Washing Windows

Cleaning windows must be like washing your car, you do it and then it FINALLY rains. I had just finished cleaning the windows on the main level of the house today when it begins to thunder and sprinkles are now beginning to fall. Well, at least the inside is done. I am trying to pack everything that needs to be done in to the last few weekends that I have left before soccer begins, such as the windows and the garage sale. Speaking of garage sales....it went pretty well considering I live in the country and there was a big event going on in town. Kurt and I are planning a trip for our anniversary, we are going to wait until after hurricane season is over since this is a banner year for them already, but I will sock the extra cash away for this. Unfortunately I started a "Clutter Challenge" with some friends, we will hit one room of the house each week and declutter the closets, cabinets and so forth. I guess I should have held the garage sale off until after we had worked our way thru each room. I know that I will find a ton more to get rid of. Kurt is a pack rat so I have to sneak his treasures out a little at a time, although he is making great strides to break his obsession for hording things. He has voluntarily agreed to clean out his barn get rid of the clutter, now if I could just get him to unload that box of cassette tapes from the 80's I would call it a success!

Now for all of you non Christians in the internet world, I will not try to convert you but you may not appreciate the next portion of my blog. I'm going to talk about my faith and God so if you are uncomfortable, thanks for stopping by, see you soon.

I feel like God is working overtime in my life right now...so much so that it has brought me to my knees and to tears. When he decides the time is right, it definately is on his schedule.....I tried to tell him I'm just too busy to deal with so many emotions and such but hey, he is the boss, not I.

Several years ago when we were dealing with some serious TBI issues, a wonderful book fell in to my hands and life when I needed it so badly. It is called "The Power of A Praying Wife". I was at a point that nothing short of prayer could keep me going and this book led me thru praying for the person that I love most in this world. It's funny when things are rough, praying is something that we neglect to do when it is the most important thing that we could be doing. I watched my prayers being answered before me, my marriage and my husband began a tremendous healing and growing process and I let God use me as the tool he needed to make these miracles happen. It hurts so much to watch someone you love so dearly struggle with an injury that cripples their emotions, their zest for life and their ability to cope and then to try to understand why I was left to deal with it all myself. I'm not a doctor or therapist....... Doors were opened for me, support and information was forthcoming and I began to reclaim the man that I knew was my husband. Watching him learn how to overcome and manage his injury is the greatest joy, watching him enjoy his life and his children is truly a gift...and being there for the journey has been worth it all. Wonderful book and wonderful tool for any marriage, either strong or struggling! How important it is to pray for those that you love, you can wrap your arms around them physically....why not wrap them in prayer, too!

Which leads me to God's work in my life today..... I pray for my children and my husband as well as my extended family, everyday. I pray that they know God's love in every moment, are protected and held safely in his arms thru every moment in their lives. I forget to pray for myself....
Praying for oneself seems so selfish to me, but it is so important. I was in Walmart several weeks ago and while I was waiting to check out I saw a book that was on a shelf. "The Power of A Praying Woman". I hesitated, once again thinking that praying for myself is selfish but I felt a strong need to buy the book. It has sat in the basket on my coffee table for a while until last week when I picked it up (couldn't sleep again) and began to read. I'm only several chapters in because of time constraints but it is already convicting my heart and teaching me important lessons. For one thing, unforgiveness is a sin, meaning if I don't forgive someone for something, I am sinning as well. WOW!!! No wonder hanging on to things leave me feeling quite unhappy and unhealthy. The bible teaches us this, it's there for us to read but that lesson can be a hard pill to swallow. When you are angry, the last thing you want to do is pray for the person that has made you that way, or pray for the person that hurt you. A month or so ago, we were at the lake and I read a great novel by a Christian writer, I wish I knew the name to share with you but the book is still over at the lake, I will get it next weekend and promise to post it. It is a very good story! It is a story of how one person or person's misunderstanding of an incident or comment can be taken out of context and completely wreak havoc upon the lives of any and all involved. Thru out the book, it talks about one of the main characters being accusatory in the beginning (much as I have been in my life) of someone and then they were told to pray for that person who they thought was wronging them, anger and hatred were replaced in her life with compassion, the ability to forgive and in the end love. Why is this meaningful to me....at that time I read it for a good read but as things are progressing and unfolding in my life the two books are merging to teach me a profound lesson. If God our Father can forgive us the ultimate sin, who am I to sit in judgment of anyone else, to not forgive them and ask for forgiveness. If God can forgive anything......who am I to think that I am above forgiving any thing real or perceived done to me. I have been brought to my knees by the Heavenly Father.........isn't it amazing that he brought those two tools into my life when I thought I was just reading a book or two, to prepare me and to teach me such an important lesson. I am almost fearful of continuing to read the remaining chapters....these lessons are tough ones and the saying "you might get what you pray for" is too true.
Here I was thinking I had so much work to do, God stopped me and said it was his time to do work in my life.........my work, work can wait......with God the pay off is so much better, it is eternal. God's washing my windows today, too...the windows to my heart.

Many blessing to you and yours, internet! To my friends, both in real life and those of you that I have met on the internet, and to my family. I often times forget to tell you how much you mean to me, what a difference you being in my life makes.........I love you and appreciate you and I am covering you in prayer...much love.........