Sometimes at night my mind just races. Does this happen to you? The events of the day... the stresses and to do lists for tomorrow.. the uncertainty of the future... it could really just steal what little joy you many have left at the end of that exhausting day. My husband works late many nights and, unfortunately, he often gets the part of me that is weary and warn, broken and has little left to offer at the end of a busy day. I thank God that he loves me and encourages me -- I am truly blessed.
May you each find comfort that no matter how dark your day or how weary, exhausted, frustrated and all-out stressed out you may be, we can look forward to what God promised us in Psalms 30:5 "..joy comes in the morning."
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Timely Chocolate
I am very grateful that Halloween was this past Saturday. It was as if the stars, moon, and the planets were all perfectly aligned just for me because I am in full PMS mode and the bounty of chocolate now residing in my house is surely a blessing from above... I'm just saying. Thank you!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Where Are You Dwelling??
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (Excerpts from Psalm 91)
When I was a college student at Messiah College, in the little town of Grantham, PA, I distinctly remember one particular Halloween. I was walking around the campus with one of my good friends, and we both kind of looked at each other and said something to the effect of "Do you feel that?" There was such an oppressive spirit in the air... mind you, this was a Christian college in a very rural part of PA. But witchcraft and other evil existed outside of our college campus as it does all over the country. It was definitely in the air... it felt like it was closing around our campus... it was not a good feeling. I remember praying to the Lord to surround us and protect us and our campus.
If you have time, read all of Psalm 91 and remember to "dwell" - reside in, put your attention toward, the Lord.
When I was a college student at Messiah College, in the little town of Grantham, PA, I distinctly remember one particular Halloween. I was walking around the campus with one of my good friends, and we both kind of looked at each other and said something to the effect of "Do you feel that?" There was such an oppressive spirit in the air... mind you, this was a Christian college in a very rural part of PA. But witchcraft and other evil existed outside of our college campus as it does all over the country. It was definitely in the air... it felt like it was closing around our campus... it was not a good feeling. I remember praying to the Lord to surround us and protect us and our campus.
If you have time, read all of Psalm 91 and remember to "dwell" - reside in, put your attention toward, the Lord.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Favorite Things
Today's favorite thing is actually a website which has a couple of products which I have purchased and absolutely adore. http://www.leapsandbounds.com/ . This website also gives you access to their sister site, http://www.onestepahead.com/ 
When Chris was an infant, my sister-in-law purchased this soft sided toy box for him. This would make a great gift for any new parent. It holds a ton of stuff, is completely soft and collapsable and has a velcro closure. Easy enough for a young toddler to use and is so light, it can be moved from one location to another without much effort. Currently, Chris' toy box is in my living room filled with puzzles.
When Chris was an infant, my sister-in-law purchased this soft sided toy box for him. This would make a great gift for any new parent. It holds a ton of stuff, is completely soft and collapsable and has a velcro closure. Easy enough for a young toddler to use and is so light, it can be moved from one location to another without much effort. Currently, Chris' toy box is in my living room filled with puzzles.
Another item that I purchased from this website was a Clothing Labeler. It has Chris' full name on it and is awesome for clothes/fabrics. I have been using it a lot lately with his winter jackets, hats, gloves, etc., especially now that he is in school. It was definitely worth the investment.
So, take a look around - especially those of you with younger kids. I'm sure you'll find things there that could be useful.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
How A Christian Is Like A Pumpkin
I heard this a few days ago, and thought it would be great to read this to your kids, especially after pumpkin picking.
"Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin: God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off you may have gotten from the other pumpkins. Then he cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
"Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin: God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off you may have gotten from the other pumpkins. Then he cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
TYL
I own a lot of Bibles... each seems to have their own story. I have one that my parents gave me as a teenager, another that I used faithfully in college, one I received from my dear friends in Florida before I moved back to NJ last year and one of my mom's Bible, to name a few.
