Tip of the day

I was making tea tonight and I didn't want to spill the mix (as I usually do).  So, first I hung the measuring cup in and on the picture.  It was too top heavy, then I hung it on the divider in th sink.   Worked put great!  Less likely to spill and if it does spill, easy clean up.

Made to Crave ~ Chapter 1:What's really going on here?

1)  If you could personify cravings, what would it look like?  I'm constantly hearing voices.  Most of these voices carry a negative undertone and usually sound like my daddy, my older brother, my father-in-law, an older lady at church or anyone who I feel is against me.  Remember those old cartoons where people have a good angel on one shoulder; and they are in a battle over right and wrong.  The good angel is calm and collective and the evil angel is wishy washy character ~a lot like me.

2.  How do you respond that God made us to crave?  I so love this.  When I'm truly following God with all my heart and soul, I desire more and more of Him.  However, when I am living in my sinful ways, I crave things that aren't always good for me.

3.  Could there be any benefits to cravings? Yes I think so.  God created us to have an intimate relationship with Him.  It is when we don't feel these cravings with God, but with anything else then our cravings can never be truly satisfied. 

4.  The bible says that Satan uses cravings, lust of the eyes and boasting to draw us away from God.  How have you dealt with things lately?
      Cravings - 2 of my biggest cravings are unhealthy food and sleep.  Yes,  I said sleep.  It's nothing for me to sleep 12 hours a day.  I justify it by saying my  CP wears me out and I need to save my strength for when my kids and Barrett, and while this is true I LOVE to sleep and to dream.  It give me peace.  This craving is worse in the winter because it is so cold and the cold stiffens my body.  However, my craving for unhealthy foods and sleep are probably directly related...UHM,  I really need to think and pray on this.
     Lust of the eyes -  we live in such  a visual world.  I must admit I love to watch a young couple in love and I realized I miss that.  I know that Barrett loves me with all his heart and soul.  I know that he's not a real touchy feely person.  I need to learn to accept Barrett for who he is and be satisfied by what he gives me.
     Boasting - Uhm, can't I just skip this one.  Something else I crave is ATTENTION!!  My husband is somewhat a local celebrity;  He works on the local radio station.  Everywhere we go in town he's known.  Proverbs 31:23  says "Her husband is know at that gates, Where he sits among the elders of the lands."  While I love being married to such a leader, sometimes as a lowly homemaker I must honestly sometimes I miss not being noticed or needed until something goes wrong.
5.  Do I ever use scripture to defeat temptation?  Yes sometimes, but not nearly as often as I need to.

Made To Crave Blog Hop: Desires

I must admit, I've fallen behind in my reading of Made to Crave this week.  The Barrett house hold is undergoing some major changes this week.  We've been rearranging bedrooms.  Because I snore and cough so much at night, Barrett wasn't sleeping.  Dalton-who just got a new bedroom about 2 years ago, got in trouble last week as punishment lost his room.  So Barrett took Dalton's  old room for he's office/bedroom, Bobbye Sue moved into  Barrett's office (she'd been in her room since she was born and wanted a change, and Dalton got Bobbye Sue's old room.  Confusing right???  I'm the big winner here; I get too keep the big master bedroom!

As Dalton would say; I've been a glass case of emotions this week.  On one hand I'm kinda excited to be getting my "OWN" room, but on the other hand I feel guilty because I can no longer share a room with my husband.  You have these expectations that a married couple always sleeps in the same room.  But as I've been researching on the web and having separate bedrooms for couples is not too uncommon, in fact it's even termed a "sleep divorce".  I know that God can use this for good if I let him.

Cravings are a strange thing.  It's our mind tricking us into thinking we desperately tricking us into thinking we NEED  something,  In reality, all we truly NEED is God,  If we live and depend on him, He'll supply everything.  I have been called to be a wife and mother, where I lay my head at night shouldn't matter.  Yes, my desire is to be for my husband, but when that desire is stronger than my desire for God, I have a problem.  And truth be told, I have often let my desires for Barrett become stronger than my desire for God.  I get caught up in the fact that Barrett is physically here with me; I can see and touch him.  Sometimes I don't like is with me - But there is go relying on my feelings again.  James 4:8 says; "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  I must allow my cravings to come from God and not earthly desires.

