Rest

I started my week on Sunday seeking some answers from the Word on fighting spiritual battles. I believe the bible teaches us that the battle that we are fighting is a spiritual one, using weapons that are different from the traditional "weapons". Fighting is real. The battle is real. But as I was seeking answers from God on some things I was struggling with, the verses that I was directed to very specifically talked about letting our God FIGHT FOR US! Frankly, I was so relieved. I get so tired, but God reminds me to STAND FIRM and watch the Lord deliver me. The Lord will fight for me; I need only BE STILL! (Ex. 14:14) He also tells me to not be afraid because he is going before me to FIGHT FOR ME. The Lord has CARRIED ME, as a father carries a son (daughter). (Deut. 1:31)

I don't know about you, but that brings a beautiful mental picture to mind! What daughter doesn't want to be carried by her daddy, especially when things are a little (or a lot) scary. Wow! These were the verses the Lord knew that I needed this week.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Awesome!

It's Friday!

Yea! It's Friday! I have spent a large portion of this week at work studying for an exam that will allow me to get my insurance license. Whew, there is a lot of info to study, but I think I am getting there. Hopefully next week I can finish the studying up and take the test soon after. I'm not sure how long most people take to study for this thing, but I'm tired of studying and ready to take the silly thing!

Tonight is a fun girl night, working on my albums at our Friday crop, then the usual Saturday filled with soccer, grocery store and topped off with dinner at a some friends' house! We end the weekend by getting to join with our friends for a great time of worship at church and a small group gathering of worship and praise on Sunday PM. Looking forward to some fun times and some restful times this weekend!

What's on your weekend calendar?

The Race Is On!

The race was lots of fun for JP and Ken. JP is ready to move up to the 25 miles next year.

A Must Read... No Excuses

I had an unbelievably busy week, but had (no took) some time this weekend to finish a fantastic, life changing book. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is called Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I literally could not put it down. There were so many quotes in the book that were unbelievable. I kept reading them to Ken, then finally told him I would stop so he could read it himself! Go to the library today and check it out!

Ken and JP finished the bike race yesterday! It was an early morning, but lots of great memories for all of us! I'll post some pics later.

School Is In Session

Well, it's finally here. The boys started school today. They each said they had a good day and seem as excited as can be expected for a 13 and 10 year old. We are so blessed to be able to have our kids at a great christian school. We are thankful for their teachers and for the staff that they come in contact with daily.

On another note... why do normal parents with a good head on their shoulders make themselves get the cheapest cell phone offered, but will shell out the big bucks so their 13 year old can have the phone he wants. Hmmm...

On a third note... I am in my third week of a new job and am enjoying it! My boss is a christian man who we have known for many years. He has let me choose my hours, so I chose to work during school hours. This makes the whole getting the kids to and from school so much easier! The Lord has always provided what we need and usually exactly what we want... so blessed!

Anyone else want to share a recent blessing?

A Biking Adventure

Ken and JP have been preparing to ride in the big bike race here in town. The race is really a big deal (100 miles), and it brings many, many people to our little city. Ken and JP are going to ride in the smallest version of the race (10K), so they have been taking many 10K practice runs in recent evenings. Tonight I needed a little exercise since I have not been doing my usual walking. So we set out on the city bike trail, headed for the lake. About 2.5 miles in, I noticed I was getting farther and farther away from the guys and it was getting harder to keep up. Then I noticed a weird rhythmic sound coming from somewhere beneath me. Well, I'm no biking expert, but I soon realized I had no air in my back tire! JP was disappointed because we were so close to the turnaround point which is a HUGE hill at the dam that he loves to ride down. So while Ken and I relaxed on a bench by the trail, JP took off on his adventure.

Upon his return, we decided the tire was too flat for anyone to ride on, but of course we were at the most deserted part of the trail, so we decided Ken would speed home, get the truck and come get us. I volunteered to push the bike up to the main road where there was an oasis (Sonic!) and JP decided to stay with me. I assumed he would ride his bike, even if he turned back around a few times to stay nearby. But, sweet JP said he would just push his bike with me since we hadn't got to visit much today (smiling Mom moment). So Ken took off and we pushed, and pushed, and pushed. Funny, it seemed like the main road was so much closer when we were riding:). We finally made it to the Sonic about dark, sat on a bench and waited about one minute until our rescuer came for us! Of course, we couldn't leave without a little refreshment! Whew, what a ride!

I Have Been Blessed

This week is a week of reflection for me. On August 6, 2007, I received the most devastating news of my life. I had lost my father in an accident. So, as you can imagine, I have been thinking about him a lot this week. I've shed a few tears, and I'm sure more will come, but the overwhelming emotion I am feeling is gratitude!

I have been so blessed in my life in many ways, one of which is the blessing of loving and nurturing parents. I think for many years I took this for granted, thinking all kids grew up the way I did. But I now realize that many, many people were not so blessed!

So this post is dedicated to my sweet daddy and my precious and beautiful mom, who has shown me what perseverance and faith really mean this year. I love you, Mom, and you are on my heart every day!

Love this pic of Mom and Dad on vacation a couple of years ago!