I was just reading "The Life Ready Woman" in preparation for a Bible/Book study I'm hosting soon. This quote "It is so critical not to let life just pick us up and carry us along. We need to be purposeful about making decisions that will help us take control of our lives...and our family's lives. " Be purposeful when making decisions. Don't let life get overwhelming & sweep you off your feet. Think things through. Pray things through. Read God's word. In doing these things, you can become purposeful about each step that you take & each life choice that you make.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The One About Being Purposeful
Being purposeful. This theme has been running through my readings & thoughts a lot lately. I think it started at the Weekend to Remember that Matt & I went to. That was pertaining to marriage. Being purposeful to choose your spouse daily. Choosing to receive your spouse as that gift God gave you in the same way that he gave Eve to Adam. Adam didn't reject Eve... he accepted & received her as his life partner. We choose to receive or reject our spouse daily. Also being purposeful to show your spouse your love. Don't just do things for him because you have to. Think it through, be purposeful about what you do for him.
I was just reading "The Life Ready Woman" in preparation for a Bible/Book study I'm hosting soon. This quote "It is so critical not to let life just pick us up and carry us along. We need to be purposeful about making decisions that will help us take control of our lives...and our family's lives. " Be purposeful when making decisions. Don't let life get overwhelming & sweep you off your feet. Think things through. Pray things through. Read God's word. In doing these things, you can become purposeful about each step that you take & each life choice that you make.
I was just reading "The Life Ready Woman" in preparation for a Bible/Book study I'm hosting soon. This quote "It is so critical not to let life just pick us up and carry us along. We need to be purposeful about making decisions that will help us take control of our lives...and our family's lives. " Be purposeful when making decisions. Don't let life get overwhelming & sweep you off your feet. Think things through. Pray things through. Read God's word. In doing these things, you can become purposeful about each step that you take & each life choice that you make.
Friday, May 25, 2012
The One About Name Meanings
I was thinking about name meanings today & decided to look up my childrens meanings. I looked at www.namemeanings.com
Matthew means "Gift of God". Yep... my hubby sure is my gift!
Rebecca means "Captivating". Uhh... maybe not so much there.
Michael means "Who is like God?" With a question mark. I'm not quite sure what to think of that.
Nathan means "Gift from God." Interesting. Definitely is a gift from God. I have learned the most about myself and parenting from that child out of all of the children so far. :)
Karah means "Sweet Melody". Awww. Yes. She's so joyful and loving and always singing. So yes... I can see that meaning with her personality.
Erich means "Honorable Ruler." Hmm... he definitely likes to try the ruler part out. We're going to work on the honorable part.
Katelynn means "Pure Beauty." Again... fitting. She's so beautiful, both physically & personality wise. Sometimes her personality is a bit out there... but she's very loving and for the most part & definitely has an inner beauty coming out. She likes it because her favorite princess is "Beauty". :)
Fun to look up the meanings and see if and how they fit with the current personalities of my children.
Matthew means "Gift of God". Yep... my hubby sure is my gift!
Rebecca means "Captivating". Uhh... maybe not so much there.
Michael means "Who is like God?" With a question mark. I'm not quite sure what to think of that.
Nathan means "Gift from God." Interesting. Definitely is a gift from God. I have learned the most about myself and parenting from that child out of all of the children so far. :)
Karah means "Sweet Melody". Awww. Yes. She's so joyful and loving and always singing. So yes... I can see that meaning with her personality.
Erich means "Honorable Ruler." Hmm... he definitely likes to try the ruler part out. We're going to work on the honorable part.
Katelynn means "Pure Beauty." Again... fitting. She's so beautiful, both physically & personality wise. Sometimes her personality is a bit out there... but she's very loving and for the most part & definitely has an inner beauty coming out. She likes it because her favorite princess is "Beauty". :)
Fun to look up the meanings and see if and how they fit with the current personalities of my children.
Friday, May 18, 2012
The One About Marriage
My heart is heavy tonight. Marriages all around me are failing. People I know from online, people I know from community, friends.. *sigh* It saddens me immensely. My own marriage was on the line recently. We were stuck and lost and saw no way to fix it.. but God intervened & our marriage has been healed. I wish that for everyone. If every marriage could know the healing power of the Lord, it would be amazing.
It truly takes two people and God. Two people willing to make changes in their lives. Two people willing to look to God to help them make those changes. Two people, each willing to give up their own selfish desires because they know God has a better plan for their marriage. Two people & God.
It truly takes two people and God. Two people willing to make changes in their lives. Two people willing to look to God to help them make those changes. Two people, each willing to give up their own selfish desires because they know God has a better plan for their marriage. Two people & God.
Friday, May 11, 2012
The One About a Retreat
So, I need to talk about this women's retreat I went on with my church. I was hesitant to go, but a friend encouraged me & so I did. When I read a little about the speaker, I have to admit I was really nervous. Having been a teenager during the Toronto movement time in a Pentecostal church, I had seen a lot of people faking it. It seemed that if you didn't speak in tongues or you weren't slain in the Spirit when being prayed over you weren't following God. This mostly happened in my youth group, but it was all around me. So when I saw that the woman coming to speak at the retreat was very charismatic I automatically put up a wall. I was nervous that there'd be a lot of drama, unorganized craziness & fakeness. Yes, I'll admit that I was really hesitant about the whole situation.
The first night I pretty much just sat. I sang and took notes, but my heart wasn't in it. On the morning of the next day I woke up with a horrible migraine & ended up missing the morning session. I did make it to the evening session and started the evening the same way I was the night before. I sang, took notes, but my heart wasn't in it. Then came prayer time... and yep! Lots of speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, etc. I just sat there & watched. Then I started to pray and the Lord spoke to me that it's time to take the walls down. Then, as clear as day, I heard "You always say you don't put me in a box, so why are you putting me in a box?" Ouch.
