Childlike Faith

We read through the first two sections of Matthew 18 in church tonight...

The sections about when the disciples tried to keep the little children from coming to Jesus...and the shepherd that leaves the 99 sheep to go after the one that is lost.

We also compared it to the same story in Luke 15.

I was blown away at this reminder of how much my Savior truly loves each and every one of His children.

He is willing...at any moment...to leave 99 of us behind, that are following wholeheartedly after Him, to pursue the one of us that has gone down our own path.


Does that make you stand in awe of your God?

Does that make you long to worship Him?


As we looked at the section about the little children, we talked about how we used to be when we were children.


The things we used to get so excited about.

The things that we were awestruck with.


Things like:

Eating ice cream for the first time.

Seeing someone we looked up to (i.e. pilot, police officer, super hero, singer).


Why don't we automatically have that same awe and excitement about Jesus and the amazing things He's done for us?

It's time we return to a state of childlike faith...

It's time we take the opportunity to stand in awe of our God...and be excited for all He's done and is going to do.



(Make sure you pause the music at the bottom to listen to this great song)

Divine Interactions

I had a couple of amazing, divine interactions tonight.

I must say, I have some incredibly Godly brothers and sisters.

Two of my brothers in Christ spoke amazing truths into my life that I needed to hear. They brought me to tears...and the realization that I was believing a huge lie.

After that, a beautiful group of women surrounded me in prayer, lifting up my burdens to our Heavenly Father. It was so powerful, so heartfelt, and so humbling. These women spoke more truths into my life through their prayers. God used them in such amazing ways.

I heard God speak through the words others spoke to me tonight. It reminded me of how much He truly does love me...and how He truly does know everything that is going on with me...even the things I don't always see.

I was reaffirmed.

I was set free.

I feel so at peace.

The love my brothers and sisters show me is such a wonderful reflection of how my Savior loves me...and He loves me so much more than they ever could...He loves me the most (one of my dear friends always says, "I love you, but God loves you the most")!

I am amazed at the power of agape love (that amazing, selfless, I would give anything up for you kind of love that Jesus displayed perfectly).

I truly hope you will experience this at some point in your life, if you haven't already.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
(1 John 4:9-12, NIV)

Realization

I read this blog this morning.

And, let me tell you, I was in tears.

I don't think I realistically thought about my struggle like this:

Charlotte pointed out that when God takes you "the long way around" in whatever you are praying for it is never because of you. It's always because of other people that God wants to show His glory. It is always about Him and His glory.

And, knowing that could be the purpose behind why I am still not pregnant gives me great comfort. If God wants to use my struggle to touch other people...well, I now consider that an honor. To be used by Him in such a way just blows me away...

He picked me. Imperfect, impatient, has a hard time trusting, me.

I feel so blessed.

I am being used for His glory.

And, it feels so good.

Letting Go

Remember this post I wrote a few weeks ago?

I felt on top of the world when I wrote that. I knew that God loved me immensely, that He had amazing plans for my life, and that He had never left me. Yet, two and half weeks later, I had forgotten all about that.

Things didn't go the way I thought they were going.

I was let down.
I was hurt.
I was broken.

I actually spoke out loud to my husband that I thought that God didn't want me to be happy or have anything good in my life.

Needless to say, he was shocked.

And, to be perfectly honest, I was a little unnerved. I didn't understand why I felt that way...why I would really think something like that...when I know with absolute certainty that it's not true.
I know God loves me. I know He has good things in store for me...and that He wants good things in my life. I know that.

And yet I let satan tear me down...and I believed his lie.

I'm tearing up just thinking about how low I was in that moment as I bawled my eyes out.

How could I ever doubt the incredible, unconditional love of my Savior? How could I lose sight so quickly of every amazing thing He has done in my life? How could I tell my husband that God didn't want me to have good things in my life, when he is one of the best things that ever happened to me?

(We had lunch at Buca di Beppo on our way. Yum!!)

The theme of the women's retreat I went on this past weekend was Beyond my Comfort Zone - I'm Letting Go.

A.maz.ing.

Isn't it so crazy how God works to get our attention?

I had no idea what to expect for last weekend...and I was blown away.

