Friday, April 20, 2012
Daniel Fasting
Monday I started something which later in the day I thought I was crazy for... the Daniel Fast. It s a fast based on how Daniel in the Book of Daniel ate to show the king how better God's ways are. We have had some missionaries at church whose e-mail list I got on and they had talked about the Daniel Fast in several e-mails. I had heard of it from others too and have had fasting on my heart and mind for quite a while. I got the book, read it, prayed, and decided to go for it. Well, while the mind and spirit were wiling, I'm not too sure about the body! By the end of Monday I figured I was crazy to be doing this! I was so hungry and having to not eat what I was used to eating and having to shop and cook totally different than I was used to. Plus having to cook my food and Matt's food. I thought I couldn't do this! But then I thought of what Jesus did for me... I kept seeing clips from The Passion movie in my head...kept thinking of how He was tortured, beaten, mocked and killed... and me changing my eating habits for 3 weeks seemed like such a small thing. I started thinking that this was the LEAST I could do. I knew that satan didn't want me fasting because it brings you closer to God and you change for the better. I don't want to give satan what he wants, I want what God wants. So I determined to do this. Has it been easy? No! But have I seen God working in my life? YES! And that is what matters! And so I will continue for 21 days to become more like God and less like the world!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Faith
So things have been a little stressful at work lately. A lot of changes and different personalities handling it differently and presenting to each other differently. Has made for some stressful days. I had a co-worker say to me the other day that she really appreciates my attitude and how she figures my faith has a lot to do with it. She is a believer too but she worries and frets and stresses, etc. She said she wished she had my faith. She wishes she could just leave it in God's hands and let Him control and not worry and stress over things. I told her that I have seen God work so many times in so many ways in my life, it's not hard for me to trust Him. But that's not to say that I don't struggle in other ways. I told her that we all have strengths and weaknesses and He is always working on us to improve us, to be more like Him.
I do give things over to Him and trust Him to take care of things, but that doesn't mean that things don't get to me. Having 2 boys going to doctor's quite a bit the last couple of months, struggling to figure out what is going on. Finding out one of the son's problems, him having a procedure and then finding out that it will be a 2-3 year process before he is well and he hasn't been able to go to college yet...the other son we are still searching for answers and in the meantime he can't go to school. Having traveled to Lincoln several times, North Platte, McCook, Aurora CO, for doctor appts. Having a tire blow out and having to buy a new one. Of course there are always money problems. I haven't had time to visit friends. The other day I just wanted to cry. I felt overwhelmed.
But I have a job helping some people and I enjoy that. I have kids home who do dishes and bake and laundry sometimes. I have Awana's where the kids always make me smile and laugh and feel wonderful! I have a great church family and pastor. I don't have a foundation problem with my house. And hey, even if I haven't had time to see my friends, I know they are there. The good always outweighs the bad. And even if they don't seem to, it WILL change.
I have faith in God because He ALWAYS gets me through. He ALWAYS provides. He has protected me in Mighty ways from abuse, snakes, hunger, loneliness, etc. I can look to the future because of what He has done in my past. And because of His promises in His Word. And the wonderful thing is He gave those promises to all of us, each and every one. WOW! What a God to have faith in!!
I do give things over to Him and trust Him to take care of things, but that doesn't mean that things don't get to me. Having 2 boys going to doctor's quite a bit the last couple of months, struggling to figure out what is going on. Finding out one of the son's problems, him having a procedure and then finding out that it will be a 2-3 year process before he is well and he hasn't been able to go to college yet...the other son we are still searching for answers and in the meantime he can't go to school. Having traveled to Lincoln several times, North Platte, McCook, Aurora CO, for doctor appts. Having a tire blow out and having to buy a new one. Of course there are always money problems. I haven't had time to visit friends. The other day I just wanted to cry. I felt overwhelmed.
But I have a job helping some people and I enjoy that. I have kids home who do dishes and bake and laundry sometimes. I have Awana's where the kids always make me smile and laugh and feel wonderful! I have a great church family and pastor. I don't have a foundation problem with my house. And hey, even if I haven't had time to see my friends, I know they are there. The good always outweighs the bad. And even if they don't seem to, it WILL change.
