Friday, March 29, 2013

Bent, Broken, Mended {Five-Minute Friday}


Five Minute FridayToday I am joining my friends and Lisa-Jo again for Five Minute Friday. If you’re new here (welcome!) the rules are simple: Write, don’t edit, link your post to her page, and then share the encouragement like wildfire. You can do that, I know you can. 
The prompt this week is:  Broken

"I didn't do it. I didn't touch her. I wasn't even outside with her."  My son was screaming as he came running down the hall.  His little sister was following close behind crying the big tears I am hurt kind of cry.  As I got closer to her I realized the her was curved like a bow and was already swelling. I was able to calm her down enough to find out that she had walked outside to get her shoes from the trampoline but fell and landed on her arm.  That evening
ended with a trip to the ER, a nice heavy plaster cast and instructions to follow up with our regular orthopedic doctor the next day (yes we are the type of family with a regular ortho doc -- he is on speed dial).  Dr Russell snapped the X-ray up on the screen and pointed out two different problems. First the inner bone (Radius) was broken and it wasn't a clean break. He promised me it could be mended but would take 8-10 week in a cast.  Now on to the second problem was the outer bone (Ulna).  This bone was not broken but it was bend.  He advised us that they would watch her growth until the age of about 13 (she was 7 at the time).  If the bone did not straighten on its own then he would have to surgically break the bone and cast it to repair.  

I have never broken a bone in my body but I have been broken.  I have been knocked-down, beaten up and broken-hearted.  In my younger years I allowed the father of lies to break me by the whispers he spoke in my ear, the thoughts he put in my head and the distorted image he caused me to see in the mirror. Then God, in His grace and mercy, reach out and placed people in my life that point me to Him.  Those broken places were mended. However, there
were still a bents.  I was still bent but worry. By fear. By the unknown. After years of being just
bent last year I was 'surgically' broken by the Great Physician.  Things that I thought I had under control because out of control.  The fear, worry and unknown became to much and I just had to hand myself over to Him.  He carefully placed a cast on this break by placing friends, prayer, and most love in my life until I was mended.  I am sure there are or will be new bends to come but I know He can heal all.



PS.  My daughter's arm did straighten out on it's own and there was no need for surgery.  At least not on that arm but that is a different story for later.



Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Times Change {God-Sized Dream}









Holley's 'do what you can step' for our God-sized dream this week is to write a post sharing "a typical day in your life like right now? How can you see God’s hand in the middle of the “small” and ordinary too?" 

A typical day ?

Ummm

If you had asked me 8 or more years ago I could have given you an almost minute by minute schedule of all my days.  As a mother of school age kids my days started early prepping the day by packing lunches and double checking backpacks.  The evening were spent either at the football field, softball field, wrestling gym, dance studio or volleyball court.  Then after the sun had long since set my time was split between making sure one child was taking a bath, while another was doing homework and trying to get something thrown together for dinner.  This is just the week days and the weekends didn't allow for much slow down.  From sporting events to house cleaning to trying to navigate a few friendships filled my Saturday. Sunday was church and family time.  Then you mix in spend the night parties, birthdays and holiday there were many times I just felt like running away.

But I was the momma so I didn't think that would work.


Now that was before August 2011.  Major changes happened in a short time.  My husband and I became empty-nesters.  Our son moved out one weekend, our daughter the next and even our neighbors moved the next.  Talk about a change.  We went from the hustle and bustle of a four person family back to just a couple.  Mike and I have never really been alone - together.  We lived with my in-laws when we were newlyweds as we built our house.  Our son was born 6 months before we moved into the house.  So see we have always been a family not just a couple.


So my typical day has slowly been developing over the last 15 months or so.  Instead of sitting in the standing cheering their games I sit by the phone awaiting their phone calls.  I no longer look across the table to see their face but now look at their Instagram pages to see pictures.  I no longer sit on the edge of my bed with them to hear about their day but I slowly scroll through Facebook post to stay up to date.  

