Experiencing God 2009

I just finished the first week of a Bible study called, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. Amazing! I already learned I need to shift the way I am looking at my life. Instead of asking God what He wants me to do, I'm supposed to look to see where He is at work and join Him.

The mission trip we took to West Virginia comes to mind. I had always wanted to go on one, but said, "Someday" ...many times. I'll never forget the day after church when God spoke to me through our friend, Mark. When I told him I wanted to go on a mission trip he said to listen to the Holy Spirit. If I was getting a nudge, I should pay attention to it. I had a very difficult time trying to convince my family, but they eventually got on board. I don't think they'll ever forget that week! My faith was tested many times. The thought of raising money was about more than I could handle. I didn't want to ask anyone to help fund our "vacation". I had told my kids I wanted to take them on a family vacation to St. John to go snorkeling on the beach. Switching gears to convince them that we should do this instead was no easy task. I also dealt with "What will people think?" At the time I thought only weird Bible thumping people went on mission trips. I even stretched the truth (okay, lied) to a neighbor who asked me about my summer vacation plans. She called me out on it right away and told me she heard we were going on a mission trip. I was immediately convicted that I should not be embarrassed about what God was doing in our lives!

Obeying God and listening to the Holy Spirit at work blessed me and my family more than words can describe. I realized I didn't have to dream up something to do for Him, I just had to look for where He was already working and join Him.




By faith...
Angie xoxo

Thankful Thursday... Life is Good

For some reason I haven't had anything to say for almost a week. I think that video on being miserable was lingering a little too long! And... I've been thinking a lot about the amount of time I spend on the computer and frankly, I'm a little burned out!

There could be more to this. I think somewhere deep down I'm a little sad that John will be moving out of state pretty soon. There's something about a mother wanting her children to stay in the nest, knowing that it's my job to help them fly out of it... and even healthy. I'm trying to come to grips with the whole idea. You already know my daughter lives in NYC, so that means I'll have to get on a plane to see both of them.

Anyway, it's Thursday for a couple more hours and I was thinking about all I have to be thankful for this week.



We played our first round of the season. Life is good even with a nasty swing!


Lincoln's new clubs. I didn't get a good picture of him. I just got one of him buffing them after each and every shot! I tried to get a video of his swing, but had the camera turned sideways so it didn't look right.


John would be very mad at me if he knew I posted this picture. :)


This is my Praise Report! My daughter shared this song with me the other night! It was the best part of my week! God is doing some huge things in her heart! I'm more than grateful!

I have so much to be thankful for and I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to share it here! We don't take any of it for granted! God is SO good!

Love,
Angie xoxo

Too funny ... or NOT... :)

...and Ouch!

Have fun this weekend! Do something that makes you laugh until your stomach hurts!
I hope this helped get you started!
Love,
Angie xoxo

Tonight

I love my Wednesday nights at New Community. I was tempted to skip out tonight, but God definitely wanted me there to hear an important message. I especially needed to hear 3 John 1:11... "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God".

If I do not bless those around me (by accepting them and telling them who they are in God's eyes...and mine--how much He believes in them...and I do) it shows them I don't have my eyes on Jesus. The ONLY thing that kills relationships is PRIDE and selfishness. Everyone loves to be first. If I want to improve my relationships, I must die to myself and keep looking for Him in every conflict.

I'm grateful that He brings us back to Him.
With Love,
Angie xoxo

Thanks in advance...

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

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.



Please join me in prayer for my sister's family. Their son, Zach had a couple of grand mal seizures. They need to feel God's presence while they figure out the details.

Thanks so much!
Love,
Angie xoxo

Focus

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? (Galations 5:7)

It's Monday and time to get back on track! I think I'll start by getting some new running shoes! I'm not running away, I'm running to Him ...this time! I need to focus on the only One who matters! Sometimes I forget we are on the same team!

Have a great day!
Angie xoxo

This is why I'm memorizing Scripture.

Thank you, John Piper!
Love,
Angie xoxo

Memory verse #10

I chose this verse to memorize because...
Every time I look in the mirror I see wrinkles on my face and neck. When did my hands get this old? We won't even mention the "muffin top". Maybe it has to do with my youngest graduating from college?

If I'm honest, too much of my time is spent obsessing about my physical appearance. (I think it's called bondage.) The time I should be focusing on God and serving Him is spent on my preoccupation with ...me. This picture reminds me of where it all began when I started comparing myself with my friends. They all had curls that were perfect (at least that's what I thought) and as luck would have it, on picture day mine didn't work, so my mom tried to help me make a fake curl with some bobbie pins. I still remember seeing that envelope with the cut out for the first time. I wanted to cry because it looked terrible. I remember the self-talk. It was not pretty. I so wanted to fit in, and this picture was proof that I never would. I was different. I was a fake. I was weird...blah, blah, blah.

