Moving to a new blog site!

For anyone who may stumble across this blog site, or who may have read my blog in the past who still frequents this site, you may have noticed I haven't posted here in a while.  There are several reasons for this, but to summarize it all in one neat little sentence... 2017 was a crazy, hectic year for me.  To say that it was not my favorite year is an understatement.  It seemed to be one emergency after another, and I do believe I added to my ever growing abundance of gray hairs more this past year than any other so far.  Let's just say I was more than happy to close the door of 2017 and have eagerly opened the door to 2018 with great expectations and the promise of new mercy, new grace, and a clean slate.  Even though there were many things out of my control I believe I can personally do better this year.  I am believing for bigger and better things and have given myself 14 personal goals to carry with me into the new year, some of which I will share with you by the end of this post.

One thing I am looking forward to in the new year is trying to squeeze in more time for writing, which happens to be a passion I share with my husband.  He has started a brand new website this year called Treach the Word (which is a word play on our last name, and the fact that he's a preacher/teacher) and I have decided to take him up on his offer for a joint effort in out writing pursuits.  It is with that new chapter of writing that I will be closing this one.  I have enjoyed my amateur attempts at blogging with this site, which has mainly been just a few of the colorful ramblings of my mind brought to life in simple sentences.  I look back on these posts (which have very little to do with the exact happenings around me at those times) and can immediately recall that particular season of my life.  I learned so many lessons those few years, and went through some of the most tumultuous storms of my life.  But the main thing is, I came through them in the end.  I'm still standing, I'm still me, and I'm still writing.  (just not as often)

So... what do I want to take with me into 2018?  Peace.  I want and crave peace.  That's a pretty broad term, and it covers oh so much, but I have a deep, burning desire for this coming year to be peaceful.  Again, some things are within my control, other things aren't, but whatever may come this year I hope and pray that I claim it with elegance, with the right attitude, and with grace.  God may see fit to throw my way some of the hardest tests of my life this year, I have no idea.  But if He thinks I can handle it, then so be it.  I just want to be able to overcome it all in a way that is most pleasing to Him.

I mentioned that I jotted down a few ideas to take with me into the new year.  I'll leave you with some of them.

1. Do what you know you need to do.
2. Start the day right and end it right.
3. Don't be afraid to be who you are.  It's ok to be you.
4. Pray more, yell less.
5. Never leave a room empty handed.
6. Forgive yourself.
7. Be the friend you wish you had.
8. Make your smiles contagious.
9. Keep the soil of your heart tilled and turned. Bitterness is a root, dig deep.

It's been a pleasure having you read my blog.  I pray that I somehow left you with a smile on your face, a thought in your head, and a hope in your heart.  God bless and keep you always.  Please, come and visit me at Treach the Word sometime.

Your friend,

Jennifer

Ellie is Baptized!!

My sweet baby girl was baptized in Jesus'name on February 21st at Cedar Grove UPC in Tupelo, MS!  She, like her other two sisters, was baptized by her daddy.  Eliana (known lovingly as "Ellie" by all her friends and family) is 5 1/2 years old and loves Jesus with all her little heart.  She loves to pray and worship in church and means every bit of it.  Below is a photo snapped just in time about 2 weeks before she was baptized.  She had her little hands raised and was praying so hard in the altar, when another 5 year old came by and lovingly put his hand on her head and began praying for her.  Then, another little girl (8 years old) gently laid her hand on her back and began praying with her as well.  It was one of the most precious things I had ever seen.

She had been telling us for awhile that she wanted to be baptized, but we were waiting until we knew she fully understood it, well, at least as much as a child can comprehend it.  She was so excited when we set the date.  Here are some more photos...

Nothing fills my heart with joy more than seeing my children walking in Truth and putting into action what they have been taught since birth.  I pray that I can have a childlike faith such as theirs and that they will continue to grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  

Some Things I've Learned...

Over three years ago, I started working on this blog post.  I don't exactly know why I chose to keep it on the back burner all this time.  There are many posts I've started but never finished that I don't feel any desire to do so, but I do feel compelled to complete this one.  An upcoming birthday seems like as good a time as any to talk about a few life lessons learned.  So... here we go.

