Beth Moore is sharing ten things you might not know about her over at the LPM blog today and has asked others to join in. What are ten things I might not know about you?
Here are mine:
1. I married my husband twice in one week. (Had to do with our marriage license.)
2. I don't like any icons on my computer desktop.
3. I love to sing even though I'm not very good at it.
4. I bit my nails for 30 years and I only stopped because I have fake ones now. (Thank you, God, for solar nails!)
5. I love to bake, especially for others.
6. I do better under pressure.
7. I pace when I pray.
8. I treasure my friends.
9. I hate buttermilk.
10. I play Viva Pinata on the Xbox 360 when I want to veg out.
Showing posts with label Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Learning. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Stepping out of my comfort zone
Have you heard of the She Speaks Conference through Proverbs 31 Ministries? In case you don’t head on over there, She Speaks is “a conference where you will receive the tools and the confidence to answer God’s call on your life. You will learn how to make the most of your messages, the nuts and bolts of speaking, writing, leading, and influencing, and have the opportunity to meet with some of today’s top Christian publishers”. (Quoted from their website.)
And why am I telling you about this conference? Because a scholarship will be awarded to someone who explains why they want to attend and what they feel called to do. (Learn more about it here.)
And links up to their blog. Like, today.
Y’all, this is so not like me. I play everything safe in life. I don’t smoke. I don’t ride motorcycles. I even bid too low when I play Spades! So attending a conference like this scares the daylights out of me. The flying alone, the rooming alone (or with someone I don’t know), and especially the peer writing critique groups totally freak me out. (What are they going to critique? I have nothing to give anyone at this point!)
But I believe I need to go.
I have a dream to be a novelist. The only image I have of myself when I “grow up” is sitting at a table in a big bookstore, signing books that I have written, taking the hand of a beloved reader who was moved by the words I wrote, and listening to her story.
Maybe that dream is a bit far-fetched, but maybe at the heart of it is something God gave me.
And a dream is all it’s ever been for me. After being a stay-at-home mom for eighteen years, I am at a point now where I have enough freedom to start stepping out of that role and seeking something new. I’m actually thinking about what I want to do - for the first time ever, really. (I’m not complaining here. I wouldn’t trade one moment I’ve had with my kiddos!)
But it’s not just the writing that I want to learn more about. I also believe the training in Women’s Ministries will be a huge help to me.
I got married and started having babies at 17, and not necessarily in that order. This year I will be 36, and for the past 13 years I have been in ministry in one form or another. I’ve led life groups with my husband and alone. I oversee our church’s nursery at the present time. I’ve prayed for people, loved on people, spoken truth to people-- in love, of course. And the one thing I’ve learned through all of it is this…
I have so much to learn.
But my heart is truly for people. Whether I am writing a great story for someone to enjoy or praying with a sweet young mother who is feeling over her head in dirty diapers and no sleep-- I want my life to be used in reaching the hearts of people and connecting them to the hearts of God.
And I truly hope my life reflects that, conference or not.
And why am I telling you about this conference? Because a scholarship will be awarded to someone who explains why they want to attend and what they feel called to do. (Learn more about it here.)
And links up to their blog. Like, today.
Y’all, this is so not like me. I play everything safe in life. I don’t smoke. I don’t ride motorcycles. I even bid too low when I play Spades! So attending a conference like this scares the daylights out of me. The flying alone, the rooming alone (or with someone I don’t know), and especially the peer writing critique groups totally freak me out. (What are they going to critique? I have nothing to give anyone at this point!)
But I believe I need to go.
I have a dream to be a novelist. The only image I have of myself when I “grow up” is sitting at a table in a big bookstore, signing books that I have written, taking the hand of a beloved reader who was moved by the words I wrote, and listening to her story.
Maybe that dream is a bit far-fetched, but maybe at the heart of it is something God gave me.
And a dream is all it’s ever been for me. After being a stay-at-home mom for eighteen years, I am at a point now where I have enough freedom to start stepping out of that role and seeking something new. I’m actually thinking about what I want to do - for the first time ever, really. (I’m not complaining here. I wouldn’t trade one moment I’ve had with my kiddos!)
But it’s not just the writing that I want to learn more about. I also believe the training in Women’s Ministries will be a huge help to me.
I got married and started having babies at 17, and not necessarily in that order. This year I will be 36, and for the past 13 years I have been in ministry in one form or another. I’ve led life groups with my husband and alone. I oversee our church’s nursery at the present time. I’ve prayed for people, loved on people, spoken truth to people-- in love, of course. And the one thing I’ve learned through all of it is this…
I have so much to learn.
But my heart is truly for people. Whether I am writing a great story for someone to enjoy or praying with a sweet young mother who is feeling over her head in dirty diapers and no sleep-- I want my life to be used in reaching the hearts of people and connecting them to the hearts of God.
And I truly hope my life reflects that, conference or not.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Why do you serve?
"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." Galations 6:9 - The Amplified Bible
Recently, we (church family and my husband and I) have been talking about our love languages. Do you know yours and/or your spouses? If not, I encourage you to take the quiz here.
I "speak" acts of service. I "receive" quality time. My husband's is words of affirmation--both ways. You would think that knowing what each other needs, it would be easy to speak their lanuage.
It is not.
And it's not just our spouses that have love languages. It's our children, our friends-- it's everyone.
One thing I'm learning is that just as it's difficult for me to give my husband the affirming and encouraging words that he needs, I can't expect others to speak my language when it's foreign to them.
I don't automatically think to tell him how great he is, even though I think it every day. My way of showing him I love him is to have a hot meal for him when he gets home from work. To make sure his clothes are always clean, and even iron his work clothes for him. To keep our home clean and in order. That's just how I operate.
And though those things are wonderful, that's not what he really needs.
What happens when our needs aren't being met? What are we supposed to do about it?
I'm serving you and doing all these great things to help you out, and you don't even think about what I need or want? Has it even crossed your mind?
Ever had those thoughts before? No? Just me, I guess.
As I was pondering those questions, the Lord reminded me of the verse at the top of this post. We aren't to do "good things" to get a reward. We are to serve because He's called us all to be servants.
And we are to do them always. Not just when it feels good. Not because we want to look good. And even when we are tired of doing them because we feel under-appreciated and unloved.
I encourage you to find someone to serve today. A simple phone call asking how someone is doing is huge. Taking a loaf of fresh banana bread does wonders! Sending an encouraging e-mail or letter will definitely brighten someone's day.
So, what are you going to do?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Be kinder than necessary.
That was my cousin's motto on her Myspace for a while, and anybody that knows her knows she has always lived by that rule.
I don't always succeed, but I do try.
When I was a kid, I was always drawn to the kids in my school that nobody wanted to be around. I'm not really sure why, but that's just where I naturally gravitated.
Even as an adult, when I'm in a group of people, I end up hitting it off best with the quiet ones. The ones that others seem to avoid. Maybe they don't do this intentionally, but somehow grown-ups tend to create cliques, too.
(And I'm not pointing fingers because I am guilty of it myself!)
My point is that I'm thankful God has given me a sensitive heart.
I've also always had a soft spot for those children and adults with special needs. I remember as a child having some friends of my parents come to our house with their daughter who had Downs Syndrome. I thought she was the most precious and sweetest girl I had ever seen, and I can vividly remember to this day sitting on our porch, swinging with her.
Then God gave me my own special person.
Maybe I baby him too much. Maybe I am too over-protective of him, but my heart melts for my son with Autism. There is just something about that boy.
And then I had a dear friend have a daughter with Downs Syndrome. And then another with Williams Syndrome. And then Autism, and the list goes on and on.
