A Year Of Belonging

Doesn’t this picture just break your heart?  It would mine, 

if there wasn’t more to the story.

The day we left China, I’m sure that these children were scared to death, but she put on her brave face and promised the interpreters that she would not run away from us in the train station.

I had my emergency note written in Chinese to explain that I was her new mother and that I was adopting her, not kidnapping her.

My newest son was putting on his brave face too - with enough energy to fight me the next two days of travel. 

We made it home, exhausted physically and emotionally.  And I knew that now the real healing would began for my new children.  The healing that can only happen in a family where you belong.  We showed them the Texas coast, Christmas, snow, and their first Christmas gifts.  

 They met their new family - a daddy, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and Dandy and Gommy.

 They did the best they could to cope - she looked out any window she could find and cried.  He withdrew, or was naughty.  

We all held them and tried to help them as much as we could.

 But, I knew in my heart that the only answer for their grief was time, 

and lots and lots of understanding, sympathy, and love.

 A year later, it is beginning to show;  

The healing...

 ...the feelings of belonging and safety.  

 In those little faces of my newest son and daughter, I am seeing happiness, 

 silliness,

 laughter,

 and beauty where there was fear, pain and sadness. 

 They have learned what being loved is, what belonging looks like.

  And I think that they like it.

I am so thankful to the LORD that I was chosen to be their mother -

to share their journey,

to teach them the joys of a family,

and to see them in time embrace that;

I am so thankful to be apart of their story,

and to know that it has only just begun.

Interrupted

"I decided that my children were God’s best will for my life, I saw all of my life through this grid. So when I went through my day, in general, if an interruption came into my life, since my “grid” said, “My children are my decided and valued priority,” then I could say yes to my children and put the other non-essential things aside because it did not fit with my priorities.  The other tasks and goals in my life are secondary to the plans I have made to keep  the Lord, my children and my husband first.

The effect that this had was that once I had determined that they were God’s best will for my life, it was easy to make the choice to keep them in a place of priority. And when I knew and had decided that they were God’s will for my life–then I didn’t see them as often as interruptions but as gifts. I would see my moments with them as opportunities to love and to teach and to train, instead of seeing them as interruptions to what I wanted to do with my time and with my life. They were not interruptions–they were my priority, from God.”

From Sally Clarkson

Interrupted,

that’s where I’m at right now.  Interrupted by the LORD.  He is reminding me of some things.  I’m trying to slow down my “thoughts” and “look” around me more...look into their eyes and the other precious people that the LORD has given to me to walk this journey with.  

I have been praying that my words AND my thoughts would be pleasing to Him.  (Ps. 19:14)  How quickly I miss the mark and let rude words come out or began to realize that my thoughts are selfish and well, whiny.  

So, I will let the interruptions come and look at them, and ask the LORD to teach me in the moment.  I want to remember ...

to see ...

and to find the treasures that He has in each moment.

This last week, I had FOUR root canals, yep, 4.  Want to know the good in that?  There "just happened" to be a dr. that was in town from California interviewing with my normal dentist.  He just happened to be doing molar root canals as part of his interview.  He just happened to have ONE spot open which was offered to me at the last minute.  And he just happened to be doing the work for “insurance only” prices.  Know what the LORD blessed us with that day through these awesome people?  Just under two thousand dollars of work for free.  So, yet, I am up at 3 a.m. with my face hurting, I interrupt my self pity and remind myself of the LORD’s goodness to me.  We really could not afford that dentist bill.  But the LORD had a plan...

a good plan.  

I Lost My Way

I have felt “something” in my heart for some time, but just wasn’t sure what “it” was.  I didn’t however, know that I had lost my way.  

I came across a post about Martyred Mothers today and was finding it an interesting post, kind of skimming over it quickly.  And then God stopped me in my tracks with the “something” that had been getting to me.

She wrote, “I’m not dismissing the fact that motherhood requires tremendous demands of patience, selflessness, lovingkindness and walking the way of the cross.  Those actions are supplied only through the supplying of the LORD’s mercy as He strengthens our hands to the task, so we must abide in the True Vine.  But, may we not live our lives as martyrs that have given up something great, and thinking that motherhood is only about sacrifice.  Sure there are some sacrifices.  But to be a mother is a precious gift and privilege never to be taken for granted.  Instead let’s walk in the JOY of the LORD, being grateful for His gift of children, that aren’t really even ours.”

