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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Is Gluten Making Us Fat?

Is Gluten Making Us Fat?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Are you Brokenhearted?

I dont know about you but this week has been a very tough week for our family. (Although I must say the Lord did shower us with a new bundle of joy, an adorable little nephew) But no doubt God has been showing us more and more about himself through our son. This week has been a week of set backs for Micah, we have experienced some of the really ugly sides of autism (i.e. violent behavior, no eye contact and lots and lots of arm flapping and rocking) this week we have had to basically start back at square one. And like most moms would, I have laid awake at night heartbroken and worried. My husband and I have spent many nights this week crying out to God for help and for healing.  And what amazes me the most is that He always delivers. I woke up yesterday morning and as I opened God's Word, His truth penetrated my heart. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; He gives them all their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power: His understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble, He cast the wicked to the ground." Psalm 147:3-6
 As I read the words I realized that there was no need for those restless nights or my tears or my worries because of my powerful God; I can rest in Him, I can cast all my heartache on Him and I can forget my need to understand it all because "His understanding is beyond measure".  What an amazing peace you and I can have in Jesus. If you are experiencing heartache remember that we serve a Powerful God who heals the broken hearted. Take your troubles to cross where Jesus bore all your hurt and loss.

Crowned With Joy!!!
LouAnn

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I found this on www.homegrownmom.com

Workboxes!

IMG_7715I stumbled across an organizational system online called the workbox system.  A mom invented it for her autistic son, but scores of homeschool moms are now using it for their school days with kids of all ages and abilities.  Well anything involving bins and school has my attention right away.
I spent a few days reading about this system and daydreaming about doing it in my home.  One Saturday, I went to Target and picked up the supplies and today we put the workbox system to the test.
Wow!  It is awesome in so many ways.  I do realize that I have chosen to implement this on our last week of school.  What a dork.  Yet I just couldn’t wait and I knew I would drive my girls crazy all summer if I didn’t just try it out.
Here they are:
IMG_7712crop
[I love how you can see our messy table in the mirror.  And yes, that is a whiteboard in our living room.  We put it on hooks so it would be easy to remove for company.  Then we realized that we don’t have anyone that fancy over and we usually end up playing games, so it hasn’t been down since!]
It is the simplest thing ever.  Each child has 12 bins (or less if you choose).  Before school starts for the day, you fill each bin with one activity.  The child starts on bin#1, completes whatever is in it, and then moves onto the next box.  Some bins will have a little note, “Do this with mom,” and some will not.  Some bins have plain old school work, and some a fun activity.
This appealed to me right away for my 5 year old who can breeze through school in 30 minutes if I am not careful.  Then the rest of the day is spent with me trying to keep her occupied while I help sister.  The other thing that jumped out at me is that all these moms who blogged about work boxes said that…
They now find time to do all those “extra” things they always want to do in their homeschool day and never find the time for.
Sign me up!
When I first came across this idea, I tried to use a 5 drawer cart I already had.  I did this with Soleil and it worked pretty well, but I was loving the idea of 12 whole bins to fill.  Then, Coco said she’d like to try it, too.  After one day with them both using the bins, I am hooked.  I love it, they love it.  Soleil got up after I put her to bed tonight because she needed something and I saw her peeking in tomorrow’s boxes with a big old grin on her face!
My only concern was my husband not liking the idea of more school stuff in our living room.  When I set them up and showed him how easily we could move them to another room if we have company over, he was fine with them.   (I think once I got the whiteboard up in our living room he figured it was a lost cause.)
There are all sorts of ideas out there for these workboxes.  The original site is here:  Workbox system.  I got my racks at Target for $15 and the clear shoe boxes there as well for $1 each.  They had really cute baskets that would have worked, but cost twice as much.   I was a good girl and got the cheaper ones.
The bins with the numbers I made for them:
IMG_7714
Soleil’s are pink, shown here.   Coco’s are the green ones above.
Some moms say they worry about not having enough ideas to fill the boxes.  I, of course, have the opposite problem.  I do have loads of ideas for filling the boxes, and I will be posting those soon.
[Here it is!  Filling your workboxes!]
I even made a wish list at Rainbow Resource Center for more activities, and will use any leftover cash in my curriculum budget to buy those.   [Note: as I said, I wrote this in June.  My curriculum is all bought now and I had a good laugh at my idea of leftover cash.  How cute.]

