Happy Almost December | He changes the seasons!

Well, you can tell that it's almost December here now! 

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”--Genesis 8:22 (ESV)

I'm Still Here!

Hi y'all!  Just wanted to let you know I'm still here.  It has been crazy.  I just haven't thought of any good, inspiring posts lately.  I think it's because I've been so busy that I haven't been spending as much time with God as I need to be.  We all know how it is.  Of course, my last post was the post on Worry.  I was worried.  Then, I had a couple good days when I wasn't worried any more.  Then, I might have worried a little bit more.  And now, my hubby's trip is almost over.  He did land in a bush once.  I didn't hear that from my hubby, though.  I heard it from one of his friends on Facebook.  My hubby said it was a really funny story.  So. . . .I look forward to hearing it.  He is actually on his way back to Salt Lake City tonight to fly back home. 

My kids have been crazy.  Logan has given me lots and lots of reasons to not trust him lately.  This is something I'm going to have to start really praying fervently about.  It's small things that to Logan aren't a big deal.  But, to me, they are huge things.  And the bad part is, that I can't stop being a "nag" about it.  I wish I could just shut my mouth!!  Okay.  You guys might laugh at me.  But, these things really do signal to me that he's trying to be sneaky.  It started a couple months ago when I found a bag of my white chocolate chips hidden in his room.  Then, we were cleaning his room a couple weeks ago and I found a bag of my dark chocolate chips hidden in his room.  If you follow my Heartfelt Balance Handmade Life blog, you might remember my Sneaky Little Food Hider post.  He had been hiding his good-for-you food everywhere!  So, he's hiding the good-for-you food to NOT eat it, and then he's hiding the sweet stuff to eat it.  

Then, a couple weeks ago, I started finding unfinished homework hidden under the couches and ottomans.  He can't stand doing homework.  I'm not sure he understands yet, why it's important.  This is the one that I've become a huge "nag" about.  

Last week, Jaycee and I left one afternoon to go to the grocery store and my hubby was working outside.  So, Logan was inside by himself.  Later that night, we found 10 candy bar wrappers underneath the ottoman.  He had climbed up on the counter and gotten Halloween candy off the top of the fridge.

Yesterday, I found a wrapper from one of our big Malley's candies in his room.  That one, I think Logan and Jaycee snuck together.  But, my point is, that I've had the trust conversation with him over and over and over again and he still keeps doing stuff.  Maybe he figures that since there is hardly any trust there anyway, he should just keep doing stuff.  But, truthfully, I don't think he thinks about the trust when he's sneaking stuff.  I guess it's just a maturity thing that he doesn't have yet.  When do kids develop that sense of responsibility?

As I said, I'm just going to have to start praying fervently about it.  I'm just not sure which way to go from here.  It might just be an age thing.  I know he's a good boy.  I am just making too big of a deal about this?  I'm unsure of what kind of consequences are suitable for this.  I do know that from now on, he has to open his school bag in front of me, so that I know where the food and homework are going.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here.  And that I really need to get back into my devotions and everything else.  'Cause I can't do this alone! 

Worry

I'm at a place where I'm letting irrational fear seep into my thoughts.  I know that worrying means that I don't trust God, but I can't shake this feeling right now!  So, I could use some extra prayers from you guys.  Pray for me to have peace and to be able to trust God fully.  My hubby will be going on a jumping trip at the end of this week.  He'll be jumping off the cliffs in Utah.  Cliffs just scare me more than bridges.  

He's been out there before.  I was with him the first time.  And I was pregnant with Logan at the time.  So, I stayed in the condo a lot and slept.  I did see him jump off two cliffs that time.  He's smart, cautious and doesn't usually take risks that he's not comfortable with.  And none of that even matters.  It's how I'm dealing with it.  How, I'm not really trusting right now. 

Worry leads to nothing.  It helps nothing.  It can't make anything good or bad happen.  Well, it can make bad happen, but not because the worry itself makes bad happen.  The worry changes my attitude and makes me perceive things wrong and alienate people.  None of that sounds good, right?

