God's goal for you in life.

God's goal for you in life.
Life goes on, move with it

Saturday, April 30, 2011

wow

Lately, it feels as if I am being tried and tried and tried... drama everywhere I turn. How old are we people??? I don't know about you but I am 38, I will 39 in November. I am too old for drama.... leave me out of it please.

The only drama I want is the wonderful kind that comes after His Glorious appearance! I will write more soon I hope. There is so much in our lives right now I wouldn't know where to begin even if I had the time to write 50 pages worth!!!

If you think of me, pray for my little mouth to watch what I say and ,my tiny ears to be careful what they listen to... thank you!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter

God:

Passion

Love

Nurture

Grace

Forgiving


Us:
dirty

sinful

unforgiving

uncaring

unloving



Why would any spiritual being love us? why would the creator of all that exists love us? Honestly, I have no idea. My pastor referred to humans as animated dirt balls. I have to say that that description does not do the human nature justice...

What boggles my mind, and we have been learning about this on Sunday mornings, is that no matter what we do, God loves us. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to be part of the closest relationship we will ever have. He wants to be part of us. His love is so all encompassing that it covers EVERYTHING, leaving nothing left unloved.

I know as a parent my love for my children is incomprehensible. I know as a wife, that my love for my husband covers a multitude of mistakes and imperfections. It makes me blind to things in anyone else I would hate. No matter if my child were a homicidal maniac who openly practices homosexuality, I know in my heart of hearts, I would love them. Doesn't that mean that I condone their sinful behavior though? No. It does not.just because I love them doesn't mean that I think they are perfect and can do no wrong. It doesn't mean that I cna over look their behavior or actions. It just means that despite the sin, I have deeply rooted feelings towards them. If my husband were to have an affair, (which by the way he is honestly the last person I would ever suspect of having one) I know that if we both desire to rectify our marriage then we can.

Ok, so how does that relate to God loving us? Just think, if we, being human with all these horrible despicable flaws, love those that are closest to us that much, how much more does God love us? I mean come on! He gave His ONLY begotten son to die so that we may one day be with Him in glory again. The only way to cover the awful sins we have committed (lieing and taking the extra long lunch breaks are committing sin, btw) was to cover them with blood. Jesus became that covering. Once blood as covered our sins our sins become forgotten. Now, I ;m not talking about just forgotten in the human way of forgetting. I am talking about the God way of forgetting - to have no memory of ever again... Not to remember and just not hold it against us but to actually NOT remember the sins once they are forgiven. WOW! I am in awe...

My God, the creator of all that has existed,  exists now and will exists in the future loves me enough to willingly forget my sins when I trust and believe on Him. I'm sorry, but even though I believe that 110% I still find it hard to comprehend.

So, thank you God for all your love, nurture, care and guidance You do so much more for me then I could ever begin to repay you for. I know through all my sins you love me and cherish each moment with me. Forgive me of those things I do wrong, even at those times when I know not that I am doing wrong... forgive me and clean me Oh Lord. Make me more like you....

Easter is a humbling time of year. It is when we should take a step back and reevaluate our lives. Are we the type of person God wants us to be? Do we understand how much god gave so that we may spend eternity with him? I sure hope you do, I know I try to.

Have a wonderfully joyous eye opening Easter.

Friday, April 22, 2011

tonight

Tonight I had a decent conversation with someone whom I have a small disagreement with. Having the disagreement doesn't, and shouldn't mean that I no longer like this person, nor get along with them. It's all about peace. Ok, so maybe it's not all about peace, but I certainly would like it to be. Wouldn't it be nice if people would just be honest and not take things so personally? You see, long story short is that Mike and I have different opinions about this person. I am trying not to hold things against this person while Mike is pretty much fed up. I just want to be a good witness for Christ, but what exactly does that entail? Being honest, check. Following through with what you say, check. Being pleasant and not vindictive, check. Ok, so where do I go from here?

Now, I am not perfect, by any means! I have a lot of faults, too many to list. I am not going to throw stones at anyone and I wish people not to throw stones at me. I wish that God would work through me with this circumstance and that through this issue He may be glorified. But how can that happen when the two people on this side of the issue have way different ideas of how to handle it? I just don't know.

I'll write more later about this.

Right now my son wishes to die an early death. He is playfully joking about pouring water all over my computers. Ok, so this I will kill him for! lmbo!!! such a wonderful child, isn't he? lol

Today we had a wonderful day. the weather was gorgeous, not too cold and not to warm. We had a great time hanging outside as a fmaily. Adam found these Yu Gi Oh cards, LOTS of them! I wouldn't doubt if there were a couple of hundred of them. Now, of course, my son wanted to sell them to get easy money. Two major things were wrong with that idea, one way more wrong then the other. Fist of all, about half the cards were water logged so they wouldn't sell for anything... Secondly, why would we wish to sell something that we feel is sinful? Mike and I feel that would be wrong. It is almost like helping your friend sin but not actually committing the sin yourself... you know? it is just full of bad ideas! lol So, what did we do with these cards? We had a great bon fire in our grill. hehehe It was fun! lol The kids enjoyed burning the cards and of course, Mike is a pyro anyway. With all the cards burning it created lots of smoke, so you know we had to all get showers afterwards. It was so worth it though. :o)

After that, we decided to wait on the showers and got for a nature walk at a near by park. For hiking I find this particular spot fairly enjoyable. It has a great hill to climb, it's right next to a creek, and it has a meadow that opens up after you go through the forest area. There is a concrete bridge to cross and also a smaller wooden bridge later on. It was a bit muddy in spots but mostly it was semi dry. Now, there were not many animals about and the trees barely had buds on them. There were a lot of broken dead trees down every where due to the recent wind storms. This only made the walk more enjoyable as that meant more to look at and search around.

We found this one particular tree that fell and was braced between a couple of other trees. Since it was braced fairly well we could sit down on it and take some great pictures. We had lots of laughs and fun as a fmaily in the woods. I wish it was a longer time but I know this summer we will do it again. I think that over all it was a nice day.

I'll write more later if I can. For now I am going to go relax.

Monday, April 18, 2011

I don't know what to do.... more of Him, less of Me

Today I am left wanting waiting, my life on hold. Right now there is so much going on in my life that I am not sure where to even start. I will go into details about the specific events as they are not that important to for you to know. What I will go into though is my reactions to the actions these situations have brought on.

First and fore most, Train up a child in the way  he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. Proverbs 10:1.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Eccl. 12:14

At the moment I have a very rebellious young man living in my house. Adam just recently turned 16. He now thinks he is equal to Mike and I. That being said he has challenged us more then ever lately. Adam is now learning that hard way. Today I think he is starting to understand his need (and God's and our command) to be obedient.

