Hey Everyone!
(If you are just logging onto my blog and you have not previously read the two posts below, I would recommend reading them first so you'll be up to speed on this update)...
I just have to say thank you all so very much for all of your prayers and the sweet messages of encouragement that many of you have sent me. I have saved every one of them in a special folder that I can go back and look at over and over again whenever I am having a rough day. They are precious reminders of how much my Heavenly Daddy loves me. I love how He loves on us through others!
Most of you will know that I have been looking for a job/income for quite some time now. For months, I have had many doors abruptly shut that just didn't make sense. I was left so confused and had moments where I questioned God's will for my life. I was trusting Him the best I could, but there was still some doubt looming in the back of my mind.
However, God was doing something very special within me while I was waiting. He was answering other desperate prayers that I had cried out to Him flat on my face more times than I can recount. What God wanted to do in my life needed a lot of concentrated time with Him as He poured out His love and His Word into my heart. He brought me to the point that I realized He was more than enough. It took Him allowing almost everything I had any security in to be stripped away, but what He gave me in exchange was worth so much more. He gave me the gift of Himself. This I have come to realize is the ultimate, most loving thing God could ever do for me.
Within a week after I finally just threw up my hands knowing that there was nothing more I could do, I received an unexpected message from a guy who used to play in a worship band with me, but who I had not seen in months. He asked what I was doing for work these days because he just so happened to possibly have a position opening up with his software hosting company.
I scheduled an interview with him and was offered the position of Executive Assistant on the spot! The company is Christian-owned and works with many missions organizations and churches. The guys I work with are all Christians and it was so refreshing to go into work on my first day and sit down with them to pray before we started our staff meeting. What is huge about this job is that I have been given the flexiblity to be able to leave when I am involved in other ministry commitments, which means I can continue to walk through the doors that God is opening for me to serve in ministry.
And if all that is not enough - our office is right by the water, so I can sit outside by the bay and gaze at God's beauty while eating my lunch everyday! Does God SO know me, or what?! I already have picked out my favorite shade tree to sit under where God and I are going to be having some special times together!
God kept His Word in promising to provide! Tears well up in my eyes as I type this because God proved Himself faithful and trustworthy yet again, even though I doubted Him so many times. He didn't do this for me because I had an extroardinary amount of faith. He did it simply out of His unfailing and perfect love for this flawed and imperfect girl. I can look back now and see how He has been working and realize He has been loving on me all along, even when I didn't recognize it.
I believe there is someone out there who needs to hear this story. I literally searched for jobs for months with no responses. I finally had to just give up, knowing that even if the worst thing happened that my Jesus would be right by my side through it all. Maybe you've been there. Maybe you're there right now. Maybe you've reached a dead end and don't know what to do. God sometimes allows us to get to that point so that we realize that He really is enough.
We can't always understand why God doesn't respond the way we want Him to sometimes. However, we can trust that He knows exactly what He is doing. In this very moment, He IS working everything out for your good. In time you will be able to look back and see how He was working behind the scenes the whole time. Don't give up, brothers and sisters - keep trusting Him - and He WILL reveal Himself to you!
"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."
Psalm 40:1-3
Love,
Jen
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, March 04, 2011
What I Desire Most
Hey sweet friends!
I hope you all are enjoying this day that the Lord has made!
So...here's an update...I had a two-day interview this week for an Administrative Assistant position. The owner of the company told me he would not hire me for that particular job because I was over qualified. However, he offered me another position with the company that would have made me a VERY wealthy woman and would have given me all kinds of success and notoriety by the world's standards. How could I resist such an offer? To say that money has been tight would be the biggest understatement of my year. This would give me long-term financial stability in a very financially unstable world. I was blown away at first, thinking that maybe this was an answer to prayer. The thought of not having to worry about money anymore was most definitely appealing! I asked him to give me a little more time to pray about it before accepting the offer.
