Seek the Lord Sunday

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done." Psalm 105:1



I don't get the time, actually I am going to rephrase this.... I actually have not taken the time to participate in this, so many blogs that I read have spoken to me through their writer's and I don't feel that I have anything to share. Tonight I actually came to my blog to write about something that happened today and decided to go visit a blog I read regularly, the author of Seek the Lord Sunday http://www.calledblessed.com/ to thank her for a breast-feeding bracelet she made for my cousin. That story will come after my first story. Anyway, I saw Daquiri's topic for STLS today and felt it so appropriate.

My son Josh is working on an achievement for his cub scouts, a Religious knot. About 5 other boys were working on this with him and I was in charge of ordering the medals and patch's, etc. There are two phases to this program and about 3 years ago when we did the first phase I had ordered these things for a bunch of boys and one boy's mother never paid me so I never gave him his medal, etc. I have run across these items many many times over the last 3 years and kept putting them one place or another knowing some day I would need them for the 2nd phase. Well now is the time when I need them and I spent some time last weekend looking through my office closet, quickly as I was sick and didn't have the energy to do more than that. Never found it. Went through every place in my office, over this last week, that I thought it could be. I could see these items in the little box so I knew exactly what I was looking for.... only I didn't find it.

Yesterday morning I prayed that I would find these lost items, please God show me where they are. So this weekend I decided to take every box out of my office closet and go through them all box by box, item by item and find it, it had to be here. Only it wasn't. I just resigned myself that I would have to purchase these medals again. Ok, so on to the other chores that needed to be done. I have been sick for exactly 3 weeks and my house is just a horrible mess, where to start? Can you believe I decided to take my mattress off my bed, take the bedskirt off and hem it? It has been ripped for forever, but really why in the world did I feel that I needed to do that today when there are so many things to be done in plain sight of unexpected visitors? Do you know why? Because as I was looking through my sewing box for a pair of scissors I found the medals and patches in my sewing box. Can you believe it? My first thought was.... WOW! I know that God's hands are all over this. This is all God because I only have a very, very vague memory of even putting them in there, why would I think that I would remember they were there. And I have been in that sewing box a dozen times in recent months and never remember seeing them.

So I called on the Lord's name, I am giving Him great Thanks and I am sharing with the nations the POWER OF PRAYER.

I praise myself on being the "Queen finder of lost things in my home" but really I need to give that praise to our Father who always assists me when I am in need of finding my lost item.

And just because I am so incredibly thankful and in great Awe of our Father in Heaven this wonderful Sunday November 23rd. I have to share some wonderful news! I have a very small family. It is me and my brother. My mom has 1 sister and she has 2 daughters. It is just us. My 2 cousins are the sweetest, most God-loving people, people-loving people I have ever met. These 2 sisters have had difficulty getting pregnant. Jennifir had her baby boy almost 3 years ago after 7 +/- years of trying and during that time her sister Jina had the same difficulties. My beautiful sweet cousin Jina, after also 7 +/- years had her baby girl on Saturday night November 22nd at 11:29 pm. This little girl was born to the most amazing mother and father, she will never want for Love, she is here for all of us, we all wanted her for Jina and Mike and now they have her. A beautiful healthy little Lyla Grace. Daquiri, if you read this, your bracelet arrived the day before she went into labor. YIPPEE. Anyway, I am in awe of God and his works and his plans and while all of these years we have all wondered why won't you give Jina and Mike a baby, what is your plan for them? Right now it really doesn't matter because His plan was for them to have Lyla and now that she is here that is so clear.

I just want a nap!

Well, taking a nap didn't work out so well. :pout I layed down, had no trouble falling asleep and 10 min later the doorbell rang... mr. postman delivering a football photo button on the boys. I went straight back to bed and 20 minutes later my mom called. I talked to her for 5 minutes about getting Courtney a dollhouse for Christmas and fell right back to sleep. The phone rang 5 minutes later. My MIL was offering ot bring me some Wendy's chilie. :yum: OK. So, I got up, started straightening things up a bit and John called checking on me and was on the phone with him for about 2 minutes and the doorbell rang again. My friend Linda came over to drop off money for boy scout popcorn that she bought and see's candy fundraiser money which we will be putting towards Josh's sacramento field trip. She didn't stay. And then my MIL got here about 5 minutes after that with my chili. Seriously, grand central station and all I want is a nap for a sick momma who was up all night long coughing so hard her ribs hurt.

I did call and ask the doc to call me in a Rx for cough syrup with codeine.

So, no nap for me today, or not much of one. I need to get the kids in an hour and then there will really be no hope for a nap.

