Reflections of God's Grace in 2007

As I think back and reflect on all that God has done for me in this past year I am so very grateful. I'm grateful for the friends and family that have kept me accountable, for the memories that I’ve made traveling with friends, for God convicting me of sin and for answering prayers when I had no idea what to do. God faithfulness to me this past year is too great for me to put into words. He has extended much undeserving grace and has convicted me of sin when I had no idea I was sinning.

These are just some of the events that took place in 2007.....


Father/daughter dinner


Fun Times


"New Attitude"


Missions Trip to Haiti


Missions Trip to Haiti



My surprise 18th Birthday party

"The Clash"

My parents celebrated 25 years of marriage

Gator Games

I’m thankful that another year has gone by and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2008!!!

Merry Christmas

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and behold Him, born the King of Angles, O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

“Let us be glad and rejoice today, because ‘He has come.’ And let us remember the annunciation of the angel, ‘Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:10, 11) -Streams In The Desert-

Merry Christmas Eve

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

I hope and pray that everyone's day tomorrow is filled with grace and peace! Merry Christmas!

Halleluiah Hope Has Come

Phew…. breath taken and moving on. As many of you know I had a big test last Tuesday that I had to take for work. I haven’t gotten my score back yet but, I feel pretty confident that I passed it. Thank you everyone who faithfully prayed for me. I most definitely wouldn’t have gotten through it without your prayers. God took away much anxiety and stress and turned all the studying and preparation for the test into a joyful time. God has definitely blessed me with a father who is quick to not allow any anxiety or worry. He is always very quick to help me point my circumstances to God and not myself. I’m grateful now that I can move on and enjoy this holiday season with my family and friends and not have to worry about a test any longer.

What a great reminder this song is of the real meaning of Christmas!

Let us join with the angel voices
Let us join their happy song
All of heaven and earth rejoices
For the Lamb of God has come
He has come to rescue sinners
Come to meet our desperate need
He was born to bring forgiveness
Born for Calvary

Let us lay our gifts before Him
Let us magnify His Name
With our thankful hearts adore Him
For the Lord has come to save
He has come to break sin’s power
He has come to set us free
Hope was born that glorious hour
Christ the mighty King

Daily Bible Verse:

Ephesians 5:13-14-“But when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”

Father Daughter Dinner

Here are some photos from a formal dinner that all the singles guys in my Church and Kaleb did for all the single girls and their fathers.

Thanks guys for such a memorable evening!

Please Pray

Hello Friends!

Because of a BIG test I have to take for work coming up on the 18th there will be no time for blogging this week. If you could please keep me in your prayers as this is a very hard test and I’m going to need much grace and strength to get through it.

Thanks!
Candace

Daily Bible Verse:

Philippians 2:2-“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and in one mind.”

What Child is This

Forget for a moment the tree, the gifts, the food, the parties, and the decorations and let’s focus on the Nativity scene. The Bible passage’s concerning the birth of Jesus Christ remind us that there was only one Christmas-all the rest are merely anniversaries.

Isaiah 9:6-“For unto to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

What child is this, who lays to rest,

on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him praise,
the Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh;
Come, peasant king, to own him.
The King of King’s salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone him.

This, this is Christ the King
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him praise,
the Babe, the Son of Mary.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Daily Bible Verse:

Luke 2:14-“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Joy To The World

Lately I’ve been thinking about how busy I’m going to be in the next couple of weeks with stuff going on at work, all the Christmas shopping that needs to be done, all the Christmas parties to prepare for, and a VERY difficult and not very fun test I have to take in a couple of weeks. I was convicted of how my thoughts have been worldly thoughts and how I’ve not been giving my full attention to the time of year it is. This is to be a joyful season of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. If I remember to give priority to my time in God's Word and to pray, I will find renewed joy each morning. Joy that sticks in the midst of Christmas craziness!

Joy to the world! The Lord is come:

Let earth receive her King.

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders of His love.

As things get busy, let's make sure to keep the spiritual disciplines at the top of our Christmas to do list, and experience true holiday cheer!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 51:12-“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Piper on "Gift and Grit"

Faith is a gift of God. Romans: 12:3 says, “Think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned to him.” God measures to each believer a measure of faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God.”

