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No Valentine? Encouragement for single girls….

February 13, 2014

Its Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Whether you celebrate it with as much gusto as a bin of oversized teddy bears at Wal-Mart, hide in your room with a box of chocolates and You’ve Got Mail, or ask people the date every chance you get to prove that you really aren’t paying attention to the fact that its February 14^th and you don’t have a date, these thoughts are for you….

I got married when I was 29 and until I dated my husband at age 28 I never had a valentine.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to date or get married or have romance…in fact I think the idea of Valentines’- admittedly an over commercialized holiday – is beautiful, fun and I am the ~~sucker~~ person who will buy notepads, socks and all forms of paraphernalia because it is speckled with red and pink hearts and trimmed with a little bit of lace.

I never wanted to be that pouty girl who sat around on valentines day feeling sorry for her lack of valentines. I bought flowers and treats for friends and family, and tried to use it as a day to encourage people I loved – and of course as an excuse to have 1, 2 or 10 of those amazing lofthouse sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.

In spite of my attempts to have a good attitude and enjoy the holiday – it stung just a little every year.

I could probably sum up my single years by simply saying: In spite of all my attempts to have a good attitude and just enjoy it, it hurt a little bit….and then a little more – and than it started to hurt A LOT.

By the time I was 26 I had read every book about singleness, dating, or not dating, and finding your spouse that was on the Christian market. I had read blog articles and magazine article geared toward singles and sometimes they were helpful, even encouraging.

Something snapped when I hit about 26 years old – maybe it was being a bridesmaid round 7…maybe it was one too many games of toilet paper bride…but every article and book on the subject of singleness made me angry and left me feeling completely misunderstood.

I felt like every article I read was some formulaic prescription of:

– If you love and follow Jesus you will get married

– While you’re single, enjoy the freedom of singleness (marriage will be difficult!)

– Use this time to serve, get your education, pursue your passions, gain new friendships and advance in your career. If you do these things you’ll barely have time to think about your singleness. (Whoever thinks this, is not a woman…because during my single years I did “everything” I was “supposed” to do to forget about my singleness…and yet I still managed to remember I was single while I received my undergrad and masters degree, served in my community and church, worked a full time job and made it to my favorite work out classes.)

None of these things I did were bad. I am glad I used the extra energy and time I had a single person to go to college, build friendships and serve others. However it never dampened or eased my longing to be married.

I was reading through some old journals in preparation to write this article – because the last thing I want to do is forget: singleness can hurt and the longing for marriage can feel like a raw and empty ache that taunts you through the night and wakes you in the morning.

Often there is not a simple answer for the “whys” or a formula to follow for results.

One journal entry I told about an awkward social situation where I wanted to be recognized, spoken to, and I felt completely ignored by several guys who were my friends. That day I was feeling especially sad and insecure about my singleness and their social slight left me feeling unattractive and unimportant.

As I journaled about the event the next day this was what God said to me:

“ When I think of you last night – I think of how beautiful you were. I think of a beautiful woman and a precious girl. I think of how badly I just wanted to hold you. I think of how proud I am of you for just showing up. And I want you to know I see every tear and I have counted it.”

I teared up reading this tender entry today because I remembered the pain and frustration I was feeling but more so because I saw the words spoken to me were those of a tender lover.

Experiencing Jesus as a tender lover was the only way my soul experienced relief, comfort and hope during the years of singleness.

Somewhere between bridesmaid dress #6 and #7 I asked this question: Jesus can you really be a lover, as physical and tangible and real as a real life boyfriend, fiancée or husband?

Then it started: the year of free coffee.

I love coffee, and I love free stuff – so receiving free coffee is one of the best ways to win my heart.

I got free drink coupons from starbucks at least every other week in the mail. My roommates never got these and I don’t get them anymore. I would get email coupons for free coffee, people would bring me coffee to my office and I would walk into my local starbucks and be handed free drinks by the management on a consistent basis.

One day enjoying my grande pumpkin spice latte with whip – I heard Him whisper…”Enjoy your latte… it’s from me because I love you.”

I relished my free coffee like a love note. I was being wooed by the Creator of the Universe with lots of caffeine, sugar and a beautiful swirl of foam.

My suspicions were confirmed that the giver of my fancy coffee was Jesus, when I started dating my husband and my free drinks stopped.

No more coupons in the mail, no more free lattes shoved in my face when I walked into Starbucks. Now I pay for over priced shots and syrup just like everyone else.

