RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A FRIDAY

Friday again? Can it possibly be? Time does whip by faster and faster it seems. I have had a hard week in some ways and it occurred to me last night how many times that seems to be the case following a "spiritual high"... The enemy does everything he can to rob us of His joy doesn't he? How I praise God that greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world!!


1 John 4:4 You are of God little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

My head has kind of been all over the place this week....I think I may have FINALLY gotten my head into a GOOD place though with this diet.  What a struggle this is for me.  Not just sticking to it without whining (though there is that too, haha) but in not beating myself up with what I have allowed to happen.  How I struggled and worked to get those 55 pounds off last year (and this did NOT even put me at goal) and to think I gained it ALL back and have to start all over again was not only overwhelming, but sooo defeating; made me feel like a failure in many different areas of my life.  But the Lord has worked and worked (thank you Jesus!) on my heart this week, and I am coming out of that dark feeling of defeat.  I am going to keep my eyes on Him, and not that scale, and simply do the best I can as He gives me the strength to do it.  I have lost 7 pounds which doesn't seem like much for 3 weeks considering how drastically my eating has changed, and yet I will definitely take it.  A good start anyway...right?

My oldest son has had a BIG answer to prayer this week and I am praising God for that as well.  He has 5 children, a HUGE dog (seriously the biggest I have ever seen) and a growing thriving karate studio/school, which keeps him soo busy and yet!! he is learning to play the guitar.  It is something he always wanted to do and yet was never able to work into his busy, busy schedule.  He bartered his lessons in trade for private karate lessons and he is on his way.  He plays Mr. mom from 7 till 4 Tues - Friday as his wife works in a busy orthodontist's office.  He has been calling me this last week from the park where he takes his 2 year old, after dropping off the other's at school, so he can run off some of his abundant energy, and playing me what he has learned over the phone, haha.  He is actually pretty good.  If he goes about this the way he has every new challenge in his life he will be playing well in no time at all. 

I spent Tues. as usual at my mom's and she had a busy day planned.  I drove her first to her therapy, and then we hit Target, the pharmacy and finally Trader Joe's...This was right after lunch of course which we do at Marie Calendars as she enjoys their vegetable soup and corn bread, and I make use of the salad bar.  I bring my little pack of dressing in my purse, along with one of Jenny's little lunches which I enjoy cold.  I dump it onto of my salad and it is really pretty good.  I love that veggies of ALL kinds are considered "free" foods, and I can eat them in abundance, which trust me I do, lol.  After all her errands we went back to her house and sat chatting in reclining chairs until she nodded off.  Seemed like a good idea so I decided to join her, haha...How I love those days with her.

My daughter is struggling with some female issues which she has struggled with since she was 13 years old.  I will not go into detail as it really isn't necessary in order for you to pray.   She had a surgery when she was 17 years old which DRAMATICALLY helped the problem and she has been on the pill ever since which has kept everything in complete control.  However she and her husband are ready to start their family so all the issues are right there to consider again.  I am praying that the Lord blesses them with a child as they want that soo badly.  She would definitely be considered a high risk pregnancy but I am not letting my head go there just yet.  Our God is a big God and I know He can do anything He wants to do.    She is to see her doc. next Thursday and I would ask that you might keep her in prayer if you get the chance.  I was reading this morning during my devotional time and I found myself reading these familiar verses...I am going to claim them for my Melly for this season in her life...

Psalm 37:3-5  Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

It's funny, I have been thinking alot this week on how "mothering" changes through the years as your children grow up.  Mothering when they are babies seems soo difficult at times (it certainly keeps you busy) that I can remember sometimes longing for the days when they would understand even the simplest of commands.  Then there are all the elementary school day years with school projects, sports, homework and busy, busy, schedules and I thought to myself, "Will life every slow down?"  I don't let my head go to those teenaged years real often (the boys anyway, haha) as life really did turn upside down sometimes then, but I have found that EVEN NOW with all of my children grown adults there are STILL those times when I find myself on my knees and wishing I could somehow make everything OK for all of them.  They still need that assurance from their mom once in a while, that advice (now that they are all smart enough to ask for it, haha) and that unconditional love that you get from your mom.  It made me think again how much more our Father in heaven loves us than we love our own kids, and how we can run to Him for all the same things.  How I praise Him for His unconditional love most of all. 

1 John 3: 1  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

The week-end stretches out in front of us without a single commitment.  YAY!!  We will play our usual Friday night cards with my parents and I hope the guys bring their game, because I am feeling lucky, lol.  May you all have a wonderful, restful week-end!