My goal...

I don't know about you, but I have not been under attack by the enemy this intensely since sometime around May and June of last year. If you look back, you'll see that I was in quite a funk a lot (but not all) of the time those months. What is it with May and June anyway? I mean, it's supposed to be winter went we get all funky and depressed. Not summer.

Oh, well. I wouldn't exactly say that I'm depressed. No, that's not quite right. It's more like overwhelmed. Yeah, that's it. Like I said yesterday, my happiness may be influenced by my circumstances, but my joy is not. That comes from the LORD, and no one... most especially, the enemy, can ever take that away from me.

I do have to wander down a little bunny trail, though, if you would be so gracious as to allow me a little creative latitude...

Last year at this time, God was asking us to trust Him and take the steps of faith necessary to MOVE forward in this process of adoption. Of course, then, the enemy was fighting hard. Why wouldn't he? After all, why would he want us to be successful in following God's call or in bringing a child into our lives to love, nurture, and raise to follow HIM?

So, why is he fighting so hard now, when we are just waiting? We're not doing anything specific. I have to wonder, though, what might God be doing in the background right now that we don't even know about? I'm not saying anything is going to happen soon. I'm just letting my mind wander a little...

Hmmm.....

Back to the subject.

Overwhelmed with life and class. Well, more class than life, but it kinda all jumbles up together.

As soon as I get a split nanosecond to breathe, it's time to start another assignment and to think about the huge project that is due all too soon.

I do have a goal, though. I am determined that I am going to make it through the next 5 weeks and 5 days of class having maintained:

1. my weight (not *even* gonna try to lose any)
2. my sanity
3. my integrity

and

to have GROWN in some way in my relationship with God through what I learn.

I would really appreciate it if y'all would pray for me to that end. Thanks so much for your friendships. It really does mean a lot!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

Urgent prayer request for a friend...

Friends,

Please visit Amanda at A Proud Mommy of Four



and be in prayer for her and her family. Amanda fears that she may be miscarrying the child she is currently pregnant with.



Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

Gavin to the hospital - URGENT!!!

In case you don't catch it on my other blog, please be in prayer for Gavin. He has been taken to the hospital for internal bleeding!

Pray...

Although it was unintentional, I must confess that I have neglected passing on those in need of prayer this last little while. I know that Stellan is currently in the hospital with a serious increase in heart rate and there are many others. Would you please join me in committing a few minutes today to lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ? I have included several links here. Please feel free to email me at ccdt_hisheart@yahoo.com with any others you know of...

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

It resonates...

Oh, my goodness it resonates! I TOTALLY have goose bumps everywhere right now!

As I read this post by Angie Smith this morning, I just kept thinking, this resonates with me, this resonates with me. And then, wouldn't you know it, at the end of her post, she says, "This is a weighty post, and I hope there is some part of it that resonated with you and, if nothing else, showed you that you are not alone." I mean, she used the exact word that was jumping around my brain long before I ever got to the paragraph where she typed it!

Me, Me, (jumping up and down and raising both hands), this resonates with me!!!

Isn't God awesome!

You know, I feel like I am constantly sending you all off someplace else to pray for someone or to read a really neat post list this. I guess that just means that I am still in the middle. Have any of you been around my place long enough to have known that about me? Well, now-a-days, I'm much happier being in the middle than I used to be. I think I've found that it's quite a nice place to be and that I'm good at what I do here. In the middle, that is.

Sooooooooooooo.................

Hop on over to Angie's place and read what she is thinking 'cause it totally resonates with me and I couldn't have said it better myself!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

So many in need of prayer today...

Please visit The Body of Christ and pray for those in need.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

A Time for Healing... and a Place called Peace...

...grab a blanket and your cup of coffee (or diet coke, in my case ;-)) and settle in on a comfy couch. This might take a little while.

It usually does when God begins to stir some deep thoughts in my soul...

Recently, a person that I see almost every day, excluding the weekends, mentioned to me she thought that "this time" in my life has been one that was necessary for healing. Of course, "this time" that she was referring to is a very long story that can best be summed up by the statement: "You just had to be there." I do agree with her, though, on this front and many others. I mean, we all have our baggage, don't we? We all need healing in some area of our lives, don't we?

