If it can go wrong, it will go wrong

Have you ever had one of those days where if something could go wrong it would go wrong?  That was totally last Thursday.

I had Katherine's 6-month well check and the pediatrician was distracted which frustrated me to no end.  I locked myself out of the house and I had two sleeping babies in the car.  I realized I forgot to replace the hide-a-key which was hiding on my kitchen counter.  I ran over something on I-10 while driving to get my husband's house key and my tire popped.  Both jacks in my truck no longer worked.  And the icing on the cake? My spare tire was flat too.

A "side of the road" selfie with HB.  Captured during one of the moments where he was  not frustrated and crying.

That day was certainly one where there were plenty of opportunities to complain to the Lord.  As all of this was happening though God was gently reminding me of the two week study that I had been participating in through Good Morning Girls.  The theme of this particular study was "Thanksgiving" and for the past two weeks we have been reading scripture every day that pertains to giving thanks to the Lord.  Despite blessings or challenges, we are to come to the Lord with thanksgiving for he is the Rock of our salvation.  (Psalm 95:1) I am so grateful for the past two weeks - I had a full cup of scripture to draw upon yesterday as one frustrating incident after another occurred.  Not to say that I didn't have a few moments where I was on the brink of breaking down.  But through it all, I kept feeling thankful.  And the true praise for that can only be given to our God. 

I share this story, one, because it is humorous, and, two, because I was made aware of the importance of scripture in our lives once again.  I surely would have lost it more than once yesterday  had I not had 10+ scriptures running through my mind about giving thanks to the Lord in all circumstances and at all times.  Regardless of the season of my life I have reason after reason to come to singing praises and shouting joyfully to the Lord.

Oh, and I can't forget to make mention of how thankful I am for my handy hubby.  He left the AI (artificial insemination) class he was in to rescue us.  He was truly my knight in shining armor yesterday.  Love you babe!

Haven't heard of Good Morning Girls before?  It is an online bible study for women.  For more information, check out their website here.

Update on prayer priorities for 2013

I've been meaning to write this post since April.  April y'all.  How did that happen?  It's only taken me roughly four months to find the time (and the mental willingness) to look back and reflect on the prayer priorities I shared in 2013.  In all honesty I guess it's been a matter of wanting to reflect rather than finding the time.  This year has been more full, more trying and more stressful I think than at any other season of my life.  I guess that is why I have put reflection off.

Many of my prayer requests for 2013 involved relationships in my life - relationships with my husband, our children, my extended family and Jesus.  The intent of this post isn't to update you with a play-by-play but rather to modify my requests and again ask for continued prayer.

Two of the most difficult relationships this year include the ones with my stepdaughter and my mother-in-law.  2012 ended without my husband and mother-in-law being on speaking terms.  Praise the Lord that they are speaking again.  Not everything has been sorted out but at least we are heading in a direction instead of being at a standstill.  My stepdaughter has moved back to Florida, yet again, to live with her mom.  This is the second time she has chosen to leave in two years and this time was not any less drama filled than the first.  Sadly our relationship with Brandy is very strained right now.  Brandy's coping mechanism is to "run" or leave when she is unhappy or upset.  Unfortunately she never shared what was making her unhappy enough to leave but it is our prayer that she learns how to cope with difficult situations before becoming an adult.  These two relationships are at the forefront of my prayer priorities.  I am struggling with frustration and anger in some ways and am asking for patience and a continual reminder that God extended grace and love to me even when I didn't deserve it.

Please continue praying for protection upon my marriage - I have a special unspoken request for my husband.  Please pray that he would be strengthened and upheld by the Lord's right hand as he faces a struggle of his own.  Also, I have been convicted recently that I need to be more expectant of God's provision in our lives and finances.  I don't expect, much less look for, God moving in this area of my life and I know that He is.  I need to pray more and worry less about our finances.  God has never not provided what we needed.  May His faithfulfullness in this area of our lives be at the forefront of my mind.

