Supernatural-the Holy Spirit

     Our service at church yesterday is one in a series called Supernatural.  It was about the Holy Spirit and while I've heard many sermons on this topic, I don't recall (I should say, until this moment had forgotten) how the Holy Spirit beckons people.  I guess it's pretty common knowledge among many Christians, but this struck me freshly.

     The reference is John 14:15-17: "If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter, and He will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth.  The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him.  But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you." NLT

     The sermon pointed out that He leads all into truth and dwells with and in us.  He only dwells "in" Christians.  He dwells "with" all humanity!  I knew God gave everyone a chance to receive but didn't know the reference to prove it.  Here it is... He dwells with us and leads all who would receive it into truth and shows them how to live.  The key there is "receive"!  You can refuse to receive and say, "God doesn't speak to me".  Oh but He does!! Everyone gets a chance, multiple times and in many ways.  But beware, He's so easy to deny if we want to.  He's soft spoken and quietly fades out when we are SO bent on having our own way.  But when you are searching for real truth (not truth bent in favor of your preferred lifestyle) you will see and hear all truth from the One who was sent to "lead us in all truth and wisdom".

     It's true.  And I can attest to both sides of that coin.  I grew up bouncing back and forth between knowing the peace of God and trying to deny it so I could "have fun" which wasn't much fun since I knew the truth.  I wasted a lot of time and effort during the time I explored outside His plan but grew from it as well.  Now I have children of my own saying, "He doesn't speak to me Mom" but I can show them times that they actually made decisions unknowingly that fell into an obvious plan for their life that add up to way too many "coincidences" to be a coincidence! :)  (Which by the way I barely believe in...coincidences that is...it happens, just not nearly as much as some people claim.)  I could go on...but that could be a post of its own.

Morning Reflection

This morning I was reflecting on a bit of my life.  Sigh.  I could be SO bitter and resentful and hateful...so many opportunities and ways to show those people a thing or two.  :)  That's not me or at least not the me God made me to be...but I could.  I also realized in doing so, I would truly only be punishing myself.  I would suffer so much and those people...probably don't even know how much pain and suffering their little careless comments or actions would have caused; if  I took the easy way and allowed myself to grow so hard hearted.  It's harder to forgive and even harder to grow past it and live day to day without ever returning to scene of the trauma to replay and re-evaluate.  Sometimes I do fine, but sometimes it's an all-day battle. 

Then I sat down for my Bible reading of the day.  I'm trying to be more consistent with it.  I love to sip coffee and read while the children play.  Today they nagged and whined but I still got through it and had a blog post to boot! 

I read Genesis 6-8.  Genesis 6:8-10 stuck out at me.  I'm sure this verse has been discussed many times in various Bible study groups but it is none the less as powerful as the day it was written.  "But Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.  Here is the story of Noah: He was the only truly righteous man living on the earth at that time.  He tried always to conduct his affairs according to God's will.  And he had three sons-Shem, Ham, and Japheth."

I hope that someday when I am gone and years past, if the Lord should tarry that long, that it will be said of me: "She was a pleasure to the Lord.  She tried always to conduct her affairs according to God's will."  It's a lot to live up to but it sounds like Noah probably had a lot more peer pressure and danger to deal with than I do.  While he may have been able to hear God audibly, we have the Holy Spirit so I am not off the hook.  And God looks at my heart, unlike man, thank goodness.

Are you rich?

During one of my precious and few quiet moments today I had a revelation.  I feel like God had shown me that someone I looked up to growing up caused me to believe that life isn't worth living if you don't have a prestigious job, lots of money and things nicer than most people can afford.  I'm certain they didn't mean to teach that mindset.  I realized that many of the things I have accomplished or desired to obtain were items that were highly valued by this person or one of the things they "couldn't afford" like specific other persons could.  "Must be nice, they've got it made, I wish...but it'll never happen to me".  I realized the pity party they were on launched me to do two things: 1. make excuses why I couldn't do something and allow it to drag me into complacency during that season of my life and 2. make those things a priority on my bucket list as if to say "See, if I can overcome and do these so called expensive things then so can you."  It was an unconscious effort to give hope but clearly in not the best way.  Affordability is simply budgeting based on priorities.  I was too immature to realize that then and see it for a pity party.

Fast forward to my current position...homemaker.  I also realized this foundation caused me to say some of the same things during tight times in our budget though I didn't mean it in self-pity.  I was simply telling my child that we couldn't afford that AND all the other things on our list including extras, treats and such.  I realized that I am making them "feel" poor despite all that we have.  And let me say for the record we have been very blessed with SO MUCH from our tightest times to our abundant times.  I recall a couple times the kids have asked me if we were rich and poor at different times.  I don't remember my exact answers but I do remember I never answered with a one word answer.  I'm sure I said we were rich and explained that being rich has absolutely NOTHING to do with money.  My answer was always based on how blessed we are and how we need nothing that we don't have.  I have decided my answers to requests will no longer ever be because we can't afford something no matter how extravagant the request.  Rather I will explain that we are choosing not to spend our money that way.  I feel like using that phrase will also, hopefully, create a foundation for budgeting.

Women Living Well

I have been following the blog of Women Living Well for a while. This week she asked us to praise our husbands "publicly". The only "public" interaction I've had with my husband lately is Facebook. Sad I know! In his defense we are in the middle of a move. Any how, I've done it 6/7 days so far. Finally today the 6th day, he asked why I am putting all these nice posts on his page! I was wondering if he was ever going to react. Of course I told him all about the blog so it will be expected now but I doubt he caught all the details I was saying. He didn't have his listening ears on...I don't think! ;)

The Twilight Zone

Today was one of those weird days when you've seemingly stepped into the twilight zone. Actually, this week... Things seem like they are heading toward a less stressful season of our lives, but we aren't there yet.

From the moment dear 1 got up today, she was on a tirade. And all her pathetic subjects were at her disposal. Look out! And despite two days of no napping, dears 2 and 3 would not let dear 4 have a nap or let us have one quiet minute until we finally declared "We are going to bed!"

Now I'm sitting in the only lit place in the house...a dark hallway lit by the bathroom light so I can a few minutes of quiet before passing out for the night! I'm starting a journal; something I have felt necessary to do all of a sudden this year and I think maybe it has nothing to do with this new year but rather this new season of our life. I've never been good at keeping a journal. (Hence my blog history...spotty.). I'm good at picking out journals, planning journals and sometimes starting journals...keeping them...not so much. Maybe this is a new me...a new state, new town, new friends, new schools. Agh! I need a new pen.

Fallin' off the Wagon

It seems like my children's colds will never go away.  Between their runny noses and coughing, teething, etc I can get a good night's rest and have put off running for so long.  I think it's only been two weeks and feels like so much longer.  I'm going to have to start from square one on my training, I'm afraid.  So depressing...makes me want to go stuff myself with a chocolate cake to celebrate.  Ugh.   (BTW I don't do that, I just fantasize about excuses to go do it.) :)

A Terrific Application

I stumbled across Homeschool Tracker a couple weeks ago, thanks to my online homeschool group.  She suggested I google it and check it out.  It has been a wonderful resource.  All the books, software, movies, and games can be input and assigned daily with grades and time tracked easily.  It takes a while to put it all in but once it's in, simply print an assignment page and the child's books and directions are laid out clearly.

Before I tried using an Excel spreadsheet but it wasn't easy to follow or keep up with.  This is an access application that comes with no instructions but is easy to figure out.  You can print all kinds of reports including report cards and a journal.  You can choose holidays, sick days and school days and mark them.