 

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Got Yeast?

This is an article by Dr. Brooks, Micah's Autism Doctor....She is an incredible woman that devotes her life to treating children with a variety of medical problems www.mychildwellness.com

Got Yeast? (part 1)

Many kids come into my practice with a laundry list of symptoms and many parents are surprised to find out they have yeast growing in their digestive system. You can imagine many parents are angry, they ask me “why was this not ever considered by our family doctor or pediatrician?” Let me first defend them, they don’t know that this exists, nor are they taught to look for or treat this epidemic. Many have long since graduated from medical school and unless they keep current with the functional medicine aspects of disease they wouldn’t know about it. Eventually parents find their way to someone that addresses the functional medicine aspects of children and POOF we find the culprit.
The special needs children are the hardest hit by Yeast, Why?
These kids have weakened immune systems and abnormal detoxification systems that are fragile. Many have had tens of rounds of antibiotics to treat their recurring illness. There are many reasons a child may have yeast, the most common way a child gets yeast is by antibiotic use. The antibiotics go in to the system and eliminate all the good and bad bacteria, leaving an imbalance in the gut. The yeast then multiply and populate the digestive tract and growth can take years to become symptomatic, in many cases the children I see have had it for most of their life when we trace back their symptoms and medication use.
How common is this?
This is an epidemic I see in practice with over 75% of kids tested show positive for pathogenic yeast.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms range upon age, exposure and other underlying medical issues. Some symptoms may include bloating, gas, constipation, foul smelling stool, inappropriate laughing, eczema, bed-wetting, intermittent aggression/poor behavior that is unexplained.
Most parents seek answers when the aggression comes on, complaints at school or inability to control them at home. Just know that the symptoms don’t have to be in plenty, they can have just one.
That is all for now. Stay tuned for Part 2, to be out by the end of the month. I will discuss labs, treatments and share some tips.
Be Well,
Dr. Brooks

Got Yeast? (part 2)


In my last post we covered some basic questions about yeast and now I want to get into testing, treatment and what parents should know and expect. I find the kids that do great under care have parents that are willing to comply with treatment and follow through to the end. The consistency especially when treating yeast is imperative to ridding the body of it.
How can parents determine if their child has a problem with yeast ?
If your child is experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in part 1 of this blog then its best to consult with someone immediately to see if testing is necessary. Your child can have only one of those symptoms and have yeast. The fact is that yeast doesn’t go away on its own or with natural remedies, it just grows and gets worse. Parents need to seek out care with a biomedical doctor or biomedical nutritionist. They will do stool and urine testing to determine if yeast is present, this will also show many other things needed for treatment. Please understand not every stool test is the same so your pediatrician may not order the correct test, these are specialty tests and most functional medicine doctors know who to use for these tests. Using an experienced biomedical doctor will ensure you don’t waste time or money.
If my child has yeast how is it treated?
If yeast is present I have found it best to attack it from a variety of ways and treatment lasts for approximately 4 months. The test results will outline proper medications for the elimination of the specific yeast that tested positive. The variety in treatment helps to eliminate all the subtypes of yeast that are present. Also, be aware that not all prescriptions are the same, in my experience I can tell you very few pediatricians understand this finding, SO its important we educate them at every corner. Don’t be afraid to tell them how great your kid is doing when you see the results, it brings power to the treatment and education to the forefront.
What can parents do to maintain a healthy gut flora and yeast levels once they get their child’s yeast under control?
There are many things that we as doctors need to clear up when we find yeast. Like I said before, it doesn’t travel alone. The best way to keep it at bay long term is to make sure you get the digestive system healed, healthy and keep in line with any dietary recommendations that were made by your doctor. The use of probiotics can be helpful when used properly and with quality products. Lastly, find a way to keep your child healthy throughout the year to avoid the use of antibiotics that may spawn a new grown of yeast in the future. If we as doctors keep focused on quality care and healing children from the inside out then much of this is not a concern.
What should parents expect after treatment?
I see and talk with parents all the time whether in my office or when I am speaking, often they say “we are going to wait to see what happens for a while”, this is playing with fire. Yeast doesn’t go away it grows and gets much worse, takes over the digestive system and causes immense inflammation that impairs them neurologically. When treated, many parents see a regression in symptoms within the first week of treatments and see additional strides made in therapy and at school.
In closing I want to push you to get help on your journey, you don’t have to be alone.
My suggestion is to pace yourself, get testing done immediately to see what is going on and make a plan with your doctor and therapy staff. We all want your child to get better.
Be Well,
Dr. Brooks

