you've got mail.....

i am learning that nothing...NO thing is wasted, accidental, coincidence, or happenstance.....god is showing me just how big he is and how he has everything under {his} control and he is working it all out for my good and his glory. there are so many things that happen each day that i know he has sent to me or for me.  it is my job to pay attention and see what he is saying and what he wants me to do with it. just today....i met a friend for coffee at our neighborhood starbucks.  i had saved up my calories, money and caffeine intake to partake in a yummy pumpkin spice latte.  it was good ;)  while there we were sharing where we were in life.  we were both struggling with some of the fall out from divorce and men who choose another life than the one they had.  we weren't 'ex' bashing and we weren't angry...just telling it like it is.....there was this lady and a teen aged boy sitting next to us...and we are kinda in close quarters there.....as she got up, she asked if she could say some thing....we said sure....she said i hope i am not being rude or anything but that she overheard us talking and wanted to speak to us....she told her son to go to the car...ok...at that moment, i thought 'oh boy...we are fixing to get raked for something we said....' she said 'i heard you say that you were trusting god with child support and i heard you say that you were praying for your hurting children.....(again, I thought she was not happy with what her son had heard, maybe?)...then she said...i am going through a divorce and i would like to ask you to pray for me.'  i was shocked.  that anyone would think that i would have anything to offer someone who is in such pain.....

and then god spoke to my heart....he said...i didn't bring you to this place for your enjoyment.  yes, you thought so.  and you made room in your calendar for not only your friend and you, but this broken hearted woman.  i have opportunities all over the place for you like this...i just need you to pay attention....and listen......

i speak to you through every situation and every person you come in contact with.

of course we prayed for her!  and we exchanged information and i am praying that there is more interaction.

as my sweet hubby likes to say.....you have mail for me and i have mail for you....its up to us to open the letters and see what He is saying to us in them.

labels

I shared this with a special group of women this morning and know god told me to post it here, also.

i have been really struggling lately with who i am and what my purpose is.  i am reaching the season when my children don't need me {as much} and while i love, love , LOVE being at home, i know i have a call on my life and i also know i need to help with the family income.  not necessarily on a regular basis, but for when things come up....and with my family, a birthday is always coming up ;)

i have been truly, abundantly blessed with the ability to do many things.  i have a heart to serve and work with women.  i have a heart to see and highlight beauty--whether through photography, the written word, the healing of a wounded heart, the light of recognition and peace in the eyes of a child who has been a bit rebellious.....through food, through laughter, through cups of coffee, through a beautiful room.

i have found myself questioning what i am to be 'doing'.  what 'my life call' is.  just yesterday, i got a call from someone who wanted to talk to me about my resume that i had recently submitted.  i got all excited and as i hung up, i felt this overwhelming need to know if 'this was it'...if THIS is what i have been called to.  i started crying out to God.....

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??????  WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO???????

the next thing.

what?????

the next thing.  all i am asking you to do is the next thing.

this morning as i was waking up, i heard this phrase again...the next thing.  i asked--what does that mean?

you want a job, you want a name, you want a title, you want a label.  you want a plan...you want to know....i have no labels for you.  you are my child.  i have gifted you with what i want you to have for the reasons that only i know of.  rest in that.  be at peace.  know that i am leading you and as long as you are willing to follow, there are no mistakes.  there are no wasted days.

ok...i have to say here...i have felt feel that there are many days that i sit at home and read, listen to my worship music, look at pictures, talk to a friend.  and on those days, i feel i have wasted them.  i have to fight the lie that i am lazy--see my post on strongholds--(and for future reference: i will be posting about what to do once you realize you have believed a lie.....)

so to hear god speak that what i am doing is exactly what he has called me to do and that i am not wasting days is a HUGE brain twist.  now.  my heart so hears it and just sings to hear it....but the world....my tie to the world and what it might think of me really gets in the way.....

so, as i was reflecting on this truth, he brought back a post i did a ways back.....you can read it here.....and it brings it all back into perspective.

so, as i wrestle with who i am and what my job is, this picture came across my computer.  i love it.  it represents who i am in god's eyes.....

come, sit.....

