Tonight I was sitting in my apartment looking at pictures of my friends and family and I started to tear up.
I am blessed to know so many great people!
Despite all these amazing people... I have longed for more in my life. (not proud of that fact)
More stuff, more money, unlimited amounts of money to spend on shoes (of course!), to own a Starbucks, to meet Russell Westbrook and beat him in basketball(or just talk to him actually), to accept a Grammy, to run a 5k and not want to vomit, and to be maybe just one inch taller!
No really...I have to be serious when I say that just six months ago I was really just spinning my wheels to get somewhere and I wasn't taking the time to really just enjoy the people in my life and marvel at how God has blessed me with relationships that mean more than having the chance to play basketball with Russell Westbrook...uhhhh...well maybe not that dream in particular ;) (just kidding...kinda)
I am really ashamed that I was so focused on me. I LOVE people and did not even realize I wasn't thanking God and living out that thankfulness for the special people He placed in my life.
I have some of the dearest, sweetest, loving parents that anyone could hope for in this world! (if you know them then your heart understands what I am saying)
I have two sisters and a brother that would give up just about anything if I needed them.
I have two brothers-in-love that are so amazing to my sisters!
I also have the best three nephews in the world that love Jesus and aren't afraid to share it!(love boldness in the younger generation...especially when they are my boys! #proudaunt)
I have two really special best friends that I know God gave me on purpose!
I also have so many dear people in my life that I work with, go to church with and minister with that I can't begin to imagine what life would be like without having known them!
I believe that God plans who we will meet.(this is so special if you think about it)
After that meeting it is up to us to walk in grace, mercy and love to that person.(not always easy)
I have not always been the best friend, sister or daughter to the people in my life, but I realize now that that is all this life is about while we are here! Building relationships with the people we are so unbelievably blessed to know!
Looking back on some of my friendships that I have failed to live out this way I feel a heavy weight that I didn't give more. I am so thankful for a God that renews and restores what has been broken. The fact that He lovingly restores me to Him each time I fail and make a mistake propels me forward and gives me the passion to do it more for the people in my life.
His love is so rich...it is so true and so faithful. He created us to know Him...and in knowing Him we can learn how to live and walk in love even when it seems impossible! We will fail in attempting to do this alone...but with His help we might fail, but we will be able to get up and try again!
At any moment our money, careers, possessions and health can be taken from us. So when that reality hit me I realized that my joy can't be found in stuff. It can't be found in the people I love either...but it can be found in giving love to those people.
Jesus walked this earth in love and His purpose was to restore people to Him so that they could live in true peace and walk in that same love towards others!
Each day that we are given we have an opportunity to impact the life of someone we know!
I know that so many of my friends have touched my heart and left an imprint on my soul that won't be forgotten! I pray that I can live out each day loving others the way they have loved me and the way that God loves us!
Is there someone special in your life that you need to share with them how much you love them?
Is there someone that you talk to everyday that you could just love on to make them feel a taste of God's goodness?
I pray that God helps me to be a better representation of His love each day!
Oh how He loves you and me!
(P.S. If anyone reading this knows Russell Westbrook...please hook me up with a meeting!)
Monday, February 24, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
A baby.....
For a long time I have wanted to have a family.
I have dreamed of the day that I would get married and have children.
After years of dating and God closing the door I have often found myself wondering if a family would ever be possible.
To be honest, I was really discouraged by this for a couple years and had a big fat pity party on several occasions. As time went on I really tried to see things from a different perspective.
I had a good friend tell me that I needed to live in purposeful patience during my time as a single woman.
As hard as that was...I knew I needed to take that advice.
I began to look at my life and I realized how focused I was on "me". I realized I was constantly telling myself that I could only be happy in life if I was married and had children. Then I thought ...well...if that never happened in my lifetime would that mean that I was just destined to be miserable??
I knew in that moment that my focus in life had to be on other people and not myself.
As I began to find ways to help other people I really started to find great joy in my life again.
