May 2014 bring you PEACE

Wow, 2013 is almost over!  I'm brought to tears as I reflect on what this year has entailed for our family....a church service in January where the Holy Spirit very clearly told me I was to go to Uganda in August with our church, a leap of faith in deciding if I was to resign from teaching, new friends, healed hearts, an openness to what the Lord had in store for us, not starting the adoption process in June like we had intended a year ago, meeting more and more people leading us towards fostering, blessing upon blessing with providing, and most of all learning that our Lord is sovereign and with Him, all things truly are possible! 

As this year comes to a close, I was humbled in church last night....the worship leader, Barrett, who went to Uganda with me was leading worship (a treat for me, as he leads worship on another campus)...and of course he sang the one song that brings the most amazing memory to mind...."Your love never fails it never gives up, it never runs out on me"....I had never before experienced children worshiping like they did to that song!  I can't believe it's been almost a year since that trip became something I was working towards, praying about, and yearning for...and now I'm anxious to see if I'll be able to return again in August, or if there is something else in store for me.

Our Pastor, Toby, spoke about how in the middle of uncertain times, that is not a time for us to be anxious, it's a time for us to feel Jesus, and the calm that only HE can bring!  I think for the first time, I can say, without any hesitation or any pretending...I've never been happier!  The joy that has come to our lives is incredible...the people praying for us and our upcoming journey is amazing!

A few "maybe's" have come about....maybe this door for a child will open, maybe this door for a child will open...all in all, it's truly HIS plan.  Maybe it'll be a straight adoption, an open adoption and we'll add to our family.  Maybe it'll be a sibling pair that is currently in foster care with a family I met a few months ago.  Maybe it'll be through Buckner or maybe it'll be through another agency that we've learned about.    In all of this, I find peace, because my heart is tied to Christ, not to the circumstance of the unknown.  

I've always told my students....I don't pay the "what if" game...even though I find myself playing it...even in church last night...What if...I don't get to go to Uganda in August...What if...we do have a child placed in our home in March/June/whenever...What if...What if....  But I was quickly reminded that I don't have to play the "What if.." game, Christ came to bring us PEACE, through his stressful life on Earth, the trouble that comes is out of our control.

Romans 5 tells us that troubles build endurance, I know about endurance, I run long distances...I've never thought about the troubles that come our way building our endurance...we have PEACE because we've been made right with God, we are JUSTIFIED!  God doesn't waste our hurts, HE brings GOOD through our pain and in the end he DEARLY LOVES US!  Mary wasn't afraid when the angel came to her and said, "God is with you," despite the trials that came her with with the news the angel brought...she endured and because she endured, we have PEACE!

So, no more "resolutions"...I choose JOY, PEACE, LOVE, GRACE, (patience...dare I say it out-loud), and EXCITEMENT!  I have goals....selfishly...that maybe this will have been our last Christmas without a child...but we said that last year...so once again....it's HIS plan! 

No more resolutions...2014 GOALS...
To minister to those that need me/my story/my resources
To be a blessing to those around me
To take Boxing Lessons - a birthday present from Bryan
Run a few half marathons...my full marathon goal may not work out this year
To Love and Serve my husband the way the Lord wants me to
To pray relentlessly for our future child(ren)
To get my NEXT Tattoo - Thanks to my little brother's Christmas present to me

 
 Blessings to your and yours!  Christmas cards never made it out this year...and New Years cards probably won't either...but just maybe....a baby adoption/foster announcement will....

Jesus came to turn our world upside down...Peace will NEVER be in our circumstances...only in HIM!  Happy 2014!  May it be a year of PEACE for you and your family!


The Peace in our circumstances comes from Toby Slough's Upside Down Christmas - Part 2 - Click here to hear his message - you won't regret it!!!

Corn Dip

I've moved my recipes to a separate blog - check out -  In all that is Good

Something FUN for your hubby!

I love my digital software from Stampin' Up, I saw something like this on the web and decided to create my own...so I'm sharing with you girls!  Right click to save the image, print, and ENJOY!

Cake Dip

I've moved my recipes to a separate blog - check out - In all that is Good

What's your legacy?

I LOVE Christmas, but my heart has been unsettled about the excess in our lives!  I struggle, as many of you do, wanting to have "everything," the best of the best, etc. but when our focus shifts from us, to the reason for the season, the birth of Christ, I begin to feel guilty of my "I wants," which sometimes I like to phrase as, " I need!" Bryan is always reminding me that is a "WANT" not a "NEED," psh, whatever...I need it because.... I am MAJORLY guilty of it, just like I'm guilty of wanting my way!  But here's what I REALLY need and want... I need to be an ambassador for Christ, I want others to see Him through me and my actions!

