OCTOBER 28th

For Thou didst form my inward parts;

Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to Thee,

For I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Thy works,

And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from Thee,

When I was made in secret

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.

Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Thy book they were all written.

The days that were ordained for me

When as yet there was not one of them.

Psalm 139:13-16

October 28th...

March 3rd, 1979 to today = 11,917 days of life.

October 5th, 1985 to today = 9,883 days as a daughter of the King.

January 5th, 2000 to today = 4311 days as a wife.

June 29th, 2001 to today = 3,773 days as a mother.

October 28th, 2008 to today = 1,095 days of extended life.

October 28th, 2011 to tomorrow = ...

[I am] His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that [I] should walk in them. Blessed be the God and Father of [my] Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused [me] to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for [me] who [am] protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Ep 2:10; 1 Pet 1:3-5

Thank You Father!

Choosing the Meat

I know I do not write on here very much. I always wonder what people are really interested in. My daily routine stays pretty much the same and I don't even really bore Luke with all the details of that! There are the funny stories of my kids, but I worry sometimes that some of these will prove to be embarrassing to them as they get older and are able to freely read what I have shared about them with the whole world! They are entitled to some privacy, right? Then there are my thoughts. I struggle here too, because I have many thoughts. I am not sure when to share. When is God laying something on my heart, that He wants to change in me, am I supposed to share it? Does that take the heat off of me? Does God just want me to make changes and live them or to share them as if they were changes everyone needs to make?
A while back I changed the title of this blog from my name (it was created to keep people updated on my condition when I was in the hospital,) to 'Remember.' I did this because of one of the things God has laid on my heart very heavily for the past three years. I do believe that God puts us through things and allows us to experience circumstances that will either cause us to come to a point of surrender or defiance. In these moments, when we choose to surrender and let Him lead and take control, it always works to bring Him glory and often to change us in a way that makes us more like Him. And these are moments we are meant to remember, and NEVER forget. Not only are we to remember these moments, but we are to remember them correctly so that God is always the one being glorified. When we don't remember these things properly it can lead to pride and a false sense of accomplishment. And that is not a good place to be!!
When I came home from the hospital, fully aware of my second chance at life, I knew I wanted to live life focused on the eternal; on the things that really matter. One of the ways I decided to do this was to revamp my quiet time. I have always been a bit wishy washy in this area. I had never read straight through the Bible and although I had read most of it through out my life, I did not like the idea of just reading through. I enjoyed studying topically on the things that were affecting my life at the time. And for this reason, I was not very consistent. When I came home I was determined to read His whole letter to me, from begining to end. I found a 90 day challange and decided to try it. This was a big deal for me. I am not that fast a reader, and I am seldom left alone without interruption for more than ten minutes at a time. But I was determined. I would read even on the days I didn't 'feel it'.
I LOVED IT!!!! Reading straight through in such a short period of time meant I would still remember the beginnig when I came to the end. I have never had a problem believing in the inspiration and infalibility of the Word. I have never had a problem with so many authors and such a span of time being in one book, but to read it so quickly made it come alive in ways I had never seen before. The continuity throughout the whole book JUMPED of the page!!
I decided that for at least the next few years I would be relying soley on the Bible as the text of my quiet times. I do not have a problem with Christian books others have written. I think they are great, but I had decided that I needed to spend a considerable amount of time in JUST the Word. Eating of the meat He has provided for me. Trusting His Holy Spirit to highlight and teach me. And These three years have been a time of increadible amount of growth for me. I did slow down the tempo a bit. I have read in six month perionds for two years and plan to do it in a whole year next year. Each time It allows me a little more time to regurgitate, meditate, analize and study what I am reading. I LOVE IT!
It will never cease to amaze me that each time I see something new, something I never saw before, something deeper than I thought was there. His word is truly living, active and moving!!
I hope to always remember correctly and to never forget!

A Proud Momma!

I have two overarching dreams for all of my children. First, I desire for each of them to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. Second, because I believe that God planned our family, and placed each of our children in our family, I believe all of my children have a calling and that they are to be salt and light to those around them. I am beginning to see them do this in our neighborhood and at church. But today was a very proud moment for me.

I went to my oldest three's award ceremony this morning. All of my kids have done very well this year, but this has been Abigail's first year, and she has loved every second of it! She leaves the house smiling, and comes home smiling. All of the kids in her class had received their award, as had she- for beautiful handwriting. So I turned of my camera and sat down. But Ms. Monroe proceeded to say: "I have one more award I'd like to give to a very special student. This young lady is such a joy to have in class. She is always happy and she makes everyone around her happy. She is a friend to all and is a true peacemaker in our class...Abigail Panter."

I was so proud. Of course I believe this about my child, but to know that other's see it and feel impressed to acknowledge it, makes me feel like she is seeing Jesus and is reflecting Him back to others around her. -Thank You Father for my sweet Abigail Joy. Thank You for giving her such a big heart. Protect her and keep, Let her always shine brightly for You. Amen!!!-

'Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven' Matthew 5:16

A Journey

Life is a journey, each step, each day, each event gets me one mile closer to my destination. My 'vehicle' has been surrendered to the 'GPS' which has been set by God on the exact route he wants me to take to get to that destination. I must follow those directions carefully and in order. If I take them out of order it will greatly complicate my trip, while also wasting gas, time and will require correcting my course. I must remember where I have come from, work hard to walk obediently today, anticipating the trip tomorrow, and looking forward to the journey's final destination where 'He who began the good work in me, will be faithful to complete it...' Phil 1:6

I also pray the same for my husband, my children, and those I love.