SO Blessed!

Happy Friday all - God is GOOD! :-) This week has been crazy busy, but I've been so blessed by the life I have and the friends I'm surrounded by. I'm learning so much from everyone in my life, and am sad that I've let my busyness prevent me from building into the lives of others.

Recently, I've had a family friend on my mind and heart, and tonight I went and spent the entire evening chatting with her about life and family. I actually call her "Grandma" because she's my brother's biological grandma. Okay - way too much history to get into here... so we're just going to go with I went to visit Grandma Bart tonight. What an incredible woman! She's in her 80's and she is still just enjoying and living her life to the absolute fullest. She lost her husband of over 60 years two summers ago, and the woman is still as happy, smart, diligent, and determined as she was when he was around. She admitted to me that it's tough without Robert, but she just keeps her days filled with luncheon's, visits to friends houses, and serving in civic organizations. This woman has Gusto - and I LOVE IT!! :-)

As we sat at her kitchen table eating oatmeal/peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies and drinking milk she started sharing the memories and wisdom of her life with me. She shared her relationship with grandpa and how it began and bloomed into a lifelong love and marriage. She recalled his time in the army during WWII and how she missed him so dearly. She also shared how when he got home from the army they elloped two days later because they were so in love. I learned about her life as a mother of 4 children, and watching her kids go through the times of blessing and times of trouble in their lives. And I learned how she's the mother of 4, the grandmother of 10, and the great grandmother of 5 (including my neice Katie). Talk about legacy - she has four generations all within her reach. INCREDIBLE!

As I listened, I was so encouraged by her stories and insight on life. My desire for leaving a legacy for my future family became more and more realized as she spoke. And she kept giving me more encouragement and more guidance on how I should "live life to the fullest" and "theres' no reason to always be down - but keep your attitude up, no matter what happens".

I came into her house weary from a busy week and left blessed. God has blessed me with amazing people with incredible wisdom and insight to share. He is SO good and SO loving!!



Throughout this week I've been thinking about my own life and areas in which I struggle and need to work on. One such area is that of humility. As I read the story of Christ washing His disciples feet, I realized that I so often am like Peter. Where I try and tell the Lord what to do... and I was reminded that it's no my plan, it's no my will, but His will that needs to be done in every circumstance... here's a bit of what I learned about myself:

Humility is not doing something to gain something or gain success – humility is doing something because you love God and are called to love others. Humilty is not a waste of time or energy, it’s glorifying to the Father in heaven. Humility is not a competition – it’s a choice you make everyday, and it’s not for you to get praise, but that God would get glory and praise through your efforts to love, support, and encourage others.

I’m the girl that helps others, but has a really hard time letting others help me. I often don’t realize that I’m doing it – and I often push other people who are trying to help me to the side, without even realizing it. Whether it’s someone helping me carry something, or someone asking me if there is anything they can pray for me on – I always have a hard time taking the help of others. Just like Peter in John 13 as Christ is washing his disciples feet – I even tell Jesus what to do (and sometimes that I can do things myself) but don’t allow Him to help me often times. What a sinner I am! I have a problem with humility, being able to be real and open with people. I can sit here and say that I’m the way I am because I’ve had to be responsible for myself since I was 10, and that independence is the only way I know how to live. But the fact of the matter is that I long for help and support of others. Even when I say I don’t, or act like I’m just fine without others – the fact is that I need friendship, I need those people that Christ has blessed me with to help carry the burdens of my life as it says in Gal. 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ". Receiving grace and love is the hardest thing for me to do, but it’s also the greatest thing my heart desires.

So how do I go about correcting this in my own life? By prayer and by asking people for help even though it's the hardest thing in the world for me to do. Realizing that I was created for community and to live with others by carrying each other's burdens. Just like I want to help those that are hurting or struggling, others want to help me as well. I need to lay down my pride and my independence sometimes and let the love of Christ and the love of others envelop me - and be humble as I receive the grace and kindness.

Have I said that God is good?? WOOT! :-)

Song of the night - John Mark McMillian "How He Loves":

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane,
I am a tree,'
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died,
And You met me between my breaking.
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony. ...
They want to tell me You're cruel,
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...

Cause He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us.
Whoa! how He loves us.
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.


HE LOVES US!!! :-) Happy weekend!