Not MY plan

Well, as you recall, my husband and I went through the classes required for us to become foster parents and we were planning on adopting a teenage girl. Well that didn’t work out and we have decided that for now, we are going to be foster parents. We haven’t had a placement yet but will get to share our home and hearts for a few days with a child whose foster parents are going out of town. She needs a crib so we got one and set it up in the room that was ready for the teen girl.

It was hard for me emotionally when I realized that we were not getting the teen that we had planned on…or the second one that we had hoped for for that matter. I know God didn’t take us through that whole thing for us to just give up. He has plans for us! We have a room prepared, thanks to many friends and family who gave us gifts to do this. We WILL have someone who needs us in that room soon. This time, only for 5 days. Next time, who knows. We are just going to wait patiently and see who God sends who needs the love of a family.
Please continue to pray for us.

Book Review: Faith Leaps

     I “met” Alyssa online a couple of years ago and have followed her ever since for a few reasons. One is because her website has a lot of purple (which I read in the book is her favorite color! Woo-Hoo!) but mostly because everything she does is what I want to do…I want to be Alyssa when I grow up!  HA HA.  No seriously, she truly inspires me to go for what God has called me to do and especially so in this book.

     She takes you step by step on how to take something you are passionate about and use it to make a profit.  As I read it, it was like she was telling me “Christie, you know all of this…now do it!”  I have been too scared to step out and go for what God has called me to do.  Yes, I have made baby steps but have jumped back into the boat numerous times because I was unsure…I didn’t trust my ability and I definitely didn’t want to get wet!  Well, I am not going to allow my lack of certainty keep me from doing what I know I am supposed to be doing.

 

 

     God’s timing is always perfect and I truly believe that He allowed me to review this book so He could show me what I can do. These dreams He has placed in my heart have been dormant for too long and it is high time to get them out and get going. One chapter in particular, I will be using to make a checklist (yes, I do love my checklists) of ideas to help me get to where I am supposed to be.

     The book officially launches TODAY and in celebration, Alyssa is hosting a launch party on Facebook and a fantastic special PLUS bonuses on her website if you order TODAY!

     If you are serious about taking a Faith Leap and doing something that God has called you to do, then I advise you to read this book.

 

Mirror Broken Mirror

And just like that, the mirror slid from the top of my makeup case and crashed onto the tile floor.  Shattered, Broken, Shiny pieces…Some so tiny, others large chunks.

I cleaned up the mess and went on about my day but God kept whispering to take a look at that broken mirror.

Ok, God, I see a bunch of broken pieces of a mirror.  What does it mean?

He reminded me that I had said these things in the past:

“I can’t be a women’s ministry leader. I am over weight and don’t have that perfect look that all of those ladies do.  They won’t listen to me.”

“I don’t know what my husband can possibly see in me.  I am sure he is really not in love with me but just sticks around because he has to.”

“I have a pretty face but that is about it.”

He wanted me to see something that I didn’t see.  He showed me to stop looking at what I SEE when I look at my reflection but look at what HE can do through me.

We are all broken by things that happen to us. Our past hurts can leave tiny little scratches on our heart or can remove great big chunks of it.   The comments people make about us do affect us. Sticks and stones may break our bones but those ugly words leave deep scars that take a long time to heal. Some, we may never forget. I still remember the name of one of my meanest tormentors in school and although I have forgiven him in my heart, I often wonder if he even cares about the hurt he caused me.

Yes, I still struggle with my image but I am not going to allow the lies of Satan to convince me that I am unworthy to serve my King with all of my heart…and excess weight.  I know that through Him, I can do ALL things,including get the weight off.  Not so I can “look good” but so I can bring honor to Him by being obedient.   Just like Mirror, Mirror, the song by Barlow Girl says, I don’t allow the mirror to define me and I pray that you don’t either.

Go For It!

