Use Sorrows and Fight the Good Fight

Like I have said before, I love Oswald Chambers devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest". I am reading it for the fourth time. I pull it out every few years and use it again for my yearly devotional. Ahhhhh. Like an old friend who always teaches me new things and keeps me accountable. Anyway, a few this last week have been on sharing in Jesus' sufferings and dealing with difficulties in life. I know, I know, stuff I hate to think about too. But we have to because it does happen...bumper stickers say so, so it has to be true. Just kidding.

We are all aquanted with hardships. But how do we handle them, view them? None of us are aquainted with grief like Jesus. He was innocent and endured. We, we are not so innocent. We are born sinning and sinful and like to justify our behavior. We try our best to overcome and do good, but our best efforts fail and we are frustrated and somehow surprised. Why? We must recognize that sin is a fact. It happens every time we put ourselves before God and others. It will happen, but we still need to fight against it. We need God's help though. We must come to the point where we realize that either God or sin must die in my life. Ouch!

"If sin rules in me, God's life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is no possible ultimate but that. The climax of sin is that it crucified Jesus Christ.... It is the only explanation as to why Jeus Christ came and as the explanantion of the grief and sorrow in life." So fight the good fight and fight sin. You can't fight it if you don't see and recognize it in your life.

"My attitude as a saint must be not to ask that sorrows and difficulties be prevented but that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow." It is in the fire of sorrow that we find ourselves because the sorrow burns up the shallowness in us. It can either make us better or bitter. It eitehr gives me myself or destroys it. We must make a deliberate choice in handling sorrow. Always come to God with it so he can use it. If you hold onto it, it will consume you. God to God and let him fight for you when you cannot.

Seven Little Words

Ok, my new obsession has been an iphone game called "seven little words". I still do "words with friends" and "solitaire" but this new game is soooo addictive. I keep staying up half the night playing it, on top of doing it in my spare time (which is too little with work full time, kid's karate and swim lessons, friend's birthday party, and daily chores like grocery and cleaning,etc.) Like I need more of my time sucked away.....but I can't help it. It is awesome. Try it and you will see....just "seven little words". That's it, my obsession, and what I have been up to lately. So try it...no peer pressure...but try it. Ha! Then you can thank and curse me both. Enjoy!

Lord I Love the Way You Hold Me

I am sooo crazy about this new song and artist. Her name is Jamie Grace and she sings the song with Toby Mac. It is "Hold Me" and here are the lyrics...Read them and let them be a praise song to our Lord. They make me so happy. To do justice you need to google the song and listen to it. The tune and lyrics together transform my mood in an instant to pure happiness!!! Enjoy.


(I love, I love, I love, I love the way you hold me) (I love, I love, I love, I love the way you hold me)

I've had a long day. I just want to relax. Don't have time for my friends, no time to chit-chat. Problems at my job, wondering what to do. I know I should be working, but I'm thinking of you. And just when I feel this crazy world is gonna bring me down, that's when your smile comes around. Ooh, I love the way you hold me. By your side you'll always be. You take each and every day, make it special in some way. I love the way you hold me. In your arms I'll always be. You take each and every day, make it special in some way. I love you more than the words in my brain can express. I can't imagine even loving you less. Lord, I love the way you hold me. (Toby Mac: I love, I love, I love, I love the way you hold me.....)

