I Am Marked

It is check-in time for One Word pursuits and I couldn't think where I have Bloomed lately.  As we work to respond to being Called out of Phoenix and back down the road I find myself trying to find 'center'.  The whole 'ducks in a row' thing comes to mind and some days the 'enemy' throws those darts of discouragement.  Last week, as you all know, was particularly hard.  But.

Yes, but... then I realize, maybe it is this whole bloomy process God has me walking, the habits He is transforming in me, the reactions He is trimming... they ARE making a difference and I see it in times like last week when I dropped into a depressive cycle; it was different.  In the darkness of my hopelessness.... I still had hope.  In the aching of my loneliness, I was comforted under the hem of His Great robe.  And through it all, my husband, he was marked by a different attitude too.  The ripple affect of a bloomy attitude?  Perhaps.  His grace and love were greater than ever before and my recovery from those dark corners came without the deep heartache it always had before.

SOMETHING has changed.  And if I can sit here, the 27th of March, and notice the subtle differences after only 3 months of my one-word, Blooming... I rejoice to think what 9 more months will reveal!

So I go back to my plumb line and I mark...

√ Motherhood is magnificent, don't miss a moment if you can help it.... and I sit and and I deep-heart listen.  I look in their eyes, I laugh with their fun, I cry with their hurts, and I am firm when I need to be because I love them... and I celebrate a day marked by the blooming effects of this mission in the heart.

√ I turn to my husband, I smile when I want to frown.  I laugh when I want to cry.  I am quiet when I want to speak words that could turn things upside down.  I am far from perfect at this, but his growing-gentler-heart tells me my efforts in blooming are already producing lovely blossoms.

√ I look to the Lord, I crawl under the hem of His robe when I am scared, I reach out and feel his heartbeat when I need to know LIFE and I touch the holes in His hands when I need to realize the purpose of Death. I am victorious only because He was victorious first... the darkness isn't as dark.... the light is so much brighter... the King is so much closer and I will not stop my pursuit because I know he can just never be 'close enough'!

√ Expression, appropriately but deeply is blooming too.  The words I have opened my heart to allow God to pour through me... in my journal, on this blog and to others, have never been so rich.  I see Him SPEAK to me through those moments and then I am so blessed to see Him speak to others and I find that me-and-thee-and-WE are suddenly ONE.  One sisterhood walking the path of hope with Jesus by our side, so many bloomy thoughts in one beautiful moment and I.want.MORE!!!

And on-and-on-and-on. I am not there yet... and even when a year has poured into those final seconds breaching over into a new one, I suspect blooming will become a life-long process, only, every petal will then (my hope is) be in place!

In the final moments of my messy week last week, I was invited to a Beth Moore conference.  I got to see her animated figure walking around on the stage in the middle of the arena at Grand Canyon University here in Phoenix.  I don't follow alot of Beth Moore studies or events, but I believe this invite was a divine appointment.  She said something that marked me.  Based on this:

From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.

- Galatians 6:17

We are all marked by either wounds or scars.  Some more than others.  We all have them.  But when we trust Jesus with 'wound care' he goes in and writes his name inside each one so that we are no longer scarred.... we are marked.  

I have been so marked on this journey since we left Montana in August.  And now, this Blooming process began in January has taken those marks even further and every day I step onto this transforming path God has called me to walk in order to do more than just grow has been marked by Him as well.  It is hard to list out moments of bloominess because the name of Jesus is spreading and seeping into EVERY every part of who God is blooming me to become.  And my hope has not failed as a result.

This song is stuck in my head today... part of the blooming... it strengthens me to think of the GOD of ANGEL ARMIES is always by my side!!! 

I pray you have ONE WORD God is growing and blooming you through this year.  Even if you don't write about it on a blog, you can still search Him to live it day-by-day to see more of Him in more of you.

Be blessed!

 

Also linking up with some of these

The King Has Entered!

400 years before Jesus was even born, Zechariah prophesied about His triumphal entry into Jerusalem:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

Zechariah 9:9

Accuracy
Amazement
Awe
Majesty

Are just some of the words I ponder as I look to my King... oh to be one of the many waving branches and laying down cloaks... but one day I look forward to be one of the multitude casting down crowns at His feet!

Be blessed this week.
 

also linking with:

Sandra Heska King, My Freshly Brewed Life, Glimpse of Our Life, He Cares For You

 and others, possibly, here

Theme Parks and Living Proof

We see these often here... I have never seen so many hot air balloons so regularly as I have seen here in Phoenix.  Sometimes the sky is just filled with them in areas!  These were taken this week... other things this week....

