Wordless Wednesday

This is Aiden. Please keep this little fella in your prayers. His mommy is in prison. My sister in law met her while she was doing some time and they bonded. She had no one to take him and he would have gone into foster care. Now my sister in law is taking care of him and I really believe that it is helping her, plus we get to help too! Thank-you for your prayers for him and his mommy.

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday Hub.

Poppin In

You know it seems like I've been busy busy busy but I can't remember what I've been doing! Sigh. If I don't mark it or write it down on my calendar then I simply can't recall what I've done. It can be frustrating.

I do remember yesterday. We were heading up the Mountain to spend the day with my mil and help her make some peach jam, can peaches and pick apples. We received a phone call from a couple at church and they were having a yard sale and invited us over. She said she had lots of clothes to fit Meadow. Boy did she ever! I filled two huge boxes of clothes, everything from sweaters to skirts, shirts and dresses. She got seven pair of shoes. I was thinking about what to offer her for the whole lot of things and she said, I'm blessing you with these, I'm sewing seed. I was stunned. WOW! I know it was well over a hundred dollars. I haven't been given second hand things in a long time and I really miss it. You don't realize how much money it saves you until you go shopping and are forced to buy things new. Even if I do find them on sale for $4 or $5 which is a great deal it still doesn't compare to yard sales or hand me downs. I love em. So I've spent the day cleaning out Meadow's room and reorganizing and purging making room for her nice new things.

I was able to talk my sister in law into letting me keep her 4 week old little boy (the one who's mommy is in prison). I have been up since 5:30 this morning! Can you believe that?! Wowzers! I love it. It's awesome having him here, listening to his squeaky little noises and smelling that fresh baby scent. I get to keep him until tomorrow. If I can find my camera chip I'll post a picture of him in the morning for Wordless Wednesday.

Till then....

Be Still Sunday # 2

I'm a little late again this Sunday. It's hard for me to get here some Sundays. I hope you have had a wonderfully blessed Sunday!





To see other Be Still Sundays visit Natalie at Married to the Preacher.

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays-3

Since beginning to read Angie Smith's blog Bring the Rain Selah has become one of my all time favorite artists. This song called "Wonderful Merciful Savior" just touches my soul. It's so peaceful and powerful at the same time. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of my page and turn off my playlist so there will not be two songs playing at the same time. Hope you enjoy and for more TSMSS's visit Amy at Sign, Miracles and Wonders. She is running a giveaway for the next four weeks. It's pretty exciting over there and lots of fun. Hope you can join us! Thanks Amy!
Here are the words.

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men
Oh you rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne

Sharing Words of Knowledge

I have a bloggy friend who shared something today that really brought me a lot of understanding. Over the last couple of years I've wrestled with my beliefs in terms of denomination so to speak. I came from being a baptist all my life into a strong word of faith church and then God moved us to a different church. It is still considered word of faith but with so much more understanding, not just name it and claim it. I've learned that I must conform to God's will and NOT try and conform His will to my life/wants/desires. It's been a journey that is for sure. He is in control NO matter what happens. He isn't punishing me, He loves me. He knows whats best for me. He is my Father. The post below elaborates on this. Thank-you my friend for allowing me to share your revelation.

Begin share~
Granite : a hard stone and traditionally has required great skill to carve by hand

One of the things that the LORD constantly reminds me of is HIS mercy that I received when I am honest about my sin. Where I am in my walk with him is so sweet, yet challenging.. I love that I know without a doubt that I have this FRIEND I can be honest, real, and HE not be offended by anything I say. Last night as I was visiting a friend we had very encouraging conversation about trials, sufferings and what the LORD was doing in each of our lives. What humble moment that was for me... I left her house feeling very refreshed and encouraged to walk another day in acceptance in what the Lord's will for my life right now...

