Perfect Timing!

God is always there when we need Him. He is there when we think we don't. God shows He is still in control when we least expect Him to show up. It is like the other day. I was listening to songs for our children's choir and our study for that day was the song of Mary. God is there when we drive, sleep, work, eat, watch tv, He is always around us. Sometimes we forget that He is there and that is why I think He does those "little" things. He shows us HE is still the ruler of all.
I remember waiting for the birth of my two kids. Both times, I would think that I was in labor and would rush to the hospital only to be turned away only having Braxton Hicks contractions. I didn't know what I was supposed to be feeling when the baby was getting ready to come. I didn't travel too far from home as the due dates grew nearer. I had a plan for how I would get to the hospital if I went into labor at work or if I was home alone. Can you imagine being near the end of your pregnancy and having to get on the back of a donkey because you were so pregnant you couldn't walk and go through the mountainous terrain for a census? Mary once again shows her faith in the Lord by taking part in this incredible journey. You can't plan for things when you let God control your life. Just like Mary did. Wow!
God's power never ceases to amaze me. I really do stand in utter awe of it. I think of the song that asks what will you do when you meet Him. I think I will fall to my knees in His amazing glory, silent, awestruck, that God has allowed me to be in His glorious presence.

A Good Time to Celebrate

You know, I never can understand some religions who refuse to recognize that God wants us to joyously celebrate some things. Call me silly, but I believe that He would not take joy in us if we could not take joy in Him and show Him that joy. If someone were to walk up to me today and pose the question Beth Moore did at the beginning of the lesson I would have to say that God knows my heart and why I celebrate.
As I sit here and ponder the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior I think about the type of weather and climate we have in December. It is cold, it gets dark way too early, and it is sometimes downright gloomy. In our darkest month, we celebrate our Lord. In the darkest time in our life, we should celebrate our Lord! I like to have a light when I am in the dark, don't you?

Mary's Song

I have spent some time looking and listening for songs today for our children's choir. I find it so appropriate that God planned for today to be the day we study Mary's song!

I think that when we sing our praises to God, we really can tell alot about what is important to them in what they say. I know that when I pray for the kids during children's choir that I always praise Him for those who are there, giving us another day to worship Him, and then I always make sure to pray for a good school week. Of course I pray for the people or things the kids make requests for, but the school thing I always add. It is just as much for them as it is for me. I am thankful to the Lord that after all these years of trying to finish college, I finally made it and I can follow my dream. I make sure to praise Him for that every chance I get. Even when I have had a really bad day, I still try to praise God for allowing me to be a teacher. Like us, Mary praised God by telling us what was important to her. I hope that I can follow in her example. No wonder our Lord chose her to carry the most precious gift!

I was trying to come up with my own thoughts but because I have listened to about 40 songs today, it was difficult for me to think of something on my own. Normally I can, so if this sounds familiar, please forgive me!

God made me who I am.

He made me just the way he wants me to be.

Nothing can ever change me, cause I am who He said I'd be.

Praise the Lord for it's Him to whom I sing!

My life has not always been one pleasing to Him,

But He still loves me and I love Him!

Thank you Lord for saving me,

Thank you Lord for freeing me!

Kindred Hearts

Like Mary and Elizabeth, I have shared being pregnant at the same time as other women. I regret losing touch with the woman I got to share my first pregnancy with. She is a strong woman who I could count on to keep me grounded. She kept those first time mom-to-be feelings in check. Her son was born exactly six months before mine. She could share all of the "real-life experiences" about what I could expect.

With the second child, I was so blessed to share my time of pregnancy with two other amazing women. Our children were born 5 days or less apart. I cherish the time I could talk to someone who understood where I was at in that part of my life. I still do because my hope is that our children will grow up together. Even if they don't get to, I will still thank God for that experience in my life. Words can't begin to explain how grateful I am.

