Happy Birthday Honey!

Today is a special day in our home. My dear husband Jim turns 47 today. I am so blessed to be married to this man... my best friend (besides Jesus) ;)

It's hard to believe we met when he was 27... sometimes it feels as if it were only yesterday!

So today dear one I wish you nothing but the richest blessings that only God can give! You are a treasure!

With Love,

WFW ~ August 27

Genesis 1:25 ~

"God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."

Here are my two babies... Jet the Whippet who's registered name is: Wildaire, Grace by Faith and my sweet, fat cat: Jasper. They are buddies and I love them both dearly!

For more Word Filled Wednesdays visit: Amy at 160 Acre Wood

Thought for the day...

"Peace has everything to do with the authority of God in our lives and nothing to do with circumstances."

I don't know where I heard this quote, but I have it written on a piece of paper and hanging over my desk in my office. Believe me, being a real estate agent in this tough real estate market - I look at that quote daily!

I was having a discussion with some colleagues this morning who are also Christians. We talked about how the Lord is really encouraging us to trust Him to provide for us as we navigate this tough market. We trust He will provide us what we need and will direct our paths. Yes, we have the peace that passes all understanding and I thank Him today for that!

Come to me if you are weary...

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
~ Matthew 11:28

The words of that particular verse resonated in my soul last night. I was fortunate enough to see Joyce Meyer as her summer conference brings her to Indianapolis. Last week, my dear friend Tonja invited me along. Now let me digress a bit. I have not been home one night this week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday not home... staying up late watching the Olympics, certain time of the month (sorry hope that doesn't offend) etc. I am exhausted. Yesterday morning I got an email from Tonja about the time frame for Thursday's conference. I responded back telling her I wasn't sure if I could go. I was exhausted. I needed some rest and felt another night away from home would do me in. Especially since I was going to be away from home Friday night and ALL Day Saturday. It looked as if rest was no where in sight. I have to tell you, the bags under my eyes looked like I could check them on an airline flight.

Well, the Holy Spirit definitely was at work on my heart, and boy was I battling a bit with God. I'm tired, I don't want to go, I want to stay home and relax... but I didn't want to let my friend down. We both had been talking about our desert walk this summer! So, reluctantly I went.

I have to tell you when I was first sitting in Conseco Fieldhouse, the back ground noise of thousands of chattering people, I was alone with my God. Tears welling up in my eyes, the dam broke. A flood of hurts were falling out of my heart. The hurt of a broken friendship, the worries of caring for an ailing parent, being strong for my husband during the sadness of his father's failing health, the tough real estate market I work in... the hurts of my heart pouring out on Jesus and he catching every tear. (all of this before the conference even started) My exhaustion wasn't just physical, it was emotional. Actually I knew that, but I believe I was just keeping the proverbial "stiff upper lip".

Come to me... those words of Jesus, the invitation... all who are weary and burdened - ME... and I will give you rest! Ah, the comfort of resting in Jesus. That rest I so desparately needed... I got it! I rested in Jesus!

Dearest Jesus, in you is peace. In you I rest. In you I am given the strength to navigate in this fallen world. You are my hope, you are the hope that never disappoints me. Come Lord Jesus, be my rest....
Amen

The Spider in Church

Two weeks ago during church while the Epistle Lesson was being read, my niece Stephanie and I became distracted. Out of the corner of our eyes we noticed movement on the floor. Yes, it was one of those icky, hairy, scary spiders. Not your little, itsy, bitsy spider that crawls up the water spout, but a spider that makes your skin crawl. The spider continued his journey under the pew and disappeared from our sight. Where was he? What was he up to? Was he waiting to crawl on a sandaled foot and prompt a scream during church? Wouldn't that have been interesting! Steph and I immediately lifted our feet off the ground and held them up, and of course looking to see where this spider was going to end up. All the while we were missing the reading. After the Epistle came the Gospel reading and of course we had to put our feet down and stand up. We kept looking for that darn spider. I asked Steph "would it be wrong to squish a spider in church?" We were so caught up in that spider that we missed hearing God's Word. I thought about that later in the day. Isn't that just like Satan... to distract us so we don't hear God. We were so worried about what that spider would do to us that we didn't hear what God wanted us to hear!

