Friday, November 30, 2012

We are the body & social media

Happy Friday friends!!  This week, like every other week, has had it's share of crazy moments and I sit here on this Friday morning, amazed.  Amazed at how God works in the details of our lives, whether they are good details or tragic details.

My week has been traced with sickness!  Two kids down in one week, and of course as one is on the mend, the next one begins!  Such is life, especially with more than one child in the house!! My mom was willing to come pick up my sick child and take her back to her house for a little R&R while we went on with our busyness.  The next day, I dropped sickie number two off at mom-mom's as well.

My little sickie on Monday night

I see the hands and feet of Jesus, as well as His heart, displayed daily in the way my parents conduct themselves.  They are never unable to help someone in need.  I admit, there are times when it drives me crazy!!  How in the world can  you always say yes, you have to say no once in a while, don't you???  Well, no - you don't.  When you walk in the footsteps of Jesus, not only do those footsteps lead you in the right direction, but they provide the restoration for your soul that you need when you live a life of servanthood.   I appreciate that Godly example in my parents and it's one that I am working on setting for my children as well.  To be flexible and be in God's will is exactly where we need to be at.all.times.!

We talked about God's will at youth group on Wednesday night - it was an awesome lesson to dive into.  We are far too easily captivated with the things of this world and oftentimes we are just clueless to all that God's way has to offer us.  If you think of the most perfect situation that you could find yourself in in this world, God's way trumps that......tenfold!  To the untrained eye, God's way looks ridiculous.....how do your empty yourself and yet find yourself full?  How do you put yourself at the back of the line and yet, find yourself being crowned as first? I admit, it doesn't make sense, until you take that step.

taking that step to follow him....prepping for teaching opportunities

Anyway, I sat here this morning, contemplating my day, *which has put me in the position of having two children at home and two at my parents.  I did my devotionals, got my cuppa joe and hopped on the computer to read my favorite blogs and saw another example of God's hands and feet being displayed in a community.  Sasha, of www.lemonademakinmama.com shared a frightening story of what this week offered her, her family and ultimately her neighborhood.  I want to encourage you to jump over there and read today's post.  It is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story of how the body comes together to support a hurting member.  It's a story of God's redemption, His love, grace & forgiveness.

It left me feeling so many different things, but the thing that I wanted to share here about this was not just her story, (which, by the way, is more than enough to stand on its own) but the story of social media & technology.  These things, while they can definitely be a time waster and a distraction, also has the ability to join believers across the miles.  It joins my heart with a sister that I've never met and it allows me to feel what she is feeling and join her in prayer and praise!  It takes me to Uganda where I can share with a sister there, whom I have met, and it puts me in her daily happenings while she serves Jesus with her whole heart.  It takes me over to Hungary, where I can join friends in praying for the people there as they pour themselves into the lives others.

the view on a county road, filled with His glory

It also keeps me right here, in my little county, where I can offer encouragement to friends and family, through the posts of others and my own words.  To help support the body through social media is an extraordinary thing.  I know alot of people scoff at the idea of blogging, I know that it crosses the lines of privacy and that it seems silly to talk about people that we've never met, like we know them personally.  I get that and I struggle with that as well, but I have to tell you.  I think it's a beautiful opportunity to catch a tiny glimpse of God's view from up there.  He is Sovereign, He knows all, and sees all, all around the world.  Social Media gives us that same opportunity, in a way, to get inside someone elses life, to share in their fears & hopes.  To pray for people half a world away and feel like we are connected.  Because, after all, we are the body, and the body IS connected, right?

we're all in this together
a little community of gingerbread people <3

So, today, take notice of how social media is being used for His glory and maybe take a step into that crazy world and see where He leads you!!  (the key word being HE......I recognize that social media has some very dangerous paths, we must be alert and choose wisely)

finally found a home for my antique chalkboard <3

God bless you friends <3  Enjoy the season, prepare your heart for the Advent season, deck your halls and I'll see you back here next week!!

sing His praises <3
 
God Bless - Lorraine
 
*before I finalized and published this post, I ended up with one child at home!!!  My how quickly life changes before you!!!


Monday, November 26, 2012

Giving Thanks.....warning....photo heavy

It seems like I just got out my fall decor and prepared myself for Thanksgiving and now Christmas is thrust upon us!  I'm not sure that I'm okay with that, but I suppose that just doesn't quite matter - Christmas is coming, rather quickly, whether we're ready or not!! 

So before I jump into Christmas blogs, here are a few things that I've been thankful for over the past few weeks:

Cute colored mugs to tote along to chilly soccer games &
the soccer games themselves....Joe, Jaysen & Julia have played great games and it's been a wonderful season!!

Country roads and fall foliage!  I can't take enough pictures of the landscape of fall....nature is a beautiful canvas!

Studying His word daily.  Something that I've struggled with over the years and have finally overcome!  Spending quiet time with Him every morning is a gift not a chore!

His morning light, fresh and new every day, like His mercies!  His faithful gift to me!

Service!  Pulling together clothing to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy!  Our youth group FILLED the back of our Suburban with bags of clothing!!!

