"Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

Struggling,
Jenn

I've been reading in 2 Kings, and the thing that keeps hitting me is personal responsibility: doing what's right, no matter what anyone else is doing. All the way through the book, the kings either "did that which was right" or "did that which was evil." There's no pattern to it. Just because John's dad did what was right didn't guarantee that John would; nor, if he was evil, did it guarantee that he'd learn the lesson and do what was right.

The other morning I read about Josiah; he was one of the kings who did what was right in God's sight. It says that "he turned not side to the right hand or to the left." He repaired the house of God; and while they were doing that, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law. Shaphan the scribe brought it before Josiah and read it to him. Upon hearing it, Josiah rent his clothes. He sent a group to Huldah the prophetess to enquire of God.

She prophesied that God would bring evil upon the nation, because they had forsaken Him. But then she says, "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."

My first thought, when I read the last part, was that it seemed a lot like Hezekiah: "Oh well, whatever; peace and truth will be in my days."

Then I got to thinking: Josiah was a righteous king, and he led the nation in the ways of God. And as he did so, people would follow God; some insincerely; but some would turn to God with all their hearts. In leading them towards God, he made a difference; for a short while, granted, but it would've changed many people's lives and eternal destinies.

The Point: One person can make a difference.

You wouldn't think so. After all, Josiah was just one king in a long, long line.

So what about today? It certainly doesn't feel like I can make a difference. I'm one vote, one lone voice, one insignificant person in a crowd. But what do we look like in God's sight? Josiah " did that which was right in the sight of the Lord." Where it counted.

If there had been just ten righteous people in Sodom, God would've saved the city. Supposing there had been some people in Sodom who knew that following God was right, but they looked around and said, "How can I possibly make a difference?", shrugged their shoulders, and got on with their lives. Supposing this scenario is true, they could've made a difference to an entire civilization. Just ten people.

One more thing: the darker it is, the brighter a tiny speck of light shines.

Challenged,
Jenn

I'm soooo thankful right now:

For good, hard, dirty, sweaty work that makes you feel the good kind of proud, gives you a sense of accomplishment, takes care of any steam building up inside, and makes you feel worthwhile.

For weedwackers--you want a power rush? Rev it up. :)

For iced capps after good, hard, dirty, sweaty work.

For long walks into the sunset ... and walking into the sunset means that you're the hero in the western!

For God's Word, and how it is helping my friends to do what's right and encourage other people--me included. Big-time.

For God Himself, and His awesome way of being in charge always, and trustworthy.

For Mark Harris' song "When We're Together." :)

Smiling,
Jenn

God, thanks for sending those special people along that do the perfect thing that makes my day amazing. (Sentence structure ...? Ah, never mind, I know what I'm talking about. :)

Smiling,
Jenn

One of my friends is very strong on knowing God's peace. For her, it's a big way of knowing whether a specific thing is God's will or not. Always kinda been jealous of her. I mean, I've only truly known God's peace once in my life; ironically, before the situation blew up in my face.

So we were talking about it, and it was bugging me. I asked myself, "Okay, what am I doing wrong? Why is God's peace so elusive to me? Is it because of my crazy, up-and-down personality?" (I'm not the peaceful, steady type. :)

Then God used my sis (thank You for her, again) when she quoted a verse to me, one of those that I know by heart, my mum quotes to me all the time, but apparently I didn't stop and think about what it actually says:

"Be careful for nothing," (i.e. don't worry about stuff)--

When a problem jumps out at me, I usually think it to death; chew it over until a solution comes to mind. But when my little human brain can't think up a solution ... then it turns into worrying. Chronically. Embarrassing; it's supposed to be for old people in rocking chairs who can't clamber onto their roofs to nail down a loose shingle before a bad storm.

--"but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." And then the awesome promise: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Well, I did it--gave my humanly unsolvable problems to God in prayer, with thanksgiving. And not only that, but left them with Him, another hard thing to do.  And it worked! Wow, God's promise worked when I kept my part of the bargain. What a shock. lol

Only one problem: that was a month ago. Silly me already forgot the concept.

Right then, let's try it again today, shall we?

