be a blessing.

God in my hurting.

You know, there are just certain things that I NEVER thought I would struggle with or have to walk through. I just had no concept that these things would or could be possible in my life. However, it seems that I am having to face a set of trials that never crossed my mind. Of course, I am learning so much, but I still have questions, fear, confusion, and pain. There are moments I find myself asking God, “Why?” I really don’t have an answer to that…and I may never know why. There are moments when I feel incredible alone. But, He is there! I have no idea what I would do without that knowledge and that truth. He is there and He is God in my hurting. He wants me to be more like Him and He really is more concerned with my character than my comfort. His love is persistent and never failing. I am so thankful for His Word, and to know that He is not finished with His work. The season I am walking through is temporary, but He is eternal. All glory to Him.

God is. eternity awaits.

Good Word today at church–

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:17-18

As believers, we have heard and read these verses countless times. For some, these verses are fairly easy. It may even be in keeping with their personality to respond to others in this way. But for others, these verses are extremely difficult and the consequences of obedience to this command carry an incredible amount of weight.

It is important that we hide this Scripture in our hearts so that when we are faced with a difficult circumstance, we don’t have to struggle with what we should do. This will be our natural response.

Our culture does not share this mindset. We are too self-focused, and too concerned with “justice.” But, we are called to be different. We are called to live according to His Word alone. The verses following these two explain that God is the ultimate judge and that vengeance belongs to Him. Instead, we are to show kindness to our enemies and to those who have hurt us, overcoming evil with good. There is a God in heaven, and He is just.

We live victoriously here by living as Jesus did, remembering that this is not our home. God is. Eternity awaits.

grace has called my name.

Grace Has Called My Name, Kathryn Scott

Peace as elusive as a shadow dancing on the wall
life swallowed by the pain of yesterday;
Left broken by the shame of things that I had done,
No freedom from the choices that I’d made;

But with one touch You made me clean;
You met me in my deepest need.

Grace has called my name,
when all that I had left were just filthy stains;
Grace has called my name;
when hope had all but faded far away,
Grace called my name.

Wounded by words that left their mark upon my soul,
dreams overturned by empty promises;
Well intentioned things I’d heard a million times before
just left my heart to grieve alone again;

But with one touch You set me free;
You met me in my deepest need.

Wounds still leave a mark, but His love is greater. Thanks, Lord, for loving so well.

ahh, saturdays.

This morning is so incredibly blissful…how I would love to spend each morning. Don’t get me wrong, I have a blast on the weekends when we travel, but there is something sweet about staying around home. I woke up and had some great time with the family, and am sitting in Starbucks about to enjoy a cup of coffee with a new friend. And, we will still get to experience the joys of Georgia football…just watching them this evening from our living room.  

Perhaps my most favorite part about Saturdays is that William is home, our family is together, and there is rarely an agenda. We can pretty much just do whatever we want and enjoy one another…which is much needed after a week of stressful work, places to go, deadlines to meet, and a whole host of other things that tempt us to worry. It’s sort of an art to enjoy one another the way we do on a leisurely Saturday during the week in the midst of all the chaos. But, isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? That is what we should be about.

Last night got a little crazy in our house. Evenings are usually “fussy” times for our little ones, but last night “fussy” was definitely an understatement. All three of them were, for their own little reasons, screaming at the their lungs’ maximum capacity. William was being so patient, but after a stressful day at work, I think he was hoping for a little slice of peace or maybe just a moment of quiet when he got home. So, I made the decision to take everyone for a ride. Car rides are great…they generally do the trick. Everyone can get out and shift their focus onto something else. And, it worked! When we got home, it was time to start getting ready for bed.

This whole situation made me think. I want to be able to enjoy my sweet family and not get frustrated after a long week when we have a Friday night meltdown. That’s where the beautiful mystery of grace enters. It’s there all the time. In the moments of peace and quiet and in the moments of screaming and meltdowns. It gives patience and refocuses the tension to the cross…where our focus belongs each minute.

I am so thankful for His grace. I am thankful for this crazy, unpredictable, adventurous time in our family. You never know what will happen next. But no matter what happens, His grace will be there. I want to choose that over whatever else I am tempted to cling to because it is completely sufficient.

am i crazy?

Today I made dinner for some friends who just welcomed a new baby girl into their family. She is so sweet and precious. When I kissed her tiny face, something strange happened, and I mused to myself that I might like to have another baby! Am I crazy? Is that weird? I’m not saying that I am ready to be pregnant right now, but maybe sometime within the next few months. We will see what the Lord has in store. I am beyond content with how incredibly He has blessed us, and if it is His will for our family to be complete, then I am supremely happy. However, if He desires for our family to continue to grow, I am all in for the adventure!

it’s the little things.

Waking up to these crisp mornings makes me want to grab a book and head to Starbucks for a leisurely morning of reading and enjoying a latte. Unfortunately, that’s not what my Fall mornings look like very often. So, this morning, I made some homemade coffee cake. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it did the trick. It is definitely one of my favorite Fall morning comfort foods. And…I got to share it with Mr. Ayden…which always makes the experience more fun! It’s the little things to start off the day together that make me smile.

press on to know Him.

I have been so encouraged by my study of Hosea on Tuesday mornings. In chapter six, Hosea invites Israel to repent, reminding them that the Lord desired to restore them. I have been praying over verse three, desiring to press on to know Him – truly know Him, and asking that my children would grow up to press hard after Him too. I pray that He would make me a faithful steward as I introduce Him to these three precious gifts He has entrusted to me.

Hosea 6:3

So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.

monday….

I have been loving this cooler weather! This is without a doubt my favorite time of year! It is also football season, which is my husband’s favorite time of year. We have had tons of fun with UGA football, but I am happy to have a break from traveling for the next few weeks. We got back home on Sunday and this morning, my laundry room was filled with mountains of laundry…which somehow actually got washed, folded, and mostly put away today. Another miracle of the day…the kids and I actually napped at the same time…and dinner was ready early….and the kids are headed to bed early….how did that happen?! I am hoping it doesn’t mean that they are all planning to wake up at 3 a.m. Tuesday mornings, I go to a women’s Bible study, which is definitely the highlight of my week. It is so refreshing to set aside the stresses of the day to fellowship with, pray with, and study God’s Word with such a wonderful group of sisters. Unfortunately, as of right now, I have not accomplished the week’s homework…we will see if I can get that done within the next 13 hours…

a thankful heart.

I so desire for the Lord to create in me a truly thankful heart. How incredibly selfish to take His goodness for granted. This past weekend, I have been literally overwhelmed by His grace and His blessing in my life. I am so thankful to Him. His love for me is perfect and I cannot even begin to know its depth. He has given me an incredible husband and three beautiful, healthy babies. He has given me an outstanding community of believers to surround me and to show me another dimension of His character. He has blessed me with a wonderful family, and in-laws who have truly accepted me as their daughter, granddaughter, and sister. I could continue on like this for volumes. The more I behold His cross and His redemption of my soul in Christ, the more that thankful heart grows in me, humbling me, and giving me an eternal perspective with which to view all of the trivial hiccups in my life. It’s all for Him and it’s all about Him. Thank you, Lord. Give me the grace to live with this attitude each moment…even when things are hard and I don’t understand.