God Answers

God isn't always going to answer the way we want Him to answer. He doesn't answer to us, we answer to Him. I know in my heart that when God said it is time for someone to go home, that is what is supposed to happen, no matter how hard it is for those left behind. When you know someone who has been a good person on this Earth and a family that has embraced all He has done, you know that God's ultimate will was done. My friend told me last night that she knows that God has had a big hand in her husband's life. He has been alive longer than he should have been alive and it is but for the grace of God that he is still here to see his family grow up. I know it will be so hard for them to say goodbye when the Lord calls him home but know that they know they will see him again. God is such a gentle Lord, one of great mercy. He has cried for them and He will cry again with them when that time comes. Oh God, you are unshakeable. You are our one and only Savior. I am so glad that this family knows you and loves you just as I do.

No Such Thing As Randomness

Yes, I already shared with you that I am a self proclaimed space nut and love all things to do with the air around us.  Last night, after the kids were in bed, Erik and I went out into our backyard to run the dog and watch the stars.  The moon was still sort of full but the brightness wasn't as much.  Looking at the stars, I began to wonder, did God put the stars up there in an orderly fashion or did He just randomly place them there?  There are so many beautiful constellations, most of them from the Greek mythological points of view, but beautiful nonetheless.  Then I thought, He didn't randomly choose to make us.  Each purposefully chose to make each and everyone of us.  We are part of His ultimate plan.  He perfectly made us from the very first part all the way to what we are now and He is still perfecting us through His Spirit.  The same might be said of the universe.  No matter how large the universe is, I know in my heart He didn't just randomly create the beauty up there.  Each and every star up there is known by Him.  Just as each and everyone of us is known by Him.  He takes care of the details and I am just so thankful for that.

As we went back inside to go to sleep, I was thankful that my husband and I got to share this together.  The beauty, the peace and calm (we live in the country so you can see the stars every night) and the awesomeness of it all!  I love the Lord my God.  Have a blessed day everyone!

Meteor Shower!

I got up at 3am to see the magnificent meteor shower. I have to tell you a secret. I am a space buff. Just the thought about infinity around our little earth just really intrigues me. I woke up very quietly so as not to wake up anyone else and tip toed down the long hallway. My excitement was there as I made my way to our door when all of a sudden, the full moon hit me in the face! Okay, there was not going to be any viewing of the meteor shower but I had some good one on one time with my Savior just looking at the moon that He created. It brought to mind that He is always there looking out for us. This giant moon is to light up our dark, dark world and He is here to brighten up our dark, dark society. I just looked and looked at the moon and no words could come to my mind. I just breathed and smiled. God, I love you and no words can express the time we had last night. Silence is everything and I feel so blessed by your presence in my life.

At A Loss.......

I really don't know what I am doing Lord as a parent.  Why did you bless us with a headstrong little person to raise and take care of throughout life?  I love being a parent.  You know Lord I would never trade it for the world, but sometimes it is so hard.  Many years ago, I remember the times on my knees, asking you for a child to come into our life.  We prayed and prayed and waited and waited.  Your timing is perfect Lord.  She came at the right time in our life.

Our children were born with different problems and it took all we had to just get back on our knees and talk to you Lord.  Why?  Why are they so little?  Why are they not as healthy as other babies?  Didn't I do everything right?  I just know now, that you were listening and crying as well for us.  You knew they would make it.  You knew their little personalities.  You knew that our eldest when she was a baby knew what she wanted and when.  You knew when our youngest had a twinkle in his eyes, that our house would  be enlivened each day.  I love them so much Lord.  I thank you for them.

But I am at a loss.  Our children are turning into such fine little people Lord Jesus.  I have you to thank for that.  Our eldest is getting baptized in a month and I am so happy for the fact that she came to that realization by herself.  We haven't prodded her one way or the other.  But there are times when I think that this world, the evil in this world, is going to pull on her and make her act in ways that are not like you Jesus.  What can I do when she is throwing a fit for some reason or other?  I can only lean on you Lord.  I ask for your help.  I ask for your guidance.  No amount of books in the world will help us be the parents you want us to be.  We have to discipline in love but stand our ground.  It is so hard to be a parent.  I always thought it would be easy Lord.  I was sorely wrong.  As the days go by and she gets older, please lead us in the way you want us to go with her.  I want to be the best parent for her and raise her to be a loyal follower of you Lord Jesus but all I can do is give her a foundation as a parent.  She has to do the rest.  Let me lay her at your feet Lord.  Let me realize we can only do so much and then it is up to you.  You are the one that can move mountains.  I know you can help with this parenting adventure.  Like I said, most of the time I am at a loss.  I need to just give it to you and let you guide us and guide her.

