Joy Nugget: A Safe Place

     "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Psalms 91:1-2


I love reading God's Word. I have found so many insights when I take time to really study His Word and look into the heart of God. So many times I think we like to take the "nice" passages and highlight those because they make us feel really good. And they should, but I think we can really miss what God is actually saying to us through these scriptures. 
          Like for instance this verse is truly amazing and if we really take a good look at it, we can see clearly what He is telling us.  God not telling us that He is someone we run to only when things are bad and we need a refuge...He's saying that whoever DWELLS with Him will have a refuge and a shelter. 
          It is also so amazing how God speaks to us in common concepts that we should totally get like....you have to be CLOSE to someone in order to be within their shadow now don't you? Interesting isn't it? 
        The bottom line is: God is telling us that we need to dwell with Him, stay close to Him and He will be our refuge and our shelter. Pretty amazing. God doesn't just want to step in at the last minute when it's most convenient for us...but He wants a REAL RELATIONSHIP with us that is close and intimate.  So I guess the real question here is: Are you DWELLING in that safe place or are you still looking for it? You CAN find it sweet friends! He's waiting..

Throwback Post February 2016: But I'm Like...Entitled Right?

I have had a great week. I've had some sort of a flu bug which has caused me to stay shut inside my house and frankly I've sat around and done a whole lot of nothing lately which is not my normal routine. BUT ... I've had a lot of alone time with my God and we've done some deep digging these last few days. I've cried and shared some of my hurts with my Lord and have accepted His words of comfort and strength that He offers so freely. I've also pondered lots of thoughts I've had over an ever growing trend amongst my fellow believers. 

     

   It amazes me how quickly we can get overwhelmed and discouraged by things not going our way. As we've been flooded with bills lately, sometimes it feels incredibly overwhelming and discouraging that we can't just write one large check and take care of everything and move on...instead we have to sit down with every paycheck and make that money stretch incredibly far and incredibly wide. So I know what it's like and have to constantly remind myself that if we continue to put God in the center of our finances and ask for wisdom and guidance, that we will continue to become debt free and will be able to breathe again soon!

  

    But as I've been home this week spending way more time on Facebook, I'm really noticing a pattern among my Christian friends that sort of disturbs me. I've been reading post after post of believers so discouraged because they aren't seeing God meeting their "needs" and finding it hard to trust Him because of all the bad things happening. And people claiming things in "Jesus' Name" because if we say that, then He's faithful to deliver on that promise...???  And I can't even begin to count how many people are upset with how unfair things are for them. It's literally "poor me, poor me, poor me" all over the place and it's CRAZY! 

It's not that I'm not sympathetic to the hardships that people are facing. But what concerns me is our twisted view of what we expect God to do about it. First of all... the world is unfair. duh. We're not going to be happy with a lot of things in this world but we need to just buck up and rise above the anger of unfairness and make the best of it. Speak out when necessary but don't expect the world to live like Jesus...that's our job.

    Secondly... "Name it and Claim it" only works in Biblical standards. God NEVER told us that what ever we want just to say His name and it's ours. He's not a genie in a bottle. And I know He's not pleased with this mentality. It's dangerous, misleading, and full of lies. He says if we ask according to HIS will, then we will receive it. And the promises that God makes in the Bible are not for everyone just because....it's for everyone who walks in His ways, who are obedient to Him, who are doing what He says. NOT EVERYONE IS BEING BLESSED WHO SIMPLY BELIEVES IN GOD. That's false doctrine and anyone who says differently, is wrong. Pick up your Bible and read all the scriptures on God's promises or blessings...they all have action involved, lifestyle involved. It's not just a whoever wants this blessing or promise can have it. His LOVE is unconditional but His blessings, and promises are not. ....Because He is a holy God, that's why.  

