God's Calling, I'm Listening

God's Calling...

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.  Prov. 16:9

I thought my life was set and going great as "I" had planned, but as we all know, God had another plan for me. More than two years later, I can honestly say that I have embraced my new life, the one that God has laid down for me. Together we have moved mountains of fear, doubt, change, and spiritual growth. I wouldn't be the confident woman I am today without the Lord guiding and directing me and answering each prayer in His time and in His way.

I have prayed and prayed for months (maybe more like years) for God to "move" me in the direction He wanted me to go with my grief through His healing. I knew God had to be glorified in this tragedy and I am on a mission to do so. We need to realize that we don't live in a perfect world, but we do have a perfect God who we serve always and in times such as these.

In April, He blessed me with the opportunity to speak at a woman's conference at my church and share my story through my grief and how God truly heals. I have just finished facilitating a 13 week GriefShare support group at my church. God touched many lives in those 13 weeks, and I am forever grateful for His blessing of GriefShare.

I have been asked to lead a grief workshop at a women's conference in October in southern Illinois. This is one more blessing God has provided for me to share and spread His word of healing from grief. I am asking for all of you to add me to your prayers as I am preparing for the workshop now. I am constantly listening to His whispers throughout the day for the information to come from Him for me to share with these women. I know He has a plan and He will send the women who need to hear His message on overcoming grief. Thanks so much for all of your prayers as I continue to follow the Lord under His guidance and direction for my life.


Overcoming can be done, if we ask and believe...

Changing One Picture At A Time

Part of the Transition

Last week at this time we were on our way home after a 4 day vacation with Kevin and his daughter. The six of us had more fun than we could have imagined. When we all are together, it's like we always have been and always will be...

Of course, I took tons of pictures of everything we saw and everything we did on our vacation. I will never regret taking pictures that will last a lifetime of the memories we are blessed with daily. We have several very good pictures of all of us together, just the 4 girls, and some of just Kevin and I. I made two photo albums, one for each house and we already have laughed and enjoyed looking through them and talking about the amazing time God gave us. Now, how to display the pictures to the world?

Our house has always been full of family pictures around, being updated as the years go by and as the girls grow up. About a year ago, I felt it was time to take down our big family picture in the living room of Mike and I with our girls. They were so young and I had a really nice picture of them and I to replace it with, so it made the "transition" a little easier. I asked their input before doing so and they were totally good with it. We still have a few pictures on the fridge with daddy and another in the foyer of him with his sweet little girls. I know we will always have some pictures of daddy out, but they are slowly making their way off walls and out of frames. Other than that...our house has memories of him and not many pictures.

Now, our house is being transitioned into new memories being lived out and made daily. As I slowly turn the old pictures over and replace them with the new, like the vacation pictures from last week...it's an awesome feeling...a feeling of a new life ahead. We will always hang onto our pictures and memories of the past, but it's also so important to enJOY the blessings of today that God has given to us. We will always cherish the new and the old, both pictures and memories. As I change out the photos, we will never change out our memories; we are only adding to the photos and memories of the past.

May you find yourself reflecting today upon God's blessings to you through old and new photos as He is such an amazing God that does just that...BLESSES US ABUNDANTLY~

Worshiping...Side by Side...

 Worshiping...Side by Side...

A few weeks ago, God answered yet another prayer for me. Kevin and I worshiped in the house of the Lord together for the first time. This meant to me more than words can say.

In the past, Mike and I always attended church with the girls as a family. I knew it was a special time out of our week, but had no idea just how special until he died. (You can read more about this here.) I struggled many, many Sundays in church without him. I would look around and see husbands and wives joining together in prayer and singing praises and would get a lump in my throat and want to cry.

Kevin and I have prayed together every single day since we have met and finally had the opportunity to worship together. Side by side in the same pew...praying and singing together. It gives me chills remembering the feeling I had that first Sunday. He is a man of God and for that I am forever grateful. He joined my girls and I at our church and got to meet my church family. A few weeks later, I joined him and his whole family at his church. It's amazing how churches have different routines in the way a service is done, but the meat and potatoes of the belief of Jesus Christ being our Lord and Savior is the same. I enjoyed visiting Kevin's church very much. After church, we had dinner at his parent's house with his parents and his sister's family. I love the "family table"...especially after Sunday service.

Many married couples don't worship together for one reason or another. I had that blessing when Mike was here and once again, God has blessed me...worshiping side by side together in the Lord's house. After attending together, we reflect upon the sermon many times throughout the next week and help one another with God's direction in our lives through His word. I look forward to a lifetime of worshiping side by side...