I miss my sisters

Last Friday the 20th was the last Friday morning group until fall.  I already miss my sisters.  They are some of the best women I know.  I feel better about myself and life just by being around them.  I hope they know how much they mean to me.  I never thought that I could develop such meaningful friendships.  Ones where I can bear my insecurities and doubts and instead of them judging me they turn to me with encouragement and love.  I hope that I have been able to provide them the same love they have given me.

I can't wait until group starts again in the fall.  I'm really hoping that Lorie will have us all out to her place.  She tells us there are some nice fish in her pond.  :)

Until next time ~

The glow of a pickle

I am, no joke, currently reading 5 books.  One for Life Group, 2 on parenting, one on craving God and one on having a relationship with God.  The one that inspires this post today is called God is Closer Than You Think by John Ortberg.  In Chapter 8 he talks about how God can flow through you.  You are either a resistor or a conductor.  Here is the paragraph that really resonated with me:

“I did an electrical experiment in church one time.  I brought in a scientist with a Ph. D. so that if someone got electrocuted, it wouldn’t be me.  We turned off the lights, hooked up an ordinary pickle to some wires, then passed an electrical current through it.  The pickle glowed.  It gave light to a room with thousands of people.  It was not a huge amount of light – not enough to read by.  But there was light.

            If God can make a pickle glow, what can he do through you?”

I read that last sentence about a dozen times.  Think about it for a bit, if God can make a simple, crunchy, delicious pickle glow, what can he do through you?

I know what I would like God to do through me.  I would like Him to transform me into the woman he wants and needs me to be.  I would like Him to use me to bring peace and happiness to those in my world.  I would love for God to use me to show his love through my words and actions.

Until next time ~

One baby, 5 stitches and the love of God

Last night as our youngest daughter was taking a bath I sat on the floor next to her reading one of the 4 books I'm reading at the moment.  It was rather peaceful.  As I sat enjoying the few minutes of uninterrupted reading time Lexi happily played and splashed in the water.  I glanced at the clock and decided I would get her out in 5 minutes, 6:45 p.m.

About two minutes after my decision something horrible happened.  Lexi stood up to reach for a toy and before I could even open my mouth to tell her to sit back down she slipped and smacked her chin on the side of the tub.  She stood back up crying and just as I got to the tub to comfort her, blood started running out of her now gapping cut on her chin down her chest.  I quickly swooped her up and wrapped her in the first bath towel I could get my hands on.

I carried her, craddled in my arms, to the kitchen and yelled for Scott to come help me.  We examined her chin and decided she needed to go the Emergency Room to see if she needed stitches.  We bandaged her up and dressed her in some warm comfy pjs for her trip to the doctor.

As Lexi and I sat in the waiting room waiting for the nurse to call us back my stomach was in knots.  I was pretty sure she needed stitches but was hoping she didn't. I prayed for God to bring me some peace and calm my nerves.  How was I going to hold her still while they stitched her up?  What would they give her so it didn't hurt?  How much would she cry?

All I can say is the nurses at St. Mary's Hospital are awesome.  The first nurse quickly came in with some numbing stuff for Lexi's chin after deciding she would in fact need stitches.  Then she came back with the cutest little stuffed toys for Lexi to have and take home.  The gentleness and warmth they showed both Lexi and myself was very comforting.  I know that the nurses are trained to deal with frightened children and distraught mothers.  But this was exceptional care.  You could tell that they truly love what they do.  When it came time to stitch up Lexi's chin a second nurse joined us who was just as wonderful as the first.  They quickly swaddled Lexi up in a sheet to keep her still and her arms down.  One nurse held her shoulders down and the other held her head still.  Leaving me free to just comfort and talk to Lexi, all the while trying to not Lexi see me crying for her. (I just wanted to take her place as she was so scared.)  The doctor was as gentle as the nurses.  Taking great care to go slow and be precise.

When we were all done and Lexi was discharged we left knowing that God had worked through the wonderful people at St. Mary's.  He showed us His love and comfort with the caring staff He sent into our ER room last night.  It's important to remember that God shows us His love through the people He puts in our lives.  Whether it's our long time friends or wonderful nurses and doctor in an Emergency Room.

