To Des Moines and Back Again

Yesterday I went with Tabbi to watch Tre's basketball game then came home to finish cleaning. Last night we went out to eat with Connie and Larry and my mom for her 91st birthday. It was a wild party!!!! Then today we went to Des Moines to visit Megan and Greg (a week late for Megan's birthday). We ate at Ruby Tuesday and went to Jordan Creek for a while. It was a very nice day!
Tomorrow it's back to work and supposedly some more snow! Surprise, surprise!!!!!! It's about time...we actually saw bare spots in the fields today while driving. I think we saw a dozen groups of deer driving home today with any number from 4 to 40 in a group. I know that's the most deer I've ever seen on any drive. All of them were well away from the road until we were a half mile south of Harlan and one almost came onto the road in front of us. But we made it safe and sound!

Thought for the day

Now I'm reading "Absolute Surrender" by Andrew Murray...a very good follow to "Humility". Believe me, God has been doing a work and while it hasn't all "felt good" it has been liberating. He is setting me free from me! I've not arrived, but I am greatly encouraged and completely confident that He will complete what He has started. God's ways are best. Don't be afraid to lay yourself down and let Him have His complete way in your life. Do it because it's His way, but I promise you it is also the only path to peace and joy in any measure!

Back to Normal

Life returns to normal. Jon is home in the evenings again after working a full week of at least 16 hour days during and after the ice storm. He falls asleep really fast in his recliner, but he needs to catch up on some sleep. Even better news, we've gone 48 hours without a trip to the ER!!!

I hope you have weathered the weather well. Today we had sunshine with our cold temps, and that was nice, too. We plan on visiting Greg and Megan on Sunday to celebrate her birthday a little late. I hope Jon's rested up by then. We are also going out to eat for Mom's birthday this weekend and hopefully can get her in and out okay. It's quite a challenge to navigate with her when conditions are less than perfect.

There was a comment today on my Blurb listing for my book from a man in New Zealand! Weird. You know the internet is all over the world, but it still surprised me. We're watching "Superman Returns" tonight. Didn't realize we'd never seen this one...pretty fun.

I hope all of you have a great weekend! Stay well and safe!!!

Horizontal Snow

Today was a day of horizontal snow. It is just CRAZY windy outside, and even though it's not snowing much we are in a blizzard warning till midnight. I talked to Jon a while ago, and he had been up on a pole...the first one he's climbed in maybe six months. He said it hard to even hang on it was so windy. The best part of the story is he said the worst part of it was he couldn't get his belt on...had to ask the other guy to help him. Pretty sure the belt didn't shrink, but you never know!! :) Truly, though, today's conditions have been the worst they've worked in for this storm.

"Chuck" and "24" tonight...YAY!!!! I hope all of you are staying warm and safe...tomorrow will be a little better!

Pride or Humility

Did I tell you a while back that I was reading about pride in a devotional? The writer suggested spending one month in concentrated prayer asking God to expose and remove every kind, form, and degree of pride from your heart whether from evil spirits or your own corrupt nature. Then ask God to awaken in you the deepest depth and truth of that humility which can make you capable of His life and Spirit. Serious stuff and you better mean it. The revelation of pride is painful and humbling...but that's the point. Humility is the root of repentance and salvation just as pride is the root of sin. It is so subtle and deceptive that we can be born again, living for Christ, and still be full of pride. When that is the case our victories are few and fleeting, and we feel a chasm in our soul...a gulf between what we believe with all our hearts and what we live in reality. The clincher is that humility must be our position, not only with God, but with every human relationship and encounter we have, as well. We MUST be the servant of ALL. That's hard stuff in ourselves...not easy to hear, and impossible to perform. Therefore, we are helpless, which is the only condition in which God can finally become our ALL.
Are we brave enough to believe that God means what He says? He tells us to lose our lives (our pride and glory) in order to save them. When we put ourselves in His hands and trust Him, seeking His glory over any given to us by man, He will keep His word and every promise He has made.

More Quotes

I have a few more quotes to share from Andrew Murray.
1. "It is easy to think we humble ourselves before God; but humility towards men will be the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real; that humility has taken up its abode in us, and become our very nature; that we actually, like Christ, have made ourselves of no reputation."
2. "The lesson is one of deep import: the only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The insignificances of daily life are the importances and the tests of eternity, because they prove what really is the spirit that possesses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we really show and see what we are."
3. "Let us look upon every brother who tries or vexes us, as God's means of grace, God's instrument for our purification, for our exercise of the humility Jesus our Life breathes within us."