Watching these children laugh and play and accomplish something great brings lots of tears to my eyes. The video of J-Mac playing basketball turns me into a weeping pile of mush every time I watch it.
Today I had another special moment with a special guy. He is a bagger at our local grocery store, and I always get so excited when he ends up in my lane.
He is very talkative and always happy. He is sweet and funny, and I watch him always smiling and encouraging others.
Today as we made the short trip out to my car, he was talking about how much he liked the weather but that it just because we wanted it to stay nice, it was all in God's hands. "Some people think they know more than God, but when they try to put things in their own hands they really get messed up. We just have to let Him take care of everything," he told me.
He may never know what a blessing that was to me, but today my heart is full because of him.
I don't always succeed, but I do try.
When I was a kid, I was always drawn to the kids in my school that nobody wanted to be around. I'm not really sure why, but that's just where I naturally gravitated.
Even as an adult, when I'm in a group of people, I end up hitting it off best with the quiet ones. The ones that others seem to avoid. Maybe they don't do this intentionally, but somehow grown-ups tend to create cliques, too.
(And I'm not pointing fingers because I am guilty of it myself!)
My point is that I'm thankful God has given me a sensitive heart.
I've also always had a soft spot for those children and adults with special needs. I remember as a child having some friends of my parents come to our house with their daughter who had Downs Syndrome. I thought she was the most precious and sweetest girl I had ever seen, and I can vividly remember to this day sitting on our porch, swinging with her.
Then God gave me my own special person.
Maybe I baby him too much. Maybe I am too over-protective of him, but my heart melts for my son with Autism. There is just something about that boy.
And then I had a dear friend have a daughter with Downs Syndrome. And then another with Williams Syndrome. And then Autism, and the list goes on and on.
Watching these children laugh and play and accomplish something great brings lots of tears to my eyes. The video of J-Mac playing basketball turns me into a weeping pile of mush every time I watch it.
Today I had another special moment with a special guy. He is a bagger at our local grocery store, and I always get so excited when he ends up in my lane.
He is very talkative and always happy. He is sweet and funny, and I watch him always smiling and encouraging others.
Today as we made the short trip out to my car, he was talking about how much he liked the weather but that it just because we wanted it to stay nice, it was all in God's hands. "Some people think they know more than God, but when they try to put things in their own hands they really get messed up. We just have to let Him take care of everything," he told me.
He may never know what a blessing that was to me, but today my heart is full because of him.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The power of prayer
Don't ever think that your prayers don't matter, because they definitely do.
God hears every word that you say. The bible says that "He perfects that which concerns you" (Psalms 138:8), which means that He knows the things that we think/worry/care about.
For that situation that looks completely impossible, keep praying and expect God to do something amazing.
For that person that you think is a lost cause, Jesus died for that person and they deserve just as much prayer as you do. Don't give up on them!
For those dreams that you have, believe God to make them come true or to change your heart to fit the plans HE has for you.
I recently began praying for someone who was in trouble, who seemed like a lost cause, whose life was a mess. My heart was broken for this person, and I couldn't think of anything to do but pray.
Today I was able to see with my own eyes the way the Lord is working through this person's life. He is making big changes--way bigger than I even imagined! Not because I have done anything, but because He loves this person even more than I do.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to see Him work.
Don't stop praying!
God hears every word that you say. The bible says that "He perfects that which concerns you" (Psalms 138:8), which means that He knows the things that we think/worry/care about.
For that situation that looks completely impossible, keep praying and expect God to do something amazing.
For that person that you think is a lost cause, Jesus died for that person and they deserve just as much prayer as you do. Don't give up on them!
For those dreams that you have, believe God to make them come true or to change your heart to fit the plans HE has for you.
I recently began praying for someone who was in trouble, who seemed like a lost cause, whose life was a mess. My heart was broken for this person, and I couldn't think of anything to do but pray.
Today I was able to see with my own eyes the way the Lord is working through this person's life. He is making big changes--way bigger than I even imagined! Not because I have done anything, but because He loves this person even more than I do.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to see Him work.
Don't stop praying!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
What inspires you?
I've always been a dreamer.
I have always believed God's word to be true, that He is "able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all I can ask or imagine, according to the power that works within me". (Ephesians 3:20)
I have seen Him do this time and time again in my life.
I figure, if I can dream it big, He can do it even bigger.
But when it comes to the dream I have for myself, I easily get inspired to go after it.
My problem is that I give up too quickly.
There's no way I can be that good. It may be my dream, but it's probably not God's plan.
Have you ever felt that way?
I don't know about you, but I get inspired by seeing other "ordinary people" - like myself- use the gifts God has given them, to step out and reach for the dream that is in their heart.
It may sound silly, but what about those contestants on American Idol? Yes, they are extremely gifted, but they had to take that leap and audition. They had to be vulnerable, knowing they might not make it or may be harshly criticized, in front of the entire world!
What about those people who want to be on Broadway or in tv/film who go to audition after audition, hoping to get that one great shot?
And when they do get it and you see all of their hard work and faith pay off? That inspires me. (I know someone like that, by the way.)
What about someone who has a dream to be a rock star, who works so that he can live to play his guitar and sing, because that is what is in his heart?
I know someone like that, too, and he inspires me as well.
I believe that God created us to be dreamers. Obviously, we're supposed to work, too, but I don't think God would have given us the ability to dream if He didn't want us to do it.
I've been given an opportunity to live the dream that has been in my heart. It wasn't exactly the way I envisioned it, but that's because God is funny.
(I told Him I was giving it up, and if He wanted me to do something about this He was going to have to bring it to me. He did.)
And though it's scary to me and I know I will face opposition (mainly my own self!), I am still going for it.
I encourage you to do the same!
I have always believed God's word to be true, that He is "able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all I can ask or imagine, according to the power that works within me". (Ephesians 3:20)
I have seen Him do this time and time again in my life.
I figure, if I can dream it big, He can do it even bigger.
But when it comes to the dream I have for myself, I easily get inspired to go after it.
My problem is that I give up too quickly.
There's no way I can be that good. It may be my dream, but it's probably not God's plan.
Have you ever felt that way?
I don't know about you, but I get inspired by seeing other "ordinary people" - like myself- use the gifts God has given them, to step out and reach for the dream that is in their heart.
It may sound silly, but what about those contestants on American Idol? Yes, they are extremely gifted, but they had to take that leap and audition. They had to be vulnerable, knowing they might not make it or may be harshly criticized, in front of the entire world!
What about those people who want to be on Broadway or in tv/film who go to audition after audition, hoping to get that one great shot?
And when they do get it and you see all of their hard work and faith pay off? That inspires me. (I know someone like that, by the way.)
What about someone who has a dream to be a rock star, who works so that he can live to play his guitar and sing, because that is what is in his heart?
I know someone like that, too, and he inspires me as well.
I believe that God created us to be dreamers. Obviously, we're supposed to work, too, but I don't think God would have given us the ability to dream if He didn't want us to do it.
I've been given an opportunity to live the dream that has been in my heart. It wasn't exactly the way I envisioned it, but that's because God is funny.
(I told Him I was giving it up, and if He wanted me to do something about this He was going to have to bring it to me. He did.)
And though it's scary to me and I know I will face opposition (mainly my own self!), I am still going for it.
I encourage you to do the same!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
What's with the name?
1tran·si·tion
Pronunciation: \tran(t)-ˈsi-shən, tran-ˈzi-, chiefly British tran(t)-ˈsi-zhən\ Function: noun
1 a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change b: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another
When I chose the name of my first blog, Mom in Transition, I felt like I was just that. I am a mom. (duh) I had just taken a personality/spiritual gifts test on line and did not fit into one of the four categories listed.
