Konner decided to donate his birthday gifts to the Ronald McDonald House.
Ever since his party he has been asking when we were going to go bring the gifts.
Yesterday we checked him out of school and delivered the gifts.
We met the Executive Director and they wanted to take a picture, so of course I had to snap one too.
Konner took no time telling him that his baby sister, Adyson, was in Heaven and we stayed there twice during her lift. We told him our story and he continued to thank Konner for his generosity in giving to the kids that were there. When we got in the car to leave, Dan told Konner how proud he was of him for giving gifts to these families who are going through trying times right now. And when I spoke I burst into tears. Not only because I was/am proud of him, but being there brought back so many memories and emotions. Konner even teared up.
God has truly blessed me with this amazing little boy. I am so proud of him.
Did anyone else tear up voting yesterday like I did?
What a privilege it is? I hope you all exercised your right to vote!
I am disappointed.
I am not surprised this man was re-elected to "lead" the United States of America.
We are living in a Babylon.
American's have become selfish. Proud.
All about ME ME ME!!
What can I get?
Not what can I give?
What are we teaching our kids? To be selfish and all about ourselves and not care for others the way God's Holy Word says to?
It's everyone else's fault but our own.
I do believe we serve a MIGHTY God. And His plan is perfect. And His plan is for this man to "serve" another 4 years.
We, as American's, need to look to the LORD for guidance and leadership and teaching to bring America back to where it was when our Forefathers were leading our great nation. It's not so great anymore. We are a falling country and we need to go back to "ONE NATION UNDER GOD!"
God is sitting on His throne knowing exactly what He is doing.
And, no, we do not understand why. Some things are not for us to understand.
BUT we need to put our trust and FULL faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will carry us through and in the end the VICTORY will be HIS!!
AMEN!! Thank you, Jesus!!
Do not stop praying for our country.
"I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
A month ago or so, I went running when Konner got on the bus for school. I was already up and out the door. What excuse did I have not to run? MORE SLEEP!!! That's what I had said.
I like running, I really do.
I like how I feel after.
I like the energy it gives me.
I like how my mood is better.
BUT it takes everything I have to actually GO.
Last night I prayed for God to give me strength motivation to run this morning.
I fought Him tooth and nail.
I felt guilty for not going.
Here I prayed for God to give me motivation to go running and He did and I was fighting Him.
About 5 minutes before having to take Konner to the bus, He won. My motivation kicked in and I put my running clothes and shoes on real quick and out the door I went.
I only ran 2 miles, but who cares.
That started the rest of my motivational day.
I was back by 7.
I swept and mopped.
I folded a load of clothes.
Started another load of clothes.
I got Rivers' up and we both ate Oatmeal (this is another thing I prayed about. I used to always eat oatmeal in the morning. And I lost alot of weight. Tried to eat it again a year ago and I gagged at the texture. This morning I didn't. YAY!!) and out the door we went where we stayed for 2 hours.
I did my Bible study and cried at how God is showing me things.
Rivers played with his dump trucks while I did that and I started some crafts that I am going to try and sell at a local craft show. I also leveled some dirt in a low spot in our yard.
GO ME!!
Now, I am not saying the days from here on out will be as great as today has.. I KNOW they won't.
But I know with God.. ALL things are possible.
What motivates you?
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
This morning I got to witness my nephew, Dylan, be baptized.
He accepted Christ as his Savior at VBS.
Dylan, I am so proud of you. This is THE most important decision you will ever make in your life.
My heart swells with happiness just knowing you will spend eternity with the Most High and so many of your family. And you will get to meet you cousin, Adyson =]
I love you!!
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
The end of last year I ''thought'' God was telling me to go back to work. SO.. I applied to several jobs and had several interviews with a few companies. BUT nothing ever came of it. I took that as God telling me NOT to go back to work. BUT I felt I needed to do something to earn a little money but still be able to stay home with my boys.
I have been praying for some time now that I could find something to make a little extra money. Well, for the past month or so I have been blessed to be able to clean two houses. A mother and daughter actually. The daughter has a son around Rivers age, so I can bring him and he plays with his toys while I clean. It works out great! If not for these side ''jobs'' I wouldn't be able to go to Tennessee to see my cousin get married AND spend a week with family in Gatlinburg. The Lord allowed me the opportunity for these ''jobs'' at a perfect time.... HIS time.
