Perfect Pairings ~ Psalms 8:1-9

When I consider your heavens, the work of Your FINGERS, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your HANDS; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Psalms 8:1-9

(This is Abby's little friend "Sarah" that she was introducing me to...created by putting a Polly Pockets dress & wig on and coloring a face on her finger! LOL :) )

A Fitting Prayer

I was doing my morning Bible Reading from the Asbury Prayer Journal and came across this Psalm. I was so moved by it as it is such a FITTING PRAYER! I put in ( )'s some personal footnotes.

A Psalm of David.

1I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you.

2Let my prayer be counted as incense before you (help me pray for YOUR WILL to be done rather than my own), and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

3Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips (Give me the Fruit of the Spirt of Self Control...and along with that some love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness & faithfulness).

4Do not turn my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with those who work iniquity; do not let me eat of their delicacies (help me monitor what I watch on T.V., read in literature, listen to on the radio, and see at the Theatre...help me choose things that honor You..."whatever you do, do as unto the Lord").

5Let the righteous strike me; let the faithful correct me (help me to humble myself and take instruction and direction). Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds (help me be set apart...to be in the world, but not of it).

6When they are given over to those who shall condemn them, then they shall learn that my words were pleasant (may my words be Your Word).

8But my eyes are turned towards You, O God, my Lord (I fix my eyes on You in all that I do, say, think); in You I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless (fill me with Your Holy Spirit).

When We Were Young

My niece is writing her first research paper. She is in the 5th grade. I made the mistake of looking at her and saying "When I was your age we played outside until dark and didnt stay cooped in the house writing research papers, that is what middle school is for". This sparked a conversation that provoked a lot of thought on my end. As I shook my head and thought, "My how things have changed". I started telling my niece what things were like when I was a kid. Here are some great ones.
We had to fast forward through entire songs to get to the next one
If you werent home to answer the phone then you werent going to talk on it
We showed up at people's houses just to see if they were home and to say hey
We were allowed to ride our bikes all over town and played until the sun went down
Our video games had wires attached so you had to sit close to the tv
Our female role models wore LOTS of clothes and didnt have to go to rehab
We would race home in the afternoons to watch our favorite cartoons and get up early on Saturday to do the same
Cereal came with toys IN the box, you didnt have to send away for it
We wrote letters to our friends at school, we didnt text them
Our computers came with 1 screen color (usually green or orange).
The Oregon Trail was the BEST computer game EVER!!
We never wore helmets when we rode bikes and we are fine
We had our birthday parties at the skating rink or at someone's house
We opened presents at our parties in front of our friends (its weird that they dont anymore I got this email this morning and it prompted me to finish this blog post that I've been thinking about for a weekWhen we were young (its for older generations but some still apply)First, we survived being born to mothers Who smoked and/or drank while they were Pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode Our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day Was always a special treat. We drank water From the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, From one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY? Because we were Always outside playing...that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, As long as we were back when the Streetlights came on. No one was able To reach us all day. And, we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps And then ride them down the hill, only to find out We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's or X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, No cell phones, No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS And we went outside and found them!We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth And there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, And the worms did not live in us Forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, Although we were told it would happen, We did not put out very many eyes.. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just Walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal With disappointment. Imagine that!!

Perfect Pairings ~ Psalms 26:6-7

I go around your altar, O LORD, proclaiming THANKSGIVING aloud,
and telling of all your wondrous deeds.
Psalms 26:6-7

What would we do without you...

Just wanted to say how incredibly GRATEFUL I am for all the friends and family who have helped us make it through the past week and days to come. I truly don't know how we would do it without all the prayers, meals, e-mails, cards, phone calls, helps with rides, etc.

My hubby has risen to a level I have never seen. I knew he was a great Dad, but he has exceeded my expectations in being an AMAZING Nurse too. He has cared for my EVERY need for several days straight. He gets me in and out of the recliner, covers me with blankets, walks me to the bathroom, brushes my hair, wakes in the middle of the night to give me my medication, etc. It has made me fall more and more in love him. Nothing is sexier than a man who is willing to serve you when you are at your weakest.

Yesterday (Monday) was a BIG day for me. I was able to get out of the recliner by myself for the first time in days. I had my first post-op appt and got my drains removed...was so scared about that procedure, but it turned out much less painful than I anticipated (PTL!). And the best news of all was that I was able to take my first shower in 5 days! My precious Mom stayed with me and helped me get in and out of the shower and then dried and straightened my hair for me. Oooooh, it felt SO GOOD to freshen up and get my hair done. I was afraid birds were going to start nesting in my hair before long!

