First Day Firsts

I've always been a weepy woman, tears streaming against my control at a sappy love story or goosebump moment in life.  As such, the guys often make fun of me, or turn in unison to see if I'm crying at the sign of something emotional.  Even knowing this, it took me by surprise that I was so teary on the first day of school.

Noah's been driving since the beginning of the year but today was his first day driving himself to class.  I thought I was prepared for it - until he backed out of the drive.  Walking back into the house from our annual photo opp, it hit me that he'd probably never again ride shotgun in the mornings or after school.  Though our drives were brief, they were memorable and I will miss sharing that time together.

The morning went much smoother than anticipated, another sure sign my baby is growing up.  He was ready to head out the door before his dad even arrived home from work.  Sitting together on the couch, I decided to bring back the morning verse of the day.

We started this tradition when the boys were younger, as it was a quick and easy way to get them in the Word each day.  Alternating between Psalm and Proverbs, you choose the date for your verse.  Noah flipped to Psalm and found there was no 8:10 so he moved to Proverbs.  It was so fitting for the first day of school and I hope Noah felt God's presence in the room.  I pray He covers Noah with protection this school year, guides his steps and decisions, and guards his heart.  While I want him to do well as a Junior academically, it is more important to me that he follow the wisdom and knowledge gained from this book...

I can hardly contain myself, as I want to text and check on his day; however, I will refrain for now.  You best believe I'll be ready with our annual cupcakes to share and hear all about it this evening.

Meanwhile, if you're wanting a distraction from all that back-to-school paperwork, here are some of my favorite school related posts from the past.

school days

afternoons with noah

disco spelling test

faithful friday

My handsome junior, no more bus rider

Faithful Friday: Scripture Challenge

There's a thing going around Facebook right now where someone challenges another to post their favorite scripture.  So far, I've not been tagged.

But it has had me thinking of what my "one scripture" would be.

Scanning back through Faithful Friday posts, I came upon the very first one I wrote.  (aww)
No surprise, it contains one of my favorites, Philippians 4:13.

It has been a significant verse in my life and one I've turned to often.

Choosing only one verse though seems somewhat impossible.  To quote a favorite, really depends on the situation.  If you twisted my arm and made me pick, right now in my life, it is from Nehemiah and pretty much sums how I've survived the past few years.

"The joy of the Lord is my strength!"  Nehemiah 8:10

Having so many to choose from is the wonderful thing about scripture.  God has stacked so many beautiful words of wisdom in the Bible.  Some are tried and true and others specific to certain times of life. Regardless, I've never met a scripture I didn't like.

No matter where you open your Bible, God has a message for you.  
It's something He and I were talking about yesterday.

You see, I was chatting while driving through the countryside and asking Him to help me find more time to spend in His word.  Throughout my life I have peaks and valleys where I do amazingly and terribly all in what seems one breath.  I know I've been lacking in this area, due to recent job changes (and summer timing) but I didn't want to just make excuses.  Whenever I lapse, something within pushes me to make a change.  My soul needs God's word.  Regularly.

I prayed for a window of opportunity to be shown to me.  A time of day I could be consistent, no matter what life threw my way.

Last night, terrible nightmares attacked me.  Probably some of the worst ever.  I fought back with songs of praise and scripture.  Some even mumbled out loud.  (I can only imagine this story from Tim's side!)

Needless to say, it was a night of much tossing and turning.  At one point, I considered just getting up and then recalled my prayer request.  Did God have a message for me?  Lack of sleep made me too lazy to get out of bed, so instead I returned to Him in prayer.

This morning, the sunlight, a beautiful song, and scripture came to me.  In my dream, I was singing a song, "Jesus, Come to me...."  In fact, it stuck with me heavy enough that when my feet hit the floor I grabbed a pen to start jotting it down.  Maybe someday I'll share it with you, if it ever gets completed.  A songwriter, I am not.?

Once writing it down, I opened my Bible to the scripture that was also on my heart.  Some of the same words were contained on those pages!!

Didn't enjoy the nightmare, but oh, how I love hearing from God!

Wishing you a Joyful-Scripture-Filled weekend, friends!

Faithful Friday: My Life Song

Throughout my life I've kept many journals.  It began with a small pink "Dear Diary" with a heart shaped lock, to the online blog you read today.  In between, my Dear Diary days moved to dreams and gratitude journals.  Recently, I began keeping a scripture journal.  This change has made such an impact on me spiritually.

I've always been drawn to words.  I write them down, remember them.  Quotes call out to me.  I highlight and share them. Scripture strengthens and sustains me.  I retain, underline, memorize, and strive to live them. 

My current Bible, though still fairly new, a beloved birthday present from my mom last year, is already filled with notes and lines drawn under or around important scriptures that spoke to me.  But sometimes I'll come across them later and wonder what led me to underline them. 

