Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."



Friday, December 6, 2013

pray.

so i am a listener. i always have been. i love loving on people. it is just who i am and it comes so natural to me. with being a listener, i also can be a worrier. i worry about my friends and family- thru the good and bad. i just want the best for them. all.the.time.
i have had several sweet opportunities to talk with friends this week and love on them. some of them are in such happy seasons of life- and we have rejoiced! and others are in hard places. and honestly for those sweet friends i had words to say, but i know my words can't change anything. only God can. and so i have found myself in prayer. at times even constant prayer. i have been praying for miracles, for relationships to be mended, for children to be healed. for God to give me the words to comfort my sweet friends. and for scripture to be placed on my heart that i can send to my sweet friends to remind them of His sweet promises.
with being a listener, and a worrier, i am also a fixer... i want to offer them a solution, i want everything to be ok. for no one to hurt. but i am slowly learning that I can't fix anything- only God can. all i can do is pray. love them where they are at. and just be the friend God has designed me to be.
it is hard to not fix. but i know it is the right thing to do. so i am learning to just be me and let God use me and work thru me.
so today i am grateful that God has promised that when we come to Him in prayer- He hears our every cry and knows are hearts most intimate desires. i am so grateful for that sweet promise- because some days i do not have the words. and that's ok. because it forces me to stop. surrender it to God and just pray the desires of my heart and trust God knows. because He does. what a beautiful thing.

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  it is freezing here in San Antonio (like in the 30's and we are under winter weather advisory), so we will be staying inside trying to stay warm. i am not complaining by any means- i needed a lazy weekend. :)

next week i plan on posting christmas pic decor- the house is finally decorated!

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Psalm 145:18 "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."

Sunday, December 1, 2013

so thankful.

as i sit here and reflect on this week with family and friends, i have so much to be thankful for.  truthfully, as reagan and i talked about all the blessings we have in our life, i got a little teary- eyed because so many times i forget just how blessed we are.  but God has truly blessed us beyond measure.

even though this last week was packed with crazy family stuff, and going here there and everywhere... deep down. i loved it. even though i complained from time to time about the hectic schedules and not being able to stay in my pj's for just one day- family is everything. and making memories is what we are meant to do while we are here on this earth.

we started our week off with a friendsgiving. and had two of our sweet couple friends come over. the fab six as we like to call ourselves. it was wonderful and our bellies were full by the end of the night. i laughed so much that my face hurt. but that is what it is all about. living the moments with the ones you love the most. our dear friends mean the world to us and we truly believe we are better because of them. they are our people.

tuesday, was laundry. and more laundry. and getting ready for jon (reagan's brother).  even through the mounds of laundry, i found myself grateful that i had a washing and drying machine to be able to clean and dry our clothes. its the little things people!

wednesday, jon came and the family festivities began.... and the rest of the week seems like a blur. with all your family being in the same city... things can get a little chaotic and complicated. but, we somehow managed to make it all work. i am exhausted but it is over and everyone had a great time! we ate too much, laughed too much, and drove too many places- but that is what the holidays are all about. good food. and even better company.

so as i sit here tonight, ready to start another week - i want to revel in this moment. i am tired but my heart is full.

we have a wonderful house. a doting and loving pup. family all within a short car drive. friends that truly are like family and would do anything for us. an amazing church. a wonderful lifegroup filled with so many great people. reagan has a job that he loves and a masters degree at a&m to look forward to. the Lord is filling my heart exactly how it needs to be filled in this season and i am so grateful for that- even though i may not yet have my dream job, i am still working with people (even the cute little ones) and having so many wonderful people pour into me and teach me what i need to be taught in this season. to trust and let God. and honestly, i can say i know God has great things prepared for me- and i am so excited to see the story unfold. because i have learned this is just a bump in the road and there are greater things to come. wow. i never thought i would be able to say that a couple months ago. maybe not even a couple of weeks ago. so i am so grateful that within just a matter of weeks the Lord has really used His people and His word to shine light in my life. i am humbled. and so grateful to be a part of his intricately and beautifully woven plan.

so take time to reflect. take time to give thanks. just take time to be with the ones you love. because at the end of it all that is all that really matters.

hug the ones you love. and make memories.

Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with and the blessings that are yet to come. Thank you for walking with us through each season of life and carrying us when some seasons seem harder than others. Continue to remind us daily how truly blessed we are and to never forget all that we have to be thankful for.  Amen.

Here is to all that we are thankful for, and looking forward to many memories being made this special time of year.

love you all!