Closed Door Parenting

This is by NO means a good or suggested method of parenting!  Frustration and defeat may have driven me to it.  This very morning, I heard the arguing turn into fighting.  As it escalated, I had an option:  I could let the temperature of my blood escalate with them to a rolling boil OR I could close the door and turn up some classical music.  

And thus, the closed door parenting method was born.  Behind that door my thoughts traversed through a battlefield.  Cannons shot through my head with sounds of "I'm not a good mother!"  "I have failed in training them up in the LORD!" 
Dangerous explosions that paralyzed my ability to carry on in the job that began with a rod in my pocket following toddlers around the house!

When the time came to re-surface and face the duties of the day, Scripture met me there.  

Galatians 6:9New Living Translation (NLT)

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Philippians 1:6New Living Translation (NLT)

6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

I may still need to close that door once in awhile especially as I approach the day of 3 full blown teenage girls.  But, that is okay as long as I reach out to the knob of the door equipped with verses like this: 

Philippians 3:14New International Version (NIV)

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

and this (because I can't do it, but HE can):

1 John 4:13New Living Translation (NLT)

13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.

Lavish Love

As Valentine's Day approached, I rolled my eyes and did a sigh.  I seriously can NOT stand Valentine's Day.  I resist it until it hits me on the calendar and suddenly I find myself rushing to the closest  to pick up some quick treats so my kiddos have something to give their friends at school.  That is exactly how it goes every.single.year.

This year, however, I read a verse in the Bible that was in a different translation the day before Valentine's Day.

Deuteronomy 5:10(NLT)

"But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those

who love me and obey my commands."

I have camped out on those words "lavish unfailing love" and their magnitude.  He does LAVISH His love on us in so many ways. 

LAVISH

adjective

expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion

using or giving in great amounts; prodigal

verb (used with object)

to expend or give in great amounts or without limit:

Do you see that He does that?  Do you watch for it?

Recently I saw it in a way that no one else would see.  I'd like to share it with you.

During our house-hunting, I had seen these amazing blinds that are built between the window panels of a door.  I don't know what they are called, but I know they work with my hard-wiring.  They won't get dirty and dusty and they won't clank around when a door slams.  I simply loved them.  I wanted a house that already had these smart blinds.

After being in our home for about a week, I realized that the ONLY possible door and place for these "smart blinds" to exist was our side garage door to the back yard.  You guessed it....that door has "My" blinds.  I just felt loved in great amounts even though it was small and quite possibly not even noticed by anyone else.  But, I want to proclaim it so that He gets the glory for lavishing His love on me.  Look for the big and small ways that He lavishes His love on you and tell the stories about it!

Moving

I know.  I know.  We said LAST summer that the Meyer's are moving to Colorado.  When in reality, the Meyer's left Oklahoma last summer and we are FINALLY moving tomorrow!  What a journey this has been!

We are...WOW....I have lots of words for what we are.  We are: 

Grateful.

Ready.

Blessed.

Tired.

Relieved.

Humbled.

Thankful.

Sanctified.

Growing.

Under Contract

Finally, something to "write home about!"  We are under contract on our home in Oklahoma!  Yay!
I did not make this information public until we made it past the inspection and the agreements on repairs.  Well, as of TODAY....We are looking good to close on our house on January 8th.  What a long journey this has been.

To keep you updated here in CO, we are still living in my sister's basement and will continue to even after our closing.  Our belongings in OK will get packed up and moved into storage until we finally find our home.  Once we find a home and close a deal, I'll be sure to give those updates.  Until then, a big sigh of relief to have our house set to close in just a few weeks!

Now, Come let us worship our KING!  

"The Dwelling Heart Waltz"

"Home is Where the Heart Is".......or so the saying goes.  I say: "Home is where your stuff is and it's the structure you pay your mortgage on."  It's currently the place that I am sick of not being sold.  How's that for an update?  It's been over a month since I posted so I thought I'd jot down a quick update.

We had an offer on our home.  We booked the packers and movers and a flight for Nick to be there for all the final stuff.  Then, they walked.


It is an amazing thing to trust God in the midst of everything!

I know He is conducting the symphony of our transition.  I trust His rhythm.  Although I wouldn't choose an hour and a half of my wailing-snot-sobbing to take up a few measures, He did.  Being on the market for over 100 days and putting a family of five in a basement of a home with a family of six is trying....BUT... there is always a "but"...

But, as trying as it is, God has given me His Peace. We haven't slid off His radar.  In fact, He is pursuing me each day.  I am eager to hear the debut of the final song.  This Composer is using instruments of pain, longing, stillness, patience, hope, desire, trust and peace.

I believe I'll hear the final arrangement when my home and heart are in the same place in His perfect timing!

I lift my eyes up

The dust has settled!  No Really.  It has settled in the basement.  It is time for me to clean.  It's a good indicator of how long we've been dwelling there.  We are finally into a routine.  With school in session and adults working each day our rhythm is forming the melody of our lives.  In the midst of it, God is always pursuing me.

I'd like to show you.......

Spending my days at the school, I am continually hearing teachers call out, "1-2-3" as the class responds with, "Eyes on me!" And then, it continues with a "1-2" and "eyes on you!"
The teachers do this to keep the students attentive to what they are teaching. 

It makes me wonder how often the Holy Spirit is calling out the "1-2-3" to me.  When I hear his call like a military sound off....I "Turn my eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face."

So, when I stop and think about our home sitting vacant in Oklahoma and the five of us Meyer's living in a basement, I hear the call of "1-2-3" and I smile because that's all it takes for me to put my eyes on Him.  I see His provision for me.  This place- a home with all it's busy sounds.  This patience that's carried me through 70 days on the market.  This Peace that truly is beyond my understanding.  All of these provisions allow for me to testify of HIS Goodness.  Never once have I ever felt alone.  He is carrying me through it all.


When I hear "1-2-3" from my Lord, I know He cares about where I'm looking. 

Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)

My Help Comes from the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

What's Your Present Circumstance?

I was answering a question in my Bible Study yesterday.  It asked this:
"How would you describe your present circumstances (in the margin)?"

If you read my previous post, you know I was hesitant to write about how our transitional living situation, while good and a blessing, is still hard!  So, this was the first thing that came to my mind.  The next thought that I had as I was assessing my present circumstance was that I'm living AND  working in basements.  Temptation quickly came for me to become negative about this "present circumstance".   As I penned (in the margin and grateful that I had so much space to vent such frustrations that can come with living life in dungeons below the earth!) thoughts about living AND working in basements...........BAM........... and I mean, BAM!!!!!  Thunder outside began!  In that moment, the Holy Spirit put the most beautiful revelation in my mind!!!  Being a girl from Oklahoma, I know that safety is found under ground during storms.

Are you crying yet?  I am.

The safest place during thunderstorms is below ground.  (aka: basements...ya know, where I live AND work!!!)

I realized as the thunder continued and the rains came down that God in HIS sovereignty timed the Boom of the thunder to sound exactly when the temptation to view my "present circumstances" in a negative light. 

Psalm 27:5English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

Now, I am thankful to be in HIS shelter (these basements, His provision for me) during this present circumstance of transitional living and as a new working mom.  I am grateful that He is with me in these blessed dwellings!  

Wow, our God is good and (as the next sentence in my bible study said....) "Your circumstances are not coincidental in your journey.  God's timing is impeccable."