Shaking my head over my stupidity and thanking God for His patience,
Jenn

PS.
The Isaacs obession has struck again, so why not share the joy, eh? :)

"Stand Still"

"Thank You" 

"There will be grace--grace to make it through this trial.
There will be strength--strength to walk another mile.
There will be hope, when I've done all I can.
I'm glad to know it's in the Saviour's hands."

Trying to trust,
Jenn

This prayer ... scares me. God, give me the courage to pray it, and mean it with all my heart.

Challenged,
Jenn

"God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect. " 2 Samuel 22:33

Encouraged,
Jenn

I'm sooo thankful for my sis.

We spent a good two hours last night perched on a step with a big, uncomfortable crack bang-smack in the middle of it, talking about ... oh, everything. (Fine, then; how some things suck right now.) And then laughing helplessly the next minute because our over-active senses of humour prevailed.

I'm thankful:

1. that we know each other well enough, that if one doesn't know a certain important detail about the other, it's a shock, an outrage, and it calls for some heavy-duty conferencing. 

2. that neither of us are down at the same time. One of us automatically begins to look on the bright side to compensate for the other one. (Except for last night. And then we cheered each other up.)

3. that we're both in the same boat right now. Kinda. Not thankful for this particular boat, but hey, there's nothing better for one misery-guts than for another misery-guts to be wallowing in the same kind of misery. (Wow. I confused myself, the Queen of Random, as I typed that statement. :D)

And, since lists get boring, I'll wrap this up with some pics.

Go on. Whistle.

I did.

(And barely escaped.)

I like this one better, though,

cuz this is the sis I know and luv.

Really, really blessed,

Jenn 

Random quotes:

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." --Zig Ziglar

"Actively wait." --John Waller

Huh.

Thinking,
Jenn

I guess I should clarify my last post; been struggling with major irritation and stressing out, and didn't know how to deal with it. Yeah, sure, you pray for forgiveness, you try to do better, and ... you mess up all over again.

Sunday night service was awesome. A lady volunteered to play the piano (all of our regular pianists were gone), and it seemed like God used her to set the mood of the service ... kinda hard to explain, but anyways, we had a great time worshiping God.

Preacher kicked off his message with an interesting illustration. Apparently, there's only two birds that fly across the deserts in the United States: vultures and hummingbirds. A vulture only looks for dead, rotting meat, and that's what he finds. A hummingbird only looks for sweet nectar, and surprisingly, he also finds what he's looking for, whether it's from cactus flowers or whatever else is in a desert. (I don't live in a desert.)

Translation to self: if I'm looking for the bad in a situation, I hanged will find it. Has that been my problem? Only seeing what is going wrong, and not stopping to look for what is so awesome and right about it?
Then Preacher brought out the verse, "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily LOADETH us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." The cool part was, my sis and I had just used that verse in children's church. We found a bunch of heavy things like books and stuff, and loaded Dawson's arms with it all until he was staggering. (Preacher must've stolen my sermon notes.)  ;).

 Hey, this isn't about needs that God provides for; this is about benefits. Extras, as Dawson put it. Good grief! This huge bright side that I've been missing.

Then he talked about God's grace, and it reminded me of how I've been facing problems. They jump out in front of me, and I in my human logic go "Oh boy" and try to handle them on my own. But God's amazing, strengthening grace is there for the asking.

So I tried it out Monday morning; asking for grace, that is. Wow, the difference! Seriously. God, You are so good, always giving me just what I need.

And finally, I have a chance to use the cool quote that Sarah stumbled across months ago: "Look at all these insurmountable opportunities!"

Thrilled and thankful, :D
Jenn

Is it coffee overdose? Or not sleeping well? Worrying ...? Well, whatever it is, it's driving me up the wall. God, pleeze HELP!

Desperately,
Jenn

P.S. "Long Way Home" feels like my life song at the mo.  If I posted it every time it was on my mind, this blog would be crowded beyond recognition. But--I just realized that the last time I posted was back in June, and I'd hate for you to hafta dig through all those files. :D Happy listening.

My heavenly Dad is so good to me. So thankful for the overwhelming grace that He pours out when I need it. Life is not easy, but I'm thankful. It's all blessings in sometimes very good disguises.

"Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men."

Wowed,  :,)
Jenn

If you ever need a cheer-up, google-image search "bassett hounds."


Mum, pleeeze can I buy one?

Talk about a personality plus dog breed.



The "Oh Brrrother" Look.

