Calling us to draw closer

Yesterday in our book study at church we discussed honoring the Sabbath.  Great discussion, new insight, my heart yearns to draw closer to God as a result.  Yesterdays Sermon - BOLD LOVE.   Great sermon, reminded that my calling is bigger than where I am, my heart yearns to draw closer to God as a result and to hear Him more clearly.  Today's devotion on proverbs31.org reminds me to beware when I am feeling spiritually comfortable, my heart yearns to draw closer to Him, to hear Him more clearly, and to receive from Him.

I so appreciate that God knows how my mind works.  When I hear think I hear something for the first time from God, I ponder, "Is this God or is this just me and my idea".  As I ponder if I do not get any more revelation or prompting from God I decide it must just be me and my idea.  If I get another prompting that lines up with this first I think, "I think this is God" It takes that third time for me to KNOW.  I appreciate that He gave me all 3 in less than 24 hours as my pondering was getting me excited and I was so hoping it was totally God.  As I hashed out this promptings with God I felt He was telling me - I have more I want to bless you with! To which I responded - But you have already blessed me so much, I don't need more.  God says - It's not a matter of your need, it's a matter of a Father wanting to give more to His child.  Please draw closer to me, listen to me and move in this area, watch what I will do!  I am in awe.  To be in a place of not having a dire worldly need and yet God wants to give me more.  I don't know exactly what the more is, that's not really what is important.  The importance is that even though I seem to be in a nice comfortable place of faith, God wants to be even closer to me and wants me to draw closer to him.  I feel special.  I feel loved.  

I think of my earthly father.  He moved about 2000 miles to live in our town, closer to us.  I am so happy to have him here.  I still worry about him, but I worry less because he is closer by.  Even though he is closer now, I know he still wants me to come and spend time with him.  I don't have to - we are both pretty happy just being so close now.  But we both want to draw together.  When we do - I think we are both so blessed by that time together.  I learn more about him, about how he is doing and vice versa.  As I learn more about him I learn more about what he needs from me as his child.  Is this sounding like another Father/Child relationship?

With both of these relationship sometimes I have to put things on the back burner for a while. I have to give us some of my personal desires.  But when I do the benefit that I get far outweighs the concern of what I have put off or given up.  I find myself wanting to spend as much time as possible in the presence of my Fathers.  I believe God honors this in more ways that I can realistically think of or see at this point.

Thanks for reading.

Lots of love!

D. J.

What is happening to the Roller Coaster?

Isn't our spiritual walk/journey so interesting?  I don't know about you but I know years ago when I was just becoming aware of the importance of being commitment to this relationship with my Heavenly Father that things were either HIGH or LOW.  I was either very aware and super excited about all that God was doing for me or I was in utter despair begging and crying out to God to rescue me.  Like a roller coaster.  An emotional roller coaster, and a spiritual roller coaster.  There were times I drew so near to God and times that I became distant from God - no middle ground.  There were times I could feel his presence and know his promptings without any effort and then there were times I felt so alone and isolated.  Up and down, Up and down.

Lately though I notice that it is not like that for me anymore.  So much so I have asked if maybe I have become desensitized to my relationship with my Father.  Wondered if I was falling away and just didn't realize it.  You see life is still happening - scary stuff, good stuff, I still make mistakes and need to be rescued from my stupidity, I am still aware of how blessed I am...but there is no ebb and flow.  

Let me give you a couple of examples of how life has been happening - just so you know - its still happening.

I keep two checkbooks in my purse.  One for two different accounts.  I haven't been very good at keeping up with my accounts lately (other than in my head ~ which is a big no no) but today I decided to check in on the accounts.  Things didn't add up.  I then noticed the checks in each of my check book were actually on the same exact account!  Do you know how disastrous this could have been?  Life happened in my checkbooks - praise God it just took some ciphering and online transferring and we sidestepped a HUGE mess.  God protected us.  In the past this could have resulted in an emotional melt down!

