January Joys

Boy, have I gotten behind!!

Behind in POSTING, mind you, not in noticing God's blessings!!

This one may get a little lengthy, so I'm going to avoid as many photos as I can. . .

I just want to share all that God has BLESSED me with in 2012!!

Tuesday, January 24:

3 Things Blue--

1}  My trusty van. . .it's getting a little older, a little more lived in and worn, but it runs great, gives us great times together as a family, and is kind of like our home on the road!!

2}  Tyler's Carolina blue teddy bear~~yes, he's too old to be playing with stuffed animals, but his MeeMaw gave it to him as a reminder that she is a SURVIVOR of breast cancer!!  (H. got a pink one, but she didn't think Tyler would want pink!).  We are so blessed to still have her with us and to have her well!!

3}  My "Believing God" bracelet. . .we tied these on as part of our Beth Moore study we just started:

 It serves as our constant reminder that we are BELIEVING in HIM to do what He says He will do!!!  (I'm going to find me a prettier one, though!)

Wednesday, January 25th:

One grace borrowed:  I borrow "pins" from people all the time on my new favorite website, Pinterest.  I know you might not think that qualifies as a blessing, but in the teaching field, any ideas that I can find to help me get more from my babies is definitely a blessing. . .plus, I have found lots of uplifting quotes and scriptures on there as well!  You should check it out!

One grace found:  I found a gift bag with my name on it when I came into church Wednesday night.  My Secret Encourager had remembered my birthday!!!  I got a beautiful calendar to use at school & an awesome pair of earrings!!

One grace inherited: Today I really appreciate my love for reading.  And that, I have definitely inherited from my mother.  She spent many hours reading and writing letters to family members.  I could find her reading anything from books to magazines, you name it, she read it.  And she passed that love along to me. . .which I use to learn as much as I can about Christ and what He wants for me!


Thursday, January 26th:

A gift before 9am:  A stomach bug & a migraine. . .a gift, you ask?  YES!!  I am working really hard on making some healthy life changes.  The stomach bug actually helped me lose a few pounds to add to my cause!!  I was feeling pretty rough, though, which leads me to my next blessing. . .

A gift before noon:  Sleep.  Sleep.  And more sleep.  Finally the sickness subsided and I was able to rest.

A gift after dark:  Feeling well enough to spend some time with my kids before they went to bed.  And being able to choke down a few bits of food and keep them there was a blessing, too!

Friday, January 27th:

3 gifts that might never have been:

1)  My marriage.  Randy & I split up for a time. . .looking back, I realize it was all in God's great timing.  During that split,

2)  Randy's salvation came.  I know without a doubt that we will see each other in Heaven and I never have to lose a moment's sleep about it.

3)  My sweet H.  Had God not intervened in our marriage and put the pieces back together the way only He could do, my sweet H. would not be here with us today.

Saturday, January 28th:

Three graces found in my friends:

1)  My new "partner" for my Made to Crave Bible study. . .I will explain that in my next "God's Girl" post!!

2)  A wonderful women's breakfast at church on the morning of my birthday

3)  My sweet friend Piper, for always, always, making sure that not a day goes by that she sends me encouragement for my struggle to becoming healthy.  I'm sure she has no idea what that means to me!

Sunday, January 29th:

A song heard:  Preacher Paul sung "Somebody's Praying" in our morning service.  That song always makes me so thankful for praying grandparents!  And it never fails to give me Godbumps. . .

A soft word:  Jesus tenderly speaking to my heart reminding me that I can do all things through him!  (even say no to ice cream!)

Where I saw light:  In the hearts of two newly saved Christians!!  We had two precious souls saved at church this morning.  It is always such a heartwarming experience to see new souls come to know Him!


Whew!!  I told you today's post would be long!! 

Already working on the next post about my weight journey. . .hang tight, it'll post before you know it!

