**Author Unknown**
My Baby-Man--he sure is in a hurry to leave the baby part behind.
♥ him and ♥ every moment I have with him.
Thank you, Lord,
for my precious little boy!
You are so good to me.
Undeserving, but grateful,
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Difference
This poem was given to me many years ago on a little bookmark by a sweet, godly lady in my home church. I remember how these words bore into my heart back then, and again today as it came to my memory and I had to find it. Isn't this all too often how I approach my day, my life?! What a shame and disgrace. I am without excuse and can only say that I must, I MUST, do better.
The pictures behind these convicting words are of Mendoza, Argentina. Our God-appointed destiny. How can I have any hope of being useful and effective, if I don't take the time to get a hold of God?!? I so need His power and strength to make it through each day. Yet, so often I forget to simply go to Him and ask Him for His divine help.
{ You may have to click on each pic. to get a larger view ;) }
{by Grace L. Naessens}
The pictures behind these convicting words are of Mendoza, Argentina. Our God-appointed destiny. How can I have any hope of being useful and effective, if I don't take the time to get a hold of God?!? I so need His power and strength to make it through each day. Yet, so often I forget to simply go to Him and ask Him for His divine help.
Lord,
May I learn to lean more upon you with each passing day.
May I stop letting them slip away from me
without pausing to make sure you are the most integral part of each one.
Thank you for loving me enough to put up with me--
even though you know me better than I know myself.
You chose to love me when you died on Calvary
and you love me still even when I am a disobedient child
that often ignores you.
I thank you for the grace that you bestow on me everyday
I am so undeserving
Forgive me, Father, and help me to do things that will please You--
starting with having a better relationship with You.
Your little child,
Monday, August 8, 2011
Choosing His Way
I ask Clara to get Bubby a little car to play with while he sits in his high chair playing contentedly.
She quickly proceeds to find other toys in his toy box and try to convince me why they would be good for him to play with. Ex.: tractor, spatula, etc.
When I proceed to explain to her that I really want the little cars and why, she continues to try and pitch her own little argument my way.
And in the midst of this the very convicting thought struck me--isn't that just like me? Isn't that just how I react sometimes when God is trying to show me his plan--the very best plan for me.
Instead of happily, joyfully, and readily accepting and complying to what He has in store {which I KNOW deep down will turn out way better than continuing to do it my own way}, often I think that I know better and want to tell Him {God Almighty!} a thing or two. Like, maybe if I explain why I think that my way or idea is a good one, that He will change His mind and 'come around'.
What heartaches I could save myself from if I would just learn to trust Him and chose His good and perfect gift for me right away.
Do you ever feel like that?
Do you ever get hit in the heart with one of God's piercing arrows as your in the midst of your day-to-day craziness?
As much as it hurts and fills me with conviction, shame, and guilt sometimes, nevertheless I am grateful. I am thankful that God uses everyday, simple things to teach me and hit the "reset" button on my heart.
He's still workin' on me,
She quickly proceeds to find other toys in his toy box and try to convince me why they would be good for him to play with. Ex.: tractor, spatula, etc.
When I proceed to explain to her that I really want the little cars and why, she continues to try and pitch her own little argument my way.
And in the midst of this the very convicting thought struck me--isn't that just like me? Isn't that just how I react sometimes when God is trying to show me his plan--the very best plan for me.
Instead of happily, joyfully, and readily accepting and complying to what He has in store {which I KNOW deep down will turn out way better than continuing to do it my own way}, often I think that I know better and want to tell Him {God Almighty!} a thing or two. Like, maybe if I explain why I think that my way or idea is a good one, that He will change His mind and 'come around'.
What heartaches I could save myself from if I would just learn to trust Him and chose His good and perfect gift for me right away.
Do you ever feel like that?
Do you ever get hit in the heart with one of God's piercing arrows as your in the midst of your day-to-day craziness?
As much as it hurts and fills me with conviction, shame, and guilt sometimes, nevertheless I am grateful. I am thankful that God uses everyday, simple things to teach me and hit the "reset" button on my heart.
He's still workin' on me,
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Big, Ugly, Black Lagoon
Sounds real appealin', right?!
About as much as it was to watch it flood into my living room.
Yep. You read that correctly--I had a muddy lake in my LIVING ROOM!!!
You know that Twilight Zone I jokingly mentioned...yah, I think it arrived.
So, here's how I wound up with the 'Big & Nasty' invading my living space. One day last week, after spending a lovely time out and about as a family, the rain that had been threatening to break loose all day, well...it did!
Now, I like me a good thunderstorm, including all the lightning and booming, especially as it is great "sleeping weather" {one of my FAVORITE past times! Grin} However, this was a bit extreme, even for me!
