Aug. 26, 2006 - Potty Training Trials...
I have 3 boys 
and then my little princess. 
My two oldest boys both potty trained at the age of 3 in one week night and day. My youngest prince charming at 3 1/2, again night and day. My mother told me "Oh your girl will potty train sooooo easily. You and your sister were both trained before you were two!"
What joy I had as The Little Princess in our house was approaching two. 
I thought "How nice this will be to have it all done in just a couple of months!"
HA! Well, it didn't go exactly like 'I' planned. Two came and went, then three 
and now we are four months away from 5 and we are still working on the day time thing (nights are mostly done). 
It is close, but we still need reminders.
You see, when I started this whole process, I was really good at reminding her for a week and then when she still wasn't getting it I just gave up for a couple of months. Then I would try again. This last Februrary I decided I would just be potty training FOREVER. I made up my mind that this would always be how it is until she gets it. I STOPPED putting a time frame on how long I thought it should take. Then I did one more thing I should have done from the beginning.
I recognized that with 3 older children and homeschooling them I didn't have the time to put towards her potty training that I did with my boys. So....I prayed 
...imagine that, prayer...lol. Well it worked! I asked God last February to speak to me throughout the day and remind me to remind her. I haven't one time remembered to remind her. However the Holy Spirit has.
Every time, out of nowhere, that little still small voice has said "Michaela needs to go potty" and I have sent her she has gone. Every time I haven't obeyed, she has had an accident within less than 5 minutes of my warning from the Holy Spirit.
So here is my encouragement for you, are you having potty training woes? Is your child truely ready for training, but not wanting to "grow up"? 
Stop now and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. He will and the Lord will remind you to tell your little one to go at just the right times. Take it from me though, follow thru to obey is VERY important if you don't want to clean up a mess. 
Jul. 16, 2006 - A Daddy's Heart
This week has been an amazingly emotional week. I have cried till I just didn't have any more tears to give and I still wasn't done. My poor dear husband own's his own business in the computer/IT industry. This is not a mom and pop shop, but an sub-contracting on-site services to small - medium sized busnesses. That means that if a server goes down then he must stay till it is back up again as the employees of that company cannot work if the server isn't up and running. So now, after that long explanation, you are probably wondering what this has to do with a Daddy's heart. Well this last week was a very long week for both my hubby and I as he had some very long hours. I was frustrated and getting depressed because I was having to "do it all on my own" and even the evenings when he left saying he would definately be home that night, SOMETHING somewhere went wrong. Then the one night he was able to make it home the poor thing just numbly and blindly led himself to bed and I think he really did fall asleep before getting there...
.
So as I said, I was feeling sorry for myself and a bit angry at the situation. I felt like the old Twylla Paris Song "The Warrior is a Child". I had laid down my sword and cried, but unlike the song I didn't do it at the Father's feet. In fact I hadn't been spending any time with the Father for a while. This week, Daddy put me on restriction from all relationships (except one very wise and sweet fellow TOGger and one actress) to remind me that He wanted me to draw closer to Him (thank you Gilda and Lisa Welchel for allowing Him to use your voices as my physical reminder when I was just staying clueless).
You see, as I begain seeking Him, my daddy showed me the places in my heart that He wanted to "hang" with me but I was still guarding them for fear of rejection and abandonment. I knew God loved me, I knew He was my heavenly Father, but my heart was afraid to find out these things as there had been abandonment in the past by my biological father, sister and brother. Though I do not remember my biological father abandoning our family, I vividly remember (esspecially my sister) my siblings abandonning our family. This was very hard as they had been my second parents since I was two and they were 11 and 12. They left once when I was 5, and again when 6, and my sister one last time when I was 7. My mom had become a christian and they didn't want anything to do with it. My mom now regrets how she handled it and says she would do it differently if she could do it all over again. I personally wouldn't choose to live it over again at all. It has effected my relationships with my mom, my step-dad, my husband, and mostly my Jesus. You see, I laid down my weapons of destruction and I was afraid to let Jesus love me. I knew He did, but I have been too scared to really know how much. I have stayed pretty dull to this emotionally and just been a STRONG WARRIOR! Infact, most people would know me as a fighter, not one to give up. You could even see this in my previous post here. But the my Daddy in heaven wanted me to see His heart for me and at this I was not a strong anything. On the contrary, I ran as fast as I could, for I knew that my love for Him was not equal to His for me. Nor had I earned His love or felt deserving of it. Isn't that how it is in human nature? We work hard and feel we should be able to earn a decent living from it. I wanted to work hard for Jesus and earn His love. I know I need His love and now after battling that depression and sending it away (to understand this more read my entry on "Freedom...Do you have it?") I have asked that the Lord would so graciously show me His love. That He would help me to accept it and know it in my heart not just my head. I must say that His love is GREAT! It is deep, gentle, sweet, joyful, concerning, His heart for me is bigger than I could ever imagine! His smile tells me He is a proud Daddy of His children, and I can feel His embrace.
