What's NEW?!

It's time to get back at this & be persistent with posting. I've had so much going on & so much learning taught by none other than God Himself. If I included it all in this post, it'd be HUGE! I've had moments of faith-building, moments of faith-walking, moments of rest, moments of letting God fight for me due to no ability left to fight myself, moments of loving others as Jesus does, moments of tears beyond measure, moments of tender love & filling from the Holy Spirit, & moments of release of anger & bitterness. It's been awesome...even amidst the struggles! :)

I'd love to take you back through each moment as I'm sure you've felt very similar when faced with situations that are so much bigger than you, but that's not where God has led me for this post. You see, I'm in a season of focusing on & celebrating the NEW God is doing rather than dwelling on the past things that won't be the same again. Sounds like a Bible verse, right? Because it is! :)

Isaiah 43:18-19

But forget all that -- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

I find it neat how God uses His Word to bless me in different seasons of my life. For the first part of this craziness, He kept reminding me of Galatians 6:9...don't grow weary as change is coming in due time. Ugh, do you know how bad you wanna hate a verse when everything crazy is going on?! haha But God was just with me through it all & knew I needed His words of comfort & promise. :) So, for this season it's been interesting. I think through a lot of my life, I dwelled on the past & how it wasn't the same anymore, etc. I'd say I'd forgive, but then hold you to the fire every time I saw a fault...bringing up the "you remember that time" moments. :/ Ugly, but true. God doesn't want me or you to live like that. He wants us to live life to the fullest! How can I do that if I'm constantly looking in my rear view while trying to drive forward?! The present is what should be clearest...not the past while the present is blurry!

So, my encouragement to you (along with myself) is to ask yourself today: What's NEW today? Look for even the smallest detail that God is doing. Look through the eyes of your kids (or relatives kids if you aren't a parent yet)...have the excitement that can't be contained! Be like my Isabelle...when she gets excited, she grabs her nose & mouth & the feeling takes her over! We tell her "Let it out!" :)

Be full of what God is doing NEW! It will overflow to the point that others will come to you asking what the deal is! :) Cause others to ask you, "Did you take your happy pill or somethin' this morning?!" ;)

From the graVe to graCe

I'm just starting the #LivingSoThat online Bible study with my sweet sister friends & Proverbs31. I had to share this as it was a huge ah-ha moment for me & many others. How awesome that THE God I serve willingly can speak to us even amidst a one-letter typo!

Stacy (a Proverbs31 OBS Team Member) posted about how she was texting about grace & what the author, Wendy Blight, describes. When she typed grace, she typed "graVe" as the V is right next to the C. In that instant, God spoke to her heart about how Jesus takes us from the graVe to graCe. The "v" points down...just as a grave is in the ground...this is where we were all at. God says, "You see that...that V right there. It is burial...it's death. It's where all are before accepting Jesus. I'll give Christ (notice the C) & He'll cover you. He's covering you...above you, below you, already beaten death so you don't have to go there."

Wahoo! Is that not awesome?! She drew this out on her video & I made my own so to have a daily reminder of what grace truly means. :)

You'll never look at grace the same! ;)

Joy is... Prayer for the moment... Thankful for...

This was an activity in the #MadeToCrave Action Plan online Bible study. The purpose of it is to focus your mind on what God is doing & how you can stay in His will by being joyful, prayerful, & thankful. It's based on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. How does the activity work, you ask? Well, let me tell you! :)

• You can use regular notebook paper, printer paper, or have a journal specifically for this activity.
• Set an alarm on your phone/computer/tablet/whatever that will go off every hour, 2 hours, however many times daily you want to do this. My alarm on my phone is titled "Joy/Prayer/Thanks" so I know what I'm to do when it goes off. :)
• When the alarm goes off & if possible, stop what you're doing for a moment & think about these 3 things... What is joy to me?  What can I pray for right now that I need right in this moment?  What am I thankful for right now?
• Write these down with the time of the day.
• At the end of the day, go over all you've focused on all day. :)

This has really helped me stay focused on God & what He's doing in my life rather than focusing on the junk/negative that can cause me to drown. I pray you find encouragement & God-strength as you embark on this journey. :)

Verse Mapping (Heather Bleier)

In going through the Proverbs31 Online Bible Study, I learned of Verse Mapping. Basically, you ask God to lead you to a verse to study throughout the day/week/month/however long God keeps that verse in your mind & heart. Write it out on an index card. Read the verse, aloud if needed, & pay attention to each word/phrase that stands out to you. Circle/underline/star/highlight those word(s)/phrases. You then write the thoughts that come about that particular word. I include some of the definition(s) for the word as well. Once you've dug into all those words/phrases, write a simple prayer or thoughts to God on the back of the card.

Having done this for now 4 verses, it has caused me to get deeper than face value with God's Word. I ask more questions in how each verse relates to me or what God is trying to show me through focusing on that verse. :) AND, it helps with memorizing Scripture so to withstand the fiery darts from my enemy.

Here is an example from the last verse I just finished mapping out. This is actually the verse of the week for our Made To Crave Action Plan study. :) You want to know God's will for your life? Read & study in the depths this verse...

Front of index card -- Verse

Back of index card -- Prayer

March Of Dimes walk is less than a month away! :)

If you or anyone you know has had a premature baby, March of Dimes was there to help. I'm walking in support of my baby cousin Amelia & raising $ to help March of Dimes improve the health of babies like Amelia by preventing birth defects, premature birth, & infant mortality. Please donate $ and/or walk with me on my team (if you're local). :)

Click HERE to see my team page & donate/register to walk. Thank you so much!!

**Baby Amelia & me. This was taken within a couple months ago. She was born at just over a pound & barely 12" long (the size of a standard ruler!). She is now almost 20 pounds at 10 months old.**

Romans 8v28

Anything I face, good or bad, God is working out to the good for me as I love Him & am called according to His purpose. :) Wahoo! :)

   

#Action

Sunday, I started the Made To Crave Action Plan with Proverbs 31 online. Lemme tell  ya'...it's only been the first few days of this, but after watching the video of Lysa with Dr Ski Chilton...whew! This is going to be another awesome study!

Do you realize the food industry throws 3,800 calories at each one of us (man, woman & child) EVERY DAY?! Have you really sat back & pondered how many times you hear of or see ads for food?? I mean, it wasn't by coincidence that the candy, chocolate bars, snack size bags of chips, etc are seen when you are waiting to check out. I just can't believe how much crap is pushed at me...all while being shown as what I "need" to be happy or how this won't last long so get it "now" or that I'll get over anything by eating that food, etc. Think about this:

• How many commercials do you see throughout your favorite sitcom that involve food??
• How many billboards do you see while driving down the road that are just calling your name to that food displayed??
• How many jingles do you know that are for certain foods (ie - "I'm lovin' it", etc)??

Crazy, right?! What's even more bothersome is that I've grown accustomed to this. I didn't even realize until I stopped & thought about it how food is everywhere. Don't think so? Let's play a guessing game...guess which restaurant these belong to:

     

Now obviously I could go on & on with logos from restaurants you know...but you get the idea. :) How much does food rule in your life??