Adversary or Advocate? Reaching the heart of your child and a giveaway!

Adversary or Advocate? Reaching the heart of your child and a giveaway!

Check out Sally Clarkson's Blog Again ...She has an awesome giveaway for today!!!

Monday, March 21, 2011

This is a wonderful post by Sally Clarkson www.itakejoy.com

 

Parenting: It all starts with your view of God



Starting with the right foundations
If there was one legacy I wish I could leave to other women, it would be to help them think more Biblically. When a woman knows scripture–the whole counsel of scripture, not just verses here and there taken out of context. But gaining a Biblical understanding from Genesis to Revelation, then she has more confidence and ease in her walk with God. (It is also why I hope to give a good bit of my life in the next years to our leadership intensives where women will learn a little of Biblical instruction, foundations, prayer, Bible study–to follow God in our lives as we serve and love Him. More on that later this month.)
God makes it clear throughout scripture that his priority for us is to know Him and love Him with our whole heart and mind.
“Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, let not a rich man boast of his riches, let not a mighty man boast of his might, but let him who boasts, boast of this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the God who exercises lovingkindness and righteousness on the earth for I delight in these things.” Jeremiah 9: 23-24
And, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Psalm 127
And so the starting point for any arena in our lives must be God–our worship of Him and knowledge of Him and obedience–a heart that wants to please God.
So, let me begin by  praying  for all who read this today. “Lord, I pray that each one who reads these blog articles will be led by you. I pray you will provide them with insight, skill, love, wisdom and the understanding of what it means to be filled with your Spirit and to walk by faith in this journey of motherhood. And bless them with strength, joy and a sense of affirmation in their great calling as parents. I come to you in the precious name of Jesus. Amen”
I do not pretend to have all of the answers to all of the questions that people may have. I feel even reticent to become any kind of an authority, and pray only that I may shed a little insight on what I have learned through the years, by walking this journey with God. I also do not want to place any unnecessary burden upon moms who are doing their best, seeking to find wisdom and can feel like failures, as though “It is too late. I have already messed up my children.”
God is the God of second chances and His whole nature is to love and redeem. So, know that He is in your home, He loves those who seek Him and obey Him and He is a God of compassion and will work in and through your life.
(Even as a Father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. Psalm 103: 13)
And, of course, I am not anxious to attract lots of comments from women who want to tell me why I am wrong or why I do not understand scripture.
But, in the spirit of Titus 2, and my own stewardship of what God has graciously taught me over the years, I write these articles with much trepidation and dependence on Him. But I do think that God would have all of us women, in the spirit of Titus 2,  pass on truths that we have learned so that other women may have more direction and help in the shaping of their families and the loving of their husbands. I longed for a mentor when I was young and so hope, so for the sake of encouragement and to please Him, I hope I might shed some light on this path of parenting.
It all starts with your view of God
Ultimately, so much of what I lived and what I know to be true, I learned by reading scripture, pondering it, studying it, seeking to really know God and walking with Him. Pondering Christ, who is the perfect reflection of God, according to Hebrews 1.
As many of you know, I have often said, “In the absence of Biblical conviction, people will go the way of culture.”
Women will go the way of their church culture, media culture, family culture, peer culture–they will follow whoever is leading, unless they have developed their own convictions. We will listen to other voices if we have not learned to discern the voice of God. The problem with this kind of approach is that it leads to whims, to whatever way the cultural wind is blowing.
And so, when it comes to child training, if people have not had the opportunity to think Biblically or to study the word of God, and about what God is like, they will look to others for “truth.” Most people desire specifics–just give me the rule, the formula, the law, as we want this process to be easy and predictable.
