This Woman's Work

My work, my life, has become love. This woman stands for love. I choose to stand in the gap for those who are broken and can't love. I choose crazy love that can not be explained but that makes the heart speak it's own language ~ so only other hearts can hear! Love is a way of existing, a way of being. A way of standing in this world with chaos swirling, knowing peace. Existing simply through His constant love and the ability to give love to others. My heart finally speaks the language of love! Such crazy love that is wrapping itself around everyone I have the pleasure of knowing. It is pure and good and honest and truth and joy and serenity and faith beyond comprehension and all encompassing and fresh breath and smiles and hugs and truly meeting one another, soul to soul. It is beautiful beyond words, and it is mine to have and to give. The amazing part is, the more you give, the more you have. Again, He's a genius... and the ultimate lover to have given us this insanely awesome ability to love and be loved. And now that I have it, I don't think I will ever lose it. To know how to love another being is the greatest gift He has ever given. Love is not a feeling, it's an ability (from one of my favorites "Dan in Real Life"). This capability is something that I will strive every day to grow, mature and perfect through Him. I am making it my life's work to love, truly give and be love. His love washes me clean and flows through me into the hearts around me. I can do anything in love ~ forgive, hold, forget, heal, help, lift, accept, give, receive, bless...just be a light in the darkness.

Love crosses all borders, transcends all lines drawn by people in this world ~ thank God that our hearts have their own language and are not limited by the ways of this world. To have love within breaks all barriers of race, economics, geography, and society. It has the power to transform brokeness into glory and sorrow into the truest joy ever known by man. Love allows us to mend broken relationships in a way that stays. Love truly trumps all, and His love...well that's something that can only be described in the language of my heart and I haven't figured out how to type it yet.

Allow yourself to be loved ~ He's waiting for you and wants to love you in a way you can't possibly imagine. His love can heal all wounds ~ making the past a little easier to survive, while helping us to look forward and love ourselves regardless of our choices behind us. And seeing your future through the eyes of the heart is a breath-taking way to exist. There is no fear, only love and faith. Take in every moment you can ~ knowing you are loved every second has the power to transform the way we live. Love truly does make the world go round, and our world has such amazing potential to live Heaven on Earth if we would all choose to simply operate out of love. Do the work, be a woman or man of love. This woman's work is officially love and I've never felt so in line with God's will for my life as I do at this very moment. YES!!!!! Crazy love!


Loving all of you, so very very much and wishing you the best and brightest weekend full of loving on one another and growing in love! Blessings and hugs and smiles and sunshine! MMMMWAHHH! That was me blowing you kisses :) Love ya!

WE ARE the Church!

Our Pastor has "somewhat zealously" mentioned this idea recently, and it's finally resonating with my mind and heart, and we all know what happens then ~ I write it!!! He says, we ARE the Church ~ it's not somewhere we go, or where we worship, or some building ~ it's us! We comprise the Church, as Yeshua's bride, in corporate, every person who comes together to build His body ~ WE are the Church.

I have had many a need lately, and God has really taught me how to go to my fellow~believers with those needs. This hasn't been easy, but I can now see how necessary and awesome it is. God is such a genius! When we are in need, and we learn to take those needs to our Body ~ we are able to see God's hand within a group of His children, binding our hearts to one another, just as He desires. We become a part of something bigger than ourselves, and that allows us to see the needs of others, rather than constantly focusing on ourselves. Once we get out of our own way ~ there's no stopping us! Hopefully you know what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself ~ a part of the Body. Or maybe you don't, because I didn't for the first 2 years I "went" to church. But then, church was just somewhere I went to be filled ~ it was all about me. And let me tell you ~ it's not all about you! Just kidding,... but really, it's not! It wasn't until I started to reach out to His Body in need and in wanting to help that I realized the dynamics of this crazy awesome group. I spoke my truth, received love and acceptance, and God tied my hearts to these awesome believers who ARE the Church!!

When that group, His Church, is able to respond to people's needs and lift a person from despair, God is seen by those who may not have their faith set on Him. He uses us as His body, and we can do that just about anywhere. We are called to be His body in all situations ~ at work, on the street, at the beach, in a restaurant, at home, in a building where people are worshipping together, in a hair salon, in a coffee shop, in your car, in a park, on a boat, on a basketball court...we are to be the Church in every one of these places. We carry the Church with us everywhere we go, that's why it can't be a building. Our hearts connect with those we serve with, and we then carry those hearts in our hearts ~ helping their hearts reach all we come into contact with. Those hearts are reflected in your own, and others who may not know God can meet your Church just through a conversation with yourself.