Around a month ago I found out I had an abnormal mammogram.  For about 45 minutes I battled being in a total tizzy!  Years ago this would have been a tizzy from that moment until the doctors told me something for sure.  But, God had seen ahead and provided me with a really great newish friend who is a cancer survivor and a believer ~ she was my first contact and she helped bring my brief tizzy to and end and helped shift my focus to the awesome power my master physician has.  My bestest friend of many years helped me get into a great clinic for further testing and was with me (physically and spiritually) the whole way!  

Big stuff - but I didn't have the high and low going on.  For the most part it was just a nice even trust in my heavenly Father.  Praise in his protection over me, praise in the fact that He always sees ahead and provides. Today I stay close to Him.  I am much better about being in prayer and being in the word.  Not because I HAVE to but because I love to!  My life has not necessarily become easier or less eventful.  But my faith has become my rooted so that I am not easily swayed.  I still stress from time to time, I still struggle with being ugly sometimes.  But all in all I can tell God has gotten to my core and has changed me down deep.  He is still changing me as I will always be a work in progress.  

I LOVE Roller coasters ya'all - absolutely love them!  But I only love the ones that I choose to get on and then get to get off of in a few short minutes.  I don't miss the roller coasters of  being a newly committed Christian.  I don't miss the roller coasters of the early spiritual journey.  I certainly appreciate them and all that I have learned from them but I am SO happy to be on this side.  I can't imagine what God has in store for me next but I know it will be awesome!  Everyday is awesome with my God!

I hope I am making some sense as you read this or I hope you are being encouraged by it. That's my purpose in posting ~ I want you to be encouraged to stand firm and hold tight to the promises our Heavenly Father has given us.  I want you to know that the effort put into this wonderful relationship at the beginning becomes much more natural, easy, and beneficial.  Peace is about to overwhelm you like no other ~ even in the midst of life!

Lots of love to all of you!

D. J.

Lots of randomness

Well, I don't really have a specific thing to post.  Lots of random things though.

I was in prayer this morning about a couple of issues that I have dealt with for years.  I was telling God how it was hard to pray over these things since they have been issues for so long.  God then lovingly reminded me of something else I had prayed over for years that He was faithful to answer - my marriage.  Indeed, He answered above and beyond anything I prayed or imagined.  He answered in spite of my numerous failures in the process.  He answered even though my faith at times was minimal.  Because of this remembrance - I am encouraged to continue to fight and to continue to lift the issues up in prayer.  

The past couple of months I have had interesting Christian individuals cross my path.  I know you know what I mean when I say interesting Christian individuals.  I have had to pray about my interactions with all of them.  I don't think I have ever had to work with individuals like this...or maybe it is just simply that I haven't had to work with individuals like this at the maturity I am at right now.  (Not bragging, just analyzing, God knows I have a long way to go!)  Anyway - as I pray I feel as if this is an opportunity for growth and to be an example...not an example to the individuals necessarily but to those who are watching the interaction between the individuals and myself.  Fortunately I am up to the challenge!  

I have noticed lately that my prayer life has kind of changed.  I used to like to have a prayer partner to lift up my personal needs with, I, in turn would pray over my partners needs as well.  I honestly felt like I needed the two or more in order to get an answer.  Lately I have become a little more private, a little more one on one with God.  Doing so is making me feel a little more accountable for my own actions.  

I am thankful for so much!  Bobby loves this job that God hand created for him.  It is stressful as his new position with the city brings much change and there is always resistance to change.  I am so proud that Bobby is seeking God and relying on God to do the battle.  I am so thankful that after many years of prayer - my husband acknowledges God, seeks Him and trusts Him.

Brandy is about to be 2 years without a break!  I would really like to have another DNA test done to see if the Osteogenisis still shows.  I am thinking God has healed her or is definitely in the process of healing her.  

I am thankful for my job.  I love what I do.  I love who I work with.  I love the relatively low stress.  