At first it was sad to see the younger days gone but God is teaching me so much as we all continue to process this change. I am learning that the verse, "train up a child" is so true.  God has shown me just how much louder my actions spoke/speak than my words.  He has also shown me how much peace comes when you know that your children walk with the God as they are grown.  

If you are a mom of young children I advise you to cherish the moments as they come but do not begrudge them growing up.  


Friday, March 22, 2013

I Have to Remember {Five-Minute Friday}

Five Minute Friday

Today I am joining my friends and Lisa-Jo again for Five Minute Friday. If you’re new here (welcome!) the rules are simple: Write, don’t edit, link your post to her page, and then share the encouragement like wildfire. You can do that, I know you can. 
The prompt this week is:  Remember

They told me to just forget it.

I have been told to just get over it.
Once I was told it didn't really matter in my life today.
Others have said it is time to move on and leave that part of me behind.

And I want to.  I wish I could forget all the times I hurt, I wish the memory of all the lies that I told myself would fade away. I have prayed for the slate in my mind to be wiped clean.




But I can't.  In fact I have learned that I have to remember.  That it is necessary for me to always remember,  I must remember the miry pit that He brought me from.  If I don't remember the sting of the hurtful words then I won't recognize the the relief He offered.  If I don't remember the battle in mind then I won't realize the sweetness of the victory.  If I don't remember the death I once desired I will never fully live the life I have been given.

It has become my calling, my burden , my passion to share my remembering with other so that they too can not only remember a pain or a hurt but also remember the peace and comfort of redemption He offers.



Friday, March 15, 2013

Halfhearted or Wholehearted {Five Minute Friday}

Five Minute FridayToday I am joining my friends and Lisa-Jo again for Five Minute Friday. If you’re new here (welcome!) the rules are simple: Write, don’t edit, link your post to her page, and then share the encouragement like wildfire. You can do that, I know you can. The prompt this week is:  Rest

As I link up with my friends at Lisa's place I am amazed at some to the words these writers share and how quickly they write.  I always try to stay up so that I can get the prompt as soon as Lisa post it which is normally around midnight on Thursday night.  However, even when I see the word the words just do not seem to flow as easily or quickly as I would like them to.  I have to chew on it for a while. Digest it into my heart.  And today's word was no exception.  Rest could mean so many different things but our first thought is of time away, doing nothing, just relaxing.  We expect to come away from a time of rest refilled and rejuvenated.  That is not always the case,

Earlier this year I have to have surgery the required me to rest for a few weeks.  Doctor's orders were to 'just lay around and do nothing.'  I was sore from the procedure but I was also very worn down by the stresses of life so I took his directions to heart.  For two weeks I did nothing.  I didn't go to work, cook, wash clothes or dishes. When it was time for me to begin taking back on my normal daily activity I was surprised at the fact that I was still very very tired.  It was no longer a physical weakness. Nor was it even an emotional tiredness.  It was a type of tired I have not really know before.  I have been struggling with it for weeks now.  At times it is not as heavy on me as it is at others but it never goes away.  I just have not been able to put my finger on where it was coming from,  That is until yesterday as I was folding clothes.  (Yes God has a sense of humor. One of the things I dislike doing the most gave me my answer).  


RU? halfhearted ~ wholehearted
 This shirt was the next on in the load I was working on.  It was one my son had gotten at a youth conference years ago.  The phrase, "R U ? halfhearted ~ wholehearted" just jumped out at me.  

That is it.  
That is the struggle that is making me so tired. 
I am tired of just being halfhearted. 
I am tired of comparing what I know God expected to the looks of other that don't understand.
I am tired of only following God when it is convenient of my life. 


I AM TIRED !!!!!!! 

Today I want to learn to just simply rest. 
To rest in Him.  


What about you? R U Halfhearted ~ Wholehearted? 
What is it that is making you so tired ? 