    Thirdly,,, We have really become a "needy" people haven't we? I need my cell phone...I need a haircut.... I need new shoes. These aren't needs. God promises His children food, shelter, clothing. We are not entitled to anything beyond that. And how many times do we fail to see how God has blessed us with so much more than just what He promises us, because we are so focused on the comforts that have become necessities in our lives that we can miss the blessing right in front of us? I was reminded this week that I need to keep my heart and my mind in check more often when I start to get discouraged in life because God has been and always will be so GOOD to me.  May I not take this life for granted and not go one more day without being completely THANKFUL for everything He's given me. 

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Jeremiah 29:12-13

        God wants sincerity with us. Anything less than honesty with God is basically worthless. He already knows the state of our hearts, the secret places of our minds, our basic intentions with every single choice we make. Over and over and over again, God reminds us in His Word that our entire hearts must be in our relationship with Him. It saddens me to see the state of  "Christianity" today. So many people remain lukewarm in their faith and yet they believe that God is truly pleased with them because they "mention" Him in their daily lives yet they refuse His life changing power and redemption to set them free from the bondage of their sin they choose to live with daily. All because they simply refuse to give Him their whole hearts in surrender. Loving God isn't half hearted... it's really either all or nothing. God is not okay with lukewarm followers who sort of love Him in this area but refuse to love Him in others. God doesn't work that way. We must have hearts that are wholly surrendered to Him at all times. We need Him daily, not to forgive us for the sins that we commit on a daily basis but we need Him to help us live righteously and turn away from sin on a daily basis. The topic of sin is very important because it is the one thing that separates us from God. We cannot seek Him with all our heart if part of our hearts are devoted to our own will.

              Habits can be hard to break and the struggle to choose spirit over flesh at times can be very real and very frustrating BUT I've found that talking through the struggle the very minute you are going through it with the Holy Spirit is a great way to keep sincerity and honesty with the Lord in check.

          It's harder to sin when you're talking to God in the middle of it. He always provides a way out if we take it!!! Connecting with God is very much contingent upon the state of our hearts.

          Remember, He doesn't have to do anything for us... but He chooses to listen to those who love Him truthfully. Sometimes we can feel entitled as Believers, that all of God's promises are ours for the grabbing anytime we feel like it, we also may feel like anytime we ask God He listens to us and answers us....BUT.... according to Scripture and the Nature of God... we MUST be in accordance with His will, living according to how He has commanded us, and have a heart that sincerely loves Him...AND THEN we reap the promises, AND THEN HE AKNOWLEDGES US (He always hears us, but He never promises us to act on our prayers "just because we cry out to Him") I know that sounds harsh… but pick up your Bible and read all the promises of God to us, and read all the scriptures that reference Him answering our prayers. He will always fulfill the promises that are about His character because He is faithful in who He is...but when it comes down to fulfilling things that have to do with us...those are ALWAYS contingent upon the state of our hearts. Wow...what an important realization for every Believer who claims Jesus as our Lord and Savior... the only continual theme in the ENTIRETY of His Word, His Love Letter to Us... is HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HIM....THAT WE CHOOSE TO LOVE HIM WITH OUR WHOLE HEART. Amazing. 

1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the RIGHTEOUS and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

1 John 5:14  " This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, He hears us."

1 John 5:15 "And IF we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him."

Proverbs 15:8 "The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the UPRIGHT pleases Him."

              

Psalms 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in TRUTH."

Proverbs 15:29 "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the RIGHTEOUS."

James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with WRONG MOTIVES, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." 

Questions:

1. What is the state of my whole heart with God?

2. Is He pleased with EVERY area of my life TODAY?

3. What do I need to lay at His feet in surrender in order to better love Him with my whole heart?

4. What is God speaking to me through these passages?

5. In all honesty.... How do I want my Heavenly Father to see me? How do I really want to love Him with my life?

What The Cross Means To Me

I can never pay Him back. Jesus knew that I was going to Hell because I was a sinner. That was and is the price for my sin. Eternity in Hell. Jesus knew about all the times I was going to mess up, He knew every single bad choice that I would make, He felt every disappointment that I would cause Him, all of these things rang out to Him as He was being mocked and beaten and spit on...He could hear my voice among the crowd. My voice was resonating because in my own way, through my own sin I have mocked, and beaten, and spit in His face. I did that. I made Him go to the cross because there was no other way for me to spend eternity with Him.

