God is good...All the time!

Hello all! Today God amazed me yet again, dang he's good!


Okay, so after my trip yesterday I was pooped. I was in need of sleep and in a big way! So last night before I got off work I decided to not go to the churches I had initially planned to attend today and go to the 10:45 at St.Andrew's where the Duncan family is preaching and in the pews . Yesterday made me realize how much this family has come to mean to me over the past year. They aren't here just by chance, I know that the Lord put them in my life and man are they great! I really feel like I'm at home when I'm with them and it's that feeling of home that I've missed sooooooooooooo much! And this morning when I went to the pew they sat in, I was instantly welcomed with hugs, man it felt AWESOME! This is the type of fellowship that I've missed so much. That feeling of family and support that we all have for each other. God didn't create man to be alone, and yes you do need time alone with God...but he created the church for fellowship, to hold each other accountable, to support and lift each other up in our hardships, rejoice in each others blessings, and to worship our creator together. This is one increadible gift that God gives us, the opportunity to have fellowship with other believers. I never realized how much I missed my church home and even took it for granted until I didn't have it.


The message this morning was also no coincidence. God spoke volumes to me this morning. We read 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. But the verse that spoke to me the most was verse 58.


"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." -1 Corinthians 15: 58


Wow, how powerful is that?! My soul keeps yearning for this kind of encouragement and promise....Stand firm. Let nothing move you.......What a statement. He is commanding me to let NOTHING move me, aka my faith and trust in him, my convictions. This means others around me, my own thoughts that I try to keep focused on righteous things vs. my fears. This passage makes it so clear that if I devote my life and my will to Him, He will fufill me with a purpose; a work in His plan. He has a plan for me and for all of you! You are an irreplacable piece in His work.


I was also given a book to read by Melissa called "Reckless Faith" by Beth Guckenberger. It came out a little over a week ago and it is AMAZING!!! Talk about giving over your will to God! Definitely a must read! The faith that this woman talkes about is the faith that I desire to have. She doesn't try to make all of these back up plans, she simply trusts that her heavenly Father will provide for her and the orphans she works with in Moneterry, Mexico. Melissa gave me this book because I've told her that God has planted this huge desire in me to nurture, a huge desire! She gave me this book to read, and man what an impact it has had on me. I used to be afraid of being a mother, I used to say that I never wanted to have kids ever. But now I know that I need and want to be a mother someday more than anything. I used to be afraid that I would screw up my child's life in so many ways...so I simply thought, "I love you hypothetical child so much that I just won't have you so I can't screw you up." Not the mind set I should have at all. What an amazing adventure to be a mother! I can't even begin to imagine how all of you moms do it! I've suddenly discovered that if you trust God with everything, you find yourself in unknown territory and that can be quite frightening at times...but at the same time God shows you wonderous things in those moments, show's his plan in action. I know that being a parent is a take it as you go kinda thing...although it would be nice if you could birth out a parenting manual after the kid, oh well....but what an experience to make you rely on God to show you what to do. Wah! Great realizations, I love 'em!


Anyways, below is the link for an interview with the author, Beth, of "Reckless Faith". She shares one of her many experiences about how God always has a plan for each and everyone of us. I strongly encourage you to at least watch the video clip...but really try to read the book!!!


http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=56802