When He Says Nothing At All

      Growing up in Nashville, Tn, I loved country music.  The songs seamed so romantic.  I always wanted a love story like was on the radio.  One song that stands out is Paul Overstreet's "You say it best when you say nothing at all".  I always wanted to be loved and know so well that we didn't have to talk at all.  Today I realized that after 15 years of marriage Barrett and I are finally there!  Something happened last night and we had to confront Dalton about something kinda risque.  It was so nice, and revealing to realized that we're on the same page that we can just look at each other and have a whole a conversation without saying a word.  I so love my husband.

I MUST DECEASE SO THEY CAN INCREASE

     As a mother, they say that is job from they day they are first born that your job is to prepare them to leave.  When they're little they are so dependent on you, so much so it can be overwhelming.  I remember after Dalton was born just feeling so scared and thinking.  "Why did God give me a baby?  I can barely care for myself, let alone this little one." In fact, I'm one of those people who have a thousand  great ideas a day, but I don't always have the umph to follow through.  In the back of my mind was always the fear of what happens if I wake one day and decide this isn't what I want.  (Typical thoughts of a child of a broken family).  As a Christian woman I vowed to be the best mother I can be.  I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I've pour out everything I have to my family.  But something happens to kids; they do grow up..  Suddenly the little boy who wouldn't leave my side is embarrassed to be with me,  and the little girl who wouldn't get out of my sight is sneaking into her bedroom for a giggly gossip phone chat with her latest BFF.
      I know that if I've done my job as a mother right, then I know that they'll make the right choices.  As much as I want them to need me,  I know that they need to be self - sufficient.  Because of my CP, my kids have learned that there are simply some thing Mama can't do, so they've to sort step up to the plate and fend for themselves.  My kids are now 14 and 11,  they still need me, just in another capacity.  No one can love them like I can.  No one can pray for them like I can.  We're just a few years away from them want to hang out Friday night at ball games with friend instead of pizza and a movie with Mama.  While I may not always be happy with their decisions, I want them to know Mama will always be here at the end of the day.

My Favorite Scripture

On Sunday January 19 I’m going to start participating in an online study of the book Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst over at www.proverbs31.org.  On Thursdays, there’s going to be doing a blog hop where they provide topics and you choose one to blog about.  The topic I chose today was What is your favorite scripture?  While I believe ALL scripture is inspired by God, my life verse is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  As a disabled woman, this verse means so much to me because like it or not, there are limits on my life.  I’m never going to race in the Indy 500 or dance on Broadway, but that’s OK because I can do whatever God ask me to do.  From the moment I was born, I’ve gone against what people have said and believed of me.  I know none of it is because of me but because God has cared for me and allowed me to do these things 

WHAT GODLY MEANS TO THE CRIPPLED MAMA

     Yesterday, I said that my word for the year is GODLY.  Uhm, I probably need to define this both for my readers and myself.  According to www.thefreedictionary.com,  godly is defined as 1) have a great reverence for God; pious and 2) divine.  Now before I start, let me assure you I'm no where close to God, nor do I claim to be.  Our pastor tells us that God is like a blacksmith and that He pounds on metal and burns it in fire until it has no flaws in it and all He can see is His own reflection.  I believe our ultimate goal in this life is to be like Jesus.  Yes, he created us all as unique individuals, but we are to love and treat others as He does.  
       While the bible is full or examples of godly women, there are two that I have chosen to model my life after: The Proverb 31 and the Titus 2 Woman.  I know both these characters sparks different reactions to different people  When I look at these two women I see who God wants me to be.  These women, especially the Proverbs 31 woman can be VERY CONTROVERSIAL.  And yes, if you just look at them with human eyes, there's no way you can stand up to that.  But if you let God guide you, you can do anything!  I'm never gonna be the perfect wife or mother, most of the time I can't even qualify as a good one.  But I have hope that if I keep trusting God that I can be the wife to Bryan and the mama to Dalton and Bobbye Sue that He me to be. 

My One Word - GODLY

     So, I saw this story on this news tonight about a website; www.oneword365.com.  It was started by the lady in 2009 who was sick of the endless & usually useless rigorous attempt at  making New Years Resolutions.  I was intrigued, so I joined.  The word that I chose was GODLY.  I wanted to use Godly Woman, but obviously that's two word.  I know godly is a powerful word; and it both excites me and scares me to death.  I know GODLY is a vague word, but as I was thinking of all the things I want to do this year; keep a cleaner house, serve healthier meals, be a better wife and mother, make wiser financial choices.  All of these things go together; they are all ingredients of a godly woman.  So I start this new year and new blog,  I pray that God helps me this year to become the women I long to be.