(If you ever get This Look, know without a shadow of doubt that you just did something wee-yurd.)



Chillax, y'all.

Uhhh, whad I do?



Oh no, you don't, bud.


Mine.


One fierce posse hot on the trail.

Right to left: longsuffering and longsuffering-builder.



Get on with it already.


Lookit those eeolls! :)



A cold, wet (assumingly so) nose.


A long, slobbery pink tongue.


Lots of lovable, kneadable wrinkles.


And a long, boingy tail.

What does this have to do with being ecstatically single? Basset hounds make it easier. I think. Just give me a chance to prove it, Mum.

Smiling (hope you are, too),
Jenn :)

 You got it, kid.

LOLing, :D))
Jenn

"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed."

"Jesus, Jesus ... how I trust Him,
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus ...
Oh, for grace to trust Him more."

:, /

Still trying,
Jenn

So guess what God has been telling me recently?

You know, it's a good thing it's summertime now, cuz I have a new excuse for my stupidity: "Sorry, guys, I have blonde highlights; whad else d'ya expect?"

I just decorated for a close friend's wedding (pics on that later), and God was good in many, many ways. But ... you singulars know how it is. The biggest thing that's been getting me down is; okay, it seems like my little, everyday walk with God is pretty good, overall; He's speaking to me through His Word, even in Joshua, where this tribe gets this chunk of land to this sea and this border (that was cool!); but when it comes to the big stuff--what does God want for the rest of my life?-- I'm getting nothing. It feels like the proverbial brick wall. I keep asking, "God, what am I doing wrong? Why is everything so cloudy?" I could've sworn a coupla months ago that I knew ... So now, am I doubting in the dark what You've shown me in the light? Ohhh, this is tough.

The only message I keep getting from God: "Trust Me."

Whew. Tough order, God.

The other day, I was thinking on Proverbs 3:5-6; you know, the one that we all glibly quote. But let's take it section by section, shall we?

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart." Like I said, tough order. Something hit me, though: how many times do we trust someone we don't know? Not very often, unless it's out of necessity or we're suckers. So that's Project One. Knowing God. Realizing that He can be trusted in this situation, just like He proved in all those other situations, you blonde. :)

"Lean not unto thine own understanding." God gave us common sense for a reason, but there's some stuff with God where logic doesn't cut it. Like the Virgin Birth, for instance; and so a lot of scientists have their knickers in a knot. Yeah, well, sometimes God decides to break our rules, and that's when the trusting part comes in again.

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him." Do I stop and talk to God about what I'd like to do, about what I have to do, throughout the day? Am I genuinely open to His opinion in the matter? Or am I so engrossed in my busy little schedule that I never stop to find out what He thinks? Not to mention, be willing to not only find out what He thinks, but also to switch up my plans to line up with His?

And then the great promise: "And He shall direct thy paths." Wow.

It's interesting that the next verse says, "Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the the Lord, and depart from evil."

And I can't get this song out of my head, so I'll get it into your head. :)

Trusting (or trying to),
Jenn

One of my neighbours has a soft spot for little creatures. So when she found this furry bundle near her work, she decided to take him home. He seems to have a knack for escaping, but thankfully, he does like humans. The little rascal gave Mum a good scare while she was out gardening. He ran up to her and scampered up her leg. Ohhhh, God, why did I hafta miss that? lol.

Can you imagine how it felt when the little guy nibbled on my finger and licked my hand with his wee little tongue? I'm gonna bet it outweighs The First Kiss. :D

Thanking God for the little things that are huge,
Jenn

So yesterday I was on my rants about inconsistency, and God spoke to me in a rather stern, clear way. (By the way, God, I'm begging You: be strong through me. I can NOT  do this on my lonesome. You know I've tried.)

He gave me a sweet gift tonight. One of my latest favourite songs has been Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying." Mmmhmm, I'm liking it. But I just found an acoustic version by another guy, Buddy Henderson. Oh. My. Wow. Sorry, Tim. :)

Hope anyone venturing on here gets a challenge--and inspiration-- out of this.

Live like you were dying. Think it's a concept we'd all do well to grab ahold of, eh?

Glowing,
Jenn

Hello, world!

It's sleep, work, eat, shower, something miscellaneous, sleep, work ... but, hey, this means that awesome truck is just around the corner!

