Faith, Hope and Love

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (NLT)

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

Ephesians 3:17-19 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (NLT)

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Psalm 27:3,5,13-14 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me,In this I will be confident. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!



"May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word." Psalm 119:74

2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

Selfishly Unselfish

Our culture is promoting a lifestyle that is ruining America. TV shows, music, talk shows, contests, radio, etc. are all encouraging the focus and concentration on one person- ME. Think about it. Facebook is all about telling others about ME, showing the world MY pictures, MY thoughts, MY favorite links. ME, ME, ME. The Christmas ads are now targeting the notion of buying one for yourself and maybe one for someone else. Christmas isn't about buying presents for yourself! It is about the birth of Jesus, the one who came to the world selfless and perfect. And, here I am writing a blog all about ME and MY experiences, going on and on about how all of this is effecting ME. Well, it's time I refocus. It's time I am humbled and reminded that sometimes, God has us go through little while times for OTHERS and not ourselves.

My Pastor shared a message called the Christmas Little While Times, and something was brought to mind that I had never thought about before. I have heard the Christmas story a billion times, from hearing it a church to watching the Charlie Brown Christmas. But, I had never paid attention to some of the most important characters in the story- the Shepards. See, the Angel came to the Shepards and told them about Jesus coming. Why was it important for Shepards, the low lives of the culture at the time, to come see the newborn King? It was all a part of God's plan. A plan that neither Joseph or Mary could understand. As pastor pointed out, if Jesus had been born in a palace, where a King should have been born, the Shepards wouldn't have been allowed to meet him. Instead, Jesus had to be born in a place in which the Shepards could actually come to, and fulfill the words of God spoken through the Angel. What does that mean for us? Why should that be important? Because, sometimes God has to put us in places in our lives in which we can reach others. Sometimes, the little while times are not just about us! Knowing that my situation and my attitude can make someones day a better day or encourage them to return to their faith makes it all worth it.

I have been reminded of this countless times in this short journey. Know that in your dark hours, others are watching you- seeing how you react, how you pull through, watching your words and actions and seeing if they really are glorifying to God like you are saying they are. As I was pondering all of this, I am reminded of a song I used to sing back in middle school. I thought it was just a pretty song, but now I am reflecting on the words. To my fellow Christians, can you answer yes to each of the questions in the song? If not, it's time we get to work on ourselves!

Do They See Jesus in Me- Joy Williams

Is the face that I see in the mirror
the one I want others to see
Do I show in the way that I walk in my life
The love that You've given to me
My heart's desire is to be like You
In all that I do, all I am
Do they see Jesus In Me
Do they recognize Your face
Do I communicate Your love, and Your grace
Do I reflect who You are
In the way I choose to be
Do they see Jesus In Me
It's amazing that you'd ever use me
But use me the way You will
Help me to hold out a heart of
compassionate grace
A heart that You're spirit fills
May I show forgiveness and mercy
The same way You've shown it to me
Now I want to show all the world who You are
The reason I live and breathe
So You'll be the One that they see
When they see me



The Good Wife

In Praise of a Good Wife

 10A truly good wife
   is the most precious treasure

   a man can find!

    11Her husband depends on her,

   and she never

   lets him down.

    12She is good to him

   every day of her life,

    13and with her own hands

   she gladly makes clothes.

    14She is like a sailing ship

   that brings food

   from across the sea.

    15She gets up before daylight

   to prepare food

   for her family

   and for her servants. [a] 16She knows how to buy land

   and how to plant a vineyard,

    17and she always works hard.

    18She knows when to buy or sell,

   and she stays busy

   until late at night.

    19She spins her own cloth,

    20and she helps the poor

   and the needy.

    21Her family has warm clothing,

   and so she doesn't worry

   when it snows.

    22She does her own sewing,

   and everything she wears

   is beautiful.

    23Her husband is a well-known

   and respected leader

   in the city.

