~ New Year's Eve Traditions ~

I love New Year's Eve! This is a day that we sit down as a family and talk about the past year and discuss the upcoming new year.  We talk about the many things God did in our lives and give him praise. We talk about the challenges we faced and how we handled them. Did we give them to God or try to handle them in our own strength? We talk about the victories we experienced and who received the glory for it. We talk about our mistakes and what we can learn from them. But most importantly, we pray together and praise God for seeing us through another year, the good times and the bad.  We seek his face, together, in moving forward to another year in hopes that we will grow closer to him, closer as a family, and honor him with our hearts, lives, and service.  Together we close the year that is now in the past and commit this new year to him, to walk in his will no matter where that leads and to be bold for the cause of Christ!

"Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold."

2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)

"I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever."

 Psalms 145:2 (NLT)

What about your family! What New Year's traditions does your family have? I would love to hear them. Please share.........

~ Happy 9th Birthday Caleb! ~

Happy 9th Birthday to my sweet Caleb! I cannot believe another year has passed and that he is nearing the double digits. He has been counting down the days till his birthday and it is finally here and he is ready to party!

I have to say that I have mixed emotions today. I'm so extremely blessed by this precious miracle. But there is that part of me that feels sad because we don't know all the fun things about his birth day that we do for our other two kids. Caleb has been asking me for the last couple of weeks what the exact time of his birth was. He knows that Ben was born at 10:28 in the morning and Callie was born at 7:51 in the morning and he wants to have that same fact to tell everyone. The truth is that we don't know the exact time of Caleb's birth and we really don't know for sure what the exact day was. His birthday was an estimate made by those that found him laying abandoned on the sidewalk outside a children's hospital. I don't have all the pregnancy stories of his birth to laugh about. I don't have those first glimpses of his sweet newborn face. Those are stories he will never hear. His stories, however,  are very special and unique and I pray that one day he will realize just how remarkable his little life really is!

My heart also aches today for Caleb's birth mommy. Somewhere this woman is probably wondering about this beautiful boy that she gave birth to nine years ago.  She spent several days with him before abandoning him on the side of the road at the opportunity for a better life. She spent those first precious hours with him as he took his first breaths and opened his eyes for the first time. Today I lift prayers for her as well. I pray that she feels at peace that he is loved so much and I also pray that she has found salvation in Jesus. I am forever grateful to her for giving him life!

A day full of emotions for sure for this mama but, I celebrate this beautiful child, this most precious gift from God! A gift that has brought joy into my life and our family. A gift that lives life to the fullest. A gift that has so much to offer this world. A gift that loves his Maker and is a shining light to all he encounters! It really doesn't matter if we know the exact day and hour he was born. What matters is that he is here, and alive, and celebrating the blessing of life! Thank you God for honoring me by giving me the title of "Caleb's mommy". I hold that as such a treasure! He has the most giving heart and loves to make people happy and he inspires me daily with his love of life and his infectious smile.  He is an amazing child and this world is a sweeter place because of this miracle you blessed us with on December 30, 2003.

Happy Birthday sweet boy, mommy loves you so much!

~ Being Still In His Presence ~

I came downstairs this morning to sit in my quiet living room with the Christmas lights on, drink my cup of coffee, and soak in the Word of God. What I found when I came down was my sweet Caleb in his brand new fleece "Avenger" pajamas cuddled up on the couch watching cartoons on his Nook.  I love that precious child and tomorrow we will celebrate his 9th birthday. The random things that come out of his "always-thinking" brain, keep me on my toes. Haha! So, we will share the living room, BUT he will have to use headphones! Lol!

We are not ones to take our Christmas decorations down the day after Christmas or even a few days after, OR on Christmas Day as some of you who will remain nameless. lol! We leave them up usually till the New Year, mainly because we do not get the opportunity to sit and enjoy them till the week after Christmas. I love sitting in my cozy living room with only the beautifully colored lights of the tree on, wonderful scented candles flickering, a cup of coffee in my hand, and my Bible opened on my lap. I could stay like this for hours and just revel in this time. In the quiet of this time, God reveals his presence so powerfully! O, sweet Father sharing his warmth and love over me, giving me guidance and comfort from his Word, and convicting my heart in areas that he needs to correct. 

I have had people tell me that they don't experience God in those ways. My first question is, "Have you stopped long enough to be still in his presence and listen?" There are times we want to sense his presence and hear his Word but we don't want to be still long enough to get it. We want God to move along with us because we are busy and just give it to us.  Dear friend, that is where we miss out greatly! God's Word tells us to be still. 

