~ Goodbye to 2013 ~

Tonight we say "goodbye" to 2013. This may come with sadness for some or it may be filled with huge relief for many to finally close out this year. But no matter what, when the clock strikes midnight it will be archived in the history books. I can definitely say that this was a year like I had never seen before. It was filled with many challenges and challenges on different levels. There were personal challenges, challenges at work, challenges within our family, and such heartache as I saw so many dear family and friends lose loved ones. But through it ALL, what was constant was God's unshakeable faithfulness! Around every corner of hardship, God showed himself so faithful that my love for him grew even more. Through all my failures this year (and believe me there were many) God's mercies were new every morning! Through all my disappointments, God's loving arms held me tight. Through all my trials, God's mighty hand gently guided me through. And through all my victories, God received the glory because it is all about HIM!

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

My one word for this last year was...bold!

"So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should."

Ephesians 6:20 (NLT)

God led me to live my life for him boldly! I tried to be bolder in reading the Word, speaking the Word, and praying the Word. I wanted to be bold in my faithfulness. Bold in standing up for truth. But in all honesty, I failed him many times. I missed many opportunities to speak boldness for Christ. There were times I cowered away from situations and had to fall on my knees in repentance. O, dear friends, that's when God showed himself the most faithful! In my mess, he met me where I was! A constant in my life. In my failures and defeat, he picked me up, brushed me off, and set me back on the path to bold living for HIM!

You see, in my mess...HIS message still stood strong! He took my mess and is still turning it into a beautiful message that will display his glory and honor!

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

Am I glad that 2013 is coming to a close? Well, if I'm honest...yes! But that doesn't mean when the clock strikes midnight and everyone sings "Auld Lang Syne" that every challenge will disappear. Challenges that were there at 11:59 pm will still be there at 12:00 am on 2014. But what it does mean is that with a new year comes new hopes and dreams. A new year brings rejuvenation to face obstacles head on with the Word of God. And above all, a new year brings fresh new opportunities to serve my Master and praise the name of Jesus! The lessons I learned in 2013 have grown me in my relationship with Christ. My failures and my regrets of 2013 have been placed in my Father's hands for him to mold me into what He wants me to be in this new year. My success and victories are on display for his glory alone!

So, the question I'm pondering in my heart and the one I'm asking you today is,

What will you do for Christ in 2014?

Will you surrender your all to him?

Will you serve him and live boldly for the cause of Christ?

Will you look expectantly for his second coming and prepare the way?

Will you place HIM at the top of your priorities, knowing that it may cause you to say "no" to other activities and commitments?

Will you honor Christ by putting your spouse and your marriage before your children?

Will you model for your children a life that honors Christ by being obedient to him?

Will you live for Christ in such a way that others long for what you have?

Will you love The Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself?

Will you remember that with failures comes the promise that His mercies are new every morning?

Will you, right now, commit this year to the glory of God to BELIEVE his Word, BELIEVE he will do what he says he will do, BELIEVE he loves you with an unconditional everlasting love like no other, and BELIEVE that he is coming back for you?

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Yes, 2014 is right around the corner! Commit it to Christ today and live for him only!

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you."

Psalms 37:5 (NLT)

To download the 2014 Goal Sheet Click Here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-Va1p5SYsV4bzVMZmtKUmVYamc/edit?usp=sharing

2014...Ready..Set...

We are just a few days away from a brand new year! This may bring about excitement or it could bring feelings of dread. However, as you prepare for this new year, spend time in prayer and scripture allowing God to guide you as you make goals. Our family has already begun a time of prayer and planning as this is something we do together every year. I devised a new goal sheet this year for each member of our family to use and then we come together to pray and encourage each other to stay committed to what God would have us to do. I'm not a big fan of "New Year's Resolutions" per se, but I do believe we are to spend time in prayer and planning for goals that God would have us to work towards. Goals that would draw us closer to the heart of God in all we do. (I have attached a copy of this form if you would like to use it as well.)

