Crazy Love

I've been, quite slowly, reading and working through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Great, great book!  I'm not even half way through it yet, but each chapter is so. powerful. in describing God's love.  Of course, as a follower of Christ, I know that He loves me.  But to read a book that so specifically describes this love is ... precious.  This weeks chapter that I'm chewing on is around the verse in Revelations 3:16

¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,^[a] I will vomit you out of My mouth.

This really puts into perspective and makes quite serious how we live our life.  It makes choices seem so much more...eternal.  I do not want to be lukewarm.  And in my heart, I know I'm not.  However, some choices that I make throughout my day...they certainly aren't for the glory of my Lord and Saviour.  I was re-reading again some of the passages that describe how the disciples were just hanging out, doing their normal everyday routine and Jesus comes along and says follow me. And they do!  Just like that!  Things are going well and fine, catching their fish, and then, all of a sudden, they leave everything behind to follow Jesus.  Am I willing to give everything to follow Jesus?  Well...theoretically...but I really love my comfy bed, I really like having the internet on hand whenever I feel like it...I like to be able to eat the foods I like, when I like to eat them....And, I know that  I am and can follow Jesus where I am right now, where He has placed me to serve, but I wonder...do some of these things come ahead of God in my life....if I had to sleep on the floor for the rest of my life....I don't know, maybe this is just silly thinking.  But I know even in my choices I want to be more intentional about praying about choices and really following God's will, not my own.  I know that God is crazy in love with me, and with you!  If I make a choice from selfish ambition, it's not going to be what's best for me in the long run. 

All in all.  I love God, with all my heart.  I want my life to reflect that in my home and out of my home.

Momma Monday

Matthew is ... I don't know where to start!  Being Matthew's mom is such a blessing.  It's...frustrating :) but it's so fabulous. He has soooo much energy!  And sooo little focus.  But he has the biggest heart of anyone I know.  He loves so strongly and cares so deeply.  Matthew has taught me an incredible about faith.  In Mark 10:15 it says,

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Matthew has a faith in God that goes deep, it is the foundation of who he is.  Often times at our family devotions Matthew is the one to help everyone understand what it is the passages are saying.  It really blows me away at his comprehension of the scriptures and Biblical truths.  Aside from that Matthew loves.  He loves hugs, all day long, He loves giving gifts, getting gifts, making cards and crafts to give people that he thinks about, both in our family and out, mulitple times a day!  He is a wonderful son, and really a gift from God :)

Family Night

We know that laughter is the best medicine. It's so refreshing to laugh, and then realize that laughter comes from God!  In Job 8:21 it says,

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.

God has really blessed be with a family who loves to laugh, and loves to make each other laugh!  Part of our laughter tonight came from our family night time together.  We had been doing family nights on a weekly-ish basis, then it was just too much to plan and think about.  It was being missed and so we decided that we would have family nights, but the kids would plan them.  It's been a lot of fun!  We've been playing board games, had scavenger hunts, went to a college basketball game, and played hide-and-seek.  All of these things create so many great memories and soo much laughter!  My kids are so great, and we have a fun time together.  I highly recommend adding Family Night to your week if you don't already have it!

Lift my Eyes

You know those days when you don't want to get out of bed.  Then when you do, you think it might not have been such a good idea...yeah..so I know the right thing to do, but really want to just crawl back into those warm, inviting covers and pull them right over my head, drifting off into...anyway.  I got up.  And, as Momma's know, (at least in my house!) when I  wake up like this, it's quite tough not to let that spoil into everyone else. 

I was sharing a story at a board meeting about a "tactic" I had used once in the past.  When I was really upset and didn't know how to pray, but knew I needed to, I decided to go to the Word.  What better words to bring before our Maker than straight from the Bible.  So, I thought....David sure did splurt off some pretty negative things to God, 'laments', I'll try starting there for my prayer!  So, I opened up the Word, tried to find the most negative lament I could and prayed with all the gusto I could manage.  It was going ok for a few verses, I was getting right into my lamenting until...it turned to praise.  This wasn't exactly going along with the plan I had for this time of prayer, however, this is exactly what was needed for my time of prayer.  And all times. 

From this experience it has been slightly easier for me to remember to turn to God in praise, to look to God, where my help comes from.  This morning I'm pondering Psalm 121 and resting in it.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

Choices...

