with 9 other buds on it that had not bloomed yet. This made me sad. There were nine other flowers that could have matured and that we could have enjoyed at some point later. Yet because they were picked too early, they instead died.

This made me think of the Father, and about how we probably don't let some things mature like they should. One example is a baby Christian. When we are content to allow the mature leaders to do all of the work, we don't allow the baby Christians to mature and become beautiful flowers themselves. Another example would be when the less mature Christian is "picked" by deceit and believes lies that he was not created to believe. John 15:5 says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing." Well, because of Princess's mistake, I made the observation that a branch cannot separate itself from the vine. Someone must pick it, nature could sever it, but there is nothing it can do on its own other than not be fed by the vine. I think then in the John 15 example, we must train ourselves to hear the Father's voice and only His, so that we do NOT believe the lies Satan throws our way causing us to wither and die and be separated from the vine. The bible says the only way to remain in Him, to bear fruit and flowers ;) is to know His commands - know what the bible says.

Can you think of some other spiritual examples?

The A/C

has been out for what seems to be a really long time. Yesterday, I had a biopsy, which appears will be good results. I will know for sure in the coming week. But after I got home, my kids were at mom's, and Daniel went back to work, and it was just me and the A/C repairman. He worked, while it got hotter and hotter. It actually got up to 90 degrees in here. Having no one to care for and nothing in particular to do was actually difficult and the raising heat did not make it any better! I watched a movie. I worked puzzles. I put on my swimsuit and went outside (the cooler option). I paced. I did not look at the computer much yesterday. It just seemed too hot to do. Finally after working all day, the A/C began putting out cool air. Praise the Lord for A/C!

The A/C was out for a little over 2 weeks! In the beginning we called a familiar company to come and fix it, but they gave us an estimate of $1600 for one solution and $4000 for the suggested all purpose solution. We said thank you, paid our $85, and began looking for other solutions. Daniel was given the name of a family friend who works on air conditioners, so he decided to call him, even though my sister in law had warned me not to. I followed along with what my hubby had decided. The family friend came out, replaced the part, and lo and behold, the A/C still did not work. Then he came the next day, replaced the unit for free, and lo and behold, the A/C still did not work. He came the very next day to recharge the freon, and still, the A/C did not work. Oh my! Then he decided that the original part had been defective, ordered a new part, and sent someone else out a whole week later.

I was actually very patient although not fully supportive of Daniel's decision to use this man. In the middle of VBS, I was HOT and tired and lost it one night. Okay, not so bad, but not wonderful either. However, when somebody would ask about it, I would tell them the whole megillah (the whole story for those of you who have not studied Beth Moore's Esther). Many women would say things like, "Well, I would not be as patient as you." Despite being somewhat patient and even submissive to my husband's choice, I was still undermining my husband's decision by telling the whole story and my hesitation with his choice. After the first week was over, I began to realize that even though I was being somewhat patient, I had still hurt Daniel by not supporting him 100% in this decision. There was little I could do in the way of taking back my words. No, the damage had been done, and all I could do was really support his decision.

Anyhow, I learned a lot about being Daniel's helpmate in the way of supporting him this week, because I made a bad decision. Some would say he made a bad decision. Maybe he did, but it was his bad decision to learn from, just as I learned from mine. There is more to the story about the fixing of the A/C which includes Daniel doing some of the work himself, but hey, I am one cool momma right now.

Lord, help me to build up my husband and not to tear Him down.

Another Award

I've won an award. I love to get awards. Sarah from God's Not Finished with Us Yet nominated me for an Kreativ Blogger Award, and I am sincerely happy and blessed to receive it! Thank you, Sarah!! As a recipient of this award, you are supposed to nominate 7 people to receive the award, and you are to tell 7 things that your blog readers may not already know about you.

First, the nominees:

1. Robin at Robin's Chicks - this is a very humorous mommy blog. Robin and I went to high school together and connected on facebook and in the blog world. Her blog is such a funny read - she even has her own newspaper column now and is also working on getting a book published.

2. Courtney at A Day in the Life of a Housewife - this is a great crafting blog. I am not crafty in the least little bit, so I love to look at the crafty things that Courtney comes up with - they are so beautiful and delicate looking. Courtney has been a great encouragement to me through the blog world.

3. Shirley at Alabama Times - a blog about life in Alabama when you are not from here. Ha! Shirley moved from Pennslyvania, and her husband does prison ministry. She blogs about daily life, and I love reading about God's work in her life and about how selfless people are for her family. She is one of the first people who read my blog somewhat regularly that doesn't know me personally, and I love her blog.

