Happy Monday everyone! I just finished up my 31 day devotional that I was doing. I always get very excited when it's time to pick out a new one. I headed to the Christian bookstore this morning and found the perfect one. Stay tuned for my thoughts as I work through this new book.
Our time in Georgia is wrapping up soon. It has become home very quickly. There are many, many aspects of Georgia we will miss greatly. First and foremost we will miss our beloved Journey Community Church desperately. We are also able to visit with my dad a great deal which sounds funny. We actually see him more now than when we lived in Ohio! He is alone now and can pretty much come and go as he pleases. He and his dog, Sky, can hit the road often! We all just had a great weekend together. We had a fire outside, went biking, played Frisbee golf, ate great food, worshiped together at JCC, and enjoyed a big Buckeye win!
Changes are coming for our family. Change is hard. I'm not that good at change. Being a Procter and Gamble wife I have learned to roll with it. Like anything else there are pros and cons. There are so many places we could go. I think about it a lot. Sometimes I plan in my head what should happen. I have a perfect scenario.
If we go overseas it would be an experience of a lifetime. We could see the world! It would be an incredible experience. We could take Eli to see the Colosseum in Rome, the Charles Bridge in Prague, or to the beaches of Normandy. We could ski down the Swiss Alps. The possibilities are endless! There are obvious cons. Um, we would live a world away from family and friends! I would have to leave behind my sweet Jessie. Eli is also concerned about not being able to talk to other kids because of the language barrier. His schooling would be a concern also as he attends a Christian private school now. I also pause when I think about leaving the United States. I'm VERY patriotic and I absolutely adore this country. Even with her problems I just straight up love America.
There are some interesting places in the United States we could go. Maybe we would live in the west. That would be cool. We are complete mountain people and our dream home is a beautiful cabin on a lake in or near the mountains. We love being cozy! Mountain biking and hiking are a blast. Skiing is awesome not to mention how great it would be to live near the family condo in Deer Valley Utah. Snow isn't my favorite, but it is more acceptable in the mountains. Again, Eli's schooling is a concern and that is always on my mind when we discuss moving.
I also think a great deal about going back to Cincinnati, where we came from. A few years ago I would have been okay to never go back to Ohio. I didn't miss the dark, cold winter nights and minimal sunshine. I also didn't miss the dreary, rainy spring. Ohio was a painful reminder that my mom was no longer with us. It seems like as soon as I crossed the Ohio River my heart began to ache even harder in the waves of sorrow that would come over me in thinking about her battle with cancer. In the last few months my heart has changed towards returning to Ohio. Cincinnati is about three hours from our "home," but to us Cincinnati is also home. Dave lived there for five years when he attended the University of Cincinnati. We lived there for almost three years before moving to Georgia. My best friend lives in Cincinnati and I would LOVE to live near Jessica again. This time we would try to live even closer to her and her family...even the 15 minutes like before would be too far!
Speaking of Jessica I got the best note from her last night. It was so nice to just hear all about her and her life. We used to work out together, ride horses together, sit by the pool together, worship our God together, and let our kids play together...I miss that with all my heart. Even now when God reveals something big to me I want to tell Jess. I remember three years ago when I was in the ugly midst of my hormone fiasco she was so encouraging. In February 2011 my mom was dying from cancer. We knew she didn't have much time left...maybe just a week or two. Dave and I had planned a trip to Utah with Jessica and her husband Derek many months before. My dad encouraged me to go, go and just breathe. I felt awful guilty going for the four days we had planned. How on earth could I go to our winter paradise when my mom was in Ohio laying in a hospital bed literally dying? We went and it was good. It was good to sit for hours and just talk to my dear friend. It was nice to give my heart a break. I'll always remember that trip.
Okay, that last paragraph was off topic. Sorry. Jess, if your reading this...love you sunshine. Anyway, back to Cincinnati. There is something about going back that would be nice. There are great school options and I could still enjoy my horse. We would be much closer to our families which is a huge positive. It is familiar. It is a wonderful city to raise a family and there are many great churches to attend. In addition to the Tye's we have some other friends in the city that we would love to reconnect with. Beside all that everyone is an Ohio State fan there! That's not really at the top of our list, but it IS nice!
As I type all this the following Bible verse comes to mind. Leave it to the Proverbs to offer me some good, practical advice. My mom was a living Proverb. She offered practical and wise advice. I just spent five or six paragraphs talking all about my plans. It is hard not knowing what is next for Dave, Eli, and myself (and Olive the Corgi and Jessie the horse). The only thing I can do is trust God to show us where to go. I can plan and plan and plan some more, but He institutes my steps. He puts my steps into operation. It is His path I want to follow regardless of my plans. I'm not gonna lie...I have in my heart the perfect scenario. I know what I want. Life is about more than doing what I want. It's about allowing Him to establish my steps. My personal goal is to put myself in a position to listen to Him, to hear Him, and then to obey Him. So stay tuned!
Proverbs 16:9) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Barrel Prayers
Hey everyone. I hope this entry finds you doing well. If your going through trials please know you are in my prayers. In our culture doing "well" means not having any problems. It means being happy. I love being happy! Doing well to me personally means trusting in my God despite how I feel. Some days I am doing better than others and that directly correlates to how much I'm living in trust or not. Wow, that was off-topic!7'
Many of my recent Bible studies have had two similar themes. One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. The other is the concept of praying big, gigantic prayers. Our small group is doing a study together called "The Circle Maker." We had a super discussion this past week and I intend on buying the book. I'm also reading through a devotion on declaring good over your life and the lives of loved ones. Pastor Bobby recently did an awesome sermon series on praying barrel prayers. On stage he had a cup, a bucket, and a barrel. It was a great visual. I'm not going to lie...I typically pray cup and bucket prayers because I'm too afraid to prayer barrel prayers. What if God let's me down? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if, what if, what if...it's the devil's game. Today's blog is going to consist of my thoughts on these topics and hopefully in the end it will make some sense to you (and me).