His command is to “trust in him at ALL times (Psalm 62:8) and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Peter 3:18)

“God commands what he wills and grants in measure what he commands, but we should always pursue what he commands, He says, ‘work out your salvation… for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:13-13). God does not say, ‘Since I work, you shouldn’t.’ He says, ‘Because I do, you can’ God’s gift does not replace our effort; it enables and carries it. We say with Paul, ‘[God’s] grace towards me was not in vain, On the contrary I worked….’ (1 Corinthians 15:10). The gift of grace produced the grit of hard work. It is not the other ways around. He goes on, ‘I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me.’ Even Paul’s working is a gift of grace. Yes, it feels like our effort. It is an effort! But that is not all it is. That is not what it is at root. If it is virtuous, it is God’s ‘working in us to will and to do his good pleasure.’”

2 Thessalonians 1:11- "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by is power.”

Hebrews 13:21“He equips you with everything good that we may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever Amen.”

“There is a place for grit in the Christian life (‘I worked hard’), but it is preceded by and enabled by gift (‘it was the grace of God’) Therefore all grit is living by faith in future grace.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Philippians 2:3-4-“Do nothing from rivalry of conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

God The All

"God The All"

There is no comfort in anything apart from enjoying thee
and being engaged in thy service;
Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what
to me thou makest them, and no more.
I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is,
or should be in all respects,
And if thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair,
I would choose to refer all to thee,
for thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss,
as I am in danger of doing.
I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal,
and it delights me to leave them there.
Then prayer turn wholly into praise,
and all I can do is to ador and bless thee.
What shall I give thee for all thy benefits?
I am in a strait betwixt two, knowing not what to do;
I long to make some return, but have nothing to offer,
and can only rejoice that thou doest all,
that none in heaven or on earth shares thy hnour;
I can of myself do nothing to glorify that blessed name,
but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to thee,
I know that thou art the author and finisher of faith,
that the whole work of redemption is thine alone,
that every good work or thought found in me
is the effect of thy power and grace,
that the sole motive in working in me to will
and to do is for thy good pleasure.
O God, it is amazing that men can talk so much
about man’s creaturely power and goodness,
when, if thou didst not hold us back every
moment, we should be devil incarnate.
This, by bitter experience, thou hast taught me
concerning myself.

-Valley of Vission-

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 32:11-“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”

Missing G-mom

Today is November 27, 2007 and is the day that my grandmother would have turned 69. For those of you who don’t know why she died, here is a little re-cap of why….

My grandmother “G-mom” needed to have two knee replacements. She went in for the first one in December of 2001. Coming out of the surgery everything was fine, the doctors said that she would heal quickly and she was feeling great. Well, the night after her surgery my grandfather got a call from the hospital saying that G-mom had stopped breathing and had been rushed to intensive care. Immediately he and my dad rushed to the hospital. When they got there they found that a nurse had gone in to check on her in the middle of the night and she was fine. The nurse went back 20 minutes later and found out the she hadn’t been breathing for about 10 minutes. The nurse didn’t know this because they didn’t have a breathing monitor on her. They rushed her to intensive care and immediately hooked her up to many machines to make her start breathing. My mom came to Jonathan, Amber, and I in tears and told us what was going on as Joshua, Victoria, and Karah were too young to understand. As my immediate family, aunt, uncle, and cousins all gathered at the hospital we were all shocked! Seeing G-mom hooked up to many machines and not being able to respond to any of us wasn’t easy at all because she had been such a healthy person. At this point nothing could be done. 97% of her brain had been damaged and she would be living on machines the rest of her life. Because G-mom had told my aunt in the past that if it ever came down to it, she would never want to have to live off machines, the doctors, my grandfather, and my parents all decided it would be best to take he off of life support. Though this wasn’t what we desired as a family, we knew it was the best thing for her…..

As they took her off the machines, my Aunt stayed back with her as the rest of my family headed back to my grandfather’s house to congregate there. My dad stayed on the phone with my aunt as G-mom very slowly started to pass and the announcement came that she had gone to be with the Lord.

