Spring Refreshing

So dear friends, I am back.  I have been going through the hardest season of my entire life thus far.  My crazy way of dealing with hard things is to keep to myself.  Kinda the whole, "if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all."  I didn't have really anything bad to say but more or less a lot of complaining, and nobody wants a Debbie Downer in the bunch.

It has taken awhile for God to really strip the layers of my onion back to reveal my true feelings about Zechariah's death.  It has truly been a heart wrenching season.  I have really realized though that I have been doing everything in my strength.  I have been running from God.  I basically have been acting like a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum.  We have been in a stand off.  What I should really say is I have been in a stand off.  I have felt so much hurt, disappointment, anger, resentment, and bitterness.  I have let it rule my thought life, spiritual life, physical life, basically everything.  I have let stress affect my life so much that physically my body has taken a beating.

The last few weeks have been eye opening for me.  God has really spoken to me through his word for the first time in a long time. The first scripture that really spoke to me from last nights reading.

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

I have not come to God recently for rest.  I have not given Him my burdens.  I have not taken on His yoke and learned from Him.  Nope I have not done any of those things.  I have held onto my hurt, my resentment, and especially my anger.  The second verse that really spoke to me this morning went along with what I had been thinking on all weekend.

"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you say anything good?  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.  A man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  Matthew 12:33-35

Saturday we went to Mount St Helens.  As you drive up to the farthest point in which you can drive we began to find snow still up at the top.  I saw dry brushes coming up out of the snow but I also saw new growth.  This has been the driest most difficult "winter" season of my life.  However, I have been reminded that after dark depressing rough winters spring always comes.  I have been thinking on my "fruit" and what the out pouring of my heart has been speaking.  My heart has certainly not been speaking well of life as of lately. I want to bring out good things that are stored in me not evil.  So where do I go from here?  For now, I dig back into God's word and I wait. I begin claiming God's promises over my life again each and everyday.  I believe that God has his best in store for me!   I wait anticipating a new season to come.  I am waiting for life to flourish again!  I chose rest, peace, joy, and surrender, all these things after all are choices.

Wedding, Family, and Fun Oh My!

Hi friends!  It has been awhile since I have blogged and boy I need this catch up session.  A week and a half ago Derek, Faith and I went to California!  It was surprisingly a great time.  Derek's sister Jenny got married.  It was a beautiful wedding and the whole entire Reese family danced the night away.  Our little Faithie was the hit of the wedding.  Everyone commented on how well behaved she was (which of course stroked this Mama's ego) and what a joy she was to have around!  Derek and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary while we were there!  We had the opportunity to go to a fancy restaurant called Zin in Westlake Village.  Derek's Uncle Larry was too cute, he taxied us across the lake to the restaurant on his boat and then taxied us back.  We had a delicious dinner, complete with calamari, Cesar salad made table side, cocktails, and Bananas Flambe for dessert!  As a family we just absolutely enjoyed ourselves.  It was so nice to catch up with family, some we haven't seen in 5 years.  We hung out played bocce ball, enjoyed the weather, and celebrated our wedding anniversary, and celebrated Jenny and Gilbert's beginning to their marriage!

Now I am back to my daily grind!  Back to the rain and the cold.  However, I think a week with a little sun gave me a little boost to change up my perspective a  bit, since I have after all been in a bit of a funk!  More to come on my perspective change, keep reading!  Love y'all!