Give Thanks!

When was the last time you said "Thank You" to God?

As I was exercising yesterday, the song "Thank You" by 33 Miles came on the tv. As I listened to the lyrics that I have heard plenty of times, I wondered to myself, "When was the last time I thanked God for the small things?" It's been awhile, honestly.

With my graduation from college in May, it has been quite the emotional summer. I have had interviews but no success. My summer has been full of worry and anxiety about my future. Do I teach in a public school? Private? Cyber School? Overseas? Do I pursue missions work? Do I wait a year and then go overseas? Should I find random work until the teaching market is better? I honestly do not know where God is calling me right now. It's been 3 months of intense searching but still have not a clue of what my future (as in where I will be even 3 weeks from today) looks like!

However - while I was on my mission trip to Ukraine this July, I realized that I have to put my trust in God and let go of my past because He has a beautiful and wonderful future for me. Part of this means that my calling is to live a completely surrendered and abandoned, poured out life for Him where He receives the glory for everything I do. But this also means that I want to develop a spirit of thankfulness in my life.

I've recently started a "Gratitude Journal" to record the small miracles that God works each day in my life. It sure has helped me to become more joyful and thankful for all that God does for me - even while I'm facing a very unknown future and anxious days that come with a transition.

Today, I'm thankful for...

- a good back to read

- the beautiful sunshine

- the cool breeze that gave relief from the heat

- a day to relax

- the opportunity to travel around the world and spread God's love

- amazing friends - from elementary school to those I just met last month

- a mother who is a wonderful cook

- a nice cup of coffee from time to time

- the peace that God will provide a job in His time

- God's faithfulness and provision

So - let me ask you again -- when was the last time you thanked God?

Thank You for everything,

Thank You for loving me,

It don't even matter what tomorrow brings,

Well I will sing,

Thank You for the sun and rain,

For what You give and take away,

For all Your goodness I will always say,

Thank You.

~33 Miles..."Thank You"~

Is Your Soul Happy?

When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you think of? Is it that you don't want to wake up, or of the pressing work that needs to be done for the day? Do you think of what you have to do that day or do you think of your Savior?

I stumbled upon a quote tonight that encouraged me of what needs to be my first priority in the morning.

The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day

is to have my soul happy in the Lord.

– George Mueller

Does this ring true in your life? Do you make sure your soul is happy in the Lord as soon as you wake up? Although I do do my devotions each morning first thing, I tend to be tired and sometimes stumble my way through them. But - am I making my soul happy in the Lord? It is the first great and primary thing that needs to happen - every day, every where, under every circumstance....make your soul happy in Jesus.

Recently I have been pouring my heart into listening to God, praying more, grasping for truth, and searching for His will. It has been an incredible rocky yet rewarding time. Satan is definitely trying to hold me back, but God continues to pull through each time. As I have rediscovered this love relationship with Him, I have seen that the rest of my day will be fine if I just make my soul happy in the Lord first. Things may happen that may go wrong, but it doesn't matter - because I know "the One I've trusted in can take care of what He's trusted me to do right until the end." (2 Timothy 1:12)

So - what about you -- are you making your soul happy in the Lord first thing in the morning? Is that your primary business for the day?

P.S. -- Can't believe I can finally say this...but I am a college graduate! :) It was bittersweet...but I know that God is going to continue to guide me throughout this crazy adventure I am on! Here's a picture with me and Dr. Jesky-Smith -- one of my professors who truly challenged her students, yet showed me personally how much she cared! A big thanks to all who have supported me through the years - and to Geneva for showing their care and concern, especially when my father passed away. It was a great 4 years - but the time has come. Goodbye Geneva, Hello Adult World!

Living in the Moment

It's been a long hiatus, but I figured it was time for another post.

It's been one of those nights....a night of pondering, questioning, and praying. One thing I was reminded of tonight was that you can't turn back time. No matter how much you try, you can't keep living in the past. You have to move forward. So many try to stay stuck in the past...and I'm sure I have tried to do so. But if you want to grow, you have to be living in the present. Living in the moment.

That's what I'm learning. Learn to live in the moment. Sure, you need to plan ahead for the future, but there are so many little moments that will slip you by if you are too carefully planned or focused on the future. (Something I am guilty of way too often.) Learn to see the little things in life that can bring joy.

