Last Nail In The Coffin

Last month I wrote a post about tattoos and the after effects in which you can read here. During my wild and rebellious hey day I stupidly got the stupidest tattoo ever imaginable. Now I am saved, engaged to be married in a little over a month, and I have the blessed opportunity to drive the final nail in the coffin that contains my sinful reminders that I don't want to take into my marriage. While even though he knows about this ugly little thorn in my side, I am not sure I want him to have to see my sin plastered all on my body for the rest of our lives so tomorrow, I am going to have my ugly little stupid tattoo surgically removed. Yep, I am going on the chopping block to have them give me a shot of local anesthetics, cut that tattoo off my top layer of skin and sew me back up. Sounds kinda gross, but for me it's a victory. I finally get the chance to get rid of the visual reminder of my sin graffiti.Yes, I know he will accept me the way I am, but this is one of those things that just needs to be buried. No funeral, no memorial, nothing but a plain casket and buried deep into the ground. I ask that you pray for me that this minor procedure will be just what it is: minor.

The more I type, the more I think about all of those sinful little skeletons that are dying to come out of the closet and rob us of our spiritual self esteem. Such is the case with me , and every time I look in the mirror I feel a overwhelming sense of shame and embarrassment. This my friends should not be. When I repented of my sins, they were cast as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), so then why can't I accept that and allow him to cast the guilt and shame from those sins with them. We have to strive( especially as women) to allow those past guilty and shameful trash bags be tossed along with our sins because in essence they only rob us of the true joy and beauty that is associated with salvation.

Have a blessed week and keep me in your prayers. smfg

Weather: Science or Scripture??

Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.(KJV)

pictures taken from fox16news.com

It seems like lately my poor little state has had so many tornado's. We had one this morning that claimed the lives of seven( thus far). Many have lost their homes and businesses and are just left completely devastated. Some communities haven't recovered from the major twister we had earlier last month. You can read about that one and see the pictures here and here.

This is just a constant reminder to me of God's awesome and unexpected power. In the bible, the whirlwind is referenced 27 times. Of the 27 times it's referenced in Scripture, only twice is it not associated with God's fury. I sometimes ask myself if the recent and frequent acts of nature due to God's fury? Is there a message hidden in the whirlwinds, floods, earthquakes, tsunami's and wildfires? If indeed he is trying to send a message, are we getting it? Or are we so caught up in trying to disassociate the weather with it's prominent relevance in Scripture and associate it more with science?

Many seem to get angry when you associate weather with God but I can't help but to wonder in awe about the spiritual correlation. I'm not saying that God is punishing us with weather, but it's something about man, we just tend to forget to acknowledge his power and we tend to lean more towards scientific explanation. Just something to ponder the old noggin as I try to seek God more than I do the local weather man. And to think we had a low percent chance of rain just a few days ago and a killer tornado once again when we least expected it.

Also if you get a chance, check out my bloggy buddy Terry's Virtual Baby Shower over at Brenda's Place at the Family Revised. It's a treat and a wonderful way to start the weekend!

More Advice Solicitation

Okay, I have a need for more advice. I don't know if it's because I am getting married,or because everyone around me seems to be preganated ( as my friend calls it) but I have the baby itch...... I will admit, I know nothing at all about planning for a baby as I didn't plan to have either one of mine. And I don't really know how I feel about the topic of birth control. I know I don't believe in contraceptives of any kind, but I don't know how I feel about natural method, AND right not that's not what I am soliciting. My FDH wants a nice size family ( an old testament family as he so jokingly calls it) and of course I do to.

My dilemma that with my girls I worked so much that I missed out on so many milestones. I had great support from my parents, but honestly they raised my babies and not me. I was that mother that had to send them to daycare at 3 months and one at 5 wks, because I had to work and sometimes my work included traveling and or living away from my children ( military). My oldest was born the summer of my last semester of undergrad so I was able to stay with her a little longer, but then once the semester started I had to go away, and my littlest, well I took off so much due to complications, that I didn't have much leave time and I had to leave her at 5 wks. Shortly after she was born, I was called to active duty and had to leave them both for almost a year, that's not to mention how many other times I have had to leave them due to a demanding job. But that is the reality for many single women. You HAVE to work, sometimes you have to make a trade and its not easy. It's not easy when your baby looks to your parents when they are hurting, or sick, just plain old would rather be with them than you. It's not that they don't love you, they just aren't used to your 100% of time and nurturing. I could go on and on, but I wont. It's too painful, and it's the past.

Needless to say, I don't desire to do this again. EVER again. So I am soliciting advice for all those women who left the workforce to come home. I know I want to come home, and we are praying for the right time, but how did you do it? I would love to hear the stories and the encouragement. And being that we had such an explosive post going around last week about the values of being a keeper at home, especially within my race I would love to sop up all the teaching I can.