Multitudes of Gifts 268- 284

There is joy in every day, every moment.  There is God moments everywhere, we just have to sometimes look harder than we want too.  This past week there were a lot of things going on, but there were still many moments of joy to mark down and share.  God is good all the time. 
I post this a few hours early, tomorrow is a busy day, that will no doubt be filled with joy and God's grace. 

268-  Zayden talking to himself through the oven window
269-  dragging sticks through puddles
270-  rearranging the livingroom
271-  rearranging it again
272-  the eyebrows of our two and a half year old raising and shifting, ever so adorable
273-  God answering prayer- saying "no" but understanding this is best
274-  terrifying news, but knowing that through Christ, we can take our prayers and requests through it to the Father and He can move with us for strength
275-  frost on the rooftops
276-  Zayden trying to get our husky to just -lay- down.  Hillarious
277-  God shifting and moving inside me.
278-  The book of John - if you havent read it in a while, read it and then read it again
279-  my right eye, possibly a detached retina, but I know God is good. 
280-  hot sauce on a banana...long story.
281-  jack-o-lanterns from school from Tayven
282-  dinner at Carly's
283-  lessons in paitience (I keep failing those!)
284-  conviction
285-  the humor of a four year old purposly tripping into the grass over and over again
286-  new knitted hats, mittens and scarves from Papa
287-  A guy juggling while riding a bike down Huron Street... so random, the kids LOVED it.
288-  a man giving my children a pile of helium balloons just because.  Random acts of kindness are awesome
289-  icecream sundaes... so delicious
290-  teaching my daughter learning to use a drop spindle
291-  the kids all in unison in our living room "Yes Jesus loves me"

praying while cringing... the tests will come

I have been reading a lot of just the red letters in my Bible.  I have had a hunger to read the written words of what Jesus said while teaching those around Him about what He asks us to do.   He spoke in parables alot, but for the ones I never quite understood, when Holy Spirit reveals to me what Jesus was talking about in that moment, I can never help but smile ear to ear.  Jesus is fascinating, captivating.   I cant help but sing His name allowed first thing in the morning, while folding laundry, doing my dishes.  When I am happy, Im usually singing randomly throughout the day about Jesus. 

The past week we had a LOT of stuff hit the fan.  Got some terrible news this week, my right eye is kinda funky (seeing an eye doctor on Monday no worries!!), God gave me answers I didnt really like... I have had near tantrum meltdowns... and you know what, I had God in all that... His Spirit was there willing to guide me... willing to show me the way He would like me to handle situations to glorify God and ultimatly really are a lot better for myself.  I failed a lot of tests in patience this week, and I didnt go to God for guidance about 80% of the time.  This week sucked. 

But after all that woe is me stuff I put on myself, I can almost picture Jesus sitting on the couch, as I sit on the floor tears flowing, drama city...just sitting there so calm and relaxed, sympathetic look on His face but at the same time this look of "oh child you look kinda silly."  And when I look to Him, He has open arms, and is there to just love me and comfort me.  He sits there the whole time, open arms just waiting, with answers and help and comfort.  Its afterwards where Im like "oh Lord I could have come to You first and I wouldnt have felt so angry, upset and like the whole world was crushing in all around. "  or better yet, never leaving His side to even consider doing it on my own!  Really imprinting those red letters in my heart. 

Im redeemed, Im God's child.  That enough should make me always smile!  I want to follow Christ and I strive everyday to do what He has called me, but I feel this past week instead of running even quicker- shifting to ask Holy Spirit for guidance in moments of trouble, I ran and hid instead, or took anger and frustration out on my family and friends.  Christ tells us to follow Him.  Simply put.  He is the way!  To just be filled with His love, and to love and to love Him, to follow His teachings, to set myself apart- this anger, and automatic "oh things are messing up! God's gotta plan but I'll panic anyways" attitude I have... oh that is so what it is (lightbulb just came on)!  I KNOW God's ways are so perfect, I have seen it over and over and over.  His answer to my prayers has always been 100% best.  Putting your trust in Jesus Christ is a sweet deal!  But MAN do I ever fall back into old habits a lot still- instant panic, worry, OCD. 

