Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Today the Lord shined through

I found myself discouraged today until I just let God have my burdens again.  My boys go through things that I don’t know they are going through.  I am finding that the older they get the less they come to Mom and tell all their hurts and struggles.  They worry about burdening me.  My sweet boys.

I remember going through this as a child.  I was worried about over burdening my Mother about silly little issues, but to me they were so big I couldn’t sleep at night.  I remember that around 7 years old my closest friend was Jesus, he was who I could turn to.  The most amazing gift my Mother gave me was teaching me how to talk to Jesus.  I was plagued with nightmares and insomnia as a young child.  I would go into my Mom in my fear or sleeplessness and wake her up to get her to help me to not be scared and to get back to sleep again.  She would hold me for a minute, but just before I would fall asleep in the safety of her arms she would walk me back to my room.  Then she would pray with me and tell me if I wake up again to ask Jesus to be with me and to help me to get back to sleep.  This was a lesson I learned very young. 

I also remember sitting outside the bathroom door when Mom would take her evening bath and just listen to her as she talked to Jesus.  I couldn’t hear the words that she spoke, but I knew that that is what she was doing.  She also did this as she was cooking.  I would sit as close as I could to hear the soft murmuring of her voice, but not the words.  Something told me it was a personal conversation.  It was a comforting sound and set my spirit at ease.

I learned from her how to pray as I went through my school day, but with out actually speaking out loud. 

My oldest son never had nightmares and I don’t believe that he dreams very often, but my youngest has always had nightmares.  I did with him as my Mother did with me and when he was old enough to pray through them on his own and without Mommy helping him he started to have less nightmares and to take care of the ones he did have.

I openly sing and pray to God while I clean, do dishes and yes even in the shower.  I pray all day long from the second my boys leave the house to go to school until they are safely back in my care.  I pray that angels are around them protecting them.  My favorite part of the day is when I get to talk with them about their day.  I thrill at each report and the small amount that they do let me in.  I imagine that the Lord feels that way when we talk to him too.  I can imagine him sitting with each of us on his lap and smiling as we tell him of our day.  Of the good and the bad that happened to us.  What we learned and what we taught.  I know that just as I laugh, cry or get angry along with my children as they tell of what happened to them that day ~ this is how our Father God reacts too.

My hope is that I can teach my boys that I am here for them and that I want to help them.  I also hope that they know that we have an amazing Lord who is there when I can not be. 

 

Friday, March 26, 2010

An amazing blog!

http://elizabethfstewart.blogspot.com/2010/03/dayspring-journal-giveaway-my-first.html


This is a link to an amazing blog that I follow. She is doing a journal give away. So just click the link, start following her blog and let he know which journal you like best.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

changes

I love watching the world come to life in my yard. The cherry trees are blossoming and the leaves are starting to come out of hiding. My tulips of all different colors (some I didn't even know I had last year are popping out of the green coverings. There are purple irises now showing themselves. The most adorable little green leaves are coming out on my tree that from faraway looks dead. If you know what to look for you can see life that has been hidden beneath the brown of winter.

God is doing this in people around me as well. I have been watching my oldest son very closely. He is changing from a little boy into a young man. He is making it know that he has a brain and that his brain has opinions and ideas. I pray daily that I can help to shape him into the Man of God he is to become. I pray that I know what to do and when. When to let go and when to say not yet. i pray for wisdom for his father and I to know if we need to seek advice. The life is showing in him and he is a fascinating person. It is a strange place to be stuck between little kid and young man, but with the help of God I know we can help him to easily (as possible) make it through this. God gave me this special boy for a reason and I will do my best with his help. I am also thankful that he is still young enough that I can still see my little boy in there, even if he tries to hide it sometimes.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Spring

Everything this season is crying out with love to the creator of all things. Our Lord made beautiful things and all of them are blossoming and blooming. They are showing that the work of winter was well done and that we have a promise of harvest this fall. The sun is shining and the trees are reaching up to it so that their leaves will start to grow. The leaves need to grow to feed the seeds inside. This is how we get the fruit that is coming. God also sends the rain to help his little ones grow.

God has us go through seasons as well. We have the winters where we are dormant and being healed and tested. Or even just a time of resting. The spring where we reach up to him and he rains down his tears on us to wash us. This helps us to grow. Then in the summer we are happy carefree and our fruit is growing for all to see. Then in the fall our harvest is ripe for harvest.

These season might be longer for some and shorter for others, but we all must go through it. Rejoice and be glad in all the seasons of your life because God has a purpose for each and everyone. Even the painful ones.

Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is with in me, bless His Holy name!!!!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

So thankful!

holy experience


121~132

I was catching up on my blog reading this morning and was inspired by one of my favorites. This is my list of what I am thankful for today.