I knew that the LORD was showing me that I had become a “martyred mother”.  I didn’t use to be that way, but somewhere along the way, I had let little thoughts and ideas began to color the way I looked at motherhood. (“Poor me” and all that.) 
I was challenged again to consider what is the purpose of parenting as a Christian.  “Our motives will determine our methods.” Kelly says at Generation Cedar.

I have always loved the truth that Jesus is our Shepherd, tending and caring for His flock.  And I have always embraced His words as a mother to “Feed my sheep”(John 21:17).
Read these words from Kelly at Generation Cedar,

"Of all the things that our children are–cute and cuddly, fun to watch, mess-makers and time-takers, they are our disciples. They were given to us to shepherd. And listen to this…before Jesus told Peter to “feed my sheep”, He questioned him: “Do you love Me”? In other words, “if you love Me, prove it by tending my lambs”. Just stop there and chew on that for a minute.

The reason we are so often prone to frustration is that first of all, lambs are foolish. That’s why they need tending. They do dumb things and they have no idea about the ravenous wolves. That’s why they need a shepherd. 

But if we don’t understand this role that God Himself has given us, then their foolishness becomes a source of irritation (“Why can’t they just do what they’re supposed to do!”) instead of a precious opportunity to lead, guide and protect them. Remember, “tending” takes time.”

Yes, tending takes time.  Loving these precious children takes time.  And it is time that I reclaim the joy of mothering, and reject the lies that have become my burden.  Did you read that?  It’s not my children that have become my burden, but the lies and thoughts that I have listened to.  

 My desire is to love the LORD my God wholeheartedly.  My prayer has been “help me to seek first Your Kingdom, LORD, and Your righteousness in all areas of my life.”  I want to get rid of “the attitude”, and began to tend my little flock with love and faithfulness.  
“Father God, I ask forgiveness for my wrong attitudes towards the precious job you have given me to care for my family.  Forgive me for listening to lies and looking away from the truth in Your Word. Please fill be anew with Your Joy.  Thank you for showing me where I had lost my way.  Lead me instead in Your ways.  In Jesus Name, Amen."

I Hope She Let’s Us Come Back!

She is learning so much, and I am so proud of her.  Noelani is learning a new language and finding her way around a new culture.  She is so sweet and patient when she needs to be corrected.  And it is usually fun to see this new world through her eyes.  
HOWEVER, today I hope that she learned a lesson quickly.  Noelani had her speech therapy today.  After her therapy, her teacher told her to tell me what she had called her during their time together.  Noelani couldn’t remember what the teacher was talking about.  After a second, the teacher, with a bit of a chuckle, told me that Noelani had signed and said that she was “old”.  She then went on to sign and tell her that her hair was old, her face was old, and her skin was old.  The poor teacher told her that was enough, as she was beginning to feel rather OLD.  
What could I say?  After many apologies, I told the teacher that Noelani is also learning what is appropriate in America.  
I had a talk with Noelani on the way home.  I hope she understood, and I sure do hope that the teacher will let us come back.  LOL

Garett Will Have Surgery...

We found out today that Garett’s CAT scan was normal.  That means that there is no obstruction on the outside of his esophagus.  The blockage is on the inside.  We met with a wonderful and helpful doctor this afternoon who finally took seriously what Garett is dealing with each day.  This doctor is going to do surgery Wednesday morning early.  Until he gets inside he will not know exactly what needs to be done.  
Here are some key things to pray over....
-That the doctor is able to take care of the problem while he is there;
-ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT...that there is no tear in Garett’s esophagus...this would require a lengthy hospital stay and has several risks;
-for a final solution to this...
because tonight, my little Garett cried again because he couldn’t eat, and even though we try to make him nutritious drinks, he is still hungry.  I played Ninja Fruit with him to try to distract him from his hunger.  Still, as he went to bed, he mumbled, “Mommy, I’m still hungry.”  Poor baby, we look to the LORD, and we pray for healing and we thank Him for each of you who chooses to walk this journey with us.  I am grateful!

He Literally Can’t Eat

 We have spent months now trying to find out why Garett has progressively been unable to eat.  He has always had a “gag” relax with meats, however, over the last half a year he has reached the point of not being able to eat at all. 

We have followed the “normal” medical routes, and nothing was helping.  Garett had reached the point of staying hydrated, but starving.  Finally, one weekend last month, we became so frustrated with what he was going though (he was gagging and throwing up every 15 minutes), that we took him to an emerge care facility.

 The doctor there sent us to have a swallow test done.  A week later we found out that Garett has a “web” in his throat...think “spider web”.  His body is instinctively trying to protect itself from choking to death by gagging and throwing up.  Of course, the down side is he also can’t eat and is “starving”.  Of course, we have been giving him protein drinks and trying to “liquify” his food as much as possible. 

