So here we are. A full year is behind us - many ups and downs along the way.... hopefully for most it has been more ups than the later. This year has been such an eventful year to say the least! Our family took on the spiritual responsibility of trusting God for a vibrant, healthy baby girl and by God - He is GOOD. Truly. Our baby girl will turn one year old this coming April and I have to say that time has seriously flown by. We've enjoyed every single moment of our two precious babies - every new milestone, watching them discover the world around them and witnessing everything their little eyes take in. They are just little wet sponges of wonderfulness. How do you ever get over the love you have in your heart for them or even better, the love they give you each and every day no matter how fun or frustrating they can be at the darnest times? Its fantastic really. And I wouldn't trade it or them in a million trillian years.
Kinsella Chiropractic welcomed an associate to the practice. It has been such a blessing to have another doctor. Tim still works as many hours he can yet he has more freedom to do what he loves most - be with his family and work with young men with wrestling. There was so much that happened with our faith in this transition that we were not sure at first if He was showing us the right path or not, however, through this we've learned to trust His word and understand that his will always prevails as long as we seek his opinion and not ours.
All in all, as I look back on the year, I see how our faith was shaken dramatically in so many circumstances - and yet we've come out shining for His glory miraculously. As a pregnant mommy, at first I wasn't sure how we were gonna make it through with a healthy baby. With many prayers backing us up, baby girl is a bright-eyed brilliant little piece of work! Glory to God!! Our new doctor helping Tim out is such a kind, compassionate soul who seems to be blending his methods well with our faithful patients. How blessed we are!
I look at 2012 with promise and great things to come. I think about what our Pastor's wife, Cheryl Curran said mid-year on Facebook.... 'Faith is specific. What do YOU want from God?' Or as a girl friend of mine stated in regards to that quote, 'DO what you want from God.... if you need more funds, give more. That's just one example. Think outside the box. This new year can be what you want it to be. Be positive. Be the change you want to see in the world. God will reward you abundantly. For where your heart is, there your treasure is also. Yes, this is advise that I must take to heart as well. It is something that I have been pondering on for myself.
Let's be visionaries. Let's let love lead. Let God be God. Let's dream and dream BIG.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I have proof. I dare you.
I've been learning a lot lately about the power of trust, faith, and just plain positive thinking. Did you know that by simply thinking positively can not only empower your outlook on things in general but it can also have a direct effect on the outcome of things in life. My husband and I have never once thought we'd find ourselves in the most unusual circumstances - in more ways than one- yet it seems as though there is always something to learn out of everything you go through whether it may be good or bad. Seemingly, our attitudes and outlooks fall in the path of where we put our thoughts and our energy - - on the positive or negative spectrum. In our current line of direction, there is no room for pity parties. No sir. The moment pity parties and 'poor me' syndrome appear, evil or shall I say the devil, has a direct foothold. I refuse to give acknowledgement to such things.... I am fighting for our unborn child and for our family.
God dwells in our home, in our thoughts, in our hearts, in our steadfast prayers, at our dinner table, even in what we watch on t.v. and listen to on the radio. We are keenly aware of what we allow in the front door of our home as well as what we allow in the front door of my husband's business. Jesus is the gatekeeper of our world.
Yes, I will admit that when we first recieved startling news about the wellbeing of our developing child we were a bit rattled. I would say that it might be relatively normal... actually my husband was more rattled than I was a first, I was more, 'Not with my God. My God is bigger than any test or medical result' with every possible scenario the dr's would throw at us. It wasn't until a week or two later that it sunk in that we were truly fighting a battle that I had finally broken down. It took me to truly visualize the surrendering of our unborn child to the arms of Christ that things began to turn around. That, and literally changing my outlook on the entire situation. With every dr. appointment, I am praying. I am trusting God's hand of covering over this child. I am positively believing for a great report, great blood levels in this child, and that my visit to the dr will be a short and sweet one.
If we were to take every pity or negative thought and turn it into a positive, trusting thought, imagine what it would do with your entire thought life and even your most challenging difficult situations. Humor me and try it. I have proof that faith and trust provide miracles. Changes lives. Changes wellbeing. Its all a about a choice and consistancy. I dare you.
God dwells in our home, in our thoughts, in our hearts, in our steadfast prayers, at our dinner table, even in what we watch on t.v. and listen to on the radio. We are keenly aware of what we allow in the front door of our home as well as what we allow in the front door of my husband's business. Jesus is the gatekeeper of our world.
