Alone With Nothing!

I’ve been going to my local coffee shop to write. I have a place at home but there have been instances when I can't use it. Why? My children seem to need all of my attention when I’m working.  All of it! You know how it is. I can loudly call their names and not get an answer. I can search the entire house when I’m needing them to do something. BUT, when I need to get something done all by myself,  suddenly they all appear.

So today I get an opportunity to actually sit and write out my thoughts.  I’m so excited. How often do I actually get this uninterrupted time of writing?

How cool am I? I have it all together. I have everything I need. 

Coffee? Check.

Computer? Check.

Books?  Check.

Colorful pens and highliters? Check

I am ready!

Wait.

One problem. 

I have no idea about what I’m writing.
I have nothing!
I mean NOTHING!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

See this only happens to me!  The time when I have the opportunity to actually get it all out, I can't.
Not anything.

So I’m sitting here. Watching. Wondering. Praying. Waiting.

Ugh!
Then it hit me.  Alone. Nothing.

 

I thought:

"Girl! You are alone and you have nothing!"

HA-LLE-LU-JAH!
 

I put my head in my hands and exhaled. I took advantage of this mental break.

I think that we are a society of people who have made chaos our comfort zone. We crave it. We have become so accustomed to it that we don't know what to do with peace. We question it, feel bad about it, and schedule it away. All the while, we complain about being overwhelmed and tired.

Where's the place that we are so desperately trying to go? What are we doing? When did distress become preferred and quiet become uncomfortable?

Sometimes nothing is ok.

Sit still. No words. Nothing to say. Not a list to create. Not a task to complete.

Wait. Not that you don't have anything to do. You do! I definitely do! It's that you don't have to complete it at this moment.

We have so many distractions. So many things thrown at us daily. So many songs. So many words, pictures, videos, and voices. So many ideas. Plans. Tasks. Checklists.

Sometimes we need a break. A time to exhale. A time to sit and listen to what the Lord has to say to us.

I’m away in a coffee shop. My children are home with their father. No one is calling me. I’m not responding to texts. I’m not wondering about next week. I’m not creating any checklists.

After my initial panic, I actually began to appreciate my quiet.

During this I hear the Lord telling me that He is enough and that with Him comes all I need.  I can relax and enjoy. He's telling me that it’s ok to sit still.  It's ok that I don’t have something to write that will blow someone’s mind. I don’t have to write the next bestseller. I don't have to have next week's plan ready to print and execute. I don't have to have it all together. I don't have to do anything.

It's okay.

Crazy huh?

When was the last time you sat still?
When was the last time you scheduled away your peace?

 What if the Lord is waiting for you to be still so that he can speak to you?

What if in the place of silence is your answer?

Blessings!

Copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved.

 

The Thing About Contentment

My husband and I live a relatively normal life. Except for that fact that if you visit our home you may hear someone singing mariachi, playing Tchaikovsky, riding skateboards, dancing to old school music or playing volleyball without a net.  Except for that, we are pretty normal!

We buy what we need and sometimes what we want.  Kids are expensive! We have cars that are about 10 years old. and we plan on driving them until the wheels fall off! In other words, not too much longer. Ha!

We absolutely refuse to pay $300 for a pair of shoes for our children because we just refuse! In addition to that, their feet grow too fast and they don’t have jobs!

So…normal.

My husband and I recently went to dinner at a “swanky” hotel.  We have such great times when we go out sans kiddos! (They don’t read my blog so don’t tell them I said that!) 

We decided to meet friends for a fun night out.  As we entered the parking lot of the luxury of the luxuries of vehicles, we valet our normal car. Proudly I must add because I am not walking across the street in heels. Ummmkay! We sometimes ask jokingly "Why don't you park our car in the front with the other expensive cars?"  They stare and stumble, not really saying anything. We laugh and enjoy our evening.

I told my husband “Lots of people are wealthier than we are!” He lovingly said “I disagree. We are rich. We have a great family."

I completely agree! We do. But we would look even better in that $80K SUV! Just sayin...

It made me begin to wonder about contentment. Are we really satisfied with who we are, what we have, and where we are going?  It’s tough to find someone who is truly satisfied with their situation in life.

When do you know you are fine?

When is enough, enough?

One more decimal over in my account.

One more car.

One more computer.

One more house.

One more outfit.

One more pair of shoes.

One more boat.

One more.

Look at this!

