Momma’ Legacy

Today's guest blogger is Naomi from Southern Nature with Naomi Walking. What a blessing and treat for her to share with us today.

Like many a Southern girl, I have a Momma who lives and breathes the Good Book. She taught me to read before I started school with the good old Scottish Presbyterian philosophy, the part of it I treasure. “There are a lot of good books out there,” she told a big-eyed little me, “and there’s value in reading many of them. Some of them are fun, and some of them teach us all kinds of things. But the primary reason to read, the real reason we learn to read, is to read God’s Word for ourselves. If you can read the Bible for yourself, then you will always be able to know the truth for yourself. Whatever else you read, and whatever anybody says, no matter who they are, even if it’s a grown up or the preacher himself or a teacher at school or even me, you will be able to hold it up to the Bible, and know whether that person is telling the truth or not.”
With a momma like that, a lot of things make sense, but sometimes they take effort to make sense of. Once you get the knack of it, though, stuff starts coming together. Some things coalesce to make sense pretty quick, others sooner or later, for still others, maybe after years and years. For example, growing up, I learned pretty quickly that worry is a sin. “The Bible says, ‘be anxious for nothing,’” Momma would remind us. “Worry is a sin.” So, as Momma had taught me to do since before I could walk, I checked it out for myself. Sure enough, the Bible did say, “be anxious for nothing.” (Philippians 4:6.) As I grew older, I saw Momma be anxious for nothing when kids went astray, or we didn’t know how we’d have enough money to cover groceries, or one of us wound up in the emergency room. Concerned, yes. Proactive, yes. Worried – well, sometimes when things were at their bleakest, we saw Momma’s faith struggle with worry, but as far as I could see, faith did manage to overcome worry in the long run when it came to Momma.
It’s easy to say “be anxious for nothing.” It tugs at your heart, but it’s still doable, to watch somebody ELSE, like Momma, actually LIVE “be anxious for nothing.” But when you’re all grown up and you’re on your own, full time job, friends you wish you saw more often, house payment, three dogs, one cat, also a new foster kitten, a fish, an aquatic snail named Hoover who is supposed to clean the aquarium and usually does but sometimes falls asleep on the job and then you have to totally reclean everything in it, community responsibilities, cars to service, dishes to wash, clothes to launder, floors to vacuum, numerous serious hobbies in which to engage if you can steal the time, vet bills, utility bills, home repair bills, lose your best lure to a jackfish, car breaks down, you’re late for work, there’s a run in your hose, somebody makes a mess you have to clean up, oil spill in the Gulf, two wars, a Great Recession, supposed to make a dish for a church function, car breaks down, and all the rest, meanwhile you’re trying to do your part for truth and justice in the world -- well, it’s kind of hard to “BE anxious for nothing.”
Especially when you start to wonder, as I did recently, what does that really mean, “be anxious for nothing?” If it’s a sin to be anxious, then how could Jesus sweat blood in Gethsemane? What IS this anxiety we are called to avoid? Is there a really difference of substance, rather than degree, between being worried and merely concerned?
Paul wrote “be anxious for nothing” in this context :
“...that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings ….
“Not that I have already obtained it or have already been made perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Jesus Christ. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one think I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus ….
“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence in anything worthy of praise, think on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Phillippians 3: 8-9, 12-14; 4: 4-8 NASV (emphasis added; omissions for purposes of emphasis and keeping this post shorter than a Tolstoy novel; like Momma said, read the whole thing for yourself).
The command to “be anxious for nothing” is nestled amongst words of encouragement to place our minds on the things of God; it also stands amid promises of God’s peace, and directly adjacent to an exhortation to submit our requests to God with prayer and thanksgiving. Hmmm… this is a familiar assortment of concepts. Where have I seen these concepts all together in one place before? Oh, yes, I remember now, it was Jesus who said,
“[Y]our Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]'
“….
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also….
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing?
“Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew chapter 6 (NASV); see also Luke 12: 1-34.
I don’t know about you, but in these passages I’m picking up on a consistent group of concepts: placing our needs in God’s hands by prayer, placing our minds on and seeking the things of God, and an exhortation not to be anxious. These ideas coincide in both passages, but is there a relationship among these concepts?
For me, I understood the link when I reread and reread these passages looking for how these ideas are connected in each one. That’s why I’ve included them in this post, though they are somewhat lengthy.
I also understood the connection between these concepts even better when I studied what was meant by the word “anxiety.” Now, I know Koine Greek about like I know pistols. I’m no expert. In fact, I know just enough to be a danger to myself and a menace to society. But since I happen to have an itchy trigger finger, I threw caution to the wind, and I decided to get out not just my trusty NASV, but also the old Greek study aids for this one. Here is a brief overview of what I found.
Merimna (anxiety, Strong’s # 3308 ) and merimnao (to be anxious, Strong’s # 3309 ) are the Greek words translated “worry” and “anxious” in these passages. According to one study resource (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary), these words are probably connected with the word meridzo, “to draw in different directions, to distract.” Merimna means “that which causes an anxious care;” merimnao means, “to be anxious about, to have a distracting care.”
Of course! Although I may FEEL pulled in different directions, I ultimately will not BE drawn from the racecourse and distracted from the real goal if I seek my sustenance and direction from God, if my focus is on the prize, if I press on toward the goal through the obstacles of life, rather than being drawn aside by them.
Prayer -- truly putting our requests in God’s hands with thanksgiving and supplication knowing he already knows our needs and will provide, listening to HIM for guidance and direction rather than chasing our own distractions and worries -- is the consummate act of faith. Placing our minds on things above is a discipline in viewing things by faith, in seeing the things that are true and right and excellent, in looking where we are ultimately going, our vision unclouded by the confusion of this world. Seeking things above is walking by faith, pushing on toward the goal without being sidetracked by the confusion of this world.
There WILL be fervent prayer, concern, diligence, hard work, the rigors of training mind and body and soul for the kingdom in a tumultuous world. There WILL be moments and matters of great concern, as there was for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, when we place our minds on things above and our needs and God’s hands, the way becomes clear, and confusion and anxiety give way to the peace of God which guards our hearts and minds as we press on -- even through great difficulties -- with our eyes on the prize set before us.
God bless —
Naomi Walking

