Beauty in the waiting...

One of the hardest things God can teach us: Patience. As much as I like to think I've been able to wait on the Lord, patience is not something I pray for God to teach me. I guess that's why he is in control... because that's not an area I want alot of lessons in.

Waiting is hard. Waiting is frustrating. Waiting hurts.

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."- Isaiah 40:31

Whether you are waiting to hear news on a potential job, waiting to graduate college, waiting to conceive a baby, waiting on adoption, waiting for God to fix a problem, waiting on a spouse, waiting for God to heal your broken heart or simply waiting for God to answer last night's prayer. Waiting is difficult.

But pray to your God. He is listening! Make your desires known.

"But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice." (Psalms 55.16-17)

Take heart. We serve a God of many promises. A God that promises joy with each new day as the sun always sets and will surely rise again tomorrow. He is a God who is healer and the author of our lives. He knows what is right around the corner although it may seem like an eternity in waiting. We are closer to his glory than we think. We have a God who loves us and is for us and has a life of abundance that he is slowly unraveling before our eyes.

I pray we don't miss out on the beauty of today... Look around you. His splendor & promises surround us...

Even in those moments when it is hard to see, God is with us.

"I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.(Psalms 16.8-9 )

My friend, I pray today you will be encouraged. Believe!

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" -John 11:40

My Christmas Prayer...

My prayer for this Christmas is simple, but quite complicated. It's cliche but real...

My Christmas prayer this year is that every single person out there would feel loved by at least one person... and would have some love to give. I pray everyone would have family to come home to, whether by blood or by choice. I pray each person feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what they have been given, that we would look beyond ourselves and seek to give to those in need. I pray the broken hearts could be mended by the power of a loving Heavenly Father. I pray we stop trying to fix people and instead wrap our arm around them and walk with them. I pray we feel the presence of our loved ones in Heaven, in those precious moments that we wish they could be here to share. I pray every child we know is loved and cared for. I pray we learn to believe in ourselves and believe in others. I pray we accept that Jesus loves us, no matter what we have done or where we have been or what we will do tomorrow... and that our hearts can rest in the simple promise that one day we will see Him face to face and hear Him say He loves us... no matter what.

You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are loved. Completely.

Merry Christmas my loved ones...

Traits of a Great Man.

A great man is not perfect. A great man is not without sin or fault. A great man does not try to be God.

But a great man does have a repentive heart. A great man leads with strength. A great man is dedicated to his family. A great man is letting God mold him through his weakness and he is becoming a better creation in Christ with each new day. A great man is obedient to his Savior, even when the world is pulling him in a million directions.

I know this because I was raised by a great man. When I think of my dad, I think of a man who is dedicated to his wife and children, through the good times and the bad times. When I think of my dad, I think of a man who always protected his little girl and made sure everyone knew she was precious to him. He encouraged her to follow her dreams, and push her a little more when she tried to give up. He always had her best interest at heart. His home was a refuge from the world. Though he was not a perfect man, he knew what was most important in life, and sent that legacy on with his grown children.

Sound like another Father you may have heard of?

And eventually, that great man would give is daughter's hand in marriage to yet another great man. A man who is dedicated. A man who works diligently to provide a home and safe place for his Bride and her children. He will encounter tough times in this life, but he will continue to be obedient to his creator and the plan He has in mind for his family. He leads with strength and integrity. He puts others before himself, and has a servant's heart. He pours into his family, cultivating them and takes great pride in the legacy he will leave. He is a great man, who recognizes he is in need of a Savior.

He too, is a mirror of the great man that he calls Heavenly Father.

This young man has taken his Bride. Together, they will face this life... one day at a time. There will be good times and there will be hard times. They will make children together and teach them the love of Jesus. They will walk humbly with their God... This great man is helping this woman to be the precious creation her Heavenly Father has in mind for her. Much like her daddy, this man is helping her to achieve her biggest dreams. He respects her, and treats her as if she is more valuable than rubies. He has children with her and helps her raise them up for greatness. He protects her, provides for her and is painting a beautiful picture of Christ's love with her through Marriage. This is a great man.