 Still, he is hungry all the time, and you can see here that he is all “bones” (he didn’t have any weight to loose anyway!!!).  He has lost almost 5 pounds since things really got bad, and there is only so much you can do for a growing child on a liquid diet.  

We have been frustrated with the way some of the medical community has handled this.  Things should have happened sooner, and I’m just not going to go into the details beyond saying that there have been mistakes made that my son has paid the price for.  The LORD heard my cries this last Friday and sent us to a doctor that is taking seriously what Garett is going through.  
Garett will have a CAT scan tomorrow and then we will have an “emergency” appointment with this doctor to find out what needs to happen to open up Garett’s esophagus and get him back to eating.
I would so appreciate prayers for Garett.  This has gone on for so long, and he has dealt with it very well.  Still it has hurt me so much to watch him getting skinner and skinner.  And it hurts Steve and I so bad to hear him again crying because he is hungry and we can only offer the “same ol’ things” that we have been offering for almost 6 months now.  
Thank you for your prayers and for sharing these difficult times with us.  

I Had Enough This Morning

Yep, that’s a plant and it’s torn up all over the floor and I asked the children to do it on purpose.  
Why?
Well, I just had enough today.  Enough of the arguing, fighting, tattle tailing, selfishness, complaining, ingratitude, disobedience, rudeness, and yelling.
I have been praying and seeking the LORD everyday as I have just felt worn out by it all.  I have lost my “joy” and have really been overwhelmed with the daily battles.  I have felt that these negative attitudes and action are controlling my days.   It seems that I spend pretty much all of my time disciplining bad behaviors and there is so little enjoying each other happening.


This morning it all stared before I could even get dressed - tattle tailing, arguing, fighting, the works.  And I had it.  I sat them all down (I did get dressed first) and began to talk to them about the things that they have been doing that have added to the daily stress of our days.  I firmly believe that a family must work together to enjoy each other and to have a healthy atmosphere in the home.  And right now, it feels like Steve and I do most of the work.  And I feel like the “life” is being sucked out of me.


Then I had an idea about the plant.  I brought it in from outside (it was “mostly” dead anyway), and I looked at one of them and said “Go tear a leave off.”  She laughingly did, and I told her and the rest of them that when they are rude to others they are making our home unhealthy like tearing that leaf off does to the plant.  I called another one to do the same and then told them that when they fight and yell they are “killing” the joy in our home. I called Corbin to go pull a branch off, and bless his little heart, he said “I don’t want to tear up your beautiful things.”  He wouldn’t do it.  (I was totally smiling on the inside).  I asked Aiden and Keshawn to tear off some leafs and they really got into it and began to tear up the whole plant.  I just watched them and let them do it.  The older ones were beginning to see where this was going, but the smaller ones were clueless.  
I then talked to them about the attitudes and actions that are “killing” the joy and peace in our home much as tearing a plant apart will kill it.  The little ones started to get the picture too now.  I talked to them about the things that bring life into our home and family.  We talked some more about the things that make the plant healthy or the things that kill it and compared it to our family and home life. 

Then I asked them to come to me and tell me one thing they were sorry for.  I pulled out my prayer journal and wrote their name and the thing that they apologized for in it and told them that I would be praying for them.  They loved that I was writing their names in my book.  Then they told me one thing that they were grateful for.  They all did really great with this.


Now, none of this was planned.  As I said, I was fed up with the way our home has been “feeling” each day.  I really felt that the LORD led me to bring in the plant for teaching, to ask them to apologize to me and to offer something that they are grateful for.  


It seemed to have given them a good “word picture” to remember.  Of course, I know that they are just children and will struggle with these things, but I pray that I can began to teach them to deal with their sins in a healthy and Biblical way, instead of me always just “reacting” to them all the time.  
Ahhh, mothering - truly there is no harder job that I have ever tried to do.  

Help Me LORD...

...to parent these little people, to love them and to teach them Your ways.  

Guide me when I’m not sure what to do or say.  Give me patience and help me to remember that they are still little and in need of nurturing and training.  

Forgive me when I become angry with their foolishness and impatient with their childishness.  














There are some things with my new little son that I am truly unsure of what to do, how to help, teach and train him.  




















Lord, I don’t like not knowing what to do.  I’m sure You are laughing a bit at that since You did make me and know that I like “a plan”.  




