I needed this today...

God is SO good!! He always sends me JUST what I need when I need it... and today - that was true as always!! (So I just had to share it!!)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria Osteen

Do you feel like you are in a pit today? That pit can be frustration or disappointment or a feeling of discouragement, despair, or hopelessness. And maybe you can’t see a way out, but you’ve got to know that God is still with you, and He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Remember, God will never waste anything you go through in life. If you’ll keep the right attitude, He’ll turn that situation around for your good. It doesn’t matter how you got there, whether it was by your own poor choices or maybe someone else treated you unfairly, God wants to use that situation to do a work in you. He’ll take that evil and turn it around for your good. You may be uncomfortable at times, but you’ve got to know you are growing, and God is building your character.

Today, make the decision to shake off any negative, self-defeating mindsets. Choose to cooperate with God. Trust that He is preparing you for promotion. As you keep an attitude of faith, expectancy, and thanksgiving, He will lift you up and set you on the solid path of victory He has in store for you!

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on the solid ground and steadied me as I walked along"
(Psalm 40:2, NLT)

Oh, how He loves us...

"He is jealous for me,
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so."

I feel like lately there is SO much going on - I just can't even begin to describe.
I know I am in a season of being stretched... and that is good.
Learning not to lean on myself or the "natural", but to REALLY trust Him and follow His leading.
But there are times in the middle of this stretching that I feel like parts of me are going to "snap"... but, OH how my Father is SO good to me!!

As I sat and worshipped this afternoon, He brought this song to my mind...
the part that sticks out to me is this "I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory"

All these problems are NOTHING compared to His glory. His affections are GREAT for me!!

I am so thankful that no matter how difficult, confusing, intimidating or trying a situation may seem to me - it's NOTHING compared to His glory and His Glory is in ME!!
That just brings SUCH peace to me!!

So, as I pray today to clearly hear His voice and experience Him - I pray the same for you!! Because I know that on my own I will work and toil FOREVER, but as I trust in Him and follow Him... He can do GREAT things through my small efforts.

by the way... if you want to see a video of the whole song - click HERE

"Growing like a weed..."

I always hated when people would say that about me when I was growing up!!
I'm not a weed - I am a person (would be the thought going on in my head)

But now I look at my yard and I realize that weeds suddenly grow and are this "thing" before you even realized it was there...
Now, I know that my kids are there (I did give birth to them) - but suddenly before my eyes they are these little "people"...


Chayse is starting to enjoy some grown up things - cleaning the house, sitting down and just "chatting", she's starting the Praise & Worship team at church in September, she is learning to cook and now wants to make every meal, she's starting to care about how she's dressed and what she's wearing (most times) AND needs to carry a purse each time we go out!!! (And she'll only be TEN this fall - double digits baby!!)











Colton has lost another two teeth this summer (that's why the goofy picture) all he wants for his first day of Kindergarten (or Christmas) is his two front teeth!! He's lost his 4 front teeth total so far... which makes eating apples interesting! :)
He has suddenly become this little "man" - helping take care of Grandpa & Grandma (this morning he sat next to Grandpa and wouldn't move until he had identified which pills were which for Grandpa), asking for jobs to do around the house, riding his bicycle up and down the street any chance he can and BEGGING for his legs to grow so he can ride the motorcyle with Daddy!! :)






Now Connor - he's his own story...
He turned three in April but still wanted to be the "baby" until 2 weeks ago - he decided he didn't like Pull-Ups anymore and he's done very well since. He's SO proud of "poopy in the toilet" each time he goes that anyone close by will be asked to "come see it" (Gross, I know - but such is my life). He is all of a sudden (it seems) able to talk so that most people can understand him and he LOVES trucks of any kind!! He's funny - he only identifys the color green (John Deere green) but can spot a garbage truck, a tractor, a skidster, an excavator or a skinny (and correctly identify it) from a WAYS away! SOON we'll have those both worked out (our colors and our trucks). The picture is an excavator that some VERY nice workmen let him sit on and now he wants one for his birthday! :)

So... all that to say - my children have just changed (evidently when I wasn't looking) and its SO cool to see what these awesome creations of my Father are becoming!! :)

I love God's faithfulness...

I read this today in my devotion and it was such a great reminder...

"The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake..." 2 Peter 3:9 NLT

It doesn't take very long to discover that God's timing is not always our timing. It's easy to question and wonder why you've been waiting for your breakthrough for 15 years and your neighbor got their breakthrough in 15 minutes! In the Bible, Abraham waited 20 years for his promise, and in the upper room they waited about ten days. I don't know how long you'll have to wait, but you've got to understand that God has your best interest at heart. He is being patient for your sake. He's aligning things and waiting for the exact right moment! If you'll just continue waiting with the right attitude, then at the right time, God will bring it to pass.

Remember, God is always working behind the scenes for your good. Just because you don't see any changes taking place doesn't mean they aren't happening. Keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping because you're breakthrough is coming for your sake!

Just a good reminder...

"We know that God will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28

God is working behind the scenes in your life today. No matter what you may be facing, no matter what trial you may be going through, God has a plan to turn things around in your favor. Right now, He is working out a plan for your good. Right now, He is orchestrating the right people to come across your path. He is orchestrating the right opportunities to open up to you. You may not see it in the natural, but look with your eyes of faith today. Keep standing. Keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep following His Word. Focus on His goodness in your life, knowing that He rewards the people who seek after Him. As you meditate on the faithfulness of God and show your love for Him by following His Word, you will see His plan come to pass. You'll experience His peace and joy, and you will live in victory all the days of your life!

First crop...

I planted some tomato plants this year (on the deck - nothing serious) and I just enjoyed my first "crop"...















Two little "grape" tomatoes... they were SO yummy and salty!! :)
I'm looking forward to SO many more!

A lesson from Psalms...

I was reading a devotion the other day about Solomon and his request to the Lord for wisdom and this devotion challenged me to think about what ONE THING I would ask of the Lord...

• money & riches to fulfill all my dreams
  
• more time to be with my family
• more money/time to travel with my hubby more!!! :)
• be a better teacher/preacher in DJH and beyond (and to teach more)
  

But as I thought about it - none of this really matters!!
They are all very important to me and things that I pray regularly, but not the most important.

Here's what I found next...
Psalm 27:4
"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple."

Nothing matters more than to know Him.

I love my kids - but someday they're going to get married and leave the house - what then?
I could have all the money in the world - but would it make me love Him more?

All I need is you Lord...