He Is Risen!

I've been saving this one for today!

The Middle Ground - My thoughts on heaven, hell, and Mr. Bell

Last week I had the opportunity to listen to two authors talk about their experiences in the next life. One shared about heaven ("90 Minutes in Heaven") and the other about hell ("23 Min. in Hell"). I haven't read their books yet so I'm not going to say I endorse everything written in them, but I do encourage you to read them and decide yourself.

Ever since that night I've noticed two changes in how I view things:
1) Hell is a lot scarier place than I ever imagined (not that I'd ever spent much
time thinking on it)
2) Heaven is all the more sweeter bc of #1.

My kids have a "Jesus Storybook" Bible that is amazing and everyone should have one! I love it just as much (and maybe more) than they do. In it the author refers to Jesus as "the Rescuer". All this time I've read these stories and thought about all the things He has rescued me from, my sin (past, present and future), eternal death, etc. But I've never taken much time to think about the realities of hell and the anguish, hopelessness and suffering that He rescued me from. This makes His Rescue Plan all the more precious and valuable to me.

For years now I've prayed and shared about Jesus' free gift of life to others only considering how I don't want them to miss out on His love for them. But my perspective was lacking an important factor, which is that I should be equally concerned they don't go to hell. Even as I write those words I know how "preachy" and "fire and brimstone" they sound and yet I don't know how else to say it.

Another book, "Love Wins" questions all of the above and is featured on the cover of Time magazine this week. It is by a guy named Rob Bell who is a popular pastor among other things. It isn't based on any new theology, maybe just new to our generation. It is clear that Mr. Bell struggles with the idea of hell, it doesn't fit into his idea of a loving God. He isn't the only one who struggles with this concept, yet just deciding it doesn't exist is not only dangerous, it doesn't hold up to his own logic. If God is too loving to let anyone go to hell, how is forcing them into an eternity in His Presence when they openly acknowledge that they don't believe in Him, don't want anything to do with Him, and even hate Him - any more loving? That doesn't sound like much of a choice to me and it doesn't sound much like love winning out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as uncomfortable with the reality of eternal suffering and punishment for anyone as the next guy - but that makes me all the more motivated to pray and share His love with others so they don't end up there. It is unfortunate that instead of using his influence to join in God's Rescue mission, pointing them to the One Path to heaven he doesn't even deny, which is Jesus, Mr. Bell has just made the path to hell all the more appealing to others by encouraging them to reject the idea of it's existence all together, and in so doing condemning them to it.

There really isn't a comfortable middle ground with this issue, though "Love Wins" would try to convince you otherwise. We have to decide here and now during our time in the middle here on earth where we will go in the next life. And what better time to consider what is next than during this Easter season.

Fruits of Suffering

This morning my Bible study wrapped up our inductive study of 1 Peter. This book is full of great promises and challenges to trust God with. Is it really possible to thank God in the midst of suffering? Is all suffering from Him? Is there hope in the midst of suffering? If you wrestle with any of these questions you might benefit from a peruse through this letter from a famous guy named Peter to a group of people undergoing persecution. The study we used is here and it is free to download.

My conclusive statement after several months of study was:
Our Enemy says, "You suffer therefore God: Must hate you. Must not be good. Must not be in control. Must be evil."
BUT
God says, "You suffer...and so do I with you. AND I can bring good out of this if you will trust me with it."
We wrapped up our time by listening to a sermon on this topic by another smart fellow named Mark Driscoll. Here is the link if you have time to listen it is a good one with some great thoughts to chew on.

As much as we hate to accept it suffering comes to us all, to live in this world is to suffer. Many much more than others but none-the-less none of us are immune to the fall-out of that rebellious bite in the Garden. (I'm not trying to sounds depressing here - in fact I'm in a great place today, enjoying the balmy 67 degree weather here! It is just the topic at hand I guess.) BUT the good news is the GOOD NEWS. This isn't the end. Things do get better. And until then He can and does use these hard things for good.

Mark challenges his listeners to suffer with a purpose, don't waste the opportunity to grow. He quotes E. Stanley Jones, "Don't bear trouble, use it." Turn it into a testimony. Not my first thought when trouble comes, but a good challenge to remember. For now my suffering isn't so much personal as it is watching those I love suffer. This is the worst! And it is also driving me to my knees in prayer more than ever before - and I'd like to think that is one of the fruits of their suffering. It is bitter-sweet that I would benefit from their trials, but I'm thankful that at least some good is coming from it, better than nothing good at all.

