A New Day

It is 2014 already!!  When I look back at when I posted my last blog, I can't believe how time has passed.  I know why I haven't written - I am married, have a 3-year old, I work full time, have extended family and friends.  Time is precious. We have to know what season we are in and where we should be putting our time.  Mine has been spent on people lately, not those online, on facebook, or on emails very much, but those in front of me.  2013 was a year of transition, and keeping peace in my heart and home was another full time job.  But 2013 is gone, and 2014 has come.  What will it hold?

Coming into this new year, the scripture that God laid on my heart is from Philippians:

"I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it."

- Philippians 3:13-16 (The Message)

It is a new day. A day to begin again. A day to put the past behind and walk in the new. Isn't that why Christ came? To give us the opportunity to walk with Him daily?  To give us the option to choose Him, to choose life, to choose to put the past behind and to press on and in to what He has for us?  To walk in His grace and fulfill what he has called us to do?  Sometimes we don't see where the path we walk is leading us, and that can be discouraging.  Sometimes the path has been so hard and the disappointments so great that we want to step away from the path.  But in His gentle, loving way, Christ calls us to continue.  He calls us to keep pressing toward the dreams He placed in our hearts.  God knew when He placed them there that we would need His strength to reach those dreams, to reach the places we never imagined we would be.

So today, look at Jesus, look at Him and know that you are whole, you are complete in Him.  You  have all you need.  And you can continue to press on, not because of how you feel, but because you can trust that Christ will give you all you need at just the right time.  So, I am writing again.  I am posting a blog entry.  I am reaching forward for where God is calling, and allowing Him to 'clear my blurred vision' that the cares of this world have brought in.

True Friendship at All Times

What a year it has been!  It seems that over the past year so many things have happened.  Friends have gone away, my baby girl was born, relationships changed.... So many changes.  There is one thing that remains constant and that is God and His love.  It's in the hard times that we realize this the most.  Sometimes a person fails us, sometimes we see the faithfulness of someone God has put into our lives.  This year in my life two of the most monumental things happened:

1. I lost my mom, who I talked to almost daily, who shared my faith, who encouraged me, and who I couldn't wait to introduce my baby girl to. 
2. Then there was the arrival of my baby girl, the most wonderful and beautiful little angel ever (who is, right at this moment, pulling everything off of the shelf under her changing table, AGAIN.....).

I have found it amazing as I've walked through this year and through these major changes in life, how all of the other relationships around us can change.  For instance, I realize just how incredible my husband is.  I have to say, it gives me a whole new appreciation for single parents because without my husband, who is also my best friend, I'm not sure how I would have made it through this past year.  I began to see friendships in different light - those that are heavily dependant on what you give the other person and not a true give and take, fade because you don't have extra to give.  Those that I may not have realized were so valuable and true friends became even brighter.  But mostly I realize the complete and total faithfuleness of God and the value of His friendship. 

"The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." -Proverbs 18:24 (AMP)

God gives us friends among each other and His desire is for us to be in relationships, but we all fail each other from time to time.  But there is a relationship that we can rely on no matter what, and that is the most precious relationship that we can cultivate.  Our relationship with the Lord is one that will never fail us, even when we ourselves fail.  It is the relationship that will also put all of our other relationships in the right perspective, even in the hard times.  It is the one that will bring healing and forgiveness.  It is the one that will bring joy and laughter.  It is the one that will bring truth and revelation to our lives. 

Friendship with God is of greater value than any other thing in our lives and more worthy of our time and attention, yet so many times we get busy and let our time with God dwindle away.  The wonderful thing about Him is that He is waiting there as soon as we realize it and turn to Him.  So there is no better time than the present to take time out for Him.  He is ever faithful and always there for us no matter if we are celebrating on the highest mountain or finding our way through the lowest place in our life.  His love and friendship is there.  I have always known that, but over the past year my need for that revelation has become more prevelant than ever.

Friendship with God - what a wonderful thing!  He gives us so much, and to end this entry, here are a couple of pictures of the precious ones He has given to me:

Haley Elizabeth

Thankful, that is probably what I should have titled this blog entry. 

I know it has been way too long since I've posted on my blog.  I have to say that my pregnancy since June has been very emotional since my mom's passing.  I think it was knowing that she wasn't here for me to share things with. 

