GOOD NEWS!

I was blessed by the txt message of a very special friend the other day. When I was seeking after just some sort of good news...he reminded me that I am saved and never have to know what it feels like to burn in hell! Well, amen! I was very encouraged and touched, and reminded that I have so many things to be thankful for.

I am blessed to be a child of God, I am blessed to be filled with His joy and peace, I am blessed to be covered by His grace....and all of those things are truly good news; news that overrides all the bad, and I am very thankful for that!

He said that I never have to feel the fires of hell, and I want to add to this...we all go through battles here on earth that can sometimes feel like we are going through hell. Each one of the things I am dealing with on their own can be extremely tough to deal with, but then you pile them all on top of each other, and it can be overwhelming! But...as I have been writing about, I have a choice on how to approach these battles...focusing on the hell of it all, or praising God and turning to Him knowing that I am blessed and victorious; I am NOT DEFEATED, BUT I AM SAVED!

When we are children of God we are victorious and do not have to walk in condemnation or defeat! We are saved by grace and we are made complete in Christ!

My pastor's wife's lesson last night also went along with this combating the negative things/thoughts in our lives with the positive truths of God's word...His promises are for us to claim and live daily. I am accepting those promises in my life today! I am proclaiming the good news of God! I serve an awesome God who is worthy to be praised. A God that has not forgotten me, and a God that knows my name, and a God that hears my prayers, and a God that is always there!

Be of good cheer and live in the joy of the Lord! Praise Him and be thankful for all the blessings in your life. This the day that the Lord has made and I will be glad and rejoice in it! SO COME ON AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND JUST JUMP FOR JOY!

Waiting...

I have written about waiting before, but....here we go again!

“They that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not fait.”
Isaiah 40:31

While I was spending some time reading my Bible the other day, the word wait came up at least 3 times…

I have a hard time with waiting.

I was thinking about some men in the Bible who had to wait, such as Noah, who had to wait 120 years before it rained after he finished the ark. I feel like the last 7 years of my life I have been waiting on three big desires of my heart…and I have not been waiting patiently, I am ashamed to say….so Noah, you rock! But, I have been throwing some pretty childish tantrums over what I want:

1. A writing career (want to be a published author) and motivational speaking career (job/financial stability alone would be fabulous)
2. A nice house (with a huge fenced in back yard for the boys to run free! Also a nice big kitchen for me, I love to cook!)
3. A husband (one who is a great man of God. Someone to talk with…yes, I love to talk, and laugh with always. And I want a man of God in the home for the boys, someone to help me raise them in God’s way.

My patience runs very thin from time to time; I do think overall I have done well, but waiting is just not easy for me, I get too anxious and I am ready for a change or for things to go my way, for my dreams to come true, for my prayers…my pleas from my heart to be answered, to have more direction and guidance. It is hard for me to wait. I get my fingers a-drummin’ on the table top, my foot a-shakin’, I start pacin’, I start complaining, I start crying, and begging, “I want it NOW! God!!!!”

I don’t know God’s plan, but I do know His ways are perfect and His timing is perfect…as hard as that is to hear because all of those three things I really do want NOW. Some days each desire is stronger than another; like today I heard a song that made my heart ache for number 3, but the day before I was in Barns & Noble looking for book publishers to send my book off to again; hence, number 1 was my main hearts desire. And I want number 2 every time I have to clean this small apartment, or every time the boys are driving me crazy while flipping over (and breaking) the furniture because they need to get outside and run! These are things that are so important to me…and all of them seem impossible, but I serve an awesome God who exceeds the natural and works in the supernatural; therefore all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26)

JUST IN HIS TIMING AND IN HIS WAY!

A few weeks ago, my pastor’s wife/ my wonderful friend was teaching her lesson to our Wed. night ladies group, (my favorite time of the week! Love Ya Ladies!) and she passionately delivered one of the best lessons she has ever given (and I love all her lessons, she is a great speaker/challenger/encourager/woman of God), but she asked us this question:

IS GOD ENOUGH?

If I have to live pay check to paycheck for the rest of my life…is God enough?
If I never become a published writer…is God enough?
If I never get a house…is God enough?
If I have to sleep alone for the rest of my life…is God enough?
If I never feel the passionate love of a husband ever again…is God enough?
If I never have an amazing man marry me; a man to laugh with, cry with, smile with, pray with, grow with, vacation with, uplift in the troubled times, dance in the joyful times, read God’s word with in decision making times, help with the boys in all times…is God enough?

YES!

