It seems....

It seems as though every one of my friends now has a blog. I think that it is wonderful in so many ways. I get to keep up with what the Lord is doing in their lives and they can keep up with mine...well, they can as long as I write on our family blog...which, yes, I know, I am not good at doing on a regular basis. It is a mystery to me how so many people can be so regular with their blogs. I think that perhaps I am just not as organized as I think that I am and I KNOW that I can be horribly lazy especially right now as my body is adjusting to pregnancy, again. However, I think of how much time it takes to sit and write a post. My three youngest are under the supervision of who, as I sit down to write? I feel that, with daily chores, etc. they often are "on their own"-ish, which I despise. As they grow older, they are helping me more and more and certainly when Big Sissy Faith is home, she is a super huge help to me. I find though, that as their mother, I feel it is wrong to rely on her too heavily because she is not their mother but rather their sister and it is not her responsibility to raise her siblings.  Help with them, certainly, but not raise them. I am, by no means, criticizing my fellow bloggers. Everyone does things in their own way...I simply cannot simplify my life enough to be able to squish everything in, it seems. Which brings me to something else. I am noticing a huge trend in simplification! I think that it is wonderful! So many people are coming to realize that they do not need all of the stuff that they have been stuffing their homes and lives with! I am constantly battling with stuff. Toys, clothes, dishes...it is all stuff. I am constantly trying to simplify our lives INCLUDING our schedules! Now, if you happen to have one of those elusive creatures at home called a "teenager" you will understand why I add schedules to the "stuff" category. Not everyone would do so. My beautiful and amazing teenage daughter, Faith, is a people lover! She works at a cafe, which suits her personality. She attends a group study, studying midwifery. She soaks people up. She just loves people. Which means that she is always on the move. This is not a criticism...it is simply, who she is. It is how the good Lord designed her. He has some plan for her involving people and I cannot wait to see how her life unfolds. HOWEVER, it has been a HUGE adjustment for my dearest husband and yours truly! When the Lord brought her into our lives, a little over two years ago, we had NO idea the changes He had in store for us. We were floored. We struggled. Sometimes with her...sometimes with Him. Our social calendar exploded...and here we are, two years later, still recovering from the shock. It has been a blessing in many ways, though we have not always been willing to recognize them, being such reclusive homebodies, ourselves. It has forced us to be a bit more social and hospitable. Funny, the Lord commands us to be hospitable...now, He has forced us into it. Hmmm...no, that is unfair. He opened the door and said, "Step out of your comfortable little box and experience what I have for you." I think that the Lord also has had and continues to have lessons for our daughter. You see, as reclusive homebodies, we also help her to moderate her activities. If we did not, she would run herself into the ground with all the things that she wants to do and all the people that she wants to go and see. My husband is also helping her to moderate her spending. She would happily spend all her money on her friends and really "cute" shoes, if it were not for the guidance of her Papa. It is something that I am still learning myself, so, he is definitely the better teacher!! All in all, it has been a growing experience for us all. We are trying to help our daughter understand, however, that too busy a schedule can run you off your feet and actually keep you from true hospitality and fellowship, just as much as no schedule at all. She has helped us to learn to open up our schedule a bit...and we are teaching her, with the Lord's help to close hers just a smidge so, that she can truly enjoy the life that He has given her and that it does not flash by her in a series of meaningless events that never allowed her to really get to know, love, trust or grow...that never allowed her to actually meet and know the people that the Lord has placed in her path for either their benefit, or hers.

Well, those are my ramblings for the day...thank you for stopping by and reading them. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Obey

Seasons...

