I have always been so proud of Josh and the guys of Echoing Angels. But, today I realized how proud of them I really am! It's always so awesome to watch the guys when they are at a show or a meet and greet and how they interact with their fans. Today, I learned first hand that not all artists are like that and that is really sad. Josh and the guys are so good at talking to people and being sure to ask what their name is and really listen to them when they are talking...especially when they are telling them how a song has touched them. We met a guy tonight from a band who's song really helped me through my miscarriages and through the fear during the early part of my pregnancy with Lacey. I really felt like I needed to tell him how much it meant to me and to thank him because I know that it encourages EA when they hear stories like that. Well, although he was somewhat nice, he never asked me my name, didn't really seem interested and then said that he needed to go out into the park to ride rides with his family. Now, don't get me wrong, I totally understand family time and how that time is precious. But, it was just a little rude and abrupt. Even Josh said, did he even ask you what your name was? It just really made me proud of our guys and how genuine they are. I still love the song and it doesn't change my feelings toward that...and not really the group. But, I would hope that more artists would really take the time to be genuine with their fans. After all, they are the ones buying their music. So Josh, Trey, JP, Shannon and Neil...thank you for being you and for loving your fans! Thank you for being so genuine and caring. You truly are the real deal! I love you all!
Read Matthew 26/Mark 14 or Luke 27
Maundy Thursday is today, the Thursday before Easter. It is the day we remember the Last Supper that Christ had with His disciples. It was passover and Jesus and the disciples ate the Passover meal together. Jesus breaks bread saying, "This is my body, broken for you." After, He poured wine for everyone saying, "this is my blood of the new covenant for you." The 12 disciples probably didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Christ was about to be betrayed by Judas and handed over to the soldiers for crucifixion. But even more awesome was that the New Covenant, the fulfillment of God's laws that they religiously practiced was standing there in the same room! Christ was the law, the ultimate sacrifice, the atonement for the all the world. We no longer have to follow the strenuous laws of the old testament because Jesus set us free! We no longer have to offer an animal sacrifice to atone for our sins because Christ came and is our sacrifice! But that doesn't mean we shouldn't study and learn and even celebrate the old law. The more we know about it, the more intimately we know Jesus and it's all the more exciting to read the new testament because He is the old testament in the flesh!
During this last supper, the first communion, the bread represented Christ's broken body on the cross and wine the blood. But there is more to it! It's not just about what Christ did on the cross, it's about the old covenant being broken and the ushering in of the new covenant between God and his people. That's a reason the celebrate today!
Maundy Thursday is today, the Thursday before Easter. It is the day we remember the Last Supper that Christ had with His disciples. It was passover and Jesus and the disciples ate the Passover meal together. Jesus breaks bread saying, "This is my body, broken for you." After, He poured wine for everyone saying, "this is my blood of the new covenant for you." The 12 disciples probably didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Christ was about to be betrayed by Judas and handed over to the soldiers for crucifixion. But even more awesome was that the New Covenant, the fulfillment of God's laws that they religiously practiced was standing there in the same room! Christ was the law, the ultimate sacrifice, the atonement for the all the world. We no longer have to follow the strenuous laws of the old testament because Jesus set us free! We no longer have to offer an animal sacrifice to atone for our sins because Christ came and is our sacrifice! But that doesn't mean we shouldn't study and learn and even celebrate the old law. The more we know about it, the more intimately we know Jesus and it's all the more exciting to read the new testament because He is the old testament in the flesh!
During this last supper, the first communion, the bread represented Christ's broken body on the cross and wine the blood. But there is more to it! It's not just about what Christ did on the cross, it's about the old covenant being broken and the ushering in of the new covenant between God and his people. That's a reason the celebrate today!
I feel like I struggle with this thought a lot. I am a very black and white person and I don't do well with gray areas or things that I have no control over. So, this is why I struggle with faith. As you know, a HUGE part of what EA does is based on faith. Faith that they will have shows booked, faith in the people that work for them, faith that radio stations will play their music, faith that people will buy their music, faith that some way, some how their bills will get paid during slow times. The past two to three years has been a real faith tester for me. I will say though God has NEVER forsaken me nor let me down. There have been so many times when I know it was God that brought us through or opened up a door. However, I still have many questions, concerns, and worries. Why? I guess it is part of who I am. By completely living on faith, you constantly stay in a gray area- always wondering, or at least I do.
I haven't blogged in a few days and tonight I was sitting here thinking that, "What can I blog about?" Just like God always does- he provides. I was scrolling through Facebook and I noticed what Jon had posted. I thought it was very relevant to what I have been going through, so I decided to share. The scripture comes from James 1:12 and states- "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."
