Speaking My Language
Romance has never been G's love language as Brother Daryl, the preacher who married us, would say. However, I'm not even sure I can count all the romantic things G has done for me today but I want to try. First thing this morning I received roses with a gift card to Massage Envy where he had scheduled an appointment for me after work. Then I got home from my massage and he had cooked the exact dinner we had at our wedding reception. He also had ordered a small version of our wedding cake. During dinner he played our wedding music. Then he gave me a bracket and a gift card to use on vacation next month. Even though he spoke my love language today, I'm more thankful that he treats me with the upmost respect daily. I am beyond blessed to have him as my helper in life. Thank you G for thinking about me in ways today that were beyond my imagination. You truly blew me alway. I never knew you could be so romantic.
3 Years
Tomorrow is our third wedding anniversary. I guess this means we are no longer newlyweds. I cannot believe it has been three years since we said I do. Three years ago was by far one of the best days of my life. We were surrounded by family and friends. We had a wonderful time celebrating our union. The greatest part of the day is I had someone commit to stand beside me on this crazy trip called life. To me, the most beautiful thing about our marriage is, it is a partnership. It is in no ways all rainbows and butterflies. Marriage is tough. If you say it is not you are lying. It is also a beautiful thing. I cannot imagine where I would be today without my G to cheer me on and fill in where I fall short. We definitely married our counterpart. It makes life interesting at times but it is also why we make such a great team. I love you, G. Thanks for standing beside me the last 1,095 days and the thousands more to come. I hope I can be everything that you are to me.
Quick Update
Well the new home is officially ours. God worked it all out. We closed on the new house today. We also closed on the old house last Thursday. I am so relived.
Tonight when I got home, I asked myself what was the lesson in all of this. Immediately the hymn "Only Trust Him" came to my mind. There may have been many lessons in all of this but I believe the number one reason for this trial was to deepen my trust. I also realized I cannot be in control of it all. For someone with an obsessive personality, that is extremely hard. But I've been sharpened through these circumstances. God, all the glory goes to you. Thank you for the people you used to help us. I'm in owe of your mercy and your plan.
"My grace is sufficient enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ'a power may rest on me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9
Only Trust Him
1. Come, every soul by sin oppressed,
there's mercy with the Lord;
and he will surely give you rest,
by trusting in his Word.
Refrain:
Only trust him, only trust him,
only trust him now.
He will save you, he will save you,
he will save you now.
2. For Jesus shed his precious blood
rich blessings to bestow;
plunge now into the crimson flood
that washes bright as snow.
(Refrain)
3. Yes, Jesus is the truth the way
that leads you into rest;
believe in him without delay,
and you are fully blest.
(Refrain)
4. Come then and join this holy band,
and on to glory go,
to dwell in that celestial land
where joys immortal flow.
(Refrain)
PS- If I ever say I am moving again, please stop me.
Tonight when I got home, I asked myself what was the lesson in all of this. Immediately the hymn "Only Trust Him" came to my mind. There may have been many lessons in all of this but I believe the number one reason for this trial was to deepen my trust. I also realized I cannot be in control of it all. For someone with an obsessive personality, that is extremely hard. But I've been sharpened through these circumstances. God, all the glory goes to you. Thank you for the people you used to help us. I'm in owe of your mercy and your plan.
"My grace is sufficient enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ'a power may rest on me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9
Only Trust Him
1. Come, every soul by sin oppressed,
there's mercy with the Lord;
and he will surely give you rest,
by trusting in his Word.
Refrain:
Only trust him, only trust him,
only trust him now.
He will save you, he will save you,
he will save you now.
2. For Jesus shed his precious blood
rich blessings to bestow;
plunge now into the crimson flood
that washes bright as snow.
(Refrain)
3. Yes, Jesus is the truth the way
that leads you into rest;
believe in him without delay,
and you are fully blest.
(Refrain)
4. Come then and join this holy band,
and on to glory go,
to dwell in that celestial land
where joys immortal flow.
(Refrain)
PS- If I ever say I am moving again, please stop me.
I Know There is a Lesson to Be Learned
We are still living in limbo land. We "should" hear something about both houses tomorrow. Key word is "should" though. There have been many days when we "should" have heard something. It has been hard and stressful. At times I think, "OHHH we've got this. This is easy. No one is sick or dead. It could be much worse." I received a text this morning from my mother-in-law on how she's admired my strength during this real estate nightmare. But there have been some dark moments. Moments that I haven't really shared. Last night I looked at our sweet dog and almost broke down in tears because she loves it so much here. I know it's silly but I've allowed myself to be guarded and not fall in love with it here. Libby on the other hand loves her new fenced in back yard and her new morning and afternoon sunning spots. See picture below.
From the beginning I've given this situation to God. There are so many times in my life when I give a situation to Him and then take it back. Well with this situation, it has all been out of my control.
Because I want God's will to be done over my own, I have struggled for what to pray for. I've asked for God's will but I felt like I should be asking for more. I then began asking the Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf when the words just weren't there. I didn't know what more there was to pray. Besides, "Lord, please let this all work out and your will be done." Later, these words came to me as I was typing a note on my phone.
"Lord, I know there's a lesson to be learned in all of this. Please don't let me miss it. I keep trying to imagine the outcome or predict it but I can't. Let me see you. Let my trust in you deepen and my need to control lessen. Help me to see your plan. If your plan is not to be revealed to me now, then do not let me lose trust in your plan. Let me not be broken in this but strengthen in you. Don't let this overcome me but may I be overcome by You."
As I was getting out my Jesus Calling devotional tonight, this was my reading for today. See picture below.
Wow God. I know you're going to do great things. Lord, help me to continue to want to be teachable and give you all the glory, honor and praise. Amen.