Matthew 6:10) ...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Think about the above verse. How many times have you prayed that prayer? I have noticed that many denominational churches recite it quite often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can desensitize us to the realness of the words we are saying. Essentially it is saying that we desire His will above our own. Ultimately that's the goal here, right? We SHOULD want God's will above our own. That would entail a large amount of trust. I'm working everyday to truly desire God's will above my own. It is easier to do in some things and harder in others. For example, I am better at giving our living situation over to God and struggle more with giving my health condition over to Him. Dave's job could take us to The Czech Republic, South Africa, Utah, North Carolina, Ohio, etc. Now I would prefer some locations over others, but at the end of the day I'll go where He sends us. Now with my health...it freaks me out. I get terrified that I will have to live with some of these symptoms for the rest of my life. I mean when I say terrified I mean terrified. Is this Godly? Nope. Does Satan know my weakness? Yep. I am battling him day in and day out because I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR. So my point here is that it's easier to say "Your will be done" in some things more than others.
Along those same lines how many times do we tack on "if it's Your will God" onto the end of the prayer? Is it done because we are like uber Christians and want to sound super holy to ourselves, others, and even God? I think so many times. If we get totally honest with ourselves we tack it on to provide God an escape route. I have done it. It's my way of praying without getting my hopes up that He will actually provide what I'm asking for. Really think about this. I will not pretend I get the whole God's will thing and when something is or isn't His will or how do I know it is His will so I can pray with authority and confidence. Yeah, I don't have it all figured out. What I know is that He wants us to pray with confidence that He is going to provide something above and beyond what we ask or desire. That is a barrel prayer.
Ephesians 3:20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...
Another thought I have had recently is on the topic of my heart's desire and dreams I have buried down within me. Sometimes I think my dreams aren't worthy because they don't involve me becoming a pastor, worship leader, missionary to the jungle, Christian theologian, Christian author, mother of orphans, Mother Teresa, fill in the blank of some awesome title. They are just small things to me. They are too personal to share right now, but they are mine. I hold them very dear in my heart. They are a part of me. I have struggled with praying over these dreams because they are not good enough or holy enough. He is revealing to me a little at a time that they are important to Him because they are important to me. Is it even possible that He is the one who put them there in the first place?
Psalm 37:4) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more time I spend with God the more my desires become His. My prayers change, my goals change, and my desires change. For example, I used to pray that God would take my health condition away, just take it all away. I still do at times, but now I try to pray more prayers about the process. I ask Him to give me courage and strength as I go through this trial. My heart's desire is that I face it head on without fear. My desire is to be brave and wise in the face of the enemy who is whispering 'this will NEVER get any better than it is now.' I desperately want to be strong and to not quit. Those are His desires for me too. So see how my desires are aligning with His? He knows every thought I have so He obviously knows I ultimately want to be free from this condition. I do not deny I want that, but I try to not make it the main point of every prayer. My character has changed so much in the last seven years or so. I am so glad God didn't leave me where I was even if that meant living a really tough life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at.
We are to pray with boldness, expectation. Do not be afraid to pray barrel prayers. Yes, seek God's will in all you do, but don't deny yourself those hidden dreams that are buried deep within. Wrestle with God over them in prayer. Seek Him in all you do and in time, His desires will become your own.
Many of my recent Bible studies have had two similar themes. One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. The other is the concept of praying big, gigantic prayers. Our small group is doing a study together called "The Circle Maker." We had a super discussion this past week and I intend on buying the book. I'm also reading through a devotion on declaring good over your life and the lives of loved ones. Pastor Bobby recently did an awesome sermon series on praying barrel prayers. On stage he had a cup, a bucket, and a barrel. It was a great visual. I'm not going to lie...I typically pray cup and bucket prayers because I'm too afraid to prayer barrel prayers. What if God let's me down? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if, what if, what if...it's the devil's game. Today's blog is going to consist of my thoughts on these topics and hopefully in the end it will make some sense to you (and me).
Matthew 6:10) ...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Think about the above verse. How many times have you prayed that prayer? I have noticed that many denominational churches recite it quite often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can desensitize us to the realness of the words we are saying. Essentially it is saying that we desire His will above our own. Ultimately that's the goal here, right? We SHOULD want God's will above our own. That would entail a large amount of trust. I'm working everyday to truly desire God's will above my own. It is easier to do in some things and harder in others. For example, I am better at giving our living situation over to God and struggle more with giving my health condition over to Him. Dave's job could take us to The Czech Republic, South Africa, Utah, North Carolina, Ohio, etc. Now I would prefer some locations over others, but at the end of the day I'll go where He sends us. Now with my health...it freaks me out. I get terrified that I will have to live with some of these symptoms for the rest of my life. I mean when I say terrified I mean terrified. Is this Godly? Nope. Does Satan know my weakness? Yep. I am battling him day in and day out because I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR. So my point here is that it's easier to say "Your will be done" in some things more than others.
Along those same lines how many times do we tack on "if it's Your will God" onto the end of the prayer? Is it done because we are like uber Christians and want to sound super holy to ourselves, others, and even God? I think so many times. If we get totally honest with ourselves we tack it on to provide God an escape route. I have done it. It's my way of praying without getting my hopes up that He will actually provide what I'm asking for. Really think about this. I will not pretend I get the whole God's will thing and when something is or isn't His will or how do I know it is His will so I can pray with authority and confidence. Yeah, I don't have it all figured out. What I know is that He wants us to pray with confidence that He is going to provide something above and beyond what we ask or desire. That is a barrel prayer.
Ephesians 3:20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...
