::this week::

praying:  for wisdom and clarity for the details with Bastian.  for wisdom, clarity, and God's presence for our gathering starting next month (more to come on that soon).  for favor for Jeremy in all that he does... I used to pray this for him every day, and then I stopped, and without me telling him he could notice, so I'm re-committed and spurred on to pray this for him every day again, in awe at just how powerful and effective prayer is!  for revival in our city.

praising:  a calm, peaceful, and restful week this week.  last week was busy, especially with getting ready for the baby shower.  this is the first week in months in which we have not had anyone over for dinner, and it has been nice to have some sweet time with just our family of 3.  Noah was really disobedient last week and it was a rough week.  really thankful that the Lord has given him a much more gentle and obedient heart this week!  really thankful for the sweet friends/ community that we have here, and the ways in which they have been blessing us and loving on us lately.  Darnell's new life in Christ!  (see "doing" below). 

reading:  Psalms, Deuteronomy, Dreaming with God

cooking:  pizza. fried rice, black beans corn and rice casserole, loaded potato casserole, Thai tilapia red curry, slow-cooker Indian curry, chocolate chip peanut butter cake

doing:  beginning party planning for some october and november birthday parties and beginning planning for homemade Christmas gifts. some walks and play dates with friends.  a trip to the park with our community group in which we got to love on some kiddos (and one kid prayed with Jeremy to receive Christ!).  enjoying having more kiddos around this week; I started watching another girl noah's age 1 day a week, and baby hayden is back after 2 weeks of not watching her.  a back to school/ awkward stages party at a friend's house.

creating:  knock off anthro mug, decorations for some October birthday parties, starting some new Christmas decorations for our home

pondering:  The Lord has been continually highlighting the word "remember" for me in my time in reading through Deuteronomy and Psalms.  Moses continually challenged the Israelites to remember the miracles that the Lord had performed among them and the ways in which He had brought them out of Egypt, and then the wilderness.  Yet, the Israelites continued to be fickle and distracted by their current circumstances, forgetting the faithfulness of the great God that they served.  Trying to cultivate a heart that remembers, gives thanks, and worships my almighty God.  A heart that is not dictated by my circumstances, but that is dictated by the power and love of my Lord, a heart that believes and expects Him to show up in mighty ways.

John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.  Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘ Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”.  In Matthew 4:4, it is not every word that preceded from the mouth of God, but every word that proceeds, word as in rhema, the living and active word of God.  Trying to be quiet, to listen to and dwell on the word of God, not just His written word, but His current and active spoken word.