A Quiet Day

It's Saturday and I actually have some time alone. This is a rare occasion for me. My guys are off at a Senior High Retreat for the weekend and my husband is gone for the afternoon officiating a high school swim meet. I find myself with time on my hands. I just finished writing my article that is due for my column in Home School Enrichment magazine. I need to do some homeschool planning for the week ahead as well as get caught up with corrections as well. There also is the house that needs some attention since we are to have company over tomorrow evening.

But even though there are a lot of things to do and many things that demand my attention, I want to be sure and enjoy the time of quiet as well. Often my life is so full that I don't take time to enjoy the quiet and to thank God for His presence. Perhaps I need to be more intentional of stilling my heart each day so I can bask in the Lord's presence. When was the last time you basked?

Faith

It's been a fairly quiet week in our household. The Northeast got hit with snow and ice the past couple days, which meant a couple days of our swim schedule for our boys. It was nice to be home in the afternoons and evening with no swim practices or meets to hurry off to. Today we are back on schedule again, so I'll soon be leaving for an away swim meet.

I worked on my Bible study lesson this morning for the Proverbs 31 study that I will be teaching tomorrow afternoon. This lesson covered being wise and also managing our homes. It was a good reminder to me of where my heart needs to be focused.

I especially needed that reminder after it was announced last evening on the news that there is the potential for state employees to be laid off. My husband happens to be a state employee and we won't know until next Wednesday whether or not this will affect us as well. Now is the time when I need to practice my faith that God knows the future and I can trust Him with it. He knows whether or not my husband will be losing his job.

I must admit that in the current economic times it is easy to be tossed and swayed by the winds. But God calls us to remain steadfast in our faith. At times I do get nervous. Later this summer my husband and youngest son are planning on going on a missions trip to China for sixteen days. I have no idea how the money will come in for that, but yet they both feel called to go. I guess in all the circumstances that we face we need to just sigh, lift up our hands to God and say, "It's yours Lord, help me with my unbelief. Help me to have faith and trust in you even when I can't see the answers."

Is there something that you need to place in your Daddy's hands and trust Him with? Will you have the faith to do that?

Back to Normal?

Today is my first day to feel semi back to normal after being sick for almost two weeks. Yesterday I slept for most of the day. Last night I wrote in my journal wondering when I would ever feel back to normal again. I awoke this morning finally feeling more like my self and less in a fog like I had been.

I would love to jump back into things and get caught up on all that has been stacking up and waiting while I was sick, but I also know that when I do that I tend to wear myself out and go backwards on the road to recovery. So I am trying to do some things today, but also take it easy as well. Both my boys have been feeling under the weather so it has been a slow day. For me that means NO DRIVING! :) I relish the days when I can just be at home and have nowhere to go. I guess I'm a 'homebody' by nature.

So today find me trying to get caught up with the laundry, actually helped out a little with school work for my youngest son, and resting in between. My mind has been thinking of ideas for the article I need to get written this week for the Home School Enrichment magazine. I still don't have any definite plans yet, so hopefully that will come together for me soon.

Thank you for your prayers for me. I appreciate it. I pray that God will bless each one of you!

Update

I just wanted you to know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth! :) I have been sick and still am. I hope to get back to writing within the next couple days. My prayers are with you!

SNOW!

We awoke this morning to a very light dusting of snow on the ground. Even though I don't enjoy being cold, I love winter time because I love the simple beauty of snow. It takes a drab, winter day and turns it into a gorgeous wonderland. Whenever I see snow I can't help but think of how God washes away our sins and makes us as white as snow!

As I write this snow is gently falling outside. I know when my youngest son gets up he will want to try out the snowboard that he received for Christmas. Unfortunately there isn't quite enough for that to happen, but I plan to spend the morning enjoying the view from my kitchen window.

I Had To Be In My Father's House

"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them." Luke 2:49-50

In our Sunday School class we have been talking about Jesus' life as a child and whether or not He was fully cognizant of who He was as He grew up. We will never know for sure whether He was or not. We know that He was fully God but also fully man (child) at the same time. That is something hard for us to comprehend.

But my mind goes to the time when Mary and Joseph were searching for Jesus for three days before they found him in the temple. Mary was quite concerned and asked why He had treated His parents like this. She said, "Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."Jesus' response to her, was "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" I notice that Mary said father with a small letter 'f' while Jesus responded about His Father with a capital 'F', distinguishing that He was talking about His heavenly Father. But still, He went along with His earthly parents and was obedient to them. He knew who He was, but knew that the time was not yet for the world to know who He was.

One thing that strikes me with Jesus' response was that He had to be in His Father's house. How many times as Christians have we made excuses for why we are not able to be in our Father's house. Perhaps we need to look to Jesus' example of the importance of being in daily fellowship with our Heavenly Father. When was the last time you spent time in His presence?

Poems

I have assigned both of my boys to be keeping journals as we started out this semester. I thought I would share a poem that my youngest son wrote last week.

Rain comes down in torrents today
The wind blows hard and makes the trees sway.

The temperature drops as rain turns to ice,
Yet in my opinion snow would be nice.

Rain comes down and covers the ground
And makes a wonderful sight all around.

Crystal Wonderland

Freezing rain fell throughout the night
We awoke to see a crystal wonderland.
Ice sparkled and shimmered,
Glistening in the morning sunlight.

Winds blow the limbs encased in ice
They sway and sparkle like diamonds.
Birds take rest amidst the crackling branches
Somehow too praising God for His wonderful creation.

The Messiah Foretold....But Overlooked

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Matthew 2:1-6

Even though Christmas is over my thoughts still have been lingering on the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. In our Sunday School class this past week we were talking about the Wise Men who came to see Jesus. They first visited King Herod and relayed the reason for their journey.

I found it interesting that King Herod checked with the religious leaders of his day and they confirmed the fact that the Messiah was foretold to be born in Bethlehem. But still they didn't go to check it out for themselves. Even after Simeon, Anna and the shepherds declared what had happened, Jesus' birth was overlooked. I can't imagine hearing of this wondrous event and not going to witness it.

And yet....how many times throughout our day to we have opportunity to see God sightings - glimpses of how He is working in our lives, but we choose to overlook it or be too consumed by our circumstances. Won't you make a conscious decision for 2009 to not overlook our Lord?

Back to a Schedule

The past couple weeks have found us all at home enjoying each others company. Even though our days were hectic at times, we did manage to find time to just hang out together. We watched movies, played games, relaxed, and did a little work on college prep for my oldest son. But today is the first day back to reality. My husband headed back to work early this morning and my sons and I will soon be starting school work.

It looks to be a busy week with swim practices, swim meet, meetings, church, school, physical therapy, doctor appointments, etc. It's easy to look at the entire week and become overwhelmed by all that needs to be accomplished. But I pray that I will keep in mind the following verses from Psalm 17:5-6.

"My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer."

May each step I take be on God's path.

Happy New Year!

Revelation 21:5 "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." KJV

As we start a New Year, I praise God that we start it with a clean slate. Each new day we have the opportunity to start anew. Thank you Lord for new beginnings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!