I was sitting on the couch reading to Clara, when the wind really picked up and you could hear the rain pounding down. Then it wasn't just rain, it was dreaded hail. Lots of it came down, fast and hard! When I was finally able to brave going outside, I found quarter-size ice balls all over our yard. Kinda of looked we had the remnants of snow hanging around.
Before I got up from my huddled position on the couch in an attempt to keep my babies calm, we had more problems than just hail. Matt came into the room and was quick to let me know that I had a waterfall running down the wall, right behind where I was sitting! And yes, it was effectively getting the back of the couch all soggy! Obviously, we quickly set that right, shoving the couch away from our "little Niagra".
But, it just gets better and better. "Little Niagra" quickly turned into "BIG Niagra" as moments later we heard and saw a huge, yah, I mean a LOT of water, come gushing down from inside our chimney. I stood there frozen for a moment hoping to awaken from this very bad dream. I tell ya, I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes! Quickly our adrenaline rush kicked in and I proceeded to rapidly yet gently shove my startled kids into their room so that Matt and I could try to control our newly created "Black Lagoon". Bad enough that we had water flooding through our living room, but it wasn't just nice, clean rain water. This was yucky, muddy, sooty, clean-out-the-fireplace-of-grime-while-you-are-at-it, black water! DOUBLE ICK!!
I am sure Matt and I made quite a sight as we hurriedly grabbed our furniture and tried to get it out of harm's way. Then I began to push the "Black Lagoon" out our front door with a squeegee. Yah, 1/2 of our living room was covered with a good inch or 2 of mess. I have never been so glad that we do NOT have carpet!! One of my first thoughts, as I was shoving the lake out of our door was, "Ok, Lord, I know that I really did need to clean and mop the floor, but this is Ridiculous!!!" I definitely got the hint!
So the best we can figure out is that the drain pipe that comes out right next to the chimney got plugged up by the hailstones, causing all the water to back up and overflow into our chimney. Yep, those cute little balls of ice aren't as innocent as they look!
Never a dull moment!
About as much as it was to watch it flood into my living room.
Yep. You read that correctly--I had a muddy lake in my LIVING ROOM!!!
You know that Twilight Zone I jokingly mentioned...yah, I think it arrived.
So, here's how I wound up with the 'Big & Nasty' invading my living space. One day last week, after spending a lovely time out and about as a family, the rain that had been threatening to break loose all day, well...it did!
Now, I like me a good thunderstorm, including all the lightning and booming, especially as it is great "sleeping weather" {one of my FAVORITE past times! Grin} However, this was a bit extreme, even for me!
I was sitting on the couch reading to Clara, when the wind really picked up and you could hear the rain pounding down. Then it wasn't just rain, it was dreaded hail. Lots of it came down, fast and hard! When I was finally able to brave going outside, I found quarter-size ice balls all over our yard. Kinda of looked we had the remnants of snow hanging around.
Before I got up from my huddled position on the couch in an attempt to keep my babies calm, we had more problems than just hail. Matt came into the room and was quick to let me know that I had a waterfall running down the wall, right behind where I was sitting! And yes, it was effectively getting the back of the couch all soggy! Obviously, we quickly set that right, shoving the couch away from our "little Niagra".
But, it just gets better and better. "Little Niagra" quickly turned into "BIG Niagra" as moments later we heard and saw a huge, yah, I mean a LOT of water, come gushing down from inside our chimney. I stood there frozen for a moment hoping to awaken from this very bad dream. I tell ya, I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes! Quickly our adrenaline rush kicked in and I proceeded to rapidly yet gently shove my startled kids into their room so that Matt and I could try to control our newly created "Black Lagoon". Bad enough that we had water flooding through our living room, but it wasn't just nice, clean rain water. This was yucky, muddy, sooty, clean-out-the-fireplace-of-grime-while-you-are-at-it, black water! DOUBLE ICK!!
I am sure Matt and I made quite a sight as we hurriedly grabbed our furniture and tried to get it out of harm's way. Then I began to push the "Black Lagoon" out our front door with a squeegee. Yah, 1/2 of our living room was covered with a good inch or 2 of mess. I have never been so glad that we do NOT have carpet!! One of my first thoughts, as I was shoving the lake out of our door was, "Ok, Lord, I know that I really did need to clean and mop the floor, but this is Ridiculous!!!" I definitely got the hint!
So the best we can figure out is that the drain pipe that comes out right next to the chimney got plugged up by the hailstones, causing all the water to back up and overflow into our chimney. Yep, those cute little balls of ice aren't as innocent as they look!
Never a dull moment!
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