Compassion and Creator God

Last week was a crazy one.  This season of life is just crazy.  Thankfully, a good crazy.  Friday and Saturday I had a wild headache- basically because I needed rest!  The three days before that I was in a rough mood.  Just cranky and unsetteled.  I kept telling myself to get it together because I believed Satan was distracting me from what the Lord was or was about to do.  And, I don't ever want to miss what the Lord has for me!  But, I couldn't shake "it."  I was struggling with guilt about how much time I had spent in the Word and how I was wanting to "fix" everyone else's walk with Him (or atleast get the opportunity to tell them how to fix it!).  Did I also mention I was exhausted?
In Sunday School (which everyone should be apart of!), we read this verse (along with several others)..."The Lord will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free." (Deut 32:36)  This is the Living Word, relevant to my very-present-life!  The Lord will have compassion on me when he sees my strength is gone!  I am SO grateful he speaks tenderly to me!  {See my post below about mercy and compassion.} Again, the Lord was affirming his presence with me and that my state of exhaustion was not lost on him.
He also cut deep during the worship service about some pride issues I had going on.  We also read this verse, "Is this the way you repay the Lord, O foolish and unwise people?" (Deut 32:6)  Introspective questions like this can pose a tough self evaluation of our heart and our choices.  So, generally, we (I) think of those who this definitely applies to!  People/friends/family/church members who God has moved mountains for and been a shield for..and "is this the way you repay the Lord"?!  Jesus ever clearly showed me (again) that He is Creator God and just as I love how He works so personally with me, He is able to work a work in them that is personal.  He doesn't need my craftiness or my pride to assume that he does.  Woops.  And, my response is to agree with Him.  Confess and restore. And, cheer my brothers and sisters along in their pursuit on Him!
It's amazing what being in the Word and responding to the Spirit does for one's spirit!  My prayers concerning others has changed and, I think, for the better.  In a way that encourages the Spirit to draw them to Him and in anticipation of their growth! 
I also have taken three naps this week.  Yes.  That is a game changer too!
And, I've made some decisions to say "no."  And, the Lord has granted me peace in those decisions.
And, he appears to be opening other doors to dreams he gave me long ago.  It's always an exciting ride when Jesus is moving his servants!  I love that he uses the term "servants" in the verse above.  It's a good reminder that we are to be actively serving Him- even with no strength.  That's when His compassion cannot be missed!
Enjoy the spring weather!  Enjoy the goodness of the Lord!  Get in the Word and agree with the Spirit!  It's always for our benefit!

On mercy, compassion, & the Living Word

I love Jesus.  I love how He loves me.  I love how he often speaks so clearly to me that I cannot deny his voice.  Jesus is just oh.so.wonderful for the very reason that he chose to save me.  So unworthy and undeserving...but so thankful, indeed.  It never fails to amaze me how the Bible is proven to me as the Living Word of God.  Living!  Not old, ancient, or irrelevant to my woes and joys and life in 2012.  But, the very essence of what I need to not just survive, but thrive!  Here is my latest taste at the Lord's goodness...
On Sunday, my Dad (pastor of our church), preached on Psalms 4.  About how our security is found in the Lord alone because he is righteous.  The last part of verse 1 has been my rallying cry..."Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer."  Jesus and I have been talking about mercy lately.  And, you know, it's ok to ASK for it. 

On Tuesday, a cousin posted the following verse on facebook... "Therefore, the Lord longs to be merciful to you; he rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a just God.  Blessed are all who wait for him!" (Isaiah 30:18)  I blinked twice and read it again!  It was Him speaking directly to my heart.  In Scripture when the Lord rises he is getting ready to act.  And, for a few days I had been praying specifically for the Lord to show mercy in a specific area.  Here was my answer! I was giddy with excitement at how I would see the Lord's mercy and how he would rise to show me compassion!

I promptly committed to memorize the verse- repeating it all throughout the day.  While driving that afternoon, I was (again) talking with Jesus about these verses.  He was affirming to me the lessons shown to me.  Even the songs playing on our local Christian station were parrallel to the messages in the Scriptures!  I said out loud, "The rest you give me is the best!" (in reference to the last verse of Ps 4)  ...And my phone rang...

