I have been going through a book called 31 Days of Praise. Every day it gives us different things to be thankful for and praise God for. I have been going through a trial in my life and today brought me much encouragement and I wanted to share it with you.

"I praise you for Your soverignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You nothing is accidential, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and others looking on. Thank You that I can move into the future nondefensively, with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead, for You hold the future and You will always be with me, even to my old age...and through all eternity."

Jeremiah 10:6 "There is none like you, O Lord, Thoug art great, and great is Thy name in might."

What an encouragement this was to me. Nothing happens in our lives that is outside of His soverign will. Because He loves us He takes us through these trials to grow us closer to Him. This really encourages me and even though life is hard I'm thankful for those times because it's in those times when I truly grow to love Jesus more.

*Today I'm thankful for the cross.

Person of the Week: Krista Voda

Krista and I are old school. We became best friends in kindergarten and have been together ever since. We used to live next to eachother back in Iowa and would walk around school holding hands. People would often ask us if we were sisters. We went to school together through college and my fondest memories growing up were those with those with Voda. (Her name is Krista Voda but everyone calls her Voda)

Voda is one of those friends that I can go a month without talking too but when we talk we pick up rigt where we left off. We have so many funny stories together. Some highlights would be: making up dance routines and performing them for our friends (we can still do a mean dance routine to Tootsie Roll), sneaking in the gym to watch the boys basketball practice, many road trips with Pepsi and cheese logs, performing Bon Jovi songs to anyone who would listen, double dates and making up code words for eachother.

Voda now lives in Pittsburg and works for Fox Sports. She is a sportsanchor and mainly covers Nascar but also covers some college and NFL football games. You may have just seen her providing sideline coverage for the Cotton Bowl.

Voda thanks for being such a great faithful friend. You are one that I turn to when I need someone to make me laugh and lift me up. I miss you and am glad we got to spend the day together this week. You are my oldest and dearest friend and I love you!

I was compelled to write a little follow up post regarding my birthday. I have never felt so loved! I started out the morning with waking up to coffee with Tricia. She has been gone the last three weeks so it's so nice to have her back home. She then took me to Glen Ivy for a spa day. We got a massage, sat in the hot tub and sauna and had a little relaxation together. It was nice.

By noon I had received over 15 phone calls, numerous emails and the afternoon brought many more. We went home and Tricia let me listen to "my music" and I busted out a few moves. (Holla fo JT!) Tonight some of my closest friends took me to dinner at Sicily. It was such a special time. (I also made myself a birthday CD and asked Tricia to pretend she liked the songs so I could really enjoy it which she gladly did....thanks girl...love you!) There have been a few times over the past few weeks where I have been overcome with gratitude for the friends the Lord has blest me with. Today was a day of love and encouragement for me.

*Today I am thankful for the grace the Lord has shown me.

A Mid-Life Crisis?!?!?

I remember when I used to love my birthday. I have always thought birthdays were special and have found it a great time to remind those you love why you love and care for them (although I believe this should be done on a regular basis). It's only the first few hours of my birthday and I have already received lots of love from those I cherish.

This birthday has been a hard one for me. I think about my life and feel so blest. I look at my job, my house, my FRIENDS (who are the best!) and I have more than most. Yet my human sinful self looks at the things I don't have that I think I want.This is where my struggle has been the past few weeks. The great news is that God has been faithful and has shown me his promises that have comforted me daily the past few weeks.

God was again faithful in reminding me of a sermon our Beloved pastor shared with us a few weeks back. I want to share the main points of it with you as this encouraged me at a much needed time.
Ways to Survive a Mid-Life Crisis:
Savor the Moment:
Ecclesiastes: 5:18 Life is full of sin, sadness, and disappointment. As a result of this man struggles. Joy is a gift and an act of grace from God to man. Savor each moment He gives us (the good and the bad.) Enjoy your life while fearing God.
Never let circumstances rob us of our joy.
*Commit yourself to be a connoisseur of circumstance. Never allow hardships to rob you of your joy.
Seize the Day:
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 The best thing I can do through all trials is to enjoy life because it is fleeting. View life rightly. See your years as the motivation to live your life fully in the present. Don't call to mind the past or future as this makes you not live in the here and now but in the expectations of what you don't have. It's living in the world of unrealized dreams.
Seek the Lord:
All good things come from God. All around us are testimonies to God's goodness. Seek these things and be joyful. Seek Him= Fear God.

So today I choose to rejoice and thank the Lord for His PERFECT will for my life. He makes no mistakes and through all the trials of my life I am thankful. Ecc. 7:3 "Sorrow is better than laughter. For by a sad countenance the heart is made better." This verse is true for me today. My heart is being made better because I choose to trust in the Lord. There is NO crisis (mid-life or other) with Christ!

*Today I am thankful for my friends who love me and are praying for me. I feel it.

Thought I'd share some fun pictures of the familiy. The first one is a picture of Kelli, mom and I. We were bored and having fun with my camera. The second one was Ivy giving me a little birthday kiss. I had just opened my birthday present from her which was a coffee mug with a picture of her and I on it and a Starbucks card! (holla!) The last one is a picture of Ivy at In and Out. I LOVE that photo of her. The rents just took off to go back to Iowa. Love you mom and pops!

Would You Rather Wednesday?

Would you rather work in a job you hate the rest of your life but make enough money to buy what you want or work in a job you love but barely get by?

*Today I am grateful for my bedroom dresser that I just painted green. I love it. (picture below)

New Years Resolutions

A New Year's Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day. The most popular resolution is always "Lose Weight". I've been thinking about what I want to Resolve for this new year. I don't want this to be a New Years Resolution but a reformation of life.

I have been looking over Jonathan Edwards Resolutions and to be quiet honest it's very intimidating. He tried mastering 70 and I look at them and think if I could master 2 or 3 I would be doing rather good. Bottom line is I want to live my life to bring honor and glory to God. In order to do that I have taken the following resolutions that I hope to be reviewing on a daily basis to make me mindful of what my ultimate goal is.

1. Time spent in the Word and prayer daily.
2. To live with all my might (don't waste time).
3. To live in such a way that the Lord can say "Well done good and faithful servant".
4. Listen more talk less.
5. Exhibit humility.

This is also the time of year that I reflect on the past year and see where I'm at. I can defintely say I am in a much better place than a year ago. I'm stronger, more faithful, more trusting, and have experinced God in a more personal way. This has been a good, challenging and a hard year for me but I have clung to God's promises.

I hope that your New Years Resolutions are more than commitments for the new year; I hope they are reformations for life.

*Today I am thankful that the Lord has given me another year.