Perfect Work

I feel like I am always asking for patience, I either am asking for more or asking that I don't lose what patience I have. But is that just me? I mean I get told all the time "don't ask for patience because what patience you have will be tested!"
I think this is what the Lord keeps speaking into my heart the past few weeks.
"Patience, Steph. There's grace for everything. Patience Steph, I know the details. Patience, Steph, in Me everything is redeemable."
I am probably the least patient person, no really I am. If things happen at a slower pace than my mind is running at I freak out just a bit. Like I start to pace and lava comes out of my head.
Recently my two year old son has reached the age of mass destruction and hysteria. He not only is the Godzilla, he is the poor village people running around screaming about him too.
For instance, in the course of one day he "sprinkled" which is a nice term for "covered every area" of the living room and dining room with baby cereal. Which is the same consistency as dandruff, anybody else notice that or is that just me? Anway after dumping baby dandruff cereal everywhere he then dumped out the ENTIRE bottle of baby shampoo into the bath tub. Then after doing these things, screamed and freaked out that he had done them. My son expresses guilt with high pitched screams. Real repentance going on there.
And in the midst of cleaning up, disciplining, cleaning again, calming down, disciplining, trying not to lose my cool, James 1:4 whispers into my mind. "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
Let patience have it's work. Which means the Spirit has supplied all the patience I need, I just have to allow it to work in me. I have to let it. I have to let go of the idea that I could produce patience in myself. That it is a natural part of who I am. It is not, to my flesh patience is foreign, but as a believer, pateince is accesible and ready to go.
We all need patience, in the time of waiting the Lord does wondrous things. I am learning that as I raise my children, as we prepare to move to Vermont, as we wait for clear direction and answers on what that all will look like, I know in the waiting the Lord is doing a mighty work.
I will be gone a few days helping our dear friends move to Vermont! My first time seeing the town the Lord has put on my heart. I will finally get to lay eyes on a spiritual battlefield and put faces to the people in Brattleboro that I have prayed for for 18 months. Please pray for safe travels, for sweet fellowship, and for patience. Time and patience, patience and time, hand in hand they are background tools woven by God into all of our testimonies. Let it have its work in you today.

well hello there

Well hello there babe.

It's Valentine's Day and you know what that means?

It means I look back at all the embarrassing pictures of us when we were16.

 It means I reflect and think back about our relationship together, and it's full of laughs and tears, but more laughs than tears and I'm grateful for that.

Can you believe that just a few months after this pic we were parents?

And now we have three and our oldest is about to be seven?

Question, why do you look so upset in this pic?

Is it because you were looking directly into the sun?

Thanks for always being my shade by the way.

Can you believe you used to put "Sun In" in your hair?

Can you believe I wore those bug eye glasses?

I know we dont really celebrate Valentines because our anniversary is only a week away, 

but I couldn't help it. And there may or may not be candy.
Who am I kidding there's always candy!
 

wonderfully made

 My friend took progressive pictures of my last pregnancy, and I am so grateful for them.

They bring me to my knees in gratefulness and praise to God for my sweet babes.

 They are a sweet celebration of life.

 

 Today I am praying for the unborn, for abortion to be ended.

I am praying for barren wombs to be filled and open arms to remain steadfast.

For orphans and longing parents to find each other.

That this fallen world would turn back to its Creator and see the gift of life as a blessing, not a choice.

Would you boldly pray with me?

 

 

Refined

We as Christians can be sure of so many things.

We can freely trust in God because He has done it ALL before us.

We can fall safely back into His arms knowing His security is solid.

We can also know, that when we ask of Him in faith, He answers.

When we ask the Lord to begin preparing us, 

to began weeding out the wicked and replacing with righteousness, He answers. 

And for us He answered. Swiftly.

I have mentioned before we are moving to Vermont. 

The least churched state in America.

A battlefield for believers.

 Confirmed in our calling, we began to pray the Lord would start growing us.

And there is no growing without some growing pains. 

