Thanksgiving 2012 ~ Family and Childhood Friends Always Heal A Broken Heart

I know Christmas is already over but I haven't had a chance to even share Thanksgiving and all it's joy! 

My sister, brother-in-law and I drove to Texas to see the fam for Thanksgiving!  We had an enjoyable meal with uncles, aunts, cousins, and the parentals! 

Then the next day we were able to watch a second cousin get married and see MORE family, which is ALWAYS A PLUS!!!!!

Later that evening I met up with some of my bestest high school friends for a Thanksgiving Friends night!  I needed this night! 

The trip was really short but it was one of the greatest ones! 

It's Ok Thursday ~ Last One Of 2012

It's ok that I have been SO lazy today!!!!! 

 

 

It's ok that I have been reflecting a lot on my past year and not really knowing how I survived it.  2012 has been by far the worst year I have ever had.  However, even though it has been the worst as far as "events" go, it has definitely been a good year as far as growth goes.  I learned so much about myself this year.  I learned the importance of life in many different ways and I learned the value of love and the importance of faith.  I learned more of who I really am and the things I want to change to be who I really am supposed to be and THAT is something I would not take back for the world.  I hope 2013 is an amazing year!  I hope it is one that will by far be the greatest for me!  I hope to become closer to my amazing friends in both Texas and Arkansas, I hope to find true love and to be valued, I hope to become a better Christian woman and become closer to Him in all areas of my life!  

 

So with that I will end my last "It's Ok Thursday" of 2012 with....

 

It's ok that I'm SUPER DUPER excited for 2013!!!!!  

What I'm Loving Wednesday ~ Blessings And Lubbock

I am loving that I spent my Tuesday night/Wed Morning helping deliver my best friend's baby!  Words cannot express what an experience that was.  If moving back to Texas was all just for that ONE moment, then it was well worth it!  Words cannot express what a blessing it was to be in the same room and to literally watch Andrew be born!  I am not sure  how anybody walks out of an experience like that the same person!  To actually see a life brought into the world.  It's amazing!  Makes me even more excited to become a mother one day!

It's ok that I have been laying around all day.  I'm tired, feeling sick, and there is a major dust storm outside.  While some are waiting on a white Christmas, Lubbock Texas is getting a brown one! YIKES!  Welcome Home Crystal!

It's ok that I'm totally in love with a one Kliff Kingsbury.....whooooa nelly!  So excited to see what he does for our Texas Tech Football program!!!! WRECK EM!

It's ok that I'm still feeling totally lost.  I feel like my heart is in two places, here in Lubbock and back in North West Arkansas.  I have really been missing my friends over there and I do miss Michael.  All I can do is just keep praying and allowing God to guide me.  I know He is going to work it all out and bless me!  I just need to keep stepping back and allowing Him to fight this battle for me.  It's a battle of confusion and heartbreak.  I know He will plant me somewhere and I will be OK! =)

It's ok that I am loving the wedding photos of my sweet friend Elly's wedding!  So happy for her and Robert and glad I was able to capture the moment for them!

We Need To Trust Him

 

 

God's wisdom supersedes all human wisdom.

 

 

Lately I have really had to put my faith out there.  I have had so many ups and downs over the last few months, that emotions have left me at a loss. I have made some pretty drastic moves in life, literally, moves.  I left North West Arkansas to spend some time with my family.  I prayed and prayed about this move and my flesh fought it as I had always told myself "I will never live in Lubbock again,".  God reminded me quickly that I had said that, not Him.  I made the leap of faith and obeyed him.  It was a hard decision as I have NO idea what I am supposed to be doing.  I know I want to do a long term missions trip and have been looking into discipleship school in Colorado but that would not be any time too soon.  I know more than anything, I need to spend time with my family and friends here in  Lubbock.  I need to find ME again and remember where I came from and get a grasp of who God wants me to be.  Most importantly, I need to continue to follow Him and trust that He has His reasons for having me here. 