Please know that I am not trying to offend anyone. I want to be of encouragement and help. Yet, I have noticed, too, that sometimes, those who are most emphatic and confident about formulas and rules and laws about child training are those who have young children, who have not lived a whole life-time of raising children to maturity.  It was interesting to me how many comments I had from older women (under my article first time obedience, really) who said that they wish they had known the ways of grace based parenting because of the negative effects it had on their children and how much it incurred anger and rebellion in their children.
Then often times, good hearted parents,  will just take the opinion of a writer or speaker or authority, who says some emphatic things about a subject and uses a few proof texts to add support. What this speaker says, becomes law and rules and a formula to follow. Period.
And then, sweet, devoted women live by the rules and feel guilty if they do not follow the rules to a t, as though they are failing their children if they do not conform to the sound bites and laws of the speaker they are following–the speaker’s voice is in their head.
However, in the Christian life, even in parenting, God gave us a brain to think, a conscience to nudge our hearts, the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us to guide us. All He asks is that we live by faith in him dependence on Him. And yes, I think through this process, God has given a mom intuition and a mom’s instinct for what is best for her child. God always loves to lead us and work through us by faith in relationship to Him and what He is impressing us to do, within the beautiful design of our femininity and womanhood. That is why it is crucial that we are spending time in His presence and seeking to build a foundation of conviction on scripture and knowledge of God.
And so begins a series of articles addressing some of the issues about child discipline that many have asked me to write.
Your parenting philosophy all begins with your view of God.
I know I will frustrate many of you by taking so long to explain the foundations of our philosophy, as you would rather me tell you the specifics of how I did it and why, by God’s grace, I was able to raise 4 children who are obedient and respectful to us and who love God and are seeking to serve Him in and through their lives. But, my own parenting of my four very different children was a process of seeking wisdom, studying scripture, listening to God, following other wise people. It was a process of relationship and love with Him, not following the formulas that it seemed most of my peers were following. We went against the grain of the culture we were surrounded by, and yet found the wonderful presence of God in our home as we sought Him.
But, I feel that one of the most foundational starting points,  is that all of us see our children through a grid. A grid is the lens through wich you see life. And if we can define that grid, then it will determine how we behave in relationship to our children.
Do you see your children through a grid of them being a blessing from God? (psalm 127)
Do you see the fruit of the womb as a reward? (psalm 127)
How does one treat blessings and gifts?
We read in Mark 10: 16 that Jesus took the little children into His arms and blessed them. Do you bless your children and see that as a part of being Jesus to them? He said of little children, “of such is the kingdom of God.”
Jesus also said, “Woe to the one who causes the leasts of these little ones to stumble.” What would cause a little one to stumble?
So today, I leave you with this question?
How do you see your children? What informs your mind when you look upon their sweet faces? Do you see them through the eyes of Jesus? Do you focus on them as someone to police or correct–or someone to love and serve, understand, protect, love and instruct?
As in all great work, it requires so very much time, effort, work, fortitude, faith and patience. But raising Godly children is of the most important work in eternity.
 Child Training, Children, Family, Lifegiver, Mothering, Parenting, Trust in God 

Friday, March 18, 2011

The Fear Of The Lord

As we continue to look at the Book of Haggai in chapter 1 verse 10 we see that the Lord continued to speak to them saying,"Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth,on man and on beast, and all their labors." Then starting in verse 12 we can see that the "remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God....and the people feared the Lord."