I will keep seeking You with my whole heart because I love you, LORD, and I love them.”

 And today, help me to see them with eyes of love, appreciation, and to give them the grace that You have shown me.

Amen

"A cheerful heart will make the task of keeping house pleasant. When you understand that messes are part of living at home, and that cleaning them up is the reason you are there, you can approach them as though they were a matter of fact.  When you realize this is what you are home for, you can approach it as part of your responsibility, rather than as an inconvenience.”
quote from HERE

A very good reminder for me.  I love being blessed to stay home and preform this precious work that the LORD has given me to do.  And children just naturally create, explore, cut up paper, build things, and eat.  

And since I am really checking my thoughts, I saw I was looking at the messes with a critical, self-centered - “More to clean up” attitude.  So, I want to replace that with positive and thankful thoughts.  And I want to again see the “messes” for what they really represent...A home that is loved and lived in by many precious little children that are healthy, happy and living in peace.  When I was in Uganda, one of the beautiful young men that we worked with said to me “Momma, you are blessed...you can raise your children in peace.  Here in Uganda, we can not do that.  But I pray that one day we can.”
I will always remember that and be thankful for those little messes.

What Does It Equal?

On one of my normal wake up calls around 2:00 p.m. (Keshawn still loves his night time bottle), I began to think back on how horribly negative the day had been.  It didn’t start out that way, of course.  I didn’t wake up and think “How can I make this day horrible?”  And I’m sure that the children didn’t either, though, I have no evidence for that assumption.  I am quite sure that the IRS, who is still not giving us our tax refund, ARE trying to make my day horrible, but that’s another story.  And since I am working on improving my thought patterns and reactions from critical and negative, well, an eye twitching little laugh may have escaped from my lips into the darkness of the night.  Hopefully Steve just thought I was having a bad dream.  
Some thing so simple came to my mind in the quietness;

Negative Plus Negative DOES NOT equal Positive

When I get stressed, frustrated, overwhelmed or any of those other “bads”, I certainly start doing the math ... their negative gets a negative from me, which equals more negative, and we all know the downward spiral that this gets into.  Negative plus negative just keeps adding up to more negative, for all of us.  

Of course, what I want, and what we all want, is a peaceful, respectful and happy atmosphere.  

And I was reminder of an exercise I use to practice;

Two Positives for Each One Negative

What does that look like?  If I thought of or said something critical or negative, I would make myself go to a private place (outside, or the bathroom) and write out two positives for that one negative.  Let’s say I think something frustrating about a mess a child just made...I would go to the bath room and write out two positives, like “I am so glad that the LORD gave me this child.  I am thankful that she is healthy and fun to be with.”  Then I would get back in the game.  Also something that really helped me; if I felt stressed or overwhelmed, I would go outside, regardless of the weather, breath deeply, and thank the LORD for two things, like the beauty of the trees, and the fresh smell of the air.  This exercise really did strengthen me and gave me a “tool” to use to fight negative or critical thoughts.  

And I really want this....

 ...to look like this!

So, I am picking back up this “tool” and will be exercising those thinking muscles.  If you would like to try it, I can tell you it is best if you start out writing down your positives.  

And, I’m EVEN going to go so far as to start out with two positives for our tax frustrations....

1.  I am glad that we live in a time and a country where there are laws to protect our freedom.

2.  I am thankful for the people that are helping us to correct the mistakes that the IRS has made.  

Please, share what helps you....and may we continue to “encourage one another daily” (Heb. 3:13) for HIS GLORY.  

There May Be Silence....

I was so motivated by sweet mom at Acceptance With Joy and her challenge to not not say anything negative or critical for 14 days, that I signed up for the challenge.  I told her I am sure that I could be a complete success at this IF I could hole up in a beautifully furnished and totally stocked with goodies cabin in the Rocky Mountains for 14 days.  (insert Happy Thought).

BUT, I think that is not the purpose of the challenge is it.  
As I was sitting alone in my bedroom this morning (because the door is closed with warnings to go to daddy if anything is needed), I was listening to our precious Aiden screaming his head off downstairs some where.  He was mad at daddy because Daddy had asked him to stay beside him for a while.  You know the opposite of time out...