This girl.....not so little anymore!!  Watching her grow and learn each and every day!!

Firsts.....her first roller skating party, first time on skates!!  She loved it!!

Bold new haircuts & my momma!!!  Thankful that she is still willing, after all these years, to cut my hair!!

Warm, cozy fires, cuddled on the couch with my people, feeling very full and blessed!!

Working together, as a team!!  Hosting the holiday meals gives us a chance to shine....we all pull together and take part in every aspect of preparation!

Gorgeous flowers still growing at the end of November!  A true gift!!

Pumpkin Pie!  Nuff said!

A place to gather.....friends, loved ones, memories

Warm slippers, winter jammies, hot chocolate, ending the day with the people that I love the most

Never ending Uno & the fact that I was not playing :)

Youth Ministry!!  So thankful for the opportunity to work with our youth!  This group is part of our student leadership team - having the chance to walk along side them and help them discover who God calls them to be is such an honor!

Serving with the youth!  Saturday evening we went across the bridge into Delaware and served at The Sunday Breakfast Mission.  They offer a ton of resources to the needy, including free meals.
 
Being connected across the miles <3 

And the chance to sing praises and prepare for the celebration of His birth! One week until the offical start of Advent! 
 
So, friends, what are you thankful for?  How do you mark the days until the day of His birth?  Come grab a seat and tell me about it!!  I'd love to hear from you!!
 
God bless,
Lorraine
 
 

Friday, November 9, 2012

More or Less........

Hi friends!!!  Happy Friday!!!  I feel like it's been a long time since I've been by this way and I do apologize!!  I'm wondering just how long it takes before you fall into a good groove of blogging, knowing exactly who you are in this vast blog world.  I honestly wonder if I'm even supposed to be here or not :/  Anyone else ever feel that way??? 

Anywho.....things are always busy around here but today I find myself faced with a very rare (just about extinct actually) kind of a day.  My girls are off at work (Julia is tagging along with Jessica to help with Cole) and my boys are off at an all day birthday party!  That leaves, the dog, the cats, the chickens & ducks and little old me!!!  All by myself!!!!  With a whole.entire.ginormous day in front of me!!!! Okay, it's partially over being that it's after 11:00 but you catch my drift!!! 

I am not used to days like this but believe my I am singing my thanks!!!!  We left the house at 8:15 this morning, I got my people to their places and arrived back at home, not too long ago.  I threw in a load of laundry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Have I mentioned that we've been three weeks without a washer????  Three Weeks People!!!!  For a family of six, that is not a good thing!!!!  I've reheated my coffee and perused my thoughts of how to go forward with this day!  There are so.many.options!!

I decided to come up to my office (aka schoolroom) and spend a little time on the computer!  I thought I'd catch up on emails, facebook and a few blogs, you know to get my creative energy flowing!!!


Okay, so laundry........definitely going to work on that today!!!!  We've gone through all of our "extra" clothes this past week, in an effort to gather donations for Superstorm Sandy victims.  We personally have donated at least 40 bags and boxes of clothing.  Half were clothes that we've grown out of  the other half we were waiting to grow into (let me clarify.....these are kids clothes that we are talking about - I, myself have NO intention of "growing into" anything).  We could probably continue this process and still come up with another 20 bags just from our closets!!!  That may happen.

 
 


This has inspired to me to tackle the rest of my attic.  Housewares and holiday items are in abundance up there and I think it's high time that they move on from here!  I've been in the mental process of coming to terms with living with less.  We have so much excess and after a while, after you've seen enough people without, after your closest peeps spend a week in a third world country and after you read amazing blogs and books of people who are doing IT.  They are pouring themselves out, they are giving out of what they have and sometimes don't have.  They are heart and world changers.  Couple that with feeling your pockets squeeze because you're not financially in the same place that you were three years ago, or one year ago for that matter.  After taking ALL OF THAT in.......you just have to do something!!!! 

So the attic is number 2 on my list of things to do with my day!  Next on my list is baking.....I haven't done any baking recently (well my kiddos baked some chocolate chip cookies the other day)

 
 

A dear friend of mine brought over some very ripened bananas for me the other night (tha,t my friend, is true friendship!!).  She said she knows that I/we like to make banana bread and whatnot, so she thought of me!!!!  True sweetness!!  I just have to make something banana-y with them today!!!!  We'll see how that goes!!! 

I know that this day is going to fly by me, so I better get moving and go grab myself a piece of it!!!!  Hope you have a fabulous friday!!!!  I know I will <3

God Bless!!!!!
Lorraine <3

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

You Were Made to Meet Your Maker (Awake My Soul)

I don't know if anyone has heard this song before or if there are hardcore fans out there. I just happened to stumble by this song on Pandora and thought I would share. I don't believe that this band is Christian, but I could be wrong. One line stuck out to me in this song; "you were made to meet your maker". If we lived everyday like that, what would it look like?



Also, the bridge says some pretty powerful things as well.
"In these bodies we live,
 in these bodies we die,
where you invest your love,
you invest your life"
 
~ Jessica