Oh, God is so good. I'm so thankful for His grace and wake-up calls that life is not really that bad. Really.

Well, sure, the odd half-day off work helps to change one's perspective. So, off I go to live it up.

Later,
 Jenn

Well, thank You, God, for a great day at work.

But I wasn't saying this last week. Sometimes I swear I'm working at a madhouse. Been struggling so much with anger lately ... it scares me. And it'd be so easy to blow it--throw the tools necessary to my job (weighing a ton or two) across the room for someone else to catch; and among several--ahem-- "big'uns," holler, "I'm OUT of this place!"

Oh, God, please, give me Your grace. And the eyes to recognize it in its sometimes unique forms. And the sense to accept it. And the compassion to pass it on.

I read this joke last week. It's enough to scare the hell out of any Christian. Literally.

"A man was driving along, and came to an intersection just as the light turned red; so, of course, he stopped. The woman behind him was in a dreadful rush and screeched to a stop behind him. Furious, she began honking her horn, waving her finger, and yelling obscenities at him.

A police officer pulled up behind her, walked over to her car, and ordered her out. He took her to the station, questioned her, fingerprinted her, and threw her in jail overnight.

The next morning, he let her out and apologized. "I'm afraid it was a misunderstanding on my part. When I saw the "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker, "Follow me to Sunday School" bumper sticker, and the Christian fish symbol, I assumed that the car was stolen."

Two responses: LOL and Yeee-OW!

Jenn

If you'll kindly recall my Shoalts post ("I zee nussing!"), well, today was the scary continuation, the persevering again. The worst part was, this morning I had an awful sense of forboding, as if trying again was to flunk again. Could have been just me ... anyways, I was seeking after God in His Word, reading and praying Psalms such as, "In Thee, oh Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed ..." (i.e. Hint, hint, dear God!)

Then I was listening to songs with a repeating refrain woven through them: "Glory to God ..." And God brought to mind the movie Facing the Giants, where the team prays, "If we win, we'll praise You, Lord; and if we lose, we'll praise You." And in so many words, God asked me, "Well, how 'bout it?"

Whew ...

OK, Lord, it's a deal.

Another thing I got to thinking about: people who win absolutely all the time don't know how to try again, keep going, and push on, because they've never had to. That's the one spot where we persistent little losers have an edge over them. ;p

But God, for some unknown reason, let undeserving me win this time. I couldn't come up with anything more original than "Thank YOU, GOD!"

And thank you, dear family who prayed for me!

And, on the slim chance that you stumble across this, Daryl; thanks. A million. :)

Thankful (what else?),
Jenn

"Once upon a time there was a handsome prince and a beautiful princess ... They met ... fell in love ... married ... and lived happily ever after."

(The End)

Oftentimes I'm so concerned about having a perfect marriage, a happily ever after.

What about me and God? Am I as concerned about having an amazing relationship with Him as I am about having one with Mr. Awesome ... realizing that my relationship with Mr. Awesome will stem from what my relationship with God is like.

This song nails it. (God, bless these girls.)

Wanting to be in HIS arms,
Jenn

Good gurief! What to write about? Not because there is nothing, but because there is so much to write about. It's gotta be short and sweet, because I am strapped for time, so ...

Roight, then, that narrows it down. :)

My mum and sister got me a book called It's (not that) Complicated, written by two sisters, Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin. The sub-title is: "How to Relate to Boys in a Healthy, Sane, and Biblical Way." Only a few chapters into it, but so far it's a good read. It's well-written, meets the reality-check, and has laugh-out-loud humour in it (which always wins me over).
One thing that jumped out at me is making one choice at a time (roughly put, because I don't have the book on hand at the mo).When I look at the long-distance view of guys and relationships, and doing right in every single situation, it gets a bit overwhelming. But they talk about pleasing God one glance, one reaction, one conversation at a time; each time asking one's self, "Am I going to please God or my flesh?" If only I remembered this 24/7! It's too easy to get caught up in life, in loneliness and desires, and forget what's really important.

Thought-provoking quote: "Don't sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the temporal."

Speaking of choices, a lady, while speaking to a group of girls, said, "For every one of you girls in this room, there are three men who want to marry you." (Ooooh! lol) "The devil's choice, your choice, and God's choice."

