Day #10-Something You're Afraid Of

I've been slacking a little on the whole 30 Day Blog Challenge, but today I'm supposed to write about something I'm afraid of. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have a deathly, abnormal fear of BIRDS!!!

We have NOT been able to figure out why I don't like birds, but it honestly, is a true fear of mine. I don't like any kind of bird. Most people say how pretty they are and don't understand why I don't like them, but thing is, I'm scared of birds, the same way others are afraid of the dark, or of snakes or spiders. I can't stand going to the beach and having tons of seagulls quacking and squaking at me. I will go inside in a minute! I've seen videos of people being attacked by birds and while most may think that's funny...it terrifies me! I know it's weird, but it's just me!

Day #8-Place You've Traveled To

I'm having to do 2 days in one because I haven't been able to keep on track since I've been at work the last 3 nights. But now I am off for a week (YAY!), so hopefully I will be able to keep up this week. Today, I'm supposed to write about a place I have traveled to. I honestly haven't traveled to alot of extravagant places in my life. I'm hoping to do lots of traveling later in life. :) But I think the neatest place I've traveled to is.....

LAS VEGAS! I went to Las Vegas in September 2009 and it was SO much fun. It was a neat experience and I hope to go back again one day to see more. I got to see the Blue Man Group which was so neat.

It really is the biggest little city in the world. So much to do, so much going on....VIVA LAS VEGA$! :)

Hope everyone is having a happy Thursday!!

Day 7-Favorite Movies

I'm a day or so off because of work. When I work, all I do is eat, sleep and work it seems like. But today I'm supposed to write about my favorite movies. Gosh! Where do I even begin??

(Listed in random order..)

1.) Love Actually
2.) Monsters Inc.
3.) Sex and the City 1&2
4.) All the Twilight movies
5.) Legends of the Fall
6.) Hocus Pocus
7.) The Notebook
8.) The Holiday

I'm sure I have tons of other favorite movies, but it's hard to think of them all!

Day #6-Picture of Something that Makes You Happy

I was thinking about what makes me happy and that are lots of things that make me truly happy. I'm not sure I can narrow it down to just ONE thing. But if I had to choose one thing, it would be....

My fiance and best friend, Ben, is something that makes me truly happy. Sorry to get all sappy, but he is the BEST guy I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and one of the best people in general that I've ever known. Ben has such a caring, servants heart. Some of the things he does and says just blows me away. He is your typical, southern gentleman who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He doesn't meet a stranger and is an excellent leader. I can't wait to marry him on April 16th and have him as the leader of our family and get to call him MY husband. Never in my wildest dreams did I think God would have blessed me with someone like Ben.

A few other things that make me happy are:

1.) Christmas
2.) My dogs, Lacy & Gracie
3.) Big family get togethers
4.) Bonding with a patient at work
5.) Killing my first deer :)
6.) Being at the lake, riding in a boat
7.) When God shows me something new

Day #5-Siblings

Today I'm supposed to write about my siblings. Well...I have one brother. His name is Luke and he is 19 years old (will be 20 in January). Surprisingly he is an awesome cook (he works at Archie's Oyster Bar in Auburn as a cook and he is the kitchen manager) and he also can do awesome yard work (he works for Williamson's Lawn). He loves to work on his truck, hunt, fish, mud ride....anything that a typical southern boy likes to do. Luke is excellent at fixing stuff and is such a handy man. He may be tall and skinny, but that boy is STRONG.

I never would have thought that I would be that close to my brother because we are 7 years apart in age, but the older we get, the closer we get. It makes me feel good to know that I have a brother who loves me, takes up for me and does anything he can to protect me. I feel that's what he's supposed to do....

Opelika game 2007

Summer 2008

Christmas 2009

St. Patrick's Day 2010

"There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother." ~Astrid Alauda

Day #4

On day #4 of the blog challenge, you're supposed to write about your parents, but I have a little something else I would like to share today.
Yesterday I killed my very first deer, the very first time I ever went hunting. It was SO exciting and fun! I am still feeling the excitement! It all started with a little target shooting yesterday at Ben's farm. I had been telling him that I needed to target shoot because I eventually wanted to go hunting. I was a little nervous about shooting the gun because I know guns usually "kick" and I was scared it would hurt. I went out to Ben's farm right around lunch time (yes, in the nasty rain) and we practiced. I was so surprised that the gun I shot didn't kick me at all (well...it didn't hurt at all.) After several practice shots, Ben said I was good to go.
At the last minute Ben decided that it would be a great day for hunting (because of the weather) and figured we would see some deer if we went as long as I could stand sitting in a tree stand with it raining some. I decided that I needed to take the chance, so we both suited up and headed out to his lease land. The scariest part was climbing in the stand! I couldn't believe how nervous I was about that. I'm not normally scared of heights, but I think it was the fact that the wind was blowing, therefore the tree was moving and it just made me nervous. Within 10 minutes, we had already seen 3 doe and a 5 pt that was way too far to shoot. We saw several other doe (one that I ALMOST shot at, but hesitated and she walked away) and then saw a spike walk RIGHT in front of our stand at about 8 yds away! It was really neat. There was a green field that we kept eyeing just waiting for something to walk out. I started getting pretty cold and my hands were like ice, but Ben said it was getting to be "prime time" and I decided I was not giving up now. Then all of a sudden, a doe walked onto the green field...I started getting excited....so I pulled the gun up, found the doe in the scope and watched her...I waited a little too long b/c she walked behind a tree. There was a smaller deer right behind her, but I knew I wasn't going to shoot that. Then all of a sudden another one walked into the green field...what appeared to be a good size doe. I lined it up, and didn't hesitate. I shot the deer and it literally dropped like a sack of potatoes at about 90 yds away. Ben was so excited...I think he was more excited than me at first. He was like "ahh you dropped it, I can't believe you dropped it!!" Ben grabbed the gun for me and was going to shoot the other doe that had been in the field, but she ran away. We got out of the stand and walked to see my kill and realized it was a spike!! I know normally you don't shoot spikes, but it was my first time and we could tell that it was a spike from the stand. We met up with Ben's cousin Chris Adams and the photo shoot began. I got a little blood on my cheeks and started posing away. :) After loading it up, we went by Chris Schnarr's house to show it off (and take more pictures).
It was such a fun and exciting experience. I never would have thought that I would have actually ENJOYED hunting. I always wanted to go just to go and maybe even kill a deer (just to say I killed one). But I sorta can't wait to go again and hopefully kill a bigger buck next time. I am blessed that my first experience deer hunting was a good one. Saw lots of deer, it wasn't TOO cold (although I got pretty cold) and I ended the hunt with a kill. Doesn't get any better than that!!

"Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me..."--Genesis 27:3
Here are some pictures from the night...

Day #3-Your First Love

"This is how we ought to know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."--1 John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son. That whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."--John 3:16

Growing up I always heard the song, "Jesus Loves Me", but didn't really understand what it actually meant until I was much older. I went through elementary school and high school knowing that God loved me and He had a plan, and knew what I should do, but I didn't necessarily do it. I wasn't a "bad kid" by any means, but I didn't have a strong relationship with God like I do now. Most people drift away from their beliefs and their relationship with God when they go off to college. They start experiencing new things and somehow get caught up in the everyday life, forgetting what's truly important. The opposite was true for me. I started college and immediately began going to church by myself every Sunday morning. That lead to me getting involved in the college ministry at our church as well. Once I started going, I jumped in head first and haven't regretted it since. After learning how important a strong faith and relationship with God is, my life changed. I saw things in a different way...it really is true when the Bible says,

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."--Romans 12:2

I experienced a full-on "renewing of my mind" and it was such an exciting thing to experience. It's all been history from there. Sure, I have my times where I don't spend as much time reading the Word as I should...I don't spend enough time in church or at bible study, but one thing I do know to be true is that God's love never fails. We may experience heartache and other people may disappoint us (more than once) but it is HIS love that is constant. I know that His amazing grace has been poured out over me even when I don't deserve it. But that's why God is SO good. He loves us even when we fail. He has the true "agape" love for us.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. "--1 John 4: 7-12

See, God is in the business of love. That's what He does best. I strive each day to love others, even when it's hard because He loves me even when I am unlovable...

Day # 2-Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

Day #2 of the 30 day blog challenge is to tell the meaning behind your blog name. My blog title is "Something Heavenly" and it comes from the Santus Real song called, "Whatever You're Doing". You can listen to the song and watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN9J8eqKovY

The part of the song that's my favorite (where my blog title came from) is when the song says,

"I surrender to whatever you're doing inside of me,

it feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace.

Though it's hard to surrender to what I can't see,

I'm giving into something heavenly."

I've felt like God has really been working on my heart big time these last couple of years. There have been things to happen in my life that I don't understand..I don't understand God's timing, I don't understand His ways. But the bible tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. I've been SO stubborn at times waiting on God's will that it's only hurt me in the end. God only wants to save us from things that hurt us and sometimes that's the very thing that we choose. Sometimes it may hurt so bad...to our very core..it may seem like chaos, but that's what the song says...that even though it feels like chaos, we should have peace knowing that God is behind it ALL. Even though we can't see our future and it's hard to hand over control of our lives, we just need to give into something that's WAY bigger than us. He's up to something that's bigger than us and bigger than our circumstances, if we just let Him work. This song is my heart's cry...it's such a great song and the reason behind my blog name :)

Oh...and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

"Give THANKS to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

--Psalm 107:1

30 Day Blog Challenge

I stole this idea from a friend at work. It's a 30 day blog challenge. Each day you write about something different, so I thought I would try it since I've been extra lazy in my blogging (Thanks Katherine!!)

Day 1: Introduce, recent picture and 15 random facts about me.
Well, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Amy Michelle Callaway. I am 26 years old and live in Opelika, AL. I have worked the past 2 years at Baptist East in Montgomery in Labor & Deliver/High Risk OB. I love being a nurse...it's what God has called me to do and I think it fits me perfectly. I got engaged on August 13th to the sweetest, best guy I've ever met. Ben and I will be getting married on April 16th at our church (where we met). You can go to our wedding website here: http://weddingwire.com/amycallawayandbenadams
the password is: adams

This is such an exciting time in my life as well as stressful. I can't wait to marry my best friend and God's man for me in just a few short months!

15 Random Facts About Me

1.) Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have a deathly, ABNORMAL fear of birds….always have and always will. Don’t ask why or how…that’s just how I am and it’s not going to change. People that know that about me always try to figure it out, but it’s just the way I am, there’s no explanation for it.

2.)I could eat a chicken finger anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Although it’s not necessarily my favorite food, I have always liked them. My mom says that I was such a picky eater as a child, that’s all I would eat :)

3.)I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Usually you can know how I am feeling just by looking at my face. I don’t hide it very well….although if you ask me…I’ll deny it (typical girl, huh?)

4.)I’ve been told I have “champagne” taste with only “beer” money. That seems to be true.

5.)I love it when God shows me something new…

6.)I always dust off my feet before I get into my bed.

7.)I drink all dark beverages (usually) including COFFEE, through a straw. I know, sounds crazy to drink coffee through a straw. Ever since I got my braces about 7 years ago, I have been very particular about my teeth and about getting them stained and so forth, so that’s why.

8.)When I was in 5th grade, I was on Entertainment Tonight. It was a quick clip, but still, I had my moment of fame….and no, I’m not lying.

