Thankful for His favor in my life

I will be straight honest with you....there are things going on in my life right now that I do not deserve. Granted none of us really deserve the blessings we receive...we deserve much worse. BUT...He freely gives it anyways. :)

I believe with all of my heart the wonderful things that are going on in my life...
the weight loss
the amazing closeness at home
the sales I get at work
the new fresh anointing that I am receiving
the renewed spirit
the words being dropped in my heart from HIM
are ALL as a result of getting myself in line with what He has in store for me. I am not having to work as hard as I should to receive these things, but HE is bestowing them on me because I am walking in the path He set forth for me at this point in my life.

I believes He is saying....
Oh, you are willing to memorize scriptures...then I will drop off a pound

Oh, you are willing to put your all into this ministry, then I will send the right customers to each day

Oh, you are willing to step up and be the example, then I will create a bond between you and your husband you would have never imagined would be there

Oh, you are willing to be in prayer more for your friends, then I will give you more friends to be a part of your life

He wants to bless us with those extras....but only when we are willing to offer up the extras!! A very dear friend of mine and former pastor used to say "Get under the spout where the glory comes out!" Line yourself up to receive all that He has for you!!

Thankful for a Friend in HIM!

We sang a lot Sunday morning about Jesus being a friend above all other, closer than a brother, far behind any other we can even imagine...

Can you believe that? Not only does He love us as a father loves a child, but He wants to know us as a friend too.

No matter what I say...He still wants to talk with me.

No matter what I do....He still longs to be near me.

No matter how far I run....He is still waiting for my return with open arms.

So today...thank you Lord, for wanting to be my friend, and allowing me to be Yours.

What to be thankful for today???

I will say I am having a hard time thinking of something specific to be thankful for today. Not that there isn't plenty to be thankful for, hear me there, I do know that. But to put a name on it is hard today for some reason...

Of course I am thankful for the silly things....Homestyle popcorn, scrambled eggs, diet dr pepper...am I hungry or what?? There must be something besides food that I am thankful for.....


AHA! I've got it!! I thought of this a couple of days ago, but just didn't write about it. Me and John and the girls have been enjoying the outside alot more lately than normal. We have gone to Linville Caverns, Linville Falls, Mills River, Pisgah National Forest, and falls at Dupont State Park. We live in an amazing beautiful world. God made us a wonderful world to live in. And sometimes we really take it for granted. I want my girls to realize that not everyone has the opportunity to see all the beautiful things like they do right out their backdoor!!

So today I am thankful for the gorgeous sunshine, trees, flowers, falls, mountains, rain, clouds, all the wonderful creations of a magnificent God!

My Friend and Partner in Crime

Today I have been completely distracted with all the millions of things flowing through my mind....ministries, and websites, and blogs, and opportunities, and emails to send....and music....and meetings....
There have been so many ideas in brain today that I can hardle keep them under control. My mind is just reeling!

Then I realized where it was all coming from....its all BETH'S fault!! LOL!
In a good way though! I am so proud to call her my friend. Every day she challenges me to do more and want more out of life, out of my realationship with my Savior. When I try to hold back, and not get too excited...she reminds me that nothing is too big for my GOD! She continues to remind me that He wants to bless me and my family with above and beyond all that I can imagine! She says she will be excited for me if I want.

I honestly need her in my life! I can't imagine not being her friend at this point. (SO Kevin you are never allowed to move, at least not without taking the Sims family with you!!)
We definitely need each other..God is lining us up for something big! He had it planned all along. I know that without a doubt!!! We are 2 peas in a pod really. It is incredible to me how in tune our hearts have become lately. Its almost scary!! But again...we serve a very big God who can and will do anything to serve HIS purpose!! He has a reason for she and I being friends....besides just having fun :)

So Bethie...today I thank God for you my friend.

Thankful for miracles!

I have thanked God for my little miracle many times already, but I was reminded of it yesterday right in front of my face.

Abigail is absolutely a healed little miracle!!! A year ago, pre-surgery, if she did too much physical activity especially outside, after a few minutes her face would get very red, and she would get worked up. You could always see that it was time to stop.

Yesterday we all went to Dupont State park and hiked up to a waterfall. It was a ROUGH hike, mostly uphill, tons of stairs. And she hung in there the whole time!! She is a trooper!!

I know this may seem like a little deal....my God just quicken me to remember that just because her healing, or her miracle is done and over....doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep thanking Him for it!! He has a plan for that little life, I can't wait to see it!!!

A New Comittment!

Today I am thankful for the revelation that God placed in my heart yesterday. A new found passion for more!!

Here's the thing though...if He is willing to give me abundantly above all that I can imagine....why am I not willing to offer more of myself?

10 more minutes in His word

10 less minutes of TV for some of His encouragement

10 more minutes in prayer for a friend

Get up 30 minutes earlier to study His promises to me & my family

Help in one more outreach ministry

Be more involved in the ministries I have already signed up for

Be more of in example in my home and every day life

Say one less negative thing and replace it with one more positive thing

Offer one more song of praise

Offer up one more moment of thanksgiving

Show Him one more bit of my heart for Him

One more offering of worship to the Holy One

Read one more chapter of the Bible rather than one more chapter of the latest love novel before going to bed

Commit one more verse to memory because you may just need to tell it to someone else today

I want more of Him....so how can I expect not to offer more of me??
Today Lord I pray...continue to fill me with the desire for more of you, and a willing spirit to offer anything you ask me too! Not that you expect it in return but I do it anyways simply because I want to!!

Thankful for time...

Today I am thankful for the time the Lord gives me with my family. I love that the girls at this point still want to spend time with us, their parents! They enjoy being with us, the attention, the laughs, the fun...and I thank God so much for that!!

