I Feel The Love...

LENT

Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of Fasting,Repentance, Moderation and Spiritual Discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.

For me..it's like, it HAS to BE...Radical Self-Denial!!!

What do I give up? It really seems mundane and stupid to say "I'm giving up Chocolate!"(said in a prissy little voice)

There was BLOOD SHED people!!! Severe suffering!! Death... So I could LIVE!! Not just live but, Live a WHOLE Life. Salvation, Free of Sin, Inheritance, Grace, Mercy, The Holy Spirit, Blessings and Promises from our Heavenly Father...the list goes on and on.

I just finished reading John 17. Jesus' prayer to His followers. I feel very prompted to DO something with the Jesus who is IN me...I can't honestly say I'm going to be traditionally following lent by giving up something. I feel my calling for Lent this year is DOING something!

Amen.

Gratitude

Today I am thankful for... Jesus who is in me. I am no match for Life vs. Diane. Thank you God that You are my source of Strength and Hope, and I know that in You, I can put my trust.

Thank-you for Giving me a heart of Worship!!! I live to Praise you, I love You Praise you!! I giggle when I think of my heart and how I believe you've exchanged it with a mini drum set!:)

I'm thankful there are so many scriptures in the Bible that prove that I'm not a loony!!!

To name a few of my favorites...

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 103!!! Wowzers! Amazing!! you'll have to look it up!!

Psalm 86:I will praise you, O Lord my God,with all my heart;I will glorify your name forever.

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

~Amen.

ευχαριστω

– properly, acknowledging that "God's grace works well," i.e. for our eternal gain and His glory; to give thanks – literally, "thankful for God's good grace."

An attitude of gratitude, I've heard that phrase a lot in life...I'm ready to apply it! Seriously... how hard can it be? I am so blessed in my life. I know that. I think it's just time to start to write it down. Last night Hudson and his friend were writing a "Bucket List" I started to find myself putting in my own "two bits" here and there.Then I thought "Get your OWN Bucket List!!" No, wait! That was Hudson saying that! Teehee!!

So...Here it is:

1. Study Abroad(yes, you read this right!!)Not sure what I will study,but it's on the list!
2. Go on a long term mission in a foreign country
3. Make a difference
4. Take a cooking class in Italy
5. Rent a Villa with all my friends & their families(somewhere warm)
6. Practice random acts of Kindness
7. Complete a marathon
8. Take my daughter on a special Girls only trip!
9. Sip a latte in a cafe in Paris while people watching
10. Drink a Tahiti treat with my honey IN Tahiti
11. Take each of my children on a missions trip
12. Finish my schooling so I can volunteer at a clinic in Africa

So, as I finished my list last night I thought...This is going to be hard not watching these come to fruition like, RIGHT NOW!! (I'm kind of impatient) so... that's where the Attitude of Gratitude came in!!! I'll start by thanking God Daily for my Blessings,answered prayers,and so on...I'm Daring Myself to "LIVE A FULL LIFE RIGHT WHERE I AM!!!!" ~Amen.

I have No idea...

how to keep up....

-with friends who blog

-with people who are on time

-with people who attend church faithfully

-with people who print out their pictures from their sd cards

-with crafty mom's

-with parents who read to their little ones EVERY night...

-(Gracie is right beside me and she is reading everything I'm typing and she suggested...people who pay taxes!!) Bahahhaha!! Darn that kid is funny! :) Seriously where did that come from?! Anybody who really knows me would think this is even funnier, due to that fact that I don't think I've ever even payed a bill in my life!!

There are so many more things too that I wish I was better at...

I personally hate "how to" books, "self improvement" books, I believe the only source for self improvement books we need in this crazy world is the Bible. That saying, I actually recently have read "How to have a New Kid by Friday" it was pretty decent. I skimmed, truthfully.

Parenting is hard.

Crazy hard when you have a child going off in left field WITHOUT your permission.

Everything I've read and Everybody that I've talked to states that "this too shall pass" "It's just a phase""the prodigal will return"

I'm sorry, but that is just not comforting when your child you've rocked and held in your arms, comforted all hours of the night... for years, sang lullabies to, Oh...for pitty sake!! Ahhh!! he makes me want to SCREAM and shake him and yell "WAKE UP!!" "Do you have any IDEA what on earth kind of PAIN you are causing ME!???" Gosh, it's not just me. You're ENTIRE family is suffering due to your poor choices!!! (just a little insight as to my inner turmoil)

So...I've realized...I'm apparently... NOT in control anymore....

It's now up to Foster...

I haven't given up on him, but I am making a very conscious decision to Give him over to God, Foster's Eternal Heavenly Father. I'm choosing daily to stand on the Truth of God's word. Surrendering my fears, worries, regrets, thoughts and feelings to the One who is Faithful, Just and FULL of Mercy, Grace and Compassion, Wisdom.