Fun weekend

What a fun weekend!  My best friend Penny was able to come visit over the weekend and we had so much fun.  You know those friends that are more like family and make you feel better just by being there?  Penny and I have been through so much together so she knows me better than most.  Hanging out with her this past weekend brought back so many good memories and at the same time helped distract me from the pain that I have been going through lately.  I really needed this time; it was such a blessing.  Mady really enjoyed our girl time as well; she enjoyed Penny's creativity and art projects because lets face it....creativity is not my speciality.  Thank you so much for coming out here to visit us; love you girl!!

I have been doing a little better each day.  It is a slow process and I miss Ava so much but we have a lot of activities coming up so staying busy will definitely help me.  Mady is coming up toward the end of her school year so there are lots of events with that coming up.  John and I are going on a little getaway on the first weekend of May to Sedona, AZ ; John's parents will be coming out to stay with Mady while we are gone; so I'm sure that she will have a blast with them.  Adam (John's youngest brother) and Erika's wedding is at the end of May in Chicago, so we are going up for that and making it a little vacation for us.  Mady will be going to summer school the whole month of June, and then in July Mady and I will travel to Texarkana to visit my parents for a few weeks.  We are also trying to plan a trip to Disneyland for the end of July before Mady goes back to school on Aug 5.  Needless to say, the summer will be busy but in a good way.

I have been reading a new devotional book called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  I just wanted to share the devotion from about a week ago that I felt I could relate to.

Trust me, and don't be afraid.  Many things feel out of control.  Your routines are not running smoothly.  You tend to feel more secure when your life is predictable. Let me lead you to the rock that is higher than you and your circumstances.  Take refuge in the shelter of My wings, where you are absolutely secure.

When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities.  Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new, I lead you on from glory to glory, making you fit for My kingdom.  Say yes to the ways I work in your life.  Trust Me, and don't be afraid.   - Isaiah 12:2, Psalm 61:2-4, 2 Corinthians 3:18.

When I read this, I couldn't help but think of how I have felt lately.  Everything about our situation has been uncomfortable and doesn't make any sense to us.  As hard as it is, i have to trust that God is growing me and that there is a much bigger plan in store.  Someone once told me that the times that you don't feel God's presence and you feel you are at your worst; he is working extra hard on your situation and carrying you even closer than he usually does.  There have been days where I felt that I couldn't get up and go, but I pushed through.  That was God pushing me through, not me.  I am strong because God is strong.  My strength is not my own; I believe this to be absolutely true.