 

 

In all of life's ups and downs over the last few months, I have held strong to His wisdom.  I can't see what He can.  Only He knows why He has allowed things to happen in life.  He is such a great God! I don't always understand the whys or the hows and I don't know why certain things happen but I know He is a God of comfort and peace. 

 

 

I have asked myself over the past few days why there is such evil in the world.  Why would God allow such evilness but then I remember that we live in Satan's play ground.  My heart aches for the children in Connecticut and for the parents.  I know there are lots of questions but I hope through it all, God's comfort isn't questioned.  I don't know why things are allowed to happen but I do know that we have to trust Him.  We have to take tragedies and allow them to change our hearts.  Take the time to cherish our loved ones and for parents to step up and love your children.  We have to understand that there is evil in this world and we have choices. 

 

 

"A hot furnace tests silver and gold, but the Lord tests hearts." Proverbs 17:3

 

God was taken out of most of our schools years ago.  Why?  He has even been taken out of the Christmas season when it IS about Christ.  It amazes me that people do not see how this world is falling into Satan's hands more and more and that if we don't get a grip and allow Him back into our schools, jobs, lives.....then it will only get worse! How can we expect Him to protect us and protect our children if we are not allowing Him to?  God is a gentleman and He will not force Himself on us.  We must ask Him to come in.  Invite Him back into school, work places, our homes.  It is a CHOICE!

 

I normally do not write about world news but considering the journey life has recently taken me on, I have realized how important His light and protection is in our lives.  I am not sure how I would have made it through certain events in the last few months with out Him.  I have needed Him physically, financially, spiritually....I have needed His healing in every aspect of my life and He has been there but I had to ask Him to be.  I had to obey and trust Him!  Sometimes, that is all He really wants, is our trust.

 

Trust Him today.  Trust Him to guide you, help you with those changes you should make, lead you to where HE wants you to be, trust Him to help you forgive somebody today, trust Him to ask somebody for forgiveness today, or trust Him to just simply be there to comfort you.  We can't do these things on our own.  It is impossible.  I have tried.  It doesn't work that way.  We need Him. 

 

We need to trust Him.

His Faith In Us

Have you ever battled with your faith? Have you ever had one of those seasons where things just cannot seem to fall into place? You can’t seem to make anybody happy? You can’t seem to get the bills paid on time? You can’t seem to keep from making your significant other upset? You can’t do anything right at work? The list can go on and on of things that can go wrong all at the same time in the same moment.

Life has taught me that things in life are never consistent. Relationships, finances, work load, and even at times our hope is not consistent. Faith teaches me that the one thing that is consistent is God’s love. His love is everlasting. He is faithful to us even when we are not so faithful to Him. He stands by our side even when we are pushing Him away. He hears our hopes and thoughts even when we are not praying.

I have had moments in life where I literally felt drained of all hope. I wasn’t even sure if I could put my hands together to pray but then God reaches in and puts my hands together for me. He gets me out of the pits of hell when I’m not sure how I even got there. I have had moments where life overcomes me and overcomes my ability to believe but then there He is to remind me, Believe!

Faith is sometimes a battle. Sometimes it is so hard to have faith that there really is a better tomorrow. Can you imagine what life would be like if we had the faith in God that He has in us? God’s faith in us is so remarkable. He believes in us more than anybody ever will. He knows we can change lives. He knows we can get that promotion at work. He knows we can get that degree, write that book, or get that job. He knows we can be who we want to be through Him. He doesn’t give up on us. He knows what He created us for and He knows we are capable!

Sometimes it might seem easier to just give up and stop having faith but doing that will be more painful and a lot harder. God’s love is everlasting and His faith in us is phenomenal. Just remember the next time your faith seems to have disappeared that God’s faith in us isn’t going anywhere. Maybe everybody in the world has given up on you and you have given up on yourself but He hasn’t.

His love and faith endures forever.

