little did I know............

Little did I know that Saturdays post would be so HUGE!!!  yes I am a work in progress!... but I wanted to share a little story of this morning................. quite frankly some if it is a little embarrassing BUT the bigger picture is HUGE!!! and the details are so important!

last week as Doug and I were looking at the bills coming up and we knew we were gonna be short... as much so that our power bill was not gonna be covered, of course I was saying... I trust you Lord, I trust you Lord and I know you will provide BUT on the inside I doubted, I doubted that he would take care of us..... On Thursday or Friday I get an email that the family we sponsor in Uganda was due and it came down to our power or this family eating!... I was SOOOOO torn up on the inside!... I was short with the kiddos, Doug , and just had a yucky attitude!!! so we got through the weekend... I started thinking back and this was the FIRST time something like this had EVER happened money wise ... of course we could have just easily put n the credit card BUT we did not want to do that either... so we waited!!!  


This morning was a "ahhh haaaa", I told you so .... type what  happened.... I write this still in tears at what transpired!!!!...

I call Doug and remind him that we need to call the power company to see if they will give us some grace... while in my mind saying "are you kidding me", so I told Doug that I would text him the phone number so we could see what the LAST possible day was to pay... frankly I was scared to call, something about rejection I guess, so as I was looking at the bill to see the number I thought... Lord, Doug is in the middle of a thousand things and I am gonna just face this!.... so glad the Lord sees all this fit at the right timing! so I called... scared of what they may say... thoughts entered my head... of course CRAY ones!!!.... so I get on the phone and I ask the Lady what the last day to pay is and she ask me to hold, so I did... she came back and said "Honey, you have a credit on your account" I said .. really..." "how is this" she said "your bill was paid back on January 30"... I felt it coming and of course it did... I started sobbing..... I told her, "now this momma can feed her children in Uganda".. she got quiet... I quickly explained to her that this was a blessing from the Lord and he provides for His children!!! I pray that she saw the hand of God in that, more than just a lady that found out that her bill had already been paid BUT she saw God provided for the Lady in Uganda!!!!! I am in awe of what God did this morning!... I understand it doesn't matter how much we know the Lord, there is still unbelief that he will take care of his children!!!! 

God has ALWAYS provided and he used this moment in my life to sanctify me!... it had me balling my eyes out for the simple fact I want to trust Him even MORE!...

I am thankful that the Lord had Doug forget that he paid it so He could use this as a lesson for me!!!

more details in this BUT you get the picture... I doubted, He provided!!!PLUS we ended with a credit on our power bill next month!!!  .... may I take this and always be reminded of His goodness!!!  

work in progress.... and thankful!

....I am a work in progress!...

 

so thankful that the Lord sees it fit to remind me of my shortfalls!

 

 

....I am a work in progress....

 

this week was a great example!... I was overcome by my flesh in so many ways and I have repented and been forgiven! This flesh of my rears its ugly head of course when I least expect it!

.......I am a work in progress......

 

I continue to remind myself that He is molding and shaping me to be more like Him! He is my standard, it hurts at time,  no matter what I must depend on Him to keep this flesh under control... a part from Him I can do nothing!

 

 

....remembering I am a work in progress..... and I will cling to Him! 

Winter Jam 2013

oh.my.word..  

for like 3 months Alexis talked and talked about Winter jam concert that was going to be in February!

 

she wrote on the calendar and EVERY week reminded us that it was coming up!

 It was PRECIOUS

to see her get so excited about something that cost so little :) 

 

so Sunday came and I originally was going to take her and Caleb but he started feeling bad so as I thought through it I did not think it would be a good idea for her and I to be in Atlanta at 10:45 at night by ourselves.....

so Doug decided he would go...

Doug rode with the youth there

and Alexis took Maddie and they had a BALL!!! 

 

Doug, well lets say, was hard for him for many reasons... maybe a "guest" blog would be a way for him to explain.....

 

BUT one of the things is......... they made memories together!..

he has captured her heart!!!!!!

 I am thankful!...

 it was a great time and she has been talking about it so much!

wisdom...

It was a typical Monday night with the ladies I meet with to open God's word and be challenged,

sharpened,

held accountable........ 

 

 

well with one exception...

 

 Jamie brought her grandmother!... when they walked in I KNEW I was in the presence of wisdom... I sensed meekness (which BTW the Lord is STILL working with me on that).... she was precious!.. we gathered in our bedroom and all 4 "young ones" hopped on the bed and grandmother scooted in as far as she could on her chair!...

it was soooooo sweet...

we opened in prayer then we read on "sin"... we read and every now and then I would hear her say "amen" ... we turned the pages in the bible and I actually got teary just praising God that an 82 year old was so into reading the scriptures...

