I am so excited to introduce you to my February Inspired Blogger.  I don’t remember exactly where I found Nikki (most likely a link up), but her passion and love for the Lord were clearly evident when I first visited.  She inspires me by her pursuit of Him, and how she strives to walk every day in the grace she’s been given.

Without further adieu, I’d like you to meet Nikki of Simplystriving:

Tell me a little bit about yourself?

I have been married for 12 years to the man of my dreams, my college sweetheart. Together we make a home in the currently freezing mid-west with our 3 year-old son. Our stillborn son, Elijah, is waiting for us at our true home in glory. I’m blessed to stay home right now and try my hand at full-time homemaking, but worked in the interior furnishings industry for 10 years previously. In my free time, you will find me tickling the ivories on my piano, reading, or trying my hand at painting contemporary landscapes. A perfect evening for me consists of Mexican or Chinese take-out, board games, and homemade popcorn surrounded by those I love most.

What is the purpose of your blog?

I started Simplystriving last November simply to share my journey of seeking joy in the everyday while striving to become all that my Redeemer has made me to be. I pray it is a place of encouragement for others while they strive on keeping God their primary focus as well.

What are you passionate about?

PRAISE! From glorifying Him to encouraging others, praising is the place for me.

Who or what inspires you?

My family is ultimately who inspires me to keep striving. I want to leave a legacy they can be proud of — that reveals no doubt as to what’s most important to me. I soak up encouragement to do just that from a handful of blogs I follow regularly — this blog being one of them!

What else would you like my readers to know about you?

I’m just a girl in love. In love with my Savior. In love with my family and friends. In love with the idea that we can help each other along life’s journey. Because we’re all striving. Stretching. Sometimes struggling. Why not encourage each other along the way. And I would love to get to know you and discover what you’re striving for. Please feel free to stop by sometime and say hello!

*     *     *

Will you take a moment to stop over and visit Nikki and say hello?  I just know that you will love her and her blog as much as I do.

I am featured over at 5 Minutes for Faith today, talking about being seen.  Here is a little bit of what I shared there:

When I was a child, I loved to play “Peek-A-Boo” with my parents.  It was my chance to deliberately hide.  But hiding wasn’t the best part for me.  It was in being found where I experienced the most joy.  Growing up, I often felt unseen.  So much activity surrounded my older brothers and sister, as well as the baby, that I often felt pushed aside.  So imagine my joy when my parents would be intentional in their pursuit of me as we played this game . It was my time alone with them.  Uninterrupted.  They had to come looking for me.  I was waiting to be found.

Will you visit me over at 5 Minutes for Faith to read the rest of my post?

And last week I shared there about “breathing“.  If you didn’t get a chance to read, you can find that post here.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment so that I know you stopped by!

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Taking the Joy Dare and counting my way to 1000 gifts in 2012!

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

70.  Meat stock up sales at my local grocery stores.
71.  Our new/used refrigerator for our garage.
72.  My proud mama’s heart over the courtship my son has entered into with a wonderful girl.
73.  My daughter said YES to the dress!
74.  God’s faithfulness in meeting her budget limitations.
75.  Spending time at the hospital with a sick friend.
76.  The burden to pray for those who are sick.
77.  That He is Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals.
78.  God’s peace, which surrounds those walking through hard times.
79.  Finding more stuff to sell on eBay!
80.  That my daughter was motivated to get her homework done last week.
81.  Mint flavored, dark chocolate.
82.  That He covers me with His feathers.
83.  That He shelters me under His wings.
84.  That He hides me in the cleft of the Rock.
85.  That He is my Fortress, my Strong Tower.
86.  That He sent His Word and healed our disease.
87.  The reassurance that I am needed.
88.  His gentle whispers that draw me closer.
89.  Amazing grace!
90.  Excited to meet this blogger tomorrow!

I am linking up with Ann over at A Holy Experience today as we count our gifts to 1000 and beyond!  Will you join me there?  Or simply leave a comment below and tell me three things you are thankful for today!

He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
(Psalm 91:4)

My heart has been heavy this week for those who are sick.  I have a friend in the hospital battling complications from Crohn’s disease.  I have been praying every week during our intercession sets that God would come and bring healing to her body, as well as so many others that I know personally and through blogging.

Last Sunday, as I was painting during our worship service, He gave me a vision of angels wings coming down from heaven and surrounding those who are sick.  I pray that if you are struggling in your body today, or know of someone who is, that He will arise with healing in His wings.  May you be encouraged as you continue to pray for those who are sick.

