Counting gifts

Counting Gifts with the Joy Dare (see a holy experience link)

96.  Daughter's 9th birthday-remembering 9 years ago
97.  Chocolate cake for breakfast (birthday)
98.  Elliptical trainer to burn off chocolate cake (discussion with atheist friend)
99.  Washing machine for five loads of laundry
100.  Bringing McDonalds to school for lunch with two daughters (McDonalds)
101.  Middle daughter telling me about helping a child with special needs on the playground (pushed him in a swing and then jumped in a swing next to him)
102.  Prayer for a friend and her elderly Mom
103.  Hard working husband, willing to go in later to let my daughter open a birthday gift early in the morning.
   

Jealousy Battle

I can’t believe I’m sitting in the YMCA ladies locker room to type this blog while my daughter (A, age 10) has swim team practice. (I should be working out). I’ve scurried all day and finally had time to stop and write down (type) what God continues to teach me.

Since my last post “Blog Battle”, God has used friends in my life to confirm what God taught me and continues to teach me about jealousy.  One ladies ministry friend, Pam (see her blog at ephesians210girl.blogspot.com) sent me a message.  She said she related to my blog battle and shared some verses of truth.  She sent the verses in Numbers 11:23-29 about God giving his Spirit to two men in the camp.  When Joshua found out about it, he told Moses to restrain the two.  Verse 29 says, "But Moses said to him; "Are you jealous for my sake?  Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!"  I agree with Pam when she said, "I want to be like Moses! I want to wish the best for everybody!  I just want to put out there whatever the Lord has for me to put out there. Whether I am speaking or blogging or leading ladies min.(ministry) Even if only 3 people read it or only 3 people show up! I want to trust Him to handle the outcome."

Note: My daughter, A, read this blog on the way home from the YMCA.  I didn't have the Bible reference for the story with me.  When I told A about this story, she said, "It's somewhere between Numbers 11 and 13.  I read it this morning."  Talk about cool!!

Then this morning, God used the girls to remind me of the jealousy struggle we all face.  My husband told my older two girls (A, and J, age 8 for two more days) that  he would bring them McDonalds for lunch as a treat.  My youngest daughter (M, age 6) would wait for another day because she eats lunch an hour and a half before the other girls.  I decided to bring McDonalds to M and asked her what she wanted.  She, of course, asked for a Happy Meal.  J, my middle daughter, immediately yells, “That’s not fair.  Daddy is not bringing ME a Happy Meal.  I’m getting a chicken sandwich.” (Note:  I’m  cheap, or frugal.  No, I’m CHEAP most of the time and encourage the girls to get the dollar chicken sandwich.  I’m progressing from cheapness.  When the girls were younger,  I used to pack the girls sack lunches to go to the mall instead of buying food in the food court.  We would try to sit at the tables that look like replica cars, or at the “airplane”, rows of bar stools). 

I felt exceptionally gracious this morning, so out of the kindness of my heart, I decided to call my husband and ask if J could change her order to a Happy Meal.  (I know some of you would have made her eat a chicken sandwich.  I probably will next time).  He agreed and my discussion with the girls began. I told her as parents we try to be fair, but life just isn’t fair.   J never asked for a happy meal.  Yet, she felt the injustice that her sister would get something “better”.  J should have been excited for M.  Instead, her jealousy resulted in anger.  I explained that God teaches us to rejoice with others when they receive blessings, and not to be jealous, which may turn into bitterness. 

I wanted a verse of truth, but I’m not hooked up to the internet. I literally opened my Bible to these verses (still in the bathroom of the YMCA, instead of Biblestudytools .com).  These are not the verses I had in mind, but when I open to them and they speak truth on the subject I want, I call it a God thing.

James 3:14-16  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Ouch!  Truth hurts sometimes. 

Who do you need to rejoice with instead of being jealous of?  What is God teaching you about jealousy?

Blog Battle

Warning!  These thoughts have been churning in my head for a couple of weeks.  Please understand these thoughts may only be for me, so don't take any of them personally.  I've only been blogging for five months now.  Really?  It's already been five months? Wow!  I'm trying to reevaluate the use of my blog.  These are the questions I've had to ask myself.

