Mal-intent!

Oh Lord, I did it again. I set my alarm for 5pm instead of am. UGH!! That gets the day off started rough! You know me and a schedule and routine. I think this a sign I am really getting old. I don't know how to set my alarm and I get upset when my routine gets off course! Ha! Clay and I were talking the other night about how we don't feel 16 anymore, but still don't feel our age. Just now we feel like 25 or possibly a little less. Clay was kind to allow me to go running after he took the kids to school. He has a late appointment and so I was able to sneak away before he sets off. It was miserable run though. I am not sure it has been more muggy than today and HOT! I could barely breath and had to stop a number of times to regain! I know people must think I am crazy watching or listening to me run. You and I are having a conversation the whole time and it gets quite comical when I have to stop and walk. I am begging You to get my feet going again, etc.

Thank you for allowing Clay and I to celebrate our 12th anniversary on Sunday. We had dinner early on Saturday and so we just celebrated with the kids on Sunday - grilled out! The funniest thing happened the other night. Our sitter called and said Elleigh was afraid to go to sleep because Satan was chasing her. I wondered if Satan had short blonde hair and goes by Sarahjane in our house. Oh it was too funny. The sitter said the others were fast asleep, but Elleigh was scared and wanted to sleep with Tucker. So she woke Tucker up and put them both in our bed. I guess Tucker has special powers to fend off Satan that Elleigh can't do on her own just yet. The sitter prayed with Elleigh as well. She is a keeper!!!!!!!! I guess it can be good they are aware of Satan, but I need to do a better job of explaining how powerful and assuring our God is! I guess that will come in time too!

Sarahjane and Elleigh were swimming across the pool yesterday and kind of racing. The best 2 kids with so many floats on that they nearly float in the air can race! All of a sudden the race got quite close and Elleigh was gaining on SJ. SJ starts yelling out so all could hear, "Help me Jesus, help me. I need to win this race." Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to me. I just giggled and then they did as well. The lifeguard is a Christian I am pretty sure and she began to clap and yell, yes, I love it. That is precious! It was quite a day!

This morning I ran across a devotional on my e-mail about Jezebel. It was titled "Possessions over People" from I Kings 21. This is where Ahab wanted Naboth's vineyard and Naboth would not give it up, even to the king. So Jezebel took things in her own hands and had him killed so that the vineyard would be theirs. I know we all think of Jezebel as such a terrible woman and she is, but I think we all have some Jezebel in us. Taking things into our own hands even if it to please another. I know I have seen this in my own life. I may not kill someone, but I might have as well killed them with words. Wanting to please the one in our presence and so we might say something against one not there to defend. Or we might run others over in order to have our ways accomplished or our goals met. Been guilty of that as well.

Lord, I want more than anything to do things with no mal-intent. I want to do things that honor You and please You. I want to do things with a pure conscience and motivation and not have any blood in the situations. Father, teach me Your ways and teach me to be patience. Much of what Jezebel did was not waiting for You to accomplish things. Taking things into our own hands and that always gets messy, ugly, and hurtful! Change me Lord. Make me whole and in the mean time cut away the yuck and garbage! I love you!