"And A Happy New Year"

Well, I know this is kind of cliche, writing a blog to end out the year, but it must be done, by me and many others lol! I had this thought this morning, " Is my/your new year going to be a happy one?" To me, this is a pretty easy answer, but to many not so much and to me before this year it would not have been an easy answer at all. A lot of us are moving forward in our lives, making great progress, reaching goals etc. etc., while still stagnant in some areas, we are still moving. For a lot of us, very little has changed and we are still struggling with the same ol, same ol. And for some of us, absolutely nothing has changed and we are just trying to survive, whoop-ti-doo another new year, right?

I would consider myself to be in the first category. I am moving forward, making progress, but yet there are still some things that haven't changed. There are also some new things that are not so great, but oddly enough spurring on forward progress. But, in the midst of all of this, I can honestly answer my question with confidence. My new year is going to be a happy one!

If there's one lesson that I have learned that I could pull away from this year, although there have been many, is the way I feel, in any area of my life, mentally, spiritually and/or physically, does not change who God is or what He has said in His Word. Number one lesson without a doubt. I have been trying to live my life this whole year that way. I find myself winning MOST days, lol, but obviously there were many days I just needed to go to bed and start over!

God's Word has become the most important thing in my life this year. This is why I can answer my question with great confidence. I am going through a lot, more to even say, physically and spiritually, but because of God's Word, I am going through it with peace. I have two top favorite scriptures that have gotten me through this year:

Proverbs 3:5-8, " Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. "

And that it has been, "health to my flesh and strength to my bones"...off of ms meds for a year and half, spent the year singing, the summer going no-stop with my boys, started homeschooling, finished a short version of the cd we've been working on and so much more.

Philippians 4:6-7, "  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

If this scripture is living and active in our lives, how can we not move into the next year with peace and joy? Trust me, I am having to work through my flesh and look past my flesh in a lot of areas of my life to obtain this peace and keep it. It's a fight everyday. But when I fight for it, He fights for me, resulting in peace and a knowing that He's got it all. 

I have no idea what this year holds, but I know that if I stay submitted to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, it doesn't matter. Nothing can touch me that He doesn't allow if I stay within His perfect will for my life. How do I do that? Again, I stay submitted to His Holy Spirit and the Word.  

So, to conclude, from my family to yours, Happy New Year! It's our choice whether it will be happy or not, just remember that. Love to all of you and yours!

Not Again! Back to the Beginning...

Well, not exactly, but it sure does FEEL like it. Those of you who have been on this journey with Chad and I know the journey and the process. It all began with the process of ridding of us from fear and doubt. When I say we are back to the beginning I must explain. We have grown tremendously over this last year and gained back so much ground physically, spiritually and emotionally. By no means is this 2012!

Here's where I find myself over the last 3 months...extreme vertigo, that is starting to be intermittent (praise God!), burning nerves, neuropathy all over my body some days it feels like worms are invading my body, some new things, but mostly old things, but just things that want to rob my knowing that Jesus loves me, to rob my joy and my peace. I have continued to use the Word to fight. I will never stop doing this and yet here's the thought that brings me to my point:

I don't doubt anymore that God CAN do the things that He has promised(maturity, I hope ;), but I have found myself recently doubting whether or not He WILL do or WANTS to do the things He has promised.

While I know that I am on the road to recovering, it's just crazy to me that these things still are sticking around. There are just some things that never go away, some things that keep returning no matter what I do. It can just be outright discouraging sometimes. It can leave a girl kind of hopeless, you know? This is why I have to live and breathe the Word or it would be 2012 all over again.

So, I am not writing without an answer to this craziness! Finally yesterday through our pastor's message and through some amazing encouraging words from an amazing friend and weeks of staying in the Word and not backing off, I got peace, despite what my body is walking through right now.

I really felt the Holy Spirit speak to me and tell me that He's got this, that because I am in the center of His perfect will, nothing can touch me that He doesn't allow. This was part of the message yesterday. Philippians 4:6-7, "  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." This is a scripture that I confess every morning and put into action. I know this is one of the reasons that I don't totally crumble. 

Then a friend reminded me of some of my own words that I sent along to them...Ephesians 6:13-14 talks about putting on the full armor of God so that when evil comes we can stand firm. "Having done all to stand, keep standing." More confirmation that God's got me and that I need to keep standing in the firm belief that God has healed this body and restoration is still in place. That Jesus will not leave me or forsake me in this process. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS IS NOT A FEELING BUT A STATE OF MIND! Would I like for it to be a feeling??? UM, yes please. And I pray that is on it's way. 

Hebrews 10:36, " For you need endurance, so that after you have done God's will, you may receive what was promised." 

I am going to keep enduring, I want to see this through, I want to see His promises alive and active. Don't get me wrong, I have seen them, some of them, but I want to see all the promises that God has laid out for me and died for, don't you? 

Here's what I know, God is faithful, God is love and because of His Word not only CAN He fulfill His promises for me, He also WANTS to restore me, He WANTS to fulfill His promises to me. 

So no matter what we feel or think, God's Word doesn't change and neither does He. I am going to keep trusting and rejoice that even though it feels like nothing is changing, He never does therefore I must be changing! Perfect peace, forward progress, God is God and He is faithful and good.