Pruning isnt done with a dull pair of kiddy scissors, it is done with sharp shears.

Pruning is not randomly snipping and hacking here and there like hedge trimming.

Pruning is done decisively, efficiently, it is done to allow the plant to produce more and better fruit.

Each pruning decision is made for the better of the plant as a whole.

Not only are we pruned as fruitful trees, we are also being refined as gold.

We are being cast, purposefully, into a fire, 

in order that on the other side of that burn is a beautiful, flawless, precious resource.

We can trust that in the midst of the heat, in the flames that burn the hottest.

Jesus stands there.

As with the three believers in the king's hottest furnace, God is there.

Our God is the ultimate gardener and metal worker. 

He prunes and refines, and during the heat and the cutting He stands there with us.

Whether in the Southern belt, or the dark winters of Vermont,

Christ stands there.

(image found here https://www.google.com/search?q=vermont&newwindow=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8XHiUs2RGqnMsQT3j4DIDw&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=6NNMv9JdKr9djM%253A%3BTv_xBZKblIm46M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.michaelyamashita.com%252Fblog%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252FVermont_Fall.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.michaelyamashita.com%252Fblog%252F%253Fp%253D60%3B1140%3B738)

a simple style post

There is something rewarding about being able to walk out the door of my house dressed in a comfortable, simple and affordable outfit.

Even if I have to run to the store, I know yoga pants and a t shirt are not my only options.

Don't get me wrong, yoga pants and t shirts are my favorite outfit, of ALL time.

Yoga pants are the most forgiving of pants (my butt shouts a hooray!)and tshirts are comfy and who doesnt love comfy?

But it's nice to switch things up a bit.

So for me I like to grab my faithful skinnys and riding boots, pick out a graphic tee (there's horsies on mine, like the grown up version of My Little Pony) and a blazer.

Let's all thank the fashion world for blazers.  

I can wear that guy with anything, except my yoga pants but those dont count right now.

I will admit, it has been a battle adjusting to this new body of mine.

I am thankful for it, it's carried three sweet babes into the world.

But it is new to me. It is like we are strangers still trying to get acquainted.

 I wake up and attempt to put on pants I wore when I was 18,

and it yells at me saying "no way girlfriend, took you ten minutes just to get into these guys!"

So my goodwill pile grows daily.

But you know what? It's ok.

Just means my pile of comfy clothes that I can feel confident in grows too. 

Pardon my absence

Please pardon my absence.

I was planning on doing a few posts, but a few things came up.

By a few things I mean everything I have eaten since I was 10.

Just kidding, but seriously.

Hubs and I were stricken with the vicious stomach virus that has been traveling around the east coast.

And crazy enough, it hit him at work at the firehouse (oh yes my hubs is a fireman, its sexy I know) at 6 pm, and me at home(miles away) at 3:30 am.

Pretty much all day yesterday we were bed ridden (or toilet ridden).

Seriously, I only wish I was over exaggerating.

If you are one of the unfortuante ones to get this, I am praying for you now.

Stock up on gatorade, crackers, ginger ale, hammers.

The hammers are to knock yourselves out with so you wont feel the nausea anymore.

I may or may not have contemplated asking my husband to knock me out with a hammer yesterday.

Too bad that is not a good idea, or legal.

Be back soon with some more interesting posts!

Wanted! Insecurity-For robbing my joy, and other foolery

Let's give insecurities, doubt and second-guessing ourselves a swift kick in the rear.

Let's claim this year as ours.

To embrace our roles.

Mother, wife, disciple, friend.   

To praise the talents of others,

as unique gifts given by a loving Father.

Let the roots of jealousy and bitterness be ripped out.

Let their thorns untangle.

Insecurity, there is a bounty on your head.

And I am cashing it in.

Insecurity, you are found guilty of robbing my joy.

Thievery of contentment.

And you are hereby banned outside my heart.

(image found here http://simply-boho.tumblr.com/post/50350166347/need-more-color-in-your-life-click-here)