GOD I PRAISE YOU!!!

This post is a long time coming...and I praise Him in the struggle and I praise Him in the victory...He is Good!

God is doing so much around me....and yet when I stop and think about that...He is always at work...question is...am I stopping long enough to see what He is doing...all around me? Here lately I am seeing His hand in so much! God YOU ARE TO BE PRAISED!

First off...today...I spent some time in prayer with one of my best friends and literally in less than an hour she was texting me that God had completely answered our prayers....THANKS GOD!!! WE LIFT YOU UP AN PRAISE YOU!!!

Then tonight I was talking to a girl that is going on the Jamaica trip and she was sharing praise after praise after praise of what God is doing in her life and in the lives of others around her because of this trip....God is touching many lives even those not going....again...WE PRAISE YOU GOD...YOU ALONE GET ALL THE GLORY!

This past week I was talking to a lady at work sharing with her that I was struggling with trusting God with the rest of the money I needed for my trip and for a bill that needs to be paid...and I left work Friday asking God to show His ALMIGHTY power in the midst of my circumstances...Joey my pastor continually is telling us that Christ has the power to redeem anything....and I was specifically asking God to redeem this situation in my life....I was trying to see this situation through His lenses not my own...and then it hit me....God was allowing the struggle in my life to show her Who He is! WOW! My prayer quickly changed from Lord...HELP...to God, if you want me to struggle so that she can see you....then let me struggle! I believed in my heart that He was going to let me go back to work on Monday and tell her of His provision....guess what??? HE DID!!!

Sunday at church several things happened....a member at church gave me some money for my trip....I was told after church that someone else had dropped off a check at the church office for my trip...and there was left over....my brother gave me a huge donation....God had it ALL COVERED! And....you know it...the first thing I did when I got to work today...I went and told my friend of what God had done!!!

my prayer now is that she sees Him...The Almighty God as being my Provider! God I praise YOU!!!

trust

...so, I learned a very valuable lesson on trust this week. Tuesday was a pretty overwhelming day...it started off really good but started going downhill on my way to work when I realized that my phone was shut off cause I didn't pay the bill...basically because I didn't have the money...business has been slow...money tight...I have been trusting God day to day. Don't get me wrong, I love it...it's not fun...but it is in these times that I feel closest to God depending on Him for EVERYTHING! It was a minute by minute battle..."yes, God, I trust You...BUT...what about this bill...what about that?....then the rollercoaster...Yes, I trust You...BUT...over and over in my mind as I am trying to work on my customer's hair. I was getting exhausted just trying to keep up with my own thoughts, let alone the conversations I was trying to have with customers, pretending like I was ok when inside I was about to burst into tears! Then, a lady stopped me, she is one of the other girls customers...I had said hi to her earlier but didn't really engage in a conversation with her. She told me she wanted to give me some money for my trip to Jamaica. {Now, mind you...one of the things I had been thinking about was how I had to use my $120 that I had saved for my work rent while gone on my trip...I had to use it to pay last weeks rent at work...and through that God had shown me that it was still provision, whether for the time to come when I would be off...or now...it was His provision and i needed to adjust my focus to that!} So, this lady pulled a $20 bill out of her wallet and handed it to me and I just burst into tears with my customer sitting in my chair...I was overwhelmed. God was standing right there saying to me...."Are you going to trust me? I WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU EVEN IF IT IS $20 AT A TIME! WILL YOU JUST TRUST ME!?" Yes, LORD I will trust YOU! I think of Proverbs 3:5-6 I am commanded to trust in Him with ALL my heart and not lean on my understanding....I know that He can be trusted and I know that He will provide ALL MY NEED! His way, not mine!

I Trust YOU!

My "Popcorn Testimony" Sign

Tonight I have spent some time reflecting on today. This morning I had the opportunity to give a "popcorn testimony" at church in how I have seen Emmanuel "God with us" at work in my life in the area of my finances. It was like the cardboard testimony where you put the before on one side and after on the other. Before I was supposed to stand up, I got really overwhelmed in reflecting over the last year...it has been a year of victory for me and I am looking forward to another year of victory. God has brought me through so much this year and I am very very grateful for the financial counselor that He has given to me...thank you Susan...and for all the encouragement of my family and friends. I would not be where I am at if not for them...and for the power of God working in my life. God is good...so good. I have seen that He can be trusted and He does provide. He has provided so much for me this year....I have been on 3 missions trip paid for and bills paid too...I have experienced so much! And I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to stand up today and declare His power in my life. I know that I have not arrived and there is still more debt to be paid, but I am pausing tonight to praise Him for ALL He has done and ALL He will do....

and then, tonight I began thinking again...preparing for the week and wondering how the bills were gonna get paid this week. Seems kinda strange...to go from being on a "high" this morning in light of ALL He has done...back to fear. Yes, I am human...I have fears. I found myself getting very overwhelmed tonight...bills to be paid...and no finances....I am so thankful for my 2 roommates who stopped what they were doing tonight to pray with me...wow...burdens were lifted. I realized that I was trusting in my job...not in MY GOD to provide my need for my bills....why do I stress about it instead of just trusting in the ONE and ONLY Who has NEVER let me down and has ALWAYS provided! Tonight my faith has increased and I loudly and boldly say GOD...MY ALMIGHTY GOD....I TRUST YOU! I TRUST YOU AS MY PROVIDER...I TRUST YOU WITH MY FINANCES...I TRUST YOU WITH MY FUTURE...I TRUST YOU WITH MY LIFE....THANK YOU THAT YOU CAN BE TRUSTED!

