Thursday, December 29, 2011

Still in Awe of Him

I cannot believe the year is almost over. What a year it has been! There have been so many changes in my life. I am truly blessed. The lack of blogging is indicative of all that has gone on... It also tells the story of how truly happy I am. I have found a trusted partner, best friend and blessing where I can hang my heart and confide. This has lead to less writing. I do want to sum up my blessings.
My word for 2011 was FEARLESS. In attempting to live it, God provided many opportunities. Looking at where I was and where I am, I stand AMAZED of a God who loves ME enough to care! The sum total of what I am compared to all that HE has created leaves me in AWE of one so mighty that would consider me.
My job has transitioned to a place where I finally feel comfortable and feel like I am contributing. I feel more like an asset and less of a liability. I can also see the many ways HE is working in and through me here. No doubt this was the choice HE had for me.
My home has moved. I am starting to feel more like I am coming Home rather than sleeping over in someone else's house. Praise the Lord deer season has ended and Roger is more inclined to make some changes. He also showed Valley View yesterday to what appears to be a very interested party. Praying that HE sells the place so the money can be invested elsewhere.
Christmas as a family was wonderful. The girls are settling in and believing this is real and right. I love watching them with Roger. He is such a dream!!
Which brings me to my greatest blessing of this year. What a joy! What a thrill! How simply amazing! We are still living the Happily Ever After and watching how it takes shape. I have nothing about which to complain and everything to be thankful for....who could ask for more!
Thank you El Roi...for seeing where I was and knowing how to shape me and guide me back to the right path.
Awed by His mercy and grace....
Arla

Monday, August 8, 2011

Praise

Yesterday Kylea and I went shopping in LR for some much needed Mother/Daughter time.  When we returned, we began up the road that would lead to our house and were stopped just prior to our house being visible by a police car blocking the road with blue lights flashing.  You can imagine the pause my heart took.  Kylea immediately went hysterical as her precious baby(dog) was at home alone while we were gone.

There was a power line down in the road ahead.  The house to my right had lost many shingles and portions of the siding on the outside.  The house to my right had a tree lying on the ground in the backyard and we could see where another tree lay across the road in front of this house.  This would be the house directly across the street from my house.  I opened my car door and stepped out and the police officer told me I would have to turn around.  I explained my house was directly behind him and he said he was sorry but he could not let me pass through.

I could only glimpse roofing shingles and twisted metal in my front yard and barely see the top of my roof.

I got back into my car and turned around and went around the block to enter my street from the back.  More trees down were visible all around the neighborhood....

We drove across small limbs and pulled into the carport and Kylea immediately ran to the house.  I stepped out of my car and began a tour of my house from the outside.  I stepped over limbs that had fallen out of trees.  To my left another tree had fallen on the house the sits across the street from my driveway.  I rounded the front of my house and a tree that had stood between my neighbor's house and mine had fallen....on his roof. 

As I walked all around my house, I could visibly see there was not a shingle missing...nor any other damage visible....

For eight years now I have prayed and asked God to be my Husband, my Father, my Companion and Friend....as well as my Deliverer, my Shield, my Rock and my Fortress.  He has never failed me.  We have never experienced any major catastrophes.  I just have to give Him praise for once again taking care of me and mine!

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the All Mighty...I will say to the Lord, "You are my Refuge, my Fortress, my God in whom I trust!"  Psalm 91: 1,2

 Psalm 138: 1-3
"I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
   before the "gods" I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
   and will praise your name
   for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
   that it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me;
   you greatly emboldened me. "

Still in Awe of His mercy and grace,
Arla

--
"For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways..." Psalm 91:11

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Fear inhibits blessings....

I know you share this feeling in some way....

When I was about 12, I stayed with a cousin to help man the store my uncle owned. Uncle and his wife were on vacation and their daughter in law was manning the store (or I guess womanning ;)) and I stayed with her to be an extra pair of eyes.

Around lunch time we were hungry, but I couldn't drive and she couldn't leave me alone in the store. My aunt and uncle lived above the store. We rummaged through the cabinets and found this box of blueberry muffins. We baked them and I must have eaten 12 that day I was so hungry.