Miss Ladybug, I love you little girl.  You are my love, my miracle, my daughter.  May your life be full of special blessings just as the Lord has blessed us many times over.  I just pray that you love the Lord with all your heart and seek Him in all your battles and trials in life.

Living for God's Pleasure and Not Mine......

As I was doing my devotion last night, I ran across the verse Ecclesiastes 2:11.  "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."  This brought me to my knees.  Literally falling on my knees by my side of the bed, clasping my hands, and saying "Lord, I know you have great plans for me.  I want to do good for you.  I want to do all things for Your glory Lord but sometimes life just gets in the way."

How many times have we had that feeling that all we are doing on this Earth will be forgotten after we leave?  I would hope that the legacy of our children would be a testimony to how we lived and loved in our lives.  We work so hard to be good parents and make sure they have everything they need.  We want the best for them.  We want the best schooling for them, the best friends for them, the best of everything.  But in reality are we doing it for God's glory or our own?  I find that it is a fine line.  Yes, God gives us our children to raise but only for His glory.

Lately I have been starting to go back to school to get my master's degree in teaching.  It is something I have always wanted.  I know that when I have my master's, I will be better secure in my job when I do end up going back to work.  Prayerfully I consider this with my Lord and Savior and He has allowed me to start the process although slowly so it doesn't interfere with my Bible study time and the family that we are raising.  I know it will take a long time but I am hoping I am doing it all for His glory.  I don't want to do anything in my life that I know may not have the Lord's stamp of approval.  I know that He has a time for everything in my life and He knows when the best time is for me to accomplish those things.  He opens doors and windows and closes doors at the same time.  We just have to look to Him for discernment.  I feel that I am always looking for His discernment in things but do I really listen?

After all I am here for His pleasure, not mine.  I am here on Earth to live for Him and help Him in His work on Earth.  He wants testimonies all over our world and wants my little life to be a testimony to whomever I come in contact with throughout my life.  I love that He has everything in control.  I need to remember that when I set about doing tasks, no matter how small.  "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."  Ecclesiastes 3:11

He loves us and is pleased with us when we live for Him.  One day we will be face to face with our Savior and I often wonder what that will be like.  I most likely will fall on my knees in front of Him.

My Daddy

She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear.  She sighs a deep sigh and smiles a big girl smile.  Her hand is firmly grasped in his hand as they wait for the cue.  She can tell his arm is shaking a little and her heart is beating faster with each stanza of music coming through the tall, double doors.  Is this what she is supposed to be doing?  Is she supposed to take this big step?  She is thinking that this is the most magical time of her life and can’t wait to start a life with the one she loves.  Then she hears a whisper.  “You look beautiful.  Keep a stiff upper lip.”  Her dad, clasping her hand in his, slowly walks her down the aisle toward her new life, a life without him.  She will always be his little girl but another must take his place in her life.  It is the way it is supposed to be.  Her father, always gentle and caring, kisses her on her cheek as she starts her new life.  

Fathers.  Aren’t they wonderful?  Aren’t they the cure all for an achy heart?  Aren’t they the ones that always make things alright?  Not everyone has that sort of dad but my dad was very much like that.  I always knew everything would be okay as long as my dad was around.  Even when he was traveling on business, I knew he would be home and that life would be safe and good.  My mom, I know, loved to have my father home because it just meant that we were a complete family.  Together always.  

We all have a Father in Heaven that we know we can always count on no matter the circumstances.  He knows what we are going through.  He has cried a thousand tears for what we cry over today.  He longs to hold us through the storms of our life and carry us in His capable arms over rough, bumpy ground.  His strength is in His words, His being, His love.  He is everything.  He is the ultimate daddy.  I love my daddy, my one on Earth that He placed to take care of me.  But I absolutely adore my daddy in Heaven, the maker of Heaven and Earth.  The one who knew me before I was even formed.  He has been with me from the beginning.  I love that knowledge.  No matter how tough things get, I know that I can always count on my great Father in Heaven.