I met some amazing women, got to know some other women much better, heard amazing messages from our awesome speaker, and allowed Jesus to heal my heart.

It was fabulous...even with all of the crazy weather and roads being closed.

Jesus knew exactly what I needed to hear this weekend...and He made sure I heard it. Loud and clear.


Our theme song for the weekend was perfect, too. It's called I'm Letting Go by Francesca Battistelli. The lyrics are so perfect.

My heart beats, standing on the edge
But my feet have finally left the ledge

Like an acrobat
There’s no turning back

I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
I’m losing control
Of my destiny
It feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone

I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
I’m losing control
Of my destiny
It feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

Giving in to your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid

Jesus is amazing. The fact that He truly does love me so much, even through my doubting, is beyond me. I'm so grateful for that love.

The Wacky World of Blogging

I have definitely done a lot of branching out into the blogging world these past couple of months.
When I first started this blog, the only blogs I followed were those of people I physically knew. Six months later, I started following a blog a friend recommended. And, it's only been within the last four or five months that I have truly started seeking out other blogs to read by people I've never met. And, let me tell you, it has been an amazing experience. I am constantly being encouraged by these Christian women in other parts of the country. I never thought I'd ever say that.
Anyway, I wrote this blog back in December...but my comment box was all messed up. Since then, the blog I wrote about my struggles with getting pregnant has had 68 views! It amazes me that people are coming to my blog and reading about my story...and many of them are probably people I've never met before.
I'd love to hear more from my readers. I'd love to know if you agree or disagree with what I post. I'd love for you to ask me questions or give me your thoughts...or share your story with me! I know that God can encourage us in many different ways...and I think, in our age of technology, that He definitely does so in this crazy world of blogging.
Feel free to "follow" me if you don't already...or keep lurking, if that's more your thing. I just feel so blessed in this blogging world...that I have the opportunity to share my story and my thoughts with people I don't even know!
And, thanks for taking the time to read. Thanks for being a part of my world. Thanks for the encouragement that I have received from many of you. I never knew what this would evolve into almost two years ago...but I'm lovin' every minute of it!

The Power of Hope

I got a huge glimmer of hope this week.

An amazing, powerful, wonderful reminder that God can do what He says He can do.

I just had this overwhelming peace and love envelope me this week.

And, wouldn't you know it...stupid satan tried to ruin it all. Someone tried very hard to squash my hope...and I almost let them...but when I realized what was going on, I put my foot down.
Hope is such a powerful thing. It gives flight to the realization that things really could turn out good...or a dream really could come true...or that God really is trustworthy.
The events of this week made me want to look up a bunch of verses on hope. I decided to share a few of them with you (all taken from the NIV):

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
(Psalm 25:4-6)

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
(Psalm 33:21-22)

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
(Psalm 62:5-6)

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.
(Psalm 119:116)

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
(Psalm 130:5)

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
(Romans 12:12)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13)

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
(Hebrews 10:22-24)

Oh man...

Putting our hope in people on this earth will only let us down. I can hope all I want that a person will change their ways...but that doesn't mean they will. I can hope with everything in me that a friend will realize how much they need God in their lives...but that doesn't mean they'll actually make that decision. And yet, when we put our hope in God, all these things are possible.
I love how Psalm 103:5 says that, "...in his word, I put my hope." That is where our hope should reside. And, Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess." The hope we should be professing is the hope we have in Christ! The hope He's given us by the mere fact that we can take Him at His word. He fulfills His promises. He is trustworthy. He is never going to leave us or forsake us.

Where has your hope been lying? In those around you? Or in your Savior? Do you truly believe He can do what He says He can do...and that He WILL do it? Or, do you doubt?

Trust me...I've been in the doubting camp a lot. I was just there last week, in fact. I still have my moments. But I'm learning to hold onto hope...because my God will fulfill His promises in my life...and in yours. Praise be to Him!

(Taken on our trip to Santa Cruz in January. I didn't get a good pic of the beach from the retreat, so this beach will have to do)

(Note: The phrase "God can do what He says He can do" comes from Beth Moore's Believing God study. It's amazing. If you've never checked out a Beth Moore study before, I definitely recommend that one.)

