~ The Centipede ~

As I made dinner tonight, I grabbed the bag of potatoes in the back of the pantry, set the bag in the sink, and saw one of those horrid centipedes. Even though, living near the woods, we see them sometimes, I could not grab the faucet quick enough to wash it away to never be seen again!

And, as I peeled the potatoes, I had a beautiful thought - it is a wonder what a creepy crawly thing can do for our faith!

My sin is so much like that bug - It hides in dark places, very rarely seen by others yet alive and active. And, when my sin comes into view - usually because of His light - it is creepy, ugly, and kinda scary. BUT, as quick as I grabbed the faucet to wash the centipede away with the water, I can grab a hold of His nail scarred hands and wash my sin away with His blood, never to be seen by Him again.

I was so humbled and touched by the ease He has made our forgiveness with His death ~ I truly can never ever repay Him, or even come close to earning His gift. So, I peeled and prayed thanking Him for loving me enough to offer me such pure grace at such a small cost to me and such a unimaginably huge cost to Him.

So, thank you little centipede, I was blessed by your, thankfully, short presence in my life!

~ Jesus Take the Wheel ~

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It'd been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way to fast
Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was sooo scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
'Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the wayI've been living my life
I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands'
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Oh, Jesus take the wheel
Oh, I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel
Oh, take it, take it from me
~Jesus Take the Wheel lyrics sung by Carrie Underwood

I know my last post was about a song, but, I can't help myself on this one, so, please be patient, maybe the next one won't be about a song :)

As I waited for my son to come out of the store, Jesus Take the Wheel, sung by Carrie Underwood, was on the radio. And, as it played it humbled me, and, brought tears to my eyes. How often do I take the wheel back from Him.....and, it is usually when the very last one who should be in control is me.

Over and over I think I can do this short road without Him, or, well, this path is easy, I don't think I need to cover it in prayer, or just, quite frankly, believe He has absolutely no clue what He is doing, and, should go this one on my own. Oh how wrong I am!

Over the last year I have learned that this life is impossible without putting my trust in Him. I have learned what it is to be stripped to my very core of everything I thought to be foundationally sound in my life. I have been at that point that I felt so devestated in my soul and unsure I could even breath let alone function as a mother, child, wife, and friend.

There are times in our lives when circumstances, whether they be of our own making or someone elses', bring us to such a deep level of grief, frustration and desperation that we are not sure how to take the next step - and, maybe not sure if we even want to. BUT, it is at those times, when all we have left is Him, that His potter's hands can mold us and make us what He created us to be.

So, how do you live through those times? You let Him take the wheel. He doesn't ask us to know what the next step is. He doesn't ask us, or even want us, to know where tomorrow's turn is. Throughout the last year I have described it this way to people who asked how I was doing.....

I have learned to envision myself crawling on His lap ~ to be held by Him. As I drove down the freeway sobbing so hard I could hardly breath, I stopped, and made myself crawl up on His lap to let His gentle, beautiful, nail-scarred hands hold me. As I sat in church crying so much I know the person behind me was thinking 'get a kleenex' :) , I had to give up the wheel and crawl up on His lap. He has taught me to stay there, it is the only safe place in this world.

And, as I learn to take His hand and only look at the next stone to step on, not forward, not behind, I have found such a beautiful place of peace and grace that, oddly enough, I would not have traded the situation that taught me to completley trust in Him for anything in the world.

While I know He has earthquake victims to care for, and innocent children to save - He will be there for us as well. His word promises that:

The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the earth, He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:28-29

So, let Him take your wheel, where ever you think it is headed. I promise, over and over again that He will steer you where He knows you need to go. Even if you don't feel like He knows what He is doing, trust Him. He will be your rock and fortress and deliverer - His word promises that too.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer; My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

So, thanks Carrie, I know you will touch thousands of lives with your song.

And, please, let Jesus take your wheel.

~ Invasion of the E-cards ~

My e-mail box has become the scene of the newest drama in our home ~ the Invasion of The E-cards.

It all started with one little card from my son (when he was supposed to be studying). Then, of course, if one does it, then all 4 have to do it. Then sending cards to mommy wasn't enough...they each had to send one to each other. You do the math ~ 4 kids each sending cards to each of their siblings ~ yes, can you see why my box is full of them? Oh yeah, I forgot that daddy got involved, so, dad is now sending cards to each of them, sometimes 2 a day, plus, they have to top each other to send the coolest card with the best game or funniest bodily function sounds. So, let's see, I have seen a dancing skeleton jitterbug himself to the bathroom, a weird looking burping creature gobble candy corn, an interrupting ghost interrupt a knock-knock joke (our favorite), and, well, you get the idea.