I've learned a few things in my lifetime.  I'd like to share them with you.


Some things in life truly can't be replaced by something else.

In my experience, substitutes are never as good as the real thing (diet mayo, for example... eww!).  Once something is no longer there that used to be there, leave it be.  Don't try to fill a void.  It simply will not work; it will only fall apart.  Besides, the only thing in this life that can ever be used to patch a gaping hole is Jesus, in which case He fills the void creating something brand new.  Hmmm...something to ponder...if your life is falling apart.  What have you been using to patch the holes?  Okay, that's another blog post in and of itself.


In most cases, the simplest answer is usually the best.

I do not need the cleaning, planning, cooking, or financial schedule of some other superwoman on the internet with an awesome-looking blog.  I've tried.  I've failed.  Clean a little every day, get the staples at the grocery store and follow new recipes, keep the same tried and true bill pay routine I've used since high school.  I do not need some detailed diet plan complete with daily menus, calorie counting, and a rigorous exercise routine.  I've tried.  I've failed.  Move more, eat less.  Period.

Your body tells on you.

Headaches, neck and back pain, fever blisters, sleepless nights, weight gain: these are the ways my body tells me I've got a problem somewhere that needs fixing.  These things happen to me usually when I am overly stressed, worried, or very sad about something.  I'm sure our bodies are all different, but think about it.  What are the signs your body sends to tell you something needs to be fixed, if at all possible?  Maybe we should pay more attention.

The phrase "grin and bear it": Genius!

There is much to be said about acceptance.  There is a big difference between accepting and giving up.  The ability to learn how to choose one's battles is one of life's greatest (and hardest) lessons learned, in my opinion.  My personality is such that I too often back down, or I avoid conflict at all cost.  That is a weakness of mine.  But being able to just simply accept something that is completely out of my control with a genuine smile—now, that is a strength.  I don't always have to have it my way.  I don't always have to control every single thing in my life.  My needs and wants do not have to be first and foremost in every situation.  I've learned that sometimes you just need to simply breathe in and out really long and slow...and then grin and bear it.

Happiness is not a necessity in life.

Hold on to your hats, folks!  I'm about to say something you may not all agree on.  Happiness is not a right we earn.  Sometimes "just wanting to be happy" can actually be selfish.  I probably just stepped on a few toes or ruffled a few feathers there.  But hey, this is one of the perks of having your own blog: speaking one's mind.  :)  Call it what you want; but the times I've actually heard people say something to the effect of, "I deserve to be happy", are often on the brink of something very selfish in nature.  Happiness is not something to be deserved.  Happiness is a blessing.  It is a gift for which to be thankful.  I also believe that it is a gift that is not necessary to live a productive life.  Happiness and joy, in my opinion, are two totally different things.  I believe it is possible to live in joy and not necessarily be happy all the time.

Music has a major impact on your mood, attitude, and thought processes.

Input, output; what goes in is what comes out.  What a simple concept that we too often take for granted.  We seem to match music to our moods, and it sometimes it makes us feel better...momentarily.  Other times it can actually make us feel worse.

There is a musical genre for any emotion you can imagine.  I see this as a danger.  When we open our minds to music, we cannot stop it from effecting what we think and how it makes us feel.  Dare I say it?  Music is spiritual.  Feeling angry?  What does loud, aggressive music with a strong beat seem to do?  It feeds that anger instead of cooling it down.  Feeling sad or depressed?  Ever start crying even more than before once you turn on your favorite slow song?  And during these times, what are you thinking?  You're more than likely dwelling on those feelings, thinking of what made you feel that way in the first place.

I am speaking from personal experience here.  I have learned that the best way to combat negative emotions is not by matching those feelings to music.  Being a musician and songwriter, I have a love for music and I know the power it can have in our lives, both good and bad.  The next time you're in your car angry at the world, or just bummed out from a bad day, instead of turning on that music your mind wants you to listen to, try some Praise and Worship music.  Try some classical piano.  Try something soothing rather than feeding that fire.  You may not think it makes that much of a difference, but I truly believe with all my heart that it does.  Music is powerful.  Don't underestimate it.