Remember the revelation I was talking about yesterday?? Here it comes, the LORD Is so faithful y'all, HE IS... He remembers me and I am nothing but dust... My friend read this excerpt from out of a book I am reading on trials and we both were blown away at what the LORD was saying to each of us through this entry:

' I once stood in the test room of a great mil. All around me were little partitions and compartments. Steel had been tested to the limit and marked with figures that showed its breaking point. Some pieces had been twisted until they broke, stretched to the breaking point and their tensile strength had been indicated. Some had been compressed to the crushing point, and also marked. The master of the steel mill knew just what these pieces of steel would stand under stain. He knew just what they would bear because his testing room revealed it. It is so often with God's children. God does not want us to be like vases of glass or porcelain. He would have us like these toughened pieces of steel, able to bear twisting and crushing to the uttermost without collapse. He wants us to be, not hothhouse plants but storm- beaten oaks; not sand dunes driven with every gust of wind, but granite rocks withstanding the fiercest storms. To make us such He must bring us into His testing room of suffering. Many of us need no other argument than our own experiences to prove that suffering is indeed God's testing room of faith." -J.H. McC

"It is very easy for us to speak and theorized about faith, but God often cast us into crucibles to try our gold, and to separate it from the dross and alloy. Oh, happy are we if the hurricanes that ripple life's unquiet sea have the effect of making Jesus more precious. Better the storm with Christ than smooth waters without Him."- Macduff

I have no words after that...I just asked that we all continue to encourage one another through the fire. We need each other. It was good last night for me to hear my sisters heart and not think about myself...Others are hurting as well, please feel free to share this with a sister you know who needs that extra push today..May the LORD continue to give us grace to endure. Have a great weekend! Please feel soooo free to leave comments! :)
End Share

That was awesome wasn't it? It has really helped my faith to grow and it has helped me to understand why things happen the way they do sometimes. I think about my own girls and how I have spoiled them so, and to some extent that is fine but I also look at the attitude that spoiling them has created. It has been a struggle to regain control and fight off the rebellion that is in their hearts as a result of a lack of discipline. Don't get me wrong my girls are good girls but you simply cannot give someone absolutely everything they want, you cannot protect them or excuse their actions with no consequences, leading them to believe that the world revolves around them and that the world owes them something without creating a monster. They need to appreciate what they have, they need to work for what they have, they need to learn to serve others, they need to be taught how to be humble. If they do not learn to be submissive to authority (which is often us the parents) then they will not be submissive to teachers, employers, they will struggle through life blaming everyone and everything for the problems in their lives but themselves. Most importantly they will not be submissive to the Lord.

Sometimes we have to take our hands back, the same way the Lord does with us and allow them to be twisted and marked, compressed and crushed to refine them and strengthen them to be able to handle what this life has for them and to be used for His glory. They must be trained if they are going to be mighty warriors for our King. Love can sometimes be confused with giving one their own way. If you love me, you'll do this. If you love me, you'll do that. I know many times my girls will tell me that I don't love them because I am disciplining them. How many times have I cried out and told God, "How could you love me if You allowed this to happen to me!" How many times have I cried out and told Him, "If you love me you'll answer this prayer!" How many times have I stamped my feet and demanded my own way or prayed prayers and when they weren't answered the way I seen fit I questioned His existence? I have missed many great lessons my Lord was trying to teach me. I have failed to see how I could have glorified my Father, My Savior in so many ways. I have refused to follow Him in His will if it did not line up with my will.

There are consequences for our actions. Yes the Lord forgives us and we should receive that forgiveness with no shame or guilt after repentance but there are still consequences when we choose to sin. There must also be consequences when our children refuse to obey.

Basically it was a wrong way of seeing things. I'm ever so grateful that the Lord is teaching me how to truly see Him. How deep His love truly is for me. How blessed I am to be a child of the King! I hope that this will help help other see our Lord through spiritual eyes and not through our physical ones. May God bless you all greatly this day!

My friend's blog For Yours Is The Kingdom.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for meeting other Christian bloggers and thankful that the Lord uses us to help one another. Its great to meet other people with like struggles and you always bump into those who have been through so much more than you have. When you meet those people and see how they've handle their battle you learn that you have so much more growing to do and that you aren't as far along as you thought you were. To me that is always a wonderful revelation because then you are able to move deeper into your own relationship with God. You also realize that you are not alone. Sometimes the enemy wants to single you out and separate you from everything and everyone else so he can really come against you but the Lord is always opening doors and windows to allow us to see past the moment. This week I've had such sweet reminders of my God being in complete control. Complete control. Not the enemy but my sweet Father in Heaven, My Savior His Son Jesus Christ and the precious Holy Spirit. For this I am ever grateful and very thankful.