Are there areas in your life that you isolate from Jesus? Are they just so ugly that you are telling Him "give me the chance to straighten up a little before I let you in here."
Do you have CHJOS (can't have Jesus over syndrom)? I would encourage you to use the four "R's" that I describe in "Freedom...Do you have it" and go to your Daddy and tell Him you are ready for His love to fill you up. Even if you are not sure that you are ready to be vulnerable with Him (that was my problem) do it anyway (I did so I know you can) and I will guarentee that He will be so gentle and loving that you will weep with joy and He will give you the ability to love Him back. You can not earn His love, it is a free gift (isn't it nice to know that God shares our love languages with us...). I urge you now to turn off your computer and go to Him now and lay down your sword at His feet and let Him wipe away your tears. He will and you will be the better for it. Oh, and those places you would just like to straighten up a bit before He comes to visit, it is MUCH easier, and more fun, with your Daddy's help.
Jul. 11, 2006 - They are growing up...
So today I left my boys home alone with the oldest for the first time. WOW! how scarry I felt and anxious to get home was I. They did just fine of course but the first time is always the scarriest, right???? I am sure that if you have been leaving your kids home alone with an older sybling for a while you are chuckling at me right now as it also brings back those memories for you too.
I wonder if the mama birds get a bit nervious when it is time to teach those youngin's to fly? Do they get a bit scared that they will fall straight to the ground and break a wing or something worse? I am sure we are the only creatures in God's beautiful creation who have these feelings. I am frightened to let go but excited at the same time.
Lord, help me not to tighten the reigns too tight but also at the same time not to dish out more than what they are really capable and mature enough to handle.
Jun. 30, 2006 - Freedom...Do you have it?
Some may answer that question with "Well of course!
I live in
What are your scorpions? What are your snakes? What areas that you know you
should be a victor in that you feel you are not conquering? Is it anger? Or
maybe passivity? maybe you struggle with apathy? Or fear? What ever it is Jesus
said He has made you MORE than a conqueror. You are victorious in Him. Here are
some tools that might come in handy in the war zone. They are gifts given to us
at the time of our spiritual birth, yet so many of us are either unaware of
them or we know they are tools but are unsure as to how use them. Or what to
use them for. I liken it to having given a tool box and either never opening it
so you don't even know what is in there or opening it but never getting
instructions on how to use what is in there. Therefore you grab a wrench to hammer
in a nail. Although it might do the job, working under grace, it may not be the
best tool to do the job and it doesn't always work well. Also it is VERY
important for you to speak out loud, yes out loud, these things as the enemy
cannot read your mind and he must know that you mean to evict him today. You
must let him know that you are NOT his playground any longer. Also there is
awesome power in the spoken word; I think we have all witnessed this before.
How many times has praise from your mouth motivated your husband or child to do
something that nothing else has? Or just the opposite how many times out of
anger or frustration have you said something that you didn't really mean but
now you cannot take it back and it takes time and work to make things right
again? Well then, there is my point with the spoken word. Show the enemy you
mean business and God too. What is spoken aloud is a commitment, what if we
never "spoke" our wedding vows? How would anyone know that we really
meant what we thought? Even your fiancι wouldn't be sure, would you if your fiancι
only thought their vows on your wedding day? God wants to know your commitment
to Him.