That being said, I am so thankful to the Lord for a wonderful pregnancy and my labor was very short.  I even made it without an epidural, although I have to say that if I hadn't been too far along when I got to the hospital to get one, I would have gone for it.  I am so thankful to have gone without it though.

Our baby girl, Haley Elizabeth, arrived on October 25th at 2:17am.  She weighed 7lbs, 1oz, and was 19.1 inches long. 

Here she is:

We are so blessed and loving having our little girl here with us.  I just can't put into words how much we love her and how special she is to us.  Haley is a true testimony of God's faithfulness.

God has blessed us so much - we are so thankful!

A Legacy of Love

My mom, Donna Thompson, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 13th.  Her life has made a profound impact on the people that knew her.  The following is what I wrote to sum up how I feel about her life.  She loves the Lord with all that she is.  Her five children, 13 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren have seen how she lived out that love.  This is the legacy that she leaves.

A Legacy of Love

My mom’s legacy is one of LOVE. Mom loved the Lord and allowed His love to flow through her. She loved without expectation, without looking for return, she just loved people with the love of the Lord. She wanted them to know the love Christ has for them. My mom is the richest person I know because she loved.

Many people quote 1 Corinthians 13, but when I look at my mom’s life, she lived it. The love she shared was long suffering, kind, never paraded or puffed up. I can think of so many situations where she didn’t think of her own self, but loved without thinking evil or looking at the wrongs of a person’s situation, but only of how she could love on them, and in that share the love of Christ.

Mom didn’t do this by herself though; she took her family with her. I can’t count the times our days consisted of serving others because they had a need – a ride to the grocery store, spending time with someone who couldn’t get out, gathering food or clothing for a family in need. We had kids in our home after school, even after all of her own children were grown, just letting them spend time, giving them snacks and talking to them about their lives and about the difference Jesus makes in our lives.

Mom taught me to see people through the eyes of Jesus. She knew that if they would only surrender to His love, their lives would be transformed. Mom knew life could be hard. She had seen the effects of alcohol and drug abuse on a life, on a family. But she had also encountered the life-changing, heart healing power of Jesus Christ.

There is so much I could say about my mom. You can see the legacy of love if you look at her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Mom’s one desire is for others to know the Lord, to really know Him and to allow His love to transform their heart and mind.

Mom only knew in part, only saw in a mirror dimly, but now she is face to face with perfect love, now she is in the full presence of the One who is LOVE, the ONE who first loved us.

For Mom, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and that is where we will see her again.

Hope Fullfilled

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life".  -Proverbs 13:12

It's amazing the changes that can happen so suddenly.  I haven't posted in a bit because I've simply just been tired. I've been growing a baby!! :)

Yes, God has blessed my husband and I with a wonderful new life and we are so excited about all that encompasses.  This picture is the first glimpse we had of our little one.  We were amazed to see and hear our baby's heart beating.  It brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.  I am almost 11 weeks along now, and this past week I got to see another picture of our little one and got to see arms and legs moving!

You may remember the post I made in January talking about the process we had gone through at the end of last year dealing with fertility.  We did what was before us in the natural, BUT THEN GOD moved in His timing and we are expecting our first child.  I must say that when I saw the positive pregnancy test I was in shock.  As much as I've prayed and believed, I was still shocked when I saw the fruit actually made evident. 

It is amazing to me every time I think about the miracle of the small child growing inside of me.  I am so thankful and so excited about all that lies ahead on this journey.

I will continue to write as I travel this journey and share it with you.

Building Faith

"Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them." -A.W. Tozer

"Resting in Jesus is not applying a spiritual formula to ourselves as a kind of fix it.  It is the essence of repentance."  Sacred Romance, Brent Curtis, Pg. 174

Believing in God, believing He is, believing He is true, by faith accepting Him and giving our life over to Him is only a first step in faith.  It is the essential foundation to build upon, but there is so much more God desires us to enter into.  How do we take those steps?  How do we build upon the foundation that is there?

The answer lies in spending time in God's presence, spending time in His word, and allowing Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.  It's not so much a matter of believing that God can, but that He will for us.  That We (I) will see the promise or dream God has given to me come to pass.

One of my favorite quotes from my pastor is, "When Jesus becomes your security, your insecurity is destroyed." (Pastor Paul Zink)  When we begin to truly trust Jesus, that's when we can truly trust the dreams, visions, and gifts He has given to us. The Spirit of God is given to us to saturate our spirit, and the Word of God is given to saturate our minds.  When we combine time spent in God's word and time spent in God's presence it is a lethal weapon to our fears, doubts, and insecurity.