The other day I grabbed my mom's Bible as I went to church. It had been a while since I used this particular Bible, and when we were turning to the scripture for that day, a piece of paper fell out. It was a prayer list I had created back in June of 2006. There were several items that were scribbled on there... a wide range of needs. Many urgent pleas, many longterm desires and general requests for healing, wisdom and provision. What I loved the most about this list was that several of the items had been crossed off with a "TYL" written above it. "TYL" was my abbreviation for "Thank You Lord".
As you can imagine, there were needs both great and small on that list. My friend and her husband wanted desperately to be parents, but were having issues getting pregnant at that time. Of course it seemed like other couples would just look at each other and they would be pregnant which made it that more difficult for our friends. We prayed and interceded for them for a long time. They are now the proud parents of a baby girl who is almost a year old. I took out my pen and happily crossed it off that list on Sunday and added a "TYL" next to it.
There were prayers for marriages in crisis... many of which have been healed and a few that were not. The list had needs for jobs for family members, child-rearing issues and salvation for loved ones. After examining this long-lost list, one thing became clear. God does answer prayers and there is nothing like going back to a list just like this to see his hand throughout time. He may not answer your prayer tomorrow or in the way you would like him too, but he is going to give you an answer. Yes, No, or Wait.
I think I'll keep making these lists and stick it in my Bible as a constant reminder of God's faithfulness through the years. Sometimes when you are going through a rough spot, it is helpful to see how God has helped you in the past. I hope you can put many TYLs next to your prayer needs.
The other day I grabbed my mom's Bible as I went to church. It had been a while since I used this particular Bible, and when we were turning to the scripture for that day, a piece of paper fell out. It was a prayer list I had created back in June of 2006. There were several items that were scribbled on there... a wide range of needs. Many urgent pleas, many longterm desires and general requests for healing, wisdom and provision. What I loved the most about this list was that several of the items had been crossed off with a "TYL" written above it. "TYL" was my abbreviation for "Thank You Lord".
As you can imagine, there were needs both great and small on that list. My friend and her husband wanted desperately to be parents, but were having issues getting pregnant at that time. Of course it seemed like other couples would just look at each other and they would be pregnant which made it that more difficult for our friends. We prayed and interceded for them for a long time. They are now the proud parents of a baby girl who is almost a year old. I took out my pen and happily crossed it off that list on Sunday and added a "TYL" next to it.
There were prayers for marriages in crisis... many of which have been healed and a few that were not. The list had needs for jobs for family members, child-rearing issues and salvation for loved ones. After examining this long-lost list, one thing became clear. God does answer prayers and there is nothing like going back to a list just like this to see his hand throughout time. He may not answer your prayer tomorrow or in the way you would like him too, but he is going to give you an answer. Yes, No, or Wait.
I think I'll keep making these lists and stick it in my Bible as a constant reminder of God's faithfulness through the years. Sometimes when you are going through a rough spot, it is helpful to see how God has helped you in the past. I hope you can put many TYLs next to your prayer needs.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Best Buddies
Overheard this morning at my house:
"Dad, can you take me to school today?"
"Sure, but don't you want to take the bus?
"No, Dad. I want you to drive me."
"Ok, but why do you want me to take you?"
"Because you're my best friend!" (Insert awwww!)
"What about Mommy.. can she come too?"
Insert big pause... then, "Well.. if she wants to... but she has to sit in the front with you."
"Dad, can you take me to school today?"
"Sure, but don't you want to take the bus?
"No, Dad. I want you to drive me."
"Ok, but why do you want me to take you?"
"Because you're my best friend!" (Insert awwww!)
"What about Mommy.. can she come too?"
Insert big pause... then, "Well.. if she wants to... but she has to sit in the front with you."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What Are Kids Learning in Sunday School
Here's a quick walk through the Bible, as seen by some elementary students in a Catholic school.
The first book of the bible is called guinessis. God created the world. When he got tired, he took the sabboth day off.
God created Adam and Eve from an apple tree.
