Out For a While

My family will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to head to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to spend some time together before going back to school. As soon as we return from there, I'll be going with my husband on a business trip to Macon, Georgia. So, I'll be out for a couple of weeks. Check back around the first of August for new posts. I'll be back at work, but I'm hoping to be able to juggle posting and working at the same time. We'll see. :)

I am Thankful

This week I am thankful for ...

Answered Prayer. Klaire's behavior has improved quite a bit. :)

Forgiveness. Enough said.

A Wonderful Babysiter. Weezie is so good to us. She always helps us work through difficult times.

Fresh Vegetables. Even though I did spend six hours shelling peas Saturday.

Time off during the summer to re-energize.

Great friends. I love my girlfriends. I can always count on them.

The Samaritan Woman

John 4:1-42 tells the story of the Woman of Samaria who was looked down upon by other Samaritans because she was living in sin. Respectable Jewish men would not speak to Samaritans because their race was disliked, but Jesus transcended all barriers to share His life with her. He asked her for a drink of water, and He began to tell her about the personal things in her life that she didn't think a stranger would know. She tried to change the subject to a religious argument about where to worship. He let her know that what mattered was not about being religious, but was about knowing who He was. Instead of changing the subject He changed her life by what He told her.

Our past sins often make us uncomfortable, and we would all probably like to erase portions of our lives if we could. In fact, that was a topic of discussion in our Sunday School class today as we discussed forgiveness. The question was, "Looking back over the different experiences of your life, what time period would you most like to be able to ask God for a 'do-over?'" I listened intently as we went around the circle in the room knowing full well what my answer would be, because I had this conversation through tear-filled eyes with a friend who is going through marital problems just a week ago. Everyone pinpointed a specific time-period during their life and stated why they would like a "do-over." When it was my turn to talk I said, "I wouldn't want a 'do-over' even as hard as some of my experiences have been." As I received puzzled looks from class members, I went on to explain just like I did to my friend last week. I believe that God allows us to walk through fires to show us things. Do I want to walk through them again? No way! Am I proud of all the decisions that I've made in my past? Not at all, but I believe that our experiences make us who we are. I believe that God allows us to fall so that He can pick us back up. I believe that God allow us to experience valleys so that we can experience the mountaintops. I believe that He allows us to sin so that He can show us forgiveness. God has used the storm in my marriage already to allow me to minister to several young ladies in just a year, and I'm very thankful for that opportunity. God was able to use the Samaritan Woman to share the Good News about Him. What about you ... would you like a "do-over" or can God use your circumstances where you are?

The Woman of the Bible Who is the Total Package

This week has been VERY trying for me. I've been in training for my job, and we've had to fall back into the work schedule routine. Little Miss Klaire Bear has resisted greatly. I'm honestly deathly afraid that my babysitter is going to tell me that she can't keep her anymore because she has cried and pitched fits all day, every day this week. Klaire is going through lots of separation anxiety as we try to adjust back to the work schedule. So, I guess for these last few weeks that I'm off, we're just going to have to take her to day care for entire days even though I really didn't want to. :(
I'll have to admit that I felt a little defeated as I read about the woman of Proverbs 31 who definitely seems to be the total package because I'm feeling like my parenting skills are greatly lacking these days. This woman really seems to have it all together as a wife and mother. You know what I realized as I was reading this passage (Proverbs 31:10-31)? She isn't at the top of the corporate ladder, her house isn't known for how well it is decorated or how well her yards are landscaped, and beauty isn't mentioned at all! Folks are drawn to her because of her character. She works hard, respects her spouse, cares for others, and is an encourager among many other things. She is simply a great wife and mother that fears the Lord. Wow! What an amazing example.

Thankful Thursday

I know this is late, but things have been a little hectic around my house over the past week. Hence, I'm behind on blogging. I have to admit that keeping up with a blog is much harder than I anticipated, but I'm not going to give up yet. :) This week I am thankful for:

Freedom. We are so blessed to live in a country where we are free.

A new king sized bed. Although, I was reluctant to give in to this, I feel like I am spending the night each night at a luxurious hotel. It is awesome.

My freshly painted bathroom. My dad painted it for me, and I love the new color.

A successful Sunday School cookout that we hosted at our home to celebrate Independence Day.

Being able to share a friend's burden. After getting off of the phone one night this weekend with a friend, I was literally sobbing over a storm that she if going through. My husband thought that I was a little crazy for crying over someone else's problems. I'm just thankful that I can feel someone else's pain.

Our freshly mulched flower beds. They looked fantastic -- for now. :)

Quality time spent this week with my husband.

What are you thankful for?

I Guess We All Have A Little Bit of Eve In Us

I've been tied up with different things over the weekend, but at the same time I was trying to think about where I wanted to go with my devotional studies, and I decided that I really wanted to focus on learning what I could about the different women of the Bible. As I looked through the Table of Contents in the Bible I realized that only two books of the Bible are dedicated to the lives of women ... Ruth and Esther. I really enjoy both books (and I plan to revisit them soon), but I decided to go back and look at the life of the very first woman in the world, Eve. When you get right down to it, Eve suffered from many of the same struggles that we deal with today.

• Eve had the "I've got to have it feeling." You know, she was perfectly content in the Garden of Eden until she was approached by Satan and deceived. Our desires, like hers, though can be so easily manipulated. It is easy to forget about all that we've been blessed with and to focus our thoughts on what we don't have. That's exactly what happened to Eve!
  

• Eve also stepped out on a limb and obliged Satan by leaving God out of her plans. She rocked right along without ever asking God for his guidance. Have you ever just stepped out on your own and left God totally out of your plans and fell flat on your face? That's exactly what Satan's goal is for us, and he gets me with this one all the time. I think that "I" can do a lot! (Wrong)

• This is really hilarious to me, but as I was rereading this story that I've read numerous times before I realized that "The Blame Game" started in the Garden of Eden. When the Lord questioned Adam about eating from the tree of the forbidden fruit, he blamed Eve. When the Lord questioned Eve, she blamed the serpent. So, this is where "The Blame Game" got started! I never realized that before. We have to remember that God always knows the truth ,and that He expects us as Christians to accept responsibility for our actions. "The Blame Game" isn't acceptable to Him, and He proves that with the punishment that He gives for their wrong actions in the Garden of Eden.

• One of the saddest things that I realized as I reread this familiar story is the pain that Eve must have felt as her children battled through extreme sibling rivalry. That jealousy eventually led to the death of her son Abel. I can't even fathom dealing with the loss of a child, but can you imagine if it was by the hand of your other child? What a load to carry. You know, it easy to think back to the Garden and just remember that Eve is to blame for those awful pains that we experience during childbirth, but she definitely had her own burdens to bear.

• Although it seems like Eve's story is filled with gloom and doom, there is grace and mercy through the judgment. Even as God was pouring out His judgment for Eve's sin, He promised her and generations to come that we would bear children. Genesis 3:16 says, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and you will give birth." Even during His judgment he was promising restoration. :)
  

I'm sure that I haven't gleaned all that there is to glean from Eve's life. Have I missed anything exciting that you would like to share?