God is in Control

Philippians 4:6-7 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. (NIV)

I once saw a refrigerator magnet that said, "I know that God promises to never give me more than I can handle. But sometimes, I just wish He didn't trust me so much." When trials come and life seems hard we plead with God to deliver us from the problem when many times, His plan is to deliver us in the problem. Praise does not depend upon an understanding of the circumstance or trial. Praise depends upon an understanding of and faith in God.

As humans, we will never fully understand God -- this side of heaven. God is holy and without blemish. God is all powerful and omniscient. He is Creator of the universe and yet lives in me. He is the only true, living God! We may understand some of His ways and comprehend the reasoning behind some of His plans. We may even come to the place of knowing him on what we call an intimate level, but a full understanding of God is reserved for heaven. Until then, we walk by faith, not by sight. We praise him in the darkness, knowing that the light is just ahead. We trust him for things we cannot see and turn to him in the valleys. Honestly, the thought of serving and relying on a God I can understand is not a reassuring thought.

One of the many lessons I learned from my "pit experience" was that I cannot depend upon my own strength or my fickle emotions. God often asked me to praise him when, as far as I could tell, there wasn't a whole lot to praise him for! I didn't feel like praising him. I began to understand that praise is not a feeling but a choice, a step of obedience taken without the assurance of a changed circumstance or the elimination of a trial. Praise focuses on God, not the circumstance, and fixes its gaze upon God's truth and God's character instead of the trial at hand or just ahead. That is why we can celebrate the battle before it begins. The outcome is neither our responsibility nor our goal. Praise begins and ends with faith in the very nature, personality and integrity of God...and that never changes.

No matter what lies ahead, God is faithful. No matter how hot the fiery trial may be, God will deliver us. No matter what man says or does, God loves and accepts us. So praise God! Thank him today for every victory tomorrow holds! Celebrate - knowing that the battle belongs to God and because of that single truth, victory is certain.

Let's pray
Father, I praise You today for all that You have done in my life. You are faithful even when I am faithless. Your love pursues me even when I am unlovable. Your forgiveness covers my sin and frees me from its penalty. Lord, teach me to praise You and to see and understand the power of that praise. I want to bring You pleasure, Father. I praise You for Your love and faithfulness to me. Your presence in my life changes everything, empowering me to live each moment of every day, content in knowing You are in control. As I face today, Lord, remind me that no matters what happens, I can praise You! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Biblical Truth

Nahum 1:3

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.

Proverbs 11:21

...The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.

Proverbs 12:18

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 14:15

A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

Ignorance is bliss...

This is copied from something I wrote last year.

I'm not really sure how to start this one. I guess I'll just come right out and say it...I HATE IGNORANCE!!! Phew...glad I got that off my chest. And now to clarify. I look around this world and realize how stupid people actually are. They believe anything they read, see on the television, and worse...anything they are told. No wonder we live in such a judgmental, uneducated society. People find it easier to walk around with blinders on, refusing to see truth or even seek it. They don't want to take the time nor the energy to even research what they have seen/read/heard. They just take the tainted info they receive and run with it. Sad, really. But, with simple people, it is easier for them to sit back, harbor anger and cast judgment rather than discover the truth. So I hate ignorance...people who lack the correct information about a situation but assume they know what is going on and then end up condemning and judging others they don't even know on a personal basis. What the hell is wrong with you people! And, yes, I'm speaking from experience. So this is my advice:

PAY NO MIND TO THOSE WHO TALK BEHIND YOUR BACK...IT SIMPLY MEANS YOU ARE TWO STEPS AHEAD.

Some cute pics from this past week. The pictures are out of order, but I'll figure this thing out eventually. Enjoy!

Weekend Rundown

It has been a good week in the world of Neie. Ryan's first tooth finally broke through on Friday. It's just been sitting there, teasing us all, and Ryan has drooled up a storm. We go through a lot of bibs! He loves being able to grab things...because they go straight into his mouth. He now chews on everything. When on his tummy, he has discovered that he can dig his feet into the floor and he will move. It is so exciting to see babies develop. We had so much fun watching Natalie grow and it is just as exciting this time around.

Speaking of Natalie, she is quite the ornery girl lately. She likes to respond to a request with an emphatic NO. She is bossy and demanding and tests our patience daily...or should we say hourly. :) At the same time, she is so sweet. She loves to dance and be a princess. She will come up to me, bow, and say, "It's nice to meet you, your highness." She enjoys pretending to be a princess, and in the pool (at Nana's house) she is a mermaid. She will check on Ryan throughout the day, kissing his head and saying, "I love my sister." We laugh and correct her. She will announce if he has spit up, rolled over, or if he is crying. Hey, it's her way of helping. She loves coming to work with me and playing with other kids. The sitters tell me she does quite well and they enjoy having her around. So, we have found that her ornery side is saved for when she is at home (most of the time).

Daniel and I are adjusting to my going back to work. So far it has gone quite well. Daniel is now the full time caretaker in the evenings. This is good for him since he really doesn't get to spend a lot of time with the kids because of his work schedule. The evenings are now his time with his prince and princess. He has been working so much lately, even on his days off. He even worked today at the request of his boss (his company sponsored a function and he volunteered to work) and then took my brother across the lake. At times it's hard because we don't see each other that often, but he is good at what he does and I am so proud of how well he has provided for us these past years. He is very supportive of my job, which means so much to me. It's only been a couple of weeks, but my job is a lot of fun. I am enjoying learning new things and meeting new cool people. God is truly blessing our lives!

And it begins...

I have decided to start a blog about my little family in lieu of my emails. I've had some people request that I not send my novel length emails, but there is always so much to say (what can I say, I'm long winded). I am quite proud of my little family, both the good and the bad. I like sharing our happenings with relatives from afar, and a few of them have told me how much they appreciate being kept informed. So I figured that this would be an easier way for people to remain close to us. Check back in with us every now and again to see what is transpiring in our busy lives. I hope you enjoy watching us grow!