Monday Musings

Hello out there! I pray that you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We had a really great day and I am so thankful that I have the privilege of worshiping a living Savior. I just want to say that my boy Noah cracks me up. We were riding in the back of the van this afternoon talking about different stuff. Noah was telling me about Jack's (his imaginary friend) birthday coming up and then he starts sharing with me about a little girl in his class. He said "Momma, I like her but sometimes she gets on my nerds". I couldn't help but start laughing at him. As I was laughing he said, "I'm serious, she gets on my nerds". I did have to explain to Noah that you really shouldn't say that folks get on your nerves, or your nerds.

On an entirely different note (lalalala), I was so proud of Gracie for inviting her friend to church yesterday.  You see, her friend is Hindu (that's her religion, not her name-just wanted to be clear).  Her sweet momma shared with me on the phone that no one in their family had ever been to a Christian church before. I couldn't believe that they were actually going to let her go. God does some things that just literally take my breath away. It is very possible that Easter Sunday 2011 was the very first time that this precious young lady ever heard the truth about Jesus. Because Gracie simply invited her friend to church, she will never ever ever be the same. I want to be more like my daughter. Until next time...

Today

Hello friends! I was going through some stuff that has been laying around on my bar (I'm not talking about a wet bar or anything). Do you have spots in your house that get really cluttered?  I definitely do.  Spots? What am I talking about?  I have huge places in my house that get cluttered. Well, my bar (again not a reference to an alcoholic beverage storage area) is a place that collects a lot of stuff in our house. You can find just about anything you need up there. Say you needed an Easter hat. Your in luck there is one on my bar, or what if you were just dying for some strawberry lip gloss. You guessed it.  It's on my bar. I came across a Publix Babyclub newsletter while I was trying to declutterfy the messy bar.  I love Publix!! They send me coupons and helpful advice for my kids. What a great store! Anyway, it had a little poem on the newsletter that I would like to share with you.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why we call it "The Present".
                                -Anonymous

I really like this poem. I want to live today like it is a present, because it really is. It's a present from a sweet Father who loves me and you dear folks. I desire to make great efforts today to not let the little petty things get me all flustered and frazzled (like my cluttered bar). Remember today is a gift from Him to us.  Let's show Him how much we appreciate it by the way we live today.

The Rock

Hello all!  I hope today finds you well.  One of my most favorite times to celebrate is coming up this Sunday. I absolutely love Easter!!! My favorite verse in the Bible is when Mary Magdalene and some other women went to bring spices and flowers to the tomb. As they arrived, they saw two men there. The Bible says the men gleamed like lightning. Here's my favorite verse. It's Luke 24:5 which says "In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?'" I think this verse totally ROCKS!!!! These "men" were asking the women why would you come looking for someone alive at a place where dead folks are (totally me paraphrasing this,as if you couldn't figure that out)? How stinkin' amazing!!! No grave could hold the King of Kings!!! He's alive!!! He defeated everything when He arose out of that tomb. I know for a fact that Satan thought he had Him, but Satan never had anything.

Noah and I were talking a few days ago about Easter.  I asked him "Noah, what is Easter?"  He answered me rather quickly with "you know, that's when God came out of that rock." Love it. That kid cracks me up. Peace out.

Just Sayin'...

Hello Everyone! I sure hope your week is going good. My title for this post is "Just Sayin'" and it has everything to do with the words that I speak. I found a verse in Proverbs 16:23 that says 'A wise man's (woman's) heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.' This is my next verse to memorize because boy do I need this. I need it tattooed on my left arm, but I am too scared to go ahead with that plan. And then what if the tattoo person got it wrong and it said "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his hips promote instruction.' That wouldn't be good at all. I am really asking God to give me the right words to speak; His words. The words that He wants to speak through me--especially to my immediate family. I find myself spouting off at the mouth and when I am done (sometimes it takes a while) I am full of regret. I hate that feeling. I am asking God to 'guide my mouth'. I want nothing more than to speak wise words that promote instruction. Lord, do this in me. Help me Father. Pray for me and I will pray for you kind folks. See you next time.

