My Mother.

Hmm today I just had a very long conversation with my Mom. I can't tell you how much it makes me smile to talk about my Mom. It Just does. I miss her every day of my life. I do not live too far from her but... when you are a stay at home Mom you have to make some sacrifices in order to get by. Thus we don't get to travel up to Stanton and see the family as often as I like. ANYWAY... I talked to my Mom for a long while and it was so great. So today I found this verse this seems fitting.

Proverbs 31:25-30

Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 

So True and  I love my Mother Dearly!  And Often with my children I, of course, hope and wonder for their future but I hope I will be the one they call when they need to hear a loving and caring voice. I feel truely blessed to have such a loving and kind mother. She puts up with my constant talking and my asking questions that needs a Nurses touch. She puts up with my ranting and raving when the schools are being crazy. She tolerates my relearning of the bible when I know she has heard most of the stuff I have just learned.. I probably sound like a broken record. Where in the world can you ever find someone like Your mother? I Truely dont think you can. A Blood Related Best Friend.. will never hurt you or turn their back on you. Will never Leave you. Will tell you what you need to hear when you are down. 

We learned this today in Grace Girls.. and I think the Holy Spirit is like a Woman is to their child...

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

Like the Holy Spirit takes care of us.. A Mother Takes care of their child.

I Love you, Corey Stormo. You are My Mother. You have Saved me more times than you know. You have been a Rock I can lean on. You are the friend I call when I am sad, happy, excited, joyful, and confused. You make me smile. You are apart of many of my past and present memories. I love you.. Thank you for loving me.

 Hugs!
Leslie

Prayer: Dear Lord in heaven, Look down from your amazing throne and hold up all the mothers of the world and give them full hearts so that they know they are loved by their children. Even when the children are far away or maybe too busy. Let the mothers know they are loved and we are thankful for all they do for us. Also Lord, THANK YOU for giving us each a mother and loving us enough to know we needed someone with such compassion and love to make sure we also stay on a straight path to lead us towards you and your word. Thank you for your compassion and love, Dear Lord. In your Mercy, Hear our Prayer. Amen.

Immanuel

This is so True. I snagged this from Facebook. the Link is www.godlywoman.co . Immanuel Means God is with US. I often wake up each day with aches and pains, trying to stand up straight.. I get the kids off to school and I just want to plop down on my computer chair and not move for the rest of the day. BELIEVE ME I HAVE BEFORE.. But then if I dont get back up right away then I might just sit there for the rest of the day. Now, I have to try and stand back up with all the aches and pains again. LOL Okay.. so my point is.. I was in this place in my life before.. where I was in the habit of doing the same thing over and over and over again and I wasn't in a good place. I was sad.. I felt alone.. I felt like the only way I did  not feel alone was sit at my computer and play games and talk to people on facebook or Pin things on Pintrest. But... I felt like I was alone and... well Like I have said before I (WE, My family) have begun the journey to find our Home with Jesus again. And I realized so many things.. and I repeat this to myself EVERY MORNING...

We Live to Serve God, Help Others, and NOT Ourselves.

and I not going to lie.. some days its really really hard to do this. to say this. to feel this.... BUT If I Just remember how much time I have wasted on the computer and NOT with my boys.. I get upset with myself and I RUN TO THE SHOWER and I Stop thinking about myself. I love my boys.. they are my everything, my breath, My heart. They are a HUGE motivation for me.

SOOO the Moral of the story is this.. God is always with us.. When we are in a bad place in our lives.. He is there even when we are feeling lonely.. He Knows whats best for us.. He is pushing us even when we dont realize it. He has been leading me back to his house and that is where He is teaching me all about his word.

