Have to brag on my sis alittle bit......

You have to have to check out my sister's latest 3 posts. They are sooo good. One on family, one on seasons and the last one on mercy and grace.
Be encouraged, challenged and blessed!

I'm in a romance!!!

Tonight at transformations, the blogless one had an amazing revelation that greatly benefitted me! We were supposed to pray and ask God what lie we were believeing and what we needed to repent from. There was a guide for women, 3 things that women generally struggle with more than other things.
1. submission
2. romance
3. vanity
Well, I quickly ran through the list in my head and thought well, I'm not really any of those. I am in the process of renewing my mind as my body shape changes, but I know God is working on that one.....so I just kept praying.....
To my surprise, I am in desperate need to turn from romance!!!
Not in the way you are thinking. I am wholly devoted to my Joe with my mind body and spirit. But the kind of romance that the blogless one shared is one of EXPECTATIONS!
The romance of life. What I think in my head the way life should go. I picture in my head the way things should look. Here are a few examples:
-When I come home from coffee with a friend, I have in my brain that Joe should have at least done the dishes, read to the kids, brushed their teeth and so on.....
-We go swimming as a family and I have a picture in my head that we will have sooo much fun and that Joe is going to go down the slide a million times until they just can't take it anymore!
-It's our anniversary, and we just have moment after moment of meaningful, romantic, exciting conversation, planning our next year together and having some fun on the side (woo hoo!)
-Coming in the door and expecting all the shoes to be on the rack that I've so easily accessed for everyone
-Calling a friend 5 times and thinking that maybe this time it's THEIR turn to call ME back

What happens instead........
-come home from coffee, the house is a mess, the kids are running around super hyper, the dishes still on the table from supper, and Joe working on computers downstairs
-We go swimming as a familiy and Joe is so tired from the work week that he plants himself in the hotub and suggests that I take the kids on the waterslide.
-It's our anniversary and we are so tired from the hustle and bustle of life that we crash for the first day and the second day is spent trying to "make it good"
-Coming home, can't open the door.....shoes in the way.....have to kick my foot in sideways to open the door. Then after I GET in the door, there's 2 pairs of Joe's skiis...I mean, shoes (that takes up the whole entrance in itself) Boots, runners, and even coats on top of all the footwear!
-Realize that if I don't call that friend again, I may not talk to her.....

REALITY PEOPLE!
Someone said, "I no longer have any expectations of anyone anymore, not even my spouse or my kids!"
"well, isn't that UNHEALTHY?"
"doesn't that leave you open to abuse!?"
"who's going to hold them accountable??!"

Well, my fellow bloggers, Is God GOD or are you?
Cause I'm really getting weary here trying to keep control of all these people! I think it's time to let God do what he need to in these people. I really have realized that as long as I keep trying to be lord over life, It litterally holds these people in bondage!
How will Joe ever grow in character in serving his family if he's always trying to fulfill my romance???
How will my kids ever put their shoes away when they move out on their own when mom's wrath isn't there to force them???
How will we ever enjoy our anniversary's if I keep getting disappointed as soon as we get to the hotel??

Well, there you have it. I told Joe and he's quite excited to be free. (smirk) He told me that I will probably get tested in this!..........I know I will....... (groan)
But I am excited to see the fruit that will come from this act of obedience. I think it will be great peace and more than I can imagine for my family.....oh yeah, I'm supposed to stop trying to imagine!!! LOL

Reaping the fruit of righteousness and peace

Don't have time to blog much these days. Don't really have time right now....

Lots of stuff going through my spirit these days. God is faithful to continue on the good work. I've been spending alot more time with my kids in teaching them spiritual truths instead of academics. We've been spending time drawing out what the word is saying. In fact, right after I'm done this blog entry, we are off to paint Matthew chapter 7 on the wide and narrow gates. I am totally enjoying teaching them "the nuts and bolts" of christianity (as moose would say) It excites me to think that if they are learning this stuff at such an early age, just think of ALL they will posses as an adult!!!
I can see my character growing and changing by the power of the Holy spirit. I can't describe myself, becuase I don't really know who I am anymore! My old nature is truly dying and this new creation is kinda weird somtimes! I used to be up in the clouds for a day and then down in the dumps the day after. This steadyness is quite nice. I'm sure Joe appreciates it. I bet that the way I eat definitly has affected the physical changes in my mood swings. Being addicted to any substance causes serious physical cravings and withdrawls.
But not to take away from the spiritual changes!!!!!Just another addition to the reaping....

