Bread

http://edfernandezdatsme.wordpress.com/2012/08/

Jesus is the Bread of Life.  We celebrate the sacrifice He made for us by breaking bread.  As we break bread this week at Thanksgiving and at any meal...may we come to him first giving THANKS.  We are truly blessed to be parents of two sons.  I could not imagine giving one up on the cross for others.  God did that.  We are beyond blessed by this sacrifice of love.

I truly enjoy our family table blessings.  We give thanks.  Children too.  We get some surprising and reluctant prayers at times...however, I am so grateful that we have a father at our table who talks to THE FATHER.  My husband is leading by example, and our children watch us.  Addison and I enjoyed a mother-son morning adventure walk-run yesterday.  He was so cute along the way.  He packed Legos in his cargo pants, wielded a plastic ninja sword (prepared for anything), and took an index card drawn with a "map."  He lost the map along the way, but he smiled toward the end of the walk saying, "I'm glad I lost the map.  It would not have taken me this way.  Thanks mom for showing me the way."

We are constantly showing others the way.  What way do we show them?  I pray that we show them that we appreciate life, and that we know the Father.  God is the ultimate gift, and when we have Him...we are truly FULL.

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
-Melody Beattie

This quote is beautifully written.  I love her words.  Gratitude does make us more full in heart, mind, and Spirit.  

God wants us to worship Him, follow His commands, and share the Love of Christ with others.  When we have the Spirit of Christ in our hearts we have enough.  He turns our hearts into vessels that can be filled again and again by experiences in each day we live.  

We live in a BIG world with a BIG God.  I hope that in the days ahead we pause to see His blessings for what they are.  My gratitude is constantly tested as I look at all the "stuff" of life and want more.  We have plenty.  We are blessed.  Thank you God for reminding me to be content.  

YOU are enough.

Being the Right Person

http://deseretbook.com/Success-Marriage-5x5-Plaque-P-Graham-Dunn/i/5084217

This quote struck me this morning as I browsed on Pinterest. Wilfred Arlen Petersen was the author of the quote.  My friend informed me of this through a comment on Pinterest.  She had this said at their marriage.  How fitting.

I wrote about marriage yesterday, and today it felt fitting to follow up.

Marriage is a huge venture, and it is one that God blesses.  This weekend we will attend the wedding of a good friend.  I look forward to watching her and her family celebrate this special occasion.  She and her fiance are excited.  People will be driving and flying in for the special event.  A marriage will happen.  A life journey will begin.  I pray for this couple and for my own marriage this morning...

Dear God,
Help us to BE the right person for our spouse.  We fall in love, and we need to continue falling in love.
The days and years can be long.  Seemingly short at other times.  Help us to perfect ourselves according to Your measure.

You created my spouse and me.  Help us to stay close to You.  Give us strength, courage, faith, and love.  Help us forgive when we forget your will and go astray.  Encourage us with your Word, with prayer, and with fellow Believers.

We are made in Your image.  Help us to be everything you planned and hoped we could be.
One day at a time, may we look to You.
Thank you for your love, our world, and for marriage.
Amen.

  

God Given...

I am thankful to have shared a wonderful weekend away with Daniel this past weekend.  We traveled back to the Bahamas via ship instead of plane.  Ten years ago we were married, and we honeymooned in the Bahamas.  It is a beautiful place, and a wonderful place to celebrate God's creation of natural things and human beings.  We are still in love, and we are strengthened by God in loving, serving, and forgiving one another.
I say things and do things I should not, and both God and Daniel are patient and loving with me.  I am a natural born sinner, selfish to the core.  I am working on that daily with God's help.  We bow down to Him who makes us humble.  I pray that our boys will find their God chosen soul mate one day as we have found ours.

Free

 I have watched and listened to families choose joy amidst the sorrow.  Presently, our family is in a season of peace.  Do you daily choose joy?  We are free to choose our mood, our actions, and our path each day.
I pray for others daily, thank God for his grace and peace.  Please join me. 


“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.” Ephesians 1:9-10 MSG


 

Giving and Growing

This John Deere power wheels was given to us by our sweet neighbors in Kansas, Manya and Tim.  They found it road side...ready for the trash.  They gave it to us.  Daniel bought a new gear box and new tires for it, and it has now made it through two more kid drivers.  Addison our older son drove it in Kansas when he was 4-5 years old.  Now, Bryan, age 3 is taking the driver's seat.  We threatened to sell the vehicle last week, but the boys quickly took it from the back of the garage untouched to charging mode and on the road!  They are using it again which is great!  Now, our younger son has grown into it.  He can reach the pedals to drive independently.   How fun!

He personally made it even more fun to watch by loading pumpkins carefully into the rear cargo area.  He then drove around the block and visited neighbors making them smile.  Neighbors whose children have grown, and he brought smiles to many including himself!  God is so amazing.  He turns trash into treasure.

We must treasure these little moments as we give thanks to those who give and watch as children and we grow.  God does that.  He gives us the hearts that want to give and the bodies that continue to grow.  Like it or not, we all age a little every day and night.


Found this sweet scripture quote and photo on Pinterest.  The link is here: http://www.contentedsparrow.com/2012/09/live-always-with-him-printable.html

"Megan", the author of that blog, has a printable of it if you wish to print it and hang it up!  I may just do that!
I love the morning time, and I'm thankful to begin the day with worship.  I hope you feel His presence today through giving and growth!  

Dull Women

I really liked this quote that I found on Pinterest: "Dull women have immaculate homes." 
It is so true.  Most women do not have immaculate homes, and if they do they are likely old, young, or possibly a bit dull!  Our house is full of messes big and small.  I actually am proud of it at times because I recognize that we are living life.  We have two young boys, and they are having fun most of the time!  We entered our neighbor's home last night for an impromptu visit.  They have nearly one year old triplets.  Wow!  Watching that household work at dinner time was precious.  They have a system.  Their mom is organized, and their dad pitches in too.  Their house is clean but not immaculate.  She apologized for little bits of scattered things.  I smiled and told her not to worry.  Come over to our house.  She insisted that mine is clean.  It isn't!  I told her to come over more often.  We often strive to be perfect versus real.  Here's to hoping that my friends and family walk through our door and see that we are keeping it real at our house, and that we are anything but dull.

To the dull mind all nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light. --Ralph Waldo Emerson


Here's to hoping our homes and minds are anything but dull!  Let the weekend begin!