Multitude Mondays

658.  God-loving friends for my children
659.  music....that is one of the things I cherish around here....there is always something being played by Jake, or Maddie, or Isaiah
660.  sweet little 4 year old that loves to be at our house and having days where she and Nater just gel and enjoy their imaginations together
661.  cancelled baseball events which gave us a night at home together as a family
662.  friends who brave sickness to come spend the afternoon with us
663.  my "birthday party" hosted by a dear friend who will remain unnamed...shopping (for shoes for her and doing returns for her), eating at my favorite resturant (Bravo - favorite dish is Pasta Yandolino), laughter in Pier One (where she bought the ugliest necklace ever and laughed so hard there was an explosion),  gift of her friendship which is priceless
664.  to feel that "child needs Mom - needs her strength and love" feeling as I hugged my eldest goodbye Wednesday night..I love that feeling...with your little ones you get it all the time, but as the children grow it seems they need it less and less from you
665.  pet-cleaning day....started out with cleaning out degu's cage, then hedgehog's, then nailcare for Hedgie and thinking I was done...until Maggie and Annie came home covered in wet muck...then began doggie baths 1 and 2!
666.  God who gives us the victory over Satan
667.  rainy days, sound of rain in the woods
668.  sunny days, sound of birds chirping
669.  baby goslings entertaining us at the pediatrician's office
770.  friends, house full of children, day after day after day after day
771.  eldest's answer to prayer at Celebrate Life...turning to God...feeling His presence, His peace, His pleasure
772.  Satan's predictability....knew that after Jake came home on a spiritual victory, Satan would do his darnedest to take him out another way
773.  keeping score at baseball games....I just love it!  I know I'm a nerd!
774.  the reminder that growth usually accompanies pain and heartache...Sunday's baseball games brought discouragement, opportunity for Ted to really meet his son where he is at and do what a mother can't do - father him with strength and gentleness and love
775.  praying with my children

Glorifying God Where I am and As I Am

If you begin to say,
“I cannot glorify God where I am, and as I am;”
I answer, neither could you anywhere if not where you are.

Providence, which arranged your surroundings,
appointed them so that, all things being considered,
you are in the position in which you can best display
the wisdom and the grace of God.

Now, if you can once accept this as being a fact,
it will make a man of you.
My Christian brother, or my dear sister,
it will enable you to serve God with a force which you have not yet obtained,
for then, instead of panting for spheres to which you will never reach,
you will inquire for immediate duty, asking,
“What does my hand find to do?”

You need not use your feet to traverse half a nation to find work,
it lies close at hand.
Your calling is near at home;
your vocation lies at the door, and within it.
What your hand finds to do, do it at once, and with all your might,
and you will find such earnest service the best method
in which you can glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
{Charles H. Spurgeon}

I believe this has been a lesson God has been revealing to me over and over and over again in this past year....To look at circumstances as providence, to believe that God has a plan and a purpose for me in every circumstance - not just the ones that I chose, and then to seek His will for me in those hard circumstances.  In our world today, we tend to bail or leave behind anything that is difficult or pushes our endurance to the limit because Satan's theme of "It's all about you, you deserve a break today" is so prevelant in our schools, our businesses, our homes. 

Jake left in the wee hours this morning for Celebrate Life at ONU, where he will be quizzing on the varsity level.  Last night, when I was saying goodbye to him, he got teary-eyed because he knows he's stepping into a place he does not want to go.  The voices in his head repeat over and over that he will fail miserably at the varsity level and right now, Satan is working overtime on his confidence in baseball and quizzing.  I told him, "Jake - God is sending you to Celebrate Life for a reason and knowing God, I don't think the reason is to achieve man's view of success by being the best quizzer there.  God's purpose has something to do with your heart and your identity in Him, all He's asking of you is to be obedient, to keep your eyes on Him and then do your best.  He's bigger than the Quizzing results - look to HIM and it will bring Him glory."

