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DOLPHIN TALE GIVEAWAY

Grace Hill Media has provided a copy of Dolphin Tale to giveaway on my blog. I have not had the opportunity to watch the movie yet, but have read the review at ChristianAnswers.net.

To enter to win, please leave a comment below letting me know if you have seen Dolphin Tale and what you think or if it is on your list of things to see. Make sure I have a way to contact you. Winner will be chosen randomly at 10:00 a.m. on December 21st.

From Wikipedia:

Dolphin Tale is a 2011 family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi and a book of the same name. It stars Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, and Morgan Freeman.

The book and film are "inspired by the amazing true story of Winter", a bottlenose dolphin that was rescued in December 2005 off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It lost its tail after becoming tangled in as rope attached to a crab trap and had to be fitted with a prosthetic one.

HE DIDN'T KNOW

He didn't know that I spent over $100 this month on lice treatment

He didn't know that I spent over $200 this month on my van

He didn't know that I had unexpected doctor's visits this month

He didn't know that I am so broken it hurts

He didn't know anything about me, but...

HE did! Tonight a stranger gave me $20 and simply said, "Be blessed" and I wept because I felt HIM all around me, reminding me that HE sees it all. The stranger didn't know that his simple, kind gesture would envelope me in the Father's Love.

Something deep inside me resists the gift because it makes me feel unclean that men who are not my husband are loving me and caring for me in tangible ways. God is using His body to love the widow and her orphans and something deep in me is touched and wounded all at the same time.

That man, that man that I will probably never see again had a thought and he acted on it. Is he a believer? Filled with the Holy Spirit? It doesn't matter because God used him.

THE DESIRES OF MY HEART

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It was a great week, a hard one, but GREAT! I was faced with a lot of issues this week, but with God and friends He has blessed me with I began the process of overcoming, which is EXCITING to me!

This morning as I made breakfast I heard the Lord say, "I am preparing your heart to receive its desires...you are not yet ready to receive them." Wow! Wow! Wow! As I shared this with my daughter she asked if it was a revelation and I said, "Absolutely!"

Psalm 34:7 says, "Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Delight is 6026 in the Strong's Concordance and means soft or pliable. Pliable defined by Webster's dictionary means 1. Flexible 2. Yielding easily to others.

In the process of delighting myself in the Lord I am "yielding easily" to Him and opening myself to grace (5485 Strong's), the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life. Ultimately, delighting is yielding my heart to Him so He can influence it. In the process of influencing it He is teaching, molding, convicting and healing me, thus preparing me to receive the desires (requests) of my own heart, which He established to begin with. Whew! That is a lot to take in. He is not changing the desires of my heart He gave me free will to do so (it's a choice on my part). The desires of my heart are changing as I yield to Him and allow Him to heal me.

As I begin to live out this revelation I can more easily be patient in the waiting for my desires to be fulfilled because I am (Romans 12:2) being transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, which at this level have become my desires.

This revelation will also not allow me to accuse God in the waiting because as I yield to Him and allow Him to influence my heart I know that He is preparing me for my own desires (requests) to be fulfilled.

He's an amazing Daddy to give me such a precious gift this morning!

Bible Gateway Verse of the Day: Psalm 94:18-19

When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Bible Gateway Verse of the Day: Psalm 94:18-19

PEACE

Early on when my husband left I was so concerned about the children, looking back – overly concerned. I had several people tell me they could see the peace in my children and I was sure they were “just saying that.” I remember thinking, “How could they have peace?” The bible says, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:16 There was almost an immediate sense of peace when the strife was gone, but I still didn't believe it for my kids. I was interjecting and confusing my struggles as a child of divorce and was afraid for them (which meant I was NOT trusting God). It is a blessing for me as I realize that as I diligently seek the Lord I am overcoming and so are they, because of HIM they do not have to live out my generational iniquities.

As I was reading the bible the other day I read this again in Isaiah 54 verse 13, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” I immediately thanked God for giving me confirmation about my children's peace. He is teaching them and GREAT is their peace. I had to hear it from Him before I would believe it, which is the way it I should be in every area of my life.

Who or what are you believing?

GREAT DEAL ON UNIFORMS

source

My kids are going to school this year for the first time (more on that later), so I have been looking for and purchasing uniforms. The best deal I have found is at Tuesday Morning online. I ordered six skirts and six shirts for $104, which I think is a great deal. The best thing about these uniforms in my opinion are 1) the length of the skirt (it is not a mini-skirt) and 2) the feel of the polos. Shipping is a little high, but if you get a lot of stuff it is worth it. To the best of my knowledge uniforms are not available in the Tuesday Morning stores, but contact your local store to be sure.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD...

I shall not want.

We know the verse and know it well, many of us have it memorized, but do we KNOW it? I had a first hand experience in Psalm 23 a couple of weeks ago.

