Rich

rich? what does that word bring to mind?

---this chocolate blackout cake that I'm making for my grandmother's birthday?

---the almighty dollar?

---blessed?

I've been pondering this question ever since we got back from New Mexico in October. Yes, the community we are looking at is growing by leaps and bounds...but it is also so very close to areas filled with despair, depression and hopelessness.

we are in the middle of a series on How to be Rich...not how to get rich, but what does it mean to Be rich....

interesting fact time---did you know that if you make over $25,000 a year, you're in the top 10% of the world for income? $35,000?...top 4% $47,000?....1%. our nation's poverty level is the top 10%.....we are truely blessed....

even on my worst day, I still come home to a roof over my head, food in my pantry, health care (even if I disagree with most of the practices....). I know that my children drink "clean" water, their little bellies aren't distended...they don't go to bed with hunger pains....

what does it look like to bring hope to the hopeless.....

do we hold onto security like a handful of sand, working hard to keep up with the Jones', finding that it's never enough....

I wish that I had some answers....just thoughts running through my head tonight. kind of depressing on the eve of the "love" holiday (maybe I should have put the quotes on holiday!?!) but then again, what is love? do we focus on the fluffy cupid stuff or the fact that true love is selfless, giving.....hmmmm.....I've definitely got a lot more thinking to do on this subject. all I know is that God is obviously stirring something deep within, we'll see what sprouts up ;)

here's a small step challenge for you----find someone lonely, going through a rough patch...whatever, and find a way to show them that they are loved. I promise that no matter what you do, even if it's menial to you....it will speak volumes to a hurting heart

Chillin Randomness

It's so cold in this house today that I think my brain has frozen...even after working out, which is a sure fire way to get the heat goin'

This was Corey's birthday cake from way back on New Years....my little break threw me off a bit! I can't remember where I saw this picture, but just imagine the original being 100xbetter.... I really need to learn how to work with fondant (but then again, I hate the way fondant tastes and it seems like a waste to just throw it out after everyone picks it off).

Jim had a little birthday/super bowl party with some friends...all of them are medics so he requested that I just whip up an "easy" ambulance cake....cough.....eye roll....I really do love him! It started out so good, then SNL came on...with Dana Carvey....and I got distracted and was pretty much over this whole cake decorating thing.




The party was fun. Lots of little girls in the house....that was more entertaining than anything on the tv! Our boys are soooo not used to little toddler girls chasing them around!

"Boooooys!" being yelled by a pig tail bouncing 2 year old is about the Cutest thing EVER!

We had our own halftime show, Baby A is an expert bopper....between her and Corey the Black Eye Peas were nothing! Corey pretty much danced like this the entire time----

Jim found this in the kitchen this morning....Shadow's leg had broken beyond repair....funny how our life is modeled out in toys....the boys used q-tips to make crutches for a quick fix (my dad is an amputee...ohhh, those crazy boys!)

All in all, it's been a pretty uneventful week so far....and I'd like to keep it that way heheehe!

Blizzarific

Just in case some of you haven't heard---Northern Il got a smidge of snow the other day ;)

ugh...sick of hearing about Snowmagedon '11, or whatever other whitty name they've given this!

So in order to offset all of the blah blah blah, cars stuck in ditches, snow plows stuck in ditches, ambulances unable to get through, I'm going to post some happy blizzard pictures!

I LOVE this set of pics--Corey and Jamie were trying to "sled" down a drift, except their sleds stuck right into the drift tossing the both of them off>>>>

Yes, that's Jamie doing a face plant....I laughed...mercy is not my strongest spiritual gift!

Oh, the horror....what a terrible wipe out....

Riley was moving along on top of this drift when suddenly he just sunk!

MOM-Help! (sorry baby, mommy ran outside to snap your picture wearing capri yoga pants, ankle socks and clogs...you're on your own precious!)

