Same Book, different chapter and words.....

In "my world" I have a story to tell, but you also have a story in your world. Why is it, that we look for the "tears" in someone's life?  Meaning this, we just seem to gravitate to listening to someone's story...... their tragedy, their heartbreak, their sadness........

We sit back, read about someone on "FB" or their blog and we grab a box of kleenexes and say, "oh, that just touched me, they are so strong."  More often than not, we end up putting that person on a pedestal and keep glued to "learn" of anything new happening in their life.  While yes, there are moving stories out there, there should only be one story to really share........ "To God be the glory, great things He has done."  But you say, "we are giving God the glory when we read and weep about it, really??????? Sorry, but I think we like to dwell on it.  Facebook and Blogging gives us to much info at times.  It also doesn't help people heal when they are constantly "sharing" and weeping on one another's shoulders.  "How Cruel! if you hurt like them you wouldn't say such things."  WRONG!!!! I have hurt and I do hurt at times, but that doesn't give me the right to feed my hurt.  Our focus should be on the glory we have, NOT on the sadness we had.  Col. 1:27, "........ Christ in you, the hope of glory."

So, for some, this may seem cruel. To you I say, "We all have a story....... I just choose to let CHRIST get the glory for the story."


"Don't cry for me but rejoice with me in what HE has done through me."

Lacking Wisdom

In "my world" I need wisdom.  The older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know. The older my children get, the more I realize how much more there is to being a mother. The longer I'm married, the more I realize I need to be a better wife. The more I read my Bible, the more I realize what little I know........ get the picture?

I love the book of James, it is one of my FAVORITE books in the Bible. (and not just because it's my husbands name)  :-)
James 1:5 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  WOW!!!! you mean I only need to ask for wisdom and it is MINE!?!?  Yes, that is what the Bible says.  Wisdom isn't just knowledge, it is also learning to make wise choices or decisions.  When we face circumstances in life and we just "want to do the right thing" do we pray about it or do we just act on impulse.  Wisdom is NOT just knowing how to do something, wisdom is knowing I need the LORD in all things.  Wisdom is there for me because James tells us that the Lord will give it "to all men liberally....",  liberally means to be given in generous amounts, I just simply need to ask for it.

So let me ask you this, the next time you go to have a "discussion" with your husband or you need to discipline your children have you asked the LORD for wisdom?  I guarantee you the more I ask for wisdom the more I learn to stay silent and let the LORD speak to me and thru me.  I want wisdom when it comes to reading my Bible, I don't want to just use verses that are "easy" to understand, I want wisdom in understanding the verses.

God is good and He is a gracious God for not keeping us in the dark from knowing what we should do or how we should handle a situation.  We simply need to ask.......

So yep, you got it, in my world wisdom is needed and appreciated.

Baking and Baking

In my world I can do anything and everything..... Ok, NOT!!! But I wish I could.

My husband recently purchased me a grain mill and I have been grinding my own flour.  WOOOHOOO!!! I'm one of those all sufficient women,  NOT!!! only in my dreams.  However, it is a wonderful feeling knowing I milled that flour all by myself (with the help of an electric grain mill, of course).  I have been working on perfecting my biscuits.  When I use good old reliable White Lily flour I know how they are going to turn out, but now I am using my very own FRESH milled flour and there is a HUGE difference between the two.  This morning the biscuits were MUCH better according to my husband.  He said the ones before this batch weren't bad it's just that he is used to a very flakey biscuit. Deep sigh.......

As I am typing this I have 8 dozen peanut butter cookies fresh out of the oven and 2 loaves of bread in the oven.  WHAT in the world am I going to do with all these "fresh baked" goodies?

I love cooking and baking, but through all of this I realize more and more how much I lack at becoming more like the Proverbs 31 woman.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up I am just being more realistic about things.  Maybe you don't have difficulty making everything from scratch, sewing new curtains, keeping the house in tip top shape, P-L-U-S taking care of the kids and your husband, well I hate to say it, but I DO!!!   No matter how much I would like to be like many women I hear about or read about on their all to wonderful blogs, I remain me!!!  My job isn't to be someone else or "pretend" I am the Proverbs 31 woman, my job is to be the best wife and mother I CAN BE!

Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."  That is my prayer today; just renew me LORD, so that I might be used of thee.  As long as I have the right spirit, the LORD will and can use me. But He will use the Leanne HE has created, NOT the Leanne I am trying to create.


By the way, the bread in the oven smells way to delicious!! :)

This morning "in my world" I have all kinds of time to get things done. Oh, if that were only the case. Do you ever wish you could just stop time and get certain things done?
I have four children that need fed today. Why must they eat three times per day? You would think if I feed them a good breakfast that should do it for the day but for some reason they keep coming back for more.  Then there is laundry waiting for me!!! Does the pile EVER shrink?  Don't get me started on how my house needs cleaned!!!!!  
Does any of this sound like you or is it just me?  I didn't mention all the things I would like to do just the simple things I need to do.  The everyday tasks that I wake up to each morning.
This morning I read a wonderful verse to help me keep everything in perspective.

James 4:14, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

I can go to bed each night "fretting" about tomorrow's daunting tasks or I can go to bed thanking the LORD for what HE has allowed me to accomplish today. Maybe, I only got the children fed, BUT praise the LORD I did that.  I have no guarantees of the next minute in my life or what tomorrow may really be, I do however know that what time I have here on this earth must be used for HIS honor and glory.
While I am busy fretting about my day, could I be singing praises for all that HE has blessed me with? I need to focus more on the time HE has given me and NOT wishing for more time.  Think about it, as children we wish time would speed up, as adults we wish time would slow down. You would think that somewhere in all that "time" we would learn to be thankful for this moment in "time".

Well, "in my world", things will not come to a standstill and freeze so I can get the laundry done or whatever else I feel is a MUST for the day.  I guess I need to get busy on what time I have been given.

In MY WORLD

In MY WORLD things are NOT perfect. I am learning daily how to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. I wish I could tell you that I am one of those women that has it all put together but truth is I don't. I often become discouraged because of my lack of "togetherness".  Come to find out, there are more woman like me than I thought. I would very much like to be the Proverbs 31 woman, but she is perfect.  As long as I walk this earth I can strive to be more like her but I will NEVER be her because I am human.


My prayer is that as you "stop by" you will feel encouraged, lifted up, and know that the LORD is bigger than your day and "my world".

"........the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10