Hello! It’s been awhile…don’t worry, I’m still here, it’s just been a crazy week! I can say that James and I have successfully arrived in Grapevine, TX (just outside of Dallas) and are settling into our new apartment down here. Thanks for all of the prayers and support throughout the move–God has definitely been with us throughout the entire process.
I definitely have felt a little overwhelmed at times over the past few weeks, but every time I start to get nervous or afraid, I remember that God is with me. He loves me, and he has a plan and a purpose for my life. I am here in Texas for a reason, and even though I may not know what that reason may be just yet, I’m sure God will use both James and myself in powerful ways. I’m learning to trust God entirely, and lean on him no matter what I may be going through. There’s something about moving somewhere far from home that teaches you this reliance and trust in a way that you never thought to be possible before. God is good, and he will always provide for his children.
I was reading in Jonah the other day (which, by the way, I officially finished the New Testament today!) and was struck by how God provided for him even as he was running away from the task God had given him. God wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah, but Jonah didn’t want to. Instead, he tried running from God by getting on a ship to sail away from his problems. While God sent a raging storm to pursue Jonah and stop him from running away, he also sent a big fish to swallow him up and save him from the sea. God has a way of providing for us, no matter what our circumstance may be. Just as he provided the big fish as a means to save Jonah from the raging sea, so too can he provide for you and me. All we have to do is ask and receive.
Hope you all had a great weekend, and I’ll be back to more regular blog posts this coming week:) God Bless!
Trusting God in the Transitions
Hello and happy Wednesday! Sorry for the inconsistency in blog posting recently—James and I have been going through a stressful couple of weeks, BUT I can now announce that we will be moving to Dallas, TX at the end of the month! It’s a little scary for me—I’ve never even been there before—but I know God will be protecting us, and everything will work out just fine:) I’m excited to begin a new chapter in our lives, and embark on a new adventure!
Like I said, I’ve been a little nervous about the move, but the closer it gets the easier it seems for some reason. Consequently, I’ve been reading the book of Daniel lately, which has definitely helped me through this time of transition. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the story of Daniel, but if not, I’ll give you a few details. First, Daniel was living in captivity in a strange and foreign land (Babylon). He was not familiar with his surroundings, but he and his friends relied on God to keep them safe. Daniel trusted God, even when it wasn’t easy. For example, when a decree was issued that no one would be allowed to pray to anyone but the King, Daniel refused to obey. Even though the penalty was death by the lion’s den, Daniel refused to pray to anyone but the one true God. Because of his disobedience to the king, he was thrown into the lion’s den. But, God protected Daniel by closing the mouths of the lions, and he remained unharmed until the King pulled him out of the den the following morning.
Daniel lived a life outside of his home country—his comfort zone—and he was always faithful to God. Now, I’m not going to be living in captivity like Daniel was, but at the same time I felt a connection with his story as I read. Like Daniel, I need to be faithful to God no matter where I may be physically—even if it’s a little out of my comfort zone. I need to trust that God knows what’s best, and that he has a greater purpose for my life and transitions than I could ever fathom. So, with that being said, I’m choosing to trust that God will provide for us down in Dallas, just as he has been for years in the Midwest. I am going to trust that he has us going there for a reason, and everything will work out according to his perfect plan as long as I trust him.
What about you? Is there anything that you need to trust God with in your life? Any big changes or transitions that may seem scary? Trust that He will guide you and protect you, just as he did for Daniel, way back in the Old Testament.
Hope you all are having a great week so far! God Bless:)
Dry Bones.
Good Morning! Hope you all are having a fabulous week so far, and enjoying the awesome weather we’ve been having (well, at least it’s been exceptionally awesome where I am). Thought I’d share another verse with you from Ezekiel today, but first let me give you a little background information. Ezekiel did some pretty neat things through the power of God, but one of the most outstanding was when God told him to speak to a valley full of dry, dead bones, causing them to come back together and back to life. Pretty crazy right? Well, there are a lot of pretty crazy things we can do through the power of God, and Ezekiel’s life is proof of this.
“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!’ This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breathe enter you, and you will come to life.”