But whenever I do buy a special drink I always smile remembering my lover, Jesus, who met me in a sweet and secret way when I felt the most discouraged and overlooked.

If you find yourself tomorrow feeling unknown and unlovely – ask Him to show up in a wondrously surprising way….He is waiting for you.

“My beloved is mine, and I am his.” Song of Songs 2:16

You are loved and I am praying for you!

Big Announcement: We’re Moving Too……

February 7, 2014

We have a big announcement to make!

We are moving to College Station, Texas.

College Station is about 5 hours from where we live. My hubby would say 4 1/2 hours but I like to take more snack breaks =)

My husband just accepted a job there last week and we are moving at the end of February – Yikes!

College Station is where I was living when I met my husband. I have many dear friends and an incredible church community there.

Over the past few months my husband and I have been praying about what God has for us in the next season of life. College Station was a place highlighted to my heart that God may have us.

So after Christmas, my husband laid a “fleece” before the Lord. He asked the Lord that if College Station was the place for us to live that he would get a good job, in his field, the application process would be smooth and that he would be offered a certain salary range. Shortly after he prayed that prayer, he heard from a company he had applied with asking to interview him.

Within weeks God answered everyone of his requests, by giving him a smooth and quick interview and hiring process, being offered a salary within the certain range, and it is a promotion in his career field!

Wooohooo! I am so proud of my husband!

Its been a really interesting time in our marriage as I saw how God speaks to my husband in a completely different way than He speaks to me.

When God speaks to my heart I usually have this sense of unexplainable peace and knowing that something is right. I look for confirmation to my “feelings” from the Word of God and other wise believers I trust.

For my husband his process is completely different and the Lord shows Him tangible signs of direction.

I have loved seeing that although our processes with the Lord are very different, we are still hearing and seeking the same God. He has brought both our hearts so much peace about the decision through completely different means.

Fascinating!

I am still a little awestruck by the whole process…

I am also thankful that we have a God who is big enough to speak to each of us in a way that our hearts and minds understand.

I am an intuitive feeler. I rely heavily on things that I feel and sense to make decisions. Even if you showed me a list of 100 logical reasons I should do something but I didn’t have a peaceful feeling about it, I wouldn’t do it. I have learned that the closer I stay to Jesus and wise Christian friends who know me well the more correct my feelings are, when I react to my feelings without leaning into Jesus and wise community I can make some really dumb decisions.

My husband is incredibly logical and loves information. He is constantly reading the news, studying Biblical commentaries and researching every item we purchase to make sure it is the best. Without logic or factual information he does not feel peace about decisions.

Has anyone else had this experience in marriage? Complete shock and adoration of how huge God is that He can make 2 people so different, bring them together in marriage and somehow speak to each of them the same yet in completely different formats? Crazy!

Has anyone else had this feeling when you realized your house was going on the market?

“Uhhhhh ooooohhhhhhhh! What do I do with the garage full of furniture I bought at a really good deal that I was going to re – finish and never got around to?”

I promise that at one point in our marriage we were able to fit both of our cars in here =) And no, we will not be appearing on the next season of Hoarding: Buried Alive. You may not believe it but the rest of our house is fairly neat.

I am going to try my best to keep up with the blog, but ask for your forgiveness in advance if posts are a bit sparser than normal. If you don’t hear from me, I am probably moving furniture, scrubbing toilets or finagling 2 head strong kitties into their carriers to take on a field trip because I just received a call from our realtor telling us he will be “stopping by in 30 minutes with some prospective buyers.”

If you would breathe a prayer that our house would sell quickly, the cats would love their future field trips and the prospective buyers would be supernaturally blinded to the 5 giant unfinished furniture pieces shoved in our garage I would appreciate it!

What about you and your spouse, do you hear from God similarly or differently? How do you receive direction from the Lord? Have you moved recently? Any tips for having a successful move? Anyone sold their house recently? What did you learn through that process?

3 Things My Kids Have Taught Me…a special guest post

February 4, 2014

Today we have a special guest post from an awesome Momma and blogger. Brittany’s blog 17 Hours Days is a refreshing and inspiring look into the world of a Momma who is trying to love her kids and Jesus more everyday.

When I first had my children, I imagined how—someday—I would teach them all about Jesus. I would tell them about his amazing love for us, the forgiveness he offers and the restoration he provides. I prayed over both of them multiple times, asking God to please help them grow up to be great men of faith, for them to boldly share the gospel with those who need to hear it.

