The First of Oodles

Written on January 30, 2010

Okay, so I’m so excited that I can’t help blogging.  But . . . here’s the problem – I can’t tell anyone yet.  “Tell anyone what?” you may ask.  Well, it’s just that . . . . . . . . I’M PREGNANT!!  HOOOooooRRRRRaaaaYYY!  It seems like there is so much to blog about during pregnancy, and I would hate to miss the first trimester entirely so I have concocted a plan.   I will start my wonderful pregnancy blogs now, and will simply wait to post them until we are ready to shout the news to the world.

So, here’s the scoop so far.  After years of praying and trying we finally found out on Friday, January 16, 2010 that Arlen and I are going to be parents!  We were so excited when we found out.  We called our doctor to have all of the appropriate blood work done and all of the test results came back GREAT! As best as I can tell I am about 6 weeks and 1 day along.  This will be confirmed (or proven wrong) on Tuesday when I go in for the first ultrasound.  So far we have told my parents, Arlen’s parents and a few other key people.  We haven’t told Arlen’s siblings yet, but plan to after the ultrasound.  There have also been a few people who have caught on to the fact that I’m pregnant.  (It’s hard to hide some of the symptoms when you teach and need someone to cover for you while you run to the bathroom multiple times a day for various reasons.)

As far as the pregnancy goes, my symptoms haven’t been that bad. The biggest one has been my exhaustion.  I feel like all I can do is get through the work day and then come straight home and sleep.  I’ve had some nausea throughout, but it hasn’t been bad, and I’ve only thrown up once.  I have had to go potty a LOT.  Those have been most of the symptoms, but not too bad, and most certainly worth it!

Well, I guess that’s it for now.  I’ll try to keep things updated.

 

Every Morning

A little bit over a week ago I stepped foot in my classroom and eagerly awaited the arrival of 11 bright and shining faces.  I was so excited and eager to teach them.  I truly do have a wonderful bunch of kids this year.  I have been faced with many of the apprehensions common to first year teachers, but have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with the kids.  Yet, I have noticed myself falling into the same trap that I often do. I have been allowing myself to become bogged down with the details of teaching so that the big picture is becoming lost.  Is my classroom clean?  Am I changing the center activities enough?  Are my kids as well behaved as they should be? Am I covering enough material?  I noticed early this week that some of these details were beginning to trump the students themselves, even beginning to trump my relationship with God.

As I was spending my time with God this morning, I found this reality to be rather disturbing, then God reminded me of an excellent passage in scripture.

“This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your Faithfulness.
‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘Therefore I have home in Him.’
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.”
~ Lamentations 3:21-25

It’s not too late to start over.  It’s not to late to refocus on God, on the children, on what it really means to be a teacher.  How wonderful is our Heavenly Father who gives us a fresh start every day?  Who will continue to draw us near to Him if we will but seek Him?

 

Oops. . .

I use this blog for my private prayer journaling as well as public blogging.  I accidently posted a prayer journal entry last night that was intended to be private.  If you could disregard that post, it would be swell!

Thanks

 

More Than Conquerors

Oh how good it is to be writing again!  I have been so overwhelmed lately.  This summer is going to be rough.  I started three college courses (2 online and one hybrid), I start another in a few weeks, I’m the co-leader for VBS this summer, plus I have to get my classroom ready and a new Kindergarten program (although I will be teaching K-2) ready for this school year.  The thing that has really pushed me over the top is that I have other commitments that I made before I realized I would be teaching this year.  For the past couple of weeks, I have been almost paralyzed with all that has been going on, but God has blessed me.  Last night, as I was reading in Colossians, he gave me such peace!

