Caution: A heart exposed...

It was with tears streaming down my face today that I had a sit down with my Lord and asked. " Is it worth it?"

Yes at times I feel very overwhelmed, yes at times my family may feel the affects of a passionate mama's heart.

But there's a part of me that wants to tune out others input to "slow down" and interjections to tell me I am too busy when God has pressed into my heart because...

I...just...can't...not...follow..His...leading.

You can't tell me K memorizing a scriptures for every letter she learns is not worth it, you cant tell me delivering $ to someone in need does not minister to both the giver & recipient, that ministering to my mustard seeds is not planting a seed of truth in their heart, that welcoming newcomers to our church with a "Sommer" smile is not making their hearts more receptive to try this new "Jesus" thing.

Honestly-what I can stop & think I'm giving up to try to "do it all" does not appeal to me. A free Saturday for a manicure, a night to sit and soak up the tube, a day to "myself". Those are all good...in its time, but I prayed a long time ago -"Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours" and " take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory".

So until you change my heart Lord, guard it so that all I hear is your cheer & encouragement that I all I am doing is pressing more into You. This is my life's prize.

So it's with hands high and heart abandoned I choose to live each day with purpose. Your purpose Lord...remind this fragile heart today that its worth it...

Meaningful Christmas

Remember last year when I hosted a Meaningful Christmas exchange here. 

Our family had such a special time turning our hearts towards Jesus here that I knew I wanted to help my friend Lauren get a group together! You NEED to check this out next year!!! 

 The idea is to get 24 friends together to make ornaments to put on the tree that correspond with a family devotional book.
We add each day's ornament to our Happy Birthday Jesus tree!

The books go on sale around October and sales are final the middle of November. Be sure and look up A Meaningful Christmas on facebook or email them at ameaningfulchristmas@yahoo.com

May you take time this Christmas to Adore Him!

Thankful Heart

Thankful for a few of my favorite things....family that lives so close, that Jesus is still working on me, fingerprints on the fridge, the chance to deliver a hot meal to someone in need today, the way my hubby loves his baby girl, that my little man has his mama wrapped around his finger, that God gets the glory for all things in our life. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow! Happy Thanksgiving

Pondering...

Just something I've been chewing on lately from the book of Corinthians. Learning the letter "R" with KK about refreshing others and gearing up to learn letter "S" and serving - has my heart in His grip.

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. "

Girls Summer Bible Study

My sweet girlfriends and I are at it again! 

I love love love love love and look forward to our summer girls studies!

I actually took on 2 studies this year! 

The first with my sweet community group girls and the book Not a Fan.

 This has been such a challenging read and boy has it stretched my faith!

When Jesus says "Come after" He is describing a passionate pursuit of someone you love.....but all too often our relationship with Him looks more like an enthusiastic admirer.

It was with tears running down my face I read the authors words of what it means to die to myself...to deny myself...and follow Him. This book exposed so many "fan" traits I have. It made me question am I a fan of Christ or a follower?

To follow Jesus means I choose Jesus...I choose Jesus over my family, my money, my goals, my desire to be liked, my desire to be comfortable, the desire to be happy.Whew!! Great book!!!

My second study was with my dear After School Kids CBS servants team. My dear friend Leslee led us through a book title Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas. 

 The cover of this book says "How God uses wives to shape the souls of their husbands". This book was so awesome to do with this particular group of girls. These girls are MIGHTY women of God and I love that they are 5 or so years older than me and in the very next stage of life. I literally soaked up every word of advice they gave! This group has been such an answer to prayer and I only pray that I can be this kind of mentor to someone one day! 

The book was a great reminder that our commitment to marriage is a direct reflection of our love for the Lord. In Ephesians 5:21, God's word instructs us to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ"

Some ideas I loved from this book are...

Ask God for a fresh set of eyes, 

Try to tire God out by thanking Him for your husband, 

Affirm your husband's strengths, 

Be the Prov 31:27 that "watches over the affairs of her household" as the enemy lies and waits for the opportunity to steal and tempt. 

Great read! I can't wait to read this author's other book titled Sacred Marriage. 

Super sad to see my studies come to an end...and this summer! I can't believe we are into August and school and fall are just around the corner!

N0.41

Kaitlyn and I picked up our No.41 bags our sweet friend Alison Holcomb sent from Africa!

No.41 provides skills training and sustainable income to orphaned young women in Gisenyi, Rwanda as they get on their feet and transition to independence. The proceeds from their bags and beads will also fund a school feeding program for secondary school students in the area. Like them on Facebook or visit their website! http://www.No41.org

And if you are in Midland, purchase your very own at Pink Tumbleweed!

