Tag Archives: Spirituality

Testimony Tuesday~ Sharing My Testimony a Little at a Time

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Each week, I have been sharing a little bit of my testimony. If you missed the first installments, be sure to read them HERE.

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I first laid eyes on Jon in the line at the store waiting for my roommate (who happened to be of legal drinking age) to finish her purchases. It was my 20th birthday and I was having a party. Her boyfriend had decided he would invite Jon to my party and I would finally get to meet him.

The second I saw him, with those cute dimples and the big ears (I have a thing for men with big ears) my heart stopped. I knew right then. He was it. He was The One.

I will spare you the details of the first few weeks. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing unusual; just the usual college “dating.”

One month later, Jon was there when I needed him most. My father was trying to regain control over my life from afar and when he couldn’t, he decided that I was going to be disowned and was no longer a part of the family. Disowning me was his way of issuing control. Jon took my late night phone calls. He talked to me, he comforted me, he let me lean on him in my lowest moments. He did what a lot of other “men” his age would never do. He showed maturity. He showed kindness. He showed heart.

I never looked back after that. He was definitely “The One for me.”

We spent the first year of our relationship long distance. We lived about 3 hours away from each other. If a couple can make it through that, they should be able to make it through anything, right?

Because of my past, I had some serious issues to work through in my life. Issues surrounding myself, my thoughts and beliefs about men; issues that would take me a long time to work through.

I had issues with trusting other people and letting my walls down for them. I had difficulty communicating my problems and my feelings. I kept many things just bottled up inside me until I finally broke. I thank God that Jon was there to save me from the many times I tried to take my own life. My hurt and brokenness and depression ran so deep, my self-worth was so little, that I believed the world would be a better place without me.

Jon is such a strong man. The things that he supported me through and what he stuck around for still amazes me. Many men would not have hung around and dealt with all the things I put him through. Many men would have given up on me and walked away; just as all the other men in my life had done.

God had other plans.

God knew I needed an earthly angel. He knew that he had to find someone who was strong and sturdy and had big enough shoulders to be able to hold up under everything I threw at him.

We got married a short 2.5 years later.

Holding Onto What Matters Most

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Time.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
~Ecclesiastes 3:1~

We all complain that there is never enough of it to go around. We are always wishing we could have more of it. We all wish that we could grasp onto time and hold it in our hands.

God has other ideas for us.
God has his own plans.
God knows what path we are supposed to be walking along.

Our Father did not want us to have the ability to hold onto time.

He wants to teach us how to savor the moment, but not to hold onto it.

He wants us to continue to move forward; to grow and mature. Not only in our earthly life, but in our spiritual life as well.

Water.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.
~John 7:38~

There is a song that I absolutely adore.
It is called Jesus Bring the Rain by MercyMe.

In the song, he welcomes the rain. He welcomes the pain and the tough path that God has chosen to lead him down.

Because without the rain, we would not be able to experience the joy of the sunshine.
Without the pain and the valleys, we would not be able to learn to become dependent upon our Father.
Without the rain, we never know how to be able to experience the blessings our Yahweh.

You cannot grasp water. You cannot hold it in your fist.

As I give my toddler a bath, I fill a cup with water and pour it out in front of him. I watch as he tries to grasp it in his hands. It reminds me of how we are always trying to grab onto things.

Money.

Beauty.

Time.

Somehow, they all still manage to slip through our fingers.

There is, however, One constant. There is one thing that we can always hold onto and as long as we hold on tight, it will never fall through our grasp.

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

~1 Timothy 1:14~

Giveaway~ Jesus Calling Devotional

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I have mentioned the daily devotional I use, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young a couple of times already.

I have to say that I am absolutely in love with this devotional. It is quick enough that I can get a few minutes of Jesus in the morning before starting my busy day. The devotionals are written from the perspective as if Jesus were speaking directly to the reader. At the end of each devotional are a couple of scriptures for reference and to meditate on or pray about. It is a beautifully written devotional and I cannot say enough good things about it.