The Continued Journey of GOD'S GIRL (formerly known as the Fat Girl)

The amount of responses I have gotten from this series has just been so overwhelming!!

And so fulfilling. . .

And so scary. . .

Now that the whole world's watching to see what God is going to do with me and through me, well. . .there's no stopping me now!!!!

At this point, I have lost 5 pounds.

Whew!

Five down, about, uh, 135 to go~!!!!

I know, I know, baby steps. . .

The enemy would have me to think "Awww, come on, Lynn, it's just water.  After this, things will just go right back to where they started."

And normally, I would believe him.

Satan, YOU'RE A LIAR!!!!

GOD took those 5 pounds from me, and He ain't givin' em back!!!!

I am CLAIMING HIS VICTORY AS MY OWN!!!!  And praising Him for His mighty blessings!!

I now realize that it is no coincidence that I am pursuing two Bible studies at the same time right now.  That was God-ordained, too. 

I started Made to Crave a couple of weeks ago, and it has been such an eye opener to me, but when I started Believing God, that made it SO REAL to me!!

I am believing HIM. . .I am trusting HIM to heal me!!  And I KNOW He will!!!

You may have noticed from the title that I have changed my name.

And with good reason.

God doesn't see me as a FAT GIRL.

He sees me as:

**His forgiven child (Romans 3:24)
**His set-free child (Romans 8:1-2)
**His accepted child (1 Corinthians 1:2)
**His holy child (1 Corinthinans 1:30)
**His made-new child (2 Corinthians 5:17)
**His loved child (Ephesians 1:4)
**His close child (Ephesians 2:13)
**His confident child (Ephesians 3:12)
**His VICTORIOUS child (Romans 8:37)

Hmmm. . .think I'll adopt the term "God's Girl" for the rest of my journey!!

I'm thrilled that several of you are going to join me, and you have no idea how the postings, comments, followers, and texts have encouraged me.

Don't stop!!!  The enemy isn't happy with me right now. . .I still covet your prayers and your support!!

The Fat Girl's Journey Continues

Oh.

My.

Word.

If you read my earlier blog, I have begun a journey. 

I gave you my confession that I need to make some major life changes.

And stick to them.

I've been working on this Bible study for a few weeks now:

And, I must admit, I have found it to be quite empowering.  I am learning to trust God with my cravings, and have been very devoted to responding to my workbook questions as honestly as I know how.

It has been rather painful.

But God. . .

Yesterday I was sitting in the parking lot of Belk awaiting their opening.  While I sat there, I was working on my response questions for Chapter Four in my study. . .it is all about finding a "friend" to partner with me during my journey--to be able to confide in, who will keep me on target, and to be my prayer warrior.

Now, this is a problem in itself.

For a looonnnngggg time, I have been asking God to send me a special someone that I could consider my BFF (except in every true sense of the word).  Someone that I could truly be myself with (and they would keep coming back!). 

So, this chapter was kinda tough for me to swallow. . .I knew that me having that oh-so-important partner for my journey just wasn't going to happen.

I'm going to share with you two of the answers I wrote sitting in my van in the rain awaiting the opening of Belk. . .

Question #1:  "The ironic thing about asking a friend to join me on my journey is that the majority of my friends do not have a weight problem.  I don't know that they would have any idea about the struggles I face.  And it is very difficult to realize that I can't be like them--that God didn't make my body to be able to eat as i choose with no fallout.  And I always keep my feelings to myself --why would I share thoughts like that-- they are just silly, childish notions."


Question #2:  "I do not want to invite a friend to help me on my journey to healthy eating because 1) I don't want to disappoint them; 2) I know they don't have the extra time or energy; 3) deep down they probably don't care; and 4) most of them are already healthy anyway.

I put my pen down, grab my purse and get ready to head out into the rain. 

My phone goes off.

I glance over to see who has texted me, and this is what I see:

"Just read your blog!!!  I would love to be your partner. . .I have done this [Bible study] but probably should do it again!"

