I Spy Jesus

I have the best momma! She has taught me to look for the blessings of the Lord no matter how big or small and to look for them everywhere. She calls them "I Spy Jesus" moments. What is so amazing is that those moments are EVERYWHERE!!! And when you stop and take a breath and slow down...it is amazing how many are out there!!! I want to be much more aware of the Lord daily and His directing me moment-by-moment and working things out for me and blessing me even in the very small ways. He isn't a hands-off God who doesn't care about the small things, small wishes, small hopes...He cares..

***We went on a dolphin tour for Jack's birthday. He kept saying he wanted to see dolphins but mostly a baby dolphin. We were riding along on the boat and it didn't look like we would see any dolphins. Suddenly out of no where we came upon a huge pod...20 - 30 dolphins in all, swimming all around our boat. Jack's secret prayer was answered, we saw 2 babies too!

***We went on a second boat ride to sight see and look for shells....We were told that in years past there was a pair of bald eagles that flew around one of the islands, but it wasn't seen very often. It flew right past us several times!

***On our shelling tour we were told how to look for different types of shells. The kids and I actually talked before we went about what kind of shells we most hoped we would find. We found EXACTLY what we had hoped to find!


I know these may seem like small, insignificant things. The kinds of things you don't ever really say out loud, but secretly kind of think would be really special if it happened. Those are "I Spy Jesus" moments. Those things that HE knew you were hoping for and it mattered to Him to give them to you!

My best "I Spy Jesus" moment today????
***When I got home a very sweet and kind friend had cleaned my house for me so I could come home to a clean house...what a blessing. Being surrounded by such special friends is definitely a gift from the Lord!!!!

Tuesday Tips....Date Nights - 20 Fun and Inexpensive Ideas!!!!

So often when money gets tight, quality time spent with your honey often goes by the wayside. But what marriages need most is to spend MORE quality time together when times are difficult. This is definitely an area where my husband and I need to spend more effort. I've been scouring the Internet for fun cheap date ideas...Here are some of the ones that appealed to me....I am going to make an effort to do them much more frequently....

Babysitting~~Before I list the date ideas- one thing you have to consider is babysitting if you have young children.(and lets face it - babysitting can cost way more than the date itself). A couple of ideas - 1) Swap babysitting with another couple. I have a couple of friends I am going to hit up to swap babysitting duties with. 2) Have a date night at home after the kids go to bed. 3) Share babysitters - Plan with another couple and hire one babysitter for all the kids...it will still cost, but not as much per hour. 4) If you are fortunate enough to have family nearby enlist their help, but make sure and let them know how much you appreciate it.

DATE IDEAS
1) Wine, cheese and star gazing outside on your back porch/patio/deck after the kids have gone to bed.
2) Play board games or cards by candlelight.
3) Go see a high school production (musical, play, show choir, jazz band concert).
4) Go to a minor league baseball game (way cheaper and in some ways lot more fun then their major league counterparts).
5) Fondue night for two.
6) Try out some new recipes that your kids wouldn't like, but you do!!! (We do this one a lot - feed the kids frozen pizza earlier in the evening and have a late dinner in the dining room.)
7) Pack lunch or dinner and go for a bike ride or hike to get to a fun area to picnic.
8)Enjoy coffee at a local bookstore.
9)Listen to the music you grew up on..Reminisce.
10)Have another couple over and play cards or games.
11)Go to a local arts and craft festival.
12)Find a cheap or free outdoor concert.
13)Go for a late night swim .
14)Go browse antique shops and used bookstores.
15)Take a drive to a nearby small town and stroll their downtown area and enjoy a meal at one of their locally-owned family restaurants.
16)Go on a dinner date, but be sure and check out Restaurant.com to see where you can get a great deal for a nice dinner!!!
17)Wii tournament - There are so many fun games to play.
18)Go for a moonlight walk - hold hands.
19) Have a movie marathon at home...make homemade popcorn and cuddle under a blanket.
20)Look through old pictures together and remember all the truly blessed times you've had as a couple.