9.)Most people would be surprised to know that I have 2 tattoos. I don’t mind telling that. It’s on my lower abdomen and it’s of an Icthus (Jesus fish). And my latest one is on my left wrist of the word "agape". I got this to be a constant reminder of God's unconditional love for me. It also reminds me to try and love people unconditionally. It is by grace that I'm saved through faith...all of this because of God's agape love.

10.)I still do math by counting on my fingers or on paper, even simple math…..I took math classes in college all the way up to Calculus II, but to this day, I count on my fingers.

11.)People always ask me if I am related to the Callaways of “Callaway Gardens” or “Callaway Golf”….sadly, I have to tell them “no”.

12.)I always have a bottle of water beside my bed.

13.) I am addicted to trash TV. I always tell myself I'm not going to get caught up in ANOTHER reality TV show, but I do. I couldn't believe I actually started watching "Jerseylicious" one day!

14.) I love laughing. Laughing is my favorite thing to do. I know people say it might be a bad thing if you laugh at yourself or your own jokes, but I love it when I do that. I think it says that you have a sense of humor. I also like to surround myself with people that make me laugh. I find that I have a better day that way.

15.) I've always been told that patience is a virtue..well...it's a virtue that I clearly don't have sometimes. I feel like God has really been working on me the last several years on helping me gain some patience in my life. It's a tough thing to learn, but I KNOW that I will be a better person because of it.

Oh....and this is my FAVORITE time of year! I love decorating for all the holidays and enjoying family time..it's the GREATEST!

The BIG GREEN Monster

We all know that monster..that big green monster that finds it's way into our lives when we least expect it. It's the monster that can cause heartache, distraction, pride and worry. That BIG GREEN monster is what I like to call....jealousy.

This past week, our bible study was on jealousy and although it's hard to admit (out loud), it really spoke to me. After going through this lesson, I was able to admit to myself and to someone else that I have some "jealous" areas in my life that I need to work on. Everything in this lesson is true and spoke volumes to me, so I thought I would share just in case it's something anyone else needed to hear as well.

The Truth About Jealousy

"Just because we see someone advancing before us does not mean that God is withholding His goodness toward us. He may be simply preparing us for what will come in the future."

I know I have had a VERY hard time with this about certain things in my life. I used to not understand why all my friends were getting married and I kept having failed relationship after failed relationship. Now, I see why...God knew I would meet Ben and God was rescuing me from all those other relationships that may have been good, but they weren't God's plan. At times, I don't understand why God hasn't granted me a huge desire of my heart---to have children (when everyone else is having them), but I have to remind myself that He sees the bigger picture as I see only the here and now.

"God loves us with an everlasting love, and He has a plan for our lives. This plan, however, may not unfold at the same time as God's plan for another person. We need to be patient and wait for God to give us His blessings at the right time. When we become jealous, we risk missing His best gifts because we are focused only on what we do not have. When we choose this route, a lot of time can be wasted entertaining feelings of heartache, frustration, worry and envy."

God may as well have been standing right in front of me speaking this to me, because it sure felt like it! I have to remember that Satan's primary goal is to shift my attention/focus away from God and onto my circumstances. The enemy wants me to become jealous, distracted and prideful. Lots of times our circumstances don't make sense to us from our perspective, but from God's point of view, they make perfect sense.

"God knows what we need and what we can handle. He may want to bless us in a certain area, but if He knows we are not ready for the blessing, He will withhold it for a later time. Are you willing to wait?"

Disarming Jealousy

How can we effectively deal with the jealousy in our own lives?

1.) ADMIT that we are envious.

2.) ACKNOWLEDGE that we are in conflict with God.

3.) THANK God for what He has done in our lives. (Mrs. Karen said one time that whenever you feel down and don't understand why something is happening...think of something to be thankful for. It's hard to be mad and thankful at the same time.)

4.) PRAY and ask God to help us see the heart of the other person at the center of conflict.

5.) We need to be willing to WAIT for God to work. (As we wait, we can listen for His voice of instruction.)

6.) ASK God to help us hear His voice over the clamor of the world.

7.) DELIGHT yourself in God. ("Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."--Psalm 37:4)

I have SO much in my life to be thankful for...I don't want to ruin that by letting the enemy get a foothold with jealousy. I know this lesson really spoke to me, I hope it spoke to you too! :)

On a completely different note, Beth (Ben's sister) had a baby shower today. It was so much fun! I can't wait for my very first niece, Katelyn, to get here at the end of February!

Stepping Back from the Canvas

I just realized that it's been a while (yet again) since my last post. I hate that I haven't had much time to just sit down and write a blog post. I guess that's what happens when life gets in the way. I was looking through my devotional book last night and re-read an entry from August 11th. It really spoke to me in that moment and I thought I would share....

I think back to things that have happened in my life before now; things that have led me to where I am today and realize that by being in this moment, stepping back from the canvas, all things (even the very bad things) HAVE worked together for good. We all go through things in our lives that make us ask the question, "Why me?" or "Why did that have to happen?" or "Man, I can't seem to catch a break." It often seems like when it rains, it pours. At least I've known that to be true with many cases in my life. They say there's always a calm before the storm or life is a series of "mountain top" experiences and "deep valleys". It's funny that when we are going through those "deep valleys" that we aren't able to understand why God is allowing this to happen and what He is trying to teach us. I've learned that if you make a mistake, the best thing you can do is make sure you learn something from it, ask forgiveness and move on. As long as you learn a valuable lesson from mistakes in your life, I think it ends up being worth it. There are things that have happened in my past, that when I look back now, I can totally see why God had me in that place. Sometimes we may never know why we had to endure a painful trial in our life, but the most important thing to remember is that as long as we are living for God, He will use everything for the good of those who love Him.