Are you kidding me????

I had Godbumps on top of my Godbumps.

But, you know how my life goes. . .that was just the beginning!!!

Tonight was our first night of my second Bible study that I am going to work on this spring:

 
I guess it didn't hit me until tonight the "irony" of the title.

So, anyway. . .our fearless leader, Deidre, usually is kind of quiet.

She doesn't like to ruffle feathers or make waves in the water if you know what I mean.

But tonight. . .

Wow!  Tonight was so different!!

But in an oh-so-good-way!!!

She introduced our study with John 5:1-5 and asking us the question, "What is it that you are sick of??"

And "Don't you want to get well??"

She then quoted Psalm 107:20  "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

Okay.

So, by this time, tears were streaming & I had to head to the bathroom just to pull myself together!!

God is SOOOOO good!!!

I KNOW that I am going to be okay.

I KNOW that God is going to heal me of my weakness and my struggle with food.

I KNOW it!!!

Beth Moore gave us this analogy tonight:

Put aside the "pretty" shoes

 . . .and put on the "hiking" boots.  Let's go on a journey with God!!!

 
I am so ready to see what God has in store for me.

He is who He says He is.
He can do what He says He can do.
I am who He says I am.
I can do all things through Him.
His word is alive and active in me!!!

January Joys Keep Growing

Friday, January 20th:

three gifts I saw only when I got close-up

1)  Harley's fingers.  She just got a new InnoTab:

Photo borrowed from VTech.com

It's kind of like an i*ad for kids.  She LOVES it.  But the amazing thing to me is to watch her fingers.  They are so tiny yet she has complete control and knows exactly how to maneuver her games to get what she wants.  Only God could make something so tiny work so perfectly.


2)  my weight issue

Yes, I consider it a blessing.

Until I started my "Made to Crave" study, I had never taken the time to look closely at how my decisions in what I choose to put into my body can affect my relationship with God.  By spending some time closely examining myself and my weight issues, I am finding a much more fulfilling walk with my Heavenly Father.

3)  popcorn

We pulled out the Whirly-Pop Friday night to nibble and watch a movie together.  I was showing the kids how the popcorn starts to "pop."  Have you ever seen a corn kernel "pop"?  Do you think that is something man could've come up with???  I think not!!  Even the simplest things can come directly from God!  (And by the way, Lord, I think your popcorn invention was brilliant!!)


Saturday, January 21:

one thing in the sky:  stars

I am always fascinated by stars.  My grandma used to tell me that the stars were actually people in Heaven watching over us as we sleep.  Now, I know that isn't true, but you know, sometimes it is interesting to think that those who are already with Jesus really are twinkling above and watching over me like my guardian angels. 

Just saying. . .


one thing from my memory:

I got to watch several of my former students play basketball on Saturday morning.  We were actually there for Tyler's game and didn't realize that they were playing after us.  Anyway, it was great to take a stroll down memory lane while watching each of my guys play their hearts out.  They are such great kids!

one thing that's ugly-beautiful:

My sweet friend Deidre has been out of town.  Actually, she's been hangin' out with the Siestas in Houston, Texas.  And with the tummy bug to boot.  We had both entered a contest on another blog but had trouble getting our comments to stay put.  Since she was on a plane, I re-entered her name for her (I felt bad that she couldn't do it from the Friendly Skies) and, get this--the lucky duck won!!! 

Really?!?!

She actually won!!!

I think that qualifies as ugly-beautiful, don't you??  :-)


Sunday, January 22

one grace wrinkled:

Tyler's bed.  He tosses and turns and tosses and turns.  I love to watch him sleep.  He is so peaceful, even though it looks like he has participated in a WWW match while he slept.  Making up his wrinkly bed today was just one more reminder of how much I love him!


one grace smoothed:

My quilt that I made.  It is the first one that I have ever made and I stitched it completely by hand. 

