The Answer is a Question!

Recently I shared with my Bible study group that I found myself skimming Judges, rather than really reading it. So I started all over again to take the time to really study it. Thankfully I did, because today I came across such a powerful question. A question that I missed during my previously rushed reading time. Within the scripture verse Judges 4:14 is the question, "Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" This question seemed to be an answer I have been looking for.

When I think I am alone and no one really understands what I am going through. God is always with me and He is leading the way.

When I can't seem to find the courage to do something, God is always with me and He is leading the way.

When I find myself lost and confused, God is always with me and He is leading the way.

When I begin to worry and want to start planning my own future, I can find comfort knowing that God is always with me and He is leading the way.

With the world changing all around me, the one thing I can count on, the one thing that remains the same today and tomorrow...God is always with me and He is leading the way.

I hope you find the strength and confidence in this question that I have found...the strength to trust in the Lord always and the confidence to really make the choice to follow the One who is always with us and who is leading the way.

Family!...It's A Long One!

I have been thinking a lot about my family recently. I am so thankful that I live right down the road from my sis and brother-in-law and their family. Everyone knows how close we are. Our blogs even show how close we are. But as much as I love them, and as special as my relationship with my sister is, I find myself thinking about the rest of my family.

Seeing my brother, niece, and nephew this weekend was definitely a highlight of thanksgiving. There isn't a lot in common between all of us, but we always have fun when we are together, and I always look forward to seeing them! My brother is an amazing man. He is definitely accomplished, but most importantly, he is a good father. He has introduced his son and daughter to so much and makes time for them. He doesn't just drop them off at each of their games, but cheers them on. He may have a great house, a great job, work at being proficient at all of his many hobbies, but in my eyes he is a good father. My nephew and niece are growing up way too fast! I am just amazed at how their personalities are growing and changing. They are helpful, creative, smart, athletic, funny, and just great young adults!

Cute little Grace ended up giving Jess and I her deathly cold this weekend. Okay, not so deathly, but not a big fan of being sick! I spent all of Monday curled up in bed trying to breathe, trying to make my head stop throbbing. And as I laid there I thought about how much I missed my parents. I could have used mom's miracle grilled cheese sandwiches that she always made when we were sick and that always seemed to make us feel better. I could have used dad's big chair as we would sit with him watching great shows like M.A.S.H, Magnum P.I., etc...feeling safe knowing we would feel better soon.

I know I have mentioned family a lot recently, but it is just hard to get across how special they are me. Maybe it is the holiday season that is making me think about them often, or maybe it is finally realizing just how special my family is. Either way, I love them and they are on my mind and in my heart. I know we all have family that may not live close enough to see very often, but it just means that we cherish the time we do spend with them that much more!

Just had to share how special these people are!

Requests

Do you have those people in your life that you always turn to for assistance?...that you always count on to provide for you? Jess wrote a wonderful post on my parents and how giving they are. And as I was contemplating her post and my prayers lately, I realized that I had gotten into the "request" rut. I have taken those "relationships" for granted.

What was the last thing I have done for my parents? Even during their short visit, and after they provided us with so much, I actually made a request that they keep their eyes open for a particular item that I have been looking for. Who does that? Why couldn't I just be so grateful for all they have done and instead of making a request, turn the tables around and ask what they needed?

And in regards to my relationship with God, why have my prayers turned into request times. I examined my prayer this morning to find out that my requests far outweigh any praise I give Him. Have I made this about me instead of Him? How could I ever think I knew what was best for me or the world better than God?

The question should be what can I do for you?...rather that what can you do for me?...or what can I get? It is about trusting God enough to know that He will provide and take care of us so that we can fully open our hearts and lives to Him to be used to fulfill His will, not ours.

So I end this post with a couple more requests, because it is such a hard habit to break :)...Ask yourself, what can I do for those who do so much for me...and do it! Most importantly, let God handle the worries we have and the direction of our lives as he has proven to be trustworthy all along, so that we can be servants of God with a heart that asks..."What can I do for you?"

Opportunities

This past weekend, while watching football, a commercial caught my attention and presented a wonderful opportunity. You see lately, my amazing sister who seems to be able to do everything, has found herself tired and a little stressed studying for an extremely difficult accounting test working towards her master's. I know she has a lot on her plate, but I have been impressed at how she remembers the important things…spending time with her completely supportive husband, interacting with her adorable daughter, taking the time to talk to me about anything, going to choir practice, being active in our bible study. As tired as she is and as busy as she is, she keeps the time and love she has for her family, friends, and church in the forefront. She has her priorities straight and that is such a wonderful example to see. I knew I wanted to do something special for her and when I saw this commercial for Stomp, I knew that was it. Monday after rearranging our schedules a bit, I purchased the tickets and informed her that Tuesday night I wanted to spend time with her. It was the perfect timing because she was taking the test on Monday and would not have to study. Keeping it a surprise was the difficult part, as many of you know I am terrible with secrets.

So last night we saw Stomp! And it was completely and unbelievably amazing! The rhythm throughout the whole show moved us and just brought so much energy to the night. We sat their in awe of the talent and of the ability of the performers to entertain us, to distract us from all that we face and have to do, if only for a short time. It was one of the best shows I have seen…and maybe that is because of the company I was with. But, it was a great opportunity...an opportunity that I am so thankful for.

Thanks to the parents for introducing us to the arts so that we may develop that appreciation. Thanks to the performers who share their talents with us. Thanks to my sis for being an example. Thanks to God for creating opportunities such as these.

Respect

What an amazing trip to New York. It was a trip filled with community service, site seeing, and just a lot of realizations. After a 16 hour train ride with 9 youth and 3 other adults, we finally arrived to NYC hauling our bags on and off the subway, through busy streets, until we finally reached our hostel. After taking a few minutes to freshen up, we headed to Time Square. And that was the beginning of our trip. From then on the kids spent the next few days looking up at the tall buildings, taking pictures of everything that they could...statues, buildings, lights, street performers, subway trains, everything that they were amazed to see. It was fun for me to see the amazement in their eyes and to hear them talking about all that they have experienced. But, for me, out of everything we saw, it was the community service and the group I was with that made my second trip to NYC unbelievable. We went with a purpose, not just to see NYC, but to serve. And that is what we did. The memories I will carry with me are of the homeless man I gave food to, the mittens I sewed (yes, I actually sewed mom ;), and the many other youth from FYI that we visited in order to learn about their philanthropic efforts throughout the city. It was great to see other youth outside of our own county, our own state, helping others and making a difference because they want to...to see that passion was just inspiring and actually brought about a feeling of hope. All in all the trip was about respect...respect for each other...respect for our communities...and respect for the world we live in.