I know that God answers prayers, especially prayers asking for things that God wants anyways, so I figured that someday, these prayers would come true.

What I didn’t realize, however, is that they would happen so soon! My oldest (Nolan) is only four and my youngest (Deacon) is only eight months and sometimes I feel as though parenting them is teaching me as much about Jesus as I am teaching them! Every day I learn new insights about God in a way that I never really understood… until I became a parent.

1. God’s Love is Unconditional

From the moment I saw those two pink lines, I have loved both my boys with my whole heart. There has never been a single day that I did not love them with my whole heart, and there never will be. Even on the days that Nolan refuses to listen, the nights that I get no sleep because baby keeps me up all night, the times that I look at my body or my living room and wonder what happened… They are mine. And I love them wholeheartedly. Nothing will ever change that.

God feels the same way about us. No matter what we have done or who we have become, He will always, always, always love us. We are his children.

Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2. God Knows What is Best for Us

Every single day I have to tell my boys not to do something. Sometimes they listen right away; sometimes they get mad at me because they want to do what I’m telling them not to. I don’t tell them no because I like being the bad guy. I tell them no because I can see that if they keep doing what they are doing, they are going to hurt themselves. Even if they didn’t get hurt the first time, chances are, if they keep it up, they will get hurt. When I tell them to do something, it is because it is in their best interest to listen.

In the same way, when God tells us not to do something, it’s because He can see the future and He knows what will happen if we choose that path. Similarly, when God tells us TO do something, it’s because He has something great in store for us or others that can only happen as a result of our obedience. While what He is telling us might not make sense or seem fun at the time, His way is always best.

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

3. Life’s Not Fair

Thankfully my boys are far enough apart in age so I haven’t had to deal with this particular complaint yet, but I know it’s coming. Baby gets to stay up later than Nolan. Nolan gets to have foods and toys that baby isn’t allowed to have yet. Baby doesn’t get in trouble if he hits Nolan, but boy does Nolan get in trouble if he causes any harm to baby! No, their treatment isn’t “fair” in the sense that it is the same. But each of them gets the rules, privileges, experiences and treatment that they need individually at this particular time in their lives to benefit them as they grow up to be great men.

Why do some people experience times of great trials while others never seem to have a care in the world? I have no idea. But what I do know is that God’s treatment of us is based on what WE need, whether that is love, discipline, to learn a lesson or a combination of all three. What everyone else needs and gets doesn’t really matter. God will always give us what we need. We don’t have to know His plan. We just need to trust that He has one, and let that be enough.

Philippians 2:13: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Who knew that such little boys could teach such big lessons!

Brittany is a stay-at-home wife and mother who loves Jesus and helping other people fall in love with him too. When she isn’t busy picking up toys or changing diapers, she blogs about finding God in the midst of it all on her blog 17 Hour Days. You can find Brittany on Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin’.

3 Ways to Create a Secret Place to Meet with Jesus.

February 3, 2014

Happy Monday Friends!

Sorry things have been quiet around here, I wasn’t feeling too great last week.

Before we talk about anything else I just have to say: YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! The Seahawks won the Super Bowl! Wooooohoooo!

For those that don’t know I am a Texas transplant from the great state of Washington. Although I am not a huge sports fan I was so excited to watch the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl.

I think Rene wasn’t sure what happened to his typically sports apathetic wife because all last week I kept saying, “I am soooo excited for the Super Bowl!”

Celebrating with a fellow Washington transplant!

Speaking of unusual events, we have been having some crazy weather here in South Texas! 2 Weekends ago we were sweating at the beach…

And only a few days later we were “lighting” our “fire” to foster some warmth as we faced freezing temps.

Yesterday morning it was muggy and close to 70, by the time we left church it was in the 40’s and raining. Maybe the weather was foreshadowing the current temps of the Super Bowl Champs, Seahawks home state!

Today’s topic for the blog (besides how awesome the Seahawks are and the volatile nature of our South Texas weather) comes from a dream I had a few nights ago.

Yes, I had a dream about a blog post and no its not the kind of dream where you are abducted by aliens and they transplant you in your underwear to an audition for Les Miserables where you are expected to sing a solo but unfortunately all you can utter is ” ahhhh ooohhh uuuu ahhh ohhh” because you are a monkey.

In my dream I was letting you peak into my favorite corner of my house: my secret place where I spend time with Jesus most mornings.