Today I sit with my family on a quiet Monday morning. (121) My husband is having a slow morning at work~hope it picks up, but glad he is here when it is just US. (122)My boys have no school. (123) The daycare child who is supposed to be here right now is spending a day with Daddy, and the others won't be here until 1030. So yes a wonderful rare quiet Monday morning, just US a a bit anyway.

Yesterday I checked the mail box and in it was a wonderful surprise. (124) Mom and Dad knew $ are tight, but sent us a bit of money to go out to dinner at a nice place for our anniversary, while we are on our tight budget trip. (125) My friend thinking of me while she cleaned out her shoe closet. (126) My other friend spending a few minute after church to talk to me and check on me. (127) A beautiful time of worship with my WHOLE Church family. (128) Meeting face to face someone who has become a wonderful friend, but that I had only chatted with on Face Book.

(129) Spending yesterday with my boys. (130) Went on a bike ride and treated them to a small treat. (131) Then played UNO with them.

(132) We got the letter we were waiting for on Friday. Only one step of testing left and then my husband get on the list for a really good job.

God is good! Great weekend starting with Friday, turns into a great Monday!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Isaiah 41:10


I was reading one of my favorite books today and the scripture they use in it is wonderful.

Isaiah 41:10~"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Our God is amazing and he takes care of our needs, no matter how great or small.

Beautiful Blogger Award




I just won a Beautiful Blogger Award from Elizabeth at Just following Jesus in my real life! So, I am supposed to tell you seven things about myself and then pass the award on to 15 other beautiful bloggers! So here goes...

1. Music is the best thing ever created. Through it you can express how you feel and worship the most amazing God, the creator of our Universe!

2. This month I am celebrating my 12th anniversary with my amazing high school sweetheart.

3. I would much rather drive for two hours to talk with someone than call them on the phone.

4. I love making things.

5. I love reading, especially books that I have read over and over.

6. I wish I could work at a Zoo with the baby animals

7. I have the most amazing two boys!

I am giving a beautiful blogger award to the following:
People who inspire me.
Jenn Becker
Everyday's Different
My grass is greener!
Just following Jesus in my real life
Religion, Politics, and Scandels
Day by Day
Yesterday, Today, and Forever

These are some I read for the creative ideas:
Children's Learning Activities
Name to be Determined Later
The Mom Creative: Blogging Home to Jessica Turner

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

He answers in His time, which is perfect.

holy experience


The Lord knows everything that we are going through and will go through. When we were going through the process of buying a home in 2005 we knew that we were also choosing the school District that our children would be going to. We prayed over the neighborhood and school. The house we bought was the only one in our price range that was move in ready and fit all of our needs. The only concern we had was that we were going to be in the SE part of the Portland Public School District. This was a concern, but we trusted God.

We ended up in a very safe neighborhood and with an amazing neighbor. Our oldest son was going to be going into the 1st grade and was having problems in school. When he got into 2nd grade we were brought into the school for a meeting. The room full of specialists, the principal and teacher explained that the problems Eric was having lead them to believe he had Aspergers Syndrome. High functioning Autism. This was the beginning of our struggle. The Special Ed teacher that has worked with Eric the last 4 years has helped us to bring our Eric. We can now have conversations with him and he is functioning better socially. He does have a long way to go.

The other thing that started happening the year we bought our house was the Jr. High that my son's will be going to started improving. They got a new principal who is a Christian as well as other wonderful changes. The school is safer and the test scores coming out of it are much better. We also have a member of our Church Staff working there as a mentor to the students.

Today I spoke with Eric's "Special teacher" and she is going to do everything she can to help this move into Jr. High smooth for us. As I have been praying and, yes worrying, God has been moving. He has been preparing the way for Eric to get a great education.

God truly cares and takes care of the little things that seem so big to us. My son is going to be ok. He is going to thrive and I know that there are angels watching over him.

Remember that when you are praying God has already answered your pray, you just may not see the answer right away. Be patient!

I know we still have a long road with our son, but I am grateful to be over these first few hurdles

Monday, March 1, 2010

multitude Monday~when you don't know where to start

holy experience


I am amazed by the way God takes care of us. He sees our every need and wraps us up in a blanket of his love. I cried out Abba Father I need you and he responded. It was almost with an answer of, "I have been here all along. I saw your hurt and I was working on the solution, now come here my child and let Daddy fix it." ....and he is.

109~children's laughter
110~children worshiping freely and with all of their heart
111~my husband taking care of dishes and the garbage so that I could rest yesterday
112~my boys being old enough to sleep in this morning, but still make it to school on time
113~The Lord helping me get to sleep with no worries on my mind and no PM medication
114~the love in the faces of my Church family
115~A much needed call yesterday from my Mom, just calling, at the right time to see how I was-and nothing else. The call was all about how worried she was about ME
116~2 unexpected hours with my husband yesterday
117~The blanket of God's love wrapped around me constantly
118~the sun waking me gently
119~my couple hours of just me and God between when my kids left for school and my work arrives at my door
120~my puppy who knows that I sometimes need a cuddle