It really will get better with time and God.

Ever heard the phrase "Time heals all wounds"?  I believe that statement is severely lacking.  Rose Kennedy has been quoted as saying,

"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."

I'd like to take it a step further, if I may.  God is the One who covers wounds with scars, and He uses time to do it.  He's the pro when it comes to scars, by the way.  Because the human mind is blessed (sometimes cursed) with the ability to remember, I'm not sure that wounds ever completely fade; but I do believe they heal.  There have been several times in my life that I wasn't sure if I could get through the next day, but I did.  Was it easy?  No.  Did it hurt?  Tremendously.  Am I still here?  Absolutely.  By the grace of God and through the faith and prayers of close friends and family who love me dearly, I held on; and it got better.  Speaking of things I never finish, there's a song I started a while back that talks about one of my favorite verses in the Bible, "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning"  (Psalm 30:5).

Just when you think life has settled down, hang on tight!  It's about to change, again.

I'm nearly 36 years old, and I have never lived under the same roof for more than three years at a time.  I'm afraid of putting down roots because as soon as I do, something comes along to uproot me all over again.  I'm having a transparent moment here, but I am jealous of those of you who have had the luxury of growing up in the same house and getting to bring your children to see your old room.  I am in no way complaining about my life.  I've been blessed beyond measure and will be the first to admit that fact.  I just wish I could have settled down somewhere.  I'm not about to make plans where I am at present, either.  Nope, I know better.  The main thing is just doing what I was speaking of earlier: grin and bear it.  I've been in the ministry all of my life.  The life of ministry is a horse of a different color.  We don't get the same roof for 20+ years.  We only get a handful of true, life-long best friends, if we're that lucky.  We give way more than we get.  We serve.  We encourage and build up other people; then, we cry ourselves to sleep at night.  We don't put down roots; we tend to others' roots.  It's just the way it is.

You don't have to be perfect in order to be a blessing to others.

Thank God!  If He required perfection, I'd be completely useless.  Don't look at yourself in the mirror every morning and immediately decide you have nothing worth giving to the world.  For every weakness you possess, I guarantee you have a strength that someone else wishes they had.  To keep yourself from others because you don't like you, to hide in your hole of insecurity, to bury yourself in the sands of your imperfection—it's the most selfish thing you can do.  Somebody needs you.  Probably a lot of somebodies need you.  Don't wait until you feel you have it all together because, I promise you, no one does.  No matter how perfect someone else's life may seem, it's not.  Every living, breathing human being you pass by each day is going through their own personal hell.  We all have one.  Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.  What better way to combat your own hurt than by helping heal someone else's?

Let other people be in their box.

Ok, let me explain a little here.  I heard of the concept of the box while listening to a marriage seminar message.  It was geared towards the idea that men have their  mental boxes and that they get them out one at a time and deal with things in life that way.  When they are "in their box", they typically ignore everything else going on around them until they put that box away and go get another one.  Women, on the other hand, have twenty or more boxes open at a time and are jumping from box to box all day long, which is why it bums us out or even makes us angry when our husbands don't help us deal with all our open boxes because they have their hands and heads in their one little box.  Make sense?  For instance, say he's outside doing yard work, plain and simple.  More than likely, it's a stress reliever for him rather than a chore; it's his quiet time to get away from it all and just sweat and cut grass and attack tree branches.  Let him.  Don't go out there and ask about a past due bill or what he wants to do about next week's church social or, even worse, ask him to come inside and kill a spider.  No.  He's in his box.  Let him be in his box until he puts it away.  The secret is timing.  Catch him before he goes and opens another one.  :)  I have learned that this principal not only applies to marriage but can also be useful in life.  Let people be themselves.  Let them have their moment.  Let them be in their box, if at all possible.  Just imagine how happy you would be if others would let you be in your box...or boxes.

Comparison: code for joy-killer.