Dating is a fun and important part of a healthy married life!!!! Have fun being creative!!!!

Blessings in the midst of pain

I am starting to realize that God intends to bless us and give us hope even in the midst of many trials and difficult times. He is certainly doing that for us lately. We've been really walking through those valleys lately. Within the last month, James lost his job, he was in a car wreck and now two days ago his grandmother passed away. It almost makes me wonder if we're under attack...questioning...how many more bad things can happen??? how much more can we take???

But even now there is peace...AND many blessings. God is in the small details sometimes, giving us hope and peace and encouragement. What I think is amazing is how God uses each of us as instruments and change agents for His Kingdom. I am beyond blessed by those He has chosen to surround my family. He has given us family and friends who are always there for us, supporting and helping us.

A few examples of how God's unfailing love and the willingness of friends and family to be used by God to bless us:

~~We needed $900 to pay for the kids school books and fees for next year. My dad received an unexpected check that he used to pay that fee for us.

~~We had to cancel our vacation when James lost his job...but here we are on vacation when God who partnered with very dear friends to bless us with their house while they were out of town (and money for dinner out) and we are having a wonderful time making great family memories on our vacation.

~~A very sweet and dear friend(s)/family (I am not sure which as it is someone who would like to remain anonymous) blessed my family when we got here to the beach. We received two cards...one with a gift card for ice cream and one with money to enjoy on our trip.

~~Other dear friends who know we are watching every penny...giving us the opportunity to do some work they needed help with and paying us...others who are encouraging us and loving on us....

The author who wrote "Prayer of Jabez" - Bruce Wilkinson, recently wrote another book called, "You Were Born For This" that talks about this very thing. Allowing God to use us to perform everyday miracles that benefit others for the Kingdom of God. It is a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it!!!

Now did we NEED to have these things happen? Absolutely not...For the most part they weren't necessities at all. They were very much non-necessity type things. No one NEEDS a vacation, or dolphin boat tours, or dinners out overlooking the ocean. But that is the crazy part of it all. If the God of the universe cares enough that my family can have this vacation time, and money to do some fun things, have beautiful weather and allow us to see 20 - 30 dolphins (including babies - which was my son's special prayer)...then He certainly cares enough to provide us with the things that we do need.

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, Matthew 7:9 - 12

And the thought does come that "I shouldn't take this", "We don't deserve it", "We don't need it", "I should give it back". But I know I would be truly devastated if I had felt that God wanted me to do something to bless someone and they had rejected it.

So I am trusting that my dear family and friends are blessed beyond all measure for the kindness they have shown my family. For my dear family and friends who have blessed my family so much...please know that my family is praying for you that our Heavenly Daddy just knocks your socks off with how much He blesses you. That you know that you have absolutely been Jesus with skin on to me. That through your love and kindness you have shown me the heart of the Lord and that it has given me much hope!!! I love you!!!!

Tuesday Tips - Top 10 Free or Cheap things to do with your kids!!!

Now that summer is upon us and the kids are home from school, it does not take long to start hearing those two infamous words...."I'm BORED!" If you are like me you don't want your kids becoming certified couch potatoes, but you can only take so many trips to the neighborhood pool. Being down to one income right now, we are having to be super careful about where we spend our money, but I also very much want to have a fun and memorable summer with my children (they are only little once!!!!). I've started looking around for ideas of things to do with my kids that are cheap or better yet - FREE!!!! Here are my top 10 things to do for free or cheap! I am sure there are a lot more - please share what you do!!!!!

1) Free Summer Movies - Most of the national movie chains offer free movies in the summer. They are normally in the mornings and offer movies that were popular last year. But hey, it's free, it's air conditioned and the kids love it! Check here for a list of the different movie listings.

2) Free Museums - If you are a Bank of America customer they offer free entrance to local museums the first weekend of the month. They have different museums across the country, so if you are traveling the first weekend of the month you might want to check those locations out too.

3) National Parks - There are great national parks all around our wonderful country. For the most part they are free. Many are historical sites where not only are there cool things to see, it is educational too!