I would love for you to join me for Fresh Brewed Sundays.  This is where we share a simple scripture with simple insight.  No heavy words necessary.  Feel free to use the button in your post and link up below!

*I am so sorry.  I have fallen a little behind in getting my thoughts together for these posts, and I’ve fallen a little behind on my reading as well.  But I am not giving up.  Thank you for following along with me on this journey.

Day 13
Text:  Matthew 3:1-6

“They were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.”  (Matthew 3:6)

Jesus came to baptize us, yet he had to be baptized.  Can you imagine that scene?  Here were all of these people who were waist deep in water, confessing their sins and being baptized unto repentance.  And here comes Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God.  Complete and perfect.  He was not coming to be baptized unto repentance.  He had no sins to confess.  He came to be baptized by John.  Christ was baptized after those who had confessed their sins.  The waters were laden with sin and as He was baptized, He symbolically bore our sins from those same waters.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

I am so thankful that Jesus bore my sins.  When we daily confess our sins before God, He promises to bring refreshing to our souls.  We come away cleansed, filled up and ready to walk in the power of His Spirit.

Day 14
Text:  Matthew 3:13-15

But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me.”  (Matthew 3:14)

God deliberately orchestrated the lives of two men, born six months apart, to converge waist-deep in the waters of the Jordan River.  For John, the Baptizer, it was the beginning of the end.  He had prepared God’s way, and now God was preparing his.  But for Jesus, it marked the end of the beginning.  His life would enter Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem like a desert storm.  That day in the river, John baptized Jesus with water, and Jesus baptized the Jordan with glory.

I wonder what was going through Jesus’ mind that day as he approached the Jordan, and saw the people being baptized, and heard them confessing their sins.  Do you think He stopped for a bit to hear John preach?  Do you think He marveled at that truth of what was about to take place?

Day 15
Text:  Matthew 3:16-17

“The heavens suddenly opened up for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

On the day Jesus was baptized, the Father opened up the sky and showed Christ the vision through it.  Wow!  When we look up at the sky at night, gazing at the stars, He is literally just an open window away from us, sitting on His throne.  That gives me chills!  I do not believe Jesus had open visions of heaven on a daily basis.  I think God sent Jesus here to experience life as we do.  Jesus prayed, meditated and had relationship with the Father in the very ways we do today.  Imagine how Jesus must have felt to receive that vision from the Father.

And then he heard His Father’s blessing.  Jesus was not accustomed to hearing the Father’s audible voice when he walked this earth.  He spent time talking with God, knowing only in His Spirit and through God’s Word what the Father was speaking to Him.  So how he must have been reassured when He heard His Father’s voice.  Can you imagine how He must have felt?  “He loves Me.  Life is hard here, but He’s proud of Me.  I have the blessing.  I have the blessing.”  Wow!

Questions to Ponder:

1. What is the purpose of confession and repentance after we’ve already been forgiven of our sins?  Why does God still demand and expect it of us?
2. What keeps far too many believers from being as humbled and overwhelmed by the presence of God as John was?
3. Whether you feel like you’ve received your father’s blessing or not, describe the importance of this in a person’s life.  What goes missing when it’s not given?  What comes pouring through when it is?

Today we are sharing our thoughts on Chapter 3 of Made to Crave.  If you wrote a post, will you link up here so that we can encourage one another on our journey?

I love looking at other people’s gardens.  I love to smell the beautiful flowers that grow in the yards of others.  As I walk by, I silently say to myself, “I would love to have a beautiful garden like that”.  I can’t wish it into being.  Growing a beautiful and thriving garden takes work.  It takes sacrifice, effort and determination.  A gardener must put in a lot of time and commitment before he ever sees the fruit of his labor.

Isn’t healthy living just like this?  If I am to see the results that my heart desires, I must be willing to work hard, sacrifice and fight for those results.  Most days, I simply lack the motivation and desire.  I want results, but why am I unwilling to do the work?

Ouch!  A lot has to change inside of me if I am going to pursue this with passion.

I want to be thinner, but I refuse to be obedient to the Lord and exercise self-control in my food choices.

I try to blame it on the fact that I am over 40, or that I have a slow metabolism, or that I am going through “the change”.

All of my grumbling and complaining will only make reaching my goal that much harder, or next to impossible.  The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, and never entered the promised land.  Would things have been different if they had only surrendered their will to the Lord’s?  Perhaps.

