Friday Joy

One thing you probably don't know about me is that I LOVE soundtracks to really good movies! Some of my favorites are:

The Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings
Pirates of the Caribbean
Harry Potter
Angels and Demons

...and I'm sure there are more that I can't think of right now.

This morning during Bubby's morning nap I read from Proverbs, Psalms and Ruth while listening to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe Soundtrack and absolutely LOVED IT! God really gets me excited when I listen to such powerful music, especially when it's from an awesome movie like Narnia (one of my absolute favs!). It makes me imagine living in a world like the Narnians where there are talking creatures, epic battles, and fun adventures. It makes me excited for my life with Christ and all of the wonderful things he is doing and will do for me. Such JOY!

What brings you Joy today???

Friday Joy

Helpful Hubby!

Let me just say how THANKFUL I am to have a Hubby that helps out!
So far this week he...

*Went grocery shopping and only spent $160 on 2 weeks worth of groceries (he's such a saver!)

*Cleaned up my mess in the kitchen on his day off

*Helped me pick up the house and put away our clutter

*Brought home some flowers for me

*Made the bed

*Played with Bubby so I could get some things done around the apartment

*Made some very yummy brownies so we could enjoy dessert every evening this week

*Took the dog to the vet

...and so much more that I can't even remember! He is amazing!!!

Friday Joy

What we've been doing lately...

Playing "So Big' and making big toy messes

Building "Binky" towers and knocking them down

Going on LOTS of walks in our new umbrella stroller (once or twice daily)

Reading lots of books...and Mommy cleaning up all the books that Bubby pulls off the shelf
*Funny Story: After his bath, I dress Bubby on the floor...well, sometimes he sneaks away while I gather his clothes/diaper and he pulls all of the books off the shelf completely naked. Normally I would rush over so he won't accidentally pee all over them, but I did manage to get a picture once. For obvious reasons I won't post it, but it's pretty cute!

Friday Joy

Thursday nights are our new date nights. Last night was our first one and it was great! We had a babysitter come and put Josiah to bed while we went out and had some good fun! Sometimes I forget how much joy a husband can bring to your life. There are times when I feel like I need taken care of (since I spend the majority of the day caring for someone else) and he totally meets that need! He makes me feel loved, cared for, appreciated, and special. Last night we:

*Played a round of disc golf, even though I stink at disc golf! But Hubby taught me some cool moves and I started to get better as the night went on.

*Went on a walk while watching the sunset...and we held hands! I know, kind of cheesy, but when's the last time you took a walk without your kids, during the sunset and held hands with your hubby? It was special.

*Sat under the stars and prayed for our family.

*Had a campfire with some friends.

*Ate Smores and roasted marshmallows.

It was amazing! I feel so refreshed today after having such a great night with Hubby.

What brings you Joy this Friday?

Friday Joy

Bubby's first spaghetti faces!

Post your own Friday Joy and share what brings you Joy today!

My Thursday Thought: Indescribable

Louie Gilgio: Indescribable

I was first introduced to Louie Giglio when I attended Passion Conference while I was in college. He is an amazing speaker that I always look forward to hearing when I get the chance. You can often find him traveling around with Chris Tomlin, one of my favorite Christian music artists. This talk "Indescribable" is one of my very favorites of his. He makes you feel so small, but oh so very loved by our incredible God! This is the link to one part of his talk, but if you listen and you like then you can find the rest of them on You-tube. Enjoy!

My Thursday Thought: The Power of Prayer

My husband and I have been part of a small group at our church for 2 1/2 years now. We have learned so much from this community that I thought I would share some of the things God has been teaching us lately about THE POWER OR PRAYER.

I started praying when I came to Christ as a child and was deeply involved in my church. But prayer wasn't something that I saw as a tool to use all the time but more in times of distress or when we needed to say a blessing before we ate. Most of my prayers were short, sweet, to the point, and sometimes there were even moments of pleading with God telling him what I wanted or else who knows what I might do. But now, my idea of prayer has really changed. In our small group we've been practicing the following:

1. Taking time to sit in silence and wait on God and listen to what he is telling us to pray for.
2. Share with one another what we think God is saying to us.
3. Be bold in not only asking for prayer but praying for others in our group.
4. Laying hands on one another when praying.
5. Praying in command for healing and against Satan.

This was all very new to me when I joined the Vineyard church but I have seen some amazing things happen when people really take the time to pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. I've witnessed healing, seen spiritual freedom, and even felt the presence of the Holy Spirit upon me.

The other day I was shopping around Barnes and Noble and decided to pick up the book The Power of a Praying Wife. I'm not too far into it, but I was in need of a good devotional and since I've seen the power of prayer at work in our small group I thought "why not give praying for my family a try and see what happens." I can already see God showing up and encouraging not only my husband but also ME! Andrew and I spent some time praying for our family the other night as a couple and a lot of burdens were lifted off of both of our shoulders. For the first time in a while we actually felt like we agreed on some things....like how to handle some of our financial difficulties, how we both were really struggling with some of the sacrifices we have to make as parents, and how neither of us had been communicating well. I am so thankful to have a husband that is growing and learning with me, especially when we are facing some struggles as parents.

