Finding Peace in His Word....

For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

My life verse....there is a more lengthly post coming....I promise.

It is well with my soul.....

The words ring true....wherever I am or have been in life, whatever situation might be ripping my heart apart, whomever has deserted me, whatever my lot, my life is in Christ, by His grace, my blessed hope, my blessed rest is with Christ....it is well with my soul.

God continually shows me the power of His love....the intricate details of circumstances/situations that I thought unbearable, hopeless, instances when I thought all was lost and without resolve, He has worked out for me....He is patient to see me through the fears, the doubts, the cries of hesitations, all that keeps me from enjoying the fullness of Him. He knows I love my comfort zone...and He knows I must overcome to be all He is calling me to be...with a deep sigh and a will to press into His love, I emerge, renewed, refreshed, with all I am, in whatever moment He gives me and sing....it is well with my soul...

The Bible is in New York

I have such joy in my heart.....I returned home yesterday after spending four days with nine of the scarf sisters, Pat, Trish, Cathy, Margie, Terry, Diane, Julie, Cheryl and Deb. Near the end of our time together, the Scarf Sister Bible was handed over to me....I honestly am not certain what I will share here or if I will find words adequate enough to express how thankful I am for all that God has done and continues to do in my life....but I will begin with this verse....Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8. The picture below is one I took of Pat's cabin and is  where we all gathered for Margie's awesome cooking, fellowship, singing, laughing, praying, sharing, huggs and loving the Lord our God.....my cup is filled to overflowing...I want to invite all the ladies that attended to please feel free to post anything you wish about the reunion....I will not be offended at all if you post in between my posts  and 7 days is way too long for everyone to wait to share....

 

To everything this is a season

A time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born

A time to die

A time to plant

And a time to pluck that which is planted

A time to kill

And a time to heal

A time to break down

And a time to build up

A time to weep

And a time to laugh

A time to mourn

And a time to dance

A time to cast away stones

And a time to gather stones

A time to embrace

And a time to refrain from embracing

A time to gain 

And a time to lose

A time to keep

And a time to throw away

A time to tear

And a time to sew

A time to keep silence

And a time to speak

A time to love

And a time to hate

A time of war

And a time of peace

The Bible is lying on a scarf that I bought at a shop in Frankenmuth....we stopped to have lunch and do some browsing before heading to Pat's cabin.

To God be the glory

I was coming home today and I was missing everyone already!  and I was just singing (no one can hear me in the car) and I was just thinking about how loved I felt this weekend and how blessed I feel!  It was amazing!  And this song came on, and then I was crying AGAIN!







You have done for me
Things so undeserved yet you gave.
To prove your love for me
the voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
all that am and ever hope to be
i owe it all to thee
to god be the glory, to god be the glory
to god be the glory for the things he has done
he has done
with his blood he has saved me
with his power he has raised me
to God be the glory for the things he has done
just let me live my life and
let it be pleasing LORD to thee
and if i gain any praise let it go to Calvary
with his blood he has saved me
with his power he has raised me
to God be the glory for the things he has done
how great is our God
sing with me
how great is our God
and all will see
how great is our God

It's almost here! Lots to do!

I'm getting excited about our reunion!  I pick Diane up from the airport in 2 days!  My dining room table is being staged with the stuff I am bringing.  Soon the piece of paper saying 'cheese, lasagna, rolls, butter, etc' will be on the table so I am sure not to forget anything. 

The waffle iron has already made it's way to the table!
Prayer for safe travels!
Soon the crockpot, iced tea maker (don't leave home without it), george forman grill, the cooler was cleaned out!
I can't wait to see everyone who is coming! 
Going to charge the camera battery! 
Laundry tonight! 
Some more grocery shopping!
Banana Bread is made!
Got a few things for our meals from Detroit!  Bread from Milano Bakery, Kowalski Keilbasa from Hamtramck!  A new shirt to wear!  Yes, it's true, I am that big of a nerd!
15% off coupon for Bronners was in the paper the other day!
Need to print out recipes for everyone! 
Went to http://www.frankenmuth.org/ to see if there were any coupons I would use! I've made 9 copies so everyone can get deals too!  Free ornaments! 
I think that's it! I was excited before, but as it gets closer I just keep getting more and more excited!!

The Hills and the Valleys

As I mentioned the other day, last year when the Bible started its journey, I opted out of being a part of it...not because I didn't want to be, but because I was at a place in my life where there was a lot going on and there seemed to be more negatives than positives, and yes, some bitterness. That is why I decided not to be a part...what on earth could I share with everyone without being a hypocrite. "Oh, here's my favourite verses, here is why they are important to me"...it just wasn't something I wanted to do. I have my favourite verses and God has been so good to me throughout my life...I was never in doubt of that but at that time I was in a valley and I was more willing to have my little pity party while I tried to climb back up the hill.