Refreshing!

Ever have one of those days when you need to be refreshed & reminded of Who is running the show?

Had one of those days today and my heart felt so full to walk into the house and let the scripture in my kitchen feed my soul....

So thankful for His word that is alive and active! Hoping you are refreshed today too!

Psalm 61:2

With arms high and heart abandoned...

If you knew me growing up as a teenager... or in early Mrs Bledsoe year's.... you would know I love to sing!! If you knew my dad, you would know why songs of praise and worship are my heartbeat. You would know why there are times this "Bapti-Costal" (part Baptist, part Pentecostal) girl can hardly stand in her seat during Sunday worship.
There is one other setting that I love "letting go" and lifting songs of praise to my Sweet Savior. There are times I'm in this setting and I have to stop to control myself. There are times I weep..times I shout....even times I lift my hands in surrender to The One who gave it all!
This setting my surprise you....but it's one I've grown to long for...one that stirs my heart and makes me feel closer to my Savior and King! What does this special place look like?

It's 2 kiddos in a double stroller, it's an iPhone full of praise songs, it's road stretched before me, it's a sunset, it's the thought that my Sweet Savior sings over me. That He has these moments etched in His calendar...that He stops everything to hear my soul cry out; my lips praise; my heart stir.

So thankful that during this season of my life with 2 munchkins He still meets me at the point of my greatest need..that He is still pursuing me....that He loves me more than I can comprehend; ever express; or ever deserve.

That He rejoices over me with singing! (Zephaniah)

Sweet spot with Him

My little man had quite a rough weekend. Friday after Kaitlyn finished dance class we grabbed lunch and headed to the park. It was a beautiful day in the 70's with No Wind!!! Absolutely beautiful!!
We were taking our last run of the playground when Jackson ran down a ramp and fell down. He started to brace himself on the ground to stand up and immediately stated screaming. Poor babe had his hands on a metal plate at the end of the playground and in a matter of seconds his hands were fire red and blistered. He screamed and screamed so I knew something was not right. I called the hubs who (thank you Jesus) was a block away at lunch and we headed to the Emergency room.
After 3 hours waiting and Jackson screaming the entire!! time we learned he had suffered 2nd degree burns to his hands.
Only Jackson and I were allowed back to the room, so from 1:00-3:15 I walked, rocked, wept, sang and bounced trying to soothe my poor baby boy.
At 3:15 they gave him Tylenol with codeine and he finally got relief and snuggled into my neck.
This Mama also gave a huge sigh of relief and tears flooded my eyes so thankful that, for the moment he was at peace.
As we waited to be discharged, he slept so soundly. I was so thankful for the "sweet spot" Jackson had found in my neck and it reminded me of the scripture I have written in our kitchen this week from Deuteronomy.

"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure, in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders."
Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV)

Ahh..to rest between His shoulders.

God gave me a clear picture this weekend of what comfort and rest looks like to someone seeking relief from pain.
My prayer is that I find more moments in the "sweet spot" with the Lord. That He is my comfort and place of refuge , my rest and my security. That in the midst of pain or trial or suffering, only moments with Him will be the calm.

J- man is a trooper and hasn't really fussed a bit since we've been home. We go back to the doctor Monday so they can show me how to treat the blisters and prevent scarring. Your prayers would not be wasted on healing for our little man!! Hope your weekend was less eventful ;)

Celebrating You...

I am captivated by "The Resolution for Women" by Priscilla Shirer. Have you read this book?

I read chapter 1 a total of 4 times before I could move on to chapter 2. It rocked my world!!

What a great read in the wake of new beginnings. Here's to celebrating You! The You He has set apart, the You He chose. (Jeremiah 1:5)

"Rather than seeking to impress and outperform others, and rather than feeling ashamed by what you don't have and can't do, relish the opportunity to stand as a living, walking, eating, breathing example of what God's grace can do with a woman He has set apart, weaknesses and all, to be a sacred vessel in His service. You are a purposeful place setting. A worthy masterpiece worth celebrating"

But what if....

Just what if....I was all those things I dream of and more. What if my marriage knocked my socks off, I made a difference in the lives around me, I breathed life into the little hearts in my care.

What if joy drenched every word-every thought-every action, my house was a retreat & rescue to my family...that I was the heart of our home, that-like the Proverbs 31 Woman-I laughed at the things to come instead of stress & gripe & cause tension at every hiccup.

What if I saw things from His perspective, viewed every encounter as an opportunity to give Him glory, thought less of myself and more of Him...more of His heart...more of His own...just what if...for 2012......

I'm restless...

