A new adventure....

Tomorrow is a BIG day for me!!  Not just for me, but for a group of 50 Kids and some volunteer mentors too!  Tomorrow is the first day of Discovery Bible Club at Highland Park Elementary School!!!!  I am so excited about this new ministry.  I can't wait to see what God does in the lives of these 50 (and hopefully soon more) Children!!  Last year a Discovery Bible Club began at Brown and the hope was that a second would begin at Highland Park.  As a part of Grace Church, I know several of the children in our neighborhood go to Highland Park.  This is just an additional way to tell them about Jesus and how much He really loves them!!

This is something that has been on my heart for years, but a little out of my comfort zone too.  I have had a pretty bad back week and I am unsure of exactly what all tomorrow will entail.  But I am stepping out on faith and I ask that you pray for physical strength and holy boldness. 

I will follow up tomorrow, with what I pray will be a very exciting report!!

Also, I meet with disability tomorrow at 9am, hopefully to move forward, prayers appreciated for this as well.

Nearly two years ago, Pastor Mark asked us to pray a BOLD prayer.  To ask God for something we wanted in our life, even if we saw no way that it could happen.  I prayed that I would be available to do more for the Kingdom, and although my disability is the reason I can, I know God answered that prayer.  I have been able to do "behind the scenes" things that I would have never been able to do before.  I know it is a bold step to commit to help every Thursday during school with Bible Club, but I know God will give me the strength to do what He wants me to do!  Phil. 4:13 tells me that I can do ALL things - through Christ .  I've prayed the bold prayer and I have listened and now I am going to move.

To God Be The Glory!!!!

It's so Overwhelming...

Christian Contemporary Artist, Big Daddy Weave, has a new song out called "Overwhelmed"  It accurately describes the awesome, overwhelming God that we serve.  The words are so poignant and real.  I have been singing the words over and over in my head for weeks. 

As many know, I have spent the last two Saturdays at Festivals with "Jodi's Jewels".  My last one is this week.  Anyway, the first one was a 2-day and it Rained and POURED and the wind blew and the weather did not cooperate, at all!  On the second day, when I knew that it was probably going to rain all day, I was getting ready to go and this song came to my mind.....I started thinking that I was currently overwhelmed, not in a good way.  I started to sing and ask God to let me be overwhelmed by HIM.  It still rained ALL day, but God was good to me and I still managed to have some good sales.

Yesterday, I was again overwhelmed, but in yet another way.  My nearly 14 month process for disability ended with APPROVAL After no income for almost18 months and one denial under my belt, I received this news and I almost couldn't believe it!!  Rest assured the process is by no means complete, but there is a glorious light at the end of the tunnel!!  As you can imagine, several times during this journey, I have been overwhelmed.  Overwhelmed by fear, depression, anxiety, pain, but also by God's peace and protection and the reminder that I was still His child and that he was holding me in His hand. 

I could tell you that I have "remained faithful" and "NEVER" felt alone, but I would be lying. I am only human and all the human fears that come when you have NO MONEY to pay bills, and have no idea what will happen next, have been sent by the enemy and sometimes in the strangest ways.  What I can tell you is that GOD was ALWAYS FAITHFUL....ALWAYS.  Even when I was scared and didn't know what would happen next, He was always there.  He held me when I was scared and comforted when I was frustrated.  He forgave me when I didn't trust him like I should.  I was many times overwhelmed by circumstances, but God's presence and peace, his love and forgiveness were far more overwhelming!

This morning during my quiet time, I thought about something else.  Yes, financially, my burden has been incredibly eased.  Physically, I do and will still struggle with pain and life changes that I wasn't ready for.  You know what?  The same overwhelming questions, fears, etc that will still come, will be nothing for my Heavenly Father.  I have trusted him and He has never let me down.

Everyone faces something.  Sometimes we think we are the only one who has to face problems.  We are not! God rains on the just and the unjust, the righteous and the unrighteous.  He is no respecter of persons.  The flip side of that, He is there for EVERYONE who will call upon him name.  What a precious promise!!!

Please  watch this video and remember  who God is  - He is overwhelming!!!

Is this my life?

This picture was my workspace today. Lots of cloth and sewing tools. I have been very crafty. Not my usual scrap booking or jewelry crafty, but sewing. This is really not usually my thing. I guess I kinda go in spurts. My grandmother taught me how to sew and the summers with her, sewing and making quilts are some of the fondest memories in my life. Since I was a kid though, not so much. This too shall (probably)pass so I am enjoying it while it's happening.
Over the last several weeks, I have been thinking a lot about my grandmother. I loved all my grandparents and had special relationships with both grandmothers, but I was especially close to my mom's mom. Grandma E. She was my "sweetie grandma". That's what all of my friends called her and, of course, I agree :)
The other day, I saw a young woman, probably in her 20's and she was helping (what appeared to be)her grandmother in Walmart. I got tears in my eyes, as I remembered all the shopping trips and times spent with my grams as an adult. I would give almost anything to have those times back. If I close my eyes, I can almost see myself in her apartment in Detroit. I can almost smell the food, hear Wheel of Fortune on the TV.....Anyway, sometimes I think about my life. Like the picture above, if you told me that in 2014, I would be spending countless hours making hand sewn crafts, I would have laughed out loud. Yet, here I am.
This weekend, my youngest cousin, Bill, got married in Pittsburgh. It's just Jill and Bill and me on my mom's side and although we're not best friend close, mainly due to never living geographically close when we were growing up, we've tried (mainly Jill and Bill) to be involved as much as we can in each others lives. Anyway, I have known about the wedding since earlier this year and had big hopes to be able to go. Zachary has always wanted to go the Philly and see the Liberty Bell and I dreamed of us taking the long way home and stopping. None of that happened... Over the last few years, I learned to just "roll with it" when things don't go my way. That's my life...
So here's the question, Is this my life? Yep, sure is! I am blessed and even though, sometimes I can honestly say, I'm not happy about everything in my life, I still have so much to be thankful for. In the last year, my family has faced some health issues with my mom. We recently found out some news that was definitely not the answer we had hoped for, we know that God is STILL in control.  In my human thinking, I ask, why?, I even ask, Are you kidding me? Really? But as I allowed, and continue to allow God to speak to my heart, I know that he has everything under control.  Does that mean, I like it?  NO!!!  I will never like or understand that my precious mom, one of the sweetest woman I know, is having to go through this trial!  Does that mean that in the midst of this trial, I will find a way to praise God? Yes, it does.  Who am I that I could ask that my family be spared, when I see brothers and sisters with just as much faith and just as sweet a testimony, going through things as bad or even worse? 
So this is my life.....Sewing, dreaming, disappointments, rejoicing, incredible blessings, heartache, struggle and one day....HOME.  Jesus, my grandma, Andrew and eternity without another care.  Yep, this is my life.  I might change things if I could, but ultimately I am trusting my heavenly Father, until I get home....