God Provides!

Wow! What an amazing past two weeks I have had...really just the end of this past week, specifically Friday. However, during the past two weeks I have been really at peace with my life. Even though in the past two weeks I never had any sub jobs. I would check online at night, I would wake up early (not on purpose) to check online in the AM and nothing. I would end up waking up at 9AM or later and realize that the sub system had not called me for that day. I would always be happy, but at the same time frustrated because I need the money and I would ask God, "What in the heck, why am I not working today, you know I need the money!" But then after that throughout the day I would just thank God for the time to get things done that I have been needing to catch up on etc.

So just this past week I was telling a friend on Thursday night that my week has been great and that I had been soooooo peaceful and not understanding it. Obviously this is the peace that passes all understanding that the Lord had put in me. I was thinking to myself, "I should be frustrated, I should be sad, worried, whatever because I am not making extra money since I haven't had any sub jobs" but the peace just continued and I wasn't any of those things I listed above. Okay, frustrated at times, absolutely, but the peace came just as quick as lightning. It wasn't until Sunday when I was talking with a friend that I realized why I was having this great sense of peace!! Here is the story leading up to Sunday:

I have been praying for God to provide and putting all of my trust in faith in Him more in the past few weeks than ever before. There was nothing left that I could do that would help the situation but to put all my faith and trust in God. So that is what I did. When i started nannying, I knew eventually that I would nanny full-time because Janelle, the mom, was looking for a full-time job, it was just a matter of time. I was praying for her job situation as well as my own situation, knowing that God would provide for both of us. God did amazing things in the past 3 weeks. 3 weeks ago Janelle had a phone interview, the following week a face-to-face interview, and then she had to present to the interviewers. Man, what a process. She presented this past Thursday and got a call Friday saying she got the job. She came home so excited and told me about it and that she starts her new job Friday the 20th, which means that is when I start nannying full-time. Monday the 23rd starts my first full week! I was soooooo pumped to hear that. No more waiting in the AM's for the sub system to call anymore (that was only two days a week, but still).

Oh but wait, it gets better...so I have been struggling financially and have been very open with Janelle about this and as we are talking about her new job she asked me if I wanted to move in with them. I was shocked, but of course sooooo excited! I told her I would think about it and pray about it but of course I was too excited and knew right away that this was totally a God thing that he is providing a less expensive place for me to live! Wow! God totally blew me away this weekend! I couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend, I am so pumped about this and not sure if I have been this excited about anything in a super long time!!! So, in 30 days I will become a "live-in nanny"!!! I CANNOT WAIT! I even have my own private entrance through the garage and the whole basement with a private bedroom/full bathroom, and kichenette with a refrigerator and sink. This is more than I could have ever imagined. Just like it is written in Ephesians 3:20!

Below are pictures of the two older girls, Claire is in the top picture, she is 7 and in 1st grade. Ella is below that, she is 4 1/2.


So Sunday when I am talking to my friend we both realize that this peace is because God knew that all of this would happen on Friday and that I would be relieved from all the previous stress and worry. So He was preparing me for these exciting upcoming events!! :)

I am so blessed to have this opportunity with this amazing beautiful family! They are such fun people to be around, easy going, easy to talk to, and I am so excited to be a part of their family!

Below are pictures of the three girls before we left for the library one Friday and on the right is Avery, 16 mo on her "stage" dancing away!

Ella, Claire, Avery

Thank you Lord for bringing them into my life. If you are doubting that God will provide for your situation. Read through my testimony again or ask me more details and I will give you all the details. I have waited for many months for a big break through to happen and God has shown his goodness and favor to me and I am forever grateful.

Faith vs. Fear

My friend Alicia did a great talk on Thursday night at Immersion and I wanted to share the highlights and what God spoke to me through her talk and the many things he reminded me of.

God reminded me to continue to take risks. Take risks in all areas of life. Kids are not afraid to take risks, they are not afraid to walk on those "walls" or "curbs". They reach out and grab the hand of the adult walking near them. The adult is comfort to them and guides them along. I love how Alicia parallelled this to us as adults. We so often don't take risks because we are too busy, but more often because we are afraid. We are afraid to step up on those "walls". But, the great thing is like a parent who will guide a child and walk next to them while on the curb, God will hold our hand and walk next to us. When he calls us to step on the walls, He will walk with us through it.

Alicia also talked about 2 Timothy 1:7. It says, "God did not give us the spirit of fear but of power, love and self-control. This verse has been huge for me for many years! She reminded us that faith and fear cannot coexist. Fear is NOT from God! I am so thankful to be remnded about that because sometimes i live in so much fear there is no room for faith and then i miss out on things. Like with my financial struggles right now. I have so much fear from time to time that there is no room for me to have faith that God will provide like He promises. But God does promise so I need to rebuke that fear and believe and have faith. God gives us the power, love, and self-control. We need to focus on that when we are struggling instead of allowing the enemy to let us beleive the lies and fear he has installed in us. I am so thankful for these reminders. It is not easy in these storms but with God all things are possible.

Both of these things that Alicia talked about on Thursday night totally prepared me for Pastor Mike's sermon this week on Jesus calming the storm. Basically it's Faith vs. Fear. How much faith do we have? Do we have enough faith to get up on that curb and allow God to grab our hand and guide us through the storms we are going through? Think about that for yourself. Or...are you afraid? Well like 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God did not give us the spirit of fear"...that is because fear is not from God. Faith and fear cannot live in the same place. They are like oil and water, they butt heads. So think of the areas of fear in your life right now and give them to God. Have faith that he promises to be with you through the storms and calm the storms. It doesn't mean he will calm the storms immediately but he will calm them. Ask God to show you why you are in this season of storms and what He wants you to learn from them.

I did this a couple nights ago. I prayed, "Show me Lord why I am in this season, but more importantly what lesson do you want me to learn from this." This is what I felt he was speaking to me:

"This is part of the slowing down, you can't do much without money. I am teaching you to be okay with being at home relaxing. I am teaching you how to say 'no' to things. I am teaching you how to be financially smart and not spend 'my' money foolishly."

WOW! some of those things aren't easy to hear. But I have been asking the Lord to show me for a long time how to say 'no' to things and slow down because I am always running, always filling my time and having to be busy. I have been asking Him to help me be more devoted to Him. With slowing down and making even just 5 minutes, which generally turns into at least ten, I get that time with him. The ten minutes is refreshing and a lot can get accomplished especially when done in the middle of the day when my kiddos that I nanny are at school or napping. It reenergizes me for the rest of the day and then I feel great. I continue to encourage all of my readers to just take a simple 5 minutes to stop, don't journal, don't do anything, but be, just be still in the presence of God. It's amazing what he can speak to you or what you start to pray about when you aren't consciously trying. Hope you all had a great weekend and that this encourages you for this new week to come!