Paul, as he says many times, said that he was rejoicing in his suffering.  As I read, my mind became flooded with other accounts where Paul mentions suffering. How foolish I have been.  I have a big hill to climb this summer, and I have been trying to climb it alone.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

This summer will be very difficult, but I am no longer discouraged.  God is giving me a chance to trust in Him and to see how great He really is.  I will turn to Him.  I will depend on Him.  I will trust Him to show me how to properly manage my time.  I will trust Him to give me the knowledge I need to complete my coursework.  I will trust Him to get me through the summer.  No, He won’t help me to just survive it, but He will sustain me and help me to come through victorious.

I leave you with this thought from Romans 8:28-30 (emphasis mine):

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Walking With God, Kids and Mittens

So, I guess now I’m really joining the blogging world as I’m taking part in a . . . what are these called anyway?  I just couldn’t pass this one up though.  How wonderful to take a bit of time to think about the gifts God has given us and to actually praise Him for them.

I am so thankful that we have a God who really wants to be a part of our lives.  This week I have really been trying to make a point to take some more time to talk to God.  I try to pray every time I get in the car, when their is a struggle, when I am excited about something . . . It’s taking me a little getting used to but It’s so amazing what a difference there is when I allow God to walk with me.  I am so thankful that He actually WANTS to!

I am also thankful for all of the kids God has placed in my life! They bring me so much joy and they continue to remind me how many simple joys God has given us. Mittens (our cat) added to the children brings even more joy and delight!

What are you greatful for this Gratituesday?  Leave a comment below or join the fun at Heavenly Homemakers.

 

Stunted Growth

As I’ve been looking back over my posts from the past few years, I have noticed something.  I am still struggling with many of the same things I was a year ago. It seems that I have had stunted spiritual growth.  Even more saddening is that in many areas it looks as though I not only have stunted growth, but that I have digressed. These truths are hart-breaking and I realize that it is essential that I do something to resolve this problem.

This morning I spent a lot of time in prayer talking to God about this very topic. It seems that my struggle is that there is so much that needs to change in my life that I often become overwhelmed and fail to make any real changes because I don’t know where to start.  I try to tackle everything all at once and fail miserably.   So this morning, I asked God what I should do.  Where should the changes start? Expecting something like: work hard to wake up on time, make sure you get plenty of sleep, or cut back on your commitments, I was quite surprised by God’s response.  He led me to five simple things that I can do right now, this week.  Here they are:

1. Pray over my schedule and to do list each day. I often look at my to do list and plan my day a day in advance to make sure I’m not late for any deadlines I may have, but I rarely take time to lay all of my to dos, appointments and decisions before the Lord.  This will take a little extra time every day, but the time investment seems to be invaluable and essential for truly walking with the Lord.
2. Keep a Bible close at all times. If I have the Word of God at within arms reach, God is more able to direct me there to seek council and guidance.  The key is using it. I will pray that God will help me turn to His Word often. Here are some of the places I want to always have a Bible:
   • My Desk
   • My Bedroom
   • My Purse
   • My Mp3 player
3. Pray with and for people right away. I like to pray for people.  I believe that prayer is truly powerful and that God does hear and answer our prayers.  Now, if I can just make this a priority and pray with people when they are in need.  And what if I stop, no matter how busy I am, to pray right away, rather than waiting until my evening prayer time . . . hmmm.
4. Fill my life with music that draws me close to God and His Word.  I love music, and it is a wonderful tool to keep my mind focused on the things above. (Colossians 3)
5. Engage my eyes. Weather it be Bible verses, images of God’s creation or scenes from the Bible, it is important that I be reminded of God wherever I look.  By the end of the week, I hope to have some pictures, artwork and scripture hanging on the walls of our home.

If you nottice, the thing with all of theses changes is that I am not the primary mover in what will be happening here.  I have to act by placing Bibles where they are needed, and filling my life with things that glorify God, but any changes in me that come about this week, or ever after for that matter, will be brought about by the Holy Spirit working in my life.  And isn’t that how it should be?

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

~John 15:4-8

I look forward to giving you an update in about a week to let you know how God is working in my life in regard to these areas.

 

Why the Switcheroo?