Now that I'm keeping a scripture journal, it gives me a chance to reflect and write more about my reading that day.  And though I've only begun it this year, I can already go back and read again to remember what God was sharing me.  I can see how a concern played out and how that scripture prepared or grounded me for what was to come.  As someone who loves to write, I can't believe this isn't something I've done before and I'm a little sad thinking of all the God moments missed out on.  Then again, maybe I wasn't ready to listen until now...

This week, I came across a beautiful song in Psalm.  I was familiar with several verses within it but I don't know that I recalled the entire Psalm.  Every line just reached out and spoke to me, and I found myself nodding and tearing up, feeling as if someone looked into my soul and wrote the words of my heart.  My journal entry ended simply with, "Is this not my life song?!"

Psalm 30

I will exalt you, Lord,  for you lifted me out of the depths

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.

You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;

you spared me from going down to the pit.

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may stay for the night, but JOY comes in the morning.

When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”

Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

“What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.”

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

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You've gotta read this!

Don't you just love a good book?  You know, the kind that sucks you in, where you can't wait to turn to the next page?  Or, where you feel like the author has peeked into your life because the pages seem so real? 

Do you prefer romance or action?  Self-help or inspiration?  Historic or worlds that seem to stretch the imagination?
Want to know something?  You can get all of this from one book!

Now, I know I'm teetering on sounding like an infomercial, but this too can be yours.  All of these stories and more can be found from the only book you'll ever really need- the Bible.

My daily readings have just jumped out to me this week and revealed so much.  After each reading, I find myself wanting to go further, dig deeper.  I hear God speaking to me and I'm soaking it up like a sponge.  And, I guess I want to shout it from the rooftop too! 

What's so amazing to me is that the story never ends.  You could never read this book and just be done.  Even a passage that is so known, you can recite it without looking, can speak to you again. 

They say a good book is one you'll want to read over and over and this is so true about reading the Bible.  Years ago, it was something I wanted to check off as having done it, to have read it front to back.  What I've learned is that as long as you're breathing, you should be reading.  If you open yourself up to hearing what God wants to say, even something as familiar as the 23rd Psalm has relevance, meaning, and wisdom. 

Tonight four simple, yet powerful, words jumped out from that familiar song... "he restores my soul."  And it had great meaning to me because of the women's Brave study I'd attended just a few hours before.  It was all about being weary and finding rest in the only place that would truly give you strength and restoration - with God.  So to come across this scripture, on this night, was just like the last piece of the puzzle.  A God wink, whispering, "I'm here, just come to me!"

Are you with me or am I totally rambling now?  Have you ever just stood in awe of the presence of God? Humbled and amazed that he took the time to show little ol' me something.  Thankful that I paused to hear it.  And excited to seek him tomorrow...and the next day...and the next.

Wishing you a joyous, God-filled week!

Faithful Friday: One Foot, Two Foot

If there was one book I read to my boys over and over until I'd memorized each page, it was Dr. Seuss's "The Foot Book." The words from that story have been in my head all week, as Noah's had Seussical celebrations at school in honor of the Dr's birthday.

"Left Foot, Right Foot......Red Foot, Blue Foot."

I'm taken back to all those years ago.  And I see my little guys, hugged up next to me, repeating each phrase.  As I turned the next page, they'd already be reciting the line.  So many sweet memories of story time with Dr. Seuss.  Making them each their first batch of green eggs and ham.  Watching Cat in the Hat.  Them seeing Mom in a Cat in the Hat costume.  Yes, I'm that cool.  So many Christmas moments with "The Grinch."  Dr. Seuss just reminds me of my boys and their childhood. 

"Feet in the morning....Feet at night."

It was a nightly routine for us to have a bedtime story when they were little.  With their fresh from the bath scent lingering in the room, we'd tuck them into bed, PJ feet first.  Reading a book like this, which I knew without looking at the page, allowed me to focus on their small faces.  To watch their excitement, to see their imagination jump onto the pages and follow along was my favorite part of story time.  We'd then say our prayers and bookend the night with lots of hugs and kisses. 

As my babies grew into towering boys, we transitioned from bedtime stories.  Austin began to read avidly on his own and loved for us to read the same book.  We'd have wonderful discussions about the characters, the plot, and our favorite chapters.  He'd pick a favorite book, then I, each of us sharing a piece of our worlds with the other.  At the time, Noah still enjoyed to be read to but in longer, chapter books.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,

and a light unto my path.

- Psalm 119:105

Over time the books changed.  We've moved from chubby picture books, to early readers, to chapter books to novels.  The only book that has remained constant in our family is our Bible.  From the sticky pages of their children's Bible to the dog-eared and worn pages of mine, we've shared scriptures and stories with them.  We've learned from devotionals.  We've prayed with them and for them.