That brings to my thought for today. How often do we need to learn things the hard way? Have you ever been so stubborn that you would not give in even if you were proved wrong? Have you ever had the fight or flight adrenaline rush and stayed to fight?  If you said no, then you are lieing. It is in our nature to question things, to question God, to put our foot down and say it's my way or the highway bub! But then someone bigger, stronger, meaner with a more stubborn attitude comes along and knock you down a few notches, or worse of all flat on your back. If you have ever broken your tail bone then you know how badly that hurts, to walk, to sit to lay down. It is painful. It take a longer time to heal also. If you think that is bad just look at what God can do, or allow to be done to you.

Job 2:6 & part of 7 - And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job...

Job's response to the criticism  thrown at him towards God:

Job 42:1-6  Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.  Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

If only we could all be like Job!!! To have such faith and love for God that you would go through any trial and tribulation for Him.  I can only hope and pray that God gives me the strength needed to pass through any tribulation that is thrown my way and end up praising His glorious name for it. Now I know that Job was not disobedient to God; as Adam has been. But he was tormented. I think we all need to step back and take a god look at our hearts. How much are we rebellious towards God? How does God really see us? UGH!!! What a question! To look at myself through God's eyes is horrible!! Yes Adam has been defiant and rebellious as of late, but in reality we all are in you stop to think about it.

Anyhow, Adam has been challenging us so much and most people are shocked about that as he seems to be a great kid. He just needs to learn what it means to be submissive. Being submissive isn't letting someone rule you with an iron fist. It is humbling yourself so much that you put the other person's authority over you.

******************************************************************************8

Ok, so I wrote the above a few days ago and then was unable to finish it. It is now early Monrday morning and the really challenging moments with Adm has subsided. I think I am starting to see a more obedient son. I like this not because it means we have less fights. I like it because he is not cow-towing to me. He is truly being humbled and submissive. Sometimes we need to back off and let God work His majic...

That being said, today I learned a valuable lesson, that I really did not want to have to learn. I have a huge problem with genuinely, honestly and with 100% trust someone, anyone.... The only person I trust as much as I can at the moment is my husband and Daniel. Adam I love, seriously I really do, but because of his rebellious and defiant attitude I have a harder time trusting him.

There is this lady whom I have recently had a confrontation with. I seriously thought I was in the right for the most part. Now I did admit I could have been wrong and I should have handled the situation a bit more calmly, but  this other person wasn't admitting anything... So, of course, in my screwed up human nature that got me frustrated... and a bit hurt. Now, I know I am far from perfect but I also know that I did not entirely cause the situation by myself.... Well, because of this initial situation things sort of got out of hand. I was very sweetly reminded by a terrific brother in the Lord that it blew up because I didn't trust God (and those helping mediate this situation) to handle it. I gave it to them to rectify and then I took it back. You ever do that? I am so guilty of that.... I like to say that I am always trusting God to work in my life to make me the best person I can. But do I??? I think I do. I just have a hard time trusting someone who may not match or compliment my personality.

You know the weird thing is I could probably really like this lady. she's smart, confident, a go getter, got her head on straight, a great homeschooling mom and a teacher... I do not know because I have never taken the time to get to know her as I have always sensed tension between us, but I suspect she is a very sweet funny enjoyable person to be around. So, I have to say I am deeply sorry for my harsh judgment of you, you know who you are.....

God, please bless this woman in all her life. Bless her children, her husband and her co-workers. Help this woman have peace in her life and feel loved and comforted by those around her. Give her your peace that passes understanding...

Now, the mediators that are helping with this situation are so nice and understanding while also keeping a very neutral open mind. It is so nice to have a fresh perspective that has been led by God, for that is the only way they could have realized some of the underlining issues... my issues. yup, that is right, for someone who thought she really acted in a proper manner found out she was a fool! we are learning a lot about fools on Sunday mornings. I always thought of myself as anything but a fool! I had not htought that I was hindering the mediators by stepping in and trying to help. I thought I was truly helping.... In my rush to get things taken care of I screwed it up. I know that sounds fmailiar to a lot of people out there, not just to me huh?

But PRIDE goes before destruction...

            Personal
            Reflection
            Is
            Deemed
            Exceptional

Sound familiar? At this comment I know that is is not describing me. this afternoon before meeting up with these families it was me... so, I guess I'm trying to say a couple of things here... Don't think too highly of yourself because God will do something to make you fall flat on your face, which hurts quite a lot! don't judge someone before getting to know them. Lastly, WATCH OUT FOR PRIDE!!! It can come as a soft voice, reminding you that you wouldn't act like that person, or it could be bold and boasting... It could be well, I wouldn't have picked that dress to wear or thinking that my house is cleaner then so and so's... It cold be unnoticeable to you or it could be right there in the open. Watch for it, cause it will get you bit each and every time whether you realize it or not...

Let go and Let God has taken a whole new meaning to me now.

So thank you for listening to my rantings and my babbling. I really write this blog for me but I do enjoy hearing your feedback. Please comment or msg me with any comments thoughts, ideas or advice. God Bless!
Trisha

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

man's innate nature

why? I sit back and I ask myself why? how? where did I go wrong?

We are all human and we are all full of sin. We are evil decrepit animated dirt balls. I knwo that sounds awful but it is the truth and sometimes the truth actually does hurt.

What man will do to man is unfathomable and incomprehensible. I just don't get it.

Today is going to be a long long day. Bible Study tonight though so that will be good.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

things on my mind

So many things floating around bumping into each other in this head of mine. Today has been unusual but enjoyable. Yesterday was stressful but also quite enjoyable. I have learned a lot over the last 2 days about relationships, with each other as humans and with humans and God. Mostly I have learned about my relationship with God. What it means to me, how it affets my friends and family, how it affects people I interact with here in the internet and in real life have all been things I have grown to understand.

Now, I do not imagine, in any sense of the way, that I know all about this topic as I have so much more to learn. I think that is one of the greatest things about the greatest minds in history; to my knowledge they all acknowledge that they still have more to learn.

Yesterday I was faced with an irritated mom, whom I did not agree with. I thought her negativity was not conducive to the situation she was in. After mentioning this to her, in as loving a way as I could while being upset myself, she became very hostile towards me. This threw me for a loop as I did not expect this situation to arise, really, who ever does though? I could have been upset and let this ruin my day but I chose to give the situation to God. I knew it would just anger me and it would fester. Then later in the day I was taken off gaurd again and asked to babysit a freind's daughter whom I have never watched before. Of course I said yes but I was leary about it. All my worry was for naught as they child was wonderfully behaved.