Remember God is your Father.  He is our great Father, our heavenly “Daddy”.  Hold on to Him and let Him know that you love Him too because, yes, daddies love to hear they are loved too.  Give Him praise and glory even during the tough times.  He sees your beginning and end.  He knows the now.  Let Him guide you through your life.  He is the one you can lean on as you walk down the aisle towards the next adventure in your life.  Yes, there may be tears and there may be stumbling but He is always there to help you up and give you a hanky.  

I love my daddy.  I love Him with all my heart.  I want to speak to Him first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  Those bedtime stories I remember with my dad are such an important childhood memory.  Those times when I would be woken up in the morning by my father as he threw all my stuffed animals at me in fun, I will remember.  I want that sort of relationship with God, my Father.  I want Him to be a part of every facet of my life, from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun.

She stops and turns and looks at her father.  He looks at her proudly and shows his love by just a single smile.  She knows in her heart that this is the plan that God has for her.  She winks at her father, says “I love you” to her mother, and then turns to her husband to be as they start the ceremony.  What a lovely moment.  Cherish those times with your father and cherish those moments with your Heavenly Father.  He only wants the best for you.  

Dear Father, Daddy, I love you with all my being.  You are my maker, my friend, my father and my hero.  I thank you for the life you have given me and I thank you for the life I will have.  I pray that you watch over every moment of my life and may I do all things for you Lord.  In Your Son’s name, Amen

Jeremiah 29:11-13  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Let the Dust Settle

Faith....faith in our Lord, faith in our God, faith in our Father.  We need faith in our lives.  We need to believe that God is the sovereign one that will make all things good according to His will.  Why is it so hard then to have that faith?  Right now, I am looking out the window watching our huge windstorm and thinking I need to get out and rebuild the greenhouse.  I need to get out and replant my seedlings that were so carelessly thrown away by the wind.  I need to fix what is broken outside.  But in the back of my mind, I realized that I need to wait until the windstorm is over.  Let the dust settle outside and then pick up the pieces that are strewn around our yard.  Wait until the wind is over so that I can replant without the possibility of more broken pots.  Wait, wait, wait.  My husband's job has a sort of windstorm going right now.  We do not know if he will have a job in July or not.  We do not know how much pay will be cut if he still has his job.  My first and foremost thing to do is panic.  I don't eat when I get that stressed.  My stomach is in knots.  My head is not where it is supposed to be.  It is that fight or flight thing that I have going on and I know that is not of God.  Talking to a good friend today, she advised me to wait until the dust settles before rushing to judgement, making plans that don't have to be made, stressing myself out and getting upset about everything.  We just have to wait and see what happens with his job and then properly take the steps to go on with our lives, as God sees fit.  He has our best interests.  He has our back.  Why then do I rush to fix things while the dust is still flying in and around my head?  Why can't I just calmly walk up to Him and lay it at His feet?  Why can't I just let it go into His hands all the way and let go myself?  Things always turn out bad when you don't have a clear head but when you have faith in Him who knows your future, your plans can never go awry, even if bad things still happen to us.  We live in a cruel, cruel world.  We just have to keep our eyes on the prize, His Heaven.  Let the dust settle and have FAITH that He will take care of all things.  We have to BELIEVE He will.  It is easier said than done sometimes and I am upset with myself that I can't take my own advice.  I have no other choice though.  I have to put ALL my FAITH in Him.  He is my Father.  I love Him and know that He will sweep all the debris that is left behind the bad things.  His love is never ending.  Just let the dust settle and have the faith to lean on Him and give it all to Him.  After all, who wants dust bunnies in our lives?

Ever Wonder What God's Plan Is For You?

Kindness and goodness is part of the Fruits of the Spirit.  God loves us so much, just as we do our own children.  I know in my heart that I am learning about God's love for me through my job as a parent.  I love being a parent.  Yes, it can be difficult many times and other times so wonderful that you feel as if you have a dream life.  Most of the time I am somewhere in between.  As I listen to my children, laugh one minute and argue the next, I know God has those moments with us too.  How many times have we said, "No God!  I am not doing that!"  Or "No, not my job."  "God, I don't want to go up to that person and talk to them."  It is the adult equivalent of our children.  God has a plan for you.  You may know what it is and you may not.  I know many days I have absolutely no clue what the Lord wants me to do with my life here in Fernley, Nevada.  "By the way, why do I live in Nevada anyway?  I am a Northwest girl, God.  Don't you know that?"   He wants me here for a reason and just recently I have begun to embrace that with open arms.  