4) Geocaching is a fun way to go on a scavenger hunt with your kids. Using your GPS and following the clues to different locations a fun day of treasure hunting can be had by all. It all teaches great problem solving and map skills! Double score!!!

5) Most cities offer a wide variety of things to do for free. Do a Google search of "Free things to do in your city name" I found a ton of fun things to do in the Atlanta area.

6) One of my children's favorite things to do is have a friend or two over and make a fun craft. They love to tie-dye, decorate flip flops or make treasure boxes. I think the water-bottle holders or the no-sew pillowcase skirt might be our next crafts!

7) We all enjoy going out to eat, but feeding an entire family can become pretty expensive fast! Planning your restaurant meals around places where kids eat free is a great way to cut that food bill!!!

8)One of my favorite things to do with my kids is to cook with them. Allowing them to work in the kitchen with me not only teaches them a valuable life-skill, but kids are much more likely to eat something that they have actually helped make. Just find some kid friendly and easy recipes and get cooking!

9) Outside fun - Pack lots of water to drink and a picnic lunch and have fun
a)Find a local park in your area with a great playground!
b)Go for a bike ride or on a family hike!
c)Never underestimate the fun of sprinklers, hoses or wet sponges!!!!

10) Last but certainly not least....visit your local library. Most libraries have special summer reading programs, fun activities and presentations and FREE books! What could be better.

Summer is my favorite time of the year because I get to be a stay-at-home mom for a couple of months. Having fun with my children and creating memories is so important to me, and it doesn't have to break the budget!

Hook up with some friends and not only will your children have more fun with other kids, but you'll get some adult conversation in too! Have fun!!!!

Sonship (or daughtership!)

Having just celebrated the fathers in my life yesterday, I obviously was thinking about what it means to have a daddy. I must say, I am more blessed than most, having a Godly husband, father and father-in-law. My children and I are very blessed.

We often hear of examples where Dads are absent or missing or uninvolved. And those stories truly break my heart. The majority of the children I have taught have very absent or non-existent fathers. How absolutely tragic. Dad's are so important and so help mold us and grow us up into what we can become.

What is such a blessing is that even if we have a very flawed or absent earthly father (or we have an excellent earthy father), we have a very good Heavenly Daddy.

As I was reading this week this scripture kept coming back to me. "Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:14 - 17

What amazing promises. We can become sons (or daughters) of the Living God when His Spirit leads us and lives in us. And that Spirit does not desire or want us to allow fear to rule us or manipulate us or control us. Because the God of the Universe desires that we have a spirit of sonship (defined as the FACT of being a son). And through this Spirit we can cry out "Abba, Father".

Abba is an intimately affectionate term for father often defined as calling ones father, "Daddy". Small children often use the term Daddy for their fathers. I am in my 40s and still call my father - Daddy. It is a term of much love and trust. We are to have that kind of love and trust in our Heavenly Father too. Because it is a FACT that we are his sons and daughters. And no GOOD Daddy would ever want his child to fear anything. Fear is such an awful emotion and condition that a GOOD daddy would do everything in their power to get rid of ALL fear!

The scripture goes onto to say that since we are sons and daughters of the Most High we are His Heirs and Co-Heirs with Christ. That is an incredible promise. Co-Heirs with Jesus? I can hardly imagine what that means! Now here is the caveat, we have to share in His sufferings, but so we may also share in His Glory!

"But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

When the fears or struggles or great disappointments of life frustrate me and overcome me, I am clinging to these promises. The Fear is most certainly NOT from the Lord because He gave us a spirit of Sonship. And the sufferings produce characteristics in us that allow us to partake in the glorious riches of Christ.

Be encouraged today!!!! If the Spirit of the Lord lives in you, You are a Prince or Princess of the Most High King!!!!!!!