The people soon began the rebuilding of the temple and they did so because they feared the Lord.  What does it mean to fear the Lord? And why is it so important for us, as believers, to fear Him?  Fearing the Lord is to have a healthy understanding of how big and powerful our God is and how small and weak we are and to have a level of fear, actual fear of Him. Now some of you may not agree...some may say that having a fear of Him means to just respect God, but I am here to tell you that after God struck down Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) the people didn't just have a respect for God, the Bible says that "a great fear came upon the whole church."

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Magazine Cover Home


Haggai Chapter 1:1-9
The Background- Haggai prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon during sixth century B.C. 
The Message- Haggai’s purpose was to urge the reconstruction of the temple of the Lord, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians nearly 70 years earlier.
The Problem Then- Haggai has instructed the Jews to rebuild the Temple but they believed that the time had not yet come. “Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?’” (Hag. 1:4)
You see, the people of God were so preoccupied with building their own houses that they failed to obey God’s command to build His house. They were so focused on their own needs, they couldn’t see past what they wanted for themselves. They were more “inwardly” focused and less “God-wardly”
The Cost- Disobedience always comes with a price. And although these were God’s chosen people, they were by no means an exception.  “Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvest little. You eat but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You cloth yourself, but no one is warm.  And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” (Hag. 1:6)  The Lord then goes on to say “You looked for much and behold it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of host. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” (Hag. 1:9)
As we can see, God frustrated their plans as a result of their disobedience.  He took everything they had been working for away from them because they were neglecting the very One who had given it to them.
The Problem Now- Are we any different than these Jews to whom Haggai was prophesying?  I would venture to say we are not at all. We also neglect the Lord in order to take care of our own houses. How often do we stay up late to clean the kitchen or fold laundry and, all the while, we are neglecting the very One who gave us that food on those plates and the clothes in the dryer?  How often do we lay our heads on our pillows at night with the satisfaction of a clean house yet, on the inside, His temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17), is a mess.
The Consequences- Here we are constantly neglecting the Lord, yet we wonder why He frustrates our plans. We wonder why things aren’t going the way they should … like “putting our wages into a bag with holes”? (Hag. 1:6) And I know what some of you may be thinking…“Were under the New Covenant! That was the Old Testament!”  Well, I’m here to tell you that God is the same yesterday as He is today and He doesn’t change. He can frustrate our plans now just as he did in the 6th century B.C.
The Solution- We as wives and mothers need to stop neglecting the Lord in order to have this “Better Homes and Gardens” type house. Now does this mean that we can rightly stand before the Lord being lazy and neglecting our homes? No.  What this means is that our number one priority must be time spent with our Lord. Does this take sacrifice? Yes! What are you willing to sacrifice for Him... your sleep….your TV…? What are you willing to sacrifice so that you will not be guilty of idolizing your home the same way that the Jews during Haggai’s ministry?
A magazine cover should not be the ideal! Instead, our relationship with God should be central to our lives that we might have…. “Better Homes of Godliness”.

Monday, March 14, 2011

This Week on Crowned With Joy

Starting Tuesday we will  begin a study in the book of Haggai . I pray that you will folllow me this week as we seek the Lord in transforming our homes from the inside out. If you would like you can get a head start by reading the book of Haggai, but don't freak out it only has two chapters!!!! As you read it ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word and to prepare your hearts for what He has in store for you as we take this journey together.

Crowned With Joy!
LouAnn

Saturday, March 12, 2011

There Are Two Things We MUST Do Tonight

1. We must set our clocks forward an hour.

2. We must prepare our hearts to corporately worship an Almighty God.

Have you prepared your heart for worship?










Friday, March 11, 2011

Striving To Be The Family That God Has Called Us To Be




 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules  that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all His statutes and His commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6 :1-9











This is our family verse and has been since we found out that we were excpecting our first child and although we often fall short of this we strive daily to parent according to God's standards and not the world's. Having this as our verse has given us a vision of what our home should be like, it has been very helpful on those days when we both have felt defeated and unsure.  As you reflect on this passage ask the Lord to reveal to you a verse for your family...you will be so glad that you did!