Finally, please pray for my father-in-law.  In the same week that we celebrated my grandmother's life, Kelly and his mom starting talking again, and Brandy left for Florida my father-in-law was in a life changing car accident.  The throttle in a hot rod truck of his stuck and he ran into a tree going roughly 45 mph.  He has been in and out of critical care, regular hospital care and a rehab facility since the beginning of April.  He is recovering from 13 broken ribs, 9 shattered vertebrae and a stroke that occured the first time he started rehab.  He is now in stable condition and is in rehab learning how to live life again is a parapalegic (he is paralyzed from the waist down).  While this is a life changing event for my father-in-law Kelly and I are both praying that this might do good things in his heart.  There have been several praises born out of this situation - Kelly and his dad were "reunited" after being estranged several years and Kelly has reconnected with his half-brother who also became a Christian recently. 

There are two things that I have learned more this year than at any other time of my life:

1. The Lord's timing is not our own but it is perfect.
2. Pray persistently.  Pray in all things.  Pray patiently.  Pray when life is hard, when life is good, when life is uncertain.  Pray even when it's the last thing you want to do because you think you have something more important to do. 

I am grateful for the life I have been given even though 2013 has been full of unexpected things.  I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for the remainder of this year!  Thank you in advance for praying for me and my family.  I would love to know how I can pray for you - leave a comment or email your prayer needs and share your praises with me at katygroseta@gmail.com.

More than I can ask...

I was recently convicted of my need to record the good things the Lord is doing in my life so I can reflect back on these answers to prayers and blessings when I'm in those "valleys" and my memory is more like that of a goldfish.

Kelly and I along with my immediate family have been planning a trip back to Montana for my grandmother's memorial service this spring.  During my first attempt to purchase a ticket using Delta Skymiles I discovered my maiden name was still on my account which would only allow me to purchase a ticket under my maiden  name.  No bueno.  Two weeks later, after submitting a copy of my marriage license and the proper letter to Delta, my name has been updated.  However the minimum number of Skymiles required per ticket jumped by 10,000 for a total increase of 20,000.  Another no bueno mostly because this was going to require purchasing the additional 20,000 Skymiles for approximately $700.  I was heartbroken and frustrated with myself for not checking into these details much earlier.  We were going to have to take the $700 out of savings to make the trip.  After talking to Kelly, discussing the option of driving from Arizona to Montana and back in the time frame of three days, we decided to check our flight options one more time before making a purchase.  And you'll never believe what I discovered this morning: the Skymiles required to travel this morning had decreased by 15,000 for each ticket. 

Wow!  Praise the Lord for he always delivers more than I can ask for or imagine.  And He cares about the details of my life, even the details that I procrastinate on. 

Tender Mercies

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23

My study this morning revolved around God's mercy - it's yet another aspect of God that confounds what the world says. Forgive 70 times 7 says the Lord. (Matthew...I think. I'm sorry, I can't think of that address of the top of my head this morning.) I'm not much on explanations this morning, but I couldn't not share. For your benefit and God's glory, meditate on the tender mercy of the Lord this morning - neither of us deserved it, but it was given at no cost to us, yet we reap the benefits of it through God's forgiveness.

Why I do what I do

So. I was grumpy and tired today. I am in dire need of spring break. Code Blue. Stat. NOW!!! I don't know how else to convey the sheer necessity of a break at this moment in time. The third quarter (January - March) is super busy and can be super stressful for me. I started praying about the preparation of my heart, mind and physical strength long before I started school in January, but 10 weeks can be a marathon. And I am at my point of breaking.

I know this to be true when my fuse is short and kids drive me nuts all day. Typically I am one of the most patient people I know. However, today, there wasn't much that didn't make me want to scream. There's only so many times I can repeat the same thing for 130+ students in one day.

Anyway, I was reminded this evening of "why I do what I do." 28 of my students are presenting in 10 elementary classrooms tomorrow morning; they will be teaching them how seeds turn into plants. An essential element of farming plants so that we can harvest food, right? I'm so excited for them to do this, however like all activities it requires planning and preparation. After a day like today, teaching for an additional hour after school to prepare students for another presentation can be taxing.

