carry

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." ~ Galatians 6:2

dreaming...

if you had unlimited resources at your disposal, what would you do with them? buy a yacht? hire a maid? go on a trip around the world?

we've all heard the question before.

but what if...what if...

what if we dared to dream?

i had an unusual dream one night that the Lord brought back to my mind yesterday. it was a really odd dream actually. i was in a multi-storied building in the middle of a city that was exclusively made just for teens. the bottom floor had a huge dance floor and a stage for live bands. somewhere on another floor there was a really amazing food court. and the upper floor contained different rooms for creative expression. i remember there was an art studio, and a basketball court, and other rooms used for instruction in various things. everywhere you looked there were teens, and there were adult mentors available just to hang out and talk with. it was an extraordinary facility, but not because of all the physical things it had to offer. no, the extraordinary part was that i KNEW that this was a place that was equipped to pull the treasure out of our youth. this was a place where they could safely explore who God had created them to be. the whole goal of the place was to create an environment for potential - to encourage not only their spiritual well-being, but also to recognize and encourage unique giftings in each young person.

it was a place for dreams.

in my dream i remember walking and jumping from one place to another...floating and jumping and watching. i felt lighter than air, because the atmosphere was so charged with hope.

how i would love to see this particular dream become reality...

habits

so last night after i said prayers with becca she asked me what my worst habit was. i told her i didn't really know (but of course i had a few things in mind), and then asked her what SHE thought my worst habit was. (now, we all know that it's dangerous to ask a child a question like this, because they don't have the same "filters" adults do and will tell you EXACTLY what they think...but i couldn't resist.)

"well, you don't do maddie's hair anymore," she said.

"hmmm...," i replied. "so what do you think is my best habit?" i asked.

"you LOVE your quiet time mom. you really, really love your quiet time, and talking to God," she said.

that absolutely made my week. it's good to know that even though i don't take time to do hair anymore (what planet was she on last week when i was braiding her AND her sister's hair btw???), that at least my other priorities are in line! haha...

when i asked her what she thought her worst habit was she said...

"saying 'moooo' all the time."

alrighty then! i hadn't even noticed she did this, but just to demonstrate, she began to make the most excellent cow sounds imaginable. yep, now it's all coming back to me...

her best habit in her mind is her love of crafts. she loves to paint, draw, color, sculpt...you name it she loves it. all three of my kids have artistic ability, but becca is the only one who really loves it as much as i do. so cool to see her gifts develop right under our noses.

family

"other things may change us, but we start and end with family." ~ anthony brandt

a delightful diversion indeed...

okay, just for the record, i have the most amazing friends. kim and jill have introduced me to the world of all things jane austen, and i must admit that i'm completely smitten. about once every other month we get together with other homeschool moms and watch our favorite movies made from the books, with an occasional jaunt into other period movies.

fun stuff!

well, tonight was a bit of a surprise. because we got to watch two movies instead of the usual one. we watched persuasion, realized it wasn't dark enough outside to even think about going home, and then jill pulled pride and prejudice out of her purse.

persuasion was...*sigh* wonderful as always.

pride & prejudice...well, i think i lost a few brain cells on that one. funny in some parts, completely ludicrous in others. the kissing scene after he was run over by kitty was probably the most awkwardly funny part.

all in all it was a great night with too much food and much-needed laughter. most of us are so ready for spring break we can reach out and just touch it. jenny, as always is a fabulous hostess and we all love the fact she has a tv the size of her wall upstairs. 

only one sad note - quinn called me to say austin's now running a 102 degree fever with a sore throat. guess we'll be paying a visit to the doctor in the morning.

hide me

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call on Him in truth." Psalm 145:18

sometimes i believe i can fool God. sometimes i think that He doesn't really know what i'm struggling with, and i try to put a happier spin on the situations i find myself in so i "look" better in His eyes. or i think that maybe i can somehow figure things out on my own.

crazy.

i forget that He knows EVERYTHING. yep, everything. and the only thing He really requires of me is that i come to Him in truth. that means i am completely transparent and honest with whatever i'm struggling with - great or small. it means that i stop pretending i have all the answers and admit that He's the only one who can see from an eternal perspective.