Please pray for Jake this weekend, that he's protected from the enemy's lies, that he uses scripture to fight the lies, that he finds himself wrapped around his Daddy's leg and in for the "ride" of his life!

Multitude Mondays

632.  walking over to a friend's, hugs, catching up on each other's lives
633.  twizzlers
634.  hugs from Ben...he's the perfect height for me right now for hugs...he fits right under my chin
635.  cards....over the past few weeks our family has become crazy about playing a hand or two of cards.  Madeline has always loved to play cards, but Nate is quickly becoming a professional as well.  Sometimes there's a lot of yelling, screaming, close-to-tears whining, but there's also a lot of laughter and fun.  Favorite games right now are Spit and Pounce.
636.  hearing my sons share how they were the last ones picked by fellow teammates to do a drill...how that brought back my own memories of hating to see if I'd be the last one picked for Red Rover...being able to encourage them that those boys don't know my boys...they don't know their kindness, their stick-to-it-ness, their determination and who's got their back - God!
637.  the sound of frogs in the woods
638.  sleepless mornings....allow me to catch up on blogs I follow
639.  my tom-boy girl....I am so proud of her...she just grows more beautiful everyday

640.  purposing to say Yes when only reason to say No is convinence and time
641.  beautiful little belly of my niece who is ~ 5 1/2 months pregnant (the other niece is just full from dinner)

642.  first baseball game, sitting with friends, jumping and yelling when our boys get a hit

643.  cute boys, decked out in catcher's gear, with cheeks full of sunflower seeds

644.  riding bikes to a friends' to collect eggs, beautiful chickens, and the excitement bubbling over from the kids to do the "collecting" and counting

645.  my new Taylor 714CE ltd guitar and an honest man in Texas

646.  friend who will sing with me in church, Open Hands
647.  cute kid thoughts....I was pouring dry milk into a mixing bowl and Ben asked, "How do they make milk like that?" I shrugged my shoulders and Maddie said, "They put it out in the sun."
648.  watching a fox family on the way to the Sinnaeves yesterday....a mom and 4 pups....so beautiful....they were in the same spot when we went home so they must live near there...
649.  Mother's Day letter (not card) from my eldest....confirming that the greatest thing I do for him is point to Christ
650.  Mother and Daughter banquets....some years the entertainment has been a real hoot, but we always come back because we love our mom and grandma!

651.  my beautiful sisters, who encourage me, support me, guide me and love me

652.  celebrating first year of motherhood for my sister-in-law, which is also a celebration for children whose need for a mother and for love is filled

653.  blessed with a husband who has a wonderful mother

654.  playing Spit with Nancy and Skyler and winning - I'm such a geek and get all giggly
655.  BSF...another year has gone by and I'm sad to see it end!  I am sooo thankful for all the ways it challenges me and draws me deeper into a relationship with Him - I will give witness to it!
656.  forts built in the woods, neighborhood kids all pitching in...friends visiting and helping out too

657.  well-worn paths.....they tell the story that someone loves this spot and it makes you want to travel it to and see where it leads.....may my life be like that....telling the story that there is a person I love to visit and may it draw others to Him

It's a God Thing!

It all started with Ted and the search for the perfect used 4-wheeler....

For the past 2 months (at least), my husband has been searching the internet for a used 4-wheeler that we could afford, you know, so then he could do all the jobs around our house that require a 4-wheeler (or so the argument went).  I went along because he was pretty convincing, but then as the days and weeks and then months went by that he would come home and immediately jump on the internet to spend hours looking at ATV's, my attitude began to change.  I began to think, 'What about me?  I've had a new guitar on my dream list for 2 years and and I know I'd use it every week for church, but that dream keeps getting replaced by other "necessities".'

