Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "Thanks."
Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "I'm praying for you."
Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "Hey, why don't you all come on over?"
Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "Sure, I can do that."
Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "I love you."
Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "I miss you."
Sometimes there is silence and other times you hear, "I understand."
Sometimes there is silence and it's a good thing. A very good thing.
But sometimes silence leaves you to read between the lines and that's not so good.
I happen to prefer words.
Words make a difference.
Thank you all for the encouraging words that you share. God truly does use them.
Encourage one another, and build each other up.
1 Thess. 5:11
Although I can remember these really passionate times of Bible study before kids when I could just literally spend hours digging into God's Word and searching out really deep topics, you know what?
It's now that I've had kids that so much more of it makes sense.
Being a parent helps me understand how God can love us more than we can ever understand because sometimes I just wonder if our kids know - REALLY know, just how much we love them.
As a parent, I understand so much more clearly how things we don't always like, truly are for our own good.
As a parent, I understand more about rebellion, grace, and forgiveness.
Having been blessed with these three boys, I even think I understand more about what a miracle is and how God has plans for us that we could never even dream of.
I know more about praying for wisdom and strength, not just because I want to know or to be able to do something, but because I feel so humbled that God has entrusted these children to Tony and I "for such a time as this".
And through all of the busyness of life, I've learned more than ever to just trust Him and His grace. He always meets me right where I am and He knows how a momma worships.
I saw this video on a friend's blog and thought I'd pass it along to all of you as well. I think it's pretty handy for keeping the commandments in order!
I've known some pretty good pranksters in my life... and this email reminds me of all of them!
Mr. And Mrs. Pallone are retired. Mrs. Pallone insists that Mr. Pallone go with her to Wal-Mart. He gets bored with all the shopping. He prefers to get in and get out, but Mrs. Pallone loves to browse.
Here's a letter sent her by the store:
Dear Mrs. Pallone,
Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and may ban both of you from our stores. We have documented all incidents on our video surveillance equipment. All complaints against Mr. Pallone are listed below.
July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the restrooms
July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official tone, "Code 3 in housewares!" And watched what happened.
Aug 4: Went to the Service Desk and asked to put a bag of M&M 's on layaway.
Sept 14: Moved a CAUTION - WET FLOOR sign to a carpeted area.
Sept 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers that he'd invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.
Sept 23: When a clerk asks if they can help him, he begins to cry and asks, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"
Oct 4: Looked right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and picked his nose.
Nov 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, asked the clerk if he knows where to find the anti-depressants.
Dec 3: Darted around the store suspiciously loudly humming the Mission Impossible theme.
Dec 6: In the auto department, practiced his Madonna look using different size funnels.
Dec 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browse through,and yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"
Dec 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumes the fetal position and screams "NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"
And last, but not least ..
14. Dec 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, "Hey, There's no toilet paper in here!"
I started wondering if we were going to have a pirate in the family about 2 o clock the other day. Joe inadvertently got some brake parts cleaner in one of his eyes.
I knew that we should start flushing his eyes immediately, but then even double-checked the can just to make sure. After we did that, his one eye wasn't really even all that red and he was ready to try and get things back together on the weedeater. Disaster averted, right?
Well, it seemed like that until an hour or so later he started complaining about not being able to see well in that eye.
Fortunately I have a friend a town over who just happens to be an optometrist and she agreed to go in and take a look at his eyes even though it was her day off. After my post on "Make Me A Blessing to Someone Today", I wondered if she realized just what a blessing she was to us that day!
Anyway, after a thorough exam she decided that his cornea was swollen (normal), but did not have an abrasion, which would have been more serious. He's putting some drops in his eyes four times a day, just for good measure, but really he's totally ok.
I just thought it would be fun to see if Juliestew could photoshop an eye patch on him just so we could see what he *would* have looked like if things had been worse.
Turns out he's still a pretty handsome fellow even with just one eye!
Do any of you ever struggle with wondering if you are doing "enough" to serve others?
I really think most of us who struggle with that question are just underestimating what we're doing to serve since it doesn't have an official title. God tells us in 1 Cor 12 that all parts of the body are important and that God has arranged each part of the body right where He wants it to be.
In fact, I've heard a lot of buzz about Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris and am looking forward to reading it. One of the reviews listed the 5 Hard Things that they challenge people (specifically teens) to do.
1. Things that are outside your comfort zone.
2. Things that go beyond what is expected or required.
3. Things that are too big to accomplish alone.
4. Things that don't earn an immediate payoff.
5. Things that challenge the cultural norm.
And I guess the big thing I'm still learning is not to discount the importance of ministering to the people God placed in the bedrooms down the hall or at my local homeschool group or at the park or the store.
I figure that woman was just out running errands that day, yet she was available and God used her to bless Shanon in a very realistic way and now her story is encouraging many others. How many times do we have opportunities like that?