I have faith in God because He ALWAYS gets me through. He ALWAYS provides. He has protected me in Mighty ways from abuse, snakes, hunger, loneliness, etc. I can look to the future because of what He has done in my past. And because of His promises in His Word. And the wonderful thing is He gave those promises to all of us, each and every one. WOW! What a God to have faith in!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Conversation last night!
I don't have any pictures of this AMAZING conversation last nigh but hopefully you will get the picture.
I was outside working in the yard last night picking up bricks from a pile and stacking them nicely. (It has needed done for QUITE a while now!)I reached down and picked one up and underneath it, curled up, was a snake. Being the good mom that I am, I ran in the house and hollered for the boys to get shoes on and come outside. Jenn came out of her room asking what was going on. I told her to get back in her room and told the boys to hurry up and to grab a shovel. She said "There's a snake out there isn't there?" I said "Just stay in your room." She is TERRIBLY afraid of snakes, won't even watch them on TV. Of course she started getting upset because this was out by where she parks her car!!
Matt grabs a shovel, Pete is getting his shoes on and we head to the brick pile. The following is the conversation:
Pete: "Don't kill it!! I'll just move it!"
Matt: "Whatever"
Me: "There it is!"
Matt: "We can't get the shovel in there, we'll have to move some bricks"
Pete: "OHHH it's just a little things, I can pick it up!"
Matt: "It will bite you!"
Pete: "I'll grab it's tail, it's right there"
Snake moves.
Pete, Matt and me: Hurry! It's getting away! get it!It's going in the bricks!
It goes and goes!
Pete:"It's bigger than I thought!"
Stab! Jab! too may bricks to get it.
Jen: "Did you kill it?"
Matt: "Not yet"
Jenn: "I am trading one of you parking places!"
All: Where is it? Where did it go?
Pete and Matt think it went this way. Matt is on the brick pile.
Pete: "Matt start moving bricks!"
Matt starts throwing bricks saying "If that thing comes at me I'm killing it!"
Pete: "No! It's just a bull snake, not very old. I'll move it. They eat mice and will keep rattlesnakes away."
Matt: "I don't care, if it tries to bite me I'm killing it"
Jenn: "Kill it! Kill it!"
Jenn is standing on the basketball hoop base.
Can't find it. "Did it get away?" Keep Looking!
"There it is" Don't kill it" Kill it" Matt jabs it's head with the rounded shovel but can't keep it still.
"Somebody go grab the flat shovel"
I go running to get it and my flip flop flies off so I am running hopping to the shed but need to hurry before it gets away again. In the background Jenn is yelling to kill it.
I grab the shovel and run/hop back and hand it to Peter. The snake is mad and hissing. The shovel round shovel slips off it's neck but Matt gets it again. They try to cut it's head with the other shovel but there are still bricks in the way.They use the shovel to move some bricks. Snake is VERY mad and wiggling and coiling and all the stuff mad snakes do!
They get a little more room and have it against a brick. They try the straight shovel again but it obviously isn't sharp because the snake is still alive. It is trying to get away from Matt with the rounded shovel and he is holding it.
Matt:"Pete do you have a knife on you?"
Pete: "No don't you?"
Matt: "No!"
But, goodness, they are standing on a pile of bricks so Peter grabs one and throws it at it's head which made it REALLY happy I'm sure!
They finally just start jabbing at it with the straight shovel while holding it with the rounded one.Jenn is still in the background yelling "kill it! Is it dead yet? Kill it!"
The snake is bleeding and slow. They pick it up with the shovel.
Pete: "Wow that was a lot bigger than I thought!"
The took it to the alley and tried to cut it's head off there. Needless to say none of my shovels are sharp so this took quite some time. In the meantime, Devon showed up because he and Pete are going to the movie. He just watches, though.
Jenn : "can I jab it"
Both boys "NO!"
They finally got the head off.
Matt took it and threw it over by the railroad tracks.
Pete picked up the body. It was about 2 1/2 to 3 ft long. He threw the body over by the tracks.