Another thought I have had recently is on the topic of my heart's desire and dreams I have buried down within me. Sometimes I think my dreams aren't worthy because they don't involve me becoming a pastor, worship leader, missionary to the jungle, Christian theologian, Christian author, mother of orphans, Mother Teresa, fill in the blank of some awesome title. They are just small things to me. They are too personal to share right now, but they are mine. I hold them very dear in my heart. They are a part of me. I have struggled with praying over these dreams because they are not good enough or holy enough. He is revealing to me a little at a time that they are important to Him because they are important to me. Is it even possible that He is the one who put them there in the first place?
Psalm 37:4) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more time I spend with God the more my desires become His. My prayers change, my goals change, and my desires change. For example, I used to pray that God would take my health condition away, just take it all away. I still do at times, but now I try to pray more prayers about the process. I ask Him to give me courage and strength as I go through this trial. My heart's desire is that I face it head on without fear. My desire is to be brave and wise in the face of the enemy who is whispering 'this will NEVER get any better than it is now.' I desperately want to be strong and to not quit. Those are His desires for me too. So see how my desires are aligning with His? He knows every thought I have so He obviously knows I ultimately want to be free from this condition. I do not deny I want that, but I try to not make it the main point of every prayer. My character has changed so much in the last seven years or so. I am so glad God didn't leave me where I was even if that meant living a really tough life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at.
We are to pray with boldness, expectation. Do not be afraid to pray barrel prayers. Yes, seek God's will in all you do, but don't deny yourself those hidden dreams that are buried deep within. Wrestle with God over them in prayer. Seek Him in all you do and in time, His desires will become your own.
Friday, September 27, 2013
The Truth Shall Set You Free!
Honestly, I have no idea where the time goes! I think I say this at the beginning of EVERY blog...if I don't type it I certainly think it. It is crazy to think it is almost October and the weather here in Georgia is finally cooling off. Football season in the south is totally different than in the north. It is odd watching our beloved Bucks when it is 95 degrees outside!
The last month has been a complete whirlwind. Dave has been guiding the Augusta plant through some major changes and has been traveling a great deal. Eli and I make the most of it though and become total flakes when Dave is gone with staying up late and eating pancakes at 8:30 p.m. on the couch while we watch T.V.! Stay tuned for news on some big changes for the Limbird family.
I am still recovering from surgery. The actual physical aspect of surgery was quick to heal, but getting my hormones optimal has been much more difficult and trying. Dr. Vliet and I are making progress and I'm still beyond thankful for her compassion and expertise. There are symptoms that were bothersome before surgery that are completely gone now! Praise God. I realize now just how much pain and discomfort I was living in. There are other symptoms that seem to be hanging on longer and we continue to petition the Lord for His guiding hand. The last week has been a HUGE week for me. God, in His kindness, has revealed some helpful insight into some major metabolic issues I am having.
John 8:32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
I am a creature of habit and sliiiiiightly stubborn. I am also extremely determined and tend to be rather intense when I have a goal in front of me. I also try to not make excuses and can be hard on myself. Have you ever done something because you thought it was the right thing to do? Or have you continued to do something because you thought it was the right thing to do. When times get tough you buckle down and even go harder. That's me. For example, every time I go to the gym I'm total balls to the wall. For those of you who don't know, the origin of that statement is not vulgar. It has to do with the throttle and the knobs "balls" being pushed to the cockpit wall. Long story short, it means going all out. Aaaaaanywho, God revealed to me this week that what I have been doing to help myself has been actually hurting.
As the revelations began to unfold my initial reaction was doubt. I KNOW I am doing what I am supposed to be doing...even if it's not working and I'm sore and miserable. The next minute after I gave up my stubborn streak I literally cried out a thank You to my God. "Thank You God for this revelation" I kept saying to Him. As I contemplated the whole thing I began to see His mercy. I began to see that He was saving me from myself. Isn't that His nature though? Isn't that His ultimate plan. I am seeing a big picture here.
Often the truth is painful. Often it reveals just how limited we are. I think truth is revealed to every person in an intimate way. God knows exactly how to get to us, doesn't He? For me I truly thought I was doing the best thing for myself. I had no idea what else to do and I didn't know how to get out of it. I had backed myself into a corner. I had no answers. Through a series of events I began to see the answer come. I had been begging and pleading God for a miracle. God is never limited and can do anything He desires. If He knows a miracle is in order then poof, there it is. I have found though that He usually sets a series of events in order to allow the miracle to unfold (slooooooooooowly). When He shows us His truth it is a huge, giant relief. It is freeing and allows us to live an abundant life.
John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
In summary, the truth allows us to live abundantly. I am so completely excited to be free from ideas and habits I had. Like I said, I am a creature of habit and I don't give them up easily, but when smacked with God's truth I can say "so long" with ease! In His love He has showed me how to get out of that corner I mentioned earlier. Embrace the truth, crave it, desire it, and seek it with all you've got. Freedom from ourselves is a glorious thing. An abundant life is also a glorious thing. On a side note, I have officially given up my old gym habits. Mark it down!
The last month has been a complete whirlwind. Dave has been guiding the Augusta plant through some major changes and has been traveling a great deal. Eli and I make the most of it though and become total flakes when Dave is gone with staying up late and eating pancakes at 8:30 p.m. on the couch while we watch T.V.! Stay tuned for news on some big changes for the Limbird family.
I am still recovering from surgery. The actual physical aspect of surgery was quick to heal, but getting my hormones optimal has been much more difficult and trying. Dr. Vliet and I are making progress and I'm still beyond thankful for her compassion and expertise. There are symptoms that were bothersome before surgery that are completely gone now! Praise God. I realize now just how much pain and discomfort I was living in. There are other symptoms that seem to be hanging on longer and we continue to petition the Lord for His guiding hand. The last week has been a HUGE week for me. God, in His kindness, has revealed some helpful insight into some major metabolic issues I am having.
