"I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God." - Psalm 9:1-2
What am I reading?
I'm pondering reading The Srewtape Letters by C.S. Lewis next since it has been on my list for quite some time. In the meantime, on Monday friends shared what they are reading for Get to Know You Monday. There may be a few books mentioned you will want to add to your list.
That God shaped hole that exists deep within our souls; that yearning for unconditional acceptance and a love worth dying for; those deep soul desires can only be filled through a relationship with the One true God. The Great Game Changer, by Lori of Standing With The Military Family
As I wash the sand away and place my small treasures in my pocket, I am reminded to appreciate the simple, imperfect steps toward wholeness and growth. Grace to appreciate what is rather than find fault with what is not.
No Ordinary Moments: Discover Grace in the Small Things, By Ginger
My lovely friend Linda of Creekside Ministries is offering a professional 1-1 coaching relationship that is personally crafted to be uniquely yours alone. Find out more here. I spent 30-minutes with her a while back and found our time together to be incredibly helpful.
#ImpactEzine
Find great stories and creative ways to save and give in the new #ImpactEzine.
Blog Hop tour thingy
Have you seen it going around? I have been invited several times to participate and each invite makes it harder to pass on. With the desire to spend less time writing and online I've decided now is not the time for me. But I'm enjoying getting to know writing friends better from what they share and meeting a few of their friends. If you have participated I would love for you to share a link to your post in the comments?
Prayer request
My heart is hurting for my youngest son. He has a broken heart right now and as his mother I wish I could take his pain away. I won't share details but could you please pray for his heart to be encouraged? Thank you, friends.
"So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." ~ Acts 6:7
In the Life Application Study Bible it says this for Acts 6:7: "The word of God spread like ripples on a pond where, from a single center, each wave touches the next, spreading wider and farther. The gospel still spreads this way today. You don't have to change the world single-handedly -- it is enough just to be a part of the wave, touching those around you, who in turn will touch others until all have felt the movement. Don't ever feel that your part is insignificant or unimportant."
"So I chased Him.
And as I came to a point where I could hardly do it anymore, He reached me with His tender truth.
I hope you'll let Him reach you too. You didn't catch Me, child. Let go of whatever gave you the impression you could. The truth is simple, and it will change everything. I choose you. You weren't another face in a sea of thousands. You are my daughter. And you are well because you believed Me, not because you reached Me." What's up next because I finished Chasing God?
"You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, and beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super and natural.
You are more than dust and bones.
You are spirit and power and image of God.
And you have been given Today."
"What if we claim passionate physical intimacy in marriage as a testament to the kind of intense, fierce, beautiful love God has for us, His daughters and sons?" ~ when intimacy is hard to do, by Justin and Jennifer Camp of Holy Entanglement // I've printed this post to spend more time on as honestly intimacy is hard for me.
My favorite, favorite blog read
"We have got beauty all wrong, all upside down and inside out. And that's the problem. Beauty is inside out and we're looking outside in."
~ For The Girls With Thighs That Touch by Kaitlyn of It Just Takes One // Spread this one around. It's a wonderful message for girls of all shapes and sizes.
Just for fun
If you are in need of a good laugh read this ~ Oh, Spam It. ~ by my friend Amy Sullivan. Actually, read no matter what. Hysterical. By the way, why do I not get spam?
Our son reenlisted in the Navy for another four years. We are so proud of him! I loved the below photo captured by his beautiful wife from his reenlistment ceremony. Please keep them in your prayers as his deployment draws near.
“We don't follow Him because we are moved to do so or because we think we're sufficiently prepared. We don't wait for a moment of emotional revelation. We simply fix our eyes, steady ourselves with His promises, and put one foot resolutely in front of the other out of obedience.
And when the feelings of unbelief come like clouds on the path, we form these words with our lips, and we step forward anyways.
Lord . . . I believe.”
