Thursday, December 29, 2016

Dressember- The Rest of December- Trials



This will likely be one of my last Dressember posts.  I may surprise you with a post-New Year's post (kind of like the new hat-see picture above- I got from my friend Carey as a "mistake" as it didn't fit my husband), but as of now, I'm not going to promise any more posts in December.  I've found out that I'm not willing to give up certain things to blog (while working full-time).  For instance, for those of you who know me at all, you know how much sleep I typically function well on (and it's at least an hour more than most of you!) and since I now have two children who essentially sleep through the night, I'm allowing myself to sleep for that amount of time, and thus it doesn't give me a lot of undistracted time to type on the computer as my morning times are spent with Jesus before my wee ones wake up ( a gift I hadn't had for about 18 months when my littlest was having a challenging time with sleep in general!)  So enjoy what may be my last dress picture/post...with my most handsome hubby who really was a lot happier than his facial expression in this picture denotes. 

And now on to the topic that's been on my heart for a while. Trials.  We all go through them, the Bible promises them, and not only promises them but tells us to count trials as all joy.  What?  I've never really had a clear understanding of what that actually meant.  I mean, I get that trials often cause us to lean of Jesus more, so that's a bonus.  But joy? For the trial?  I feel in the last month or so the Lord has allowed me to gain a little bit more of an understanding of trials and counting it all joy.  5 years ago, if you would have told me the trials I would face in the upcoming few years, I would have said a big NO THANK YOU! And likely walked away from some of the best blessings of my life.  I'm not going to spell out the trials because I think we have a tendency to "compare" trials- saying things like, "well that's not a big deal, look what I'VE had to deal with", or "wow, I shouldn't even be the least troubled by my trial when they've had to endure that!".  And I don't want the comparing to hinder what the Lord may want to teach you right now.  
Let's just say the trials I've had were HARD, REALLY HARD for me.  I've been thrown some loops I wasn't at all prepared for, in areas where I've had NO experience, at times when other trials hit hard simulataneously (refer to the 18 months of sleep challenges!).  And there were times when I could only put one foot in front of the other, one minute at a time, even one second at a time.  I got really good at pretending the knot in my stomach didn't exist while I preformed the necessary tasks of life.  Often just when I needed it most, God would send someone to help me in some way.  I remember a time when I was driving home with both boys by myself and it was past their bedtimes.  Both were asleep, so I had to carry both into the house. My youngest was an infant and would need nursed and changed before I put him to bed and my oldest, who was a little over 2 at the time just wanted mommy to hold him.  As I was opening up the door to go into the house, carrying my 2 year old (leaving the infant in the car for a moment), I suddenly smelled poop.  I quickly realized the poop was on my arm, from an intense blow out from my 2 year olds diaper!  I actually stopped for a second as I had to think about what to do first.  And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, my dearest friend and neighbor pulled into the driveway and got out and asked if I needed any help bringing the boys into the house.  She hadn't known my plight, didn't know my infant was wailing in the car and I had a huge poopy mess with my tired and crying 2 year old.  She had just stopped because she was driving by and "remembered how it was to get little ones into the house by yourself".  What a blessing!  
There were other times, though, when I didn't think I could make it another minute and none of the people who normally could give us a hand were around or able to help. And you know what?  Those times were a blessing too.  I realized that God was saying that He and I really could do this together and that when He was all I had, He was really all I needed. What a blessing!
The additional "joy" of trials that we have recently understood (we being my husband and I), is that when we go through a trial, we often get first-hand experience of how the enemy operates.  We see the strategies, we see the causes, and we see the effects more clearly because we are living them!  What if we realized that what the enemy has planned for our destruction can be flipped right on its head and all that is really happening is that we are gaining more and more insight into the enemy's schemes and therefore can be more equipped to fight and win and help others do the same.  If we believe that the Cross and the resurrection actually means that death/evil/darkness has been defeated then we, as co-heirs with Christ in that victory, also have victory and power over that evil. So the next time we are faced with a trial that looks or seems overwhelming, we can begin to thank God for allowing us to see and experience the enemy's schemes, and trust in His promises that we are overcomers with Him.  We can thank Him for giving us more tools to combat the enemy's schemes and equipping us to plow ground that others won't have to plow because of our experiences and resultant knowledge/understanding/equipping. 


I pray that we will leave a legacy to these sweet boys of love, POWER and authority over the evil one, by how we handle trials and what we do for those in need and going through trials.

If you want to contribute to those fighting for those enslaved in human trafficking, click on the link on my Facebook post to donate!  When they are freed and living for Christ, those that are now in chains and living through trials we can't imagine, will become some of the fiercest warriors in the Kingdom of God!

