Wild Friday Night

I am typing this in the middle of a wild and crazy Friday night that was spent at...you guessed it...Walmart.  Oh, yeah.  We were getting pretty desperate around here so after reheating some leftover pizza for dinner, I dragged myself out the door headed out to buy a cartful of groceries at my least favorite place in the world the store.  It was funny, I ran into two other Pre-K moms there - I guess we all know how to do a Friday night up right!!  At least we have food in our pantry.  It was so bad Trevor actually dictated a list for me this morning!  Here are the five things he requested....

ketchup

Pop Tarts

cake

milk

fruit

You know, the essentials.  :)

After shopping and unloading all 200 bags of groceries, I was happy to spend a quiet evening at home.  It has been another action packed week around here!

Tuesday night Trevor was a little piggie at his school program.  I could have eaten him up he was so precious!

Wednesday night Jimmy and I were emcees at an SGA banquet for the high school. One of the girls from the youth group asked us to help host and it turned out to be a fun evening!  We got to dress up which is always nice.  I was happy to help out the high school and spend time with my very handsome date.

Thursday night Madi was a bee at her school program.  She was absolutely adorable and I could see her dimple from across the room!  I love that they go to a school that supports music and the arts.

Today my dad and I had plans to accompany Madi on a field trip that she earned to Medieval Times.  Only a select number of students in the school were going on this trip, and Madi was one of three in her class who earned it.  Unfortunately, my dad had a fever last night and was unable to go.  But the unexpected treat was that I pulled Trev out of class at the last minute and he took my dad's ticket.  Both kids loved the experience.  Madi thought the chicken leg was amazing (ha) and Trev was captivated by the epic battles and intense action.  That is right up his alley!  They wore their crowns and waved their flags and cheered on the red knight.

After this week of school activies, this Friday night of groceries and time at home was just right.  Though if I close my eyes, I would love to pretend I am where I was when the week began.  More on that soon...it was bliss.

The Power Of Praise

This morning I woke up at 6:30 am with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Perhaps it was because I am still not feeling very well.  Oh sure, I've been pressing on doing everything from school programs to field day to beach time to field trips and everything in between.  But I have still been feeling poorly, fighting sinus issues that are wearing me out.  Have you ever noticed when you aren't feeling well physically, you are more vulnerable emotionally?  When my eyes opened and my throat still felt sore and my body weary, my mind also felt cluttered and my heart overwhelmed. Questions without answers surfaced.  To do lists loomed.  Stress tugged at the covers.

After getting everyone off to school, I spent some extra time in Bible study. Interestingly, one of the passages my David study took me to this morning was 2 Samuel 22:1-51, a long chapter where David praises God for His deliverance from the Philistines.  David's song of praise calls God his rock, his fortress, his deliver, He who is worthy to be praised, who saved him from his enemies, who was his support, who is his strength and power, who is the one and only God.

Reflecting on the passage, Beth talked about how we need to celebrate old victories once more and new victories for the first time.  How we need to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness.  She asked us to ponder how we could make celebration a more regular part of our relationship with Christ, a more regular occurence in our life.

I took some time to journal some victories both past and present, some battles the Lord has won in my life.  I thanked Him for those.

Then I turned up the praise music.  I had sheets to wash and laundry to fold and a sink full of dishes to attend to, but I did so to the soundtrack of praise.

The first song my Kari Jobe Pandora station cranked out was her song You Are Good.  Over and over, I heard these words...

Every day, I'll awaken my praise

And pour out a song from my heart

You are good, You are good, You are good

And Your mercy is forever.

Your kindness is forever 

Your goodness is forever

Your mercy is forever, forever.

My mind settled down and became more focused.  My spirits were lifted.  The burden felt lighter.

My initial thoughts which overwhelmed were replaced with thoughts that overcame.

I continued my chores and my day with an intentional spirit of praise and celebration.

It's not that I listened to some worship songs and, zap, all my questions were answered, my body was healed, and my problems were solved.

No, it's not that at all.

What is true is that when I awakened my praise, my focus shifted from my hurts to His kindness.  From my stresses to His goodness.  From my failures to His mercy. From me to Him.

And that is the power of praise.

You Are For Me

A few weekends ago we took some students in our youth group to a huge concert called Winter Jam.  The arena was literally packed to capacity...I'm talking 17,000 people....and we were among the last 1,000 to (thankfully) make it in!  It was a very uplifting time with the message of Jesus shared clearly, tons of good music, and a great lineup of bands and singers.  It was a treat to get to hear Sanctus Real live (don't you just love their songs?), as well as Building 429 and others.   But my favorite part of the evening was being led in worship by Kari Jobe.

