Beth Moore Simulcast

Well, it has been forever since I have blogged. I hope to catch up someday becasue it was a very busy summer and since my blog will probably be my scrapbook I need to make sure I blog about our entire summer, 2 birthdays, school starting, and who knows what else I have forgotten!

I wanted to blog tonight about something that I do not want to forget about. Today my friend Melody and I atteded the Beth Moore simulcast and it was amazing. Beth has a way of knowing right where you are. I want to list the main points for my benefit (to help drive them home more) and for yours. maybe you see yourself in this somewhere. I sure did! God keeps bringing me to this issue of my desires and today was no exception. I started this year wanting to be AWAKENED to Him. I can see now how the Lord is showing me why I have been so distant with Him. God never moves away from us-we are the ones who move!

The Heart of Our Desires
Psalm 37
1. Nothing dictates our lives like our desires.
2. Beneathe the desires of our heart is the heart of our desires.
God will trunp your desire if destiny or glory are at stake.
What we want is what we do not have.
3. Delighting in God adapts our desires into inevitabilities.
4. Nothing external can steal our right to delight.
We have given people (husband, wife, children, boss, etc...) a right they do not have. If we do not delight it is something internal-not external.
WHAT IS TAKING A BITE OUT OF MY PERSONAL DELIGHT BECAUSE DELIGHT IS MY RIGHT. You can usually contribute it to this: JAW

J-jelousy (37:1) desire tinged with resentment. Who comes to mind when you think of jelousy? Look under yur jelousy to your desire.

A-anger (37:8)-What am I mad about? Do you have an anger problem? We use anger to control a situation. Only brings out resentment. Anger NEVER works as a motivator. It creates alienation which is the opposite of delight. Is there an element of grief or sadness under your anger (lost love one).

W-worry (37:8)-fret-means to eat or knaw into. We can repress which makes you sick or rebell which makes you stupid (do stupid things).

5. To make room for delight we've got to commit. Roll it over to Jesus. Micah 7:8
v.5-way means road, journey. course of life. Put it on His shoulders. This is hwere addiction comes in. Addiction takes over identity. Is this your desire or a craving?

Am I on the course of life I wanted in my 20's? Get on the road that takes me where I want to be!

6. Nothing is passsive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight.
v.7-Be still-same Hebrew word for STOP IT. Be silent.

7. Until faith becomes sight trust God and do good. He did not say do what is right, he said DO GOOD. Romans 12:21 What good can I do. Who can I help? That's why the world hates us-we are always have to be right. Instead-do some good.

Where has God put us to do good? Enjoy where God has put me and enjoy safe pastures!

No Updates Here

I am in serious need of updating my blog. For some reason (maybe 3 kids, job, summer, taking care of house and hubbie) I can't make time to update it. I also think I am in need of some "blog passion". I need some more motivation to update! Maybe I'll get that motivation soon. Right now, sorry for the boring blog and same ole songs!

Grove Park Inn

A couple of weeks ago a friend called and said she had a night at the Grove park Inn and could not go and was I intersted. Of course but I was sure David would have to work (he always does when something really special comes up-like Christmas Day-ha). I couldn't believe it when I looked on the calendar and he was off the exact days.
This place was amazing! The Grove Park Inn was bulit in 1913 in Ashville, NC. We got there late on Sunday and went straight to the pool where we enjoyd a couple of hours of R&R then a beautiful dinner on the terrace. The view was amazing and it was a gorgeous night! We woke up early Monday and headed to the Spa to see if was even possible for us to go in. The Lord blessed us again with a great deal and we entered the most amzing place I have ever been to. The spa cost 40 million dollars to build! It's rated in the top 5 of spas. I can't even describe it to you in words. There were 2 hot tubs, inside pool, outside pool, sauna, steam bath. When we arrived they gave you your own shoes and robe. We had the best day and pretty soon it was time to pack up and go home. Thank you NaNa and PaPa, Chelle, and Tomari for helping with the kids. I will never forget this trip.

