"It's Just Going Too Fast!"

When I tuck my 3 kids into bed each night, I always pray with them. They also enjoy having me sit in their rooms with them to visit for a bit too. I must admit, I normally have so many other "irons in the fire" that I tend to just squeeze in a minute or two of chit-chat and then rush on about my business so that I too can get some sleep!

Last night however, was not one of those nights. While I was folding laundry and the boys were finishing up dinner, J asked me, "If I go to bed right now, would you have time to visit with me for a while?" I said yes, so she literally jumped in bed right then! After I instructed the 2 boys on what needed to be done, and put the laundry down, I wound up lying in her bed visiting and talking about anything and everything from dolls, to scrapbooking to school, etc. She was holding my hand, which I find sweet, yet also amusing (she is physically affectionate, yet she knows she has something to hold onto in attempts to pull me back in once I try to walk away). ;) I was about ready to make my rounds through my boy's rooms when E walked in and said, "When are you going to come pray with me??" I got slightly irritated with him for having gotten out of bed in the first place and not trusting me to keep my word. All I said was, "I suggest you make your way back to your room right now. I will be in there in just a minute."

After having prayed with N, I went to find E. I explained to him why I was upset with him, but he didn't say a word. I then lied down to visit with him for a minute, and he handed me one of the books he had taken to bed with him. It was by Karen Kingsbury (if you have never read this book, be forewarned, it is a MAJOR tear jerker!!! If you have read it, then you'll totally understand where I'm coming from) called, "Let Me Hold You Longer." I assumed he was wanting me to read it to him, when he said, "I'm upset." When I asked why, he opened it to the last page and said, "Read this and you'll know." I thought the book just made him sad, but then he started boo-hooing and said, "It's just going too fast!!! I never want that day to come! I just love you so much, I can't ever let you go!"

I instantaneously felt guilt for having corrected him without finding out why he had come to look for me, and my heart melted at the same time. I just held on to him and cried with him.

So hold on to your kids and cherish every moment, because the time is going by way too fast!


"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is." Psalm 39:4

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Ephesians 5:15-17

Just Lay It Down

While attempting to send a text message to my cousin earlier this morning, something dawned on me. My phone doesn't seem to send texts very well while I'm holding the phone in my hand. The majority of the time, after I finish typing, I have to go lay the phone on the kitchen counter (by the window) in order for them to go through (I don't know if it's due to our metal roof, if we perhaps live in a dead-zone, or if my phone is just old...? But any way you look at it, it's still frustrating)!

Think of the phone in terms of being our hopes, our dreams, our cares and concerns. We try to hold on to them, over see the process, and maintain control. However, God wants us to lay them down. When we release the cares of this world and roll them onto His back, He carries them for us. He alone knows what is best and has promised to provide for our every need. He is our Jehovah-jireh, our Provider.

Lately, God has begun to disassemble the puzzle of my life that I've been attempting to piece together over the past 8 years, and has started to create a totally different picture than what I had originally planned. Humanly, it's terrifying, yet at the same time, it's exciting to see Him at work! I'm learning step by baby-step to walk in faith, trust Him, and to release the dreams of what I expected my life to look like and to lay it down...at His feet.

Our God is a good God, a loving God, an all-knowing God. Worthy of our praise, our adoration and our trust. Are you getting frustrated by trying to piece your life together on your own? Are you tired of not getting a signal and needing direction?

Lay your life down so that He can pick you up. It's the best upgrade you could ever hope for!

Dark Clouds, Blue Skies

The weather outside this morning reminded me of a conversation my daughter and I had several years back when she was little. J has always had a pretty laid back kind of personality, not one to get in much trouble. But for some reason, during this particular season of her life, she had been testing the boundaries left and right. So we stepped up to the challenge, giving her a fair trade...one consequence for every wrong and disobedient action on her part. Instead of it softening her heart, thus changing her behavior, she started taking it personally and told me sadly one day, "I'm just a bad kid." This word picture just popped in my head as we were sitting outside and I told her, "Honey, look up at the sky. What color is it?" She responded as I knew she would, "Gray." "Nope, it's not gray," I said. She looked confused. Indeed, it was very dark and cloudy that day (as it is today), but there just happened to be one small 'hole' where the clouds were parted and you could see plainly the true color of the sky...blue. I told her, "You are a blue sky. That is how God created you and how he sees you. But your sin and disobedience are like those gray clouds-covering up your true colors." It seemed to make sense to her and helped change her outlook on herself.

I think we all get down on ourselves occasionally when we tend to repeat the same mistake over and over, even though we know it's not right. Or we continually fall back into our sinful ways and thought patterns we once held onto before we came to Christ. We begin to believe Satan's lies (he is referred to as the Father of lies in John 8:44) and take his accusations personally (he is also referred to as the Accuser in Revelation 12:10), instead of seeing ourselves how God does. In Ephesians 1:3-8 listen to what God has to say about us:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ; for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

You and I are: *Blessed, *Chosen, *Adopted, *Favored, *Redeemed, *Forgiven

Do you see yourself as a gray cloud or as a blue sky? I know the illustration is a little child-like, but sometimes that's the level I work best on. ;) I pray that today "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 6:7,8

There is a Time for Everything Under Heaven

And apparently, much to my dismay, this season I'm in is one for not writing! The words just aren't there. I long for the day when this blockage is removed and the words flow effortlessly and smoothly from my brain through my fingers, down onto the keyboard.

Don't give up on me! I will be back!

This too shall pass...hopefully sooner than later. ;)