Then it comes to this morning. Prayer meeting at church went the same as it always does and I felt blessed. I have thought this thought before but was sort of afraid of sounding stupid saying it out loud. I was nervous telling the person it was about because I barely know the man. You know the little voice you get in your head that encourages you to do or not to do something specific? Lots of people call that your conscience, but not me. I call it a gift from God. To me, well that little voice, it's as if God is speaking directly to me sometimes. so I try to listen to it. I listened to it this morning at prayer. I mentioned to this gentleman that his prayers were a blessing to me. they are sweet, loving, full of worship and praise, from the heart. He quotes scriptures relevant to the prayer and sings his prayer at times. I am in awe of how he prayers. Now, I have no idea what this man thought of my comment but I know that I felt better saying it out loud. I could have let this thought stay hidden inside me and then I would have missed out on a terrific feeling and blessing God gave me.

You know children never really do what you wish them to do, not even when they are teenagers. Mine seem to think that I am on their beck and call every minute of every day. Now I want them to know that I am here if they need me but I also want them to be independent and resourceful. I want them to become their own person with their own identity. I do not want them to rely on me forever, as I will not be here on Earth that long. I will not be living with them as adults nor will I able to help them at their jobs so they NEED to learn to be more independent. This weekend we put our foot down with the kids. Well, actually we did it last weekend but this weekend we reiterated it. I think it finally sunk in. lol There have been so many times that I have gone to a neighbor's place or to the local school or library by myself while they kids stayed home. Usually I am gone for less then an hour but I get a phone cal or a knock on the neighbor's door by one of my kids. My kids are 16 & 13. There really is no need for these frequent interruptions. lol So, today when Mike and I went on our date I expected a call at least from one of the kids. It was bliss not being interrupted on our date. I think the kids finally have learned!!! woo hoo!!!! lol

Te other thing about teens (or any child) not doing what you wish them to do would be related to chores. Now, my kids have chores they are required to do and others they can do for pay. Usually if I tell them to do it whether it is for pay or not, they have to do it., it's not a choice. lol One of their chores is to unload the dishwasher. Empty the garbage is also a chore. Now with emptying the garbage, since we live in an apartment complex, taking the trash to the dumpster goes without saying. (One would think, right?) Emptying the dishwasher also includes putting away any clean dishes that are on the counter from hand-washing. Nope, not according to my kids. We have had so many discussions about this and quite a few punishments and still "they forget". my butt they forget!!! They are lazy children! lol Mike says if they do not do as asked they do not eat. lol I like this rule and I think I have to establish it in our lives. You would think that hanging up (in the closet) your coat each time you come in form outside would be a good idea, right? Leaving it out hanging on the door handle just makes the place look messy. Well, my kids have their own warped sense of right and wrong because even after many many many years of telling them to hang it in the closet it still gets hung on the door handle. UGH!!!!! lmbo!!! I knwo teens will be teens but just because their age ends in teen does not give them the right to disobey. It does not give them a free pass to be rude or to be disrespectful. Teenage rebellion is not acceptable in my book. Teenage rebellion is sin. plain and simple.

Yes I may be a bit lenient with my kids when it comes to dishes, hanging up coats or calling me unnecessarily. I agree, i am not the perfect parent. I do know that I am a parent who 1) knows where my kids are at (almost) all times... 2) knows all my kids friends... 3) commands respect and gets it for the most part.... 4) and most importantly, raising my children to love the Lord our God. To me that last one is the deal breaker. It is the clincher. It is the top of the cake. If you have this you have it all. If you do not hav eit you end up wth messed up teens who turn into messed up adults.

So, that is my 2 cents for the night. It's late and tomorrow is churhc. yeah!!!! Please comment if you like as I love to read what you think. Have a blessed Sunday and time worship our Lord and Saviour. :o)

Thursday, March 31, 2011

God's never ending all encompassing love

I know that this is a copy of the note I put up on facebook but I thougth it would be good to post it here too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLJis6ZKRJE

When I was little my sister made this poem up. I have never forgotten it. It still brings joy to my heart.

God is love, that love surrounds us
In His love I safely dwell
'Tis above beneath around us
God is love and all is well.

*****************************************************

Tonight I heard this song on the radio and I thought of my sister's poem.

This song is from JJ Heller:

Love Me

He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He's the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night, "Dear God won't you please
Could you send someone here who will love me?"

Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me
'Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means

Her office is shrinking a little each day
She's the woman whose husband has run away
She'll go to the gym after working today
Maybe if she was thinner
Then he would've stayed

And she says... who'll love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
'Cause nobody has shown me what love,
what love really means

He's waiting to die as he sits all alone
He's a man in a cell who regrets what he's done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
"Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home"

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said...
"I know you've murdered and I know you've lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you'll listen, I'll tell you that I..."

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew


Today on my way home from Bible Study I heard this song on the radio. I have heard it plenty of times before and each time it breaks my heart. I feel like the people this song is singing about. Well, I used to be like them, but with Christ, I feel whole.... :o)

When the song was over I turned off the radio and prayed, thanking God for who He is and who He has made me become. Then this poem came to mind. so before I forgot it I wrote it down as soon as I got home. I hope you enjoy it.

A Broken Heart Anew  
You took me out of mother's beating hands
You took me out of my life of despair
You took my heart, its pieces all apart
You took it in your hands made it like brand new
You took me in your arms made me feel the love from you
There is nothing I can do to make that up to you
So I accept your loving gift and keep it treasured in my soul
Thanking you always for making me whole

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

my anger.....

Tonight I am angry. Why? Could it be the teens that are bugging the neighborhood? Or how about the lady that condemned me on facebook? Or even my children that have questioned me at every step today? Nope, none of those things are making me angry.

Today I am angry at myself. why? Well, lately there has been a whole lot of stress on my plate. I have been dealing with it on my own, with the help of some wonderful friends who have let me vent to them. So, since I have "reasons" to be angry at the things that are going on why am I angry at myself? Did you notice that I put the word reasons in quotations? There is a method to my madness. lol

So I have reasons to be angry, so what! Does that give me the right to take that stress on everyone else? NO! Does that give me the right to complain and vent to my friends? NO! Does it give me the right to be self-centered? (Well, I have had a rough day so that is why I am grumpy.) NO! Just because I have a reason to have those feelings I do not have to have them. I could go to God. I could give those feelings to Him. I could, but I didn't, until just now.

UGH!!!! Now I am angry at myself for not going to God lie I should have in the first place. But if there is one thing I have learned over the years I have been alive, it is not to dwell on the has beens and could haves; not to dwell on what should have been done or where I went wrong. You cannot change the past.

