365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 236

God has always given us the choice and yet He always shows that He is always with us, always loving and caring for us. We can always look back and see the plans of God unfolding in our lives. We can always in hindsight realize he was right there with us. What about seeing Him right here, right now? I have always found that my times when I am focused and in His Word everyday that I am much more aware of His presence and see His works in every little thing. Our busy lives, our problems, the difficult circumstances that life throws at us will weed away our focus and take us away from our time with God. He created us to be in fellowship with Him. He is the father, mentor, best friend, confidant, counselor that all of us need. Time with Him is like a plant being watered by the gardener. How good it feels…If you aren’t carving some time in your day for Him, stop and pray right here, right now for Him to guide you in helping you have a committed heart. With His guidance you can find the best time and way for you to really focus just on Him.

Acts 14:16-17 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 331

I am working on my Isaiah 9:6 faithbooking project that I will be submitting to the church to be displayed this Christmas season. It is coming together beautifully. The faces all around us can and do reflect the roles of Christ as they are written to us in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I cannot wait to share the finished project but am thrilled to be in the midst of learning how very much we see Christ in everyone around us. Thank you Lord for the opportunity the church is giving to artists to share their passion and heart with others.

2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 312

Confusion comes when we aren't focused on the Lord. That's where I have been, away from the Lord and wrapped up in what I want to do with my life and how to do it. I started having doubts about the schooling I thought would be good and started looking at the regular route to be a counselor and got really discouraged by the length of time it will take. I am feeling not so sure anymore of what I am to do. So, I am going back to the one and only thing that can give me peace, the word of God. No more researching the internet for me. The Lord is my only guide and as I get my focus back on Him, he will gently guide me towards what he wants for me to do. I think my fear of getting older is making me impatient but I have to wait for the Lord and what he will say to me.
Psalm 12:6 And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 294

Our family was watching the first show of the season for The X Factor. It's a singing competion kind of show like American Idol but with some different twists and formats. On this show the contestants have to try out in front of a stadium full of people and the four judges. One in particular really stood out from the show last evening because of all the emotion she had. Her background story was one of pain. She had been severly bullied during her middle and high school years but she found a way of healing throughy singing. Her voice and stage presence were great but it was the raw emotions that captured us all.  People were in tears and even Simon the judge known to have a heart of stone was moved. This is what is so amazing about these kinds of shows because you see the human heart and we all connect with it. We all live through pain, grief, depression and all those emotions that come up from the not so good things that occur in our lives. Thankfully many are able to find ways to express their emotions outwardly like in singing but what if you can't carry a tune or don't have a dancing bone in your body or can't paint a moving picture, taking an amazing photo or write a story that will help you get out those emotions out in a health way. There is always the way that many of us turn to in our desperate moments. We pray to God for help, or we turn our negative emotions towards Him. He wants you to call out to him in the desperate moments and in the joyful moments, when life is taken a bad turn and when life is being good to you. He is always there waiting for us to talk to him. He is the great counselor for us all, who will listen and will understand, who will give us what we need and will guide us to the healing through His love. It was amazing to watch this bullied girl end up crying with tears of joy. God wants that for all of us.

Psalm 63: 5-7 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 275

I had a great lunch and vintage shopping time with my sister-in-law yesterday. We talked about our future plans for our working careers and I  felt a sense of freedom after realizing I am not the only one who is getting older and still hasn't figured out what they want to do. I have had a dream to be a counselor and even pursued it slightly about a year ago but was deterred by the time and money it would take. My sister-in-law knows a wonderful counselor who didn't go back to school for it until she was 50. Okay so I have just a few years before I hit that but it made me feel like you are never too old to pursue a dream. So, I will be doing the pros and cons of both medical assisting schooling and counselor schooling and keep praying for God to lead me down the path he wants me to go. I am grateful for a friend like my sister-in-law that I can talk with. Thank you Lord for using the family and friends in our lives to help us find the clear path you want us to take.

Proverbs 4: 18-19 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 168

Tristan has been taking a class at church on leadership. He has been doing this in preparation to be a camp counselor. Last week, he had to go to church and interview for a counselor position for summer camps this summer. He was told that there were more girls than boys signed up for the camps this year so the spots for boy counselors was limited and they would let him know. He got a letter in the mail yesterday! He and his sister Faith will be at the same camp this summer. The Lord prepares each of us in all kinds of ways. Some of them are in ways that we didn't think except when we look back in hindsight. Some like Tristan taking the leadership class are intentional. God works and prepares us to do His will. He has a plan for each of us and though the illness you may be suffering through or the problems with a co-worker are challenging or you are struggling with relationship issues. Like a pastor recently said in his sermon, we are being tempered into steel. Each trial, each trouble, each challenge of life. They all make us stronger and are preparing us for God's plan for our lives. I am very proud of my son and his following his heart and doing what God's will is for him. I pray he will continue on this good path following God's will for his life and that he will have fun and learn lots being a counselor at summer camp this summer.
Ephesians 4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Here is a quick faithbook page I created using some scraps of paper left-over from some journals I made as gifts to give at my workshops. The photos are of Tristan headed to Winter Camp and Tristan leading a small group of kids which included Faith at church on a Wednesday night.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 78

I am singing praises today for my church and the guidance they are providing for Tristan. He was encouraged and decided to attend a leadership class so that he could be a camp counselor. I guess when you come from to Type A parents it's not suprising he would gravitate towards the leadership role. The wonderful part we witnessed last night happened as we went into the classroom my daughter was in to pick her up. Most of the kids were sitting within groups around the room. I spotted her and than saw next to her the back of my son's head. He was leading this little group of 3rd graders. I was able to get up and take a quick picture as he began a prayer for his group. I couldn't be prouder. What a beautiful thing to see your child doing something that Jesus loved to do. You know this is going to become a scrapbook page, right?
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.