Joe continues to walk in leadership around here. He truly is amazing!
I have been called to a new and deeper level of commitment in my walk on SUnday. To step out and make disciples.....I am going to be discipling someone and that's been going through my head too. I am scared. But I know there is much to reap through this. To get rid of all fear is impossible, yet to replace unhealthy fears with a godly fear is where we need to be. This will stretch me I know, but I think I've jumped off this cliff enough to know with my spirit that "I will be FINE!"

Well, keep in touch all you hopers!
Love you family
Blessings

Meeting online people in person!

It was super funny and totally unexpected. I'm shopping for.....nevermind....I'm not going to say.....
anyway, I'm in walmart and this girl comes up to me and askes if I'm "carebear".....
She's from BC and visits my blog and recongnized me from the pictures I post! It was so cool! Her name is Tanya and has written some good stuff and has given me some wise advice. I asked her, "are you 'me, my thought and I'?"
To follow that, I introduced her to "livin forgiven" and "lighthouse forever" in person as well.
It was a cool blogger reunion!
Check out her comments of our meeting here!~

So good to meet you Tanya! I'll be visiting your blog more often!
Blessings

Happy anniversary!

So, those of you who don't know my husband Joe, you are missing out!!! BIG TIME!
I wanna take today to tell the world how great he is and how thankful I am that God gave him to me!


I was 16 years old and had just gotten out of drug rehab. On a mission to find some good clean, sober friends that were normal, I decided to go to a prayer group at my high school. I introduced myself to these "weird people" and told them I needed some friends that wouldn't go through my pockets while I was sleeping and only call me when I had something to share. After our meeting, this guy comes up to me with his phone number and says that he could offer me friendship and some clean fun......


Picture this:
A punk in combat boots, a hippie sixties dress and a half my head shaved.
A guy in prep "guess" jeans, his shirt tucked in, a race car that went REALLY FAST, that listened to "that fake dance music" (like, "I like to move it, move it)



He treated me like a queen. Open my doors for me, made me dinner (fake potatoes and fried homemade hamburgers) Gave me flowers, left notes in my locker, drove me ANYWHERE I wanted to go, whenever I wanted to go somewhere.
It wasn't long before we knew we were meant for eachother.
We did end up getting pregnant in our 9th month of dating....

I wanted to give up the baby for adoption. Joe had other plans. Even though he was super young (only 19), he was commited to me and the baby. He had an amazing faith that we would be okay if we got married and started our family alittle earlier. I wasn't convinced. I carried on, making adoption appointments, while he came and tried to convince me not to go through with it. Over and over, he asked me to marry him and start a family.
God filled me with a super natural faith and I said yes. Ever since that day, we always knew that we would be okay. No matter what. Only God knew what was on the otherside of the pregnancy......
a severely disabled child......


Our lives truly are a testimony to God's faithfulness! What Joe and I have been through and the fact that we are sooo in love, have happy kids and live to tell about God's love, says that God can take anyone's life and turn into something beautiful and fruitful.


I can't describe what it's been like to watch joe grow into a Godly man. Ever since the beginning of our marriage, he always had good intentions. His heart was always FOR his family. Growing togehter into learning how to be godly parents and godly spouses has been......eventful......to say the least!!!!
Our first years were filled with mounds of baggage. Sorting through bag after bag was not fun! Just when we thought that we were in the clear....BANG! Something new to work through. It was hard. But God has brought us to a beautiful place. There is peace in our home now. Storms still comes and knock off a few windows sometimes, but God has molded us into a useful vessel that can withstand the wind and rain.
I just wanted to share with y'all how much I appreciate him, love him and to say how proud I am of the man he is.
And the cool thing about all this, is that "this is the worst day of our lives!!!"
cause from this day on, we only get brighter and brighter!
To think that this is only the beginning.....that life just gets better, more abundant......
Glory!

follow through

a spiritual mother at church said to me, "YOU FOLLOW THROUGH...you do what you said you would do, you've commited to this, you show her that you won't ditch her or someone that's not to be trusted."

