Grateful

Since the hubs has been home from India, life has been a whirlwind. It's hard to believe it has been four weeks, and not only has it been four weeks but its Thanksgiving. This year has flown by and has been such an unexpected adventure. God has really opened our lives up to the awareness of how abundant our lives are. It has been very humbling, I have so much to be grateful for it is ridiculous. I have at my fingertips so much more than the majority of the world. The struggle...what am I doing with these resources to change my world? What can I do to make a difference and what have I been called to do? I don't know all the details quite yet but I know the beauty is in the details and in discovering what lies ahead and embracing the journey as we figure it out.


Today I'm grateful. I'm grateful for growing up in the United States, I'm grateful for the opportunity to attend a free public school, for the ability to be able to become a follower of Jesus at the young age of 10 and be accepted by my family and have the safety of freedom of religion. I'm grateful for my college education, and all the friends I met through that awesome experience. I'm grateful for our home, our cars, the electricity and gas that keep us warm, and allow us to cook. I'm grateful for our clean water. I'm grateful for my family, I'm so honored to be married to such an incredible and Godly man who, seeks God daily, who goes out of his way to serve his family. I'm so very thankful for the company that he works for, that he enjoys going to work and loves what he does. I'm thankful that his job allows me to stay home and care for our two amazing boys and it allows me to serve my family in that way. I LOVE my job, I love my family and I love that I can serve them love them and also be an entrepreneur. I'm thankful for our friends and family, those wonderful people that God has blessed us with to walk our life journey with. You make this walk a lot less lonely and you are super encouraging, and you get it.


We have so many awesome opportunities here. I have two of the most precious gifts I could ever ask for and I'm honored to have a part in raising these future world changers. I pray for them daily. I pray that I'm showing them that they aren't entitled, that God has created us to work, and work hard, to find our passions and use them and how to be good stewards. I pray that I show them how to love and love deeply.


I'm so grateful and a grateful heart is content. God help me be more grateful, help me be content, help me pass that on.


Ephesians 3:14-21New International Version (NIV)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.




Philippians 4:5-7New International Version (NIV)
⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Contentment

Happy Fall friends! Hope you are all staying warm. I think it is pretty ironic that during this season of over indulgence, of giving to top what you gave last year, trying to keep up with the people who "have it all" that I have seen at least a dozen articles about, Teaching your child contentment", "How to raise a grateful child"...


Since before Halloween was even over we saw evidence of Christmas coming. Lights for sale at target and all the red and green coming out at various other stores all in preparation for the millions of dollars that are about to come in over the next 2 months. I get all the "reasons" why...but seriously? unnecessary...because get this we all know that Christmas is coming. I mean how could we forget? You see taking our kids and serving with them is amazing. Telling them about the boys and girls in India and even here in Arlington that live in the various shelters that don't have the luxuries they have available at their fingertips is certainly a great start and even exposing them to these peers is awesome. BUT its so much more than doing those things during November and December to help us feel better about spending thousands of dollars on each other because we are supposed to...necessity and guilt shouldn't drive us to serve or give.


Thanksgiving and Christmas are so much more than the gifts, than the things we can acquire. Its about the moments, the memories, celebrating and enjoying our families and friends Ever since India there has been a pivotal change in our family, I love shopping as much as the next person and retail therapy with some chocolate...yes please...but its so hard to think about shopping when there are little boys and girls who don't have the basic necessities let alone their wants.


A few weeks ago after the boys had been spending way too much time fighting over their toys we packed them all up and took them away. They have since earned a few back based on good behavior and not fighting over them any more. However, there was something that happened when they didn't have anything to fight over. They played with their books, each other, they shared and used their imaginations. They now play with blocks and build things.


Epiphany


total palm to forehead moment


Our boys...just like us...merely have way too many options...


One thing I've heard over and over from my friends and husband who have gone to India was the joy these children had, despite what they lacked in our western culture standard. How come I cant live maybe a week without coming up with something else I "need." We are surrounded by advertisements and marketers telling us from every angle that we need more and more importantly we deserve more. Another thing my hubby has come back with a fire to fix is to build a new orphanage for some boys that are living there. The kicker...the home they need built, is 2000 sq ft, and it will cost them$40,000 to build it, the well for clean water, sewer and electric. Here is some perspective...there will be 14 boys that move into this home and it will home several more as needed, and they will build up. Our home is over 2000 sq ft and we have 4 people living in it. *Mind Blown* and how self serving can I be? here I live in a home that is considered modest to some, a mansion to others. Its warm, clean (well for the most part), clean water, food lots and lots of food, and stuff. It is really hard to sit in my home with more than most of the world could dream of and think about going out and buying more stuff to celebrate the birth of our savior....