It said I was in transition.
I still feel that way, and I wanted to keep that in my blog title somehow when I switched over. (Plus Mom in Transition was already taken for Blogspot and Wordpress.)
I am in transition...
...as far as growing in Christ. I better be always growing in Him, or there's really no use for me here.
...as I have two boys home with me each day in school, but only for about five more years when all my kids will be graduated from high school.
...as I think I am over wanting to have any more children, and then in an instant my heart opens up and I realize I could take in another child on the spot.
...and as a wife and friend and leader in my church.
So, I am happily in transition, because it means I am growing and moving.
And the "S" is because my name starts with an "S". I thought it was pretty cute and clever (Thanks, Liz!), though it took me a while to realize that when I type it out it looks like the sin transition.
That's one transition I'd rather avoid, thanks.
Pronunciation: \tran(t)-ˈsi-shən, tran-ˈzi-, chiefly British tran(t)-ˈsi-zhən\ Function: noun
1 a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change b: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another
When I chose the name of my first blog, Mom in Transition, I felt like I was just that. I am a mom. (duh) I had just taken a personality/spiritual gifts test on line and did not fit into one of the four categories listed.
It said I was in transition.
I still feel that way, and I wanted to keep that in my blog title somehow when I switched over. (Plus Mom in Transition was already taken for Blogspot and Wordpress.)
I am in transition...
...as far as growing in Christ. I better be always growing in Him, or there's really no use for me here.
...as I have two boys home with me each day in school, but only for about five more years when all my kids will be graduated from high school.
...as I think I am over wanting to have any more children, and then in an instant my heart opens up and I realize I could take in another child on the spot.
...and as a wife and friend and leader in my church.
So, I am happily in transition, because it means I am growing and moving.
And the "S" is because my name starts with an "S". I thought it was pretty cute and clever (Thanks, Liz!), though it took me a while to realize that when I type it out it looks like the sin transition.
That's one transition I'd rather avoid, thanks.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Fourth time's a charm
I have started writing three different blogs and have deleted each one because they are all so scattered. Let's see if this one sticks.
Lately I have been been doing lots of thinking about this whole "letting your children go" thing, and I will just say that it's not any fun.
I realize my daughter is growing up. I realize that she's 17 and will probably be going off to college in a year, and she really needs to experience some things on her own here before she goes away.
But it's just so stinkin' hard to do! (Yes, I'd like some cheese with my whine, thank you.)
I tried not texting her too much on Prom night. Really, I tried, but apparently I wasn't successful, because she eventually texted me back and said, "Mom, I will be fine. I love you."
Ugh. Why does she have to be so smart?
And you'd think I'd be worrying about her doing things she shouldn't be doing, but really I was worrying about her safety. She rode to the prom with her date and another couple- a boy I had never met before. He was a big 'ol football player, but I didn't have any qualms about asking him if he was a good driver and if he was planning on being a crazy person on the roads that night.
(And in my own defense, between the school and dinner and prom it was a 118 mile trip. So there.)
Silly, I know, but that night was really hard for me.
She is growing up, though, and I have to say that she is an amazing young woman. She is very sweet and extremely smart and though she still acts like a teenager sometimes, she really has made some wise decisions in her young life.
She still comes home every day and tells me about her day. We watch TV together and laugh a lot and while I was typing this she came in here to tell me about "her man Kinsler" and how well he was playing tonight.
I guess it's just really hitting me that I really need to let go. She belonged to the Lord first and will always be His child. I'm just here to watch over for a while.
And how very blessed I am to have had this opportunity.
Originally posted April 2009 @ Mom in Transition
Lately I have been been doing lots of thinking about this whole "letting your children go" thing, and I will just say that it's not any fun.
I realize my daughter is growing up. I realize that she's 17 and will probably be going off to college in a year, and she really needs to experience some things on her own here before she goes away.
But it's just so stinkin' hard to do! (Yes, I'd like some cheese with my whine, thank you.)
I tried not texting her too much on Prom night. Really, I tried, but apparently I wasn't successful, because she eventually texted me back and said, "Mom, I will be fine. I love you."
Ugh. Why does she have to be so smart?
And you'd think I'd be worrying about her doing things she shouldn't be doing, but really I was worrying about her safety. She rode to the prom with her date and another couple- a boy I had never met before. He was a big 'ol football player, but I didn't have any qualms about asking him if he was a good driver and if he was planning on being a crazy person on the roads that night.
(And in my own defense, between the school and dinner and prom it was a 118 mile trip. So there.)
Silly, I know, but that night was really hard for me.
She is growing up, though, and I have to say that she is an amazing young woman. She is very sweet and extremely smart and though she still acts like a teenager sometimes, she really has made some wise decisions in her young life.
She still comes home every day and tells me about her day. We watch TV together and laugh a lot and while I was typing this she came in here to tell me about "her man Kinsler" and how well he was playing tonight.
I guess it's just really hitting me that I really need to let go. She belonged to the Lord first and will always be His child. I'm just here to watch over for a while.
And how very blessed I am to have had this opportunity.
Originally posted April 2009 @ Mom in Transition
I am so exhausted
It's Saturday afternoon, and I am home from Pink Impact. I have unpacked and put my things away, and though I should be on the couch chilling, there's so many things on my heart to share that I learned this weekend.
It was SO good.
(You can learn more about Pink Impact here.)
This year was the first time I was able to attend Thursday night and all day Friday. The past two years I've only been Friday night and Saturday morning. I had no idea how much was missing until this time.
The first year I went the speaker was Lisa Bevere. Last year it was Christine Cain.This year it was Robert Morris, Marilyn Hickey, and Holly Wagner. All three were awesome.
The theme this year was "...And then God". For example, you may have been facing a difficult circumstance, and then God did (fill in the blank)". Thursday night, Robert Morris talked about the seven things that block our "And Then" moments.
I learned that I have had a few moment-blockers in my life lately that I'm working on.
Friday morning we heard Marilyn Hickey, and she was wonderful. I've watched her on tv before, and I've enjoyed her teachings. But I had no idea how funny she was. She is a hoot! But as funny as she is, she is passionate about Jesus and has more faith than anyone I know.
That morning she talked about the book of Ruth. I won't go into everything she said, but basically she reminded us that God can turn mistakes into miracles when we let Him.
She said that we can do the expected (nothing extra, just the basics), but if we will do the exceptional (taking that step of faith), God will do the extraordinary (above and beyond all we can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20)). (Parentheses added by me.)
Friday afternoon, Marilyn spoke on the story of David and Abigail and Nabal in II Samuel 25. The thing that stuck out to me the most from that session was when she said that when we want the Kingdom more than our own way, that's when things begin to get stirred up with God.
My way isn't the only way and certainly not always the best way, that's for sure.
In between that session and Friday evening's session, I was able to say hello to her while waiting in the lobby of our hotel. She was getting off the elevator and I was standing with a couple of
friends watching her go to check out.
She was kinda looking at us funny, like three grown women staring at her with goofy grins on their faces is unusual. I told her that we enjoyed her teachings and she said thank you and smiled. If I was really brave, I would have gone to ask her if I could take a picture with her.
Anyway, Holly Wagner was Friday night and this morning, and she was amazing as well. She talked about how God has chosen each one of us to be in this place and this time for a purpose. He obviously trusts us with where we are and the mission ahead, or He wouldn't have us here.
She was very funny, too, and very relevant for today. I thoroughly enjoyed her.
And then there was the worship. Oh my goodness, I look forward to the worship more than anything each year, I think. I am totally addicted to my new Kari Jobe cd, and I listen to it in my car, on my computer, and while I'm getting ready in my bathroom. It is so wonderful, and listening to her live is even better.
