Singing through the transition

Transition is a noun that means; movement, passage or change from one position, state, subject, concept, etc. to another. In musical terms transition means; a. a passing from one key to another, modulation, b. a brief modulation, c. a sudden unprepared modulation. As I look over these different definitions, I feel my life fits in the music sense of transition. The sudden unprepared modulation. I have been unprepared mentally, physically, even spiritually for the things we have faced recently. It has been a bit unsettling and frustrating. I am believing that things are going to smooth out and we will transition into a "key" of sweet harmonies and soothing melodies.

Life is full of changes, transitions, roller coaster rides. It is full of joy, sweetness and good memories. At times it throws some big curves that throw us off track and get our focus on little things. But it is so important to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. It is also important to see the Big picture. You know the one.... that desire you have stirring in your heart, the dream that seems so unreachable. With God nothing is impossible. It doesn't say, some things are impossible or that one thing is impossible. No, it says NOTHING!

So whatever you are facing today, know that God already has it taken care of. He knows what phase of your life you are living. He knows what part you are to sing or play. He knows the instruments you need to accomplish the task. He knows whether you are to join in on the harmony or stick to the melody or maybe, you are to sing in unison. He knows if you have rehearsed your part or are looking at it for the first time. He knows! That is the key thing to remember. He will guide, if we let Him.

Seasons & assignments

Even though I am not a morning person by nature, I do love the quietness of the morning. After my kids are all up and out the door, I relish the quiet and peaceful calm of the morning. It is especially nice after a mad rush. As I sit here this morning, I have my cup of tea and my ever growing puppy close by. It is a little overcast but looks to be a nice day. I have my daily/weekly/monthly planner in front of me so I can plan out my week. Which tends to get busy pretty quick. I do have to schedule in laundry, workouts and bible reading in the midst of everything else. Time has a way of getting away from me if I am not careful. Thankfully my planner is not as full as when I was attending college full time. During that season of my life I even had to schedule in bathroom breaks. (Well, maybe not, but it sure felt like it at times.)

While I was in school, my time was full of learning new music, practicing voice and piano, working on class projects and completing weekly assignments. Along with that, I had dinners to cook, clothes to wash and kids to guide through life, school,etc. It was overwhelming at times, but thankfully my husband helped in many ways. I definitely couldn't have completed my degree without his encouragement, guidance and help. We both recognized the season we were in and ran with it. Literally at times!

Right now, I am still working through this season of my life. It has not been an easy season to be in, but I do believe it is coming to a close. Some good things are on the horizon and God is opening some amazing doors that really, only He could open for us. I am excited and anxious. Yet I know God is working on my behalf as His daughter. I am taking each day at a time and trying to stay focused on the plan and purpose God has for my life.

A lot of my time has been spent just waiting on the Lord and resting in Him. So hard! At least for me...... I am a doer by nature. I want to make sure everyone is taken care of in my life and things are going according to what has been planned. Reality is, my life has not been there. It has been a jumbled mess of ups and downs, highs and lows, craziness mixed with a little bit of calm. But in the midst of it all I do know God has a plan and a purpose for this season.

Yesterday as I was singing in the choir of the church we are attending, I felt God speak to me about my assignment at this particular place. I am not totally sure of all the details, but I know God has my husband and I there for a season. We are both having to take a step back and serve in a capacity we haven't for a long time. It has been a challenge for me personally. But I want to learn whatever God wants to teach me and have a right attitude. Easier said than done.

An assignment is a particular task or duty one has been asked to perform. It is also a position of responsibility. So, I ask myself, "What is the particular task or duty You want me to perform while here, Lord?" "What is my position of responsibility?" Looking at these two questions and thinking about them, helps put things in perspective for me. I think of the scripture in Ecclesiastes 3, that talks about everything having a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. There is so much more to that passage of scripture than I realize. It says to EVERYTHING there IS a season. Everything! Nothing is left to chance or happenstance. God has created us with a specific purpose in mind for our lives. But it goes much further than that. In each season of our life, we have a specific assignment or assignments to carry out. Maybe God places someone in our lives that we need to share His love and goodness with. Maybe there is someone who needs encouragement, a helping hand, a word that will get them through the day. Maybe it is a smile, a hug, a pat on the back. It could be a kind word, a prayer prayed or a story told.

I know that my steps are ordered by the Lord. I know I desire to be a living, walking, breathing testimony of Him. I want my life to smell sweet and be an encouragement to others.

Sometimes in the big picture of life, it is easy to forget the smaller things. The details that really matter. That is where knowing your assignment comes in. When you know the specific assignment for the specific season of your life, than you can endure whatever comes your way. (And by endure, I don't necessarily mean difficult things.)

Sometimes our assignment is for us to complete for ourselves. Sometimes the assignment is for us to complete on behalf of someone else. Sometimes God uses our assignment to change us, other times it is to help others change. At times our assignment may be easy or even fun. But there may be times it is hard and very challenging. I know though with each assignment, we need to give it our best. We may need help along the way. And God is very willing to help, but we need to put that extra effort into it so we can get a good "grade".

I know I want to pass this assignment. I want to use the time I have and be a Godly example to others. I want to see things through God's perspective and give Him the opportunity to change me. I want to be willing for Him to teach me, rearrange me and improve on what He has already placed inside of me.

