The End - Or rather the beginning?

Well, Mark and I had a fab 2008. We got preggers on R and R and he was home with four hours to spare for the birth of our son. To surmise the greatest lessons over the last two years . . .

God is my Rock. There is no substitute. If I start relying on any other being to be my center and my King I am in for a heartache and will not be any good as a wife and a mother.

God is the one in control of everything. He gives and He takes away and I can’t be so arrogant as to think that trouble will not come my way, His only begotten Son had to endure the cross, who did I think I was?

God will use what the world intended for evil for the good of those who love Him. The branch manager was angry with Mark for declining some orders so he sent him to a place he thought would destroy him and his family . . .Iraq. However, God used it to take our faith to places we didn’t imagine. Our relationship with Him is greater every day and we grow closer together all the time, as if I dreamed that was possible.

God does answer prayers . . .sometimes it takes a while for you to see the yes and sometimes the no was better for us in the long run . . .but He always answers!

Finally, children are a gift from God, just like it says in Psalms:
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Ps 127:3.

Ps 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward d from him.

Thank God that He doesn’t listen to us when we are saying stupid things like, I never want children because they are home wreckers . . . Adults wreck homes not these precious free willed smiling joy-filled presents from the Lord. Even when they say No for the first time and throw their first tantrum.

So, I’m sure my learning from this experience will continue for years to come but these are the biggest highlights. For some more you can read the rest of the blogs in this section. However, for my part I am moving on. I am getting a promotion to full time homemaker as of April 16th! So, the Lord is going to and has already started to use this new “career” to teach me even more things about Him. However, you will have to catch that in my new Blog . . .

Running after God and Kids
http://homemakingdani.blogspot.com/

Fighting PMS

(Princess/Prince Mentality Syndrome)

Permit me to set the stage, the alarm clock goes off and it is way too early! You smack the top of it hard enough to bruise and find yourself hoping your hand actually went through it, knowing it would just have to be replaced and that would make you more angry, you’re happy to find you hand just stings. The first cognoscente thought to fly across your mind is
“Why me, God?” You drag your nearly lifeless body out of bed and make your way to the lou, when you would rather turn around and throw the covers over your head. You turn the shower on and cold water hits your body for 2 seconds before the warm hits and you nearly scream into the yet silent house.
“God, really, I’m up, can’t this be any easier?” You get to work and after you have fought for parking, spilt coffee onto your shirt, tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and collapsed into the chair at your desk, you are convinced that no one could possibly have it worse than you. You start to make a list of everything that is wrong in your life and by 0845 you are pretty sure that if the world knew what you were going through they would pay you to sleep in and stay home, just like Elton John. There is an example of someone who could not give two hoots about Jesus and he has life so good, why do I struggle? You think,
“God, why do I have to be apart from my spouse? I know loads of people that hate their spouse, they would love the vacation! But mine, whom I love and adore, You send away?” By noon, you are sure that God has been confused about what was in your best interest, because He has promised to give you a hope and a future, not break your heart, right? You get in the car to go home, which is this empty lifeless, but for the dog, building, wrapped in memories of your spouse, he is on the couch, the bed, in the kitchen or upstairs. You go to the kitchen and you are sure that he would be cooking dinner just now in some parallel existence, because you still are too pregnant sick to cook. You cry out to the Lord and say,
“God, this is too hard, I am all alone, why has this happened and why does it still happen?” This is a demonstration of what I refer to as the Princess Mentality Syndrome(PMS), if you are male, it would be prince, but the idea is the same. You can’t see past your own troubles to realize that others have it loads worse, or even look to see what the Lord is doing in your life with all the circumstances in it, good or bad.(Romans 8:28)
It is then out of the darkened haze that has become your PMSing heart, a voice says,
“Pray and be with Me.” My voice came in the form of my Pastor’s wife and she said,
“Dani, read and study Philippians 3. That should help you.” I thought sure, I’ll read it why not. Once PMS sets in, I really just want my husband, nothing else will do but I’ll humor her. It is so funny to think that PMS is a symptom of the heart, a heart that really needs God to get in there and clean it out, to once again be made number one, but I always just want my spouse. This cycle has been happening since my husband left but thankfully, God has placed people in my life to tell me where I should really be going.
So when I studied Philippians 3, what did I learn? First, I like to learn the context in which a book of the bible was written. It gives me a better idea of the situation that the disciple or prophet was coming from. In the case of Philippians. Paul was in prison in Rome awaiting a sentence that would most probably be death. Nero was the emperor during Paul’s imprisonment for Christ(Phil 1:13). A brief history lesson, Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of a section of Rome(a section he conveniently wanted to clear for his own purposes) and subsequently began years of persecution. He used to burn their bodies to light the circus races. # Since the entire palace guard knew that he was a Christian,(Phil 1:13) the chances of him getting a “fair” trial was slim to none. Yet, he rejoiced!
So, what is Philippians about? What does Paul advise those who love Jesus to do. Rejoice in all things . . .
“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”(Phil 1:18-19)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”(Phil 4:4) Here from prison, awaiting death, he says to rejoice in the Lord. Philippians is only four chapters long, very short. In the whole book, Paul mentions rejoicing six times!
What is my problem? I’m making my husband’s and I’s first baby, I am awaiting his joyful homecoming, God has given me a family and love on this earth and I’m complaining . . .I have no excuse, Paul was a human sold out for Christ, so much so that he was beheaded for being Christian.#(Little Christ is what that word meant originally and was meant as an insult) I was shocked to realize that one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament, was so very persecuted! I had not considered how much,
“been in prison more frequently, w been flogged more severely, x and been exposed to death again and again. y
2Co 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes z minus one.
2Co 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, a once I was stoned, b three times I was shipwrecked, c I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
2Co 11:26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, d in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, e in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. f “#
So, I thought to myself, if a great disciple had problems, why did PMS come out of me at all? Should I not expect troubles if I am walking with the Lord? Jesus said,
Jn 15:18 “If the world hates you, t keep in mind that it hated me first.
Jn 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you u out of the world. That is why the world hates you. v #
So I should rejoice!!! Because it is so hard, because sometimes I feel like nothing is going right, even God’s own Son had troubles, He was persecuted and crucified! He came in love, He came to save us from Hell, a fate worse than death! He came to bring us unto Himself and the world killed Him for it! He knew the most horrible pain to save me! Thankfully, He ascended to heaven to be our great intercessor and will come back to get those who believe in Him and His gift to us!(Romans 10:9) Because I am His the world will hate me and I am so thankful for that! The more they hate me, the more I love the Lord, the more I should be rejoicing because I am really free!
I have to stop the PMS, I have to stop focusing on myself and my problems, I must look at the bigger picture, chase after Jesus and wait until I get my hubby back! I must count my blessings and realize that it could be so much worse in a world filled with hate, rage, anger, hunger, murder and every other ugly thing! Someday, Jesus is coming back to clean house, these ugly things will be taken away, in the mean time, I’m to focus on Him, rejoice in Him, be thankful that He opened my eyes to His truth and thank Him for the sweet beauties that He fills my life with!