I needed this today Naomi. Thank you for sharing. Want to read more of Naomi's work? /check out Southern Nature with Naomi Walking. I know you will be glad you did.
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A Mother’s Prayer- God’s Answer

Today we have a very special guest post by Misti St. Pierre, I am honored she would share her story with me and excited to share it with you!! She has a wonderful Shoppe on Etsy – Homemade by Momma Misti  http://www.mommamisti.etsy.com/ 

Hurricane Katrina was heading for our hometown of Slidell, Louisiana. I was nearly 5 months pregnant with my son. Both our parents homes were damaged during the hurricane (the eye of the storm went over our city). We evacuated to Shreveport for a couple of weeks then headed over to Helen, Georgia. We had no idea what God had in store for us!!! We found a great church, Helen First Baptist, and my husband started college at Truett-McConnell. My dad and husband made several trips to LA to work on the houses. I had a pretty rough pregnancy, this was my second pregnancy, the first one ended in miscarriage a year earlier. Joshua was born in December 2005, 3 weeks early. He was perfect.
March 3, 2008 I started having extreme pain in my stomach. I thought it was another miscarriage. An ambulance came and rushed me to the hospital. My left ovary was huge, twisted and full of blood clots. It was a life threatening situation. My doctor removed my left ovary and fallopian tube. He checked the right ovary and it was fine. About 7-12 days later I began praying for our birth mother and baby...I thought I was going nuts! I mean, after all I could still have children, I still had my right ovary.
End of March early April 2008 Joshua and I rushed to Louisiana because my mom had to be hospitalized (my husband was in school). She was hemorrhaging and the doctors could not fix the problem. She was really, really sick for a while but the doctors finally found what was causing the bleeding and fixed it. She pulled through.
May 29, 2008 I started having extreme pain again! I thought surely it was my appendix or gallbladder causing trouble. Off to the emergency room we went! It was my right ovary and it was removed along with my fallopian tube. My husband and I were devastated! No more children! No more grandchildren for our parents! No more nursing. No more rocking babies to sleep. You see, we wanted to have 3 children, then adopt. Those were our plans. God had even greater things in mind for our family.
The night of my second surgery I felt like God put it in my heart that I would nurse another baby. I was rocking my son and he was crying because my milk wasn't coming in. I was crying because he was so upset so I said a quick prayer, “Dear Lord, You know we wanted more children and I wanted to nurse more babies. I don't know why all this is happening but You're in control and I'm trusting You.” That's when I knew I'd nurse another baby! My milk came in and Joshua went to sleep. I went and told my husband what I felt God had told me. I wasn't sure how it would all work out because it usually takes 18-24 months to adopt. I knew what I felt in my heart and I knew God would work out the details. The next night I couldn't sleep. I felt like God had something to tell me and that I needed to read my bible. I found my marriage question and answer bible. I opened it up to the question, “How do we know if we should have more children?” I thought, “Gosh! I'm not reading that. It'll make me cry!” So, I flipped around and ended up right back at that question! The answer was (paraphrase), “Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him. They are a blessing, not a burden. Be fruitful and multiply. But, many couples are unable to have children due to medical issues or infertility. For those couples, adoption is a great way to grow your family and share the love of Jesus with a child.” I thought, “Awesome! Adoption! Cool, thanks God!” and went off to bed.
