September 1, 2016 

You provide all that I need
My heart is full, my mind is free
Free to worship as You lead
Sharing all that You've done for me

when a doubt creeps into my head
remind me that YOU never fail
write on my heart the words You said
my faith in You is wind for my sail...

You alone are captain, I let go
I trust in You to lead the way
Relinquishing control of all I know
Walking by faith, each step, each day

Lord be my strength, be my guide
this life of mine to bring You glory
I know that You are by my side
You, the loving author of my story...

When I begin to let go and live for You
so many things fall into place
I want nothing that keeps me from You
I will rest in Your unchanging grace

unchanging grace, never ending love
You alone are the one who sustains
each daylight reminds me of
the life before me that remains...


Danene 

go write the page in your story, the page that is today... do not wait... the conditions will never be perfect but He will be by your side every step of the way!

Have a Little Faith....

I have had many days where, at the end of the day, I sat on my bed and just looked at my Bible... at my devotions book... at my journal. I try to read my devotional. My mind is not focused. My eyes are tired. My brain is tired. I can not concentrate. I don't have the words to pray...and I definitely don't have the mental capacity at that point to read the Bible. Have you had those days too? I feel like I am failing in life... sometimes I feel like He's carrying ALL the weight...

Living out your walk with Christ can be hard... let's be honest, most days I feel like I have miserably failed at this whole faith thing... and there are no directions for "How To"... There are no easy answers! I am busy. I have kids all of the time. I have work, homework, activities, etc... The list is literally endless! In the midst of my busyness, I still try... Jesus reminds me with a gentle nudge, IF I listen... a lot of times, the busyness of the world is so loud that I can't hear Him. Until the evening, when the kids are in bed and I am have time to ________________ (insert whatever last minute thing one of the kids HAD to have for school tomorrow, or the million things around the house waiting to be done, or the seven loads of laundry that somehow show up right after I feel like I've finished all the laundry...) while I am doing that, I hear Him clearly. No distracting noise or interruptions, other than my own brain... I hear Him tell me that there are things that I should write about... (like this blog that has been in the works for 5 years.... yes... you read that right. FIVE Years... sometimes I don't listen as well as I should. Other times, I feel like I'm not qualified to do anything for Him... and He lovingly reminds me that He qualifies the called... ) Sometimes He tells me how well I have listened to His guidance. Sometimes He has to remind me (okay, ALL the time He has to remind me) that He is in control, & I need to just TRUST the process and WAIT... (Waiting is very hard for me)... And sometimes, He puts me in these situations where I have the choice to LISTEN to Him and do something, or do nothing.... And of all of the times I have listened, done what I felt He was asking me to do, there has never been a bad ending. Not once. For a simple exmaple, when I am scrolling through Facebook, (Yes, I am using Facebook as an example) I read something that hits home, and I hear a nudge... maybe someone else needs this word... so I repost it. Every single time, someone has commented that it was right on time for them. The last time I spoke to someone who wasn't essentially my "friend"... they needed to hear all about what He has done for me over the last few years, because (I didn't know at the time) they were also trying to change... So I know that His guidance is there, I just need to LISTEN to Him...even when I feel uncomfortable. It grows my FAITH in Him, and in His process, because I can see that He is working through me... I am but a light for His greatness to shine through... Nothing that I have done in my life has ever been truly just me. He has been there every step of the way, whether I chose to acknowledge Him or not. He has carried me. He has kept me. And there have been times where that has truly been nothing short of a miracle.

I don't know where you are in your walk. If you're new to this, or starting over (like I have done so many, many times)... or if you have been doing this for many years. Where ever you happen to be, let me encourage you today. It's never too late to change something you are unhappy with... the only regret you will have is that you waited so long! The time that I spent doing things my way..... well that's a book! I did not make the best choices, but He kept me still. He is the author of my life now, and can I tell you that this is by far the happiest I have been in many years. I know that whatever He has for me, in His time, is FAR better than anything that I could ever ask for. And this is why, I make the choice daily, to wait on Him. To trust Him. To know that man's rejection (which I have had my share of this week with jobs) is His protection and redirection. It certainly has made sense to me but only as I look back on it. I never know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future and I trust Him. Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Acts 13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” Ephesians 5:8 "for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

Transparency In A World That Is Anything But....