He has a time and a place for each and every one of us.  Does that boggle your mind?  Does it blow you away that the Lord of Heaven and Earth, Creator of all things, knows little old me?  It is even more amazing that He has a plan for little old me.  He has saved us to do very specific works in this world.  We have a job to do.  Whether it is as a parent or the bread winner of the family, you have a job.  But there are other jobs He has for us.  They are His gifts He bestows on us through His Holy Spirit.  My prayer is for each and every one of you to sit down in a quiet area, no distraction whatsoever and open your heart and mind to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Ask Him to reveal to you what it is He wants you to do in this specific time in spiritual history.  It would be so nice if we had a definitive answer in our minds but most of the time we don't.  We have to rely on Faith.  He made us with free will.  So we have to take that into account when doing what He wants us to do.  I wish I knew all the things the Lord has planned for me to do as a job for His kingdom.  So today or in the next few days, I am going to reflect on His life for me and ask Him point blank, what He wants me to do.  I would love to know why the dark clouds of life seem to come in through windows I thought long closed.  I would love for Him to open the big French doors to the life He has made for me.  But for right now, I need to leave the porch light on and hope that soon I will have that answer with the opening of my front door.  I don't want to rush into my house and quickly close the garage door behind me.  I want to know so that I can start living my life with more divine purpose.  He is our Creator, our Father, our Guide.  I love Him for that.  I hope that you too can see the path He has for you.  Step out of your house, into the garden and follow the path He has set before you.  (If you live in Nevada, yes, you will find spiky tumbleweeds along the way, but it is temporary.)  He has such a wonderful life for you.  Give Him your time and your Faith.  

Dear Father, I pray that you show us the purpose you have for each and everyone of us.  I pray for better understanding of how to recognize this "job".  You are all knowing and also so loving Lord that you want what is best for us even if we don't know what it is.  I thank you for your love.  In Your Son's name, Amen

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

Lukewarm Christianity

These past couple of weeks I have been faced with something that I have been guilty of in the past and hope to never go back to in the future.  That would be being a "lukewarm Christian".  Lukewarm, what does that mean to you?  Well it means to me that it is not quite a hot and on fire Christian and not quite a cold, distant, uninvolved Christian.  It is one that thinks that their walk is just fine, thank you very much.  One that doesn't want to get too involved lest I be known as a "Jesus Freak"!  It is one that doesn't make a commitment to come to a Bible class because it just isn't convenient or my favorite, I don't know what is going on in the study so I don't want to come.  Lukewarm people are all over church.  Lukewarm people are all over society.  I remember being a lukewarm Christian.  I would sit in church, pregnant and uncomfortable, thinking that this church is nice but don't really want to get too much involved.  We would come in the door, listen to the sermon, make an excuse to go to the restroom during greeting time, and then wait to exit the side doors as quickly as possible before we were invited to a potluck.  (All seriousness aside, I am not a potluck person.....never will be.)  I remember going to Bible study with some amazing women, who are still very good friends of mine, and thinking, I really don't want to be here.  I need to be at home doing chores, playing with the kids and whatever other excuse I could think of at the time.  You know, that Bible study book does look interesting, but I can't remember what page they are on now.  I don't think I would be accepted if I didn't have my homework finished.  Okay, well that is a bunch of, shall I say, hooey!  Yes, I remember being that way but now I feel that my walk has come so far with the help of some amazing friends.  It is amazing what the Lord has done through me and is doing through me.  I love being a Bible study teacher.  I feel that my life, although very busy, is fulfilling.  The fellowship and sisterhood I get there is needed and wonderful.  Yes, I have sisters all over the world, but when we are in that little room studying the Word of God, it is just as if He is there sitting in a chair with us.  I love that feeling when we get to vent and talk about our week and then tie it all into what we are studying.  I love being a wife an amazing man.  He was baptized a couple of years ago and I am so happy that I have him on my side.  Going to church alone was really hard and I think it contributed to my lukewarmness but I can't put all the blame on that.  It has to do with the state of your heart.  Having him with me on my walk with Christ is awesome!  More than I could even imagine.  We love our church.  We love our friends.  We love each other.  Our children are getting a great education through our walk as well and it is amazing to see their growth.

Nope, being a lukewarm Christian is not for me!  No way!  As God stated, He would rather spit out the lukewarm Christian because it is not something pleasing.  Who wants to be wishy-washy anyway?  What sort of example is that to our children?  We need to make a commitment to the Lord and stick to it. We owe Him that.

