Well, I have been off work this week with the kids since summer camp doesnt start until June 4th. Swim lessons start then also. We have painted at Purple Glaze, gone to the Dog Show where the kids had art posters thay had entered in contest, and worked on riding bikes. We finally have a sign up in the yard and pictures of the house will be up on the website at tulsarealtors.com tomorrow mid-day to try to sell the house. Now we have to start looking for a new one in our price range and location that has four bedrooms and two baths. It will seem strange having more than one bathroom to have us all get ready in the mornings and and night. Praying God will provide the right house for us and the right buyers for our house in the right timing. I know, a lot to ask for, but I am trusting in His timing and will and not going to stress over it. (A first for me, right? But it is working. I feel a peace about it.). Anyway, I hope you are feeling His peace and presence and enjoying the summertime. Albert Einsteing- Physicist "I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazareen... No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."

Catching Up

1. Well, it is officially the last day of school for my kids tomorrow. It has been crazy busy (what's new right?). Sam tested in Karate and got his camo-black belt, moving up to the big boy's class. Go Sammy! Now he will start all over earning solid colored belts with stripes like Max does. 2. Both boys did a karate form and then broke a board at the same time for their school talent show Monday night. We had Asian music playing in the background. It turned out well. 3. Max turns age 9 tomorrow! Hard to believe my baby is getting so old. Happy birthday my joy boy. 4. For mother's day I got great cards from the boys. As I ate breakfast on the couch, Sam gave me a back rub and I (amazingly)talked Max into massaging my "stinky" feet. Then I asked them for entertainment and had them dance for me. They did break dancing first, then I asked for some hip action like Elvis the pelvis and they shook it really good! It was so cute. I also told them that since it was Mother's Day, I got a kiss on the cheek every hour. Sam would ask occasionally if an hour had gone by and I always said yes, even if it hadn't yet. I milked it for all it was worth! My brother-in-law got all the women at his house (5-for a luncheon) a dozen roses each! So sweet of him. Jason took me out to dinner that night. Sooo, a good day. 5. We have been doing cleaning, repairs and freshening up of the house to get it ready for sale. The inside has all been repainted in the last year and a half, new carpet, fixed fence, decluttering and packing up of non-essentials to make it look bigger...etc. Ugh. I'm tired. It seems to never end. But I think we are finally there and ready to put it on the market and look for a slightly bigger house. Pray for God's timing and direction. 6. Max came home last night and told me he and his friend J.P. decided to make a "graphic novel" together. (I didn't even know he knew the term). He had already drawn pictures of all the characters they wanted to have in the story and today they wrote some of the story. J.P. called later tonight to let Max know he had typed up the part they had worked on. Wow! Industrious, creative and quick! I was impressed. 7. Jason and I went to a marriage conference at our church a last Sunday afternoon for four hours. Our entire bible study small group went to it and talked us into going too. We all sat together and it truly was powerful and awesome. Joe White (who does the camp Kanakuk cross talk) spoke as well as our pastor and Ted Cunningham. All three awesome speakers. 8. Had an awesome quiet time Monday. It was quick and chaotic with Sam crawling and bouncnig on my bed trying to talk to me as I read and just hoped to get something, anything out of it. And I got a little seed. That seed grew and grew and by the time I had dropped the kids off at school and gotten myself to work I was warm and toasty with the flame inside me. God just really spoke to me about problems and difficulties. I know they help make us more dependent on God and so bless us in that. But it really hit me that without trials there would be no intimacy with Christ. We would never know and understand the depth of his love for us and all he did. It would fall flat on our ears, just head knowledge, but not a true heart felt understanding and relationship from that. Any trial is worth that. It made me think of our best friends are those who have helped us, been with us through the toughest times in our life. It bonds people and creates intimacy that would otherwise not develope. It deepens and add depth of color and hues to life, relationships. Without dark there couldn't be light. Anyway, I'm going on and on as usual. But just wanted to share that and start a warming in your heart too.

Battlefield of the Mind

I finished my bible study on "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. It was so good, I looked back and took some notes on my favorite points. Here goes. Some may be a repeat of what I have written before. But bear with me, it is awesome stuff. (Ephesians 6:12) The devil lies to us about ourselves, others and our circumstances, but he doesn't tell us the entire lie all at one time---he is subtle, using a slow boil of roiling confusion so that we don't see the truth. He uses a stategic pattern of clever reasonings, doubts, suspicions and fears. Satan is not in a hurry. He carefully, deliberately decieves us, laying layers of groundwork to color and control our thoughts. Renewing of our mind takes place little by little in steps so that pride doesn't consume us as it will if we recieve too much freedom too quickly. The Israelites wandered in the desert 40 years on an 11 day trip because of pride. Words and thoughts are powerful. God created the world with words and humans are the only creatures He created with the ability to speak, making us in His image. Satan knows the power of words and that if he can control our thoughts/words he can control our lives! Don't allow reasoning to keep you from obeying God. Reasoning opens the door for deception an docnfusion. Faith is a gift of God. Doubt is a choice that Satan whispers encouragingly to us. Often the storms in life come to intimidate us. They tend to stop when we get back in the boat. Don't give up---weather the storms and walk on water. Peace is present and available (His peace and our Prince of Peace). But peace is also a choice for us to make. Use the word of God---reading and speaking it. A sword in its sheath does no good. Our actions don't change until our thoughts change. Evil spirits are behind laziness, apathy and passivity. Failure to exercise our will causes defeat for believers. An empty, passive mind is easily filled by Satan with wrong thoughts. Don't clear your mind. Instead, fill it with the word of God, the truth. If we don't meditate on God's love for us, we cant experience it. If people really knew how much God loves them, they would act differently. There is a temptation for us to wait for a convenient season when God asks us to do something. We want to hold back until it won't cost us a smuch or be so difficult. But when we obey and take responsibility, we become stronger from pushing on despite the resistance. If we only do what is easy, we don't get strong and will stay weak. If we don't obey and glorify God we can't be delivered. Suffering doesn't please God, but a godly attitude in suffering does and it glorifies him. Complaining has a negative power and praise has a positive power. Be cautious which you choose to weild. Patience isn't the ability to wait, but waiting with a good attitude. Complaining keeps us in the wilderness. The devil can't control a patient person. Self pity is idolatry. We can't be pitiful and powerful at the same time. The holy spirit can't work in us if we are prideful and with pity becuse he is the spirit of truth and can only work in us if we are truthful. Pity is full of pride because we think we deserve better. Obedience and disobedience afftects others. Your decision to disobey and stay in the wilderness will keep your children in the wilderness with you! They may manage to get themselves out when they are grown, but they will pay a price for your disobedience. Obedience is far reaching. It closes the gates of hell and opens the windows of heaven. Choose wisely. Choose obedience and guard your mind in the battle.

He is Found in the Present

The present is His present to us. By this I mean that God is found in the present. That is where he wants us to live, not worrying about the past or future. God can do more in a moment than anyone can do in their lifetime. Therefore go to God in prayer for help and peace. (Luke 1:37). God knows the plans he has for us,(Jeremiah 29:11)and they are plans to prosper and help us. Nothing about our life is random. We must live in the present at all times and (not in the past failures or victories--nor worrying about or longing for the future) because that is where God is. He will not be found elsewhere. Live every moment of each day connected with God in the present moment. Then you will be able to follow Him and walk in His presence and power and peace.