Joy

Today in Sunday school we were talking about Joy VS. Happiness. I had never really thought about this before but I realized that there are many things that can make a person happy, but very few and special things that bring you joy. Happiness can be temporary, Joy is from the Lord and is solid. I realized that if I'm having a bad day, the things that might make me happy, just won't cut it..but even on my worst day, the Joy of the Lord will always bring a smile to my face- even if it's for a moment. Joy is permanent. If we have the Joy of the Lord, we will not be moved.

There are many things that make me happy, and bring goodness to my life- but when I dig deep down, there are things that bring me earthly joy, the kind that only Jesus hands out. Those are the things I cherish, and count my blessings daily.


Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for JOY and I will give thanks to him in song.

The Snail will make it to the Ark!!

I haven't blogged in a while and I figured it was time. Usually I end with the update but today I will start..

Thanksgiving came and went in a flash, it just didn't seem to last long enough. My mom was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in Texas for the first time in 17 years! It was such an incredible blessing to have her here with us. I ran my first 5k with my aunt Thanksgiving morning and it was a great way to start the day! We had a great time running/walking/talking and made an amazing memory together.
I only have 21 short days left in Texas and I can't believe how fast the time has went. I knew that coming to TX would be a good idea but what I didn't know was that God had a divine plan in mind for His child. I am still fighting many battles and trying to find my purpose and place in life but I can see now, just how much God loves me. He has carried me through these last couple months and lifted me on the wings of eagles. His joy is overflowing and I have tried to maintain the peace that He has given me.

Battles, I have realized what a battle, we has humans must fight. Everyday Satan is trying to destroy us and we must put on our Armor, take heart, and fight this battle. I can see now that the trials I've faced have always been for my own good. God is molding me each and every day and even through the heartache, His glory will be revealed. This has been so hard for me because I forget so easily that my flesh might be weak, but my Spirit is willing..and if my Spirit is willing, then God will not leave me nor forsake me. He has a plan and purpose for my life and I want to choose to live a life for Him and for His kingdom. My heart wants to love, live, and learn. I want to serve God with my whole being and I am doing what I can to live a life worthy to be lived. In my Devotion this afternoon the author was talking about how even the snail made it to the Ark, not because he was fast or witty..but because he had endurance. So even if we move very, very, slowly- we can make it to the Ark if we just endure. That spoke wonders to me because so often I lose track of what's important and I begin to fall in a place of guilt, fear, and defeat. I think it's too hard so I simply, give up. How I so hope that I can continue to work through this, it's a horrible quality and I pray that whatever I have to endure- God continues to teach me to not loose hope or give up. For I need to remember that Jesus has already overcome the world, and He has taken all my pain and all my fear. All things are possible with Christ, He is my Strength, my Hope, my Friend.

My friend is still in the hospital, it has been a long, intense, and painful time for this family. My heart breaks as they fight such a terrible storm but I can see how God's glory is being revealed and even though they are hard-pressed, they are not crushed. For God loves Jordan more than any of us and He knows the plans He has set for this young boy.


We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:8-18

God has carried me through each do new and His mercies are new every morning. I must continue to put my trust in Him.

Thankfulness

Thankfulness..even through the storms of life God commands us to Praise Him and give thanks unto the Lord!

Psalm 100

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing,
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and
not we ourselves;
We are His people and the
sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise,
Be thankful to Him, and bless
His name.
For the Lord is good
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday..I love spending time with my family and being all together. I know that we should be thankful every day of the year but I love that when Fall rolls around and everyone starts to get excited for Christmas, we can slow down from the craziness of life and just be, thankful.

Top 10 things I am Thankful for:

1. My Savior and King, and that He gave us His Word to study and learn
2. The blessings that each one of my family members has given me, even though they may not know it.
3. God's unending mercy and grace, He has truly poured it upon me.
4. All the "little" people in my life, they bring me so much joy.
5. The time in Texas God has blessed me with, allowing me to be with my family here and meet such encouraging and uplifting people at Church.
6. A boyfriend that may be far away, but is safe and healthy.
7. For each day of Sunshine
8. That even though I complain, legs and feet that allow me to walk each day.
9. For ONLINE classes. I never thought I would be thankful for those but if it wasn't for technology I would not be able to be in Texas.
10. God's all surpassing Peace and the Truth He holds in His Promises.