Ellen Miller writes, "Have you recently faced a crisis that you feel you may not emerge from? Can you step back from your tragedy? Can you shine a different light on your situation? Are you far enough away from the event now that you can see--from standing back here--that while one dream didn't come true, other, even more beautiful realities (that you had never allowed yourself to conceive of) have been gifted you?"

She makes such a great point here. God knows what we need more than we know what we need. So of course, when He allows something to happen (most of the time to teach us something important), we only see the bad...we usually don't see the good until much later. I am VERY guilty of not even wanting to see the big picture. All I can think about is how it feels NOW, what is going on NOW and why things aren't working out NOW. But usually something comes along (like this devotional) that reminds me not to only think about what's going on NOW, but to remember to look at it from a distance. God sees the big picture while we merely only see what's going on here and now.

She also writes, "If you're in the middle of a crisis, I know you can't see clearly either. It's hard when you're smack-dab in the middle of it. But tomorrow you won't be. You'll be looking at your masterpiece from a new perspective and you'll be absolutely amazed at your new life story and the difference a bit of distance can make....so HANG ON!"

"Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

--Isaiah 40:31

It's Been a WHILE

I haven't updated my blog in what seems like FOREVER, especially since I used update it on a regular basis. A lot has happened since my last post, so I will try my best to make it short & sweet.

1.) The first and biggest thing is that Ben and I got engaged on August 13th! It was a total surprise and perfect. He proposed out at his farm in the very spot where we will live one day. We then met at my house where his parents, sister etc were there to celebrate with us. I seriously was on TOP of the world! You can visit our wedding website:

http://www.weddingwire.com/amycallawayandbenadams

the password is: adams

2.) I went to my very first dove shoot a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed it despite it being SUPER hot. Ben loves to do any kind of hunting so it was nice to see what it was finally all about along with hanging out with all the hens!

3.) Some girls from work got together for a bachelorette/lingerie shower for Niki. It was lots of fun!

A few REALLY good quotes..

I just realized the other day that it has been MONTHS since I last wrote something. It's odd because I used to write blogs all the time...I guess time has gotten away from me. I have come across a few quotes lately that really hold a lot of meaning for me and I thought I'd share those. I am a firm believer in that sometimes the words of others can say it better than you. :)

"Hope helps us to lift our eyes off the broken pieces in front of us to see the big picture God is working in our lives."--Kirk Sullivan--Often times when we are going through trials or when God is doing that lovely thing most people like to call "refining", it's hard for us to see WHY. Since most people in today's society live for the moment and only think about what's going at that specific moment in time, it's hard to think about what God might be getting you ready for in the future. I know I'm that way the majority of the time. I feel as though since I'm living RIGHT NOW, why can't God just show me or why can't God make it better RIGHT NOW since it seems unclear, RIGHT NOW. But the truth of the matter is, God is WAY bigger than we could ever imagine and His plans are certainly not our plans. I've found though, that if I look back on my life, I can see how things have come together (God's way) and how most things have all worked out for the better, whether it was painful or not. That's where faith comes in. We have to have faith and know that God IS working together for the good of those who love Him and He only has our best interest in mind.

"Their is virtually no way to discern God's will without waiting quietly. God must be asked. We must listen."--This one goes along with the first one. We do not know the mind of God, so our job is to ask, be patient and listen. Those are 3 of the hardest things to do when all you want to do is NOT wait, but they are the most important.

"God closes doors no man can open and God opens doors no man can close..."---I cannot say how true I have found this to be in my life. I have seen it happen in others lives along with mine and it really is an amazing thing. I've found that if God takes something or someone out of your life, it's for a really good reason and although it might kill you at the time, just know that God has something better. He always uses things, people, situations for His good, so if you're following Him, you can't go wrong.

I will leave you with this one:

‎"Nothing is as hard as it looks. Everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will, and at the BEST possible moment."--This rings true in my life more than you will ever know!

New Blog and New Lessons

First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you to Rachel at Uniquely Yours for giving my blog a "face lift". She does such a wonderful job of making over your blog and she's so easy to work with!

I feel like I haven't written anything in a while and normally my mind is full of things I want to share, but I've had a hard time lately trying to figure out exactly what I want to share. Anyways...just this morning I was sitting reading my Bible. Something led me to the book of Hosea. Hosea is one of those books of the Bible that I think people forget about. Since it's not Genesis or in the new testament, I feel it is easily forgotten (at least by me). One of the main reasons I even know about this book is because of an incredible book I read years ago called, "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. If you haven't read this book, I recommend you running out to get it TODAY because it is THE BEST book/love story EVER. This book, "Redeeming Love" is fiction, but it is based on the book of Hosea and it's incredible.

Basic Synopsis: The book of Hosea is a love story--real, tragic and true. Transcending the tale of young man and wife, it tells of God's love for his people and the response of his "bride". A covenant had been made and God had been faithful. But Israel, like Gomer, was adulterous and unfaithful, spurning God's love and instead turning to false Gods. Then after warning of judgement, God reaffirmed his love and offered reconciliation.

Hosea was commanded by God to marry a woman who was unfaithful and would cause him many heartaches. --"Go take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." (1:2) The footnotes in my Bible say that it is difficult to imagine Hosea's feelings when God told him to marry a woman that would be unfaithful to him. He may not have wanted to, but he obeyed. I know I sure as heck wouldn't want to be with someone that I KNEW would end up being unfaithful to me, but sometimes God requires extraordinary obedience from us. God may ask us to do something difficult and extraordinary. Would we obey him, trusting that He who knows everything has a special purpose for his request?