I have also been blessed to be able to be there for someone when they needed a shoulder to cry on. Between my two children now, I found out that I was pregnant. Unfortunately, that pregnancy was ectopic, so I had to undergo an emergency surgery to remove my tube. It was a life saving surgery. About two years after that, when I was working, an acquaintance had just lost a pregnancy of her own. As I was still trying to come to terms with God's plan for my life, I was able to listen to her. I was able to relate to her. We even found out that we had been seeing the same doctor. We were able to share a heartbreaking experience. It was therapeutic to be able to share my experience with her.

These are not the only times that I have been able to relate to someone. But these times are when the bonds of friendships form. We can use these situations as springboards if we choose to. Mary knew that Elizabeth was having a baby, the angel told her. She went to see Elizabeth because she chose to. She could have run home to tell her family, betrothed husband, or even to talk to a religious person, but she didn't.

As I sit here and think about it. She wanted to talk to Elizabeth first, I think, because she knew that she would be the most understanding. When ever we have a problem we run to the person who we think will understand us the most first. One who won't give us an opinion, but one who will tell us the truth because they know us. Especially when we are teenagers. I can remember so many times when I was growing up that I would be faced with a situation and my friends were the first to know. My mom would be the last. I knew that she would give me what I thought was the third degree, or that she wouldn't understand.

I am blessed that I can still call my mom when I get in a situation I don't know the answer to. I have learned over the years that she will not say things just to comfort me. She will tell me the truth.

The reaction of the baby in the womb amazes me! I just can't get over the fact that John, not even born yet, sensed the presence of Mary and the Lord Jesus, who had just been conceived in the room. It truly gives me goosebumps. I know that when my husband talked an while I was pregnant, the children would respond...sometimes! Babies in womb respond to soothing or familiar sounds, it has been proven. But Mary being around was not familiar to Elizabeth's child. Yet here we see God's miraculous work as Elizabeth's child leaped for joy! Wow!

The last Bible study I participated in led me to write about my younger years...before I knew God, before I knew much at all. In it I wrote about all the choices I made and where I am now. Unfortunately, the computer I saved that paper on crashed and it is gone. But I did send it to my pastor because I thought that I could help someone get through something similar to me. I hope that God will give me that opportunity someday.

I thank God for the friends I have made, the friends I will make, and all the friends I have had. Each one was/is in my life because God knows that I need them and they might need me. I want to be the kind of friend that Jesus would be. I try to remember that now. Now that time is scarce and a kindred heart could be right there. All I have to do is give that person a chance. I don't think that there is a person alive who hasn't been burned by a friend or family member. But we have to remember that we can't let those negative relationships or experiences define the ones we have now, or the ones we will have.

One of the pre-reading questions asked us to explain why receiving God's comfort isn't enough. Why do we need to share His Comfort. I will leave you with my thoughts on it. God gave us His son. He knew what Jesus would have to go through, it was His plan. God did that for me, you, and everyone else. It's an old saying about our possessions, but it is true. If it weren't for God, we would have nothing. Isn't the same true about God's comfort? We would share anything a friend asked for. If we are to be like Jesus and treat all like friends, wouldn't we want them to have the greatest thing of all?

How can this be?

I remember when I was saved. Who can't, right? But when I think back on it now, I know that my heart must have been crying out for Him. I don't remember making the decision that I wanted Jesus as my Savior, but He sure knew I needed Him! Boy am I happy He knew it too! I wondered how Jesus could love me after all I had done before. I wondered why did God chose me. How can this be? I imagine that Mary was similar to so degree. She knew she didn't make that decision, but she willingly said "May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:38.

It is amazing how many times I have had a near miss. I am going to tell on myself here, but a near miss driving mostly. When those "misses" are over, I say to myself that I have an angel riding with me. That angel is protecting me. I know that God has plans for me and He is with me all the time. But I should change it to say that God is riding with me instead of the angel, because it really is God's protection.