"This ole world we're livin in is mighty hard to beat. We get a thorn with every rose but ain't the roses sweet." Engraved in stone beside a HUGE fireplace in the lobby.

WHAT A ROSE THIS TRIP WAS!

Last Monday With Mom

Since Jenna is off on Monday I decided to take our Mondays and really make them as special as I could (I did this with the boys too but did not keep a good "record" of it). Every Monday morning we head to gymnastics then on to something fun. Sometimes we went shopping, out to lunch, got our toes done. Sometimes Daddy was home so we would spend time with him. Today was our last opportunity to spend the day together alone since Jenna will enter 1st grade this year. The Lord really blessed us with a great day at the Georgia Aquarium. They had a special going that gave us free parking and a great price on admission. It was not crowded so we were able to really enjoy it. Our favorite was Grace the Otter. She was so funny and we stood there for a long time watching her show off. Jenna also loved the whale slide and has decided she wants to spend the night there sometime (they actually do that). Don't know about that one.

As most of you know, my life is about to really change and I am not liking the phase at all. All my kids will be in school all day, every day and I will have two middle schoolers. For 14 years I have had a preschooler in my home. Always someone to be with and take care of. What I am excited about is watching what my children are becoming. I am excited to watch the boys grow and change into young men. I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness for all the Lord has given me and will embrace this phase because I know another one will be around the corner!

Happy (belated) Birthday Jenna

On May 5th Jenna turned 6. Wow. No more preschooler. She's moving on to be such a "big girl". We had a pizza, pajama, and pedicure party with all her Kindergarten friends and boy did we have fun. We painted 70 little toes that night and the girls danced to Hannah Montana. Here's what's going on in Jenna's life these days:

1. Hannah Montana. We saw the movie opening night and I really liked it.

2. Her dog Angel.

3. Friends-she is very social and loves all her friends.

4. Taking showers and putting on PJ's.

5. Lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago.

6. Loves church and her new Adventure Bible.

7. Likes to play her Nintendo DS.

8. Can read really good and does great in school.

9. Wants to ride a horse.

10. Enjoys watching movies and eating popcorn.

Jenna, we love you so very much and are so blessed by you every day!

Eggs-tra Special Fun

We've had a great Easter weekend. It started Thursday with an egg hunt and picnic at Jenna's school. Easter Sunday was a beautiful day for church and our annual egg hunt at NaNa and PaPa's. The kids all got Easter gifts. Jenna got a new Bible and the boys got money, of course. The big kids still hunt eggs because NaNa and PaPa put money in the eggs and there is always a prize egg! This year there were 4 prize eggs found by Jessica, Johnny, and Jacob. The only bad part was that Daddy had to work and we really missed him! We were so glad to have Jacob back home after a week at the beach with a friend.

Most of all, we are thankful to our Saviour Jesus for dying on the cross and raising from the grave to save us. I was especially blown away by Jenna this year and how much she knows. She commented many times about why we celebrate Easter and how it's her favorite holiday. Can't ask for more than that.

Going Organic

So I haven't blogged in a long time about the weight loss issue because, frankly, I'm tired of the roller coaster. BUT there has been some exciting things going on in this department so I wanted to take a few minutes to blog about it. (By the way, is everyone feeling like me? Like you never have time to blog anymore? Could it be Facebook or just life, or both?) back to the story. Since I went on the Daniel fast I am now more concerned with being healthy than anything. Yes, I would LOVE to drop a size or two but I'm trying to stay focused on being healthy and exercising. I am slowly making changes in my home and here's one I am very excited about. A friend told me about a company that delivers organic fruits and vegetables to your door! I'm all about that. I'm all signed up and wanted to share the web site:

www.naturesgardendelivered.com (for some reason, blogger won't let me share the link)


Here's to healthy eating and, hopefully, a shrinking waist! Now, if I could just give up the coke and french fries.

Ky Girls Weekend

Beautiful horse farm on I75 in Lexington.


Me, Mom, and Nicole at the fashion show.


