Where's the Pause Button?

Today, according to the calendar, our family begins a new journey. We are entering the teenage years. Do not ask me where the last 13 years have gone. They slipped by while I was doing ... something...I'm sure it was terribly important whatever I've been doing...had to be so important...because ALL OF THE SUDDEN our girl is 13. Steve and I were talking last night that five years ago we moved into this house and in five years our girl will be ready to move out of this house. My heart. It cannot take it. Can Not.

August 1996, we had been living in a rental house downtown. We had just moved from Eastern Idaho in the Spring. Both of us were working. I came home to discover we had been robbed. Someone broke into our house and touched all our stuff and took a lot of our stuff. It is a horrificly violated feeling. Two day later, we were robbed again. I kid you not. We moved out by the next evening. Put our belongings in storage and parked in the last extra bedroom of Steve's parents house. Steve's cousin and wife were in the other extra bedroom for the summer. Full house.

We were ready to start a family and decided this setback wouldn't discourage us from that. Steve told me years later that he didn't think I'd get pregnant so quickly or he would not have agreed so easily. ha. I dreamed of a little girl with dark wavy hair with a specific name. I mean, I literally had a dream of this girl. (Incidentally, same thing happened when I was pregnant with our son. Dreamed of a boy with a specific name.)

This beloved girl has caused my heart to be walking around outside of my body for 13 years now. She is why I am a mother. She is why I am trying to get my act together, so she'll have an example of a woman who continually seeks God, his forgiveness, his mercy, his wisdom, his strength, his security. She is literally why I have not given up on this thing called life. There was a time I was very very tempted to call it quits. Depression is a very dark place to go but God is light and he used the face of my daughter to keep me going day after day after day. Praise Him.

This beloved girl is so smart, funny, fun, sweet, compassionate, and loving. She is becoming a young lady who is all that and so much more. God has a great plan for her and I am excited to see what it's going to be. Happy birthday, daughter. I love you so very much and I am so very proud of you.




I really wanted to post a picture of her as a toddler, but we didn't get a digital camera until 3 years ago. This was her 10th birthday:



P.S. Any of you with daughters may want to check out this post here. I want to encourage us to be aware of our culture so we can talk to our girls about what God values. If we don't tell them, who will?

Scripture Memory Verse #9

The verses I'm choosing today are from the So Long Insecurity simulcast last weekend. They are from Ephesians 4:22-24:

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Every day I get dressed on purpose. That means, I make a conscious decision as to what clothes I'm going to wear. These verses can be applied the same way. Every day I need to make a conscious decision to follow the Spirit and to be the new person that I am in Christ. I don't have to continue to do what I've always done. I am clothed in strength and dignity Proverbs 31 says, so I imagine every morning putting those characteristics on as I would a coat. This new self starts in the mind with my attitude and then I am to walk it out daily. I cannot wait until I feel secure to act secure. Heavens knows, I'd never get there if that's what it was dependent upon. This part of the simulcast was a light bulb moment for me. I have a choice here. I don't have to continue being corrupted by my old deceitful desires, I can choose to be a new creation in Christ. That is freedom!

What are you learning about God and his Word right now? There is something for everyone and every situation. All glory to His Name!

Leave your verse in the comment section. Keep up the good work!

Updates

I wanted to give you an update on the back yard project. I haven't taken many pictures in the last couple of days because, frankly, we are exhausted. This is what I have managed to capture. I'll post more pictures later because we have planted a lot of things. Two weeks ago, Steve and his dad planted a tree:




Last weekend, Steve dug a trench across the whole backyard to bury the sprinkler again.



I did plant a few things in my garden boxes and they are growing so well. It's very fun to see. (This isn't all I've planted, just the first to make their presence known.) (Also, these pictures make our ground look...bad. It's not that bad, really.)



The following pictures are ones that make my heart smile. God's so creative!





Are you in the middle of any projects right now?

Scripture Memory Verse #8

Well, my week is flying by - how about yours? Thank you for your prayers for our busy schedule. Things have gone well so far; the big stuff on my plate are yet to come. I have every confidence that all will go smoothly because of all the prayers. So, thanks again.

My verse today is from Psalm 119, verse 114: You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. I really like this one. It sums up how I feel. Refuge is defined as a place providing protection or shelter, as from danger or hardship; haven; something to which one may turn for help, relief or escape. The definition of shield is a means of defense as in protective armor. I love the picture of resting in the covering of his mighty right hand while he is shielding me with his left. I know I am safe and secure there.

Hope means to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment. Putting my hope in His Word is the only true thing. Not in market analysis, forecasts, horoscopes, lucky charms, the Mayan calendar, or even people, including ourselves. The very Word of God is the only sure thing. I'm so glad He left it for us.

Where do you turn when the road gets bumpy? When the news has story after story of bad news and humanity seems bankrupt? Do you believe that He is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do? He is the one true God; great, glorious, mighty and He loves you as a bridegroom loves his bride. Put your hope in Him alone.

