What do you deserve?

I am sure that you have heard many times from people, "you deserve that." One day I will blog about my testimony and maybe some of you would say I deserve ___________. But the truth is we don't deserve anything but death. Oh did I type say that out loud. Yes I did! The only thing that we all deserve in this life is death but guess what as Beth Moore says "the creator promised death and delivered life!
" Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

In Romans 8:31-32, it says, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" God loved us so much that he did not spare his ONLY Son! Could you imagine taking the life of your ONLY child for the world? For this world that we live in today! Just think what Abraham must have been thinking when God asked him to take his son, Isaac, and sacrifice him. God was testing Abraham at this moment and boy how I wish I could have the discipline, obedience, faith and unconditional love that Abraham showed that day. (Genesis 22:1-19) Don't you know if it was you or I being asked to do this, at least I can speak for myself, that I would be thinking okay Lord I am trusting that I really am not going to have to go through with this request you have asked of me. Thank the Lord he is not asking us to do that today but we are asked to make sacrifices each and every day.

Think about the title of this blog, "What do you deserve?" What would your response be if I met you today and asked you this question? Would you be honest with me and yourself about what you truly deserve? Would you tell me you deserve a new car; the latest gadget; a shopping spree; to be debt free; what would it be? I don't deserve anything that I have but you can bet that I am truly grateful for everything that has come in and out of my life. I really don't even deserve God's forgiveness but He sent His ONLY Son to die on the cross; to die a horrible death for MY SINS and He still loves me. That just blows my mind that we serve such an awesome, loving, forgiving, gracious, merciful, wonderful, unconditional Father.

If we go back a few more verses from what we just looked at it states in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." In my bible it says in the sidelines: "Let's be crystal clear here. God works everything in believers' lives for their "good." This doesn't mean that everything works for pleasant lifestyles, enjoyable futures and happiness. The "good" here, though it isn't defined or specified, is to be understood as a spiritual and eternal "good." God uses everything in believers' lives – and often the difficult things in their lives – to remake them, to transform them into the likeness of his Son. Everything that happens to us – the easy, the difficult, the grief, the pain, the joy – has one purpose to make us more like Jesus."

So again I ask the question today: What do you deserve? I would love to hear from each of you and what you are struggling with in your personal walk.

What will you do today to be more like Jesus?

{For Such A Time As This}

I am reminded daily that I am not in control and that God does have a perfect plan for my life. As I have been keeping up with my FB friends, it is hard for us to remember this when we are waiting on the Army to bring our spouses home; waiting on doctors to find out what is wrong with us; waiting for our homes to sell; waiting on a job to open up; waiting on time for little babies to be born to this world; waiting, waiting and more waiting….

I know I continue to reference this bible study by Beth Moore: Esther It's Tough Being A Woman but this is good stuff and she is a gifted writer…anyway. In Esther 4: 14 Mordecai is telling Esther some important words that will forever change her life! He says "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" I can't say it better than Beth and I am not good at paraphrasing so this is what Beth continues to say on the matter. "Not only are you royalty but you have been placed in your sphere of influence, regardless of the size you perceive it to be. "for such a time as this." Ecclesiastes 3:2 tells us there is "a time to be born and a time to die." God cut out those exact perimeters for you and me on the kingdom calendar so that we would be positioned on earth right now. Likewise, Acts 17:26 tells us unflinchingly that God "determined the times set for [us] and the exact places that [we] should live." You see, even your current location is part of the set-up for your kingdom destiny." (pg. 97 Esther, It's Tough Being a Woman) Wow, if this does not hit your square in the face I don't know what will!

I am so reminded convicted each and every second that I am not in charge! God has a plan for my life and I need to "be still and know that I [He] am God." I must die to self everyday and remember that He will guide my steps. As Psalms 62: 7 clearly instructs me "My salvation and my honor depend on God, he is my mighty rock, my refuge." Sometimes we have no idea why we are going through certain problems but God knows. I received an email yesterday that depicted this perfectly. You see a man and many others carrying a cross and he is pleading with God to take the cross from him. So each time he is crying out to God, God cuts part of the bottom off the cross so it gets lighter and lighter. Once he gets to a canyon to cross, the others use their cross (since it is long enough) as a bridge to cross over but he cannot cross over because he continued to ask God to make his burden lighter. Sometimes we must bear the burden of our cross so that we may cross over the bridge to the other side. By going through the valley we are able to rise up and be stronger. Our witness becomes stronger each time we go through the valley and rise up victorious through Christ.

"We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't. God promises you a safe landing not a calm passage."

"Who knows but that you have come to ________________ for such a time as this?"

Fill in the blank and just remember that God knows why you have come to this time. He will see you through to the other side.

Faithful Even When We are Faithless

It has been almost a month since my last post. Life just seemed to stop when my husband returned home from Afghanistan. It is hard to stay in your routine that you have had for almost a year when your other half comes home. It is such an adjustment when you have another adult living in your "our" home. So I am going to try really, really hard to start writing ever day after my quiet time.