In the past few weeks alone my heart has been touched & attached to so many whom I thank God for ~ and they don't all go to the same building to worship God on Sundays, but they are a part of His Church and therefore a part of me. Every believer walking this earth, from the remotest corner to your next~door neighbor, is a part of His Church...pretty awesome the way He designed it! I want to encourage you to really think about this and carry the Church wherever you go, love others, and show others what God's body is all about! Become the Church, Love the Church, BE the Church!!! Much Love! xoxoxo

Healing

The word healing can be defined as: to return to a normal state or condition. I believe that when God heals our heart, that is exactly what He is doing ~ returning our heart to it's normal state or condition. He is returning our heart to the state it was in when He created that very part of our beings. The part through which all rivers run. The center of our connection to Him. He created that part perfectly, just as He did the rest of our bodies. But our heart is so much more than a body part. Our heart is the center of it all, where we hold all of our goodies. And by goodies I mean our love, our joy, our sadness, our brokeness, our fear, our remorse...all of the things that make us us. I could have said our junk, but I think it's all in God's perfect plan, which allows me to embrace it all ~ good or bad. My heart is full of goodies, and that is where God speaks to us, and oh how He desires a healed heart.

This world leaves so many scars on our hearts ~ and the deepest are from those we love the most. Seems sort of backwards huh? That those we care for greatest have the strongest ability to inflict pain. But I guess it's not really backward at all ~ because we have an awesome capacity to love them, from the very same place where the hurt resides. That's actually pretty mind-blowing if you think about it. We are capable of love even though there is pain. But the ugliness of this world and our own sins create a wall around our hearts many times ~ hardening us to the beauty of love ~ the pain eclipsing any ability to love. It closes us off from the feelings that God has given us to feel. Feelings can alter any event, word, sound, or thought just by being. And God wants us to feel. He has created us to feel the deepest sense of joy and love, but many only feel sorrow. Or aren't even aware of the glory and goodness they are missing, because their hearts are hardened.

This used to be my heart, and still is in many ways. But can I just shout to the heavens because I am actively pursuing a pure heart...finally! YAY!!!! I have a choice and my choice is to live this life God has given me for many, many reasons. I am growing in love and it is glorious ~ healing is part of my job description these days. The best part about all of this is that if you turn to God with your goodies, He will take care of it. You just have to ask and trust. Every time we open our hearts, take out the goodies and examine them ~ light is shed and darkness vanishes. It's really that easy. Painful, difficult, and easy. Makes perfect sense right? Well, while it is difficult to open ourselves to others, and painful to feel the emotions that have been buried with those goodies, God makes it so easy to deal with it because He just takes it from us, if we ask and trust. He desires for all of His children to be whole and joyful. He wants you healed, back to your natural state of existence. So will you open, ask and trust? Please...


Last night a great man from my class introduced this song ~ and I'm so glad he did! Last night a beautiful soul took one large step closer to her Father ~ and I'm so glad she did. Last night my heart was healed a little further by both ~ and I'm so glad it was!!! Another beautiful weekend is upon us ~ take this sunshine and go play ~ please...

Blessings!!!!

I hear this song as though God is singing it to me. As though He is begging me to have just a little bit of faith in Him. He's been loving me all of this time, expecting nothing in return, just for me to have a little faith in Him. While I questioned Him last week, when my road was very dark, I still clung to my faith, weakly. I would love to say "I knew all along that God would provide," but I can't, because I didn't. I felt despair and anger and a sense of loss, and my emotions took over my faith, eclipsing all of the times in the past He has provided for me. I was blind to His love for me, only seeing what my current reality was. I wasn't seeing the big picture, in which He is my Father and my provider. But He knew that, and He brought that doubt to death in me, through His perfect ways.

I will start at the beginning, because this story deserves to have every morsel told ~ it completely glorifies God and my hope is that it will encourage others to just have a little faith, please!

