Unrestricted Access

God always gives good gifts! One grand gift that He has given to married couples is the gift of physical intimacy. I was thinking recently about Shorty's & my wedding night. We had only kissed for the first time a few hours before. And I smiled remembering the first time we had "unrestricted access" to one another.

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2:21-25
 
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
 
Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.
Proverbs 5:15-21

Dry

It's been a long six weeks. Sickness really wears me out. I think the hardest part-- even more than the sleeplessness and fatigue-- is being away from my church family. I am SO THANKFUL that our building is closer now because Shorty and I have each been able to make at least one meeting a week, but still, that's slim pickings.... =( It's also so much harder for me to get my devotions in. So yeah, I'm feeling dry right now.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Psalms 63:1-8

Too Tired

Missing out on a solid night's sleep two days in a row is just too much for this old lady... So today, I'm letting God's word speak for itself-- He doesn't need me anyway. =)

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalms 1:1-6

Do I love them?

The flu has been meandering through our family. Reanna is the latest victim. Last night was REALLY rough on her. She has had the fever (although low grade most of the time) and the runny nose, sore throat and bloodshot eyes-- all classic symptoms. But last night she also suffered from the less commons symptoms of nausea and vomiting. She is quite a tough little patient, and seems to have a ridiculously high pain tolerance. But she HATES to throw up. And for some reason, she seems to think that my very presence will remedy her misery. =/

So at 11:00-ish last night and again about 12:30 when she began vomiting, she hollered for me and woke Adara up. Both times I was in that almost/not quite asleep state that leaves you feeling terribly sluggish. Then at 3:30 she yelled and woke Judah up. I am thankful that both older children came to get me... I think. However, when she came to my room just before 6:00 this morning complaining that her throat hurt "REALLY REALLY BAD", I sent her back to bed. I DID NOT want to start my day on that tiny amount of sleep. I'm willing to give up quite a lot for my Crew, but sacrificing my sleep for them is something I struggle with. But as I lay in bed after she left, I just kept thinking to myself, "Are you loving her?", and "Love means sacrifice." She was miserable and unable to help herself... And so, thanks (or maybe not "thanks" at the time) to the convicting prodding of the Spirit, I rolled out of bed and got my sweet girl a drink and some medicine. I even got in a few minutes of devotions-- between playing nurse to miss Reanna. ;)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
 
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:3-8
 
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:9-11

Change of Plans

I like lists and planning-- except when it keeps me from spending time with people! ;)
And I LOVE having a general plan for my days-- pancakes for breakfast on Thursdays, changing the bed sheets on Fridays, school at a certain time on certain days, supper around 6:00, etc. I do get a bit irritable when my plans get changed. ESPECIALLY with regards to school. I know my children need a certain foundation of knowledge to function well in higher education as well as out in real life. But I'm not the most organized or diligent person. =(
Add to that the adage, "Life is what happens when you're making other plans.", and you can imagine that we regularly experience slices of chaos.

This month my Crew has had the flu. We have had several doctor visits. And there have been numerous business and ministry "interruptions" in my days. And as I was looking at yet ANOTHER change to my plans, my thoughts turned God-ward. I have little control over even my small sphere of influence. My children disobey, illnesses come, Shorty has needs arise... and my plans change. But God NEVER has to change His plans, because He does have total control over all circumstances! That is not to say we're all puppets or to engender some fatalistic point of view. But I take great comfort and delight in knowing that God is able to keep His promises because NOTHING can change His plans! =)

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
Psalms 33:8-11
 
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
Proverbs 19:21
 
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
 
Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:45
 
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:2-4
 
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1

In the Works

Adara is becoming quite the little cook/baker. She did the cooking on Tuesday while I was stuck on the couch, and she regularly asks me if she can "cook something". =) Well, I focused on other areas of cleaning yesterday, so the kitchen was A MESS!!! This morning I had to clean before I could cook the eggs. But I was chuckling to myself as I washed dishes and wiped counter tops because Adara is still at the stage in her learning where she makes a BIG mess when she cooks. ;) You know, flour sprinkles and liquid dribbles of all kinds, just about of everywhere. And for the most part, it's kind of a disaster unless I help...

That got me thinking about my attempts to be like my Father. I want to do good things, but my sin gets in the way. I want to serve, but I often end up making a mess. And if God is not working in and through me, it will be disastrous! I'm just a more sophisticated version of Adara-- I'm "in the works"! ;)

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Psalms 127:1

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:1-10
 
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:4-13

Song of the Day- 8

Okay, so to any of my "older" readers, I may seem awfully young. ;) But I think "old" may be just as subjective as "beauty"! =)  I know I'm only thirty, but I've been married for nearly 40% of my life and my time of training my children is nearly half over. That is not to say that I FEEL "old" but that I have come to realize how VERY FLEETING life is! And how very brief the years of child-rearing are. And sometimes, country music just says it so well... so today you get a two-fer! ;)

"Young" and "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney

The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
Proverbs 20:29
 
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.
Proverbs 16:31