Breathe in, Breathe out (before I take you on a treasure hunt)
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A few of my favorite blog reads
“But the slow rhythmic strides seemed to settle my numb heart, somehow cocooning it, cradling it. The quiet steps soon morphed into the sweetest of prayer walks, a most comforting companion as I sorted through troubling news with the Lover of my soul.” ~ In Which Pacing Became a Prayer Walk, by Linda of Creekside Ministries
“Of course we know that as believers we have the Spirit of God living within us. We are His temple now. So, He's there. But perhaps, just perhaps, His JOY cannot arrive until I open the door through praise.” ~ Code to Joy, by Sharon of Sharon Sharing God (A Three Word Wednesday post)
“The 'waiting room' can be a place of worry or anxiety, a place of uncertainty not knowing what the future holds. It can be a place of preparation for that future. Or like Paul, it can be a place to (cliché alert) 'bloom where you’re planted.'” ~ Are You Waiting?, by Susan Allen Panzica
“I have been wrestling with God, a tug of war if you will, trying to be somebody vs. being the somebody He has asked me to be, made me to be. The struggle between being known and making Him known. But in actuality, I am known by the One and the ones that matter most to me.” ~ The Post I've Been Avoiding by Katie of Echoes of My Heart
“7 simple outreach ideas to do with those in your neighborhood, town or whomever you are wanting to reach with the love of Christ.” by Karen Ehmann // There is a giveaway too.
A dream come true This week I shared a guest post with Wives of Faith, a faith-based website that connects military wives. Sharing my words there was a dream come true. You can read my "Hooah" story here. About Me
My About Me page has finally been updated. What a relief it is to have that completed. Deep sigh. THANK YOU to my sweet friend Tammy for her help. And thank you to Declare for the kick in the butt I needed to make the changes so I could link-up with other attendees.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” ~ Psalm 46:10
Quote of the week
“We don't have to find ourselves, sisters. We simply have to come home to who we already are...and the One Who Has Always Loved Us that way.” ~ Holley Gerth
And head over here to read the beautiful quote Carrie of Let Hearts Bloom shares with her readers.
“He is a God who deserves the glory we offer in our meagerness, and He can be trusted with our lives. He is good, and He is a promise-keeper. He is all the things He claims to be and He delights in us as His children. He is our Father, our safe-haven and our comfort.” ~ Angie Smith
To my friends who host link-ups: I have not permanently disappeared from joining you. I have decided to take the summer off (at least for now) from linking up and to focus more on my Three Word Wednesday community. As time allows, I plan to still come by and indulge in the sweetness that is found in your communities. Love you.
Get to Know You Monday
We've shared our favorite colors and what we wanted to be when we grew up so far for Get to Know You Monday. Monday's are now hands down my favorite day of the week! Getting to know you better is absolutely delightful. Please know you are never too late to join in.
Time with God
I ventured out on my bike three times this past weekend. (Notice the Red, White and Blue love I spotted.) The time out among His creation truly restores my soul.
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." ~ Isaiah 26:3-4
Quote of the week
"If we only got into the Christ-faith through the door of forgiveness, how can we claim Christ as our home if we aren't people who forgive?" ~ Ann Voskamp
*(in)courage Home for the Hearts of Women - Perpetual Calendar from DaySpring. (June 4th)
What am I reading
I'm slowly making my way though Chasing God by Angie Smith. My slowness has nothing to do with the book; finding time to read continues to be a challenge. I love, love the book.
"With praise on our lips and conviction in our hearts, let us recognize the King as we set one foot in front of the other in response to His gracious love for us."
and also
"What He has chosen not to reveal to me is inconsequential when compared to what He has promised me."
I could go on and on with what I have highlighted in this book.
"Instead, I’ll spend my time soaking in the grace of God’s presence. Hidden in that grace is everything he is. And he is joy." ~ Ode to Joy by Ceil Ryan
"For this is the time, the place to sort through the weekend's myriad swirling emotions, the endless activity. And process the highs, the lows that swing from grief to joy, apprehension to peace, uncertainty to gratitude." ~ In Which This is Not the Time to Write by Linda of Creekside Ministries
Katie of Ehoes of My Heart is hosting a beautiful Psalms Series with many contributing writers. I have loved every single post. You can catch up here.
Love Dare
You must be tired of the photos I have been using in my love dare series and eventually I will run out of options from that lovely photo shoot with my hero. I have used the photos for a few reasons: 1) they feel appropriate considering the series, 2) it takes the pressure off of coming up with a photo each week and 3) I love looking at them. I really, really miss him.
Get to Know You Monday
I kicked off a new series for Monday's called "Get to Know You Monday." What a delightful time we had this past Monday sharing our favorite colors. You can still join in here. Be sure to come back on Monday for the next question.
From a writing friend
The below meme was created for me by my friend Elizabeth (and her husband Eddie) of Beauty Observed. They are both so sweet! You can comment on her Positive Meme Monday post to let her know what verse you would like to see on a meme in the future!