If I am ever to reach my goals concerning health and weight loss, I must be willing to give up some things.  I must be willing to submit my will to God’s will, to surrender my desires for earthly fulfillment into His hands.

“I was too dependent on food for comfort and saw no need for a long-term discipline plan for my eating.  I wanted to eat what I wanted, when I wanted, in the quantities I wanted.” -Made to Crave.

Poor issues with food not only affect my waistline, but my overall energy level and well-being.  If I am to be successful, I must have a plan.  If I do not have a plan, I will fail.  This journey will not be an easy one.  It will require time, effort and sacrifice.   It may mean throwing myself in a corner so that I can have a good cry from time to time.  But I will pick myself back up.  I refuse to look at this as a journey of self-denial.  I want to look at it as a journey of promise, to see all of the possibilities that await me when I choose to embrace healthy choices.

So, where do I go from here?  This week I am taking time to be intentional in praying for myself, asking the Lord what His plan is.  I feel that I know what it is He is asking of me.  And perhaps, I am dragging my feet, but I am sure I will come around.  My daughter is getting married in 5 months, and I have a goal to lose 40-50bls.  Can I do it?  No.  But WITH GOD, all things are possible!  Where I am weak, He is strong.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

How about you?  How are you doing this week?  How do you feel about having a plan in regards to health and weight loss?  How can I pray for you this week?

Be sure to stop over to visit Venessa and give her some encouragement this week.

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Today over at Bonnie’s place, we are discussing this One Word:

Adventure -
an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

Life is filled with uncertainty.  This road underneath my feet is not always smooth.  My eyesight is often blurred, and at times, it’s too dark to see in front of me.  There are bumps in the road, huge boulders at times, sudden twists and hairpin turns.  And in the most extreme cases, the adventure is slowed to a near stop with roadblocks, detours and sudden drops.

But I am learning to embrace the adventure.  Setting out to accomplish what is still unclear can be exciting.  I want to walk intentionally to the other side, conquering obstacles along the way and overcoming any curve balls tossed onto the road.

I can’t always see where I am going.  The wind blows so fiercely upon my face at times that I have to close my eyes.  Yet still I walk, unhindered by the elements that try to stop me in my tracks.  And I lean, pressing into the One who is my strength, because I know I cannot arrive at my destination without Him.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.  (Psalm 63:8)

When we take the hand of the greatest Tour Guide ever and choose to trust Him, a life full of uncertainty is quickly turned into one of living with excitement and joy.  This One, He doesn’t need a map or a compass.  He never gets lost, and He always leads us and guides us safely, steering us clear of pot holes, falling rocks, and cliffs.  His eyesight is keen.  He can see for miles.  He protects us from the scorching sun, the perilous winds, and the dry waste lands.  He brings water and nourishment along the way.  He is confident in His leadership ability.  He knows exactly where He is going and He is faithful to bring us there.

My bags are packed.  I’ve got my passport.  I may not know where I am going, but I am certain that I will arrive safely.

How about you?  Are you ready to take the hand of this One who will never lead you astray along life’s adventure?

And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.  (Isaiah 58:11)

Welcome to my new space!

Do you love it?  I do!  Although I adored my old header and was somewhat sad to see it go, I really wanted to focus on simplicity and content.  And just so you know, I still love coffee!  That is one thing that will never change.  You will notice a new color scheme, pulling in the beige and burgandy into the overall design with a little bit of design flare at the top right, post headers and post dividers.

Another change you will notice is the “Healthy Living” section on the top nav bar.  I want to make it a priority to focus on health and wholeness.  These posts will not only contain my “Made to Crave” posts every Friday, but recipes, resources I find that might be helpful or anything that relates to health, diet and wholeness as it relates to Christ.  I hope you will find these posts helpful.

By far the biggest change for me is seeing my beautiful, smiling face staring back at me when I visit.  (GULP!)  Can I tell you how hard this was for me?  I sent my designer a smaller, black and white photo of me to use in the side bar.  So when she emailed back asking for a larger picture, and in color, I thought I would die.  But really, I am getting use to looking at myself.  It’s a great reminder to tell myself that I am beautiful!

And I have to give huge praises to Abigail, my fabulous designer.  She worked so hard and was so patient through all of my little nit picks.  But that’s why I love working with her.  I am a lucky gal to have her in my life (through blogging).  Thank you Abigail!

