It has been far too long since I have written a post and there has been so many times I have thought about it, but just didn't seem to get around to doing it. We have been hanging in there the past few months, and have had to learn how to adjust to a busy hunting season, paired with hours of homework and after school activities. About a month into the start of school, I started to seriously question if I would survive until the end of hunting season, but I am here, and I survived. The girls had about 3 hours of homework each night and it was hard managing their work, the little kids homework, getting supper on the table, running them here and there, all while Russie would be gone every evening. BUT, it has gotten easier, and we have all learned how to adjust a little better. The girls are doing great in school, and their studying and hard work is paying off, and they are learning so much, and getting very good grades. We are trying to teach them that everything that you are successful at, requires a great deal of work to get.
As this season is upon us, the season of Advent, I get so excited for what is to come. I have been reading and preparing for Advent for the past week for our church. I have been blessed by what the words and meaning of the season have done for me. Advent, meaning "the coming" or the "anticipation" of Christ is such an important time for us as Christians. This time of the year is often referred to as the "first advent," meaning anticipating and waiting for the first birth of our Savior. When I meditated on this first Sunday on advent this morning, I was reminded of the faith it takes to wait for something. How easy is it at times to become impatient when we have to wait on something for God to do in our lives? We become weary and start to lose faith at times. We need to remember that waiting is part of the plan. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, he was not born an adult savior, it took many years for him to become our savior. Many years of him growing, and evolving into what the Father needed him to become. For us, it is the same, we need to grow and to evolve before we are ready for the next path God has for us. As we "wait" and "anticipate" this first advent this season, ask your self what it is you are waiting for God on, and pray for the faith to see it through. I had mentioned about this season being the first advent, but let us not forget the second advent as well. By human nature, we get so focused on the wrong things around us, that we often forget the real and eternal things we need to remember. The second advent, refers to the second coming of our Savior. If we truly anticipated the second advent the way we should, we would be bouncing off our seats everyday, much like my Bubba was tonight waiting for his Dad to say, "ok, it is time to leave to go to the hunting cabin." So why are we not acting like that? It is because we have lost focus, and our eyes can only see what is right in front of us. It is only with devotion and a thirst for God that he can "lift our blinders" so to say, to see the real excitement and the real goal of eternal life with him. I guess I write this at an appropriate time, as we are more sensitive to thinking about our savior and King in the midst of this season, but I truly hope we can all "anticipate" a little more this CHRISTmas season. I will end with this story from about a month ago, that is not only a highlight of the year, but to this point, a highlight in my life...
About a month ago, I went to some revival services at a local church. The kids attend awana's at this church on Wednesday nights, so I had gotten a flyer in their bag the week before. I decided that I wanted to go each evening, so each evening I packed up the kids and we went. The one night it was just Laynie, Grace and I in the van on the way to church. Gracie was talking about her grandfather that recently passed away and was asking questions about him being in heaven and was thinking about what he might be doing up there. I started to tell her and Laynie the things about Heaven that are mentioned in the bible. Grace continued to ask questions and Laynie continued to sit back and soak it all in. At one point I found myself talking about the rapture and explaining how we get to Heaven. Gracie was excited to talk about this because earlier this year, she made a commitment to God and asked him in her heart. When I pulled in the church, I thought, wow, kind of a deep conversation to have in the car with my 2 little girls, but we went in, and my mind shortly forgot about our conversation...The next evening after we returned from church, I was helping Laynie get ready for bed, and she was telling me what the teacher had talked to them about that evening. She said that the teacher also was talking about going to Heaven, like we were the night before. Right there, in her bedroom, standing in front of me, with not a stitch of clothing on, my baby says to me, "Mommy I am ready." I lifted my head quickly, and said, "Laynie you are ready for what?" She said, " I thought about what you said last night in the car and I am ready to ask God in my heart, so I always know I am going to Heaven." Talk about God's presence being with us in one of the most "normal" and routine parts of the day. I quickly said to her, " Do you understand what it means to ask God in your heart, and do you understand how important it is?" She said she did, and she asked me to pray for her. There in her bedroom, with my little girl in front of me, we joined hands and I prayed a prayer of Salvation for her. Five years earlier, she entered this earthly life as a naked babe, and that night getting ready for bed, she entered into her eternal life journey with God the same way. After the prayer, she quickly jumped up and said " I am definitely going to heaven now!" I don't think I have ever been more proud as a parent as in that moment. My girl, of only 5 years, now understands what a life with God is all about. There are many days, the daily stress and duties overwhelm me and make me question what in the world I am doing, and am I where God wants me to be. I was so quickly reminded, that I am on God's mission field each and every day I wake up in this house. It validated and confirmed for me, that it is the day to day decisions we make and do, that lead us to the most holy and most important things. I wonder now, what if I would have just turned the music up a little louder or turned a movie on for the girls in the car that night, instead of talking to them about Heaven, I would have may have missed out on one of the greatest moments of being a mother...