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
― Benjamin Franklin

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."

Psalms 119:105 (NKJV)

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)

Remember that in everything God should receive all glory and honor and this year should be ALL about HIM!

To download the 2014 Goal Sheet Click Here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-Va1p5SYsV4bzVMZmtKUmVYamc/edit?usp=sharing

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Today we celebrate our Savior and light our last candle of the Advent season....the Christ candle! The spotless Lamb who came to take away our sins! 
Today, I am thankful for my family and our special time in the Word this morning celebrating our LORD! 

Today is about YOU, precious Savior!

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday sweet JESUS!

Christmas Eve with Jesus!

Sweet time with my Jesus on this Christmas Eve morning!

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The final Sunday of Advent and what a beautiful time it has been. As a family we lit the fourth candle which is the angel candle or candle of love. This candle represents God's messengers. Those that announced the Messiah's birth. Those that appeared to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The angels play an important role for the King as they announced the great news of Jesus' birth. But we also see throughout scripture that the angels are also executors of God's divine judgement. We see this throughout scripture as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah or in the camp of the Assyrians. They also are sent to help us in times of trouble, our protectors, just as they were with Daniel in the pit of lions as they shut the lions mouths or with Peter in Acts 12 when they opened the prison gates and Peter walked right through.

Angels....God's messengers and our protectors.

But this Sunday, in the Christmas story, we celebrate the good news the angels brought! The news of the Messiah! Tell everyone! Spread the good news! Jesus came to earth to save his people from their sins!

The ONE who saved ME from my sins!

My Jesus!

My Savior!

Hallelujah!

Where will you put your focus today?

The final Sunday of this Advent season. Where will you put your focus today?

Before you start stressing over all that you have left to do before Christmas Day, spend some time with the One whom this day is all about!

Sit in His presence, open His Word, read His love letter to you, spend time in prayer and praise, and go to His house for worship!

Choose to make this day ALL about HIM!

When we put our priorities in line with scripture, the days are so much sweeter!

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

Colossians 3:2 (NKJV)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

JESUS is the Reason for the Season!

My thoughts this morning.....I am NOT politically correct but I pray that I live my life Biblically correct. So in that....

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

* Remember JESUS is the Reason for the season! 

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."Luke 2:11 (KJV)

* Love God, love your neighbor!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

* Walk BOLDLY in the LORD and proclaim the gospel!

"And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word." Acts 4:29 (NLT)

* Prepare for the day of HIS return! 

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it. What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done. I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:24-28 (HCSB)

Now, let's go forward this day in obedience to God, walking boldly and with confidence in the scriptures, and give praise to the ONE who deserves ALL glory and ALL honor! Amen!

~ The Week Before Christmas ~

One week till Christmas! Only 7 days! 

When I woke up this morning all I kept thinking was what do you think Mary and Joseph were doing with only one week left? Only 7 days until the birth of their son, Jesus!

Well, I imagine Mary didn't want to do a whole lot of anything considering she was great with child and Joseph was very busy trying to get registered and find a place for Mary to be comfortable to give birth. 

I opened my Bible this morning to the passage I have been immersing myself in this whole  month....the book of Luke. Do you know there was not one mention of Mary and Joseph scurrying around trying to find the perfect gift for their relatives, some of which they hadn't seen in a year? There was no mention of them going to the mall, Mayfaire, Walmart, or Target trying to get gift cards and wrapping paper. No mention of them scouring Pinterest for new recipes to "wow" their family at the Christmas dinner. No, not one mention of any of the chaos!

I have always loved reading through scripture and imagining myself right in those very pages. When I open that precious Book, it comes alive! In my reading this morning, I tried to wrap my feeble brain around what Mary was going through. One week till she was to give birth to the Messiah! What an honor, what a calling! I imagine she was trying to take good care of her health as she was carrying the Savior of the world. I'm sure she was quite uncomfortable being that pregnant and she was probably ready for it to be over. But most  importantly, I imagine she was in an attitude of prayer and worship as she prepared her heart for the the next step in this magnificent journey. She was going to be responsible for nurturing and bringing up the Son of God. She would feed him, clothe him, rock him to sleep. She would run and play with him, sing him songs, and tell him to clean his room. She would be his mother! I'm sure she was preparing her heart because the very One whom she would give birth to, would be the very One who would save her from her sins. Wow! That is powerful! 