Yes, by hand.

I was soooo pleased with myself!!

It lies on my bed, smoothed out and a reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to, as long as I have God's blessing and help!


one grace unfolded:

That would have to be my printout that I use to remind me what blessings I am supposed to be looking for each day.  I keep it folded up and inside my Bible bag so that it is closeby at all times.  Keeping track of my blessings has been such a gift from God!


Monday, January 23

Three gifts found in Christ

1)  the reminder to BELIEVE in His word!!!

2)  the power to stay on my "life changing plan" all day

3)  Mee Maw--He has been her divine healer of breast cancer. . . .twice!

True Confessions of a Fat Girl

I do not have any idea why, for the life of me, I would choose to share what I am about to share.

But, I have to.

I recently started a new Bible study:

This is one that I chose to do on my own terms, following a group online.

I'm not sure what I expected from this, but let's just say that I am struggling.

I am struggling not with who I am, but with who I know God could make me to be.

I guess I thought this was going to be the ordinary, run-of-the-mill diet book.

Ha!

Here's the gist:

If I want to conquer, truly conquer my weight and my eating issues, I must re-direct my cravings from FOOD to GOD.

I'll stop and let you read that one more time.

Now, I'm going to admit here in cyberspace for all to see that when I first saw that, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous.

(I've asked God to forgive me already, so don't throw stones there!)

The statement that really got me, though, was this:

"My weight is a direct reflection of my choices and the state of my health." (emphasis mine)

Wow.

That hurt.

Deeply hurt.

Because it is TRUE.

The author stresses that she believes God wired us to "crave."  However, that "craving" is not to be directed to items, TV shows, food, lustful things, etc.  That "craving" should be directed toward Him and only Him.

Interesting concept. . .I was hooked.

The questions that I have been asked to answer throughout this journey so far (I'm only three chapters in--holy cow!!!) have been sooooo tough.  But only because I soooo don't want to be honest.

I am at a definite crossroads in my life.

I weigh more than two "average" humans combined--the most I have ever weighed.

I fail at diets.

I do not like to exercise.

I will not live to see either of my children graduate from high school at my current body weight.

And just when I was ready to put the book down (no point in continuing if I am just going to fail, right??), God showed up.

He's done this to me before. . .

Remember my post on the well???

He's done it again.

Rita wasn't supposed to teach today.

But God. . .

Randy begged me to go to his class with him. . .

But God. . .

Our Sunday School topic for the day was on "the impossible."

And how, with God, there is no "impossible."

Like Sarah having a baby at the age of 90.

Or Moses leading his people through a sea.

Or little David killing a giant with a slingshot and a rock.

Which was a right between the eyes reminder that, regardless of my body weight, with Him, I can overcome.  And I can become healthy again.

And I want that, soooo badly.

But I want to do it different this time.

I am in the process of looking for a counselor. 

No diets, no fads, no pills, no quick fixes.

I want a good, Christian counselor to listen to me.  To share their knowledge with me.  To help me through this journey.

And I am depending on my friends whom I know will read this post to give me their full support. 

And their prayers.

Oh, how I covet their prayers.

I want to get to the root of the problem.  I want to empty my bucket of so many issues and start over with a brand new TarHeel blue bucket that will be filled to the rim with God and his love.  His grace.  His mercy.

I can't do it.

I already know that.

But He can.

For with Him, all things are possible.

I believe that with every fiber of my being.

It's going to be a long road.

I'm not going to be perfect.

But I will experience healing. . .in many different facets of the word.

And I am so excited to see what God will show me along the way.

So please, dear friends, add to your prayer journals this request:

"Pray for the fat girl!"

Still Finding Joy in January

Tuesday, January 16th:

Three ways I witnessed happiness today:

1>  Watching my kids giggle, play, and run on the playground during recess

2>  Having time with my family. . .no ball practice, no where to be, just us, quiet time, and heading off to bed early!!