Those two days I was in complete turmoil. I did not want to turn down the opportunity if this truly was God's will for me, but I surely did not want it if it wasn't His will. I tossed and turned all night begging God to give me an answer. There was a part of me that felt like I needed to take the job simply because it was the financially "responsible" thing to do. However, I began realizing all of the things that I was going to have to give up in order to do this job. Every single area of my life would have become consumed by the responsibilities required. I would no longer be able to make any ministry and singing commitments, I would never see my friends and family, and more than anything I know my relationship with the Lord would have suffered. This company would have completely owned every part of my life.
I asked God to show me what to do, and He did. I knew that there might be people who would think I was crazy and irresponsible for not accepting the offer, but I knew that God did not want me to take that job. He gave me such a peace I can't explain, and I knew that I just needed to trust Him to lead me and provide for me.
After making my decision yesterday afternoon, I woke up this morning wondering what in the world I was to do now? I went out to one of my favorite "Jesus & Jen" spots at Vinoy Park and sat on the seawall with my legs dangling over the water. I remembered all of the special times I had with the Lord there over the years and all the salty tears I had cried out to Him that had landed in that salty water of the bay. God reminded me of how He has always been faithful and has heard every one of my cries. There I was again, pouring my heart out to Him asking Him for help. I just needed that reassurance that He was there, and that He did have something very special planned for my life.
The wind was blowing rather strong and causing big waves to crash against the seawall spraying me with water, but I didn't care. I was there to meet with my Heavenly Daddy and I wasn't leaving until He reassured me of His presence. Suddenly, a pelican flew within feet of me with his wings spread out allowing the wind to just carry him there stationary for a long time. It was so cool that I clasped my hands together and squealed telling God how awesome His creation was.
Then, just as the pelican flew away, my eye caught something come up out of the water at a distance. I soon realized that it was a dolphin, and then quickly saw that there was a whole group of dolphins and they were making a beeline directly towards where I was sitting. It was like God said, "You think the pelican is cool, baby girl? Just watch this!" The dolphins started jumping and playing in the water right close to where I was sitting. They could have made their way to any part of that long seawall, but they came right to me!
God just continues to blow me away with His love! I don't understand everything He is doing, but I do know that He is right here with me and He's not letting go. I may have many dreams and desires, but I have come to realize that more than anything I want JESUS! He is my dream! He is my desire!!!
I want to leave you all with a quote from "Shattered Dreams" by Larry Crabb...
"What He [God] is doing while we suffer is leading us into the depths of our being, into the center of our soul where we feel our strongest passions. It's there that we discover our desire for God. We begin to feel a desire to know Him that not only survives all our pain, but actually thrives in it until that desire becomes more intense than our desire for all the good things we still want. Through the pain of shattered lower dreams, we wake up to the realization that we want an encounter with God more than we want the blessings of life. And that begins a revolution in our lives."
Seek God first my friends, for He is the very One that your heart longs for even if you don't realize it. That's the way God made us. He is the only One who can fill you. Only He can give you love that completely satisfies. Anything else we follow after to quench our unsatiable thirst will eventually leave us dried up. Allow Jesus Christ to pour His living water into your heart and experience true satisfaction and wholeness in Him!
Love you my brothers and sisters!
Jen
I hope you all are enjoying this day that the Lord has made!
So...here's an update...I had a two-day interview this week for an Administrative Assistant position. The owner of the company told me he would not hire me for that particular job because I was over qualified. However, he offered me another position with the company that would have made me a VERY wealthy woman and would have given me all kinds of success and notoriety by the world's standards. How could I resist such an offer? To say that money has been tight would be the biggest understatement of my year. This would give me long-term financial stability in a very financially unstable world. I was blown away at first, thinking that maybe this was an answer to prayer. The thought of not having to worry about money anymore was most definitely appealing! I asked him to give me a little more time to pray about it before accepting the offer.
Those two days I was in complete turmoil. I did not want to turn down the opportunity if this truly was God's will for me, but I surely did not want it if it wasn't His will. I tossed and turned all night begging God to give me an answer. There was a part of me that felt like I needed to take the job simply because it was the financially "responsible" thing to do. However, I began realizing all of the things that I was going to have to give up in order to do this job. Every single area of my life would have become consumed by the responsibilities required. I would no longer be able to make any ministry and singing commitments, I would never see my friends and family, and more than anything I know my relationship with the Lord would have suffered. This company would have completely owned every part of my life.
