All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Matthew 26:41

Awakened to...
my fears
my failures
my sin of unbelief
my sin of worry
my sin of idolatry
the joy of being the donkey (the means that the King goes to the people)
the joy of the amazing rescue mission of Christ
the joy of surrender
laughter of sweet boys playing together after my long day
my need to have more fun
thoughtfulness after the wee one busted his lip/mouth and then gives his brother a piece of chocolate
thankfulness that the wee one's busted lip/mouth wasn't as serious as it looked
thankfulness for paying down debt
gratitude for friends sharing their hearts
thankful for surprises that no one would believe possible :)
enjoying going to sleep in my husband's arms
the elder boy love's growth spiritually, physically and emotionally
snuggle time
fun, movie popcorn days
sweet prayer times of 2nd graders
the need to love on widows all the more
the need and privilege of being His hands and feet
the challenge to be intentional all the time
the need for self-control
love

Celebrating Resurrection Day!

2013 - Awaken

I've been on a journey with God over the last couple of years.  Instead of making New Year's Resolution's that I rarely keep, God gives me a theme for the year.  It's been so interesting to see what He has taught me and it is a bit easier for me to see what He may be up to in my life.

2011 was the year of Living Victoriously.  It truly was.  I discovered areas of freedom that I didn't even know I needed.

2012 was the year of Passionate Pursuit.  While the first half of the year was invigorating and definitely lived up to what I thought the theme should look like.  The latter part of the year left me with more questions than answers.  What does passionate pursuit of Him look like?  So He gets glory?  When no one else is watching?

The thing that I love about what He's doing with these themes is He's building.  He's basically rebuilding me into the woman He's already made me to be.  He's just revealing that woman to me in doses that I can take when I need them.

So looking forward to 2013, through prayer and much confirmation over the last couple of weeks, the theme is Awaken.  While my first thought, was "God, I thought I was awake..." I had to live victoriously and fight the condemnation that came with that ugly thought from my enemy.  Then I had to passionately pursue His word and discover what He had in store.  This is where He is leading me...

Romans 13:11-14 (The Message) - But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Ephesians 5:13-15 (The Message) - Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,

Climb out of your coffins;Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

"The only way to rip out the tape of self-rejection is listening to the song of His serenade.  Because as C.S. Lewis adamantly argued, the most fundamental thing is not how we think of God, but rather what God thinks of us.  How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important.  Giving thanks awakens to a God giving Himself."  --- Ann Voskamp (Dec. 22, God in the Moment - One Thousand Gifts Daily Calendar)

Song - Awaken by Natalie Grant - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yngKB7pykaA  

"Awake" in the King James version of the above verses have great meaning in the Greek.  Egeiro (eg-i-ro) simply means any of the following (and all fit for this year's theme!):
rouse (literally from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death, or figuratively from  obscurity, inactivity, ruins and nonexistence), rise, raise, arise, raise up, rise up, rise again, raise again, awake, lift up, rear up, arise, stand, take up.  

I'm in the midst of reading "Lioness Arising" by Lisa Bevere.  (it is a great and challenging read!)  One of the chapters is titled, "Dangerously Awake".  Here are some key points I took away from that chapter...

• "There's nothing more dangerous than being in the presence of lions when they are fully awake."
• Unfortunately we often live as tranquilized Christians, sedated by the day-to-day
• "Be up and awake to what God is doing!"
• "I have no idea what all this (the wake-up process in Christian women) may look like once we are fully awake, but I'm pretty sure we will look dangerous in teh dark and glorious in the light."
• "I have come to believe that the expression of a fierce, wild lioness of a Christian woman is yet to be defined."
• "A how-to, step-by-step Christianity leaves us void of much of the mystery of God. So this is not a how-to message.  I want you awakened - to rise up a lioness and walk in your unique expression of what that means.  Only you and God can define what that lioness will look like when she is fully awake in you."
• "God did not save you to tame you."

Looking forward to what He has in store for 2013 and discovering the new ways I will learn to give Him glory.  

Happy 2013 to you!  Praying you experience His presence like never before!

Heart beats

Today I'm thankful for heart beats...