Retreat

Let me just say, the retreat was amazing!

God is truly amazing. He brought this beautiful vision to a very dear friend of mine a few months ago. At first, she was thinking it would be a good thing to do with our college girls. We would meet with them once a week for 6-8 weeks, and then end the whole thing with some sort of all day or all weekend conclusion. She presented the idea to me and asked me to be praying about it. About a month later, it evolved into something much greater...an idea for our yearly retreat. The two of us met with another woman (who I happen to co-lead my Tuesday night Bible study with), and we started hammering out some details. We decided to meet with the college girls for the four weeks leading up to the retreat...and decided to go over those same topics briefly with the other women on Tuesday nights.
As time went on, we divvied up topics and responsibilities we would each be taking care of. And before we knew it, we had our retreat planned out...as well as those four weeks leading up to it.
And the most amazing part about it? There's no way we could have come up with this plan on our own. God molded it and shaped it...as well as us...into this perfect plan that touched many lives.
The retreat itself was amazing. The first night, many of the women just opened up and let out some very personal things about themselves. Major walls were falling down all around us. The second day, we all took the time to identify the things that hold us back from living a life of complete discipleship with Jesus. We spent two hours of quiet time with our Savior (some of the women even went down and sat on the beach to do so). We made jewelry together and shared many laughs. And, we came together Saturday night to talk about the importance of carrying each other's burdens and encouraging one another. It was phenomenal. Women started encouraging each other and sharing their testimonies and just being real. We ended our weekend Sunday morning with a wonderful time of sharing some of the things God did in our hearts that weekend.

We worshiped together.

Prayed together.

Cried together.

Laughed together.

It was a perfect weekend that only God could have put together.

18 women, from all different walks of life, discovered how much we all truly have in common. 18 women realized just how much we need other women in our lives. And these same 18 women left that crazy house by the beach with a word from our Savior...and things we need to work on to walk more closely with Him.
I have heard some amazing things in the last couple of days from some of these women. Ways that God has been working on them in their daily lives. It is so encouraging to me. I am so thankful that I was able to share a little bit of my heart about encouraging each other and sharing burdens...but most of all...I'm thankful I was able to share many verses from Scripture that speak that very same message.

My heart is full of the goodness and grace of my Lord.

We all need fellowship with other believers. I am so thankful for the beautiful women He's put in my life...those that went on the retreat...and those that didn't. I'm also thankful for the blogger "friends" I've come across these past few months. I love that He uses so many different things in life to encourage us to walk more closely to Him.
What has God been teaching you lately? What areas is He calling you to work on? Who is He using to encourage you...and who might He be calling you to encourage?

Be blessed this week, blog readers, and open your hearts to the things God might be trying to tell you.

College Group

God is amazing, isn't He? I am so excited about what happened earlier tonight (well, technically last night) that I can't sleep! We had our first meeting with the new college group tonight. I was so excited to see all the faces of the young adults that came. I knew some were coming, but others I did not know about. I was so excited to see all of them there because I know God wanted all of them there to fulfill His purpose for this evening. Just thinking about that fact makes me so excited! I can't wait to see who else He is going to bring and what else He is going to do in and through this group! I am blown away every day by the love and grace He pours out on Josh and I, and I can't wait to see the way He is going to continue to pour out His love and grace on all those involved in the group as well! What an awesome, amazing God we serve!
My church just finished reading through Ruth and is now reading through Hosea through their blog. God's timing is so awesome to me! The book of Ruth with Boaz the kinsman-redeemer, and the book of Hosea with God calling him to marry an adulteress. Boaz is a picture to me of what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross. Hosea is a picture of what God did with the Israelites every time they turned away from Him, and what He continues to do to this day with all of us when we turn away from Him. I don't know who God is going to bring to this college group each week, but some of them may have turned their backs on God, or aren't in a place in life that they are really seeking after Him. Whatever the case may be, God is going to continue to pursue them and is going to continue to love them. That knowledge is such a comfort to me, especially on those days when I find myself falling into old patterns, when I don't want to spend time with my Savior. That even though we all mess up, many times a day, God still loves us and still pursues His bride. Thank You, Jesus!