Thursday, January 29, 2009

Generational Curses

Wow. What a blog title. This may or may not make a lot of sense...

I've been reading my favorite prophecy website again. God just showed me something.

Ex 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

6 BUT SHOWING STEADFAST LOVE TO THOUSANDS OF THOSE WHO LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.

I've read this many, many times and never seen the part, "of those who hate me"!

I was taught over time that we are a blessing or a curse to our children. Ok. I can totally see it, but now I see it differently. When we are born again - TRULY born again, Jesus broke ALL curses on us! That's something to get excited about. I don't have to walk in the thought that I am breaking a "curse" from my forefathers. I don't have to do anything except walk in that divine freedom.

Don't get me wrong, I never sat around thinking about my "curses", just had always accepted that my "bad" things would be "curses" to my kids. I never really, really gave it too much thought.

Wow, what unexpected, beautiful freedom!

Thank you, Lord!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Joshua's scan

came back perfect! The doctor says he just has a big noggin. We'll certainly take that!

I know it's an answer to prayer.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Joshua

Today is Joshua's CAT scan. I know the doctor is not worried, and I'm mostly not, but then Joshua's not the doctor's baby either. If he was, then he would be worried, I'm sure.

His appointment is at 4:45, and we have to be there at 4:15. I don't know how long it'll take the radiologist to get his results to Dr. Goebel, but hopefully it will be tomorrow sometime. I'm not too keen on waiting until Monday.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

school started today

I had my first A & P lab this morning. It went well, and I think I'll like it. I like the instructor and I hope I continue to like her. She was upfront about letting us know the class would be hard. That's ok.

After the lab, I met David at Joshua's doctor's office for his 2 year checkup. The doctor is concerned about the size of his head. He said the was growing on a proper growth curve until now when he spiked off the chart. Until now, he's had a big head, yes, but never an abnormal growth. He said he is concerned that Josh may have hydrocephaly - meaning water on the brain. Well, actually spinal fluid, but that's another name for the condition. He wants a CAT scan on Thursday to find out. He said it probably wasn't, but you know, when you tell a Mama that, there's no way she won't think about it. I know it's a precaution.

We've got some financial issues. It's beating us up. I'm so tired of this.

Proverbs 20

I don't know where a notebook is, so am gonna put this here. Julie and I went walking this morning and hopefully we'll keep that up. It's a perfect time between our walk and getting dressed to have a few minutes in the Bible. I'm going to stick with Proverbs for a while as there are enough for a month of devotions. These are the verses that stuck out to me today.

3. It's every man's honor to avoid strife,
but every fool is quick to quarrel.

I am apparantly a fool. I can be quick to quarrel, but lately I've been doing much better. I want that honor. I don't want to be arguementative. I don't want to be a fool anymore.

4. A sluggard does not plow in season;
so at harvest time he looks and finds nothing.

How can we expect to see a harvest for the Lord or for ourselves if we don't plow in the correct season? How can we expect to plow in the correct season if we don't stay in relationship with God for Him to tell us when to plow? How can we plow if we don't know how? How can we expect to know how if we don't read His word and talk to Him? It all comes down to knowing the Lord and learning how to hear His voice and be sensitive to His Spirit. I love Him so much and am so guilty of not spending the time I should with Him. It's one of the regrets I have for my life to this point. I'm going to pray to turn that around.

11. Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is good and right.

That one just sticks out to me right now. It's a reminder that our reputation is so very important. I am not perfect, but I do want to be mindful of the fact that I'm representing Christ everywhere I go and with everything I do - and it's not just cliche'.

17. Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man,
but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

Wow. What a statement against lies and fraud. It is nothing but a mouth full of gravel. I pray that the Lord remind me of the taste of gravel when I consider fraud at all.

