A lot to share with you this afternoon. You might grab a cup of tea or coffee or a nice tall glass of lemonade, depending on your weather and your local...and your desire to read. :)
We are back home and thankful. Superman flew off to save the world first thing this morning. His lunch was all ready, and his clothes laid out the night before, and after our morning prayer together, he let his sleepy wifey, sleep in!
Our kiddos mowed the yard and put up the rest of the bead board in the living room while we were gone. I am thankful for that! They are good kiddos! (Alright, alright, I did drop a few hints...ahem...or suggestions about possibly getting those jobs done...) But, still they did it, and it was great! Now just to paint that bead board white! Shocker, I know.
I am also very thankful to have had a weekend away with my husband while our kiddos were safe. We needed some time just for us. It was nothing short of magical. The scenery was truly breathtaking on that little Katy trail. We saw countless Indigo Buntings, Cardinals, a few Goldfinches, a Majestic Blue Heron, a large variety of lovely song birds,rabbits, groundhogs, a nasty Copperhead and a few other friendly snakes (my bestie will doubt that). Just all in all so lovely! We stayed at a historic hotel, Hotel Franklin (I think I said the wrong name before) in Booneville, MO. and a wonderful historic Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson City, MO, both right off the Katy trail. We talked, laughed, sweated, I wrecked...had icecream and other treats, went to a show, played disc golf. Just really nice. But this post is not all lightheartedness.
Back to our kiddos. We made safe and good plans for them all while we were gone. By safe, I mean both physically and spiritually. The most horrific things have been occurring lately, of both a spiritual and physical nature, among people we know, both Christian and non~Christian alike and it makes me double my efforts to protect my children.
I realize, at times, that by the things I write, life may sound like a breeze, but that is rarely the case. When I write about good things, it's because life is good, even when rotten things are going on. We actually had the most heart breaking news on our way out of town for our Anniversary. It was hard to shake all weekend. My heart felt/feels heavy, hurt, sick. But Superman and I set our minds to try and enjoy our time together. We know what a precious gift marriage is. We knew our kiddos were safe. They stayed with Christian friends we trust, with no tv or computer time unsupervised (none at all actually). They were at work, youth rally or Christian friend overnights, all watching out for each other, all knowing God and Faithful parents were watching over them.
I don't mind sounding a little overly cautious. You may think me paranoid, but I don't mind. It's so important that we do our best to protect our children, even, or especially our teenage ones. Yes, they have to grow strong, and they have to make choices on their own. But they need the shelter, guidance and protection of their parents as they learn to use those freedoms. It needs to be rooted deeply in their hearts that God is with them always. It should be both a comfort in trials and an uncomfortable thought when temptation strikes them to do wrong. So, when we are gone, we have spies and lots of them. It keeps our kiddos safe, and on their toes. You don't have to agree. On Judgment Day, God isn't going to ask you to give an account for MY parenting. I will have to do that on my own! ;)
I joke and laugh and make light, because that's how God wired me. It's just who I am, how I live and love. But all joking aside, I write today because I can NOT stress to you enough how changeable life is. Another awful event in a long string of awful events happened on Thursday. I can not, I will not share the details here. I'm not being dramatic. It involves an innocent life accidentally ended. It is horrific and soul shaking. And it is one more wake up call to me, to share with you. No matter how tightly you try to hold onto this life, it slips through your fingers like a mist. Cancer strikes, unfaithfulness strikes, death strikes both young and old alike. One minute someone you love is here, and the next they're gone.
Sure I wanted to share our trip news. Praise my kiddos and dear hubby. But there is more. I have ever so much more on my mind today, dear friends. I write today, hoping to sway you, hoping to encourage you. Hoping you will see the importance of getting your life right with God. Of doing the best you can to show deep, agape, self sacrificing love to others. NOW before it is too late. You may not have another day yourself. Or your loved ones may not. THAT'S what life is about. Don't wait to get your life in order. And don't give up due to all the horrible battles you are facing. This life just isn't about things getting easier. It's about gathering strength for the fight and giving strength to those who have none right now. It's about obeying God and trusting in Him, His word and His church to get you through. It's about enjoying your weekend with Superman, laughing and hugging and kissing and cuddling, even though death and sadness are trying to beat down the door of your heart/mind because you KNOW that this old life is going to keep being hard. It just is.