So, I will carry out my assignment with His grace and guidance. I will allow Him to work in my heart as needed, to work on my attitude and to make me more like Him. Because I know this assignment leads me to the next one, which could be the beginning of some great things. :)

God's love; dedicated to Hannah

Sunday was a sweet day for me. My kids and husband let me sleep in a bit. They woke me with a rousing "Happy Mother's Day!!" followed by hugs and kisses. One of my boys handed me my favorite coffee drink from Starbucks, my daughter held a potted Calla Lilly plant (my favorite flower) and my husband gave me a choice of blueberry or chocolate chip coffee cake (low fat of course). Then my boys brought out the gifts they had lovingly made for me at school. I loved it all! I will miss those handmade gifts.

During worship at church that morning we sang the song "How He loves". As I lifted my hands in worship to my Savior I was overcome by the love He has for me as His child. It was a tender moment for me. Sometimes I forget how deeply God really does love me. I am concerned about all the things I struggle with. I forget that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. I forget that God's love for me is so much more than I know. I think of the love I have for my children and am reminded my heavenly Father's love is so much more. It's amazing, truly amazing.

Tomorrow we will celebrate my daughter's 12th birthday. I can't help but think back to my pregnancy with her and the day she was born. In the beginning of my pregnancy I was extremely sick with her. I couldn't hold anything down and was miserable. As we both got adjusted to each other and I got further in my pregnancy things smoothed out a bit and I felt almost normal. I loved feeling her move inside of me and being in awe of God's miraculous gift of life. I also remember nearing the end and feeling scared yet ready to have her in my arms. She arrived 2 weeks after her due date; healthy, bright eyed and beautiful!

She has been such a joy in my life. And now as she is maturing and turning into a sweet young lady I am reminded of God's faithfulness and abundant blessings. I pray she will be the woman God desires her to be, that her heart will always be turned towards Him. I pray she will be light in the darkness, stand strong in her convictions and show others His love. I pray she will not be brought down by societies standards but live according to God's standards, bringing others up in the process. I pray she will fulfill the dreams God has placed in her life and live with passion and purpose. I pray she will not conform to the world or be influenced by the media industry. I pray God will continue to give me, her mother, wisdom and the ability to be a positive example of a Godly woman. I pray she will not compromise her beliefs for the love of man. I pray she will find a wonderful man who loves God and that they will have a solid, happy marriage. I pray God gives her the moon and the stars and all that is in between. I pray she will not walk the path I have walked at times but learn from my mistakes. I pray she will be a positive influence in this negative world. I pray she will rise above her circumstances and stand strong in the God who loves her. My heart is so full of love for this young lady.

As my heart is full of love for my daughter, God's heart is full of love for you. Your God is jealous for you. His love is powerful and strong. His love overwhelms us to a point that nothing else matters. Not our faults or shortcomings, fleshly desires or earthly longings. Not our selfishness or our sin. His love covers all of that! His love is amazing, it is beautiful, it is great. We are His creation, His prize. His grace in our lives is so much more than we give him credit for. And when we are in His presence we can't help but be overcome with His love. It is truly amazing!

I will end this with a line to a song we sang Sunday. I don't know the name of the song or who sings it. But the words touched my heart; "I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned to the One who gave it all." He gave it all for you and for me.

Living the dream

The other night I was lying in bed next to my husband, checking my emails etc. He was sound asleep snoring softly (?), the rain was gently falling outside, my sweet puppy was laying at my feet. I took a moment to breathe in and savor the moment.

Over the weekend we spent some time with the kids at the park. The boys played around on the playground, my daughter and I walked the dog enjoying some "girl time" together. My husband relaxed on a bench nearby. It was another moment to breathe in and savor, which I did.

On Sunday we spent some time with some of our family in the area. We sat around the table talking, catching up, laughing and enjoying each others company. It was a fun time. Another one of those moments you step away from and savor.

All these moments have been a good reminder to me of God's faithfulness. The world around me may be falling down at my feet but God remains the same. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He gives me glimpses of His true character in the madness of my life. There are so many things I can not begin to understand or comprehend. God's ways are higher. They are higher than my earthly thoughts, higher than my lofty ideals, higher than my dreams of grandeur.

In these quiet and simple moments of my life, I realize I am living "the dream". I am blessed. My kids are healthy, my husband is loving and committed to me. I have a roof over my head and food in my pantry. I have a place to lay my head every night, a reliable car to drive, clothes to wear. I attend a thriving, growing church that preaches the Word of God and encourages me in my walk with the Lord. I am healthy and have good friends. God has given me so much. That is what I need to focus on. I need to align my thinking with His word. He is my healer, my provider, my strength, my shield, my deliverer. He is my song in the night, my shelter in the storm, my fortress in which I stand.

The dreams I have when I sleep are sometimes hard to understand, don't make sense and are jumbled. Sometimes they are full of people I love and hold dear. Other times they are sad or even scary. And at times they are full of things I desire and am passionate about. But they are my dreams. And that is why I say I am living the dream.

We all have desires God has placed in our hearts. Whether or not we serve Him, He created us and placed things inside of us that we need to accomplish. Things we were created to do for Him. It's all part of the dream. Some of us know what we will do when we are 5 years old. Others may not know until we are 20, 30, 40 maybe even 50. But when we discover it, it is life changing. God wants us to pursue our passions and fulfill the dreams He has placed inside of us. Sometimes to live the dream, we have to go through some stuff. But that "stuff" helps us in realizing the dream and getting closer to our purpose.

I have gone through some "stuff" over the past 4 years. In that, God has gotten me to the place where I realize I really am living the dream. It is full of those I love and hold dear, things I desire and am passionate about. It is full of things I don't understand and things that don't make sense. But as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, I believe He will bring me to the place where I realize my full potential in Him and am living it daily. That is what dreaming is all about!