"as strong as Jesus mom?"

I was making my husband a cappuccino last night. The kids were watching me make it and very much like kids asking a ton of questions. "Why is that coffee so black?" I tell them that its really strong coffee called espresso. Then my sweet five year old daughter asks me "as strong as Jesus mommy?" I had her go ask her daddy so he could hear her ask that sweet and innocent question. I absolutely love how they look at Jesus as their super hero....but isn't He a super hero? So often we forget how strong our Jesus was and still is. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for each of us willingly and with compassion. He is my super hero and I pray that today you also remember him as your super hero!

A pure heart...

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:10-12
This was a psalm of David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba. This morning as I was reading this I was comforted that the Lord wants to do these things for me, renew me, give me joy and on and on. There are so many times I get caught up in trying to be a good mom and wife that I forget that the thing that is going to help me accomplish those the best is my time spent with my father. In the busyness of my day as I am chasing my kid as he is trying to squirt water down the dog's nose. My prayer will be to restore the joy and stain me! Thank you precious father for not forsaking me as I so often forsake you.

Big week...

This week has been a tough week for me and I questioned whether to post or wait until I emerged from the struggles of this week. Since our life is made up of struggles I thought "what the heck". In the course of this week I lost a very good friend. I thank the Lord that He is gracious when I don't understand or even get jealous of Him for getting to be in her company. I will no longer get that time on this side of heaven but what a God we serve when we know we get to see our loved ones that know the Lord AGAIN. As I had my devotion the other day after days of tears the Lord reminded me that all was going to be okay. 'Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!' psalm 47:1-2 I also took comfort that this is exactly what Arlene would have wanted for me, to seek Him and let his hand comfort me. God is Good all the time!

Also this week my first baby started kindergarten. You may see this as trivial, but to me and my husband it was a huge deal. Emotions were already high so there was no holding back the tears this morning. She made it fine and I am so proud of her. The two situations correlate in this that Arlene loved my babies as her own and it meant so much to us. I thank God every day for those in my children's lives that love them and encourage them to love our Father. Thank you Arlene! Thank you Father most of all for these are gifts from you...my babies and my friends are just amazing gifts from you.

I would love to hear from you and how you are making it in life. ~merrilee