His ways our higher than our ways

How many times have we lifted up our prayers only to wonder why we haven't received our answer? How many times have we cried out for a broken marriage, a longing to bear a child, or physical healing? Have you ever sat back frustrated and asked "Where are you God?"

There have been times in my life when I have asked this exact question. There is a song that says "I tried to hear from heaven, but I talked the whole time." Sometimes we think our prayers aren't being answered because they aren't being answered the way we want them to be. We miss His answers because we want His ways to be our ways.  

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares The Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Poncho has gone through several surgeries for his foot over the past year and a half due to a car accident 12 years ago. The hope was for the surgeries to fuse his bones. This has been unsuccessful. His last doctor's visit he told the doctor he just wanted to be able to take his son hunting and fishing or throw the baseball some without living in constant pain. The answer was very unexpected and shocking to say the least. He said the only way for him to do these things was to have his foot amputated. Of course we have been saddened by this, but we believe this is God's answer to our prayers for healing. It is not the answer we were looking for, but we know His ways are higher than ours. So once again, we choose to trust Him. 

Please pray for Poncho as he prepares for this surgery. He is a strong man who serves a mighty God! We know God's will is perfect and he has never forsaken us. Every trial brings us closer to Him and for that we are thankful.

Trusting Him

How many times do we try to predict and control what will happen in our futures? How much time are we wasting today worrying about tomorrow? Why is it that time after time God meets our every need, yet we continue to spend countless hours worrying about things of tomorrow? What does He have to do to make us trust Him? 

These are all questions I ask myself. I try to control and predict what my future holds. I predict conversations that I will have with people (that usually never happen), I predict the way someone is going to react to something I have said or done, I try to plan out not only my conversations to people, but also my husbands and children's. This completely drives them crazy by the way. Who am I to try and predict or control other people's reactions? Or better yet, who am I to try and know what tomorrow is going to hold? I can barely make it  through today. I am constantly going through my day thinking about what I, my kids, and Poncho have said or done and how others will react to it. 

Poor Peyton....I'm not even sure how she survives in the real world without me over analyzing every move she makes.  Guess what?? She not only survives, but she thrives! Not only is it a relief to not have to live their life and mine, But it is beautiful to watch! She comes home for a weekend and sometimes I feel like I've been to revival! She is not perfect by any means, but wise beyond her years? Yes indeed! I worry....she quotes Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." This is so true! Lets take it day by day! God has proven over and over He holds tomorrow. 

So my goal is to let the God of yesterday be the God of today and tomorrow! He's got this! I don't have to fret over what we are going to eat or wear....or even more ridiculous, how this person is going to react to this or that. My only focus should be depending on and pleasing my God....He will take care of the rest!  Whew!!!! I feel better already! 

We all have a part as the Body of Christ

I have attended the same church for 17 years. I have seen many changes in the church during my time here. I have seen seasons of growth and I have also seen what seems to be dry seasons. I believe that God places us where He wants us to be at a specific place at a specific time for a specific reason.  So often, it is easy for us to want to leave or attend a different church because things are not going as we think they should. Not enough ministries for the young adults, not enough events for the youth or the young children of the church...etc. my question is this....why do we choose to leave instead of stepping up and taking the ministry you feel so passionate about and praying about what you could do to make the ministry what you would like it to be?  Please know that I am preaching to myself because I am so guilty of this...waiting for someone else to do "the job".  What would happen if the people of our churches stepped up and took the bull by the horns per say? When your church seems to be going through a dry spell...are you doing your part to make it pass or are you sitting on the sidelines complaining and talking about what "others" should be doing? 

1 Corinthians 12:27 says "Now YOU are the body of Christ, and each one of YOU is a part of it." 

We all have a part in our churches. We all have gifts The Lord has equipped us with. Let's use these gifts to help bring others to Christ. Lets quit waiting on someone else to do OUR job. 

I am truly guilty of this. I want things to be easy. I say yes to things of this world, yet when it comes to the things that help grow the Kingdom of heaven, I sit and wait for others to take the lead. Let's be the leaders God created us to be and be in prayer of the ministries God wants us to help grow. 