Here is the first tool
Repent - Ask God to forgive you of your sin of fear, anger, apathy, passivity, depression,
etc. Did I say depression? Yes, I too have dealt with this and it was hard to
understand how it was a sin. Well let me explain. It wasn't depression itself
so much that was the sin as the fact I was allowing it (yes it is a spirit that
was hovering and influencing me) to control my attitude and life. I asked God
to forgive me for allowing the enemy in this area. Now before someone gets
angry at me let me also explain that there can be physical causes of depression
and you must ask the Lord to speak to you about whether you are struggling with
this physically (hormonal imbalance or otherwise) or whether it is spiritual.
Don't just take the easy way out however; if God is truly telling you that it
is spiritual be willing to get into the fight. Remember that where you are weak
God's strength is able to shine the most. Fighting a war is not fun to most
people, but it is crucial to the Christian.
Your next tool is...
Rebuke - Tell the enemy (fear, depression, etc) that you have had it with him.
Serve notice on him today. Let him know that you know the power that is within
you is greater than he. Remind him that Jesus has given you all authority over
the enemy and you will no longer let him play you like a set of chess pieces.
Tell him he is through and send him to the foot of the cross to await his judgment.
Do this by the power and authority that is invested in you by the blood of
Christ Jesus your Lord and Savior!
Third tool...
Receive - This can be the toughest for some. Receive God's forgiveness. You
have been forgiven and now you must forgive yourself to seal it.
Last but not least, infact I would say this one is extremely important...
Replace - Jesus spoke of the house that the 'bad guys' come in and wreak havoc
then when made to leave come back to check on the house only to see it has not
had anything to replace what was there and then they bring in 7 times what was
there to begin with. Well, the enemy sometimes leaves and lets us alone without
much fight because he knows if he just lays low for a while he can come back
with 7 of his friends and make it more miserable for us than ever. All because
we forgot to replace him. Now that your 'house' is cleaned up, replace that
fear with love, power and a sound mind. Replace that apathy with a boldness to
be not only an example but to speak the truth where ever you are. Replace depression
with the Joy of the Lord till it overflows like a mighty river to everyone
around. Replace passivity with a determination to accomplish what God has given
to you to do and not to give up because it seems like it may be too difficult
or others may oppose you.
Be blessed my sisters and brothers in the Lord. Put on the full armor of God.
Take the gifts He has given you and take out the enemy. Take back the territory
that the enemy has stolen and give it back to the Lord ten times fold! Hold the
Lord's standard high and let the enemy know that you mean business and won't
stand down!
Jun. 8, 2006 - Self serving or Servant??? Which one are you?
I ordered and have been reading Managers of Their Chores. A
key verse given is in Matt. where Jesus takes the roll of a servant and washes
the feet of His disciples. I hadn't realized that He not only took on a
position of humility but one that was the lowest of the low. The servant that
washed the feet of guests wasn't seen just as a low class piece of dirt to
others but as the scum at the bottom of the bucket of mud. They were the least
of the least. WOW! Then Jesus proceeds to command His disciples to be just like
Himself, just as He served them so they should serve one another.
So here I am a woman who as a child was taught and expected to do chores. And
yet I hated doing them in my own home and consistently condemning myself for
not taking care of my own home. I hated washing dishes, vacuumed, and heaven
forbid I should have to iron. Managers of Their Chores showed me how though I
was taught to do chores the fact that everyone else sat around and watched T.V.
while I made dinner and cleaned up after dinner alone made me resent the very
thing that the Lord wanted me to see was a blessing and service to my Lord
Jesus and family. I have since repented of my attitude and now have a different
out look. I am still working on our Chore Packs and I too will be wearing one.
I will NOT be exempt, as my children and I learn to be servants and not self
serving. We will learn to be goal oriented, but
May. 17, 2006 - Fun, Fun, Fun!
So my 10 year old son just started his blog tonight (check him out at www.homeschoolblogger.com/InlovewithJesus100) and he descovered something I hadn't seen yet so now I will have fun with it...lol. How I feel after winning an auction on ebay for curriculum that I would have paid $86 for new and only paid $6.50.
What I hate doing most and need to be doing now...lol.
What my boys do ever too often IN the house.
