Desperate Housewife

Have you ever seen that show called "How clean is your house?" on Lifetime with the two British ladies? I think Kim and Addie would probably enter my house dressed like this to clean it.Actually, I'd never humiliate myself and go on that show. Kim and Addie point out everything and I want my neighbors to continue to believe I have it all together and that show would expose things like my what to do with clean clothes system:

Yes, I admit I am no Domestic Diva and I am just plain sick of me.

Now, don't get me wrong and think I'm being too hard on myself. I'm not, it's just time to make some positive changes and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get as close as I can to being like the Proverbs 31 Woman.

In January I was so excited to get rid of our pool table because everyone, including yours truly, would do a load of laundry then dump the dried clothes on top of the table. No longer using it to play pool I knew it was time to get rid of it.

I had convinced myself that with the absence of the large billiard table my family would become normal and wash, dry, fold and put their clothes away. No more searching for clean underwear every morning. Was I ever

wrong.

It all started happening again when I moved the big chair the clothes are piled on downstairs and it quickly became the new dumping station for clean clothes. Or if your name is Gene Chealey you make piles of clean clothes on the floor and pray your family comes to claim their belongings. If it were up to Gene we'd pick out 2 Sunday best outfits, 7 changes of clothing per season and 7 pair of underwear and give the rest to the Goodwill. He claims one day he will do this when I'm out of the house. Since that will never happen unless he wants all of his prized Dallas Cowboy hats destroyed we need to come up with a new system.

Cuz this ain't working for anyone of us. Even Amiyah has had enough!

My husband longs for his wife to be organized and I want to be organized, but not just for myself and my Geno, but for the Lord. See, my lack of having my act together affects a lot of people and I'm just tired of it!!!

Hello. My name is Lelia.

I'm disorganized and always late.

If I have to be somewhere I only figure traveling time in and I never leave on time to get anywhere so I'm always last in the door.

I have no schedule for my housecleaning and I need help.

If you had to pee I would not let you in my house to use my dirty bathroom.

If your car was broke down, it was raining and your cell phone was dead I would not let you inside to use a phone.

I need help.

My family and I cannot live like this another day.

We are tired of turning off the lights and TV to pretend like we're not home when the doorbell rings.

HELP!

SOOOOOO, I need your help. Here are my top 3 of many problems:

1.) House is always a mess, in every single room.
Kane's house is cleaner than ours. Kane is Aaron's dog.

2.) I am ALWAYS late.

When I took my son Aaron to the airport Tuesday he literally had 10 MINUTES to check in, go through security, get his ticket and board the plane. It was a horrible way to send your teenage son on his first flight alone. Ugggh!

3.) My family never knows what time dinner will be served.
When your 7 year old wants to eat at the neighbor's because "they eat at 6pm" you know you have an issue when you don't even know what you're cooking at 6pm.

So please give me your best tips on whatever your specialty is in a comment and on Sunday I'll have Alivia draw the winner of this adorable coffee cup!

The winner will be announced Monday morning!

The cup says Just because I'm a family raising, meal cooking, homemaking wonder it doesn't mean I'm a desperate housewife

Unlike the cup, I am a desperate housewife so please share what you know and what works for you. I'm just tired of stressing my family and myself out. My family is a big help to me, but I just don't know how to keep our house clean for more than 2-3 days. Aaron even bought and made a "chore chart" that hangs in the kitchen. He assigned everyone a chore and it is really great, when we do it. It's really cool and I want to actually use it and I love that he took the leadership role of doing it. I do work outside the home for the family business, but I cannot use that as an excuse. This is just me. Always has been and I'm just tired of going in circles. I am a poor manager of my time.


See, I have this fear that if I don't make some changes down here on earth that when I get to Heaven I'll have to sit through private sessions with Miss P31 herself. I don't want to be inside cleaning while the rest of you are outside skipping around on the streets of gold with Jesus!

HELP!

~Choosing Christ~

Yes to God Tuesday: Ch. 4&5

Welcome to
The first part of this post was written last night...

I am sitting in Kelley's beautiful home blogging on her lap top. We have had so much fun this evening. Her family made us feel like we have known them for years as her husband John with 5 of their 7 kids greeted us at the car!

I just feel so welcome.

Alivia is having a blast with Kelley's two younger daughters Cece and Sophie. Aaron is hanging out with 2 of her teenagers, Jake and Lilly and Amiyah is being kissed on by Kelley as I type. Such a neat family and they have the sweetest dog named Maggie!

I wish you were all here with us.

Oh, and this house. Oh. My. Goodness! I was going to secretly walk around and take a ton of pictures, post them on my blog and pretend like it was my house, but of course God doesn't want me to lie so I won't.

Actually the camera's battery is dead.

It is such a warm and very beautiful place to be. With 7 kids, a husband and a dog I don't think she'll even notice if I don't ever leave.


Okay...let's get to our study. If you are just joining us, every Tuesday we meet here and discuss Lysa TerKeurst's book called "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith." This book is an easy read so no matter where we are you can catch up. So join us anytime!
Starting this week we are discussing two chapters a week.

Chapter 4: Loving God more than My Dream
Remember: Anything in blue is a quote from the book

Walking with God will indeed take you to amazing places--but it won't always be where you thought you wanted to go, and the road won't always be easy.


Okay, why Lord? If you are going to take us somewhere why can't you make the road smooth? WHYYYYY does it have to be so tough at times? Worth it, but tough.

Dreams never die. Well, I think the Dream Giver begs to differ. According to Him they change too.

Dreams first or God first? This is the question we must ask ourselves.

