Good stuff...real good.

Just wanted to share a little bit of the goodness that I've been blessed by lately...

1. This sermon that is chock-full of heart-stirring, repentance-bringing, gospel-centered goodness on forgiveness...it applies to you, trust me.

2. This upcoming conference that I couldn't be more excited about! In fact, it's happening tomorrow! And I know it too will be chock-full of intense gospel-centered, life-changing, paradigm-shifting teaching. Yes! Bring it on.

3. This child and her new found skill of walking...by herself...with no help, thank you very much.
She is everywhere people...you know, that wonderful pigeon-toed, almost-falling-on-my-nose, stumble-like-I-drank-too-much (milk) kind of walk, that is so incredibly cute? Yup, that's what she's doing....and she usually has this little goofy smile on her face while she does it.

4. The thing in the sky called the sun and the wonderful stuff out in the front of our house called grass...it did survive under all that snow! I am thankful that we are seeing more of both of these lately...my heart, my home and my (really white) skin are ready for spring!

5. This woman and all the joys of living with her (and her family)...her sound counsel, her humility, her desire for the Word, her gracious spirit (especially to live with me and all my family!) and her cute pregnant belly of course! She is such a huge blessing in my life...I get teary just thinking about the day we won't get to live together!

6. This little devotional that I've started using in the mornings with the kids. It's been a wonderful age-appropriate, totally-doable, Christ-centered way to start our day! The kids (and I) are loving it...and the conversations I am having with the kids, while we eat our oatmeal, are awesome. Little hearts learning big truths...there is nothing better. :o)

7. This song, that has been heard around our house as of late. Usually it is being belted by our 5 year old...there is no sweeter sound I tell ya.

7. And last but not least, my amazing and totally trustworthy God...who never dissapoints, never fails, never misses a thing...
Who is molding me and making me into something better for His glory & my good...
Who never fails to encourage and sustain when my feeble mind and heart are discouraged...
Who loves me and saved me not because of any "good" that I have done, but because of His incredible grace. Period. End of story.

And that is the most amazing good of all. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.     Ephesians 2: 4-10

The prayers of a wife...

"The implications of woman’s origin are profound. Her
dignity and worth, her necessity, her role in life and marriage,
and her unique beauty have been established by God from the
beginning. She was made to be a man’s faithful helper. 
And there is no greater help she can offer him than her prayers on
his behalf to the One who alone can provide perfect, sovereign
help. 

When the psalmist sings, “I lift my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?” he answers his own
question with the words, “My help comes from the LORD who
made heaven and earth.” 

You are not sufficient succor for him. A stronger Hand must come to his aid. 
Blessed is the wife who pleads often for this mighty Hand to keep her
husband’s life; who begs for him at the gates of Grace. This is
the sort of woman who fears the LORD, feels her own weakness,
and finds refuge and righteousness in Jesus Christ. 
She wants God for her husband. She is to be praised." 

by Andrew Case in "Prayers of an Excellent Wife"

These are my thoughts today. 
I want God for my husband. 
I am so feeble, fickle, selfish and corrupt. 
My help will fall short every time.

Thank you Lord for the chance to be a "helpmate" to this man you have gifted to me. 
Use me to help him, honor him and love him and may I pray for him with fervent zeal as if his life, our lives depended on it. 

Our lives do depend on it Lord...for we depend solely on you. 

Busy seasons...

Thought you might enjoy this little snippet from "GirlTalk"...a sweet blog by Carolyn Mahaney and her three daughters. All godly women with good things to share.
This one was especially applicable to me today...well, everyday for that matter. :o)

Whew! After devotions, exercise, grocery store run, beds made, dishes done, house straightened, laundry underway, Chad homeschooled, soccer carpool completed, editing project for my husband finished—I can finally attempt to write a post
Life is busy!
And it’s not just me. Whether you are a student, holding down a job, or caring for a family—the fall season unfailingly fills our lives with lots to do.
So what does it look like to glorify God in the midst of a busy season?
The first must-have to survive—and even thrive—during busy seasons: humility.
I still remember the wise and helpful counsel my husband CJ shared with me many years ago when I was having one of those “I just can’t get it all done" breakdown crying sessions. When he finally got the chance to speak, he said: “Carolyn, only God completes His to-do list. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations. Therefore we need to humble ourselves by accepting our limitations and draw upon God’s strength to simply do what we can.” CJ’s advice not only helped me then, but continues to benefit me to this day.
Here are 3 simple ways we can be mindful of our limitations as we make our to-do lists these days:
1.      Separate the-really-do-matter items from the really-don’t-matter items—of course doing the really-do-matter items first.
2.      Simplify the really-do-matter items where possible. (e.g. pizza for dinner or store-bought cookies for entertaining.)
3.      Trust God for all the things on the list that don’t get done.
Let’s honor God by responding to our “endless” list of to-dos with humility—joyfully accepting our limitations and simply doing what we can.

 Sound familiar?

Praying you are trusting God today with all things while being diligent with the time you do have...and then humbly accepting when you cannot do it all.

That's what I'm working on today...and everyday. :o)

Change...

So fall is officially coming.
The leaves are changing...
The weather is changing...

And by God's grace, my heart is changing.
Here's a recent excerpt from "You Can Change"...a great read by Tim Chester.

The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom), so scandalous (according to my conscience), and so incredible (according to my timid heart), that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should.  There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemning of my heart, and the lies of the world and the Devil than to overwhelm such things with the daily rehearsings of the gospel.

 Blessings in this season of change...