Don't you love how HE works. If only we let Him. =]
While I think about these cleaning jobs, I can't help but think about ''cleaning'' my life. I have been struggling lately with how people are treating me and others I care deeply about. Hard to say something about someone when don't know them. And it tears me up inside. It really does. I just wanna slap them across the face with my flip flop. HA!! But seriously. Born again Christians judging and just being down right mean, hateful, harsh to others. God's Word tells us to love them anyway. It's hard to love someone when they do things like this. I am not perfect in any since of the word. I have come along way in the past few years. But I just can't see how Christians can do this. You can talk the talk but do you walk the walk?
Through this ''struggle'' I have been praying for God to guide me and tell me what I should do. AND I have also been praying for these others too. Cause crazy me feels GUILTY for the way they act and treat others and myself. For some odd reason, I feel like it's my fault and I should do something or say something. Do I leave it be? Or do I try to ''fix'' it? Although, I have let my guard down and still the treatment is the same.
On my phone I have the "Bible" app and "Words of Jesus" app. Every day when I read, there is a verse just for me.
Here are a quick few:
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin'' Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,and do not give the devil a foothold. Those who have been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Ephesians 4:25-32
Just what I need to hear from God. His timing is PERFECT!! I am in awe of Him. Complete AWE!!
I have been blessed with THE. BEST. friends a girl can ask for. Always lifting me up. And NEVER beating me down making me feel like I am less of a person than them. These girls are the sweetest, most kind people you will ever meet. That's the kind of friends I need. And God has placed them in my life at such a perfect time.
It's hard being a Christian and standing up for what you KNOW is right. We get more people ''dogging'' us (if you will) for standing up for what the Word says. Believe me when I say it is hard. Loosing Adyson was SO hard for me to wrap my brain around. How could GOD let this happen? But I can honestly sit here and tell you I THANK GOD every single day, many times a day, for blessing me the way He has. He sees further than I do. And I KNOW the outcome of my struggles today, will bring Him glory in the end.
Have you ever really sat and thought about the significance of the number 40? I haven't.
I was given a book (about pregnancy) by Carolyn Arends called We've Been Waiting for You. One page talks about God and his closeness with the number 40.
40 days and 40 nights while Noah was on the ark.
40 years the Israelites were in the desert.
40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, hungry.
40 weeks that a pregnant woman carries a baby (which is 10 months by the way).
As you can see, God is in no hurry. Is He trying to get our attention? Is He using this 'wait period' for us to grow nearer to Him. He is at work and He has a plan.
She ends with this:
"Forty weeks is a long time to wait for anything, particularly when one's ankles appear to be retaining all the waters of Noah's flood. But I've got a hunch, when the miracle finally shows up, it will be the first rainbow and the Promised Land all rolled up inton one squirmy little bundle."
”A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
I don't even know where to begin to describe the weekend I have had. As some of you know, I went to the E-Women's Retreat in Pensacola, Florida. With me, was a lady who is 5 months pregnant, another who has had multiple miscarriages, and me who has lost a child. This weekend was about embracing powerful peace that you can only get from the Lord. When we walked in Friday night, it was all I could do not to cry. Just to be there in the civic center full of women, all there for the same reason to praise and worship God, was breathtaking. You could feel the prescence of the Lord. That is the best feeling!! The speakers were Angela Thomas, Lysa Terkeurst, Karen Kingsbury, Sheri Rose Shepherd and Chonda Pierce. As they each spoke, I felt they were speaking directly to me. I know God used them to speak to me. Whether you have lost a loved one, having marital problems, problems with children, we all want that sweet peace that only comes from God above. They shared their testimonies and I cried because I could relate to their hurt. Some have even turned away from God, saying, "If you love me, why did you let this happen to me?" If they can overcome the lost of a sibling, an abortion, drugs and alcohol, divorce, depression and so much more, then I can overcome my hurt. And I will!! There was one common verse among a few of the speakers and it is Jeremiah 29:11 (it's at the top of my blog) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
There were two things that really stuck out to me. One was a book called Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury, about parents not only savoring the "firsts" (words, steps), but the "lasts" as well. Children grow up so fast and we miss out on alot. The other is a song that Mandisa sang called You Wouldn't Cry. She explains that she wrote this song from the people in Heaven to us on Earth. Oh my gosh!! You have to listen!
Hearing those words, I burst into tears. Ady knows what it's like at home and that is the best place to be!!
I bought Konner a book called, His Mighty Warrior by Sheri Rose Shepherd, which talks about being a courageous man of honor when he becomes a man. It's a 'two-way conversation between that King and his warrior-child.' Teaching what it really means to grown up brave, true and strong.
Although we three had all different situations going on in our lives, we still all go to the One who can give us that sweet, precious peace that passes all understanding.
What a wonderful, blessed weekend I had with some special people in my life. Thank You!!
Submission to the Authorities 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Love, for the Day is Near 8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"[a] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