"My presences will go with you, and I will give you rest"
Exodus 33:14

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Wednesday in the Word - The Finale

God and I have been wrestling about the Wednesday in the Word weekly posts.  I love being able to keep my sisters updated on our the insight we are finding in our bible study but I am not sure this  is the right place or the right format to do it.  As a part of my God-Sized Dream I want my blog to be a place to encourage others that are hurting, to uplift some with a laugh here and there and maybe teach a little along the way.  Wednesday in the Word post have been strictly teaching which is great but seem to come across better in the classroom setting.  So I have made the decision to suspend this series.  I will still post on Wednesday and many will stem from all that God is teaching me but it will be in a more anecdotal form.  Thank you all for understanding.


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I Want It All {God-Sized Dream}

Holley's “ 'do what you can step' for our God-sized dream is to write a post sharing the desire(s) of your heart.What do you really want more of in your life? Will you dare to say it out loud?"




I say “I want more peace”
Christ said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 ESV

I say “ I want more security”
Christ said “I am with you, declares the Lord.” Haggai 1:13 ESV




I say “ I want a close friend.”

Christ said “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24



I say “ I want more love in my life”

Christ said “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”



There are so many things that I want in my life in general and in my God-Sized Dream directly but it really just boils down to that I want… no I need more of Him.

I know that I need more of Him and I have known that for a long time now. So why do I not do the things that would draw me closer to Him.

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want,
but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I
agree with the law, that it is good.”
Romans 7:15-16

Lord, I pray that I never forget that you are all I need.  I ask that you always remind me that you are the one that fills all my needs.  You are my my peace, my hope my security and mostly my love.

Amen



Friday, March 8, 2013

Not My Home {Five Minute Friday}

Five Minute FridayToday I am joining my friends and Lisa-Jo this morning for Five Minute Friday. If you’re new here (welcome!) the rules are simple: Write, don’t edit, link your post to her page, and then share the encouragement like wildfire. You can do that, I know you can. The prompt this week is:  Home


As newly-weds and soon to be parents, we were trying to save money every chance we could but we knew once the house was completed it would ours. So we spent hours after night and weekends doing all the things that we need to do to build a house. My husband and father-in-law would piece together the piles of boards into the walls of each room while my mom and I were price shopping on everything even down to the plumbing pipes.  Excitement grew as the construction shifted from the structuring of the house to decorating.  We laid tile in the kitchen. Put up ceiling fans. Then  the day came that we had worked towards for about 18 months.....move in day. I was and still am very proud of our house.  Our house.  Knowing the work that we input make the thought of our house even more special.  Just a few years later when I made the last mortgage payment, realizing now it really was our house, the special feeling just increased. I love being able to call it our house.....my house.

However, I few years ago I realize that although this is my house it is not our home.

These walls hold so many memories, 23 years worth. Mike chased Anthony around and around for hours as a toddler.  We played a game of peek-a-boo ball (I'll have to explain at another time) with Samantha.  Both kids celebrated birthdays. proms, first dates and broken hearts. Countless dinners have been eaten in the kitchen.  Numerous loads of laundry washed in the laundry closet. I can't even begin to list the conversations, the disagreements, the hugs and the tears that have been poured out here.  It is these things that changed the structure we built to the place we live now. So I will call it my house but they (my family) are my home.
Christmas 2012


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Wednesday in the Word 2/27/2013


Today I want to introduce you to the 3rd member of our chronological bible study: Her Name is Suzie and she has become such a dear friend to me.  Suzie, Tricia and I all have joined together to lead the ladies of our church in studying the bible more and more in-depth.  I hope you join us as we just recently started for our 3rd year.

Genesis 4 - Cain and Abel

(1) The birth of Cain.

