What I am feeling....
I have been in such a mood this week. It started Tues and did not end till yesterday. Call it hormones or call it just plain tired from the battle....whatever........I have just not been me. Zero personality and even yesterday morning had thoughts of "why am I blogging Lord?" during my quiet time. I laugh now thinking back on my attitude hours ago. I can't explain it clearly but to just say that I was just in a mood and needed fresh perspective.
And that is what I got yesterday. My parents called last week and wanted to come to my town for the day to take me out on a Valentine's Day date. I think they are so precious. Bless their hearts...still having to do valentines for me hahahhaha. I love them so. But as you know it snowed like 13 inches here and all plans were canceled.
So I drove up to Lewisville, which is half way for us both, so that we could shop and go eat. IT WAS A BLAST. I had not seen my dad since Christmas and it had been way to long!!!! We met at Mardel which I call "Mardels" because it just sounds weird to me without an "s". Like Belk...really????? terrible name for a great store. It needs an "s" or something. But that is another post. So anywho, I met them in Mardels so that we could shop in a serious Christian book store. SERIOUS! I heart this place. Sorry if you don't have one near you. The guy that opened the store is the son of the man that started Hobby Lobby. They have way better prices than Lifeway.
FOCUS CAROLINE HUGHES!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, i am getting off track and trying to type 90 miles an hour because i have some great reading to do today. Ok, back to the story....walked into Mardels and saw Dad first. I love me dad, he gives big bear hugs and to be honest I had not had a big bear hug in a long time. It was perfect. Then I saw Mom and I instantly felt like my normal self again. Then we started shopping......
I had just finished a 90 day Beth Moore devotional book this week and either need the next one (Paul, that i can't find anywhere ugghhh...green fat book...no where) or I needed to start another bible study. I try to do 2-3 studies a year. Just what works best for me.........so I picked this up......
Yes....Breaking Free workbook and I also got the audio since I will be doing it on my own. I can't type fast enough...that is how excited I am and mom said that each day takes time and is work and I LOVE THAT!!!!!!!! I need a spiritual challenge in my life so bad right now that I am LIKE BRING IT ON LORD! TEACH ME! ha.....and yes that is a really large red puff thing in my hair. It's new and gaudy and I LOVE IT!
Then Mom and I made it to the fiction section and I saw the women's series from Francine Rivers that I told y'all about with Ruth and other women of the bible. I picked them all up and was telling mom that I wanted to have them all for my bookshelf but they were $15 a piece and I might have to bit the bullet and do it.................while i was talking she was look at a big book called "A Lineage of Grace"...then she flipped to the inside cover and saw that this one book had ALL 5 OF THE STORIES TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ALMOST PASSED OUT AND IT ONLY COST $16. We both screamed and then gave each other a high five. Is God not good or what!!!!! ha
Here I my Dad just sitting and reading. We all love books!!!!!
I picked up a few other things involving false religions and stuff like that and then we left to go check out my dad's new truck!!!!!!!
The man has never had a brand new car/truck just for him. We have always gotten them first while he drives the older truck. Bless his heart. So I am thrilled that he got to get a truck all his own and it has SO MUCH ROOM in that F150. wow! Here is mom in the truck! She loves it too hahaha!
We then headed to the Olive Garden for lunch were we ate and ate till I could hardly breathe! After lunch we went to the mall for some more shopping.....saw this hat and just had to put it on hahhahah
I am a super gaudy person...can't help it....i think it is just in my genes...BUT this colored pearl necklace was even TOO BIG FOR ME! ha ha. looked kinda like christmas ornaments!~
Mom and I found some good deals and it was just so fun to be with them. They make me laugh!
Me and Dad.......
me and mom.....
I got in the car and cried when I left them. Why? I don't know...maybe because I had just had a tough week spiritually and physically and just being with them made me happy. Maybe because they encourage me so much. I just love them. They are a safe place for me, you know.
Earlier in the week I was having prayer time longer than normal. I did not have an indepth devotional to do and was just working on my own. God asked me why it had been so long since I had gone back and thanked Him and praised Him for all the No's He had said to my prayer requests. Wow, He was right. When was the last time a sat down and really started listing to Him all the No's or waits I had received.
May sound crazy at first but I have years worth of really silly prayers that were so self centered and stupid. If God had chosen to answer them, the way I wanted Him to, then I would be soooooooooooooooo miserable right now. I mean, did I really beg Him to let me grow up and marry Michael S.?????????? really?????? i would be some hippie right now if that had happened!
Back then I didn't really know how to pray. Everything was about me and my glory not God and His glory. But that is the beauty of our relationship with God. We start out eating baby food and then gradually He introduces us to solid food and then the meat comes. And while chewing on the meat we learn that God wants us to pray about everything...big and small....but my heart knows deeply and desperately that I want whatever God wants for me. ABOVE ALL. So if it is a "no" over and over then I keep making the choice to trust Him over and over. Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. I am so glad that He reminded me of how Great and Mighty He is. How I am a better follower of Him because He did not answer those requests the way I wanted. PRAISE THE LORD!
So I praise you, Lord, for all the "No's" in my life. I thank you that I don't have any control and you have it all. I praise you for this week.....even though it was so hard on me......you never left my side. You teach me how to fight spiritually and you teach me how to love despite rejection of you or me. I thank you for my parents that bring joy in my heart and laughter to my ears. You have blessed me so much. I also thank you that as a believer our lives are not easy. That you make us work and make us grow as we lean on you. But you NEVER LEAVE OUR SIDE. You and You ALONE prepare me for battle and I am safe in your arms. I love you Lord. I love serving you and I love being used by you. You are the great protector and YOU ARE MY VERY OWN! Thank you for this past week. Amen.