As of one week ago yesterday, I had $13 in my bank account, my oil tank was empty, my gas tank empty, my electric was scheduled to be shut off, my car was uninspected, I had no insurance, my rent was late, I would owe my babysitter $200 for the week, and I had very little in the fridge to feed three mouths. The blessings began this very day, but I didn't even recognize them to be such. That day my Mom took me and filled up my car with gas. The next day she scheduled oil to be delivered to my home. She is our angel that walks right next to us, wings free and flowing! But I had been too ashamed to let her know my electric was going to be shut off, so thank you for the oil, but I won't have hot water either way. Our electric was then shut off Tuesday, and Wednesday when we woke up, I knew that we had to leave. The food in the refrigerator was already going bad, we had no hot water to bathe in, and the night before had proved a bit scary with no power.

I called out of work that morning because honestly I just didn't have it in me to put on a face that everything was ok, like I had for so long. I slept for most of the day, only waking here and there to try to talk to God, knowing He was where I needed to turn. But the lump in my throat kept catching me up, and prevented any real speaking. I was so overwhelmed by despair that I couldn't conjure the words. But God had known of this day long ago. And I had been praying for months now that He would provide. He knew, and I was too defeated to repeat myself. I finally mustered up the strength to call my cousin, in tears, and ask if we could stay at her house, for at least a few days. She welcomed us with open arms, but that did not take away the sting when I asked the kids to pack their bags, letting them know we had to go for a few days. When they asked, through tears of their own, for how long, I could only whisper, "I'm just not sure, but we'll be ok because we have each other and God loves us." Even though at that moment the doubt overwhelmed. How could He love us but let us struggle in this way? Why? Again? It wasn't long ago that we were being evicted from our home, or that we moved 5 times in 7 months, living out of bags until the last stop. It wasn't long ago that we had left their father, my husband. It was still too fresh, to alive in our memories. And it wasn't fair. We had started over and created a home of our own, a home that we didn't want to leave. We have taken so many steps toward God to walk away from our old ways. But yet, here we were, leaving. My chest burned with tears in my heart.



And another day came, oblivious to the fact that we were suffering and hurting. And with this day came the flood. It was Thursday and I couldn't stop crying. I sat at my desk and I cried. I cried for me, I cried for my children, I cried for what has been lost, and I cried out to my Father, wanting to know why He had foresaken me and mine. My mind maintained that there was a reason for His allowing this, but man my heart was wounded. I think what hurt the most was that I was full of doubt. I doubted His love for me in this moment and I doubted his provision for me. I doubted my faith...and that pained in a way I didn't know to be possible.

Yet, I knew that I needed to reach out, and I needed to be honest. So I ate a very, very large piece of humble pie and I wrote about what was going on. Angrily, I wrote. Saddened, I wrote. Humbly, I e-mailed, begging for prayers that would lift my family, that would give me the strength to endure when I felt I couldn't go on. I then went on, to my Elijah House class, still full of tears and grief. The leader took me aside and she helped me find some clarity and reminded me that my Father is my provider, infusing a super-natural strngth into me that I had missed so much. Ahhhh, there was the love. To be loved and then feel that love is lost...I had felt empty and lost. I knew at this point that no matter what, God loves me and He loves my children. I knew that we would be ok and we would get through this, stronger yet.

Several people in my class had read my e-mail and blog, and offered encouragement, also reminding me that my Daddy will provide. And provide He did, in ways that I still struggle to comprehend. One woman in my class presented me with a gift that will forever remind me of this night. It is a beautiful bracelet that speaks of His love for me, of His children's goodness, and will forever bring me back to this night when He showed me He will always provide, abundantly and overflowing. The leader of the class then stepped in front of the group and she gently explained to my peers what I was going through. Her words fell around me and I sobbed, not because I was ashamed. I knew that not one of these beautiful people would judge. I sobbed because I didn't want to be the person she spoke of. But then we prayed, and I knew that what was happening was in fact for my good, and again that it would be ok.


Her words inspired and people gave. They gave love, they gave strength, and they gave money. By the end of the night, when the offerings were counted, all we could do was stare at each other in amazement. Not only does God love me...He REALLY wants to bless me. Through his children, He gave me over $2000....this is where the words fail me. Did that really happen? Yes, yes it did! And I did a dance of joy, and I hugged, and I cried tears of joy. And I was humbled. Beautifully, completely, absolutely humbled. In just the way He desired. I knew at that moment that I would never question Him again as my provider. What an awesomely incredible moment. But He didn't stop there because He is a Father who loves to give!

