Be careful what you pray for....

I had an interesting afternoon yesterday. It had been cold and raining most of the day, so we, the girls, stayed in. We went to pick Asher up from school and got home to catch up on the day, get snacks, you know the usual after school routine.

Sometime around 4 pm, my doorbell rang. I went to answer it and it was a woman with her adolescent age daughter. (This same woman came to me in the drive way the other day asking for money, to buy her daughter something she needed. I had a few dollars on me and gave it to her and she went on her way. I was talking to my neighbor that evening about the woman and she told me that this same woman also asked her for money, but my neighbor was in another part of town when she was approached. The lady gave her the same story. I gave her more than enough money to buy what she needed. So I immediately became skeptical, naturally. So this is the background to this encounter yesterday.) Anwyay...I prayed that God would bring her back my way, because it really bothered me that she was using her daughter in the way it seemed she was. I wanted to give her a talking to!! Well she came back yesterday asking for a ride to some hotel up the street a bit. She said she didn't have any place to stay that night and was going to be staying at this hotel. I immediately became skeptical and didn't feel it the safest thing to take all of my kids in the car with her to this "hotel". I told her I couldn't right then and that I was sorry. She said ok and went on her way. When I closed the door, I felt so bad for doing that to her. More so for her daughter, because it was cold and rainy and it was a good bit of a walk. I started praying and pacing and became aggravated that I turned her away. After all, I did pray for her to come back. I called Todd and talked to him briefly about it and thought that maybe I should leave my kids with my neighbor and try to go find her. He told me to do what I thought best. So I called my neighbor and mulled it over with her a bit, and took the kids to her house. I quickly got in my car, and started looking for them. I looked and looked, even did a couple of trips down the path I thought they may have taken and never found them. I was praying in the car, and I didn't know if I was doing the right thing or not. When it seemed as though I wasn't going to find them, I called Todd back. When he answered, I immediately began to sob. I'm not afraid to write this on here. I need to deal with this. I cried hard. I cried because I had prejudices, because I was afraid, because I didn't seize the opportunity I had prayed for, I cried for her daughter. I don't know anything about this woman really. I have to think that she may be doing the best she knows how to do. I didn't trust her though. I believe that the H.S. gives us direction in many situations and I just didn't trust her. I sure didn't want to put my kids in a potential situation that could have been bad. They are my primary concern always. Even still, she came back. I'm praying she'll come back again and that God will give me the boldness and confidence to talk to her, really talk to her. You who are reading this may not know me well, but this is for sure, I want to be used by God, I want to be an instrument of peace. I want it so bad, it hurts sometimes. There is so much more in my heart that it's hard to articulate. So I'll end this post here. If you want to, pray for me to follow God through the doors he opens and to not get in his way.

I'll update this story as it unfolds.

All I know is, God is good and has blessed me so stinkin abundantly and I want to pay it forward....without fear or condition.

Love my girls...

This morning, I wasn't feeling too good and Sydney must have been able to sense it. She climbed up on the couch with me and laid on me, for a long time. She never does this since she always has so many other things to do that are important. She was kissing me over and over and talking to me. It was the first time she really did this on her own. She was rubbing my face and my head. It was so sweet. I love that about my kids. All of them, at different times, have ministered to me without trying to and this is such a humbling thing to me. Especially because I can be so hard on them. I'm thankful today that even when I mess up, they love me. Being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever had to do so far in my life. I love it!!! I'm so blessed. Just wanted to share.

Magic Erasers Rock!!!!

Tonight, I got the crazy urge to pull out my newly bought Magic Erasers. If you have never tried one, oh baby, you need to, especially if you have little hands that attract dirt, jelly, peanut butter, chocolate milk, and well, you get the idea. Todd came into the kitchen and said, "it looks like you painted in here." I actually felt really good hearing him say that. It does look like a new kitchen. This means only one thing: my cabinets were filthy! And they're white, so I'd clean one and then see how absolutely disgusting the next one was, so I couldn't stop until the whole kitchen and some walls had received some long overdue attention.