Beautiful!

 And this!

I can definitely enjoy this!

We are inundated with the images of “My life is better than yours, My body is skinnier than yours. My home is bigger than yours. Your life can be this way if you have what I have and look the way I look."

We are falling for it too!

We are in debt to the amount of approximately $16,000 per household and still not satisfied.

"And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15

"For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:32-33

So many of us are frustrated, depressed, angry and resentful because we are not content. We inherit so much pressure and stress. We are not satisfied with things as they are. We have adopted an unhealthy world view of "enough."

When do you have enough? When will you be satisfied?

What if where you are is your normal?

Will you still seek first His kingdom?

Will you be like Paul and understand the secret in not complaining?

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13

The thing about contentment is that we easily abandon it as we pursue the goals of the a particular zip code, Hollywood, or Silicone Valley. We have given over our fullness of joy in contentment with Christ to the unquenchable thirst and insatiable hunger for that which is temporary.

This is all so easy for me to type. But remembering it as I navigate my way through constant images of excess is far different! A great remodel episode on a home channel or the right pin on Pinterest can send me into a struggle.  Seriously! :)

What is your thing about contentment?


Blessings!


"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." I Timothy 6:6-11


Copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights Reserved

Tick Tock The Game is Locked!

I enjoy memories of playing outside as a little girl...

Jumping rope and singing rhymes. Playing hopscotch with rocks and not jumping far enough to 8 or 9. Girls competing against the boys in freeze tag. Playing kickball and getting hit by the ball so hard that it stung!

Playing jacks was my all-time favorite! Bouncing the ball, picking up jacks, around the world, lagging, and making it to 10's were all kinds of fun! Playing with my sister was one thing but when I had the opportunity to play with girls from the neighborhood, that was even better.

I remember once excitedly spotting a game and being ready to join in on the action. As quickly as I ran to play, the girls shuffled, held hands and yelled "tick tock the game is locked!" That was the signal saying that I was not invited to play the game.  I was left out and had to stand back and watch while they played. I was excluded for whatever reasons 9 year old girls could make up.

I smile now but at the time I was so hurt. Not only did they not want me to play, it felt as though they didn't want me. Something was wrong with me. What did I do to not get invited? Why were they having the fun and I only had the unfortunate privilege of watching?

So now that I'm older and as I talk to others I think adults are having the same feelings!

We see or hear about all the success others are having. New homes. New cars. Traveling. Great careers. Great ministries. Great health.

Singles see their friends going out on dates and having the audacity to have fun or even get married!

Parents see the successes of other children as ours are battling difficulty.

We see others have financial blessings as we struggle.

It's as if we are watching and they are saying "Tick Tock the Game is Locked!"

Children often make decisions about their world though their limited understanding of it. Most difficulties in their lives are often explained through themselves. So it wasn't unusual that I blamed myself for not being invited and not the inconsistencies of little girls. It made me think twice about joining in the next time I saw them playing.

Unfortunately as adults we tend to make decisions about our circumstances with limited understanding of them and with limited knowledge of God's Word. We conclude that we have been forgotten,. We are convinced that something is wrong with us and we have not been chosen for a purpose. As a result, we limit our involvement with others. We isolate ourselves. We blame us instead of the lies of the enemy!

As long as we nurse this lack of understanding and knowledge, we are rendered ineffective for the Kingdom of God. If we can continue to believe the lie that it's just us, we are too self focused to turn our attention to purpose. Meanwhile, as Jesus said in Matthew 9:37 "Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."

We often think that the enemy or Satan only wants us dead. Or we declare that he wants us destroyed.
He does.

However, he will also be content with us being ineffective.

Not a threat.

Powerless.

Isolated.

Uninvolved.

What he doesn't want you to know is the truth of God's Word!

And here's the truth!

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us then who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

"Our Master Jesus has his arms wide open for you." I Corinthians 16:23 (The Message)

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" John 6:37

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8


You are IN!

GO!

Blessings!


copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved.

HOME!

So my kiddos are HOME and Spring Break 2015 is done!

All is right with the world. We are all together again.

Reunited and it feels so good! (I'm old I know.)

I am so thankful to God that He protected them and brought them home safely. I missed them.

However, I truly enjoyed being home with my 8 year old!

He's such a loving kid. Everyday he held my hand, told me he loved me, and gave me at least 100 kisses.

