Life

This past week has pushed me to the highs and lows of emotion and spiritual endurance. I have wept for unsaved people, I have laughed so hard I cried, and I have been frustrated to the point of exhaustion. I feel like the opening line in A Tale of Two Cities "It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times..."

Through the roller coaster of the week I found something amazing. I found my self craving church. I could not wait to get to church or to talk to Steve about a passage I read. Sure I knew that God draws us near to himself when we experience hard times, but to experience the pull brings it to a whole new level. God knew the
verses I needed to hear, the smiles I needed to see, and the prayers I needed to say and He worked it out so I could experience all of this. God knows my needs and will supply exactly what I need at exactly the right time.

Dear God, Thank you for drawing me closer to You when I needed you the most. You know me so well. Thank you for giving me the strength to get through this week and the blessing church has become for me. Help me to always remember to draw close to you.

My Family

For most, family means the people you see on Thanksgiving and Christmas, the people who you go see on special occasions. My friends talk about family and I'll hear them say, "I have to go call my mom again. She cant go more than a week without hearing from me." or "My Dad is such a pain sometimes, he has to make sure I'm doing everything right!" It breaks my heart to hear statements like that. To hear people talk about their family as if they are to be put up with.

I call my Mom every other day almost. I talk to my sister at least once a week. As for Daddy and I, well its quite frequent. I'm fortunate enough to have my Uncle live in the area. I meet him every Wednesday night to eat out. I talk to my Uncle in Iowa City on a regular basis. My family means everything to me.

God has blessed me so much with these people. I love spending time with them and enjoying their company. Family time is very important to me. God has blessed me with the most wonderful people to be related to. We don't always get along, but there is one thing that is never absent, and it's love.

Please enjoy your families because we only have a short life on this earth. Each person is a gift from God. Appreciate them, and enjoy time with them. You don't have to like them, but you can ALWAYS love them. <3

Pet Peeve

In reading others writings I find some so helpful and uplifting. I enjoy reading of others day to day activities as well as reading their struggles and successes. Over all I have found one new pet peeve through this. I cannot stand it when people bash their husbands or significant other. My family is sarcastic and we joke about it, but we never post it and make it known how displeased we are with each other.

I'm not married yet, I know, but some of the godly women I follow never rant how their husbands didn't do something, or how terrible they were that day. Although I will not always get along with Steve, I hope I never write about him the way some women do their husbands. He is a gift God has given me and to treat him like that is down right awful.

May I always be thankful for the man You have given me. May I submit to him, and love him. Thank you for everything God. Amen

Unworthy

As I was relaxing tonight, a thought struck me. This though is not profound nor is it new to me, but it hit me in a way I had never thought of it before. I was thinking of my parents. They are paying my way for so many things, clothes, an education, food, and so much more. Why? Why do my parents pay my way, I am such a burdon sometimes. I don't deserve this. I did nothing to earn this. They are paying my way because they love me.

Even as I finished that thought I thought of my Heavenly Father. He has payed my way with His own son's blood. God gives me SO much! He provides food, shelter, loving family and friends, my every need and sometimes even my wants. Why? There is no good thing I have done without the Holy Spirit. There is nothing on my own I could do to deserve even the smallest thing from God, much less Him paying my way to Heaven with Christ's blood.

Unworthy. I feel humbled by everything that is done for me. I have done absolutly nothing do deserve any of this, yet God saw it fit to fulfil my ever need and even some of my hopes and dreams. My God truly is an awsome God. Thank you, God, for loving me.

An Unexpected Present

Yesterday I celibrated my 6 month anniversary with my fiance. He bought me a frozen coffee, one of my favorite drinks, and I bought him a soda. I had also made cards with different attributes on it that spell out his name. Simple gifts are the ones that make up our relationship, and I totally accept that.

Today Steve asked me to meet him for lunch. I get there and in my place is a bag from our bookstore. I look at him and ask what these are for. He smiles and said open it up. I pull out not one, not two, but three books. They are all by Beverly Lewis, one of my favorite authors.

Thank you, God, for blessing me with my sweet, sweet fiance. He pushes me to strive to be more like You. He surprises me with gifts, and spoils me with his love. Help me to be a godly fiance and to encourage him in any way I can. Thank you for loving me so much and blessing me with the life you've given. Amen.

Praise Jesus!

I love my Savior so much, and am ashamed to admit that although I have times where all I want to do is praise Him, I also have times where I want to spend time on me rather than in His word. I find those times I am not as cheerful, I am not as happy, and I lack the over all Joy of the Lord.

Tonight at 12:46, I am so filled with His joy I can hardly sleep. So instead I blog about it. Ha ha! I am so happy with everything God has blessed me with. I try and count my blessings and they are so numerous I can't even begin to list them. God is so good to me all the time. He isn't just faithful when I praise His name at 2 in the morning, but also when I don't always follow Him. He is always there to gently lead me back to His side.

Thank you, O Lord, for your saving Grace, for the love you have allowed me to have in my life through my christian family, through my friends, and through my Godly fiance. Thank you for putting each and every one of them into my life and allowing them to bless me. Thank you for church and how it rejuvinates me throughout the week. Thank you for your Word and how it greatly impacts me all these years after you had the authors pen it. Thank you for being you God. Thank you for your love, your grace, your faithfulness, your mercy, and your salvation for children who turn away from you. I love you God. Amen!

Advice from a Friend

The other night I was with a friend and she asked how I was doing. This friend has known me my whole life and can tell when something is not right, but she chooses to ask anyway. I told her I was alright but frustrated with some aspects of my life. I felt like I was hitting a brick wall, I was frustrated, and there where days I wanted to throw in the towel and not deal with anything.

My friend smiled knowingly and said that she wanted tell me about a relative of hers. Her relative had been having the same relative problem as me. She ended up hating everyone that had anything to do with her faith, and walked away from church because of some people she encountered. My friend said she had never been one to favor man made rules, but rather to follow the Bible and God's rules and respect the others you have to abide by.

My friend told me that she didn't want me to end up like her relative, but rather to keep my faith and to smile through it. Hard times come, and hard times go, but God is there for you no matter what. Don't walk away from Him because of His children you don't always agree with.

It was simple advice, and I was FAR from walking away from my faith, but it helped me get my mind back in the game and regain my focus. God is still there for me even if He put me in a place where I get frustrated sometimes. God still loves me, He still loves to see me succeed, none of that has changed. Thank you God for using my friends to remind me of your simple truths.