She radiated joy as she sang, and her sweet adoration of Jesus seemed to spread through the room.  We enjoyed singing along to the energizing song We Are...love these lyrics so much!

So wake up sleeper, lift your head

We were meant for more than this

Fight the shadows conquer death

Make the most of the time we have left.

We are the light of the world

We are the city on a hill

We are the light of the world

We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine.

My husband just posted Matthew 5:14 on his facebook the other day...

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

Her song definitely conveys this message perfectly!

Another Kari song I have been listening to lately is You Are For Me.  As I listen, Scripture instantly floods my  mind...

Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let our conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.  For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.  So we must boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

2 Corinthians 12:9  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

This song was born out of her journal entries during a tough time, and is absolutely beautiful. Take a moment to listen and sit in His presence.  Sing to Him.  Let Him write upon your heart.  He is for you.

You Are For Me by Kari Jobe.

On Waiting

A couple weeks ago I read some very interesting information about the growth of certain types of Chinese bamboo.  I came across this info in the last lesson of the Women of Faith Bible study Listening For The Voice of God: Growing in Faith Everyday, then did some other reading online about this interesting process.

The study told how to grow Chinese bamboo, you plant a seed and then water and fertilize it.  However, you don't see results right away.  In fact for the next few years, you have to wait, watering and fertilizing the soil while nothing happens above the surface.  In the fifth year, a shoot of bamboo will pierce the soil and then all of a sudden, a Chinese bamboo tree will grow rapidly to nearly 90 feet tall in just six weeks.

It seems that the tree grew remarkably fast; however, the process leading up to this rapid growth took years.  The necessary process for growth was actually happening under the surface for a long time before the tree shot up and visible, measurable growth and results were seen.

My husband and I have been seeking God intently regarding some areas of our lives for quite some time now.  We've asked Him some serious questions, had some difficult conversations, and have asked God for specific and clear answers.  And we've been waiting.  I feel like our lives have been "in process" if you will.  It has been painful at times and other times easier, but I know one thing.  We have, in a unique way, been growing.  God has been working under the surface as He has allowed us to sit in one of the "waiting rooms of life" as I like to call them.

*photo credit google images

Here's the thing.  I have a strong feeling that many of you out there are in one of those waiting rooms as well.  You are waiting for answers, direction, results, healing, wisdom, information, clarity, relief, leading, or something else.  You may be waiting for something exciting -  the birth of a child, an adoption to go through, a new job, a big promotion, a special vacation.  You may be waiting for something unknown - God to bring you a spouse, or allow you to conceive a child, or to give you some hint of His plan for your life.  You may even be waiting for something difficult - an upcoming surgery, medical test results that could change everything, someone to pay you a debt you are owed, a court date.

You, like us, may know that those who wait up on the Lord renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).  You may believe that we are not to grow weary while doing good (Galatians 6:9).  You may trust that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).  You may be claiming those Scriptures, but still finding the waiting room to be an uninviting place.  I want to encourage you this day to let God grow you in the waiting.  Like the bamboo seed that germinates under the surface for years before rapid growth is seen, we can patiently surrender as God work out His growth process in us over time, and continue to be faithful to Him until our sprouts take root and shoot to the sky.

As I have been pondering all of this, I couldn't help but think of the song While I'm Waiting from the inspiring movie Fireproof.  If you have three minutes, take the time to go to the link for this song and listen carefully to the lyrics.  They are so poignant; I am inspired as the artist sings that while waiting on the Lord is not easy, we can still move forward in obedience to Him and confidence in Him.  We can serve God while we're waiting. We can worship while we're waiting.

And we can let Him grow us, even if it is in quiet ways under the surface of our hearts, while we wait on His perfect will and plan to be accomplished in our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

James 1:4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.


Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Merry Christmas To Me!

Recently I have enjoyed a few treats of the season...

*Two new Christmas CD's - Michael Buble and Kristen Chenoweth.  Both wonderful, I could listen to Mr. Buble croon all day and my kids are crazy for the fun arrangements on "the girl's CD."  It has been a popular choice in our minivan! :)

*Gingerbread men from Panera.  Soft and delicious.  You have got to try one!

*A Caramel Brulee Latte from Starbucks.  That was a good addition to their menu. Yum.

*My holiday Pandora stations.  Some of my favorites are Michael W. Smith, Tennessee Christmas, Martina McBride, and Alan Jackson.  I can't get enough of the songs of the season!  Christmas music has always been special to me.