I could make a list of 100 things but those are just a few that I have been thankful for these last couple of months.
I only have 35 short days left in Texas and I can't believe how fast the time has just flown by. In two weeks I will be finished with my third semester in college, I'll be headed back home, and then we will enter in to 2010. It never amazes me how fast life can change, even though I say it a hundred times it just never seems to make it any more believable when suddenly you wonder where the time has gone.

I have had many blessings in 2009 and though it wasn't always the most pleasant of changes, God has brought beautiful things from them.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.
I am truly Thankful for you.....

Hug someone you love today!

Three weeks ago two 17 year old boys got in a serious car accident. The driver failed to stop at a stop sign causing them to hit a 46 year old man in a truck. The driver died instantly, leaving a family short one member and a high school missing their friend. My good friend Jordan was flown to the hospital with critical injuries. This terrible accident has been a testimony to me to how quickly life can change. Through these last 3 weeks I have watched as God has worked in the lives of everyone around and in this horrible situation, He has been our light. Jordan has laid in the hospital bed fighting for his life while a family of believers have come together to support the Lysaghts. What a family we have in Christ! God has used this time to remind me that all we have is Him, our Lord and Savior. What a blessing to have our brothers and sisters in Christ lifting us in prayer. My heart is breaking as this family walks through such a dark storm but how encouraged I've been to watch how special our "family" is. It has been such a blessing to see how amazing it will be to spend an eternity with my "family" in Christ.
Jordan has touched many lives and he will be amazed with all the support he's been getting.
If God chooses to take him home, he will be greatly missed. But, we have great hope and comfort in the fact that we will see him again. He will stand before God and hear, "Welcome home good and faithful servant"!! I love you Jordan Marshal Lysaght! And either here on earth or in Heaven, we will see each other again!

Life can change in an instant and it's sad that it takes losing a friend and a bad accident for us to look at life differently. To all my "family": I love you! And I look forward to the day when we can spend an Eternity With Jesus Together!

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Romans 15:4 and 5

The Everlasting God

Isaiah 40: 28-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. And his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

As I sit here pondering life, my mind is a million places. I’ve been repeating this verse over in my head for many hours praying to my Father in Heaven. We went to the hospital yesterday and my friend who was in the serious car accident is in critical condition. His injuries are severe and the doctors aren’t expecting him to make it. At this point it would take a miracle to have my friend up and healthy again. My faith in God knows that He can produce such a miracle, I have no doubt that all things are in the hand of God and He takes care of His children. Though this calms my spirit, it sadly doesn’t stop my flesh from hurting. The Lysaghts are dear friends and have had a big part in helping me become the woman I am today. My heart breaks for them, and it is times like these where life doesn’t make sense and all we can do is trust and have faith. This is so much easier said than done.
It’s hard not to ask why? Of course we know the answer is sometimes simple, we live in a sinful world and we will always face adversities. As I watch my friends go through such a difficult time in their life I can only count down the days till we can all be in Heaven some day. No more tears, no more car accidents, no more pain. At this time in my life, this day seems not only beautiful, but it gives me hope. We will always face pain and heartache on this earth, because we are not yet with our Father but one day, we will kneel at the feet of Jesus and feel full and complete joy. All I can do now is to keep praying, to remember that MY GOD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of earth and if I put my hope in Him I will be able to make it through one more day. Jordan is lying in a hospital bed right now and his family is facing some of the deepest pain they may ever feel but I can still rejoice knowing that MY GOD will comfort them and carry them through this time. God will renew their strength and even through this painful time they will soar on wings like eagles.

“We should not only understand the importance of our waiting on God but also realize something even more wonderful- The Lord waits on us. And the very thought of His waiting on us will give us a renewed motivation and inspiration to "wait for Him". It also should provide inexpressible confidence that our waiting will NEVER be in VAIN! “

-I wrote that many months ago and found in it in my journal. Though the waiting can be painful,
I am full of hope knowing that our waiting is never in vain and that our Lord is waiting to take care of us.

Thank you Lord for such promises, your love endures forever.

Tomorrow is a New Day!

