Totally Terrific Tuesday - Get Ready

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

I am still in awe of what God has done the past five days in my life. I'm astounded at how well my Mom was last night on the phone and yet unable to see God's hand in her life. God is not done with my Mom yet and only He knows why or what He has planned. I praise Him that I don't have to understand that all I must do is trust. Often trusting Him can be the hardest for us to do. We are impatient. We want answers now. We want to understand why. We want to see how things are going to end up. We want to know what to do next. We want to figure life out. We want to get the answers to our problems and solve them. We want...fill in the blank. Until we stop to see what God wants for us - we are all no better than Eve who decided what would be good for her that day in the garden. Just like Even we have taken our life into our own hands and trust ourselves vs. God who for them provided everything they could ever want and need right before their very eyes. God spoke to them daily. God walked with them daily. God loved them beyond what I think any of us can ever comprehend...but we know the end of this story - sadly all of that was not enough and Eve desired more than what God was saying she needed or could have.

Are you trusting God to provide the good even when the good doesn't look like it is coming from a situation?Are you trusting God to provide the good even when the situation is hurting you and causing pain? Are you trusting God to provide the good when the world is telling you that no good can come from this? Are you trusting God to provide the good when you can't figure out how the provision will be made? Are you trusting God to provide for your needs - not your wants? Are you trusting God to provide His grace which is more than sufficient to see you through every trial and circumstance? Are you trusting God's plans for you which are always holy, perfect and pure - for a future filled with hope, good not evil? Are you willing to close your eyes, not look back, cross your arms across your chest and fall back into His arms? Do you trust that He will catch you every single time you mess up and fall? Do you trust that He will be there for you no matter what?

If not, then the lies of this world have misinformed you of who our God is and what He desires to do and be in your life. The only way you can change your perception of who God is and wants to be in your life is to know Him. Do you trust John Smith-Hammerblank? Of course not! You don't know him. Why would you trust someone you don't know? It just can't happen. This truth is the same with God. We must take time getting to know Him so that we can have full trust in Him no matter what is going on in our lives. Only then can we answer yes to every question above. Because until you really believe that God is who He says He is - your trust is most likely still in yourself. God doesn't work in halves. God doesn't want a portion of glory. God doesn't compromise EVER! God out gives us. God loves us more. God's ways are higher and better than ours. God doesn't need your help or mine. God is more than capable of fixing, solving, providing and working everything out in our lives. Nothing takes Him by surprise and nothing is impossible for Him. NOTHING! Its all God or none of God. Its never part you and Him. God either enables you by His grace to get through something or you are on your own. God isn't working with you. He is working inside of you either fully or none. Are you with me?

It's not me + God or God + me - it is only God + nothing. It is I die and decrease so He can live and increase. When our hearts are fully humble and submitted to His complete will for our lives - then it is our trust in Him opening up all of us to His perfect will. Which by the way is NEVER a mistake. Remember He is never caught off guard and the things that surprise us don't Him. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow - THANK YOU GOD! That is just one reason we can depend on Him and trust Him fully with our lives. Rest in Him! Put our full hope in Him! Rejoice in His goodness! Rejoice in His faithfulness! Rejoice in His love for us - that endures forever! Because we can trust that everything He says is true. Even the parts that don't make sense to us are true. Even the things that seem impossible to be true are! There is nothing ever spoken by God that did not happen - so believe what He says is coming will.

God continues to impress upon me to trust my whole life to Him. Jill, trust all of your children to Me. Jill, trust your marriage to me. Jill, trust that I will provide the things your heart is asking of me according to My will for you. Jill, trust that I am there when the day is long and the walls around you get uncomfortably small. I am giving in more each day to His request because trusting in me is a sin against Him and quenches the spirit. I don't want to even try to produce fruit that you all might have to taste - because trust me it would not be sweet or delicious...it would be bitter and you would spit it out. I only want to produce what can come from Him - gentleness, kindness, goodness, self-control, peace, joy, long-suffering, and love. The most important of these is love. I want His love to fill every part of who I am so that I can't possibly push down the greatness and wonder of His love.


