It’s been a crazy morning in my house!

At one point my husband came downstairs laughing at the madness…our son was screaming his head off and at the same time his little sister, standing right by him,  was kissing her baby doll over and over again!

This was a morning in which my husband wished me luck as he gave me a good-bye kiss on his way out the door.

I believe I’ll need more than luck to survive this one!

I’ll need a good dose of God’s grace and His spirit dwelling within me and guiding me through each moment.

After my husband left, I sent the kids upstairs and had a few minutes of quiet to reflect on the day ahead.

This quiet time is a treasured gift amongst the chaos that will no doubt continue to fill my day.

It’s a gift I’m counting among many this week!

505. spending time reading with my daughter and hearing her say it was her favorite part of the day

506. a lunch double date with friends

507. Snickerdoodle coffee loaded with goodies!

508. a babysitter who loves on my littles

509. father and daughter playing chess

510. hearing “It’s Jesus!” at the end of every story I read in the Jesus Storybook Bible

511. sweet baby kissing her daddy’s picture

512. ice cream after dinner

513. pink little netbook

514. crafting with glitter pens

515. finding freedom to be creative

516. our “red neck” date night…TV dinners, pork rinds, and “Oh, Brother Where Art Thou”

517. big Sunday dinner together complete with dessert

518. chocolate smeared all over her face

519. worship and laughter

520. her journal being filled with words

521. a moment hidden in this morning to sit and reflect

What treasured gifts are you counting this week?

These two words are tucked away in some instructions Paul is giving to the church at Thessalonica as he closes his first letter to them.

Along with these, he instructs them to pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. Then he says, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

It is God’s will for us to rejoice, to have fun and to enjoy this wonderful life he has given us.

Not only that, he wants to rejoice “always”. It would make much more sense for Him to desire us to rejoice when life is good and going our way.

It seems utterly impossible to rejoice always.

I have found that it is impossible to always rejoice without Christ.

But with him…the impossible becomes possible.

With Christ we can rejoice, even when life doesn’t make sense and isn’t going our way.

When everything seems to be falling apart all around us, we can rejoice.

Rejoice with me today!

Linked to: Fresh Brewed Sunday at My Freshly Brewed Life

I am comforted today in knowing that God’s presence is near.

The Psalmist calls out to God, “On you I was cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.” Psalm 22:10, 11

God’s presence keeps me strong in times of trouble.

In the days when I want to pull my hair out in frustration and there is no one to come along side me, God’s presence in near.

God has been so faithful in my life. From my mother’s womb He has been my God. He has directed my life in good times and he has been near in the bad.

Today I am counting His presence as a gift along with the many other gifts he has so graciously bestowed upon my life this week…

488. little helpers

489. my husband’s support and encouragement

490. opportunity to be a part of a team

491. deliverance

492. prayers written in my daughter’s journal

493. taxes done

494. blueberry pancakes stacked high

495. little hands reaching into the bowl for fresh blueberries

496. scrapbooking in bed

497. little sister teasing big brother

498. toddler occupied by the simplest of things…paper cups

499. coffee and conversation with adults

500. welcoming Daddy home after a weekend away

501. lesson planning at the table while they color and craft

502. hands caught in the candy jar

503. God’s seeing and knowing me

504. His presence near

What blessings are you counting today?

Just as God saw the people of Israel when they called out to Him for help, he sees me.

God saw their need, their distress, and their pain.

In turn, God sees my own need. He sees my distress, my hurt, and every pain.

From the heights of heaven above, God sees.

But God went and He goes beyond seeing.

God knew.

God knows.

God knew the needs of His people. He knew the desires of their hearts. He knew all.

In the same way God knows me.

In this moment, at this very time, God knows.

He knows me intimately and deeply.

He knows my needs, my desires, my longings, my fears.

He knows all.

And he knows you.

It is comforting, sometimes all the comfort that my soul needs, to know that He knows.

My soul rejoices today in His knowing.

Post linked to: Fresh Brewed Sundays at My Freshly Brewed Life

Today is a day set aside to remember the sanctity of human life…all human life.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…”
~Jeremiah 1:5

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
~Psalm 139: 13-16

Life in sacred and precious to God from its conception until its natural end.

As we go out today to worship with our fellow believers and visit with friends and family, let’s remember these words and let them serve as a guide for how we interact with others.

We are to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.

The answer as to why is really very simple.

It is not because those with whom we are interacting deserve this kindness, tenderheartedness, or forgiveness.

No, it is simply because God in Christ has forgiven us.

He has forgiven my sins that were so offensive to him.

He forgive me when I was still a sinner.

I didn’t deserve his forgiveness, but yet he forgave.

He asks that I extend the same forgiveness to others out of obedience to him.

I will remember and do as I dwell on these words today.

If there is anyone that you need to extend forgiveness to, dwell on these words, follow God’s example, and act in obedience to Him today.