He is our best friend, the one we share our hopes and dreams with, and he is always with us. He may not come up to your bed and wake you up in the morning.. he may not add you as a friend to Facebook. But He is there... maybe he helps a friend realize that you need someone to talk to.. maybe he has pushed you by letting you have memories of your kids when they were young and having to get up at 2am to make a bottle. NOOO you are right I do not miss that part.. but.. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world either! They are precious memories. God... IS with us. And He will not leave us... We are Forgiven.. And He loves us.. Just as we love our own children.. :):)

Have a Glorious Day! HUGS!
Leslie

Prayer: Dear Lord, Please be with the Louise and Carita's Families. I know there is many of them but I do not know all of them. Please watch over them as they go thru the process of grief. Although I have heard from many people their father was an amazing man and Im Positive he is in AMAZING place in heaven. Just grant them peace and Happiness. They are an inspiration and a beautiful family. Also Dear Lord, please watch over Curtis tonight as he volunteers to serve over 1500 people for the fish fry in Columbus. I KNOW he will be exhausted when he comes home. Just help him to not give up when the going gets tough. You are an amazing God. We love you and all that you do for us. In your name. Amen.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Let me Start off by saying.. HAPPY ST. Patrick's Day! Okay..

From Wikipedia: A cultural and religious holiday celebrated annually on 17 March, the death date of the most commonly-recognised patron saint of Ireland.  Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Lutheran Church. 
Much of what is known about St Patrick comes from the Declaration, which was allegedly written by Patrick himself. It is believed that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. According to the Declaration, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland.   It says that he spent six years there working as a shepherd and that during this time he "found God". The Declaration says that God told Patrick to flee to the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home. After making his way home, Patrick went on to become a priest.

According to legend, Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans.

According to tradition, Patrick returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. The Declaration says that he spent many years evangelizing in the northern half of Ireland and converted "thousands". Tradition holds that he died on 17 March and was buried at Downpatrick. Over the following centuries, many legends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland's foremost saint.

Learned: After learning the REAL meaning about this amazing Holiday... It isn't just about Beer and Drinking and Drinking Games. Although, I never had the chance to partake in these festivities... I am undoubtedly thankful that I Never had. I am also thankful for my Pastors Wife for the Children's Sermon... Because She told the True Story of the Holiday. It made me want to research it and find out that it is Actually a Religious Holiday AND It was a Day an Amazing man died. He spread the word of God throughout Ireland. I Truly didn't put up all the history but You get the Jist of it.  It was so Inspiring to me that After being made a slave, He found God. Then went back and spread the word of the bible.. What an amazing person to have such a personal relationship with God.

Now.. it dismays me that.... Our culture. Our time. Our generation. Has turned this Religious Holiday into something that You have to drink Green beer and get drunk.. That you wear a shirt and get it wet for the best wet tshirt contest.. Somewhere along the lines someone stopped teaching people what this day was really about and let them think it was just about drinking.. I'M GUILTY too.. because I did NOT know there was anything about this holiday other than wearing green and Leprechauns... and well.. Drinking!

Well.. Now we know the real Story.. Thank you Marji for letting us know there is more to this day than Just the rituals our culture portrays.


Hugs and Love Leslie


Prayer:

Saul has no Patience

1 Samuel 13:8-14

He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter.  So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. " And Saul offered up the burnt offering.  Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.  "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,  I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."  "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.  But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

 

 

I really liked this excerpt from the bible. We read and studied it in one of my bible classes. So a little history on this story.. Saul was told to wait.. and Obviously He did not... He was in trouble, because he did NOT wait for Samuel or God before He reacted.. After I got to thinking about the passage.. It was very much like Saul was very selfish and Only acted for himself because he thought he was above the law.. Above the law of the Lord. He didn't need to wait for God to help him. HE Was BETTER than whatever God could do... 

 

Honestly, How could this be like us in our lives today? For me? I know I do alot of Reacting before thinking. Reacting before praying. I do alot of acting selfishly. Yes we are all sinners and so we "fall short of the glory of God" but.. Then I think shouldn't I or WE be doing as much as we can to be the best we can be to be like Jesus was? YES! ABSOLUTELY! I know I NEED to Stop reacting immediately to things and call on the lord for HIS guidance, for his knowledge, for his Mercy. I Need to have patience that God will see me thru all things and that He has whats best for me in his heart. He will Help all of us thru our "battles" and situations. We just need to call upon him, speak to him, and Praise him. 