So right now, this second I pray that God corrects my selfish dirty heart. No matter how people treat me or how many bad things happen to me and my family, I have no write to complain or be grumpy. God has given me life! LIFE!!!!! Life beyond this Earthly body. He has given me ETERNAL LIFE! all for FREE

God is good and I am sorry. :o( I know He forgives me for my actions and my lack of actions. He is always there to hold me tight and make me feel better.

So, I thank you God for holding me tight and comforting me. I thank you for providing a way, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, for me to spend eternity with you. I love you because you first loved me.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

wishing

Right now I am wishing my heart away. There are so many things that I wish were better then they are. Family, schooling, health, life. Ok, so that is really vague. lol I know. I'll try to be a bit more specific.

I wish:

I knew what was going on with Grandpa Mark.
I knew how to motivate my kids to do chores without being badgered. 
That the house would get clean on it's own.
That emotions wouldn't be swayed from one extreme to the other so quickly.
That family members would communicate civilly with each other and at least attempt to have some sort of relationship.
I could sit here and be held by my husband watching a sweet movie together.

Ok, so there is my pity party, all done now. lol
     I know that there isn't anything I can do about someone's salvation as long as I have witnessed to them, lived my life as Christ would and keep that person in prayer. Their salvation is their responsibility.
I know that teens are inherently lazy, especially boys. They are also oblivious to seeing messes and things that need to be straightened up.
     I know for a fact that the house does not clean itself up. There are no cleaning fairies that come out while we are all sleeping and clean the place from top to bottom. Cleaning is my job and do it I must sooner or later.
     Emotions are like roller coasters. You never know when they will spin you in circles or plunge you into the dark. The only thing you can do is hold on tight and go for the ride. Wearing the seat belt (Jesus Christ) keeps you place so when things even out you are still sitting comfortably. During the ride though try to keep some order of control over them, as best you can and remember, they do not define you or the situation.
     Again, I know that I can not control other people's actions. Just like salvation, other people are responsible for their own attitudes towards their family members. The only thing we can do is be true to who God has made us become. Act like Christ wants us to act and treat those family member's just as you would treat those who love you as much as you love them.
      Tonight is Wednesday night so it's Bible Study night. I have to drive Jen and I to church and back again. So the movie will have to wait for another night.

What I know most of all is that Christ loves us so much that He gave His life, knowing full well the whole time, that he would be beaten beyond recognition, tortured by many people, mocked horribly, nailed to a piece of wood, hung up to die and then buried in a grave. He did all this also full well knowing that He didn't have to give his life up. He is God Almighty, He could wish people to bow to Him, he could kill those who won't instantaneously, he could have legions of angels come and take him off that cross and heal His every wound. He did not have to come to the Earth, this creation of His, just to give us a way to once again be with Him for eternity.

But He did.

He did all that because He loves me. He love you. He loves us. His love is so vast and so strong tat we can't even begin to understand it's complexity and it's depth. But it is at the same it is so simple a child can grasp it.

He died, willingly, put his life on the line, so that we may have an opportunity to be with Him for eternity. That I cannot even begin to say thank you for. No one can. The only thing we can do, all He wants us to do, is to live as he lived, full of love, compassion, understanding, and to be true. While doing all those things do not give into the world's view of how things should be. Be in the world but not part of the world.
So, that is my goal today, to be His light. I pray (very deeply pray) that I will be able to do just that.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

standing firm, getting filled

Today is a blah day. Today Adam woke up and then threw up. UGH!!!! So, I stay home. That is ok with me I guess because I still don't feel the greatest. I really wish I felt better.

Today, I received a terrific private message on my Facebook page that was very encouraging. It is helping me stand firm on my faith, not that I was not firm already, mind you. It's just that some days I feel lost. It's sort of like why am I here? or why continue to try to get people to see that there is a huge bus coming really fast getting ready to plow those who don't believe in Christ down when no one seems to listen anyway? Then, today I get this nice sweet encouraging message. It was very uplifting.... So you know how you are and I thank you very much.

Sickness has been going around in our house for sometime now. I wish that all the germies would just go away. I hate being sick. Being sick reminds me of just how frail our human bodies are, physically and spiritually. It's the spiritual part that is bothering me the most lately. I just wish people would wake up. I wish people would see that the human race sucks. I wish that people would see that only life with God can fill us. We have become such a hedonistic society. It is very discouraging.

Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good according to wikipedia.com. A hedonist is a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification

Well, that just about describes most of the people I know, even the Christian ones. Even myself at times. I find it sad that in our culture, in the US, people strive to have a better life by acquiring more stuff hoping it will fulfill in them the desires that they have. After all is said and done there is still this empty hole inside of us yearning to be filled. Nothing we do, or buy, or say, or get is able to fill that hole. Only one thing and one thing only ca fill that void, that hole, that abyss. 

I know you are all thinking oh here we go again but it is so true!!! I have lived 36 years on this Earth. 7 of those years were in pain and fear, living with my biological parents being beaten and abused more way then you can imagine. 14 years I was in a foster home with a loving Christian family. 16 years (almost 17) have been with my wonderful husband. In all that time I have searched for a way to fill that void. Some days that void is full to the brim, other days it feels as though it will never be full. On the days that I feel it full to the brim are the days that I trust in the Lord, days that I relinquish my own desires and make His desires mine. On the days that it seems like it will never be full are the days that rely on my own strength and my own decision making. These days are the ones that I tend me be more depressed and more easily upset and moody. On the days that I am trusting in Him I feel a weight lifted off of me, at least to some degree. 

You see, so for me it has held true, always has and always will, that trusting on the Lord, God Almighty, is not only holding my hand as I walk through life, he is carrying me when I can no longer stand. 

Only God has been able to fill the void, that hole that abyss in my life. Only God ever can. I have learned that nothing I do will ever fill that void. I have learned that being hedonistic only digs that void deeper. I have done a lot of screwed up things in my life. I have seen others do messed up things in their life, too. Coming to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus is the only thing that can ever fill that void. I hve never found anything that comes close to His power and love.

I know I am babbling today. my mind is wandering a lot it seems. I pray you all have a terrifically blessed day and May you always rely in the salvation of our Lord and Saviour to help hold you strong and walking in His light. :o)

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Mike is sick, I am sick, Adam is sick - Daniel not so much.

Today is an unusual day. Mike is home from work, sick. Yup, I said it. The man who NEVER EVER calls into work sick called in this morning.

No, he does not have a runny nose, a cough or a stomach ache. He is dizzy still. He said he feels a bit like he is drunk. lol Now anyone who knows Mike knows he doesn't drink hardly and when he does he is a "lightweight" as the saying goes. It takes very little alcohol to make him feel buzzed. (Not that it takes a lot of alcohol to make me feel buzzed though, In fact I drink less then he does and I can't even finish one wine cooler!)
Today Mike is still in bed. He is never in bed this late! Well, I can't say never because he is in bed right now so saying never wouldn't be accurate. lol

I find it funny in a weird sort of way as to how our bodies react to situations. We can make ourselves more comfortable just by thinking of happy thoughts and relaxing places. We can make ourselves sick by worrying and/or being anxious. Our body can break out in hives from being nervous. God's creation can be ruled by emotions. If we let it, that is.