Fully surrendering our lives to God

Peyton came home today and we were shopping for socks to wear with our clown costumes. As we were shopping she told me she went to a bible study last night and they discussed how God wanted to be involved in every aspect of our life, all of our decisions....whether big or small. Her example she gave me was about a lady trying to decide what color to paint her kitchen. It may seem silly to pray to God and ask him something so trivial compared to other things in life, but he wants us to come to him as our Father, our Best Friend. He cares about the things we care about. I picked up a pair of socks and Peyton jokingly asked "do you feel at peace with these socks?" (She's really not crazy). My answer was "no, I don't".  This may sound ridiculous...but if we really think about it, why do we just go to him for big decisions? And an even more important question is, do we go to Him at all for any life decisions? Do we pray about our jobs? Do we pray about what He wants us to do in life? Do we pray about the person we or our children choose to marry? Do we pray when we go to make a decision to buy large purchases such as homes or vehicles? He knows what we need and cares about all of these things...even my pair of silly clown socks. 

Philippians 4:7 says "And the Peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  

This peace can only be found when we are truly in the center of God's perfect will for our lives.  And the only way to be in His perfect will is to surrender our body, soul, spirit and our ENTIRE life into His perfect hands. 

I can't wait to find my PERFECT clown socks! 

Why should we forgive?

I love when I listen to the Holy Spirit! I love when I go to church and come home covered with conviction! I especially love the times I actually obey the Holy Spirit! You know why???  Because it sets me free! 

I have been hurt...we all have been hurt. I have hurt others....we all have hurt others, whether it be intentional or not. 

As I have said before, I have struggled for years trying to figure out what my spiritual gifts are. I know I have at least one because God's word says as soon as we accept Christ as our Savior, we receive our spiritual gifts. Mine happens to be Forgiveness. I love to forgive. I have forgave all of my life. I have a sense of urgency to not only forgive, but also receive forgiveness. I do not always believe that asking someone to forgive you is accepting all fault, but I know in every situation there is fault of my own in some way. So when someone apologizes, I can't think of a time I haven't accepted it.  Why?? Because my God forgives me everyday! Matthew 6:14-15 says if you forgive others their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you...but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. I don't know about y'all, but I NEED daily forgiveness from my Father!  This is where my urgency comes from! Who am I to think God should forgive me, if I am unwilling to forgive others? But what if the other party is not willing to forgive? Or even wants your forgiveness? It doesn't matter...because you have set yourself free from the bondage that has been holding you. Praise God!!!!!!

Another reason to forgive is because Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (other people) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. In other words, man is not our enemy....Satan is. Satan sneaks in and nothing makes him happier than when he can cause conflict and bitter hearts. 

I choose to live without a bitter heart. I want to love all people because God loves me and I have been commanded to do the same! 

Celebrating our Perfect Father

As we celebrated Poncho's Birthday tonight, I see how much he is loved by our kids. I am thankful that he has been the example he has been throughout their life. I am thankful that Peyton can look at her Daddy and see what kind of man she should marry and how they should treat her. I am thankful that Braden has the example of how to be a good husband and father to his children. 

And though not as much as he would have liked, he hopes to have passed some of these things to Josh along the way. Josh is a wonderful husband and Father and we are thankful that he will be the example he should be for our grand babies.

Unfortunately, not all kids have such a great example or any example at all. No matter how wonderful I think Poncho is, there are times when he like all of us has been led by our sinful nature and has somewhere along the way let us down. This is not a bash Poncho blog....it is a Praise Jesus blog! Praise Jesus that He NEVER lets us down. That those of us who aren't as fortunate to have a great earthly father to look up to, can look even higher to the PERFECT Heavenly Father who has adopted all of us as His very own children! He is the example we all should look at! He sets the standards that we should all strive towards! He shows us what "true love" really is by the example of His love for His church! 

If you have been let down by family or friends and this affects the way you live or your image of self worth, break the cycle by looking to the One who will never break your heart. The only Father, Friend, Savior who is the picture of perfection! The One who knows your worth because He is more than your Father...He is your creator! 