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Cor. 12: 9 and 10

I have posted this verse before but these last couple days it has had SO much meaning. As most of you know, I drove from Texas to Wisconsin with Kevin last week to surprise my family and friends. It was a great reunion and I LOVED seeing so many people I'm close too. It was also bittersweet because on Sat. night I said goodbye to Kevin. He will be gone for many months and it was heartbreaking to see him pull out of my driveway. Then I began a crazy week, one I didn't see coming. Wednesday night I started to feel very ill, my body ached and I had the chills. When Thursday rolled around I was feeling pretty down but I was hoping it was just a cold. By late Thursday night I was starting to realize that I was VERY wrong, I spent most of the night in the bathroom and by that morning felt like I had been hit by a MACK truck. My entire body was overwhelmed with pain and that was the beginning of three miserable days in bed. I was treated for the H1N1 virus and after being sick for 5 days I'm sure that's what I had. It is now Monday and I can praise the Father in Heaven because I finally feel a little better. I still slept for most of the day but my body and mind feel much better.
During all of this time, Kevin flew out to Kuwait, and my good friend was in a horrible car accident killing a young boy and putting my in the hospital. These horrible string of events shook my world a little and the world of others around me. My dear friend is still in critical condition as they have him in a self-induced coma to help his body heal. During these last couple days I've learned once again how desperately we need Jesus in our lives. How thankful I am for His grace and how incredible Him dying on the cross really is, for without it we would be just lost sinners walking the world blind with no answer. Now we can be free, and have the Word to rely on. So even in this hard time of my life, and the hard time of my friends, and my boyfriend. I know that His grace is sufficient. I have this verse posted all over my blog but I don't think you can ever read it enough.
Thank-you God for sending your son to die for me.

I'm not sure when I'll be going back to Texas, I'm hoping this upcoming weekend I'll be well enough to travel again. I'm missing everyone in the South and praying they are staying well. :)

I love you all. Hug your family a little longer tonight, you never know what God has in store.

Life is so Precious

I am writing this post in Honor of my good friend. Him and his friend were in a serious car accident this morning and my friend is in surgery and is in critical condition. His friend was killed in the accident. This is such a big reminder of how precious life is, God is in complete control and when He calls us home, it is time. I will be praying extremely hard for both families and will be counting my blessings. Smile a little bigger today and thank God for the life He has given you.

Change happens...and I thank God for it.

Change, its amazing how fast life can change. Friends get married, start to have babies, move away, come home, college, Texas, new friends, new life..change.

I always tell people how much I like change, fast pace and living a life that moves quickly. It keeps things interesting as well as exciting. I enjoy trying new things and learning the different things we can in life, but I also really struggle with not having a plan. This is something I have to deal with and it has been hard throughout my life.. I know God has a plan, but it has been a huge mild stone in my life when I feel like I don't have a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 has been my life verse for many years because I can constantly remind myself that even when life changes, and things are spinning all around me, My God remains. For He knows the plans He has for me...I must hide that verse in my heart so I can live by the truth that it gives. When I dwell on that verse and cling to the promise that it has I feel a overwhelming sense of peace and joy. My God has a plan for my life, and even when I don't know what will be next, He does. He has a hope and future for me, a divine purpose for the things to come. God has given me a great amount of peace knowing that He will always be there and His grace is sufficient to carry me through life's ups and downs.
I recently started volunteering at a Christian pregnancy here in town and as I was sitting there on Wednesday folding brochures I started to imagine what my life would be like if I somehow made a bad choice and gotten pregnant at a young age. I started to think about how lost some of these girls must feel, thinking they have no hope and no answers. I said a prayer to God thanking Him for the amazing life He has blessed me with and for giving me the peace and reassurance to know that even when life gets a little crazy, He has a plan. I never have to wonder what life may bring because I have a faithful and just God who has everything in control. This is something my flesh usually wins at because I am a strong worrier and my mom would testify that when I start to worry, I become a not so fun person to be around. I've been trying to really challenge myself into allowing God to give me peace and thank Him for such amazing promises. He will never leave us nor forsake us, His plan is above all others and His name is worthy to be praised.

I've been thinking of home lately and miss all of my wonderful Wisconsin folk. I really miss my mom. She has always been my best friend and I will sheepishly admit that I don't think your ever to old to need your mommy.