So, some of these things that I've learned...I'm still learning them...most of them, in fact.  This is probably the biggest one for me.  Why do we (women probably more than men) have the tendency to constantly look at others and compare ourselves to them?  It's really crazy when you stop and think about it, but it happens all the time.  Homes, clothes, weight and sizes, jobs, cooking abilities—Gracious!—even our own families—we are always mentally comparing ourselves and everything about us with others.  I'm speaking from personal experience here; but in most cases, we end up feeling less than perfect.  It got me so down and out at one point in my life that I actually had to stop looking at Facebook and Pinterest.  Some of my favorite quiet times had somehow morphed into moments that made me feel like a worthless, pathetic, inadequate mess.  All of my faults and failures seemed to rise from the computer screen and hit me in the face with each picture I saw of grand, expensive family vacations that I wasn't financially able to take my family on, delicious recipes that I wasn't cooking, beautiful outfits that I didn't have, gorgeous homes decorated to perfection that I could never afford, and toned and muscled bodies that I didn't see in the mirror.  I had to combat these feelings with some serious soul searching.  I had to take a break from social media and hit the reset button of my mind.  I had to do some fasting and praying.  Most importantly, I had to take mental note of everything I had to be thankful for; and as the list grew longer, my feelings of inadequacy shortened.  I had to realize that I am who I am—that I'll never be anyone else—and to love me for me, despite my many imperfections.  I'm still trying to realize it each day, actually.

Don't kill the quiet.

In this crazy, busy life full of technology where absolutely nothing is personal anymore, take the time to turn it all off, sit outside or go for a walk, and let the sun shine on your face and the breeze mess up your hair.  I've never needed the quiet more in my life than I do now.  In the extremely rare moments that I have all to myself, most of the time I like to be completely silent.  I won't say (or sing) a word.  If ever I'm alone in the car, it's very rare that I play music.  About a year ago I had a job that required an hour long commute to work every day.  It became my most favorite time of the day.  I just drove...in complete and utter silence.  Nothing but my mind going 90 to nothing.  And I tried to even silence that part of me, but it was incredibly difficult.  I've been around people who can't sit still, literally.  They can't look at another human being in the eye and carry on a 10 minute conversation without pulling out their phone.  It drives me crazy, mainly because that used to be me.  I now try to make a conscious effort to leave my phone in my pocket, especially when I'm with other people.  I go to a restaurant and see couples sitting there, both on their phones, completely ignoring each other; and it makes my heart hurt.  Let me tell you something: your cell phone can ruin your marriage.  Put it away.  Talk to each other.  And when you're alone, don't say anything at all.  Be quiet for a moment or two.  Let everything calm down a bit; turn off the distractions; and embrace the silence.  I think you'll find there's an awful lot out there worth listening to that's not plugged up to something electronic.

For Pete's sake, say "please" and "thank you"!

What on earth has happened to common courtesy?  Show me an adult who keeps the words "please" and "thank you" active in their daily vocabulary and I'll nearly faint.  I'm utterly dumbfounded these days when it comes to outright rudeness.  It has gotten to the point that I see common courtesy (which is by far not common anymore) as a sign of actual maturity, dignity, and intelligence.  It's no wonder kids these days don't know how to act.  They have pitiful examples at home.  Although I'm in no way the perfect parent, I have actually learned something about raising kids (I have three).  If you'll say "please" and "thank you" to your kids, they'll pick up on it and say it to others.  Wow!  Shocking, isn't it?  When someone compliments you, say, "Thank you."  When someone gives you a gift, say, "Thank you."  When someone is simply nice to you and holds the door for you instead of letting it slam in your face, say, "Thank you."  Good grief!  What are we—a bunch of cyborgs?!  Or is it that we're just really that stuck on ourselves that we can't stoop down to a commoner's level and show a hint of politeness?  Can you tell that this is one of my pet peeves?

Righty tighty, lefty loosey...

Words of wisdom!  I can't tell you how many times I've said that little phrase to myself.  It's simply amazing how much it's helped.  Thought I'd throw it in for good measure.  :)

Old people are amazing.

