Where do I go?

" Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,  for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8


Most days I beg God to write out what I am to do. I want God to tell me where to go, how to act, what I should do each day. Basically - I'd really like to have an instructional manual. But I don't have one. I can pray and ask God to lead me. Then I can step back and trust Him to do so. I love this verse in Psalms. Because that is how we should start each new day. 


1-Listen and wait for God's love that never leaves nor fails us.
2-Trust Him with the day.
3-Ask Him to show us where to go.


Life is all about small steps and trusting. Trusting a God who is ALWAYS in control. 


Praying. Trusting. Listening. Resting in Him. Amen!

I'm running home

Every time I hear the song “Home” by Phil Wickham – I’m reminded of how I can always run to my Father. And He is always there with open arms. That unconditional love is amazing and it doesn’t matter where I have been. I don’t think I fully understand that type of love until I had children of my own.

I’d love to bless you with this song now as well. So sit back, play the video, and read the lyrics. In His mighty arms is where we belong…

 Home

Phil Wickham

Come riding on a rushing wind
Blow through our hair and touch our skin
I want to feel You now like I felt You then

Strip away my calloused heart
Set Your arrow hit Your mark
Bring me back to where love starts
Bring me back to where You are

Father I'm running Father I'm coming home
I cannot go on
Your child is running, Father I'm coming home
Back where I belong

I know You've heard this all before
When I'm down and crying on the floor
Saying I want You and nothing more

But I'm breaking in my heart tonight
I've tried to stand I've tried to fight
But I cannot see without Your light
No I cannot breathe without You

When I saw you I was ashamed
You were pure and I was stained
But You ran to me and You called my name
There were tears of joy upon Your face

Who's taking lead?

Lately I have been reflecting on what God is teaching me. And I have found that He's asking me a simple question...Who's taking the lead, Rachael? Since I have such a type A personality - I try to take the lead. But that's not how I was designed.

I read this in my devotional today - "Be on the lookout for what I am doing in your life. Worship Me by living close to Me, thanking Me in all circumstances." Be on the lookout. I heard "look for me and let me lead" as I read that. 

My flesh is a control freak but my soul longs to be lead by the mighty hands of my Savior. Praying. Resting in Him. Practice makes perfect, right?

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

—1 Peter 5:6–7

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:18

Importance of quiet time

Over the past 5 years, I have learned it is imperative that I spend time with the Lord every day. And I have to do it before my day starts. If I don't then my day easily spins downward and I allow satan to whisper lies in my ears all day. For the last few months, I have been reading Jesus Calling and it speaks truth to me everyday. Today's devotion was a great reminder of why quiet time is so important. I just wanted to share it with my readers...

May 15
Spending time alone with Me is essential for your well-being. It is not a luxury or an option; it is a necessity. Therefore, do not feel guilty about taking time to be with Me. Remember that Satan is the accuser of believers. He delights in heaping guilt feelings upon you, especially when you are enjoying My Presence. When you feel Satan’s arrows of accusation, you are probably on the right track. Use your shield of faith to protect yourself from him. Talk with Me about what you are experiencing, and ask Me to show you the way forward.Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to Me, and I will come near to you.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. “For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”
—Revelation 12:10

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
—Ephesians 6:16

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
—James 4:7–8

 

A blessed decade!

Today I turn 30 years old. Hard to believe I've lived 3 decades. And I don't feel 30, I still feel like a teenager some days. But as I was reflecting back on this past decade I realize a lot happened. So I wanted to make a little list of it all. It started with college and ended with a wonderful marriage and 2 kids. WOW! God has really changed me in these 10 years. So very grateful...

1. Attended college at Kennsaw State University
2. Attended college at Reinhardt College
3. Declared my major as Business Entrepreneuship
4. Met Natasha and her mom (here's where the path turned)
5. Met Gregory
6. Graduated with honors - Bachelors in Business Entrepreneurship, minor in Accounting & Management
7. Moved to the big ATL and worked at Van Michael
8. Realized I didn't like working at such a big salon
9. Moved to Alpharetta and lived on my own for the first time in an apartment
10. Got a job as an account executive at Beneficial
11. Started management training 
12. Got engaged to my soul mate!
13. Gregory graduated college and we got married 2 weeks later on the beach that I grew up going to with my grandparents every summer!
14. 2 months later we bought our first house 
15. For 3 months we watched our home be built then we moved in!
16. I decided to leave the corporate world
17. Was offered a job at North Point
18. Joined a mentor group that would really grow me as a woman (thanks Regina)
19. Got to be a matron of honor to my life long best friend
20. Went to Cambodia for the first time 
21. Got pregnant
22. Had a healthy sweet little boy - Finn Wallace
23. Started attending Birds on a Wire group
24. Changed jobs to work for North Point Resources
25. Lowered my hours to focus on family
26. Ran a half marathon with G
27. Got to be a matron of honor to my sister
28. Celebrated 5 years of being married to my soul mate on a cruise to Bermuda
29. Went to Cambodia again
30. Got pregnant again
31. Now just waiting to deliver another sweet baby! 

