thankful thoughts

• mixed CDs that stand the test of time


• community group “book club” tuesday night
  “I hate everything”
  Christy Miller – role model


• giggly girls


• the right word at the right time – beautiful.


• the realization that sometimes people aren’t as right as they think they are.


• mini-vacation = free wifi, brownie, dr. pepper, good background music, good company


• unending love.


• secrets

it's really ok to say no.

“saying no is hard – and harder for some more than others. please remember that you are not saying no to the need (which is probably great), nor are you rejecting the person that asked you. in saying “no” you are protecting your family’s time…” – jonni mccoy

“the need does not necessitate the call” – source: hollie’s fridge

"saying "no" to good things leaves room to say "yes" to great things!" - unknown

“a God lead 'no' is just as obedient and ordained as a God lead 'yes.'”

so thankful

• free chick-fil-a the past 3 mondays


• a faithful washing machine (a little overworked the past week)


• prayer week


• community group tonite!!


• that i don't do w-2s all day every day


• giving that has nothing to do with money


• colossians


• fever reducer and pain reliever for children


• watching the office with my best friend


• organization

prayer week - notes & thoughts.

one of the reasons i love christ community church is that we have a "prayer week" during the first full week of january (this year was a little "late" since the year started on a saturday....but that's neither here nor there!). it's definitely not your typical come together and pray over a list of requests (though there's nothing wrong with that!). it's more like Crave....every night....it's awesome!!! we come together and worship....then "spread apart" with some focus verses....then we come back together to share anything we heard from the Lord -- we're asking for words for ourselves...and for our church as a whole. it's a special time....and we get to have 2 more weeks of it this year!!! (one in may...and one in august - i think it's august...maybe a little later in the year).

so i'm not sure that i really want to do this (actually, i'm pretty sure that i don't)...but i'm feeling like God wants me to share the things He spoke to me/showed me each night....and i'm learning more and more it's not about what i want to do....so here goes. parts in quotes are either scripture or things that i felt like God was saying....alot of the other parts are just random thoughts - the things that got written during my time with Him as i was praying or worshipping or thinking....(not sure this is going to make sense...oh well....just doing it because He told me to...i will trust Him with it)(it may make slightly more sense if you read the verses from each night).

sunday: isaiah 55:1-3, psalm 63:1-5 -- a passion for God

• God, we're here. will you speak? will we listen? please speak...
• you say "listen, listen to me...eat what is good." so what is good that we're supposed to be eating? "time with Me, fellowship with believers, scripture memory, worship -- these are things that satisfy!"
• sometimes the more we eat and drink, the greater our appetite becomes and the thirstier we get.
• completely unto You....that's how i want to live my life....competely unto You.
• "Listen - i'm speaking! be quiet and listen....when you listen you'll hear me - and your soul will live!" (they called on the Lord and He answered them...psalm 99:6; "call to me and i will answer you...." jeremiah 33:3; "to the Lord i cry aloud, and He answers me..." psalm 3:4)
• i've been overwhelmed by the fact that God wants to speak to us...and when we come to Him, listening, we almost always hear.
• john 3:21 - "...whoever lives by the Truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
• john 3:34 - "...God gives the Spirit without limit."
• john 3:6 - "...Spirit gives birth to spirit." "i'm giving birth to more Spirit in you, dianna - and in Christ Community Church...more of My Spirit will be on display...."
• "i have a child for you."

monday john 1:1-5, romans 6:1-14, ephesians 3:14-21, 6:10-18 -- breakthrough

• john 3:19 "this is the verdict - LIGHT has come into the world but men loved darkness" (they chose darkness...)
• john 1:1-5 "...in Him was life - that life was the light of man." (in YOU is life - that life is our light!)
• romans 6:-14 "...through the GLORY of the Father, we may life a new life."
• eph 3:14-21 "...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith....to know this love - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
• eph 6:10-18 "...be strong IN THE LORD (not in your knowledge of Him....or what He's done for you...IN HIM.)...so that you can take YOUR STAND (not a stand...YOUR STAND) against the devil's schemes
• FAITH - being sure of what we hope for confident of what we cannot see. may we see with Spiritual Eyes (breakthrough how it looks to what it IS in God's sight. breakthrough how it feels to what it is in God's reality.)
• Hebrews 6:7 "land that drinks in the rain often fallig on it and that produces a crop useful to those for who it is farmed RECEIVES THE BLESSING OF GOD..." (receive the rain! drink in the rain He is sending)