I pray that God will really work with me on this, to (dare I say it) give me more and more lessons that I need in order to go deeper and deeper in my trust and relationship with Him.  I usually try not to pray for the things like paitience and stuff because I fail them alot, but being totally honest, if love is paitience, and God is Love and God is Holy and God calls us to be Holy because He is Holy, then I need to be paitient, and kind and all those fruits of the Spirit.  So I pray for those things I need to work on.  I pray kinda cringing my face a bit, but the prayer does go out.   God will answer! 

Unplugged

I find myself in an intoxicating cycle almost over and over being addicted to the internet .. not so much googling, or blogging even, but mostly social networking.  That link just above there is a blog post I did about being addicted mostly to facebook.  I went back onto facebook shorty after I made that blogpost for a while and I was able to balance having a social network life, keeping intouch with friends, family, church, my volunteer business and such that way... but very quickly I found myself spending a bit more time on it each day.  I found it to get a big crazy and I would do a quick facebook detox, but I have realized that I personally just cant close it off and not be on it.  If its activated, its on..Im on, logged in and zoned in. My Bible sits neglected, my housework begins to get neglected and there were days I caught myself neglecting my children....lets face it, playing Journey of Moses is NOT Bible Study..just sayin.  :p

God had a vision and a plan for my life.  This was not to sit on Facebook all day, while when I went back onto facebook that late spring early summer this year I decided to use it to spread the amazing news of Jesus Christ, I tried as much as I could to share..A majortiy of my status' were Scripture...sharing my faith in the most amazing God, the only God.  I wonder how many people had "unsubscribed" from me since only one person besides my family and Church family have even noticed Im gone (or atleast contacted me!)  LOL. 

Gods vision and plan for me right now I am convinced is to be a Mother and a wife... to take care of the house.  To serve my family, to connect with other Mothers and to do that old fashioned "house wife" stuff.  I love it.  I love being the stay at home Mom...actually being in the work force makes me sick to my stomach. 

God has called me to these things, and when I am doing them I think I do an okay job. 

But when I get on the computer, this lazyness sets in.  "Oh I will soak the dishes then pop on facebook." ... popping on facebook for me is like two hours.  Water that was boiling hot is now cold. 

We have been doing these Thursday night services at our Church, and it has been the past three weeks about holiness.  God started to really nudge me during these services.  I would usually come home and cry.   We had a ladies night, and it too was about becoming Kingdom focused and the fact that we cannot impart what we dont posess.  Im not going to be able to raise children who are set apart for God if Im not set apart for God myself. I have a husband so new in his walk with Christ (Thank You God), I want to be showing Jesus as much as I can to him.  I have faith in God, I have seen Him do amazing things in my life when I have put my full trust in only Him...so do I have faith still to reward me from ridding myself of an idol in my life?  To show me what He has planned for me when I am not logged on constantly?   Our pastor told us flat out a few weeks ago "to dispise a holy lifestyle is to dispise God Himself."  God is HOLY.  He cannot operate away from that.  I need to manage my time much better, I cant waste the steps He's called me to walk in.   "God called you to His will, not yours" - was something else that kinda echoed in my head for a long time.   Holy Spirit has just been prodding at me "come on, just get rid of the thing..that ONE silly thing that you are so hooked on again and get back at doing what you've been called to do..and for the love of Jesus dont get back on it!" 

I deactivated my account and Im telling you I have hardly been on the internet at all since then (except to check email, and that takes like two minutes).  How easy was it to do when I know God has my back and was probably like "THANKYOU!"

Ive read more Scripture in the past week and a half than I had in a month.  The hunger to devour everything God has to show me is back.  I had been starving myself spiritually. I got so much laundry done, I am able to make better time for my kids.  

God isreally telling me to get away from all those things in my life that really prevent me from being set apart for Him and just running after Him and getting excited about the fact that He speaks to me through His word, and He wants to hear my prayers constantly and He just takes such joy in what Im doing, even if its scrubbing a toilet.  And I take joy in it too because this is what God has given me..this life, these kids, my husband this house... even if I have to clean it all myself day after day,  I do it for them and I do it for the Lord.  I want to be operating in a way that God can work in me.   God never changes, and I have to press forward and get into the lifestyle that He commands His children to walk in.  So I must make the change, so I can please Him.  And be excited about that above everything else.   Having faith that He is going to show me more amazing things still...
 

Multitudes of Gifts #235-267

Things have been so busy in our household, with our family, church, friends.  There have been so many blessings but I wasnt keeping track.  Here are some in no particular order. 

