Happy Monday morning!! I hope your weekend was a good one, that you enjoyed the sunshine that was out! I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed that its getting lighter in the mornings, I LOVE driving to work when its light!, AANNDD....its staying a little bit lighter into the evenings! I love it! So just a few things we can start our Monday out with to just give God a big Thank You!! Sometimes, its easy to get caught up in the what is wrong or what we don’t have, or even just the blahs and we forget to give thanks. We forget that God has a plan, a bigger plan for us than we could ever imagine, sometimes to get to that plan we’ve got to walk through some yuck, that’s never fun and its never easy, but if we can keep holding on to Him, if we can keep remembering He’s got us-the situation-whatever it may be-getting to where we need to be, will be so worth it!! Pain stinks, there’s no way around that, even healing can be uncomfortable. You know how when you get a scratch or a cut, and it hurts, so maybe it bleeds-you clean it, put some medicine on it, a bandaid and you just take care of it after that. Then it starts to scab, you don’t want to pick the scab because then you’re right back at the start, so you keep taking care of it, it might even start to itch, which is good, b/c that means its healing, but you’re not supposed to itch it b/c again, you’ll be back at beginning. Finally it does heal, there might be a scar, but its just a reminder of what you went through and how you got to the other side of it all. You can look at it and say, “YES! That hurt, it was painful, even the healing wasn’t the easiest, but its gone! I’m better!!” You can get to the point of even saying, “Thank you God for getting me through that!!” That’s exactly what He does...He’s with us through it all. He gives encouragement, comfort, guidance and direction. He reminds us that through Him we have hope!! We always have hope when we trust in Him. Our faith might start out a little shaken, but as we pray and read His word, get with others who love Him and love us, He reaffirms us and continues to make us stronger even when we don’t think we are! When we get through the other side, we’ll be able to say, “Thank you God!!” Maybe not for the hurt, but that through that hurt and doubt and whatever it is, He was and continues to be, with us always!! I have to remind myself of that sometimes. When I’m at work I have a lot of time to “think” and that’s good but sometimes my mind gets off and it gets crazy and sometimes it makes me mad or even sad, but in those times I try to pray, nothing big, just maybe a little, “okay God, I think I’m getting off track!” And I know He doesn’t want me in a off track kinda way, so He redirects my thoughts and He gives me new things to think on. He does that for us all! He is a good good Father and He takes care of you and I, His precious kids!! So I don’t know where you are today and I certainly don’t have too, God sees you and He knows, He “gets it,” and He will always take care of you right where you are!! Go to Him, pray to Him, read His word, let Him love on you through His people and always remember that He says to us...Hebrews 13:5b-...because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” I love you all and am praying for you! I hope your Monday is a magnificent one!! =-))

Good morning! Happy Friday and Happy Valentines Day!! I thought I would end our week with some verses on God’s great love for us! Verses that we can keep in our heads and hearts and that will always remind us of the great love the Father has for us, His children!! Have a fabulous Friday, a wonderful weekend, and a very valued and vibrant Valentine’s Day!! Love you all. =-)) Psalm 86:15- But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 1John 3:1- See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 4:7- Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Jeremiah 31:3- The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. 1Cor 13:1-3 & 13-If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing...13) And now these 3 remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love!!

Don’t you love when you get to chat w/ a friend? You just sit & talk about life. Nothing major, neither one is looking for solutions to anything, your just sharing. I love it, I got to do that last nite. We see each other a couple times through out the week, but to just really catch up, we only get that here & there. So it was nice. On my way home I even said, “thanks God!! That was refreshing!!” I felt like He smiled. Like He would’ve said to me, “I got you girl!! I know when you need a little boost!!” And He does. He knows when we need encouragement—He knows when we need to just be still—even when we need some discipline (ouch! never fun!) so He knows us & He takes care of us We are His children & He is our good good Father!!! We can trust in Him, in His plans for us. I was reading in Psalms the other day & chp 10-verse 17 says, “you put your ear to their lips.” Can’t you just picture God leaning down & getting so close to us, that we just whisper in His ear!!??!! I love that picture in my head. I love that He loves me that much, that no matter what it is I’m asking or saying He wants to know—wants to hear!! He does that for all of us. He loves each & everyone of us in that way!!! I hope that brings you encouragement-comfort-& peace. That whatever it is you may need right now, God is here, ready & able to give it to you!! Go to Him, speak to Him, & excitedly wait for Him to put His ear to your lips!! That will truly be the best part of our day...chatting w/ our Father!!! Jeremiah 1:5- Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...” Don’t you love when you get to chat w/ a friend? You just sit & talk about life. Nothing major, neither one is looking for solutions to anything, your just sharing. I love it, I got to do that last nite. We see each other a couple times through out the week, but to just really catch up, we only get that here & there. So it was nice. On my way home I even said, “thanks God!! That was refreshing!!” I felt like He smiled. Like He would’ve said to me, “I got you girl!! I know when you need a little boost!!” And He does. He knows when we need encouragement—He knows when we need to just be still—even when we need some discipline (ouch! never fun!) so He knows us & He takes care of us We are His children & He is our good good Father!!! We can trust in Him, in His plans for us. I was reading in Psalms the other day & chp 10-verse 17 says, “you put your ear to their lips.” Can’t you just picture God leaning down & getting so close to us, that we just whisper in His ear!!??!! I love that picture in my head. I love that He loves me that much, that no matter what it is I’m asking or saying He wants to know—wants to hear!! He does that for all of us. He loves each & everyone of us in that way!!! I hope that brings you encouragement-comfort-& peace. That whatever it is you may need right now, God is here, ready & able to give it to you!! Go to Him, speak to Him, & excitedly wait for Him to put His ear to your lips!! That will truly be the best part of our day...chatting w/ our Father!!! Jeremiah 1:5- Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...”