The next day I received an email from one of my husbands former classmates. She said she was sorry to hear about my surgeries and that she'd be praying for us and she was 12 weeks pregnant and she had asked another couple if they wanted to adopt the baby. I emailed back and told her thank you for choosing life and was she sure that's what she felt like God wanted her to do...and I told her we'd be praying for her and the baby and the other couple. I didn't hear anything for a few weeks. My husband and I were praying and we felt like God wanted us to adopt the baby. I emailed her and asked if she had heard from the other couple. She said they told her no and they felt like God had other plans for them and she was going to go to the adoption agency the next week (this was on a Sunday). So, I talked with my husband and gave her a call to ask if we could pray about adopting the baby. She sounded thrilled and said several couples had mentioned us as an option to her! I then called the other couple to ask for their prayers. I was shocked to hear their side of the story! The wife said that the first thought that popped into her mind when they were asked was that the baby didn't belong to them, that it belonged to us! She didn't tell her husband because she wanted him to pray and see what he felt God was telling him. They went on a mission trip to Africa and during the course of the trip her husband told her the same thing! He felt like the baby didn't belong to them that the baby belonged to us! I had no idea of any of this when I called the birth mother.
We were praying for finances and confirmation! Everywhere we went...I'm talking about Burger King, the playground, in magazines...everywhere...people were talking about adoption. It was soooo strange! We were wondering if it was like when you buy a new vehicle...before you purchased it you only saw a couple, now that it's yours you see them at every turn. Well, the finances started coming! Someone had given us a full size pool table. We were able to sell that to raise some money to put toward our home study. My husband is a painter and he asked the family that he was painting for if he knew of anybody else that needed painting done because he was trying to pay off my medical bills (Yes, I canceled my health insurance right before my first surgery....after all..I was healthy! Not a good idea!). The man said, “Bring me the bills, I want to reimburse you for them.” He did and it was enough to pay the retainer fee for our attorney!! God is so good! My husband had several “unexpected” painting jobs. I made several donation bottles and placed them around town. A lot of people, including family, friends and total strangers, helped by donating money. I even met another couple (at Burger King) who was starting the adoption process...the wife was able to help a lot!! She told us which Home Study agency to go with, which bills are not covered by health insurance, how much to expect to pay for allll the home study tests, what to watch out for...definitely an answer to prayer (they have a great story too!). A little info about the home study...you have to get a lot of blood work done, answer a ton of questions, physical, HIV test, 911 screening, water tested, septic tank tested, FBI and GBI background checks,
adoption classes, meet with the social worker quite a few times, sexual offense registry (make sure you're clear in all states), agree to all sorts of terms...there is even more for out-of-state adoptions (which ours was). Our home study was over 100 pages total!!
I found out later that our birth mother got pregnant around the time that I started praying for her and the baby! He was born 9 months after my first surgery!! We were able to choose his name. I was even blessed to be in the delivery room! He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. He was perfect! I was also able to breastfeed him! We had an awesome church family and it was so amazing to see how God had worked out every detail. It was a great feeling to go to small group and have the baby in my arms that we had prayed for so often! We were witnessing an answered prayer! Our church family prayed for us a lot during those months!! They witnessed us moving there from Katrina, the birth of Joshua, both my surgeries, the adoption process and the baby being adopted by us:) A couple of weeks after Josiah was born he started spitting up a lot! The doctors just kept diagnosing him as having acid reflux. He threw up everything! When I say everything, I mean it would cover his shirt, run down my shirt, pants and then puddle on the floor.