My husband kept telling him "Say man...get your own wife!"

My sweet boy would just giggle and give me more.

Yep.

Sweet.

He loved his time with me and I treasured our time together. He talked, laughed, and talked some more. I am now caught up on Transformers, Minecraft, and all things 8 year old boys.

So great.

But at the same time...I prayed!

All week I prayed! Do you hear me?!

I slept but didn't sleep.

I knew my two travelers were fine but couldn't help but wonder.

I prayed all week.

All week I prayed.

I prayed that they would be covered. Protected.

I prayed that they would enjoy themselves. Learn. Experience. Remember. Grow. See

I prayed for the bus driver and the pilot. I actually introduced myself to the driver and told him "Bring my baby back home." Yes...I'm that mom!

I prayed for the bus and the plane.

I prayed for clear safe roads and clear safe skies.

I prayed for their teachers.

I prayed for their friends.

I prayed for there food.

I prayed.

All week.

I know that I can only go so far and do so much.

Everything else is beyond me. Beyond my reach. So many things.

I know that there are so many miracles that need to happen correctly in order for us just to breathe. Cells. Organs. Biological systems. Environmental systems. And that's just to breathe!

I needed them to breathe, come home safely, and everything in between!

All beyond me.

So I prayed to the One who created it all.

The One who speaks and the winds obey Him.

The One who created light from darkness.

The One who created everything from nothing.

And He did.

He answered.

Grace. Mercy.

It's a tremendous comfort to know while in a completely powerless place that the Creator of the Universe is right there with you. Regulating! Orchestrating!

He makes it all happen according to His will, His purpose and for your good!

Prayer works. It does.

What are you praying for? Where do you feel powerless? What's beyond your reach?

Your hard is His easy!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer an supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6.

"Pray without ceasing." I Thessalonians 5:17

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, an it will be done for you." John 15:7

Prayer works.

It does.



Blessings!



copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All Rights Reserved. Images for this blog ONLY.

Trust by Elyana

I am extremely excited to have my sweet daughter's post this week!  She is such a sweet young lady and I am extremely blessed to be her Mommy.  This kid LOVES Jesus and has a heart for Him! 

Hope you enjoy!

When you sit in a chair, do you trust it to hold you? 

Do you trust your flashlight to turn on? 

But most of all, do you trust God?

God is an amazing person. He wants you to have the best life possible. God has big plans for you, so now and then he will throw twist and turns in your life. 

Trust will be extremely important through these twist and turns.

Many people had to trust in God throughout the Bible. They had to put faith in Him to get them through their twist and turns.

For example, thousands for years ago (you can find this story in Genesis 5:32 – 10:1) when Noah was about 400-500 years old, God gave Noah a REAL twist! He told Noah to build a boat to protect Him from the flood of Earth. Noah loved God and put A LOT of trust in him! 120 years later, the flood occurred and Noah was protected from it. Living proof of trusting God!

A lot of people have trouble trusting God. Why? Because they cannot see God. Yes, it is hard to trust someone you can’t see, but with God it’s worth the effort. God wants the best for you but you have to trust Him in order for God to fulfill His plan. He wants you to get through these twist and turns.

I trust Him. Do you?

Having a hard time with trust? 

Here are some verses to get your trust back on track!

1 Chronicles 16:11

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Exodus 15:2

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Trust the Lord with all your heart and soul and He will get you through your problems.

In all the complexities of our adult lives, sometimes it takes the simplicity of a child. 

Trust God.

Blessings!

You can find this and other articles by Elyana at For Girls Like You Magazine where she is a regular contributor. 

copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved.

Feeding Chickens!

Freedom. 

That's what I've thought about all week. I ruminated about how I was set free because of the redemptive work of Christ. It was nothing of my own.

He just did it.

Set us Free.

We were imprisoned and he set us free.

Living as free is now our responsibility. THIS had me up most nights. I asked myself, "How am I not living free? What am I fighting? To what am I holding on?"

When I was a little girl, my sister and I were often dropped off at my Great Grandmother's home. We were there to help out in any way she needed. We loved being distracted by her things. They were treasures that we loved finding throughout her house like washboards, antique wall phones, old wigs, books, and old bibles. We were constantly excited to get lost in her possessions. There were many great stories of her life in the old days.