Yes, I will admit that when we first recieved startling news about the wellbeing of our developing child we were a bit rattled. I would say that it might be relatively normal... actually my husband was more rattled than I was a first, I was more, 'Not with my God. My God is bigger than any test or medical result' with every possible scenario the dr's would throw at us. It wasn't until a week or two later that it sunk in that we were truly fighting a battle that I had finally broken down. It took me to truly visualize the surrendering of our unborn child to the arms of Christ that things began to turn around. That, and literally changing my outlook on the entire situation. With every dr. appointment, I am praying. I am trusting God's hand of covering over this child. I am positively believing for a great report, great blood levels in this child, and that my visit to the dr will be a short and sweet one.
If we were to take every pity or negative thought and turn it into a positive, trusting thought, imagine what it would do with your entire thought life and even your most challenging difficult situations. Humor me and try it. I have proof that faith and trust provide miracles. Changes lives. Changes wellbeing. Its all a about a choice and consistancy. I dare you.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Grace.
This past month or so has been very trying in the sense that my mind and emotions have been on other things that cause me to ponder on the purpose of things or shall I say, the reason behind why some people go through harder times in order to get something simple accomplished as opposed to others.
My husband and I are expecting our second child in four months, however, there have been some complications/setbacks in this pregnancy that we could have never have known about previously. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. It is such a rare situation that most have never heard of it and wouldn't have the slightest clue as to how to even imagine what we have to go through to have this baby - healthy.
I will say that there have been many times that my husband and I have questioned ourselves and our faith, asking God, 'did we do something that was unpleasing to you?' or 'Is there something you want us to learn from all of this?' Truly, as a normal human being we begin to question our motives on things and if there is a reason for the fact that we have to struggle in life. And truthfully, the answer to this question is... grace. That's the most significant answer we can come up with when we pray for our baby, our situation, and even when we confide in our pastor. Grace. It is God's gift to us. We simply need to put all of our faith and trust into Him and believe that his grace is for us, being confident in his promises and truths. Its all in the Word of God, which we must take into full action and apply it to our lives and to our prayer life - and stand on that.
On a more personal level, standing in the middle of worship service on Sunday morning I found myself singing the praise and worship and something inside me prompted me to visualize myself standing in front of the throne of God and offering my whole self to him. Along with that, I gave him all of my worries/ concerns about the health and wellbeing of our baby. I also laid my baby at his feet (even though, technically, baby is still forming in my womb) for his keeping and his protection. And amazingly after giving him everything I was holding onto so tightly, my worries have turned into, 'Lord, I trust you. I know our baby is in your hands. I know you'll see to it that she comes to full health.'
When you come to the full realization that you truly do not have any power or control over a difficult situation, the only thing left to do is to completely surrender it to God. All of it. Let him have the worry, the stress, the anxiety (yes, I've dealt with all of these things.... its no fun), continually be in steadfast prayer and then allow Him to do his plan. God is good. We may not understand all of what comes to pass in life, nor do we necessarily deserve everything that life hands out to us. Yet, it is in our best interest to learn and get the most of our experiences to grow into greater character for the glory of God.
My husband and I are expecting our second child in four months, however, there have been some complications/setbacks in this pregnancy that we could have never have known about previously. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. It is such a rare situation that most have never heard of it and wouldn't have the slightest clue as to how to even imagine what we have to go through to have this baby - healthy.
I will say that there have been many times that my husband and I have questioned ourselves and our faith, asking God, 'did we do something that was unpleasing to you?' or 'Is there something you want us to learn from all of this?' Truly, as a normal human being we begin to question our motives on things and if there is a reason for the fact that we have to struggle in life. And truthfully, the answer to this question is... grace. That's the most significant answer we can come up with when we pray for our baby, our situation, and even when we confide in our pastor. Grace. It is God's gift to us. We simply need to put all of our faith and trust into Him and believe that his grace is for us, being confident in his promises and truths. Its all in the Word of God, which we must take into full action and apply it to our lives and to our prayer life - and stand on that.
On a more personal level, standing in the middle of worship service on Sunday morning I found myself singing the praise and worship and something inside me prompted me to visualize myself standing in front of the throne of God and offering my whole self to him. Along with that, I gave him all of my worries/ concerns about the health and wellbeing of our baby. I also laid my baby at his feet (even though, technically, baby is still forming in my womb) for his keeping and his protection. And amazingly after giving him everything I was holding onto so tightly, my worries have turned into, 'Lord, I trust you. I know our baby is in your hands. I know you'll see to it that she comes to full health.'
