Marvel In The Beauty

I go through life, day to day, running from one thing to another.  I am planning the next day, crossing off my to-do list and racing against the daylight hours to get it all done.  But does it matter if I have a clean house?  Does it matter if I plan the perfect day of school?  Does it matter if my to-do list gets shorter?  Does it all really matter that much?

 I try to do it all.  It's exhausting.  I can't do it.  Not alone.

This new year has been a turning point.  I am searching out God and His word more than ever before.  I am learning the characteristics of God in an entirely new light.  Each day brings me to a new realization about who He is and how true His love is for me.  There is a new spark in my heart.  My soul clings to His promises and looks to Him for answers.  I read more of His word.  I trust in Him more and more.  I take out piece after piece of the worldly me and throw it away.  I'm making room in my heart.  I want to know my God more deeply now than I ever have before.

I am finding Him in the littlest and biggest of things.  A pink rose growing through a fence has a meaning.  It is God's way of telling me He sees me and loves me.  "Here is a rose just for you, your eyes, destined to be at this place, at this very moment."   

Never think He has abandoned you or forgotten about you.  He loves you more than you could ever fathom.  Look around and see how His creation speaks to you about His unending love.  It is written in the stars.  It is sung from the birds.  It is whispered in the wind.  You are His beloved.  He sacrificed his one and only Son so that you could live eternally with Him.  He is waiting with open arms for you to run to Him.  

Start running!

  

Amanda

Multiple Sclerosis: Bittersweet

I love my mom!  It is her birthday today, June 6, and I had to write a little snippet about her.  She is the strongest lady I know.  She is a firm believer in Christ, always has a positive attitude and rarely complains.  The thing is, she's had MS for over 25 years.  She can't walk, can't move her legs or arms and is confined to a bed most of the time.  I will be honest with you and tell you that I would have a hard time staying positive if I was in that situation.  But she astounds me.  She was diagnosed in 1986, after the birth of my brother.  I don't remember much of the digression, only seeing a cane first come into the picture.  Then came the walker, hand controls in the car for driving, the motorized scooter and now a wheelchair.  It all happened gradually.  I can only remember three times where my mom spoke about feeling sorry for herself.  Three times in 26 years...wow.  I remember feeling sorry for MYSELF because she had MS.  Really Amanda??

I can't say the same today.  When I tell people her story, I always add on that I would not be the woman I am today if it weren't for my mom's battle with MS.  I would not have bore witness to God's amazing grace working in her life.  She has been a light in the darkness, shining God's love and spreading joy wherever she goes.  Her life is a testimony of perseverance and faith.  I truly believe that God has a plan and a purpose for everyone.  We can never understand, but we can follow in faith and watch as His greatness unfolds before us.

For more information on Multiple Sclerosis, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website.

Blessings,

4 Generations: My Grandmother, Mother, Me and my little Lulu

Seeing Glimpses

This morning was one of revelation for me.  As I was washing dishes, gazing out my kitchen window at the birds in the back yard, I realized that God's plan was unfolding before my eyes and I was beginning to see it in its entirety.  In Minnesota, we knew Nate had to find a new job.  We needed a job that could fully support our family without the worry of what was to come in the future.  Nate searched for over a year before finally getting offered a job.  It was a big decision to make.  We sacrificed everything that was comfortable and familiar to us to follow the doors God had opened for us.  Now that we are here, it is amazing to see how God prepared us for Texas.  We are blessed to be living in a nice neighborhood, driving a new car, and having a few new technology toys.  We were without a working home computer for over 4 years, so having a computer now is very foreign!  Also, we both got new phones.  If you had seen our previous phones, you would say "It's about time!"  Nate's phone was over 6 years old, didn't vibrate, wouldn't take pictures, and had a few keys that didn't always work; texting on that phone was near impossible.  My flip phone was only a couple of years old, but it is now severed at the hinge.  We are not taking anything for granted.  We are now able to support ourselves without any worries.  God really prepared our hearts for this transition and has given us compassion for others in our former shoes.

I know that God has big plans and seeing these small glimpses into the bigger picture are so amazing!  Seeing all of our hardships turn into fruition for His will are reassuring, uplifting and awesome!  God is so good and I trust and love Him more and more as each day passes, through the good and the bad.  He is our rock and I am never alone.  Praise God!

A Special Day!

Our theme this week for school is Easter.  Yesterday, we talked about the story of Palm Sunday and tried to do our typical routine.  It was rough.  Jman didn't want to sit and do any writing practice.  BG ran around the entire time, which isn't typical, and made it harder for Jman to focus.  I just went with the flow and made our routine shorter.  Today, we tried it again.  It was much better!  God knows when I need a break and just makes things click.  We read out of our children's bible the stories of the Last Supper and Jesus is the Way to Heaven.  We've talked about what it means to have Jesus living in your heart and how you get to heaven.  It wasn't a new story.  After reading the stories, Jman asked if we could ask Jesus to live in our hearts!  It was a great moment!  I told him that Jesus already lived in my heart but he could ask Jesus to live in his heart if he wanted to.  He said he wanted to, so we prayed and Jman accepted Jesus into his heart!  God is amazing and all of heaven is rejoicing along with us!  It is a great day!