Choices...

Ahhhh it's Friday! My day off...It feels like the first day I've had off in FOREVER! It's just that the days are so jammed full these days it is nice to be able to sit and enjoy.

Summer time has to be hands down my busiest season. Which I kind of don't like because that's when everyone wants to hang out & be outside but I'm so crazy busy its hard to enjoy it. We have 2 camps & VBS coming up. So we have a planning meetings, fund raisers, parent meeting, brainstorming meetings. All kinds of stuff. Crazy!

Saw this video on another blog that I love to read. I walked around singing this for the rest of the day. I am in such a busy season right now working with so many people things can sometimes be unsettling. Stepping out in leadership can be difficult at times. Having to put my faith in God that He has placed the right people in front of me at the right times and that He has given me the wisdom to read their gifts & abilities correctly to place them in a spot where they will thrive yet grow. But even when/if they fail, because EVERYONE is human, I can still hold my head up and say no matter what God I will bless your name.

There are so many other areas in my life that I let the eroding waters of sin in my heart at times. Whether it is if we will ever have a baby, or if it is a negative spirit towards my husband, or leadership in the church. All of those things can be stopped by just one thing...Worshiping God. The maker, creator, perfecter of my faith! Blessed be YOUR name! Today (and everyday hopefully) I pray that my heart will choose to say BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!

No Rain...Yet

Came to the realization the other day that it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. Yes I knew that for sometime but it really hit me as we finished the "baby's room" the other day...Mother's Day...

This home improvement project has been one of the most emotional projects that I have ever done. This past New Year's Shawn told me he felt like we needed to begin preparing the baby's room. I couldn't believe how hard it was for me to agree to begin this project. Thankfully we have a few friends that have been extremely persistent about encouraging us with this undertaking.

When we moved into this house a few years ago this was the 1st thing that I wanted to change. Then I realized it was going to have to go on the back burner because it involved much more time than we had.

I apologize in advance if this offends anybody...but this is MY blog and if you have a problem with it...don't read it! It was PINK FLOWER WALLPAPER!! WHAT were they thinking??? Then after we FINALLY got all the wall paper down I realized something...our house had at one point in time our house had been invested with SMURFS!!! Ridiculous blue! To be honest I liked the blue better than the freaking pink flowers!

The room is finally done...it went from Smurf infested to a beautiful "Haystack" color above the chair rail and "Mountain Ridge" below the chair rail. In Crayola colors that is a light yellow & a beautiful brown.

One of our friends gave us a crib before Eli was born and they wanted us to keep it for our baby. When "the kids" moved back home with their mother the crib stayed with us and has been in the basement ever since. This weekend, as we finished the room, the last piece of furniture that went in was the crib.
You can see the ipod in the crib...We have Praise & Worship music playing 24/7. Hopefully I don't have to wait till I'm 600 years old for MY rain to come! :)

As I come to the end of my 2 week wait, I'm prayerfully hopeful that this crib will be filled with in the next year. I ask that God will give me the emotional strength to enter that room each day to pray for our child.

Do you remember my New Year's Resolution?? That's how I felt this weekend...a little crazy!

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. Psalm 77:14

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20&21

God YOU are my rock. God YOU are my refuge. God YOU are my strength. Father please hide me when the pressures of life overwhelm my heart. When my heart is weighed down with the burdens of life come my way and the answers aren't always easy to see, I cry out to you Lord MY rock, your very present help in time of trouble, You are the author and perfecter of my faith.

It's HOT in here!

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:17-18

I've been hot before but never this hot! This past week God has laid on my heart many different ways to read up on Daniel's three buddies...You know Shady Mady and Bennie? It continues to amaze me that all three had the faith to stand up and say "I don't know what God is doing BUT I know HE has my best interest at heart."

Try to imagine standing there looking into your own fiery pit and having someone say to you "IF you don't do what I say you will be thrown in there." Can you feel the heat? I can. There are so many times in my life when I can feel the heat of the fire or hear the roar of the lions. I feel it sometimes when I am looking at my own issues of trust. Whether it's IF, my husband, or my job...wondering "God do you REALLY know what you are doing?"

Am I REALLY ready to jump in to the blazing furnace with both feet? or am I hanging on to the edge with both hands saying, "Let me think about this!"

My desire is to be like Daniel & his friends...Whether it be a lion's den or a fire pit. God I KNOW I am in your hands. In saying that this is NOT an invitation for evil to throw Lions or Fiery Pits at me it is a declaration of knowing that even if God doesn't change my circumstances I serve a God who is MIGHT TO SAVE!!!

What is something that you have had to stand on the edge of the blazing fire pit and feel the heat from and just trust God with?

Faith NOW

Did you realize that the word FAITH is used 256 in the Bible. That's not including the ones that talk about about being faithful or faithfulness. All combined there are 422. I never knew that.

This week God has really been speaking to me about faith and hope every where I turn. From the message on Sunday to a few blogs that I read. He has continued to till away at that soil in my heart. As Christians Faith is something that we stand firm on. Right? Why is it that sometimes what seems so simple is so hard to do. That NO MATTER what's happening or where I am I stand firm in my Faith in you God. Because YOU, the King of Kings have promised me, "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." Jeremiah 29:11

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 He has clearly defined to us what FAITH is. My favorite example to use with kids when they start questioning God is to take them outside and have them feel the wind on their face. The conversation usually goes something like this...

"Did you feel that?"

"yeah I felt it"

"What was it?"

usually with a crazy look "it was the WIND Ms. Kara"

"I didn't see any wind? Are you SURE it was the wind? Wind can't exist...I can't see it?"

"i know it is there because I felt it"

"EXACTLY! We may not always be able to hear God but we can feel God. Does the wind not exist because we can't see it? NO we felt it and know it exists."

To a child all they need is to know that things exist with out seeing and they believe! If we could all enter in with such childlike faith. There are so many things that we are believing in faith and hoping for and earnestly seeking God for. There are times when He is quite...Does He not exist because He doesn't answer when we ask? No that's not the case.

One day when I look at God face to face I hope He doesn't say, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?..." Matthew 8:26 Instead when I look Him and see my reflection in His eyes hearts desire is that He will say"...Well done, good and faithful servant!..." Matthew 25:21

What I have (re)learned this week is that what God has in store for us could be so much different and better than what we could have ever hoped for or dreamed of. But no matter what my faith, my hope, my praise MUST without a doubt stand firm in HIM!

Yesterday I read...“Hope is hearing the music of the future; faith is dancing to it today,” ~ William Frey.

When is it hardest for you to stand firm on your faith?