Spajamas and Duck Dynasty

My last day as a 26 year old was wonderful! Spent all day with my nephew Judd and niece Lillie Anne. We missed Anslee Claire but had a great day in our "spajamas" (as Judd calls them) while cuddling and watching Duck Dynasty reruns. I love being an aunt and today was perfect doing nothing. Looking forward to many more days like today!

J'Bo!

Thankful for a sister-in-law that is by far one of my best friends. Therapy yesterday with Jessica Bobel was wonderful and I am very thankful for her and her Psychology major :)....it IS coming in handy! I don't openly share whats going on in my life with many people especially in my family but Jessica is the lucky one that hears it all. Thankful for her wisdom and gift of understanding. Love you!

So forgetful of His goodness

James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Recently, I have been reading passages on suffering because I can easily relate to difficult times right now. Realizing that no matter what the struggle is, be it a death in the family, financial bind, illness, heartache over something, etc, pain and suffering is felt at 100% by the person experiencing whatever hardship. For me, it is so easy to compare my struggles to others either in they don't understand what I am going through, or this person has more problems than me...why am I having such a hard time with this situation. This scripture says it all right here in verse 2 "when you meet trials of various kinds"...covering every hardship. Going on to verse 3 says "for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness". I could be wrong but I interpret this to be any trial we face is only to produce spiritual maturity and that suffering is the only way we are able to spiritually mature. This makes it no easier (for me) to swallow and persevere to see that this is only a season. Seasons are for change and they are only temporary. This time for me is a season of change in everything. From change in career, relationships, to my age...all changing in a very short time. For someone who hates confrontation with people, I have no problem confronting God with anything. In all of this I have seen my own prayers being answered but I am having difficulty in the way these prayers are being answered. I understand "be careful what you wish for...you just might get it all"...I don't know who said that or if I am making that up but it makes sense right now. My care group can vouch for me. We prayed a little less than a year ago that God get me out of my job situation and put me on a mission field...um done. Also, prayed that God would surround me with godly people..and done. I have never been a part of such a close knit community of believers as I have been blessed in the last 3 years. The girlfriends that I have right now are like my sisters and I don't deserve any of them. God has continued to shower me with grace and I continue to throw it in the back of my mind and zoom in on what isn't going my way like a job, relationships, and the fact that I'm not getting any younger! Talk about revealing idols in my life...holy cow!

All that being said, James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. God is good and that is not dependent on how I see my current circumstances. Thankful for God's unchanging love and grace on a person that is so forgetful of his goodness!

Snowing all day yesterday and I looked out to see this sweet little red bird sitting on the bird house. Just another reason to be thankful!