When you come to the full realization that you truly do not have any power or control over a difficult situation, the only thing left to do is to completely surrender it to God. All of it. Let him have the worry, the stress, the anxiety (yes, I've dealt with all of these things.... its no fun), continually be in steadfast prayer and then allow Him to do his plan. God is good. We may not understand all of what comes to pass in life, nor do we necessarily deserve everything that life hands out to us. Yet, it is in our best interest to learn and get the most of our experiences to grow into greater character for the glory of God.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Focus. Understand. Vision.
So who am I to think that I am little miss perfect? Am I perfect? Oh my gosh - - NO! Far from it. Then why do I get so bent out of shape when someone or more than one person brings it to my attention? What about their attitude or their mistakes? Why am I the bad guy? Why is it that when one person reminds me of my imperfections - everybody and their brother has to be in on the gang-up fest?
Ok. Yes. I have had a dramatic week or two with plenty of drama. And its all my fault, apparently. But I will say this, I have learned a lot over the last week or two. The first major lesson learned: Focus on changing ME. Not what others need to change. Focus on simply loving with the love that God gives me every single day as well as what I need to improve upon and change to make the lives of others better and benefit from having crossed paths with me. Second major lesson learned: identify the love/life languages of those I encounter often.... significant other, family, friends, co-workers, employer, etc. By understanding what makes these people feel appreciated and valued, it makes it so much easier to speak their language than our own - especially if they do not interpret what we may feel as value. God wired us each a bit differently. That's not a bad thing, we are all unique and all with our own special giftedness - areas that we are able to bless others.
Third major lesson learned: identify the 'picture' or vision that you want to see in your life and then identify the areas in your life that may need to be 'tweaked' in order to make that vision a reality. Then ask God to help you sort out these areas.
The third lesson is a key element to understanding who you are and how you became who you are. It is a process that involves asking yourself questions about your past - with your family history. History regarding your parents, their relationship- their love relationship, how they resolved conflict, your good memories, bad memories, family traditions, family addictions that have been passed down through the generations... there are numerous things that go into how you've become who you are. The best part is, once we work on the areas that could really use some fine tuning, the benefits far outweigh the hardship of dealing with the issues we discover. It becomes a part of getting to that reality of the vision we want for our lives and maybe even for our family.
As for my vision, its still a work in progress. But the process of getting there has been an eye opener. What will you discover about yourself and your family as you decide upon your vision? You never know until you decide to unwrap all the layers..... but I encourage you to begin. You won't be disappointed in the end result.
Ok. Yes. I have had a dramatic week or two with plenty of drama. And its all my fault, apparently. But I will say this, I have learned a lot over the last week or two. The first major lesson learned: Focus on changing ME. Not what others need to change. Focus on simply loving with the love that God gives me every single day as well as what I need to improve upon and change to make the lives of others better and benefit from having crossed paths with me. Second major lesson learned: identify the love/life languages of those I encounter often.... significant other, family, friends, co-workers, employer, etc. By understanding what makes these people feel appreciated and valued, it makes it so much easier to speak their language than our own - especially if they do not interpret what we may feel as value. God wired us each a bit differently. That's not a bad thing, we are all unique and all with our own special giftedness - areas that we are able to bless others.
Third major lesson learned: identify the 'picture' or vision that you want to see in your life and then identify the areas in your life that may need to be 'tweaked' in order to make that vision a reality. Then ask God to help you sort out these areas.
The third lesson is a key element to understanding who you are and how you became who you are. It is a process that involves asking yourself questions about your past - with your family history. History regarding your parents, their relationship- their love relationship, how they resolved conflict, your good memories, bad memories, family traditions, family addictions that have been passed down through the generations... there are numerous things that go into how you've become who you are. The best part is, once we work on the areas that could really use some fine tuning, the benefits far outweigh the hardship of dealing with the issues we discover. It becomes a part of getting to that reality of the vision we want for our lives and maybe even for our family.
As for my vision, its still a work in progress. But the process of getting there has been an eye opener. What will you discover about yourself and your family as you decide upon your vision? You never know until you decide to unwrap all the layers..... but I encourage you to begin. You won't be disappointed in the end result.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
So what happens when you get a phone call and recieve alarming news on the other end? The initial response is sometimes confusion, fear, the need for answers and/or more information.... right? Or it can be the question, "why God? why me?" But truthfully, why anybody? Why does anyone have to recieve difficult news and sometimes even more difficult events in their lives? Does it make the world a terrible place? Does it make God a mean God? Is God out to get you for some reason or another? I'm going to tell you no, no, and NO it does not. Let me explain.
