The Woman at the Well

This story was in my devotional book this week. I love this woman and Jesus' response to her.

She comes to draw her water in the middle of the day when no one is around. We can gather right away she is ashamed. She knows she is an outcast. Maybe no one will talk to her. The well was a gathering place for the women to check in with each other. I'm sure they talked about their children and kept up with the latest news while getting their water. This woman knew she wasn't a part of that community.

She has had many husbands and is now living with a man not her husband. She was looking for love and settling for sex. Been there...done that. It doesn't end well.

Jesus asks her for a drink and she gives him one. Highly unusual because she was a Samaritan and him, a Jew. But they start to talk. He tells her about living water and he knows all about her sin. She now knows this is no ordinary man.

As they talk further Jesus tells her who he is. Now I find this amazing. Jesus had been very careful talking to the priests earlier about his identity but to this sinful woman he clearly tells her he is the Messiah.

She then goes and tells others and many are saved in her town.

This town wasn't on the usual route...Jesus made a special trip and went out of his way to travel through it. I love that he took the time to go visit this one singular, sinful woman and as a result, many were saved.

She mattered to him.

Mountaintops and Valleys

One of the devotional books I'm reading right now is all about forgivness and God's grace. Completely a God thing that I picked this particular book off the shelf recently.

It's one of those things where I think God has gently nudged me...then pushed a little harder and now he's thumping me on my head about listening to him.

I just reminded a friend recently, our God is the God of our mountaintops and the God of our valleys as well.

Yeah...I need to listen to my own advice at times. God is the God of my valleys. He can handle my hurt.

I read something a few weeks ago about God already knowing all our pain and wanting us to just bring it to him and give it up and leave it behind us.

Man, I struggle with that. Let me just be real honest, I don't like pain. I don't like to think about things that I know will hurt me. I have a mental block where my brain will just shut down and not address issues I know I need to address because I know they are going to cause me pain.

I don't doubt God's grace and I know I am forgiven for things I've done in my past. It is forgiving myself at times that is the issue. Now, rationally, I know it is Satan keeping me in those chains. But emotionally? Hurt. Pain. Sorrow. Regret. Doubt. All the things that keep me from growing in my relationship with God. Things Satan loves me to feel.

But...my God is the God of my valleys as well as my mountaintops. He can handle it.

My prayer today is that I remember nothing is too big for God. He wants to walk through my valleys if I will only cry out to him and let him walk me through them.

Thankful Thursday

You know I don't thank God enough for everything I'm thankful for. So, I think I'll start trying to post every Thursday with a list of specific things God has brought to my mind for the week. Feel free to add your own.

I am thankful for:

*God's grace

*My wonderfully sweet husband, even when he drives me batty

*My 3 little boys, even when they drive me batty

*The people God has brought into my life sometimes in the most unusual ways and what they mean to me.

*The fact that John and I have a very short get-a-way planned for just the 2 of us the day after Thanksgiving. Our first night away from Colin since he has been born.

*Sunrises and the beauty of this world...the little things you overlook every single day that if you just opened your eyes you would be amazed.

I have many more things but these are specific things God brought to my mind as I drove into the office this morning.

Ringworm?

So Colin possibly has ringworm. How very random. He has this little patch above his ear. I took him to the pediatrician yesterday and he is on the fence on what it is. He gave us some cream to apply and said if it doesn't look better in 3-4 days then he wants us to take him to a dermotologist for their opinion. The pediatrician is leaning toward some kind of skin allergic reaction.

And Josh is sick with a bad cold so I'm staying home from work today with the 2 of them and just hanging out watching cartoons and reading books. Not a bad way to spend the day.

Not to be cryptic but the thing I mentioned that I know I need to deal with but I'm not ready yet...I'm starting to deal with it...more later. It is nothing earth shattering. Just one of those areas that I've put on the back burner while I got other things in place and now I need to deal with it and put it behind me.

This week is stressful because I have all 3 boys by myself tonight through Friday night. John has his annual meeting at work so he has dinner and meetings and receptions to go to every night. I really miss having him here to help me give baths and read stories and keep an eye on things.

Randomness

Oh...it's finally Friday! It has been the longest week at work.

I am having a girl's night with 2 nifty ladies tonight and I am so looking forward to it. 95% of my friends are out of state so I rarely get any girl time and these 2 ladies are fun and smart...two of my favorite attributes.

Speaking of friends, I'm missing my Chicago ones something awful. I wasn't planning on another trip until after the first of the year but now I'm looking into going before Christmas. With Colin being born this summer my trips up have been few and far between.

I'm on the verge of dealing with something that I don't want to deal with cause I know it is going to be brutally painful but I feel like I need to. Maybe more later on this at some point.

I have a new niece that was born yesterday afternoon. Her name is Evan. I'll probably not get to see her until Thanksgiving but mom and baby seem to be doing well. Not having a relationship with my sister is something that bothers me but I'm not sure how to fix it. I've reached out a handful of times...or at least I feel like I have...with no results. I do love my nephew and nieces and I wish I could be more a part of their lives. Nothing to do but keep praying about it I guess.

Have a great weekend!

John 3:30

"He must increase, I must decrease."

When I was younger I kept important Bible verses written on a slip of paper inside my shoe. During several periods in high school John 3:30 was my go-to verse.

There have been many seasons in my life where the scale was clearly tipped more in my favor than God's. And there have been times I have felt like I truly had decreased and let God increase in my life.

I'm in the market for a new Bible and I was flipping through the one I've had since I was probably 10 years old. I ran across so many gems that I had highlighted or underlined as a child.

