Small Blessings

I heard him sing in church last week.

It was the best hour of my month.

I pray for more Sundays where I can sing for Him and have Bryan beside me.

Pray that we would find a church home that suits both of us.

Pray that He would move in our hearts.

Just pray.

Help.

I cannot continue to walk through each day as though I am on my own.

I am not strong enough.

I am not smart enough.

I need HIM. I cannot keep pretending that I don't.

Pray for me. Pray for us.

Pray that my pride would be broken. That I would be able to walk into church on my own tomorrow. That my heart will be open to hear HIS word. I want to be the woman HE intended me to be.

Plans

I am head over heels engulfed in wedding plans.

I am working my tooshie off to help pay for our wedding.

HE provides me with all the work I can handle - and then some. In this economy, I know this is a blessing.

I am so thankful.

I am looking forward to June 5th, 2009 knowing that HIS hand has been with us all the way.

Thankful

Check out Daily Three:

I feel inspired to try this on my own... let's see if it will last! :-)


Today I am grateful for...
1. Apple Caramel creamer in my coffee. A sweet treat to make getting up this morning a little easier.

2. My sweet fiance' who so patiently helped me decorate for Christmas yesterday, even though he really wanted to just sit and watch football.

3. The renewed desire to become part of a house of worship again.

If I've Learned Anything...

It's that HE can carry us through anything.

Holy Father,

YOU are so mighty, so incredibly awesome and powerful. You have carried us, albiet kicking and screaming at times, through the last few months.

I know I can place my trust in you during this time of uncertainty.I know you will take care of us.

But Father, he doesn't know you yet. He is scared. Angry. Worried.

Continue to reveal yourself. I know he sees YOU working for us through all of this.

I can't wait to see your mighty hands at work.

I love you.

Burn Me Up

I had the wonderful opportunity to go home this weekend and spend some time with my family. What made it even more special was that it was just us.

In the last two years, we have added two wonderful men to my family. Two of my three sisters (yes, there are 4 of us!) have tied the knot and I absolutely adore my brothers-in-law. However, when presented with the opportunity to spend time with just my sisters and my parents, I jumped for joy.

Jennie (sister #3) and I drove to NC on Friday night. On the way there, we listened to Shane and Shane's new CD - Pages. It was fantastic. I will humbly admit to letting the "fire" in my relationship with GOD die out in the last month or so. I haven't been diligent about having a quiet time or going to church. I know these are things that speak to Bryan, and I have felt really convicted about needing to "step it up" again.

I was listening to song "Burn Us Up" when I felt HIM move in me, and I simply wanted to share those lyrics with you today...


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Burn Us Up
-Shane and Shane

There were three
Before the king
There were three who wouldn’t bow to him
For when you heard
The music play
And you were standing you would burn.
They looked at him and said…

Burn us up!
Burn us up!
Burn us up!
Oh king won’t you burn us in the furnace of
Your desire

We give up!
We give up!
We give up!
Oh king won’t you burn us in the furnace of
Your desire!
Won’t you throw us in the fire!


The king enraged
At what they said
Sent the three away to find their death
The palace stopped in unbelief
When the guilty raised their hands to sing
They looked at him and said…

Burn us up!
Burn us up!
Burn us up!
Oh king won’t you burn us in the furnace of
Your desire

We give up!
We give up!
We give up!
Oh king won’t you burn us in the furnace of
Your desire!
Won’t you throw us in the fire!

You are able to deliver from the fire of affliction
It’s the declaration of my Lord
You’re not an image of gold
You’re the God of old
You have made us
Come and save us
We are Yours
But even if You don’t, we will burn!

Burn us up!
Burn us up!
Burn us up!
Oh king won’t you burn us in the furnace of
Your desire

We give up!
We give up!
We give up!
Oh king won’t you burn us in the furnace of
Your desire!
Won’t you throw us in the fire!

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I pray that we would all long to burn in the furnace of HIS desire.

Opportunity Knocked

I had a wonderful opportunity this week to share my heart for GOD with Bryan...

On Wednesday night, as I pulled into the driveway I heard HIM whisper "Put on love, Abby. Put on love right now." I brushed it off and HE kept whispering "Abby, I need you to put on love."

I ignored HIM.

I walked into the house, and within five minutes I found myself arguing with Bryan and madder than a cat in a rainstorm. You want to know what we argued about? Nothing! We argued over nothing! He had forgotten to do something I asked him to do. It wasn't crucial or even necessary, and he just forgot. And I flew off the handle.

Very quietly, I heard HIM speak to me again. "Abby, I asked you to put on love. What will he see now?"

By this point, we were sitting at the kitchen table and I had calmed down. Bryan was telling me about his day, and my heart was just overwhelmed with conviction. I started crying. Bryan, of course, thinks that I'm upset with him again. (By the way, through all of this he was very patient and apologetic over the "nothing" business.)

When I was able to cut the crying down to a sniffle, I shared my story with him and the verse I felt like GOD has "given" us...

Colossians 3:12-13 (NASB) And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Colossians 3:14 (NASB) And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

He listened, smiled and told me that he understood why I was upset. He also told me he didn't know what to think of GOD speaking to me, but that he liked "our" verse. I told him I wanted to put it inside our wedding bands (or at least mine) to be a reminder for both of us to put on love in everything that we do.

I continue to pray for these opportunities, although hopefully next time I'll listen when HE starts whispering in my ear.