As we all sat there with tears running down our faces and hearing our dad crying in the other room louder then I had ever heard him cry, we were all heart broken as we had just lost someone that was so special to us all. She was the one that always kept us going and was such a woman of God and example in my life. It was a very difficult time with her death being 4 days before Christmas.

Because of many things that went wrong in the hospital with the nurses and doctors, my dad and grandfather, for about two years after her death had to go back and forth with lawyers. That wasn’t easy for any of us because it continued to remind us of her sudden and unexpected death.

Though it is difficult for me to say it was for my own good and God’s glory I know it is. It was the Lord’s will to take her and all my family and I can do is trust God.

I was reading the Girl Talk blog yesterday and they posted a great reminder of when Mrs. Spurgeon sat next to her husband on his death bed. It is said that when her husband, the great preacher Charles Spurgeon died, she knelt by the bed and “thanked the Lord for the precious treasure he so long lent to her.”

I look forward to the day when I will see her in heaven. Until then, I have to press on and remember that God is the blessed controller of all things! I will always remember my “G-mom.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Romans 8:28-“And we know that for those who love God all thing work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Is God in Control?

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with God’s amazing grace and got some good shopping deals on Friday. Sorry all FSU fans for the spanking from FL on Saturday. Maybe you can get’em next time!

Any ways, enough about that! Here is Chapter two from the book, “Trusting God”

Last night we discussed the chapter, “Is God in control?” I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we went over that chapter last night because tomorrow, November 27th is going to be a little bit of a difficult day for my family. Tomorrow will be the 69th birthday of my grandmother “G-mom” who passed away on December 21, 2001 which was one of the most difficult things my family has ever been through. (I will share more on why she passed away tomorrow)

1Timothy 6:15-“God…is the blessed controller of ALL things, the King over all kings and the Master of all masters.”

The central idea of this chapter is, God is in control, He has a purpose and a plan for you, and He has the power to carry out that pain. Mr. Bridges opens up this chapter explaining what God’s providence is with a quote by J.I. Packer….

“God’s providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over ALL creation for His own glory and the good of His people.”

Jerry Bridges say, “Note the twofold objective of God’s providence: His own glory and the good of His people. These two objectives are never antithetical; they are always in harmony with each other. God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, not does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together.”

What comfort and encouragement this is to me! If I am going to learn to trust God in adversity, I must believe that just as certainly as God will allow nothing to undermine His glory, so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in me.

Father I pray that when I meet trials of various kinds that I would turn to you as my blessed controller. May I remember that you work all things together for my good and Your glory.

Daily Bible Verse:

Colossians 1:17- “And he is before ALL things, and in him ALL things hold together.”

I'm Thankful for My Frineds

When I think back over the last nine years of living in Jacksonville, the Lord has blessed me with friends that I most definitely DO NOT deserve. These friends have spurred me on to be more like Christ and to run after Him as hard as I can.

I’m grateful to God for all the fun times we have had laughing and making great memories. For the fruitful times we have spent having biblical fellowship and encouraging each other in our walks with the Lord. And most of all for the ways they have been so faithful to hold me accountable when I am in sin and not honoring God.

I’m also very thankful for all my friends that don’t live in Jacksonville. God has used you all in my life almost just as much as my friends here in Jacksonville. Your caring hearts towards me in the way you all consistently ask, “How I’m doing?” makes me very grateful for you all!

Thank you ALL for the steadfast and caring friends you are to me. Know that I thank God daily for how He has blessed me with you all!

Daily Bible Verse:

1 Corinthians 15:57- “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I'm Thankful for My Family

I thought I would tell you all a little bit about each member of my family and the blessing that each of them have been to me. Enjoy!

Dad- Dad is the ultimate dad… Not only is he fun to hang out and joke around with but, he is a VERY and I mean a VERY Godly man. He leads his family in a God honoring way and is always looking for what is best for them. He is always faithful to follow and do what God is calling him to as he devotes himself to God in every situation he is going through. He encourages all his children to be more like Christ and has spurred me on ever since I was little to follow Christ and not be drawn into the ways of the world. He rejoices for everything God has given to him and never complains about what God has given him. Whether it is work or finances, he always has his trust in God.

