Standing on His Word

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

I have one prayer that I have been praying over and over again since January 3, 2011. I have fasted for this, prayed, begged, and pleaded. When I read this scripture today it reassured me that I should continue pestering God to answer my deepest desire. This came right after Jesus said that persistence gets answers. I love that the Bible tells me to be annoyingly persistent!

Yesterday I did a pretty good job of cleaning and doing school work and being a mom. Today, I am struggling. It is a little past noon and I have done nothing but my quiet time. I need to do more homework, clean, and EXERCISE! Joe and I had our monthly weigh in yesterday and of course the whole of the week before I had been 3 pounds down, but yesterday I was only one pound down due to terrible eating on Monday. Boo!

Lord, you know my prayer. I am going to keep asking until I receive my heart's desire. I believe your word and it says that you will answer if I continue to knock. We love you and we love all the things you stand for. Amen.

Beautiful Day!

Wednesday I had to go to another middle school during the morning for a training. It was a great training and I learned a lot, but then it made Thursday seem like a very long day in the classroom. And then today the kiddos were sooooo hyper due to the beautiful weather. Needless to day, I am wiped...but I'm not complaining about it because I have the amazing weekend to recoup!

Tonight Joe and I are having dinner with the newest couple in our life group. We are really excited to get to know them. Plus we get to eat really yummy food!

I really have nothing important to report this week. Connor told me no yesterday and the way he did it was so stinking cute I didn't even get him in trouble! I just told him he couldn't watch Barney until he said please, which was why he was telling me no in the first place. For some reason the word please was poison yesterday.

Addi came over last night and begged to get in the tub when I was giving C a bath, so in she went. They had a great time splashing each other. Joe and I have gotten a little more relaxed on Connor's bed time for special circumstances, and Addi is definitely one of them! He stayed up and they wore Joe and I out from 6:45-8:45!

Lord, thank you for orchestrating a day of rest! You know we need it, and I want to live wisely just like you! Thanks for giving me motivation to be productive this weekend and help me to be the mom and wife you have called me to be! Amen.

Still Not Complaining. Nope. Not Me!

This morning I thanked God that I am alive. A stuffy nose will not keep me from rejoicing that I have my general health. Then, in fifth hour, I emailed Joe and told him that I am thankful to have a job when so many don't, and I am thankful that God thought highly enough of me to put me in a location with a lot of what I like to call "lovelies." I have been praying that as I speak these words of thanks, my heart will truly align with Christ's heart and that those thoughts will truly be my thoughts.

Joe joined a basketball league and they play every Monday. Connor and I were supposed to go and watch tonight, but Connor has been coughing and snotty since Saturday and last night I came down with it, so we decided we would stay home so we could both go to bed on time. So, he and I went on a Mommy-Connor date. And of course, just because I love him, I took him to get pizza. Now, Joe and I are on a budget and unplanned eat outs are under the category of allowance, so I had to choose a pizza place that C and I could both eat at for under $10 - it was all I had left from my last allowance. We went to Pizza Hut. And I had to rejoice for the time with my son because I usually do not rejoice over pizza from that location. I also had to rejoice that I had enough money to take my son out to eat. Phew, this not-complaining thing is quite difficult!

After C went to bed, I was able to do some cleaning (thanks FlyLady!) and some homework. Only 19.5 weeks until I graduate with my Master's degree!

Lord, continue this work in my heart and I choose not to complain, but instead to rejoice each and every day. This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:34. Thank you for your healing hand, and thank you for leading me to a place where I can grow each and every week in the company of your children. Amen.

Not complaining...

Since I'm not allowed to complain, I'm going to rejoice that all I'm dealing with is a scratchy sore throat and a stuffy nose, keeping in mind that there are people out there suffering from painful diseases and such.

I'm also not going to complain about not being able to sleep, but instead rejoice in the fact that I have a roof over my head, a nice warm bed, and a computer to entertain me while I try to get sleepy.

Lord, be with all of those who are suffering with pain or illness right now. Bring amazing, supernatural healing to their lives and reveal your goodness. Be with the congresswoman who was shot and all those who are trying to beat cancer. Be with all the little babies who are fighting for their lives today. Help my heart to align with yours and remember that your ways are better than mine. Oh, and Lord, heal my nose and throat before work tomorrow! Amen!

I Quit...Complaining

So the message at church tonight was God pointing out yet another log in my eye - not that I didn't already know about this log. Sometime during college I turned in to a complainer, but it got really bad after I started teaching. So, my goal now is to adjust my heart to line up with God's so that I may rejoice in Him. I must remind myself that I am blessed to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, a car that works, a husband who loves me, a son who is healthy, and friends and family that care about me. I am actually beyond blessed. Now to remember that when an eleven year old is disrespecting me...

