My Multitude

One week.  There's only 1 more full week of July remaining.  I don't know about you, but when August starts - my mind is directed towards school stuff.

Next week I'm going to start working in my classroom.  I've already been salivating at the new fun school supplies.  This morning I looked up the dates for our Tax Free Weekend to plan some "school clothes" shopping!

As I sat down to pray and read my Bible this morning, I asked the Lord to direct my focus on Him.  The list of things I wanted to pray about were - in my mind... GINORMOUS!

Don't you ever long for simple peace on all sides?  No drama.  God gave this to some of the kings in the Old Testament.  This verse is King Asa of Judah speaking...

2 Chronicles 14:7 (b) (ESV)

We have sought Him and He has given us peace on every side.

"Peace on every side" - can you even imagine a life like that?  I would be thrilled with just a DAY like that!

So in my Bible reading - I just stopped and asked the Lord for "peace on every side".

But... then I read further...  I quickly learned that King Asa still had to fight.  And he didn't just fight small armies - check out his prayer when he was faced with an army of a million enemy soldiers!

2 Chronicles 14:11 (ESV)

And Asa cried to the Lord his God, 

"O Lord, there is none like You to help, 

between the mighty and the weak.  Help us, 

O Lord our God, for we rely on You, 

and in Your name we have come against this multitude.  

O Lord, You are our God, 

let not man prevail against You."

Want to know the outcome?  God allowed King Asa and his army to leave not one of those million enemy soldiers alive!  They were allowed to plunder a ton of stuff from the enemy too!  They won!

But they still had to fight.

Now, I'm so thankful I'm not facing a million soldiers with weapons.  But... in my prayer journal, I made a list of my own "multitude."  The things that are staring back at me - the things that I'm facing.

Here's just an excerpt:  raising Jordan & JP without their Dad, new job, finances, marathon training, JP's salvation, will God bring another "someone" in my life again, many other questions about my future....

This list can be overwhelming!  I'm sure we all have our own "multitude" that we face every day.

I took King Asa's prayer and made it my own this morning.  I may not have all the answers for my multitude - but in His name I can come against them all and you can too!

Newnesses

Do you ever long for just a regular day?  A regular-no-drama season for your life?  The kind of time in your life where you know what you're doing, you know all the answers and life is predictable and manageable?

This sounds kind of dreamy to me!  However, it seems at every turn, I still have new adventures ever before me.

As many of you have heard... I have a new room in my house.  I realized the more Jordan was growing that she didn't need to share a room with her younger brother any longer.  Therefore, I gave her my room.  We fixed it all up - nice and girly.  I updated JP's room a bit with some Spiderman accessories.

Then, with the help of my family and some very strong guys from my church we moved all my stuff to the upstairs (converted attic) huge room!  I love it!!

My new bed!
(really my old bed that I just now got back!)

My new vanity area!  Cool huh?!

In just a few short weeks, I'll be embarking on another new thing... Chemistry Teacher at a new school district.  I'm super excited and nervous all at the same time.

During my prayer time this morning I wrote in my journal about all the "newnesses" that I'm experiencing.  I read a verse that confirmed just how close I need to be to the Lord to make it through all these new adventures.

Psalm 9:9-10 (ESV)

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

a stronghold in times of trouble.  

And those who know Your name 

put their trust in You,

for You, O Lord, have not forsaken 

those who seek You.

I love the end where David reaffirms that the Lord will not forsake those who seek the Lord.

I realized that I have a lot of seeking the Lord to do in all my newnesses.  I know this is probably not real word - "newnesses" - but it doesn't mean I don't still have these in my life.

I bet you have some too.  So how do we deal with them all?  David encourages us to know the Name of the Lord, put our trust in Him, and seek Him.  As a result - He will not forsake us!

I made a list of as many of my newnesses that are currently in my life - and committed to seek the Lord in them all.  What will you do with your newnesses?

I love you all dearly!

Hope for the Charred Remains

I have so many things to say on my blog today!

For starters, I really have missed writing on my blog.  New adventures and crazy new schedules got the best of me.  I like for everything to have it's proper place - especially my schedule.  And for the past 18 months I've been in some sort of survival mode where tyranny of the urgent took over my life.

I would like to tell you that I'm getting that under control and all will be as it should be soon - but to be perfectly honest - I'm enjoying a restful, undisciplined summer.  In about 3-4 short weeks I'm going to need to turn my mind and my heart to discipline but for now I'm soaking up all that this summer has to offer!

Having said that... let's move on to this past weekend.  It was John's birthday and we seem to have created a beautiful tradition of spending the weekend with the Barnabas Contagion and their families in Bastrop.  These people are truly amazing!  I could go on and on about these folks I call family -  but I don't think there are enough words!

On Saturday afternoon around 5pm - the hottest part of the day - I decided I wanted to take the mile hike to see the deer stand where John breathed his last.  Too many times I close my eyes and wonder what the scene looked like on that day.  I'm not a hunter, but I've seen many different types of stands, and I wanted to clear up as many of the unknowns in my head as I could.

As it turned out - all of the men that were there - came with me.  As we hiked we recalled many fun memories of John.  Some remembered great things he used to say, some shared really cooky things he used to do - it was really a nice walk.

It was filled with many emotions, because as most remember, last summer much of Bastrop burned in a fire.  My friends' 200-acre property was completely burned!  Their house, John's tree and a few other precious spots were miraculously saved.

So on our walk we saw many many charred trees, holes in the ground were huge trees once towered the property, and washed away roads.  However, we also saw more sunflowers than I've ever seen in one place!  The green over-growth was up to our knees!  Green leaves were found on several trees!

While the layout of the property looked completely different - it was still very beautiful.  Even though there was devastation all around, it was still very peaceful.  And as I walked, anxiously awaiting when we would arrive at John's final spot on Earth, I took in the beauty of it all.

I thought about how our lives are much like "The Bastrop" (as Jordan used to call this place).  Jordan asked me as we arrived on Friday if this place would ever grow back.  As we hiked you couldn't help but see the new growth that God was allowing to happen.

Green amongst the charred remains.

Isn't this just like our own lives?  Devastating events happen to us all.  And perhaps leave us a bit charred in places.  But with His love, strength, and light - new growth will appear.  Yes, it may look different and strange.  Yes, scars and evidence of a tragedy may remain - but if we embrace His plan and accept His changes for our lives - we too can experience peace and beauty again.

We can have beautiful green spots sprouting all around our charred edges!  We too can "grow back"!

I thought I might just share a few pictures from my weekend at The Bastrop.

Flowers on the hike

 

Beautiful berries were found everywhere!!

Deep holes left by completely burned trees.
The small holes were where the roots once were.

The hike to the deer stand.  Notice all the green!!

Here it is.  You can't see the stand.
But this is the tree where John said goodbye to this Earth.

The scene leaving The Bastrop.

This was the last thing John got to do with the kids.
I'm so thankful this tire swing - hanging from a tree - survived!
What fun memories for the kids!
This is their favorite spot on the property!