Of learning and growing...

Alot of this has been happening around our home as of late...learning and growing.

Growing in my understanding of grace...

learning how small I really am and how big God and His story really are...

Growing in my knowledge of the glory of God...

and learning that I am NOTHING without Christ.

Not to mention, children growing like weeds...

And doing school, where they aren't the only ones learning! 

Kids learning their books of the Bible...

Amelia growing to 18 pounds!

Me growing in my love for my husband...

and learning that unconditional is the only way to love...

Alot of learning and growing...and it makes for a busy, but fruitful season of life.

So my updates may be fewer with more time in between, but know that we are busy growing!

And that's a lot of work!

Blessings as you grow & learn...

Just good stuff...

Okay, okay...so this book wasn't on my reading list. 

Well, now it officially is. It's brought conviction with every page...well, almost every paragraph.

Enjoy. (and then repent...I know I am.)

Now, here is the unvarnished truth that we need to lay to heart. Even though our hearts have been renewed, even though we have been freed from the absolute dominion of sin, even though God’s Holy Spirit dwells within our bodies, this principle of sin still lurks within us and wages war against our souls.  It is the failure to recognize the awful reality of this truth that provides the fertile soil in which our “respectable” or “ acceptable” sins grow and flourish.

We who are believers tend to evaluate our character and conduct relative to the moral culture in which we live.  Since we usually live at a higher moral standard than society at large, it is easy for us to feel good about ourselves and to assume that God feels that way also.  We fail to reckon with the reality of sin still dwelling within us.

Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges, p.24

A Beautiful Day...

Yesterday, Josh and I had our second "lunch date" since I've been out of the hospital.  We started this new thing where I go to his office (or wherever he's studying) and bring him lunch.  It's not just a date for us to hang out...it has a deeper purpose.  

We use it to discuss calendar, childcare, future plans and more.  Sometimes we dream.  Or we talk about our children's latest parenting needs.  Or we pray.  Or we talk about finances.  Or we talk about us. But whatever we talk about, we get to sit and look each other in the eye, listening and engaging...without the sweet distraction of our children.

We've tried something like this before, but it was always in the evening, at the end of the day.  The problem with that time slot is that usually we are both tired from the day and end up falling asleep before we can even start a discussion! 
 
The problem however wasn't that we didn't want to but that it was the wrong time of day!  We figured out that if we used a lunch time during the week, we both felt like we were accomplishing all we needed. 

He was in a working-mode and able to put his full mind and attention to discuss the needs at hand.  And I felt like it was a treat to be with my husband in the middle of the day, talking about important stuff...minus the kids!  And we were both giving each other and our marriage, the quality time it deserved. Not just the leftovers at the end of the day...when we're both exhausted.

So I am very excited.  Being a woman who thrives on a plan, these meetings are a boost to my confidence and a vital part of Josh & I staying connected in the midst of busy and full lives.


This would definitely be more difficult however, if it weren't for our current living situation.  Auntie Tarah (and occasionally Uncle Mac) have cared for our children in order for these lunch "dates" to happen. And we are very grateful!

So since we just had one of these "dates" yesterday, I thought I would share with you my renewed motivation to stay the course. I come away encouraged in my role, confident in my husband, thankful for my Savior and excited for the days ahead. 

It truly was a beautiful day...with many more to come, I pray.

Oh, how quickly we forget...

Here's just a real short snippet from my recent readings, "The Hidden Smile of God" by Piper.  It is another book from his "the swans are not silent" series highlighting the lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd. These books ministered to me deeply while I was in the hospital and I am excited to be reading another.  It provides fresh perspective on the "sufferings" of my life, my inadequacy apart from Christ and the call of endurance to the saints.

From Cowper's book, "The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of the Church of England", he says:

"We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith, and not of our own works or deservings.  Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort..."(emphasis mine)

Comfort indeed.  For apart from Him, I am nothing and can be nothing.  The last couple weeks have given me a whole new perspective on my need for Him.  
In many ways during these past few months of recovery, I feel like I have been able to jump out of the gate, so to speak.  Get back in the swing.  Pick up where I left off.  No problem.  However, I will admit the last couple weeks have been quite trying.  There was something about being in that hospital bed for 40+ days that made me recognize my need for God. 

I was helpless. 
I was not in control.
I could have despaired. 
I needed God.

And He was there.

But now that I am back in full swing as wife, mother, sister-in-law, auntie and daughter-in-law...I am in my element.  I just needed to get better.  And then, I could competently run my home again.  I couldn't wait to get back to my busy life and the many "hats" that I wear everyday.  I could do it.  I, in my own strength.  I can be all things to all the people that need me.

But really, no...I can't.

Father, how quickly I fall back into old habits.  Pulling myself up by my bootstraps. Taking pride in my even-keeled personality and ability to be flexible and handle stress. 
This is a trap and an excuse for me to be lazy in my priorities and goals. And it's how I get in trouble.  And then fall flat on my face.
Thinking I can make it...on my own.  And for me, it leads to not spending the time needed in the Word.  Not getting on my knees to beg for mercy and ask for help to spend my day for the glory of Christ.  Not seeing every moment I spend with my children, every day I enjoy being married to my husband and every second I call Christ my Savior as a display of grace.
Oh, it makes me so mad when I fall back into bad habits. Habits that are sin! Help me Lord...and may I be ever-conscience and comforted by your grace. For it is only by that unfathomable grace that I can make it through each day. I don't deserve it...but I sure need it. 

Don't we all...