There are few things in life that bring me more pleasure than sitting down and talking with an elderly person who still has their wits about them (and even those who don't).  They've lived through so much, survived so many obstacles, and are brimming with wisdom and knowledge.  They deserve our utmost respect.  They deserve to be heard.  They deserve to tell the world what for because, if anyone knows about anything, they do.  If you still have grandparents or, better yet, great-grandparents, cherish every moment you can with them.  Pick up the phone and say hello.  Go see them.  And if you don't have any elderly relatives living, then do yourself a favor and go visit a retirement home somewhere; pull up a chair, and make a new friend.  If nothing more, you'll enrich the life of that sweet person in their last days.  And who knows?  You just might learn something.

Forgiveness is a beautiful thing.

Forgiving someone who has wronged you is one thing, but being forgiven when you're in the wrong is quite another.  If anything in this life is the epitome of the heart of Jesus Christ, it's when someone forgives you when you've hurt them.  You'll never fully appreciate nor understand forgiveness at it's core until you've been forgiven yourself.  My husband and I were talking about how God forgives and forgets (see Isaiah 43:25 and Hebrews 8:12).  He brought out a very good point.  The fact that He forgives is not the God part of it.  It's the part where He actually forgets—that's the God part.  That's the part we as humans can't comprehend.  We can forgive, but we'll always remember.  But to actually forget...that's truly divine.  And it's absolutely beautiful.

There isn't much that dry toast and hot tea can't fix.

It's gotten me through three pregnancies, countless stomach bugs, the flu, migraine headaches, or just a bad day in general.  Don't get me wrong; I'm a coffee girl to the core.  But there are times that coffee just isn't the answer.  There are times when nothing but hot tea will suffice.  The next time you feel like death warmed over, give it a shot.  Piping hot, dry, nothing-on-it toast and a cup of mild, steaming hot tea with just a pinch of sugar in it.  You will feel better.  I promise.

Cold, rainy days heal the soul.

Call me crazy; but I absolutely love autumn days with dreary, overcast skies, a hint of cold wind, and a steady, light rain.  I love it even more if I can curl up with a blanket, a book, and a cup of coffee by the window so I can enjoy it.  It doesn't take much to please me, and this is one of those ridiculous things that I love.  It does something to me; I can't quite explain it.  But it makes me feel very happy.  Try to find peace in moments like these instead of complaining about the dreary weather.  It's there.

True best friends are an absolute gift from God.

I've only had a few; and because of life, miles, and hectic schedules, I really don't have any the way I'd love to have them right now.  Those of you who have that best buddy in the world that you can call literally day or night, 24/7, and never worry about a thing—someone who knows your mind and heart inside and out, someone who absolutely loves and looks for ways to make you feel special, someone you can hop in the car with on the spur of the moment and go have a fun day together—you've been blessed.  Truly blessed.  Please don't ever take it for granted.


I guess I've rambled on enough for one blog post.  Maybe there's some nugget in here that will do someone out there some good.  I truly hope so.  Even better, if you have a blog and you've posted such things that you have learned, please leave me a link in the comments.  I'd love to read it.  Like I said earlier, the older you are, the more I think you actually know something. :) Have a wonderfully blessed day, my friends.

The Spider and the Moth

My home was recently invaded by a really big, annoying moth.  You know the kind... seemingly the wingspan of an albatross that flies around all crazy like, bumping into everything.  I'm not quite sure how it ended up in a teeny little spiderweb in the bottom corner of my fireplace, but it did.  Why in the world I sat and watched the following, I'll never know, but it grabbed my curiosity when I saw that huge moth struggling to get out of the nearly invisible, tiny web.  I thought it was just another old cobweb that I missed the last time I dusted, but upon closer inspection I realized it was indeed occupied.  Perhaps one of the smallest spiders I've ever seen was carefully making its way toward the struggling giant caught in its two or three strand web.  What a catch!  I hate spiders with a burning passion, but I was almost proud of this little girl... or fella... as it slowly descended upon its prey that was probably ten times its own size.  I thought surely the giant moth would escape the seemingly insignificant threads... but it didn't.  The more it struggled, the more entangled it became.  I didn't feel up to being a hero and trying to save the moth simply because of that tiny spider and my fear of all things that have more than four legs, so I walked on for a bit.  When I returned I saw the cacoon of web spun around the moth and the little spider enjoying his/her supper... and it made me stop and think... it's not always the big webs that catch us.  Those tiny little strands in life, the "harmless" things that we allow on a daily basis because they are so small, they can be more dangerous than we think.  Just because you're big and strong doesn't necessarily mean you'll always escape the small webs.  The little things really do matter.