So one night, when my pity party had gotten into full swing, I approached Ted and explained how I was feeling.  (Here's the first God-thing....)  I shared in a way that wasn't attacking him and he listened to me and immediately went to the computer and started searching used guitars on Craigslist (his home away from home).  My spirits began to rise and within the next few days, we started narrowing down possible Taylors that we could go drive and play - all at least 2 hours away.  Before we scheduled one of those trips, Ted suggested we stop by Elderly and try to play some Taylors that were the same model and had the same wood types, to be able to see if we really liked the sound of them in comparison to others there.  (Did I mention how smart of a husband I have?) 

So Jake and I made a visit to Elderly and did just that.  But one guitar captured our attention way above the others and it wasn't like any that I had seen on Craigslist.  It was a Taylor 714ce LTD with a Cedar top and Koa back/sides.  Ted could tell I loved it and he tried to see if Elderly would negotiate on price because we were working with limited funds from our tax returns, but Elderly didn't bite.  So sadly, we went home and I mulled over and over how perfect that guitar was for me.  A day went by and I just knew that was the guitar for me, so I encouraged Ted to go into Elderly with cash and make them an offer, and I was just sure they would accept. 

Later that morning, I pulled up Elderly's posting online of the guitar just to dream about it, but the posting now had in red letters - SOLD.  I had a momentary meltdown, until I realized Ted probably got it for me!  So I called him and said, "Hon, my guitar sold - it says so online!" and he was all like, "Hmm... really?  That was my next stop - I'll go there and see."  and I thought, 'Sure you will!  You're going to suprise me with it tonight!'  But an hour later he called and informed me that yes, indeed, it had sold.  That someone had come in the night before and boughten it.  And in his voice, I knew he wasn't teasing me.

I was devastated!  Here I thought I had done it right, by walking away from it that day at Elderly and letting a day or two go by to really ponder the purchase and make a wise decision, but God had a different plan.  I moped around the house during lunch saying, "I just can't believe it sold!  That was it - The One!"  Jake and Isaiah tried to encourage me and told me to try to find one on Craigslist, but I just knew I wouldn't be able to find one.  It was a limited edition and it wasn't like there are a million of them out there. 

But encouraged by the boys, I got online, googled it and up popped a posting on a Craiglist in Texas.  At first my heart soared, then I thought what are the chances the owner would be willing to ship it?  The ad was too good to be true - basically brand new - purchased in February and only played a couple of times.  I called the phone number and left a message, thinking it was all a long shot.  But a few minutes later the owner called me back, said he'd sell it to me for less than he paid for it, he'd hold it until the evening so I could talk to Ted and he'd ship it for free!! And to top it all off - he said he was a police officer!

I can't tell you how excited I was when I called Ted and I know I was thinking, "Calm down Charli.  You need to be thinking clearly!"  It was almost too good to be true and I think that is what scared Ted and I at first - especially when he told me he was a police officer.  What should have immediately put us to rest, actually made us more paranoid that it was a false sense of security.  When Ted got home, I showed him the ad and we decided to go ahead.  From there, I felt more and more peace because every time I talked to the owner, I just knew he was an honest man and being used by God to bless us!  He kept me up-to-date with where we were in the process of transferring the money and when he would ship it, and I just knew it was all going to work out.

But I have to admit, somewhere in my subconsious I must've been worried because one night I dreamnt that the guitar arrived and it was in an old, antique wooden guitar case and when I pulled out the guitar it was old with wood peeling and to top it all off it was a LEFTIE and I just sat there in my dream saying, "I can't even play it!"

Thursday morning dawned bright and cheery and I can't tell you how many times my eyes scanned our drive and Crocus Trail to see a UPS van coming.  Sometime in the late afternoon, Nate spied it and yelled, "Mom, I see the delivery truck!"  Isaiah and Jake were outside and came running to the house to tell me.  The UPS man came trudging up our drive with my new guitar slung on his shoulder, while we all grinned and stood on the porch like dorks.  If he didn't think that was wierd, he probably did when he realized I was taking a picture of him coming up the drive - now who takes a picture of the UPS man delivering his packages??????