Mom- Oh dear, where do I begin? This lady…. well let’s just say she is the ULTIMATE Proverbs 31 women. I have never met anyone in my life that joyfully submits to her husband, serves her family, and trusts God more then my mom does. She is someone I am striving to be like one day when I grow up and have my own family!

Jonathan- Something that I appreciate about Jonathan is that he has a fear of God. He is always honest with others and doesn’t worry about what others think of him.

Amber- Amber has always been such a blessing to me! Even from a young age, I have always looked up to her as a role model of someone’s footsteps I want to follow in. She has such a passion to glorify the Lord! Her passion to honor him in all she thinks, says, and does has been such a wonderful example to me.

Joshua- One thing that I love about Joshua is that he has a very sweet and caring heart. He has the biggest and greatest imagination of everyone in my family and is always the one coming up with new ideas.

Victoria- Victoria is always a very joyful person. Almost every time I walk into the room she is in I catch her laughing. This joyful heart encourages me to cultivate one as well.

Karah- Karah is the person in the family that one would go to in need of a hug. She is always very tender and caring at heart. Don’t get me wrong though… You most definitely don’t want to get her mad!

Well, that’s my family for ya! As you can tell, I love each and every one of them dearly. I don’t even know where to begin to thank God for the blessing my family is and has been to me!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 106:1-“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Happiness and Thanksgiving

As I sit here and meditate on all that God has given to me… A wonderful Church, a family that I get to spend Thanksgiving with, and friends that I can count on to hold me accountable when I am sinning and ultimately not honoring God, all I can do is thank God for being so gracious to bless me with all the things that I mentioned above.

Since Thanksgiving is next week I thought it would be fun to tell you all, all the blessings God has given to me and all the events that took place this past year that I am undeserving of and thankful for.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that I have been reading 1 Samuel for my devotions every morning. The 2nd chapter of 1 Samuel starts off with Hannah exalting God with praise and Thanksgiving and ultimately finding a happy heart in Him. I have been so convicted of how often I fail to find a happy heart in the Lord when I need to offer up things to Him instead of worrying and dwelling on them myself.

1 Samuel 2:1-2 says, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is none Holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness. I bless thee for the should thou hast created, for adoring it, sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil; for the body thou hast given me, for preserving its strength and vigour, for providing sense to enjoy delights, for the ease and freedom of my limbs, for social joy of relatives and friends, for ability to serve others, for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities, for opportunities of spreading happiness around, for loved one in the joys of heaven, for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly. I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures. Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity. –Valley of Vision-

Please join me as I give thanks to God for all He has given to me and done for me in this past year!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 79:13-“But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, we will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount you praise

He Givith More Grace

1 Peter 5:10-“’My grace is sufficient for you’. God, who is the ‘God of all grace’”

He givith more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more grace when the labours increase;
To added affliction he addeth his mercy,
To multiplied trials, his multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted out store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half doe;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has not limits; his grace has no measure,
His power has o boundary know unto me;
For out of his infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, ad giveth again.
-Annie Johnson Flint-

May I urge you to read this poem slowly, reflectively, and prayerfully. Apply its message to your own burdens, afflictions, and trials. Ask God to make its truth real to you in your particular situation. I have in my own life and it has helped me tremendously! Remember to always be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus!

“This is the amazing story of God’s grace. God saves us by His grace and transforms us more and more into the likeness of His Son by His Grace. In all our trials and afflictions, He sustains and strengthens us by His grace. He calls us by grace to perform our own unique function within the Body of Christ. Then, again by grace, He gives to each of us the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill our calling. As we serve Him He makes that service acceptable to Himself by grace, and then rewards us a hundredfold by grace.” Jerry Bridges

Daily Bible Verse:

Ephesians 3:8-9“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.”

Psalm 63

The Psalm below is A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Every time I read it I'm so convicted of how often I fail to give thanks to God when I am in trials.

Psalm 63:1-4
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the Sanctuary, Beholding you power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, My lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; In you name I will lift up my hands.”

Thank you Lord that your love never changes. May I be someone that rests in that truth today, and every day that I live. Please help me to always behold Your power and Your glory all the days of my life. Help me to be someone that looks up to you for strength in times of trouble; for Your grace is sufficient for all things.