Tuesday Tips

Job Seekers Support Groups
My husband, James, is incredible. He has taken the bull by the horns so to speak in this job loss situation and absolutely hasn't let any grass grown under his feet. (two metaphors in one sentence, I'll try to watch that!) Not even 18 hours after finding out he lost his job, he was at a local support group for those looking for jobs. He searched out help and it is making a world of difference for him. He went to a free class the support group offered on beefing up his resume. He is doing networking and receiving support from a career coach. He is going to a class on how to use LinkedIn to improve your chances of getting a new job. He has met with a financial advisor who told him how best to use his 401K money without incurring extra penalties if we end up having to go that route. He is receiving interviewing coaching and counseling as well. Best of all, he is getting to go to a 2-day, $1200 project manager course for only $100. All because of this AWESOME support group.

James shared something with me that was interesting. It is his understanding that many people do not seek out and attend a job-loss support group until about 3-4 months into their job search. And while I am sure those people are most definitely doing job searches on their own, the invaluable information and free classes and career counseling that these support groups offer is not being given to them.

I did a really brief google search and found that by putting in "job seekers support group your town name" you will find local support groups. Many are run by local churches as an outreach ministry. James said that there was a devotion time, but most of the time and effort is spent on how to find a job. He has received great tips, suggestions and tons of support.

Please take the time to find a support group in your area if you are looking for a job and then make the time to go. The information you will receive will definitely help you get a job quicker than just going it alone! You won't regret it!!!

The Power of a Positive Attitude

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Sometimes we have to choose to have a good attitude regarding our circumstances and our day. Positive attitudes aren't always just there. They are choices we make every day. And even in the midst of difficult and very trying circumstances we CAN have a positive attitude.

Check this video out. This girl has got the right idea! Maybe we need to all start talking to ourselves in the mirror each day!



My most favorite quote of all time is by Charles Swindoll:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

So, I have no control over what happens to me, good, bad or indifferent. But I do have control over my attitude regarding it all. And my attitude is what is going to make all the difference!

Love One Another

I think it is so incredible how the Lord set this whole life adventure for us to have fellowship with one another. We aren't meant to walk through this thing called life alone. He gives us our family and our friends to make the times of our life better - in both the good and the bad times.

I have recently been struck by how many needs my family and friends have. I think far too often we go through life trucking along and everything is going pretty good... or maybe just okay, but things are manageable, doable. I know I too often allow myself to become far too busy to really focus on what needs are out there. Being consumed with only my own needs doesn't make me such a great friend at times.

Recently the Lord has opened my eyes and ears to others and I am struck by the needs of those around me. What is amazing to me is that I probably only know a small number. I am starting to see that there are many more needs out there than I could ever imagine. Illness, job loss, marriage problems, financial issues, family separations due to job or military, raising children, infertility. The list goes on and on and on. And what I am finding is that many just suffer in silence. I don't know if it is because of not wanting to burden others, pride or shame or something else all together. I also think many people just really don't have anyone to trust and truly confide in, so they suffer in silence. This makes my heart so very sad. One thing I want to personally make sure I am doing is reaching out to others. Maybe good friends, maybe acquaintenances, maybe strangers. Keeping my eyes and ears open to see how God would use me to show those around me the great love that HE has for them.

God did not intend for us to walk through trials alone. Yes, He most definitely is our Rock and our Strong Tower. But He also wants us to lift one another up and support each other in our daily life. Just as Aaron and Hur supported Moses' arms when he could no longer hold the staff on his own, so are we to support one another. Even Jesus surrounded himself with his closest friends when He went to pray in the garden of Gethsemene. God intends for us hold each other up. ESPECIALLY when we can't lift ourselves up any more.

There is a scene in the last Lord of the Rings Trilogy that illustrates this friendship point much better than my words ever could. Sam tells Frodo that "I can't carry it (the ring) for you, but I can carry you." This is the kind of friendship I think we are to have for one another.



I also think it is so important be in a place where you are being fed scripturally, spiritually and with good fellowship. My family loves our church. We have made the greatest friends there. I know that I am well loved and have people in my life that pray for us. If you aren't in a good church home, I cannot even begin to encourage you strongly enough to find one. God does not intend for you to walk through this life on your own. It is too easy to trip and fall and stumble (and sin) without the love of fellow Christians supporting you and encouraging you. Please make finding a church home a priority for your family. Because when the storms of life come - and they WILL come - you will need the support more than ever!