I posted the other day that I was supposed to begin exercising. Yeah, I was supposed to do it Tuesday (didn't because it was Connor's birthday), was supposed to do it Thursday (didn't because I had a headache), and I was supposed to do it today (didn't because I was a lazy bum!). Like I said before, this is an area where I heavily need motivation and accountability. I'm really excited that Joe joined a basketball league, but I guess now I need to find a dance class of some sort that I can be held accountable to attending. My worst problem is that the thought of adding yet one more thing to my plate feels very overwhelming to me, so I talk myself out of it. I really want to just work out at home, but that is where I lack accountability and motivation. *sigh

Lord, help me to rejoice in my 2 year old instead of complaining about his curiosity and adventurous nature. Give me the motivation I need to exercise. And most of all, give me the passion to seek Your face instead of Your hand so that I may become more like Christ. Amen!

Early Ending

Joe and I prayerfully decided to end our fast on Tuesday. It was Connor's birthday and we promised to take him out for pizza before we decided to do the fast. The first week of it, I thought I would be strong enough to let him eat pizza while I ate a salad, but by Sunday of this week, we knew that wasn't going to happen. We thanked God for answering our prayers in just two short weeks and asked Him to help us continue our time with Him every morning and to still pray earnestly for the things on our hearts.

Can I just say that I LOVED my husband initiating prayer with me! That was amazing! We also decided that just because we were not doing the Daniel Fast any longer, did not mean we would delve back in to our old ways of eating. I am trying very hard to still plan healthier meals for dinner, as well as be careful what I take with me for breakfast and lunch every day.

I also fell down in other areas this week. It was just an unusual week for us. Monday Joe had a basketball game and did not get home until about 10, so I was up much later than should be. Then on Tuesday was Connor's birthday and we watched a friend's little girl, so I didn't get much house cleaning done and I worked on my homework later than usual, so once again, I stayed up later than I should have. And then of course last night, Wednesday, my paper was due by midnight so I was up until 10 finishing it. It was not the greatest paper I have ever written, but I did the best I could under exhaustion.

Since God blessed me with a snow day today, I am going to take advantage of the time off. I have already done a load of laundry, loaded the dishwasher, and picked up a little around the house and it isn't even 8 am yet! I want to make sure I exercise today as well. Now that I am not fasting, I am planning to exercise 4 days a week. This area I will need much prayer and accountability in - I love exercising once I get started, but getting myself started always seems to be very difficult for me. I also plan on taking a nap when Connor does to try and catch up on my sleep - since he decided to wake up at 5 am yet again.

Lord, help me to keep my motivation up today so that I can accomplish all of the goals set before me. I also lift up those I know who may not have enough heat on this very cold snow day - especially my students. Send someone to provide for them whatever they are lacking. Amen.

Downhill From Here

Joe and I are so excited that we are on the downhill slide to this fast! After today we only have 9 days left!!! Breakfast and lunch weren't anything new today, but dinner was very exciting! I made homemade basil pesto sauce and we had it on top of whole wheat spaghetti. For my first attempt at pesto - without cheese - I thought it was quite tasty. Joe even managed to scarf down several bites. He ended up making a bowl of spaghetti noodles with olive oil and garlic salt, which was also quite tasty. Connor wouldn't even try the noodles with the pesto. If its greet he won't even try it. SO ANNOYING!!!!

On to other things. Tomorrow is Connor's birthday party. I'm really excited because last year we just had our family over at different times. This is his first year to have an actual party with his friends. I can't wait to take pictures! I hope next year he is a little bit opinionated on his theme though because I seriously struggled with choosing something this year. Oh well. It should be fun no matter what.

Since we are having guests tonight, Fly Lady is out the window. It won't be a 15 minutes touch up and a clean sink. We are going to have to CLEAN THIS HOUSE. It seems like it wouldn't be so dirty since I have been working on it all week, but with a two year old in the house nothing stays clean for longer than 2 hours - and that's only because he's napping! Ha!

Joe and I have agreed to try an 8 o'clock bedtime with Connor. Last night he went to bed at 8:30 because we were out and slept in until 6. I'm hoping that if we put him to bed an hour later on a regular basis maybe he will start sleeping until 6 or later. It is very difficult to have quiet times on weekday mornings and to be able to sleep in on the weekends when your kid is constantly up at 5:30 each morning.

So Lord, you know what my heart's desire is for tomorrow evening. I've been praying all week and I believe that tomorrow you will answer my prayers. Thank you for the blessing of friends and family that we will get to see tomorrow. Thank you for bringing me through another week and putting me one week closer to You and to the goals I have set. Lord, I also pray for anybody reading this that they will find accountability through my choices and that they will hold me to high standards. Amen!