Athena in a Minivan

Mustering the Troupes

I have been wrestling with the Lord for the past year over a sin that has caused me to not put God first but to turn to food when I am frustrated, angry, upset or just plain tired. As we all know, these emotions are a common occurrence in moms who are raising children, serving the Lord, caring for a husband. It is especially tough in the evenings when I FINALLY get everyone to bed and I have some time to call my own.  I have struggle with this most of my adult life but since Hopalong was born, it has become out of control.

I just want to make it clear that I am not talking about eating healthy, nutritious foods at the appropriate time. The Lord gave us food for our nourishment and so that we can thank him for his provision for us. The kind of eating I am talking about is when I eat the entire bag of chips, or a box of cookies (or both) when I am feeling stressed and angry and tired, when I should be turning to the Lord instead of food; when I eat more food than my body needs for nourishment, instead of praying to the Lord.

Since November, God has shown me how to be free from the bondage of overeating. He has shown me how to begin my day in His word and how to turn to Jesus, the Bread of Life when I am feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and angry. He has been feeding  me in his word. He has given me two lovely ladies who have helped keep me accountable for my eating and who I can share my heart with. He has been guiding me and leading me on a journey that has brought me closer to the Lord than I have ever been in my life. It has been a rocky journey but a beautiful one.

Since Christmas, I believe Satan has decided to launch a full out assault against me. I can almost hear him thinking, “Oh, no you don’t. I can get you back into your old habits; I can make you turn to food instead of the Lord.

“I Peter 5 says, “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” It has almost overwhelmed me the amount of attacks Satan has been waging against me. I hardly know how he has time for anyone else.

I have been praying that the Lord would help me to overcome Satan and his attacks. He has been guiding me through ways to overcome Satan. He has shown me that the only way I know to fight a lion who wishes to devour me is to go to battle against him. I have been getting up each day and putting on the whole Armor of God.

Ephesians6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

A lone soldier can be easily defeated, but an entire battalion can do even more. I am here asking you each to go to war with me. No, you don’t need to get your manicure messed up or even you clothes wrinkled. I am asking you to be prayer warriors with me. This will be a long battle and I need long term prayers.  I covet is your prayers that I can defeat Satan and be able to continue to eat in control and with moderation, and that I can fit exercise into my daily schedule.  James 5: 16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

I am mustering the troupes, I am calling out the generals, this means war! I am claiming with Paul who three times pleaded with the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh, Christ told Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  I thank you each ahead of time for your prayer for me because I know you will do it. I too will pray for each one of you.

What on earth?

Time flies when you are having fun. Has it really been a month since I have blogged? I have something I have been working on but it is on my other computer and I need to email it to myself so I can get it on this computer. Until then here is a shamelessly cute pic of Butch, Sundance and Hopalong. I know to most of you who live up north, this looks like Fall, but actually, this is what winter looks like in the great state of Texas.
This was taken during our Christmas holidays. Butch is in the argyle sweater vest, Sundance is in the blue sweater vest and Hopalong is the little one. Butch and Sundance are wearing the same shirt but as they won't let me dress them like twins anymore, this is the most I can get away with.

God is so good, all the time.

Part of what I have been learning these past weeks is how much my Heavenly Father wants to provide for me. I am not talking about making our bank account large. God knows the little details. He know down to the size of clothes out children wear.

Sunday morning I pulled out Butch's dress pants to wear to church. There was a hole in both knees of the pants. So I went in search of another pair. All I could find were pants a size too big. I got out his belt and had to tighten it all the way to the last hole. He is a very small boy and he sorta looked like he was wearing clown pants that were cinched at the waist.

As I watched the children's sermon from the choir loft I though that poor boy, what was his mother thinking making him wear those too big pants to church. I knew he needed new pants but there was just not money in the budget to buy him new ones. I would have to head to the resale shop or hope I could find them on sale.