God, who calls you, is faithful to do this." -1 Thessaonians 5:24

We serve a God that has huge plans for our lives, and as Christians we need to open our hearts and minds to the greatness of God.  Remember that God is the one who gives us what we need to accomplish what He has called us to.  In 2 Thessalonians 1:11, God's word reinforces yet again that God will make us worthy of the life to which He called us as we walk in His ways and in His grace.  Habakkuk 1:5 tells us "look at the nations and be amazed!  Watch and be astounded at what I will do!  For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it!"

Do I walk with that kind of expectation?  Am I looking to be amazed?  Am I looking to be blown away by the greatness of God?  Am I looking to be astounded by what God wants to do through me?  As I meditate on God's word instead of what today's society tells me, then yes, I will see my faith rise.  I will see my expectation build, and I will see God's hand working in my life.

The following has been a key scripture for me so far this year. 

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. -Ephesians 1:18-20

This is my prayer: Father, I pray in Jesus' name, for my eyes to be opened to your plans and purposes for me as never before.  Holy Spirit, soften my spirit to be pliable to your ways.  I will walk in the light of Your Word and allow my faith to be built in Your presence.  I love you, Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness.  Amen."

In the Hard Times....

Lately it seems that so many of my friends are going through a difficult time.  Tribulations are pounding them from every angle, jobs, finances, family issues -children and spouses, relationships gone awry.  Those are the times that we have to stand firm in our faith, but it can also be the most difficult to stand.  That's when our friends are so very important to us, those friends that are filled with faith.

Our words can greatly affect not only our situation, but that of those around us.  We can speak words of life or we can speak words of death.  I'm not saying to tell your friend who is going through a hard time, that they need to stop being down and sad and put a smile on their face.  The Bible tells just as much.  Singing light songs to the heavy hearted is like pouring salt in their wounds. (Prov. 25:20 -msg)  But it also says that A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Prov. 25:11 - AMP) 

So how do we deal with the hard times as people of faith, people who hold the promises of the Living God?  We remember His promises. We remember His words.  We exhort each other in these things.  That is what it says in God's Word.
We have to be serious about the life God has called us to live, even in the hard times.  Not in a fake, meaningless, pretend you're happy because Christians are supposed to be kind of way, but in a real faith-founded Christ-follower kind of way.  The only way to do that is to keep our eyes constantly looking to Him who is the finisher of our faith.  In Colossians Paul writes to the believers the following:

Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words -Acts 15:32

That is how we deal with hard times, we look to God for His perspective.  Many times we want to respond in our flesh.  We want to bring justice about because we don't see it happening without our help.  We want to fix the problems around us (anyone else out there ever try to be a fixer?).  But many times that's not our duty and we are taking on something that God never intended.  We just need to be there, it is God who will work out the situation.  There is so much peace that comes with that realization. 

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. -Colossians 3:1-2 (MSG)

One of my favorite worship songs is Refuge by Darrell Evans.  The lyrics are:

Refuge, You're my refuge, When the world is shaken, And nothing stands, I will hold on to Your hand, Refuge

God is my refuge, and He is your refuge.  He is our ready help in time of trouble.  He has given us promises that He is faithful to keep.  He is good. We can pour out our heart to Him, the good, the bad, the emotions, the joy, hurt, and pain.  God opened up a way for us to have that kind of relationship with Him, one of restoration, and He is the restorer.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). -John 10:10 (AMP)

That is what I am standing on, and what I am encouraging my friends to stand on as they go through trials.  Christ came for us.  He died for us.  He rose again, so that we might have life in abundance, even when we don't feel the abundance.  This is a promise we can hold on to.  He is our source, our refuge, our healer.
 
I enclosed a link to a short film called Validation.  It is a great perspective on how the words we speak to others affects them.  This is a great video.  Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao
 
This is my prayer for today: "Lord, let the words of my mouth be focused on your heart.  Forgive me for trying to take matters into my own hands and fix the, both in my life and in the life of those around me.  Help me to see those around me with your heart, to show compassion, hope, and to share what those around me are going through while offering your strength.  May Your love flow through me to those hurting that surround me.  In Christ's Name, Amen."