Today things that brought me joy were....

- the feeling you get after you exercise

- talking to an old friend after 3 months of silence

- praying with others in the midst of their heartache

- listening to someone talk about their life as a missionary

- remembering my time in Rome and Florence and the beautiful scenery

- feeling rain drops fall on my face

- a banana chocolate milkshake

- hearing about receiving a tax credit

- being reminded that today, Good Friday, Christ bore my sins so that God's wrath was satisfied

It's been an interesting few months...but it's time to start living in the moment again. Seeing the joy in the everyday miracles... Matthew West's song pretty much sums it up for me.... "I don't want to go through the motions, I don't want to go one more day, without Your all consuming passion inside of me." Will you join me in living in the moment?

Lastly, this weekend is Easter. I was talking with a friend of mine today how Jesus' death has never really felt "real" to me...never felt like it was that big of a deal. Yes, I know it was. It was a huge deal....unfortunately, because I've been exposed to the story since I was born, it has just become second-nature to me...and I've become immuned to the freshness of His grace and love. So..my prayer for this Easter season is that I will be able to see Christ's death in a new way; a real and fresh way that reminds me of His amazing, unconditional love for me as He took the lashes and bruises, the nails and jeerings for me...His rebellious, unloving, undeserving child.

"In Christ alone, who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Til on the cross, as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ, I live.

There in the ground, His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain,

Then bursting forth in glorious Day,

Up from the grave He arose again.

And as He stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me.

For I am His and He is mine,

Bought with the precious blood of Christ."

Praise the Lord -- I have a Savior who stands in victory, I am free as sin can not control me. No power of hell or scheme of man will ever be able to pluck me from His hand. In the power of Christ I stand. Do you?

Just call me Betty Crocker!

Today, I made my very first pie -- all by myself! And if I can say so, I thought it was excellent!

So here's my pie... made with fresh peaches!

(And not only did I do that, but I also grilled barbeque chicken for dinner for the first time! Pretty yummy also! Checking off 2 items on my domestic goals list!) :)

Closure

You'd think after a year and two months that telemarkerts would stop calling asking for Jeffrey Roe. Yet..the phone calls keep coming. I just had to explain to two telemarketers in the past 24 hours that "I'm sorry, but he has passed away" to which they quickly act embarressed and continually tell me how sorry they are. You'd think there'd be some sort of closure there after 14 months.

And, yet, I'm not sure if there's alot of closure for me - or if there ever will be. He was my dad...as one of my current favorite songs states "he is half of the reason I was born in that November rain". He's half of who I am. I will always carry him in my heart - through his words of wisdom while he was here, the way he raised me, his sense of humor and sweet tooth that he passed on to me, and the security and confidence that he helped boost in me. And because of that, I think it's ok to not have closure.

It seems that as I go through different seasons in life, different songs seem to speak to me and almost be the theme of my life for that time. So here's a few of the current ones....

Live Like You're Loved by Mark Schultz:

"Live like you're loved by the Lord up above, spread out your wings and never give up."

---

Fight Another Day by Addison Road:

Will you spend a lifetime running? Cause you can spend a lifetime running.

And do you feel the fire when the flame gets hot?

Are you living every day like it's the last you got?

Even when your heart's been broken,

He'll be there with arms wide open.

----

He Would Tell You by Jonny Diaz:

He would tell you he loves you and he's so proud of the woman once his little girl,

You look just like your mother when she was your age and there's nothing that's more beautiful,

He would say that he's near and that he promise he hears when you speak to him late in the night

And it hurts him so bad to look down when you're sad and know you are the reason he cries

He can't quite promise you when, but he knows that he'll hold you again,

But until that time, keep your eyes on the sky,

and go change the world you're in.

---

You are God Alone by Phillips, Craig, and Dean:

And right now, in the good times and bad,

You are on throne, You are God alone.

---

Our God by Chris Tomlin:

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,

God you are higher than any other...

And if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us?

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

Be blessed my friend. God's got it all under control...including when (and if) closure - for every aspect of our life - will happen. It's time to change the world by shining His light. Go live like you're loved - for you truly are!

