HE IS ALWAYS WITH US...we see Him when we seek Him.

When struggles come into our child's life, we want to help them as quickly as we can...in some way. This becomes difficult especially when they are not within physical reach.


Where can I turn to get beyond my own kind of response? I must again seek God's thoughts on the matter.


His Word is the best place to go and take on the His calming balm. Someone else compelled to help by guiding and/or reminding the new Christians of his day was the Apostle, Paul.


While imprisoned in Rome for his outspokenness of Christ as Savior, he did not yield and wrote to Christ's followers in Collosae (Asia Minor) reminding them to take hold of their "call in Christ".

Colossians 2:5-10 "I'm a long way off, true, ....but believe me, I'm on your side, right beside you. I am delighted to hear of the careful and orderly ways you conduct your affairs, and impressed with the solid substance of your faith in Christ.

My counsel is simple and straightforward: Go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live Him, deeply rooted in Him. You're well constructed upon Him, knowing your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. Let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk, wanting to drag you off into endless arguments never amounting to anything, spreading ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. (But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in Him, so you can see and hear him clearly.)

Not needing a telescope, microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him. When you come to Him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything."

Re-reading this passage in NIV (and posting it here from THE MESSAGE), it captures some very important guidance for those far away and on their own.


Important comforting words, reminding words, truth-filled words, confirming words. 
Yes, communing in the Fullness of Christ...He is the epitome for each of us (be ye writer or recipient).


Blessings,

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

ELMO'ish AM I...ben's favorite

At the end of this clip, Elmo looks like I do after a night of 'struggling' to sleep, hahahah!
Love the chemistry between these two.
LOVE me some ELMO...

I used to 'talk' Elmo to my little Ben when I kept him...
he would giggle so loudly any time I did Elmo's voice or laugh
...sweet memories. 

He was almost 1yo in this shot...

'My little Ben' is now 5 and getting ready to start kindergarten--time has flown, hasn't it?!  
Congratulations, big boy; I'm so proud of you (and your li'l sis who you take very good care of)...


Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." 
Blessings,

GOOD FRIDAY...skoot's crafting

Joining Sweet Tea today....declaring something "GOOD" in my world.
 
...reading your GOOD joy comments are fun, too!

My 'good' today...

was watching my daughter 'crafting' a decoration for her soon-to-be apartment in college town.

I'll let you ponder it 'til she's done 

then I'll post her final product. 

Mama likes seeing her excitement and creativity making affordable artwork rather than 'buying' it. ;)

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." 

Blessings,

NATIONAL FREE PANCAKE DAY...while pancake day is 3.8.2011

Have you eaten a free pancake today?

IHOP's getting a jump on 'Fat Tuesday' and they're hoping to get $2.3 million for charities. 
I'll have to drive by and see if the line is out the door.

The Washington Examiner talks about it being a taxpayer's rebate...

Do you know when the real "pancake day" occurs?  It's FAT TUESDAY, MardiGras...and it is next Tuesday, March 8.
...

On Wikipedia, it notes England has celebrated pancake day back to the 12th century
  This year we get to celebrate PANCAKES twice!!

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."   Blessings,

FINDING THEIR ADULT...mommy moments

When they're babies, it's hard to believe they'll one day be an ‘adult’.  They each want to grow quickly...to make personal choices and be on their own (even before knowing about paying the bills and earning money).
 
Dear Christian Daughters/Sons:
Throughout the years, limits and consequences SEEM like punishment, but it's really protection and teaching, deciding consequences, and struggling when guiding tightly or loosely.  


Your daily decisions can be like looking down into the ocean, seeing a blur of activity and not seeing the dolphin until it’s close to the surface...out of the depths and suddenly in your face. 


Youth obliviousness will transform into adult awareness gradually through little and big choices.  Each choice chisels away unveiling you, striking deeper into your reality:  moment by moment choosing grace and truth 
or 
choosing evil's temptations, accepting his guise of fun or “it’s just one time”

Praying God protects through any poor choices while sending GREATER blessings through good and right choices.  He and His Words, His Sacrifice, His Resurrection and Eternal Relationship is our gift through His Grace.  

Desiring God’s BEST is what I desire for ALL new adults...God’s guidance in every decision.  

LOVE you ALL,

Psalm 22:30 

”As the word is passed along from parent to child. Babies not yet conceived will hear the good news— that God does what he says.”

Psalm 103:6 “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out”

SOME THINGS I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND...

TODAY'S been pretty uneventful...yet productive.

Having run out of hot water during my shower, the normal 20 minutes of bliss was shortened, to say the least, which meant I headed down the road sooner...that's good.

Stopping at "So-So onic" en route to my back doc, confirmed my recent assessment of this particular franchise...disappointment trickled in as my first sip woke me uncomfortably...woke me to the fact there was 'older' coffee in the pot and I was the recipient of it's bitterness...not that it wasn't trying to be hidden by the semi-hazelnut syrup..even the real 'half and half' didn't mask it's badness.

Returning to the drive through would have made me too late getting into the chiro, so another large cup o' joe started cooling in my passenger drink holder, waiting for its memorial...knowing it would eventually get tossed on the 'hibernating mum' outside the garage door...and it's buddy, the cup, would find eternal rest in my paper recycle bin...recycling, that's good.

Getting my spine re-aligned by Dr. Chiro gave my 'sacrum' some relief and I'm standing straighter...so that's good, too...yippee!

Enjoying my newly-adjusted weight-bearing synovial joint, I drove toward my next endeavor...'emmissions re-inpspection' of my vehicle.  However, knowing I might possibly be sitting in their waiting room a while, I decided to pull into another drive through since I had not had breakfast at "So So onic".  My burger was very good and the drink was THE REAL THING...so I was pleased this time, not getting a 'bubble-less' Coke.

Waiting for my car to undergo it's 'second' inspection proved to be uneventful for me...I sat there knitting while other ran in and out, swapping vehicles, keys, and finding out whether or not they could 'leave it with them'...one woman mentioned at least five times "how cold it was in there"...which certainly didn't bother me at all, being on the 'permanent tropical vacation' that I am.

Seeing a young couple come in from their truck, I was captured by the beauty of a baby's eyes as his father carried him on his hip...steel blue, bright-shining eyes you could see across the lobby.  Then I noticed...everyone in this store had on their coat...even me...but the 9-month or so baby didn't have on a coat. 

Looking closer I also noticed his red, bare feet.  It's 37 degrees outside, people! 

Suddenly I found myself being a 'tropical vacation' baby policewoman...

"Your baby's adorable, he's so precious with those big blue eyes...but his feet must be freezing!" 

Yep, I said it. 

Having heard my comment, the father seemed to throw away all responsibility as he exclaimed to me from across the room, "oh, he just pulls them off when we put them on, so we just don't put them on anymore." 

Really?...
Guess I've been noticing the down-hill trends of parents deciding that 'parenting' is too tough and this hit one of my nerves. It seems they're taking the easier way out rather than having to keep something warm on his feet.

Why should they worry?
This poor kid's parents may have already decided that 'he wins the battles'. 

Lord, please open their eyes to the worth of their baby, the worth of his health, the worth of his not winning all the battles, small or large.  Amen

^{Hebrews 5:13-14} Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Blessings,