Song of the week
"Hope Can Change Everything" ~ K-Love World Premiere
Just listen to the amazing words. I pray the words I write reveal how hope can and will change everything.
Random thought
The weekends are oh so quiet without my husband around and I've discovered the best cure for when I'm missing him most is to hop on my bike and head out for a long ride. Maybe each week I will share a picture from one of my peaceful rides . . . an opportune time to connect with God.
Can I share another lovely quote from Ann Voskamp? Your nodding your head yes, right? I shared this on my blog Facebook page but since you may have missed . . .
I pray this for you, dear friends: "May God bless your journey with the greatest gift of all -- more and more of Himself!"
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." ~ Ephesians 3:17-19
#JoyDare #1000Gifts
"We give thanks to God not because of how we feel but because of who He is." ~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts Devotional
Favorite quote
"Even when our tears slip we know His hand never does. His creation says it all. He goes deep like the ocean. He stretches wide like the sky. He reaches out like the sun." ~ LysaTerKeurst #incourage The Love Dare
Before my husband departed for his deployment I mentioned to my pastor one evening during a Bible study class that I was actually excited to see how God would grow our marriage during the time we would spend apart. Every part of me believes this love dare challenge was all part of God's plan. It has awakened my soul to seek Christ with a renewed passion and I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with my husband. It has God written all over it.
What am I reading?
I have so many unread books and spring is apparently the time for new releases which has made it hard to choose what to read next. My friend Kristin of 152 Insights to My Soul hosted a giveaway recently at her place and I ended up being the lucky winner of the book Chasing God by Angie Smith. After reading the introduction and a portion of the first chapter I've made my decision on what I'm reading next. "Stop running like mad because you don't know the music; lay in the wild grass while the stars dance instead. Forget what they've told you about me and stop thinking it's something you have to perform. You could spend your entire life doing that and never know any more of Me at all. You'll miss the point, miss the beauty, and miss the sky I painted above for you. It's a beautiful night to realize what it's really like to be loved. Stop chasing the song, child, and let Me teach you to sing." ~ Angie Smith, Chasing God
A few of my favorite blog reads from the past few weeks
I'm incredibly grateful for the many opportunities I've had recently to meet writing friends in real life. Last weekend I met Cindee Snider Re of Breathe Deeply for lunch and we had a beautiful afternoon together. I simply adore her and love that we live close enough to meet again . . . hopefully soon.
A blog makeover
A blog makeover is in the works. The process will most likely move at a slow pace but I've decided to be okay with this. I would love your thoughts on a new tag line I'm considering: Scattering seeds of His love
Yes/No? I've received a couple yeses so far but I would love to hear your thoughts.
Memorial Day Weekend
I plan to post on Monday as there is a message on my heart to share but I am praying for the right words to come. Until then, may we all stop this weekend to remember and honor the brave heroes who laid down their lives for you and me.
"Do you ache for companionship, or to have a friendship with another woman who encourages you? Does you heart call for a group of friends to sit with you on the bench as your toes play with the grass beneath you feet?" ~ Are You Looking For Encouragement? by Diane Bradley // I'm joining Diane and many others in encouraging you to consider being a part of one of the community groups offered through (in)Courage. There is a group for nearly every stage of life and various interests. There is surely a group for you. I'm excited to be co-leading the Military Wives community group for the upcoming session.
Inspired blogger
I'm always inspired by what my friend June shares at her place and simply wanted to share her with you. I have also been truly blessed from the encouragement and prayers she has sent my way outside of our blogs. She has touched my heart deeply. You can visit June here.
I'm going to allow myself to be vulnerable and share what is on my heart. The views on my last post were down significantly which has me second guessing continuing with this series. After time in prayer, God reminded me of how this has nothing to do with the number of people who read a post. He has placed this love dare challenge on my heart because my message is and will always be that choosing love, God's kind of love, leads to transformation. It changes lives. God's kind of love always wins.
My marriage was not in a bad place but this challenge is doing something incredibly beautiful to my relationship with my husband even though he is on the other side of the world. It is also doing a transformation in my own heart that was truly needed.
So this series will continue and I pray God uses it to lead others to the transformation only He can give.
Online friends become INRL friends
I had the opportunity to meet two online friends this past week. Last Sunday I met my friend Kristin Taylor and her family at Navy Pier while they were visiting Chicago. We had a wonderful afternoon together, which included a ride on the ferris wheel.