I also know that God knows the desires of my heart, and He wants to bless me, and I am believing for that….so I must ask this:

In the waiting times…is God enough?

YES!

Whatever you are waiting for, first let go and trust God…know that He has a plan and a timing for everything. But ask yourself…no matter what you are going through right now as you read this, is God enough?

I KNOW HE IS…and I can type this with a peace that passes all understanding, a joy that overflows in my heart, with strength for each day, and with Godly wisdom that supersedes the natural.

GOD IS ENOUGH!

Below are just some wonderful scriptures that I feel align with the ideas in this post:

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-3

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let you heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27: 14

These are some of the songs (I get mine from itunes) that always uplift and encourage me in times of waiting, in the lonely moments, when I am thinking of my dreams and desires, when letting go and seeking God’s will, in times of depression, and/or in the deepest, darkness of the pit that you may find yourself in right now:

“While I’m Waiting” by John Waller
“Only You” by Adie
“You’re the One” & “Your Will” by Devin Williams
“You are For Me” & “The More I seek You” by Kari Jobe
“Rescue” by Newsong
“Made Me Glad” by Hillsong
“Cry On My Shoulder” by Overflow
“Grace Flows Down” by Passion
“My Hope is You” by Third Day
“Sweetly Broken” by Jeremy Riddle
“Your Beloved” by Brent Helming
“Always” by Building 429
“How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin
“What Faith Can Do” by Kutless
“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus (I know this not Christian, but the words are encouraging when you are going through something)

WAIT ON THE GOD...HE WILL MAKE IT WORTH THE WAIT!

BABY GOT BACK!

An no this is not about the old Sir Mix-A-Lot song...lol...I just thought it would be a funny title. Although, let me say one day while I was at work, walking down our open hallways, I caught my reflection in the long row of windows, and I was very startled and jumped wondering what in the world is that behind me!! Oh yeah...think of that song, and see where I'm going with this. LOL.

Anyways, on to more important things....I AM BACK BABY, AND BETTER THAN EVER! My mind is finally clear and at peace, praise God. I have finally been able to do what I have been writing about and let go and really give it all to God, and allow His peace take over and calm my mind. My joy has been restored and I am back to my fun-loving, goofy, blonde self...lol. I have at last been able to hold a conversation without crying out of being overwhelmed. I am just so thankful for God's presence in my life, and don't know where I would be without His grace, hope, and love.

Now let me add this, nothing has changed...as far as my circumstances (the things that have been overwhelming me), they have not changed. I still have no job stability, I still don't even know if I will have a job in August, my dreams of a writer have not come true yet, I am still feeling very claustrophobic in my small apartment, I still don't know if I should move back home to Ohio or stay in my sunny North Carolina, I am still laying in bed alone every night, I still have a wonderful, lol, ex-husband, and I still have the worries of being a single mom of two active, young boys (although that is a major blessing and I love being a mom more than anything, it can just be difficult sometimes). So...none of these things have change, BUT my mindset has, thanks to my loving Heavenly Father who is always there to wipe my tears, pick me up, and put me back on His solid rock! Amen!
I am just very excited and full of hope!

Please know that God's peace is also available to you! No matter what you are facing, God is bigger, and He can either calm the storm, OR CALM YOU IN THE STORM!

Weight vs. Warrior

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” & “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called for his purpose.” Romans 8: 25 & 28

Some how my room has become the storage closet yet again…and not a neat, organized storage space—a disaster of mountains of mess. I have attempted many times this week to walk in there and tackle the chaos, but then backed out of there overwhelmed with the weight of the disorder in my home. But I have also been carrying around the weight of confusion in my mind….and I am worn out.

I sent out 2 txt to many of my friends the other day with the verse above, and then a txt following that which stated something like this: Stop focusing on the WEIGHT of your circumstances and search for the WARRIOR within you; since Christ is in you, you have the strength to be victorious in all areas of your lives! Jesus gives us the strength to fight the good fight of faith! Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We know this verse, we have heard it many times, it is written upon our hearts, but….do we ever really live in the power of it? Do we accept its truth and live it each day? Or do we allow the weight of the world, the nonsense of the negative, the power of the pity-party, the depression of the disastrous mistakes we make to settle in and take up a home in our hearts until we can no longer see the light. Thankfully Christ is a light that cuts through even the darkest moments in our lives. Thankfully His yoke is easy and His burdens are light….which means if we let go (as I was saying in the last post) and we give it all to God, we can have peace and know that “ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD”! So we can rest in that peace and that promise and “WAIT FOR IT WITH PATIENCE.” We can wait on the Lord and allow him to renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31).


