Living Life One Cheerio at a Time

As promised from my FB status this morning, this morning why my heart was warmed even though my toes are frozen. My children are kept in a tight bubble. And I am okay with that. And right now so are they, because they don't know any different. I know that won't last forever. Their gonna want to stretch their wings and do what their friends are doing. Listen to what their friends are listening to. Watch what their friends are watching. But I pray that the time they spent in the safe bubble we've created will have great impact on those choices. This morning my oldest told me about a song she heard the 5th grade choir sing the other day at school. Since they sang it at school she thought that it was appropriate. She liked it but couldn't remember all the words. She asked if I would look up the words for her to see if it was something she could listen to and if it was could she listen to it on you tube. I thought this was amazingly wise for an 8 yr old. I looked it up...

Recently, I was able to have an amazing conversation with my 8 yr old.  This is a story of God's grace. God answered the prayer of a mom who was praying for a Christian friend for her daughter. Her daughter was transitioning into public school from being home schooled. This mom wanted a someone for her daughter that shared her convictions and faith. Her prayer was answered....above and beyond. You see we were that answer to prayer. Those  2 girls have become great friends. There has even been a play date. I don't always okay play dates with kids I don't know or for that matter parents. But you see this was different.  I already knew her parents. The hubs and I went to college with them. In fact I was an apartment mate of mom and hubs was an apartment mate of the dad. How cool of God to bring us back into each others paths again. So when this mom was praying for her daughter she had know idea how God would answer that above what she was asking for. Child  #1 and I...

Its been a few years but God moved our family from point A to point B. We are still at B and are quite happy. Recently we visited point A. My husband assured me we were not going  back there just visiting. Just reminding our hearts that point B is where God wants us. It was obvious. It wasn't an uncomfortable or an anxiety ridden visit. It was peaceful. Knowing it was God who pulled us away and moved us to a different place in our journey. This was a great reminder for me to listen to God and then to trust in HIM. Sometimes I want to take back or doubt or argue...but I need to trust. Simple as that. TRUST! We didn't make up the reasons for leaving point A. It was God growing us. It was God wanting to give us more. It was God wanting to keep us from becoming stagnant  It was God wanting us to dig deeper. And we have. We have accepted that gift God wanted to give us. We have accepted the blessings. We have trusted in what HE has for us. We are thank...

We are currently studying Daniel at our Bible study. Its been great really digging our teeth into all those "children's stories." Recently our Teaching Director said,  "you may be in Babylon but you don't have to be of Babylon." It's taken me a couple of weeks to really get a hold of what that means. But God made it clear, very clear. I have that one thing I keep taking back from God. I so badly want to be a part of Babylon and God lovingly says no you will not be a part of this. It could not have been more clear. Within 12 hours of me agreeing to be apart of Babylon, the door was firmly closed. Shut, barred, locked, glued. CLOSED! He tells me I can't be an effective witness when knee deep in Babylon type activities. He wants me set apart. He wants me to be in Babylon but not of Babylon. Okay I get it....for now. I am sure that God will have to remind again.

I recently gave a devotion at CBS. I titled it "when there is fog on the mountain, slow down and be alert" I found that sign when I was driving through the VA mountains last summer. It really stuck with me. Over the last few months God led me to several verses. I will hope that when you are in the fog of life that you can refer to these verses. WHO  IS GOD? Psalm 46:10, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 59:16, Psalm 62:6, Proverbs 18:10, Exodus 2:14   WHAT DOES HE PROMISE? Psalm 73:26, Psalm 27:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Psalm 62:1, Isaiah 55:8   WHAT AM I TO DO DURING THE FOG? Psalm 136:1, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 3:2, Colossians 4:2, Psalm 63:1, Deuteronomy 6:5, Nehemiah 9:5b    

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself  in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."  1 Thessalonians 5: 15-18 "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." These were 2 verses God gave me over a year ago to help me get through the land of wait. Sometime last fall I had a desire on my heart. My husband and I had many conversations. This desire just ddin't make sense. Logic would say NO. But I couldn't shake this desire. So I prayed. I prayed for an open door, a soft heart, a yes or a no, a medical miracle, clarity. But I continued to know that if it was God's will it would happen. And I was okay with the no and even the wait. So I stayed in the land of wait  with no answer and continued to pray. You see I felt our family wasn't complete. I wanted another child. I know a 4th baby is crazy talk. I didn't know if it was through foster care, adoption or natura...