Math Lesson

I was asked for a blog update from dear friends who I don't get to see much so here goes.......

(WWJD-W) + I + (ing)=What Is Jesus Doing

(If you don't get it, don't worry....it came to me as I was falling asleep last night at 11:30!)

"Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ-that's where the action is. See things from His prespective." (Col. 3:1b-2, The Message)

This passage hit me between the eyes and went straight through my heart last night. I want to BE where Jesus is, DOING what He's doing, loving WHO He's loving. 

For as long as I can remember, I loved serving.....With other Christians, I love being able to ease someone else's burden, to lighten their load so they are free to focus solely on what the Lord has put in their hands to glorify Him with. Call me Aaron. Call me Hur. :)

Outside the four walls of my life? A handful of times, the Lord has taken my out of my comfortable, cushy surroundings and set me down in the middle of where His heart is. And those times slowly started to feed a fire that is now starting to burn with compassion and not just sympathy. There isn't just a tugging at my heart but a full on wrenching.

Jesus came for the broken, poor, abandoned, outcast, scarred, defeated, scared.

And THAT is who my heart is crying for. 

The last month has seen a HUGE upheaval in the Weed house but there has only been peace and excitement because there has been no doubt in our minds that it's all the Lord's doing.  Resting in the knowing that He has done this is much more peaceful than trying to "figure out" what's going to happen. 

The long and short of it is this....The Lord spoke very plainly that we were to start going to a new church. That's it. There was nothing else. NOTHING.

So we cried. And tried to reason staying. And surrendered. And had some really tough conversations. And cried some more. And then we obeyed. 

And we have been BLESSED for that obedience. 

And yes, I would call seeing the mass imperfections in myself a blessing...cause if I don't see them, I can't give them to Jesus, and if I can't give them to Jesus, how is He going to make me more like Him?

So here we sit, on the brink of something scary and challenging and  so absolutely wondrous that it can only be Him.

Total side note: Brayden birthday party is Friday night and my house is a WRECK trying to get everything ready. I love it! :)

Lists

I am a list person...in my mind, on paper, as I'm writing this... :) So here are a few lists:


Brayden:
1. Big boy bed, totally potty trained, new room decor.
2. Wants to be outside...ALL THE TIME...in the dirt, in the grass, playing baseball, chasing/being chased by his lawn mower, finding bugs, smashing bugs. His other favorite is anything to do with super heroes :)
3. Is digging bath time, unless we are washing his Bieber hair-do (not by choice, waiting on a hair appt!).
4. Is obsessed...no, make that OB-SESSED with wedgies.....as a way to entertain US....our bad for laughing hysterically when he runs into the room, sans pants, sticking his booty out, yelling "I got a WEDGIE!" and then wiggling said booty to some crazy music in his sweet little head :)
5. He thinks every little kid he sees (in a store, at a play ground, on the tv or computer) is his "FUR-end"
6. Has decided that Mommy is a princess and he must save her from all dinosaurs, bad guys, alligators and occasionally Daddy (tickle wars include the WHOLE family on our house).
7. Has gotten in the habit of hitting me like a line backer at the knees and growling/screeching/sing-songing "I wub you Mama" .....melt my heart.....and book my knee replacement surgery ;)
8. Has a strange relationship with Matt right now....he is the first thing he wants when he gets up, who he asks for all day (more like whines but whatever!) and then the minute Matt gets home...."No WANT Daddy look at me!!" or talk to him, or play with him or have anything to do with him.....It's all about Mommy when Daddy gets home......strange yet normal, right? :)
9. Asks me at least once a day "I Brayden Weed?" Think we are going to work on who we are in Christ :)
10. LOVES his Sunday school class :)


Matt:
1. Home from Haiti, ready to adopt :)
2. Has started a "Man Time" thing with a couple of the guys from Haiti and some other friends.....frrm what I can pry out of him...he is loving the deep conversations they have...not that I get to know what they are about! :-P
3. He just passed an exam to elevate his electrician status...meaning one more step to turning out!! Whoop whoop! He is so smart mathematically.....and I am so proud of how hard he works :)
4. Wants a dog (as does Brayden...imagine that!) and will not get one right now ;)
5. Lost almost 25 lbs and is looking even HOTTER then ever....and he feels a lot better.


