God's Perfect Timing

I've recently began adding Proverbs 31 Ministries to my daily devotional content. Today's devotional really spoke to me. It was about God's perfect timing. At the end of each devotional, they have a reflection piece. I usually don't do the reflection piece. However, today I couldn't help but do it. As I'm typing it, I knew it immediately needed to go on this blog.
Today's reflection:
"Can you think of an instance in your life when waiting on God's perfect timing proved His plans were better than your own?"

I'm sure there are several things in my life that worked out better on God's time than I realize. The one that sticks in my mind is meeting my husband. Growing up, I never had boyfriends or dates. I've always been on the heavy side. Let's face it, most boys just aren't that into that. It wasn't until I was about 17 (and much thinner) that boys started taking an interest in me. I met a boy when I was 16 at the place we both worked. At first glance, I wasn't attracted to him at all. Over time, that attraction grew. It grew so much that I developed a huge thing for him. Oh, how I tried and tried to catch his attention. One of his friends at work mentioned to me that he likes girls that are chill; ones that he can hang with as a friend, but still be attracted to. Basically, quit trying so hard. Play hard to get. So not my style! To make a really long story short, I eventually did get his attention, and we had a complicated "relationship" for about 7 years.

We were never exclusive in our relationship. He ended up going away to college while I stayed and went to college locally. We would hang out occasionally when he came back home for visits. I had a couple of boyfriends during college....nothing serious at all. I just always kept coming back to him. I just couldn't understand why he wasn't on the same page. Then I moved away. Well, he actually came to visit me in my new place. I thought for sure that meant that he was starting to feel more since he would visit me in a place where he didn't have family. Still, no commitment. We were both still in school, so I didn't stress it so much. Still, in the back of my 22 year old mind I couldn't help but feel  like I'd never find my future husband.

At 23, that changed. I was ordering some meat from the deli one day, and this really cute guy was getting my order. I could go on about that, but that's a whole other post in itself (which I've written). At 23 I met my husband behind a deli counter. Talk about customer service! It did take a few months to get things going, but once they started it was all systems go. We were perfect for each other. We officially starting dating in May. We were looking at rings in August. Engaged by November. Married that following July. God was simply telling me at 22 I was not ready. By the time I got married, I had finished grad school and gotten my first professional job. I was ready. God knew that.

Now almost 7 years later, I'm faced with another waiting dilemma: becoming a mom. A couple of years ago we thought it was the time, but God told us "not yet." We're still waiting. It's hard. It's heartbreaking. It's frustrating. I know it's my job to stay faithful and continue in prayer because God makes all things good in HIS time.....not mine. A sweet friend at work who is pregnant after having difficulty for a long time gave me this devotional book:

I can't wait to dive in a start reading this. She said it was a huge help to her, so I know that I will reap it's benefits, too. 

Colossians 4:2 says: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

I'm thankful for the blessing God brought me almost 7 years ago. This man has been a blessing in my life in so many ways. 

Priorities and Perception

Have you really stopped to think about how you prioritize your life? I mean, I guess in the back of my mind I know what is important to me. However, when I really stop and think about what I do in a day in my life and how I spend my time, does that give an accurate reflection of what my priorities really are?

I got one of the best "thank you" notes the other day from a former coworker who is lucky enough to have reached retirement. In this letter, she wrote about each member of our first grade "Dream Team" and what she liked most about each of us. She sent us all a copy of the same letter so we could see what she thought about each one of us. It is very interesting to read how someone else perceives you as a person, including all your quirks and attitudes. I thought about titling this post "How Do Others See You?" or "What Are Our Priorities?" but I guess my job as a writer is to merge both my points together, hence the final title.....#writerprobz