Darth Vader vrs. Blue's Clues, in other words, we've had a couple birthdays around here recently!

Thing 2 turns 5 and Thing 3 turns 2....I think I got that right!


Thing 2's Bday Dinner - MMMM corn dogs!

Our Little Storm Trooper

Thing 2 at Preschool - he got to bring cupcakes on his actual b-day. I think that is pretty cool having a summer bday myself, I NEVER got to do this. Perhaps this is what inspired me to make the coolest cupcakes I could think of...what was I thinking!

These tie-dye cupcakes looked really cool but they were a lot of work!


T2 helping me prepare the batter.

Star Wars Party for T2

Jedi Training had lots of levels to it - this was the "anti-gravity" training.

Agility Jedi Training


T3 even talks like Yoda!

T2's self-made costume for his Star Wars party.

Even the adults dressed in character!

T3's Bday



I always have plenty of willing helpers when it comes to cleaning up the frosting beaters!

"Moving"

Could it be? A post from me? I'm sure you have all given up on this blog and for all I know these words will go unread but I'm okay with that. I've missed my writing time. I've missed processing with the tips of my fingers tapping along all 26 letters (it is 26, right?). And of course I've missed all your little notes back encouraging and praying when appropriate.

Let me tell you I haven't completely forgotten about this space in my life, I just haven't had room for it lately. I've written a hundred posts in my mind since we last met here, I just never got them out. But now I'm clearing things out and moving things around and hope to be here more often - and whether you show or not I'll never know!

Sometimes that "moving" is hard work though. That wonderful conference that I sooooo enjoyed directing left me pretty wiped out - emotionally and physically. And then I went straight from that into crisis mode with a dear friend. And then I had another conference to think about planning for the fall which left me completely immobilized!

Sometimes that "moving" is just painful. Painful to my pride - like just a few minutes ago when I had to back out of a commitment I'd made. That was really hard. My people-pleasing nature does not like to disappoint. Thankfully though they were gracious in my backing down. God was good to give me wise counsel and ears to hear (though they were a bit slow to listen I admit).

Well - it is time to wake up two sleepy boys (no, I didn't drug them just so I could actually sit down and write for once, thought that is an idea...) - they were just both tired at the same time for a change! And then I'm off to get the third.

And you know, I think I'm liking the moves. Even though they are tiring and painful and times, they are helping me grow...hopefully to be more like Him and less like me.

Praising Him!

Thank you for praying for our conference! These are pictures of the mugs that each woman received after the Sat. morning session. It was really fun to surprise and spoil them with lots of great giveaways but this one was one of my favorites. Sat. morning we had a guest speaker/potter from The Potter's Heart ministry. She had the whole room in tears as she poured out her story and demonstrated God's love for us through Potter/Clay verses while throwing a pot! I commissioned her to make a mug for each woman to take home and she agreed! What a labor of love!

I don’t know how to begin to describe all the work He did. I’m so humbled He allowed me to be a part of it. Over 200 women were there including staff. One of the speakers was my roommate (and good friend :)) and I know she personally talked with 20 – 30 women who came to confess and seek healing from past sins, addictions etc. and/or sexual abuse. HUGE strides were taken and the women are just beginning the healing work. Praise God for all He did and will continue to do!!! It was truly amazing to watch God at work! Thank you for your prayers – I needed them as well as everyone else involved – esp. with the logistics of adding an unexpected day due to weather.

I came home to tell hubby I have a new appreciation for all he does when directing a conference – and he in turn related a new respect for life with Thing 3 (who developed the art of climbing out of his pack and play while I was gone).

Please continue to pray for all the women involved and that the work won’t stop there but that they will share all they learned and spread God’s message of healing and redemption to many lives around them.

Wonderfully Made

Well, I know it has been a long and lonely silence and for that I am sorry. And I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Tomorrow I leave for our Upper Midwest Navigator Women's Conf. The theme is "Wonderfully Made" from Psalm 139:14. Over 50 jackrabbits will be coming to join over 200 women from all over our region in Rochester, MN. Would you please pray right now for our time? I have been working with a great team of folks long and hard to put this conference together (ergo the lack of blog posts). It is my greatest wish that God will eternally impact in the hearts of the women attending. The talks will center around the fact that we are Made By Him, Redeemed By Him and Empowered By Him. We will also have an incredible guest potter/speaker sharing with us. Thanks for partnering with us in prayer! And pray for Hubby too as he is on his own with all 3 Things the next few days!!!

