GOD IS BIG!!!

I started reading a book today suggested to me by 2 wonderful friends called "The Power of a Praying Wife". I have read 1 chapter so far, and I am already crying my eyes out over it. The first few pages have pulled so many things that are happening in my life together, its got me completely in awe. You know how little things happen or are said to you and you don't really know why or what they are for at the time....then a couple of weeks later, God pulls it all together and makes it all make sense. That's exactly what is happening for me right now.

If you have been reading these blogs, you have seen that I am trying to get the girls more comfortable and accustomed to praying. **Here I thought it was for them, when lo and behold God says uh no, that was for you silly!** The first thing this book says is its much easier to pray for our children because from the first moment of their little life we want to do everything we can for them, its our mothers heart...but it says we have to take that same passion to pray for our husbands as well. No one has the same heart as a women, there is nothing like us...ON PURPOSE!!! He made us this way for a reason, use it!! So now that I have been more aggressive about prayer for the girls, I just need those same emotions for my husband and my marriage.

The second thing that all came together today is how big our God truly is. Pastor Nate preached on this today at church. And I said amen, and agreed, and understood it. But I didn't really know how to apply it until I started this book. I always felt there was no way for us to get to the place where I wanted us to be in our marriage. Don't get me wrong, its not horrible, I just want the whole fairy tale. I felt like nothing could ever change this enough....We seemed so far away from the ideal relationship, how could we ever get there??? But one line in this book made me realize. She says "You have to trust that God is big enough to accomplish all this and more." There it is. Our God is so exceedingly bigger than we could ever imagine, He can do all things. Not me, but HIM!!! I have to allow Him to show me what to say, how to react, how to respond....and things will change.

Thanks to Jacquie and Michelle for suggesting this book. If the first 5 pages are this good, I can't wait to see the rest.

Don't push that button!!!

Have you ever seen the movie Dennis the Menace with Walter Mathau? Where the kid can't help himself, every time he sees a button he HAS to push it. He tries so hard not to, but he just can't stop. Well that's how I have felt this week. I feel like everyone is pushing my buttons and just begging me to push theirs back.

But I have made a decision, a promise to God and myself that I will not give in so easily. I will not respond to every poke with a poke. I refuse to be mislead by the devil so quickly. Every time we take a step towards the right atmosphere in this house, the devil gives John these great little "pokes" to throw at me. It fires me up so much, and all I want to do is send a fiery dart right back his direction as loud and mean as I can. But I am not going to fall into that trap anymore. That is the easy way out. I am not going to do it anymore. I calmly say, that's ok, or whatever you say, or I'll try honey. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy....in fact it is horrible. Because sometimes that makes the "pokes" coming my direction get even bigger, and uglier, and harder to resist. But I will not let the devil win any longer.

Whether its my boss, my employees, my children, or my husband....I will not give in to the devil's ways any longer. I will not allow any comments to stir my spirit in a negative way. Happiness is a choice that we can make everyday....and I choose to be blissfully happy in every day that the Lord has given me to share with my family and friends!!

How do you do it??

As a working mother, I get asked all the time....how do you do it? In fact a customer of mine asked me that very question last night. She said that she got home at 730pm and was doing her "house things", and she thought of me, working all day, then going home to a husband and 3 kids...she said she had no idea how I could do it.

So I decided to stop and think about it for a minute, just how do I do it? I came up with 3 reasons or ways that I get things done. First of all, is I just decide that's what's got to be done, and do it. Once I set my mind to something, there is no other way. I just pre-plan a lot, I'm a list maker. The key to that is keeping up with the lists! But seriously, I work 50 hours a week, because it has to be done, we decided we wanted a nice home, a good place for the girls to grow up, a dependable car...so certain things have to happen to live in such a beautiful place. Yes, the cost of living is higher in WNC, but look around, how could you not love to live here!! My mom and I took the girls on the boat tour of Lake Lure on Sunday, all the tourists were saying how gorgeous the views were...I leaned into Tyler and said "and just think we LIVE here!!" It's amazing.

The second way I am able to do what I do is with a wonderful husband. I will admit John is not the perfect husband, but I don't think anyone is. I will say he is a great father, and he will do anything for these girls. Even if it means working at night so they don't have to go to a babysitter or daycare. He wants them to have the opportunities that he didn't have growing up. There are some husbands who are home during the day that want to just sit around though...not John. He has been helping with the daily mundane house junk that has to be done, he cooks, he is teaching Abigail her ABC's...I am amazed with him actually. Other than laundry, he does it all. He may not be going to church with us this point as I'd like, but it's all in God's time, not Libby's, I just have to be patient.

And the 3rd way I can do all things is through Jesus. Check out this verse I found this morning, it really sums it all up.....it's 1Peter 4:10-12
10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

That's it in a nutshell...everything I do I try to do with excellence, I do not settle for mediocre. So why not, in this short time we are here, do all they we can with everything we have in us???

