5 Bible Verses for When Your Flat-Out Exhausted

Like all mothers out there, I'm exhausted.

Most mornings, before my feet even hit the floor, my thoughts dance to the reassurance that I'll surely get to bed earlier this coming evening...earlier, at least, than the nights before!

As if you couldn't guess, that actually never happens, but it seems to trick me enough to get my feet on the floor and moving!

One thing I've noticed about "Mom exhaustion" is that nobody cares...

How's that for harsh?!

I mean, of course they care, 

but when it comes to kids, that caring is shown in an 

"Awwww your tired? ....Soooo, what's for breakfast?" kind of way!  

To be honest, even this I love...

                           It makes me feel hardcore and like I've made it as a mom.  

Kids will push you to your limits 

and make you realize 
you are far more capable than you ever dreamed!  
They are the best life coaches any of us could ever ask for.  
They make you dig down deep...real deep, sometimes... 
but it's in those moments that you both discover who you are 
and hopefully surrender to who God has designed you to be.

I believe God has, by far, used my children the most in order to reach and refine me for Him, and I find my little personal trainers for Christ simply awesome!

Still...I do get exhausted...

and it's these verses here that have the power to lift me up.  

May they do the same for you as well...

Image by Jessica Bowden

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends 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.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not be faint.

Jeremiah 31:16a

This is what the LORD says:

"Restrain your voice from weeping

and your eyes from tears,

For your work will be rewarded,"

declares the LORD...

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Psalm 119:28

My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me with your word.

You know, come to think of it.  

I really need to have these verses by my bedside...

Rather than reassuring myself falsely of more rest to come, 

how inspiring it would be to start my day off with 

His promises feeding my heart instead!

6 Bible Verses to Boost Your Prayer Life

Strewn throughout my life experiences, God's perfect timing has been more than evident.

Sometimes it's "right on", according to my flawed human standards...

Sometimes, in the moment, I find it too slow 

(only to find out later that His response was exactly when it needed to be)...

and yet, other experiences prove His timing to be quite comical...

but always, when I look back, I see that He was there, 

answering my prayers all the while

(even if it wasn't in the way I expected).

Two such instances of His perfect timing have come quite recently..

The first, during last week's post of Bible verses that reminds us we are not alone..

..and the 2nd has come tonight for this post at present..

In both cases, I was struggling.  

Last week had me struggling with feeling His presence, and while I was praying about that, I remembered the  book of Bible verses I'd made for my husband.  

First section of the book was titled "God With Us".  

I don't believe in coincidences.

This week, my struggles surround my prayer life...
I've been feeling like my quiet time with God has been lagging...feeling at a loss about what to pray for, knowing I need to listen more and babble less...falling asleep in the middle of it (*sigh*)...
So, coming to the next section of my husband's book and seeing the title "Fantastic Prayers" just makes me chuckle.

I mean, God is so crazy cool with how He works!

With all that said, here's a few verses for you (&me!)...

If you're struggling in your prayer life too, 

maybe these will give us both the jump start we need!

Image by Jesper Noer via Free Images

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 57:1
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 119:10-11
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.

Psalm 119:28
My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.

Psalm 119:33-37
Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.

Now, I know that there are more verses out there which fit under this topic, 

so if you guys have got some more for me, let me know!  

If I get enough of a list going, I'll gladly update my post!

EASY Rainy Day Activity With Your Toddler!

I don't know about the rest of you, but it is still chilly around these parts, 

despite what the calendar marks!

Even still, my Lady and I have managed to get ourselves outside on most days...She's crazy about going for walks, and I admit, we trespass on many a neighbor's yard for a closer look at the lawn ornaments that beckon us (well, she trespasses...Is it bad I send her off to roam while I safely guard the streets?  Way I figure is that no one is going to get mad about a baby meandering about their lawn, but a grown-up?  That just be downright creepy!!)

My Little Trespasser...Er, Lady...My Little Lady

So, yes, walks have been where it's at for us lately... But what to do on those days when the rain comes and decides it's staying?  Today was such a day, and with no activities pre-planned, I had to think fast..

Let me tell you...

a little cornstarch, a little water & last summer's Kool-Aid packets, 

and you've got yourself a party!!

Materials:

In case you missed it up above...
Cornstarch

Water

Kool-Aid packet(s)

Pan/deep baking dish of some sort

Seriously, this was so simple...I just mixed a little cornstarch with the water and, for reasons beyond my educated mind, the cornstarch creates the most bizarre consistency...

Oh, yeah, we threw in some pasta shells too...

Smack your hand down on the mixture and it reacts like a solid...

Slowly stick your finer into it and you've got yourself a gooey liquid...

You all know about this stuff, I'm sure, but I'm telling you, I'm completely enthralled by the whole thing!

My Lady was a bit freaked out at first, but she came around in the end!

And where does the Kool-Aid come in?

We used it to dye our concoction...Let me say, even that was cool to watch...
There was lots of mixing and swirling to be had until it became a slightly brownish pink mixture of goo!

Like I said...playtime success!!  

Word of warning though...the Kool-Aid WILL dye your hands.  So, if that's not your thing, you may want to find something else to color the mixture with...

In its defense, the Kool-Aid did smell quite delicious, and the dye had washed away by day's end!

What do you guys do on your unexpected rainy days in?

Got any super-easy toddler activities for me?  

I'd love to hear!

16 Verses When You Need to Feel God Near

When I was thinking about what to write for my next post, my mind was drawn to this little book of Bible verses I'd put together for my husband a while back.  Categorized by different things he may encounter along his path through this broken world, it really has become a handy "go-to" when he needs something to reach his heart fast.