# NIV Archaeological Study Bible 2005,pg 1931 Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_of_Tarsus#Arrest_and_death
# The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:2Co 11:23.
# The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Jn 15:18.

Even So, Come Lord Jesus Quickly come! Part 3

So I thought about how my husband and I use present day communication, our relationship is a wonderful and loving one but is forced to be different due to our separation. So we communicate through letters and email. Just like now with Jesus we communicate with Him through prayer. He is still alive and we are together, just like Mark and I are still alive and together, but out of necessity we relate differently than those three years together. I can’t see Mark but I know he is real and alive and I love him so much. Just like I can’t see Jesus, but I know He is alive and real and with me! Jesus has the benefit of being God so He can be with me in ways Mark cannot now. In fact, He has promised it as He was leaving us physically, He gave us directions and then promised He was not going to leave us,
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Mt 28:18.

Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Mt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

It is funny, when my husband left he gave me all of his authority on earth in a power of attorney. He told me to take care of things and he would be back. Through letters, email and my memory he is always with me, what a great symbol of my Savior! As Christians we have such a hope and a future! Did you know that the next big thing to happen on God’s time table is the rapture of His children? Did you know that all other prophecy has been fulfilled? We are now just waiting abated breath for the return of our bride-groom!!! That is it! Pretty soon we are going to be out of here! So like the next big thing on my earthly time table is the return of my groom that is the next big thing in my walk with the Lord. Now I will keep growing in Him and life is never dull with my adventure guide the Lord! However, the next prophecy to be fulfilled is Jesus coming to get us!!! Isn’t that exciting? It means that I desperately try to stay unexcited about earthly things, all these will pass away, He is forever and He is good and He is coming back! It was this realization that made my excitement for the Lord’s return even more real and alive! As excited as I am about Mark how much more excited should I be for my Savior and the Lover of my Soul!!!
Jesus fulfilled 300 prophecies in coming and the prophecies that were given to us as signs of His return have all been fulfilled, except for the actual collection of us! So now I wait abated breath for both of Mark and Jesus!

Check out http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/m_prophecies.shtml for more information about Jesus’ fulfilled prophecies!