Cleaning Out!

I've just came from Hannah's room.....let me rephrase that...I just came from cleaning out Hannah's drawers in her room and her closet. My youngest daughter doesn't share the same passion for organization as I do and that's fine. I try to "let it go" so to speak but I do have limits upon which I can stand it no longer and so I dive in and clean and organize. Will it stay that way?......NO!............Does it really matter to her?.............again...NO!....Does it make me feel better for a while.............YES!!! ....OH YES!!....lol.

As I pulled out all that was in her dresser drawers my first thought was....How does she find anything?....and my second thought was "Wow...I have to admit I'm impressed with the amount of "stuff" she can fit into one single drawer!" I had a whole wardrobe practically by the time I cleaned out just 4 drawers. I made one drawer for shorts....well, let me be more specific...I made one drawer for shorts and one side of that drawer was for sophie shorts and the other for basketball and soccer shorts. I made a drawer for t=shirts....the knit variety and one for sport shirts such as jerseys from previous seasons and sports. I made a drawer for jeans, one for sweats and hoodies. It is wonderful. lol! I found probably 10 or 12 white cami/tanks in these drawers and was surprised because I didn't know she even had that many. I found shirts that were Hope's that she probably has been looking for. I found some things that have to belong to other kids that have been left over here and I've washed and Hannah has stuck in her drawer instead of taking them back to the appropriate owner. The thing that is funny about this is that to look at her room on a daily basis you'd think it was spic and span! She makes her bed almost every day.....keeps her dresser cleaned off........things picked up out of the floor....I mean, it looks really good. But it is the inside that needs the work.

Isn't that just like us as Christians? We work so hard on the outside. Us ladies color our hair, use all kinds of product in it, makeup on before we go out into the world, lotions, creams, nose-strips for dirty pores, flat irons, curling irons, Undergarments that promise to make us look good, we look at closets full of clothes and see nothing to wear, we really do work on the outside. Don't get me wrong, I think you should look as good as you can for your husband. I want Doug to always be proud to be with me. But how disappointed people would be if they could see my insides at times. Do you think that may be one reason David said in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Or in Psalm 51 David says "Create in me a clean heart O God, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. "

David knew how it was to have the outside in order, he was a king....the king of Israel and yet it took a faithful man of God named Nathan to point out the condition of his heart.

It took me several HOURS to clean out all those drawers and put things in the proper place and order, how long will it take us spiritually to "clean out" and "put in order" the things in our lives we have so well tucked away? We too may be surprised at how much "stuff" we've crammed in our hearts that really doesn't need to be there. God help me to allow you to show me my heart and soul as YOU see it and help me clean it up!

GOOD NEWS!!!

Hope's pathology report came back clear.....no more cancer!! She just has to go back to have the sutures removed and then in 3 months for a recheck on the other spots. Praise the Lord for His goodness!

Thank you for all who prayed and for all the calls and e-mails and cards. We feel so blessed to have you all in our lives.

Update On Hope....

Well, yesterday was Hope's surgery on her leg to remove the cancer. She did great during the procedure....talked to the Dr. the whole time. After he called us back and left the room the nurse was telling me how to clean the wound and dress it and I noticed Hope looked a little pale...and in a matter of seconds she passed out. She woke up nauseated but after some cold rags and a coke to sip on she was better. Not sure exactly what happened. She's always been easy to pass out. They wheeled her out to the car to be on the safe side and I brought her home. The Dr. is sending the "wedge" to pathology and we should hear something tomorrow or Thursday. He said everything looked really good. She has about a 3" incision with one long continuous stitch...he said it would scar less. She can not have any physical activity for 2 weeks. She goes back in 9 days to have the suture removed.

She was going to try to make it on just the Extra Strength Tylenol but that just didn't cut it so late yesterday evening I went and filled the pain med he perscribed for her. She went to school today and the kids all helped her get around and carried her bags, etc. She was pretty worn out this afternoon and was needing another pain pill by the time she got home. Ben came by to see her this afternoon and that made everything better. lol! Ahhhhh, young love....ain't it grand! lol!

Thank you so much for your prayers and calls and concern. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends in our life.

Keep on praying!

Are you building your wall????

I love the book of Nehemiah! It is an incredible story full of everyday life applications for us. I had the honor of having breakfast and Bible study with Ben this week and we were talking about it and I got so excited that I wanted to type it out on my blog.

Chapters 1 and 2 set the scene for what is going on with this rebuilding of the wall....if you haven't read it....please do! It is wonderful! We'll start in Chapter 3. For me, there are some key verses that really speak to me. I'll share them with you.

v5 - It says that "the Tekoites repaired but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord."