I'm a college student!!!

Well, officially today I am now a college student...took me 12 years to get there! :) Some may say I took the easy way after high school by going to a trade school (cosmetology school)....but I just did what I was led to do and have no regrets from the last 12 years. I have enjoyed the journey so much...I have been exposed to so many new things...new walks of life....my eyes have been opened to a great BIG world that for so long I was sheltered from...I have grown, I have had the opportunity to impact lives...I have seen many lives come to know Christ or come to know Christ in a closer walk...I have had ups and downs....my job has given me the opportunity to go places literally that I never dreamed possible...I have my own personal mission field....and I love every minute of it!

However, for the last 5 years God has continually opened so many doors for me to pursue the journey of missions....another journey that I absolutely love. In this journey I have had the opportunity to reach out to others in the medical world....which is something I know very little about but have always been very intrigued by. I enjoy learning new things about the medical world....I have had the opportunities to work in medical clinics and dental clinics...even pulling teeth...and the desire to know more to be able to help more continually grows with every trip I take. 5 years ago after coming home from Africa, I was determined to pursue some type of medical degree...and didn't. This year while in Africa I sensed God's leading me once again to pursue some type of medical training....not to switch careers but to have some knowledge to be able to use on the missions trips that I take....and I was determined this time to do something about it......

I DID! I am going to start by taking an EMT course this spring...a 1 semester class that will give me basic knowledge of emergency medicine...and I am so EXCITED! One of my customers, who also has a mission minded heart...has joined me on this journey! I am a bit nervous...never been to college...but my excitement definitely outweighs the nervousness!!! BRING IT ON! So, as of today...College...here I come! We'll see where this journey leads! Always an adventure! I am living my dream!!!

Morning Lessons...

So, this morning, my roomie Robin and I were trying to get the filter out of the refrigerator so we could replace it...however, it required taking off the bottom piece of the refrigerator...and let me just say it was FILTHY down there! Yuck! I was shocked at how much dirt had accumulated down under the fridge and it was unnoticeable. I made the comment that I wonder how many other parts of the house had hidden places of dirt. Robin made the comment that we don't check those places because we don't think anyone is going to look there! So, my wheels in my brain began turning...I've always been one to apply house cleaning to my walk with Christ. There are so many great applications...when I clean at home, I make a conscious effort to ask God to clean my heart and my life out at the same time. This situation this morning brought a whole new thought....what places of my heart/life are hidden that need to be thoroughly cleaned? What places are hidden that I think even God can't see...which is not true, for He sees everything! As I began to run hot water over this piece that was in desperate need of washing...I couldn't help but think about how I need the Water of His Word to run over every area of my life every hidden place of my heart and give a complete cleansing! God I pray that You would take the Water of Your Word today and completely cleanse me of every hidden place that is hiding the dirt and sin. I desire to be completely clean before You. Thank You for the power that is in Your Word and that It does It's job in my life as I allow It to! You are such a Great God, and I praise You!

Empty me...

God, I love You...thank You for waking me up early to spend time with You, thanks for not letting me sleep but for urging me to say no to my flesh and get up and just be still in Your presence. Thank You for loving me so much that you see me in all my sin yet You wont let me stay there. You continually convict me to move from that spot of sin into a place of freedom and peace. I need to be emptied of myself today. Thank You for making it clear to me what needed to be confessed and thank you for your forgiveness...Thank You for the healing that I have found in Your Word this morning...thank You for Romans 12, Galatians 5 and 1 Peter 5....and the promises and rest that I have found in those Words. I desire to be more like Jesus....I need more of Him and less of me today. I wanna walk with You today...I pray that my will gets lost in Yours. I pray that You would show me where You are at work in my world today and I wanna join You there. Jesus, thank You for being willing to deny Yourself for me...thank You for being so willing to go to the cross for this sin that I have been forgiven of this day. Thank You for making Your mercies new this day....I am so excited to spend this day with You....

Please Father, empty me.

The Greatest Moment...

This morning I have been reading about the moment that God became flesh and dwelt among us...as I have been reading and thinking...I have to ask myself, what was that moment like? We are talking GOD....and I really cannot put into words Who He is...but He humbled Himself and became "God with us"...that is unbelievable.

Matthew 1:22-23 says Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

"When the King of kings exchanged His majestic robes for swaddling clothes, surely it was the most beautiful, awe-inspiring moment in all eternity." ~Jennifer Kennedy Dean

What was that moment like...what did the angels think? I picture it being a real big deal in Heaven, everyone stopping what they are doing...a buzz like electricity is spreading quickly...everyone is standing in awe...it's truly unbelievable....yet, what happened when in that moment, Jesus was born on earth....and He truly became "God with us"? What was the reaction on earth? How was He received here? There was no buzz here on earth...no glorious entry, just a stable...with animals...did the animals know what had just happened in their world? What was that moment like? Makes me think of today.....how much do I miss out on because I don't recognize the activity of God in my life....do I catch every moment that Jesus comes right into my world....at home, at work, in my heart...do I catch every time He speaks...announcing His presence in my life? Is it an unbelivable moment or an ordinary moment? God, today I pray that I would recognize your activity in my life and that each moment would be unbelievable...not just another day.

Hebrews 1:6