Guarding Your Tongue Will Guard Another's Heart

I haven't blogged in a while....life has been pretty crazy!  I have so much to share once I get back into the swing of things.  However, for now, I would like to share an old blog of mine I found from Prissy Pink Pants blog spot.  For some reason, I had a feeling it might encourage somebody today.  Hope you all are doing wonderful and don't worry, I didn't forget about my little blog here, just trying to get things in life back to some sort of "normality"....what ever "normal" is. :)

Guarding Your Tongue Will Guard Another’s Heart

A new year and a new decade have prompted me to really think about some of the things I would like to change about myself. There’s no question that I want my relationship with God to grow stronger. So, with this being said, I have to ask myself, “what practices are helping me with this need I have and what practices are hurting me and slowing me down and hindering my precious relationship with Him?”

One of the things I have realized is that my tongue seems to be the main hindrance to my growing relationship with God. Of course I don’t cuss or try and hurt others purposely with my tongue but when I really asked God what I needed to work on the most I kept being lead to my tongue. I realized that even times I don’t mean to hurt myself or hurt others with my tongue, I do.

We don’t realize that as Christians, we have an even higher obligation to watch our tongues, to only speak positive unto ourselves and unto others! We must learn to talk the Heavenly Languages, peace, love, blessing, and kindness. Too many times we get caught up in pointing out other’s faults that we forget to speak kindness or blessings over them. How can somebody change if our tongue is preventing that change? We might say, “I will pray for them, “but then turn right around and curse them or speak about their faults as if we have none of our own. Won’t that counteract what we intend on doing? Not to mention the damage on others that we may not even realize is being done.

When we say we are Christians, yet continue to bring out others faults or speak negatively against others, we are telling nonbelievers that this is what Christians do. You have no idea how many times I have heard nonbelievers say, “he thinks he is so high and mighty because he follows the Lord and goes to Church and he’s always talking about other people and JUDGING them, I thought Christians weren’t supposed to judge?” When we put ourselves out there to speak of others, we are telling nonbelievers that we think we are better and that because we follow Christ we think we can judge. Sure, others are doing the same thing and talking about the same person but guess who is going to get the spotlight with the same behavior that everybody else is doing? The Christian.

The thought of this used to anger me and I would ask myself, “but don’t they know that we too are humans and fall short? Don’t they know that just because I am a Christian, doesn’t mean I’m going to be perfect?” Yes, that’s true. I am a human and I will fall short every day for the rest of my life but that doesn’t mean I can’t grow and continue to strive to be that follower of Christ that I long to be or that walking example of God’s LOVE and mercy and grace that I SHOULD be. Our tongue has a lot to do with what others see in us. God’s Word has a strong medicine for those who carelessly wag their tongues. We are not offered the luxury of negativity or hate or dislike against others. We have an added responsibility as Christians to guard our tongues and to guard other’s hearts.

This isn’t in just how we talk about others or “make fun of” or point out others faults but also in complaining and grumbling. So many of us get into a slump in life that all we do is grumble about the terrible things going on in life that we forget to praise Him for the wonderful things that are going on. Some of us may even get to a point, and we don’t even realize it, where others avoid talking to us because they are so tired of hearing, “woe is me, why do things always happen to me, when will life get better for me…..me me me.” We may not even realize we are doing this…but we are.

No, we aren’t perfect and here on earth, we never will be. However, I will for one do all I can to allow God to use me in all ways. I want Him to use my hands for Him, hear for Him, walk for Him, and speak for Him. I’m not speaking for Him when I am putting others down or pointing out faults or when I am always wrapped up in the terrible things going on in my life. I will never be perfect in this area but I will certainly try and work with Him on this. I will learn to allow Him to capture my thoughts before I speak them. Even if I do have negative thoughts or feelings towards somebody, I will hand Him those thoughts and pray for the person and ask God to not only help them but to help me understand that person, because we never know what somebody else is battling. Their behavior might not be a “acceptable” in our opinions but that’s between them and God and instead of bashing or speaking negative thoughts on them, why don’t we pray for them and ask God to help us understand and to also use us in whatever way HE needs us to be used. Sometimes that need is to just be an example of warmth, compassion, kindness, and love……even when it is sometimes hard. Think about how many times it must have been hard for God to love us but He did it anyway and will continue to do so.