I know, I do! MS. Infertility. Personal struggles that affect me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Praise God that HE is the ultimate healer and that HE has been in the healing business since Adam & Eve first messed things up. Truly, folks, that's where it all started. Work. Pain. Sickness. Sorrow. Suffering. Sadness.

But, it doesn't. have. to. be. that. way! And one day, ALL will be restored when we meet our Savior in heaven.

For now, though, we have to make our way through the circumstances we face in this sin-sick world. Whether self-imposed or otherwise, we must make our way to the lover of our souls.

By the way, I LOVE that song. Have you ever heard it? If you haven't (and even if you have :-)), feel free to scroll down to my playlist. It is the first one on there now. This song is taken directly from the Psalmist's words in Scripture:

Psalms 40:1-5
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction,
out of the miry clay.
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud,
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders which You have done.
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

AMAZING, isn't He!

He's been speaking to me. And not only about me. He's confirmed some things about YOU and the role you have in my life, too. :-)

I've been reading in my ONE YEAR Bible, The Living Bible (LOVE that version), and the other day... well, actually the 16th, I read the story in Mark 2 about the paralyzed man who was lowered by his friends through the roof so they could get him to Jesus to be healed. I've heard the story many times in my Christian school educated, church attending life, but somehow, the Holy Spirit gave me a different focus this time. Specifically in verse 5 where it says, "When Jesus saw how strongly they believed that he would help, Jesus said to the sick man, 'Son your sins are forgiven!'"

Did you catch that?

It doesn't say that the paralyzed man believed. It says that his friends believed.

What an amazing way to invest in the lives of friends with both faith and action!

I feel that way about all of you. Whether you are next door, in the next state, on the other side of the country or the other side of the world, so many of you have invested in my life through your faith and prayers on my behalf.

You have helped me to grow my faith!

Thank you for that. I am definitely not the person I used to be, which can only be attributed to two things: One ~ First and foremost, the grace of God. There is no other explanation for it because it is certainly not anything I have done. And Two ~ the faith, intercession, and vulnerability of you, the body of Christ.

Yes, I said vulnerability...

vulnerability to share your lives and your battles. Sometimes, when I am struggling, it has helped me to put my life into perspective to see that others are struggling too and that maybe, just maybe, my problems aren't as bad as I thought. I know, kind of backwards, but it has helped.

In a real way. It has helped me to adjust and conform to the molding of my heavenly Father as He fine tunes me to be what He created in the first place. It has helped me to stop fighting and to stop trying to shove my square plan into His perfect circle. Yep. I've tried that, and it just doesn't fit.

Now, I know that none of this means my journey will magically end or that happily ever after will start with this weekend... or next, but I do know that I am in a good place right now. A place that I haven't been in quite a long time. A place called peace.

And it feels good.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

Hi/Lo Thursday!

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and for a chance to win $100.

Ok, this is a new one for me, but I'll give it a try. ;-)

Our HIGHS:
It's been such a good week. Can I pick just one? I guess I would have to say that my absolute highEST HIGH this week was having 7 of the people closest to me praying me through what I expected to be a very difficult adoption event. I could literally FEEL their prayers covering me ~*C~H~I~L~L~S*~ right now just thinking about it.

A close second in the HIGH category would have to be that the event I was so nervous about was much better than I expected and nowhere near as bad as I expected.

Our LOWS:
This is even harder to think of. At least this week. I am usually a pessimist, but I have asked God for a new attitude this week. Especially in the area of our adoption process. Boy, has HE delivered. It's like He said, "New attitude? Coming right up!"

Anyway, my LOWest point this week was coming home from church Sunday morning, checking Cora's blog, and learning that she had passed away. I have been so burdened recently to pray for others, and I have been praying especially hard for Cora and her family. I was not expecting to see that news, and all I could do was just cry and ask God for her family to have peace.

Now, it's your turn.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Pray for me... Pray for others...

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request.

Also, please stop over to The Body of Christ to pray for some of the requests there.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

I wanted to draw your attention...

to the new button on the left side of my blog.



After I began my new blog as a way of letting my readers know of others in need of prayer, a very sweet blog friend listened to what could have only been the prompting of the Holy Spirit and created this button for me.

THIS, my friends is what the real body of Christ is all about. Lifting each other up and loving others as Christ first loved us.