Then we worshiped with Miriam Webster from Hillsong. I wasn't familiar with her before this weekend, but when we started singing this song, I found out that she actually wrote it. So I worshiped to one of my favorite songs with the woman who wrote it on stage singing it. It was amazing!!
Besides all of the worship and the teachings and the goodness of God, I was totally blessed by the ladies in our group. We had lots of new faces this year, and I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies better.
If you want to attend a great women's conference, this is the one to go to. It was only $95 for the conference itself, and there's a wonderful fancy hotel very close by. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
And now I'm glad to be home.
It was SO good.
(You can learn more about Pink Impact here.)
This year was the first time I was able to attend Thursday night and all day Friday. The past two years I've only been Friday night and Saturday morning. I had no idea how much was missing until this time.
The first year I went the speaker was Lisa Bevere. Last year it was Christine Cain.This year it was Robert Morris, Marilyn Hickey, and Holly Wagner. All three were awesome.
The theme this year was "...And then God". For example, you may have been facing a difficult circumstance, and then God did (fill in the blank)". Thursday night, Robert Morris talked about the seven things that block our "And Then" moments.
I learned that I have had a few moment-blockers in my life lately that I'm working on.
Friday morning we heard Marilyn Hickey, and she was wonderful. I've watched her on tv before, and I've enjoyed her teachings. But I had no idea how funny she was. She is a hoot! But as funny as she is, she is passionate about Jesus and has more faith than anyone I know.
That morning she talked about the book of Ruth. I won't go into everything she said, but basically she reminded us that God can turn mistakes into miracles when we let Him.
She said that we can do the expected (nothing extra, just the basics), but if we will do the exceptional (taking that step of faith), God will do the extraordinary (above and beyond all we can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20)). (Parentheses added by me.)
Friday afternoon, Marilyn spoke on the story of David and Abigail and Nabal in II Samuel 25. The thing that stuck out to me the most from that session was when she said that when we want the Kingdom more than our own way, that's when things begin to get stirred up with God.
My way isn't the only way and certainly not always the best way, that's for sure.
In between that session and Friday evening's session, I was able to say hello to her while waiting in the lobby of our hotel. She was getting off the elevator and I was standing with a couple of
friends watching her go to check out.
She was kinda looking at us funny, like three grown women staring at her with goofy grins on their faces is unusual. I told her that we enjoyed her teachings and she said thank you and smiled. If I was really brave, I would have gone to ask her if I could take a picture with her.
Anyway, Holly Wagner was Friday night and this morning, and she was amazing as well. She talked about how God has chosen each one of us to be in this place and this time for a purpose. He obviously trusts us with where we are and the mission ahead, or He wouldn't have us here.
She was very funny, too, and very relevant for today. I thoroughly enjoyed her.
And then there was the worship. Oh my goodness, I look forward to the worship more than anything each year, I think. I am totally addicted to my new Kari Jobe cd, and I listen to it in my car, on my computer, and while I'm getting ready in my bathroom. It is so wonderful, and listening to her live is even better.
Then we worshiped with Miriam Webster from Hillsong. I wasn't familiar with her before this weekend, but when we started singing this song, I found out that she actually wrote it. So I worshiped to one of my favorite songs with the woman who wrote it on stage singing it. It was amazing!!
Besides all of the worship and the teachings and the goodness of God, I was totally blessed by the ladies in our group. We had lots of new faces this year, and I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies better.
If you want to attend a great women's conference, this is the one to go to. It was only $95 for the conference itself, and there's a wonderful fancy hotel very close by. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
And now I'm glad to be home.
I'm baack
This little break has been a wonderful thing, and I wondered if anyone would even notice I was gone. I'm happy to know that some people did. (Thanks, Tristan and Melissa!)
God has been good to me this week and has shown up in the areas I needed Him to. Here's what I have learned, in a nutshell:
1. Closing your laptop and spending more time with Jesus really is a good idea. He can use that time to speak to you through Joyce Meyer, your friends, or interestingly enough, His Word.
2. Taking time to reevaluate some areas of your life is definitely worth it. When you realize that there has been a pattern throughout your life of comparing your self-worth to that of others and you ask Jesus to help you understand what you are doing wrong, He will.
3. Taking some time to focus on your own self is ok. (It’s not ok when you are your only focus and you pretend the other four people in your home don’t exist, because I’ve done that before and it does not produce good results.) But wanting to take better care of your body and of your mind is a good thing. A very good thing.
4. Surrendering your dream, that thing you’ve longed for for so many years, the thing that you just knew God wanted you to do with your life because the desire was so strong, can be a very good thing, too. Letting go of something that you’ve held on too tightly to and placing it at the feet of the cross produces humility and freedom. Those qualities are priceless.
5. Being willing to do your very best in the position you are in, whether you are behind the scenes or in the limelight, is all that God asks for. He can do so much with a willing heart.
The revelations were abundant, but this is the gist of my week:
Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." The Message
Originally posted February 2009 @ Mom in Transition
God has been good to me this week and has shown up in the areas I needed Him to. Here's what I have learned, in a nutshell:
1. Closing your laptop and spending more time with Jesus really is a good idea. He can use that time to speak to you through Joyce Meyer, your friends, or interestingly enough, His Word.
2. Taking time to reevaluate some areas of your life is definitely worth it. When you realize that there has been a pattern throughout your life of comparing your self-worth to that of others and you ask Jesus to help you understand what you are doing wrong, He will.
3. Taking some time to focus on your own self is ok. (It’s not ok when you are your only focus and you pretend the other four people in your home don’t exist, because I’ve done that before and it does not produce good results.) But wanting to take better care of your body and of your mind is a good thing. A very good thing.
4. Surrendering your dream, that thing you’ve longed for for so many years, the thing that you just knew God wanted you to do with your life because the desire was so strong, can be a very good thing, too. Letting go of something that you’ve held on too tightly to and placing it at the feet of the cross produces humility and freedom. Those qualities are priceless.
5. Being willing to do your very best in the position you are in, whether you are behind the scenes or in the limelight, is all that God asks for. He can do so much with a willing heart.
The revelations were abundant, but this is the gist of my week:
Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." The Message
Originally posted February 2009 @ Mom in Transition
One effective way to check every single smoke detector in your house
1. Light a fire in the fireplace and close the flue.
2. Run from room to room, turning on every fan and opening all the windows. But don't open the door, because your puppy that likes to be outside all the time might find another person to chase down the street.
3. Put on your robe, since it's 30 degrees outside, hence the reason for lighting the fire in the first place.
4. Enjoy listening to your puppy go into hysterics because of all of the very loud beeping that seems to have no end.
5. Decide not to call your husband for suggestions, knowing he'll be asking questions when he walks through the door and tells you the house smells like smoke.
6. Enjoy the rest of your morning.
(Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.)
Originally posted December 2008 @ Mom in TransitionAlong for the ride
I mentioned the other day that God was doing some awesome things in my life that I wanted to share. It's taken a little while to sort through my thoughts just to be able to write them out, and I'm still not sure I understand everything. Here is what I know, though.
I know that He is teaching me to trust Him in every area: big, small, and in between.
That means that those things that I'm afraid of? I don't need to be afraid of anymore.
Those dreams that I have of accomplishing something other than cooking dinner and keeping my family's clothes clean? He can help me with that. In fact, He wants to help me with that.
It also means that that judgemental attitude that I have sometimes? He wants to help me with that, too.
I know that He is teaching me that He is more important than any "thing" I have on this earth.
My house that I love to take care of? It really means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
How much money is in our bank account the day before payday? It doesn't really matter to Him.
The fact that I love my computer and love to blog/surf/write/e-mail/Facebook/etc.? My time with Him is so much more important.