Just a thought from a sleep deprived mind who's been up all night with cold-like symptoms with sever allergies.  You never know what "genius" thoughts can come from being sick.  :)

Topsy Turvy

It's so amazing to me how fast things can change.

Just about the time life seems to fall into a predictable routine something can suddenly derail and completely reroute your present course, oftentimes requiring a paradigm shift in your way of thinking.  Sometimes these changes happen gradually, in slow steps that you can see and prepare for in advance.  Other times it's seemingly overnight with no warning at all.  And then there are those weird times that it's a little bit of both... things changing slowly right in front of you giving you a sense of something to come but then that something arrives much faster than anticipated leaving you breathless and anxious with an overall sense of chaos and confusion.

Well, such has been my life over the past several months.  I saw something coming, wasn't sure of the details exactly, but definitely something coming that would bring about change, but when it hit it happened so fast it left my head spinning.  This change is right, timely, and in God's will for our lives.  Just because it happened fast doesn't mean it happened in a hasty, thrown together decision at the last minute.

After much prayer and careful consideration, my family and I have resigned this past October from the work at Greater Faith Tabernacle in Greenville, MS where my husband has been Pastor for the past two years.  This has been one of the most difficult decisions of our lives.  We dearly love each and every member and will miss them greatly.  

When you give your life over to God and place everything in His hands in complete surrender, and pray daily that He would order your steps and lead you in His will, it's not that shocking to be seemingly uprooted from one situation only to be planted in another.  Such is the life of ministry... this I well know.  All of my life, from the very day I was born, I have lived in the home of a minister.  Being raised in the Truth and watching my parents prayerfully respond to callings and burdens throughout my life, I have come to understand concept of change.  I married a minister, who was also raised in the home of a minister, so both my husband and I have a hold on the importance of following the will of God for our lives.  Sometimes that will can lead you through doors you were fully anticipating walking through, sometimes it doesn't.  The important thing is knowing the voice of God, and correctly responding to it.

We are now living in Oxford, MS and working with Pastor Glen Williams at Christ the Rock Apostolic Church.  My husband has been installed as Youth Pastor (and Pastor's Assistant).  This church holds a very special place in my heart, as it was founded by my Dad when I was a teenager.  I couldn't be happier about this change, being much closer to friends and family, as well as the school my children were based out of while we were homeschooling in Greenville.  (The school, Oxford Christian Academy, is an extension of the ministry of the church we now attend.). We lived with my parents for the first 4 months until the dust settled and we could get our feet back under us.  I honestly felt sorry for them!  It was a crowded, crazy few months but it was wonderful being with them so much.  I had missed them more than words could say.  In February of this year (Valentine's Day, to be exact!) the Lord blessed us with a beautiful home.  I was amazed at how it all just fell into place.  It was only another confirmation of what we already knew, we were right where we were supposed to be.  Things are still in boxes in the garage and everything is not exactly like we want it, but we feel so at home here.  

Another major change in my life has occurred, one I would have never seen coming.  I'm now learning the family business at The Denture Lab, working for my father-in-law.   This nurse is no longer a nurse, but instead a dental technician in training!  Ha!  Who'd have ever thought I'd learn to make dentures.  :)  I honestly love it.  

The days and weeks quickly turned into months.  It feels as though time has been let loose, like a child who's finally been told they can unwrap their Christmas presents.  It's difficult to describe, but it feels as though I'm sitting back watching my life change before my eyes but not really participating in it.  "Dreamlike" is the best word I can think of to describe it.  I've been having to remind myself that this is really happening.  Every day we've been back home has gone by in a flurried whirlwind of activity.  From moving day till now, the days have just ran together for me.  There's been something major going on just about every time I find a minute to sit down and catch my breath.  November birthdays, Christmas, and the New Year have all zoomed before my eyes.  I've seen winter hit with a fury that has finally let go, and now Spring is all around us.  I am utterly amazed at how quickly time has flown by.  The girls have grown so much since leaving Greenville.  All three of them are in new shoe and dress sizes.  I can't keep up!

