Truly Remembering

So several months have passed without me boring you with my ramblings.  Here I am today filled with nostalgia, wonder and patriotism and it made me want to blog.  It's Memorial Day.  A day set aside for Americans to remember the lives of those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in service to our country.  It's also the start of summer, a holiday from work, a weekend full of travel, cookouts, fun and usually watermelon.  (I hope I get some watermelon today)

I am grateful for those in my life that have served in the armed forces.  My Papa was in the Army.  My father is retired Air Force.  He also served in the Navy.  I have friends who have served in the Marines, Navy and Army AND Coast Guard.  I am afforded many "rights" because of the freedom that they have helped to maintain.  I am grateful.

I am grateful also for the freedom that I have in Christ.  His blood, his ultimate sacrifice insured my FOREVER freedom.  Thank you simply isn't enough for that.  I don't want to EVER forget what he did for me.  I want my praise to "go on and on and on...forever AMEN!!!"

Here's a song from Natalie Grant that says what my heart feels today.  So...here's to remembering and here's to being truly grateful.

"LIVFRE"

(this was originally posted by my friend Beth in June of '08)


"LIVFRE"

There's a license plate in the school carpool lane that says this. LIVFRE. Everytime I see it, I wonder...what does it mean to truly LIVFRE? How does it feel to live a truly free, authentic life?

And then I ran across this quote today:

"When the words in your mouth and the actions of your hands and the feelings of your heart are one and the same, you're a whole person, you're integrated, and there's integrity in your life."

Maybe that's what it means to LIVFRE - to be whole and integrated. When was the last time your mouth, your hands, and your heart were on the same wavelength?

I'm not sure I can answer that...

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Ok here is where I take over...

I am working towards FREEDOM in Christ and to be able to live my life every day with honor and integrity. I was blessed by Beth's transparency. I am trying to be this open with myself, God and others I trust. There is so much I still need to say, but I am working on it....

Summer Time Fun

Here are some pics of my kiddos enjoying a visit to Mimi's house. They spent the day playing in Mimi's sprinkler and laughing. If I remember correctly this was in July. See how my mind is leaving me?

I hope you enjoy the pics. They had a BLAST!!!

A John 10:10 Life

The New Living Translation of John 10:10 states "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." Last Sunday, April 20, we had the experience of that kinds of life.

After attending worship we came home and got ourselves ready for the Mighty Kite Flight 2008. We piled in the Surburban and drove to Flat Rock, NC for this free kite flying event. Jesse has just recently become obsessed with kites. He has a thing for items that go up (umbrellas, balloons, kites). It is quite cute. He used his own birthday money to buy a Buzz Lightyear kite from Target especially for this event. We took our other kites that MeMaw purchased for us and were looking forward to the day. God blessed us with clear, beautiful, blue skies and plenty of WIND!!!

ALL of us had a blast. The kids had their pics taken by two different photographers (which was a blessing since our camera battery died at the event). Jesse has "kite face" from looking up into the sky for 3 hours. He doesn't even mind the sunburn. Joseph tried flying a kite and Jesse and JoyAnn worked very well as a team. Nathan thouroughly enjoyed himself also flying both his bi-plane kite and Jesse's Buzz kite. We met a delightful famly from Table Rock, SC and exchanged information. They had three gorgeous girls very close in age to our own kiddos.

What I am getting at is, God desires for us to enjoy Him. That is what we did that day. We didn't care how much gas cost. We didn't care if the kids made a mess, had an accident or got sick. I wasn't afraid of the crowds. We completely and passionaltely enjoyed ourselves, our family and the creation that OUR God had made. It was "life to the fullest". I treasure the memory and pray for many more days like this!

True Freedom

This past Tuesday night I was able to finally share my "testimony" with my Celebrate Recovery group. Dictionary.com defines [test.ti.mo.ny] as-open declaration or profession, as of faith. Usually testimonies. the precepts of God.

I have been extremely nervous thinking that I didn’t really have anything to say. I am not going to get into all the details here, but I will say that my Celebrate Recovery group is the ONLY place where I have felt safe enough to REALLY be myself. I feel so completely liberated after sharing. I feel free. I feel loved. In fact, I feel MORE loved after sharing the skeletons in the closet of my life then I did before. Isn’t that an odd thing to say? I don’t understand God’s grace but I praise Him for it! Lamentations 3:22-23 (AMP) says "It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness."

So, now I really feel free to dance, free to run, free to play!!! It is my prayer that all whom I love can and will experience this freedom someday!!

OVER IT!!!

So, I've decided that being depressed, overwhelmed, afraid, sad and tired SUCKS. So as of 9:48 am (official Janelle time) I am OVER IT!!! HAHAHA!

I know that ONLY Christ really can do a deep work within my heart and soul. I do know however that his word says in Phil. 4:8-9 (the Message) "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. "

I do know that I can do my part by allowing Christ to work in me. I can focus on His word, His truth, His goodness. I can change some of the external things of my life, but He has to work out transformation in me by His Spirit! I have a list of things I am doing to work toward the "perfected life", but in the meantime "I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back." (The Message Phil. 2:12-14)

Here's to a Gloriously difficult day! Be encouraged, I know I am!!!