The Gift of Waiting

The telephone rang and I rushed to answer it. I’d been waiting to hear some news about my husband’s job. He had recently interviewed for a higher position with his company.

When I picked up the phone, Michael’s words were sweetness to my soul. “I got the promotion, Babe!”

I squealed for what seemed like a minute or two. I sounded just like the moms of American Idol contestants after their children call them to say they made it to the finals. It was long awaited news that made my heart leap.

Michael had returned to college in 2008 to get a degree that could be used in the medical diagnostics field after being laid off from jobs four different times. He had been in the IT (Information Technology) field in his past job history. But due to his lack of new certifications, he hadn’t been able to get rehired in that field. His dream was to use his IT skills in the medical field somehow.

His long time dream came true that day on February 27, 2012. I’ll never forget that day. It was also the day my ninety-six year old grandfather passed away. I know those two things were connected somehow. I don’t believe in coincidences anymore. God is too big and awesome for things to happen coincidentally.

I can’t begin to put into words what that promotion meant to us. We had waited for years and years and years to see God fulfill this desire and dream. This promotion pushed us closer to our other dream of adopting a child from Uganda. It was worth the wait. Waiting makes it so much sweeter than it does to get things instantaneously.

I remember when I was a little girl; there were movies that I had to wait a whole year to watch. We didn’t have DVDs or videos to watch. So every year, I was excited beyond measure to watch the Sound of Music again or to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Christmas time. It didn’t matter that I had to wait a whole year to see the shows and movies. The waiting made it blissful for me when the time arrived for me to see them again.

Waiting can be hard. We can begin to have doubts that good things are coming. But as followers of Christ, we are promised that all things work together for “good” for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

There is an old phrase I remember hearing, “Good things come to those who wait.” I love that phrase, but I would add a few words to it. “Good things come to those who wait in faith.”

Are you waiting for something that you know in your spirit is coming? Are you getting weary in the waiting?

Jesus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23). We can rest in His words and know that as we are waiting and believing, His good plans will unfold.

It’s worth the wait. It’s worth it because when you finally receive your blessing, you will have so much joy that you will feel as though you may burst with glee.

Hang on and trust Jesus. Your time of blessing is coming.

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. ~ Hebrews 6:15 NIV

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. ~ Psalm 27:14 NIV

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. ~ Isaiah 40:31 NASB

Live Abundantly!

Amy 

The photo was downloaded at http://www.stockfreeimages.com/

Valentine Treasures

Valentine’s Day is always a fun time for my family.
 
When my daughter was about three years old my husband Michael created a special treasure hunt for us to enjoy on Valentine's Day. He hid small candies throughout our home for the family to search for. This treasure hunt is a tradition and a highlight of every year.
 
The hidden candies are fairly easy to find at first, but it gets harder and harder to find them after the most visible ones are found. Michael hides some of the candies in such concealed places, that we never find all of them on Valentine's Day. A great part of the joy in the hunt is that we always continue to find the candies unexpectedly during the days and months ahead.
 
Our anticipated Valentine treasure hunt is very much like life. When things are going smoothly, it's easy to see and enjoy the treasures. But during the difficult seasons, it can be a tedious thing to find and focus on the treasures. They have to be tirelessly sought after because they are hidden. But it is the hidden treasures that are truly the most valuable.
 
Without the storms, I don't believe I would have ever discovered the priceless treasures of life.
 
In January of 2006, Michael was self-employed, running a graphic design business with another design artist. The small company was suffering and eventually had to be shut down, leaving us with a very small income. This gave our family the opportunity to look for treasures in the midst of adversity.

On Valentine's Day that year, we had very little money and we knew we couldn't buy gifts or cards like we had done in previous years. We decided to make hand-made cards for each other instead of giving presents and store bought cards. Since then, we’ve looked forward to designing our homemade cards every year.
 

One year, the card my husband made for me had a huge heart on it, symbolic of the love that has grown in our marriage. My daughter made me a card with pictures and words that remind me of all that God has done in my heart. On the front of the card that my son made for me when he was ten years old was a colored picture of a rainbow, a storm, and a heart in the middle with a sword stuck in it. He had written words in that hand-made card that later proved to be prophetic. “Remember a rainbow comes after a storm. This is how you reach your heart’s goal.” Those were such words of wisdom from a young boy.

Each year the cards are more meaningful to me. They are irreplaceable—something that money can't buy. And even though my husband now has a good career, we realize that the best things in life are free (monetarily). I don’t want to ever forget those times of being in need. Our family learned the most important lessons we will ever learn.