My four kids and I were leaving church. The older two were walking next to me and I was holding the 2 year old and the 4 year old was clinging to my leg because there was a stray dog pestering us. I knew the dog had knocked down a couple of kids earlier in the week and my little ones were obviously afraid. I kept telling the dog to go, but he kept coming back. A man from the church came over to where we were and got the dog away from us. I was amazed,it was as if the Lord was giving me a picture of what He wants to do for me - in every area of my life. He is my Shepherd and will keep the enemy away as I trust in Him. I didn't even have to ask the man to get the dog away from us. He took charge and took care of the situation. It was a first for me. Having always had to look out for myself, it was a beautiful example of how the Father wants to take care of me.

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

HOW MY BLOG GOT ITS NAME

This was my very first post almost three years ago (12/12/07). I recently stumbled upon it and it speaks to me now as much as it did then. I pray it blesses you:

Naming a blog is a big deal. It's kind of like naming a book, you want it to be catchy and unique. I don't know if this qualifies as either, but it spoke volumes to me above all the other names I considered.

During a time of great healing and rejoicing the enemy interjected a time of great stress and turmoil in relationships in my life, but before he had the opportunity to do that the Lord gave me these verses out of Psalm 18:16-19 to comfort me and prepare me for the battle. These verses continue to minister to me and bless me every time I recall or encounter them.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me OUT OF DEEP WATERS.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

The Message bible reads:
But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

For many years my motto was, "I'm just trying to keep my head above water" - hence, "out of deep waters." I remained there a long time not knowing there there was such an incredible life to be found in Christ.

Chaos was my enemy disguised as my friend, we went everywhere together. It took some getting used to peace, I had to confront the discomfort and press through to the other side. It truly was a great surprise to know how much I was loved by the one who created me and it makes me love Him all the more. I seek to know Him more everyday and the more I know the more I want to know. He continues to heal me, make me whole and minister to the deep recesses of my heart. My heart is completely His and I long to share His love, compassion and desire to heal with anyone who will listen.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE A COMPLIMENT?

In the last few months I’ve had many people encouraging me and exhorting me and a lot of it has come in the form of compliments. I remember the first time my friend said, “You are a great mom.” I could hear her, but I could also hear, “That’s because she doesn’t really know you. That’s because she didn’t see you yesterday…” Who do you think said that? My enemy, the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. I can be real with this friend, REALLY REAL, so I told her what was happening and that when she was going to compliment me she was going to have to speak to those things first and tell them to step aside because she had something to say to me. It continued to happen when her or others spoke words of praise to me.

As I mentioned in the last post God is teaching me about my identity and through that I am learning to love myself. Did you know the bible repeatedly says to love yourself? (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8)

A couple of weeks ago during lunch with friends one of them said, “You are funny.” And I said, “I know.” Then I stopped midsentence and said, “Did you hear that? I’m learning to love myself.” It was definitely an A-HA moment! I think I could hear the angels singing.

It has been a process of me learning who I really am and agreeing with what God says about me and what others who love Him and me have to say about me. It has been really important to pay attention to the things I hear when others are encouraging me and exhorting me because that is where the breakdown starts. When I listen to the voice of my enemy and begin to give ear to his words instead of my Father’s I begin to accuse my Daddy of being a liar. Sounds harsh, but it is true.

So, how do you handle compliments?

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE

The day we came to look at the house we are living in now I told the kids that we needed to pray and ask the Lord for clear direction. I told them that if the Lord gave them a verse or anything to tell me. About ten minutes down the road I hear from the backseat, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord whether that is in the old house or the new house." Alrighty then!

The day we moved in I saw there was a framed print in one of the rooms "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Such great confirmation.

John Waller has a song called As For Me and My House and it is awesome. You can download it for free here by making a declaration that you are serving the Lord in your household.

In the song it says:

Idols raised, tear them down

For me it was a startling revelation that my husband had become an idol to me. During the Beth Moore Breaking Free study, she gives a testimony about her son-in-law. He puts his son to bed everynight and says something like "I'm proud to be your dad, I think you have what it takes to be a great man and I love you" and everynight the toddler looks up and says, "I want juice." The Lord used that story to show me how He has told me, "Mari I'm proud to be your dad, I think you have what it takes to be a great woman and I love you" and I would look up at Him and say, "I want Todd." I rejected God's love seeking the love of a man. Oh, that was a humbling revelation. I repented for idolatry and am now seeking the Lord in ALL areas of my life.

What or who are your idols? Are you ready to tear them down? Whose kingdom are you building?

WHO AM I, REALLY?

