February has a lot in store for our family. I love February for several reasons and the oldest reason is because it's my birthday month. You notice I say "oldest" reason. It is no longer "a" reason because my little girl was born exactly 21 days before my 28th birthday. =) We share a birthday month and it's wonderful!!! My little sassafrass will be 8 years old on Friday and frankly, I am happy and thankful and excited but at the same time I think I need to file a complaint and report a robbery of about the last 6 to 7 years. Where was I? Surely it didn't go by that fast?! Did someone unfreeze me from a coma? I cannot comprehend how quickly my children grow up. Colton will be ten this year....in six more months. WOW! I am so unprepared for them growing up. When they were babies I read so many books about parenting and raising children in a Godly home. I have failed miserably and I have said for a long time that my children should know how to apologize and ask for forgiveness because that is one thing I have had to do so much in their childhood. Being accountable for my actions is very freeing. I can admit when I am wrong and ask for forgiveness....heaven knows I have had a lot of practice!!! I always pray God would protect my children from my mistakes as a parent. I love them so much and want so much for them. I want holiness for them. I want obedience in Christ for them. I want their hearts to be filled with love for the weak, lost and hurting in this world and for their desire to be solely on what Christ's will is for their lives.
Thank you Father for loaning me the most precious children....I am a proud Mama and a humble child of God. I love you Father!!!
I am My Fathers Daugher,
Shanna
Monday, February 1, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
What should I say?
It's not that I don't know what to say, I just don't know what to say right now. Or now. That's impossible, though! I have millions of thoughts racing through my mind and not one of them seems to stick. Hhhmmmm.
Interesting to say the least. I am pondering the events that have taken place today and I wonder to myself, exactly 'when' did I buckle myself in this roller coaster and give the carnival man the unspoken nod of "I'm set. You may proceed to the next fool, uh, I mean, unwilling rider behind me." I can't say I recall that moment. And so is life... I never signed the consent form nor gave my verbal okay that I would ride this roller coaster and end up on January 28, 2010. And I'm glad my consent wasn't needed nor my unspoken nod of approval. One day I just started remembering. I started remembering and there I was. I was 2 or 3 years old in Brookhaven, MS, with a beautiful Mother, a really tall and handsome Dad and a red bulldog named Ike. (Please understand that Daddy wasn't really that tall, 5'7", and Ike was actually a boston terrior but to me he was a bulldog.) I was set. I didn't need anything and pretty much everything went my way. Life was good. I set my own schedule, according to me I did anyway, and if I didn't want to do it then I guess I didn't! I guess my first unpleasant memory was that terrible ear-ache of 76. Or was it 77? Nevertheless, I still remember. And here I am today. I'm still riding. I'm still buckled in and the ride has been....well, a roller coaster!
You know, those things are really unpredictible. Roller coasters that is. Yes, you see the route you will be taking, analyze the risk versus the fun and thus make the decision to wait in that long, very long line to buy the ticket that will supposingly either scare you to death or give you an adreneline rush like none other. The ride of life, well, there's no ticket line for that roller coaster. See, a higher power, well, actually The Great I AM, decided long before the earth was ever created that I had a seat with my name on it on this roller coaster called LIFE. I didn't have to wait in line to buy a ticket. I didn't have to give my consent, verbal okay, unspoken nod of approval or call 911 to express my discontentment with how this ride of LIFE is actually going. One day I remembered. And thus my "known" journey on this roller coaster ride of LIFE began.
It's awesome that I have lived long enough to know the risks of this ride, the high's, the low's and I must admit that I'm glad I wasn't given an option. Because I know that no matter where this ride takes me, that I'm not alone. Hebrews 13:5 says "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you." Cool, huh?
And yes, I do need and want a break quite often but I remember that God says in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Whew! He has overcome the world. Because on November 4, 1982, I gave my life to Christ as an 8 1/2 year old little girl I was washed white as snow by the blood of Jesus. He is my pilot. Everytime I have a trial, an obstical, hurt, sorrow, tears and pain, I remember, I am not alone. And neither are you....
I am, my Father's Daughter.
Interesting to say the least. I am pondering the events that have taken place today and I wonder to myself, exactly 'when' did I buckle myself in this roller coaster and give the carnival man the unspoken nod of "I'm set. You may proceed to the next fool, uh, I mean, unwilling rider behind me." I can't say I recall that moment. And so is life... I never signed the consent form nor gave my verbal okay that I would ride this roller coaster and end up on January 28, 2010. And I'm glad my consent wasn't needed nor my unspoken nod of approval. One day I just started remembering. I started remembering and there I was. I was 2 or 3 years old in Brookhaven, MS, with a beautiful Mother, a really tall and handsome Dad and a red bulldog named Ike. (Please understand that Daddy wasn't really that tall, 5'7", and Ike was actually a boston terrior but to me he was a bulldog.) I was set. I didn't need anything and pretty much everything went my way. Life was good. I set my own schedule, according to me I did anyway, and if I didn't want to do it then I guess I didn't! I guess my first unpleasant memory was that terrible ear-ache of 76. Or was it 77? Nevertheless, I still remember. And here I am today. I'm still riding. I'm still buckled in and the ride has been....well, a roller coaster!
