Kate Date

Kate and I had a date on Sunday afternoon...just the two of us! It was so much fun! First, we played at home with her dollhouse. When you ring the doorbell she says "Come in!" When you open the door she says "Hillo" Then, we made sure to have the mommy doll sit at the table to eat her french fries...always an important part of the day!

We also went to the mall and ate a cookie and "talked". I'm still not sure what all of our conversation was about but she sure got a lot of chuckles out of it! We also rode the carousel...auntie Kelly was a little squeamish after that ride so we chose to play on the slide for a little bit! Boy, was that fun! We had to learn that you can't try to climb UP the slide when other kids are coming down, but thankfully that was not a long lesson!

Then, we went shopping for Baby Zach! Kate helped me pick out a cute outfit...she is a GREAT shopper!! After all that fun we headed to Wendy's for some fries and chicken nuggets!! What fun! We even got a little train engine in our meal! Boy was that exciting! Then, it was back home to Mommy and Daddy and baby who missed her very much! When we got home, she promptly sat down to more dinner...yogurt and steak! You would have thought I forgot to feed the child while we were out!!

All in all, we had a great time and it was some special time with Kate. I've been thinking about the roles I play in the lives of the children around me...especially, in the little lives of Kate and Zach. I pray that they will each become a woman and man of God and that they will honor Him in their lives and that I might influence them for the things that are good and upright in the eyes of God.

I've been thinking about King Jehosaphat lately and how he was a king who walked in the ways of God. But, he also aligned himself in battle on numerous occassions with King Ahab, who most certainly did not honor the Lord and did evil all the days of his life. Jehosaphat's son, Jehoram, had the example of a father who honored the Lord but also saw his father siding with Ahab. Jehoram ended up marrying Ahab's daughter and walked in the ways of Ahab, doing evil.
How did Jehosaphat's actions affect the decisions that his son made? If Jehosaphat had not aligned himself with Ahab, would his son have turned out differently? Would he have married a woman who honored the Lord and encouraged him to honor the Lord in his reign?

What about my actions? Am I walking in such a manner that I can be confident that if someone were to follow in my footsteps that they would also be walking in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus? Someone is always watching what we do...do my actions and responses reflect the Savior? Or do they reflect my own selfishness and desperately wicked heart? What sort of example am I leaving for others to follow?

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. "

Philippians 3:12-14

Our Highest Priority

Have you ever noticed that when you purpose in your heart to do things for the Lord, such as being consistent in devoting daily time to the Lord, that all these obstacles fly up, trying to prevent you from achieving what the Lord so clearly desires for you? I've been determined to not let these obstacles keep me from my time with the Lord. Nancy Rollinger once talked about how she had such great anticipation each day to spend time with her Savior and how she treasures those moments above all else. She conveyed such love, joy and longing for that time. I pray that we will also have such a deep longing for the things of God that our hearts might be renewed and changed and that our time with our Savior might be protected, as a great treasure.

On Rachel's recommendation, I've been reading "A Place of Quiet Rest" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. This book is focusing on finding intimacy with the Lord through our devotional times, reminding me not to look at these times as a requirement from the Lord to appear "more spiritual" or another task to check off my To-Do List for the day but as a time to sit at the feet of the Lord, to really get to know Him and to be changed because of it.

"I must make a conscious, deliberate, daily choice to sit at His feet, to listen to His Word, to receive His love, to let Him change me, and to pour out my heart's devotion to Him.

When I get into His presence, the whole world looks different. When I draw close to His heart, I find mercy where I know I deserve judgment; I find forgiveness for all my petty, selfish ways; I find grace for all my inadequacies; I find peace for my troubled heart; I find perspective for my distorted views. In Him, I find an eye in the midst of the storm. Oh, the storm around me may not immediately subside; but the storm within me is made calm.

And so the Father-Lover heart of God continues to call us into a relationship with Himself. He is seeking lovers. He is always thinking about us, always desiring our company and our fellowship; He longs to hear our voice and see our face.

Not until we make pursuing Him our highest priority and goal in life will we begin to fulfill the purpose for which He created us."

--Nancy Leigh DeMoss--
A Place of Quiet Rest

How old are you??

I had the following conversation with my 3rd grade Sunday School student:

Student: Kelly, how old are you?
Me: How old do you think I am?
Student: 30.
Me: You're close. Why did you guess 30?
Student: Well, you're too old to be a "young adult" and you're not old enough to be "middle aged."

Zachary Scott

Announcing...

...the arrival of Zachary Scott

Arrived: Sunday, 1/14 at 7:28
Weight: 7 pounds 12 oz
Length: 18.5 inches

Zachary is a cutie pie!