"All my longings lie open before You, O Lord;

my sighing is not hidden from You." Psalm 38:9

since the incident in the Garden, we have the tendency to default to the position of hiding. just like adam and eve, we hide in our hearts from the One who's constantly pursuing us for intimacy. hiding, in any form it takes, keeps us from the love of God.

however, He does condone one particular kind of hiding...

hiding in Him.

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 NLT

i love this word - my real life is hidden in Him. and as long as i come to Him in a spirit of truth, transparency, and humility, then i can share in His abundant life as well. 

and that's something to shout about!

"I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." John 10:10b AMP

picnik

so my friend rachel is creating all kinds of cool photo projects right now. and one of the photo editing programs she uses is called picnik. the website says that:

Picnik makes your photos fabulous with easy to use yet powerful editing tools. Tweak to your heart’s content, then get creative with oodles of effects, fonts, shapes, and frames.

the pic of me and the girls above was created using this program. there's basic editing features for you to use for free, and more advanced features for a small fee. i signed up to try it out for a month for less than $5.00, and they took Paypal (which is always a real plus with me!). and my favorite feature of the program so far?

wrinkle remover! haha...

cut

this is the second year in a row our venus flytrap has put out a flower stalk. only this time, it's decided to put out not one, but THREE flower stalks. last year we cut off the stalk after it had bloomed, because when we did some research we found that making flowers actually will kill the flytrap. fortunately though, our little plant lived to see another summer. i keep trying to talk my son into letting it go dormant over the winter, but he just can't seem to do it. we've had it for several years now - a record for us.

so we're presented with a dilemma now - to cut or not to cut? with three flower stalks growing, i'm sure our plant will be too exhausted to survive. and it's not like the seeds it may produce will get planted. they're incredibly small to begin with.

this poor plant is putting all it's effort into reproducing.

it kinda reminds me of myself at times.

there have been seasons in my life when i have poured all my energies into those things that would eventually destroy something precious to me. for years i've gone round and round that merry-go-round. and invariably i would hit a brick wall. to cut or not to cut? "but i feel so productive in this area!", i'd say. "surely this is God's will for my life!", i'd exclaim...not realizing that what i was doing was sucking the life out of me, my marriage and my family. but i'd go to God, presenting my "fruit" to Him in prayer. and He would begin...

cutting.

but over time i've noticed that those areas He has brought pruning into my life have become more fruitful. as painful as the cutting was, now i had something even more precious in it's place:

peace.

and there's never been anything in my life He's asked me to lay down that i have not reaped back in greater measure.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." john 15:1-2

still

 "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

i am currently reading a book by bill johnson called "Dreaming with God". in the very first chapter, he addresses the difference between being a "servant" and being a "friend" of God. servants are obedient because they are required to be, while friends are obedient because they want to please their Lord in every way. he quoted pastor mike bickle as saying:

"...there are lovers and there are workers. And lovers get more work done than do workers!"

johnson continues to say that, "A passionate lover will always outperform a good servant in pleasing Him."

amen!

so today i am praying for a spirit that can be still and know He is God. i refuse to be martha today, and i choose to embrace the extravagant example of love that mary presents. it is through sitting still in His presence and being filled with His Spirit that we become a force in this world to be reckoned with.

"Left alone!" What different emotions these words bring to mind for each of us! To some they mean loneliness and grief, but to others they may mean rest and quiet. To be left alone without God would be too horrible for words, while being left alone with Him is a taste of heaven! And if His followers spent more time alone with Him, we would have spiritual giants again. ~ from Streams in the Desert devotional

remember that aaron's staff was left alone in the presence of God - and it bore fruit. how much more will our lives bear fruit for His kingdom as we continue to sit at His feet!