We rushed into the living room with it and the kids sat quietly around me while I cut the package open.  I think they knew better than to try to help me or touch anything until I saw it first.  It was beautiful!!

I was the first to play it.....

Then of course, Jake was the next....

Meanwhile.... the younger ones lost interest when they realized that in the packaging was more bubble wrapping than any kid could dream of....and the guitar was soon drowned out by the sound of plastic wrapping being popped by hands and feet.

Since that day, if I'm not playing it, Jake's usually snagged it and taken it up to his room to "record".  It has a beautiful sound!  When I think back on the whole story, I'm amazed by how God changes our plans, to give us something better than we can hope for!  And I'm so thankful to my husband for sacrificing his dream of a quad, for mine and for the honest man in Texas who went above and beyond what most do for an online sale.  To me, it's like God was working through him!

And it all began with Ted and the search for the perfect used 4-wheeler.   Once again I'm reminded that God's ways are not our ways! 

Hiding God's Word in My Heart

Over the past several months I've been working on hiding God's Word in my heart.  I've set my watch to hourly chiming to go over the verse I'm working on, which has been so cool because I noticed that it helps me turn my thoughts to Him more and more.  The first verse I memorized was 2 Timothy 3:16:

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true 

and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  

It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  

It is God's way of preparing us in every way, 

fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

I chose this verse because it reminds me what truth really is.  It is not always the whispers I hear in my head and heart....I always need to be going back to the Word to see real truth.  After that one, I decided to memorize a whole chapter that had some verses in it I knew I needed to use to battle the enemy.  This one has taken me longer, but today........I finished it!!!!  It is Psalm 16:

Preserve me oh God, for in You I take refuge.  

I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord.  I have no good apart from You".  

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.  

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.  

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, 

You hold my lot, the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.  

Indeed I have a beautiful inheritance.  

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, yes my heart instructs me in the night seasons.  

I have set the Lord continually before me, because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory, my inner soul, rejoices; 

my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety.  

For You will not abandon my soul among the dead or allow Your holy one to rot in the grave.  

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, 

at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

I love the lines that talk of how He is my portion and my cup - only He satisfies, and that He determines the places I'm in and indeed it is a beautiful inheritance!

Multitude Mondays

It's been quiet here lately because at times, I cannot justify taking the time away from homeschooling or family to post.  But I've noticed that when I don't reflect, put down all the little blessings in my days, my soul becomes parched.   To "taste and see that the Lord is good" truly transforms me to "blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him" (Psalm 34:8)

609. rained out tournaments which leaves our family with peaceful weekends
610.  celebrating another year of my husband's life
611.  my marriage and my husband....more and more I appreciate the little things in our life together, like talking a walk in the evening

612.  time alone with Amy B. as we packed up her attic
613.  time with the Baker kids, playing risk, cards, riding bikes, eating a picnic lunch at the big rock and treasuring the friendships we have

614.  the openness of Jake in sharing how he struggling at baseball, the opportunity to help him fight the enemy's lies, how it breaks my heart to see him struggling so like his mom
615.  the answered prayer thru the encouragement Jake received on Saturday from coach
616.  my brother-on-law giving me time with my sisters as he went and picked up Jake for me
617.  enjoying the worship that Chaney and Landon led at the Vantown church on Saturday night....I couldn't stop grinning at Landon and trying to make him smile...they both did a great job and sang/played beautifully!  I've already gotten a verbal agreement from them that they'll come to the HUB and play for us there!
618.  more signs of spring....I'm addicted to it!

