Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Isaiah 53

“But 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. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”- Isaiah 53:5-6

Atlanta Mama has been fighting a cold since Saturday.... it stinks. I am getting well and when I came across this verse this morning, I wanted to share it with all of you as a powerful encouragement. I hope to be back on the blogging SOON!

Today I will feature a great blog, by a great writer... My Mom! Check out her blog: http://writefullyso.blogspot.com
And I am also featuring another great store web site: The Silver Pear Showcasing memorable gifts and a rare level of customer service! Amazing gifts!! Personalized gifts are my favorite because they are so meaningful. Check it out!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Atlanta Mama's Wordle

To create your own, go to Wordle
If you enter your blog site, it will pull words together to create a small work of art. I've attempted to make larger (below) so you can read it.
Wordle: AtlantaMama2
My friend, at Letters to Catherine made one & I had to try it!
I made this one for the blog by entering words:
Wordle: My Blog
I plan to make an even more personal one for my son's scrapbook.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Supernatural Provision 3

Maybe you've seen these posts, and you're thinking, "why is Atlanta Mama focused on all of this provision stuff?" Allow me to say, that I often struggle with blogging about what I'm learning because I still feel like I'm in the middle of the lesson. But I felt that I wanted to blog about this because it COULD serve as an encouragement to others who may be in the same boat that we have been in... with slow work... or some with no work. (So many of our friends have been layed off and are looking for work right now. It's often hard to continue to have hope in all of that because we can get stuck way down into the circumstances.) These posts are not about asking God for something lavish. These are about learning to trust Him to provide all of our needs because He is our Father and He loves us. It's about adjusting our thinking, so that we see TRUTH in the place of past lies from the enemy, where he's tried to make us think that for whatever reason we can't or shouldn't ask God to be our provision. It's not about saying, "God, I WANT -- I WANT". It's about how my husband and I learning to say, "Father God, You know our needs and we are trusting You to provide."

Today, I want to share two examples where Jesus gave supernatural provision for His disciples: The first was a time when the disciples had been fishing, but they were coming up short. Jesus told them where to cast their nets and they came up with a huge catch of fish. Luke 5:1-11 There was another time when the disciples needed money, and Jesus lead them to fish with a gold coin in it's mouth. Matthew 17:27 Amazing.

What I take from that, is that we are clearly not God and we cannot make something come from nothing. But God, being God, is cool like that... He can provide in ways that we have not even thought about! Let's expect the unexpected! He can also show us new ways to do our thing. The disciples' thing was fishing. What's yours? My husband and I have some things that we are doing and pursuing to provide for our family, but we are asking God to show us news ways to get at that. Jesus, show us YOUR way and lead us today.

I pray also, that you will be encouraged. Our hope is in the Lord. The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Maybe that's easier said than done?!) If your circumstances have been overwhelming, I pray that you'll begin to place more focus on the truth of who God is and on the blessings He has already provided. And that He has not changed. His promises are still TRUE today. That was our first step. Sometimes is hard to pull our own selves out of a pit. We have begun to seek the Lord and see Him as our loving Father. He is bringing peace and freedom in our home that has nothing to do with circumstances. Although we are still praying for the circumstances to change. We know that we can trust Him no matter what. We know that He loves us no matter what. He is our good Father. And we praise Him for the ways He has been our provision. Thank You Lord!!! You are faithful.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Supernatural Provision 2

Psalm 50:10-11 (New King James Version)
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

God has been teaching me about His provision and trusting Him in these uncertain times. He has also been teaching about about who He is as my FATHER God. I was reminded of this verse a few weeks ago and I sat and thought about how He owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. At first I pictured the small rolling hills that we have in Georgia. Wow, 1,000 hills. And then it was like God was saying, no - think bigger. So I pictured 1,000 mountains. Whoa. I was in awe and almost reassured that He was showing me a bigger picture. And then it was like He was saying to -- the point here is that I own it all. He owns it all. Everything. Every resource and every bill to pay and every meal for our family. Every spiritual resource of heaven... and every natural resource of earth are at His fingertips. He owns it all.

He's teaching us more and more about being His children, and learning to see Him as a good Father. He loves us. He has good plans for our lives. More than that, that He is the King of Kings, and He still calls us His children. Amazing. All the Kings daughter has to do... is to ask Daddy. When we come to Him, as His children, and ask that He would provide for the needs of our family, He does. It almost sounds simple when I write it out like this and re read it, but it's been a profound lesson for us. It also brings peace, comfort, and great hope as we begin to see God for who He really is... He really is GOOD! He is trustworthy.

