Humble Pie

Week 4 of Daniel was a lesson in humility/being humbled.

Humility is a great characteristic that I love and admire in people.

Being humbled takes the pride right out of us (like King Neb this week) and causes (perhaps forces) us to look at the One who never humiliates us but lovingly corrects us.

One of the passages we read this week was in Hebrews Chapter 12.  I think this passage from The Message Bible encompasses my thoughts and how thankful I am to serve a precious Savior who treats me as His child.

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

 

Hebrews 12:5-7~The Message

Watch Out, KK!

**UPDATE** after you've read here, please go check out what my smarty sis did with the pic of JuJu's foot!

I hope by now you've gone to visit my sister and have seen her awesome handiwork...she's our resident family photographer with trusty "Stella" (the camera) in her hands.  I'm afraid,  Aunt KK, you may have some competition...

These are some lovely shots I found on the camera by Photographer Julia:

Here is evidence that she TRULY deserves that snack:

Self-Photo #1:

Mr. Squiggles (the famous Zhu Zhu)

Self-Photo #2

Self-Photo #3

Artistic Compostion, no?!

Mermaidia's Photo Shoot

"Mom: say it! say CHEESE!"

(I was saying "I'm freezing and haven't had a shower!")

This one is ART, indeed--the bottom of her foot at point blank:

Her Bubbi and Her Shugey:

Self-Photo #4

Self-Photo #5

(this one I love because apparently she'd been crying a little

but clearly worth a photo op)

There were only about 834 more pictures on the SD card with 830 being of herself. 

I couldn't help picking these few to show off her mad skillz. 

Happy Friday!

Title Change

These are my beloved Berenstain Bears.  I've used their stories often to teach my kids about everything from jealousy, bad habits and Mama having a new baby.  We never get tired of those lovely bears (not to mention the show on PBS has a jam up and jelly tight theme song) or their stories.

One, in particular, that we've read a million times is the one in the picture above.   I've gently (and not so gently) reminded my children when they seem to coming down with a case of the "gimmes". 

But, sadly, this is not about my children.  It's about their Mama.

Y'all.  I've got the "gimmes"!

There are so many winter clearance sales.  I want clothes.  I want some things for my house.  Organizational stuff, new living room furniture.  I want to go on several trips.  I want to parole ALL.OF.MY. pictures from computer jail and put them in albums (because ain't no scrappin' goin' on 'round here)....so on and so on..

SEE!  I've got it bad!

I know all about the appreciation that will come when those things happen and blah and blah and blah.  But, today, I don't care.  Today, I think money is the key to happiness.

OK, I really don't believe that BUT I do think I'll go read Tiffani The Berenstain Bears Gets the Gimmes for the 783,928,357 time and surely Mama Bear will gently remind me of the most important things!

Daniel Week 3

I am struggling with getting coherent thoughts out about this chapter!!  I've sat down at this "compose" box several different times today.  I pondered the study questions at the end of the week and thought about each answer.  I looked through my week's notes and thought that I would just write out in list form what God had shown me through my study time.

And, I just couldn't get my thoughts to come through my fingers!

I will say that this week's theme Fortitude v. Compromise forced to me look deeply at myself, at my relationships and ask myself some very important questions.  Shadrack, Meschach and Abed-nego were an amazing example of what true fortitude is...

I gleaned so much about the character of God from this chapter:  no one like Him, committed, sovereign, just, healer, freer, omnipotent, forth-right, rescuer, perfect, holy....

And I'm thankful to love a God who may not deliver me from a "fire" but will most certainly deliver me through it...

I know many of us have faced fires/trials in our lives and could go on and on about the beauty that came from those ashes...and isn't that wonderful that He never leaves us or forsakes us?!

Looking forward to Week 4!!

My favorite verse from week 3:
"Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

For Your Viewing Pleasure

So, this past week I took my kiddos skating.  Outside of my independent daughter taking off like Frogger across oncoming "traffic" and my son being frustrated that he wasn't as fast as, say, Apollo Anton Ohno, we had a BLAST. 

And, yes, I donned the brown and orange loveliness because I knew it'd take me right down memory lane.  See, I was quite adept with skating prowess back in the day...an almost figure skater...don't believe me?! 

The proof is in the pudding   picture:

You're welcome.

Have a rockin' (and rollin') weekend!

This picture was taken at a skate meet around '85 when I was skating competitively.  As in I competed once (after about a year of training), never won a thing and never did it again after that!

Tough

I find myself having a tough time parenting as of late.  I know parenting is a constant challenge without the "extra" stuff.  But, I am really having to dig deep these days.

