What If Blessings Come In Disguise?

I don't think Abraham's story truly held me in the grip of understanding until today.

Don't get me wrong, I don't pretend to understand this great man of faith or hold myself in comparison to his journey, however, I think I "get" him, just a little better since traveling through these past few years of TTC (trying to conceive).

Today I read Abraham's testing of faith concerning his promised son, Isaac, with new eyes today, and I wondered, "How did Abraham feel? What emotions coursed through his veins in this story that is surmised in one chapter of our modern day Bibles?"

So if you will travel this path with me, here is what I imagine the emotions and thoughts behind the scenes to have been like....

One day the Lord came to speak to me. I always love when He speaks to me....but this day was...well....different...just check it out....

"Abraham! Abraham!"

"Yes, Lord! I am here!"

"Take your son, Isaac, the one you love SO VERY MUCH, to sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you as a burnt offering to me."

"Yes, Lord!"

Did I just say 'Yes!'? What is the Lord asking of me? How can I give my boy, my son, my source of blessing BACK to the Lord? How can I kill him with my own hands? Why is God asking this of me? Didn't I wait long enough for this precious boy? How can God end it like this? But what can I do? I will put my trust in the Lord that His plans are best, but He is going to have to give me strength to do this.

The journey took us 3 days. Isaac was so willing, so trusting. I felt like a traitor. I mean, I AM HIS FATHER. He is supposed to be able to trust me. He doesn't know what the Lord is asking me to do. When he asked me where the sheep was for the burnt offering, I told him that the Lord would provide. Oh, I pray that I am not lying to my son.

When we arrived at the place that God had sent us, I built an altar. The whole time I was building, I thought surely the Lord has another plan, another way. I felt anger, bitterness, resentment, vying for first place in my being, but I fought them. "My Lord, I trust in you."

Then came the moment when I had to put my son on the altar. His face.....I will never forget the face....the way he looked at me with fear and questioning and yet he said nothing. As tears poured down my face and his, I told him, "You are the sacrifice that the Lord has asked for." I picked up the knife while my hand trembled. Could I really do this? How would I explain this to Sarah when I got home? I had to be done with it.

"I love you, son," I sobbed as I raised the knife to pour my son's blood.

At that very moment, I heard his voice again, "Abraham! Put the knife down. Don't harm your son in any way. I see your heart is for me, even to the point of giving your only son."

Then God provided a ram, and Isaac and I sacrificed it. I called the place "Yahweh-Yireh" - "The Lord will provide." Oh how Isaac and I laughed, danced, and rejoiced in the presence of the Lord and in each other's embrace.

Then this is what the Lord said to me,

"Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore. Yours descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed --all because you have obeyed me."

Yeah. That was quite a day - a day for the history books. I wanted to write it down because I don't know yet WHAT it means or what God is going to do, but He is amazing, and I thought you should know.

This song has been resounding in my heart and spirit over the past few days, and I have been wanting to share it here, but hadn't found quite the words to go with it.

"What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is

the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

I think this is what happened to Abraham....the longing, the waiting, the desiring led him to a place where only God's love & grace could satisfy, no matter the cost.

I, too, am on this journey, and to be honest, I am scared to pieces, but like Abraham I want to declare, "YAHWEH-YIREH - My God SHALL supply!"

So I will just put one foot in front of the other, and maybe some days, I will sit down and cry, and other days, I will fight on, trusting that His blessings may be in disguise along the way.

And you know.....I sure don't want to miss those.

Zechariah 9:11-12 (New Living Translation)

11 Because of the covenant I made with you,

sealed with blood,

I will free your prisoners

from death in a waterless dungeon.

12 Come back to the place of safety,

all you prisoners who still have hope!

I promise this very day

that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.

Join me at the jam....






*Story of Abraham & Isaac adapted from Genesis 22
*If you would like to know Laura Story's personal testimony behind the above song, check out this clip:

Five Minute Friday: If You Met Me

It's Friday.

And I am taking 5 minutes. Just 5. To link up with other 5 Minute Friday-ers {is that a word? HA!}

5 Minute Friday is just that...taking 5 minutes just to share your heart, your thoughts, your world without over-editing or over-analyzing.

Oh yeah...and it's Saturday for me now...but oh well....that is what I love about this challenge....it's FULL of grace!

