On Wednesday, my husband went out of town for three days. I only reached 36 weeks on Monday, and in the past I have had too many pre-term contractions and have felt way overdue by this time. I had had the passing thought of, "What if I go into labor while he is out of town?" Well, that afternoon I started to have some strong Braxton Hicks contractions. I thought, "OK. Fine. They are only Braxton Hicks. They are strong, but not regular." They increased in frequency and intensity, but were still irregular: Some strong and some not, some 5 and some 11 minutes apart. I did not feel great, so I asked the older kids to put the younger kids to bed, while I went for a walk to pray and worship. Oh, I thank the Lord for such wonderful and obedient children. They are incredible kids!
I walked and talked to God, and I sang songs of praise. I had contractions constantly and knew that walking could actually encourage labor, but I needed to spend the time with the Lord, so I walked. Some contractions made me stop in my tracks. I began to time them and they were 5-10 minutes apart of varying strength, but I talked to God about fear and faith. I remembered that He has given me confidence throughout this pregnancy that I would carry this baby to term. I remembered how God has healed us. I remembered that God has kept us safe and sound throughout this pregnancy, and now is not the time to forget His assurances and to begin to fear. I trust in my God!
I went inside and the older kids did the evening chores, while I sat on the ball and directed them. They were pleased to help. The contractions eased up a bit. I took a bath, drank water, and continued to thank God for His protection.
Praise the Lord! I slept well that night and had no more contractions. I had only a few contractions the next day and today, and none were strong like the ones from Wednesday. In fact, I feel so good today that I could almost forget that I am pregnant, despite the big belly. I can even touch my toes and put on my shoes without any issues.
I believe it was a test of my faith. Which way will I turn? Will I lean on my own understanding based on my past experiences or will I trust in the Lord with all my heart?
God's word trumps my experiences. It makes no difference what has occurred in any of my past pregnancies. Science and reason say it matters. God is bigger than that. Nothing is impossible for Him! His word is true! I will believe His word and I will not base my beliefs on my experiences.
Again: I will not interpret His word through my experiences. My experience will reflect the truth of His word! Praise the Lord! He is worthy of our praise!
Update: I am now 38 weeks pregnant. I have not had anymore contractions like I did that first day that my husband went out of town. I truly feel it was a spiritual attack and a temptation to give into fear. I think things could have turned out differently if I had given into fear.
My husband had a small surgical procedure done about two days ago. I was not worried about going into labor while he recovered, but even so I did have more Braxton Hicks contractions than usual that night. I also had some stomach pain, which hurt intensely with every contraction. The uterine muscle did not hurt, but my gut hurt on the top left side. I woke up constantly through the night. I also had a scary pregnancy dream. Spiritual attack? I think so. I talked to God about it in the morning and had a great day, and then another great day today.
Every difficult event in our lives can either drive us to fear or drive us to trust our Savior. I choose to trust my Savior. He does not keep us out of every fire, and sometimes He allows us to be thrown into the lion's den, but he does keep us safe when we put our trust in Him. He is our refuge in times of trouble. Daily, I am amazed at His faithfulness.
Friday, September 7, 2012
God Works All Things Together For The Good of Those Who Love Him...
I am amazed at how God works things out for His good purposes. This morning started out well and quickly fell apart. I was dumbfounded by my children's behavior and their lack of motivation to accomplish the goal set before them. I did not want to act in anger or in fear (remembering that God is love and that nothing matters except faith expressing itself through love), so instead of getting anxious and irritable and barking orders at them to get it done, I let them carry on as they were and when the time had come for us to leave for our co-op I simply said that they had not pulled it together in time, we were not going to be late, and so they would not be going today. I can do this, because I am not currently teaching and they are in this co-op for extra-curricular and social purposes, not as our primary source of education and learning.
I left the older kids home (with supervision) to work on their studies, which they would normally do after co-op, and I took the younger two boys to their preschool and kindergarten classes. They were so enthusiastic about going that I did not want to disappoint them in their second week, and they had done nothing wrong to lose the privilege. I told their teachers and my older children that in the future we would either be early or absent. I am not going to be late week after week after week, and I am not going to get stressed trying to get out the door with six kids.
OK. That was background information. Also, circumstances were such that I had too many bags and samples of "friendship bread" to share, which I wanted to take to co-op to give away to any interested takers.
Because of these circumstances, I ended up in the Encourager's Room at our co-op, a place to fellowship with other homeschool parents when not fulfilling an obligation to the co-op. I would have been helping out in pre-school (just because), but I was too embarrassed about being late and needed to take the bread to the Encouragers Room. I introduced myself to several moms who were new to me and we began talking about our families. One thing led to another, and I ended up sharing about how God's love is more important than anything else, which led to sharing our testimony about how God healed us. I was amazed at how my testimony was received, and how God was using our testimony to bring hope and healing to another family (maybe more). I was amazed at how I was able to answer all of the questions asked of me. I was amazed at how I answered without fear. I was amazed at how God touched several lives through my testimony and through the power of His Word. Several of my beautiful new friends said that our meeting and my sharing was God ordained, and I concur. God arranged it! He encouraged them through me, and I too am strengthened in my faith because of our meeting and my fellowship with them. Amazing!
It happened because one bag of friendship bread didn't get to a friend in time, because my children failed at their task, because I acted in obedience to God and chose not to get angry, because I swallowed my pride and took my little ones to their classes late with profuse apologies, and because I was too embarrassed to stay and help in pre-school. (Note: pre-school was overwhelmed today with extra help and totally did not need my help anyway. How cool is that?!?) God IS amazing!
Indeed, He works all things together for His good purposes.
Update 1: I am very happy to report that all of the kids pulled it together the following week and we accomplished everything and got out the door on time with absolutely NO stress. It was so very wonderful!
Update 2: Praise the Lord! Really, He is amazing! One of the ladies that I shared with, the one who told me that she knew that God had ordained our meeting that morning, went home and considered all that we talked about, and being very encouraged, she quit her special diet and all of her pain medications and has been absolutely fine all week! I just want to say that I did not encourage her to take this step of faith. It was entirely between her and the Lord! God caused me to be there to share. He used my testimony of His work in my life to encourage greater faith in her. Wow! I can truly understand how Paul was able to say that it was God who worked in Him to will and to act according to His good purposes. When we trust Him and obey Him, He can take us where He wants us to go and use us for His very good purposes. Amen and amen!!!
