"Dear Lord, You know what’s not working in my life. You know where my net needs to go. Help me to see it and to trust fully in You as I throw my net to the other side. Please make Your directions clear to me as I listen for Your voice. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
God speaks in so many bold ways to me. I am in awe of just how much he reaches out to me to help me on my way!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Weddings, Doctors appointments, and car troubles...O MY!!!!
Well to say this has been a hectic weekend would be an understatement! My little brother married his sweetheart Saturday and the wedding went off without a hitch!! Everything was fabulous, I will have pics posted soon as soon as I get a hold of some =) Anderson was the ring bearer and I was so nervous that he would be fussy, but my little man did great! He really hammed it up for the formal pictures! We had the formal reception at the church and then a small after party at my parents house, we had a blast and partied all night long! I am so happy for Hunter and Morgan I love them both and with them all the best!!!
I got a bit ahead of myself with this post, before the wedding day fun, we had FRIDAY.....ugh yucky day Friday, Anderson had his 9 month check up and it started off great! Dr. Higgenbotham said it was a NO shot day! So this momma was excited!!! Anderson is still close to the 90th percentile in everything and Dr. Higg was very impressed at his motor functions! Anderson was 23lbs (which blew me away, I would have thought he was a lot heavier!!!) and 30. 25" in long. He is very healthy and can even take baby clariten now (the poor guy got his daddy's allergies) all in all it was a great checkup and we go back when he is ONE year old.....but I don't want to think about that. Here are some pics of Anderson being goofy before Dr. Higg came in!
(pics to come soon, Blogger is acting funky!!!)
After the doctors appointment Anderson and I headed home to start helping with the wedding day preparations, we got about 5 seconds from HWY 14 when my car overheated and died.....Luckily I had enough time to pull into someones driveway first! So there we sat, no air and it was about 90 degrees out, Anderson was fussy and i was about 45 minuets away from Bradley or my parents. I got Anderson out of his seat and put him up front with me so he could get a breeze blowing on him, and he perked right up! he made being stranded a lot more fun! Bradley and Mom pulled up at about the same time! Bradley talked to the home owners of the driveway i was parked in and he said we could leave it there until Bradley's uncle could come and tow it for us. I was very thankful and his very thoughtful neighbors even brought me some antifreeze for my car! Bradley's uncle did get my car to his house and Mason and buy luck got it fixed! We will be trading my car in and getting me a newer vehicle this week....I am very upset about this bc my car was 3 payments away from being paid for, but such is life!!! I needed a bigger vehicle anyways so I guess this was God's way of saying I get a BRAAAAAAND NEW CAAAAAAAAR (in my best price is right voice! lol )
(pics to come soon!!!)
I got a bit ahead of myself with this post, before the wedding day fun, we had FRIDAY.....ugh yucky day Friday, Anderson had his 9 month check up and it started off great! Dr. Higgenbotham said it was a NO shot day! So this momma was excited!!! Anderson is still close to the 90th percentile in everything and Dr. Higg was very impressed at his motor functions! Anderson was 23lbs (which blew me away, I would have thought he was a lot heavier!!!) and 30. 25" in long. He is very healthy and can even take baby clariten now (the poor guy got his daddy's allergies) all in all it was a great checkup and we go back when he is ONE year old.....but I don't want to think about that. Here are some pics of Anderson being goofy before Dr. Higg came in!
(pics to come soon, Blogger is acting funky!!!)
After the doctors appointment Anderson and I headed home to start helping with the wedding day preparations, we got about 5 seconds from HWY 14 when my car overheated and died.....Luckily I had enough time to pull into someones driveway first! So there we sat, no air and it was about 90 degrees out, Anderson was fussy and i was about 45 minuets away from Bradley or my parents. I got Anderson out of his seat and put him up front with me so he could get a breeze blowing on him, and he perked right up! he made being stranded a lot more fun! Bradley and Mom pulled up at about the same time! Bradley talked to the home owners of the driveway i was parked in and he said we could leave it there until Bradley's uncle could come and tow it for us. I was very thankful and his very thoughtful neighbors even brought me some antifreeze for my car! Bradley's uncle did get my car to his house and Mason and buy luck got it fixed! We will be trading my car in and getting me a newer vehicle this week....I am very upset about this bc my car was 3 payments away from being paid for, but such is life!!! I needed a bigger vehicle anyways so I guess this was God's way of saying I get a BRAAAAAAND NEW CAAAAAAAAR (in my best price is right voice! lol )
(pics to come soon!!!)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Going to the Chapel.....