Tuesday morning, my friend Cindy at Bible Study handed me a bag of clothes from her son, she said, " I hope they will fit someone in your house." I did not open the sack until we got home from Bible Study and inside were five pair of pants. Not only were they in Butch's size but they were exactly his size. They were slims.

Thank you God for using Cindy to bless us with new pants for Butch.

Just something to think about.

"It is a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy that is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians - and I am one of them."

I love this quote.  It seems as if it could have been written today by some great theologian but highlight below to see the source of these words.
Saint Cyprian (200-258).

How to get a soccer partner.....

Where have I been?

We have had a lovely holiday. It has been full of great family times, lots of good food, some movies, play days, shopping, sleeping late, concerts, and furniture makeovers. Basically, I have just been busy with life and it is good. God is working on me right now. He is very busy teaching me how to turn to Him in times of stress, anger, frustration boredom, (well just about the whole gamut of emotions) instead of turning to Hershey's, Fruity Pebbles and PB&Js.  It does not leave much time for blogging.

Tonight the children got back on their bedtime routine and tomorrow I hope to get the rest of our world back on our normal routine. Maybe then, I will have more time to blog. I sure hope so.

I stand corrected

My sister is correct in her comment under a previous post. I have never been without a best friend. I have always had my sister and she is the best friend a girl could ever have. I treasure her each and every day and thank the Lord for blessing me with her.

What I meant were friends here in my town who my family and I could do things with. Those friends come and go.

My sister has been there through thick and thin and twin(s).

"I have a sissy, her name is sissy." as we liked to sing when we were younger.

I love you sister from the ends of the earth and back again. No one will ever take your place.

Did you know?

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was homeschooled? Did you know Butch is named for a Heisman trophy winner? Well at least his middle name. Nile Kinnick was Honey's great great (maybe one more great) uncle.  At the start of WWII he joined the US Navy. He died at the age of 24 flying a training mission over the Carribean. 

Honey's grandmother's maiden name is Kinnick. Her father and his brother came to Oklahoma during the land rush from Iowa. This year, Oklahoma has been celebrating the 100th year of the rush. I love family history and I am proud to marry into a family with such a great legacy.

Building Friendships

About a year and a half ago I wrote about friendships and how making really close friends takes time and commitment and cultivation. I went through a period of time when we just didn't have any close friends.

God has so blessed us with some special friends. Big Red and C moved to our town from the great state of Minnisotaur via Seattle. They went to work for the same company where Honey workeds and as he does, Honey invited them to church.

These friends also have boys, two very darling red headed boys. They are close in age to our boys. The five boys are 3 (just turned), 3 (almost 4), 5, 7 and 7. The boys play so nicely together. The parents love to play dominoes, watch football, cook, visit, and just be together.

Today, we all attended church together, went to eat lunch and now have spent the afternoon together watching the Cowboys beat Detroit, making and decorating cookies, playing dominoes. , watching Christmas Vacation, and eating pizza. Right now,  Hopalong and  Baby Red are running in circles, hopping, dancing . They are hipped up on cookies,  pizza,  and  Sprite.  They are each other's best friend. 

It is so awsome to just live life together, love each other's kids, clean up together, cook together, and love each other. Thank you  Father  for  the Big Red family. Thank you for Christian friends.  Thank you Father for kind friends for my children.

An Early Christmas

I know you can not tell, but I am writing this post from my new Christmas present. It is not brand new but it is new to me. Sister teaches Senior English, AP Senior English, Dual Credit Senior English (where they get college and HS credit) and Humanities at a medium sized high school in the DFW metroplex. She is a wonderful teacher and uses her computer for EVERYTHING; power points, music, handouts, art prints, and on and on. This year, she qualified for a major discount for purchasing a new computer and so I became the recipient  of her old iBook G4.

9.5 years ago, when I married a Microsoft Certified Solutions Provider, I gave up my Apple computer for a Windows based system. I have a great desktop system and Honey has made sure that it does whatever I need. I did miss my Apple but I soon became use to the Windows system.

Tonight, I am back to doing it the Apple way.