Listen, Would you?!

I got annoyed today.

Like really, really annoyed. (sorry for the valley girl impression)

My children would not listen.
I kept having to repeat myself, like every other normal day in my house.
However, today it really annoyed the crap out of me. I think it was because it was both of them on the same day at the same time.

It was lunch time, they wouldn't sit down. One was running off to play the piano, one wouldn't stop chasing the one running to play the piano. I just wanted them to sit down.

I was getting something out of the fridge when I said to myself under my breath "just one day, I just want one day when they both listen all day."

Then I heard as clear as day, "Me too KJ, me too." I swear it was God, telling me its time to start listening too.

I bet as tired as I get as a mom, God is the ultimate parent, think of all the kids he has to watch daily, it has to be exhausting being him. I mean I know he is like the ultimate superhero and probably never really gets tired, but it has to be hard to watch his kids turn away from him time and time again.

Take me for example I've been hearing him since October tell me its time to use my rape story for something good. Since April he has been telling me to write it. I finally this week finished it. 4 months later, and 10 months later since it all began.

I really didn't want to write it, and not really because I didn't want to go through it all again, more because I don't think writing is my thing. In fact I know writing is not my thing. If you've been following my blog for any time or just reading this post today, you can probably tell writing is not my thing!

I'm also a bit worried about the what happens next, what will come of my writing it out? Probably nothing, and I hate doing things for no reason, especially when its something I don't want to do in the first place.

Will you join me in prayer tonight about our listening skills?

Father,
I come to you tonight tired and cranky for my family does not hear me, but Lord, I know you do. Thank you for always listening, and being there. Thank you for letting me hear you today, and help me to continue to hear you louder than the world. Help me to Listen the first time and not the 10,000 time. Help me to be an example to my children of a listening person, a caring person, a less annoyed person. Help me to Love them and hear them the way you do.
Amen

#warriorprincessKJ

For those of you wondering about the status of my story, it is written. However it is being proofread by a few friends for me. I do have plans to post it, I'm just not sure when and how but it is coming.
Thank you for praying for me with this subject.

Happy Birthday America!

What a fantastic day!

I started the day out early preparing for the neighborhood 4th of July bash. The day was spent with the 'bike' parade, food prep, water slides, water table, swimming pool. Enjoying the company of our new neighbors. Then we watched an amazing 35-45 minute fireworks show, right from our driveway. (Alright, I went to the neighbors driveway, but really I could have seen them from mine.) I love that I didn't have to FIND something for us to do this year, in a new city. Everything we wanted to do was right here, in our own 'backyard'.

I chatted with a few of the guy neighbors tonight, and got to talk about The Lord. I love talking about the Lord. I love hearing how people have come to know Him, and how he is really all around us down here. It's so fun.

I did have an ah-ha moment tonight though. For the first time, I think in forever, I had tears rolling down my face as I prayed out loud with my kids. Usually we just say our night time prayers and move on. Usually we just talk about the day, and I let the kids control the prayer time. Tonight however, I chose to do it. I did give them a chance to pray as well, but it is just so amazing that we get to celebrate America's freedom once a year, but truly I can celebrate my freedom in Christ everyday! How cool is that? I'm also so blessed that I get to speak about God so openly and not have to fear for my life.

I heard a saying once, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and The American Soldier. One did for your soul, the other for your freedom. On a day like today we get to celebrate both, but really shouldn't we be celebrating and thanking them everyday?

I leave you tonight with this:

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, few God, honor the emperor.
1 Peter 2:13-17


~*Signing Off*~
#warriorprincessKJ

Where ya been, yo?

Happy Friday Readers! How the heck are ya? Can you believe its been over a month since I last posted? Sorry about that! The days just got away from me! The end of school came and went. We went back to Ohio for a quick visit, came back to SC for a few days then headed to Minnesota for a wedding. We are now home for a few weeks before our next trip away.  

Do you remember back in May, I was doing #WalkInFaith with #P31OBS?  Do you remember I appiled to voluneeter with them? Do you remember me asking you to pray for me? ~*Drum Roll please*~ Well since then! I was accepted into a Small group leader roll with Proverbs 31 Online bible studies. I "attended" a boot camp training session, and have just finished my first week leading a group for the new study #TheMendedHeart. Readers, it has been an amazing first week. I am seeing God truly work in me. 

Wednesday's post was for Bible Study SKills (See it Here) it was about doing a word study. 

Okay wait, this story only gets better if I tell you about my day on Wednesday before I got into my study time. I've been struggling lately, with serving my family. You know, doing all the things everyday that a mom and wife has to do in order for the family to survive. All those things that go unnoticed, unappreciated; Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, etc. So with this struggle I've gotten a little lax in actually doing those things, making it worse to do them, making it hard to get up some times because well I'm exhausted, and I don't want to see the messes around my house. But on Wednesday I got up, at the butt crack of dawn, alright it wasn't that early but still I could have stayed in bed because B was home and he can handle things with A if he needs to and E was still sleeping. But I didn't, I got up to help B get things ready to take A to hockey camp. Packed A's lunch, made A's breakfast, etc. Well, after doing the stuff I needed to, I came upstairs and noticed A had not made his bed, so I told B to have him do that if there was time. Well, this basically meant the world was ending, A was so royally upset that I made him make his bed and pick up his clothes off the floor, that he went on to swearing and complaining about ME for over 40 minutes. Basically, I ruined his life. 

B gets home from dropping A off and asks me what happened while he was in the garage packing A's hockey bag, he goes on to explain how upset A really was and asks me for the lowdown.The day goes on, after Lunch I choose to spend E's nap time doing the word study skill suggest in the #P31OBS blog from that day. Having never done one of these I was very excited. I got out my Strong's Concordance: 

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 I opened up to the word "Grace" and noticed that holy cow there really is alot of times that its used in the bible. (around 170!) So no I wasn't going to do that many, but I did do the 7 as suggested by the outline I was given. 

So I closed my eyes, and said a little prayer: "Lord, show me what you want me to learn today" and pointed blindly. 

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First: Define the Word Grace: 

Grace is undeserved acceptance and love received from another. This spoke to my heart that day as: they don't deserve it but love and accpet them anyway. 

The seven verses I picked out were: 

* Acts 14:26: and from there they saild to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God the work that they had fulfilled. 

*James 4:16:As it is, you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.

* 2 Corinthians 8:6: Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 

* 1 Thessalonians 5:28: The grace of our Lord Juses Christ be with you. 

*Zechariah 4:7:Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring gorward the top stone amid shouts of "Grace, Grace to it."

*Romans 11:6:But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace

*2 Corinthians 8:19: And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 

So after reading each verse I was to ask questions of it. Here are my notes: 

*given grace for missionary work completed. 

*God opposes the proud, gives grace to the humble

*titus-gave himself to the Lord-turn good intentions into actions

*Grace of Jesus Christ be with me-grace is beginning to end. 

*"temple" bringing shouts of Grace

*God's grace is free not given by works

*Serve others. 

What I concluded: Show grace to others by serving them, not because they earn it, but because they NEED it. God's grace is there from start to finish. 

Basically the message I got in my heart was "suck it up buttercup" and serve your family for HIM, show them the Grace of God not because they did something to earn it but because that is what HE would do. I keep praying show me them through your eyes Lord, let me love them like you do. 

It was a big eye opening day for me and, well, I loved it!

This whole week, I have really been feeling God moving in me. He is totally working on me. This study is going to be amazing, if you still want to join you can, you have time! Head over to proverbs31.org for more details, or shoot me an email. 

In Him. 

Signing Off

#WarriorPrincessKJ