Every year as I embrace the words and the love expressed through each of these handcrafted cards, I thank God for the storms of life and the blessing of my Valentine treasures.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field..." Matthew 13:44 NIV

Live Abundantly!
Amy 

This post has been updated and revised from a piece originally written in 2008.

An Unexpected Miracle

A favorite scripture of mine is, James 1: 2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." 

It truly is pure joy to face trials and hardships.  I have found that the greatest miracles happen during the most challenging seasons of life when we place our faith in Christ. Suffering is not fun. But joy can come from a season of hardship. It is especially hard to watch a loved one suffer. 

One of my close friends (Lori) has had serious health problems for many years and to make matters worse, her family has been struggling financially in recent years due to the economic crisis. Her husband has worked for a real estate investment firm for over fifteen years. But with the economic crisis, the real estate business is probably the worst to be working for presently.

Circumstances have been very hard for them. Yet, in the midst of her hardships, she is a shining example of the light found in living for Christ. Lori is a Jew by birth, but she found Jesus and I don't know anyone more in love with her Messiah than she is.

Lori's life proves that it's during the trials of life that we get to experience the most amazing miracles. During the past months, their family car has broken down repeatedly. It's a 1993 model and has been on its last leg for a while. Just a few weeks ago, she called to tell me her car had broken down again.

I felt so bad for her. I wanted to let her in on a secret I knew. But I couldn't because I would spoil the BIG surprise.

Just days before her car broke down again; I received an e-mail from a mutual friend letting me know that Lori's family had been chosen to receive a car as a gift from All State and Sterling Auto Body in Decatur. To see Lori's family receiving their new car, click here.

My friend Lori has a very petite stature, but she has the faith of a giant. And in the midst of their major problems she exudes the joy of the Lord.

My joy level is through the roof! When a friend is blessed it is way better than when I am blessed. I am elated. I can't stop thanking God for this unexpected miracle. I pray that He will continue showering my friend with blessings and that He will keep using her life to show that true joy comes through a relationship with Christ.

In every storm of life there is a treasure to be found. If we look toward heaven with a grateful heart, we will most certainly see a magnificent rainbow in the sky.

Live Abundantly!
Amy 

The above photograph was taken at my son's football game when another unexpected miracle happened in the form of a magnificent rainbow.

A Prayer for Our Nation

I walked into the voting area and the tension was so thick that it felt tangible. It was last week that I voted to avoid the crowds. The faces I saw were covered with distress and anxiety. Patience is running out for many people as they face the reality of what is happening in America.

Jesus is our only hope. I have complete faith in Christ to restore our nation to a strong, vibrant country. He restored my life beyond my highest expectations. I expect Him to do the same for the United States.

But before the Lord restored my life, He tested my faith. I believe we are headed for a season of testing. But in the end, we will come forth as pure gold.

A Prayer

Father,

We come to You and humbly ask that You keep Your hand on this nation. We are sorry for leaving You out of our decision making so many times. We realize that our country is in danger and we need You desperately to intervene. May we turn away from all that draws us away from Your love and return to You wholeheartedly. Let us rend our hearts and know that You are merciful, compassionate and abounding in love. It is Your desire to see this nation thrive and be restored. Let us rise up and be the nation that You always dreamed we would be. Raise us up into a mighty nation to be a light to a dark world. We ask You to let the man that is best suited to be our President be in office during the upcoming years. We trust You, Lord, to do great and mighty things in this nation. Let us live for You purposefully and passionately. We ask You to protect us from calamity. We love You and place our hope in You. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

  

Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. ~ Joel 2:13

 But He knows the way that I take when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

 ~ Job 23:10 

Live Abundantly!

Amy 

Dancing in the Rain

Children hold the key to a happy life. They are trusting by nature. They are innocent in their thinking, and they know how to enjoy life to the fullest instinctively.

When my children were younger they loved to go out and play in the rain. I have joyful memories of  their little voices begging me, Mommy, if there's no thunder, can we go out in the rain?

With joy I would stand at the door and watch them jump around and dance in the rain. It was full living at its best as they splashed in the puddles. Sometimes they would dance with umbrellas, or they would make a tent of umbrellas on the driveway. Sometimes they would simply stand in the rain on the edge of the street feeling the rush of water flowing between their toes.

The rain didn’t stop them from simply enjoying the day.

A downpour of rain doesn’t hinder a child’s ability to embrace the moment and fully live.