Have you ever saw people that wanted to work for the Lord but when you offered them a job it wasn't exactly what they had in mind and they refused it?......their "necks" were stiff....it is almost if we can picture them in our minds that they just thought they were to good to build. Wasn't there a "loftier" job to do?....wasn't there something a little less "dirty", or a little less "physical labor"? Those who really want to serve the Lord are willing to serve wherever he puts them.

v27 - This is AWESOME!.....Remember the Tekoites in verse 5 we just mentioned? Well, here they are again. v27 "After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel." WOW! These Tekoites didn't let the lack of participation from their nobles discourage them or rob them of a blessing...instead of complaining that they had extra work to do because the nobles wouldn't work....they volunteered for another section of the wall! That's what I'm talking about!!! lol!....Don't worry about what others aren't doing!! .....Just do what you can for the Lord and do it with all your might and with JOY!

v12 - I love this verse because it is a picture of our family. "And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters" Praise the Lord....this father was working side by side with his girls for the Lord! Doug and Hannah are taking their first mission's trip next month to Jamaica. They will be laboring together for the Lord! God values women! In Bible days the culture did not value women but God saw fit to put this verse in to let us know he does! Thank you Jesus....how kind you are!

This is getting lengthy....so let's skip on over to chapter 6 verse 3. Nehemiah has encountered opposition and is having to build with one hand and hold a sword with the other....sleep in his clothes, and be on guard all the time because of the threat of war from his enemies and they are trying to schedule a meeting with him in chapter 6. I love verse 3.....his response.."And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" ....O.k., that makes me laugh! I love it!!! What an example Nehemiah is! Here are just a few of the things that apply to my life from that .....

As a mom, the wall I'm building is the rearing of my children. As much as the world calls me to let Hannah play on a traveling team for softball, or soccer, I refuse to come down from the wall. The work of nurturing her in God's house on the weekends and hearing the preaching of God's word from her paw paw is a GREAT work....I will not come down. No matter how many kids are working jobs at places that require them to work weekends....I will NOT come down off the wall and allow Hope to do so. I am teaching her that God is more important than materialism. It is a great work.

As a wife, I am building the wall of a godly strong marriage. I will not lie to my husband, disrespect him, buy things behind his back, choose girlfriends over him,.....I will not come down from building that wall......I choose the more important thing....the GREAT work of a godly marriage and a happy home.

What's your wall? Are you staying at your post....even if it means fighting the devil with one hand while you build with the other? Don't come down. The work is to important! One day v15 of chapter 6 will apply to us. I want that to be a day that God says Well done!.....don't you?

Mother's Day 2008

Happy Mother's Day to all you special moms out there! It is a day in which to honor our mothers and take time to reflect on what an impact they've had in our lives. I was blessed to have a mom who loved the Lord and loved me. She taught me right from wrong. She was (and still is) an amazing cook and always had something good for supper. She was an expert seamstress with many perfectionist tendencies (I guess this apple didn't fall far from the tree with perfectionist tendencies) and she was a constant.

I am a mom of 2 amazing daughters who the Lord has allowed me to raise and it is a JOY to do so!! I love being a wife and mom. I've never wanted anything else. I enjoy my job, I enjoy contributing financially but my greatest desire and deepest sense of joy is being right here at home being a wife and mom. It doesn't seem like they should be 17 and 14, where does the time go? I am trying my best to soak in every moment of every day because I know the day is soon coming that they will be grown and out on their own.

I praise the Lord for allowing me to be a mother. I will continue to look to him to help me do the best job I can raising the girls!

Braces...........

On Jun 4th the braces are coming off....waaaaaaaaaaaaahooooooooooooooo!!! Hannah is sooooo excited! She'll have them off for end of the year pics and before her Jamaica trip! I can't wait to post pics of her showing off those pretty teeth! lol!

Hannah Jacklyn...

The Sweetness of Sisters in Christ

Last night was the monthly Bible study I teach and we finished up the series "Becoming a Vessel God Can Use". It was the last class until September. We break for summer, a schedule I copied from BSF...(can't seem to get away from those BSF guidelines...lol). The last month's homework was on being filled and constantly refilled with the Holy Spirit.

These were my Divisions:

I. Our Design
II. Our Decision
III. Our Duty to be Delightful


I. Our Design
We are Designed with a God shaped void that ONLY Jesus can fill. He designed us that way because it is only Him who can give us the following things we need ....

a. Redemption - Hebrews 10:4, 10:10, Romans 5:8
b. Comfort - John 15:16-18
c. Abundant Life - John 10:10
d. Friendship - Provers 18:24
e. Guidance - Psalm 32:8, 48:14
f. Availability - Psalm 121:4, Jeremiah 33:3, Hebrews 13:8
g. Rest - Psalm 127:2, 16:9, 37:7

It is up to us to allow Him to fill that void and to stop allowing the world to try to take His place.

