Sunday Scripture

Psalm 143:10 Teach me how to do Your will, for You are my God. Allow Your good Spirit to guide me on level ground, to guide me along Your path. 

This is my prayer today. To know which way to go now, what path to take. And that feels scary and lonely and unsure. I've been here before. I have completely screwed it all up before. And there just come the time when it feels like enough. I don't want to walk this path yet again. I need His guidance, His direction. Believing that there has to be something better up ahead because this loss seems great and overwhelming. It seems strange to say and I don't necessarily feel it, but I am nonetheless. Thankful. 

5 Minute Friday - Red

Joining Lisa Jo and the girls for 5 Minute Friday.  No Edits, no re-writes and love those that came before you.

Topic: Red
Go....

Red is not my favorite color.  It's distinct in nature.  It's loud and hard and makes you take notice.  Red reminds me of angry and war and all the things I would rather not face.  Red makes me think of an emergency.  But red also makes me think of Him.  He can be all those things and then also the complete opposite.  The red of His blood shed created the white, my most favorite color, in my life and heart and covers all the loud, harsh and hurtful things making them no more.  It covers the hurts and the why's and the tears and the confusions and brings peace.  Thankful.

Stop.

In An Instant

What a difference a day can make.  I can tell you that I am certain more than ever that God is with us.  He never leaves.  He has shown me enough to know that He is in all the details and will go to any lengths for His children.  Sometimes things happen and we don't understand them. That has certainly been true on this journey of mine :) Today started of pretty peacefully.  I had a plan, things fell into place and I even made muffins.  As I was running this morning, a song by Christa Wells played on my iPod.  And I ran and sang and kind of made a declaration.  This Thing Is Not Gonna Break You.  I got ready and went about my day and in an instant, the bottom fell out.  And I was left standing there, reeling and thinking you have got to be kidding me.  This isn't really happening is it?  And today when the bottom fell out, I was surrounded.  By Him, by family, by friends, by prayers.  A marked difference from when I began this journey.  I have no idea where He is taking me, but I know Who is leading.  I'm a little afraid, but I'm not frozen in fear.  He has parted the waters for me so many times before and I am almost a little excited to see where He is taking me.  Do it afraid.  Thankful.

50 States Project

Join me today over at

 

Christy is the sweetest thing and she and her family are picking one family a week from each of the 50 states to pray for. My family has the amazing honor of being first on the list. Alabama :) 

Today I am reminded that God carefully guides each step we take. He opens a door as another closes. Sometimes that door is pretty big. And He asks .....do you trust Me?......Yes. Yes I do. Even if its with shaking knees. God knew today how much prayer I would be needing. And He decided to show me He has got it covered in a really big way. Thankful. 

Pieces

I was reading a post today written by my sweet friend Sarah.  And part of what she wrote struck me deeply.  It has been my struggle for so very long..

 "His choices become my identity and I wrestled with how to move on and live again......"

Those words are my very own.  I just don't think that I had realized how to give these feelings a place.  I have lived with the shame and humiliation of another persons choices.  Had to crawl out from under being the girl that got left behind, endured the whispers and stares and sat quietly while they made their own judgements against me and assumed what they would about my life, a path that only I have walked.  I have had to hand it all over to the One Who knows the heart of the wounded and the heart of the ones who created those wounds.  You see His love for all involved isn't any different.  He cries for each of His children, the one that are hurting and those that hurt others out of their own pain.  I am more than the labels that someone else assigned me.  I am more than the choices that they have made and that I have made myself.  My life is not defined by who I once was, but by who He has created in the most desolate place.  Trying to find my identity in Him has proved to be one of the most challenging things I have ever faced. 

Trying to find myself...who remained after all the ashes had fallen?  How do I let people in to see that girl and still not let my wounds be ripped open again when the well meaning or perhaps just plain nosey ask "so what happened?!?!" I have to breathe and remember to use my nice words when there are times I just don't have any...so I smile politely, excuse myself and usually go cry in a bathroom.  I'm more than what happened.  I'm more than what these seemingly endless days speak of what is my life.  And that is just hard.  These are the times I wrestle with Him.  These are the days I am learning to be thankful for even if it is through tears.  Because I won't accept these labels.  And I want people to see Him, not what happened to me, but what happened because of what He has done through this.  Thankful.

Behind The Scenes - Threads

Joining Crystal and the Girls for Behind the Scenes

 

He has woven us together.  Threads connecting us in many ways.  Some of us share a past, some a story, some have walked where the other has just begun her journey. These threads are ties that bind.  They hold us together when we want to run, they keep one from falling and another from getting ahead of herself.  They become tighter and stronger with each movement on this journey.  My story becomes her voice when she cannot speak.  My words become her prayers when she has no voice.  Her prayers become my anchor when I cannot find my words....threads..woven together to create a beautiful story of it's own.  Each strand important, for the finished work would never hold without all of the threads in place, doing what it was created to do by the One Who created the design in the first place.  These are the beautiful women God has placed in my life this past Sunday as we shared our families, our lives, our stories for Labor Day. Thankful.

Sunday Scripture

Ephesians 2:10

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁰ For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), ^[a]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

I love this verse.  My verse for today.  Such a reminder to me.  This day holds much meaning for me.  It has been a day of new beginnings over the course of my life.  And I feel it in my very soul today.  Today I just praise You Lord for who You are.  Praise You that You set me on this path and that You are with me today, holding me up and guiding me forward.  Thankful..today that word doesn't even begin to describe it.