I'm also thankful for the rain! :) God bless you and have a blessed Thankful Thursday.


For more Thankful Thursdays visit Sting My Heart

First Day of School!!

And I have no pics! What?!?! Yeppers I forgot my camera. But on the brighter side the girls had a great day. I was so glad to hear about friends made and work done. It's raining here so they didn't have P.E. and they were both ecstatic about that! LOL! I just stopped by for a second to let everyone know how it went. Great Day! Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow is the Big Day

I can't believe it but Sky and Meadow are going to start school tomorrow at our local Christian school. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. After seven years of homeschooling this is going to be a major change for me and for them. Meadow is already pleading with me to continue to homeschool her but I think that is just a tinge of fear. This year the school is trying a new schedule and they will only have to go to school 4 days a week. Monday-Thursday. They will have every Friday off. This leaves me a day for dentist and doctors appointments so hopefully they won't have miss much school at all.

I know that the girls are going to enjoy and benefit from this little school. I'm not as emotional as I thought I would be. The tears haven't came as I expected, just a simple peace. I feel so right about our decision. I'm so thankful for that.

Here are a few pictures from the end of the last school year. We went and tried out the Christian school and these pictures are from a field trip. They are very reassuring to me that this is going to be a good thing for them.

They do look like they are having fun don't they?

P.S. There are pictures up of Heaven's mission trip in South Africa on our ministry blog if you would like to see them click below.

Be Still Sunday

I'm a little late but posting this anyway. I really like this idea.





To see other Be Still Sundays visit Natalie at Married to the Preacher.

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays-2

This song is by Kellie Coffey. I love how it shows struggle and then offers hope. It shows God answers prayer. For more Then Sings My Soul Saturdays visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders

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Friday

It's pretty today and the house is clean. We are going to have leftovers for dinner, left over Beef Lombardi, one of our favorite dishes, with dinner rolls and maybe mashed potatoes. Dh called and he is coming home from work early. I'm ecstatic. A long weekend together. We are going to try and install a closet organizer in Meadow's room and tomorrow night we are going to a combo birthday party for my nephew Tyler and my daughter Heaven who just turned the big 18. I just look forward to spending some time with my family. Here is the Beef Lombardi recipe from Southern Living. It's yummy! I hope you all have a blessed weekend.

Beef Lombardi

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 (6-ounce) package medium egg noodles
6 green onions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

Preparation

Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.

Stir in chopped tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and bay leaf, and simmer 30 minutes.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain.

Stir together cooked egg noodles, chopped green onions, and sour cream until blended.

Place noodle mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheeses.

Bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover casserole, and bake 5 more minutes. Garnish, if desired.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed.

To lighten: Substitute low-fat or fat-free sour cream and 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Reduce amount of cheeses on top to 1/2 cup each.

Yield

Makes 6 servings

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2003

Thankful Thursday

Today I am Thankful for time.


For more Thankful Thursdays visit Sting My Heart

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday Hub.

Roxy is a mess!

Roxy has a grooming appointment tomorrow. She is a mess. She doesn't like to keep her hair up anymore. I have to redo it every morning to keep it out of her eyes and usually its out just a little while after. I have spent several hours over the past few days brushing and dematting her. I bathed her Saturday but it surely doesn't show today. She's just gotten too long. I'm going to have cut down really short with pom pom feet and puppy cut her face in hopes that it will help me keep her cleaner. Her breath has been ferocious!! I'm going to have to figure something out for that. She is still as precious as ever I just can't believe how much hair she has, and to think if I didn't groom her it would keep on growing!

Tired lately

I'm sorry for my absence. Heaven is home and doing well. She has decided to wait one year before leaving for college. She just celebrated her 18th birthday Wednesday. My baby isn't a baby anymore! The girls have had VBS this week and we are getting ready for their new school which starts week after next. I'm so excited for them and do pray that they like it.

Today I had to have blood drawn and when Heaven and I returned home we started cleaning and I began to fix our favorite dish, Enchilada Pie. I had extra enchilada sauce in the fridge and when I went to get the container out the lid popped off and the bowl flipped and that RED sauce poured down the back of the inside of my refrigerator. I couldn't stop the tears of frustration. Heaven and I worked and worked to clean that sauce up but it stained the plastic lining. Then while Heaven was trying to clean out from around the light bulbs one popped on her and she started crying. I had to laugh then! What a struggle. Lately that seems to be happening to me. Everything I touch either breaks or spills. It's been a rough week.

