Dead End Road

Is there a word for the kind of heartache that steals your breath away? Robs you of precious sleep? The kind that invades your thoughts and dreams? Makes you weep from the depths of your soul?

I don’t know the word, but I know the feeling. I know what it means to sob even when there are no more tears. Yes, that kind. Yet I will praise the Lord. I will…

“…The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
~ Job 1:21b

A few years ago, the Lord gave us a vision, a hope, a promise, and a dream that we had never even imagined. We prayed and fasted…and prayed some more. Is this really what God wants for us?? His confirmation was so clear, His hand firmly directing us down a road we had never considered before He placed it on our hearts.

Like any good traveler, we prepared for the trip. We considered what we might encounter along the way, what we might need, and we trusted the Lord to equip us…and He did. He provided trusted, experienced guides to advise and encourage us. He gave us plentiful opportunities to learn more about our destination. He calmed the fears that would sneak up on us when we least expected and gave us a peace like no other.

For a few years now we’ve been traveling down this road. And then we woke up one morning this week to find out we were lost. We’d hit a dead end. What we thought was God’s plan for us was harshly stripped away…leaving us searching for answers that may never come this side of heaven.

I know that the Lord is still with us, that He will never leave us. He is still on the Throne. He still reigns. And I will go wherever He sends me next.

Though my heart aches, I will still sing his praises…
how can I not?

Hibernation

…*stre-e-etch*…

…*ya-a-awn*…blink-blink…

…*sigh*… “ah, that’s better.”

I feel like I just woke up from a long winter’s nap…only it was summer! Okay, so I didn’t really sleep all summer (gee, wouldn’t that be interesting?), but I did take a much needed break from a number of commitments. Some good, some not-so-good. School, home, health, the list goes on. Why? Well, let’s just say it was part of some pruning God was doing in my life, only I didn’t necessarily know it at the time!

School

Our homeschool endeavor was pluggin’ along last spring, looking like we’d wrap it up “on time” at the end of May. Of course, I didn’t take into account how much we ♥ our history curriculum OR how much progress my children were making in their math program. When we finished both the 1st week of May, we decided to call it quits early (reward? yes!) since we always school year-round. I knew I could never get them started in the next books if we couldn’t keep going. So, there you have it~ Early Summer!

what I learned:

Never say never…or always.

We did not school year-round this year. In fact, Plan B was to just skip our “summer school” and start our new school year the beginning of August. That would have been great, if we weren’t packing to move…

HOME

Oh, didn’t I mention that we sold our house??
After much prayer and multiple attempts to refinance or modify our loan every which way imaginable, we strongly felt God leading us to sell our home. Huge leap of faith here, since we have so many friends here locally, trying to do the same thing, and they’re still sitting in their homes…waiting…over a year (or two!) later. We were also in the process of trying to adopt, which could/would also be a lengthy process. Knowing all of that, we chose to trust God, and in April we listed our home.

One month later, we got an offer with a request to close escrow the end of August.

Back and forth, the negotiations went between our banks and realtors, and then…silence.

No word for over a month. It was July and we didn’t know whether to pack or start looking for a new place to live. Then August came…We finally got the thumbs up! The banks accepted the offer and we were going to *gasp!* close on time! The rush to pack and find a house left our family in a whirlwind of chaos.

What I learned:

God ONLY has a perfect plan and it is EXACTLY what you need. TRUST!

Wouldn’t you know it? God had it all perfectly planned out. He had the perfect home just waiting for us. (More on that another day!)

HEALTH

Normally, our summers consist of planting, tending, and harvesting a vegetable garden. We did plant one this spring, expecting that we would still be in our house in the fall (silly us!) to harvest it. We did get some early cukes and berries, but I was a bit sad to abandon my tomatoes and squash! Oh well, at least they’ll be blessing the next guy’s table!

We were SO busy and eventually our good, wholesome, nutrient-dense diet went down the drain. (It’s called really called “laziness”, but I’m working on forgiving myself and being nice!)