“God, are you sure this is what you want me to do?  I don’t know how. Surely you have the wrong woman! I can’t do that.”

About 14 years ago, during a church service, God called me into ministry. My response was pretty much the same as the one above! But my momma always told me “Can’t never could do nothing,” and she was right.   If I always believe that I can’t then I won’t ever do anything.  I didn’t understand what God meant when He said I would be in ministry but through the years since, I have been serving in some way.  There have been a few times when He has moved me into a different role or even to a new church and although I often try to talk Him out of it, I eventually obey and end up understanding the reason for the change. Has He given you a new direction, yet you fear that you can’t do it? Is it because you think you aren’t worthy? Remember Luke 1:37  (For nothing will be impossible with God) and Romans 8:31 (If God is for us, who can be against us).  IF He has given you this dream, you CAN NOT fail!  He will be right there with you and will guide you each step of the way.  Just GO FOR IT!

Care to share what He has called you to do?  Please post and I will pray for you. Maybe some of my connections will come in handy to help you fulfill the dream that God has placed in your heart.

Issues of the Heart

Lately, there have been a lot of “heart issues” in my family…

It all started a few months ago when my pediatrician noticed that my 14 year old son’s blood pressure was elevated. She decided to keep an eye on it, told us to watch his sodium, and had him come in every few weeks to recheck.  After doing this for awhile, she decided to send him to a cardiologist.  We went to see her on December 15th and found out that he has narrowing of an artery entering his left ventricle. I am not real clear on it and not really sure what this means. Right now, we are just supposed to watch his sodium and take him back in a few months to recheck. Although the cardiologist assured me that he was going to be fine, it hit me hard and I shed some tears quietly in my bedroom that night and the next day because I felt like I had done something terribly wrong to damage my son. It was pretty emotional to think that just 13 years before, he was almost killed by a dog and now this…he is too young for these problems!

The next thing that happened was the Wednesday before Christmas.  My 81 year old paternal grandmother started having some chest pains and my dad took her to the hospital.  She ended up having a heart valve replacement and a bypass that Friday and I spent most of that day at the hospital with other family members.  We were really worried about her making it through that surgery at her age but we should not have doubted…she did great and thankfully she is recovering very well.

Lastly, is Molly… She came to live with us in October.  She was so playful and energetic but around Christmas, she changed.  She just wanted to lay around and wasn’t breathing right.  I took her to the vet the day after Christmas and found out that she has congestive heart failure due to heartworms.   According to her paperwork, she had tested negative last year but obviously got bitten by an infected mosquito and now is in the late stage of the disease. It made me so upset and I withdrew for a few days.  I couldn’t understand why I had to deal with this…All of these HEART PROBLEMS in just 2 weeks time!!! I can’t take anymore!!  It’s been almost two weeks now since her diagnosis and she isn’t doing well.  I basically have to spoon feed her and all she will eat is boiled chicken. It breaks my heart to see such a beautiful dog go from hyper and playful to this.

All of these issues are physical and also are causing emotional heartache for me. I am asking that you please pray for each of these issues…I know that God CAN heal my son, restore my grandmother, and also make the dog better if that is His will.  If not, I will need comfort and emotional healing, which I know He can and will do.  Thank you for praying!

Update

Last week on my Facebook page, I promised that I would update you on why I have been so quiet…so, here goes.

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to figure out what the purpose of my website and Facebook page is.  I want to connect people to things that I love and hope they will too…that has been the purpose all along right?  But I want to make it easier to navigate so I have been redesigning my site…I am not ready to launch it yet but I wanted to let you know that it is coming.