I am in week 6 of my Beth Moore Study Esther, It's Tough Being a Woman and this is the most intense study that I have taken thus far. I have taken other Beth Moore studies and this one has challenged me spiritually and mentally as a wife, mother and a woman. Today Beth brought up 2 Timothy 2: 13, but I feel we must see the whole context of this scripture so let's back up to verse 11 "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;'" if we endure, we will also reign with him." If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself", isn't this wonderful to hear because if you are anything like me my faith is not evident in my life every day. I have days where I think I give it over to the Lord but then I dwell on the matter that I just gave to Him.

My husband, Josh, and I just talked about this on Monday in relation to our upcoming move to Hattiesburg, MS. I tend to bring a lot of undue stress on myself because I am a procrastinator, CAN YOU RELATE? I like to think it is because of my free spirit but it is because I am distracted by so many things going on around me and I want to do it when I want to do it, just selfish if the truth be known. I know none of you out there are like that, ahem. No matter what I do or don't do God is still Faithful. What a comforting thought to know that He is still Faithful, in the midst of my faithlessness. God gives us encouragement to be Faithful in His word. We I need to be reminded of this daily and to spend that quiet time with my Lord on a daily basis. When I do this I am being filled up with the Holy Spirit and it becomes easier for me to be faithful in this faithless world.

The Joy Challenge: Day 9: A Yellow Balloon and Red Pumps

What kind of title is that you may be asking yourself? After I dropped my children off at preschool, I saw a yellow balloon floating down the street as if it had somewhere to be…where could this balloon be going on such a day as this…
If I were really great, or even the least bit good, I could write a story to go with this but I am not… this little balloon just brought a smile to my face because it was as if I could see it through the eyes of my children and thinking of the questions they may be asking about this yellow balloon.
I thought this was the one thing that I was going to write about but my friend, Elizabeth and I went shopping for a pair of boots! Yes boots, you notice I did not write a cute pair of brown boots at the top…no I wrote about a pair of red pumps! Well I could have also written about those cute brown boots and the cook black boots and yes the oh so chic purple pumps! Yes, I bought 4 pair of shoes tonight! This is not like me at all but it was buy one get one ½ off! I know, I know…I am saving my honey money right=)
Well my honey is coming home tomorrow and I went with the intentions of buying a pair of brown boots to go with my outfit but I am wearing a red shirt so the red pumps would look great! I think the red pumps would be great with anything! I don't normally have a shoe fetish but tonight was sooooo much fun! I am sure you know what is going to bring me Joy tomorrow before I ever write about it ;)

The Joy Challenge: Day 8: playing 20 questions with my husband

I got to talk to my honey on the phone Wednesday night and it was wonderful. We talk for almost 2 hours until I started getting very sleepy from some medicine I took earlier. I feel like during this deployment that we have found that first love again, I know we have only been married for 4 years but we were like high school kids last night and it was so much fun just getting to know him all over again. And we only have 2 more days to have to endure being apart! The great thing about Friday is not only is he coming home but he is coming home for good! He will never have to deploy again!

What were the 20 questions you ask, well, that is not the important thing about today's joy it was the joy in playing it and rekindling a love and fire! I know not what you wanted to read but those 20 questions may make you and me blush ;)

good night to all…remember God is good and he has a big plan for each of us!

The Joy Challenge: Day 7: Hope

Today was a great day! We are that much closer to seeing daddy and I am reminded by God that He is still in charge and that he will never leave me! I dropped my sweet peas off to preschool, ran errands, signed up for Curves, ate lunch with a friend at Lovin' Spoonful Café downtown and had a wonderful time….worked out for the first time in about a week (this felt great!) Off to pick up my sweet peas from preschool and run more errands.

The first being to the local Best Buy to see if I could get a plug in charger for computer (by the way that is why I didn't post these for the last couple of days, no laptop life). We I was excited to find out that I could return my other one and get a full credit YEAH! Something simple like that what is can do for your joy for the day. Well it gets better.

We go to our next stop, Sam's Club, to get the staples of our home: dog food, diapers, toilet paper and cheese. I know what a combo. Well we were completely out of 3 of the 4. The cheese was just a bonus. The shopping was not the best part but the walk to the car….We saw a rainbow and not just any rainbow but a double rainbow….It was beautiful and to see the excitement on my children's faces was priceless. In Genesis 9: 8-13, a rainbow was a sign from God that he will never send a flood to destroy all of life again. This gives us hope that even though we as a nation probably deserve this fate but God loves us and HE ultimately loved Noah to make such a promise to last eternally…

The Joy Challenge: Day 6: Knowing my limits

If you are anything like me, then you tend to take on too much and then just blow up at everything and everyone around you because you are the one that has taken on too much! Well I am learning to read my body and what emotions I am feeling and realizing when it is time to say no, time to go home, time to go into my room and just shut the door….