On Saturday I spent three hours at Panera getting to know my friend Ceil Ryan of Surrounded by the Spirit. She noticed through my blog that I live nearby and reached out asking if we could connect in real life. I'm so glad she did. We had a fabulous afternoon together and I'm pretty sure we could have talked for three more hours.
She gave me this lovely rose for Mother's Day too.
In honor of Mother's Day
I had a quiet Mother's Day. It began with a beautiful gift from my son and his girlfriend. We had breakfast together and then took our two dogs for a walk before I headed to church. My oldest son is currently at sea so I did not anticipate hearing from him. Early afternoon I did get a message from him saying, "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!!! I wish I could be home to celebrate with you."
The rest of the day was spent writing and ended with a late dinner celebration. My son and his girlfriend take such good care of me. They also gave my rose a few friends. So sweet!
In honor of Mother's Day (even though the day is over) I also thought I'd share a picture of the day I became a mom. We were rather young at the time.
And my forever favorite picture of me and my boys.
Being a mom . . . oh, what joy. Thank you, God, for the precious gift of being a mom to my two boys. It's a title I will never give up.
I continue to count His gifts . . . His graces . . . but since it has been several weeks since I've shared them here I've decided not to continue to list them in a post.
But I will leave you with this from the lovely Ann Voskamp:
"God is always good and I am always loved. Everything is eucharisteo.
Grace, thanksgiving, joy. Eucharisteo."
I enjoy my weekly Friday Randomness post because I can randomly decide to change things up. And today I choose to join Emily Freeman of Chatting at the Sky for her end of the month post where she invites other writers to come along and share what they learned the past month.
Original photo by friend Judd Johnson
1.A trip to San Diego to see my oldest son and his wife was precisely what I needed to refresh my heart as I approached the half-way point of my husband's deployment. I loved meeting their sweet new puppy too. I’m ready for grandchildren but will gladly cuddle up with Storm for now.
2.I enjoy shopping so much more at recycled designer apparel stores. I fell in love with My Sister's Closet while in San Diego. Who doesn't love walking out of a store with a few outfits, a cute purse and a pair of sexy shoes for under fifty dollars? The added bonus was shopping with these two lovely ladies:
3.My son and his wife agreeing to join me for church makes my heart sing with joy. Oodles of joy!
4.My youngest son wins the hearts of his audience with the first strum of his classical guitar. He had his first guitar gig at an adorable Rock House/Coffee House/Wine Bar mid-April and I must say I have a very talented son. A live performance picture can be found here.
5.Winter does eventually come to an end. I survived our horribly long and cold one without a complete meltdown. PRAISE GOD! It’s still colder than I would prefer it to be for this time of the year but we are headed in the right direction. It’s warm enough for evening walks again which has a positive impact on my attitude.
6.I’m addicted to buying books (I shared addiction here) and April is apparently the time of the year for book launches. I really need to find more time to read. If you have not read Jennifer Dukes Lee’s new book Love Idol, head on over to Amazon and buy now. If you have an addiction like me and you are trying to refrain from buying another book, buy this one first. While you are at it, buy Spiritual Misfit by Michelle DeRusha too. The two are meant to be purchased as a pair.
7.God gives you grace just when you need it most. You can read here how He used friends to bless me when missing my husband desperately. We truly were not made to do life alone.
8.Deciding to read and blog my way through the Love Dare book during my husband’s deployment has taken my attention off of my strongholds and instead put my focus on chasing after God’s kind of love. As a result, those strongholds are beginning to lose their grip. My Lenten journey may not have ended as intended but God is good and He will give me victory over this mountain.
“For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!” ~ Deuteronomy 20:4
9.Saying yes to attending an (in)RL meet-up was a wise decision. Saying yes to God is always a wise decision. If God calls you to something, He will surely see you through it and bless you for your yes. This is exactly what God did for me. A big heart-felt thank you to my new friend Kay for her heart to host the meet-up at her church.
10.I love exploring options for a blog makeover. However, making a decision on the direction to take is hard. VERY HARD. I've learned to say thank you to my blog designer often so she does not lose patience with me. Creating a Pinterest board to explore options has also proven to be excellent advice received from a writing friend. Oh, you can follow me in Pinterest here if you would like. I’d love to follow you too.
And one more (so I guess that makes it Eleven Things Learned in April) because the month of April is over which means I am one month closer to having this gorgeous husband of mine back home.