What I am sure my children hear when teaching them a subject they just don't like...lol.
What I need with my Dear Hubby right now, but will have to wait till next Thursday night.
How I feel when I look at myself first thing in the morning...lol.
The other thing I hate doing that desprately needs doing...lol. What I need most right now.
May. 17, 2006 - Who is your deliverer?
Have you ever wondered why when the Ark of the Lord was being moved by David that "...the anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark" (1 Chronicles 13:10)? I have often wondered "Lord, what did Uzza do to deserve to die? Why didn't you strike David with leporsy or some other desease? This surely would have gotton David's attention. After all, Lord, wasn't Uzza just following what the 'King' was telling him to do? Wasn't his motive right?" Then today I also read Ps. 60 and when I got to verses 11 & 12 I realized what had happened.
First let me back up to 1 Chron. 13, you see in my study of this I have come to know that Uzza was from the tribe of Levi. He had the responsibility for the tabernacle and its contents including the ark. In fact the ark had rested in the house of his father, Abinadab, for 20 years. Uzza knew better, or should have known better. I think Uzza may have been caught up in the excitement of being one of the men chosen to transport this very important artifact back to Israel. As well as being in the processional with the new and very admired and popular King David. Ps 60:11-12 says this,"O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries." Now you might be wondering why I am using a pre-war like psalm, asking me"'Uh, don't you know this has to do with them just going out to war?" and yes I do realize that but there was a more important message here. You see the part that says "for deliverance by man is in vain." implies that one who puts his trust and faith in a man (or himself) is doing so in vain. Uzza, who I am sure knew that was the wrong way to carry the ark put his trust and faith in the new King David. He laid aside all that he knew in the excitement of the victorious David becoming king and now bringing home this important part of the worship of Israel. Uzza forgot to check with God first, just as David had forgotten to check with God. It was a given that the ark should come home, but unlike David to do so he forgot to ask God how. I am sure it all could have been avoided. In this case they all were just trusting in themselves and King David for their victory and only "through God we shall do valiantly." Is there an area of your life that you figure "If I just do it and get it under controll, god will be so proud of my victory"? I have learned that in my own strength (for that is trusting in man - myself - rather than on God) that I do it all in vain. I do not gain victory over anger, selfishness, entitlements, pride, or any sin for that matter in my strength. It is only through the Lord God Almighty, who sent His son Jesus to this earth to die for my sin. It is only thorugh the blood of Christ Jesus my Lord. It is only when I choose to accept that fact, receive it as my destiny and use the tools that He has given me (Repentance, Receiving forgiveness, Rebuking the enemy, and asking the Holy Spirit to Replace it with the Character of God that is opposit to what I was displaying) that I then have victory thorugh God (alone). With out Him I am nothing and with Him I can ride with my shoulders back, my chin up and His banner raised high in VICTORY!!!!!
May. 14, 2006 - FLOWERS OR WEEDS?????
Last evening, as I was pulling the nearly dead forget me nots in my flower bed the Lord spoke to me. He said "you know those Forget Me Nots sure were pretty when they first came up. It was like a blanket of blue out here." You see, the Forget Me Nots that I had last year I allowed to go to seed and well the seeds scattered EVERYWHERE. the entire front yard flower bed was a mini field of them. I didn't reply but simply smiled. This last year has been very difficult on me physically. My body just wasn't doing well. I had symptoms of a hypothyroid problems but the Dr. said "No, all the tests say you are fine." Then, I begain to think maybe a chronic fatigue syndrom? However when the muscle pain begain I had settled myself to believe I might be dealing with Fybromyalsia. I knew nothing could be done and so I just slipped deeper and deeper into a foggy minded, overwhelmed, and totally exhausted life style. I did very little. Only about 2 maybe three times in the last year did I have the energy to even try and when I did I would pay for about 3 days after ward, with a worse fatigue and pain than I felt before. I tell you this to tell you that because of this sickness, I just let the flowers in my yard do their own thing. I let them all go to seed with out any "guidance" from me. As I said before they looked pretty, like a feild of "wild" flowers. As I continued to pull them up the Lord then said "Look at the beautiful ground cover they were hiding. Now everyone can see it." I have this pretty green ground cover that blooms little blue star like flowers, however the flowers stay pretty low to the ground so they were burried deep within the Forget Me Nots. Again, I said nothing, I just smiled to myself. After a few minutes the Lord said "I want to do this in you." I paused, "Lord? What do you mean?" He answered, "You see Patty, there are flowers in your life that look beautiful and are producing fruit, but they have grow too many and with out my guidance." "Oh," I sighed. The Lord continued, "I want to pull them before they go to seed again and become more like weeds. I want to dig some of them up and transplant them in different areas of your heart. I want what is deep under neath to be seen. Those little things hiding way down in there. I planted those things as the ground cover, not the flowers shooting up so high that over shadown them. I want the ground cover to be seen for what it is and not covered up any more." I reflected on how some of the things in my life, my schedule esspecially had become "overgrown" like weeds. They still flurished but God wanted to do other things. Things He had planted long ago and have begun to bloom and do the job that they are supposed to do have gone unnoticed by me because I have been to busy with over seeding the soil of my heart.
