Hungry for More

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” III John Verse 4

This verse was given to me by a wonderful lady from my church a few months back. I kept it dear to my heart and held onto it as a confession over my children. My two older boys have been coming to church with me for the past 4 years and I really have seen them growing, but it has been slow going. Until these past two weeks. It started with a trip to what is called Encounter Conference in Vacaville at the Father's House. They attended and really did encounter God. Then this weekend they attended what our church calls Impact Encounter Weekend. This is a time of really getting to know what God did for us by sacrificing his son on the cross to forgive us of our sins. It is a time of healing and renewing. A huge transformation has occurred in my boys that I cannot explain as anymore then a miracle. They are completely changed and I can only praise God for what he is doing in their lives. This Sunday (tomorrow) they are getting baptized and I know that this is only the beginning of what God has planned for them! God is moving so fast right now all I can to is hold on for the ride!



Along with this transformation in my boys the pieces to a puzzle are being put together. You see, by them getting baptized it brought their dad to church. He was saved before, but has not been to church in a long time. It is also a piece in the puzzle to getting my husband, their step dad to church. I hold onto to two visions that I have had in the past. One is my husband coming to church and accepting Jesus as his Lord and savior. The other is my husband attending Impact's Encounter Weekend. Actually it is of all of us as a family attending and becoming whole in Christ!

Seeing the changes that God is making makes me hungry for more. As we come close to the celebration of our Lord and Saviors resurrection I am planning to do a 40 fast and pray to really press into the plans that God has for my family. I know that he has plans for us beyond what I can even imagine! I am ready and willing Oh Lord!

Go Big or Go Home

This is going to be our new family motto. With Luke's recent injury we learned that our children like to do things big! You see he had a very rare fracture known as a lateral condylar fracture."This type of fracture occurs through one of the bony knobs (condyles) at the end of the upper arm bone. Most occur through the outer (lateral) knob. These fractures require careful treatment, because they can disrupt both the growth plate (physis) and the joint surface. (Luke's growth plate was not involved, but it was into his joint.) If the fracture forced the bones out of alignment, the doctor will have to manipulate them back into place. Sometimes, this can be done without surgery, but more often, surgery will be needed. Pins, screws, or wires are used to hold the bones in place." In Luke's case surgery was needed. His fracture was just to bad for the doctor to manipulate back into place without surgery. He now has two pins (temporarily) placed along with a dark blue cast.
I used this website:
to help with the medical mumbo jumbo! All in quotes were taken from this website: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00037
That is not all, Luke's elbow was not just fractured; it was dislocated too. We did not know this based on his xrays because it was not seen in the xray.
The doctor did not know how bad it really was until he was in the operating room. Good thing I requested that they take a better look.


When Alex broke his wrist he went big by breaking both of his wrist at one time. Luckily he did not require surgery, but one year later he broke his wrist again. Only one that time, but wow! Nathan has only had one serious injury in his lifetime, but it was a fairly big one requiring reattaching a part of his finger that was severed off in the door! Having three boys and one very strong willed girl, I think the motto: Go Big or Go Home is very appropriate!

My Journey

Well, my fasting and prayer is almost over and to be honest I did not do so great. Yes, I stayed off Facebook for the whole 21 days, but the praying part was really hard. I was signed up to pray from 11pm-Midnight every night. Well that did not work well for me, so I changed my time to 5am-6am; which I did for the most part. I think I missed a total of 5 days where I just choose not to pray. I slept instead or one morning I got up to pray and Luke and Abby decide to wake up early that morning. I did feel that when I was praying in the evening time my prayers were more powerful and heartfelt. When I switched to the morning something changed int he way I was praying. I felt distracted and was praying while doing other things (IE: showering, laundry, cleaning). When I was praying in the evening time, I was focused and determined. However, I did learn a lot through this time. I learned that I am still a work in progress. God is working on me and I am changing, but I never claimed to be perfect. That is what I love about my God. He is such a gentle Father. Always changing and correcting me, but allowing me to grow at my own pace. Never pushing me, just slight nudges along the way. His mercy and grace are far more then I could ever imagine.
God really showed up during this time and revealed some truths to me. He showed me where improvements need to be made and he lead me to where I can work on them. I am connected and planted where I need to be. So now I just resist the enemy and continue on my journey with my hear held high!

I AM GOD!

Did you know that Moses stuttered. (Exodus 6:30 And Moses answered, "Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?") A man who freed God's people from Egypt had a stuttering problem. A man who stood before a King and brought God's word stuttered! God, used him anyway; through his brother Aaron. I love what God says to Moses here: Exodus 6:6-8 "I am GOD. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I'll take you as my own people and I'll be God to you. You'll know that I am GOD, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I'll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM GOD."

I AM GOD! What a powerful message. As I continue my journey through 21 days of fasting and prayer I am truely amazed by our God. He continues to stay true to his promises. He did not let Moses down, he did not let the Egyptians down, and I know he will not let me down. If he can use a man who stuttered to bring his word, then why couldn't he use me.

