The roller coaster ride

Sometimes you find yourself in a season of life that you simply never saw coming. Sometimes we are blindsided by something that just takes awhile to get your mind around. Sometimes this season is a true test of what you believe about God and who He is and your only option is to buckle up and ride this roller coaster He put you on. Sometimes this ride makes you scream with complete fear and sometimes this ride makes you want to throw up and sometimes this ride even gives you a glimpse of a smile and some laughter as you throw your arms up for just a minute and experience some fun. Sometimes we ride this ride with our eyes closed and sometimes we ride this ride with eyes wide open half scared to death and are yelling "GET ME OFF THIS THING!!!!" Sometimes, life is just too much and you truly Just need to get back to the basics of your faith. A crisis will do that for ya, won't it? I have found myself asking, "Who is God and what are His promises again?" Sometimes every thing we thought we knew escapes us and the simplests of truths are not known. Sometimes we don't even know our name. It's big stuff isn't it? In several weeks time, this is what I KNOW....I mean really know.... He is FOR me...for us...for you. I walk by faith...not by sight. Plain and simple basics. Sometimes the ride with Jesus takes us back to the basics and even though these basics seems simple and routine, He may throw it your way when you least expect it and life is hard. I am recommitting myself and my TIME back to what really matters...scripture study, scripture memory, fully present for others, expecting Him more than ever, and passionate about the One who created me before the foundation of the world and loves me like no other. My memory verse this time is the shortest one I have ever picked, but months and years down the road as we celebrate the successful end of this roller coaster ride I can honestly say..."we lived by faith and not by sight and He proved Himself faithful." Praise Him!!! (2 Corinthians 5:7) Y'all....let's get back to the basics. Does anything else matter? Sure do love y'all....

He pulls us out!

I sit here on this Labor Day morning with my head full of fog and crud because of a nasty cold, but some things are very clear in this muddled mind of mine today.....(thank you Sudafed)

Before I came to know the Lord, and I mean personally know the Lord, I had put myself in a deep pit of every sin under the sun it seemed. Thankfully, a beautiful family member introduced me to a Savior who would help me out of that nasty pit. Praise God for her!! You never know when you are inviting someone to Bible study just where they are and it may be the turning point of their spiritual walk! Invite someone to bible study this fall! ;-)

One step at a time and one loving Father, who was absolutely relentless, kept guiding me out of that dark pit.

Sometimes we find ourselves, possibly someone we love dearly, or someone we casually know that is in that pit and needs a rope to hold onto. They need the One who holds the rope and can gently place their beautiful feet on solid ground again...away from that darkness. Whether we put ourselves in that pit or someone pushed us there...it's still a pit and we want out and we don't know just what to do. All we see is darkness.

This promise out is Psalm 40 is what I shout in celebration when I remember coming out of the pit and one I claim for someone else as I watch them find their way out of their pit.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:2 NIV)

Thank you Jesus for being the One who rescues us and gives us that firm place to stand!!! I just can't do this life without You!

My hope is in Him alone! Stay in the Word sisters!

Bye bye summer. You were fun and fabulous, but way too short.

Can we go back to summer? This back to school thing we have to do has kicked.my.tail!!!! I think every year I have said something about loving a schedule and routine, but that was a big fat lie.....bring my family back to the lazy days of summer any time. That learning is nonsense until September. ;)

And, let's just pause for a minute and think about my 16 year old who is days away from having HIS OWN CAR!!! (big fat sigh) The time is flying momma's......I beg of you to truly savor every moment.

Alrighty, this next memory verse is the verse my kids school has claimed for the year so I'm going to claim it too. I didn't have to go far to find it......

Lean into Him sweet sisters. I'm so thankful to memorize His Word. It truly is life.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 ESV




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Goodness...I love His Word!!

I will restore to you the years

that the swarming locust has eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,

my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25 ESV)

Whatcha think about that one??!! How about a PRAISE JESUS and everybody break out some "hallelujah's!!"

I hope to one day be able to tell of the time when this promise is fulfilled in the life of someone I absolutely love and cherish, but for now....I know exactly why I want this Word hidden in my heart! I'm claiming it and believing it to be true!! I have no idea how long or what this new road will look like for my beloved sister in Christ, but I know my God wants to redeem and restore and make her whole again. And yes He can give you back those years that the stupid locust ate up!!

Bye bye locust. Bye Satan. We are done with you!!!

I love you, Lord!!!

He is all we have

Our family is in the midst of some serious simplifying and scaling back so it's only appropriate to choose a verse that has come up in a sermon series on "revival" at out church. When you find yourself walking into the deep waters with Jesus and realize all you have is Him, your heart races, your faith increases, and you see the only way to Him is with a pair of eyes that are laser focused and a heart FULL of the Holy Spirit.

Do I believe He can do what He says He can? It's time to see just what I believe.

This season will be difficult, but I have no doubt we are where we need to be. I already thank Him for this season. It may last weeks or months, but we will persevere. He will never let us go.

I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly. (Psalm 85:8 NIV)

I will LISTEN to Him through this and I will not go into the
land of folly where I land too often.

