Friday, June 17, 2011

Chapters in my life

Well, today was the end of one chapter in my life and the beginning of a the next, as I mentioned in yesterdays post. Thank you, dear friends, for your encouragement and prayers they mean so much to me. It was not an easy day, a little tear-filled on my part but I felt the prayers! Thank you God for the chapters You have written in my life and Your Faithfulness through out each page.

My weekend in the new chapter in life will be filled with preparing for my new job and the missions trip that is fast approaching (8 days-yikes!). These preparations include scrub size shopping and manual reading for the job and creating a menu and making the food for a week at camp ahead of time because of my food allergies(ideas, anyone?). I am sure that at least one trip to a grocery store will be part of the day tomorrow along with a little swimming with my sisters and maybe even cheering on a few of my youth group girls and friends in the local Gus Macker basketball tournament, Fathers day and my niece's dedication celebration and a campfire and game night with friends after a trip meeting! Whew, a busy weekend already but a person needs to have some fun occasionally, right? :)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Changes, Opportunities to Trust

Ahhh...after a LONG day of work I am sitting on my veranda listening to the relaxing symphony of crickets that God so beautifully orchestrated. This, with a backdrop of the river and Rib Mountain and the visits of a few fine feathered and forest creatures.

I have seriously craved this time for a couple of weeks but sadly my schedule and the weather have not allowed it until tonight. This gift of time and solitude is much needed after several months of situations beyond my control. I am emotionally and physically exhausted and am enjoying this small albeit precious time to enjoy the creation before me. It is especially special to me as I know my time at this apartment is drawing to a close and I will have to find a new place of solitude. So many changes and things going on in my life, namely one which happens tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my last day at a job I have truly loved. I love the patients, the doctors and many of the people I work with and the other things the job entails but I recently had to make a very hard decision. Along with that decision was the chance to trust in God and His provision in my life. I see it more than a coincidence that as I realized that my financial state was not getting any better and that I have many unexpected medical bills coming along with the need to find a new place to live that I found out about a job that would provide better pay and medical benefits. Along with this job came a whole new territory and learning a whole new career, this time in the pediatric dental field. Crazy different from the chiropractic world, isn't it? I never thought I would be working in the dental field. Then again, I said the same thing about the chiropractic field just a few years ago!

With this change in careers I MUST trust that God has this all worked out for His glory and that I will love it as much as I have loved my old career, if not more! I am thankful that this new job will give me better hours each week (although I will miss my extra days off!) hopefully giving me more rest and less stress each day! I must also trust that He will instill in me a continued peace about this change. Honestly, there is a part of me that is really scared and nervous about this new job and the change. Maybe it is partly the stress of the last several months and all of the changes and things going on in the next couple of months or maybe it is simply and largely me not trusting Him and resting the peace of His promises. Please pray for me as I learn a new career, go on a missions trip with the teens of my church youth group as a leader/chaperon and as I continue to search for a affordable place to live and then move, all within the next five weeks!

Even through all of the seeming upheaval in my life I try to keep in mind that the circumstances I am in are all temporal and will all be over, eventually so I am thankful that God is faithful through all of the situations and seasons in life and that I have the privilege of trusting Him and knowing Him a little more because of the journey my life goes through. I pray that you, my friend, will be able to rest a little bit more in His arms through all of the bumps and curves of life and enjoy the chances to learn more of His faithfulness because a challenge in life with Him is so much more peaceful than it is without Him in your life.

Seek Him. Trust Him. Today.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Lifting my eyes in the midst of a valley while on a peak....

My life has been a mix of intense personal trial and joy all at the same time. tonight at church we sang a song that reflected so much of what I have been doing, or trying to do, which is lifting my eyes to my God at the foot of a mountain I cannot climb on my own, clinging to a healer and comforter, to God who knows me and my thoughts, feelings and my life. He does not and will not desert me despite my failings and experiances-Praise Him!

The strength that I draw to get through any trial or joy is by continually fixing my eyes on my Lord and Savior. I hope you enjoy and relate to the lyrics just as I did. My friends, remember as His beloved son or daughter we are held in the arms of the One who holds the world in the palm of his hand. May I encourage you to repose, to rest, in the promise of His love, His strength, power. Please don't go through life thinking that he doesn't want a relationship with you because He does. He wants for you and me to lift our eyes to Him and seek Him out, to shout to Him, not only in the midst of trial but also for daily life-the good and not so good as he is the Calmer of the storms of life.

P.S. I hope to be able to get the video of this song by Bebo Norman up soon also.

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I Will Lift My Eyes-Bebo Norman
God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

'Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
'Cause you fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs you now.