Today is my first day to be alone all day. I think I'm going to be okay. I still walk like an elderly woman, but I can get up and down by myself now. Still no bending or lifting. My dirty floors are driving my banana's...but, I'm trying to let it go. I can finally sit in a normal chair for a short bit without killing my incision area. I do have lots of back pain, not sure if it's from sleeping in a recliner or from the way I have to walk bent over. Either way, I'm sure it will subside soon.
I get my sutures out this Thursday....little nervous about that as my belly button feels very sensitive, lots of nerve endings. That's where the hernia was repaired. Still a bit swollen.

I went and looked at some pre-pictures we took...it reassured me that I have definitely done the right thing. That belly button was crazy looking! I'm actually going to have a normal belly button again...don't think I have seen one of those since before having Owen, maybe even before Ella. The hernia distorted it in a really funky way.

I have to give a shout out to modern medicine, and the ability to give a Mom of Four a second chance at normalcy. My surgeon is a wonderful Christian Man who has taken very good care of me. After three long years of struggling with all of this, it is so relieving to know that the worst is behind me. Healing and restoration are my future. Praise be to God who is our ultimate Healer!

Perfect Pairings ~ Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1

The Night Before...

Here I am at 9:34 p.m.

Four kids down. Laundry Done. Still have some ironing I'd like to do, but we'll see.
B'day gifts wrapped. Little people outfits picked out...even ballet attire for Thursday night's class.

Drank my magnesium citrate and inserted something else (won't go into details) this afternoon. Went much smoother than I imagined.

Starving. Desperately wanting to eat the scrumptious dinner my dear friend S brought over tonight...but no can do. No food for me from 2 p.m. today until tomorrow night. BIG UGH.

In case you didn't know, I'm having surgery tomorrow morning. Basically I'm having repaired what 4 full term babies in 7 years did to this petite body of mine. Did you know when I lean back I have what looks like a banana pop out of my belly?! Yep...it's likened to a freak show. And, oh...you should see me do a push up...as my lil sis said..."Wow, that looks like an alien!" Cool stuff I tell ya. :)

I'm ready. I'm scared. I'm prepared. I'm nervous. I've waited almost three years to do this. I'm not prepared... I don't know what I am.

My hubby's been out of town since 7 a.m. Sunday morning. Was supposed to be home right about now. Flight got delayed. Another BIG UGH. Hoping he gets here around 11:30 p.m. tonight.

Speaking of tonight, I will be taking a Tylenol p.m. to help assure some sleep occurs. Mind will be racing...

Oh how I will miss my morning bowl of oatmeal and big cup of coffee.

Have I mentioned that I have the MOST AMAZING friends & family ever! Sweet words, prayers, thoughts, meals, help with nino's, you name it. I feel overly abundantly to the max BLESSED to know who I know and to be loved by them.

Off to work on more of my TO DO list...makes me feel a little more ready. :)

Perfect Pairings ~ Isaiah 58:7

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Isaiah 58:7

{ Perfect Pairings" is a fun and easy way to blog. Just find a picture you like and then pair it with a scripture...or, vice versa, think of a scripture and try to find a picture to fit its theme. Then, post your link in the comment section below. What a great way to share a picture, and at the same time, honor God with His Word. LOVE it! }

Gotta Listen!

Been wanting to blog about this for weeks now, but never got to it.

While attending Vicki Courtney's "YOU & YOUR GIRL" event http://www.lifeway.com/ev/events_detail_mainpage/0,2232,E=153&M=200979,00.html a couple months back...she mentioned a preacher that she loved to download podcasts from and listen to while she ran. Well, I had already been doing that with Mark Batterson (awesome author of "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day".) http://theaterchurch.com/However, just one sermon a week wasn't enough for 2-3 runs. Needed more!

So, my ears perked up and as soon as I got home I went and downloaded a few of his sermons. This guy is THE BOMB! And, I mean ANOINTED in a BIG & WONDERFUL way!!
He is exactly my age and has three young children, which I think adds to the connectivity. He is wise, witty, real, grounded, funny, intelligent, a lover of family, well read, the list goes on and on. I'm tellin' you...you GOTTA LISTEN!

Please take the time to download at least one sermon...you can play it on an I-Home...on your Computer...on your I-Pod...whatever.

Just LISTEN.

It's so challenging to sit and read the Bible for 30 minutes...

This is a creative way to get GOD'S WORD in your heart while still feeling "productive". For me, it's a run...for you, it may be doing dishes...or working on the computer. In fact, now that the weather is turning colder (well, not this week...but soon)...I will be listening to him in my office on my lil' ghetto blaster (yea...they still make them...just smaller and more attractive now).
We simply can't get enough of God's Love Letter to us...

Life is hard...but God is Good. It's much easier to see that God is Good when we have his Word hidden in our heart. I don't know about you, but I can't survive without it. His promises are what motivate me to live...and to live is Christ.

I Timothy 4:13, "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching."
Are you DEVOTED??

His name: MATT CHANDLER
The church: THE VILLAGE CHURCH
The link...NOW GO!
http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/sermons

(oh, and do come back and let me know whatcha think...pretty please)