Steve has been out of town all week and when he came home I told him that I was sorry that I wasn’t greeting him with a big ol’ smooch and “hello darling, I’m so glad you are home!  I have a wonderful meal cooking, the house is spotless, the children are perfectly clean, and I have romantic plans for later...”
Nope, I’m afraid it was more of a “Hello darling...will you grill the fish I pulled out this morning because I forget to thaw the roast for the slow cook meal that was planned? And will your work allow you to take 3 children to work with you tomorrow? No?  O.K., I will PAY YOU if you will just take Aiden...I think it is time (at 5 years of age ) for him to enter the work force with you.  I bathed the black children...can you get the Asian’s?  I’m sorry that it is only 8:00 p.m., but I am exhausted, can I go to bed, PLEASE????”


Back to the 14 day challenge...I have been seeing that in the “life-ness” of raising our family I have become very “short” and critical without even meaning to.  I want to think and act Biblically, but there is no doubt that many days I don’t.  It is so easy to get into certain thought patterns that are not affirming, loving, patient, kind and the other ways that the LORD shows us how to love in actions and words.  And I want to follow His ways...to Love Him First and to Love Others.  I want to accept HIS challenge to GO LOVE.  We need healthy bodies to serve and love, and we need healthy (and Biblical) thought patterns to serve and love.  So, how about you...want to join?  I’ll be sharing some of the “exercises” that I will be using to help improve my thought patterns.  
As always with this blog...I pray that we may encourage and support each other in the ministry  - THE JOURNEY - that the LORD has called each of us too.  And no matter where we are, who we are, how young or old we are, we are ALL called to a ministry of LOVE.  
And I’m hoping that I don’t have to go silent for 14 days....if you don’t hear from me you know that I have taken a vow...

We Are Created To Soar

 My sweet friend, Audrey and I headed out for a nearly 7 mile hike yesterday at a near by canyon.  It was exactly what I was longing for before we really kick it in gear to prepare for the wedding and leaving this Saturday.  We were so surprised when we happened on this injured falcon.  It is so rare to ever see a wild falcon up close.  These two pictures Audrey took as I crept closer to see if there was any way we could help it.  (Later we reported it to the rangers who went on a search for it).  

 How sad it was to see this beautiful creature unable to do what the LORD had created it to do... soar.  I thought of the beautiful verse in Isaiah 40:31 “...but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

We were created, like this beautiful falcon, to bring glory to our creator, by being and doing what He has created us to do.  I felt such compassion for this bird’s injury and inability to fly.  In Isaiah 40:1 the LORD says “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”  Mark 6:34 shows us how Jesus felt when he saw a large crowd of people - “he had compassion on them...”.  Psalm 103:13 says “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.”  If you are feeling wounded, like this bird, SEEK the Lord...He loves you and wants to heal you. 
As I seek to love my family and friends today, I pray that I will comfort them better, and have more compassion for them.  As we walk through our days, what ever that may look like, may we each look at those around us with more compassion, and tender comfort.  May we soar - FOR HIS GLORY. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God...” I John 4:7

In Myself Nothing....

"The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority.  Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself.  He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life.  He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels.  In himself, nothing; in God, everything.  That is his motto."-- A.W. Tozer

In myself nothing; in God, everything!  

Why do I try to find the answer to my burdens, my problems, my concerns, my questions ... 

in anything that “I” can do?  I never do have the answers and I never will.  

That verse that the LORD showed me a few days ago is from 2 Chronicles 14...Kins Asa cried out to the LORD when he was confronted with a situation.  I love that Asa knew that “in himself” - not a chance.  The situation “looked” impossible.  Here’s his prayer;

“And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like You to help, between the mighty and the weak.  Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude.  O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.”

What an awesome prayer...a prayer of humility and faith.  Asa isn’t looking for victory or answers in what “he” has or can do.  

It’s pretty simple ... not the problem;

but the “what to do part”...

-meet the problem - “draw up your lines of battle with your “enemies" (you see Asa doing this in the previous verses 2 Chron. 14:10) ;

-Then CRY TO THE LORD YOUR GOD (verse 11);

-tell the LORD that you know there is none like Him (He knows this...this is to remind You and your enemies of the truth);

-acknowledge that you are weak ... and that something mighty stands in front of you and that HE IS YOUR HELP;

-ask for His help and reaffirm that you rely on Him, not on yourself or your own abilities;

-THIS IS IMPORTANT (also in verse 11) - in HIS NAME come against the problem;

-remember again that He is your God and ask that nothing would prevail against Him.

Here is a biblical principle, a spiritual truth not to be missed....

as we really believe, really live, really stand up in faith and confess our reliance on Him and Him alone - verse 12 is pretty exciting

“So the LORD defeated...”