John 8:32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
I am a creature of habit and sliiiiiightly stubborn. I am also extremely determined and tend to be rather intense when I have a goal in front of me. I also try to not make excuses and can be hard on myself. Have you ever done something because you thought it was the right thing to do? Or have you continued to do something because you thought it was the right thing to do. When times get tough you buckle down and even go harder. That's me. For example, every time I go to the gym I'm total balls to the wall. For those of you who don't know, the origin of that statement is not vulgar. It has to do with the throttle and the knobs "balls" being pushed to the cockpit wall. Long story short, it means going all out. Aaaaaanywho, God revealed to me this week that what I have been doing to help myself has been actually hurting.
As the revelations began to unfold my initial reaction was doubt. I KNOW I am doing what I am supposed to be doing...even if it's not working and I'm sore and miserable. The next minute after I gave up my stubborn streak I literally cried out a thank You to my God. "Thank You God for this revelation" I kept saying to Him. As I contemplated the whole thing I began to see His mercy. I began to see that He was saving me from myself. Isn't that His nature though? Isn't that His ultimate plan. I am seeing a big picture here.
Often the truth is painful. Often it reveals just how limited we are. I think truth is revealed to every person in an intimate way. God knows exactly how to get to us, doesn't He? For me I truly thought I was doing the best thing for myself. I had no idea what else to do and I didn't know how to get out of it. I had backed myself into a corner. I had no answers. Through a series of events I began to see the answer come. I had been begging and pleading God for a miracle. God is never limited and can do anything He desires. If He knows a miracle is in order then poof, there it is. I have found though that He usually sets a series of events in order to allow the miracle to unfold (slooooooooooowly). When He shows us His truth it is a huge, giant relief. It is freeing and allows us to live an abundant life.
John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
In summary, the truth allows us to live abundantly. I am so completely excited to be free from ideas and habits I had. Like I said, I am a creature of habit and I don't give them up easily, but when smacked with God's truth I can say "so long" with ease! In His love He has showed me how to get out of that corner I mentioned earlier. Embrace the truth, crave it, desire it, and seek it with all you've got. Freedom from ourselves is a glorious thing. An abundant life is also a glorious thing. On a side note, I have officially given up my old gym habits. Mark it down!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Where Freedom Comes From
Old Rugged Cross
- On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,The emblem of suff’ring and shame;And I love that old cross where the dearest and bestFor a world of lost sinners was slain.
- Refrain:So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown.
- Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,Has a wondrous attraction for me;For the dear Lamb of God left His glory aboveTo bear it to dark Calvary.
- In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,A wondrous beauty I see,For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,To pardon and sanctify me.
- To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;Its shame and reproach gladly bear;Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,Where His glory forever I’ll share.I personally think a strong argument could be made that The Old Rugged Cross is one of the best hymns ever written. The refrain is gripping. To understand fully the refrain it is important to look at the man who penned it. The author, George Bennard, came from extremely humble beginnings. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio, shortly after the end of the Civil War. His father worked hard as a coal miner in Iowa. As a young person George met Christ personally. The local Salvation Army had Bible teachings and George had heard of them, but had never attended a meeting. His curiosity got the best of him and one day he walked five miles to hear the teaching. On that day he became a devoted follower of Jesus. He had plans! Big plans! He was going to go to theology school.What happened instead was very tragic. His father was killed in a mining accident. George was now the man of the house and had to put all his dreams on hold to take care of his mother and siblings. He worked all day and studied books on his own at night. When his responsibilities lessened he went to Chicago to work at the Salvation Army. He met his wife in the city and she also assisted in his ministry at the Salvation Army. He then became a traveling evangelist and became ordained in the Methodist Episcopal church. George came upon a very difficult time in his ministry. I couldn't find any sources that gave any more details. Suffice it to say, he probably became worn out spiritually, emotionally, and physically. He began praying that the Lord would show him a full understanding of the Cross. Pastor Bennard later said he felt as if the words from John 3:16 jumped off the page and began acting out the meaning of Redemption. While he watched the scene with his mind's eye the theme came to him. Over the next few months as he travel he would work on the song lyrics. It wasn't ready to present to anyone yet I'm sure he thought. When the song was finally completed to his satisfaction he sang to some friends. Immediately they were moved by the chords. They paid for it to be published. The rest is history.
How would a difficult time lead to his penning such incredible words? I think the refrain says so much. Since we know Pastor Bennard was feeling such pain and burden we can make even more sense of the words of the refrain. No matter our circumstances we must cherish the cross. The word cherish goes beyond like and even love. To me the word cherish has more feeling, more emotion. To cherish something (or someone) means to hold it dear, to protect and care for. Do I think of the cross as something I cherish? Of course I don't mean the actual wood, but rather what it signifies. I believe the reason why the cross wood was never found is because people would cherish the wood itself. It would be worshipped by some. Interestingly enough I just read where a part of the cross was possibly located in a chest buried at an ancient church. Anyway, I want to hold dear what happened on the cross. After all it happened for me. The cross signifies reunion and freedom. No matter our circumstances we can hold what happened on the cross dear. Even when it doesn't feel like He loves us we can look to the cross and know He does.