Can I be transparent with you for a minute? Someone told me that all I post on Facebook is the good stuff. Just the sunshine and rainbows of my life. He knows who he is, because he also said, I wish I could find out if your life isn't all rainbows and sunshine. I choose to post the good, and post a minimal post asking for prayers when things are bad. And I have always felt like it was my choice to do that. But then God placed it on my heart... He whispered to me... "How can the situations you experience be used for My glory if you aren't sharing the bad AND the good? How can your testimony be used to encourage others if you aren't sharing what I have brought you through? Maybe someone is in a situation like you were and you've overcome that. Maybe your story can help others." So, this post. Enjoy, and hopefully you can relate to some of the things I struggle with.

Understanding will never bring you peace. 8/7/16 This is something that I have struggled with for a very long time. I always want to know WHY. I am always the first to ask the 5 W's: Who, What, When, Where, and the infamous, often unanswerable WHY. I feel a need to understand everything that piques my interest. Recently, I have come to look at certain situations in a different light - with a different lens, so to speak... There are sometimes things that, even after they are explained, I will not understand. The need to understand is something I have struggled with moreso since December 2015, and most people know why that is. There is a huge why that I know I will not have answered until God calls me home (which I am praying is not for a long time, unless the rapture occurs). I have to let go of focusing on that WHY. I would love to have an answer. There are many other people who would also love to have an answer, for more than just the WHY. Every day, I just leave that at the feet of Jesus, and trust Him that He can carry that burden for me. I have three children who look to me daily... to be their provider, cheerleader, chauffeur, chef, entertainment provider, this list could go on and on... In short, these children are watching me and how I handle daily life. I have been a worrier, and it is my natural temperament to always be worrying about things. I think that somewhat goes hand in hand with motherhood (especially mothers of boys!). If I am contstantly worrying, there are consequences for that: *** I am distracted from the right now moments with my family *** I am not as happy as I could be, because worrying steals my joy *** I am more likely to feel like giving up, because each day I am stressing about things outside of my control *** I set an example for my children... to worry about everything. I don't know about you, but that is definitely NOT the example I want to set for them! If I worry, they become worriers... the good news is, I can change that! I can show them what it looks like to walk by faith. My brain does not have to be so distracted by worry. You know the devil is the author of confusion and chaos. God is the author of peace. He knows what each day holds, and He is always on time. On His time, not mine. Thats a whole different post! I would much rather have a peaceful mind than a chaotic one. Others may not mind the chaos or confusion. Some people need that like it's oxygen. That's for them. Definitely not for me! I choose to leave the mess alone. I need peace. I need to get through each day, and His grace is sufficient for me. Every morning is a fresh start, after a restful nights sleep, I find each day new ways to make the choice to trust and not worry. My takeaways from this... *** Without worry I can refocus my attention on the right now moments with my children *** Without worry I can ENJOY today without fear of what tomorrow will bring *** Without worry my brain is not always racing through the day, I am able to slow my thoughts and enjoy life *** Without Worry (AKA the need to understand) I am free to enjoy life as it should be... I know that when my children are grown and gone, I will miss these days. And I dont want to miss out on them now by being worried about everything. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" Psalm 62:5 "Find Rest, O My Soul, in God alone, my hope comes from Him" Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," 2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you"

Five plus years have passed.. how crazy to think that! I always say I want to write more, but at the end of the day I always end up falling asleep literally as soon as my head hits the pillow. Three kids and LIFE will do that to you... seriously! I have moved across the country, lost the other parental half of two my children, and life has been turned upside down more ways than I could count! BUT! I still have my faith. My God has kept me all of these years, through the countless wrong choices, U-turns, digging myself into things I had no business being in..... BUT GOD! In any case, I continue to praise Him. I continue to know that He is with me, He will provide for me, and He will correct me if/when I am wrong. The kids are now 12, 9 and 4... This upcoming year will bring a teenager, a ten year old, and a five year old. I still can't even believe it. I am going to try to write every night - but just give the highlights of the week here. I will be finishing school soon (Lord willing) and then begin my career. I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I have since decided I don't want to grow up! :-) Haha. No, I will be a teacher. I want to be able to teach and be fluent in Spanish as well as American Sign Language (ASL). Being able to communicate across cultural/language barriers is an amazing feeling, and I love to learn. LOVE. If I could be a permanent student I would do it, definitely. I work in the Head Start program currently, and even though I am only in the kitchen as the cook, I see God bringing me into contact with people that I know are a blessing, and can help me break into the school district here when I am looking for work. I have experienced great highs, and great lows, and through it all, I have learned to be content in Him. The writer Paul describes that type of contentment in Philippians 4... specifically in verses 11-13... until tomorrow.... <3

One Whole Week....

