Invite Him

Here it is, that one day a week where I just feel worn out. My mind goes blank and I realize I haven't spent anytime just sitting with Jesus.  So here it is.  Sit with Jesus for a few minutes today. What do you notice when you sit with Him? I notice a calm and true rest for those moments. There is something so comforting when I invite Him to spend time with me and just be in His presence.  Enjoy!

Life Is Bumpy

Today I am pondering how long bumps in my road have taken to get back to regular smooth life.  For instance, in August of '15 I had a severe high ankle sprain.  I am just now, a year and a month later, finally feeling fairly normal while working out, stretching and so on. Life's physical bumps take time to mend, and they leave us with a new appreciation for our health. The same holds true with emotional bumps. My mom passed away in May of '14 and I'm still processing through all of that.  There are very difficult moments even still.  The beauty about the bumps of life are that they leave us with so much more. God is able to use our bumps to bring us closer to Him and give us grace which changes the very nature of who we are. When we go to Jesus during the healing process, we are truly able to heal. Life may not be like it once was, and that's okay. I've learned to lean on Jesus in the bumps and He gives me peace that passes understanding. He heals my heart and gives me the hope to move forward anew.

Faith Stories

One of the most comforting, most enjoyable, most incredible things about being a Jesus follower is getting to see God at work in the same way in different places.  I've been spending time thinking about my faith stories, those stories that I could share with people that show God's work in my life and have strengthened my faith. I am deeply moved today by a theme that seems to keep popping up as I journey with Jesus. I am still thinking through it and now I'm looking back to see which other faith stories have the same theme. Are there ones I missed? What are the ones to come? When we start to seek God in our world and not just be run over by the world, we get to experience His glory right now. Faith stories that show the glory of God on earth are the best. They don't even have to be our own to have an impact, which is awesome. Jesus' birth is a pretty great story about God's glory, and I think we can all agree, it's had a pretty sizable impact. ;-) Share your faith stories.  Listen to faith stories. Seek God and He will show up. Faith isn't built in a day, it is written over a lifetime.

If you're interested in a more personal look at Faith Stories, come to our Women's Retreat!

Not an Easy Task

Time seems to fly. I do normal daily tasks, and it feels like in an instant it is bedtime. I have spent the last few years really trying to pare down my commitments and focus solely on spending time doing things that bring me closer to Jesus and closer to people. Even in doing that, I find that my time seems to get away from me. I want to be still with Jesus and spend time with Him, yet the pressures of life and job seem to steal away that time. I am not one to enjoy pressure or the feeling of being obligation, yet sometimes those are the only things that keep me doing life on the world's terms. I'm not a fan. Essentially, my goal is to make time for Jesus as often as possible and when the world is too busy, still keep my focus on Him in my busyness. Not an easy task, but a worthy one to be sure.

Always To You

Father, may you be near in any and every situation. May we turn to you in the joy and sorrow. I pray that you would be my only comfort, stronghold, and peace in a world where there are so many ways to try to fulfill your promises without you. I pray I always look to you. Amen.

What I've Learned

Here's a few gems I've learned:

- God is in the business of redemption...and that means ALL things.
- God knows how you feel anyway, so you might as well own it.
- Blessings come out of some of the crummiest situations...even cancer.
- Jesus prays on our behalf. He gets it.
- The Spirit is alive and moving.
- God's thoughts are not my thoughts. ;-)
- God gives us the specific grace we need when we need it, not before and not after.
- When all seems lost, the only light you need is Jesus.
- God has a plan for you. He thinks about you all the time, even when it doesn't feel like it.
- Jesus knows what to do.

Frustrated With God

I really don't have words today. I am incredibly frustrated with life right now. I don't understand what is happening. Nothing seems to play in our favor. I know God is moving, but right now I am frustrated with Him. There, I said it. I'm frustrated with God. I don't know what He's up to and He doesn't seem to be showing too much of His hand. Doors just seems to be closing. There is a glimmer of hope and then the door slams shut. Thankfully, God is big enough to handle my frustration.  Thankfully, God knows me well enough to know what I need and when I need it. Right now, I am struggling to see that providence in our current situation. I'm praying He shows me His will very soon, because I'm growing weary of the battle.