I did it.  I finally switched my personal blog from blogger to wordpress.  Why the change?  Well, there are a few reasons.  First of all, I feel so confined with blogger.  I feel as though I can’t really personalize the blog there, nor can I allow my blog to morph and change as much as I would like.

Lately I’ve been feeling kind of bad for neglecting to make my presence shown in blogging world.  It is really good for me to write frequently whether people read what I have to say or not.  I started wondering why I wasn’t blogging.  Of course, one of the things that came to mind was the fact that I have been so busy; but to me that’s not a real reason.  Then, it dawned on me – I cannot achieve my real goals and plans for my blog unless I make a switch.

So what are those plans and goals?  Here they are in no particular order:

1. I need to write.  While I don’t ever expect to get anything published, nor do I expect to be a great writer, I have to write.  It’s in my bones.  I’ve been a writer from the time I was little.  I remember sitting on my Winnie-the-Pooh bed dreaming up stories I could write that would tell other people about Jesus and His love.  I thought of allegories, true stories and loads of ways to get those stories into people’s hands.  That’s another reason I have to write.  God has given me a mind that is full of ideas.  I don’t think one day has gone by without a new idea popping into my head and I want to share them.  God has given me a message, and I don’t want to let Him down by keeping it all to myself.
2. I need to share. I touched on this a little bit above, but this is a different kind of sharing.  God is always teaching me new things as I read His word and as I walk through life with Him.  When I share these lessons with those around me it not only cements these truths in my mind, but hopefully it gives others an opportunity to learn more about God and His love too! Besides, isn’t that the commission Jesus gave in Matthew 28:19-20?
3. I need separation. I write a lot for families at my other website, joshuashouse.com. It is often quite challenging for me not to do a lot of cross posting.  There are even times when I don’t post at all because I’m not sure where it should go.  Now, I can have an rss feed from Joshua’s house to here with information from Joshua’s House right here (check it out on the right).  Pretty nifty huh?
4. I need encouragement. By keeping a regular blog, I can look back and see where I have grown in my life.  I can also see places where I have been stuck in a rut for quite some time.  I can praise God for the changes in my life, and prayerfully seek Him and depend on Him to continue to work in areas of weakness. After all, He has promised to never give up on me (Phil. 1:6)!
5. I need accountability. This is actually a new phase that I’m moving into with my website.  I have little accountability in my life.  This has really been a hindrance to my Spiritual growth as of late.  I can’t help but believe that if I start posting my goals and such online, where anyone can see them, that it may be a big push for me to make some changes that need to happen.
6. I need resources. I am constantly needing things to publish for this or that newsletter.  I have devotional talks to do and various other events that require regular resources.  If I keep up with my writing and have a place that I’m posting it, it will be easy to produce something worthwhile during those crazy instances when I am pressed for time.
7. I need pages. Okay, so I don’t really need pages, but they sure are nice.  No, I’m not using any of the pages right now, but I haven’t really gotten settled into my new online home either.  Give me some time and you’ll see how the pages can be a valuable asset.

So there you have it.  That’s why I switched.  I may need to continue to come back and look at this post again and again to remind myself why it is that I’m blogging.  May all that I do be to the glory of God!

 

Hilton Head Snapshot

This is a short video of our vacation to Hilton Head. In some ways I am sad that we have to go home today. It’s a huge blessing to be so close to God’s beautiful creation. However, I am also eager to get back to see the kids at church and to do the work that God has ready for me to do. It’s amazing how refreshing a short get-away can be!

Enjoy the movie.

 

I’ll Trust You in Canaan, but Not in Egypt

Have you ever noticed that it’s easier to trust God with some things than with others? For example, if you’ve ever talked with someone who is considering a move, it’s quite common to hear them talk about how much they have been praying about the decision and that they are sure God will show them where they need to be. On some level, they trust that God can see the future and that He knows which local would be best for them even though they may not understand the reason.

