Sweet Hour of Prayer

"Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to Him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
believe His word, and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!"
-William Walford

Thursday nights have become one of the most precious times of my week.  Beginning in the early fall, a few ladies from Southside began meeting at the church to prayer walk.  It's hard to explain just how sweet this time is.  Since we began we've made numerous petitions, always knowing that "whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)  We praise our Savior together and pray for one another, our church, our community, special health needs and however else the Lord leads.  We have felt the presence of God so strongly week after week in such amazing ways.  ("For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20)  Numerous prayers have been answered and we continue to believe that He "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." (Ephesians 3:20)  What a comfort to know that we can "cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)  We have a Father in Heaven who loves us and desires for us to turn to Him to meet all our needs.  I never want to take that privilege for granted.  What a blessing to get to share communal prayer with these special ladies! 


"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12

Valentine's Day

February 14th has always been one of my favorite days of the year.  The color pink is everywhere, chocolate can be found in abundance, the greeting card aisle is filled with cheesy poetic expressions of love and there are stuffed animals who sing and dance to classic tunes from the eighties.  These are all pretty exciting things in my book!  I've got to admit that I have never had a "traditional Valentine"... you know, a beau.  I like to think that fact simply gives me more time and energy to use this special, albeit commercialized and quite possibly completely fabricated, holiday to express my love to the people who mean the most in my life. 

This year my Valentine's celebration was really special. My church means the world to me, especially the children that God has placed there.  I feel unbelievably blessed to be able to teach a Sunday School class of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.  This Sunday we had a decorate-your-own-cupcake contest and it was so much fun!  We continued the celebration in Children's Church where we talked about what true love really is.  We read 1 Corinthians 13, "the love chapter", and discussed God's love for us through the ultimate sacrifice of His son.  I pray that they realize how much God loves each one of them!  After talking about ways we could show God's love to others, the children chose people to make Valentine cards for.  It was a really special time!

After church my sister and brother-in-law and I went to my Grandma's house in Fayetteville.  Grandma cooks an amazing dinner each week for her daughters and their families.  It's my favorite family tradition.  My mom threw the kids (and the single, adult cousins... haha!) a party to celebrate Valentine's Day.  She did this for every holiday as the grandkids were growing up... another great family tradition!  We left just in time to make it back for a Valentine dinner youth fundraiser at church.  Such a nice evening to end a great day.

Obviously Sunday wasn't February 14th, but it was a great way to celebrate the holiday.  After work on Monday I headed to the house of some of my favorite people.  They are truly an example of what love should look like and I'm so thankful to have them in my life!  It was a perfect weekend and Valentine's Day.  Whether I have a "Valentine" in my life or not, I know I have something infinitely better... a Saviour who gave His life for me.  No amount of pink, chocolate, mushy cards, or singing animals could come close to such an amazing gift!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

It's About Time!

After nearly three years of reading blogs on a regular basis, I'm so excited to be starting one of my own!  The first time I realized a thing such as a blog existed was when a friend posted a link to hers on Facebook.  I clicked on it and loved reading about her family.  It didn't take long to realize how many other people were out there posting about their lives.  I quickly developed a list of people I enjoy reading on a daily basis.  Whether they are discussing a new recipe, a new insight into their walk with Christ, or a neat place they have traveled, it is always interesting to catch a glimpse into the life of other individuals. 

I've always thought that I would like to start a blog of my own someday.... someday when I was married, had children, or even the prospect of these things on the horizon.  Thanks to the encouragement of my family (who can testify to the fact that I have plenty of zany stories to share) and a dear friend, I've realized my life is worth sharing right now.  I'm looking forward to keeping this as a journal of my life and my relationship with my Savior.