3>  I won a contest!!  It was petty, kind of, but exciting nonetheless.  I was able to pick out $10 worth of school supplies from a fellow blogger. . .I was happy to the max (I never win anything!!).

Wednesday, January 17th:

Three gifts from God's Word:

1)  "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:13

This has become my life verse in my classroom lately!

2)  "Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my king, and my God:  for unto thee will I pray.  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct [my prayer] unto thee, and will look up."  Psalm 5:1-3

3)  "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert."  Isaiah 43:18-19

Thursday, January 19th:

1:  a grace in the kitchen--pizza from L*ttle C**sars. . .no cooking for me tonight!

2:  a grace in the weather:  no rain or snow in the forecast, and dodged some severe weather. . .a huge grace for those who saw so much damage from the tornados last week

3:  a grace that might never have been

Many people may not know that my testimony comes from a time in my life when Randy walked out on Tyler & myself.  It was Father's Day 2006.  We were quickly headed down the road to divorce.

But God. . .

God had other plans.

For Randy's salvation.

For me to return to Him, with Tyler in tow.

And, had it not been for God's intervening power, this sweet Princess would not be here today.

She is definitely a grace that may not have been!!



What are you joyful for today???

January's Blessings

Wow. . .I am loving the fact that Ann Voskamp's January Joys is forcing me to stop and notice blessings that God provides for me each and every day. 

In lots of shapes. . .

or sounds. . .

or people. . .

Friday, January 13th:  three sounds

1)  the Princess' giggle. . .I LOVE this sound!!!  It is totally contagious!!

2)  Laura Story's "Blessings". . .this song is my testimony in three minutes.  God makes sure I hear it almost every morning on my way to work.

3)  the bell at the end of the day, signaling the start of  a longggg weekend for the kids and teachers!


Saturday, January 14th:
three ways I glimpsed the startling grace of God

1> Watching a young boy that plays basketball with Tyler give 200% on the court. . .knowing that he has cystic fibrosis and the game is very painful for him to endure. 

2>  Taking a drive through the areas hit hardest by the surprise tornadoes that hit on Wednesday. . .and knowing that no one lost their lives.

3>  Going on a shopping trip with the Princess to the mall plus several other stores--with NO meltdowns!!!  She was a perfect ANGEL!!!!  An absolute first for our family since she joined us!

Sunday, January 15th:

one thing I wore:  BLUE JEANS!!!!  I finally found a pair that fit without me having to hold my breath!!  This is the first time I've had comfy jeans in two years. . .yes, I said two years!!

one thing I gave away:  Cash. . .to help a family from our church who lost their home this week.

one thing I shared:  Cookies with my second grade Sunday School class.  We were talking about things we could do to show others that we love them!

Monday, January 16th:

three ways I witnessed happiness today

1)  Tyler going on a lunch date with his Mee Maw, just the two of them

2)  The look on the Princess' face when she realized it was Monday. . .that is JumpBunch day for her at daycare. . .and she adores JumpBunch!!!

3)  Watching the hubby get ready for his golf match. . .he hasn't played in quite a while for several reasons.  It was good to see him so happy for a change!


What kinds of blessings has God blessed you with the past few weeks??  Please share!

Joys of January Continued

January 11th:

Three yellow things that strike you as a fresh mercy:

1)  my Bojangles' sweet tea

2)  Our state math assessments are printed on goldenrod paper. . .what a breath Jesus blew on me when I started scoring paper with perfect scores!


3)  My sweet, sweet friend, co-worker, and prayer warrior Jill Beshears.  She is a true God-sent angel to me, and she was wearing a yellow shirt today!!

Thursday, January 12th:

With the events taking place in Hildebran and George Hildebrand yesterday, today's mercies were unusually easy to come up with.  A tornado swept through Burke County leaving many people without homes to return to.  One family from church completely lost their home and all their belongings.  Our family is so blessed to be safe and to have shelter.  God is good.

