Everything happens for a reason....

When I think of all of the crazy things that happen in my life I am amazed at how it is all really perfectly orchestrated by the One that loves me that most. Isn't it crazy to think that NOTHING happens by chance? I mean think about that......How many random people do you come across each and every day? How many different circumstances happen in a 24 hour period? And to think none of it happens by chance; that is ABSOLUTELY amazing. New friendships are constantly blooming, difficulties or trials run rampant, accomplishments are celebrated, all specifically allowed to happen for our benefit. Do we stop and thank God for each and every new opportunity. If not, I think we are missing a vital part of our Christian walk. Life is certainly not boring, it is an exciting adventure.  It just makes me fall in love with Jesus all over each and every day.

Learning to not ask why....

Sometimes I am in awe of what God does in our lives. I find myself maturing in my need to understand what God is doing in my life. Now I just try to relax in my faith in Him. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding......I used to try to figure things out, asking why did this happen and why did that happen. Then one day this verse came to my mind and I realized I needed to stop. It has changed my perspective and I find myself enjoying the adventure instead of fretting about the reason things happen. I am so thankful for the opportunities that God has given me to "infect" others with the love of Jesus. Not going to ask why.....

Devotions with Boys

I am reading a short devotion to the boys every night before bed and have found that it opens the door for some great conversation. The topic right now is worry......how appropriate since we are in the midst of some things that could cause all three of us to have some moments of worry. I have stressed to the boys that we are on an adventure and God is constantly working even if we don't see Him. I know that He is getting ready to do something amazing in our lives. Oh to have the faith of a child, as I talk to them they are like little sponges taking every word literally. I want to believe like that. I want to trust Jesus so much that I never question what He is doing. I want those boys to learn to walk by faith. As we chase the "American Dream" it robs us of the ability to depend on God for everything. If we want something badly enough, we just work harder. We are so quick to "upgrade" our technology, rarely content. I love leaning on Jesus. I want Him to define me. Matthew 6 is a great chapter that helps us put worry in perspective. Look it up!

Hold my face~

There are many times we get overwhelmed with our circumstances. We become desperate for someone to rescue us or come sweeping in at the last moment to save the day. It is true that God uses people to help in unbelievable ways, but because our tendency is to depend on man, we don't completely depend on Jesus for everything. There have been many times in my life where I have asked God to help me out with a need or a desire, secretly hoping that "Someone" in my life would meet that need. (Not truly trusting) At this point in my life I am desperate for Jesus to be ALL THAT I NEED. So often I have gotten in the way of what He truly wants to do in my life. I will do that NO LONGER. When I was at one of my lowest points and I felt like I was begging God to make the pain and tears stop, I asked one of my friends for some advice. She is a godly woman who I admire deeply....I told her of my desperation and how I kept getting overwhelmed with my circumstances....and she said the most practical words I have heard. She said Judy, every time you feel like that, it is because you are focusing on circumstances and not on Jesus....ask Him to "Hold your Face." I have put those words into practice so many times. What a comfort to know that when He is holding our faces NOTHING else matters.

Trusting Him in ALL things

When I think about the things that are important to me I realize that my list might be different than most. It would be something like this: Jesus, Family, Friends, Laughter, Adventures, etc....the thing that makes my list different is it lacks one thing "stuff." I just really don't need stuff to make me happy. In fact, I have learned that "things" are here today and gone tomorrow. I choose to invest in and value things that will last for eternity. Maybe that is why I have so much peace in my life. I am so thankful that God chose me to be born to parents who love Jesus with all their heart and have remained faithful throughout all of their lives. They let me experience life in a way that highlighted the faithfulness of Christ. I grew up seeing God provide for us in ways that most don't. Today I am thankful that I find myself using those same things to teach my children to trust God in ALL things! Today I am trusting in this new adventure.....

His Word Does Not Return Void~

I am absolutely amazed at the number of verses that will come to me during a specific struggle.  I mean AMAZED. As a child I was pounded with Scripture. (Awana, Christian School, Church, Christian College, Songs, etc.) I am sure that when I was memorizing these verses it was a drudgery, but now as an adult, I could not be more thankful. Psalm 119:11 says "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." I believe this with all of my heart, in fact, as a mother, I am almost in panic mode to make sure those boys learn the Bible. I wonder how many verses I know....It would be interesting to find out. But I can tell you that those verses are like God audibly speaking directly to me. He gives me exactly the right verse at exactly the right moment. Is this a common occurrence? Does this happen to everyone that has memorized lots of verses as a child? I love the fact that God uses something that is so old, to be 100% relevant to our current culture. Think about that....is there anything else that you can say that about? I challenge all of you to continue to memorize God's Word. It is something that can never be taken from us!

Inspiration

There are many people or things that inspire us in life. If you asked me where my inspiration comes from I would quickly say the faithfulness of Jesus. He has never let me down! I can remember distinctly the very moment that I made a verbal promise to Him to stay faithful to Him no matter what trials came into my life. I am not sure I knew when I made that promise, what that would mean, but that might have been the most pivotal moment in my life. Let me tell you how it unfolded......I had been married for 13 years and had been crushed by betrayal for the second time.....my life was shattered....my family destroyed.....my hopes and dreams were over. I was homeschooling my children and it took every bit of energy just to get out of bed each day. I had to rely on Jesus for emotional, spiritual and physical strength. When I could steal a few moments away I would get on my face before God on the floor of my closet and beg Him to help me. I felt as if the tears would never end. I pleaded with Him to NEVER stop pursuing me....whatever that meant....trials, struggles, challenges or even blessings. I wanted to be pursued by God in a way that most never get to experience. I promised Him that day that I would remain faithful, no matter the circumstances. I can assure you that I am nowhere near perfect, but that one moment, that one promise; HAS CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER. I will not move, I will not be shaken....I will stand firm in the truth. Jesus is my inspiration!