My favorite verse:

"Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them." (2:6-7)

--God is saying He is going to block Israel's path by making the rewards of idol worship so disappointing that the people would be persuaded to turn back to God. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God was still faithful and merciful. He would continue to hold His arms out to his people, even thought He might have to place obstacles in their way to turn them back to Him. I have this written in my Bible next to this verse-"God says He will thwart all our efforts to find life apart from Him. He does this in order to wear us out, get us to turn back to Him in thirsty longing. He often takes us aside from every other source of comfort so that He alone can have our heart's desire." WOW! I'm sure I wrote that a couple of years ago and it still speaks to me now when I read it. God wants us, ALL of us and if there are things in our lives that take priority over Him, you can almost guarantee that He will eventually take whatever that may be, out of your life.

"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." (2:14). Then He begins to "woo" us. God uses even our negative experiences to create opportunities to turn back to him. As we face problems/trials, we need to remember that God speaks to us in the desert and not just in times of prosperity.

Another thing I had written in my Bible says, "God allows things to happen to get our attention. God knows how hot things are getting and His hand is on the thermostat."

Chapter 6, verse 1 says, "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds." This verse is telling us to return to Him as we are. God may break us down, but He is the BEST at putting us back together.

A promise: "Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (6:3). This verse is telling us and God is ALWAYS there...He is the only thing constant in our lives and how comforting to know that!! When you are feeling down and don't really know which way your life is headed or if you are having to make a decision that is heartwrenching, just remember that God is always there and His way is the BEST way.

"Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right.." (14:9).

The Refiner's Touch

Just thought I would share this story that was sent to me. It is SOOOO encouraging!! and gave me chills at the end...

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three they came across verse three which says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.


The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part -- when I see my image reflected in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you until He sees His image in you.

Coming Home to a Sweet Face

This past week at work is what I usually call my "bad work week" and that's simply because of the way my schedule is. I have a really awesome schedule, but on this particular week in the rotation, it just feels like I can't catch a break! That's because I work a 4 day (night) weekend, then I'm only off for 2 days and then have to go right back for 2 days, so sometimes it's tough that week to be able to catch up on sleep, do things I WANT to do etc. Anyways...the point of this blog is not for me to complain, but to say that I am SO thankful for my Father in Heaven who chooses to bless me and give me little "surprises" even when I complain or don't seem very thankful. One of those came in the form of Natalie's nephew, Bennett (I've pretty much adopted him as mine too). Thursday morning I came home and he was here because he had spent the night when Nat. As soon as I walked back down the stairs, he was waiting for me and gave me a HUGE hug. I had so much fun eating breakfast with them and cutting up. This is what I came home to on Thursday morning:

So when I get home from work on Friday, Bennett wasn't here right when I got home, but about an hour or so later, Shelley (Nat's sister) shows up with Bennett AND Brooks! Double the FUN! Let me tell you, we had a chaotic house that morning because Natalie was baking/decorating cakes, Bennett was running around vacuuming (yes, the kid LOVES to vacuum!) etc. Shelley had to run to the store and left us in charge of the boys and it was all great and dandy until Bennett decides he's gonna sneak in Natalie's room, pick up her cell phone and somehow manage to call Chris (Nat's b/f) on speakerphone! When I realized what he was doing, I was trying to get the phone from him before anyone answered (mind you, I'm trying to hold a screaming baby in the midst of this). Chris answers, I'm trying to get the phone to tell him what's going on, (Brooks screaming), I drop the phone ON Brooks (he's still screaming) and am finally able to walk into the loud kitchen where Natalie is busy mixing, baking, decorating etc to hand her the phone. Needless to say, we all walked away without injury, but I sure broke a sweat! haha! It really was fun having the boys for the day and when it ends like this....you can't help but smile :)

God is GOOD!!

"When we expect to be satisfied with the basics, God

will often surprise us with treats."

--James MacDonald

Jesus, Take the Wheel

I found this quote the other day and when I came across it, it really struck me in a weird/neat way. It says,

"An evidence that our will has been broken is that we begin to thank God for that which seemed so bitter, knowing that His will is good and that in His time and in His way, He is able to make the most bitter waters sweet." --Nancy Leigh DeMoss

WOW! When I read that, it made me think about certain things in my life that I have tried to control. When I try to control things, or do things my way, it ALWAYS ends up a disaster! Sometimes we wonder why certain things happen to us or we ask God "Why did you do this to me?" or "why can't I just have THAT?!". We question "why do bad things happen to good people?" Well first of all, we live in a fallen world and are all sinners with a devil that will stop at nothing to keep up from having a relationship with God, so of course there are going to be bad things happening to us all the time. The good news is seeing God's amazing grace IN those situations we seem to be thrown into. This quote to me, describes exactly what God's grace is all about. When we thank Him for being the amazing God that He is during our rough times, He is able to teach us things through our hard times. We learn, we grow and we come out of the valley being a better person, a stronger person and having a stronger relationship with God. Sure, it hurts like heck while we are going through trials, but when God takes that situation and makes it "sweet", that's his amazing grace poured all over you! I guarantee you, that if you look back over the last few years of your life (or longer), you will be able to see so many times how God took that situation and taught you SOMETHING. It may have been something so small, but my theory is, if you go through something and you don't learn anything, what's the point? We don't always understand God and why His timing is SO completely different from ours, BUT we can rest in the fact that He IS God and His ways are always best. They may not always be the easiest, but the best.

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand all the time."--Oswald Chambers

There have been PLENTY of times that I cannot for the life of me understand why I am made to wait for certain things, or why certain things happen to ME. But what I have to constantly remind myself of is that God is in control and if I let him take the wheel of every situation in my life, He won't steer me wrong...

Ok, on a different subject 2 Sundays ago one of my very best friends (and roommate) got baptized! She recently joined our church (First Baptist Church of Opelika) and since she was a member of a Methodist church before, it was time for her to get dunked! I love this sweet girl SO much and don't know what I would do without her in my life (and house)! Her little sister's best friend got baptized on the same night!! Praise the Lord x2!!

