Tossed Like a Duck, Cared for by THE SHEPHERD!

Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
John 10:6-10 (The Message)

I saw this little video on my son's facebook and had to borrow/steal it! It's so funny/sad! This poor mama duck must be frantic as her little ducklings are being tossed about. We must look like the little duck sometimes, being tossed by the wind, over and over and over again, then we get our bearings, find our focus point (Jesus!) and keep going, looking for our leader and not taking our eyes off of the one that cares for us! Thankful we serve a God that tends to ALL of our needs! He is our shepherd that KNOWS us, CARES for us and longs for us to have eternal life...a life far more than we could've ever imagined!

Tossed by the wind~


He tends to our needs~Beautiful





“I am the good shepherd; I know

 my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—

and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

John 10:14-15

THANKFUL FOR MY SHEPHERD:

*A Savior that KNOWS me!

* A Savior that pursues me!

*A Savior that has more for my life than I can imagine

*A Savior that FORGIVES

*A Savior that believes in second chances...and third...and fourth etc!

*A Savior that is all about GRACE

*A Savior that came in the form of a baby..in a stable, a humble birth, to change the course of history... A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Reaping a Harvest of Blessings~

* Unexpected snow days

* Baking days with the kids and grandma's house

* Friends far away, taking my son to the airport at the drop of a hat, saying "Happy we could help" wow!

* Deep, solid friendship, long phone conversations, picking up where we left off 6 months ago.

* His provisions, His timing, His WORD (food to my soul)

* Sunday night prayer time together, 8 of us, on our knees, praying for eachother, SWEETNESS to a mother's ears and even sweeter to our Savior!

* My husband, filled with strength, daily in the Word, constantly encouraging, forever loving and always giving. My sweetest gift!

*Health

* Waking up to see my son's face for 6 mornings, making him breakfast, his constant hugs, seeing him filled with JOY, loving college!

*Pajama Days, games with family and coffee in my Christmas mug

"As we express our gratitude,

we must never forget that the highest

appreciation is not to utter

words, but to live by them."

-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful having Tim
home for Thanksgiving! When we said
good-bye to him in August, we weren't sure
he would be able to come home for T-giving,
SO HAPPY HE WAS HOME~
We said bye to him this morning
and he will be home in 19 days!!! Yahoo!

My precious kids had so much fun hanging out

 the entire week. They went shopping, to get yogurt and

to the movies together! Sweeeet :)

Steadfast

STEADFAST

–adjective

1. fixed in direction; steadily directed: a steadfast gaze.
2. firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, as a person: a steadfast friend.
3. unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc.
4. firmly established, as an institution or a state of affairs.
5. firmly fixed in place or position.

God has had us in a steadfast position for quite some time. His grace has been unending to us..daily! I love His creativeness of how HE continues to pour Himself out on my life...our life! Is He getting more creative and loving or are my eyes open, my heart more tender, my ears more sensitive and my spirit more EXPECTANT? I know that answer to that! God has been the same, yesterday, today and forever! We have had a few things happen in the last few days, where God does what HE does best..SHOWS HIMSELF faithful and I feel like I would be cutting Him short if I did not tell the whole world how amazing, wonderful, faithful and oh so STEADFAST He is in  HIS love for me! (and my family) I could list and list and list all the ways that HE is good...Our biggest answer to prayer came in few different ways this week, but to name only 2....We were given a "getaway" for our 20th anniversary coming up (HUGE blessing) and some things were "taken care of" on our son's college school bill! Wha? (HUGE, HUGE blessing) He comes through, my friends! Whatever seems too big, impossible and no ways out.. He has an answer! It may not seem like the "right time" or "soon enough" or in the "right way" But trust me..when you ask anything in His name and BELIEVE and stay STEADFAST..HE WILL MOVE! Step out of the way and let Him do His work and give Him every ounce of PRAISE for His faithfulness! Today, I am! I could stand

on a mountain and scream HE IS WORTHY!

None of this fazes us because JESUS loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.  Romans 8:37

The Short List~

*  lifelong girlfriends that celebrate another year with me
* peace, peace, peace in the unknown, true honest peace!
* seeing tangible prayers answered, just hours after praying about them
* kissing my youngest goodnight,
*having her hold onto my neck like she did when she was 3
* philosophical debates with college age friends
* sneaking away with my middle child for some yogurt and shopping
* painting my girl's nails
* helping my kids with homework on a lazy Sunday
* going for a walk along the river with my husband
* having friends over for sunday lunch, brownies for dessert
* saturday morning coffee with my mom
* my boy at college texting me.."hi mommy!"

JUST TO NAME A FEW....

THE THINGS THAT MAKE THIS HEART

*THANKFUL*

here

Beauty in Daily Living~

• Dinner with girlfriends and a good chick flick!

• A morning of sleeping in with my husband

• A thoughtful friend that called and

offered to take my girl to her away

volleyball tournament

• So we could get some much needed rest

after a stressful/harried week. Wow!

• A nice sunny fall drive with my man

to the tournament (much later than the original 6:30 am time)

• A day of watching our girl play vb

• Dinner/ wiener roast with my parents,

wrapped in blankets on the back deck and SMORES!

• Wonderful church service, great worship

 and a sweet Word from the Lord

• Shopping with my girls

• Quiet afternoon of homework

and reading with my sweet girls

• Chores done by 5pm (LAUNDRY, YAY)

• A quick hike with my husband

and my crazy, cool black lab!

• Menu for the week done

• An evening coffee run and grocery shopping with Darren

• Skype with my boy at college! Priceless!

• In bed by 10:00, with a grateful, full heart!

• PJ day at school,

cold sunny Monday morning

another day to LIVE FOR HIM!

MY FAVORITE QUOTE taken right from

Anne at Holy Experience

"Through each small death of our flesh,

God furthers His kingdom of life."

dying to myself again today...

further Your Kingdom, Father!