You know, those things are really unpredictible. Roller coasters that is. Yes, you see the route you will be taking, analyze the risk versus the fun and thus make the decision to wait in that long, very long line to buy the ticket that will supposingly either scare you to death or give you an adreneline rush like none other. The ride of life, well, there's no ticket line for that roller coaster. See, a higher power, well, actually The Great I AM, decided long before the earth was ever created that I had a seat with my name on it on this roller coaster called LIFE. I didn't have to wait in line to buy a ticket. I didn't have to give my consent, verbal okay, unspoken nod of approval or call 911 to express my discontentment with how this ride of LIFE is actually going. One day I remembered. And thus my "known" journey on this roller coaster ride of LIFE began.
It's awesome that I have lived long enough to know the risks of this ride, the high's, the low's and I must admit that I'm glad I wasn't given an option. Because I know that no matter where this ride takes me, that I'm not alone. Hebrews 13:5 says "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you." Cool, huh?
And yes, I do need and want a break quite often but I remember that God says in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Whew! He has overcome the world. Because on November 4, 1982, I gave my life to Christ as an 8 1/2 year old little girl I was washed white as snow by the blood of Jesus. He is my pilot. Everytime I have a trial, an obstical, hurt, sorrow, tears and pain, I remember, I am not alone. And neither are you....
I am, my Father's Daughter.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Anxiety should be a four-letter word...
God is in CONTROL! This I know! I know this without even blinking...and I keep having to say it to friends and to myself. Where is my faith? I feel like I am drowning in a spiraling ocean of problems and discontent and conflict everywhere I turn. One direction is death, the other cancer, the other tension and conflict, the other bad grades and it goes on and on... every corner I turn there is always an opportunity to trust God. For this, I am truly thankful. It seems my friends are experiencing terrential rain when it comes to opportunities for faith in Christ. If I allow it, it can be overwhelming, but only if I choose to view and ponder the rain with the flesh and not the Spirit. I know that I can look at another's life and always be thankful that I do not have the trial they have. I am truly blessed beyond measure and I am ashamed at the first thought of complaining or self pity. Sometimes I struggle with just giving my problems and the burdens my friends and family have to God. Why do I hang on? I can't handle them. I can't fix them. (Yes, I said "fix".)
I clearly do not have the answers. I can't even stop my son from back talking me and he is almost 10. THIS is a huge problem in our lives and home right now! I can feel myself getting tense at the first mention of it. I need Godly people to walk through my home and pray over every single room. I think I'm going to have to start requesting this on a weekly basis. It is not of God for me to allow anxiety to take over.... and the funny thing is, it wasn't too long ago that I didn't even know what anxiety was. Now, I don't suffer from panic attacks and I don't struggle with anxiety but I can assure you, I feel as if I am standing with my toes on the threshold of "The Gates of Anxiety". I don't know how I got here. I didn't want to come here. As a matter of fact, I would love a ticket to the first train out of Anxiety-Town.
I am holding the ticket, and it's not to any train, plane or cab. It's not even a bumby ride, no line to wait in and no busy signal on the other end of the line. Gods word tells me that if I just give it to Him, He will carry my burdens for me. Sigh....aaahhhhhh. What a relief! It's a relief to know that I HAVE NO NEED THAT EXCEEDS HIS POWER!! (go ahead, read that statement again).
Ephesians 1:19-20 states "and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, (20) which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand n the heavenly realms,".
GLORY! How can I possibly even begin to worry ever again? But I will...because I'm breathing. Yep! I'm helpless alright. But in Him, I have HIS POWER.
In verse 19 the word "believe" is a present active participle verb tense. This promise is applied to those presently, actively, continually believing God. It is not in past tense. Praise Him! So right now, at this very minute, I am presently, actively, continually BELIEVING GOD.
In His Grip~
Shanna
I clearly do not have the answers. I can't even stop my son from back talking me and he is almost 10. THIS is a huge problem in our lives and home right now! I can feel myself getting tense at the first mention of it. I need Godly people to walk through my home and pray over every single room. I think I'm going to have to start requesting this on a weekly basis. It is not of God for me to allow anxiety to take over.... and the funny thing is, it wasn't too long ago that I didn't even know what anxiety was. Now, I don't suffer from panic attacks and I don't struggle with anxiety but I can assure you, I feel as if I am standing with my toes on the threshold of "The Gates of Anxiety". I don't know how I got here. I didn't want to come here. As a matter of fact, I would love a ticket to the first train out of Anxiety-Town.
I am holding the ticket, and it's not to any train, plane or cab. It's not even a bumby ride, no line to wait in and no busy signal on the other end of the line. Gods word tells me that if I just give it to Him, He will carry my burdens for me. Sigh....aaahhhhhh. What a relief! It's a relief to know that I HAVE NO NEED THAT EXCEEDS HIS POWER!! (go ahead, read that statement again).
Ephesians 1:19-20 states "and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, (20) which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand n the heavenly realms,".
GLORY! How can I possibly even begin to worry ever again? But I will...because I'm breathing. Yep! I'm helpless alright. But in Him, I have HIS POWER.
In verse 19 the word "believe" is a present active participle verb tense. This promise is applied to those presently, actively, continually believing God. It is not in past tense. Praise Him! So right now, at this very minute, I am presently, actively, continually BELIEVING GOD.
In His Grip~
Shanna
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