I write this today feeling like God has given me a breath of fresh air. I was encouraged by two of my besties (M & B) to consider taking a half-day off of work Friday afternoon and spend it with the two of them. See, M is prego with her first, biological baby (YAY!) and due in the next few short days :) (I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HIM...but you can't tell I'm excited, can you??) SOOO...I went to work on Thursday, and put in a last-minute request with my boss about getting Friday afternoon off....sure enough, it got approved!!!
Then....Thursday evening came around and M called me to tell me her 6yr old had come home from school again with another fever and that she was taking him to the doctor on Friday to have him tested for strep. Sure enough, the poor little one had it and we decided to cancel with her, so the rest of us wouldn't get it :(
B & I decided we were still going to get together, and what a wonderful time we had! While her little one E was taking a nap, we did what girls do best...GIRL TALK!!! As the hours went by, God kept blessing us with great conversation topics that helped encourage us both.
We both decided that PD Cook's recent sermon topics have been hand selected by God to minister to us two directly. There are times in my life where church has seemed like a "boring" thing to partake in, but right now, I feel as though I'm on the cusp of something great and wonderful!!!
So ya, I finally took my first (half) day off of work for the year....yes I am blessed to say it has taken me until March to use a vacation/sick day. God gave me a much needed rest break from the crazy-busy schedule I've been taking lately...and blessed me in return with the first sense of being refreshed in a long time!!!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Perseverance
So my Pastors message yesterday really REALLY hit home with me....do I persevere or do I cave under pressure/hard times?
PERSEVERANCE: (1) to walk under the load; (2) ability to endure when circumstances are tough
Lately, I have been ready to CRUMBLE into broken pieces, unwilling to be put back together. The stress factor(s) in my life lately has been HUGE and unrelenting...and I have been ready to quit, several times in fact. It seems like there is just too much on my plate. No other way to put it.
So here's what got me thinking: "Perseverance is the pathway to maturity..." (PD Cook) I know darn well, there are two possible ways for me to react to EVERY situation: my way or God's way. I've been feeling lately like I've given God control over MOST situations...yet I'm still doing my best to hold onto some myself. Why when the tough gets going, do I not hand the control over to Him and just follow his lead??
This is where perseverance comes into play. When I'm fighting him tooth and nail, is that making me more mature and Christlike?? I think a big NO WAY! God wants to make me more like him, and isn't he trying to do that right now...by showing me that the ONLY way to survive the day is to let Him have control over my every move??
Here are some other quotes that got me thinking:
"Sometimes God calms the storms, and othertime he calms his child."
"When you want to pull your hair out--dig your roots into Gods faithfulness."
"If you're thinking about quitting, it's too soon."
"If you want to quit something--quit trusting yourself."
I can't say that this will be a smooth-sailing adventure for me as I enter each new day. But somehow I feel this message was just the beginning of something BIG! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, apprehensive, or anxious about what God has in-store for my life...but hey who isn't?
I'll close with this thought/verse
Jeremiah 29:11-- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
PERSEVERANCE: (1) to walk under the load; (2) ability to endure when circumstances are tough
Lately, I have been ready to CRUMBLE into broken pieces, unwilling to be put back together. The stress factor(s) in my life lately has been HUGE and unrelenting...and I have been ready to quit, several times in fact. It seems like there is just too much on my plate. No other way to put it.
So here's what got me thinking: "Perseverance is the pathway to maturity..." (PD Cook) I know darn well, there are two possible ways for me to react to EVERY situation: my way or God's way. I've been feeling lately like I've given God control over MOST situations...yet I'm still doing my best to hold onto some myself. Why when the tough gets going, do I not hand the control over to Him and just follow his lead??
This is where perseverance comes into play. When I'm fighting him tooth and nail, is that making me more mature and Christlike?? I think a big NO WAY! God wants to make me more like him, and isn't he trying to do that right now...by showing me that the ONLY way to survive the day is to let Him have control over my every move??
Here are some other quotes that got me thinking:
"Sometimes God calms the storms, and othertime he calms his child."
"When you want to pull your hair out--dig your roots into Gods faithfulness."
"If you're thinking about quitting, it's too soon."
"If you want to quit something--quit trusting yourself."
I can't say that this will be a smooth-sailing adventure for me as I enter each new day. But somehow I feel this message was just the beginning of something BIG! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, apprehensive, or anxious about what God has in-store for my life...but hey who isn't?
I'll close with this thought/verse
Jeremiah 29:11-- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Trusting God
It has been a while since I've been on here, sorry friends. Life has been full of ups and downs, but through it all, God has been showing me more and more how when I trust HIM with my life, things go that much smoother. Easier said then done most times though...
Things at work lately have been crazy, with me ultimately having more on my plate. As selfish as this might sound, I can tell God has been more in control simply because I don't feel as stressed or frustrated with the situations at hand. My dad always says "We are either: headed into a trial, coming out of one, or in the middle of it right now." And I've gotta say, I feel like right now I'm smack-dab into the middle of the tough time. Some days, I'm beyond ready to pull my hair out...other moments are smooth sailing. The ups and downs have been like a pendulum swinging back and forth, back and forth.
This is where God's faithfulness has been proving itself to me over and over again. It seems like just at the "worst possible moment", someone or something reminds me that I'm probably trying to go about this "situation" on my own strength, and not God's strength. My favorite verse just keeps popping into my head: Philippians 4:13-- "I can do everything through him who who gives me strength."
And while I know God is faithful and give me strength, why, must I continually doubt my Savior...the one who so willingly went to the cross and died for me? I know it is my human nature, but He sacrificed EVERYTHING for me...what is holding me back and causing me to doubt his love and faithfulness?? I think I can answer this question...I'm scared of what God might ask me to do. I know He can ask me to continue with where He currently has me, or he might have some big drastic plan for me...and the "unknown factor" scares me. It's not like He has let me down, just when I begin to think He isn't going to come through, BOOM! There is my answer (and let me be honest...it's usually a pretty decent answer)!
As I close this, I'm reminded of another favorite verse from Proverbs. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Things at work lately have been crazy, with me ultimately having more on my plate. As selfish as this might sound, I can tell God has been more in control simply because I don't feel as stressed or frustrated with the situations at hand. My dad always says "We are either: headed into a trial, coming out of one, or in the middle of it right now." And I've gotta say, I feel like right now I'm smack-dab into the middle of the tough time. Some days, I'm beyond ready to pull my hair out...other moments are smooth sailing. The ups and downs have been like a pendulum swinging back and forth, back and forth.
This is where God's faithfulness has been proving itself to me over and over again. It seems like just at the "worst possible moment", someone or something reminds me that I'm probably trying to go about this "situation" on my own strength, and not God's strength. My favorite verse just keeps popping into my head: Philippians 4:13-- "I can do everything through him who who gives me strength."
And while I know God is faithful and give me strength, why, must I continually doubt my Savior...the one who so willingly went to the cross and died for me? I know it is my human nature, but He sacrificed EVERYTHING for me...what is holding me back and causing me to doubt his love and faithfulness?? I think I can answer this question...I'm scared of what God might ask me to do. I know He can ask me to continue with where He currently has me, or he might have some big drastic plan for me...and the "unknown factor" scares me. It's not like He has let me down, just when I begin to think He isn't going to come through, BOOM! There is my answer (and let me be honest...it's usually a pretty decent answer)!
As I close this, I'm reminded of another favorite verse from Proverbs. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
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