Hope ya'll don't mind, but a friends blog I follow: http://stonesoup12.blogspot.com
wrote this post, so I thought I'd re-post it. :)

Last Saturday, we heard that church would be cancelled Sunday due to a winter blizzard that was expected to bring 6-12 inches of snow with high winds.  So, although it was still sunny and warm that day, I headed out for any groceries we may need if we were to be home a while. And we all thought ahead to the next day.  A 5-way baby shower would be postponed, so no wrapping gifts just yet.  Joey's friend's baptism up in Denver may have to wait. Sam's friend Ethan would not be coming over.  We would do church at home.  Danny could skype his debate coach. What would we like to read, as we snuggled inside?

after the storm

We knew the storm was coming. We didn't know how bad it would be, but we prepared just in case.  And since it didn't come unexpectedly, it really wasn't that bad.

Sometimes there are storms in our own lives that we know are coming.  We may not know how big they'll be, or what damage they'll do, if any, but we can at least prepare ourselves in prayer and wisdom.  

And yet sometimes, the storms of life swoop down and knock us on our feet. They leave us in a humbled state, wondering 'why?'.

Sometimes the damage is minimal, and we learn from it and walk on a little smarter.  Sometimes it takes months, or years, to recover.  

No matter what kind of storm comes my way, I seem to feel the need to get back to normal as soon as possible.  I think that's pretty normal.  I find myself thinking, 'when things settle down, (fill in the blank)'.  What if things don't settle down for a long time? What if they transition into new storms with new challenges?  What if life as I know it never comes back to this place?  Will I have the strength to endure, the wisdom to trust, the patience to wait.  

So many times I ask our Good Lord to give me strength, or to let my children be people of character or give my husband wisdom.  I am thinking we'll wake up next day and be filled with all these goodies from God.  But what happens instead?  We wake up to a storm, or a challenge at the least.  And we fuss and fret and try to get to anywhere but in this situation. I don't want to hear these winds blow, or be surrounded by dark clouds, not knowing when the storm will stop and I can go on with life. My mind gets too full and I try to make sense of it all.  And just when it seems it has gotten too hard to endure, my Sweet Lord comforts me with His words.

Isaiah 40:31: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

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Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding;

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in all your ways submit to him,    and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 46:10: Be still and know that I am God.

I am learning to be still.  To look at Him, not the wind and the waves.  To see that He is in the storms of our lives, He may have even brought them to us, and He will calm them.  To anticipate His Fatherly comforts and wisdom and kindness.  And to anticipate what work He is doing in us as we learn to trust through the things that come our way.

And how's that for a little light thinking tonight?

Psalm 107:29:  He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

Family time/learning experience

Last Saturday my dad took all of us kids, and we drove in the mountains to go snow shoeing. This was our first time snow-shoeing, so we were all a little excited! While we were driving the 2 ½ up to Frisco (where there WAS snow! J ) I got to spend that time with my family. I don’t know what it was, but it seemed like our family was closer this time, then ever before! We laughed, we joked, and we talked. Everything we did was…precious! Looking back, that was one of the best days I've had in a long time! Once we got our snow shoes on, and started to hike, there was a certain part of the hike, that I told my dad, “I can’t go on! My heels are hurting, and I can’t breathe.” My dad turned around, looked at me and said, “You can do it! I’ll go slowly with you!” So, after my dad said we can turn around if I wanted to, I decided to go ahead and hike all the way to the top. Yes, I did make it, and the view was absolutely gorgeous! While coming down the mountain, I started to think about how my life was. If you think about it, snow shoeing up the mountain was like climbing with God in my walk with Him.  When I don’t think I can go on anymore, He’s there to help me, to guide me, and love me all the while.

In our walk with Christ, it’s not just about giving our all in all, it’s about putting Christ above all! As I was jogging back down the mountain that day, I couldn't help but thank God! I thanked God for giving me the strength to make it up that mountain! I thanked him for my family and the time I got to spend with them. 

I started to think of all the trials I had been through, and realized that through it all, Christ never left me! When I wanted to rest, He said, “Let’s keep moving. We’ll go slow and steady, but I’m not leaving you!” It was during this time, that I was thankful my dad stayed behind with me and my sister. He didn't want to leave us. I know I've quoted this verse many times before, but in closing, I thought it’d be perfect! 

 ^“The Lord will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

~Deuteronomy 31:5-6~

A Snowy Day

This last weekend we got pounded with snow.
It brought me to the point of realizing that I can't always count on good things to happen all the time. I don't like the snow...it's too cold, and too windy.
This last week, a bunch of things that we were planning, were canceled because of the snow.
One of those mornings, my sister wanted to go sledding. So, I took my sister, my little 3 1/2 year old brother, and my 13 year old brother, and we went down to the park nearby and sledded.
My brother, Austin, forgot to mention to me that there was a bump in the middle of the sledding hill. So, down Austin and I went on the Toboggan, and THUMP, ouch! Yep, My body was aching, but hey, it was fun! My little brother, Elijah, was having a wonderful time going down on the sled "by himself", and my sister, Joy, was having a wonderful time with her siblings.

Today, we got about 2" inches of snow. Yep, you guessed it, another snow day! I'm still sore from the first snow day.

I thought about the question, "What if..." what if today was my last day on the earth? Would I be happy about the moments that I treasured with my siblings? Or would I wish that I would have spent more time with them?

There are so many of my friends at church who have a wonderful relationship with their siblings, and I knew that that's what I wanted to have. So, even though it may take some effort, MAKE TIME! Make time for them! Even if it means putting off a project that you really wanted to do, it will mean more than you know to them. Even if it's just reading a book to them, or having a tea party, or playing a game. Make time for your siblings, after all, who knows, maybe today is our last day with them. Treasure it, while you can!