Do I blog with boundaries?  (God spoke through my pastor about this a couple of weeks ago).  I can spend hours looking at other blogs.  Sometimes it makes me jealous that other people have more followers, or that God has gifted them with homemaking (which He has not blessed me with).  It's easy to get overwhelmed with what I should be doing with my time.  I love reading blogs with encouraging words, but do I spend more time on blogs than I do in the Word of God? Easy, Yes!

Do I believe my blog can make a difference?  Do I choose to write Truth or entertainment? Please note:  This is for me only.  God has gifted others with good information on cooking, decorating, quilting, etc.  Please keep it up.  I need your help (if I can read with boundaries).  I initially started this blog with the intent for God to use it to reach non Jesus followers and encourage Jesus followers to share the Truth.  I believe God can use my blog if He chooses.  However, God challenged me through my Pastor this week that we make more of a difference with people we can literally touch than those in our "virtual" world.  Do I spend more time trying to make a difference in lives on the internet, whom I may never meet, than my neighbors or friends?  

Do I brag on me, or God?  Do I blog for my glory, or God's?  Tough one.  I would like to say it is all for God's glory.  If this is true, why do I constantly check the stats on my blog?  Why do I feel it is waste of time if only a handful of people read a blog? 

If you've read some former posts, you may have noticed I changed the name of my blog from "Simply Spilling" to "Simply Spilling Hope" a couple of weeks ago.  This change comes from God speaking these questions to me and demanding some changes in my blog posts.  I want to make healthy boundaries.  I want God to use my blog to make a difference.  But mostly, I want God to get the glory! 

Lessons from Last Year's Fear (3rd and final part)

The story continues...(You may to read the last two posts to catch up)  My daughter, J,  came home from the hospital around 5:00 p..m.

Reasons I survived...
1)  God's preparation

I was reading "Experiencing God Day By Day" by Henry and Richard Blackaby for my quiet time.  The day before J went to the ER with swelling in her ankles and an odd rash on her legs, the scripture reference was Romans 14:23, "But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."  The writers say, "Whenever God reveals something, He expects us to believe Him and adjust our lives accoringly.  What does this mean?  It means we trust Him implicity for all our needs (Phil. 4:19)...It means we approach crises with the assurance that God will bring good from them (Romans 8:28).  It means we overcome anxiety during stressful situations because God instructs us to bring our requests to Him. (Phil. 4:6)...Faithlessnes is sin.  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6)".  And the day J would go to the hospital, God prepared me with another devotion about Phil. 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing..." 

God used scriptures to prepare me. 
 Phil. 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God.”  I love verse 7, “and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  I experienced these verses the day my daughter couldn't walk in the hospital. 

2) God's provision
The next day, the girls had a snow day and went to play with some friends.  I noticed some bruising on my J's ankles, where she had swelling previously. I called her Dr. and he said he would try to get her scheduled with a rheumatologist.  I called my rheumatologist neighbor (God's provision) to discuss J's symptoms and ask for advice.  After dinner, J complained of being cold so she went to take a shower.  When she got out, her knees were swollen and she couldn't walk without a limp.  I called my neighbor back and explained her knees were swollen and her rash was bigger.  She and her husband, cardiologist, (God's provision) came over to look at J.  They felt we could give her ibuprofen and wait until our next day appointment with our pediatrician.  

 The next morning (Friday), J’s swelling in her knees had subsidedr.  We continued to give her ibuprofen.  I texted our rheumatologist neighbor to see if she could help us see a pediatric rheumatologist.  She spoke with one on call that day.  When we saw our pediatrician, he called the rheumatologist and spoke with her about J's case, while we were there that day.   Our pediatrician thought she had HSP (Henloch Schonlein Purpurar) with the migrating arthritis and rash.  It is an inflammatory reaction of the immune system to medication, or after strept.  We had an appointment with the rheumatologist the following Monday (totally a God-thing to get into a specialist so quickly).

3)  God's protection
J felt great over the weekend.  We kept her on continuous ibuprofen and waited for our Monday appointment (Valentine’s Day).  We thought we would go and hear, “Yes, she has HSP…no worries.”  However, she did not confirm the diagnosis and thought she had acute rheumatic fever.  With rheumatic fever, J could have had heart problems, none.  With the HSP, she could have had kidney problems, none.  God is good.   The Dr. prescribed prophylaxis antibiotics until she is 21 years old to prevent J from ever getting strept again.  If she gets strept, she could get the rheumatic fever again, with possible damage to her heart.