    24She makes clothes to sell

   to the shop owners.

    25She is strong and graceful, [b] as well as cheerful

   about the future.

    26Her words are sensible,

   and her advice

   is thoughtful.

    27She takes good care

   of her family

   and is never lazy.

    28Her children praise her,

   and with great pride

   her husband says,

    29"There are many good women,

   but you are the best!"

    30Charm can be deceiving,

   and beauty fades away,

   but a woman

   who honors the LORD

   deserves to be praised.

    31Show her respect--

   praise her in public

   for what she has done.

proverbs 31:10-31


I pray that God and Brett see me as the good wife God intended for me to be.

One Third

It's official. Monday marked that we are one-third of the way through basic training. That means that phase one is over, and the "break down" has been done; now begins the rebuild. It also means that in just a few days, we will be moving to the half way mark. I like half better than one third.

Half = 0.5, 50%, 1/2.

As a math teacher, a half is a lot easier to deal with than a third.

One-third= 33.333333333...%, 1/3, 0.333333...

Just like one third is a repeating decimal that goes on forever and ever and ever, I feel like this whole thing is going on forever and ever. I bet once I get to the half way mark, things won't seem so tough. Well, at least I'll keep telling myself that.

Angels

I have found myself surrounded by many Angels during this time. Some are complete strangers, or those I haven't spoken to in years. Some are my dearest and closest friends. This song reminds me of the blessing of wonderful family and friends, the Angels among us. I am so greatful for you all- you know who you are!!!

Honor The King

This is the sermon that Pastor Jim gave the day that Brett left for boot camp. I run through this sermon almost daily in my head, thinking of how great God is to provide Brett with this encouragement and mindset before he begins the most challenging 3 months of his life to date. I am so blessed by Pastor Jim and his knowledge of the Bible and commitment to preaching the truth, whether or not we want to hear it. I know that the video is lengthy, so set aside a half an hour of your day. I promise you won't regret it.

Faith Church // Sermons

In our letters back and forth, Brett and I quote this sermon. When he was down, feeling like he couldn't do a thing right- I reminded him of Gods Word. In all you do, in every march, in every yell, in every push up, in every tear, in every heart ache- Honor The King.

What If

Have you ever sat back and thought about the future? Mindless "what if's" running through your head? What a huge waste of mental effort and emotional stability! I hit a low point in my day today where all I could think about was what if this and what if that. The words "I don't want this anymore" even came out of my mouth. There was something about today that made me want to throw in the towel and give up. I was tired, stressed, bored, anxious, lonely, etc all in one moment and I let it get the best of me. A great friend of mine was able to talk me down and remind me of the blessings in life. Thank goodness for great friends- especially those who quote Bob Marley's Don't Worry, Be Happy at the very perfect moment :)

As I was sitting in my own woes, I came across this verse:

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken."

Psalm 62:1-2

So there you have it. He alone is my rock, He alone is my support, He alone will keep me, hold me and fill me with His love. I am so blessed by God's Word. It is like going on a treasure hunt each day to find the Bible verse that will speak to my heart and lift my spirits. You should try it! 

I leave you with this beautiful song. 

What a true and honest message: What if the trials of this life, are His mercy in disguise?

To be Held

The importance of touch and human to human contact is not to be underestimated. Research shows that newborns who do not get enough touch have social, emotional and even learning problems in the future. I found a great article that stresses the importance of touch from an adult standpoint.

Don't Underestimate the Importance of Touch

Have you ever gone days on end without human to human touch? Something dark and unhealthy begins to happen- anxiety levels increase, stress levels rise and self-esteem plummets. God intended for us to love one another, and that love extends to touch. Today marks 31 days without real human to human touch for me, and I am starting to feel the side effects. Who knew that just a hug, a squeeze of the hand or just a brush of the arm would make such a difference. I thank God for Kenzie's amazing sweet hugs and kisses, and I know I would be in a much darker place without them. But nothing compares to a big bear hug from a loved one. I began to search the Bible to find what God says about touch, and what it means to be Held. In my search, I came across a beautiful and moving song. It speaks volumes to my heart, and I hope it touches yours as well (pun intended!). The song writer wrote this song after researching child trafficking in the United States and found herself searching for God's meaning behind allowing bad things to happen to good people.

