Thankfulness is not the result of good circumstances...

Thankfulness is not the result of good circumstances... ever think of that before? When life is getting us down... it is usually the time when we turn to God, rely on Him, and absorb His presence. Take a look around you right now... look at what you have-- most of you probably have your health, a roof over your head, food in your cupboards, and people in your life that love & care about you. If you are reading this in the midst of a crisis- with your finaces, your children, your health, your relationships, or just life in general- maybe you are thinking "Surely God would not expect me to be thankful at a time like this?" James 1:2 says, " When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy..." God has given us the gift of salvation by grace through faith. So, what we deserve is hell, and what we get is heaven. If we never recieve another gift from God-- we all need to be thankful for that!!

What if God met our needs to the same extent we give Him our lives?
What if God decided to treat us the same way we treat him?

What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow him today?


"O Lord, help us to be thankful that you do not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." Psalm 103:10

Life is a gift to be lived-- I have learned through some pretty tough circumstances, that trials and tribulations only make you stronger, smarter, and more equipped to be a vessel for Him!  As I was reading my devotional this morning, I prayed that God use me for good, even if it meant I needed to be broken first... (which is how I have been feeling lately)
 
I encourage you today to live as if it was your last. Do something for someone else. Tell someone how much you love them. Talk to your Savior as your best friend.

Remember these words from Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."


"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 118:1
With Patience and Trust...

This Life Was Meant to Shine…

The title of this post is my new favorite song of the summer. I have been being pretty hard on myself over the past few weeks, and the devil knows it. He knows how to knock you when you are down--to tell you are  not good enough, not smart enough, not faithful enough. When I listen to this song, it gives me strength and positive energy to know that this life- my life- and yours- IS meant to ShInE!! Every day I owe it to my kids to show them Jesus light- how can I do that if I am down on myself-- the one He created? If your light is shining, your children will see that and their glow will also surface. In these last few precious weeks of summer (I know many of you are counting down the days until school starts) let's try to shine for our kids, enjoy these days we get to spend with them. The Lord gave them to us as gifts-- what an honor!!! Take some time today to read them a book, have a quite talk, spend some quality time together. I encourage you to slow down- life is moving too fast- and enjoy today with your kids, your family, your friends. The Lord is good- that we know-- the devil is devious and smart-- don't let him in-- keep shining for all the world to see!!

Light represents what is good, pure, true, holy, and reliable.  Darkness represents what is sinful and evil.  "God is light" means that God is perfectly holy and true and that he alone can guide us out of the darkness of sin.

"But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

Listen to "This Life" by MercyMe and feel the power in the spirit!!  
With Blessings & Patience...

Organic or Not Organic.... That is the Question...

So here we are in the middle of the summer, the garden is almost at its prime. I LoVe this time of year! With my own garden and local farmer's markets, it gives me a little relief from my organic produce purchasing. For those of you who don't know me too well, I try to buy mostly organic-- Focusing on fruit, most veggies, lettuce, eggs and processed foods. I just feel better giving my kids macaroni and cheese when it is not filled with a bunch of stuff that I cannot pronounce. Although it took awhile, my kids have gotten used to it and I think appreciate me for it. On the other hand, at my friend's house this week they about drooled on the table when they were given Kraft macaroni n' cheese =) I started babysitting again, and it about chokes me when the kids don't like my "organic waffles" (amoung other things) and throw them in the garbage-- compared to Eggo, Kraft, or Yoplait, I suppose it does take some getting used to... Living on one income, buying organic can be frustrating and expensive!! When talking to another friend on the phone this week, she informed me her family of five lives on $80 a week in groceries- I was shocked, considering my bill is over $200! Being a wife and mother, we all have choices to make in regards to our family.  The Lord has always provided for my family~ that I know to be true.  I know I am making the right choice, but would like to hear what you have to say... any tips, recopies, or shortcuts would be greatly appreciated!! (fyi I also cut coupons and try to shop on "double coupon" days as well :)!!

P.S. For some wonderful recipes, check out my friend Suzanne's blog at Haute Health.com

Trust and Be Patient

Well, my first post will begin with the words trusting with patience. These last few months have been eye opening in the sense that God is guiding my path in the direction I need it to go. I often wonder why He does the things He does, but as things become more clear in my eyes, I get a sense of what His eyes see in me. After preaching yesterday at Alto Reformed Church I got a compliment that I will never forget... "I can see Jesus in your eyes." I have never felt so honored and humbled by words before. Whenever I stand before a group of people with Jesus by my side~ leading the way~ and guiding my words~ I am assured that I am right where God wants me to be. I feel so blessed to be given each & every opportunity to speak to a group of people and I love every second of it!! I have prayed for financial opportunities to open up for me this summer, and they have. I have prayed for more opportunities to preach, and I have been given them (I will even be performing my first wedding ceremony in a few weeks!!). Every day I feel the soft touch of the Lord guiding my path, and am anxious to see what He has in store for me and my life. Although the job at Bethel didn't work out-- I am beginning to see why. I am slowly forgetting the judgements I felt during that process and am letting go of the negativity of that whole situation. I pray for the young man who will take the position there and wish him the best. I have found that with every disappointment comes learning and opportunities to make positive out of negative. To God be the Glory!!!
(Had to post the picture...hopefully this is the beginning of seeing my name "in lights"!!)