Watching their baptism made me think of one of my favorite songs right now. It's called "Washed by the Water" by Needtobreathe. They are AWESOME!! check it out!

Living the Answer

I came across this quote that I found on a magnet (of all places) and thought I would share....I will be writing more later! I am up at 4 am and cannot go back to sleep!! So frustrating!! Ok...so here's the quote...

"I beg you..to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer..."

--Rainer Maria Rilke

Habakkuk...never thought to look there!

Often times I find myself usually reading out of books of the Bible that I know pretty well, you know, the major ones. I am for sure always looking/reading out of the New Testament, but this morning in church, I came across a verse in a small book in the Old Testament and it made me realize, "Maybe I should start reading in the Old Testament more". Reason being because of this verse from Habakkuk. It says,

"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (2:3)

This morning in church, Brother Steve happened to make a reference to Habakkuk. He didn't ask us to turn there, but I did instead and I'm SO glad I did. This is a verse that I definitely needed to hear and God knew that. I know a lot of us may struggle with not really knowing or understanding God's will for our lives or at least in certain situations. Sometimes we don't understand why He puts us where He puts us, but the truth is HE DOES and that should be enough for us. A lot easier said than done, right? This verse is about God's timing and that He works in HIS time, not ours. He is basically saying, "Be patient! I will work out my plans in my perfect timing." Just like that was God's answer WAY back then to Habakkuk, it's the same answer He would give us, today. And this is a verse I know I can cling to; that even though I don't understand why I am in certain situations or He isn't bringing me out of certain situations, I can rest in the fact knowing that He is in control. He sees the big picture and ONLY has my best interest in mind.

When There's A Hole in Your Soul

Over the last week, my daily devotionals have been about having a "hole in your soul". She defines a hole in your soul as a "deep, dark well that resides in the core of your being. And the harder you work to fill it with stuff, the bigger the doggone thing gets!" She talks about how we tend to fill it that "hole" with other THINGS such as clothes, romance, status etc. We think we choose the right things to fill the hole in our soul, but OUR choices end up being sinful choices and cause more harm than good in the long-run. He knows what's best for us.

She also talks about how we can have a hole in our soul because we feel that we've been cheated. Cheated out of a happy childhood, cheated out of a loving relationship, cheated out of the wonder of motherhood, cheated out of good health..the list goes on. We start to blame the people who hurt us or the ones that didn't come to our aid when we needed it..sometimes we even blame God. The question she asks is "Have you let your anger and disappoinment fester into bitterness that is now eating a hole in your soul? Will you let the past define your future? Will you continue to fill your hole with stuff?" Sometimes the only way to find peace is to forgive. Being bitter is not fun and makes life miserable. Joel Osteen once said,

" Forgiveness is a choice, but it is not an option."

All the bitterness you let build up starts to eat a hole in your soul, so let forgiveness work as your antacid. Sometimes our unrealistic expectations of others can eventually cause us to have a hole in our soul. I know this one convicted me the most. I often times have expectations of others or expect certain things out of others and in the end, I'm the only one being let down and it's only hurting me. It's twisted of us to think that when we do a favor for someone that we expect something in return. She defines it as a "loan interest", not an act of kindness. When you don't see a payback within a short amount of time, you begin to wonder why you're the only one sacrificing...but eventually...that sort of thinking turns the good deed that you did, sour. She says, "many times those who most need our kindness are incapable--due to worry, fear, grief, confusion, exhaustion or embarrasment--to respond to it all. I finally figured out that it's not an issue regarding their poor manners. It's more of an issue regarding the condition of my heart."

Expecting gratitude turns your good deeds sour.

We set ourselves up for a lifetime of dissapointment when we create rules and expectations for OTHERS to live by. We must be willing to give unconditionally. I know this is certainly something I NEED to work on. Of course being a nurse allows me to give without expecting anything in return, but I must admit that sometimes I would like for my patients, my managers, my co-workers to notice the good things I do and acknowledge them, but I have come to realize that those things aren't always going to happen. Sometimes I will get a patient that I do everything in the world for and for whatever reason, they will never show how grateful they are because they either don't know how or think that they deserve to be treated well. I just have to know and get the satisfaction from knowing I've helped someone and that should be enough.

"You have not lived today until you have done something

for someone who cannot pay you back."

--John Bunyan

Our sunday school class has started a study at night called "Love, Sex & Lasting Relationships" by Chip Ingram. We had the first session last sunday (Valentine's Day) and I must say that I was impressed. The speaker gave some really good points and I am extremely excited for the rest of the study. The first session was basically comparing Hollywood's formula (or the world's view) of lasting relationships vs. God's way of how to make a relationship last.

Hollywood's view is this:

1.)FIND the right person.

2.) FALL in love.

3.) FIX your hopes and dreams of future fulfillment on that person.

4.) If FAILURE occurs, repeat steps 1-3.

God's view is this:

1.) BECOME the right person.

2.) WALK in love.

3.) FIX your hope on God and seek to please Him through your relationship.

Let me tell ya, #1 on God's list was INCREDIBLY convicting for me. I never thought about becoming the right person. I'm always praying for God to prepare my husband for me, but I never think to take a look in the mirror and see what all I need to work on. Sure, lately I know God has been working a lot in my heart and revealing a lot of things to me and this is sure one of them. In this time of singleness, I need to grow in my walk with the Lord because it will not only help me to become a better person, but to be able to WALK in love as well. True and unconditional love ONLY comes from the Father above and until we know His love, we won't be able to truly give and receive any kind of love. That's just a little snippet of what our first lesson was about....more to come! Something he said during the talk that really impacted me was this:

"Love is giving the person what they need the most, when they least deserve it."