And that is what I got yesterday. My parents called last week and wanted to come to my town for the day to take me out on a Valentine's Day date. I think they are so precious. Bless their hearts...still having to do valentines for me hahahhaha. I love them so. But as you know it snowed like 13 inches here and all plans were canceled.
So I drove up to Lewisville, which is half way for us both, so that we could shop and go eat. IT WAS A BLAST. I had not seen my dad since Christmas and it had been way to long!!!! We met at Mardel which I call "Mardels" because it just sounds weird to me without an "s". Like Belk...really????? terrible name for a great store. It needs an "s" or something. But that is another post. So anywho, I met them in Mardels so that we could shop in a serious Christian book store. SERIOUS! I heart this place. Sorry if you don't have one near you. The guy that opened the store is the son of the man that started Hobby Lobby. They have way better prices than Lifeway.
FOCUS CAROLINE HUGHES!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, i am getting off track and trying to type 90 miles an hour because i have some great reading to do today. Ok, back to the story....walked into Mardels and saw Dad first. I love me dad, he gives big bear hugs and to be honest I had not had a big bear hug in a long time. It was perfect. Then I saw Mom and I instantly felt like my normal self again. Then we started shopping......
I had just finished a 90 day Beth Moore devotional book this week and either need the next one (Paul, that i can't find anywhere ugghhh...green fat book...no where) or I needed to start another bible study. I try to do 2-3 studies a year. Just what works best for me.........so I picked this up......
Yes....Breaking Free workbook and I also got the audio since I will be doing it on my own. I can't type fast enough...that is how excited I am and mom said that each day takes time and is work and I LOVE THAT!!!!!!!! I need a spiritual challenge in my life so bad right now that I am LIKE BRING IT ON LORD! TEACH ME! ha.....and yes that is a really large red puff thing in my hair. It's new and gaudy and I LOVE IT!
Then Mom and I made it to the fiction section and I saw the women's series from Francine Rivers that I told y'all about with Ruth and other women of the bible. I picked them all up and was telling mom that I wanted to have them all for my bookshelf but they were $15 a piece and I might have to bit the bullet and do it.................while i was talking she was look at a big book called "A Lineage of Grace"...then she flipped to the inside cover and saw that this one book had ALL 5 OF THE STORIES TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ALMOST PASSED OUT AND IT ONLY COST $16. We both screamed and then gave each other a high five. Is God not good or what!!!!! ha
Here I my Dad just sitting and reading. We all love books!!!!!
I picked up a few other things involving false religions and stuff like that and then we left to go check out my dad's new truck!!!!!!!
The man has never had a brand new car/truck just for him. We have always gotten them first while he drives the older truck. Bless his heart. So I am thrilled that he got to get a truck all his own and it has SO MUCH ROOM in that F150. wow! Here is mom in the truck! She loves it too hahaha!
We then headed to the Olive Garden for lunch were we ate and ate till I could hardly breathe! After lunch we went to the mall for some more shopping.....saw this hat and just had to put it on hahhahah
I am a super gaudy person...can't help it....i think it is just in my genes...BUT this colored pearl necklace was even TOO BIG FOR ME! ha ha. looked kinda like christmas ornaments!~
Mom and I found some good deals and it was just so fun to be with them. They make me laugh!
Me and Dad.......
me and mom.....
I got in the car and cried when I left them. Why? I don't know...maybe because I had just had a tough week spiritually and physically and just being with them made me happy. Maybe because they encourage me so much. I just love them. They are a safe place for me, you know.
Earlier in the week I was having prayer time longer than normal. I did not have an indepth devotional to do and was just working on my own. God asked me why it had been so long since I had gone back and thanked Him and praised Him for all the No's He had said to my prayer requests. Wow, He was right. When was the last time a sat down and really started listing to Him all the No's or waits I had received.
May sound crazy at first but I have years worth of really silly prayers that were so self centered and stupid. If God had chosen to answer them, the way I wanted Him to, then I would be soooooooooooooooo miserable right now. I mean, did I really beg Him to let me grow up and marry Michael S.?????????? really?????? i would be some hippie right now if that had happened!
Back then I didn't really know how to pray. Everything was about me and my glory not God and His glory. But that is the beauty of our relationship with God. We start out eating baby food and then gradually He introduces us to solid food and then the meat comes. And while chewing on the meat we learn that God wants us to pray about everything...big and small....but my heart knows deeply and desperately that I want whatever God wants for me. ABOVE ALL. So if it is a "no" over and over then I keep making the choice to trust Him over and over. Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. I am so glad that He reminded me of how Great and Mighty He is. How I am a better follower of Him because He did not answer those requests the way I wanted. PRAISE THE LORD!
So I praise you, Lord, for all the "No's" in my life. I thank you that I don't have any control and you have it all. I praise you for this week.....even though it was so hard on me......you never left my side. You teach me how to fight spiritually and you teach me how to love despite rejection of you or me. I thank you for my parents that bring joy in my heart and laughter to my ears. You have blessed me so much. I also thank you that as a believer our lives are not easy. That you make us work and make us grow as we lean on you. But you NEVER LEAVE OUR SIDE. You and You ALONE prepare me for battle and I am safe in your arms. I love you Lord. I love serving you and I love being used by you. You are the great protector and YOU ARE MY VERY OWN! Thank you for this past week. Amen.