Friday, December 23, 2016

Dressember day #23- A moment

Yes, this is my dress picture for the day.  If you need to know what the full dress ensemble looks like, please refer to yesterday's post.  It is the exact same outfit, including the socks.  Yes, I wore the same socks two days in a row too,. And you know what?   Nothing happened!  My feet didn't fall off, my boots weren't suddenly contaminated, and there wasn't even any odor!  So for those of you who, like most of us, aren't akin to wearing clothing two days in a row, rest assured, it can be done with little to no negative ramifications!

So this moment is a quiet one...sort of.  Quiet in the "lack of toddlers running around, climbing on Mommy, trying to type on the computer, asking for a snack, needing to go potty" kind of way.  The boys are with my mom, sister and nephew likely having a rambunctious time playing together.  And so before they come back, I have a moment. It's not actually a serene moment, however, as we are getting a new roof on, and so you can imagine the pounding noises.

But still, I have a moment so I'm choosing to blog.  I don't really have a lot on my heart to write today, except for this encouragement:  Be aware of your moments and what you are choosing,. Even being one degree "off mark" over a period of time can eventually cause you to be 180 degrees "off".  The little things do matter.

And to do a "little thing" for those caught in human trafficking, click on the link on my Facebook page to donate!

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Dressember days up to #22- Apologies



Apologies are in order once again. I'm seemingly having trouble with this whole working full-time and still posting a blog every day.  The first two pictures were taken a few days ago (with a dress on, I promise) and is part of the reason for the no posts for several days.  (Aren't they just the stinkin' cutest?!!).  We are having a lot of fun these days as the boys are a constant source of entertainment and it has also been a time of realization of just how much responsibility God has entrusted us with in the raising of our boys. As my husband remarked this morning, "I just don't want to miss it with the boys!"  Sooooo much of what they see and experience at their young ages shapes their view of authority and ultimately of God, and we realize just how much we need God in order to reflect God!
And while we are not excited about the times that we do "miss it", we are realizing just how God can use that too as we then get the chance to show what repentence and forgiveness looks like and they are given tools to use when they "miss it" too.  At their young age, they don't understand in their head what happens and what strongholds are broken in the spiritual when they repent and ask forgiveness, but I know that their spirits recognize that the "yuckies" are gone when they do!

The forgiveness and faithfulness of the Lord is what gives me hope when I remember the reason I'm wearing a dress every day this month.  When those that are caught in the web of human trafficking and sex slavery are rescued, I believe the Lord is able to redeem and heal them completely.  Today my prayer (and you can join me on this one!) is for God to send His Laborers to those that have been rescued to show them the cleansing and redeeming Love of His Father so that true and complete healing and restoration will occur!

To donate to this cause, click on the link on my Facebook page!

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Dressember day #18- Not the original


This outfit was not the original dress outfit today.  Originally I had the dress, tights, boots and a loose cardigan.  However when I got home from church, I was going for more of a comfy Sunday afternoon outfit so on went the leggings and fleece over top of the dress. And note, this picture was one EJ took.  He is definitely improving on his photo skills!  

Today in church, we sang the song "You're Beautiful" by Phil Wickham.  It's always been a favorite of mine since I first heard it when my dear friend Cindy sang it quite a while ago.  The last verse gets me every time (and of course this was one of the only days in the last month I actually wore mascara!): 

"When we arrive at eternity's shore
 Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful"
Every time I sing those lyrics, all I see is Jesus welcoming me home as his bride and my emotions are 10X the intensity they were when I walked down the isle to marry my beloved husband 4 1/2y ears ago.   Today as tears were streaming down my face as I sang those words and envisioning Jesus welcoming me home, I also had tears for those whose lives here on earth are a horror I can't even being to imagine.  My heartfelt cry was "Lord, bring them Home too. Let them know of your Love and bring them to eternity with You".

Thanks for those of you who are with me on this journey.  Financial contributions to help those organizations working to free those enslaved in human trafficking are essential  AND so is prayer to bring them to eterrnal freedom!