From everlasting to everlasting praise, be to You!!!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 25:4-5-"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. "

I Stand In Awe

A picture from my awesome weekend!

Ok, so I know I said that I was going to do a snap shot of the book “Trusting God” once a week but, the group actually just started it last night. I wasn’t able to be there because I was in Gainesville. Since I already posted on chapter one last week I will pick back up on the chapters next week when we go through chapter two, “Is God in Control.” If you weren’t able to read the post I did on chapter one, “Can You Trust God?” You can check it out here

My prayer today is that I would remember the truth below and stand in awe of the beauty and majesty of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“I Stand in Awe”
VERSE 1
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above

CHORUS
And I stand I stand in awe of You
I stand I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

VERSE 2
You are beautiful beyond description
Yet God crushed You for my sin
In agony and deep affliction
Cut off that I might enter in
Who can grasp such tender compassion
Who can fathom this mercy so free
You are beautiful beyond description
Lamb of God who died for me

Psalm 15:11-13 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your Holy abode.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 62:8-“Trust in him at ALL times, O people; pour out you heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Be Thou My Vision

The hymn below has got to be one of my all time favorite hymns. Though I think it is much better with the soft and peaceful music in the background, it is very helpful for me to slowly read the lyrics without any distractions in the background. This hymn makes me so amazed of the grace that the Lord has so graciously bestowed upon me. When I listen to this hymn I am enlightened, fulfilled, and blessed by His goodness to me.


“Be Thou My Vision”
1. Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2. Be Thou my Wisdom,
Thou my true Word;I ever with Thee,
Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father,
I thy true son;Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5. High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befalls,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

There is no comfort in anything apart for enjoying thee and being engaged in thy service; Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me thou makest them, and no more. I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is, or should be in all respects. I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there. I long to make some return, but have nothing to offer, and can only rejoice that though doest all, but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to thee. ~Valley Of Vision~


I'll be back Monday, hope everyone has an outstanding weekend!!!

Daily Bible Verse:
Psalm 23:4- “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Future Grace

“We are commanded in no uncertain terms to be thankful. ‘And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts….and be thankful.’(Colossians 3:15) ‘In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’ (1Thessalonians 5:18), How can we not be thankful when we owe everything to God? We can’t even begin to pay him back, because Romans 11:35-36 says, ‘Who has given a gift to him that he [God] might be repaid? [Answer: nobody] ‘For from him and through and to him are all things. To him is the glory for ever.’ We can’t pay him back because he already owns all we have to give him. God does not like to have his grace nullified. He likes to have it glorified (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14) Gratitude looks back to grace received in the past and feels thankful. Faith looks forward to grace promised in the future and feels hopeful. 'Faith is the assurance of things hoped for'(Hebrews 11:1)” -John Piper-

Romans 8:32- “He who did not spare his own son but game him up for us all [past grace], how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? [Future grace]”

“Trusting In future grace is the enabling strength of our obedience. The more we trust in future grace is the enabling strength of our obedience. The more we trust in future grace, the more we give God the opportunity in our lives to show the glory of his inexhaustible grace. So take a promise of future grace and do some radical act of obedience on it. God will be mightily honored!” –John Piper-

I have been very convicted by John Piper's wise words. He has encouraged me to trust in future grace. Oh the depth of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only do we have his grace now, we have it forever! The song below always reminds me of God’s steadfast grace….

It was your grace that drew me to the cross
It was your grace that gave me faith
It was your grace that reconciled me to yourself
Though I had sinned in every way

In you alone my strength is found
In you alone my hope abounds
In you alone my strength is found
My life is bound up in you

And in my weakness give me still more grace
Grace to cast myself on you
In every trial let me find you peace and joy
Grace to humbly walk with you

Give me more grace O God
And new mercies every morning!

Father my prayer is that in my recent days of needing to trust you for the unknown that I would seek to know you more and find you as my strength. I have been so blessed by your love and mercy. I'm in awe of your beauty and majesty. Thank you for the grace you have poured out on such an undeserving sinner like me.

Daily Bible Verse:

Habakkuk 3:18-19-“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength!