Seasons Ingredients

We live in what some would consider a quaint little town, which compared to many other places it is little and it is definitely quaint. Every Christmas season our quaint little town decorates Main Ave. and it is called Main Ave. for a good reason (remember "little). Upon entering town on Main they have strung up a huge red tinselly sign that says "Seasons Greetings" and every time I drive under this sign my 4-yr-old asks what it says. After about a week and rereading it to him a zillion times, always with a cheerful patient tone of course, ahem, he finally remembered for himself...sort of. As we drove under as a family on route to church T2 proudly shouted from the back "Seasons Ingredients!!!" Hubby and I chuckled in the front and I let him do the correcting.

Later as we drove under the sign again I got to thinking about T2's mistaken pronunciation and wondered to myself, "what are the ingredients to this season?" If someone were to look at my life right now they might list them as:
1) 1 Overtired shopped-out mommy
2) 3 busy boys who can't get the decorations up fast enough, or throw them far enough in T3's case (I can see the confusion, those round ornaments do look a lot like balls!)
3) 1 stretched-in-many-directions Daddy (who is doing a WONDERFUL job BTW)
4) 1 somewhat enjoyable cooking baking experience with middle son
5) 1 not so enjoyable with several starts and stops for broken lights, dropped and shattered ornaments, loud mommy sighing and some yelling "No"...okay repeated raised voices... tree trimming event
6) 7 chocolates consumed per child thus far from advent calendar
7) 1 somewhat successful reading of "What God wants for Christmas" complete with broken angel from years past (WHY WHY WHY DO THEY MAKE A CHILD'S NATIVITY OUT OF CERAMANIC...REALLY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING PEOPLE?)
8) 1 really enjoyable Bible study I'm doing with some great friends found here that is somewhat keeping me centered on the real reason for the season. It's only four short chapters and well worth it!
9) too many to count Christmas play practices, both the ones we made it too and the ones we were too tired and busy to attend.
10) 1 frozen Daddy who lovingly obliged his Holiday minded sons by missing the first 60 mins of the Packer game on Sunday to string up outdoor lights

Add all together, mix and stir and you have the Ingredients for Christmas in our house. They probably aren't all the ones I would choose to put in there, but they are there none the less. Some of them may make the taste a little bitter, some make the taste sweet. I'm doing my best to add more of the latter.

What about you? What are you ingredients this year?

Merry Christmas from us...oh and "Seasons Ingredients!" :)

What's A mUmmy to do?

I love each of my three sons but for reasons that are as different as they are. My middle son's wild and loud presence can sometimes drive me up the wall, but it is that same zest for life that often leaves me laughing for hours. Part of it is just his uninhibited love of fun (ahem, I have NO idea where he got that from). Part of it is his 4-year-old perspective on life. Case in point:

A couple weeks ago my friend returned from a long trip to Peru. We looked through her pictures and took time to explain to T2 where Peru is and what we were looking at along the way. Well later that evening we were getting ready to go out and T2 comments, "Mom, some day you are going to be buried."
Me- "What? did you say 'married'?"
T2- "No. Buried."
Me still utterly confused, "What? What did you say?"
T2- exclaiming now like I'm the dumbest mom on the planet, "BURIED! SOME DAY YOU ARE GOING TO BE BURIED IN THE GROUND! You know in Peru with the Mommies."
Me - (light bulb) "Ohhh" chuckle chuckle "Those were pictures of MUMMIES honey NOT MOMMIES. Not all the mommies go to Peru to be buried. I won't end up there."
T2 - thoughtful pause - "Oh. Well some day when you are old you will be buried though, right?"
Me- sigh, not really liking the point of this conversation anymore and realizing those were some pretty gross pictures of mUmmies and he doesn't seem in the least concerned at all that this was my fate - "I don't know, let's get going."