"But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

Luke 1:30-33 (NIV84)

So, you see, there was no record of Mary scrambling around shopping in the madness one week before Christmas and after searching the scriptures and reading the account of her heart for God, I imagine that she was doing just what I should be doing....preparing my heart for the greatest birthday ever. The birthday of my JESUS! I should be so focused on HIS PRESENCE that I do not worry everyone else's PRESENTS!

Oh, sweet Jesus, I love you! You are the REASON for this blessed season and as much as I try to focus on you, my mind can, so easily, get wrapped up in the craziness that your birthday has become. Please forgive me for putting others before you. This is ALL about YOU! Only 7 days till your birthday and I want to prepare my heart. I want to put aside the things of this world and focus on the Savior of this world! YOU, YOU, YOU! You are what this day is about. Jesus, I worship YOU! Jesus, I praise YOU! Jesus,  I LOVE YOU!

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10-11 (NIV84)

Third Sunday of Advent

After an amazing weekend away with my sweet husband, it was great to sit down with our kids and celebrate the third Sunday of Advent. Callie lit our 3rd candle, the Shepherd's candle or candle of joy. What an incredible meaning behind this candle! On the evening of the Messiah's birth, the angels appear to the shepherds first to tell the miraculous news. The shepherds! Not the high priests or the wealthy influential people of the day but to lowly shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. The insignificant, the ordinary.

 ~That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” ~Luke 2:8-12 (NLT)

God showed his love for ALL people! Through this, he reminds us that he uses ordinary people for such extraordinary things. As you go throughout your week and have times when you feel insignificant or just plain ordinary, remember that God wants to do extraordinary things through YOU! His love for you is documented all through the scriptures. Take it...read it...and go forward in victory! 

Take time this week to ponder on this amazing event of the Christmas story. Remember that the angels sang over the shepherd's field that night. They sang praises to God. No matter where we are this week, sing praises to HIM! Tell others of his love! Just as the lowly shepherds did. 

~ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. ~Luke 2:13-20 (NLT)


Have a blessed day in The Lord! 

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."Luke 2:14 (KJV)

Caleb, Precious Gift

                

Giving birth is one of the most spectacular things I've ever experienced. I praise God for the two precious miracles that I was privileged to give birth to...Ben and Callie. You see, having a child grow inside you for nine months feeling them move and kick and occasionally get the hiccups, hearing that little heartbeat as the doctor places the Doppler on your stomach, and seeing the images on an ultrasound machine, are all pieces of a miraculous event that can only be ordained by our Creator. And then the special day when that baby is placed in your arms....WOW! A masterpiece that God formed from both Matt and myself. Truly, truly a miracle! 

But God saw fit to bless Matt and me with another absolutely incredible miracle through adoption. It was 6 years ago today that we saw the first glimpse of our precious Caleb. Almost one year into our "paper pregnancy" we got an email (our referral), instead of an ultrasound, that revealed, the news that "It's a boy"! There was no comparing his little picture to who he looked like or which family member he resembled. Just 3 tiny pictures from a Chinese orphanage of the most beautiful little boy that, at first glance, I KNEW that was our son! No doubt. True and perfect peace! God's special child, that he was giving to us! Not born of my flesh but birthed from my heart in a beautiful, God-ordained way. Hallelujah!

December 15, 2006, is a day we will always treasure! Our family was forever changed and we were blessed beyond measure when God brought that special masterpiece into our family. 