Thats how long its been since I've been on here. One whole week. Wow.
Time flies, apparently, but that's okay because in that week I have gotten a few things accomplished. I start classes today, well some started yesterday but today I am on campus. So happy to be back in school.
I cleaned my room! I know, I know, youre thinking that sounds like a little kid's happy face when they did something themselves for the first time! Well... I did! I cleaned out a few things that have been cluttering up my space, and got them into boxes in the basement where I can sort through them. I have a room! And you can see the top of my dresser! don't believe me? Ill prove it :) later. right now I am working on refreshing my math skills because, today @ 4pm, I have my college algebra class that is workin my nerves. Will I remember all the formulas? Will this class be too difficult for me to get an A? Aaah the thoughts going through my head.
The other thought that is there is... How have you come on your daily goals? Have you been workin at them every day? Have you even kept one of them since you posted about them last week? Well... I have. I taped the list of things that I want to work at onto my mirror in my bedroom. I look at them when I get up. I look at them when I lay down. I look at them when Im working on homework in my room. Its kind of nice to have a reminder. I tend to get sidetracked and forget about something or other.
I have to get back to what I was working on before I started this post... MATH. :) scared to fail, dont want less than an A.
until later... <3

Devotion ~ January 4 2011 ~

Make A Seismic Shift By Sharon Frame
You may not have felt it. But a monster earthquake that ravaged the South American country of Chile February of 2010 shifted your life too. It registered an 8.8 magnitude. That's mammoth! NASA's geophysicists say the massive jolt likely shifted the earth's axis by about eight centimeters, and shortened our days by 1.26 microseconds. That might not seem like a lot. But in life, every second counts. Over time they add up to minutes. And like grains of sand in an hour glass, enough minutes make days, which stretch into years.
Now, thanks to that quake in Chile, we are one microsecond shorter on time.
But way before the killer quake struck, we have been selling ourselves short by not registering the seismic shifts in our own lives. The Bible urges us to “redeem the time, or make the best use of it.” Do not waste it. (Ephesians 5:16a)
Geologically, seismic shifts occur in the earth's crust and can cause major eruptions above ground. Practically, seismic shifts are those little changes that make a big difference in our lives. Such shifts can be negative or positive. Let's examine a case in point.
What if you wanted to enjoy a rich, more joyful life? Begin by taking small, simple steps to make it happen. Start by doing a blatantly honest self- assessment. Examine what needs to be fixed in your life. Face the truth about your power-draining habits. Identify the impediments that stand in your way. With that done, it's time for another shift. Tackle your issues one at a time. If bad spending habits are the demons keeping you from being wealthy, commit to taking a money management class that offers practical and sustainable results.
The third shift is to earnestly stick with your plan of action until you conquer that weakness. I call this the FTC approach. Face. Tackle. Conquer.
Shift one: Face the problem. Shift two: Tackle the problem. Shift three: Conquer the problem.
This results in positive seismic shifts. Enough of these small steps will yield monumental changes. But remember, if we want true and lasting success, it’s imperative that we factor in God. Proverbs 16:3 instructs us to: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
Doing nothing also causes a shift. Like the earthquake in Chile, you may not have felt the tremor. But it happened. You may not see how taking-no-action hurts your chance at a better, more fulfilling life. But it does. “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4)
Like it or not, what we do everyday creates seismic shifts. They eventually trigger major eruptions. For some, personal success will break through. Others will just shift further into a life of self-defeat. With God as your guide, you’ve got a slight edge. Make it count.
Scripture Of The Day: "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)

Devotion ~ January 3 2011 ~

First Things First By Greg Laurie
I have often said of the Bible, "Sin will keep you from this book, and this book will keep you from sin." If you obey God's Word, it will keep you from sin. But sin will keep you from God's Word.
The devil will do everything in his power to keep you from reading and memorizing Scripture. As he did with Eve by first questioning God's Word, then distorting it, and finally adding to it, he will keep you from it as well.
In Ephesians 6, we are told as believers to take up the whole armor of God. But have you ever noticed there is only one weapon listed that is both defensive and offensive? God has given us the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. That is what Jesus used. And that is what we need to use. As the psalmist said, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11).
What shape is your sword in today? Is it polished from daily use and sharpened on the anvil of experience? Or is it rusty from lack of preparation or dulled by disobedience?
Take time for the Word of God. Make it a top priority to not only read the Bible, but to memorize it. It will prepare your heart for what you will face throughout the day.
Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." - Deuteronomy 11:18–19