So, over the past few months my two sister in laws, a friend from teaching, and myself have been studying Priscilla Shirer's He Speaks to Me: Preparing to Hear from God and in my last post I quoted much of the book that goes along with the study.  Today I finished up our week 6 study...yep, did all 5 days this afternoon...not exactly how Priscilla *or God* would have liked me to do it, but none-the-less, I did it all today..note we were going to have our final Bible Study tonight, but it's tomorrow night...so now I'm a day ahead!  Woo hooo!  I've learned so much from this study, and I'm so glad we got to study it together! 

God is calling us to be ambassadors for Him...and a few reminders she gives are....My life means more than the temporary.  * I live at this point in history for a reason. * My existence is no mistake. * I'm here for a purpose, to fulfill my God-given role!    Hmmm...my God-given role.....wife, teacher, educator, friend, craft addict, mother, runner, sleeper, cook, baker...the list goes on and on.  He created us for something GREAT, he invites us to join HIM, but that requires....submission....YIKES!  God gives us assignments that aren't easy, they are given to us to make us stronger, they require more commitment out of us, and all in all HIS plans just might be more challenging and difficult than the ones we'd have for ourselves!  Yep, living proof of that one!  If I had, had my way with finding a husband...well, let's just say it probably wouldn't have lasted, and he definitely wouldn't have been my Bryan!  How he loves me through some of my "difficult" moments, I'm not quite sure, but he does!   I'm learning that he sometimes handles the challenges God gives us a little better than I do, even though I know he doesn't give us challenges to destroy us, in all actuality they are there to make us stronger.

Speaking of stronger....I've loved to run for years!  Almost 11 years ago, I was walking with my friend Liz, we decided to walk the loop at White Rock Lake, and some how I had told her that I wanted to run a marathon...that night we went to dinner at one of her friend's houses, and some how I learned about Team in Training....a week or so later, there I was, in full swing of training for my first full marathon...yep, 26.2 miles, what in the heck was I thinking???  Fast forward...I ran 3 full marathons and 4 half marathons from 2003-2009, then I met Bryan...teaching full time and a boyfriend/fiancee/husband was my priority!  But some how, through a little faith, my endurance returned, but not without a lot of dedication, not kicking my heels up and sitting around, but strapping on those tennis shoes and hitting the pavement.  Over the years my body bucked the system and prevented me from running, but my ability to have endurance returned.  And here I am, 4 days away from a half marathon, my first since April 2009, and my darn hip flexor is about to pop off my body....whew, it's painful, but what does that mean?  Will I be able to run on Sunday?  Will I be able to maintain my record time for a half?  Here's what I know...I can't let worry, negative feelings, or anything else prevent me from accomplishing this goal again.  What do I do for the next 4 days?  Ice, see my fabulous Chiropractor for e-stem treatments, roll on my rolly-tube thing that I can never remember it's "official" name, use a TON of Biofreeze, ice some more, and rest!  REST!  I hate REST!  I want to run!  I set monthly running goals, last month 76 miles, this month I was aiming for 80!  Okay, it's not what's important!  My focus is shifting...it's December, be thankful that I've been able to gain my endurance back, that was a gift from Him!  I have to keep my focus!  He's created me to do amazing things, what lessons can I take from this?  I can't play the "what if" game!  Oh goodness, I got side-tracked....so many things to share...I LOVE being able to complete a study, read something, listen to a sermon and take away so much!

As we live this life...enter the season of Christmas...celebrate Advent...celebrate in our homes, with our families, enjoy Christmas lights, snow days...where is your focus?  Is it on our real home?  Heaven!  When things have you down, they aren't going your way...remember, your way isn't the way...we are just passing through this life.  My cousin Jason Steger, wrote a song called "A Place I Call Home" and as he sang it at our Papa's funeral, it meant even more...we aren't at home, our home is when we leave this world...but then what legacy have we left?  Have we lived a life of delight?  Delight in what the Lord has given us, not what we look forward to having?  Do we obey his commands?  Do we obey other authority in our life?  What do we show others when we "buck" the system and don't follow the authority of those over us?  Does that just mean submitting to those we respect?  What if we don't agree with what our authority has called us to do?  What then?  Well, here's what I know...God's authority will only bring us to our next home, the way we respond to things will leave the legacy of our lives on this earth.  What does that look like for you?  What legacy are you leaving?  What hurts do you leave behind?  Do you live through your pain in a negative way or are you celebrating and rejoicing through your pain?  We have to be willing to follow HIS will and not interfere with HIS plan, but submit to HIS plan...whether we like it, whether it's easy, whether it's comfortable, period...we must submit to HIS will, HIS guidance!  This home is great, I love it, I love what I have here...do I long for things...yes, I want to be a mother, I want to feel loved, I want to know that I'm desired, I want to love, I want to be loved, I want to be a mother (just making sure you remember that *wink), but most of all, I want to leave a legacy...a legacy that represents Christ, a legacy that shows others that He is who gives me strength, that this home is just temporary, but darn it, I'm going to be the best me I can be through his strength...through the trials of becoming parents to the success of Sunday's half marathon, He will get me through!