Maybe for you it might just be passing along some clothes or homeschool books to another family. Maybe, it's inviting another family over for dinner or just taking the time to talk. Maybe it's encouraging your husband when he's had a bad day at work or praying for a friend going through a rough time.
Who knows? I think it's all just a part of living the Spirit-filled life. And while some of those tasks might not "sound" as important as teaching a Sunday School class (or whatever), just remember that the Lord tells us in Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,"
A few years ago, I really enjoyed reading The Mitford Series with its quirky characters who were just walking out their faith daily. Father Tim would pray each day, "Father, make me a blessing to someone today, through Christ our Lord."
May we all live that out daily - whether it's in offering a cold water bottle to someone having a rough day or helping your child learn to ride his bike. Let's just be a blessing to someone.
Oh I love the zoo. I love homeschooling and getting to share these field trips together as a family and with dear friends.
The kids just love playing on the playground there and I figure it counts as P.E.
We did see lots of neat animals too though.
Tigers
Leopards
My favorite - the elephants
Although the kids did seem awfully fascinated with this little guy -
And the lorikeets are awfully pretty. And they don't mind landing right on people. So I exited lorikeet landing shortly after getting a few pictures.
We did actually learn quite a few interesting facts about the animals while we were there and I love just getting to plant those seeds as a normal part of life. Jon really loves learning about animals and is already asking when we can go again. The learning never stops!
Just wanted to pass along some info for those of you who might be in our area.
Remember when I told you about the amish auction around here a few years ago? You can read part one and part two to refresh your memory.
Well another one is coming up tomorrow.
The Spring Crofton Consignment Auction will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at the Crofton Amish Community Center. There will be a little of everything there - farm equipment, animals, construction equipment, hand tools, household items, and more.
Then NEXT weekend (April 25 - 27) is Camper Appreciation Weekend at Kentucky State Parks. Camping fees are actually half price! You can find details on the Kentucky State Parks website.
And finally, if you really want to have a good time, stop by my house to watch my head spin off my shoulders as I try to cope with life without my satellite internet. Let this serve as a warning to all of you with satellite internet. The Fair Usage Act is NOT your friend. Apparently we have hogged too much of Wildblue's bandwidth so they have clamped off our connection so that we can't even get email. Grumble, grumble, grumble... And we pay them VERY well for this service that we NOW can't use and don't know when we'll be able to again.
Right now, we're just hoping that Bellsouth will bless our area with DSL service sometime soon. I won't be able to drop Wildblue fast enough.
But I'm not bitter or anything really....
Alas, if you don't see me commenting on your blogs, just know it's not by choice. I just can't get blogs to load with this slow dial-up connection. Maybe I'll go do some laundry....
I was browsing blogs this morning and I do believe that I have "had church" for the day.
If you listen to the music in my sidebar, one of the songs there is "You Raise Me Up" by Selah. That song first ministered to me years ago when I was driving down the road just feeling totally crushed by some damaged relationships in my life.
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.
As I drove on down the road that day, I just kept replaying that song and I'm here to tell you, the Lord did come and sit awhile with me. He took what I didn't think I could overcome and raised me up so that I could.
So anyway, today I found a link to this blog, Bring the Rain, and I knew that it was going to be about someone who had recently lost a child. What I didn't realize, what that it was one of the singer's from Selah's family.
"Today, as I read each scripture, I was struck by something I have never put too much emphasis on before. Jesus did not return to His followers as a healed man. He had scars that told the story, that brought Thomas to belief. He was alive, fully alive, and yet, not unscathed. God chose to use these wounds to remind the world what He had overcome. It seems like if I were the writer of the story, I would heal them completely. Really show people what kind of power I had. Just make it look like it never happened...complete restotation. This isn't what God chose for Christ, and it isn't what He chooses for any one of us.
If we are called to suffer in the name of Jesus, we bear scars as well. He doesn't hide them when trouble has passed, but rather He allows our paths to cross with those who want to touch them, to believe in them, to fall into the arms of the one who allowed them to be inflicted.
This is why I write to you all.
I have prayed many, many times that the eyes that read these words will run their fingers along the wounded hands of Christ, letting His suffering tell you the depth of love He has for you.
This life is not about being healed.
It's about bearing wounds for the sake of the One who bore them for us. For you.
As a psychologist, I want to help people face these hard things. To turn them into beautiful gifts to be given back to the Lord.
It is as simple as recognizing that God has chosen your suffering for a purpose, and the splendor of His plan begins to be revealed as we trust Him to do that."
And I can't remember where I heard it, but to say it more simply - Let your mess, be your message. I'm not the same person I was years ago, but God used those times of suffering for a purpose and even though I tend to still think of myself as "a mess", I'm reminded of how Jesus bore those scars and how they testify to who He is. I pray that we're not all so busy trying to cover up our scars that we hide just what He can do - even in the rain.