Here is an example of how I might pray this as a mother with a hearts desire to live His will in our family; 

As I look at each day of mothering, homemaking, home educating, teaching, training and raising these precious ones...I cry to the LORD my God;

“O LORD, there is none like You to help,

the problems and work is mighty and I am weak.  

Help me, O LORD my God

for I rely on You,

and in Your Name I come against what would defeat my family.  

O LORD, you are my God; let not anything prevail against You.”

And then I rest my heart and watch the LORD defeat what would try to defeat me or my family. 

A little Hebrew to remember ...  the word “rely" in this verse is “sha-an" - which is "an attitude of trust and ultimate dependance” on the LORD. 

Today I remember and recommit to sha-an only in the LORD My God. Join me in the battle will you...let’s draw some lines in the sand and say a PRAYER!

Let’s Get Dressed!!!!

It’s fun to dress up isn’t it.  I always feel so pretty in my elegant gown.  Steve always looks so handsome in his best suit.
But I’m not talking about the above kind of getting dressed.  I was really impressed by the LORD’s Words again this morning to “Be dressed ready for service...” (Luke 12:35).  While Luke 12:35-48 talks about being ready for the return of the Lord Jesus, there is also much for me to learn from these verse as I work here in my home, and for you - wherever the LORD may place you.  
First, the LORD reminded me to get up in the morning in a timely manner and get dressed and ready for my day.  Ready for what?  To Serve!  So regardless of whether I am at home for the day, or need to go to town, my priority is to serve.  And I must pray and spend time with the LORD first asking for His guidance, wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1) for my day.
Next, verse 42 asks an important question for me to consider and encouraging instruction for us all...”Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portions of food at the proper time?”  As a homemaker, I am so encouraged when I read this.  The LORD has set me over His household (a portion, anyway), right here in my home.  I must seek each day to be faithful and wise in managing my home.  He has given me such an important job to do.  How HIS “home” is run until he comes back is very important to him.  
Have any of you ever house sit, or asked some one to house sit for you?  We have looked after our neighbor’s house and animals for years now when he needs to travel.  And it is very important to us that we do exactly what he asks us to do while he is gone.  He wants his dogs fed faithfully each day, and brought in if the weather turns bad.  He trusts us to do the work he has asked (and is paying us) to do and to watch for his return so that everything is ready.  When our friends watch our chickens, I want them fed and watered each day so that they will not get sick or stressed.  I need to trust my friend to be faithful with this work.  
These verses are talking about the same thing...that while we are waiting for HIS return, we have work to do.  We must be faithful and wise in our service.  
Serving is one of the purest forms of love that I can think of and Jesus certainly gave us many examples of this.  Did you know that just a few verses later the Bible tells about a lady who has a "disabling spirt”?  And Jesus saw her pain and said to her “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”  Do you know what she did?  She glorified God!!  Jesus showed us so many times His love for people and He met their needs through serving them, healing them, feeding them, teaching them, praying for them, preaching the good news to them, forgiving them; He brought back to life what was dead, offered peace, replace fear with faith, received children and cast out demons, found those that were lost, and told stories about the Heavenly Kingdom.  Jesus showed us how to love others...in serving them.  That’s His Love Language.  So if our pride pricks up a little at the word “servant”, well, let’s just remember the real definition - Servant - “One who loves”. 
And let’s each of us be encouraged to “Be dressed and ready for service..."

I Am So Scattered Today

-New resolve to get up by 6:30 realized - no (I have excuses, but that’s really all they are)
-Devotion with children - yes, I love this time with them
-Home school - check
-Start on that sewing project - nope

-Separate these two every few minutes for everyones sanity - check  (Believe me, they have NOT been this nice to each other...they only acted this sweet for the camera...that way they keep you all under the allusion that they are angels...Ha-ha...if they only knew that most of ya’ll are mothers and know their trickery).

-Start cleaning up lunch before dinner - check - only because my minions did it (it is their job after all)

-Get some more laundry done - Ummm...still workin’ on that one

-Wanting to serve more nourishing breakfasts - I’ve thought about it today
-Read three chapters in this awesome book - check

-Lay with sick babies during their nap - check (how do you think I read the three above chapters?)
-Enjoy Caresse’s new garden - YES I did (because I went outside in the cold to get these wonderful picture to show ya’ll).

-Exercise - hasn’t happened yet
-Shower - still waiting for the above to happen
-Bathe two little girls - (they DO smell worse then me...so I really must get to this one)
-Praise God that police report came in - YES
-Bake cookies - (I clearly need more minions)
-Wedding shower gift bought for Thursday - not yet

Do ya’ll have days when you seem to be scattered?