I remember one day our responsibilities were to clean the chicken coop, gather eggs, and feed the chickens. I was about 11 and my sister was 9. In our minds this request from her was a confirmation that she had lost her mind! We never had a desire to do anything with those chickens in her backyard and this day was no different. However, we knew she wasn't asking. She was telling!

So off we went!

We began to devise a plan. My sister would distract the chickens by feeding them and I would gather the eggs. She picked up the feed bag and began to scatter it across the feeding trays. The chickens began to follow the feed. Why did they do that?! My sister noticed that they were following her and she LOST HER MIND! Sheer panic! She began screaming and running in circles! I watched it all in disbelief. My great grandmother laughed so much she wasn't of any help. She chuckled so hard, tears were falling. 

Unbelievable! 

My poor sister. Notice that I just watched. I was not about to join in the mayhem and get plucked or eaten or whatever they do. As my sister ran away from the chickens, she continued to spill the seeds. As she spilled they were clucking, flapping their wings, and running behind her. 

Why didn't she just drop the bag?! 

Three circles later, she did. She let the feed bag go. She ran clean out of the backyard, around the house and back into the front door. My great grandmother was still laughing!

What does this have to do with freedom?  Everything!

Sometimes the very things that we are trying to get away from, we are feeding.  We live our days giving life to the things that we want to kill. 

We scream.

We cry.

We beg for help.

However, we have the feed bag under our arms and are still dropping seeds. Our thoughts, actions, and words are sustaining Fear, Doubt. Worry. Depression. Anxiety, Anger, Unforgiveness, etc.

www.shundriariddick.com 

What are you trying to live free of? What's continuing to chase you? What are you feeding? How are your thoughts, your daily activities, or your words hindering your life of freedom?

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.-Galatians 5:1

I am challenging myself to drop the bag and run in FREEDOM! What about you?

When we catch ourselves feeding the chickens, we will say "DROP THE BAG!"

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." -Matthew 19:26

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:13

We can do this!

Let's  #JUMP!


Blessings!



copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com Pictures are for this blog only.

Water, Water, Everywhere!

It's been so long!

Actually, it's been a year. What happened you ask?  Life. Husband. Children. Orchestra. Mariachi. Basketball. Volleyball. Work. Trained for a Marathon. Ran a Marathon. And so on.

What hasn't happened?  SLEEP!

During this last year, I've had plenty of time to think and process about life, work, kids, health, weight and fitness. However, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought about purpose. Not one.

From as long as I remember I've been told that I have a purpose. I've heard countless messages and sermons about it.  I've been involved in bible study groups and taken assessments regarding my purpose. Goodness, I think I spend most of my days guiding others towards theirs.

It's not that I don't know my purpose. I do. It's starting that makes me feel like I'm trying to climb Mount Everest while using an App. Ill equipped!

What happens when you know your purpose but have no idea how to execute?  You know but there's no map. No directions. No way of knowing how to even start. Is there an app for that?

What happens when you know and try to start but run into people who are thriving? They are working brilliantly at theirs.  What about the feelings of being stuck? What about the feelings of being unprepared? Feelings of inadequacy. What about paralyzing FEAR?

I know the scriptures about not having a spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7 to be exact) I know about power, love and a sound mind.  I know. I know! But what about when you know and still can't move. You can't breathe. You think to yourself "What if I fail? What if everyone finds out who I really am? Inadequate!"

I was recently on a road trip with two of my dearest friends, Chrystal Hurst and Priscilla Shirer. As many of our conversations go, we begin getting into each other's business!  Asking questions and eventually holding each other accountable regarding some situation, project or plan.  For some reason today I was on the hot seat!

I'm still trying to figure out how it happened!

So I sat there answering question after question. They were holding me accountable. They know my passion and I have shared with them on many occasions what I love to do most. They have always been gentle in their support but  this day was different. While discussing my plans of walking in my purpose, the conversation got serious. Oh LAWD! They were drilling me about why I was stalling.

They were DRILLING me!

I felt like going into fetal position and rocking. (I'm being a bit melodramatic!)

Chrystal only asked one question but it felt like a million!  "What's your plan?"

I started to sweat and babble. Something about monkeys, wizards and wind.

Then it happened.

I cracked!

I lost it!

"I'm not ready! I'm scared." 

I just knew that these two sisters in Christ would lovingly support me. I felt myself vulnerable. Worried about exposing my deepest feelings. I knew that they would stop the car, hold me and let me weep into their loving arms.

Well...