You see, I have learned that plants that grow naturally in an area are considered a weed there. They may be pretty and easy to cultivate but they are, or can become weed like plants. Sometimes, God will ask us to pull those up and cultivate our hearts for a new transplant. Maybe it would be that He wants us to free up our schedule to be more available to minister to our neighbors, or to have more time to help the needy at church. You know the elderly that can't mow their yard anymore or weed their flower beds?
The Lord knows what He wants pulled and what it is that is to be allowed more Sonlight and (word) Water, so that it can grow. I know that when He is ready (or more like when I am ready...*smile*) to show me He will tell me. In the mean time, I patiently wait asking God about each area "Is this a flower, Lord, or is it a weed?"
Apr. 24, 2006 - How did I see God Today????
Today I was asked where I saw God. Here is my reply
Today I saw God in the Sun,
in my children playing and having fun.
Today I heard God in the air,
the song of the birds, sweet and fair.
Today I see God in me,
as I think of His son's arms stretched across the rugged tree.
Today I see God in simple things,
Unparalled freedom in my King.
Today I hope you see God in you,
for He sees you through the eyes of His son.
He longs for you to spend time with Him,
So He can show you Himself in the warm rays of the sun.
In the simple of things in life all around,
from the sky up above,
to the earth on the ground.
To the sweet little smile on a child's face,
to the crowded, noisey or desolate place.
If you look for Him, His word says you'll find,
His love, His life, His character and mind.
Listen to your heart,
It's a great place to start.
Talk to Him, just pray,
and you'll find Him today.
Apr. 14, 2006 - The Sweetest things...
The sweetest things in life are the ones we take for granted.
Like an unexpected hug and an "I love you mommy" from your
kids.The child who wakens just before you head to bed asking
you to "Rock-a-you?" needing to cuddle. A bird perched on a
top tree branch bathing in the rain. A child handing you their
nature notebook because you don't have one of your own yet
and allowing you to draw that bird and make up a poem about it
in "their" book. Then that same child being so proud of what
you did in "their" book that they show it off to anyone who will
pay attention. Who would have thought that to be such a
special blessing to someone? Not I.
The sweetest things in life are time alone in the quiet hours of
the morning or late hours of the night when everyone else is in
bed. It is then that the voice of my heavenly Father can be
heard so clearly. That instant you realize the depth and width of
God's love for you.
The sweetest things in life are the unexpected phone call
from a friend you were just thinking about. Or an email from
someone you have been trying to find after being disconnected
for months or years.
The sweetest things in life are suprises, because they come
at unanticipated moments when all seems calm or dull. Like a
sudden down pour of rain, when there were no clouds in the
sky 10 minutes earlier. Ah, that first smell of any season on the
morning air. The first flower, bird, rain of spring. The first warm,
cheerful summer day. The first leaf tumbling to the ground while
the squarels hide their treasures amongst the trees in autum.
The first quiet snow fall on a bitter winter night.
The sweetest things in life are something I hope to never
forget and to cherish them always. To remember that they are
not interuptions in my day, but moments to subtract from the
monotony of time as it passes. Thank you Lord for the sweetest
things in life.