I also wanted to go on the record as saying I am surrounded by the absolute best people. My family and friends have been so incredibly supportive. I can't thank you enough for the multiple phone calls, texts, emails and Facebook posts. It means so much to be encouraged day in and day out. For the offers to go hang out, buy me lunch, thank you! For the prayers, words of encouragement, scriptures and gifts, Thank you! My family is so blessed to have you all in our lives. Thank you for taking the time to let me know you care! You are the best and you are making this difficult time in my life so much more bearable!!!!

Pain

In C.S. Lewis' book The Problem of Pain, he said, "God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It's His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Wow!!! What a true statement.

I also find it incredibly sad in a way. Why is it that we have to go through terribly hard times to really hear from the Lord? I don't know why it is. But it really seems like it is only at our most desperate that we hear God speaking truth into our lives. I truly want to get to the point in my life where my walk with the Lord is so consistent and solid that I hear Him as clearly in the pleasure as in the pain.

Maybe this is what Peter meant when he wrote in 1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." There is much to be learned in the pain.

Another quote by C.S. Lewis on the subject of pain, "God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain” I love the hope that is in this statement. God foreknew what we would go through. He would give us the battle armor to go through it and although we would feel pain, it would not leave a stain that cannot be removed. Of course, we also have to be willing to go to Him with the pain. Nailing it to the cross. Otherwise our suffering is for naught and completely in vain. Oh my goodness... I never want the suffering and pain to be for nothing!

Just like a caterpillar that must go through pain to emerge from the cocoon as a beautiful butterfly. So must we go through pain to become more like Christ.

Let me embrace it, learn from it, open up to God and move on!!!!!

More Trials..More Screaming...More Grace

Oh my gosh, sometimes life is just plain old hard! James lost his job almost two weeks ago and we are plugging along, really doing okay, thinking we're going to make it through this, some way, some how! Then BAAAMMMMM!!! something else happens.

Two nights ago, James was coming home from running the sound board for worship practice at church. As he was approaching a red light, a large Ford F-150 plowed right into him. He called me and told me, I just flat-out couldn't believe it! At this point I actually became quite angry. Thankfully, not only did I have my daughter with me, but my friend's children and that really made me take a deep breath and calm down, otherwise I am afraid of the slew of words that might have left my mouth.

At this point, it seriously almost became laughable. What was going to happen next???

I think what bothered me most, was that my daughter became very upset. She is such an awesome girl and puts on a smile and loves on us. But she was really worried. A couple of years ago, we received a Spiritual Warfare prayer from our pastor and we read it outloud as a family that evening(and will continue to do so as we walk through this). It brought such immediate peace to us. It is almost all straight scripture and there is something to be said for praying scripture.

James got his car into the shop, we got a rental and hopefully the car will be fixed within a week.

James showed me where the accident happened and how it happened. The truly miraculous thing is that if he had been just ONE millisecond slower, the large truck would have totally T-boned James right where James sat in his small little Honda Civic and he could have been seriously hurt or killed. As it was, he didn't experience any pain at all. SO even in the midst of yet another storm squall, God was there and protected him. For that I am so grateful.

Tuesday Tips

On Tuesdays, I am going to try and post tips on how to save money, cut expenses or successful job hunting.

Saving Money month-to-month
When you lose a job, the first thing you do is tighten the old belt! I am sure there are many different things you can do. Here are just a few that we are doing right now. If you have others, please post them! I am always looking for a great way to save money!

1) Talk to those to whom you owe money! Tell them about the situation and find out what they can do to help. Many utility companies, banks, etc. have plans in place to help in times such as these. In our situation we:

***Lowered our cable/Internet bill by $75 a month by cancelling our deluxe cable package.(Our cable company is giving us free basic -20 channels- when bundled with our Internet bill).