Jenn: "Did you throw it on the tracks? Then a train can really smash it!"
Matt:" Here's the shovel, I'm going inside."
Pete: "I've got to wash the snake blood off my legs before I can go to McCook."
Me: "Thanks boys"
Just another conversation at the Holmes'!
I was outside working in the yard last night picking up bricks from a pile and stacking them nicely. (It has needed done for QUITE a while now!)I reached down and picked one up and underneath it, curled up, was a snake. Being the good mom that I am, I ran in the house and hollered for the boys to get shoes on and come outside. Jenn came out of her room asking what was going on. I told her to get back in her room and told the boys to hurry up and to grab a shovel. She said "There's a snake out there isn't there?" I said "Just stay in your room." She is TERRIBLY afraid of snakes, won't even watch them on TV. Of course she started getting upset because this was out by where she parks her car!!
Matt grabs a shovel, Pete is getting his shoes on and we head to the brick pile. The following is the conversation:
Pete: "Don't kill it!! I'll just move it!"
Matt: "Whatever"
Me: "There it is!"
Matt: "We can't get the shovel in there, we'll have to move some bricks"
Pete: "OHHH it's just a little things, I can pick it up!"
Matt: "It will bite you!"
Pete: "I'll grab it's tail, it's right there"
Snake moves.
Pete, Matt and me: Hurry! It's getting away! get it!It's going in the bricks!
It goes and goes!
Pete:"It's bigger than I thought!"
Stab! Jab! too may bricks to get it.
Jen: "Did you kill it?"
Matt: "Not yet"
Jenn: "I am trading one of you parking places!"
All: Where is it? Where did it go?
Pete and Matt think it went this way. Matt is on the brick pile.
Pete: "Matt start moving bricks!"
Matt starts throwing bricks saying "If that thing comes at me I'm killing it!"
Pete: "No! It's just a bull snake, not very old. I'll move it. They eat mice and will keep rattlesnakes away."
Matt: "I don't care, if it tries to bite me I'm killing it"
Jenn: "Kill it! Kill it!"
Jenn is standing on the basketball hoop base.
Can't find it. "Did it get away?" Keep Looking!
"There it is" Don't kill it" Kill it" Matt jabs it's head with the rounded shovel but can't keep it still.
"Somebody go grab the flat shovel"
I go running to get it and my flip flop flies off so I am running hopping to the shed but need to hurry before it gets away again. In the background Jenn is yelling to kill it.
I grab the shovel and run/hop back and hand it to Peter. The snake is mad and hissing. The shovel round shovel slips off it's neck but Matt gets it again. They try to cut it's head with the other shovel but there are still bricks in the way.They use the shovel to move some bricks. Snake is VERY mad and wiggling and coiling and all the stuff mad snakes do!
They get a little more room and have it against a brick. They try the straight shovel again but it obviously isn't sharp because the snake is still alive. It is trying to get away from Matt with the rounded shovel and he is holding it.
Matt:"Pete do you have a knife on you?"
Pete: "No don't you?"
Matt: "No!"
But, goodness, they are standing on a pile of bricks so Peter grabs one and throws it at it's head which made it REALLY happy I'm sure!
They finally just start jabbing at it with the straight shovel while holding it with the rounded one.Jenn is still in the background yelling "kill it! Is it dead yet? Kill it!"
The snake is bleeding and slow. They pick it up with the shovel.
Pete: "Wow that was a lot bigger than I thought!"
The took it to the alley and tried to cut it's head off there. Needless to say none of my shovels are sharp so this took quite some time. In the meantime, Devon showed up because he and Pete are going to the movie. He just watches, though.
Jenn : "can I jab it"
Both boys "NO!"
They finally got the head off.
Matt took it and threw it over by the railroad tracks.
Pete picked up the body. It was about 2 1/2 to 3 ft long. He threw the body over by the tracks.
Jenn: "Did you throw it on the tracks? Then a train can really smash it!"
Matt:" Here's the shovel, I'm going inside."
Pete: "I've got to wash the snake blood off my legs before I can go to McCook."
Me: "Thanks boys"
Just another conversation at the Holmes'!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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