REFRESHING

Refreshing. This is my newest adventure with God. The kids and I went back to Kansas/Missouri to visit family (after several other vacations during the month of July!) and the Lord used that time to refresh me. Before I left I felt so heavy and anxious. Ronny and I were on edge, I was on edge with the kids and I just felt plain heavy...like I was just simply treading water with my nose sticking out. The funny thing about it is I can't really tell you when the miracle occurred, but once I got home I felt refreshed. God wiped my emotional and spiritual slate clean and I feel wonderful! He is so gracious and knows what we need even when we don't. We are living in the dark world and He is the light and yet I so often forget that and all of the blessings he has rained on me. I have an amazing husband, beautiful, God-fearing children, a home, friends that I wouldn't trade for all the world and a God who loves me no matter what. We are so unworthy and yet when we fall and scrape our knees...there he is. When the world has pulled us in so many directions that we think we will be torn apart...there he is. Thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you.

The other thing that has really been hitting me lately, partly from the refreshing, is that I need to take captive ALL of my thoughts to Christ. Satan is so sneaky about whispering in our ears, we don't notice and the next thing you know the ugliness has crept in and you can't get rid of it. I have had to say to Satan, everyday, to get away and pray that Jesus will take my thought life for him. It has made such a difference. I refuse to get bogged down again and feel ugly toward those that I love. Again, thank you Lord!

Please keep me in your prayers. We are hosting two 16 year old baseball players for the World Series here in town for 10 days! We are praying that they aren't all that cute because of our almost 15 year old daughter! Not only that, but for those 10 days we are their family in every way...food, laundry, transportation, etc, etc! Nothing like a family of 7 on a trial basis! As much as my husband likes to believe, most of the responsibility falls to me and I am a little afraid. It will be weird at first having strangers in the house but I know that we will have a blast once we are confortable with each other. Coop is also going to be the batboy for their teams. Hello ballfields again!

I apologize for being so sporadic with my entries, but part of June and, it seemed like all of, July was spent in the car either roadtripping to canoe, roadtripping to the Diamond Mines or 10 hours roadtripping back home! I promise that I will TRY to be more reliable with blogging, but I'm not making any promises!!!!!