Seeing with New Eyes

I have really been reflecting on the sad tragedy that took place in Aurora early Friday morning. It makes me sad that we live in a world where my daughter will hear of the sick people and isn't safe wherever she goes. The thing I know is that this world has always been sad. It's fallen. Adam and Eve ate the apple and we are no longer living in a place that is safe from anything. The other thing I know is God is Good. Satan is evil. And God (good) always triumphs! At the end of the day, God has the final say and no matter what kind of stuff happens here on earth, God will use it and make beauty from ashes. That stirs a fire in me that I have never felt before. I love that I can be confident in my God to win the war on evil. So if, when something happens like this happens and Jocelyn is old enough to understand, I can give her the hope that we have in Christ that no matter what happens, He wins! Genesis 50:19-21   But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the plac

I have been really focusing on prayer lately. It has such amazing power in it's ability to connect me with God and have the freedom to really express myself to Him. I am reading a book on prayer and the most recent chapter dealt with praying like a child. This means to come to God as a child with all of my insecurities and messiness without an agenda while I pray. God wants me to approach Him with everything that's on my mind and not hold anything back, just like a child would. I have been teaching Jocelyn to pray every morning for our day. Lately, she will actually pray herself instead of me just praying for us. It's been pretty cute because her prayers go something like this: "Dear Jesus, lalala...um fruit...and mickey...and toys ummm...library. Amen!" I have no idea what she is really praying about but as I reflect on what it means to pray like a child, this can only be a perfect example. She doesn't worry about what she is saying, she just says it. She is

I was reading out of the book of 1st Samuel tonight and about all of Saul's mistakes as a king. He was much more concerned with appeasing God rather than pleasing God. He constantly took things into his own control and then turned to God when He became afraid or out of control. He disobeyed God numerous times and then tried to act like he was doing them for God. Verse 15:22 says " Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."  I realize that we don't live in a society that still offers and sacrifices to God but it really struck a chord with me. Then I began to relate it to how I am with Jocelyn. She is disobedient daily. Part of it is her age of course but it is still frustrating. After I discipline her and she knows I am upset with her, she tries to make things all better by making cutesy eyes or she even tries to bring me something s

We stopped at the playground today because we had a few extra minutes before lunch with my mom. It has been so ridiculously hot out lately that the park is not very fun. The slides are so hot, the equipment is scalding. Too hot to really play on it. But Jossy has been begging to go on the slide and swings for days now. I went down one slide with her since it was hot and I had longer pants on than Jossy. It burned right through my pants as we slid down. It made Jossy smile to go down it though. So as I reflect on today, I think, the sacrifices I have to make as a parent to make her feel joy sometimes brings me pain. Just like how God send His son so that I could feel joy, He felt pain. Something to chew on. John 3:16 Jenna

It has been entirely too long since I have last written. Part of it is due to travel, some laziness, but mostly a dark place that I go in and out of. I have really been struggling with trying to have another child and I have been running to God with my hurt and trying to understand why it's not just easy for us. In fact, the hardest part isn't so much the fact that we aren't pregnant or don't have a second child, it's that I wish I could just be content with what I have. I have prayed several times for God to take away this desire if we aren't supposed to have another one, but it never seems to subside fully. So while I learn to wait patiently on the Lord and His timing, I look to things I have already. My husband is the most amazing man and God couldn't have put me with someone who is more perfect for me. My daughter is also amazing. In fact, my sweet teenage sister said to me the other day, "at least if you don't have another one you have Jossy wh