About four weeks ago, my family recieved some interesting but difficult news. We didn't know what to make of it... because there were no concrete answers or solutions to the news. I myself, I was in bewilderment thinking, how does this happen to me of all people? How does this happen to us?? We love God with our lives, with our whole heart, what is a roadblock like this doing in our family? The truth is, as my husband and I have gathered with many, many family and friends to agree in prayer we've come to understand that our struggles are not against flesh and blood. No. Our struggle is against the enemy (the devil) who wants nothing more than to destroy our family, destroy our lives, and destroy our faith. The only problem with the enemy's plans...... our God is way BIGGER than any plan he can come up with to destroy us. We have our faith, we have prayer (which by the way is the strongest most powerful tool you possess to dominate any situation!), we have the Word of God (another incredibly powerful tool if it is verbally and prayerfully claimed in prayer), and we have a God that defeated death itself on the cross and resurrected to give life to us all if we believe.
"Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4
God is greater than any situation or any person that causes you opposition because of your firm faith and trust in him as you pray consistantly about your circumstances and/or your opposition. Another verse that I've been faithfully keeping in constant prayer, Ephesians 6:15-18.
God is faithful and he is good. When your find yourself in struggle, chances are your faith is being stretched. Don't be afraid of it, embrace it with the Word of God and consistant prayer to Him for his favor in your life or in the lives of your loved ones.
About four weeks ago, my family recieved some interesting but difficult news. We didn't know what to make of it... because there were no concrete answers or solutions to the news. I myself, I was in bewilderment thinking, how does this happen to me of all people? How does this happen to us?? We love God with our lives, with our whole heart, what is a roadblock like this doing in our family? The truth is, as my husband and I have gathered with many, many family and friends to agree in prayer we've come to understand that our struggles are not against flesh and blood. No. Our struggle is against the enemy (the devil) who wants nothing more than to destroy our family, destroy our lives, and destroy our faith. The only problem with the enemy's plans...... our God is way BIGGER than any plan he can come up with to destroy us. We have our faith, we have prayer (which by the way is the strongest most powerful tool you possess to dominate any situation!), we have the Word of God (another incredibly powerful tool if it is verbally and prayerfully claimed in prayer), and we have a God that defeated death itself on the cross and resurrected to give life to us all if we believe.
"Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4
God is greater than any situation or any person that causes you opposition because of your firm faith and trust in him as you pray consistantly about your circumstances and/or your opposition. Another verse that I've been faithfully keeping in constant prayer, Ephesians 6:15-18.
God is faithful and he is good. When your find yourself in struggle, chances are your faith is being stretched. Don't be afraid of it, embrace it with the Word of God and consistant prayer to Him for his favor in your life or in the lives of your loved ones.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Stand firm.... not in fear
Life is full of twists and turns. Just when you think that your world is perfect and normal.. it seems something wild is thrown into the mix and you think, 'Now where did that come from', only there are no real concrete answers or solutions to the matter. So what do you do with something like that? I've been asking myself the same exact question.
My family and I landed ourselves in a very unique and rare situation of which has no concrete answers of any kind - just a lot of speculation. There are no absolute solutions to accompany the situation at hand, either. So, I found myself writing in my prayer journal, simply voicing my thoughts and my heart about what we're going through. It was shortly after that, that I heard that still small voice speaking to me saying, 'Rest assured.' The Lord was reassuring me that if we simply continue to TRUST in him and not rely on our fear or our anxiety, we are in good hands.
You see, I know this. And I knew this. But how easy it can be to waver from what you know to be true when you're faced with life's twists and turns. We went through a whirlwind of mixed emotions, fears, doubts trying to do as much research and learn as much as we could about our circumstances.... and the more we dug, the more fearful and anxious we became. A cousin of mine reminded me of a necessary message, she said, 'You speak to that situation and tell it who your God is and that we are created perfect in his image. Do not let FEAR enter your mind - it is Satan's playground. Stand firm in your faith and in the truth, rest in his peace knowing that He is good all of the time.' Such vital and important words...... I needed to hear them, desperately at that very moment.
Stand firm. Know who you serve. The Lord is your resting place and your comfort. Allow him to convey to you about your situation - not your fear or your worry. And most importantly, he is good and he only desires good things for his children who acknowledge him by faith.