My husband was supposed to graduate from college December 2009 but because he couldn't take a class he was able to graduate 6 months early. We were planning on moving back to Louisiana so he could start seminary. I was a little upset because I loved Georgia! I loved the mountains! I loved our church family and friends! By this time more of my family had moved to Georgia. We ended up moving to Louisiana May 11, 2009. I brought him to the doctor (in GA) usually at least twice a week. I brought him to the WIC office 2-3 times a week to have him weighed...he just wasn't gaining weight! When we moved to Louisiana, he was 5 months old and weighed 9 lbs.! He couldn't sit up by himself. He couldn't hold his head up. He was fading fast!! My nerves were shot!! I felt like nobody was listening to me. The moment I made it to LA (Josiah and I flew in a day after my husband and Joshua) I got on the phone calling doctors. We found a great doctor! She changed his medicine and had all sorts of tests done. Everything came back normal. Within a week the baby had lost more weight so he went to Children's Hospital for 5 days (at the same time my mom was in the hospital). The baby responded great to the medicine. He was still spitting up but he managed to gain 11 ounces in one night!! Truly a miracle! The doctors were aiming for 1 ½ ounce! We went home from the hospital, so did my mom. She was full of fluid and ended up back in the hospital a couple of days later. I think she wanted to come home so she could see her grandbabies. She was so worried about Josiah. Her health quickly declined and she went to be with Jesus on June 11, 2009. God gave us an extra year with her. Josiah had started spitting up more and more. We had to switch his primary physician. I brought him to a GI doctor in New Orleans. He told me that nothing was wrong and that he had “infant regurgitation.” I thought that was a bunch of hogwash! He made me so upset! He assured me that Josiah did not have GERD (the reason we were there). I asked about the coughing, gagging, throwing up before, during and after eating, screaming, arching his back, curling up into a ball, wheezing and aspirating. He basically told me it was all in my head...and asked me if I wanted to stay until the baby started wheezing because he wasn't wheezing then. I said, “NO! I'd rather not!” I was highly dissatisfied to say the least! I had never before been treated so rude by a doctor! I was crying my eyes out! He was not listening to me at all!!! These things were happening and he was NOT listening!!! I did call the hospital and complain (and I called back and made sure he knew that I wasn't crazy and something was wrong with my baby. He did send an apology letter). I brought Josiah to Dr. Khoshoo, another GI doctor, and he did some tests. Josiah had an upper GI (barium swallow. The baby swallows this barium white chaulky stuff and they do an x-ray to see how quickly or slowly his stomach empties), Ph probe (to check for acid reflux damage and to check his esophagus) and EGD (camera in the belly). The barium swallow showed that his stomach emptied really slowly, the Ph probe revealed horrible acid reflux and a severely damaged esophagus from all the acid, the EGD revealed that he had pyloric stenosis (his stomach muscle that is supposed to squeeze to digest his food was too narrow and a web of skin had grown across the muscle and was blocking it. The narrow muscle is a common diagnosis. It is usually found and fixed by 6 weeks old. Josiah was almost 10 months old before his was discovered!!! The web of skin however was not common. The doctor said he had only seen about 3 cases that were kind of like Josiah's in the last 15 years!). Surgery was scheduled for September 24, 2009. God totally moved us back to Louisiana at just the perfect time! Nobody in Georgia could figure out what was going on! A few months after Josiah's surgery, Dr. Khoshoo was in a terrible car accident and lost his life. God has been so faithful to our family! He has provided for our family beyond our wildest imaginations! We are so thankful that the other couple obeyed God and that we followed God's plan for our life! We felt so overwhelmed (in a good way)! Joshua accepted his baby brother right away! He loves Josiah! They even look alike! Now, Josiah is 18 months old and weighs 25 lbs.! He is a happy, healthy little boy! I no longer have to carry burp cloths and extra clothes everywhere! God, Dr. Cherie, Dr. Khoshoo and Dr. Adolph saved my son's life! I love to share the story of how God worked out even the tiniest of details and answered our prayers. We never had any plans on moving to Georgia. If God never would have brought us there, we never would have met our birth mother...God is in control! Trust Him! He is faithful! He hears our prayers and He knows our hurts and joys. Not only does He hear our prayers but He answers them and not only does He know our hurts but He keeps all our tears in a jar! He knows the number of hairs on our heads! He is a great God who cares greatly about us!