I left the older kids home (with supervision) to work on their studies, which they would normally do after co-op, and I took the younger two boys to their preschool and kindergarten classes. They were so enthusiastic about going that I did not want to disappoint them in their second week, and they had done nothing wrong to lose the privilege. I told their teachers and my older children that in the future we would either be early or absent. I am not going to be late week after week after week, and I am not going to get stressed trying to get out the door with six kids.
OK. That was background information. Also, circumstances were such that I had too many bags and samples of "friendship bread" to share, which I wanted to take to co-op to give away to any interested takers.
Because of these circumstances, I ended up in the Encourager's Room at our co-op, a place to fellowship with other homeschool parents when not fulfilling an obligation to the co-op. I would have been helping out in pre-school (just because), but I was too embarrassed about being late and needed to take the bread to the Encouragers Room. I introduced myself to several moms who were new to me and we began talking about our families. One thing led to another, and I ended up sharing about how God's love is more important than anything else, which led to sharing our testimony about how God healed us. I was amazed at how my testimony was received, and how God was using our testimony to bring hope and healing to another family (maybe more). I was amazed at how I was able to answer all of the questions asked of me. I was amazed at how I answered without fear. I was amazed at how God touched several lives through my testimony and through the power of His Word. Several of my beautiful new friends said that our meeting and my sharing was God ordained, and I concur. God arranged it! He encouraged them through me, and I too am strengthened in my faith because of our meeting and my fellowship with them. Amazing!
It happened because one bag of friendship bread didn't get to a friend in time, because my children failed at their task, because I acted in obedience to God and chose not to get angry, because I swallowed my pride and took my little ones to their classes late with profuse apologies, and because I was too embarrassed to stay and help in pre-school. (Note: pre-school was overwhelmed today with extra help and totally did not need my help anyway. How cool is that?!?) God IS amazing!
Indeed, He works all things together for His good purposes.
Update 1: I am very happy to report that all of the kids pulled it together the following week and we accomplished everything and got out the door on time with absolutely NO stress. It was so very wonderful!
Update 2: Praise the Lord! Really, He is amazing! One of the ladies that I shared with, the one who told me that she knew that God had ordained our meeting that morning, went home and considered all that we talked about, and being very encouraged, she quit her special diet and all of her pain medications and has been absolutely fine all week! I just want to say that I did not encourage her to take this step of faith. It was entirely between her and the Lord! God caused me to be there to share. He used my testimony of His work in my life to encourage greater faith in her. Wow! I can truly understand how Paul was able to say that it was God who worked in Him to will and to act according to His good purposes. When we trust Him and obey Him, He can take us where He wants us to go and use us for His very good purposes. Amen and amen!!!
Repetition, Duration, and Intensity
I have noticed that I repeat myself a lot. There is purpose in it. This is how we learn. This is how we internalize what we learn so that it becomes a part of us. This is how God designed us to learn.
I have learned much scripture in the past year or two because I find it, pray about it, talk to God about it, share it, ask for faith to believe it, talk to others about it, remember it, apply it, and repeat over and over and over. I write about it. I try to remember the references. I look it up again and again and confirm that I have the words correct. Sometimes I use hand motions to help me to memorize it, and sometimes I teach it to my children. They are internalizing it, because it is repeated and lived out daily.
God has changed us by the renewing of our minds as we replace the lies with His truth through Repetition, Duration, and Intensity!
My children believe that the Word of God is the Truth, because they see (over and over again) the changes in me and in each other as we believe and obey what we learn from His Word.
Think about it. When we hear something often enough, our minds accept it as truth. Advertisers know this. That is why they want to put their products and advertisements in front of us as much as possible. Politicians know this. They spend much on campaigns to get their name and face and slogans imprinted in our minds. Satan knows this. He whispers the same lies in our ears over and over and over again, and we believe them, thinking that these are our own thoughts. We are to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, and we do not listen to the voice of the stranger.
Repetition, Duration, and Intensity! I will put God's word in my heart that I might not sin against God. Repetition, Duration, and Intensity! That's how I learn. As I walk and talk with God about His word, I learn and internalize the Truth. God is Love! I am made in His image! I am made to love! I am commanded to love! I get it! I believe it!
I have learned much scripture in the past year or two because I find it, pray about it, talk to God about it, share it, ask for faith to believe it, talk to others about it, remember it, apply it, and repeat over and over and over. I write about it. I try to remember the references. I look it up again and again and confirm that I have the words correct. Sometimes I use hand motions to help me to memorize it, and sometimes I teach it to my children. They are internalizing it, because it is repeated and lived out daily.
God has changed us by the renewing of our minds as we replace the lies with His truth through Repetition, Duration, and Intensity!
My children believe that the Word of God is the Truth, because they see (over and over again) the changes in me and in each other as we believe and obey what we learn from His Word.
Think about it. When we hear something often enough, our minds accept it as truth. Advertisers know this. That is why they want to put their products and advertisements in front of us as much as possible. Politicians know this. They spend much on campaigns to get their name and face and slogans imprinted in our minds. Satan knows this. He whispers the same lies in our ears over and over and over again, and we believe them, thinking that these are our own thoughts. We are to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, and we do not listen to the voice of the stranger.
Repetition, Duration, and Intensity! I will put God's word in my heart that I might not sin against God. Repetition, Duration, and Intensity! That's how I learn. As I walk and talk with God about His word, I learn and internalize the Truth. God is Love! I am made in His image! I am made to love! I am commanded to love! I get it! I believe it!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
35+ Weeks - God is Amazing!
Same report as written under Still Trusting God With This Pregnancy, with a few exceptions!
First of all, I reached the milestone of 35 weeks three days ago. No pre-term contractions for this pregnancy. Some Braxton-Hicks contractions, but not too many. Absolutely Amazing!!! God is to be praised! Healed is healed! He did it! There is no other explanation. He is worthy of all praise!