I am thankful that my 2 older girls are such awesome adults.  They are a joy to watch.  I am so blessed by them.  Blessed and humbled.

I am thankful for my Godly friends.  They may be few - but they are mighty and awesome!

That's my post for today!

Lots of love!

D. J.

Merry Christmas!  

It's been a long time since I  have posted! So sorry!  Good news though - it seems my life is getting more caught up than it has been in a very very long time!  It is feeling so good! I have hope of being organized again!  Don't get me wrong - life has not calmed down in the least!  But I have been focusing more on God and his plan for me each day - trying to eliminate some time wasters - and changing my thinking.  

God is good.  He continues to show Himself to me daily.  I am always amazed.  In a way I hope I am always amazed by seeing Him work in my life and in the lives of those around me.  But in another way I hope to get to a point where I can say - Well of course God came through - He always does!  

Let me just list a few things God has been at work at for our benefit the past few months

God created a job for Bobby - seriously, the job posted in June or July, it was a brand new position.  The job description could not have fit his qualification any more to a T than what they did.  It was like they new Bobby and designed the job description around his skill set and experience.  He applied for it is August I believe and started working in September.  

The existence of this new position within his employer has brought much resistance to pending change.  Bobby has had to do a couple of presentation and then take rapid fire from anybody who wanted to question him.  Bobby prayed (God at work) and came through for Bobby in an undeniable way. Let me tell you - having your man being led by God is a HUGE benefit to any marriage!

As a result of getting this job our finances are improving.  We have a lot of ground to make up.  God is stepping in and taking care of some of our debts.  He is giving us clear direction on how to tackle our finances with baby steps.  We even made a ridiculous mistake due to the chaos in our lives that could have been very expensive - have you ever forgot to pay your utility bill? - It could have cost us close to $500 and this mistake could have easily created a HUGE argument between us.  But we chose to seek God, ask for forgiveness of our oversight, and for His favor when Bobby went to the utility company the following day.  Let me just say - we did not have to pay anywhere near $500.00 and what we did have to pay - God provided the funds to just about cover it that day.

Brandy is doing great!  In February we will have made it two years without a break.  On average she should have had about 14 in the past two years.  My God is the master physician.  She got new braces this month.  They are drastically different than her previous braces due to some advances.  She can actually put them on and take them off all by herself - something she could not do before.  

My folks have moved here from Washington.  God protected their travel the whole way here.  They had a blow out on one of the trucks that was hauling a trailer - fortunately no significant damage and even more importantly no accident or injury.  The tire that needed to be replaced was an old out of date tire - but God had seen ahead and provided.  There were two tires at a chain tire company that dad just happens to have used for many years!  They were able to call head, find the tires, and the shop even stayed open late until they got their and took care of them.

My older girls are both active in leadership roles at church! What a humbling blessing to me.  Thank you God. 

My oldest is going to be a mommy!  Another humbling blessing.  I am praying I can help her to be a better mom than I was to her in her young years.

Allison is receiving scholarship offers to cheer in college - answer to prayer.

I love my job!  I love my coworkers.  I have not doubt God placed me here with these wonderful women.

There - that's just a very few things.

As Christmas is upon us I think about how much my thinking has changed in the past 22 years.  22 years ago was my oldest daughters first Christmas.  We always went as big as we could or as much as credit would allow us with our older two.  We set a very high gift standard - with the focus totally on Santa and the gifts.  The past few years - basically since Brandy - we have shifted our thinking.  We still do the tree and gifts but we focus on this being a celebration of Christ's birth.    We prepare a birthday cake for Jesus.  We discuss the Christmas story. We set up a nativity scene and discuss it.  Our focus is more towards Jesus.  We put up a tree - I always will.  I don't "worship' the tree.  I enjoy it and it does lead my thoughts to Christ and to blessings.  

That's my post for today.  I pray you have a very BLESSED holiday.  I pray many wonderful memories are made!  Please don't get stressed just allow yourself to be blessed!

Much love to all,

D. J.

Wow what a month!