What I learned:

Healthy food makes for healthy bodies. No exceptions. Eat well, Thank God!

Now that we are settled into our new place, we are working to remedy that! What a blessing to discover a friend from church was planning to kiss-her-garden-goodbye since she’d be gone for 3 weeks. This is only half of what my boys and I picked last week!  Praise the Lord for His Perfect Provision…again!

 

So, as you can see, I wasn’t really hibernating. Quite the opposite actually! (Hibernation’s sounding pretty good right about now!) I’ve missed sharing my Blessed Season with y’all, but a break was absolutely necessary.

Dare I say, “Welcome Back”? ☺

Wonderful Discovery

Every now and then you discover something quite wonderful. Today was one of those days...

A couple weeks ago, my younger son wrapped up this school year with a report on owls. He really wanted to dissect an owl pellet, but at the time, we didn't have the money to order one. We checked out a local business here, Bugs R Us, that puts on bug presentations (and other critters). It just so happened that they would be offering OWL workshops this summer at our libraries…for FREE!! We checked the dates, marked our calendar, and anxiously waited…

Today was the day!

We learned a few new facts and were able to see a plaster cast of an owl’s razor-sharp talons, touch the silky-soft down feathers, and see a taxidermied barn owl that had been hit by a car but made a beautiful model for our study. Then the gloves, tweezers and magnifying glasses were passed out and we were each given a real owl pellet. We discovered very quickly that they were easy to pull apart…too easy. My son broke a skull in half almost as soon as we started. The pictures above are from his plate and mine. I had 2 skulls in my pellet. In the bottom right corner, you’ll see a large rodent head complete with yellowed teeth, and to the right of it, a smaller skull. It was disgusting, but oh…so…cool!

Creator God,
Thank you that we can see your handiwork up close and catch a glimpse of your perfect plan for Creation.

“O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures…

These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”  -Psalm 104:24, 27-28

Who?

Look "whooo" we saw on our walk through the cemetary last night. ☺



Convinced Vs. Convicted

There are a few recurring themes in my life right now. I know that when my Heavenly Father repeats a lesson, it is because he wants me to learn something from it, for my benefit...to His Glory. I also know that I can be a little slow to catch on sometimes...and stubborn. Thankfully, I also know that my Father is patient with me, loves me like no other, and will walk me through it and give me wisdom to understand it.

Two days ago, I had a conversation with a loved one that brought me to tears. I know that this person loves me and wants whats best for me, but I am trusting that God, who loves me more, knows what is best for me...even when I don't understand it.

Who am I to argue with God?

There are several areas of my life that this particular loved one does not understand.

How do you explain something you scarcely understand yourself?

I did not set out to homeschool my children...but God called me to it.

I did not set out to adopt more children...but God placed in my heart.

I did not set out to move away from family and friends...but God...well, God did.

I was not convinced to do these things, I was (and am) convicted. My obedience to the LORD and his will for me is paramount to all other "reasoning", and my heart's desire is to please the LORD.

I love to pick apart words and better understand their meaning. Here is what stuck out to me today:

con·vince (kn-vns)

tr.v. con·vinced, con·vinc·ing, con·vinc·es

1. To bring by the use of argument or evidence to firm belief or a course of action. To persuade.

2. To prove to be wrong or guilty.

3. To conquer; overpower.

con·vict (kn-vkt)

v. con·vict·ed, con·vict·ing, con·victs

v.tr.

1. Law To find or prove (someone) guilty of an offense or crime, especially by the verdict of a court: The jury convicted the defendant of manslaughter.

2. To show or declare to be blameworthy; condemn: His remarks convicted him of a lack of sensitivity.

3. To make aware of one's sinfulness or guilt.

I was not "strong-armed" into any of these things. My Loving Father brought me to them, firmly and gently, and he lovingly showed me His plan for me. He has promised to love me always, be with me always, guide me and give me wisdom. The declaration of His love for me is all I need. I have all I need in Him alone. I have ALL I need in Him alone. I have all I NEED in Him alone. I have all I need in HIM alone. Yes...Yes, I do.