I'll try to be back as soon as I can. Tony just came through the door so I need to go. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm alive! Hugs.

Only three more days!

I can't wait to pick Heaven up on Saturday at the airport. I'm so excited! It feels as though she has been away from home for years instead of less than one month! Ha! I have been able to speak with her a little more the last week than the whole trip. She is doing well and has seen the hand of God moving across the people of South Africa. She has so much to share. She will be speaking at our church on Sunday night at 6:00 pm about her trip and I cannot wait to hear all about it. The last time we spoke on the phone she mentioned NOT leaving for college on the 15th. She threw the idea at me of seeing if she could wait one semester before going. She misses home so badly and the thoughts of only having two weeks at home before leaving again is overbearing for her. Of course I myself have no problem with this but I want what is best for Heaven and I want her to be in God's perfect will for her life. So we are all in prayer about this.

I have so many changes coming up this year. My girls are going into a very small local Christian School after homeschooling the last seven years. We attended the school for a few weeks at the end of the school year last spring to feel it out and see how we all liked it. We all, each one of us loved it. I have felt such peace with our decision. I am going to be substituting and volunteering there while also enrolling in college to persue my Bachelor's Degree in Teaching and Religion in hopes to teach full time soon.

I have been incredibly busy the last few weeks and our internet crashed for about five days. It just came back up today. We have been doing some serious cleaning in our house. Purging, moving, sweeping, mopping, dusting...you name we are doing it. We are almost done with the upstairs. I'd say one more day of hard work and it'll be complete. The catch? The basement. Yuck! I do so dread having to go through everything down there. Tony wants to do a yard sale but the thought of all that stuff overwhelms me! UGH! I'd rather just ditch it all. I told him if he's willing to get down there and work and pull it all together I'll help, but what doesn't sell isn't coming back in the house!!!! LOL!

I've another trial or burden so to speak that I've not shared a lot about here on my blog. I've undergone some tests and they turned up fine, which is great but leaves us puzzled as to what exactly the problem is. It's been sort of a secret battle with me and I've wanted to share but I have so many readers who know me personally and sometimes that makes it harder to air it all out, you know? Just keep me in your prayers and pray most importantly that God's will be done. (How's that for suspense!) LOL! I'll share one day, I promise!

Well I've missed everyone. God Bless!

Heaven is doing well

Heaven is the last one on the left. She called today is doing so good. So happy and full of joy, laughing. Gosh I couldn't hold back the tears. They have a count of 1971 souls saved thus far! Praise God! And she is seeing many healings including one lady who was blind and now can see! Hallelujah!! She even prayed with me, for me I should say, for my nerves to be calmed and for upcoming tests I'm having with great results. I 'd appreciate your prayers too! God Bless!

The Team

I noticed on Global Expedition's page there was a new picture up. Heaven is the one with her hair in braids, she is bent over on the left side in between the first and second row behind the girl in the green jacket and tobogan. She is smiling so big! I still haven't heard from her since she arrived in South Africa so this picture was a much needed message! I have peace about her being gone and I KNOW the Lord is protecting her and using her to bring about His will for the people in South Africa so I am not worried but I miss her deeply. There are days the emotions seem to overcome me so I cry and I pray and then I feel better. Last night was a long night. I'm counting down the days. Only two more weeks from Saturday. Please keep Heaven, the team, the ministry and the people of South Africa in your prayers. Thank-you and God bless each one of you!

A New Day! Heaven's last day in TX

I'm so glad that I get to share what God is doing in Heaven. I never cease to be amazed! She called me late last night to let me know that she is doing so much better. She has water! Praise God! She has a towel! Praise God! The Lord has provided her with absolutely everything she was in need of including an electrical outlet under a water fountain, so even her cell phone is charged! (She won't be able to use it in South Africa though.)

It was just so good to hear the joy in her voice. She shared with me that there were four people chosen to go to Zulu to teach and that she and a new friend that she had just made were two of the four! This is the first time ever that those going on a missions trip to South Africa were split and allowed to go to Zulu. Usually you have to choose Zulu to go there so this was a rare assignment.