May God bless your week this week and may your walk be as hot as your morning coffee.  Let it permeate through your life.  Savor the flavor.  God loves you.

Standing up for our Faith

Recently I got on this "ancestry" kick where I have been researching both sides of the family.  It is amazing what I am finding and there is so much more to discover.  The one person that I knew was a notable ancestor was William Brewster, of the Mayflower.  Growing up, we would listen to my grandmother talk about how our family can trace its roots straight back to 1620 and the landing on Plymouth Rock.  I remember sitting there just entranced as I took it in that he was someone I was related to and learned about in school.  How many First Graders can stand up in their class to give a report on their ancestor during Thanksgiving?  But as I became older and life got in the way, the memory was put on the back burner.  We always knew about it but it was just history.  Since I started this genealogy search, originally to help my in laws find their side of the family tree, I have been blown away by my side of the tree.  William Brewster was an amazing man.  He worked for the Archbishop of York as a bailiff and was in charge of all the daily things that the Archbishop had to do during the day.  But what I didn't know until recently was that behind that facade, he was a strong believer in something more than what the Church of England was offering.  He was a "religious rebel" I guess you could say.  He was incarcerated for his beliefs and had a family during this time.  His beliefs in the fact that Jesus Christ is our Savior and we should be able to worship the way we want caused many upheavals I am sure in his family life.  How hard it must have been for his wife Mary to go through this and see that her husband was a wanted man.  Of course, we all know the story of the Mayflower making it to Massachusetts in 1620.

The amazing part of this story is I can see his complete and utter faith in the Lord.  He was so led by faith that all the things that happened to him, he let it happen because he knew God was in control.  No king, queen, archbishop or the like would make him falter when it came to his faith.  He literally put his life and his family's life into the Lord's hands.  That complete faith and trust my ancestor had is the kind of faith and trust that I hope to have in life's difficulties and in life's praises.  We think that we have horrible things happening to us now for God's sake.  Persecution by friends, family members that tell us to go leap off a bridge before telling them your testimony, the world telling us that we are horrible people because we don't "include" everyone and Satan telling us that we are bad.  Persecution is hard for a Christian.  But imagine having the sort of persecution that would land you in jail because of your solid beliefs in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I couldn't imagine not being able to go to church on Sunday mornings and worshipping my Lord and Savior freely but there are those in this world who could be killed for doing that very same thing.  I just ask that we have the faith and the trust in Him enough to get us through our Christian lives.  It may not be easy but we also need to be in prayer for those who don't have the same opportunities we take for granted everyday in our country.  I hope and pray that we will be allowed to worship the way we do in our country for a long time and that our children are allowed to but it is up to us to stand up and make sure that that right is not taken away, just like William Brewster.  He believed in something so powerful and life changing that he threw away his comfortable life in another country to bring freedom to those in his inner circle and ultimately in our nation.  I want to have a faith like him.  I am so thankful for the things I am learning about my brave ancestor and one day would love to embrace him in heaven.  God bless and have a wonderful weekend in Him.

Witnessing to the Lost

Today in church we were learning about being witnesses here and now to people that are lost and in grave danger of eternal hell.  I know that isn't "politically correct" these days but it is the truth.  The whole Bible, from beginning to end, is true and God's word never falters.  All that it says has happened or will happen.  How could we refute what it says?  We are just mere mortals, mere humans who don't know the first thing about life and the divine nature of God.  Witnessing to those we don't know is hard but I feel witnessing to those we know and love can be harder.  For some reason, you get comfortable with your friendship and don't want to rock the boat.  You want your friendship to not be filled with uncomfortable moments.  But there are times when you just can't help it.  You may not be ministering to them directly but indirectly as I do with many of my friends.  I am not an "in your face" sort of person.  My outlet and way to get the Word of the Lord out there is by writing.  It is what I love to do and what I feel comfortable doing.  But persecution can happen when you least expect it.  Just this last week, I fell under attack for doing what I love to do.  My views, sayings, and personal witnessing on my Facebook page made someone decide after 8 years of being friends, that they didn't want a friendship anymore.  The reasoning was that they haven't changed and don't want me to make them change.  They felt that I was hanging out and too involved with my "churchy friends" and family.  The cutting out of our friendship happened literally overnight.  It wasn't even a personal, face to face encounter but rather one that involved no words at all.  It hurt to the very core of my being.  It hurt so much that my eyes were puffy from crying last night and I didn't know what to do except call my mom.  (Moms are good for that.)  My mom said now I feel just an inkling of what Jesus felt after Peter denied him.  Or just a microscopic portion of how God feels when we turn our back on Him or sin.  We are in essence rejecting Him.  That really put things into perspective for me.  I know that my friend, in rejecting me, is also rejecting my Lord and Savior.  That really makes me sad and want to all the more pray for her and her family that their hearts will soften towards the Lord and that whatever seed that was planted the years we were friends didn't land on hard rocks but rather fertile land waiting to sprout in His time.  It is so hard to witness because you know that you could be rejected.  But you know it is the most important thing we need to do as believers.  Make sure that no one is left behind at the end of days.  God doesn't want anyone to perish and I pray in my heart of hearts that my friend turns to the light rather than the darkness.  Materialism is their God and I hope and pray everyday that love of Jesus Christ will overcome her and they will be saved.  So it is our duty to witness to everyone.   Just hope that one day you will see faces in Heaven that you touched long ago.  How glorious that day will be.  The smiles will be everlasting!  Praise God!