I hope this scripture touches someone as it touched me tonight.
Be Blessed..... <><
Yesterday began the Passover celebration. Passover is a Jewish holy day and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of "Nisan", which is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and is celebrated for seven or eight days. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.
In Exodus, God helped the Children of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves. Plague #10 was the worst: Death of the Firstborn. Moses told the king that every firstborn would be killed. Everyone from the Pharaoh's son to the slave woman's son would die. God instructed Moses to tell his people to make sure every household had a lamb, a one-year-old male without any defects. On the given day, they were to slaughter, cook and eat the animal and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel of death would see the blood when he came to kill the firstborn and would "pass over" when he saw the blood. All of the firstborn of people and animals of the Egyptians died that night and Pharaoh freed the Israelites.
When Pharaoh freed the Israelites, they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday.
These days, only Jewish people celebrate this but I think that is such a shame. We should ALL be observing this! This is our heritage! But not only is it our history, it is symbolic and a prophecy of Christ. He is our Passover Lamb! He is the spotless lamb whose blood is shed on the door posts of our souls saving us from the Angel of Death! He came to save us and offer us an escape from our slavery and a way into the promised land. Praise God for this awesome foreshadowing of the cross! So... tell me again why we don't celebrate Passover? We are missing out.
In Exodus, God helped the Children of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves. Plague #10 was the worst: Death of the Firstborn. Moses told the king that every firstborn would be killed. Everyone from the Pharaoh's son to the slave woman's son would die. God instructed Moses to tell his people to make sure every household had a lamb, a one-year-old male without any defects. On the given day, they were to slaughter, cook and eat the animal and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel of death would see the blood when he came to kill the firstborn and would "pass over" when he saw the blood. All of the firstborn of people and animals of the Egyptians died that night and Pharaoh freed the Israelites.
When Pharaoh freed the Israelites, they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday.
These days, only Jewish people celebrate this but I think that is such a shame. We should ALL be observing this! This is our heritage! But not only is it our history, it is symbolic and a prophecy of Christ. He is our Passover Lamb! He is the spotless lamb whose blood is shed on the door posts of our souls saving us from the Angel of Death! He came to save us and offer us an escape from our slavery and a way into the promised land. Praise God for this awesome foreshadowing of the cross! So... tell me again why we don't celebrate Passover? We are missing out.
This birthday has been the best birthday I have ever had! Instead of celebrating one day, I managed to spread it out over the whole weekend and extending into Josh's birthday, which is TODAY! So be sure to go to his Facebook page and wish him a happy birthday! Anyway, I had an amazing birthday (on April 14th) with my daughter Lacey and my parents. We went to Longhorn Steakhouse and had a yummy dinner. Then we went back to there house and my mom had set up some decorations and made me a red velvet cake (my fave). It was such a fun night with my family.
Friday night my girlfriends and I had a girls night. We started out at Laredos (my favorite Mexican Restaurant) and had a blast! We laughed so much that night at dinner. Then towards the end we started taking pictures and next thing I know I feel this big plop on my head and on came a sombraro (sp?). It scared me to death but I laughed so much after that. After dinner a few of us (Megan, Dina, Heidi and Debi) went to US Play to do some bowling. We had a coupon to use and the guy at the counter wouldn't let us use it! Boo on him! But, we at least still bowled one game. And as you can see from the picture above, I didn't do so well. I think this is the worst game I ever bowled. But, it was so busy that night that all of the lower weight balls were taken and so I had to use a ball that was about 2 pounds heavier than what I would normally use. Around the 8th frame someone finally finished with the right weight and was able to do a little better the last 2 frames. It didn't matter to me though, because I had such a great time with these girls. After bowling we were going to go to The Melting Pot for chocolate fondue but as you saw from Emily's post below we had some pretty wicked weather and I decided to call it a night so the girls could all get home before it got any worse.
Saturday night Emily took me out to Shogun, a hibachi place for dinner. Wow! Yummo!!! Dinner was so, so good!!! And of course it was Emily's mission to try and embarrass me as much as she could. So, they came out and put a napkin hat with chopstick in it on my head. LOL. I looked beautiful! NOT!!! Then after dinner we went to the mall and just hung out. It was such a fun and relaxing evening!
I have to say that I feel soo blessed to have each and everyone of these girls in my life! Their friendship means so much to me! Thank you girls for making this birthday more special than I ever dreamed it could be.
To finish...I have to say how thankful I am this birthday for my family. Josh...I love you so much! Your unconditional love and support blows my mind! I love you more and more every day! And I want to thank you for the best gift we could've gotten for our birthday's this year...Lacey Elisabeth! That is the BEST present of all this year!!!
