WOW!!!

Do you ever have those moments in your life when you just stop and look around you and then say, "Wow!"?
Today is one of those days for me. Let me share some of my"Wow!" moments with you this morning.
I am in Alaska. Wow! Alaska is one of those places that I have only dreamed of going to and I get to be here! It is definitely my kind of place - beautiful views, friendly people, and a coffee barn on every corner! Wow!
Speaking of coffee, did you know that today is National Coffee Day? And I get to be in a place where drinking coffee isn't just a hobby, it's a way of life! Wow!
Martha and Ian are experiencing something new this morning. They went to school today. The church we were with yesterday has a Christian school. My kids get to go to school with somebody besides Mommy and each other! I miss them! I love homeschooling my kids and being a homeschool Mom, but as I was scrambling to get the kids ready this morning, I had another "Wow!" moment. My "Wow!" moment came in the form of admiration for the moms that get their kids up, fed, dressed, and out the door on time for school 5 days a week - not to mention Sunday too! WOW!
So here I am in Alaska (did I say WOW yet?), celebrating the"Wows" in my life. You know, saying "WOW!" really is just another way of saying "Thank you, Lord!" and showing gratitude. So what makes you say "WOW!" today?
I think I'll just go get a cup of coffee from one of those Alaskan coffee barns to celebrate all the WOWS in my life - including National Coffee Day! WOW!

Unnoticed Blessings

I thought you would like to see some recent pictures of my growing kiddos!  Hubby and I are so very blessed to have these three treasures!
Martha and Ian love Phebe so much!  I didn't have the camera handy recently when Ian and Phebe were looking at each other...I wish I could have captured that moment.  Ian was looking at Phebe, and she was giving her big brother such a sweet, adoring look.  It was certainly one of those "Awww!!!" moments!

 Martha is my "Little Mama"!  She loves holding Phebe and reading books to her.  While I do have to remind both Martha and Ian that Phebe is not a dolly, I am grateful that they love her so much!

 Phebe is growing so quickly!  She is rolling over, and taking great delight in wiggling herself around.  She'll be crawling before I know it!  I giggle to myself as I remind Martha and Ian that one of these days Phebe will be following them around everywhere!

I am grateful for the blessings God has given me.  You know, sometimes I get so focused on the "big" blessings (answers to prayers, a kindness received, etc.) that I forget about the "Unnoticed" blessings (an hour of sunshine on a mostly cloudy day, a good bargain at the grocery store, a hug and a sticky kiss from one of my kids, etc.)!
It's easy to be thankful for the big blessings.  What "unnoticed" blessings have we been blessed with today?

When Opposition Comes

There's a song that the Lord has allowed to play continually in my mind this past week.  Because it has been such an encouragement to me, I wanted to share it with you.

¨The Fire¨

I've been through a fire

That has deepened my desire

To know the living God more and more;

It hasn't been much fun,

But the work that it has done

In my life has made it worth the hurt.

You see, sometimes we need the hard times

To bring us to our knees -

Otherwise we do as we please

And never heed Him;

But He always knows what's best,

And it's when we are distressed

That we really come to know God as He is.

As you may recall, I've been reading through 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.  I decided to keep going in that part of the Old Testament, so now I am reading through Ezra also.  God has given me so many treasures!  He always gives us just what we need when we need it - doesn't He?  I was so encouraged and blessed when I got to 2 Chronicles 20.  It was just the reminder I needed!  Jehoshaphat faced opposition.  We face opposition.  How Jehoshaphat handled the opposition is a wonderful example of what I should do when I am facing opposition:
1. Pray (Seek the Lord) v. 6-13
2. Hear (and obey) God's instructions v. 15-17
3. Worship v. 18
4. Praise v. 19,21
5. Victory v. 22
6. Gratitude & Joy v. 26-27
7. Rest & Quiet v. 30
The result?  Others are compeled to fear the Lord (v. 29).
I have been praying and trying to hear and heed God's instructions, but I had been especially neglecting number 4 - praise.  I've tried to correct that.  Am I still facing opposition?  Yes, but adding the element of praise has certainly helped ease some of the ache my heart was feeling!  I'm so thankful for all the solutions God has given us in His Word - aren't you?

