Conversations with God June 29, 2008

I wanted to share a conversation that I just had with God because when I hear about how God is working in other’s lives it is always encouraging. Hopefully, this will be an encouragement to you. I would love for you to leave a message about how God is speaking in your life and how you have been blessed recently in the comments section so that I may be encouraged through you.

I have struggled my whole life with fully surrendering my life to God’s will because quite honestly I felt that once I did God would call me to give my life and kill me. I know that sounds crazy but I had to get to the point where I was okay with COMPLETELY trusting God’s will for me and to use me in the way that would most glorify Him. Tonight, I was praying that God would use me to glorify Him in EVERYTHING. That my life would be a living testimony to His love. I realized that I was at the point where I could surrender everything to Him. My desire is to have a long life filled with bringing glory to His name and raising a family who leaves a legacy of strong family units that glorify the Lord, but I know that God knows my purpose. His will is perfect.

After that, I literally felt cleansed and renewed and started to pray in another direction and I have never before felt God speaking to me so clearly. I have been reading this book that Guideposts published about the life of Abigail, wife of King David. The Lord used her many times to reveal His will to her husband ultimately for His glory and also for the glory of her husband. She spoke words to King David that God revealed to her not to bring glory to herself but the King. At this time during my prayer, I asked that God give me the words to speak to my husband to encourage him and turn his vision towards Christ and His work and purpose. I told Him that I would be still and listen for the words.

I felt Him leading me to list those things that I admired about my husband. I want to list those things here so that I may bring glory to my husband publicly for the gifts the Lord has blessed him with. In my conversation I told God the things that I love about my husband were his quick wit, and his discernment. I felt Him leading me to the fruit of the Spirit that Paul (my husband) demonstrates most in his life. My husband is full of goodness. When thinking of his goodness I think of his absolute standard of truth. My husband demands and speaks truth. Even the tiniest exaggeration or minute detail he will call into question if it is not truth. Sometimes, this is hard for me as a wife when his answers are truth and hard to hear. I do not feel that it is coincidence that my husband is named Paul. When I think of Paul in the bible I think of a man that was not afraid to proclaim truth. My husband has done this many times. Most recently, I overheard him on the phone speaking hard truth to a friend in love, encouraging him to search the scriptures for what Christ would have him to do. I love this about my husband. I received conformation that God spoke that encouragement to me when I shared this with my husband. I wanted him to know that God loves this about his spirit. He said it was what he needed to hear.

I have never felt closer to God than this evening and I hope that this encourages you to simply ask God to reveal to you how your words can bless or encourage someone today. As women, our words are can be a blessing or a curse. We can uplift or tear down. I know this the hard way as my tongue has torn others down many a time. Join me on this journey of prayer to God for how we can use our powerful tongues to edify the body of Christ!

The Letter “A” June 19, 2008

If you haven’t visited biblicalwomanhood.com, I highly suggest it. Today, she inspired me to go through one letter of the alphabet with Aralyn each week for the remaining 26 weeks of the year. Today is the letter “A”.

After breakfast, Aralyn and I talked about what the Big “A” looks like and the Little “a”. She calls them the Mommy A and the baby a. Then we read/sang a song that starts stanzas with the letter A- “All Things Bright and Beautiful”. When she went down for her nap, I got on you tube to find a recording of the song that I like and I came across this beautiful one. I am not sure that the code will work so bear with me.

Today I hope you can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and praise all things bright and beautiful!

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God made them all

Each little flower that opens
Each little bird that sings
He made their glowing colors
He made their tiny wings

The purple-headed mountains
The river running by
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky

The cold wind in the winter
The pleasant summer sun
The ripe fruits in the garden
He made them every one

The tall trees in the greenwood
The meadows where we play
The rushes by the water
To gather every day

He gave us eyes to see them
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty
Who has made all things well

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God made the all

Happy Anniversary Sweet Love June 2, 2008

Three years ago, I married my college sweetheart, Paul, but our story starts Fall Semester at Lindenwood in 2003.

I met Paul through the music organization at Lindenwood University.  He was a jazz drummer and I was a choir girl.  One evening after a musicale that the women’s group put on, Paul, Lena, Jeff and I went down to the Riverfront to enjoy the weather/evening.  One by one, Jeff left and then Lena and Paul and I found ourselves not ready to call it a night.  We were enjoying each other’s company too much.  We talked and talked on that bench until, much to my surprise, the sun began to rise over the horizon.  I drove him to his morning class and as he got out of the car, he chucked a note at me and ran off to his class.  The note said, “I wanted to kiss you all night”.

A little over a year later, he proposed to me on that very same bench by the riverfront and we were married June 2, 2005.

I Love You Sweet Love!