1>  Something above me:  no question. . . the roof over my head.

2>  Something below me:  my basement that gives me refuge during bad weather and provides my family with a safe place to go to wait out the storms.

3>  Something beside me:  my sweet boy, who just turned nine, and happens to be sitting beside me in his daddy's recliner.  We are watching "Scooby-Doo" together, laughing, and just enjoying being together.

Prayers are going up to all of the victims of the storms in the county. 

Today's Thoughts Part I: January Joy Dare

I don't know very much about Blogging etiquette yet, but I don't think you are supposed to post more than one blog in a day.

I've never been much for etiquette anyway!

I'm posting my blessings for the day now. . .

. . .and a tribute to Tyler's birthday later tonight.

Just shoot me.

Blessing #1:  something sweet--glazed Krispy Kremes!!!

                                                                                  photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Blessing #2:  something sour--chewy SweetTarts--still working on a pack of these I got from my Secret Encourager at church

photo courtesy of amazon.com 

Blessing #3:  something Just.Right.

Aaaaahhhhh. . .God is good!!

January's Joy Dare

Ann Voskamp is on my Reading List for 2012.

Her book, One Thousand Gifts is supposed to be a true blessing.

I have recently started following her blog, and this came across a few days ago. . .

the January Joy Dare.

You can read all about it here:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/01/the-1-habit-your-new-year-cant-do-without-giveaway/

I have to do this.

I.  Have.  To.  Do.  This.

I HAVE TO DO THIS!!!

By counting a small number of gifts daily, by the end of the year you should have your own one thousand gifts.

I got started a little late, but I am going to start with today & work backwards. . .

January 9, 2012
     ~a gift in my hand:  my constant reminder that I married one of the greatest men in the world

     ~a gift I walked by:  Mrs. Kim, one of the Princess' teachers at daycare. . .she is soooo great with the kids, always smiling, always loving. . .I just appreciate her sooo much!

     ~a gift I sat with:  my lunch-mate, teammate, and friend Marti. . .

January 8, 2012
     ~light that caught me--the full moon. . .always sooo beautiful rising out my front window

     ~a reflection that surprised me--my Princess in the mirror getting ready for church. . .her giggles always surprise me and tug at my heartstrings!

     ~a shadow that fell lovely--the shadows cast by all of the people on their knees at church praying for lost loved ones or other needs. . .especially the shadow cast over Tyler as his mommy & daddy knelt over him to pray.

January 7, 2012
     ~three graces from people I love
          --an unexpected milkshake from CookOut delivered from a sweet friend of mine at work

          --a midday nap with no guilt whatsoever, compliments of my hubby!

          --a great big hug from my friend Kristina while I was waiting for Tyler's game to start

January 6, 2012
     ~one thing in my bag--it's better than my American Express--I never leave home without it!

    ~one thing in my fridge:  Breyer's vanilla ice cream (need I say more???)

    ~one thing in my heart:  my desire for God to send me a true friend.

January 5, 2012
    ~something I'm reading

    ~something I'm making:  notecards on a ring to help me start to memorize Bible verses.

    ~something I'm seeing:  that I need to spend more quality time with my kids, just hanging out and getting to know one another

January 4, 2012
     ~one gift old:  God's word.  Withstands the hold of time.  Still alive and the best counselor ever to be found.  I am so thankful that God gave me a set of directions for life--I wouldn't have a clue otherwise!

     ~one gift new:  finding a blog that one of my former teachers has begun.  She says it, says it well, says it to the point, and leaves no room for debate--just the way I like it!!  Feel free to check her out at http://www.suemacslife.blogspot.com/.

     ~one gift blue:  a Duke loss to Temple (can't help it--those are so rare, they have to be gifts from God!  After all, He chose to paint the skies Carolina Blue!)