Let's get a few things straight between us. Being right with God is NOT a feeling. It's not doing what your parents have always told you to do, or doing what your momma and daddy always did, and their parents before them. It's about true Un~denominational (not non~ denominational we accept all denominations) Christianity. Your salvation is not just something you should trust to "I think I'm ok." or to someone else's opinion! Study His word!!! So many people think they are just fine.MOST people don't think twice about God, about denominationalism, about how they all claim different roads to salvation but they CAN NOT all possibly be right!
KNOWING whether or not you are saved comes about by reading His word, obeying His word and living His word. Hearing, believing Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, the Holy son Of the Almighty God, it's about repenting of yous sins (completely turning away from them and not going back into them again), confessing that Jesus is the Christ and your belief and commitment to live for Him. It's about being baptized (fully immersed in the water) to wash away those sins, to put to death that old person/sinner you were and to raise up again a new person, one ready to live a faithful life for Christ. It's about starting today to dig and DIG DEEP (as my dear hubby would say) to be sure of where you will spend eternity.
Getting yourself right with God is NOT a state of mind. It's action, commitment and work. And it just needs to be done so badly. You just do not know if you have tomorrow. I never would have believed two years ago that my twenty seven year old sister in law would be gone now, that a baby, just turned 13 months with no health issues, would be gone. That a friend and cyclist in perfect non smoking healthy condition, would be gone.
Gone. That means no more time to get it right.
This post publishes both on my blog and my facebook. I love you, my friends. I wrote to share with you about our life. About our weekend, and the good fun times we have in our family. But I wrote to share more with you.
You many think of yourself as a close friend, a family member, or just as an acquaintance of mine. But if you're on my friends list, I love you, and I pray for you. And I ask you to examine your life next to God's word, and get it right.
We are back home and thankful. Superman flew off to save the world first thing this morning. His lunch was all ready, and his clothes laid out the night before, and after our morning prayer together, he let his sleepy wifey, sleep in!
Our kiddos mowed the yard and put up the rest of the bead board in the living room while we were gone. I am thankful for that! They are good kiddos! (Alright, alright, I did drop a few hints...ahem...or suggestions about possibly getting those jobs done...) But, still they did it, and it was great! Now just to paint that bead board white! Shocker, I know.
I am also very thankful to have had a weekend away with my husband while our kiddos were safe. We needed some time just for us. It was nothing short of magical. The scenery was truly breathtaking on that little Katy trail. We saw countless Indigo Buntings, Cardinals, a few Goldfinches, a Majestic Blue Heron, a large variety of lovely song birds,rabbits, groundhogs, a nasty Copperhead and a few other friendly snakes (my bestie will doubt that). Just all in all so lovely! We stayed at a historic hotel, Hotel Franklin (I think I said the wrong name before) in Booneville, MO. and a wonderful historic Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson City, MO, both right off the Katy trail. We talked, laughed, sweated, I wrecked...had icecream and other treats, went to a show, played disc golf. Just really nice. But this post is not all lightheartedness.
Back to our kiddos. We made safe and good plans for them all while we were gone. By safe, I mean both physically and spiritually. The most horrific things have been occurring lately, of both a spiritual and physical nature, among people we know, both Christian and non~Christian alike and it makes me double my efforts to protect my children.
I realize, at times, that by the things I write, life may sound like a breeze, but that is rarely the case. When I write about good things, it's because life is good, even when rotten things are going on. We actually had the most heart breaking news on our way out of town for our Anniversary. It was hard to shake all weekend. My heart felt/feels heavy, hurt, sick. But Superman and I set our minds to try and enjoy our time together. We know what a precious gift marriage is. We knew our kiddos were safe. They stayed with Christian friends we trust, with no tv or computer time unsupervised (none at all actually). They were at work, youth rally or Christian friend overnights, all watching out for each other, all knowing God and Faithful parents were watching over them.
