A Woman's Destiny

I believe that this is a woman's destiny:

"The King's daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
She will be led to the King in embroidered work;
The virgins, her companions, who follow her,
Will be brought to Thee.
They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing;
The will enter into the King's palace."
Psalm 45:13-15

My heart hurts for all of the women in the world who allow their own self-concepts to be anything less than what this verse describes. I used to be one of them. I'm speaking from all to familiar feelings and thoughts. My prayer is that as the gospel spreads among women, that they would realize when they accept Jesus and decide to live for Him, they become daughters of the King. They become royalty.

My prayer for each of us is that we would desire what this verse says:

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers."
Psalm 1:2-3

Thoughts for Today

Another devotion from Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling":

Bring me all your feelings, even the ones you wish you didn't have. Fear and anxiety plague you. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin. Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly. Use your shield of faith to extinguish those flaming arrows. Affirm your trust in me, regardless of how you feel. If you presist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.

Do not hide your fear or pretend it isn't there. Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to fear of rear; a monstrous stepchild. Bring your anxieties out into the light of my presence, where we can deal with them together. Concentrate on trusting me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you.

From another "day":


Ask me to open your eyes so that you can find me everywhere. The more aware you are of my presence, the safer you feel. This is not some sort of escape from reality; it is tuning in to ultimate reality. Faith is the confirmation of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.


Acts 17:27-28; Hebrews 11:1; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 1:5-7; Isaiah 12:2

Waiting

Em and I are awaiting the text that says "Ok, you can start". Jonathan has a 24 hour 9 to 9 guard shift at work. A friend of his has it with him so that is good. I just hate that he has to sit up all night in such a dark and dreary place. He will be texting me soon to say I can start dinner. I am going to cook the boys some teriyaki chicken, rice, green beans, and corn for dinner. Maybe that will help them through the next 15 hours.
Emily has been so sweet today. We woke up and played, then took daddy lunch from Taco Bell. We came back home and both took 2 hr naps. That was nice. When we woke up, we made a Starbucks run. That was nice too. Since we've been home, we have had our normal weeknight tv shows on in the background while we do laundry, dishes, and pick up toys. House is clean now...just waiting for the dinner cue.
After we take the boys dinner and get the sweet baby to bed, I have big plans. Haha..that was funny. I'm going to highlight my own hair and do some homework. I have already read the material for the week that starts tomorrow so hopefully I can get even more ahead.
We got Emily a "cushy tushy" seat that transforms the adult potty to an Emily-friendly potty. She has been on it twice today. Don't get me wrong, I dont expect to have her potty trained right away. She just is so observant and it can't hurt to get her used to it. She looks like SUCH a big kid when she is sitting on the potty. It blows my mind. Boiled squash is her favorite food. She absolutely loves it! She has such an amazing appetite. I'm thankful for that.
I am also amazed and so grateful that she hasn't had any reaction to the four shots she got last Friday. No sleepless nights, no rash, no fever. Nothing! Praise the Lord, he answered our prayers.
Oh! There's my text. Must get dinner on. Love you all.

I finished my first week of school four days early. Boy, that's not normally like me. I am the girl who made it through high school doing my homework the day of or the class before. Procrastination was the way I functioned best--under pressure. Since being married and having a baby, I have gladly changed my ways. I have decided to keep working even after I have finished and only reserve Sundays for rest. I'm so ready to be finished. Patience...
We joined a gym yesterday with child care. On the cardio machines, they have tv monitors at just the right level. Get this: channel 90 is the playroom channel. You can watch your kids on the tv monitor while you work out. I love it. Although, Emily was not so excited about being in a new place at dinner time yesterday and it made me a little anxious to watch her struggle. But we both made it!
Emily's shots went fine yesterday. She weighs 19 pounds now. :) Such a big girl. It was miserable to hold her little hands while they pricked her four times but we made it. She forgot all about it when they gave her a bubble gum sucker. Normally after her shots, she has several subsequent sleepless nights and severe fussiness. It's 9:03 in the morning and she is still asleep. She slept all night. We are so thankful. We are hoping she has grown out of her sleepless nights reaction.
We are headed to the gym when she wakes up.

A Devotion

I thought i'd share today's devotion with you. It was an awesome encouragement to me.

From the book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young:

Keep walking with Me along the path I have chosen for you. Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart. I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you. Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain. The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak. Someday you will dance lightfooted on the high peaks; but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy. All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My hand for strength and direction. Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend. Stay on the path I have selected for you. It is truly the path of Life.

Psalm 16:11

Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;
In Thy presence is fulness of joy;
In Thy right hand there are pleasure forever.