I know it won't be long before they will grow older and want to be with friends, or be alone....because we will be old and boring! But for right now, we can still have fun as a family!!

Today is an easy day to be thankful!!

Today is my and John's 11th anniversary, and I am so incredible happy about how far God has brought us. I can't even put into words the amazing things that are happening right in front of my face!
I know that every marriage should grow and become better each year....but really...do they in most marriages?? It becomes easier to be angry, easier to pull away, easier to be bitter, easier to be distant, easier to just go through the motions.

But today I stand utterly amazed, overflowing with joy, blissfully happy in a wonderful marriage and life with my family!!

Visions & Dreams

God is amazing! I know that you know that already!! But HE is.

I am so thankful today for the visions and dreams God is placing in my heart for so many different things!! He has BIG plans for my life, and He is showing me more each day exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

And I thank God for the partnerships He is giving me in each direction. Whether its my husband at home....Phyllis in the children's ministry....or Beth in every thing else (Love ya lady!!) I thank Him for the people He is putting in my pathway to stand with me through the journeys of life.

I look forward to seeing more and more each day of what He has in store for me!

Just a Wednesday!

Thank you God for just a wonderful Wednesday! It doesn't have to be any special day to just be thankful for the day. On this particular Wednesday me, John, and the 3 girls had an incredible time just being together. We spent most of it outside and just hanging out!! It was wonderful!! Plus I had the time to talk to my hubby like I haven't it a long time...I actually got to hear his heart. That's hard for him, just like most men....but on this day he let me see just a little more than normal.

Thank you God for this Wednesday!

Thankful Day #2

This one is a repeat from last time I did this, but it is so much bigger now. I can't even put into words how happy I am in my relationship with my wonderful God given husband. And yes I said God given...because I believe that he is definitely the man God had in mind for me all along. He has challenged me in ways that were perfect for my journey. By being able to witness and minister to him, it is causing me to be stronger in my faith and knowledge. I have to know my stuff to be able to have answers to John's questions. I know I don't always do my best, out of complete and utter fear....but I am still learning to be bolder about it.

Each and every day God brings us closer together, creating a bond that is unbreakable by anyone, a closeness that wasn't there in the years past, a newness that we just discovered this year (in our 10th year of marriage!), a wonderful affection that I can't even explain, a longing in his eyes that I haven't seen in a while that is loving returned everyday from me, an amazing love that grows with the rising of the sun.

I read something today that said you can't look for that complete unconditional love always in your spouse first. We are created to long for someone to fill that void...but the grind of every day life makes that near impossible with another human. BUT if you look to God first to fill you...you can in turn love your spouse in ways you never knew that you could. Because in those times when you don't feel like you can love them because of the "circumstances"...GOD makes a way, God fills your heart so that it can overflow onto your spouse. THAT is what I have found this year. That if I turn to God first, then I can love my husband that much more!

Here's the kicker to all of that...when I turned to God...he told me its not always the hubby, the changes have to start in me. And I thank God for turning the light on in my darkness, that even though it hurt to be exposed, now I can walk in the freedom of loving my spouse with everything God has placed in me for him.

A Thankful Heart!

I did this back in November around thanksgiving, but I felt very prompted by the Holy Spirit to do it again. God has really been telling me lately to slow down and look at all the amazing things he has given me, and stop focusing on the things I don't have. But to appreciate what is in my life.
So...here I am, trying to really notice all the incredible things in my life. For the rest of this month, I am going to take the time to be heartfelt in my gratitude for the big things as well as the little things.

Today I am gonna start with the biggest thing I have to be thankful for...the freely given grace of God! He offers it whether or not you are ready for it. He choose us way before we ever thought of choosing Him! That is incredible to me!! Think about that....who have you ever loved, adored, held dear....and they didn't return the feelings? That no matter whether they felt the same for you, you continued to long for them, and really desire to be closer to them, even if they were completely cold, disconnected, and withdrawn from you. The biggest desire of HIS heart is to restore that fellowship with you. That is amazing!

The grace of God is the only thing that can save us from the mess we make in our lives every day. Nothing else can cover all the bumps and scraps that each day brings.

I praise Him for it...for myself, my family, my children...every day He brings His grace new and fresh for us. Thank you Lord...that's all there is to say, thank you!

Me versus the other me....

Why is it so hard for me to see me the way others see me?

Do I hide the real me?

Do I only know the true me?

Do I wear a mask?

Am I just my biggest critic?

Who's right....them or me?

This last week, me and a few friends tried a little experiment. We wrote a letter to ourselves about how we see ourselves, and then wrote letters to each women about what we see in them. It was so hard for me to write the letter about myself! I wanted to be honest, not what I want to be, or hope to be, or what I thought other people want to hear....I wanted to write what I really thought of myself. Bottom line I ended up saying I was not enough! Not enough of a wife, not enough of a mother, not enough of a salesperson, and definitely not enough of a christian.

I don't read my bible enough, I definitely don't pray enough, I always forget to remind the girls to brush their teeth at night, never remember to clean out their ears, I am sure there are dust bunnies under my couch, and I almost always leave at least one pair of shoes somewhere in the house other than the closet. So how is it that my friends see me as an amazing example of a christian wife and mother? They talked about patience, and kindness, and a loving heart, and an incredible spirit, and seeing Jesus through me. Why is it so hard to see in myself???

Earlier in the week I had read Psalm 139, that explain exactly how God sees me, how He feels for me. If he is my example....then I should follow His lead on this as well.

Psalm 139:1-24 (NKJV)
"1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]
21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting."


As an aside....do the letters with a few friends, take the time to send a few gals a nice heart felt, hand written letter....nothing on this earth is more precious than an encouraging word!