619.  catching sight of a pilated woodpecker this morning by the swings
620.  friends and family who came to support Jake and Isaiah as they helped lead worship at our church on Sunday
621.  the awesome job both Jake and Isaiah did on guitar and drums for worship...God really worked thru them

622.  hearing how the HUB is a place of refuge for kids in our church....it was a good reminder that God is using our small church and He does have a purpose for us
623.  bunny sitings on my walks

624.  fresh eggs....the excitement  as the kids continued to reach in and pull out "another one!"  9 total today

625.  blinding sunlight, baseball cap to pull low over my eyes to shield me as I lose myself in God's Word

626. naps on the couch
627.  BSF....drawing to a close this year...reflecting on all God's taught me thru John...anxious to begin again in Isaiah
628.  car rides home from BSF....hearing how God's using BSF to grow my children in their walks
629.  the blessing given to me by someone at BSF that the words I shared with her were meant for her in that moment to encourage her and guide her
630.  my husband listening to my offended heart and helping me sort out my doubts and helping me to trust the truth I know
631.  God's perfect timing....how I wrestle with doubt and insecurity....how at BSF I hear the message that Jesus wasn't angry at Thomas for his doubts, He met him where he was and reassured him and encouraged him to change

Daily Food

The time our family spends together in the morning, after satisfying physical hunger, letting the Holy Spirit fill our spiritual hunger through the God's Word is a blessing to me time and time again.  We have to purpose to carve out this time, it doesn't naturally come or happen and in fact, for about 1 week, we had let it fall aside as we pursued worldly goals. 

This morning we returned our hearts and faces back to Him upon rising and were overwhelmed with His love.  We read from 2 Samuel 7, which tells the story of how David, after being established comfortably as king, sought to build the Ark a beautiful dwelling.  He asked Nathan, the prophet, who gave him the go ahead, but then after hearing from the Lord, came back to David and told him that God said no.  Then David responded by going off and praying to God and thanking Him.

After we read a passage, we always ask ourselves, "What do I see in this?  What can I learn about God, about others, about myself?  What is the Holy Spirit trying to teach me in this?"

The first thing that we noticed, is how cool it was that David - in the midst of "good times", living in a beautiful cedar palace, resting - still had God's pleasure as his focus.  He knew where his blessings were coming from and wanted, longed to do something in return for God to show him the depth of his love for God.  The Holy Spirit questioned me, "Charli, how often do you react like that?  When life is good, do you keep God first in your life, or do you start to take for granted that things will be good and let your quiet times slip by or slack off on seeking Him, knowing Him, pleasing Him?"  It was a challenge to our whole family to never stop seeking Him.

Then Dad pointed out how God responded just like a parent.  "That's okay....I don't need a grander temple right now..."  He saw how parents sacrifice for their kids to have things or do things, knowing that there will be a time in the future when things will change.

I was really struck by David's response to God's "No".  David didn't get offended that God turned down his idea sparked out of love.  How many times to I do that, with God or with those around me?  When I think I have this great plan to do something and how it stems from love, but people don't receive it or God seems to shut the door on it, I tend to respond in offense.  

We then turned to read out of 1 Chronicles 17 and I prefaced it by telling the kids that it's going to be a retelling of what we just read in Samuel.  So in our minds I wonder if we were all "checking out" and not expecting any new revelations, but then God does the unexpected and speaks right into each of our hearts.  I read it aloud until the magnitude of the words caught in my throat.

Read it aloud, let the words become your words, like I did this morning....

"Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?  And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty!  You speak as though I were someone very great, O LORD God!  What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me?  You know what your servant is really like.  For the sake of your servant, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.  O LORD, there is no one like you.  We have never even heard of another god like You!"

We sat there, with tears streaming down my face, identifying with the heart of David.  The LORD God knows Ted, Charli, Jake, Isaiah, Ben, Maddie, Nate.  He speaks of us as if we were very great.  He honors us by wanting to be in relationship with us.  He knows what each of us is REALLY like, deep in our hidden hearts.  Yet HE does everything in our lives to bring about His will.  There is no other god like HIM - not money, not possessions, not food, not relationships, not the good opinion of others.  There is no other god like the LORD God!