Samson killed hundreds of Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
Samson was a really strong man who let himself be lead astray by a Jezebel called Delilah.
Noah built an ark. The animals came to it in pears.
Noah's wife's name was Joan of Ark.
Lot 's wife was a pillar of salt during the daytime and a ball of fire when it got dark.
Moses lead the people to the Red Sea. There they made unleavened bread. That's bread without any ingredients.
All the Egyptians got drowned in the desert. After that, Moses climbed Mount Cyanide and got the Ten Commandments.
The first commandment - Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
The seventh commandment - Thou shalt not admit adultery.
Moses died before reaching Canada.
Joshua lead the Hebrews into the battle of geritol.
The greatest miracle recorded in the bible - Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
David had a son named Solomon. Solomon had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
David was a Jewish king who was good at playing the liar. He fought the Finkelsteins.
When Mary heard that she would be the mother of Jesus, she sang the magna carta.
The three wise guys from the east found Jesus in a manger.
St. John the Blacksmith poured water on Jesus' head.
Man does not live by sweat along.
The Golden Rule says that you should do unto others before they do one to you.
The men who followed Jesus were called the 12 decibels.
The Epistles were the wives of the Apostles.
Matthew was one of the opossums. He was also a taxi man.
Hold acrimony is another name for marriage.
Christians can have only one spouse. It is called monotony.
Mind you, this is NOT what I'm teaching in Sunday School. You can find more of these funny jokes/stories at http://www.jokesclean.com/ChristianJokes
The first book of the bible is called guinessis. God created the world. When he got tired, he took the sabboth day off.
God created Adam and Eve from an apple tree.
Samson killed hundreds of Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
Samson was a really strong man who let himself be lead astray by a Jezebel called Delilah.
Noah built an ark. The animals came to it in pears.
Noah's wife's name was Joan of Ark.
Lot 's wife was a pillar of salt during the daytime and a ball of fire when it got dark.
Moses lead the people to the Red Sea. There they made unleavened bread. That's bread without any ingredients.
All the Egyptians got drowned in the desert. After that, Moses climbed Mount Cyanide and got the Ten Commandments.
The first commandment - Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
The seventh commandment - Thou shalt not admit adultery.
Moses died before reaching Canada.
Joshua lead the Hebrews into the battle of geritol.
The greatest miracle recorded in the bible - Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
David had a son named Solomon. Solomon had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
David was a Jewish king who was good at playing the liar. He fought the Finkelsteins.
When Mary heard that she would be the mother of Jesus, she sang the magna carta.
The three wise guys from the east found Jesus in a manger.
St. John the Blacksmith poured water on Jesus' head.
Man does not live by sweat along.
The Golden Rule says that you should do unto others before they do one to you.
The men who followed Jesus were called the 12 decibels.
The Epistles were the wives of the Apostles.
Matthew was one of the opossums. He was also a taxi man.
Hold acrimony is another name for marriage.
Christians can have only one spouse. It is called monotony.
Mind you, this is NOT what I'm teaching in Sunday School. You can find more of these funny jokes/stories at http://www.jokesclean.com/ChristianJokes
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
He Is With You
I've been a fan of Mandisa ever since she appeared on American Idol. It took a lot of guts to get up on that stage and belt out "Shackles". Although she did not win that season, she has certainly been on the Christian Music circuit.
Today I'm sharing her song, "He Is With You".... which basically reminds us that no matter what life might throw at us, God is always with us... Hope you enjoy this music video. To follow what's been happening with Mandisa, you can check out her blog at http://mandisaofficial.blogspot.com/
Today I'm sharing her song, "He Is With You".... which basically reminds us that no matter what life might throw at us, God is always with us... Hope you enjoy this music video. To follow what's been happening with Mandisa, you can check out her blog at http://mandisaofficial.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday
I feel like I've been up for hours -- oh, wait a minute.. I have been. Chris woke up at 4:50 am, and did not go back to sleep (and neither did I). So, it's only 7:30, but I've already clipped coupons from yesterday's paper, sorted the laundry, planned a meal, checked email, had a cup of coffee and packed Chris' snack for school today. I'm ready for lunch !