"Till my trophies at last I lay down," means until that day when I meet Jesus face to face. We all have so many trophies. I know I do. Success, that's a trophy. Health, is yet another trophy. Having popular, smart, athletic, perfect children (according to others at least) is a big trophy. Our cars are trophies as are our homes. Being able to take fancy vacations is a trophy. Having a certain size of clothes in the closet is a trophy. Being "happy" is a trophy. After all isn't that what life is all about!? Even doing Godly things can be trophies. Maybe you run a great non-profit, or go on mission trips, or are on the worship team at church. Romans 14:11 says, "'As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" On that day EVERY trophy you and I have will be laid down. I believe this concept gave Pastor Bennard perspective.Years ago I bought Dave a beautiful painting as a gift. The artwork has hung in a predominant place in every house we have lived in. It is a picture of a stormy ocean. The sky is dark and the water is extremely rough and scary looking. Floating out in the water is an old wooden cross and a man clinging to it. What a picture if life it is. "I will cling to the old rugged cross," writes Pastor Bennard. No matter the trials that come we have to desperately cling to the cross. What does clinging to the cross mean in real life? How is it applicable? It means to completely accept the power of the cross and all its greatness. For me clinging to the cross has meant leaning hard into God as I endure pain, loss, frustration, and discouragement. To cling to something also means to embrace it with force and to hold on to it with all your might. Clinging to the cross of Jesus is a word picture for holding onto God's promises and what they mean for our personal good and God's glory. There have been days when I have felt so miserable physically and quite frankly extremely frustrated with God that my good reason left me. I clung to His promises which is, essentially, clinging to the cross. Here are some of my go-to verses. - Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.Romans 8:26). In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.Romans 8:28). And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
In the end we are to be heaven minded. That is a difficult mind set to have when we can't see through the woods. What good does it do to look towards heaven when I am suffering so much now? It helps because it gives us perspective. One day every treasure we have AND every pain will be traded for a heaven. All authentic followers of Jesus Christ WILL exchange everything for a crown. One day I will hear, "well done good and faithful servant."
In closing, I hope this old hymn has taken on a new and fresh meaning for you. I know it has for me. Hymns hold a special place in my heart. Please let me know how I can pray for you or what this blog means to you.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Redemption
Hi all! We are fresh back from our summer Ohio trip. We arrived back in Evans at 8:15 this morning. Our trip home was much smoother than our trip up there last week. Dave traveled to central Louisiana or CENLA, as the locals refer to it, for work on Monday and Tuesday. Our plan was for him to fly to Atlanta and me to drive to Atlanta to meet Tuesday night. We were then going to meet and drive together to Ohio. Dave's flight was delayed twice and his arrival time was very late. He was concerned the flight would get cancelled. He decided to keep his rental car and head north. He did research on rental car return locations that would be convenient to meet at. He drove nine hours to Chattanooga and I drove four. We met at the airport at 3 a.m. and took off for Ohio. We arrived about noon on Wednesday. Dave drove 12 hours straight and was in the car for 17!
We had things to do though! We had to get to Ohio. For one Eli had been there the week before visiting grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. We missed our little guy. The other reason was that my sister was getting married! Christy and I had things to do! One of our favorite things we did was time at the salon getting a pedi/mani courtesy of our awesome dad!
There was one word that kept coming to my mind the entire time we were in Ohio. The word is redemption. Romans 8:28 is probably one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
Romans 8:28) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Let me explain the connection between the events in Ohio, redemption, and Romans 8:28. What
I witnessed was a love story. We all have our own personal love story, but the one I witnessed was something a bit different. The characters in the story are very personal to me. My sister is my best friend. She's an inspiration and an encouragement. She and I leaned heavily on each other as we navigated the unchartered waters of burying a parent too soon. We are just very close.
Christy and Shane first met in the early days of high school in the mid-1980's. They dated and even went to homecoming and prom together. I remember Shane being at our house often. He even was lucky enough to work for my dad bailing hay! That is a hard job!!! Christy went off to college and they drifted apart. Life marched on. Christy got married. Shane got married and had children. Fast forward 20+ years.
Christy and Shane reunited after each of their marriages failed. I won't go into details on that, but both of them went through incredible pain and stress. Christy was moving on after her divorce and the death of our mother. Shane was busy raising three amazing kids. Their paths crossed and their destinies were changed forever. Both of them have a faith that only comes through fire. They both have a clear understanding of pain and continuing to do the right thing. God knew back in 1987 that on July 20th 2013 they would be married. How tremendous is that?! God allowed the circle of life to return back to Shane and Christy's beginning. Shane and Christy each love God and are living for Him. They are truly seeking His plan for their marriage and the raising of children. God has redeemed two lives in more than an eternal sense. He has blessed Shane with a graceful wife who loves his three children as if they were her own. Christy is a Proverbs 31 woman. God has given Christy a husband who will protect her from the harsh world. What I love about Shane is how he can make her laugh. He truly gives her joy. He will be the leader of the household.
Redemption is an awesome word. He has made each of their lives new again. They are whole. How true is this for any of us?! What we think is too big of a mess isn't too big for God. He can take bad and make it good. He can take brokenness and mend it. When we obey God He can make something beautiful out of ugliness. Obeying God is loving God. Being called according to His purpose means that we are seeking God's plan over our own. Christy and Shane are testaments to this way of thinking.
As our dad walked her down the aisle I had so many things going through my mind. The first thing I thought of was that Christy looked so beautiful and my dad looked so handsome. I then glanced at Shane. His smile was HUGE. As my dad passed her off to Shane I knew in my heart she was safe with him. My dad took his seat and I couldn't help but think of our mom. In my mind she should have been there, but God knows best I suppose. I could literally see her sitting next to Dad. She always loved Shane. My mom told me several times that Christy would be the best mom. It just didn't work out that way so we thought. Mom would be so proud of the mom that Christy is now.
Someone at the wedding told me that she lives every day like its her last and she wants to make the most of every day. While I would agree with the premise there is a problem with it. The problem is when we live every day like its the last we can mow over others. If our only goal is to be happy than we risk running over others. God doesn't tell us to be happy. He tells us to be holy. He wants us to be set apart. Romans 8:28 tells how to live our life. We are to obey God and live according to His
purpose. When we do that He will make all things new for us. He will redeem our situation for our good and His glory. That is what I saw happen Saturday night and it put such joy in my heart.
We had things to do though! We had to get to Ohio. For one Eli had been there the week before visiting grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. We missed our little guy. The other reason was that my sister was getting married! Christy and I had things to do! One of our favorite things we did was time at the salon getting a pedi/mani courtesy of our awesome dad!
