He's always working

I remember when we bought this house the lady that owned it before us told me a whole list of things that were planted in the yard that would come up in the Spring.  I had forgotten about it until just this weekend when I began to see some of the little green shoots peeking out of the ground ALL over the yard, around the trees and in the flower beds.  It is kind of exciting seeing and knowing that something beautiful is coming but not really knowing what.
God is constantly at work in our lives in this same way.  We don't always know what God is up to but we do know that what ever God is doing it is going to be good and beautiful. I am so thankful that He wants to make me righteous, holy, and good just like Himself.  I know that in order to achieve this He is constantly working in my life and in my heart.  I think sometimes we can begin to feel a little stagnant. Maybe not "seeing" God working or what it is He is doing in our lives at the very moment.  Maybe just like I have been writing about, we are in a "waiting" time. But just like those flowers in my yard, God is still working. 

I haven't really "seen" anything going on in the yard or in those flower beds, but obviously something has been at work or those little green shoots wouldn't be peeking out right now.  I am not always sure what God is up to, but I do know that we can find encouragement in the fact that God is always working!  I am looking forward to seeing what will come out of those flowers in the yard, and I am looking forward to seeing what God is working on in my heart right now.  Even if I don't really "see" a whole lot going on at the moment.

Waiting on the Lord

As I thought more about waiting over the past few days I asked myself "what am I waiting for?" It seems like we are all always "waiting" on something. We always have a hope in something. Some people are waiting on that new job offer, some on that new baby, a husband, a vacation, for us military people....that next assignment. Seems like the next "thing" is what we are always waiting on. Sometimes we get so focused on the thing that we're waiting on that we forget to live right now. We find ourselves always waiting on the "next thing" instead of being content with that which has already been given to us. We are waiting for that pay raise...instead of being thankful and praising God for the money that he provides for us right now. We are waiting on that next phase of baby-hood so much that we miss the joy of the phase they're in now. I was guilty of this many times with my first baby. I found my self always saying things like "I can't wait until she can...." Sometimes saying "I can't wait until .." means we are not content with where we are right now. Waiting is hard when we know what we are waiting for. It is even harder when we don't even know what it is we are waiting for. Those are times when God calls us to be content right where He has us. Not looking for the next best thing. Contentment..... I am praying for God to teach it to me. Am I content just waiting on Him and Him alone? Or am I always striving for that next best thing? And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; Micah 7:7

Happy to Wait

I am girl who loves loves the sun and summer. Most of my life I have lived in pretty warm places. Places ranging from Puerto Rico where I went to High School, New Mexico, Charleston, SC, even the Sun Shine State which I called home for the past 2 years, but this year I spent my first winter up north in Michigan. The experience kind of reminded me of being pregnant. The first few months were fun and exciting. The new clothes are fun to buy. I enjoyed the snow covered trees and houses. We enjoyed warm soup and hot fires. But right about February the fun and newness was starting to wear off! Christmas was over and the nostalgia of all this snow, ice and cold was fizzle off fast! My new clothes and boots that were so cute and exciting to wear in September and October wear getting old and I was so sick of my winter coat, hat and gloves that if I could I would love to throw them into the nearest bonfire! If you have ever been pregnant you will remember this same feeling about your maternity clothes about the 9th month of your pregnancy!! Well here it is the end of March and while I know Spring is right around the corner it is still 19* outside today and I feel like I have been waiting FOREVER!! One thing I did realize today though is that in all the warm places I have lived all my life, I have never looked SO forward to spring as I did THIS year. This will be one of the most exciting, heavily anticipated Springs I have ever experienced! It's funny how the things we have to wait for always are so much more appreciated than the things that come to us easily or quickly. Just ask any mother that has struggled through infertility and after many many years finally conceives that first baby. One thing that came clear to me today as I thought about the upcoming Spring is that while it seems to be a long time coming, it has already been promised to us. We know it is coming, but just like the saying goes "good things come to those who wait" ...everything that comes from God IS good, so we know that the more more He has us to wait the better whatever He has for us must be. Waiting means God is working! That makes me happy to wait. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25