My Thursday Thought: The Adultress Woman

John 8

² At dawn he [Jesus] appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I think what I love so much about this story is the fact that Jesus calls out everyone else that is judging the adulteress woman. How many times a day do I look at someone and think to myself how much better I am than them? To be honest, a lot. And vice versa, there are times when I think I am a horrible person and I will never be as good as other Christians. I see people who have such a strong relationship with the Lord and are blessed with so many gifts that sometimes I feel as though God has forgotten about me. But then I look at how Jesus shows love to this woman and says "neither do I condemn you," and I remember that God says the same thing to me. I am not condemned! What a great reminder for me on days when I am impatient, rude, prideful, and angry towards the world.

My Thursday Thought: Definitely Late

Here I am...only the 2nd week after committing to write and I am already late, way late. My excuse isn't that I forgot (because really I didn't) but just the stress of getting ready for my sister's huge wedding weekend and planning my cleaning schedule for next week.

One thing I have learned about myself these past few weeks is that so often I anticipate the future. I worry SO MUCH and make SO MANY long term goals that are WAY far from now that I get myself all stressed out and worked up. For instance, in my mind I have my whole ideal life planned. Andrew and I will live in a nice acreage right outside of Story City and Andrew will run his own coffeeshop here in town. I would stay at home with our kids and home school and I would be very involved in church (helping out with kids worship, being a small group leader, and maybe even helping to lead worship). On top of that Andrew and I would be very healthy and eat well, plus have enough money to go on a nice vacation every year. Now, who doesn't dream about having the perfect house, perfect job, and perfect family? I'm sure everyone does, but for me these were serious goals, and they weren't goals that I had for 5-10 years down the road, but more like 1-2 years! Obviously that is not realistic! I was stressing myself out over something I had no control over and I was worrying so much about the future that I had no joy in anything that was happening now.

Andrew helped to put things in perspective for me. It's okay to have hopes and dreams for the future and pray for those things, but I'll never get there if I don't have faith in God or even set short term goals for my life. And I definitely won't enjoy getting there if I don't have joy in what the Lord is giving me now. So, I've been reflecting on James 4. It says:

Submit Yourselves to God

¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”^[c]

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

I've also been trying to work in some time in the Word every day. I've been setting my alarm for 5:45 a.m. so that I have time to shower and then spend 15-20 minutes reading before Josiah gets up. It went pretty well this last week, although I did miss my alarm a couple mornings and ended up not having the time I wanted to read. But I have noticed a difference since I started this. I have been more patient with Josiah and the kids at work when I DO get up and read and for some reason I've been able to get myself mostly ready for the day before Josiah even gets up which makes the morning a lot less stressful. I guess that time is really doing some good! My hope for this week is to continue to get up and read, be patient and joyful, and not even worry about making goals but rather focus on the changes that God is currently making in my life!

My Thursday Thought

Lately I’ve been finding myself on a spiritual roller coaster in my life. One day I’m feeling encouraged and actually WANT to read my Bible and grow in faith and pray for others and show Jesus’ love. And then there are days where I feel like not caring, discouraged, alone, and frustrated with life. I used to journal a lot but, in the midst of motherhood, working full time and trying to physically take care of myself (like going to bed early or sleeping in) I just haven’t taken the time to do it. Getting into The Word daily has been a constant battle, which I know it is for everyone. So I’ve decided to use Thursday’s on my blog as a day to reflect on my week and what God has been teaching me. He’s doing a lot in my life right now and I’d really like to be able to share it with others. So, each Thursday (I’ll try my best…I promise!) you can check on here to see what sorts of things God is teaching me.

Lately God has really been teaching me about patience. Working in a child care center with 7 toddlers has been a big challenge for me. You put 7 two year olds together and you can learn the real meaning of the word “chaos.” You’ve got one kid screaming in the corner, another telling you they’ve got to go potty, 2 others fighting over toys, some who actually listen, and others who need your constant attention. By the end of the day I’m just drained. I get tired of saying “no” or “gentle hands” or “stop that” and putting kids in time out.

Now, here’s the weird part, I find patience to be really hard at work with 7 kids, but even when I’m home just with Josiah I struggle to be patient, and he’s just ONE kid. I guess there’s a whole new set of struggles that come with one baby, like having to spoon feed him when all I really want is to enjoy my own dinner (or to actually cook a decent meal instead of eating frozen pizza/food out of a bag or box since I have to make something quick). Or having to chase after him now that he’s getting into everything, wiping up spit up all the time, and especially getting up in the middle of the night when I’m dead tired from never getting a good night sleep. It all just builds up and builds up and eventually I just can’t take it anymore and I need a break.

Ok, now that I’ve realized that patience is a major struggle of mine, it’s time to repent of my impatience and make a new name for myself (Praise God for making us new again!). One thing I’ve started doing is putting post it notes of bible verses around the house. I’ve found these to be helpful in at least getting some encouragement from The Word every day, and my husband seems to appreciate them too! Here are some of the verses that have been up around the house lately:

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” -Proverbs 16:24

“In the light of the King’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring spring rain.” –Proverbs 16

“Thus says the Lord, cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord…blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust IS the Lord…the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, and even give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds…heal me O Lord and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are my Praise!” –Jeremiah 17

These verses have made me stop and think about my attitude and the workings between my heart and mind. In order to be patient I NEED to have pleasant words, I NEED to be refreshed by my God every day, and I NEED to trust in the Lord. My heart is deceitful and sick and the results of my impatience are never good. God is the only one who can heal me and save me from this struggle, and though it’s a constant battle I will fight against my flesh and the enemy to be a better mother, wife, caregiver, and friend.

Thanks be to God!