Day 4

Incredible! Just incredible!! God is awesome!!! This morning the girls and I attended, our pastor's brother's church, it was youth Sunday, the worship great, the message great, God is moving in that church!! Then afterward, home to finish clean up in prep for my baby girls 1st birthday party. Threw on some music, and cleaned away! The party began, and went in rapid pace, pizza, cake, presents with in 1 hour! Our fastest birthday party yet, this allowed those who couldn't or didn't care to stay, head out. Plus by 6pm the party turned into church. Slowly our young adults group arrived, a few members missing for various reasons. There where snacks prepared and out came the instruments, guitar, jembe (drum), and our voices, we gathered in the family room of our house, and began to sing songs of praise and worship to the Lord, this was worship like I've never experienced. The move of God was incredible. There was some prayer in between songs, then a break for sharing encouraging words from God's word, discussion about where we see our group going, what we expect from each other, and what we want to do to advance the kingdom of heaven! Then more worship..... YEAH! HALLELUJAH!!! Then Prayer! AWESOME!! Then the night over, we'll meet again Wednesday night somewhere else! Looking forward to another great night!! I totally love and adore the family I have in our young adults group. We've held back for so long!! Now we are hungry and thirsty for more of you Lord. What a way to start the week! Looking forward to that this week has to bring.

Day 3 *updated*

Well another busy day. Preparing for Tristen's 1st birthday party. Went shopping for a few things, then home to clean. Much got taken care of leaving me with little to do tomorrow. Let the worship music play, and cleaned away!! Received our letter from our pastor outlining what what going on, and what he recommended, in regards to visiting other Churches, reading the new testament, and then focusing on Acts, being in prayer, and so on. I'm still processing everything! So tomorrow, I'll visit somewhere making a decision between 2 different places, would like to visit both for the closer to home aspect. Looking forward to visiting with our young adults group tomorrow in our home for a time of discussion, worship, and prayer, following Tristen's birthday party. Those are a group of folks that I'll keep close to me no matter what happens!! I love them all like they where part of my family, we walked away from them once and did a not so good job at keeping in touch... never again will I do that. So I'm having a little time in the word this evening listening to Jesse Duplantis "A Day in the life of Christ" and will be diving into my Esther homework. A little quiet time..... prayer.. and of to sleep! Tomorrow should be an very interesting day!!

Additional stuff I had a eureka moment... I have been dubbed the "religious" church goer by my inlaws!! lol and was asked to take my Grand in laws with us to church.... well akward, I had to try to explain the sabbatical, and that we'll find some place to go for that particular Sunday! I'll take it as a complement that my in laws think I'm a crazy, homeschooling, Jesus FREAK!!! :o)

Day 2

So this morning I was scheduled to report to work. Perfect it's a 35-45 min drive, great time for listening to a sermon. I grab the 1st Cd in the stack, and the message is titled "I could careless and not be careless"By Josh Andes. Sounds like something this girl needs to hear. In the CD went into the cd player. I do have a lot of cares in my life as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend. I care about people, and I care too much about what people think. But I should not be so careless, that I don't care at all. Thanks Josh I needed to hear everything that was said, and could afford to listen again. Good stuff! Work went well, always love working with the lovely ladies I work with on a PT basis. Ride home was filled with great music. At home things where busy from the moment I walked in the front door! Sing happy birthday to my baby girl she turned 1 year old today! God knew what he was doing when he brought that lil girl into our lives, she's such a joy, and a blessing. OK! Time to do hair, and a light application of make-up, and get out of here for the Big girls recital, they did GREAT!! Then a celebration ice cream at Friendly's, and home to bed. Well the girls went of to sleep. Daddy to work out, and Me... Esther homework!! I do love my bible study homework. I'm the type that has the desire to do something, but show me how to do it!! Guidance is good!!! Off to rest... Much to do tomorrow.

Day 1

So I've made it through 24hours. It's been a busy time with family things, the girls swim lessons, and dance rehearsal this evening. My computer time is sliced now that I just have my 2 email accounts to check, and the main messages have just been from my church family. This is encouraging that we are all pulling together, to spend more time in the word and in prayer and to do it together. I hope I don't fail here and will work hard to do my part in prayer, and encouragement to my fellow loved ones! This evening I've done a little thinking. I think I'm still processing the whole thing! Sunday is fast approaching and I guess I'll need to pray about what the girls and I will do. As this is a Sunday I would attend church alone w/out Stephan because of his work schedule. Stay home, go to a fellow church members house that's inviting others over, or visit a church where I know people so I will not have to explain myself too much, and can just go worship, and hear the word. My one concern is that my girls are starting to behave better when it comes to sitting still for a service, do we not attend a service of any sorts for 6 weeks or do we wander like nomads from here to there. I hope God will give me some guidance in this area, in the next 2 days... Today during the kids nap time I was a little tired myself but instead of computer veg time, or watching TV, I put in a Graham Cooke CD and listen while I rested. This evening I did my Esther study homework, and had some prayer time. I'll be off to bed early as I will report to work tomorrow. With some oldie worship music playing, maybe I'll talk Stephan into watching a John Bevere video before bed.

