Legacy

Well, another Christmas has come and gone in a hurry.  It seems that, as a family, we can't seem to make it through important events without someone getting sick. This year, my step-son, Jake, got a 24 hour stomach bug late on Christmas Eve. He managed to open his gifts Christmas morning but spent most of the day in the bed. He ended up staying at his sister's house so I hate that we didn't get to spend the day with him. He heads back to Arizona today so I am praying for a safe flight with no sickness. Just thinking about the possibility of him getting sick during a flight makes me thankful for the option of "barf bags" as opposed to an airplane toilet!!

Other than that, our Christmas was wonderful! It's always nice to spend time with the family. Each year, I try to do a better job of remembering the real reason we celebrate so that I can, in turn, do a better job of reminding my kids. I want so badly for them to understand that it isn't about the number or size of gifts they receive but about the ultimate Gift given when Jesus was born. I know they understand this, but I want them to understand it more and more as they grow so that their faith can grow more as well. Lord, I am so thankful for your never-ending love!

I can not believe that another year has come and gone! It really seems like just last week that I was gearing up for 2010! Now, here I am gearing up for 2011. I wish I was better at savoring every moment instead of stressing about how quickly it is flying by. I try to soak it up, but I'm just not as good at it as I would like. Hopefully this blog will serve as a way for me to journal about what's on my mind as it relates to my day to day life. If nothing else, I hope it becomes a place where I can look back on my thoughts, hopes, desires, prayers and stories and know, with out a doubt, again and again, that my God has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination. I am such a "black and white" kind of person, that seeing something on paper (or screen in this case) gives me something tangible to observe and therefore grasp. The older I get the more I can't remember so I hope that this blog and my entries will help me remember the emotions I feel as I carry on as a wife and mom.

James' grandma, Nannie, as she was so affectionately known as, passed away almost a year ago. During a visit to Houston this summer, James' mom had set aside a box of Nannie's belongings that she thought the grand kids might be interested in looking at and taking as a keepsake. As I looked through the box, I noticed a notebook. It was a prayer journal that Nannie had kept over the years. She had consistently written down her requests with a date, which, in and of itself was just cool. But, what she did next was even cooler. When she saw that a prayer had been answered, she put a check mark beside it. As I read through her requests, I noticed that my family was mentioned several times. I was moved by the fact that she really did pray for us. Not that I ever thought she didn't, but SEEING it WRITTEN was so encouraging. I wanted badly to just stack the journal with the items we had set aside to keep, but knew that Carol must not have realized it was in there; I knew she would want it; what daughter wouldn't? I told her that I would love to make copies of some of the pages to keep. Nannie left an amazing legacy with her daughter, grandchildren, great-children and so many others. How cool will it be for Colt to SEE that his great grandmother prayed for him before he was born? How much cooler will it be for him to READ her prayer request in her own writing? It's things like that, that I want to do a better job of in 2011. I don't just want to leave an emotional or mental legacy for my kids, grand kids and so on. I want to leave them a legacy they can grasp and hold on to! I want to leave them with sweet thoughts and prayers to help remind them of how much they are loved, cherished, prayed for and thought of. I can think of very little else as encouraging as someone saying to me, either verbally or written, that they have thought of me or prayed for me. In general terms, it is profoundly encouraging to me, but when someone tells me they have thought of me or prayed for me concerning something specific, it just rocks my world with gratitude, humility and a desire to the same for someone else.

So many times, I think and/or pray for someone and I start to tell them, but don't because I either I don't know them that well and I'm afraid they might think I'm weird or it's someone I know really well and I am afraid they will think I am a fake. But, I'm done with that. I know how much it encourages me when I hear and/or read someone else's encouraging words to me. Furthermore, I'm tired of thinking and/or praying for someone and feeling like I can't share that with them for whatever reason. I'm convinced that the "reason" has to do with the enemy who doesn't want people to be encouraged or feel loved.