Summer Break

Sorry its been so long since writing last. Been busy with Max turning eight and then Jason had surgery to have two hernia's in his stomach repaired, then my brother and sister in law, Trent and Holly came into town. Last weekend we painted my bedroom to freshen it up, cleaned all the blinds in the house for the first time ever....gross and whew! Then came all the last week of school stuff to wind down for summer. Thursday was the last day and yesterday Sam went to his church 1 day camp at camp Lophridge so I took Max swimming at a pool we can pay to swim at.
Last night our air conditioning went out so the kids and I went to my mom's and hung out until Jason called to say the a.c. was fixed. I am ready for a real, cool, relaxing rest. Monday the boys start summer camp at Whiteside Park. I hope they have fun. Monday evening also starts swim lessons. Now I just have to figure out how to fit karate and my job into the schedule and things will be great. Oh well. Who ever said summer was relaxing? I guess hoping doesn't make it so.
Just finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia series. I have read a few of them as a kid, but not all and I love them. What are you reading? I still haven't gotten my hot little hands on the book, "Racing in the Rain". I keep meaning to read it but haven't gotten the book. I have been writing again some, working on an old book lately. It goes in spurts.
Sam just won first place in an art contest for the Dog Show. His picture was named "Trick or Dog Treat" and has our dog Maizie carrying a pumpkin candy container in her mouth and Sam dressed up like a bat holding her leash walking at night. It is really cute. He got his first check, $20, for it and the picture of his art was in the dog show book. Sam is still obsessed with drawing and any kind of art or projects. Max is still obsessed with reading and even more so, computer, DS or Wi video games. (Oh and my iphone games too).
Sam has officially finished kindergarten and is now a first grader and Max is a third grader now. Hard to believe. It goes soo fast. I am preparing myself mentally for the big, notorious leap in school work difficulty with the third grade. Hopefully Max will do fine. He does well in school and does his homework for the week all on Monday or Tuesday so is willing to work hard and not put it off. Surely that will be a help.
I hope everyone's summer is starting off with a bang, and not tooo hot yet. I am just grateful at the moment to have airconditioning back on. Aaaaahhhh!

Best Mother's Day Gift Ever!

My second grader, almost eight year old got baptized today. What a Mother's Day gift. The church had a spiritual birthday party with a breakfast this morning for all the kids who had decided to get baptized, then the kids got baptized.

Here Max is, getting ready for his dunking.

Pastor Brian is presiding.

Down Max goes. Washed from head to toe with God's grace and the blood of Jesus in these healing waters. Words can't say how happy I am today. Like I said before, the best Mother's Day ever. Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. Holy Spirit, enter into this child and guide him in your way. Help him grow into the man you created him to be. May he come to know you more and more each day and serve you all of his days. My baby is yours. There is no greater place for him to be than in your hands. May he remember this spiritual birthday for the rest of his life and draw from it his faith and strength.

More Tidbits From My Two Boys

1. My nephew Carson said a profound thing to me the other night. He said that to him, it seemed like April related to God's tears at Jesus' crucifiction and death with all the rain that occurs. But May related to God's joy that his Son was raised back to life again so that the sun shone and flowers bloomed. Wow! Out of the mouths of babes. He is growing up so fast. A profound eleven year old.

2. Last week I was praying with Sam and putting him to bed. (I can't remember if I told this story yet) He prayed and I told him I was so proud of him and he was such a sweet boy with a good heart. I then got up and walked to the door and he all of a sudden said out of the blue, "And mom, I won't ever go to Hooter's." I laughed and said good, why? He said, "Because I respect girls." I laughed again and said good, I'm glad. Several weeks ago we had driven by Hooters on the way home and the boys always say I need to go there because it has a big owl on it and I like owls because of my children's book I wrote. Anyway, I sheepishly said no, I didn't think I should go there. They kept asking why and I had to say that the girls that work there dress skimpily and not modestly and show off too much of their body. The boys wanted to know why they did that and I had to explain that some people like that because they like the attention and think they feel prettier that way, but God tells us to be modest and not show off too much of our body and respect it. Some guys like to see pretty girls dressed that way and think it is pretty but it isn't respectful to women. I didn't think they understood or listened and forgot about it. Well, I guess it sunk in. Hugh, you never know.

3. I prayed with Sam again a few nights ago and he traced his little fingers around the boo boo's on my face (I have been breaking out in pimples a lot lately...ugh!). Anyway, I said that I know, mommy has boo boos and they aren't pretty. Sam said, "But God thinks you're pretty." I said yes! Because he looks at our hearts. Sam looked serious and said, "Even if you have lots of wrinkles, God still thinks you're pretty." I had to laugh and say yes. But then I wondered, does he think I'm that wrinkled? Oh how little he knows. I am only getting started with them and it will only get worse. Out of the mouths of babes again.

