All day today I have had this song running through my mind. It is called "Do It Anyway" by Martina McBride. In light of all the things in our life that are up in the air right now it is so comforting to me. Life is not always going to be perfect but God is alive and working through us. He has plans for us that we are not aware of yet and we can have faith that He has our best interest at heart. Hope these lyrics encourage you like they encouraged me.
"You can spend your whole life buildin'
Something from nothin
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway
God is great but sometimes life aint good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
This worlds gone crazy
And it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all YOUR heart
For all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away
love em anyway
God is great but sometimes life aint good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
Yeah I do it anyway, yeah,
You can pour your soul out singin'
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yeah sing it anyway, yeah, yeah
I sing
I dream
I love anyway, yeah."
Friday, May 20, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
A May Day
I feel like I have been waiting for May for a while now. I've been wanting to say "Next Month." Next month we will be moving and next month we will find out what is going to happen with our foster son, whether it be adoption or reunification. Next month will bring answers! Finally!! I love the little guy to death but the waiting is the hardest part of all of this. I just want to know so that we can have an idea of what our future holds. If it is "with" him I will shout Hip Hip Hooray! and do a happy dance and sing praises. If it is "without him" then I will prepare my mind and heart for a different journey. It will just mean God has some other awesome kid or kids for us to fall in love with.
My husband lost his job two weeks ago and has an interview with a great company this Tuesday at 9 a.m. The job is perfectly suited to all of his skills and abilities and we are PRAYING hard that it will lead to a job offer that day! It's good to hope right? So we will hope and pray. We know God has something for him, we are hoping this is it!
As for the move, we *think* we are moving into the house next door. It has been the plan since last October and we've been looking forward to it. But of course we didn't anticipate this job issue. We have until May 15th for my husband to find a job for us to be able to move into this house. The owners are friends of ours and we want to give them adequate notice to find another renter if need be. If we can't rent the house we will be looking at renting a condo or a month to month house. It would be a challenge but I know we'd get through it.
This is such a time of uncertainty, we should feel overwhelmed (and did at first) but God is so good and He has given us both a pretty strong peace. God has not forgotten us, He loves us, and he promises to be with us always. God never promised a 3 bedroom/2 bath with a yard but He did say that He would never leave us nor fosake us. We are trusting in His Word. We can't wait to share all that He is going to do in the next few months and see how all of these uncertainties become blessed realities!!
My husband lost his job two weeks ago and has an interview with a great company this Tuesday at 9 a.m. The job is perfectly suited to all of his skills and abilities and we are PRAYING hard that it will lead to a job offer that day! It's good to hope right? So we will hope and pray. We know God has something for him, we are hoping this is it!
As for the move, we *think* we are moving into the house next door. It has been the plan since last October and we've been looking forward to it. But of course we didn't anticipate this job issue. We have until May 15th for my husband to find a job for us to be able to move into this house. The owners are friends of ours and we want to give them adequate notice to find another renter if need be. If we can't rent the house we will be looking at renting a condo or a month to month house. It would be a challenge but I know we'd get through it.
This is such a time of uncertainty, we should feel overwhelmed (and did at first) but God is so good and He has given us both a pretty strong peace. God has not forgotten us, He loves us, and he promises to be with us always. God never promised a 3 bedroom/2 bath with a yard but He did say that He would never leave us nor fosake us. We are trusting in His Word. We can't wait to share all that He is going to do in the next few months and see how all of these uncertainties become blessed realities!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Casting Cares
When I was in college I had quite a few dreams about Tidal Waves coming in and taking my campus (which was located right on the ocean) out to sea. After some time I realized that these dreams would happen when I was feeling overwhelmed in life, either with school, friends, or work. Over the years I have had the same dream and it always happens during stressful times. It's a very clear sign to me that I am trying to do things in my own strength and not trusting in God the way He wants me to.
Last night I had the dream once again. Although this time the tidal wave took over all of Southern California. When I woke up, and calmed myself down, I realized that I had some praying to do. In my life, I pray about many things but I still carry the burdens. I still am trying in my own strength to make my life work in the way that seems best. In my own strength I just can't do it anymore and the dream was my reminder.
The bible says in 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
We weren't meant to carry all these worries and stresses by ourself. God wants to carry them for us so that we can feel free to be who He wants us to be. How can we be in the position to give to others if we are so bogged down with our own burdens. That is why God should carry them for us. We can cast them into his care and trust Him to work them out.
Last night I had the dream once again. Although this time the tidal wave took over all of Southern California. When I woke up, and calmed myself down, I realized that I had some praying to do. In my life, I pray about many things but I still carry the burdens. I still am trying in my own strength to make my life work in the way that seems best. In my own strength I just can't do it anymore and the dream was my reminder.