tuesday joshua 10:12-14, hebrews 4:14-16 -- audacious prayer

• God, i need you. even more than i know, i need you. please consume me...forgive me for my selfishness today...i'm so sorry. thank you for forgiveness...for grace.
• breakthrough starts with YOU, God.
• God, i want more of you...living water rain down - Holy Spirit come down. i NEED more of you. i want to touch you...feel you...know you...
• i'm so tired of me. i just want You. my audacious prayer? that none of my life would be about me...that my eyes would be FIXED on you.
• col 3:1 - heart set on things above
• col 3:2 - mind set on things above
• heb 3:1 - thoughts fixed on jesus
• heb 12:2 - eyes fixed on jesus
• "for you died - and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. when Christ appears then you'll appear with Him in glory"....until then, no more me.
• hebrews 4:16 - "...let's walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give..." (if we don't have our eyes fixed on Him/aren't paying attention to Him we're not going to be able to see what He has to give us! eli...cookie story...)
• ephesians 3:20 - "...God can do anything, you know (more than we can imagine or guess or request) - He does it by...working within us, His spirit gently and deeply within us...
• hebrews 4:14ish - thank you for understanding our weaknesses...and inviting us to come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. it is there that i receive your mercy and the grace you give to help when i need it most
• all i want - all i need - is YOU...just to be with you. my life is an empty cup that i long for you to fill with YOU. (i love the song that these words come from!!!)
• my other audacious prayer - that the child (children) you have for us would be brought into our lives SOON.

wednesday - crave - 1 chronicles 16:8-11, 23-36

• God, i can't get enough of you! this (here in your presence, giving you all of my attention) is the only place that feels good and right - and like i know who i am. "this is where you belong, dianna...at my feet." so, what do i do with the rest of my life?? the being a mom and running errands and making dinner...what do i do with TA work and everything else? "make it an offering unto me."
• 1 Chronicles 16 - "make known what he has done....tell of all His wonderful acts...remember the wonders He has done...declare His marvelous deeds among the people...ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name." (totally confirms/backups keith's plan to have a "breakthrough" story shared each week)
• God, i call on your name - JESUS...God...Holy God...Lover of my soul...Savior...Friend...Emmanuel...Worthy....
• i am in great need of you.
• may my eyes be fixed on You and not on me...
• Your faithful love endures forver - i never have to go a moment separated from your love. what a gift!!! endless love.

wednesday night (focus on youth, children & families)

• i am loved by you - THANK YOU. our youth, children and families are loved by You.
• we gaze upon your beauty - you're beautiful (such a good song!).
• please teach me some melodious sonnet that is sung by flaming tongues above...i want to join the angels in worship!
• i am hungry for you. i want to be hungrier still. hungrier than i've ever been...
• i choose Your plan A.
• what is Your plan A for me, God? "this adoption is plan A. your marriage is plan A. working for TAs is plan A (for now)."
• "i was laying in bed...and i heard this tiny little voice...and it wasn't a ghost - it was God! and i heard Him say to me "be quiet and listen to me."
• caroline: "miss cailey...can i say one more thing? isn't it amazing that God loves us no matter what?"

thursday matthew 17:1-23, John 4:1-42 -- breaking through....breaking out

• ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
• He looks into my soul and sees my deepest need and meets me there.
• matthew 17:1-23 -- "...all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus (that's all i want to see - You, only You.)...from that moment on, the boy was well."
• john 4:1-42 -- "...gushing fountains of endless life (anyone who drinks of the water i give will never thirst...because it's a gushing fountain of endless life!!! if you have a satisfying drink to sip from, there's no reason to be thirsty - your thirst is constantly and quickly quenched....gushing fountains of endless life!) "...it's who you are and the way you live that count before God...the Father is out looking for those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship..." "...we're no longer taking this on your say so...we've heard it for ourselves and know it for sure (it would be ridiculous for us to expect someone else to eat for us - for us to gain any nutritional value through someone else....why would we want to get second hand 'satisfying' experiences from God...eat for yourself! )
• God, who knows me inside and out - and loves me! - Glory to You! i want to ascribe the glory due Your name. You are GLORIOUS! full of light. full of glory.
• "...the sower is arm and arm with the harvester, triumphant." (Victory!!!)
• matthew 17 -- "a light - a radiant cloud enveloped them." (i want to be enveloped by a 'light-radiant cloud'!)

i missed friday night :(

sunday! but then this morning i got a bonus! we had a "prayer and praise" of sorts as keith recapped the week and shared some of the themes that emerged from prayer week. i wish i had written down his "main themes"....but i didn't. here are my notes (some from the songs we were singing...some from things that were said):

