Be Strong and Courageous

The days ahead of my birthday were filled with wonderful times, friends and reflection on my part. I'm blessed to have these handful of ladies to be doing life with right now. They challenge me in striving to lean on God, look to His Word in scripture and I'm reminded I'm loved, as well to humble myself. They all love Jesus and each adds a great JOY to my days.  I've been given a life underserved. With days of grace and mercy, He pours out on me, a love I still don't fully comprehend.  The richness of blessing that is my husband. His amazing example of love through serving. I was spoiled for days, with dinner, gifts, breakfast, more gifts, lunch, flowers, and yes more gifts. In all things, I'm full beyond words with a grateful heart.  The weekend leading up to my birthday, I had the opportunity to attend IF: Local here in Yakima.  We were given the verse:  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their hom...

The sunset last night was beautiful. I stopped along the roadside and watched it for nearly 10 minutes. It changed in hue and intensity, very rapidly. One minute barely pink, then dark purples and oranges. Then darkness, in no time at all.   In just over 10 days, in the blink of the second hand at midnight between February and March; I'll turn 45. The few weeks have been full, of sickness, recovery, celebration and study. I'm reading The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp, with a small group of friends. She speaks of our life in days, of grains of wheat.  A mason jar well hooks 22,550 grains of wheat, equal to the days of an average life's span. My days are a little more than half gone, given out in the loving and serving, hurting and healing, forgiving and being forgiven.  Charles Spurgeon wrote "it is beyond the realm of possibilities that one has the ability to outgive God. Even if I give the whole of my worth to Him, He will find a way to giv...