I praise you Lord for all the blessings I have. I also praise for all the difficult times as you have simply pulled me closer to you through each one of them. 

What am I learning lately?

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you know how much I LOVE my Jesus Calling devotional. It seems like I copy and paste a sentence or two almost everyday. God has been using this devotional to speak to me EVERYDAY!

Just take a look at the last few weeks:

1. When My Spirit is controlling your mind, you are filled with Life and Peace.
2. I have designed you to need Me moment by moment...Approach My throne of grace with bold confidence, receiving My Peace with a thankful heart 
3. Don’t let unexpected events throw you off course...respond calmly & confidently, remembering that I am w/you.
4. When you criticize or complain, you are acting as if you think you could run the world better than I do. From your limited human perspective, it may look as if I’m mismanaging things. But you don’t know what I know or see what I see. If I pulled back the curtain to allow you to view heavenly realms, you would understand much more. However, I have designed you to live by faith, not by sight. I lovingly shield you from knowing the future or seeing into the spirit world. Acknowledge My sovereignty by giving thanks in all circumstances.
5. The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them.
6. Your weakness is not a deterrent to being filled with My Spirit...it provides an opportunity for My Power to shine forth more brightly 
7. I have promised to meet all your needs according to My glorious riches. Your deepest, most constant need is for My Peace.

 As you can see - God is telling me to thank Him even when times are hard, trust Him when I don't know what to do, and that His peace is available when I feel out of control. And that's what I'm praying through. He is telling me those things daily. But I have to take the step to trust and follow Him. Just as my pastor says - being a Christian is really about being a disciple and following after Him. It's not easy. But I'm working on it. 

So...what are you working on?

Memory verse #1

My sweet 2 1/2 year old has memorized his first Bible verse. To me there is nothing sweeter than hearing his voice recite God's word.Nothing else I can say - just watch the video and you will see.

"Every word of God proves true." Proverbs 30:5

Dressing in my armor daily!

I have been praying this verse every morning before I get out of bed since the first week of January. I'm really enjoying it. And once I get up I feel totally prepared to handle what my day has in store.

The Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18

 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

This verse totally is applicable to life. Look at the descriptions below...
 (The notes below are from my Mom's retreat)

•  Helmet of salvation: the battle begins in your mind, pray to guard your mind
•  Breastplate of righteousness: heart = emotions, pray to guard against our emotions
•  Belt of truth: God's word helps us combat false beliefs, pray to guard against false beliefs
•  Sandals of peace: be a peacemaker, pray against chaos
•  Shield of faith: Knowing God goes before us, he's our protector, pray against worry and anxiety
•  Sword of the spirit: master one verse at a time, pray to guard us against the enemy
•  Pray in the spirit: pray without ceasing!

We CANNOT win the battle without God! And everyday is a battle whether you want to believe it or not.

Distractions

So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" Nehemiah 6:3 NASB

Ring, ring...beep beep..vibrate...vibrate...

Distractions. We all have them. The question is how do we deal with them?

This past week Andy did a message about finding what your "one thing" is.  By "one thing" I mean - what is the one thing that must be focused on this year. The one thing you must achieve, conquer, beat, etc. 

In Andy's message, he used the story of Nehemiah. It's a fascinating book of the Bible. I highly recommend you reading it! Also, it would be great for you to watch the message online - http://northpoint.org/messages/this-one-thing.

Anyway, basically the message challenged me to rid myself of certain distractions. It can be people, projects, technology, habits, etc. So I'm working on that. I will definitely be easing off Facebook. It's always been a distraction for me. And G and I have implemented a no technology time at home. It starts when we get home from work and ends once Finn is down. I just love that time for the 3 of us. 

Nothing in this life is easy. But I know my "wall" is my family. "The days are long, but the years are short." I want to make my family my priority. My husband and children are the most important thing right now. Especially Finn and this baby on the way. The kids are G and I's mission field. We are raising up a generation for Christ. Talk about great responsibility!

I will leave you with this. Find out what your wall is. And then stay on it. Remind yourself as often as possible - "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down." 

A new year...

Today's Jesus Calling was so good. And I thought this was the best way to start a new year on purpose! Happy New Year friends! Enjoy some encouragement from this devotional. I pray that each person reading knows they ended 2011 well and will start 2012 with purpose. So my question for you - how will you change the world in 2012???

