Amazing Love

I'm a huge fan of Mercy Me. If you've never heard of them you should definitley Youtube them. One of their songs is called God With Us. This song has been playing in my head since yesterday.

Who are we that You would be mindful of us what do You see that's worth looking our way we are
free in ways that we never should be sweet release from the grip of these chains like hinges
straining from the weight my heart no longer can keep from singing.

Who are we, that God...the creator of the Universe is mindful of us. Who are we that He should know our problems and but better yet He wants to help?! Who are we? We are His children. The "apple of His eye" His most treasured possession...that's who.

Yesterday, was a crazy day. I don't think my husband sat down once all day. He was making preparations from the time he got up yesterday morning. Preparing the unemployment, the food stamps and gathring applications from every store he could think of. In the midst of his preparation though God already had it taken care of.

Yesterday afternoon while he was out one of his work aquaintances called him asking if he'd like to go back to work. He was a little confused but said of course. This man went on to tell my husband that a company that works with my husbands old company wanted to hire my husband and they would pay him more than he was making at the old job. They wanted to hire him asap so my husband was instructed to call this person asap to set it all up. He was a little taken aback as you can expect but he called the guy and they set it all up. Friends my husband is back to work today. He went in bright and early this morning. The best part, the owner of this company is a ordained Minister. I don't know if he runs a Church on the weekends but just the fact that this man said yes to God in hireing my husband makes my heart want to leap for joy. I'm a hugger and I wish I could just give God a hug.

This job pays more, he's only working with one man - the minister's son. He works a little longer at night but he's busy all day. No more hanging around twittling his thumbs. No more being used as a doormat, these men are equal. They have to rely on each other since there's only two and they stay busy.

In all my worrying, God was already working it out. He told me over and over He had plans for us. He wanted to calm my heart and give me peace but I just had to worry. Not any more.

God sees us. He knows us and He knows the problems we're having in this world. He wants to help, I can tell you I had many people praying for my husband. Even people from other states praying and He heard our cries and HE made this possible. My husband didn't have to do anything, we just waited and prayed and stayed close to God.

Praise God, people. Praise His Holy Name. He does answer prayer ~ it just has to be on His terms, not ours. His Love is amazing. He is God with us.

Only Through Prayer

Yesterday in my quiet time I read about a boy with an evil spirit. He was brought to Jesus by his father...but first he was brought to the desciples for help. The desciples could not free him of the evil spirit so the boys father found Jesus and said "if you can please take pity on us and help us". Jesus said, "if you can? Everything is possible for him who believes" Mark 9:23

After the boy was healed and and his way home with his father the desciples turned to Jesus and said, "Why couldn't we heal him?" I imagine Jesus turning to them, whispering "This kind can come out only by prayer." Mark 9:29

Jesus reply really stuck with me yesterday and today. This kind comes out only by prayer. I wonder if the desciples prayed for the boy or just tried to heal him through their own strength...

There are some days I feel like I have an evil spirit. I'm a yeller, try as I might to overcome this thing I yell. My kids are 2 and 3 and act like they have beans in their ears when I tell them to do something. They are soo frustrating some days. Some days it's really good, I don't yell I just redirect, they don't yell at me either. They fight and they argue but there is no yelling and I'm able to redirect their preschool frustrations to more productive things..other days it's AWFUL. Please don't get me wrong, it is my fault I'm a yeller, I rely on my own strength and fail every time.

Then there's the evil spirit of my weight issue, I get all motivated and start losing weight and then I start thinking wait I don't want people to look at me, I don't deserve this success. Or I won't succeed this is taking too long and become discouraged and quit.

Then there's the evil spirit of my laziness, some days I just REALLY don't want to even get dressed in the morning.

So I'm sure now you get the idea, I'm flawed. I'm sure I don't have an actual evil spirit in me this is just my flesh ruling me right. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38

These are things I'm blatantly struggling with right now. Every day I get up in the morning it's a struggle, by the end of the day I'm exausted and fall into bed grateful for sleep, you can't sin in your sleep right? (smiles)

Yesterday when I read that story of the boy and the father though it really stuck with me. I imagine Jesus leaning down to whisper in my ear "Mandy, this kind only come out through prayer"

So I pray, I pray now, I pray 5 minutes from now, I pray tonight I pray tomorrow I pray. Things change when we pray, did you know that? We're children of God and when we fall on our knees before an Almighty God, things change. Hearts change, our hearts change. So I pray, if you struggle with something you should pray too.

Worry, Fear, Doubt, Laziness, Anger, Glutony, Lust, even things like illness and money problems anything and everything dealt to us by the world just imagine Jesus leaning down to whisper in your ear

"My child, this kind can only come out through prayer"

What are you struggling with today? Can I pray for you?

The quiet moments

Some people believe the only way you can talk to God is on your knees in full surrender in a quiet place, but did you know God wants us the other 23 1/2 hours of our day. Think about this with me for a moment...

by the time your life is over you will have spent:

6 Months at stoplights
8 Months opening junk mail,
A year and a half looking for lost stuff
5 Years standing in lines

God wants these moments too. He wants that one on one connection with us in all of our moments. God tells us on several occasions to pray without ceasing, pray on all occasions.

Might I offer you a little challenge, when you're having a quiet moment whether waiting in line at the check-out line in the grocery store, folding clothes or even brushing your hair getting ready for work send a prayer up to God, offer your day to Him and let God know you're thinking of Him in that quiet moment, instead of letting your mind wander to your to-do list, let it wander to a God opening His arms to you for the day.

Don't look back - Get Fit Thursday

I don't pretend to know everything. Actually I'm quite open about how much I don't know. As I was thinking/praying about what to write for today I started thinking, you know I really don't have the authority to write about getting fit, health or self issues. I have self doubt, and self loathing, fear, anxiety...a laundry list of issues and as I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror this evening I about cried because once again this whole getting fit thing isn't working for me.

My goal is to walk a mile each day (give or take a little because I don't actually know how far it is from my house to the spot I turn around to come back, but I'm working on finding out) I've been doing really well at keeping to that goal. I put my kids in the wagon and off we go. I can't say it's easy, they weight 20-30 lbs each but it has been rather fun and they really enjoy our walks. I have this little app on my cell phone called Endomondo, it's supposed to calculate speed, distance and time and calories lost well it doesn't do anything expect time me.

Against my better judgement I peeked at the scale this morning after my walk and it said I had gained 3lbs...I've walked more in a week than I've ever walked so once again I've failed.

Wait...failed? really...no. This is one of those times to really pray. When you're feeling like a failure, when nothing is working out for you, when you catch that glimpse in the mirror and think you're horrible and how could God ever love someone like you.

Worship is a muscle, praise is a muscle. You should be exercising these mucles every day so when you really need them, they are there for you to turn to and rely on. Self doubt and fear and anxiety and all the other things that have the potential to keep you down and quiet and away from God is like fat. When you worship and praise and pray the fat of your mind starts drifting away and you can start to see clearly again.

This is going to be a journey, one that obviously God thinks I'm ready for. Tonight I'm going to worship instead of give in to frustration. I'm going to pray that those 3 lbs were the muscles in my legs gearing up and I'm going to keep going. I'm not going to pay attention to the little voice in my head telling me to give up because God is bigger and He's telling me to let go and trust Him.

No more looking at the scale, it's not about what I've lost, it's about what I'm gaining, self worth, boldness, courage, an identity with Jesus...an eternity with God by my side.