*Taking a break from this very productive day to make peppermint hot cocoa for me and my girl and sip it while watching Little Women together.  Definitely one of my favorite movies of all time, and so perfect to watch this time of year. Love sharing cocoa and a classic with my daughter.

What seasonal treats have you been enjoying?

Sunday Letters (Written Monday Morning)

Dear Madi,

For some reason, you were on my heart and in my prayers extra last night and this morning.  I was thinking of how very much I love you, and how proud I am of you.  I was thinking about your kindness and gentleness toward others; your explosive laughter and giggles at home where you are comfortable but the shy, quiet side I sometimes see when you are out and about.  How hard you work and how smart you are.  What a lovely little lady I am blessed to share life with.

I have been giving you piano lessons the past several weeks at your request.  I wasn't sure how this was going to work, just because of the mother/daughter dynamic.  However you are doing so well, and love to play the piano!  We are going at our own little pace, having a lesson when we have time, and you are often found in the music room, practicing the little songs you have learned.  You are learning how to read on the staff and are grasping it quite well; and you have an excellent sense of rhythm, though I often think of how many lessons you sat through when you were inside of me, and how many times I patted the beat for my students on my growing belly.  I guess it makes sense that you and your brother seem to have a natural sense of rhythm and pitch...music was a part of your life from the very beginning!

You continue to do so well in school, both academically and behaviorally.  Your teacher gives me wonderful reports, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am and how proud that makes me of you.  I hope you will always work hard and choose obedience and kindness.  You continue to be drawn to the creative things in life.  You are starting to become increasingly interested in style, and what you wear is more important than it was before.  You, like me, are already getting excited for Christmas.  You told me  yesterday that you can't wait for the house to smell good and the music to be playing and the hot cocoa and all the other festive things we do to celebrate this time of year.  You specifically told me you want to make a birthday cake for Jesus again, so I will make sure that is a part of our celebration.  I absolutely love making holiday memories with you!  We appreciate many of the same things.

Madi, I just want you to know in an extra special way that I love you so, so much.  You are growing right before my eyes.  I sometimes cringe at the harsher, negative sides of the world you will soon discover as you continue to grow.  But I pray that you always find the beauty, and that your heart will ever lead you to Jesus and home.

Lovingly,

Momma

Dear Trev,

Friday when Daddy dropped you off at Pre-K he happened to be there when a special announcement was made over the intercom at school.  Turns out you were Student of the Month!  When I went to pick you up that morning, I asked if you had any special news.  A look of excitement came over your face, you looked back and forth quickly to your teacher and me a few times, then exclaimed, "I was the Month of the Year!!!!!"

Your teacher and I cracked up!  Well, it is true that you sing about the months of the year in Pre-K, but we clarified that you were actually Student of the Month, and that we were proud of you!  Your certificate said you were awarded for exemplary behavior.  Good job, Trev!!  My heart is so happy for the choices you are making and how you are growing!  God is gracious.  We celebrated with a lunch at our favorite little lunch stand, and sat outside eating together in the November breezes.  In that moment you seemed like this beautiful mix of a maturing little boy and my snuggly little son, and I wanted to freeze time.  The thing is, I can't.  So I just have to enjoy each day, and enjoy the smallness while it lasts.

Taking It All In,

Momma

Dear Jimmy,

It has been a crazy couple of weeks - or should I say months!  This time of year is always full, and I am grateful we handle it all as a team.  The past week was particularly busy with details and behind the scenes help and ministry, and I am so thankful that today we have designated time to spend together, just the two of us!  We will soon be off for a date day.  That is just too fabulous for words!

I Love You,

Jennifer

Psalm 29:2 

Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Raise The Song Of Harvest Home

I have a special affection for harvest hymns...old hymns that celebrate God's bounty and provision and are traditionally sung around Thanksgiving time.

One of my very favorites is Come Ye Thankful People, Come.  When I sing the words to the first verse I think of my beloved Little House on the Prairie books and episodes, and imagine a time when much hunting, harvesting, planning, cooking, canning, and storing was done by Thanksgiving time so there would be food and provision through the cold and snowy winter months.  The last verse yearns for the day when Jesus comes back to take His people to Heaven, the beautiful place He has prepared for us.

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home; all is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied; come to God's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring thy final harvest home; gather thou thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin, there, forever purified, in thy presence to abide; come, with all thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest home.

I also have a fondness for the song For the Beauty of the Earth.  This song is sung in the 90's movie version of Little Women, an absolute favorite of mine.  My daughter also greatly enjoys this beautifully directed and acted film version of the novel, and we are currently reading a children's classic version of this lovely story.  There is a scene in the movie where the family sings this "hymn of grateful praise" and I love it.

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.