You've gotta read this!

Don't you just love a good book?  You know, the kind that sucks you in, where you can't wait to turn to the next page?  Or, where you feel like the author has peeked into your life because the pages seem so real? 

Do you prefer romance or action?  Self-help or inspiration?  Historic or worlds that seem to stretch the imagination?
Want to know something?  You can get all of this from one book!

Now, I know I'm teetering on sounding like an infomercial, but this too can be yours.  All of these stories and more can be found from the only book you'll ever really need- the Bible.

My daily readings have just jumped out to me this week and revealed so much.  After each reading, I find myself wanting to go further, dig deeper.  I hear God speaking to me and I'm soaking it up like a sponge.  And, I guess I want to shout it from the rooftop too! 

What's so amazing to me is that the story never ends.  You could never read this book and just be done.  Even a passage that is so known, you can recite it without looking, can speak to you again. 

They say a good book is one you'll want to read over and over and this is so true about reading the Bible.  Years ago, it was something I wanted to check off as having done it, to have read it front to back.  What I've learned is that as long as you're breathing, you should be reading.  If you open yourself up to hearing what God wants to say, even something as familiar as the 23rd Psalm has relevance, meaning, and wisdom. 

Tonight four simple, yet powerful, words jumped out from that familiar song... "he restores my soul."  And it had great meaning to me because of the women's Brave study I'd attended just a few hours before.  It was all about being weary and finding rest in the only place that would truly give you strength and restoration - with God.  So to come across this scripture, on this night, was just like the last piece of the puzzle.  A God wink, whispering, "I'm here, just come to me!"

Are you with me or am I totally rambling now?  Have you ever just stood in awe of the presence of God? Humbled and amazed that he took the time to show little ol' me something.  Thankful that I paused to hear it.  And excited to seek him tomorrow...and the next day...and the next.

Wishing you a joyous, God-filled week!

Yes, God, I hear you!

Tim and I had goosebumps the moment we walked into church this morning.

We have been praying and talking ...and if I'm being honest, hesitating, with the answer God had given us.  So many times in our lives we've seen the good that God provides.  We've been the recipient of "God gifts" only He could know about and send to us.  We trust God and we know he always, always provides. 

Sometimes though, we doubt.  We wait.  We question.  We test. 
And even when He shouts, we still don't listen.

Today, we heard him loud and clear.

We walked in on mission and set out to complete a task God had laid on our hearts for many weeks.  It was something we should've been obedient in doing awhile back, but given the events life dealt us this past summer we just wanted to make sure we could handle the commitment.

Bending down to sign up on a list, I noticed a gap on the page.  An obvious line had been skipped.  At first, I was just going to drop to the bottom and write our names in the next slot, but I glanced back up and questioned why there was a hole.  Moving my finger, I noticed the number in front of the blank line.

#23.  _____________________________

We both just stood there for a moment in shock, awe, and thankfulness for God     (and Austin) smacking us upside the head with grace.

You see, #23 has always been a significant number for our family.  Even more so now that Austin is gone.  It was his favorite, his jersey number, and just a short sweet symbol that has always represented him.  Since losing Austin, we've been blessed with so many signs from him using that number.  Many times it is to let us know that he is ok or he is near, but we also get the number, almost as an Austin hug, to let us know he approves or is proud of whatever we're doing. 

I know God uses the number too, because it always gets our attention. 
And it certainly did today. 

Praying He doesn't have to throw a brick at me to get it next time...

Faithful Friday: He Speaks

Have you ever been stunned when reading the Bible?  As if the words just reach out and shake you?  Or perhaps they fall down and envelop you like a hug?  I've noticed over and over again how many times this week, God has spoken to me through His word.

We discussed this several days ago in a church group we're a part of.  The leader, who happens to also be our preacher, mentioned how God uses scripture to move in our lives.  It isn't coincidence when we happen upon a specific verse or section in the Bible.  When a daily devotion comes across my inbox and I feel the message was written just for me, perhaps it was - or at least God used it at that time to speak to me.

Tim and I also read a devotion each night.  We are continually amazed at how that short passage is so timely with whatever we'd faced that day, or perhaps it is preparing us for tomorrow.  I've also noticed that often times a scripture or focus I'll write for Faithful Friday is reaffirmed to me that evening in our reading.  They are all certainly God-goosebump moments and I feel so blessed to experience them. 

At each point, it's as if God is just in the room, everywhere, and using that moment, a word, a sentence, a story to speak to our lives...to speak to us.  What a privilege!

And yet it somewhat saddens me to think about what message I might have missed on days I neglected time with Him.  In other points in my life when I wasn't so committed to reading His word each day.  It just shows me again how extremely important it is to make that time each day - and evening - with Him.

I heard or saw something this week that said, "What have you done today that is eternal?" and it resonated with me.  How many times do we feel "life" is too busy for God?  Or we make excuses about reading our Bible tomorrow, or that it's ok if we miss church this week. 

And even going a step above, what are the missed opportunities we had to share the message with others?  Were we too distracted to notice a friend, maybe a stranger, in need of God's love?  May I continually be reminded to remember why I'm truly here.  Ultimately the only To-do list that matters is bringing others to Him and keeping myself close to His side, listening as He speaks.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27