We had a great weekend. My sister, Ruth, was here for a very brief, but awesome visit. I hadn't seen her since April. We laughed, we cried, we played 2 games of Scrabble (I won both!!) and just sat around the fireplace enjoying being together. Poor thing was freezing (she lives in Florida now so she is not used to 30 degree weather and snow.) I took just a couple of pictures when she was here and I'll try to post them later.
Happy Monday everyone!!
We had a great weekend. My sister, Ruth, was here for a very brief, but awesome visit. I hadn't seen her since April. We laughed, we cried, we played 2 games of Scrabble (I won both!!) and just sat around the fireplace enjoying being together. Poor thing was freezing (she lives in Florida now so she is not used to 30 degree weather and snow.) I took just a couple of pictures when she was here and I'll try to post them later.
Happy Monday everyone!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Christmas Spectacular !!
I know, I know... way too early to be thinking Christmas, but this is the DEAL OF THE WEEK!! (Thanks to Janice for the heads-up on this amazing deal).
Radio City is offering discount ORCHESTRA seats for the Christmas Spectacular !! Each ticket is $49.99 -- for those of you who have never been to this show, let me assure you that this price is a true bargain !! Right now they are only offering tickets for shows from Nov 13 - Nov 30th, so it's not quite the "Christmas season" but is so worth the discounted price. You have to hurry, though. The discount is only offered through this Sunday, Oct 18th ! Also, if you are using an American Express card that is part of the reward program, you can redeem points for the tickets to lower the price even more !!!
I'm so excited... already printed out my tickets and put it on my calendar. This will be Chris' first time AND I'll be sitting just a few rows away from my friend Janice and her family. It's going to be awesome! You can get more details by visiting the website.
Radio City is offering discount ORCHESTRA seats for the Christmas Spectacular !! Each ticket is $49.99 -- for those of you who have never been to this show, let me assure you that this price is a true bargain !! Right now they are only offering tickets for shows from Nov 13 - Nov 30th, so it's not quite the "Christmas season" but is so worth the discounted price. You have to hurry, though. The discount is only offered through this Sunday, Oct 18th ! Also, if you are using an American Express card that is part of the reward program, you can redeem points for the tickets to lower the price even more !!!
I'm so excited... already printed out my tickets and put it on my calendar. This will be Chris' first time AND I'll be sitting just a few rows away from my friend Janice and her family. It's going to be awesome! You can get more details by visiting the website.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Kid Funny
After much debate, we took Chris to get his flu shot (the regular one, not H1N1) yesterday. Actually, it was his flu "vaccination" as we call it.. "shot" just sounds like you are going to be hit with a bullet... vaccination sounds more medical (and less painful). Anyway, Chris has had plenty of vaccinations, so he knows that it's just a little pinch, and then it's all over. When he was younger we would "practice" at home with a pretend doctor's kit so he would know what to anticipate when he got to the doctor's office. He is not a child who likes surprises.. he likes to know what is going to happen.
Anyway, he told me on the way to the doctor's office that he was going to be brave for his vaccination. I smiled and told him if he was real brave he would be rewarded with a trip to Target where he could pick out anything from the Dollar section (generous, aren't I? )
He was a little nervous and I did have to hold him down for the vaccination, but he did well. As the nurse was leaving the room, I thanked her and he yelled out, "Thanks for the pinch!" She and I just cracked up. He was so sincere. What a cutie.
Anyway, he told me on the way to the doctor's office that he was going to be brave for his vaccination. I smiled and told him if he was real brave he would be rewarded with a trip to Target where he could pick out anything from the Dollar section (generous, aren't I? )
He was a little nervous and I did have to hold him down for the vaccination, but he did well. As the nurse was leaving the room, I thanked her and he yelled out, "Thanks for the pinch!" She and I just cracked up. He was so sincere. What a cutie.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I Corinthians 13 Test
At Bible Study this morning, the Pastor's wife shared with us a I Corinthians 13 test... every time the word LOVE appears, substitute it with your name.... Try reading it out loud with your name -- makes more an impact
Love is patient (ie. Beth is patient)
Love is kind and does not envy, does not boast, is not proud.
