Joy in the Journey

 Hello again, ladies. So last week I told you about a pretty stressful Sunday. I kept my cool fairly well externally that day, but I really felt like I didn’t internally handle it all that great. I get a passing grade because I did remember to be thankful for the things that did go right and I also didn’t yell at anyone. However, let me tell you about last Sunday. Sunday #2: We got home from an overnight trip around 10:30 the night before and the baby is working on his big front teeth, so another night with little sleep, but I was so happy to be going to church that I was singing worship music as I made breakfast. Two of my boys told me they were having tummy trouble in the bathroom, so I decided we would distance ourselves during worship and head home right afterwards just in case we were sick. I told myself that their tummies were probably just not happy because of the junk food we had on the trip.  The toddler inconveniently had to poop again, just before going out the door...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...actually, it was pretty much just the worst of times... I don't know about you, but getting my kids out the door in time for church on Sundays is pretty much the most stressful part of my week. I know, I know, it's a 1st world problem and I am blessed in so many ways (I can worship in public, we have food to eat, we have decent clothes to wear, we have transportation to church, etc). Sometimes I forget how blessed I am in these ways. But even when I remember to be grateful, man, that doesn't stop it from being a challenge! I mean, I feel like I have improved some over the years. And my husband does help with what he can do, but he has to leave early to get the church ready for service, so I'm without him for at least the last hour of the morning. Anyway, I want to share the story of two of my Sundays and what God is teaching me through them.  Sunday #1: I start the day exhausted because the baby is wanting to nurse ...

Hey, mamas. Here I am again, scurrying on a Sunday afternoon to try to get a blog written. I spend the whole week praying and asking God to give me the right message and I just can't write until I feel like I have a message from Him. Sometimes that happens on Tuesday, just after the previous blog has been published. Or other times I don't get it hammered out until Monday morning, just before it's supposed to be released...sometimes five minutes after it should have been published...or an hour late... But my intentions are good, I promise. I don't just want to haphazardly throw words and platitudes at you, I really want to bring to you ladies what I feel like the Lord is putting on my heart to share. This week I didn't get the message until this morning at church. We had an amazing service today. It's funny, because it really wasn't a tradition service: the worship happened in bits and pieces, there was no official sermon, and it was actually much shorter tha...

I lost a friend today. I don’t know the particulars of her passing, but I do know that she is gone. And I am sad. Of course I am not sad that she is in heaven. I can’t help but be happy for someone because of that. She has struggled with health issues for a long time, so I am happy for her that she is no longer in pain. But I am sad I won’t be seeing her again for a long time. She was young. She was not my age, she was my mother’s age, but that still seems young to me. Her death took me by surprise. She and my mom actually grew up together and her daughter is just a little younger than I am. I didn't really know her growing up too much, but we became friends when she started going to our church several years ago. I got to be her Secret Sister and gave her little presents every month for a year. That was so fun. The reason it was so fun was because she was such a kind and caring person. I'm going to miss her kindness. I'm going to miss her sweet smile and hearty laugh.  mich...

 My friend's son accepted Christ as his Savior this week! He is five, and it is so exciting. As my friend told me about it, I got all goosebumpy and teary-eyed. I think the most impactful part of the story was that the little boy didn't answer an alter call or was prompted by a VBS or Sunday School teacher. His decision was the result of a conversation with his mama. His mama had the privilege of leading him to Christ. Something all of we mamas should do.  bcachurch.com I'm not saying that if our children have said the sinners' prayer with someone else then we have failed. We never know when the Spirit is going to move their little hearts to repentance. I'm just saying that our daily actions and conversations should lead them to Christ. I'm sure that the super-exciting conversation my friend just had with her son was not the only one they have had about Jesus. And because I know how much my friend loves the Lord, I know that her son has experienced the love of G...