      I have felt at times in my life, completely unworthy. Unworthy because of my failures. Unworthy because of my imperfections. Unworthy because of my looks. Unworthy because of my lack of importance to others. But Jesus, knowing all of these things about me...seeing all of the things that make up who I am...He considered me worthy. Worthy of Him being tortured so that I might know His love for me. Worthy of Him being humiliated so that I might find my confidence and beauty through Him. Worthy of Him making Himself nothing so that I can know how to make a difference in the lives of others and become someone of importance to somebody. Worthy to have someone love me so much that He would willingly die just for me so that I could be loved by Him. To be bought with a price...to have worth.

 He carried all of my burdens, mistakes, failures, sins on His back up the hill to Calvary. He felt the full weight of all my pain, disappointments, anger, betrayal, and hurts...and yet He kept climbing knowing full well that I may never accept Him. He kept climbing anyway. He knew that I would have a choice to realize what He was doing for me and accept it and follow Him or completely reject the idea that He could really love me that much and continue to live in sin and totally separate myself from Him forever. He chose to love me despite the outcome. He pulled the weight of my entire life on His shoulders without getting angry with me, not one step did He take in anger because of the things I would do but every step He took was in complete love for me. No one has ever loved me like Jesus.

     He was nailed to a cross...for me. Every time the hammer struck driving those nails in deeper...He felt my sin. Every time He cried out in pain and agony wishing it would stop...He felt my sin. He could have gotten off of that cross at any moment...but He chose to feel my sin nailing Him to that cross. He did not hate me..not once did He despise me for hanging Him there...He prayed for me. He thought about who He created me to be, who I was to become...and the hope that I would know Him and love Him in return. He loved me every second He was on that cross.

     He hung on the cross...broken, wounded, blood spilling out of His body. The darkest of deaths...and He hung there..for a long time. Thinking about me. 

    "It is finished." He took my sin and paid the price to save me from the pit of Hell. It was my sin that caused Him pain and I had to do nothing. He paid it all. Every single thing I have ever done ...He paid the price for that sin. He sacrificed Himself..for me. 

The amazing thing is that...it didn't end there. He didn't just die for me...He defeated Satan and rose from the grave! I not only serve a loving Savior but I serve a living Savior. He is present here with me daily. I don't serve a dead god or an empty idol...I serve a living God who is so very present in every second of my day. I get to know Him and feel His love daily because He is real. He loved me so much to come to this Earth and die and rise again so that I may know Him. He offers new life to me. My old life of sin is gone...buried with Him on the cross. My new life is ever growing and transforming me into who He has called me to be. He is my helper, my shield, my strength, my portion, and my deliverer. I chose to love Him..I CHOOSE to love Him.

      What I know is that it is not enough for me to just accept what He did on the cross for me and continue to live how I choose. He gave up so much for me...can I really do less than live for Him? It's not enough knowing that my sin has caused Him such pain, my bad decisions and mistakes have had a price that He had to pay...that I can just be thankful for what He did for me and not continually be aware of how my actions are affecting Him today. I must live in a way that doesn't hurt my Jesus anymore. Now that I understand what I have cost Him and what His incredible love did for me...I want to love Him back with absolutely everything I can. My life needs to be a pure reflection of who He is to me. He is beautiful. He deserves my love. I can NEVER repay Him for what He did for me on that cross. But I can offer up the only thing I will ever have to give Him in return....my life.

                                                          Jesus, Thank You for the Cross.

Living the LIfe: Spirit vs. Flesh

   "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 26:41

So here's the deal, looking around lately it seems that people who claim to "love" God, "know" Him, and are "living" for Him... are walking around not as a "new creation" but as people who are still bound by sin. Why is that? Well.... here's what I've learned about living in God's Grace so far...

          1. The more your love for God grows, the more aware you are of the things that grieve His heart. The closer you are with the Holy spirit working in your life, the more alert you are to the conviction when you begin to step in the wrong direction. The more you learn to love God, the more you have the DESIRE to turn around and not continue the behavior.      