Elk Creek Winery in Owenton, Ky



When my birthday rolled around this year I told David the only thing I wanted was to go to Kentucky for the weekend by myself. I didn't get my hopes up but just waited to see if it all worked out and boy did it ever! I left last Thirsday for 4 nights at my Mom's. Here is the play-by-play:

Thursday-dinner and shopping with my high school friend Cammie.

Friday-Lunch with my sister, pedicure with my niece and Mom, then Nicole spent the night. We watched Australia and my sister-in-law Karen stopped by.

Saturday-Mom had gotten us tickets to a fashion show that her good fried put on through the Kentucky Women's Club. Nicole had to get back for a wedding then Mom and I rode out to Owenton, KY to see the new Elk Creek Vineyards. Don't know how they found that land. It was beautiful! Saturday night Mom and I watched Secret of the Bees.

Sunday-went to church with Mom, went to visit dad, then back to Mom's for some more girl time with Nicole and my nieces. We watched Secret Life of Bee's -again!

Unfortunately it was time to leave on Monday. It was a fantastic time and I will always treasure it! My family gave me a huge welcome home with dinner at Long Horn. Thanks David for such a great weekend! You're the best husband ever!

Diva Day

Today Jenna and I had a great morning at a new Belk that opened near us (finally- something close to us)! They had "Diva Day" where you got your make up done and the girls could walk the red carpet and get their picture taken. It was fun and the new Belk is very nice. There is a Target in the shopping center too. I've already been there 3 times this week! I'm in serious trouble. We had a good morning even though it's cold outside!

SNOW Much Fun

Wow. I can't believe it's almost been a month since I've posted. I'm trying not to neglect my blog but time is just getting away from me. We had the best snow on Sunday! It started snowing around 11:20 while we were at church. It had been snowing about an hour by the time church let out and when the kids saw it they went nuts. We spend all afternoon out in in (well, the kids did) and boy did they have fun. I especially enjoyed watching jared because jared's thing is that is was never goint to snow in georgia and "that's a fact" he would say. He just walked and walked around in it for the longest time. This was also Jenna's first time to really remember and participate in the fun. The only bad side was that David was working and missed the day with us. He got home safely on Monday and, of course, the kids were out of school so we had another day to play in it. I will never forget Jenna screaming as she slid down PaPa and NaNa's hill. The snowflakes were HUGE! I was thinking how beautiful the snow was and was a gift those tow days were. A time to slow things down, make hot chocolate, popcorn, and just chill out. All the laundry was a pain but all in all it was very fun.

Proud Parents

The last 12 days have been very eventful at my house. When I started the fast I was going to spend a few days on several different things but the Lord had other plans. Last August Jacob turned 13 and the teenage years threw me for a loop. I feel very inadequate as the mother of a teenager. We had a lot of issues come up this week that dealt with relationships. Some of which are not settled yet but I have total peace they will be. I have never been so proud of Jacob and they way he handled himself. There were some "things" that came up at school and we asked him if he had said any of those "things". His reply: "No. You tell me not to so I don't say things like that." How simple that was. Why don't we do that with God? He says it. We do it. Simple. The final incident was Friday night. We went out to eat with friends and we got a call. Jacob had been hurt at a friend's baseball practice and needed to go to the hospital for stitches. The parent that took him complimented him on how well he behaved and acted while in such pain. He was so worried we would be mad at him (because we were on a date night and had to leave). We explained to him that we were not mad and were just glad that he was OK. Oh, and the bad sore on his leg has even brought him and Jared a little closer. They have something gross to look at and talk about! I can't believe how much closer we are. Jacob talks to us, asks us questions, and I am enjoying our relationship. I had no idea we would go through so much to get to this point. I know we have a long road ahead in these teenage years. In the future when/if he does mess up (and he has many times just like us adults) I feel like he knows he can come to us. We love you Jacob and have never been so proud of you!

