What a crazy, wonderful week this has been! Don't you just love it when God shows up unexpectedly and does something amazing? It's funny that I say "unexpectedly" when really we should ALWAYS expect God to show up. I mean, if we're not expecting him, what's the point? I am so thankful that despite our human mindset that God is faithful. Earlier this week our church held special service for spiritual emphasis week. I had the opportunity to be in the kids service for 2 of those nights. The low crowd had me discouraged and in my mind I had already written off any chance of having a real service. I was fully expecting to play games and find something to do to basically pass the time away. Thank the Lord that the children's pastor had a different idea. We did indeed play a couple of games but then the atmosphere shifted as we entered into worship. God showed up!! The handful of kids that were there were all getting into the worship. I was very quickly humbled. The Holy Spirit began to move and completely filled the room. I was even able to pray with one child who received the Holy Spirit for the first time! AMAZING!! It just goes to show you that even when we may not be expecting it, God can and will show up.

We should all anticipate God's arrival...In our everyday life, in our church services, and of course, the return of Christ the Kind. We don't have time to cross him off the list for the day. I am reminded of a song that I sang in church as a child. I believe it went something like this:
"I just feel like something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is on the way. He has promised that he'd open all of heaven. And brother it could happen any day. When God's people humble themselves and they call on Jesus and they look to heaven EXPECTING as they pray. I just feel like something good is about to happen and brother this could be that very day."
That should be something we do everyday...EXPECT him. We can't pray to God thinking he might hear us or he may be listening... EXPECT it!

"Mommy, How much do I cost?"

For years I have refused to buy a bathroom scale. The main reason being...they are evil!! However, I finally talked myself into buying a new scale a couple of months back. One morning while getting ready for work, my 4 year old, Madison, comes into the bathroom, hops up on the scale and asks, "Mommy, how much do I cost?" I corrected her by saying, "It's weigh, not cost." Her question lingered in my mind. "How much do I cost?" I could have told her that she cost me three home pregnancy tests (as she was an unexpected blessing and I was in denial), 35 pounds, 3 months of being uncomfortable, approximately 6 weeks of sleeping in the recliner, labor pains, and a lot of money! The list could go on and on. Then I began to think of what I have received in exchange for that cost. I have gained a beautiful blessing who has touched my life in so many ways. She was a gift I didn't even know I needed until I received it. I have gained a type of joy that can only come from a child, the memories that only a mommy's heart will ever understand, and another reason to thank God every day of my life for allowing her to be mine. The reward outweighs the cost by far.
And then another thought crossed my mind. What if I were to ask God that same question. "God, how much did I cost?" He might say that I have cost him many days of frustration when I have behaved selfishly, foolishly, or even sinfully. He might say that I have cost him way too much time and energy from holding on to me so tightly during those times in life when I had chosen to let go of him. Or, he might just say, "You cost me my only Son."
John 3:16 (NIV) - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me and for you. Jesus paid the ultimate cost. The Word of God tells us that: "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53: 5 (NIV)
I don't know about you but I want to be sure that I am doing everything I can to show God how grateful I am to him for allowing Jesus to pay the cost for me. I didn't deserve it and will never be worthy of it, but I can make sure that while I am on this earth that I do everything I can to show my gratitude. How can I do that? I can do that by obeying his Word, living a life that is holy and acceptable and pleasing unto him, and by reaching out to the lost to win them to the Lord.
Although my children caused me great pain to bring them into this world, I will never regret my decision to have them. It is my desire that although it cost Jesus great pain that he never regret his decision to die for me.

Blessings!
Wendy

Philippians 4:6 (NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to check out this blog. My inspiration for creating "The Manic Mommy Diaries" is to connect with you other mommy maniacs out there who, like myself, are pulled in 1,000 different directions every day but still manage to make it all work. I know that there are mornings you must wake up like I do and think that you could not have possibly been asleep for 6.5 hours. (Yes, I said 6.5 hours. If anyone out there gets more sleep than this, kudos to you!) I have to tell you that I thrive on a full schedule. When Jesus said these words, "I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10 NIV), I wonder if He knew that I would take those words so literal. LOL! If my day planner isn't overflowing with tasks, appointments, dinner menus or soccer schedules, I feel completely lost. You would think I would be insane trying to keep up, and I have no doubt that I would be, if not for one thing...Jesus Christ. In all the hustle and bustle, I have to keep him the center of it all or I do become a bit crazy. I can most definitely tell those days that I skipped right over prayer and devotion. My day completely starts off wrong. My goal for this blog is to help encourage and inspire other moms and women through things that God reveals to me everyday in some form or another. Sometimes it's through prayer and devotion and at others it is through my children, my job or some other unexpected avenue that God has opened up for me on that day. My plan is to post a new blog at least once a week. Yes, as you've so rightly figured out, creating this blog has added one more task to my to-do-list, one more thing to be scheduled in my day planner. Like I told you earlier, I thrive on a full schedule. I encourage you to take the scripture at the beginning of this blog and memorize it. Every morning when you wake up and you are hit in the face with a to-do-list that seems never ending, quote this scripture out loud. Don't worry...be happy. Ask God to help you make it through the day and accomplish the tasks before you and you know what? He will! Blessing to you and yours this week.

Stay Sane!

Wendy