What I've put together below are verses that have helped both my husband and me when we have felt low, alone, and pummeled by life's unyielding fist...

In them we have found hope and strength and the ever-blissful reminder 

that He will leave us not alone.   

I pray you find the same...

Image by Morgan Weistling via Photo Bucket

Habakkuk 3:19
The Soverign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights. 

Hebrews 13:5b-6

..."Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?"

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast,

because they trust in you.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you; 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, 

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze. 

Isaiah 58:9a

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

Jeremiah 29:12-13

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 59:16

But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning, I will sing of your love;
 for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 62:1-2

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him. 

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress; I will never be shaken.

Psalm 105:4

Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.

Psalm 121:7-8

The LORD will keep you from all harm-

He will watch over your life;

The Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore. 

2 Timothy 4:17a

But The Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it... 

Zechariah 4:6b

..."Not by might or power but by my Spirit" says the Lord Almighty.

Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

Godly Sorrow

Godly sorrow brings repentance

that leads to salvation

and leaves no regret, 

but worldly sorrow brings death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

The Lord has been working on me, and I know it...

I received a major dose of humble pie a couple weeks ago, and thankfully so...then comes the "He is My Gardener" post by +Adrienne Bolton ...where I'm reminded that the pruning is not comfortable at the time, but the beauty produced is undeniable.  With each, I have prayed...to be humbled...to be pruned...and boy has He come through...

Enter deep and godly sorrow, stage left..

Today, my eyes have been opened to pain that I caused years before.  I was aware at the time of it all that I had been hurtful, and the Lord has been working on my heart for months now to apologize, but it was not until today, when I had to look into those painfully sad eyes, that I finally saw the ripple effect of my careless actions and thoughtlessly selfish (and I do mean selfish) behavior.

It was not until then that I could truly see.  

I've caused hurts so deep and far-reaching that it's hard for me to understand how such destructiveness could have really come from me.  I have caused pain and heartache...made choices that I can never take back...compromised relationships that are still mending and some that may never...and as I sat there, taking this all in, I was aware of my selfishness, aware of how badly I wanted this junk, this filth I'd allowed to come from me, to be out and gone...aware of how badly I wanted to be cleansed and freed of this monstrous impurity.

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you:

what earnestness, what eagerness

to clear yourselves...

2 Corinthians 7:11a

Our good Lord prunes, 

and when He does, it surely can feel like the deepest of pains, 

but He is there...

...reaching us, guiding us, leading us, 

and even comforting us in His bountiful grace and mercy.

I don't deserve the forgiveness of those I've hurt the most, but I've got it.  I've got it and I've had it for years before I ever asked for it.  I hurt them with my words, my choices, my actions...and they turned the other cheek in their grace...

I showed them pain and they showed me Christ...

Godly sorrow is a beautiful thing...the sadness runs so deep in your grievance, but it leads to the most beautiful prayers, the most beautiful purging, the most beautiful surrender.

God is close...

I can feel Him in the forgiveness, in the nudging from within...the encouraging reminders that I am falling forward...that I am loved...that I am being pruned...and, if I'm being pruned, that means I will never be that person again...the one that caused so much heartache and pain.

Yes, I will make mistakes again...and I may be hurtful again too...but I am falling forward, I'm changing every day...I'm turning into what I was always meant to be for Him...and from this place, I step forward...The Lord has pruned me...lopped a huge branch from me that was infested...

...but He hasn't left me alone.

He's brought me forward in grace...and given me a healing from my unconscious suffering.

Praise You, Lord...for what You've done...for what You've shown me and how You've changed me and brought me forward.  Thank You for godly sorrow...it is gut-wrenching and a treacherous cup to drink from, but if it means never having to face who I once was, I gladly drink from it.  Please keep humbling me...please keep changing me...I need You more than ever, and even though I feel like I deserve You less than ever, THANK YOU for never leaving me.  Thank You for Your grace...for Your presence in our lives not being based on what we've said or done.  We all only need ask You for Your salvation...thank You, Lord, for loving us like this.  It is truly incomprehensible, though I ask for Your understanding of this to deepen each and every day.  I love You, my God...Thank You...Thank You for the pruning...for guiding me through godly sorrow.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Egg Night!!

So Egg Night was last tonight, folks...and around here, we serve it up right proper!!

Check out the final contenders in our traditionally fierce Egg Night Competition!!

We've got My Lady, bringing her first and, may I say, formidable entry!

              

My Boy representing for Lebron...

And the rest of the riffraff with their renditions of 

Owl...

               Humpty...

Sheep...

And a nice glass of that red (or is it purple?) stuff...

What's Egg Night look like in your house?  

Send pics...I'd LOVE to see!!

Sword Drill Challenge: Final Week!!

"[Love] always protects, 

always trusts,

always hopes, 

always perseveres.

Love never fails.."

I Corinthians 13:7-8a

The final week is here!  I can hardly believe it!

I'm going to be honest, folks...Spring is definitely here too...along with my allergies!!  So, for tonight, I'm going to keep this exceptionally short!

METHOD:

For the final week, go ahead and choose your favorite from the methods we've tried!

Let me know which method you're choosing, and I'll get back to you all later in the week, when my eyes aren't so bleary!!

Missed a week?  Here's the rest of the series:
Week 1: Visualization  
Week 2:  Jesus Wept
Week 3:  10x10x2
Week 4: Hinds' Feet