Forgiveness

We once again had to miss church due to a football game. This time though, we took a bible and a devotion book and did a devotion on the way to Josh's game. Luke read the scripture, Josh read the devotion. The devotion that was randomly chosen was on forgiveness. What a timely topic for our family right now. With all the busyness of the football season, we have all been edgy, all 5 of us. Doesn't make for a happy home. I reminded everyone that as Jesus hung on the cross with nails driven into his body he said "forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do." I think we all sat there with our jaws on the ground, in silence, wondering how Jesus could ask for forgiveness for those men in teh midst of such agony. And then we could only say Wow! Then we spent a little time talking with the kids about times where they did not think they could forgive someone for what they had done and how the devotion suggested kindness is the cure for hatred.

That afternoon, out of the blue, Luke asked Josh and Courtney if they wanted to play a game with him. They always ask and he always says no. They have left the game board up now for 4 days waiting for the next free moment where they can play together.

God is so good to give us what we need from scripture.

Christmas from the kids

This idea has been working in my heart for about the last 3 years or so, but Josh and Courtney seemed too small to really participate, maybe I let the busyness of the holidays quash it for me, but no matter, this year we are doing it.

First I told the kids my idea. I want each of them to buy a gift for one of their siblings for Christmas and it won't be something that I pay for and it won't be something that I buy and say here pick out which of these you want to give. They liked the idea. So we drew names about a month ago. They decided that they didn't want to keep it a secret from each other, the sibling that they chose that is. So Luke is buying for Josh, Josh is buying for Courtney and Courntey is buying for Luke. Hmmmm I just realized that is oldest to youngest, right down the line and then back up again.

Anyway, then the thought was, how are you going to pay for your siblings gift? Luke and Josh said they already have money and Courtney was feeling pretty sad that she only had $7 save up and Luke was feeling pretty bad about that too. LOL They all started talking about what they wanted, giving eachother ideas and Courtney told Josh she wanted $20 so she could buy Luke a gift. LOL I told her I would help her pay for Luke's gift. But then my beautiful sweet little girl said to me, Mom I want to save recyclables to pay for Luke's gift. I couldn't believe my ears, what a sweet thing to come up with. So we have all been saving water bottles, cans, newspapers and at the end of the month we are going to take her recycleables down and she will collect her cash to pay for Luke's gift.

They have talked about this regularly, still sharing ideas, talking about when we would go shopping, wrapping the gifts, etc. And they all agree that this was the best idea I have ever come up with and why haven't we done this sooner?

I love my children, they are wonderful God-loving little people and I couldn't be more proud to have them to call mine.

Great is thy faithfulness

I just finished this wonderful book. I know it was a book, Karen Kingsbury has a way of bringing her stories to life. I just finished When Joy Came to Stay. If you have yet to read it, I will try not to spoil anything for you.

The story was about a little girl, 7 years old, raised in the foster care system. At one point in the story she was kidnapped and she kept telling her kidnapper that she was praying for him, she remember someone telling her that it is hard for people to be mean when you tell them you are praying for them, she was humming Jesus Loves Me and she told her captor that Jesus loved him.

What a wise little girl to have this understanding about faith in God's love for her, that whatever God's plan for her, she was not afraid. Again, I know this was just a story, but it stirred things in me. These are things in my life that I am just learning and believing and trying to live. These feelings bring peace and take away fear. Now it is just a matter of remembering this when you are in the middle of chaos and tension and stress. But it is getting easier and easier for me.

So if you like to read I strongly recommend you look in to Karen Kingsbury's extensive book list. I think I am almost caught up on everything she has written, I think I have 4-6 books left that must be older because I can't find them in the stores. Karen's books have helped my walk with building a relationship with God. When Joy Came to Stay would be an excellent place for you to start.

I'm Ready ...

For whatever God has planned for us after today. I do have this peace about our election day today. Luke and I talked about some propositions today, the first being YES on 8 to restore traditional marriage in California and the other being Yes on 4 requiring parental notification 48 hours prior to a minor having an abortion.

First Communion and 17 years

Josh had his first communion yesterday. What a special moment. He had his last class about 2 weeks ago and the pastor gave them a taste of the wine and wafer that is served at communion. He told me he didn't like the wine and I told him that when he is taking it for communion it doesn't taste bad and that nothing bad comes from God. Well, that didn't go over so well. There we sit, actually kneeling at the communion rail, between John and I and he takes a sip of the wine and stops and I whisper "finish it Josh" and so he takes a tiny sip and I tell him "Josh 1 big gulp and you'll be done" and he so he does and he gets this bitter look on his face. It made me giggle.

We had John's family over for lunch afterwards, they came about 11:15 and didn't leave until almost 4. I was so disappointed. It was our first Sunday off from football in 2 months and everyone just stayed. John was starting to get over a cold or something and I had gotten a sore throat that morning so neither of us were feeling good and everyone just stayed. It was our 17th anniversary and we didn't get to do anything. This was only the third time in 17 years that we didn't go away for our anniversary and we felt the let down. Oh well, I guess that is life.

So I wrote down on the attendance card, where it says those who communed today.... John, Marlayna, Luke and Josh. Wow!