~ The Author of My Life ~

It was amazing to be back in Bible study last night with a room full of ladies ready to dig into the promises of God's Word! Even though Satan tried his hardest to malfunction every technological device in the room to hinder our study, it didn't work! Haha! He was NOT successful and of course, my God won! Oh, how I love my God! 

Yesterday was one of those "roller coster" kind of days. Anyone ever experience one of those days?? To be sure I'm not alone. It was a day where emotions were all over the place and phone calls, texts, and emails were coming at me quicker than my little fingers can go (and I'm pretty quick on the keypad). Another chapter in my life came to an end as the dawn of a new novel is beginning. So with excitement of new beginnings comes the heartache of endings but the lessons learned and life experiences will ultimately be part of a larger story.....the story that God is writing on my life. HIStory is MY story!

I'm so eternally grateful that my Heavenly Father is the Author of my life! He can write the pages so beautifully and orchestrate every word and detail so much better than I could ever attempt. At times, I'm not sure what genre of novel it is. Lol! Somedays it feels like a mystery, somedays it feels like a thriller, and some days it feels as though it could be a book of comedy. But in reality, it is a love story! It is the story of a loving Father ushering his daughter through this life on a journey as she seeks his will, making mistakes along the way, but ultimately growing in the love of her Father. The story is mine and He is still penning the pages of my life. It will never be on the New York Times Best Seller list but it is #1 on God's list and that is what matters! 

So through the drama, the mystery, the romance, the hilarity, the "real ness"...I go forward today a blank page ready to be filled with ink from the pen of my Father as he continues my story.....HIStory!

"In the morning, O Lord , you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Psalms 5:3

~ Giving Him Praise Today! ~

The good news is that I was able to get some sleep last night and I didn't cough a lung up! For that I am grateful because I enjoy sleeping and I am quite fond of both of my lungs! Lol!

I look forward to going to work today and beginning my day with staff devotions! Tuesdays the pastors and admin staff of SHBC join us for a time of praise and the Word before we begin ministering to hundreds of families that come in our doors. Good times! Then I look forward to my morning hugs from those precious preschoolers as they come barreling in the doors ready for a day of fun and learning! All that before 9:00! Wow! Now that is a blessing! 

Now, not all mornings do I wake up that excited! Not all mornings do I wake up singing some type of "Good Morning" song whether it be a real song or one that transpired in my own mind. Well, almost all, but I do have my moments. Lol! I just love the gift of a new day! God, in his divine providence, has gifted each of us (if you are reading this that means YOU) with breath to begin a new day! How awesome is that? His Word tells us, 

"This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalms 118:24 (NKJV)

Whatever you're facing today, let me encourage you to first give praise to the very One who gave you breath! This day is new, was made by our God, and we are to rejoice in it! 

So, then what? The rest of the day comes and curveballs start coming at you, then the rain begins (if you live in Wilmington, it really will), and nothing goes as you planned. Then what do you do? 

Just give up! 

No, of course not! Dig deep down into your soul and pull out scripture that you studied to memorize for times like this. Call out to Jesus for strength in his name. Stop in the midst of the madness and pause for a moment with God. He is your God! Take time out for him! If you can't pray for yourself, call a friend and ask them to pray with you. I receive many texts and messages daily asking for prayer and I am so honored to do just that! There is help and there is hope and my friend, his name is JESUS! No other name will satisfy! No other name can brighten my day or soothe my soul as the name of JESUS! 

"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB)

This day is new, it is full of hope, and it is a blessing from God! 

Now, let's go and get this party started! Woohoo!

~ A Wrecked Life ~

Well, it's 2:00 in the morning and I am still wide awake. For any of you that know me well, you  understand that this is not normal for me. I am usually falling asleep before my head actually hits the pillow at dusk.  I am not the "night owl" and this so out of my realm of norm. This could be for a couple of reasons. First, it could be from the massive amounts of medications I am currently on to knock out the bronchitis, sinus infection, fluid on the ears, and whatever else is going on. Mainly because of the prednisone, I assume. OR, my second guess could be from the fact that I have spent most of this entire weekend at the feet of my Jesus immersed in His Word and I am so totally in love with him that I am ready to shout it from the rooftop. Of course, that may awaken the neighborhood and earn me a night with Burgaw's finest in the Pender County Jail, so I will contain my excitement and just type very loudly on my iPad! 

