We are off! Today is the day of my spinal surgery. I know God’s plans are perfect and that the is battle belongs to Him. This song is incredible! If you haven’t listened to it I highly recommend it becomes your anthem to remind you how to fight your battles. Last night my sweet Paisley asked “will you still be able to hug and hold me after your surgery?” I nearly fell apart with those words. I know that I will but to know that she has that fear hurts my heart.
Author: beautifullyblessed6
A trip to the Beach
Prayers please
Prayer request**
After a recent MRI I learned the severity of the issues going on with my cervical spine. I saw a neurosurgeon about six weeks ago who stated that surgery was needed but that it didn’t need to be done at that time. He gave me a list of things to be mindful of and to report to him as that would mean progression of the damage to my actual spinal cord , over the last couple weeks things started getting worse. This week neurosurgeon has said that my surgery is now urgent/emergent and is concerned that there may be permanent damage to some of my nerves. So on march 24th I will be going in to have two cervical discs replaced with synthetic discs, numerous bone spurs removed from the spinal cord and the potential of two further cervical discs requiring fusion. Please be praying as we navigate this course, we are so thankful to be surrounded and loved by so many. We are so thankful for the village God has given us to navigate this life. Prayers for lots of things: for my surgical team, for the recovery process, for the people who are stepping in to help us, for our finances as I will be several months without a pay check,for my family as things are going to be different for a while, and for my momma heart as I have to step back from all the things with my kids and allow someone else to do them for me. God always reveals himself to me in trying times and I am thankful for His love and calm that He is giving me as I navigate this road with Him as the driver.
He writes the Script Every. Single. Day!
So glad and so very thankful that He writes the script….. Each moment of EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! Sometimes our situations get overwhelming and scary, sometimes we don’t like the next step….. But remembering who is the writer of your story takes control of your heart and mind to keep running towards your goal at the end of this life
6 Reasons why you should trust God:
1) He knows you by name Isaiah 43:1
2)He will fight for you Exodus 14:14
3) He thinks about you Psalms 139:17
4) He has plans for you Jeremiah 29:11
5) He is your refuge Psalms 62:6-8
6) He is always with you Matthew 28:20
Not enough…
You have a roof over your head, right?
But it’s not enough. You want something bigger, newer, fancier
You have a job?
But it’s not enough. You want more money, more appreciation. To be better fulfilled.
You’re alive?
But it’s not enough. You want to be thinner? Bigger? Stronger? Prettier? More handsome?
You have a vehicle that gets you from point A to point B?
But it’s not enough. You want newer, fancier, faster.
You have a spouse?
But it’s not enough. You want him/her to love you more. Appreciate you more. Encourage and support you more?
You live in a democracy with more freedom than many people in most of the world.
But it’s not enough. You want a different government. A different set of laws. You want more freedom for things you want, and less freedom for the things others want.
You have the option to hear His Word and learn more about the Lord….
But it’s not enough…. there are too many gossips at the church so you don’t want to go there. You want to sleep in on the weekend. You can’t understand the Bible easily.
You could have no job, no spouse, no home, no children, no car, no food, no freedom to worship. I think sometimes we get caught up with always wanting more. Wanting more blessings. But God is MORE! He has given and blessed us so much, but maybe the things we are struggling with desiring are growing us to a new place. Drawing us closer to Him. Sure it is ok to ask God for things, but are you also thanking Him? Praising Him? He gave you eternity with Him! That is beyond the greatest worldly desire you have.
Guys! We are so so blessed! God has poured into us so much. I myself have struggled these last weeks with the craziness of politics. The uncertainty of the future. And as I became overwhelmed I was reminded… God is more than enough! My salvation? More than enough blessing that I don’t deserve.
More than enough in my home, in my marriage, in the lives of my family and friends.
More than enough in my job, in my friends, in the health of my family.
More than enough in my country. More than enough in the uncertainty of my country. More than enough in the government. More than enough for yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but I know WHO holds tomorrow. Lean into Him, lean into His Word. He knows each need, each fear, each desire. Let Him in to those places of uncertainty, disappointment, sadness and fear. He wants ALL of it, let Him take it from you, let Him carry you through. He is more than enough! Let Him come to you
#SaveTheBabies
As a child I dreamed of growing up and becoming a nurse, of becoming a mom. In my career as a nurse I have worked in the pediatric population mostly, but have also done labor and delivery, mother baby, nursery and some special care. What a privilege it has been to be a part of the first moments of life on earth. 2020 has taken so much joy out of caring for people. And oh am I tired. But this week as I was feeling defeated with the incredible hatred and selfishness in our world, God gently reminded me that He came for all of us. Even those people that are hurting my soul. He reminded me that I needed to worship through the storm. And so the other morning as I left work I just began to pray and sing at the top of my lungs. Thanking God for allowing me to be here, for the opportunities that I have to love on ALL of God’s people. And throughout the day yesterday I kept hearing that I was created for such a time as this…..
Last night as Judge Amy became Justice Amy I realized again how we are chosen for these days, these moments. That our purpose is great! That His calling on our life is incredible and that we often don’t know where following His lead will take us. I am praying for Justice Amy and her family. For a hedge of protection around her and all her loved ones. That God will use her to change this world for His glory!
