So I am at AWANA last night working, as I usually do with Ben, in Cubbies....just doing what I do when all of a sudden my cell phone rings...odd for it to ring at Cubbies.
I answer it and on the other end is a sweet friend from Little Rock. I haven't heard from her in awhile, so I am wondering what is wrong, for what do I need to pray with her, how can I help. Lots of thoughts slamming around at one time.
Then she zings me! She said, "I am calling you because I thought you'd want to know. Other than my family, you are the first person I am telling."
Do I hear despair in her voice? Do I hear joy? What is it that she needs me to know?
She finally spits it out! "I am pregnant! We will have a baby in August!"
I couldn't be more happy for her! For over a year, she and I have been praying for God to give her and her husband a new little baby. We have been seeking God, searching His Word, and crying out to God in both despair and hope that He would give the gift of life to this lovely couple.
I began at once crying, literally, in praise of what God has done for her!
I am, once again, humbled by the way God reaches down and works so mightily in the lives of such lowly, sinful people. He showed His love in this: that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For that, and for the new life developing right now, Praise God!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Ever Had One of Those Days?
So I am halfway through the day and it is hitting me...I am having to discipline several of my children today. The issues are not one-time, single issues, but rather, issues of the heart. It dawns on me...this will take a while.
It's been a hard day...praying, talking, pointing out, redoing, going to Scripture, asking questions...and that was all without having done school, chores, or Bible study! These were just some of the tools for trying to deal with these heart issues that a couple of my children are struggling with.
I don't know why I am surprised at all of this, but it always hits me like it's never happened before. It happens everyday...but usually within me. When it's with me, I can deal directly with God, or my husband :), the Holy Spirit, and then ask for forgiveness from others. With my children, I feel the need to almost become the Holy Spirit for them. I need them to know how to respond to my authority, obey my commands. If they can't obey an authority figure who is visible and touchable...how will they ever obey an invisible God...one they have to be still and quiet to hear? One they have to have studied to know His character and His will? The answer is they won't.
That spurs me on to do the hard things as a parent. They have to go from my authority to God's and being on their own...physically and spiritually. They can't rest on my faith or my obedience as they grow up. I think that just be realizing that, I have grown up a little bit too.
It's been a hard day...praying, talking, pointing out, redoing, going to Scripture, asking questions...and that was all without having done school, chores, or Bible study! These were just some of the tools for trying to deal with these heart issues that a couple of my children are struggling with.
I don't know why I am surprised at all of this, but it always hits me like it's never happened before. It happens everyday...but usually within me. When it's with me, I can deal directly with God, or my husband :), the Holy Spirit, and then ask for forgiveness from others. With my children, I feel the need to almost become the Holy Spirit for them. I need them to know how to respond to my authority, obey my commands. If they can't obey an authority figure who is visible and touchable...how will they ever obey an invisible God...one they have to be still and quiet to hear? One they have to have studied to know His character and His will? The answer is they won't.
That spurs me on to do the hard things as a parent. They have to go from my authority to God's and being on their own...physically and spiritually. They can't rest on my faith or my obedience as they grow up. I think that just be realizing that, I have grown up a little bit too.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Who Doesn't Like a Free Movie?
I know, three posts in one day...what is going on?! But I thought you might want to know that you can get a free movie from Redbox today.
The code is : BREAKROOM
The way you access it is to 1. find a Redbox (we have them at WalMart, Walgreens, and even McDonalds) 2. On the Home screen in the bottom lefthand corner is a button that says "rent with a promo code", push that button 3. follow the rest of the instructions to rent a movie.
It is free for one night, and though you do have to swipe your card, credit or debit, it only charges you when you bring the movie back. You can get a free movie with the same code for each card you swipe! The movies have to be returned by the next day and can be returned at any Redbox site, not only the one from which you rented.
We used the code today and it did work...enjoy the movie!
The code is : BREAKROOM
The way you access it is to 1. find a Redbox (we have them at WalMart, Walgreens, and even McDonalds) 2. On the Home screen in the bottom lefthand corner is a button that says "rent with a promo code", push that button 3. follow the rest of the instructions to rent a movie.
It is free for one night, and though you do have to swipe your card, credit or debit, it only charges you when you bring the movie back. You can get a free movie with the same code for each card you swipe! The movies have to be returned by the next day and can be returned at any Redbox site, not only the one from which you rented.
We used the code today and it did work...enjoy the movie!
SA's Magik Theatre
For those of you who live in the San Antonio area, there is an amazing children's theatre! It's called The Magik Theatre and is downtown. They provide the best, and I do mean the very best deal going! We love going to plays and have wanted to pass that love along to our children. When we only had one child, it was fairly easy to buy tickets to most any production. Now that we have five children...well, you see how much of a loan we'd have to take out to provide live theatre experiences for them!
The Magik Theatre offers a Season Pass where you get 36 tickets for $99! You can use the tickets any way you choose...36 seats at one show, 4 tickets to nine shows...you get the point. If I did the math correctly, this comes to less than $3 for a ticket. Normal prices for their productions (individual tickets) run $10 for adults and $8 for children! What a savings!
We have been to several of their productions since the beginning of the season (Sept.) and couldn't have had a better time. We are going again this Saturday to see Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. We anticipate having a marvelous time and I would highly recommend you getting a Season Pass to the Magik Theatre!
The Magik Theatre offers a Season Pass where you get 36 tickets for $99! You can use the tickets any way you choose...36 seats at one show, 4 tickets to nine shows...you get the point. If I did the math correctly, this comes to less than $3 for a ticket. Normal prices for their productions (individual tickets) run $10 for adults and $8 for children! What a savings!
We have been to several of their productions since the beginning of the season (Sept.) and couldn't have had a better time. We are going again this Saturday to see Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. We anticipate having a marvelous time and I would highly recommend you getting a Season Pass to the Magik Theatre!
The Blessings Box
Ben and I were trying to come up with a way for our kids to recognize the blessings in their lives. How to do that? We racked our brains with various ideas, then stumbled upon this. It sounded like it might work and be do-able...you know...easy to manage. We really need easy-to-manage around here or else good, even great, ideas fall by the wayside and we don't see things through!What is this idea, you might ask? The Blessings Box! We had this clear lucite box around doing nothing...in our shed...in the way back of the shed...in the dark recesses of the shed...We put the box by our kitchen table and placed a basket with sheets of pre-cut paper in it. All through the day, we can grab a sheet of paper and write down a particular blessing. I have seen the kids write the words "playscape" and "Wii" on it. I will write "rain" today as we finally are getting some much needed rain around here.
The point of all this is two-fold: 1. for us to be able to see most everything in our lives as blessings, and 2. on New Year's Day 2010, we will gather our family together and pull some of the papers at random and remember what has happened in 2009 to the DeBusk family! Our version of stones of remembrance. We want to be able to point back to what God has done for us. We pray it gives our kids, and oh yea, us a perspective on life and how God intervenes daily in our lives!
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