But as I waited for round two of preparation I was encouraged. (Isn't God good?) Even on the longest of long days, even on the shortest of short fuses, God is still in control and can lift me up using the same students that drove me crazy earlier in the same day. Mariah and Adrian were reading the Dr. Suess book they are going to use tomorrow; they rotated reading the pages. They laughed quietly exclaiming that this book taught them more about this process than they had ever learned before. And they were excited. Excited about teaching first and second graders about a process inherent to the success of agricultural crops.

What a day. God reminded me that I love my job. And sometimes I just need a gentle reminder.

Is this enough to say?

Do you ever feel inadequate when praising God? I do, all the time. I wanted to share something from an insert in our church bulletin this past week. It's nice. (For those who know me well, you know that when I say nice, I say it in the most sincere manner.) But truly, it's far more than nice. Let this really soak in. Meditate on the characteristics of God which almost seem to be in opposition to each other, but are not, because it's God.

"You my God are supreme, utmost in goodness, mightiest and all powerful, most merciful and most just. You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present amongst us, the most beautiful and yet the most strong, ever enduring and yet we cannot comprehend you. You are unchangeable and yet you change all things. You are never new, never old, and yet all things have new life from you. You are the unseen power that brings decline upon the proud. You are ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need. You support, you fill, and you protect all things. You create them, nourish them, and bring them to perfection; You seek to make them your own, though lack for nothing. You love your creatures, but with a gentle love. You treasure them but without apprehension. You grieve for wrong, but suffer no pain. You can be angry and yet serene. Your works are varied, but your purpose is one in the same. You welcome all who come to you, though you never lost them. You are never in need yet are glad to gain, never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts. We give abundantly to you so that we may deserve a reward; yet which of us has anything that does not come from you? You repay us what we deserve, and yet you owe nothing to any. You release us from our debts, but you lose nothing thereby. You are my God, my Life, my holy Delight, but is this enough to say of you? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe befalls those who are silent about you! For even those are most gifted with speech cannot find words tod escribe you."

Augustine, Confessions, Book1, Part 4

Wonderful Weekends

I love weekends! Who doesn't, right? The month of January has been a month full of weekend blessings and I wanted to share some pictures to help explain.

Blessing #1 - My students. I love my job...most days. :) I took two livestock judging teams to the Arizona National Stock Show over winter break and enjoyed my time immensely with this particular group. Really. Fun. Seriously.

Blessing #2 - My family. While this picture only depicts the females in my immediate family, I still want to send a shout out to my dad and bro. I am so blessed by and provided for through them. Thanks for encouraging me, laughing with and at me and pushing me to do what's right and to always work harder. (This picture of my sister, mom, sister-in-law and myself was taken at a friend's baby shower.)

Blessing #3 - Friends from college. Trisha, Alix and I attended Arizona's premier University (The Univ. of AZ) at the same time. Trisha hosted a bridal shower for Alix whom is marrying a Texan come May. It was soo great seeing both of you!

Blessing #4 - Friends from Florida. After Alix's shower I spent the remainder of my MLK weekend with Jeremy, Rebekah and Sophie Copeland in Sahuarita. The last time I visited them was June 2009 and it was right after Sophie made her debut in this world. (Click the link to see pictures of Sophie then.) It was wonderful catching up with this family and I am so thankful for their treasured friendship.

Joyful and Content

I have just a second now to post, I'm actually at school in between teaching right now. I wanted to share something God put on my heart this morning though. There was a brief moment on my drive that I felt an overwhelming reminder that I can be joyful and fully content in God anytime, anywhere. Regardless of my current situation, good or bad, challenge or blessing. I know this isn't a breakthrough, but my emotions have been on a pendulum this week; swinging from unsettling feelings about feeling purposeless on Tuesday all the way to other extreme of feeling fully joyful and content this morning. I am hesitant to trust my "feelings" because they are temporary and shifting; far from being a feeling though is understanding that my identity in God brings joy and contentment. It is something I am confident of.

Just wanted to share. Boldy proclaim. Praise God.