Snow....FINALLY & Zumba Love!

So...I have to write about the SNOW DAY we just had! I have to be honest and say I really thought the weather man was telling us another lie, but he actually came through this time!! Can I just say...I LOVE SNOW!!! I don't know what it is about it. I guess it's probably because we NEVER have snow, so when we do, it's just a big deal. I'm sure most people who live up north absolutely HATE the snow. I am such a kid when it comes to snow. It was snowing when I walked out of the hospital from work Friday morning and I just couldn't believe it, I was so excited. On the drive home (45 min drive), the snow stopped right before getting into Auburn, so I was a little worried that the Auburn/Opelika area wouldn't actually see the snow. I went to bed and slept for a few hours and when I woke up, I immediately looked out my window and I see TONS of snow and it's coming down really hard! I got all wide-eyed and excited just like a kid on Christmas. I got to play in it, but not nearly as much as I wanted to. Here are some pics from the day.

Needless to say the snow was a success and I hate that it's already gone today. I guess there's always next year right? (Since we only seem to get snow MAYBE once a year).

Today at the Sportsplex there was a Zumba Love Benefit for Haiti Zumbathon.

It started at 1:00 and ended at 3:00. We seriously did Zumba for 2 hours straight and it was SO much fun, but my body is sure feelin' it! It was open to the public and all you had to do was bring certain items or donate money to the relief for Haiti. It was for such a good cause! Jessica, the Zumba instructor at the Sportsplex headed up this event and she taught the class for the entire time along with other instructors from Health Plus. If you don't know what Zumba is, you should definitely check it out!

Before Zumba....

After Zumba.....



Had such a good turnout!


Robyn gettin' down Zumba-style

I will leave you with a quote I just found that I really like.

"You are unrepeatable. There is magic about you that is all your own."

--D.M. Dellinger

Living a Life that Causes Heads to Turn & Footprints!

WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW!!! It has been another awesome morning with God revealing Himself to me! It's so encouraging to know that when we start to feel down, God always has a way of picking us up! Whether it's through a simple song, reading His Word, through advice and encouraging words of a faithful friend...all these things, He uses to pour out His love on us and remind us that He never leaves or forsakes us.

My devotion for today was really convicting, yet really good at the same time. She has been talking about living intentionally, with a purpose. Today in the devotion, she asks,

"How much time did you spend yesterday thinking about how someone hurt your feelings? How much time did you spend yesterday thinking about how unjustified that situation was? How much time....etc.." Then she went on to say, "How much time did you spend collectively last week thinking about how you could encourage someone? How much time did you spend collectively last week about how you could show love to a neighbor?"

That really makes you stop and think, right? Well, she goes on to talk about how we should never underestimate the impact we have on others, positive or negative. She' says "Nothing is neutral--you make a mark on someone's life today. Did you inspire or motivate? Did you leave that person more confident than when you found them? Did you extend kindness and mercy? Did you make someone laugh?"

We come in contact with many different types of people everyday. It may be the person that checked you out at the grocery store, it may be someone at work (for me co-workers and patients), someone attending your church for the first time, someone who simply stops and asks for directions...you left something....what did you leave?

Her words were SO convicting! We all need to be more conscious of how we are presenting ourselves, not only to people we know, but to people we are meeting for the first time. I know for me, I want to be a light. I want people to be able to look at me or meet me and see how much joy and love I have in my heart and think "Where does that come from?" and I would have to say that it ONLY comes from my Father in Heaven and Jesus in my heart, because if it wasn't for Him, I would be a total mess. This devotion reminded me of a verse that I always try to stay conscious of. It says,

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

--1 Peter 2:12

In my Bible I had written next to that verse from a speaker I heard that said, "Live a life that will cause heads to turn because of Jesus in your heart." THAT is what I want, right there! I want people to see me as different, I want to stand out, I don't just want to blend in. A new song I found today was so encouraging to me and part of it says,

"Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope. You're going to do great things,

I already know. God's got His hand on you, so don't live life in fear.

Forgive and forget, but don't forget why you're here.

Take your time and pray. That's what I would say....from one simple

life to another...."--Sidewalk Prophets

We are called to hold each other accountable and be encouragers to one another. "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." (Hebrews 3:13).

Are you leaving someone with a smile or a scowl on your face? Are you saying something uplifting or are you choosing to gossip? Remember to "Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle" (Anonymous). You may be the only smile they see that day, you may be the only word of encouragement they get that week or the first hug they've had in months.

Are you living a life that causes heads to turn?...

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can

do him absolutely no good."--Samuel Johnson

On a completely different note. This past week, I have felt led to start volunteering for The Footprints Ministry.

Their mission is:

"Walking in God's grace and Sharing His Love with families in the

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit."

This ministry is there to support families who have babies that are born extremely early or are extremely sick and have to stay in the hospital in the NICU. This is really close to my heart because although I don't work in the NICU, I work a lot on our High Risk OB unit which has lots of moms who end up having babies early and their babies end up in the NICU. I get so close to a lot of these moms, hence the reason this is close to my heart. The ministry gives each family a gift bag which has a bible, a camera (for the family or nurses to take pictures of the baby),gift cards to local restaurants and stores, a burp cloth monogrammed with footprints, a scent blankie with poem attached for the mother to sleep with and return to the baby, toothbrushes, prayer request cards, pens/notepads, kleenex, baby magazine. There are so many opportunities to volunteer with this ministry and I can't wait to get started! They are having a "Footprints to the Finishline" run/fundraiser this month on the 27th. Although I can't be there to be apart of it, I am sending my entry fee as a donation. If anyone is interested check out their website. It's for a GREAT cause!