Misti, Thank you for sharing your amazing Story of God's tender care. I am deeply moved by your story. God's awesome power is evident throughout all of your stuggles and joy!!

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A Tribute to Moms

   Mother's Day is the perfect day to spend with
    Ashley Bray from the Bray Bunch.

Oh my goodness, how honored I was when SLP asked me to be a guest blogger on Fellowship Sunday. She told me I would be posting on the 2nd Sunday in May and write about anything family, kid, or God related – everything sounded great. Then I realized this past week I would be writing on Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day – in my book a great holiday – but oh the pressure, oh well, I’m great under pressure – RIGHT??? So here it goes. I had all these topics I thought about but I could not pass it up.


                                  Mothers it is!!!!!

What a great honor God gave women to be Mothers of His Children, not to say fathers are not important but this IS Mother’s Day. A mother is chosen by God to nurture, love, teach, guide, and shelter a child.

Throughout the bible we are guided in our roles as Mothers –

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 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. Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” Deuteronomy 4:10

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children. Titus 2:4

A woman becomes a mother through birth or by heart, we love and nurture our children all our lives.

We sleep with one ear alert and one eye open ready to comfort a crying baby, we change multitudes of diapers, we are the taxi cabs and chauffeurs, we are doctors, therapists, counselors, THE consoler, teachers, providers, friends, maids, drill sergeants, clothes washer, stain killer, clothes mender, fashion designer, boo-boo kisser, treat dispenser, lollypop giver, chief chef and bottle washer: to name a few of our duties. That is only for the kids, that does not include the spouse who lovingly made us a mother. So when all is disparaging, remember the pitter pat of little feet that greet you when you come home, little giggles from innocents minds, hugs from pure hearts, kisses from sweet lips, love of unconditional souls because they can. They are what makes you a Mother, but most of all the fact that you do all of these things makes you a Great Mother! Not only a parent but a mother that is doing what God has always intended, not what the world says you could be doing instead. Godspeed dear mothers and go enjoy being pampered by your family.

Ashley, thank you for sharing with us today.

Please stop by her blog to enjoy the remarkable stories of her family.


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Fellowship Sunday

                    
This week we are spending time with a dear sister in Christ, Nicole  from Chaotic Ark Family.  Join me as we glean wisdom from her post.

                    Submission = Subordinate?


"In the same way, you wives, be Submissive to your own husband so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior." 1 Peter 3: 1-2