I have to admit that Jesus has totally wrecked my life and I am HIS! I am a woman in love with her God and have spent so much time feasting on his Word this weekend to invigorate my malnourished soul that he has overwhelmed me yet again! It was a trying week for me but God is always faithful! He quenches my thirst and satisfies every longing of my heart. Always! He is amazing God!

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 6:35 (NIV84)

As I've shared before, I was in a valley not so long ago. I walked through that dark valley for a year and a half with mountains all around me that seemed insurmountable. But it was in the midst of that valley that the most amazing thing happened! God turned my life upside down and I experienced Him as never before. That's right! He wrecked it! You cannot actively seek him without finding him. You cannot pour out your soul to the One who created you and not be changed. You cannot ask him to show up and think your life will be the same. It just cannot happen! He showed up, my dear friend, and then he put the pieces of my life back together in only a way that he could.  Things that I used to enjoy such as movies, books, and hobbies, just don't satisfy me any longer the way spending time with him stirs my soul.  Waking up awaiting opportunities to serve him and showing the love of Christ to others consumes me. Taking every moment to share with my kids the glory of God around us is exhilarating! Sharing amazing moments of God's divine appointments with my husband at the end of the day leaves me in tears and utterly speechless. You see, he has wrecked my life! 

"God  made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to  God 's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step.  God  rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."

Psalm 18:20-24 (MSG)

Nothing this world has to offer will ever be good enough for me anymore than walking in his will. Everyday is a new adventure to serve him more, love him more, and praise him more! I never want to be complacent in my walk with him! He deserves my ALL! Nothing less is acceptable. It's all or nothing!

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you  turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left."

Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)

 Oh precious Father, I am content in you. I am content to live this wrecked life because it's ALL about YOU! I am so in love with you! 

So, what do you do with this information? There are those of you out there in cyber world awake and pondering that very question. There are those of you in your own dark valley and awaiting God's presence to hurdle you over the mountain. But let me just say that walking with God up the treacherous mountain as he strengthened me was far better than being hurled over only to forget the journey. So if you are there, grab hold of his hand and go! Allow God to wreck your life! Join me in the adventure of following God wherever that may lead. Don't give in to the comfort around you, the safety of your environment. Follow Christ through the radical life he has called us to live and find real satisfaction and real contentment. Hallelujah! 

"I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment,  whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.  I am able to do all things through the one  who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:12-13 (NET)

I am praying for you! You know who you are. God is working and chiseling this masterpiece called YOU! Just hold on!

~ Medicine for the Soul ~

My plan for today....take all my meds (and there are many) to knock out this nasty mess, do our taxes, and take care of some household chores. But for the best part (after I get all the non-fun stuff out of the way), spend some much needed time at the feet of my Jesus, reading his Word and falling in love with him over and over again! His Word is medicine for my soul and the nourishment I need to be strong in him! I need to lie at his feet, listen as He speaks, and let his Words soothe my spirit. To be in his presence and worship him is the desire of my heart!

Oh, sweet Jesus, I need you today!

“My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

Psalm 84:2

~ Silent For a Time of Adjusting ~

Good morning! Happy Friday to all!

I know my blog has been fairly silent this week. It definitely has not been from a lack of the Lord chipping away at me. On the contrary! There have been a lot of burdens on my heart this week and a lot of things that required some time to hash out between my Savior and me. Things I haven't been ready to share openly as the Lord was working. There have been times of total agreement with what God was showing me and, to be utterly honest, there have been times when I've been a little angry at situations and not exactly happy about the way things were going. But God has been working! He has been adjusting my attitude at times and reminding me that He is in control! Not my will but HIS!

