Month

Friday night Shawn and I made our way to his parents.  The chill in the air was delightful.  Future of Forestry sang Do You Hear What I Hear to us.  As the lyrics danced in my head I started to wonder…

• What fear did Mary and Joseph feel as her contractions started?

• Did Joseph beat himself up, feeling as though he couldn’t provide for his family as inn door after inn door was slammed with it’s proprietor saying no room?

• Did Mary’s maternal instincts fret over all the nesting she’d done as they slowly made their way to Bethlehem and the fear that she might go into labor resting on her young shoulders?

• Did the angels dance in expectant jubilation as Mary’s contractions became more frequent?  Did they “hold their breaths”?

• What were the shepherds thinking/discussing amongst themselves as they left their fields for a rickety stable?

• Did creation groan in joy as Jesus took His first breath and screamed as the chill of the night air rushed His formerly warm body?

• Did Satan curse?

I’m thankful for bright orange yarn of hundreds of knots, wrapped around my neck.  Cozy cups of coffee.  Lazy mornings.  The crispness of fall air and sheets with a pile of blankets.  For the official start of the holiday season.  For joyous Christmas music.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving.

May it be filled with turkey and mounds creamy, lumpy potatoes with a deep pool gravy. With pies landscaped with fluffy, white hills of whipped cream.

With hugs and kisses.  With prayers and if tears must be had, may they be tears of joy and laughter.

I hope that you remember all the blessings that have happened over the last 365 days, and the memory of them be warm, cozy hugs that drown out the hardships.

You my friends are all loved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m thankful today for time away.  For trips with Shawn.  Time off from reality.

For time to just be.

What are you thankful for today?

Thank you Lord for Shawn.  For bringing us together as husband and wife.

For his love for me.  For the heart for you and those far from you, that you have instilled in him.

What are you thankful for today?

Oh Monday!  A spur in our heel.

I am thankful today that I have a job.  Not only do I have a job but a job that I LOVE.

Thank you Lord for this job.  For providing for my family.

What are you thankful for today?

I really am living the American Dream.  I have a great job.  “Own” my house.  Happily married with two dogs.

I can with in reasonable limits pretty much buy myself anything, my family anything they want for Christmas.  I’ve been blessed beyond my ability to understand.

In that, in realizing and not taking for granted all that God has blessed me with, He’s opened my eyes to those who don’t have.

So this year for Christmas I want to give, with a heart that wants and expects nothing in return.

Will you join me?

On December 15th, 10 days before Christmas, I am going to blog for water.  And I’m looking for as many people as will join me.  People who will take one day from their traditional blogging to raise money for clean water.

Do you realize 90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week are from drinking dirty water.  And not just dirty…disease ridden.

So here’s the deal.  If you are interested in blogging with me email me at prudy at prudychick.com.

You can also help spread this request by tweeting: I’m going to blog for water w/@PrudyChick on Dec. 15. Will you join us? (Benefiting @CharityWater) http://bit.ly/d9MAvI.

Let’s see what we can do.

Are you in?

My name is Gomer and I’ve been selling myself for less than I am worth to things that are worth even less.

Over the last few days I’ve been listening to the Genesis Series from The Austin Stone.  It’s been a great series.  One particular message (The Toll of Sin vs. The Peace of Jesus) brought instant tears to these green eyes.  Halfway through the message Jeff Mangum, the teacher, brings into the story Hosea and Gomer.  In a brief few minutes he tells their story and convicted my heart.

.

.

I’m prostituting myself to things that care nothing about me.

One of the more impactful points Jeff made was in paraphrasing God speaking to Hosea.  He told Hosea to go get Gomer.  You woo her.  You pursue her.  If someone is bidding for her you out bid them for her.  You show her, her worth is found in your love for her.

I sat at my desk hearing these words and my eyes filling with tears.  I sat there and realized I’m Gomer.  I’m chasing after cheap things rather than the one who loves me.

My pursuer has pursued me till death (and raised Himself from death).  He’s out bid every single thing that vies for my attention, for my heart, my mind, my passion.  However, I’ve continuously chosen the lower bid.  I’ve chased after the things that tickle my fickle heart and leave me wanting more over the God who has given me all I need:  Himself.

I’ve been less than intentional.  In all honesty I haven’t been.  I’ve chosen to be lazy and just get by.

This week has been hard.  The past couple have been in all actuality.  Exhaustion, hormones and a possible imbalance of chemicals in my brain have left me ragged and the fingers of depression tickling.  I shared this with a friend yesterday.  The imbalance I was feeling.  I know she prayed, but I can’t help but wonder.  I’m not saying that if I’d been in the Bible more consistently it would have staved off the tickles of depression, but it surely wouldn’t have hurt.

My plan for the next while is to inundate myself in the book of Hosea.  To remind myself of of my sin, my prostitutional ways, and the redeeming love of my God.

Shawn and I dated 4 years, 3 months, 23 days.  We’ve  been married for 9 years, 5 months, 15 days.

I’m still learning how to love him.

It’s not something I think I’ll ever have figured out.  In fact I hope I never do.

My Love Language is Affirmation.  Words of love and appreciation do far more than cleaning the house. 😉

Shawn’s Love Language is Time.  I don’t even need to read the book to know that.

So I’m learning.  Learning to not be selfish with my personal time and wants.  Learning to put down my phone and it’s Twitter capabilities.  Learning to close my laptop with it’s Twitter, blog reading, blog writing, Hulu watching capabilities.

Because love is afterall…putting aside your wants for the desires for those of someone else.

There is a lot going on in our lives.  There has been.  Situations that require me to be a wife and a listener of him before I’m a tweeter, blogger, show watcher.   Because he is more important than all of you and I’m not going to apologize for that.

Pray that God teaches me how to be a better wife to Shawn.  That I’m less selfish.

What are ways you’re still learning to love your spouse if your married, if not do you pray for your future spouse and how you can be the wife/husband God desires you to be?

I found out today (Saturday) that a friend of mine “won a car”.  I could not be more ecstatic for her.  My joy over her “winning” far exceeds my sorrow of not winning.

You just can’t steal this joy!  Congratulations my beautiful and dear friend.

(*names have been omitted and circumstances redefined to protect the innocent)

Are you rejoicing over the “winning” in someone else’s life?

Sometimes all we can do is walk.  To put one weary step in front of the other.  Trusting God all the while we experience pain, suffering, loneliness, abandonment, etc.

We persevere.

My dear friend Elora is hosting a month guest bloggers sharing their stories of playing in the pain.  A series born out of this post.  Today I’m sharing my story.

You can read it by clicking here.

I apologize for not being here much this week.  It’s month end at work, I’ve been battling tiredness, visiting with family that is in town, and in truth my heart just hasn’t been in the mood lately.

It’s quiet.  Longing. Withdrawn.

I am going to do my best to post next week.  In fact on Monday I am guest posting at a friend’s site.  Talking a little more about community.

Thank you for coming here and reading.  Thank you for interacting and supporting.

I am selfish, impatient, pride filled, occasionally manipulative, often angry, jealousy ridden.

More that that, I am forgiven, accepted, redeemed, slowly being sanctified, worthy, found beautiful, precious in His sight, worth the price of the land, made new and clean.

As I see more of my sin, I realize more, that I am evidence of His grace.