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.”
  1. And bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD: The name Cain basically means, “I’ve got him” or “here he is.” It is likely Eve thought that Cain was the seed that God promised, the deliverer who would come from Eve (Genesis 3:15). There is a sense in which Eve said, “I have the man from the LORD.” Eve thought she held in her arms the Messiah, the Savior of the whole world, but she really held in her arms a killer.
 (2-5) The birth of Abel and the offerings of Cain and Abel.

Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.             
  1. Abel’s name means ‘vanity’: Eccl. refers to vanity as temporary. It appears that Eve had begun to realize that there would not be a speedy victory over the serpent.   
  2. Eve’s feeling for each son may have contributed to Cain’s jealous behavior and attitude.  She saw Cain first as a symbol of hope but saw Abel as a symbol of despair.
  3. The boys each had a different occupation. Cain was a farmer while Abel became a shepherd.** Nowhere in the bible does it imply that one of these occupations is better/worse than the other. Cain’s problem was not found in what he did but was within him.
  4. The LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering: Abel brought an offering of blood (the firstborn of his flock) and Cain brought an offering of vegetation (the fruit of the ground). Many assume that this was the difference between their offerings, but grain offerings were acceptable before God (Leviticus 2), though not for an atonement for sin. The writer to the Hebrews makes it plain why the offering of Abel was accepted and the offering of Cain was rejected: By faith Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Hebrews 11:4). Cain’s offering was the effort of dead religion, while Abel’s offering was made in faith, in a desire to worship God in spirit and in truth.
  5. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat: This shows Abel’s offering was extra special. The fat of the animal was prized as its “luxury,” and was to be given to God when the animal was sacrificed (Leviticus 3:16-17; 7:23-25). The burning of fat in sacrifice before God is called a sweet aroma to the LORD (Leviticus 17:6). The offering of Cain was no doubt more aesthetically pleasing; Abel’s would have been a bloody mess. But God was more concerned with faith in the heart than with artistic beauty.Here, it is one lamb for a man. Later, at the Passover, it will be one lamb for a family. Then, at the Day of Atonement, it was one lamb for the nation. Finally, with Jesus, there was one Lamb who takes away the sin of the whole world (John 1:29).
  6. Respected . . . did not respect: We don’t precisely know how Can and Abel knew their sacrifices were accepted or not accepted. Seemingly, there was some outward evidence making it obvious.There are Biblical examples of having an acceptable sacrifice consumed by fire from God (Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1). Perhaps an acceptable sacrifice, brought to the cherubim at the tree of life, was consumed by fire from heaven or from the flaming swords of the cherubim (Genesis 3:24).
  7. Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell: Cain’s anger was undoubtedly rooted in pride. He couldn’t bear that his brother was accepted before God and he was not. It is even possible that this was public knowledge, if God consuming the sacrifice with fire indicated acceptance.The epidemic of sin is quickly becoming worse. Cain now commits the rather sophisticated sins of spiritual pride and hypocrisy.
 (6-7) God’s warning to Cain.

So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
  1. Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? God dealt with Cain in terms of loving confrontation instead of automatic affirmation. He made it clear that he would be accepted if he did well.
  2. If you do not do well, sin lies at the door: God warned Cain about the destructive power of sin. Cain can resist sin and find blessing, or he can give in to sin and be devoured.
  3.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it: We prevent sin from ruling over us by allowing God to master us first. Without God as our master, we will be slaves to sin.
 (8) Cain murders Abel.

