M.I.A for 200 days

I'm not sure where the time has gone but I looked in the mirror recently and realized it has gone and my previous goals had been taken with it.

I am not going to set a number to lose but I want to be healthy and feel good inside and out. I have been starting every day with a prayer for God to change my desires and my attitude daily. I am flesh, he is God, I can not do anything without him leading me.

I can honestly say that part of my M.I.A time was spent in the valley and I was content in the monotony of that daily. I was given some counsel by a friend not long ago that told me the changes I want for my family must first start with me. This was not exactly what I wanted to hear from her but I have accepted the responsibility that if I want my girls and life to be different than what I have been taught I must change it. I have not broken free of all the bondage life has placed on me but I will give myself to God daily and ask him to remove the bondage from me.

If you are reading this post I ask that you please pray for me to have the strength, desire, attitude and obedience to be steadfast in what God ask of me.


Jamie

Peace within me

Finding peace within yourself is sometimes a hard thing to do when you have life going all directions all around you. Finding peace from God is where you really get the peace you are looking for.

Several things have happened in the last two weeks that I have wanted to blog about or just simply journal but as usual this is the last thing on my list to do so it hasn't been getting done.

These things are the stones on the path way that God has created for my family and I. If I sat down and thought it threw I could probably do an entire map of how every TRIAL In the past has lead me to the BLESSINGS that He continues to give us today.

Just a little glimpse into the AWESOMENESS of my GOD..........

*God made it clear to us two weeks ago that he had a better plan for us and it was time to leave my current job, with no directions or a GPS mind you (except for His word).

*6 days later I was offered a job without me even actually looking with a local company. If you don't already know, I have a 160 mile round trip drive to my current job. So this is definitely an answer to some serious prayers!!

*I am continually humbled by others that God has made a part of my life in the way that they live their lives!

*There are an amazing few ladies that I love being able to call friends. I prayed for so long for true, real,
meaningful friendships and He has given me the friendships I need at the right time.

Tonight at Mom's @ Central we each shared a few Blessings in our life and it is just amazing to see how GREAT our God is.

He carried the weight of almost 29 years worth of sin on the cross that day for me. I am just so thankful for the Love that he gives me every day!

Jamie

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Burning Love

I keep listening to the Hillsong United "Like an Avalanche" and it just keeps speaking to me. The love that I feel for God is more now than it has ever been. How do you explain the burning love in your heart for a wonderful God to someone that doesnt feel it but knows that it does exist? I have to keep reminding myself that my explanantion may not be the lamp unto the path of those questioning the burning love I have. I know whats in my heart, I know why I feel that extra glow inside my spirit. Its not because of something or someones actions in my life. Its because I have an amazing Father that loves me and will always keep His promises to me.

I think of how much I love my husband. my children, parents, grandparents, extended family, friends and the list goes on but I still cant even imagine having the burning inside of me that I have for God. That is what this life is about, the purpose of my life is to serve a God big enough to handle it all. Do you trust Him to handle it for you?


Beautiful God
Laying Your majesty aside
You reached out in love to show me life
Lifted from darkness into light
Oh
King for a slave
Trading Your righteousness for shame
Despite all my pride and foolish ways
Caught in Your infinite embrace
Oh
And I find myself here on my knees again
Caught up in grace like an avalanche
Nothing compares to this love love love
Burning in my heart
Saviour and Friend
Breathing Your life into my heart
Your word is the lamp unto my path
Forever I'm humbled by Your love
Oh
Take my life
Take all that I am
With all that I am I will love You
Take my heart
Take all that I have
Jesus how I adore You
And I find myself here on my knees again
Caught up in grace like an avalanche
Nothing compare to this love love love


Jamie

Like an Avalanche

Did I hear Him right?

I have spent the last several months having headaches daily with migraines added into the mix every 7-10 days. I have had medical testing done that has come up short of a diagnosis and taken different preventive medications as well with no outcomes.

Guess what it took to diagnosis them? God! Did you see that one coming? You should have, I should have, but I wasn't looking to God for answers only for healing from my suffering. This was completely stupid of me considering I know how BIG my God is. Well after all was said and done and my ways didn't work I did what most of us do and I turned to God to answer the basic question of why?

Of course the answer that he gave me scared the living day lights out of me at first and I thought to my self surely I am hearing Him wrong. "He wants me to quit my job?" Me, who is the primary source of income since my husband is a full time student. Really....that's when panic 101 set in.

But you know what, after several days in prayer, scripture and discussion with other spiritual individuals I decided that's exactly what He wants from me and my family. He wants me to have Faith in Him with everything in my life. This is my free falling step out of the airplane without a parachute and I know that my God is gonna be there to catch me. I don't know what he has in store for my family but I know its going to be great, I am his child and he only wants great things for His children.

