What a gift!

On this last day of May (5 months gone already!!), I spent some time looking at pictures from our busy month.  In precious years, I was quite good at snapping pictures to create memories, but as kids kept coming and life got busier, I got more forgetful about my camera (and a lot of other things, too!) and the wonderful tool that it is!  But I am making extra effort lately to remember to get out my camera and take photos, or at least, give it to one of the girls to take them for me! 

Tonight, my heart overflowed with gratitude as I looked at the photos from our vacations this month.  First, we took our first group camping adventure, camping with our homeschool co-op friends.  It was different than camping as a family, but I was reminded as we were in the midst of the craziness of 6 families together, how special that time truly was!  We are so blessed to have such good friends who can spend time in that setting together, enjoying one another, encouraging one another, helping one another.

These are cherished pictures!  Me, My grandmother, mom, and daughter.
Then, my grandparents with the littles!  We really enjoyed our time with
these two!

Right on the heels of that trip, we loaded up and drove to SC.  What a joy it was to be with family and friends!  We were intentional to carve out time to be with my family.  We are there is infrequently that I wanted to make all the time count!  We are not promised tomorrow so I am learning to make the most of today,  I am thankful for my family and the time we had to be together!

My cousin and his wife drove an hour after work to hang out with us in the rain.  With no siblings of my own, I especially appreciate and value this family!  Look at that sweet and sassy pair! 

I love these two girls!!  They are special friends!  And they gave Sarah her wish- to ride on a horse!  Even though it was rainy, they got out a horse and let her sit on it while they walked it around. :)

Finally, we had a day at the park with the kids and my mom.  Fun times!

Confidence

I love the Psalms!  I can connect with the heart behind so many of the beautifully penned words that I read in this collection of songs and poems.  This week, I have been thinking over Psalm 9.  I am struck by the confidence of David.  He makes so many declarations, even in the what seems to be a difficult, troubling time for him.  He makes clear in this Psalm that His confidence is in God and His salvation.
Meanwhile, I am also reading 1 Samuel with the boys and today we read chapter 13: the story about Saul waiting for Samuel, but then making the sacrifice himself because Samuel didn't come quick enough and time was pressing!  We talked about what a tough situation Saul was in and how easily it was to justify, according to our fleshly thinking, his choice (and our choices), especially when the stakes are high.  And I realized as we talked about it how important confidence in God really is.  Already, Saul is waiting on the Lord.  He really is attempting to do what he thought God would want.  But his confidence wavered.  Thinking that the army was deserting him and that they were already so grossly out-numbered, he made the decision to push forward, despite the clearly defined rules set up by God.  He pushed aside what was right for what seemed logical to his fleshly mind.
And here is the thing: We cannot think primarily with our logical mind.  We are called to trust, to know, to stand with confidence.  Often, trust in God must defy our logic.  It seems crazy to wait for Him in some circumstances.  It can be painful to cry out, when it feels like He is slow or absent.  However, real joy, breath-taking salvation, long-awaited breakthrough, the stuff of miracles, comes when we, with confidence, position ourselves in trust.
And this takes us back to Psalm 9.  Saul threw out faith for sight.  He looked at the circumstances and panicked.  He let fear rule.  He forgot what God was really like, or maybe he never really knew.  But in Psalm 9, I read that David declared boldly his confidence in God, even when life circumstances were overwhelming, hurtful, discouraging.  Check this out:

I WILL praise you with my whole heart:  (wholehearted is what I want to be when so often I am half-hearted)
I WILL tell of all your marvelous works. (he's going to remember and talk about God previous goodness)
I WILL be glad and rejoice in You. ('Cause He is reason to rejoice!)

WHEN my enemies turn back,  (When, not if.  Hear that confidence!) 
They shall perish and fall in Your Presence.  (No enemy of ours will stand when God shows up!!)

Those who know your name WILL put their trust in You; For You Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.  (This is David- one who knew God and put His trust, His full confidence in Him, knowing that he would not be forsaken. And this is a promise to each of us)

Have mercy on me O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death that I may tell all of your praise...
I WILL rejoice in Your salvation.  (Even though it cannot be seen right at this moment.  I trust, I know it is coming!)
verses 1-2, 3, 10, 13-14

We are called to look unto our God, who is a very present help in times of trouble (Ps 46), to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12).  We must walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 4).  And faith is confidence that God WILL come through, that what I cannot see with my eyes, I know to be true (Heb 11:1)!   Confidence- believing that God is Faithful, that Jesus is my Redeemer and Savior, that He will answer when I call, that He is strong and He is good, that I am safe in His Hands!