Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Father's Day Edition

Sorry I haven't been around much this week. Our crazy summer has started. We have an extremely busy schedule this summer with camps and trips and doctor's appointments etc.  
There are several weekends Greg will have the kids while I am traveling. One of those weekends is coming up soon... She Speaks. I'm excited I'm going to have the opportunity to meet so many of my bloggy friends there!
Since Greg is always such a team player, and he is not only the greatest husband I could ever ask for, but the greatest father my children could ever ask for, I am dedicating this edition of Then Sings My Soul to him in honor of Father's Day. 
I guess I am going to show my country side again this week with another song by George Strait. He is one of my favorite country singers. I took my mom and grandma to one of his concerts a few years ago, and at the time he had 50 number 1 hits. I was just informed by my grandma tonight that he now has 56 number 1 hits. 
I like this song because it not only talks about the love of an earthly father, but the love of our heavenly Father as well. It truly is A Love without End, Amen.

If you are interested in checking out other songs related to Father's Day, click here or here.

Be sure you link your TSMS post to Mr. Linky and not just your blogspot address. Have a great weekend.

Amy

I'm away for a few days

I hope to post this week, but it is Vacation Bible Camp week... need I say more?

Have a blessed week!

Amy

Taking the Hit - Faith Lifts

God reveals Himself to us through everyday life events. I'm a firm believer in this. When our hearts and minds focus on Him and we ask God to show himself, He does. I had one of those moments not long ago when sitting in carline...

To read the rest of this devotion, come join me here today at Faith Lifts.

I will be back tomorrow to post about our trip to California!

Have a blessed day!

Amy

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - God is in Control

We made it to California safely! Thanks for all of your prayers. The flight was long, but I love how God is always in the details. The entire airplane was full except for one empty seat... guess where? Next to me. So Spencer got to stretch out over two seats and take a nap. We had lots of room which was great.

Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we share our story at the Epilepsy Advocate event tomorrow morning and as we fly home on Sunday.

This song has epecially spoken to me this week. I have had to remind myself of this several times.

God is in Control.

Don't forget to link to your TSMS post, not your blogspot. Have a great weekend!

Blessings to you!

Amy

Hot as Hades

Ever heard the expression "as hot as Hades?" Well that is about what it is in our upstairs right now. Our air conditioner went out and we can't get an answer from the repair people for when they will be here to fix it. The thermometer is registering 98 degrees upstairs.

We all slept downstairs last night - the kids in the guest room, and Greg and I taking turns with them or on the couch - not a good night's rest. I'm trying to do laundry (washer and dryer are upstairs btw) and pack for California. It is going very slowly. I put a load in, then come downstairs. Then take a load out, then come downstairs. It's going to be a long day.

Spencer is having lots of seizure activity this week so I'm a little stressed about flying with him tomorrow. They called me to pick him up from school today. I spoke to our neurologist and tried to get a back up plan for if he has a seizure on the plane tomorrow. I have a rescue med, but if he happens to have a seizure and the rescue med doesn't stop it (as has happened in the past), then they would possibly have to land the plane. Please pray that we have a safe, seizure free trip!!!

He and I are headed for San Jose to speak at an Epilepsy Advocate event. Greg will be here in the heat holding down the fort. He has to take Mary Lyndsey to have dance recital pictures on Saturday. Of course they are scheduled for when I am out of town. I already have an appointment with the salon for her. Daddy will take her to get her hair done. Somehow I can't see him putting her hair in a bun with ringlets. As awesome and talented as he is, I don't think he's that good :) Pray for him too as he deals with makeup, hair, tap shoes, ballet shoes and tutus. 

My computer is upstairs, so forgive the short post. I'm melting :) We fly out early tomorrow, but I promise to come back with TSMS on Saturday. Hopefully I can get internet connection while on my trip. I'll post Part 2 of Niagara Falls next week. I know you are all in suspense :)

Have a blessed weekend!

Amy

I Did It When You Weren't Looking

I do have a part 2 to the Niagara story (Notice Niagara is spelled correctly today. Thanks Linda. I didn't realize I had originally spelled it very similar to another word I won't mention that starts with a V. I hope it wasn't a Freudian slip LOL). I will share part 2 tomorrow. I'm waiting to get some pictures we took with the waterproof camera back before I post.


In the meantime, I want to tell you about a conversation with Mary Lyndsey this morning.


Miss Priss pranced to the top of the stairs and yelled for me to come look at her. I was a little nervous, not knowing what to expect. You never know. I wasn't sure if she had gotten into my makeup, cut her hair or Lord only knows what.


Thankfully, she had only dressed up and wanted me to see the fruits of her labor. She had on a Happy Birthday crown, about a hundred pairs of colorful beads, two different high heel shoes, a Tinkerbell satin gown with a cape, and slappy bracelets (one cheetah print and the other pink and green shag). A sight to see I tell ya.


She began to describe each thing she had on and why she was wearing it. Then she asked if I knew where she had gotten all of these items from. She had gotten them from her treasure box - where she hides all of the stuff she doesn't want anyone to find.


