Milk & Honey

January 31, 2013

"Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you- from the Negev wilderness in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 'Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do no deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'" Joshua 1:2-9

I know.
That's a lot of scripture.
Sorry.
But I'm going somewhere with this.
I hope you'll stick with me.

So, I'm about 100 days into reading my Bible through in a year.
And this morning, Moses died.
After God buried him, He went to Joshua and told him what I've shared with you in that scripture.
So here are a few observations I have made that I want to share with you all.

First, I've noticed that God had a time line.
You see, Moses knew ahead of time that he would never set foot in the Promised Land.
God told him that he would die before that happened.
But it didn't happen immediately.
God had some business to take care of first.

Enter Joshua.
God tells him exactly what's going down.
Fulfilling His promise.
And He has a few things to say to Joshua.

He let's Joshua know that it's time.
The waiting is over.
Whatever needed to happen has happened.
It's go time!

He spells out exactly what He's giving them.
Here it is.
Yours for the taking.
My gift.
This is Me keeping a promise I made to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.

And then He tells Josh
(is it okay that we call him that?)
something important.
"FOR I WILL BE WITH YOU",
"I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU."
He's letting him know that He still wants to hang out with them.
God tells Josh that He's not going anywhere.

He tells him over and over to "BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS".
Okay. Wait.
Why would God need to tell him that?
You would think that after 40 years in the wilderness God would just be like
"Okay. You've paid your dues. 
Go get it! I'll clear the way. 
Have fun. 
You deserve it."
Uh uh. Nope.
Not so fast!
It's not going to be that easy.

God did not just hand these sinners the prize.
Yes. It was theirs. He gave it to them.
But, it was going to be hard.
Why?
Because they had sinner's hearts.
We all do.
If it was easy, then they would be filled with pride
at what they had accomplished on their own,
forgetting that it was all God's doing in the first place.
God wants to give us our land flowing with milk and honey, too.
But He wants the glory for it!
He wants everyone to realize that we can do nothing without Him!
He makes the impossible possible.

And there's one more thing.
God tells Josh to "be very careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave".
He told him to "study the Book of Instruction continually"
so he would "be sure to obey everything written in it."
Obedience is the only way to prosper and succeed in all you do!
God gave instructions.
He. Wrote. Them. Down.
In stone.
"Then the Lord told Moses, 'Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.'" Exodus 34:1

This is such a great example of how we are to grow in our Christian faith.
We need to learn to trust God's timing.
We're impatient by nature.
But, God does have our best interest at heart.

God wants a relationship with us.
We are His children & He wants to spend time with us.
He wants us to know that He will always be there for us.

God does not intend for us to live a life in fear and weakness.
He wants us to know that when we trust in His timing
and we have invested time a relationship getting to know Him,
He will give us the strength and courage we need to complete His will for us.

God has given us the rules and the rewards.
They go hand in hand.
He wants us to be obedient
And then we will be successful.
Know why Moses didn't make it to the Promised Land?
Disobedience and selfish pride.

Seems pretty simple.
Trust. Relationship. Strength & Courage. Obedience.
Milk & Honey.

Not So Fast

January 28, 2013

The kids and I were shopping a few days ago for craft supplies to make home made Valentine's. As you can imagine, it was just slightly crazy with FOUR kids eager to collect the things they need for their project. My mom came with us and, as usual, Aubree was glued to her side. They were looking at something and Aubree said to my mom, "Grammie, you see that old lady over there? She's thinking to herself, Wow! Look at that six year old girl. She can blow bubbles!"

First of all, Aubree just learned how to blow bubbles with bubble gum and she is beyond proud of herself- obviously. Secondly, Aubree just turned FIVE, not six. But she has desperately been wanting to be six years old for two years now. I don't know what kind of magic happens at six, but in her mind, it must be something special.

We finally finished our shopping and we were checking out and Aubree put her Strawberry Shortcake mouthwash onto the counter and said to the cashier, "Is this mouthwash going to burn? I'm a just kid you know." And I couldn't help but giggle because in her mind she was convinced that no one would know that she's just a kid if she doesn't tell them.

She is so funny. She keeps me on my toes ALL THE TIME. I look at her and think how little she still is. She's still just a baby. But, as she plays and I quietly spy, it's so obvious that she wants to be anything but a baby. She's ready to be a teenager. Her Polly Pockets are obviously teens by their conversations. She hates Dora, Bubble Guppies, Franklin and the the like now because "it's a baby show". She's always trying to leave the house with makeup on. And just yesterday, as I was trying to dress her for church, she was quick to inform me that the clothes I was trying to put on her were "not my style, MOM!" What? She's barely 5! She doesn't have a style. Does she?

Someone please have a talk with Aubree. Tell her not to grow up so fast. Tell her that life does not get easier. Tell her that hormones will soon begin to flood her little body and they will mess her up! Tell her that I'm not ready for her to hate me yet. Tell her I don't want to share her with boys {EVER!} and I want her to cuddle with me every night for the rest of our lives while she stares into my eyes with her sweet little face proclaiming her infinite love and adoration for me.

