Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Beyond Your Wildest Imagination
One month ago, my husband had an intense week at work. He had to get up and leave for work every morning around 6 or 6:30 in the morning. I would get up with him and we'd sip our coffee and hot tea and enjoy the quiet in the darkness of the morning. One particular morning after he'd left, I sat in my living room and did my bible study. That week we were studying the book of Psalms. When I was finished, it was still quiet and my children were still asleep in their beds. The sun was starting to creep over the horizon. Not knowing how much time I had left until my house arose, I turned on the television. I don't normally watch TV in the mornings, unless you count Curious George and Blues Clues! I landed on a show called Adoption Tales. I do not watch these types of shows, but for some reason I was pulled into this story of a precious couple who longed to have a baby, but could not. By the end of the show, when they were able to adopt a sweet baby girl, I was practically jumping up and down in excitement for them! I thought about all the couples I know that are just like the couple in the show. Sweet, precious people whose hearts long to share their love with children of their own. It doesn't seem fair.
I turned off the television, sat in silence and reflected on what I had read about in Psalms that morning. There are so many praises to God for His wondrous creation and for all the things that we so often take for granted in our lives. I closed my eyes and praised the King of Kings for my womb, for the ability to have children. It is something I have taken for granted, seen it even as a burden at some points in my life. I thanked Him for my own sweet children and for a wonderful husband I can share my life with. I felt so overwhelmed by the blessings He has given me. So often living day to day, changing diapers, having little to no adult contact and struggling to buy food to put on the table, I forget that where I am in my life is not a burden-but a privilege and a gift.
About two hours later, the only thing I can call it is the Holy Spirit's discernment, but I got the feeling that I might be pregnant. I took a test and it confirmed what I already knew-we are going to have another baby! I cried out in joy. I knew the Lord had a plan and purpose for this little one He was creating. He loves me and knows me well enough, that He prepared my heart and opened my eyes before revealing the news. Had He not prepared me that morning, I probably would not have cried out in joy! I would have turned it into a pity party-how am I going to provide for another child? How can I homeschool with all these small children at my feet? How will there be room in my house for another baby?
What a wonderful God we serve! He knows what will happen an hour from now and He is always preparing us for what is to come. But we must do our part. How different my day would have been if I hadn't done my Bible study that morning! I could have easily slept in or wasted my free time away on some web site. By opening His word and opening my mind to the Holy Spirit, I was able to hear His message to my heart. I only wish I could remember that lesson everyday! Get up, spend time with Him and your heart will be open to His guidance all day long, sounds so simple doesn't it?
After finding out, I started praying for my husband. He was already having a stressful week at work and I never want to add to his stress. I knew we both wanted one or two more children, but we were wanting to wait about a year or so before trying. He was very adamant about having our almost three year old totally potty trained before adding another child in diapers! I prayed all morning that the Lord would show me when to tell him and how to share with him my news.
He came home for lunch that day, like he usually does. After we were finished eating, our three children were running in circles around our house and my husband would tickle them as they ran by. He grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and said, "Marion, I am so glad I get to come home to you and the kids everyday for lunch. It makes my day so much better, knowing I have yall to come home too!" I smiled, knew that was God's cue and said, "Well, you want me to tell you a secret?" He got a 'deer caught in the headlights' look on his face and then I said, "You're going to have a fourth blessing to come home to everyday!" After the shock wore off, he wrapped me in his arms and told me how excited he was. Then he proceeded to grab our 16 month old and tell him that he was going to be a big brother! He knew Will could keep our secret!
Tomorrow I go to the doctor for the first time. The funny thing is, I just went the beginning of August for a routine check up and my doctor told me that I probably would not be able to conceive a baby for about a year, due to different reasons! Two weeks later, I took that positive pregnancy test! Just goes to show you that God has a plan that our minds cannot conceive. We can make all the plans in the world, but in the end, His ways will come to pass! How much easier our lives will be if we will only take that time to walk with Him, to look around and praise Him for all the many blessing in our lives. It is so easy to see the cup as half empty instead of half full. Don't miss His best for your life just because you are trying to do things your way, in your timing. His plan is so much greater than your wildest imagination!
I turned off the television, sat in silence and reflected on what I had read about in Psalms that morning. There are so many praises to God for His wondrous creation and for all the things that we so often take for granted in our lives. I closed my eyes and praised the King of Kings for my womb, for the ability to have children. It is something I have taken for granted, seen it even as a burden at some points in my life. I thanked Him for my own sweet children and for a wonderful husband I can share my life with. I felt so overwhelmed by the blessings He has given me. So often living day to day, changing diapers, having little to no adult contact and struggling to buy food to put on the table, I forget that where I am in my life is not a burden-but a privilege and a gift.
