Sun, 20 May 2012 17:20:54 -0500WeeblyThu, 26 Apr 2012 00:01:02 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/04/grace-grace-amazing-grace.html“Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king.  He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.  He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. (II Kings 18:1-6 NASB)

Did you catch the part where it says that there were no kings like Hezekiah….either before or after him? You can read all about him in II Kings and II Chronicles. His father was a very evil king but Hezekiah turned everything around for Judah. Surely a Godly king would raise a Godly son, right?

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.  For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.  He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”  For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.  He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.  Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;  and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses.”  Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. (II Chronicles 33:1-9 NASB)

What happened? He had a Godly father, he was raised right…but he rebelled and he took the nation with him.  The worship of those idols would have required child sacrifice, orgies, and just about every type of evil you can imagine.

Well, Pam, where is God’s grace in all of this, you might ask….read the rest of the passage:

“The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.  Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.  When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.  When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.” (vs. 10-13)

God judge Manasseh’s sin and he was taken prisoner by the Assyrians. The Assyrians were known for their brutality…I can guarantee you that this was not a good time for Manasseh! But his response was to repent and turn back to God….back to the God of his father.

This is so encouraging! I don’t know where you are at right now…what your circumstances are but I do know this God’s grace is sufficient. Do you feel like you have strayed too far from God for Him to forgive? He forgave Manasseh, he forgave me…His grace is sufficient. Do you have a child who has strayed far from God? God’s grace is sufficient for your child if he turns and repents and for you as you seek God’s comfort and help in this time!

Grace, grace, amazing grace….oh how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

]]>Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:59:03 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/04/when-the-rubber-meets-the-roadpast-present-and-future.htmlI’ve been reminded many times over the past few months how hard it can be when the theology you have been teaching suddenly becomes something that you have to live out. It is the time when your head knowledge has to grow feet, you have to go somewhere and do something. For example, think about taking a class in sky diving. I imagine (and that is all I will ever do!) that you spend some time in a classroom learning about the mechanics of how to put on a parachute, how the parachute works, when to pull the cord, how to exit the plane…etc. But at some point you are going to get into a plane that you will not be in when it lands. You are going to go up…way up, and then you are going to stand at the open door, look down, and jump!

 A dear family friend gave me a series of books, the first two or three of which are a dramatized story of King Hezekiah’s reign. Hezekiah’s father was an evil king of the southern kingdom of Judah but when Hezekiah became king he led the nation to repent of the idol worship that had taken place. He cleaned out the temple and reestablished the worship of the one true God.  His father had made the awful and sinful decision to align himself and the kingdom with the evil nation of Assyria. Hezekiah knew that this was wrong so he stepped out in faith and believed that God would protect and bless the nation as they obeyed. This was a bold decision but one that did not have any immediate negative consequences. In fact, God honored His covenant and began to bless the nation once again. Several years of prosperity later the Assyrians are on the move and headed right for tiny Judah. They had brutally conquered, pillaged, and taken into slavery every nation that has stood in their path including the northern ten tribes of Israel.

Messengers arrive from Assyria to …..well basically, scare Hezekiah into submitting again to Assyria’s control. Look at 2 Kings 19:1-4 (NASB)

And when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD.  Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.  They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver.

This is where the rubber meets the road for Hezekiah. Stepping out in faith is one thing but now the lives of the whole nation hang in the balance. But look at the faithfulness of God:

‘Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it.  By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD.  ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’” Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.  So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh.  It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place. (2 Kings 19:32-37 NASB)

That’s the past. In the present there are many who are having their faith tested in a mighty way. I can think of three examples that have recently been in the public eye. First, and most seriously, there is the pastor in Iran who is still in prison and facing execution for his faith.

My second and third examples are not in danger of losing their lives but they do face some pretty public pressure here in the states. Tim Tebow has been incredibly bold about his faith in God. Since signing with the New York Jets, public opinion blogs seem to have almost a gleeful anticipation of him falling into some sort of sin as he faces the big city of New York. Kirk Cameron is another public figure who has been bold in his testimony. After an interview in which he was asked about his beliefs regarding gay marriage and homosexuality, he has been made fun of in a video featuring many other former stars of 80’s and 90’s television programs. They are now beginning to sell t-shirts and videos lampooning him and his beliefs.