As this season is upon us, the season of Advent, I get so excited for what is to come. I have been reading and preparing for Advent for the past week for our church. I have been blessed by what the words and meaning of the season have done for me. Advent, meaning "the coming" or the "anticipation" of Christ is such an important time for us as Christians. This time of the year is often referred to as the "first advent," meaning anticipating and waiting for the first birth of our Savior. When I meditated on this first Sunday on advent this morning, I was reminded of the faith it takes to wait for something. How easy is it at times to become impatient when we have to wait on something for God to do in our lives? We become weary and start to lose faith at times. We need to remember that waiting is part of the plan. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, he was not born an adult savior, it took many years for him to become our savior. Many years of him growing, and evolving into what the Father needed him to become. For us, it is the same, we need to grow and to evolve before we are ready for the next path God has for us. As we "wait" and "anticipate" this first advent this season, ask your self what it is you are waiting for God on, and pray for the faith to see it through. I had mentioned about this season being the first advent, but let us not forget the second advent as well. By human nature, we get so focused on the wrong things around us, that we often forget the real and eternal things we need to remember. The second advent, refers to the second coming of our Savior. If we truly anticipated the second advent the way we should, we would be bouncing off our seats everyday, much like my Bubba was tonight waiting for his Dad to say, "ok, it is time to leave to go to the hunting cabin." So why are we not acting like that? It is because we have lost focus, and our eyes can only see what is right in front of us. It is only with devotion and a thirst for God that he can "lift our blinders" so to say, to see the real excitement and the real goal of eternal life with him. I guess I write this at an appropriate time, as we are more sensitive to thinking about our savior and King in the midst of this season, but I truly hope we can all "anticipate" a little more this CHRISTmas season. I will end with this story from about a month ago, that is not only a highlight of the year, but to this point, a highlight in my life...
About a month ago, I went to some revival services at a local church. The kids attend awana's at this church on Wednesday nights, so I had gotten a flyer in their bag the week before. I decided that I wanted to go each evening, so each evening I packed up the kids and we went. The one night it was just Laynie, Grace and I in the van on the way to church. Gracie was talking about her grandfather that recently passed away and was asking questions about him being in heaven and was thinking about what he might be doing up there. I started to tell her and Laynie the things about Heaven that are mentioned in the bible. Grace continued to ask questions and Laynie continued to sit back and soak it all in. At one point I found myself talking about the rapture and explaining how we get to Heaven. Gracie was excited to talk about this because earlier this year, she made a commitment to God and asked him in her heart. When I pulled in the church, I thought, wow, kind of a deep conversation to have in the car with my 2 little girls, but we went in, and my mind shortly forgot about our conversation...The next evening after we returned from church, I was helping Laynie get ready for bed, and she was telling me what the teacher had talked to them about that evening. She said that the teacher also was talking about going to Heaven, like we were the night before. Right there, in her bedroom, standing in front of me, with not a stitch of clothing on, my baby says to me, "Mommy I am ready." I lifted my head quickly, and said, "Laynie you are ready for what?" She said, " I thought about what you said last night in the car and I am ready to ask God in my heart, so I always know I am going to Heaven." Talk about God's presence being with us in one of the most "normal" and routine parts of the day. I quickly said to her, " Do you understand what it means to ask God in your heart, and do you understand how important it is?" She said she did, and she asked me to pray for her. There in her bedroom, with my little girl in front of me, we joined hands and I prayed a prayer of Salvation for her. Five years earlier, she entered this earthly life as a naked babe, and that night getting ready for bed, she entered into her eternal life journey with God the same way. After the prayer, she quickly jumped up and said " I am definitely going to heaven now!" I don't think I have ever been more proud as a parent as in that moment. My girl, of only 5 years, now understands what a life with God is all about. There are many days, the daily stress and duties overwhelm me and make me question what in the world I am doing, and am I where God wants me to be. I was so quickly reminded, that I am on God's mission field each and every day I wake up in this house. It validated and confirmed for me, that it is the day to day decisions we make and do, that lead us to the most holy and most important things. I wonder now, what if I would have just turned the music up a little louder or turned a movie on for the girls in the car that night, instead of talking to them about Heaven, I would have may have missed out on one of the greatest moments of being a mother...
wow! that is incredible Cheri! :) thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete