Happy Halloween!!!

Like Water to my Soul

God's Word came so alive to me in my quiet time today. I want to share. As I was reading I was thinking about the question that students often ask and that I have also asked in the past, "Why don't we offer sacrifices anymore?" The answer is that Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice for our sins. This truth made it deeper into my heart today as I read. I will type scripture in bold and my thoughts as I read in italics. I hope this is water to your soul today too.

From Hebrews chapter 10:

For if the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer year after year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Makes perfect sense- if a sacrifice made a person perfect, that person would not have to make any more sacrifices.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

But they did have to make sacrifices again and again. Until Jesus came. Then no more sacrifices. Why was His sacrifice the last one? Because it made us perfect. PERFECT!!! My heart is jumping for joy at this truth. Here's how scripture says it:

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of sins, there is no longer an offering for sin."

So I don't have to offer sacrifices because the Lord sees me as perfect. Is there anything in my life that I am offering as a "sacrifice" because deep down I just don't believe that the Lord really sees me as perfect? My spirit tells me that there is. Lord, show me what those things are in my life.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with at true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

I don't have to make any of my "sacrifices". I can come BOLDLY before Him-just like I am. I am in tears over the goodness of this. Oh Lord, your work is so good, so perfect, so thorough. I am overwhelmed by it today. Praises!!!

I want to share one more thing that happened in my quiet time today. I mentioned in my last post that we recently made a big financial commitment. The Lord is providing for what we thought would have to be extra money for rent, and I'll be able to share more details of that in coming weeks. Another thing that the commitment involved was that we stop the habit of running through the drive through for food all the time. Well, tonight the kids and I will be out until after 5:30 and I know that when we get home we will all be hungry and cranky and I won't have much time at all to prepare anything. Especially now that my quiet time has taken up a big portion of my afternoon. So I was thinking that we would need to go ahead and get something on the way home tonight. Without knowing any of this, Ben sent me a text message while I was in the middle of this awesome time with the Lord that said that he will be bringing home leftovers from a function they are having this afternoon. How about that? Jehovah Jireh - the Lord our provider. I'm in tears again. Blessings!

What a Difference a Day Makes

The economic crisis hit home with us today. I mean really hit home. I got a call from the realtor that manages the house we are renting and learned that the owner is going into bankruptcy and this house will be foreclosed in January. So we are in the market for a rental home. We have been planning on moving to a bigger house when the lease is up in May, but it's interesting that this happened now because last week we made a big financial commitment that doesn't allow us to pay any more in rent than we are now. I think it's going to be a blessing to us because we have time to look around and see what's out there. Our moving dates are very flexible, any time between now and January, and maybe even after that if we need it. We get all of our deposit back and don't even have to clean the carpets when we leave. We are trusting the Lord to provide the perfect home for us. I'm excited to see what he is going to do. We are praying for the owner during this time of hardship, she had purchased this house with an inheritance she recieved and now it is gone. She is a believer and the realtor said her church is being very supportive of her as she walks through all of this.

Avery rolled over for the first time today! I put her on her tummy and went into the kitchen for a minute and when I came back she was on her back.

So that was our day, well part of it. The rest was toddler madness.

Friends

Last night Jonathan and I were talking about his new big boy Thomas the Train underwear.
Me: Who are Thomas's friends?
J: Percy AND Gordon
Me: Who are Jonathan's friends? ( I had no idea what he would say and definitely wasn't expecting this)...
J: Mommy and Daddy...AND Avery

Thank you Lord. Oh how I wish he feels this way forever.

Playing Dress Up

Yesterday I got a box in the mail from my mom with some clothes that she had picked up for the kids. In it was some dresses from when my sisters and I were babies. Oh my goodness. I am in love with these little vintage baby dresses, and I spent the evening last night looking for more online. I may have found a new hobby...collecting vintage baby clothes. I can't wait to wash and iron them and get them on my sweet baby girl!
Jonathan is loving him some blue's clues these days. Yesterday we were in the parking lot at the church and he said "Where's an orange clue? Where's an orange clue? OVER THERE!!!" Sure enough someone had orange "go tigers" paint on their car complete with Orange paw print. I have learned that when he says he sees something he really does, and it usually takes me a few minutes to figure it out.

Figured it out

Change template to minima. Wasn't reading close enough.

HELP!!!

Ok, this looks rediculous. How do I get my old template out of the middle of this thing?

I'm gonna miss this

The house is a wreck today. Last night I took Jonathan on a "mommy date" to buy him some big boy underwear. While we were gone Ben set up a tent in the living room. He and Jonathan attempted to sleep in there last night, but couldn't settle, so after about an hour and a half they retired to their own beds. Ben is out with students today so I'm leaving the tent up so they can play later. It feels very cluttered today, so I decided to try and find some beauty in it.
As far as the big boy underwear goes, I told Jonathan he could wear them after he went, well, you know, in the potty. I left him diaper and pant less this morning, and right now my jeans are wet from crawling in a spot I had to clean up to try and find beauty. Oh, and the mom thing was just a phase. I'm back to mommy now.