Now, think about a situation that’s a little more out of your control. For me, one of the first things that pops into my mind is singing up front. Oh man, if you want to make me nervous – that’s a sure fire way to do it. I get all shaky and my voice starts to give out before I go up front. I can feel the adrenaline pumping and I just know something awful is going to happen. If nothing else I am just positive that I am going to be completely flat and totally miss that high note. “Oh, Lord, keep me calm.” I pray. Keep me calm . . . that’s it? I don’t ask God to provide and give me a strong voice? I don’t trust that at the end I will have completed the song in such a way that brings glory and honor to Him? When I’m done, I exit the stage accepting any compliments as an obligated expression of encouragement. Where is the trust?

In Genesis 12 Abram falls into this same trap that I often find myself in. He trusted God’s covenant promise that his descendants would have the land of Canaan. He trusted so much that he immediately built an alter thanking God for the blessings that he beleived would come (v. 7). Yet, when it was time for Abram to go to Egypt he could not trust that God would protect him.

It seems that Abram trusted God in the things he could not see, the things he could do little about. There was no way Abram could march in to Canaan and conquer it. And to be quite honest, I don’t know that it would have been the end of the world in the mind of Abram if he never possessed Canaan. It was easy for Abram to step back and take God at His word.

However, when it came to Sarai in Egypt, I can’t help but wonder if Abram even thought to seek protection from the Lord. He didn’t need to. He had his own tools and methods for dealing with this issue. He could take care of it on his own. Yet mans ways are not the same as the ways of the Lord.

I pray that God will help me to learn from Abram’s mistakes. May I learn to turn to God first rather than trusting my own methods as far as they will reach. May I learn to ALWAYS have faith even when things don’t seem to be going as I think they should, even when I’m not in control – especially then.

What about you? Do you need to trust God more?

 

Fruit of the Spirit and Dry Noses

The fruit of the spirit is . . . My guess is that you can probably fill in at least one or two words such as patience or joy to follow this statement. Many of us know what a Christian is “supposed” to look like. We often struggle to do or say the right things. Have you ever considered the fact that we could be wrong?

I’m not saying that the fruits, the things mentioned in God’s Word, are wrong. Rather, our methodology for obtaining these things could be a bit skewed. I’ll use myself as a prime example here. Anyone who knows me knows that I struggle with patience. I want everything yesterday. I hate waiting for most things and am simply ready to get going. When I read God’s Word I clearly see His calling to be patient. Texts like “Wait for the Lord. . .” Psalm 27:14. Or even the passage mentioned above often poke me, letting me know that something’s got to give in my life.

So, I strive. I try really hard to be patient. I want God to work in my life. I want to be filled with the fruit of the spirit. I may even pray, “Lord, help me to be patient.” I struggle through the battle ever a defeated foe.

STOP

There is something not right here. Another way of saying “fruit of the spirit” is saying the evidence that the Holy Spirit, God, is living and working in my life. It’s kind of like with cats. When I was growing up I was always told that a healthy cat has a wet nose. I can picture myself walking up to P.J. (my childhood pet) and feeling her nose. Upon discovering that it is dry, I quickly go to the sink to get my hands all wet. Then, I rub the water all over her nose. There – now her nose is wet. She must be a healthy cat.

Therefore, if I recognize that I am a bit too impatient, or that I’m lacking in joy or peace rather than trying to muster up these characteristics, I need to be sent to my knees. A lack of patience is a sign that something else is wrong. It is a symptom of a larger problem. I need to take time in Gods Word, in prayer and in deep communion with Him. Only He can fix my dry nose and make it wet for good. Only allowing the Holy Spirit to truly dwell in my life will produce the kind of fruit that comes only from close connection with Him.

God’s still working on me. There is a long way to go, but I pray that each day I may live in Him more and that I will allow Him to fill me more deeply with His Holy Spirit.

“Being confidant of this, that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6