Well it has been quite an August!  I read over my last blog and was kinda surprised that I had been so full of appreciation such a short time ago!  Well, maybe not.  I am not sure when ~ maybe the end of July or early August ~ my husbands employer cut his pay and basically told him to find another job.  Our finances were already pretty tight so the pay cut hurt and called us to attention.  I believe the week this happened God prompted Bobby and I separately to start tithing our full 10%.  This would cut about $200 more into our budget! Oddly enough I was actually excited.  While I knew we simply did not have the money to go the full 10% on our tithing I also knew this is the one area God tells us to test him in!  I didn't start tithing the full amount to test God though - I just knew He was good for His word.  I really never worried each time I wrote a check.  And let me tell you - GOD IS FAITHFUL.  We have not had to live on this little in a LONG LONG time.  But we have done it for the past month.  We have become better stewards of our money (that means we have become VERY aware of our frivolous spending habit). 

At the same time we began praying about a job.  Let me just say job options are VERY limited in Tahlequah, Oklahoma!  I started just looking online one day at different jobs available around here in law enforcement or mechanic/car type stuff and God brought me to this job that just fit my husband perfectly!  It's not the kind of job you would see on any given day, it was like it was purposely created for him!  (Today I do believe the God knew in advance and had this prepared for Bobby) I think Bobby was a little apprehensive about applying ~ the job was simply too good to be true. As we prepared his resume we pondered people to put as his references...God brought to mind a man he put into our lives when Brandy was diagnosed with her disorder...a Shriner who lives in Muskogee.  God brought this man in to our lives for the sake of Brandy but also for Bobby.  This man was a city councilman for 4 years!  The job is with the city!  So Bobby called him and then listed him as a reference.  So he applied!  Rather quickly he had his 1st interview.  After the interview he became very excited - this job really was made for him.  So we waited.  Then they called for a second interview ~ that happened on Tuesday this week.  On Wednesday morning at 8:04 they called to offer him the job!  There were many other little things that happened through this process that simply pointed to the fact that God was in control of this situation that God was putting this together for Bobby and his benefit but also for God's glory! 

I am ashamed to say that I am most attentive to Gods work for us when we are in need.  I don't pay as much attention when things are going smoothly.  I am happy to say my faith has grown.  When Bobby gave his notice with his current employer he was basically told to go home.  So that means a week of no income.  My faith has grown so that I was not worried - I knew God would provide and he has!  The plan was for Bobby to start this coming Tuesday.  But, yesterday the city had not received the results of his drug test back, he can't start until the results are in.  So there may be another week delay.  Financially - I am not worried!  God will provide!  It will be maybe a month before we can actually start getting back on our feet - I look forward to the process - I am not worried.

During this time I really became faithful to read my bible daily.  At first I did it because it was what I was "suppose" to do.  But let me tell you, the WORD became alive and I am now really enjoying reading it! There are things I don't understand, questions I have never thought about before and it is exciting!  I have been reading about David - WOW!  While reading it I began to pray for the faith of David!  In my opinion I think I have seen more of Gods good works than David did early in his faith.  But his Faith was big bold and powerful from the get go and the most he seemed to have to base his faith on was only things he had heard about!  Amazing!

I began posting scripture around my house.  My 17 year old daughter began posting quotes and scriptures in places that I would see them.  That blessed my heart like no other - my child knowing there is importance and power in scripture and positive thinking! 

My husband began to pray and rely more on God.  He told me of promptings that he followed though he knew they may not be well received.  He trusted the Lord and His promptings. And God showed him great favor!

I am so excited as I know that as we stay plugged in now - even though things are looking up and we aren't in as much "need" that God is taking us to new levels. I don't know the details but He has put excitement within me and has filled me with an expectancy attitude! My God is Good, Faithful, Able and Willing!

Jeremiah 29:11 Read it - believe it!

Love to all,

D. J.

Long Time No Blog!