From the beginning I've given this situation to God. There are so many times in my life when I give a situation to Him and then take it back. Well with this situation, it has all been out of my control.
Because I want God's will to be done over my own, I have struggled for what to pray for. I've asked for God's will but I felt like I should be asking for more. I then began asking the Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf when the words just weren't there. I didn't know what more there was to pray. Besides, "Lord, please let this all work out and your will be done." Later, these words came to me as I was typing a note on my phone.
"Lord, I know there's a lesson to be learned in all of this. Please don't let me miss it. I keep trying to imagine the outcome or predict it but I can't. Let me see you. Let my trust in you deepen and my need to control lessen. Help me to see your plan. If your plan is not to be revealed to me now, then do not let me lose trust in your plan. Let me not be broken in this but strengthen in you. Don't let this overcome me but may I be overcome by You."
As I was getting out my Jesus Calling devotional tonight, this was my reading for today. See picture below.
Wow God. I know you're going to do great things. Lord, help me to continue to want to be teachable and give you all the glory, honor and praise. Amen.
A Story That Will Stay With You
You’ve
heard of the six degrees of separation right? You know, it is the concept that any two people on Earth are about six acquaintance links apart. Well I grew up in a
fairly small town. There wasn’t six degrees of separation. There was six
degrees of connection. I am serious. You didn’t just know someone by one
particular way. Not only did you go to school with that person but your dad was
a client of their mother, you ate dinner every Thursday at their uncle’s restaurant,
your best friend went to church with them, your aunt played Bunco with them
once a month and at one time they lived in your neighborhood. This sounds like
an exaggeration but honestly I had several connections with every person I knew
growing up in Florence, AL.
Sometimes you may not have known someone really well but you were connected to them (and again by multiple ways). Sometimes these connections would have something happen to them and their story would stick with you. I think of several people who had horrific things happen to them and their story stayed with me. One of those people for me was a lady named Rachel. She was Miss University of North Alabama when I was in middle school which was during the time my dad drug me to all the football games. She sang solos at our church. My mom worked with her sister (who I became really close to at the time) and then later with Rachel’s mother. She went to church at Highland Baptist where a lot of my friends went to church. And her mother taught many of my friends in elementary school. I think you are getting the point. It was a small town.
Because of great tragedies in Rachel’s life, her name has been mentioned from my Florence friends and my mother throughout the years. Her story is one I think of pretty often to just be connected to her. Rachel’s heartache began in her early 20’s. She was newlywed, married to her college sweetheart. On a normal Sunday afternoon, her husband was playing basketball in a friend’s driveway and died of aneurysm. Our entire community was devastated. It was unimaginable to think of Rachel as a widow before her mid 20’s.
Rachel later re-married. Everyone was so excited for Rachel. Then the unthinkable happened a few years after they married. Rachel became a widow for the second time. She lost her second husband in a plane crash, leaving her to raise two small children on her own. While this story is devastating, Rachel has not allowed it to be. Rachel now spends her time ministering to women. And because I could never do her story justice, I hope you would take the time to listen to her testimony. I am so glad someone posted this link on Facebook from when she recently shared her testimony. I have never got to hear her tell it before although, I have followed her blog for years.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rivertree-church#/recorded/31460485
This site may refresh so please make sure you click on link for the service from April 14. Also, Rachel begins her testimony at the 40 minute mark of the video.
For those of you who do not watch it, first of all shame on you. J Secondly, I want to leave you with what her testimony left me. It left me with these questions as I search for what pain does God want me to use for His glory.
What is my story?
How should I use it?
I do hope you will watch it. It is a life changer. I know you will be moved by her testimony just like I and some many other connections have among the years.
Sometimes you may not have known someone really well but you were connected to them (and again by multiple ways). Sometimes these connections would have something happen to them and their story would stick with you. I think of several people who had horrific things happen to them and their story stayed with me. One of those people for me was a lady named Rachel. She was Miss University of North Alabama when I was in middle school which was during the time my dad drug me to all the football games. She sang solos at our church. My mom worked with her sister (who I became really close to at the time) and then later with Rachel’s mother. She went to church at Highland Baptist where a lot of my friends went to church. And her mother taught many of my friends in elementary school. I think you are getting the point. It was a small town.
Because of great tragedies in Rachel’s life, her name has been mentioned from my Florence friends and my mother throughout the years. Her story is one I think of pretty often to just be connected to her. Rachel’s heartache began in her early 20’s. She was newlywed, married to her college sweetheart. On a normal Sunday afternoon, her husband was playing basketball in a friend’s driveway and died of aneurysm. Our entire community was devastated. It was unimaginable to think of Rachel as a widow before her mid 20’s.
Rachel later re-married. Everyone was so excited for Rachel. Then the unthinkable happened a few years after they married. Rachel became a widow for the second time. She lost her second husband in a plane crash, leaving her to raise two small children on her own. While this story is devastating, Rachel has not allowed it to be. Rachel now spends her time ministering to women. And because I could never do her story justice, I hope you would take the time to listen to her testimony. I am so glad someone posted this link on Facebook from when she recently shared her testimony. I have never got to hear her tell it before although, I have followed her blog for years.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rivertree-church#/recorded/31460485
This site may refresh so please make sure you click on link for the service from April 14. Also, Rachel begins her testimony at the 40 minute mark of the video.
For those of you who do not watch it, first of all shame on you. J Secondly, I want to leave you with what her testimony left me. It left me with these questions as I search for what pain does God want me to use for His glory.
What is my story?
How should I use it?
I do hope you will watch it. It is a life changer. I know you will be moved by her testimony just like I and some many other connections have among the years.
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