I have exceeded 150 pounds, a first for me, and I still have 4+ weeks to go. I am visibly bigger than I ever have been, yet I measure perfectly for 35 weeks. I do think that I have always measured small, and I know for certain that I measure smaller in the last few weeks, but they were never overly concerned about that.
I am still walking almost every day. It is absolutely the best part of my day, to spend time in prayer with my Heavenly Father as I walk.
I drink 4 quarts of water every day. I feel great! I can still touch my toes. Forty-one and pregnant and I can still touch my toes. I do feel a little proud, or pleased about this. "He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:5 or 6?)
Oh, Oh, Oh!!! The varicose veins do not hurt me ever anymore, although sometimes they feel a bit warm. They are even looking much better than before. God IS healing them! The veins on the back of my right thigh were like a massive purple blotch and swelled disgustingly about a quarter of an inch out. I would feel them with my fingers and it grossed me out! Now, they are distinct lines and they do not pop out very far. They are not disgusting to me or the kids anymore. I don't even really think about them much anymore. I notice them everyday, but they are not on my mind every time I get up. I expect them to be less and less, and I marvel and praise God that it is so!
First of all, I reached the milestone of 35 weeks three days ago. No pre-term contractions for this pregnancy. Some Braxton-Hicks contractions, but not too many. Absolutely Amazing!!! God is to be praised! Healed is healed! He did it! There is no other explanation. He is worthy of all praise!
I have exceeded 150 pounds, a first for me, and I still have 4+ weeks to go. I am visibly bigger than I ever have been, yet I measure perfectly for 35 weeks. I do think that I have always measured small, and I know for certain that I measure smaller in the last few weeks, but they were never overly concerned about that.
I am still walking almost every day. It is absolutely the best part of my day, to spend time in prayer with my Heavenly Father as I walk.
I drink 4 quarts of water every day. I feel great! I can still touch my toes. Forty-one and pregnant and I can still touch my toes. I do feel a little proud, or pleased about this. "He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:5 or 6?)
Oh, Oh, Oh!!! The varicose veins do not hurt me ever anymore, although sometimes they feel a bit warm. They are even looking much better than before. God IS healing them! The veins on the back of my right thigh were like a massive purple blotch and swelled disgustingly about a quarter of an inch out. I would feel them with my fingers and it grossed me out! Now, they are distinct lines and they do not pop out very far. They are not disgusting to me or the kids anymore. I don't even really think about them much anymore. I notice them everyday, but they are not on my mind every time I get up. I expect them to be less and less, and I marvel and praise God that it is so!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Still Trusting God With This Pregnancy
I am 31 weeks pregnant! I continue to praise God for His mercy upon me and for the healing He has given me.
I have not made any trips to the hospital! WooHoo! I am not having the pre-term contractions that plagued my previous pregnancies. I thank God that the varicose veins in my legs and vulvar area are not painful and that they are not an issue in this pregnancy. I am praying for the visible manifestation of the veins to be healed and cleared away from my skin. I continue to praise God because I have few common pregnancy complaints, and the few complaints I experience are short lived.
I do not have ligament pain or sciatic nerve pain. I do not have any UTI, yeast infections or athlete's foot. I do not have leg cramps. I do not have a stuffy nose, nose bleeds, or headaches. I do not have heartburn much, and when I do, it is mild and all I have to do is prop myself up a bit and go back to sleep. I do not have weird dreams. I do not have any constipation! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!!! My ears are not clogged. I am not out of breath. No swelling. Blood pressure is great! Blood sugar is fine. Skin is clear. No new stretch marks, and I am already bigger than I have ever been (and I have two months to go). I am not excessively tired, though I do get tired, and I do take naps, but not everyday. I don't sleep great, but not horribly either. I am comfortable at night.
I am able to carry on with my normal activities and more. I can twist and turn and bend with ease. Laundry is no big deal. Dishes are not a chore, though I am thankful that my children and my husband do most of the dishes. It is just good to share the responsibilities. I can do anything, and I am not afraid to do it.
I am thoroughly enjoying this pregnancy! Also, I have no fear of labor or birth. I look forward to the day. I am actually hoping to carry this baby to it's due date. That would be a first. Nobody believes I will be able to do it, but with God all things are possible.
God has worked a miracle in me and He is doing something amazing!
Every time I get out of bed and I don't have a contraction, I praise God!
Every time I get up from bed or out of a chair and I experience no pain from the veins, I praise God!
Every time I have a normal bowel movement, I praise God!
Every time I notice my clear skin, I praise God!
The list goes on and on! God is amazing! He is worthy of our praise!
I have not made any trips to the hospital! WooHoo! I am not having the pre-term contractions that plagued my previous pregnancies. I thank God that the varicose veins in my legs and vulvar area are not painful and that they are not an issue in this pregnancy. I am praying for the visible manifestation of the veins to be healed and cleared away from my skin. I continue to praise God because I have few common pregnancy complaints, and the few complaints I experience are short lived.
I do not have ligament pain or sciatic nerve pain. I do not have any UTI, yeast infections or athlete's foot. I do not have leg cramps. I do not have a stuffy nose, nose bleeds, or headaches. I do not have heartburn much, and when I do, it is mild and all I have to do is prop myself up a bit and go back to sleep. I do not have weird dreams. I do not have any constipation! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!!! My ears are not clogged. I am not out of breath. No swelling. Blood pressure is great! Blood sugar is fine. Skin is clear. No new stretch marks, and I am already bigger than I have ever been (and I have two months to go). I am not excessively tired, though I do get tired, and I do take naps, but not everyday. I don't sleep great, but not horribly either. I am comfortable at night.
I am able to carry on with my normal activities and more. I can twist and turn and bend with ease. Laundry is no big deal. Dishes are not a chore, though I am thankful that my children and my husband do most of the dishes. It is just good to share the responsibilities. I can do anything, and I am not afraid to do it.
I am thoroughly enjoying this pregnancy! Also, I have no fear of labor or birth. I look forward to the day. I am actually hoping to carry this baby to it's due date. That would be a first. Nobody believes I will be able to do it, but with God all things are possible.
God has worked a miracle in me and He is doing something amazing!
Every time I get out of bed and I don't have a contraction, I praise God!
Every time I get up from bed or out of a chair and I experience no pain from the veins, I praise God!
Every time I have a normal bowel movement, I praise God!