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" 

Psalms 46:10 (ESV)

In HIS presence, quiet and listening! No greater place to be! 

This morning my focus is on finishing 2012 strong and beginning the new year ahead. My prayer is "God, what is your will  for me in 2013 and how can I close 2012 for your glory?" I have new journeys in front of me and journeys that are still in progress but you see, it's all about HIM! Every journey, every endeavor, every path is all for HIS glory and honor! If I don't have that focus then I'm sadly mistaken. All my thoughts and plans should be God-focused and I can only do that by staying in his Word, listening in the stillness of his presence, and praying for a clean heart. I fail so often but my loving Father gently corrects me and draws me back. He guides me to his ways, sometimes I'm not as willing as other times, but nonetheless he continues. I'm so thankful to have a Father who loves me so much! 

I don't know where you are today. I don't know what journeys you are on. All our journeys are different but they're uniquely ours.  They all need the guidance and direction from a Heavenly Father who desires the best for his children. I urge you today, to sit quietly in His presence for guidance. Pray for a clean and undivided heart. Seek through the pages of Scripture for his promises. Commit your journey to him and allow him to take the reigns. I promise it will be the greatest ride of your life. Not always the easiest, but it will bring the most reward.  The treasures you accumulate along the way will never amount to what this world could ever give you. Heavenly treasures that bring our God glory! 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;    but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.    For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)

Pray these scriptures today and commit this day to him!

"Teach me your way, O  Lord, and I will walk in your truth;  give me an undivided heart,  that I may fear your name."

 Psalms 86:11 (NIV84)

"Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you."

Psalms 25:4- 5 (NLT)

"Commit your future to the  Lord! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf."

Psalms 37:5 (NET)

~ Oops! Didn't Mean To Cause a Ruckus ~

Wow! Let me set the record straight. As we have been out today, we have been approached and have received numerous texts about my post from this morning concerning our new adventure. Everything from "are you moving?" to "are you adopting again?". Well, the answer to both are, "no". Lol! I did not realize this post would be such a conversation starter and spike so much interest and speculation . I apologize. Haha!

This may be very anticlimactic now, but our new adventure involves homeschooling. It may not sound huge to everyone else but it is a pretty big deal to us and we are excited to begin the journey ahead.

I will continue to share how God brought us to this new journey over the next few days and instill covet your prayers!

Blessings~

~ Trust For A New Journey ~

Well, in less than a week now, our family will embark on another new journey. A journey that has been prayed over for months. A journey that we didn't expect to be on but one that we know God has placed before us. As with anything that God places before us, we are excited and honored to heed his call but also a little nervous at the responsibility it involves. We go forward in complete faith and trust that He who calls us to it will be faithful to see us through it.

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

In my last few days at home, God has been revealing a lot of scripture in my soul and I am so grateful for his loving kindness. He is giving me time to prepare my mind for this new adventure and also reminding me of his faithfulness and healing throughout 2012. There are so many things on my heart to share with you and over the remainder of this year I will try and find the words to express my gratitude, on this blog, to my God for ALL that He has done this year. It has been a year like no other! So much learning, so much growing, so much healing, so much obedience, so much yielding.....so much that I didn't expect but so much I needed to bring me to where He wants me to be. My journey is ongoing and I will continue to lay down my will and surrender to His.

I would appreciate your prayers for us as we begin this new exciting adventure and I will share more in the days ahead! I have full confidence in my God and love Him with all my heart! I don't have all the answers, but I do trust the One who does and with that we move forward in the name of Jesus! ALL for YOU, JESUS!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

~ Living My Dream ~

We spent the entire day after Christmas in our pajamas, watching movies, playing board games, and enjoying the precious gift of family! It was so wonderful that we may just do the same today! Well, with a little different twist to it. Haha! We will stay home, but we won't have the same pajamas on and we will be doing laundry and some other household duties that need to be done. 

I do believe that my favorite week of the whole year is the week after Christmas! That is the one week that we are all home, no schedules to keep, and we can slow down from the busy year, take a big sigh of relief, and enjoy the blessing of family!

From the time I was a young girl, I used to dream about having a loving husband and a family to take care of. The Lord granted me that high honor almost 21 years ago and I am still so incredibly humbled as He exceeded my expectations and blessed me with the most amazing man, that I get to call my husband, and three spectacular children! Oh, and throw in an overweight, loving golden retriever named, Louie, and you've got the most awesome family a girl could have ever dreamed of. Today, I sit here in awe that God gave them to me! 