I know sometimes, it is hard to avoid the way our body reacts to situations. If we try I think we can change, even if it is ever so slightly, the natural bodily reactions to some situations. I am not sure how though. I'm sure there has to be a way though. God didn't make us defective or imperfect. He made us in His image, He is perfect. In His image, is a reflection of Him, perfection.

I found a site this mornign that talks about how you can help common ailments through food. I am going to see if it helps Mike today. I'll let you know. Right now I have to say good bye and go take care of my family.
Talk to you again soon I hope.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

worried sick

Literally.

Have you ever worried so much that it physically maked you sick? Well, that is what is happening here. I am actually sick, so is Adam. Ok so we are not horribly sick but mildly so, with actual viruses or germs of some sort. We have been for a bit now. I have a mild sore throat and a very mildly sore ear. Adam has the tail end of a cold. Daniel seems to be feeling just fine. Mike however, was perfectly fine until he heard news of his grandfather being admitted to the hospital agian. His grandfather is 93 and unsaved.

You see, it is totally human and normal to worry about those we love. When things are beyond our control we tend to worry about the outcome. For Mike though, he is not normal. lol I mean that in the nicest, most loving way possible, just to inform you. My husband is an Aspie, meaning he has Asperger's Syndrome. He is mildly affected but still has a lot of issues with handling and experiencing emotions. We have been married for 16 years now and he has only cried one time since I met him 18 years ago. He usually closes off any emotions he might have because he doesn't understand them and then make him feel uncomfortable. (Aspies tend to do that.) he is terrific (not in a good way) at compartmentalizing his feelings and explaining, logically, why he shouldn't and doesn't feel a certain way. He is very logical and it bugs me sometimes! lol

Ok, so what does Mike being an Aspie have to do with getting sick? Well, let me tell you that the mind is a confusing thing. One can actually make themselves sick with worry and anxiety. Mike wasn't sick before hearing the news of his grandfather's condition, which I will tell you later in this post. He only started feeling off AFTER I told him the news, then even worse when he couldn't meet up with his mom at the hospital this evening. All night he has felt "off" he says, sort of dizzy but not exactly, not actually "sick" but certainly not well either.

What do I mean by being sick? Well his stomach is off and he has little appetite. He feels a bit might headed and slightly dizzy. By the time he went to bed (about a half hour ago) he was feeling worse then he did when he arrived home. I know most of you probably think I am blowing things out of proportion and seeing things that are not there. I am not. I know my husband. This has happened many times before. Some might say it it can be easily rectified by giving it to God and I would totally agree with you. It is a very hard thing to do. It is. I know. Mike's anxiety, and feeling out of control makes his anxieties worse, has made his feel off more times then I can count. Usually it only lasts a short while, a day or two. I pray that is the case this time.

Anyhow, Mike's grandfather, Mark, was having chest pains all last week and the doctor did some tests on his heart. His medicine was adjusted on Friday and he was sent home. Then earlier today he started having really bad chest pains again. He called 911 and was taken to the ER where he was found to have had a heart attack. During an angioplasty surgery 2 small blockages were found in an area that cannot be reached and his stint, which was placed two years ago, had collapsed. They reopened the stint. After surgery he was experiencing even more pain and the doctor's were worried. Mark went in for a second surgery where more work was done on his heart. He is now recovering slowly in the hospital. His heart is in bad condition as it is and his kidneys are barely working. The tests and the surgeries have made both those issues worse. The next 24 hours are critical for his health, and more so for his salvation.

This is where all the worry and feeling sick comes in. Mark is not saved. I love the man very much so. I have never really known my own grandfather and over the years I have gotten very close to Mike's grandfather, Mark. He is knowledgeable and smart. He is funny and enjoyable to talk to. He cares about those he loves very much. He wants to see nothing but the best for his family and friends. He is a self made man. He started his own business and did very well for himself over the years. His knowledge has helped him acquire a lot in this world, tangible things and not so tangible things. He feels he does not need salvation. He has been a good enough person. But oh how he is wrong!!!!!! Even the best person in the world is still a sinner. He will not listen to us about salvation and when God is brought up (as it usually is with us) he shuts down and changes the subject. He is a stubborn, old, catholic, Italian man who is very prideful but we do love him so.

None of us are perfect, especially me. I am not here to condemn the man just to point out his refusal for salvation. This is what is making Mike sick. He is worried more about Mark's salvation and eternal resting place, then he is about whether or not Mark makes it through this ordeal alive.

My husband has a huge heart. He is caring, loving and attentive. He just doesn't always know how to show it but it's there. I wish I could make him feel better. I wish I could take this worry away from him. I wish, I pray Mark would get saved. To see him know the Lord like we do, better then us, would be the most wonderful thing we could experience right now.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings and my venting. I sit here teary eyed and quietly praying for hte soul of a man that I love very much. Pleae, if you think of it will you pray for him too? Thank you

Life is pretty good here.

Written a few days ago.

Mike and the kids are watching Animaniacs, I am sitting near them playing on the computer. Dinner was yummy and everyone ate it all up. That is a good thing! lol
So today I had planned to get all this stuff done you know? I don't even know why I get my hopes up. I end up being way to tired to do anything.... When I do some things it is never the stuff I had planned. It's always normal household chores. lol You know some days I certainly feel like a maid, teacher, nanny and cook for that seems to be all I can manage to get done. lol
So what things would I like to do? Well, First of all I want to make cookies. and bread, and banana bread..... mmmmmmmm Then I wanted to soak in a tub for a while. (NOT! what was I thinking? soaking? that is a laugh!)
Then I had not actually hoped for this today but I would have been over joyed if I had time for it. I want to scrapbook again. I miss it a lot.

I have been trying to take time to do somethings that I haven't seemed to have time to do in the past. I am making the time now. I have put my foot down (so to speak) and decided I was going to read the whole Bible straight through in a year. I have also decided that I have to go through all the pictures I have on the computer and organize them so I can actually find the ones I need when I want them. Seeing as how I have over 19,000 pictures I knwo that will take A LOT of work. but it does need to get done. lol I sure do have my work cut out for me don't I? You know I think I am addicted to using my camera. lol I know there will be a lot of pictures I can delete once I start going through them. I mean I do not need the fuzzy, blurry ones nor do I need multiple copies of similar pictures. lol

What things do you do that keeps you so busy? What things would you like to do that you cannot seem to find the time to do?  What takes precedence in your life?