1. The first observation she makes about me is my need for consistency and organization in my life. She couldn't be more right. Pretty much everyone who spends time with me quickly learns that everything I own has its place. My friends would mess with me when I was younger and move a few things around on my night stand or make the doily crooked just to see my reaction. Of course, I would immediately fix any discrepancies upon discovery (which they found highly amusing). She made the  joke about how I brought a salad to lunch everyday. I did....for a while. I do like consistency because it allows for easier planning. I also like to think I'm efficient; therefore, being consistent helps with efficiency. That's not to mean that I can't be flexible....I can, it just depends on the overall circumstances (and I don't promise to handle it well). A person like that must make time for study and personal growth, right? WRONG! It took me a while to realize that I needed to schedule that part of my life, too. That means waking up a few minutes earlier so I can start my day with Bible reading and study. A friend posed a question on social media that really made me rethink my priorities: "what if we spent as much time studying God's word as we did on social media?" Wow! Talk about eye opening! What if we spent the first minutes of our day in God's word instead of social media? So, since then I've been trying to do that. I have been pretty successful on most days. I've even researched and found different books and blog posts to help me in this endeavor. I'm always looking for more.....
2. The second observation she makes is that I think time with friends/coworkers is important. She recounts one of the first days we'd known each other where I fuss at her for working in her room instead of eating lunch with the team. I made the point that she only got 20 minutes of work done. Surely you can spare 20 minutes of work to give yourself a break and bond with your team. I like to be diligent and get things done just as much as the next person; however, I also know the importance of giving yourself a break to enjoy other things. I've been extremely blessed these past few years to work with women I enjoy spending time with. I don't know how I'd survive teaching without these women. I think it's important to foster those relationships whenever you can. Don't let "work" be all consuming. You can spare a few minutes to give yourself a break.
3. The next point she makes is about my teaching ability. Sometimes we, as humans, need validation. It's nice to hear, especially from someone who has been in the field and has a wealth of knowledge, that you're doing a great job. No matter what we do in life, we should make sure we are doing it well. I'm blessed with a career I chose and am passionate about. That does not mean that everyday is a walk in the park. Just ask any teacher, they'll concur. Make sure one of your priorities is doing your job well.
4. One of my favorite observations is the one where she states: "I like that you put your faith and your husband first. That you appreciate the time you spend with Cooper and you don't let school work take over your life. Never let a 'job' be the priority in your life." Wow! It was this statement that inspired me to write this post. You always hear sermons where they make you think about how you live your life outside the church building. Those always make you think. Sometimes I'm not always sure if what I'm doing during the week reflects my thoughts and beliefs. I'm thankful that someone sees Christ and my faith in me. OK, maybe some of my priorities are in the right spot. I try not to work late on Wednesday nights since I have Bible study. If I'm teaching a Bible class that quarter, I try not to overwhelm myself with work. I love that someone notices the love I have for my husband and how much we love each other. We try to do as much together as possible while we don't have children. His parents are always joking about how we still act like newlyweds. Well, if after 5 years of marriage we still act like it's been 5 months.....I take it that we're doing something right. I totally agree with her statement about not letting a "job" be the priority in your life. I see people all the time that work, work, work. They may have the best of intentions to provide for their family. However, if you're making all that money but have no time to enjoy it with the ones who matter most, what good does it do you? One of my priorities is to be thankful for the blessing of a job I love that God has provided me. Also, I need to remember that he has provided other blessings in my life that he wants me to enjoy. One of my favorite passages: Matthew 6:25-34 talks about how God takes care of the birds and all his creation. He will take care of us, too. Verses 33-34 are my favorite: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (ESV)."
5. I set boundaries. She was referring to my students in the classroom, but I believe one must set boundaries in their everyday life. In my first point, I made myself set a boundary to spend time in God's Word first thing in the morning. I also need to set a boundary to exercise first thing in the morning (this boundary has been known to waver from time to time). Set boundaries for what you put in your body. Set boundaries for how long you will work. I do my best to leave work no later than 4:00, and usually I'm out of there by 3:45 unless I have a meeting. Boundaries are just as important to adults as they are to children.
6. Finally, be who you are and be proud of it. I understand some people may take this phrase to the extreme. However, I try not to make apologies for who I am. I realize that I have flaws. I apologize for the offense those flaws may cause, and I try to work on them on a consistent basis. But, they do make up my personality as a whole. I wouldn't be me without my flaws. Sometimes you have to embrace those flaws and make them work. I can be overly persistent and impatient. That's a flaw. However, it's useful when things need to get done on a schedule. I make it work. I try to tweak my flaws so I don't cause others any stress. I'm not always successful. I'm proud that I'm a Christian (I don't always act like I should, but I'm a work in progress). I'm proud that I'm goofy and random. I'm proud to be a square (organized, scheduled, routined). I'm a proud wife. I'm a proud teacher. This is me!

It's a long post. I leave you with 2 questions to consider:

• What are your priorities?
• How do other perceive you?

Think about it.....you may be surprised at what you discover!

*This post was inspired by Sue Joseph-one of the most wonderful women I've met. I'm a better person for knowing her and a better teacher for having had the privilege (however short it was) to work with her.