Heart beats of my children
Heart beats of my husband love
Heart beats of my mom and sister
Heart beats of my family
Heart beats that show His love to others
Heart beats that just beat so we know we're alive
Heart beats that truly live - adventurously, boldly, bravely
Heart beats that are humbled because of the sovereignty of the Only One True God.
Heart beats that have accepted the eternal promise that Christ so freely gives
Heart beats that hurt because pain has purpose which means that life is never easy, but it's worth it
Heart beats that allow God to transform my broken beating heart to one that forgives like His.
Heart beats that beat together with His
Heart beats that break for the lost, shed tears with the hurting and love no matter what.
Heart beats that remember the truth
Heart beats that remind you of what's important
Heart beats that keep you focused on His plans, not our own.

Simple Thanks

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

Thankful for...

• family coming to visit
• Aunt T working so hard on nephew's birthday cake
• the excitement and anticipation of everything birthday
• Reminiscing about the elder's birth
• Listening to the wee one sing about our Savior's birth
• a business trip
• learning on the job to do the job better
• seeing others' thankful hearts
• time to dig into His word
• time to listen to some great Bible study
• the feeling of refreshment after getting clean and reconnected to the Father
• missionary hearts and servants
• the honor of fighting along side other believers

Praying for a great week of remembering that Peace is a Person and that person is Jesus!  

Simple things...

Thanking God for the simple things in life...

• Honesty
• Christmas lights
• A wonderful husband who hangs the lights on our house
• The look of wonder on the wee one's face when the house lights up
• Christmas tree decorated and lit
• Celebrating the manger scene and what it means
• giggles and tickles
• bear hugs
• sweet kisses
• walks down memory lane

Looking forward to a great week!

Celebrate!

Celebrating so many things!

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10

Celebrating...

• Great time with family counting our blessings
• the sense of achievement at a thorough house cleaning
• kindred sisters in God's family
• a reassuring hug after a morning of battle
• remembering that praise warriors are on the front line
• fresh baked cookies
• the way the house smells when good food is cookin'
• football... football... football and some more football!  Good games, too!
• 1st win at home for the Jags!
• giggles from tickle time
• fun at the park 
• days with blue skies, no clouds and a breeze and chill in the air
• fleece pj's
• socks
• park explores
• meeting new friends (the graciousness of Mr. Jack and his dog Tanner for answering all kinds of questions from my boys)
• sweet little boy snuggles
• bedtime talks with my elder boy love
• realizing that my elder boy love's birthday will be on the last perfect date of this century.  Pretty cool!
• fish sitting for a neighbor
• Anticipation of where God is leading for 2013!  Digging in to see more!

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed.  I seem to use this word too often these days.  More often than not, I'm describing my schedule, my busyness and any of the other excuses I use to not be real, not be obedient, not let God mold me and teach me.

So now I return to the beauty of the multitude of gratitude humbly.  I remember how important it is to leave these pebbles of memories and thanks to keep my perspective.  My perspective isn't on the pebbles, but on the rock that gave them and made them:  My magnificent, amazing, indescribable, infinite Savior.  The list is simply to give God glory for more than the moment of the gift I've enjoyed, but to share it with others, for me to remember and ultimately to give Him glory continuously.

Christianity isn’t about growing good, it’s about growing grace-filled.  --Ann Voskamp

Continuing to count...

• texts from sisters that speak truth to me
• the sweetness of my boys.
• my elder boy love's election involvement:  "If I were President, I would cut taxes from $100 to 1 cent."
• my wee one love's snuggles
• my wee one love's potty victories and facing his fears
• my elder boy love's competitive spirit
• my husband's thoughtfulness 
• my husband's determination for us to enjoy a night away
• how God met me during that night away
• "He is with you" by Mandissa
• an acceptable 1st mammagram
• seeing the Jags fight in yet another OT
• watching a sweet couple worshipping together, while they know that his days on this earth are few
• cooler weather
• blog posts that impacted me:  www.aholyexperience.com - 11/13/12 post and 11/16/12 post; http://angiesmithonline.com/2012/11/open
• Worshipping at the Aaron Shust and Big Daddy Weave concert
• 2 Chron 20:17 "You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves...go out to FACE them." Not fighting it doesn't = not facing it.