II: Our Decision

Now that we've looked at how we are designed, let's talk about the Holy Spirit a minute. If you are saved you have all of the Holy Spirit you are ever going to have; the key is how much of YOU does the Holy Spirit have? I have an example for you....How many of you have a piece of exercise equipment or exercise video or DVD in your home? Are you waiting on any more of it to come?......probably not...you have all of it you will ever have but to see results such as weight loss or toned muscles.......it will depend on how much the exercise equipment or video's have of you! You can't just exercise once a month and expect to see permanent results...and you can't just yield every once in a while and be what you need to be for Christ. It is a daily yielding and filling....allowing the Holy Spirit to be in control. It will be hard.....but it is so worth it!!

III: Our Duty to be Delightful

How many of you have needed to stop for gas and as you approach the gas pump you notice it is busy. Great you think...and I'm in a hurry! Then you notice there is one empty spot...your spirits rise a little and you head toward the open spot....wahooooooooo!!! It's all mine! ......then as you pull around you see the plastic bag over the handle and you realize it is.....that's right....."OUT OF ORDER".... Being out of order means it is broken and NO ONE can BENEFIT from it. Well, did you know that if our "JOY" is out of order we are no benefit to anyone either? Joy can be achieved by doing the following J - Jesus, O - Others, Y - Yourself....in that order. When those things are out of order....your Joy is gone. Remember, joy is a command....it is a choice ....it is about obedience. Phill 4:4, I Thess 5:15, Psalm 5:11, James 1:2. Whether good times or bad times, we are to have joy.

As I taught the ladies last night and as I heard their discussion about the month's homework and then their testimonies of what the Lord is doing in their lives through this study I stand amazed at how incredibly gracious our Lord is. He is so faithful, so kind and always right on time! I hope that each one of the ladies will pour out their vessels in service to our Lord this summer during our break and never ever forget how special they are to God. It was a time of tears shared, victories claimed and God's praises proclaimed and it was sweet! I'm so thankful for the fellowship of my sisters in Christ and for our father loving us all the way He does. O What a Savior!

Cutie Pies.....

I know.... I know....I'm biased....but aren't they cute??? :)

Tyler and Caramel come for a visit

Caramel is Tyler's 10 week old beagle. She has the cutest floppy ears you've ever seen. We enjoyed them coming and spending the day with us.

Rolling with the punches...

Have you ever had one of those weeks? You know what I'm talking about....the kind that everyday seems to hold some unexpected, unpleasant surprise. Well, I've had one this week. Hope's biopsy reports were not what we had wished for, she has the early stages of melanoma on her leg. She will have to have a deep tissue cut made to ensure that all the cancer is removed. Hope took it like a trooper. No tears, no "why me?", no "that's not fair", just matter of fact questions and an accepting spirit. I didn't question why either, instead I praised the Lord for letting us find it early. How gracious He is.

I got news Sunday night that my cousin whom I always thought of as an Aunt had lost her husband suddenly. There isn't a more giving person on this earth than my cousin Shela and I felt so sad for her loss and for the fact that I couldn't even be there to show my respect for her during this very difficult time.

Then I find out that Hannah and Brian are "taking a break"......what that exactly entails I'm not sure but it has left her sad and me feeling "out of the loop". Do you parents of teenagers know what I'm talking about. You just get the feeling that they are telling everyone else the details, all of them....but with you......just some of the details.....you keep waiting and wishing for a Paul Harvey moment when you'll hear "the REST of the story".

Then there's this relationship I've been working on that I thought I was making progress on only to feel like today, I've made no progress. I keep trying to reach out to this person but she is really hard for me to understand. So back to my knees to pray some more about that one.

I heard someone say one time that you never pour concrete in the rain. How true. You always want pretty days to pour the concrete so that it will set up well and be the firm foundation it was meant to be. If you do, then it will last for decades. That is what I've done in my spiritual life. I poured the concrete of the truth of the Word when it was sunny so that when days come that feel very cloudy and stormy, I can stand on the firm foundation of what I know to be truth. That's what I've had to do this week. For instance, Romans 8:28 still exists and is still true. I do KNOW that ALL things work together for good......and Jeremiah 33:3 wasn't just for Jeremiah....I too can call on Jesus and He WILL answer ME...little ole' me and show ME great and mighty things which I knowest not. Oh and we can't forget Philippians 4:4 REJOICE in the Lord always and AGAIN I say REJOICE! And then there's Psalm 37 the "Fret Not" chapter...don't worry Lora....trust instead! And Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee. And so many more!!!! You see the scriptures are not just black words on white paper to me, they are the reason I live! They are a way of dealing with life. My blueprint for how to live my life victoriously on this earth! I don't want to try to define my faith, I want my faith to define ME!! I want to handle worry, stress and disappointment differently because of the relationship I have with Jesus. As I was praying yesterday morning in my prayer corner in my bedroom at my chair, I remember saying "Lord I don't know what tomorrow holds, or the day after tomorrow or next week or next month; but I do know that YOU hold them all! And how reassuring it is to know that I know Him.

I'm just going to keep rolling with the punches. After all, if I get knocked down, God's word says he's the Lifter up of our head! Thank you Jesus!!!