Well after a year of planning, my little brother is getting married this Saturday!!! I have never felt so old in my life haha! Hunter is 2 years younger than me and it feels like I should still be dropping him off at Middle school! Morgan, I love you so much and could not have picked a better sister in law to be!!! You and Hunter were made for each other and we cannot wait to share our last name with you!!!
Besides the wedding, not much is going on! Tomorrow I get a day off of work to take Anderson to his 9 month checkup and run wedding errands with mom and Morgan. Anderson is getting so big and even more independent! He is sooo close to standing on his own and then comes walking! This momma is not ready for that yet! This is going to be a short post and sorry for no new pictures! My camera has been dead for a week lol! (still working on being the mom with the camera attached to my hand lol ) Hope everyone has a blessed day! Love you!
Besides the wedding, not much is going on! Tomorrow I get a day off of work to take Anderson to his 9 month checkup and run wedding errands with mom and Morgan. Anderson is getting so big and even more independent! He is sooo close to standing on his own and then comes walking! This momma is not ready for that yet! This is going to be a short post and sorry for no new pictures! My camera has been dead for a week lol! (still working on being the mom with the camera attached to my hand lol ) Hope everyone has a blessed day! Love you!
Friday, May 6, 2011
More working mom blues!
So as most of you know 2011 has not been the best year HEALTH wise for me and my family! We have all been sick and I am fighting a never ending battle with kidney stones....With all of the work I have missed, i have run out of PTO and have to make up hours I miss any way I can. Well this week I found out i have 11 kidney stones in my right kidney and 7 in my left. The good news is these are passable, the bad news is they will still hurt just as bad, so knowing I am in for pain worse than childbirth in the near future is kind of nerve wrecking! (and for those of you who have never had them, i promise it is worse than childbirth, I would rather have Anderson all over again with NO epidural than deal with this pain). The thing that worries me is all my doctors seem to think my pregnancy with Anderson caused them, and if we find out it did, the next pregnancy could cause twice as many or none at all. I will say that kidney stones will NOT prevent me from having another child, it is just one of those things I will have to deal with. So, anyways, back to the point of this blog; I am working a lot to make up time I have missed, and Anderson is playing so hard during the day now that he goes to bed at 7:30! I don't get home until 6:15 and then its time to do the bedtime routine and cook dinner, and it is just frustrating to me that I haven't seen my son this whole week, except to put him to bed. I miss my baby, I hate that I can't spend more time with him during the week. I wish there were more hours in the day to devote to my family and friends. I am completely overwhelmed right now and I am praying things will slow down and the doctors will find out what is causing my body to produce so many stones. Keeping up with a soon to be 9 month old with back pain is not fun, let me tell you! So, with all that said, I am so grateful that God blessed me with all I have and pray things get back to normal soon! I came into work early to make up more time and this is the first email I read....funny how God knows just what you need to hear! Have a blessed day!
Last Things First
6 May 2011
Karen Ehman
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)
As a woman, do you wear a lot of hats? During the course of your week, you may place on your head any of the following hats: wife, mother, worker, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, cook and bottle washer, chauffeur, nurse, maid, counselor, referee, PTA member, committee chair, oh, yeah… and a woman of God.
Sometimes these hats are stacked so high that trying to balance them all on our pretty little heads sends us toppling completely over!!!
And sadly, often the last hat we place on top is the crown we wear as a daughter of the King.
I love the simple, straight shooting words of our Lord in Matthew 6. He cuts to the chase, breaking commands down into bite-sized chunks. He simply tells us gently, but firmly, what must be done for our lives to get in order. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well.”
However simple these verses may be, sometimes fleshing them out into reality in our lives isn’t always easy. Especially in today’s society, a climate of frenzied activity breeds busyness.
Years ago, success was determined by where you lived and what you drove. Now it seems that success is measured differently — by how busy you are.
We have no white space left on our calendar; our kids are carted from one activity to the next; why we hardly even eat dinner as a family anymore. Something in us longs to “do more” by painting our lives in a bright, bold shade of busy.
Although we live in a much different time than the original recipients of Jesus’ words, we can learn from them nonetheless. They were concerned about where their food and clothing would come from. While we may still have those concerns, there are other issues we fret over as well. Like how we will get the house cleaned, the kids bathed and dressed, the laundry done, the kids chauffeured, the marriage prioritized, the relative visited, the work project completed…and on and on it goes.
While our tasks may shriek at us at every turn, Christ stands whispering… Seek first My kingdom and My righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well.
Perhaps His words will prompt us to do a little hat-reduction, ridding our schedules of some of the activities that clamor for our attention and draw us away from time spent with Him.
Whatever set of hats God directs you to keep in your wardrobe, remember to don them in proper order. They will only stay standing when the crown you wear as a daughter of the King is placed on first!