Happy Referral-versary Caleb! We love you so much sweet boy! 
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him."Psalms 127:3 (NLT)

~ My Soul Praises the Lord ~

Sitting here by the fireplace in this beautiful room this morning reading the Word! Oh, how I love reading passages of the Christmas story and allowing The Lord to reveal himself afresh to me! Every time I open this precious Book, it comes alive in a new way. Praise God!

This morning I can't help but focus on Mary's song of praise as she is greeted by Elizabeth. These two amazing women of Christmas both with child and not by traditional means but by true miraculous conception by The Lord Almighty.

Elizabeth in her 6th month of pregnancy, with John the Baptist, and Mary comes to her door. No notice, no warning but look what happens when they see each other:

~ She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.~

Luke 1:38-44 (NLT)

Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit at the sound of Mary's voice and recognizes that this young girl is carrying her Lord! That is truly the work of God! She encourages Mary, which I love! She is her mentor and helps her see why The Lord would choose her!

~ You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”~

Luke 1:45 (NLT)

Did you see that?

She is blessed because she believed God would do what he said he would do!

Hallelujah!

Mary's response is that of a true humble servant and woman of God.

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” ~

Luke 1:44-55 (NLT)

What a beautiful example! Her focus...her attention is not on her circumstances but on what God has done and will do!

My prayer is to be a Mary. To always believe God will do what he says he will do with his praise always on my lips and my focus always on HIM!

Sweet Father, thank you for your Word!

~ Prayer...To be a Mary ~

Sitting here by the fireplace in this beautiful room this morning reading the Word! Oh, how I love reading passages of the Christmas story and allowing The Lord to reveal himself afresh to me! Every time I open this precious Book, it comes alive in a new way. Praise God! 

This morning I can't help but focus on Mary's song of praise as she is greeted by Elizabeth. These two amazing women of Christmas both with child and not by traditional means but by true miraculous conception by The Lord Almighty. 

Elizabeth in her 6th month of pregnancy, with John the Baptist, and Mary comes to her door. No notice, no warning but look what happens when they see each other:
~ She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.~Luke 1:38-44 (NLT)

Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit at the sound of Mary's voice and recognizes that this young girl is carrying her Lord! That is truly the work of God! She encourages Mary, which I love! She is her mentor and helps her see why The Lord would choose her! 
~ You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”~Luke 1:45 (NLT)
Did you see that?

She is blessed because she believed God would do what he said he would do!

Hallelujah!

Mary's response is that of a true humble servant and woman of God. 
~ Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” ~Luke 1:44-55 (NLT)
What a beautiful example! Her focus...her attention is not on her circumstances but on what God has done and will do! 

My prayer is to be a Mary. To always believe God will do what he says he will do with his praise always on my lips and my focus always on HIM! 

Sweet Father, thank you for your Word!

My Precious Son, Ben

This is the tiny space between Caleb's bed and the end of Ben's bed. This is also the spot where I found my 6 ft. tall, 17-year-old son this morning because he fell asleep there comforting his little brother who had a hard time going to sleep last night. 

Oh, how this mama's heart is touched. Ben is amazing young man and will be an incredible husband and father one day!

Tony, the Cynic

What I thought was going to be a quiet afternoon of study time in my corner nook of Barnes & Noble, turned out to be a divine appointment to share the gospel with an elderly man who called himself, Tony the Cynic.

Yes, I was prepared to hideout and spend some time studying for my class tonight. I had my earphones in my ears for added quietness and was engrossed in the Word when all the sudden I looked up and an elderly gentleman asked if he could sit at my table to eat his cookie and drink his coffee. Truth be told that I, at first, thought "how rude". Lol! Of all the places to sit he wanted to disturb me. Oh, how God had such a different plan for me today. An interruption of divine importance!

Our conversation turned quickly from $4 coffees when he asked me what I was studying! Ha! I shared with him about my Bible study class and the beauty of the scripture and that turned into a 45 minute blessing of sharing the gospel.
His life has been hard and he kept referring to himself as a cynic but as he asked me questions in the Bible, I prayed that God would anoint my words and that the Holy Spirit would saturate his heart. He thanked me as he left though making no commitment to Christ, he did say he had a lot to think about. I told him that God ordained our meeting today and that was no accident! I wished him a Merry Christmas and told him that I would continue praying for him.