Even though I am in the middle of my zillion hour 2 week work stretch, I have managed to have a little fun. My mom got the kiddos yesterday since I was working all weekend and Trey left for Florida this morning. Trey and I were able to go on a date last night, which a rare happening. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, PF Changs. We didn't venture too far away from home because of the bad weather. We shared the restaurant with about 50 prom goers. I was enjoying the fashion show as the girls made their way to the restroom, in groups of 3 or more of course!! Trey and I did not go to our Proms together so we had a chance to talk about ours. Not a subject that comes up often. Just as we were leaving, the weather got ominous. We were about to our car when we noticed what looked like a tornado. We quickly got in the car, and just as we did, lightening struck a nearby power pole, sparks flew and all the power went out in the area. And then the hail came. Trey drove as fast as he could without breaking the windshield. Once we got home, we turned on the weather channel (The Weather Channel headquarters is about 3 blocks from where we ate) and they confirmed that was a tornado! Fortunately it never touched the ground. But sleep was off and on last night as the thunder rolled and the tornado alarm went off in our city at 2 am. But that went around us, thankfully. I am so thankful for the time Trey and I got to spend together. With our schedules, we rarely get that. He is still the love of the my life.
Tonight, after I got off work I met Cami for dinner. I didn't go to the girls night out last night because I wanted to hang out with Trey. Cami and I went to a habachi grill to celebrate her birthday. Once again, there was a parade of Prom couples. Cami and I decided next year we were going to dress up in old formals and go out on prom night too. The kids will wonder who the two old ladies are whose out of style dresses are too tight! Then Cami suggested we have an EA prom night! It would be fun! After dinner, she and I went shoe shopping in mall....felt like I was 13 again. The mall on a Saturday night....yikes. It was great fun talking and hanging out. I feel like we have been friends forever!
I do miss my kids though. Life just isn't the same without them near. I am going to pick them up tomorrow after work. I can't wait!
Tonight, after I got off work I met Cami for dinner. I didn't go to the girls night out last night because I wanted to hang out with Trey. Cami and I went to a habachi grill to celebrate her birthday. Once again, there was a parade of Prom couples. Cami and I decided next year we were going to dress up in old formals and go out on prom night too. The kids will wonder who the two old ladies are whose out of style dresses are too tight! Then Cami suggested we have an EA prom night! It would be fun! After dinner, she and I went shoe shopping in mall....felt like I was 13 again. The mall on a Saturday night....yikes. It was great fun talking and hanging out. I feel like we have been friends forever!
I do miss my kids though. Life just isn't the same without them near. I am going to pick them up tomorrow after work. I can't wait!
Journey has always been in the lower percentiles since he was born. He only weighed 6lbs 12 oz when he was born and has been slow to gain weight. We took Journey to the doctor for his 4 month check up and he weighed 14 pounds and was in the 10th percentile. Two months later we took him for his 6 month check up and he had only gained a pound. The doctor wasn't "too" concerned because he did have a real bad stomach bug between those two visits and that is what probably accounted for him not gaining a lot of weight and he is still showing growth, albeit slow. Well, the child eats like a little pig. His little, fat cheeks are his prominent feature, so to look at him you would think he weighs a ton. I was down at my in-laws house last night and we decided to weigh him to see what the little chunk weighs. To our surpise he had actually lost 1/2 a pound. So in three and a half months he hasn't gained any weight. So my question is, why? As a parent, all of the scary things run through your mind. Nobody wants something wrong with their child. He is not scheduled to go back to the doctor until his 9 month check-up. The doctor told us that if we were concerned he wasn't gaining weight then we could bring him in to do a wieght check. So I just called the doctor to see what we should do. Please just pray it is nothing and that he begins to gain weight...... I'll let you know something as soon as the doctor calls me back.
Today was my birthday...and it was amazing! Josh is in Corpus Christi, TX with his production job so he wasn't here today! But, he totally surprised me and had my favorite flowers (daisies and pink roses) sent to my work. They are so beautiful! It made me so happy! Even though he couldn't be here I know he was still thinking about me and was here in spirit!
I was also overwhelmed by how many "Happy Birthday's" I received on Facebook! It's amazing how a social networking site can reconnect you with so many people from every area of your life. I was totally blown away at all the comments. People that I've known since elementary school, family members to dear friends and co-workers from today. Just unbelievable.
Tonight my parents took Lacey and I to Longhorn Steakhouse. It was so yummy. I ordered the top sirloin and shrimp with a baked potato. So yummy. But, couldn't eat it all. Yay for leftovers! After that we went back to my parents house and had cake (red velvet - my favorite made by my momma) and opened presents.