About two hours later, the only thing I can call it is the Holy Spirit's discernment, but I got the feeling that I might be pregnant. I took a test and it confirmed what I already knew-we are going to have another baby! I cried out in joy. I knew the Lord had a plan and purpose for this little one He was creating. He loves me and knows me well enough, that He prepared my heart and opened my eyes before revealing the news. Had He not prepared me that morning, I probably would not have cried out in joy! I would have turned it into a pity party-how am I going to provide for another child? How can I homeschool with all these small children at my feet? How will there be room in my house for another baby?
What a wonderful God we serve! He knows what will happen an hour from now and He is always preparing us for what is to come. But we must do our part. How different my day would have been if I hadn't done my Bible study that morning! I could have easily slept in or wasted my free time away on some web site. By opening His word and opening my mind to the Holy Spirit, I was able to hear His message to my heart. I only wish I could remember that lesson everyday! Get up, spend time with Him and your heart will be open to His guidance all day long, sounds so simple doesn't it?
After finding out, I started praying for my husband. He was already having a stressful week at work and I never want to add to his stress. I knew we both wanted one or two more children, but we were wanting to wait about a year or so before trying. He was very adamant about having our almost three year old totally potty trained before adding another child in diapers! I prayed all morning that the Lord would show me when to tell him and how to share with him my news.
He came home for lunch that day, like he usually does. After we were finished eating, our three children were running in circles around our house and my husband would tickle them as they ran by. He grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and said, "Marion, I am so glad I get to come home to you and the kids everyday for lunch. It makes my day so much better, knowing I have yall to come home too!" I smiled, knew that was God's cue and said, "Well, you want me to tell you a secret?" He got a 'deer caught in the headlights' look on his face and then I said, "You're going to have a fourth blessing to come home to everyday!" After the shock wore off, he wrapped me in his arms and told me how excited he was. Then he proceeded to grab our 16 month old and tell him that he was going to be a big brother! He knew Will could keep our secret!
Tomorrow I go to the doctor for the first time. The funny thing is, I just went the beginning of August for a routine check up and my doctor told me that I probably would not be able to conceive a baby for about a year, due to different reasons! Two weeks later, I took that positive pregnancy test! Just goes to show you that God has a plan that our minds cannot conceive. We can make all the plans in the world, but in the end, His ways will come to pass! How much easier our lives will be if we will only take that time to walk with Him, to look around and praise Him for all the many blessing in our lives. It is so easy to see the cup as half empty instead of half full. Don't miss His best for your life just because you are trying to do things your way, in your timing. His plan is so much greater than your wildest imagination!
"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.
My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, of Your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim Your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone.
Since my youth, O God, You have taught me,
and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds."
Psalms 71:14-17
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
To Revere Him
"The remarkable thing about fearing God,
is when you fear God you fear nothing else,
whereas if you do not fear God,
you fear everything else."
~Oswald Sanders
"Now all has been heard,
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man."
~Ecclesiastes 12:13
"Grant, O Lord, that I may
live in Your fear,
die in Your favor,
rest in Your peace,
rise in Your power,
and reign in Your glory."
~Archbishop William Laud,
beheaded in 1645
is when you fear God you fear nothing else,
whereas if you do not fear God,
you fear everything else."
~Oswald Sanders
"Now all has been heard,
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man."
~Ecclesiastes 12:13
"Grant, O Lord, that I may
live in Your fear,
die in Your favor,
rest in Your peace,
rise in Your power,
and reign in Your glory."
~Archbishop William Laud,
beheaded in 1645
Monday, September 15, 2008
Three Simple Truths
Sooo...it's has indeed been a while, a long while. Thank you to those who emailed to check up on me! To say my life has gotten busy would be an understatement. So many things are going on right now that there are not enough hours in the day to do it all. I'm sure there's not one person reading this who can't sympathize! That's just the way life feels doesn't it? Go, go go.
Last week my family and I took a break from all the going and spent a week at Myrtle Beach. The week leading up to our trip, I was anxious about all the hurricanes that were supposed to
head that way. I worried that we would drive the 8 to 9 hours to get there, only to have to turn around and come home. My husband kept telling me that even if we only got one or two days of sunshine, it would be worth the trip and it would be a blessing. I had to make myself take on that attitude. Well, we not only had one or two days, but everyday we were there was full of beautiful sunshine. The neat thing was, when it did rain, it seemed to be at all the perfect times when we were finished at the beach.