I guess its not so secret anymore! But the reason I am letting you into my secret place is to encourage you to create your own special place with Jesus!

3 Reasons to create a Secret Place:

1. We are creatures of habit. When we associate a chair, a room, a space with an activity it is easier to quickly focus on the task at hand. This is why performers have dress rehearsals and professional athletes practice their sport daily.

When I sit in this comfy gray chair in my guest bedroom, no matter how sleepy I am I know, this is my time with Jesus, this is the space where I meet with Him.

Its easier for me to cut through the clutter in my brain and focus on talking with Him, journaling and reading the Word.

Meeting with Jesus isn’t confined to a particular space you can talk to Him anytime, anywhere, and I enjoy being with Him in nature and in coffee shops – but most mornings you will find me here.

2. You will not waste valuable time tracking down your journal, Bible, pen, devotional if you keep it in your secret place.

3. Its fun and cultivates a spirit of romance and intimacy. The Bible is full of references to Christ being our bridegroom and lover.

For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5)

Marriages are a reflection of the greatest love relationship of all time. Just a bridegroom prepares the room his bride and him will share on their wedding night by sprinkling rose petals, lighting candles and preparing a romantic soundtrack – when we prepare a space that is special and intimate to our meeting with Jesus there is a sense of sacredness and expectancy over the time.

3 Tips to Creating your Space

1. Put it somewhere relatively clutter and distraction free. Mine is in the guest bedroom, because it is a low trafficked area. This means the clutter is kept to a minimum and I am not likely to be distracted by the piles of stuff that need to be put away and dust bunnies collecting in the corners.

My secret places have varied from a papasan chair in my bedroom, an empty closet that I decorated and filled with comfy pillows. Once I used a space underneath my bed when I was in college, my bed wasn’t as tall as a bunkbed but was high enough off the ground that I could sit underneath without banging my head. I have also used the back porch of my apartment.

2. Have a table nearby so that you can have your breakfast and drink on it.

3. Keep a basket close – by filled with important items so you don’t have to search for them every morning.

This is what is currently in my basket:

Prayer Card Wheel (made from old Christmas cards) Click Here for Tutorial, Printable with promises from God and goals for 2014, and a pen.

Blanket (because it gets a little cold in the room), journal, Bible (I like to use the paper kind so I don’t get distracted by other apps/social media on my i pad) and book I am currently referencing or reading.

What about you? Is there a special place you like to spend time with Jesus? What do you like about it? If you could make your secret place anywhere in the world and look a certain way what would it look like? (I think mine would be a on a tropical beach with a hammock.) Who were you cheering for in the Super Bowl? Or are you like me and typically don’t pay much attention to sports?

Free Valentine’s Day Printable!

January 23, 2014

Hello Friends,

Congratulations to Sheryl J. who is the winner of the purse from Jesus’ Economy!

I have made a happy free Valentine printable for y’all, to help us remember whose love is always faithful!

The text on this printable is the verse, 1 John 4:19 (ESV)

Thank you to Tiny Sea for their adorable Chevron pattern and We Lived Happily Ever After for their delightful graphic.

Can’t get enough free printables? – follow me on Pinterest where I am always pinning new free printables I find.

Enjoy!

To download the printable, click here or on the printable picture below!

5 Ways to Pray for your Husband.

January 22, 2014

Photo Credit: Lauren Jones Photography

When I got engaged, I picked up the book*
The Power of a Praying Wife

Even as a starry eyed fiancee I had found myself inwardly complaining, “I wish he would be like this.” or “why doesn’t he do that more?”

The book was very convicting and challenging for me, because it exposed a lie I was believing:

“ my husband is a Christian therefore I am marrying a perfect person.”

When the Lord showed me that the source of my frustrations came from my own arrogant idea that my future husband should “have it all together,” my heart was heavy and humbled.

Let me be clear…my husband is so incredible. He is patient with me, kind and gentle. He consistently sacrifices time and resources to make my life better. He is a hard worker and very intelligent. He is a faithful man of God and an excellent leader of our family. But he needs prayer! (like all of us)

There is no one in this world whose prayers for him are as powerful as mine, because we have covenanted our lives together and are one flesh (Genesis 2:24)

Also as a follower of Jesus, saved by his blood and cleansed of all unrighteousness I can claim the promise of this verse (and so can you if you have submitted your life to Jesus!)