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

Proverbs 16:9 (NIV84)

In addition to all of that, I have been nursing my husband back to good health, working, chauffeuring the kids around, cheer stuff, homeschooling AND battling a nasty cold.....again. I think this one has just about done me in. After getting the flu last month, a few weeks later, this cold shows up and has been pretty nasty for the last 8 days. So, for all of you asking, I will be fitting in a trip to the doctor sometime today.

You know, this is just LIFE! Things come up and we deal with them. Not always the best way, but we deal with it. God didn't promise it would be easy, but he promised he'd never leave me! I'm so thankful for his love and mercy. Sometimes I'm not always lovable but he loves me unconditionally! Many times I fail but he forgives me and shows mercy. He is my Father, my Abba, my Daddy! I am so grateful for this kind of love. He knows me and all my faults and loves me in spite of them. He corrects me when I'm wrong and brings me back to him. He loves me when I'm hurt and wraps his big fatherly arms around me. He loves me when I cry and wipes the tears from my eyes.

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."

Psalms 62:5 (NIV84)

So, as I go forward into the weekend, I will cling to his Word and sit at his feet, I will praise his name for he is worthy, and I will place my trust in him and him alone!

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."

Isaiah 25:1 (NIV84)

~ A Treasure Within ~

I have to just start this morning off by saying how amazing my God is! I don't know about you, but there are times when God will lay a passage of scripture on my heart and even though I know it well, it can just be so fresh and new. Oh, how I love the Word of God! I was reading this morning and was just drawn to this passage in Corinthians that is so special to me. I have it bookmarked and I've focused on it many times but today, it's as if it jumped right off the pages of my Bible. It was clear that my Father wanted me to feast on it today but also that someone else reading this post was also in need of it.

Take a moment and clear your mind of every other distraction and let this seep into your soul this morning!

"For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

2 Corinthians 4:6-10 (NLT)

We are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure! Wow! We have the power of God and no matter what comes to us; we will NOT be taken down!

I know there are many right now that feel as though the attacks are coming at you from every side. It's almost as if you feel like you can barely hold your head above water. I understand! My dear friend, we have this promise, this precious treasure, and the power of God is within you and me! We will get knocked down, we will get beat up, we will face trouble, but we have this promise that we, as children of Almighty God, will not be destroyed! He will never abandon us and through his mighty power we will remain strong! Hallelujah!

I needed this bold reminder this morning as the week begins and I'm sure there are many of you that do as well. Let's hold firm to this promise this week and give God the praise he rightfully deserves! Through his strength I am strong!

~ An Anniversary to Remember ~

What a day it has been! Well, I guess we are into the next day now but the one before hasn't technically had a finish for me yet. The days are just running into each other. Haha! We began our anniversary day at 4:00 by taking a "romantic" ride to the hospital. As we spent our entire day there, I was reminded again at every detail that made me fall in love with my husband all those years ago. We weren't relaxing at a romantic tropical island or snuggling at a mountain resort. We were at a destination that, in no way, spelled out romance but yet brought forth all the things I love about this man. 

I spent the day taking care of my husband as I, myself, was congested and coughing with a cold. I helped him put his shoes and socks on and get in and out of the bed. I helped him drink from a straw as he was still groggy from anesthesia and fed him crackers when he was hungry. Though it didn't scream of romantic getaways we've had on previous anniversaries, I was right where I wanted to be....with my incredible husband, falling deeper in love for another year. Even now as I watch him sleep peacefully beside me, I thank God for allowing me the high honor of being his wife. What makes our love so special is that it isn't in just the beautiful, romantic times that our loves shines; it is during those not-so-glamorous moments of hospital gowns and non-slip socks where our love can really bring forth light. Those are the moments when you know what you're made of. Those are the moments that are real life. 

I am a woman feeling very blessed tonight! I got to spend the day taking care of the man I love and then I got to come home to our beautiful children and big golden retriever. Now when you look at what real love is....that is it! In all it's glamorous and not-so-glamorous moments, it is real, it is content, and it is full! I am blessed! 

I love you, Matt Jordan, forever and ever!