I Need Patience NOW!!

My day started out pretty well and then I went to the gas station.  That pump was the bane of my existence!    It hurts enough to fill my car with gas but to have a gas pump laugh at you while you are pumping is not my idea of a sense of humor.  I tried and tried to lock the handle of the pump but it wouldn't lock.  Mind you, it was cold and windy and I didn't much want to stay standing out there in the elements.  But unfortunately I had to stand there and baby this pump through gallons and gallons of gas.  Okay, I hate to admit it but I talked to the pump.  Yes, I thought I lost it too.  A lady on the other side looked at me and told her friends that I was talking to the pump.  A teensy bit embarrassing.  I was just out of patience and by the time I hit the "help" button to let the attendant know that their pump didn't work right, I was finished with pumping the gas.  By the way, the button to call the attendant didn't work.  I could have gone in but I had the kids and the dog in the car.  I just couldn't leave them in the car.  Needless to say my patience was thinner than paper, thinner than air, thinner than thin!  I was angry and I needed to be filled with Patience and quickly.  I bowed my head and prayed a short prayer and knew that God would fill me as long as I let Him.  (He was most likely laughing too at my behavior or crying.)  Whichever, I knew that only my Father in Heaven above could give me Patience through the Spirit He so freely gives me.  I have the Spirit in me. Why don't I rely on the Spirit I already have in me that I received after I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior?  We think that we can do things on our own.  How ridiculous this illustration is on patience, it made me think about all the things in life that I think are not important, really are to Him.  He loves me no matter how small I think my situation is in life.  He is our biggest cheerleader, cheering us on to the finish line in the race of life.  He wants us to work on our endurance, our perseverance and our maturity.  Like a good running coach, He is one that makes sure we train through our trials.  Yes, I may not be fast or able to leap tall buildings on my own but with Him on the sidelines, watching my every move, I can do anything.  That hurdle down the straight away looks daunting but all I have to do is run, set myself up for it and go over it when He says. Yes, He could easily move the obstacles out of my life but He doesn't always.  It is for us to go through it with His direction.  As long as we see Him out there saying "I am here.  I am.", our race is successful even if there are some stones and holes on the path to get there.  I am looking forward to the day that all that I went through reveals His glory ultimately and I can look on His face in Heaven and know that His love and direction was what got me to where I am forever.  Think of the ending of the great race of life.  How glorious it will be to go through the ribbon at the finish line with our Heavenly Father waiting on the other side with open arms and words of love.  I can't wait for that day. Yes, life on Earth is hard and it will get harder but my eyes are firmly planted on my coach, my creator, my Father in Heaven.  My hope lies with Him.  May you find that Hope in your life and may His light shine on your situation.  Give it all to Him.  God bless.....