 I was coming home from a meeting and had some things in mind of what "needed" to be done, and the schooling that the kids "should" do today, ect. ect. and the lists really can go on and on forever...however...in the grand scheme of things, I figured, we'll have a much better day, and a lot more fun if we make sock monkeys!  Ha...crazy idea...



I underestimated the time ...and effort it takes!  However, we did complete most of the task, with a lot of fun, and a LOT of mess (which was somehow cleaned up - Thanks to Ryan!)

 I was thinking about some recent conversations and how very important our choices are, and that the choices we make, specifically about the way we spend our time, can reap either blessings or consequences.  Sometimes life can look rather bleak...tasks can look daunting, circumstances may seem insurmountable, however, we still have choices to make.  While looking for a verse to accompany this post, I found it interested that the first 20 or so times the word "choose" is mentioned in the Bible - it refers to God choosing, then, it comes to Deuteronomy 30:18-20,

¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

 ¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When it comes to this verse, the choice is pretty clear as to which one is best, however it is still that, a choice.  I guess what I'm getting from all of this is we really need to love God first.  Listen to His voice and hold fast to Him.  For He (God) is our life!  What an amazing passage.  I'm glad today that we made sock monkeys, and that the dishes are not done (well...not entirely) but I'm glad that I choose life - not necessarily in an eternal sense, but it sure made a difference in my home today.  So, lets choose life, make God the love of our life and truly listen to Him.  Be careful when making choices.  Be careful in choosing how to fill time in a day, choose life!



Momma Monday

I thought I could add my kids in her more regularly by having "Momma Mondays" some proud Mom moments :) 

Westport Fun Run 5 Km



One of Ryan's loves and gifts is athletics.  He is built to run, and play.  It has been really fun watching and encouraging him to build on his love this past summer and fall.  I think it was in August that we talked together about what he loves to do, and setting a goal for himself.  He really wanted to run in some type of race, we decided to start small and do a 5K.  Small for him seems impossible for me!  But anyway, he was running usually 2-4 times a week.  He had his own system, we went out with the car and marked off certain points at each km so he would know his distance.  He loves numbers as well, so each time he would time himself and chart the time and distance on a chart he had on the computer.  He was always striving to get farther, or to beat his time in the distance he was comfortable with.  I am so proud of how he really kept to it.  I mean, I know he loves to run, but he didn't always want to go out, he even ran a couple times on rainy mornings and afternoons.   

1 Corinthians 9:24 says,

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

I think of Ryan when I read this.  I think of his dedication and persistance.  He ran.  In October he ran the Westport Fun Run and did so great!  It was a different course than he'd been practicing, in the woods rather than by the road but with his training, he really did an amazing job!  I am so proud of him!  And, he feels a big accomplishment.  Maybe I'll have to get myself into gear and train with him for another run...maybe!  I sure can learn some things from this blessed boy that God has allowed me to parent :)

Even the Rocks will Cry Out!

We went on a beautiful hike yesterday to Rock Dunder with some families from church.  Our family loves this place, there are three different trails at different levels of difficulty.  The most difficult brings the most reward in terms of the view, so I opt to do that one as long as time isn't restricted!  This time there were six in our gathering that went to see the amazing view that God laid out for us.  It never seems to be less amazing, no matter how many times I go and see it. 
Tim was carrying a walking stick with him,  and kept pointing out a "burning bush" which was what looked like burned trees, but they still had the trunk and a few pokey branches on them, however Rachel, our fearless guide made sure we held pace (a very fast pace!) and kept moving in the front.  She was soon called Aaron, since he was Moses' helper of sorts.  Anyway, once we got to the lookout I asked, so, Moses, Aaron, what is our message from the Lord?  And my witty husband replied, as Jesus did in Luke 19:40,

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they (WE) keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

No one had much to say about that one, as you can imagine us looking out, perhaps we should have started to praise aloud, I know I was praising...rather quietly, my Majestic Lord.  It did make me stop and wonder, praise, and marvel at the Greatness of God.  And look at these trees, and the massive rocks that we were atop of, thinking that this, in all it's grandeur, is just a glimpse of Creator God's fingerprints.  It's so incredible.