The Word is life! Hold on tight when this life seems to be overwhelming or unsure. Oh, the power of knowing what He says to us. The Creator of the Universe speaks to us....I'm listening and holding onto His promises.

Love~

Yep...it's July! Memory verse time!

Sorry for the delay...vacation traveling and sitting on the beach doing nothing yesterday caused my brain to stop functioning all together. I know you understand. ;)

Here is my verse this go around.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Love y'all! So proud of us for being committed to knowing His Word!

Simplify and some "7"

Some of you sweet souls know that some girlfriends and I embarked on a journey together, June 1st, based on the book "7" by Jen Hatmaker. If you don't know anything about the book, I hope you will check it out. It is full of funny and conviction all at the same time. The Lord has been working specifically on my prideful self the last 3 years and apparently the Lord knew accountability and some friends would be necessary for me to finally lay it down and deal with some stuff in order for this simpler lifestyle to succeed. I'm so thankful He knows all things and orchestrates these details so perfectly, aren't you? Whew. My eyes are wide open with great expectation as to where we are headed.

But....two things I know thus far...... 

After eating the same 7 foods for the month of June....(and yes we wrapped it up early because we really were just done with it and I was leaving town Saturday and we had to get together and discuss it all. Plus...we ended with some fabulous junk food to celebrate our success)....and no, we aren't crazy to be doing this. It really is a God thing. How can we not walk down a path He had been working on behind the scenes in all of our lives and then brought us together oh so perfectly to take this journey together?  Count me in Lord. I might be scared, but I'm game. It's just time. You know.

Ok, where was I? This is what I know about 7 simple foods:

*No sugar is FABULOUS!!!  I will try desperately to not put that back in my life at the levels I had been doing. Bye-bye soft drinks and gross junk. We are done. You really aren't that good. It is amazing how much better you feel when you are eating healthy and simply. Who knew? What a concept. #sarcasm

*I'm just as happy with simple foods as I am with the endless possibilities and more food choices that stared at me from the grocery, restaurant menu, or pantry than one human needs. However...I will say that I never experienced that true full feeling after I ate. Probably why I lost 8 pounds. Probably a good thing to not eat until you feel sick and explosive. That's another new concept, huh? #sarcasmagain

*Food is fabulous and wonderful and who doesn't love the to die for dessert or pasta or steak? Heck, we all do. But...my goal from this point on is healthier eating. Done with the quick convenient junk that is processed and gross and my insides are probably experiencing a slow death. Heck...why not become vegetarian? ;)  I'm going fresh and healthy. I think my body will thank me in more ways than one. 

*We really are spoiled and don't NEED all that we indulge in. This now becomes the bigger picture of 7. Needs vs wants and we say it all the time, but do we really want to sacrifice and become uncomfortable in a culture that screams MORE MORE MORE!!! And, what on earth am I teaching my children about excess?  I think I have been teaching them more about what culture says instead of what God says. BIG FAT OUCH!!  Goodness...this is why it takes time to tackle and make real life adjustments. We already know these things, but for some reason I can't just come out of a one time sermon or teaching and make the adjustment. You have to actually do it. Who knew?  I have been convicted 100 times on things in regards to money and living after a sermon, but didn't really make the adjustment that was needed. These are hard adjustments.This is a journey and requires much patience. This requires patience, time, and great commitment. After all...God is the King of patience and He knows we won't make these massive adjustments without time....and accountability. Don't do this alone. I would have quit 9 hours into it.

The book has lead us through month one with food. We are moving onto month two of clothing. I'm not going into that just yet, but do want to share how God has been speaking to our family about excess... 

So....in this beautiful weaving of details, God has been showing my husband and myself that we don't NEED this house we live in. Ok....it's big and nice and really...too big. There is something that defines us in regards to where and how we live. True? We make assumptions about people and where they live. If their house is big and new and nice then we assume they have money. If their house is the opposite of that then we think they don't. Plain and simple. We all do it. We have no idea though how stressed out they are about that house and know good and well they hate that house payment every month because, well, its just too much.  My husband and I are going against the culture and following God and saying, "Nope...we don't need that or honestly, want it."  Yep...we can afford it. However....I will not simply do and have because we can. I'm praying that God will show us the way to be financially free and not be overwhelmed and anxious through these teenage years, that are already full of stress and anxiety as parents, but show us how to live a simpler life and be very responsible with the money He has provided. I want to be free to give and go and spend and do without the stress of no margin.

Does that make a lick of sense?  We have private school, cars for 3 boys upon us, insurance, gas, living, vacations, dogs, healthcare, college, clothing, food, etc etc etc. I WILL NOT go into these years anxious over a stupid house. If God chooses another route that doesn't involve selling our home, then we will be listening and ready. We are simply hoping to be faithful in the big and small. 

God calls us to be wise. He never, ever says go get more and have more and have have have. He was the simplest man to ever live and my greatest desire is to be more like Him. For all of us, this journey of becoming more like Him will look different. My prayer is that we take time to examine our hearts, our motives, our deepest desires for our families....and GO WITH GOD!!!!

May we be more and more like Him in all we say and do. Follow Him. He won't lead us anywhere alone.

Eyes open and feet ready! Let's go!