The definition of warrior states: a man engaged or experienced in warfare. A person engaged in some struggle or conflict.

If we are living life we will be actively engaged in conficits/struggles/circumstances. We can choose our plan of attack by first choosing to have God be our central source of strength and our central command unit; who we go to for wisdom. Second: our mindset it a choice, as I stated earlier, we can choose to focus on the weight or the warrior; focusing on the weight only brings defeat, focusing on the warrior within us and Christ’s strength brings victory…and this is the hard part to grasp…even if the circumstance does not change, we can have victory in our lives by living in the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that overrides the circumstance and causes us to live joyfully no matter what. I have not been doing that lately, I have been focusing on the negative facts in my life instead of seeing the Savior working in me; building character as he continues to form me into His likeness. Our mindset is vital for victory! I need Jesus to renew my mindset today…how about you?

Romans goes on to say in Chapter 8: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is intercede for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? SHALL TRIBULATION, OR DISTRESS, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” Verse 37 answers this: “NO, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQEURORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US.”!

AMEN AND THANK YOU LORD!

I am a child of God and He’s got my back! Amen!
No matter what we go through, He is faithful, He is there, He cares, He responds!
It may not always be in the way we want or expect…but if we allow Him, he will take all that we go through and use it for good and for His glory!

“Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” 1 Timothy 6:12

P.S. THANK YOU BRENDA FOR YOUR HELP WITH MY ROOM! YOU ARE AN AWESOME FRIEND AND I HOPE YOU DON’T HAVE NIGHTMARES FROM THE MESS!!

Be Anxious for Nothing...

I am letting go....
I lay in my bed last night with the worst headache I've had in a long time, and it didn't help that my mind has still been a whirlwind of thoughts/emotions/worries/ideas...and I could finally pray, after months of turmoil:
"God, I am letting go. Your ways and plans for my life are so much better anyways...why do I stubbornly hold on so tight? If I don't give it to you...you can't fix it!"

I am letting go of all my worries.
I am letting go of all my fears.
I am letting go of all my anxieties.
I am letting go of all my pain.
I am letting go of all my unanswered questions.
I am letting go of all my desires.

I want your will for my life Lord...but I have to hand over mine.
I gladly do that now Lord, your perfect plan for my life far exceeds my own desires, and what greater things can you do in my life if I allow you to.

My mind has been a mess, but I am so thankful that even in my darkest hour Lord, you can still see me. Even in the loneliest moment Lord, you are with me. Even in the loudness of my chaotic mind, you can still hear my cries as I call out to you. You reach down with those nail-scarred hands, and now all I feel is your love and peace. Thank you Lord.

"Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus." Philip. 4:6-7

I give it to you God, and you replace it with peace.

I praise your name Lord, and I am thankful for your peace that plows through my mess and clears it out like a bulldozer preparing the way for a new road...your new path is one of joy, peace, strength, love, and wisdom.

"Be joyful aways, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:16

I have more reasons to praise you Lord than I do to continue to live in the pity party of dark pits.

I will praise you for your grace, Jesus.
I will praise you for your peace, Jesus.
I will praise you for your blessings, Jesus.
I will praise you for you are worthy to be praised, Jesus.
I will praise you for your creative beauty that surrounds me everyday, Jesus.
I will praise you for the laughter and joy that comes from being a mom, Jesus.
I will praise you for the wonderful family/friends you have blessed me with, Jesus.
I will praise you for your unconditional love that sooths me even in the mist of my most miserable moment in the loneliest hours, that love that overrides the lies being whispered in the darkness, that I am unlovable and unworthy...for I can lay at your feet and worship you, and feel your presence take over, and allow you to destroy any roots of negative insecurity in my life by the power of your blood that flows through me, Jesus!
I will praise you for all that you have done in my life, Jesus.
I will praise you for all you have done in the lives of those I love, Jesus.
I will praise you for the strength you provide me with in my weakest moments, Jesus.
I will praise you for you are righteous and wonderful, Jesus.
I will praise you holy and magnificent, Jesus.
I will praise you for there is no other name worthy to be praised, Jesus.

If you are caught in the tangled life of lies that the devil spreads throughout your mind...call on your Savior, Jesus, let it all go at His feet...and never turn back! He has it all under control. Let him fill you with a new song of praise today!

Matters of the Mind...

