Hot chocolate, a poem and a prayer :)

It's been a cold weekend here. Sam is still feeling under the weather and Mark has started feeling a lot worse today. I think he is going in to work tonight and checking things out, and then coming back home.. The terrible cold and snowy, damp weather we've been having is not helping at all. It makes you want to stay in and settle down with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.
Sam likes his hot chocolate with a candy cane it it!! It's very soothing when you have a sore throat :)

I spent some time cuddled up in my quilt doing some knitting this afternoon. We watched "Despicable Me" this weekend. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but I did! In the end the "bad" main character turned out to not be so bad after all :) I'm a sucker for a happy ending :)

A few days ago I ran across a great poem on a new friends blog. Her name is Anita and she has a lovely blog... I am so glad to have her as a new friend:) I of course had to ask her if I could use the poem here...and she said yes! Please check her blog out..I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I do...Busy Hands Busy Mind :)

As many of you know, I do a lot of reading aloud to Sam, due to his Tourettes. So, naturally this poem hit a soft spot in my heart. I immediately thought of another friend,..Lori...who's son suffers from Tourettes as well..You can meet her at her blog here...Jehovah Jireh Dwells Here..

So here is the poem...I loved it and hope you do too! Thanks Anita for sharing :)

When Mother Reads Aloud

Anonymous

When Mother reads aloud, the past

Seems real as every day;

I hear the tramp of armies vast,

I see the spears and lances cast,

I join the trilling fray;

Brave knights and ladies fair and proud

I meet when Mother reads aloud.

When Mother reads aloud, far lands

Seem very near and true;

I cross the desert's gleaming sands,

Or hunt the jungle's prowling bands,

Or sail the ocean blue.

Far heights, whose peaks the cold mists shroud,

I scale, when Mother reads aloud.

When Mother reads aloud, I long

for noble deeds to do--

To help the right, redress the wrong;

It seems so easy to be strong,

So simple to be true.

Oh, thick and fast the visions crowd

My eyes, when Mother reads aloud.

I had the pleasure of babysitting sweet little Maci this weekend. I've already posted some pics of her on my facebook page..But, I couldn't resist putting one on here too!
She is really growing. It seems like time passes so much faster when we get older. I remember as a child waiting on birthdays, Christmas, summer break..it seemed that time was so slow! Now I feel like I'm on a snowball and it's rolling down the hill at 100 mph :)

On a not so happy note, I found out this weekend about a homeschool family that's children were taken away from them...SO sad! I thought I would post a link and that maybe everyone could keep them in their prayers. It's always sad to hear about families being split up..the poor children :( Please if you could, ask other friends and families that you know to pray for them too!

Here is the link http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=253365

I know I've shared here that I've been dealing with a lot of heartache this last year. My wonderful new family doctor suggested that I read a book called "Life's Healing Choices" by John Baker. I started on it before I had my hysterectomy, then I felt like I couldn't get BACK into it..I think I found some of the personal stories of others' trials and heartaches to be too much for me. So, I am going to make an earnest attempt to finish it..even if it means scimming over some of the testimonies. One of the first things in the book is a prayer to pray...I thought I would share it here. The book deals with helping us (through God) to get over life's hurts, hang-up, and bad habit..Of putting God in charge...REALLY in charge of our lives....

Dear God, please help me not to ignore this pain You are using to alert me to my need for help. In the past, as I've ignored the denial busters You've allowed in my life, I have actually refused Your help. I am so sorry for this and ask Your help in facing the truth and trusting You to care for me. You know and care about all the pain and hurt I have in my life. Today I need Your help. I can't do it on my own. I have tried, and I keep coming up empty.

First, I pray for Your power in my life. I need Your power to break habits I can't break. I need Your power to help me to do the things that I know are right but can't seem to do on my own. I need Your power to break free from my past. I ask for Your power to get on with the plans You have for my life.

Next, I pray for love. I want real love. I want to be able to love people and have them love me. I pray that with Your love I can let go of past hurts and failures so I can tear down the walls of fake intimacy. God, I ask You to help me have genuine intimacy with You and others. Help me not be afraid of really loving and of really being loved.

I also pray for real self-control. I realize that I'm really not in control until I allow Christ to be in control of my life and circumstances.

God, please grant me Your power, love, and self-control. Help me to continue making healing choices. Amen.

I'm sorry for such a long post, but I felt moved to share that prayer...I think the control issue is probably a struggle for most of us. Really giving in and letting God control everything..that can be SO hard to do.

I better go for now. Since Mark has been working 3rd shift, it's been a struggle for me to not follow in being up at night. He calls me on his breaks and so then I'm up at night:( I feel like I can't tell him not to call. He is the only person there at the school at night..so I'm sure he gets tired and lonely..So, when he calls...I talk ;) What's a wife to do? I think he's being protective too..calling and checking up on us, to make sure we're safe here :)

I hope your weekend was a happy one and that the week starting will be happy and blessed as well.....Love and Hugs, Jerelene

PS...I always find it funny that spellcheck tells me that I'm mispelling my name :) HUGS