Ceiling Fan Update...

Back in February, when I first started blogging, this was one of my first posts. If you weren't an avid reader back then, and let's face it...you probably weren't, then you should definitely go read the post, otherwise the picture below will not seem nearly as wonderful and amazing!!

OK, for those of you who are caught up on the situation, you will be happy to know that the old has been replaced with a "free & still in great condition thanks to Ben's brother and his wife used ceiling fan." It's fabulous.

Look at those blades...all five of them. Our boys have been threatened with their lives if they EVER even ponder the idea of hanging from the ceiling fan again...I know...we are terribly cruel parents.

*BIG thanks to our friend Todd for coming over (at 9AM on a Saturday) and installing it. I promise we will not try to think of other things that you could fix...except, there is that...*

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Smorgasbord

OK, so here's some more on yesterday's topic. I opened up my Bible today to Galatians. This is significant because I have no organized order for my daily reading. I like to open it up and trust God to take me where I need to go...because I haven't a clue. He knew Galatians was the right place.

For those of you, who are like me, and can't remember off the top of your head what Galatians is about...I'll give you my super quick overview: Paul wrote to churches in Southern Galatia (and for Christians everywhere) a call to faith and freedom in Jesus i.e. no more legalism. GOOD STUFF!

Here's what grabbed me.. Galatians 5:22-23,

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..."

Key here: Spirit controls our lives...

I need all of that fruit. You may remember from this that I do not particularly enjoy eating fruit. BUT, that Holy Spirit fruit...it's kinda like this to me....

Happy Saturday!

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All About the Heart

We have rules in our house. Rules like...

• no band-aid unless there is blood.
• no hitting,kicking,punching etc, each other.
• at home, you must pee sitting down. For mom's sanity, you must.
• you don't have to make your bed, but you do need to clear a path in the Legos so that she can put away your clothes.
• There are others, but you get the idea

Do you know what happens? My children find ways around these rules. For example, Jakob came up to me this morning with an old "owie" (it had a scab already) He claimed he needed a band-aid and I gave him "the rule." Two minutes later, he returned, to show me the blood he now had...due to peeling the scab off. Even a 2 year old knows there's ways around the rules. He got the band-aid.

I've been thinking (again.) This time, it's about legalism. Probably because it's the last chapter I've read in Breaking Free :) There is such a fine line between godly rules and legalism, and it all has to do with the heart. Anyways, I've been pondering why legalism, or rules to follow is so much easier than genuinely opening ourselves up to loving Jesus and those around us and examining our own hearts.

Here's what I think it all breaks down to...legalism allows us to not look at our motives, which means we never really have to deal with ourselves. It only requires a list of do's and dont's. Obeying a list of rules we've made never requires us to even connect with God, instead, we look at the list and check it off. Yuck.

I am completely and utterly annoyed by legalistic people. I meet them, and I want to run for the hills. It's the very thing I never want to be. Yet, there have been times in my own life when legalism has ruled. At the time, I didn't realize it. But, looking back, I can see it now. It also coincides with the times in my life that pride had free reign. Beth Moore uses a phrase that "Microscopes replace mirrors." How true that is. May the Holy Spirit never allow me to look away from the mirror.

With my boys...I want them to grow up seeing first hand how wonderful a relationship with Jesus is. They will have rules, obviously. But I don't want them to just learn how to obey the rules without understanding and accepting where they come from AND learning how to examine their own hearts. We can find ways around rules, but when confronted with the state of our own hearts...there's just no way around that. Legalism creates resentment in peoples hearts...because deep down inside, we know we can't be good enough.

Today I am praying that in my own heart, and in the hearts of my boys, legalism would not be allowed. That we wouldn't minimize who Jesus is...into a bunch of rules. Rather, that the Holy Spirit will help us to show our faith for what it really is. May we not get in the way of Jesus. May we fully appreciate the love, mercy, and forgiveness He has shown us and then go out and show that to others.

Happy Friday!

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Don't Say I Didn't Warn You...

So I went to the doctor this morning, to see if I had strep throat or not. Turns out I don't...but my tonsils looked disgusting enough for the doc to give me antibiotics anyway. If only you could have seen my happy dance. I'm all for the antibiotics...I'm feeling better already! This has bummed my kids out...they are now being supervised again...the mischief continues though.

I also got some groceries today, (man, aren't you glad you stopped by to read all this exciting information, HA!) After their feeding frenzy yesterday, there was nothing left.