I think it started in the summer...after Olivia had her surgery. Sounds crazy, I know, but for me, once Olivia had her surgery and all was well it was almost a letdown. No, letdown is not the right word but I can't find the right word. What I mean is that for 14 months we had lived a different life from the one we were used to. April 2009 changed us from a family looking forward to a new addition to the family where everything was going to go so smoothly to a family who was having a baby with a birth defect, a baby who was not going to be born "perfect", an uncertain future because we didn't know how long she would be in hospital. When Olivia was born we became a family who was separated at times because half of us were at home and half of us were in Toronto. We were a family who were in uncharted territory...where hospitals became the norm, and where we were the beneficiaries of so much support from the community...I certainly didn't feel worthy and the enemy made sure he kept that thought in my mind.

Also, once last summer was upon is I was in a transition period...my maternity leave was up and I had to decide whether to go back to driving bus (which I didn't want to do) or stay home but be very short of funds which was not going to be good. I ended up starting a new job working for my uncle, which, although I loved it, it did not work out like he and I had hoped. So last fall I was stressed...we were having some financial problems which worried me to know end, and I was trying to find clients for my uncle which just wasn't happening. And...through all of this, I was not enjoying church anymore...we were down to only a handful of people, so it was more like a Bible study and because our kids were the only kids, there was no Sunday school for them and I spent most of my time at church trying to keep them entertained and quiet.

My life was just feeling like one big stressball of disappointment. Seems funny to say after the verses I've shared this week, but sometimes it's hard to rely on God...for me anyways. That is one reason I've tried to get in the habit of writing down the blessings I've received...I've gotten many and I know that God is always on time, but sometimes it's hard not to get mired down in the muck.

So really, what on EARTH could I have shared with you all that would have been a blessing? Nothing, so I backed out and continued on my little pity party.

In January of this year our little church decided to stop because we weren't moving forward and so we started looking for a church. Within a few weeks we had found a great church...no church is perfect, but this one seemed to have everything we were looking for and we've been so blessed by it. This was the start of a turnaround for me and I began to get excited about what God was doing (and would do) in my life. During this time we also started working on some the financial problems we were having and that situation has turned around as well!

I've made some wonderful friends at church and now both Andy are each involved in a ministry within the church which has been good. The girls LOVE their classes and they are learning so much!

I'm learning (ever so slowly it seems sometimes!) to rely on God...I tend to say "Okay God, I give this over to you" but then I take it back when it feels like God is late or I think I know what to do. Not what I want to do, but I like to be in control so that's what I need to work on! :0) Back in June I applied for a job that I had done before and loved and I knew I was perfect for the job and it was perfect for me. I had my heart set on the job and in my mind it would be the "answer" to our finances. We were in a better position and with my job with my uncle running out in May we were still able to get by but I didn't want to get by...I wanted to have extra to do things with the girls, save for a vacation, that kind of thing. Oh...when will I learn? This job was only going to be a few hours a week and would allow us some breathing room.

Because I allowed myself to think that I "needed" this job (and because I did want it) I began to let it stress me out and started to worry once again about what I would do if I didn't get it. I have a business that I am a consultant for that I'd already decided I would put more effort into so that hopefully I wouldn't need a job, but once again I was little Miss Faithless.

In July I heard that they had hired someone...I didn't even get an interveiw! That was upsetting and I was down for a day or so but since I had already been praying for wisdom and acceptance with the outcome I was able to realize (even if I didn't really want to) that God had a better plan for me.

Not long after I saw a job advertised that I had seen other times in the past but never really thought about applying for...but this time I jumped on it. One of our local malls will advertise for someone to work at the Customer Service desk a few hours a week. I decided that it would be perfect because it was evenings and weekends which meant I wouldn't need a babysitter and I've worked in retail so much that this would be a job I could do with no problem.

I submitted my resume and got called for an interview a week later. I interviewed with the supervisor and it went great! She said there was another woman also conducting some interviews so once they met and compared notes I might get called for a 2nd interview with the other woman...which I did! The second woman was the Marketing manager for the mall and it was also a great interview...she said I seemed perfect for the job!

Once again, I was really hoping I got the job but I had such a peace about everything. I had a week to wait before I would hear if I got the job or not but I was not worried. A week later I had a call letting me know I had the job! Early in September I started and did my training...there is a lot to the job but I love it because there is lots of variety and the shifts are not all day shifts, which I love! This job will also allow me the chance to help out with various marketing projects which for someone like me who took marketing in school (four years of post-secondary education at two different schools but not once did I graduate from a school...a long story but no diploma doesn't mean I didn't learn anything!) it makes the job even more interesting!

