...but joy comes in the morning

I'm really enjoying the read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year plan that myself & a GF are following. We're using the printable 12 month reading plans found here. Last week it was Psalms 30 & wow, thats a gooder!! & it reminded me that I had also wanted to share about Psalms 18. Well, today I got some news that was extremely upsetting & made me think of Ps 30 so I'll share that now & save Ps 18 for another day.

I will exalt you, LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
² LORD my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
³ You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
⁴ Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
⁷ LORD, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain^[c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
⁸ To you, LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me;
LORD, be my help.”
¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
LORD my God, I will praise you forever    (text taken from the NIV & online here)

The study note for this chapter in my Bible says "One-night Guest: The Bible never ignores the emotions of the moment. Here, the psalmist acknowledges the tough times that come with living as God's child. But the Bible also insists on a long-range perspective. Difficulties don't last; God's care does. This psalm pictures "weeping" as a guest who comes to stay just for a single night.

My AMP Bible gives II Corinthians 4:17-18 as a cross reference for vs 5. It says:

¹⁷For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!],
¹⁸Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.    (text taken from the AMP & found online here)

The study notes for II Cor 4:17-18 in my AMP Bible say "This too shall pass: ...As you consider how many times you have already made it to the other side of pain, you can be confident you will make it again through Christ, Who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). And on the other side of trails, you will see how God turned those experiences into good for your life (Rom 8:28). Paul says here that the seasons of trials pass. It is tough when we are going through trials, but Paul learned to keep his eyes on the prize of heaven & trusted God to prepare him so that God's glory was revealed through his life. When you are tempted to become discontented, remember: "This too shall pass." Your afflictions are "light & momentary" from the perspective of eternity. No matter how bad your current situation may look, never let go of the truth that God loves you..."

The news that had me so upset today was that my DH's cousin's 10yr old son has been given just 2-3 weeks to live. He had been diagnosed with muscle cancer & had been going thru treatments & procedures for the past 7ish months. His grandparents are Christian missionaries & they think he might have accepted Christ, but as far as we know his family (parents & a 8yr old brother) are not believers. Reading the email I couldn't stop bawling. Other than grandparents (who had obviously lived a full life), I've never had anyone very close to me die & I simply cannot fathom the pain that the family would be feeling right now. I cried for them & the pain that they are going thru but also out of guilt. Guilt that everyday I take my own children for granted. My current troubles are truly "light & momentary afflication" compared to theirs. The pending death of a child & a mountian of medical bills. Yet even their troubles are "light & momentary" from the perspective of eternity, and though it seems blasphemy to say that the death of a child is anything close to "light & momentarty", that is how big the eternal awesomeness of God really is.
Reading Palms 30 I identified with the victoriousness (that a word??) of the 1st few verses & really saw myself as the psalmist went from that to feeling God had turned away & being pitiful, lost, discouraged  & sorrowful. An emotional roller coaster. Up & down. Thru God's strength I'm victorious, but then something goes wrong, God turns away (actually its me taking my eyes off of Him) & I'm drowning in dispair & a messy house. Eventually, I realize what is happening & cry out to God & of course He answers. My evening of weeping is over & joy comes with the morning. After I heard the news of my cousin-in-law's son, I was reminded that my own sorrows truly are light & momentary.

pic from www.agodman.com

Where O Where is Week 3 & 4??

I have to say the past couple weeks have been interesting, crazy, trying, stressful & lots of fun!  DD#1 celebrated her 8th b-day with her friends, my DS#1 turned 11 & we had family friends over, DS#2 is teething to the max & xtra grouchy, my mother-in-law flew in for a 1.5wk visit, our PC crashed, I started organizing a baby shower & the list goes on!So through all that I didn't blog at all & only half heartedly worked at the weeks 3 & 4 challenges. And I must admit I've been hit & miss with my devos & prayer times... & sure noticing it!!! BUT today is a new day! As I creeped about on Facebook this morning I saw this on a friend's status "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
So, Satan get thee BEHIND me! Lord, I accept your forgiveness, grace, strength & joy. I now move FORWARD.