During this process, I have had “LIFE HAPPEN”…I have been taking care of my family, teaching my children, facilitating a Bible study, doing assignements for my virtual assistant clients, working in children’s church & in youth, serving as secretary of Junior Auxiliary, serving as co-chair of the Tipton County Relay for Life, working in women’s ministry…etc.  Also during this time period, I was experiencing a lot (I mean a LOT!) of pain.  I went to the Dr and he decided to send me for an ultrasound which found nothing so I was scheduled for a diagnostic laparoscopic surgery on October 13th.  Well…on Sunday, October 9th, I was called and told that my uncle Dave, who had been hospitalized for awhile, wasn’t expected to make it through the night so I went to the hospital and sat with our family.  It was a long difficult night but I was blessed to be able to be there and serve my family as Dave made his journey into heaven.  It really brought me back to one of my passions…serving those who are hurting.      The funeral, AKA Life Celebration, was held on the day my surgery was orginally scheduled, October 13th, at the Bartlett Event Center. I am glad my Dr was able to reschedule me so that I was able to attend because and there was an amazing display of love for the Miller family that totally blessed me.

So…my surgery went well.  The Dr only found some adhesions that he took care of and said all of the organs he saw looked very healthy. I rested for a few days and then got back to my regular busy life. I have to meet with him soon for my post op where he will talk to me about what next…hopefully the pain will be gone so I won’t have to worry about that anyway 🙂

What are my plans for the website & Facebook page?  I plan on keeping the “Freebie Friday” feature for awhile at least, as long as people like it and it is actually helping someone, why not?  I will be adding some more product & book reviews (have some great ones coming up!) as well as anything we do in our homeschooling adventures that I think others might enjoy. What about new stuff??  Well, that is kind of the secret that I have been holding on to…I am writing a book…yes, a book.   I have been in the research phase for awhile now and now I am ready to start putting it all together. I would appreciate your prayers as I finally pursue this dream I have had since I was a child.  I look forward to sharing my book with all of you as soon as I am able.

Thank you for being there for me through it all.  I love you!

Be blessed!

Roadblocks

Don’t you hate it when you are chugging along and things are going well then all of a sudden, you come to a roadblock?

This is the roadblock that I see in the morning when I am doing my walk.  I always walk right up to it and touch it and use it as kind of a marker for my trip.  Anyway, one morning I started thinking about this roadblock and about how it is there to keep us safe.  If it were not there, people would drive right off of the road and into a grassy field.   It made me start thinking about other “roadblocks” that may get placed in our paths…We get a little peeved that we didn’t get something that we wanted right? But what if something we want is “blocked” because God knows that it isn’t really in our best interest and he is just trying to protect us. If you start looking at things from a different perspective, you may see that it is not as bad as you may think.

Pray Without Ceasing

I receive phone calls & see posts on Facebook frequently about people looking for prayer for themselves, a family member or a friend.  There are so many people who are needing prayer.

I fully believe that God answers prayers…just not always the answer we desire. You can’t just order what you want off of the Menu of Life.   Isaiah 55:9 says “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” You see, God knows what our future holds and we need to be praying for HIS will be done in our lives.  Yes, it is scary sometimes but realize this, He has your best interest at heart and you need to trust Him. In the end, you will see His hand of protection in the situation.

I have seen God at work in many lives.  I have seen marriages restored, drug addicts set free, sick people healed, financial miracles and more.  I know He answers prayers.

I also know how important it is to not just talk to God when you need something.  Doesn’t it drive you crazy when that one friend of yours calls only when they want something from you.  They never call just to see how you are doing or if you want to hang out but as soon as they are looking for help, you are who they call…yeah, that is the same concept as when you only use the prayer line.  God wants to know about your day too.  Yes, of course he KNOWS…duh!  But he wants you to talk to Him about it.  Have a relationship with him!

Not sure how to get started in an active prayer life?  Use the acrostic ACTS to guide you.

A – Adoration: Start by telling God how amazing He is and how much you love Him.
C – Confession: Tell God about your sins
T – Thanksgiving: Tell Him what you are thankful for
S – Supplication: Give God your requests, remembering that He gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want.

Do you have any “tips” on maintaining a good prayer life that you would like to share?  Please do!