May 2016

Highlights Include: Monday Night Soccer, Good times with Duncan, Quick trip to Kansas City, Hope and Gage’s Birthday Party, Senior Sunday, Date Night, Memorial Day, and a new Storm Shelter.

Big Twelve Baseball 2016

May 25-29, 2016

We always look forward to this.  I was especially looking forward to it this year, because it was our first vacation days away from work.  It is so important to step away for a minute to catch your breath.  We had a lot of fun and watched a lot of baseball!

Day 1:  We were glad Mom and Dad got to come watch with us.  We went to the morning session, where Mollie enjoyed the slide and learning to spit sunflower seed shells.  Then walked to Bass Pro and looked around for a while.  And went back for the night session, where we Tommy, Crystal and Henry met us.  Good times for sure!

Day 2:  We got to watch a couple games with three of our youth guys.  Mollie enjoyed some more sliding, and met a new friend under the score board.

Already looking forward to next year….

Bestie Baby-Sitter

Time is flying! We have been so blessed to have one of my very best friends keep Mollie for us, every Thursday for the last two years.  I like to call her my bestie baby-sitter.  Mollie has absolutely loved getting to hang out with Duncan.  They are too cute!  But seriously, Melissa has been so selfless to do this for us…. most of the time picking her up and dropping her off too.  We will forever be grateful for the time Mollie got to spend with her.

This coming August she will be going with Duncan to a new Mother’s Day Out…. She is going to love it!  But we will definitely miss Melissa!  Good thing we see her every day at work now.

It is so crazy how much she has grown.  Looking more and more like a little girl…. no more toddler.  We just love her so much and praise God for the opportunity to be her parents.  We are looking forward to each new stage and every new day!

Armor of God

In Isaiah 59:17-18, God talked about Himself putting on armor… In Ephesians 6:10-19, Paul tells us that we must put on armor that will work…. Only the best…. The armor that God Himself used.

Recently, I went through through one of the best Bible studies I’ve ever done…. Armor of God, by Priscilla Shirer.  This will be my cliff notes of this study.  Wonderfully important information and prayers that I do not want to forget….

Week 1:  Prayer

Prayer absolutely should CHANGE OUR LIVES! 

This world is not my home.  The things, or people, I struggle with are NOT the REAL problem.  Everything in the world is directly connected to the invisible world.  There is a war going on every minute… But because of our access to The Father, His Power is in us…. and He has the power to defend us.

“Spiritual victory is directly connected to your ability to “undisguise” the enemy.  To uncover him.  Unveil him.  Unmask him.  That’s half the battle.  But it’s the half your enemy doesn’t want you to pay much attention to, because once you do, you automatically begin to threaten his tyranny in your life.” (page 17)

Most of the time, I’m unaware of the lies and deception of the evil one in my life.  I need to daily unmask and identify him and his lies…. because they are there.  Every day I let evil change my mind, is a day that I’m not living the abundant life Christ has planned.  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  We always have hope, the home court advantage, and the victory!

Don’t let the worries of this life… Or the day to day, same ‘ol same ‘ol dull your alertness.  Lethargic Christian living will hamstring the church from achieving the purposes of God.  We must be proactive in prayer!

 

Week 2:  The Belt of Truth

If I don’t stand firm in God’s truth…. in His Word….The Bible…I’ll buckle under pressure rather than standing and persevering.

I must KNOW the truth, or I’ll easily fall prey to the enemy’s schemes.  It is time to adjust everything in my life to TRUTH!  Ambitions, feelings, fears, mind, will, emotions, instincts, intelligence….. all these things change…. Don’t let them guide you.  Everything starts with the truth.  The enemy is looking for weakness.  Through prayer and God’s Word, I can be spiritually refreshed and covered with power and strength.

1.  Stand firm in my faith

2.  Don’t hurt myself by staying angry

     -Offer grace/forgiveness.  Don’t be bitter.  Harboring anger will take over your life.

3.  Be strong and confident in His promises

     -He gives me holy courage and spiritual muscle to carry out whatever comes along.

 

Week 3:  The Breastplate of Righteousness

Righteousness is not manufactured.  It is released.

The enemy will try to entice me to chase after perfection, that leaves me discouraged…. And to compare myself to everyone under the sun, that leaves me deceived.  Those are traps.  My knowledge of Jesus Christ and my righteousness (imputed righteousness) through Him is the key to abundant life!

“The enemy is constantly on the warpath to keep you from realizing and utilizing this gift.  He doesn’t want you to rest in the fact that your sins have been completely forgiven, that your current status and position is one of complete righteousness before God.  He knows as long as you don’t see yourself as a righteous, holy daughter of God, you can never get around to wearing the breastplate that blocks him from successfully attacking the most vital part of your life – your heart.  He knows that your knowledge and acceptance of imputed righteousness is key.  So hear me loud and clear:  YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS” (pages 77-78)

I have to make a choice to receive God’s word and His promises and let them change me, save me, renew me.  We are to be righteous through and through.