These men, as well as many of us, have all come to the point in their/our walks of faith where the rubber meets the road and have found and are finding the Lord to be faithful. Brothers and sisters, we MUST be praying for each other!!

Now for the future, guess what….we will all come to a point where the rubber meets the road in our faith. How will you do? Here are some pointers for you….prayer, Bible study and the accountability found in a Bible believing group of fellow believers.

I mean a LOT of prayer, deep crying out to God to reveal Himself to you each day so that you can be more like Him and bring Him more glory. I mean serious Bible study. An article found today on Foxnews.com mentioned that while 82% of Americans claim to believe that the Bible is a holy and important book, only 46% of them could identify whether a teaching was from the Bible, the Koran, or the book of Mormon….in other words, they aren’t actually READING it!! (I wonder how you would do…I wonder how I would do?) And finally if you aren’t involved with a local Bible preaching church….find one and get plugged in!

Be ready for when….not if…. the rubber meets the road for you!

]]>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:14:55 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/04/hearing-my-name.htmlOne of my favorite scenes in the Bible is when Mary Magdalene is at the empty tomb. Thinking that someone has stolen Jesus’ body she stands weeping. Jesus comes to her, at first concealing His identity, and inquires of her the reason for her tears. Mistaking him to be the gardener, she begs Him to tell her if He knows the location of Jesus’ body. Then….and here is the best part….He says her name. Just, “Mary.” Instantly, she recognizes Him! Here is her Savior! Here is the One who rescued her from a life of sin and a destiny of eternal hell.  (See John 20)

They showed a video in church for Easter that dramatized this scene and I sat there and cried tears of joy knowing that there will come a day I get to hear Him say my name when I see Him face to face for the first time! 

For now I am content to remember back to the day when I was a six year old sitting in Junior Church and our teacher, Mrs. Knouse, had told us….as she did every week, about how even as little children we had sinned and that God could not let sin into Heaven. There wasn’t anything we could do to get rid of this sin and the Bible told us that the price for our sin was death. This was pretty scary news for me as a six year old. But Mrs. Knouse didn’t stop there. She went on to tell us that Jesus loved us so much that He paid that price for us and that because He paid the price He could offer us a way to spend forever with Him in Heaven. All we had to do was turn away from our sin and know that we couldn’t do anything on our own to earn our way into Heaven.  All we had to do, in fact, all we could do, was to trust Him to save us. At six years old, deep down in my heart, I heard Him call my name and I put my trust in Him.

Do you remember the day that deep down in your heart you heard Him call your name? Have you turned from your sin and any thoughts of trying to earn your way into Heaven and put your trust in Him and what He accomplished on the cross?

What joy remembering that day brings! And what a joy it is to look forward to the day when in Heaven I hear Him say my name as He welcomes me home!

]]>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:56:26 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/04/i-dont-know-much-but-i-do-know-this.htmlIn my Bible, Romans 8:18-30 has the subtitle of “From Suffering to Glory.” This has deep meaning for me this week as I have learned that a friend who has suffered with cancer for a couple of years now has entered into glory. While I grieve with her husband Gil, I rejoice that Sue is with her Savior and look forward to seeing her again someday!

I have been drawn anew into this passage, most of which is pretty familiar to many believers. We cannot possibly fathom the depths of the theology found here. I’ve blogged in the past about how the good that God causes all things to work together for (v.28) is that we are conformed to the image of His Son (v.29). And though that always bears repeating, as I have read through this passage several times over the last few days I am struck by two things. The first one is groaning.

In verse 21-22 we read that all of creation groans for the return of Jesus that will right all wrongs that it has endured since it was placed in the “slavery to corruption” (NASB) at the curse. Verse 23 describes how, as believers, we groan as we are “waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” (NASB) Don’t you just feel that anticipation most days!?

The groaning that really touches me is found in verse 26. “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;” (NASB) While we and all of creation groan in anticipation of His return, the Holy Spirit, who knows the mind of God intercedes on our behalf because we often just don’t know how to pray!