In the Face of Trials

As I was reading my daily devotional from "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian, I came across a few verses in today's devotional that really hit home. Today's prayer and devotional was praying for your husband and his trials. We all go through trials; that's no secret. There is not a single one of us who has a problem-free life. What sets us apart, is how we deal with those trials when they come our way and what our attitude is towards them and those that surround us. To some, it seems crazy to be thankful for your trials; however, as Christians, if we come to God in thankfulness and praise he will bring good things to us. These trials can be a learning experience and a means to make us turn back to God. I bookmarked in my Bible the verse that shows us this....James 1:2-3- "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (ESV)" Steadfastness.....or patience. There's the old joke out there that you should never pray for patience because you may not like the way God chooses to help you practice that patience. God doesn't just give us patience on a silver platter. No, patience has to be practiced and learned. Trials are the way to learn said patience and put it into practice. It's a way to make us turn to God and seek him. Think about it: when we go through tragedies, what's the first thing most people do? They pray. Why? Because they hope God is listening and will intervene on their behalf. It never occurs to some that they can be taught something from their experiences. God always listens. He just doesn't always answer in the way we think he should. We seem to think our way is the best way. I've been guilty of this on more than one occasion. Omartian said something in today's reading that really made me think: "...if we never suffered anything, what kind of shallow, compassionless, impatient people would we be? But prayer can help us maintain a positive outlook of gratitude, hope, patience, and peace in the midst of it..." It also makes me think of a scene in one of my favorite movies, "A Walk to Remember," where Landon is telling Jamie that he has no faith because of all the bad things that happen in the world. She then replies that without suffering, there'd be no compassion. His reply: "Yeah, well tell that to those who suffer." He didn't know at the time that she was suffering from Leukemia. See, that's the viewpoint some take. Bad things happen to good and bad people alike. The reverse is true, too. Another verse I love: Romans 8:28- "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (ESV)." I do not believe we stay in a constant state of suffering. Another good, old saying: "If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it."

I've had many trials in my short 30 years on this earth. The one that glaringly sticks out to me as one of the hardest times in my life happened just 2 years ago. Wanting to be a mother all my life, I was overjoyed to find out I was pregnant. Even more so, when I found out I was pregnant with twins. My joy was short lived as I miscarried at 10 weeks. In these past 2 years it's been a struggle for me to get pregnant. I've been frustrated with my husband and frustrated with myself. I had a difficult time, at first, trying to understand what I did wrong to have what I've always wanted ripped away from me. It took me a while to realize that I hadn't done anything wrong. I wasn't being punished. It's life, and stuff like that happens....even to good people. It made me very reflective. I really think it was then that I started seeking the Lord in a more intentional manner. I struggled in my marriage that first year or so after the miscarriage. I just couldn't understand why we couldn't get back on the same page and conceive again! Over time, I began to see some things I could learn from my experience. Compassion was definitely something I learned. I had another friend who was going through the same thing at about the same time. I've had friends seek children through adoption, only to have it fall through time and time again. I've seen other women I know struggle with trying to conceive, even after being told that it would never happen. I even had a dear friend give birth to a baby that only survived 19 hours. Knowing that these "good" people were hurting like I was hurting taught me something. It's this thing called life, and it happens to everyone. Since then, I've been shown the glory of God in the way he's worked in the lives of these women I know. He's blessed a few through adoption, and he's blessed some with biological children who were told "no" by doctors several times. See, God does work for good for those that love him and seek him.

I also had to let go of some bitterness that I had when those who I thought were "undeserving" of children became parents before me. Who am I to judge when someone has a right to become a parent? I'm not proud of those moments. However, they're part of my growing process. What's happened since this experience? Well, I've been actively reading the Word daily and reading devotional content on blogs and books. I've been focusing on making my marriage stronger. One of my good friends, who just happens to be a new mom, said that you really need a strong marriage to have kids. My husband and I have been working on becoming stronger as a couple, so that when we are blessed with children (notice I said "when", not "if") we can face the challenges of parenting together as a team. We spend a lot of time together doing "life." We enjoy taking painting classes together and displaying our work around our home. We've done a lot of traveling. It was after this experience that we decided that until we have children, we will allow ourselves one extravagant vacation each year. A few weeks ago, a friend at school stopped on her way out for lunch and prayed with me and another friend. I asked her to pray over my marriage, that my husband and I might be on the same page and the Lord will bless us with a child. Since that day, something changed in my marriage. I truly feel that our prayer was answered.

