Life's Journey from 1999 to 2014

Life has a way of taking us through journey's that we never imagined, fathomed or believed that we could possibly think we could experience, good, bad, sad, happy, trying, and some that may feel debilitating. I am here to say that I've experienced many... Nothing has been easy, God gives us choices in life, it's up to us to quiet our minds, pray and listen for God's guidance and pray we make the right choices and decisions in life. When it gets tough and the storms seem like they will never end, do we call it quits on life, bail out and find an easy way out or do we pray and "stick it out"? "WWJD" comes to mind, He didn't bail out, He didn't say, "I Quit"... He endured the trials laid before him, the trials that He was thrown in to...

Since moving to Houston, I hoped for new beginnings, a new life, and then society pressures were allowed to seep in to my marriage and life. The year 2000 was when my thoughts of a life as a wife and mother completely changed... I made some bad choices in 2000, so much so that they not only affected my life, but the lives of all those that I love dearly. My family, my children and anyone that shared their lives with me in one way or another.The choices I made, led me down a dark road, through out those dark times, I was still able to feel that tug at my heart... that tug at my arm... The soft whisper in my ear... "This way my child" but I kept on walking in what I was so fooled to believe was the way to live life. But you see... the timing had already caused so much damage to my children and loved ones. I finally learned to quiet myself and listen closely for His Whispers... The one thing I learned though, is that, God does not want us living with shame or regrets.

"The Bible teaches us that once we confess our sins, accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the cross on our behalf, and become children of God, we are cleansed from all our unrighteousness"(Colossians 1:15-22)

Read more: "What does the Bible say about shame and regret?"

I finally crawled out of that darkness and came to see the light, brighter than I could ever imagine. Everything was so clear and beautiful, Here With Me by MercyMe fits that moment so well, but yet, I still felt shattered from all those years of living my life for "me". I listened closely, made sure to ask Him for forgiveness and worked diligently to make amends and make peace with those lives that all my choices affected.

I still remember driving down the road one day, I was in tears... so lost, so confused, but still holding on with all the knowledge and faith, that God was taking very good care of me. I had made the right choice, but I was scared. I couldn't breath, the tears kept streaming down. This is where I cried out the words... "Jesus Take The Wheel" I remember that day so vividly, driving down the streets of Houston, Tx, listening to KSBJ. Wondering "What now Lord? You are in control, I can't do this anymore by myself. Forgive me!!"

He had me at that point... my life turned around for the better. 2005 and on had brighter days ahead, it was going to be an uphill battle, but I knew that God was with me and He would be carrying me. I was devoting more of my time to prayer, I was new to bible studies, back in church. Three years go by and I remarried... things were looking so bright, trials were still experienced, but they were nothing God couldn't handle, besides... I was out of the darkness that I had been crawling through previously and I was living a life that God was calling me to live. I was saved, in more ways than one... I can not fix some of the damages that occurred during those years prior, but I knew that through God alone, He could bring peace to me and all who were affected by my choices. Little did I know that my bright days would come again to a stormy end... I was shattered because I was living my life according to God's will. God was there though, He told me, I survived worse, I knew that this time, I could walk away with more confidence and less fear, because God was still with me. He had made me a stronger woman, prepared me for the upcoming storm that I did not even foresee in 2013.

It will be two years in March since moving out on my own... I have learned many things since then and continue to learn. God is continuing to work in my life... He is polishing this rock in to a GEM. I believe it... He has brought people in to my life that I never would imagine and taken others that I never thought would have been taken, but in the process of all these new people in my life and those removed from my life, I'm still learning more and more about myself. One thing I can say is that because of my relationships and how they ended, I no longer trust anyone in my life for the exception of God and my family. I do not allow anyone else to come in to my life or heart like I use to. I don't love like I use to either... I am a work in progress, but I refuse to allow a person to shatter my life completely because of their wrong doings, their flaws, their indiscretions... I no longer depend on anyone on this earth to make my life complete, I only depend on God now. I lean only on HIM... I do believe that, THIS was the lesson for me. No one but God alone can make me happy, then the love of my family. I am a work in progress! Praise God!!

So to those people that were in my life, that were trusted with my whole life and things failed, THANK YOU... for making me who I am today. May God work in you as He has worked continuously in me... To those in my life now, all I ask is for patience while God continues to work on me.

I AM GOD'S CHILD...

Todays thoughts

Usually, I'll give the Thought for the day, here today I find myself blogging about two seperate thoughts, but both play hand in hand with one another...

Living Above the Daily Whine

Do everything readily and cheerfully - no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breat of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimps of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.

Phillipians 2:14-15 MSG

Because we are imperfect human beings, we often lose sight of our blessings. Ironically, most of us have more blessings than we can count, but we may still find reasons to complain about the minor frustrations of every day life. To do so, of course, is not only wrong; it is also the pinnacle of shortsightedness and a serious roadblock on the path to spiritual abundance.