The biggest lesson that I have learned through this is that none of the things that you work so hard for daily are going to be yours in 75 or 100 years, they may not even be your childrens, these things are vanity. What will stick are the values and lessons that we teach and instill in our children now and until the time we meet our Father. Working away my days and being sorrowful at the end of the day is not what my family deserves from me. I want more for them and they deserve more from me. God is now giving them more and I am ever thankful for that.

We have prayed about my job situation for over a year and his answer has completely changed my heart and humbled and amazed me on so many different levels.

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. Eccles 1:11

Jamie

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Coming up for air

The big rush of tax season is over at my office so we can now come up for air. On this post I just wanted to try out my new app for my phone and see how well the functions worked as well as say Hi to my blogg friends. I will do a real post with the stuff this blog is really about this weekend since I have a whole 3 days off!!!

Jamie

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Making Progress

I made it a priority to take the time last night to prepare spinach salad for my lunches as well as grilled several bags of mix vegetables for me to have for a snack at my office. This is the hardest place to stay focused lately. It is tax season and my office is CRAZY (as well as those of us in it) right now and we have 18 days until it's even remotely back to normal. I was starting to daydream about grabbing a Little Debbie out of the kitchen, sit back in my chair, relax and lock myself in an office alone for 5 minutes to escape the reality of it all and enjoy the greatness of Little Debbie.

This is what I chose instead :0

This was me making progress today!

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Psalm 18:32

Jamie

Always Learning More

I was reading a friends blog this morning and was very encouraged. When I started this blog and down my life changing path I was fired up about the changes in me spiritually, physically, and mentally. The first 2 months went great. Then it happened, Spring Break and the inevitable road blocks that Satan will always use against us. I have now learned a few things about myself that I probably already new but have never said out loud because that would mean that they were real.

I thought about listing all the things that I feel like I have failed at since I started on this journey but then decided that it doesn’t matter. God is using this as yet another way to teach me that it’s ALL about Him. I overextended myself on several different things which caused me to loose time with Him as well as my focus. The whole point of this life change for me was to center my life around him. But when you try to do too many things that all seem to pertain to getting closer to Him you actually get pushed further from him somehow. Does that make sense?

My existence is solely to serve God, in order to do that I have to be able to focus on Him and his teachings. Everything else is just another page or lesson from his book for my life. If I can learn to take those lessons and apply them to my life then I will be a better servant for that.

So here is what my plan is, it may not be great but at least I have a plan and I can do my best every day to let God be in control of it for me.

I will do my best daily to spend more time in God's word and with him.

I will do my best daily to be more prepared and organized.

I will do my best daily to avoid temptation.

I will do my best daily to write down everything that goes in my mouth (this worked great the first 2 months)

I will do my best daily to look to others for encouragement that is on the same path with me.

Do you notice the pattern here; I will do my best daily! I don’t want to put the label of "I will" on my goals anymore because that gives Satan an opportunity to kick me when I am down and I don’t want him having that control over me.

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Jamie

Count your blessings

Have you stopped today or this week to see what you have to be thankful for? If I was being honest and of course I am, some days I would say no but today I am saying yes.

I am thankful for:

A husband that loves me even when I am a little on the crazy side.
Kids that make me a little crazy sometimes.
New friendships that I have asked God to provide me with for so very long.
The continued support that I get from other Christian women.
That I am able to be a blessing to a dear friend that is going through a hard time right now.
Missions that are willing to come and share their burden for God with me and help me grow.
A book club that I am now officially a member of and the winner of the monthly drawing!

Count your blessings and give thanks every day. You never know when tomorrow will never come.

Jamie

Check In!

I knew it had been a while since my lost blog but I had no idea until today that it had been over a month. Where did the last 30 days go? I have been so busy with work and the little time I have in the evenings with the kids that I haven’t had the time to focus on me. Story of a mother’s life though half of the time, Right?

Let me rewind and give a rundown of the last month if you don’t mind.

1- I haven’t gotten to work out very much at all. Partially because I have been so busy and then just because at the end of the day I didn’t have the motivation when I looked at the clock and realized it was already approaching 10 or 10:30.

2- It will be April 15th before we know it and I work for a CPA. (Nuff said)

3-I have maintained my calories daily and continued to watch what I eat. I did a few times that I ate what I wanted and then on a few occasions wished I would have just said no.

4-For my 1 month weigh in on 2-18-11, I had lost 14lbs. This is what AWESOME!

5-My husband has actually on several occasions offered to cook me one of my healthy meals and ate them with me. Granted he ate 3 servings of bread but he is making an effort to join my bandwagon.

6-I was able to make a full menu for us on the 3 different weeks. Unfortunately, I haven’t been so good at this the last 2 weeks. But, it’s time to buy groceries again and I am going to work on it again.

7-I got a new pair of shoes, a workout mat and a new JM video for Valentine’s Day. And yes, I actually wanted these things.

Take the time for YOU; I know that giving up just the little amount of time that I was allowing myself daily has made the last month a lot harder on me.

"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." 1 Chronicles 16:11

Jamie