Multitude Monday

As I sit here right now, after hustling around the house frantically trying to get things picked up & put away before my precious nap time ends for today, I'm reminded of what it means to be still. I'm reminded of how easily my life can get extremely busy...before I even realize it...especially at this time of year. And it's most of the time for the sake of "good things." Busily decorating to celebrate the birth of our Savior, busily trying to make sure our kids can do all the crafts and baking and making they can so that they can get the most out of the season & it all will truly sink in; busily trying to get all the perfect gifts bought and made and wrapped and given. All good things. But I am reminded what it means to be still. To truly seek that which Christmas is all about. To bask in the awe & wonder. A Savior. Our Savior. Our desperately needed Savior. Was born. Died. Rose again. Lives. Amazing!

There is so much for which to be truly grateful. I am amazed at the multitude, the big and the little. In this season I hope and pray that we can find time to slow down, be still...and know that HE is God.

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On Mondays, I join with Ann Voskamp in counting up the multitude of blessings the Lord has bestowed. I'm working my way to 1000...and beyond. The gifts are endless.

93. our community

94. opportunities for our children to grow in the Lord as they learn

95. Starbucks with my hubby

96. excitement over AWANA

97. cooking with my Ma

98. hearing the many "thankfuls" of others

99. restless boys in church, eager to hold the hymnals

100. Thanksgiving turkey (of course!)

101. beginning to hear the heart of our oldest boy as he prays~a simply precious gift

102. made-up songs by Lukey

103. bunked beds

104. de-bunked beds...learning and growing on this parental journey (yes, someone fell, and thankfully he was okay!)

105. a crisp, cold morning in the mountains

106. a gracious family & a Christmas tree farm

107. my very able husband

108. that he gets the tree from the top of the car to the inside of the house, with lights on it, and all I have to to is wait & watch

109. peppermint mocha

110. the chaos of Christmas decorating

111. two helpful boys so excited to decorate...and one so eager to touch it all

112. the feel of bed at the end of a full day :)

Thanks + Giving...from the Multitude

This is our tree. Our thanksgiving tree. I cannot coin the idea itself. (You can find the post on the MOB society.) I am one of those wannabe crafty type people. I love the idea of crafts, and I enjoy going to the store to get all the supplies for crafts, and I even enjoy starting the craft...but many times I have found that I don't have the ability or perserverence or whatever to see it through to its masterpiece completion. That said, I am so thankful that God is not that way with us. He is totally crafty! He always completes his good works. And we are His masterpiece (even if I don't always feel like that).

My point of showing this crafty craft here is that it really challenged me in to thinking about Thanksgiving in a different way this year. Not just as a time to give thanks for the abundant blessings God bestows. But also to spur us on to giving from the overflow of those blessings. Hence the breakdown of the word...Thanks + Giving.

So we are trying to do activities with our kids this month that reflect this new outlook. With these posts of "multitude mondays" we have been talking a lot more about gratitude in our house lately. The boys have spontaneously started to share things they are thankful for, which has been such a blessing. We are all learning how to truly be grateful for the simple things. To worship Him for how He provides for us, in big ways and small. Every single day. And to tell others what He has done...to give out of the bounty of what we've been given. So we all sat down and decided on some ways we could help each other and others in our community this month. Whether it is giving food to someone, writing a card, or brushing the dogs, it is all about sharing His love, giving from what we've been given.

I pray this new November tradition will continue in our house. I pray our boys will learn this well. I pray we will live it well, all year round. Thanks...Giving. Hand in hand.
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Today I join Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience in counting up the multitude....

#76-92

76. grace for when my mouth keeps running

77. friends who make me think

78. a deal that went through!

79. God is so cool

80. not freaking out in the moment

81. accepting that which I cannot change

82. knowing how to stand on Truth

83. Him prompting me to do just that

84. a myriad of second chances

85. worship in a body flow class

86. childcare at the gym

87. Peace amidst chaos

88. beautiful jewelry for an amazing cause

89. that we didn't have to take a horse-drawn carriage to get to our destination

90. new memories with old friends

91. learning more about myself~His refining fire

92. appropriately being reminded that I am but a tiny ant compared to this great big God

Not feelin' it

"But I don't want to"

Those are all too familiar words in this house of preschoolers, said in a classic whiny tone, feet dragging on the ground, mouth gaping open and pointed downward in a frown, grumpy tears about to stream...

And to tell you the truth, sometimes I don't want to either. I've thought about this topic a lot. How so often our emotions lead us (me). I am so tempted to just go with the flow of "but i don't want to's". I don't want to reject the lies that I'm not pretty today. I don't want to follow through with that consequence. I don't want to be thankful for the mess. I don't want to love that person who is hard to love. I don't want to...

It is so tempting to step off the foundation of truth, the firm foundation, into the rocky soil of lies. It seems like it might be a better choice sometimes. It feels right to just wallow in it. But God doesn't ask us to do what feels right. He wants us to do what IS right. To believe that which IS truth.

When I'm just not feelin' it, I know I need to acknowledge those feelings. They are real. They are there. In my humanity, I will never stop feeling stuff. But then I need to lay it all at His feet, and replace the lies with truth. Stop standing on the feeling of "but i don't want to"...