For years I wanted to be a massage therapist. Three different times I had applied for the local school here and was accepted. Each time I applied it cost me $75.00 for the non-refundable application fee, but I was so determined that I was going to live out my dream. The third and last time I applied I even went so far as to take a loan out from the bank. Doors were closed hard and quick and so since we had already borrowed the money instead of becoming a masseuse I got a basement full of new carpet. I finally realized that this dream was never going to happen and so I gave it up. That's when God opened a new door that would eventually bring me here to blogging and ministry wrapped in one.


One year for Christmas I wrote a silly poem for my Grandparents and the following year I wrote a more serious one for them that is still hanging in their living room 15 years later. Over the years God just kept opening doors with my writing and I developed a love for it that I would've never thought of on my own. So instead of massaging strangers, I get to meet women like you and grow closer to God! His dream, now my dream too and loving every step of this unpredictable journey!


Our heart must beat in tandem with His.

I really loved when Lysa reminds us that this walk with God will be a lot less about the places He eventually takes you and much more about the relationship He establishes with you along the way.

My time here in Kansas visiting Kelley isn't about where she takes me, it's about building this friendship that God has brought together.

Chapter 5: The Adventure Our Souls Were Made For

In this new place of sacrifice and surrender, God will take you outside your comfort zone, and you'll learn to depend on Him like never before.

Watching my 63 year old Dad and much younger Mom welcome little children into their hearts and home because God told them too is amazing and completely out of their comfort zone. The welcoming of the foster children isn't the uncomfortable part; if they had their way every unwanted child in Nebraska would be in their care. Especially the babies as that is Mom's specialty. The discomfort comes when God wants them to adopt. Living evidence that obedience to God is more important to them than comfort.

The zone they are most comfortable in is riding side by side on their own Harley's in their leathers riding down the highway of no little people allowed. Sometimes I find myself upset at the ministry God has called them into because the world has us convinced that they should be empty nesters traveling and indulging on things they couldn't afford when they were my age. Instead the Harley's are in storage collecting dust and they're adopting young kids.

Who but God knew that they'd be starting over at their age.

In this chapter I learned:

God is looking for the faithful.

God's vision is so much bigger than ours.

God wants us to take a chance with Him.

If we wait until we have our acts together then we will never live a life of faith.

This book is such a tool to growing close to God. Together let's continue to pursue this life of faith ladies!

Please share what God showed you in these chapters and sign up under Mr. Linky if you have more to share on your own blog. You all are such a blessing!!

My son Aaron is now in sunny Florida with Gene's side of the family. Two whole weeks without anyone for Alivia to run from ..blessing or mistake for this Mom? Time will only tell..

Alivia stayed up hours past her bedtime last night having fun with Kelley's youngest girls.

(Sophie on the left, Cece in the middle, Alivia on the right)

By the looks of Alivia on the 3 hour ride home I think she wore herself out.

~Many Blessings~

Braveheart

Well, the Boys are back in town and now back to reality. They had a great time and God definitely showed up in Colorado City ! A few times over the weekend I received a call from Gene because he wanted me to hear the worship music. He said it was just awesome! Aaron told me last night that it was a time that made him want to draw near to God and he also said he felt he did get closer to Him this weekend.
PRAISE YOU LORD!!!!

Last Monday on the 14th my little girl turned the big 7. We went to my parents house for dinner and celebration. After eating the delicious dinner my Mom prepared, it was cake and ice cream time. Then she opened her presents and we watched her squeal in excitement over each one.

Then came the real excitement.

One of our use your common sense rules in our home is don't play with anything that could cause one's home to go up in flames. Because my son must have been absent every day the school taught about fire safety he decided to open Alivia's new jar of fingernail polish remover with a lighter.

Nope, that's not a typo. A lighter.

At 14 years old when asked by his little sister to get the plastic cover off of the jar he did not:

A.) tear it open with his finger

B.) get a knife and poke a hole in the plastic

C.) tell her to go away like he normally does

NO instead my sweet. innocent, smart, very tall, size 14 shoe wearin', lip shavin' man-child grabbed the same lighter he used to light the candles that caused us all to start singing Happy Birthday to now get us to screaming FIRE!

Since my Grandparents get lost in my parent's neighborhood my Mom had left to lead them to a main road. My sister and I stayed behind and started cleaning up the kitchen. This was when we both told Aaron to stop doing what he was doing.

Too late. POOF! All of a sudden the jar with the warning FLAMMABLE was on fire.

Aaron quickly grabbed the jar and turned around to throw it into the sink behind him. When he did this though the fingernail polish remover splashed on the other counter which then started a stack of paper plates on fire which then started a roll of paper towels on fire.

All of this in my parents new home.

The reason my grandparents get lost is because for the last 32 years my parents lived in this very cozy, cute, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, less than 800 square foot home that my sister and I grew up in.

This past March on my Dad's birthday, God blessed them with this spacious, beautiful, over 2,000 sq foot, 5 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home. Or "castle" as the kids call it.

And here I was watching flames overtake every counter top in the castle's kitchen.

The next few moments there was as much adrenaline as there was fire in the kitchen.

My sister Michelle and I started yelling for my Dad to get out of the house who was upstairs with 7 kids putting them to bed .

Aaron the arsonist ran for the hills.

Alyssa sat unfazed in the living room while texting her friends.

And I.

Me, Myself and I.
My parents' firstborn, Gene's wife and mother of his 3 children, Grandma of 1, risked it all to stay and fight to save my parents new home.

My parents are remodeling their old house and getting ready to put it on the market. I had visions of them having to move back into the small home and I became determined to not leave (unlike my sister and son did) until the last flame was put out.

Ready to stop, drop and roll at any given moment I quickly started hitting the flames with a towel and throwing things into the sink filled with water.