24 Commands from 1 Chronicles 16

During my quiet time, I have been reading through 1 Kings and 1 Chronicles.  Honestly, I wouldn't put these two books on my "Top 5 Favorite Books of the Bible" list, but they are both so full of "gems" scattered throughout each book.  It has been a blessing to discover all the little "gems" God has purposefully placed there for our edification and encouragement.  This morning I read 1 Chronicles 16. Did you ever realize that verses 8-22 are almost identical to Psalm 105:1-15?  It was an amazing discovery for me!  Every Word in the Bible is important, but think of the seriousness God has placed on certain words by repeating them in different places in the Bible - there are NO accidents with God!  So….why am I telling you all this?  To share with you the 24 Commandments found in 1 Chronicles 16 that God brought to my attention this morning!
  1.  Give thanks unto the Lord v. 8
  2.  Call upon his name v. 8
  3.  Make known his deeds among the people v. 8
  4.  Sing unto him v. 9
  5.  Sing psalms unto him v. 9
  6.  Talk ye of all his wondrous works v. 9
  7.  Glory ye in his holy name v. 10
  8.  Seek the Lord v. 10
  9.  Seek the Lord and his strength v. 11
10.  Seek his face continually v. 11
11.  Remember his marvelous works, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth v. 12
12.  Be ye mindful always of his covenant v. 15
13.  Sing unto the Lord v. 23
14.  Shew forth from day to day his salvation v. 23
15.  Declare his glory among the heathen, his marvelous works among all nations v. 24
16.  Give unto the Lord v. 28
17.  Give unto the Lord glory and strength v. 28
18.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name v. 29
19.  Bring an offering v. 29
20.  Come before him v. 29
21.  Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness v. 29
22.  Fear before him v. 30
23.  Give thanks unto the Lord v. 34
24.  And say ye… v. 35
That's quite a list of things we're commanded to do, isn't it?  Makes me wonder what kind of blessings the Lord would pour out on my life and on the lives of those around me if I would simply do the things on this list!  What a challenge God has given me this morning!

Counting

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed, 

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one, 

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings, money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven, not your home on high.

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, 

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Chorus:

Count your blessings, Name them one by one;

Count your blessings, See what God hath done;

Count your blessings,Name them one by one;

Count your many blessings,See what God hath done.

In Spanish we sing, "Bendiciones, cuantas tienes ya?"  Literally meaning, "Blessings, how many do you have already?"  I love singing the hymns in another language!  For me, it gives added depth and meaning to the songs I have loved and sung my whole life!

Here is only a partial list of My Blessings:
Matt, Martha, Ian, Phebe, the privilege of serving the Lord with my family, my house, clothes for Phebe, water, 41 people in church this past Sunday, 2 Deaf ladies saved this past Sunday, seeing my children sign the songs during church, hearing my children say their memory verses, the privilege of praying, answered prayers…..

My list could keep going and going.  What is on your list today?

Counting or Complaining?