Wow.

Sobered,
Jenn

Hey, did y'all have as good a Valentine's Day as I did? ;).

God was sooo good. He put some people on my heart to reach out to, and gave me the courage to do it. And I wouldn't trade the tight, sincere hug from one of my coworkers, the sweet card from my mom, or the home-made steak dinner chock-full of love (and flavour) from my dad for anything.

No, I'm not superwoman. Yes, the excitement wore off, and ... it hurt. But then God in His precious, guiding way gave me this personal message. Here are fragments of it:

"Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation.
  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
  How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? Ye shall be slain, all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence ..." (thinking of these enemies as the evil powers of darkness that want to break down my trust in God and destroy His good work in my life ....?)
"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.
  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved." (I love how the
  certainty grows.)
"In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
  Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.
  God hath spoken once: twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
  Also unto Thee, oh Lord, belongeth mercy ...

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee  in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth ...

But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped."  (Psalms 62 and 63) Blessed ... and LOVED! :D Jenn

Quick freebie: Did you know that the font on here is called--no kidding--"Covered By His Grace"? Cool, huh?

Point: Let God minister to you through the little things. :)

Looking for 'em,
Jenn

Hey, guys, it's the third of February, and guess what that means?  Yeeah, eleven days until Valentine's Day!

Uh huh, you better believe this important announcement belongs on "Ecstatically Single." Because it's not just a couple's holiday anymore. I revolutionized it. :D

 Never thought much of the day, until a couple years back, when God started teaching me about His awesome love. He planted the thought in my heart: "Who says it has to be a celebration of love between a man and a woman? Isn't God's love much greater than any other existing love?"

Then He began to bring names to mind. The first year, it was mostly single women that I knew whose husbands or boyfriends had left them, or died; or girls my age who were hurting. I could imagine how hard the holiday was for them, and asked God to show me how I could point them in His direction.

On Valentine's Day, my sis (God bless her for supporting my random schemes) and I snuck out at 5:00 a.m. and played Santa Claus, minus the soot-filled chimneys. We actually put together a system: one of us would sneak up to the target house (bewaring of yappy dogs, creaky doors, and scare-the-devil-outta-you motion lights) and hang a gift bag (containing a mugful of candies, a box of chocolates, or a  luxury bath set, along with a verse about God's love) on the doorknob; while the other one drove around the block, prayed, and tried to look normal, waiting for the phone call signalling, "Mission accomplished" or "I need a ride outta here fast."

It was amazing. God blessed people through it. Some people couldn't figure out who had done it, and they called my mom. "You won't believe what I found in my mailbox; I can't figure out who did it." Mom, bless her heart, was like, "Really? That's strange ..." :)

 I've been doing it ever since. Not sneaking out at 5:00 a.m., but making Valentine's Day into a special day of spreading God's love and being a tool that He can use to encourage those who are hurting. I pray that God will lay the people on my heart that He wants me to minister to, and how I should do it. And then the shopping ... Shopping's cool, period; but shopping for this whole scheme is a BLAST!

My Sunday school teacher and I also started a Valentine's Party at our church along the same lines. It's not designed to be a romantic night out, but a time that we as a church can invite the people we  care about in for a fun night with good food, games, and a solid message about God's love for them.

Well, how 'bout it? Why don't we switch this thing up? No waiting around for a dozen red roses from some unknown admirer this year; no feeling sorry because I can't wear a pretty dress while holding a gorgeous guy's hand. Let's think beyond that, and spread God's love: the love that is always sufficent, the love that never stops.

Hugs,

Jenn

XOXO ;)

P.S. Stumbled across this video on Youtube ... They nailed it.



I finally made my mind about something ...

How do I explain this?

You know how's there's some girls who don't have to do a single thing, and guys are tripping over each other to but touch the hem of their garments? There's other girls who spend fifteen extra minutes on their hair, clothes, and makeup, and they're lucky if their best friend notices ... yeeah, that's me. And sometimes it really sucks.

I don't want to sleep around with guys. I don't want to flirt around with them. I don't even want to date steady for years and then break up. I want God to send Mr. Awesome along, marry him, and raise a pack of Little Awesomes. And sometimes, with all due respect, I wish God would give him a good one in the back pocket so he'd move faster in my direction.

