Oh! How He loves us!!

God really, truly is faithful.  I know this isn't news to anyone, but He has been showing up in so many ways lately, that it brings me to my knees, weeping, in awe of His love.  He deserves all the glory and honor...

It humbles me to even say that in the past 6 months to a year, I've questioned God about a lot of things that have happened.  Sometimes it was subconsciously, other times it was audible.  Not that I thought that I didn't deserve it, I just didn't understand why.   Hadn't I had enough to deal with already?  Was I ever going to have a break from all of this? A break-through of some kind?  There was loss of friendships, financial burdens, marriage troubles, parenting struggles, illness... the list didn't seem to end.  But even while I struggled, God was there.  Giving me strength to keep going even when it would've been so easy to give up.  Guiding me through the trials, reminding me of His love, nudging my heart, working on me, shaping me into who I am today.  There were lessons I've had to learn, some the hard way, some even harder.  Stubborn me.

Thankfully, it doesn't end there!  I know God's not finished with me yet... there will be more things to learn, and others to re-learn... because I'm stubborn like that sometimes.  Maybe I've learned to stop looking at my problems, and instead look at my God.  Instead of focusing on the trials in my life, I've learned to look around and see who I can bless instead.   And through all of that, I've been blessed.  In more ways than I could have dreamed.  Sometimes He just whispers that He loves me... and other times He shows off. 

~Not only did i have friends that continued to be amazing, but I've been blessed with new friends, and I've even had a friendship restored! 
~One day recently I had a free mixer show up on my porch.  My lucky day? I think not. 
~Phone calls, facebook messages and texts from friends, saying things that I needed to hear, right when i needed to hear it.. some encouraging, some convicting.   Coincidence? Nope.
~An insurance policy that just happened to drop over $400 a month...  Now that's called God timing..
~Flowers from a friend.. because she just happened to be thinking about me, and hoped i was having a great day...  yeah, those came on a day i needed it. 
~A YouTube video with a shout-out from my hubby, letting me know that he's sorry in his own sweet way...
~Sweet words from my 5 year old... thanking Jesus that her Mommy is so special and that she makes every day the best day ever... (even though we both know i screw up daily)
~That feeling when my almost-3 year old comes up behind me and throws his chubby little arms around my neck, and doesn't let go for awhile...
~Or when my little 1½ year old climbs up on my shoulder and snuggles with me...

Every time, whether it was something huge (like a free mixer), or something "little" like a dandelion picked by one of my precious kiddos... It's like i can feel God's arms around me, whispering in my ear that He loves me.. and that I'm precious to Him.  Even more precious that my own children are to me..  I can't fathom that.  But I can praise Him... In the good times and the bad.  He deserves my all, every day.

 And to my friends that are reading this, and have been blessing me by being used of God.. thank you! From the bottom of my heart!