What a week. 
Monday and Tuesday….the pits!
Wednesday…Bible Study and park all day!  A great “coming out of my dark hole” day.
Thursday…Great day, good weather, good school day.  Decided to stay home instead of go on planned field trip.
Friday….Yuck! again!

Good thing we stayed home Thursday because Friday made up for the entire day Thursday.  After my oldest diligently saved $39 of allowance money we promptly lost it or it was stolen (we don't know which) at Stuffmart today.  It was in our buggie in a box but when we got the register the box and all was gone. 

Now, I'm a mom who DOES NOT like to lose things.  My faith sees me through a lot but God is definitely still working on me in this area.  I obsess, I freak out, I retrace my steps, I rant, I rave, I foam at the mouth….okay, maybe it's not that bad, but it's rough. 

So after finding out we have no box of money at the cash register I retrace all our steps at Walmart with 2 kids wanting their allowance toys out of the boxes and operating with batteries.  (I know the man who made the wires that holds those toys in their boxes is surely rotting somewhere in those exact wires!!)  As I'm dealing with those two my baby girl is crying because she has a dirty diaper and wants me to change her and the oldest is crying because his hard-saved money is gone. 

CALGON!!!

It's now 12:39pm and #3 son was supposed to be at 1/2 day K4 nine minutes ago.  We report the crime/loss to customer service leaving our phone number and name.   Trying to decide whether to buy the toy my son wants OR make him deal with losing the money (not really knowing whether it was his fault or not) I finally decide that saving the money warranted ME buying the toy.  Forty dollars worth of toy.  UGH!

We haven't heard from Stuffmart/Walmart that anyone has turned in the money and continue to pray that it's found.

As I fret over 1. the loss, 2.being unable to figure it all out and 3. the fact it was money we lost I try desperately to turn it all over to God.  Only after I'm now physically sick over the whole thing.  I have a headache and I feel I'm going to lose my breakfast banana any minute.  Finally  I decide maybe God was using this to show me his Grace.

Grace?  Losing almost $40?

Yep.

Grace.

It could have been my purse.

It could have been my kids.

So I let it go.

And then I take it up again retracing all our steps in Wal-mart in my mind.  Down each aisle and past each person…..

Then once again decide I can't figure it out so I let it go.  Well, I kinda let it go….

Man, it was hard.  I wanted to go back after dropping my son off at K4 and comb Wal-mart again and again and again.  You get the picture!

But I didn't.  I'm sure I'll pick it all up again for I feel I haven't fully let it go.  But I keep trying to dwell on His Grace.

Oh Father….how little we truly know.

IN YOU tonight Lord!
Julie

Well, I made it to Bible Study today.  I needed it.  We are doing a Beth Moore study about finding the places in our lives we are held in captivity by the evil one.  Even though I missed the first two weeks today was (as always) just what I needed to hear. 

We discussed truth from two different perspectives.  One, being our truth (the summation of our life experiences and environment) and two, being God's truth.  I've never thought of there being more than one truth but I really liked the way Beth Moore discusses truth.  Of course there is only one ultimate Truth….the truth of Jesus Christ but we see Him through our life's experiences and the environment in which we live.

Then she gave us several equations I found very eye opening.
First, my truth in incomplete.  Why?  Because it's distorted by selective memories or by my perception of the way things happen.  For example, two people can experience the same thing but tell about what happened in totally different ways.  Why?  Because our perception is different.

Then Beth Moore added satan's lies to my truth.
MY TRUTH + satan's lies = captivity.
For example.  Someone who has struggled with alcoholism may hear the lie that they will never be free from the addiction.  Or they may hear that they are worthless, no good and will never amount to anything.

WOW.

Then Beth said that God's Truth (ultimate truth) is greater than my truth.  Wow, again.  Without HIS Truth there is no hope.  If I stand alone in only what I know and have experienced in life there is no hope.

Finally she sighted Hebrews 4:12-16 where the word “active” is used in the NIV version.  I won't quote it here in hopes you will go and look up the verses yourself.  The word “active” in the Greek is a medical term that means “engaged in work / effective” and the other part of the verse sights the Word being like a double-edged sword, similar to a surgeon's knife.  So the verse gives us a picture of the Word being a like a surgeon's healing hand. 

So the final equation is:
My truth + God's TRUTH = FREEDOM
My truth being what's happened to me and how I perceive it.  God's TRUTH being His healing Word.

One final statement she made was that God's truth has greater power to heal me than my truth does to destroy me. 

Double WOW!

So no matter what has happened to us when we add God's Truth into the equation we get freedom. 
For whom the Lord has set free is free indeed JOHN 8:36

I had to ask myself “What lie am I believing, Lord?”
This week it's been “You can not handle life without your husband at home.  You are overwhelmed.”
Well, maybe a part of that is true but when rinse it with “I can do all things through Christ Jesus our Lord”  (and I could not find that verse's reference) I know that I haven't been relying on His strength, but my own.

Thanks Lord, for freedom.

JULIE

Some Mondays are just hard to get started.  My sweet hubbie left for the week so we're going at it alone this week.  He had a great weekend though because his Auburn Tigers won.  They beat LSU 7-3 (I think). 

School took a long time today and my 7 year old has been acting out a little since dad is gone but we finally got it done.  Sleeping was at a minimum last night since I'm having to get used to sleeping without that warm man beside me.  I don't know what to do without someone to clobber in the head at night.

My boys had another football game on Saturday so I thought I'd post some pictures for our buddy, Steve. 
Steve, these are for you…..have a great Monday.

My hubbie leading the boys throught their paces…

“The little ones” posing for a picture for mom…

Saturday was homecoming…..all together now….”Awwww”
Both boys presenting one of the cheerleaders…..

#3 son sharing his pear with his ever-fashionable little sister…

“Hi Mom”

#2 son comes over to the fence to say hello to mom.  Hubbie in COACH shirt in background…

The temperatures are finally beginning to feel like fall around here.  It's a blessing.  After a terrifically hot summer I'm ready for 60 degree mornings.  Here's a sampling of ONE wonderful morning at our house.  Please don't think all are this way.  They aren't.

We head up the driveway to watch “big brother” show off his new skills riding his bike without training wheels and mom wants a few pictures without a football helmet as protective gear.  Isn't she a fashion statement?  She gets that style from her mother!!!!

Oh, he's just too cute!!!

Then we try on big brother's hat to see if it fits.

All the while the baby kitties sleep peacefully in mom's office.

Ahh….only if all mornings were this way!
Julie

Well, yesterday was a big day around here.  My four year old learned to ride his bike without training wheels.  He was so excited.  We haven't been able to get him off his bike, even after dark.  He's turning and riding down the hill now.  We're so proud of him.  Here are a few pictures from yesterday.  This was before we found the bike helmet so we substitued with a football helmet. 

Also, my 7 year old scored his first touchdown tonight and my 6 year old carried the ball in the game for the first time. 

My babies are growing up.