Mother's Heart Week of First

Could anyone have prepared me for the changes in my life over the last year?

NO!!

The changes started last August 2012, when our second son became engaged.

 Just weeks later, our daughter became engaged... on the day of our beginning unemployment

Our future grandson was introduced to our family

We entered a short season of employment, which ended on the weekend of our daughter's wedding

I began teaching and started laying ground work for my businesses

Months of unemployment

Our grandson came to live with his parents

My daughter-in-law AND daughter announce their pregnancies

My teaching came to an end as I embark on my business ventures

Sonograms reveal two fall-birth GRANDSONS

Benjamin gets registered for school, ending my home schooling career

Passports are ordered for the four of us

Reservations are made for us four to travel to Italy for our son's wedding!

Our son prepares everything for us to enjoy our trip to Italy
Unemployment ended...my businesses continue to grow

 The week of Firsts!
August 26th through September 1st

Benjamin enters Second Grade at a Charter School

1st time in 29 years for our home to be empty during the day...two sons to school...two parents to work...a major first

I retire from 25 years of continuous home schooling.

Stephen begins to drive... ALONE!

Passports in hand...our first ever...we leave for Italy on Wednesday.

First time to travel abroad.

September 1, 2013 - son's wedding at a Villa in Italy.
William and Catherine Wright

When you hear the earth shake with a roar of Bravo, Bravo God, then you will know I have stepped on  Italian soil.  The lady who has had her faith stretched over and over again this year, will stand in amazement.

This servant of the Most High God will shout "How Great is Our God."
I am sure more than once through this trip I will be shouting "What an Awesome God we Serve!"

The silver is still being refined, but for this week, I am going to bask in His goodness.  The adjustments are still being made in my heart, but I know He is faithful.  Would I have ever guessed how this roller coaster ride would have gone, and is still going? 

NO!!!!!!!!

I could never express how your prayers and encouragement have kept this weak saint going.  Thank you
sooooooooo much!  I will return with pictures in hand to share of our week of firsts!

The Army Behind You!

Some of my favorite scriptures are these...

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots were circling the city.  And his servant said to him, "Alas my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
II King 6;15-17

I am so like the servant with Elisha. I can see God answer prayers. I can even trust the Lord for answered prayers for others, yet there are times my focus is only on the battle in front of me instead of the army behind me.

As my family continues our journey, my notebook is full of the provisions of the Lord.  The answered cries from my prayers the Lord miraculously answered.  To have not been evicted from our home in the extended months of unemployment alone is a miracle.  Even my friends would say, "How are you going to make it?"  We were even offered a home to share with some friends if we did get evicted.  My faith would rise and fall.  My Christian's friends faith would rise and fall.  I would struggle with wanting to fight or flee.  

We live in America.  The country that tells us to secure our lives through health insurance, 401Ks, life insurance, car insurance, savings, pensions and regular income.  You look for jobs,more for their benefits than the salary.  So when someone doesn't possess these "given" American "necessities" we don't know how to react. 

As we continue to recover, I fell into the pit of despair.  I went to scripture and realized I was not alone.  Just go back and look at how many fought a battle, just to fall into despair after the answer came.

In my deep cries, which held that NOTHING, that's right, NOTHING was right in my life, I begin to see God's signs.  He was showing me, "Daughter you have been in war.  You have laid down your weapons.  Pick them back up!  Can you not see the army behind you?"

Jacob fought to receive his blessing. He didn't let go until the angel blessed him.  

I had lost focus.  Our family is traveling to Italy in less than two weeks to see our son get married.  My focus hasn't been on what God did in the past, it was been swallowed up in what needs to be done in order to go to Rome.  Our son is covering the trip expenses for us to go, but we have needs that can't be met.  So as I opened an email on Focus... this is what I read:

Sometimes we can just lose focus when it comes to our destiny, which is the "why" behind what we do. Paul's destiny included going to Rome. I am sure he kept that in mind as the waves were crashing against the ship. There will be waves crashing against your ship, too. Can you keep your Rome in sight?

Occasionally, we can lose focus because we are so preoccupied with what we need that we have forgotten what God has done for us so far.

-Holly Wagner

I heard His voice. I saw the connecting dots. I picked up my weapons of warfare, and started to run again for the finish line.  I look to Rome and a Heavenly Father who reminds me of the army behind me.  I will travel to the physical city of Rome, but more importantly God has a Rome in my life for a purpose.  Just as Rome was for Paul to accomplish his destiny, I too, will trust that God will continue to mold my destiny.

He Owes Me Nothing

Back when I first started blogging, I posted what I called the Bravo, Bravo God post.  To me, these were the moments when you just want to stop and look heavenward with applauds to the only One who deserves it.  These are the moments when you realize that you deserve nothing and yet, He continues to bless you with the Bravo moments of life.

Today was a Bravo God day... one in which the tears so gratefully flowed down my face in awe of the One who made me.  I am nothing and yet, He never fails to show me how much He loves me.

The home school loop that I am a member of sent out an email about a trip to see a Lego exhibit.  Legos are Benjamin's all-time favorite toy in the world.  Anytime he has ANY money, it goes to buy Legos.  In fact his recent loss of his front tooth gave him money for Legos.  When the email crossed my site, I froze as I looked down to see that my calendar was full with a work day for me.  Each dime I make at this point is going toward our surviving our ending unemployment...there isn't time to take off.  My heart sank.  I went to the Lord with my mommy guilt.  Surely, there was some way for me to be obedient in making income and Benjamin not suffering loss.

After a business meeting at my house, where my brain is being stretched on information about essential oils, I stepped out of my "can do it all myself" mentality and asked for assistance.  I asked another mother if she would mind if Benjamin went with her and her family to the exhibit.

As I told Benjamin that he would be going to the Lego exhibit, he looked up with a smile, "this is the best week ever!"  I nodded thinking, "yes, Lord it is...thank you so much for hearing my heart."  Another wonderful Christian mother stood in for me and let my child attend with his friends.

I went off to work so grateful for a Lord who cares about the little things.

I finished my job to come home to another Bravo moment.  Another son crucified his flesh...stepped out in obedience to God and gave his mom the best gift ever....a wise, obedient son. God had told him to do something..something that, the day before wouldn't have been a sacrifice and yet, on this day, while going to deliver his sacrificial offering of obedience, an event blindsided him that would push his flesh to fight back with a "no, keep the offering"!  He didn't say "no" to God, even when he flesh was hurting.  He was obedient.

This mother has and continues to pray that all my children, their spouses and grandchildren will walk with the Lord Jesus Christ all the days of their life.  I pray they all will bow their knees to the King of Kings.  My oldest gave me a gift that can't be bought or sold....................He obeyed  His Savior and Lord and gained a great victory over his flesh.

As I go through my photo albums, grabbing pictures for my second son's wedding in two weeks, I replay all the years of parenting...all 29 years.  I soak in the fact that God has never left us or forsaken us... His word is true.  I had even sent a picture to our oldest this week of his younger brother on his back, with the comment..."you have always been and still are... the BEST BIG BROTHER."

So today............. having searched and struggled for words, I close with this..............

Bravo, Bravo God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."