JustaChick

Week in review..ramblings and what I need to say

I didn't see the craziness of this week coming.  I mean, I knew it was going to be hectic, but honestly?  I didn't see the craziness of my emotions coming this week.

It started with the continuation of the Caden Hott watch.  He had a relatively quiet honeymoon stage and hit a bump, but seems to be getting stronger.  Little fighter. 

I would love for none of my co-workers/friends/family to experience pain and grief and struggle, but then again, I think it is one of the most intimate ways that God moves in our lives.  I am standing on the promises and hope that He gives me.

Said goodbye to the hubs as he made is way to Asia for the week.  Just him being out of this wonderful house filled with the 18 yr old and the two 16 yr olds is enough to make me want to run to Chuy's or Rosie's... but it's all good. kinda.

Took 18 yr old 6'2" and his 6'5" friend and college roommate to Auburn for Tallon's Day.  Again.. odd to watch these two begin to maneuver their way into college land.

I'm working really hard at taking my hands off his daily life and letting him work out life on his own while still under our roof.  Rather be here to guide him as he figures the crazyness out.. *sigh*

I am really blessed to be able to hang out with some wonderful women on Monday nights.  We are studying Me, Myself & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild.  I think they would all agree that it is definitely kicking our bottoms.  In a good way.  If you have a chance, pick up a copy and let Jennifer and Jesus mess with your thought closet.  Mine definitely needs messin' with. :)

I won't bore you with the rest of the emotional roller coaster ride.. but here's a few people that made me really grateful this week...

I'm grateful for every single one of them (including the pups) and love them all to pieces!

In the words of Pete Wilson..

" Who has God placed in your life and what do they need to hear you say?"

 

I'm saying thank you...

 

PS. I have an extra copy of Fearless I will be giving away (compliments of Thomas Nelson) to someone who answers Pete's question in a comment!  I'll randomly pick one Tuesday at noon, CST!

Fearless I am not, but wanna be.

You have probably guessed by now that I chose Fearless by Max Lucado to pass some of the time away during recovery.  I wasn't disappointed.

In this recent book, Max Lucado dives head first into thirteen potent joy stealers.    As always, Lucado delivers an easy read that doesn't pull any punches.  He's kind, real, authentic and truly a man that loves God and has learned how to redirect his thoughts to eternal things. 

One of the key statements that Lucado makes that got me jumping up and down and Amen'n all over my house was this,

" Fear, mismanaged, leads to sin.  Sin leads to hiding. Since we've all sinned, we all hide, not in bushes, but in eighty hour work weeks, temper tantrums, and religious busyness.  We avoid contact with God. "

I couldn't help but stop and pause to ask myself how am I hiding from God?  In-depth response that must be saved for a later post. 

In Chapter 7 covering fear of worst-case scenarios, Lucado directs readers to "Be specific about your fears.  Identify what "this cup" is and talk to God about it.  Putting your worries into words disrobes them.  They look silly standing there naked. "  It's this type of gentle, state it like it ease counsel that keeps me reading to the end of the book in one sitting. 

Kudos to Lucado for keeping it real, simple and giving me practical knowledge and wisdom to start focusing on God, His Truth and to reject mismanaged fear in order to truly trust God.

A must read!

Caden James Hott

My co-worker, Adam and his wife Peggy became parents for the second time on Wednesday, January 20th.  Their son, Caden was born weighing 2.1 lbs and 14" long at 25 weeks.  He has been breathing on his own and fighting something mighty fierce from the beginning. 

Kid is a fighter. (I would love to post a picture of him, but don't have permission just yet.. trust me though.. he's one gorgeous kid..)

We have been praying for his healing and growth and for his family.  Could you pray for him too?  He made it through some surgery today, but really needs prayers for his blood to begin clotting again.  It's critical.

I get really confused when teeny, tiny little ones suffer or have a hard battle like Caden has.  I struggle with watching my friends hurt and grapple with decisions they shouldn't have to make surrounding a birth of a child.  I cry out to God to help me make sense of all of it.  Then there comes this peace..

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18

He gently reminded me once again that He's got it.  He needs me to be obedient and pray and serve Him by caring for this sweet family as He directs.  He is the HOPE.  He is holding onto Caden.

I'd love it if you could pray for him tonight and in the coming days/weeks.

Love,

which one should I finish/read first?

I have a lot of time on my hands this weekend and a ton of books to finish reading or begin reading.

Which one do you suggest I dive into first?

 

This stack does not even come close to what is currently waiting for me.  Some of these I have started but have not finished.  Some of these have been around for awhile and I would love to read them. And..I've added to this stack as well..The Help is on my beside table, so is Breaking Dawn & Eclipse.

So which one should it be?  Four days of recuperating is a long time for a girl that doesn't normally sit still very long..

Can't wait to see what you think!

my heart is breaking for Haiti

The devastation in Haiti is horrific.  Our sisters and brothers are hurting and need our help.  Some of us are not able physically or financially to travel to Haiti and help. 

Many of us are.  Many are en-route or are already there. 