Tomorrow the celebration continues with a girls night. So looking forward to hanging out with my girls. And then Saturday gonna go to the Big Shanty Festival here in Kennesaw with my friend Cara and then that night going out to a birthday dinner with Emily! Sunday Josh gets home and then we are heading out with his parents for a birthday dinner. And then Monday is Josh's birthday! I think we're going to go to Scalini's and use our $25 gift card they gave us because I went into labor after eating their eggplant parmasean. So as you can see the celebration goes on! It's a birthday week! Yay!
I'll post pictures from this weekend's festivities after they happen! I feel so truly blessed to have so many wonderful family members and friends! And I couldn't ask for a better birthday present than my little girl Lacey!
It is a very busy week in the Heffinger household. This past weekend Trey was gone with EA to Martin GA, where they had an awesome time. Sunday, I was able attend Lacey's baby dedication which was so precious. It was awesome to see two of the most precious people in my life give their baby to God after so many heart breaks! God is so faithful. It was very moving. Today I began another long stretch of work. 11 days in a row I think. But I am hoping it won't be terrible. Tonight the kids have their first swim lesson! It should be fun! This weekend the guys are in Florida and my awesome mom and dad will have the kids since I am working. Cami's birthday is tomorrow so we are planning some girl fun too after work!
On the album front, it is just really hard to wait on God. I really, honestly thought after March 22, it was going to be good news, good news, good news. And while there is some good news, the album is climbing the charts a lot slower than I thought it would. It deserves to be at the top and with the incredible CD release party, the amazing critic reviews, and the responses from old and new fans alike, it SHOULD be there at the top. I truly think the whole project has God's hand on it but once again, He is asking us to wait. In due time....
On the album front, it is just really hard to wait on God. I really, honestly thought after March 22, it was going to be good news, good news, good news. And while there is some good news, the album is climbing the charts a lot slower than I thought it would. It deserves to be at the top and with the incredible CD release party, the amazing critic reviews, and the responses from old and new fans alike, it SHOULD be there at the top. I truly think the whole project has God's hand on it but once again, He is asking us to wait. In due time....
Today I am back at work after a week off for Spring Break. I enjoyed so much my time at home with Jon and the boys. I am having to work an extra hour for the next twelve days to make up for time lost during the winter. This means I will not leave school until after 5! People think I am crazy for teaching middle school. I think I will be crazy after these 12 days. :-) I only have 6 more Mondays to go to work, so when I look at the future like this, it doesn't seem so bad. The weather has been beautiful down here in Georgia. However, we had to turn our air on because it was 78 degrees in our house!! We have ceiling fans going in each room, but even that didn't help. It is supposed to rain tonight so maybe it will cool down some. Jayce started "little batters" a few weeks ago. He is so stinkin' cute to watch. I think he really wanted to play soccer, but we didn't figure that out until his first practice. The coaches had gotten all of the little boys together to roll balls to each other and he found a soccer ball and started kicking it into the goal. Oh well, we will know better for next time. For now hopefully he will learn a little bit about baseball. Jon played all throughout high school, so I know he would love to see Jayce follow in his footsteps. However, now Jon says that if he knew in high school where is future was headed, he would have probably played drums in the band. No matter, what Jayce decides to do, we will still be proud. I am just excited that he is finally at the age to where he can get involved on little teams. It is as much fun for us as it is for him.
What a weekend it has been! Jam packed of things to do, yet, went by like a whirlwind! Saturday the City of Kennesaw had an Easter Egg Hunt and so my Momma and I took Lacey. It was her very first one and we had such a great time! She came away with about 4 eggs and quite a bit of candy...although the candy will be donated to my mom's Sunday School class since Lacey can't eat it! LOL. Anyway, we were so impressed with how this easter egg hunt was run. It was so organized and went so well that we decided to make it a tradition to bring Lacey to it. I think Emily is going to join us in our tradition next year with James and Eliza.
Today, we had Lacey's baby dedication. What a joy it was to stand up there and dedicate our baby back to the Lord. What a responsibility we have. But, we are so ready for it and cannot wait to bring her up in the ways of the Lord. It was so awesome to have so many friends and family be a part of this celebration as well! Emily came and sang "What Faith Can Do". When Josh and I had our miscarriages and then found out we were pregnant again, this was the song that I just kept hitting replay on. I needed something to hold on too...some type of hope...to know everything was going to be okay. She did an amazing job singing it. Definitely brought tears to my eyes. My daddy performed the dedication. It was pretty cool being able to have him do this for our little girl...his granddaughter. And we had several friends that came to be a part of this and agree to support and mentor our baby as she grows up. Thank you to my parents, Steve & Trisha LeBlanc, Emily Heffinger, Dina & Tony Scott, Cara Michelle, Jen Arnold, Winfrey Shields and Aunt Melody. And we want to say a BIG thank you to our Radiant Life Assembly of God family. You have been so amazing to my parents through the past couple of years during the ups and downs and have been so unbelievable to Josh and I! There are no words that we could say to you to tell you how much we love you and are so thankful for you! Thank you for the amazing fellowship dinner afterward in honor of our Lacey! We are forever grateful!!!