Love is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Makes you think a little, huh!? Some were a little hard to say out loud without a little flag going up...
Love is patient (ie. Beth is patient)
Love is kind and does not envy, does not boast, is not proud.
Love is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Makes you think a little, huh!? Some were a little hard to say out loud without a little flag going up...
Friday, October 9, 2009
Cool Website
I know I should be doing a "Five on Friday", but my sister-in-law, Shirley, sent me this link to a great website. Anyone who cooks (isn't that all of us!) should take a look at it. It gives you health/safety advice on how to store food, when you need to purge certain foods before they go bad. I've been playing around on this site and it has a ton of information. Enjoy
http://www.stilltasty.com/
http://www.stilltasty.com/
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Mother Of The Year... Maybe Next Time
Yesterday I lost all hope of becoming Mother of the Year. Let me start by saying that we live in a great neighborhood with lots of children around Chris' age to play with. The parents are awesome, very nurturing, attentive and all around nice people. We sit outside for hours watching our kids.
The downside is that our doorbell rings every day at 4:00 pm and, since Chris is still young, I feel it is imperative that I be out there to supervise. We live on a busy street and some cars just whip around the corner so I am the dedicated "yeller" for the block.
Anyway, yesterday was a typical day (except for the back ache which I blogged about). We went outside so Chris could ride bikes and, before long, it was time to come inside to have dinner. I was distracted because one of the boys on our block fell off his bike and I offered to grab a bandaid from our house. Meanwhile, another mom was outside watching the kids, including my own who was instructed by me to put his bike away and go inside to wash up.
I handed out the bandaid, shut the trunk to my van (the place where me and my friend sit to watch our kids play -- like a tail gate party) made sure the bike and helmet were in the garage and then I went inside too. I closed the garage, and proceeded to put in a load of laundry. I started to call for Chris just to see if he was done washing his hands and what he was up to... no answer. I ran upstairs.. no where to be found on the first floor.... ran to the second floor... no where to be seen or heard.... I started to panic... where did he go?
I ran back outside and asked one of the other kids if they had seen him... no she had not! I had the worst thoughts going through my mind... where could this boy be? I turned around to run back inside to check again when all of a sudden, I saw him SITTING IN THE TRUNK OF MY VAN ! We have dark glass in the back of the van so it's a miracle I even saw him at all... my son has been in the trunk of our van for at least 10 minutes! ! I was freaking out. I quickly opened it up, saw that he was fine... not at all phased by the fact that his mother was a mess and he was sipping on a Capri Sun drink that I had recently purchased and just had forgotten to take into the house. He was reading a book... he said he was fine and wasn't scared.. he thought it was more like hide and seek. Many of my long time readers will remember another scary incident where I thought he was lost. You can read about that here... funny that it happened just about this time last year. Hmmmmm..
Anyway, needless to say I'll be doing a more thorough inspection and walking him inside every afternoon.... Time to go pop some more extra strength Tylenol... suddenly my back is feeling tight again... wonder why.
The downside is that our doorbell rings every day at 4:00 pm and, since Chris is still young, I feel it is imperative that I be out there to supervise. We live on a busy street and some cars just whip around the corner so I am the dedicated "yeller" for the block.
Anyway, yesterday was a typical day (except for the back ache which I blogged about). We went outside so Chris could ride bikes and, before long, it was time to come inside to have dinner. I was distracted because one of the boys on our block fell off his bike and I offered to grab a bandaid from our house. Meanwhile, another mom was outside watching the kids, including my own who was instructed by me to put his bike away and go inside to wash up.
