The Last day of 2011-

365 days have gone into the making of 2011 and I am always amazed at the happenings of God in each moment of those days that have past by.

There have been joys & sorrows , tears and laughing, sadness and happiness.
Many moments of pondering life and the way God has worked in my life and the life of my husband.
This year marked 25 years of our covenant marriage. In 25 years, God has knit us together through some amazing times and some very dark times. Such a mystery to me that God uses it all to knit our two souls together.
I love my husband today more than I have ever loved anyone else. God has been very good to us and kind.
His joy has been our strength.

Excited to journey forward and see how God will continue to sanctify us.
The attribute of God that excites me and gives me hope is His sovereignty.
God is sovereign- He holds me in the palm of His mighty hand and turns it all into something I could never have imagined my life to be.

So as I enter into another year (2012)
I place myself into the Sovereign Hands of God.
There, I am at peace. And joy becomes my companion through this life.
I praise the Lord for that is why I am created.

Thankful for the fact that I will see my three children not just grow into more of who God created them to be in 2012 but will see and know them in Heaven. They walk with God. And the joy this brings to my heart cannot be described in words on a page.

Desiring more of God in 2012. Pursuing Him and the real joy and happiness He brings to my longing soul.

God is faithful.

Abiding in God today and tomorrow. For,I know nothing can be accomplished without abiding in Christ.

John 15:5 " I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. "

United together as One

John 17:11 ~ Jesus' last words and His desire for us from this passage is to ' be one as He is one with His Father.'

I am so drawn to this desire. I am one of Jesus's answered prayers here in 2011. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus prayed for me to one with others and God like He is one with the Father.

I love this so much and totally get it and feel it.

I feel this oneness in the words said by complete strangers to me who write words of life on their blog. Do they know that I am one with them because Jesus makes us one?

I feel this oneness when I read in Habakkuk 3 - that I will be joyful in God my Savior...no matter what!

I feel this oneness when tomorrow's days have not been revealed to me yet.

I feel this oneness when my 3 kids tell me stories of their days and how they are depending on God to get them through.

I feel this oneness in my tears, my laughter and the warmth of my husbands arms around me.

I feel this oneness with my husband who is abiding with Christ too and we are one in every way.

Being one with God is the greatest feeling and I cannot imagine my life any other way.

I am growing in my oneness with Jesus, my Lord, and with God my Father and in The Holy Spirit who softly speaks to me.

John 17:11 ~ ' I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-the name you gave me-so that they may be one as we are one.'

This brings peace to my soul. The peace knowing that by the name of Jesus, I am one with my God and nothing will ever separate this oneness. Love...this is real and everlasting love.

Breathing in complete unity with my God and so many others today.

Jesus, your prayers have been answered!

~ Giving thanks ~

Why do I give thanks everyday....

'He sent out His word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Psalm 107:20

The beautiful gift of God's Word. I don't know if we realize what we hold in our hands everyday. The very words of God. I am constantly longing to talk to God and hear what He will say back to me in my restless flowing of words.

And I hear Him say to me ~ Come to me, my child and I will give you rest, hope, life, freedom, assurance, confidence, my ear, joy, peace, understanding, perspective, guidance, wisdom, knowledge, forgiveness, grace,mercy, acceptance, love, smiles, healing, courage, purpose, everything your soul needs.

My God is sufficient. My soul finds it's resting place in the Word of God and His promises that are true. Believing what God says is life!

When we come to the end of striving....we will find life.

God says we must believe Him.

I can give thanks today because I believe every Word that God says. I believe all that He says!

I can give thanks today because I believe His Word is true.

I can give thanks today in All things because I believe my life is hidden in Christ!

I can give thanks today because I believe my life is not my own, I have been bought at a price. I am His.

I can give thanks today because I believe He is faithful.

I can give thanks today because I believe in the death of my Dad, I found God to be my Father.

I can give thanks today because I believe when suffering is crushing me , I see Christ suffering for me.

I can give thanks in the betrayal of friends because I believe Jesus is my true friend that sticks closer than a brother.

I can give thanks in the loss of worldly possessions because I believe Jesus when He says do not worry about what you will wear or what you will eat. He takes care of me.

I can have trouble in this world because I believe Jesus has overcome everything in this world.

I can forgive because I believe God has forgiven me.

I can have joy in suffering because I believe God uses all things for the good of those who love Him.

I can have hope because I believe God when He says He will finish the work He started in me.

God's Word has healed me. He has spoken life into me and I am alive today and forever.

