Wake up my Heart!

Scripture of the Day: Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. This Thanksgiving was one on which I was having some issues with the "thankful" spirit that is supposed to go with that day! I had been looking for a moment of thankfulness and I found it, quite unexpectedly, (and repeatedly) over the weekend. My Great Grandma Kessler passed away when I was young (maybe 10 or 11). I have some very fond memories of her, and they all piled on this weekend! On Friday, I made her recipe of orange buttermilk cookies. I have wanted to make those cookies for years, but I just recently bought some orange extract to be used for that purpose. I think I had those cookies only one time, but boy, do I remember them! I have had to wait so long, because I do not believe in zesting fruit peels - extract all the way...

Scripture of the Day: Matthew 21:22 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. This weekend we had a big milestone in the Frailey household! My little man prayed for the first time by himself on Saturday! Proud mama moment that made me cry. Here are the details...we had prayed together on Saturday morning for my husband to kill a deer because we are dependent on that meat to feed us throughout the year. After I laid Nathan down for a nap I heard him cry, "Help!" so I went in to his room. What he needed help with, was praying! He closed his eyes, bowed his head and folded those little hands and said, "Dear God, I would like to go to the mall or the libary and please help my daddy get a dear. Amen." (note - those are his two favorite places and the typo is intentional :)) Friends, some people hunt for the trophies, but we are dependent on the meat! Finances are hard, and good beef is expensive, so each year, that meat gets us through. S...

Scripture of the Day: John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome  the world.” Do you ever go through times when the world gets you down? When bills and obligations and cultural perceptions and "shoulds" seem to be all you can see? There are days when I can focus on the big picture and feel at peace, but there are also days when I cannot seem to see outside of my own life's little bubble. On those days the trouble of the world clouds just about everything I see.  The verse forces me to look outside of my own little bubble of trouble and makes me smile out of hope and thankfulness. Jesus overcame the world. He gave us expectation of trouble - it was all around him, and it is all around us today. When you focus on surrounding your life with Jesus, he encompasses your life in a different kind of bubble. A peaceful one. He overcame the world for YOU. Any trouble...

Scripture of the Day: Jeremiah 17:7-8 (Note: I am reposting this because someone close to me is in a drought of sorts) 7  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the  Lord ,     whose confidence is in him. 8  They will be like a tree planted by the water     that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;     its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought     and never fails to bear fruit.”   The words are so positive! If you put your trust and confidence in the Lord (and really, there is no better thing to put your trust and confidence in than that), you will be blessed. And my friend, this blessedness is for always. Note how the passage ends "It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Sometimes in your walk with God you will be in what I will call a time of plenty. God is working t...

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 4:6-7a 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. On this, the eve of the next American Presidential Election, I am not feeling very hopeful. Regardless of who "wins" tomorrow, half of the country will be upset. My high school social studies teacher used to say "It doesn't matter what you believe, you will always end up in someone else's hell." I still think that is a true statement! And much like that, for every person who thinks tomorrow's election ends well, someone will think we are entering, or staying in, a kind of hell. But really, this country will survive (either way!!). If you vote, you have had your say and that is really all you can do.  Instead of focusing on the election coverage tomorrow nigh...

Scripture of the Day: Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Today we are leaving for a week long vacation to see family and this week with Halloween activities and other life happenings, I have not packed a SINGLE thing! When I think about all that needs to be done before we leave, I would like to panic a little! I woke up with a need to read a post I wrote prior to a vacation a few months ago (view the post from 6/28 if you are curious about that one) and that has been very helpful. Just like on that day, I found myself faced with a nudge this morning that I have not been praying about the little things that would make my anxiety go away! I am a little saddened that I did not learn my lesson that time, but feel happy that we have a Teacher who doesn't mind tea...