God has really been teaching me about my identity. Throughout my life I guess I could say I’ve never known who I really am. Recently I realized that my identity came from the various titles I’ve had over the course of my life. Over the last several months many of my titles have been stripped away. I’m no longer a business owner, I’m no longer a homeschool mom and I’m no longer a wife. I didn’t realize how much of my identity was in my “titles.” The truth is I am a DAUGHTER, not just a DAUGHTER, but the DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH GOD and that is enough.

This is a brand new revelation and I’m learning how to just be a daughter (of course I’m still a mommy), but truly resting in the fact that being a daughter is enough. I’m accepted and loved based on that alone! That is still sinking in.

What does it look like to be a DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH GOD? I’m not sure yet and honestly it still makes me squirm and twitch a bit. I’m learning to let people love me, just me, a girl who doesn’t have it all figured out.

I’m blessed to be a part of a church body where no one has “arrived” and we are given opportunities every service to share our struggles and our victories. It is through this that I have been able to grow and learn that being a daughter is a high and holy calling and that I AM GOING TO MESS UP AND IT’S OKAY. Did you catch that? It is okay to mess up! THAT REALLY MESSES ME UP!

Who are you? Where do you get your identity? Have you asked your Daddy who you are? If not, read His Word and He will reveal it to you.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12

THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT

photo credit

Three months ago after clear confirmation from the Lord I moved my children and myself to a new town. My husband had left home almost two months prior and we needed a smaller home with more support nearby. We are in a wonderful place of peace, support and love, but I’m still struggling. How is that possible you ask? Yea, I ask too? With little signs of change in me I wondered, “What am I doing here?” All this love around me and I feel unchanged! Well, that was until we made lemon bars.

It was a Saturday afternoon and my oldest daughter and I were making lemon bars from a boxed mix and seemingly out of the blue she said, “You are getting so excited about things mommy. As God is helping us and people are supporting us you are getting more and more excited.” I stopped for a moment and pondered her words. She was RIGHT! I am getting excited about things, again. It’s been a long time. After thinking about it for awhile, I said to her, “As I stop agreeing with the enemy about who I am mommy is becoming the woman God created me to be from the beginning of time.” That’s EXCITING!

Even in this the enemy had the blinders on me, so I could not see that indeed I was changing (being set free). He would love for me to think that I’m going to remain the same, regardless and eventually would love for me to give up and accuse God. But God, out of the mouths of babes…stilled the enemy and avenger (once again). (Psalm 8:2)

As I am seeking God with my whole heart, He is leading me into ALL TRUTH!

The next day at church the whole service was a time of sharing what God is doing in your heart and my daughter and I were able to share this. She even spoke in the microphone through tears and told everyone what she had told me and I talked about what God showed me through that. It was a precious experience! I also shared that I don't even know who that woman is yet, I'm just at the beginning of this revelation, but am excited to learn more and more!

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

HIGHCHAIR MAKEOVER

Here is the after shot of my "roadside" highchair. I don't have a before, but it was worn and weathered. I love the end result. I spray primed in red, put candle wax all over in random spots (then sanded after final coat), then finished in a dry brushed coat of yellow. Beautiful! It looks awesome with the pail and plants, I'll have to get a picture of that too.

The photos are not the best, I'm having a terrible time with my new camera and uploading to blogger. I had to resize the pictures, so they would download, but now you can hardly see them. Any tips?

FREE TEXT MESSAGING

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Gmail offers free text messaging with an email account. For complete instructions click here. The first time you send a text message it will show that you have 50 messages remaining, but when you receive a reply you accrue five messages. If for some reason you were to use all your messages you could text your own phone and reply to get five more messages. If the person you are texting does not have a texting plan on their phone they will be charged for the message, so please check with them before you send the first one.

I do not have text messaging on my current cell phone plan, so in a pinch this has been a blessing!

A FAVORITE RESOURCE

I have been homeschooling for five years and have often used resources from Currclick.com, including their many free weekly resources on every subject from flight to spring. We have taken online courses which were great and done countless lapbooks using their products. Check out this week's free resource on butterflies. It is very timely for us as we took advantage of Friday's free day at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA and visited the butterfly garden and attended the butterfly class. Enjoy!

Butterflies Lapbook: "Butterflies Lapbook"

PARADISE

Image: Jomphong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A little over a month ago after much prayer, the Lord opened a door for me and the kids to move to a small town a couple of hours away. As we sat at the table one day talking about moving, my oldest said, "We are going to paradise." "I like that," I said.

The property has a rental cottage on it and there is a family of seven there this week, so we were all outside on the deck having dinner last night and the mom said, "This is paradise." "Yes! It is!" I replied. The fenced in yard is spacious and has beautiful gardens full of many varieties of roses, irises and much that has yet to bloom.

