Not Giving Up So Easily....

Most of my facebook friends will know that a couple of weeks ago Travis and I adopted the sweetest little 2 year old retired  greyhound named Jedi.....

We were ecstatic to get him and be able to love on him and share our lives with him! After a couple of week however, though we have grown to love him soo much, he has an issue being  alone :( while we are away at work. We have been working with our adoption coordinator and the president of It's a Grey Area Greyhound Adoption to help us help Jedi as much as possible. Brittaney and Lesley have been WONDERFUL in providing support for us throughout the whole process and we could not have asked for a better experience working with them. 

We have prayed and talked about it and are determined to try a few more things to make him comfortable living with us as an only child...we all realize though that in the end it may not work out and we ultimately need to do what is best for this beautiful baby boy. 

I mean come on! Look at that face! As if we could give up that easily!

At the same time that we are dealing with Jedi and his issues it brought forth something in my mind and made me feel soo convicted in my soul. 

How many times I started off with good intentions for my relationship with God but failed to push through when things became hard?

Let's face it....we all do it...for instance...I had the great idea that I was going to read the entire Bible this year. Yeap...the whole thing...in 1 year. So I started a little nifty plan on my Bible app on my phone and for a whole week I nailed it! Until....things started to get rough...flooding....getting Jedi and dealing with his issues, housework, work in general....it;s gotten to the point where I've let all these things get in my way of my relationship with God...not that I shouldn't deal with or do these things...but that I shouldn't give up so easily. 

Same thing with my prayer life....I've gotten so busy and had my eyes and mind on the things of this world more and more that I am frequently missing that quiet time with my Savior.

My relationship with God should be the number one most important thing in my life...and in my mind...I'd like to think that's so but there are many times where my actions are not aligning with my thoughts. 

And then I also think...what if God had given up on ME that easily....where would I be? Probably still down that path of destruction, not married to an amazing guy with wonderful godly friends. Where would WE ALL be if He gave up on ALL of us so easily? Noah might not have been spared during the great flood..and for certain He would not have given up His only Son for us....

So I guess the whole point of this is DO NOT GIVE UP SO EASILY, especially if it's something good in your life...like going back to school, writing a book, raising your children, in your prayer life....or even dealing with a pup with separation issues like us :)

Basically anything that pleases God and is good for us isn't always going to be easy but it'll be so worth it in the end. So here's to keeping on keeping on...and I'm off to press that little "Catch Me Up" button on my Bible reading plan, give my pup a kiss and get some one on one time with my Lord :)

Bitter-Sweet Revelations....

We've all had those moments....you know...the ones where you are so ecstatically happy for a person or   a situation only to realize what you would lose or miss out on in the process. 

Well today was one of those moments for me....today one of my bestest friends in the entire world left today for the adventure of a lifetime with her family. You see, my friend since elementary school, Mrs. Lizzy Jaqua, and family are moving roughly 4,430 miles to the town of Kenai, ALASKA! 

Which is here........

It is a peninsula city of Alaska about 2.5 hours south of Anchorage. 

And just WHY you might ask, are they moving so far when Liz, a purebred Cajun, is used to a culture where families move onto family owned property behind mom and pop's house to such a remote location? Well simply put her husband Mike landed a pretty awesome job out there with his company, he fell in love with the area and they were excited when he was offered the position. After much prayer and consideration they decided to move.....

(and with a view like this who wouldn't!)

I am so very excited for their two children, 2 1/2 year old Olivia "Livy" and 9 month old baby Michael (aka my littlest godchild!), who will be able to grow up in and experience such a magical place that most people only dream of visiting (me included!) 

I told Livy to have fun on their adventure! 

Annnnd.....that's where the sweet part ends. 

The bitter part was watching that truck pull away from the house this evening and feeling bitter that one of my best friends and closest confidants was not going to be just literally 5 minutes down the road...and that now I have to take time zones into consideration when calling and texting, not only that but I will no longer be able to get my at least once or twice a week visit! 

Since we have reconnected after a couple of years where after high school we had parted ways it's rare that Liz and I go three or four days without at least texting each other once...and while I know that doesn't have to change...I still feel a little selfish and want her and her family here and all to myself. 

As I'm sitting here in my drowning in my own self pity God is speaking to me. He's reminding me that my friends and I are world changers...and how are we supposed to change it if we do not go out into the world? 

I know He has wonderful plans for this amazing family who is dedicated to serving Him first and foremost and I have to trust Him as they did and let it be HIS will to be done and not let my emotions and selfishness get in the way of all that He has in store for them. 

So please join me in praying traveling mercies over this amazing family and that once they reach Alaska that God will use them in a mighty way!