Women's Bible Study

Whenever I use to see those words I would RUN!  After a few years I saw those words and was like "yeah I totally need to do that" but I never did, then I saw the words and was going to do it but came up with reasons why it would never work out.  Well this summer I saw the words embraced my fear and totally jumped in head first.  I have no idea why women's bible studies always freak me out, it's not like women are crazy (no crazier then men) and it's not like I've had horrible experiences with women, I have had many great women friends.  So today I went and I'll tell you what, I had an awesome time!  I met some great new ladies and got to dig into the word with them and hear what they had to say about what God is doing in their lives. 

Next week we're studying Psalm 13 so I sat down to read it today.  It spoke volumes to my heart and I hope that you'll take some time to study it yourself.  In this Psalm David (the author) was pleading to God in a time of struggles.  He was asking God how long will I endure this?!  The chapter is only 6 versus long so it went for woeful to praising God in a very short span.  In the next couple versus he goes on to pray that the Lord would deliver him.  In the last couple versus he's praising God for his blessings and for taking care of him!  It reminded me that yes I go through hard times, but that I should always praise God for being good to me!  Short post tonight, I'm tired and it's only 7pm but I think I shall retire early.

Blessings today and always,

Though None Go With Me...

Still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.  Those are the famous words of a very old hymn however they still ring so very true in my heart.  Several years ago Jerry Jenkins wrote a book titled Though None Go With Me and that story has stuck with me and popped up in my memory at the best times.  Well they made a movie based off of the book (when it comes to it I would prefer you read the book there is so much more depth to it that way) but the movie catches the gist of it. 

Most of you probably don't know how I've struggled over the past several months (and even more so these past few weeks) with my life situation.  Adam seems to be working harder then ever, most days he's gone 15 hours a day and more times then not he misses seeing Abbie that day all together.  He works so hard so that I can stay home with our munchkin and I love him for that.  However I can't help but be human and I want it all my way.  I want him to be able to support our family but still be able to spend a chunk of time with us and right now that chunk of time is being robbed from us.  How does that tie in to this great book and movie?  Well I'll tell you.

In the movie the main character, Elizabeth, goes through her fair share of troubles!  Her mother dies when she is a very young girl, she grows up falls in love with a very Godly man, a pastor, who goes to war.  While he's at war her father passes away in his sleep then she gets word that Ben (the man she loves) has been killed in an attack.  She then, after a year and a half marries a man who has always loved her and so she in her grief turns to him falls in love and marries him.  All well in good till she finds out that Ben (the love of her life) didn't really die he had become a POW and had just been released!  She stays married to Will because she honestly loved him.  Years later her only son is killed along with his wife in a car accident and they become the guardians of their only daughter.  A few years later her husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer and it just goes downhill from there and he passes away 8 years later.  I'm telling you what after all that I don't know that I would be very happy with God!  But still she remains faithful, through all the hard times she uses them to minister to others!  Though none went with her and though it was painful (very painful) at times she embraced the will of God.  She lived it out knowing that her heartache would somehow help others. 

I tell you all this because I was so blessed by this message!  I could bore you to TEARS claiming all the hardships of my life starting in 4th grade (I know I was what 8?!) anyways but I won't.  It's a blessing because I know that someday (maybe soon) maybe it's already happened, I will be able to bless someone with my hardships.  Because of my faith and willingness to live God's will no matter what it holds I may be able to bless someones life so that they may do the same.  I pray that this may happen and that someday, when I'm 70 or 80 years old I can look back on my life, sit down with my grandchildren and tell them what a blessing my life has been all because I lived in God's will.  God doesn't promise that His will is easiest but He does promise that it's right.  As long as I remember that nothing will ever hold me down.  Though none go with me, still I will follow...

Blessings today and always,

Welcome to my journey

I finally did it, I opened the book and did the first devotion for the day in the book I bought well over a month ago.  Made to Crave Devotional by Lysa TerKeurst jumped out from the shelf like a hand trying to grab at me, I read the back although I had already heard of the book and made the choice to buy it and make my way through it knowing that what she has to say is probably going to rock my world and Lord willing change my life forever.  Lysa talks about and is very honest about her struggle with weight over the years of her life and wrote a book about the path she walked (I haven't read the book I had to make a choice between it and the devotional so I chose the later).  I've always known there was a deeper issue to the fact that I continue to eat and crave nasty foods (I mean good but NASTY foods) and a reason I continue to eat and eat and eat trying to fill some sort of hole that you can't ever see or fill.  I've known there was a deeper issue but wanted to ignore it thinking that one day I might be able to conquer this issue either on my own or with the help of God.  I tried over and over and when I failed I just figured I could always try again the next day (or next year ya know whatever works). 

Day One in this devotional, asking the Lord to unsettle me.  You know my brother Stephen has talked to me about this before, not in the same words but still.  I can see that this message has been taught to me over and over yet I seem to be ignoring it.  Unsettle me, I look at it kind of like turning the soil for a new garden.  God is the gardener and I am the soil, and if I want the "fruits" to grow from my soil them I'm going to have to allow God to turn the soil, to unsettle me and dig deep inside to find the faith and commitment to make my life fruitful.  Did that make sense to anyone else? 