So when girls who aren't serious get the choice of practically any guy they blink at, including some really good happily-ever-after material, it kinda stings. I know I gotta watch out for pride at this point; cuz pride is basically saying, "Hey, I deserve that attention. Not her." But after I've kicked pride out the window, it can still hurt. Because everything is happening to her. And nothing is happening to me. And the first question that comes to mind is, "What's wrong with me?"

And then God started bringing some other things to mind the other day. Like, it's hard enough to stay focused some days. How would it be if there were a flock of guys? Seriously, can you picture it? "Is that the one, God? How 'bout that one.... Ooooh, that one!" Boy oh boy.

Then He spoke to me through a message in His Word: "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield unto them that trust in Him." Often, I've read the verse, thinking of protection from physical harm; but why could it not also mean this? If I fully trust in God, He will be a shield to me, from anyone but Mr. Awesome.

Why not? God wants His perfect best for me, even more than I do. I don't want a good marriage; I want an awesome marriage. And it's not going to be awesome if God's Mr. Awesome isn't in the equation.

So, if no other guy gives me a second glance from here on out, may I thank You for Your protection, my God, my shield (!); and may I trust You to plan my future better than I ever would. May I not bog down in self-pity or hurt, but wait with excited anticipation for Mr. Awesome. Not happily ever after; but hey, let's carry the "ecstatically" part on, shall we? ;)

Excitedly anticipating, :D
Jenn

God is sooo good. All the time. And that's not just a cliche.

If God hadn't blessed us the way He has, He would still be good. It is simply His nature. He is a great, awesome God. But He does blesses us, far beyond what we could ever dream up.

I still can't wrap my head around two things that God has done this past week. As I type this post, I'm thinking, "This stuff has really happened? ... Wow!"

Story #1: My church started ... eight? years ago, and we have never had a building of our own. It's been a long story of rented space, leaky roofs, and the discovery of what thankfulness and resourcefulness truly is.

Recently, we found a church building for sale. Estimated value: $430,000. Asking price: around $230,000. Our bid, after much prayer: $100,000.

God gave it to us.

Story #2: My sis and I had a sub job for six months, and hoped to get the job permanently. It didn't work out, but I know that God wanted us to have the job for the short time that we had it. Two people that we interacted with and witnessed to of God's goodness died this past month. (Good grief!) So thankful that God gave us the courage to tell them about Him, and also for the fact that He wanted them to turn to Him even more than we wanted them to.

January has been interviews, striving to trust God, and a lot of hoping. Beginning of this week, we were able to work at a seasonal job we've worked at for the last coupla years. I was thanking God for opening up this opportunity for us, even if nothing else works out. It's something.

We found out Friday that God gave Sarah the job that she hoped to get after our sub job fell through.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :))))

Knowing that God is good (all the time), that He knows best, and that He wants only the best for my life, is huge. If I truly want His perfect will for my life, then He will keep me in His perfect will, lead me in the way which I should go, and keep me from things that don't fit with His plan (even though they seem to fit perfectly with mine). I believe that if these doors had not opened, for my family and my church, it would be only because God had something much, much better in mind.

The same goes for crushes, relationships ... The key is get God in the centre of our lives and keep Him there.

Kinda like a lazy susan. If I put the honey pot (the biggest thing) right in the centre, with the salt and pepper shakers and the sugar bowl (smaller things) surrounding it, the lazy susan will revolve the way it should. If I set the honey pot off to the side and put the salt in the middle, the whole thing's going to be cockeyed and will eventually tip.

Same thing goes for our lives. If God is in the centre, everything else will fall into its place, and our ideals, thought processes, and beliefs will be right, because it will all be filtered through God. If something else, like a boyfriend or the want of one, is in the centre of our lives and we set God off to the side, then it's going to tip and be a mess. There's a saying--something like, "There's a God-shaped hole in your heart that nothing else can fill."

Another thing that hit me about all this: God heard the prayers, saw the needs, and provided. To remember this, next time I'm hurting about something that doesn't seem like a big deal, but it still hurts. God still listens, still hears when I'm crying out to Him, when my heart is hurting, and I can't even sort out the questions, never mind the answers.

"Thus saith the Lord the Maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is His name: 'Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not!'"

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man" (couldn't dream it up in my wildest if I tried) "the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him."

