Praises!

-
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 107:11

As 2011 begins my heart is full of gratefulness to the Lord for all he has done.  This was the fifth Christmas since we adopted.  The holidays have been especially rough for Troy and Mikey.  Between Thanksgiving and the middle of January each year had become an established pattern of emotional turmoil.  We would think things were going pretty well, then suddenly we would plunge into a wild roller coaster ride of behavior issues.  I love the holidays, but for this reason there was some wariness in my heart as they approached.

However, God showed us his power to heal hurting hearts, and we had such a special Christmas.  This year we watched our boys eagerly beg us to open their presents to us first.  We saw them joyfully interacting with all their siblings and genuinely being happy.  They poured out love to those around them, and there was not a single angry outburst.  It was the best present a mom could ask for, and I'm so proud of our boys for allowing Jesus' love to enter their lives and change them.

"Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders."  Psalm 107:32


"He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle."    Psalm 107:35-36

Most of all I'm grateful to God through whom all things are made possible.

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.  Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy."  Psalm 107:21,22

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skillet Zucchini and Hamburger

-
Image
My garden is producing peppers, onions, and zucchini and yellow squash right now.  I ran across this recipe, and the kids thought it was great.  They liked it much better then the way I had fixed the zucchini previously in a similar recipe with diced tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce. What You Need: 1 lb ground chuck 2 lb zucchini or yellow squash, chopped in bite size pieces 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 26 ounce jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon black pepper salt to taste What To Do: 1.  Brown ground chuck with onion and bell pepper in a large skillet.  Drain grease. 2.  Add garlic and seasonings.  Stir. 3.  Add zucchini and stir.  Cover with lid and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes until zucchini is crisp tender.  Stir about every 5 minutes. 4.  Remove lid and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Co
Read more

When You Have To Let Go

-
Image
Heartache.  Deep, painful, agonizing heartache.  For a season that felt like it would never end, I carried a weight of anguish that tore at my very soul.  Parenting had been the source of immense joy for me, but at the same time there came with it intense sorrow.    Learning to handle this heartache is something that for me personally both challenged and grew my faith.  During this time I learned to appreciate the words of Psalm 77.  The lament of the Psalmist was much the same as my own heart cry to God.  It says,  I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.  In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. You hold my eyelids open ; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made diligent search:
Read more

My Battle with Depression

-
Image
"Your Mom is not the same person she was," I overheard my husband explain to one of our boys. Our son wistfully replies, "I hope she gets better soon." My tears flowed.  I was not sure I would ever be better.  How does a broken heart heal?  How is one ever the same after they are broken? Each day I rose early.  In the stillness of the morning, I sought strength from above.  I never wanted to leave the quiet.  I wanted to stay here reading His Word and praying.  But...children awoke, meals needed fixed, laundry begged washing, and somehow I walked through each day.  However, I lived angry inside...angry that my solitude had been disturbed. The reality of my life was depression.  A depression that would not loosen its grip. It took me a long time to acknowledge it though. Over a year before my medical doctor had suggested to me that I take an anti-depressant.  I had gone in for unexplained aching and fatigue in my body.  After a lot of blood work, and fi
Read more