I know that I am also trying to do a woman's books study with a  few ladies from church, read the Bible in a year and do daily devotions. I need to be more diligent to get through these everyday. I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to these things. I pray God gives me strength, energy and desire to do His will each day. I pray you do also.

a few things to blog about today

Ok, so I have wanted to blog about a few things lately but have not really had the time. when I did have a few minutes the computer was way to slow so I gave up on it. So, since I had thoughts I wanted to get out of my head I decided to type them up in MS Word. I have copied them below.


Hedonism

Man is very hedonistic. Two week’s ago, church service focused on just that. People like to focus on what makes them happy, that is not so bad right? I’m mean if it feels good then it has to be good for you right? Well, turns out that is not the correct way to think. Who woulda thunk? Lol Well, I liked the service quite a lot. It not only made me think of people whom I know that are like that but it made me stop and think about I can be hedonistic in my life.
So what is hedonistic? Well simply put, according to Wikipedia.com it is a school of thought, which argues that pleasure, is the only intrinsic good. Basically being hedonistic says that you are only here for what pleasure you can gain out of life.
Recently my youngest has gotten into the attitude that people should do things as he wishes them to be done. My youngest also seems to think that when he is getting punished he can justify his way out of it by explaining himself to me. I hate that. Lol So I am always having to explain to him that his behavior is not acceptable and justifying it will only get him into more trouble. I think slowly, he is getting the point.
You ever feel like sometimes God has to do that to us? I certainly do. Now, I would love to sit here and say that my life is perfect and that I can show you all how to be perfect too but that is so not true!
It’s times like this that I stop and think ok how am I being self-centered, cause that is what hedonistic stems from. Me Me Me…. It’s all about what I can get, what is enjoyable for ME. There are times when I think that way, and then there are times when I do not think that way. Thankfully those times I do not think that way are a lot more often. When I do think that way I just have to stop and ask God to help me think correctly. 


Bratty kids

You know how your kids can get these attitudes and say smart alec remarks and such? When I tell my kids to do something that they do not think does not need to get done or doesn’t need to get done right then; they get snippy and rude to me, especially my oldest. This grates on me terribly and I discipline for it each time.

Do we ever think about how we react to God when he asks us to something we don’t want to do? We do the same thing, maybe not verbally though but in our minds. I know I do. I think I know it all some days, just like my kids seem to think at times. I think I know what God wants me to do but I really do not. I think I know what is best for me, but again, I really do not.

When I think like this, what makes me so sure I am right? I am human. Does that make it right? No it certainly does not. But our minds like to convince us we are. Our flesh is something we are always fighting against. The only way to win that war (and it really is a war) is to constantly give our minds, bodies and souls to God. If we start the day out right, with the Word of God and a conversation with Hm then we set ourselves up for a more peaceful day. By doing those two things we are covering ourselves up with the armor of God and it will protect us from our flesh, from Satan’s attacks and from anything that tries to pull us from Him. So the next time I start back talking to God I need to remember this. I hope that I do. 

