Living Like a Queen

It seems as if everyday I am given more and more opportunities to humble myself.  When I encounter a situation that stirs in me immediate defensiveness, I recognize that as a warning alarm.  The decision I next make will either exalt my own self-pride or give me the opportunity--indeed the profound blessing-- of laying down my own life and picking up the crown that holds kindness and love.   To humble myself is to be exalted by my Father, the King of Kings!  A blessed opportunity indeed!. 

Change

When Ryan cut down the half-dying tree that stood sadly like an aging sentinel at the corner of our house, I was afraid the birds that lived and played there would be forced to move on and find new homes.  They have.  But alas, I see them now, flitting around the bushes and shrubs in my wilderness garden on the opposite side of the house.  They seem to hold no grudges and sing and play just as merrily as before, trusting God to care for them no less then when the tree was their home. 

Sing a New Song!

"He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God...." Psalm 40:3

As I continually struggle to renew my mind, confess my sin immediately upon recognition of it, and obey in all things, I am reminded not to dwell on these things but dwell on Christ who is in me. I can choose to sing the same old songs I have been singing to myself for a lifetime or I can choose today to sing a new song! A song of praise to my God!

Live it out!

I have been thinking about so many things. Most of which have to do with praying for and honoring my husband and how I have so much to learn! But then, when I think about praying for and honoring my husband I am reminded that it doesn't matter how much I learn about it, or how convicted I am about doing it if I DON'T DO IT! Pursuing spirituality for spirituality sake could not be farther from what God wants. He calls us to ACT on his word. God never calls us to pursue spirituality. He does call us to OBEDIENCE. If I am focused on the pursuit of spirituality I am missing the point. I must seek and pursue the heart of God and obey the Word He has already given me. I must be sensitive to the spirit and obey His promptings.

Living on the paths of righteousness is not a guessing game or an emotional ride. Seek out God's heart through His word then ACT on what you learn. Period. This IS righteousness. This means captivate all those unfruitful thoughts roaming around in your head and renew your mind with scripture instead. This means guard your tongue. This means be a diligent worker at home. This means love your husband even when he doesn't "deserve" it or you don't feel like it. This means serve others as needs arise. This means praise the Lord and give Him thanks at all times. Did you ever notice all the verbs God uses in His word? He never intended us to read His word, learn His word and then sit around and talk about how great He is or how convicted we are. He intends us to LIVE it out.

Pictures!

OK, here for your viewing pleasure are some pictures of the girls' baptism--finally.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Singing in the Rain

I have had two interesting experiences the last two mornings on my run...

Sunday morning, as I was running in the cool of the morning, it began raining lightly and then steadily and then pouring... the sunrise was absolutely beautiful.... I love the early morning! The sun rise, the cool wind on my face, the quiet and stillness all around....and a rain shower thrown in just because He can.... what an amazing God we serve!

This morning, I got up at what I thought was my usual time and got outside to run after a small breakfast and quiet time. It was very dark out! I thought, "Wow, it is really starting to stay darker later fast this year." I even looked at Ryan's phone to see the time and it said an 5:20 instead of the usual 6:00 time when I am getting out and about-- but I thought his phone clock was wrong! I did my usual run, came inside, fixed breakfast and hurried thru a shower so I could get the kids up by 7:00-- I went into the kids room to wake up Sarah and the clock in their room said 6:15-- did it dawn on me that I was the one who had woken up an hour earlier? No! I now thought HER clock was wrong too! I went and asked Ryan what time it was-- he said it was 6:15 and wondered why I had gotten out so early since I usually don't like to run in the dark! I COULD NOT believe it! It astounds me that I was so convinced that I knew the right time that I didn't believe #1 the sky light #2 Ryan's phone clock and #3 the clock in the kid's room-- I was fully convinced THEY were all wrong and I was right.

Kind of makes me think-- how often am I blinded to the facts by my own stubborn willfulness? How often do I ignore the truth and instead choose to be deceived because of my own unwillingness or inability to "see" past what I want to see?