Lord, these men are a mirror of You. They are leaving a legacy because they are loving their families the way that you loved us. You gave it all up for us. You want the very best for us.

Oh Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing this simple woman with such great men. Thank you for my daddy, who was raised by a great man. Thank you for my amazing Husband, who was also raised by a great and dedicated, hardworking man. Their legacies live. My son has so many great men in his life to look up to... not only these great earthly men, but You. The Prince of Peace and King of Kings. You fill the places of our Hearts that not even our Earthly fathers can fill. My heart overflows with gratitude.

Men, the example you set for your family is important. Whether you had a good dad or not, your Heavenly father loves you and will Guide you. Women, whether you had a dad who loved you or not, your heavenly father thinks the world of you. You are so precious. He wants you to find a man who respects you and takes care of you. Our heavenly father has more love for us than we can even comprehend. Let Him heal your broken heart.

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it's deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4: 22-24

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2

Not just a little nice girl.

"You're not good enough...

You're not as pretty as her...

She's a better mom...

You've already made a mess of things...

It's never gonna get better...

You don't deserve to be happy...

You can't..."

Just give up..."

Satan loves putting these thoughts in our head. He loves when we think of such things... And every new self degrading thought just adds fuel to his burning fire... He feeds on destruction.

We have started to believe many of these things. Slowly, the world is engulfing us. There are days when we feel our heads are barely above water. We don't think we can go on...

But there is hope. We have a powerful God on our side. We have the tangible Word of God at our fingertips. We have the freedom to pray, to worship and talk to Jesus Christ every second of every day.

Satan trembles at the thought of that.

Guess what?

Satan does not want you opening your mouth to praise a mighty God.

He does not want you to forgive that person.

He does not want you to pick up your Bible & dig in God's word.

He does not want you to admit you are in need of a Savior.

He does not want you to use your talents to make the world better.

He does not want you to fight to the death for that marriage.

He does not want you to believe in yourself.

He hates the power that prayer has in our lives.

He HATES when we fall to our knees in worship of our powerful God who will break our chains and set us free!

Satan loves that we questions our God.

He loves that we think we can handle life on our own.

He chuckles as we say we can make this marriage work without Jesus.

He smirks as we give up on ourselves and others...

But guess what Satan?

Listen to me good...

I serve a God who is bigger than you. I serve a God who's grace covers me and frees me. I have His word engrained into my heart, therefore living out in my life. I have a God who I can call on at.any.moment. And together, we will squash you and your destructive ways. We claim victory over our lives IN JESUS' name and you are UNDER OUR FEET!

Do you know why? Because Prayerful lives are Powerful lives.

When you tempt me, I will Pray.

I will throw the Living Word of God IN YOUR FACE.

Everyday, I will arm myself with Christ's Word, His armor that protects me and gives me STRENGTH to defeat you in every tempting and difficult moment you throw my way.

.......

Now, You listen to me beautiful one:

Don't you dare let Satan make you think that you cannot be set free from bondage through Christ. You are GOD'S GIRL (Beth Moore).

This is what God says about YOU:

"You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are precious. I have given you the talent to do many great things in this life. You deserve the good things in this life. Every day you breath is so important to me. YOU are important. I want you to know that I am PROUD to be your Daddy... your Heavenly father who loves you more than your Earthly father. You have what it takes. Listen...

I Love You. I Adore you... more than you could even begin to understand. I am with you. Every. Step. Of. The.Way.

Through Prayer, I will flood you with confidence.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am THE LORD YOUR GOD." - Isaiah 43:2-3

I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a woman after God’s own heart.

I hope I never stop looking on the bright side of things.

I have faith that there is always good to be found, even in the worse situations.

I wonder what would happen if people stopped pointing fingers & examined themselves more.

I always smile. (Okay, not always, but most of the time :)

I need Jesus. Everyday.

