A growing season

Did you ever try to do something and it feels like everything is getting in your way of getting it done? Things popping up to do and you want to do them...they are good and even beneficial...sometimes they are needed.

Oh my stars...that is my day. I am trying to get a lesson done and everything it seems is popping up needing to be done. They have come up so subtly. One is grocery shopping for pity's sake.

I need to get this lesson done...home life needs to be done. Sistas...I am going through a season of growth...adjusting my life for what God has me to be doing...mom & ministry. Today is not a solitary day...I've had many this summer.

Too many of my friends...answer simply...you should not be doing ministry till your kids are in school full time. That's not what Daddy told me to be doing. I do not fully understand the why's and how's about knowing this to be so...I just know...to juggle now is necessary.

I have spent this relaxing and refreshing summer hashing out everything I am doing.

• The hashing: Why do I do this a certain way? What would happen if this task was done differently? Why do you do this task on this day at this particular time? How do other women do this particular task? Why does it take me longer to do this than so n so? What am I doing wrong? What am I doing well? Why is this task easier to get done and not that one? How is my attitude about this particular task? Oh...the hashing goes on and on.
• The everything: Writing; teaching; connecting with people by email, facebook, regular mail, and phone; meal planning ~ preparing, shopping,and storing; laundry; all rooms in the house ~ their layout; all the home improvement projects; storage of all things for the house and the people inside; time with my man; time with my children; devotions with God! Yes, I meant everything!

This has been quite a growing season. The pruning, sucker growth and weed pulling have been so painful at times...but I am so thankful to God for it! I am His child and I love that He is my Daddy and so I am thankful for His correction when I need it...just between us...I need it everyday...all day!

Read this scripture slowly...and praise Him!

Hebrews 12:5-11 (NKJV) And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

I pray you all have a great day as daughters of the Most High God! You are dearly loved by Him ~ and I love you too!
Laurie Kay

What an amazing Sunday morning!

Happy Sunday to you sistas!! I pray all is well with you and your families.

We usually attend the Saturday Night service at our home church...but I needed to go to a meeting there this morning for the ministry that I volunteer in. It was a great meeting.

I went back to the Nursery area to retrieve my daughter and ran into a sweet sista whom I haven't seen in a while...gave her a hug and noticed her belly...I congratulated her and asked when the due date was...and asked if she knew what she was having...she gave me a business card and said a boy and we are due Dec 5th. I then said that is fabulous...as I am a December baby myself...and said I will be prayin for your little bambino.

I left the Nursery Area and brought home my children...fed them lunch and looked up their BLOG. I knew something was not "normal" when she handed me the card...and I wanted to know what was going on...so I read ALL of their BLOG posts and am amazed at the craZZZy journey she and her family are walkin in right now.

God is with them every step of the way...He has been loving, faithful and completely amazing! I wanted to BLOG about them to get you sistas to join me and the countless others in praying for them...they are Kelly and Doug Barrett and baby Jackson. You see baby Jackson is having some trouble with the left side of his heart (the valve) and needs our heavenly Father's healing. {In my layman's terms...his left valve needs to be wider than it is and he underwent an in utero surgery called Fetal Aortic Balloon Valvioplasty to enlarge it and help the blood flow and him to grow. It was a successful surgery...but he is not out of the woods yet and so please pray for him.} Please visit their BLOG site as it is much more detailed and can give you specifics as to all of their prayer needs...their BLOG site is http://www.thebarrettjourney.blogspot.com/

Think about this sweet sistas...Psalm 18:6 (NKJV) In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

Our cries go up to His very ears...they are not floating around in outer space...rest assured beloved...He indeed hears our prayers! Whatever you are crying out to Him for...know that He hears you...and know it is only a matter of His timing when He comes down and delivers you out of your distresses. Can we stand in prayer with you...let us know your needs...we want to petition the Father with you.

He loves you so much and so do we...grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus ~ Laurie Kay

LaZZZZy days of summer

Wow...it is the middle of August...the kids are going back to school soon...where did my summer go???

We have had a great relaxing summer...this has been the most relaxing one in a long time.

I did not "do" much this summer...just...played with my children...talked with my man...did family fun things together...had a great vaca...talked to all kinds of fun people on facebook...wrote some things for this fall...got many new ideas and insights during the mundane moments in life...oh, and I did some of the important "have to do" things of life!

I am so thankful for the summer I had.

God has been so good to me and the family.

I am ready to take on the fall...ready to...get back into school and all that goes with it...get back into a routine...plan family meals...go see my sistas at WOW...go see my sistas at BM Studies...go see my sistas at Namesake events!!!

The LaZZZZy days of summer have been soo good for me...spirit ~ soul ~ and body! And sistas I pray they were for you as well...I hope you are excited and ready for the fast and furious frenzy that accompanies fall!

What amazing things does the Lord have in store for us? Whatever it is it is for our good...ponder the following scripture while you think about the fall and what awaits you...if it is a frenzy, or a chaotic time...draw strength from God beloved...take comfort from His Word and remember you are His!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The NKJV says thoughts...the NIV says plans...let both sink into your soul for a moment and know He thoughtfully plans your path sistas!!

He loves you so much...and so do I ~ Laurie Kay

We all need a little vaca...don't we???

We just got back from a very fun and relaxing vaca as a family. It was not a long one...but it sure did "do the job".

Just a few questions to ask yourself...What do you go on vacation for? Why do you like it? Why do you need it? What do you hope to get out of it?

We go for one reason here in this house and that is to get away from daily life as a family and do things together...no other responsibilities...no important meetings...no important phone calls. Well, maybe a birthday wish here or there (JV ~ love ya sis) or an anniversary greeting (DS & RS ~ 1 year yeah!!). But mainly time away together...just "being".

There are places we want to go to and explore as a family...parts of this great country of ours to see "live with our own eyes" but we are unable to at this time with ones so little...but we hope to someday not too far in the future. Where we were able to go and what we did were so much fun for this little family and we are extremely grateful.There were years when we were unable to get away for a vacation and so we made the most out of our weekends and days off were treated like mini vacations.

There are scriptures that use the word Selah in them and many scholars have many different meanings for this word as there is no "concrete definition" for it. One that I like to use is given by many as meaning to take a pause and weigh the words spoken to you and measure them by what you know to be true.

Vacation is also like a Selah in life for us. Our daily life is paused and my hubby and I take long walks to ponder what has happened so far and seek the Lord for where to go next and what to do.

I pray that this is and was a summer that did the job for you...whatever you and your family needed...I pray you were able to have...I pray that you were richly blessed this summer in Jesus...no matter the length of a vacation or a day off...I pray you took or take the time to Selah and then praise your God for all His love and what He has done for you.

He loves you so much sistas & so do I ~ Laurie Kay