Are we really interested in living the life that God has provided for us and will supply in us? Do we actually want to settle for less?

Humility

I'm trying to live out the "thought" in my last post in regard to a very daily issue in my life. I've finished my Tozer book and have started "Humility" by Andrew Murray. More and more I come to realize that EVERY issue has a spiritual aspect (as per my last post). I am having trouble figuring out what my responsibility is in the situation and how to address it. I know this is vague, but I'd appreciate your prayers when God brings it to mind. God knows all the details whether you do or not. I'm trusting that He will give me wisdom as I seek Him, but it can look a little overwhelming. "Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure." (Andrew Murray)

Gotta Get Moving

We just finished watching the first regular episode of "Chuck". It was the best one ever!! I hope you all enjoyed it! Gotta love it! What are you up to? We're pretty relaxed around here. Or maybe it's called lazy. I should go down and get on the treadmill for a little while and find something else to work on.

Thought for the day

I was reading Matthew 15 this morning. The passage was about what goes in a man doesn't defile, but what comes out does. It reminds me that any issue I come up against is, at its core, a spiritual issue, and the answer is found in Christ. Taking time to truly focus on Him until I know that I have heard from Him gives Him the opportunity to speak into every area that I am facing in my life at a given time. Whether it's my attitude, my speech, my habits, or my __________ (fill in the blank), I don't think it can be truly resolved until I bring it to Christ, see it with His eyes, and leave it at His feet.

Cold Saturday

Today I was home by myself while Jon was working on a truck at the shop. It was a great chance to sort, pitch, and put away (some of my favorite activities). I cleaned out the med cabinet, put away all the rest of my Christmas stuff (except for the lighted houses, jingle tree, and willow tree shelf), cleaned floors, and did laundry. I still will dust, fold towels, and plan on putting up new pictures today. I even got in a little reading. It's still very cold here, but the sun is shining and the snow looks so pretty. Yes, I said pretty. Those words will just about get you stoned around here these days.
Last night our Wednesday night ladies group met for supper and games at Joyce's house. It was a blast. We laughed so hard it hurt. And there was some crying, too. Joyce's food was awesome, but the new recipe cake I made...not so much :( Live and learn!

Thought for the day

I'm reading a book of 12 sermons by A.W. Tozer called "I Talk Back to the Devil". The name comes from the title of the first sermon, and the collection covers lots of areas where we compromise and sell out. It hits hard at the tendency to hold back in the area of our walk with God for the sake of convenience, pleasure, reputation, and a host of other "concerns". We sure don't want to be whole-heartedly God's...someone might think we're a fanatic! How horrible! I'm sure glad Jesus was a fanatic. Enough of a fanatic to die on the cross even for me. Maybe I should cope with some inconvenience?!?

A New Pattern

Christmas is over; the tree is down. I still have some things up and I'll keep my lighted houses up for quite a while. We had a wonderful time with all the kids and grandkids together. Everyone was healthy and the cousins had SO much fun together. I still need to put up some new pictures (thanks, Kelli and Jon and Tabbi and Trever). I'm still trying to get statements out at work (lots of hiccups this month), and I'm trying to adjust to working five whole days in a row!! What a baby! I haven't had a chance to wear my new winter coat yet, but I'm GREATLY enjoying watching the birds go crazy around the newly hung bird feeder (THANKS, JON)!!! We got a few new ornaments for our tree this year, too, from all the grandkids and a special Wicked Witch of the West ornament from Greg and Megan (or was it just Greg???). One of my favorite things is when we sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and the kids blow out the candles on the cake.

Thought for the day

I read a book by Stormie Omartian named "Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On". It was a very good reminder about what it means to walk with God daily. We all talk about it. We all intend to do it. But do we actually pray the words? Do we actually tell God that we love Him? Do we actually turn over the day to Him and actually ask Him to have His way? I know for me that I believe these things and they are my intent, but I know that in reality days can go by without really coming into His presence on any intimate level. The reminders in this book have helped me stop and really say the prayer. I have found it easier to recognize that I have a need and actively bring it to Him. It seems that I have gotten into a pattern of just expecting God to do His part without me asking Him. This has allowed me to slip into a pattern of not talking to or communing with God in a vital way. If I don't come to Him with my needs I miss out on His fellowship in a huge way every single day. I have a book to loan if anyone else needs a nudge!!