Right when all our economic woes began, I was reading from Psalm 37 in my chronological Bible:
The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.
In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
If you're in need of some real encouragement, read all of Psalm 37 on www.biblegateway.com. My FIL is upset that his children's and grandchildren's inheritance has been cut nearly in half by the dive the stock market has taken. But God says our true inheritance will endure forever! Hallelujah!
Even if the hard times hit even harder, we can trust in our good and gracious God who gives us abundantly more than we can ask or imagine.
I haven't yet blogged about our trip to Disney World, but it's finally stood out on my Autofocus list so I'm on it!
Our trip was truly magical in so many ways. We've taken the 3 oldest before (5.5 years ago), but something about having all the kids with us made it extra special. That and being there around Christmas which is around the time when my family went when I was a child gave it extra meaning.
Disney World at Christmas is truly a sight to behold. The lights and sounds put me in the Christmas spirit in a way I've never experienced.
I also experienced fear in a completely new way. Our 3yo's unpredictable screaming jags had me a bit on edge. But 90% of the time he was very, very good. It's just that when he wasn't, he wasn't.
When I turned 40 I decided I no longer wanted my life to be ruled by fear. It isn't that I'm a particularly fearful person. It's just I've decided life is too short to miss out on things because of unfounded anxiety. Turns out my son Ben put my decision to the test. He insisted that I go on the Tower of Terror with him. I'm using that experience as the basis for two talks I'm giving in the next month, so I won't elaborate here. I will say that confronting my fear and distaste for the free-fall sensation in the tower made our ride on the Journey to Atlantis (SeaWorld) seem like a piece of cake. Okay, so I don't look thrilled. But after this dash to seeming death, I found myself thinking, "That wasn't so bad. It was almost…fun!"
So that, together with a lost/stolen IPhone that has since supposedly been recovered (still waiting for it to arrive via the mail) is how our trip was. Sweet and scary.
We've known each other for almost 13 years now. I remember the day I first met you. I was so excited to be in a baby furniture store. I thought you were just right for our family and the baby we were expecting–nice, but not too fancy.
Remember the cute Pooh room you were in? I bet you do. It was so colorful. You must have been just as excited as we were when we brought that 7 pound, 7 ounce boy home from the hospital. He sure was cute, wasn't he?
Remember how I had the baby monitor set up next to you, even though I was steps away in my room. Gave that up pretty quick! And you had to wait patiently for that new baby to get cozy in you because he liked being near mom in the middle of the night.
Boy, we've seen it all, haven't we? Or maybe it's more accurate to say that you've seen it all. You've seen me at my very best–a loving, self-sacrificing mom who nursed and cared for six babies. But you've seen me at my worst, too–frustrated with a screaming, crying, defiant child that made me act the exact same way.
It's hard to believe baby #6 isn't a baby anymore, isn't it? The new bunkbeds are coming this morning. So I guess this is good-bye. We did good. Thanks for everything.
I apologize for my long absence. We decided rather last minute to go to Disney World the week before Christmas. Packing for 8 and making sure everything was done for Christmas before I left gave me no time for blogging. I will post about our amazing trip soon, but wanted to ask for your prayers for our friend, Dan. He is pictured here with his lovely wife, Melva. This picture was taken in October at their 50th wedding anniversary. He was in a car accident after shopping for a sweater that was on sale! Melva and I have more in common than the first three letters of our names. My hubby loves to clothes shop, too.
Dan's aorta and spleen were cut in the accident. The doctors told Dan and Melva that only 85% of people with his injury make it to the hospital and another half of those don't make it to surgery. Praise God Dan survived the surgery and his spleen has stopped bleeding, too. Please continue to pray for his recovery. Specifically, we are asking God to manage the fluid in his lungs and strengthen him to the point that he can move from the ICU.
Dan is a man who has developed a love for God's Word and is happy to testify to the life-transforming power of prayer and Bible reading. If you're ready to experience a new life in 2009, sign up for the New Life Challenge today! Signing up for the weekly newsletters officially enrolls you in the challenge.
When I was participating in the Body for Life Challenge this September, I started thinking that I had a lot in common with Bill Phillips. Nope, not the big muscles or the big bucks! I could relate to his passion for sharing a new life. Bill wanted to share the new healthy life possible through physical fitness. I want to share the new life possible through spiritual fitness.
I got the idea for a New Life Challenge using prayer as exercise and Bible reading as nutrition this summer. But if not for Deb and Phyllis I wouldn't have run with it. Pardon the exercise pun! I am so thankful for their encouragement and for God's grace allowing me to prepare this challenge for January 5th, 2009.
I'm often asked how I "do it." Now I can tell you: take the New Life Challenge! It's free. Choose one goal, spend ten minutes and fifteen to twenty minutes reading the Bible's New Testament each day, and watch your spiritual muscles develop. Check out the website, download the challenge guide, sign up for the weekly newsletter, participate in the forum, and get ready for a new you in 2009! No matter what your goal, God can get you there. If He can change me, He can change anyone.
Change is always easier when you aren't going it alone. Please share the www.newlifechallenge.net website with friends and family members and encourage them to join you in taking the challenge.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