I truly and with all my heart can Give Thanks in All circumstances because I know and believe it is the will of God for me in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Giving thanks for me is everyday. And thanks lives deep in my heart as I live out the purposes God has for me this side of Heaven.

As that one special day approaches on our earthly calendar calling us to Give Thanks ~ I will smile and give thanks for the way God has revealed Himself to me in His Word not just one day of the year but for every 365 days of the year.

Holy Ground

The past few days I have stood intentionally on Holy Ground. Realizing that wherever God is, there is Holy Ground.

God is Holy and He has made my body His dwelling place. I am in awe of this true fact and can see the attribute of God's grace in this truth. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

When God called me to be His very own, set apart for Him, He called me to be Holy like He is Holy. So whatever I do, I am bringing God's holiness with me.

The past few days, Holy ground was at a camp, near a lake with about 50 beautiful children of God. All ages these children, from 9 to 50 years old. God's grace was sufficient for every soul that had breath during the few days we spent together.

As Truth was poured into the lives of God's children, we saw God, Holy and Pure before us. He spoke into our souls what He wanted us to hear. We are hungry and thirsty for the holiness of God. For His pure ways to craft us into all He ever wanted us to be.

O how He must love us...to want us to be Holy like He is Holy. God is love and His ways are the only ways that will settle us down and let us stand on Holy ground.

What I saw this weekend is we all have choices as children of God. We all get to choose what we will 'put on' and what we will 'put off'. Where we will stand or where we will fall. The thing is, God will always be Holy. He never will choose to put on something that isn't holy. His ground isn't shaky, it's solid. I long to never put on something that isn't holy & pure. And to be made to be holy & pure and blameless for my 1st Love, Jesus Christ. Jesus is Pure and when I come to Him, He washes me clean. Jesus is pure. I want to put on Jesus every day. Romans 13:14

Holiness in our lives is a dance of taking off and putting on. Being intentional about the ground we stand upon.

And the world we live in today has ground that gets dark, dirty, muddy and filled with deep holes that cause our feet to slip. In the darkness, my foot was caught in a deep muddy hole at the camp-ground that God's Holiness was present. Praise God, I didn't fall and I knew how to pull myself up out of that muddy, wet hole onto dry ground. We will always slip this side of Heaven. I thank God for that reminder this weekend. It keeps me humbly walking very close to my Holy God. I am thankful that God has given me the tools to walk with Him. Abide with Him and to see more and more the Holiness of God. To see what He means when He says to be Holy as I am Holy.

God's Holy ground is solid. It is high ground where we live above the dark, muddy holes.

Why do we want to lower the ground He wants us to stand on? The safe ground is the high ground.

At the end of the day, I am thankful for God's Word. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:17 that we would be be sanctified by the Truth ..and God's Word is Truth.

As I ponder the ground I stood on these past few days, I thank God for His Word. I know His Word has the power to protect us from the dirty ground and purify us for HIM.

'As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:

"Be Holy,because I am Holy.' 1 Peter 1:14-16

18 years of growth

Being a mom for my son started 18 yrs ago today.
So many times of watering this young boy of mine into the young man he is today, much water splashed on me too and God has watered me right alongside of this child.
It's so interesting to think about all the ways God grows us.
I am humbled today when I think about being a mama.
I have been a student - studying and learning for 18 yrs about who my son is and who I am.
We are very different and yet this difference has been a huge way God has grown us both!!

Lots of watering and planting ... But so thankful God has done the growing!!

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 - 'What after all is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.'

This child of God is blessed to raise my child up in the way God has planned for him.

Thankful to know he is walking today with his Lord. I have joy in my heart.

Thank you Lord for your grace in my life!
Thank you for my son who loves you!
Keep growing us both -

Opportunities Abound

We have choices everyday. Choices to answer our phones or not.
I chose to answer the phone last Friday. I didn't recognize the number but answered the call anyway.
The voice was familiar - a brother-in-Christ.
A need presented itself to our family.
There in front of us stood an opportunity. To open our hands and receive God's blessing or keep our hands closed and miss out.
It's funny how often opportunities come our way just to simply be to others what Jesus pleads us to be.
I do not think we are saved to say no to the life giving opportunities that God holds out to us everyday.
In fact when we are filled with the Spirit
it becomes as easy as breathing.
We opened our hands and said yes to God.

The question is:
Are our eyes open to the opportunities all around us that God gives us to those who are hungry,thirsty and in need for a place to stay?

I am thankful for the opportunity to feed and give a brother & sister a place to stay this week ahead.
This is a blessing for my family to not be so comfortable.To give up their space and see into another person's life. Opportunities abound indeed!
We get to not just love God but love others in a practical way this week.

