Life As A Modern Day Job

I am not going to pretend that my suffering in this world is any worse than the next guys. I realize there is so much trouble and turmoil in this world. When we have college students letting loose with guns on college campus killing sprees and random gunmen shooting in area malls what is this world coming too? Even in high school and elementary schools violence persists. What is going on in this world? I have my theories. One of which time is coming short. The enemy only has a limited amount of time left to wreck up some havok on this earth before he is completely defeated. He would love to do whatever he can to distract God's children from keeping focused on God. He wants us to doubt God or that God is even in control. And don't we sometimes? I know I do. Then I have to remember that God is always the God He says He is in Scripture. He is always true to His character. Always. Period. We must keep our eyes on Jesus at all times or we will just sink.

All this turmoil has inspired me to right weekly on this subject matter of suffering. I would greatly love to hear your input on it. I would love to hear your stories. Stories especially of God's faithfulness through it. I have a physical thorn that I have had for as long as I can remember. God allows it to keep me humble and truly rely on His strength. I do not talk about it much because I do not want to bring much attention to it except that God's grace is sufficient for me to carry on like Paul stated about his thorn that God would not take away.

Whatever our suffering there is always a greater purpose. It is to make us more into the image of Christ. God loves us too much to leave us the same. This life is a process of transformation. I so want to reflect Christ in everything and everyway. With that request may come much pain. So, I started to study the book of Job and look at how God used His suffering to bring about what He wanted to accomplish.

Since this is getting long I will end this here but will post more later. I will be looking at the first few chapters of Job. I hope you will join me. The first chapter of this series you can find here.

Chuck E Cheese Mishap

Chuck E Cheese is one of our favorite spots to hang out during the daytime. We were out of town this week in Atlanta and found a Chuck E Cheese near our hotel. So we decided to pay it a visit. When we checked in and they stamped our hands I was a little concerned that my stamp may not have come out right but thought it would probably not be a big deal because there were not that many people there. When we were ready to leave the same people were no longer there. They checked our stamps (which can only be seen under a black light) and for some reason Hannah and mine did not seem to match. So the guy handled it by asking her this question:

"Who is this with you?"
Her answer, "Her name is Angela but we are not allowed to call her that. She says we have to call her Mommy."

Now does that sound suspicious or what?!?
So the guy asked her if I was her Mommy.
She said yes but went into the Angela thing again. Oh, boy. Well, I suppose he bought it because he let us out. I am not sure how I feel about that? I am so thankful to our place at home where everybody knows our name! :)

Happy Valentine's Day

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
~1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
~Mark 12:28-31

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."
~John 15:12-14

"But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children"
~Psalm 103:17

Live Well Wednesday

Well I am happy to say this has been a good week all around again. I have not been able to weigh in but I am so happy to report that I have lost 2 inches around my waist! That is exciting seeing how my weight loss has been small. I know my body is building muscle. Seeing those results are very encouraging.

Darlene posted about Weight Watchers today. I really enjoyed it when I did it in the past. I wanted to tell you about a really neat free program through Discovery Health. It is the National Body Challenge. There is a place to record your weight and inches and it will help you keep track of progress. There are custom workout and meal plans for you. Go check it out if you get a chance.

Another free program for weight loss is Setting Captives Free. It is a 60 day Bible study aimed at helping you see that your body is God's temple. It is really good for renewing your mind. I really liked it at first but then I was given a mentor who did not see eye to eye with me so I dropped out. But other than that I learned a lot.

Hope you all have had a good week too. To see others progress click on the pear button at the top of this post.

Tiny Talk Tuesday-My Best Title Yet

As a mother I have to juggle many different hats. I suppose if I had to record all of my titles and their job descriptions I would have one heck of a resume. The longest one possible of which all moms can understand. If anyone really saw all that we do in the trenches of life they would just fall over amazed. So to add to that long resume I finally got my best title yet. Get ready for it....

THE BUTT-WIPER.
In context, "Mom, will you be the butt-wiper today? I have diarrhea."

Hmmmm.....Need anymore explaintion?
To see what other tiny talkers are saying visit Mary.

On Homeschooling-Why Do You Do It?

I thought because of my last post on "Stay at Home Mom-Why Do You Do It?" I would write about homeschooling. I tell you the thing I want you to realize in both of these decisions for me were just obedience to what God has instructed me to do. That does not mean it is what He wants you to do. Obedience is a very individual thing. God has a purpose for each and every one of our children (Acts 17:26-27). God has entrusted them to our care. Our job as parents are to be the best stewards of them possible. How do we do that you ask? We do that by praying and asking God what is best for them. He is the only one who knows what He has called and equipped them to do. He has the knowledge and wisdom. It is our job to ask Him for it. Then the harder part may be following what God shows us in obedience.

My story is funny because I could never picture myself as one of "those people" who homeschool. I had a stereotype in my head about it and the people who did it. It was another thing I would "never" do. Well, God is so funny that He had big plans for us in doing this. I do not believe home schooling is best for everyone. I know I will get flack about saying that from some in the trenches with me. But the fact remains that each child is an individual who was crafted by God's hands. He knows what is best.

I have a dear friend who really wants to keep her children home and home school them. God has instructed her that is not His purpose for them at this time. So out of obedience she sends them to school and trusts God with that. I, like her, feel so insecure keeping them home and teaching them. It is was God has instructed me to do for whatever reason that He knows and I am not to question Him. God rewards obedience. Period. Neither one of us knows how long our situations will stay the same. It is something we have to seek God's wisdom in year after year.

So what is your take on this? Why do you do what you do?

Mike Huckabee for President

I just have to say I am very excited at the moment! On Super Tuesday Mike took Tennessee and most of the southern states. Today, Mike Huckabee just won the Kansas caucus! It would be great for him to win. I know it looks impossible by what all the news peeps say but nothing is impossible if God wills it. He is just an ordinary guy (which is what most of us are) who represents what most "real" people are. He can relate to what "real Americans" most need. That is great representation as president. Isn't that what the democratic process is about? By the people for the people.

It is a David and Goliath challenge. I am so rooting for the underdog here. I really admire him for keeping up the race and standing up for what he believes in. Oh that our nation would see that the thing we need is God. Lord please have mercy on us. For we are just sinners saved by grace. This is the kind of servant we need running our country.

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." 2 Chronicles 7:14-15