***We enrolled with Netflix. We pay $14 a month. We get 2 unlimited movies for the month and we can also stream 100s of movies and TV shows through our Wii system. It is a great program.

***We got rid of our land line a while back and only have cell phones which is a big savings in and of itself. We just dropped our data plan with our smart phones by taking the upgrades that were allowed on our smart phones and got free basic phones. Not paying for the data plan and just a regular talk/text plan we are saving $100 a month.

***Many banks will defer two months of mortgage payments (they add the payments back on the back end).


2)Clipping Coupons - Visit sites such as SouthernSavers or CouponMom and follow the directions for couponing. I am just getting started with this but am already saving on the average over 40-50% off of our grocery bill. And we are still eating good!

3)Plan for splurges - everyone needs a chance now and then to get out and do stuff. But plan wisely. Spur of the moment splurges often lead to higher amounts than we want.For example: we love going out for Mexican food but it can be costly. We found that our favorite local restaurant had a great special on Monday nights. Our entire family can eat WELL for $15. So now when we want to eat out we can, we just have to plan ahead.(We also only drink water out. The markup on drinks is ridiculous!) This website shows you all the places where kids can eat free.

Check back next Tuesday for a post on job hunting.

Out of Control

We are ten days in to James being let go from his job and people are being so incredibly kind and our family and friends are so wonderful and supportive. The natural question I am hearing from those who know us is, "How are you guys doing?" or "How are you holding up?" And it is so weird, but in the last few days my honest answer is, "I am doing great!" I don't mean that sarcastically and I am not walking through all this with rose-colored glasses on not facing reality. I am honestly doing great. And as I reflect on why that is I am coming to some awesome conclusions.

I am a self-proclaimed (and 'other-proclaimed') control freak. I absolutely love to be in control. Those that know me well, know I am a tad hyper-active, can't sit still for long and will MAKE things happen. If I am totally honest, I am also very much driven by fear, where my family is concerned. I will do whatever it takes to control things so my family will be okay. Control and Fear are a very dangerous combination.

What had happened primarily with my thought process (isn't our thoughts where things become most dangerous!) is I thought that if we just led a mediocre, run-of-the-mill kind of life that nothing bad would happen to us. If we weren't trying to live the high-life or live a life that is truly living for the Lord then every one (Satan included) would pretty much forget about us and we could go about our simple little life and that would be that. But trying to maintain that simple little life and control it all actually causes a lot of stress. So we have been balancing the checkbook but just barely, and we have had jobs, but none that fulfilled us or truly met the desires of our heart for our life's work. Our family relationships have been okay but not out-of-this-world great. I am finding that it is really hard to control things.

I am realizing that thinking you are in control really is just a false sense of reality. We truly have NO CONTROL. You can't stop someone from taking your job away from you - even when you are an exemplary employee. There is NO way that James or I could control or stop what happened. It was out of our control.

Let me tell you, being out of control is very freeing. But it is only freeing because I have a heavenly Father who IS in control and He is a good Daddy. I am so grateful for having a Father who loves me and will see us through and is in control, orchestrating and setting plans in motion. And so with that I am actually really excited about our future. Knowing we can't control it means, God can. As we have opened our hands of our future to Him and given it ALL to Him, He can take it and mold it and make it as HE wants it. I wonder how much we held Him back because we wouldn't allow Him to do what He knew was BEST. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." I Corinthians 2:9 How awesome is that promise!!!!!

Now let me be sure to clarify. I do not believe that we are to sit back on our laurels and just wait for God to move. I am sure He can most certainly do that if He chose to. But I personally think we are to work hard and go after things, but we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and His will for our lives and leave the results up to Him. He promises that "ALL these things will be added unto you."

It is not written anywhere in the Bible that "God helps them, who help themselves" (Ben Franklin actually said it), but I do think there is a nugget of truth to the saying. So we are going after everything. James is working tirelessly to apply for jobs, seek help from others and network. BUT in all that James is doing, we absolutely expect God to orchestrate our lives.