Well this is my prayer today and will continue to be my prayer, because the Lord is never done working in our lives.  I pray that the Lord will unsettle me, never let me be complacent in my walk with my Lord Jesus.  Let me allow Him to do a great work in my life and in my family's life.  I pray that this is the start of an amazing journey.

Blessings today and always

Saten is attacking!

Today was another attempt at the stay at home mom bit...it didn't go all wrong but it was very VERY long.  Miss Abbie has a cold and in return its hurting her ears and that my friends makes for a super cranky child.  It would have been okay if she wanted to sit and snuggle with me but I would pick her up and sit her with me and she was so fidgety!  She just wouldn't sit still so I put her on the floor and she would cry and cry and cry and I would pick her up and she would cry and fidget...you can see the vicious cycle starting can't you.  Add to that trying to get chores done around the house and a dog that wanted to play and snuggle and you get a very long day.  I can't say that over the past few days it hasn't ocurred to me that I should have just stayed at work but I know this is God's calling for my life and saten can attack me all he wants but I'll just pray and pray and try harder.  Well friends I'm out for the night, I'm going to wait for my love to get home from work. 

Blessings today and always,

Day 2....Attempting a full day out

Well today is Saturday, once a month on a Saturday morning me and a few lady friends get together for what we call "Coffee Chronicles" it's basically just a time for us ladies to get together study scripture together, encourage one another and drink coffee and eat yummy breakfast food!!  Well today we didn't make it to the actual bible study but we had a wonderful time of encouraging each other in our marriages sharing struggles that we have with ourselves and praying for one another.  It amazes me that we always end up hanging out till the early afternoon!  So around one I headed over to Target (diaper run) and got me and Abbie some lunch!  Then we headed over to PetSmart to take a look because they are having a pet adoption there today and there were the CUTEST shepherd mixes there!  Now, Adam and I have been praying and talking about getting a puppy and I didn't get one today but we're going Monday on Adam's day off to look at them.  I'm praying they still have one left because they were SO sweet!  It's going on 5 o'clock and I'm about to start laundry...I will never understand my need to wait till the late afternoon to get started on laundry!  I need to work on that!  Anyhow, Abbie is waking up from her way to short a nap so I need to get her!  I'll leave you with a picture of this sweet dog! Tell me it's not the most adorable!

Blessings today and always,

Stay at home mom

Today started my first day as an official full time stay at home mom....I had visions of what it was going to be like.  I was going to be like Martha Stewart get my house SPARKLING clean and have my husband come home to a nice home cooked meal a full fridge from the visit to the store I did and a daughter in her high chair ready for dinner...ummm NOT.  That is not like ANYTHING that happened today!  My day started out with a cranky daughter waking up to early with dark circles under her eyes coughing at me because she caught my cold from last week.  I got her up got her changed gave her a cup of milk and we snuggled which was nice :)  I finished my grocery list printed that two recipes and my meal plan for the next two weeks out (sounds like its starting off ok doesn't it) well Abbie goes down for her nap and I relax for a little while.  I get ready to leave the house getting myself cleaned up, getting Abbie's bag together and just in time for her to wake up from her nap (perfect timing) I then left the house in plenty of time to get to my previous place of employment for the going away lunch they were throwing for me (which was nice) well on the way I stop to fill my car up (and here starts the down fall of my day) FIFTY SIX DOLLARS to fill up my car.  I remember the day when I said "I'm never getting a truck they cost fifty bucks to fill up (jokes on me right).  Well we get done with lunch and Abbie's doing alright mood wise so I decide to go to the store to get my groceries for the next couple weeks I get Abbie out of the car get in the store and.....my list is at home on my kitchen counter.  Way to go Amy!  So I load Abbie BACK in the car go home lay her down for her way to short afternoon nap and she wakes up in the WORST mood a mother can ask for, poor thing just doesn't feel good!  So we snuggled all evening because that husband that was suppose to come home still isn't home and it's 10:30.  So needless to say my first day as a stay at home mom wasn't perfect but I loved it still the same.  Instead of someone else holding my child because she doesn't feel good it was me.  I love my life and I love that my husband works so hard so that I can wipe these runny noses all the time!  Tomorrow is another day...maybe I'll get my house spotless tomorrow...maybe :-/

Blessings today and always,

End of February already!?

Bear with me folks!  It's almost the end of the week and in just 3 days I'll be an official full time stay at home mom!!  I'm so excited and blessed to be able to stay home with my child (and future children).  I'll return to blogging soon enough and will share all that's been going on in my life and family!  In the mean time if you need a great blog to read please head over to www.tolovehonorandvacuum.com and read her blog!  She's doing a 29 Days to Great Sex challenge and it is AMAZING!  Honor God in all areas of your marriage, remember he cares about you and loves you and wants you to have a happy healthy marriage...and that means having GREAT SEX :)

Blessings now and always,