So many blessings!

Where do I begin? Well, I have had so many blessings within the past week during some really tough and trying times. Financially I am struggling and I have been praying to God that he would provide for me. At times I am very positive thinking, "I totally trust that God has this under control even though it seems as though I am running completely out of money and won't be able to pay bills or that every dime I do make will go to bills." Then I have other days that are really bad and I think, "I can't even believe this, do I trust God? Is he really going to provide? I am not seeing any results!

During the past two weeks God has totally shown up!!! Days are still tough and I still have doubts every now and then but I know those doubts don't come from God so I try to put those behind me and just trust in God's word and truth.

In December God totally blessed me with an amazing family to nanny for. I started in the beginning of January. This amazing family has three beautiful young girls: 16 mo., 4 1/2, and 7. It is amazing to be with the kids and even to be able to just "be" a part of their family and talk with the mom when she gets home etc. That was the first blessing among the several that have just popped up this week. I only started with 2 days a week and now it is up to 3. God is so good like that. Eventually it will go full-time when the mom finds a full-time job so until then I will nanny for those 3 days, work starbucks at night and on the weekends and sub on my off days from nannying! This family has blessed me so much already!

On Thursday I went out with some friends after Immersion like I always do. I didn't want to bring up this tough financial situation because I figured only super close friends need to know about it but it came up anyway some how. I didn't go into a lot of detail. I was getting ready to leave and was digging in my person for something and see some money in my purse. It was a large amount and I couldn't even believe it. I was shocked. I was actually overwhelmed and wanted to thank whoever put it there. Then I realized that it basically came from God because He must have laid it on someone's heart to do that. But I was just shocked and so thankful that I have such amazing friends. I honestly couldn't even believe it. God knew I needed it and came through again for me.

Three days later I am at a bowling alley with some friends celebrating another friend's b-day. I am walking in the bowling alley and look down and see this wadded up $10 bill. I looked at it in disbelief that it was actually right there in front of me and I think I even thought it was just a buck at first (maybe in denial...who knows haha). So I picked it up, put it in my pocket, and went to ask two of my friends if they thought I should turn it in to see if anyone claims it. I wasn't sure how that would really work. Anyway, I told my friends that I felt like God said, "Pick it up, it's for you." Totally cool!!! Again, I couldn't even believe it!

So the last thing that was totally a blessing to me happened today! I went to get my oil changed with the full expectations of paying for it (obviously). But I had remembered at one point them telling me that my first two oil changes were free since this was a brand new car. But when I called and asked the lady how much the second oil change was she didn't even hesitate and told me the amount. She didn't ask what kind of car or anything. So I get to Toyota today and am waiting for the guy to come up to the window. He comes up and asks me if I want my tires rotated too. I asked how much and he said $20. I said, well, I only have 10,000 miles on my car so probably not today. He said, "Oh, this is an '08 isn't it?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Well, your oil change and tire rotation are free because it's your second one." I was shocked. I was soooooo excited!!! I had been putting off the oil change because it cost money but knew I needed to get it done soon and didn't want to wait any longer. Today was the only day I had time this week.

God is good! I am so blessed for these events that have occurred over the past month, but more specifically in the past week. God does provide! He will answer your prayers! Just keep putting your trust in Him and taking time to listen and talk to Him. That is what he is longing for from you! I pray that God blesses each and everyone one of you today, this month and all year! Keep your faith and hope in Him!!! Thank you Lord for these blessings.

5 minutes

Wow! I started this blog in September, wrote through the end of October and finally back on. It's been a crazy journey during these past few months...too many things to update on so....I am going to update you on my latest discovery!

5 minutes is all it takes to slow yourself down. At least for me that's all it has taken. I was talking with my accountability partner on Sunday night and trying to figure out how I can be more faithful with reading the Bible and have intentional time with God. As we discussed this we came to the conclusion that I have too many expectations of what I want my "intentional time with God" to look like. Therefore, each week that I don't do what I wanted to get done, I get disappointed with myself because I don't accomplish it. We continued to discuss this and she ended up suggesting that I just sit for 5 minutes and do nothing. I responded like this: "Do nothing for 5 minutes, yeah right, I can't sit for 5 minutes and do nothing." She said, "Well how about start with 3 then." I said, "No, I can do 5." I think that was her point exactly. Another thing I have been struggling with is just slowing down and being too busy, always filling my time with something. I don't know if I think that makes me feel important or what, but it was making me tired and unproductive.

Soooooo, this week I set a goal of sitting for 5 minutes literally doing nothing. I started the minute I got off the phone with my accountability partner. I was pumped for this week to start and to try this. I had faith in myself. I believed that I could do it and that it was an attainable goal. So, I was sitting on my bed, looking at the amazing painting of Jesus (named freedom) that hangs on my wall at the foot of my bed, painted by Bill Butler. I turned my phone over after looking at the starting time so I wouldn't be tempted to constantly look at it throughout this small amount of time of 5 minutes. I closed my eyes and wasn't thinking about much. It was so peaceful and calm. I totally felt the Lord saying to me, "You are free." Funny how that painting is called freedom (but at the time i didn't even think about that, it wasn't until i was journaling later that night that I had remembered that). And...the 5 minutes actually turned into 8 by the time I felt ready to look at my clock. WOW I thought, that was way easier than i thought. I could have even stayed sitting there so much longer.

I have continued this 5 minutes throughout the week and consistently it has turned into 7 or 8 minutes and even 10 minutes one day. This is amazing to me that I can sit and do nothing when I have always been someone who needs to/wants to be busy, for what reason you may ask, i have no clue. But i wish someone would have given me this strategy sooner. But I guess God knew when I needed it and this was definately the week for that!

I know that God commands us to "Be Still and know that He is God" but for some reason, I never knew how to "be still". I mean of course at times I did but more often than not I would run from one activity to the next.

This "5 minutes" has taught me many things. It has taught me to have less expectations of myself, not want to be in a hurry to get things done, less rushing, and be on the run all the time or filling my empty time with activities. The cool thing about not filling my time with activities is that I had 3 hours this evening before I have to go to Immersion. I was thinking, what in the world am I going to do in those 3 hours. God told me to rest, to do nothing. I had thought about going to the Blitz, but is that really what I want to do or do I just want the free food and to fill my time? Of course I want to learn about what they are studying but my initial motives are probably not right AND I don't need to fill all my empty time.

This "5 minutes" has also given me lots of opportunities to rest this week, and I have taken them!!! This is an amazing concept to me. To some you may already know how to do this but for me it is a new concept. Okay, well not a "new" concept in the fact that I just learned that people actually take quiet time and just time to rest, but new in the fact of how to do it and of me actually doing it. I have actually been productive this week and not rushed. I am not overly stressed about things I should be stressed about and not feeling too bogged down with activities.

What an amazing concept...LOL It's all about a matter of slowing down the body and mind. It's about saying no and be okay being alone, having quiet time or just doing nothing and not feeling guilty for doing nothing or like you have to be doing something. It's amazing and has changed my life already and I hope you will look at your life and slow down and be still long enough to hear what God is trying to speak to you. I have several busy work weeks ahead of me and I definately feel like God is slowing me down, preparing me and teaching me how to rest now so in the midst of those busy times i know how to rest. I pray that you take some time this week to rest as well and not be so busy in this world that tells us being busy is what makes us successful!