 

Week 4:  The Shoes of Peace

A life without peace is simply unprotected and unable to move forward. 

Peace = Trust + Thanksgiving

When instability abounds, I should be steadfast.  When disappointment and confusion are near, I should still be capable of walking with Spirit-infused confidence.  Sometimes situations can keep me from being clearheaded…. consumed with reaching out to grab onto the wrong things to maintain my balance.  But, I must remember the peace of God within me that brings healing and restoration.

The only One who can truly satisfy the human heart in the One who made it.  ~Lois Evans

Peace is possible because of His great love for us.  Only Jesus gives true, forever peace.  Prayer covered in gratitude expresses a firm faith. 

But standing firm in faith and peace is not only about digging in – It’s about moving forward.  Pray and act!  Don’t wait to do what He is telling me to do.

A good picture of peace is skydiving. “It is your instructor guiding you, keeping you steady, assured, unwavering, even capable of smiling when everything in your environment says you should be screaming for dear life.” (page 118)

 

Week 5:  The Shield of Faith

Faith is not foolishness

The antagonist of faith is fear

Faith is when the dots don’t connect and you do it anyway

I have to have faith: Where others actively see evidence of God in my life….  Where I do what God asks, no matter how risky or intimidating the circumstances…. Where I act in truth even when I can’t see the outcome.

I can’t let the “internal fires” of fear, anxiety, doubt, guilt, hopelessness, or any other feelings, distract from the holy confidence and bold courage God has given me to move forward in faith and obedience. 

I cannot trust my feelings more than I trust God.

 

Week 6:  The Helmet of Salvation

Salvation doesn’t just involve escaping death, but also entering into a state of heath, wholeness, victory and safety.

The fact that He lives means our salvation flows into the everyday experiences we live.  He is always restoring and rescuing us. 

“Understand that living in the light of this salvation inheritance enables you to not only stop living below your spiritual station in life, but it also protects your mind against the enemy’s attempts to cripple your thinking, to convince you that you are worth less than you really are.  The ripple effect of this protection will be a change in mind-set, lifestyle, and the choices you make.” (page 158-159)

We must identify, confess and dismantle any strongholds we’ve created in our minds, that keep us from God.  Taking thoughts captive means controlling them instead of allowing them to control you.  When these negative thoughts enter our minds, we must resist the urge to agree.  We must never rehearse this negative thought.  Instead, replace it – repeatedly, diligently, verbally – until eventually it comes crashing down.

When we gain control of our thoughts, we are quite literally renewing and restoring our minds from a state of unhealthiness and deterioration, to a state of wholeness and strength in God.  Then when we read the truth of God it will come to life for us… informing our decisions, changing our perspectives, redirecting our responses and actions, allowing us to see God’s direction for certain situations in our lives.

Also, I have to find rest in my value as a daughter of God.  Find my worth in HIM!

Week 7:  The Sword of the Spirit

When there is a spotlight on a certain verse…. Or hear scripture concerning the same topic over and over…. God is speaking to you and handing you a sword!

Mother’s Day 2016

I can’t resist getting matching outfits.  I just can’t…. It’s silly, I know.  I feel like now that I’ve started, it’s going to happen every Mother’s Day.  Even when Mollie is thirteen and I have to drag her to church with matching mom.  It’s going to be great.

This year, it was just super sweet.  I mean…. super sweet!

I always have mixed emotions on this day...

I have been so blessed to have the most caring mother. Always sacrificing and loving me, and my brothers, with patience and grace. She is simply the best!  I can never thank her enough for everything she has done and continues to do for me and my family.  It has been so sweet to see her come up every Tuesday for her time with Mollie.

But I also know girls that haven't been so blessed. This day is full of longing and wandering what ifs and whys.

I have also been beyond blessed to have the sweetest daughter in the world. Every day is a joy being her mom and I praise God for every single minute. She is simply the best part of our lives and I am so grateful for her.  She makes Mother’s Day awesome for me, for sure!

But I also know what it is to long to be a mother. My heart hurts for these ladies.

And lastly, I have been even more blessed to have the greatest Grandma and Nana. These two ladies have loved me since even before I was born and I'm so grateful for their influence in my life. It has been hard to watch Grandma fade away right in front of my eyes.  I don’t visit her very often, but when I do, staring into her blank eyes breaks my heart.  I don’t know if she’s in there or not, but I pray she’s not.  Then, Nana is still crawling down on the floor to play with Mollie and all her great-grandkids.  She is always praying for us and thinking about us and I am so grateful that we still get to enjoy her light in our lives.

All these ladies…. in plenty, in want, or in need… are an encouragement to me.  I don’t forget how blessed I am, that is for sure. 

At our Mother’s Day Breakfast at church, Tonya reminded us all that we are lovely.  I am lovely.  Loved by the King, and made righteous through Jesus! He sees me right where I am. May He always be my joy and comfort.