Honor..

thy father and  mother.  That is the 4th commandment and something we talked about at our sunday night church get together.  The pastor also talked about the 3rd Commandment: keeping the Sabbath and it was interesting because he had a lot to say about that one but the 4th was short.  It seems pretty simple right?  Especially if you are a kid (I still think of our assistant pastor as a kid, I guess I am at that age) who had amazing parents who were worth honoring and obeying.  Not that it is always easy as a young child to honor and obey but you learn when you  have good role models. 
But what happens when you don't?  When you don't really look at one or both of your parents as honorable?  Our wise mishmashmaggie had some good things to say about this.  I won't be able to say it as eloquently as she did but basically she told how her mom became a Christian because Lainie was able to honor her parents in the way God wants us to.  That's pretty amazing.  Coming from a family where I struggle to honor especially my father because of the choices he has made in his life, this was a good lesson for me.  But he is my father and I am really the only believer he is around.  I don't know if he has felt my dishonor of him but it is there, in my heart and clearly something I need to work on.  And if it is in my heart, then it might be coming out more than I realize.  Definitely something to pray about.

Sweet Surrender

     I was going to write this post last week...but last week was not a great week and actually, I am so glad I waited until after this past weekend.
     2 weekends ago, I was burnt out.  I had been taking care of my mom who had knee surgery, dealing with a bad case of vertigo, not getting enough sleep and just had too much on my place.   So when Sunday came, I was done.  You know that feeling.  Where you just want to curl up and have "me" time. 
     I should know better.  There is a difference between selfishly wanting "me" time and doing things that calm the spirit and give me the true rest that I need.
     Our church has started a study on the Ten Commandments.  It was going to be Sunday night and I did not want to go.  But I prayed that if we were to go, my husband would want to go.  (We are good at balancing out each other that way).  But I completely sabotaged it by telling him I really didn't want to go but would go if he wanted.  What exactly was he supposed to say to that?  Especially with the tone I used.  So we didn't go.  And I was miserable.  Even though he was incredibly supportive and told me we could have a relaxing evening at home.  My evening was no where near relaxing.  I could have gone and had a potluck dinner, dove more deeply into the Word, and spent time with a great bunch of people.  Instead, I rushed to cook dinner, get the kids in baths and bed and then whatever other projects I felt I had to do.  And this mood carried over into monday.  Not a good day.  Because I knew.  I knew I had disobeyed God and it is not a good feeling.
     So come Tuesday,when we had Women's Prayer group and I sort of didn't want to go (wanted some down time), I went and was completely blessed and felt blessed for the rest of my day.  Saturday came a Women's All Day Retreat.  I waivered back and forth, go all day, go part of the day, go all day, go part of the day.  But in my heart I knew, I should go all day.  So I did.  And it was amazing.  And I didn't feel harried or overwhelmed at the end of the day even though I had been gone all day.  And my kids did amazing at soccer and my husband took good care of them.
     Sunday comes and church and we are getting out of church late b/c hubby is helping break things down.  Which is great but it gets us home late and then he had to help a friend take care of a chicken who was hurt.  So we got home late and the evening thing was coming in just a few short hours.  And I didn't totally want to go, because, well, I was tired and wanted down time.  But we went.  And we ate amazing food and the kids played awesome with other kids and actually I feel made new friends.  And I learned some good lessons about the Ten Commandments.  And I felt rested.  Yes, my weekend was crazy and I got absolutely nothing done around my house and I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked but...I obeyed God, I was nourished by Him, nourished by our church body and I felt really good.  I am super tired today but I still feel like I am carrying around that peace that only comes from Him.
     Obeying God is hard sometimes but He knows so much more than us.  When we surrender to His will for our lives, it is so much easier.  Life isn't always better, but it is easier to deal with the bad stuff when you feel the peace of God.  You know you can get through it with Him at your side.

New page

Forgive me as I am trying to figure out how best to work this blog.  I feel the prayer requests are sort of getting lost in the grand scheme of things. I cannot figure out how to make a section on the main page where requests could just be added so I created it's own page off to the right that says "prayer request page".  It might be an extra step in a way but maybe easier for you guys to find.
I am open to suggestions if anyone has any better ideas or if there are things you like/don't like about my blog. 

Free Stuff

I love getting free stuff.  I have sort of been signing up for all sorts of samples that I see listed on blogs and then forget what I have signed up for until a mysterious box arrives in my mail and it is like Christmas.  I know it is silly but I love it.  Plus there are lots of deals out there where you create an account and get a credit.  Then you wait for a good deal and basically get something for free or by paying for shipping.
So I just found one of these, I don't even know the site but if you go here to Rue La La you will get a $20 credit for creating an account.  Apparently it takes up to 2 days to get your credit so I haven't ordered anything but they have a lot of different boutiques and anything from clothes to spas to baked gift baskets.  Some things were outrageous but some things were decently priced especially if you take the $20 off. 
Sounds fun right?  I will check back in a couple of days and make sure I get my credit and maybe I can score a Christmas present from it. 
Man I love free stuff!