So here goes......this week's topic - If You Met Me


GO.

If you met me, you would probably notice how much I love to talk. But I do hope you would see past that. I would hope that you would see someone who wants to share who she is because I want you to know me....FOR REAL!

If you met me, I hope that you would see that I ask as many questions as I give answers, and that I listen...oh I TRY to listen...as much as I talk because I want to know YOU...FOR REAL.

If you met me, you would probably notice my red hair, most people do. And since I love to share openly, I would probably tell you that it took me a few times to get this exact "right" color.

If you met me, you would know a person with a big heart and open hands.

If you met me, I pray you would feel the room....the GREAT, BIG ROOM....to just BE YOU!

If you met me, I would want to spend MORE time with you than we would probably have because I just want to know you.

If you met me, you might, you just might, see that there are so many layers to this little missionary girl...like an onion....and that there is a longing there for you to take the time to peel back those layers.

If you met me, you would know that I love to be understood, more than anything, even if we disagree, and that I would try so DESPERATELy to give that same gift to you.

If you met me.....

STOP.

Won't you join me? I promise...it's never too late!

Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

My Summary ::

Scotty is just your regular average 16 year old girl...well...sort of! She and Charley, that's her hippy grandmother, travel the country in their RV, running from Biker Guy. Biker Guy has been chasing them across the country for years. Charley works for various TV directors, specifically Jeremy, Charley's friend, as a food dresser on sets around the US, and Scotty home schools herself so they can pick up and go as they need to and stay ahead of Biker Guy. Scotty's journey takes us through her discovery of God, prayer, Biker Guy's identity, and ultimately why he has been chasing her for so many years.

My Review ::

I really enjoyed Scotty's journey in this book. Since the audience the author is writing for is youth/young adults, I felt like the themes of discovering who you are, searching for meaning in life, and pushing the boundaries of independence are all relevant to what teenagers today experience as well as the addition of internet, blogging, food, etc as a part of daily life. Since I didn't realize that before I started the book, it took me a few chapters to really understand what was going on and to truly embrace the characters and where the author was going. Upon starting the review, I realized that "book 2" is written on the cover of the book jacket inside of the RV picture, but I think the wording blends in with the background and/or should be larger in size.

Overall, however, I would recommend this book to anyone, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

What My Mama Taught Me {Happy Birthday, Mom!}

Today is my mother's birthday and my mom means so much and so many things to me. I have said it in many ways to her over the years in words, in cards, in FB wall posts, etc. so I thought I would share it a little differently today....

10 Things That My Mama Taught Me

#1 - When things are nuts, laughter is the best medicine......ALWAYS!

#2 - It's okay to cry....REALLY!

#3 - When you come to the end of your rope, keep holding on to Jesus for all you are worth

#4 - Integrity is vital - who you are when no one is watching

#5 - Education is SO important - Always keep learning!

#6 - Love Jesus with every fiber of your being - nothing else is MORE important than that

#7 - Listen with your heart, your eyes, your soul

#8 - Treat people with love & respect, the way you want to be treated

#9 - Age is just a number - You are only as old as you feel

#10 - Be someone that people can count on - "When I die, I want my daughters to be able to say about me, 'Mom was always the same.'"

I love you, Mom! You have taught me SO much and modeled what being a servant of Christ is. I often call you a "mothers-mother." In the dictionary, when the description of mom is listed, your character is THE LIST. I wish everyone could have/have had a mom like you!! I strive to be like that too as well as to teach other women to love as fiercely as you loved us.

Happy Birthday, Mumsie!

Linking up with Oh Amanda for:

Father Knows Best

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

I was listening to Joseph Prince today, and he reminded the congregation of this Scripture.

And it made me think.

Pleasing God.....

Hmmm.....

But doesn't He just....LOVE ME??

I thought on that for a bit and this is what I came up with.

When you are close to someone, like your husband, your mom, your sister, your best friend, you expect them to trust you when you share something important, to understand your point of view, to believe that your heart & intentions are honorable, etc.

But when your words, heart, or motives are misunderstood or mistrusted, you feel hurt.

So trust is like faith, right?

We please God when we have faith because we are saying, "I trust you. I trust your plans for me. I trust this journey that you have me on. I trust that you are in this with me for the long haul."

