He shows up at the perfect time always

It simply amazes me how Gods timing is always perfect.  From the little things to the biggest things.  He knows the perfect time to move in our lives.  Problem with me is I like to argue with God instead of saying ok Lord.  How much better would life be if we just submit to his will.  I stuggle with trusting that he is the one who is in control. 

Time and time again if I look back I can see the hand of God at the perfect time in my life.  He is the creator of the universe.  He knows whats best for us and the perfect time for all areas of our lives.  How can I argue that?  How much time and energy am I willing to waste trying to prove our creator wrong?

God will give us what we need to accomplish anything he ask us to do.  We need to have the faith that he will come through.  We think we know ourselves better then the one who gave us life.  The more we say no I believe the more we miss out on the growth and blessings he wants us to have. I need to practice saying YES Lord I cant picture me doing this on my own but I CAN picture you along side me guiding me every step of the way!!

How quick I am to say yes to so many things that I really should be saying no to, but when my father ask me to step out of my comfort zone I quickly say no more times then I should.  The good news here is that it's not to late to work on this area.  At this point in my life I know Gods timing is PERFECT.  The last couple weeks he has provided the friendships that I really needed to help me through my struggles.  These friends showed up at the perfect time with the perfect words for my situation.  For that I thank him. He knew what I needed and he has provided!!!

"Fixer Upper"

I decided today that I wanted to be Gods next fixer upper project.  Sitting here all day very limited in what I am allowed to do gave me time to think about what I really need God to do in my life.  I thought it would be great to be Gods next BIG job.  What would be the first thing he would do?  What would the finished product look like? 

I can say that when Mike and I were remodeling our kitchen we threw our hearts into it.  Paying special attention to every detail to ensure we would be happy with the results.  During the project we had moments that were pretty ugly.  Our patience ran thin with each other at times. The project took a little longer then we had hoped.

How fun it was to watch the transformation take place.  I knew that I wanted everything in a different place as it once was.  We had a chance to make our kitchen the way WE wanted it to be.  When the project was complete we were so happy that it was done and proud that WE did it ourselves.  We had one chance to make a complete change and we did.

I would love for God to move in and fix me up to his standards. How long would it take him to finish his project.  I wonder what he would change and what he would keep.  Would I argue about some of the details he wanted to add or remove?    Replace the old with new and pay attention to the detail he wants to see.  God is perfect in every way.  I can imagine how he would pour is entire heart into making me who HE wants me to be.  I would be exactly the way I was supposed to be.  He would stand back and smile at his finished project.  How proud I would be of my craftsman!

"The challenge of one word"

I was challenged at the beginning of the year by a friend to come up with a New Years word.  This word was supposed to help me throughout the year to strive for a goal I have set for myself.  I thought about many different words I could have used.  I took this assignment to heart and here it is....

My word for 2011 is Embrace: which means to clasp in the arms; to take up readily or gladly; to take in.

Based on the condition of my heart I know certain things about myself need to change.  It is so much easier to make excuses then tackle them head on. 

I hope to Embrace the moment that is given to me by God, pay attention to it and recognize it for what it is.

I need to Embrace Gods plan for me in the next year even if it hurts.

Embrace Gods timing, welcome it, respect it and most of all trust it.

I need to Embrace and welcome the help from others while at the same time giving up some of my own strength to lighten my load.  I can't do everything on my own anymore.

Help me to Embrace trust again, welcome it instead of being afraid of it.

Embrace change and realize it's his will and not mine no matter how hard.

I need to Embrace my own life and Gods ability to use it for good even if I can't see it.

I need to learn to Embrace all of my God given emotion such as anger, bitterness, guilt, shame and resentment.  Help me take them in, deal with them and then set them free.

The hardest for me to Embrace is going to be forgiveness, even writing this is uncomfortable.  First I need to accept Gods forgiveness then forgive myself and lastly forgive the others.

Once I have completed my task I want to change the definition of Embrace to: Embrace means to set free when this is all over.  For me that is how I want to look at it.  A FREEDOM STATEMENT!!

I will also try to acknowledge that to fully Embrace means I have to fully release.

This plan seems so out of reach but it's what I want.  Maybe these things are too much but I am wanting change.  I am needing change!!  God can't do his part until I do mine.

I hope to be Embracing my way through the year 2011

Well I need to report that I didn't master my word for 2011 so I have desided to continue into 2012.