Thank you, friend. You know who you are. May God bless you for creating this tool for others to hear of those in need.

Now, everyone... please go, Grab My Button, & PRAY!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Not "Wii" Monday!

Welcome back to Not Me! Monday! the free therapy blog carnival created by MckMama. After you finish here, make sure to hop on over to her place to see what she and everyone else have not been doing this week!


This week, I did not debut a brand new blog for the purpose of passing along prayer needs when I come across them. I do not hope that all of you will become followers so that you, too, can join in interceding for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have not felt incredibly burdened recently to pray for Abby, Kayleigh, sweet little Cora, and others. In fact, it would not have been me who cried when I came home from church on Sunday to learn that Cora had passed away. Nope! Not me! I did not shed even one tear.

On Saturday, I did not enjoy the beautiful weather very much! I do not think that spring is just around the corner, and I am not SO ready for it. I do not find winter very depressing, at times.

That evening, we did not have friends over for dinner, and they did not bring their 12 week old Shitzu puppy. If they had, Ben and Goldie really wouldn't have been so excited and welcoming to the little guy and they most certainly wouldn't have been depressed when their new friend left.


They just don't like other puppies. Nope. Not them.

It also was not midnight before our friends left. Come on. At our ages, we're definitely going to bed much earlier than that! There is just no way you would have caught us staying up that late! Nope. Not us!

Speaking of age, we did not get a new Wii and Wii fit with Christmas $$ this weekend, and it did not tell us that D.T.'s Wii age is younger than he actually is


and that my Wii age is. ahem. older than I actually am. Much older.



This is not depressing. To me, anyway. It did not also tell me that I am "unbalanced." And I am not saying, "No kidding!" Of course I'm unbalanced! I have MS! Regardless, we did not have a really good time! It was not addictive and even if it was, we wouldn't have played for almost 5 hours!!!


I am not totally exhausted. Nope. Not me. I am in much better shape than that.

Now, what is it that you have not done this week? Come on. You know you want to tell this spring lovin', late talkin', body achin', wii addicted bloggy friend all about it!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...



**Join us in prayer**

Baby Cora has gone home to be with Jesus

Please pray for her parents and the rest of the family.

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

Abby Riggs ***CRITICAL***

If you don't already receive updates as a follower at The Body of Christ, I wanted to make sure you knew that Abby Riggs is in very critical condition right now and needs your prayers more than ever. Please visit her family's site and let them know that you are interceding on their behalf.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Calling all followers...

Please stop over to my other blog, the Body of Christ, and pray for the many in need today.

Also, if you are not already a follower over there, please consider becoming one so that you can receive timely updates and pray for those in need.

If you have a need you would like to have posted, please leave a comment on today's post over there, or email me at ccdt_hisheart@yahoo.com

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

New blog...

I have been working on a new blog for some time now and just made it public today. Please stop by and use it as God leads you - both to pray for others and to share your needs. I will be praying for everyone who asks.

Here is the link: The Body of Christ

Thank you for being a special part of the family of believers.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Cora

Please continue to be praying for this beautiful little girl.


According to her mama' s blog, yesterday sounded like things were a little bit better, but she continues to need us to storm the gates of heaven on her behalf. Please pray like you've never prayed before.

Visit Cora and her family here and let them know you are praying for them.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Additional chance to win...

Maybe it's because I'm nice. Nah. It's more because I just got this really cool button ~ THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO much, Jill at Sneaky Momma!!!

And I wanted to show it off.

Feel free to grab it, if you like.

I was actually going to offer an extra chance to win my contest for grabbing my button. I say WAS because just as I was about to post this, I looked at my twitter updates and saw that Angie at Bring the Rain was asking for prayer for Cora, a baby girl whose family, less than one week ago, took her to the doctor for an ear infection and learned that Cora has stage 4 cancer that has spread throughout much of her body.

So, here's the deal. We are the body of Christ, and when one member of that body hurts, the WHOLE body must come alongside.

To that end, I will offer one additional chance in my contest, which ends this Friday, to anyone who posts about Cora on their blog. After you have done your post, please come back here and leave a comment telling me you did a post. Please, do NOT link to me in your post. Link to Cora.

She and her family need our prayers. Please bring her before our Father right now.

Before you do anything else.

