The Perfect Storm

"You have so little faith," those were Jesus words to Peter as Peter began sinking in the water that he was just walking on towards Jesus. He was actually walking on water, doing the impossible and why? Because he had His eyes focused on the One who could keep the raging storm around Peter from consuming him.

Today as I was spending time with the Lord I was realizing how calm I was when I was acknowledging Jesus in all of my CRAZY circumstances right now. I feel like the storm is getting worse each day. The waves get a little higher and the storm gets a little darker to where I really can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and it feels as though the storm is ready to consume me at any moment when I look at the storm. But something changes when I let Jesus be my anchor.

When I keep my eyes on Jesus the storm cannot consume me. Why do I allow circumstances to allow me to sink when I have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living inside me that can calm any storm I may be in? He is more than enough and I know that when I am looking at the One who saves me, the One who sees me in my storm and the One who is holding me together through the storm!

I know we are all going through storms whether it be finances, children, marriages being attacked or just an uncertainty about the future but let us learn from Peter in the storm because he did walk on the water above the storm but only when he kept his eyes on Jesus and not the storm around him. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus the stormy sea swallowed him and Jesus had to rescue him. Wherever you are...the clouds may have just started forming and turning dark, the rain may have started or maybe you are in right in the center of the perfect storm let Jesus be your Anchor!

Lord Jesus, I ask that You would help me to keep you as my Anchor in the midst of these uncertain times and I ask You for eyes to see You in the storm and ears to hear You in the storm! Thank you Jesus Amen!

A New Year, A Daily Surrender

2012! Wow! I cannot believe how fast time goes by. This year brings so much. I will watch my oldest son turn 18 in a couple of weeks and then graduate high school in 5 months. My second oldest will become a teenager next month and the younger two 11 and 10. My third oldest will finish his last year of elementary school! My youngest will be moving into double digits! It does feel like yesterday that I changed my first diaper and had my first sleepless night and now my sleepless nights are spent praying over my children who are now growing into young men. Time just doesn't wait for anyone!

As I enter this year I have not made any resolutions just one word for the year, SURRENDER! God has been slowly and gently revealing to me how much I try to control things in my life. Whether it be my expectations that I have of how I think things should turn out or decisions that I think I can make for my kids, I need to SURRENDER them to the ONLY ONE who can control these expectations and circumstances.

We often start out the New Year with expectations and things we want to accomplish in the year. But what if we lived this year just surrendered to the day and make each day count. We really only have today. There is no promise of tomorrow for any of us! So how about it this new year, try it with me and share what goes on as you live this year as a Daily Surrender?

T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L.

An ordinary day in my life can seem so everyday. I have so many job titles I can't even keep up with them. I am the wife, the mom, the bus driver, the cook, the housekeeper, the teacher, the nurse, the referee, the entertainer, the cheerleader, the banker and there are so many more. I can go through my day getting frustrated at all that goes on in my day between breaking up wrestling matches between the boys to sitting down teaching them a lesson of why we don't use curse words and it seems like it will never end. The lessons that I have to teach them and the lessons that I am constantly learning as a mom, wife and friend are endless. The tasks seem never ending (because they are) and I find myself complaining about them and complaining about how the sibling rivalry in my house might just make me get in the car and keep driving in one direction:).

When I start to think about my ordinary everyday life I am truly blessed and I am so T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. When I take a step back and look at my ordinary life it truly is all I ever wanted! I have a husband who loves me unconditionally and is always there for me! My boys have great hearts and as they are working out the uglys I can see what great young men they are becoming and it makes this mama proud! The days are long most of the time and the lessons are hard to teach but when you start to see them pay off, its all worth it and I am T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L.

I am T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. for our health. We tend to take it for granted but when I stop and think about my ordinary life it would not be so ordinary if we were not healthy!

I am T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. for my husbands job and mine. Our theme song right now, "Even though we ain't got money I'm so in love with ya honey and every little thing is gonna be alright." We don't have a lot right now but it is temporary and everything is gonna be alright."

I am T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. for my parents who have shown me such a great example of what its like to love through the good and the bad and taught me to persevere in trials through the way they have lived their lives!

I am T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. for my girlfriends! I am beyond blessed by the women that God has placed in my life to walk through this journey of life with me! I can't believe I get to hang out with such amazing friends and share our ordinary lives!

I am T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. for Jesus! I am thankful for the cross and the freedom that I have found in putting my trust in Him! I am thankful to my God who has new mercies for me every morning and is faithful to the end even when I am not. He will never leave me and for that I am thankful! I am thankful that someday I will spend eternity with Him!

In your ordinary life today I challenge you to find the things you are T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. for and write them down so you can continually go back to them throughout your ordinary day when it gets hard to be T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L.