seeking HIS face...

i spent the day following where The Holy Spirit led and am utterly overwhelmed at the blessing i received by being obedient to that leading. i am ever undeserving but ever awash with gratitude because God doesn't care that i am wretched little me. HE loves me, saves me, waits for me, runs to me when i seek him and longs to hear me anyway. WHY do i forget that i have immediate access to my creator at anytime about anything? WHY do i not seek HIS face more? LORD have mercy, but this world is distracting and HOW i long for the things of it to grow dim so that I can focus on HIS voice. Such drenching peace comes when i do. i praise HIS holy name that he has chosen to make Himself known to me.

Devotions of Peace...

From Jesus Calling by Sarah Young...

Seek my face, and you will find not only My Presence but also
My Peace. To receive My Peace, you must change
your grasping, controlling stance to one of openness
and trust. The only thing you can grasp without
damaging your soul is My hand. Ask My Spirit
within you to order your day and control your
thoughts, for the mind controlled
by the Spirit is Life and Peace.

You can have as much of Me and My Peace
as you want, through thousands of correct
choices each day. The most persistent choice you face
is whether to trust me or to worry. You will never run
out of things to worry about, but you can choose
to trust me no matter what. I am an ever-present
help in trouble. Trust Me, though the earth give
way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Romans 8:6, Psalm 46:1-2

Pray HARD...please.

I'm so angry. She just had her birthday. Her hair is growing back.
She's looking so healthy again. GOD, I HATE CANCER!
please, pray for this devastated family. Pray for the healing
of this little girl. Pray that this latest scan is wrong.
It's too much, Dear Jesus...it's too much.
I've had a heart full of burden to pray for her since
she was diagnosed at five. Please join me!
She needs all the prayer she can get.
Her father, Aaron, is a pastor. Their family is a living,
breathing testimony of solid faith in Jesus Christ
and they are suffering so much. My heart breaks.

PRAY...

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when
the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:12

Make a memory...

Dear God, I know I've been complaining A LOT lately about all
the things that I have to do. You know I've been wishing for a
pause button for my life, a chance to just...slow...down.

I understand that very often you hear me thinking about
how I want to freeze every...little...moment with my kids and I
want to remember...OH, GOD, how I want to remember
every...little...thing. It flies by...our life...before I can even blink.

I'm scared...scared I won't make enough memories to remember.
-Scared I won't have played enough, laughed enough, loved enough...

Then, I think, "I must do MORE."
Bake more cookies, make more crafts
(okay some crafts...they are boys afterall),
tickle more, talk more, play more, read more...
more, mORe, MORE.
I do this until all MY expectations for my own mothering
are teetering, dangerously, above me
and begin to topple...crumbling in.

OVERWHELMED.

I am forever behind...behind on things I love like
cooking, blogging and writing...behind on things I don't love
like laundry, cleaning and repairing...behind on things
that drive me crazy like my recent attempt at
some graduate work that's, sadly, just plain necessary.

I'm tired, God...tired of running and chasing and catching up
but you know that. I know I need to back away from life.
You KNOW I need to back away from life and concentrate on
things that matter like prayer and studying your word and
making moments with my kids...

SO, today, the world is actually freezing, right as I type.
Mother nature is hitting the pause button,
pretty dang HARD, across 30 some odd states.

Lord, please be with us all, keep people safe and
help ME use this...time...wisely.

One of my sweet mother's favorite sayings is,
"Make a memory." Help me, God, to do
just that. I want to make a memory with those
two little boys you've let me borrow and with you,
Holy Father...I want to spend some time with you.
Help me use this deep freeze to thaw out my mind and soul
and give it back to you. My heart is all yours.

Amen.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind."
Matthew 22:37

Prayer Request

Dear Stellan,
Everyone is praying for you, literally, people ALL
over the country. Hang in there, baby. Keep
that precious, utterly UNIQUE, little heart pumping
until the doctors can figure out what to do.
FIGHT baby...

GOD please show yourself to this family...again...some more...
they need you right now, TODAY! PLEASE help the doctors
find something that will work to pull Stellan through this!

Join with us in praying for Stellan.
Find out more by clicking here.

Chemo Starts Today

Three weeks ago it was summer, and swimming
and sticky ice-cream, and sunsets and moving into
a new house and a little, curly blonde-headed girl
beggin' for a dog. TODAY they're waging
the battle of their lives and chemo begins.

Can you please keep or start praying for Kate and her family?
Check out http://www.prayforkate.com

GO NOW, kiss your healthy babies who are,
blessedly, at home enjoying summer probably with
their bed-heads watching cartoons wanting breakfast
like mine. I am SO thankful. My HEART aches.

It should be a law somewhere in the universe
that kids CAN'T get sick. CANCER should leave children alone.

You HEAR me GOD? GOOOODDDDDD!
MAKE IT GO AWAY! please...

Little Light

Look at all the angels watching you
They’re singing songs that we have never heard
Their voices ring like bells over the mountains
Oh, if only we could hear their words
God is near, little girl.

Your eyes are brilliant, deep sky blue.
Your quiet wisdom is an evening song.
The angels must be breathless at your beauty
Like the world catches its breath before the dawn.
God is near, little one.

And Jesus bends to hear you breathe;
His tender hands are holding you tonight.
His heart is ravished when you look at Him,
and oh, the endless mercy in His eyes;
God is here, little light.

Dear Jesus please...

give her HOPE
help her FIGHT
bring back her SMILE
make all the cancer go away

to learn more about how to pray for Kate
click here.

Break My Heart God for what Breaks Yours...

Keep Praying for Kate...
Keep asking God for increased movement
on her right side and please
ask HIM to help her start
speaking more. Her words
encourage her parents so and so far, she's
saying very little.
To learn the specific prayer requests
that Kate's parents have asked
everyone to pray for click here and
read the July 5th post.

Pray 4 Kate!

This is Kate. She had brain surgery
today to remove a malignant brain tumor
that was just discovered on Monday.
She's in recovery right now
and they're having issues with
her right side. Please Pray...
it's so much for them to absorb in such
a short time. On Sunday, life was normal
for their family. Monday the bottom dropped out.
Today...they cut her open and got out 50% of a tumor.
It's cancer and it's aggressive.
PRAY.

Click here to read more and get updates.

Please Join Us In

Baby Stellan is back in the hospital.
You can click on his image above
to get details and check his progress
as they try to find a solution to this
sweet little guy's rare heart condition.

They've had such a long road already
and they are a family of 4 small children
all under the age of four.
Please pray for them as they
try to move through this tough time.

Pray, specifically, that the docs find
a lasting solution soon that doesn't require
risky surgery.

Thanks.

Soul Food

They're bringing GLORY to GOD in the midst of their suffering!

If you need an AMAZING BLESSING today,
if your soul is hungry and you need to hear
how God is moving in the lives of HIS people,
check this out...and join with us as
we lift The McCraken Family up in prayer.

Oh, How HE Loves Q (SusieQ)
Oh, how HE loves you and me...

http://www.ohhowhelovesq.blogspot.com

PRAY

This beautiful lady in the middle
of her beautiful daughters is
Susie McCracken and she
is fighting cancer.
Today, Susie had surgery
to remove a tumor from her
brain and next they have to
go after the spots on her liver.
We love this lady and we want
to ask everyone that we know to
PRAY
Pray for her and her family's peace
and strength and comfort and healing.
Pray that they feel acutely the fact they
they are being held in God's own hand.
Please friends...pray with us. Thank you.