 January 1 

 Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed. A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness. Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My Face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind. As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you. I see you with a steady eye, because My attention span is infinite. I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting Love. I also know the plans I have for you: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence.


 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. —Romans 12:2 


 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Merry Christmas EVERYONE!

To my readers,

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you all have a restful, joyful, and special Christmas holiday. I will not be writing again until 2012. Taking a break to be with my wonderful family.

Ps-I will still have the "Wordless Wednesday" posts because there is no writing and I just loaded in pics

Merry Christmas, I'm so grateful the Savior of the world was born so many years ago. Glory to God in the Highest! AMEN!

Luke 2:1-20 NIV - The Birth of Jesus

 ¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.  ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Confession

Being a mom is hard. Doesn't matter if you work or stay home. It's hard. By hard, I mean challenging.

Temper tantrums. Yelling. Time Outs. Consistency. Exhaustion.Those are just a few words to describe my days with my Finn.

I don't relax. Even through the night, I'm randomly waking up thinking I hear Finn crying. Being a mom is a 24/7 job.

Being a mom, does have it's rewards. My son's hugs, kisses, and I love you's are priceless. He shows me God's love. He just wants my attention. He longs for mommy. He is a momma's boy - I love that. I could play with him for 2 hours - then get up to go to the bathroom and when I come back - he's saying "mommy, play you?" On our car rides to work/school, he asks me to pray. That melts my heart. And even at 2 years old, he's already told me he "loves Jesus."

So on the hard days, what do I do? I rest in Him. I rest in my Savior. He's the only one who can give me peace, perspective, perseverance, and patience. How's that for all P's? HAHA! I can't take credit - that was from Ashley.

I hope this truth filled post will encourage you other moms.

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. Psalm 62:1

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

 

Immeasurably MORE!

We just ended a series at my church called The Immeasurable Life. It was a GREAT series that dove into a verse in Ephesians. This is one of my favorite verse. It always reminds me of the power of God. 

Here is the verse, first in the NIV version and then in the Message version:

Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-12 MSG
20 God can do anything, you know-far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.21 Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

 Wow. My God can do anything. That is incredible. 


I give him all the glory. Check out the series http://www.northpoint.org/messages/the-immeasurable-life

Part Three: Christianity

Do you know much about Buddhism? A few years ago I didn't. But ever since Cambodia I wanted to know more about it since that's a big religion there.

Basically, the son of a wealth king - Gautama Siddhartha - just woke up one day and declared he was Buddha. His religion consists of 4 truths: life is suffering, the cause of all suffering is desire, the way to end suffering is to end desire, and spend your life learning to eliminate desire.

How often in times of suffering we mask the pain? How often in hard times we declare we will chose not to be sad? I think it happens all the time.

Larry Crabb says " we Christians are often practicing Buddhists. He goes on to say that "we kill desire in an effort to escape pain, then wonder why we don't enjoy God." How's that for hitting it home in your heart? That one really struck me hard.

As a Christian we are also taught truths. There are also four of them.

1- Life includes suffering, but life is good.
2- The cause of all suffering is seperation.
3- The way we handle suffering is to discover your desire for God.
4- The new life provided through Jesus must be accepted as a gift of love.

Bottom line, as a Christian when we hurt - we should really hurt. And hurt openly in the putrescence of our God. In this life, we will suffer. But take heart because our Savior has overcome the WORLD!

This post was adapted from ideas in Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb. Specifically chapters 6 and 7

Part Two: Support

"Why is it so difficult to simple give ourselves to each other when things are hard without yielding to the urge to give relief, to help, to try to make things better?" - Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams

"How are you? I'm fine."

"I'm going through a tough time, but i'll be ok. God has a plan."

How often do those conversations exist between friends. In my opinion, it's all the time. We think we need to toughen up. We think we can't be authentic with each other. But that's not the way God wanted us to be. 

Real relationships tell the truth. No cover ups. No lies. No masks. 

Even with God we need to be honest. He cares about us. He wants us to cry out to him. In Shattered Dreams, Larry goes on to explain how Ruth and Naomi spoke to each other. "Don't try to find comfort in explaining the reasons. Don't try to find the spiritual means to trust more. Enter your pain until your feet touch the solid ground beneath you, the solid ground of the restrained passion of Jesus."

Wow - isn't that a statement. My favorite line is "enter your pain until your feet touch the solid ground beneath you, the solid ground of the restrained passion of Jesus."

So, we all have friends. We all have family. Let's support them the way God wants us to. And lets ask they support us the same. We enter our pain. We hurt. We get mad. But all the while God is there waiting for us to touch the ground and know you've hit the solid ground of the passion of Jesus.

The bottom line - is we can't make things better. Only He can.

I Will Follow

Every time I hear this song - it moves me. Lord, I will follow you. How you serve, I'll serve. Cambodia, here I come!