I woke up this morning with a song floating around in my brain.  As my eyes struggled to stay open, I could hear, "Count your blessings, name them one by one….." It was as if the Lord was singing to me this morning, and trying to help me start out my day (and my week) on the right track.  Naturally, I got to thinking about my blessings and yes, I started listing them.  Then the Lord gave me a brilliant idea!  I love brilliant ideas from the Lord - don't you?  And let's face it - counting your blessings is just another name for thankfulness, right?  So…what was my brilliant idea from the Lord?  A way to count my blessings (and the blessings of my family), teach my children thankfulness, and have a math lesson all at the same time!  The Lord is so smart and wonderful!  Yes, yes, you're already thinking, "Well, duh, Sarah - of course He is…He's God!"  But it's even more wonderful when we allow Him to exercise his smartness and wonderfulness in our lives - instead of blundering along trying to do it all alone!
Back to my God-given idea…. I have this wonderful white board hanging in my kitchen.  It gets used for all kinds of things - chore lists (ugh!), an artist's canvas (for my two budding artists), a place to write out family memory verses, a place for Hubby to illustrate a point for his institute classes, etc.  This morning, I turned it into our "Blessing Counter"!  At the top, I wrote "Count your Blessings."  Then I wrote "Sunday."  I've already written some blessings on there, and I can hardly wait for everyone else to be up and around so we can add to the list!  I had to have a place to start - that's why I chose to start with Sunday, but I'm sure we will continue it into today!  I can hardly wait to count the blessings at the end of the day and be surprised at all the Lord has done for us!  Maybe we'll even run out of room on the white board, and have to use the small, portable one also!
As I was fixing my coffee, I was mulling over this idea of literally counting my blessings.  The Lord brought to my attention how many times I start complaining about my "hardships."  Wow!  That was convicting!  I thought of how my children struggle to be cheerful and not complain about every little thing.  Next I thought about how their attitudes are merely reflections of Mommy's attitude - ouch!  Praise the Lord, He gave me the idea that will not only help my children, but help me to keep my attitude in check - especially when it comes to the dishes in the sink!
All of this led me to ask myself:  "Am I counting or complaining?"  It really wasn't hard to answer. Sometimes I count, but more often I complain.  Shame on me.  I truly want to count my blessings.  I want to be able to praise my Lord for all the wonderful things (big or small) that He has done in my life!

Applying My Heart

For the month of January, I have been reading through I Samuel and Proverbs.  God has been teaching me so much from these two books.  Do you ever find yourself reading your devotions and thinking, "Wow, how come I never saw THAT verse before?"  or "I know that verse, but I never thought of applying THIS way!"  That's exactly where I am in my life right now.  I know many of the events in the book of First Samuel - I've heard them growing up in church!  But the Lord has really been showing me the different attitudes of the different people in I Samuel and how I need to apply or avoid them in my own life.  And to top it all off....I read this verse this morning...."Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge."  Proverbs 22:17

I want you to take a moment (like I did) and let that verse sink in - not just to your mind, but to your heart.  I didn't see it at first when I read that verse this morning, but then the Holy Spirit slammed on the brakes and made me go back for a second look....and this is what I saw..."Apply thine heart unto my knowledge."  Do you see it?  How many times have I heard..."Read the Bible and apply It's truths to your heart."?  Now that is not wrong - we should apply the Bible to our hearts, but do you see what God is telling us here in Proverbs?  He is not telling us to apply His Word to our hearts, but rather apply our HEARTS to His Word!  Now like me, you're probably thinking - "It's the same thing - just said differently."  I thought so too, when the Holy Spirit brought me to a screeching halt at this verse.  "Apply thine heart" - hmmm.....I got to thinking about that (still am as I write these words) and I started wondering why God would say it that particular way.  Then I realized how I apply my heart to the things I want to do or need to do every day - for example:  Dishes, Laundry, Tutoring, Helping my Husband, Reading Time with my Kids (another story for another day), crocheting, cross-stitching, and all the other 101 things I need/want to do every day.  But how often do I just stop and apply my heart to the one thing that matters the most - My Saviour?  Yes, I have my quiet time with the Lord every day, but sometimes I just rush through to go to the next thing on my TO DO list.  Shame on me.  That is not applying my heart in the right way.  Do you also see that it goes on to say, "...unto MY knowledge."?  What a treasure-trove of knowledge and instruction we have inside the two covers of our Bible!  And the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that when I (my job) apply MY heart to HIS knowledge, HIS knowledge will be applied to MY heart.  Does that make sense?  In other words, when I take the time to apply my heart to His knowledge, the things I learn will become a part of my life, but it doesn't just happen....it's like telling my kids to go wash their hands - if they don't APPLY the soap, their hands won't come clean!  Yes, the soap is there and it will do the job, but they have to USE (apply) it first, then the soap is effective.

