the long way "home"

well...time has flown by!  I seriously just lost January!  I cannot believe it has been a month since I last blogged.  We have been so busy as a family that time has literally  wizzed by me.

 I have been studying the book of Dueteronomy this month.  I find it fasinating.  I often find that I end up relating with the plight of the Irealites...hopeless wondering around the same mountain for years.  The journey from the Mt. Sinai to the promise land was only 11 days long...and yet it took them 40 years!!!!!!!  This is how I feel about the "heart issues" I have been battling.  I know victory is within arms reach, but somehow I still go the long way around, and end up right where I started! This circling around drives me (and I am sure the Lord) crazy!  As we start a new year...or (did 31 days ago) we should all make an effort to really stop the "spirtual tredmill", of walking around the same issues over and over, and just get real with God.  We need to confess our weaknesses and ask God what to do about them. But here's the kicker...we also have to DO WHAT HE SAYS!!!!

So in the spirit of new beginnings, I will go first.  I confess to God and everyone that I have trouble dealing with frustration.  I am impatient and often critical.  Lord...help me find peace in tough situations; to not induldge my own fleshly responces to stress, but instead do what you say I should do:  I will pray for my enemies, I will trust in you and your plans, I will speak and think of positive, life-giving things, I will lean not on my own devices, but turn to your Word for wisdom....amen. 

Moving the Hand of God...

Well, the Big Christmas Day EXTRAVAGANZA is done!  All th gifts are given and the food has been devoured, naps have been taken and all is well!  This year I really tried to be "present" emotionally and spiritually for Christmas.  In the last five years, my Dad suffered from horrible Lung Cancer, while my sister suffered and battled her own Cervical, Lung and Brain Cancer. We, as a family, tightened the focus around being there for them; helping , praying and living with our attention on every moment with them.  They have both gone to be with the Lord now; my dad 1st, and then my sister in Oct. 2009.  Last Christmas was full of bittersweet memories and grief.  But this year, time and God have healed some of that sadness, and I was able to devote myself to living in "my own moments".  The time with my boys, and husband, family and friends was truly magical, and I felt so at peace and loved!  I was able to focus again on the joy and love of God's gift; his Son, and be truly grateful for all my blessings.  One morning this holiday, I was overcome with the revelation of all those who had prayed for me and my family during our battles with cancer. I was able to see just how their faithfullness to pray for me and my family had sustained us over the course of our trail.  It took my breath away!  I saw myself and my family, held tenderly in God's hands, and just beneath us were the swirls of 1000's of prayers. I was in awe.

 If you know or love someone who is dealing with a life threatening illness, I ask you to pray regularly for them and those who are caring for them...they need all the prayers they can get.  So many times we say "I will  be praying for you", but then we forget or get busy with our own issues.  We don't mean to neglect them in our prayers, but we do none the less.  I know that those who were faithfully praying for me over the last 5 years helped save me from total grief & stress induced insanity. I am ever indebted to them for their love and selflessness. Think about those you know and make a New years commitment to pray for those in need of your support.  Nothing happens here on Earth until it manifests in the spiritual world...and that includes healing.  How do we move the hand of God? With prayer. Pray for your loved ones in need, and do it faithfully.  It will cover them with a grace and peace that they never knew existed, and it will move the hand of God in wonderous ways!

lil' wisdom; lots of love: snow day...

lil' wisdom; lots of love: snow day...: "Well here is is; the long awaited, much prayed for and anticipated, first snow day of the season! As a teacher I have to admit that I ..."

snow day...

Well here is is; the long awaited, much prayed for and anticipated, first snow day of the season!  As a teacher I have to admit that I too, love a good ol' fashion snow day.  We will ususlly sleep in, make a big breakfast and then play in the snow or curl up and watch movies, or venture out into town with our 4 wheel drive adn go out for lunch or to the mall, etc.  But today, we woke up and the house was only 60 degree and dropping fast.  The furnace went out overnight, and it won't lite. We called the repair guy, and he will be here this afternoon, but we will be chilly until then.  Now I admit, in the "flesh"  I am irritated as all get out that I have to wait here in this "icebox" for help to arrive, but in my spirit, I am keeping a good and happy attitude because I know that the devil would just love to ruin my day...a day off no less that God gave us!  Soooooo. I will fall back on Phil. 4:8..."whatever is true, honorable, pure, lovely. kind, virtuous, & worthy of praise; think on these things"  and I will pray for a quick and inexpensive solution.  A wise lady once shared with me that the devil cannot read your mind, but he can use your own negative words against you.  So even though I am thinking that this is a crappy situation, I am saying, "but at least I am home and we have help on they way", & "it looks like the perfect day to fire up the oven and bake", & "thank God we knew a furnace guy personally so he can get here today instead of tomorrow!".  This is what putting Phil 4:8 into practice look like.  I refuse to let the devil steal my peace today.  "I will rejoice in the Lord at all times, and HIs praise shall be continutally on my lips!" (Psalms 34:1) So take that devil...I am kicking your ugly butt right out of my day!