I began to truly find great significance in the fact that I was single and had time to take someone to coffee, spend time in missions and just going to do what I wanted when I wanted.(moms don't get too much "me" time...if you are a mom you know what I mean)
I started to focus on the relationships with my friends more and realized that God had blessed me with friends that I could definitely call family.
Right about the time I began to feel very satisfied in life I attended a church service and the Pastor was speaking on foster care. I have always loved children, but the idea of foster care had never crossed my mind.
As the Pastor continued to tell stories I felt a tug in my heart. ( you know that feeling you get when you just know you are supposed to help)
After church that day I began the process of moving forward with foster care.
It has been a long process and there have definitely been some roadblocks in the way, but God has been faithful to bring my desires of having children into my life in a way that I would have never imagined!
Next week is a big week for me. My heart is so excited and hopeful that God will be placing a little girl in my life within the next couple weeks. It is not a for sure thing yet, but I am hopeful.
It is an emotional journey and definitely an adventure that I would never have experienced without seeking to pursue the purpose God had for me.
It is so funny to look back on life and see the things you hoped for and realize that God was orchestrating something even better than you could have expected!
It is not easy to wait and be patient when you ache for something in life, but patience and faithfulness always pay off in the end.
What are you waiting for in life?
A better job?
A husband or wife?
Fill in the blank______________
Start with purposeful patience.
Focus on the good that you have in this life and focus on how you can help someone else. You will begin to lose sight of your problems and you will experience joy in areas of your life that you did not expect.
I can't wait to see who God brings into my life to make the dream of a family a reality!
Oh how He loves you and me!!
Jeremiah 33:3
I have dreamed of the day that I would get married and have children.
After years of dating and God closing the door I have often found myself wondering if a family would ever be possible.
To be honest, I was really discouraged by this for a couple years and had a big fat pity party on several occasions. As time went on I really tried to see things from a different perspective.
I had a good friend tell me that I needed to live in purposeful patience during my time as a single woman.
As hard as that was...I knew I needed to take that advice.
I began to look at my life and I realized how focused I was on "me". I realized I was constantly telling myself that I could only be happy in life if I was married and had children. Then I thought ...well...if that never happened in my lifetime would that mean that I was just destined to be miserable??
I knew in that moment that my focus in life had to be on other people and not myself.
As I began to find ways to help other people I really started to find great joy in my life again.
I began to truly find great significance in the fact that I was single and had time to take someone to coffee, spend time in missions and just going to do what I wanted when I wanted.(moms don't get too much "me" time...if you are a mom you know what I mean)
I started to focus on the relationships with my friends more and realized that God had blessed me with friends that I could definitely call family.
Right about the time I began to feel very satisfied in life I attended a church service and the Pastor was speaking on foster care. I have always loved children, but the idea of foster care had never crossed my mind.
As the Pastor continued to tell stories I felt a tug in my heart. ( you know that feeling you get when you just know you are supposed to help)
After church that day I began the process of moving forward with foster care.
It has been a long process and there have definitely been some roadblocks in the way, but God has been faithful to bring my desires of having children into my life in a way that I would have never imagined!
Next week is a big week for me. My heart is so excited and hopeful that God will be placing a little girl in my life within the next couple weeks. It is not a for sure thing yet, but I am hopeful.
It is an emotional journey and definitely an adventure that I would never have experienced without seeking to pursue the purpose God had for me.
It is so funny to look back on life and see the things you hoped for and realize that God was orchestrating something even better than you could have expected!
It is not easy to wait and be patient when you ache for something in life, but patience and faithfulness always pay off in the end.
What are you waiting for in life?
A better job?
A husband or wife?
Fill in the blank______________
Start with purposeful patience.
Focus on the good that you have in this life and focus on how you can help someone else. You will begin to lose sight of your problems and you will experience joy in areas of your life that you did not expect.
I can't wait to see who God brings into my life to make the dream of a family a reality!
Oh how He loves you and me!!
Jeremiah 33:3
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