 

we finished the chapter and were just confessing where we all fall short and she piped in and said, "I want to encourage you ladies when you wake up in the morning to read Psalm 91, oh and make it personal!!!, you will be blessed.."

 

after everyone packed up and left I was thanking God that he brought so much wisdom in our home and thankful that Jamie had such a great grandmother!

 

 

here is Psalm 91... you will be blessed!

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]

² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

 

love/dislike relationship....

I love being in shape.... 

 I love being toned......

 I love running.........

 I love the way I feel after..........

 

I love EVERYTHING about exercise!!!.....

 

 

BUT I dislike the treadmill :(  

But with the way life is right now I must... 

I must be in shape.....

I must be toned.......

 I must run!!!.....

 

our treadmill is in our bedroom, so as I am running I look out the window and dream of what it is like to be on the road!  I know that God has me where I am at and guess what .... I am okay with it! 

 

 

I will thank Him for being able to:

 

Run,

push the buttons,

breathe,

have legs that function,

sweating, 

tennis shoes,

running shorts,

socks, and water!

 

In His timing........ I will be back on the road!

This weekend...

oh my I LOVE weekends.... so many reasons why... but we have a Friday night tradition that we have had for about 2 years.... FAMILY MOVIE night!!!.... well this Friday was a little different, Lane, was spending the night off and I know for me when on of the kiddos is gone it just seems "off" and it did but we went on!... we watched Monk, Good luck Charlie, and "no bad parts" of Psych... we don't always do "movies" but nevertheless we are together... same room!... Doug makes the "famous" popcorn (the gals and Caleb like chocolate chips in ours, daddy, not so much!)  its fun... Doug and Alexis pull out the card table and put a puzzle together.... he always buys one on the way home!... I sit on the couch and sometimes catch up on pinterest and Caleb and lane are always interested fully in the movie of show... sometime we let Andrew stay up if he is not fussy... but usually he is in bed because we don't usually start till 8:30ish and here lately we stay up till 11:30 or midnight.... so it is fun and memories in the making!!!....

this Saturday we took the kiddos to open savings accounts... they had gone 1 year with out a soda so we said we would give them $5.00 per month... well Alexis and Caleb stuck to it , Lane not so much!... so they deposited their money and some that they had saved and a savings bond that they received in 2003... yep we JUST deposited it!....
Alexis and I went to the funeral home for a sweet young lady whose grandfather had passed away so we went and loved on her for a few minutes.... at 4:00 Doug took the girls to Daddy daughter night at Chickfila .... Doug and I know how important it is for a  DADDY to capture a girls heart... this is one thing that Doug is so good at!... they love daddy!

Saturday night we hung out at the house.. we were all so tired and just chilled... think we were asleep by 10....

Sunday we went to church... our faith family.... I love them so!... went to lunch with sweet friends and Alexis had company over, Lane and Caleb went to a friends house... that afternoon we have Family Bible Study... MY FAVORITE TIME... I always love to see who the Lord has at the house.... I am BLESSED each week!.... 

I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for God's grace.... I see it everyday!.....

MiX oF eMoTiOnS

happy, sad, nervous, excited, giddy, prayerful, scared....... just a few of the emotions that I have right now and have had over the last 3 weeks...
its kinda like when the Lord is preparing you for child birth... you are overly happy but then you get scared silly when you read about child birth or hear stories from ladies who had horrible things happen.... well the Lord can prepare you in so many ways as we are on this road to fostering to adopt...

questions that go through my mind are........
are we ready?
can this really be happening?
are the kiddos really ready?
can I disciple more children?
what about more beds?
a different vehicle?
bigger meals?
what about extra curricular activities?
and the list goes ON!!!!.... 

BUT I know that God is sovereign, He is in control.... and guess what
 
Romans 8:28 says And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose...
 
He knows what is best for us and our children...
 
who am I to question?? I trust!.. I trust he knows what is best and He will work all things for our good....

will it be easy??? no, But, I trust!  will I be exhausted?? yes, BUT, I trust..

as we walk on this journey of fostering, may we love the unlovable, may we be His hands and feet, may we plant seeds along the way!.....

I am so thankful that the Lord has provided many in our lives with the same heart.... what a special bond we have with those!...

I am so thankful for the ones that keep our kiddos so we can go to these classes!.. what a ministry that is!...