          2. The more you get to know God and His heart for His creation... the more you understand WHY sin is bad, not just because God says "no" but because it actually hurts us.

          3. The more you learn about who God is, and the more you fall in love with your Creator, the more you realize that God has the Desire and Ability to set you free from any sin...Instantly!

     We live in a world that heavily pushes the "accept who you are" mantra BUT this is not the mindset of a Child of God. Instead of "accepting" who we are, we need to "desire" to be who God is calling us to be. Becoming this is not easy, it requires "fleshly" sacrifice. Walking in righteousness is impossible without a heart surrendered to God but with God, all things are possible. Living in God's Grace requires a commitment from us to daily seek Him and obey His instructions for our lives.

      Unfortunately, a common mentality is growing in our "Christian Community" today, being preached in our churches and accepted by the world...  is the notion that "No One is Perfect"  which is absolute truth! No one is, and we won't be until we reach eternity. HOWEVER...this small statement, although bearing truth, has become our biggest excuse... to not have to try. This is also not reflective of God's heart or desire for His Children.

     The truth about being a product of grace is that I've learned it takes a desire to love God more everyday and to please Him with my life everyday. My heart's desire is not to find out what He can do for me, but rather what I can do for Him. It's also learning how to be sincere in EVERY area of my life before God. It means making my spirit stronger than my flesh. It requires sacrifice and hard work daily to strive for righteousness. It requires quick repentance if I should stumble and a solid persistence to change those things that break God's heart.  It's not easy sweet friends, but let's all strive to have a heart that seeks to please God daily, not because we "have to" but solely because "we love Him".
 

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Deuteronomy 31:8

      This is definitely one of my favorite verses! What a beautiful picture of what it looks like to trust Jesus with our lives. God is Faithful. I can wholly and completely put my trust in Him no matter how bad things may be because I know if I just hold on to His hand and not let go...then I am completely safe in His will.
   
     New levels in my walk with God can be scary to enter into but also can be so exciting knowing that He loves me enough to care and bring me deeper in my relationship with Him.

       Putting Him first in every area guarantees I'll stay on track of where He wants me. Making Him the very CENTER of my life because He knows what's best for me and what He has in store for me to do. I will always be in HIS WILL for my life IF I continue to seek Him FIRST in everything big and small.

      IF... we whole heartedly, follow Jesus with our lives and seek out HIS PLAN for our lives... then NOTHING can stand in our way. Trials will come BUT they won't destroy us. People will try to stand in our way BUT they will move. The Enemy will try his best to stop us BUT we will prevail … All Because of Jesus. Don't do life on your own sweet friends, let Jesus lead you every step of the way.


Questions:

1. Do I really believe that God has a specific purpose and plan for my life? Why or Why Not?
2. Am I willing to place my complete trust in Him and His plan for my life... no matter the obstacles I might face and sacrifices He might ask me to make?
3. What areas of my life do I need to give completely over to Him that I have held back?
4. What is God asking me to sacrifice right now in order to be obedient to Him?
5. What is the best thing about knowing that God has a purpose for me?

Simply Destined to Be....

       Hey there sweet friends, ever find yourself sitting and wondering just what exactly that "plan and purpose" that God has for your life is and whether or not you are "in it" yet or not? Yeah... me too. Often actually. Sometimes I take a look at my life and think...wow I could totally be doing so much more with my life right now, I have this talent and that gifting, ect. So why am I sitting here not doing those things? Is that really what God wants from me or am I just totally missing it?

      I have found over many years, including this one... that these are normal and good questions to ask ourselves, Only IF we are looking to God for the answers. What I have learned over the years is that God's PLAN for our lives is a whole lot simpler than we make it out to be. His plan consists of ONE thing really...How we Love HIM. Plain and Simple. The truth is that God does give us gifts and talents and opportunities in life but none of that matters if those gifts, talents, and opportunities are not serving Him.
      This concept is so incredibly simple, mainly because God practically spells it out for us over and over again in His Word, but it continues to amaze me how many Christians don't get it. So many Christians are out chasing "their dreams" and thanking God for opening doors for them that frankly...He would never open. WHAAAAAT????? Yeah, I said it, and with all confidence, Because... God does not now or ever, call us to do something that goes against what He calls us to do and be in His Word. EVER.
     God does not call you to sin...in order to reach the sinner.     