Be still and know that I am God Psalm 46:10

So the school year has started and the craziness of life has once again started taking it's toll on me and everyone else. This summer was blissful and I found myself growing closer to God. I painted the words "Be still and know that I am God" on multiple crosses that I sold this summer. I am realizing the importance of these words as my days get busier and busier. The busier I am, the further I stray from my walk with the Lord, The further  I stray from my walk, the worse my state of mind becomes, the worse my state of mind becomes, the darker my heart becomes, the darker my heart becomes, the darker my actions become. It is a vicious cycle all because I have not done what The Lord has commanded me....Be Still! 

How can we be still when life pulls us in so many different directions? I have a job (or 2 or 3), a family that needs me and opportunities that keep arising which I am so thankful for. How do we balance everything without losing what's important?  

The answer is simple, yet we make it so difficult. Be Still in the Lord's presence. We have to be refreshed by His presence. Once we learn to take the time to do this, our time will seem to stretch because we will be refreshed and more focused. Without a renewed spirit, we are running a rat race and getting nowhere. Trust Him to give you the time you need by giving Him the time He deserves.

Some of the greatest lessons I learn are from a child

The last couple of weeks I have been  trying to mentally and emotionally prepare myself to give my testimony.  I know this is God's plan and have prayed that He would lead me. He showed me something this past week and I wish so much that I would have recorded this moment to share with others. 

Last week, I went to Odenville Middle School to hear Braden give a speech as to why he should be elected as SGA Senator. There were round 35 children from 6th-8th grade who stood up and gave some of the most eloquently written speeches. I sat amazed at how brave these young boys and girls were to stand before their entire student body and speak. 

There was one speech that really stood out to me though. It was from a 6th grader, who was visibly nervous and had forgotten her notes. She stood there and told the audience how nervous she was and how she was the girl who sat in the back of the class and never raised her hand because she was afraid of the attention. Tears started coming from her eyes as she said she woke up and prayed that God would give her the words to say. It may not have been the wittiest or most eloquent speech ever spoken, but what she said and her humble attitude not only caused most of the adults to cry, but also caused a standing ovation from the entire student body. Whether she wins the race she was running for or not....she became a winner in many eyes that day. She taught me an important lesson. She taught me that when you speak from your heart with a humble attitude and ask God to lead you, no matter if you are an expert speaker or not....He will use you. 

My prayer is to be used, not to stand there and make an eloquent presentation, but to give God the glory He deserves with the most humble heart I can possibly have.  I want people to see God, not me. Because if He is not the center....there is no point in me standing there.

Thank you God for using a sweet 6th grader to teach me yet another lesson. 

Letting Go

This will be the hardest blog I have written thus far. Letting go...letting go of what? Letting go of the things or people we hold the closest. In my case, and I'm sure in most cases, this would be our children. I know I've already written about Peyton going to college and starting a new chapter in her life, but I want to share what God has shown me the last couple of weeks. 

 First off, I read a daily devotion called "Jesus Calling". Last week the devotion book was opened to the date August 23, which is this Friday. It was on the table beside where Poncho sits. Peyton curiously picked it up and read what it said. The 23rd was a week away, so why would he have opened it to see what it said on the 23rd? Because that is Peyton's move in day for college and Poncho is emotional about this as well. So first I want to share what the devotion said. This is absolutely amazing....and there is no way it is coincidental that this was written for this day. So here it is....

"Entrust your loved ones to Me; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands.  If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one, as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac. I took Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from son worship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father's undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry , even in the form of parental love.

When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same presence stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do. "

Wow! Now I will be 100% honest....the story of Abraham and Isaac has always bothered me. I couldn't understand why God would ask Abraham to take his son whom he loved and ask him to sacrifice him. Even though God provided the ram to use as the sacrifice when He saw that Abraham was going to obey. As a Mom who loves her children with all her heart, it seemed mean to me. And my heart broke for Abraham, Isaac and Sarah who had longed for a child for so many years. The story ended well and God has revealed to me why He asked this of Abraham. 

I am guilty of being a child worshiper. I worship my children. They are my Idols. The Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 1 27-28 "I prayed for this child , and The Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to The Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to The Lord."

