Fret Not

Today was picture day at our co-op.

 

Last night I laid out all of the outfits, ironed shorts, packed shoes, a brush, and my camera, so that we would be ready.

 

We headed up to the room at the appointed time and when we found out pictures were a little behind I knew I'd have several opportunities to snap a picture of the kids in their matching outfits.  I was so glad I would have time to get just the right picture of my crew.

 

So I tried....

 

 

and I tried again....

 

and again....

 

We even switched locations!

 

NOPE!

 

Finally Drew said to me, "I don't think you are going to be able to get a good one." 

 I realized that he was right, so I put my camera away.  (Btw-these are only a few of the outtakes!)

 

I don't know why sometimes I'm so insistent on having my own way.  Everything is not always going to go as planned.

 

I did my best to be prepared today as I brought everything we could need for pictures, yet when it came time to snap my pretty picture, I couldn't get the one in pink to cooperate.  :)

 

This past Sunday at church, I picked up Ellis in the nursery and they told me she went potty.  (and earned an extra cookie for it too!)  I thought, "what a good day she had."  Big girl.  :)

 

 

 

Then we walked out to meet up with the boys and I got to hear their Sunday stories.  Usually I just hear about what they did in class but I was met with...

 

...Davis, who was wet from spilling water all over himself...

 

 

 

 

...Knox, who made a get well card for our dog, Rex (who was put to sleep in the Spring)...

 

 

 

....and Drew, who got stung on his finger on the playground.

P.S.  He's showing his hurt finger.  : )

 

 

So church didn't go as expected, but they still had a good time in their classes, and we enjoyed a fun family lunch at Panera's after.

 

Tonight I was listening to Pastor Jon Courson teach on my favorite verse, Psalm 37:4.  He was actually teaching on Psalm 37:1-7.  It's his most recent teaching from this past Sunday.

 

Click here to listen.

 

I planned to only listen to 15-20 minutes, but it was so good I couldn't turn it off and listened to the entire message.

 

Pastor Jon explained that David was writing this Psalm to his son Solomon to prepare him to be King.

He opens this Psalm by telling him to fret not.

 

Courson said there's a saying about worrying.

 

Worrying is like a rocking chair;

 it will give you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.

 

I fret all of the time.  I fret about the house we're building, I fret about how things will go while Andy's out of town, I fret about getting school done with the kids, and I fret about getting a good picture.  : )

 

But, sometimes life just doesn't go as you planned.

Courson said we are either fretting or trusting.  Life goes fast and this is the only opportunity we have to walk by faith and trust the Lord.

 

This made me think of the movie UP.  It was on TV this afternoon and the kids and I watched part of it before we left for football practice.  We didn't see it all, but we did see the beginning.

 

The beginning gets me every time!  When it shows the life of Ellie and Carl from the time they met as children until she passes away, it makes me tear up.  (and sometimes cry)

 

 

 

 They had so many dreams and it didn't go as planned.  But, they always seemed to make the best out of what they were given.

 

Yes, I know this is a cartoon, but I love the message of this part!

 

It's late so I won't get into everything Courson taught, but I did learn something new about the beginning of verse 4, where it says to "Delight yourself in the Lord..."

 

He went into detail about this and talked about what it truly means to delight in the Lord.

 

He said, what if we were asked what our passion or hobby was, and we were able to truly answer with, the Lord.

 

"Delight"

He is my pleasure, He is my hobby.  When I have free time I desire to spend it with Him.

 

This is not where I am, but where I desire to be.

 

Last year one of my main hobbies became running, but that has been taken away at this time due to an injury.  I haven't been able to run for months, but I still go to the gym, which is a hobby, but now (with the wise counsel from a workout buddy), I'm also going to take a break from that to see if my knee will heal.

 

Slowly I am feeling like my hobbies are being stripped away.  I know that's a pretty strong way to put it, but it's how it feels.  I'm not choosing to put them aside.  I physically can't participate in them.

 

So what better time than now to draw closer to God, share my desire with Him to truly "delight" in Him, and let Him become my biggest passion.

 

Courson closed by sharing the first words of these 7 verses. (KJV)

 

Fret Not

For

Trust

Delight

Commit

And

Rest

 

What wisdom and power there is in the Word.  When life doesn't go as planned, I pray that we will all remember to fret not.