Until next time~

Humbling myself before God and the result.

The beginning of this week started with me writing in my prayer journal.  I was humbling myself before God.  I know that the only way anything is going to happen in my life is if I rely on God to do it.  I’ve thought it in my head before.  But there is something powerful about putting it on paper.  For some reason it made it seem more real, more authentic.  Here is the result…   

Some people will tell you that it is impossible to feel God’s love.  And until recently I would of agreed with them.  I’ve always known that God loves us, that He loves me.  But I have never experienced it.  I thought that it would come as a form of feeling coming over me at random or a thought in my head.  Oh, who am I kidding, I had no idea how I was going to experience it.

If you ask my husband he will tell you that I would rather be serving then to be served and he would be right.  This week I didn’t know that God’s love was going to come in the form of “Jesus with skin on” (AKA someone serving us).  Let me explain; God showed me just how much He cares about my family and I through the acts of complete strangers.  I never knew that God could fill a building with such love and joy before. Without going into detail just know this- it is possible to feel God’s love and comforting arms around you.


Until next time ~

Trust

I realized today that it's been a month since my last post.  I often have ideas and thoughts through out the day that I think would be a great post.  And then life happens.  The girls get me distracted and being a mom takes over.  The thing is God doesn't do that to us.  He never gets distracted from taking care of us.  He never puts off what needs to be done.

With that being said this week is about trust.  I've always struggled with trusting those around me and letting them in.  But with Gods help I've been letting new people into my life.  And this past week I opened up to them and it scared me to death.  I knew that God was with me and it was what needed to be done.  The support and love I received overwhelmed me.  I wasn't shamed or looked down upon, just loved.

Now, God is asking me to trust Him that he is going to take care of us.  On our bathroom mirror is written "We need to trust, we need to trust, we need to trust!"  We have to trust that he will take care of us, his children.  We need to know that we are loved.

Until next time~

What I didn't do last week.

It been a very different week here at the Philipps' house.  One that I admit hasn't been focused on God.  With Scott and I starting our lifestyle change I was focused on that.  Reading books and cookbooks about it.  Thinking about it; what I'm going to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Cruising the Atkins website for tips, recipes and encouragement.  I spent a lot of time talking to Scott about it.  How I'm feeling both mentally and physically, what we are going to have for dinner that night.  

What I didn't do this week I realized Thursday with Life Group the next morning. I realized that I didn't spend time with just God.  I didn't read my bible.  I didn't ask God what he wants from me.  I didn't pray to Him like I usually do.  I didn't seek the wisdom and encouragement that only my Father in heaven can provide.  And you know what, I felt something was missing.  But I am grateful that God always takes me back with open arms.

So I am going to start this week over.  I'm going to reconnect with God and make sure that I put him first in everything I do.

Until next time~

Our Path

"Direction, not intention determines destination."   - Andy Stanley

In our Friday morning Life Group we are reading the book The Principal of the Path by Andy Stanley .  As my good friend Cherie wrote on her blog. "Each choice we make from the food we put into our mouths, to the books we read, to how we spend our money has brought us to where we are today.  The cool thing is we can change directions at anytime and as a result, change our destination."

When Scott and I met I was 140 lbs and a size 6.  Granted I have had 2 more kids since May 19, 2007.  With the busyness that is our life with the 3 girls our eating habits took a turn for the unhealthy.   I am now 45 heavier and in the double digits for my pants.  Most people would be ashamed to reveal this.  But I look at it this way, it is what it is.  As Dr. Phil says " You can't change what you don't acknowledge."   Now I'm not alone in this.  As our motto is : We are a team and in this together.

So, we have decided to change our path.  We are making a life style change, together.  We are beginning the Atkins Diet, together.  The key word here is together.  Scott has done this twice before with great success.  He has attempted it several times in the past 3 years and hasn't been able to keep up with it.  So this time we are going to use each other as support as we adjust to changing our eating habits.  Life can be tough and we tend to turn to unhealthy things for comfort.  Now we are going to be relying on each other and on God as we slim down, increase our energy and make our bodies nice and healthy.

Until next time~