• In my life this week…

My walk-about discussed last week turned into a 3 day recovery from severe heat exhaustion!  I am learning that, in desert climates, you are supposed to hydrate BEFORE you go out (during and after as well!)  I woke up Sunday morning so dizzy I couldn't even walk a line if it could save my life.  Blessed by a nurse friend here, she identified the problem and brought me some Pedialite... STAT!

For those who follow my blog  you know I have also been struggling with spiritual warfare this week which has manifested by digging up an episode of my clinical depression.  The grace of God has covered over me and HE drew me through writing it out in my journal and then here on the blog and I felt so blessed to turn the pain (ashes) into something beautiful and useful.

We managed to homeschool through it all, which was a blessed distraction from drawing in.  Instead, it drew me out.  And by the end of the week I found myself sitting in 2 blessed and unexpected places...

A theme park (more on that in a minute) and the second half of Beth Moore's Living Proof event which launched here in Phoenix this weekend

Her message on scars and being marked by God hit home after the rough majority of my week. 

• In our homeschool this week…

Another almost-normal week!  We began our Social Studies unit on Africa and I assigned Brenden "Star of Light" by Patricia St. John and he is LOVING it.  He rushed through another book he was reading so that ALL his reading time might be filled with this one!  By the way, this is my dyslexic child I am referring to!  He is just drinking it up.  He told me today he loves books like this because it has adventure.... but I think it is also because it is about missions; he has read other adventure books and they just don't have the impact this one does.  He is my little missionary preacher!!  Ashley is really absorbed in Inkheart, she can't get enough of it!  She is already talking about a reading list she wants to explore as a result of this book.

 All the kids BEGGED me to do science by way of watching these Awesome Science videos from Compel Media this week.  I received them for review (coming soon) and we all fell in love with the info.   The big treat was lining up their Lego Hero guys to watch too (I was informed the Heroes wanted to learn about Creation Science as well!) Keep an eye out for that review if you are interested!

• Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Sometimes you have to not take yourself (or life of this world) so seriously.  Sometimes, you have to just sit down and be with your children... offer to them what lightens the fire of joy and exploration instead of simply what offers pages done and to-dos checked-off.

• Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Anything is possible this week.  We wait to hear back on a possible job in our tent-making adventure while we pray for God to raise someone up to repair the carburetor on the RV.  We realize, not-to-lightly, the time to go could be here in a BLINK!  I do hope to knit with my new friends this weekend!!

Pictures from last week's adventure though:

• My favorite thing this week was…

God's Word in the dark places, resting under the hem of His robe... and Pinterest.  Ok, I know that doesn't fit in but it is truth!  I am having way too much fun with Pinterest and Brooke even got me to try this hairdo we found on there:

We found a donated hair crimper too (not on Pinterest but here at the clothing closet for free) so her hair was neatly styled AND crimped for church on Sunday!  Oh, and I saw this great Easter craft project which ALL the kids did readily:

• My kiddos favorite thing this week was…

Definitely Castles and Coasters which a new friend took us to.  He was so kind to bless our family with rides and video games and even dinner!  The kids had NEVER been on a "real" roller coaster before.  Brooke isn't a fan of how she got sick towards the end though!

• Things I’m working on…

Newsletter template for the association, book reviews and notes on materials I need to get back on the shelf here before we leave!  Praying each step of the way too.  We are working on a 'mini' garden as well.  Sugar Snaps, Marigolds, and Bachelors Buttons!  It is such a blessing to see dirt and sprouts and anticipate!

• I’m cooking…

Lots of chicken!  Most other meat is expensive here.  Can't even get a good price on eggs for Easter which is strange (almost $2 a dozen!).  The slow cooker is being used a lot more along with the camp stove as we work at pulling out of dependency on church facilities in preparation for the move... no one is complaining but I really miss my "Fix it and Forget it" cookbook now!

• I’m grateful for…

Psalms, a God that listens, children that make me smile and laugh, and a husband who listens when my heart is aching.

• I’m praying for…

Billings, MT ministry potentials, all the ducks to be Divinely placed in a perfect row (job, house, vehicle, stuff moved in, etc) and the carburetor repairs and trip to get there.

• I rewarded my kids this week by…

...buying gourmet lollipops, 2/$1! 

• Something I am ogling or have my eye on…

Still a HOME!  But most importantly, a steadfast peace as we move ahead. 

• A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

Blessings,

 

Linking up today with: 

 Homegrown Learners, iHomeschoolNetwork, and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

as well as others possibly from here