There was one word that kept coming to my mind the entire time we were in Ohio. The word is redemption. Romans 8:28 is probably one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
Romans 8:28) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Let me explain the connection between the events in Ohio, redemption, and Romans 8:28. What
I witnessed was a love story. We all have our own personal love story, but the one I witnessed was something a bit different. The characters in the story are very personal to me. My sister is my best friend. She's an inspiration and an encouragement. She and I leaned heavily on each other as we navigated the unchartered waters of burying a parent too soon. We are just very close.
Christy and Shane first met in the early days of high school in the mid-1980's. They dated and even went to homecoming and prom together. I remember Shane being at our house often. He even was lucky enough to work for my dad bailing hay! That is a hard job!!! Christy went off to college and they drifted apart. Life marched on. Christy got married. Shane got married and had children. Fast forward 20+ years.
Christy and Shane reunited after each of their marriages failed. I won't go into details on that, but both of them went through incredible pain and stress. Christy was moving on after her divorce and the death of our mother. Shane was busy raising three amazing kids. Their paths crossed and their destinies were changed forever. Both of them have a faith that only comes through fire. They both have a clear understanding of pain and continuing to do the right thing. God knew back in 1987 that on July 20th 2013 they would be married. How tremendous is that?! God allowed the circle of life to return back to Shane and Christy's beginning. Shane and Christy each love God and are living for Him. They are truly seeking His plan for their marriage and the raising of children. God has redeemed two lives in more than an eternal sense. He has blessed Shane with a graceful wife who loves his three children as if they were her own. Christy is a Proverbs 31 woman. God has given Christy a husband who will protect her from the harsh world. What I love about Shane is how he can make her laugh. He truly gives her joy. He will be the leader of the household.
Redemption is an awesome word. He has made each of their lives new again. They are whole. How true is this for any of us?! What we think is too big of a mess isn't too big for God. He can take bad and make it good. He can take brokenness and mend it. When we obey God He can make something beautiful out of ugliness. Obeying God is loving God. Being called according to His purpose means that we are seeking God's plan over our own. Christy and Shane are testaments to this way of thinking.
As our dad walked her down the aisle I had so many things going through my mind. The first thing I thought of was that Christy looked so beautiful and my dad looked so handsome. I then glanced at Shane. His smile was HUGE. As my dad passed her off to Shane I knew in my heart she was safe with him. My dad took his seat and I couldn't help but think of our mom. In my mind she should have been there, but God knows best I suppose. I could literally see her sitting next to Dad. She always loved Shane. My mom told me several times that Christy would be the best mom. It just didn't work out that way so we thought. Mom would be so proud of the mom that Christy is now.
Someone at the wedding told me that she lives every day like its her last and she wants to make the most of every day. While I would agree with the premise there is a problem with it. The problem is when we live every day like its the last we can mow over others. If our only goal is to be happy than we risk running over others. God doesn't tell us to be happy. He tells us to be holy. He wants us to be set apart. Romans 8:28 tells how to live our life. We are to obey God and live according to His
purpose. When we do that He will make all things new for us. He will redeem our situation for our good and His glory. That is what I saw happen Saturday night and it put such joy in my heart.
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Promise
Hey everyone! I hope this finds you all doing well. Things here in Georgia are...wet. The rain is crazy! I actually don't mind it though because I haven't felt like I was missing out on any summer sunshine as I recover from my hysterectomy.
I opened my computer today to blog, but had no idea what I was going to blog about. As I read through my previous blogs about my surgery and the backgrounds to my favorite hymns I had an idea. I hope it makes as much sense on your screen as it does in my head!
Assurance. What does that word mean? I love using a simple dictionary to make more sense of the Biblical texts that I'm reading. Sometimes I'll be studying my Bible and will come across a word that I think I know the definition of, but when I go to write it I'm at a loss. This happened last night during my study on patience. What does patience really mean? The best definition I found was this, "the state of endurance under difficult circumstances." The definition went on to talk about how a patient person perseveres in the face of a delay without acting out in annoyance. To have endurance means to maintain the power to last through an unpleasant process. Um well, maybe I'm not as patient as I thought. Back to the word assurance. I love this definition; pledge or promise: a declaration that inspires or is intended to inspire confidence. This definition came from the Bing dictionary.
Blessed Assurance was written by Fanny Crosby in 1873. She is probably one of the most famous hymn writers of all time. I remember as a little girl thinking the name Fanny was funny. Hey, I was eight! Fanny's heritage stemmed form the earliest Puritan settlers in the New World. Fanny became blind as a six week old baby. She began writing poems at age eight. The quote that I am including comes from Fanny being asked if she wished she hadn't been blind. Her response is unbelievable! "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me, " Fanny Crosby. Fanny was saved in 1850 and continued on her path of hymn writing. She was married soon after and gave birth to a baby girl who died soon after birth. This broke Fanny's heart. The rest of her life was spent writing poems, hymns and doing mission work. Please read her Wikipedia entry for additional information on her...there is a lot!
Blessed Assurance
vs,1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
vs.2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)
vs.3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
(Refrain)
A blessed promise. A blessed pledge. When I substituted one word for another the song's title took on even a greater meaning. One blessed pledge that I have clung to throughout my health ordeal and the death of my mom was the promise that He's always with me. I remember I was doing a study quite a few months ago on this topic. Read Joshua 1:9 below.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua helped return the Jews to their Promised Land. In the Promised Land God helped the Israelites conquer the enemies and make this land their home. There is some Biblical context for you. It's always important to read verses in their context then branch out and see how it applies to your life or in the lives of your loved ones. In the midst of this study I literally said out loud, "so what if your with me...this still STINKS." The last two years have been THE most frustrating and scary out of my whole hormonal hell journey. It's been downright hard...no way around it. I will say that it could all have been worse, much worse. I'm not complaining and please don't think that I am. My point is I was going through some of the hardest times of my life and was doing a study on how God's always with me and felt a little frustrated with God. Your with me, but this appears to not be getting better? I prayed and asked God to help me make sense of the questions that were in my heart. He said something very simple to me. I heard with my spirit's ears, "just think if I weren't with you...how hard would it be then?" Yep. It was like the most basic answer ever and I have never forgotten it.