Our realtor called to let me know that the family that had seen our house for the second time chose to offer on another home.  While listening to her my mind was saying, "Lord, you have prepared me for this moment.  It could be crushing news, but it isn't.  You have better plans and I will wait for them."  Time in the Living Word and in prayer is EXACTLY what we need to make it through the roller coasters of life.  While my prayers were not answered how I would have liked them to be (a sell after 7 days on the market in this tough economy), I know in the core of my soul that His timing is never late and His ways are always (not most of the time) better than mine.  This security allowed me to keep an even tempered response to our realtor and to be hopeful in sharing the news with others.  Chris and I do not want to rush what the Lord is doing.  We trust His timing- because that is where we experience his mercy and his compassion.  And, we are blessed in waiting on Him!

sojourner

This is the blog of a friend from high school.  Deep and well thought out thoughts...
sojourner.

March?!

{This is our family picture from when Caleb was born.  I love it beyond words can describe!  It's hard to believe our family looks so different 9 months later!}
I have no idea how it is going to be March on Thursday!  And, thanks for my brother reminding me, I haven't updated the blog since Christmas Eve.  We have been going at 90 miles per hour since then.
We are so blessed that Chris was transferred to the Siloam Springs AT&T store beginning in February.  Already his commission is 3x what it was in Bentonville in January!  This change has us going to Siloam every day (he works on Saturdays and we have church on Wed and Sunday). So, our house is up for sale.  Maybe the 8th time is a charm!  We listed it last Wednesday and we've already had three showings!  Our prayer is for ONE family to love it and want it as their home. 
We're spending half our time at our home and half of it at my parents.  That makes for good savings on gas, but not so great for calm evenings and mornings.  But, we are grateful they have opened their home to the 5 of us!  Woah!  So...again, praying for our home to sell!
The kids are adjusting like champs!  I am working in our family's tax business during the season and the kids go to our church's learning center.  They LOVE it!  It's hard to believe how fast they've changed since the holidays!  Eli is hilarious and ready for Kindergarten (gulp).  Abi Jean is also hilarious and has quiet the fiesty side!  And, sweet Caleb is crawling everywhere and pulling up to standing position!  How?!?!  But, I love it!
I have been investigating a new business interest.  It all revolves around banana bread.  I'll have to do a stand-alone post on that!

Christmas Eve Morning Thoughts

My alarm was set for 5:10 this morning.  Enough time to get shower and do complete hair and makeup, bake the Cheddar Bread and Eggs Benedict casserole, wake the sleeping kids and get them ready, load the car and arrive at Mimi and Papa's by 8am.
Caleb had earlier plans.  He was ready to eat at 4.  While I could go back to sleep for about 45 minutes, there was a huge chance (as in, it's happened recently) that I would be just deep enough in REM that I wouldn't be able to get up at the beckoning of my alarm.  Thus, throwing off my whole pleasant-Christmas-Eve-morning plan.
I made the most of my extra hour.  I scanned facebook and Pinterest- although nothing had happened between 11:30pm and 4:15am. I finished the final 15 minutes of Water for Elephants (it's taken me 3 days to watch the whole movie!).  And, most importantly, I invested some time in increasing my knowledge of Him.
The ladies Bible Study I participate in read these verses and I can't get them out of my head:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

I am forever captivated that the Word of God is in fact the Living Word!  He, the Most High whom we celebrate this season, chooses to speak to me in a most personal way.  Sometimes in a soft whisper, sometimes with a loud ta-da, often with a sense of affirmation whaling up from the depths of my soul.  No doubt the Holy Spirit declaring the Truth with the Word.  I am forever in love and forever grateful for Him.

In this season of my life, and I would say for every season I will walk through, I need direction "for life and godliness." The answer is as clear as filtered water- it is through my knowledge of Him!  It is a gift he gives and that I must unwrap.  A fresh word this early morning when out of the corner of my eye I see twinkling lights, presents with shiny wrappings, 4 loads of laundry needing folding, a table needing cleared off, a bottle needing washed, my favorite winter mug wanting a coffee refill, and family needing stirred- never mind the clock on the bottom right of the screen!
This weekend will be full of lots of "lots" - family, food, gifts, expectations, travel, and little sleep.  I pray you will recognize and seize the opportunities given for you to steal away and increase in your knowledge of Him!
Merry Christmas Eve!
Now...on to wake four sets of sleepy blue eyes!

Need new Christmas recipes?

Check out my recipe blog!  I've added lots of new recipes I've enjoyed making these past few weeks!

Merry Baking!

He IS mighty to save!

This morning in our bed, between his Mom and Dad, Eli asked Jesus to come into his heart and be his Savior.
He is most definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, still saving lives!  Words do not describe my gratitude that He would allow me, a very flawed person, to participate in His work.
The details will come soon!