How great God is!

For quite some time (years even)I have been attempting to get Dylan to clean his room to no avail. It has been one of THOSE battles. His attitude towards getting it done was one I was not willing to fight against...at least not in the sense of making him stay in his room till it's clean, can't play when he gets home because his room isn't clean, etc.

Recently, I had had enough and I gave him one week to clean his room. I told him if he didn't clean it I would (and he would lose his stuff permanently). Of course, despite the fact I even went into his room with him to help on at least one occasion, he did not clean his room. Not even close. I was not looking forward to doing the job myself and taking all his stuff and I have been rather busy so despite the time being up, I didn't do anything with his room.

Dylan mentioned to me more than once about my not cleaning his room and I told him that at any point now it's fair game and I will get to it. Twice in the last week he told me he'd clean it and on Wednesday even said cross his heart(lol). Both times I mentioned to him what he said on that day, he just said "hmm." (He says he cleaned Wednesday, but I couldn't tell it.)

Within the last few days, God gave me the idea of not doing Dylan's room myself, but rather only do part and do the stuff that is the most important to him. I told him a couple of days ago that was what I was going to do. This morning I walked in his room and grabbed the kite he had on his desk. Then I grabbed the "jacket" I had told him to hang up. Under it was another couple of things that didn't belong there. Finally, the hardest one for me was there was a container on the floor with a bunch (20+) cars of his.

God had specifically told me to get rid of it today. That way there would be no argument and/or ability for him to get them back. I "just happened" to be going to a get together today at a friend's house. I took the kite, cars, and cap with me and gave them to a woman I know who has 2 boys. When Dylan got home, I told him what had taken place. He not only handled it extremely well, he was VERY diligent in cleaning his room. So much so, that I told him I would not take anything from his room today.

We talked a little about how my issue isn't his messy room, but the refusal to clean it. As long as he's diligent in getting it clean then I am more than happy to work with him. Once he gets it clean, then we'll have to come up with something for him to keep it that way. For right now, I am just ecstatic that his room is getting clean without me being the one doing it AND without fighting him to get it done!

THANK YOU JESUS!

He MUST wonder sometimes...

I had to laugh and shake my head earlier. A while back I felt like God was telling me to go ahead and apply for the CPA exam and start the Becker Review even though I could run into some potential problems. I recognized that in order to walk by faith, I had to not know how it was all going to work out. If I knew how, then that wouldn't be walking in faith. So, I went ahead and applied for the exam. However, I had not actually signed up for the review since I was waiting on my transcript to be available. In the meantime, I began to wonder and then I discovered that my transcript wasn't going to be available until later than I thought which posed even greater potential for problems. That in turn led me to start doubting (or maybe reasoning ???). I still recognized that walk in faith = uncertainty. Still, I wasn't sure if what I was experiencing was God, myself, or the enemy. Well while I was praying earlier today and I had this conversation with God...

Me: What am I going to do?
God: Have I told you any differently?
Me: No
God: Then what's the problem?

Where did the time go?

Well that went by quick! On April 29th, I took my last 2 finals and it was amazing. To celebrate, a friend and I went to Olive Garden (yum!) and hung out for the afternoon. Then we went and saw a movie.

Can't really tell you where the last little over a week went, but I have been busy. A lot to catch up on now that I am done with school. I have a month TO THE DAY to recoup, relax, and recover. I start the Becker Review for CPA at the end of this month. I am VERY much looking forward to that.

Today was pretty amazing in a lot of aspects. The main one being the way God always provides for me. I have a lot to be proud of today; not just the fact that I have now earned a bachelor degree, but also how much I have grown as a person (especially in the past few months). I am excited about what lies ahead and what God has in store for me...and I am waiting for my "Clay." (hint...One Tuesday Morning/Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury)

Almost There

Can't believe I'm finally here. The final day before my last 2 exams! Woo hoo! God is so good! Dylan "just so happens" to have today and tomorrow off from school so I have ALL day today to study and I get to go celebrate tomorrow after school. It feels so surreal! Words can not describe the excitement I feel. But we're not quite done yet, so I gotta get the emotions under wraps and focus on studying.

My Verse for Today

With everything said in the previous blog...

Here is your Verse of the Day:
1 John 5:4 (NIV). For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith....... Thoughts on This Verse... This is the companion passage to 1 John 2:17 --''The world and its desires are passing away, but the one who ...does the will of God lives forever.'' Our destiny and future are not limited to the boundaries of existence tied to our little blue planet. Our future and our hope burst the boundaries of mortality and are tied to our faith in a resurrected and victorious Savior who is coming back to bring us to his eternal home. This faith is displayed by doing God's will even when most in our contemporary culture choose to chase what is fleeting and transient.


My thoughts on this verse are that there is nothing I can’t overcome! The thing that is going to help me overcome is…my faith! Praise ya Jesus!!!!!!

God has spoken to me numerous times over the past week and a half about what I believe and my faith. Do I believe what I see or am I going to have faith? What am I choosing to believe?

♪ But the voice of Truth tells me a different story ♫
♫ The voice of Truth says do not be afraid ♫
♪ Out of all the voices calling out to me ♪
♫ I will choose and listen to believe the voice of Truth ♪

Part of the Process

Today was a REALLY rough day. My son's behavior was very challenging at times and I had a hard time dealing with it. Quite a few times though, I can’t remember specifically which ones, songs came on the radio that spoke right to what I was going through. God has done that over and over again this last month and it has been amazing! He soothes my soul…heals my heart…forgives my transgressions…makes me new!

When I was in my bedroom talking to God about what had taken place and my actions concerning it I noticed a book open under my night stand. I grabbed it out to see what it was and I read “When the Going Gets Tough.” I just had to laugh. It is a “booklet” from Discovery House that I had started reading awhile ago and hadn’t finished. When I turned the book over it was right at the part that I had highlighted about trials (yet I was past this part in the reading, hmmmm). Almost immediately I read “More than the…was my lack of maturity in terms of self-control and Christlikeness.” OUCH!!!!! More than Dylan’s problem with his behavior was my reaction to it. Joyce talks about making spiritual/emotional maturity your goal. Lord please help me to GROW UP! It is something I am striving for and I hope I get there sooner than later! Not only for my sake, but the sake of my precious little boy!

♫ Lord I want to be just like you
Cause he wants to me just like me
I want to be a holy example
for his innocent eyes to see
Helping me a living Bible Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like you
Cause he wants to be like me ♫

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z8bXcBRIU0

My Verse for Today

I have an app on Facebook called My Daily Verse. Mine for today is...

Here is your Verse of the Day:
Psalm 31:23-24 (NIV). Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD....... Thoughts on This Verse... Love the LORD! Be strong because of your hope in the LORD. In other words, recognize where your strength is. Acknowledge your source of grace. Give praise to God for his abundant mercy and power lavished on us through his Holy Spirit. The LORD God does preserve his people. He does honor faithfulness even if it is mocked in this world. The LORD will bless his people and deal justly with those who mock and abuse them.

Amen! This is exactly where I am. Praise the Lord!