This week is going to be a  little crazy. Along with my normal crazy week of dance, drama, teaching Wednesday Night, teaching Tuesday at Coop, we also have our benefit concert.  I am so excited and nervous to see what is going to happen and what is already happened because of it. We have had so many people come up and decide to other events to raise money and are overwhelmed at the community and how they have embraced us. Words just cannot go into it.

But what I do see beyond that is God working through it all. He is placing things on mens hearts to move closer to Him through this. I pray that every day we are the vessels we need to be for those around us to see Him. It is very hard living in a glass bubble though. You have to allow people to see your faults as well as your strengths. You have to know that no matter the cost that at the end of the day if one more person knows GOd just a little bit more then it was worth it all. We have to know that God is being glorified and that this purpose of this test in our lives is because He is going to be lifted up. But guess what, that is so much easier said than done. Our pastor was talking Sunday about discipline and knowing God more. That at first it is like a dance you are learning, you are constantly watching your steps and trying to move your feet correctly. You are not really hearing the music. But eventually dancing becomes a part of you and you move without hesitation and you start hearing the music. That is what I hope is happening in our lives. That God is already taught us some steps and now we are moving to the music so no matter the faults people will see the true picture of our hearts.

The other lovely thing I decided to do is speak at the concert. Okay that might have been a crazy idea. I, at first thought, that everyone there would want to know the story. First hand, but as I started thinking on it, praying about it, God just kept giving me a bigger message and now I think I am scared to death. So if you think of it, please pray for me as I walk through the night. I want it to be natural and interesting, funny and caring and most of all that people leave with a little more glimpse of GOd in there life and not overwhelmed with I could never go through all of that. Because, I pray noone ever has to go through the path we have had to walk in the last seven years but if I can impart a little bit of God to you that helps you get through your life, WOW, that is even better....I surely do not have the wisdom of so many before me but maybe God will give me enough for the night.

Have a great week and  I will try and update you on the weekend.

Barb

I have been really assessing things in my life lately. You know, the junk in your house you  hold on to but really don't know why and the things in your heart that you hold on, that you really don't know why. I guess mostly because things are whirling around me and I need to get order back in my life so that I can handle the whirling.

So I am starting here, Reminding myself of who God is and has been in my life. Yesterday in church our Pastor is starting a new series on Proverbs. Now, there was not a real Giant Moment of "Aha" out of his sermon but there was a Giant reminder to me of my life verse, Proverbs 3"5-7 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  When I was in my early twenties that verse just jumped out at me and I decided that was who I wanted to be. Now my early twenties was back when Amy Grant's "My Father's Eyes" record was really big so that should tell you something right there, it was a long time ago. But as I have looked over my life lately it seems to be a thread of embrodery for my life. My younger years were spent with a lot of emotional, physical and mental abuse from an abusive Dad and for some reason I clung to God in a very real way. Then as I leaned in to God, He taught me forgiveness and what a gift that is. It can be for the person you are forgiving but it really is a gift to you that you give y ourself, but only God could have helped me learn His ways and not my own. Then with my daughter and her illness of CF and needing a second transplant....I have no understanding of why that is happening but in all my ways we achnowledge Him and allow Him to direct us....and He does miracle upon miracle.  It may not be huge miracles, it may be just small reminders He is there.

The funniest thing happened in that world of miracles....my computer crashed, died, burned out....needless to say it holds my entire life. My work, my home stuff, my teaching material and thoughts...you get the picture.  I am so frustrated. I am walking around  asking God WHY! And of course it will take them two weeks to see what is wrong and how much to fix it...UGGGH, I have to work, live etc. So now I am really frustrated! And I am so frustrated I can hardly see straignt. Then I walk in my kitchen and I hear ice fall into my refrigerator ice maker. Now, what could that have to do with this story. Well, my friends, God has a sense of humor. You see, my ice maker has been broken for four years.. Not a month...not a week...not a day...four years. No ice.  All of sudden it started working and is producing ice.  Not only that one time...since that day it keeps going. So what did I do...I started laughing and laughing and laughing. It was God's sense of humor that just cracked me up. Yes my computer was dead but He was letting me know in his small way that He was still in control of everything and to just trust Him.  You may not see it like I do but hey, that is why they call us the crazy homeschool moms, right?

Have a great day and a great laugh today

barb

Wow,

Rachel sent me her blog and I thought what a great idea. I have some things coming up that I need to teach at and really need to get back in my devotional so I can really hear God. It has been so long that I have taught and this year it has really hit me fast. I teach a Middle School small group, the 4th Grade on Wednesday nights which is "Jesus the One and Only" by Beth Moore and then at our Homeschool Coop I am teaching Money Matters for Teens and Yearbook...could the schedule get any crazier.  That does not even count the Drama, Ballet and Voice Olivia is taking that all need volunteer parents.  Does anyone else have that. OH KNOW, school is back in, feeling....I love the staples commercial where the Dad is so excited about buying the school supplies for the kids to get back in but us homeschool Moms try to be Supermom I think and well, summer was a nice break. So up and early we go to start the day and see what it brings.

Barb