Tuesday will be two weeks ago that I had sinus surgery and today I was feeling a lot of sinus pressure and on top of that had not 1 but 2 needed children…they both seemed to be fighting for my attention and this just make my heart hurt because I can't give them that attention that each of them is desiring. We went to dance and gymnastics on this beautiful, windy morning. We made it through the morning of getting dressed and having breakfast….but them once we got to class and I took Sydney to her dance class she didn't want to stay and I had to be in class with Noah so what is a mother to do when she is the only one (daddy a million miles away but not for long=)). I did what only a good mother does…yep I put her in the class stayed with her a few minutes so she could gain her confidence and then slowly eased my way out so Noah and I could go to gymnastics.

Well about 5 minutes into her class here she comes running to me like she has just lost her best friend. Before she shows up Noah is acting like he normally does, a boy, not listening, not doing what he is suppose to do….but magically when his twin sister shows up he wants to do it because she is doing the stretches….oh the bond they have. But I have to explain to her that this is Noah's class and she can't do the activities. That is hard for a 3 year old to really comprehend. I convince her to go back to her class and of course stay with her a few minutes and shoe her it is fun. She is comfortable and I slowly ease out again.

By the end of class we have some sort of meltdown of 3 year olds, mommy's head is pounding and this is where I feel the presence of God saying this is one of those times for me to know my limits and call it a day before I do or say something I regret. So we packed up and went home, fixed a great lunch and all went down for a nap! The Lord is teaching me so much through my children and I am grateful for each lesson that I am learning.

The Joy Challenge: Day 5: Bible Study

I am realizing more and more that God is calling me to work with women in a women's ministry. I really enjoy leading a Bible study with other ladies and finding out more about their lives, their struggles, their strengths and their weaknesses. We all need other Godly women in our lives to help hold us accountable. I am not sure how God plans on using me to fulfill his plan but "here I am send me!"

Can't believe I just said that but it is true…God wants us to be obedient to him and his calling and if we are obedient then he will bless the ministry as well as our own lives. What an awesome God we serve. More on this tomorrow…my battery is dying but I am becoming more aware of what is truly bringing me joy and I am thankful that all my senses are aware of this journey that I am on to deliberately seek out daily joy!

The Joy Challenge: Day 4: Sweet Friends

God brings people in your life everyday and there will be a day when your paths will no longer cross but until that day comes we must appreciate those special people in our lives and try to figure out what God would have us learn from them, teach them, appreciate about them…

Have you ever had that special friend in your life that just knows the right things to say at just the right time…they know what you need before you even ask…they drop everything to help you when you are in need…they know your deepest secrets and can actually keep them…they are there when you need a shoulder to cry on…lend an ear to listen to you and not give advice, just let you vent…they give you a hug…

I have a sweet friend who came into my life last year and we have become best friends…Elizabeth you are such sweet dear friend and I am truly going to miss you when we move but God has great things in store for both of us and we will be running that Christian way farm soon! This dear friend will watch my children when I need to go to work, run errands, or just get some much needed rest….well on Saturday she was like my knight in shining armor coming to my rescue…she helped me get my house ready for my open house, then watched the kids while I had the open house. I know this doesn't sound like much but when we all woke from our naps I had the worst headache so she took my children to her house for a Bonfire and dinner, brought them back home and got them in the pj's , teeth brushed and glass of milk so they were ready for bed…she even pulled down my sheets so I could just climb into bed…God knew I needed her that day…

I pray that each of you reading this has someone like this in your life…we , as women, need a "girlfriend"…someone we can confide in, share our struggles with, laugh with, cry with, be ourselves and jus have fun… if you don't have someone like this I pray that god will bring a sweet friend in your life soon so you can enjoy life with a "girlfriend". Thank you Elizabeth for being such an inspiration to me as a friend, wife and mother.

The Joy Challenge: Day 3 ~ Coffee

I know what you are probably thinking, Coffee, are you kidding me, that brings you joy. I have not always been a coffee drinker and if I did drink it, it was with lots of cream and sugar….

I took this picture right before our training class today…which was on 4 traits of highly successful people…

Well not a lot has changed since my first taste of coffee but I just love the thought of pouring a cup, wrapping my hands around a nice and toasted mug and just taking a deep breath and letting the aroma of the coffee fill every ounce of space in my nose….she is crazy…I know….Coffee actually the smell of it takes on a whole new meaning or rather appreciation for me since my sinus surgery on the 2^nd of this month…. My sense of smell is heighten and I can actually breathe, yeah

I am one of those that like to bring my own coffee mug from home with me to work or someone's house because I just absolutely love my mugs….we got them from pier 1 when we got married and they are so me! As I am typing I am trying to think about God in this big scheme of coffee and this is where I wish I were a writer and the words could just flow from my mouth with such grace but they don't…but who is to say I can't work on it…I am trying to do better about finding Joy in my daily routine, trying to set goals for 2010 in my real estate career (for Hattiesburg, MS when we get down there) and working on being a better wife and mother by taking a awesome Bible study by Beth Moore, "It's tough Being a Woman".