Spring Break and the girls are home!!

Lots of fun - the girls are home. What did we do? Eat, watch movies, clean out Mom's closet, sleep, visit with family, wash the cars, shopped successfully for the youngest some shorts - etc. It is so good to have everyone home. So sad that SBT had to go back too soon - having to work at the hospital - 12 hour shifts.
The girls are searching for jobs - knowing where the Lord wants them and with what job. Seeking Him for His plan.
We actually got a 2 hour picture tour of Ecuador from SBT and beautiful gifts from there. It was so much fun to see the excitement in SBT's eyes as she went picture through picture retelling about the trip.
Numbers 20 - trust God enough.

Long Time No Post

Life got extremely busy - my elderly father was in the hospital for one week and so there was much time spent there. While he was there - very mixed up and fever. After one week he was able to go home - but then we saw he was so very weak he had to go to a nursing home temporarily for rehab. Our prayer for him - to get much stronger and be able to go back to Morningside Assisted Living- back to his friends and home. 

While my dad was in the hospital it seemed like one trial after another cropped up. Gratefully I have been studying the life of Moses and seeing how the Lord and Moses continually have to put up with the grumbling Israelites. I found myself starting to grumble and immediately I felt convicted.  I realized I have so much to be thankful for - so very much. But not only do I have much to be grateful for, I serve a Sovereign God - He is in complete control and I need to trust Him enough. I am naive if I ever think the Christian life is going to be easy. Dying to self, living a godly life - well in this world - it will not be easy but it will always be worth it. Christ calls us out of ourselves to live under His leadership - giving up our will for His will. I am grateful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I don't want to be a grumbler. I want to be uplifting and an encourager. Encouraging myself/others to see things with eyes of faith.

Thank you Lord for loving me all the time!!

So what has been happening?

When I think of what has been going on, the word TRUST comes to mind. I have to trust the Lord for a possible change for myself and the timing of the change, for both of my daughters career paths, for one of my daughters passing a big test and a super busy week, for a friend finding out she has a lump in her breast and it doesn't look good, for my husband's business adventure. So many things that I want God to control and yet waiting for His work done in His time and His way. But I truly believe God is Sovereign and I want His best plan. I don't want to struggle wanting my own way but to go His way. 

I am still reading the Twilight series I borrowed from my daughter. I am on the 3rd book - over half way finished but I have not had much time to read. I am glad I am reading this series so I can discuss with my daughters these books. It is fun to have this common element together. 

This just popped into my head - so I have to share it. My husband told me last night that I am much better at taking care of my dad than some other people he knows. I can get weary sometimes with my dad - like when he gets angry about something and takes it out on me and I have had nothing to do with the situation but I do feel like I will always be there for him. What blessed my heart though was that my husband complimented me about something that I think he sometimes gets jealous about. It is hard to balance responsibilities sometimes. 

This weekend I am off to see my 2 girls in Auburn. I can hardly wait. I hope we have so much fun and I lavish them with love. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful family - I love each of them very much.

She's engaged!

My 21 year old cousin just got engaged! My prayer for her and her beau are that they will live a life that draws them close to the Savior's feet. That they will live in light of His love for them and grow in His grace. I am excited for them and hope they will have a long fruitful marriage.

What a sinner!

Tonight at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) the TL (Teaching Leader) was talking about our personal sin. She said our sin to God is like spiritual adultery. She said He is our perfect bridegroom and we are His bride and when we sin it hurts Him just like when we are in a marriage and our spouse were to commit adultery. It breaks that sacred covenant. That really raises the bar on looking at how hurt God is when we sin and what that sin feels like to Him. I know I don't want to displease Him but this makes me think about how much it hurts the Lord when I sin. I guess for me it makes my sin's pain so much worse b/c it really hurts Him. I want to be faithful to Him. I want to hate sin the way He hates sin. I want to be close to Him the way He wants to be close to me. I want to grieve over my sin the way He does.

Deep thinking.

Reading again.

My youngest and oldest daughters have really gotten into the Twilight series so I finally picked up the 1st book and have read about 200 pages in a day and one half. So far - pretty good but another book I read a few weeks ago is ranking higher on my list - Swan House by Elizabeth Musser. It has several good elements that draw you in. In fact my youngest daughter read it and loved it. 

Happy reading!

Power reading this week - 2 books!

The first book I read this week was Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers. Okay - I confess - Francine is my most favorite author (besides the Lord) and I had read the book several years ago. But I had forgotten the end and it really blessed my heart to read it again. It is a book to make you think about aging and the value of life at every stage.

The second book I read was Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy. I knew vaguely who he is but this book really opened my eyes to what a godly man he is and how he is trying to glorify God in his daily life. Some of the things in his book I really thought were good nuggets were: 

No excuses, no explanations

Whatever it takes

Respond to adversity; don't react

DO WHAT WE DO - just do it well

When I get mad, I usually talk at the same volume I'm talking now. And when I get really mad - 

I whisper

Do the ordinary things better than anyone else does - day in and day out.

What can I do to make things better?

Both books - good reads - definitely worth reading.