My prayers changed... I started praying that God show me how to break down the walls. I started concentrating more on my work than worrying about whether or not what was going on around me was real or fake. Then... as I was getting ready to leave.. one of my good friends was hit with the joy of the Lord and laughter just began rolling out of her. There is NO WAY this person would ever fake it... she's not one to bring attention to herself. I didn't realize it at that time, but it began the work of chipping the walls... it was so obviously the hand of God in her life because that was exactly what she needed at that time. And again later, she received a word that was also exactly what she needed. The speaker could not have known that... it was obviously from God.
I can feel a change in my life due to that retreat and a Weekend to Remember with my husband the weekend. Due to the WTR, my marriage is healed & restored, tho that is a testimony for another time. I just cannot even begin to describe the changes I am feeling inside... and all I can do is sit back, laugh and say "Wow!" We serve an amazing God & if He can begin a work in ME... chipping away at those concrete walls I've put up to protect myself (tho He showed me they really are just hindering me)... He can work in anyone.
The first night I pretty much just sat. I sang and took notes, but my heart wasn't in it. On the morning of the next day I woke up with a horrible migraine & ended up missing the morning session. I did make it to the evening session and started the evening the same way I was the night before. I sang, took notes, but my heart wasn't in it. Then came prayer time... and yep! Lots of speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, etc. I just sat there & watched. Then I started to pray and the Lord spoke to me that it's time to take the walls down. Then, as clear as day, I heard "You always say you don't put me in a box, so why are you putting me in a box?" Ouch.
My prayers changed... I started praying that God show me how to break down the walls. I started concentrating more on my work than worrying about whether or not what was going on around me was real or fake. Then... as I was getting ready to leave.. one of my good friends was hit with the joy of the Lord and laughter just began rolling out of her. There is NO WAY this person would ever fake it... she's not one to bring attention to herself. I didn't realize it at that time, but it began the work of chipping the walls... it was so obviously the hand of God in her life because that was exactly what she needed at that time. And again later, she received a word that was also exactly what she needed. The speaker could not have known that... it was obviously from God.
I can feel a change in my life due to that retreat and a Weekend to Remember with my husband the weekend. Due to the WTR, my marriage is healed & restored, tho that is a testimony for another time. I just cannot even begin to describe the changes I am feeling inside... and all I can do is sit back, laugh and say "Wow!" We serve an amazing God & if He can begin a work in ME... chipping away at those concrete walls I've put up to protect myself (tho He showed me they really are just hindering me)... He can work in anyone.
Monday, May 7, 2012
The One About Attitudes, Chocolate Chip Cookies & Bonding
Katie was throwing a fit this morning. Fit after fit and giving me awful attitude. It was really starting to anger me. Then it dawned on me that in the past 14 days she has spent 6 of those away from me. That's a whole lot of time for a child who is used to being around her mama 24/7. I decided instead of making her sit til she changed her attitude, I would spend some time bonding. We whipped out the necessary ingredients for chocolate chip cookies & baked together. She was so proud of herself. "I'm a big helper, Mom!"
The attitude changed, my frustration melted & we bonded over some chocolate chip cookies. Love my little girl.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The One About Forgiveness
This past weekend Matt & I attended a Weekend to Remember conference. During one of the last sessions, Gary Stanley was speaking. He asked the audience, "Do you believe God forgives sins?" And of course we all said "yes." And then he just stopped & looked at us... "Think about it." He then proceeded to tell us that he has been studying what God does to sin. He throws it behind him, rips it from East to West, stomps on it and had it nailed to a cross. Does that sound like he forgives sin or that he hates sin?
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"... He is faithful & just to forgive US our sins and to save US from all unrighteousness."
God forgives US... he forgives the person... he hates the sin. Sin is death to Him.
Let that sink in for a moment. It feels like it's so simple, right? But this statement was so freeing to me. We do not have to forgive the sins committed to us. We forgive the person. We separate the person from the sin and forgive the person. This message is so clear throughout the Bible that it's amazing that this was so freeing to me, but it was. Very much so.
Forgive the person. Make a choice to forgive. You don't have to forget. You will still feel the hurt. But choose to forgive & hate the sin, not the 'sinner'.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"... He is faithful & just to forgive US our sins and to save US from all unrighteousness."
God forgives US... he forgives the person... he hates the sin. Sin is death to Him.
Let that sink in for a moment. It feels like it's so simple, right? But this statement was so freeing to me. We do not have to forgive the sins committed to us. We forgive the person. We separate the person from the sin and forgive the person. This message is so clear throughout the Bible that it's amazing that this was so freeing to me, but it was. Very much so.
Forgive the person. Make a choice to forgive. You don't have to forget. You will still feel the hurt. But choose to forgive & hate the sin, not the 'sinner'.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The One Nathan Wrote
The Human Body: Ears
Ears are almost the greatest part of your body. For example: When you hear Karah screeching it immediately brings the music right to your brain. Cool, huh? Any way if you didn't have ears you would have to have loads of paper in your pocket so you could talk to each other or write to each other. But it would be kinda good because you could get better hand writing like I need to work on. Anyway you are using your ears right now as you are listening to my report. Well hopefully. This is the end. I hope you learned something. See you later.
Ears are almost the greatest part of your body. For example: When you hear Karah screeching it immediately brings the music right to your brain. Cool, huh? Any way if you didn't have ears you would have to have loads of paper in your pocket so you could talk to each other or write to each other. But it would be kinda good because you could get better hand writing like I need to work on. Anyway you are using your ears right now as you are listening to my report. Well hopefully. This is the end. I hope you learned something. See you later.
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