The POP #3

Source: littlemissmomma.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

This baffles me.  It floors me every time.  But, it's a reminder I often need.  I've mentioned several times that I feel I grew up in this wonderful, protective bubble.  No, things were not perfect.  Yes, people let me down.  Kids can say ugly things.  However, generally speaking, I grew up wearing rose-colored glasses.

In the past few months, I've learned some pretty yucky stuff about a person I used to have a fair semblance of respect for.  This person has said biting, critical, inexcusable things about my friends, my family, and myself.  I don't know why.  And to be honest, the why doesn't really matter.  What does matter is the way I choose to handle myself.

See, I firmly believe that there is purpose behind each person who walks through the door of your life.  Some walk in for a season and some for a lifetime.  I'm starting to learn that sometimes the most holy and spiritually healthy thing to do is to let go of some of the people that cause you incredible pain and to allow God to purpose your pain.  Should we pray for these people?  Of course.  And if they are lost and don't know Christ, then we should be in sincere prayer before God about how to handle the situation.  One thing I have learned with absolutely certainty is that I cannot "fix" anyone.  I can be an instrument, but that's God's business.  Not mine.

And when the day comes, and I'm sure it will, that you come to the realization that you must let go of an unhealthy relationship, get ready.  God will really do some awesome things, if you let Him.

My daily prayer is that God would make me a "woman of grace."  I pray it every single day.  To be honest, I don't really know what that will look like in my life.  All I know is that I want for my relationship with Christ to be fully evident in my walk.  Beyond words.  I want it to be in my actions.  In my demeanor.  And, most importantly, in how I handle icky situations.

Right now, it's raw.  Friends, words hurt.  Whether they're true or based on someone else's wild imagination, they can be that final dagger.  What I'm trying to hold on to is the reminder that some people are placed in our lives to tenderize our hearts in preparation for better things to come.



The POP!

Join me, along with Ashley and Becca, for this week's POP linkup!

This is a very open-ended linkup.  You can post ANYTHING related to your faith in Christ.  A few examples would include ways God is speaking to you, devotionals you're studying, your favorite scripture, prayer requests/praises, ways God is using you, etc.  Basically, this linkup is just a place for you to be encouraged and to receive encouragement in your walk with Christ.  

I hope you'll consider linking up!  The rules are simple:

1. Grab the linkup button and type up your post.

2. Link up your Blog URL on any of your hosts' blogs.

3. Visit as many blogs in the linkup as you can! This is about getting active and offering encouragement, prayers, and discussion to those who need it!

4. Tweet, Pin, share on Facebook, and help spread the word to make this linkup successful!

Happy Birthday, Olivia!

Twenty-one years ago today, we welcomed my sister, Olivia, into the family.  My mom loves to tell the story of how I predicted her birth:

My parents had decided to stop after my brother and I were born.  No more babies.  They had a girl and a boy, and that was good enough for them.  Well, I wasn't quite as satisfied.  When I was four, I attended a pre-k program a few days a week.  Right before Thanksgiving, we were working on a craft. I have no clue what the craft was, but, apparently, our teachers asked us to list the things we were thankful for.  Of course, we all gave the typical answers...my family, my dog, my food, my house, my friends.  You get the picture.  I gave the same usual answers, but I also listed one not quite so usual.  I said that I was thankful for my "future baby sister."  My parents were shocked when the craft went home, cracking up about it, rolling their eyes behind my back, and showing it off to other family members.  Less than a year later, my mom was pregnant.  Surprise!!

I can still remember being totally, 100% sure that my mom was having a girl the entire pregnancy.  My parents are some of those who decided NOT to find out the sex of the baby and leave it a delivery room surprise.  I'll never forget riding up the elevator with my grandparents, walking down the corridor of the hospital, and my grandma stopping the nurse as she wheeled a tiny baby girl down the hallway asking, "Is this Olivia?"  It was love at first sight!

Sweet, sappy story.  How long did that lovey-dovey stuff last?  Pretty much until she could talk.  Or, was it when she started biting?  Doesn't really matter.  But, I do know that no matter how much we disagree or argue, no matter what measure of distance we have between us, I am so very grateful to have been blessed with such an amazing sister.

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Kiri on Pinterest

I am so excited to see the beautiful things that God is making out of her life.  