Friday morning afforded me the precious gift of sharing with my children what God had done for us, and I knew in that moment that they would never again question God as their provider ~ let the magnitude of that sink in for a minute, because it still has me in awe! Their faith is set and to see this as their mother was completely glorious! Then as I came to work, I was overwhelmed with e-mails from people wanting to help and give and lift and strengthen. This spoke volumes to me, and reinforced that, although I had stumbled, my Father loves me so much and will not let me fall ~ in fact, He's giving me wings to fly!!!

All told, since the darkness lifted and light is surrounding, the following has occurred:

~ Love was given, and received! Many witnessed our Lord's power!
~ My electric bill was paid, and power restored to my home ~ my children and I will never again take being home for granted!
~ I have a stunning bracelet that is physically on my wrist but truly resides in my heart!
~ My children and I woke up in our home on Mother's Day and we celebrated each other, knowing we are loved by the one who created us!
~ An hour long conversation between the three of us ensued, diving into the depths of God's love!
~ A conversation was had with my husband that softened my heart and his!
~ I will meet this week with some of God's people who can help me with my finances, hopefully preventing this from ever happening again!
~ My best friend sent words that reminded me of how far I've come and how far God is taking me!
~ My car will be getting inspected this week!
~ I will have insurance as of this week!
~ My children will have bunk beds by this weekend!
~ My cats will be neutered and given shots this week!
~ I have money in the bank and can get caught up on my bills!
~ My refrigerator is full of people's love that will nourish our bodies and our hearts!
~ I have spoken to, met, and been encouraged and prayed over by people who God is so strongly placing in my life that I cannot question the divinity of it!
~ I will give back, in many ways, in any way I am capable!
~ I have learned what it means to ask and to receive!
~ My faith in God has been strengthened even further...

I want to thank each and every person who has reached out to me and my children in any way shape or form! Your love has been felt and I can't tell you how much you are loved in return! I thank you all for being obedient to our Father and for lifting up his broken daughter. Healing is rampant these days and so much of that is due to my angels who walk beside me. You are helping me and my children go heavenward & that my friends, is a truly beautiful thing! My love abounds and will help many because of what has been given here. Thank you my lovelies ~ blessings, blessings, blessings upon each of you!

No Words For Now

I've been fumbling all morning with the perfect way to give proper accolade to the events that transpired last night. And still here I sit, tongue-tied and groping for the language needed to give Him the praise He deserves. All I can conjur so far is..."Thank You Father... for loving me and McKenzie and Patrick in a way that is perfect and indescribable." But it needs to be written and shared and captured and remembered. The way God worked in my life last night has the power to change lives...it did mine.

From yesterday's post you may know that this week has been a struggle on so many levels for me and my two children. But I knew God was bringing us to it, and that He would carry us through it. I just didn't know how, hence the struggle. But through recent events, I realize that is not for me to question any more. Questioning the how is ultimately what leads to me question Him, and that is not something I want to do any longer. If someone asked me yesterday if I thought God would do what He did last night, I would have said, "Yeah, it's possible, but I don't think so." And why is that? I am His daughter and He doesn't fit one bit of the mold I try to put Him in when I think of a father. My views of a father are based on wordly things and experience ~ they know nothing of the greatness of MY FATHER! The two don't even come close. He is infinitely lovelier than I am capable of comprehending. And His love for me is deeper than any depth I can grasp.

Even as I type this, His goodness abounds and keeps catching me by surprise. I wasn't prepared for this day Lord. My heart feels as though it may burst, when yesterday it hurt so badly and my emotions were not in line with your ways. Yet today...how does one write in words what the heart is saying???

Ok, I'm just going to write it, using the words I know. It may not be perfection, and it may not completely capture what God did, but that is ok as it is written on my heart forever and ever. So last night, at Elijah House, our leader made an announcement to everyone, letting them know that my children and I were struggling. That was not an easy moment for me, by any means. Not because I felt shame, I just didn't want this to be my reality. And I struggled to the very depths of my soul with the idea of questioning Him.

Wow, so I am going to write more later on, because even as we speak He is showering blessings over me, all day today and I seriously need some time to soak it up and absorb what is happening, before I can properly write about it. But know that my electric bill was paid this morning, as will several other bills be paid also. I have been contacted by several sisters and brothers of the church, and they all want to help. A letter was written that speaks of my life. I spoke with my husband in a way that was somehow softer and more real than it's ever been. And my children, those crazy precious souls, saw what it means to allow God to provide for us and to lean not on our own understanding, but turn to HIm for everything. What has transpired here has truly changed my heart and my soul, and I am so glad it has. To be continued later, but for now ~ embrace all of the mothers you know and show them love ~ they deserve it so very much! Every day, but especially this weekend ~ we warrant a celebration! And have a beautiful weekend, knowing that you are loved by our Father, in ways that you can't imagine!!! Much love to all of you, my angels here on Earth!