IMG_6880

i don't know about you, but since school has started, my life has spun. out. of. control.  with all the paperwork that needs signing (didn't I do that at the END of the year, so that I wouldn't have this problem again?), all the checks that need to be written (I thought my TAX dollars were paying for this), all the scheduling that needs to happen with 8 individuals and 8 separate yet overlapping lives.  not only that, but I am leaving to shoot an out of town wedding.  not only THAT, but i will be leaving 6 kids to get to school on their own for 2 days....i know they can do it, but as a mom......and, i was so reassured by one of my teens....she said "no offense mom, but you really don't do that much"....wow.

my head is spinning with all the to-dos....i am losing sleep over all the check lists...i hope {not pray} that I am not the only one and others know what that is like....

this morning....God called and said....come.  sit with me a while...let me just hold you....let me tell you what to do today.....and of course, I started to tell HIM all that needed to be done and why I just didn't have time for a cup of coffee with Him....ah....

he brought this picture to mind....he said......sit....pretend you are at the beach, listening to the waves....drink your coffee and smell the ocean breeze....take a deep breath....breathe.....and rest in me.....I AM the way....I AM the truth....I AM the life.....trust me with all of it....

linked today with chatting at the sky,  sweet shot tuesday, steady mom and so much shouting, so much laughter

riptides

Isaiah 30:15 in quietness and rest is your salvation..... Our family recently went on a beach vacation. Along with the talks of watching out for sharks and jelly fish were the constant instructions and reminders of what to do if you get caught in a rip tide.  Not a pleasant thought, but a necessary thing to do.  We went over and over the fact that you may feel like you are drowning and you may feel the need to swim as hard as you can, in actuality, those things are not true and could bring further danger.  I told the kids how to lay back and let the current take them out of the ripe tide and that the best thing to do is to relax and go with the waves until they were out of it and they could swim easily back to shore.  Thankfully, we never have encountered a rip tide.

I am in a difficult situation right now.  I am floundering in many ways....wanting to hear from God~about direction, dreams, passions, healing~you name it, i am wandering......I was on my walk this morning and I got a picture of me in a rip tide flailing around trying to save myself and get out of the waves...I was thrashing about, with my arms up, head spinning and fighting as hard as I could.... instantly the teachings I had been giving my children just several weeks ago came back like thunder....God spoke and said you are doing exactly what you have told your children not to do in this situation....lay back, let ME carry you out of the tide, let ME carry you out of the crashing waves.  It is a picture of peace, of rest, of waiting on God.  This goes against our very nature when we feel like we are drowning....we want to fight with all we have....when our salvation comes in resting and waiting for the waves to calm. submitted to chattingatthesky.com

be still and know that he is god......

have you ever tried to be still?  it is the ONLY way i can hear god.  one of my favorite scriptures is about how god is not in the earthquake and he is not in the fire, but he is in the gentle whisper.  I LOVE that....i expect god to speak loudly--and sometimes he does--but mostly, he speaks when i get still and press into him in my heart.  we are on a family vacation right now and i am reminded of how much planning for and taking a vacation is like purposing to have time with him....we plan far ahead so that we have saved enough money, we have to make reservations far ahead so that we get a place large enough (that we can afford) to house all of us.  I plan the food, shop, prepare the food, make sure everyone had a swimsuit--YIKES!  Then there is the packing, loading and driving...making sure everyone has enough to keep them occupied for the 13+ hour trip to the gulf.  once here, it is unpacking, cooking, keeping up with the laundry, keeping the kids safe, etc....so...if i allow this to consume me, I never get to be still and relax.  it takes so much work for us to go on vacation--just as it takes work for me to have time to be still...i have to prepare...me, my family, the day...so many things can pull on me to keep me from it....the enemy knows how to attack in this area (as I am sure he knows your weak spots) :)....i know that when i have purposed to do this....take the time to prepare to have some quiet, still time with HIM, then HE is faithful to meet me....oh, he meets me in the chaos, too...but this is where he wants me....still and quiet...in my heart...when everything else is swirling around me...it just takes work...