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for my precious baby sister.  No matter how much she grows and changes, she will always be my baby sister.  Lord, I have been so blessed to have be given the opportunity to watch her grow over these past twenty-one years.  I am grateful that You sent her into our lives because they have been so enriched with her presence.  She is beautiful, she is kind, she is smart, and she loves YOU.  More than anything, I thank You for her salvation.  I thank You for growing in her a genuine heart that loves You.  I pray earnestly that as she continues to mature, You would further develop and deepen her commitment and relationship with You.  I pray that the decisions she makes and relationships she has would reflect Your perfect will for her life.  I pray that You would place people in her path that would help to grow and guide her in her walk with You.  Let her be blessed by friends and let her be a blessing to others.  

Father, may I always set an example for her that exemplifies a woman of grace and integrity and alone brings You glory.

In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Happy birthday, Olivia!

Listening

Do you ever hear a song come on the radio, a song that you've heard a hundred times before, and actually digest the lyrics for the first time?  Happens to me all the time.  Maybe that makes me a poor listener??  Not sure.  What I do know is that it happened this past week, and I feel the need to share.

I mentioned last week that I like to listen to my local Christian radio station on the way to work in the mornings.  My commute is only about 15 minutes, so I don't get to hear much, but it always tends to start my day off right.  You know how morning radio shows are:  very little music, lots of jaw-flapping.  But, last week, I caught the song "Blessings" by Laura Story.  This is one of those songs that I had heard come on the radio many, many times before, but I had never actually taken the time to think about the lyrics and the meaning behind them.  In case you haven't heard this song before, I highly encourage you to check it out here:

The chorus is really what makes me pause...

Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

In this past few years, I feel like I've grown up a lot.  I've seen people ache and hurt in very real ways.  I've experienced loss myself.  I've watched friends bury their parents and spouses.  All of these collective situations have caused my protective "life bubble" to be popped.  I no longer live in the world that I did as a kid, where nothing bad could ever happen.  

I was asked once by a close friend why she had to experience such terrible things in her childhood, while her friends seemed untouched.  This was shortly after she accepted salvation, and she was looking for answers.  I didn't have any.

What I've come to realize since that time is that God has purpose.  He always has purpose.  That doesn't necessarily make everything "fair," but we were never promised fair.  What we were promised is that:

In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called 

according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

In the past year, I have seen beautiful, life-affirming things take place out of very dire circumstances.  I have seen God's promise of faithfulness come to fruition in many lives.  I have seen this "good" that God has promised us.  And, it's a reminder that sometimes it takes being drug through the mud to see greater things that lie ahead.  

Sometimes it's tragic life events.  Sometimes God is simply distant and aloof.  Sometimes it is relationship complications.  No matter the trial, in the end, He is always faithful.

The POP #2!

It's that time again!  Last week, I had the opportunity to co-host The POP linkup with Ashley and Becca, and it was so great to hear from the other ladies who participated.  I read as you shared your hearts, opened up about struggles, shouted praises, and asked for prayer, and I truly cannot explain how full my heart has been over this past week.

Brimming over.

There is just something about connecting with other believers.  There's something that comes with the knowledge that others are praying for and with you.  I have been both convicted and encouraged, which is exactly what should happen when you share accountability with others.  I'm excited, y'all.  This is good stuff.

In case you missed it last week, here's a quick explanation of The POP:

This is a very open-ended linkup.  You can post ANYTHING related to your faith in Christ.  A few examples would include ways God is speaking to you, devotionals you're studying, your favorite scripture, prayer requests/praises, ways God is using you, etc.  Basically, this linkup is just a place for you to be encouraged and to receive encouragement in your walk with Christ.  

I hope you'll consider linking up!  The rules are simple:

1. Grab the linkup button and type up your post.

2. Link up your Blog URL on any of your hosts' blogs.

3. Visit as many blogs in the linkup as you can! This is about getting active and offering encouragement, prayers, and discussion to those who need it!

4. Tweet, Pin, share on Facebook, and help spread the word to make this linkup successful!

Before I start with my POP post today, I feel like I need to let you know that this isn't what I was planning to share.  In fact, I had planned a sweet little post about my thoughts on Easter and Christ's love for us and how my family celebrated on Sunday.  However, on the way to work this morning, God spoke other things into my heart, and I'm just going to roll with it.  

I like to listen to our local Christian radio station, WAY-FM, on my way to work in the mornings.  The morning show host is Wally, and I just love listening to him.  He keeps it very real.  Sometimes uncomfortably so.  He doesn't shy away from much, and he's very open about his opinions on topics.  Today, he (or maybe one of his co-hosts...can't remember) shared a statistic that really stuck with me.  I can't remember the percentages, but the point he was trying to make is that many people after turning 50, look back on their lives and have a lot of regrets.  Things they did and wished they hadn't done.  Things they hadn't done and wished they had.  Then, he asked the question that made me pause:

What do you think you'll look back and regret when you turn 50?