Ezekiel 37:4-5
Through God’s power, Ezekiel prophesied to the dry (and dead) bones, and they instantly came back to life. Nothing short of a miraculous work of God right there. While we may not be physically dead, there is still a message to be gained here for our own lives. No matter what the state of your heart and spirit may be—no matter how dry—we can always be made new again in Christ. He has given us new life to live—free from all forms of spiritual dryness. Through him, we can overcome any obstacle in our lives—no matter how big they may be—and return to a life of fulfillment in Him. Ask God to spark revival in your heart, mind and spirit, so that you can live the life he intended you to live.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday:) God Bless!
The Power of Obedience
Hello and happy Wednesday! I can’t believe that we are already in the last week of August, and that next weekend is Labor Day. The summer has seriously flown by! I’m enjoying the last few weeks of summer though, because I know that eventually it will be freezing here in the Midwest and I’ll be wishing for the warm weather to come back again:)
This morning I started reading the book of Ezekiel. I’m not all that familiar with Ezekiel, so it should be an interesting read—it has been so far at least. Ezekiel was asked by God to do many things, some of which might seem a little strange. For example, in chapter four, Ezekiel is asked to lie of his left side for 390 days to signify Israel’s future punishment of 390 years. He was then asked to lie on his right side for 40 days to signify Judah’s future punishment of 40 years. Now, I’m not sure if he was actually lying down 24/7 during this time period, but regardless this took extreme obedience on Ezekiel’s part. It could not have been easy, and it must have looked rather odd to the people who lived in his community. But, Ezekiel was obedient to God’s call in his life, and did the things that he was told to do.
In chapter three, after receiving an amazing heavenly vision from God, Ezekiel was sent to a place to prophesy and convince the wicked men living there to turn from their ways.
“The spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—overwhelmed.”
Ezekiel 3:14-15
Ezekiel says he went, even though he didn’t necessarily want to, and when he got there he felt ‘overwhelmed’. I bet he did. But you know what? It didn’t stop him from going where God told him to go and doing the things God told him to do. He may not have been totally sold on the idea of preaching doom and gloom to those wicked men, but he was obedient to God and didn’t let his personal thoughts or feelings get in the way of his calling.
We can learn a lot from Ezekiel’s obedience. It’s important to follow where God is leading us, even if it’s not popular or isn’t necessarily something that we want to do. God wants to use us in mysterious and awesome ways, but first we have to be obedient, like Ezekiel, and do what he tells us to do.
Hope you all are having a great week so far! God Bless:)
Head vs. Heart
Have you ever had something that you really want to do, but have always been afraid to start? Or maybe there is something you want to see changed in your life, yet you can’t find the strength to actually make the change. I think this is a fairly common feeling, and something that I have frequently experienced. As soon as my heart begins to muster the courage for such a task, my head decides it is not a good idea—thus defeating that little bit of strength I was able to come by. Lately I’ve been feeling this way. Like there is a constant struggle between what my heart and head are telling me—each seem to have their own idea of what’s best.
It goes something like this. Generally my heart is telling me to follow the dreams and passions God has placed inside me, while my head is constantly weighing out the reasonability of following said dreams and passions. Is it safe? Would it be worth it? Am I really good enough at it? You will probably fail. Those are the sorts of things that go on inside my head. Like I said, constant struggle. When you think about it, those types of questions and statements aren’t really fair. How much can my head actually know about the things I have always been afraid to start?
Let me clarify. I’m not saying it’s a good idea to throw all caution to the wind, and follow every single dream in your heart. Dreams require some planning and preparation in order to come true, and no one achieves their dreams overnight—it takes time. But, what I am saying is don’t let you head get in the way of what your heart is trying to tell you. If you feel like God is directing you down a certain path, or creating an idea inside your heart, by all means follow his guidance. Don’t be afraid of what others might think, or of what your head is telling you. Most of the time God speaks through our hearts more clearly than through our heads anyways.
Just because you’ve never done something before doesn’t mean you have to be afraid of starting it. And don’t believe those lies that are going on inside your head—the ones telling you that you aren’t good enough, or that you’ll never make it. They just simply aren’t true. If God has placed something on you heart to do, then do it. Don’t think about it too much—it will cause doubt and fear to creep into your mind. God gives us creative ideas, dreams and passions for a reason—he wants us to achieve them. Don’t give in to fear and doubt. Trust in the abilities God has given you, and rely on his strength working through you in order to accomplish your goals and achieve your dreams.