I began reading about the people of Zulu and their customs and discovered a very special thing. Zulu means Heaven. What a Godcidence that is! Another great thing is that she believes she'll be teaching English and they will be able to incorporate the gospel into the lessons. This was an extremely important detail not only because she'll be sharing the most precious news in the world, the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but Heaven had decided only a few weeks ago to go to college to teach English to Highschool students while minoring in Intercultural Studies. This was just another sweet way of God letting her know she is on the right track!

Heaven told me, she said, "Mom, never ask God to break you unless you are truly ready to be broken." She said she had been a little numb before leaving for her trip and she felt emotionless but the Lord had reached deep within her and opened her up. She surrendered these raw emotions to Him and He is working mightily in her. She told me that she is having to depend on God for everything. And I mean every little thing. She had to pray and ask for water, she has to pray to use the bathroom. She depends on Him for every detail which is exactly the way He wants it! What a glorious place to be with the Father!! Praise You Jesus! Oh Hallelujah!!

We are praying for God to prepare the hearts of these people to receive Him! There are going to be mighty healings! I am excited to be able to share with you all! Sadly once Heaven arrives in South Africa we will have very little contact with her but I will share as I can. They leave at 1:00 am tonight!

I just want to thank God and praise Him for answering even the tiniest of our prayers. The thing that stands out to me the most is that He answered each and every one! He went above and beyond as He always does! And I want to thank all of you for your prayers. Know they are answered!

Heaven is in Texas-Day one and two

(Listen to the song playing, its Selah. It begins in the African language (one of them not sure which one) but I thought this was very appropriate timing since Heaven is getting ready to go to South Africa. It will finish in American, its beautiful. Just close your eyes and worship our Savior for a few moments before, during and after you read this post.)

Heaven made it safely to Texas yesterday. It was a rough day for her. We didn't get to stop and eat before her flight left so she was hungry and thirsty on top of being nervous. When she arrived in Dallas the Global Expedition team were a little late in getting there to pick them up. Once they arrived they boarded buses and drove to their campus. Heaven said they were a little over an hour away. Once they arrived, there was little free time and they had a meeting with Ron Luce which she said went great. BUT it was late, very late and she still had had nothing to eat or drink.

They did finally get them pizza but anyone who knows Heaven knows that pizza does not settle well on her tummy, especially after going a whole day with no food. They did not get them anything to drink with dinner either so when she finally called us at 12:30 last night she was exhausted and close to being dehydrated. She had a lot of anxiety and was incredibly homesick. I know most of this was coming from being so tired and thirsty. She said the drink machines wouldn't even take her money. On top of this her cell phone wasn't charging and she just pleaded with us to pray.

It was so hard to be on the other end of that phone and not be able to get to her. I just wanted to hand her a bottle of cold water and wrap my arms around her and bring her home. I knew I couldn't so I requested prayer from every prayer warrior the Lord put on my heart and then I prayed. I cried. I went to bed.

This morning she was some better. She did finally get some water to drink but was still requesting prayer. She had forgotten a water bottle and her towels and wash clothes and had to dry off with a T-shirt. I called Global Expeditions and spoke with the Parent Advisors and shared with them the anxiety Heaven was in and what she was experiencing. They are relaying the message to Heaven's Team Leaders and are going to get Heaven the items she needs. I will receive a return call this afternoon. I know all is going to be well.

Somehow through all of this I just feel that God is preparing her. I truly believe that this trip is going to be very different than the trip she took to Peru last year. The separation alone is going to be long enough to break us both. BUT I know that our Lord is going to build and strengthen us and fill every emptiness with Himself. Trust and Faith keep coming to mind, like a faint soft whisper, I keep hearing them over and over again. Trust me, I am your Provider. Have faith in me, she is mine also, I will take care of her. Peace. Rest in Me. Be still and know that I am God.

We just ask for your continued prayers for Heaven while she is about her Father's business! Feel free to leave your prayers in the comment section and send Heaven words of encouragement. I can take those and e-mail them to Global Expeditions and they will print them and give them to her. I know these simple words will be of much comfort to her while she is in South Africa.

(This is a copy of what I am posting at our Keys of the Kingdom Ministry Blog.)

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday Hub.