The prayer of a righteous WIFE is powerful and effective. James 5:16

1. Favor in his job, with co-workers, clients and his boss. Wisdom and strength as he works. That he would have joy in his labor. For many years I thought that as a follower of Jesus it was selfish to ask for favor. Then I read this verse:

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52

I realized when I or my husband grows in favor with God and man we are able to expand the Kingdom of God! Favor doesn’t mean that everyone will like us or agree with us. But it does mean that we will have opportunities to be decision makers and people of influence who make decisions with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and who share with others about Jesus.

Favor at his job, also means financial provision for our family. When our finances are healthy and in order not only can we provide for our own needs but also give to missions and help those around us.

2. Wisdom as He leads our family. Ok, calling all the strong Jesus lovin’ ladies out there. Yesterday, I saw a quiz online called “are you a strong willed wife?” I laughed because I don’t even need to take the quiz to know the answer is ~~probably~~ absolutely YES! If the phrase “Biblical submission” causes you heartburn and a clenched jaw than you know what I mean. I can’t say I have this one perfectly figured out.

Here is what I know. Biblical submission does not equal passivity and door mattedness (yes I just made that up). Read the Bible stories of some strong willed ladies (Deborah, Esther, Mary) to see that God’s view of femininity is far from weak.

I also know when I push my opinions, manipulate, think its my way or no way- and act like the leader of our our family….

Photo Credit: Lauren Jones Photography

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1)

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.(Ephesians 5:24)

Couldn’t He have just left that everything part out???…

*** Just a quick note if your heartburn has returned. Husbands are not off the hook in marriage with these weighty commands:

Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Ephesians 5:28: In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

***If you are in a physically or verbally abusive situation and your husband is asking you to do something against God’s Word, that is not a time where you should “submit.” In this situation I would advise you to seek Godly counsel through a pastor, trusted friend or Christian counselor***

Bottom Line: When I pray for wisdom for my husband to lead our family and ask God to give me wisdom when to open my mouth and when to keep it shut. (the story of Esther in the Bible is a great example of the power of waiting and praying!) My heart attitude is better, because I am not grasping for control and my husband thrives as the leader of our family.

3. That He would encounter God, experiencing His presence throughout the day. This should really be the first item on the list because its truly the most important. The presence of God changes us. The presence of God gives us wisdom power and everything we need for life and Godliness. (2 Peter 1: 3-4)

4. Protection over his body, mind and spirit and that he would know and walk in the victory and power He has in Christ over temptation and sin.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

Christ came to give us power over sin, death and sickness. I can’t say that every sick person I have prayed for I have seen healed, but I can say I have seen God heal people miraculously in big ways and small ways.

I will never forget the night a group of believers gathered around me and prayed for a mysterious pain I had been having for weeks in my stomach and abdominal area. Not having insurance at the time, I was hoping to not have to pay for a doctor’s visit and treatment out of pocket. As my friends prayed I felt a warm sensation in my abdominal area. The heat continued through the night and I never experienced that strange pain again. Jesus is a healer and I ask for His protection over our physical bodies and our spirits daily.

But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
and by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

5. For a pure heart, mind and body.

That He would be protected from any image that would tempt him with impurity. Ladies, let’s be honest it’s a sex saturated, visual landmine that our visually wired husbands are navigating daily. God made them visual, and its not a bad thing. But it can be easy to panic about your man’s thought life when you see every magazine cover at the check out line covered with half naked women. Not to mention the pop up ads that assail computer screens.

That He would be protected from any person that would tempt him with impurity

That’s right, I am praying that any women who would even consider flirting with or seducing my husband, be stopped – that some supernatural superglue would stick those stilettos to the ground so she can’t move, in the direction of my man… also that some angelic duct tape would be strapped across her lips so she can’t speak…Because I understand it would be hard to resist the handsome hunk that is my husband – and even though I am 100% certain that my husband would say NO to any flirtation from any woman, except ME!…why would I want him in this situation when God can protect him from it?!?

I don’t believe lust is a sin that only men struggle with. I pray the same prayer for protection against any image, person or media that would lead myself into lust as well.

How have you seen prayer impact your marriage, other relationships, and your own attitude? Do you identify with me as a strong willed wife, wrestling with the meaning of Biblical submission in marriage?

I need your help! If you haven’t already will you take 5 minutes and give me some feedback about your experience with my blog by clicking here or on the picture below. Thank you!

*(Note: Clarity with Charity is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. These are my amazon affiliate links, if you should decide to buy them, I receive a tiny percentage.)