Oh my goodness guys! There is nothing more incredible than leading someone to Christ! It is such an amazing privilege. I have been asking God to give me boldness, compassion and wisdom to be able to lead anyone that I come in contact with to Him. Imagine my joy last night when my sweet 7 year old came and asked me to talk to her about it and then asked me to help her ask Jesus into her heart!!!!! Guys! What an amazing gift He gave me last night. Praying the salvation prayer with my sweet PJ! I am just giddy with excitement and joy of knowing that she has chosen Him forever 😍 Joy unspeakable joy!!!!
Thanking God for saving the babies!
Now what?
So here I am a nearly forty year old looking desperately for what God would have me to do. I mean I know He has called me to be a mom and He has blessed me with five kiddos (4 here on earth and the one that I can’t wait to meet in heaven), I know He has called me to be a wife and a nurse as well. But if I am being honest I want God to give me this step by step play book. I want God to give me a glimpse of what my story will be. I want God to show me how my story will lead others to Him.
When I said “my story for His glory” I want to see His plan and I want to know the ending even though I am only in the middle. God hasn’t called us to know the ending. He has called us to follow His lead and His guidance. So as we are muddling our way through the craziness of 2020, are you constantly telling Him to use you for His glory? Are you telling Him that you are willing and able to be used greatly by Him?
I urge you to keep seeking His will and guidance for each step you take. 2020 has shown us how ugly and crazy things in this world 🌎 can be. But are we showing 2020 how amazing the God of the universe is? Are we allowing Him to use us for His glory? Today ask Him to use you in mighty ways! Ask Him to change the world using you! Ask Him for each encounter you have on this earth to be one that leads others to Him.
There was an old song that I used to listen to called Speak to Me Lord by Rebecca St. James. And we should all be living in that place. Asking God to speak to us in every moment, in every decision, in every circumstance. We should be saying Hey God here I am ! I am yours! Now what can I do to serve you and to bring others to know you?
My story for His Glory
I am participating in a women’s bible study right now that is on line. The study we are doing is called the struggle is real.
And oh boy is it! This study is having us dig deep into our pasts and think about how our pasts affect how we live out our lives. Do you have a colorful past? Shame? Guilt? Embarrassment? Heartbreak? Are there things in your past that cause you to have walls up? To block people from getting close to you? Are you afraid to let people see the real you?
God’s Word is ready and waiting for you. Ready to break those walls down and build you up to the person He created you to be.
Sure I know God has forgiven me, and that He loves ME enough to send Jesus for me! But have you realized that for yourself? Do you grasp the way He loves you? I cannot even fathom loving someone so much that I would send my only child to suffer and die for them. Can you? Does your heart burst with the joy of knowing that no matter what today brings God is still God and He is bigger than everything we will ever face?
God has got you! In the palm of His hand. It doesn’t matter what happened today, yesterday, last month, last year or 20 years ago. Give it to Him, allow Him to break off those walls of pain, shame and regret. Allow Him to build you into the person that He created you for! There is no time like the present! He loves you and is calling you by name! Do you need someone to pray with you to hear your heart? Reach out! I would love to pray you through your struggle! God loves you so so much! He is waiting for you
Getting in His Word
Gosh so often in the day to day life I get so caught up in my to do list. Rushing through one thing because I have so many more things to do. Rushing through every moment, not at all enjoying any of them because I keep thinking of what’s next. This COVID-19 issue has slowed so many people down and allowed us to cut out the things in our lives that was truly just keeping us busy. In the slow down I have really come to realize how little I get down and into His Word. I am embarrassed to say that out loud. Embarrassed to say that some days I do my quick little devotional and have my conversation and prayer time, but don’t get into His Word. I hate to say anything political on this page but the way the world is going, sometimes I am fearful that if certain populations of people get into office, our religious freedom will be stripped away, that our Bibles won’t be readily available. That our places of worship and teaching will be closed…… That terrifies me! And so here I am trying to do a better job of hiding His Word in my heart.
I am so fortunate to be in a church with a group of women who have decided to have a facebook bible study group. We are doing this bible study called “What the Women Saw” by Sadie Robertson Huff. The premise of this study “Do women matter to the kingdom of God?” We are studying the lives of Mary, Martha, Mary Magdalene, and others. A quote from Sadie about the book ” you will learn from their faith and failures and be reminded that Jesus cared for and valued the women he was surrounded by. He equipped them, listened to them, walked with them, healed them, and empowered them. And he does the same for you now.”
Are you like me? Do you feel ordinary? Not enough? Too boring? Too sloppy? Not smart enough? Not pretty enough? Not organized enough?
Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary for you have found favour with the God
In biblical times, God found favor with Mary. Back then women were viewed as “less than” not as worthy as men. And here is Mary, who God chose Mary, chose her to carry the Savior of the world!
Luke 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold I am the servant of the Lord, let it be unto me according to your Word” and the angel departed from her.