This morning I had the privilege of making my husband breakfast in bed and enjoying random conversations as I was cooking away with my sweet, almost 9-year-old son, Caleb wearing his new iron man costume. Today, I will gather up all the laundry (which always seems to reproduce in the basket) and wash clothes, I will try to gain back some semblance of order back  in this tornado-stricken house, put dinner in the crock pot, and of course, clean the kitchen a million times. I will do these things, not with a grumbling spirit, but a spirit of gratitude to my Lord for the high honor and privilege he bestowed upon me of wife and mother! Yes, my dreams have come true! They may not be glamorous to most people but they are indeed beautiful to me! From a young girl who loved Jesus and had dreams of a family, to an almost 40-year-old woman who is even more in love with Jesus and living out the dream, I can honestly say from the depths of my soul that I am content! I am full of joy and so honored that He chose me to be the manager of this crazy, awesome, busy, and AMAZING family! 

I'll sing HIS praises today and give HIM thanks! I'll immerse myself in HIS Word for guidance to manage this family. I'll spend time in HIS presence lifting each one to HIS throne in prayer and I'll give ALL glory to HIM and HIM alone for HE is worthy!

"For you are great and do amazing things. You alone are God.  O Lord, teach me how you want me to live! Then I will obey your commands. Make me wholeheartedly committed to you!  O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart! I will honor your name continually!"

Psalms 86:10-12 (NET)

~ Happy Birthday Jesus~

Well, Santa came and went, the presents are all unwrapped, and I sit here in the quiet while my beautiful family enjoys playing with their new gifts. It's been another wonderful year at the Jordan home and I am blessed beyond measure!

As I glance around and take note of all the fun we've had, my heart and mind cannot help but go to my Savior. This day is all about him! His special birthday! You know, I spent a lot of time picking out just the right gifts for my family and loved ones. I wanted it to be special and it was so wonderful watching their faces as they opened each one. It made my heart happy to give them gifts that they enjoyed. But now, I sit here in the presence of my Jesus, on his birthday, and I am so overwhelmed by his priceless gift of eternal life that he gave to me. No other gift can or will ever compare to that! It is perfect!

Thank you, sweet Jesus, for your perfect and matchless gift! YOU are the greatest gift and I am so in love with you! Merry Christmas and Happy Happy Birthday!

~ What if Jesus Returned Today ~

Well, I guess we are all still here and the Mayans were wrong. I'm not surprised by that at all, but what has been on my heart this morning is the real question at hand....

If Jesus were to come back today, are you ready?

Now, I know we all had our fun with this Mayan prophecy and have joked about how we are all still here but the truth is, there will come a day when Christ WILL return for his children and we don't know the day or the hour. Will you be ready?

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

 Matthew 24:44 (NIV84)

This is a deep thought for this early in the morning and this close to Christmas but isn't that what it's all about? Christ came on Christmas in human form as a baby for the sole purpose of saving the lost...for me...for you!

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Luke 19:10 (NIV84)

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21 (NIV84)

The greatest present we will ever receive is Jesus! Christmas Day we will celebrate the Gift to us but if you have never received this Gift, what will you celebrate? Jesus came for me and for you. He walked this earth in human form and endured all that we endure. He then sacrificed his life on Calvary to take upon the sins of us all because he loved us. He gave his life for us! Have you repented of your sins and accepted His free gift of salvation?

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8 (NIV84)

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

John 3:5-7 (NIV84)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16 (KJV)

Have you surrendered your all to him and made him Lord of your life? His gift is free! It is available to you!

The day will come when He will return for his children and if you have not accepted him as your Lord and Savior, it will be too late. Eternity separated from Christ will be sealed at his return or when you take your final breath. But there is still time...right now...to make today the DAY of salvation in your life! Right now you have the opportunity to repent of your sins, turn from your ways, and accept Him as the Lord of your life. Today, you could have confidence that WHEN He returns for his children, you will spend eternity with Him! Today, you could have the confidence that if you were to take your final breath on this earth that you would spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus! What an AMAZING Christmas this could be for you!

How do you do this?
First, from the depth of your soul, pray this prayer:

Father, I know my sins have separated me from you. I want to turn from my past sinful life and live a life in you. Lord, please forgive me. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. My desire is to love, honor, and do your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus name I pray,  Amen!

Hallelujah! Now go forward in Christ and walk in His ways! You, my dear brother or sister, have made the greatest decision of your life! What a blessed Christmas this is for you! There will never be a greater gift!

Oh, how I would love to know if you have made this life changing decision today! Please message me, email me, or call me and I would love to celebrate and pray with you. Now you need encouragement in these next steps of your journey with Christ. You don't have to walk alone. I am so excited for you! Heaven rejoices for YOU!

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

1 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV)