Sit. Wait. Learn.

Sitting and waiting is sometimes the hardest thing to do. I am learning, as I sit and wait, that those are precious moments that are meant to be spent in prayer. Drawing closer to God has become a priority in my life and what a change it has made.

There are many aspects of life that can cause a person to have to sit and wait. We wait in line for our food. We sit and wait to see the doctor. We wait to have procedures (most of the time longer that we wish). We sit and wait as loved ones have procedures. We wait for our kids in the school line. We wait to get pregnant. We wait for those babies to grow so that we can meet them. We wait for the day we can see loved ones again who have gone before us. We wait for our babies to talk. We wait for them to learn it's ok to be quiet. We wait for our "better half" to pop the question. We wait for the day we say "I Do!" We wait to for a diagnosis. We wait to finish school-just to go to college. We wait to turn 21 (what does that mean, really?!), We wait to earn a degree. We wait to land a job. We wait to own our first home. We wait to see if medications will work. We wait for brighter days. We wait beside the bed of sick loved ones. We wait for heartache to go away. We wait.

I am an instant gratification kind of girl, so waiting has not always been my strongest asset. I must add, that I have learned to lean on the One who holds the control panel and takes the lead. I know in my heart that all things work according to His will and in due time, I will have to wait no longer. Answered prayers are hard to wait for and sometimes we get the answer, but because it is not the one we want, we choose to ignore it.

I don't understand the reason events take place the way they do. I don't understand why people come and go from our lives the way they do. I don't understand why there are cruel people in this world. There is so much that I can not wrap my head around. What I DO understand is that there is a loving God who cares and loves me (and you) so!! He knows my every thought and my every action, even before I do. He allows me to love (and love passionately), and to hurt. He allows me to question and understand. He allows me chances to make my own decisions and opportunities for me to learn from my mistakes. He allows me time to sit and wait and in that waiting, hopefully learn more of His goodness.

There is so much that I yearn to know. There are so many aspects in my life where I look forward to growing. Growing closer to Him and learning more about Him excites me every day. I am anxious to see what He wants to teach me in my coming years. There are things that He wants me to know - things about my husband James, Evan, my family, and yes, even more that he wants to teach me about myself.

As I sit and wait, I will trust in the Lord! Take a moment as you sit and wait today (you know you will at some point) and spend some quality time with Him. He wants to hear from you.

Prayer Requests:
*Mrs. Marta is a dear friend who treats me like I am part of her own family. She will be having surgery tomorrow to remove a tumor that has attached itself to her skull. As you can imagine, she is scared. I am sure her family is terrified. Please join me in prayer that she will be comforted and feel the peace from the Lord. Please pray for her doctor--that he will rest well tonight and have steady hands for the surgery. Please lift her family as they "sit and wait" to hear the news post-surgery. Please pray that we as her friends are able to minister to her as the Lord would have us to. That we would be the hands and feet of Jesus.

*Special Unspoken

Until Next Time...

Recovering and Preparing!

Well, Christmas has come and gone (even though the inside of my house is still decorated) and we are now preparing for a Valentine's Day wedding. That's right! My baby brother Heath is tying the knot! We are so happy for him and Christina. I am thrilled to be gaining a new sister. I am including some of their engagement photos from their session a couple of weekends ago. It was so much fun! I am looking forward to her bridal shoot and the wedding day. I must say, going shopping for new clothes for the festivities has been a lot of fun!

Medical Update: Things are on the up and up with me. I had a great appointment with Dr. Vaphiades a couple of weeks ago. I had to undergo another field vision test because it had been almost a year since my last and I must have done ok, he did not mention anything negative about it. He did however comment on the fact that I look thinner! Now that will make any girl's day! I don't have to go back until July!! Yea! I can not say enough of how I know God has been in the middle of all of this the entire time. He has brought these amazing people into my life who have been blessed with medical knowledge to know just what to look at and how to treat it-just when I needed it the most. I am so thankful for His intervention and His guidance since day one. It's funny how when faced with situations that can make you feel so gloom, God can make you feel joyful, just knowing He is in control. It does no good to be fearful, He holds it all in His hands anyway.

The more I live, the more I learn. Not only about life, but about me. About my strengths and weaknesses, my loves and passions, my hopes and dreams. I don't think you are ever too old to dream. God's love is amazing and His love challenges me to be a better me every day. I strive to lift His name every day, in my actions, in my words, in my deeds. May God be glorified! Oh how He loves me so!!

I have decided this year to be happy. That's my choice! I challenge you to choose happiness each day. I can not tell you the difference this has made in my life. Each day is sweeter. Have upsets come my way? Yes. But having the attitude that I WILL be happy has changed the way that I have accepted those things and been able to move on. What a difference an attitude will make!

I pray that your days are sweet and filled with kindness.

Until next time...