Our Children are a gift from God and they belong to Him. They are loaned to us for a short time on earth and our job is to raise them by God's instruction. When we release them, they should have been raised to where they are able to stand firm on their relationship with God and find their purpose here on earth to further The Kingdom of God. We are to love them, nurture them physically, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually. We cannot carry out God's purpose for their lives or ours if we put them before God. We must teach them He comes first. Because we are not able to love them the way we should without knowing The love of God first. 

My heart is beating so fast right now as I type these words because I know there is no harder task than this. Letting go is not something that just happens one day....it is a choice we have to make each and every day. Entrust your children to The Lord. They are His and as hard as it is to imagine....He loves them more than we ever could and He knows what is best for them. This is a hard truth to accept but it is just that....the truth. 

A little follow up from yesterday....What I learned from my 18 year old daughter

I will not be blogging everyday...unless it is what God intends for me to do.  But the last few days so much has happened and I feel led to share.

The man that stole Peyton's wallet was caught today.  Since she is now considered an "adult" all contact from the Detective was made straight to her.  Any decisions made were to be made by her.  Today the Detective called and told her they had caught the man and wanted to know if she wanted to press charges.  I could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she struggled with her decision.  Her first question..."How much trouble will he be in?" (not much) second question...Does he have young children? (no).  Third question, can I talk to him? (no because we do not want any confrontation).  She said there would be no confrontation, she wanted the chance to share the gospel with this man.  Still the answer was no.  She did press charges because she felt since he would not do jail time and just a short time of probation, that maybe he would learn from this and think before he committed any larger crimes.  She asked if she could bring a letter for the detective to give to the man and the detective said He would love to give him the letter.  She stopped at the store, got the man a bible and stuck this letter in it.  I am not bragging or think I have perfect children...I think actions speak louder than words and nobody wants to hear me talk about how "great" I think they are.  But this had to be shared because it is the greatest example of what is truly important and what is not important.  To Peyton, his eternity was what was most important.  This is her letter....

First off I just wanted to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a young girl who is about to begin college in the fall. My dad has been out of work for the past 2 years due to foot surgeries from a previous car accident. My family has been struggling financially for the past two years. I worked all summer and was saving up to help buy the rest of my stuff for college. I have grown up in a small church my whole life and I depend on the Lord for everything. There isn’t a day that goes by that the Lord doesn’t bless me. I just want you to know that I am not angry at you, and I forgive you. You may not even be sorry or want my forgiveness, but I just feel like you should know that I do forgive you. I’m not sure about your spiritual beliefs or if you even have any. So I just want to take a minute and share with you the love of Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that who ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God sent his son to die on a cross so that my sin, your sin, and all of man’s sin can be forgiven. Because of His GREAT sacrifice that was made we are able to have a one on one relationship with God. Once we ask Jesus to come into our heart and be the master of our life our whole world will be turned around! We no longer have to face trials in life alone; we have a God that carries us through everything. When we have that relationship and pray and ask God for forgiveness the Bible says that He casts our sins “as far as the east is from the west”. The most rewarding part about the relationship with God is knowing that we get to spend an eternity in Heaven with our Savior. Three days after Jesus was crucified he ascended into Heaven and today he sits at the right hand of God. You may think it’s crazy that someone would write a letter saying they forgive you, but My God forgives me everyday for my sins. I don’t think you’re a bad person; I just think you made a bad choice. Next time you think about taking someone’s wallet, just remember it’s more than a wallet, there’s a person with a story behind the wallet. I wish you nothing but the best in life. God Bless!

I believe this says it all.....

Angels on Earth....PLEASE READ THIS!