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Dressember day #15-Socks and smoothies


My apologies again for the delay. This picture (with a cute boy drinking his smoothie and me in my dress and socks) was actually uploaded on the blog 2 days ago but I didn't get to actually blog. I can't recall the exact details of the events surrounding the non-blogging, but I would surmise that it included one of the following:  toddlers needing to go potty, older toddler yelling to be wiped after just going poop, toddlers hungry, toddlers making a mess that needed intervention before a professional cleaning crew was needed, toddlers unable to mediate a successful resolution to the both-wanting-the-same-toy-at-the-same-time conundrum, toddlers wanting to snuggle Mommy, toddlers wanting to play "hide" under the blanket, toddlers needing pj's on and teeth brushed, and/or toddlers needing to be sung to and tucked in bed.  None of these are a super duper excuse in the big scheme of things, but they are likely the reasons nonetheless.
Yesterday's schedule included me working another full day, followed by dinner (prepared by hubby and Lexi), followed by donning layers upon layers to go see the Christmas lights at Rocky Ridge.  It was well worth the "hassle" as both boys LOVED all the lights!  We as a family have been praying about what to actually celebrate during this holiday season (after becoming more aware of the actual origins of "Christmas") and while we are still in a time of limbo on certain things,  putting up lights was one thing we felt the Lord gave a thumbs up for as HE is the Light of the World.  So the light display at Rocky Ridge park was a wonderful delight to celebrate for all of us.  I may have  a picture of me in my layers, boots and dress, but if I do, it was taken on my husband or Lexi's phone, so I'll try to post tomorrow if I can find one.  It was a sight to see for sure!  
But as I was getting dressed with the layers, any small "inconvenience" of wearing a dress was quickly dismissed as I reminded my husband of why I "had" to wear a dress.  If my wearing a dress for a month helps to free just ONE innocent child from a life of abuse, rape and horror, it is MORE than worth it. 
If you haven't yet, would you like to join the fight against human slavery and donate to the link on my Facebook page?  Thanks friends!

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Dressember day #14- Different roles

Today was work day #3 for me this week.  For the next two weeks, my hubby and I are switching roles.  Due to a work incentive for my company for the next two weeks, we felt it was best for our family for me to work full time and for him to stay home with the boys for the majority of the time.  So far so good.  The house is still intact, and actually as clean as it normally would be (cue my husband saying: I must have cleaned up the kitchen 10 times today!), the boys LOVE daddy time, and it turns out my husband is as good of a cook if not better than me.  Bonus is that we are both now on the same page with healthy, mainly plant-based eating and his suggestions and ideas are amazing!
I'm hopeful that we can both maintain a good attitude while being stretched a little in our different roles for two weeks!

What is not at all different is what I choose to wear every day. I have now saturated any new ideas and am re-living my original outfit creations over and over again. But once again, I realize how fortunate I am to have options to choose from, despite the dress requirement, and how fortunate I am to have options for layering and staying warm in the cold weather, which I hear is going to get even colder in the next few days... brrr!

So this idea of different roles leads me to challenge the readers of this blog..however few there are, to ponder if there is/are different role(s) that God is asking you to step into, whether temporarily or permanently.  Have you asked lately what HE wants for you?  How HE wants you to "care for the widows and orphans" as His Word commands?  I'm not going to list different options for I don't want you to get different ideas from me.  But I would encourage you to ask!

If supporting two organizations who are working hard to free women and children from modern day slavery and sex trafficking, click on the link on my Facebook page.  Every dollar counts, it really does!

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Dressember days #12 and 13- Joy and Delight


Day #12's blog was postponed due to the train display at the E-town library last night.  My boys were wide-eyed the whole time we were there last evening.  The lights and the sounds and the buttons they could push to make things happen....oh my the joy!
Today was a typical day of work made slightly atypical by my honeymoon summer dress made into a winter outfit :)  The smiles I had all day as I was reminded several times of the delight I felt when I first wore this dress as Mrs Hershey.

The episodes of joy and delight the past two days were admittedly interspersed with moments of trial as my joy was attempted (sometimes successfully) to be stolen by situations similar to challenges trials of the past. The moments in and of themselves were not challenging, just the memories of prior moments.  It was a reminder to me that
1) there really is a battle and and enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy and will try to do so at any opportunity
2) I desire to be more and more rooted and grounded in Christ so regardless of the situation or temptation of the enemy to draw me away, I remain steadfast in the peace, hope and joy that is offered to me every day as a result of the Cross and Christ's resurection from the grave and defeat of death.
I know it is possible.
The Bible tells me so.  And I'm so grateful to know what I am striving after!

It is also possible for those imprisoned in slavery today to be freed. I can only imagine how the impossibilities of that reality are highlighted every day to those persons.  But the Bible says that NOTHING is impossible with God. Nothing.
And so my prayer today is that the enemy's tactics are thwarted by the power and might of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the flesh, and that more children and women experience not only earthly freedom, but spiritual freedom from all entanglements and strongholds of the evil one.
Thanks for joining me in this fight!