It's with all this that I leave you with two more verses:
Romans 12:12- "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (ESV)."
Romans 5: 3-4- "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (ESV)."

Ok, so I found 2 more verses having to do with how we should pray....
Mark 11:24- "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (ESV)."
James 1:6-8- "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (ESV)." 

Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control

When I hear the word “self-control,” I automatically think of being in control of one’s self. It seems like simple concept to be in control of one’s own thoughts, words, and actions. It’s actually one of the hardest things for us as humans to do. Everything we do in our lives requires self-control to one degree or another.

There are 18 verses in the Bible that mention self-control. All, except one verse, are found in the New Testament. The majority of these verses deal with having self-control in regard to sexual immorality. This is a very difficult area for all people to exercise self-control. This is especially true in today’s society where we are constantly bombarded with images, speech, and music that promote all varieties of sexual immorality. Self-control is mentioned four times in Titus chapter 2. In this chapter, Paul is giving instructions to groups of people on what characteristics they should have and how to teach sound doctrine. He addresses older/younger men, older/younger women, and bondservants. He issues a special charge to older women to instruct the younger women to be self-controlled and pure, loving their husbands and children. Paul gives these instructions on how to act so that no one may find cause to doubt these people teaching the doctrine of Christ. All these traits and behaviors are what we, as Christians, should have. By having these traits and demonstrating these behaviors in Titus chapter 2, those who know us should never doubt that we are a child of God. In 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1, self-control is listed among the qualifications for those who are overseers of the church. In 1 Timothy 2:9, women are instructed to dress with self-control and to exercise modesty. Apparel can become a stumbling block to others. Women should be adorned with what professes godliness. In 1 Corinthians 7, self-control is mentioned in the marriage relationship. Paul instructs married couples to engage in intimacy and not deprive one another so that Satan cannot tempt them due to lack of self-control. We see this too often in today’s society. Spouses drift apart physically and emotionally and seek comfort from another. That is a lack of self-control. Having self-control over one’s own desires is very difficult. If we lack self-control, we become selfish. We are seeking to satisfy our desires no matter the outcome. To avoid sexual immorality, Paul instructs those who cannot exercise self-control to marry so they do not “burn with passion” in 1 Corinthians 7:9.

There are other areas on our lives where we must exercise self-control. We must exercise self-control with our temper. This is difficult for many people. When we let others affect the way we respond to certain actions, we lose our self-control. We often say things in the heat of the moment that cannot be taken back. Words hurt and they are permanent. You cannot un-hear something that is said to you. Self-control in this instance takes on the meaning of restraint. When we are angered by something or someone, we must keep our anger in check. Matthew 5:39 says “….but if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” It takes self-control to not respond in a way that will harm someone else. Human nature wants to take immediate revenge on the one who hurt us. We must rise above that temptation and remain in control of our thoughts and actions. Ephesians 4:26 tells us “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Anger is a natural human emotion, but the response to the anger is what can be sinful. The tongue is the most dangerous part of the body. It can do a lot of damage. The first 12 verses of James 3 talk about the dangers the tongue can cause. Verse 8 says “but no human can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” If it cannot be tamed, it must be controlled.

If you are an athlete, you must have self-control to train your body to endure the sport and/or event you are training for. You must eat healthy and engage in rigorous physical activity. An athlete also must have control over their mind. They have to discipline their selves to commit to the diet and exercise routine that helps prepare them for their event. This self-control helps the athlete train to win a reward. 1 Corinthians 9:25 states “every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” The things we do to exercise self-control in this world to obtain something physical does not compare to what we will win if we exercise the self-control over our behaviors that will get us into heaven.

Proverbs 25:28 says “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” When we lack self-control, we leave ourselves open to Satan’s influences. We will do or say anything to get that instant satisfaction that we are seeking. It could be something as small as saying “yes” to that extra piece of cake. Or, it could be the sin of sexual immorality in whatever form is attractive. When we are unable to control ourselves, we lose our defense against Satan’s temptations. Self-control is a gift from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 says “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” God gave us free will, but he also gave us the ability to exercise self-control with that free will. 

Faith: A Lesson in Waiting

 Lately I've been reading a lot of blogs that are devotionals designed to help me become a better wife and a better woman of God. I've found a great blog that has daily devotionals. It covers different topics. I just finished up a study of 1 & 2 Timothy. I am currently studying the Fruit of the Spirit. Check out one of my favorite new blogs here!