Lord, today I want to bring your word. I want to free my family from the grasp of the Devil and set them free. Use me Lord to save them. Use me to minister to them that "I AM GOD" is the master of our home. Thank you Lord for the changes that have already started and will continue. Lord, I pray that I can continue to have faith even as small as a mustard seed to endure the changes that you have set forth. Lord, I pray that my family has the strength to endure these changes as well. I love you Lord and I am ready to conquer! AMEN

Vulnerable

How is it that God knows exactly what you need to hear each day. Again I find myself in awe of his works. As I read my bible readings today; I learned about Vision and then I turned to my daily devotional for more and found this!:

"The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command the sons of Israel and say to them, "When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, even the land of Canaan.'"" - Numbers 34:1-2 NASB

The Israelites didn't really know what to expect. They were about to enter the Promised Land, and they certainly had questions.
Today, we know that this land was a major crossroads of the ancient world, a land coveted by kings and kingdoms, the site of mighty battles. It constantly was crisscrossed by caravans and thieves. It was the highway for Hittites and Egyptians (and later, Assyrians and Babylonians, Greeks and Romans, Persians and Parthians).
Why would God put His people in a place where they would face so many possible enemies and problems? In fact, He placed them where they would be constantly vulnerable. Why? So they would need to depend on Him, because they could not succeed without Him.
This is an important picture for all of us to see. It can be easy to imagine how we might want to be freed from problems. Some, in fact, seek isolation from the world on remote islands. Others seek refuge in dense forests or high in the mountains. Some seek escape in places that seem far from turmoil and tension.
But God wants us to realize we never can find absolute security in this world. Full security can only be found in Him. Paul said we experience the greatest peace when we're in the center of God's will, trusting Him completely. It's when we are the weakest that we really are the strongest, for then we most trust in God (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Today, recognize that God is the key to everything in your life-your success, your peace, your relationships, and your security. Don't place your faith in governments or armies, money or jobs. Trust in Him and Him alone.


Prayer
Father, I recognize that I am nothing without You. I need You! Direct my steps. Guide me. Use me. I trust my life to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Extended Reading
Numbers 34


I just cannot get enough of what God is doing in my life right now. I spend an hour with him each day and it is just not enough. I find myself wanting and needing more! I am so thankful that he is with me all day long! But, what I need to work on is rememebering to put him first in all I do! Lord, help me to remain vulnerable throughout the day, so that I may hear your voice and know the steps you have planned for me. Thank you Lord, for guiding me and leading me in the right direction!

Your Best

This Devotional I found today was so fitting I couldn't help but share it. You see I have been fasting and praying for the past 8 days and one theme that keeps coming up is summarized in this devotional. I want to live by this devotional and give my best in all I do!


Your Best
1/17/2011

"Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them." - Numbers 18:29 NASB

Offerings are important to God. Why? Because they represent the attitude of our hearts. They reveal our real priorities and prove what's really important to us. They are opportunities to recognize how much we owe Him and give to Him from what He's given us.
Offerings also are opportunities to demonstrate the degree to which we believe God and are willing to obey Him and do things His way.
The Bible describes various kinds of offerings. Each offering includes its own requirements and procedures, what it symbolized and was meant to achieve. However, in every situation, each person was to give God their best.
This is why the Law is filled with instructions to bring the best offering-and warnings about bringing anything substandard. The people were warned, "If there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 15:21 NKJV). Again, God was trying to teach them this principle: He demands our very best.
We see this same commitment when Jesus turned water into wine: When the master tasted it, he remarked how unusual it was that this very best wine had been saved for last (John 2:10).
God is a God of the best! He gave us His best when He sent Jesus to die for us (Romans 8:32).
Today, remember to show God your commitment to Him by giving Him your best in the work you do and how you invest your time, talent, and treasure. Be faithful in what you do with the resources He's given you. Dedicate yourself to doing everything as unto Him. Serve Him with excellence, passion, and zeal. Always do your best. Always give Him your best.


Prayer
Father, You are more important to me than anything else in the world. I will give You my best. I make my life a living sacrifice. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Extended Reading
Numbers 18

New Year New You

I really want a makeover. A full makeover, mind, body and soul. To start, I am making a resolution to read my bible everyday. I am not going to stress about reading the whole bible in a year, I am just going to read a little bit each day. Iam also doing 21 days of fasting and prayer starting Jan. 10th. I am refocusing my direction in life onto my family. I am going to spend more time with my kids and my husband and less time on the computer. This is going to be very hard for me, because I hide behind my computer often! It is my escape from reality, but I have to stop that! I need to face reality and refocus myself. I am also hoping that around tax time I can get a drastic body makeover. I am ready for a new look. I am talking America's Top Model Makeover or Extreme Makeover. I want a complete new look, clothes, hair, makeup everything! I have lost so much weight that none of my clothes fit me right anymore. This was not an intentional weight loss; it was stress related. I cannot gain the weight back, so I need new clothes. Beside some of the clothes I still wear are maternity clothes and that is just not ok! So here is to a New Me! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!