Daddy's Home!

And we're lovin it. And him. Caleb and Jonny are battling something--they both have vomitted over the past few days and Caleb is still fighting his double ear infection--but we're not giving in to self-pity today. Josh came home on Friday afternoon and I left about an hour after he got home and went to a women's retreat with our new church. I didn't know any women, but savored the opportunity to get away (let's face it--who loves to deal with a household of sick kids on their own???). Anyway, the retreat turned out to be a real blessing. I not only met some great women from the church, but was majorly encouraged and strengthened by the Spirit and the testimony of Suzanne Tipton. If you ever have the chance to hear her speak, she's great. But most of all, it was the Spirit speaking to me, encouraging me to be devoted to seeking Christ above all--to be casting off the world and the trivial things that easily entangle me, and seek first Christ and His kingdom (which is why I haven't spent much time on my computer these days). It was so encouraging to hear how she pressed into Jesus and how the Spirit spoke to her and directed her throughout her life. I want to be so entrenched in the Spirit that I can always hear Him.
Right now, I keep praying for more of Jesus. And for Him to fan the flame that keeps flickering. Lately, my cage has been so easily rattled by the kids being sick, the time change, Josh being gone. In light of the tough struggles in this life, mine were SO minor, but Satan has been at work, knowing exactly how to make me feel sorry for myself. Every time I've been strengthened in the Lord recently, IMMEDIATELY afterward, one of the kids has gotten sick. It wasn't dawning on me at first--or, really, it dawned on me, but I wasn't fighting back. I was laying down and letting Satan demolish me. For those competitive-types (which I am), what the heck?!! That should have ticked me off. But Satan knew my buttons--exactly what to do to get me off track, off focus, too tired, too down to want to seek the Lord. But Jesus is stronger! He is stronger! He has faithfully pursued me, put me in places where I could hear Him and be strengthened--Bible study, church, a women's retreat... And He is still faithfully calling me to come away with Him. And to recognize that I can't move forward with Him without a fight. Jesus has called me to overcome. The retreat ended with these scriptures:
Rev. 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death"
Rev. 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."
Rev. 2:26 "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—"
Rev. 3:5 "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."
Rev. 3:12 "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name."
Rev. 3:21 "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne."
Rev. 21:7 "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

I never realized how much Jesus had to say about overcoming. It is the challenge laid down before every believer. It is the challenge to which I say, Jesus, help me. And, according to 2 Tim. 2:13 "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."
Now that's good news.