So, there you have it! If you ever think of and/or pray for me, I would LOVE to hear about it! And I will try to do the same for you.

Hoping your Christmas was merry and that 2011 is blessed!
Jennifer

Identity Crisis

Struggling with settling on a name for this blog. About the time I think I like something, I change my mind. So, for now, I will just use my name until something more exciting and creative comes to mind. I'm open to suggestions. I want something that is different, but not cheesy. Something that I feel describes this point in my life, but not dramatic or cheesy. Did I mention, I don't want something cheesy? Since I can be the QUEEN of cheesy sometimes, not settling on a cheesy name for this blog is proving to be a challenge.

Oh well. For now, my name will do, but if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know!

Have a great weekend!
Jen

Scripture Memory 2010

Many of you know that I particpated in a Scripture Memory Challenge in 2009 that was led by Beth Moore using her blog: http://www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com/    I encourage you ladies to check out her blog because it really is a blessing to me. Beth is hoot and I really just love her and her gift to write, speak and teach God's Word. Anyway, just so you know, on her blog, her female readers are not called ladies or women. We are proudly identified as "Siestas". She explains the reasoning behind this on her blog. . . so CHECK IT OUT! Anyway, I NEVER in a million years thought I would have the motivation to stick with the Scripture Memory Challenge for an entire year, but the Lord proved to me how much sticking with it would help me grow in my walk with Him. The goal was to memorize 24 scriptures for 2009. As a group, we would post our selections on the 1st and 15th of each month. As I sit here this morning I am happy to tell you that I was able to memorize 21 scripture segments in 2009! As I study my verses it becomes so clear to me how God used these verses to walk me through a very trying, tear-filled 2009. My way of studying them has been to use the dates because those dates pinpoint what events were going on at various times throughout the year. As I think of a particular date, it helps me remember what was going on at that time which in turn helps me remember the verse that I chose to memorize during that time. As a reward for those that stuck with the challenge for the entire year, Beth Moore is holding a private conference at her home church (First Baptist Church of Houston) next weekend. It is free for those that participated and since James' family lives in Houston, the trip is virtually free. I AM SOOO EXCITED!

All of that to say that in 2010, Beth Moore's blog isn't continuing the challenge for 2010. BUT, it has been such a blessing to me, that I have decided to continue it on my own. I have talked to a few of my friends that are also interested in doing it for 2010 so I am just going to do my own challenge on my own little blog.  I am not near as gifted of a writer as Beth or her daughters, nor is my little blog nearly as interesting, BUT, I don't care. All I care about is continuing something that has been spiritually fruitful for me. I don't have alot of extra time to participate in women's Bible studies or events to help feed my spiritual growth. This scripture memory challenge is something that I can actually manage and reap HUGE rewards from. So, there you have it! This is your INVITATION and CHALLENGE to particpate in the life-changing process of memorizing scripture. THe goal is to plant the seeds of scripture deep in your heart so that it remains with you always. Sometimes, it is easy to think that you can memorize one big chunk of scripture at a time. That didn't work so well for me. I have done better keeping my selections to 1-3 verses at a time. In doing so, I feel like I will ALWAYS remember the verses I have learned in 2009. I will post my entry on the 1st and 15th of each month (or there abouts). Please log on to this blog and post yours as well on those dates. Please include your verse, the translation (NIV, NLT, KJV, etc), and your name. If you don't have a verse in mind you can share mine or someone elses. I am excited to see this through! To help you in the process, I suggest getting a spiral bound index card notebook OR a spiral bound journal notebook to write your verses in. I also underline and date the verse in my Bible to help me in my memorization.

I won't be able to offer any type of earthly reward at the end of this year, but I hope the idea of the SPIRITUAL reward you will receive will be what motivates you to particpate and stick with it!

OK - In order to catch-up with the already fast-moving 2010 I am posting 2 selections today:

January 1:
Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelrey, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfaing beauty of a gentla and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

January 15:
. . .but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NLT

OK - let's hear yours!!!

Love to you all!
Jen