Completely Dependent on Him

While I’ve always wanted this blog to be about the awesome blessings in the lives of my little family {which I could spend pages and pages counting those blessings and am so thankful for each of them}, I also want to be real and so I am using this post as a sort of a “journal-entry” where I can look back at a certain day/phase of life and see God’s hand so clearly working even when I don’t have the capacity to understand His timing and His plan now.

I’ve never been really good at eloquently expressing myself and I have so many more thoughts in my head than what I could pen down, but a couple posts ago I mentioned how I had a disappointing kind of week. Without getting into details {although most of this does have to do with the selling of our house and my job situation, among a couple other things}, God has just really been showing me that He truly has a plan and He is sovereign. He gives and He takes away. He is never early and never late. Although my feeble mind tries to comprehend Him, I never will. I’m finally reaching a point where I’m starting to better understand surrender. Surrender to Him. All my plans are just that - they’re mine and may not be His.

It’s easy to get discouraged when my plan of how I think things should happen doesn’t go my way or at least in the time frame that I think things should happen. But, I can trust the Lord that He is good and He will work things out for His good AND ultimately my good. I’ve been so thankful to begin to rest in His peace and that He knows what’s best for me and my family.

In preparation for this semester of our small groups at church, I’ve begun reading the book we’ll be studying, “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. Each fall, our church does a study on the same book in our small groups, while our spring semester is more interest-based. Our Pastor will preach on Sunday’s this fall in line with what we’re learning in the book and then we go more in depth in our small groups. Just from the first several chapters of this book, I’m so encouraged and know this is exactly what I’m needing. Its teaching me to continue to pray big, bold prayers about my dreams and to continue to have the faith to seek Him even when my circumstances don’t seem to line up with my plans. {If you can’t tell by the number of times I’ve said “my plans” – I’m pretty type A. So giving control over doesn’t come easy!}

Like I said – I have SO much to be thankful for and it would probably be obnoxious to list them all here. And I am in no way neglecting what God has done and continues to do for us. I am in awe of His mercy, grace, and love for us.

So, in hopes that you may draw some inspiration from a couple of these quotes from the first couple chapters of this book, I’m going to share some that really encouraged me to continue praying and seeking Him!

“Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers.”

“God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers…If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God. Why? Because they don’t require divine intervention.”

“There is nothing God loves more than keeping promises, answering prayers, performing miracles, and fulfilling dreams. That is who He is. That is what He does.”

And just for good measure - here is  a pic of my little sweetheart! Could not be more thankful for her!