Seeing Us Through

I've been reading through Paul's letter to the Romans lately. It is a bit heady for me if I haven't had at least one cup of coffee but I think I'm still picking up the gist of things here and there. :)

Today in one of my most favorite chapters of the entire Bible my mind hovered over a verse I usually just read on by, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." (12:15). Lately I've been rejoicing over new babies, groaning over lack of sleep with those same babies, praising with recovery from illness, and weeping over uncertain futures - all with my friends. In one verse Paul summed up the essence of the heart of a woman (or man) engaged in true fellowship with other women...and he just thought he was listing off instructions for godly living to the Christians in Rome! :) My heart full of joys and burdens once again confirms that life is such a mixed bag of blessings and trials. I'm so grateful I have His loving Presence and friends to see us through...until it all gets way way better on the other side of heaven that is!

The Advantage of Older Siblings

The advantages of older siblings is quite extensive and full of injustices suffered by the oldest child. The list is too extensive for me to cover today but I wanted to focus on just one in this post. CANDY. I'm pretty sure my older two boys had no idea what it was for many years - maybe a vague awareness around holidays and potty training (which are both equally celebrated around here). But enter the third boy and whallah (sp help please???) all previous attempts to protect and prolong the onslaught of sugar are almost entirely ignored...frankly I'm just too worn out to care anymore. Is that awful or what?! Also I'm more prone to spoil knowing he is our last. Whatever...I don't need to offer excuses, that isn't the topic of the post. It is what it is. And T3 LOVES LOVES LOVES his candy. In fact all three boys had a wonderful sugar filled Halloween. The funniest part was when anyone tried to take T3s bucket away he would absolutely throw a huge fit. So what did I do...what any other loving caring mother would do...I grabbed a video camera and proceeded to take it away several times to document the cause and effect. Another time when hubby tried to take away an empty MMs wrapper, T3 had a fit until he was allowed to inspect it and make sure there weren't any left.

And now for some pics:

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T3 is saying "Don't even think about touching my candy!"



T1 at the last minute switched from Transformer to Race car driver...whatever, we have them all on hand so "easy peasy, lemon squeezy" or is it "easy cheesy..." hmmm, I need to practice my new K lingo.



T2 went as a black widow spider. this was NOT one of the zillion costumes we owned so I transformed the ninja costume into a spider. amazing what some pantyhose (Hey, if finally got some use around here!) and a felt square can do.



This last pic is of the three sweater vests my mom made. soo cute! Thanks again, mom. And Thanks for the great visit Mom and Dad! We miss you already!

The Weekender 2010

Hi there - we are headed to our Regional Fall Conference this weekend. Right now 268 students are registered - 48 of which are from our campus. Would you read through the following prayer requests for the weekend. My friend/co-laborer put it together for us to help us pray! Thank you!!!

Can I ask you, my friends and supporters, to pray specifically this Saturday morning? In addition to overall prayer requests,
• the health of all those in attendance
• the many, many details of a conference this size (there’s about 340 registered)
• camaraderie among students from each campus
• staff as they prepare many seminars and workshops
• Matt Letourneau, The Navigators campus director at University of Alabama, is our main speaker
• this year’s theme is “Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus”

Saturday morning holds some specific needs for prayer,
• attendees waking up refreshed and eager to learn
• Saturday morning is filled with workshops and seminars. Students attend those that interest them the most and they include:
‘Leadership Lessons from the Life of David’
‘How to Become a Spiritually Powerful Man of God’
‘The Legacies Left by Women’
‘Apologetics: Tactics on Defending the Faith’
‘Heartbeat of the Navs: Why Discipleship?’
‘Evangelism Training’
‘The Bible 411’
‘Freedom from Performance’
‘God’s Heart for the Nations’

God bless you richly as you pray for us and the students we love!

Tape recorders, 5ks and Wedgies.

Enjoying the awesome new Kid's Museum in our town!




Welcoming home Daddy after he traveled early last week. The door was full of signs by the time it was all said and done! This is one that T1 drew for him.

I wish I could carry around a little tape recorder to record all the funny things I hear each day. For example the other day as I drove T1 and T2 home for school I listened to a ten minute conversation on wedgies. T1 leaned over and "whispered" "Don't tell mom" and continued to define wedgie for his 4 year old brother. They proceeded to make up a mile long list of different kinds of wedgies while throwing a jacket back and forth at each other with each new wedgie. "How about a spider wedgie?!!!" Much laughter. "How about a backpack wedgie." More laughter. Well, you get the idea.