Tonight, I ask you all to pray for Tony. He is searching. Lots of hurts and disappointments in his life and He is in need of a Savior. Pray that he surrenders to the One that can change his life forever. That he no longer refers to himself as a "cynic" but as a man who found the Miracle of Christmas!

~ These Crazy Kids of Mine ~

I was sharing some amazing, awe-inspiring truths of the Christmas story this morning with the kids and leave it to one of my children to insert some humor.

I was telling them what a tiny, poor and insignificant town Nazareth was with probably only about 100 people living there at the time but that God sent his angel, Gabriel, to share some incredible news to a young humble girl named, Mary. She would carry and give birth to the SON OF GOD! I told them that just as God had such miraculous plans for that small town and young girl, he could also have some pretty amazing things in store for our small town of Burgaw...with a young girl named, Callie, or a teenage boy named, Ben or a.........

This is where Caleb interrupts and yells out, "Or an Asian Sensation named, Caleb!"

Oh my! This beautiful Hallmark moment interrupted by a witty 9-year-old boy! Hahaha!

But, YES! God can and will do some amazing things through that precious soul and the other two precious souls!!

Thankful for these moments with my kids! Moments to teach them God's Word. Moments to share laughter. Moments where they understand just how AMAZING they are and that God wants to use them for his Kingdom's work!

Where is your Christmas spirit today?

Where is your Christmas spirit today?

Is it wrapped up in daily distractions or earthly frustrations and smothering to breathe?

Or is it flowing from your heart...the JOY of Christ in YOU!

If you started this day off on the wrong foot, with a bad attitude; stop, pray and refocus on the true meaning of Christmas!

JOY to the world, the LORD is come!

Christ came for YOU!

Immanuel ~ GOD WITH US!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11 (KJV)

Second Sunday of Advent

Tonight we continued our celebration of Advent. On this second Sunday of Advent we gathered together as a family and read scripture as we lit the second candle which is the candle of Bethlehem or candle of peace. We read through the story of the preparations made to welcome the Christ child. This is the story about a humble couple on an unwanted journey, at an inconvenient time, to visit a tiny insignificant town. But what follows is an incredible miracle to welcome Immanuel, God with us! Our hope....our peace!

Abba Father, I thank you for your Word. I thank you for the hope we have in you and the peace you brought on that starry night in Bethlehem. As we continue this Christmas season, help us keep our eyes only on you and the precious gift you are! 

Micah 5:2–5, Malachi 3:1–4, Matthew 2:1–2, Luke 1:68–79, Luke 2:1–7, Philippians 1:3–11, Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, Psalm 72:18-19, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12

~ True Love ~

After over 21 years of marriage, Matt and I still cherish every second of our time together! Would we love regular date nights with a quiet dinner and moonlit walk? ABSOLUTELY! But with 2 busy jobs (one that takes him out of the country a bit), 3 children with 2 current sporting activities, and add in the housework, bill paying and homeschooling...we don't always get THOSE dates. Lol! We have learned to get creative in our dating and keep that romantic spark! ;)

Today, we spent a romantic afternoon at our local grocery store, shopping together up and down the aisles for our family as we sipped our peppermint white chocolate mochas that we purchased from the McDonald's drive-thru. ❤️

If that doesn't say "love and romance" than I don't know what does! Haha! 

In all honesty, it doesn't matter what we are doing. Spending time with my amazing husband of over 21 years still brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. 

True love isn't always roses, candlelit dinners, or romantic kisses with soft music playing in the background. It isn't always played out like a Hollywood romance on the big screen with a huge dramatic ending that leaves you feeling all nostalgic and teary-eyed. 