Within moments I had saved the house people!

After I realized all was safe, I began to survey the damage. I stood amazed that the counter tops were fine.

All at once I was surrounded by family not asking if I was okay, but instead asking Aaron who briefly returned, what the heck he was thinking. My Dad never did see the fire as he was busy singing to their foster baby upstairs as I fought for my life. To make matters worse, when we tried explaining the out of control fire to him he said it was just a "fume fire" from the fingernail polish remover.

Whatever. If I had run outside with my sister and my son their home would've been gone. I refuse to let him minimize my heroic efforts!

Due to my quick actions though, the only thing lost in the fire was Amiyah's favorite bottle, a roll of paper towels, a stack of paper plates, Alivia's fingernail polish remover and Aaron's freedom.

Thank You Jesus!!!

Of course my Mom walked in as everything was calming down and we had to explain what had just happened. Aaron the arsonist was still in hiding and so without him we did our best to replay the events. That is when my sister shared with me that while she was outside Alivia was the only child that followed her and she began sobbing.

I was so touched. How sweet that she was scared for her brave mom.

Instead of letting me think that for too long though, my sister just had to pop the hero bubble I was in with these words: "Alivia was crying saying, what about my presents???"

So, in a nutshell...

My sister and son took off

My Dad & 6 of the 7 kids in his supervision do not respond properly to the word 'FIRE' being yelled

The only thing that moved on my oldest daughter was her texting thumbs

and

The fire was proof to me that Hannah Montana is more important to Alivia than I am.

Gene had gone home right after the last present was opened so he is still on my good list, but the rest of these people better not expect a thing from me at Christmas.

Well, except for my sister Michelle who will get the best Christmas gift ever from me because she grabbed this...

This afternoon Aaron, Alivia, Amiyah and I heading to Kansas City to spend the night at Kelley from Aroma of Joy's house. Rest assured Kelley that if Aaron gets crazy on us I will not jump ship! Aaron is leaving out of KC early Tuesday morning to spend 2 weeks in Florida with Gene's family and Kelley lives only 45 minutes from the airport instead of the 3 hours away that I live. What a blessing to see her again, meet her family and not have to get up and drive at 3 in the morning!

I have no spiritual application for this story to share with you, but I am convinced based on my heroic, laying down my life for others actions that the first words out of Jesus' mouth when He sees me face to face will surely be "Well done good and faithful servant!"

Not "it was just a fume fire!" Unlike my Dad, Jesus appreciates my heart of sacrifice!

~Many Blessings~

P.S. The beautiful bib Amiyah is wearing in the picture above was sent to Alyssa from my sweet friend Susan from Forever His after she was born. What a blessing and precious surprise that was! She also sent these darling little panties with her name monogrammed on the bottom. I'll have to post a picture of those too. Also, Amiyah rolled the other day! She's done it before, but I this time she really surprised herself by the sudden change of view. It was so sweet. Thank you again Susan!!

Don't forget to read chapters 4 & 5 for Yes to God Tuesday!

Baggage Claim

Since all of the recent joys and trials with our oldest daughter it has really caused me to think about choice. Every day we are faced with choices.

Some easy such as what will satisfy our hunger in the middle of the day and others that will change the course of our life.

As I have been forced to relive my past from watching my daughter repeat my behavior it has made me really think about the choices I have made over the years. Some good and some I hope God never asks me to share here.

Recently I attended the She Speaks conference and it was amazing as I have shared. Here is a picture of my traveling partner and friend, Kelley after we arrived at the North Carolina airport on Friday June 20th. We had found a Starbucks moments after getting off the plane so we thought the conference was in Heaven.

We were so clumsy as we walked through the airport with our luggage, a carry on bag, a lap top plus the hot beverages we added. If there were any people watchers observing us I'm sure we entertained them. We looked highly challenged as we struggled to pull around our 50 outfits for 3 days and not burn ourselves with our overpriced White Chocolate Mocha's.




It was so nice to get to the hotel and not have to carry that luggage around any more. I can't imagine if when we got to the hotel we were informed that we had to carry our luggage with us throughout the whole weekend. We would have really had a difficult time trying to go from session to session pulling our stuff behind us.

Sunday after the conference ended we had many hours before our flight left so Missy, Kelley and I went to the mall for some sales and lunch. We were blessed to be able to leave our luggage at the hotel and pick it up on the way to the airport. If we had been required to take it with us to the mall we wouldn't have been able to go because the car we rode in was already packed. We were dropped off at the mall by Amy and Carol who had already been mega shopping that weekend and barely had room for us with the trunk full of their luggage and bags from Children's Place.

Later that night when Kelley and I arrived in Chicago for our connecting flight we literally had to run through the airport to our gate. I think I even broke a sweat we were moving so fast. Luckily we're able to check our bags in and let someone else worry about getting them to our destination because if we would have had to carry our luggage through O'Hara airport I probably would've just sat down and cried.

When we make regretful choices we have a choice. We can either carry the regret around with us or give it to Jesus. When we choose to carry the bad baggage around we miss out on what God has in store for us. Shame kept me from being involved in ministry for years. Kept me from getting close to God and other believers.When the choice is made to give our past to Jesus, once we are forgiven, we no longer have to carry the negative around with us. The shame and the tears, Jesus takes it all and turns it around for good.

Just like we were able to leave our luggage at the hotel, we are able to leave our burdens at the foot of the cross. We don't need to be weighed down with the bad choices of our past. No matter how ugly your past is, give it to Him and unlike at the hotel, you don't have to go back for it. Just walk away and see what God does with it. It may be years before He uses it, but when He does, the glory will shine bright upon Him.

Kelley and I arrived into Kansas City to our eagerly awaiting husbands shortly after midnight and then we stood at the baggage claim with many other tired and weary passengers waiting to pick up our luggage. When we give up the baggage of our past to Jesus, the line at the baggage claim holds only One as Jesus waits for the tired and weary to drop off their past.

His Name is the One that is on the claim ticket tied to the handle of your baggage.

He patiently waits and when He sees your junk come around the corner He steps up to the moving belt, grabs it and changes the look of your past forever.

~Many Blessings~

What you see is not what my family gets

My husband is a leader for our youth group that our son Aaron is in at church. Early this morning they left for Colorado to attend a youth conference and will return home sometime Sunday evening.

I called Gene as they were about 2 hours away and promised him that he would not be returning to the same woman he left behind.

The woman who acted disgusted with him over the phone as he searched for something she requested and didn't bother to thank him when he found it. All while basking in the sun at the pool while reading her Bible study book for the Tuesday study she leads. That was Monday.

Then on Tuesday you would have thought it was the end of my world by my reaction when he brought home the generic version instead of the Dawn liquid soap I asked him to buy. Acting as if my pots are above being scrubbed with cheap soap I missed thanking God for the good steward of our money he was by refusing to pay $3.00 more for a name.

Last night was worse as he sweetly reminded me before I went to Wal-Mart to buy two bungee chords for the sleeping bags. I rudely cut him off with an exaggerated exhale of my lungs and said, "Gene, I know! You've reminded me 3 times now!" I disrespected him in front of our son.

When he asked me for the chords this morning and I said I forgot them, he didn't even sigh. He respected me in front of our son.

What a week it has been for the man joining our youth pastor in taking a bunch of God-hungry youth to the Rocky Mountains to worship and praise the Lord for the weekend. What a send off his "woman of God"gave him. Ugghh!

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart.

For it is the wellspring of life.

When I was doing a Beth Moore study recently she said that when a verse starts with "Above all" to take that as a big red flashing light for us. So today I am halting at this flashing light and really taking a hard look at myself.

As you know, whatever is in our hearts will flow out through our words and our actions. All morning I've been asking myself

what is really in my heart?

We can put on pretty Christ like faces all we want when we greet strangers or sound Christ like when we answer the phone in a sweet voice after ripping our loved one apart. We may fool others, but we will never fool God; for He sees us just as we are.

A few weeks ago our son Aaron had his dog Kane in his bedroom. This is what he found when he opened the door.

Sweet and innocent on the outside, but what is really inside Kane's heart is the desire to destroy anything he can get his teeth on including Aaron's comfy pillow. He would never do this in front of Aaron, but once he gets behind closed doors he becomes a different dog.

A woman who wants the view that my Heavenly Father sees to be the same whether He is looking inside my heart or watching over me, I have much surrendering to do. I want my family to see the same woman in church on Sunday that they see behind closed doors Monday through Saturday.

Examine my heart Father and please unclog the arteries that are filled with disrespect, anger and frustration. I want the DNA of my talk to match my walk.

Jesus, You are what I want to overflow from my heart because You are just so good.

~Many Blessings~

Lelia

YES to GOD study chapter 3

Welcome to Yes to God Tuesday!

If you haven't joined this study yet, please buy the book, "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" by Lysa TerKeurst and join us. Catching up won't be a problem as I feel Lysa writes with the busy woman in mind. Easy reading chapters and a few Bible study questions at the end of each chapter will leave you feeling longing for a faith-filled life.

The more the merrier so join us today!

Last week I took a poll about this study asking if you'd like to do 2 chapters a week since there are 20 chapters in the book or just stay at one a week. (The results are still posted in the upper right corner.) Thanks for your votes. Starting next week, Tuesday the 22nd we will be discussing chapters two chapters each week. I pray this doesn't burden the ladies who voted to stay the same. So beginning next Tuesday, July 22nd we will be discussing chapters 4 and 5. Okay...let's begin today's study.



CHAPTER 3: God has a plan.

Remember anything in blue is a quote from the book.

This book is getting tougher to put down and we're only on the first part of it! I had to run some errands with the older kids last Friday and as I waited in the car I was reading this chapter. Yesterday at the pool I was reading this book as I got a tan. It is just one of those books that is too good to let dust collect on it. It's a book that is not only drawing me closer to God, but I'm learning what He requires from one to walk in faith. I want to be like Abraham and just go!!

God brings me to a stronger faith than I had before. That's God's plan, you know. His ultimate goal is to grow us to be more and more like His Son, who had incredible faith.

I loved this so much. Abraham~father of faith. Noah~2 by 2 the animals filled his boat of faith. I've always thought of these guys as the faithful ones, but strangely, I've never thought of Jesus as having incredible faith until now, and yet He did. One thing that struck me this Sunday that our pastor said was, "The more I try to be like Jesus the more I realize I'm nothing like Him." Jesus went when He was told to "go". To earth, to gather His disciples, to the cross. His father told Him to go and without any hesitation in His bones, He went. Left.

I want that kind of faith. I want the heart of obedience that pounds within the chest of my Savior.

God doesn't seem to want to do things my way, or in a time frame that I would choose. So to leave some things behind, we need to learn that God has a plan and to trust His plan.

Uggh! How often I have taken things into my own hands only to create a mess! I know God has a plan for me, one of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord..." What blows my mind is how quick I am when the heat is on to turn my back on obedience and walk hand in hand with pride. I mean who am I to think I know best? And yet, I take charge of my life over and over again only to have a head on collision with regret.

I've heard there are no tears in heaven so I think that means God won't be sitting me aside and making me watch the movie "Plans Interrupted" starring Lelia in the role of the prideful idiot.