So when doubt creeps its ugly head in, we find ourselves rejecting the very one who gave up everything, literally everything, for us.

This past year, trusting in God has been HARD-er for me. I am a "why" girl and those whys have only become more and more incessant.

~Why are all these earthquakes happening, including the one in Haiti?

~Why did my parents have to go through that after all of their commitment to the Lord all these years?

~Why has this physical unknown in my body become a reality that I must face?

~Why have Arno & I struggled to get pregnant?

~Why are we in this hiatus period from full time ministry?

Why? Why? Why?

I don't have the answers for all of the above questions, but this verse and these thoughts reminded me again of how faith and trust in Him and HIM ALONE are the ONLY way to go.

And I get it. He is pleased when I put my hope and trust in Him because it means that I am surrendering MY will, MY way, MY agenda to Him.

And Father really does know best.....

....at least THE Father. *wink*

Getting To Know You

I am in awe of people who are able to share random facts about their lives on Twitter and/or Facebook and actually makes them sound interesting.

And when I say "in awe", I am not being ironic or using literary passive-agressive terminology. I, truly, am literally amazed.

I wonder how people can take their day-to-day life information and turn it into a window, a sneak peek, into their personality, their nature, their home, their heart.

It makes me wonder at how people like that are wired because I don't think I process quite the same way.

And I am detailed person.

Trust me.

It just makes me realize afresh how unique and different we all are and how much I have to learn from people.

As a newlywed blogger, I learn from the others out there who are navigating their way through this world, in their way, in their own space.

I think in the end, I am thankful for how these social media outlets, while they cannot in any way replace face-to-face, hold-your-hand, cry-on-my-shoulder connections, offer a window into the minds and the souls of people who we might otherwise never have a chance to know.

I have always believed that every relationship shows us another aspect of who The Father is.

And I am pretty excited for all the many ways that I have to learn about who my Dad is!

Wordless Wednesday: Little Sis

This is my "baby" sister - isn't she pretty? ;)

Linked up with Wordless Wednesday, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Woven by Words, & Better in Bulk.

Seeing From The Inside Out

The elevator line was so long as dozens of girls lined up with cartloads of their belongings. It was freshman move-in day, and I was one of them. My new dorm room was on the 6th floor, my mom had sprained her ankle the day before, and the moving process was going to take ALL day and night at this rate. So my dad, my sister, and I began the long arduous journey of carrying all of my personal possessions up six flights of stairs, while my momentarily handicapped mom unpacked in my room.

It took us a few days to get everything settled, and then I waited with nervous anticipation for my roommate to arrive.

What would she be like?

Would we get along?

Would we be friends?

A week passed, and then two, and after a month, I began to wonder if she would ever arrive. But she never did, and I ended up with a room to myself for a whole year.

I was kind of sad about it at first. I know. Ironic., right? Who doesn't want a room to themselves in college? But I am a people person, and I missed being with my family. But pretty quickly, I realized that having my own room was a lot of fun because my place soon became the late-nite-hang-out corner, so my little extroverted cup was filled.

The funny thing about my room was that if you did not know, you would never have been able to tell that I DID NOT have a roommate because my "stuff" filled the room. People would comment on that often, and I would feel self conscious about it.

Why did I feel the need to have so many of my personal belongings AT college with me instead of leaving many things "at home" like many of my dorm mates did?

One day, one of the girls on my floor, Roseanne, said to me, after someone else commented on how I had so much stuff in a room that was meant for two people and I was feeling unsure & insecure, "You are a missionary kid. You have had to live a life where you take everything wherever you go."

In one simple statement, she validated WHO I was, not just a judgment that others were making from outward appearances based on their own history and life views.

She saw ME.

This past Sunday, the guest pastor talked about how throughout Song of Solomon you find repetitive moments where the bridegroom calls forth things in his bride that she doesn't see in herself. He went on to talk about how we can't call forth things in others if we first don't know how God does that for us, and when you believe God's assessment of you, you actually begin to believe in yourself.

He said that it is easy to call forth what you see on the outside, the negative aspects of each other, the issues that we each have, but it is a WHOLE OTHER thing to be able to speak forth the potential in another person by seeing beyond the surface, by looking into who they are, by seeing their heart...