Everyone talks in terms of "seasons."  This season of your life, that season of your life...This is a busy season of your life...etc.  Aren't they all busy, though?  I mean, yes, we can break things up and say 'I was busy doing blah-blah during such and such a time..." however, I think that people actually feel that this will end.  They feel that the business will somehow end, mysteriously disapear.  Folks--it doesn't end until we die...or Jesus comes...and even then, we may still be busy, we just will not care because we will be joyfully serving the Lord (or at least, I pray that you will be.)  I think that we get this idea in our heads that someday, somehow we will be saved from "business" or is it busy-ness? My prayer is, not that I will be saved from busy-ness, but, that all that I am doing glorifies and is for one Person.  God.  I do not mind dropping in my tracks if it is for Him, however, if I am so busy just because I am serving my self, my pride, and seeking my own glory...I have a serious problem.  Woe and whoa--to those of us doing that.  I do realize that in our human sinfulness, we do not always seek the godly and eternal things, but our main focus should be the Lord, not ourselves.  His glory and not our own. Well...those are just the thoughts running through my brain today. Grace and Peace!

A few of my favorite things...

Grace and Peace. Aren't they beautiful words? I am so thankful for the Grace bestowed upon me by my Father.  I am also thankful for the peace that His grace brings to me.  I am duelly blessed.  That does not mean that I am always at peace...my last post shows that!  It does mean, however, that I can seek peace within my Savior and find it in the midst of trials and tribulations. 

I have some friends who, as I write, are facing trials that I cannot imagine.  First, their baby was born with a serious heart condition.  The condition is so serious, in fact, that he received open heart surgery only days after his birth.  He has faced various complications since his birth and daily fights for his life.  His mother and father held him, for the first time, on his two week birthday.  This baby is a fighter and he continues to amaze us all with his strength and determination to live.  God has given this little baby the spirit of a warrior! 

Now, for the next trial.  Their home burned.  While the children were visiting with Grandma and Mama and Papa were at the hospital with the baby, their home caught fire and burned.  What was not destroyed was damaged by water and smoke.  God showed His mercy, however.  No one was home to be harmed.  A precious memory book, containing memories of a child lost to them a few years ago, was spared.  Precious heirlooms survived the destruction.  All in all, the fire was...dare I say...blessed.  The local news station came and interviewed my friend and her husband.  Thousands of people now know of their plight and are now praying for them and reaching out to them in numerous ways.  Above all, this couple has shown the Peace and the Light of Christ through this whole ordeal.  Their actions and their words have glorified our Heavenly Father throughout it all.  They have given praise to Him, leaned on Him, and glorified Him.  They are finding their peace in Him.  I believe that they are storing up precious treasure in Heaven...I also believe that the Lord will bless them for their faithfulness.  I am so thankful to have a Father who loves, and loves to bless, His children.  I cannot wait to see what He does next in the life of this family.

Grace and Peace...what a wonderful gift.

Did you ever....?

Did you ever get the impression that you had hurt someone's feelings or disappointed them somehow...but you had NO idea how?

Thus I find myself sitting at the computer at 5:30 in the morning, unsettled in my heart, because I feel that somehow we have offended a family who we love dearly.  Things have not felt right, between our two families, for some time now and I do not know why.  However, I thought that perhaps things were on the mend.  They had closed themselves off for a long while; not telling anyone anything about what was going on in their family.  Their family was going through some rough times. In the past, my friend would have called and asked for prayer, but, I was clueless because she did not.  I must stop and admit guilt here, though.  Because I sensed tension I backed off.  I thought maybe my friend needed space.  I did not want to seem overly pushy and I hoped that she would come to me when she was ready and talk to me about what was so heavy a burden on her heart.  She never did.  Occasionally, I would ask her how I could pray for her.  I would ask her how she was doing.  I would receive a non commital answer and I would move away. Should I have pressed?  I didn't think so at the time, but, now I wonder if I did not choose the wrong course of action.  My daughter, in speaking with their daughter was informed that their family was being cautious regarding us.  Had we proven ourselves untrustworthy?  I was confused.  What did we do?  Why did they not tell us we had done it?  Why did they not come to us and admonish us if we had done something offensive?

Recently, however, it seemed that they, as a whole family, were opening up again.  I was so excited!  My friend wanted to share with me again!  She wanted to talk to me! 

