How do you eat an elephant?!?!

Man! Ever felt like there was SO much you wanted to do and SO little time to do it? I am not talking about the every day, run of the mill type things (I do have a lot of those, too). I am talking about "LIFE" things, things that will make a difference. God has given us all the same amount of time in a day, but there are some whose "I'll get to it one day" just never happens (for whatever reason). I have been keeping a mental list of things that I want to get around to. Maybe if I actually write them down, it will make it a little easier to make it happen. Some of these things seem rather ambitious, maybe that is why I feel the need to blog about them. I know my prayer warriors are reading and you can help hold me accountable!

Ready for Heather's Now or Never List??
*This may be one of the most ambitious...I would love to write and publish a women's devotional book. To some of you this may come as a surprise- but to others you know I love to write. I took a chance a couple of months ago and wrote the devotions for our Women's Retreat. No one there knew I had written the literature, so when I heard a few talking about how much they enjoyed it, it made my heart smile. I feel like this is a project God has laid on my heart and I should just obey...right?! It may be now or never!!

I LOVE being a Child Life Specialist and miss being able to use my skills to work as one. I struggle with the fact that I live in an area where there are no opportunities for my field. That needs to change! Maybe I need to be that change agent! I should not be afraid to put myself out there and share what I have learned about the field to help others grow. It may be now or never!!

I would like to work more diligently with my photography business. God has made a way for me to work as a photographer part time and has blessed my business beyond belief this year. There has to more opportunity for growth. It may be now or never!!

My heart's desire is to make a difference no matter what it is that I am doing. I want to be a positive light in a dark world. I am constantly searching for opportunities to serve and do the greater good. When opportunities present themselves, I can't be afraid of what it may cost. It may be now or never!!

When I look into the eyes of my little man, I want to be the greatest mom he could ever imagine. I want him to know that God is the center of my life because he sees me living a life that is pleasing to Him. I want to take the time to know all of the things that make Evan giggle and be filled with joy. I want to love on him now so that he will understand the importance of loving others later. I want to invest time and energy in him that we will never get back, something that will make a stamp on his life forever! It may be now or never!!

I (still) want to be the daughter that brings joy to my parents (family). I want them to be proud of the woman that they helped shape me to be. I want them to look at me and know that they have done a great job. I want to never forget how special family is and take the time to share with them my happiness and frustrations. It may be now or never!!

I want to be the woman that James wants to love forever. In a society where turning and running away from one another when times get rough seems to be answer, I want us to always run to one another and cling to one another. Our friendship and love is a gift and I NEVER want to take that for granted. I want to be open enough to share with him the things that make me happy and sad, my loves, my passions and my mistakes. I want him to know without a doubt that he can trust in me to love him forever! It may be now or never!!

So, how can I do all of these things? Impossible, you say?! Nah! Just as you eat an elephant one bite at a time, I too can do all of these things. I must remember to trust in God to take care of the small things, even as I trust Him to handle the big things in my life. Please join me in prayer that I will be the God-fearing woman that He has called me to be. It all starts by making positive changes in your (my) life. I need to learn to sit and listen and not feel like I have to do all of the talking when it comes to my conversations with God. He has an opinion, too!! :)

What are the things on your "Now or Never" list? Maybe you need to jot them down to keep them fresh on your mind or share them with others so they may be bathed in prayer. God grants our hearts desires and He loves to fulfill them. I understand that it is in His timing when all things are made perfect. Take a look back over the things in your life that may have worked out differently had you had all the say so...I will leave that one for another post! :)

On a side note, some have asked about a medical update. Things are going well. There have been no headaches for some time. As a matter of fact, I have lost count of how many weeks I have been headache free! Praise the Lord!! I go back to see Dr. V in May and am anxious to see what he has to say. I still have not been able to have a Mt. Dew (some days that is so hard)- we are talking since OCTOBER!!! I think I would go into shock if I were to have one, now! Some of my tastes for my favorite things have returned, however most have not. My taste buds have changed drastically, but it has helped to keep the weight off. I seem to be continuing to lose, but I do ask that you continue to pray that I can withstand the temptations to over eat. Keeping this weight off is a must!! There are some days when I when I just want to be angry about this whole situation and not being able to move forward with expanding our family, but then I look back on how God has moved within my life. There has been more growth over these 5 months than I have had in a long time. I have seen the power of Jesus work strongly in my life and in others around me. When I take the time for this reflection, I can't help but smile and know that "all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord." He has a plan and I am so thankful that He has allowed me to be part of it. I may not see the full picture, but the bits and pieces are looking good so far!!

When things seem to be getting the best of me, I just try to remember that he loves me so!

Until next time...

Life is full of uncertainty!

Our Sunday school lesson this past Sunday was on trusting Jesus when you don't know the outcome and praising Him even when things don't turn out the way you think they should. That one kinda hits you in the gut!

Life is full of uncertain times. Situations change and people come and go. The one thing I have found for sure is that my God is ALWAYS there! He never leaves us and always has our best at heart. He only wants for us success and happiness. Now, does that success mean that we will all be owners of fortune 500 companies and make more money that we ever dreamed possible? No, but does that really measure success? I don't think so.

There are people in my life who are currently in the "holding circle," waiting to see what is going to happen next. As hard as I know it is, they must trust that God is in control. We talked yesterday about how you truly know if you are following God's plan or just going the way you want it to go. I have found that when I pray and ask for God's direction, if I follow His will, He provides a peace that cannot be measured. It is easier to sleep at night and I just feel at ease. When the thoughts of doubt cloud my mind, I feel like that is God telling me that I may need to take a second look at my approach. Maybe it is not the right time, maybe I should wait, maybe that is not His plan.

I felt led to share this because I think we all struggle with this from time to time and just maybe I needed a little "extra" dose of it today. One thing I know for sure, when I can't be certain of anything else, is God's love for me is amazing! He loves me so much and oh how He loves you too.

Until next time...