So today, this is what I am SURE of....

God loves you with a FIERCE, ETERNAL love.

The potential inside of YOU is greater than you can ever imagine.

You are so precious, valuable, and full of purpose in every fiber of your being,

no matter what is happening TODAY!

And as for me....I AM kind of a packrat, and I while I am working on that {for my husband's sake}, I have also realized that part of that comes from my desire to keep the people, places, and things close to me that I don't get to see every day....

And really, that is a beautiful thing, right?

*above photo was from our recent South Africa move

Designs for Life

Last Thursday, I had the great opportunity to join my friend Jamie at a fundraising fashion show sponsoring The Life Crisis Center. Jamie hand makes all of her own jewelry.


Beautiful, right?

Join me over at WhimSea Designs, her blog, where I am posting today.

And while you are there, won't you link over to her Etsy page and check out her jewelry and consider reposting. Seriously, her designs are one-of-a-kind, and since each of us are one of a kind....what could be better??

Follow the WhimSea.....:)

Five Minute Friday: Waking Up

Taking 5 minutes on Fridays is such a relief, in a way, because it removes that nagging perfectionism that stops me from writing some days, and just lets me breathe and well.....WRITE.

The best part is that I know that I am not alone, and that other amazing women and/or bloggers out there are doing the same thing and linking up with Lisa-Jo @ The Gypsy Mama, so we can share our 5 minutes.

Don't you just love sharing? Well, for the most part anyway....

So here goes.....this week's writing prompt is WAKING UP.


GO.

Waking up....well, it isn't the easiest part of my day these days.

You see, I am a night owl. Always have been. Since I was a little girl.

I hated going to sleep. "What am I missing?" I would think.

But even though I am a night owl by nature, I am not NOT a morning person.

That is, until the past couple of years, since I have been dealing with chronic pain.

Mornings are not so fun.

There is achiness and anxiety and worry in those first moments of wakefulness.

But then, I WAKE UP, and I think about my day, and I mentally and with heart speak ask God to write the day for me.

There aren't real words or even prayers because, well, I am not so much a morning person anymore, but my heart longs for Him to guide my day, to direct my steps, to ease the aches & pains -- both physically, mentally, & emotionally.

And you know what?

He's pretty good at it....

What do you think about when you are WAKING UP?

STOP.

Wordless Wednesday: Chilled

I {heart} this man

Linked up with Wordless Wednesday, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Better in Bulk, and Woven by Words.

"Only The Hungry Search For Food...."

This post by Emily Freeman at (in)courage last week LITERALLY made me weep. I read a lot of blog posts and that doesn't happen very often.

I hope it touches your heart like it did mine.....

Waiting....

I haven't posted in about a week.

Yes. I have been busy.

I had some of my old youth group girlfriends in town and we had a little mini-reunion.

It was so great to look through pictures {some almost 20 years old...I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT!} and reminisce about all the good times we had as well as sad ones.

It is fun to be with people who have KNOWN you that long....there's nothing like it....really!

And then, our goddaughter was dedicated on Sunday, and that was so precious.
I am thankful to her parents for allowing us to hold such a special role in her life.
Her mommy, my best friend, also celebrated her own birthday on Sunday, and we had laughs & games & more stories.
I love living in community and connection with people.

But. Those occasions are not really the reasons that I haven't posted.

I mean experiencing LIFE and DOING life with people gives a writer MORE inspiration with which to work. Don't you think?

So. The real reason. The honest truth.

I have paused in my blogging because I have felt that I was in a holding pattern, and I am still not out of it, honestly. Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama posted a "preview" on Twitter Thursday night of what the 5 Minute Friday prompt for the next day would be -- waiting. Oh boy did she have MY number this week!

But I still never posted.

And...I could blame it on many things.

I could blame it on the pre-monthly hormonal rush.

I could blame it on the fact that having that monthly friend means that I am not pregnant yet again this month.

I could blame it on the fact that Friday I really felt like something on the highway that had been run over a few times and I just had NOTHING to give.

All those reasons, or even just ONE of those reasons, would probably generate understanding nods from many of you.

But I think that they oversimplify, or at the very least, overshadow, the REAL cause of my cyberspace silence.

I am in a holding pattern because I am struggling....

to pray,

to read the Word,

to hear His voice,

to know His heartbeat.