So instead of the doom and gloom of the news today, let's look for God to move in our lives. Let's wait expectantly on the Lord today... Come in power Father. I love You and I trust You. You are so good. I know that your plans are perfect and that your timing is never early or late... your timing is perfect too. Please fill our home with your presence today, Father. We want You. We need You. We want more of You, Father. Amen.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Supernatural Provision

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8

God has been teaching my husband and I about His supernatural provision for years (almost three years) now. I read this verse today and it seems so relevant... as we are in a time a drought with this US economy this year. But our confidence is not built up in the stock market numbers, or in circumstances around us. Our confidence is set on the steady, stable, unchanging hand of God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has given us roots beside a stream of living water because He is faithful. He is ALWAYS FAITHFUL. He cannot NOT be faithful. So there is no need to let doubt creep into our house. And he continues to give us the ability to bear fruit, even in a year of drought, because He loves us. He is LOVE. Let us not looks to the uncertainty of our time... but instead, let us seek the Lord, and place our trust and confidence in Him. Thank You Father!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Happy 19 month Birthday

You are 19 Months Old Today!!!
We love you SO much little Bear.



A few Highlights at 18 Months Old:
- no teething (yeah)
- still weening
- a visit from Nana & Papa this month
- still co-sleeping / bed sharing
- learned to walk up the slide, on the slide
- went to your 1st music class
- standing on your head in the chairs and on the sofa
- thinks "stop it" is hilarious & a game to say it over & over
- plays well with others
- still LOVES dogs (he needs one)
- wears some 18mo but mostly 24mo clothes now
- new running shoes, size 7&1/2
- saying more words and people's names (or close to it)
- discovered the clicking noise Mama can make w/ her tongue
- loves the BOZ the Bear Books and DVD's
- 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day at the Park with friends
- Dog sitting Ellen's dog, BEAR
- saying more and more words
- saying short phrases
- gives out kisses and hugs

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

2007 Babies

HEALTH / WOMEN'S HEALTH
Baby boomlet: US births in 2007 break 1950s record
By MIKE STOBBE
Associated Press
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than any year in the nation’s history, topping the peak during the baby boom 50 years earlier, federal researchers reported Wednesday. Click HERE to read more on http://ajc.com/


The Atlanta Mama's son was born in August 2007!
He is one of 4.3 million births in that calendar year.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

St. Patrick's Day (at the park)

HAPPY St. Patrick's DAY FRIENDS



Today we went to our 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day at the park with our playgroup.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Father

How do you picture Father God?
When I was little, I thought of King Triton
from the Disney movie.
It's important that we have a true view of who God is... Because how we see Him or think of Him will effect how we come to Him.
If someone thinks of Father God as a distant old man or sorta out of touch with their life, that will certainly effect they way they pray -- or don't pray to Him.
If someone pictures God as the Lincoln Memorial statue, that definitely paints a picture of God being a ruler on a thrown, but being cold, stiff, and unapproachable.
How do you picture Father God?
I heard a story today about a 4 year old's soccer game, where a little girl ran down and kicked a goal and she was so excited. But all of the parents knew she scored in the wrong goal. Her father was the coach, but instead of scolding or correcting her, he picked her up and celebrated as if she'd made the final shot in the World Cup! The Bible says, He rejoices over us with singing. He takes great delight in His children.
If we look at who Father God is in scripture, we see that He's good. He's loving. He's ALIVE! He's creative. He's the BEST Father! And he gave His one and only Son in order to save us... well, yes... He gave His one and only Son in order to wash away our sin... well, yes... He gave His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and then be raised from the dead so that He could have you. He loves you to death and He desires a living relationship with you. He is LOVE. He is faithful. He is approachable.
You are loved by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The creator of the entire universe lavishes His love upon you and knows the numbers of hairs on your head. You are on His mind. Whoa... That blows me away. His love is so deep and so complete.
As Tom Roan says, God is good and He's in a good mood.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Saturday Morning Encouragement

Verse of the day (from Biblegateway.com)
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”-
2 Peter 1:5-8
My heart if so overjoyed today!!!!!
Thank you Lord!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Time Change Week

Post #152
Time Change Week

It's Friday, and we are still adjusting to the ONE HOUR TIME CHANGE. What? It's crazy, but it seriously throws off our nap time, when he's hungry for lunch, and even bedtime and night sleep. Does anyone else see that their kids have a hard time adjusting to the time changes? It's like as soon as you have a semi-predictable pattern... something like the time change can just send that for a loop. We are settling again. Sleep is GOOD!!!!

Also, my sister fly to Guatemala today for her college spring break mission trip. Please keep her in your prayers through next Friday, the 20th. (I don't think they have day light savings issues in Guatemala?!!) Thanks for praying.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Two Parks & A Music Class

(A FREE Music Class today w/ friends...)
Read our friends new post about hair cutting! Must See!

(Saturday at the Park w/ Family...)

Played in Sand for the 1st time...

With Nana & Papa... PLAYING!


(Last Friday at the Park w/ Friends...)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Sunday, March 1, 2009

SNOW DAY!!!


We enjoyed our first snow day -- being old enough to enjoy it!
Have a great day! Our God is so Good!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
- Isaiah 55:8-9