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 
  1. Now Cain talked with Abel his brother: The sense is that Cain planned to catch Abel by surprise, lulling him with pleasant conversation. This shows that Cain committed premeditated murder, and therefore clearly ignored God’s way of escape.
  2. Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him: No human had ever died or been killed before, but Cain saw how animals were be killed for sacrifice. He extinguished Abel’s life in the same way. The downward course of sin has progressed quickly. Now the hoped-for redeemer is a murderer, and the second son is the victim of murder. Sin wasn’t “nipped in the bud,” and it could not be contained. 
 (9) God questions Cain.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 
  1. Where is Abel your brother: God knew the answer to this question. He asked Cain because He wanted to give him the opportunity to confess his sin and start to do right after doing wrong. How futile it was for Cain to lie to God! It was madness for him to think God didn’t know where Abel was, or that he could actually hide his sin from God.
  2.  Am I my brother’s keeper? This reply of Cain is famous. The fact of the matter is that he was supposed to be his brother’s keeper, but was instead his brother’s murderer, and he murdered him for the lowest of reasons. Able had not injured Cain in any way. Cain’s murderous rage was inspired purely by a spiritual jealousy.Jude 11 warns of the way of Cain, which is unbelief, empty religion leading to jealousy, persecution of those truly godly, and murderous anger. There is no greater curse on the earth than empty, vain religion, those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God (2 Timothy 3:5). Many are deathly afraid of “secular humanism” or atheism, but dead religion sends more people to hell than anything else. 
(10-12) God’s curse upon Cain.

And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
  1. The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground: The idea of blood crying out to God from the ground is repeated in the Bible. Numbers 35:29-34 describes how the blood of unpunished murderers defiles the land. The blood of Abel spoke, and it spoke of judgment. The blood of Jesus also speaks, but of better things, of grace and of sin having been judged (Hebrews 12:24).
  2. So now you are cursed from the earth: The curse upon Cain was that Adam’s curse would be amplified in regard to him. If bringing forth food from the earth would be hard for Adam (Genesis 3:17-18), it would be impossible for Cain (who was a farmer). If Adam were driven from Eden (Genesis 3:24), Cain would find no resting-place on all the earth (a fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth). 
(13-15) Cain complains of the severity of God’s judgment.

And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. 
  1. My punishment is greater than I can bear! Cain didn’t feel bad about his sin, but only about his punishment. Many are like him.
  2. Whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold: As significant as God’s judgment against Cain was, God did not want Cain killed by others. This is possibly because the population of the earth was precariously low anyway.
  3. The LORD set a mark on Cain: Therefore, God set an identifying and protective mark upon Cain. Despite the speculation of some, nobody really knows what this mark upon Cain was. 
(16-17) Cain moves away and marries.

Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son; Enoch.  
  1. And Cain knew his wife: We don’t know where did Cain got his wife. Genesis 5:4 says Adam had several sons and daughters. Cain obviously married his sister. Though marrying a sister was against the law of God according to Leviticus 18:9, 18:11, 20:17, and Deuteronomy 27:22 (which even prohibits the marrying of a half-sister), this was long before God spoke that law to Moses and the world.
  2. Here, necessity demanded that Adam’s sons marry his daughters. And at this point, the “gene pool” of humanity was pure enough to allow close marriage without harm of inbreeding. But as a stream can get more polluted the further it gets from the source, there came a time when God decreed there no longer be marriage between close relatives because of the danger of inbreeding. 
(18-22) The generations following Cain.

To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
  1. To Enoch was born Irad: The picture is one of rapid advancement. Succeeding generations quickly made progress in areas such as the founding of a city (Genesis 4:17), home building, music and the arts, and metalworking. The idea that mankind actually advanced very quickly goes against most modern theories, but archaeology can only evaluate on the basis of what is preserved, and thus is rather speculative.
  2. Lamech took for himself two wives: Lamech was the first bigamist in history, going against God’s original plan for one man and one woman to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-8). 
(23-24) Lamech’s chest-thumping boast.

Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
  1. I have killed a man for wounding me: The way Lamech boasts about his murder of another, and the way he believes he can promise a greater retribution than God, shows a progressive degeneracy among humanity. Things are going downhill fast, a true devolution.


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A Letter to the God-sized Dreamers {God-Sized Dream}

Holley's God-sized dream challenge for this week is: Write a post that’s titled “A Letter to the God-sized Dreamers” and tell your God-sized dreaming sisters why we need them and their dreams–especially when it’s hard.




Hello !!!!
Hey there !!!!