Me:
1. Have had The Curse of the Black Thumb lifted!!!! Hallelujah! I have tomatoes, peppers, cilantro (YUM!), basil, and oregano all growing beautifully with cucumbers, carrots, onions, green beans and peas all to come :)
2. Have discovered I am not totally inept at DIY projects...I managed to paint and stain a dresser for Brayden's room and have a desk and night stand waiting to be redone to match.
3. Discovered the keys to being productive....either leave the house in the morning or have a million kids running around. One's simple, the other's is way better!
4. Learning new ways to be more like Jesus...in other words, less like the me the world has tried to convince me to be and more like the me the Lord created me to be. (that was a lot of me's, to's and be's!)
5. Have turned into Susie Homemaker and been cooking, baking and experimenting in the kitchen a LOT lately...we shall see if it's just a season or here to stay ;)
6. Have also discovered I use :) ;) and :-P waaaaay too much.....but I feel the need to make sure people know I am make those faces when communicating in ways that aren't face to face.
7. Advanced my business by helping someone else reach their goals.....have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my "job?" Cause I totally do!!!! Looking forward to doing it again!


That's the last few months in a list.......We are focusing on living each day for today while still dreaming and planning for the future...a delicate balancing act but way worth it.


One last thing....
Things to pray for:
-Matt's uncle was diagnosed with cancer...pray the treatment the Lord showed them is God's boot kicking it out of his body!
-Dear friend moved her sweet little family to Cameroon, Africa...protection, peace and His presence.
-Two friends are in the process of adopting form Ethiopia...favor favor favor!!!
-Friend who had her miracle baby at 29 weeks and 2 days.....would continue to blow all the doctors and nurses out of the water as she defies every odd against her.....SUCH A HUGE MIRACLE IN SUCH A SMALL PACKAGE!!!! And pray she would get to come home SOON!


Thank you :)

2011, What do you have for us?

So...uhhhh.......it's been awhile....sorry!!! Life has been a little crazy (as usual) but I am back!

What you missed.....Brayden getting horribly spoiled at Christmas time; family time; Matt deciding Haiti is calling him; discussions, many, many ,many discussions on whether we are ready to start trying for another baby Weed (FYI Matt is decided, I am not!); refocusing on my business with some MAJOR goals. So, you know, not much ;)

I am going to break the habit of assuming this year...my assuming leads to worrying and worrying is the exact opposite of peace! I am realizing that all my worrying can't and won't change anything. So I am "letting go and letting God" CLICHE!!!! But that's what I'm doing!

And I have been trying to be a better wife and friend to Matt. GASP......You mean I'm not perfect?!?!?!?! Hahaha! Yeah, right! :) I am becoming more and more aware that love really is a choice. We are all human, we all mess up and fail and say the wrong thing and forget what we said we were going to do and are lazy.....hence the need for a Savior ;) BUT love is choosing to look past those things, to not even see them really and just LOVE.

I don't want to look back at me life and realize I froze out, dishonored, disrespected, or snapped at my best friend, my soul mate, my lover, my biggest advocate because he wasn't perfect, because I was emotional, because we disagreed, because of anything.

So my goal this year is to make it a habit to chose love.

What habits are you going to break or create this year?

Snow! And Other Things

Bundled Bray up-Check!
Played in the snow-Check!
Took pictures in the snow-Check!
Unbundled Bray-Check!
Peppermint Hot Chocolate for both of us-Check!
Cuddles, giggles, punches-Check!
Baby Bug sound asleep-Check!
Christmas music playing-Check!
Snow falling-Check
This is a very good day. :)