I need your help!!!

January 21, 2014

Hello Friends,

I hope you had a wonderful long weekend.

I need your help!

The heart of this blog is to encourage believers and share about the love of Jesus with those that don’t Him, and hopefully share some laughs and even tears along the way.

I feel like I am at a bit of a crossroads, trying to determine the direction of this blog.

So often I find myself wondering, who is reading my blog, what posts are they enjoying, and what kind of posts are they not interested in?

Bottom line: If I know you better, the blog will be better!

Whether you have been following this blog for the past 8 months (Thank you!) or just joined (Yay! Welcome!) I would welcome your feedback.

Please take this short quiz, which should take you no longer than 5 minutes. Your answers are anonymous.

Click Here to take Quiz.

or click on the picture below of the dream vacation trip I wish I could offer you as an incentive to take the quiz. However, if you take the quiz and I understand my readers better, helping me to add many more readers with similar interests – someday a company may offer a dream tropical vacation to one of my readers…so YEAH! TAKE the QUIZ!!!!

Thank you, y’all are the best readers ever!!!!!!

When you Want to Give Up…

January 15, 2014

Last week I started remodeling our bathroom. Under the spell of yet another “DIY Delusionism” I optimistically thought I could be done by Wednesday.

One week later, I am still wearing my painting pants.

The bathroom remodel has drug on for a few reasons but one of the main ones is how long it took to tape off the bathroom.

Are you a taper or a free hand painter?…if you can cut into those nooks and crannies without leaving a mess and without using tape I ~~hate~~ admire you.

“I am NEVER, EVER, painting another cabinet again!” I said …after my husband astutely pointed out after my triumphant declaration that I was “done with the cabinets” that I still had to paint (3 coats) and seal (3 coats) the back sides of the cabinet doors.

I collapsed on our bed in the fetal position and cried a few self righteous tears for all the pain and suffering I had endured to turn 90’s orange oak into hip, glossy white. Not only did it take 6 coats to complete the transformation but on the last coat of sealant my brush had begun to shed these tiny black hairs, which instantly crystallized into the sealant.

Tweezers, God’s gift to my eyebrows (let’s hope every 8^th grade picture before I found tweezers has been burned) and now the savior of my cabinet dilemma. I painstakingly picked every miniscule dark hair from the cabinets hardening surface with my tweezers.

Somewhere between the tweezers , the painters tape and this really awesome mask I wore….

God showed up…no not in human form…the paint fumes weren’t that bad.

But He showed up as I removed the tape.

Taping is my least favorite part of painting.

It takes a long time, especially in a bathroom, where there are all sorts of corners and cabinets to cover.

But without tape I am nothing.

I have tried to do the detail work without tape before, and I ended up having to scrape paint streaks off baseboards.

I go through a whole day of prepping: filling holes in the wall, cleaning cabinets and that mildew in the window sill above the shower you are always telling yourself you are going to clean but never do, and finish taping off every corner – then I get to go crazy!

I take the roller making zig zag patterns and writing my name on the wall.

A sweet moment of spontaneous artisan zeal.

As I ripped off the tape to reveal my clean edges, I thought about the whole day off prepping behind me, so that in only 2 hours I could complete my goal: painting the walls.

Without the painstaking care I had taken to tape, clean and patch, I may have finished painting the walls, but I would have known I took the lazy way, and everyone else would have known too.

It reminded me of my journey with the Lord.

There are moments where He feels so close, so present. Where we see His power move in unexpected and miraculous ways. Where a breakthrough comes that has been believed and longed for, maybe for years, maybe for a lifetime.

But there are more moments where my walk with Jesus feels like taping.

I get up and I read the Bible, thinking “am I really going to get anything out of this today?” I experience trial, setbacks and pain in my own life and in the lives of those dear to me. I pray sometimes with great faith, and sometimes only as a sheer act of my will. I crank up the worship tunes and feebly sing along.

There are days where I don’t experience the presence of God, days where I ask for an answer and I don’t get one (or I don’t get the one I want).

Yet in the those seemingly tedious moments I am preparing for something greater: eternity, greater spiritual authority, intimacy with Jesus and to see heaven come to earth.

I say: God I can’t do it anymore! He says: “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:19)

The tape rips I place it across the baseboard, preparing for a paint stroke to come.

I say: Lord, why would you allow this pain to happen, why can’t you deliver me with one word? He says:

I am your shield, your glory, and the lifter of your head. (Psalm 3:3)

The tape rips, I carefully cover the line between window and window sill, preparing for a paint stroke to come.