Dear Lord, I’m sorry for the times that my hats are completely out of order. May I seek You and the righteousness You offer me first every day before I attempt to carry out any of my God ordained responsibilities. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
To enter to win a busy moms giveaway including 5 Sanity-Saving Tips for Maxed-Out Moms and information about an upcoming online book & Bible study on organization visit Karen’s blog.
The Complete Guide to Getting & Staying Organized by Karen Ehman
What does it mean to “leave your first love”? And more importantly, how can followers of Christ return to it again? Be inspired with First Love – a message on (DVD) by Karen Ehman
Application Steps:
Take a piece of paper and spend time alone with God for a few moments. Write in order what you would say your priorities are. An example might look something like this:
1. God
2. My husband
3. My children
4. My extended family members
5. My job
6. My friends
7. My commitments at church and in the community
Next, take a painstakingly honest look at how you spend your time. Does it accurately reflect what you say your priorities are? Are you allowing a number 6 or 7 to take precedence over a 1 or 2?
Reflections:
What are some commitments that I could bow out of in order to make more white space on my calendar and more time for God and my family? I’ll have a friend hold me accountable to do so.
Power Verses:
Psalm 31:14-15a, “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in your hands…’” (NIV)
Psalm 70:4, “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, ‘Let God be exalted!’” (NIV)
© 2011 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.
Last Things First
6 May 2011
Karen Ehman
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)
As a woman, do you wear a lot of hats? During the course of your week, you may place on your head any of the following hats: wife, mother, worker, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, cook and bottle washer, chauffeur, nurse, maid, counselor, referee, PTA member, committee chair, oh, yeah… and a woman of God.
Sometimes these hats are stacked so high that trying to balance them all on our pretty little heads sends us toppling completely over!!!
And sadly, often the last hat we place on top is the crown we wear as a daughter of the King.
I love the simple, straight shooting words of our Lord in Matthew 6. He cuts to the chase, breaking commands down into bite-sized chunks. He simply tells us gently, but firmly, what must be done for our lives to get in order. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well.”
However simple these verses may be, sometimes fleshing them out into reality in our lives isn’t always easy. Especially in today’s society, a climate of frenzied activity breeds busyness.
Years ago, success was determined by where you lived and what you drove. Now it seems that success is measured differently — by how busy you are.
We have no white space left on our calendar; our kids are carted from one activity to the next; why we hardly even eat dinner as a family anymore. Something in us longs to “do more” by painting our lives in a bright, bold shade of busy.
Although we live in a much different time than the original recipients of Jesus’ words, we can learn from them nonetheless. They were concerned about where their food and clothing would come from. While we may still have those concerns, there are other issues we fret over as well. Like how we will get the house cleaned, the kids bathed and dressed, the laundry done, the kids chauffeured, the marriage prioritized, the relative visited, the work project completed…and on and on it goes.
While our tasks may shriek at us at every turn, Christ stands whispering… Seek first My kingdom and My righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well.
Perhaps His words will prompt us to do a little hat-reduction, ridding our schedules of some of the activities that clamor for our attention and draw us away from time spent with Him.
Whatever set of hats God directs you to keep in your wardrobe, remember to don them in proper order. They will only stay standing when the crown you wear as a daughter of the King is placed on first!
Dear Lord, I’m sorry for the times that my hats are completely out of order. May I seek You and the righteousness You offer me first every day before I attempt to carry out any of my God ordained responsibilities. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
To enter to win a busy moms giveaway including 5 Sanity-Saving Tips for Maxed-Out Moms and information about an upcoming online book & Bible study on organization visit Karen’s blog.
The Complete Guide to Getting & Staying Organized by Karen Ehman
What does it mean to “leave your first love”? And more importantly, how can followers of Christ return to it again? Be inspired with First Love – a message on (DVD) by Karen Ehman
Application Steps:
Take a piece of paper and spend time alone with God for a few moments. Write in order what you would say your priorities are. An example might look something like this:
1. God
2. My husband
3. My children
4. My extended family members
5. My job
6. My friends
7. My commitments at church and in the community
Next, take a painstakingly honest look at how you spend your time. Does it accurately reflect what you say your priorities are? Are you allowing a number 6 or 7 to take precedence over a 1 or 2?
Reflections:
What are some commitments that I could bow out of in order to make more white space on my calendar and more time for God and my family? I’ll have a friend hold me accountable to do so.
Power Verses:
Psalm 31:14-15a, “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in your hands…’” (NIV)
Psalm 70:4, “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, ‘Let God be exalted!’” (NIV)
© 2011 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
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