Every time I notice my clear skin, I praise God!
The list goes on and on! God is amazing! He is worthy of our praise!
Tested Where I Teach
I have had the most amazing opportunities to share the Good News with others as of late. What I find is that I am tested in the very areas where I am teaching others about the word of God.
What I mean is this: When I talk to someone about how to get rid of all bitterness, anger, and rage, then bitter thoughts begin to flood my head and I find myself struggling to be loving and kind to certain people whom I have already forgiven. I had not been thinking such things prior to my sharing this good news with someone. It IS a spiritual attack, and it is coming from outside of me. The purpose is to ruin my confidence in the testimony I am sharing with another.
I know this because the reason I was able to share so boldly with my friend is that I had overcome the constant feelings of offense, bitterness, anger, and rage, and as a result light and life filled my days and filled my home. A few days after sharing with my friend, negative thoughts began to overwhelm me. Everything felt so frustrating and hopeless. Old thoughts popped back into my head. Old expressions of frustration began to flow out of me. Critical words, tone of voice, and mannerisms flowed out of me.
The enemy whispered in my ear that I had never really forgiven these people. He whispered that there was still a lot of bitterness, anger, and rage deep inside of me. He whispered in my ear that it was hopeless, and that it was always going to come back up like a weed again and again, and that I would never get rid of it.
Then, I realized that I was listening to the wrong voice. These things are not true. God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. These things I was listening to bring darkness, death, and despair. I'll have none of that! God does not give me a spirit of fear! He gives me a Spirit of power and of love and of self-control.
When I realized that it was an attack of the enemy, and that these thoughts were not mine and that they were not true, then I began to praise God because He opened my eyes to see it. He does not let me continue in my sin. The Holy Spirit living in me convicts me of my sin. He causes me to recognize my sin and I agree with Him that what I was doing was not His will and that it was hurtful to me and others. He comforts me by reminding me that there is now NO condemnation for me, as I am in Christ Jesus. My sins are paid for by the blood of the Lamb. I have been washed clean. I am not a sinner in need of a Savior. I am a son of God, and I want to be like my Daddy. Because I am not cast down by shame and guilt, my Heavenly Father is able to lead me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. He is able to make me more and more and more like Him, so that in this life, I will be like Him.
The truth is that I do indeed love these people, and I had forgiven them. I do not want to say or do hurtful things. I want to bless them and see them built up. It was the enemy who was bringing up old stuff, and he was trying to put it back in. It is not deep down in me somewhere. This was coming from the outside. When I recognized this, I went to the people whom I had offended and asked for their forgiveness. Light and life returned, and all the bitterness was gone!
It was the worst 30-40 minutes of my day.
Now, there have been many attacks like this over the past few days. Some last for a few minutes and some longer, but I keep getting back up. Now that I recognize this scheme of the devil, I am better able to fight it. God's word says that if I resist the devil, He will flee from me. I have not felt bitterness, anger, and rage for some time now, so for this to pop back into my life at this time is too coincidental to write it off. It is clearly an attack. I can stand against it when I put on the full armor of God.
I used to spiral down into depression, but now I look up. God is so good! It is His will that we have life, and have it more abundantly. This is eternal life, to know God and the One he sent.
God is love. I am made in His image. I am made to be love. I am His child, and I want to be like Him. He has made a way for me to grow up into His likeness. How wonderful!
What I mean is this: When I talk to someone about how to get rid of all bitterness, anger, and rage, then bitter thoughts begin to flood my head and I find myself struggling to be loving and kind to certain people whom I have already forgiven. I had not been thinking such things prior to my sharing this good news with someone. It IS a spiritual attack, and it is coming from outside of me. The purpose is to ruin my confidence in the testimony I am sharing with another.
I know this because the reason I was able to share so boldly with my friend is that I had overcome the constant feelings of offense, bitterness, anger, and rage, and as a result light and life filled my days and filled my home. A few days after sharing with my friend, negative thoughts began to overwhelm me. Everything felt so frustrating and hopeless. Old thoughts popped back into my head. Old expressions of frustration began to flow out of me. Critical words, tone of voice, and mannerisms flowed out of me.
The enemy whispered in my ear that I had never really forgiven these people. He whispered that there was still a lot of bitterness, anger, and rage deep inside of me. He whispered in my ear that it was hopeless, and that it was always going to come back up like a weed again and again, and that I would never get rid of it.
Then, I realized that I was listening to the wrong voice. These things are not true. God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. These things I was listening to bring darkness, death, and despair. I'll have none of that! God does not give me a spirit of fear! He gives me a Spirit of power and of love and of self-control.
When I realized that it was an attack of the enemy, and that these thoughts were not mine and that they were not true, then I began to praise God because He opened my eyes to see it. He does not let me continue in my sin. The Holy Spirit living in me convicts me of my sin. He causes me to recognize my sin and I agree with Him that what I was doing was not His will and that it was hurtful to me and others. He comforts me by reminding me that there is now NO condemnation for me, as I am in Christ Jesus. My sins are paid for by the blood of the Lamb. I have been washed clean. I am not a sinner in need of a Savior. I am a son of God, and I want to be like my Daddy. Because I am not cast down by shame and guilt, my Heavenly Father is able to lead me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. He is able to make me more and more and more like Him, so that in this life, I will be like Him.
The truth is that I do indeed love these people, and I had forgiven them. I do not want to say or do hurtful things. I want to bless them and see them built up. It was the enemy who was bringing up old stuff, and he was trying to put it back in. It is not deep down in me somewhere. This was coming from the outside. When I recognized this, I went to the people whom I had offended and asked for their forgiveness. Light and life returned, and all the bitterness was gone!
It was the worst 30-40 minutes of my day.
Now, there have been many attacks like this over the past few days. Some last for a few minutes and some longer, but I keep getting back up. Now that I recognize this scheme of the devil, I am better able to fight it. God's word says that if I resist the devil, He will flee from me. I have not felt bitterness, anger, and rage for some time now, so for this to pop back into my life at this time is too coincidental to write it off. It is clearly an attack. I can stand against it when I put on the full armor of God.
I used to spiral down into depression, but now I look up. God is so good! It is His will that we have life, and have it more abundantly. This is eternal life, to know God and the One he sent.