My favorite part of the song:

If hope if born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our Savior
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held

So, hug a loved one. You are fortunate enough to have him/her nearby enough to touch.

My Girl

I know you are singing the song in your head, so I won't need to link the video but I can't help but think that my girl is the coolest! Seriously, the coolest. Even when she is naughty she is so stinkin' cute you can help but smile! Last night, as I was rocking her before bed she said back with a huge grin and pretended to tickle me. She knew I was getting frustrated because it was supposed to be nigh night time and cuddles, but she wanted to be funny and cute instead! I tried to show a sad face to get the point across but after a moment of her little tickle fingers and smiley face I couldn't help but laugh out loud! She gets me every time! This could get dangerous by the time she is a teenager so remind me to stay stern later, okay? I just wanted to record and celebrate her coolness to look back on for years to come.

Things she can do that make her the coolest:
Pray to God each night, thanking Him for each close family member, her friends, and her toys
Count to 13
Say, almost with accuracy, the colors of the rainbow while pointing to an object of the correct color
Use, with ease, my phone or ipad to play Elmo videos, games or bubble blaster
Pick out shapes, like the painted triangles on the wheelchair ramp sidewalk
Jump with two feet off the ground
Do a summersault with precision
Hang from a pull up bar for seconds on end
Count the number of babies she has with her in bed (there are about 7 or so each night!)
Make all the animal noises
Sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Rockabye Baby, Itsy Bity Spider with hand movements
Put her own babies to bed, following the exact same routine as what we follow
Swim in the bathtub
Shoot baskets in the bathtub
Feed herself spaghetti (who cares if she wears more than she actually eats!)
Draw pictures for Daddy
Find the snowmen, Santa and Mickey Mouses in everyone's yards
Recall memories and tell me stories from previous days
Tattle on the babysitters (hehe!)
Put herself to sleep by reading books in bed and singing songs to herself and her babies
Make me "dinner" with her kitchen and play food
Gives the best big hugs and sweet smacking kisses
Puts herself in a time out by saying "Kenzie be a good girl" and sitting on the steps, then coming to me saying "sorry" with hugs and kisses.

and the sweetest of them all....drum roll please.....

She cups my face in both her hands, brings her nose into mine and looks directly into my eyes with such focus and purpose. And then, asks me for more toys! LOL! What a ham! Gotta love her!

Far Away

I can't help but smile when I hear this song. How young and naive we were, dancing at our wedding thinking finally, we won't ever be apart. Goodness. If I had only known. I wrote Brett the other day, sobbing on the paper. If I would have known, I wouldn't have wasted a moment of my life being mad at him. If I would have known, I would have never gone a day without hugging him, holding him tight and not wanting to ever let go. If I would have known, I would have spent every free moment just being with him- not watching tv, sewing the night away or spending time with friends. If I would have known, I would have done things differently. I would have given him more praise, more respect, more love, more freedom, more adoration. I would have given him more of me.

Waiting Here For You

Do you ever feel like you are in a waiting place in your life? I am most definitely stuck in time, waiting for God to move, guide, direct, show, PUSH me in the right direction. If you know anything about me, you know that I am far from patient and far from letting go of control. Throughout this experience those two areas continually pop up as reminders of my weaknesses. This song spoke to me, reminding me that I need to wait on Him- not me- Him.