I've had some challenges with my son.  Not with his behavior or his attitude but his eyes opening up to this big world around him.  A world where he is facing moments that the pain is worth the lessons he's learning but all my heart wants to do is run and scoop him up in my arms and protect him from the pain rather than let him experience it. 

And yet, I push through, clenching my teeth and wiping my tears.  Calmly speaking with my mouth while my heart is screaming inside.  I am trying to find the balance of encouraging new things and backing off when necessary...letting him discover and grow; all the while wondering whether I should be holding his hand or walking softly beside.

I see changes coming.  Physical, of course but I'm overwhelmed by the keen awareness he is beginning to have of himself, of the world, of how things work...is the "innocence of a child" waning?!  Goodness, not yet, Lord.  Let him trust implicitly, believe wholeheartedly, love unconditionally a little while longer! 

We've had to have so many talks about some hard subjects and hard emotions...feeling embarassed over something you are unable to do, how being left out is so painful, walking (or roller skating) outside of your comfort zone,  how expressing your emotions is difficult when you aren't used to feeling such things, on and on....he is exhausted, I am exhausted--and we're still a few years away from the "teens"! 

I am trying to be patient.  I fail.  I claim God's "new mercies every morning" EVERY morning.  I catch myself trying to shut him down from long explanations and being half-tuned when he's waxing jedi for hours on end.  And then I tuck him in wishing he'd to want to sing "Bear in the Big Blue House" songs and read Goodnight Moon for the eleventy hundreth time. 

We hold tight while the pendulum swings in the other direction and we spend lots of time soaking up life and these boyhood moments,  laughing at his cleverness and being awed by his creativity and humbled by his sweet spirit.  I pray for sensitivity to his ideas, his wordiness, his needs and for an extra heap of patience. 

Every.single.solitary.day.  I thank God for choosing me.  For thinking me strong enough to wrestle through the challenges that raising a son (and daughter) brings, for thinking me worthy enough of the sheer bliss and love and joy that darlin' boy gives us.  I praise Him for His promises and His Word that comfort my weary mama-soul.  I praise Him that my worst day as a Mama is covered in precious grace and mercy and my best day is evidence that He renews me and strengthens me. 

One thing is certain:  my heart lives outside of my body and his name is Connor.

Daniel: Week 2

I had much going on in my brain this week for Chapter 2 of our Safari through Daniel study.  I am going to try to concisely organize my thoughts for this post so bear with me.

*Faith v. Certainty--one of the elements of our study this week was a quote that said "the opposite of faith is not doubt but certainty" by Anne Lamott.  It immediately struck a chord within me and really caused me to dig.  I think finding a CLEAR opposite of faith is not very clear at all. I think "arrogance" may be a better way to say it.  When we are so certain of something that we become wrapped up in our own knowledge and certainty, then yes, that's sinful and opposite of faith.

But, to me, faith requires certainty.  Hebrews 11:1 says:  "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  Through my faith, I am certain of many things.  I am certain Jesus is my precious Savior, Friend and Father.  I am certain His forgiveness, mercy and salvation are for everyone.  I am certain that without Him my life would be hopeless and empty.  And, I am certain that I must continually grow in my relationship with Him.  I think Daniel's faith was the key to his reaction (after hearing about a decree that would end his life) but he was certain of how to handle himself (without arrogance, of course).  He was calm, discreet, prayerful and discerning.

So, I came away this week wanting to be certain of what I believe in and what my faith has taught me, so that when I am faced with a crisis situation (or non-crisis, for that matter)...I will react like Daniel.

*Friendship--Daniel did not freak out when faced with deadly news...he sought his Lord and went to his friends and asked them to pray as well.  Friends are a treasure, indeed.  But, praying friends are invaluable.  James 5:16 says "the prayers of righteous man availeth much".  I am so.very.grateful that God has given me such precious praying friends and family.

*Power Prayers--prayer is an amazing benefit, privilege and blessing in our relationship with Jesus.  Yet, it sometimes is so misused, unused and abused that we forget how and why and what we should pray.  I was so thankful for the reminder of how incredibly, supernatural and powerful prayer really is!

One thing I am really loving about studying Daniel this way is staying in one chapter for a whole week. It really allows for the material to seep in to my brain and my heart, allows me to draw from various other resources to dig deeper, keeps me from feeling overwhelmed and gives an extra amount of prayer time over the truths that I find in each chapter. Thank you, Amber, for putting your heart and prayers and pen to this and giving us such a great place to become best friends with Danny!!