January 3, 2012

     ~3 lines I overheard that were graces

          --"Hello.  This is Debbie Kincaid calling for Burke County Schools.  Due to inclement weather, Burke County Schools will be on a two-hour delay for students and staff."  (I love waking up to her!)

          --"I hope you have a really good day today, Mrs. Mull"  --as spoken by one of my students, Jamie, almost every single morning.

         --"You should never argue with your mother. . .she loves you to pieces."  from Randy to Tyler :)

January 2, 2012
     ~a gift outside:  COLD weather!!!  The kind of COLD weather that produces S.N.O.W.!!!!!  And the next day, it did!!!

     ~a gift inside:  a huge "Thank You!" from a friend a co-worker, Sondra, for the devotional I gave her for Christmas.  She is one of my biggest prayer warriors, and for Christmas I surprised her with a copy of Jesus Calling.  I had no idea it would mean so much!

     ~a gift on a plate:  mozzarella sticks for lunch!!!  (My favorite school lunch!!!)

January 1, 2012
     ~three things about myself that I am grateful for
        1)  I know that I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and that in Him and ONLY Him I am redeemed!
        2)  My ability to organize activities or just "stuff" in general. . .especially when I have the time to really do it right!
        3)  The fact that, to the best of my knowledge, I am a healthy 36-year-old TarHeel with lots of life left in her unless Jesus wants to call me home sooner!


WOW!  That was tough--I had to go back through calendars, journal entries, texts, and blogs to remember what happened on those days!!  Now that I am caught up, I want to genuinely focus on looking for my small blessings that Jesus sends my way each and every day!

An Absolute MUST Read

It has been a long, long time since I have had a book touch my heart like I did this weekend.

It was my first "borrowed" book on Kindle, and I was worried that I wouldn't finish it in time.

I shouldn't have been worried at all!! 

I finished it in TWO DAYS!!

This is the book I was reading:

It is the story of Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Christian contemporary singer, Steven Curtis Chapman.

The true story details how their family endured the pain of losing their five-year-old daughter to a terrible tragedy.

Their story of hope and peace is an inspiration to me and I am sure it will be to you.

I'm almost tempted to read it again before I have to return it to my Kindle-Lender!

After the past couple of weeks, God knew I really  needed to SEE with my own eyes that He is moving, whether I can SEE it or not.  That He is in control, whethere I can SEE it or not.

That I will be okay, whether I choose to SEE things that way or not.

Looking forward to a great, God-filled week!

I Think God Checks E-Mail

I am the world's worst at not deleting e-mails after I read them.

And I am equally as bad to put off reading them, especially if I have an idea of what's in them.

So, today, once I had a chance to clean up some of my e-mails (from all the way back to October), something caught my eye that I couldn't shake.

Honestly, I think God changed my e-mail on me this morning, knowing I'd open it. . .maybe that's not what was there yesterday.

I love His sense of humor!

Anyway. . .

I get a daily devotional "letter" from Sheri Rose Shepherd.  If you aren't familiar with her and her writing, she writes her books as a series of "letters" to the reader from God.  They are so very powerful!

You can check her out at http://www.hisprincess.com/.

So, just as a little background. . .

I'm kind of in a rut lately.

Just blah.

Not really sad. . .but not exactly jumping with joy either. . .you know what I mean?

School is tough this year.  The kids are tough.  The parents are tough.  The rigor can be tough.  And the knowledge that next year holds LOTS of changes is especially tough.

I haven't been sleeping well.  I wake up every hour or two & have a very hard time falling back asleep.  And when I do manage to catch a few winks, I have these weird dreams, so I wake up exhausted.

And, on top of all of that, I just haven't felt well--lots of nausea and heartburn.  (And just for the record, no, I am not pregnant!!!)

So, anyway, this morning, I am sifting through the emails and find this letter:

"My Princess,

I want you to look for a true friend-not just any friend.  Find someone who brings out the best in you-a girlfriend who is a gift from Me.  My love, it takes time to build a strong foundation with a true friend, so choose your tools wisely.

