~Daniel and the Lions Den~

Faithfulness: 

Is choosing daily to follow God,

regardless of our circumstances. 

Today, I spent ALOT of time at church between two services and biblestudy...

so I have alot to think about for the upcoming week but I wanted to share something that really popped out to me today....It was a simple story about

 "Daniel and the Lions Den".

The childhood story is told over and over again in christianity and I think we overlook the 

"kid stories" and don't pay attention to the message that is being said;

 since we have heard them countless times.

(so here is tiny tidbits of the story.....If you want you can go here and read the whole story)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%206&version=NIV

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10.Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

This passage really stuck out to me because Daniel didn't do anything out of the ordinary. 

In this time it was custom to have your windows open toward Jerusalem, He was doing exactly what he had always done, 3 times a day down on his knees in prayer. Daniel didn't close his windows in fear, he didn't pray 3 times a day because he wanted to prove he was holier than the rest....he simply did what God asks of us and that is to steadily follow him regardless of what the circumstances around us. Daniel prayed in pure faith....If he wouldn't have prayed he wouldn't have needed to ask God for help because he wouldn't have been thrown into the den. 

Are we faithful with our prayers to God even when the consequences 

seam hopeless? 

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25.Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: 

"May you prosper greatly!

26.I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. 

"For he is the living God and he endures forever; 

his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.

27.He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders

in the heavens and on the earth. 

He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."  

If you've read the story you know about Daniel getting thrown into the lions den and God saving him from the mouths of the lions. Sometimes God works in ways we don't understand at first....we think we KNOW the plan and we think that we can outsmart him. God didn't save daniel from the lions den, he helped daniel through it so that through Daniel all nations and people would learn to know that "Daniels God" is the one and true God. Sometimes we have to go through ruff patches in our life, and God WILL be there to help us and provide us the safety that we need....and through our struggles may our faith be apparent so that Gods compassion and love will shine through us. 

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If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to message me

 have a great monday morning!!!!! :) 

#42-going to the movies

#43-new pillow shams made 

#44-the quiet, still....silence

{worry}

Do not be afraid, little flock,

 for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. 

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, 

a treasure in heaven that will never fail, 

where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Luke 12:32-34

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Here lately I have been catching myself worrying....alot! Granted, to me they are valid things to worry about but....what I constantly have to keep reminding myself is that God is in control.

He has control over every aspect of my life wither it is something huge or something small.

I have never been a worrier....I always go with the flow, it takes alot for something to upset me...and generally I have alot of peace in my life(only by the grace of God). But, I suppose that sometimes in life God gives us challenges and trials to see how we will react to those situations and to test us and make us stronger. We should be mindfull of our problems and trials and bring them to God with our hearts wide open.

 BUT: 

Worrying will not effect anything, it won't add more power to the prayers; It won't make us feel better; It won't add time to our life; It won't "Fix" our problems.....

My heart has ached so badly sometimes because I just want to "fix" what is broken and for life to be back to the normal carefree times....but, through alot of prayer...God has given me a spirit of peace. His hand is over every aspect of my life, so why am I second guessing that? He made the whole earth and everything in it...and i'm worried about him not "having a plan??". He hears our cries and he blesses those who run after him. As long as I stay in his word and follow after him with my whole heart, he will bless me and those around me....Our God is a God of healing, peace and comfort. Whenever I am faced in a time of worry....I always quote quietly to myself...

"All I have need of his hand will provide, He's always been faithful to me"

No matter what has happened in my life....he has provided for me...he has always been there even when I went astray..he always has been a provider over my life. So in times of worry and doubt I try to think about all the things he has blessed me with and how he hasn't failed me yet....

he IS the God of provision and faithfulness. 

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#39-Gods provision 

#40-Tomato, Fetta and Cucumber salad

#41-Being able to reach family members with push of a button  

Currently

Listening too: A Thousand Years- Christina Perri 

Craving: Cottage Cheese, haha weird I know, but I havn't had it in a LONG time 

Thinking about: All my little projects that I have been putting off....i'm looking forward to doing them, I just hate starting a job and not having enough free days in a row 

to finish it. :) 

Reading: Just the bible as of now...I have to order another biography to start in on. 

Wanting(not to be mistaken with needing):

New Raybans 

Feeling: Very content and happy, I really have been blessed with a wonderful life....I don't deserve anything I have. Very very greatful. 

"all I have need of his hand will provide

he's always been faithful to me." 

Wearing: Comfy tshirt and shorts

Anticipating: Summer!!!! Being able to be in the sun and water....shorts, messy hair, little makeup and grilling, 

I'm very very ready! 

Dreading: Waking up at 6am...mornings are not really my friend, a runby starbucks and multiple cups of coffee at home should make me civil. :) 

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#36-meeting international friends 

#37-a scrubbing bubbles clean bathtub 

#38-enjoying the comforting sounds of a symphony  

vday

~HAPPY VDAY~

It was such a good day yesterday!!

I had a really busy day at work....for which I am VERY thankful! 

I ended my workday at 8pm and went home to change then rushed into Dallas. 