I am praying that through this study that I can learn to be more confident in my faith. I remember telling Natasha when I was about to start student teaching that I had to be in control of things. I couldn't stand not knowing where I was going to have to travel to in order to student teach. I was really stressed about the distance I would be from my children and forgot that God was in control and had everything worked out. Standing right in our church, I told her that I needed to be able to control this situation. Man was I wrong. God was in control the whole time. He was teaching me to trust Him. Now looking back, I was foolish to say that, and not trust Him. God had never given me any reason to doubt Him. He had things planned the way He wanted it to go. I couldn't see the entire picture. Now I can clearly see His plan for that situation. I still have trouble when I am stressed about things I can't control to just let go and give it to God. I am improving, but I still have to remember who really is in control. I have to accept His plan, just as Mary did.

My heart was calling to Him eight years ago. I needed Him. I now need to be conscience to what He is calling me to do. I need to listen better, not get caught up in my everyday life and listen to what God wants my life to be. Not what I want my life to be.

There IS something about that Name!

Jesus.
When I think of His name, I think of hope, faith, promise, power, wisdom, Comfortor, Healer, Friend, my Savior. I can think of so many more things that He is.
It makes me think about my name. I know that my name does not evoke as many feelings, adjectives, or emotions as the name of Jesus. Nor should it. His Name is the most important name in my life.
I have not always known that name. I grew up in a household where religion was not taught. I don't blame my parents, I know that God had that in His Plan for me. My husband introduced me to Him. And now I cannot thank him enough for the gift he has given me. I have been a Christian now for just about eight years. And it was just eight short years ago that I had my firstborn son too.
I cannot even begin to imagine what Mary must have thought when she was told by Gabriel that she would carry and give birth to God's Son. I know that I would have been full of questions. Who was that? What am I going to do with God's Son? What will happen when I tell my family? What is so special about me? But I am so thankful that she did it.
I hope that through this study of Jesus, I can grow stronger in faith, trust Him more and let go of things that have passed or are out of my control. I want to depend less on me, and more on Him. For He is my Rock, my salvation.
So thank you Natasha, for inviting me to take part in this. You are a dear friend and I am so happy that God planned for our paths to cross.
I pray that all who choose to participate will open our hearts, eyes, minds, and souls to what Jesus is saying to us. I thank Him for what He is planning in my life and pray a that this will be a wonderful journey for us.
In Jesus' precious name, I pray, Amen.
Hilarie

Since the last time

I have to admit that I am terrible at keeping this blog up to date! But you know that kids and work and all the other things we do keep us so busy.

I have been hard at work until just before Christmas working with our church's school aged kiddos on a self written play! They performed it on December 22st, 2010. I was amazed at the response we got from the play! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a round of applause as a couple of "unsaved" boys shed one shirt to reveal another! You see, I thought that it would be awesome if we could get t-shirts for the kids to wear for the play. On the front it reads Team God. Kids who played a mission team member wore these showing the entire play. The other group was a hockey team who had not made the choice to follow Jesus...yet. They all had on the shirts, under another. At the end of the play, the hockey team does decide to accept Jesus into their hearts and lives. As they make this decision, they take off their shirt that covers the Team God shirt. As the first boy did this, I heard a few claps and other fanfare!!! Who would have thought that this small change of wardrobe would get such a wonderful response. I never even thought of this being a symbolic gesture!! God gave me that idea so that someone would be moved!

I also did something I have not done in a long, long time. I sang at church as a part of a trio. If you know me at all, you know that most of the time I'm not one for everyone looking at me. But one day, I found myself telling the music director that I would sing for Christmas...but only if someone else would sing with me. She took me up on that offer. (I hadn't sung in public since I before high school!) So for the candlelight service, I sang with the music director and the preschool choir director!

We had a great Christmas. It snowed Christmas Eve as we spent it with Ash's (Will) family. On Christmas morning, we got up early and had Christmas at our house, which was fun, and then loaded up the truck and headed to Ohio for Christmas with my family. While we were there, we spent quality time with the family that included playing in the snow!

New Year's Eve was spent with some of the greatest friends and New Year's Day was spent resting!

Now school has started again and we prepare for what's to come!