God is love. I am made in His image. I am made to be love. I am His child, and I want to be like Him. He has made a way for me to grow up into His likeness. How wonderful!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Spiritual Attack Testing My Faith - Part 5
I am learning to ignore the voice of the stranger. I will listen only to my Good Shepherd, for He loves me and cares for me.
I was listening to some teaching last night and the preacher pointed out what I have been saying, that we get attacked by the enemy when we are doing good and we get attacked when we are doing bad. Either way, the enemy hates believers and will stop at nothing to try to get us to doubt God and blame God. I heard another speaker once who said that the enemy takes a risk every time he attacks a believer, because if the believer turns to God (instead of doubting or blaming God) then the believer's faith is strengthened. That is what happened when Satan attacked my children with leg cramps, eye pain, and eczema. When I prayed in fear, I saw no improvements and I was tempted to doubt, but when I turned to God in faith and believed that He would indeed answer me, then I found God to be faithful to His word and my faith was strengthened. My relationship with God grew and my love for Him exploded.
When I speak out and share the Good News, I usually find myself under attack. I shared about my delight in being 29 weeks pregnant and not experiencing pre-term contractions, and BAM, suddenly I began to have more contractions and strong contractions. They are indeed Braxton-Hicks contractions and they are tiring and they are sometimes strong, but they are definitely NOT labor contractions. The stranger whispers in my ear, "Here they come again!" "Maybe you over did it at VBS." "God didn't really heal you. Do you see? You are having contractions again." "Look. You can't count on God. He's allowing you to have contractions yet again." "Sleep, rest, take care of yourself. You know what to do. You've been through this before." I will NOT listen to any of that.
Here is what I know. During my last few pregnancies I learned that when I became afraid of what was happening in my body, then everything got worse. When I gave in to the fear, then I truly had something to be afraid of. When I dug into God's word and learned that I could count on Him for my strength, I got up and served my family (because that is my calling) and I was fine and had fewer contractions. I know that God allows me to be tested, but he does not tempt me. Trials come so that my faith will be proven genuine. His word says that! The trial comes, and Satan tempts me to doubt God, to question God's goodness, and to blame God for my discomfort. I will NOT!
I put on the full armor of God and I rest in His truth (belt). I rest in His promises. I am made righteous by the blood of the Lamb and the Spirit lives in me and leads me in paths of righteousness (breastplate). I rest in the peace that He gives me (shoes). I take up my shield of faith, and by it I am able to extinguish all of those flaming arrows that are hurled at me by the enemy (shield). I know that my Redeemer lives, so I rest in my salvation (helmet). I take up my sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and I PRAY! I pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, and I wait for the Lord to answer because He says that He will!
I fight with the Word! God is good! He's good all the time! He is love! He cares for me. His love endures forever. His faithfulness endures through all generations. He sent forth His word and He healed them. When I cry out to Him, He hears me. Nothing is impossible for God! God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Faith pleases Him. God is love. He made me in His image and He made me to love. He commands me to love Him and to love others as He loves me. There is NO fear in love, because perfect love casts out all fear. And on and on and on and on and on...
Surely, as I write this, I have not had one contraction. My baby moves and I am filled with joy knowing that this special gift is safe and secure in my womb because God keeps us safe. I have had some contractions over the past few days and I have been tempted to worry, but God says that we should not be anxious about anything, so I pray. I trust. I'm fine. I will not fear. I walked for an hour tonight before I sat down to write this. No contractions. Praise God!
Also, my 5 year old is sick with a fever and aches and pains. I wish I could say that I prayed for him and he became immediately well, but I can not. He is still sick for three days now. He is so sweet. He comes to me with such sweetness and tells me he loves me. He asks me to pray for him. I do. Sometimes he feels better. Sometimes he gets worse. Sometimes there is no change. We just keep praising God and talking about all of the things that God has done for us. He likes that and is comforted by that. I took him to the doctor today. It was the first time in two years that he had been to see a doctor. She was wonderful and nice and thorough. She did a strep test after assessing all of his symptoms, but it came back negative. Praise God! She determined it was a virus and advised me to keep doing what we have been doing until he gets well. So we love and cuddle and pray. We give detox baths, encourage lots of water, and give him lots of rest. He will be fine. God is with us through it all. I understand that sometimes God will let us go through the fire, but He is there with us and we will come out of it unharmed like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So there you have it. We do not live a life without trouble, but we live abundantly through it all because the God of all creation is right there with us.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
I was listening to some teaching last night and the preacher pointed out what I have been saying, that we get attacked by the enemy when we are doing good and we get attacked when we are doing bad. Either way, the enemy hates believers and will stop at nothing to try to get us to doubt God and blame God. I heard another speaker once who said that the enemy takes a risk every time he attacks a believer, because if the believer turns to God (instead of doubting or blaming God) then the believer's faith is strengthened. That is what happened when Satan attacked my children with leg cramps, eye pain, and eczema. When I prayed in fear, I saw no improvements and I was tempted to doubt, but when I turned to God in faith and believed that He would indeed answer me, then I found God to be faithful to His word and my faith was strengthened. My relationship with God grew and my love for Him exploded.
When I speak out and share the Good News, I usually find myself under attack. I shared about my delight in being 29 weeks pregnant and not experiencing pre-term contractions, and BAM, suddenly I began to have more contractions and strong contractions. They are indeed Braxton-Hicks contractions and they are tiring and they are sometimes strong, but they are definitely NOT labor contractions. The stranger whispers in my ear, "Here they come again!" "Maybe you over did it at VBS." "God didn't really heal you. Do you see? You are having contractions again." "Look. You can't count on God. He's allowing you to have contractions yet again." "Sleep, rest, take care of yourself. You know what to do. You've been through this before." I will NOT listen to any of that.
Here is what I know. During my last few pregnancies I learned that when I became afraid of what was happening in my body, then everything got worse. When I gave in to the fear, then I truly had something to be afraid of. When I dug into God's word and learned that I could count on Him for my strength, I got up and served my family (because that is my calling) and I was fine and had fewer contractions. I know that God allows me to be tested, but he does not tempt me. Trials come so that my faith will be proven genuine. His word says that! The trial comes, and Satan tempts me to doubt God, to question God's goodness, and to blame God for my discomfort. I will NOT!