My question was how does this verse make you feel as a wife? That first gut feeling when you read it and God is calling you to be Submissive to your husband? Years ago I would have said "EXCUSE ME!! Josh and I are Equal. He's not going to Rule me." Thankfully over the years God has softened my heart and opened my eyes to His Master plan, the Perfect plan. I guess how I looked at Submission was being Subordinate. I have learned that is not true at all. God calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. That's alot of love..Amen? "In the same way, you husbands must give Honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your EQUAL partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so prayers will not be hindered." (1 Peter 3: 7) Do you see that God commands husbands to Honor their wives and if they don't God will not answer their prayers? Pretty strong words if you ask me. Lets go back to the very beginning. God did create Adam first and placed him in the Garden of Eden to oversee it. Adam had God, Walked with God, and talked with God. I mean if you really think about it, what more did Adam need if he had God right at his finger tips but God saw that Adam indeed needed something more and He created Eve. "Then the Lord said, It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a HELPER who is just right for him." (Genesis 2: 18) That's amazing to me. Even though Adam had God, God knew he needed something more, a helper, so He created women. We as women are very important to God. What an awesome job He has entrusted us with. To be a helper to our men. Submission is not about being a doormat for our husbands to walk on. It's about having a quiet spirit and allowing God to lead our husbands. It's about not looking out for our own selfish ambitions but in humility consider others/husbands better than yourselves just as it says in Philippians 2:3. It's not our responsibility to instruct, lead, or change our husband, instead when that earthy desire rears its ugly head we are to remember that quiet spirit and "Duck and Run" as Mckmama calls it. Allowing God to step in. Husbands have a very important and hard job. I am very proud to stand beside Josh to support, help, encourage and strive to be the Godly wife God created me to be. Now I must add here that biblical submission NEVER means you must serve as a punching bag or be emotionally abused. We are called to submit to one another "out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21) If this is something you are facing, God says "Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather EXPOSE them." (Ephesians 5: 11) You are not being unfaithful to your husband when you seek help. You are acting in love by helping him confront a behavior that offends God..

Nicole, thank you for sharing with us today. 
Please stop by her blog to enjoy her heartfelt loveable stories of her family.  

Being Thankful For Little Miracles

   This week on Fellowship Sunday our guest blogger is
                                Aging Mommy.

I love her blog, her witty style coupled with honest intensity. I met her through blogging and am thankful for the friendship that is forming.  I know you will enjoy her writing as much as I do.








                      Being Thankful For Little Miracles

Every day in our lives is a little miracle. Every life is a little miracle. Every child born is a miracle, an everyday miracle of life.

So easy to forget those things isn't it? So caught up do we get in our everyday lives. Being a parent is hard work, pure and simple. It wears us out at times, this modern world and its expectations (or are they just our expectations imposed upon the world?). Our "To Do" lists, our chores, our endless need to drive here, there and everywhere for those everyday things and social obligations we absolutely need or must meet. It gets us down too sometimes, this life of ours with all its demands (or are they just demands we make of ourselves?) having to deal with sick kids when we are sick ourselves, or trying to maintain our composure in the face of a toddler meltdown when all we want to do is jump up and down and scream at the world that "it's not fair" ourselves. We worry all the time too - are we good enough at our jobs, at parenting, worrying about what might happen instead of focusing on what is.

So life goes on and we race through it. We race through every day and sometimes fail to stop and appreciate each and every one for what it is and what it brings. When you have a child, every day brings a new miracle of development, a new milestone that is met, no matter how small or ordinary it might seem to everyone else, for your child it is significant. Like yesterday when I went to get my daughter dressed in the morning and she said "there you go Mommy, I got my clothes out already" and there they were, lying on her chair. I felt so proud I cried tears of joy mixed with sadness because that's another thing she can do all by herself but also another step towards independence and the day when she will leave home. When she will not be around anymore, or not nearly so often. So I tell myself I need to make more of this time I have with her, there will be time enough for the chores and the worries when I am sitting at home alone and she is gone, out into the world to make a life of her own.

Children see the world as we should - unburdened by the worries, demands and expectations that we carry with us and so they look at the world with eyes that marvel. At every new thing, every new experience, they unabashedly express their delight, their joy, uncensored and unconditioned by life. I see this every day as I spend time with my daughter. I so want to be like that too. To be able to more easily and more frequently stop, take a moment. To just live in that moment and forget about everything else, to laugh, enjoy and simply be - happy, contented and appreciative of what life is really all about.

So today, on this Sunday I am doing that. Today is my day for just enjoying life, with my daughter and family. I want to give thanks for this day, with my daughter. Thank you. Thank you. A thousand times thank you for my little miracle.

So I will leave you with that thought and wish you a very wonderful day.
 
Thank you Aging Mommy for sharing with us and reminding us to be thankful for our "little miracles". Please stop by her blog. You are sure to laugh and be inspired.