No Sympathy for Esau

Because I started the read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year plan almost 2 weeks into January I'm still playing catch-up & right now I'm cramming Genesis. I love a good historical novel & so I am thoroughly enjoying Genesis, although pls don't quiz me on who begat whom! Today I read about Esau & Jacob, a story I have heard many times over but today I had an aha moment! (you know the story about how Esau comes in famished hunting & wants some of Jacob's tasty stew. Jacob offers to trade the stew for the birthright & Esau agrees) The study note in my Bible says "No Sympathy for Esau. Esau's birthright, which he sold for a meal, was his inheritance as the firstborn son. He stood to be head of a large extended family and it's property. Though his brother Jacob took advantage of him, the Bible gives Esau little sympathy for his role as victim. He "despised his birthright" (25:34) by letting his hunger overwhelm his concern for things of lasting value. Because of this, he was later labeled "godless" (Heb 12:16)".  I wasn't completely sure what "scorned his birthright" meant so I read that same verse in the MSG & AMP versions. The MSG says "...That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn." & the AMP says "...Thus Esau scorned his birthright as beneath his notice." Wow, how many times have I done this? I (we) have SO many blessings, rights & privileges as God's children...I don't want to continue shrugging them off!  This aha'd to me not just about my relationship with Christ but also with my home & family. I can choose to do my best in God's strength to keep a tidy home so it will be a haven for my family OR I can choose to allow feelings of being overwhelmed & "accept defeat". Also, I can choose to keep my temper, change my own attitude & build close relationships with my kids OR I can choose to be that yelling, frustrated hag I despise. Hmmm, what a choice! Unlike Esau, I desire to make the correct choice, do the work (in God's strength & joy) & reap even more of God's blessing.

pic from: http://www.cookingnook.com/beef-stew-recipe.html

New Year Resolutions (just a tad late!)



My new Amplified Bible by Joyce Meyers
that will be my partner this year!!

 Alright, so last week I talked about my long list of unrealistic expectations for this year & that I needed to write a realistic list with a plan of action. I gave myself til this past Friday to have it posted...well, it really was done...but just in my head! So here I am posting "the list". While I was thinking about what was realistic, what was ridicuclous & how to even pare it all down, I re-read the paragraph at the top of my blog & realized 1/2 of my work was already done! This is what my blog is all about! It says "See, this is my creative way of holding myself accountable...as I continue to learn & grow in God, raise 4 happy kids with my hubby & strive to bring some lasting organization to our chaotic house!" So that gives me this list:

1. learn & grown in God
2. raise 4 happy kids
3. bring lasting organization to our home

Short, sweet & simple. Now for the action plan!!

1. learn & grow in God - a GF & I have committed to a read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year-plan. We'll be encouraging & holding each other accountable. This past year God's been showing me just how important time spent JUST with Him EVERY day really is!! I see a huge difference in my attitude, drive & actions when I'm daily focusing on Him. Right now with the napping schedule as it is, most days DS#2 is out for an hour in the late morning & my DD#2 will play by herself giving me a bit of time to sit down with a coffee, my Bible & a devotional type book. Plus, in early Feb I'll be attending a Prayer Ministry Training Day. While I'm not certain that I'm called to pray as part of a ministry team, I am SO excited about learning to pray for others & how to pray more effectively.
2. raise 4 happy kids - build RELATIONSHIPS with my kids & pray in specifics for each of them. During the two 10 wk periods that my DH was away at school, our wonderful Pastor came for several lunch visits to make sure I wasn't going crazy! He knows my personality is very anal, specific, perfectionistic & that I've had struggles with depression. I've shared with him how much I long to not be continually frustrated with & yelling at my kids. One major point he made was - put building a solid relationship with each child before the rules. My two fav parenting books also carry that same message - screamfree Parenting by Hal Runkel & Grace Based Parenting by Dr Tim Kimmel. Parenting is 1st about the parent - 1st examine & change your own habits, attitudes & outlook. Kids learn by example, so what example are you setting?? (ouch!) The 2nd part of the action plan is praying for each of my kids. That seems a little obvious but its easy to pray very general prayers & yet I know that God wants to do a whole lot more than generally blessing my kids!!!
3. bring lasting organization to our home - participate in the 52 Weeks To An Organized Home Challenge. This Challenge really seems made just for me! I tried a shorter but way more intensive challenge last year & it bombed! I needed a specific yet flexible plan. Having 4 kids makes an awfully busy household, plus there'll be another 10 wks in the summer when DH is away, so I definitely need the whole week to get an assignment done! My DH is more than supportive on this as he is just as sick of the clutter & mess as I, so we are doing this ALL together.