Priscilla turned to me and with great certainty and volume said "Do it anyway! The enemy is attacking you and you can't let him stop you from moving forward. With all of that fear and uncertainty, you have to GET OUT OF THE BOAT ANYWAY!"

I looked to Chrystal for rescue. She looked at me. She nodded and said "Yep." (no rescue!) Thanks.

In my head, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

I turned to look out the window and immediately I saw this scripture boldly displayed on a fence on side of the highway:

Commit your ways unto the Lord and He will establish Your thoughts. Proverbs 16:3

I thought "Chrystal, Priscilla, and the Lord are all ON ME!" I laughed, let go, and decided to get out of the boat. Not the car! :)

It's wonderful to have friends in life that listen to you and love you. But it's a blessing to have friends that are bold enough to challenge you. (Btw...those two wonderful women wiped my tears. Stood me up. Held my hand. And continue to walk beside me. I love them dearly.)

I was quickly reminded of a recent family vacation. We went on a snorkeling excursion and had the exciting opportunity to jump off the top of a boat into the ocean. I still marvel at the beauty of God's creation. The kids decided that they wanted to jump. I decided to photograph their decision!

They jumped. No worries. No hesitations. No life preservers. One at a time. They jumped.

Baby Boy!

Sweet Girl!

Big Boy!

There is one important thing that you can't see in these pictures. It's what gave them their courage. It's what made it look so easy for them. It's what made them look so brave.

Their father is in the water!

He instructed them prior to their plunge, "When you jump in, just swim towards me. Don't worry. I'm here. I got you. Just swim in my direction."

The Lord is telling me and you to jump and swim towards Him! He's in the water. He wants us to keep our focus on Him.

"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8  

JUMP! 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Go into your purpose even though you feel ill equipped, inadequate, not ready, or not smart enough.

"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." I Peter 5:7

As Priscilla told me "Sometimes you have to get out of the boat. Scared and all. Just walk on the water anyway."

Let's do it together. Let's dive into our Purpose! Let's pray for each other. Let's surround ourselves with friends that lovingly challenge us. Let's Jump.

He's there.

Let's swim towards HIM!

1....2.....3!

Blessings!




copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved. Images for this blog only.

Grandmother's Favorite

My Grandmother recently celebrated her 83rd birthday!

My sweet girl and her Great Grandmother
Great Grandmothers are a Blessing!

She has been my joy since I was a girl in pigtails. I was her first grandchild and I am her favorite! Well, that's how she has made all of us feel over the years. Her favorite.

I have great memories of her humming as she cooked and cleaned. I would sit and watch her do everything. She did it all effortlessly.

I remember her:
*teaching me how to thread a sewing machine.
*baking cakes without recipes
*teaching me how to make popcorn balls
*laughing as she told the stories of her children.
*standing in the middle aisle at church as an usher
*cooking Sunday dinner on Saturday night
*sweeping
*praying
*singing in the choir
*pressing my hair

I can go on and on attempting to recapture all of The Wonderful we have had over the years. But we don't have that kind of time!

As much as I remember, unfortunately she does not.  At times her memory fades and her 83 years of memories deviate from the simplicity of daily routine, familiar faces and chronological order.

I find something intriguing about the aging mind of my Grandmother. As much as she forgets or seems as if she is speaking from another place and time, her love of the Lord remains in tact!

She has not forgotten the One whom her soul loves. She is saturated in Him. His word is still there and she remembers it flawlessly. She continues to tell of His goodness and how He has brought her through the years. When I wished her a happy birthday, she did not remember that I have lived hundreds of miles away for the past 26 years. However, she reminded me that it was the Lord who gave her 83 years!

What a testament to the power of God and His word!

My Grandmother continues to live a life giving thanks for His grace and mercy! This is who I've known and have loved dearly over the years. She has always sang praises and gave witness to His power. She has given us a legacy of Jesus that has been passed through my mother, myself and now penetrating my children.

I don't know about you but this makes me examine my heart and mind!

Are you saturated in His word? Or are you driven by the wisdom of the world? When life squeezes, do you leak witness to Him? Or do you drip questions of your faith and His integrity? Is your mind clothed in His ways? Or are you covered in human reason? Do you have His word in the crevices of your heart? Or are you driven by the chaos of your emotions?

Is God's Word and your Love for Him your Autopilot? 

Whew...