Thanks friends, for going on this journey with me. Keep up the good work on your verses.

On this day in history...

Here are some interesting facts about this day, April 14:

1860 - First Pony Express rider arrived in San Francisco with mail originating in St. Joseph, Missouri.
1865 - President Lincoln was shot.
1912 - Titanic hit an iceberg and sank.
1981 - First American space shuttle, Columbia, returns to Earth.
1989 - 1,100,000,000th Chinese born.
1994 - Billy Joel & Christy Brinkley announce plans to divorce.

This, though, is what happened on April 14, 2000 that changed my life forever:


My son was born. In ways I couldn't imagine this young man-child has taken my breath away (not always in a good way; you know what I mean), challenged my thinking, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and over all, captured my heart. I see glimpses of his dad in him and I get a window into what Steve was like as a boy. This gives me a deeper love for my son's daddy. I see glimpses of what he'll be like when he's older and I go to my knees in prayer over him. Lately, though, I am just enjoying the boy he is at 10 years old. Funny, ornery, a thinker, creative, loyal and such a gift from God.

Happy birthday, son. I am so thankful you are a part of this family. I love you.

Monday madness

I never meant to go all of last week without posting. Everyone returned to their schedules after spring break and I took time to get things put in order on the home front. The week flew by. And this week will be one of the busiest of the year so far. Here's what's on deck:

3 tennis matches and 1 practice
2 karate practices
2 birthday parties
1 doctor appt
1 hair cut
1 state history competition
2 volunteer commitments
1 bible study
1 family picture appt
1 baby shower
1 day out of town (120 miles away)

*Deep breath.* One day at a time, sweet Jesus. That's all I'm asking of you.

I would covet your prayers this week so that we can arrive at the end all facing the right direction. I pray your week is filled with joy and peace. Talk with you later.

Scripture Memory Verse #7

I have been running behind today. So far behind that I can't find the verse I had picked out for today. HA! But I wanted to get a post up in case you are not as scattered as I am today. I will post my verse later tonight. My sister and family are coming over for supper and to dye eggs. So I gotta run right now. More later, please forgive me! But, please, post your verses!

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Okay, I'm back. The rule-follower in me HAS to post a verse today, on the 1st. Yes, I know about grace, praise the Lord, I know about grace. But for my own discipline, I'm posting on the 1st. :) I couldn't find the verse I was looking for earlier and because it is Easter weekend, I decided to pick a different verse.

Sometimes I "participate" in the Lenten season, that is, I "give up" something for that time period before Easter on the calendar. In the past I've given up soda (this one has stuck for the past six years), chocolate (very hard to do) and various other items. I wanted to do something this year, I just couldn't decide what would be realistic. I considered sugar, but that is so not do-able right now. Literally the night before Lent was to start I decided I would give up some sleep. I wanted to try the discipline of reading the Word and spending time in prayer. I was nervous as my sleep patterns are not consistent. Would I be able to get up every morning to do this? I did not want to disappoint God by getting lazy half way through. That would be heart wrenching to me. But I decided to try. I am so happy to be able to say I have gotten up early every morning this Lent season and spent time in the Word and in prayer. I have not missed that 45 minutes of sleep one day. There were a couple of nights when I didn't get enough sleep but I was able to get through the day because I was leaning on Him. He has been so faithful in meeting me every morning. It has changed my life in so many ways. I am humbled by it, really. It is a sweet time and so precious to me and I plan to continue after Easter.

I have been reading through the Bible starting in the Old Testament at night time. I've been using a chronological bible for this. I had been doing an OT bible study also, so I was feeling the need for some New Testament reading. So my morning reading has been in those books. I have a book by Tim LaHaye called "How to Study the Bible for Yourself" that I am loosely following. He suggests reading 1John every day for one week (there's only 5 chapters), then move to John and Mark. Read those two times each. If we are to have the mind of Christ, we need to know Christ words and how he acted. These are the two shortest gospels. From there, read the epistles (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon). Then Read Luke, Acts, Romans. I am up to Luke right now. LaHaye has several different plans for reading through and studying the Bible. I am reading 4 chapters a day. Then I spend time in prayer. Adoring Him; confessing; bringing my concerns; asking to be filled with the Spirit; claiming my forgiveness, purity, peace, & security in Him, remembering His sacrifice and telling Him I love him, too. I don't want my description to become a prescription for everyone. But I can tell you, this has worked for me. Lord willing, I can continue. I want to encourage you to have quiet time with the Lord in his Word and in prayer. That time is never wasted and you will reap benefits ten-fold.

(This is what happens when it's late...I get a long winded.) I have been reminded over and over in the last six weeks just what a sacrifice Christ gave for me, for us. And I have learned that he did that so I could be free, be healed, live in joy and abundance and in relationship with Him. That is what I am celebrating this Easter. That is what calls me to Praise.

Isaiah 53:5 NIV:
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

He is risen! Alleluia!