I know that who I am matters to Him, and that's all that should matter to me.
When people don't give me the attention or acknowledgement I was hoping for? God knows me and created me for His workmanship.
When people judge me and call me a hypocrite because I don't live the way they expect me to? God knows my heart.
When I feel like a nobody and that really nothing I do matters much? God says that I am more than a conqueror. He chose me before the foundation of the world and He knew me in my mother's womb.
I know that I am in transition, as a mother, a wife, and an individual.
He is opening doors for me. He is leading me in directions I wouldn't have expected Him to, and He is providing opportunities for me to step out in faith.
It's a little scary, but it's also kinda fun not really knowing where He's taking me. I know that if I planned out my life, it would be very organized and we would have a detailed map.
God doesn't need a map, though, so I guess I'm just along for the ride.
Originally posted November 2008 @ Mom in Transition
I know that He is teaching me to trust Him in every area: big, small, and in between.
That means that those things that I'm afraid of? I don't need to be afraid of anymore.
Those dreams that I have of accomplishing something other than cooking dinner and keeping my family's clothes clean? He can help me with that. In fact, He wants to help me with that.
It also means that that judgemental attitude that I have sometimes? He wants to help me with that, too.
I know that He is teaching me that He is more important than any "thing" I have on this earth.
My house that I love to take care of? It really means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
How much money is in our bank account the day before payday? It doesn't really matter to Him.
The fact that I love my computer and love to blog/surf/write/e-mail/Facebook/etc.? My time with Him is so much more important.
I know that who I am matters to Him, and that's all that should matter to me.
When people don't give me the attention or acknowledgement I was hoping for? God knows me and created me for His workmanship.
When people judge me and call me a hypocrite because I don't live the way they expect me to? God knows my heart.
When I feel like a nobody and that really nothing I do matters much? God says that I am more than a conqueror. He chose me before the foundation of the world and He knew me in my mother's womb.
I know that I am in transition, as a mother, a wife, and an individual.
He is opening doors for me. He is leading me in directions I wouldn't have expected Him to, and He is providing opportunities for me to step out in faith.
It's a little scary, but it's also kinda fun not really knowing where He's taking me. I know that if I planned out my life, it would be very organized and we would have a detailed map.
God doesn't need a map, though, so I guess I'm just along for the ride.
Isaiah 55:8-11 (The Message)
8-11"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's Decree. "For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them."
8-11"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's Decree. "For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them."
Originally posted November 2008 @ Mom in Transition
Happy 100th post to me!
This was originally posted November 2008 at my previous blog, Mom in Transition. However, it took me so long to come up with 100 things that I insisted on posting it here as well. Enjoy!
1. I love Jesus and I whole-heartedly believe the Bible.
2. I am madly in love with my high school sweetheart. Even after 16 years.
3. I have three awesome children- a girl and two boys. They are smart and beautiful and have radically changed my life for the better.
4. I have a son with Autism. He is amazing, and I cannot imagine my life without him.
5. I am home schooling my boys while my daughter remains in public school.
6. I have never been nor ever will be “cool”. I don’t care.
7. I watch Reba every day while I’m cooking dinner.
8. I love to cook for my family.
9. I thoroughly enjoy variety puzzle books and sudoku and any kind of word game. I’m nerdy that way.
10. I love blogging on my pink laptop.
11. I would rather sit with a friend and talk than go shopping. Seriously.
12. I love to write letters. Real ones. With stamps and everything.
13. When I exercise, I do so for 30 minutes on my rebounder. I like it because the weather is always nice in my living room, and recorded episodes of Designing Women keep me distracted from the clock.
14. Don’t ask me to choose the restaurant or we’ll both go hungry.
15. I am honored to be a homemaker, but when my kids were little I didn't enjoy it like I wish I would have.
16. I LOVE to read. Lately I have been reading two to three books a month.
17. I try to be a good friend. My love language is acts of service, and I truly find joy in doing things for others.
18. Sometimes I have a glass of wine. For me, one glass is plenty. (Two glasses make me talk a little more than I should, apparently.)
19. Every day I send my husband a romantic text.
20. I know what it's like to deal with anxiety and mild depression, and I know it's a miserable place to be. I'm so thankful the Lord brought me out of that!
21. My family is the most important thing to me besides my relationship with God. Nothing comes before them.
22. Buttered-flavored popcorn is my favorite Jelly Belly.
23. My only splurge for myself is purses with matching wallets.
24. I drink decaf.
25. My favorite Starbucks drink is an extra-extra hot (decaf) mocha, no matter the weather outside.
26. My favorite bible is the one I received when I was 11. It's a NKJV.
27. I could lie out by the pool all day long, never say a word, and be totally content.
28. I wouldn't trade my time at home with my kids for all the money in the world.
29. I had very supportive families when I was a teenage mother, but it was still very hard.
30. Without the support of those family members, I know I wouldn't be here today.
31. I love being an aunt.
32. I didn't finish college because I kept having babies and I wanted to be with them instead of at school.
33. I have absolutely no desire to go back.
34. One day my husband and I are going to have our own business.
35. My dad and I are also going to own and operate a coffee shop together.
36. I love my ipod shuffle.
37. It's lavender.
38. I have all kinds of music on it. Josh Groban, Paul Simon, The Newsboys, Sarah McLachlan, Casting Crowns, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, James Taylor, Vanilla Ice. (Just one of his songs. Did he even have more than one?)
39. Obviously I grew up in the '80s.
40. I had really big hair then. A friend once asked me if that thing in the picture was a shadow or really my hair.
41. It was really my hair.
42. I am very proud of my brothers.
43. I cheer them on in life the way Michael Phelps' sisters cheered him on in Beijing.
44. They may not be Olympics athletes, but they are still gold medal winners as far as I'm concerned.
45. I have the best parents on the planet.
46. My mom is beautiful and smart and generous and kind and creative and my biggest prayer warrior.
47. My dad is a hard worker and a lover of God and has the sweetest heart out of any man I know. (Besides my husband.)
48. He loves me more than I could ever imagine.
49. I have some really awesome friends.
50. I like moving to different areas because it means I'll have friends in lots of places.
51. I am addicted to blogging.
52. I am also a little addicted to Facebook.
53. I love talking to my friends. Even if it's been many years since I last talked to them.
54. Did I mention I have really awesome friends?
55. I love Dove dark chocolate. There are few things more wonderful than that.
56. I love the beach. I love digging my toes in the sand and pulling up hermit crabs.
57. I enjoy getting a tan because it's very easy for me.
58. My sweet daughter did not get my skin tone.
59. Neither did my middle child. But my youngest son did.
60. I love quiet mornings when everyone else in the house is asleep.
61. I turn the television off during the day because most of the time it's just noise.
62. I love the book club at my church and the women that are dedicated to coming to it. It's always so much fun to share a good book with someone who loved it as much as you did.
63. I love to crochet, but the only thing I have ever actually finished and given away is a potholder I made for my mom several years ago.
64. I love Pampered Chef. They have the best can opener in the world.
65. I love my Kitchen Aid.
66. One of my favorite movies is The Wedding Singer.
67. I also love The Lake House, Sweet Home Alabama, 13 Going on 30, Just Like Heaven, Miss Congeniality, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and many others.
68. My favorite book is Redeeming Love.
69. I have also read Hinds Feed on High Places several times and learned something new every time.
70. After I read a good book, I e-mail the author and tell them what I liked about his/her book.
71. Many of them have written me back.
72. I would love to write a novel.
73. I love working in the nursery at church so I can get my baby fix.
74. I would rather change a stinky diaper than deal with a kid who won't behave.
75. I don't watch a ton of t.v., but I really like The Closer, American Idol, Reba, and So You Think You Can Dance.
76. I got really upset when I saw that Van (Steve Howey) and Cheyenne (Joanna Garcia) were in the video for Every Other Weekend.