There is something about the cold and the snow and the music and the decorations that makes me want to bake...and bake and bake and bake. I can't help it! Something in me screams "Fatten 'em up! Gotta keep them warm!" :) hahahaha!!!! So I bake......
My mom, sister and I started a tradition a few years back...we gather ourselves, our children, and most importantly, our baking supplies together for one day and go BUCK WILD! We make peanut butter kiss cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate crinkles, fudge, peppermint fudge, gingerbread somethings, and so much more...then we divide up all the goods and go home full of sugar, love and memories. It makes me happy :)
This year it will be me and mom at one house and Lib at her new home in ND.....but that won't stop the sugar, love or memories from happening.....I'm sure there will quite a few phone calls made and probably a skpe or two to get all the questions answered and giggles out.
At the root of my incessant need to bake this time of year, I believe, lays a very strong desire to give to all those who have given to me through out the year. I sit back and think about all the blessings I have received. Friends who have given love and laughter and wisdom, Mentors who have shared their lives and hearts. Family who has stood through thick and thin, and then some and has loved and laughed through it all. The Lord, who has been our Rock and Salvation and Provider, who is, through everything, always faithful. My husband who works so hard, who loves and cherishes us, who strives to be obedient to the Lord and  to provide for us. My son, who, on any given day will melt your heart and make you want to cry from sheer joy and laugh til you pee yourself. New friends who have opened their homes and hearts.
Wow. So much to be thankful for :)
So old friends and new, family and mentors, Matt and Brayden.....THANK YOU for making this a wonderful year. :)

A Weed's Life :)

My confidence is in Him....NOT ME.....HIM :)
Just had to remind myself!!!!
Anyway.....Life has been busy for us. Matt is working 10's...soon to possibly be 12's or 14's, plus Saturdays. I have been super busy in the evening with my business so Bray spends a lot of time with his beloved Tatie (his baby sitter Katie). We haven't had a lot of family time lately...but what we have had has been some pretty quality stuff :) Bray is in a story telling phase...his favorite story is how "My Tatie took me to foooootball game, and they throw it and catch and run, run, run!" Mind you, this is all done with full body motions....very adorable!
With the holidays coming,we are looking at making this season more about family and friends than "things". Lord knows, Bray has PLENTY of toys so it will be a few small things and  a stocking...but plenty of hot chocolate dates and Christmas lights drives :) We are REALLY excited to take him to our church's Christmas Eve service...it will be his first one and he is at just the right age to have a ton of fun. Unfortunately, this will also be his first Christmas without his favorite cousins.....the good news? He really likes skyping with them so we will do that Christmas day.....he thinks it super funny when the girls "hide" and pop back upon camera :)
So that's a little update on us....we have Bray's cousin Neviah today and tomorrow, he and I will be going to Othello to see some of Matt's family...lots of fun!!!!! :)

Promises, promises, promises!

Why is it so easy to listen to the negative? To hear and see the bad, not so great things in our lives?
I'll tell you why.....(thank you PC for this little nugget, I've been chewing on it since yesterday!!).
Because the devil knows his time is limited...so he YELLS and SHOUTS and SCREAMS to be heard........
The Lord on the other hand, knows He will reign FOREVER so he comes in a still small whisper. He doesn't have to make a big scene to be heard because thru it all, His love endures, His peace surpasses, HE is mighty and great.
Who have I been listening too? Mostly the loud stuff :) But, more and more, I have been hearing that whisper.....funny thing......The loud and the whisper seem to completely contradict each other....who woulda thought? ;)
I know what the Lord has promised me and my family....He has been pretty darn specific actually.....it's a long story (a good one but long!) so I'm not going to tell it right now....let's just say He has given us a number of how many children we will have, dreams, pictures and confirmation after confirmation.  :)
BUT....how do I hold on to that when my everyday is so opposite? By remembering that my REALITY is not hat I can see with my natural eyes but with my supernatural ones.
It's like saying I have a headache and confessing that I believe that I am healed....it's not a contradiction.....it's just a statement of 2 realities...it's just that one is eventually going to overwhelm the other when I just keep on saying what God says about me (Got to give credit to Bishop Joseph Garlington for that one!!!).
What does God say about you? That you should live in misery? Anxiety? Depression? Fear? Hopelessness?
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! He says there is NO condemnation for those in Christ, that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the SAME SPIRIT that dwells in YOU to bring life to your mortal body, that you are his son/daughter (HELLO?!?! Can you say royalty?!?!), that our hope is IN HIM, if God is for us WHO can be against us? That we CANNOT be separated from His love. That we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him who loved us. He has promised peace that surpasses understanding....meaning...when all hell breaks loose in our lives...we can have peace knowing that HE is God and is in control...with our best interest at heart.
Point is....are you living a daily life that you find joy in? Do you have peace? If not....if all you see are the bills piling up, the kids crying, the grades failing, the jobs disappearing, your spouse's distance, the friends not there, parents fighting....whatever it is.....I encourage you to look at what God says about you and your situation. His promises are a far better reality....and trust in Him and you will see that reality in the here and now.
The verse the Lord has given us is Jeremiah 29:11-13. "I know what I am doing. I have it ALL planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." Talk about a promise!!!! :)