I don't want to reject the lies that I'm not pretty (HE says I am wonderfully made...for a good purpose. HE thinks I am lovely~Psalm 139:14, Ps. 84:1). I don't want to follow through (HE tells me to be consistent...to train them up~Prov. 22:6). I don't want to be thankful (HE says to be thankful in ALL circumstances~1Thes. 5:18). I don't want to love that person (HE tells me that the greatest command is to love one another~John 15:17).

Replacing lies with truth. God's True Word. We all have days when we're not feeling like it. But by his grace we can choose to stand on that firm foundation. Only by his grace.

Multitude

Today I am reminded that He is soveriegn. Over every detail. Every best laid plan. He knows what we need. He is faithful to provide.

And I am thankful.

# 68-75

68. the little boy who loves to play with my hair

69. the one who has the cutest smile ever when he wakes from a nap

70. the one who can tackle you to the ground with a hug, but every time there is love attached

71. little boys pushing trucks in the yard

72. meeting a lovely lady and talking with her about life, her mission, her burdens...and the privilege of bringing her to the throne of Grace

73. planting flowers

74. hayrides, campfires and smores

75. God is sovereign

This is my story, my song.

Some days I am overwhelmed. Some days I am weary. Some days I'm just spent.

This world has so much to offer, so many pick-me-ups, so many ways to numb the feelings we feel. But one of my favorite ways to revive my spirit on days where I am feeling heavy with all of life is by pumping up the music. We love music in this family. I am blessed to have a very gifted husband who can sing just about anything and likes to do that, just about all the time. When things are getting heated in the car (i.e. kids throwing things, whining or yelling at each other), we have been known to just turn up the music and sing praises loudly to the Lord. I mean, we probably won't damage their ears. I'm sure they'll listen to it much louder one day. It is balm to our soul...and it really does work to change their behavior (most of the time).

So I've been feeling led to share a few lyrics to some songs that have "shuffled" past me & imprinted on my spirit of late...

Even when I don't see, I still believe (Jeremy Camp)

To win you've got to come in last place (Audio Adrenaline)

Whatever's in front of me, I choose to sing "Hallelujah" (Bethany Dillon)

I am (He is) constant, I am near you...I'm the only One who knows your hearts desires (Jill Philips)

And they'll know us by our Love (Christy Nockels)

I realize that falling down ain't graceful, but I thank the Lord that falling's full of grace (Andrew Peterson)

And when the saints go marching in, I want to be one of them (Sara Groves)

It's more than enough just to know I am loved...and You are good (Nichole Nordeman)

Still is my soul... (Jill Philips)

This is my story. In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. How can I thank Him? What can I lay at the feet of this King? With every breath, I want to be faithful, to serve him, to praise him, to love him...to sing to him. He is holding my life in his hands.

Multitude Monday

Giving thanks is so relative to what we experience sometimes. I might be thankful for butternut squash, you might be thankful you don't have to eat it. But the point is it is all gratitude. And what is gratitude if we are not thankful to someone...for something? What is it, really? It is cool to be grateful, it is trendy, it is accepted, it is desired...but all for what?

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17

Every. good. gift.

I believe He knows what it takes to reach our core. What will spur us on to give thanks. To be truly grateful. He knows that hole in our soul. That one that only he can fill. And he fills it. Whether we know it or not. That overwhelming feeling of gratitude. It is all for Him. The one who creates. All good things.

# 51-66

51. a great photographer, and new friends

52. moments of brilliance

53. the depravity of my flesh...overcome by a gracious God

54. a rainy cold day, a warm fire to sit by

55. daddy took over

56. a nephew searching for Truth~his heart such fertile soil

57. time with my sisters

58. laughter among cousins under the table

59. a beautiful sky lights my way home

60. missionaries

61. a tiny hand on my face

62. the way they run to me when they're hurting

63. the excitement of packing a box for another

64. knowing that God knows already who will get that box & cherish the contents inside

65. piles of clean laundry that can wait

66. a man who stands for his convictions

67. a kiss on a boo-boo still makes it all better :)

Why bad guys?

Have you ever pondered this question? Probably so, to some extent. We all have. When something bad happens, we wonder why. We ask God, "why?" But I have been pondering it more these days in response to little boys who want to be the bad guy sometimes, and they wonder why it's not okay to repay "evil with evil" (or hit someone who just threw a toy at them). We tell our kids these truths from God's word: "treat others how you want to be treated," "be kind to everyone," "honor one another above yourself." And sometimes that's a good enough answer. Though when I was with my 8 year old nephew this weekend, I realized that it won't always be enough for these little ones. They begin to really question the world. Why can't I do something mean back to someone who's been mean to me? It seems fair. They did it first!

Then I was led this morning to Psalm 37. God is so wise!

"Do not fret because of evil men...Trust in the Lord and do good...Delight yourself in the Lord...He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn...Refrain from anger and turn from wrath...evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land."

Wow! It was like God knew I was working this out in my spirit before I even did. I just have a passion for the little boys in my life to be warriors for God. It is so vital for them to know that God is the ultimate judge. Life is hard. People are people. They will be hurt...many times. I just long for them to understand that no matter what--there is no exception--God is good. He is sovereign. He cares. And He loves them. No matter what. He can be trusted.

It might not always seem like the "cool" thing or even the best idea to do what's right in God's sight. To live according to His word, instead of by the standards of the world. It might not seem like the bad guys are getting what they deserve. But in the end, it will always pay off. We will inherit our "land"...our inheritance in Christ...and the wicked will be destroyed. God is our righteous judge. The bad guy never wins!

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." Psalm 37:39-40