Writing being a passion of mine, I loved how Lysa shared her own story of wanting to write a book. I loved how she admitted to us that God did have a plan for me. But His plan started much smaller than mine.

This really made me think about if I have really surrendered my writing to Him or am I just saying that I have while looking in the mirror giving myself a thumbs up when I think God's not looking? I want to follow Lysa's example she has set when she made the CHOICE to embrace the leaving phase and trust God.

God's plan was perfect, and when I left my plans behind, God let me participate in His.

Did you not love how God showed Lysa His faithfulness when she trusted God and He traded the plans for her life with His own and gave her more than she ever dreamed of?

Only God knew that His ministry of Proverbs 31 Ministries would be entrusted to a woman who felt so unworthy but yet was able to choose to leave her plans behind and completely trust in Him.

I don't know what dreams God has given you, but let's really let Him have them completely. At She Speaks I was listening to a speaker and for the first time I realized that God is using me right where I am at. Not long ago I committed my past to Him. Just gave it to Him, ugliness and all. I still can't believe He took it but instead of feeling shame like I did before I have felt so loved by Him.

For the first time while at the conference I realized that blogging can be a ministry. Blog land is a part of my promised land from Him that He's given me. I'm amazed at what He is doing with Write from the Heart and it's nothing that I have done. His plans, not mine. I'm no where near where Lysa is when it comes to complete abandonment, but I want to learn to give Jesus my all. I want my faith to be reason enough for the Master Architect to unroll the blue prints He has designed specifically for me.

Yesterday my youngest daughter turned 7 years old. She is still my Alivia. Beautiful, funny, confident and so outgoing, but when asked how old she is she won't be saying 6 anymore. Ever. She has left 6 behind and is now onto new beginnings.

Let's leave yesterday behind us and move forward with God ladies. Whatever ugliness lies in your past, let it lie there alone. Take the hand of God today and allow His to use your past for His glory. Let's move forward with new beginnings.

On Mari's blog last week I loved how excited she was for Tuesday's to arrive! I feel the same way. Sunday night Alivia couldn't wait for Monday to get here. As a matter of fact she made her little 8:30 bed time self stay up and at midnight we sang Happy Birthday to her. She was just so excited for her day. I feel that way every Monday night. I can't wait to join you all and see what God is doing in your lives!

Here is prayer request from author Lysa TerKeurst.

Hi Sweet Friend,

I am so touched that you are doing my other book as your Bible Study.Please ask all the ladies to pray for the book that I am writing now. Specifically I want my words to be Inspired by God, Fresh, Life Changing and Memorable.

Thank you sweet friend.

Please join me in lifting Lysa up to the One that is giving her the words to write. The One she has chosen to leave her own plans for her life behind and live out His. God's greatness is shining bright in Lysa's life through P31 and her books because she has made the choice to let Him be in complete charge.

Click here to visit Lysa and leave her an encouraging word.

Don't forget to sign up under Mr. Linky if you have more to share on your blog. I didn't share anything from the Bible study, so if something touched you there please share it with us!

Also remember that next week we'll discuss chapters 4 and 5.

Have a blessed week!

Love you.

~Many Blessings~

Lelia

Victory Today

These last few weeks have been pretty tough for me and my family with everything that has gone on with our daughter Alyssa. Emotions going in every direction while the faith robber "fear" tried to settle into our hearts. This past weekend I felt real tired, weak and just sick. So I camped out on the couch and watched the movie Flywheel. Over and over again. This is a movie made by the same brothers who wrote and directed Facing the Giants and is coming out with Fireproof in September. (Lysa TerKeurst had a great post of this new movie on Wednesday.)

If you've never seen Flywheel (or Facing the Giants), I highly recommend both of them. I couldn't believe how relevant this movie was to what I've endured with my daughter recently. Without giving away anything, I loved this conversation in the movie...

"What do you call it when you feel like your life's turning upside down but you still think God's in control?"
"It's like serene chaos."


Let me describe what my God approved serene chaos felt like just 2 short weeks ago:

It was as if I had front row tickets to a boxing match over my daughter's soul. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as the announcer described the fighters...



"In this corner weighing in under much deceit, lies and destruction wearing black shorts tonight...SATAN the Prince of Darkness!"



The crowd booed as Satan threw off the hood of his red cape and thrust his hands in the air with much conceit as if already announcing his victory.

The announcer then turned his attention to the corner where a man humbly stood covered in a white robe.

"In this corner undefeated, with too many knock outs to count, we have the King of all Kings, the Son of God, wearing gold shorts tonight...JESUS CHRIST the Prince of Peace!"



The crowd went crazy as they shouted praises to the One they loved.



Then the announcer showed what the winner would get. Surprisingly, it wasn't a World Championship belt to wear around their waste. It wasn't a trophy to put on their shelf.

It was my teenage daughter. The mom of my beautiful 3 month old granddaughter. I was suddenly filled with an intense panic as I saw my daughter's face on the big screen hanging from the ceiling.

The next words out of the announcers mouth took me to my knees: "Whoever wins this fight will get to use Alyssa's life for their purpose."

Then the bell rang...



Still on my knees I felt paralyzed as I watched as Jesus just stood in His corner. Satan was out and swinging, but he never went to where Jesus was and Jesus never went for him. I watched in horror as the enemy went directly after my daughter.

I stood up and went toward the ring but was quickly pulled back to my seat as I was reminded that the battle was God's not mine. I felt desperate for help and I turned around to see that the room was filled with my family and friends and also my friends I've met in the blogging community. Everyone was already face down interceding on behalf of my daughter for Jesus to step in and win this battle. Tears ran down my face as I saw so much love pour out for my girl from those who know her well to those who won't meet her until eternity.