Yesterday Peyton and I headed on an adventure to pick up the rest of her things needed for college.  We started out at the The Leeds Flea Market and ended up at the Moody and Leeds Police station.  Not exactly what we had planned.  Someone stole Peyton's wallet while we were at The Leeds Flea Market, which had two visa debit cards, her driver's license, Social Security Card, Student ID and $107.00 cash.  We went to Regions to close the account and the person had swiped the card for $66.00 and $74.50.  This may not seem like a lot, but to someone who is a soon to be college student it was everything.  Peyton sat in Regions and cried because she just couldn't understand how someone could be so mean.  After I called the person a few choice words...(sorry Dwayne and rest of the church and mostly God), I remembered what I had blogged about praying for our enemies.  We had to pray for this person, because obviously they needed it.  We also have to forgive.  So we had to put the walk to our talk.  Not easy....but doable. And we chalk this up as a lesson in life.  A lesson that I do not believe God put us through, but nonetheless was waiting to see our reaction.  I let him down with my anger, but slowly began to think about my words earlier in the week.  We forgive and will pray for this person.

Now, this is not a blog about "oh feel sorry for Peyton"....because we know God always provides! ALWAYS!  And when He shows out, it is a beautiful thing to watch! He sends kind people that I like to think of as angels on earth.  We have met our share of angels in the past 12 years.  It blesses my heart all the time!  I wish to be one of these kind people and will work harder at being a servant. So our angel today chose to remain anonymous.  Not looking for recognition, not looking for a personal thank you.

My mother in law works at the Odenville Utility Board.  Someone dropped off an envelope before they opened in the drop box.  It was addressed to Mrs. Brasher and read "Please call Kim and ask her to pick this up for Peyton Brasher.  You just have to love a small town.....where else could I live that I could "drop something off at the Water Board to be delivered?" Inside the envelope, was $107.00 cash and a pearl bracelet.  I believe the pearl bracelet was to be used for her in clown school, because she had mentioned she wanted her clown name to be "Pearl" because she always loves to wear pearls.  

Wow!!!! That's all I can say! As the tears fall, not from the $107.00 but from the heart behind the gift.  Thank you! Thank you for showing God' love and being an example I can share with my kids and anyone that may read this! You will NEVER know what this means to us!  You are truly an "Angel on Earth".  

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

As you look at the picture below, I know you can barely see it, but under where the  flowers are we had music notes and the words "Jesus Loves Me" inscribed on Blair's grave. We had those words put on there because we had this wonderful memory of her when she was 3 going up to the pulpit at church and getting on the microphone (which was turned off) and singing with every little piece of her soul...

"Jesus Loves Me".  It was such a sweet moment because as she sang it, you could see that she truly believed every word.  It was sang beautifully with a pure heart. 2 points I want to make by sharing this. First one.....Do we go to God with a child like faith. A faith where the world has not clouded us with doubts and distractions?  In Matthew chapter 19 Jesus said "Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." What does this mean? It means that when we were children, we depended on our parents for everything. They had to feed us, clothe us, take care of our bumps and bruises, and mostly just love us. We needed all of these things. As we grow older, we become more "self sufficient". At times we feel that we don't need anyone. We got this right? Isn't that what our parent's job was? To make sure we were prepared for this world and ready to take it on by ourselves?  Sometimes as adults we can become too self-sufficient. And we forget our Heavenly Father supplies all of our needs. He provides our food, our clothes, he is The Great Physician that not only takes care of our physical "bumps and bruises" but also our broken hearts. He loves us... and He wants us to love and depend on Him with "childlike faith".

Second point is this....when Blair sang that day she knew without a doubt that Jesus loved her. Can we say the same about ourselves? When we sing praises to Our Lord are we really crying out to Him? Or are we just singing some words that are on a page or a screen? The next time we have the privilege to sing praises to Our Father....let's sing it like we believe EVERY word of it! The words may be simple in the song Jesus loves me....but the message is powerful! Thank God He loves me!!!!  