With life seemingly flipped all topsy turvy, I'm reminded of something I used to enjoy doing as a child.  I'd lay on the couch with my head dangling off the side and look at everything around me upside down.  Things took on a new appearance when viewed from a different perspective.  For just a moment I was out of the rut of the everyday norm.  With my blond wisps of hair flopped around my ears, my cheeks turning pink, and my head starting to feel dizzy and heavy, I'd take in the room around me.  The light fixture turned into a weird looking table.  The ceiling became a bumpy floor.  Chairs and tables suddenly defied gravity.  It was so cool!  (there wasn't much to occupy my time as an only child.  I did what I could.)  :)  But now I kind of see life that way.  Our world can be turned upside down and things still be positive, especially when we live in faith by putting our trust in the One who created it in the first place.  The next time you get thrown a curveball in life and you start to feel the pressures of change, go flip your head upside down somewhere and find a cool table like I did.  It will make you feel better, I promise!  Take another look from a different perspective.

Not to sound cliche', but the saying is really true; the more things change, the more they stay the same.  We may not see some things coming ahead of time, or we may actually be prepared for it and watch it happen without shock.  We may feel a sense of change without knowing the full reason.  Whatever the situation, whatever my past or present course, whatever mysteries may lie ahead around the next bend, I rest in the knowledge that my God's got this.  Whoever said the following knew what they were talking about, "I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I'm glad I know who holds tomorrow."

Second Verse Girl

I have started at least five blog posts but haven't been able to finish one of them.  I started writing in a daily journal only to completely stop after two short weeks.  I started taking vitamin supplements hoping to feel better physically only to forget to take them most every day.  I have started writing two new songs with a chorus and a verse (even a bridge to one), but I can't seem to write the second verse.

When my dad came to visit for Father's Day and I told him about my unfinished songs, he told me I needed to be "a second verse girl".  You know; when I think back, there are several songs I never finished, at least half a dozen.  In fact, I haven't finished a song since I was 15.  The creative juices start flowing; but then somewhere in the middle, they tend to abruptly stop and leave me without a clue as to how to end it.  I wonder why that is?  I think it has something to do with losing self confidence somewhere along the way.  I get these great ideas, or hear an amazing sermon, or read a verse that stands out to me in the Bible, or experience something in life that causes me to start thinking about a song.  I start it, but then I can't finish it.

Then there are the little "projects" I have started around the house.  I just stopped typing, shook my head, and smiled.  I immediately thought of three things that I have been trying to do over the past two years.  Something else always takes precedence.  There is always something more important to occupy my time, or at least I think so.

I need to take my Dad's advice to heart and be that "second verse girl".  The ability to finish what one starts has always impressed me.  Anytime I see other people do this, no matter how great or small the project, I always mentally applaud them.  Accomplishment is a wonderful thing.  Starting something is one thing, but finishing it?  Wow.  Amazing.  There is very little in this life that impresses me more.

Aren't you glad God never has this problem with us?  He is the author and finisher of our faith.  Hebrews 12 :2 reads,

" Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

And what were the last spoken words of Jesus before he died on the cross?

 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30)

I'm so very glad that God is a "second verse man".  He came to this earth robed in flesh and finished what He started.  He came for the sole purpose of becoming our sacrifice, to pay the penalty for sin once and for all.  And I believe that this same Jesus, the One who knows indeed how to finish what He starts, is able to do the same for us in our own personal lives.  He won't leave you hanging.  When you give your life in total surrender to Him and place everything in His capable hands, He'll take care of you.  I've got to add this verse...

  "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1:6)

One more thing... He's coming back.  Every prophecy written concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  I have every reason to believe that every prophecy concerning His return will also come to pass.

I am so thankful that He finishes what He starts.  How I long to be like Him!  God help me to be that "second verse girl".  Teach me to finish what I start, but most importantly... teach me to be complete in You.

Song of the Day

Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here

Sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
'Cause You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach

God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

"Let the Waters Rise", Mikeschair