Today’s Mercies for Today’s Troubles

Matthew 6:34-“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

“Trusting Christ today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow’s trust when tomorrow comes. God will not let his children be tested in any given day beyond what his mercy for that day will sustain. God’s mercies are new every morning because each day has enough mercy in it only for that day. This is why we tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow’s load on today’s resources. God wants us to know that we won’t. Today’s mercies are for today’s troubles. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow troubles.” –John Piper-

Lamentations 3:22-23-“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”

What truth! I don’t know about you but sometimes I wonder if I will have the mercy to stand in terrible testing. The answer is clearly yes! The problem is because of my sinful nature there are times when I worry about this too much. I fail to trust that God is sovereign and in control over ALL things. The thing of it all is I can’t recall one time in my life when God hasn’t been faithful to deliver me out of fear. Every time I have cried out to God for help, I have experienced His peace instead of worry. A quote that I have always loved and has helped me get through trying times is: “Two women looked through prison bars; one saw mud the other saw stars.”

“Day By Day”
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what he deems best
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest

Father I pray that when I’m faced with difficult circumstances that I would make you my blessed controller. Please help me to accept you ways, accept your outcome, and let my trust be in you alone. Give me grace not to look down at the mud, but to lift my eyes up to the stars!

Daily Bible Verse:

1 Corinthians 10:13-“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond you ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Chapter 1-Can You Trust God?

Psalm 50:15-“And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me.”

“Can you trust God?” “Do you have such a relationship with God and such a confidence in Him that you believe He is with you in your adversity even though you do not see any evidence of His presence and His power? It’s not easy to trust God in times of adversity. No one enjoys pain, and when it comes, we want it relieved as quickly as possible. Even the Apostle Paul pleaded with God three times to take away the thorn in his flesh before he finally found god’s grace to be sufficient. Joseph pleaded with Pharaoh’s cupbearer to ‘get me out of prison’”

Psalm 34:10-“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.”

“In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not of sense. And just as the faith of salvation comes through hearing the message of the gospel, so the faith to trust God in adversity comes through the Word of God alone.”

“The scriptures teach us three essential truths about God- truths we must believe if we are to trust Him in adversity.” They are:

1. God is completely sovereign.
2. God is infinite in wisdom.
3. God is perfect in love.

Remember that when we fail to trust God we doubt His sovereignty and question His goodness!

Father I pray that when I am in adverse circumstances I would find you as my strength and remember that you are completely sovereign, infinite in wisdom, and perfect in love. Give me grace to go through life as someone who turns to your Holy Word and trusts in your glorious sovereign plan for my life.

Daily Bible Verse:

Romans 11:23- “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Trusting God

I can’t believe that another month has gone by. It seems like just yesterday was October 1st. I am glad that the holidays are fast approaching. I love this time of the year as I get to enjoy being with my family and spend time in the kitchen with my mom cooking up hot pots of soup or fall dishes that normally aren’t made other times of the year.

Over the weekend I went to the Gator and had a bon fire with the singles from my Church on Saturday night and brought back some of our middle school days and played an interesting game of telephone, watched the Jags get a spanking on Sunday and then went and played volley ball in the freezing cold weather, followed by hot chocolate. Overall it was a great weekend filled with Gods grace. Here are a few pictures from the Gator game......




Well, Enough about that!

My singles group at Church is going through the book “Trusting God” by Jerry Bridges on Sunday nights. I’m not even through the first chapter yet and have already begun to be convicted of my lacking in the area of trusting God. Most of the time it’s easy for me to think I have my trust in God but, deep down inside, most of the time I’m not trusting Him. I thought it would be a good idea to do a re-cap of a chapter once a week.

Stay tuned for the upcoming posts!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 25:1-2-“To you, O Lord I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.

A Decision Has Been Made

For those of you who don’t know where I work, I work at a Brusters ice cream shop managing it for my dad. When my dad asked me to work for him it was hard for me to find joy agreeing to it. Mainly because I had my heart set on doing something in the field of interior decorating. I agreed to help get the business up and running until the first of the year.