But, I have to say it has been a welling-up-with-pride-mommy-moment to see the care the kids are putting into the cards they send, and the notes they leave for each other at the end of the dancing, burping, interrupting, or singing card. As the cards are opened, you can see the excitement in the sender and the receiver. I think I should probably print those words off and hang them on the fridge for those moments that are not welling-up-with-pride-mommy-moments :)

So, if you have a few minutes, send an e-card to someone today ~ if we can find a dancing skeleton that goes to the bathroom, you can find a perfect card too :) The cards can be found at Hallmark.com - they are free, and, they bring a smile to brighten a day.

(Be sure to check out the interrupting ghost halloween card and Hoops & Yo-Yo, especially if you have kids. If you are a picture-taking mommy, check out the Mama's Little Vampire-that has been sent to me by each of the kids - do I really sound like that? :) )

~Do I Point to Him~

I don't mind if you've got something
nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
who blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such

will soon enough destroy

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
who blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
who blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
~Lyrics to Leave a Legacy by Nichole Nordeman

I have a new nephew! Welcome to our world Luke Christian!

As I held him this weekend and then walked through the hospital holding my daughters hand, the lyrics to Nichole Nordeman's song Leave a Legacy kept running through my mind, and, I even found myself quietly singing the words. I have heard and sung that song hundreds of times - it is one of my all time favorites. But, never have the words "Did I point to You" hit me as hard as Saturday holding my daughter's hand.

And, with those words, I don't think I will say much more on this post - it was a hard, yet, beautiful gut- check on my goals, priorities, attitudes, and day to day actions~

Do I point to Him enough to make a mark on things?

~ If I Would Only Trust Him ~

Wow - never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a 'web-master'!!! I used to dread even clicking that blue "e" at the bottom of my computer.....isn't just picking up the phone so much quicker than typing an email.....who in the world would want to shop on-line....these were just a few of my "I Ain't Changin' " statements. Well, I have since then given in - and even become one of those people that have their own web-site! My how times change - And, doesn't God have a wonderful plan, and, sense of humor!

So, I have gone on a new adventure of creating and maintaining a web-site for Christian scrapbooking, which is also known as faithbooking. For years I have had a passion for being sure my children know that Jesus loves them and doing everything I can for them to be walking with Him. Being an avid scrapbooker, it only made sense that I combine the two passions. And, as the years have gone by, I have set on a mission to help others include their faith in their own albums. So, Scrapbookers Bubble Bath was born!

Back to the "I Ain't Changin' "statement.....what have I learned in the last few weeks? That God is creative and amazing - if we only trust in Him. He has shown me, in 3 distinct ways, how I tend to scream "I Ain't Changin' " when He is only showing me a better path of joy and life, if I would only trust Him - So, I will share them with you.

First, it was through our newest member to our family..... A black kitten named, oddly enough Grace! We found kittens in our shed and I told the kids 'we are not even looking at them - no cats'....Well, less than 1 hour later one of them got caught up in a net and was hanging by it's neck, so I had to get her out (1st step in the "it's ours now" process). Then, of course everyone had to hold her, and, get their picture taken with her (2nd step in the "it's ours now" process). Well, of course daddy had to see her, so, we put her in a box (3rd step). Then, everyone wanted to hold her 'one more time before we let her go in the morning', so, we put her in a box in our garage (4th step). Before I knew it, she was in our kitchen in a big dishwasher box, had food, and A NAME (the big oops step!) And, now, I think we have a cat (unless anyone is looking for a new black cat with a beautiful, inspirational name, you can contact me - Ha ha!) And, as I have seen the love my children have developed for this tiny, squirmy creature, and watched them giggle with joy as she does her kitten-like things, I have to say my "I Ain't Changin' " was softened a little. (Even as I type this, my husband brought her up and she was just purring away, and, is now helping me type).

Then, as we have tried to get Grace to become aquainted with our big black dog, she has been hissing "I Ain't Changin' " ~ while, if she would only trust us, she would have the joy of another four legged friend. As I have watched her hissing and scratching, I have thought of myself hissing and scratching to get away from anything new and unknown - while, if I would only trust Him, who knows what joys I may discover.

And, finally, back to the web-site. Only a few years ago, I was saying "I Ain't Changin' " as my boss asked me to just email him and the world wide web was beginning to grow. And, now, having dreamed this dream of a web-site for Chrisian scrapbookers, and, seeing the site completed, I have to again say, He has amazing plans, if I would only trust Him!