I adore my husband & son more than you could imagine.

I enjoy a good cup of coffee and early morning walks.

I think every woman should find a man who treats her like a princess.

I never want to stop learning.

I dislike when we complain without doing anything about it.

I admire people who walk humbly through this life, putting others before themselves.

I take lots of pictures.

I give thanks daily.

I dream about what my son will be when he grows up.

I am an optimist.

I write. It is my passion.

I believe every person has a purpose & the potential to do great things in this life.

I know God’s word is the foundation for my life.

I want to make an impression in people’s hearts.

I will encourage someone everyday.

I love living this life that God has given me, through the good & the bad.

What about you?

Are you enough for me?

Quiet moments. Down time.

What do I do with this time? Usually there are plenty of distractions. Busyness, friends, family, facebook, activities, church events, movies, small group, grocery shopping, work. So much to do with so little time. Life is good.. Crazy, on the go...

Do you think that God may stop us for a reason? Does he slow things down or take something away to grab our attention? Are there seasons of life when we don't have much of a choice than to turn to Him? Are there moments of desperation for a reason?

I have such a blessed life. So many people who love me, an amazing husband, a beautiful baby boy, my health, the list is endless.

But I often wonder if HE is enough. If I lost everything, would my God be enough for me? Do I praise my God because my life is so good? Would I continue to praise Him if everything I hold dear was torn from my hands? I say my God is good, but would these words leave my lips if I hit the ultimate pit of life?

Is God just an addition to the wonderful life I live? Or is he the core? Is he the first thing I think about when I wake in the morning and lay my head down at night? Do I breathe Him? Is he closer to me than my own skin?

The answer to this may change from day to day, because life just happens that way. Some days I am so passionate for my Savior that I can feel him seeping through the pores of my skin. Then there are days when he seems so far away, like I couldn't feel Him even if he touched me.

Isn't life crazy like that? Some days are good and some are pretty bad. Life is easy, then life is hard.

My life lately has had a lot of down time. Living in a new place, not knowing many people has been a battle on certain days. I love people. I thrive on being around people and feeling that closeness between humans. Lately I have noticed that my best days have been when I'm super busy. I have a lot to do so I don't have time to miss people or feel lonely or even to seek my God.

But I don't want that. I don't want a life full of activities to make me happy. I want a soul full of Jesus. I want to experience His joy even in those dull moments of life.

I want my focus to be on bringing Him glory. If I stop and think about it, there is no down time at all... I want to grow in God's word; His love letter to me. I want to cultivate my marriage and be the best wife I can be to the man God gave me. I want to teach my son to love others like Jesus did. It is easy to slack on these things in life because we feel "Blah" at times. But praise the Lord that every day is a new day! A refreshing chance to start over and try again.

I want everyday to be about bringing Him glory, not about what activity will make me feel good. I want Jesus to be more than enough. I want to seek His presence passionately. I want to believe His word and rest in the fact that He truly is more than enough. I am open to knowing what God is trying to teach me during this season in my life.

There is nothing in this life that I will have to endure alone. He is walking with me every step of the way. Whether life circumstances are amazing or heartbreaking, MY JESUS IS ENOUGH! Thank you Jesus for making me believe. My joy is in you. I will seek you all the days of my life.

No matter how far you look on this Earth, nothing will ever satisfy the inner parts of your soul like Jesus will.

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith." Hebrews 10:35-37

Three words...

Wherever you are... whatever problem, pain, season, struggle, fear...

You need to know...

God loves you.

Because sometimes you just need to hear it...

He loves you in your brokenness, in your insecurities, in your sin, in your anger, in your confusion...

God loves you.

Because sometimes we just need to be reminded...

The creator of the Universe has called you by name, you are His. (Isaiah 43:1)

Three little words... cliche. But true. Deep. Real.

How amazing... Right where you are. In this moment..

God loves YOU.

Breathe Him in.

....

Our flesh may fail us, but your spirit never does, O Lord.