dance

my daughter loves to dance
she claps her hands and wiggles her hips and stomps her feet
and sometimes there is music
and sometimes there is not
she doesn't care who watches
and she always ends with a smile

oh that we could dance just because
without the looks the stares the questions
oh that we would

when i hold her at church, she will sing with the choir
and before i know it her hips are moving in my arms
and her hands are clapping
truly worshipping

oh that we would truly worship
give it all up for God
all that stops us -- other's, pride, pretentiousness, judgement
and just dance

random thoughts

random thoughts on a Wednesday

• the fine line between questioning God and  wearying the Lord with your words
• do I cross it?
• summer goes so fast and is so wonderful, i find it hard to sit and blog
• how can i serve God today?
• "Lord, guide my paths"
• i love gardening - yesterday i picked 7 squash, 14 cucumbers, 12 banana peppers, and 1 zucchini....my pumpkins are sprouting, my corn is tassling, i have green tomatoes.  i love it!  this is our fourth year gardening and every year we get better and better
• i spoke of a God speaking to me here through a red head at church, she lost her baby last week, she was 38 weeks, and i cry, and i pray, and i hope
• help me pray for her
• my son is still sleeping, how will i ever get him back in the habit for school
• i'm having lunch today with two of my favorite people and i'm so excited....i'm like a kid with some where special to go
• one of my best friends got married this weekend, it was beautiful!  my kids did so good! i was one proud moma :)

 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you. ~Deuteronomy 12:7

risk it

{i'm back.....so did you hear about the girl who spilled coffee on her computer and now the n, i , u, j, and enter key do not work.....do you know how much you use the i and n key!  so i couldn't blog or write or think.  then my grandma showed up with her beautiful laptop, where she had been looking up how to clean silver, and says "i felt sorry for you, use mine"  love her!}

five minute friday: risk

risking it all
take a risk
risky business

from the top of the zipline i have reconsidered my decisions to take a risk
when looking at my bank account i have wondered why i'm so risking with my money
sometimes matthew eating the leftovers from a few days is too risky for me
i have often felt bad for risking sharing my opinion and advise
but i've never regretted the risk of sharing my faith, my love for God, how much God loves you
the guilt, the shame, the pit in the stomach doesn't come
joy, relief, love those show up


the girls i risk it with

risk it
risk dislike, risk the loss of a friend, risk the eyes from stangers
tell someone about God

or consider the risk of them never knowing

don't give up

it started off as a normal Sunday morning
get up, feed the kids, get them ready, get me ready, pack the diaper bag
get everyone in the car, and off to church we go
i have been teaching young adult sunday school for 6 years
 i have prayed often "is this what you want me to do Lord
maybe i should take a break, maybe i should let someone else teach for a while
 i'm just not getting through to them, Lord"


as i pull up to the church this morning i see her
i see her dyed red hair
her awkard stance, her blessed belly
and i hear the holy spirit "don't give up"


an older couple in the church reached out to her
she lives  near their house
she has no car, no husband
she has a three year old and a baby on the way
and she says i'll be back next week
as long as peggy and david bring me
i can help with bible school maybe
i can be in the nursery


i leave church tears flowing
heart breaking
people need Jesus
why aren't others in love with Him
why can't they see how awesome He is
how, why, what can i do?
why can't they see there are others right in their back door who need Jesus
we don't have to go to Africa or Haiti(although they need us too)
we can be a missionary right here


keep praying
keep working
don't give up

help me pray for this young lady
how do you reach out to those around you?

http://www.deidrariggs.com/
http://iliveinanantbed.com/

awesomest

I spent the day with Owen yesterday.
We visited Tweestsie.
We rode the ferris wheel, the tilt a whirl, the scrabbler, and the train.
We feed the goats and the llamas.
We looked at the blue ridge mountains.
We talked about how great God is.
Owen said, "He is the awesomest one of all."
And we got back in the car and tears ran my face.
Why do I expect so little from Him?
Why is it so easy for my child to see how great He is and I forget so quickly?

distractions

my distractions in order:
facebook
blogger
weather.com
email

pinterest

twitter

zulily

youtube

laundry

dishes

television

cooking
vacuuming
taking pictures
and the list goes on

when do i make time for God
before my distractions
do i have whole-hearted faith or do i give God my leftovers
after the distractions
Dear God,
please help me do the right thing?
Dear God,
be with my husband today.
after the distractions

God spoke through Malachi

"“Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty. “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 1:9-11

Don't bring me your seconds. Don't come after your distractions. Come to me first.  I am GOD.

 

What distractions you from God?  How do you put Him first?

credit

http://iliveinanantbed.com/
http://www.deidrariggs.com/

seeing

seeing summer these days....

laughing little girl....

helpful little man....

summer will be short

10 weeks

but I will get to see my children eat breakfast

I will get to see my vegetables grow

I will get to see my family and friends

and if I look

I will get to see God's handiwork

His blessings

His work

in my life

every where

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Deuteronomy 4:29