You know the Holy Spirit is so gentle.  He shows us things and then lets it sink in before showing us the next thing - at least that is how He works with me - I'm rather hard-headed you know, and I need time to get things through my head before He shows me the next thing!  So after I absorbed Proverbs 22:17...here is what else He showed me:  Proverbs 22:18-21 - all the reasons why applying my heart to his knowledge is a help and benefit to my life!  Yeah-hoo! (As my Martha says!)

So why am I telling you all of this?  Because the Lord has been working on things in my life, and I want to be a help and a blessing to others...after all, that is why God teaches us things, right?  To have the ability to help someone coming behind us, or someone walking along side us.  As I was thinking of these things and how to share them with others, the Lord reminded me - "You have a blog, Sarah, and it's not just for your personal amusement - use it wisely to be a blessing to others." (Didn't I tell you I was rather thick-headed?)  We all struggle with different things in our lives, but what a blessing it is to know we can encourage one another to keep on serving our Precious Saviour.  I pray that is what this post will do for you today - not because I have all the answers - I DON'T! - but because we can grow together in the Lord by applying our hearts to HIS knowledge!  

What colors are your blessings?

Mommy's Super Hero
(right after Daddy!)

 Do you ever feel like you are one of those circus performers with the spinning plates?  I often do, as I try to balance hubby and kiddos with language school, house keeping, and ministry!  There are days when I feel like all my plates are crashing down around my head!  Then there are days when I get that "Supermom Complex" - you know, "I can do it ALL because, after all....I'm SUPERMOM!!!"  It is usually right after THAT thought when the plates start to wobble!  Then the Lord gently reminds me that those plates are only kept spinning with His help!  And He adds blessings to my plates - which helps me keep all my plates in order and spinning!

Mommy's Busy Helper
(making a train with the
couch pillows!)

We have been studying Psalm 23 during our Family Bible Time recently.  Martha is memorizing Psalm 23 in school, so we thought we would incorporate it into our Family Bible Time!  It has been a blessing to see her and Ian understand the meaning of each verse.  We learned in verse 1 that we are just like sheep, with God as our Shepherd.  The kids had fun pretending to be sheep!  Then in verse 2 we learned more about sheep and how the Shepherd leads us where we need to go.  When we got to verse 3, Matt explained to the kids about the "staff," that tries to gently correct us and put us back on the right path - and the "rod" that gives us more severe punishment when we ignore the "staff."  I wish you could see the kids eyes get big as they see the meaning of each verse!

Cups Running Over???

Last night we talked about verse 5 - focusing on "My Cup Runneth Over"!  Matt showed them how God "pours" the blessings into our lives.  He used drinking cups that belong to the kids (I wish I had taken a picture!), and poured water into their cups.  Unbeknownst to the kids (or me), Matt had put blue food coloring in their cups, and when their cups overflowed, they overflowed with blue water instead of the clear water Matt was pouring in!  Martha immediately assumed that blessings must be blue!  We took that opportunity to share with her and Ian that blessings come in all shapes and sizes - and maybe even colors?  After all, isn't Autumn Time the perfect example of a "colorful blessing"?  We all took turns sharing something that was a blessing to each of us from the Lord.  Martha's blessing was "going to school," and Ian's was "leaves."  Matt's blessing was "his hat being returned recently after having lost it," and mine was "Family Bible Time."

I will never again think of blessings without thinking of them in "Color"!  I guess the color of one of my blessings this week would be green.  GREEN?!?!  Yes, Green - because the Lord allowed me to save money at the grocery store this week - now THAT is always a blessing!

So, what colors are YOUR blessings?