Update on Jake and devotional

Ok - why is it that children are so resilient? OMG - Jake wanted to play on his drums and guitars the very next day after surgery........he could not understand why he couldn't - in a way - it's sad because he is so accustomed to pain that he just thinks it's normal!!! I did keep him down for one day - that was all he could stand!!!! By Friday - he was outside with his dad trying to help him mow!!!!

Needless to say - Jake is doing fine............and yes, Tracie - Jake will KILL me when he is older for posting all his business.....LOL

Another update is that I'm back in the choir - I couldn't handle it for too long.......the break was GREAT - don't get me wrong - but my ministry is leading people into praise and worship and that is where I belong. It's different with a new leader - but God is in it and that is all that matters........I don't know who is more excited about me being back in the choir - myself or Jake....he is so pumped because he gets to go to practice with me and he thinks he is in the band.....LOL. I love all the musicians - they put up with him following them around. He adores them all - especially Pastor Jared and Mr. Mark.....(Mr. Robert is the BOMB - but he doesn't get to see him as much - but no one will ever take his place in Jake's heart - he is the man and always will be with Jakey).

I've been reading in Ecclesiastes - I've really struggled with some changes that have taken place lately - for no other reason than selfishness (is that a word??). I battled with Anger, bitterness, resentment. I finally realized that I was battling the flesh - my spirit was grieving. I started praying the word over my mind - the battle of the mind is so hard sometimes........I would start thinking things and then would let my thoughts take over and goodness - I would be in the gutter before too long! LOL. I have never really studied Ecclesiastes before - and it has really helped to heal some of my bitterness........Ecclesiastes 3 - the "time for everything" scriptures has really taken a hold of me during this time.............

There is a time for everything - and everything on earth has it's special season
There is a time to be born and a time to die
There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants
There is a time to kill and a time to heal
There is a time to destroy and a time to build
There is a time to cry and a time to laugh
there is a time to be sad and a time to dance
There is a time to throw away stones and a time to gather them
There is a time to hug and a time not to hug
There is a time to look for something and a time to stop looking for it
There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away
There is a time to tear apart and a time to sew together
there is a time to be silent and a time to speak
There is a time to love and a time to hate
There is a time for war and a time for peace.

Vs. 9 - 15 "Do people really gain anything from their work? I saw the hard work God has given people to do . God has given them a desire to know the future. He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing. So I realize that the best thing for them is to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. God wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in their work, which are gifts from God. I know that everything God does will continue forever. People cannot add anything to what God has done, and they cannot take anything away from it. God does it this way to make people respect him. What happens now has happened in the past, and what will happen in the future has happened before. God makes the same things happen again and again."

WOW - this was an eye opener for me. Basically - what I'm going through - someone else has already been there and someone else will go through it after me! But, God is the same - yesterday, today and forever!!! Things will happen in life that we may not appreciate or understand - but we have to know that God will take care of us in the midst of our storm. He is our Father and when we woke up today - he was standing over us singing!!!! I love that!!!!

God does everything right and on time. We can not understand all of God's ways, and we hate to see people suffer, but God has not abandoned me or them........(or you).......He created us with a desire to know the future; however he does not tell us the future so we will depend on him. God always comes through - sometimes it is 11:59 when he does - but he always comes through!

Love to all
karen