Thrilled, thankful, and hopeful,

Jenn

I, too, zee nussing ... no speed limit signs, no parking brake, no logical conclusions ... Gahhhhhh!

Well, thank You, God, for restoring my sense of humour. Somewhat.

You know the stuff that happens that doesn't make sense? If God lets some nasty little things happen for a good reason, somehow fitting together divine jigsaw puzzle pieces, then I'm game. Truly. It doesn't make sense to question God, squinting from my crack in the door, when He is looking out the bay window; and when He lets you see a glimspe through the bay window, it's easier to take said nasty stuff. It's when He keeps you posted at the crack in the door that it gets tough. I just. Don't. Get it!

"We plan for success, and try to pass the pain right by.
But it just doesn't work that way; God has a different plan.
He works in ways we never see, beyond the scope of man.

"When the journey takes a detour unexpectedly,
And I try to accept and understand what it all means;
When I'm pressed to show the world what I really believe,
I WILL trust You, Lord, with my life."

And by His grace, I will hang in there with my teeth, and tackle this thing until it's off the list!

Determined,
Jenn

Whoops, okay, maybe I should've explained something. You might've looked at the previous post, and thought, "Well, what does that have to do with being ecstatically single?"

Let me clarify, here and now, that there is no such thing as "Ten Steps to ..." No matter what any slick problem-solver may tell you. "Follow these ten steps, and you will become filthy rich. Happily married. Irresistibly beautiful." And then they have the nerve to add, "Trust me!" (You know the tone.)

I'm truly sorry to anounce that becoming ecstatically single--or anything else worthwhile--isn't done in ten steps. I've tried it. If it worked, I would try to change every preacher out there from using a three-point outline to using a ten-point outline every time he climbed up behind the sacred desk. And congregations world-wide would be seeking my life.

It's a process. Made up of, I believe, a few biblical principles, and a lot of God's grace, manifested in   quirky-cool stuff that only gets you through one day (and is only meant to get you through one day) and awesomely precious bits of truth. Like praying for the people around you and truly meaning it. And truly treasuring your throne-room time.  One of the biggest problems I have to face as a single person is believing I'm the only one with problems. When I get my mind off me and onto others, and the Problem-Solver, everything starts to look better almost immediately. Don't believe me? Try it.

Jenn

Thot for Today: Pray like it was you

How many times have I prayed for someone along these lines?

 "God, bless So-and-so ... yawwwn ... excuse me,  and meet her needs. Amen. There, I've done my duty bearing her burden."

When I ask for prayer for something heavy on my heart, I'm certainly not thinking thirty seconds of McPrayer. I'm thinking of night-long seasons. How fair is that?

Buddy Blunkall once preached on Philippians 2:3-5: "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." His thought, which hit me between the eyes, was (pardon any inaccurate quoting), "Pray for the person as if it was yourself. As if you had just lost your job. As if someone dear to you had died. As if you were the one hurting."

Puts it into a whole new light, doesn't it? I would not be saying the suggested prayer above if my mom had died. I would be so deep in grief that I would be depending on Christ and the Holy Spirit, and the caring people around me to lift me up before God.

It is a great responsibility to intercede, yet a great privilege. To know that, when I'm in the right standing with God, He longs to hear from me, and I have access to His throne-room. And because of my prayers, He moves. That's humbling. Since it's true, why would I waste precious throne-room time mumbling the expected cliches and never saying Amen because I drifted off to sleep out of complete boredom?

Challenged,
Jenn

Speaking of ecstatically, I'm so glad this blog is finally up and running. After a lot of key-pounding, finger-nail-chewing, and under-the-breath-muttering. This girl is no techno-whizz, so I'm very thankful for a sis who explains the many buttons and gadgets in layman's terminology, and for a personality that despises change for the most part (meaning that I won't have to relive the heartache for at least half a year). To make up for the constantly same background, I might post a different blinkie each month.

I am hoping that God will allow me to be a blessing in your life. I am going to try to regularly share what God has given me; whether it be a huge lesson for which I am forever grateful, or a saying, verse, or thought that has made my day that little bit more special.

As we all know, one voice droning on for an unbroken period of time can be trying; so step up, break the monotony ...

SAY SOMETHING!

Anticipatingly excited,
Jenn