New Year

Christmas week ended here with hot cocoa and lots of Hallmark movies, and we ushered in the New
Year with a bang!  I actually stayed awake until midnight for the first time in years.  We feasted on
delicious black eyed peas and cornbread the first day of 2015.  Our usual outdoor activities ceased
because the weather was yucky.  By that night, something happened here.  The Happy New Year was not happy anymore!
In plain language, everyone in this house was tired of each other and a bad mood.  We all were salty! 
My daughter has taught me the word “salty.” My husband argues with her and says that “salty” is a
word is used to describe a rough and tough team.  She argues back attempting to convince him that the new “salty” describes a mood or person. 
I side with her; therefore, my crew of six was “salty” and it was not fun!  I laid down Thursday night and thought:   Who am I and who are these people I live with?  Do I even know them or like them?  Do I even like myself right now?  It was just bad blah!  (Anyone else ever think this?)

Friday morning my husband returned to work.  One kid and one dog transported themselves into bed
with me when they heard him leave.  I quietly snuck out of my covers without waking them up about
7:00 to have my coffee and quiet time.  I knew that we did not need another bad day with negativity
hanging over our little homestead like a dark cloud.  The way I saw it, it was up to me to get right before I got anyone up and expected for them to be right!  That may be my new motherhood motto.
When I sat down in my hubby’s chair I did not know where to start.   I prayed for my family and mostly for myself to know how to deal with the moods, personalities, and needs all present and sometimes out of control under this one roof.  I pleaded with the Lord to help us all get along and to encourage each other.   I moaned and groaned in prayer and asked the Lord what I needed to do.
All of a sudden, it dawned on me that for some time, I had totally forgotten to pray God’s Word out loud and to specifically pray for each of us, applying a scripture to each need.  DUH! 
There is something very powerful about speaking God’s Word back to Him in agreement.  You
acknowledge that you do not have a clue, but that you know His promises are true!  (To do this you
need a Bible and a tool to use to find a verse on a specific topic…google works too!)

An amazing thing happened to me that morning last week.  I prayed God’s Word out loud and related it to specific situations in my life and to my loved one’s lives.  I was instantly reminded that God is totally and absolutely involved.  I had my hope and peace back.   I found my Stormie Omartian books.  She has a remarkable way of turning God’s word into prayer.    I marked a prayer for myself and each family member.  When one by one my kids came down the hallway, I was not sick and tired of them anymore. 
Praise God! 
This year I need more organization, time at the gym, time management, and etc. The list could go on
and on.  What I really need more of is prayer and to pray God’s Word.  Isaiah 55:11 says “So will My
word be which goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty.” 
Join me this week and pray! 
God’s Word does not return void!