I recently won a prize pack on Twitter from Devotions Daily that included a couple of CD’s as well as a copy of Jesus Calling. However, a very wonderful and beautiful friend has already gifted me with my own copy and so now I happen to have an extra one.

I would like to pass on this wonderful blessing to one of my fabulous readers!

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To Enter~~~ All you need to do is leave a comment here telling me what your favorite scripture is. That’s it! (please be sure to leave your e-mail or make certain I have a way to contact you when you win!)

If you would like to earn a couple of extra entries, you can do any of the following, but they are not mandatory. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Follow me on Twitter
Like Seeking His Grace on Facebook
Tweet about the giveaway using @SeekingHim316 in your tweet (can be done once daily)

Giveaway will end on Wednesday, May 23rd at 10:00pm PST. Winner will be picked using random.org and will be announced Thursday, May 24th. The winner will have 48 hours after being contacted to claim their prize. 

Good Luck!!! 

Waiting and Finding Balance

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I really want to be able to write more. 

I want to be able to write more here on my blog.

I want to be able to write more about my story and my testimony so that others can find encouragement in it.

I want to be able to write devotionals and books that will glorify God’s Kingdom and change people’s lives.

I have this feeling that God wants me to write. He keeps placing the thoughts into my head and putting things into my path that keep pointing me in that direction.

I keep hearing many earthly voices telling me that I am a great writer.

God always answers our prayers.

Always.

But sometimes, the answer is “not right now.”
I keep hearing that whisper.

“Not right now daughter, I am still preparing the way.”

Right now, I need to focus on finding a new place for our family to live. I need to focus on packing things up and getting ready to move. I need to focus on Jesus. I need to focus on my family.

I need to focus on finding a way to earn some income to help my family.

It is not easy to find a job in today’s economy. Especially when you have been out of the work force for a very long time. It is not easy to find a job where I would make enough money to pay for childcare. It is not easy to find a job that is willing to work the hours that I am available to work.

So I have been hunting and searching for something, anything that would fit.

I recently found a blog called Real Ways to Earn Money Online. On this site, I found an enormous wealth of information on freelance writing resources. My husband had mentioned freelance writing a while back and I had been tumbling it around in my head, but I had no idea where to begin. God always answers prayers.

I know I may not immediately get hired, but I at least have a starting point. I know I will not be able to write what I really want to or to write where my passion falls, but at least it may bring in some money, I will still be writing in some form, I will be gaining experience, and I will be getting my name out there and building a resume.

God always answer prayers.
It just may not look how we had thought it would.

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
~Hebrews 6:15~

Choosing God

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As I told you in a previous post, our family is moving. Part of the reason is because of finances and part of the reason is because of God’s leading.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

~Matthew 6:25-27~

 We are choosing, as a family, to simplify our life. We are getting rid of the clutter; the “stuff” that does not belong to us.

We will be moving into an apartment. Most likely it will be a two bedroom apartment because of the price that we are choosing to live on.

Yes. We will be a five person family living in a two bedroom apartment.

We have received some negativity about our decision.

How is it possible that all five of you will be able to live cohesive in a small, two bedroom apartment?

What are you going to do with all of your belongings?

Won’t you all get sick and tired of each other?

What about your chickens?

What about having a large garden ever year?

Will the kids be okay without a yard to play in?

Where are you going to put all of your things?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
~Matthew 6:28-34~

If you think we have not asked ourselves all of these same questions, then you are mistaken.

We have questioned these things and many others as well.

The difference is that we have chosen to pray about it.
We have chosen to cast aside our worry and our fears.

We have chosen to follow the path that God has set before us.

In our sermon yesterday, the Pastor made a statement that really stood out to me.

Worry is a form of fear.
TRUST God.

We have chosen to do just that.
We have chosen not to worry.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
~1 Peter 5:7~ 

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. 
~Psalm 55:22~ 

We are choosing to trust God.
We are choosing to trust God wholeheartedly.
We are choosing to trust God in everything and through everything.
We are choosing to trust God EVERY day.

We are choosing God every day.

 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. 
~Matthew 6:33~