Another thing I would record is T3s sweet little voice coming out with new words every day. His latest is "ball" which is usually accompanied by his chubby little arms throwing a ball half his size as far as he can (which thankfully is all of 12inches). He also loves to say "poopy", he is a boy after all, and "Daddy" and "Doggy" which are sometimes hard to distinguish (the later two, that is).

A couple weeks ago T2 explained to my friend that she is NOT old. "Why not?" she replied. "Because, old people have bumpy skin and YOURS is FLAT!"

Just last night as T2 gave me a tour of all the pictures (hundreds of them) taped to his bed he literally said, "And this is a picture of the monster pooping on (something...I'm not sure what he said after that I was laughing too hard).

Well, besides listening to my boys antics we have been keeping busy, thus the lack of blog updates. I ran in my first (and possibly last) race - it was a 15 mile relay and thankfully I only had to run 3 miles of it. I was happy with my time - just under 30 minutes - not bad for an old lady (yes, my skin is slightly bumpy).

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend away sans kids thanks to some pretty awesome people who wanted to watch our boys for 3 days. They had raised 4 of their own so they came qualified and had to of known what they were getting into.

State park where we did some geocaching. The colors were beautiful and the weather warm enough for shorts! Quite possibly our warmest anniversary ever.


We took a dinner cruise in Stillwater, MN - it was really fun and very pretty.


A couple weeks ago I had another article "published" on SAGE's website, here is the link.

Hubby is busy getting all the pieces in place for our regional Fall Conference coming up next weekend. This is his second year directing. So far we have 46 students signed up from our campus, if we get 50 he has agreed to dye his head blond! I'm really hoping we make 50!

I'm enjoying putting together a regional women's conference for the spring. We only offer this every four years. It is fun coming up with the theme, speakers, etc. and working closely with my friend and co-worker who is doing all the program details!

T2 continues to LOVE preschool and has surprised us by starting to write all on his own. He is becoming quite the little student.

T3 is starting to read and mastering writing with his LEFT hand as he still has a brace on his right. I'm curious to see if he switches back when it is all said and done. He actually could use his right hand now but chooses not to.

T1 is busy keeping up with his brothers climbing slides and chairs and whatever else he can manage to defy gravity with. Life is busy and full and wonderful! That's all for now...and probably for awhile again! Sorry. :)

10 Years!!!

From my journal this morning...

Ten years ago today I married my knight in shining armor, except he wore a handsome black tux. Thank you, Abba, for ten wonderful years together. For a happy and healthy relationship that brings more gain than harm. For three wonderful little boys that sometimes do the same. :) For a place to call home with friends and family. For a calling and purpose we love and are passionate about. Surely our boundary lines have fallen in wide places and our cup overflows, all blessings from Your hand. Amen

Roses are red...

Hubby surprised me with a dozen red roses this morning in celebration of 9 years and 363 days of marriage. Thanks, sweetie - I love you!!!

Right Now

Right Now:
Hubby is making a whole lotta ribs for the Viking (not football) Dinner here tomorrow night. I was relieved to hear they will be eating outside since no plates or silverware are allowed.

I'm catching up on my friend's blogs - it is fun to know what is going on in their lives. You should write one too so I can read it!

T123 are all asleep. Blissful quiet. T1 is getting really good at being a lefty and developing some good self-esteem overcoming new challenges. T2 is thriving at preschool - at least I assume so since he can't wait to go every week and I haven't gotten any notes sent home yet. Well, I got one, but was relieved when it was because someone else bit HIM. Ironic...yes, I know. Knowing his history...if I believed in karma, I'd say "what goes around comes around," but I don't so I won't say it. T3 had a pretty rough afternoon. We spent two hours at the doctors office after he spiked a 104 fever. We left after lab work, two shots of antibiotics and a prescription for even more. Poor kid. I'm thankful for modern medicine and will wait as long as needed for it any day (esp. when my other kids are happily occupied elsewhere...once again, hubby is my hero!).

Quick Update

(Here is a recent photo in our Sunflower patch...formerly known as our garden)

I'm so grateful for all the prayers and support we have received regarding T1's broken arm. Thanks for caring and thinking of us. I wanted to give you a quick update since so many have been asking. We went back to the doctor today and had it re-x-rayed and everything looked good. It is healing well and so we don't need to have surgery (as long as things cont. this way). He will have it splinted and in a sling for two more weeks and then we can move to a different kind of brace. In the meantime he is working hard in his "right mind" learning to be a lefty!