I've done life two ways; one: never being satisfied and always seeking more, doing everything in my power to change the situation i'm in just because it might not be what I had in mind and two: being grateful for what I have and praying for satisfaction in life no matter where I am. Personally, I find that I am much happier being content with whatever circumstances I may find myself in and being grateful for what I have been so graciously blessed with. This devotion encourages me to keep on. Keep walking the path because I'm right where God wants me and He is right here with me every step of the way. He can do anything with any of us in any season of life. Be encouraged, friend! He loves you so much.

Two Things

Two things to share with you tonight:

For dinner we had chicken. Not just any chicken. You've got to try this. So easy.
Four chicken breasts. Bbq sauce. Sliced pepperjack cheese.

Cut slits in chicken and insert cheese. Cover in bbq sauce. Grill. Baste with bbq often.

Enjoy.

SO amazing.

2nd....You've just got to watch this video. Jonathan and I were so moved by it. Thanks to Aunt Kim for posting a link to it.

Go to this website:
www.drawnfromwaterstore.blogspot.com

The video "It started with Bale" is at the very bottom of the page.

I have no words after watching that video...it speaks for itself. Be vulnerable. Be moved. Be inspired.

Updates

After praying, several pro/con lists, lots of emails, and talking with Jonathan, we've decided that Ashford University is the place i'll finish my undergraduate degree. We've also decided that the best fit for me is either to study psychology or early childhood education. Either one will allow me to continue on and get licensed to teach or puruse(or pursue) a master's degree in education. Praise the Lord for this decision. It hasn't been easy but we are confident that this is the right path. I have a bad habit of analyzing absolutely everything and second guessing myself to death, but lucky for me, I have a confident husband. God knew what he was doing when he paired the two of us up. Jonathan is very secure and sure about this decision so I have the pleasure of resting in his confidence when my insecure tendencies kick in. Praise the Lord again. Teamwork is the best.
This morning, i've had my coffee and His Word. I'm about to wake the sweet baby and head on to Ft. Hood. Our mission: get Emily signed up for daycare at the gym so mommy can work out whenever she wants to. We attempted this mission on Tuesday but we failed so here we go again. A friend wants me to go to a "zumba" work out class on Saturday with her. I looked it up on youtube and oh my word...I can't move like that. She agrees that neither can she so at least we'll get a good laugh out of it! I hear that's a good workout anyways.
Leave is almost over for the military guys in J's unit and we've stuck it out here in lonely Killeen. We are proud for that. It means we get to go home two weeks earlier. We have less than two months to go! That's no time! We feel anxious, excited, scared, and relieved. We find ourselves talking alot about how it's going to feel to drive out of this town for the very last time and not have any obligation to Ft. Hood again. Wow. Jonathan has done this for over four years now...I'm just pushing five months. :) I don't have much room to complain. I will be very very happy for him on that final day.
Your prayers are much appreciated for the unsure nature of our near future. We love you.

New Development!

Hello everyone. Today is the start of our wonderful 4-day weekend. It's raining today for the fourth day in a row and I LOVE it. Rain seems to be a rare event here in Texas so I'm loving the under 90 degree weather and moist air. Jonathan mailed in an application to the police department on Signal Mountain today. We prayed over it and sent it off! We know that the Lord is looking out for us and already knows the outcome of the application. If this isn't the job, then we will keep following him wherever he leads us.
Last night, I was meandering around Facebook and stumbled upon a friend's page. I met this friend here in Texas at my Bible study. Like myself, she moved away from her hometown because her love was in the Army. She wanted to finish her education but needed a way to do so from home with her one year old and while moving around a couple times. The answer? Ashford University. Based in Iowa, it provides a long list of online degree programs. This totally grabbed my attention because I have been really longing for school and that ever-so-coveted bachelor's degree. I chatted with a representative and asked all of my questions. Turns out, they hook a military spouse up! This is by far the best program for military spouses that I have found yet. I submitted my application last night and am awaiting a phone call today to find out if i'm accepted or not. If I am, the first class starts in July. Yes-this month. July 13th. Classes are 5 weeks long and you only take one at a time. I find this much less intimidating than my normal 17 or 18 hour class load. I can completely understand why people who stop college never go back. It's scary. I am already doubting myself a bit. But I know I can do it. Of course I can do it. I think I'm silly for doubting myself in the first place. I think that this is the best time to do this. Emily is young but getting more independent every day, income is low enough for federal aid, and the sooner I start, the sooner I finish and we can have a degree to fall back on in a desperate situation. This was sort of a spontaneous event last night, but I feel that doors have been opened right and left. I'm praying for direction and for loose ends to be tied up. And I'm thanking God for the excitement I feel about this! :)