Mom and baby are doing well!

Kate is in shock!!

Snow Day!

Today was the perfect day to have off work! Really, any day is a good day to be off work...I have so many projects that I wish I had the time to do and ideally think I will accomplish them on my day off! Especially a day like today, where the weather is less than ideal to be out gallavanting. Of course, instead of working on any of those projects I figured it would be a good idea to stock my pantry in case any of the weathermen are actually right this time...I'd hate to be stranded at home with no food!! In the process of heading to the grocery store, I found myself at Mardel, doing some book shopping...everyone needs some good books on those snowy/icy days! Books can really be a downfall for me...I LOVE to shop for books and I think a person can never have too many books! The good news: I kept myself restrained today and left some books for other shoppers to buy AND I got every one of my books on sale! One book I bought is off of Rachel's recommendation...A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leight DeMoss. I can't wait to start reading it!

Missed Blessings

II Kings lesson cont...
In the midst of Elisha promising abundant food to the Samarians, the king's officer expresses doubt that this will take place. Elisha tells the officer that he will see the food the next day but will not eat of it. The next day at the gates of the city, the officer saw the food that was promised but was trampled by the people and died. He never got to participate in the blessing of partaking of the food. What a great loss for that officer of the king! Am I missing out on blessings because of doubts that I have? Am I really taking the promises the Lord lays forth in His Word and staking my claim to them? Or do I hold doubt in my heart and I miss blessings in the process?

In a few weeks, I will find myself in a rather undesirable position...having to work 5 days a week! I know, you're probably thinking to yourself, "Don't most people work 5 days a week?!" Yes, they do. But, it's something I really don't prefer. I like my job for many reasons, one of them being that I can fit my work into 4 days, not 5! But, over the last year I've hired a nurse, lost a nurse, hired a nurse and now lost a nurse again. And, when I am short a nurse it means it's my responsibility to fill in and cover..which means 50 hour work weeks again. I must admit...I really struggle with 50 hour work weeks. I don't have the ability to make it through those kind of weeks and keep up with my responsibilities at home and at chapel and remain emotionally intact. (It gives me a huge appreciation for all those men out there, supporting their families and being great husbands, fathers, fix-it men, Bible study leaders, Sunday School teachers, etc.) But, as I look back on my last episode of 5 day work weeks there is something I can rest upon...the faithfulness of the Lord to give me the strength to complete the task ahead. I look over the last 6 months of working long hours and not giving up on my chapel responsibilities and the Lord has sustained me physically and emotionally. And, He has not only given me the endurance but has blessed me richly in the process! If I had doubted His ability to carry me through and given up on Sunday School or the young adult Bible study, I would have missed out on so many blessings. I know that if I draw strength from the Lord that He will help me to get through the long hours and days ahead just as He has in the past. The key to my survival is to keep the Lord pre-eminent in all that I do and He will sustain me.

"This is a day of good news"

This was our Sunday School lesson for my 3rd and 4th grade class this week. I'm really enjoying it and it's challenging my heart so I thought I would share these treasures with you:

Passage: II Kings 6:24-7:20

Samaria is surrounded by Syria and they are in the midst of a famine. The famine is so severe that they have exhausted the livestock and have turned to cannibalism. Elisha is sought by the king and promises abundant food to the people the next day (and thus keeps his head on his shoulders).

The Lord answers this prophecy of Elisha by some unlikely persons--4 lepers that were sitting outside the city. These lepers began to talk amongst themselves and decided they had 3 options:

1. Do nothing and thus die of starvation
2. Go inside the city and die of starvation or
3. Go to the Syrians, be taken prisoner but also be given food and live

They choose to go to the Syrians and as they are approaching the Syrians hear what sounds like "the noise of horses--the noise of a great army" (II Kings 7:6) and they flee thinking that the Israelites had hired the Hittites or perhaps the Egyptians to war with them. The 4 lepers come upon an empty camp where food is left as well as treasures and valuables. As they are hiding the valuables and eating they stop and say:

"We are not doing right.
This day is a day of good news,
and we remain silent...
now therefore, let us go
and tell the king's household."
II Kings 7:9

The lepers recognized that they had the key to saving the people of Samaria...they knew that the Syrians had fled and that there was food for the starving people of Samaria. How could they keep silent when they knew so many would die without this news?

And yet, how often do I keep silent with the good news that I have, the good news that though we are sinners, Christ died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so that we all might be saved to an eternity in heaven? The good news that is the key to saving souls from an eternal death??

II Kings lesson To be cont...