Favorite Things #2

I was going to try to do favorite things on Friday One of my favorite things is Saturdays where nothing big is planned and you just get to do whatever. Today would be one of those days. I had breakfast with my accountability group, took a tour of my friends new house, did laundry, went to lunch with my family, played sorry with the kids and just read all the blogs I like to look at. Oh I did grade papers but it is my last set of the year since I am doing scantron for the final. School brings me to another favorite thing. I love both the beginning and ending of school. Mostly I love the ending since I am usually nervous at the start. At the end, I like to remember how much my students have grown but I am ready to move on to a new set. I enjoy hearing the students perspective on the year and I get all sorts of fun comments. I am also itching to reorganize my classroom and binders and have all sorts of ideas of how to do it better next year. Most of all, I love summer where I can have lots of time with my kids if they will let me and no more grading papers until fall.

Dear God, Thank you for lazy Saturdays. Thank you for new starts and also for endings to a season. Thank you for summer. Bless this week as I finish up school. May my last words to these kids be full of grace and truth. Amen

God's Direction

Tomorrow my DH leaves to retake a test for the mission organization that we are wanting to go with. He has worked hard on learning what he needs to do and feels prepared. We have done our part and we know that God will do His. As I was reading in Proverbs tonight I came across a verse in chapter 16 verse 9. It says "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." We have an idea how we would like these next couple of days to go but in reality it is God who directs our steps. Our prayer is that we will follow His direction in all areas of our life.

Dear God, Be with my husband. Give him a safe journey. Give him rest and peace at the end. Be with him as he redoes his test. May he trust in you and do what he has learned to do. In all things may your will be done. We love you. Amen

True Victory

This week seemed impossible but God likes the impossible. We had deadlines that we thought could not be meant. God thought otherwise. In Ps. 60:11,12, it says, "O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain, through God we shall do valiently, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries." This week has been a battle for me physcially, spiritually and emotionally. God fought the battle. He gave me encouragement. He gave me strength. He gave me peace. It was not easy but God was and is good. The shield of faith was in full use as I kept taking lies I was hearing in my head to God. Lies like I can't do anything or why do I always mess up. God's grace was sufficient and more than enough.

I am reminded that we are daily going to battle and often like to look at Ephesians 6 where it talks about the full armor of God. I need to pray this for myself and my family. God's word is my sword and prayer is essential.

God, Thank you for your provision this week. May I be strong in You. May my loins be girded with truth and my heart protected with the breastplate of righteousness. May I use the shield of faith to defend against the fiery lies that are coming from the evil one. May I be in your word so that I will know the truth. Amen

Prince Caspian

Yesterday Noel and I finished our project for our Perspectives class. Perspectives has been good but I am glad it is done. To celebrate after church today, we took the kids to see Prince Caspian. We had heard the radio version of the story but it was fun to see it on the big screen. Even though I still like the book version better. Big D liked the mice and W liked Prince Caspian. In some ways it was a hard movie to watch. The characters kept wondering where Aslan was but instead of going to find him they did things on their own which didn't really work out well. At one point at the beginning of the movie, Lucy spots Aslan across the way. She suggests that they follow him. Peter overrides this and asks her why he didn't see Aslan. Lucy's reply was that maybe Peter was no looking for Aslan. Isn't that so true? Do you know people who see God in everyday life partly because they are looking for Him. Later Susan, the older sister, ask Lucy why she hadn't seen Aslan. Lucy's reply was that maybe Susan didn't want to see Aslan. Sometimes we have in our mind what we want to do and seeing God would change all that. Finally at the end of the story, it is decided that Lucy needs to find Aslan. He is their last and only hope. Lucy rides off to find Aslan and she does find him. He asks what took her so long to find him. Lucy replies that the others did not want to go that way. Aslan does not accept that excuse. He reminds her that she needs to follow Him no matter what. In the same way, we may see God and then not follow because no one else is. Lucy reminded me today that I need to be seeking God and when I see Him I need to follow no matter what.



Dear God, May we see you in each and every day. May we follow even when it is hard and there is no one else going the same way. May we look to you as our first hope not just our last. May you be glorified in all things. Amen

Favorite Things Friday

Last night as I was taking a walk with my children, I was reminded that this was one of my favorite things. I love to hear them chatter about their day or run ahead and explore or even find pecans or acorns along the way. Sometime Buddy comes along and sometimes not. On this occassion we went to a creek and played pooh sticks and then just sat and talked a bit. It was a beautiful evening and refreshing company. This is one of my favorite things.