The Stillness of Peace

Think about life without peace.  Many of us have experienced that, are experiencing that, or will be very soon.  It can be a daily thing, coming and going for hours on end.  Life without PEACE is empty, frustrating, scary, uneasy, downright sad.  I look at all these people that say that they have everything they need in life, yet they still feel as if they are missing something.  You could have all the celebrity, money, things in the world but if you don't have the Almighty God fully in your life, you will have no PEACE.  Seems that is what we all want.  PEACE.  PEACE.  PEACE.  Just the sound of the word makes me think of a time when I was at the beach listening to the sounds of the surf coming in over the sand, very softly and gently, brushing my feet as I walked.  PEACE, a calm that carries us into complete serenity.  The sound of a whisper in the wind, the sound of your child's small breath as they breathe in and out while they are sleeping.  PEACE is so still, that it just takes your breath away.  Your heart feels so full of the LOVE of the Lord, the JOY of the Lord and the PEACE and stillness of the Lord.  I find it fascinating that almost all the time God reveals Himself in quiet situations, whispers, gentle breezes....that to me makes me think of PEACE.  Our world is a very unPEACEful place.  It is no wonder there is so much unhappiness in our world because there are a lot of people, sadly, who do not accept the Lord as their Savior and haven't felt the PEACE that only He can provide.  Just yesterday I felt the PEACE I felt after church and my personal time with God get pushed to the side because "life" takes over.  It does take over but you know we are the only ones who can choose to let "life" take over or let PEACE that He is providing to us prevail.  When I feel that PEACEfulness creep into the background of life's noise, I have to hold strong to my Savior's hand and let His PEACE come back into my soul, my being.  Many of us have had things happen in our lives that just strip us of PEACE.  They leave you helpless, weak and spent.  We have to be like Job and look up out of the muck and mire of this life and let His PEACE just pull us out.  To go through trial and tribulations is a part of our life here on this mortal earth.  Just let PEACE be with you always so that you can get through those times in one piece and you will find yourself growing in Him.  Your walk will get stronger, your time with Him will get longer, your outlook on this life will grow brighter.  I wish that bad things didn't happen to people, but it is what it is.  God can bring us through those times.  Only He can bring us through those times.  God is all powerful, loving, awesome and there for us to give us His PEACE and serenity.  Just like the JOY and the LOVE that He so freely gives, we have to accept this gift as well.  Dear Father, I just thank you so much for your peace.  It is only with you that I get through my day.  I don't know how I did it before I knew You.  You are my everything.  You are my Peace.  May you just cover us with your royal robes, keep us wrapped up in Your arms.  Even if the storms are raging around us, calm the sea for us.  We lift our eyes to you Lord Jesus.  Thank you for all that you do.  In Your Son's Name, Amen

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace."  Ephesians 2:13-14

That Tiny Whisper

This Sunday, our amazing pastor, asked for people to come forward if they felt led to and publicly recognize that they need their walk with the Lord to be on the straight and narrow.  We usually don't have altar calls as a common thing at our church, although people do go up occasionally to get some prayer.  We have been learning about the 7 churches mentioned in Revelations 2 and 3.  He has been talking about the fact that we, ourselves, can be one of these churches but the church we ultimately want to be like is the Church of Philadelphia.  They were faithful, always letting God lead them even in times of trouble.  He looked down on them with favor in His eyes.  He said that if anyone of us felt led to go up and confess, repent for what we are doing in our walk, now is the perfect time.  God loves when we want to make things right with Him.  I was standing there thinking that I am just way too shy to go forward and I think, yes, my walk could use some help but I couldn't figure out in my mind which church in the book I most connected with that day.  As I was standing there, the song was playing, everyone's eyes were closed, I heard a still, faint whisper.  Then I heard it again and I turned to my friend who was sitting next to me.  I knew it wasn't her as she was deep in her own thoughts.  There was no one else close to me.  So I just kept my head bowed and closed my eyes again.  I heard it again, the same whisper, saying "Just trust in me."  "Just trust in me."  Yes, this is something I have been having to deal with for a long time now.  I know to trust in Him, but do I totally give myself over to Him and let Him deal with my life?  Most of the time I want to but I have to say that I don't always let Him.  So as I was there with my eyes closed, the tears started running down my cheeks, fogging up my glasses as I repented.  I repented of the fact that I don't let Him take care of it.  I don't give myself fully to Him to work miracles in my life, although He has done many in my lifetime.  I repented that day to fully give myself to Him and know that my life and whatever is going on in my personal life will be done with Him by my side.  I have to remember to trust that He has my back.  He has me by the hand and is walking me through this wonderful, learning life.  I worry about finances and how am I going to go back to work after being home for 8 years with my children.  I worry about our health and our children's health each and everyday.  I worry about how we are going to do the things we want to do in our lives.  I worry about everyone in my family.  I worry about my friends and what they think of me.  I just plain WORRY!  I am not to worry.  I am to put my complete and total trust in the Lord God, the Alpha and the Omega, the One who created the Earth, made me in my mother's womb.  He is mighty to save and mighty to trust.  Lord I just thank you so much for that powerful message we received yesterday in church.  Oh my heart leaps for you Lord Jesus.  I love you so much.  I know that each and every person that went up to the front of the church had different, personal reasons for being up there with you and it amazes me that everyone in the building could feel Your Spirit moving.  Even if I felt that your tiny whisper on the breeze was intimate and solely for me, I know that you are an uncontainable, powerful God and each and everyone of us can have that same tiny whisper in our day.  We just need to listen for it because You are there with us.  I feel so blessed to have heard You and I thank you for Your convicting words.  I get down on my knees for you Lord.  My life is Yours and always has been Yours.  In Your Son's Name, Amen