So it still leaves me time to be at home with Olivia and Madeline, work on my many other projects (my home business, I'm on the Snofest committee which is an event held during January in the city, church activities I'm involved in) and try to keep this place clean (a never-ending job that seems like 1 step forward, 2 steps back!).

Right now I'm on a hill and enjoying it because I know there will be more valleys. With each valley I learn to appreciate the lessons learned while there...I know that I learn more from each valley and trial than I could ever learn up on the hill.

I hope you've enjoyed learning more about my journey over the past week...I've enjoyed mapping it out for you! I'm trying to get back into the habit of blogging so (shameless plug here) I would LOVE it if you would make the trek over to my blog once in awhile and visit! Please comment...if I know people are reading and commenting it helps motivate me to keep writing!! You can find me at www.loraleenscorner.blogspot.com. Visit and send over new friends. I've been thinking about doing a gievaway or something so maybe if I can get at least 10 comments on my latest post (from 10 different people!) I'll do a giveaway! I'm going to make a quick post there right now! :0)

Learning Who I Am

Lately, I have been learning a lot about who I am...not just who I am here on earth but who I am in God's sight...it's a huge lesson that I have struggled with all my life.

I have known since I was a little girl that God made me, that He loves me and and that He wants the best for me, but knowing and believing it are two totally different things. When I was younger I used to think that I didn't look the right way or act the right way or say the right things...I was never popular in school...I had friends but I still felt like I was on the outside of things. Grade 8 was a very hard year for me...I woke up every morning with a feeling of dread and if I could have avoided going to school, I would have. Thankfully, high school was wonderful...I went to a great school and was part of an Arts program (I was in the music program and also took Drama) and I really started to figure out who I was, what I wanted, etc.

As I mentioned the other day, I moved out East for four years and they were good years for me to strike out my own...I made new friends, had new experiences, got out of my comfort zone...all that good stuff. Bit by bit I found out what I liked and didn't like, what I wanted in my life, etc. and while it helped me, I still had those doubts about me. Was I pretty enough? Would I find someone to share my life with? Did people really like me for me?

Of course, moving back home and meeting Andy both had a lot to do with starting to change my idea of who I was but it's still been a struggle at times...I'm sure I'll always struggle with this. Over the past few years I've started to study more about how God sees us and I'm working to change my thoughts and confessions to line up with His word. This morning at church we had a guest speaker, Mark Virkler, and what a blessing it was to hear him. He talked this morning about how to make sure that our thoughts and confessions are of God and not the devil...something I've been working at. Getting rid of the "I'm not good enough to do..." "I can't..." all the negative confessions.

My former pastor once asked me if I knew what God looked like...I didn't know how to answer...how do you describe what God looks like. To that he answered, "He looks like YOU! You are made in His image, so He looks like you. So...if you are created in His image, how can anything about you not be good enough?" Words that I definitely needed to hear and while I forget them many times (or fail to believe them) it is a work in progress.

And so bit by bit, day by day, I am learning to let go of my preconceived ideas of what I "should" be like and just be me. I'm learning that my likes and dislikes, what I look like, how I talk, etc., all those things make me who I am, they make me unique and that's okay.

I am His child, His daughter, a princess and He formed me and knew me before I was even born. Not only that, but when He was dying on the cross, it was ME he was thinking about. It's hard to wrap my mind around, but He died for me and my sins. He wants the best for me and He loves to bless me in many ways...the three people that share this home with me are the biggest blessings I've ever received.

He has given me dreams...BIG dreams and I know that once I can start to fully believe what His word says I can do, be or have, and I can start to step out in faith then things are going to start to happen!

He is on my side, he is cheering me on as I go through life. Even though there are low points in my life and sometimes trials to go through, He never leaves my side. I mess up often and I've done things that I know make Him sad but still, He always loves me...such mercy I'm certainly not worthy of but still He loves me and forgives me.

This is another reason that I'm so glad to be coming to the reunion...I've never had a sister (but always wanted one) and even though I have a sister-in-law and will have another one next year, they aren't women who I go to with my problems, concerns, etc. That's not a bad thing, but that close sister bond is not there...but you all are like real sisters to me. You have prayed for various situations, rejoiced with me over good news, been cheerleaders when I've needed them...you have all touched my life so much! Going to Michigan is kind of a victory for me...it's a chance to get away for a weekend for "me" time (something I've not done since having the girls) and it's a chance to have a time of refreshing and renewal with my Sisters and I think it's something that not many people do. I mean, how many people do you know (besides us) who meet a group of people online and then all meet up in real life? Do you know how many strange looks I've had over this...I think people think I'm crazy but to me it's a great adventure!

And so, I am looking forward to meeting those of you who are going to be in Michigan and I know it's going to be a great weekend with lots of hugs, laughter and yes, even tears! I tend to get emotional easily and I can't help but cry if someone else is crying, so I sure hope there is a good supply of Kleenex there! :0)