He doesn't promise us a rose garden. Isn't that an old country song? In this world we will have trouble. John tells us this in John 16:33. I spent a great deal of my prayer time begging God that He remove this cup. I have begged and pleaded that He take it away. Instead of taking away my health problem He has promised His presence. I begged that He would take away the cancer from my mom's lung and brain, but He chose to take her Home to heal her. I don't get it. What I do get is that His presence is His blessed assurance. My mom clearly understood this principle. Lately I have been spending more time in prayer not begging for the cup to be removed, but for Him to place His wisdom on me so I don't miss one single lesson He has for me as I endure and persevere. I have focused less on what I want and more on just being with Him. It is true, no doubt, that Fanny's words ring true. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood," are beautiful poetic words. In essence they are at the root of my point. Because of my faith in God I have this blessed assurance. Because I am His and He is mine I don't have to face pain and heartache alone. His presence doesn't always take away the thorn, but His presence means I don't have to endure without it.
I hope this entry speaks to you in some personal way. It flowed pretty easily from my brain to my fingers to the screen. I give all glory to God for this because I'm must His vessel that once was broken that was made whole again.
I opened my computer today to blog, but had no idea what I was going to blog about. As I read through my previous blogs about my surgery and the backgrounds to my favorite hymns I had an idea. I hope it makes as much sense on your screen as it does in my head!
Assurance. What does that word mean? I love using a simple dictionary to make more sense of the Biblical texts that I'm reading. Sometimes I'll be studying my Bible and will come across a word that I think I know the definition of, but when I go to write it I'm at a loss. This happened last night during my study on patience. What does patience really mean? The best definition I found was this, "the state of endurance under difficult circumstances." The definition went on to talk about how a patient person perseveres in the face of a delay without acting out in annoyance. To have endurance means to maintain the power to last through an unpleasant process. Um well, maybe I'm not as patient as I thought. Back to the word assurance. I love this definition; pledge or promise: a declaration that inspires or is intended to inspire confidence. This definition came from the Bing dictionary.
Blessed Assurance was written by Fanny Crosby in 1873. She is probably one of the most famous hymn writers of all time. I remember as a little girl thinking the name Fanny was funny. Hey, I was eight! Fanny's heritage stemmed form the earliest Puritan settlers in the New World. Fanny became blind as a six week old baby. She began writing poems at age eight. The quote that I am including comes from Fanny being asked if she wished she hadn't been blind. Her response is unbelievable! "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me, " Fanny Crosby. Fanny was saved in 1850 and continued on her path of hymn writing. She was married soon after and gave birth to a baby girl who died soon after birth. This broke Fanny's heart. The rest of her life was spent writing poems, hymns and doing mission work. Please read her Wikipedia entry for additional information on her...there is a lot!
Blessed Assurance
vs,1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
vs.2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)
vs.3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
(Refrain)
A blessed promise. A blessed pledge. When I substituted one word for another the song's title took on even a greater meaning. One blessed pledge that I have clung to throughout my health ordeal and the death of my mom was the promise that He's always with me. I remember I was doing a study quite a few months ago on this topic. Read Joshua 1:9 below.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua helped return the Jews to their Promised Land. In the Promised Land God helped the Israelites conquer the enemies and make this land their home. There is some Biblical context for you. It's always important to read verses in their context then branch out and see how it applies to your life or in the lives of your loved ones. In the midst of this study I literally said out loud, "so what if your with me...this still STINKS." The last two years have been THE most frustrating and scary out of my whole hormonal hell journey. It's been downright hard...no way around it. I will say that it could all have been worse, much worse. I'm not complaining and please don't think that I am. My point is I was going through some of the hardest times of my life and was doing a study on how God's always with me and felt a little frustrated with God. Your with me, but this appears to not be getting better? I prayed and asked God to help me make sense of the questions that were in my heart. He said something very simple to me. I heard with my spirit's ears, "just think if I weren't with you...how hard would it be then?" Yep. It was like the most basic answer ever and I have never forgotten it.
He doesn't promise us a rose garden. Isn't that an old country song? In this world we will have trouble. John tells us this in John 16:33. I spent a great deal of my prayer time begging God that He remove this cup. I have begged and pleaded that He take it away. Instead of taking away my health problem He has promised His presence. I begged that He would take away the cancer from my mom's lung and brain, but He chose to take her Home to heal her. I don't get it. What I do get is that His presence is His blessed assurance. My mom clearly understood this principle. Lately I have been spending more time in prayer not begging for the cup to be removed, but for Him to place His wisdom on me so I don't miss one single lesson He has for me as I endure and persevere. I have focused less on what I want and more on just being with Him. It is true, no doubt, that Fanny's words ring true. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood," are beautiful poetic words. In essence they are at the root of my point. Because of my faith in God I have this blessed assurance. Because I am His and He is mine I don't have to face pain and heartache alone. His presence doesn't always take away the thorn, but His presence means I don't have to endure without it.
I hope this entry speaks to you in some personal way. It flowed pretty easily from my brain to my fingers to the screen. I give all glory to God for this because I'm must His vessel that once was broken that was made whole again.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
God, Dave, Family and Friends, and Even HGTV
I thought it was a perfect time to blog since I am bed-bound for the week. I am actually in Alexandria, Louisiana right now with Dave. My surgery was in Houston last Friday so we traveled from there to Alex on Sunday so Dave could work at the plant here for the week. We will go back to Houston Friday to see my surgeon then back to Evans.
Our trip to Houston went incredibly smooth. My appointment with the surgeon went so well. Dave and I immediately liked him and felt perfectly at ease with the decision. He answered all our questions plus gave us helpful additional information. After seeing him we walked over to the hospital for our pre-op appointment. All systems were go and we had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. the following morning.