Fellowship Sunday with Ken Davis

Ken Davis is our Spotlight Guest this week for Fellowship Sunday

Ken Davis, Christian Comedian

Ken is a best-selling author, frequent radio and television guest and one of the country's most sought after inspirational and motivational speakers. A gifted comedian and a master storyteller, year after year Ken continues to delight audiences of all ages from coast to coast.

Opportunity knocks…but not always at the front door

I broke out in a cold sweat. I would be speaking to five hundred managers of a Fortune 500 company only ten minutes from now—and my notes were still in my hotel room on the ninth floor. I sprinted to the elevator, diving like Indiana Jones through the doors just as they closed. Whirling to face front, I frantically pressed the button for the ninth floor. Then I crouched, panting like some predatory cat, poised to spring through the doors the second they opened.

A glance at my watch showed there were now seven minutes before speech time. The elevator finally reached the ninth floor and stopped. But the door didn’t open. There was a sound like the door had opened. There was that little convulsive shake an elevator makes when the door opens. But the door didn’t open. In a matter of moments, in a ballroom nine floors below me, I’d be introduced as the speaker. I could picture the applause, then the silence, the murmuring, and the confusion as no one stepped to the platform.
My imagination went wild. What if I was trapped in here for weeks? Maybe archaeologists would pry the door open sometime in the future, only to find my skeleton slumped in a corner. In panic I pressed the little “Open Door” button. Each time I pressed, the elevator would make a sound as if the door were opening. It would shake as if the door were opening. But that door didn’t open.

The bad word that had tried to escape my lips the day my airbag went off made it all the way this time. I kicked the door. I didn’t want to hurt it; I wasn’t trying to be destructive. I was only helping the maintenance people—I figured a good kick might jar the door loose. Maybe a second kick, a really good one, would be even more helpful.
In the process of abusing the door, I allowed my finger to slip from the little “Open Door” button and the elevator set off on its travels again.
Now I was frantic. The elevator crawled to the fourteenth floor and stopped. Once again it offered all the sound effects and tremors that accompany an opening door, and once again the door remained shut. I lost control. The clock was ticking—three minutes were left to avoid public humiliation before the tycoons of the world. I was ruined! I banged on the door, jabbed at the “Open Door” button, and started yelling, “Someone call the front desk! Call the police! The elevator door is stuck!”

From behind me, a timid voice squeaked, “No it ain’t.”
I felt a cold chill. The elevator had been empty when I entered it. Was the thing haunted? Every hair on my body stood at attention.
With bulging eyes I spun around, prepared to defend myself against some misty elevator phantom—only to face seven wide-eyed hotel guests waiting to get on.
This was one of those elevators with doors in both the front and the back. The people just stood there. They seemed reluctant to share a small, closed-in space with me.

The meeting had run long and I arrived at the ballroom in plenty of time for my speech. I recounted my ordeal as an illustration of how often we allow daily frustrations to affect our attitude. After the meeting a sweet, elderly women drew me aside. “I was standing there waiting to get on when the elevator stopped the first time,” she said. Then with a wry smile, she shook her finger at me and clucked, “That was a bad word!”

I’ve recalled that incident many times. I’ve been on this ride before. Many times I’ve stood kicking at one door, screaming because it wouldn’t open. I often fail to see open doors of opportunity all around me—doors leading to thrilling new destinations—because I want what I want, I want to get to it my way and I want it now. The opportunity for me to get to my meeting was there all along, but I had imposed unnecessary limits. I was beating on the wrong door.

How often are we blinded to the opportunities God gives us because of our tunnel vision? I’m finally learning to look around for new doorways. It’s never too late to open your eyes.
It could even keep you from saying some bad words.
Is there a door you’ve tried to open that remains shut in spite of your best efforts?
Have you taken a look around for alternate doors
The path to your dreams may be at the back of the elevator, the side of the elevator—even right through the roof. It may require more effort than you thought. You might even have to take the stairs.
Ask friends you trust if they see any open doors. Ask God to show you the doors he has opened.
There is nothing to lose by considering all your options. Lighten up and check the back door. You may be surprised at what you find.