Keith Wheeler, a man who travels the world carrying a "literal" cross to share the love of Jesus with people, once said, "Ministry is the overflow of a life lived in love with Jesus."

As I write, not only do I hope the lessons I am learning minister to others, but the words given life on paper, or um, actually, on screen, often minister to me, but IF these words are not from the overflow, then where is Jesus in these strokes?

So today I write, not from a place of this great big lesson learned, OR from this amazing AHA moment, but from the raw truth of my own imperfection.

I am waiting...

And so is He....

I am SO glad that He hasn't given up on me.

AND He hasn't given up on YOU!

I Put My Trust In You

Some days I feel paralyzed with fear...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days I am overwhelmed with life...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days the future seems like a scary dark tunnel with no light...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days I feel like a failure...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days I wonder "why" {A LOT}...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days I feel like I am losing it...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days I REALLY DO lose it...

...I put my trust in You.

Some days I just need grace, grace, and more grace...

...I put my trust in You.

Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

You've Been RE-made {Multitude Monday #206-210}

There is something so amazingly beautiful about His grace...

He rejoices over you with singing.

He dances over you with His love.

Gratitude - a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation, as for gifts or favours;

the state of feeling grateful

~206~ Knowing I am MORE than my past, my weaknesses, my stains...

~207~ "It's not about what I've done, but what's been done for me...."

~208~ Accepting His limitless mercy AGAIN

~209~ Rediscovering WHO He has created me to be AGAIN

~210~ Basking the knowledge that I have been RE-made....I am REDEEMED!

I have joined The Gratitude Community -- a place to be inspired by others and what God is doing in their lives, a chance to share my own journey of gratitude, and an opportunity to REMEMBER to be grateful in ALL things. So on Mondays, I will add to my list of 1000 gifts of all the graces God has provided in my life. Would you consider joining me? Even if you don't blog, you can join the gratitude community by starting a gratitude journal, mentionning your gifts on Facebook, or sending e-mails to your friends. Let's work together to help in creating a more thankful, joyous world!!

You are NOT Abandoned!

"I write so that no one feels abandoned."

What a powerful statement! This is the bio statement for Audra Krell's Twitter account.

I cannot stop pondering these simple words. They resonate in my mind. My heart keeps pounding with the intensity of their meaning.

"I write so that no one feels abandoned."

What if I approached everything in my life this way?

"I sing so that people have comfort in their pain."

"I laugh so that the world around me could be filled with JOY."

"I live so that my life testifies of Someone greater than me."

"I write so that no one feels abandoned."

Can my reasons for writing be summed up in the simplistic beauty of these precious words?

I write because I must. Right? I am a writer. Correct?

Do I have to have a greater meaning than this?

Do I have to qualify and justify my work, my reasons, my desires, my passions?

A writer's soul begs to be poured out, ink to paper, strokes to screen, weaving the story of life...the ebb & the flow...the agony intermingled with victories.

But is "my soul my own"? as Rachel Lynde of Anne of Green Gables was wont to call it. Am I the writer of my own story?

I KNOW I am not....

And yet....

"I write so that no one feels abandoned"

......continues to resound in my head.

It's the heart of the Father God. He couldn't stand the separation. He couldn't stand the divide that kept Him from the intimacy into which He had created us. He HAD to make a way.

And I am sure that there are many ways in which He could have saved the world, and yet, He didn't want us to be alone, to be abandoned in our humanity, in our sinful world & nature, so He sent the best of His love for us -- His one and only Son.

In Him, through Him, He could truly understand the true depth of our aloneness and then He took it further. For in the moment when the sin of the world was taken upon Him, the Father...HIS Father HAD to turn His face away because He could not look at the sin so heavily weighed upon His Beloved. In THAT moment, Jesus KNEW abandonment. Jesus knew loneliness. Jesus knew pain. He KNEW like many of us will NEVER know because He ransomed us. He REDEEMED {there's my word} us!

He...Jesus died to save us from an eternity of separation.

He died so no one would BE abandoned.

Five Minute Friday: The MOST Loved

I'm a little late this week with my 5 Minute Friday, but that's okay, right? Especially with the beautiful prompt from Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama this week....

I feel loved when.....

GO.

