Alarm

This morning I set off our alarm. :)

It is so loud, but I like to play a game with myself.

First, you have to know, that I would have loved to have been in the FBI.

Undercover. So, when I set the alarm off, I like to see how calm I can be while I get it turned off. I guess somehow in my mind proving I would have been a great undercover agent.

You know the alarm is loud, really loud. It BLARES loudly in my ear. I just lock my eyes on that keypad and tune out the noise. I am good at tuning out noise. I live with three loud boys.

In order for me to blog about something, I wanted to think how that experience relates to life.

I came up with the world as the alarm and God as my keypad. If I focus on Him and tune out the noise of the world, I am focused and intent on my purpose. What if I took my eyes off of the keypad and tried to enter my code without looking? The alarm would get louder and the chance for me to become frazzled would occur. As long as I focus where I need to and keep my purpose clear, I can with GREAT accuracy disarm my alarm. If I take time to dilly dally and allow my ears to pierce and my mind to panic about what the code is or if I will remember my password when the security company calls I will inevitably get distracted, lose time, and begin punching in the wrong thing. I can't think about a security password for a phone call that hasn't happened yet. I just have to disarm immediately and handle the step I'm on before jumping to the next one.

God desires our gaze to be fixed on Him. He wants my soul, my very innermost parts to rest quietly in Him. He wants me in the midst of BLARING noise to remain stedfast and quiet. To be steady and purposeful-to handle only the step He has brought me to.

May our day be quiet-in the midst of the BLARING noise of the world.

9

Happy 9th Anniversary Ben.

I love you!

The Supplies are Done

Yesterday, something exciting happened.

We got our school supplies!!!!!!!!

We hit Walmart and The Pencil Box.

Everything on the list is in stock right now. Rollback prices. Good deal on the budget.

I was VERY excited with what we spent for two children at the Big School.

They are very excited.

It's beginning to smell like freshly sharpened pencils and BRAND new crayons.

I am getting so excited for school to start for me too. I love this part of the summer when we still have summer, but are excitedly anticipating a new year. New beginnings.

David got his school bag yesterday. We had to review the way to hold it. Not around your neck. It's a bag that goes over your shoulder. :)

We went to Fairhope, AL this weekend. We stayed at the Grand Hotel.

I got a massage. Shhhhhhh.

We went out on a catamaran in the bay.

Rode bikes.

Ate.

Swam.

And of course, shopped.

Pictures will follow.

Now, we're off to work in my room at school. :)

Enjoy your Tuesday.

By the way. I am doing flylady cleaning. I'll fill you in on how that's going later. Let's just say, I have flown, flapped, and flopped, but all in all, I like it. Check it out here.

To Clarify

In my last post, you may or may not have seen that it was I that missed out when the gal came by my house. Thus, leaving me with lukewarm mop water and the feeling of lukewarm faith.

I know that God can work in any person's life with or without me. He is far bigger than I am! However, I was so saddened that I passed up the opportunity to get to know this girl a little bit better. YES, the lesson was completely for me. I had prayed that morning that God would direct my day and surely in His providential plan, the doorbell rang at the appointed time. It was I, that all too quickly shut the door. She didn't see Him in me that day, that is my regret.

Dear Door To Door Book Sales Woman,

Yesterday I prayed that God would direct my day.

Then, I filled up my mop bucket.

I also got the laundry going and had a momentary lull of noise.

Then, you rang my doorbell.

It was not good timing. My hot, soapy water was waiting. My kids were actually quiet. And you were at my door.

I quickly told you I wasn't interested in what you had. I didn't explain to you gently I had not budgeted to buy your books or allow you the courtesy to do your job. I abruptly stopped you before you got to start. My soapy water was waiting. You were interrupting my day. The one I asked God to direct. True as it may be, I didn't need your books. But perhaps, you needed to see Jesus in our home yesterday. I don't say that to make me sound like I am what you needed, but my Redeemer is. We all need Him.

So, I am sorry. I am sorry that I missed an opportunity to be patient with you while you were visiting the country I love. I am sorry that you didn't see a difference in the way our family lives because of WHAT JESUS has done in our hearts.

I am thankful that your salvation (if you aren't saved) doesn't depend on my actions and what I did or didn't do. I am thankful that the Lord will work in your heart at the appointed time, but I do regret that I missed an opportunity.

My soapy water was luke warm by then anyway.

Pray for Hannah Grace

Please continue to lift up Hannah Grace. They just had a princess party for her. She is truly a princess. You can follow more of their story here.

Abbeville

Do you ever find it difficult to have peaceful faith? There are situations and seasons that fly into our lives uninvited and catch us off guard. The difficult times produce growth in my faith. However, the day to day circumstances can often be the biggest hang up for me. Not to say I soar victoriously through the "big" trials of life-oh no. I just mean that today, out of the blue I was slammed into a spiral of inner-conflict that did not remain so inner (I should say). Just ask my dear sweet husband. :)

I know that my peace comes from the Lord. He is my Rock, my Hiding Place, and the gentle whisper I hear in the morning breeze. He is peace to me. I sense it early in the morning on my back porch while I talk with Him or in my "special" room where it is quiet and cozy for even a few moments. I just wish I would savor the peacefulness and gentleness that hovers in those moments of quiet throughout the day. How quickly I can become unravelled. How fast my temper or fears will grip me. I wish I would call upon my Shepherd with more haste so as not to let the one whom is seeking my destruction like a hungry lion a moment of temporary victory.

It shined

David and Luke were playing in the playroom. Then, Ben and I heard THE scream. If you are a parent, you know the sound of THE scream. It is a sound like no other. The volume, the emotion, the pitch-all bundled together to create THE scream. It pierces your ears and tears apart your heart. You hear it only occasionally, but you know THE scream means business. Real business. It marks disaster and reverberates in your mind. It echos through your ears and freezes time.

The two boys were playing dog. David was the dog and Luke was the master. Luke found a bungee cord with a plastic hook that looked just like a leash. Somehow, it snapped David in the face. Directly under his eye and it split open. Thus-THE scream was sounded and we met him on the steps. Luke was as calm as possible and took good care to tell us what happened. How thankful we were to find out that his eyeball was not damaged and that he only needed strips to piece the skin back together. I still can hear it-THE scream.

A call to pray

Today has met me with difficult news.

Hannah Grace, whom we have prayed would be healed, found out that the tumor is back in her brain along with several spots.

Somehow in this dark place, God is whispering to them His presence. My heart is heavy and I would ask each of you to pray. Please.