There was one late afternoon that I will never forget. We were sitting on the beach and if I
looked over my right shoulder, there was blinding sunlight. I couldn't see far, even with sunglasses because it was so bright. Yet, if I looked over my left shoulder, it was blackness. You could see the dark clouds and rain in the distance, moving across the water. We sat there watching the two extremes of nature collide until we saw lightening and heard thunder. I thought to myself, I wonder if this is what it looks like everyday when morning meets night. One extreme leaves as the darkness fades and another starts as the light begins a new day.
Every year at the beach, I seem to have some big
"wow" moment with the Lord. It might be an incredible sunrise that I know He placed just for me. It could be a starfish or a sand dollar put right in my path. Whatever it is, I feel chill bumps from the thrill, yet a warmness of His incredible touch. This year even though we did find starfish and many other of God's amazing creatures, I never got those bumps. It was as if I took for granted all those gifts He gave. I sat on the beach one afternoon while my husband and children played in the water. I kicked the soft sand around with my feet and the well known verse popped into my head, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you." (Psalms 139:17-18).
I looked at all those infinite grains of sand just at my feet and I couldn't help but ask, "Lord how is it possible to think about me that many times?" It was as if a calm, loving voice whispered into my ear, "Marion, what characteristics of Me did you just teach your daughter?" My mind was brought back to the prior week where in school we discussed how God is Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and lastly, Omnipresent (existing everywhere all at the same time; always present). I had to smile. How could He not think of me when He is always with me? In human terms, you are always aware of what the person next to you is doing.
I couldn't help but examine my own life. How often am I aware of His presence? How often do my thoughts throughout the day go to Him for advice and help? How
many things do I miss that He is trying to show me?
This week in my ladies Bible study we are studying the book of Ecclesiastes. This has always been one of my favorite books. It might be because it was the first book of the Bible my husband and I ever studied together. It could be because of the wisdom and the reminder that God wants so much for us to enjoy the life He has given us. Whatever the reason, the last verse of the book just reiterated all I had been feeling. It says, "For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing,
whether good or evil." (Ecc. 12:14) Basically what that means is, we should live our lives, moment by moment, like we are living in the presence of God...because we are, whether we realize it or not.
There were a few times at the condo where the kids would be fighting or my daughter would be yelling at her brother to stop doing something. I would go and softly say, "Stop talking like that. The lady that lives next door might hear you. Be nice!" My daughter would instantly change her tone of voice and include words like "please" and "thank you". It almost made me laugh! How different we would live our lives if we were not just worried about what the neighbors might overhear, but what God does hear!
Last week my family and I took a break from all the going and spent a week at Myrtle Beach. The week leading up to our trip, I was anxious about all the hurricanes that were supposed to
head that way. I worried that we would drive the 8 to 9 hours to get there, only to have to turn around and come home. My husband kept telling me that even if we only got one or two days of sunshine, it would be worth the trip and it would be a blessing. I had to make myself take on that attitude. Well, we not only had one or two days, but everyday we were there was full of beautiful sunshine. The neat thing was, when it did rain, it seemed to be at all the perfect times when we were finished at the beach.There was one late afternoon that I will never forget. We were sitting on the beach and if I
looked over my right shoulder, there was blinding sunlight. I couldn't see far, even with sunglasses because it was so bright. Yet, if I looked over my left shoulder, it was blackness. You could see the dark clouds and rain in the distance, moving across the water. We sat there watching the two extremes of nature collide until we saw lightening and heard thunder. I thought to myself, I wonder if this is what it looks like everyday when morning meets night. One extreme leaves as the darkness fades and another starts as the light begins a new day.Every year at the beach, I seem to have some big
"wow" moment with the Lord. It might be an incredible sunrise that I know He placed just for me. It could be a starfish or a sand dollar put right in my path. Whatever it is, I feel chill bumps from the thrill, yet a warmness of His incredible touch. This year even though we did find starfish and many other of God's amazing creatures, I never got those bumps. It was as if I took for granted all those gifts He gave. I sat on the beach one afternoon while my husband and children played in the water. I kicked the soft sand around with my feet and the well known verse popped into my head, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you." (Psalms 139:17-18).I looked at all those infinite grains of sand just at my feet and I couldn't help but ask, "Lord how is it possible to think about me that many times?" It was as if a calm, loving voice whispered into my ear, "Marion, what characteristics of Me did you just teach your daughter?" My mind was brought back to the prior week where in school we discussed how God is Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and lastly, Omnipresent (existing everywhere all at the same time; always present). I had to smile. How could He not think of me when He is always with me? In human terms, you are always aware of what the person next to you is doing.
