Hello again! Two posts in two days, this is awesome :)

I don't have the words to explain the excitement going on in my heart but i know the cause for all this joy is Christ. For the first time in many years I feel that God has melted away frozen hard places in my heart that were neglected for much time.

Do you know joy is a gift from God and when you are walking with him you are given that? I'm experiencing the joy of the Lord and it taste good!

Last night I read something and was on the verge of jumping out of my bed and celebrating! I had a true 'aha!' moment between God and I and it was awesome. I hope that my words can describe it in a way that shows you how special this truth meant.

In the 23 psalm there is a verse that says 'he makes me lie down in green pastures'. It is a promise from God that He will give us rest. He is my shepherd and I am one of his sheep. He leads me to rest during seasons of my life. WELL i read that and thought oh that's really nice to know even though i've heard this many times. The author of this particular book Elisabeth George explained in further detail about a time in her life where God enforced a time of rest. She had just moved with her husband and two little girls to another country and he was gone a lot working in another place so she was given a lot of down time to do...not much of anything. She began to become upset by the fact that she was not doing anything or working in any woman's ministry. She spent a lot days having 'quiet time' with God which she began to realize this was a time God was giving her to rest. To do nothing but be there for her girls and spend time in God's word, in prayer, etc. He was making sure she rested because she needed that. Alright so I read this and it hit me. I have been struggling with this same thing!

I have moved back home and have now come to a point where I was feeling pretty bad because people would ask what i'm doing and all i could come up with was that i'm visiting family. This is not entirely the truth though. I have been spending a lot of time with God during all my quiet down time.
I spend a lot of time in prayer now and am studying God's word. I have grown quite a bit and really believe God has been restoring my heart and renewing my spirit. It has been a painful but amazing experience since i've been home. As I read those words from Elizabeth it hit me hard. God is making me lie down in green pastures, feeding me His word and restoring me each day! There is a new joy that i have in the Lord because of this time. He is enforcing me during these months to rest. I needed it more than i could have admitted before. As it dawned on me it was really exciting and i couldn't stop smiling and thanking God for caring for me that much. It was hard to go to sleep because i was full of praise and wanted to tell someone!

There is this song by Selah called unredeemed. It's a beautiful song! In it the lyrics say "But when anything that's shattered, is laid before the Lord, Just watch and see. It will not be unredeemed."

I came to God when I moved back home and said Lord have your way with me, I am yours. Already He has done more than I can begin to write down. It is hard to let God put you through the fire but through each trial and hard situation He has promised to see me through and remain. We have also experienced moments of healing that are intimate and full of tears on my end and thanks to Him. There is something very beautiful about God changing a person from the inside out. I don't know what God's plans are but I know that sitting at His feet is where i'm at and it's a wonderful place. I love Him, and love that He is introducing me to new things about Him and bringing friends into my life that are nothing but a blessing. I can't tell you how overwhelming it is when you are given people to love and care about and have them be a joy to spend time with!

Thank you for letting my share what God is doing in my heart, this is my way of shouting on the mountain tops how Great my God is. :) Have a wonderful night!

Hello friends!

How has your week been? The weather has been incredible lately and i'm hoping you've been able to enjoy it too.

My heart is very full tonight with excitement. I met two new friends this evening that i am already crazy about. It has been a prayer of mine since i moved back home that i would be able to have a few close friends that love the Lord and would be an encouragement for me. God designed us with a need for relationships and it's amazing to meet other woman that share a love for Christ and are there to walk with you through a season or more in your life.
The other thing that has me excited is that tonight we had a meeting for our awana club at church. Next Wednesday the kids will come and i can't wait to start! I'm going to be helping with the youngest (cubbies), it is my favorite age group i think. They say the funniest things and I have a sweet spot for these kids already. It will be fun to work with them and be able to help out while i'm here.

I was starting to (*hate saying it*) WORRY about where we will live when we move to Virginia. It started out as a subtle thought in the back of my mind, but then with all my free time i began searching homes in that area, apartments, military housing, etc. After talking back and forth with Darren we were not getting on the same page with this and it was starting to become upsetting because I don't know the area and how safe it is and some places are affordable but appear to be dumpy. WELL, tonight on my way to church i heard it loud and clear. 'Laura, let this home hunting go for awhile, there's nothing you can do and it's stealing your joy. Have you committed this to prayer and left it in God's hands yet?' Ouch! But what a nice reminder of the importance of including God and letting Him in all areas of my life. That is what I am trying to choose to do now, to let this go until we are able to do more and for now simply trust God will lead us to a home.

I read this awesome quote off an article my friend had posted and can't seem to move passed it. "God delights in me because of Jesus" This is a very simple message but it has many implications behind it. For one it's nothing i'm doing through my performance that has God delight in me, it's always been because of Christ that God can look at me with love. The other is that He is always delighting in me, when i'm following Him or not being obedient. He loves and delights in me because of Jesus. I love hearing new messages like this that i'm able to digest over a few days or months because they're very important to our walk with God.

I'm learning quite a bit about God and how I want to live my life out on earth for Him.
I wanted to share a statement i heard tonight that nailed how i want to be described at the end of my life. It was said about Ruth graham that she was lovely and wise because she chose Christ as her center, home, and purpose, example and vision. I love that! I want to be an example of Christ to all that encounter me in this world, it's not easy but as i grow it's the Holy Spirit in me that is refining me and molding me into a woman after God's own Heart.

~laura~