In Proverbs 19:21 it says: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." So we are to go after things, but we are not to seek to be in control of what happens, because it is the Lord's purpose, plan, will for our lives that will prevail.

So if you were to ask me how I am doing, I am honestly doing really good. I have a freedom in knowing that I don't have to control anything. I am just being called to be faithful to Jesus and obedient to what He says. I am finding that focusing on Him that I am absolute peace in this moment. I have never really experienced this kind of peace before, but man am I loving it.

A couple of promises that mean a lot to me right now:

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:6-8)

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:2-5

If you are going through a job loss or some other trial or storm, I would love to encourage you to open your hand to your Heavenly Daddy. He wants to work it all out for you.

Stepping Stones of Faith

One of the most incredible things about going through difficult times is when you see the Lord step in and orchestrate events that are meant to just absolutely bless you and let you know how much you are loved.

We experienced this tonight. We were supposed to go to the beach for a week-long vacation this summer. When we found out James lost his job, we cancelled our vacation because we knew it wouldn't be prudent to pay the remaining money owed on our vacation home. The extra money we would have paid for dinners out, activities etc. would have sent us way over what we should be spending at this time.

Cutting out our vacation was an obvious choice of things you cut when faced with job loss. Vacations absolutely are NOT necessary and are very much a luxury when money is tight. But nonetheless, cutting the vacation did make us sad. We were supposed to go over my son's birthday and we were going to take my nephew with us. We were excited about spending some family time together on the beach relaxing and playing. But we absolutely were okay with not going.

This very afternoon, I was speaking with my daughter about some of her concerns. Being almost 11, she is fairly 'grown' and a bit wise beyond her years. She was concerned about our family making it and wondering if God really was going to provide for us. We talked with her about having radical faith in the Lord. That we can absolutely trust HIM with our every need. Even needs that may seem small and insignificant. That it actually is quite amazing to see God work and when He does we need to remember it because those are the stepping stones that God places in our path to show us how much He loves us. They become part of our Faith Walkway. We prayed about some of HER personal concerns and she went about her day.

Fast forward about 3 hours.... ONLY 3 HOURS!!!!!! And I received a text message from my sister stating that she had a vacation for us. I chuckled to myself and texted back, "Cool, where?" One of her best friends was going to be out of town and thought it would be a great idea if we house sat for her family while they were out of town. Cool! Somewhere fun to go and no real money out of pocket except our gas money! The truly AMAZING part of the story is this. This dear friend needed us to house sit the exact SAME time as we were originally supposed to go to the beach. And these dear friends live at the exact SAME beach where we were to go to originally. How amazing and awesome is my God! And how amazing and awesome are my sister and her sweet dear friends to open their home up to my family! They live a few miles from the beach, have a pool next door and a pond in the back for fishing. We can cook our meals there and relax and enjoy a fun vacation. All because of the provision of our Lord and the generosity of dear friends. I love it!!!!

When I told my daughter, her face absolutely lit up with understanding that her Abba Father did indeed hear both our big and small prayers and He absolutely delights in providing for us in such a way that we know He loves us and He is taking care of us. I love the Stepping Stone He placed in our Faith Walk Way! I can't wait to see the next one He will place in our walk!!!

Vulnerability

I am overwhelmed and amazed by the outpouring of love we have felt since people found out about James losing his job. It is downright amazing. I think so often the knee-jerk reaction is to retreat, become overly introspective and keep to oneself. I totally understand that reaction, there is often a sense of shame associated with it, and we don't ever want to appear weak or vulnerable. What is amazing is that this is really contrary in my experience to how most humans respond to crisis. I think even in our fallen human nature when we know someone is going through something rough, we want to reach out and help. Look at the outpouring of help to complete strangers that happened after Hurricane Katrina or the earthquakes in Haiti! How much more do your friends and acquaintances desire to reach out to you as you go through these hard times?