77. Did I mention I'm not cool?
76. In six years, all of my kids will be finished with high school.
77. I still have a hard time deciding if I'm done having kids or not.
78. The very first blog I ever read was my friend Leslie's. She is just as genuine and funny in real life as she is on her blog.
79. I still read her blog daily.
80. I use hyper links and parentheses in my blogs probably more than I should.
81. Sometimes I forget to spell check because Microsoft Word has me spoiled in checking things automatically.
82. I like to watch Phil Mickelson play golf.
83. My husband and I went to a tournament he was in this year and saw him up close.
84. I wanted to say, "Way to go Phil" and bump fists with him when he walked by, but I chickened out.
85. We are big Texas Longhorn fans in our family.
86. What does "Gig 'em" mean, anyway?
87. I think it sounds stupid, but if my daughter receives a full-ride scholarship there in 2010, I'll be "whooooooop"-ing with the best of them.
88. I have the best husband on the planet.
89. He is handsome and smart and makes me laugh daily.
90. My dad says that my husband has the patience of Job.
91. I agree.
92. I am very close with my grandmother.
93. I call her weekly to see how she's doing and to tell her I love her.
94. She gave me a really cool gift last month that I use all the time.
95. I'm also very close to my aunt.
96. She and I could stay up all night to talk and still have things to say the next day.
97. One of my favorie things she did for me when I was little was walk by the dinner table and scoop up my veggies and eat them when my mom wasn't looking.
98. I believe she would do absolutely anything in the world for me. (I do eat my own veggies now, though.)
99. I would do anything for her.
100. I want an Iphone. (Thanks a lot, Jane.)
1. I love Jesus and I whole-heartedly believe the Bible.
2. I am madly in love with my high school sweetheart. Even after 16 years.
3. I have three awesome children- a girl and two boys. They are smart and beautiful and have radically changed my life for the better.
4. I have a son with Autism. He is amazing, and I cannot imagine my life without him.
5. I am home schooling my boys while my daughter remains in public school.
6. I have never been nor ever will be “cool”. I don’t care.
7. I watch Reba every day while I’m cooking dinner.
8. I love to cook for my family.
9. I thoroughly enjoy variety puzzle books and sudoku and any kind of word game. I’m nerdy that way.
10. I love blogging on my pink laptop.
11. I would rather sit with a friend and talk than go shopping. Seriously.
12. I love to write letters. Real ones. With stamps and everything.
13. When I exercise, I do so for 30 minutes on my rebounder. I like it because the weather is always nice in my living room, and recorded episodes of Designing Women keep me distracted from the clock.
14. Don’t ask me to choose the restaurant or we’ll both go hungry.
15. I am honored to be a homemaker, but when my kids were little I didn't enjoy it like I wish I would have.
16. I LOVE to read. Lately I have been reading two to three books a month.
17. I try to be a good friend. My love language is acts of service, and I truly find joy in doing things for others.
18. Sometimes I have a glass of wine. For me, one glass is plenty. (Two glasses make me talk a little more than I should, apparently.)
19. Every day I send my husband a romantic text.
20. I know what it's like to deal with anxiety and mild depression, and I know it's a miserable place to be. I'm so thankful the Lord brought me out of that!
21. My family is the most important thing to me besides my relationship with God. Nothing comes before them.
22. Buttered-flavored popcorn is my favorite Jelly Belly.
23. My only splurge for myself is purses with matching wallets.
24. I drink decaf.
25. My favorite Starbucks drink is an extra-extra hot (decaf) mocha, no matter the weather outside.
26. My favorite bible is the one I received when I was 11. It's a NKJV.
27. I could lie out by the pool all day long, never say a word, and be totally content.
28. I wouldn't trade my time at home with my kids for all the money in the world.
29. I had very supportive families when I was a teenage mother, but it was still very hard.
30. Without the support of those family members, I know I wouldn't be here today.
31. I love being an aunt.
32. I didn't finish college because I kept having babies and I wanted to be with them instead of at school.
33. I have absolutely no desire to go back.
34. One day my husband and I are going to have our own business.
35. My dad and I are also going to own and operate a coffee shop together.
36. I love my ipod shuffle.
37. It's lavender.
38. I have all kinds of music on it. Josh Groban, Paul Simon, The Newsboys, Sarah McLachlan, Casting Crowns, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, James Taylor, Vanilla Ice. (Just one of his songs. Did he even have more than one?)
39. Obviously I grew up in the '80s.
40. I had really big hair then. A friend once asked me if that thing in the picture was a shadow or really my hair.
41. It was really my hair.
42. I am very proud of my brothers.
43. I cheer them on in life the way Michael Phelps' sisters cheered him on in Beijing.
44. They may not be Olympics athletes, but they are still gold medal winners as far as I'm concerned.
45. I have the best parents on the planet.
46. My mom is beautiful and smart and generous and kind and creative and my biggest prayer warrior.
47. My dad is a hard worker and a lover of God and has the sweetest heart out of any man I know. (Besides my husband.)
48. He loves me more than I could ever imagine.
49. I have some really awesome friends.
50. I like moving to different areas because it means I'll have friends in lots of places.
51. I am addicted to blogging.
52. I am also a little addicted to Facebook.
53. I love talking to my friends. Even if it's been many years since I last talked to them.
54. Did I mention I have really awesome friends?
55. I love Dove dark chocolate. There are few things more wonderful than that.
56. I love the beach. I love digging my toes in the sand and pulling up hermit crabs.
57. I enjoy getting a tan because it's very easy for me.
58. My sweet daughter did not get my skin tone.
59. Neither did my middle child. But my youngest son did.
60. I love quiet mornings when everyone else in the house is asleep.
61. I turn the television off during the day because most of the time it's just noise.
62. I love the book club at my church and the women that are dedicated to coming to it. It's always so much fun to share a good book with someone who loved it as much as you did.
63. I love to crochet, but the only thing I have ever actually finished and given away is a potholder I made for my mom several years ago.
64. I love Pampered Chef. They have the best can opener in the world.
65. I love my Kitchen Aid.
66. One of my favorite movies is The Wedding Singer.
67. I also love The Lake House, Sweet Home Alabama, 13 Going on 30, Just Like Heaven, Miss Congeniality, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and many others.
68. My favorite book is Redeeming Love.
69. I have also read Hinds Feed on High Places several times and learned something new every time.
70. After I read a good book, I e-mail the author and tell them what I liked about his/her book.
71. Many of them have written me back.
72. I would love to write a novel.
73. I love working in the nursery at church so I can get my baby fix.
74. I would rather change a stinky diaper than deal with a kid who won't behave.
75. I don't watch a ton of t.v., but I really like The Closer, American Idol, Reba, and So You Think You Can Dance.
76. I got really upset when I saw that Van (Steve Howey) and Cheyenne (Joanna Garcia) were in the video for Every Other Weekend.
77. Did I mention I'm not cool?
76. In six years, all of my kids will be finished with high school.
77. I still have a hard time deciding if I'm done having kids or not.
78. The very first blog I ever read was my friend Leslie's. She is just as genuine and funny in real life as she is on her blog.
