A Mother's Influence

I love the way that Pastor Kimberly Ray describes her mother's powerful influence!

The Blessed Life

I love surprises!

My friend Darnetta, turned 30 on the 30th of July this year. She had always dreamed of doing something special on her "golden" birthday. She had hopes for an intimate dinner party, in which her friends could get dressed up and celebrate with her. However, circumstances did not seem to permit such a thing...or so she thought!!

Yes folks, We. Got. Her. Good!

Not only did she not suspect that her hubby, family, and friends were plotting a party for her, after going for breakfast, lunch, a massage, a manicure, and a pedicure she was also shocked to receive her "dream gift": a Green Apple KitchenAid Mixer!

Appropriately, the theme was: The Blessed Life.

Lessons from Bartimaeus

When they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Blind. Broke. Begging on the side of the road. What can be learned from a man like this?

Although his circumstances may have looked pitiful, Bartimaeus was no pitiful human being. He was neither frail nor feeble, but a remarkable example of faith and perseverance.

If you could just imagine, for a moment, the level of drive and determination that it took for a blind beggar to have the audacity to shout at the top of his lungs to a man that he could not see, but had only heard about, in an effort to receive his miracle. Just who does this man think he is? Why would Jesus of Nazareth consider stopping for him?

Bartimaeus was rebuked. Discouraged from his desperate cry. Imagine the people around him snickering, Why is he wasting his breath? Jesus is too busy for someone like him. He might as well quit!

Imagine Bartimaeus hearing the mocking. But, still he presses on; "Son of David, Have mercy on me!" he calls.

The result? Jesus stops dead in his tracks. "Call him." he commands.

See, Jesus liked folks who didn't give up easily.

Think about the woman with the issue of blood. The bible says that she had the issue for 12 years and had been under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, but only grew worse. Regardless of all the years of disappointment, after disappointment, after disappointment, she had enough tenacity left in her to say, "If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole!" (Mark 5:25-18)

People like this got Jesus' attention! People like this got what they wanted from the Lord! People like this, with a "I will not be denied!" "I will not be shut up!" "I will not be kept back!" in their soul, pressed on until the Lord gave them what they were looking for!

Jacob wrestled with the angel all night long and said "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Gen 32)

Joseph was still trying to operate in a gift he felt God gave him by interpreting dreams, although he had been sold as a slave and and had spent years in prison! (Gen 4).

After Jesus had already ignored and denied the Canaan woman whose daughter was vexed with a devil, the woman said, "Truth, Lord; yet even the dogs get of the crumbs which fall from the masters table!" (Matt 15:27)

These people were determined to get something from the Lord! And, guess what? They got it!

There is a saying, "God helps those who help themselves." We may not be able to locate an exact "scripture equivalent" of that phrase, but if we look at the word of God we will see a trend of people like Bartimaeus, who are fiercely determined and willing to put up a fight, consistently getting results from God!

Oh Lord, help me to be one of those people!

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Heb 11:6

Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are inheriting the promises through faith and patience.

Heb 6:12

I Love This Song

Precious Jesus

Verse:
Precious Jesus, how I love You,
how I lift high my voice with Your praise.
Holy Spirit, I implore Thee,
drench my heart as my lips part Your grace.

Chorus:
I am persuaded Lord, to love You,
I have been changed to bless Your name.
I am constrained by this great Gospel,
forever to worship Thee.

She's sangin' it too.

Tired?

Recently, Kim from Life in a Shoe wrote a post for tired young mothers of many.

Here is a excerpt:

Back when we had a lot of Littles and no Bigs, daily life looked very different. Sometimes it felt a little dark and hopeless. How could I do everything that I need to do? How could I be a good wife, a good mother, a good Christian, while battling morning sickness and creeping chaos of a house with so many little ones?

These are questions that I have pondered SO many times in the past five years! It is such a blessing to hear the perspective of a mom who has been there and done that!

You can read the entire post here.

It's not often that I'm rendered speechless.

A friend wrote on my Facebook wall:

I just love u guys so much, & think u have such a wonderful fam, so i decided 2 exercise this little hobby of mine and construct this memorable token for you guys, hope u dont mind. :)

And with that message was this video!

Speechless, I tell you. Just speechless.

In which Facebook and I Reunite

Do you remember when my relationship with Facebook went sour? Well...we've reunited.

I know. I know. But, you felt so strongly about your decision, you say? I did! However, a lot has happened since 2008! One of the most important things being that Facebook has some serious privacy settings now. And I do mean serious. You can have a Facebook account and put the equivalent of an electronic padlock on it, if you so desire!

I have some friends who have done that. They cannot be found in the search engine and only use the site to keep up with their loved ones who are out of town. I have to contact them by phone in order to get them to go into their account, just to allow me to send them the electronic friend request! It is so much easier for any user to limit who and what they see/don't see to whatever level they are comfortable with. Consequently, many of the reasons why I decided to get off the site before are able to be eliminated.