So I was major cleaning my apartment today, and like normal I have a hard time staying focused...I went from scrubbing down the kitchen, to cleaning the living room, to picking up dirty towels and clothes off the bathroom floor, to re-potting plants, to dusting, to painting my toe-nails, back to the kitchen, cleaning out the vacuum cleaner, moving the spices to a different cupboard, mopping one room, throwing junk in my room, back to the kitchen, scrubbing the toilet (that's my favorite, especially having two boys in the house...ha ha), checking on the boys who were supposed to be cleaning their room, to re-arranging things, and then again back to the kitchen. Yes...all over the place...amazingly enough I actually got everything done but my room...and that was too scary to tackle.

My mind was in the same mode today: Mayhem Monsoon...basically a giant messy storm wreaking havoc...all over the place.

It was jumping from one topic to the next in rapid fire motion...my lack of job stability at the top of the list, and because I was trying to clean a small cramped apartment the very strong desire for a house was next, and then going off from there. Now yes...this is actually mostly normal for my mind...the difference was...lately I just can't take it anymore. I am tired. Exhausted from the commotion of confusion. I am begging for answers and direction...I am pleading for peace...I am longing for strength...I am throwing myself at the feet of my Father finally saying "TAKE IT LORD" I am done with it. Your turn.

Which is of course what He tells us to do. We just sometimes have a hard time with our stubborn attitudes which causes us to unfortunately keep too tight of grasp on our turmoil in order to allow him to fix it.

His word promises "peace that passes all understanding", and "the spirit of a sound mind", and I am claiming that in Jesus name today.

God, you already have it all figured out...so I don't have to try to make mends of the mess...

I just have to let go.

What Now?

Have you ever felt torn in many directions and don't know where to head next?

I have actually been longing for a change...but I don't know if I really need one or is it just like my random changing patterns that pop up in my mind, and I have to move stuff around to find a new satisfaction...for example I change my living room around A LOT...it is amazing how many different things you can do with a very small apartment living room.

But I have been itching for a change...like I want to pack up and move to California just for the fun of it...or more real changes like I want to be moving into a house before I go crazy from claustrophobia in my apartment that we have been blessed with, but have long outgrown. Or I would love to have my writing career dreams actually happen.

So, I am not sure what I am feeling now, but I am so torn and mixed up. I just spent a great month with my family in Ohio. Now I want to move back home. I just wish I could take my NC weather and beaches with me, and I would probably be packing now.

It is not helping that I am sitting here alone in a restaurant typing away on my computer on the fourth of July while my family is all having a picnic back in OH. (I had to come back because my ex-husband wanted the boys for the fourth. But he did...get ready to sit down, I am getting ready to say something very nice here...he was very nice, and let us stay longer in OH than we are allowed according to out custoday papers and I very much thank him for that). So it makes me want to move there that much more. I know how bad my family wants the boys and I around. But, I have made a life here in NC and I love it here too...

I am just praying God will guide me and direct me...I want His will in my life. He has blessed me abundantly, and I love my life; I am very much enjoying my life. I am excited about where God has brought me from and where He is taking me in life. I may not know exactly what to do in life right now or what is going on...but I do know who has it under control and it is exciting...I was actually dancing around my apartment this morning just happy to be alive and to know that God has a plan for my life...even though I am unclear of what it may be right now...I do know that (and my pastor was talking about this today) my main job in life is to just praise God and let the world know how good He is!!

Living for Him is exciting! I am full of His joy, love, strength, and peace! And His wisdom...I know He will speak to my heart, and help me make the right choices...His spirit will direct me and comfort me. I need His comfort now...I know my feelings are mixed up today and unclear sorry...I am happy and in a dancing, playful, confident mood one minute, and sad, lonely, and missing my family the next. But it is OK...like I said, God's got it under control. I just want to praise Him. I cannot imagine...and don't even want to think about where my life would be without Jesus as the center of it! I am free in Him today to live an abundant life no matter where I am at! He loves me and Has called me out for a purpose!

He loves you too! If you are not sure where you are at in life right now...if you are confused...know that if you let God take control of your life...HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN! He has a purpose for your life. Be confident in that. Believe it! Live for Him and let Him fill your heart with joy, your lips with praise,your mind with peace, and your life with blessings. Who the Son sets free...is free indeed!! Free from sin, free from bondage, free from a negative mind-set, free from insecurites, free from fears, from from worries, free from anxiety, and free from your past!!! LIVE AN ABUNDANT FREE LIFE IN HIM TO DAY...THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT!! AND PRAISE HIM FOR IT!