The Highest Praise- Gearing Up for Surgery

Samuel is scheduled for cleft palate surgery at 8am tomorrow morning. I have a few last minute things to pack for the hospital. Samuel and I are home alone for a couple of hours so I wanted to share a few of my convictions over the past week.

I have shared with a few people that I am more anxious about the 10 day recovery period than the actual surgery. When Michael and I took a day to fast before the surgery, God revealed some things to me about what my anxiety (and lack of concerning surgery) was saying about my relationship with Him.

 I was putting more trust and confidence in our surgeon, than I was the very One who created our little boy. There is so much unknown about these days of recovery, and in my ignorance I was saying that surgery is something we have been through before and because I'm familiar with it, all will be well. And because I do not know what to expect after that, that is cause for worry. And in my thinking that, I was being prideful and forgetting, yet again, that I do not need to know all things. I serve a sovereign God who is eternal and so much bigger than these 10 days of recovery.

While at church this morning, we sang the song "You Alone Can Rescue," and it echoed my convictions from the past week. The song repeats the line "to YOU alone belongs the highest praise" several times. No matter the outcome tomorrow, God deserves the highest praise. Yes, we are blessed and thankful for the work the surgical team will do. But I dare not praise them above my God.

And when the 10 days get hard with Samuel, and they will get hard, God STILL deserves the highest praise. Friends, remind me of this. Remind me to be joyful in all circumstances.

Thanks for reading and praying! Got to go finish packing. :)

4 Questions to Ask Yourself in 2017

It's the start of a new year. Many of us are glad to see 2016 go. I, personally, have no ill feelings toward the past year, but I do always enjoy the chance to "start fresh" and ponder what may lie ahead.

My daughter was recently asking my husband and me about New Years resolutions, wondering if they were "dumb" or a good idea. We told her that some are, in fact, "dumb." Some people set lofty goals only to realize that they have failed 3 days later. But a resolution to better yourself, particularly as a child of God, is never a bad idea.

Here are some questions I would like to ask myself as I start this new year:

1. Whose salvation will I be praying for in 2017?

2. What person can I disciple in 2017?

3. How can my prayer life be more effective in 2017?

4. What is distracting me from my walk with God and needs to be removed?



What questions would you add to the list?

I hope you all have a blessed day and Happy New Year!