Sometimes it's just a touch or a glance.

Sometimes it's, "I'll rub your back for you."

Sometimes it's a text, a phone call, a inbox message, a heartfelt comment on my blog.

Love holds many facets and dynamics for me.

But, I feel the most loved when I am accepted, wholly & completely, wheat & chaff, prickles & hugs.

I feel most loved when I am seen and spoken to and embraced through the eyes of love.

I feel most loved when I am understood, not agreed with patronizingly or argued with unwaveringly.

I feel most loved when my heart is prioritized by another human being.

And yet....

I feel THE MOST loved when I remember HOW much HE loves me....


How His mercy is new each morning

How my life basks in the radiance of His grace

How He dances and rejoices over me

There....

I can rest in His love....His arms.....His heart....

the shelter of His wings.

STOP.

What is Five Minute Friday, you may ask? It is those beautiful moments in time where we take 5....just 5....minutes to share some thoughts, unedited, unsifted, uncalculated....allowing our hearts to be REAL and our minds to just chill.

Join me??

Come on.....it only takes 5 minutes! *wink, wink*

Wordless Wednesday: Daddy's Love

{My cousin, Justin, with his baby girl, Haylee,

after her dedication at the family meal celebration}

Linked up with Wordless Wednesday, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Better in Bulk, & Woven By Words.

These Are The Women....

Last August, on Women's Day in South Africa, I highlighted some of the amazing women who have touched my life over the years. You can read about that HERE. I love these women!

Today, in honor of International Women's Day, I wanted to highlight/feature/honor the women who impact/encourage/challenge me in this new world I joined almost one year ago - the blogosphere. I, actually, read every post that these women write...even if I miss it the day of the post, I always go back and catch up!

These are the women....

These are a snapshot of their stories....

{in no particular order}

Jen @ I Believe In Love

Jen and her husband have been on a sabbatical from the mission field for the past year and are currently living in Texas. We met because of our connection to South Africa and because of making mutual HARD decisions to take that time away. Her blog is filled with recipes, photos, book reviews, mama related topics and REAL open heart posts. She is getting to go to India in just a few short weeks to take pictures with a ministry close to her heart. I am proud to call Jen...a friend...and look forward to the day when we will meet face-to-face.

Stephanie @ Metropolitan Mama

In Stephanie, I have TRULY found a kindred spirit. We are at different places in life, but at the same place in heart. Steph & her beloved husband, Tim, are traveling all across the country with their two little girls to Give Every Day. They are both jacks-of-all-trades so the content of her personal blog as well as their Give Every Day blog are filled with variety and fun. What I love about both blogs is that they are short, sweet, to-the-point BUT content-packed, fun-filled, and personal. My favorite thing about Steph though, is her heart towards people. She has a lot of accolades in the blog world, but she REALLY takes time to answer every tweet, comment, etc. She really cares. REALLY. I can't wait to meet in person. I have a feeling that our husbands will have to MAKE us stop talking! ;)

Holley @ Heart-to-Heart With Holley

Holley is who I want to be when I grow up {next to my mommy, of course ;)}. She is an author, a blogger, a counselor, a DaySpring card writer, and so much more. Holley and her husband have also been TTC {trying to conceive} for a number of years. Her posts are SO real and SO encouraging. She speaks in a way that you can just picture her looking you in your eyes and reminding you of Jesus' words over you. She is LITERALLY His mouthpiece in such a REAL way. Her words are like a healing balm to a hurting soul. She is the kind of person you can imagine yourself letting down your guard with and crying on her shoulder.

Lisa-Jo @ The Gypsy Mama

Lisa-Jo is, well, SO MUCH FUN! Lisa-Jo is a South African, married to an American. {Sounds a little familiar, right? Well, sort of!} She writes about kids, travel, women, homesickness, family, and much more. Her writing style is one of my VERY FAVS. She visually makes a point in the way she writes -- the perfect combination of poetry and prose. She has two little boys that she adores and is getting ready to welcome her little girl into the world. She is the social media manager for DaySpring and the community manager for (in)courage. She is a #MUSTFOLLOW on Twitter - @thegypsymama. Just check her out...you'll see why and won't be sorry.