The first tool you'll need is transparency. . .the ability to see within each other's heart--your strengths and weaknesses.

The next tool is truth.  I am the way, the truth, and the life for you.  You will discover the rewards of real friendships when you speak truth and bring refreshing words of encouragement to each other.

Finally, your friendship will need to be sealed in love, girded with trust, and encircled with prayer.  Remember, My princess, you must become the kind of friend you desire to have.

Love,
Your King and True Friend"

(from Sheri Rose Shepherd)

You know, this is something I think I have longed for my entire life through.  Every time I think God has sent someone my way, I end up being hurt, and so now I am hesitant to open myself to anyone.

These are the things that my heart longs for. . .

~~someone that I can depend on to listen without feeling guilty about calling on them.

~~someone that I know I could call on, regardless of the hour or day. . .not that I would, it's just a good feeling to know that you have someone like that in your life that you are certain wouldn't hang up on you!

~~someone that I could just be able to go to lunch with and hang out for an hour or so.  Just be myself.  No pressures to be "social" or "say the right thing."  Just. . .chill.

~~someone I know God has ordained especially for me.  That He put them in my path for a very specific purpose.

~~someone that I can share my fears with, and not worry that they will think I am nuts or out of my mind.  That, even when my fears don't make sense to me, my friend will listen and co-miserate, then kick me in the rear with some constructive criticism and help me along the way.

Guess I am asking for a lot, huh?

Sometimes I wonder if any such person really exists in this world (besides God Himself, mind you).

I mean, I am so blessed with a Heavenly Father who does everything I listed above and so much more for me. . .

. . .but. . .

. . .there's just this little part of me that would like that in a human form once in a while.

Please don't misunderstand~~

I have some awesome friends and some of the greatest Prayer Warriors you will ever meet. . .

But I am still praying that God will send me that one special person. . .

And I know that He hears my prayer. . .

Free Stuff From a New Friend

I found a new blog to follow (thank you, Piper!).

And, to beat it all, she is giving away free stuff!!

You could win this. . .

on DVD.

Or this. . .

great book!!!

Head on over to visit The Blogging Pastor's wife.

Here's her link:

www.thebloggingpastorswife.blogspot.com

Good luck!!

A New Year Has Begun

It just doesn't seem possible that today begins 2012.

I remember growing up when 20-anything seemed so "Back to the Future"-ish.

Yet here we are.

I don't like New Year's resolutions, because, honestly, I stink at keeping them.

My diets usually last, oh, a few hours.

My promises always end up broken within a week.

And then, I feel like crud because I am a failure at dieting and keeping promises, so I swear I'm not going to make any more resolutions!

But, I digress. . .

This year, I need to do some soul searching and make some serious Life Changes, not resolutions.

For example. . .

1)  I need (and strongly desire) to increase my time here. . .

2)  I want to give more than just 100% to my Bible study this spring.  As a matter of fact, I am going to be working on two studies before summer.

One at church. . .

. . .and one online.

3)  I want to become a true prayer warrior.  And I am a person who needs visual reminders, so I started making my "Prayer Pails" today. 

All that's left is the ribbon around the top, felt on the bottom, and filling out my popsicle sticks with things to remember to pray about.

4)  And I want to spend more time here:

And here. . .

Spending more time with my kids and less time relying on sitters.  The Princess has always been HIGH maintenance, but I've got to come to terms with taking her places and doing things even when it isn't convenient or easy.  She's growing up too fast to miss any more time with her than I absolutely have to!

And Tyler, well, I have some of my most enlightening moments with him, so any time I spend with him is well worth the effort!  He is such a great kid.

What about you?  What do you want to change for this year? 

Never fear change. . .embrace it!

Change can be one of the most positive happenings life can offer!

Happy New Year!