Snuggly Comfort

As a child I can remember snuggling down deep in my covers at night, covering even my head with the cream colored comforter patterned with small pink tulips. My flannel sheets would surround me with warmth and I would feel completely safe from the world... and my brother's smelly socks across the hall.

It seems that not much has changed from one generation to the next. I snuck in Jake's room the other night to find him snuggled in his blanket with a pillow over his head, protecting him from the world... and the air conditioner.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

~2 Corinthians 1:3-4

You MUST Be Kidding Me!

I had dealt with some pain all week. Jamie had become quite accustomed to me complaining that my mouth hurt. Apparently, I assumed, I burnt my mouth on some really hot food. Problem was... I didn't remember burning my mouth.

After a week of frustration, I decided I better take a trip to see the doctor. My mouth was just getting worse! You have to be kidding me... SHINGLES! Seriously? In my mouth? Well, yes, according to the doctor it is common to have Shingles appear where Chicken Pox seemed to be the worst. For me... that was in my mouth, ears, nose, etc. Woo Hoo! I now am recovering from Shingles in the respective areas!

Shingles did do one thing for me. It put me to bed. Not that I had the time, but my body made the time.

Why is it that we wait until we get sick to take time out and recharge? Do we do the same thing with our Heavenly Father? I will give a rhetorical, "YES," for all who are reading. Of course we do! We don't mean to put off recharging our spiritual wellness, it just seems to happen. Between packing lunches, carpool lines, room mom duties, planning dinner, homework time, church duties, bedtime routines, cleaning the kitchen, and laundry (which Jamie helps with A LOT), when do I take time not just to read about God and check my daily quiet time off the list, but actually commune with my Heavenly Father?

In Matthew 14, we are shown the perfect example of how we should take time to be alone with the Father. Jesus had just spent the day with multitudes of people. He had "felt compassion for them, and healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14) and fed five thousand with only five loaves and two fish with plenty to spare. And yet, he found his way to the top of a mountain, by Himself, to pray. Jesus Christ, the great and mighty Messiah who had come to save the world, found time to be alone with His Father and pray.

I notice a few things that I need to do to strive to be more like Jesus. I need to not wait for a problem to occur in life... I just need to be alone with the Father. I need to not wait for life to slow down... I just need to be alone with the Father. When life is wonderful, difficult, crazy, busy, amazing... I just need to be alone with the Father.

I am looking forward to my time with the Father this week. My prayer is that I am not checking a duty off of my list, but communing with my Jesus... my precious Jesus!

"And after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone." ~Matthew 14:23

One Game Down...

Anyone who knows my husband, Jamie, is quite aware of his love for statistics, spread sheets, and details! Well, after the formulas were created and the first data was entered into the spread sheet, Jake's stats are as follows:

Batting Average: .500
RBIs: 2

"Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy." ~Psalm 33:3

The Welcoming Crew!

One of our favorite little restaurants to eat at is Moe’s. For those of you who have not heard of it before it is like Subway style Tex-mex. We love to eat there and the kids especially like because when anyone walks in the door, the employees all yell as loud as possible, “Welcome to Moe’s!”
In celebration of Jake’s win on Saturday, we took a visit to Moe’s. By the time we left, Jake and Nati Grace were joining in on the fun with, “Welcome to Moe’s,” each time a new customer walked in the doors.

Sunday after church we found ourselves once again headed to eat somewhere. Jake quickly asked, “Can we go to Moe’s?”

After explaining that we were going to eat elsewhere, Jake got a very profound look on his face and asked, “Hey, Mommy, do you know how when you eat at Moe’s they always scream, ‘Welcome to Moe’s?’”

“Yes…,” I replied.

“Well, I think that when people walk in the door at church we should scream, ‘Welcome to Jesus!’”

Wow! Am I that eager to welcome people into our church? Am I desperate for people to know the Savior? Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone so one who needs to know Christ may hear about His saving power from me? Are you?

Do I jump for joy with grand excitement when one who is lost is saved by the amazing grace of Christ Jesus? Do you?

"In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the

angels of God over one sinner who repents." ~Luke 15:10

Eat Mor Chikin...Eat Chick-Fil-A

Manna was given by the Lord to the Israelites when no food was available. Exodus tells us that "it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey."

Although manna was given by God when no food was available, we felt a little manna blessing on Labor Day when our meal was provided. We didn't have to earn it, as a matter of fact, we just showed up to Chick-Fil-A in our football outfits (Tar Heels, of course) and we all got free chicken strips! Too good to be true for a family with a love for football, Tar Heels, and Chick-Fil-A!

Our kiddos went all out on the dressing up for football!

"And He rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven." ~Psalm 78:24

Auton B & B

A big breakfast is not promised at this B&B. The comfort of the guest bed may be questionable. Scheduled activities and afternoon snack may include homework and gummies. However, one thing that can be assured that will take place in this B&B are Baseball & Ballet!

Jamie and I realized tonight that we have entered the realm of parenting that includes school and after school activities! Life is officially NOT slowing down! Jake is feeling the heat of Fall Baseball! Practice tonight revealed two things: he still loves baseball and his team has received word that they are the Braves!

Nati Grace never thought twice about jumping right in at her first ballet class! When her class was finished, she ran out the door, gave me a kiss and declared, "Mommy I know everything about ballet!"

"You do?" I asked.

"Mommy, yes! Everything they taught me, now I know it!" She'll be dancing with the Atlanta Ballet by October!

Jamie also had a first tonight. He put on an Atlanta Braves hat for the first time! Oh, the sacrifices that you will make for your children. He he he!

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward." ~Psalm 127:3

Just Hanging Out...

Both of my sweet children have a stuffed puppy. They both came up with very creative names for their puppies... Puppy! Yes, the name of both is just Puppy (although Nati Grace has nicknamed hers Puppa for short).

It seems that about once every other week or so, the smell of Puppy and Puppy becomes simply overwhelming. So, in a pillowcase on the gentle cycle they get a stuffed canine washing. Both Puppy and Puppy seem to hold up pretty well through the process. It is the drying that becomes tricky for them. I have a fear that the dryer might get a little too hot for their sensitive skin, so I just hang them out to dry.

All of a sudden, it hit me! I am just hanging them out to dry! We have all felt that we have been hung out by someone before. There I stood in my little washing room feeling sorry for Puppy and Puppy hoping that the hanger was not hurting their ears and feeling somewhat guilty that I was leaving in a predicament that, on their own, they could not get out of even if they wanted to.

How often have I felt I have been hung out to dry by loved ones, friends, acquaintances, ... God? Oh, it sounds so bad that I would say that I may feel that I have been abandoned by God, right? Is that what Job felt, abandoned, when everything but his life was ripped away? Is that what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were convinced had happened when they faced the fiery furnance? Did Daniel feel abandoned when he realized the lions were real... and hungry? Is that what my Christ felt when His Father turned His face away because of my sin, your sin?

I don't know which disturbs me more: feeling sadness for two inanimate stuffed dogs or the fact that I found myself talking to them and telling them not to worry, "Jake and Nati Grace still love you." But what did not disturb me was the gentle reminder from my Lord that I have not been left alone or hung out to dry. I have, instead, had His gracious arms wrapped around me and even when humans may "do me wrong," or I may in turn "hang someone out to dry," forgiveness from my Savior is quick and sufficient to bring me off of the hangers and back into His loving arms.

On a side note: Puppy and Puppy are always glad that they return to the loving arms of Jake and Nati Grace!

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." ~2 Corinthians 12:9-10