4. Alabama Bloggers - I recently found this blog site, and I love it. It is a place for other Alabama bloggers to connect and blog together. I don't know if this site even receives blog awards, but I love it anyway. :)

5. Brooke at Off the Cuff and On the Fly - this is great blog about the Thompson family, and it talks about everything from vacations to homeschooling to a mommy learning a new sport - runnning. A good read!

6. Valerie at It's a Wonderful Life - this blog is new to me, as in I found it because of the LPM bible study I am going to participate in, but I wanted to nominate a blog new to me too.

7. Lindy at Levi Hughes - this blog is all about baby Levi and what he is doing.

Now for the 7 useless, but still rather interesting and new/updated, facts about me:

1. After having my second baby, I like eating pickles on my Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, and I've never liked pickles on any sandwich. Also, now I like to eat guacamole too.

2. I had a c-section first and a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) second.

3. I made straight A's until I switched high schools (that's why I love awards so much), but much to my chagrin, I was already behind the other honors students when I transferred in the 10th grade. I did not make straight A's in college.

4. I have always wanted to write and publish a book since I was like 7. I "wrote" one right after my baby sister was born telling about her birth, and my best friend, and our move from Anniston to Cordova shortly thereafter.

5. I would love to adopt a child, especially an ethnic baby, but an American child would be good too.

6. Both of my children nursed almost exclusively from me and had a total of less than twenty bottles for the first year of their lives. We own several bottles but really did not need them.

7. I can imitate people's voices very well, and this also includes some TV and cartoon characters. For example, I usually only read the VeggieTales book "in character." And, if I have talked to you and you have an accent or an interesting way of talking and I'm retelling a story about a conversation we've had, I'm totally going to impersonate you, and I'm pretty good at it. Mind you, I'm not totally making fun, but I love the differences we all have. :) I know somebody out there impersonates my accent too. ;)

Nominees, if you accept this award, please be sure to copy the graphic at the top of this post, and nominate 7 new people and write 7 facts about you. Congratulations!

More Funnies

Tonight, we actually witnessed a man beating a woman up in a public parking lot. It was very horrible to see it. We managed to flag down the cops who were directing traffic close by, and they went and settled the situation. It stirred up my emotions, and I was thankful that the children did not see it or know what had happened. I feel that God put us there at exactly the right moment to help. Of course, we left, and I don't know what happened next.

Apart from that serious incident, here's a couple of funny things Princess said while we were out tonight.

"Ice cream sure does cool you off. I won't ever get hot again, will I?"

"My belly button makes my love and gives it to me."

Hello again.

Hi!

I have been one little busy bee. I can't even remember what I blogged about last, other than the "Praying for Their Footsteps."

So I'll just start somewhere. We went to the beach with my mother and father in law the first week of June. I meant to post some pics, but posted them to my facebook instead. I'll try to post a couple on here as well. We had a great time.

Last week, we had Vacation Bible School at our church. I taught the 2's and 3's. This is my third year to teach that class, AND I teach it every other Sunday at church, so I am kinda comfortable teaching this age now. I know to expect the crying, the potential potty accidents, and all of that fun stuff. Princess was in my class. We had a lot of fun. It was Thursday when she finally came out of her shell as she tends to be quiet and reserved at church around "new" kids. Thursday was also the day when all of our missions team prayed specifically for Princess. Wow! Prayer is awesome, because that was an awesome Princess day! ;) I had a max of 11 kids and a min of 9 kids. I co-taught, and we had a teenage helper. I really loved being around the kids. Even though I was busy teaching and managing them, I was really able to enjoy them this year too. I'm not sure my enjoyment showed, but I did nevertheless. :)

Friday evening, I got to Ross Bridge for a girl's night away from home. Actually most of the girl's spent a weekend away. I stayed until very late on Saturday night, so it was almost a whole weekend away. I had so much fun getting to know these women better and just chilling and laughing and talking and listening, and especially playing in the pool and sliding. I am so much more comfortable being me as an adult - how I pray that Princess will not be as awkward as I always was. She is so much like me at times. I was very tired today after VBS and since I had very little sleep from the weekend, but I am so glad that I went with the girls.

Princess is doing much better physically, and I am very excited about that. We go to the doctor again on Thursday.