I couldn't help but examine my own life. How often am I aware of His presence? How often do my thoughts throughout the day go to Him for advice and help? How
many things do I miss that He is trying to show me?This week in my ladies Bible study we are studying the book of Ecclesiastes. This has always been one of my favorite books. It might be because it was the first book of the Bible my husband and I ever studied together. It could be because of the wisdom and the reminder that God wants so much for us to enjoy the life He has given us. Whatever the reason, the last verse of the book just reiterated all I had been feeling. It says, "For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing,
whether good or evil." (Ecc. 12:14) Basically what that means is, we should live our lives, moment by moment, like we are living in the presence of God...because we are, whether we realize it or not.There were a few times at the condo where the kids would be fighting or my daughter would be yelling at her brother to stop doing something. I would go and softly say, "Stop talking like that. The lady that lives next door might hear you. Be nice!" My daughter would instantly change her tone of voice and include words like "please" and "thank you". It almost made me laugh! How different we would live our lives if we were not just worried about what the neighbors might overhear, but what God does hear!
He is all knowing, all powerful and always near your side. No problem is too great for Him to fix, no secret can be hidden from Him and you are never, ever alone. What a difference that makes in my life!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Flying Solo
My sister Kelsey wrote my daughter a letter today. At the bottom of the card it said, "Cool Bible Verse: My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress. I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2
It's funny how sometimes you do things and you never know just how much of an impact it will have. I'm sure Kelsey just added that at the bottom of the page and didn't think much about it. I have to tell you, it blessed me. Lately I feel so tired and so behind in everything. My house needs to be cleaned, I have articles I need to submit, I'm behind in my Bible Study, I have many unfinished posts for this blog; on and on my list could go. I feel like I'm struggling to keep my head above water at times. This verse sums up what my focus should be...and what it hasn't been these past few days. With Him as my Rock and my salvation, I should not be shaken. Most importantly, if I can only find rest in Him alone, maybe there's a reason I feel so restless.
The past week and a half, my husband has been leaving for work really early and hasn't been able to come home for lunch like usual. Instead of getting up and reading my Bible, I've been getting up, sipping coffee and spending time with him. I justify it, as my only time to see him until dinnertime. I have enjoyed our time watching the news and having conversation without children interrupting. But, my patience and my resolve has suffered too. I haven't been doing anything wrong by spending that time with the one I love, but I should also be making time for the other One I love too. It is simply not enough for me to just pray throughout my day. When I go a few days without reading His Word and spending that quiet time in prayer, my whole life suffers. My resolve is weakened and I can't fight back the enemy. I wonder why I am so tired until I realize it's because I've been fighting an army all day long-all my myself. I've been trying to handle situations and worry and change things that I cannot; things I need to give over to Him and quit doing it all. It amazes me how He'll open my eyes to my mistakes, to the real reality of what's going on...and how He'll embrace me and let me start all over again tomorrow. Grace, grace, marvelous grace...
It's funny how sometimes you do things and you never know just how much of an impact it will have. I'm sure Kelsey just added that at the bottom of the page and didn't think much about it. I have to tell you, it blessed me. Lately I feel so tired and so behind in everything. My house needs to be cleaned, I have articles I need to submit, I'm behind in my Bible Study, I have many unfinished posts for this blog; on and on my list could go. I feel like I'm struggling to keep my head above water at times. This verse sums up what my focus should be...and what it hasn't been these past few days. With Him as my Rock and my salvation, I should not be shaken. Most importantly, if I can only find rest in Him alone, maybe there's a reason I feel so restless.
The past week and a half, my husband has been leaving for work really early and hasn't been able to come home for lunch like usual. Instead of getting up and reading my Bible, I've been getting up, sipping coffee and spending time with him. I justify it, as my only time to see him until dinnertime. I have enjoyed our time watching the news and having conversation without children interrupting. But, my patience and my resolve has suffered too. I haven't been doing anything wrong by spending that time with the one I love, but I should also be making time for the other One I love too. It is simply not enough for me to just pray throughout my day. When I go a few days without reading His Word and spending that quiet time in prayer, my whole life suffers. My resolve is weakened and I can't fight back the enemy. I wonder why I am so tired until I realize it's because I've been fighting an army all day long-all my myself. I've been trying to handle situations and worry and change things that I cannot; things I need to give over to Him and quit doing it all. It amazes me how He'll open my eyes to my mistakes, to the real reality of what's going on...and how He'll embrace me and let me start all over again tomorrow. Grace, grace, marvelous grace...
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