Do you have a guest blogger or a spotlight blog on your site today? Grab my Fellowship Sundays button and add your link here. We will be by to Fellowship with you.
Next week's guest blogger is Aging Mommy

Fellowship Sunday with Stacey

                                           Fellowship Sunday



This week on Fellowship Sunday our guest blogger is one of my personal favorites: Stacey, over at Stacey's Mothering moments.




                                                         Gratitude
“Mom! I think there’s a problem. I think O threw up.” I turned and saw my two-year old standing there crying with throw up all over her. It wouldn’t be fun unless we were at Grandma’s house, which of course we were. There’s nothing like exposing 13 cousins to the stomach flu.
Being a mom can be one of the most thankless jobs. It is taxing and never-ending. There is always something to do and someone to take care of. It can wear you out, and bring you down.
This week has been a tough one at our house. The stomach bug that started on Sunday has affected four of the children. My two-year old suffered with it in various phases for nearly five days. Explaining to her that she couldn’t have any fishy crackers was just heartbreaking.
I knew it was bad when my older daughter’s prayers consisted of, “And please don’t let anyone else get sick. Amen.”
The laundry has been ridiculous. The pile that usually lives on the couch is twice as high. I haven’t left the house all week. And I have been training for a half marathon and running religiously. Not this week. Guess how much longer until my race? It’s next Saturday. So the week before my race, I can’t even train. Murphy thinks he is very funny this time.
Amidst all of this chaos and frustration, I realized that there is much to be grateful for. Despite our current illness, my children are very healthy. We have a beautiful home, we have food to eat, my husband has a job. We have each other, and in the end that is the most important thing. I can always catch up on the laundry, the stomach flu will pass and I will finish my race even if I have to walk the last two miles.

Ephesians 5: 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I give thanks. Thank you Heavenly Father for this wonderful life and for my wonderful family.

I challenge each of you to look beyond your challenges and be grateful today.

Thank you Stacey for sharing with us and reminding us to be grateful. Please stop by her blog. You are sure to laugh and be blessed.

Do Not Be Afraid

Hi There Ladies, I'm Sweet Tea and Biscuits. I am delighted to meet ya'll and to be joinin' ya'll today for SLP's Fellowship Sundays. I am honored to be the first guest blogger on her site. Don't you ladies love her little snippets on mothering :) I know she keep me laughing and encouraged as a mom. I love this idea for fellowship sundays. I know we will all enjoy it.

Today I want to fellowship and share with you ladies about my favorite words in the bible " Do not Be Afraid".

It is found throughout the bible and really directs and guides my life. I love that the angel reminds us not to be afraid when Jesus is first born and at his ressurection. These words constantly remind me that God is always with me and that I have nothing to fear as I walk with him. I hope you will be reminded as we go celebrate Easter next Sunday that God does not want us to afraid but that we are safe and protected in his love. Here are a few of my favorite passages -

Matthew 28:5 (New International Version)

5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

                                         Luke 1:30 (New International Version)
30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

                                        Luke 2:10 (New International Version)
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.


                                         John 14:27 (New International Version)


27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.


And this verse is the one that I cling to everyday -

                                                   Psalm 62:6 (New International Version)

            6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.


                                  Hope ya'll have a blessed Easter :)

Fellowship Sundays

Introducing Fellowship Sundays-

Invite a guest to come and fellowship on your blog by letting them do a guest post .

Here are the guidelines:


1. On Sundays each week, I'll host the link get-together here at Surviving Little People. You can come over and enter the permalink to your Surviving Little People post in my MckLinky List.

2. Be sure to insert a link in your post that directs others back here. It could be my button at the side bar, or something like "This post is linked to "Fellowship Sundays" at Surviving Little People.

3. Be sure to link your post's url, not your blog url!

4. Link as many posts as you would like, as long as they have to do with a guest post on your blog.

5. Visit as many other links as you can for fellowship, inspiration and encouragement.

7. Come back each Sunday, share more friends for us to visit with.

Don't forget to grab a button (it's in my sidebar with code) to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in "Fellowship Sundays." Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post.

Every one of my followers will have the opportunity to be a guest and do a post on Surviving Little People. I will contact you when it is your turn to see if you would like to participate.  

Join me this Sunday. Sweet Tea and Biscuits will be fellowshipping here. I look forward to her post.