A time to give thanks~

• I’m thankful that the Lord has found me worthy of his love. Thankful that his mercies are new every morning and that He will never leave or forsake me!!!
• Thankful for the family that God has given to me and for the latest 3 little additions to my family and so thankful to have been able to see so many of my family members this year.
• I’m thankful to have some of the best friends the world could offer. Friend who are so persistent and faithful. Friends who have been such an encouragement, who are always there when things are tough and when things are great. Thankful to have the love of such a wonderful group of people and thankful to feel that love even as we continue to become more spread out across this world.
• Thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of teenager and to invest in America’s future leaders.
• Thankful for a job, a roof over my head, food, clothing.
• Thankful to have the ability to love.
• Thankful that the Lord always provides and makes a way.
• Thankful for situations that have taken me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to grow.
• Thankful for sunrises, sunsets, coffee, books, an education, road trips and so many random things.
• I’m especially thankful for my health. It’s been a year of some health issues so I’m thankful that my body is functioning again.
• Thankful for the times of trial that help build my faith.
• Thankful for the many moments that have made me smile; getting unexpected letters/packages in the mail, random text messages that just make my day, that e-mail from someone I miss, running without any knee pain.
• I’m thankful for each morning that I get to wake up and live another day.

~May I never forget all that the Lord has done and continues to do for me. :)~

The will of God

I’m at a crossroad. Which way do I go? I desire to be obedient to the call of God in my life but which way is he directing me. My planning and scheduling nature has to yield to the will of God and remember that God is not on my schedule. By now I should have learned that a lot of things don’t go according to the way I planned them or at the time I planned them. Apparently I haven’t learned that lesson yet. One thing I know is that the promises of the Lord are true and sure. What He has promised he will see come to pass, even if its way off my schedule. I struggle to be patient and wait on the Lord and in the process I grow weary. Isaiah 43 says “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.”

I continue to learn that the will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you. I have heard that quote over and over but in the past 2 and ½ years I have seen the Lord do just that in my life. So in my struggle to be patient and wait on the Lord I must continue to seek His face and trust that He will guide me even when I cannot see. For I know that I can trust Him fully above all else. In seeking his will, I have to let go of my will and deal with my selfishness to want to have things my way.  I’m at a crossroad, but I know the Lord will direct me and will make my steps sure.

Healer

He is my healer in so many ways and He has healed this broken heart and made it whole and complete. One of the definitions of healer is to “correct or put right” and I know that my life is “correct” and “right” with the Lord. There have been various hurts or wounds that I tried to deal with on my own but the Lord shows that only He can completely heal. Some wounds are old ones that keep getting reopened. Being home this summer was tough because I really felt the absence of my dad. I know it’s been 5 years but everything was just different. My siblings and I were all missing him and imagining how different things would have been if my dad had been around. But the Lord says He is a father to the fatherless and I’m thankful because He is the perfect father who continues to heal the broken heart. Sometimes in life we face hurts that don’t make sense. You analyze the situation to see what you could have done differently but come up empty. It took time to come to the acceptance that there was nothing I could change but instead just allow God to teach me whatever lesson there was to be learned and allow Him to help me heal. Physically, I pray I will one day be able to run again. This was a tough one for me and I’ve had many a crying session with the Lord and let Him know exactly how I felt. I had come to love my running time so much and maybe too much. I continue to pray for total healing from the great physician but must also remember that sometimes God uses doctors

I have seen the healing hand of God in my life and in the lives of those around me. By His stripes our spirit is renewed. He can heal the deepest hurts and the confusing hurts and I am so thankful that this has been a time where the Lord has been teaching me about his healing power. A dear friend of mine passed away yesterday but in the midst of the grieving there is so much peace in knowing where he is and knowing that God still holds all things together and that God will heal the emptiness that has been left behind. It’s a wonderful thing to sense the peace that surpasses all understanding in these situations.

As the Lord heals us, He also uses us as a vessel to those who are hurting around us. I know I can say that all the hurt and healing I have faced has allowed God to use me and speak through me. Again, He is before all things and everything that happens in our life has its purpose.