Praying For Our Enemies

Okay guys, I know y'all can feel me on this one.  I'm not sure about all of you, but I have always had this overwhelming need of acceptance.  I hate conflict and want everyone to like me.  But when there is conflict, I have a tendency to want to get back at the ones who have hurt me.  So as I was dealing with a situation, I began to look through the Bible hoping to find something that could make me feel "better".  Something that will make me feel justified for the anger or hurt I feel.  So I flip to the back of my  Bible and I start looking for verses that will tell me what I WANT to hear.  Time and time again....I find the same thing.  "You shall not take vengeance, not bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Leviticus 19:18.    And yet again and again we are commanded to not only love one another, but also to love our enemies.  Matthew 5:44 says "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." What? So I not only have to love them, but pray for them too!  Frustrated I closed my bible and started praying.  I woke up the next morning and  thought I had received  a revelation through the night....I remembered somewhere in the Bible it said something about an "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth".  I hurriedly found that verse and hate to admit it, but was a little disappointed that this did not not mean I could go scratch someone's eyes out.   As I studied this verse, I learned this statement in the Old Testament was applied only to punishment for serious crimes, like assault (this does not include back biting or rolling of the eyes), and was not to be carried out by individuals , but only through the judicial system.  I had heard this verse so many times growing up and it was used out of context.   We have taken this verse and twisted it to justify our actions and feelings.  I wonder how much of God's word we have picked apart and tried to make it fit to make us comfortable.  God's word gives us the standards He wants us to live by. Don't try to change it and make it comfortable, because sometimes it just isn't.  Sometimes it is very uncomfortable.  Sometimes it tells us things we don't necessarily want to hear.  Why? Because He loves us.  He knows what is best for us.  He knows if we fight evil with evil, no one wins.  He knows we are freed by forgiving others and when we pray for our enemies, we are releasing ourselves from bondage.  So today...I pray for my enemies.  This does not mean I am a doormat for people to walk on, it simply means I try to see them as God's children also.  As much as I hate to admit it, He loves them just as much as He loves me.  I am not perfect either.  I have hurt others also.  I hurt God everyday by sinning against Him.   But every day I am granted New Mercies!  Praise God! And my need for acceptance from others is slowly becoming less of a necessity.  I have an Almighty Father in heaven who accepts me for me.  Not only does He accept me but 1 John Chapter 3 tells me that I am a child of God! Through the good, bad, and the ugly....He has chosen to be My Father!  That my friends, is all the acceptance I need!

Everything we do should be for the Glory of God

Today I was asked by my Pastor's wife if it would be alright if they added my blog to a link on our church's website.  At first I thought, "what?" but quickly answered yes.  I began to think what in the world could I say every time I blog that would interest people from the Church or anyone else for that matter.  Do they really care to see pictures of Peyton and Braden every few days?  I started blogging for an outlet.  A place to put my feelings into words and maybe later look back and see what I was feeling during certain phases of my life.  Or to look back at pictures of my family and friends and reminisce of past times.  As I was thinking about this, I remembered what our Pastor (Dwayne) spoke on today.  I won't go into complete detail, because what I am trying to say just touches on part of what he preached about.  So what I am going to concentrate on in this blog is this....Everything we do should be for the Glory of God.  Everything should point to Him!  I told Laurie (my Pastor's wife)...y'all sure about this? Ya'll know I get kinda crazy sometimes and might say something I shouldn't.  Her answer was simple...just be honest.  Anyone who knows me, knows I do not have a problem with honesty.  I am the same person at church that I am at home...and it is not always pretty.  Okay, back to the point I was trying to make...My blog is about my life.  So if my life is pointing others to Christ, I should have nothing to worry about.  But let's face it...my life does not always point others to Him.  I try, but fail miserably at times.  My hope is this...I want to write about my daily life, but most of all I want to write what God puts on my heart.  So like  Dwayne said today, if I go to the grocery store and later feel the need to blog about it...I pray that when I was shopping or checking out or passing the friendly greeter that it was "For the Glory of God."  He said that no matter what we do or where we go it should point others to Him.  Yes, that's even at Wal-Mart!  Sometimes that isn't so easy.  Especially for me, who lacks some of the fruit of self control.  Sometimes I get James 1:19 confused and instead of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry...I do exactly the opposite.  My prayer is this...I want to be convicted every time I am a "stumbling block".  I want to do EVERYTHING for the glory of our God.  And I am asking my friends, co-workers, family, and church family to lovingly remind me of this wonderful verse..."So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Learning to be Thankful during "trials"

I read a devotion and it was titled "Thankfulness opens the door to My Presence."  What does this mean?  It is easy to be thankful when things are going as we think they should.  When all is "well" with the world.  But if that were the only time we were to offer Thanks, the Lord would definitely be short changed.  Poncho's Granny would often say if trouble isn't already at your door, it's coming.  Not to sound like a Debby Downer, but we are all faced with trials at one point or another.

