If I Say To This Mountain (it's dishes I'm talking about)

     After years of doing dishes, today they are a mountain I just do not want to climb! And they are in fact, a mountain I did not want to climb yesterday either evidently so it looms larger today. And they are a mountain that will not go away by my speaking to it. Now I might speak to myself. Or if my kids were home I might speak to them and see some results but this is a mountain to "climb" and conquer. And just how is it this task can be so threatening really? I am just simply tired of it!
     Alright. It is small compared to other challenges we face in life. I am remembering being up every 20 minutes between two kids throwing up an all that goes with the flu until 3 in the morning the other night. (my son told me he finally just stopped getting me and laid down on the bathroom floor for a while) Well that was a challenging mountain of a weekend. The following mountain range was washing all bedding, disinfecting  bathrooms, bedrooms, door handles and dishes while getting their stomachs back to recieving food. And some have on going health issues that are mountains we speak to in prayer but must also put hands and feet to. My believing must be an active thing. A faith with works thing. Some things God just wants our physical involvement in. It is part of being a mature human made in His image.
     And I fully recognize God spoke and things happened. Amazing, awesome, ongoing things. But when it came to animals and birds he formed them from the ground. Adam and Eve, man and woman, He formed and fashioned dust and a rib (pulled from the inside of a body no less! I used to picture that as a clean white bone so sanitary but really now ...) He was hands on active in that part of creation. So being in His image? Well yeah. I will speak to some things as He did but I will also be hands on and usually in the dirty things of day to day life partnering with him in the things that develop little growing humans into fully functioning adults
...For if you had faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed you could say to this mountain,
'Move!' and it would go far away. Nothing would be impossible. 
Matthew 17:20.  

Just a partial picture, but it is time to go do some mountain climbing!

 At some point anyway. My grandbaby just woke up.

Nine Months (new beginnings all around)

    Baby days! In more ways than one. I was a baby Christian, new wife and after one short month of getting married, expecting our first baby. For the first time in my life I was attending Bible College. It was out of state, away from my family, with my new husband so an adventure!
     Maybe I should mention I had known Marty about 9 months by the time we were married. Hmmm...9 months...an important cycle in my life as I went on to have 10 pregnancies resulting in 8 babies being born and 2 miscarriages in 18 years.
     After recovering from my initial shock of instant pregnancy (alright keep your comments to yourself!) I was delighted because really I had always wanted to be a mom. Now I sound like Courdory Bear "I always wanted to..." Shouldn't I remember what he wanted? I read the story many times to many children! But time has passed and busyness pushes some things far from the forefront of my mind.
     But one thing I know sweet reader. You are desiring closeness to God your new beginning giver and the every day work of mothering no matter how committed we are to it can make that closeness feel near impossible to attain. Will you let me share my life preserver with you?
It expands much like a pregnant tummy and holds more than one. It is
Isaiah 40:11 (nkjv)
He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom and gently lead those who are with young.
Let Him lead you gently. There are so many things to push you and pull at you especially in this busy Christmas season but frankly we don't need holidays to feel that way. We are Mom's and it comes with the territory! Don't feel its God pushing and pulling you to do more than He knows you can do while you have young ones. Remember it is by the grace of the gift of His Son Jesus that we are saved. And it is worth reflection that Jesus needed a mom and a dad and family and time to grow. You can reflect on that one while you are changing diapers or washing the dishes! ;)