Whew~ we have finished week one which consisted of Backyard Bible Club in Mesa Park. What a week. I am so overwhelmed really by all that the Lord has taught me this week that it is hard to determine where to start in blogging about it all. So - at the risk of being "corny" I think I am going to just go day by day through this week so far and share what the Lord has been showing me. If I bore you - I am sorry but here goes! I will start with Monday since I blogged about Sunday in an earlier post.
Monday - started out a little on the chaotic side to say the least. I was trying to get ready to go to Farmington for the day with my friend Amy to get the last of the birthday purchases done (like that could happen in one trip but more on that later). Joel of course was in a hurry to get out to the park to help set up for day one of Bible Club. So - once we got everyone dressed, fed and out the door I just was taking a breath (okay Lord I can do this!). Got the kids and Joel to Bible Club after picking up another girl along the way and it was off to Farmington!
Normally I LOVE shopping of any sort and ESPECIALLY shopping without my kids....but I kept telling the Lord "This is NOT the day for this. I have all this other stuff I should be doing" Yet I knew that was where I needed to go and so we went!!!
Monday night at youth group Joel's lesson was on how God created us JUST the way He wanted. The Bible tells us He formed us BEFORE the formation of the Earth!!! Holy Moley (as Tyler says) God thought of ME before He created the Earth.
So I know you are thinking - how does this tie into your trip to Farmington? Here's how - I am a person that deals with events in the order they come. So yes Tyler's birthday is coming but in MY mind that is way down the list as far as what comes - I have Bible Club, work, ladies night out, Baby Shower, feeding building team, Basketball camp THEN Tyler's party. Don't lose this mindset because it comes up later in the week! ;)
Now to my blessed friend Amy whom I LOVE dearly!!!! Amy is like the mega mom when it comes to party planning!!! Not in a bad way at all - she literally ROCKS!!! She has been on me like for weeks about this party (it's for her son Aiden and Tyler). She is like "It's two weeks away we gotta get going". So you put her mindset and mine and they are TOTALLY different. Here is what the Lord showed me on Monday - "Ronnie, I created you just the way you are BUT I created Amy just the way she is too! You need to understand that you are BOTH my beautiful daughters and I made you the way you are for a purpose. It's all okay." Lesson learned - we are all created uniquely in God's image to work together as a body. One person strength can help compensate for another's weakness!
Tuesday - once again the day started with getting everyone up and out the door to Bible Club. Side note - it is AMAZING how fast we get out of the habit of something! We did this all school year and not a big deal but those darn lazy summer days have already taken over!!! Anyway - got that accomplished and stayed at Bible Club for awhile but then went to my discipleship time with my friend Olivia. Olivia is an absolute JOY and inspiration! So our lesson was on temptation and how to resist temptation. The thing that I learned from this lesson is we have to CHOOSE to resist temptation - not just wish it away. The area I struggle with is losing my patience with my kids - sometimes because of them, sometimes because of me and MOST times because I am tired. So when I lose my patience I tend to yell at them. So instead of wishing I wouldn't yell at my kids - I have to CHOOSE not to yell at them. Just like I have determined that divorce is not an option in my marriage, so I need to determine that yelling at my kids is not an option!
Wednesday - my usual day at my Dad's office (about 25 miles away) so this time it was getting everyone up and ready to go but Hannah and I going a different direction (Hannah works for my mom some). The day at the office was busy in that I was trying to catch up from not being there last week and get ahead because I can't go out next week and trying to do the regular work too. Needless to say by 4:30 when I left my brain was DONE!!! I was so tired and still had another discipleship time and church yet to go! So on the way home - Amy calls about some more details for the birthday party. Now keep in mind my "lesson" from Monday and Tuesday of how I act when tired. I was not the most pleasant on the phone. I am so like Israel in the Bible - God teaches me something and I get it for awhile then it is back to the old habits!!! Anyway - got home in time literally to drop Hannah off and talk to Joel about MY pity party (oh hubbies are GREAT to listen to us) then it was off to discipleship.
This time the lesson was on a variety of things but scripture memory was the biggest one. It talked about how scripture memory helps us know what to do in our daily life. So - of course the scripture they use as an example is Phil 4:8. "Finally brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are right, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things."
My thoughts had NOT been any of these things - they had been about
ME and how tired
I was and how
I didn't get a break and how no one knew all
I had to get done.... God hit me HARD over the head. I hadn't been lovely or pure to Amy or my husband, or my kids.
If that wasn't enough - I went to church following discipleship. We are going through Galatians on Wednesday nights and it is GREAT. This week it was focusing on how Christ has come to set us FREE from the law. FREE from the old way. What a refreshment!!! However - during church the Lord changed my heart in regards to Tyler's party as well. He showed me that this party wasn't just another thing
I had "to do" in fact the party wasn't
ABOUT me at all - it was about celebrating TYLER and HIS life. My attitude had been "here's one more thing
I have to deal with" So my heart changed from seeing it as another thing on the list to this is something I can do for Tyler and that as my son this needed to be a PRIORITY and not something way down the list!
Thursday - today was another day in learning lessons from the Lord!!! With nothing else on my agenda I was able to spend the whole morning at the Bible Club in the park and I am SO glad I did!!! The kids there are so HUNGRY!! They were asking so many questions and wanting so much information. We just were talking to them SO much and I just KNEW God was up to something during the time when Joel was sharing the salvation message. Yet Satan had a plan too!
Joel had just started to get into his salvation portion and I kid you not....the kid that lived next door had gone home and brought his "pet" Boa Venom!!! Yes a REAL snake! I, of course, being the mature leader that I am - RAN and hid behind Joel who at that point hadn't seen the snake!!! Tyler is running over to it, all the kids are pointing and so excited.....After a few moments of mahem we politely ask him to take the snake home until AFTER the story and continue on. Joel did GREAT at pulling the kids back in but you know I seriously believe Satan was thinking "I used a serpent once before I bet it will work again" However - after a wonderful illustration of what how the Lord makes us clean - several of the kids came and talked and prayed with Joel and I. None of them made an immediate decision but the seeds are planted and we are excited about the follow up with them.
The lesson I learned today was that God can accomplish His will and His purpose in spite of us and in spite of the distractions Satan tosses our way. I totally should have stayed and been the first leader to approach the boy with the snake and yet the Lord taught me through it.
Tonight was Ladies Night Out Banana Split party and even though I was tired I made it (okay so I was in charge of it so I sort of needed to). However - the Lord used tonight as a time for me to just relax and visit with my sisters in Christ. We laughed and talked and told the snake story many times and it was refreshing and restful!
So - even though it is only Thursday this is the recap of week one of our crazy summer. Tomorrow is primarily staying home and catching up on laundry and housework. We will go to a youth concert tomorrow night but that is all.
Thank you for letting me share how the Lord is working in my life. I know it was long but I think it is important to share what we are learning with each other so that they can encourage us and spur us on.
Side note #2 - Amy if you read this, THANK you for teaching me this week! The lessons I had to learn were for me and I am sorry you had to be the messenger for my lessons!!! I love you....
Venom the snake and Trevor his owner.
