Rest and Mercy

Lately, I've been a little weary...with the mundane, with the everyday, with the late nights and early mornings, with the 9 to 5's.  I just need a little rest.  Yeah, physical rest would be fantastic,  maybe 48 hours of straight sleep...but I don't believe that would do the trick. No, sometimes, I grow spiritually weary, and the only thing that will satisfy is a dose of the Holy Spirit and a re-fill in the Word. 

I was craving a little of that rest that is mentioned over in chapter 4 in the book of Hebrews, hoping to meditate on it a while, praying it would resonate in my spirit and my marrow.  I have this neat app on my IPhone that allows my phone to read to me, so while getting ready yesterday morning, I went to Hebrews and hit play.  Somehow {enter God}, I ended up in 1 Peter, and I believe I needed to be there.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  You once were not a people, but now you are God's people.  You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Hope...

I am still somewhat afraid of the dark. Okay, a LOT afraid of the dark. When my husband is gone for the night, I do not sleep. I can hear everything, inside and outside, and the dogs can, too! I leave all the lights on, the TV blaring, and I usually spend the night on the couch.

But here is the funny part... if my husbands just working late, at a late night bible study, taking part in a youth lock-in, or just hanging out with his buddies...for whatever reason, if he is coming home that same night, even if it is 2 in the morning... I can rest peacefully. I have no anxiety about the night or what it may hold. I can go to my room, turn out all the lights, switch off the TV and sleep soundly. Sometimes... most of the time, I don't even hear him come in. I find that completely crazy...and amazing all at the same time.

I think life is, or at least can be, a lot like this. Psalm 4:8 says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." See, here's the thing. I can rest, I can find comfort in knowing that The Groom is returning. He promises His bride that He will come back. When the darkness settles in, the shadows start to creep up, when every bump and thud seems to be amplified, I can lie down and sleep in peace. Why you ask. The answer can be found in Psalm 62:5, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." Because of this, I have hope. I have hope when I face trials, I have hope when the enemy comes against me, not if, when...I have hope in the valleys, I have hope on the mountain tops, I have hope when everything around me crumbles.

My Hope Comes From Him! Glory to God He has given me hope.

Without the hope of Jesus Christ, your life will be dark, restless, and lonely. You will search for rest but it will not come, but... if you are reading this and you are still breathing, there is still hope for you.

A hope that springs eternal! A hope that does not disappoint!

The truth is this...The Groom will return, soon and very soon, and when He does, He will take His bride with Him. John 14:1-3 says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

If you know Him personally, that means He is returning for you, there is hope, you can "lie down and sleep in peace," but if you don't.... don't put it off any longer. Hear His call, respond to the hope that can be found in Him and Him alone. He is waiting for you!

Resting in Him

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Phillipians 4:6

This verse really eased my tired soul this morning. There are plenty of things in this world to be anxious about and, to be completely honest, I could find more things to be anxious about than not. But, when it comes to trials, struggles, and everyday hurdles, when it comes to life, and all the things Satan may try to place in front of me, causing that anxiety to creep up and blur my spiritual vision...all I need to know is this...

God IS enough!

He is enough. He was yesterday, He is right now, and He will be tomorrow.

I know this, but sometimes I just need the reminder. And today, I think I'll rest in this.

Today, I will not be anxious about anything, nothing at all, but I will pray and present my request to my Heavenly Father, I'll tell him what I need and how I feel, and then, I'll thank Him. I'll thank Him for hearing me, for listening, for sending me Jesus, the Mediator, my High Priest. I'll thank Him because I can boldy approach His throne and He will find me worthy, not for anything I have done or can ever do, but because Jesus was enough...because He is enough!

Sheet Music and a Happy Heart

When I start thinking about Fall and Christmas, my palms get sweaty and my knees start to shake...L.O.V.E!!

God is so good to give us seasons and with each transition comes a newness, a freshness in the air. I couldn't wait for summer to get here, and as it quickly races past me, I can't help but breathe in the smells of apple pie and bonfires, envisioning pumpkins and falling leaves, scarves and sweaters, and B-O-O-T-S, my favorite!

September is in the air...and in craft world that means kicking Christmas into high gear!! Most "seasoned" (tee hee...no pun intended) crafters work all year on Christmas goodies and treasures, but if you're a procrastinator like me, you wait until you look at your calendar and see only 1 month between you and your first show of the season. Geez...I know, it's crazy, but I work better under pressure, what can I say?!

So, to usher in the first day of September, what better way to kick it off than with a creation for the holiday season...


I know, I skipped right over Fall and dove head first into Christmas but I have been eyeing this idea for too long!! I couldn't take it anymore. I have spent the entire summer searching for a beat up, musty smelling, stained hymnal, and yesterday...I FOUND ONE! Oh how happy this made me!! So you can imagine that waiting until today to get started on this was pure torture...

An old foam wreath that I paid $1.50 for, an old tattered hymnal that cost me $2, some hot glue, and a few golden, beat up Christmas balls transformed my evening into a vintage, shabby chic house of FaLaLaLaLaLaLa!!

Starting with the hymnal, I tore several pages out...Ok, maybe a little more than several, let's try, maybe 100?! ( I had to say a prayer of forgiveness, I felt kinda bad...Oh, and Tim Ervin Cooper, whose name was inscribed on the front cover, if you are reading this, I apologize to you, too!!).

So, here is what I started with...



...and then as I rolled pages...



a little dab of hot glue here...lots of dabs of hot glue there... some Christmas balls and few more dabs of hot glue and VOILA...~!!



Well, it took a little longer than that, but you get my drift. Lots of fun and a beautiful wreath that I cannot wait to showcase over the fireplace...You'll definitely be seeing a lot more of these!!

Before I go, I have to share with you the sweet moment that this crafting session led to...while I was rolling up those old Methodist pages of sheet music, and as I taped each one, the Southern Baptist in me couldn't help but humming a few of the lines. My heart became so full, i thought it might just burst! Any of you reading this that know me, know how much I love to sing, and how much more I love a good ole southern hymn. And even more than both of those things, I just love how in the stillness of some moments, it's as if God reaches down and wraps His big ole God arms around you, pulling you in real tight, whispering in your ear. And in this moment, that's exactly what He did, softly telling me, "My child, just breathe, rest in this moment." I adore those simple little reminders of His goodness and His grace. And as my head was already spinning at the thought of how quickly craft shows and Holidays would be approaching, He knew exactly what I needed to hear...and maybe you need to hear it, too...


"My child, just breathe...rest in this moment..."