This is how our Father in heaven wants us to live out our lives. When He created us He never intended for us to endure life. His original idea was for us to see Him in the midst of the rain showers and enjoy life to the fullest.

God knew life wouldn't be perfect or easy. I believe His greatest desire is for us to rely on Him in the midst of the rainy days. When we’re dependent upon Him, He continually pours out His grace and love onto our lives in the most unimaginable ways.

Several years ago while praying, I heard words in my spirit that changed my perspective.

"If you stay on the path with Me, you will not be disappointed." God whispered to my heart.

At first I was thinking, "How can that be possible?" But I soon understood what the Lord was trying to get me to understand. He wanted me to know that if I followed Him and stayed close to His heart in the midst of the things that would normally be disappointing to me, He would turn my mourning into dancing instantaneously. His words have proved to be true in my life. I can honestly say—because I have been so wrapped up in His love—that disappointment has not penetrated my heart during the past several years.

Life is full of difficulties and challenges. But when Jesus is the center of our lives, His love overshadows everything else.

My friend and mentor, Bonnie, had a gift for expressing this truth. She said, "With Christ, there are no disappointments. The challenges in life are HIS-appointments." Bonnie passed away in 2008. Her faith in Christ lives on in my heart. She danced in the rain more than anyone I've ever known. The beautiful life she lived continually spurs me on to dance and live fully alive in every circumstance.

Leaning on our own strength leads to more disappointment. It's when we lean on Jesus that we see His glory.

Why not choose the latter?  Why not take the risk to see His Glory in your life? Choose joy. Choose life. 

When the rains pours down, choose to turn toward Jesus and dance.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. ~ Psalm 30:11 (NAS Bible)

Children of Zion, celebrate! Be glad in your God. He’s giving you a teacher to train you how to live right—Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words to refresh and nourish your soul, just as He used to do. ~ Joel 2:23 (The Message)

Live Abundantly!

Amy 

This post has been updated and revised from a piece I wrote in August, 2009.

Desperately Seeking God

I was organizing a closet and stumbled upon a prayer I had written to God when I was twenty years old. The words I had written expressed my desire to learn to depend on Christ like an infant with her mother. If I had known what was in store for my future, I don't know that I would have been brave enough to pray the words written in that prayer.

At that time in my life I didn't really know what it meant to be dependent on God. There was no reason to depend on Him. I was a young newlywed working for a Fortune 500 company, sailing through life. To top things off, I was head over heels in love with the man I had dreamed of as a little girl. I was "Cinderella" and my "Prince Charming" had recently swept me off of my feet. 

For a season, the sunshine in my life remained, but then the rain came, and eventually turned into violent thunderstorms. My marriage began to fail, the job I sought fulfillment from ended and I felt hopeless. Everything that made me feel safe and protected had been lost. In 1997, 12 years after I had prayed to have an infant like dependence on God I hit rock bottom.  I clearly remember wanting my life to be over.

In my desperation, God picked me up, put the pieces of my heart back together, and healed my marriage.

Shortly after God began restoring my marriage, I woke up from a deep sleep with these words replaying over and over in my head: "Wherever you go, I will go...wherever you go, I will follow..." 

During a telephone conversation, I shared the words with my mother, hoping she would have some insight. She told me that these words were from a scripture in the book of Ruth. Through tears, my mother read the words from Ruth 1:16, "Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, or turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.' "  My heart was touched, but I still wasn't sure what the relevance of this verse was for my life.

Several hours later, I felt a powerful sense of Christ's presence as I was praying, and suddenly I remembered something I had forgotten. My husband and I had chosen a verse to have engraved on our wedding bands before we were married. I couldn't get the ring off of my finger fast enough to see what scripture was inscribed on my wedding band. My heart fluttered when I saw that it was Ruth 1:16. As I sat there weeping, I rejoiced in knowing that God had known all along that we would make it through the severe storms we had faced in our marriage. 

Is there something you are relentlessly praying about, and desperately seeking God for?

* Don't give up praying (Luke 18: 1-8).

* Remain steadfast and don't lose heart (Hebrew 12:3).

* Keep a heart of gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Christ is the One who restores, heals, and performs miracles as we desperately and wholeheartedly seek after Him.

This article has been revised and was originally written in 2008 for Intercessory Prayer Network SE.

Live Abundantly!

Amy 

A Letter of Encouragement

The Lord woke me up early and began nudging me to share some words with a friend. I know He wants for me to share this with my blog readers as well.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I want to share a powerful testimony.