Thank God for Tuesday!!

Let me just say Hallelujah it's finally Tuesday...the girls go back to school in the morning!!

Don't get me wrong, I love them all...but it is time to get back to our regular schedule. They have eaten us out of house and home. The house has been upside down for 3 weeks. I am definitely ready to get back to normal. It has been a very long break, but I think a very productive break. Apryl has learned to tie her shoes, Tyler went to a young leaders camp, and Abigail has had her big sissies around to play with. But the best part of all...me and the girls are coming together every night to agree in prayer. Tonight, I told them we would all sit down and pray for school...Tyler asked "can we each have a turn to pray about certain things for school?" ABSOLUTELY YOU CAN!!!

They are each at the point where they want to pray, they aren't afraid to. And the main reason is....because the have seen it WORK!!! They have seen healings up close and personal. But also the faith of a child is amazing. It's trusting, loving, and blind...it has no limitations. They believe that anything is possible, because it truly is! I only wish I could be as sure as they are.

I always want them to learn for me...but I hope that is one thing I can eventually learn from them.

The wind is blowing....

Things that may seem to other people as small and uneventful, are major steps for me. I am so excited about the little changes I am seeing in this household. I pray everyday for the devil to flee from here....and he is!! Don't think for a minute that I don't have to remind him everyday that he is not welcome...because he is a very stubborn adversary. But I will not allow him to have any influence over my family, my house, my children, my husband, or my life.

Here is the small step for tonight, and that's all I have to say. As we were all getting our jammies on to sit down and veg out in front of the TV for a little while Apryl says "so momma, who are we going to pray for tonight?" Not in a smart mouth, I don't want to kind of voice....but in an excited, I know things can get done when we pray kind of voice. They are getting it!!

Thank you Jesus, because I know You can and You will change this situation for your glory!

The forgotten Golden Rule

What is happening in the world today? When did we forget what it means to treat others as we would like to be treated? Again, I guess my momma just raised me better. But I just don't like the way people interact anymore, in the workplace, in stores, in schools, on TV...which bleeds over into our homes. I don't want my girls thinking its ok to scream and yell at each other, or be rude, or use words that aren't positive and uplifting. What happened to just being nice to each other because it's what we should do?

It happens everyday at work...whether its from employees or customers, it happens more times that I would like to count in a single day. Customers want to be helped and treated with respect...but only when they decide it's time. When the first arrive, they put their hands up and say in the rudest voice possible "I don't need any help, I'm just looking". Why does it have to be so hateful? Or from employees...rather than doing what's expected from them and maybe a little extra, they want to do as little as possible but demand more pay, and more days off, and more benefits. And then they spread their negativity disease to everyone else at work, they tell anybody that will listen how mistreated they are.

I don't want that for my children. I don't want them to grow up in a negative world. I don't want to shelter them either, but I want them to realize that you get more flies with honey, than you do with vinegar.

Tonight Tyler got very loud and obnoxious with me. The exact phrase was "for your information". It lit me up like a firecracker. Typically I would scream and yell, and possible spank her. Tonight, I sent her to her room first. I needed a few minutes to think, to gather myself, to decide where to go next. This week, I have been trying to approach things from a different angle, to try to achieve different results. I needed a bible verse to show her...I wanted her to know not only did I say she shouldn't talk that way, but I wanted her to know that's not what Jesus expected from her either. I went online to use a bible concordance to find something, anything that would work. I looked and looked, and wasn't finding anything. Iwas about to give up. (Of course that's what the devil wanted me to do) I tried to think of someone to call that might know one, but its a little late on Friday, and its not like this was an emergency. But wait, to me, it seemed like an emergency, it was something I wanted to handle now and I wanted to handle it the right way. Finally I came across Matthew 7:12 which says "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Thank you Jesus, I found one!!!

I called Tyler back into the room, and I asked her to bring her bible with her. I had her look up the verse. Once she found it, I asked her "what color is that verse?" She said "red". I asked her "what does that mean?" She said "that means Jesus said it". I said "exactly, then read it out loud". We discussed it, I explained to her that means if you don't want to be yelled at, or talked ugly to, or mistreated, then she shouldn't do that to others. I may not have the backup in this house that I desire....but tonight I found backup, the biggest backup of all!! I truly feel like she took it to heart. We discussed if we wanted to be more like Christ, we need to talk more like Christ to everyone around us.

Quick and to the point....

The seasons are changing outside....and they are inside as well. Every small step will eventually get us there.

You have to choose to do things differently than you ever have before. If you want to see change, it has to start with your attitude. I am determined to see in change in my house. I rebuke the devil, I banish him from this house, he has no place here. Where the glory and praise of the Lord lives, there is room for nothing else!! I will fight for this family, and anyone who gets in my way better watch out. I have set my sights on it...and I will attain it, because I am victorious!!