**sigh** and now, I am not so sure...

We apparently have offended them again in some way.  I do not understand.  Is this some ploy by the enemy (yes, I mean satan) to divide our two families?  What is going on?  I am sick in my heart about this.  I am one of those people who naturally shy away from conflict.  I am not brave about confronting someone when I feel that there is tension.  This morning I feel compelled to strap on the big guns.  I am going to get down on bended knee and ask the Lord for some serious strength and courage.  I am going to ask Him for wisdom.  I am going to ask Him for love.  I am going to ask Him for words to crck the shell of angst between us. Then, I am going to go and talk to my friend.  I am going to ask straight out...what is happening here?

We love this family.  They have been with us through so many things.  I cannot fathom not having them in our lives.  They were there for us when we first became believers.  They answered questions and they patiently guided us through ups and downs.  I, for one, am not going to lie down and watch as the enemy destroys our relationship.  I am going to fight.

So, if you happen upon this blog today and you are a believer and the Lord compells you...would you please pray for me?  I am not very good at slaying dragons...praise the Lord, He has given me armor to protect me and help me defeat the enemy.  Please pray that I will win this battle.

If Wishes Were Fishes...

I wish that I was a godly woman of great encouragment to others. I wish that I knew intuitively, how to be a great hostess. I wish I was a woman whose home knew no strangers. I'm not, though...and we live far enough out of town and in the opposite direction of every one else, that no one wants to come out here to just "stop by" for a visit. This, compounded by the fact that I am rather shy, makes hospitality an act of stepping forth from the ole comfort zone. As for the encouragement part...well, I am one of those people who thinks of the right thing to say 2 or three days later.  I try to be a good listener, though.  If I tried to pinpoint a specific "gift" that I have...well, listening would be it.

The thing that is great about listening is that you tend to watch people also.  By doing so, I have actually been learning quite a bit from a few of the ladies around me who are blessed with the gifts that I do no have.  These gifts may not come naturally, but, some of them can be learned.  Take hospitality for instance...I have a wonderful friend who is just a natural.  Even if she is just serving Mac-n-cheese, you feel like the guest of honor at a royal banquet.  She has everything set out, just so. There are candles, sometimes soft music, and she serves tea in beautiful cups that she has collected, if there is a wait for the meal. Several years back she tried to encourage some of us to be a bit more hospitable.  I began to shake. How would I do it?  What would I serve? What if they wanted to TALK or something?!? Then, I looked to my friend's example. Well, I do not have the lovely collection of pretty tea cups and saucers and I often forget to ask my guest(s) if they would like any refreshment, but, I do have a godly example set before me by my friend.  She has challenged me to be more courageous, hospitable, and transparent as a Christian.  I am learning from her, whether she knows it or not, and I try to imitate many of the examples that she has placed before me.  I figure that someday I will find my own rythmn and such, but, for now...I am learning all that I can.  Thank you, Julianne.

As for learning to be an encouragement to others...well, I am working on that.  I have shortened my response delay time to about 18 hours...but, it is getting better and well, God is not done with me yet.

God bless you all!

Well, it has been a mighty long time and MUCH has happened since last I wrote. To start off, we miscarried baby #5. He was brought into this world at a gestational age of 12 weeks. We named him Abram Woods. He was tiny and beautiful and is now in the arms of our Savior. We have also lost baby #6. We will not know whether this baby was a girl or a boy until we are called Home by our Heavenly Father. HOWEVER, we have officially gained a daughter!! Our dear girl, Faith, was officaially made our daughter on April 27th. She has been such a help to me and I thank God that He sent her to us. She is a wonderul daughter. I still have much to learn about being a mama...especially to a teenager! Most people get to grow into this role...we jumped into it--heart first! She and I are discovering all sorts of interesting things about ourselves...like, we both have control issues when we are working in the kitchen. We do things differently and like it our way...what can I say? Like mother, like daughter! I love her. We shall see if I can manage to keep up with this, this time...I really do enjoy it. It is a soothing balm in a way. God bless you all...whoever you may be.