God's Handiwork

That's right, I am under construction. God has been... reconstructing, rebuilding, and reshaping me into the woman of God that He desires for me to be. It hasn't been easy. Every day a new lesson is set before me, just waiting to be learned. Sometimes I realize that...and work towards learning that lesson. Sometimes, I don't realize there even is a lesson there! The fact is though, is that God is always handing us a lesson. He is always handing us something new to learn. He does this so that we can grow and have more faith. Christ brings us through times of construction in our life not to hurt us or harm us...but to help us step out of our "comfort zones" so to speak...and learn to love a surrendered life. The storms of life may come but the Lord will be there. Just like a Mother Or a Dad chooses to discipline there child when they do wrong or get out of line, that is the same thing with God. Parents do that because they love there children and they desire to see them live right lives. Parents desire for there kids to grow, and to learn from there mistakes, they want to protect them from making wrong choices that could alter there lives (and not in a good way). SAME. WITH. GOD. He is our Abba Father. We are His children. We must listen to His instruction so that we can go far in life. So that His name will reach the ends of the earth. It's for His glory only. We must choose to live for HIM...not ourselves.

We all are under construction. How is God shaping you into the man or woman He desires you to be? The better question is, are you allowing Him to shape you?

Faith Without Works Is DEAD

Hey all, please do not worry about your life any longer, what you are going to eat what you are going to wear...etc. God will take care of you and He knows what is best for you better than you do! Don't doubt God anymore. He is the creator of the universe. You want life? Then trust the one who gives life -Jesus Christ.

The Lord has been speaking to my heart lately about faith. Faith. I see faith in a whole new way now. You see, my Husband and I have been trying to conceive ever since Father's Day of 2010. We have so far had no news to share. Notice, I said, "so far". I am NOT going to give up here and throw in the towel. I am going to continue to stick it out and to trust God.

The Lord has been bringing back to my memory about the Scripture passage in James 2:17 in the Bible that says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." That is so true! I am trying to conceive and I am having all this faith but what good is that if I'm not working towards goals that will help me get there?

What I mean by that is, I have faith. But, I'm not being active and doing something about it. Wives who are trying to conceive naturally are told they have to eat right, sleep well, get exercise, get on vitamin supplements etc. I'm not doing any of that! LOL...no WONDER we aren't conceiving.

I mean, I could be wrong...but, I feel that God won't honor my plans of becoming a mother if I am not working up to that goal. I have been struggling a little bit with eating, I don't eat enough...because I feel too depressed to sometimes. (Ladies, stop being depressed and start eating). I;m sure there is women out there who have suffered a miscarriage and feel like they just don't want to eat.

EAT! Please eat! Even if you don't feel like it...E-A-T. It's all just an attack of the enemy in your life. Listen to Jesus. Follow HIM. Dig into HIS Holy word. Drink it up! You'll see a difference. ;) Now, I haven't been much of an exerciser...lol...If I did decide to start exercising I'm not even sure...where I would know how to start lol. When it comes to sleep...yes, I need it muchly! I think we can all get more sleep now a days.

Now all of that stuff is more on the physical health side of the coin...I believe we should keep a good balance. Physical health is very important BUT so is...Spiritual Health so...we gotta' remind ourselves to keep a good balance. Very recently, I have been doing a lot better with the eating thing...now I just gotta' work on my Spiritual life, gotta' make sure to take more trips to sleep land, gotta' somehow find an exercise routine (I think cleaning the house is good enough) lol!

To sum it up:

Trust Jesus in the good times and in the bad times. Surrender to his will. And don't forget to praise Him ALWAYS. He'll give you the strength and the grace to make it through! Don't just go through life. GROW through life! God Bless!

-Tina

Life

What do you think of this statement? I find it ever so true...