Anna @ Anna's Joy

Anna is a "real life" friend as well as a blogger friend. She and her husband, John, just welcomed baby Ayla into their lives after TTC for 3 years. Anna and I met at ORU, and she became an integral part of my story through her job in the chaplain's department. She "talked me up" to the women's pastor, and the next 3 years I had the opportunity to lead and to empower other young women on campus. I am forever grateful to her for her role in my story. Her blog is full of fun and variety. She pulls the ironic out of life and is lots of fun to dive into!

Paige @ Becoming Paige

Paige is another "real life" friend. We ALSO met at ORU. Paige is one of those people that just oozes kindness and compassion. When you meet her in "real" life you will see this about her, but you will also find this on her blog. Paige is a missions pastor in Texas as well as mentor to a number of college-aged girls. Her favorite people are her husband, Josh, and her sweet Selah, who just turned one. Paige's blog is filled with musings on motherhood, missions, & miscellaneous adventures. She is a TRUE story teller, and you don't want to miss her weekly blasts-from-the-past!!

Tara @ The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog

Tara is truly the whole reason that I decided to start a blog in the first place. She took her life and documented it on virtual pages filled with stories, prayers, hard stuff, fun stuff, photos, Scriptures, life lessons, and just plain raw Tara. Her & her husband, Troy's, legacy is captured in this blog for their 7....yes, 7....children to cherish for years to come. Tara and her family are missionaries to my beloved Haiti, and the while the way we met was not a pleasant one {earthquake in Haiti 2010}, the connections we have made in the past year have been so poignant in my life. I look forward to actually "seeing" them face-to-face one day. I mean how many people are willing to go search and rescue for someone else's parents when they don't even know you?? Their "presence" on the internet & in my life during that season will not be quickly forgotten.

I hope that you will stop by some or ALL of their pages. I just KNOW that you will be blessed as much as I have been.

Happy International Women's Day to ALL of you

beautiful women out there!

Hope for Today {Multitude Monday #191-#205}

Last year, I spent 30 Days talking about HOPE here on this blog. The Lord taught me so much in that season -- how to hope in Him and Him alone, not in circumstances or even dreams or desires.

Yesterday, in church, my cousin, who is the youth pastor, shared about having Hope for Today.

Proverbs 13:12 (New International Version, ©2011)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

His words re-iterated what God has been teaching me in this past year.

To get your grip back on hope:

1) You have to be PATIENT as you purse Him & not JUST your desires.
2) You need to remember the PROMISE that God has given to us through Abraham -- the blessing of being His descendants
3) You must cling to the anchor of your soul -- the PERSON of Jesus, the hope, the High Priest, the intercessor.

He gave a great example that resonated with me. You don't get married {hopefully} JUST to have children. You get married because you are crazy in love and want to spend the rest of your life with someone. Children are the overflow, the fruit, the blessing of that love.


That is how our relationship with God needs to be. We want to BE with Him because we love Him & He loves us and to spend all of eternity with Him. Everything else is just the overflow.

With this hope in mind....I continue to count and to share my multitude of gifts.....

Gratitude - a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation, as for gifts or favours;

the state of feeling grateful

#191 - 2 for $20 deal at Ruby Tuesdays

#192 - sharing that with my best friend

#193 - eating 9 oz steaks for that awesome price - YUM!

#194 - my goddaughter smiling at me

#195 - heart-to-heart chats, sifting through the chaff, but holding onto the wheat

#196 - catching up with a youth group girlfriends

#197 - taking snapshots of beautiful women

#198 - NEW Bible reading plan

#199 - the possibility of open doors

#200 - how much my husband loves & enjoys his job

#201 - God reminding me to love like He does

#202 - choosing to give grace, whether I receive it or not

#203 - babysitting my goddaughter for the first time

#204 - watching her wiggle and laugh and squirm

#205 - holding her sweet little baby self

I have joined The Gratitude Community -- a place to be inspired by others and what God is doing in their lives, a chance to share my own journey of gratitude, and an opportunity to REMEMBER to be grateful in ALL things. So on Mondays, I will add to my list of 1000 gifts of all the graces God has provided in my life. Would you consider joining me? Even if you don't blog, you can join the gratitude community by starting a gratitude journal, mentionning your gifts on Facebook, or sending e-mails to your friends. Let's work together to help in creating a more thankful, joyous world!!