Tuesday In Other Words

Good morning and praise the Lord. Today the quot for Tuesday In Other Words is meaningful to me since essentially I am a private person.

"No matter how many good friends I had, there were aspects of my life I needed to deal with alone - heart issues and attitudes that could not be wrestled with in a Bible study...They had to be confronted by the Holy Spirit in the privacy of my own soul."

One aspect and maybe the biggest battle fought in my life with the Lord and with my family. I was getting caught up in working out of the home and making a pay check and thinking of me and no one else. About six months into the job, the Holy Spirit began working in my life since I was really wondering who I was. Was I a mother? Was I a wife? Was I an individual who should be identified as just Joyce? Wrestling defiantly had to be fought in privacy since I did not want any one to know I did not know who I was. From the beginning of the battle I knew it was a heart issue. I was feeling lost in my walk with the Lord because I was feeling guilty for working out of the home. With the help of the Holy Spirit and a personal Bible study of my own I realized first I was a child of God, then I was a wife, and then a mother to two beautiful daughters. When that realisation occurred then I could be a true person who loved the Lord with my whole heart and I could love my husband, children, and myself and not feel guilty I some days I could switch those loves around and know it did not matter to the scheme of things as long as God was and is the center of my life. My life verse is Philippians 4:13 and in my words it says: I can do all things in the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I can praise the Lord, because I am all these individuals and sometimes I am one over the others and I know beyond a shadow of doubt that it does not matter in the scheme of life.

Monday of This and That

Good morning all. What a weekend I had. Friday, I received a frantic call to Sub for a Freshman English class. All I had to do was give 3 vocabulary tests and two test on Romeo and Juliet. Then I flew home to get into another vehicle to leave for the camp my oldest darghter works in. Hubby and I took 2 girls up for camp and I helped in the kitchen. As always, I met some wonderful teenagers who are working for a life with Our Lord. The kids ate good, played hard, and listened to the Word of God.

Sunday, my youngest daughter and son-in-law came down for the day. Hubby and I with the two attended Church where the two of them were married. They surprised the minister who married them. Then Hubby and I took our girls, son-in-law, and the two kid out for a late lunch and had a great visit. Hubby and I surprised our youngest one and her husband with 2 tickets to see Mark Lowery at the Blue Gate Restaurant and Theater in Shipshewana, Indiana. These tickets are their birthday and aniversery gifts for the year. I loved the look of complete surprise when the two of them realized what the gift was. This will happen in September and I can not wait for that weekend to come. After saying good by to the two girls and son-in-law we started home and 4 tired individuals arrived back in Indiana and home around 7:15 PM.

Hello All

Friday morning I had plans to post, but got a call to Sub for Freshmen English. Instead of posting I made a dash for the shower, dressed, and flew out the door for the day. As soon as I arrived home Hubby was ready to travel to Youth Haven so I could spend the weekend helping my oldest daughter in the kitchen. We arrived home at 7:30 PM tonight. I just want to say HELLO and tomorrow I will post about the wonders of the weekend.

A Thursday to be Thankful For Our Children

There are no amount of words to be said how thankful all children are to me. Yesterday I had the previous to assist 3 beautiful women in teaching 7th & 8th grade children who have special needs. I saw beautiful children who by no choice of theirs have brains that are different than mine. I saw these children laugh, smile, learn, dribble and throw basketballs to each other, make baskets, not be afraid to have a big ball thrown to them, and the great joy when they caught the ball.

I have another child I am thankful for and pray for Him as I do my daughters. You have read about James before. He is now in a group home with people He is learning to trust. His education is improving with one on one help when He needs it. The following pray is from Interceding for our Children. This young man fights everyday to understand the anger He has and many other issues.
I pray that JAMES will develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the righteousness of Jesus and the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. And I say AMEN.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

What Is A Christian

I have worked to clean out my e-mail and I found this poem. As I was reading it I realized it is who I am. For years I have wanted to shout who I am, now I can. Flawed, unclean, weak, and a sinner is who I am.

Christians - By Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
And need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Tuesday

So today is Tuesday and Tuesday In Other Words. The quot for this day is:
""We leave something incomplete everyday, whether it's an area of housework, school, work, friendship, ministry ~ because we are finite.""
~ from The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer~

Is there anyone who completes everything on their list each and every day? I would love to meet them and get their thoughts on how they do it. I will confess I am not one of these individuals who has a list and if I did I would not finish it. According to The Merrim-Webster Dictionary finite is defined as: "having definite or definalbe limits: also: haaving a limited nature or existence"

God with His knowledge knew what I would do and not do each and every day of my life. So what if I leave housework friendship, work, and ministry incomplete, God knows and He forgives and forgets. We all know that tommorow is a new day and I will try my best and know that God is with me and that is what matters to me.

MEME Monday

Message In A Bottle


Here are the rules:
You are about to send a virtual Message In a Bottle across the Blog Ocean. Leave a message in the sand or on the bottle. Write anything you wish. Be a pirate or a poet. Serious or silly. Anonymous or not. What message would you like to send out to the universe? I received this from Chuck

Message In A Bottle Meme
1. Compose a message to place in your virtual bottle.
2. Right click and SAVE the blank graphic below.
3. Use a graphics program of your choice to place the message on the picture.
4. Post the Message In a Bottle meme and your creation on your blog along with these rules.
5. Tag a minimum of 5 bloggers - or your entire blogroll - to do the same. Notify them of the tag. Your virtual bottle will remain afloat in the blogosphere ocean for all blogernity (That's a Mimism for blog + eternity).
My first five bloggers who stop by my participate if they choose

I want the job of my dreams and will wait on the Lord for that answer

This MEME was passed on from Greatful Livin
1. List five kind things you do for yourself.
I sleep in when ever possible
I I will buy a steak and make it for my self if Hubby is out of town.
I read in a Christian novel every day
I will go for a good hair cut
I will a friend and take them out to lunch

2. List five kind things you do for your closest friend, partner or child.
I call my two daughters every week to encourage them in what they are doing
I am on call for my best friend when ever needed
I will make Hubby's favorite meal at least once a week
I will work on my Hubby's Love language every day.
I pray for my friend, Hubby, and daughters every day

3. List five kind things you have done for a stranger.
Gave a hug
Stoped to help change a tire
Said I would pray for them
I try to be a good listener

2. Tag five people.
I will tag the first five individuals who stop by and want to join in