Love Dare Day 24

Here's an update on how my Love Dare is going. Since my marriage is not in any danger, I'm taking it a little slower than was probably intended, but it's working out good for us.

http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/lovedare/

Today's dare was about lust. They define lust as setting your heart and passions on something forbidden. Lust progresses from eyes to heart to action. In other words, what you think about becomes what you do. And then follows shame and regret. They say, "When your eyes and heart are on God, your actions will lead you to lasting joy, not to endless cycles of regret and condemnation." While sexual lust is not one of the sins that I struggle with, the book pointed out that there are many different kinds of lust. You know when you have a terrible day and nothing seemed to go right. Don't you have those things that you turn to to make yourself feel better? I like to buy new clothes or eat. I know I should really turn to God, but it's just not easy. I would also say that I lust after money. It's easy for me to say, "Life will be so much easier when we have more money." I feel like my natural tendency is to be discontent. That's one of the reason that I love to study Paul. He learned to be content in every situation. Even when he was in dungeons and being tortured, he was content. I know that's what God intended for me to have, I just hope I can do it sooner rather than later. The book says, "Focus on being grateful for everything God has already given you rather than choosing discontentment." CHOOSING DISCONTENTMENT. Is that what I do? It doesn't feel like it's a choice. I need to be grateful for what God has given me and CHOOSE CONTENTMENT. If only it were really that easy.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

Ear Surgery

I was mowing the lawn yesterday like the wonderful wife that I am (ha, ha) and suddenly a bug flew in my ear! I tried the obvious, shaking it out, but it was stuck. So I went over to the neighbor's house to see if she could get it out or at least see where it was. She could see it, but not reach it and the crawling was driving me crazy. Before I knew it, I was at the doctor's office hoping that they would be able to get it out because if not, they were going to send me to the ER. And I was not going to the ER for a silly bug in my ear. It did feel like a monster bug though. When they finally got it out, it was a little tiny wormy looking thing (YUCK!). They made sure there was nothing else in there and that the worm didn't do any damage and sent me on my way. I will be mowing the lawn with cotton balls in my ears from now on.

Oh why does it have to be this way?!!

Why is it that when your kids are home you long for some alone time, but when the kids are gone you miss them so much? The kids have been at Grandma and Grandpa's for three days now and I can barely stand the thought of not having them around for another two days. There's so much I could be getting done, but nothing quite seems worth doing without the girls here. Not having them around reminds me of how much joy they bring to my life. Joy that is easily masked by frustration because they didn't pick up the toys like I asked or they won't stop fighting with each other. It's a good reminder that I should spend more time just hanging out with them and less time bickering with them about what they did wrong. My babies are growing up WAY to fast!!

Porsha

Alexa

The Rules at Grandma's House

Precious and Sissy went to Grandma and Grandpa's house last night. Yeah, for me!! We met them in Salina for supper and on the way there we started discussing what we were going to eat when we got there. So this is how the conversation went:

Sissy: I'm going to have M&Ms.

Precious in her "duh, I can't believe you didn't remember that" voice: You can only have M&Ms for breakfast.

Because you can't have M&Ms for supper, but of course you can have them for breakfast. Only at Grandma and Grandpa's is that the rule.

This is how sneaky (or not sneaky) Precious can be:

Precious to me: Can I play on the computer?

Me: When I'm done, but you have to get dressed first.

Precious (out loud): You'll forget.

Sissy to J: Can we play hungry, hungry hippos?

J: Sure

Sissy to Precious: Daddy said we could play hungry, hungry hippos as long as I can be the pink one.

Already trying to manipulate her world.

Is Easter a gift-giving holiday?

I would have said no to that question less than one week ago. But in the last week of Beth Moore's Esther Bible study, she discussed each person celebrating their deliverance in their own way. Jews have Purim, some have an anniversary of their victory over an addiction, and some have Easter. Easter has always meant something special to me because it celebrates Jesus' resurrection. However, I have never thought of it as a celebration of God delivering ME from MY sin. I don't have an anniversary of victory or a specific date of significance, but there's definitely plenty of sin to celebrate deliverance from. So from now on, Easter, to me, will be my day to celebrate my deliverance. Like other holidays, I am going to celebrate by feasting, fellowship and gift giving.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
—1 John 1:7-9