Operation: Asa Joy

I actually wrote this post yesterday morning but was not able to finish it due to my little's getting up and needing my attention. I am currently snuggling with a little girl in my lap but am determined to post this morning. She brings such joy and smiles to my face. What a blessing God has given me in this little precious life.  November 29, 2017 I am amazed each morning as I do devotions as what the Lord reveals to me. Each time I hit the publish button on my blog I wonder at when the Lord will want me to write next. I have doubts about what I post and whether it is touching people. Then I have mornings like this morning when the Lord just solidifies for me that my writing is exactly what he wants me to be doing. I need not worry about what any one says or feels about what I write, as long as I am obedient to what the Lords wants me write. And so, I continue to write. I continue to walk in a path of obedience to the Holy Spirit. I usually do my devotions in the ...

November 28, 2017 3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 11  You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:3,4,11 I am truly amazed at the fact that with God, there are no coincidences. He pleasantly surprises me every day. He is so good to me despite my faults and failures. Sometimes I cannot help but smile thinking about how He has arranged things in my life that I thought were some of the worst things I ever went through all for His glory and my good. Who would have thought that losing a baby would be the thing that would send me on this journey to joy? This blog came about out of the darkest time in my life. Out o...

November 27, 2017 With eight kids, Lord, any holiday can be a bit hectic. Christmas especially. Help me to find ways for my family’s focus to be on You Son and not the presents this year. Help us to focus on giving, not getting. Lead me in what You want me to do this holiday season. Who do You want me to touch? I want my heart to truly be prepared for Christmas, Lord. Help me as I seek after You this season and beyond, Lord. That was the prayer I wrote this morning as did my Preparing My Heart for Christmas Prayer Challenge. The word for today was Coming. I found that kind of funny since I wrote all about that in my last post. No coincidences with God. My other study was all about Jesus as the Bright Morning Star. The study pointed out that navigation was done by the stars for centuries. Ancient travelers would use the morning star to navigate. It was the brightest in the sky and signaled the coming of a new day. It reminds me of Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love ...

November 25, 2017 The Coming Advent – an arrival that has been awaited A time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas . “We are most prepared for Christmas when we revel in His presence as the GIFT.” “May God’s greatest gift be our greatest JOY.” Ann Voskamp I have memories of childhood lighting the candles in our advent wreath. We did not do it every year but I remember the pink and purple candles. I guess as a child I was more interested in the presents than focusing on the coming of Jesus Christ. I think we put such a materialistic focus on Christmas that it has become something that is routine. The Christmas season should never be routine. As Christians we should be the ones who shout the good news of this holiday. We should be the ones with the brightest lit houses. We should be the ones singing Christ centered holiday songs the loudest. We should be shouting “Merry Christmas” with joyful voice...

November 23, 2017 Thanksgiving After our looooong day of driving yesterday, we finally arrived in Maryland. We left our house a little after 8 in the morning. We arrived at my in laws house about 8:30. We encountered bad traffic the entire way from North Carolina all the way to Maryland. I felt so bad for my husband who drove the whole way. We made way too many bathroom breaks but with 8 kids that is unavoidable. The entire way up I was recounting things I was thankful for. This month always makes us recount our blessing. We had our family thanksgiving celebration Tuesday afternoon. This could be the last year that we are all living under the same roof. That is something that is very hard for me to wrap my head around. Next holiday season I could just have 6 children living under my roof. I asked each child what was one dish they wanted me to cook. Alex – chocolate pecan pie William – Brown and serve rolls Nathan- pumpkin pie Esther – strawberry pretze...

I wrote this Sunday afternoon after a rough morning between my sweet daughter and I. I asked her permission to post this.  November 19, 2017 Letter to my daughter Dearest Daughter, I want to express to you how much I love you. I prayed for you for many years before you were born. I remember growing up and wanting to have a daughter. When I grew up and my sisters and my mom became my best friends I desired to have that relationship with my own daughter. After 3 boys I thought that God may never give me that desire. When I found out I was pregnant with you I was so overjoyed. Finally, I would have another woman in the house. I looked forward to the days when we could talk into the night about girly things and we could go shopping for clothes and girl stuff. After three more boys born into our family I remember you coming to me and crying that you wanted a sister. I had been praying for that too. I so desired you to have a sister to talk to and go places with and dre...

I wrote this a few days ago.   I was over at the Spiritual Twist building dropping William off for his TTA class this afternoon. I was talking to a few of the other mothers about what has happened over the past week. We all agreed that school and life in general have been put on hold since Thursday. For me and one other mother we were discussing how it really has been on hold since final two weeks of Empowered. That is so true. Early in the week last week I was lamenting the fact that school has been very lax since Empowered. I just felt like in a funk. We did some school but I felt like I just could not get a handle on things. The house, meals, school planning, discipline. It all seemed to be falling apart. T hen Thursday came. I had just told myself that I was going to really get back on a schedule. I took Alex out for a soda and writing time last Thursday morning. We got back and ended up watching God's Not Dead 2. I then went up to start working on school stuff...