Since this is what I normally do on Friday's, below are a few of my favorite blog reads from the past week:
My head is filled with thoughts I want to share with you. They are random thoughts and a part of me wonders why I feel they are worthy of sharing. Do you ever wish you had someone who captured them for you as they came? They sound much better as they twirl around in my head. I hope my attempt to share them reveals my heart.
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Easter Sunday “Resurrection Sunday” has come and gone. I find myself asking, Now what? How do I respond to His death and resurrection?
I walked into church on Easter Sunday with a heavy heart for I walked in without my husband beside me. My heart hurt as I watched church friends count out the number of seats needed to cover the family members joining them.
I came to church alone. No family to join me. I cried silently in my seat.
Then a young man sat beside me. He asked my name. After telling him my name, with a big smile he replied, “Hey, our names rhyme. My name is Seth.” When it came time for official church greetings I turned towards Seth and he opened up his arms and gave me a hug. His hug touched my heart deeply.
Earlier in the morning I received an email from a writing friend. At a church service she attended the night before they were singing “He overcomes” and she wrote to tell me, “Ánd the Lord brought you to mind as I was standing their singing – and I prayed for you, Beth, because you will overcome! Strongholds will be broken.”
I woke on Monday morning to an email from a writing friend who discovered we may only live a few towns apart. She asked, “Would you be interested in meeting sometime?” I responded with a resounding YES.
On Wednesday a new writing friend reached out to say, “I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for your continued encouragement through your comments on my blog!”
I see God’s hand so clearly in each act of kindness. He used friends to encourage my heart and reveal His love for me just when He knew I needed it most. It was Him saying, “Beth, I see you. I am with you. You are never alone.”
I opened up to the Book of Ephesians this morning. The book takes my breath away every time I read. His glorious grace and love for us is revealed so vividly throughout the pages. Do I walk in a manner worthy of such love? A love so graciously lavished upon me from Easter morning to right now.
He placed on my heart recently to begin a new writing series. He tugged at my heart to put love in action. It’s been only a week since I made the commitment to love my husband with God’s kind of love. But when we choose to chase after God’s kind of love something powerful happens. I’m not sure how to explain it yet, but the problem with my heart . . . He’s transforming . . . He’s healing.
How do I respond to such grace?
I remember how I have doubted Him and believed the lies of the enemy instead: You are not pretty enough. You are not thin enough. You are not smart enough. You are unworthy. You are not enough. Those thoughts lead me to destructive behaviors.
Bob Goff shared shortly after Easter, “Every time we believe the lie that we're who we used to be, we roll the stone back into place like nothing happened.”
Do I really want to roll the stone back? Is this how I choose to respond to His grace?
What amazes me; He doesn't leave me in my moments of doubt. John the Baptist doubted. Read how Jesus responded in Matthew 11. Jesus didn't turn His back on him. Instead, He sends John’s disciples back to him with a message to answer his doubts and then says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
If I believe Jesus is who He says He is, how do I respond? My only response should be to get on my hands and knees and say, I am yours. With all of my heart I am yours. Make me anew.
And He does make all things new.
So I join Paul in his prayer from Ephesians 3:16-19. I pray this prayer for you and for me.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
"The joy of the LORD is your strength" ~ Nehemiah 8:10
I'm sure this appeared in a previous post as the scripture speaking to my heart but God has been using it to speak to my heart again.
Favorite Quote
"O believer. Let gratitude be awakened; let humility be deepened; let love be quickened." ~ Charles Spurgeon (Shared by Lisa Buffaloe)
Joy - My One Word
"As we've all heard time and time again, life is about celebrating the small things and relishing in the uncomplicated pleasures. These moments will stay with us long after the stress has settled. To spark your own love affair with life again, here are 50 simple ways to welcome joy back in..." ~ 50 Ways to Love Life from Darling Magazine // I was going to pick a favorite but I loved all 50 ways.
"The thing is: we only repeat the sounding joy, re-joice, re-joy again and again, when we remember to give thanks — and again repeat." ~ The Best Gift for the Overwhelmed: Sometimes You Need Joy-in-a-Box, by Ann Voskamp // I just want to meet her and hug her to say, Thank You.
"We need to fight for joy and be joy-warriors."
~ Ann Voskamp || Watch a moving video with Ann Voskamp and Tara Jenkins from IF : Equip here.
I love that God choose JOY as my one word for the year.