I asked God to show me what to do, and He did. I knew that there might be people who would think I was crazy and irresponsible for not accepting the offer, but I knew that God did not want me to take that job. He gave me such a peace I can't explain, and I knew that I just needed to trust Him to lead me and provide for me.
After making my decision yesterday afternoon, I woke up this morning wondering what in the world I was to do now? I went out to one of my favorite "Jesus & Jen" spots at Vinoy Park and sat on the seawall with my legs dangling over the water. I remembered all of the special times I had with the Lord there over the years and all the salty tears I had cried out to Him that had landed in that salty water of the bay. God reminded me of how He has always been faithful and has heard every one of my cries. There I was again, pouring my heart out to Him asking Him for help. I just needed that reassurance that He was there, and that He did have something very special planned for my life.
The wind was blowing rather strong and causing big waves to crash against the seawall spraying me with water, but I didn't care. I was there to meet with my Heavenly Daddy and I wasn't leaving until He reassured me of His presence. Suddenly, a pelican flew within feet of me with his wings spread out allowing the wind to just carry him there stationary for a long time. It was so cool that I clasped my hands together and squealed telling God how awesome His creation was.
Then, just as the pelican flew away, my eye caught something come up out of the water at a distance. I soon realized that it was a dolphin, and then quickly saw that there was a whole group of dolphins and they were making a beeline directly towards where I was sitting. It was like God said, "You think the pelican is cool, baby girl? Just watch this!" The dolphins started jumping and playing in the water right close to where I was sitting. They could have made their way to any part of that long seawall, but they came right to me!
God just continues to blow me away with His love! I don't understand everything He is doing, but I do know that He is right here with me and He's not letting go. I may have many dreams and desires, but I have come to realize that more than anything I want JESUS! He is my dream! He is my desire!!!
I want to leave you all with a quote from "Shattered Dreams" by Larry Crabb...
"What He [God] is doing while we suffer is leading us into the depths of our being, into the center of our soul where we feel our strongest passions. It's there that we discover our desire for God. We begin to feel a desire to know Him that not only survives all our pain, but actually thrives in it until that desire becomes more intense than our desire for all the good things we still want. Through the pain of shattered lower dreams, we wake up to the realization that we want an encounter with God more than we want the blessings of life. And that begins a revolution in our lives."
Seek God first my friends, for He is the very One that your heart longs for even if you don't realize it. That's the way God made us. He is the only One who can fill you. Only He can give you love that completely satisfies. Anything else we follow after to quench our unsatiable thirst will eventually leave us dried up. Allow Jesus Christ to pour His living water into your heart and experience true satisfaction and wholeness in Him!
Love you my brothers and sisters!
Jen
Saturday, January 15, 2011
I Will Never Leave You
Happy New Year Everyone!
I recently posted a prayer request on my Facebook page asking everyone to pray specifically about a real estate deal I had in the works that would pay off all my debt and give me a little bit of money to walk away with. Like many of you, times are tough and I really was hoping this would be something that God would work out to relieve some of my financial pressure. So many of you responded with encouragement and promises to pray for me. Several of you followed up by texting me or asking me in person about it. It means the world to me that there are precious people who care about me enough to go before the throne of God on my behalf. Thinking about it at this moment brings tears to my eyes as I type. I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and encouragement.
Last week, as I had just picked up a book called "Believing God" by Beth Moore, which is all about faith and believing what God says, and began to read it, I turned to a passage in Joshua that she made reference to in the first chapter. As I was turning to the passage, I glanced up at my laptop that was sitting directly in front of me with my email opened so that I wouldn't miss any important messages. There it was. The message that I was hoping was going to bring me some good news was just the opposite. I found that another offer was accepted and I had lost the deal. I was devastated. I really had thought this was going to be what God was going to use to provide. I was discouraged and became very afraid about the uncertainty of my future.