J had another echocardiogram that same week.  Heart: perfect.  Three months later, J went to a pediatric cardiologist.  He said she did not have any effects, and won't, from this episode of rheumatic fever.  Praise the Lord!

God prepared me, provided health care when we needed it, and protected J through it all.  Most importantly, I learned lessons about fear and faith I can apply for years to come. 

What is God teaching you about fear or faith? 


Linked up to:http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.com/p/friday-blog-hop.html

Lessons from Last Year's Fear Part II

The story continues... (you may need to read the last post first " Lessons from Last Year's Fear")

The ER Dr. admitted her into the hospital over night because she couldn’t walk.  The next morning, she still had difficulty walking to the bathroom, but progressively got better throughout the day.  The pediatric Dr. took blood work and decided to do a heart echocardiogram and EKG due to elevated  white blood count (WBC )and sed rate (rate of inflammation).  Everything checked out fine, praise the Lord!  The Dr. discharged her because clinically she was much better, but he couldn’t explain why she got better so quickly.  He also warned that , "she may not be out of the woods yet".  Even though all the tests showed her heart functioning normally, it did not mean her heart wouldn’t be affected later.  He instructed us to call our pediatrician if there were any changes.  She finally came home around 5:00 p.m.

The snow storm came as expected, making the roads questionable for travel.   A friend offered to take me to see her in the hospital, but we thought she would be home sooner than she did.  I also had two other girls to consider.  So, my battle continued.  Faith or Fear?  Besides the step I shared in the last post (Focus on the Present), I also had to:

 

I.                      Focus on the Proof.

 With my daughter, I had to focus on truth, the facts, not fantasy.  The facts: she had strept throat, taking medication, swollen ankles, rash, not walking, ER, tests, good test results.  Later: feeling better and home.  Fantasy:  internet search.  I had Jadyn dying of leukemia in three weeks.  I continually had to ask, "What are the facts?"

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (NIV)

To overcome fear, I also had to:

 II.                  Focus on the Plan.

With my daughter, I had to choose a  plan of action.  I needed freedom from fear, or

my inaction would freeze me with fear.

I took these three actions:

           1) Prayer 
          I prayed and called my family to pray, even at 11:00 p.m.  

Philippians 4:6 says,“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

                             2)  Profess Promises

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

                      I claimed the promise of peace.  If I would pray with thanksgiving like Philippians 4:6 says, the promise of peace in verse 7 results.  I needed peace to guard my heart and especially my mind.  I experienced the peace beyond what I could understand just as verse 7 promises.   

                                3) Praise

I cranked the music and praised God during the day, sometimes singing at the top of my lungs.  I could not stay fearful when I focused on God, not self.

I'd like to say that is the end of the story.  She came home and we lived happily ever after.  But "happily ever after" stories only happen in fairy tales.  I'll share the rest next time.
 (You may want to sign up by e-mail or join this site, so easy to do.  God Bless!   

What about you?  What action do you need to take with your fears?  Do you need to pray about a situation, instead of fear.  Profess the promise of Philippians 4:6-7 to have peace?  Or praise to place the focus on God?

To continue the story:  Lessons from Last Year's Fear Part III

Lessons from Last Year's Fear

Last February, my middle daughter, seven-years-old, had a sore throat one Friday morning with no fever, so off to school she went.  She felt fine over the weekend.  However, the next week she ran a fever and complained of headaches off and on, but felt fine with medication.  3 a.m. Sunday morning (of course it’s the weekend), I called a triage nurse.  He thought she probably just had a mild case of the flu, even though she had a flu shot, and recommended waiting until Monday morning to see our doctor.  By Sunday evening (Super Bowl Sunday), she had an excruciating earache.  So, off to urgent care we went.  She had a bulging ear drumb (that bursted later that night, ouch!) and was diagnosed with strept throat.  (Never saw that coming!)  She started antibiotics; and we were sure she would be better in no time.

However, On Tuesday, we went to a Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game (Go Thunder!) for Upward basketball night.  By the end of the night, she complained that she couldn’t walk.  When we got home, we noticed her ankles were swollen and a rash on the lower part of her legs.  After a phone call to triage, the nurse said we could wait until the next day to see our doctor, but she was not sure if they would be open because of the predicted record snow storm.  My husband took her to the ER.  The doctors weren’t sure what was wrong.  Now the decision for me, fear? Or faith?  Through this trial, God taught me some steps to take to deal with fear.  