79. I still read her blog daily.
80. I use hyper links and parentheses in my blogs probably more than I should.
81. Sometimes I forget to spell check because Microsoft Word has me spoiled in checking things automatically.
82. I like to watch Phil Mickelson play golf.
83. My husband and I went to a tournament he was in this year and saw him up close.
84. I wanted to say, "Way to go Phil" and bump fists with him when he walked by, but I chickened out.
85. We are big Texas Longhorn fans in our family.
86. What does "Gig 'em" mean, anyway?
87. I think it sounds stupid, but if my daughter receives a full-ride scholarship there in 2010, I'll be "whooooooop"-ing with the best of them.
88. I have the best husband on the planet.
89. He is handsome and smart and makes me laugh daily.
90. My dad says that my husband has the patience of Job.
91. I agree.
92. I am very close with my grandmother.
93. I call her weekly to see how she's doing and to tell her I love her.
94. She gave me a really cool gift last month that I use all the time.
95. I'm also very close to my aunt.
96. She and I could stay up all night to talk and still have things to say the next day.
97. One of my favorie things she did for me when I was little was walk by the dinner table and scoop up my veggies and eat them when my mom wasn't looking.
98. I believe she would do absolutely anything in the world for me. (I do eat my own veggies now, though.)
99. I would do anything for her.
100. I want an Iphone. (Thanks a lot, Jane.)
Babies just do that to you
Why is it that seeing newborn baby clothes, tiny preemie diapers, and those precious little zip-up sleepers makes you want to have another baby right this very minute?
I went to the baby shower of a good friend yesterday and said plenty of my own "oohs" and "ahhs". Everything was tiny and blue and so, so precious.
And when I made a comment about how sweet it would be to have another baby, my 16 year-old daughter turned around and assured me that it would not be sweet in any possible way.
She was absolutely positive of that fact.
I wasn't alone, though. There were women of all ages agreeing with me that they've been
bitten by that bug a time or two.
I was blessed to have three very easy pregnancies, and there have been many times over the past several years that I've wanted to go through that again.
Enjoying my pregnancy, being able to nurse, and that tiny amazing life that you carry for nine months.
Sigh.
It's just so wonderful.
For a long time I felt like there was something wrong with me because I just couldn't make that desire to go away. We took permenant measures to make sure three would be it for us a long time ago, but I knew that if God wanted it to happen again he could make it happen.
I mean, He did create the earth and all.
But now I'm just resigning to the fact that it's normal to feel this way. Eventually, that desire will go away (as my mom assures me often).
Or maybe God will give me another baby and I'll write a post titled "What was I thinking?"
Originally posted November 2008 @ Mom in Transition
I went to the baby shower of a good friend yesterday and said plenty of my own "oohs" and "ahhs". Everything was tiny and blue and so, so precious.
And when I made a comment about how sweet it would be to have another baby, my 16 year-old daughter turned around and assured me that it would not be sweet in any possible way.
She was absolutely positive of that fact.
I wasn't alone, though. There were women of all ages agreeing with me that they've been
bitten by that bug a time or two.
I was blessed to have three very easy pregnancies, and there have been many times over the past several years that I've wanted to go through that again.
Enjoying my pregnancy, being able to nurse, and that tiny amazing life that you carry for nine months.
Sigh.
It's just so wonderful.
For a long time I felt like there was something wrong with me because I just couldn't make that desire to go away. We took permenant measures to make sure three would be it for us a long time ago, but I knew that if God wanted it to happen again he could make it happen.
I mean, He did create the earth and all.
But now I'm just resigning to the fact that it's normal to feel this way. Eventually, that desire will go away (as my mom assures me often).
Or maybe God will give me another baby and I'll write a post titled "What was I thinking?"
Originally posted November 2008 @ Mom in Transition
One Day to Give
Today I am participating in One Day To Give with Kristen at We are THAT Family. Please go to her website today and read the many stories of how others have chosen to give of themselves. What a great thing to be a part of!
Kristen asked everybody to 1) do something for somebody that would require you to give of yourself and 2) post about it so that we can encourage others to give as well. Here is how I got involved.
If you have followed this blog for a while, you know that I became a mom for the first time when I was 17. It wasn't my plan, but it was my life.
From the very beginning, I turned everything about this situation over to the Lord. When I did, He was able to then do things His way. His ways are always better than mine.
One of the days that stands out to me the most during that time period was when I decided to tell the drill team that I was pregnant and I would have to be removed. I wanted to tell them myself rather than let them hear it from someone else.
I will never forget that day. I was scared and worried and freaking out by the time drill team rolled around last period, but I refused to turn back. I felt like it had to be taken care of this way.
One of the most amazing things that God did was through a friend of mine named Brandi. She probably has no idea how her friendship blessed me that day.
When I walked to the front of the gym and our instructors called everyone in close, Brandi came up to me and said, "I know what you're about to do. Would you like me to sit with you while you talk to them?" She put her arm around me and smiled at me as I talked.
Y'all, I still get teary-eyed telling that story. It was one of the best gifts I have ever received.
When I got home from school that afternoon, someone from my church came to my house with a dozen rozes. The card said that our church body loved me and wanted me to know that. That meant so much, too.
Later that afternoon, one of my drill team leaders came to my house. She came to encourage me as well, and she gave me a card with some money to go and buy something for my unborn child.
It wasn't that she was supporting what I had done. But she was telling me it was ok to celebrate this life inside of me. She was acknowledging my daughter, and I needed that. I needed the love she was offering.
A few weeks ago, I found out a young friend of mine was pregnant. She is 17, just like I was. She was scared and confused and had a lot of questions. Just like I did.
I had an opportunity to meet with her. To love her. To listen to her, and I was able to give her a card with some money. To acknowledge that precious baby that she is carrying. To tell her it's ok to smile about the life that is inside of her.
Not to encourage the choice she made, but to love the girl who made the choice.
It was an honor to me to love her and to spend time with her, and I am so very thankful for the opportunity to do so.
Originally posted October 2008 @ Mom in Transition
Kristen asked everybody to 1) do something for somebody that would require you to give of yourself and 2) post about it so that we can encourage others to give as well. Here is how I got involved.
If you have followed this blog for a while, you know that I became a mom for the first time when I was 17. It wasn't my plan, but it was my life.
From the very beginning, I turned everything about this situation over to the Lord. When I did, He was able to then do things His way. His ways are always better than mine.
One of the days that stands out to me the most during that time period was when I decided to tell the drill team that I was pregnant and I would have to be removed. I wanted to tell them myself rather than let them hear it from someone else.
I will never forget that day. I was scared and worried and freaking out by the time drill team rolled around last period, but I refused to turn back. I felt like it had to be taken care of this way.
One of the most amazing things that God did was through a friend of mine named Brandi. She probably has no idea how her friendship blessed me that day.
When I walked to the front of the gym and our instructors called everyone in close, Brandi came up to me and said, "I know what you're about to do. Would you like me to sit with you while you talk to them?" She put her arm around me and smiled at me as I talked.
Y'all, I still get teary-eyed telling that story. It was one of the best gifts I have ever received.
When I got home from school that afternoon, someone from my church came to my house with a dozen rozes. The card said that our church body loved me and wanted me to know that. That meant so much, too.
Later that afternoon, one of my drill team leaders came to my house. She came to encourage me as well, and she gave me a card with some money to go and buy something for my unborn child.
It wasn't that she was supporting what I had done. But she was telling me it was ok to celebrate this life inside of me. She was acknowledging my daughter, and I needed that. I needed the love she was offering.
A few weeks ago, I found out a young friend of mine was pregnant. She is 17, just like I was. She was scared and confused and had a lot of questions. Just like I did.
I had an opportunity to meet with her. To love her. To listen to her, and I was able to give her a card with some money. To acknowledge that precious baby that she is carrying. To tell her it's ok to smile about the life that is inside of her.
Not to encourage the choice she made, but to love the girl who made the choice.