Just something that has been on my mind this week. Hope you all are having a great week so far and enjoying these last few weeks of summer! God Bless:)
God’s Plans.
Hello and Happy Monday! Hopefully you all had a great weekend. Not too much happened over here—just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather we had all weekend long. It was beautiful outsideJ
Over the weekend I also read one of my all time favorite verses…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Like I said, one of my favorite verses. I can still remember memorizing this when I was quite young, and it has definitely stuck with me through the years. When ever I’m feeling a little stressed or unsure of what’s next, I always think of this verse and it reminds me of God’s promises to me. That he always has a plan and purpose for my life, and his plans are always full of goodness and hope. When we allow ourselves to trust him, we can have new hope in that goodness of his plans for us. But, just because these plans are good doesn’t mean we will be spared from all heartache and pain. We all go through things at different times in our lives—test, trials, heartaches, and sometimes lots of pain. However, we can rest assured that the end result will be glorious—better than anything we could ever have imagined.
Trust that God has a perfect; good plan for your life, and allow yourself to trust him enough to see it through.
Hope you are all having a great week so far!
Insecurities.
Hello! So it’s been a few days since my last post…I was out of town this past weekend visiting family in Michigan. My aunt and uncle were in from New Zealand, so James and I went up to visit them, my parents, and my brother. We all went up to Northern Michigan and visited Traverse City, Leland, Crystal Lake, and eventually we ended up on Mackinaw Island for a few days.
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| The harbor at Mackinaw |
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| Beach. |
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| The hubby and I on our bike ride around the Island |
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| The bro and I |
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| Mackinaw Bridge. |
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| <3 |
Such a fun trip, and so good to see the famJ
Anyways, while I was away I finished Isaiah and started on Jeremiah. One of the first passages in Jeremiah really stuck out to me, so I thought I would share…
(this is right after God has called Jeremiah to speak to many people)
“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I (Jeremiah) said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 1:6-8
Jeremiah was feeling insecure about the job God had given him to do. He didn’t think he was adequately prepared to speak to many people, and he let his insecurities get in the way. He believed the lies telling him that he wasn’t good enough for the task at hand. Fortunately, God stepped in and told him not to be afraid, and not to let his insecurities get in the way.
How often do we let our insecurities get in the way of doing what God has called us to do? We may not feel totally comfortable with the situation, so we back out—convincing ourselves that we did the right thing. How much more could we accomplish if we weren’t afraid or insecure? I’m thinking quite a lot. Even if we are afraid of doing what God has called us to do, we need to trust in him to get us through. We need to rely on his strength instead of our own, and be courageous and fearless in the face of our insecurities. We are bigger than the obstacles we put in our own way. Trusting in God and relying on his power and strength is the most important thing we can do. Just as the Lord told Jeremiah that he would rescue him, so to will he rescue us from our fears and insecurities.
What about you? Is there anything in your life that you feel you should be doing, but have always been afraid to start? Turn your fears and insecurities over to God, and trust in him to help you.
Hope you all are having a great week so farJ God Bless!
His Ways are Higher
Hello and happy gorgeous Wednesday! It is a beautiful day hereJ I was reading from Isaiah out on the deck this morning (yay) and I came across this familiar passage…
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heaves are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
I know I’ve read this passage before, but it really stuck out to me today for some reason. Lately I’ve been struggling with discerning God’s plans from my own. It’s hard sometimes to differentiate between the two. This passage reminded me how important it is to truly seek out God’s plans for our lives and diligently follow those plans always. The footnotes for the scripture say it best. “It is foolish to try and fit God into our mold—to make his plans and purposes conform to ours. Instead, we must strive to fit into his plans.”
So true. No matter how hard I try, my plans are never going to work out as well as God’s. This can be a difficult thing to admit, especially for someone like me who always loves to have a plan. But it’s crucial to do so if we ever want to get where we are supposed to be in life. His plans are perfect, while ours are nowhere even close.
For me, I need to focus on trusting him to reveal his plans to me by learning to be patient, and by following the passions he has placed in my heart. I truly believe that God gives us ideas, passions and talents for a reason. He wants us to do the things we love because he is the one who placed those passions within us in the first place. Making the connection between his plans for our lives and the passions he has placed in our hearts is critical to fulfilling our purpose in life.
