I love the verse in Psalm 94 and the promise that it gives:
“When I thought, my foot is slipping,
Your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
Your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94, 18-19
Webster defines cheer as: full of good spirits, merry, ungrudging, and likely to dispel gloom or worry. Is that how you’d describe yourself right now – cheerful?
Or are you in the middle of that place of gloom and worry?
If you are, take a minute to remember that God can cheer your soul.
That doesn’t mean He instantly makes you all smiles and happiness if you turn to Him.
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Popcorn is usually a rather crazy event when it is served around here. With 6 boys what else could it be? It is not uncommon to find little boys digging into the big bowl that we typically use, to grab two overflowing handfuls of popcorn and begin stuffing it in their mouths … only to reach in and do it again.
I’m almost sad to say that I have succumbed to this craziness and although I still only grab a piece or two at a time, one learns to eat fast or get none at all.
The other day, the big boys were home, the 5 year old was off to Grammie’s house and the twins were napping.
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If you were to ask my kids if they think I’m brave, I’m pretty sure they’d say yes. After all, they’ve seen me singlehandedly chase a wasp out of the house, fearlessly check the closet for monsters at night, and rush to turn the stove off when the water’s boiling over. They’ve seen me get stitches after I cut my thumb slicing bread, and they’ve seen me get a shot with a smile on my face.
To my seven and nine year old, I’m probably one brave woman.
However.
There’s a lot that my kids don’t see. A lot that they don’t hear.
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The other night I needed a word from the Lord about my writing, my relationships, my life. When I cracked the Bible, the book fell open to Ecclesiastes 1:1 and I started reading.
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
Okaaay… Not the answer I was expecting so I read on.
“What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever…All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
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“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ” Philippians 1:27 nkjv
This week was a bit of a milestone week for me. After seven years of being an exclusive stay at home mommy I went back to work. Our youngest is in school for a full day now which gives me some time to have a part time job. (Plus I knew that if I was home my husband would expect our shower to be clean!) It’s an on call position which is even less demanding than a part time job.
I am a 911/Police dispatcher. It is a job that I held for quite a few years while my older two children were babies and starting school.
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I hate to admit it, but I come from a long line of “worriers.” My grandmother is famous for worrying.
When my husband and I went on our honeymoon, we left our car at her house. She asked for the keys so in case a storm came up and lightning hit the house and it caught on fire, she could move the car. She says “you never know what might happen.”
I know… it seems ridiculous. She lets her imagination run wild. She comes up with all sorts of worse case scenarios. But if we are honest, how many of us spend precious moments of our lives worrying about what might happen?
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How do you feel today?
Refreshed, encouraged and inspired?
Tired, depressed, worried or stressed?
Often as a mom we find ourselves somewhere in between, but it never ceases to amaze me that no matter how I’m feeling each day, God loves me and can meet me right where I am.
There have been days where I have found myself “down in the dumps” and didn’t even think to take my cares or problems to Him, choosing instead (albeit subconsciously) to spend an entire day just living in that measly depressed state.
Then there are the times that I do remember to give it to God and in that moment, even in the darkness, I find peace and my day gets remarkably better!
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Big dreams. Would it be too presumptuous of me to write that we all have them? Perhaps. I have them. Sure, many of my dreams are seeded in reality or at least in the realms of human possibility, but I have them.
In fact, I’ve had dreams for a long time. I’ve even kept record on lists: dream vacations; top 20 places to visit before I’m 50; family activities; etc. Sadly, many of the dreams and wishes I’ve penned on paper are not mine. They never belonged to me. I named them, talked about them excitedly, and hung on to them as a rope connecting to my future.
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