When you least expect it....

I got a huge surprise...blessing....prayer....email today.....

It seems that when we least expect it, God knows when to send a special person our way....sometimes an old friend we've been out of touch with, sometimes a family member, or perhaps even a stranger.....but it's definitely true that when we least expect it....God showers us with just the amount of blessings we need.....

I get an email from an old friend today....letting me know he's heard the news of my "story" and how sorry he is for it....how he knows God's gonna get the glory from all of this and how he knows Christ will be honored for the way I have handled this whole ordeal. What's amazing is that I have barely spoken to this friend in over a year, yet a tragedy in his life and mine and the power of prayer connect us both at this time....how wonderful to know that he has been praying for me this entire time, yet I didn't even know he knew....true friendship doesn't require seeing each other everyday, spending countless hours together, it just requires a love for each other and a faith in a common God that can see you through....so to my special friend, I say "thank you" for putting a bright spot in my day and making me realize that when you least expect it, some one's always praying you through....caring....thinking....and still loving you....

I'll leave you with the verse he left me....

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
Romans 4:20

Let them go....

Everyone has problems...troubles....trials...hard times....broken hearts....broken dreams.....it has been my experience in the past that I tend to let these difficult moments tiptoe into my future, ruining some of what could be the happiest and best experiences of my life. And for what reason? Because I am afraid to let go? Afraid to let God have the lead? Afraid I will get hurt again? I often fail to realize that " When God closes a door, He always opens a window"....and although that window might seem smaller, less attractive and harder to get to.....most often the view is so breathtaking, you wonder why you didn't go that window in the first place!

I'm tired of letting my broken past predict my untouched future....I'm tired of being scared, tired of letting what happened yesterday make me miss out on today and its blessings. So my new goal is to learn from the past, but let that be the end of it. Accept each day as a NEW blessing from God....let people in....learn to trust....learn to jump in and feel the wonder of each exciting moment God has for me in this awesome world! Wouldn't it be incredible if we could "learn to write our hurts in the sand and carve our blessings in stone!" So I have decided it's time to take all that hurt, all those problems....truly give them over to God and LET THEM GO!

Looking beyond the surface....

So much of my life was spent around people who looked at what was visible to the eye and made an instant judgment. From the clothes people wear, to the tattoos on their skin, the length of their hair, where they went to school, where they did or didn't go to church.....you name it, people could judge you for it. It makes me sick to my stomach that these people call themselves Christians, yet their actions are as far from "Christ like" as you can get.

So I am in a new place in my life, where I refuse to judge anyone for anything.....I am all about looking beyond the surface to see what's really inside and searching for ways to appreciate each and everyone that God has placed on this earth. Some of the most precious and amazing people in my life right now are people I would have been looked down upon for even speaking to....but it's those people who are missing out on the greater blessing, for when God chooses to use someone who has had a "past", made mistakes, taken the wrong road a time or two, you get such an amazing result in the end....someone who is so grateful for every day that they treat it as a precious gift, someone who is so blessed by your friendship that they hang on every word. Someone who wants to be a better Christian yet they know they fall short every day ....someone who I'd never been blessed to know and my life would not be as special....had I refused to LOOK BEYOND THE SURFACE....

Here....

So I have a new favorite song....heard it on the radio the other day and the message speaks so clearly of where I am today....here's a short video with part of the song "Here" by Rascal Flatts:




I guess the place I am standing "here" today could seem normal to most people...I have an incredible God who has blessed my life more than I could ever deserve, I have an amazing family that supports me and loves me unconditionally as well as friends who are always there for me. Yet, if you take a look behind where I am today, the road is not so pretty......so much of what has happened in my life has me asking questions, but I have learned over the past several weeks that if it weren't for all the hard times, rough roads and pain, I would not, could not be the person that stands "here" today. It took all the storms, trials and troubles to make me into the beautiful masterpiece God sees me as today.

I have met some amazing people over the last few weeks, and one in particular who has changed my life completely. There's no way I would trade what I have been given, just to say my past was easy.....for it's because of all that pain....I am HERE.....HAPPY....AT PEACE....AND LOVING LIFE!