I happened to pick up a bag of these...

and I thought to myself...Sarah, warn them. So, here is my warning to you ladies. If you see these lovely chips on the supermarket shelf, DO NOT BUY them, resist the urge. Walk yourself back to the produce aisle and get some carrots or grapes or something. Do you know why you should not buy these!?! Because you will eat 3/4 of the bag without even realizing it!!!! TRUST ME! Been there, done that (today.) I am apparently not feeling well enough to run...but have no problem devouring a bag of potato chips. Great. Just Great. *smiles*

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The Consequences...

Remember this? Well, today this is life in the parsonage. Do you think the other pastor's wives that lived in this parsonage had days like this? I have not been feeling so hot the past few days. I think I may have gotten Jake's "sore throat, headache, chills, achy all over, leave me alone so I can get better" sickness. I just needed to rest...who I am kidding...with my children,

You Rest: You Pay the Consequences.

Yes...that is our obese Wiener Dog eating a cheese quesadilla that was prepared by a 2 year old. Good times.

This is Jake playing in his mess of

Cheese.

The boy can get into all kinds of naughty...just give him a chair.

WHY?!? Why the need to eat everything!

My sweet little Jakob, how do you do it? How do you instinctively know you can get away with all kinds of stuff when I am sick OR on the phone or *cough* computer?!? And how do you know to immediately say "I sorry! I sorry!" and then flash me those little dimples that seem to make even the naughtiest of things seem...cute? You are a brilliant little creature, you really are...but mommy is tired...time for Dora :)

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Run-On and On and On...

I've stumbled across some new blogs lately, and a few mentioned their dislike for bad grammar. *gasp* I immediately hoped they never stumble across my blog! Now I have a new complex. My grammar is very bad...I am fully aware of it. I am particularly prone to using run-on sentences. Actually, more like excessively prone to using them. The title of my blog should probably have been My Life as a Run-On Sentence.

I decided to look up the definition of a run-on sentence: a sentence containing two or more clauses not connected by the correct conjunction or punctuation. OR blah blah blah, blah blah blah :)

Here is my justification for bad sentences: I want my "voice" to be heard in my writing, I want it to sound like me. For those of you who know me, in real life, you know that when I talk, it's ONE BIG run-on sentence. So...in order for me to keep it real, I am forced to continually commit to using run-on's. It is for your benefit...really.

For those who can fully appreciate and appropriately use the English language, God bless you...for the rest of you, who can no longer remember (or care) about clauses and conjunctions, write on sister...write on :)

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Resisting

I am realizing that there are areas in my spiritual walk that I am resisting God. Certain areas that I see Him wanting to change, and feel Him changing, and my gut instinct is to resist Him and flee back to what is comfortable.


I am about a quarter through Breaking Free. I'm usually a speedy reader...but this one I need to really let sink in. When I read a book, I always need my own copy because I like to underline sentences that stick out to me, so that later on I can skim back through and find what I'm looking for (you should see what my Bible looks like) Anyways, needless to say, much of this book is underlined already! It's amazing how well it fits in with the Seeking Him study...maybe too well :)

Here's some of what I'm learning so far...

• Changing my behavior & thoughts is HARD. And not fun...at all. I want a quick fix. And yet the deeper I get into this study, the more I realize how far I have left to go! I want God to do it for me...I want to just magically love difficult people...instead, God gives me opportunities to follow His instructions and love them. *God has said to me: Too bad little lady...I have a better way, keep on following Me and you'll see it*
• Pride...it is a problem. It may be at the root of all problems. I sort of had my own definition of pride: Anyone who thinks they're better than someone else, or believes they don't need anyone else. Somewhere along the way, I adopted that definition...probably to convince myself that since I don't see myself as "better" then I obviously do not have an issue with pride. Wrong definition. SO WRONG. Seriously, any person who thinks they don't have an issue with pride is likely the very person with a HUGE pride problem!
• Pride = Self. That's what I'm learning. At the root of all the areas that need changing, self is the problem. I am learning to humble myself, because I do not want God to do it for me :) On a side note: humbling myself is something I have to do constantly. CONSTANTLY.

There's more...so much more..but for now, the main thing is that I do not want to resist God changing me! And I'm looking ahead, longingly, for the day when changing seems easier...or there is less changing to be done! I know it will be worth it!

- A new blog friend has a wonderful post on longings...it spoke to my heart because it just "fits" with all this stuff I'm learning. She has a great way with words and God's truth!

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