Photo A Day

A friend of mine started doing this challenge called photo a day this year. It's just a fun way to take a picture of something everyday. So, now I'm going to do it! The photo for today is a number.

Snuggle Up, Mommy

Today has been much more relaxing than yesterday! No cleaning vomit out of the carpet and no doing tons of laundry to get the vomit smell out! Logan has a bit of a cold and has been very snuggley this morning. After I took care of his nose a little while ago, I picked him up and he gave me one of those hugs where he wrapped his legs real tight around me as if to say, "Don't let go!" So, we went to the recliner and I was holding him and rocking him and I just started weeping. I feel so blessed to have these little moments where I can just sit and love on my little boy. God is giving me such an abundant life as a mother! I get to hang out will my son, all day, every day and just watch him grow and change. At times, it's sad because I wish he could stay this little forever, but I also can't wait to see who he becomes.

A Joyous Day In The Midst of Suffering

Yesterday was busy, but very full. It was Logan's 3rd Birthday! I still can't believe I am the mother of a 3 year old! It goes by so fast. Mike and I gave him his birthday presents before Mike went to work. He got action figures of Captain America, Wolverine, and Iron Man ( he is his father's son). We also gave him the Leap Frog Tag reading pen and a Toy Story book to go with it. He seems to like everything. Soon after that we had some friends over for a little while. It's always nice to be able to sit and talk with a friend while our kids play. I then gave Logan a bath, lunch, and put him down for a little nap (which of course he didn't take).

While he was "taking his nap" I made myself some lunch and sat down to relax for the first time that day. Shortly after that, my in-laws came to visit! We sat and talked for a little bit and then I had to leave to go to my first physical therapy appointment (I sprained my knee). At my appointment I found out that I have a lot going on in my right knee from the fall, but I also found out that I have a torn ligament in my left knee from a previous injury. I knew I had bad knees, but I didn't know I had so much damage in them. So, I went back home and spent some more time with the fam. Mike came home from work and we had everyone open presents seeing that his dad's birthday was on the 4th, Logan's was yesterday, and Mother's Day is Sunday.

After all of this, we went out to dinner at Macaroni Grill. It was delicious! We came home and had birthday cake. Mike's parents left. Logan went to bed. I went to bed earlier than I have in a long time. I was exhausted, but in the midst of it all, I loved yesterday! God is teaching me a lot during this time of being injured and being in a little bit of pain throughout the day. We have been studying 1Peter in BSF this week. It has been a lot about suffering. It seems to have come at the perfect time because of what I am going through with my knee. Now that I can't do much physically, God has been teaching me about not wasting my days, but making them about Him and the people in my life. With Logan turning 3, God is teaching me that I need to embrace this time in life even more because it goes by so fast. I am ready for my knee to be healed so I can fully be me again. But for now, I hold on to this verse: "So after you have suffered for a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." 1 Peter 5:10b

It's only for a little while!

BSF

If anyone keeps up with me on Facebook, you know that I have started going to BSF and I love it! For those of you who don't know, BSF stands for Bible Study Fellowship. It is a free Bible class that meets once a week! They have classes for women, men, and children! It is an international organization. I highly recommend finding one in your area, if you are interested! http://www.bsfinternational.org

Anyway, now that I've given them a little plug, I'll move on. I absolutely believe that God brought me to this class at just the right time. I was really trying to read my Bible more and was doing really well, but I still felt disconnected from God and others. One day, a friend of mine mentioned BSF on facebook and I thought, "I need to finally check and see if there is a class here." I have known about BSF since high school and my mother-in-law was involved for 18 years and was a leader. I guess I just forgot it was there. So, I found a class here in Columbia and I fell in love! It has been such an incredible experience so far and Logan loves it as well (they have a program for children while I'm in my class)!

I have grown so much in my faith just in the almost 2 months that I have been there! I am seeing God work daily and He is a bigger part of my day than He has been in a long time! One of the main things I have gotten out of BSF is that I see more and more how much I need Him. I can't do anything without Him. When we went to the Andrew Peterson concert last week, he sang one of my favorite songs (well, lets face it, just about all of his songs are my favorite). This one in particular just made me think about what God is doing in me lately, so I thought I would share the words.

