Weekend with my girls!

One of my favorite things to do is spend time with the AMAZING girls that God has put in my life. I get so much joy out of being a youth leader to the high school girls. Even though it may make my crazy life even crazier I enjoy every bit of time that is spent with them.  This weekend was filled with lots of time.

I got to enjoy the company of two of my girls on Friday as we had dinner and watched "Never Say Never" (it was actually not too bad). 

Saturday we traveled to Charleston for a Stingrays hockey game. It was a day filled with singing, laughter, shopping, screaming and talking! I love days when we can just enjoy each others company. 

Thank you Lord for allowing me to be apart of these girls lives and I pray that you continue to give me the guidance and wisdom to speak to their hearts.

"They spent their time learning the apostles' teaching, sharing, breaking bread and praying together" Acts 2:42

How is God speaking to you?

God can speak to us in many ways.. How has He been speaking to you lately?  In the past couple weeks God has really been speaking to me through music.  I have found myself getting so lost in songs lately.  Each song that comes on when I'm listening to the radio appears to be just for ME! I love this feeling! I feel as if God is telling me and filling me with exactly what I need at the present time.

My song today was "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. I have a difficult time being patient and not knowing what tomorrow brings and this song gave me peace.

Enjoy the video!  I pray that you allow God to speak to you today!

Have You Seen A Farmer?

Well, the weekend has come and gone and the new week is in full swing! As I reflect back on the weekend I just smile.  It was a weekend full of relaxation and time spent outside enjoying the beautiful weather! One part that stuck out most to me was the sermon that was preached Sunday on the "Parable of the Sower" I have read and have heard this parable numerous times but as I was listening to our Pastor and guest speakers something in my mind just clicked. The part of the sermon that stuck out for me the most was where it was explaining the parable in verses 13-20

 "Then Jesus said to his followers, "Don't you understand this story? If you don't, how will you understand any story?  The farmer is like a person who plants God's message in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them. Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy. But since they don't allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up. Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit^] in their lives. Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more."

As I sit and think about this I believe that I have gone through each step of this parable since the beginning of my faith walk.  What about you? After time has gone by and my faith has grown I feel as if God has lead me all the way to the final step and I am listening to all that God has to share with me. Now that I have that faith and encouragement am I going to be a farmer and sow my seed to someone else or thirty times more, sixty times more and even a hundred times more? The answer is YES! I want to take on my role as a farmer and sow God's word into the hearts of the unsaved in this world.  

Are you going to take that step of faith and be a farmer to someone in this world?

One of my favorite quotes from Sunday was...

"Our bodies are undercover outfits into where we are to bring the light of God" 

 

"I Am Beautiful"

As I was driving into work this morning and I was worshiping the Lord this song came on and I was so inspired to share it with everyone! Even though we may not feel like it always we are BEAUTIFUL! We have been created by an AWESOME God! Do not let anyone of this world tell you different! 

I AM BEAUTIFUL! WE ARE BEAUTIFUL!

*This Is The Stuff

I think this song was written just for me!(or every person I know) I feel like I'm always looking for something in the great unknown. After listening to "This Is The Stuff" by Francesca Battestelli I realized that even though things may not go my way or seem to be falling apart I am truly blessed to have Christ in my life.  He has an AMAZING plan for my life that has ups and downs included.  I just need to run the race and focus on the finish line of heaven.

"I say this because I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future." Jeremiah 29:11


*Title taken from the song "This is the Stuff" by Francesca Battestelli

"Everlasting Time"

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us" J.R.R. Tolkien

This quote makes it sound so easy..I can sit here and think of many things that I wanna do with my time but eventually you feel like you run out of daily time to do it.  TIME seems to be the topic of discussion lately with many people. I don't have time to do this..  I don't have time to do that..  I even find myself thinking the same thing at least a couple times a week.  I believe it is something that each person struggles with at some point.


I'm sure I can find a bunch of people who use lists each day.  I LOVE to do lists! It's how I manage to stay focused at work and get all my daily projects done.  It's the same for my high school youth that go to school.  They have a set schedule and they follow it each day just like a to do list.

What if you realized that as a follower of Christ you have more time than anyone?  I have been reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp and ironicly Chapter 4 was about time! (I think God maybe trying to tell me something)  As I was reading something in the chapter stuck out that I never really thought about before.  

          "In Christ, don't we have everlasting existence? Don't Christians have all the time in eternity, life   everlasting.  If anyone should have time, isn't it the Christ followers."

Wow! I have never thought about it that way before.  In that case we have all the time we need. This definitely makes me feel so much better about the to do lists that don't get finished.

So with this newly found everlasting time we need to decide what we want to do to fill it...

       Will it be exercising?  Spending time with our families?  Studying God's word?  

A good point was brought up in Chapter 4 of "One Thousand Gifts" that I continue to think about.."Does the busyness of your life leave little time for the source of life? As I sit here and ponder this and decide what I am going to do with my extra time I realize that I don't always get enough time with my God.  God desires us to spend time studying his word and talking to Him in prayer.  As I crave to become one with Christ my desire needs to be his desire and to fill my extra time with Him. 

What will you do with your everlasting time?    

"We are merely moving shadow, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing." Psalm 39:6

JOY to the world

"You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine." Psalm 4:7

Does anyone else ever feel like the world tries to takes away your joy? I do! My desire lately has been to not let this happen.  I want MY joy to show through any circumstance.  I was tested this morning on my way to work when a car pulled out in front of me.  I will admit that I began to get upset over this but realized that it wasn't worth it and just smiled and continued to Praise the Lord through the worship music I was listening to.  I made the decision to not be defeated!!


Will you make the decision to let your joy show through any circumstance?




"I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:11

I've designed my blog...Now what?

Well, I have been going back and forth on whether to do a blog or not. Do I actually have enough to share? Do I have enough time to share at all? Will people even read it?

My heart has been opened up and I know that God will provide me with words to encourage and teach you all as my faith grows with each passing day.


"It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives." Romans 1:16-17 (The Msg)