I really started to think about it.  Sure, I thought about a few superficial things.  I questioned whether I'd regret how I've cared for my body (weight, skin, etc.).  I wondered whether I'd regret my job.  You know, things like that.  

Then, I started to wonder whether I'd regret the things that really matter.  I firmly believe that we are put here on Earth to share Christ with others and to bring glory to God.  I've never felt that I was being called into full-time ministry.  I'm so very grateful and in awe of those who are.  What a special and scary calling to have in life.  But me?  I know that although I may not be called into full-time ministry, I've been given a unique opportunity within my community (city, job, family) to share Christ with those that are in my path.  

I have co-workers, extended family members, and friends that I am fully aware do not know Christ.  And I am partially responsible for their hearts.  That's so scary, and yet, on a day-to-day basis, it rarely crosses my mind.  I know that one day, I will stand before God, accountable for the life I lived during my time here on Earth.  And I know what I want to hear Him say:

Source: familychristian.com via R.J. on Pinterest

As I sit here, thinking about my life right now, I cannot imagine those words leaving His mouth.  What have I done to further His kingdom?  What do I do on a daily basis to share Him with others and bring glory to Him?  

I can honestly say it's made me think.  It's something that I'm sure will continue to make me think, and I'm hoping it will force me to make some serious changes.  I needed to be pulled out of my comfort zone, and God knew just what I needed to hear.  

When I'm 50, and I look back at my life, I want to see a life that has sought to glorify God and draw others to Him.  

I know, a little deep for a Thursday morning, but it was on my heart, and I knew it was what I was being called to share.  I genuinely hope you'll join us for the linkup or will at least visit some of the blogs that do linkup below.  

The POP!

This has been such a crazy, awesome week.  I've been traveling since Sunday, but I'm finally back at home, in my pjs, snuggled up with a blanket on the couch.  Spring break is so, SO wonderful.  Can we please do this once a month??  Pretty please?

I've been a lazy poster this week since I've been out of town, but I am THRILLED to share this post with you today!  A little over a week ago, I was contacted by sweet, sweet Ashley over at Horseshoes and Pearls about participating in a linkup idea she was tossing around.  I knew that one day I'd like to do a linkup, and, once she told me her idea, I felt like the timing and content were absolutely perfect.  

So today, we are launching The POP, or The Power of Prayer.  This is a very open-ended linkup.  You can post ANYTHING related to your faith in Christ.  A few examples would include ways God is speaking to you, devotionals you're studying, your favorite scripture, prayer requests/praises, ways God is using you, etc.  Basically, this linkup is just a place for you to be encouraged and to receive encouragement in your walk with Christ.  

Currently, God is doing some major things in my heart.  He has been teaching me some pretty amazing/scary stuff.  Some of these lessons are new and recent; some are things He's been growing in me for years.  I'm going to pace myself as I share these thoughts, but I thought that this week, I'd start with one of the hardest lessons I'm learning:  patience.  Boy oh boy, has He been teaching me patience. Like, drilling it in there.  For a long time.

Patience has never been my virtue.  Never ever.  I have never had patience for a thing.  If I want it, I want it right now.  God and I have battled over this more times than I care to admit.  However, when the dust settles after each dual, I learn the beauty that comes in waiting.  Waiting for His timing and for His will.  In so many ways, I feel as if my whole life is a waiting game.  Waiting for a husband.  Waiting to buy a home.  Waiting until I am financially stable.  Waiting for summer break.  I've grown up thinking that life doesn't really begin until I have "all my ducks in a row," so to speak.  God is showing me, slowly but surely, that there is beauty in waiting and grace in relying on Him.  He's showing me that His plans are perfect.  And more often than not, I believe that He is making me wait for His best and His brightest because He's not done perfecting my patience.  He's making me work for it.  Imagine that!

Patience is not an easy virtue, but it can be oh-so-beautiful when we learn to rely fully on God and trust in His will, not our own.  

Friend, I pray today that you will allow God to perfect His patience in your heart.  Beautiful things will come of it.  I promise!!

Do you have something to share?  Has God laid something on your heart?  Please linkup and participate with Ashley, Becca, and myself.

The rules are simple:

1.  Grab the linkup button in the sidebar and type up your post.

2.  Linkup your blog URL.

3. Visit as many blogs in the linkup as you can!  This is about getting active and offering encouragement, prayers, and discussion to those who need it!

4.  Follow your hosts.

5.  Tweet, Pin, share on Facebook, and help spread the word!!