I never thought I was a routine kinda girl. I always thought of myself as a go w/ the flow type of person & maybe for the most part I am, but ever since we’ve come back from Christmas break I can not get things done, especially in the mornings, that I used too. It’s frustrating to me. At one point I thought maybe I should get up earlier, well I already get up at 5, 4:30, even 4:45, just doesn’t sound appealing in the least. So I’m struggling to figure out what I should do—need to do. Like what can I move around or change so that I’m not rushing & anxious in the mornings? I’ve prayed about this b/c it’s really important to me that I don’t give up on anything or go the opposite direction of what God is asking of me. So I guess I’m saying all this to tell you all that the devotions might start coming in the afternoon & to ask that maybe you could just say a prayer for me. Pray that I can get this thing figured out, & I won’t give up anything, just put stuff where it needs to be. I thank you all, I love you all, & I’m sorry for some of my weird craziness spilling over to you all Lol!! I hope your Tuesday is as terrific as you all are!!! Romans 8:28- And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

1John 1:5- This is the message we have heard from him & declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all....I don’t know about you all, but I needed to hear this verse. I needed that reminder that no matter what it looks like around me..I am a child of light. That there is always joy that comes from being in His light. Darkness might be here for a little while, but it doesn’t stay, He doesn’t let it stay!! He calls us out of it, He walks w/ us & protects us. I just find that so encouraging & I pray that you do too. Whatever it may look like around you, always remember God is here!! He will protect & take care of you & if your feeling the weight of darkness....keep clinging to Him & know that His light will shine on you once again!!!

Test

Sometimes when I'm reading a book in the bible I like to put myself there w/ the people. I think it helps me sometimes to understand what's going on. It was no different as I was reading Esther!! I've read the book many times, I'm sure even talked to you about it...many times, but this time it was different. As I'm picturing myself there watching this all unfold, Mordacai finds out Hamans evil plot to have all Jews killed, which he & Esther are one of, he, of course is beside himself, he's torn his clothes, put on sackcloth & ashes, & is now wailing "loudly & bitterly" in the streets. So anyway Esther finds out what's going on, Mordacai says go talk to the King, she says she can't & he says these words: "And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this!!" Powerful to me everytime I read it, but this time even more so. I told you about my story w/ Gods silence last week sometime, well when I first started hearing Him clearly it was as I was reading this book during VBS week!!! Now I'm not in a "royal position" but God is asking me to do something..to serve Him. I, of course ignored Him, but as I did He just kept saying, "and who knows that I haven't called YOU for such a time as this!!! Just b/c I was quiet doesn't mean I wasn't working on you. You had to experience what you did so you could be here right now!!" Oh my gosh, excitement is bubbling in me. We had a few more conversations & I did what Esther did, I called my girls!!! She told Mordacai she'd have hers fast w/ her, I asked mine to pray w/ me!! Esther answered the call that was given to her & I will do the same!!! I've talked to Him a couple times about how this would all work out & guess how He answered? Yep, through His word!!! I'm now reading in Romans & it's Pauls writing, but of course, I'm there listening too & he says: Romans 1:5- Through him we received grace... Through Him I have received grace!!! So on my own this will never work out, but through Gods grace & His strength it's going to be just fine!!! So keep listening for Him. If you think it's been quiet to long, maybe you've been in "the rabbit hole" (as one of my girls has said) to long & it's time to come out & hear, listen, & obey. Whatever God has planned for you, in His timing it's going to be good!!!!