It's been one of those weeks where nothing really special or out of the ordinary has happened. A few things have been bringing be down, mainly health related. I've been very discouraged lately with my different health problems. I tend to get sick easily, and I seem to be going from one illness to the next. I just got tonsillitis (I'm pretty sure this is the first time in my short, little life), and boy is it painful!
Then it seems that no matter how hard I try to get daily exercise something has been working diligently against me--namely the weather. It always seems to rain at the wrong times. Or if I look at it a different way: the right time to spoil my exercise plans. So I've been a little frustrated and discouraged to say the least.
Then this morning I read something on Mama's blog that made my day. It fit so well to what I was going through and was just the thing I needed to make it through another day. I'm sure you're wondering what the post said, so I'll be including it here for you.
(Jesus:) It's been a tough day and a rough week, as "problems tumbled about you, and heavier came each task," and while you longed to "see joy and beauty," "the day toiled on, gray and bleak." I'm really sorry about that. My heart goes out to you. Into every life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes it seems more like a downpour than a drizzle! You look up and see dark clouds and gloomy skies stretching across the horizon.
But it never lasts forever, you know. In fact, those rain clouds and the rain itself are just a tiny layer of gloom and doom when compared to the millions of miles of sunshine and warmth and light above you, which is only hidden from your sight for a little while. The rain and the clouds will pass, your day will once again be sunny, and the weather forecast or eternity is blue skies and smooth sailing forever!
There's a lot to be thankful for, even in the midst of the storm, and praising Me for the good is what helps to drive the rain and clouds away. You can be thankful that you're so far down that you can only go up, that things can only get better. You can be thankful for the clouds and the rain, the trials and tears that help your spirit to grow.
You can be thankful that you're a mess and can't do anything right, because then you know that only I can do anything good through you. You can be thankful that in you, in your flesh, dwells nothing good, because then there's more room for Me to live and move and work through you (Romans 7:18).
In everything give thanks, even in discouragement and depression! Thank Me for the problems and mistakes, for your shortcomings and failures, for your weaknesses and lacks, and for My love and care and help and mercy and grace and salvation in spite of it all!
Thank Me for everything that you can think of to be thankful for. As you do, the gray skies will clear, the rain will stop, the sun will come out, and the Sun of Righteousness will send warm and comforting rays of peace and hope and strength down upon you, brightening your day and illuminating your way!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Ho-hum..
I've run out of things to write. At times like these I usually resort to posting pictures--easy escape. But sad story: my camera is lost and most likely stolen! Sniffle, sniff, sob... And those are no fake tears. I am and truly upset. If you find time please send up a quick plea that I can find it if it's not stolen or if it is that the Lord will supply a new one.
Other than that things have been going good. There have been the now frequent attempts to burglarize our house, and the cold and rain, those have been pretty regular this past week. We're hoping to move into a new house by the end of the month. Moving again--exciting! I'm looking forward to "living" in a home again and not having to live out of suitcases and boxes.
I'll update you all when I have more news to tell. Until then...goodnight!
Other than that things have been going good. There have been the now frequent attempts to burglarize our house, and the cold and rain, those have been pretty regular this past week. We're hoping to move into a new house by the end of the month. Moving again--exciting! I'm looking forward to "living" in a home again and not having to live out of suitcases and boxes.
I'll update you all when I have more news to tell. Until then...goodnight!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
What's New?
I'm back to teaching!--Well, part-time at least. The center in Woodlands are short on teachers and caregivers so we offered to help out for the rest of April and May. I will be going over to help with the youngest ones in the afternoon. The "younger ones" are Brendan 1 1/2 and Charlie 11mo. It's so fun to be with them! Charlie can't talk and Brendan can only say a few words but we seem to communicate without any trouble. Brendan is very sweet to me now and he seems to remember me, he gives me hugs and kisses and is very obedient. It was very hard for me to leave Kiara and Brendan last year but this way I get to see them often and it's so nice to see how big they've gotten. Next time I go over I will bring my camera so I can take pictures of the cuties.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Of Night Visitors and Stolen Laundry
We've had some excitement around our little house lately. Visitors in the night, stolen items, alarms, police...the usual. Well, the truth is that we have had visitors to our house in the night, and it seems they have been regular visitors.