Inside the Circle

Slept in...9am was glorious :)

Spent the day with the 4 lovely Lake ladies.
Came home, made mashed potatoes and creamed corn, heated up leftover roast and gravy...tried to burn the bread...
Nicole and I talked about a lot of things...no really.....it was a LOT. We get started on tangents and there's just no going back :)
One thing that I keep thinking on....how do you answer the "Isn't being a Christian all about you can't do this and you can't do that?" question?
Jesus is so much more than a list of do's and don'ts....
People may look at my life and say...she DON'T drink, she DON'T smoke, she DON'T cuss, she don't she don't she don't do all the FUN things....
She DO go to church, she DO spout out bible sayings, she DO tell people she's praying for them, she DO be a good girl.......
What they don't know is that for most of my life growing up (in church)...I was a good girl and I did live by a list of do's and don'ts.....and it SUCKED. Going to that party, making out with that guy, drinking that beer...the only thing stopping me from those things was my reputation...a GOOD girl didn't do those things......but, boy, did I want to join in on the "fun."
And then I met Jesus....in the midst of being at that party, meeting those guys, watching people get drunk and offering me the same thing....and all the sudden....I didn't WANT those things.
The first thing I realized was how much my Father's heart was grieving for the choices I had already made. The second thing? I saw what the all that "fun" was really doing to people.
This is where's Nicole comes in :) She told me about something she had heard at her bible study.....Picture yourself standing in a room...a big black circle all around you....And the Lord says...Inside this circle, no getting drunk, no defiling your body, no gossiping.....Doesn't look so fun....until you do those things, step outside the circle and find your self puking in some random guy's toilet, not sure if you had sex or just passed out. Your best friend won't talk to you because she heard about what you told your others friends about her. The circle is starting to look pretty good right now.
Being in that circle is not a bunch of DON'Ts...it's God saying He loves you and wants the best for you and wants to keep you from all that pain and emptiness...inside that circle is His love and protection and His best for you.
The Lord showed me a long time ago that it would be relationship, not religion, that would change my life. Religion would mean trusting in my own strength to do the "right" thing....relationship would mean trusting in His redeeming work and His grace and His strength. I would much rather trust in the Maker of heaven and earth then in my measly little amount of self control.
Fast forward.....it's pretty easy to stay away from some of the big temptations of my past...but the Lord showed me today that I need to get back to relying on my relationship with Him to keep me in that circle even on the seemingly small things.....what's my character like these days? Do I go to Him with decisions or do I make them on my own because I've been doing this Christian "thing" for almost ten years? Do I really think I have "attained" or arrived or that I don't need a Savior anymore today than I did ten years ago? Talk about humbling....Just cause I have been justified by the blood of Jesus doesn't mean I'm not still being sanctified....praise the Lord I am! I want Him to search me and know me now, maybe even more than I did when I first met Him......And the beauty of it? He feels the same way :) Even though He made me, knew me in my mother's womb.....He still wants to know my every thought and feeling, because He loves me....HE wants relationship with ME...blows my mind. The One who literally made this earth into being...wants to know my heart AND show me His........that is the ultimate.
So the answer to the question (that I asked way in the beginning of this post!) is: NO! Christianity has nothing to do with a list and everything to do with your heart....put it in His hands I promise, you will never be sorry.