In addition, not only has the site changed in terms of settings, but the people have changed! Back when I had a Facebook account, the people I knew on Facebook were primarily college-aged, young adults. But now, everybody and their grandma(literally) has a Facebook account! I have many more friends, family members, and other loved ones who are out of town, that use the site regularly that were not on there before. By being on the site, I am able to see and share pictures and comments with them on a regular basis.

And there you have it. Are you on Facebook?...Wanna be my friend;)

Halle's Blessing

Our family came together this past Father's Day (June 19th) for Halle's blessing!


Apparently, Halle had something to say. She was determined to get that mic!


Bishop Bell got a kick out of it!

Proud parents


Grandpa Mike, Grandma Lucy & Fam


GG-ma, Nana, Noelle, & Bella

Halle


The Godparents


The God brothers & sisters


Halle & Grandma Lucy


Papa, Grandma Debra & Fam

And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

~Mark 10:16

On Nursing

I had a "moment" as I was holding Halle. I realized how much I love having a little baby. Moreover, I realized how much I have come to love nursing!

When Noelle was a newborn, someone (who happened to be a mother of 11), asked me if I was going to breastfeed. I half-heartedly said "yes" and was shocked when this mom of 11 told me that I was going to love it. I was so confused by her notion. I just didn't get it. Why would anyone love having to have a baby sucking on their nipple all the time? In my "liberated" mind, the entire concept sounded a little too "confining." But now...I get it.

[Photo Credit: AlyssssylA]

British author and obstetrician, Grantly-Dick Read explains;

A newborn baby has only 3 needs. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breast, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three.

I would admonish any new mom to breastfeed, if possible. When you are breastfeeding you are doing more than just feeding your baby. You are comforting, bonding with, and lavishing love on your baby. The experience is not only priceless, but one of the God-given privileges that has uniquely been given to women.

It is only in the act of nursing that a woman realizes her motherhood in visible and tangible fashion; it is a joy of every moment. ~Honore de Balzac

Family Movie Night

I realized, (after snapping at my kids, sending them to bed early, and having to go back and apologize), that after a long week, we all need a break! As a result, I have declared the past 3 or 4 Fridays as Family Movie Night!

Thus far, we have had pizza, salad, and popcorn on Friday nights. We all watch a movie together and then hubby and I put the kids to sleep so we can watch one alone. During that time, I have purposed not to clean, work, or worry in anyway! We have been having a great time relaxing and having fun together! I hope to keep this going!


Read below to find out more about the family-friendly movies that are being sponsored by Walmart and P&G:

Watch it together. Enjoy it forever.

Walmart and P&G have partnered to create the Family Moments initiative to help moms and families better connect with each other. Family Movie Night is a part of that movement to provide meaningful entertainment for the entire family.

During Family Movie Night, you can be confident that the programming on their screens will be fun and action-packed, without the worry of having to dive for the remote to change the channel when inappropriate ads or other content comes on. Soundtracks for the films also feature top producers and artists.

By providing this block of time, Walmart and P&G are striving to reconnect families across the country that are bombarded by busy schedules and the lack of programming that's appealing to everyone. Tune in and see what the buzz is about.

Wordless Wednesday-Summer Sunset

Image by: Cuba Gallery

God Loves Me

When I became a born-again christian (John 3:5), about 10 years ago, it was really the truth that God loved me that radically changed my life! I "knew" that the bible said God loved us all, but I had not had the type of revelation on God's love that Joyce talks about below until I studied the love of God, spent time in prayer, and really took note of how God was answering my prayers.

That was about 10 years ago, and I think its time for a refresher course!

In the clips below, Joyce Meyer explains how she got a revelation on God's love for her and offers suggestions on how we can study and grow in our understanding of God's love. I think I am going to take her advice. Want to join me?

Kid-Cuteness Moments

God has given me a life that is full of priceless Kid-Cuteness Moments. I'll define that for you:

Kid-Cuteness Moments are moments that you are smitten and overcome with wonderful feelings (joy, love, adoration etc) in response to something kids do or say. These moments are usually made very special because it is done in the cuteness, sweetness, and innocence that can only come from a child.

Kid-Cuteness Moment #1

Bella: "Mommy, is today Kid's Day?"

Me: Huh?

Bella: "We had Father's Day and Mother's Day. When is it going to be Kid's Day?"

Me: "Girl, everyday is Kid's Day!"

Kid-Cuteness Moment #2

Noah wrapped his arms around my neck this morning soooooo tight and said, "I love you Mommy." I needed that at the moment and just knew it had to be the Lord speaking to me through that gesture.

Kid-Cuteness Moment #3

Here is Noelle with Kenneth's dad on Father's Day. It had been a while since they saw each other and were both very happy.