Daniel Fast Day 8 and 9

"I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10

"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing."
Isaiah 43: 18, 19

Today is the last day of my fast. It has been a long 9 days but I do not regret doing the fast AT ALL. I have learned so much about myself. When I started this I was going to focus on something different about every 2 days. I never moved past the first thing (my relationship with Jacob). The Lord kept me there because he knew we needed it. Our relationship is so much better! It has been a difficult 9days (again, God's plan) but an important time spent on building our relationship.
I have learned how much emphasis I put on food, caffeine drinks, and of course, chocolate! Who can live without chocolate? And coffee in the morning?

I don't know where I will go from here. Will I try it again for the full 21 days? Will I try fasting for one day at a time? I'm just not sure. I do know what I am getting myself into the next time! Thanks for praying for me!

Daniel Fast Day 6 and 7

The past two days have been very busy but I just can't believe how this fast is helping me stay "in tune" to how I respond to situations and how I rely on the Lord so much more in my daily life. I have to be honest and say I do not have as much time as I would like to get away and pray/meditate/be alone/read the bible, etc... The Lord has still worked through that. On Friday I woke up and asked the Lord to please give me something. He clearly spoke to me about praying with Jacob. I pray FOR Jacob (and my other two) during the day, after he leaves for school and pray with him at bed time, but have not been praying for him before he leaves the house. He leaves at 6:45 and we got in the routine of rushing around and getting him out the door. This is what we pray:


A Prayer For My Teenager
Dear Lord,
I thank your for my wonderful son, Jacob. I pray you cover him on his way out of this house and all through the day. I pray he is kind to others and when they are unkind to him that you remind him that he is made special by you and he was made exactly the way you wanted him to be. I pray you clear his mind for school and help him do his very best for you. Please help him to always put you first in everything he does.

I add this part when I pray for him at other times:
Lord, this is such a difficult time for Jacob. I pray you put a fire in his heart that only burns for you. I pray he will become a great man of God for you and will have the desire to have an intimate relationship with you. I pray he stays pure until he gets married and that you bring the perfect match for him. I pray he will be an example to others and a leader in his school and youth group.


Friday night we had such a great time at the Preschool Valentine Party (more on that later). I skipped the lasagna and had a great salad and I was satisfied. I am much less hungry now and have enjoyed the new recipes.

Saturday-we had a great day at home but later in the day, once again, had an issue that we had to deal with. Have I mentioned that the teenage years are difficult. We seem to keep getting hit constantly with situations. I must say they are nothing major but enough to take up a lot of time. To protect the other people involved I really can't write more. I believe it happened to show Jacob that we are here for him and will go to bat for him when we feel it's necessary. I can feel us growing closer every day. I'm not surprised it happened during the fast and I discussed my week with David and how I have been focusing on my relationship with Jacob. This situation is not over but I know the Lord will take care of it in his time and restore all relationships involved.

Daniel Fast Day 4

Today has been a pretty good day. I have realized through fasting that my life is very busy (not that I didn't already know that) so a prayer for me during this fast is how do I balance all this? 30 hour week job, 3 kids in different stages, husband with two jobs, sports, etc... It just seems to get worse as they get older. I must put God first in everything I do but it is so hard when you don't even have time to sit down.

I am much less hungry today but "fell off the wagon" when I had a few sips of Diet Dr.Pepper. I really didn't think I could drive home I was so "foggy". It is so cold and all I want IS A CUP OF COFFEE! Well, the Lord knew I would start this fast in the coldest days this whole year will have! When I go off, it will probably be 70degrees outside. Oh, and not to mention that I am having a Preschool Valentine party tomorrw night where we will be having Olive Garden lasagne-yikes! I've decided I'm going to freeze some for me along with those awesome bread sticks!

Daniel Fast Day 3

I have to be honest and say I don't have a lot to report from day 3. It was a very busy day which was good because it kept me from focusing on caffeine and food so much! That's bad because it did not give me as much quiet time as I was hoping for. I'm still learning a lot though because if an issue comes up I focus on it much more and how I can rely on the Lord to help me with it (instead of checking out). Last night was much smoother when we got home from church. Sad to say but that is usually a stressful time trying to get everyone in bed, showers, finish homework, etc... Jared shared a story about a child at school and if I had not slowed down to listen I would have missed what a caring heart my child has!