I know for sure - God is at work constantly. I want to see all He is doing around me and choose to say yes when He calls.

Matthew 25:40 - the King will reply,"I tell you the truth,whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

I pray this child of God always answers the call.

Being transformed

Sin is anything that puts my-self on the chair that sits in the middle of my heart.

Thinking today about that chair in the middle of my heart. My desire is that God sits there ALL the time. But, sad to say, that isn't true. I am constantly trying to put my-self there. I don't belong there, after all, God created me. I am HIS, I belong to HIM. The more I allow my-self to be transformed into the image of Christ, I, will stay off that chair. Only God can sit there!

Through the working of the Holy Spirit in me, I am given the power to say no to self and Yes to God being the Lord of my life.

1 Corinthians 3:18 says, ' And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with an ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Taking my-self off the chair in my heart and letting God's Spirit transform me today.

I like sitting on the floor anyway. God can have my seat today. I will sit next to His feet and hear Him whisper amazing things to me.

Being transformed ~

Abiding

Does my life look like it is abiding? I know my heart desires this more than anything. But, wait does it? Is this just what my mind tells me I want?

How does my life look like it is abiding when, I want something I know I can't have?

Or when I live in so many comforts of this city life?

Do I react or respond when a phone call from a friend reminds me only God is sufficient?

Abiding ~ a deep place where I have complete trust in my Father in heaven. Believing with all of my heart what God says is true. This keeps me yielding,trusting and waiting on my Father.

Abiding in Him.

Waiting on God. Not reacting to the noise and confusion that surrounds me everyday.

When all day I am focused on the presence of God...am I abiding then?

Abiding in Christ is staying in constant communion with Him.

I am thankful today that Christ wants to abide with me more than I do with Him. I know this truth will continue to draw me to Him.

The evidence of this abiding is fruit. God's abundant fruit. The fruit that will last and will nourish my soul and bring joy. The joy that Jesus describes in John 17:13. The full measure of Christ joy within me.

I think the thing is...we must get rid of the pride in us that keeps us from simply abiding. Pride tells us we must do something....

Abiding is doing nothing...but simply resting in the presence of God with not a care about anything.

God commands us to abide. What? I just love this!! God is commanding us to just rest in HIM.

Get over ourselves and just rest in the most capable arms of Jesus.

Abiding makes us look at peace with God and with others.

Thank you Lord for commanding me to abide in you. To trust you completely!

John 15 ~ Abiding in Him is what this child of God plans to do for the rest of my life.

May my life look this way so that God is glorified through me. So that, others will be drawn to Christ...the True Vine.

I pray Lord, for opportunities to reveal to others around me that I am abiding in the Most High.

love,

your daughter <3

What is time to God?

It is so funny the 24 hours we are given everyday. Actually, it's really only 16 hours of time we can actually get things done. Although, the dreams we have can also be quite productive. And now, I am finding myself using some of that time blogging. But, I seem to have so many thoughts running in my head that if I do not get them out..then I cannot do the other things I need to do.

So, I will take a few minutes of my 16 hours to share with whoever finds themselves on my page.

I am convinced that rushing through life is not God's purpose for us. For some reason, I see Him always saying to slow down. God's word in my head says to be still. I love the way these 2 words calm my soul almost immediately. Psalm 46:10

I think when we feel God has not answered our prayers, it is because we are so impatient. And we do not understand God's time. He lives outside of time. We are put into time. We are given 24 hours...and God says, "Here..do something with these precious hours"

He modeled exactly how we should live out these moments in our life.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, it says to be joyful always, praying continually and give thanks in all circumstances.

So there it is. My time must be spent in these three ways.

Lord, slow me down so that I do not waste the precious time you have given me to be joyful, to keep praying and to be thankful in all things!

having my family home

Today has been a day that rarely comes anymore.

All three kids sat around the table tonight. Dad was there too.

We prayed together and broke bread...it was a rare moment....all of us in the same place eating, laughing, talking, sharing together. I remembered in my heart the family we visited today. Thankful we could share love with them. Simply being the hands of Jesus. Being practical..living out the scriptures that we feed upon everyday! Really blessed that my three big kids walked with me today.

So funny, if I knew these days really would be rare...would I have cherished them more? Not sure, probably not.

I am thankful to have a heart that longs for more of God in my life. I know with more of God in me, I will see these rare moments more.

Praying for less of me and more of God. John 3:30

Thank you Lord for today. So many things to thank you for. Mostly thankful for the laughter I heard today in my big kids.