Waiting Here For You- Christy Nockels

If faith can move the mountains

Let the mountains move

We come with expectation

Waiting here for You

I'm waiting here for You

You're the Lord of all creation

And still you know my heart

The Author of Salvation 

You've loved us from the start

Waiting here for You

With our hands lifted high in praise

And it's You we adore

Singing Alleluia

You are everything You've promised

Your faithfulness is true

And we're desperate for Your presence

All we need is You

Be Strong in the Lord

Great lyrics!

Last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
Love will find you where you are,
I know cause I've already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,

I'll Stand By You

As I was putting my living room back together, I came across our wedding album. I turned from page to page, reminiscing about one of the most perfect days in my life. We were young. We were head over heels in love. We were also completely ignorant of what a marriage was really like, and clueless to where our lives would lead. As I came across this photo, my heart fell heavy.

In my head, I heard the song that was playing as our grandparents and parents came to the front of the church and lit the candles from generation to generation, family to family. Finally, my candle was lit, Brett's candle was lit. We both took our own candles, representing our own sides of the family, and joined them together to light our Unity Candle. At the time, mindless to the symbolism that one day would come to be. That moment in time proceeded the battle we would all fight together, as one unit, one squad. I am so blessed by every person pictured in this picture. Every single one of them has played a role in supporting, loving, caring and sharing in our lives most challenging and most happy moments. I can honestly say that at that moment in time I had no clue what that entire Unity Candle ceremony meant, but sitting here today I now understand. It is amazing how God works in mysterious ways to guide us to do certain things that may not, at the time, make much sense. I bet my grandparents and parents didn't really grasp why it was so important to me that all 20 of them take turns lighting gobs of candles. It wasn't for show. It wasn't for glitz or glamor. It was all to pave the way for the help, support and love that I would need during this time.

The story gets better. The song that Brett chose to be played during this time was just a trendy song at the time remade by his favorite female singer, Carrie Underwood. I liked the song, and thought the words were nice. Little did I know that one day I would really, genuinely have to live out the words. I thank God for this song, for that moment, and for each person in the photo.

Oh why you look so sad

The tears are in your eyes

Come on and come to me now

Don’t be ashamed to cry

Let me see you through

Cause I’ve seen the dark side too

When the night falls on you

You don't know what to do

Nothing you confess

Could make me love you less

I’ll stand by you

I’ll stand by you

Won’t let nobody hurt you

I’ll stand by you

So if you're mad get mad

Don’t hold it all inside

Come on and talk to me now

Hey, what you got to hide

I get angry too

Well I’m a lot like you

When you're standing at the crossroads 

And don't know which path to choose

Let me come along

Cause even if you're wrong

And when, when the night falls on you, baby

You don't know what to do 

You're feeling all alone

You won't be on your own

Oh I’ll stand by you

I’ll stand by you

Decision, Decisions

Do you ever feel stuck In a lose/lose situation? I'm right smack dab in the middle of one and I can't find my way out. Instead worrying and thinking through the pros and cons, I am putting my faith and trust in God and letting Him guide my ways. I am reminded of Pastor Jim's story about Joshua and the battle after the battle of Jericho. Joshua pursued the fight without consulting God and seeking His direction and guidance.Joshua left that battle defeated and feeling abandon by God. The last thing I need right now is to not feel God's strong presence in my daily walk. Pray that I keep an open mind and quiet heart to hear the whispers of the Lord.


"Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

Wrinkles in Time

Oh my. Say it isn't so. It's happening, and I heard once it's starts there is no stopping it. Just in the last three weeks, I have noticed this far from adorable crease forming next to my mouth on the left side of my face. Picture a smile line that never goes away, and it's not because I am always smiling. It is a for real, stuck there, permanent thing. I will forever think of it as my "boot camp" wrinkle. So, it's official. I made my first wrinkle cream purchase and plan to win this battle. Wish me luck, I'll need it.

On a completely different note, here are some great quotes and verses I've come across lately:

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  


"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face... The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it... You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do." ~Eleanor Roosevelt


Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not to harm you," declares the Lord, "plans to give you a hope and a future."


Isaiah 40:28- 31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.