* Victory in Jesus!

Today I nearly melted down on two occasions because I have a lot to do in the next three days to prepare for a homeschool conference that I am going to this weekend. My husband is going out of town this weekend. We have a babysitter coming to watch the kids.

Unexpectedly, my sister's kids came to visit for the week and so we have to get the kids together. Stress for me. My husband is sick, fever included. Stress for me. He's home instead of at work. I thrive on routine, so this is somewhat stressful for me to have all of these unexpected things come up. Also, my oldest daughter has not been feeling well and is unable to help as much as she normally would. I increased my probiotic on Sunday. I have been eating all kinds of new food. These things would have caused me stress in the past.

Today I handled things differently. Because of what God is doing in my heart, I did things differently. I prayed. I explained my fears to my children, making sure they understood that I was not blaming them for my anxiety and asked them for help to figure out how to get it all done. We came up with some great ideas and everyone was agreeable to do what had to be done.

They suggested that we push back the time the cousins would come over to play, in order to give us more time to finish everything before they got here. They suggested that we let KRS take a detox bath and just rest until she felt ready to come and help, if at all. MKS and I would run around super fast trying to do everything ourselves. We prayed together about the day, thanking God for helping us to work things out together in love.

Other things came up, too, but we worked through it all with respect and love. We DID get it ALL done before the cousins arrived. I was able to go to a meeting I had in the evening. My older children put my younger children to bed and put themselves to bed, while their daddy rested in the back. They did not ask for his help. They did it! They did it all by themselves. What great kids! We have come such a long way!!!

Also, we continue to eat the food we added in, including fruit and honey. No eczema! None! Not on anyone! Praise the Lord!

God IS healing us!!! He is healing us spiritually and the physical healing is following. Hate hurts! Love heals!

What is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus, my faith in You has grown through all of this and I am truly filled with the Spirit, so that I truly love others. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I have to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It always perseveres. Love never fails.

These three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Jesus fulfilled the law and gave us a new commandment to love one another. We are to love each other the way that He loves us. If we love Jesus, then we will follow His commands. Whoever follows His commands loves Jesus. His command is to love.

When I became anxious and afraid today, I responded in love. It is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purposes. I responded in love. Victory in Jesus!