My family and I landed ourselves in a very unique and rare situation of which has no concrete answers of any kind - just a lot of speculation. There are no absolute solutions to accompany the situation at hand, either. So, I found myself writing in my prayer journal, simply voicing my thoughts and my heart about what we're going through. It was shortly after that, that I heard that still small voice speaking to me saying, 'Rest assured.' The Lord was reassuring me that if we simply continue to TRUST in him and not rely on our fear or our anxiety, we are in good hands.
You see, I know this. And I knew this. But how easy it can be to waver from what you know to be true when you're faced with life's twists and turns. We went through a whirlwind of mixed emotions, fears, doubts trying to do as much research and learn as much as we could about our circumstances.... and the more we dug, the more fearful and anxious we became. A cousin of mine reminded me of a necessary message, she said, 'You speak to that situation and tell it who your God is and that we are created perfect in his image. Do not let FEAR enter your mind - it is Satan's playground. Stand firm in your faith and in the truth, rest in his peace knowing that He is good all of the time.' Such vital and important words...... I needed to hear them, desperately at that very moment.
Stand firm. Know who you serve. The Lord is your resting place and your comfort. Allow him to convey to you about your situation - not your fear or your worry. And most importantly, he is good and he only desires good things for his children who acknowledge him by faith.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Dream BIG and just watch...
Life can be crazy. I also know that I am not the only human being that sometimes feels as though it is all crashing down on them. If I were the only one, I'd have to bring a few of me down with me so I wouldn't be the only weird one of the bunch. I had made a pact that I was going to be more consistent with my postings, and as it is soley considered my 'Internship' for school now as well... for the past few weeks I have failed miserably. I took three, three credit classes in five weeks in order to stay on track for graduation next fall. It caused me to fall a bit behind on my posts. Why, you wonder?? I first must be a wife, mother, and then a student all at the same time. It isn't easy. But to come out on the other side walking down the graduation aisle, I have to do it. This website depends on it.
You see, my dream and ultimate goal with The Alabaster Room is to not only make it into a 'virtual' reality, but also a physical reality. The Alabaster Room's main objective is to reach out to teen girls and women everywhere to make them aware of their beauty and uniqueness through the eyes and love of Jesus Christ. Eventually, as the proper timing arises, Alabaster Room will literally become a place where girls can actually come and just be girls - to hang out, enjoy the fellowship of one another, and simply have fun. There will be professional counseling available to those who have life issues to talk about and seek positive guidance and prayer about their situation(s) and be shown true love through the hearts of elder women who love them.
Yes, I have big dreams. Those dreams don't end there either... I have many bigger ones up my sleeve. I'm not afraid to dream big, because God wants us to dream as big as we possibly can and then put full trust and faith in Him to bring them to pass - as long as we are obedient to what he instructs us to do. I am excited for what God's going to do in the future. In my family, with and through my family, with The Alabaster Room, with our family business.... everything. I believe that if we don't dream big, we don't dream at all. If I hadn't chosen to dream big and chosen to stick with the high standards God called me to to begin with - I wouldn't be where I am now. God is good. SO good. Do not be afraid to dream and dream BIG. If you choose to trust and be faithful.... those very dreams can become reality - you just watch!
You see, my dream and ultimate goal with The Alabaster Room is to not only make it into a 'virtual' reality, but also a physical reality. The Alabaster Room's main objective is to reach out to teen girls and women everywhere to make them aware of their beauty and uniqueness through the eyes and love of Jesus Christ. Eventually, as the proper timing arises, Alabaster Room will literally become a place where girls can actually come and just be girls - to hang out, enjoy the fellowship of one another, and simply have fun. There will be professional counseling available to those who have life issues to talk about and seek positive guidance and prayer about their situation(s) and be shown true love through the hearts of elder women who love them.
Yes, I have big dreams. Those dreams don't end there either... I have many bigger ones up my sleeve. I'm not afraid to dream big, because God wants us to dream as big as we possibly can and then put full trust and faith in Him to bring them to pass - as long as we are obedient to what he instructs us to do. I am excited for what God's going to do in the future. In my family, with and through my family, with The Alabaster Room, with our family business.... everything. I believe that if we don't dream big, we don't dream at all. If I hadn't chosen to dream big and chosen to stick with the high standards God called me to to begin with - I wouldn't be where I am now. God is good. SO good. Do not be afraid to dream and dream BIG. If you choose to trust and be faithful.... those very dreams can become reality - you just watch!
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