That leads me to the second thing that strikes me as I have studied this passage anew is that while we don’t know how to pray because we are bound up in this world of our flesh, there is something that we do know and that is found in verse 28. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NASB) What a difference it makes in our faith walk when we live in light of that knowledge! Worry and fret are banished….we know that God has a plan. Anxiety and despair disappear….His plan is perfect and for my good!

So while there are many things I don’t know…. (I’m only seeing a small piece of the puzzle, remember? :)) I KNOW that God is ALWAYS working ALL things out to conform me to His image and bring Him glory.

]]>Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:45:35 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/03/little-reminders.htmlI often use a piece of a puzzle as a teaching or counseling illustration. It’s so important to me that I had it tattooed on my wrist so that I see it every day. Most of you have heard me use the puzzle example but for those who haven’t here is a brief run down. If someone hands you a thousand piece puzzle in a Ziploc bag, with no box, picture or even a description, you would find it close to impossible to put that puzzle together.

Without knowing what the big picture is, all the little pieces make no sense. If you take into account that God has a plan for all of time and eternity, not to mention for the entire world, our individual lives would be a very small piece of the whole picture. I’m not saying that individually we are not important….who has done a puzzle and discovered at the end that one piece was missing….every piece is important but each piece is small compared to the whole…you get the idea.  God knows and sees the whole picture, we only see our little piece. When the direction my life takes doesn’t make sense to me it helps me immensely to know that I am only seeing a small piece and its just my responsibility to play it out in a way that glorifies God.

That all being said, I was reminded this week of another aspect of putting puzzles together and that is how great it is when a few pieces start to fit together and you can begin to see the picture take shape. For the last couple of months, as we have followed the Lord on this new adventure, I have felt like my life was a huge puzzle that had just been dumped out on the table…..just a mass of seemingly unrelated pieces that showed very little hope of ever becoming anything at all. Well finally, this week, a few pieces have started to fit together. We have picked up some work that looks like it will, Lord willing, turn into some more, we plugged into a Bible study that reminds me so much of the dear folks we left behind at our church in NY that it is a balm to my soul, and we have a couple of possibilities ministry-wise for my husband. These are jus t small seeds that will take time to develop and I look forward to sharing more someday but nonetheless, they are there. A few of the pieces are coming together; we may even have a corner or two in place! :) 

I’m not suggesting that everyone go and get a puzzle piece tattoo….I’m sure there may be few of my dear readers who are bothered that I have one (sorry?) :) But I am suggesting that we all need to be reminded that we serve a God who has it all under control….the big picture and our individual lives. He has a plan, one for our good and His glory as He uses the trials and daily grind to make us more like His precious Son. What peace comes from trusting in Him and His plan rather than trying to figure it all out myself….and what joy comes when you start to see how some of those pieces fit together!

Folks….the answer to pray regarding work means that we worked a twelve hour day today and this girl is TIRED….hey there might be another blog there…about how God provides but we still have to do our part, but that will have to wait for another day.  I thank God for each and every one of you. I hope God is able to use me to bless you, because it sure does bless me to know you are out there!! 

]]>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:50:43 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/03/a-minute-to-learna-lifetime-to-master.htmlThis is the catchy slogan from the game, Othello. A child can learn how to play the game but to really “get” the game you have to be able to think four or five moves ahead. (I hardly ever remember to plan ahead enough to take meat out of the freezer for dinner so……. I do not play it! =D)

That little slogan fits very well with something that Jesus often said……”abide in Me.”  Abide – dictionary.com says, “to remain; continue; stay.”  

In John 15 we find Jesus talking to the disciples in a vineyard. Let me set the stage here. They have just left the upper room where the Lord’s Supper has been instituted. Jesus has just revealed to them what is about to take place at Calvary. These men would have been devastated at this point. Haven’t we all been in a place where things aren’t working out the way we thought they would if we follow Jesus? Haven’t we all wanted to say, “But Jesus, I thought you were going to bless me? This doesn’t feel much like a blessing….this is not what I signed on for.”

Well here are the disciples, disappointed and disillusioned, with knotted up emotions and racing thoughts. So what is Jesus’ last message to them going to be? They were probably expecting, or at least hoping for, a rundown of how He was going to eventually get back at all the bad guys….throw some eternal punishment at them and the disciples were hoping for some eternal rewards. Jesus stops, they look to Him with great anticipation and He talks about…..wait for it……grape vines?!