Today was bad, but...

I will admit this once and only once...today stunk!  There, now I feel better. I will not elaborate, but suffice it to say, I am ready and willing to simply fall into bed and start over tomorrow! Psalms 34:1 says we are to "bless the Lord at all times"... I have often questioned God's wisdom on this :)  As a human, my nature is to complain and moan about crappy curcumstances; not to "bless the Lord".  But alas, His ways are not my ways, so here I go:

God, today was hard.  I know you know what is heavy on my heart, and you know how I desire these mountains to move, but I will wait patiently for you to "move it, or move me", "change them or change me" ( I know...it will probabaly be the last one, but I am willing to be pruned, even though it stinks!)  God, I bless your Holy name.  Thank you for another day with my family, and thank you for getting me through the day today.  Help me be a blessing to others, and not to grumble anymore about my situation.  Your will, not mine be done.  Amen.

That's all for today...

ever thankful...

At the end of a long Thanksgiving holiday, I am again reminded that I have much to be thankful for...
* a hubbie who still tells me I am beautiful (& who cooks and is doing luandry as we speak!)
* two healthy kids who only fight a little bit...most days anyway!
* a great set of in-laws who love and adore us.
* wonderful siblings
* a fantastic mom who spoils me too much...thanks mom :)
* a warm place to call home
* great friends and a vibrant church family
* a job...even though it gets on my nerves some days!
* reliable transportation
* very little debt...almost debt free, but not quite.

But most of all I am thankful for a loving God who forgives me of my sins.  At this time of year, I feel that blessing most abundantly.  "God so loved the world, (that means us folks...) that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes (yup... you gotta believe it, confess it and live it) in him would have enternal life" JOHN 3:16   What an awesome concept...God Loves us.  So much that he was willing to sacrifice his most precious child to save the rest of us.  Today I encourage you to really think about that... the idea that Jesus died so that you might live; but not an Earthly, selfish life, but a life of love toward your fellow man; a life of walking through the world as a blessing to others; a life of faith in the creator, and a confession of that life.  So, count your blessings tonight...write them down to look back at on a "rainy day", and meditate on John 3:16...God's greatest blessing to you.  xoxox my friends...ali

Stinkin' Thinkin'

Have you ever had a day that you wish you could "do over"?  In my life, I have had that feeling on several ocasssions.  I wish I could say that I am all positive, all the time...or that I see the glass as half full in every situation. But since I have promised you I'd be honest, I have to admit that some times I feel, well, just blah or even negative about my day.

Now the question I have to ask myself is why?

I have pondered this attitude question a lot this month. As some of you know, I am trying to do 30 days of random acts of kindness.  I guess since I am actively trying to change the atmosphere around me by anonymously doing kind things for others, it has brought to light an icky underbelly to my own personality.  Sometimes, I am not real nice. There. I said it... in front of God and everyone!  (yikes!)

In sunday school, we learned that Jesus says is the greatest commandment is "To love one another".  And in school they taught us the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you'd like done to you".  If these idea have been rattling around all these years in my mind, then why is so dang hard sometimes to be positive and kind?  Why do I so often go for sarcasm instead of a loving reply?  Why when the glass is clearly half full, do I insist it is only half empty? The answer is....I am human.  All I know is that when I have a bunch of "stinking thinking" going on, the only thing that can change it is to renew my mind.  The Bible says that we are a new creation when we accept Jesus as our Savior, that the old is made new. That means I have NO OBLIGATION to my old crappy nature.  Soooooo,  when I start to get down and pessimistic, I need to follow the advice in scripture to renew my mind, and kick the bad attitude out.  If you struggle. like I do, with an occassional (or maybe even a cronic)  case of "Stinking Thinking", read and meditate on Philippians 4:4-9.  It will change the atmosphere in your mind...and in your world.
Phil 4:4-9
"Rejoice in the Lord Always, and again I say rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God & the PEACE that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, pure, lovely, abmirable, excellent or praise-worthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned, received, heard or seen in me--PUT INTO PRACTICE. And the God of peace will be with you"