Just Ask... Don't Stare

I went to the grocery store yesterday with all six of my children. In one of the rows was a man wearing a shirt with an American flag. He had a high-tech prosthetic leg.
We ended up behind him in the check-out. My twins were staring intently at his leg. I have always tried to teach my children not to stare but to just ask. I prefer that people ask when I have to walk with a cane or walker due to the MS, instead of just stare. Besides, I have never met someone who was offended at the asking. The staring is more offensive in my opinion. I have also found that every time I have asked, I have been blessed by the testimony given by that person.
I tapped on his shoulder. "Sir, what happened to your leg?"
He said that it was from a helicopter accident.
Now, my dad was military for almost 25 years and I had a feeling this guy obtained this injury and the deep scars on his face from fighting for our freedom.
"Were you the pilot?"
He said no and began to tell me a little bit about what happened.
Tears were welling up in my eyes and my children were listening to his every word. I was so thankful I asked.
I then said, "Thank you, sir, for risking your life for my and my children's freedom."
"Your welcome." He said, as he walked away with tears in his eyes.

Remember to pray for our soldiers...

The World Revolves Around WHO?

Sadly, I need frequent reminders that this world does not revolve around me. It was created to revolve around God and His eternal purposes and plans. I exist for God... His pleasure, His glory, His sovereign will.

Did you know that God knows... He KNOWS the exact duration and intensity needed in every trial to conform us to the image of His Son? So shouldn't I look at trials as gifts?

To Suppose or To Trust?

Isn't life not so much what happens to us, but how we react to it?

So... what are you going to do this day dear Christian?

Are you going to smell the roses your children pick for you?... even if they are out of your garden?... or are you going to scream at your child for picking them?

Are you going to wallow in self-pity because life is not how you thought it would be or should be? Or are you going to rest in the sovereign care of the Great Shepherd?

Are you going to dwell on your past failures or learn from them?

Are you going to focus on the deep valley or the fact that He is with you in that valley?

Remember every morning... This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.--Ps 118:24

The valleys will come. The various trials will come. But then, nothing can thwart the will of our sovereign Lord. Nothing. Really! So even in those valleys, Psalm 118:24 can ring true.

To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of no effect.-- John Owen

Here is an excellent post called Something to Remember When You are Swallowed by a Big Fish.

Invent Me a Sentence

"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass..."" ~ Abraham Lincoln

A Tip and a Tick

Tip:
I have been pulling wallpaper off of my walls. I don't like wallpaper... but it came with the house. The best way to get it off is to get one of those hand held air pump sprayers that you get in the gardening section at say... Wal-Mart, that is typically used in the garden to mix bug killer spray for your outdoor plants. Fill it with HOT water and totally saturate the wallpaper AFTER you have scored it with one of those nifty wallpaper scoring tools. All you have to do is pump air into that sprayer, push a little button and spray your little heart out... you know, instead of kill your hand because you tried a hand pump spray bottle. I was also told by Carla that adding fabric softener helps things along, plus it smells good. This tip works especially well on wallpaper that has been pasted directly onto drywall. Ugh.

Tick:
One of my twin sons said to one of my older sons, "Why do ticks suck your blood?"
Brandon answered, "It is there food... kinda like a hamburger."
The twin replied, "NO! It's like ketchup."

Cocooned in a False Sense of Goodness

... are the people of this world who know not the magnificent beauty and necessity of the cross of Christ.

Who's Shaking What?

"We turn to God when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them." -CW

What's Up?

More book reviews. And if I think they are excellent, I will do another give-away. I have also been contacted by another publishing company to do a preview review on a book to be published in June. I should be getting it in the mail soon.

Still lots of home renovations going on around here. *shew* Apparently I have a lot more to learn... especially regarding depending on the Lord more fully as we continue to have a steady flow of contractors in our home... that are here sometimes all day, everyday. It boils down to what we make of it and I pray we continue to persevere in the pursuit to bring glory to God in this endeavor. Easier said than done... but then God is my only strength and His power is made perfect in my weakness... and boy am I weary.

It is Tuesday... I'm talking to myself, which means tomorrow is Wednesday. :-D Betcha didn't know that! Ummmm.... tomorrow is our 15 year wedding anniversary that I wrote about on Monday. that was yesterday, in case you didn't know. Okay, so I am getting silly. Hope you all have a HUGELY blessed day.

BUSTED!!!

First... I found out this morning that my husband passed his oral anesthesiology boards. YEAH!

Second... My oldest son came up to me this morning and said, "Mom, I got up at 1:00 in the morning to get a drink and found Jayson playing in his closet."
When we first adopted the twins they would get up at all hours of the night to play. It was a huge training process to get these boys to sleep through the night. Remember, they were almost 3 years old when they came into our home. They had no structure, no stability and they were out of control.
I was actually shocked to hear that he was up doing this again so I went up to him and asked him what he was doing while everyone else in the house was sleeping. I expected him to tell me he was playing in his closet with his toys...
He said, "I went into the kitchen and ate a bunch of chocolate chip cookies."
"REALLY?" I said. "Wow, I didn't know that. What else did you do?"
"I was playing in my closet with my toys." he responded.

Well... at least he was honest.

Building a Heritage

This week my husband and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage. The first 6 years was really rough... followed by an 18 month separation that almost ended in divorce twice. Then came a reconciliation that, in my mind, was for the kids... with no hope of any change in our marriage. Three months after the reconciliation, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; a few months after that, I fell on my face while cleaning my garage realizing what a filthy, rotten, unsaved sinner I was... crying out to my holy God to forgive me. A couple of months later my husband and pastor baptized me; then I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. (full story HERE)

fast forward

Now we have 6 children, we are praying about adopting 2 more... and I am married to my best friend. Not only do we keep growing in our love for each other, but we continue to grow in our love for our Saviour and Lord.

I love you Jon!!! And I thank God for your steadfast love for our heavenly Father. I often think about that prayer I read in your journal when we were separated. You wrote that prayer when there seemed to be no hope for our marriage.

"Father, save our marriage. I want Christ to be the foundation of our marriage.
Holy Spirit, work in our hearts so that we will always act in love toward one another.
Father, build a heritage for Yourself from this home so that generations to come from Lisa and I will glorify you."