Well, it has been quite a while since I have posted!  I post while I am at work and the summer always proves to be our busiest time of year.  I love it, and I love it when it's over! 

I have nothing but praise to post about today!  God is in control!  I am releasing so much to Him and trusting Him so!  I praise Him for being my provider!  Bobby is looking for another job as he has taken a pay cut, job security is shaky and working in the heat is taking it's toll on him.  Sure this kind of shook us as a couple and as parents.  But in the middle of the shake up God was speaking clearly to us - it was time to tithe our full 10% and time to become good stewards, really good stewards of what he blesses us with financially and materialistically.  When we decided to heed God's direction a peace set in for both of us!  Praise God!

I praise God that He brought my daughter a God loving believer for a husband!  I praise God that His hand is upon them as a new couple and that they have made Him a cornerstone in their marriage!

I praise God that we are over a year with out a break with Brandy!  I praise Him for her improved - proven - bone density! 

I praise God for air conditioning - I was reminded by a friend to be thankful!  Goodness gracious so many triple digit days early in the summer and continuing!

I praise God that my husband is so handy!  Recently he has fixed our refrigerator and not too long ago he fixed our air conditioning!

I praise God that my daughter Allison is going to be a senior and has maintained her purity.  I praise God that she is so confident in who she is as a child of God! 

I praise God for the wonderful group of women He has grouped up in our Iron Clad women!  Certainly iron sharpening iron going on!

I praise God for the opportunity to be on the worship team and to sing for His glory!

I praise God for showing Himself to me so clearly lately!  I thank God for my flame increasing! 

I serve a wonderful and mighty God who is worthy to be praised and adored!

Hope this puts you into a mode of gratitude!

Lots of love,

D. J.

Be Careful What You Teach On :-)

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to minister to our ladies at our church. I got to tag team with a sweet young lady in the presentation. It went better than I could have hoped for or imagined! Our theme was Life's Roadblocks. We chose 5 major roadblocks in life and expanded on each one of them. Little did I know that when we finished I would walk out those church doors into a brand spanking new phase of road construction in my life. As we spoke to our ladies God spoke to me! All five areas are areas we all need to pay attention to in our own lives. The first road block is our thoughts - what do we think about ourselves every day? Do those thoughts line up with what God's word says about us? The second - Emotions and Feelings. Both are totally allowed but how much to we allow them to dictate our decisions and our responses to life. Do we allow our emotions and feelings to take us on a perpetual roller coaster? We should not. Have the emotions and feelings but let all your decisions and responses be based on the word of God and what He says to do. The third one - Dead Ends - Being stuck in our past mistakes! God has forgiven you and promised a fulfilling life, turn that car around and head towards to exit! The Fourth - Relationships! Get rid of the ones that don't build you up or that don't line up with the life that God desires you to live. Then plug into and nurture the relationships He is blessing you with. Don't be afraid to reach out to someone or a group who seems "closer" to God than you! Everybody had to start their spiritual walk in the same place - the beginning! The fifth was Time - ouch, gonna be stepping on some toes here I bet. We have all become victims of overscheduling. First - take a look at what is on your plate, ask God what SHOULD be on your plate. This week, for the next 7 days, pray about this and say NO to any new commitment - Just 7 days. You will be surprised. I personally had lots of "good" stuff on my plate! But just because it's good doesn't mean God wants me to put it on my plate. That's it in a nutshell. But let me tell you after preparing and presenting this all of the road blocks have appeared many times since. Not just one or two. When I thought about blogging this I really thought I would just tell you about the top two areas God has been speaking to me about, but the fact is that He has been opening my eyes to all 5 areas! So, I have planted these seeds for you to ponder. I am curious to see if you have anything to say or any questions we can discuss. Feel free to leave a comment or email me. I think You Are Awesome! Have a splendid day! D. J. Hebrews 10:39 Psalms 45:11 I Corinthians 15:33 Proverbs 24:16 Isaiah 43:18-19 Proverbs 27:17 Proverbs 3:5 - 6