She is Heavenly!

This is just a blurb...I want to write a "real" post, but I cannot muster the energy.  Maybe a little later!

So today, we were walking out of the clinic where Isaac has speech therapy and Avonleigh was not following along very well.  So I said, "Come on Avonleigh Joy, take Mommy's hand!"  There was a man passing by as I said this and he muttered under his breath while chuckling, "Heavenly Joy!  What a name to live up to!"  I didn't correct him.  He wasn't the first person who thought that was her name, he won't be the last.  I find it humorous. But, I think she could live up to that name just fine, thank you very much!  =)

How Great is Our God?

For the past few weeks one message has reiterated itself over and over again.  The message that the God we serve is big. Not just big, but big, Big, BIG.  God has been using sermons, music, testimonies, and friends to reveal to me just how big He is.  I've been praying that he would continue to reveal his greatness, and what I've come to realize is, he shows us every day.  We may not always (or hardly ever) pay attention, but he shows us every day!  He is bigger than we could ever comprehend and bigger than any need we will ever have.  

Then I started asking another question...a question that was a little harder to ask (because I knew I wouldn't like the answer).  "My God, how small have I made you?"

How small do we make him?  How often do we not even pray because we're scared that he won't answer...or because we aren't totally convinced that God still does "that kind of miracle"?  How often do we keep our mouths closed when we should be professing God's word?  How often do we look at an amazing sunrise and not even remember our God who painted it?  How often have I?

Why do we continue to try and cram God into a box?  And when are we going to realize, He is too big to fit!

You know, the first verse in the bible reveals to us how mighty our God is...how do we miss it?  I'm just saying...

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

I mean look around...God created the earth and everything on it!  That is amazing in itself and we give it pretty much no credit.  And from what I understand...the earth has got nothing on the heavens!  How GREAT is our God? 

And in conclusion, some song lyrics for you...

Small by JJ Heller
Cardboard cutouts on the floor
People wish that you were more like what they wanted you to be
Eventually they won’t have much of you at all in their theology
The walls are closing in on you
You cannot be contained at all

I don’t want to make you small
I don’t want to fit you in my pocket
A cross around my throat
You are brighter than the sun
You’re closer than the tiny thoughts I have of you
But I could never fathom you at all

Broken moldings all around
Broken people hit the ground
When they discover that you’re not here for our benefit
You love in spite of us
You use the least of us to prove the strong aren’t really strong at all

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Snow!

*Disclaimer*  I cannot find the charger for my camera battery; therefore, all of my pictures are from my phone.  The quality isn't good by any standard, but they'll have to do for now!

We got a little snow on Friday!  It was really relaxing to watch it fall, it was so pretty.  It accumulated about 2-3 inches...just enough for the kids to play in and it all melted the next day.  That is the best kind of snow one could ask for!  

Avonleigh was so excited!

Not sure what this face is all about!

My happy little man

OK, the snow was fun, they were SO HAPPY!

Blaire's 1st snow!

You know, I wasn't excited when I heard we had snow in the forecast.  After living in the North Country for 2 years, snow had pretty much lost it's magic for me.  But watching my kids play and seeing the pure joy written across their sweet faces, I am so happy it did.  

Picnic, Art, and Spinning...a full day!

After a slight attitude adjustment, we managed to have a pretty good day after all.  I let Isaac and Avonleigh have a picnic on the floor (a big deal for them because they're usually only allowed to eat in the kitchen).  They were very excited and they both ate all of their chicken and sweet potato fries.  After they finished eating Avonleigh decided to be helpful and clear their dishes, she cleared them straight to the trash can!  I suppose this most likely explains where all of our juice cups have disappeared to.  So then we practiced clearing dishes to the, sink.  I'm hoping she understands, but I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the trash can for awhile!

After lunch we did some worksheets on the letter "A".  They had fun coloring the worksheets, the table cloth, and themselves.

It ended up being a fun day.  Tonight I was able to take a "break" from the kids for awhile to go to a spin class.  It was my first time to take a spin class and much to my surprise I really liked it!  Don't get me wrong, it was painful, but in a good way.  When I'm working out with that much intensity, I have to distract myself so that I'm not focusing on the pain.  So, I completely zone out into my own world and use the time to worship and pray.  When I am feeling that physically broken, I am much more vulnerable in worship...which is a good thing!  So often when worshiping and praying I don't give God my all because there are so many other distractions.  But when I am physically exhausted, God is my distraction and I feel he gets so much more of me.  Wouldn't life be better if we allowed God to distract us from everything instead of letting everything distract us from God?  

That's all I've got for today.  Here is to hoping that I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow!

a lesson in being flexible

I am not a fan of things not going the way I plan them (I'm a 'bit' of a control freak).  Today, I'm having one of those days...the kind where when you wake up, things just aren't going they way you planned. 

I was supposed to drop my kids with my friend and take my Jeep to the dealership because there is a recall on it and because the "service 4WD" light is on.  I got up, got myself, Isaac & Avonleigh ready, loaded everyone in the car, and realized I couldn't find my keys.  This is very typical for me, which is funny because I'm organized to a fault, but my keys and phone often go missing!  I finally found them in the ignition and finally we were off.  Wrong.  Yesterday when we got home the kids were asleep, so I stayed in the car and listened to music and yes, when we finally went inside I left the keys in the car in the on position.  I called the dealership and rescheduled the appointment for tomorrow afternoon and brought the kids back inside.  We are now stuck here and it's raining again so we can't even go outside!  And it's not helping matters that not only am I having one of those days, but apparently the kids are too.  They are being defiant and grumpy and talking back.  Possibly their attitudes are a reflection of mine?  OUCH!  So it is time to refocus.

New plans for today are to have an early lunch and then we're going to do some worksheets off of a website I found and have been wanting to try: http://www.kidslearningstation.com/  Then we can make some valentine's for our friends (we have a party to go to on Thursday).  Hopefully by then it will be nap/rest time for all of us.  

I'll post some pictures later and let you know how it all goes.

PS

Does anyone know of a MOPS group in the Columbus area??

giving credit where credit is due

I haven't blogged in a long time, but I'm going to try to get back into it.  I think it can be a tool to help me not only share my faith, but also to stretch it.  God has been moving in me in the past few weeks, and I have been broken and humbled.

I realized a few days ago, that I give the enemy very little credit.  I immediately place blame on myself for any struggle I carry.  I think things like, "I'm not praying the right way" or "I'm just not in step with God right now".  After praying and praying and praying...and still finding no relief from the battle I start to question if I'm doing right by God, is God even hearing me?  Does he really care?  I'm certain I'm not the only one who has felt this way before.

A few days ago, I was talking with a friend about a struggle I've dealt with for years.  This particular struggle has been absolutely relentless recently.  She suggested that I was being attacked by the enemy.  My eyes were opened!  Now I'm not saying I'm faultless (I am human after all), but I certainly have never given the devil any of the credit that he deserves.  Why do we allow the devil to lay low?  Doing so allows him to have so much strength and power over us.

I ran across this passage in my devotional last night:

"For every battle we face, God provides us with a full set of armor. God's armor is based on truth & righteousness, faith & peace. He asks us to be armed with his attributes, not our own. Above all, we have prayer, which reaches into the spiritual realm and places the battle into the hands of the One who has already won the war"

It left me with a feeling of peace, knowing that our battles are already won!  We do not have to struggle...though I'm certain that the enemy loves to make us forget that.