He was determined to "measure" this pile---with a nerf sword---jumping into it using a mini trampoline>>>>

Don't they look like they just crested Mt. Everest!

Thankfully we hunkered down and waited out the main part of the storm...and I have to admit, at midnight I freaked out a bit when I realized that I couldn't see the building across the street because of the blowing snow! I did brave the elements after Jim called and told me to check the furnace exhaust pipe thingies....nothing like the threat of no heat or carbon monoxide poisoning to motivate a girl to high tail it out in the storm (I smashed down the drift near it and ran back into the house like nobodies business!)

Are You Done Yet?

1 Samuel 16:1

The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way"...

How can one little verse dig so deep?

Saul had just tanked majorly, God rejected him and Samuel was in mourning. Can you imagine what was going through Samuel's thoughts? Lord, you let the people have a king, only to renounce him?...or worse, only to choose this guy? What is going on here? Everything is falling apart...and the list could go on and on....

It doesn't say how long Samuel was stuck in mourning mode, but God was clear :

Are You Done Yet? Get Up! Dust yourself off. Fill your horn with oil and Be On Your Way, I'm sending you to Bethlehem because I have chosen a king--one after my own heart.

God had a better plan, a humble shepherd boy who would follow Him with all of his heart (not that he wouldn't mess up, but he still sought after God).

What would have happened if Samuel just stayed in his pit, letting depression and disappointment sweep over him? Would God's plan have been messed up? Nope, but what blessings would he have missed by not being part of this path...he'd only be hurting himself.

Are you hanging on to past hurts and disappointments?

Is God asking if you're done yet?

Does he have a job for you to do?---Is he saying "Be on your Way"?

We might not be able to see the outcome, but hold firmly to the fact that God is good, all the time..God is good. He works out all things for the good of those who love him. His ways are higher than our's...sometimes it's hard to shake off the tunnel vision of our surroundings and ask God to reveal His Big Picture...

Just some food for thought.

And on a comforting note, even these strong in the Lord, major people in the Bible didn't always have it all together or figured out.

Life is a process. Keep pressing forward (which will have to be a post for another day!).

Tomorrow, I'll post some stuff about all of this snow---trying to enjoy it as I pray this will be the last "Big One" we will experience (the desert sounds so good as I look out at this sea of monster snow drifts!)

Raising My Ebenezer

I can't believe how fast these past few days have gone.

Honestly, I'm a little sad that they are over.

So much has gone on in my heart, in our family, blessings piercing through the snow. I don't even know where to begin....so....I'll start in the middle....perfect place, right!

Half way through this fast, I felt led to read through 1 Samuel, just a couple chapters a day....really sinking into their meaning. At first I figured it was all because of David having to wait and go through so many things before he was King....but every chapter has hit my heart, revealing flaws, challenging growth....learning to be humble and fully dependent on God.

1 Samuel 7 tells of how the Israelites were being attacked by the Philistines, they said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us!" He fervently cried out to God and the Lord answered him. Then he took a stone and named the spot Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

The Hebrew word is Eben haEzer....meaning Stone of the Help. How often does God help us, only for us to forget days, months, years from now?

I want to remember this time with Him. To never forget the things he has done during this fast.

Looking back on this past year I can see a real change in my prayers and the verses I have been drawn to. In the beginning, it was always "Lord help me!" Save me from this pit. Then it switched to "Show me your path Lord". Now, I know the path...I've seen the dream...we are in this holding pattern, waiting on God's timing. But, holding doesn't mean stagnant! God has really been revealing His goodness, He's refining me like a precious gem....making me ready for the good plans He has for us! I need to do a little bit more reflecting before I can put words to it all, but I am super excited :)

So, what are your Ebenezers? Don't forget them! Write them on a stone, in a journal, on your heart. Pass them down to your children, leave the legacy of relying and trusting in the Goodness of the Lord!

I've really come to love this song...not my usual contemporary worship, but it speaks volumes to my heart!