       The thing we seem to miss most of the time is that the BIGGEST part of God's plan for our lives...is that we really KNOW Him. This isn't a "over the years" process but a daily one. That's His plan for our lives, that we follow Him daily as He guides our steps, as we take hold of His hand and we don't let go for the rest of our lives. So many times, we discover a gifting that God has given us and then we just run with it, allowing everyone else around us to determine what our next steps are instead of seeking the One who gifted us in the first place. One of the hardest lessons that I have learned has been that: yes I'm talented and I can do a whole lot of things. I can fill a need in the church I'm attending because I have the skill set to do that, yes I can be a part of this ministry or that ministry because I know how to do those things required and I am gifted in those areas. Yes I can do this or that with my life because I could be really good at it and succesful. BUT... just because I can, doesn't mean I should. Just because I'm gifted in a particular area, does not mean I should be involved in that ministry. Just because I am capable to fill a need... does not mean that it is my job to fill that need.

        We have to stop playing God with our lives and instead live in submission to His Will and His Plan for our lives. The biggest lesson in this for me has been... God doesn't always call us to do things, but He always calls us to Be His Completely. I have had so many tear filled conversations with God over being frustrated and torn in ministry. Frustrated because I know I could be used in ministry in so many ways, and torn because I understand the damage of a double standard and the downfall of linking arms with people in ministry that do not take their relationship with God or their witness seriously. Even through the tears and the frustration of choosing to distance myself from dangerous people in ministry at the cost of not being a part of a church family... God has unmistakenly reminded me, that it is so much more important for me to be faithful to Him than faithful to my giftings.

       The more I love God...the less I like "church". And you know what?....... that's okay. We are living in the end times, in moral decline, it's a mess and unfortunately, churches all over are becoming more and more like the world. It's in the Bible so it's really no suprise. It's still hard to not belong to a "church family" but I belong to the real "Body of Christ" and that is a beautiful thing. And... I have a hope and an excitement to see the real church rise up...that's in the Bible too and I believe it's coming soon!

       We must be careful friends, how we live out our lives. Not every opportunity is meant for you. Not every door that opens to your dream, has Jesus on the other side of the door holding it open. Satan knows your dreams too, he also knows what you're good at. The difference is knowing if it's God calling the shots in your life, or Satan. THIS IS WHY we have to "get it" folks... if our goal in life is to live daily to please God and know Him well, then it's going to be impossible to get off track isn't it? God knew what He was doing when He laid out His plan for our lives... "seek ME and find ME...for I KNOW the plans I have for YOU." Right??? Only He knows what we were created to do and when we are supposed to do it. Don't get caught up in the doing sweet friends...get consumed with the Being... Be His good and faithful servant. Be His Child. Plain and Simple.

Summer Goals: Pinterest Themed Project #2

So this took a while to post BUT I decided to give it to my wonderful momma, and I didn't want to risk her seeing it here first! One of my favorite things to use in my crafting is old barn wood. I definitely tend to like the "rustic flare" more than anything.

Sometimes the beauty in an object comes in a chipped corner, weathered wood, and uneven pieces. I love that there is beauty in the broken things, in the imperfections, hidden in the things that most people would just discard as junk and throw away.

So I took this sad piece of wood, slapped on some white paint, used dark grey for the lettering, an old glass jar wrapped in burlap and jute. A hook on the back so she can hang it up....And yes, those are very fake flowers but it's for the pic only, mom gets to put real flowers of her choice in there!

All in all, this turned out pretty cute! I might have to make some more. This is the first one of these I have made believe it or not... I always see them but always end up doing other things, so CHECK it off my list!!! Fun Pinterest themed project for me. If you're looking for something fun and super easy to do...I highly recommend one of these.  

happy momma...the best part! 