I feel like I'm in a fog, I can't think straight, I'm tired, I'm grumpy....all things you wanted to hear about me today, huh??

I would love to do a recap of 2011 and set goals for 2012, but for some reason I just can't think. Ever have one of those days...er...weeks?

Not sure what God is doing or where this is going. Not sure when my thoughts will clear and I'll feel the freedom to write again. I am just starting to realize that Lord, I am restless until I rest in You.

Taking a break from blogland as I chase after His heart.... Happy 2012 and the "abundantly more" He has for you...and me! :) 

Ephesians 3:20

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us"

Leaving a Leagacy....

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. — Pericles

The thought of my legacy sobers me up real quick. It makes me want to run to Jesus and cry out for His grace and mercy to accomplish.

I read a post where a woman says “I don’t want the legacy for my own pride, I want to leave a noble imprint on our family history so that the generations of daughters who come after me can look back with resolve and say, “our great grandmother persevered in godliness and so will we.”

Wow! What do I want my children to say about me….

….that she loved truth and devoured grace. She never gave up. She loved God and the beauty He weaves.

Her life was a fragrant offering to God, and her love a pleasant aroma to those who do not know Him…in the hopes that they will.

She knew she could never do all these things on her own and so she cried out to God daily. She covered me in prayer, she loved my daddy, she lived life joyfully.

She invested in the lives of others…she invested in me.
She taught me His word and she was fun! She was mindful of the moment and made the smallest, most seemingly insignificant, or even boring things memorable. Bike rides, bubble baths, making cookies, singing silly songs; she used them all to point me to Who made them all. She taught me to “love the LORD, listen to his voice, and hold fast to Him.” Dt. 30:20

Leaving a legacy…these are BIG dreams…but God is all about making the impossible possible!

Crazy Love Club

What a breath of fresh air.

Is there anything more beautiful, more rewarding, more humbling, or more indescribable than loving on those in need?

I told you here that my summer bible study girlfriends and I were reading Crazy Love. This book and more importantly Gods commands to love others like I love myself (ouch)...like I love my precious babies...like I love my husband....left me saying "I want more!

I jokingly made the comment (because I thought they might laugh) that I wanted to schedule a day to help those in need like I would schedule a dr's appointment or a date night on my calendar.

Unfortunately I related all to well to the section of the book where the author said he looked around & the people surrounding his life had it all. He says "I realized everyone I knew had enough...and I needed to intentionally meet people who didn't live like I do...people that could never repay me.

And thus birthed the "Crazy Love Club" !!! A meeting amongst friends where we don't talk about ourselves or the achievements of our children. Where it's not about feeding our egos, it's all about others.

We just had our 1st meeting where precious hearts discussed the needs we see in our community and beyond that we can take part in. To see someone talk about helping feed the hungry, care for the orphans, bring a smile to a widow-that my friends is the fragrance of the sweet love of My Savior.

I'm not in here by chance, the money He has provided to my family is not just to watch my bank account grow. No-He has far greater things in mind....more than I could imagine.
I can't wait to share with you the things He has in store.

Love, such a simple word, so easy to roll off my tongue-but Lord I want more!
Help me LOVE like you love!!
Thank you that you have captured my heart....
"when you are in love with someone, it changes everything!"

He's still working on me...

Just some thoughts I'm wrestling with....

"The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation" Exodus. 15:21

Lord remind me that my heart should sing no other name but You; that You are more committed to my greatest joy more than I am.

Love through me and help me to trust that You are pruning situations & relationships (no matter how hurtful they are) for my good & Your glory.

I could get mad and get even; I could let this get "the best" of me. And at this stage of my life, thank you Jesus! that You are the "the best" of me.
Thank you that others will get love, kindness , and compassion instead of anger, frustration, or rudeness.

Remind me that you orchestrate all things.
"I know that you are for me. I know that You have come now-even if to write upon my heart- to remind me who You are. "

Remind me that You are the joy of my heart, the lover of my soul, and my One and Only.

Showing God's Love: Love Notes for Africa

We had a blast having all our friends (and some new friends) at our Love Notes for Africa play date!!! 

We had 3 stations for the little one's to visit.

At station #1 the little one's learned about Africa

 At #2 we decorated Love Notes and our donations that Wynne and Stephen will take with them this week to Uganda and Ethiopia!!!

And at #3 our friends took home a magnet to Pray for Africa this week!

 Steve-O watched the little one's for us!!

 My friend Leah brought BeadForLife jewelry made by women in Uganda!! So cool

 Even Miss Mabry shopped!

 What a blast we had with our friends!!

Thank you Sweet Jesus for the opportunity to show 

my little one's about your love!

"Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deut 6:7