The Dark Before the Morning

X marks the spot.... on the calendar....

Today, May 27, 2010, marks the one year anniversary of my dad's death. It is so strange to say that - still! So hard to believe that it's been one year without my dad. How could I have possibly gone through a whole year without him - and still survived? How could I have not talked to him in one year, heard his voice in over a year, or seen him?

On the other hand, I am 21 years old! I'm technically an adult, I should be able to surive without a dad. Oh, it is absolutely crazy what grief can do to you! It is a funny thing... sometimes I wonder if I've really been through all that's happened this past year. Not just with my dad's death, but the things that have happened as a result of his death. But looking back - I wouldn't be where I am in life right now if not for this event that rocked the Roe family structure.

Do you know pain? Do you know sorrow? Do you know brokenness?

I believe we all do - or all will at one point in life. Whether it's the death of a loved one, a broken relationship, a terrifying illness, or facing the unknown, we will all face some kind of pain in our life. So what are you going to do with it? Will you run to drugs and alcohol to run from the pain? Or maybe you will throw yourself into a relationship in an attempt to fill the hole in your heart? Will you became angry and bitter towards God, family, or even yourself for having to go through it? Or will you run wholeheartedly to God, your Sustainer and Healer?

It's a choice. It's your choice. God isn't going to force you to cling to Him. It's up to us.

Will you focus on your pain? Or will you choose to believe that what you're going through is just preparing you for the joy that will soon come? Let me leave you with a song that has been so encouraging to me the past few months. It's called "Before the Morning" by Josh Wilson. I feel that the lyrics are so powerful and can speak to every heart.

~ - ~

Do you wonder why you have to

feel the things that hurt you?

If there's a God who loves you,

Where is He now?

Or maybe there are things you can't see

And all those things are happening,

To bring a better ending

Someday, somehow you'll see, you'll see.

Would you dare, would you dare to believe,

That you still have a reason to sing?

Cause the pain that you've been feling,

Can't compare to the joy that's coming.

So hold on, you gotta wait for the light,

Press on and just fight the good fight.

Cause the pain that you've been feeling,

It's just the dark before the morning.

~-~

Press on friends. Whatever pain you may be feeling...it's just the dark before the morning, the hurt before the healing. You still have a reason to sing - God is in control; He loves you outrageously; and He's calling you to Him no matter where you are in life. Are you answering His call?

(And if you're going through a rough time, let me know...I would love to pray for you. I now know that the intercessory prayers of others were what got me through some of my roughest moments. God provides blessings in the midst of pain!)

Hold my Hand, Father

As I type this, I am sitting by my window listening to the rain fall steadily outside. I never used to like rain - but I think I'm starting to have a change of heart. I enjoy listening to it if it's at night...if it's a spring or summer rain, where normally everything is pretty and sunny and then all of a sudden...you have a burst of rain. I think it shows kinda what life is. Life can be pretty, it can be sunny and happy; and in just a second, life can start pouring down the rain. It's inenvitable. What are you going to do about it? I'm finding that you have a choice. Crap is going to happen to all of us at one point of time or another - will you choose joy or will you choose bitterness when it comes to your attitude when dealing with it? It's all up to you.

Lately, I've been wishing God could be here in physical form with me. I know He's with me every single moment - but sometimes I wish He could just magically appear so I could see Him. I need Him to hold my hand, to guide me and show me His will for my life. I need to know that I'm not doing all this alone and that He's going to be the One to get me through...to pull me out of this dark tunnel and into the Light. I just need to know that I'm not alone.

"never will i leave you, never will i forsake you." - hebrews 13:5

When will I learn? God's not leaving me. He knows the crap in my life, sees my yucky moods, and still loves me the same. How awesome of a God do we serve?

Good ol' Bible school songs sure teach kids the truths of life. Last summer, I heard the little kids in my church sing this song at their closing program - and it brought tears to my eyes. Because I needed - and still need - to know that I will never be alone.

As we travel the trail of life,

We're never alone,

Never out of Your sight

We know that You'll see us through

Casue you always do

You hold our hand tight

As we travel the trail of life.

Grab your Savior's hand tonight -- He's holding it out to you. Will you grasp it or push it away?