Heavy Hearted

This is going to be a tough post to write, but a necessary one for many reasons. As I've said in previous posts ~ I have to be honest because that is real. I can't sugarcoat what is going on in my life because I know that my suffering is not in vein ~ He has a purpose here, and to change the details of my story would invalidate His purpose. Having said that, I can now say that I am angry at God right now. I think I am more hurt and angry with Him than I've ever been. Even though I am trusting that there is a MUCH higher purpose to what has transpired in my life, I am angry! And sad...in my heart...so sad that I feel my chest might just collapse.

Why is this happening? I am at my deepest walk with You and this is where my life is? My electric has been turned off and I had to pack up those innocent, not-deserving-this children and go stay with my cousin, through tears and incomprehension. The food that I worked so hard to provide is going bad as we speak. It is unknown to me how and when I will be able to turn it back on. And how do you explain to a 6 & 7 year old that I couldn't pay the bill, without scarring their tiny little hearts? I am doing everything I know how to do to survive, including giving these problems to You, yet here I am, failing. My car is not inspected, and I have no insurance. My monthly bills are all behind, and I can't afford gas and groceries. My chin quivers as I hold back the tears. Amazed I still have any left, as the number that fell yesterday should have run me dry. I have inspected every area of my life, digging out the bad, and I so desire to be a good steward over what I am given. But I don't deserve this, and neither do those precious precious children Lord. They have never had true stability, and that is all that I've ever wanted to give them, the absolute basics. But I can't even do that. And here I am, walking through this alone, no husband to turn to, to share the load with. Man ~ I never signed up for any of this! I never wanted this for my life and I sure as hell didn't want it for my kids.

I can't lie here ~ my faith is shaken Lord! If you are teaching me a lesson, please hurry up and do so because I can't handle much more of this heartbreaking awfulness! And not even for my sake. I've slept in my car before, I can handle this. I'm begging on behalf of my children Father, our provider, HELP US!!! I know you must break the horse before you can take a ride, and I believe you are breaking me here for a reason. In fact, I cling to that. Because if not, then I must question what is happening. And I don't want to go there. But to be honest, my heart is saying this just is not fair and a good and just God would not allow this. As I said in earlier posts, I have suffered in this way alllllll of my life. But this honestly is one of the low points of my life. It ranks right down there with being evicted from our apartment and having to move out within 4 days. Shall I go on?

But here I am, working full time to support my children, and I can't make it work. Every day it gets a little worse. The bills pile a little higher. How is a person to survive like this while also caring for two other beings? It doesn't work. Yet how do I take back from them the little bit of goodness I've given them? Finally a very meager little piece of their own home, where they can feel safe and become the amazing characters God has created. And by no means are we living in the laps of luxury here ~ I mean they don't even have beds to sleep in. But we are ok with that, because we have a home! A home that we love and take good care of. I can't move them again...I can't do it. It's not fair Lord! I am not asking for a lot here. We've already lost their father, please don't take this from us too. Please Father...I am falling apart and that may be just what You need, but then You must be there to put me back together. And hold my children's hearts in your palm, protected and shielded while this happens. They've already suffered so much more than they deserve in this world. Protect their innocence Lord and please just keep them ok. I've tried so hard to make this a better world for them, but I am unable apparently. So I can only turn to You and ask that you keep them safe. I can take what comes my way, I've learned at least that over the years. But my heart has broken for these completely innocent children who don't deserve this. Just as my heart broke years and years ago for my innocent childhood that was stolen from my little girl heart. And just as I am healing mine, I am watching the breaking of my children's. Is this real? Why?

All I can do at this point is turn to a scripture that one of my angels presented to me when it was needed almost as much as it is now.

Psalm 34:19 ~ "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all..."

I'm believing in this Father. As the kids and I prayed yesterday, please deliver us Lord. Three have agreed here on Earth, in your name, and therefore it is done.

"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven."