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18

Mine & HIS

January 24, 2013

My little boy woke up this morning and crawled up onto the couch and snuggled in with me under the blanket.
"Good morning, buddy," I said, "Did you sleep well?"
He sweetly shook his head Yes.
I sat quietly for a few moments, breathing him in.
"You want to know a Super Secret?" I asked.
To which he replied, "You're gonna tell me I'm your favorite, but you tell all the kids that."
And then I corrected him, I said, "If you brought all the 9 year olds, in all the universe to me, I would always choose YOU! You're my favorite."

And then I got to thinking.
I really would choose him out of all the nine year olds of the world.
And I'd choose Karli of all the thirteen year olds, and Drake of the eleven year olds, and Aubree of the five year olds. And you know what else? I'd choose Freddie of all the men on the Earth.
I imagined a parade of people being presented to me.
Smart kids.
Beautiful kids.
Talented kids.
Sick kids that would be so easy to love.
Rich men.
Gorgeous men.
Men who are princes.
Powerful men.
Famous men.
But none would even tempt me to pick them over the family that I have.

I know my husband and my kids intimately.
We have relationships that are special.
We have built trust between us.
A trust that I would never dare to damage or break.
I know their hearts and I've glimpsed their souls.

And then I thought-
God feels that way about me.
He wouldn't trade me for anything.
I am His.
We have a special relationship.
There has been a Trust that has been built between us.
A trust that I would never dare to damage or break.
He knows my heart and has glimpsed my soul and claimed it for His own.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven ... (Matthew 10:30-32)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:9-11)

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:15-17)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-32, 37-39)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. (Revelation 2:17)

CONFESSION: I Got Smashed!

January 22, 2013

This is the year that I turn the big 4-0.

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it.

Whatever.

It's going to happen no matter what.

So what does turning forty mean?

Maybe it means I can't wear certain "younger" fashion styles.

Maybe that extra ear piercing 

is not going to be a reasonable option anymore.

Maybe it means an earlier bedtime or thicker glasses.

Or maybe it means none of those things. 

Maybe it's just a number.

It's a milestone reached.

Wisdom earned.

It's a new season.

Whatever the case, this new season calls for subtle changes in my life.

For example, it's the season where my doctor recommends 

that I begin getting smashed!

Yep. You heard me right.

My doctor says I need to get smashed at least once a year.

So, being the obedient, rule abiding girl I am.. 

I did it!

And you know what?

It wasn't half bad.

I called for an appointment and I got one the very next day.

The orders were faxed in 

and insurance information was given.

I was asked not to wear any lotion or perfume or deodorant.

I showed up 

and when my name was called I was asked to take off everything above the waist 

and put on a robe that was waiting for me.

I entered into a room 

with a computer, 

a large machine, 

a very friendly lady, 

and a few other intimidating medical paraphernalia.

She asked me a few simple questions 

and I awkwardly confessed that I was nervous.

"It's okay," she said,

 "Many people are, but there's nothing to worry about."

I stepped over to The {large} Machine and opened my robe.

My milk factories were placed onto The Machine in turn.

A total of six pictures were taken in all. 

It was not painful in the least.

As a matter of fact, the worst part of the whole ordeal 

was the fact that I had stinky pits.

{For which I apologized.}

My appointment time was 2:15 p.m. 

and I was driving away in my car by 2:22 p.m.

{Finally applying the deodorant I was 

so glad that I remembered to bring along.}

It wasn't as fun as shopping or going on vacation, 

but neither is going to Walmart.

I'm really glad that I did it. 

My mind is at ease knowing what's going on with my girls.

So, if you're forty, almost forty, or older

 and you're not getting smashed every year, 

make an appointment today to get it done!

You won't be sorry. 

Getting a mammogram doesn't change the fact of whether or not 

you do or do not have cancer. 

It just puts you in control of your health and your life.

~Mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the U.S. by nearly 1/3 since 1990.
~The ten-year risk for breast cancer in a 40 year old woman is 1 in 69.
~1 in 6 breast cancers occur in women aged 40-49.
~Of all the years of life saved by mammography, 40% are for women in their 40s.
~3/4 of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease and are not considered high risk.
~Even for women 50+, skipping a mammogram every other year would miss up to 30% of cancers.
~For every 1,000 women who have a screening mammogram:
     *100 are recalled to get more mammography or ultrasound images
     *20 are recommended for a needle biopsy
     *5 are diagnosed with breast cancer

Annual mammograms can detect cancer early - when it is most treatable. In fact, mammograms show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. Mammograms can also prevent the need for extensive treatment for advanced cancers and improve chances of breast conservation. Current guidelines from the American College of Radiology, the American Cancer Society, and the Society for Breast Imaging recommend that women receive annual mammograms starting at age 40 - even if they have no symptoms or family history of breast cancer.


"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1Corinthians 6:19-20