Authentic Intimacy!

My most favorite Christian ministry for women is Authentic Intimacy. I'm incredibly passionate about having a godly marriage and God's design for intimacy. I strive to be the Smokin' Hot Mama described in Song of Solomon (my "Passion Pursuit" friends will understand what I mean!) and I long to share what I have learned along the way with others.

If you haven't heard of Authentic Intimacy, you must check it out! For you, your spouse, your kids, your friends, etc.. There is someone you know that will benefit from this ministry! A good friend of mine asked me to join her and a few friends in a Bible study called "Passion Pursuit" written by Dr. Juli Slattery and Linda Dillow (founders of Authentic Intimacy). The study was A-MAZING. Biblical. Practical. Marriage changing. Eye opening. And did I mention A-MAZING? I was so moved by their mission and their heart for women and marriages and intimacy that I took the study to my church and lead a small group of 4 women through it. We've just recently finished and my hope is that each of those women take the study and share it with 4 more! 

A popular book of erotica is "50 Shades of Grey" and in response to this book, Dr. Juli Slattery and Dannah Gresh wrote "Pulling Back the Shades". I was chosen to be on the book launch team of "Pulling Back the Shades" earlier this year and I was just chosen to be on the new book launch team by Authentic Intimacy called "25 Questions You're Afraid to Ask About Sex, Love, and Intimacy" by Dr. Juli Slattery. I'm so excited about the opportunity to share with the social world and my real life relationships about this book. Perhaps the thing I love most about Authentic Intimacy is that these ladies share the Gospel and they don't shy away from the tough stuff!

Check out their website and the new book! I'd love to answer any questions you may have about the resources I've used through Authentic Intimacy!

https://authenticintimacy.com/25-questions/

Gardening for my heart!

It's such a nice afternoon I decided I'd weed my overgrown flower beds while JohnDavid played. I collected the weeds in his John Deere wagon and upon finishing I found my helper's shoes placed neatly on top. 😊 Weeding hurts my back (like that's anything new!) but it's therapeutic to my mind and soul. I realize how weeds look so similar to the plants, I realize how many weeds are present when I'm up close and personal with the flower bed, and I realize how even the smallest weed has the longest root. The same is true for our spiritual lives. Our sin roots are deep...even for those "small sins." It's easy to miss how flawed we are when we view ourselves from afar but when we examine our hearts and minds up close we realize how wicked and sinful we are. And Satan crafts sins to be almost as pretty (if not prettier...ask Eve!) as the godly things. I'm thankful for my time in the flower bed today. I'm thankful those ugly weeds/sins don't have the last say. I'm thankful for my Redeemer and that I know He lives! 

Encouragement

A friend told me over dinner last night that I was doing a good job with JohnDavid. Her words of affirmation and encouragement couldn't have come at a better time as I was beyond exhausted and weary from the consistency required in disciplining a toddler. Isn't it nice to have friends that encourage us? And isn't it nice that God sends those encouragements at just the right time? When was the last time someone encouraged you? When was the last time you encouraged someone?

Motherhood is exhausting but I'm so thankful I get to be a mommy to this silly all boy toddler! 

JOY!

(image found on google)

There's a lady at church that is always radiant with joy. My fellow Providence members will know who I'm talking about without even saying much more. It doesn't matter what she has faced or how bad her external circumstances are, she is absolutely JOYFUL. I'm convinced she sweats the radiance of Jesus. Oh how encouraging she is. I'd love to be so saturated in Him that I sweat His radiance. This past Sunday I spent a few moments talking to her and I told her I hoped she had a good week. Her reply was : "Oh I'll have a good week!" I told her how much I loved seeing her joy and how encouraged I was by her confidence in the Lord. This is a woman who fights her battles on her knees and from the victorious stance she has in Christ. I want that. What about YOU? Where do you fight your battles? Too often I fight them with my mouth venting or with my fingers texting instead of with my knees bowed in submission and prayer to the One who already knows my battles and has won the ultimate victory. To type this vulnerability out makes me feel silly that I wouldn't go straight to my knees, but I identify with Paul so much from Romans 7:

15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. ESV

If Paul, the great apostle, struggled with sin, you can rest assured that I struggle. I really would love to run to Jesus as a first response instead of when I'm at the end of my rope with all my weakness exposed, but too often I just don't. Once again, I identify with Paul from 1 Corinthians 12: 

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ESV

I can't tell you the number of time recently I've sat down in the rocker to rock my sweet JohnDavid and just felt utterly weak. I ask the Lord to remind me that when I am weak, He is strong. I hope at some point during my sanctification I learn to go to God before I'm weak and exhausted and stained with so many sins, but if not, it's comforting to know that when I can't go on anymore, He can. I read this blog today and just loved it so I wanted to share: 

http://smarttereachday.com/canweplease/

Whatever your load is (homeschool, marriage, raising children, work inside the home, work outside the home, etc.) this is the truest statement:

"The truth is, My Load is heavy for me, too. And it is by the grace of God I carry it."

Let us carry our loads for His glory! Let us fill up with Him so that we spew His joy for others to see. 

Family is so grand!

Jeremy and I are so blessed to have such wonderful families. And JohnDavid is so blessed to have so many that love him! 

Today's post is nothing but photos from our fun day with family! 

The best uncle Mike ever! I'm so proud of my little brother! 

JohnDavid LOVED uncle Mike's truck!

We celebrated 50¢ corn dogs from Sonic today with Granny! JohnDavid thoroughly enjoyed vacuuming and mopping at her house as well as her fenced in yard! 