I say: Lord what good can come from this trial? He says: Rejoice in your sufferings, suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3)

The tape rips I painstakingly maneuver around the edges of a mirror, preparing for a paint stroke to come.

The tape rips: I see white against a fresh warm gray. I see near perfection, I see a new beginning, I see beauty I have prepared for.

The walls are ready for an artist’s play…

The tape rips: I hear the words…

Do not ever give up or think your life is insignificant, especially the parts that feel of least importance.

He isn’t into your performance: But He is looking for your humility

He’s not obsessed with perfection: But He wants your faithfulness.

He’s not looking for a formula: He’s looking for a relationship – with you.

So if you find yourself today: doing dishes, changing diapers, working two jobs, and going to class when everyone is sleeping in.

When you forgive without their apology, bless instead of curse, forget your own pain and care for someone’s sorrow.

When you pray through the night, open your Bible and cling to the truth of His word all the while whispering “God please help me.”

Be encouraged: the victory is coming, the breakthrough will be released…

but you must keep taping.

If you don’t keep taping you won’t be ready for the victory.

If you harbor unforgiveness and are filled with pride – yet pray to find your spouse – you won’t be ready for the two most important phrases in any marriage, “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you”

If you aren’t faithful to complete the tasks at your current job how can you be ready to handle the additional responsibility a promotion brings?

If you complain and whine about how hard and boring school is, and you can’t wait to be finally in “real world” – you will find something else to complain about…like your boss, or your alarm clock, or your entry level pay.

If you beg God for favor and answers, yet ignore Him after you receive what you want, you’re not in a love relationship with the Most High God.

So keep taping,

when no one notices, everyone has put their tape away and you are accused of being a blue tape fanatic.

Just keep taping.

What about you? Is there an area of your life you need to continue to be faithful in? Have you seen the reward of diligence in the smaller areas of life?

Blog Link Party

Everyday Heroes: Meet Shonnie, she found hope after a tragic accident, and is helping others overcome obstacles.

January 6, 2014

Happy Monday Friends!

I hope you had an incredible weekend. I have some great news, Beth Moore is giving away four More FREE BOOKS, in addition to the six I told you about on Friday. Breaking Free, one of her most popular and powerful books is available for free on your Kindle or Tablet!

Click HERE for more details!

Now on to sharing an inspiring interview with a friend of mine, Shonnie. I first met Shonnie when we were a part of the same church and Lifegroup together a few years ago. Her story of seeing God’s faithfulness in the midst of unimaginable circumstances is powerful and I know you will be encouraged by her life as much as I have been!

Charity: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, where you live and what kinds of activities you enjoy?

Shonnie: I grew up in Bryan, TX and moved to College Station, TX 7 years ago. It’s a long story but God gave me the house I am living in. I am in school full time for a Christian Counseling degree online through Lousiana Baptist University.

Charity: That’s great! How close are you to graduation?

Shonnie: I have 4 classes left and May is my goal to graduate.

Charity: Congratulations, that is a big deal! What do you enjoy doing?

Shonnie: I like to hang out with family and friends. I love going to the movies, watching tv and reading non school related books. Right now I am reading * Heaven is for Real.

Charity: I bawled through that book.

Shonnie: Its so good! I have really enjoyed it.

Charity: Can you tell us about your accident?

Shonnie: My story begins in July 2005. I was working at the time for Still Creek Boys and Girls Ranch, a Christian Children’s Home. On July 11, I went swimming with seven of the girls who lived at the Children’s Home. After picking up my boss we headed into town to get snow cones.

As I was driving, I went off the road and when I came back on, the van hydroplaned and rolled over a few times. The girl who was sitting next to me in the passenger seat had a dislocated shoulder. My boss who was sitting in one of the seats behind me broke his arm, vertebrae and some ribs. The other six girls who were sitting with him in the back of the van were miraculously unhurt; they didn’t even have a scratch that required stitches. The driver’s seat took the brunt of the impact. I broke my neck and was instantly paralyzed from the chest down.

Charity: What has recovery has been like for you since your accident?

Shonnie: It would be an understatement to say that my life changed that day. I feel like I was taken out of one life and dropped in an entirely new one. Every single aspect of my world changed. I spent the entire first year in the hospital doing intense physical and occupational therapies. When I was discharged from the hospital my parents moved in with me so we could figure out how to live the quadriplegic life in the “real world.”