235- pedicure days with a wonderful sister in Christ
236- hearing new music where God touches your heart
237- newborn babies
238- community outreaches
239- bbqs
240- bouncy castles
241- facepaint
242- laughter
244- Gods holiness
245- provision from Him
246- pouty boys
247- God stretching me, teaching me
248- bye bye facebook, putting God first above all else.  no idols.

249- being blessed with leftovers. 
250 Thanksgiving at my in laws
251-  reds, oranges, and yellows falling from the tree's.
252- celebraing the two year anniversary of the Sanctuary!
253- Front row seats for Cirque du Soleil Micheal Jackson's Immortal Tour with my husband, fantastic show, beautiful date night. 
254- play groups with awesome women!
255- misty fields in early morning
256- falling asleep praying, waking up in the middle of prayer, knowing that whatever was prayed for while sleeping God still heard
257- Nourish nights
258- youth conferences
259- late night chineese food with hubby
260-  baked goodies shared all around
261- surprises from Cryssy "YAY!"
262- laughing histarically in almost panic when the facepaint just wont wash off! LOL
263-  church family
264- more new babies!
265-  dying wool with koolaid...house smelling so good. 
266- broken crock pot
267- rainy day groceries

Even in the messes

Even in the messes, when things are just a bunch of colours swirling around like crazy, when nothing

makes any sense.  There is an oportunity to find hope.
I had the amazing opportunity to see this man, David Garibaldi, live doing his amazing artwork.  This peice in the video fits so perfectly with what Christ can do for all of us in our lives, when things are all crazy and upside down...He is there.  And He is waiting for us to cry out and take His hand.  What an amazing journey it is. 

Its a Romney day

It is so cold, its is so wet outside, the wind is strong and this crunchy mamma doesnt want to face the outdoors today!Housework is completed and the laundry is tumbling, the kids are playing and my husband is taking a well deserved nap. 


I shall spin and mediate on Christ's goodness.
There is something about spinning wool (or anything spinable for that matter), that is so soothing and relaxing, you can just let your mind wander and go deep into thought. 
I can pray, I can worship, I can just have a great talk with the Great I Am, right in my livingroom, while spinning up some Romney fleece.  And whatever it is I create out of it, will still hold all those prayers, those thoughts and those conversations (Im thinking mittens!)

Why wouldnt I want to look at the creations I make with my own hands and not think of the Creator who created them?

 ¹³ She seeks wool and flax,
      And willingly works with her hands.
  ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
      And her hand holds the spindle. 
                    ~Proverbs 31 NKJV

Can we show some LOVE?

When are us Christians going to stop hating on people?  When are Christians going to stop picking and choosing who they want around them, who are going to witness Christ's love and possibly ask "hey, how can I get some of that?"

I don't know all the politics of Church, I don't know or care to know about all the angry protests from Christian people who flash their angry signs at groups of people who offend them.  I just know its wrong and not what Jesus would have done.   I follow Jesus Christ, not a religion.  Jesus calls us to love and follow Him..Thats what my purpose is in Him- to love Him and show His love to others.

I sit her just in tears tonight over once again another follower of Christ who has shown an attitude that is not of Christ.  Its hit local media and people are very upset.  When is it going to stop?  When are we just going to love people because that's what Christ asks us to do?  We are to love others as He loves us! And that's a LOT.  He loves you and I more than anyone could possibly love us!
If every single person on the face of this earth loved you to the point that they couldn't love any more Jesus still loves you more!   please remember that.  


You know, the people who are basically loving on people to the point of no return who aren't even followers of Christ are doing a much better job than some of us, and our God is LOVE!!!!!!!!!!


I'm not saying that all Christians are horrible angry judgemental people because a majority of us aren't, we aren't perfect, but no one is.   I attend a Church where everyone just loves on everyone, its beautiful. You walk in and you feel love!  But lets face it, that's not what the world see's as how the church body opperates. Media is going to show the horrible, bad mistakes we make and THAT'S how society is going to see followers of Christ as.  These people are not going to say "hmmm maybe the media is wrong, and the links are wrong about how horrible Chrisitan's are, I should go check it out for myself."

I hardly think that's how its going to happen.

We are supposed to live a life that is blameless, we are supposed to be walking like Him 24/7.  


For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16


"And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" 1st John 2:2 

If we are going to act like Jesus we need to think like Him too.  The next time we want to shut out  someone, or judge them we need to say "God loves that person... and I need to love them too"