Do you ever just long for quiet? I'm not talking about quieting of external noise, I mean a quiet in your soul. My husband and I have finally had a weekend to ourselves. I think it's been about 4 years since that has happened. Can I just tell you, it's been wonderful! Not that I don't adore our boys but before this weekend I honestly couldn't wrap my mind around a day where I wasn't constantly being engaged in conversations about trucks and cars and Caillou and Blues Clues and SPORTACUS for goodness sake..But since Saturday morning when I had 2 hours of total silence (imagine that ladies..) I wish the silence would not end.

You know, God has blessed us so richly lately that sometimes I'm afraid that this new found fervor in my spirit is just a by-product of His blessing on our lives. And maybe that's true. I've been praying that God would help me develop disciplines now that will help me when the desert comes because sisters, let me tell you....it'sa comin'! I think our pastor, Dr. John Ewart, said once, the harder you hit Satan the harder he hits back. Well I intend to wail on him a little bit so Lord, help me to prepare for the battle! I've been working through a book by Donald Whitney called Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian life, and it's wonderful! I know it sounds like a textbook but I promise it's easy to read and comical at times. The chapters are relatively short and have practical application points. It's really good...No seriously, get the book...GO! *poke, poke* It has changed the way I do bible study. All I have to say is no wonder I wasn't prepared for the battle when it came, my "sword" was rusty and dinged from misuse. It has changed the way I pray and the meaningfulness (is that a word?) of my prayers. Let me take a minute here and let you in on a little secret... If you don't ask....you won't receive. Shocking I know. I honestly was beginning to feel like God wasn't hearing me when I prayed but what's interesting and a little silly about that was that I wasn't really praying. I had stopped because I wasn't getting results immediately. My husband and I, and some warriors in our Sunday School class, have been praying for a job for me for about 2 years. Can you imagine my frustration at our financial hardship? I kept thinking, " Why won't He answer me!". He did and he was. What he was saying was, not now...and not here. It wasn't that He wasn't listening it was that I wasn't listening. Ouch.... Here's the great part. I have made a point of praying about everything and for everyone that needs it or asks for it. For instance, we receive a new prayer list every Wednesday night at church and I pray over that list all week long. You talk about watching the answers roll in. I don't know how I missed it before. Now granted, they're not always the answers WE want, but they are always the right answer and I'm glad of that. I don't want a god that wants my opinion, I want a God who is bigger, as a good friend once said. I don't want a god who is so small he's waiting on me to make a decision so he can move. My God knows his plan and He will have it His way. I don't know about you but I find immense comfort in that. He doesn't make mistakes so you know there is purpose in the hard times.

Lead me Lord.

Blessings to you my readers and you guessed it...I'm praying for you as you read my ramblings.