My fast.

I have a terrible addiction to Facebook and Myspace. As a result have lagged in my time with God, and neglected my job of keeping my home. My children have not suffered, because I tend to be "online" while they are off doing something on their own or sleeping. Though during that time I could be reading God's word, praying, meditating, praising, worshiping, cleaning......... all of the above!!!! So to remove the distraction.. I'm fasting from Facebook and Myspace.. Stephan has assisted.. and has changed my passwords. I will too strive to make better diet choices, and increase fruits and veggies vs. junk in my diet, along with more water vs. sweet tea/soda/or coffee. I plan to use my time wisely.. seeking God for guidance, will be in prayer for my fellow church family, and hope to spend more time with each and every one of them!!! There will be food, fellowship, pray, and lots of Gods word!!! The uncertainty is hard to deal with...... it's amazing how the groups we are involved with have jumped to it.. to gather together... and encourage and pray for each other... Tears come as I try to imagine what it will be like to not go to church on Sunday morning like I always do.... though many Sundays I'm totally overwhelmed and so distracted with my motherly duty that I miss out... on the worship.. as a little one tugs on my skirt. on the message.. because I'm so aggravated that I didn't get to experience worship like I wanted to. The problem... I guess is that I don't praise and worship God like I should in my own time... because I'm even more distracted by worldly things at home. I wasn't brought up with an attitude to seek God 1st. Though I desire to do so..... and WILL DO SO....

40 day Sabbatical.....

This 40 day sabbatical has been called by our pastor for out entire church..... As in the doors of our church are closed to "normal'' or "regular" church activities as we know it. Sunday my family was not in attendance for the service, we where away having a long weekend at the lake w/friends. Monday we returned nothing out of the ordinary. Tuesday morning I awoke to do my usual have breakfast and check messages in 4 areas... Comcast email, Yahoo email, Facebook, and Myspace. In my comcast mail box was a message from our friday night group.. about the 40day "fast". My thoughts wondered and I figured it was simply a church wide fast of sorts. Then another message from a person in our young adults group appeared on facebook.... pertaining some more detail. Still not really knowing what was going on I was not alarmed. Carried on with my day, cared for the kids, did school work with Chloe, and some housework. Then I check my messages around 2pm once all the girls are napping or resting. Facebook.. 2 ask if I had "heard what happened at church on sunday??" My reply is something about a 40 day fast.. the responses I get are yes. Then I check my regular email.. an explosion of conversation about this 40day "fast". I check the church web site and see in bold red font,
THE CHURCH WILL BE ON SABBATICAL FROM MAY 27 UNTIL JULY 6.
WHAT IN THE WORLD??? Was my 1st thought.... then there was no additional info at that time and the audio from the message Sunday had not been posted yet... Now I'm lost and confused on so many levels.. Finally in the mass amounts of emails someone had included a clip with Sundays message.. I stopped and listened to it.... WHAT IN THE WORLD???? WOW! So this 40 day fast is actually a 40day sabbatical from the church... and some are deciding to fast types of food... sweets.... junk.... what have you... My mind is churning... trying to figure out where this will go for me. How will I handle this. Will we still have Tuesday night bible study?? We are in the middle of our Esther study!!!!! I call a few ladies.. and await a return call.... So bible study is still on! YES!! though we will have to meet in someones house which is fine by me.. but I love the ladies.. and our bible study time. Stephan awakes and I tell him the news... Strife his us over some bills.. he dropped me off as usual to bible study.. and the night went like it always does.. with some pray on the side.. and some of the night felt a little awkward. By bedtime.. I'm thinking how am I going to handle this.. and what will be the end result.... what will God have me to do.. How will I handle my Sundays.. The kids will be very confused. Will I visit someplace the next 6 weeks... will I sit at home and study the bible with Stephan and the Girls.. will I meet with a group from my church family..... many uncertain things lie ahead.