Today I looked up paradise in the Strong's Concordance and it said:

1. a place of future happiness



2. a place of blessedness

and today I would say BOTH are accurate.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

MY BIRTHDAY PLAYLIST

A couple of friends from church threw me a party on Monday and we had an awesome time and an even better time in worship, here is the playlist with some of my favorite lyrics listed:




I could not get the lyrics to format under the videos, so here they are:

Potter’s Wheel by Daniel Bashta
Make me
Shape me
Into everything that You want me to be and more
So place me on the potter’s wheel
Spin me until
There’s nothing left but You in my life
Cause brokenness is what I want
So do a work Yeah in my heart
So when You look at me
You see Your reflection

Heaven by Daniel Bashta
Heaven fall down on me
Bring Your peace bring Your joy
Let it rain let it pour

Worth it All by Rita Springer
I don't understand Your ways
Oh but I will give You my song
Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways

Take My Hand by Shawn McDonald
Take my hand to the promise land
And on You I want to stand
‘Cause I cannot do it on my own
You're what I need and I need to be
Right by Your side ‘cause I cannot hide
Lord, I know that I need You

Rain Down by Jesus Culture
Feels like its time, to dream again
I hear Your voice, and yes I'm ready

After worship we had a dance party including the Cupid Shuffle, ChaCha Slide and the Cupid Shuffle to Take My Hand...try it, you won't be disappointed!

GODLY PERSPECTIVE

Photo credit

This morning I walked into church with a lady and I asked her how she was doing. She said, “I’m learning what it means to take care of myself.” I said, “Me too!” I told her that yesterday I went into Pine Mountain and had tea with friends and spent the whole day there and had a wonderful time of fellowship (practicing taking care of myself with time off).

As I sat down in church something was bubbling up inside of me and I said to another friend that “I was so excited I could scream.”

Midway through the service all these pieces came together in my head and gave me a beautiful revelation. The Lord showed me the reason I have trouble “taking care of myself” is because I don’t value you myself or see myself as beautiful, the way He sees me. He brought to mind the rusted enamel basin and pot I bought yesterday at an antique store. I saw them sitting outside and immediately I saw them as beautiful planters (they had value to me). That’s how He sees me with my rust spots, I’m beautiful and have purpose and value! You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

When I got home with my treasures I went to a friends to borrow her husband’s drill to make drainage holes in the planters. As soon as she saw them she said, “Oh, no…I don’t like those.” I said, “I love them.” Her opinion of my treasures did not change my opinion at all, the same way that the enemy’s accusation of me does not change God’s opinion of me nor should other’s opinons of me change my own.

This morning before church I planted flowers in those pots and they were even more beautiful and He showed me as He plants His word in me I become more beautiful too.

It all comes down to understanding deep in my spirit who He says I am. This is not a new revelation just with a new tangible reference point. The planters sit on my front and back porches as constant reminders of the beauty He is planting in me and that I have great purpose too!

On a side note, when I planted the flowers in the pail I knew it needed a stand and thought an old wooden highchair would be perfect. Guess what I found in the trash on the way to church? Yes, an old highchair. I knocked on the women’s door to make sure she was getting rid of it, she said I could have it. Isn’t He just the best daddy EVER?

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecc 3:11

NO PLACE I WOULD RATHER BE

This song is the cry of my heart these days. In the midst of this battle there is NO PLACE I would rather be...than here in His love...enjoy...

the songs starts at about 19 seconds

THE PROMISED LAND

Today I am 40!!! Praise the Lord! I am so grateful to Him for my life and all the blessings I have. I got a birthday card this week and it said something like, "40 is a great year for fresh starts." I was recalling it during breakfast yesterday and remembered the Israelites, they wandered around 40 years and then entered the Promised Land. I believe I am entering my Promised Land as I agree with the Lord about my life. Today during church the Lord gave me this in Exodus 14:

9But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

That is so me...whining in the wilderness and wanting to go back and serve the Egyptians (sin, behaviors, idols, places) He is delivering me from...but Moses said, "...for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."

Click here for links to my previous posts relating to my difficulty in staying in the season the Lord has me in. This verse gave me great revelation of the problem and great hope for the solution!

The Lord has told me, repeatedly, that some of the battles I am in now are going to be finished works (more on that later), so I look forward to entering in...

HOPING FOR SPRING

Hope can be defined as "joyous expectancy" and that is where I am at in the midst of a winter season, I am "hoping" for spring. If you have been here a while, you know all the Lord is teaching me about seasons (here, here, here and here) and I can happily report I am overcoming the fear and resting in the current season and not going back or forward. I was blessed to find this on Cheri Keaggy's site:

He said) ‘See, I am doing a new thing – do you not perceive (it)?’ Making a way in the desert - filling up wasteland with streams Yours is a story of Winter – but, child, you have believed That I am the Author of your life – and now I am writing your Spring

There are buds all around me and I can't wait to see them bloom (and unto Him be all the Glory)!