A New Morning

How great is our God? His Mercies are new every morning!!

As I sat at the table tying to do my bible study this morning my mind kept drifting and my eyes wondered to the sky. As the sun started to rise and paint it red, I was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Instead of bible study I felt the Lord calling me. So I opened my bible and asked the Lord to show me what he had for me today.  I have "go to" books I like to read, rarely is it in the old testament, but this morning I just opened and let it be. I hope to encourage you in what he shared with me this morning!

Lamentations 3:v22-23 "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  I love how our creator loves us, and yesterday doesn't matter! He is faithful and forgave me of my sins.  He gave us this new morning!

v.24 "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  Do you wait for Him?  I know we are a people of "I want it right now."  We want our food to be quick. We drive fast, are rude and cut each other off. I know I want my desk to be done, like yesterday!! We are just not patient people. We pray and want it answered. Do you have something you've been asking God for and are still waiting on? Are you waiting on a child to find Jesus, or come back? We probably all have a loved ones who don't know and we are praying for. The thing I've learned is he did answer; sometimes it's a, "not right now." If the Lord is my portion, I will wait on him. I don't see the whole picture, I don't know what he is doing in the hearts of those around me. I put my hope and trust in him, because in vs.25-26 it says, "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." 

Salvation is His. It's about Him. If we consistently focus on the Lord and what we have been saved from, it's there you find your joy. We get so caught up in ourselves; what going on in our life, in today, what's on the calendar. Do you stop at some point in the day? go into a closet? wait for the Lord to speak to you? v.28 "Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord had laid it on him." Turn off your radio while driving when you're alone, look at the clouds, the bird in the sky. There's beauty in the handiwork of God all around you. Especially as spring is in the air, green grass starts to spread through the fields and flowers start to pop up. It's there He will talk to your heart.

Be still, listen and be patient!!

Life as a kindergartner

I love teaching these here Griffin boys and watching them light up when they finally get it!

I wish I could say that were the case for the big smile on Joel's face, but...  Here's the real story. All of Joel's fives looks like S's. So today I showed him- draw a short straight line down, half circle, then give it a hat. He was stuck on the hat! He would do the line, then jump up to the top to give it a hat. About the third time of "try it again" he was still jumping to the hat without a the half circle. So I said, "Joel, you forgot its butt!" He laughed so hard!! But he now knows how to write his 5's! Yay for my big kindergartner!

Alive in Christ

I have found a new life verse! I have read through Ephesians before, but this time there was a passage that really stuck out and made my soul jump for joy!! I encourage you to go read the whole passage later!

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.

I just love, "HE IS RICH IN MERCY," all because he loves us! Can you believe God loves us more than we love our own children? He does.  I wish I could fully grasp that kind of love here on earth.  I love my husband and children more than anyone or anything in the world! I think of times, though, when they argue and backtalk-- I just want to leave them right where they stand, walk into another room, and forget about them for a few minutes.  Or say, "Go tell it to your dad!" God loves us so much that he won't ever turn his back on us or walk away! Aren't you so thankful for that? I am. I so wish I had THAT kind of love! Striving for holiness one day at a time.  Even though I will never get there in this earthly body, I am so thankful he is rich in mercy!!!

Happy Monday! Hope you have a great week!!

Johnny's Epiphany

Did you know tomorrow we're going to have an excellent day? Because I already prayed for us and God told my heart He would help us.

This is what I heard come out of the mouth of my oldest tonight as I went in to give hugs, kisses, prayers, lullabies, and what ever else they think they can squeeze out of me. It makes my heart swell!! I have no doubts that we will probably have a great and blessed day, because my childlike faith son prayed it to be!

As I started to walk out of the room, Johnny started to describing how I looked like Two-Face on Batman. "Boys," I thought. He explained that one side of my face was dark, and the light from the hallway shone on the other side and made it light. He went on to explain how it made him think of good versus evil. "We have to choose the light because the dark is always there, too, waiting to block out the light." It seems simple, but it was an epiphany for my almost ten year old. Then, it started to go into Star Wars and the force of the dark side.  Too much to go into detail... Boys, though, right?!?

Before going  to bed I asked if he'd like me to pray with him, and of course- anything to keep me in there longer, he said sure.  I started to pray that the Lord would help Johnny put on the Full Armor of God. As I prayed over each part, I could see his interest starting to peak. Boy, was he full of questions after I said amen.  This week we are going to start a study of Ephesians 6. And for an entire week focus on one part of the armor- until we have done all six.

I urge you to start your day out praying for the Lord to help you put on the full armor of God.  We can't be like Christ if we don't start out our day with Christ.  

First tooth

Justin, 7 years old, FINALLY lost his first tooth! After brushing tonight I was inspecting his job, and I noticed the adult tooth coming in under. He was not happy about momma touching his tooth, but I told him it had to come out to give the big tooth room to come in. He agreed to let me try. One pull, and walla! After a few tears, now he's one happy camper!

Mighty Warriors in the making...

Went on a walk today with all these boys! It's funny how a sticks transform into swords, guns, and knives.

I don't know how God could give his only Son for all the sinners of the world. I know I couldn't. What a blessing these boys are in our life!

Motherhood

I'm kind of a big deal... I'm Johnny, Justin, and Joel's mom. God chose me!! I'm not perfect and it doesn't matter- they love me anyway!

Grace, grace, God's grace... It's the only way.