I slept off and on the night before surgery. I knew that God already knew the situation because 1. He knows everything and 2. I have prayed about a million times and fasted over this situation. He surely was familiar with it! I think of one of my go-to verses, Romans 6:28. It reads, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." I absolutely LOVE this verse. I thought of it often as my mom battled cancer. That situation was so painful and overwhelming and I ran out of words fairly early on. Same with my health issue. It has been so painful, all-consuming, and frustrating that its hard sometimes to come up with words to pray. I don't want to give up praying though. I heard once that the times when we feel we can't pray are the times we desperately need to pray. That's how I felt Thursday night as the time ticked down to my total hysterectomy. As I lay there
I just pictured myself wrapped on God's arms. No words were said between either of us...I just felt Gods nearness. The chorus from "Loss for Words" fits perfectly. You can read it below.
I am empty
You are holy
Come and fill my soul with who you are
In my silence You still hear me
In the quiet of this moment
I am heard
I'm overwhelmed
And at a loss for words
Friday eventually rolled around, eventually. The waiting was the hardest part. I told Dave my life will be split between pre-hysterectomy and post-hysterectomy! We only waited a few minutes before the nurse came to get me. It felt like an hour. As I entered the pre-op room to put the gown on I began to cry just a little bit. I hadn't cried over the situation because having it done was such a relief. Dave and I decided just after Eli was born that we were content with one child. We knew we didn't want to go through IVF again and were just so thankful for Eli. Because of this we found the decision to move forward with a hysterectomy an easy one because our interest is in improving my quality of life. When I teared up a little bit one thought came to mind, "I wish my mom was here." I just want to have my mom with me. Funny, huh? I guess we never get too old to want our mothers nearby when we are sick or life is hard.
As I crawled into that bed I felt so connected with God. He was right there with me. A few nurses came in and were great. Dave then was brought back. He's an amazing man. We have been through so much together. We joke that he should have had me vetted before he married me. When a person wants to buy a horse you have the animal vetted. This means that a vet evaluates the horse with a detailed exam and x-rays. The buyer then decides if they can live with the issues if any were uncovered. Anyway, Dave is the calmest person on this planet. I have never actually seen him out of control of his emotions. He is a Godly man. He is a devoted husband and father. He is the epitome of integrity. I have depended on him heavily through this trial. It has been hard on me, but also incredibly hard on Dave. He hasn't been able to fix it or change it. He has been as helpless as I have. Our marriage is stronger though because of the trials. I admire him for too many reasons to count. I'm honored to be his wife. He has made me a better person. His presence in the pre-op room calmed me beyond words. We met with the head of anesthesia. He was a funny guy! When he came in he said "hola, como este!" What made it funny was that he was an Asian gentleman! We also met with the anesthesiologist that would be with me during surgery. The nurse turned on the T.V. and said channel 22 was a channel on anesthesia. Um, no thank you! I had her turn on HGTV. I LOVE HGTV! We watched HGTV in the pre-op room, the hospital room, and pretty much solid in our hotel room. Good thing Dave loves it too!
As we waited for my turn in the surgery room we met again with the surgeon. Once again he was so calm and offered such encouraging words. The whole time Dave kept me updated on texts and messages. Of course my dad and sister were the first to send messages that morning. I received so many other messages from dear friends and other family members. The night before we left for Houston we had a cookout with our church small group. To be honest at first I didn't want to go to the cookout. My mind was on what to pack and mentally going over the details of the trip. The cookout was so nice though. Our friends are such great people and wanted to know the details and timing of surgery so they could be praying when I was in surgery. They wanted to be sure that Dave sent a message as soon as I was done. The support and love were awesome. My sister had a hysterectomy a few years ago so she's been a God-send. She is my best friend and always willing to listen. We have E-mailed each other practically everyday of the week for like ten years! She's awesome. My dad wanted to be there for surgery no doubt. He knew Dave was with me though. My in-laws are also amazing people. They love Eli so much. In fact, Lou Ann flew to Atlanta to pick up Eli the day before we left for Houston. Bob and Lou are two wonderful people and are so giving and helpful. Just knowing so many people cared also calmed me as we waited.
The anesthesiologist came in with anti-nausea medicine and then anti-anxiety medication for my I.V. I actually didn't even feel anxious...just ready to be on the other side. Then he came in with a "margarita" and that's the last I remember! As I look back I realize how God provided such amazing support. Aside from simply offering Himself He has given me the tremendous privilege of being Dave's wife. He has given me a father that has loved me unconditionally my entire life. I wanted to marry a man as awesome as my dad. I grew up seeing what a real man looks like. He taught me that I was invaluable and that any man would be lucky to have me. Because of my dad my standards for boyfriends and my future husband were incredibly high. I'm so grateful for my dad. My sweet sister...even though she is MUCH older than I am (you know I love ya sister) we have very close most of my adult life. We have weathered a lot of storms together. As our mother die of cancer we got each other. I knew her pain and she knew mine. We were a team getting dad through his bout of cancer soon after mom died. We have also laughed more together than any two people on earth! God has given me the best friends ever. Their support has gotten me through very tough times. I have old friends and newer friends...all of which hold special places in my heart. They wanted updated as soon as Dave knew anything. They have spent countless time in prayer for me, Dave, and my doctor. I love them dearly and hope to return the support to them that they have given me. To a MUCH smaller extent I'm even grateful for HGTV. I'm reading a book now called, "God is in the Small Stuff." I am trying to recognize small gifts from God. He overseas every detail of our life. I love houses, real estate, building houses, decorating, etc. and watching HGTV took my mind off what was happening in that pre-op and hospital room. I'm glad for that!
This blog entry is very long and I appreciate you reading it! I hope you were encouraged in some way to keep praying even when words don't come or you don't feel like it. I also hope you can look into your own life and recognize the people that have made an impact on you. You are loved and valued by God and those people He has put into your life.
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