Waiting (im)patiently on the "buggy" to be fixed! 

Telling pawpaw what the buggy says! 

Laughing at the best Uncle Leamon!

And running from the best uncle Ernie!

My handyman is so sexy! 😉

Finally, a quick buggy ride before bedtime in his new big boy bed! 

I swear it seems like he just got here and now he runs and argues back in his own language and so many other things. I wish they didn't grow so fast! 

As The Deer

I found myself humming "As The Deer" while holding and rocking my sleeping "baby" a little longer tonight. I'm reminded how much I want to be that thirsty for God. I've realized how swiftly life passes in the last 16 months. JohnDavid has literally grown up before my eyes and it seems to have happened over night. Yet, it seems he's always been here and I don't remember life before him nor do I remember much of his "baby" days. I find these truths of life to be bittersweet. My failing memory is so frustrating. JohnDavid is very much a toddler these days. He still needs and wants me a lot but it sure isn't as much as those early days. He used to cling to the comfort of my breast and now he clings to my face with those tiny hands or my neck with those arms wrapped so tightly. He used to smell like a baby (moms, you know what I mean) and now he smells like a boy when he's been outside or the taco he just ate. He loves to be close to my face when he's falling asleep but he loves his space, independence and prefers to walk rather than being carried. He does still like for us to be in eyesight but soon enough that will change! Even his beloved pacifier, affectionately known as Susi, gets pushed to the wayside sometimes. I long to soak up so much about him that I feel I forget it all. I never want to forget what it feels like to hold him this close. I never want to forget that tiny neck hug or the Eskimo kisses on that precious nose. I'm overjoyed that God chose me to be his mother. I love this little big boy so much more than I ever thought possible, so much more than I could ever explain...but there's Someone who loves him more. Jesus loves JohnDavid much more than I ever could or will. I'm reminded of how much I should cling to Jesus like JohnDavid does to me, and I'm also reminded how much Jesus loves me in the same way He loves JohnDavid. Pondering God and His love is so amazing and it indeed does make me "panteth" for Him.

🎶As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after thee
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship thee

You alone are my strength my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship thee

You're my friend and You are my brother,
Even though you are a king.
I love you more thank any other,
So much more than anything.

I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy Giver,
And the apple of my eye.🎶

Marvelous Monday

Hey Hey Hey!

It's Monday already again! I used to dread Monday's when I worked outside of the home, but now that I don't, I look forward to Monday's for a couple of reasons (although, I miss my hubby and I miss hanging with our family that works!):

1) We get the bed all to ourselves after 6am, not that I don't LOVE it when all three of us are in the bed, but who doesn't love more room?? ;) Jeremy probably isn't buying my answer.

2) I'm reminded how blessed I am to stay at home every Monday...I don't have to drop my baby off or clock in anywhere or tend to anyone but JohnDavid and I love that. I listened to a podcast this morning and a specific part spoke to me about parenting. God doesn't call us to save our children or make them godly because we cannot do that; only He can save, but he does call us to be godly parents. That's my goal. What's yours?

We had a great weekend! Jeremy works 4 10 hour days and he's off every Friday! As much as I really liked him getting home at 4 every day, I do enjoy having him the whole day of Friday. (when he's not fishing!) ;) We spent this past Friday at Gulfarium in Ft. Walton, Florida. It wasn't as good as Gulf World in Panama City Beach, but we had a great time and that's all that counts! We enjoyed a kid-free weekend after that as JohnDavid stayed the night with Jeremy's parents Friday and my parents Saturday/Saturday night. We rode four wheelers until the wee hours of the morning like teenagers and loved every minute of it. Saturday we rode down to the beach with some good friends to celebrate a birthday! The beach was gorgeous except for the jellyfish stings! We enjoyed food, fellowship, and fun games including frisbee and arcade games at Dave and Busters. Sunday was a wonderful day of worship at Providence Baptist Church followed by a delicious lunch with the Sullivan clan.

Today, JohnDavid and I have been on the road. We have ran more than enough errands and he was such a trooper so we stopped at the park in Daleville to burn some energy! I noticed this afternoon his ear was draining...which means an ear infection since he has tubes already and they are draining out. This explains why he's not eaten much of anything in two days. Poor fella. Please pray the antibiotics work quickly and that he feels better soon! He's currently napping and I'm about to tackle some budgeting and decluttering. Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Sponges

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV 

JohnDavid is such a sponge these days. He's learning something new every day it seems. It may be a new animal sound or a new type of truck or even a new word, but he is watching us closely and he is learning. I'm thankful for these days of teaching and learning although he takes after his mother in the sense that most of the time he's too stubborn to be taught; he wants to figure it out on his and do it by himself. Looking at JohnDavid, I'm reminded of the above passage in 1 Peter that tells us Christians to long for the pure milk of God's Word so that we may grow. Since removing ourselves from Facebook, we've been hungry for time in the Word alone and time together in the Word. I told Jeremy just this morning that I was enjoying the fruits from being in the Word so much this week. What about you? What are you hungry for? Do you long to spend more time with the One who created you? To quote John MacArthur on this passage: "We can't grow as Christians unless sin is renounced. When the purging takes place, then the Word does its work. Spiritual growth is always marked by a craving for and a delight in God's Word with the intensity with which a baby craves milk. A Christian develops a desire for the truth of God's word by remembering his life's source, eliminating sin from his life, admitting his need for God's truth, pursuing spiritual growth, and surveying his blessings." 

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Psalm 34:8

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