~ 1 Peter 5:8 - 9a
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith...

I wasn't alert, I was distracted. Satan is prowling around looking to distract and devour us. We must resist satan's distractions. We must also resist being so focused on finding satan and what he's up to that we lose focus on God. Be alert, be steeped with the Spirit to discern what is God and what is satan. Do we become so vigilent in watching for Satan that we forget to focus on Jesus and miss what God wants for us? Are we so worried about whent the next attack will come that we become paralyzed with fear?

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
~ James 4:7

Satan will continue to prowl, he will continue to distract us that we can be sure of. What we can also be sure of is this: God won, God wins and with God we win! Be alert not distracted! The Lord your God is on your side!

WFW

I have to echo the verse I printed on my post yesterday and use it for WFW.
I have a picture of my new Great Niece.

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
~James 1:17a

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice...

At 2:04am, August 12, 2008 I officially became a Great Aunt. Since Jim and I aren't able to have children, this is the closest we will get to be grandparents. We are over the moon! Our sweet niece Becky and her darling husband Dan welcomed Madison Grace into the world. 7lbs 9oz of pure sugar!!!!

Becky and Dan moved to South Carolina a few months ago, so it will be a while before I can cuddle our sweet girl, and give lots of kisses...

Praising and thanking God today for a healthy girl, a safe delivery and the newest addition to our family!

Every good and perfect gift is from above...
~ James 1:17a

Word Filled Wednesday

I have a calendar that hangs over my desk. I just flipped from July to August... this is the verse that is on the August photo. I think God knew I needed this verse on August 6th not on August 1st! Yes Lord, ALL my trust is put in You!!!

Dog Days of Summer...

1. The hot, sultry period of summer between early July and early September.
2. A period of stagnation.

The phrase "Dog Days" conjures up the hottest, most sultry days of summer. Heat, humidity, withering grass, faded flowers...

The term "Dog Days" was coined by the ancient Romans, who called these days caniculares dies (days of the dogs) after Sirius (the "Dog Star"), the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun.
Popularly believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" - Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813.

Well, I am not sure if I suffer from fevers, hysterics (ahem... don't listen to my husband) and phrensies... however, stagnation... that is a term I feel I have become familiar with. Lately I feel as if I have been wandering the desert, sort of a Spiritual Dog Days of Summer for me. Going through the motions, asking God for things rather than asking Him to fill me up! My plate has been full, my sandals dusty and my soul parched.

Last Thursday in the wee hours of the morning I felt the thick layer of dust begin be washed off by a Heavenly bath. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how tired I had become. How spiritually exhuasted I felt. Worrying about my husband while we walk the path of his father in law's illness these past few months as well as my own sadness over the nearness of losing a loved one. Worrying about the real estate market and the ups and downs of this year, getting up, going to work, taking a break from Bible study - it's summer after all, and I needed a break. (wonder who filled my head w/ that notion? - One guess) coming home, eating dinner, going to bed, and the cycle started all over again. Where was God? Right there... where was I? Obviously not there! I needed living water, I needed manna from heaven... I needed Him to fill me up... and I needed to ask! He was right there waiting, wondering why I have started walking a bit out of sync with Him. I was the one who didn't turn up for class. The candle wasn't burning so bright as I was burning out.

But then, in the dark of the early morning, He heard my cry... He soothed this parched spirit and gave me peace. I already had that Living Water... I have Jesus. I have my manna from Heaven - He has given me all I need. The roof over my head, food for my table, clothing for my body. He has given me His Word... my instruction book. Nothing can happen that the Lord and I can't handle together! This heart of mine overflowed...

Almighty God, You are what I need, my Oasis in this desert I walk in . As I stumbled on the sandy soil, You were there to lift me up. Oh how I love You for that. I thank You Father for the gift of Your Spirit. I thank You for showing me that I needed to ask you to feel me up as my tank was running on empty! I thank Him for pursuing me so I could realize I NEED YOU LORD! I am desperate for you... I am lost without you.

Amen