I don't mind sounding a little overly cautious. You may think me paranoid, but I don't mind. It's so important that we do our best to protect our children, even, or especially our teenage ones. Yes, they have to grow strong, and they have to make choices on their own. But they need the shelter, guidance and protection of their parents as they learn to use those freedoms. It needs to be rooted deeply in their hearts that God is with them always. It should be both a comfort in trials and an uncomfortable thought when temptation strikes them to do wrong. So, when we are gone, we have spies and lots of them. It keeps our kiddos safe, and on their toes. You don't have to agree. On Judgment Day, God isn't going to ask you to give an account for MY parenting. I will have to do that on my own! ;)
I joke and laugh and make light, because that's how God wired me. It's just who I am, how I live and love. But all joking aside, I write today because I can NOT stress to you enough how changeable life is. Another awful event in a long string of awful events happened on Thursday. I can not, I will not share the details here. I'm not being dramatic. It involves an innocent life accidentally ended. It is horrific and soul shaking. And it is one more wake up call to me, to share with you. No matter how tightly you try to hold onto this life, it slips through your fingers like a mist. Cancer strikes, unfaithfulness strikes, death strikes both young and old alike. One minute someone you love is here, and the next they're gone.
Sure I wanted to share our trip news. Praise my kiddos and dear hubby. But there is more. I have ever so much more on my mind today, dear friends. I write today, hoping to sway you, hoping to encourage you. Hoping you will see the importance of getting your life right with God. Of doing the best you can to show deep, agape, self sacrificing love to others. NOW before it is too late. You may not have another day yourself. Or your loved ones may not. THAT'S what life is about. Don't wait to get your life in order. And don't give up due to all the horrible battles you are facing. This life just isn't about things getting easier. It's about gathering strength for the fight and giving strength to those who have none right now. It's about obeying God and trusting in Him, His word and His church to get you through. It's about enjoying your weekend with Superman, laughing and hugging and kissing and cuddling, even though death and sadness are trying to beat down the door of your heart/mind because you KNOW that this old life is going to keep being hard. It just is.
Let's get a few things straight between us. Being right with God is NOT a feeling. It's not doing what your parents have always told you to do, or doing what your momma and daddy always did, and their parents before them. It's about true Un~denominational (not non~ denominational we accept all denominations) Christianity. Your salvation is not just something you should trust to "I think I'm ok." or to someone else's opinion! Study His word!!! So many people think they are just fine.MOST people don't think twice about God, about denominationalism, about how they all claim different roads to salvation but they CAN NOT all possibly be right!
KNOWING whether or not you are saved comes about by reading His word, obeying His word and living His word. Hearing, believing Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, the Holy son Of the Almighty God, it's about repenting of yous sins (completely turning away from them and not going back into them again), confessing that Jesus is the Christ and your belief and commitment to live for Him. It's about being baptized (fully immersed in the water) to wash away those sins, to put to death that old person/sinner you were and to raise up again a new person, one ready to live a faithful life for Christ. It's about starting today to dig and DIG DEEP (as my dear hubby would say) to be sure of where you will spend eternity.
Getting yourself right with God is NOT a state of mind. It's action, commitment and work. And it just needs to be done so badly. You just do not know if you have tomorrow. I never would have believed two years ago that my twenty seven year old sister in law would be gone now, that a baby, just turned 13 months with no health issues, would be gone. That a friend and cyclist in perfect non smoking healthy condition, would be gone.
Gone. That means no more time to get it right.
This post publishes both on my blog and my facebook. I love you, my friends. I wrote to share with you about our life. About our weekend, and the good fun times we have in our family. But I wrote to share more with you.
You many think of yourself as a close friend, a family member, or just as an acquaintance of mine. But if you're on my friends list, I love you, and I pray for you. And I ask you to examine your life next to God's word, and get it right.
Love,
marie and Superman
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