 

 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know I fall short of your Glory. You have given me so many blessings in life and I had failed to recognize them all. You have provided so much to be thankful for and I thank you so much for that! You are amazing and I love you so much! Lord Grant me patience and understanding that you will always help me thru every battle that I come upon. Grant me the ability to wait and see your blessings you bring to me. I shall never forge ahead without consulting you first in any situation that may arise. Thank you so much Dear Lord for sticking with me when I need you and even more when I dont know I need you. You are always there. In your name. Amen!

Old and New!

I snagged this photo from a Google search. I think it is Extremely fitting for today. My 2 younger sons were baptized today. They did an amazing job. The whole ceremony was a small intimate  gathering of friends and family. It was so great to see the boys take part in something so much bigger than them. Its for the Love of Our God.

My father said this verse 2 Corinthians 5:17 was the first verse he had ever had to memorize. And as i sat and meditated on this verse and what it means to me. I realized to myself.. Us joining this new church and being on this familial Adventure of learning the Love of God.. That is our NEW. The Old of our family is now past and GONE. Our New family is the family US And GOD. And He Loves US. And We LOVE HIM. We didnt realize we loved him so much until we Actually sat down and started to pray to him.. We have a NEW relationship with  him and we are HAPPY.  We didn't know anything was missing before but now.... we found what we weren't Looking for  LOL.

So all this old and new.. Its an amazing adventure. I am so excited for what tommorrow may bring! Aren't you? Do you have any favorite verses that you have learned that you may hold dear? I'd like to read them so that I may also enjoy them!

Hugs and Blessings!
Leslie

Prayer: Dear Lord Please keep all our Emergency responders and firemen safe as they battle the fires and the winds in Nebraska. Grant them the wisdom they need to do their job right so they don't get hurt. Please be with them and keep them from harm. In your name. Amen.

Old and New Testament Reading.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  

Philippians 4:13

I think many times through our lives and even our days.. we forget what we can do or forget to even Just Try. I think we often put things off for a better time, for when we have more time, or Just because we don't feel we have the ability to do something. But We can! If you Believe, and I do hate to sound cliche.. but if you Believe Hard enough... You can. Now.. BELIEVE... Believe in your goal Yes.. But Believe in the Word, Believe in God, Believe we are saved and you WILL have the Strength you need to do ANYTHING! You WILL have HIS STRENGTH to push you thru. 

Now.. today my oldest son Read the Old and New testament readings for today at church. Now he is amazing because when I ask him if he could do stuff like this He will say " Nah Ma. I dont think I would be good at that. I don't want to do it. " and I say "How will you EVER Know if you are good at something if you keep shutting it down before you even try it?" He said "Nah Ma, I will mix up the words and I will mess up while I'm up there." I said, "You speak VERY well for your age. People are there not to Judge you reading the word. But to hear the word." He said, "Okay Ma, Ill try it." SOOOoo he practiced and then Today came.. and HE DID AMAZING! He took a deep breath before starting like I told him he should do. And Read it without flaw! a little cough and a little throat clear.. but he nailed all the words and the LORD GAVE HIM THE STRENGTH to Make it all the way till the end and it Made sense. He was scared at first there was no doubt in my mind. As we were leaving the church I lost count of the number of people that came up to him and expressed how great he did. I'm so proud of my son, He took something he was nervous in.. He Believed IN the old and New testament he was reading and God gave him strength to do an amazing job. 

Hugs!

Leslie

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for letting us know that we carefully watched over.  It is amazing that in our most time of need you are always there when we need you. You are there to give us Strength so we can overcome any obstacle. You hold us and comfort us when think we are weak. You give us strength to keep going and finish our tasks. Lord, please look after all our children, family, and friends and Help them to realize that there are goals that can be achieved in everything we do as long as we know YOU. Thank you dear lord in your name we pray. Amen.