I closed my eyes and began to whisper prayers to Jesus that I believed in Him and I begged Him to step out of His corner and rescue my girl. As I glanced back to the ring it took the wind out of me as I watched the enemy throw punches of lies and lust at her. His fist slammed into her face and left her intoxicated. He threw her to the ground and he stomped her with depression. She was hit with blows that left her unable to care for what she loved most...her baby girl.

I was watching helplessly as my daughter distanced herself from her family including her daughter and was so willing to give up everything for nothing.




My husband and I couldn't bare to watch anymore and so we released her completely to God and the moment we did is when the unexpected happened. The crowd stood up and began to sing praises because just when the enemy tried to finish the fight with a Knock Out of any self worth she had left, Jesus Christ stepped in and started to take the blows for her.



Suddenly my daughter began to talk with family. She showed up on my sister's door step. She wanted to see her baby. She cried. We praised. We cried. We prayed and we continued to let her go because we knew her Creator had His eye on her. She went to church Sunday. The hardness of her heart is slowly softening.

We praised and we shouted praises to our King as the announcer of the fight held up Jesus' scarred hands as the Victor of this battle!



As Satan laid on the mat knocked out by the Almighty One, the demons were desperately trying to woo their master of evil awake with smelling salts of sin. Finally awakened, the bloodied and broken enemy looked pathetic as he still tried to win her over even as he was being carried out of the ring.


With much hatred dripping from his brow, the enemy made it clear that he is not finished with my daughter. This he wants me to know.

But I also know that Who I choose to serve is so much bigger than the threats of the enemy. So I will keep my eyes locked on Him and I will pray. I believe in Him. I believe Him and I will take Him at His Word. I believe that what has happened to my daughter is only going to bring Him nothing but glory. It already has.

I believe that when she surrenders her life to Christ like she did at the innocent age of nine, that the party the angels throw in heaven is going to be an all nighter.

I believe that Jesus is not finished with my daughter. This I know because He tells me so.

Philippians 1:6 (The Message)

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

My girl will have a flourishing finish. Wow!

Thank You Lord for what looked like a devastation at first to me, was a time of really trusting You and proof that You are in control. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have faith and a time that has only left me longing for more of You. Although this may not be the end of battles within this sweet child, I look at one day at a time and give you all the praise. Keep working in her Lord, she's so worth the fight.



Today I spent the whole day watching Alyssa love on Amiyah. I even had dinner with her.

It was a good day.

~Many Blessings~

YES to GOD Tuesdays chapter 2

HELLO!

Welcome to chapter 2 of the YES to GOD study! Want to join? Get the book "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" by Lysa TerKeurst and join in the discussion! Join anytime. Lysa's writes for the "busy women" so catching up where we are is never a problem. We'd love to have you and don't forget to invite a friend for this amazing study!

Chapter 2: A Line in the Sand

*Anything in blue is a quote from the book.

To honor God COMPLETELY, you need enough faith to leave with Him.

Leave the attitude, leave the stubborn pride, leave the right to be right, leave the control, and biggest of all, leave the unbelief.

Okay, the first sentence of this chapter and Miss Lysa is already stepping on my toes. Leave the control? But I want to be in the drivers seat! After all, I am the one who writes down what every one's schedule is for the week on our family calendar. Stubborn pride? I wouldn't say I have stubborn pride, but c'mon there are things I want done my way. Unbelief? It's not that I don't believe God can handle things, sometimes He's just not quick enough.

Uggh! Ugly huh? I think what this sweet author is trying to tell us that if we are going to follow Jesus and completely give our lives to Him then there are things in our life that we are going to have to give up. Leave behind.

I'm very visual so the whole page she wrote on the rear view mirror was good for me. Looking behind you and ahead of you at the same time is impossible. So, we don't have eyes in the back of our heads?

Lysa walks us through God's history of when He summoned people to follow Him and every single person was required to leave the old behind. Habits, jobs, lifestyles and they did it. On page 22 we are told that We must leave our past behind, draw a line in the sand, and determine to proceed forward with God.

When she reminds us of Noah, Jeremiah and the disciples the one thing I saw that was a common phrase was "Because of their obedience". I want that said about me, don't you? When the angels above are hanging out at the foot of the throne, if my name comes up, I want the conversation to start with "Because of Lelia's obedience look what You did with her life Lord" instead of "Because of Lelia's disobedience, look at what her family missed out on." Leaving the past behind me is a must if I want to live a life of faith.

Experiencing life change is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice, choosing God's ways instead of your own.

When my husband Gene came to Nebraska 20 some years ago from Orlando he came on a full football scholarship. He hasn't put on a Husker jersey in years. Can you imagine if every morning he got up to go to work he put on his shoulder pads and that red Husker jersey with the #31 on it then topped it off with putting his helmet on top of that bald head of his?

The problem was that mentally that is what he was doing. See, he had been injured early on and wasn't the big athletic star he thought he was coming to Lincoln to be. He was highly recruited but was never able to show off his abilities due to a career ending injury. For years and I mean years ladies Gene hated if it was brought up that He was a former Husker.

Football is huge here and names are known for many years. His name as a Husker was never recognized so he would be embarrassed because he'd have to associate his time on the field with names they'd recognize. I finally told him that God never intended for Gene Chealey to be this huge Husker Hall of Famer and that God had used football to get him to Nebraska.

Once Gene realized this truth he was able to leave his past behind him. Now he uses the fact that he was a Husker to talk about Jesus, but until Gene let go of his past and the fact it didn't go as he had planned, to God he was unusable. Since leaving his past behind him and moving forward with God, Gene has become a youth leader in our church and talks of how God used football to get him to a new place and then took his dreams away from him. When Gene made the choice to choose God's way instead of his own God gave him new beginnings and new dreams...it's a beautiful thing.