A couple of days ago the particular "fruit" of the day was patience (read the post here). This has been a life long struggle for me. I am not a patient person. I tend to want things done my way...right now! I like to plan things out and know what's going on down to the very last detail. (My mother-in-law loves to tease me about this particular personality trait all the time). This is not always a bad thing, however. It's when I start to expect my life to turn out the way I think it should and be on my particular time table that it becomes a problem. Many people have to continually tell me, "Everything's in God's timing!" Deep down, I know this to be true. I know that He knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I need and when I need it. A couple of months ago I found this article that someone had shared on Facebook. Usually I skip right over these unless the title really draws me in. When I first read it, I initially intended to write about it here, but time got away from me and I forgot. Then a couple of days ago someone else shared the same article. Then another blogger I follow shared two verses that went hand-in-hand with the same thought. When you add that to what I've been struggling with on and off for the past 2 years, well......it's time to journal (blog) those thoughts.

Check out the article that I'm referring to here.

How do we feel when God makes us wait? If you're like me and patience is something you struggle with, it makes you feel anxious and worried that you'll never have your heart's desire. One of my favorite lines in this article is: 

 "If he is telling you 'no' today, maybe it's because he has a better 'yes' for you tomorrow."

Almost 2 years ago I miscarried twins. I thought I was finally getting that "Yes" from God when I found out I was pregnant. Then just 10 short weeks later, they were gone. It was not they "yes" moment I had hoped for. The two years of trying since have brought disappointment and frustration. I keep running into "NO!" Each time I found out someone in my life was pregnant, I felt the pain resurface. Sure, I would eventually be happy for them.....but the pain would be there. Along with the pain would come the questions: Why not me? When will it be my turn? Sometimes I would think that maybe it was God's way of telling me that I was not quite ready to take on the role of "mom." A couple of months ago it occurred to me that I should probably try to become a better woman of God and wife to my husband if I ever want to succeed in the mom department. I had to change me before I could expect anything to happen. Change had to happen with me first before my marriage and relationship with my husband could support being parents. I'm still a work in progress, but I've definitely seen changes and improvements. Each morning I read a portion of God's word from one of my Bible plans and from my devotional on the blogs I follow. Last Friday, a sweet lady at work prayed for me with another friend at work. She prayed for my marriage and our desire to be parents. She prayed that I first be cleansed so that I may serve the Lord and fulfill His purpose for me. I feel God's presence in our marriage. I just need to keep in mind that during life's "waiting periods" that my faith must remain strong because He knows what's best, and it doesn't always fall into place with what I think is best. When I read James 1:6-8, verse 7 says "for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord..." "That person" is one who doubts and is without faith. Well, I definitely do NOT want to be that person. 

I have several verses bookmarked in my Bible that deal with waiting on the Lord's timing and having faith that He will do what is best for you. My goal is to continue to spend time in God's word daily and learn what I can do to further His purpose for my life. I also continue to strive to be a better wife for my wonderful husband. Those who know me, know I LOVE my husband. He is one of a kind. I want to help build him up and encourage him to be the husband he strives to be. Together, with God at the center of our marriage, we will have the type of relationship God desires of us. Hopefully one day God will bless that relationship with children!

Sing and Be Happy

This post is taken from an article I wrote sometime last year for our church's quarterly publication:

Sing and be happy! When I think of the two words individually, “sing” and “happy,” I think they are one in the same. As humans, we are wired for music. Music is pleasing to the ear. We all may have different tastes when it comes to music, but generally people as a whole appreciate music in and of itself. As a young girl, I have always loved music and singing. Growing up in the church it was, and still is, one of my favorite acts of worship. I would sing along in Bible class and eventually begin singing familiar hymns during the worship service. Anytime the doors were open for a song service, I wanted to be there. Music has always been my go-to “therapy” when I needed some relief. No matter what was happening in my life, listening to music and singing along took away all cares. The song “Sing and Be Happy” is a song about singing to take away cares and put your focus on spiritual blessings and gain, rather than worldly gain.

          The Psalm quoted underneath the song title in the hymnal is Psalm 100:2: “Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing” (NKJV). This serves as a general verse for the song, but the song itself is about turning to the Lord when you feel troubled and tired, when you are discouraged. As I read the words, I see the deeper meaning of keeping your focus on Heaven, and not on worldly possessions. There are many of us who may wonder why those living in sin are blessed with worldly gain when we are struggling to get by. Jesus says to us in Mark 4:19-20 that the cares of the world and the desire for other things chokes the word. However, those that hear the word and accept it will be fruitful. We have been blessed, and should not desire more earthly gain because it takes our focus away from the Lord. Those that love the world and the things in the world do not have the love of the Father in them, 1 John 2:15.

