Feeling Loved

What an awesome day! 

The morning started with a gift of a new Votivo Red Current Candle that smells really fresh, yet smells like winter.

At noon, I joined others at the PEP Talks (Parents Encouraging Parents) group for our Tuesday morning session. These meetings have been ongoing for about five weeks. The sessions are once a week and last about an hour and a half. I highly-highly recommend these sessions to any parent that is having trouble "understanding" their child and why your child does not have the same personality as you.
By the afternoon, another friend showed up with a bag of awesome jewelry that she wanted me to have. She even threw in a loaf of homemade bread. By this time, I was feeling really loved.
This evening, the family and I had planned to attend "Heaven's Gates/Hell's Flames" which is an awesome illustration of realty. The devil tried his best to knock us out of going, but was defeated. A large number of individuals gave their life to Christ tonight. I can almost hear the angels rejoicing from here. On the way home, my family discussed what we witnessed tonight and some of the words that my children spoke literally brought tears to my eyes. To know that they love God with their whole hearts completes who I am. It was even mentioned in one of the skits tonight how much getting your life right with God brings such an immence feeling of relief and overwhelming joy. I agree to that completely.
Every step that I take in building a closer relationship with God makes me feel...well closer; in turn, it also breaks the grasp that the devil continues to try to hold on me. Breaking free from the devil is a battle each and everyone of us face.
Of course I have known God all my life. I knew right from wrong, I prayed to God, my mom took me to church when I was a child, I asked Christ into my heart in 1999 and even attended church occassionally with my husband and children, but with every step that I take in getting my life right with God brings more and more freedom to my existence.
Hhhhmmmm....my pastor has been teaching "Freedom for Gods People" for months. I just realized how free I am. Thank you Jesus.

About a decade ago my husband and I decided that cursing should not be a part of who we are. It's kind of like the saying goes "WWJD". Well, he sure wouldn't use that language. Altering some of our vocabulary was a small step, nonetheless it was a step in the right direction.
Along that same time, the weight of "living in sin" was really setting in close to my heart. I never thought I would trust any man enough to say "I Do". I guess that was partially due to my mom and dads "I DO" not lasting. After contemplating on what I believe, right from wrong, and how strong our relationship was I decided that there was nothing left to do but say "I Do".  That moment changed us both. Of course we came home and lived the same lives that we had been living for the two years prior, yet it was soooo different. We spent our honeymoon discussing how different we felt inside and how right we felt to be living by the Bible.
Fast forward six years and tons of lottery tickets later. I used to joke that we would have to win at least a million to break even. We used to never miss a Powerball drawing, until out of the blue I came to the conclusion that I am far too blessed to play around with that mess. So, here we are, two years later...and haven't bought a lottery ticket since.

This year, Brookelynn began asking when were we going to start going to church? Thank you Jesus for that. We had taught our children right from wrong, we had told them about God and we had even visited church a handful of times.  I realize that wasn't enough. Devin is fifteen, Brookelynn is nine; my time to lead them in the right direction is now and I am so grateful that we began attending church six months ago, both my kids gave their lives to Christ and that we will spend eternity together as a family. One thing is for sure, I am loved...and so are you.