My Outlet

So, yah, this is my outlet. :) I am re-posting this Oswald Chambers devotion because I LOVE it. I love that my God brought me to this place where, because of His great love I am able to say I love Him with my whole heart. I hope and pray this for my children and for you, have you fallen head over heals in love with your Savior? Have you seen what He has saved you from? Do you realize? Have you come face to face with your sin and seen the ugliness of it and then when you feel repulsive in every way, felt the Lord's loving embrace? It is a blessed thing. This is the place I come to when I pray to the Lord for my children, 'whatever it takes'. Because this prayer is a frightful thing when you think of the possibilities of what it might take to bring someone to the point of humbling themselves before the Lord and finding freedom. Salvation. Peace. Joy.

But it is a prayer worth praying. And with a catch in my throat and tears in my eyes, this I pray for my children. 

I love this story. She comes to show her great gratitude and love for what her Lord has done for her. How He  abundantly loves her, forgives her, redeems her, defends her... He loves her. 

 Have you experienced His love for you? Its the same deep, fierce, wonderful, abundant love. His love for us is with abandon, may ours for Him be without reservation. Wild. Crazy. Willing. We will do foolish things for human love, may we that much more for our Creator, our Redeemer, our Savior. 

Subject: Do You Really Love Him?

She has done a good work for Me —Mark 14:6

If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love.

Have you ever been driven to do something for God not because you felt that it was useful or your duty to do so, or that there was anything in it for you, but simply because you love Him? Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things— things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus? “She has done a good work for Me.”

There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him. To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. “. . . but perfect love casts out fear . . .” once we are surrendered to God (1 John 4:18). We should quit asking ourselves, “Am I of any use?” and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.

- My Utmost For His Highest

Ahh, Valentines Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

In the spirit of said day and love and mush and hearts and kisses and hugs and such, 

I will wax poetic a bit.

I don't know how or where it started but John and I have started sayings things like, 

"I love doing life with you"

Its a great blessing to be going through the 'day-by-day' with someone beside you. 

Doing the thang, the nitty gritty, the daily grind.

Flowers, chocolate, even jewelry are all nice to receive. But they are meaningless without the

  daily-I-am-in-this-with-you kind of love.

Which means, I will do what is needed with love because we are in this together. 

I am in this with you and I am glad!

I will gladly rub your back even though I am tired too. 

I will grocery shop and make dinner and do laundry day after day.

I will forgive when this doesn't happen.

I will stop at the store on the way home for milk so that you don't have to go out one more time. 

I will not snap at you.

I will forgive you for snapping.

I will smile at you, even when I don't feel like smiling.

I will hug you even when you are sick or grumpy or aren't feeling beautiful.

I will pay the bills.

I will think the best of you and speak the best about you.

I will jump in and make dinner because you aren't feeling well.

I will get up at the crack of dawn and go to work.

I will go to work day after day and even Saturdays.

I will help with the kids because I love them and I love you.

I will stay in it with you and work with you to get through the rough times.

These are just some of ours, everyone has their own daily life things to do together 

with and for each other to show love. 

I love my husband. 

He is so good at loving me.

Here's to another Valentine's Day, hope yours is sweet!

SIDE-NOTE:

Phoebe has some friends who are living with broken families. She asked me what would happen if her daddy and I got divorced. She said it would be really sad, she would be really sad. Thankfully, I was able to assure her that we will never get a divorce. We have been through enough to know that if we weren't going to stay in this it would have already happened. Not that there won't be more rough times ahead but we are ...in it to win it. :) So I was able to tell Phoebe without an ounce of doubt, we will not divorce. A week later she brought it up one more time and said, I know you are not going to divorce, but I am just saying, if you did, I would cry like heck forever. 

I know, baby... I know. 

Thank You, Lord for teaching us how to love. Thank You that we love because You loved us first. 

Thank You for giving us strength. 

In Jesus' name, Amen.

This -N- That

Ellie is watching some football with her Daddy.

So dang cute.

The boys are trying to break up the ice and clear the way to the drain for the river of runoff. 

The girls are decorating Valentine's Boxes. 

Betcha they've captured a few hearts, I mean who couldn't love these cuties?

Bravo

Our sweet, precious beautiful children keep making it onto the honor roll... something to make a deal out of! The thought came to me today, I don't remember ever being on the honor roll. I only recall hating school and usually not doing my best. Skating by...
I told Ellie I am proud of her for being on the Honor Roll and that I didn't remember ever being on it. She said, Oh that's sad...we're smarter than Mommy.
Ah, humility.