Signs

One of my favorite experiences is when you sense God calling you to do something ... and as you begin to take the baby steps of obedience toward that calling, He sends you little signs of confirmation that you are doing the right thing.

For example, when you sense that you need to spend more time reading and studying the Word, so you do... a few minutes here or there when you can find the time... and a particular scripture jumps off the page and into your heart. Then, you are at church or Bible Study or in a conversation or (gasp!) on Facebook- and low and behold there is the exact.same.scripture. that spoke to you only days before!

I have had this happen to me more times than I can count. And maybe I read into things too much or am too desperate for a signal of approval, but I've always been a believer that sending us a "sign" is just another way that God can speak. It's not coincidence or chance or the universe aligning.

So when you believe that God is prompting you to do something you feel so deeply inside of you and aren't actually "qualified" to do, but you say yes to Him anyway...
And you begin to take teeny, tiny baby steps in that direction...
And then He sends you "sign" upon "sign" upon "sign" that you are headed down the right path...
What do you do?
Allow the fear and discouraging voices in your head dictate your next move?
Or trust that the God who made you knows exactly how He wants to knit together your unique gifts and experiences?

I am praying for wisdom as I search for the next step to take. I'm riddled with fear and eaten up with insecurity and self-doubt, but I will do my best to be obedient to His calling.

I don't know what God has laid on your heart, but listen carefully to what He might be whispering to you. Don't ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit. It just might lead to your greatest calling and the awakening of your soul.

"This is what the Lord says:

Stand at the crossroads and look;

    ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

    and you will find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah 6:16

Healing Words

I came across this blog post the other day by one of my favorite writers/authors, Shauna Niequist. Read it if you have time-- it's worth it, I promise.

It got me thinking about motherhood and "using our words". I began to recall the instances that someone has taken the time to say, "You are a good mom, April" or "I love how you ____"or "I'm so proud of the parent you've become".

Last year I received a Facebook message from an adult from my childhood. Someone who I admired then and have the upmost respect for now. Her words were along these lines, "It is a joy to watch you parent...I'm praying for you... and cheering you on..."

As I read them, tears streamed down my face and I was shocked at how much I didn't even know that I needed to hear them. I inhaled them like clean, fresh, life-giving air to someone who was drowning. I had prayed earlier that day that the Lord would send some encouragement my way, as I was in a particularly challenging season of life. And as always, He was faithful to hear my cry.

So here's my point:

Maybe you are like me and motherhood, as glorious and wonderful as it is, has humbled you beyond anything you could have imagined. Maybe you are like me and motherhood has made you question your abilities and worth (and sanity!) more times than you would like to admit. Let's make a deal, ok? Let's use our words carefully, wisely, and intentionally. Let's encourage and build each other up. Let's not be afraid to give a meaningful, sincere, life-giving compliment to someone-- no strings attached.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Proverbs 16:24

2015 Books

In need of a good read? Here are some of the books I read in 2015..

They cross a variety of genres and most (if not all) should be available at your local library or, of course, Amazon.

• 41
• What Alice Forgot
• Notes from a Blue Bike
• Maude
• Women of the Word
• The Hiding Place
• Strong Mothers, Strong Sons
• Dinner: A Love Story
• The Circle Maker
• Ordering Your Private World
• The Nazi Officer's Wife
• All the Light We Cannot See
• The Nightingale
• The Husband's Secret
• Angels Walking
• Chasing Sunsets
• The Imitation of Wings
• Rosemary

Happy Reading!