Joy - Not Just my Dish Soap Anymore

You know when you hear the same message or scripture a few times in a row that God is trying to get your attention. That happened this past week...not so coincidentally aligning with several little challenges that have come our way. Most of these aren't big things but you know those weeks when all the many little things start to add up. Yet in the midst of it all I kept running into the message of the resurrection and our source for joy. I literally heard three different messages and read it in my regular daily reading all in a matter of days. God, graciously reminding me that despite the little and big hard things we face, I can choose joy. Why? Because I know how the story ends, the victory is already won. I admit some days it is a physical struggle to choose joy over focusing on the whiny teething toddler wrapped around my knees, the attention deprived middle child jumping on the couch AGAIN, and the oldest who can't understand why I won't let him go down the slide backwards at school with a broken arm. And knowing some of the enormous struggles others face these all seem tiny and I feel like a big whiner for even struggling. BUT God is gracious. And in all these little reminders I sense His love and care and am reminded of one of my favorite verses, Isa 40:11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." I'm feeling gently led to choose Joy and make it more than just my dish soap today and every day.

Feelin Kinda...not so SNAZZY

For weeks now we have all (well, the boys and I at least) been psyched up to see Go Fish in concert. And to add to the hype the church hosting them put on a carnival complete with inflatables, cotton candy and snow cones to enjoy before the concert.




We were all having a great time and in the words of Go Fish "feelin kinda snazzy" and then...with two hot dogs in my hand I heard T1 screaming across the lawn in the inflatable bouncy thing. I scooped him up as he was screaming that his arm hurt. In hindsight had I known I was going to have to recount all the junkfood I allowed him to consume to go down on his medical record I think I would have at least fed him a banana or something in there...not one of my shining mommy moments. But oh well! Sooo instead of rockin the night away we ended it like this:

He ended up with some dislocation in his elbow I think and two breaks right above the elbow. Lots of drugs, some gruesome doctoring to get things back in place and way too much pain for my little guy (before the drugs) and we were on our way home.

Thankfully some great friends were on hand to keep T2 with them at the concert and they thoughtfully bought him his own glow stick, cd and dvd which he enjoyed when he got home.

And when you are down and out you might as well have a neb treatment or two for that darn asthma. Poor guys...some days are just like this. Thankfully most of them aren't.

We are praying that all stays in place the way it should so we don't have to do the surgery thing. Thanks for praying with us. And while you are praying here are some praises: We are thankful for good medical care, drugs, friends in place to take care of the other Things, the 30+ college friends who were at our house for a meeting when we got home that were praying for him, our staff team that stepped in place to lead the meeting at the last minute...the list goes on and on.

As I look at that list I'm reminded once again that God never fails to meet our every need in times of need - despite our distance from family that we would normally rely on in times like these. He is good and faithful.

My little faith is trying to shrug off feelings of guilt that if I had been praying more for my kids protection this wouldn't have happened...I know, crazy thoughts, but there they are. Thankfully with a curious, climbing toddler, an active 4 year old and an injured six year old trying to figure out life without his dominant hand, there isn't much time for thoughts like those anyways...just quick prayers for more hands and lots of patience!

The Almost 13th Disciple

Mark 10 describes what we commonly refer to the rich young ruler. You know, the guy whom Jesus invited to come follow Him, or as the amplified says, "walk the road that I walk." But as the story goes this man loved his life as it was too much – he was very wealthy and didn't want to give up all he had to be with Jesus. This begs the question in my own heart, what is it that I love too much that keeps me from walking the same road that Jesus is walking? Is it the comfort of having similar friends, all with the same interests and political points of view that keeps me from walking across the room with Jesus to the woman who very different than me and extending a hand of friendship? Or do I love my "downtime" too much – those few precious hours when the boys are all in bed – that I don't want to put down my novel and read something a bit more mind shaping?

Don't get me wrong, we all need our downtime, but do I want to it too much to heed Him when He does call? And there is nothing wrong with nurturing friendships with women that are like me….but do I do it to the exclusion of the woman that Jesus really wants me to get to know and love on? This man loved all he had…just a bit too much. It literally kept him from walking where Jesus walked.

Change my heart, Abba, so I don't miss the chance to walk with You wherever you are going.