My prayers and support are with the people of Haiti, their families, relief workers and anyone associated with being the hands and feet of Christ to our brothers and sisters.

We have Compassion children in India and Ecuador.  I would be devastated not knowing if they were safe in the midst of a natural disaster of this magnitude. 

Would you consider supporting the relief efforts of Compassion with a donation?  Follow this link for more information.  Your money will go directly to Haiti.  Directly.

This post from Donald Miller was spot on.  I hope it blesses you as well.

Praying for Haiti,

ready or not... I am headed to Blissdom '10

I took the leap and am headed to Nashville for Blissdom '10!  I am a newbie.. a relatively newbie blogger, newbie to Blissdom.  Am I going to get to meet you?  I hope so!!  
       

I can't wait to laugh, learn and find my BLISS!,

10 Reasons why today rocked... just saying.

How is it that today is Tuesday?

It felt like Monday morning.  Not sure why.  The Snowpocalypse of 2010 has my schedule all wonky.  Mulling over my feeling of wonkiness, I discovered that today really did rock.  Here's why:

1. Physical therapy which included electric and heat therapy with a touch of traction provided by Sung & the lovely Amanda at TOC Madison.
2. Having enough money on my Starbucks gold card to get the Best Oatmeal ever.. topped with a sugar-free/skinny/Hazelnut Latte with an extra splenda.
3. These to keep me warm.
   
   
4. Praising God for setting me up with some AWESOME ladies to study His Word with on Monday nights.  Jennifer Rothchild's, Me, Myself & Lies is the bomb.
5. Eating 2 clementines provided by the lovely, Michele Morris.
6. Getting to talk to my amazing sister.  (Follow her on twitter @mrsschmeckman or Facebook)
7. Reading some incredible posts today: Big Mama (she just makes me happy), Priscilla Shirer (she always directs me to the Lord and today, so did Robyn), Baby Bangs (anything that this girl writes is a slice of heaven.. and she's Amanda..), Alli (please.. no words for this one. :)) , Jo-Lynne (my own personal blog, business card and twitter page designer and resident professor into Blissdom) and Lisa (inner tweeners unite!)
   
8. Coming home to find out that this one has been able to gain self control over his bodily functions for 8 hours.  Go Jack!
9. Hearing how excited my 16 YEAR OLD daughters are about starting The Inheritance with their girlfriends on Friday night in this Casa. Sigh.
   
10. Knowing I get to sit back and relax while trying to decide which to watch... Biggest Loser or American Idol?  I think I am in the mood for some good news, so Biggest Loser it is.

I really hope you discovered that your day rocked too.

Love,

Snowpocalypse 2010

I just had to pay homage to the artic blast that has found it's way to Alabama.  It's supposed to be leaving shortly, but it has really been lovely. 

Cold, but beautiful. 

Bitter cold, but magical.  

I am grateful to live where we do.  I am grateful to be able to experience very mild season changes and still see His glory through the seasons.

I am grateful that by the end of the week, my toes will no longer be frozen.

Praying you are basking in gratefulness today,

No resolutions, no themes... just reality.

Happy New Year!

I know I am late (face it.. it's been since October) with posting after the new year but honestly, I have been struggling with self expectations vs. God's expectations and His will over my life.Whew, that was a long sentence.But there you go.  Struggling with where to go with this blog, asking God if where I am in service to Him is where He wants me to be, basically just pleading and begging Him to speak to me CLEARLY.I need that because, I am DENSE.What I have realized is this:  He's been talking to me the entire time. (Durrrrr...) I have been listening but not necessarily walking in His will.  I have been listening, but possibly too scared or lazy to actually step out.  It's very easy to do the right thing for the wrong reasons.  I've done that.  I don't want to do that anymore.Here are the highlights: (no, not the hair kind, although I have recently stepped out and added some warm brown to this ever gray hair...)

• Beth Moore's message to me... no not just me, but heaven's to Betsy it sure felt like she was speaking to my heart and only my heart.  Here's a glimpse of what I took away from the 2009 Simulcast besides the heavenly, only liked by me in my household, (WHAT?) Texas Sheet Cake recipe.
  
• Preparing my heart to begin to lead a group of women (who, by the way, amaze me every Monday night) as we jumped and dug and wrestled and soaked ourselves in His Word in September.  I have a whole nother (yes, I said nother...) week worth of posts that would let you in on why this was a HUGE deal for me... but suffice it to say that I officially came out of retirement after 3 years.
• THEN... in October...the honor, privilege and blessing of taking my sweet girls, Lisa and Becca to their first official Living Proof Live in Memphis.  Aren't they precious?

 

If you ONLY knew sweet ones the amount and breadth of generational sin that runs in my family... I think that then, you would understand that I could not do anything else but be slain by the LOVE and GRACIOUSNESS of God.  Standing there in between them, worshiping with wonderful, sweet women... no words.  Just tears of gratitude.  And you know what else?  God gave us such a sweet time of fellowship with each other as well as the opportunity to fellowship with other sisters in Christ that have come to mean so much to me.  SLAIN, I tell you.  The message blew me away.. a smidgen:  going on a wild God chase, what if we became a people able to receive the revelation of God?, am I altered through the Word?,  Here's WHAT I AM LIKE..., "He will let you feel lonely so that He will be the ONLY ONE, the ONLY ONE that you can trust and who is worthy. 1 Cor. 15:21-25, Romans 8, I could just go on and on. but won't.. you are welcome.