True love is sticking together through the real life everyday moments that are often messy and unromantic, thorns and all, with dinners that sometimes come from the drive-thru and the only music playing as you finally get a moment to steal a kiss is the sound of a child yelling, "gross". True love is extending grace and forgiveness through disappointments, holding hands as you read scripture together and pray for guidance to navigate parenting and life, seeing true beauty even through expanding waistlines, receding hairlines, & wrinkled faces and recognizing each other as masterpieces from God. 

True love is going through over 21 years of marriage contained of victories and heartaches and realizing that if you had it to do all over again...you wouldn't change a thing! :)❤️

Thank you, precious Lord, for the gift of my husband and the blessing of our marriage! We may not have it all together but our love is true...and it's real...and centered on YOU! All glory and honor are YOURS! 

~ Early Morning With Jesus ~

This morning I'm up earlier than normal. And by normal, I in no way mean comfortable. Lol! It's just too early, even for this early bird. But here I am, wide awake which means God is prompting me to get in the Word and spend time with him. What peace and joy I receive just opening the pages of scripture! His Word....my God's amazing Word!!

"Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we’ll skip and dance all the day long."

Psalm 90:14 (MSG)

Thank you, Father, for breathing your precious words into me this morning!

I have to say that I'm thankful it's Friday! It's been a long week with busy schedules and lots on my already oversized plate. And to top it off...half my heart has been in Mexico and I haven't been able to hear his voice since Tuesday night. Though I'm thankful for email, I cannot wait to hear his voice later today as he goes from airport to airport making his way home. Today will be another jammed packed day but I'm looking forward to laying my head down late tonight and seeing my sweet hubby beside me. I'm looking forward to holding his hand as I drift off to sleep. I'm looking forward to seeing his shoes by the bed and his mounds of laundry filling the laundry basket tonight. I'm looking forward to hearing the kids engaging in conversation with their dad whom they've missed. I'm looking forward to seeing Louie go crazy and us scurry to keep his tail from wiping everything off the coffee table over his excitement when his daddy walks in the door. I'm looking forward to having my whole family under one roof tonight!

Yes, it's been another challenging week but my God is faithful! Never a day goes by that He doesn't show his loving hand in some way. What I pray is that I don't ever miss it though. I pray that in my crowded schedule and trials that seem to come in regular waves right now, that I don't ever miss the face of God in the midst of it all. He IS always there!

Today, as I begin my day and wait for the sun to rise, I will praise you, Lord! As I hold your precious Word in my hands and the message seeps into my soul, I will praise you! For this journey of life that draws me closer to you, I will praise you! For your amazing glory that you reveal at just the right moments, I will praise you! For the blessings that are all around me, I will praise you!

You, Father God, deserve ALL praise and ALL glory forever and ever!

"Hallelujah! You who serve God, praise God ! Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing— now and tomorrow and always. From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to God!"

Psalm 113:1-3 (MSG)

Oops!

Well, it's almost 12:30 and I've just reheated my coffee for the 3rd time. Hopefully I can finally finish it. Lol! I also received two shipment notices from two different places with the same item. Yes, I forgot I had already ordered one of Caleb's Christmas presents and ordered it again. Oops! 

I think I need a vacation! 

The Women of Christmas

Great night at Bible study with some amazing Jesus girls!

Your love has given me great joy...

Today, look for ways to encourage someone in Christ. So many burdens, so much hurt and so many people that need encouragement today.

Offer a smile to weary faces, send a text of sweet encouragement, take your friend by the hand and pray scripture over them today, laugh and sing as you're getting the kids ready for school this morning instead of telling them to hurry up, hug your spouse tightly and tell them, "I love you", before they head out the door for work, stop and tell that stranger, "Merry Christmas".

Take example of the Master Encourager! Read His Word to nourish your soul this morning and tell him how much you love him! Praise him for who He is because no matter what.....God is always faithful, God is always just, God is always good!

During this season of Christmas, be the blessing to someone else. Remember the greatest Blessing that we could ever receive is right among us today. Take hold, go forward and be the hands and feet of Christ today! Shine His light for all to see!

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints."

Philemon 1:7

THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.~

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)