well, I think that is all for today. I will try to write more tonight before bed.  

~~~ Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will not stumble on the path. ~~~

Saturday, February 19, 2011

plans change - expect it

Ok , so pride goes before destruction. UGH!!! Why are people so easily swayed by emotions?
WHAT? your probably thinking. lol Ok, so I will start from the beginning.

A while ago a situation came up where one of my friends was affected and upset about something another person was doing towards her. Seeing as how my friend and her family are closer to me then practically anyone else besides Mike, I also took this issue to heart. I began to get upset about the situation in defense of my friend. Well, the other party involved took major offense to it and started getting quite irate with me. Due to this whole situation my whole day was off which affected my husband and children. The next day, being Sunday, we all went to church. I was pretty annoyed still, which was ruining my time in service. anyhow, during service God and I had a talk. I realized that

1 - this situation wasn't really my business
2- that not only was this other person being very prideful, but so was I
3 - keeping my anger under control takes a lot more energy then I thought
and most importantly,
4 - I wasn't giving the situation to God. I was taking care of it and not doing a very good job at it in the process.

After service this other party came up to me and we chatted, the whole issue the day before was apologized for and forgiven. Since then it has not affected our friendship in the least.

So, what does this all have to do with plans changing......... ?
Well, I went to prayer that Saturday I had not idea what would happen, I had not even planned on staying as long as I did. Then on Sunday, I was still upset and not giving it to God. During service I finally gave the issue to Christ and instantly felt better, calmer and more forgiving. Then the person whom I was upset at came to me and straightened things out. I ended up having a wonderfully blessed day.

Plans change again leaving me emotionally spent. Later that day, we went to the Rochester Science and Museum Center. It was great but the exhibit was one we saw before. I had thought it would be a new exhibit. So I was a bit disappointed. After that we went to go to Chuck E Cheese with the kids. Now, I really like Chuck E Cheese. I know it's a kids' place but I like it mostly because whenever we have gone the kids have loved it. We always use a coupon so it doesn't cost us a ton of money. Besides I think their pizza is yummy. lol  It was mobbed though!!!! Busier then I had ever seen it. We could not find a seat anywhere and the kids would have been overwhelmed by the amount of chaos all those patrons created. So, we left. We came home. I think that day everyone was a bit disappointed in the events. Being disappointed all afternoon, and tired from the emotional ups and downs, I wanted to cry. But I didn't. We just went home.

On Friday we had an unexpected appointment and afterward needed to kill a couple of hours before the Music Jam (rather then travel 30 miles to home and then back 20 miles 2 1/2 hours back to church - what a waste of gas!) So we decided to try Chuck E Cheese again. This time it was peaceful and calm with only a few kids; as it was only mid afternoon. We had a wonderful time! I even played more games with the kids then I usually do.

So you see all around our plans changed, but it actually turned out beneficial in the long run. What started off as annoying changes ended up, after giving the situation to God, being very enjoyable after all.

So in life I have to expect changes as they will happen whether I like it or not. If I fight the changes that only makes me miserable. If I go with the flow God holds my hand and guides me. I am learning to expect, and be ok with, change.

Friday, February 18, 2011

What to write

I have so wanted to write for quite a while now but I either do not have the time or am too tired and end up going to bed. so today, before either of those happen I thought I would write for a bit.

I have had a few people tell me that I should blog about certain topics, including but not limited to; the problems I feel that are wrong with Christmas, (and any holiday for that matter), living with two aspies, the need for church, why worship is so important and more. I thought since I have the time today I would try to cover as much of these topics as I can.

First of all, Christmas is a big sore spot with me. Don't get me wrong, I love the holiday itself. We actually do celebrate it like most people; with a tree, stockings and presents. However, the Santa thing irks me so much!

We have never told our kids that Santa Claus was real. As for the tooth fairy, the sandman, the Easter bunny, ghosts, goblins, mother nature, and all those other fictional characters, we have told our children they are not true and why the world likes to keep kids thinking they are. These characters are fictional, that means false!!! NOT TRUE! Not only are you lying to your children when you "play along" with imagining they are real but you are risking them not believing you when you say Christ is real. That is not a risk I will take.

(Exclaimer: This is only my opinion based on facts from the Holy Scriptures, specifically written by God Almighty himself. I am sorry if this offends but I will not say I'm sorry for saying the truth.)

I hate the commercialism that the holidays (ok, most holidays) brings out in us as humans. I'm not even going off of the REAL reason why we use the Christmas tree (to worship a "god"), decorate it (a Yuletide celebrations and celebration of the return of the sun), why stockings are hung by the chimney (St. Nicholas putting money in them) or why we exchange presents (to celebrate Saturnalia). **Now, I do not claim to know everything about the origins so if I am factually wrong, forgive me and feel free to correct me.** What I am bothered by most of all though is that the holiday is no longer looked at as a sacred holiday set aside to worship God and remember Jesus' birth here on Earth, but rather a way to suck money out of people. Now, we do celebrate Christmas with the tree, stockings and gifts, as I have said. If I am bugged so badly by the commercialism you would think I would not even partake in it. As a family we take time to remember the reason we are celebrating the holiday, the birth of Christ. We do things that specifically to remind the kids of that fact. On Christmas Eve we have a birthday party for Jesus and talk about how His birth has affected us and what it means to the world. Christmas morning starts out with prayer and breakfast. Then one of the kids gets to hand out each present to the person who bought it. Then we take turns passing each gift to the person it was bought for and waiting for them to open it before we go the next gift to be opened. We do not want to take away from our children nor ourselves the joy of celebrating Christmas but we insist that all the celebration revolve around Jesus. :) He is our rock, our fortress, and our Saviour.

Living with Aspies: WOW! What can I say? It is always an adventure. I love my husband and my oldest son so much but they sure can drive me crazy! lmbo!!! My little son, not so little anymore since he is now 13, has Moebius and anxieties but he is NO aspie that is for sure! lol Adam and Mike are so much alike it is really creepy at times. They both get obsessed with things. Right now Mike is working on yet another project. Adam is focused on Legos and making military crafts out of them. Adam has really gotten into reading Garfield each night and through out the day. At least he is actually reading so I am happy. Mike, he reads Scriptures and comics. lol not much else for enjoyment though.

living with Aspies keeps my grounded. It keeps me focused on the needs of my family and not my desires. You see, I am a social person. I could hang out with my friends, go out to places, parties, and other social places. Those types of places make Mike and Adam get flustered. I have gotten more sensitive to being over stimulated because I have had to be distances myself (along with the whole family) from it for so many years due to Mike and Adam's Asperger's (AS) and Daniel's shyness and anxieties. But it's not my nature to be anti-social. I love people, I love being around people, I love being a helpful person to anyone I come across. I love having people to my place to hang out or to have dinner with us. My kids friends all know that they are always welcome at our house for any reason. I love having the commotion around me and feeling like I am part of it. BUT I have gotten so used to not living that lifestyle that sometimes I get overwhelmed from it now. I hate that part of me! lol What I do love is that Mike and Adam's AS makes them lovable and unique. Yes, there are days when I want to kill one or both of them. They do not always know when to stop joking and that gets me upset. They don't always (ok rarely do they) know how to handle emotions, or to be comforting when I (or Daniel) gets upset. If it is us being upset at them they feel attacked and automatically go into self preservation mode. This makes them focus on their selves much more so, sometimes excluding any results of their rude or inappropriate behavior.

Although it does sound like am (or may be) leaning towards not liking them around me, nothing can be further from the truth. Sure we all have our own problems, AS or not. We all have "our crosses to bear" as the saying goes. Both Mike and Adam get frustrated with their lack of proper response to stimulation, lack of emotional control and being different then theirs.

Church, worship, gathering of the brethren - The funny thing about going to church each Sunday and Bible studies, worship jams, and other Church events you can feel the love that God is pouring out on our family. Some people can't even get to a church due to lack of transportation, driving to work, being around other like minded people.

Church is for learning the Word. yes I will give you that one. But it is so much more then that. God wants us to make a joyful noise unto Him. He wants to us to edify and uplift each other in his name. He wants our praise and adulation; not because he is a egotistical God but because hearing how His creation loves Him and wants to have a relationship with him is music to His ears! So, in your rising up and in your laying down, in your sleep filled eyes and when you are wide awake. Worship time is how we interact with the one true God. It's what makes God our closest friend. We interact with Him as if he was truly a person. worship is our way to spend time hanging out with God. Me, well, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Worship Christ is a wonderful feeling. :)