Jesus wants to teach them, and us, what He really desires from all of His children…..a life that bears fruit, and lots of it! The fruit Jesus means here is not just bringing others to Him, although it can include that. Look at these verses:

 “Let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” (Titus 3:14)

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

A fruitful life is one lived in obedience to God, a life that brings Him glory by the things that we think, say, do, and most importantly that our motive for those thoughts, words, and actions is to please Him.

In this passage in John 15 (please take a few minutes and read it) the teaching is clear that the branches (that’s all true followers of Jesus) that bring forth the most fruit are those who have been pruned and responded well to that pruning. God does the pruning, our responsibility is to respond by abiding….that’s right, simple, obedient abiding….remaining, continuing, staying….and can I add, submitting, thanking, and obeying…..quite simply bringing forth God glorifying fruit.

Abide in Him. A minute to learn….A lifetime to master.

]]>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:46:35 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/03/burning-hearts-and-empty-heads.htmlI’m concerned. The concern started as a little seed in the back of mind that I tried to tell myself was just me over-thinking…over-reacting. But it stayed there and grew. During the past week, through conversations with a couple of friends and a flyer for an upcoming seminar, I found out that I am not alone in my concern so I will share it with you.

I really cannot put it better than R.C. Sproul did so I will quote him.

“If we were to ask evangelicals what most alarms them about today’s culture, I have little doubt that the cultural bias against historic Christianity would be listed among their top answers. The unrelenting attacks from public figures, university professors, and other individuals are indeed causes for concern, but I do not believe anti-Christian sentiment is the greatest problem we face today. After all, believers have always faced hostility from unbelievers, and we will continue to do so, on some level, until Jesus returns (John 16:33).

Instead, what alarms me more about today’s culture is the way in which evangelicals are responding to the attacks against us. Gone are the days, it seems at times, when believers devoted themselves to thinking deeply about the world in order to respond humbly to the church’s enemies without ceding any intellectual ground. Many evangelicals have bought into the idea that having one’s heart in the right place is all that matters—that a passion for Jesus and the life of the mind are mutually exclusive. What this view misses is that burning hearts are not nourished by empty heads. We must develop our minds if we are to sustain our passion for the Savior and deal with the bias against us.” (emphasis mine)

Mind you Pastor Sproul is not saying that passion for Jesus is not important, just that that passion must be based on a deep and strong knowledge of the Jesus revealed in scripture. You see our passion for Jesus….our true passion, not just the emotional feeling that we can work up in a church service or by listening to inspirational music, is only as strong as our knowledge of scripture. Paul told Timothy,

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB)

Peter, in his second letter, used the word knowledge eight times in three short chapters. He closes with,

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:17-18 NASB)

Jesus tells us,

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NASB)

Real worship must be based on truth!

My husband knew a lady who was passionate about Jesus but her passion was not based on truth. She was trying to work her way to God. She would hug the statue of Mary and Jesus. Her love was passionate but not based on knowledge. She was like the Jewish people who Paul was speaking of in Romans 10:2

For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. (NASB)

Friends, we MUST dig deep in the Word. We must seek, pursue, and even yearn for a depth of knowledge that will feed passionate hearts! We must call ourselves, our teacher, pastors, and churches to a higher standard of knowing God as He reveals Himself in scripture. The only way we can do this is to BE IN THE WORD!! 

]]>Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:39:05 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/03/together-again.htmlA couple of the things that I have really enjoyed since moving back home to Florida are seeing my folks, my youngest brother and his family on a regular basis (Bri – you have no idea what a kick I get out of a simple text that says, “lunch?” :D) and reconnecting with friends who I haven’t seen in a really long time. I had lunch with one a couple of  weeks ago, my husband and I had dinner with a couple who we hadn’t seen in seventeen years last weekend, I’m having brunch with another friend tomorrow….and so it goes.  A couple of days ago I was discussing my upcoming brunch date with a friend when a mutual friend who lives in GA commented, “I love the thought of the two of you together.”  I immediately thought how I would love the thought of all three of us together!