Fast forward to 1993. I spent many hours trying to understand why my husband left me for another woman. I kept wondering what she had that I didn't. This morning I'm grateful once again that He will never leave me or abandon me and He thinks I'm beautiful.

To this day I need to remind myself that God looks at my heart and not my outward appearance. He wants me to honor my body, but not be obsessed with it. I hope one day I can accept these lines on my face. I am still struggling with the idea that they were caused by me wrestling with God for so many years and not believing Him. To me they show a life that was stressed out by trying to get the approval of man (and woman), not God. Of trying to fit in with this world, not His.

This verse reminds me of our friend Bev and all of the beautiful women who are fighting cancer.

I'm a work in progress and obviously I need His Word!
Love,
Angie xoxo

High Standards.

Everyone I know needs to see this movie! This is my favorite scene in Fireproof. I love you too much not to share this with you today. I needed to see it myself.

I'm thanking Him for loving me over and over and over again,
Angie xoxo

John's Graduation MSU May 9, 2009

I wanted to share some pictures of John's graduation. We had such a nice day!
He's such a boy! He wanted a very low-key celebration. He even wanted to leave before it was over. We helped him unload some last minute stuff from his car before we went to have dinner with his dad and stepmother. All I can say is I felt God's presence all day long.

Meghan gave me the greatest c.d. for Mother's Day! She told me this song reminds her of me.

I love being a mom!



Happy Mother's Day!
I had the best day with my family today!
Shalom,
Angie xoxo

All that matters to me today...

For John...


With Love,
Mom xoxo

Thankful Thursday... Beth Moore

Remember Thankful Thursdays? My life is so much better when I make it a practice to be grateful, so I'm going to try to dedicate Thursdays to "Thankful Thursdays" again.

I'm grateful for you all taking the time to click on my blog, facebook and now... I must admit this week I started having fun with Twitter. I had opened an account some time ago, but never did anything about it. I don't want to get behind in this world of technology. I want to be the cool Grandma one day! Plus, my new phone has a cute application that allows me to get on there easily. I doubt I'll get into it (actually I hope I don't since I don't think anyone cares what I eat for breakfast or when I balance my checkbook), but today I'm especially grateful for it because I was able to see Travis Cottrell's updates from the National Day of Prayer in Washington D.C. where our beloved Beth Moore spoke.

Here is what Travis shared:
Beth Moore at NDP: Is what we are praying man's will for God, or God's will for man?

Beth Moore at NDP: No amt of atheism or humanism can keep us from revival. Only WE can keep us from revival.

Beth Moore at NDP: Take heart: God is not taking a vacation.

I love those thoughts!

I'm thanking God for introducing me to Beth through her Bible studies. Her love of the Word is so contagious and for that I'm forever grateful.



I believe in the power of Prayer!
Love,
Angie xoxo

p.s. I'm also grateful that Meghan will be home tomorrow! And that the grass is really green and John is graduating this weekend, and my mom is in town, and my husband's practice is surviving this economy and I still have a job and I'm healthy and I have so many caring friends and family! :)

A week from today...

I'll be with Meghan!

Meghan with her bff, Kristen.

I am so excited that one week from today, on Mother's Day (& John's graduation) I will be spending it with my daughter! I haven't seen her since Christmas, so we are long overdue! I'm most looking forward to taking a walk with her and sitting at the kitchen counter drinking a cup of coffee with no sirens, no bad signals, no hurried talk before she gets to the subway and not on her way in to the office. Just the two of us... :)



I can't wait!
Love,
Angie xoxo

At the end of the day...

I'M GLAD...
I just finished my last day of homework for the Esther Bible study. I don't have words to describe it to you. The homework was amazing! I wanted to jot down a few things I hope to never forget...

~Reversal of Destiny. God can turn it around!

~Don't be a pancake cooked only on one side.

~And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.
I believe in love, even when I do not feel it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.
~Author Unknown

At such a time as this... It's tough being a woman, but with God all things are possible!



I'm glad He chose me to do this study! If you want to be blessed beyond measure, do this Bible study! Just do it!

By faith, with love and gratefulness,
Angie xoxo

Memory verse #9

So I chose this verse because it makes me think about my son, John who will be graduating from Michigan State University next weekend. He is planning to go to law school after graduation. God knows where he'll end up, so for now we'll just wait to see. He could be in Naples, Florida next year this time. I hope he can relax and stay focused on God's plans for his life in the meantime.

I put my verse on the picture of the prayer I found when I was in junior high. It was my plea for God to help me get chosen for the basketball team.

While he waits to see where God wants him next, I'd love for John to learn this song on his graduation gift of a guitar.



Loving this challenge to memorize Scripture!
Angie xoxo

p.s. Because I can... :)