Would that we could have a "magic eraser" for the moments in life that we'd like to forget about and erase. That would be so great, wouldn't it? Well actually, we do. "We" being those in Christ. He erases our mistakes and aren't we so thankful for that. Those stains that go deep into our lives, he took them away. Praise God! Isn't that something we should want every person we know or don't know to have that knowledge? I mean, I wanted everyone to go out and buy a magic eraser. Because they work. Really. And Jesus' blood, really works. He really did take away the sins of man. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us....Hallelujah!!!! And we don't have to do the "scrubbing", we just receive the blessing and absolute freedom from "dirt". God is amazing. And since we already know this about him, we must share that with those that don't.

I'm curious, how is God using you lately to share the "good news" with others?

Blessings...

This is a test...

I'm testing my skills using Flickr...so bear with me. I'm trying to figure out how to put more than one photo on using this service because for some reason, I am not able to post multiple pics just using Blogger. Now...I know that some of you out there are way more computer savvy than me so phooey on you! I'm still learning. And I think I'm getting it!

Sydney is the sugar in my coffee...she just brightens everything up. Even when she climbs on the table and gives us a heart attack. She is such a happy baby for the most part, especially when she is stealing the show from her brother and sister. She loves to spin and hop and dance. I love to see when my kids are happy. It makes me happy. Even when I've had a bad day. It really makes me happy. I'm reminded of the innocence of childhood and how God sees us....innocent, forgiven, redeemed....so we have reason to spin, dance, sing, hop, do cartwheels, and whatever your heart desires. And God must be so happy when he sees us living out that joy as well. So....laugh, by yourself, with your kids, with a friend....do something out of the ordinary...heck, twirl if you so desire. Just enjoy life, your family, your friends, your heavenly Father will be smiling!

Sydney

Sydney
Originally uploaded by thepatten5@sbcglobal.net.

She's a climber!

Sydney

Sydney
Originally uploaded by thepatten5@sbcglobal.net.

Sydney

Sydney
Originally uploaded by thepatten5@sbcglobal.net.

This girl loves to climb up on my table and play with the candles!

What in the World!!

I just watched a newscast about the man in Pennsylvania that bound and executed 6 kids at an Amish school. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out cnn.com and you'll see it. I am just floored as many all over the world probably are as well at the actions of this man. This guy was a father, husband, and only 32 years old. That's how old I am, so his kids are little. He wasn't Amish either. It seems like some random killing. He did leave notes at home for all of his family and called his wife right before he started shooting to tell her he wasn't coming home.

Ok...so I'm processing this. How? Why? The world is broken people. WE, as a people, must be the arms, eyes, ears, hands, feet, heart, and mouth of Jesus. Not that we can fix it. I don't want that job. I like playing dumb sometimes. It's easier that way. But I'm not called to play dumb or to turn a blind eye. I am called to be salt and light in a very dark twisted broken world. If you're like me though, there are the days that I don't want to be salt and light. I just want to be that one spice that gets pushed to the back of the cabinet and only used like once a year, it's a good spice, but not one used everyday, like paprika! Yeah, paprika. Why is it that some of us (I'm assuming that there others who share my feelings) shy away from brokenness? I mean, we are all broken, but some are shattered into pieces, like that guy that shot those kids and himself. Some of us are just chipped. Nonetheless, brokenness. Which is why we cry out to Jesus. But why, as a body, do we run from others brokenness? I wonder if that young man felt isolated and like he had no one that was "with him" heart and soul. We bail on people, don't we? I have. I hate to admit it, but I have. And I've been bailed on. Not a fun feeling. I bet Jesus felt that way, like no one was with him "heart and soul". I am so thankful for Jesus and his example of not bailing on others when the "water started boiling." And really, we know going into this thing called christianity, that it isn't going to be an easy ride. Like those Staples commercials, with the big read "EASY" button. Boy how I wish I had one for real though. But we all knew that being children of the King meant that we would, at times, invite danger. There I said it. Danger. Or did we know it? I don't think I really got that at 18 years of age. At this point in my life, I just feel so strongly, that Jesus called us to live life on the "edge" with him. Can it be dangerous? Yes. When we dive into others brokenness, in an effort to help them, is there some risk? Absolutely.

It's a good thing Jesus didn't (and doesn't) bail on us when we were chipped, shattered, bruised, beaten and just stinky.

What is God teaching you right now about brokenness and helping to "mend"? Let's pay attention! And act when you are compelled to, whatever it may be.