It's the one book that I'm grateful to have shared with Austin, for I know what Home is his, now that he's passed.  It's the one book that has continued to strengthen and hold our family, through every valley this life has taken us.  It's words have shown us the paths we should take, even on the times we've gotten a little lost.  And it is the One Book I hope our family will continue to read.  Over and over and over again.

 

Faithful Friday: Train up a Child

Among my sweetest memories as a Mom are the moments I've spent sharing God with my children.  From teaching them their first prayer, to reading Bible stories, to toting them Sunday school, those snapshots remain vivid in my head as well as my heart.  Of course the most precious of all being the times in which they came forward in church and took their first steps as Christians.  Watching my boys get baptized and knowing the decisions they each prayerfully made, will always be my proudest and most joyful moments as a mom.

We raise our children with so many hopes and dreams.  We train them to be good people, giving them building blocks for what they may face in life.  We teach them right from wrong, discipline when behavior deems necessary, and say constant prayers for God's hands to guide them. 

In the end, we can only "teach" so much.  As they mature, more and more those decisions and daily life choices are all on them.  We continue to hope that our foundation helps them along the way, as well as the examples we show in our own lives.  With teenagers I find it is gentle prodding, soft suggestions, and even finding the fun in faith that keep our kids on the right path. 

As soon as Noah handed me his Kindle (to beat a level in angry birds), I used the opportunity to find and download some books and apps I thought he'd enjoy.  Of course, the first book I got for him was the Bible.  It pleased me to see him use it at church a couple of Sundays ago.  However, when we were discussing scriptures later and he asked my favorite, I realized the version he had was much older.

I'd downloaded an "Old English" version which didn't really put the Bible in words he would easily understand.  On the search for a better option, I shared with him the app I use on my own phone.  With his Kindle, it allows him to pick from several translations and has some very useful additions.  He was excited to see that it would read to him with a click of his pen, that he could highlight favorite scriptures and even take notes.  I was thrilled to see him interacting with the best book he'll ever read.

This app also included a daily devotion, written especially for teens.  It even allows for sharing on social networks like Facebook.  Yet another proud moment happened the night he read his first devotion and eagerly clicked to share it with his friends.  He then set an alarm so that each night his Kindle would remind him to read.  And so far, he has every night.  I know because a happy little message on Facebook appears as he shares it again with his friends.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

 - Proverbs 22:6

Best Face Forward

The problem with "resolutions" is that when you begin to improve upon yourself, at least for me, you think of about twelve other things to add to the list.  Which is why mine is more of a focus.  Just me...but better. 

So far the health aspect has gone well this week.  I've exercised every day, even sneaking in a mile with a mini fast walk early yesterday morning.  My niece, walking by still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, questioned why I would want to work out at such an hour.  In between the kick-backs and knee lifts, I explained that I was doing it when I knew I could.  Surprisingly it did give me more energy and it's something I plan to do any morning I can squeeze it in.  What's your favorite workout time?

I'm still looking for the best pocket of time to read the Bible so I continue it daily.  I've done mornings but I have to wake up earlier to get it in.  I used to do it in the evening before bed, but Noah and I have started reading a book together and I like that time with him.  Since I work through lunch most days, eating at my desk, I'm considering bringing my Bible to the office.  If you do a daily devotion what time works for you?

The next phase is my face.  Now that I'm in the next check box on surveys, it's never more apparent that I need to take better care of my skin.  I have several cosmetologist volunteers, due to a program we have which helps patients facing treatment.  A few times a month, I sit in on these classes, that teach patients about skin care.  While the majority of the class focuses on techniques to counteract chemotherapy, there are many lessons that the average woman can use too.  I try to soak in their tips every class.

Just by looking at any of my volunteers, I know it works.  Two of the ladies are in their 70s but to look at them you would guess them 20 years younger than they are.  In fact, all of them have beautiful skin and I know it is because they've taken care of it all their lives.  A tip they all give is that we need eye cream every day once we're in our thirties.  They also promote washing your face twice a day - no exceptions.  And of course, sunscreen.

I do very well with sunscreen, using a moisturizer daily that contains SPF.  I don't do so well with the others.  Sure, after a class I will be the perfect student, following every instruction to a T.  But days begin to fade and so does my routine until I am in the shower one day wondering when I actually really took off my make-up last.  The crazy thing is it only take minutes to make a difference.  I have the supplies, sadly often collecting dust on my vanity.  Most nights though, I just brush my teeth and go to bed.  Mornings, rushing, I am lucky if I wash off yesterday's coating before adding another.  I know it's wrong but I just don't make the time.

When I do, I feel wonderful.  My skin glows.  Last night I took the extra five minutes, scrubbed my face, dotted on the eye cream and slathered moisturizer across my skin.  Sliding into bed, I felt luxurious.  I smelled good.  It was a good end for a great "me" day.  This morning, I continued the routine.  Here's hoping I keep it up.  So raise a container of skin care to me, girls...and join me.  We're worth it!