desperate

There was this one seen from Desperate Housewives that always stuck with me. Where Lynette has a meltdown.  Where she feels so alone but comes to realize we are all the same.  We all struggle.  No one has it all together.



For a few years I was part of a stay at home moms Bible study. We called ourselves Desperate Housewives; but we were striving to be Desperate for Christ. He is the only one who can fill us. I believe groups like this, friends like this are so important.  We need each other.  We need to let others see our weakness, our struggles.  To know we are not alone.  That someone else has been there.

I am thankful that even though we no longer meet as a Bible Study these ladies are some of my dearest and closest friends today. I am thankful I have friends I can share my heart with. That I don't have to feel alone.

Ladies Retreat 2011

The truth is today I am struggling. I look around at my life and see all I am lacking. All things I am trying so hard to be and do, and just can't seem to measure up.

This week this is the verse at the top of the bulletin.  That is what I am trying to focus on...

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

JoY

Today was a glorious day. A day filled with Christmas Joy.

This morning as I sat at my kitchen table for my devo time I glanced up caught view of this sunrise bursting through the trees. Magnificent~ how happy I am we don't live in a black and white world!


Today was our Housewives Christmas Party. Six of us (& three little ones) gathered to celebrate the season and our friendship. I baked our Birthday cake for Jesus. Came out a little goofy looking this year but it was delicious. Four of us engaged in a cookie exchange. More deliciousness. ;) Of course lots of chatting and laughing... Thank you my dear Jessie for hosting us!! It was indeed a glorious time! <3










My cookie platter! YUM!! :D

Later in the evening I was starting to feel the stress creep back in. I took a step back, a deep breath and decided to do a little rippling to soothe my rumpled nerves. Its amazing how soothing the repetitive motion can be. And they joy it brings to my heart watching the bright cheery ripples form. My project is coming a long and beginning to look very blanket-esque. :D

grace

Retreat this weekend was positively glorious! It was so wonderful. I had a great time with all the Kirkville Ladies in general and the Housewives in particular ;)

I actually drove to retreat this year. Might not seem like a big deal. But to me it was. A) I had a beautiful new vehicle in which to fit most of the Housewives group so that we could ride together. B) That I was confident enough to make the drive. Even a year or two ago I never would have offered to be the chauffeur. It would have made me to nervous and anxious to the one driving, feeling like everyone was watching my every move, judging my driving ability.

The drive was great. Thanks to a gps we never even made a wrong turn. A rarity for me! We laughed and chatted as we zipped along. We stopped and enjoyed a leisurely, albeit slightly chilly, picnic supper by the lake. Arriving at Chambers we happily joined up with the rest of the Kirkville crew, in the bunk house.

The speaker was phenomenal. The theme was grace. She spoke from her own pain and how God had helped her rise above. How He will extend to each of us His Grace. He does not have favorites, each of us a dearly loved child.

The fellowship was great. We spent so much time just being together, talking laughing, getting to know each other better.

I let go of some bitterness. Left a couple difficult relationships in God's hands. Moving into the future He has for me...letting go of the past I was clinging too.

The Housewives

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

i dare you

I received the book, One Thousand Gifts for my birthday from my Mom and Dad. It was not a book I had asked for. I had just looked at it online and read the first preview chapter. It intrigued me when I read it and thought about adding it to my "wishlist" but had not done it yet. Not really believing in things like coincidences I found it incredible that Mom just happened to give it to me for my birthday. :)

Ever since I began the book I thought of starting my own list of 1000 gifts....I have jotted down a couple things...one that made me chuckle was my eldest daughter laughingly bandaging my cut finger. Not many gifts have yet made it from my heart to my pen and paper. But I have become more aware of the Gifts all around me.

For instance allowing Ryan and Hannah to run and dance and splash in the pouring rain on Friday night. I have never really given in to that sort of thing. It was always easier to make them stay in where it was warm and dry. But the complete and utter delight on their faces made me realize I was wrong...these are the things childhood are made of....these are the gifts, the moments that disappear all to fast....the moments to treasure.

Yesterday at our Bible Study, the topic came up again. We decided to start a group journal, online. We decided to make it open so others can view our posts and hopefully be inspired and perhaps even add to our list. Our group is via Facebook, click HERE to visit it :)

I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 34:1-3 niv

RETREAT!!

Monday morning we dropped Mikayla off at Chambers Camp. It was a little hard for this mommy. :( But am so happy for her and that she is getting this opportunity. <3 I could tell she was a little anxious as we stood in line to register. It seemed everyone around us was meeting up with friends. Poor Mik didn't know a soul.

After we had been in line for like 40 minutes the Mister came to check on us and see "what was taking us so long?" He also said he had run into Rochelle ( a college student from our church, whose parents now run the camp. Mikayla is also well acquainted with Rochelle as she was the kidz church helper quite often before she up and graduated high school). Turns out Rochelle was in the very next cabin from Mik, and would be in the same group. Which incidentally turned out to be the GREEN group. Miss Mik was in her glory. I was happy she would have at least one familiar face nearby. And Mikayla's countenance lightened considerably too when she heard the news. I barely contained my own tears as Hannah bid her big sister a teary good bye.

But being at Chambers also psyched me up for Ladies Retreat coming up in September. I can hardly wait!! I was ecstatic when I got the info packet in the mail a few weeks ago to read the theme this year was "There's Something About Grace". Grace just happens to be my theme for the year. Back at the beginning of 2011 K-love was doing this campaign to choose one word to work on for the year, as opposed to making dozens of New Year's Resolutions that are not kept. I chose Grace. :) (You can read about that here).

As of this morning it looks like hopefully most if not ALL of the Housewives are going to attended. We have been chatting about it all morning via our lovely FB group. And I am so excited I can hardly stand it!! :D