Allow Him To Harmonize

I feel a deeply rooted need to re-cognize my blessings today. We must constantly stop ourselves and really see the many beautiful blessings that abound in each of our lives. They are there, I promise. God has such an amazing ability to help us see beauty in all things, if we just allow Him. It's a matter of allowing Him to harmonize what we see with the reality of our existence and His ways. He will show you meaning in pain, beauty in sorrow, love in a color, compassion in a moment, grandiose in the mundane, trueness in dishevelment, goodness in the misunderstood, purity in the uncleansed, kindness within your own heart, true grace within your own soul...for He put it there...for each and every one of us. But we must take the time to recognize His plentiful and overflowing and masterful blessings...go there with me today...let's give thanks for The Ways He Whispers "I Love You!"


Je suis reconnaissant:


1. The grooves of my finger prints ~ reminding me He's only made one!

2. The blue of Mac's eyes ~ yet to be matched.

3. Pat's eyelashes ~ perfect for butterfly kisses.

4. The morning sun kissing my cheeks, reminding me this is the day that He has made ~ I will be glad and rejoice in it!

5. My stretchmarks ~ a forever reminder that He allowed me to assist Him in 2 miracles!

6. The brilliant red hue only witnessed on a sunny fall day.

7. Raindrops in puddles.

8. A baby's belly laugh.

9. Pat's goodness.

10. Mac's wisdom.

11. My ability to choose good.

12. A stranger's surprise and then true joy at an unwarranted smile from me.

13. The amazing arrayof colors found in the fruit and veggie section of our modern convenience known as a grocery store.

14. Eyes ~ they allow one to see the world while also allowing others to see one's soul.

15. The exquisite scent of a stargazer lily.

16. Poppop's hands and the memories they created.

17. Being still and knowing Him.

18. The ability to learn, especially from my mistakes.

19. Photographs ~ the ability to capture a moment forever!

20. The sweet smell of coffee on a Sunday morning.

21. Slippers and pockets

22. Lemon water hydrating my soul.

23. Pearl Jam's lyric's moving my soul.

24. The Bible ~ could He have made it any easier?

25. Locating a pencil buddy!

26. Brothers ~ their hugs and knowing they will always love me and be there no matter what!

27. Love notes from my children!

28. The smile on my face as I read back through these blessings...

29. This day, today.

30. The goodness coming to me and my children with every breath I am given.

31. The color purple ~ a great movie, but also a color that all should feast their eyes on ~ it will change your soul.

32. Chubby fingers stroking my cheek, because that is where they need to be.

33. Witnessing compassion and goodness from a 7 year old ~ that will also change your soul.

34. Muscles ~ they will always be there and are good enough to remind you when you haven't used them in a while!

35. Waking to the sounds of life the way God created ~ nature at it's finest hour!

36. Watching my Grandmother, my Mother, and my daughter plant vegetables together ~ pure magic!

37. A step-father who has brought a broken family to wholeness.

38. Blackened bottoms of small feet.

39. Watching my son and my brother teach each other about life...and how to throw a frisbee.

40. A child walking through the dark with glow sticks on every appendage.

41. Money being given to me at the moment you need it most, from the person I least expect.

42. A note hidden in my purse from a daughter who just wanted to say "I hope you have a good day Mommy, you know I love you."

43. Spending time with friends I never should have lost contact with.

44. Praying over a boy because he is really afraid of a bad ghost...and having that boy say he would like to come to church with me.

45. A mother who truly is the wind beneath my wings.

46. A long lost kindred spirit who moves in and out of my life, but always with the right words, the right hugs, at the right moment.

47. Writing God's ways in a way that touches hearts and minds...glorifying Him.

48. Waking up to a Christian radio station that I hadn't turned the dial to the night before.

49. Music ~ the soundtrack of my awesome life!

50. Three absolutely God-picked teachers and amazing women who are changing my heart.

51. A group of amazing people who accept my love, just as it is, and give love and are walking similar paths toward Him.

52. My sisters ~ step, half, and in-law ~ sisters, who are true beauty and keep walking forward, teaching me to stay strong

53. HUGS!!!!!

54. Driving with all of the windows down, screaming some crazy awesome song, wind in our hair, knowing all is well!

55. Two best friends who complete me.

56. A new church family who feel like home.

57. Quiet moments where I breath and know I am loved and protected.



I got this fantastic idea of counting our blessings as a way to praise Him from an incredible woman, named Ann Voskamp. If you are interested in reading more about this, and joining her Gratitude Community, see here. As she says, once you start it's very hard to stop! Blessings!!!