So there you go!  What do you think?  And feel free to grab my pretty new button for your sidebar if you desire.

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I‘ve been struggling for words lately.  My brain seems full of them, yet as soon as I begin to write I lose those words.  Fleeting thoughts as some would call them.  I can’t seem to grab onto them, to articulate them so as to write clearly.  I feel as if I am striving too much, trying hard to make it happen, rather than relying on Holy Spirit to inspire me.  And I’ve been so tired, often feeling like I am chasing my life, like a cat chases his tail.  Round and round in circles I go, yet never really accomplishing much.  By the time the day is done, I don’t feel like I have anything left to give.  There are so many things that I contend with in my day.  Sometimes my perspective gets skewed and this can affect my thoughts and leave me reaching for inspiration.  And although life happens, the Lord has a solution to every road block that I could possibly face in my day.

When I get up late in the morning and bark orders at my children to move them out the door quickly,

I can stop and ask Holy Spirit to come and bring peace.

When I arrive at work and I don’t feel as if I am accomplishing anything due to my scattered thoughts,

I can stop and ask Him for wisdom and revelation as to how best to structure my day.

When I get off work and am rushed to make dinner, help with homework, baths and showers, pick up toys, do laundry and squeeze in quality time with my family,

I can stop and ask for Him to come and fill me to overflowing with His joy.

When the house is finally quiet at night, and I come here to write, but the words don’t come,

I can stop and pray and say, “Come Holy Spirit, give me Your words”.

Some days I just don’t feel like I have much to give.  And then I realize I’ve forgotten to pull into the “self service” station and fill up on strength, peace, joy and love.  I never want to walk through life trying to accomplish anything in my own strength.  I don’t want to feel like I am striving to be a good wife or mother, or a good writer for that matter.  Some days, the words just aren’t going to come and that’s okay.

So when I asked Him, “Lord, what do I have to give”, do you know what I heard Him say?

“You don’t have to give me anything.  All I want is You.  I want to be with you.  I want to spend time with you.  I want to lavish my love on you.  I want to show you how to be a good wife and mother.  And I want to give you the inspired words to share with others.  But you have to come.  You have to stop. You have to lay aside those things that “keep you busy” and from my presence just long enough to tap into all that I have for you.  When your heart is filled with anxious thoughts, how could you possibly give back love, joy and peace to others?  Come to me.  Allow me to wash over you with the water of my word.  I long to bring you joy.  Cease from your striving and rest in me.  Don’t worry about doing.  Just simply be.”

What a beautiful reminder that everything I do must flow from a place of intimacy with Him.  I cannot accomplish anything good without Him.  So I am going to take some time to “be” and not worry so much about the writing.  If the words come, I will write.  If they don’t, I will wait on Him.  Someone asked me just the other night how I blog so regularly.  I really don’t know how I do it.  But I do know that I don’t want to write for the sake of writing.  I want my words to be full of life, hope and encouragement to those who stop by.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (Matthew 11:28)

How about you?  Are you feeling tired and worn out?  Will you take some time today to allow yourself to be filled up with His peace, joy, love and strength?  Life is so much more fun when we live it out of the overflow.

Have a beautiful week my friends!

Taking the Joy Dare and counting my way to 1000 gifts in 2012!

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, – a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
~George Herbert

49.  My daughter’s lost iPod, which has been found.
50.  Time spent with my oldest daughter and my future son-in-love doing wedding errands.
51.  That God is patient with me.
52.  His forgiveness.
53.  Partnering with God’s heart in intercession.
54.  The ability to bring heaven to earth through my prayers.
55.  Growing pains.
56.  Watching my youngest daughter accomplish something she didn’t think she could.
57.  Encouraging a friend.
58.  Taking dinner to a sick friend.
59.  His strong arms of love.
60.  Learning that in order to have faith, you must first have hope.
61.  Asking God to come in and heal the broken places.
62.  Organized Simplicity, a free download from Amazon (for Prime members).
63.  Learning to breathe Him in.
64.  Letting go of stress and worry.
65.  The joy my heart feels to see my daughter entering the next phase of her life.

66.  Wedding venue  booked.
67.  Wedding dress shopping on Thursday.
68.  Photographer booked.
69.  That God smiles at me.

I am linking up with Ann over at A Holy Experience today as we count our gifts to 1000 and beyond!  Will you join me there?  Or simply leave a comment below and tell me three things you are thankful for today!