Everyday Blessings // 7

I have two more Saturdays to prove to you that I can actually post these blessing posts ON Saturday...
Please forgive me for missing the 10th.

I am thankful...

Day #4: ...for lots of blankets on my bed and a woodstove that we can build cozy fires in to keep us warm.  

Day #5: ...that the LORD allowed me to being my ministry, First Night of Freedom, and for all the doors He has opened up for it to grow.

Day #6: ...that know matter who is President, Jesus is - and always will be - The King.

Day #7: ...for the friends God has blessed me with.  The true friends who ask me if I need prayer...who stay up till 1 in the morning listening to me vent about my day...who text me all throughout the day and let me know that they're thinking of me. 

Day #8: ...for people who take me up on my offer to be a sister in Christ to them and to pray and encourage them if they need it.

Day #9: ...for little sisters who leave notes and give me massages.  And still enjoy snuggling for nap time.

Day #10: ...for being free and able to worship God in any and everything I'm doing, whether it's cleaning the house, tidying up my room, scrubbing a sink, folding laundry.  He is always with me.  And deserves me praise all the time.

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What are some things you were thankful for this week?

Fully Satisfied in the LORD

I know I refer to myself as 'one of the most romantic girls you'll ever meet' (and that hasn’t really changed at all) but the LORD has been revealing Himself to me in new ways.  Ways I didn’t know existed.  I’ve been falling in love with my Jesus and growing in my relationship SO much with Him.  I’m at a point where I am awestruck by the wonders that I’m constantly discovering about Him.  I didn’t know a love like this could exist between me (a sin-filled creature) and God (the Creator of the Universe).

The LORD has brought me through many trials this past year.  Many of them were lessons which, in the end, showed me how I had not been focusing on God at all.  How He had taken a back-seat in my mind.  That I had placed other things  as my focus, instead of keeping Him the center of my life.  Many of these lessons I learned the hard way.  Very hard.  They were very painful to experience.  It took a lot of healing (which I am still going through).  But in the end, I came out a victorious daughter of the King.  And looking back now...I wouldn’t trade all that pain for anything in the world if it meant that I would be as close to my God as I am now.

One of the main and biggest things I learned is how I had been prioritizing my dream to be a wife and mother, above my calling to serve my Creator.  It was a very humbling process when I realized, and had to admit to myself, that my sweet, romantic dream of marrying the ‘perfect man’ and having lots of little ones, wasn’t what should be at the forefront of my mind.

The LORD convicted me in this and struck a chord deep in me.  My ultimate goal right now, as a single young lady, should be to please and honor my heavenly Husband.  My dream in life should be to work towards being all that I can be for my King.

Since coming to this realization, I confessed my sin (of not keeping my Jesus first in my life) and committed myself to striving towards being a better daughter to Him, a better woman for His glory.  And let me tell you...I have never felt so satisfied, so in love, so at peace with my LORD and Savior.  I never thought I’d be saying this, but...if God chose for me not to get married and serve Him as a wife and mother under my husband’s authority, I would be perfectly content being single and doing everything I could to further His kingdom as an unmarried woman.  That’s not to say that I don’t want to get married anymore.  Far from it!  But I am waiting on Him more fully, more completely (and yes, I am still very romantic;).

Let me close with this verse from 1 Corinthians...

'The woman who is unmarried, and a virgin, is concerned about the things of the LORD, that she may be holy both in body and spirit...'

Dear single sisters, take heart in knowing that all you need, you already have. A man won't make your life any better. Be content with being fully satisfied in the LORD. He is the only One Who can fulfill all your desires. Your single years is the opportunity for you to focus on Him and advance His kingdom in ways you won't be able to if you (LORD-willing) marry one day. Take advantage of the time you have now to 'concern [yourself] about the things of the LORD.  And also, even though this may be hard to imagine, once you DO get married, the person you marry can not ever be that perfect person you always dreamed of.  Only Christ can be the unchanging, perfect Husband.  Learn to cherish Christ NOW, so that when your future husband disappoints you, you can know how to love him through your relationship with Christ which has been founded solidly through your single years, and in turn, you will grow in your marital relationship together - with Christ at the center!

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'Delight yourself in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart.'

- Psalm 37:4

Everyday Blessings // 6

I can't believe it's November already.  In some ways, I'm sad that 2012 has passed so quickly.  And then another part of me can't wait till the New Year.  God has taught me so, so much this year that I can't seem to wait to start afresh and start a new year with all the lessons that I learned spurring me on to walking a better life for Him.

A lot of people I know have been doing a day-to-day thing (which began on the 1st), posting 'what I'm thankful for' each day of the month.  I thought I'd just consolidate my thankful list into my Everyday Blessings post...and I promise, I will post these every Saturday of this month.  I know I've been absolutely horrid at keeping up with y'all, but life has been excruciatingly busy.  And yes - before you ask;) - I will be updating y'all on it.  Keep an eye out for a post either Monday or Tuesday!;)

So here are the things I am thankful for...

Day #1: ...a family who loves me.  Who is always beside me in my journeys and adventures.  My greatest team of supporters.  And I sometimes wish we could always stay together forever.

Day #2: ...cold mornings outside, but warm on the inside.  A home.  A place where God dwells in, with my family and me.

Day #3: ...music.  It's such a part of my life.  I would be blind any day instead of being deaf.

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What are three things that you are thankful for??