Circles of Faith + Three Word Wednesday
On Monday I shared with Circles of Faith and on Wednesday one of the co-founders of Circle of Faith shared with us for Three Word Wednesday. Read here and here if you missed these posts.
I truly love the hearts of the two ladies behind Circles of Faith. If you have not already, come meet them here and follow them on one of their social media outlets. You will be happy you did.
A few of my favorite blog reads
"Create your art and continue to put it out there! God is the one who makes a place for your talent." ~ Pursuing Passions and Experiencing Rejection by Diane Bailey // I thought a quote from Jennifer Duke Lee's new book Love Idol went well with this post: "She risked failing, for the sheer joy of trying."
"The feeling of not being included, not being valued, can hurt us whether we're five or fifty five. It can strike us when we see on Facebook that a group of friends had a get together without us. It can strike us when there's a conference or retreat that everyone's going to except us. It can strike us when our gender, or our skin color, or our age is used as an excuse to exclude us or make us feel devalued." ~ When you're feeling overlooked and left out, by Elizabeth of Just Following Jesus // Encouragement for something I know we have all felt at one point in our life.
"I am praying for God to help us find joy in our reflection. We are made in the image of the One who is Beautiful and He, God, delights over our bodies the way He has created them to be." ~ Delighting over our significant image, by Tracy of One Degree Ministries // Don't skip over her video. She gives a beautiful message.
When you mention you are headed to a particular city there is surely a writing friend who will chime in saying she lives in the area. I just think that is SO cool! Don't you?
I had the opportunity to meet my friend Satin of My Heart, His Words while in San Diego. We had breakfast at a lovely place called Sulaluna Cafe. Their coffee is SUPER good. My son and his wife joined us too. Afterwards we did what girls do . . . we went shopping (my son went golfing)! It was a delightful morning. I adore this lady even more than I did before we met in real life.
Song of the week
"And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known."
~ In The Garden
One of my grandma's favorite hymns . . . she is missed dearly.
Hymn Radio on Pandora has me inspired to pick up the piano again — time to make use of the beautiful one sitting in my living room. Oh, how I'd love to use the gift (even if rather rusty) to worship Him.
Finding JOY in a deployment #JoyDare #1000gifts
#234 ~ Canvas and Cocktails night with friends #235 ~ Finding my inner artist #236 ~ Blending colors #237 ~ Adding stars to my painting #238 ~ A painting made by me (oh my!) #239 ~ Seeing the inner artist in others #240 ~ A day of shopping with one of my best friends #241 ~ Buying a few new outfits with a gift-card from my boss #242 ~ Finding a beautiful dress made for an evening in Hawaii #243 ~ Sharing bread and wine with a dear friend #244 ~ The love of a brother-in-law and sister-in-law #245 ~ A warm and sunny day; perfect for an extra long walk #246 ~ Singing praise to Him while I walked #247 ~ Spring . . . it's surely here #248 ~ The American flag held by my husband while on the other side of the world #249 ~ My plane touching down safely in San Diego #250 ~ Being able to hug my son again #251 ~ My sons willingness to listen to me talk about my faith #252 ~ A quiet morning in San Diego #253 ~ Stories from others . . . seeing pieces of you in their stories #254 ~ Coffee ~ always coffee ~ really good coffee #255 ~ The joy of meeting writing friends in real life #256 ~ Thrift stores #257 ~ Sexy shoes . . . high heels #258 ~ A girls day #259 ~ Cocktails on Coronado Island by the fire #250 ~ Game night #251 ~ Sunday morning church with my son, DIL and their friends ~ Glorious! #252 ~ Fish tacos. Yummy!! #253 ~ Relaxing by the pool #254 ~ A walk ~ a cute cage ~ and delicious sangria #255 ~ Movie night . . . time alone with my son and DIL #256 ~ A delightful partial family photo #257 ~ Grandma to a cute little puppy #258 ~ Good-bye's ~ they only happen because we are together again #259 ~ A new ability to sleep on the plane #260 ~ Daily evening walks again
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." ~ John 15:16 (NKJV)
Ann Voskamp - One Thousand Gifts "These are for you — gifts — these are for you — grace — these are for you — God, so count the ways HE loves, a thousand, more, never stop, that when you wake in the morning you can't help turn humbly to the east, unfold your hand to the heavens, and though you tremble and though you wonder, though the world is ugly, it is beautiful, and you can slow and you can trust and you can receive each moment as grace. Eurcharisteo. Eucharisteo. Eucharisteo." Joy-filled quote
"A life of intimacy with God is characterized by joy." ~ Oswald Chambers
Featured Three Word Wednesday Writer
I'm doing the happy dance over sharing my friend Satin of My Heart, His Word with you. She is a sweetheart and soon (very soon) I will meet her in REAL LIFE. I just love when writing friends become in real life friends. I've only known Satin for a few months but our friendship has blossomed quickly. I adore her and can't wait to give her a hug.