One of the most popular Biblical stories is Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. I have been studying this recently in my devotions and God revealed something new to me. Bare with me, it take some history first.
The Pharaoh on the throne made the Jewish people slaves. Moses had run away to Midian and married there forty years previously. God appeared to him in the burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt, to Pharaoh, and tell Pharaoh to let the Jews return to Palestine. Pharaoh was resistant and stubborn. He continued to make the Jew's lives even more difficult.
In an effort to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, God brought plagues upon the Egyptians. There are ten plagues listed and described in the book of the Exodus. After the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his heart, firm in his resolve not to let them go. After the next five plagues, it was God who hardened his heart.
Plague #1: Nile Turned to Blood
Moses and Aaron: Aaron held his stick over the river and the water turned into blood. The fish all died and there was blood everywhere in Egypt where there should have been water.
Plague #2: Frogs
God told Moses: "Go to the king and tell him that the Lord says, "˜Let my people go, so that they can worship me. If you refuse, I will punish your country by covering it with frogs.'" (Ex.8: 1,2) So Aaron held his walking stick over the river and an abundance of frogs came out onto the land. They were everywhere, even in the palace.
Plague #3: Gnats
Aaron struck the ground with his stick and all the dust of Egypt was turned into gnats.
Plague #4: Flies
Moses and Aaron approached the king again to let the Israelites go and worship in the desert. He threatened the Pharaoh with an infestation of flies if he didn't comply. This time a distinction was made between the Egyptians and the Jews. The flies would not bother the Jews. The next day God sent flies everywhere in Egypt except Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Plague #5: Plague on Cattle
The next disaster was the death of all of the Egyptian's livestock, horses, sheep, camels, goats, donkeys and cattle. None of the Israelite's animals were touched. The king remained steadfast and would not let them go.
Plague #6: Boils
The Lord told Moses to take a handful of ashes from a furnace and throw the ashes up into the air. The ash spread all over Egypt and everyone had boils and open sores. The king remained adamant because now God was making him stubborn.
Plague #7: Hail
A massive hailstorm was next on the agenda. The king was warned that everyone should stay inside to avoid being killed by hailstones. The hail destroyed the crops in the field and killed the people who didn't heed the warning. It hailed everywhere in Egypt except Goshen.
Plague #8: Locusts
Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh again. Pharaoh was willing to let the Jewish men go into the desert to worship, but not the women and children. Moses refused and the king denied his request. So God sent a cloud of locusts that covered the land and ate everything that the hail had not destroyed. "Not a green thing was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt." (Ex. 10: 15) God continued to harden Pharaoh's heart and he would not let the people go.
Plague #9: Darkness
God told Moses to raise his hand toward the sky and darkness would fall on Egypt. There was total darkness in all of Egypt for three days. Only the children of Israel had light. Pharaoh offered to let the people go but not their animals. Moses refused that offer and the king told him that he never wanted to see him again.
Plague #10: Death of the Firstborn
Moses told the king that every firstborn would be killed. Everyone from the Pharaoh's son to the slave woman's son would die. God instructed Moses to tell his people to make sure every household had a lamb or goat, a one-year-old male without any defects. On the given day, they were to slaughter, cook and eat the animal and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel of death would see the blood when he came to kill the firstborn and would "pass over" when he saw the blood. All of the firstborn of people and animals of the Egyptians died that night and Pharaoh sent the Israelites away.
Sorry that was long but I'm sure a good refresher of history. Ancient Egyptians worshipped predominately 114 Gods and Goddesses. Here is a list of those that our GREAT GOD offended during these plagues:
Hapi/Anuket: God and Godness of the nile
Hatmehyt: Fish Goddness
Heget: Frog Goddess
Sepa: God of insects and centipedes
Bat/Mhet-Weret: Cow Goddesses
Hike: God of Medicine and well being
Baal: God of thunder Shu: God of air and sky
Kek/Kauket: Deities of Darkness and night Re: God of the sun Khonsu: God of the moon
Ihy/Panebtawy: The child God
Nun-Naunet: God of Chaos and water Yamm: God of the sea (God would really offend these when He parts the red sea!)
And my favorite: Maat: Goddess of truth and order
God used the very thing they worshipped to destroy them. They bowed down to meaningless idols that couldn't protect them.