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

**Bonus, here's a video for you to hear the song.**

Book review: "The Red Sea Rules" by Robert Morgan

My mentor, Regina, recommended I read this 112 page book. And i'm so glad. It was a quick and easy read but had tons of encouragement and advice in it. The book is great for anyone who is going through a difficult time. In life, we naturally have mountain highs and valley lows. Personally, I felt this book was good for either. It's great to be reminded that the same God that led me in will lead me out of whatever I am going through. Specifically this book was really good for me because I've been having anxiety and worry issues.

The author takes you through 10 rules. I have listed them out below, but you'll have to read the book to get more details. Just so i'm clear - I recommend this book!

1. Realize that God means for you to be where you are.
2. Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.
3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.
4. Pray!
5. Stay calm and confident, and guve God time to work.
6. When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.
7. Envision God's enveloping presence.
8. Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.
9. View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.
10. Don't forget to praise Him.

And below were a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Life is hard - especially for Christians"

"Sometimes we can't find the answers to our dilemmas because we're asking the wrong questions. Try asking "How can God be glorified in this situation?"

"Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord"

"Whenever we chose character over convenience, faithfulness over ease, or honesty over deceit, we bring honor to the Lord himself"

"God wants His children's emotions under control"

"Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still.  We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts. It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still - to wait upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us."

"For His children, He serves as both Guard and Guide. He both precedes us and protects us."

"Our faith grows when we chose to apply God's promises to today's problems and use the experiences to mature us for tomorrow's challenges."

Surprises

I'm working through reading through the whole Bible in one year. I'm following a chronological plan. It's been great so far. As I was reading through Job verse 9 really popped out at me. So I looked at it in several different translations.

"After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises." Job 5:9 MSG
 
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 5:9 NIV

"He does great things that we cannot understand and miracles that we cannot count." Job 5:9 GW


 "Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering." Job 5:9 YLT

What I really saw through these verse was that God does things all the time for us. But we need to take the time to see them. I have missed seeing God. Have you?

Today, I chose to be surprised by God. And to see Him in the little things that I typically miss and give Him all the glory. What will you chose today? Try to see His surprises for a week. He will show you - maybe in a sun set or in the eyes of a child.

If anything remember this - "After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises." Job 5:9 MSG

Rest

I haven't been sleeping good in weeks. I've had to take some type sleep aid to make sure I do sleep a lot in the last few weeks. I'm not sure why I can't seem to settle down and go right to sleep. I mean I am tired. Very frustrating.

This morning I was reminded of some verses in the Bible. I believe it was God's way of speaking to me this morning.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you 

and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Matthew 11:28-30

I might be restless from all that's happened in my life over the last weeks/months. But grateful I can run to Jesus and He will give me rest. 

What about you? Does your soul feel restless, tired, and overcome? Run to Jesus - only He will give you true rest.

If you want to hear more - here's a great message by Jeff Henderson on Rest.  http://goo.gl/vU2Hv

Live. Love. Laugh

Live. Love. Laugh.

I have always loved that motto. But I feel like it really describes my marriage. We do life together. We love fully. And most importantly we laugh. And laugh a lot.

This Friday, May 20th, 2011 - we will celebrate 5 years of marriage. And add that to our 3 years of dating and we have been together a total of 8 years. 

The truth is - my husband is my best friend. He is always there for me. He is an amazing leader for our family. And I'm blessed that God put us together so early in life. His love for me is just as its described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

As we get to the 5 year mark, I wanted to list my top 10 most favorite things about marrying Gregory. In no particular order.

10. I love how silly we can be around each other.

 9. I love that coming in to the Walkup family I was given a HUGE love and appreciate for Puerto Rican food. Where would I be without my Goya Adobo and Olive Oil???

8. I love what an amazing person Gregory is. Thank you Abba and Papi for raising such a wonderful son!

 7. So happy that I gained a sister by marrying Gregory!

 6. I love that I turned a cat lover into a dog lover. Savannah was our first baby!

 5. I got a mini-Gregory when Finn was born. :)

4. Happy to share in life's triumphs with my best friend - G running a full marathon and us running a half marathon together.  We just keep crossing off items on our bucket list!

 3. I'm so grateful to have a husband who really enjoys yard work. This is my favorite part in our yard - in the back, it's a trail leading to a tree he planted when Finn was born.

 2. Pictures with Jason Pendley. Forever grateful to him for capturing such wonderful memories of my family! I love the little family God has given me. And yes, I would like more children if God blesses us with them.

May 20, 2006

May 7, 2011

 1. Most of all, I just love sharing life with an incredible person. I am so blessed. Happy 5 years my love! Praying God continues to use us to minister & show Christ's love to others. We are here for others to see Christ in us-Amen!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8