thankful

Open my eyes so that I may see wonderful things in your law 

I guess right now I am just so thankful that God even still bothers with me. I am a sinner and often do not love Him the way I should or even give Him the time he deserves.

I am seriously crying right now. God is so good to me.

Today was another rainy day. Kate was in our room at 6 a.m. Being she was scared, we let her sleep with us and all she did was toss and turn so I went with her to her room and we fell asleep. Thank goodness she has a full-size bed. I slept until 8:30. Kate woke up at 9. I decided since it was raining I should keep introducing the potty to Maddy. Previously this week she had made a couple "dribbles" in the potty, which definitely was success in our books! So, we continued today -- she peed in her underwear once, and after that she kind of was pouting to not go on the potty. At that moment I remembered really to pray to God over her potty chair that Satan would flee, not causing fear or any anxiety, and wisdom for me to make the right decisions. We pretty much went the whole day peeing several times in the potty.  Wow, i am speechless. I am so thankful. We of course, made a huge deal about it and she got lots of candy. Most of the time it was her idea to go. She'd grab my hand and bring me to the potty that she had already went in, and she got a candy from the parade. I was so proud.

We went the whole day being fairly busy and really not stopping except to finally shower at 3:30. We found out we were having supper guests so I tried to hurry to make a rhubarb/strawberry coffee cake. Man, was that good!  I felt bad for Peter not being able to have it. I tried to only eat a small piece. Even Jed, his cousin, liked it, who told me right away he does not like rhubarb :)  When they all left, I could tell that Maddy had to go to the bathroom and Kate was bugging us in the bathroom so Maddy wanted to get out. She stopped, and had diarrhea all over the carpet in the dining room. I was already discouraged at this point but we didn't make a big deal about it and I used a cleaning product from Don Aslett that is a miracle potion! I am looking at it now and it is completely gone.

The girls went to bed and I really felt like God had something for me in my "To Live Is Christ" bible study book that I have been reading when I feel prompted. Sure enough, just what I needed to hear. The key reading was Philippians 4: 1-23. Beth talked about the 5 thieves of contentment: 1. Pettiness (how women tend to get their feelings hurt about petty things) 2. Anxiety ( using prayer in verse 6 to battle anxiety, with specific requests and details in our prayers) 3. Destructive Thoughts  (meditating on negative, destructive thoughts, and how Paul gave us a wonderful checklist on what thoughts we should be meditating on , vs 8) 4. Resistance to learn (how we learn to be content by the trials we face and how we should ask to have teachable hearts through these trials) 5. Independence (Relying on God to give us strength)  Before I started the study, I wrote in my journal just really asking God for strength and peace. I feel like a lot of times when I ask God for certain things, such as self control over food, the very next day it is extremely bad. I know it's because Satan (the thief) is there to tempt me.  I need to be asking God for STRENGTH!!!

So that is when I opened up my study and realized the exact thing I was going to be reading about was Philippians 4:4-7: "Let your gentleness be evident to all. 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.

Yup. Just for me. Even though I have read that verse probably a hundred times. It was what I needed to hear tonight.  Now about strength: vs 19:  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Again, a verse read multiple times. Just what I needed tonight. I need to really ask over and over and over for strength. No matter what I'm struggling with. All I have to do is ask.  So encouraging. And why is it that I am always so amazed that God speaks to me through bible studies and his Word at the exact time I need it?  I don't know, but I am thankful !