I put on the full armor of God and I rest in His truth (belt). I rest in His promises. I am made righteous by the blood of the Lamb and the Spirit lives in me and leads me in paths of righteousness (breastplate). I rest in the peace that He gives me (shoes). I take up my shield of faith, and by it I am able to extinguish all of those flaming arrows that are hurled at me by the enemy (shield). I know that my Redeemer lives, so I rest in my salvation (helmet). I take up my sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and I PRAY! I pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, and I wait for the Lord to answer because He says that He will!
I fight with the Word! God is good! He's good all the time! He is love! He cares for me. His love endures forever. His faithfulness endures through all generations. He sent forth His word and He healed them. When I cry out to Him, He hears me. Nothing is impossible for God! God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Faith pleases Him. God is love. He made me in His image and He made me to love. He commands me to love Him and to love others as He loves me. There is NO fear in love, because perfect love casts out all fear. And on and on and on and on and on...
Surely, as I write this, I have not had one contraction. My baby moves and I am filled with joy knowing that this special gift is safe and secure in my womb because God keeps us safe. I have had some contractions over the past few days and I have been tempted to worry, but God says that we should not be anxious about anything, so I pray. I trust. I'm fine. I will not fear. I walked for an hour tonight before I sat down to write this. No contractions. Praise God!
Also, my 5 year old is sick with a fever and aches and pains. I wish I could say that I prayed for him and he became immediately well, but I can not. He is still sick for three days now. He is so sweet. He comes to me with such sweetness and tells me he loves me. He asks me to pray for him. I do. Sometimes he feels better. Sometimes he gets worse. Sometimes there is no change. We just keep praising God and talking about all of the things that God has done for us. He likes that and is comforted by that. I took him to the doctor today. It was the first time in two years that he had been to see a doctor. She was wonderful and nice and thorough. She did a strep test after assessing all of his symptoms, but it came back negative. Praise God! She determined it was a virus and advised me to keep doing what we have been doing until he gets well. So we love and cuddle and pray. We give detox baths, encourage lots of water, and give him lots of rest. He will be fine. God is with us through it all. I understand that sometimes God will let us go through the fire, but He is there with us and we will come out of it unharmed like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So there you have it. We do not live a life without trouble, but we live abundantly through it all because the God of all creation is right there with us.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Spiritual Attack Testing My Faith - Part 4
We finished a week of VBS. I had such a blast leading the Celebration Time at the beginning and end of each day. I get to review the Bible Points, Bible verses, and Bible stories with the children, as I teach them the words and motions to the VBS songs that we sing throughout the week. I love praising God with song, and I love leading others in worship, too. We had our closing program last night, where we shared with the parents (family & friends) what we learned through the week and sang 6 of the songs we learned during our Celebration time. We also watched a slide show that my husband put together of all of the different activities that took place through the week. Everyone enjoys seeing the slideshow at the end of the week. We finished up with an ice cream social in the gym. What fun!
I really enjoyed being able to lead the music, with all of the dancing, jumping, turning, and hand motions, during my 29th week of pregnancy. It is a testimony of God's healing that I could do this.
I know that many were wondering if I really should be doing all of that given my history with pre-term contractions and all. I have shared with many in my church that Jesus has healed me, and they see me eating all kinds of food and feeding my children all kinds of food. They may just think that I had gone overboard with the whole diet thing and that nothing was ever really the matter in the first place. I hear all the time about how wonderful my children are and what a delight they are, and I wonder if anyone remembers, or even noticed, how bad things were for us not too long ago.
Many may not have seen or experienced what we saw, because we just didn't make it to church when things were really bad or we were there only briefly. All they would remember is that we were often absent or late, but they did not really understand the full extent of what we shared with them because they were not present to experience it.
All kids throw tantrums from time to time, so that is easily dismissed. All kids have rashes or act unreasonable on occasion, so those are easily dismissed. Sometimes kids just don't want to talk or look you in the eye, so that is easily dismissed when you only see a kid on occasion. However, everyone knows that I have had "trouble" with all of my pregnancies and have ended up on bed rest and medications for pre-term contractions. People talk, so even people who didn't know me until recently seem to know my history. What a testimony of God's power it will be for them to see me carry my baby to term without any complications. I look forward to seeing this miracle accomplished by the power of God so that many might believe that we have truly been healed by Jesus. God is to be praised!
Today I have had a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions. It is tiring and makes me achey. I didn't want to do much and I had no appetite. Does this mean that I am wrong about being healed? CKS woke up with a wet bed. SSS was whiny all day, but we spent the day encouraging him to use his nice words and he is catching on again. CKS had eye pain today, but we prayed for it and it went away quickly, both times. KRS woke up a short while after going to sleep with a nightmare and could not go back to sleep for some time. Does this mean that we are not healed? NO! The question is: How am I going to react to what I see? Am I going to panic and run back to diet? Am I going to question God's goodness? Am I going to pray harder and work at doing things right so God will heal us once again because something must have gone wrong? NO! These are spiritual attacks. At the end of the day, I recognize that all I need to do is rest in the promises of God.
I spent most of the day thinking, "Oh, no. I don't know what is going on here. Why is this happening? I had such an amazing week!" (spiritual attack, wrong thinking) I continued to have contractions and I felt so tired. I didn't feel motivated to do anything. I just wanted to sleep. Then, I got up and went shopping, because I needed to go shopping. (it was the right thing to do) I praised God all the way there and spent some time thinking about everything. I began to praise God, every time I felt a contraction. I began to recall His word. (put on the full armor of God) I feel great now and I am not afraid. I am not having any contractions anymore. My baby is moving and I feel rested and content. I look forward to getting a few hours of sleep and waking up to go to church and lead worship in the morning. Oh, my. I just remembered that I need to gather all of the VBS kids in the morning to sing one song during the worship service. Cool! I'm up for that! Glad I am feeling better again.
God is good all the time! His love endures forever! His faithfulness continues through all generations!
I WILL trust in the Lord with all my heart!
I WILL acknowledge Him in all my ways!
I WILL fear the Lord and shun evil!