Think about biblical times, about what would have happened if you became pregnant before you were married! You would have been judged, ostracized, maybe even killed. Mary’s entire life is hanging in the balance! She has absolutely no control over her circumstance, no control over how she will be looked at and judged. She probably was even concerned for her relationship with Joseph, maybe fearful that he would reject her and turn her away. And yet she said “let it be unto me according to your word”!!!! How I wish that I could say that I would say the same…… She knew that this would be costly, and yet she said its good Lord use me! She was obedient to His Call on her life. She said whatever you want God, use me.
2020 has been such a challenging year, so many things have seemed so absolutely ridiculous and out of control. I mean if I would have told you last november that our kids wouldn’t be ALLOWED to go to school, that gyms, stores, playgrounds, and everything you can imagine would be shut down, that you wouldn’t be allowed to go to church, to gather for graduations, weddings, births and funerals you would have thought I was crazy. And yet here we are, walking a path that has never been walked before. I want to be a Mary do you ? I want to say “yes God let it be unto me according to your Word” Are you being called into something that is uncomfortable or hard? Are you struggling, is there a still small voice telling you to do something and you just aren’t quite ready? If so, I encourage you, do as He says. He has great things planned for us. When we step out God can change the world with our obedience. Mary knew the love of God, she knew that He would see her through. She knew that this choice would be hard, but she knew that God would be with her through all of it, and now her obedience has shaped eternity.
As Jennie Allen said “we’ve got to realized that our choices, those impact our trust. But our trust will also impact our choices. Surrender is not a passive thing, it is one of the most difficult things we will ever do but that moment will come where you”ll say God let it be as you say or you’ll be passive and set down the very things that God’s putting in your life to change other peoples. Mary said yes and you guys it changed eternity”
As I follow this study I hope to gain the strength to stand up and do as He is asking! Whether it is witnessing to someone that I don’t know, praying for someone, calling someone who God lays on my heart. Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, know that He has ALREADY equipped you to do it, you just have to step out in Him. I don’t really know how to share this link to the study but if you are looking for something to encourage you in your obedience and faith. I highly recommend this study
When God shows up….
So I know that many of us are struggling, emotionally, financially, spiritually and in many other ways. In these crazy times it is easy to get wrapped up in the news and social media. ITs easy to get focused on the “I can’t……” it’s east to think back several months and get sad, angry, frustrated, anxious, depressed……..
I have been blessed to have never experienced anxiety before. But several weeks ago I began to experience anxiety. I became fixated on going to work and what happens if I brought COVID19 home to my family. I became fixated on the fact that I didn’t feel adequately protected, fixated on every little sniffle, cough, sneeze that I heard. My oldest asked if I thought that he would die if he got it….. that tore my heart to pieces. When you are a parent of immunocompromised kids and you work in the medical field, their are thoughts in the back of my mind a lot about what happens if I accidentally bring this particular germ home to my kids…. almost all of the time it is a fleeting thought as I always remind myself that GOD’S GOT THIS! In all of the situations that I face. But COVID19 has been different for me.
I struggled for a couple days, was unable to sleep, was crying a lot. And then I remembered the God that I serve has promised to be with me, has promised to walk with me through this life. And then and there I began to ask Him to show up…… to meet me where I was at and to reveal Himself to me each time that I became overwhelmed. And boy has He…….. sure if you look at some of this you can say it’s a coincidence…… but I know 100% that He is the reason for all of it…..
In the last several weeks, we have been given some groceries, clothing for Sophia and I, our nurse brought face masks for Preston and Paisley, a friend from home made me a couple of masks and I was slain sent some headbands, and I also received some from people here in NC. So now we all have them in case of an emergency and we need to leave. One of my coworkers bought our whole department face protection so we each have our own now. We have been loaned an iPad to help with all this on line schooling.
Over the last several weeks Matt and I have been looking for laundry sanitizer and haven’t been able to locate it for more than a month. This last week I began to get anxious about running out and not having a good way to get the germs out of my scrubs and of Matt’s clothes and that my family would get sick. I mentioned it to a couple of people and they began looking for it for me. No one had any luck…… I said ok God , help please! I was helping a local business that has made and donated more than 1000 masks! And I mentioned to them that I was in need of the sanitizer, they shared my need and people began bringing the sanitizer to them. Not only do I have enough for us, but I can share…….between two other nurses, a tech who works in the hospital and a police officer within my family we all are out working in the community. Again some may think that God didn’t have anything to do with this, but I know He met the need with His people. I know that people who don’t know me at all donated to me and didn’t charge me. That is a God thing.
I know COVID19 has been so destructive and hard. But there has been a total change in people. Families get to be together more, more quality time,more puzzles games and crafts, more family dinners and movies together. More kindness and compassion in general. More generosity and creativity. To some they may try to attribute all of this to something other than God but I know that He is the reason for the goodness coming out of this crazy. I have also been so excited to see and hear about the prayer vigils around the world. Christians around the world have been mobilized to help others and I am so amazed at what God’s people can do
I encourage you that if you are struggling in this time, that you ask Him to show up and move out of the way so He can move. I promise no matter what God will meet you where you are, you just have to ask and believe.
Beautifully Blessed 