 Ephesians 1:3 says that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We must not forget that our true reward is the home in Heaven we will receive if we continue to walk in God’s light and do what he commands of us. We need to have trust in our Lord that he will see us through our troubles and trials. The last phrase in the third verse of the song states: “If we hope and trust Him each day, we shall have pleasures untold.”

          Singing praises to our Lord does not only uplift us, but our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Ephesians 5:19-21 gives us the commandment to sing spiritual songs and hymns to one another and make melody in our heart to the Lord. Our song service should be one that uplifts our brethren and pleases the Lord. Our minds must be clear and ready to accept the words of the song so that it will be pleasing to our Lord. If we can do these things, then we should all be able to sing and be happy. My favorite verse that helps me remember to put away the cares of the world and lean on God for strength and reassurance is Matthew 6:33-34: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (ESV). When we lean on the Lord for our strength and go to him in prayer, he will ease our troubles. “Take new courage we cannot tell what the morrow may bring, when the dark clouds vanish away then your heart truly can sing” (Sing and Be Happy, Emory S. Peck).

When my head has so many thoughts I feel I might burst....I BLOG!!!!

As far back as I can remember I went to church. I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't part of a church family. It was understood in my family growing up that we went to church on Sundays. Now as an adult, I make the personal choice to worship the Lord anytime I have the opportunity. I went through my "I don't want to go to church" phase as a teen and young adult. I think, to some degree, if you are raised in the church you go through something similar at some point in your life. I guess, for me, it was simply just curiosity of having the choice and wondering what I would do. That happened to me when I turned 22 and moved away from my family to a place where I didn't know anyone. I uprooted my life as I knew it the past 22 years and just started over. It was exhilarating to know I could start over and re-invent myself. I know many young adults dream of doing this, but few get the opportunity. Deep down I knew I would never "quit" going to church because it was so deeply rooted in my being. However, I was looking for someplace where I could get lost in the crowd. I found a great church close to where I lived and quickly made new friends. These friends were all at least 10+ years older than me, but they kept me accountable. It wasn't until I started working at the grocery store and making other friends that I started to venture off the path. It was a test that I failed at for a year or two. Then in the spring of 2009 I met my husband. I didn't even meet him in the church. He was a good guy who treated me right and started going to church with me. He was eventually baptized into the church before we were married in the summer of 2010. We knew that we wanted to find a church family that was close to where we were living so we could be active in worshiping the Lord together. We have since found that church family and are currently very happy worshiping and working with them.

In the past few years I've been struggling with reading, studying, and praying outside of the church building. I start the year saying, "Yes, this year I will stick to this daily Bible reading plan!" Yeah, ask me how that is going......Sure, I can read the passages that it says to read for the day. I just feel that I'm reading it just to say "I've read the Bible today." The months where I teach Bible class it's easier because I'm reading and studying my lessons to teach the kids. I've recently found out about myself that I do so much better with topical studies. I tend to gravitate toward Bible classes that focus on a topic rather than a particular book in the Bible. I just need to relate what I'm reading to an aspect in my daily life. So I started browsing Bible plans on my Bible app on my phone. Say what you will about electronic Bibles, but these reading plans have helped me be accountable about what I'm reading and have helped me really think about what I'm reading. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. What I've started doing is bookmarking verses that really speak to me. I've got them "highlighted" in my electronic Bible so I can go back to them whenever I want. I don't just do this when I'm doing my daily reading plans, but also during sermons and even social media posts. I completed my first reading plan a few days ago and have since started 2 new plans that I'm reading at the same time. There are numerous plans to choose from about a variety of topics. If you're looking for a good Bible app, I use the YouVersion app of the Holy Bible. You can read it in any translation you like and go back and forth between different translations. I've experimented with different apps, and this is by far my favorite.

I've got several blogs that I do, but I wanted one to share my thoughts on verses that speak to me and/or songs that are special to me. I just have all these thoughts running through my head about a particular verse, passage, or even song and I feel like I'll burst if I don't share it. My goal is to post once a week, but I'm human and don't always achieve my desired goals. Also, if you have a favorite verse, passage, or song please share in the comments. I'm always looking to add to my selection.