I also gave my story last night in small group. It was so great to be surrounded by such caring people!

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." Matthew 6:33

Daniel Fast Day 2

"Failure is whenever I neglect what I want MOST for what I want RIGHT NOW."
Hal Runkel

What I want most is to....go deeper with the Lord.
What I want right now is to....sleep just 15 minutes more.

What I want most is to....lighten up and enjoy my kids more.
What I want right now is to...get those kids in bed so I can have some ME time!

What I want most is to....lose weight and eat healthy.
What I want right now is to....watch TV and go through the drive thru because I'm tired and I work too!

This list could go on and on couldn't it? Day 2 has been just as difficult. The lack of caffeine has made me VERY tired and my brain fuzzy. However, last night I already saw results. My prayer for the past 2 days has been for my relationship with my 13 year old, Jacob. It's very stressful and not very enjoyable right now. We had a difficult evening and had to lay down some consequences that he did not like. Lately, I have been "checking out" at times when it comes to facing issues. Instead of retreating to my room I walked downtstairs, told him how much I loved him, how proud I am of him, and that we are here to walk through this time with him. We may not be popular but we are willing to take that chance. Tonight we have had such a good night. It's amazing. Soon we get to sit down and watch American Idol-can't wait!

Tomorrow I want to take more time to get away and pray instead of just praying for the Lord to get me through this fast! I'm already running out of prepared food and it's only day 2-Ha!

"But Jesus often withdrew to a lonely place and prayed."
Luke 5:16

What would you put on your "what I want most for what I want right now list"? I would love to hear it.

The Daniel Fast

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled." Daniel 10:2,3

In my post "Something Is About To Happen" I mentioned that I was praying about doing something different. Well, for about 6 - 8 months I have been praying about fasting and I "stumbled" on the Daniel Fast about a month ago. After looking into it I realized it was just what I was supposed to do. You can still eat but you cut out all the foods and drinks that I have become so attached to! So I researched, planned, prayed and prepared. I have never done anything like this before and do not want to fail. I went back and forth on whether I should blog about it but have decided that I want a record of every day so I can look back and see what the Lord has done through this time. I am starting with 9 days and eventually would like to do 21 days. The timing has been perfect. After a restful trip this weekend I am starting today! In the past I have always started some plan in January to lose weight. This time it's not about the weight-it's about focusing on areas of my life that I want to change. There are some areas that I need answers.

Today has been very difficult. The hardest part is only drinking water. It hit hard this morning when I wanted my morning coffee. The following was written by Susan Gregory of the Daniel Fast web site:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1, 2


Today is the first day of the Daniel Fast for many of us. As I write this message, it's not yet 5:00 a.m. here in my little college town in Washington State. This is normally the time when I make my morning coffee and enjoy it with half and half cream while I have my first conversation of the day with my Lord.

Today will be different. Today I will go without my beloved coffee (which is a big deal for a Seattle girl where Starbuck's was birthed). But that small "sacrifice" is nothing compared to the joy I will experience as I present my body to the Lord as living sacrifice to Him.

The next words in this verse are amazing: ". . . holy, acceptable to God." We are holy before God! That is so big. Because of Jesus, we can stand before the Almighty God as holy! Praise Jesus for His goodness and His sacrifice for us. Jesus made us holy, set apart and sanctified.

Today, in faith we each present our body, soul and spirit to our Lord. We commit these next three weeks to a time of focused prayer and fasting. We can come to the Lord with our petitions and needs . . . because we are a holy people . . . holy because of the immeasurable love of God and His Son.

I hope you can sense the greatness into which we are entering today. Not greatness in ourselves, but greatness in the position we have as children of God . . . because of Jesus.

Rest and Relaxation

For as long as we have been married David and I try to get away together at least once a year. For us, we feel it is important to spend that time together and just "re-group". This weekend we spent two wonderful days in the mountains for a belated anniversary getaway. The weather was beautiful and we had such a good time relaxing and resting! We stayed in Cherokee and spent the day Saturday in Gatlinburg then visited with my good friend Janene that night (she lives in Cherokee). Can't wait to see what we do for our next getaway.

