Happy Thanksgiving~~

We had a wonderful holiday! So sorry it had to end...this is one of the things that I look forward to in heaven. Our great days will never end!!!! We went to south Ga. with Shep's family. It was a lot of fun. The day was gorgeous and the food scrumptious! It was a whirlwind trip b/c we came home pretty quickly and then did Thanksgiving with my family. There is just something about walking into your momma's house on Thanksgiving and smelling and seeing all the foods that you have during this special time of year...then your mind is flooded with memories. :>)
Our kids behaved remarkably well to have been on the road for hours and sleeping in different beds. I know that I wanted to hug my man and my children a little closer and just be near them. These hard economic times have tremendously impacted my thankfulness for the little things I take for granted...like my man and my children.
We also put up our Christmas decorations. That is always so meaningful to me and Shep. It used to just be the two of us. We would be kind of sappy and romantic...now we are singing carols, changing diapers, hanging ornaments, wiping noses, preparing snacks and sippie cups all in the midst of decorating the house. We wouldn't change a thing though...now we get to see it all through new little eyes.
Anyway, now we are back to a Monday. School and work have intruded on us again and the choice is do we lose that joyfulness and give in to the gloom or be THANKFUL we woke up to another day. I am choosing door # 2 although the battle was on to be a grouch today.

Also, I had one really sweet moment with my Jesus this past weekend. I felt really drawn to get into His word and do a devotion because I had not spent a whole lot of time with Him during the business of our weekend of traveling. I had been battling against hopeless thoughts and feelings. So, I tried to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and see what the Lord had to say to me. I opened my stand-by devotion book "Streams in the Desert". The devotion itself was nothing really special. It was encouraging of course. It talked about the beautiful music in our lives being heard best when we are in the midst of fierce storms...this is how others see Jesus actively working in us...if we let Him. The verse for the devotion was Hebrews 12:11. I felt led to get my Bible and read the scriptures before and after that verse just to get the correct context. Chapter 12 opens up encouraging believers not to lose heart and to endure hardship as discipline. Verse 11 says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
-Wow! Did that ever speak to me. Yes, this time in my life is painful...financially and looking in the face of my child every day believing something that I don't see. Believing she will walk, talk, eat, run, dance, play, and sing. The part I loved was the second part of the verse...LATER ON...this hardship WILL produce a harvest. Oh Lord, how I pray earnestly to see the harvest and see it soon!! Help me to have a trainable and teachable spirit so that righteousness and peave will reign in my life and in my family.
Now, I really thought that was awesome...until I keep reading. Verses 12 and 13 say this, "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the LAME MAY NOT BE DISABLED , BUT RATHER HEALED."
I almost came out of the bed. How sweet He is to speak directly to my situation. There He was encouraging me during these hard days and then He added icing to my cake. How cool! I didn't even know that verse was there...much less that it spoke of the lame being healed!

Praise you Lord! I choose to believe that You spoke directly to me...and not to give in to the lie that this was consequential. I believe you wanted to speak hope to my heart. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!