::this week::

praising:  a miraculous multiplying of money in our bank accounts.  God using Jeremy to heal a physical condition in one of our friends.  supernatural peace that transcends all understanding (Phil 4:4-8)... although multiple circumstances could have me stressed and worried this week, our Lord, His peace, and His promises are so good, so faithful, and so worth trusting in... grateful for eyes to see Truth, and by faith, beyond what I can see in the natural realm.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Where do you need freedom today?  Receive it by faith!

praying:  still for a new level of breakthrough and revelation from the Lord for me... a newer, deeper, more passionate hunger than ever before... that I would truly seek Him and only Him with my whole heart.  for friends and the requests of others. 

thankful for:  provision... that all of our needs and many of our desires are met.  our health.  some unscheduled downtime this week.  my sweet hubby and how well he loves and leads me and our son.  such varieties of food so readily available through grocery stores... that stuff like bok choy, rice noodles (and more) can commonly be found at any everyday market now.  the weather... the warm sun, the cool breeze, the rain that refreshes the earth and my soul... that there is a purpose in all of it... embracing and enjoying exactly what each day brings... hoping to do this with every circumstance in my life... thankfully allowing them all to serve their purposes.

listening:    lots of Jesus Culture, including Fill Me Up and Freedom Reigns

reading:  Matthew, Daniel, Psalms, Your Power in the Holy Spirit by John G. Lake

cooking:  parsley pesto (on pasta, and as potato salad), Vietnamese shrimp noodle soup, pizza, wasabi noodles, salad with ginger dressing, Vietnamese pickled vegetables, curried couscous (made with the dressing from this curried rice salad)

prego update:  had a doc appointment this Monday, all is doing well.  seem to be further progressed now at 35-36 weeks then I was at 41 weeks with Noah... not sure if that means that Elisha could come early or not, but glad to know that all is well.  have an ultrasound this coming Tuesday to find out how big Elisha is, just to have as much info. as possible as we weigh whether to pursue a VBAC or do another c section.  excited to see our little man one last time before we get to meet him in person.

doing:  not much... resting after a busy week last week, and soaking up each last minute that we are a family of 3.  a play/ dinner date for me and Noah with a friend and her kiddo while J co-leads and teaches at a meeting on the Northshore on Friday.  a couple tea/ play dates with friends.

pondering:   Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

We're no longer under the law/ Old Covenant... our command is no longer simply not to murder, we are now under the New Covenant and the law of love, which encompasses don't even be angry... Ouch, convicting!  and then...

Matthew 5:23-24  So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 

reconciliation is more important than our sacrifice (or deeds) unto the Lord.  and then...

Matthew 5:44  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  

Jesus said this to hearers who would literally have enemies and be persecuted simply because they were followers of him... enemies who did worse than slander or gossip but that would take some of the hearers lives.  and yet, despite the severity of these enemies to come the hearers were told to love them, to pray for them.

Matthew 5:8  God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

And all of these things... anger... love... reconciliation... come down to having a pure heart before God... those with pure hearts will see Him... I sure don't want Him to be hidden from my sight because of a lack of purity in my heart. 

meditating on:  Matthew 6:9-13  “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

This is the model of how we should pray... meditating on the principles found here to guide me.   Also, thinking on "daily bread"... often translated daily needs... but by doing this are we selling ourselves short?  Jesus spoke of Himself as "daily bread" (John 6:32-53)... so is daily bread our daily needs, or is it our ONLY need, found in Him?

John 6:35   Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.