I learned to thank God in the midst of trials when I lost my daughter 12 years ago.  Someone told me as I was going through this horrible time to Praise God.  I'm sure I looked at them like they had lost their mind, but I soon learned to do this.  Believe it or not, I began to feel peace as I learned to praise him in my storm.  What could I have possibly been thankful for during this time?  I was thankful for the people he sent me everyday to care for my family or just to offer an encouraging word.  I was thankful for the outpouring of support from a loving community we call Odenville, AL.  I was thankful for my church family.  I was thankful for mine and Poncho's parents, who stepped up and took over despite the fact that they were grieving also. I was thankful for the loving extended family who loved me through this.  I was thankful that my precious husband and other two children were spared. I was thankful for my 5 best friends from childhood who walked with me each step of the way.  I was thankful for the phone call I received at least 5 times a day from a friend, who had to just make sure I was hanging on.  I was thankful for the nurse who prayed with us during Poncho's hospital stay.  I was thankful for all the other "angels" He sent our way.  Most of all, I was thankful for His strong yet loving hands that carried me through this time.  My list could go on and on.

My point is this...we may not always like what is happening in our lives.  No one loves to go through trials. But suffering is what molds us into the people we are.  We grow in the valley.  We learn to depend on Him.  We depend on Him through good times and bad.  So when things are going good remember "Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17.  And when things are going "not so great" remember "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength and character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation."  Romans 3:3-4.  Our God deserves to be praised no matter what our circumstances are.  I promise,  Praising Him will set you free!

The Summer I began to find myself again

I never in a million years thought I would create a blog, but lately I feel like there is so much to share.   I will start by sharing a little about myself.
I am the mother of an 18 year old girl who will soon be going off to college and a 13 year old boy who will forever be my baby. I also have a daughter in heaven named Blair who was killed in a car accident 12 years ago. I have a step-son named Josh and a beautiful daughter in law who has recently blessed me with 2 grand babies and a 3rd on the way. I have been married to the love of my life for almost 20 years. Time flies!

I titled this one as "The summer I began to find myself again" because anyone who knows me knows I am so wrapped up in my kids that I began to lose who I was. Not that it is a bad thing to be completely involved with your children, but my involvement was more like a dependency. It's easy to fall into and sometimes I believe when we depend on our children for every bit of joy in our lives it can sometimes be overwhelming for them. My daughter Peyton has always has been my "best friend". Not to the point where it took the place of me being her mother, but we have always had a special bond. I have depended on her for everything the past eighteen years. By this I mean I could barely go to the grocery store without her. She has been my sidekick for eighteen years and now I am faced with her leaving and starting her new life at college.  I have prayed about this and dreaded the day. But as I have prayed, God has placed new things and opportunities in my life. He is showing me things I never thought I could do and I am actually enjoying them. For instance, he has given me a hobby that two years ago I would have laughed and thought "I could never do that." I am enjoying things I never imagined I could enjoy. I clean my Church weekly and of course have always had my helper. Now I actually enjoy doing it alone. (A little help now and then is nice). I put my earphones on and listen to praise and worship on Pandora and have Church with the best worship ever as I am mopping floors and cleaning toilets! I have learned that there is a season for everything. Although I will miss my sweet girl more than anything, I am learning to find myself again. Braden my son will keep me busy with all of his sports and it is nice to be able to devote the time I had to once share.  This summer I have learned to find joy in things I once dreaded. Instead of looking at a chapter closing, I am looking at a new chapter with Peyton. One that is filled with so many wonderful opportunities for her. She will be attending clown school starting in August and will be a volunteer clown at Children's Hospital. She will be meeting new people and learning things that can only be taught through experience. I am actually excited to see her spread her wings and start her new journey! Now this is not to say that I may not be able to get out of the bed a few days after she leaves, but hey, it's a start right! God has once again stepped in and took the wheel. Praise Him for answered prayers. I would be nothing but a mess without His guidance.