Is there something you are passionate about that you feel God calling you to pursue? Don’t wait any longer. Trust that he has a perfect plan for your life, and follow the promptings he places in your heart.
Hope you all are having a great week so far! God Bless J
Timing is Everything
Hello and happy Monday! James and I were away over the weekend visiting friends and family in Michigan, but I’m back now. It was a great fun-filled weekend, but I’m glad to be back home. Bonus—it RAINED this morning! Yes. I love rainy days anyways, but things have been so dry around here lately that I loved it even more this morningJ
On another note, I finished Proverbs over the weekend. I may come back to it in the future for journaling, but for now I’m onto Ecclesiastes. Now, when I think of Ecclesiastes, the first emotion that comes to mind is…depressing. Now I know that’s not the case, but when a book starts out saying “everything is meaningless,” it kind of puts a damper on your mood. Good news is, I’ve decided to change my mentality about Ecclesiastes. I’m going to try my hardest to look past the somewhat depressing verses, and pray for God to show me what he really wants me to get out of it. That being said, one verse that stuck out to me today as I was reading was this-
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
The next few verses go on to describe different seasons in life, and how there is indeed a time for everything. I’ve read this verse before. In fact, I’m pretty sure I had this passage memorized at one point in my junior high career. However, reading it again caused me to look at it in a different light. You see, the verse isn’t just talking about how there is a time to be happy, sad, embrace, refrain, what have you—It’s deeper than that. The underlying theme here is God’s perfect timing. There is a time and a season for everything in our lives yes, but it is always WITHIN God’s perfect timing.
“The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God’s perfect timing.” (footnotes)
I’ve talked a lot about finding God’s plan and purpose for our lives, but finding, accepting, and living within His perfect timing is just as important. We may have an idea of what he wants us to do, but until we know that it is the right timing, it’s better to wait for him to speak. And he will speak. We just need to be listening.
His timing may not always make a lot of sense to us, especially at the time. It may even confuse and frustrate us. But, it’s important not to doubt that his timing is perfect, while relying on our own timing instead. Our timing is never perfect, and it will usually lead us to places God never intended us to go. Trust in his timing always—even when it doesn’t make sense. Because in the end, he knows what’s best, and he has a plan for our lives—we just have to patiently wait for his perfect timing.
Lord, help to accept that your timing is perfect, even when I don’t fully understand it at the time. I’m sorry for relying on my own timing more than yours again and again. Forgive me. Help me to live within your perfect timing each and every day. Amen.
Heart Motives.
We finally got some RAIN!!! It’s been a beautiful gloomy rain-filled day over here, and I am totally LOVING it. We seriously needed it so badly. Thank you Lord for sending the rain!
In other words, Proverbs is still proving to be interesting…and insightful. One verse that stuck out to me today was this…
“All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.”
Proverbs 21:2
“People can find an excuse for doing almost anything, but God looks behind the excuses to the motives of the heart.” Now that’s a reality check right there. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve talked a lot about finding and fulfilling our purpose, and how it is so important to follow God’s plan for our lives…not necessarily our own. Well, this verse just seems to fit right in.
For me, it was a reminder to check my motives when deciding to do something. I’m not talking about the small things like deciding what to eat or what to wear, but deciding something big—like a life changing decision. Is it something that God wants me to do, or is it something that I personally want to do, and conveniently talk myself into believing that it’s also something God wants for me. Does that make sense?
When faced with tough choices and decisions, it’s easy to gravitate towards the choice that best suits our personal needs…or at least what we think to be our personal needs. But is that choice really the best decision when placed in the larger context of our lives? Only God knows that. Sometimes the right decision may not seem like the easiest one. In fact, it may be the most difficult. It may seem crazy. Absurd. And it may not make a lot of sense at the time. But, it’s important that we trust where the Lord is leading us…even if everyone around us it telling us otherwise. When we choose to trust him and make our decisions with the right motives in mind, everything will be okay. It may not seem like it at the time, but I promise you it will. God knows your heart, and he knows why you choose to do what you do with your life. Focus on directing your heart towards him, and carefully pray about your important decisions with an unbiased mind. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone a little. Because in the end, the decisions you make with a heart, mind and spirit focused on God will always be the right ones.
Hope you all are having a fabulous eveningJ God Bless!