On another note, I will be having a biopsy on Friday, so please keep me in prayer.

We are also trying to get busy preparing for our mission trip which is quickly approaching. We are so excited!!

I am doing the Summer Siesta Bible study, and I have formed a small group. Please let me know if you are in any way interested in joining us!! It starts on Thursday the 25th, and we will meet every other week for a total of 4 times.

ALSO, we are without air conditioning, and we have been for almost 2 weeks now!! Hopefully it will be back on soon.

Summer is VERY busy, so I don't know how well I will do with blogging, because we are on the run a lot, but I will attempt to write some more thoughts soon.

Praying for Their Footsteps

Father God,

I thank you so much for my children. I thank you for seeing your hand at work by praying here for them.

For Princess, I pray that she would grow in love for you and that as she does she would learn to love others as she loves herself. Leviticus 19:18

I pray that she would seek you with all of her heart and that she would find you. Deut 4:29

I pray that as she goes up she will know that she is fearfully and wonderfully made by You. Psalm 139:14

Give both Princess and Pea a heart for the nations that each one would desire to be messengers of your hope all of their lives. Matthew 12:21

For Pea, I pray that you would appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him as you created him to be an adventurous little boy. Psalm 61:7

Lord, I thank you for Your precious presence in our lives. Let us cling to you and seek you always.

Amen.

PS. Mr. Linky is not working properly for me right now, so leave a comment if you wish to link here. Thanks!

Praying for Their Footsteps

Princess has had some health difficulties - none too major, but not minor either. She is doing well right now. I pray for healing over her little body that it would work as God designed it to work, and that it would do and efficient job.

Father God, I pray that both Princess and Pea will enjoy good health and that all will go well with each one. 3 John 2

I pray that you would not let Princess be enslaved by her emotions. Christ has set her free, so let her stand firm, refusing to let herself be burdened by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Let Princess and Pea know that they belong to you. Romans 14:7-9

I pray that Pea would be like Enoch - a man who walked with God and then was no more. I pray that he would be like David - a man after your own heart!

I pray that Princess would be like Ruth - an industrious hard worker (not lazy). I pray that she would be patient, obedient, and noble. Let her use her observant nature for the good of your kingdom and glory, and may it allow her to grow in humility.

Pray for Princess All Day

We found out some issues about Princess, and she is going to have a physically rough day today, so please be praying for her and me too, but mostly her.

Thanks,

Able

Princess's favorite words to say are those she can just attach the ending -able to, for example:

"I'm not spankable."
"That's not laughable."
"I'm not pickupable."

Notice it is usually used in reference to something she doesn't want done. I'm not quite sure how she figured out that she could add the -able ending to most words to make a new word meaning able to do (fill in the blank with a verb). We get a kick out of it sometimes, especially now that she has used it quite frequently and understand what she means when using it.

For example, spankable means you should not be able to spank me.
That's right, sister, we shouldn't, but you keep being naughty, so we keep doing it.

New Memory Verses

Here are the latest verses I have chosen to memorize following the LPM Scripture Memory.

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:10-12

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

"But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish." Isaiah 1:28

Me, me, me

We are on our way to the beach. Here we go again jumping onboard the bandwagon for a free trip to the beach. And free means we are staying 8 to a room at the expense of my mother in law's work, since she will be on a work conference, and we will be schmoozing it up (I mean working real hard at the beach).

A trip to the beach while fun is not a relaxing vacation when you take the kids. It is work, but that is beside the point.

I am writing this post via my Blackberry!

I mentioned before that God has been dealing with me about selfishness in a big way. And of course when one learns about selfishness, you can't help but learn your own selfish ways. It seems that somewhere along the way, I have taken up the world's view of life that I am owed something just for being me. What I mean is in the past, I think, I hope, at some point I wasn't all about me!

Now I find myself focused at times on things I feel I am owed or deserved, when really I deserve nothing, and my sweet Jesus gave me the Cross anyway.

Do I really need recognition for anything? Do I really have "rights"? Must I really care that I feel at times unnoticed? Since when is anyone responsible for anything in my life, but me and God? The Bible says that I "am not my own. I was bought at a price."

It is now Monday, and I have read, "Same kind of different as me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It is a must read.

"Praying for their Footsteps" will be delayed, and more lessons on selfishness to come, or at least what I am learning about selfishness will come again soon. I feel the Lord upon me in this teaching just as closely as I felt to Him in college, which probably speaks sad volumes!

You are in my heart.