Prayer Requests 10/12

"always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."  Col. 4:12b

How amazing would it be to live a life complete in the will of God?  Or standing perfect?  I know it is an impossible task but I love the thought of it.  Life would be so different I think if we were able to be in God's will all the time.  It might not be easier but it would be more comforting if that makes sense.  I know we are to withstand trials and tribulations but it is better going through them knowing and feeling God is on our side walking through it with us.

So as I am trying to pray fervently for my dear friends, what specific things can I pray for you this week?

Pray for...

Girlfriends.  I was trying to decide what special thing I wanted to pray extra for this week and I was thinking about the blog and you guys who have sent me such encouraging notes about this.  Friends don't come easy to me.  I am not super social or outgoing.  It takes a lot for me to open up to someone, I have to feel some trust there.  I am definitely not one of those people who know no strangers and sees friends everywhere they go. 
But I do have amazing friends.  Some are friends I have known since I was a little girl, some are from high school, college, graduate school, work, friends from my neighborhood, friends from church.  (Okay, now that I have written all of that out, maybe I do have a lot of friends- but that isn't really my point here)
My point is that I am so grateful for all of my friends.  Each one is special and each one helps me in different ways.  I love my husband.  He actually is my best friend.  If I had no one else but him, I would be okay with that.  But men are different from women (fortunately!) and we see things differently.  He leads with his head, me with my heart and hormones.  Sometimes I need that levelheadedness that he gives me.  Sometimes I just really need someone to sympathize with me even if I am being completely irrational and offer me chocolate.  That's what girlfriends do.  They put up with you trying on a million dresses to wear to a wedding, they offer you shoes or jewelry or a purse to borrow for the occasion, they buy you a treat when you are down or offer to watch your kids when you are overwhelmed, they cry with you when you are sad and rejoice at the happy times.  Friends just get how you think and sometimes that's all you need.  Not someone to fix it, just to understand. 
So this week, dear friends, I am thanking God for each of you and saying an extra prayer for you.  Thank you for being a part of my life.
And remember to pray for the girls in your life.

Blessings

Sometimes it is easy to focus on the bad stuff that is going on and not remember all the positives in our lives.
Last week was a rough week for me, I was grumpy, things didn't go smoothly, I had cranky kids, etc...However, in that, was some things that were good.
1) Watching my son play soccer.  This is his 3rd year playing and it has been somewhat difficult watching the past 2 years.  He had fun but he wasn't focused, didn't try super hard most of the time, goofed off during games...you name it.  But this year something has clicked for him and it is so fun watching him.  He has scored a goal in almost every game and that builds his confidence which makes him try harder.  I love it.
2) My daughters soccer team has to be the sweetest group of 5 year old girls b/c even though my daughter doesn't always act likable and refuses to play in the games, they are kind to her and try to include her, and made her team captain.  So sweet.
3) My husband is working on a dog house for our pup.  I am so grateful that he has a gift of building things.  He struggles with it b/c it isn't perfect but to me it looks great and I am pretty sure the dog won't care.  What a blessing it is not to have to go out and buy premade stuff and a much more expensive rate.  He is awesome!

Prayer Requests 10/5

Thank you guys for giving me your prayer requests.  It was an honor to pray for you all last week. I am asking for prayer for my 5 year old princess.  She is really struggling right now emotionally.  Not sure if she is growing, not getting enough sleep, concerned over something or what but she is having a hard time so would appreciate prayer for her. 
Please let me know what I can pray for you this week.

Marriage and a special prayer request

Sanctus Real - “Lead Me”

I look around and see my wonderful life

Almost perfect from the outside

In picture frames I see my beautiful wife

Always smiling

But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands

Stand up when I can't

Don't leave me hungry for love

Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight

That I'm still the love of your life

I know we call this our home

But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes

They're just children from the outside

I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine

They're in independent

But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands

Stand up when I can't

Don't leave me hungry for love

Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight

That I'm still the love of your life

I know we call this our home

But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength

To be everything I'm called to be

Oh, Father, show me the way

To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands

To stand up when they can't

Don't want to leave them hungry for love,

Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight

And give them the best of my life

So we can call this our home

Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

I love this song.  The first time I heard it, it reached out to me and voiced my heart's cry.  If you haven't had a chance to hear the story behind the song, you should look it up.  It is amazing.  Made more amazing by the fact that right now, the lead singer and his wife are dealing with a newborn son who has already had a heart surgery and has almost died.  What an amazing thing God has done in their lives to bring them closer together before they had to deal with having an ill child. 
Now, I am not saying my husband isn't a good leader...he is. But coming from a divorced family, sometimes it is hard to know what I need in a husband and what God wants for me in a healthy relationship.  Also, while I am for advancement in our abilities as women to have a fair chance in doing what we want (what is God's will for us), I think we have lost something in knowing the roles God created for us. 
Men aren't there to dominate us but they are there to protect us, to take care of us, to be our spiritual leaders for us and for our children.  They are there to be good role models for the boys we are raising and good examples for what our girls should look for when it is time for them to find a husband.
Marriage is hard but if you find that person who completes you, then it is worth the fight.
So a special prayer request today for my friend who's marriage is in crisis.  Pray for her and her husband that they will both seek God, that they will be able to get past hurts and preconceived ideas of what the other person should be, that God would bring healing to them and their marriage.  And for the rest of us married folks, that we would cherish our mates, pray for them daily, and strive to put Christ in the center.