In the same way, when we covet and worship things that are not of God, He will use them to break down our selfishness and our pride in order to bring us closer to Him. Follow the trail of your time and your money and your eyes will be open to what you worship....greed, love of money, TV, facebook, self, possessions, keeping up with the Jones', addictions, pride...anything that is between you and the Living God. It has happened to me. God will use those to turn your face back towards Him.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Look full in HIs wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the sight of His Glory and Grace
The Pharaoh on the throne made the Jewish people slaves. Moses had run away to Midian and married there forty years previously. God appeared to him in the burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt, to Pharaoh, and tell Pharaoh to let the Jews return to Palestine. Pharaoh was resistant and stubborn. He continued to make the Jew's lives even more difficult.
In an effort to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, God brought plagues upon the Egyptians. There are ten plagues listed and described in the book of the Exodus. After the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his heart, firm in his resolve not to let them go. After the next five plagues, it was God who hardened his heart.
Plague #1: Nile Turned to Blood
Moses and Aaron: Aaron held his stick over the river and the water turned into blood. The fish all died and there was blood everywhere in Egypt where there should have been water.
Plague #2: Frogs
God told Moses: "Go to the king and tell him that the Lord says, "˜Let my people go, so that they can worship me. If you refuse, I will punish your country by covering it with frogs.'" (Ex.8: 1,2) So Aaron held his walking stick over the river and an abundance of frogs came out onto the land. They were everywhere, even in the palace.
Plague #3: Gnats
Aaron struck the ground with his stick and all the dust of Egypt was turned into gnats.
Plague #4: Flies
Moses and Aaron approached the king again to let the Israelites go and worship in the desert. He threatened the Pharaoh with an infestation of flies if he didn't comply. This time a distinction was made between the Egyptians and the Jews. The flies would not bother the Jews. The next day God sent flies everywhere in Egypt except Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Plague #5: Plague on Cattle
The next disaster was the death of all of the Egyptian's livestock, horses, sheep, camels, goats, donkeys and cattle. None of the Israelite's animals were touched. The king remained steadfast and would not let them go.
Plague #6: Boils
The Lord told Moses to take a handful of ashes from a furnace and throw the ashes up into the air. The ash spread all over Egypt and everyone had boils and open sores. The king remained adamant because now God was making him stubborn.
Plague #7: Hail
A massive hailstorm was next on the agenda. The king was warned that everyone should stay inside to avoid being killed by hailstones. The hail destroyed the crops in the field and killed the people who didn't heed the warning. It hailed everywhere in Egypt except Goshen.
Plague #8: Locusts
Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh again. Pharaoh was willing to let the Jewish men go into the desert to worship, but not the women and children. Moses refused and the king denied his request. So God sent a cloud of locusts that covered the land and ate everything that the hail had not destroyed. "Not a green thing was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt." (Ex. 10: 15) God continued to harden Pharaoh's heart and he would not let the people go.
Plague #9: Darkness
God told Moses to raise his hand toward the sky and darkness would fall on Egypt. There was total darkness in all of Egypt for three days. Only the children of Israel had light. Pharaoh offered to let the people go but not their animals. Moses refused that offer and the king told him that he never wanted to see him again.
Plague #10: Death of the Firstborn
Moses told the king that every firstborn would be killed. Everyone from the Pharaoh's son to the slave woman's son would die. God instructed Moses to tell his people to make sure every household had a lamb or goat, a one-year-old male without any defects. On the given day, they were to slaughter, cook and eat the animal and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel of death would see the blood when he came to kill the firstborn and would "pass over" when he saw the blood. All of the firstborn of people and animals of the Egyptians died that night and Pharaoh sent the Israelites away.
Sorry that was long but I'm sure a good refresher of history. Ancient Egyptians worshipped predominately 114 Gods and Goddesses. Here is a list of those that our GREAT GOD offended during these plagues:
Hapi/Anuket: God and Godness of the nile
Hatmehyt: Fish Goddness
Heget: Frog Goddess
Sepa: God of insects and centipedes
Bat/Mhet-Weret: Cow Goddesses
Hike: God of Medicine and well being
Baal: God of thunder Shu: God of air and sky
Kek/Kauket: Deities of Darkness and night Re: God of the sun Khonsu: God of the moon
Ihy/Panebtawy: The child God
Nun-Naunet: God of Chaos and water Yamm: God of the sea (God would really offend these when He parts the red sea!)
And my favorite: Maat: Goddess of truth and order
God used the very thing they worshipped to destroy them. They bowed down to meaningless idols that couldn't protect them.
