Busy At Work

While Tom was busy at work ON the kitchen this morning, I was busy at work IN the kitchen! Tom was temporarily setting the sink and countertop (until we get the new countertop that fits correctly in our space.) and I was baking some really pretty and tasty sugar cookies. It has been a lovely productive Saturday!

JOY

I feel compelled to share these sweet and precious thoughts from Bible study at church last night

Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small.

Nehemiah 8:11 For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Joy is an abiding sense of well-being which comes from knowing God. This joy gives me the strength to stand in the day of adversity knowing that "no power of Hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand." Nothing can harm me in an ultimate way for the end of this journey for me as a believer always ends in VICTORY and being united in heaven with my Abba Father.

Reasons to Celebrate!

I have so many reasons to celebrate this weekend.  Of course, Sunday was Mother's Day, and I have the privilege of celebrating the opportunity to be a mother to my three blessings: Megan, Kyle, and Caleb.  They are such an amazing gift! With the help of God, I want to live a life that leaves them a legacy of faith, and is an example of the life-changing grace of God.

Mother's day is also a wonderful day to celebrate my own Mom, another of God's precious gifts to me.  I remember the first few weeks at home with my sweet Megan.  I wasn't prepared for how much work being a Mother really is.  I remember having no idea how I was supposed to get my tiny baby from sleeping in my arms to sleeping in her crib.  My sweet mom stayed up many a late night with me helping me to get things figured out.  She has continued to be a blessing with her help, her godly advice and gentle encouragement.  I love her dearly!

I also am celebrating the amazing gift of life.  A year ago I had my liver-transplant surgery.  It was the beginning of renewed health and optimism as well as tremendous spiritual blessings!  Sunday was exactly a year later, and everyday I marvel at how much energy I have!  God has used this experience to change my life in so many many ways.  I never want to forget God has done.  I pray that he will keep using the things that I experienced through the last year to change me and continue to make me into his image.

And lastly, I had the opportunity to celebrate by enjoying some time alone with my husband!  We spent Sunday night in Rochester. I had an appointment in the transplant clinic Monday morning (which went very well).  My parents generously agreed to watch our little ones while we had a one night getaway!  I soaked up the peaceful time with my husband without the little ones to interrupt conversations.  It was sweet and wonderful and I loved it!

All of these precious gifts are from the hands of my heavenly Father.  I cannot claim responsibility for any of it.  All I can do is praise God for his mercy and his grace in my life.  Every good and perfect gift comes from Him!  

God's Word Protects Our Hearts

Over the last several weeks God has been teaching me about how important it is to be careful with my mind... Impressing upon me the need to be careful, not just for my sake, but for the sake of protecting my children's purity and innocence.   Our pastor has had several messages lately in which he has briefly touched on the fact that the world's philosophies are wrapped up in pretty little feel good packages and made to sound great, but, when it comes right down to it, go against what the Bible says.

Then a friend of mine published an article on her blog, A Moment Cherished, about protecting our children's innocence and I enjoyed some good discussions in the comment section about what it means to protect our children's minds from the evils of this world.  I was reminded of how God protects and shelters us, and how He desires us to soak up light from his Word for when we are full of light it is easy to see the darkness. 

Of course on Mother's day both our pastor, and our Sunday School teacher touched on the fact that as parents we need to make what we are trying to teach our children real in our own lives.  I was also reminded how easily it is for our hearts to be slowly pulled away from God.  It happens without us even realizing it at times... It's a slow fade...

Romans 16:17-19 I urge you, brothers, 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. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Hebrews 2:1 We must pay more careful attention therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.



God is still working in my heart about how this is to be manifested in the workings of our family. For the time-being he has impressed upon me the need to really be a student of His Word, and to be very careful about what I read by mere men because it is so easy to be led astray by flattering words and feel-good philosophies.