One night Jim heard some noises so he went around the house to check. From the kitchen window he saw someone just about to go into our garage. So Jim opened the window, yelled out real loud "HEY!!", then shut the window and ducked( in case the man had a weapon). But the thief got scared and ran away. Jim called the police and what happened after could be a whole long story, but don't worry no one was hurt. However we discovered the next morning that a few items around the house/courtyard were missing: a pair of tennis shoes, our iron(from the laundry room), cologne(snatched through a window)..and other things I can't remember. It's a common joke now whenever we can't find something to say, "hey, maybe the robbers took it."
Then just last weekend Angela woke up in the night hearing funny noises. She looked around the house to make sure everything was okay when she thought she saw her reflection in the window, after moving around a bit she realized it wasn't her reflection it was someone outside. She woke up Jason for safety and to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Jason crept to the corner where Angela saw the person when all of a sudden he saw someone in the window right next to him. He had a club in his hand and his plan was to hit the bars, make a loud sound and scare the creep away...but he accidentally smashed the window! It was loud so I'm sure the creeper got scared and then Jason yelled out at the top of his lungs, which scared the man even more and he ran for his life. The neighbor heard the yell and came out of his house in time to see the thief dashing down the street. He called the police for us and they were here before long. They checked out the property with their flashlights and guns, God bless them. The next morning we saw that the night creeps had tried to get into the kitchen door and had nearly pried it open. I don't know what stopped them, it could only have been the Lord. We also discovered to our dismay that they had stolen everything hanging on the line, which was Phil's and my laundry. They took everything except the towel. Phil is missing a good amount of clothes and I'm pretty upset!
So all that to say we never lack for excitement around here, but we do also appreciate your heartfelt prayers for our safety.
One night Jim heard some noises so he went around the house to check. From the kitchen window he saw someone just about to go into our garage. So Jim opened the window, yelled out real loud "HEY!!", then shut the window and ducked( in case the man had a weapon). But the thief got scared and ran away. Jim called the police and what happened after could be a whole long story, but don't worry no one was hurt. However we discovered the next morning that a few items around the house/courtyard were missing: a pair of tennis shoes, our iron(from the laundry room), cologne(snatched through a window)..and other things I can't remember. It's a common joke now whenever we can't find something to say, "hey, maybe the robbers took it."
Then just last weekend Angela woke up in the night hearing funny noises. She looked around the house to make sure everything was okay when she thought she saw her reflection in the window, after moving around a bit she realized it wasn't her reflection it was someone outside. She woke up Jason for safety and to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Jason crept to the corner where Angela saw the person when all of a sudden he saw someone in the window right next to him. He had a club in his hand and his plan was to hit the bars, make a loud sound and scare the creep away...but he accidentally smashed the window! It was loud so I'm sure the creeper got scared and then Jason yelled out at the top of his lungs, which scared the man even more and he ran for his life. The neighbor heard the yell and came out of his house in time to see the thief dashing down the street. He called the police for us and they were here before long. They checked out the property with their flashlights and guns, God bless them. The next morning we saw that the night creeps had tried to get into the kitchen door and had nearly pried it open. I don't know what stopped them, it could only have been the Lord. We also discovered to our dismay that they had stolen everything hanging on the line, which was Phil's and my laundry. They took everything except the towel. Phil is missing a good amount of clothes and I'm pretty upset!
So all that to say we never lack for excitement around here, but we do also appreciate your heartfelt prayers for our safety.
"I got a verse for you"
Today I went out with Angela to see some friends, to fellowship and minister to them. We spent quite a while talking and updating them on our latest projects, and hearing about what they had been up to. Then the daughter, Olivia, pulled me aside and asked if she could show me something. She brought me to her room and we spent a while talking about her and her vision for the mission. I was able to encourage her and she was very inspired by the end.
But when we first walked in she let me listen to one of her favorite songs. Before the song was over she stopped it then said, "Hey, I don't know if this is weird, or if you'll think I'm weird but...I got a verse for you!" I was a little surprised but very eager to know what verse she had gotten for me. She looked it up and it was 1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light."--a verse the Lord has repeatedly given to us in the Family. How cool is that?
But when we first walked in she let me listen to one of her favorite songs. Before the song was over she stopped it then said, "Hey, I don't know if this is weird, or if you'll think I'm weird but...I got a verse for you!" I was a little surprised but very eager to know what verse she had gotten for me. She looked it up and it was 1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light."--a verse the Lord has repeatedly given to us in the Family. How cool is that?
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