Later in the day I became seriously ill. As you might guess I was sick on the overdose of blueberry muffins. To this day, I do not want to think about eating anything blueberry. That memory is still stuck in my head. So I always avoid blueberries.

I remembered this when talking to a friend. Friend commented that they never use a straw because of an experience once. They were helping with a project and while their drink was unattended a spider crawled down inside the straw. Next sip the spider was in their mouth and bit them. Their solution no more straws!

I am sure by looking you can see the simple truth in both situations. My error was in gluttony. I ate too many blueberry muffins at one time. I am sure blueberry muffins or anything blueberry might be tasty. I am allowing one bad experience to taint my feelings toward blueberries.

My friend left something unattended and suffered consequences as a result. Are straws bad? I personally do not like to drink without a straw. It is very healthy on the teeth.

My point is this, how often do we avoid the good things in life with people and relationships for the same reason? We have one bad experience and we are done for life. We are allowing the defeat in our mind over one bad experience. satan is having a field day with all of our bad experiences. He is hindering and robbing us of the joys and blessings.

My game plan is to take captive every thought and allow God to renew my mind. I do not want to miss any blessing and give satan another victory. Get thee behind me dude! I am done and over you!! I am fearfully and wonderfully made and have so much left on my list to experience....

Awed by HIS mercy and grace,
Arla

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Job Thing

Still processing and truly wanting to understand the Job story. God is God and obviously HE must give permission for satan to touch one of His (God's) children...so why?

My thoughts shifted to David and how God says David is a man after His own heart. I know that a lot of the Psalms are attributed to David. David committed a huge sin that we can read all about...yet God calls him a man after His own heart.

What I see in David is a man that realized his sin and confessed it and asked for God's mercy. When the child of his sin was struck sick, David fasted and prayed and asked God to spare the child. God never removed the consequences of David's sin. But God did replace the child and David and God moved forward in their relationship.

Did Job ever cry out for mercy from God and ask for deliverance? God finally spoke to Job and pointed out a lot of Job's mistakes in dealing with his suffering. And God still blessed Job more in the end than the beginning. Job learned a lesson.

So what do I get from all this....when satan strikes....go to the knees and beg for God's divine intervention. He is the only one who holds the power. He can crush satan and halt him in his tracks. And God can deliver me....what power!

My verse....Psalm 91:15 "She will call upon me and I will answer her...I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her. With long life I will satisfy her and show her my salvation.”

Still in awe of His mercy and grace....
Arla

Friday, May 6, 2011

God is Faithful!

God is faithful....even when I am not!

I am so amazed by God and His never ending mercy and grace! I praise His name! In January I claimed my word for 2011 to be FEARLESS. I knew from past experience that I have lived too much of my life in FEAR. Afraid of the "what ifs" I have lived paralyzed and obviously lacking in faith. I could not move forward as the enemy confronted me at every turn. And I was oh so afraid of repeating past mistakes.

Yesterday as I sat in the Nail Salon with Kylea preparing for the big day of Shanna's wedding the movie with Evan as Noah building the ark in the current century was playing. One part of the movie really struck me this time. "God" was talking to Evan's wife and I am not quoting the words exactly but the just of what He was saying to her and I heard God speaking to me was that when we pray and ask for something God does not just strike us on the head with it but gives us the opportunity to display it.

My word that I claimed this year was FEARLESS. So God has not struck my heart with this unimaginable amount of courage but rather He has given me opportunity after opportunity to display it.....in my personal relationships and now in my life occupation. The question is am I going to live FEARLESS or fail in trusting HIM once again?

I keep going back to my crutch which at this point I am proud to claim is scripture in Psalm 91. Verse 1 and 2 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Verse 5 "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday." Verse 14 and 15 "Because she loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name. She will call upon me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her."

The other message HE spoke to me came from the book our neighborhood group is reading. The mom was talking about praying for her teenage son for years and having trouble waiting on the LORD to answer. She stated that God must have known and listed several verses concerning waiting on the LORD. My favorite is Isaiah 40:31 "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." I love it that the verse does not contain the words that follow in the song "Teach me Lord to wait" I don't want any more lessons in waiting! I want answers! :)

I am.....
Awed by HIS mercy and grace!
Arla