In the same way, when we covet and worship things that are not of God, He will use them to break down our selfishness and our pride in order to bring us closer to Him. Follow the trail of your time and your money and your eyes will be open to what you worship....greed, love of money, TV, facebook, self, possessions, keeping up with the Jones', addictions, pride...anything that is between you and the Living God. It has happened to me. God will use those to turn your face back towards Him.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Look full in HIs wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the sight of His Glory and Grace
Today is the last official day of my Spring Break. It has been such a relaxing time. I am so thankful Jon was home this week. We got to spend some quality time together. We worked around our house, started working on our taxes (nothing like doing it at the last minute), and played with the boys. When I go back to work Monday, I will be working an extra hour a day for the next 12 days. Back in the winter, not sure if it was Dec or Jan, we had a terrible snow storm and our school was closed for a week. So, the 12 hours is part of having to make up that time. After this 12 day period then I only have like a month left of work and I can not wait. I absolutely love what I do, but I also can't wait to have a lot more time at home with the boys, and Jon when he is home. We don't have any real plans right now for the summer. With what the guys do it is hard to plan a vacation, but we are going to try and squeeze in some time at the beach. We will see. Either way I will just be thankful for some more time off.
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29
Several years ago when I was pregnant with my son James, I received so many things at the baby shower that were lambs. Lambs on cards, stuffed animals, blankets, etc. I thought it was interesting but didn't make anymore about it until a lady at my church who couldn't be at the shower gave me a gift the following Sunday. It was a Willow Tree figurine with a mother holding a baby lamb. My pregnancy had been a difficult one to say the least and in the moment of getting that figure out of the box and placing it in the nursery, God spoke to me. "I am your Lamb." I knew Christ was the lamb of God, the sacrifice that was made just for me, but in that moment, I realized He meant he was my comforter and my faithful companion. It was true. He had given this child to me and He knew the price I would pay to carry him but He stood by me every step of the way.
The LORD Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights as a great lion over his prey
Isaiah 31:4
As the delivery drew closer, my anxiety became greater. I work in anesthesia. I know EVERY thing that can go wrong and I couldn't help but place myself in all those horrible situations. One morning driving to work I began to fret and God clearly spoke to me again. "I am your Lion too." My spirit was immediately lifted. The same God who is my closest comforter is also my fiercest protector, the One who will devour the opposition that tries to take me down. It would turn out, not a month later, that I would need His protector during a very scary delivery.
As Easter draws near, we hear these terms, "The Lion and the Lamb" quite often. Lately, I have to remind myself of each great facet of God. He is ALL things to me. It is easy to forget ALL of who He is when the flaming arrows have been launched at your soul. Oh Great God, the One who is small enough to hear every breath of my heart and the One who is strong enough to defend my life. You are more than enough for me.
John 1:29
Several years ago when I was pregnant with my son James, I received so many things at the baby shower that were lambs. Lambs on cards, stuffed animals, blankets, etc. I thought it was interesting but didn't make anymore about it until a lady at my church who couldn't be at the shower gave me a gift the following Sunday. It was a Willow Tree figurine with a mother holding a baby lamb. My pregnancy had been a difficult one to say the least and in the moment of getting that figure out of the box and placing it in the nursery, God spoke to me. "I am your Lamb." I knew Christ was the lamb of God, the sacrifice that was made just for me, but in that moment, I realized He meant he was my comforter and my faithful companion. It was true. He had given this child to me and He knew the price I would pay to carry him but He stood by me every step of the way.
The LORD Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights as a great lion over his prey
Isaiah 31:4
As the delivery drew closer, my anxiety became greater. I work in anesthesia. I know EVERY thing that can go wrong and I couldn't help but place myself in all those horrible situations. One morning driving to work I began to fret and God clearly spoke to me again. "I am your Lion too." My spirit was immediately lifted. The same God who is my closest comforter is also my fiercest protector, the One who will devour the opposition that tries to take me down. It would turn out, not a month later, that I would need His protector during a very scary delivery.
As Easter draws near, we hear these terms, "The Lion and the Lamb" quite often. Lately, I have to remind myself of each great facet of God. He is ALL things to me. It is easy to forget ALL of who He is when the flaming arrows have been launched at your soul. Oh Great God, the One who is small enough to hear every breath of my heart and the One who is strong enough to defend my life. You are more than enough for me.
My Spring Break got off to a rocky start. I came home on Friday after work feeling terrible. I had a headache, my back hurt, and my throat was beginning to hurt. Also, I had had a very intense and painful session of physical therapy for my knee that morning so I was sore from that as well. I just ignored all of those factors and figured I would feel better on Saturday- besides, it was the beginning of my Spring Break- there is no way I could be sick!