In the last week I have received a multitude of emails, texts, phone calls and Facebook messages from friends and acquaintances. Many have contacted me offering words of help and encouragement on more than one occasion. I cannot begin to tell you how much these words and acts of love and kindness have made the last several days so much more bearable. People that I don't even know that well are encouraging me and offering to take me to lunch or offer an ear or give me a hug. WOW!!! It is like the arms of my Heavenly Father embracing me and loving on me.

Yesterday, I spent the better part of day with a bunch of women I hardly even know. My sister had encouraged me to come to a Bible study and other than being loosely acquainted with a few of them, I really didn't know them at all. But yet, once they heard about what we were going through, they prayed for me, loved me and ministered to me. It was truly just what I needed. But I am convinced, if I had kept it to myself and not allowed myself to be open about what we were experiencing, I would have missed out on the huge blessing I received from these precious women, (who I know consider friends!)

But here's the catch...you have to step out and be a bit uncomfortable and vulnerable. It is easy to build up walls. Those walls that we build so we can be protected and not harmed. Walls that keep us safe in our own little world. But unfortunately those walls keep everyone else out and NO ONE can get in to help us. Sure by opening yourself up to others you do run the risk that someone might say something a touch unkind. Or someone you thought was a good friend might not say much of anything at all and act like nothing happened. But those are the exceptions in my experience. Stoicism leads to loneliness and loneliness leads to heartache, depression and desperation. And in the midst of a trial, heartache, depression and desperation already rear their ugly heads, so you might as well not add insult to injury.

So I'd rather take a chance of breaking my walls down and allowing others to see me for who I really am and trust that most will be more kind and loving than I ever deserve or can imagine. The cold walls we too often build up really don't provide much warmth or encouragement, do they??? I love the verse in Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity!" What an awesome promise. A friend loves us at all times and a brother is born to help us in times of adversity. Reach out to your friends and family and let them minister to you and help you through the difficult times!!!

Struggling

I've been praying a lot about what this blog is to be for and why I am writing it. I do truly believe much of it is for my own benefit. Writing is a way for the Lord to communicate with me and for me to communicate with Him. I am amazed as I start writing what comes out and much of it I really need to hear from the Lord. I am grateful for an outlet for my thoughts.

But I also know that I receive a great deal of strength and encouragement from what others say and write. I think the Lord intends to use each one of us as a source of help for those He puts in our path.


In the spirit of being open and praying that in some way the words I write will minister to others out there that are in the same boat, James and I have decided that I should openly discuss "the storms" that I have been referring to that we are currently walking through. In looking through other blogs that people write, I haven't seen many that are dedicated to what we are going through. Even though, I know many are struggling just as we are. So as I write and share, please write and share back with me. James and I are strengthened through your prayers and your encouraging words. I hope that the Lord will use our experience for good and that I can be a source of hope and encouragement to others.

A week ago I posted this post. Two days later James was let go from his job. Oh my goodness, the range of emotions that flooded my body when he told me. I couldn't breathe, felt like I had been punched in the stomach. A touch of momentary pure panic set in. I just couldn't believe it was possibly true. How could this happen? We have tried so hard to be so faithful. I have just accepted a job with a $20,000 pay cut that we really felt God wanted me to take and NOW James doesn't have a job at all? It was beyond all that my mind could conceive. James has always been an exemplary employee and to just be let go???? I couldn't fathom it. What is God doing and more importantly WHY is He doing it???

There are times when I am fine and happy and the whole situation seems to be a dream, not real at all. But in those quiet times,those times when I am not rushing from here to there, not engaging with our children. In the times when I am still it is so hard to not let my mind wander to the "what ifs", "whys" and "how comes".

I will write more later, but I wanted to share what the "storm" is and stop being so cryptic. We ask for your prayers.

I also have a request, if you know of anyone who is going through a job loss right now in their family, please give them my blog address. I want to be able to encourage others in the midst of their storms. Losing a job is not a topic that many are willing to openly talk about. Job loss seems to make people feel ashamed, frustrated and so very alone and forsaken. But with 10% of the workforce filing for unemployement it is effecting a great many of us. No one needs to walk through it alone.....