 

I.                    Focus on the Present

  Matthew 6: 27 - 34 says,  "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life ? 28 "And why are you worried about clothing ? Observe how the lilies of the field grow ; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?  You of little faith ! 31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will wear for clothing?' 32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things ; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow ; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

With my daughter, I had to focus on the present, not the future.  The present: my daughter had to go to the ER.   I should not worry about the future: how long she would be there, how we would deal with a child in the hospital for months, or how would this change our lives in the future.  Of course, this was a moment by moment choice.  When Satan tempted me to worry about the future, I had to  remember these verses.

I'll share some more of the story and the other steps next time. 

What fear do you have that you should focus on the present?

To continue the story: Lessons from Last Years Fear Part II

Memory Challenge

I've started the one thousand gift challenge from http://theholyexperience.com/.  Another challenge:   Memorize this...

Matthew 5:1-11
 ¹ When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ² He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
   ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
   ⁵ “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
   ⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
   ⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
   ⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
   ⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
   ¹⁰ “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

I remember memorizing this as a child, but I didn't keep it filed toward the front.  I need to work on it again.  When I memorize, I like to break it down, which makes me think of a rap song.  Rap works, or any other style of music.  Think about it.  You can remember songs better than spoken.  I suppose we should ask our pastors to sing sermons, instead of speak them.  In some cases, when we would cover our ears, or run out screaming in disbelief, singing is not recommended.  So, make up a song and belt it out.

Or, I also like to use motions, acting out the verses, phrase by phrase.  However, this can look a little odd and cause danger when reviewing your verses while driving.

Follower of Jesus, what are you memorizing? 
How do you memorize scripture?

Psalm 119:11

¹¹ Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.

 

Kindergarten Lunch

Who would have thought lunch with Kindergarten could create such... memories (wasn't sure of the adjective).  I met my daughter for lunch today in the elementary cafeteria.  I just wanted to spend some special time with her. However at 10:55 a.m., chaos unleashed.  About one hundred five and six-year-olds erupted in unison, yet none of them saying anything alike.  The teachers instucted them to walk (yeah right).  They have twenty minutes to stand (dance) in line, balance a full tray (miracle if no one drops), find a spot on a seat the size of a dime (well not quite that small) open milk without a spill (only ten spills is a good day) and enhale their food.  They are told to talk quietly, but what five or six year old defines quietly the same as adults? 

As a visitor, I had the privilege of sitting with my daughter at a round table apart from the rows of cafeteria style tables, but not far enough to enjoy any privacy (too loud anyway).  The two sweet?, (maybe not the correct adjective) brave? lunch room monitors, run  walk quickly (to be a good example) from raised hand child to raised hand child providing napkins, opening milks and other containers difficult for little hands.  I looked across and saw a boy on the ground frantically gathering the shredded cheese from his lunchable he dumped on the floor.  I intervened just in time to remind him not to eat the contaminated cheese.  He looked at me like, "now what am I supposed to eat."  I helped him open the rest of his lunchable and hands all around the table jetted into the air.  I looked for the ragged lunch ladies, too far to take over.  After helping the fifth child, I made my way back to my daughter.  So much for quality time.

Actually, she had plenty of time to eat.  When she only had her juice box left, she climbed into my lap, kissed my cheek, and then managed to cover both of us in juice.  Lovely.  About that time, the lunch lady announces with a microphone, "We only have five minutes left.  We will not be opening anymore water or milk.  You will need to finish what you have."  Only five minutes left, "I can do this," I thought.  The vice-principal arrived to try to quiet the unruly crowd.  She tries the mimic clap game three times, but the roar continues.  The lunch lady tosses out the reward for the quietest class to leave first.  I guess the children didn't think the reward matched the requirement, upheaval continued.  They finally gave up on a quiet lunch room and began dismissing them class by class.  Wow!  Twenty minutes seems so short, yet so full of events in the Kindergarten cafeteria. 

I'm wondering how many times God tries to get my attention, but I'm acting like a six year old in the cafeteia.  I speak instead of listen. I need to remember the message God gave to the Israelites:

Deuteronomy 13:4 (NASB)

⁴ You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.