Something Is About to Happen

Do you ever have times in your life when you feel like you are wanting a change? You want something to "happen" but you don't know how to make "it" happen whatever "it" is. I've been feeling like I want changes in all areas of my life: relationships, health, spiritual, and family (this is the AWAKEN part that I wrote about earlier.) I feel those changes coming and all I know is that the Lord is up to something. After my ScreamFree Parenting class ended I felt lost. I knew we were about to join a small group and that after years of not being in a Sunday School class we were finally going to be able to spend some time with adults! I still felt lost. I wanted to do another class but it just wasn't time. The new year started, our small group started and I am really enjoying it. We have all bonded and i look forward to every week. In a couple of weeks I have to tell my "story". It's very emotional for me to talk about my past. It is not easy but I know it's the right time. There is a part of my "story" that has been on my mind for some time. Nothing I can share here-just on my mind and I may have to deal with this and don't know what that will mean. At about the same time, the Lord has led me to something else that I am praying about right now and it will be difficult. This probably sounds confusing but I just can't share it all right now.
Anyway, all these things add up to all these areas of my lfe that I want to see a change in. Over the next few weeks, I may not be blogging very much. I am spending a lot of time focusing on these areas of my life and I can't wait to report back with exciting news! So, to all 3 of you who read my blog-don't give up on me! I will be blogging some, just not very much. Pray for me-there is a lot going on in this already full and confused brain of mine!

Whatever You're Doing

Hit stop on my play list. Great song for the new year.

AWAKEN in 2009

I recently came across this song by Natalie Grant called AWAKEN. As I listened to it and looked up the words I realized how perfect it is for me right now. I think the pressure of 3 kids, busy schedule, not making time for myself, work, etc.. has just gotten to me. Let me pause right here and say that I know I am so blessed. I have a wonderful husband, great kids, great job/ministry, wonderful friends and family. I know all that, I've just found myself in a different place right now. One that I am not used to. I want to embrace this new phase of my life-teenager, last child will enter all day school in August-just a different place. I have decided to focus on three things this year:
1) AWAKEN to a passion for Jesus and my family. Enjoy life more!
2)Committed to exercise, eating healthy, tighter budgeting.
3) Determined to spend time on myself and my marriage (date nights and time away).

I am also praying about something else that I will share at a later date. For me, the new year begins AFTER the kids get back in school and we are back on a routine. It gives me time to reflect, make plans, and pray! Here's to a great 2009 for all of us! Let me know how I can pray for you!


AWAKEN
Sometimes I feel like, I'm just existing.
I'm not really living.
I'm only watching, the time slip away.
I've forgotten who, I am in You.
I'm not who I'm meant to be, no.
I'm drifting farther away from my, destiny

Awaken my heart, awaken my soul
Awaken Your Power and take control
Awaken the Passion to live for You, Lord
Awaken me, Hoooey

My Soul is longing, my heart is searching,
I'm desperate for You to move,
give me a hunger, pull me closer...
I'm crying out to You

Awaken my heart,
Awaken my soul,
Awaken Your Power and take control,
Awaken the Passion to live for You,
I want to live for you.

Awaken my heart, oh!
Awaken my soul,
Awaken Your Power and take control,
Awaken the Passion to live for You, Lord.

Open my eyes, so I can see Your presence
Dwelling inside.
Wake me up, 'cause I can't live another minute,
If I'm not shining... Your light.

Awaken my heart,
Awaken my soul,
Awaken the Passion,
In me... Ooh...Yeah
Awaken me

(Chorus x2)
Lord, awaken me, to live my destiny.
Lord, awaken me and shine Your light through me.
Lord, awaken me, to live my destiny.
Lord, awaken me and shine Your light through me.

Awaken my heart,
Awaken my soul,
Awaken your Power and take control,
Awaken your Passion,
to live for you,
to live for you... Yeah, yeah, yeah

Wake me up Lord.
Give me your passion, Jesus.