Thirsty for Him

O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen You in the sanctuary
and beheld Your power and Your glory.
Because Your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify You.
I will praise You as long as I live,
and in Your Name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

Because You are my help,
I will sing in the shadow of Your wings.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

~ Psalm 63:1-5, 7-8 ~

Bye-Bye to the Sugar-High

So, yesterday afternoon I shared with you that I was really looking forward to dinner and some good hang-out time with a girlfriend - over some chips & salsa and dinner from Chipotle. Chipotle is extra special to the two of us - It's sort of interwoven into the depths of our friendship. Along with Chick-fil-A and Starbucks. You see, we used to work together in ministry. Her husband being a pilot traveled a lot during the week, so she and I spent several evenings together over dinner at Chipotle after work. Chick-fil-A was also frequented. And Starbucks - Well, that is just a trademark of any women's ministry. It's a dire need.

Allow me to fill you in on the series of events that took place last night.

6:30 pm - Run by Chipotle. Pick up some chips & salsa, and 2 salads. Yum. Eating dinner and catching up on the past couple weeks of life. Laughing at the babies. When all of a SUDDEN ...

7:30 pm - I notice that my cheeks are hot. Really hot. And so are my nose ... and my lips. Run to the mirror and my suspicions are confirmed - Yes, my face is bright red. Cheeks, nose, lips ... Yeah. On fire. Erin and I both begin laughing uncontrollably, then we both almost simultaneously say these words: "My tongue feels weird."

Yes, folks. We were having an allergic reaction to something in that blasted salsa!

8:00 pm - Being the oh-so-solution-oriented one that I am, as well as incredibly [ahem] impatient ... I resort to the following. An almost entire medicine cup of Children's Benadryl Allergy.

I paid zero attention to the side effects, because come on, seriously ... It's for CHILDREN.

30-60 minutes later, I wished I had.

When using this product:

• marked drowsiness may occur.
• excitability may occur.

9:15 pm - Passed out on the couch, barely keeping my eyes open. And laughing at every little thing. If those 3 teaspoons (or however much I took) did that to me, I highly recommend Children's Benadryl for any mother dealing with the terrible two's. For both the child and the mother. Talk about a sedative. Ok, I'm kidding. But let me tell you ... That's some powerful stuff. Girl was two sheets to the wind.

Praise God I eventually arrived safely at home. And almost missed church this morning because I slept through my alarm. When I texted my fiance and told him I didn't think I would make it to church he asked, "What would you like me to tell everyone?" I'm guessing something along the lines of, "Tell them I'm at home doped up on Children's Benadryl!" was the response he was hoping for?? Needless to say, I made it there (though several minutes late), so he did not have the opportunity to experience such a thrill.

So, I can officially say that the sugar-high is gone.

And now I'm just realllll tired.

A Few Good Women

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say, 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all the wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."

~ Titus 2:3-5, 11-15 ~

I spent my week with the 4 most precious girls. Lots of silliness, very little sleep, and some sugar-sweet memories. And when I say sugar-sweet, I mean it figuratively, as well as in the most literal sense possible. Like as in ... Krispy Kreme runs, mango-green tea smoothies, and pints of ice cream. So, here I am ... Minus my 4 sidekicks, and in need of a serious detox from the sugar high I am currently experiencing.I am left with some quiet time to reflect on the fun week I had with them. Left with some time to be challenged by the high calling we have been privileged with - To show off to these young ones as women of the Word, not of the world. Because let me tell you ... They are watching. Eyes wide open.

God is looking for a few good women. A few good women who will be committed to answering His call for their lives. May God grace us with His Presence in our lives ever so much, that we might show these young ones how it's done.

Now, if you'll excuse me ... I have some Titus Chapter 2 to cross-reference and dissect, then I'm off to enjoy some Chipotle over a much-needed hang-out time with an awesome girlfriend.

I'm hoping the salty tortilla chips and salsa will cancel out all the sugar I've consumed over the past few days ... ?? I'll let you know how it goes!