At that moment, I looked down at my Bible where I had turned to the passage spoken of in my book, and another portion of scripture that I had highlighted in the past stared right back at me. "I will never leave you nor forsake you...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:5b & 9) God knew the exact moment I was going to receive that discouraging news, and He was so faithful to be ready to comfort me with His gentle words. He reminded me that no matter what happens or where I am that He will be with me. He is here to stay and will stick it out with me for the long haul, no matter what I may face.
God didn't stop at reassuring me that He was with me. After I sat and relished in the words He had whispered so sweetly into my soul with tears streaming down my face, I reached for my scripture spiral. I carry a note card spiral everywhere I go with me these days with scriptures that are most meaningful to me during this season of my life. When I had set the spiral down beside me as I was reading, it was closed. However, as I went to pick it up I noticed it had opened. The verse it happened to open up to was Psalm 132:15 which simply states, "I will bless her with abundant provisions." I just about fell off the bed I was sitting on when I read this! God was promising me that He was not only going to provide, but that He would ABUNDANTLY provide! God sure is amazing, isn't He?
I suddenly realized that it didn't matter that the deal didn't go through because God was going to take care of me in a bigger way. I have heard Beth Moore often say that when God says "No" it's for His greater "Yes!". Another woman in my life who has become very dear to me said, "Jenifer, if the deal would have gone through, it would have been by your efforts, not God's. God wants to do something that only He can do." (my paraphrase)
It was interesting to me that God chose to tell me that He was with me before He told me He was going to abundantly provide for my needs. He reminded me of Who He was before He told me what He would do. God is much more concerned about me knowing the Provider before I experience His provision. I can say from experience that I would trade everything I possess just to know my Provider more. His compassion and love are like no other.
I may not know when or how God is going to provide, but this I know...My God will NEVER leave me or forsake me, and He is going to be glued to my side through it all!
May you experience God's presence in a fresh new way today as well knowing that He is ALWAYS with you dear one!
Love you all,
Jen
I recently posted a prayer request on my Facebook page asking everyone to pray specifically about a real estate deal I had in the works that would pay off all my debt and give me a little bit of money to walk away with. Like many of you, times are tough and I really was hoping this would be something that God would work out to relieve some of my financial pressure. So many of you responded with encouragement and promises to pray for me. Several of you followed up by texting me or asking me in person about it. It means the world to me that there are precious people who care about me enough to go before the throne of God on my behalf. Thinking about it at this moment brings tears to my eyes as I type. I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and encouragement.
Last week, as I had just picked up a book called "Believing God" by Beth Moore, which is all about faith and believing what God says, and began to read it, I turned to a passage in Joshua that she made reference to in the first chapter. As I was turning to the passage, I glanced up at my laptop that was sitting directly in front of me with my email opened so that I wouldn't miss any important messages. There it was. The message that I was hoping was going to bring me some good news was just the opposite. I found that another offer was accepted and I had lost the deal. I was devastated. I really had thought this was going to be what God was going to use to provide. I was discouraged and became very afraid about the uncertainty of my future.
At that moment, I looked down at my Bible where I had turned to the passage spoken of in my book, and another portion of scripture that I had highlighted in the past stared right back at me. "I will never leave you nor forsake you...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:5b & 9) God knew the exact moment I was going to receive that discouraging news, and He was so faithful to be ready to comfort me with His gentle words. He reminded me that no matter what happens or where I am that He will be with me. He is here to stay and will stick it out with me for the long haul, no matter what I may face.
God didn't stop at reassuring me that He was with me. After I sat and relished in the words He had whispered so sweetly into my soul with tears streaming down my face, I reached for my scripture spiral. I carry a note card spiral everywhere I go with me these days with scriptures that are most meaningful to me during this season of my life. When I had set the spiral down beside me as I was reading, it was closed. However, as I went to pick it up I noticed it had opened. The verse it happened to open up to was Psalm 132:15 which simply states, "I will bless her with abundant provisions." I just about fell off the bed I was sitting on when I read this! God was promising me that He was not only going to provide, but that He would ABUNDANTLY provide! God sure is amazing, isn't He?
