Speak Lord, for your servant is listening....

Hello fellow bloggers and friends,

I have had a day to reflect on. My God and Savior lives and reigns and He is taking me through the wringer, for He chastens those He loves!!! It hurts and its hard but He does it for the purpose of love...He really cares and wants me to be healed, whole, and freed from the bondage of sin in my life....

So on Sunday I heard a powerful message from our pastor. It was a message I truly needed to hear at this season in my walk with the Lord. It was about the Holy Spirit. He gave several examples of the Spirit working in the lives of David and Samuel in the OT. For example, Samuel was being trained by Eli the prophet as a young boy, and God called Samuel. Not knowing it was God, Samuel thought it was Eli speaking to him one night. Then Eli realized it was the Spirit of the Lord calling Samuel and he told him to say to the Lord, "Speak, for your servant is listening." And He spoke to Samuel that night...

So our pastor challenged us to ask the HS 10-15 times a day, What are you saying to me? What are you doing? When I focus my questions to the HS all day long I am to expect Him to answer me....and He does!!

He has talked to me about my impatience with my daughter, my unbelief and trust in Him, and my anxiousness to want to get things done my way...and to do it when I want it done. I have been out of God's will in those areas of my life and the Holy Spirit is here to teach me, to guide me, to encourage me, and to lead me closer in my walk with the Lord. I have often forgotten that His presence is with me at all times, even when I sleep. Yet I haven't really reached out to Him to truly do the job that God has established for Him to do in my life.

I continually have that phrase from Scripture in my head...speak, Lord, for your servant is listening...even though what He says may cause me to have to humble myself and ask forgiveness from my daughter (like today!), to swallow...really rid myself...of pride and allow the workings of the Holy Spirit to cleanse me and to heal me and to break the chains of sin, and bring me closer and closer into His glorious light!!!

I praise God He is not done with me. He has more to give if I am willing to receive...if I am willing to be quiet and say...speak, Lord, for your servant Mary Kay is listening.

Pics of the Birthday Girl!!!

Here's the Birthday Girl:

Blow out your candles:
Chuck E. himself made an appearance to hug the birthday girl and friends : Eating ice cream with Anaya's birthday friends and moms:

My lil' baby's birthday celebration!!!

It's Anaya's birthday today!!!! We celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese's and Anaya had a great time. She did not quite understand what a birthday was before we arrived but I think she knows now that it involves a lot of special treatment just for her and she loved it (of course!!) I even have pictures to prove it...but my friend has them on her camera so....sorry blog friends. I can't post any pics today but hopefully soon....

My lil baby is 2 and I can't believe it!!!! She was my longest labor/delivery at 20 hr+ of focusing on breathing and allowing my contractions to come, and 1 1/2 hrs.+ of pushing... well, let me just say that it is still fresh in my mind of the long, strenuous, and tiring labor. I am praisin the Lord just like I did that day for her grand entrance into this world, and it was worth every labor pain...(I can say that now!!)

I prayed today that I am looking forward to celebrating not just many more yearly birthdays, but her spiritual birthday. I thank God that he created her and made her in his image and each day I know is such a gift to have her in my life. But I know what she needs the most. It is not the presents, candy, and all the cake she can eat that we typically have at every birthday that will satisfy her soul. What she needs is the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse her soul and renew her spirit and make her whole. I loved celebrating her birthday but I look forward to the day that she has trusted in Christ Jesus to be the Lord of her life, where she will become not only my daughter but my sister in Christ, guaranteed to have a place with her momma in heaven.

Love,
a blessed daughter of the king

I am but dust....(and I am not talking about the thick layer covering my furniture right now!)

It has been a week since I last updated....my oldest wants me to update more often. I think it is because she likes to see herself on the internet and read about herself.

I know it will be great to read and look at past blog posts and see how much the kids have grown and changed in wisdom and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. And how much I have grown as well...

Speaking of which...

God has been so gracious to my whiny pathetic self these past few days. I have been under emotional stress and pressure brought upon myself and my circumstances. I have heard that we may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change our attitude in our circumstance...(whoever said that I oughtta beat them up right now!!!) But really that just reminds me that through the trials and tribulations of life I need to trully put my trust completely in the Lord with all my heart...and not lean on my own understanding but acknowledge him in all my ways and he will make my path straight. I have this proverb framed by my bedside but I just recently started looking at it, pondering it, meditating on each word and really taking it to heart. God's presence is here, I am surrounded by His goodness, He blesses my stubborn, pitiful self all the time...sooooo what do I have to be in self-pity about.

Thank you Lord that you still speak to me...for I am but dust...

Love,
Mk

I feel love in the air....and from the cross...

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
THAT WHO SOEVER
BELIEVETH IN HIM
WILL NOT
PERISH BUT HAVE
EVERLASTING
LIFE

JOHN 3:16

This may be the only time you see red typed on my blog....but I wanted to recognize this holiday with a little valentine message from Jesus. The greatest love gift that was given to all mankind was God's gift of His one and only Son. He was bruised for our iniquities and He shed His blood for our transgrations. Thank you Jesus for dying a brutal and painful death so that the floodgates of heaven could be open to me, and so that I could experience the love, joy, and peace of our Heavenly Father throughout all eternity.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

Some great news!!!!

We are praisin' and shoutin' and thankin the Lord for our great news:

I am so looking forward to having this precious little boy, a son, to add to our family of precious daughters. I am so happy the girls will have a brother to love on and help take care of...

I thank God for answering our prayers and am so honored to be carrying a son whom I hope and pray to raise up to know and love the Lord and to serve and glorify Him.

Love,
a truly blessed momma!!!

Dinner conversation

Anaya likes to say the word "hot" a lot these days. One time at dinner I told her to say thank you to me for making dinner and she responds, "hot, mama!" And the girls laughed and she laughed and thought it was funny. She then proceeded to say it again three or four times and the girls continued to laugh and laugh. And then finally she says, (when she finally realizes that Mommy won't let her down until she says it) "thank you, Mama...hot, mama!" (ha ha ha...) We have gone through this conversation ordeal almost nightly since then and each time she says it she looks at Kamelah and Zaria to see if they are going to laugh.

So today at dinner Anaya does her usual "hot, mama" saying as I tell her to say thank you for the meal. Then Zaria says, "Mommy, I don't think Anaya is saying hot like the food is hot. I think she is saying hot like your hot mommy." I say, "I consider that a compliment, thank you very much." Anaya says, "Thank you Mama...hot, mama!!!" (lots of laughter...)

P.S. Kristen, have you been keeping up with your bible reading? (Just thought I'd ask, my one and only blog reader friend!!)