I handed out the bandaid, shut the trunk to my van (the place where me and my friend sit to watch our kids play -- like a tail gate party) made sure the bike and helmet were in the garage and then I went inside too. I closed the garage, and proceeded to put in a load of laundry. I started to call for Chris just to see if he was done washing his hands and what he was up to... no answer. I ran upstairs.. no where to be found on the first floor.... ran to the second floor... no where to be seen or heard.... I started to panic... where did he go?
I ran back outside and asked one of the other kids if they had seen him... no she had not! I had the worst thoughts going through my mind... where could this boy be? I turned around to run back inside to check again when all of a sudden, I saw him SITTING IN THE TRUNK OF MY VAN ! We have dark glass in the back of the van so it's a miracle I even saw him at all... my son has been in the trunk of our van for at least 10 minutes! ! I was freaking out. I quickly opened it up, saw that he was fine... not at all phased by the fact that his mother was a mess and he was sipping on a Capri Sun drink that I had recently purchased and just had forgotten to take into the house. He was reading a book... he said he was fine and wasn't scared.. he thought it was more like hide and seek. Many of my long time readers will remember another scary incident where I thought he was lost. You can read about that here... funny that it happened just about this time last year. Hmmmmm..
Anyway, needless to say I'll be doing a more thorough inspection and walking him inside every afternoon.... Time to go pop some more extra strength Tylenol... suddenly my back is feeling tight again... wonder why.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Oh My Aching Back
Today I pulled a muscle in my back... I wish I could say that I pulled it doing something adventurous or fun. The reality is that I was bending over to take something out of the cabinet beneath our sink in the bathroom. When I went to stand up straight, something just didn't align again properly. Must be yet another sign that the big 4-0 is looming around the corner.
I already warned Chris that this afternoon he will be on his own (so to speak). He is at the age where he can get his own drink and snack and he obviously can use the bathroom without assistance. So, I informed him that after lunch, Mommy will be resting. A few minutes later, I entered the living room to find him arranging everything for "movie afternoon." "Mommy, you can sit on the couch -- I even put your favorite blanket there so you can rest. We are going to watch Veggie Tales ALL afternoon!" Wasn't that the sweetest thing!!
I already warned Chris that this afternoon he will be on his own (so to speak). He is at the age where he can get his own drink and snack and he obviously can use the bathroom without assistance. So, I informed him that after lunch, Mommy will be resting. A few minutes later, I entered the living room to find him arranging everything for "movie afternoon." "Mommy, you can sit on the couch -- I even put your favorite blanket there so you can rest. We are going to watch Veggie Tales ALL afternoon!" Wasn't that the sweetest thing!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Brokenness
I had a "moment" today. I was singing along to the song "Holiness" during the opening worship session of our Ladies Bible Study. If I have sung this song once, I have song it a thousand times... "holiness, holiness, is what I long for.... holiness is what I need.... holiness, holiness is what you want from me..... So, take my heart and Form it, take my Mind and Transform it, Take my will and Conform it... to yours, to yours, oh Lord."
Perhaps you sing this song in your church too. Well, one of the last verses we sing is "Brokenness, brokenness, is what I long for... brokenness is what I need... etc. " I seriously had to stop myself and say "WHAT? Am I seriously saying out loud that I long to be broken... that I need to be broken !! How can I say that? I hate to be in that place where I feel so alone and broken and everything is going wrong and it feels like I don't have a single person in this world that understands me. It's such a deep, dark place and I DO NOT long to be in that place... I DO NOT need to be in that pit. But here I am singing that this is my desire. Wouldn't we all just rather be in our "happy" place where we are all put together and we know that Jesus loves us and everything is great in our universe? Wouldn't be so much easier to sing a song that says I'm Not Broken, So Please Don't Fix Me? Easier, yes.... but better for us? No.
I came to the conclusion that I do indeed need to be broken... I do need Jesus... I do need to get to the place where nothing else matters but Him. I do LONG to be close to him... but how can I get close to Him if I don't let him into every little area of my heart? Into those little dark corners.. into those areas that need to be broken down in order for him to form me, transform me and conform me.