• God, you give good life! you give us LIFE!
• Malachi 1:12-13 "...who honor Him by bringing our best to Him." give Him your best!
• God, what would the songs of the hills and mountains sound like? (the mountains and hills will burst forth in song...)
• in YOUR PRESENCE is FULLNESS OF JOY.
• come have Your way among us - we welcome you here Lord Jesus.
• well up in me God!
• "stop comparing, dianna - not even a little bit. live in freedom." i live for You alone - NOT the praise of man. most definitely not for name recognition.

random.

apparently the "subscribe gadget" isn't really what i thought it was. i'm sorry if you "subscribed" but were sent something other than my blog. maybe one day i'll figure it out. (feel free to send me any tips or tricks that you may know)

director of the wedding yesterday to caroline: "are you ready?
caroline's response: "not very nearly."

better things are yet to come...

thoughts from this morning

song lyrics from the end of our church service today (something along the lines of....): " i want to do something so big it's destined to fail without you, Lord"

thoughts that i couldn't get written in my journal fast enough: that "something so big" could be as "simple" as living for Him daily, seeking Him daily, spending time with Him daily. the "so big" may not look "so big" to anyone else....but it IS SO BIG. it is GOD making something beautiful from what is not....righteousness from unrighteousness...scarlet red into white as snow. what HE does in our lives is SO BIG - it's something we cannot do on our own...something that's going to fail without Him. apart from Him when can do nothing. giving ourselves completely to Him to do as He desires is SO BIG.

may there be no discouragement because "so big" doesn't "look" huge and miraculous....may God breakthrough our "how it looks" so that we can see WHAT IT IS to Him.

can't handle it.

soooo....sorry...i disengaged the "followers" gadget...i can't quite handle it! ;) there's pride if i think about it in one light...and discouragement if i think about it in another. my solution? remove it so i don't have to deal with either. glad that's an option in this case.

adoption update, other thoughts

as far as the adoption process -- we're waiting. just waiting for a call from Bethany. this is a bit of a challenge. we are approved....and bethany has our name - we just wait for them to call us and say that they think they have found a child (or children) that would match up with our family. i have no idea what our time frame is....don't know if it could "happen any day" or if it'll be more like months that we are waiting. part of me would like to know -- just so i can know what to prepare for/what to expect...part of me is excited about this chance to put faith in action. i guess i thought we were going to have a little more of an active part - looking through profiles or something... oh well. i can wait. i can trust God's PERFECT timing. i can not rush things. i can keep reading and praying and preparing....and i can KNOW that at just the right time a child (children?) will be given to us.

i feel like God is working on something in me...but i'm in the place of not quite knowing what it is - i can see some pieces coming together....just not the whole picture! He's reminding me that i need to have my eyes fixed solely on Him....that His opinion is THE ONLY ONE that matters. He's been calling sin "sin" in my life....i've known his forgiveness in fresh ways lately. so thankful for his forgiveness! honestly, i feel quite inadequate....and i know that I am - but just trusting that HE in me is adequate!

when i was writing this i was sitting in Chick-Fil-A on Wynnton Road...and one of my favorite songs came on - it's kari jobe...not sure if it's called "for me"....or "i know that you are for me"...or something altogether different -- but that's what the chorus says "...i know you are for me...you will never forsake me in my weaknesses....." what a wonderful God we serve...confirming what my heart most needs confirmed. i'm so thankful for His faithful presence and consistent love. He wants us to know that He believes in us....He delights in us....He is so glad He made us. God wants us to know that He is proud of us....pleased with you....is WITH us. may we KNOW and RELY on the love God has for us.

"...mostly what God does is love us. keep company with Him and learn a life of love." (from eph 5:1-2 the message)

in other news....i've been slowly chipping away at the candy stash....keeping a good pace...still have plenty left (and i'm willing to share....).

best quotes i've read lately

from article by Mark Batterson

"what's really impressive is someone who isn't trying to impress at all. our attempts to manufacture opportunities or impress people are the byproducts of an unsanctified ego that wants to glorify self rather than die to self."

"you don't get honor by seeking honor. you get honor by giving honor."

"one of my deepest desires is to be a better person in private than i am in public."

from article by Gabe Lyons

"practicing simplicity....doesn't always mean selling everything and living among the poor. but it usually requires deliberate choices that don't make sense to the average person."

"in the long run, they (those who practice simplicity) seem to be creating a more sustainable and less contrived existence."

"by rejecting the status quo and fighting the manipulation to be like everyone else, you will demonstrate a better and more humane way to live."

from 1 timothy 1:15-16

"Jesus came into the world to save sinners...i was shown mercy so that in me, a sinner, Jesus might display His unlimited patience...to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever!"