Are you tempted to complain about the inevitable minor frustations of everyday living? Don't do it! Today and every day, make it a practice to count your blessings, not your hardships. It's the truly decent way to live.

A Thought to Jump Start Your Day

The purity of motive determines the quality of action.

*To follow that daily thought, I couldn't help but follow with
this next one, as I mentioned, they go hand in hand.

More Opportunities Than We Can Count

Everything is possible for him who believes.

Mark 9:23 NIV

Whether you realize it or not, opportunites are whirling around you like stars crossing the night sky: beautiful to observe but too numerous to count. Yet you may be too wrapped up in the daily grind to notice.

Take time to step back from the challenges of everyday living so that you can focus your thoughts on two things: the talents God has given you and the opportunities that He has placed before you. God is leading you in the direction of those opportunities. Your task is to watch carefully, to pray fervently, and to act accordingly.

A Thought to Jump Start Your Day

Unbelief keeps us livng beneath the possiblities that God dreamed for our lives.

*I have noticed that myself and many people around me complain about the minor frustrations of every day life and we tend to forget all the blessings we have been given, and the many opportunites that God has laid before us. Stop and take a few steps back, look around, things could be so much worse.

Which reminds me, I love the new song by Mandisa...

Verse 1:Been a hard one, Been a bad one
Been a tough one, Been a sad one
It's been one of those days that keeps chipping away at my heart
Nothing new here, It's what I do here
its a stereotypical day, in the life
I'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strife
but I know it's alright, woah oh

Chorus:Cause it's only the world i'm living in
It's only today i've been given
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Cause it's only the world (only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me

do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Verse 2:Anybody can you hear me?
Do you feel me? I mean, do you feel me?
I know I'm not the only one wearing the weight in this world
We got problems (said it's alright)
Just remember (yeah, it's alright)
Take a good look around we're just stuck on the ground for a little while
Don't it make you smile

Chorus:Cause it's only the world i'm living in (Yeah)
It's only today i've been given(Yeah)
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Cause it's only the world (only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me

do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Bridge:Heaven is a place where the tears on every face will be wiped away
And I can't wait to go, but for now it's enoughto know
This is only temporary this is only, Yeah, Alright!

Chorus:Cause it's only the world i'm living in
It's only the day i've been given
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Cause it's only the world (only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me
Cause it's only the world i'm living in
It's only today I've been given
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Cause it's only the world (only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me
(So much more than only the world, yeah)

do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Scattering Seeds of Kindness

As I woke up this morning at 5:55 am, I found myself praying for my children, I will always follow my prayer for my children with a prayer for my family and their families... how often, though, do we forget to pray for our friends and their families, thier trials and tribulations? We think of them as we go through our day, but how often do we put them in our prayers or thank God for their friendship and for bringing them in to our lives? They are a blessing indeed.

In all my years, I can count on one hand my true friends... I'm blessed. This week alone, I have seen a few friends of mine go through some trials, let downs, disappointments, grief even.

A woman at work that I greet every morning as we go to the dining room and get ready for our day, lost her mother yesterday. Her mother lives in Columbia, she was told that she was gravely ill and not improving. She was not in any situation to pull the money together ($1,200.00 in american money) to go and be by her side. The Gangrene had already taken her leg, up to her knee... they realized after the amputation that it had taken a life of its' own in the rest of her body. All I could do was offer my prayers to her and her family and if it was any comfort, I gave her my cross pendant. My prayers go out to her family and friends.

I have recently, I say recently, but... in 2005, I gained a Best Friend off of MySpace. She has truly been a blessing for me as I now have someone that I can turn to on my days of trials and tribulations for comfort and understanding, I can only hope that I can show "trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, encouragement, humor, and cheerfulness ".

There are two other friends that have still stayed in touch and remain very dear friends since my days of being a school bus driver in 1998. Then I have another dear friend that we have been friends since Grade School. We don't talk every day, or once a week, but we know that the other is there when we really need eachother. We speak maybe once a month to every other month. So with that in mind... I leave you all with todays Daily Devotion.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10 NIV

What is a friend? the dictionary defines the word as "a person who is attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard." This definition is accurate, as far as it goes, but when we examine the deeper meaning of friendship, so many more descriptors come to mind: trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, kindness,
understanding, forgiveness, encouragement, humor, and cheerfulness to mention
but a few.

How wonderful are the joys of friendship! Today, as you consider the many blessings that God has given you, remember to thank Him for the friends He has chosen to place along your path. May you be a blessing to them, and may they richly bless you today, tomorrow, and every day that you live.

A Thought to Jump Start Your Day

A person who really cares about his or her neighbor, a
person who genuinely loves others, is a person who bears witness to the truth.

Anne Graham Lotz