I EXPECT it will bring health to my body and nourishment to my bones.
His word says it. I believe it. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
Praise the Lord, Oh my soul. All my inmost being praise His holy name!
Praise the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits,
Who forgives ALL my sins and heals ALL my diseases,
Who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion,
Who satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalms 103:1-5
I really enjoyed being able to lead the music, with all of the dancing, jumping, turning, and hand motions, during my 29th week of pregnancy. It is a testimony of God's healing that I could do this.
I know that many were wondering if I really should be doing all of that given my history with pre-term contractions and all. I have shared with many in my church that Jesus has healed me, and they see me eating all kinds of food and feeding my children all kinds of food. They may just think that I had gone overboard with the whole diet thing and that nothing was ever really the matter in the first place. I hear all the time about how wonderful my children are and what a delight they are, and I wonder if anyone remembers, or even noticed, how bad things were for us not too long ago.
Many may not have seen or experienced what we saw, because we just didn't make it to church when things were really bad or we were there only briefly. All they would remember is that we were often absent or late, but they did not really understand the full extent of what we shared with them because they were not present to experience it.
All kids throw tantrums from time to time, so that is easily dismissed. All kids have rashes or act unreasonable on occasion, so those are easily dismissed. Sometimes kids just don't want to talk or look you in the eye, so that is easily dismissed when you only see a kid on occasion. However, everyone knows that I have had "trouble" with all of my pregnancies and have ended up on bed rest and medications for pre-term contractions. People talk, so even people who didn't know me until recently seem to know my history. What a testimony of God's power it will be for them to see me carry my baby to term without any complications. I look forward to seeing this miracle accomplished by the power of God so that many might believe that we have truly been healed by Jesus. God is to be praised!
Today I have had a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions. It is tiring and makes me achey. I didn't want to do much and I had no appetite. Does this mean that I am wrong about being healed? CKS woke up with a wet bed. SSS was whiny all day, but we spent the day encouraging him to use his nice words and he is catching on again. CKS had eye pain today, but we prayed for it and it went away quickly, both times. KRS woke up a short while after going to sleep with a nightmare and could not go back to sleep for some time. Does this mean that we are not healed? NO! The question is: How am I going to react to what I see? Am I going to panic and run back to diet? Am I going to question God's goodness? Am I going to pray harder and work at doing things right so God will heal us once again because something must have gone wrong? NO! These are spiritual attacks. At the end of the day, I recognize that all I need to do is rest in the promises of God.
I spent most of the day thinking, "Oh, no. I don't know what is going on here. Why is this happening? I had such an amazing week!" (spiritual attack, wrong thinking) I continued to have contractions and I felt so tired. I didn't feel motivated to do anything. I just wanted to sleep. Then, I got up and went shopping, because I needed to go shopping. (it was the right thing to do) I praised God all the way there and spent some time thinking about everything. I began to praise God, every time I felt a contraction. I began to recall His word. (put on the full armor of God) I feel great now and I am not afraid. I am not having any contractions anymore. My baby is moving and I feel rested and content. I look forward to getting a few hours of sleep and waking up to go to church and lead worship in the morning. Oh, my. I just remembered that I need to gather all of the VBS kids in the morning to sing one song during the worship service. Cool! I'm up for that! Glad I am feeling better again.
God is good all the time! His love endures forever! His faithfulness continues through all generations!
I WILL trust in the Lord with all my heart!
I WILL acknowledge Him in all my ways!
I WILL fear the Lord and shun evil!
I EXPECT it will bring health to my body and nourishment to my bones.
His word says it. I believe it. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
Praise the Lord, Oh my soul. All my inmost being praise His holy name!
Praise the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits,
Who forgives ALL my sins and heals ALL my diseases,
Who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion,
Who satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalms 103:1-5
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Spiritual Attack Testing My Faith - Part 3
CKS is reading again. Last week he wanted to read, but he could not focus or keep his eyes on the page. He could not sound out words and did not recognize common words he knows, like "the", "on", and "what". Today, he knew all of the common words he had previously known and learned three new words, and he had no trouble sounding out and reading new words. All praise to God, our loving and gracious Heavenly Father.
I did NOT change our diet. This is our VBS week. The boys are finishing up their swim lessons. This week, we are eating eggs and oranges for breakfast, VBS snacks (cookies, trail mix, crackers, pudding), boxed granola/ezekiel cereal with raw milk for lunch, fruit or ice cream for snack, and GAPS type foods for dinner, plus rice, potatoes, or bread. It is NOT the strictly healthy food diet we used to adhere to. Truly, we are free.
SSS is more cheerful and cooperative again. He continues to potty regularly on his own with no accidents, and this on the big people potty, with or without the little toddler potty seat on top!
SSS actually graduated today from ISR swim lessons. He earned his trophy! He tested in winter clothes today and handled himself masterfully (at 3 years and 3 months). He immediately flips to a float, no matter how he enters the water, and he can swim-float-swim to the edge or to the steps to get himself out of the pool, even while weighted down with drenched clothes, coat, socks, and shoes. I am so proud of him. He has a blast and thinks that it is all fun and games. He has the biggest smile on his face when he gets flipped upside down and dumped into the water head first. Amazing!
CKS tests in winter clothes in two days. He is also doing amazingly well. I am so pleased.
I shared our testimony again with someone new last night. It was so good for both of us to hear what God has done and what he continues to do for us. She was amazed to hear that all six of us were healed of food and chemical sensitivities, and especially that our son was healed from autism. We just do not hear of children being healed of autism, but NOTHING is impossible for God! I DO NOT FEAR anymore what will happen when I share our story and what God has done, because it is all true and it needs to be told!
Faith matters! What we believe matters!
Galatians 5:6 "Nothing matters, except faith expressing itself in love."
I John 3:23 "And this is His command, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life."
I did NOT change our diet. This is our VBS week. The boys are finishing up their swim lessons. This week, we are eating eggs and oranges for breakfast, VBS snacks (cookies, trail mix, crackers, pudding), boxed granola/ezekiel cereal with raw milk for lunch, fruit or ice cream for snack, and GAPS type foods for dinner, plus rice, potatoes, or bread. It is NOT the strictly healthy food diet we used to adhere to. Truly, we are free.