Blissful Fear

Happy Friday folks!!  I hope it has been a good day for you.  I actually got to go get a facial at Massage Bliss today.  My sweet husband bought this for me on Groupon several months ago, and I just got around to going today.  It was really nice!!!  The lady that did my facial thing had a Russian accent.  Between my lower Alabama accent and her Russian dialect we were struggling to get the communication going.  I just smiled a lot and said "yeah, I know" and followed it up with a little chuckle.  I don't really know what I laughed at.  I just hope she didn't tell me that her grandma just died or anything.  As I was laying there with my head wrapped in a warm towel, all I could think about is, what if this woman wanted to kill me.  She could stop all oxygen from getting into my body.  I've said it before I am crazy.  I know I am.  I think I watch way too many of those CSI and Criminal Minds shows.  I couldn't even enjoy that part of my facial because I was fearing for my life.  All I could pray is "Lord, don't let it be me."  Needless to say I am still here.  Thanks be to God.  Well, hope you all have a great weekend. See you next time.

The Heart

How are you today my sweet bloggy friend?  I am looking out of my sliding door at the most beautiful day!!  I have been thinking about my heart today (not my four chamber thing-my spiritual heart). You know all of our sin issues spring from our heart.  The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Such powerful words.  Our hearts are beyond cure on our own, but when we have the power of Jesus living in us He can take all that junk and make it something so pure.  Are you like me that sometimes your heart is just not living up to it's glorious potential?  When I have three children all trying to talk to me at the same time my heart gets really stinky.  When my house is so messy and no one cares about helping out the Momma my heart just ain't right folks-it just ain't right.  I want to keep my heart so in tune with Jesus that when these issues arise (and they will) it will stay planted in the place that only Jesus can put it.  David asked God to create in him a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).  That's not just something we can do once and "Praise Jesus" we are healed forever. No, it needs to be an ongoing petition.  We need Him to work in us and for Him to keep our hearts (and attitudes) in check.  He's the only One who's got what it takes to make it right.

Lord, I am beyond cure without You.  Only You can create in me something clean.  Do it Lord.

You Gotta Fight

We are never going to win a battle that we are not willing to fight.  I heard Beth Moore say this on Life Today last week and it really struck me.  What in my life is weighing me down that I am not even trying to deal with?  What is it that I am content to just let hang around even though I know that God has something so much better for me?  For a long time I dealt with some insecurity issues (I still do to some extent, but the Lord and I are working on this one).  My mind would tell me how I wasn't good enough or smart enough to accomplish whatever task I was doing at the time.  I had the thoughts of, if people really got to know me would they still like me or do they even like me just knowing me a teensy bit?  I even would doubt my worth to Craig.  I want to be very clear that Craig didn't do anything to cause this thought process, it was just one of those things in my mind that was attacking me like crazy.  The Lord brought me to a place where I could clearly see that this issue was really messing up the thing I had going with Him. I couldn't experience all that He had for me when I was trading the way He views me for the way that Satan wanted me to view myself.  You see, Satan doesn't want us to put up a fight.  If he can keep us thinking that there is nothing we can do about the situation and this is how it is always going to be, he has us just where he wants us.  I was tired of that mess.  I wasn't playing anymore.  Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.  I was ready to fight for my security in Jesus Christ and His thoughts about me. I am really guilty of underestimating what God can do through me.  Like I said earlier, I still struggle to some degree with insecurity, but I remind myself over and over that God thinks I am something special and that's enough to get me through.

Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Maybe your issue is your finances, your marriage, your self-image, etc.  Allow the Lord to give you the courage to fight for your freedom over that horrific place of bondage.  And if He has set your free from an area in your life that you were struggling in, tell Him thank you from the bottom of your heart.  He is so good.  He deserves all the glory; every single bit of it.  Praise you, Father.