Light up the Sky, The Afters

Music "Light up the Sky" by the Afters.....the lights in Alaska, the Northern Lights were amazing. Let go of everything for one moment, look up in the sky at the lights and let God speak to you. Amazing things will happen. His love is for all of us and He wants us to "see" Him.

Light Through the Clouds

Today, as I was running with my sister in one of the most beautiful places in Nevada, she told me something that will stick with me for a long time.  The moon last night was especially bright but not only was it bright, it was massive, like it was sitting right there to touch.  Picture the mountains of the Sierra with the moon perched right at the top of the ridge and all its glory is pouring out of its immense structure due to the sun.  Breathtaking was the moon last night and when you have nights like that where you see something that is impossible to describe, I feel you have seen the hand of God.  She said that when she was looking at the moon, she was driving home from work and the song "Light Up the Sky" by the Afters was on the radio.  She had to pull over and just let it sink in.  It was as if the Lord was speaking to her through the beauty of the moon and the song talking about the fact that God lights up the sky for us so we know He is with us.  He is with us always.  But isn't it wonderful to know that sometimes He wants us to see physical representations of His almighty presence.  How many people looked up at that moon last night and just stood in awe?  How many of us looked at it and drank in the love that God has for each and everyone of us?  Everyone is going through tough times at different times of their lives and to know that He is there to shine the light on your life and bring you out of the darkness into His all welcoming arms just blows me away.  He can be anywhere and everywhere.  It doesn't matter where you are in your life.  He knows you intimately and wants you to know that He is there and has cried tears with you through every trial and situation.  So the next time you see the stars, the sunshine, the moon, the Northern Lights, and the sparkles from the morning dew, realize that it is a love note from God telling you that He is there, now and forevermore. 

1 John 1:5  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Joy Overflowing

Recently I lost a friend, a friend who I knew in high school.  This friend and I lost contact over the years as we both moved on and got married.  Just in the past 6 months I reconnected with him through a mutual friend of ours and it was a blessing to be able to say hello again.  Unfortunately, our families would never end up meeting and our reunion was short.  He was always one that had a smile on his face, a word or expression to say about anything and everything, and a quick one liner that would make anyone blush.  He was also a very devout Christian man who I noticed at a young age, loved His Father in Heaven.  Hearing about his dying really hit our former youth group hard and we all rallied around the family via email and letters.  The more time sank in that he was gone at such a young age, the more time I had to think about how his JOY is overflowing in Heaven.  I can see him face to face with our Lord and Savior, just relishing in the idea that he is in the presence of the almighty King.  No more worries about life on Earth.  Just dancing, singing, and pure JOY.  That JOY that I picture right now is what I can't wait to see and have when I go up to Heaven.  This life on Earth can be great and full of some joy but when compared to the JOY you will get in the halls of Heaven for eternity, it is nothing.  I love my life, I love my husband, I love my children and family so much that they give me pure and unadulterated JOY each and everyday.  But to know that my JOY will be 10-fold, 100-fold, 1 million-fold comparitively makes me fall to my knees.  The Lord our God is the source of our true JOY and I never want to forget that.  Put all things aside that make me less than joyous and keep His precious face in my minds' eye.  Just focus on the face of Jesus.  Focus on the eternity.  Focus on His majesty.  JOY is for all who seek Him and I just pray that you find that JOY in your life with Him as your center.  I hope one day to dance in Heaven at the feet of my precious Savior.  I want to bow down and worship Him with all consuming love.  The picture I have of our old friend makes me smile.  I know he is where he wanted to be and know that his JOY is brimming over the top.  Love the Lord your God with all your soul.......keep the JOY deep down in your heart but let others see it shine through you.  May God bless your week.