SSS is more cheerful and cooperative again. He continues to potty regularly on his own with no accidents, and this on the big people potty, with or without the little toddler potty seat on top!
SSS actually graduated today from ISR swim lessons. He earned his trophy! He tested in winter clothes today and handled himself masterfully (at 3 years and 3 months). He immediately flips to a float, no matter how he enters the water, and he can swim-float-swim to the edge or to the steps to get himself out of the pool, even while weighted down with drenched clothes, coat, socks, and shoes. I am so proud of him. He has a blast and thinks that it is all fun and games. He has the biggest smile on his face when he gets flipped upside down and dumped into the water head first. Amazing!
CKS tests in winter clothes in two days. He is also doing amazingly well. I am so pleased.
I shared our testimony again with someone new last night. It was so good for both of us to hear what God has done and what he continues to do for us. She was amazed to hear that all six of us were healed of food and chemical sensitivities, and especially that our son was healed from autism. We just do not hear of children being healed of autism, but NOTHING is impossible for God! I DO NOT FEAR anymore what will happen when I share our story and what God has done, because it is all true and it needs to be told!
Faith matters! What we believe matters!
Galatians 5:6 "Nothing matters, except faith expressing itself in love."
I John 3:23 "And this is His command, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life."
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Spiritual Attack Testing My Faith - Part 2
CKS's rash is gone. He is making great eye contact again. His attention and focus is improving. I did NOT change diet. I did NOT run back to healthy food. God wants us to trust in Him with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-8). So I did what God calls me to do, and I ran back to HIM.
SSS continues to do wonderfully in his potty training. Actually, I would say that he is trained. He wears underwear all day and puts all of his pee and poo in the big potty. He has even used the big potty without the soft toddler seat that keeps him from falling in. He is such a big boy. He has even used the potty at a restaurant! Also, his diapers are dry in the mornings, so I will likely put him in underwear at night, too.
Even better than potty training, the whiny, fussy, bad attitude is melting away. Praise God for that! That was wearisome.
The bad attitudes and ugly comments from me and from all of my children are fading away, too. Whew! Thank You, Lord!
We have had several completely dry nights! I always give God my thanks for that.
Cheerful, happy, pleasant kids greet me in the morning. So thankful for that!
Miracle of all miracles (OK, this is really quite small compared to all that God has done, but it is huge to me), I am 28 weeks pregnant (12 weeks to go!) and I am leading VBS music everyday this week. NO FEAR!!! God has given me an absolutely miraculous pregnancy (when you look at my history), and He will give me the strength and the words to lead a group of 137 children (plus many adult and teen leaders) in worship and to teach them that God is in control, He is with us, and He will never leave us!
I continue to have only the occasional Braxton-Hicks contraction (not the 4-20 an hour contractions as in previous pregnancies). I continue to be pain free from the varicose veins on the back of my right leg and in the groin area. I continue to be free of other common pregnancy complaints. I feel great! I feel tired at times, but generally I have lots of energy, especially in the mornings. It is impossible not to sing of God's amazing love and of His mighty power! He loves us! He does! He hears us! He does! He saves us! He does!
Oh, God, You are great and mighty! You are so loving and good and kind! You do not leave us! You call us to seek You, and You promise that we will find You. You call us to worship You. You call us to believe You! You call us to trust You, to take You at Your word! I believe You, Lord. You say what You mean and You mean what You say! I can count on You! I have nothing to fear. If You are for me, than who can stand against me? You are for me! You have made me Your child! You have made me a son, a co-heir with Christ. You live in me to work through me. That is what Your will is, Your good, pleasing and perfect will. How amazing is that!?! Thank You, Lord, for making me Your own. I love You. I love You! I love You!!!
OK. I need a little sleep before VBS in the morning. Lord, give me strength. Give us all strength! May You be glorified this week through our time of learning and worship in VBS. Your Name be praised forever and ever and ever!
SSS continues to do wonderfully in his potty training. Actually, I would say that he is trained. He wears underwear all day and puts all of his pee and poo in the big potty. He has even used the big potty without the soft toddler seat that keeps him from falling in. He is such a big boy. He has even used the potty at a restaurant! Also, his diapers are dry in the mornings, so I will likely put him in underwear at night, too.
Even better than potty training, the whiny, fussy, bad attitude is melting away. Praise God for that! That was wearisome.
The bad attitudes and ugly comments from me and from all of my children are fading away, too. Whew! Thank You, Lord!
We have had several completely dry nights! I always give God my thanks for that.
Cheerful, happy, pleasant kids greet me in the morning. So thankful for that!
Miracle of all miracles (OK, this is really quite small compared to all that God has done, but it is huge to me), I am 28 weeks pregnant (12 weeks to go!) and I am leading VBS music everyday this week. NO FEAR!!! God has given me an absolutely miraculous pregnancy (when you look at my history), and He will give me the strength and the words to lead a group of 137 children (plus many adult and teen leaders) in worship and to teach them that God is in control, He is with us, and He will never leave us!
I continue to have only the occasional Braxton-Hicks contraction (not the 4-20 an hour contractions as in previous pregnancies). I continue to be pain free from the varicose veins on the back of my right leg and in the groin area. I continue to be free of other common pregnancy complaints. I feel great! I feel tired at times, but generally I have lots of energy, especially in the mornings. It is impossible not to sing of God's amazing love and of His mighty power! He loves us! He does! He hears us! He does! He saves us! He does!
Oh, God, You are great and mighty! You are so loving and good and kind! You do not leave us! You call us to seek You, and You promise that we will find You. You call us to worship You. You call us to believe You! You call us to trust You, to take You at Your word! I believe You, Lord. You say what You mean and You mean what You say! I can count on You! I have nothing to fear. If You are for me, than who can stand against me? You are for me! You have made me Your child! You have made me a son, a co-heir with Christ. You live in me to work through me. That is what Your will is, Your good, pleasing and perfect will. How amazing is that!?! Thank You, Lord, for making me Your own. I love You. I love You! I love You!!!
OK. I need a little sleep before VBS in the morning. Lord, give me strength. Give us all strength! May You be glorified this week through our time of learning and worship in VBS. Your Name be praised forever and ever and ever!
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