Thank you Lord for being the only one who can form something beautiful out of shattered, broken pieces.
Perhaps you sing this song in your church too. Well, one of the last verses we sing is "Brokenness, brokenness, is what I long for... brokenness is what I need... etc. " I seriously had to stop myself and say "WHAT? Am I seriously saying out loud that I long to be broken... that I need to be broken !! How can I say that? I hate to be in that place where I feel so alone and broken and everything is going wrong and it feels like I don't have a single person in this world that understands me. It's such a deep, dark place and I DO NOT long to be in that place... I DO NOT need to be in that pit. But here I am singing that this is my desire. Wouldn't we all just rather be in our "happy" place where we are all put together and we know that Jesus loves us and everything is great in our universe? Wouldn't be so much easier to sing a song that says I'm Not Broken, So Please Don't Fix Me? Easier, yes.... but better for us? No.
I came to the conclusion that I do indeed need to be broken... I do need Jesus... I do need to get to the place where nothing else matters but Him. I do LONG to be close to him... but how can I get close to Him if I don't let him into every little area of my heart? Into those little dark corners.. into those areas that need to be broken down in order for him to form me, transform me and conform me.
Thank you Lord for being the only one who can form something beautiful out of shattered, broken pieces.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Favorite Things
As I mentioned in my last posting, I have been cleaning out my garage. Part of the challenge was sorting through boxes labeled "Miscellaneous".... that description doesn't help anyone. So, I treated myself to a label maker. Love, love, love this little device. Now each box I open can be clearly marked and labeled with what's actually inside the box. (What a concept!) It makes my life so much easier. (too bad I didn't have the foresight to buy this before the move!)
My son has gotten the "label" bug as well and has me labeling his bins so he knows exactly where to put his toys away. It's a win, win for everyone! My thrifty friends will appreciate this - I bought the label maker at Walmart, and a few days later found it on sale for $10 cheaper at Walgreens. You better believe that I marched myself back into Walmart with the flyer from Walgreens and got my $10 discount. Must admit... that felt pretty good!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Five On Friday
I've been cleaning out our garage which is no small project. We only unpacked a fraction of our stuff when we moved last year because we thought we'd only be in this townhouse for a year. As it turns out we'll be here longer, so I have been on a treasure hunt in the garage. Here are five items that have been rediscovered this past week:
1) My coach purse!!! Honestly, the funny thing about this was that the purse was in a box with old tax papers... never, ever would have thought to look in there... this box has not been opened since we moved from NJ back in 2004!!! Needless to say, it was nice to see it (and use it) again.
2) Wedding invitations, wedding planning book -- so nice to stroll down memory lane with all the details of our wedding.
3) Cords -- we have so many wires and miscellaneous cords I can't even begin to describe this... but my husband is a technical guy so these are important...
4) Old family photos and some notes from family members who are now in heaven -- makes those even more precious and meaningful
5) Christmas CDs - Steve and I have been collecting Christmas CDs for years. Every year we buy at least 3 new ones... we have hundreds of these for sure... soon we'll be able to start listening to them again since December is right around the corner.
Have a great weekend!
1) My coach purse!!! Honestly, the funny thing about this was that the purse was in a box with old tax papers... never, ever would have thought to look in there... this box has not been opened since we moved from NJ back in 2004!!! Needless to say, it was nice to see it (and use it) again.
2) Wedding invitations, wedding planning book -- so nice to stroll down memory lane with all the details of our wedding.
3) Cords -- we have so many wires and miscellaneous cords I can't even begin to describe this... but my husband is a technical guy so these are important...
4) Old family photos and some notes from family members who are now in heaven -- makes those even more precious and meaningful
5) Christmas CDs - Steve and I have been collecting Christmas CDs for years. Every year we buy at least 3 new ones... we have hundreds of these for sure... soon we'll be able to start listening to them again since December is right around the corner.
Have a great weekend!
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