You know what they say - be careful of what you pray for - if you pray for patience be ready to be tested in waiting. If you pray to trust God, be prepared for trials and circumstances to come where you must trust Him because anything less will result in reaping your sin of self-reliance. God put it pretty simply to me this weekend - "are you willing to pray in full faith and trust in Me?" I want to say yes and run fully into His arms. I want to not stop for a second and even consider living my life in my strength. I want to stop looking back and only look up. I want to live my life like a child and know that my Daddy who is perfect, holy and pure will never hurt me or let me fall. He might watch me skin my knees a few times or touch that hot pot, but only to teach me to listen more closely to what He is telling me. This all takes me back to the first verse I was told and the one that has gotten me through so much - life simply comes down to this truth:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8

The God who created the heavens and earth is trust worthy. He holds the entire universe in His hands. He never slumbers or leaves us. He is able to more than we imagine. He desires to be our exceedingly great reward. Do you trust in that? Will you trust in that? That you and I can do nothing to take His love away and by simply coming to Him, giving our hearts and lives over to Him - He will do all the work in and through us. That He will provide for our every need and will never stop being our Good Shepherd. Today friends, give your life over to Him - fully, humbly, without holding back any area - give Him the ones you fear the most - because where there is fear no faith can live. Give Him the areas of your life that you never believed could be healed. Allow Him to give you rest! Allow Him to give you joy! Allow Him to give you hope! But most importantly let Him love you! As I taught the children a few days ago in Matthew - God invites all to His feast - to taste and see that He is good. But only a few truly come to enjoy the banquet feast He has prepared for all. How sad and truly telling of our sin nature to reject the One True and Living God. Don't harden your hearts so much that you can't hear His voice or the invitation He is offering you. Don't reject a love so great that your life will never be the same. Don't deny the truth just because it doesn't make sense to you or is just too hard to believe. You believe that gravity is real - yet you can't see it. You believe the plane is going to make its way into the air and not fall - yet you don't understand how it all works. You believe and trust that your car will start when you get in it - yet you can't explain to me all that must happen. Why trust in these things and not the God who created. And if you are stuck on creation. As Spring takes over almost every state in this country - I want you to promise yourself something. Go outside alone - take a walk in nature and ask God that if He is real to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to show you that He is the great designer of every plant and thing your eye can see. Next be prepared to receive the answer. I promise you - more importantly He promises you that He will answer and come to all those who ask. I pray you ask Him to show you today! If you are needing help in trusting God and would like to pray together please email me privately.

I'm trusting God to do exceedingly great things in all of the lives who happen to read this post today. I thank You Father for being the GREAT I AM! I thank You Father for loving us despite our sinful ways. I thank You Father that you want us to bring our dirty selves to you to clean up. I thank You Father for being the same today, tomorrow as you were yesterday - and that we can always trust in You!

Friends a few years ago I was given the camera below to use for photographs for my husbands work. The camera is slightly used. It was only used for three to four photo shoots. Today I'm hosting a give-away for one lucky winner to receive this gift along with a lens. The lens has never been used and is in perfect, new condition. This is the perfect gift for someone who is either just starting out in photography or who truly enjoys shooting with film.

Here are the rules for this give-away - first be a follower or become a follower of my blog. Second, invite other friends to this give-away. Third, comment to this post before Friday morning at 6:00AM. I will announce the winner on Fearfully Fabulous Friday. NOTE: In order to qualify to win the camera you must mention the give-away on your blog before Friday and be over the age of 18.


Canon EOS Rebel 2000 35mm SLR Camera

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

I forgot to mention - the winner will also receive the camera (red) bag that can hold camera, two to three lens, film, filters, etc. Of course you will receive the manual too :) Good-luck and get ready to take some really amazing photos!!!!!!!!

Trusting in God with you today! May the blessings of the Lord be upon us all today!