Friends, let's ask God what He wants us to leave behind and draw the line in the sand separating the past from the new and let's just go! Let's move forward with God and not look back! Oh, how exciting!

You must go here to read this real life faith story lived out by my new friend Jenny in Minneapolis. It is so awesome to see what God did all because she believed He could!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. In the comment section below please leave the answer to this question: What might you need to leave behind?

If you have more to say on your blog, please sign up below with Mr. Linky. Also, please participate in the poll on the sidebar concerning this study.

OH and I know how you love contests and I found this great one by Nancy from Olive Leaf Ministries. She is giving away...

Did you really think I'd tell you here? Click here to find out what Nancy is giving. If she gets 50 people she'll give 2 away. Hurry...contest ends this Friday!!!

Don't forget to visit Jenny & Nancy after you leave your comment!

~Many Blessings~

Lelia

Reaching out

Thursday night I was at my parents home making dinner. My parents were both gone so I was with all of the kids. I was kind of like their nanny even though two of them belonged to me. 2 babies, Joe the 5 year old, Alicia the 8 year old and my Alivia who will be 7 next week.



The girls came in to ask if they could go to the neighbor's home and visit Mr. Kyle. I said "no". So Alivia, with her little persuasive self said, "Mom, Mr. Kyle is a Christian so it will be okay. If he wasn't a Christian then I wouldn't even want to play over there."



My answer was still "no" even though Mr. Kyle is the nicest guy. Plus I knew they'd just bug Mr. Kyle to no end.



As I was finishing preparing the burritos, I was thinking of what Alivia had said. How often as adults do we do this? Aren't we just so safe if everyone around us believes like we do? It's much easier to go through life surrounded by those who know how we already feel about Jesus. When we are around people that love Jesus too then we don't seem to be watched as closely. Our margin for error seems to have a little more leniency to it.



AT&T has an ad we've all seen asking us "Who's in Your Circle?"
Just think of who would've missed out on experiencing Jesus if He would've have never reached beyond His circle. What if He had been satisfied at just reaching the disciples and not

~the woman at the well

~the woman of sin who washed His feet with her tears, perfume & kisses
~the woman who touched His clothes in faith of healing
~the adulterous woman about to get stoned to death
~the mother of the demon possessed little girl
~Zacchaeus...

Luke 19:1-9 (NLT)

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.

If Jesus wouldn't have reached out to that "notorious sinner" that day we wouldn't be spending eternity with him.

I think it is so important to surround ourselves with friends that are strong Christians because that is one way of how we stay focused on Jesus. Women who believe in God and are bold to share their faith is who I have in "my circle", but I also believe we need to reach out to those who have no clue who Jesus is. Don't keep Jesus to yourself. When your path crosses with someone who doesn't know Him, let Him use you to reach them.

Let's make our lives available for Jesus to reach the Zacchaueus' that He brings our way.

~Many Blessings~

Join me tomorrow for YES to GOD Tuesday discussing Chapter 2 of Lysa TerKeurst's book "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith"!

Real Freedom

Freedom isn't about picnics, parades or fireworks displayed

It's about the day that I knelt and prayed

The day I asked Jesus into my heart

Is the day that my freedom really did start

Thank You Lord for dying on the cross just for me

Because of your sacrifice I am totally free

copyright 2005 Lelia Chealey

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

Got a praise report here from my previous posts!

Last night my husband met with our daughter Alyssa and just talked with her and told her as a family we were done. I was at my parents praying God would give him wisdom and the words to speak into her heart. I prayed she would listen. Gene told her we would continue to pray for her and love her, but we were done watching her go down this path of destruction a minute longer. He told her how much he loved her. He told her she is always welcome to come home. Then he left and cried his way home.

God had a breakthrough in this young teen mom's mind and within two hours she was at my sister Michelle's home. I was at my parent's still with Amiyah when my sister called to say they were on their way to Mom and Dad's. Gene came over and as a family we cried, laughed and prayed. It's been decided she is going to live with my sister for now and Amiyah will stay with us. When she asked my sister if she could stay there she told my sister, "But if I stay here, I need rules."
Please pray for a continued renewing of her mind and a willingness to give up some stuff that will only draw her closer to God. Last night I saw a broken child who desperately wants to be with her baby girl and wants a different life. She even has asked to talk with someone, so I pray God leads us to the right person for her. I don't think I realize the hold the enemy has on her mind and just how much he has destroyed her self esteem.

I pray she allows God to show her just what He thinks of her.


For the last 3 years she has told us that she wanted to be a nurse. Last night she said she doesn't want to be a nurse any more, but rather a counselor so she can help other teens avoid what she's going through.

Hallelujah!

Who knows besides God what she'll be in the future. All I know is that the prayers you said over her went right to our Heavenly Father's ears. He heard them and He responded. I saw such a softening of her heart last night.

Today I am one joyful Momma and last night I fell asleep at 2am in the middle of whispering praises to Him. Whatever comes my way this weekend there is no way I will let the enemy steal this joy. God is just too amazing to short Him any of the praises He is due.

Thank you again for joining us in doing Hebrews 4:16!

You knocked the wind out of me and my family with your responses of prayer for a teenager you have never met. Renee Swope had a post the other day about prayer and I want to follow her lead. We should never be too busy to pray for each other.

So I ask, how can I pray for you?

Please let me know in the comments and if it's too personal to share here then e-mail me at chealey5@windstream.net

Also, let's not forget to daily keep these brave guys and gals in our prayers. I can't begin to imagine how their family members must feel. I only had a few days of agonizing over my daughter's safety knowing she was on the enemies playground.