ALL YOU'LL EVER NEED

The blood of Jesus, it is like the widow's oil

It's enough to pay the price to set you free

It can fill up every jar and every heart that ever beat

When it's all you have it's all you'll ever need

The blood of Jesus, it is like the leper's river

Running humble with a power you cannot see

Seven times go under, let the water wash you clean

Only go down to the Jordan and believe

Only go down in the Jordan and believe

And I need it, I need it, the closer that I grow

The more I come to know how much I need it

The blood of Jesus, it is like Elijah's fire

Falling on the altar of your faith

All the wisdom of the world could never conjure up a spark

But no power of Hell could ever quench this flame

No power of Hell could ever touch this flame

And I need it, I need it, the closer that I grow 

The more I come to know how much I need the blood of Jesus

The blood of Jesus, it is like the widow's oil

When it's all you have, it's all you'll ever need

It is all you'll ever need!

Going Organic

So, I have been wanting to change our diets for sometime, but haven't really known where to begin. We have been eating horribly in the past few months and we need to stop for health reasons. I started watching The Biggest Loser and it has really motivated me to eat healthy and exercise. I have also been wanting to cook a lot more because then, I know what's going into our bodies. Some friends of mine have introduced me to a co-op that gets fruits, vegetables, and I think they also get meat! They even get milk and eggs. AND IT'S ALL ORGANIC!! It seems a little pricey to me, but I decided just to try it out because, if we can make meals out of what comes in the box every two weeks, it will probably be a lot cheaper on our grocery bill every month. I'm just excited about knowing what ingredients I have and then finding something to cook with them. I get so tired of trying to find good recipes and then having to go out and buy everything to make them. This should make meal planning a little easier!

Things To Do In 2012

I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions, but this year I really feel the need to have the abundant life that my Lord has promised. So, I made a list of things I want to get out of this year. It consists of some dreams that I have always had and just things I want to accomplish! I'm really excited about it! So, here it is!

Goals for 2012

1) Read the Bible in a year or less. (I am sad to say I don't think I've read the entire Bible. There are just some books that I always get stuck on)

2) Learn to play my hammered dulcimer. (It has been my favorite instrument for years and I have had one for 7 years. It's time to make beautiful music with it)

3) Learn to run.

4) Run in a 5K.

5) Find a church that we are just crazy about and really get involved.

6) Finish my courses for Medical Transcription and hopefully get a job doing that from home.

7) Take a real vacation for a week this summer! (We only ever get out of town for the weekend and it's just too short)

8) Sing. (My dream has always been to sing in some way whether it be back-up in a band, in a really awesome choir, or on the worship team at church)

9) Be a better wife, mother, friend, and relative. (In general just be a better lover of people)

This list just really makes me excited about this year! I can't wait to see what God is going to do in my life and the lives of those around me!

Me, Myself and Lies

Here I am again, battling Satan for the thoughts in my head. He is doing everything he can to convince me that I am nothing to no one. It's been a really hard week. It seems rather heartbreaking that days after we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior that it can seem like it never happened. I have done a lot of grieving this week over a lot of things and it has just knocked me down over and over again. I guess it's that after Christmas depression that people talk about, but for me, it's something I deal with all year. Anyone who knows me knows that I am very hard on myself and don't view myself as a worth while or valuable person. I've dealt with it most of my life. It's an area that Satan has such a hold on that every time I try to give it to God it just doesn't sink in. When I do give my thoughts to God, I feel so on top of the world, but that only lasts for a day or two because then, something happens and I'm right back to my old ways. Yesterday, I hit rock bottom in this moment of Satan induced self-loathing and I had had enough.

So, I went to the book case in our room, trying to find anything to do with God that would give me a little encouragement. I came across this Bible study that I bought at another time such as this and decided to start diving into it again. This post is in no way an endorsement of said Bible study (which this post is titled after) because sometimes it is a little on the cheesy side, but I like the idea of it. It is basically telling women to take their thoughts and fill them up with God's. So, whenever we start to worry or get down on ourselves, we should change the course of those thoughts to what God tells us in His Word. Isn't that what we are supposed to do anyway? We are supposed to let God's Word fill up our hearts and lives. I know I need more than a Bible study to change the way I think. I need God to speak to me and maybe this is how it will finally break Satan's hold on me!