Wonderfully Made





"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!"
Psalm 139:13-17

Baby #3; ultrasound at almost 29 weeks!

A Confirmation & Challenge through Lysa Terkeurst




God's been speaking to me in a LOUD voice lately.


I've been reading through Lysa Terkeurst's book "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" with a few ladies from church.  
Tonight was one of those nights...
 I had to sit through another one of those moments when God says,
 "Helen!  Pay attention!  This is for YOU!"  

Last week we went through 2 Peter 1:3-8, which is one of those Scripture passages that has been challenging ever since God tugged me while making brownies THREE YEARS AGO! 

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:3-8

 Remember THIS post???  If not, STOP NOW and go back to THAT post!!!

Ok, now that you've gone there and back, here's what God has been challenging me with...
"Helen, focus on ME!  This is all MINE, offer it back to ME!"
Time.  Possessions.  Home.  
Children.  Hobbies.  Ministry.  Business.

In 2 Peter 1, the apostle Peter challenges all of us to not be complacent, 
but to be more God-focused (not just "good").  It's not about what we can or can't DO.  It's not about being PERFECT (remember?  Shattering the Illusion of Perfection?).  It's about identifying those areas in MY life where I let the world fill when my soul is empty and depleted.
"When my soul is depleted, it's like a sponge", and that's when I NEED to go to the Lord, my true source of strength, encouragement, and truth. 

Anyway...
At the end of tonight's Bible study with the ladies, Lysa's week assignment was this:
OPEN UP YOUR HOME IN SOME WAY.

WOW!
WOW, God!
Hasn't THAT been the theme of these last few weeks?
Saying YES to God when He nudges me to open up my door to that one person who needs encouragement.
This is really sounding like a broken record.  
But somehow, the confirmations have been flooding my mind, my conversations, and now my Bible study meetings!  

Wow...
What else can I say?
How can you open your home in some way this week?