Let's pray and be thankful for them and their families.

Have a blessed weekend dear friends.

Go visit my friend Kelley to see what her Red, White and Blue treats are.

Yum. Me.

Is all I got to say!

~Many Blessings~

Permanent Blessing

Which animal is it that eats her young'uns?

That's how this Mom feels some days after trying to make sense of the teenagers in my life.

Just when life seems too much THEN my sweet 6 year old sent from heaven blesses my heart with this message in a bottle.

Or rather a message written in permanent marker on the back of my office door!

Just when I was going to call my graffiti artist into my office and ask her why in the world she would write on anything but paper, she bounced in and asked me to make her THIS for lunch.

I knew she had no idea what "broth" is but I should've made her eat it for writing on the door.

She knows I loved the message, but not where she chose to display it.

Little does she know everytime I saw the door today how big my heart smiled.

You know that verse that says to give our thoughts captive to Jesus?

That's what I chose to do today as I looked at this sweet child of mine and began to wonder how life with her as a teenager will be.

My thoughts quickly went to eating my young'uns.

Then Jesus stepped in and just captivated those not so nice thoughts.

Think I'll eat the can of broth instead.

Thanks for your prayers for Alyssa. Keep them going as she is still not home, but is staying with her friend Amy and made some goals today.

This is such an understatement, but God is SO good.

This walk of faith? Not so bad as long as I keep hold of my Guide's nail pierced hand.

~Many Blessings~

Yes to God Tuesday-ch. 1

Hello Friends!

Welcome to the Yes to God Tuesday study of Lysa TerKeurst's book, "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith".

Oh what sweet timing Jesus has. In reading the introduction, chapter 1 and doing the study at the end of the chapter I feel such encouragement pour down straight from the throne that seats the King of my life.

Thank you again for your outpouring of love and prayers for my girl and our family. So tough, but you know what? I wouldn't trade this for anything else. I mean that because of where it is taking not only me, but my husband, my sister, my parents and my other kids in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

These last 6 days I've experienced a level of intimacy with God that I've never had before and I thought we were pretty close before all of this. I was wrong. Over the last week I have had numerous times of just losing it with Him. Losing my desire to be in control. Losing my fear of what's going to happen with my girl. At 3am on my knees sobbing to Him and yet praising Him at the same time, I have become lost in Him. I have never felt this close to Him and I can honestly say that even though the absence of my daughter hurts like crazy I would rather have her absent in my life than Jesus.

This is more than just typing out words on my blog that make people cry or feel touched. I am now having to walk out how I really feel about my Savior. Whether my daughter returns home or not doesn't matter if through this you have not seen Jesus loud and clear in my life. Please hear my heart here, I want her home, BUT I want God's will for her life and mine. I want you to see the greatness of God in this hardship.

I have faith that He's gonna get her and when He does I will be there praising Him like I am now. For Him to capture her heart is worth any bad decision she is making now. Her heart is already softening. Last night she left Jarrel's house and stayed with her friend Amy who is also a teen mom. I know she is safe and she text my sister at 11pm last night asking for a ride to come home. Unfortunately my sister didn't have her phone and she didn't answer by the time she returned her text, but her heart is slowly melting into His hands and I am loving every minute of this pain because I KNOW God is just getting started. I saw her yesterday and got to hug her, kiss her and tell her how much I love her. I told her how you all are praying for her. I even told her when she is sleeping, my blog friends in Australia are awake and praying over her. She knows, she just needs to be broken. And so I wait in faith that God is not going to forsake her.

OKAY...

CHAPTER 1: The Map

Any words in blue is a quote from the book.

A week and a half ago I was in North Carolina attending the She Speaks conference for writers and speakers. Over 500 women there because God has placed in them a desire to serve Him. For me it was a huge step of obedience in pursuing the desires within my heart for writing. I loved how Lysa shared how she too had attended a conference and left "feeling excited, only to be hit with a shocking dose of reality back home."

Friday night at the conference Lysa spoke of this very thing. She encouraged us to "not resent the task of your everyday life because it is preparing you for ministry."

In the book she tells us how God does not call the qualified, but He qualifies the called.

What I am going through right now He is qualifying me for the calling He has put on my life. I have to trust He knows what He is doing.

Wherever we are in our life God wants to use us and if we are having an obedient heart to Him then we are in ministry. Right now my ministry is my blog. What I thought was just for fun has turned out to be an incredible experience of drawing me closer to Him. He's so sly isn't He? I'm so glad He didn't see my intentions for my blog through my eyes.

His vision is so much better!

At the end of the chapter Lysa asks a very important question from God.

WILL YOU HONOR ME?

Will you honor Me Lelia even though you are feeling helpless about your daughter?

Will you honor Me Amy when the relationship with your sister is not where you want it to be?

Will you honor Me Pam when I allow hardship to come your way as you are stepping out in ministry with your husband?

Will you honor Me Kelley when you feel frustrated with your teenager's choices?

Will you honor Me Lysa as you watch your mother physically and spiritually slipping away?

Will you honor Me_______ (say your name) with the current circumstances in your life?

This journey we're on ladies has to be all about Him. What is the dream God has birthed in your heart? Lysa tells us when a woman begins to walk in faith toward God, He will give the dream.

I loved the study at the end of the chapter. I have the verses Hebrews 10:35-36 written on a note card so I can memorize them. Please leave a comment of what God showed you in this chapter and if you have more to share with us please leave a link to your blog.

Let's walk this faith journey together!

Live for Christ today,

Meet back here next Tuesday ready to discuss chapter 2 and the study!