Summer Goals: My Pinterest Challenge #1

Okay so I've decided I need some motivation in the "get stuff done and be more creative" parts of my brain. In order to do this I have decided to do something totally fun and inspiring.

      I am a little bit of a Pinterest junkie and of course I have pinned TONS of amazing things, like ya do, to my "someday i really think i'm going to do this stuff" boards...right? But when I peruse all the amazing stuff on my boards, i realize that those are only dreams and i have done very few things from my Pinterest page.

       SO..... that's about to change! I am challenging myself to a weekly Pinterest Challenge where i do ATLEAST ONE thing off of my Pinterest Page. :) It can be anything, from nifty household tricks, designs, gardening, food, craft projects....of course they probably won't be an exact replica cuz i like to be different BUT it will most definitely be Pinterest Inspired!

I'm excited because I think this will be super fun and oh the feeling of accomplishment i will get...I LOVE that feeling!  And feel free my fellow PINTERESTERS>>>>> to join in the challenge! you are more than welcome to let me know how you are doing if you choose to participate and feel free to post your own pinterest projects in the comments! I'd love to see what you are accomplishing too! :)

So for WEEK #1 : Behold my boring bread box...transformed into country cuteness! Totally keeping this baby. Super fun! well one down....500 thousand (a little exaggeration) more to go! wish me luck!!

Once upon a time....What's YOUR Story?

      So...what's your story? The amazing thing about being alive is the fact that we each have our own story. I think that is awesome. Different experiences, different people, different perspectives, different chances, different trials, different victories, and the list goes on.... Sometimes we get so focused on just parts of our stories don't we? Sometimes we focus too much on our pasts, the hurts that we've been through, the good times we used to share with the people we love, people that have come in and out of our lives that we wish were still present. Sometimes we focus too much on the future...what we will become, life goals, work goals, finally reaching our dreams. If you're like me, I often get caught up focusing on the present day, what is happening now and I don't reflect as much on the past or the future as I maybe should. All of these past, present, and future...tell our story. All are equally important in knowing who we are, how far we have come, and where we are going.

    Life is huge. So many possibilities and directions one can choose to go. No wonder life gets overwhelming at times. Our choices shape our lives and that's a pretty big deal. If we all took that fact a little bit more seriously, we'd probably all make some different choices wouldn't we. Live and learn I guess. Too bad we're not born wise right? If I could go back...there would definitely be some things I would do differently... Like I wouldn't have watched the movie JAWS because to this day... i still jump at shadows in my pool. I wouldn't have bought into the perfect body image garbage when I was a teenager which led to an eating disorder in my early 20's. I would have treated a few people more tenderly than I did. I would have been bolder with a few people as well. Annnd I would definitely started using face moisturizer WAY before now. These are just a few of the things that I would love to go back and change. But I can't. And that's okay too... because I am a better person now than I was then. Stronger. Wiser. Kinder. Bolder. And I love that about life too... we have a chance to BECOME BETTER than we were yesterday.

   My source of strength to face life head on since I was very young has always come from my Savior. Who I am, I am because of Jesus. Life happened and is happening and will happen.... but He is what makes my life beautiful. The mistakes, the pain, the hurtful life circumstances... he's turned the ashes into beauty. All the good things in me...the things I have been able to experience, the good things I have been able to do, the lives I have been able to impact for good...have all come from Him working in my life.
     One thing I have realized so far about life... my story is just a story... just one little person's life experience in this big huge world. But only God can take my little life story...and make it something completely amazing and meaningful. Some people might disagree with me on this, that you need God to make your life meaningful. But it's true. Without God... you live, you die, and some people might remember you for a while..but then they die and no one is really impacted by your life. BUT with God as the center of your life...you share Him with the people around you. His Truth never returns void. People might not remember my name but for every person that I share Jesus and His Truth with... that will go on and on and on... that legacy never dies.

