Hodge Podge

Today is one of those days where I take a long, hard look around and realize just how blessed I am really am.  Seriously, I have 4 healthy, happy, wonderful children!  To date, not one of them has had a major life/death issue.  Granted, Keara has had her fare share of chronic illnesses, but nothing she was going to actually die from.  I think of the uneventful pregnancy’s I have had, the fact that even after Ashlynn (and not knowing the logistics of where she would sleep) our life is good.  God works it all out, one way or another but always in His time and according to His plan.  Tonight is one of those nights that I sit here wondering just how much more awesome our life and marriage could be if Josh, too, was a Christian.  But then again, I can’t do that.  For God put me right smack where He wanted me and I have left it up to him to work on my dear husband.  There is absolutely nothing I can do to bring Josh around to my way of life.  Only God can. 

                I am so utterly blessed.  Would I welcome even more children?  You betcha.  (this is where I add on my disclaimer that there is a point where the plant shuts down) Would I change any part of my life…heck no.  We have our crazy fun days, our stressful-wish-you-were-at-work days, and then ever popular “your son said WHAT!?” days.  (Ian is biologically mine, but Josh is all dad to him.  And that is my statement to him by the way) But all it takes is reading one womans blog about the loss of her 5 month old daughter, unexpectedly, to regain perspective into the true reason of family.  Into why we love like we do and forgive everyone and everything.  Because no one is promised tomorrow here on this earth. 

 

Have you told your kids and spouse how you really feel?  If there is no tomorrow, would you have any regrets?

 

In Him, Forever Blessed...

    Jenny

 

 

A Supernatural Sunday

What a fantastic sermon today!  I am so excited to have started our new study SUPERNATURAL which is a study of Romans 8.  I think it should be supernatural ADOPTION since the very first thing I read told me that I am in His family, and that I am FREE!! How awesome it is that I will never be condemned?  WOW!  Now that I have a few different viewpoints into the meaning of condemnation I feel so differently about this chapter.  I also have a new humility to how I treat other people.  When I condemn someone, I am separating them from myself.  When a judge condemns a convicted criminal, that person is separated from society.  To know I will never be separated from my God is amazing!  Now, I am aware this does not mean I can get away with doing wrong, or with abusing my “forgiveness” card.  What it means is that God knows I am not perfect and I as a human will make mistakes and He will be standing there with His arms open wide ready to accept me.  He will never separate Himself from me, or vice versa. I have come to understand that the more I make my life’s decisions based on His will, the easier (maybe not the right word) it is to live according to His law.  To live in the Spirit.  I have made a conscious decision to live my life as close to the Spirit as humanly possibly, and each day is less of a struggle to remember that.  I find that it becomes “second nature” although it should be my First Nature. 

My neighbors are awesome.  They are such a spiritually focused family.  It was so refreshing to attend a lifegroup where I learned.  We were lead, we read, we interjected, we discussed and we prayed.  I walked away with even more insight into the lesson as our sermon also reads along with it.  Keep them in your prayers as they prayerfully consider a move to Uganda.  They are asking the Lord to lead them and are ready to Go in whatever direction he leads them. 

Pray for my brother.  Pray for healing, strength, focus and for God’s love to abound in his life.  Pray that he be uplifted, that he be healed.  I will write more about it later, but for now just PRAY.

 

In Him, Forever Blessed...

    Jenny

 

 

Arrived at Station 1

Hip, hip, hooray!!  We are on our way to a debt-free life!  The van’s final payment has cleared the bank finally!  The Saturn’s final payment will be either April or May.  It is such a welcome feeling to know we own our vehicles and can now utilize the payment money to pay off other debt.  I can not believe this is really taking place, the light at the end of the tunnel is upon us!!!  And yes, we are sticking to our original budget despite the desire to spend a little here-and-there.  I think it is harder for me because I want to go out and buy new furniture, decorate the house, yada-yada-yada.  That would be why I have absolutely NO access to the credit card and I harbor no ill feelings about that J

There is a lot of commotion in the air right now, all around me.  Nothing negatively impacting me personally, but I sense big changes in the near future.  Maybe I am reading it all wrong?  Another reminder that I need to focus on my quiet prayer time and be still to hear what the Lord is telling me or how He is directing me.  Something is stirring inside me and I am really excited to know what that plan is!!

In Him, Forever Blessed...

    Jenny

Thought of the Day

Sorrow looks back,

Worry looks around,

But Faith looks up!

 

In Him, Forever Blessed...

    Jenny

 

 

Perfect Love

God is love. Love. LOVE!  Today’s prayer truth: God is perfect in how He cares and responds to His creation.  

Perfect=Love J   

How blessed are we as a nation of Christians to have the written truth that God loves us, unconditionally and perfectly, no matter what!  All He asks in return is that we, with a humble heart, give ourselves to Him by accepting Christ as our Saviour.  We are reminded of this is one of our generations most quoted scriptures, recognizable by even non-Christians: 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” NIV John 3:16 

As a parent, I can not begin to fathom the idea of giving my only son for any cause!  It is heart and gut wrenching to even think of losing Ian.  So to know and believe that my heavenly Father made the ultimate sacrifice of his only Child for the sake of our lives reinforces an abounding, unrelentless, complete and PERFECT love.  Knowing this, understanding this and accepting this, how can anyone not live a life of Christ?  How can we as a community turn our heads at the poor and neglected, the wounded and bruised, those whose spirits are broken by satan, and the people who have somehow “sinned against us”.  He wants us to love.  He wants us to forgive.  To forgive is to Love (Latin is codono:  to give away).  To give is to Love.  Be it by forgiveness of any transgression or giving of ourselves for the purpose of uplifting another.  Either way, it represents our love, passion and commitment to live out what the Lord instructed.  

We are quick to judge.  I am as guilty as the next person, for I am not perfect.  I find myself passing judgment on others many times a day.  What I am making a habit of doing now is calling myself out, correcting my thoughts, asking for forgiveness and moving towards a life that will be void of such behaviour.  This is a year of revival for me.  I have made the commitment to living my life unselfish, unworldly and surrendering to Gods love.  I want to know what it is like to hear God speak.  To understand and know in an instant what it is He wants me to do.  I plan to go when I hear those words.  

“Since we have not been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if , when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” NIV Romans 5:9-11

In Him, Forever Blessed...

    Jenny