Me: What do you enjoy most about Three Word Wednesday?
Satin: I love the community that comes with Three Word Wednesday. Having a place to come on Wednesday's and share my heart with a community of people doing the same thing, is pretty amazing. Encouraging each other, sharing what God is doing in our lives — it's a gift and something I look forward to weekly!
Me: Who or what inspires you?
Satin: At the moment, I think the one thing that inspires me the most is watching God move in mighty ways, through my obedience. Watching Him take the impossible and make it possible, turn ashes to beauty and bring life to seemingly dead circumstances is inspiring. I'm inspired to live each day to the fullest, trusting God as He leads me along this journey. I am daily reminded of my need for Him and His keen ability to meet me right where I am!
"I have a choice. I can cooperate with the grace of joy that fills me, or ignore it. How I choose will not only make my life a dance, but it can also bubble over to everyone I meet." ~ The Grace of Joy, by Ceil Ryan // My heart is won over when one talks about my one word JOY.
"We need to decide whose opinion of us ultimately counts, because a multitude of sources will tell us what we should do or how much we should weigh to be beautiful or accepted. But Jesus’ opinion saves, forgives, and sets us free." ~ Whose opinion counts? by Tracy of One Degree Ministries // Jesus' opinion is the only one that counts!
"And I’m not a people person. At all. I struggle with small talk. It actually makes me sweat. I can carry on a four-hour conversation about something that touches me deeply, but put me in a room where I need to converse casually and there is suddenly not a thought in my head. Not one." ~ The Currency of Zero, by Cindee of Breathe Deeply // Cindee appears again this week as one of my favorite reads.
"Over and over again, my fellow speakers shared stories of our God who sees and knows us better than anyone else has or ever will. Stories of God showing up and showing off His great love for us in ways only He can. The way He uses clouds and running and notebooks to say, 'I see you. I love you.'" ~ A Gift from the One Who Sees Me, by Erin of Home with the Boys // A truly beautiful God story.
Online friends become #INRL friends
She posted a message on Facebook wall on Tuesday saying, "This week? Appetizers? I will make it work. YOU pick the day and time!" And on Thursday we met for dinner. What a delight it was to finally meet my online friend Angie Ryg and to now be in real life friends. .
An inspirational video and a super cute one for fun
What do you long for? Watch this video by that pastor and author I admire, Pete Wilson. I highly recommend reading his book Let Hope In.
I cannot help myself—this kid is adorable. If you are in need of a pep-talk be sure to watch. Actually, you should watch no matter.
Song of the week
A beautiful joy-filled song shared with me by my #milspouse friend Anna.
Center of My Joy, by Richard Smallwood
"Jesus, You're the center of my joy
All that's good and perfect comes from You
You're the heart of my contentment
Hope for all I do
Jesus,
You're the center of my joy "
Finding JOY in a deployment #JoyDare #1000gifts #212 ~ My youngest son making his first turkey #213 ~ Homemade biscuits #214 ~ Footloose video celebrating 30 years...good memories #215 ~ Friends who get you. #216 ~ Rejoicing because my name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20) #217 ~ A two hour drive that allows time for listening to the book Love Does #218 ~ St. Patrick's Day belated celebration with Army wife friends #219 ~ Sharing highs and lows from our week #220 ~ Coffee with a young Navy recruit to give her encouragement #221 ~ An online friend who creates pretty images for you #222 ~ Not letting the cold keep me from welcoming spring #223 ~ God's never ending love #224 ~ An encouraging email from my mom #225 ~ Discounted study Bible's #226 ~ Being told by a friend that I'm one of her 1,000 gifts #227 ~ For failures because they have taught me how much I need him. #228 ~ A tub that finally drains properly #229 ~ My Three Word Wednesday writing family #230 ~ More snow...it's okay, spring will come #231 ~ A fresh haircut and color #232 ~ Meeting an online friend #233 ~ News from my son that he was hired as a full-time chef. Yippee!!
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