Life has been hard recently to be honest. I have been feeling lot's of tension (not so much anymore, now that we have talked it all through). The tension came about from many different things, finances, car troubles, a BIG up-coming trip we are planning on taking but, most of all -the lack of a child. My Husband and I had a miscarriage about a year ago or so, since then the waves we have been riding are tough, big, dark and overwhelming at times. Thankfully, God hasn't let the waves get too out of control. I find myself pondering sometimes, over the death of our little life. I don't call it a baby, I don't call it a child, I don't call it a him, or a her (we never found out what the gender was). I just call it our little life. Even though this little life was small, and didn't seem of importance to the world around it...doesn't mean in left no impact. That little life did, it changed it's Mommy and Daddy for the better. It taught us to be more grateful for each other, and the life around us. God, through that little life, taught us SO much. The only thing it didn't teach us to do was be ungrateful. In many ways, I am GRATEFUL that God took our little life back home. Then, in many ways I have this deep yearning in my Spirit to be with it again. It died shortly before we were gonna' find out the gender. (Just to give you an idea of how far along I was). "Life is like photography, you develop from the negatives."

That stands so true with me. Everyday without our little life is like everyday without a hug. (In my book, you gotta' at LEAST get one hug from your spouse a day, at LEAST. LEAST. (Key word lol). My Husband and I hug each other all the time! Everyday!! Our little life hugged us in many different was -of course never a physical hug but, a hug none the less. What I mean by this is, the time that we got to have with it was like one BIG hug, that never stopped...we always felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. (= Oh, how I long to get my hug back. Oh, how I long to be a mother.

Fortunately, for my husband and I -we are Christians so we can get hugs from our Daddy (God) now and forevermore! Because, we are going to be living with Jesus one day! And there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, and no more pain. I thank God for that! His grace is enough for me! I may not ever be able to to receive the beautiful gift of a child...but, I HAVE received something SO much greater, and that is eternal life in Heaven with my great big daddy -the savior of the universe...his hugs are like no other...his love is amazing. I stand in awe of His mercy and grace.

God Bless you, and do remember, to thank God today for what you DO have. It could all be gone in a second. Allow God to develop you through the negatives in life. Know that He has a purpose and a plan behind it -you can't see it now...but it's a part of a BIG beautiful plan for you...a plan that is going to NOT harm you, it's a plan that is going to give you HOPE and a future. God's timing is perfect. Walk with Jesus.

In Christ's Army,
-Tina

PS: God doesn't just zap us with good feelings. He allows us to go through struggles and difficult things to strengthen our faith, and to help us have PATIENCE. It's all to help us to trust in HIM more...and lean on HIM for comfort and direction in life. Difficult times can make you bitter, or better. You can either go through them, or grow through them. You decide. (=

Full Bloom

Full
Bloom

...Each of us are... unique. Each having different gifts and talents. Like a flower...each petal is unique yet -all of the petals create one flower. Each gift given to us, created by God has a function and a purpose. Just like each petal does, on a flower. Each gift creates a beautiful sight. God's gifts that He has given us (when put into action for HIS glory) please Him, it is a beautiful sight to see in His eyes. Just like the flower and it's petals, are pleasing to the eye, so are our gifts pleasing to the soul.

Christ died and rose again to make us whole, and free us from our sin. Eternal life is our main gift. Like a flower petal caught up in the wind -have I been caught up in God's grace. It's forever in God's arms I'll rest -even when I'm put to the test. I am not a double-minded man. My foundation isn't made out of sand. It's on the rock of Christ I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.

With these gifts I hope to glorify God...Knowing He is watching -it's easy to bloom, For I have an audience of one...And, He's coming soon.

In Christ's Army,

When It's Rough

When It\'s
Rough

So, I've been going through sort of a rough time these past couple days. I'm just trying to keep a positive attitude. I love the LORD, I don't doubt Him, I trust Him. Yet, I am still struggling with feeling frustrated and confused. I know I shouldn't be but, sometimes it's hard. I know it's not in God's will for my husband and I to conceive right now. I trust that. I know God knows best -better than I know what's best. God's dreams for us are always so much bigger than our dreams for us. When times are rough we've just got to pray, and lean on Jesus.

I have found myself asking God over and over again -why are you prolonging this? WHY. WHY. WHY. Let me let you in on a little something -your not gonna' get the answer your looking for by asking, "Why". Sometimes God allows us to go through trials and rough times -not because He hates us, or he doesn't care. It's because He loves us -and He wants to stretch us so our faith, and trust in Him will grow.

James Chapter 1 VS. 2-8:

" 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."

I think this passage speaks for itself.

if your doubting today about TTC, or whatever you may be going through -don't.
STOP doubting START trusting the God who created it all...
Jesus Christ.

May God bless you in your journey's, be encouraged!

In Christ's Army,