I suddenly realized that it didn't matter that the deal didn't go through because God was going to take care of me in a bigger way. I have heard Beth Moore often say that when God says "No" it's for His greater "Yes!". Another woman in my life who has become very dear to me said, "Jenifer, if the deal would have gone through, it would have been by your efforts, not God's. God wants to do something that only He can do." (my paraphrase)
It was interesting to me that God chose to tell me that He was with me before He told me He was going to abundantly provide for my needs. He reminded me of Who He was before He told me what He would do. God is much more concerned about me knowing the Provider before I experience His provision. I can say from experience that I would trade everything I possess just to know my Provider more. His compassion and love are like no other.
I may not know when or how God is going to provide, but this I know...My God will NEVER leave me or forsake me, and He is going to be glued to my side through it all!
May you experience God's presence in a fresh new way today as well knowing that He is ALWAYS with you dear one!
Love you all,
Jen
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Welcome to my Blog!
Hey Everyone! For those of you who are just checking out my blog for the first time - Welcome! I am so thrilled you stopped by! I look forward to sharing the amazing lessons that God is teaching me with all of you and I pray that they will encourage and bless you! As for those of you who used to follow my blog - Welcome Back! I know I kind of dropped off the face of the blogging earth for a loooong while, but I am ready to start writing again. WooooHoooo!!!
Please be sure to make your visit "official" and click on the link on the right side column of the blog to be a "Follower". If I know there are people following my blog, it will encourage me to write on here more often.
Also, I would encourage you to leave comments on any of the entries I post on here. I will keep up with them and will respond to each one of them. I would also love to pray for you, so please feel free to let me know any prayer needs you may have.
I will be back soon to share with you what God is teaching me, but until then I hope you all have a very merry and blessed Christmas!
Love you all,
Jen
Please be sure to make your visit "official" and click on the link on the right side column of the blog to be a "Follower". If I know there are people following my blog, it will encourage me to write on here more often.
Also, I would encourage you to leave comments on any of the entries I post on here. I will keep up with them and will respond to each one of them. I would also love to pray for you, so please feel free to let me know any prayer needs you may have.
I will be back soon to share with you what God is teaching me, but until then I hope you all have a very merry and blessed Christmas!
Love you all,
Jen
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Change is a - Comin' !
There have been so many changes in my life within the past few years and a whirlwind of change this year especially. Some of those changes were good and some were ones which brought about much pain. Even as I type this, I am sitting amongst a sea of boxes in my apartment prepared for a big move across the country to the Denver area next week. Had someone told me a year ago that I would be moving to Colorado, I would have thought they were crazy. This Florida girl swore she would NEVER move any farther north than Atlanta as she can't bare to be cold! Now I find I'm trading my flip-flops for snow boots, my bikini for a parka, my sunglasses for goggles and my surfboard for skis. Well - I don't actually own a surfboard, but you get the idea.
There are so many changes that are good, like a new home or a new baby for example. God created change - life would be absolutely boring without it. I love the saying, "If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." That is so true. However, whether good or bad - change can be downright scary at times. Whether we want it or not, change is inevitable. We can't avoid it. Seasons will change, people will change, economies will change, children will grow up, waistlines will get bigger, skin will get wrinklier and yes, sadly - what was once perky will eventually droop to the floor.
However, in the midst of all these changes I have found comfort in the One who does NOT change. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8). When everything around me changes, He remains the same. He is ALWAYS faithful, ALWAYS trustworthy, ALWAYS there when we need Him, ALWAYS loving, ALWAYS gracious, ALWAYS forgiving, ALWAYS our provider, ALWAYS our sustainer, ALWAYS our strength and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keeps His promises. He NEVER will forsake us, NEVER will hurt us, NEVER will lie to us, NEVER will lead us in the wrong direction and NEVER, NEVER, NEVER will abandon us and leave us all alone.
Whatever changes you are experiencing today, take comfort in knowing that no matter what happens with the state of our economy and country, no matter what happens in your life and the lives of those you love that Jesus is the One to whom you can always count on. He is our constant source of stability. He is consistant. He is faithful. He never has and never will change - and that, my friends is something you can depend upon!
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