life beyond the well…

Category Archives: Love


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30- Better than Good to Me

Today is my 30th birthday.

I’ve been mulling around in my head (and with Preacherman) just what that means, and I honestly don’t have an answer.  It’s hard to believe that I’ve been alive for 30 years.  Last year, I marveled at turning 29 and the faithfulness of God over the past 29 years of my life.  I am constantly amazed at God’s faithfulness.

More than anything, I feel so incredibly blessed.  I got saved for real when I was 20 years old.  The past 10 years have been such an amazing journey.  When I think of all that God has done over my life, but particularly over those past 10 years, I am moved to tears.  I finished college and graduate school, had amazing jobs in Georgia and Florida, moved back to North Carolina for another amazing job, got married, and moved back to Florida with my husband to pursue the purpose that God has for our lives.

If I could put it into a song, it would be this one, sung by our church’s praise and worship team: You’ve Been So Good to Me.  Here are the lyrics:

Lord, You are good-  You’ve been so good.  Lord, You are good- You are better than good.  I can’t praise You enough.  I owe You my life.  I can’t praise You enough, even if I tried.  You’ve been so good to me…So many doors You’ve opened, so many ways You’ve made, so many times You’ve healed me- You’ve been better than good to me!

Yeah. That kind of sums it up for me.  I can absolutely look back over my life and see where God has been true to His word on so many different occasions.  Goodness and mercy has followed me, His plans have prospered me; given me hope and a future, Nothing has separated me from His love– all in His word and all in my life.

Cheers to 30!  I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next 30 years

Another testimony of my 20s: “All we want and all we need is found in Jesus/All we ask is more of you/Nothing else can satisfy our hearts desire/All we want is more of you/For the Lord is good/And His love endures/Yes the Lord is good forever/And I’ll shout it out/from the mountain tops/Yes the Lord is good forever…” –Israel and New Breed “More and More“


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2013- Second Quarter/First Half-Year Review

And just like that, it’s July! I can’t believe that we are in the second half of 2013.  It seriously seems like we were just celebrating the new year.  Preacherman and I are doing well, continuing to learn and grow together and becoming increasingly excited about the plans that God has for us.  At the beginning of the year, we committed some things to the Lord, and it’s been so wonderful to see how faithful He has been to us.

I’ve seen progress on both my dissertation and my exercise routine. I also wanted to focus on healthy eating and honoring God with my body and what I consume.  Though it’s been challenging (I love all the wrong foods just a little too much), the discipline of eating and exercising has paid off.  Since our wedding, I’ve lost about 10 pounds and I successfully completed my first 5K.  God has truly been faithful in these pursuits, and for that I am so grateful.

While it’s easy to just rest on what has happened so far, I’m challenged to believe God for more.  The faithfulness that God has demonstrated to me and Preacherman during the first half of the year is encouraging and empowering.  I’m looking forward to see what can happen next if I continue to exercise my faith and believe.  This is important for me, because it’s so easy to become complacent with what God has done, and adopt a “business as usual” mindset.  I don’t want to be on auto-pilot or cruise-control with God.  I want to be fully engaged, pressing for more, believing for more, trusting for more- in every area of my life.

So that’s what the second half of 2013 is like for me.  More. Lots more.

More of God.

More belief.

More worship.

More faith.

More faith in action.

More trust.

More love.

More love in action.

 

I’m excited to see what God has in store for the remainder of 2013, and I hope you are as well.  I know that there are many people who have struggled through the first part of this year, and I’m praying that you will continue to see and believe God for the things to come.  If what you’ve been believing God for in 2013, know that there is STILL time.  Trust that God will keep His promises.  Be encouraged that His ways are not our ways and His time not our time.  What takes us years can take God seconds.  Your waiting is not in vain!

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

 

“I am persuaded, Lord to love you.  I have been changed, to bless your name.  I am constrained by this great gospel, forever to worship you.”

“Lord your love for me gives me everything I need, and it keeps me wanting more…You are my delight and with you I’m satisfied. Your love keeps me wanting more…”