Stability and Lovingkindness

Well.... I will have to try to be better about blogging.....why oh why do I get myself into these things that just add one more thing to my "to-do" list? I love to scrapbook-- I love to journal-- I love to blog-- I love to write-- I love to keep up with friends-- but how often do I actually get to do any of these things? A wise woman once said (or wrote actually because I read it in her book) that if you can only fit in an activity for 20 minutes a day, then do it for 20 minutes because that 20 minutes adds up to 2 hours and 20 minutes a week, 10 hours a month, and so on until in 10 years you might actually have accomplished something worth while! Can you imagine scrapbooking for 20 minutes a day? By the time I got out all my pens and found the paper I wanted, three days would have gone by..... maybe I need to re-think my scrapbooking methodology!

On a different note, but really not so different, is what God has been teaching me this summer--

There are three verses that especially keep running through my mind day after day, verses 8-10 of Psalm 32, verse 6 of Isaiah 33, and the words "little by little" used in Deuteronomy chapter 7. I love how these three truths have come together to create a realization in me of how God loves me personally. I have struggled and struggled with my inability to create and maintain any sort of routine around our home. I have been lazy in my quiet times, lazy in my eating habits, lazy in my exercise habits, lazy in my attitude toward my husband, and lazy in my ability to keep my tongue in check... I have whined and moaned to God about how difficult, even impossible- seeming, trying to manage our home is with Ryan's constantly changing schedule. I have been frustrated, weary, disappointed, and even bitter.. toward Ryan, toward God, toward my life. I have been crying to God to HELP-- expecting Him to show up on His trusty stead and whisk away my problems or provide me with the perfect solution, or instantly change my attitude-- whatever would make me feel better quickly. I am sharing all this with you so maybe you will understand the vast importance, the depth of understanding and love my God has for me to have given me these verses:

Psalm 32:8-10 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness will surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart."

Isaiah 33:6 " And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure."

Deuteronomy 7:22 "The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly..."

Have you ever just thought about the language God uses in His word.
I love the words
surround--He surrounds me with His lovingkindness
and
stability--He is the stability of my times
and
little by little-- He has a plan, He is working out things in my life, I need to realize He will work them out little by little for my own benefit

These are the deepest desires and needs of my life-- to be surrounded by unchanging, unconditional love and stability. No schedule or routine, or job, or even money promises stability-- only God is the stability of my times! I wish I could draw a picture of God's lovingkindness and stability over me. He is working good things in my life little by little, He is teaching me little by little, He is helping me little by little, He is guiding me little by little...but...He has loved me with a great love.. and He loves you with a great love too!

Planting Seeds

I hope some of you are still enjoying spring! We took the children to an air show at the Air Force Base in Del Rio yesterday and it was HOT! When we got in the car, our gauge read 108 degrees! That is what I heard on the news that it really was! I guess summer is here to stay! We enjoyed the planes so much and the children got really excited about all the guys who work so hard to protect us. They got to sit inside the cockpit of a helicopter and go inside the cargo hold of a huge cargo plane (sorry I don't know official names). We can talk about our military and pray for them but something like that really gives them a visual as to what it is all about. I was asking Ryan why it is that an airplane flying by while a patriotic song plays evokes such overwhelming feelings (usually resulting in tears for me) inside? I don't know the answer but I am excited to be able have these kinds of opportunities with our children. The seeds of a vision for a country that will turn back to God are being planted even now.

Dependent or Independent?

During our bible study this morning we were reading in 2 Peter where Peter exhorts them to remember the things Christ has already done for them in order to be able to live godly and righteous lives. We were having the kids each go around the table and think of an example of something they struggle with regularly that they could ask God help for the next time they struggle-- patience with siblings, kind words instead of harsh, helpful attitudes instead of grumbling, etc. We reminded them that although God has the power to just help us, He loves us to ask Him-- to recognize our need for Him and cry out to Him for help. I was thinking about God's word to us as a whole and how that is His very heart's cry from Genesis to Revelation. He so desires a relationship with us, He allows us to be in need so we will realize our dependency on Him alone. We learned a song this week that has become our "victory march"!

"In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory!
In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Satan will have to flee!
Who knows what my God can do?
Who know of His love for you?
In the name of Jesus, Jesus, we have the victory!"

In my struggle, I can call on the name of Jesus and have victory! This usually means many, many times a day!