Hosanna

"Heal my heart and make it clean,
Open up my eyes to the things unseen.
Show me how to love like You have loved me.
Break my heart for what breaks Yours,
Every thing I am for Your Kingdoms cause
As I walk from earth into eternity."
- Brooke Fraser Ligertwood

Perspective

Today, I am grateful for every moment I have with my two little ones. I am grateful for the runny noses and the cranky moods. I am grateful for the sleepless nights and the stinky diapers.
Life again was put in perspective for me today. We attended a funeral for a 6-year-old little girl. The last two funerals we attended have been for little ones. The first was for a 4-month-old baby boy, and today, a little girl. I don't mean to write about death so much, but maybe it's just that I have been thinking about what life really means lately. As a believer in Christ, I can be comforted by death. But what about those who don't believe in Christ? How do we comfort them?
So many things to think about today. It makes me grateful for the hope we have in Christ. It makes me grateful for a Savior, but more than grateful. I am in awe that we have a Savior. Awed ... Humbled ... Grateful ... It makes me look forward to being with Christ forever. To know the glory of being with Him for eternity. To worship Him forever. Now, that is comforting, isn't it?

Prayer

Wow, what an encouragement this post was to me this morning. I don't pray for my children nearly as often as I should, but here are some great verses and ideas of how to make prayer more intentional throughout my day.

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/2008/11/seven-prayers-day.html

Choosing Gratitude

I’m not really a New Year’s resolution person. In fact, I despise New Year’s resolutions. Kind of harsh, I know, but I’ve never been fond of the idea of choosing a “resolution” that lasts 2 weeks. (And please understand, I know that not everyone views resolutions like this.) But this year, I’ve actually made a resolution of sorts, even though I don’t really want to think of it as one. In September, I bought a book called “Choosing Gratitude” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I have only read the first page or two, but I have determined that my goal or my “theme” for this year is going to be “choosing gratitude”. God has blessed me beyond measure, and I don’t ever want to forget that.

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

Hope

I am so thankful that God has given us so many examples in Scripture. He gives us examples of people who are upright and walk in Him, and He gives us examples of those who don't. Sometimes when I read of the people who reject Him over and over, I find myself judging them, even though I am the exact same way. It is so easy for me to praise Him when things are good, or when things are going my way, but it's a whole lot harder to praise Him when things are bad, or when things aren't the way I like. I am so thankful though, that He brings those hard times to make us stronger in Him. He brings them to draw us close to Him. What an awesome God we have who wants us to be close to Him. He wants us to bring our difficulties before Him so that He would be magnified and lifted up. It always amazes me when I read the story of Job. I know it's a familiar passage to most people. In the first chapter, Job loses everything he has. That chapter ends by saying, "In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong" Job 1:22. Wow. One of my worst fears is losing my family. Job lost all of his children, and yet he didn't sin. What an awesome illustration of Christ. And yet, Job remained blameless and upright when everything was taken away from him. What an awesome example. I am so thankful that God gave us these examples in Scripture so that we might have hope. We have hope in a God who knows all things, who plans all things, and who gave us a Savior from our sins.

To Him Be the Glory

Why is it than when I hurt I so often look to myself for the answers? I send that question out, but I know the answer. I know that I look to myself because I am a sinner. And I so wish I wasn't. Do you ever feel like the "chief of sinners" that Paul talks about? I do. I am lazy, I make up excuses not to do things (or to do things), I neglect Scripture, I look to the world for wisdom instead of the Word, I get angry at my husband and children, I am jealous, I am prideful ... All the things the Lord says He hates, I am.
I explained yesterday that my husband is leaving for a few months. It's so easy for me to say on the outside that we'll be ok. It's easy for me to tell others that we don't need help, even though we do. Honestly, I know it's because pride is so deeply ingrained in me, that I want to put up a good front. I want people to think that I have it all together, when I don't. I'm falling apart on the inside. It eats me up that my husband is leaving.
But I also know that I don't have to do it on my own. I certainly want too, but I don't have too. It's so hard for me to give things up to God, but that is exactly what He wants us to do. He gave up His only Son, so that we don't have to carry our sin burden with us anymore. He paid that price for us. How amazing. 1 Timothy 1:16-17 says, "But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever. Amen". He gives us mercy to display HIS goodness. He gives us mercy so that HE might be glorified. I am so thankful that there is nothing I can do to deserve His mercy. I am so thankful that He doesn't look at my life and determine if I am "good enough". I am so thankful that in His mercy and kindness HE saved me.

Change

I don't do change well. I never have. I like things in the same spot all the time. I HATE moving. Which probably explains why I've only moved about 3 times in my entire life. Well, our family is going through lots of change in the next few weeks. My husband is in the military, and is going to training for 4 months. I've tried not to think about it too much, because whenever I think about it I start to cry. But today in my devotions I read this, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit" Psalm 34:18 .. I wouldn't exactly say that I am crushed in spirit, but I think it's safe to say I'm in the brokenhearted category. And the Lord is near me. What an encouraging and humbling thought. I certainly don't deserve Him to be near me. I deserve the opposite. And yet, He is near. I am so thankful and grateful that He is here. I don't have to worry about who will take care of us for 4 months, because He will. I don't have to worry about my little girl who won't have a daddy with her for 4 months, because He will take care of her. How awesome to rest in a God who has perfectly planned this for our good.