Yes you my dear God-sized dreaming sister:

The woman standing at the edge for the crowd just outside the circle. 
The one who is walking around navel-gazing instead of lifting your head.  
The one that has been discouraged in the past.  

I know you are scared.  You have finally taken a few steps to recognize the dream God planted in your heart so many years ago. But now you are beginning to second guess everything.  You are asking yourself, is this really what God wants me to do ? Am I really the one He has called to this task?  Am I really....?  Then you head into all the What ifs.  What if I don't do it correctly? What if I fail? Or maybe the even scarier What if I am successful ?

I want to review the well know biblical story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea in hopes to encourage you.  The children of Israel had just left captivity and was headed to the Promised Land.  It was to be a land given to them by God that would be even more than they could have dreamed of. Soon they came to the Red Sea and realized at the same time that Pharaoh and his army were closing in behind them.  The people began screaming and Moses.  They claimed that he had just delivered them to their graves. But Moses explained to them (Exodus 14:13-14 ESV):

 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

There are times and battles that the Lord will fight for you but then there are times that He will tell you the same thing He ended up telling Moses and the Israelites.(Exodus 14:15 ESV):

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of 
Israel to go forward."  

God already had a plan to deliver them to the Promised Land as He had committed to them so therefore they just needed to continue to follow the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire (representatives of God and His Glory).  

God also already has a plan to bring you into the Promised land of the very dream He has given you.  Yes there will be times that you are to fear not,stand firm and allow God to fight for you but at other time you are called to simply go forward.  Notice when He says to "Go Forward" He does not first tell you to fear not because you will have fear.  The fact that you do have some fear is proof that you realize you need Him.  However, you are to walk forward through that fear in order to get to the Promised Land.

Dear Sister, Today I am praying that you have the courage to keep your eyes on the Pillar before, accept that there is fear and then go on forward to soon arrive to your Promised Land.

God Speed,

Amy 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today, I ask you to begin to chasing after your dream. God plans to do incredible things for and through each of us and I would love for you to join with me and my dreaming sisters over at Holley's place.  
Holley Gerth describes a God-Sized dream as “a desire in your heart for more of what God has for you.”  

She believes so much in all of us reaching for those dreams that she wrote a book just to encourage all of us.  I am sure that you will want to read it over and over.  So, click on over and get your copy of You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You now. I promise, you’ll come back and thank me for telling you all about it.  







Friday, March 1, 2013

Ordinary {Five Minute Friday}

Five Minute FridayToday I am joining my friends and Lisa-Jo this morning for Five Minute Friday. If you’re new here (welcome!) the rules are simple: Write, don’t edit, link your post to her page, and then share the encouragement like wildfire. You can do that, I know you can. The prompt this week is:  Ordinary

It was just a normal ordinary Saturday. The sky was deary and the wind was cold but he still got up early. Early enough that the sun had not even woken up.  A soft kiss on the cheek and he was out the.  He was going to spend the perched 20 feet high in a tree. Waiting. He was hoping to at least get a chance to harvest the big buck he had seen signs of back before the hunting season had begun. While he was gone I spent the day preforming ordinary weekend chores like, grocery shopping, housework and of course a little reading.  Through it all I would have a passing thought of him enter my mind.  I would wonder if he was warm enough. If he might change his mind and come home early. If he had meet his goal. I even wondered where this passion of his came from.  The day went on and it was time for the sun to fade back over the hill.  As I stood at the sink washing a few dishes I heard the crunch of his truck tires over the gravel. As he walked up the stairs I open the door to see him standing there grinning with a single wildflower.  I first assumed he was over joyed because he had gotten the buck but then he said. "I been thinking about you all day."  

On that day, that ordinary day his love for me was as strong and as evident as it was on our wedding day.

That wildflower sat in a plastic cup on my kitchen table for days (way long than they should have) as a reminder not only of my husband's love also a reflect of Christ love.  It is that love that changes every ordinary day into something extremely extraordinary.