• November took me to 2009's LifeWay's National Women's Leadership Conference in Nashville.  I'd retired/stepped away from Women's Leadership in my home church so to be back and poured into was odd, familiar, thought provoking, convicting, exciting and blessed.  My home church has some great new leadership rising up and it is my honor to walk alongside them.  Really.  He continues to blow me away in spite of my own little pea brain!!  I am excited to see what He has in store for our local church/community under their leadership.  You know what else I heard? ... "It's enough."  What I am doing, what I am able to be a part of is enough.  He has me exactly where He wants me.
  
• Okay.. so knowing all the above.. you would think He would just stinking pull back a bit.. NOPE.    I was asked (through much prayer and discernment on their part, lemme just add) to speak to a group of women at a luncheon given at Carraba's.  Our church hosts a luncheon for working women quarterly.  No fluff message was asked to be shared.  LEMME JUST SAY!!!!  really?  seriously?  NOPE. He said.. "lay it out there".  So I did.  Shared with my local peeps about what God had been doing in my heart through the last few years.  It just blessed me so.  BLESSED ME SO.  I had to go back and thank Him for all the grace and mercy and beyond comprehension joy He's bestowed upon me.  No LIE.  I had to sit back and thank Him for not giving up on me.  IN the process, I truly believed that He gave me insight into my life's message and this season's direction.  Hardly recovering from that....
• We enjoyed lots of family time over the Christmas break.. LOTS OF FAMILY TIME.  I love my family to pieces.. I do... but two weeks filled with extended family and three, very wonderful, active, talkative teenagers, whew!!!!  I clearly know that my gracious Provider is preparing my heart to usher these babies out of this abode to college.  Glory be.

• Ran up the road in late December to have 24 hours of girl time... did you get that I needed them? Hope so.. sure nuff!
  

• Started off this year just really resting in Him, puttering around the house, asking questions of Him, pleading with Him again to humble me and show me.. show me the desires of HIS HEART for me...preparing to lead Bible Study again locally and remotely... AND THEN!!...
• He takes me to this little bitty town in Alabama called Oneonta.  I know, right?  What's there?  Well, she was there.  I just had to meet her.  Make her another IRL friend.  I was thinking I was just going to make a road trip to see some girlzzzz and hear a little bit of the Word. And possibly eat Mexican or have more coffee and chocolate.  Goodness... that dessert was a dessertle't.  We had to go looking for more food.  But dag nabbit, she sure got up all in my bizzznessss.  Thank you Jesus!  Here is what she screamed over me.. (she really didn't yell at me, she is too stinkin' sweet for that.)

• Luke 5:33-39 was our scripture reference...
• • Jesus came to infuse us with new life, not suck the life right out of us.
  • You can't slap a patch on something that isn't working and expect a qualitative new result. (there was this cute story of a worn pair of jeans and some duct tape..)
  • We must desire to be seasoned not hardened... we don't have an excuse to not be flexible.  New wine skin is pliable and flexible...fine aged wine has value.  You can either hold it in and be hardened or exhale and expand and let it go. (WHEW)
  • We must learn to loathe that which is destroying us.(there was some sort of story about having to loathe french fries.. boo hiss.)  What is the french fry in your life?  It doesn't have to be bad, but what is killing me?  God, help me to understand what is not healthy for me.  What is not healthy spiritually, physically and emotionally healthy for me?
  • Good enough is not good enough - We often say, "What I do is good enough!"  Serving in Sunday school, singing in the choir, donate to charity, rock babies in the nursery, go to church on Sunday..  Are you content with life, comfortable, settled?  What if we miss the best of what He has to give us because we are content in the middle?
  • Then she said it... obedience... in the little things.  Being stretched and obedient.  There it was again.  The same message. Over and over and over again in this season.  Obedience in the little things.
• RUN, yes, RUN to this website and enter your Pastor's wife for some love!  I did.. Promise!  She's just precious.  AND.. let me just add this.  I can spot a fake ten miles away.  I can, because I have been one.  Honest to Betsy.  Lisa McKay is a changed woman of God.  She's desperate for Him... loves HIM to pieces.  She is authentic, vulnerable and a gift.  Watch out girls, God is about to do something FIERCE through her.  Can not wait to watch it! 

So.. that's it in a nutshell.  No resolutions, no themes, no SCRIPTURE FOR THE YEAR!  Just reality.  Obedience in the little things.  Do the next, right thing.  Discipline, self control, honesty, authenticity, sacrificial living in a hard and wonderful world.  That's it and I'm good with that. Cause trust me, THAT IS ENOUGH.

Don't forget to curl up in His lap today,