Christmas isn't sitting the same as it has in the past and I'm thankful for that. I don't want to be status quo, I don't want to be normal and I don't to raise our boys to be ungrateful or entitled, I want to raise them to be mighty warriors, with a passion to change the world and make it better. I'm really looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving and just being with my family and being grateful for the abundance that we are blessed with. May it be used and transformed as God's will may have it. May we see the ways we can use these blessings of abundance to impact the world around us. Help us be good stewards. Help us teach our boys to be content by us first being content...


This is something we are working through, praying through, its new and I challenge you to join us.




Philippians 4:10-12
Thanks for Their Gifts
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want.


1 Timothy 6
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.
These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many greifs.
But you, man of God, flee from all of this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time -- God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, who no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever.
Amen
Command those who are rich in this present world not to arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all


until we meet again!

I forget so easily sometimes

Good Morning friends, hope your November is off to a great start. Ours has been a blur, in the busy crazy times when life is just moving forward while you are trying to process life, its hard to move forward at the pace of the world around you. In some ways it feels like the hubs mission trip was months ago, yet it was just two weeks, these last four weeks...one word wow.


I didn't know what to expect when he arrived back home Wednesday October 29, I was just excited to have my partner in crime home. I don't think either one of us thought it would take a week and a half to get on a similar place, to connect, to get back to our new normal.


Life gets crazy so fast and you often forget how fast it goes until you want it to slow down. This is where I so often and so easily loose sight of the one who is fighting for me. I get distracted, and the enemy is so good as deception. When the world is flying by and all you want is those long chats with your friends at the coffee shop, or in your homes for dinner, I feel alone, isolated, overwhelmed, and unwanted or worse un-necessary. I get there so fast. Although I'm surprised it didn't happen a lot faster...considering. Once I'm there man I get depressed and check out even more...and so often long before I realize it.


I can sense it happening, things don't feel right, but I feel stuck. This time... I felt like I just needed my man to fight for me to have enough energy to connect with me and pursue me, I just couldn't find the words, how can he do those things without me telling him I need that?? Why do I get HERE?? Its so frustrating...Then last night it hit me, I have a savior, my Jesus, that is constantly fighting for me, the greatest thing, he knows when I need it, I need to work on turning to him as soon as I feel that change.


Friends our Jesus is out there fighting constantly for us, dancing over us, and interceding for us. How amazing?? Sometimes he calls us to join him in battle, other times he just wants us prepared for battle to remember daily to fully put on our battle armor to guard our hearts and heads from enemy attacks. Be ready friends but most importantly NEVER EVER forget that he is fighting for you and one of the greatest things he's won, its already been determined, He is the over all victor. Stand strong, look forward in the darkness that comes on so fast with the deceit, and the loneliness, focus on the light, seek it out. Its always worth seeking out, there is only hope, peace, grace, mercy, joy and love there. Oh how sweet, and beautiful. Your prince, your big daddy God is fighting for you and he cant loose and your worth that battle. When He engaged in battle with the enemy He deemed all of us worth fighting for.

Ephesians 6:10-13, The Message

God is strong and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk  away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet.

Deuteronomy 1:30, NIV

The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes

Deuteronomy 3:22, NIV

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you

Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory

Joshua 23:10

One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised

and here is an excerpt from my Beth Moore Children of the Day bible study...

He will never stop fighting for you. He takes every assault on you personally. He goes before you onto every battlefield. He fights for you even when you're fighting yourself. As hated as you are by Satan, you never go head-to-head with him. Jesus does. And Jesus never loses a fight.

 I'm so very thankful for God's word, for his constant reminders of how he not only loves us but how he pursues us, fights for us because of his all surpassing never ending love. If you are struggling like I was seek God and seek others your not alone and you are more than worth the fight! Lots of love and prayers for you brothers and sisters!

*stories from India coming soon...still processing but God is doing great works and he has big plans for us and India and ways for us to help our brothers and sisters on the ground there!! Your prayers are so special and appreciated!! Thanks.