Over the years my cousins, aunts and uncles have all carried the honor of being her favorite.  I'm afraid that we have been fooling ourselves. She has given us her favorite!

How He Loves Us!


Blessings!


copyright 2014 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved

Faith, Mariachi and My Boy!

This weekend my son sang a solo for the first time in front of an audience. This was a step of faith for him. He's not usually the kid who wants to have all of the attention on him. Well...he doesn't like to be the center of attention when I'm around. Stinker!

This time he actually volunteered for the opportunity of being on a stage and singing a song in a language he does not speak!  Why? He said he knew he could do it  Philippians 4:13! Is this my kid?!

This week he attended a Mariachi Camp at a nearby university. He said that he had the time of his life. Approximately 80 students from all over in one camp learning from the best.  I instructed him to have a good time and to call me to check in every now and then. Well, I received two phone calls in five days. One was voluntarily and the other was under threat of me coming to pick him up from camp. He had a great time and he called.  I guess he followed instructions!

Can you tell which one is mine?! :)

UNT Mariachi Camp 2013
with Jose Hernandez!

The students performed at the close of camp and it was awesome. He was incredible! He is in love with music. He loves Mariachi! Yes he has Mexican heritage from his father, but I would have never guessed he'd be this in love! As he sang, I cried like a baby. I am overwhelmed by God's sovereignty, I am in awe of how God has orchestrated his life and the lives of our family.

He's 12. Can I get him to have this much passion for cleaning his room? I would pay good money for that to happen! I know. I know. It ain't happening anytime soon!

This continues to remind me that God is in complete control and He has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

He has plans for us! It may look nothing like our plans. It may not be in a familiar place or with familiar people. But He has a plan and it is for our good! We have to be open for the opportunity. We have to be willing to say YES.

Where is your step of faith? What are His plans for you? Could it be in an unfamiliar place? Could it be with unfamiliar people? Are you willing?

My son has no limits on the God he serves. It is mind blowing to watch. He loves what he knows about our God and is willing to admit that he doesn't know it all. But he is willing to trust in Him. He knows he can do it because he chooses not to believe he can't.

That is Faith.

Blessings!

"Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  Hebrews 11:1


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Confidence: An 11 Year Old Lesson!

You can enter my home at any moment and see evidence of my 11 year old daughter.  Colored pencils, scrapbook paper, cut outs, and glue are strewn all over the floor in at least two rooms of the house. I absolutely love this age! Kisses, hugs, love letters, snuggles and girl time are her favorites! She still giggles and enjoys hanging out with her mom! I just love her! I don't want her to grow up. I keep asking her to slow down but she keeps growing.  *sniff*

I wanted to share her with you. She is a wonderful writer and loves sharing her love for the Lord. She is my Guest Blogger this week! I hope you enjoy. 

These are her thoughts!

Many people won't believe it but being eleven takes a lot of confidence. From the classroom, to sports, to friends, confidence is a very crucial aspect for everyone.

A few months ago, I fractured my elbow during a cheerleader tumbling lesson. Devastation, pain, and hopelessness filled my heart at the news from the doctor. I knew that my life as a cheerleader took a real big crash. 

It was hard for me to watch the other girls jump and flip across the floor. All I did was sit in a wooden chair and take notes. It's hard for an eleven year old to watch other girls be amazing and not able to join in on the fun.

After nine weeks of being out, it was hard for me to get back in the rhythm of things when I got my cast off. My jumps weren't close to great. My round offs looked like cartwheels! When I stretched, I looked liked a 100 year old lady getting off the floor!

I was tired of being on the sideline and being the only one left out. I was tired of "Are you OK?' and "Do you need help?" I prayed and prayed until my voice was hoarse. I said things like "Help me become like the cheerleader I was before."

After many talks with my Mom and many prayers, God stuffed confidence into me! He made me not see what I was but what I would become. He got me to get to work and start believing in myself.

Today I am doing back handsprings and looking forward to working on back tucks!

The Lord God has been a real big...well not a big but a HUMONGOUS part of my life. He's shown me confidence, the thing that I was lacking.

My confidence comes from Him. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This is a beautiful thing. This has really changed my life. I don't have to count on my strength. I know I can count on His strength in everything I do...even a back handspring!

Confidence in Him opens doors in you that you have never seen! It's a blessing from God. 

Blessings!

E

I'm her Mom but I'm a big baby. I'm crying reading this! Sweetness...

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