Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts

Friday, February 13, 2015

God's Got Reasons.....

We do not always understand why God does what he does or puts us in the places He does but He has reasons...

In Genesis 13 and 14 we find the story of Abram (Abraham) and Lot. This is were Lot and Abram divide up the land they are living in. Lot picks the more fertile land, but the thing is that Lot ends up in the middle of a war and taken captive by Sodom and Gomorrah, and his wife turns to salt.

At first it would appear that Abram got the short end of the stick in the land divide, but God was protecting him, not only that but God provided for him and even blessed him in the land he was in.



Jo Lee

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Empathy = Love and Truth and Grace

I have been reading a biblical parenting devotional and the last two days the have talked about empathy. The first day was about empathy as a way to help manage anger towards our kids. Today was about empathy being both truth and love. I have never really thought about it that way but it make sense.

Empathy is combining both truth and love and showing those to our kids, yes but I think it is a principle we can use in all relationships. The question is how do we show both at the same time - by being connecting to the Father and doing what He would do.

I am learning that in a lot pr principles, if not every, God is not really black and white, He is grace and empathy. For us to be those things we have to be connected to Him and listening to His truth and love and grace.

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." James 1:19-20

"Instead, speak the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Ephesians 4:15

Jo Lee

Monday, July 1, 2013

32 Years has Taught Me...

32 Years has Taught Me...
-Life is short.
-My family is a blessing and amazing.
-I am blessed to have friendships that I do.
-God always has a better plan then me.
-I am loved and deeply desired by my Heavenly Father.
-I can do more then I think I can.
-God will always provide.
-I so took naps for granted when I was young.
-Quiet moments are beautiful.
-Peace comes from at times you do not always think it will.
-God truly has a plan and purpose for ME!
-Nothing, is lost when it comes to Gods plan.
Today, I am 32. I have learned something's:) Something's I am still learning.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Sometimes you hug a little tighter.

The last couple of weeks I have been holding my littles a little tighter and longer.
I have had a close friend loss a sister.
I have had a friend loss her baby at 30 weeks.
So, I am reminded that life is short.
So, I make a point to say I love.
So, I hug a little longer, hold a little tighter, and give thanks.

Monday, February 11, 2013

One Day at a Time... Or is it One Minute?

My saying lately has been one day at a time. I had a friend say and sometimes we take it one minute or second at a time. Which is very true and something that I am learning is biblical, God asks us to be in His presence and to be doing what He wants, and somedays in order to do that we have to not look to far in the future, even if that future is a minute away. We just have to live right in this moment and stay focused on Him.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Somer, VUR, Thoughts, and More

I have a lot on my mind right now. It is funny when I look at facebook and they ask what is on your mind I just stair not knowing what to put - because there is so much there.

This week I took Somer to Denver to see a Pediatric Urologist. She has what is called VUR (Urinary Reflux). She pees back up into her kidneys. They gave us 3 ways to treat it: medicine and time to see if she  grows out of it (there is a 30% chance she will do that), a none evasive same day 20 minute surgery (it has an 80% success rate), and an evasive over night 2 hour surgery (it has a 99% success rate). I decided to do the meds for a year and then she will be reevaluated and we will see where she is at. I am confident with my decision but it is still tiring and hard to go through. They also said that some of her fussiness (she is not really fussy she will just randomly cry in pain) is because they can feel the urine going back into their kidneys and it hurts - I would cry too.

I am thankful for friends like Kim and Ashley that went with us to Denver. Ashley had to see her specialists too; it was nice to have understand people to go with. I really missed Matt - he is my best friend and partner and Somers dad and it was hard to make major decisions without him. He agrees, but it was still hard to do. I also missed my big kids - they are fun to be around and I enjoy them all. I think they missed me too - when I got hoe last night they talked my ear off; both of them.

"I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord..." God knows what the future holds and He has a plan. I do not have to one. I can just take the steps I hear Him telling me to take I know that He has it under control. 

I am applying to go back to school online - okay I said it, it is out there, it is real. I am going to get a BS in Human Services Management - a social workers degree. Eventually what I want to do it adoption home studies. The degree has to come first; so I am starting there - it will be online. 

That is all. Enjoy your weekend.
Jo Lee

Friday, February 4, 2011

I do not want to...

I am going to be totally honest for a minute.

I do not want to..
.. i do not want to make appointments and arrangements to take Somer to a specialist in Denver. I know that there is something going to with her, but honestly I just want to pretend none of it is happening. I am not worried or freaking out - just do not want to live reality right now. Ever been there - where you just want to prentend that you live in happy land were everything is easy and you never have to stress about anything; where you can fall out of a tree and magically a handsome prince catches you? -- Oddly; I think that a handsome prince is always there to catch us and more; to hold our hands every step off the way. Okay, God; I will rest you in. "Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.... and he will make your paths straight"... okay; I trust.

Jo Lee

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wordless Wednesday - Not so Wordless

A Wordless Wednesday that is not so wordless. I was really hit with this this week...
In John chapter 4 Jesus goes to Galilee and an official with a sick son comes and finds him. The official asks Jesus to come heal his son, and this is Jesus's response. John 4:50 "Go...your son will live..." then in the same verse you see the officials response. "...The man took Jesus at his word and departed."