Hmmm... interesting.


"What other things do you have in there you don't want anyone to find Mary Lyndsey?"


"I have those dental floss sticks so I can floss my teeth when you aren't looking. You said you didn't want me to do it without your help but I hid them, and I did it anyway when you weren't looking."


Would someone please tell me how I am supposed to respond to this?!


I really wanted to laugh because the scene that came to mind first was from the movie Pretty Woman. You know the one where Julia Roberts is flossing her teeth, and she hides the dental floss behind her back because she doesn't want Richard Gere to see what she's doing.


Then I was glad she even wants to floss her teeth in the first place. My kids love to brush their teeth, but flossing has been quite a battle. They don't like for me to do it, and they can't quite do it themselves yet. So, I bought some of those fluorescent floss sticks to try to help them. I'm still afraid they will do it too hard though and cut their gums, so I told them they can't do it by themselves.


Then the reality set in. Apparently the lure of doing something I told her not to do was just too much for Mary Lyndsey. She did something I told her not to - when I wasn't looking. And she hid it from me.


Part of me wants to punish her, but I'm not sure she would completely understand. She thinks she did something good... flossing her teeth. I did talk to her about the fact she should never hide anything from me. And she should always obey Mommy. I explained to her even if I'm not looking, God always sees.


Isn't that our human sin nature. We all think we can get away with things. We think we can hide the stuff we don't want anyone to find out about. We can do things when others aren't looking and it won't matter. Sometimes we even think those things are "good things." But God is always looking. He always sees. There is no place we can go to hide "our stuff" from Him.


Thankfully, when we do finally tell him about whatever it is we thought we were hiding, He is always ready and willing to forgive.


Psalm 139:7-9
Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.


1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Lessons from our Niagara Trip Part 1 - Promises

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13

Well, we are finally home. I'm having some re-entry problems. It's always difficult for me to get back into the swing of things when I've been away a few days. I keep wishing I were there (the place I've been) instead of here. But when I'm away, I sometimes wish I were here instead of there. Does that even make any sense?


Anyway, I want to share some pictures and tell you a few lessons learned or thoughts pondered while on my trip. Niagara Falls was absolutely beautiful. We really did have a wonderful time. We had several uninterrupted meals and conversations which rarely happens around our house.


I won't get to everything in this post, so there will be a part 2 and maybe even a part 3, so hang with me. I'm still processing myself.

As you know, we were celebrating our anniversary on this trip. A celebration of a promise Greg and I made to each other 15 years ago. Before we even left for the trip, I was thinking of promises and what they mean. One particular definition of promise I like is "that which causes hope, expectation, or assurance." God's promises to us certainly are a cause for hope, expectation and assurance.

In case you can't tell from my TSMS posts, I really love music. I connect events from my life to certain songs. I usually have a song running in my head all the time. Certain words or memories often make me think of a particular song. When I think of promises, the song that comes to mind is... "Standing on the Promises of God."

I sang this song in my small town church a lot growing up. It was one of those songs the hymnal opened up to automatically because the pages were worn. I've known the words for a long time. It's only been in the last 8 to 10 years I have truly come to understand what they mean.

Verse 2 says
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.
Verse 4 says
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, Bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord, Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword, Standing on the promises of God.

As I think of these words now, I fully understand that the Word of God, the Spirit's sword, God's written promises are how we prevail. They are the way we daily overcome the attacks of the enemy.

Here is the view from our hotel room.

Notice the rainbow on the left side. I was so reminded of God's promises and His provision through the entire weekend.

On Saturday night near the end of our trip, we received a phone call. Spencer had a seizure and my mom and grandmother called to tell me. Fear immediately gripped me. I so wished I were home instead of there in Niagra Falls. And I couldn't get home. We checked on flights and there were none available until our scheduled flight out at 7am the next morning.

Thankfully, the seizure was mild and did not require the use of his rescue medication. But still...
it had been 9 weeks since his last one. We had debated even leaving the kids and going that far away from them in the first place. I felt defeat. I felt like like saying "here we go again." I felt like screaming "we take one step forward and two steps back." I felt a thousand different emotions.

So I sat in a hotel room, separated by almost 1000 miles from my son, waiting for another phone call. I was afraid he would have another seizure. Maybe the next one wouldn't stop. What if he ended up in the hospital and I wasn't there.

All I could do was pray. And pray I did. And as I prayed, God's promises came to me.

"Do not be afraid. I am your shield, your very great reward. " Genesis 15:1

"Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there". Genesis 21:17

"Do not be afraid; the LORD your God himself will fight for you". Deuteronomy 3:22

"News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them." Matthew 4:24

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". Romans 8:28

"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed". Isaiah 53:5

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

I prayed off and on the entire night and as I prayed, the fear subsided. We caught a flight the next morning and came home to find Spencer totally fine. Thankfully, no more seizures. We are back up to 2 days. The count starts over. We may not fully be free of seizures until we reach heaven some day. But until then, I will stand on God's promise to be with me no matter what comes my way.

Check out more of God's promises here.