Resistant Emotions- 6 Month check up!!!

6 Month Check up

My 6 month check-up has come and gone, and wow, I am so thankful. It's crazy how much anxiety I was holding on to. I often times find it hard to even talk about my anxious thoughts and concerns, as no one can really understand, but I slept the best I've slept in months on Friday night. Each good check up is like a breath, a deep breath that has been waiting to come out.

Gingerbread houses- VERDICT. Our giving update.

Pinterest Fails

So, I've had lots of guesses on the gingerbread houses, and most people guessed right! I know it will be a huge surprise to most of you, but yes, Josh won the gingerbread contest. Surprise, surprise. I thought I had given myself a chance by following Pinterest's advice, but...as you saw, mine soon collapsed. I should have a website devoted to my "Pinterest fails." It was still fun to laugh about. It always starts out as a great idea and then goes terribly wrong. Wreaths, calendars, pictures, you name it- I have brought it to a craft party so excited and left with something to throw away the next day.

Trying has to count for something, right?

I Don't Need a Baby to Believe

I am all about a baby. In fact, I am ready for it. Waiting.

Only question is will I believe with no baby? God has proved he's active and living in our life. I don't have to look far.

Healing of Cancer.

Breaking of my hard heart.

Birthing of a desire for change.

I made a mistake about 7 months into this journey where I found myself abandoning part of God's plan when I found a backup plan that made sense to me.

You see, I didn't abandon THE plan. I just abandoned the part of the plan I found a replacement for.

I will not repeat this heartbreaking mistake. I will lose all I have to not repeat this.

I am tired of the world I became comfortable in. It was built around the wisdom of man that was bound to fail.

Are you making your love for God and desire for him conditional on something you are asking him to do?

In my prayer journal I pray by the ACTS method. The last one is supplication. I ask God to do all kinds of things. The first being for us to have a baby. Multiple babies at that.

Right now I can see those babies. My latest pictures are two girls. Curly brown hair for one and blonde for the other. I want a replica of their mom. I pray their hearts are broken for God now. Before we ever know them.

I only get to ask God to do things after I have given him adoration, after I have confessed my sins, after I have thanked him for all that he has already done.

My requests are known to God. Maybe my biggest request should be for his plan. Not mine.

Josh

It's a wonderful life

It's A Wonderful Life

One of my favorite movies is It's a Wonderful Life. Our church gave out devotionals to our families and we watched It's a Wonderful Life this past week. There are so many lessons to be learned in this movie, but there were a few that stuck out to me this time.

Thanks and Giving

Are You Thankful? Then give!

What are the holidays made of? As I have pondered this question, I have come up with two words- Thanks and giving. We are to be thankful and we are to be giving. It is actually out of my thankfulness that I am drawn to give. I think the two go hand in hand. If I am truly thankful, my heart will want to give.

Here we are on Thanksgiving Day. Our first "Black Thursday/Friday" shopping experience.

I Hate to Give! (Not Really...)

Are you a giver? Well, I have a confession. I am not one. Not at all, actually. I truly believe the classic question to see if you are a giver or not is to ask yourself what you would do if you won the lottery. My first thought is always to tithe, go on an amazing vacation, to set up college funds for our kids, and to save enough money to have a wonderful retirement. What is left over, we could give to a charity and/or to our families. The giving comes after taking care of myself. My husband is the true definition of a giver. He always says, if I win the lottery, I want to give however many million dollars to our church or to CCS, to a charity, etc... Let's just say that isn't my first thought...ha ha:) I LOVE his heart.

A Cancer Patient and Her Dog

A Toddler and His Dog

A few weeks ago, a picture of a little boy and a dog went viral, as the dog would take naps with this toddler. People all over the world "oohed and ahhed" over these precious pictures. I, too, have some precious pictures of my dog that leave me breathless.

Why Auburn's upset of #1 Alabama gives me hope of my own upset.

This post is by Josh. Aly's husband. Bella's dad.

Below you will find a post that I wrote for fullydevotedfamily.com. You can either click HERE and read the original post with a really cool picture or you can scroll down and read the post right here.

As a sports guy I get so much joy from seeing the upset. Saturday night was no exception.

Saturday night the University of Auburn played the University of Alabama in a matchup of the #1 and #4 ranked teams in the nation. More importantly than that was at stake the 78th Iron Bowl.

The state of Alabama was at war over football. We are talking about the tree poisoning kind of war that can only take place over football.

In what is sure to be one of the greatest endings to happen since the band came on the field with :01 second left Auburn had a chance at the unbelievable. You see, Alabama and Nick Saban had rushed out to a 21-7 lead in the 2nd quarter. With just seconds left in the game Auburn had tied the score at 28-28. Alabama had the ball and chose to kick a field goal to win the game.

Auburn was staring in the face of their impossible, their upset. Once chance left and little did they know that :01 second was plenty of time for the impossible. Alabama kicked the field goal and it came up short but you see Auburn had a guy waiting just in case that happened. Chris Davis #11 caught the ball at the back of his end zone and proceeded to go 108 yards all the way down the field with no time left to pull off the impossible and beat the #1 Crimson Tide.

Last year Auburn was a dumpster fire and fired their head coach. Just 12 months ago this was their impossible. Today they wake up having accomplished their upset.

As I watched the replays what hit me is this, what is my impossible? What is my upset?

I can define that for you. My upset would be staying the course. My  upset would be staring in the face of all the desires I battle to creep back into the worldly desires to follow money and achievement. My impossible is to keep God as my quest.

The question is, will I be like Gus Malzahn and make my plan. See, going into last night Auburn wasn’t supposed to beat Alabama. The odds were strongly against them. Gus Malzahn, the coach of Auburn had told his team leading into the game to just make it a 4 quarter game. Which means let’s give ourselves a shot to win in the 4th quarter.

Give themselves a shot is what they did and what happened? Their upset happened.

I love sports and I love the underdog. What is even more exciting is that spiritually my impossible in this world places me as the underdog! Can you imagine what the celebration will be when I accomplish my upset?

If you think the Auburn fans had a party can you imagine what awaits spiritual winners?

For the brave: Share below what is your spiritual upset? Not just to follow God, but what will be your obstacles. I look forward to the discussion.