Well… the Lord has changed my heart. My dad asked me a few weeks ago if I was going to be sticking around or leaving at the first of the year. Like I said above, at first, the idea of taking this job did not sound too fun to me. In fact, I didn’t like the idea at all! I didn’t find any joy in it what so ever! After going to many conferences the Lord has changed my heart! He showed me that my call right now is to be serving my family even though I don’t have my dream job. Sooo…. a few days ago I told my dad to count me in, I told him that as far as I know I’m going to be sticking around for as long as the Lord wills. Not only am I excited about serving my family but, it has been bringing me joy! What a testimony of God’s steadfast grace!

The Lord has been so faithful to answer my prayers as to where He wanted me in the season of life I’m in. I’m SO grateful to God for all He has and is doing in my life.

Thank you everyone who has faithfully been praying for me! The Lord has definitely answered your prayers. Glory is to God for all He has done!

I’ve included a picture of my dad, grandfather, and I, with the Bruce himself while in PA for our training….. Until Monday, have a great weekend! Oh, and GO GATORS!!!!




Heavenly Father, I am once again in awe of your steadfast love and mercy. Thank you for your faithfulness to answer my prayers and for turning my mourning into dancing. You alone deserve all the glory forever!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 30:11-12- “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Rising Early-Part 3-Some Helpful Tips

Here are some tips that The Girls have provided to better serve others in their daily fight to rise early that have helped me fight this battle tremendously….

1. Place your alarm clock in a strategic location, preferably on the other side of the room from your bed.

2. Set your alarm for the same time every day.

3. Never, never, never hit the snooze button or lie back down to catch a few more winks. The second your alarm goes off it is the most critical moment in getting up early.

4. Proceed directly to the coffee pot of caffeinated drink of choice.

5. Be prepared to feel absolutely miserable for about ten to fifteen minutes. But the misery soon turns into pure gladness as your experience the delight of meeting with God and reap the benefits the rest of the day. Fifteen minutes of misery is certainly worth fifteen-plus hours of peace and productivity.

6. Remember that our bodies eventually respond to a standard wake-up time. In other words, it gets easier.

Though I don’t think I’m going to go to the extreme of rising at 5am, I do think that I’m going to begin making better use of my time in the morning rather then using that time to sleep and rush out the door.

Hopefully this was all encouraging and convicting as it was to me!

Daily Bible Verse:

Ephesians 5:15-16-“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Rising Early Part 2-Putting It All To Practice

Before I go into part two of the three part series I'm doing on rising early, I wanted to let you all know of an interview with John Ensor, author of "Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart" on the Girl talk blog. In Part three of his interview He's been answering questions on the topic of what does it really mean to crack twigs?.....Since their have been many conversations on the topic of what it really means to crack twigs since Na I thought his wise words might be helpful to some. They were very helpful to me! You can check out the interview here. Enjoy!

Yesterday I went over why it is important to rise early and spend more time meditating on God’s word and enjoy being in His presence. Today I wanted explore different ways to put this to practice.

I’m not a morning person…..

Maybe you’re thinking, “I’m just not a morning person! I’ve tried before and I simply can’t get up early!”

The Mahaney Girls have once again convicted me by saying, “It doesn’t take a miracle. It requires discipline exercised in reliance upon God’s grace. And it might help if we dispel the myth of the morning person because there is no such thing!”

Martha Peace has some frank words for people who think they are not morning people….

“I have heard of people who pride themselves on being ‘night people’ that means they have trouble getting up in the morning because they come alive at night. They may stay up till all hours reading, watching TV, or pursuing some sort of interest. The next morning they are too tired to get up….. These people are not ‘night people.’ They are lazy and selfish. Who wouldn’t rather stay up late to do whatever they please and sleep late the next morning.”

I’m guilty! I’ve been that lazy and selfish person and continue to battle that temptation. I can testify that early morning time is definitely more profitable then my late-night hours.

I’ll wrap all this up tomorrow……

Daily Bible Verse:

Proverbs 10:28-“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish.”

Rising Early Part 1-Conviction

So I’ve been reading the book “Shopping for Time” by Carolyn Mahaney and her three married daughters. Which by the way is an outstandig book. They have challenged in the area of rising early. I have always had the tendency to have just enough time in the morning to get done the necessities and have a quick quiet time. I’ve decided I’m going to do a little three part series on why it is important to rise early because in reading their book I’ve been very convicted and I know it’s a battle that a lot of people face daily.

