Carrying Myself

We have had a bout of sickness in our house this week.
All week.
Fevers, coughing...and much much more I will spare you the details of.
As a result, both children are tired and sore, just from the overuse of certain muscles it takes to cough and...other things.
(See? I'm really trying to be socially polite. Aren't you impressed?)

Ellie was lying in bed about to go to sleep last night, when I came into her room.
"Mom, my legs hurt from carrying myself."
I really did try to suppress a smile, but was unsuccessful.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because I love you so much. I'm sorry your legs hurt."
"It's okay, Mom. Love you, night," she replied, rolling over and closing her eyes.
"I love you too, baby," I said, kissing her.

I was still smiling as I walked into the living room, thinking about Ellie's comment.
Then it hit me.
How many times do I wear myself out from all the effort of trying to do everything I want to do for my family, ministry, and friends? It's pretty common, I think, with us girls.
And my legs have hurt from carrying myself.
Jesus was waiting all along to carry me when I was overwhelmed.
But sometimes, I just pick up rocks too heavy for me. (I don't have a link to the exact post, but Mama Belle wrote a post awhile back about laying down what Jesus hasn't asked you to carry. It's really good.)
Didn't our Father say, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Wonder Women Worship

One of the weapons Wonder Woman had was a pair of bullet-proof bracelets. These bracelets were formed from a legendary shield belonging to a goddess. (It made me think of the shield of faith we have in our armor.)

With these indestructible bracelets, she could deflect any enemy fire, including automatic bullets and energy blasts. When slammed together, the bracelets were able create a violent force of energy that could make Superman’s ears bleed!

As women called and created to worship the Almighty God, we are armed with a similar weapon...the weapon of worship. When we worship, we are lifting up the name of Jesus, we are raising Him above anything else in our lives. In the Bible, there are many examples of worship to God bringing about victory. In Psalms, David said the God lives inside the praises of His people, and when He is praised, our enemies must run! In Acts, Paul and Silas began to praise the Lord, and an earthquake shook the prison where they were, setting them free. In the same way, today, when we worship God with hearts full of faith, there is nothing that can stand in our way!

Wonder Woman’s bracelets could also channel lighting. Just like her, when we worship the King of kings, Almighty God, we are tapping into a power greater than our own. The Creator of the universe is moving on our behalf!! Unlike the unseen forces at work in Wonder Woman’s weapons, God knows us, loves us, and is planning a future full of hope for us!

Don't Let It Be So

Did you think I wouldn't know
that I wouldn't feel a change
in the air between us
darkness fell
from where we first began

Foolish I
to think the sun
would shine the way
to destiny
somehow destiny became
a place to sleep



Don't let it be so
wasted hours
to never be
once more
Don't let it be so
drink her in
Patience is worth
waiting for

While our arms crossed our chests
I saw visions of what was next
but it's only ever been
what could be
Truth is chasing
the trail you leave
trying to catch up
to the dream forsaken
let Him hold your hand



Don't let it be so
wasted hours
to never be
once more
Don't let it be so
drink her in
Patience is worth
waiting for

Mister illusion
is so dangerous
he'll rob you
'til you can't see
Providence pulling on your coat sleeve
"Can we play in the rain today?"

Rescued kitty, kitty to the rescue.

We rescued a kitten a couple months ago.
I know, I know. But it was for Ellie, mainly. We were leaving church, and Ellie was chasing Little Drummer Boy to the car. I saw something very small chasing Ellie. So I called to her, "Hey! What's that chasing you?" She spun around, mid stride.
There it was. The cutest little stray kitten ever was looking up at Ellie and meowing. I knew what was coming.
"Mom, pleeeeeeease! Oh pretty pretty pleeeeease can we keep her??"
"How do you know it's a girl?"
"Because I know. I looked, there's no boy parts showing." (and oh my goodness that was fast.)
Ahem. Here it is, my ace in the hole. "Well, I would say yes, but you know both Daddy and I are allergic to cats."
"But, Mom, if we rescue her, maybe you won't get sick, because Jesus wants us to be kind to animals."

Okay. So we brought the dirty, tiny stray kitten (whom Ellie christened Charlotte) home. She received milk, dog food, and a bath. I have heard cats don't appreciate the water too much. Let me tell you, it's all too true. Thankful that she wasn't full grown (I'm sure the scratch marks on my arms would have been a little deeper if she were) as I tackled the latter, I finally dried her off and watched her streak across the house.

A couple months into her stay now, Charlotte is an outside cat. Not quite full grown, she is fed once a day, but has been hunting recently for a moveable feast. Literally. I came home tonight and found a small rat on our front porch, Charlotte standing proudly over it.
A rat.
I had to squelch my urge to gag, and told her she was a good cat. She protected us from a potential rodent problem.
One good turn deserves another.