Quick little update:
Classes are going better, my grades are raising and even though I still don't like them I'm holding my own and accomplishing what needs to be done. Thank you Jesus!!!
Church is incredible, every Wednesday night I hang out with the kids and they blow me away with their knowledge of the Bible and love for God. They never cease to amaze me in how beautiful they see things. This past Wednesday one of my little girls said.." Miss Lacey, It's just tooo long." I said what's too long.. She said with a cute grin, "Wednesday to Sunday, I miss you during the week". :) What a beautiful encouragement that I can be a special part in her sweet life. I'm not doing much, but the fact that God can use me to be a light for Him in these kids life is a wonderful experience. They may think I'm there to teach them, but they are definitely teaching me.
My grandparents and I are making memories that I will carry with me forever and I will never be able to thank them enough for all that they are doing while I'm here. How did I get so blessed.

My hero...

Well, as most of you know.. It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My blog will continue to stay PINK until October is over and I'm very excited about showing my support. This cause is near and dear to my heart because my very own Grandma is a Breast Cancer survivor. When we have more time and its not so late, I plan on sitting down with her so she can tell her story and I'll post it here in my blog. My grandma is more special to me than most people know and she is SUCH a inspiration to my life, not just because she has overcome Breast Cancer but because she lives such a godly and amazing life. I am blessed to be living with her these next couple months and to have her in my life. I am thankful God carried her through her Breast Cancer and I have the honor of having her as such a role model in my life. So Mama, this is for YOU! I love you so much! She is beautiful INSIDE and OUT!

Oh how He loves us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y

I have been listening to this song for most of the morning and I am in complete awe of how wonderful my God is.
He blesses us beyond measure!

Even in my deepest, darkest moments, His love and grace covered me. How can I not be in awe of that. To think that one day I will see my maker face to face, a complete sense of joy overfills my soul. What a glorious day that will be! Nothing can separate me from His love..nothing.

" For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, now things present nor things to come, nor height now depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8:38-39

Quick Texas update:
It was 64 degrees when I woke up! :) I am so thankful that it is cooling down, I love the crisp feeling of fall. I've been a little homesick, missing the Wisconsin fall and all that comes with it but God has blessed me with a nice cool morning to remind me of my home in Wisconsin! Tonight is Church and I can hardly wait, another great night with the kiddos!
This past weekend I went to the State fair of TX with my grandparents, aunt and uncle and we all had a good time. It was a long exhausting day but we were able to walk around and make fun memories!
OK, back to homework..I have a lot to get done this week! Which is one more blessing before I forget, my classes are still horrible and I still hate them but things ARE getting easier and I'm getting a better routine. So thank you JESUS!!!

Open your eyes...

I have been pretty lazy lately in writing and haven't been real inspired but tonight I went to Church, talk about being inspired. I am helping every Wed. night and can I just say that I'm absolutely loving it! I am working with a group of amazing and inspiring woman of God and we are teaching 4th-6th graders, tonight we talked about letting our light shine before men and wow, those brilliant kids had such great things to say. I took my team "TLT" or The Lord's Travelers and we were talking about ways we can let out light shine...One of the little boys in my group asked me why people hated Jesus so much, not a second later one girl piped in, "Because they deep down know it's the truth and they are living in sin" they began to talk among themselves and the wisdom just poured out of them. They spoke of their love for Jesus and how hard it is to get made fun of at school. I couldn't believe how special these beautiful children were and how much they loved God, not only did they love Him, but they want to let their light shine.
Being around these kids is such a blessing and it's easy to see why God loved little children so much, they love deep and very pure..sure they are still full of sin, and attitude and just plain crazy thinking but the way they look at life and their outlook on things is gorgeous.
My God loves me so much that He sends me children like this to show me new things, as I look around..I realized that if we never open our eyes we will never see the small blessings our God sends our way.
My challenge for you is to simply open your eyes, I can promise you God is blessing you and you probably even haven't seen it.

My prayers for this week:
-My eyes are always opened and my selfish flesh doesn't get in the way!
-My family
-My friends
-That I will continue to be used in God's kingdom


Father, give me ears to hear, a heart that trusts and a mind that rests on you.

A sweet childs face, still unaware of the hardships this world can sometimes bring

Two people who can celebrate 45 years of marriage

The face of a sleeping child all snuggled in my arms

The fun and innocence kids bring to our lives

The sweet, sweet sound of this little guys laughter

Kisses that last a lifetime

The first dance of a groom and his bride

My sweet grandparents

The bride and her groom

These are all pictures from my cousins wedding and they are all things that make my heart smile. What a beautiful weekend to spend with my family. Whenever things get hard I can sit back, and look at these pictures. God has given us so many things in this world to smile at and my only hope is that I can continue to be thankful for them.
Texas is feeling more and more like home and I'm becoming so grateful God brought me here. I still miss my family and friends in Wisconsin but I'm loving the exerpriences I'm having here.