4. After I prayed with Max the other night he kissed me and I told him how beautiful my brown eyed boy was. He smiled and said, "You're more beautiful." I disagreed and said he was. Then of course he said, no I was. Then he looked serious and said, "You know, to be humble you have to put others before yourself mom." I guess that was his reason to compliment me. It is their virtue for this month at Sunday school. He keeps talking to me about things and situations that relate to having humility and how to display it. Wow, they are doing a good job at his Sunday school class. Way to go teachers!

5. Well, both the boys tested again for new belts in Karate and Sam has a new Cammo-blue belt and Max has a blue belt. They are getting so big! I will post pictures when I can get Jason to help me.

My kids have said some funny things and some words of wisdom lately. You guess which is which.

1. Max and Sam keep singing the song "Drop it like its hot!" and wiggling thier bottoms like in the Sun Drop soda commercial. They have it memorized. If only they could do that with thier homework. Hmmmm.

2. A commercial came on that talked about celebrating something. Max said to me seriously, "Its not worth celebrating if God's not there. Nothing is without God because He made everything.

3. Max loves his new pair of jeans he picked out. He says, "They have energy."

4. My father has been in the hospital for a week and we have been praying for him. I went into Sam's room after praying with Max and asked Sam if he had prayed for Papa with dad. He looked frustrated and dissapointed and hung his head dramatically saying, "Oh man! I prayed for world peace." I laughed and told him he could still pray for Papa and he quickly did that, relieved.

5. Sam tells me everytime he prays at night that its ok that his are short because it doesn't have to be long or fancy. His prayers are still powerful.

6. I prayed for my boys to become prayer warriors and they looked confused and said, "Mom, we already are prayer warriors." How right they are.

7. Max has wanted to get baptized so I took him to meet with the children's pastor. The pastor gave him an intense talk, kind of trying to talk him out of it and wait til he is older and understands the serious committment it is. He talked comparing it to marriage, a lifetime committment and said that if he decided to do it, he would no longer get to decide which movies to watch, video games to play, music to listen to or even which words to say. Jesus would decide that and Max would no longer have the freedom to choose for himself. He would have to choose to do what Jesus would want him to do. Baptism would be confessing to all his friends and the world that he puts God and Jesus first in his life. It was an intense conversation and intimidated me for him. Max listened and the pastor left us alone to talk and see if Max wanted to wait a while or go ahead and get baptized. Max said he wanted to do it and not wait. He was sure. Sam looked sheepish and said he wanted to wait til he was eight years old to get baptized (when earlier he was chomping at the bit to do it too). I agreed Sam should wait and went ahead and gave Max permission to get baptized. I just don't want it to be too early and not make an impression he can remember as life changing and permanant. But he can recommitt later in life if he feels the need. I need to honor his desire now and his willingness to committ to our Lord. I am so proud of him. My boy---Baptized---on Mother's Day---What a Mother's Day gift!

8. Easter day Sam got his chocolate candy out and kept telling me to watch him. Then he proceeded to tell me he was acting out Maizie killing the Easter bunny. (Because she did kill a rabbit in our back yard last week.) He then shoved the chocolate in his mouth like a wild animal eating another animal. Nice.....

9. I have to say that after that meeting with the pastor yesterday, both of my kids have been extra helpful and sweet, wanting to be good and honor Jesus. They are going out of their way and making comments about honoring him. So nice and sweet. Hope it lasts...at least for a little while.

Well my father is doing better, slowly on the mend. He will still be in the hospital at least until Monday. He has a serious blood infection, Klebsiolla bacteria which is antibiotic resistant and he has no immune system due to kidney transplant antirejection meds. he takes which complicates matters. Please pray for him.