20. If a man curses his father or mother,
his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.

How can I be an effective witness (my lamp) if I speak of my parents in any way other than honoring them. They are not perfect. I love them. My lamp will be snuffed out. There are so many levels this one can speak on. The bottom line is: I don't want any lamp of mine to be snuffed out, so I will not speak negatively of my parents.

21. An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning
will not be blessed at the end.

So much for winning the lottery.

24. A man's steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand his own way?

I love this. I know I've read it before, but I don't remember it. I needed this. I needed to hear in preparation for, well, the rest of my life. Nobody is going to understand my way when I'm directed by the Lord. It's not going to make sense even to me, so how can they? He's made it clear that His thoughts are not my thoughts and His ways are not my ways, so how can even I, who wants to walk His way, understand my way? That's beautiful to me.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Will $25 fit?

That was the question I was asking myself at the 7-11 the other day. I was out running errands - well, going to Walmart and needed gas.

That's a far cry from watching it go upwards from $60 a few months ago.

I don't know how anybody did it.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I feel like blogging....

I don't really have much to say.

David's in Arkansas until Thursday for work. I know, Arkansas? But that's where they sent him.

I love, love, love having Laura and Tim close. I missed her more than I realized. It was so nice for her to call and come by today. I spent yesterday morning at her house. Our kids are playing together and they couldn't be cuter. I love it that they're growing up together. I'm excited to see them get settled into a church and the kids get settled into their schools. It looks like Leah will be going to a Mother's Day Out close to us.

School starts on Monday. I'm excited and a little scared at the same time. I know I'll be pretty-much the oldest kid in the class. Haha. Which is a change from when I went to high school/college before. I was always the youngest. Not now. Most of those babies are right out of high school. I'm taking Anatomy & Physiology I, History, Math and Lifespan Psychology. It's a full load. I went after my books the other day (with a voucher for $600.00) and they rang up to a grand total of $591.00!!!! And I was hoping for a backpack. Oh, well, but those are some really expensive books.

Jacob's turned into a punk. I knew it was just a matter of time. It's sad, but true. He's got quite a mouth on him and he won't even be a teeanger until the end of the month.

I just got done with making arrangements for Emily to come the end of the month. It's a goal we now have to get her here about once a month. She won't be here at all in Feb, but will be here for Spring Break.

I think that's all I have for now.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Josh did something new today.

Well, it wasn't really a milestone or anything, but it was fun for him.

He rode in the basket part of the cart for the first time. I actually stuck him in there just to keep up with him for a minute while I talked to the pharmacy tech, and he loved it so I left him.

But that wasn't the important part.

I put three gallons of milk in the cart with him and he kept saying "I got" while he was struggling to pick him up. I was just struck by how helpless he really is. He's so small, even though he's big for his age. He would be lost without parents. Then I started thinking about Jake and how it was not that long ago when he was sitting in a cart struggling to lift a gallon of milk. They grow up so fast. I know it's cliche', but they do. I can't believe Joshua's already 2 and I know I'll blink and another 2 years will have gone by and pretty soon, he'll be turning 13.

Then I went a step farther and started thinking of the analogy of God being a father to us. I wonder what he thinks about me while I sit in the small cart he's placed me in for my own protection (so I don't run off) and struggle to lift a gallon of milk that I really don't have to lift in the first place. Where would I be without Him? I'm truly as helpless as Joshua and like him, most of the time I just don't realize it.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

I haven't posted anything from Christmas

Maybe I will at some point - pictures, I mean.

We did the usual. On Christmas Eve, we were with my Mom's family and Christmas Day was with Granny Franny.

On New Year's Eve, Tim, Laura, Eric, Leah, Julie, Keith, Trace and Logan came over. It was nice. We discovered that we really enjoy playing Phase 10 Twist and just hung out.

On Thursday, we hung out at Tim and Laura's new house and met their new neighbor - Wilson. At least that is what he will be called as long as he lives there. All we ever saw of him was his eyes and forehead for the entire hour we talked to him. Pretty funny.