Well, I woke up Saturday and thought I had been hit by a truck. My throat hurt so bad I couldn't swallow anything. I decided to go to the doctor because I knew I had to be sick (even though Neil thought I was being dramatic). Turns out I was right- and Neil was wrong-ha! I had a fever and tested positive for strep. I haven't had strep in such a long time, I forgot how bad you feel when you have it. I didn't want to leave the bed. I seriously must have slept for 20 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. It worked out pretty well because Neil was in Columbus all day on Sunday so I could really just lay around all day quarantined to our bedroom.
Now that I'm pumped full of antibiotics and well rested, I'm ready to kick off my Spring Break! I'm caught up on all the laundry, cleaned out our upstairs linen closet, and now I'm about to tackle the bathrooms and dust. After we have cleaned the house, we are headed to Canton to have dinner with some family. After dinner, we are off to Nashville to visit some friends for a few days. We are so excited to get out of town a bit for the break!
When we get back in town, I have a girl's night with the other EA girls. I'm so excited to hang out with them. We really don't get to spend a lot of time together without the guys, so I'm really looking forward to it!
Well, I guess this house won't clean itself, so I'm off to work!
The last couple days in our house have been a real treat! Not! The stomach bug roared its angry head. It started last Tuesday with Eliza. Poor girl! She had it for 4 solid days. I was starting to get really worried that it was something other than a stomach virus because no one else had it and it was the worst thing I have ever seen. She is tiny anyway, and I am sure she lost a few a pounds. But the worry was over Thursday when James and I got it. I had to call in sick to work Friday which I have not done in about 3 years, because in my profession, its just something you don't do. But I had no choice. And of course, Trey was out of town, so I didn't have any help. Mine is mostly over now, but James is still going strong. He looks better this morning as compared to last night, he looked like death. But he just ate a banana and the bucket is in his lap. I have done more laundry the last 5 days than I have ever done. Just when I finish cleaning up one mess, there is another. Every sheet and towel in this house has been washed 4 times over. And we have watched every Scooby Doo episode that exists. I am ready to be done with this. I have to go to work tomorrow, so I hope my symptoms disappear today and I really pray that James begins feeling better. I am going to try to clean a little this morning while I feel good, the house is a wreck. So far Trey has not gotten it. And I hope he doesn't since he has to be Mr. Mom this week.
I had BIG plans this week. I was going to work on potty training little girl and getting rid of the night time pacifier. Both efforts were halted with the stomach flu entrance. And once again, I am missing out on going to the church at Callaway Gardens that EA plays at quite often. I am the only one who hasn't been and they are having a dinner for them today. I guess its just par for the course right now. I don't get to be involved because I have to work so much. I pray that will change soon. Ok, I have to get back to the pile of laundry.
I had BIG plans this week. I was going to work on potty training little girl and getting rid of the night time pacifier. Both efforts were halted with the stomach flu entrance. And once again, I am missing out on going to the church at Callaway Gardens that EA plays at quite often. I am the only one who hasn't been and they are having a dinner for them today. I guess its just par for the course right now. I don't get to be involved because I have to work so much. I pray that will change soon. Ok, I have to get back to the pile of laundry.
Well, I made it through my first week back to work after maternity leave! Woo hoo! I was dreading it...the part of being away from Lacey. I just love that little girl so much! But, it was nice to be back to work into a routine and seeing all of my friends. They were all so welcoming!
Its funny because this is the first Saturday in I don't know how long that Josh hasn't had to be gone for Echoing Angels OR his production job with Technical Elements. Wow! It has been sooo nice to have him home. So what are we doing on this beautiful spring day? Spring cleaning! Yep...Josh actually cleaned the toilets and the bathroom today. I've been doing laundry (does the mountain ever end?) and right now I took a few minute break from cleaning out my closet. I thought it was time to pull all the maternity clothes out and put them in storage until we need them again. It's amazing things you find that you thought you had lost. Anyway, Josh and I have a long list of things to do around the house. We're also trying to get everything cleaned (company clean) because some friends of ours from Michigan are coming in to visit us later on this week. We are so excited bout seeing them! Billie is my friend from high school and her husband Joe and Josh hit it off when we visited them last August. You would've thought they had known each other for ever! So, we are very excited about their visit with their daughter Mya. AND they get to meet Lacey too! I'll post pictures next week after their visit.
Oh...and by the way...Lacey rolled over several times today! She first rolled over at 9 weeks old and then rolled over once the other night. But, today Josh and I put her down for some tummy time and she rolled over about 3 or 4 times. It was so exciting! It's the little things that make us happy! She's growing up so fast!
Okay...I need to stop procrastinating and get back to work. Laundry calls as does my closet.