Shonnie with her parents

In the second year after my accident my brother became a personal trainer and we started an intensive, exercised-based, recovery program designed to retrain the nervous system so that over time it “comes back to life.” A majority of the exercises were passive repetition in which I tried to connect with the movement of my legs in order to retrain new nerve pathways through the blockage in my spinal cord. In the four years that we worked out together I did recover some strength, movement, and sensation; but often times the first sensation that a person recovers is pain. For me, it seemed that pain was all that I was feeling. I had pain in several different places in my body, at varying degrees of severity, on any given day.

Charity: Wow, that is a very intense daily struggle. I would imagine in addition to the physical pain you have experienced, there has also been emotional pain from the accident. How have you been able to work through that?

Shonnie: These last eight years have been quite a journey through rehabilitation, grief, and pain. In the process of trying to recover, not only physically but emotionally as well, I began asking God what His purpose was for my life now that so much had changed. I felt Him lead me to pursue a degree in Christian counseling at an online University. I have always had a heart for people who are hurting. This was an easy decision for me except for the fact that due to the concussion I sustained in the accident my working memory, my ability to recall, has been effected; because of this I started out taking only one or two classes a semester.

Shonnie Scuba Diving!

Part of my education included a three week internship with a counseling ministry in Colorado Springs. During this time I also received counseling which helped jump start my own internal healing. Part of my counseling included walking through forgiving different people, myself and even God.

Five years before my accident something happened that tore my family apart. One way I coped with that pain was by being busy and staying active and doing ministry work. However, after my accident I was forced to sit still.

Growing up I had a legalistic perspective on faith, I believed I had to earn God’s approval and love and favor. When my accident happened God taught me that He loved me even when I could do nothing, and I couldn’t serve anymore and I had to be the one being served. It was really a hard concept for me to wrap my mind around that God loved me even if I could do nothing. Through this process I became really secure in His love for me whether I do anything or not. My motivation for helping people now is different, its not seeking God’s approval but is driven from a heart of love for others.

Charity: Thanks so much for sharing all that Shonnie! It is incredible to see the revelations God has given you about your identity as His daughter. Are there any other ways you have seen Him bring good out of your accident?

Shonnie and her siblings

God used my accident to bring my family back together. All of my family relationships are so much better. I have gotten to know my brother so much better because we started working out together after the accident. My parents lived with me after the accident and my Mom was with me everyday at the hospital. Last year they moved out and are now doing missionary work. God used that time to really heal my family. He uses everything for good!

Charity: That is amazing, how encouraging!

Tomorrow we are going to continue sharing my conversation with Shonnie. YOU DO NOT WANT to miss it!!! Shonnie will be sharing an incredible testimony of a miracle God has done in her body.

Free Beth Moore, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray,and Stormie Omartian Books!

January 3, 2014

Hey Friends!

I was so excited to hear about these incredible *Amazon deals on Beth Moore, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray and Stormie Omartian Books for your kindle or other e-reader I just had to share them with you!

Beth Moore’s Bible studies and books have been a HUGE source of encouragement to me and also have provided me with a significant increase in understanding the Word of God! I have also been greatly impacted by the writings of A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray and Stormie Omartian.

I hope you will check out at least one of these amazing books while they are free ( typically are between $15-$20). I have also included a Beth Moore book that is only 99 cents right now.

Be sure to tell your friends about this incredible deal!!!!!! What a great way to start off your 2014 reading list.

Beth Moore’s books should be free through January 10th, I am not sure about the other books, so I would suggest downloading them ASAP! Happy Friday!

No Valentine? Encouragement for single girls….

Big Announcement: We’re Moving Too……

3 Things My Kids Have Taught Me…a special guest post

3 Ways to Create a Secret Place to Meet with Jesus.

Happy Monday Friends!

3 Reasons to create a Secret Place:

3 Tips to Creating your Space

Free Valentine’s Day Printable!

Hello Friends,

5 Ways to Pray for your Husband.

I need your help!!!

Hello Friends,

Bottom line: If I know you better, the blog will be better!

When you Want to Give Up…

Everyday Heroes: Meet Shonnie, she found hope after a tragic accident, and is helping others overcome obstacles.

Happy Monday Friends!

Free Beth Moore, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray,and Stormie Omartian Books!

Just Added Free Beth Moore Books:

MORE Free Beth Moore Books:

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