Well, a while back the Mahaney Girls created a club that they mentioned in their book called “The 5am Club.” This club was created simply to make better use of their time in the morning while being able to spend more time meditating on God’s word and enjoy being in His presence.

They ask the question, why morning? Here is some biblical encouragement as to why we should rise early to seek the Savior.

The palmist directs his prayer to the Lord in the morning and then watches for the answer….

Psalm 5:3-” O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”

Jesus himself rose early to pray….

Mark 1:35-“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went to a very desolate place, and there he prayed.”

John Piper offers this advice:

“I earnestly recommend that it be in the early morning, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, over his word and in prayer, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart… We replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the Word of God and prayer.”

To be continued tomorrow……

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 92:4-“For you O Lord, have made me glad by your word; at the works of your hands I sing for joy."

Draw Me Close

Last week at Church we sang the song “Draw Me Close.” As I stood there in worship I was deeply affected. The reason why I was so affected was because my prayer to God lately has almost been the exact same words as the song lyrics below, that He would draw me close to Him and that He would be my one and only desire.

“Draw Me Close”
Verse 1: Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I'm your friend
You are my desire
No one else will do
No one else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace
Help me find my way
Bring me back to you

Chorus:
You're all I want
You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want
Help me know YOU are near


God has been so faithful to me!

Daily Bible Verse:

Proverbs 12:20-“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.”

Cultivating a Joyful Heart Part 2

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. John Piper says, “If this is true, that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, then look what is at stake in the pursuit of joy. The glory of God is at stake. If we say that pursuing joy is not essential, we are saying that glorifying God is not essential.”

Wow! “If we say that pursuing joy is not essential, we are saying that glorifying God is not essential.” This was an eye opener for me. I had never thought of the fact that when I think pursuing joy is not essential, that means that ultimately I’m not glorifying God.

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

John Piper has once again reminded me that, “God created me so that I might spend eternity glorifying him forever. He also says that, “being satisfied in God is our calling and duty.”

How often have I failed to be delightfully satisfied in God. I have recently found that to get through life there is nothing more important then to have the joy of the Lord as my strength!

Father I pray that you would grant me the grace to have a long and lasting joy in you. I pray that I would be fulfilled by your grace with eyes fixed on the cross daily. Help me to realize that there is no reality more breathtaking then your son Jesus Christ!

Daily Bible Verse....

Psalm 66:1-2-“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!”

Cultivating a Joyful Heart part 1

If you’re like me, finding the joy of the Lord to be my strength can be difficult at times, especially when I’m in a busy season of life or just in a season of needing to trust God for the unknown.

John MacArthur has helped me realized how important it is to cultivate a joyful heart. He say’s…..

“Spiritual joy, on the other hand, is not an attitude on chance or circumstances. It is the deep and abiding confidence that, regardless of one’s circumstances in life, all is well between the believer and the Lord. No matter what difficulty, pain, or disappointment, failure, rejection, or other challenge one is facing, genuine joy remains because of the eternal well-being established by God’s grace in salvation. Thus, Scripture makes it clear that the fullest; most lasting and satisfying joy is derived from a true relationship with God. It is not based on circumstances or chance, but is the gracious and permanent possession of every child of God.”

When he said “regardless of one’s circumstances” I was convicted! It was like a dagger going right into my heart. How often have I failed to cultivate a joyful heart in the midst of trying times.

John Piper say’s that “Knowing God is the key to being happy in God.” I need to be reminded daily that to have my joy in the Lord is not just a gift, it’s a command!

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 51:12-"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."

Hello Friends!

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out my blog. Hopefully the posts will be encouraging and persistant. All posts are intended to serve others in your walk with the Lord, in order to bring glory to His Holy Name. Enjoy!

One thing I'm going to try to accomplish every day is to post a daily Bible verse that will hopefully be encouraging and uplifting to others.

What better time to start them now....

Nehemiah 8:10 "For this day is holy to our Lord, and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Holy Father, I pray that daily I would turn to you whenever I am grieved and as the spcripture says, "find the joy of the Lord as my strength." Thank you for you steadfast love and mercy your pour out on my undeserving life daily.

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