Shortly after my husband, Michael, received an incredible opportunity and new job last fall, we found out that the company was getting bought out and the office in Atlanta was going to be closing. This is the very scenario we had been in before when a company had laid him off after a merge with a larger corporation. The first time this happened we ended up in poverty. We literally made less than the poverty level income for a number of years. Needless to say, it would have been easy for us to get fearful after hearing about the buy out of the company Michael works for.

But we refused to entertain fearful thoughts.

Instead we began to pray for specific things and we TRULY believed Jesus would do it for us. We asked God to make a way for Michael to work in Atlanta. We asked him for a raise. We asked him for better benefits, etc. The most important part of our prayers is the fact that God put the desires in our heart and we believed Jesus would do the things we were asking for.

Before I share the outcome of our prayers, I want you to know that I've been praying whether to share this with you.

And I believe with all my heart Jesus wants for me to share every bit of it. It may not be the way that some of you like being encouraged, but Jesus loves you enough to make you uncomfortable if that's what it takes for you to break completely free of fear and into your God-given right.

So here is the testimony: God answered our prayers beyond anything I could have ever imagined or have dreamed.

There are many details that I don't have time to write. But I'll share it in a nutshell. Michael was offered a job to work in Atlanta even though the office is closing. They are keeping 2 employees in Atlanta.The package they offered is like comparing diamonds with scrap metal. It's really all just very over the top. He'll get a company car ( a brand new car). He can pick the car out as long as it's not a sports car. They told him it had to be suitable for clients and not cost over a specific amount. They will pay for all his gas, car insurance and for the upkeep of the car. Also, we can use it for personal use as much as we want (other than out of state). His office will be at home now which will save us hundreds of dollars per month in gas expenses. He will get an extra week of vacation and two more bonuses during the next year. They will give any employee a very large amount of money to go toward adoption costs, which is AMAZING because we are going to adopt an orphan from Africa as soon as God gives us the go ahead. The insurance is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Plus, to top it off, he got a raise. We will be out of debt by 2012.

God did IT! He did far beyond anything I could have asked or hoped for (Ephesians 3:20). He gave me that scripture as one of the defining verses of my life about 15 years ago. I have lived it. I have believed it. The verse truly defines my life. God outdoes Himself over and over again and it just keeps getting better.

Jesus never ceases to amaze me in His ability to do beyond my wildest dreams.
I am sharing all of this out of obedience to Christ because He wants you to know that He does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). He will do far beyond anything you could ever imagine. All He wants is a person fully surrendered, who loves Him with all their heart, and who believes He WILL pour out His blessings.

I am going to live big and bold forever. I will not hide what Jesus has done for me. Because I know He will do immeasurably more than you can imagine for your life and I know Jesus wants me to boldly share the details of what He's done for us. The key is: He did it, not us. Trusting in ourselves more than God is what caused the poverty in our past.

I have more compassion than any person could ever comprehend for anyone going through job losses, poverty and lack. I weep and intercede for my friends who are hurting and struggling. I will spend the rest of my life helping people to break free of poverty. And I will not walk in doubt ever again.

Also, Jesus wants for you to know that living in abundance is not a temporary season. This is the FOREVER life He wants for us and for every Christian until He returns.

I love you, brothers and sisters, and I pray that Jesus will use my words to speak faith into your soul. We're here on Earth to lift up and encourage each other until Jesus comes back.
The blessings are already yours...All you have to do is go after them as God leads you.

May Jesus use the words written in this letter to speak love and life to you.

With love and compassion,
Amy

Faith Alone

Our Mighty Jesus,

Thank You for Your marvelous love. Thank You for the way You make every circumstance turn to good for those who love You. Thank You for Your grace. Jesus, will You fill the hearts of Christians with an unwavering faith? Pour out Your Spirit in a mighty way on those who are fully seeking You. Jesus, we need more of Your anointing power on this earth. Please send it, Jesus. Give us a sign in the natural of what You are doing in the spiritual realm. Jesus, protect this country from disaster. Show the people how desperately they need you. Revive the hearts of Your people. Cause them to fall down in repentance and to turn from their wicked ways. Let Your Spirit fill this city and spread to the surrounding cities, and ultimately around the world. Jesus, come in a mighty wind and fill this earth with Your Presence. I love You with all my heart. Amen.

Whispers from God:

I am looking for followers who will dare to live by faith alone. I am waiting to do great and mighty things for all who are willing to trust and wait. I have so much waiting for those who want Me and My power.