I am reading a rather interesting book.  My friend Scooper talked about it a few days ago and I knew it was one I had to read.

The book?   ABBA’s CHILD

It’s amazing.

And just the book I need to be reading now. 

I love how the author (Brennan Manning) refers to Satan and his lies as THE IMPOSTOR.   Ah, such an appropriate word for the one who wants me to see myself as something other than The Beloved, Abba’s Child.

Some of the author’s quotes about the impostor are:

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Any of this sound familiar?
Any of this feel like the lies we buy into every day?

"Satan’s greatest psychological weapon is a gut level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy and low self-worth."
"It is one thing to feel loved by God when our life is together but what happens when we come face-to-face with the human condition?" 

When our life falls apart?

When bad things happen?

Manning goes on to say "the spiritual life begins with the acceptance of our wounded self.  The person who encounters God with naked trust"

The person who knows that God loves us sin and all.
Just the way we are.

"It takes a profound conversion to accept that God is relentlessly tender and compassionate toward us  just as we are – not in spite of our sins and faults, but with them."

May you see yourself as Abba’s Child today.
Laughed over, loved, sang over, and wooed.

Fred, that is.
Remember Fred?  The Rather Large (16.8 lb) cat?
Well, Fred is all better and his "dizzy kitty" has completely gone away and he’s back to being fat, lazy, sweet ole Fred.
But look at this…

And this is what he does when we open the sliding door….

Does he think he’s the king or something?
Boy he acts like he owns the place doesn’t he?
Thanks to all you who prayed from him.  I’d say he’s had a 100% recovery.

Well, today we’ve decided to throw up all our pain meds.  Which has been messy.  She’s not eating and won’t take any medicine.  I did get some phenigrin in her.  Yep, don’t know how to spell it so that’s all you get.
Here’s a cell phone photo from the hospital. She’s talking on the phone.  Playing her leapster and taking her blood pressure all at the same time.

We had quite the wait yesterday at the hospital and the nurses let us fool around with some of the equipment they’d be using so she wouldn’t be scared of it.
So we played around with the mask.  It smelled like vanilla.

Both dad and I were pooped

Then the team arrived and you could see the fear in her eyes begin.

But I got her to smile for one picture.

Here she is today.  In quite a bit of pain and very emotional.

We’ve kept a lot of ice on her arm and the pain meds flowing.
I’m exhausted and pray for the strength to care for all the kids tomorrow.
Requesting your prayers…….

After our millionth x-ray yesterday we found out that baby girl’s arm was not healing properly.  And that meant surgery and a pin in her arm.  So we spent yesterday and last night at the hospital.  It was not a bad experience until she came out of anesthesia.  And that was rough.  She comes out of anesthesia the way I do…kicking and screaming.
 
It took a lot of morphine to get her comfortable enough to bring home.  She’s on codeine now.

Julie 

Although the ripple effect has certainly been felt in our family since baby girl broke her arm it’s affected her in a far lesser capacity.  Since she is right handed she has trouble eating so we help her.  She can’t climb like she did because she is not supposed to press on her hand.  So we help lift her.  Having three casts in one week and her arm reset was emotionally exhausting for mom.  I think I went to sleep at 8pm that night.

But she still chases the cat

And NOTHING stops, no NOTHING stops the ballerina

The twirling must continue….

The posing must go on….

And crowns must be worn….

And songs must be sung…..

While big brother watches in amazement….

And still won’t ever pose for me.
Even when I’m being sneaky.

Have a great Monday