Long Time No Post

When you don't have the internet at your house for 5 days, it's hard to update your blog. So after an hour on the phone with a lovely girl that may or may not be on the show "Outsourced", our problem has been resolved. Yay for the internet!

I am reading the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and I must say it is phenomenal. He is such an amazing man of God who speaks truth and has a genuine love for God and for people. And I firmly believe only 3 chapters in that if the church spent some time in the book of Acts and knew that that is God's design for the church through the power of the Holy Spirit, the church would look DRASTICALLY different than it does today. There are certainly Spirit-filled people, and even the occasional Spirit-filled church in America, but as a while, we don't live as if we are followers of GOD ALMIGHTY, creator of Heaven and Earth! I include myself in that. But I feel the Spirit moving... and for the first time I am responding to His call, His beckoning to a higher and clearer way of living. He is so good. I have no idea how long I'll be here in earth, but I do know that I want to do as much good as I can to as many people as I can for as long as God allows. I want His love, mercy, grace and power to consume me and ooze out of me in a way that is contagious to those around me. 

I'm really thankful for my life right now. While I have not escaped the daily struggles of life and arrows from the enemy, God is so good. My relationships are so rich, from my family to my husband to my friends, old and new. Life has taken a turn for Seth and I the past month or so, and we are now in a huuuge transition period. But God paved the way and we are focused on Him and what He wants for us, what He created us for. Living with hope, faith, love and passion is truly the way. I'm so blessed. He is so good. Amen

Transitions

Have you ever gone into a season where you felt that everything was about to change? That's where I am right now. I've felt it coming for a couple of months now, but didn't really know what the "change" would be. And some of it I could've never guessed. God is so good though. He knows what we need, when we need it, and he knows how to comfort us in times of trial or confusion. When we seek Him, and only Him, confusion turns to clarity. I praise Him for the clarity He has given me, and the peace I have in Him.

There's nothing like peace. I think that the word peace is overused, both in society and in the church. I know that I personally have made the statement that I have "peace" about something, without really understanding what that meant. I don't know that my heart and my mind have been in agreement for a while. It has been awesome to spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus, getting to know Him on a more intimate level than I ever have before, and through that, I know more about myself than than I ever have. I have peace and clarity, and total freedom in Christ. God is so amazing. The changes that are taking place in my life and the life of my family are so good, because they are in line with the people God created us to be.

I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband and the man that he is. He is not my first love, Jesus will always hold that spot, but he is a great and Godly man and I'm thankful to live this journey with him. I love you, Seth! Again, God knows what we need, when we need it. To have a supportive and honest husband who brings out not just the best in me, but God's best, is more than I could've ever dreamed or asked for.

So, at the end of the day, God reigns and love rules over evil. Peace, clarity and freedom rule over confusion, discord, and bondage. Praise Him! More to come on the changes...

A Few of My Favorite Things

I love March. Here's why: 1. My birthday, 2. March Madness, 3. Spring (or the end of winter), 4. St. Patrick's Day (it's fun to pinch people), 5. Mardi Gras/Easter, depending on how the calendar falls. I mean seriously, it's by far the greatest month of the year. Tons of great things to celebrate, and usually the weather starts to get nice outside! So let's all pay homage to the month of March, our dear friend who brings joy to the masses.

I am finally starting to feel like myself again after being sick with bronchitis for 2 solid weeks. It was rough, but I am back! Can't wait to start Zumba again this week and eat something more than chicken noodle soup. Seth is on Spring Break this week, so he'll get to sleep in everyday, which will make me very mad. Grrr. Oh, well, he'll get payback the first week in April when I'm sleeping in and he's the one getting up at 6 am!  Let the countdown begin.

The book I am reading right now, The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis is absolutely fantastic. God is so good about giving us what we need when we need it. If I had read this book a few years or even a few months ago I don't think I would've understood it the way I do now. Life is just not easy, and it's not simple. Well, it is and it isn't. It should be simple, but because of sin, we complicate everything. We stay so focused on our little "me-world" and try to manipulate the world around us to fit how we see it and want for things to be. All the while trying to please 15 people and be who we think they want us to be, including God. We adapt to our surroundings. But God created us very intentionally, specifically, and purposefully. Life is the journey of becoming that person. The first step is to get to know God in an INTIMATE way, because how can we know who we are without knowing our Creator?? He created us for love and relationship and glory, and He is soooo good! When we spend quality time with Him every day, we have a better understanding of who He is, which helps us to understand who we are. We are after all, a reflection of Him. To truly know ourselves, we must first know Him. I am just now, after many years of being a "Christian", really getting to know Him on an intimate level. I have known about Him for a while, even talked to Him a lot. Didn't do a while lot of listening though, and never really sat at His feet in awe of who He is. It is so beautiful to sit at His feet.

I will leave you tonight with a quote from The Sacred Romance. "The Spirit has come to empower us to continue the invasion of the kingdom, which is primarily about freeing the hearts of others to live in the love of God." Now THAT'S purpose.