Now, go, urge all your readers to do the same.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

I may just be...

a TOTAL freak, but I LOVE the song I just added to my playlist that I heard for the first time on the way in to work this AM!

Yes, it is from 2000, and I am just hearing it now.

Where was I???

Yes, it wasn't the most popular song at the time, but hey, I think it's awesome!!!

And yes, I'm gettin' old. I'll admit it, and I'm proud of it.

Here are the lyrics, which is what caught my attention. That and the catchy tune. Kind of reminds me a little of "We Are the World" from the 80's.

Yes. I am an 80's girl.

"Sheltering Trees"
Newsong (2000)
It's been said a friend is like a mighty sheltering tree
a place of refuge we can run when trouble comes for you and me
someone we can count on through the thick and thin
when the storms of life are blowing, there's
just nothing like a friend
(there's just nothing like a friend)

chorus:
We all need sheltering trees
Friends in our lives who'll get down on their knees
and lift us up before the king of kings
We all need sheltering trees

There've been days that I was sure that i couldn't make it through
Clouds of doubt came rolling in and i didn't know what i would do
I would've given in and said I just can't go on
if it hadn't been for a friend that helped me to be strong
(helped me to be strong)

chorus

bridge:
You can face the highest mountain and
the climb won't feel so high
or cross the darkest valley and it won't seem so wide
Nothing is impossible when a friend is by your side

chorus(2x)

If it's not already playing, be sure to scroll down to the bottom so that the player will start. Does anybody recognize any of the guest artists in the song??? Some are very famous now in Christian circles. No cheating. No google. Just your ears. At least two are VERY recognizable! :-)

More later.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Fire... ***UPDATE*** 5:15 p.m.

***UPDATE***

Please continue to pray for the family over at http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/. I don't even know their names, but came across a request this morning to pray for them and felt burdened to pass it on to other brothers and sisters in Christ who can also lift them up in prayer. I just checked the website again for any new details and discovered that one of their children, in the midst of the tragedy that has already happened, has been taken to the hospital and is in surgery for appendicitis. Needless to say, we need to cover this family in prayer. Please stop over to their site and continue to bring them before the Father.

******


If you happen by my blog today, please head on over to this family's blog and be in prayer for them. You can read the story there, but suffice it to say that they have lost everything they had in a fire just yesterday.

I am so grateful...

for the community of brothers and sisters in Christ that I have found through the medium of blogging. God is so amazing, and HE is more than able to use a human tool such as the Internet to mobilize His children to intercede on behalf of one another, to encourage each other, and to build each other up.

I want you to know that I am glad to have met you. Each of you. I am praying for so many of you. And I am thankful for the knowledge that many of you are praying for me.


The other week, D.T. and I were driving to church when we came to a crest in the hill. As we did, D.T. commented on our view of the mountains ahead...

The sky was clearer that day than we had ever seen before, revealing a second peak ~ a much larger peak ~ behind the one we were normally able to see. We had never noticed the second peak because the weather conditions had not been right for it to be visible.

This made me think about my life and the process of adoption we are going through. Like other things we have experienced and things that many of you may currently be experiencing, we can't always see the "bigger peaks" that lie ahead.

And that is probably a good thing. It just might not be the right time.

I think if I had known how hard the adoption process was going to be, I wouldn't have even bothered.

You see, I don't like pain. And I'm not very good at waiting. Or trusting. It's just not natural for me.

But I guess that's what the process of faith is about. Seeking God's face and then obeying the steps He shows us, even though we can't see the end of the journey. Walking towards the small peaks until God reveals the bigger ones ahead.

D.T. and I are continuing to walk by faith... and we are beginning to glimpse some bigger peaks ahead. As we do, I would selfishly ask that you continue to pray for us. I can't really share all the details, but we can all be assured that God knows every step of the journey.

I would also ask that you pray for several other brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling in some way on their journey right now...

Anne
Catherine
the Lamberths
Jon
and many others...

Perhaps you are struggling. Perhaps you need your brothers and sisters in Christ to hold you up too. Please allow me and others to bring you before our Father. Just leave a comment on this post. You can include as little or as much detail as you want. I commit that I will pray for you daily, and I hope that many others will as well.

I know this has been kind of random, but it has been on my heart for some time now.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...