FRIDAY'S FEEATURED BLOG-COMFY IN THE KITCHEN

                        Feasting in Fellowship Friday/Cream Puff Dessert




  Come join me at  www.womenlivingwell.org to find out how to make it this delicious 
Cream Puff Dessert!!!  




Wednesday, March 9, 2011

I Will Ever Love and Trust Him

When God calls you to surrender it all to Him you never know what He has in store for you. The following week God completely shook things up in the Rogers' home. Our week started out like usual, school at 9 am lunch at noon, little ones napped while the big kids had reading time. I specifically remember something in particular that week that I had noticed before but simply fluffed it off. My youngest son Micah usually liked to sit in the floor and rock, nothing unusual for him, but that week he didn't want to stop. Nothing I did would distract him. But in the hustle and bustle of the day I tucked it away .


Well to make a long story short I began to feel concern over this and a few other things concerning Micah. After several phone calls and an hour long consultation with a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor, my fears had become a reality as she diagnosed him with high-functioning autism.

I remember asking the Lord "Why?"...I remember asking "How?" (as in how did this happen) but what I had failed to ask the Lord was "What?" What was the Lord trying to teach me.....

Then Sunday rolls around and where do I find myself.. ..at the alter, of course, pleading with the Almighty to take it away from him. I would love to tell you that as I stood up and looked over at Micah he was healed...but I would be lying.What God did, and is still doing, is so much greater.  Now, don't get me wrong, I would LOVE for Micah to not have these issues but, more than anything, I want God to be glorified.

As I left church that day I realized that God was doing a great work in my life and in the life of my family. He was putting "a thorn in our flesh", so to speak, in order that we might grow in our walk with the Savior. Oh... but that is not all:
  • He showed me that he is in control of EVERYTHING!
  • That His grace is sufficient
  • That His power is made strong in my weakness
  • and that Micah and the rest of my beautiful children truly are "fearfully and wonderfully made" crafted and molded specifically how he planned and purposed each one of them to be
  • and that each smile, each giggle, each tear, each spill and each boo-boo kissed are a gift that God gives me and that each of them are a JEWEL in my crown
  • And that I am truly Crowned With Joy
Well as the weeks have passed and as we have learned that Micah has allergies to gluten,casein and soy and treatment for his autism has begun we have seen the amazing power of God even more...... our doctor believes that over the next couple of years that Micah will overcome autism and simply be a "little man" that simply can't eat ANYTHING....Just kidding!  But he will have to live on a very restricted diet! Isn't our God good?

I'll leave you with this...no matter what your going through our God is greater, no matter how alone you may feel our God is a strong tower, no matter how depressed you may feel in our God there is found joy and no matter how defeated you may feel you need to know that you can "Ever Love and Trust Him"!

I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender.... How many Sundays have we sung that familiar hymn at the close of service... wanting more to hurry home to lunch than to truly surrender all. Being a preacher's wife I have heard this played more times than I can remember and yet Sunday after Sunday the alter is empty. But this particular Sunday was different.

My husband was preaching on the Sovereignty of God and how we think we are in control but in reality the Lord is in control.  Toward the end of the service he asked the our faith family to examine our hearts and to surrender it ALL to the Sovereign Savior .... and as I searched my heart I realized that there was something in my life that I wanted complete control over and I just knew that God was asking me to surrender it to Him. I can just picture myself, internally, looking to God like one of my children when they are being pulled away from their movie to do schoolwork, they are more comfortable in a place where nothing is required of them...well that was me. God was pulling me to the altar and I wanted to stay "comfortable" just like one of my children in front of Bob and Larry.  But as the Spirit drew me I went to the altar and laid it all down at the feet of my Savior.

However, I soon realized I had an area in my life I was not willing to give over to the Lord  and I knew that this was a hindrance to my walk with the Lord. That day I Surrendered All... yes all four of my precious children to the Savior. The results of that were both joyous and challenging!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we learn about all the Lord has done since. But before I leave you...I want to encourage you to ask the Lord to reveal to you the areas in your life you haven't given to Him, so that you might say "I Surrender All".  You will be so glad that you did!!

Crowned With Joy!

LouAnn
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