" The LORD is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my Shield and the horn of my Salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18:2

Isaiah 40: 28-31

Do you now know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. And his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and wary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Laughter that lasts forever.

It's amazing how fast things seem to go. I was talking to my grandma the other day and we realized that 19 years ago my Mom was my age, living in the house with her Grandma going to school. So here I am, 19 years old, living in this house with my grandma. It's funny how things seem to work out sometimes but it made me think about my life and growing up. I have many memories coming to TX all throughout my childhood. We spent a few weeks each summer and every Christmas here and I have so many memories.
Putting on shows for everyone just to make them laugh..and of course get all of the attention.
Eating Popsicles all day long just to get some relief of the heat.
Playing in my grandparents driveway on bikes, my mom once made us a whole town with chalk.
Going to water parks, museums, and every other thing imaginable.
In my grandparents old house every year for Christmas this Santa would ride on a Fire Truck, drive around the neighborhood and throw candy. I loved that Santa and could hardly wait for him to get there!
I have so many memories of funny stories, games we played, the amazing food we cooked and then ate, movies, all of sitting in the living room opening up presents, making jokes that would have us all stumbling over in laughter. These are all things I keep very close to my heart and thank God for them often. So here I am, in a house that holds many memories, and yet I feel like it was just yesterday that I was that little girl.

I don't feel ready for life, and yet life doesn't wait for you to be ready, so we just have to jump in and let God lead the way. I'm not that little girl anymore, but I'm still making memories and I still have an amazing family. These are all the things that can and should make laughter last forever, if only we could start to laugh and it would never end. Then I realized, one day..when we are at the feet of Jesus, we can laugh and never stop. Oh what a glorious day that will be. :)

College...

This is how I feel today, overwhelmed, bogged down, and completely and totally over my head. I know it's nothing major, and it's nothing that I can't overcome, but today I wish I wasn't in college. I will be fine, I just can't complain. I will push forward and complete these classes and be glad that I did. I know it will be worth it in the end, its just hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.


"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. -Psalm 119:105

Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for answers.
Philippians 4:6

I'm so thankful I have a Bible and a God that I can always turn to for encouragement. I am never alone.

From whom all blessings flow...

Matthew 19:14

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me,

and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Today I've been thinking about some of the things that will always put me in a good mood. This is what I came up with off the top of my head.

The Bible
babies
any child
coffee
friends
walking off of a airplane knowing someone you love is waiting for you
traveling
my family
emails
friends
God's creation
Puppies (or any baby animal)
Understanding some scripture for the first time, even though you've read it over 100 times.
Clean feet
the feeling you get right before you fall asleep
finishing homework/test
long walks with friends
Thanksgiving


I have so many more but that's about it for now.



God is truly amazing and I can't believe I can be a daughter of His. For all the things I mentioned above and for all my other blessings, to Him be the glory and honor. He deserves all my praise. The love He shows towards me and the grace I have is overflowing. I'm in complete awe.

At Your feet I fall,
Yield You up my ALL,
To Suffer, Live, Or Die,
For my Lord Crucified.
-anonymous

His day

Sunday...one of my favorite days of the week!!!!!

You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
-Psalm 16:11

The little things...

Its always the little things you miss in life......

Today I've been missing my brother, we have many differences but always seem to somehow get along. I could write for hours of stories or things I've learned from him, but I'll spare everyone! This is for him. :)

Changes

Hey everyone!
I'm not sure why I'm starting a blog but since I'm in TX this will give people who are far away a chance to read about what's going on in my life.
My Internet classes this semester are pretty tough so I can't promise how great I'll be at updating but I will definitely do my best!

I've been in TX for over a week and I'm starting to really love it, its a huge change for me. (Even though I'm living with my grandparents) But its been a really good change for my life. God is already stretching me and I just hope I have the patience to let Him.

I am hoping that this blog can also be an encouragement to anyone to reads it. My blog is called "His Grace is enough" because I'm slowly learning that His grace really is sufficient for me. What a blessing to be created and formed by such an amazing God. I can put into words how much that means to me. I am a sinner saved by grace!

And He Said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
2 Cor. 12:9