It was an honor to me to love her and to spend time with her, and I am so very thankful for the opportunity to do so.
Originally posted October 2008 @ Mom in Transition
To be known
This past weekend my mom and I were able to hear Beth Moore speak for the very first time. I have been going over all that she said since we left the studio Saturday afternoon, in my mind and in my heart. She shared an abundance of rich information, and I have had a difficult time narrowing down what I would like to post.
One of the (many) things Beth talked about was our desire to be known. Everybody wants to feel accepted. We all want to feel important, to know we have a place in this world and that we matter.
I guess this message really touched my heart because that has been a great desire of mine over the years. Every stay-at-home mom knows that their job is one of the most difficult and important ones on the planet. (I dare anyone to argue with that!)
But we also know that it's a pretty thankless job.
My husband and children do thank me often, so I really have nothing to complain about. But I guess sometimes I still have a hard time believing I'm making a difference. I mean, how life-changing is cooking dinner every night?
Not many people really see what stay-at-home moms do. They don't see the dirty diapers and the piles of laundry that disappear (and reappear) or the stocked pantries or the cooked dinners.
And yet each of those tasks are very important to keep our households running smoothly.
Over the years, I have tried a few times to get a job outside of the home. It was always when my kids were in school, but I often thought I needed the satisfaction of accomplishing something bigger than managing my household.
I am amazed at the women who can work full-time jobs and still do everything else for their families, because this mama just can't. I would feel too scattered to think that I was any good at either job, and I don't know that the sense of fulfillment I was looking for would ever really be there.
But I still have had that desire to be known. To think that I'm doing something good in this world.
So I was very encouraged to hear Beth's message. She reminded us that God knows us. He knows everything about us-- and amazingly He still loves us.
Psalms 139:2 says that "He knows our sitting down and our rising up." Beth asked, "How many times a day do we do that?" I can't even keep track. What about a mother of small children just trying to sit down to dinner? How many times does she get up and sit down for another drink or for the spoon that the toddler threw down or to answer the phone?
God knows how many times. He keeps track of even the simplest details of our lives.
I am so thankful that God knows me. I am thankful that He knows my dreams and the desires of my heart. He knows what goes on every minute of my day, and He loves me and wants to be a part of each one of them.
Beth read Psalms 139 to us and told us that it was one of the most personal psalms in the Bible. Please read it and be encouraged, because YOU, too, are known.
Originally posted October 2008 @ Mom in Transition
What is the desire of your heart?
Ten years ago, I was a young married mom, washing dishes at my kitchen sink in a little rent house somewhere in Texas. My husband was at graduate school, finishing up nearly three years of very hard work. My kids were at their own schools, learning how to read and write.
Though my hands were busy in the soapy water, my heart and my mind were somewhere else. As I washed I envisioned our new home and my husband's new job. Our fenced-in back yard. Our new church and friends.
I wasn't just dreaming then. I was hoping. And praying. And trusting God to His word.
Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
I did that. I was so excited about the next chapter of our lives that I never doubted what His word said.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do not believe that God is some kind of slot machine where we can pull a lever and expect Him to give us whatever we want.
But I believe that His word is true.
Delight yourself.
Sit at His feet and heed His voice. Soak up His word and His presence. Tell Him you love Him. Show Him you love Him.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were willing to do whatever it took to get it? That's how I felt at that moment, ten years ago.
When I would talk to the Lord, I couldn't help but smile and think about the great plans He has for me. I would get so excited about what was coming, like a daughter sitting at her daddy's feet. Trusting Him, knowing He only had her best in mind.
In 1998, we had been married six years. Three of those were lived away from our families while hubby went to school all day and I stayed home with my babies. Three of those were the hardest years of my life.
I longed for the day when my husband was done with school-- no more studying or being gone more than he was home. (Or coming home smelling like Formaldehyde. Yuck.) I looked forward to a real job with a real income. I anticipated a new season for our marriage and our family.
I have always been very specific in my prayers, and this big thing was no exception. I made my list and prayed Psalms 37:4 over it every day in my quiet time. And I prayed over it again while I was washing dishes and dreaming.
I believe that God is an Ephesians 3:20 God, and if I can dream it big-- He can make it even bigger. So y'all, my list was LONG. So long, in fact, that I would hide it whenever people came over. One time I forgot, and I was greeted with the reaction I expected from others. (Which is why I hid it in the first place.)
"Are you serious? That's a lot of stuff. You really think God is going to do that?"
Yes I do. And yes He did. (And that's a whole other post in and of itself.)
Now, ten years later, I'm making a new list. I'm not moving or anything. But He's put a new dream in my heart. And I'm getting ready.
I wish I could say that every day for the past ten years I have delighted myself in Him. I have not. I wish I could tell you that I have never strayed from Him and life has been sunshine and roses all this time. I would be lying if I did.
But how rich and how sweet it is to sit at His feet. How precious it is to listen to His voice and know how much He loves me. This time, I'm praying verses five and six over my new dream, too.
"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
I am excited about this new journey, this new season. He has never led me astray, and the joy that I receive when I trust in Him is bubbling up inside me again. It's been a while, y'all, and I am so, so very thankful for it.
Originally posted September 2008 @ Mom in Transition
Though my hands were busy in the soapy water, my heart and my mind were somewhere else. As I washed I envisioned our new home and my husband's new job. Our fenced-in back yard. Our new church and friends.
I wasn't just dreaming then. I was hoping. And praying. And trusting God to His word.
Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
I did that. I was so excited about the next chapter of our lives that I never doubted what His word said.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do not believe that God is some kind of slot machine where we can pull a lever and expect Him to give us whatever we want.
But I believe that His word is true.
Delight yourself.
Sit at His feet and heed His voice. Soak up His word and His presence. Tell Him you love Him. Show Him you love Him.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were willing to do whatever it took to get it? That's how I felt at that moment, ten years ago.
When I would talk to the Lord, I couldn't help but smile and think about the great plans He has for me. I would get so excited about what was coming, like a daughter sitting at her daddy's feet. Trusting Him, knowing He only had her best in mind.
In 1998, we had been married six years. Three of those were lived away from our families while hubby went to school all day and I stayed home with my babies. Three of those were the hardest years of my life.
I longed for the day when my husband was done with school-- no more studying or being gone more than he was home. (Or coming home smelling like Formaldehyde. Yuck.) I looked forward to a real job with a real income. I anticipated a new season for our marriage and our family.
I have always been very specific in my prayers, and this big thing was no exception. I made my list and prayed Psalms 37:4 over it every day in my quiet time. And I prayed over it again while I was washing dishes and dreaming.
I believe that God is an Ephesians 3:20 God, and if I can dream it big-- He can make it even bigger. So y'all, my list was LONG. So long, in fact, that I would hide it whenever people came over. One time I forgot, and I was greeted with the reaction I expected from others. (Which is why I hid it in the first place.)
"Are you serious? That's a lot of stuff. You really think God is going to do that?"
Yes I do. And yes He did. (And that's a whole other post in and of itself.)
Now, ten years later, I'm making a new list. I'm not moving or anything. But He's put a new dream in my heart. And I'm getting ready.
I wish I could say that every day for the past ten years I have delighted myself in Him. I have not. I wish I could tell you that I have never strayed from Him and life has been sunshine and roses all this time. I would be lying if I did.
But how rich and how sweet it is to sit at His feet. How precious it is to listen to His voice and know how much He loves me. This time, I'm praying verses five and six over my new dream, too.
"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
I am excited about this new journey, this new season. He has never led me astray, and the joy that I receive when I trust in Him is bubbling up inside me again. It's been a while, y'all, and I am so, so very thankful for it.
Originally posted September 2008 @ Mom in Transition
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