No amount of "proof" or "evidence", no amount of arguing or reasoning, can convince me that I should ignore what God has called me to. Anything other than total submission to His will for me is disobedience. No matter how hard. No matter the challenge. No matter the impossibility. I know that whatever God has called me to, He will equip me for the days ahead.

I will press into Him alone...my constant companion.

Production

A friend shared this verse with me this morning. She could not have known the extent of my present trials and sufferings, any more than she could have guessed my physical and emotional pain.

But God knew...

It is so easy to want to run and hide when the going gets tough...finding a (false) sense of shelter and protection when I pull the covers back over my head. When that is not possible, I tend to seek distractions...finding comfort in my vices and self-inflicted commotion.

But God has a better plan for me...

I will rejoice.

I will not quit.

I will find my shelter in God alone.

I will seek God with all my heart.
And I will allow Him to produce His Will in my life.

All to the glory of God alone.

P4S~ DAY 21 Humility

Dearest Mothers of Sons,

Today concludes our 21 day prayer challenge. I’m so thankful for this time of dedicated prayer for my sons. I hope you have been blessed as well.

As you pray for your sons today, pray and ask God to give you at least three specific things that you can pray every day for your sons as a result of this study. Also, I would love to hear how this prayer challenge went for you and if there is any way I can continue to pray for you.

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DAY 21 ACTION STEPS 

READ | Read through “The Power of Forgiveness” (pg. 42-43) and work through any (or all) of the Study Questions that enhance your time in this challenge!

PRAY | Work through the 10 prayers on Honesty (pg. 44) and the 10 Prayers on Humility (pg. 45) using whatever method works best for you!

COMMENT | As we wrap things up, please take a moment to share how this prayer challenge has impacted your heart and the hearts of your warriors! What prayer topic hit home the hardest or where did you see God’s hand move in your home? We love to hear how He is working in the lives of our sisters! Blessings, Dear Ones.

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Day Twenty-One – Humility
Encouragement from Brooke

It's day twenty-one.
The LAST day of your prayer challenge. Are you a mixture of relieved and sad all at the same time? What an accomplishment! (What an amazing amount of work!) If you're finishing today you deserve a pat on the back! Think of all the work that has been done on behalf of your sons! Congrats mom!
You might've noticed that there are actually twenty-two prayers in the Warrior Prayers eBook. I chose humility as our last day's topic because it is such an amazing posture of the heart. Scripture just seems to scream God's favor over those who are humble in heart.
• James 4:10 says that if we're humble before the Lord, He will lift us up.
• 1 Peter 5:6 says that if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God He will exalt us.
• Most importantly, in Psalm 149:4 we find that it is the humble who are adorned with salvation.
Do you see that? A humble heart is required for salvation. Just as Jesus humbled Himself unto the cross, we must admit that we're sinners, admit that our own way isn't the right way, and humbly ask for forgiveness before salvation comes.
Do you show humility before your sons? Do you always have to be right? Always have to win? Pray and ask the Lord for specific ways you can show humility today so that when the time comes, your sons will know how to show it too.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." ~Ephesians 4:2

Humility
May__________humble himself before the Lord, and be exalted (James 4:10).
May__________humble himself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt him (1 Peter 5:6).
May God give grace to__________as he humbles himself (James 4:6).
If__________who is called by My Name humbles himself, and prays and seeks My Face and turns from his wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive this sin and heal his land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Lord, lead the humble in what is right, and teach__________Your way (Psalm 25:9).
May__________have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8).
May__________take God’s yoke upon him, and learn from Him, for He is gentle and lowly in heart, and__________will find rest for his soul (Matthew 11:29).
May the LORD take pleasure in__________, and adorn the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4).
May__________have all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with others in love (Ephesians 4:2).
May__________be subject to the elders. May he clothe himself with humility toward others, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).