Scripture are our instruction book for our life. Babies do come with instruction book but most people have no idea what goes on around. the scenes that keep Petco up and running so well.If we take the time to actually listen and heed it's instructions I'm sure you will have a wonderful life.

Ok, so this is longer then I anticipated and I am now falling asleep at the computer. I had better get to sleep. I know that this post is long and I still didn't cover all that I wanted to know. I will try to add more things to it when I am more awake. sleep tight and sweet dreams everyone.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

my stupid random thoughts

Ok, here are a few thoughts that are running circles in my mind.

1 - I love my pink hair!!!!!
2 - I wish this migraine would just go away.
3 - Bowling tomorrow!!!! woo hoo!!!
4 - Oh, I am so thankful Mark is helping us out! He is great!
5 - I am wondering what is so exciting about the zuu zuu pets? they are just weird.... lol
6 - I can't wait to learn more sign language! It's not only fun it's useful. When I lose my hearing (and I am already) I will already know how to communicate!
7 - I want my printer to print pictures up better
8 - wishing the TB book we have wouldn't take so long to boot up.
.
9 - disappointed in myself for slacking off with reading the bible everyday.
10 - love watching the mentalist, numbers, csi and big bang theory.
11 - What does God do up in Heaven all the time?
12 - What will Heaven be like? This thought brings joy and excitement to my heart!
13 - started two blog posts but haven't finished either one as I have no time to sit and work on them. Hopefully I will get both posted this weekend.
14. Praying for Amy. I do miss her and wish her well.
15 - loving my neighbors. Not only are they quiet, peaceful people, they are all very nice too!
16 - Why won't the migraine go away? I took medicine!!! UGH!!!
14 - loving my husband who is always there for me and takes care of me. He helps me out more then I could have ever wished for.
15 - hate taking medicines everyday but really love how they make me feel. I feel more like my old self now; playful, unique, loving, caring, energetic, and creative. 
16 - I wish I could turn all the lights off in the house so my head would feel better but I can't. Mike likes light on and he would not be happy if I turned them all off. lol
17 - Flavored water is awesome!!!!
18 - being used by god has got to be the best feeling in the universe!
19 - wondering why God loves me (and you) so much that He died to save our souls. Why would the Creator of the universe do that for a creation when he can just destroy them all and kmake a new creation with all new created beings? I am in awe of thta!
20 - thinking that most of you readers will probably laugh at most of these posts and the absurdity of my posting a post like this. hehehehe
21 - lastly - am thankful for all my friends on the internet. It is a wonderful feeling to know that when I get online there are people there who actually understand where I am coming from and actually like me for me. So if you are reading this stupid post, thank you for caring enough to take the time to read it!!!

Remember that Gd loves you so much that He gave His ONLY son 
so that He may die to save us and give us the opportunity to live with Him forever!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

feeling blessed

Today was a pretty good day. Ok, I think it turned out better then I thought it would. to me, at the end of the day, I think it was pretty awesome. boy this wek went by so fast it seems. We are now another week older then most of us care to admit.
But why do we hate to admit our real ages? This culture puts a lot of emphasis how one looks, talks and behaves. If you do not conformt o this world (and their way ofdoing htings) you will be missing out on a lot og blessings. Age doesn't matter really. Think of this saying "The day you start growing up is the day you start dieing. So, be like the little children, go before god with  heart full on wonderful, love and repentiveness. :)

So do all that you can and do it for the Lord.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

so I have been so crazily busy!

I wrote this on the 16th of January and then forgot to finish it. lol So here it is, better late then never, right?

Ok, so it has been quite a while.since I have blogged. I hate not being able to blog as much as I would like to. so many things here have gone on lately I'm surprised I still know which way is up! lmbo!!!

If it's not one thing it's another........
When it rains it pours.........
Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.........

These sayings seem to fit how I feel lately. But with God all things are working well.
So, what has been going on? Well, Adam has had one health issue after another. First his blood glucose numbers were not normal. Then he got a bad kidney infection with no warning symptoms, and after that he started becoming dizzy a lot. His knees are always going out on him and swelling up when they do. Now his stomach is bothering him a lot. (Now his back hurts too.)

Daniel is doing about the same. His stomach aches a lot but that has been happening for years. Otherwise, he is ok. Me? Well, besides being tired and the firbo pain I am ok I guess. Nothing new to report so that is good news. :) Mike? Well, Mike is rarely sick and rarely complains of things bothering him so I guess he is ok too.

When I stop to think of how life is and how our physical bodies cause disruptions in our day to day life; whether it be by pain, depression, anxiety, or other health issues, I am reminded of how fragile we are. Although these bodies were not originally designed to break down and deteriorate, sin has caused that to happen. So it goes to reason that there would be so many health issues plaguing humans. The way we eat and the way we take care of our bodies doesn't help matters either.

I am not a health food nut. I am not even really observant enough, most of the time, to watch my diet well. I eat when I get hungry and sometimes when I am bored. So I should not be surprised that I am overweight. I could easily stand to loose 30 lbs; even 50 wouldn't be unreasonable. My problem is that I lack willpower and control. No, that is wrong, I do not lack it, I chose not to use it. That is more accurate. Why would I choose not to use will power and self control if I know it is the best thing for me? Well, temptation is an easy trap. It is self gratifying and momentarily enjoyable.

It leads us sweetly by the hand into areas that are (so it seems) filled with glorious things that make us feel good about ourselves, at least for the moment. If you have ever indulged in a piece of wonderfully delicious cake or a bowl of yummy ice cream you knwo what I am saying. Just like the harlot that tempted the simple man that was not watchful sin tempts us. (See Proverbs chapter 7) We need to stay watchful and be mindful of the way our life is going.

I need to be watchful and mindful of my life; what I eat, when I eat, when (and if) I exercise, and so forth. By being spiritually mindful and watchful we take care of our heart and our relationship with Christ. Being physically watchful and mindful of the things we do we take care of the temple of God.

I guess I am writing this tonight more for me then for you. I need to take my own advice. I WILL eat better and I WILL exercise. I WILL be watchful and mindful so that my life - the one I am using as an ambassador for Christ may bring him glory. :o)

I pray you also chose to live this way too.

poetry in motion

I wanted to write a poem earlier this evening about poetry but I couldn't think of what to write, ironic isn't it? Today seems to be full of irony. First, I planned on having a quiet day with my boys, then all madness broke out when I ended up with 6 kids in my house and (enjoyable) chaos bloomed. This evening I wanted to sit and relax watching a movie with Mike and the movie turned out to be worse then we thought. We turned it off and watched tv instead, which was a bit disappointing, to me at least. I thought maybe I could go to bed early but here I am and the desire to go to bed has left.
You ever have one of those days where your plans get all squashed up and thrown in a wastepaper basket? Sometimes, when that happens the new plans are even better and you have a great time. Sometimes the new plans are worse and you wish you could just go to bed and start the day over. Today the new plans, for me at least, were fun and enjoyable, but that is not always the case.
Life is really poetry in motion. It flows one way and the other, with a mind of it's own, fleeting by with a care... It can be smooth sailing or rough riding, but it is all ways moving, like words on a page. Poetry tells a story. This story can be hard to decipher or easy to see. It can be short or long with deep insight or it can roll off the sleeve. No matter what the story is always there, never leaving your side. You write it each moment you take a breath.
Don't you want your story to be remembered as something wonderful? Don't you want it to be life changing for someone else? Don't you want it to impact others in a good way? I certainly do. With Christ that happens each day, if you let it. Without Christ, you might have a good impact but it could always be better. You might have an enjoyable life but are you really happy? Your life might be filled wiht glorious things that are envied by others, but do you feel fulfilled?
There is a place in your life that can only be written by god almighty. He writes the poetry that last forever. The poetry we may write when we live our lives is only short lived. Few may remember it when we die and some may not even remember it next week. With Jesus in the center of you life that poetry takes on a whole new meaning. To bring glory to God in the hgihest is the best poetry that can ever be written. It is the greatest joy that can ever be achieved.
So if you are not saved, I pray you get saved and then you'll be able to understand what I am saying. If you are saved, let od write His poetry in your life.
Here is a bit of irony, I started this blog today not knowing what to write, I put the title in thinking it was stupid but I let God choose my words for me and see what happened? I was able to bring Glory to God in Heaven, all without actually intending to. :) Ironic, huh? that is what happens whne you let Him write the poetry of your life.
Have a great night everyone and thank you for reading. :o)