Then it hit me….. as I am enjoying the reconnection time here, there are many, in several states, that I don’t get to see on a regular basis anymore, and I miss them.  Oh how I wish that I could gather everyone who is dear to me in one place and have a great big reunion! Now that would be a reunion of epic proportions!  (And for those of you who know about our family reunions….NO, it would not be at Booker T. Washington State Park in Chattanooga!!)

In reality, I will never get that wish, but the fun thing is that for all of those who I hold dear who have put their trust in Jesus, we will someday have that true family reunion!  My favorite visiting spot is a nice shady back porch. I’m sure we will have a nice breeze and we will be able to sit and visit for as long as we want….no time constraints to deal with there!

But as much as I love the idea of spending time with each of you….you will have to wait because the One who I really can’t wait to see is Jesus. Can you just imagine?! ……No, really imagine, sit there, close your eyes and just IMAGINE what it will be like to be in the very presence of the One who loved you so much that He chose to come to earth and die in your place. For you….for me!! (And I KNOW how much I DID NOT deserve that kind of love…that kind of sacrifice!!)

So to repeat the little chorus from last week….come on, sing it with me:

Oh, that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

I think I’m going to go sit on my back porch and just look forward to that day!

]]>Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:19:40 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/02/so-sure.htmlOh, that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

So goes the chorus from an old hymn that often plays in my head. I think it’s there today in response to a documentary that my husband and I watched last night. It was on a religious sect and one man said that he was, “…hoping to attain salvation.” The works and depravation that these folk place such high hopes in will sadly fall far short of attaining much beyond the misunderstanding of most of those they come in contact with in this world.

I love the way the New Living Translation puts Ephesians 2:8-9….”God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Salvation is God’s gift. It cannot be earned, bought, or manipulated. It’s a gift I don’t deserve that displays God’s great mercy as He doesn’t give me what I do deserve….death.

I think it’s very important that those of us, or maybe even especially those of us, who have been saved awhile, take time regularly to meditate on the gospel. Oh it’s wonderful to seek to plumb the depths of the deep truths of scripture….but what truth could be deeper than the love that Jesus showed for us when He took the penalty for our sins onto Himself and died on the cross.

I’m so glad that chorus doesn’t say:

Oh, I hope that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I might look on His face,
That might be glory, be glory for me.

Oh friend, I hope you can sing with me…..

Oh, that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

Are  you…..So Sure?

]]>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:20:45 -0500http://nomorewimpyfaith.com/1/post/2012/02/ummm.htmlI have a confession to make. I am sitting here and for the first time in a really long time I do not have my blog all planned out. I often even have it written on Tuesday. I have a few seeds of ideas. I have a blog brewing about the dangers of shallow theology. I have a blog about Katherine von Bora (bonus points if you know who that is without looking it up!) But these are just beginning thoughts. Right now I am, quite frankly, tired and at the end of what has been, at times, a frustrating day. 

So I am going to take the advice that a dear friend gave me this past weekend, I am going to focus on being thankful.  A thankful heart is a heart that acknowledges that everything I have and everything that happens comes through the hand of the One who loves me and gave me life.

This is obviously a partial list, but tonight I am thankful for:

• My precious Savior, who loves me in spite of who I am and is shaping me to be more like Him
• My dear husband who is so faithfully and fervently seeking the way God would have him provide for his family
• My children who are really struggling with our recent move right now and my heart is breaking for
• My parents, who raised me to love Jesus more than anything or anyone else
• My brothers who have both become such amazing Godly men, the wives and children that God has given them who have all put their trust in Christ
• My sister-in-law, her hubby and three kids, their love for Jesus, and the miraculous renewal of a sweet relationship
• My bff who is a gift to me beyond measure
• The fact that I now live closer to all of my family and so many of friends who I have missed
• For friends far away who I know miss us and are praying for us….miss you guys too!
• For those who have brought us sorrow through the years for God has used that in a mighty way in our lives
• For challenging days and the assurance that I have that they are not in vain but will draw me closer to Jesus
• ….and for you my dear blog readers, some of you I don’t even know but I am grateful to have a place in your life and for the accountability it produces in my life to know you are there!

So even if you are weary….or maybe especially if you are weary, sit down and maybe even write out what you are thankful for tonight.

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