JESUS bring the RAIN

Tonight I got together with some girl friends of mine. We went to Candace Nelsons house and got together for a time of talking about life and the Lord. It was AMAZING! We stayed together and talked about everything, we shared scripture, and shared with each other things about our "life." Some had more to say than others...(of course I had a lot to say..as always). One thing I have been facing recently is the transformation of going from "what is EASY" to "what is RIGHT." It has not been easy. For a long time I have thought to myself..."Ok Kady, this is what you are doing. This is the life you are living." Then...ok Kady..."This is what you should be doing, this is what you know is right." I would think about this and as bad as I hate to say it I would go on doing the "what is easy" part. It made life so much easier and less complicated to just "continue with what was normal, or what I was used to." After Britt and Shep passed feelings changed. Life as it once was flashed in front of me and I knew it was time to STOP doing what was easy and strive to do what was RIGHT. I really began relying on God. I needed him. I needed him for comfort through a hard time, I needed him for Peace, I needed him for strength, to be strong for Tyson during a difficult time but most of all I needed him for courage to make the change I had so often thought about making, but never "acted on". I really began to pray that God would help me, and that while the devil is pulling on me to continue doing "worldly things" I prayed the He would pull even harder to light the path to what was not easy, but what was right. Not too long after I began praying really hard for this transformation Candace sent me this part of scripture in a message. Romans 12:2 "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 Gods will- his GOOD, PLEASING & PERFECT will." Talk about PERFECT timing. This verse says it all, and it doesnt get much more clear than this. God has REALLY been clear with me lately. Straight foward and to the point on everything. I have opened my heart to him, and because of that I am "seeing" it. And the best part to all of this, is im not just seeing it in ME, but in other people that I care very much about. I often think about Brittany. I think about Friday, March 11th at the church when Brooke stood up and spoke those words about Brittany, her principle from her school talking about her...and not only these things, but I have seen and heard numerous people talk about her and describe the person that she was, the kind hearted, strong willed, strong minded person she was, and the influence and impact she has made on them....well it has opened my eyes to something. We all know we are not promised tomorrow, but just to make it a little more clear James 4:13 says "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes." I have been to many funerals, I have been to funerals for old people, people I didnt really know and I have been to some for "young" people, friends around my age, and NEVER have I EVER heard people talk about the person and describe the life of a person the way people have about Brittany. After all of this I have realized that, because tomorrow is not a promise, I want to strive to be the way I want to be remembered. If something happened to me would there be great things people could say about me, would the last impact I had on someone be something they would want to share with people. Would people be positive that I am spending eternity in Heaven? I want people to be able to speak of me the way they have Britt. I want to be half of what she was. It is so comforting! Life is so precious and needs to be appreciated and I am working to do my part, fullfill my purpose until I complete the race drawn out for me. There is a song that I cling tightly too, "Jesus Bring the Rain"...in the beginning it says that people always ask him why he still praises God even with all he has been through, but he says it has never crossed his mind to turn his back on the Lord, instead during his hard time he draws closer to God his only shelter in the storm of life....it goes on to say Bring me Joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free, bring me anything that brings you glory, and i know they'll be days when this life brings me pain but if thats what it takes to praise you JESUS BRING THE RAIN. I love this...because even in the hardest, darkest, worst part of life he still reaches to God for healing. This is what I want. Even in the storms of our life, in the worst, darkest, coldest times of our life we should still praise HIM. I pray that even if it means challenging me, giving me things in life I  dont understand, or giving me a little rain or a HUGE storm...then bring it, because I will still praise you!

In GODS time

Through all that has happened over the past couple of weeks, Trusting in Him, Relying on His Promises, Waiting for His Answers, Believing in His Miracles, REJOiCiNG in His GOODNESS and RELAXiNG in His PRESENCE has been the main focus. Often wondering "why" things have happened the way they have. Asking God why. We will never understand. Just trusting in his promise that He works for the GOOD of those who LOVE him. If this doesnt make you want to LOVE him even MORE than you already do then I dont know what will. When I read scripture now, it speaks to me in a whole new way. It is AWESOME! Continuing to TRUST God. I know that he has a plan, a BIG plan, a GOOD plan a PERFECT PLAN for all of us. I was thinking today, and I came across this verse...."A mans HEART plans his ways, but the LORD determines his FOOTSTEPS" Proverbs 16:9. I am ever so guilty of trying to "PLAN" my life. What I am going to do, when I am going to do it, how its going to be done and so on...well I have recently learned and have often been reminded that guess what Kady....it is NOT up to you. I sometimes think God probably sits around and laughs at me because HE knows ALL, and really...I know NOTHING. I think God gets a kick out of watching me try to "plan" my life because He knows that HE is the planner, the only planner. I am working so hard now to stop worrying about the things that don't matter, stop getting caught up with the things of the world. Focus on what is important...most important. My walk with Him. Obviously we have seen life be taken in an instant, and because of that, seeing that, knowing that, I want to start living the life that if something happened to me tomorrow, if the end was here, if my race was over...would the last days of my life be what they needed to be. Would my purpose be served, would my duties be fullfilled. I am striving to live more like Christ...NO i'll never be anywhere near what He is, but I can TRY! and i WiLL TRY!