That's been echoing in my heart ever since then. You follow through. To the end, till it's done. Till you've put your whole heart into it and it's completed.
As a mom, I am seriously challenged with this often. I tell my kids their consequence and then out of ignorance or laziness or forgetfulness, they witness parents that don't follow through. That is NOT the heart of our God. One of my favorite verses these days is the promise that God will finish the work He started and carry on to COMPLETION. He won't give up on me.....ever. His love AND authority stay the same.
In my walk, I am starting to see the bigger picture (for once) of being a follower of Jesus. A sister in church cried out this calling in worship yesterday. "it's all for you Jesus! It's ALL for you! For your glory and your fame.... To take you to the lost world, to the broken hearted and the needy!"
I am tired of being fat! I am tired of feeding and feeding myself for selfish gain. So I can have peace, and joy so I can be free, so I can be happy, so I can prosper.....
you don't recieve because you ask with wrong motives.....so you can spend it on YOUR pleasures
Why do we want all those "blessings" from God?
Well, my heart is to ask to be blessed so that I can bless the hurting, the needy. To fulfull my calling, my awesome destiny! And you know, I don't seem to run dry when my heart is walking in those purposes. I'm not always tired or weary.
Following through means to show the world His faithfulness. Joe and I read the kids their bible story last night about moses and how he was called to go and set the Hebrews free. The word says that "God heard their cry and delivered them" through what means? Moses. God used the faithfulness of a son on earth to carry out to completion His deliverance for the people who were crying out.
I'm sure that after a few plagues, Moses wanted to pack it in. But he followed through and God got all the glory! And Moses got a million blessings beside!
Seek first His kingdom and then and then and then all those things will be added.
I've never up to this point been one to follow through. I usually just blamed it on my sanguine personality, which is a weakness of a sanguine, but I am made perfect in weakness halleluiah!!

I want to follow through in my marriage....everyday
follow through with my children.....everyday
follow through with my spiritual family....everyday
follow through with the world in need.....everyday

okay, now does that ever sound overwhelming
Good thing I can do it through grace and not human strength!!! Whew!!!
Then I won't be weary, but will renew my strength as I do it!!! Now isn't THAT the formula that everyone's been looking for!


What an amazing God we serve!
Praise you Jesus!

I'm pregnant!

Well, last week, I got up and looked in the mirror and said outloud to myself, "I'm pregnant" in a calm, yet very sure voice. I don't have any proof of this physically, but on this morning, I was totally convinced that I had a little life beginning to grow in my belly! I've been pregnant 4 times people....I know what it's like to "feel pregnant"
So later on I told Joe. We were in Walmart shopping and I said to him, "Joe, I'm pregnant" really calm and non chalantly. At first, he just laughed at me and then he looked at my face and realized that I was serious. That same look I gave him when I was pregnant with Faith. He got quiet and seemed to go into another world, in deep thought. It was cute.....:)
At the marriage teaching this weekend, we were taught about the God given roles of a man and a woman. It was such a blessing to hear and talk about our differences and how we make eachother complete! I was all full of joy thinking of how our LORD is so perfect and made it so fun at times on this walk! I love being married! And I ABSOULUTLY LOVE MY HUBBY! He is soooooo awesome....k, that's a rabbit trail for another time......
But in the teaching, Greg affirmed that the man is the seed sower and the woman is the nuturer and the one to give birth. and it is the job of our husbands to be sowing into our lives....LIFE! And that's exactly what Joe's been doing. He speaks into my life all the time! He leads and guides our family, He has direction and purpose....he has passion and conviction!
I am so blessed.

Anyway, God spoke to me in the midst of this and told me I'm pregnant.
"I know that already God...."
"No, my child, you are spiritually pregnant"
all of a sudden, I beamed up with this "pregnant glow" and passed Joe a note to tell him.
He writes me back, "so THAT"S why you've been nesting!"
totally!
I have been trying to get this house in order and really it's in line with that prophetic word about having lots of babies. spiritual and physical. I don't know if I'm physically pregnant or not....time will tell....but I know this is the time for our family to make spiritual babies!

Hee hee
threw you off heh?!
blessings!