The singles ministry at my church put on a bowling event for valentines day, haha I suppose so the lonely of us don't feel sad at vday! Luckily we had some friends show up so we had a team put together right away! :) 

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#33-Tulips 

#34-My black rimmed glasses  

#35-wearing red on fridays to support Februarys heart healthy month

sunday struggles

Lets just say that this sunday morning was a little harder than most for me, 

the devil was defiantly trying to work against me on getting myself to church. 

It started, with me remembering I left my straighter at a friends house the week prior. No big deal I thought...I would run up to work to grab my professional one.. long story short I wasn't able to get mine so a lovely coworker that happened to be up there at the time  let me borrow hers(praise the lord)....so I went home and fixed my nappy hair...with plenty of time to spare. I left a little early so I could make my starbucks run, Now this whole week I have been off coffee, WHICH I might add is a HUGE thing! I normally drink about 6-8 cups a morning, and generally drink it all throughout the day....so after waiting 20mins in the starbucks line...I finely...groggily accept my hot tea and drive off. A little miffed that I couldn't order my black cup of coffee.. STILL plenty of time to get to church. Once I got to the parkinglot of church it was a different issue....I spent ANOTHER 30minutes trying to find a parking spot. At last I found one on the 5th story of the parking garage....by this time I was 20minutes late for the service and was debating not walking in at all....after all I missed all the music and singing. BUT, instead I head inside and keep reminding myself that I am there to worship God and not for my own gain. As I sit down the paster says..."and today our lesson is on parenting"....OHHH GEESH, I went through all this heck this morning to listen to a message that does not pertain to me whatsoever at all. But, yet I keep my mind open...reminding myself over and over that is to worship him. 

Through the crazy morning and all the frustrations that occurred.... the pastor did speak on parenting..and even though I am not a parent I learned ALOT about what it looks like to be a Godly parent and how important it is to set a Godly example in our home and not to leave the "teaching" up to the once a week church service but practice it in everyday life. Even though i'm in the stage of life before kids, I feel like I can still prepare for that day and get my heart ready for when that day will come. I LOVE this passage from deuteronomy that he spoke on......

Hear, O Isreal: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and 

with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on

your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

I have a long time to go til parenting but if I can work on my own life now and focus on Gods word 

like it says in the passage and meditate on it day and night and keep it with me wherever I go....that will give my kids that much more promise someday whenever I am needing to equip them with the knowledge that they will need to know. God gave us kids as a blessing....they are from him and he is entrusting us that we will guide the next generation in the ways they should go. 

"Your children will not always follow what you say, but they will follow after what you do." 

So whenever you have one those sunday mornings....or perhaps a morning where you want to push the snooze button a couple extra times...just think about how much the devil is not wanting you to attend and how Gods glory will be shown no matter what the subject of the message is....there is always truth for everyone. :) 

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#30-blue goose atmosphere 

#31-windows down...sun shining in...pure joy 

#32-meeting WONDERFUL new girlfriends here in dallas 

RECAP 2-9-13

Recap of the week!!! 

Alot alot alot has happened this week and I've been 

either super busy or else deathly ill, thus why I havn't gotten on here! :) 

I'll update you with a couple photos....

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Babysitting my niece and nephews as we wait for their sweet little sister Eloise to
come into the world! :) 

Sweet Eloise Claire Arrived  

She will have longer fingers than her aunt by the time she's 2. :) 

The sickness sets in...THANKFULLY it waiting til I came back home 

and wasn't around all the babies. 

Advocare Lunch....Delicious :) 

I got a letter from my little girl that I sponsor..GREAT treat 

while I was sick!!! 

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#27-kiwis 

#28-the clean fresh smell of bleach 

#29-water bottles(sometimes its just easier) 

Advocare: Day 1

I will start off saying that I am NOT a big fan of "dieting gimmicks". 

I never do anything that consists of me drinking shakes or crazy things like that because 

I feel like once you get off that certain diet you will gain the weight right back whenever you 

start eating normal food again, lets admit it we can't drink that nasty so called chocolate 

flavored drink for the rest of our lives. 

I've lost 26lbs so far of which I am very proud of...it has been a slow weightloss with 

eating better and exercise  which I think is the healthiest way to loose weight.

 I still have 14lbs left to go and the last 14 I will say are not wanting to come off. Sooo  I had a friend tell me about advocare and their 10day cleanse which jumpstarts your healthier lifestyle! 

It consists of 3 things you take on a schedule for 10days, one is a fiber drink that you take some mornings in collaboration with your breakfast, than you have a multi vitamin you take before you go to bed, and lastly a probiotic you take some mornings. 

This has been day 1 of the cleanse and besides me having the flu on top of it....

 it actually hasn't been that bad!! 

Just mild headaches from my lack of coffee drinking, but i'm very excited to jumpstart 

my weightloss again and get this last 14 OFF for good! :) I weighed this morning and measured so 

I will post the results once the 10days are completed!! :) 

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#24-being able to take off work

#25-NyQuil 

#26-Getting to see my new niece this past weekend...Eloise Claire