God Saves the Best for Last

I decided that since my last post was just about my birthday, I would let this one be more about what's going on in my heart, so I'm going to go ahead and apologize if this post gets a bit lengthy; just please bear with me. I mentioned in my last post that over the past month I have come across things or heard things that I would think to myself "Man! I really want to write about that!" but just never found the time to sit down and type it out...well, now I am.

First and foremost I feel like I started the year 2010 off the right way. I have not only been in church REGULARLY but in the Word regularly as well. My very good friend Kristin, gave me a devotional book to start for the new year and I must say, I have read it everyday (almost everyday) and it has had really good tid-bits of inspiration.

I think it's so neat when I have moments where I just happen to be flipping through my Bible and something happens to jump off the page at me. It may be a verse or something that I've written down from a sermon etc. But that's when I KNOW it's something God wanted me to hear in that moment. It's something I obviously NEEDED to hear. I pray for those moments all the time because I sometimes wonder if I am actually hearing Him and getting what I need, but those moments are just reassurance from my Heavenly Father above saying "Here my darling, this is something specific I want to tell you today". It's so awesome when that happens! Something I came across a few weeks ago that literally jumped off the page at me was something I had written down from a sermon of Brother Steve's at church over a year ago. It boldly stated,

"Sin gives you FUN at FIRST and makes life HARD LATER.

God's way is HARD at FIRST and BETTER LATER.

God saves the BEST for LAST."--Bro. Steve

I LOVE the way Bro. Steve put this because it's SO true. So many times we just give into sin or to what WE want because it's the easiest or the most "fun". But if you think about it, it really does make life harder later. It's kind of like the law of the harvest. Not only do you reap what you sow, but you reap later than you sow and more than you sow. God's way is usually hard at first because normally it's us having to WAIT for something/someone. Believe me, I am the world's worst at waiting (I'm getting better, God is definitely working with me on this one), but most of us today are all about instant gratification. We want what we want, when we want it and how we want it. We don't care about the outcome, we just know that we want it NOW. I'm quickly learning that I HAVE GOT to start trusting God more because He sees the BIG picture. He sees everything, while I'm only seeing what's going on right now simply because I'm living right now. When something doesn't work out or go the way I want them to, I usually get down and wonder what I did wrong or why it didn't work, but truth is, (as brought to my attention by a very dear friend) that instead of seeing it as a bad thing, I need to see it as a RESCUE. I'm being rescued by my Father from something that He could see was totally wrong for me when I thought it was so right. When I start to think of it that way, it starts to make me feel better...starts making me feel like even though it's something that seems so good and so right, RIGHT NOW; God is saving the BEST for LAST.

Another point when it comes to waiting that I came across in my bible is that,

"God's delays aren't necessarily denials."--Karen Scoggins

Mrs. Karen said that during one of our sunday school lessons and that really hit home with me. God is constantly preparing us. Just because He doesn't give us something or something we want right when we want it, doesn't mean He is saying "no", He may just be telling us to "wait". There's that ugly word that starts with a "W" again! But it's the truth! Often times we THINK we are ready for something and we really AREN'T.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

--Romans 8:25

A couple of weeks ago in sunday school, we had a time of sharing our testimonies. I was not one of the ones that shared (I didn't feel led to at the time), but the ones who did share, gave some awesome testimonies and shared some very good points with the class. One point that someone shared that really hit home with me was,

"I wanted God in my life, but I didn't want Him in my business."

How true and convicting is that statement?! That person hit the nail on the head! So many times I think we want God to be in our lives and we want Him to be apart of our daily living, but there are certain things that we DON'T want Him to be a part of. There may be certain areas of our lives that we have totally surrendered to Him and other areas that we continue to hold on to. Those are the very areas that God himself is trying to get you to let go of. Just like in the story of Abraham and Sarah, where God wanted Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the son that they had prayed and waited for, for so long. The minute Abraham finally decided to give his son over to God, God saw what faith and trust Abraham had and said to him, "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." (Gen. 22:12). This is exactly the place God wants us sometimes. He wants to bring us to the place of total surrender where we say, "Ok, God, it's yours." What would you do if the thing you're waiting on, God says, "Place it on the alter"? Could you without hesitation?

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's

purpose that prevails."--Proverbs 19:21

I was reading through Proverbs the other day and came across this one and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites because it is SO true in my life right now. Lots of times we make our own plans or decisions without even considering what God wants, but truth is, God's plan will always prevail. Just like the verse I've shared before from Job says, "I know you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." (42:2). We can try everything in the book to make things go our way, but God is WAY bigger than us, so we really need not even try.

"Never underestimate God. He works in mysterious ways. Keep

believing He can instead of He can't. You'll see. I've seen

Him do so much and He's always there."

"Nothing happens by "chance", but God is always behind the scenes, working

all things together for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28). There is no

such thing as "luck" or "fate" for believers." --John MacArthur

That last quote came from a book I recently read called, "Twelve Extraordinary Women" by John MacArthur. It was a really great book about 12 women in the bible and what God did with and through their lives.

I guess to end my post, I will leave you with some great songs I have come across over the last month (since I'm constantly finding/looking for new music). Definitely check them out if you have a chance!

1.) By Your Side- Tenth Avenue North

2.) Hold My Heart- Tenth Avenue North

3.) Trust You- Brandon Heath

4.) I'd Need a Savior- Among the Thirsty

5.) Forgiven- Sanctus Real

6.) Your Hands- JJ Heller

7.) Rend- Jimmy Needham

8.) Umbrella (Christ Mix)- Coffey Anderson

9.) Wait and See- Brandon Heath

10.) Washed by the Water- Needtobreathe

11.) I Will Rise- Chris Tomlin

12.) Never Let Go- Matt Redman

13.) Lay Em' Down- Needtobreathe