365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 202

Sometimes you just need to get in bed and read a good book! Camping out in front of the television night after night just doesn't work for me. I have my coach potato tendencies but I do like to mix it up a bit. Mostly, I will either go out in the hot tub or go down in my studio and do some creating but every once in a while a good book crosses my path. Several family members recommended 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult. If a book doesn't grab me in the first 20 pages it isn't going to make it. Okay, this one has me hooked. I am to the point now where I want to read more to see what's going to happen. I am praising the Lord for the gift of writing that he has given to some people. Words can take you somewhere other than your own reality, make you think and inspire you. The bible does this for me everyday giving me words of wisdom, words of inspiration, words that make me think and takes me to a place with just me and my saviour. I wanna go back to it again and again because it gives me something every time. Thank you Lord for your words and for using others in their writing to bring out truths about you.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 201

I started writing about something else but my daughter just came down and said "mom you are needed" in her sweet voice. I just had to grab her into a hug. I have to go help her with the milk so this is short and sweet. Praise God for the feeling of being needed and the heartfelt words that come out of children.
Matthew 18:3 "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 200

Standing up for yourself and others is something that many of us don't do very well. Off the top of my head, I think it's probably the whole fear of what others will think thing coming into play. I have seen and read a couple of things in the last day that remind me that standing up for your beliefs, a person, yourself, etc is something we all need to do but don't always do. I saw it last night on the Bachlorette. Yes, I watch that show and I don't care what you think. The bachlorette is a single mom of a 6 year old daughter so there is a dynamic to the show that has not been there before. One of the men commented to the other men that she has baggage, referring to her daughter. Only one of them ended up going to her and telling her what happened because he too is a father and wouldn't want anyone saying such things about his son. She did a great job of standing up for herself and her daughter and booted the guy off the show. She said she felt she lost trust in them all because only one spoke up. I understood her feelings but was happy to see she got past that once she talked with each of them some more. Courage is rare and should be celebrated. We should be inspired ourselves to stop thinking and just do the brave thing. I am praising the Lord for showing another example of being able to stand up for yourself or someone else and be able to forgive those who don't.

Exodus 14:13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today."

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 199

God gave me some more reminders of how I need not be afraid of what other people think, that only him matters. A watched a movie in the afternoon about a daughter of a pastor who reflects the love she has for the Lord in inspiring ways. She ends up connecting with a troubled boy who, because of her, changes into a wonderful young man. The movie is called A Walk to Remember which is based on a book by Nicholas Sparks. What really spoke was how she didn't care what others thought of her. She did and was what the Lord wanted for her. I won't give away the story... You have to go watch it and get the inspiration that I got. Another reminder of how we need not to be afraid of what other people think was in the book by Max Lucado I read to my daughter last night called You Are Special. It's about a world with wooden people who go around putting star or dot stickers on each other based on the good things you do or the way they look. The main character meets another who doesn't have any stickers and finds out how he too can be like that by going to see his maker, the carver Eli.  It's a great analogy type story of us and God and how we need not be afraid of what other people think. It only matters what God thinks and he thinks you are special. It's a must read for adults and kids. I am thankful to the Lord for reminding me because of my forgetful nature of how special I am and that only what he thinks of me matters.

But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1)

365 Days of Praise Challenged-Day 198

You would think it was July or something? This heat is not fun. We braved the heat and went to the Renaissance Festival yesterday. I think my brain is still melted from it. I do not do well with hot weather but I made the best of it and just plowed along enjoying those moments that will come but once. My son had a momentous occasion and bought his first hunting knife. My daughter's momentous ocassion came while she was eating a vanilla shake that was topped with chocolate sauce. She blended it in and was making a good mess of it on her face when a Renaissance Festival character walked by and said "are you eating mudd?" Her face was just classic. Another personal highlight of the day for me was the wild animal show. This year they brought out a white tiger that was only 8 months old. Mind you at 8 months, they look full grown but he acted like a cub with a very playful nature. It was quite the site to see the tiger giving the trainer a playful hug. Tigers are my favorite animal in all of God's kingdom so when I saw a drawing at a booth of a tiger and his reflection in water, I knew I had to get it. It reminds me of how we are always casting a reflection. Whether we see it in a mirror, water or not at all; it is there. We constantly are reflecting what is in our hearts and minds. I have to be more aware of how I am reflecting my thoughts and feelings. Is the love of Christ being reflected or is it my own frustrations of life? More often it is the latter but I am praying that there will come a time when I will be reflecting my love of Jesus more than anything else.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 197

We picked up our kids from camp yesterday. Our daughter was very happy to see us. She apparently only had the fever Wednesday night and Thursday morning and than it was gone and did not return. The nurse and head counselor both said that perhaps it was a case of home sickness. Anything is possible. What we think can definitely have an effect on our bodies. Her one comment that stuck with me as we drove home was, "I can't wait to be home." Our ultimate "home" is heaven. Like my daughter, we can also get home sick. Are you feeling disconnected from God? Has life gotten in the way of your focus on the Lord? Have your trials and tribulations taken you further from God rather than closer? Do you know the Lord? Perhaps, like I was at one time, still searching for a "home"? We have a home but while we are here on Earth we have to cure our home sickness with a dose of the truth in the Word of God or a dose of fellowship with other believers or a spoonful of medicine called "worship".  Take your daily dose of vitiamins called Jesus and prevent the home sickness from infecting you again. Let the Lord make his home in you.
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 196

You don't want to get a phone call about any of your kids when they are away at camp. It can only be not good news. I got one of those phone calls yesterday from the head camp counselor. Someone's in trouble or sick?. Faith had a fever the night before of 102. She apparently was fine now and said she wanted to stay so they were calling to give us a heads up in case the fever came back. The thing that both my husband and I picked up on the most was the fact that she really wanted to stay. She is apparenlty having a great time despite the fever on night 4. So though it was not a call you want to get, we both took it as good news that all was well with our baby girl out in the world. We have been praying that she would reach that point of independence and getting away from the clingingness to her mom and dad. I think we are getting there! She's been overcoming her own natural fears and conquering them. Thank you Lord for walking with my kids and giving them what they need to grow in their faith and become all you want them to be.
Proverbs 3:26...for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.