   Your story needs to be shared. No matter what it contains. Your story is Powerful. So many times, Christians believe they don't have a testimony to share because they have never really done anything terrible so they don't feel as though they can relate to people who need to hear about Jesus. The Truth is... people don't really NEED YOUR story... they need JESUS. Give them TRUTH. You do not have to walk a mile in someone's shoes in order to introduce them to Jesus who CAN set them free from whatever it is that binds them. Your story is powerful...BECAUSE JESUS IS IN IT. So don't be afraid to share what you know about living for Jesus. Your story IS enough to share the truth locked inside of it.

    Another fun nugget of Truth... God meets us wherever we are, He is constantly ready to bring us closer to Him and who He's called us to be. Even as I write this blog, I've been reflecting on some things on my past and dreams for my future, I have been given some revelations about God's grace in
my life and as a few tears have fallen just now... I am growing right here, in this moment. How amazing is that? I love life with Jesus... no one may ever know all the details of my story...but I can tell you, thanks to Jesus...it really is beautiful.

Love your story sweet friends.... Let Jesus hold the pen.
                                  Bless ya! -darby

     

Ohhhh.....The Glory of LOVE....

Tis the season of chocolates and flowers, of mushy cards and stuffed animals, of fancy date nights with candle light dinners...

And I've been home sick all week with all things not yummy while sporting my zombie look.

This has not been fun and yet I have been so blessed.

My sweet husband who has also been sick this week, in fact, is also the one who gave me this germ bug, has not only been working hard all week         (i really can't believe the strength of this man... we are sick with the same thing and I literally sat in the chair all day with one shoe on, my mouth hanging open, and my eyes half closed...but he manages to go to work...amazing.) but He came home every night and took care of me, did extra chores around the house and didn't complain about the things that I clearly wasn't taking care of. I have felt very honored and blessed to have a husband that has loved me, definitely in my ugly times this week. 

And despite our plans to "go out for a fancy dinner on Valentine's Day", he walks in today with steaks that He bought because He knows that neither of us are probably going to want to go out this week. Good call. 

It's been nice this week, although feeling completely miserable, just being together with my husband and taking care of each other. Watching movies together, even though the funny movies would cause us to laugh which was painful and funny since neither of us have had voices much of this week, and laughing would lead to coughing so i'm sure we were quite a sad but funny sight to see. (thankfully no one could ;) ) 

I also am feeling so incredibly loved by the simple fact that even though I am an adult (for quite a while now...) and even though I am completely capable of doing life on my own, I am so incredibly blessed to have parents that are still very present in my life. My momma who has always been the voice of common sense in my life, the one who I always want the reassurance from that I'm doing the right thing, has made sure to make contact with me everyday to make sure i'm not dead from this cold. And I LOVE that. She still tells me how much water I need to be drinking and what cold medicine to take. I love my momma and everything that she STILL does for this grown up daughter of hers. 

And my Dad, who stopped by and dropped off oranges and chicken noodle soup just because He knew I was sick. It's that kind of stuff that makes a girl feel loved by her family. The little things, oranges and chicken noodle soup. I could see the look in my dad's face as he was looking at this pitiful sad zombie knowing that there wasn't anything that he could do to make me feel better and I could tell as his little girl, that he very much wanted to make me better. And he did. Oranges and Chicken noodle soup. What a blessing to have parents that love me so much!

And my Sister...what a blessing this woman is in my life. I love the fact that we have really always had the opportunity to "do life" together. I LOVE that I have a sister who is literally ALWAYS there for me. I cannot think of ONE time that she hasn't been. I need to be more like my sister in this form of sacrificial love and dependability. I LOVE the fact that we do ministry together and when I am sick, I can always count on her to carry on. I am so blessed and so thankful that I have such a close and sweet friendship with my sister. 

So even though it's the month of mushy cards and romantic sentiments...I am basking in the simple fact that I am LOVED. I encourage you sweet friends to not ever take for granted the people in your life that God has placed there just for you. It is no mistake, the people who step into our lives, maybe for a moment, maybe for a lifetime...love them. Sacrifice for them. Take care of them. Be there for them. Without love we are nothing, we have nothing. Love them Well. 

.....now, this zombie, is taking some more cold medicine and going to bed!