So today my goal is to remember John 3:30. He must become greater and I must become less.

Lyrics--Empty Me

I've had just enough of the spotlight...When it burns bright...
To see how it gets in the blood
And I've tasted my share f the sweet life and the wild ride
And found a little is not quite enough
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change
Empty me
Of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you
Ive seen just enough of the quick buys...of the best lies
To know how prodigals can be drawn away
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you
Cuz everything is a lesser thing compared to you
Compared to you
Cuz everything is a lesser thing compared to you
So I surrender all
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Filled with you.
Empty me.

Picture updates

Josh finished a Halloween puzzle his friend, Gerrick, gave him at our last visit.

Monster Jammies!

Soli, watching over Colin and catching a quick cat nap himself.

Twelve Years Ago...

I was 21 years old, in a hospital room by myself and scared to death. I was having my first child and my husband at the time had gone home to take a nap because his back was hurting! :o)

I had struggled with so many emotions during the pregnancy and I knew my marriage at the time was a complete mistake. But at right about 9:30 PM that night nothing else mattered but this little 4 pound miracle with gray eyes that looked like pools looking back up at me. He became the center of my universe and I wanted to do anything I could to keep him safe and make sure he got healthy.

Now he's 12 years old...on his way to becoming a young adult...and he drives me nuts a lot of the time but I see so much potential in him and for his life.

I pray for him constantly...that he will become a man of integrity. I pray for the woman that might be out there that will be his wife one day. I pray for guidance and patience and that one day he'll look back and realize I do everything I do out of love for him.

Happy Birthday, Patrick.

Prayer Journal

I've been mulling over the fact that I don't focus well when I am praying. I get distracted and before I know it my mind is hopping all over the place.

I used to keep a prayer journal and that seemed to help me stay focused and also make sure I covered all the topics/people I wanted to pray about.

I think writing your prayers down is also such a neat thing to do...especially when you are able to go back and realize a prayer has been answered or see how God worked through a certain situation.

Prayer is such a powerful tool we have in our arsenal. It can encourage you, strengthen you, give you peace and in some cases, widsom you desperately need.

A New Day

After having a craptacular Wednesday here at work I took a mental health day yesterday and spent the day knee deep in dirt and mulch. Very few things make me happier than working outside on a beautiful day in my yard. My body is screaming at me today from all the work but man that was a good day. Just me and God talking over things and him filling me with peace and putting things back in perspective after being beat down on Wednesday.

I ran across something that a friend posted that I think is so very true:

In this election, can't we just assume the best of each other? If I am voting Obama, can't you assume that I'm not a total moron baby-killer slackass who doesn't work and wants the rich people's largesse to be handed to me OR a total moron who thoughtlessly buys whatever's sold to me OR a sheep OR naive OR a racist? And in return, should you vote McCain, I will do you the favor of not assuming you are an ignorant hillbilly OR a Bible-thumper OR a racist OR evil powermongering money-hoarders? Can we not agree that there are legitimate reasons for voting for either candidate that are the product of rational thinking and not spurious rumors or nefarious motives?

One of my favorite songs is Changed by Phil Joel. Love that song. Love the sentiment behind it because I feel like God has completely changed my heart in the last 2 years.

You have changed the way I do everything
You have changed the way I wear my wedding ring
You have changed the way I treat my family
You have changed the way I see all my friends
You have changed the way that I spend my time
You have changed the way that I use my mind
You have changed the things I spend money on
You have changed everything I ever thought was mine
You have changed my emotions You have steadied me
You have changed my eyes and what I let them see
You have changed the course of my history
Thank God You’re still changing me!

And now it's Friday. Company picnic today and the weather is rainy. YAY!

God Bless America

I think John McCain would have made a good president. I think he is a good man. But, I think Obama will make a better president. Therefore, I'm happy he is getting that chance.

Now. I've been treated so far this morning to comments like, "Only people who have no morals or values would have voted for Obama." "America is doomed." "You can't be a Christian and vote Democrat."

Now is the time to pray for our nation's leader. Now is the time to pray for wisdom in who he selects as his advisors. Now is the time to respect the authority of him being our earthly leader, as the Bible instructs us to do.

God is still God.

Greater Things are Yet to Come

So today history will be made one way or another. I took the opportunity to talk to Patrick about the exciting time he is living in right now over breakfast.

He had already gotten dressed and after my whole speech about not complaining about how bad America is if you don't get off your butt and make your voice heard by your vote; people died for your right to vote and to not do it is basically spitting on their graves, etc. he asked if he could wear my VOTE NOW shirt to school today for their mock election. I'll have to post a picture later.

Now, personally, I think Obama is a better choice for our country even though I don't agree with everything he stands for. However, my prayer is that no matter who wins that they have wisdom in making their decision on who to surround themselves with and wisdom in leading our country.

I still believe in America and I still think greater things are yet to come.

Happy Halloween!

We had a great time Friday night. We went to the Fall Festival at our church where we were in charge of the Duck Pond. Patrick opted to go visit with his Dad for Halloween so with a little bit of a sad heart, I let him go. This is only the 2nd Halloween in his life he hasn't been home with me.

Josh dressed up as his Zombie Pirate. Colin was a pumpkin and even Daddy got into it and dressed up like a World War I Flying Ace...all he needed was Snoopy.


Saturday morning we got up early and drove to Nashville to visit with our friends, The Ganns. We had the brilliant idea that we wouldn't spend the night but do it all in one day. BAD IDEA.

Mommy was snappy, Josh was tired, Colin had had it with his car seat and Daddy was frustrated. Not a good night at our house last night but all is well today.

Hope you had a great Halloween too!