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."--Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."--Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)

Which things cause you to worry?  How much better is your life when you can put all of your worries into the Lord's hands?

Thankful Thursday

It's that time of week, when I put into writing at least 5 things for which I'm thankful.

• Thankful for little girls who fall asleep on me.
• Thankful I didn't hurt myself trying out my Heelys.  ;)
• Thankful for a husband who works so hard.  .  .  and still loves me and is attracted to me and who just told me this week that he loves how "strong-willed" I am.
• Thankful for a little boy who has such a kind nature.
• Thankful for the absolutely gorgeous weather we had yesterday.
• Thankful for both of my kids' teachers.
• Thankful that my husband and I are still the most important things in our kids' lives.  I know it won't last very long!  (or at least they won't let on that we are)
• Thankful for good friends that encourage and support me!
• Thankful to be able to see a child's progress and his smile when he feels good about himself and is proud of his accomplishments.  (Not my own)

 "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)

What things are you guys thankful for?

Joy

According to Biblegateway.com (one of my favorite sites for looking up Bible verses), the word "Joy" or any of it's forms is mentioned 242 times in the New International Version of the Bible. 

I was going to post my favorite verses, but I found this Psalm instead.  And it struck a note with me today, especially since the last post was about Faith.  I think the beginning of this Psalm speaks a lot to why we should Faith that He exists.  The whole world speaks to His glory!

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
 They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
 It rises at one end of the heavens
   and makes its circuit to the other;
   nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 The law of the LORD is perfect,
   refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
   making wise the simple.
 The precepts of the LORD are right,
   giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
   giving light to the eyes.
 The fear of the LORD is pure,
   enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
   and all of them are righteous.

  They are more precious than gold,
   than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
   than honey from the honeycomb.
 By them your servant is warned;
   in keeping them there is great reward.
 But who can discern their own errors?
   Forgive my hidden faults.
 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
   may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
   innocent of great transgression.

 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
   be pleasing in your sight,
   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."--Psalm 19:1-14 (NIV)

I hope you have a joyful day!

Faith

One of my readers commented asking me how I knew God was there.  Not because she doubted my faith, but because she wanted to know how to find her own.  And that is such a hard question to answer.  I have just always had faith that He exists.  Sure, I was raised to believe that.  But, at a certain point, your faith has to come from within you.  When our parents raise us to believe, that comes from outside of ourselves.  That comes from someone telling us that He exists.  At some point, it has to be something that comes from inside.  And faith is something that is deeply personal for each person.  I can not tell someone to believe and I can not tell someone the reasons that I believe and expect them to all of a sudden start believing.  Believe me, I know this point very well!

I'm not even sure if there was a point when my faith switched from being externally-driven to internally-driven.  There had to be a point, but I don't know when it was.

I believe because some of my prayers have been answered.  They might not have been answered the way I expected them to be answered, but they were answered.  Just as an example, during my second pregnancy I prayed that I wouldn't have to have a C-section and that I wouldn't have tearing as bad as I did with my first pregnancy.  I ended up having a 10 pound baby without C-section and less tearing than I did with my 7 pound baby.  This is just one example.  If I had to sit down and think about every prayer of mine that has been answered in one way or another, I'm sure I would have an entire list.  But, some of my friends who aren't quite believers always ask me for examples of how my prayers have been answered.  So, this is one specific time that I can remember.  I'm sure I have had countless prayers answered, including prayers that I didn't even realize I was praying.  But, this one stands out in my mind, that's why I use it as an example.

I believe because I just can't believe that there's not when I see all of the beauty in the world.  From the mountains, to all of the variety of animals, to how many different cultures, to the fact that the sun rises and sets each day. . . 

As I said, everyone has their own reasons to believe and it is personal for each person.

Here are some quotes about faith that I love!

"Childlike Faith focuses on our Heavenly Father--not on our fears" -- I love this one.  To me, it doesn't talk about faith that God exists, so much as it talks about faith that He'll be with you and help you.  I love that it says to focus on Him.  Too many times we get caught up in our problems instead of handing them over to Him.

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen"--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see"--William Newton Clark

When people ask you about faith, why do you tell them that you believe?