Okay "The man took Jesus at his word and departed." How often do I ask God to do something and do I really take Him and His word... not very often honestly... do I really believe that God is going to do what He said He is going to do and for that matter do I do what He is asking me to do? Do I have unbelief - yes! 

Lord forgive my unbelief. I want to just take you at your word and go. Lord give me the opportunity to take you at your word today and to depart with that word - in faith - that you will do it. 
Jo Lee

Monday, November 8, 2010

Todays thoughts, ... , and Baby Dedication

Today I have a lot of thoughts....
I have a lot of things I want to blog...
I have I lot to get done before Wednesday evening...
I am tired (the time change has missed with me this year)...
I am being challenged by God...
For now I will leave you with the ... and some pictures of Somer Joy's dedication on Sunday.



Jo Lee

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Wordless Wednesday - With Words

So today's Wordless Wednesday is not so wordless. It is crazy to think that 1 week ago today I had little miss Somer Joy... I have some blogging to catch up on from the weekend so get ready of a blog blitz coming soon. But for now I thought I would share some more pictures of little Somer.





Photobucket

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Thoughts; Lots of Them

I have a lot of thoughts, prayers, emotions, challenges, and you name it rolling around in my head that I am wanting to get out - so here goes (sorry if I lose any of you; but I think I am mostly writing this post for me anyways).

This week I came across Hebrews 11:5 "If they had been thinking of the country they left they would have had opportunity to return." The author is talking about some heros of the bible and how they were not thinking of the country they had left but of another country - the country of God's promise. They were thinking about heaven and God's kingdom. What hit me was that God says the reason they were able to stand on faith and hope is that they were not thinking about the country they left - they were not focused on the past. I was really hit with how much I focus on my past and what if things had been different. Will really it does not matter if they had been different they are in the past; lets leave them there and live for what God has today. I am not saying that we should not remember the past - I think there times it is good to remember the past, but I think we (I) can tend to live there some times. "Okay God I want to live with a kingdom mind set and not dwell in the past." That was my prayer this week.

Then on Friday I found out that a good friend had lost their baby in miscarriage. Having had a miscarriage a few years ago this really hit me hard. (Maybe it is just the hormones - I do not know but it hit me really hard). I was (and am) an emotional basket case over it. I know that what I am going through emotionally is nothing compared to my friend but I have been having a hard time figuring out why this was hitting me like that ( I have had other close friends that have lost babies and it was not hitting me like this), until today I figured out what was going on. Satan was trying to get me to live in the past of all the confusion and emotions of what I went through, and he was trying to get me to compare what I went through with and what help I got or did not get with what she is going through and what help she is getting or not getting. So today I say shut-up satan and get behind me. Those are all things in the past and I choose not to live there, I choose not to return to the country I came form. I choose to look for the land God has promised me, and I choose to walk along side my friend and not compare.

I also went to a seminary yesterday by Beth Moore about "So Long Insecurity." She talked about being a Secure women and what that women looked like. Which fits into this because a secure women would have a kingdom mind set. She used 6 statements that a secure women is. A secure women is:
1. Saved from herself.
2. Entitled to truth.
3. Clothed in intention.
4. Upended by grace.
5. Rebounded by love.
6. Exceptional in life.
Of course she expanded on all of those points, but one of the things that stuck out to me was the we have to choose to be secure we will not just become a secure women by standing here. We have a choose that today I am going to be all those things and let go of my insecurities or I am going to be the some I was yesterday and hold on to all that yuck. So today I choose to let go of my insecurities and be a secure women. "God knew exactly what He was doing when he created me woman and He wants me to be blessed by it."

Then in church today the sermon was about consciously choosing. So this week I pray that I will consciously choose to not dwell on the past but to look for the land that God has promised, I will live each day for what God has made it to be and walk in it, and I choose to give up my insecurities.
Photobucket

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Evening Thoughts on Parenting

Do you ever just get overwhelmed with love for your kids; to the point that you want to cry because that is just about the only way you can express your love for them. That seems to happen to me at the most unusual places and times. Like tonight. Anna is at sports camp and Matt is working out so it was just Benen and I. I am giving Benen a bath - the normal nightly routine around here; and this wave of love hits me. I know it has happened before and will happen again. I think it is a small glimpse of how much God loves us all the time every moment of everyday - during our routines. I can not even begin to understand His love for me. Oh about how a long to feel it more and more everyday; in my routine life. Lord keep drawling me closer to You; so that I can gain more and more understanding of Your love.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

And some more...

"... that is  the closest thing I know to Christian spirituality. A music birthed out of freedom. Everybody sings their song the way they feel it, everybody closes their eyes and lifts up their hands." Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

What is my song; and am I singing it?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Some more thoughts

"I need for there to be something bigger than me. I need someone to put awe inside me; I need to come second to someone who has everything figured out." Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

Thank you Lord that you are bigger than me and that you have everything figured out.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Some thoughts...

"I think the most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus." - Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

Lord I want falling more and more in love with you everyday to be the most important thing to me.