The bible says in 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
We weren't meant to carry all these worries and stresses by ourself. God wants to carry them for us so that we can feel free to be who He wants us to be. How can we be in the position to give to others if we are so bogged down with our own burdens. That is why God should carry them for us. We can cast them into his care and trust Him to work them out.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
God's Will vs. Free Will
I have been battling with what God's will is and if his will happens here on earth. In regards to our adoption journey and seeing kids returned to unhealthy and or potentially abusive homes it is hard to believe that these things are God's will. On Sunday at church our pastor said something that made everything make sense. He was talking about the Lord's Prayer and how the phrase "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" means that God's will does NOT happen all the time. God tells us to pray for it to happen. This makes everything make sense because it explains why bad things happen that we don't understand. When Eve and Adam ate the fruit in the garden they chose free will over God's will. In heaven it will be God's will. In heaven we won't have all of these questions because God's will will reign. But for now we live in a world of free will. In this world bad things will happen and it will be very very sad. But we can pray. Prayer changes free will, prayer brings on God's will. So every day I will pray and pray some more. I will hope that our foster son won't fall into free will's hands. But if he does, I won't be mad at God. I know it's not His will. He loves him even more than I do and He will go with him and protect him.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Happy Weekend
Have a great weekend everyone!!
I will not be near a computer this weekend so I will be back on Monday with more to share :)
Take some time this weekend to seek out your own cozy place to talk to and listen to God. :)
Blessings,
Me
I will not be near a computer this weekend so I will be back on Monday with more to share :)
Take some time this weekend to seek out your own cozy place to talk to and listen to God. :)
Blessings,
Me
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Where does my hope come from?
I lift my eyes up
To the heavens
Where does my hope come from?
My hope comes from You
Maker of heaven
Creator of the earth.
Oh how I need you Lord
You are my only hope
You're my only prayer
And I will wait for you
To come and rescue me
Come and fill me up.
I lift my eyes up
Up to the heavens
Where does my help come from?
Today is our foster son's first visit with his birthmom since being placed with us. I remember this feeling from when we had our last foster child. It's a sad, sort of empty feeling. I miss him. It's also a reminder that he is not our's. He's God's. I don't know if this story of his is going to have a happy ending or not but I know God has him here for now. I will be honest that I am struggling to keep an open hand, to trust God to do what is best for him. Today is hard, tomorrow will be better. The song I copied above will continue to flow through my mind over the next 81 days, reminding me where my hope comes from.
To the heavens
Where does my hope come from?
My hope comes from You
Maker of heaven
Creator of the earth.
Oh how I need you Lord
You are my only hope
You're my only prayer
And I will wait for you
To come and rescue me
Come and fill me up.
I lift my eyes up
Up to the heavens
Where does my help come from?
Today is our foster son's first visit with his birthmom since being placed with us. I remember this feeling from when we had our last foster child. It's a sad, sort of empty feeling. I miss him. It's also a reminder that he is not our's. He's God's. I don't know if this story of his is going to have a happy ending or not but I know God has him here for now. I will be honest that I am struggling to keep an open hand, to trust God to do what is best for him. Today is hard, tomorrow will be better. The song I copied above will continue to flow through my mind over the next 81 days, reminding me where my hope comes from.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Mom's Variation of 1 Corinthians 13
Today at MOPS our mentor mom shared this story. I hope it inspires you moms out there that love is the most important characteristic of a good mom.
"If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper-- not a homemaker. If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorating, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness-- not godliness. If I talk to my children about what is right and what is wrong, but have not love, I am like a ringing doorbell or pots and pans banging in the kitchen. And though I know what stages they will go through, and understand their growing pains, and can answer all their questions about life, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give up the fulfillment of a career to make my children's lives better, and stay up all night sewing costumes or baking cookies on short notice, but grumble about lack of sleep, I have not love and accomplish nothing.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, and then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.
Before I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child's heart.
As for home-baked bread, it will be consumed and forgotten; as for spotless floors, they will soon gather dust and heel marks. And as for children-- well, right now toys, friends and food are all important to them. But when they grow up, it will have been how they were loved that will determine how they love others.
As a mother, there is much I must teach my child about faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
"If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper-- not a homemaker. If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorating, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness-- not godliness. If I talk to my children about what is right and what is wrong, but have not love, I am like a ringing doorbell or pots and pans banging in the kitchen. And though I know what stages they will go through, and understand their growing pains, and can answer all their questions about life, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give up the fulfillment of a career to make my children's lives better, and stay up all night sewing costumes or baking cookies on short notice, but grumble about lack of sleep, I have not love and accomplish nothing.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, and then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.
Before I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child's heart.
As for home-baked bread, it will be consumed and forgotten; as for spotless floors, they will soon gather dust and heel marks. And as for children-- well, right now toys, friends and food are all important to them. But when they grow up, it will have been how they were loved that will determine how they love others.
As a mother, there is much I must teach my child about faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)