I'm trying...

I am really trying to make sure I post something every day, but this week has been rough and it is going to get extremely busy. I have been sick most of the week and we have a seminar the rest of the week. So, PRAY FOR ME! :) I will post when I have time!

One thing I do want to say is that I was sitting at WVIHOP today, and I was praying and asking God why He brought me here. He immediately answered with "I am about to open a huge door for you that you are going to not wanna miss!" I am so glad I am following God's will for me! I can't wait to see what happens and what door He opens. Keep coming back! I will keep you updated! :)

As for now, I will leave you with this....

Isaiah 53

1 Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.

7-9He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.

10Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.

11-12Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

Time Flies!

Wow...it has been a long time since my last post. Life happened. I got busy with work and haven't taken the time to update. Things around here are going pretty well. I am still teaching and I am loving it. My class has doubled in size this year, which is a blessing and a curse all in one! lol...They are good kids, they just do not know how to be quiet. :) Other than teaching, there isn't much going on.

However, I was running out of friends around here. They all kind of up and left me. So, I began to pray for friends to come in and people I can hang out with. I am so blessed. God has sent some of the most amazing people into my life in the last couple of months. I have even started hanging out with old friends. It has been wonderful. We have been hanging out a lot and I am getting my off campus time that I need to function correctly. My weekends are packed and I am so excited. I prayed for friends, and I got them. Now, I prayed for a husband, where is he? lol...I know that it will happen in God's timing. I love what God is doing in my life!

There have been some set backs in my life. I am going through a very difficult financial time, but I know that God will provide and that I will be ok.

I think that about sums it up.

Update: God is great!

It has been almost a year since I have posted my last blog. A lot of things have happened since then. I wrote that God had given me a challenge to wait a year and not worry about a husband. Well, I waited and it was a very challenging year for me. I was expecting God to just throw a man my way that day, June 1. I wasn't expecting me to have to wait another year. However, I am sooo glad I have. I went through a really dry year in my faith this past year. I don't know why, other than Satan attacking me. I still loved God and wanted to do His will, I just didn't care to do everything I needed to do.

I have been blessed! God keeps pouring His blessings on my head! Just in the last two weeks God has brought people into my life that have blessed me more than I could have ever dreamed! I thank Him for His blessings and love He continues to pour out onto my life!

I am hoping to update more often on the things God is doing in my life! I love Him and I want to praise Him in every storm of life!

June 1st- My year has come to an end!

Oh My Word! Has it already been a year? This year has passed by so quickly. I never thought it would end. But I made it and I stuck with my promise. A year ago today I heard God speak to me. I have always been one to day dream about my future: a great husband, great kids, and a comfortable income. But I was daydreaming so much that it had consumed me. I let it become the one thing I thought about daily, instead of letting God take care of it. Plus, my relationship with Him was pretty rocky.

So on May 31st, I prayed and told God that I gave it over to Him. I put full control of ALL my life in His hands. I wasn't really expecting an answer, but sure enough, I got one. The next day to be exact. June 1, 2007 at EXACTLY 9 am, I was awakened by a voice, God's voice, telling me to give Him a year. A year? That seems soooo long. I had just turned 28, so I would be 29 when the year was up. Too close to 30! Come on, why a year? But you know, the year has gone by so quickly.

I am not saying it was easy. It was far from easy. I encountered more trials in the past year than I think I have in my entire life, combined! A lot of family drama, work chaos, etc. It all hit me hard this year. But in the midst of the trials, I called on God more and gave it all to Him. I did not have to worry about it anymore. God had full control and He would help me face those trials. In turn, my faith and relationship with God grew more and more everyday. I do still struggle with connecting with Him through His word on a daily basis, and I am working on that, but I also allow Him to take control of every area of my life. I have no worries anymore.

Ok, so back to the commitment. I gave God the year. Yes, I would look at a guy and think 'Man he is cute! I wander if he is the one.' but then I would tell myself 'Tonya, June. You can do it. God will keep His promise if you are faithful to your commitment.' So there were many struggles, but it hasn't been too difficult.

There was one instance where I allowed my dreams to get ahead of my commitment. I was really depressed (for like a day) when I turned 29. That is one year shy of 30 and I am still single. So to help with my depression, I joined eHarmony. I know, stupid decision. Well, because of that membership, I e-mailed a couple guys and we were talking. There was even a guy that was friends with a friend and we were communicating a little more than the others. I got so wrapped in it that guilt overwhelmed me. I had to tell this sweet guy that I was unable to continue talking to him because I had a commitment that I was breaking and just talking to him made me feet guilty and sick. But I knew that I had to get back on track with God because the guilt was distracting me from my daily life. I don't know if I will ever talk to this guy again, but God has a plan for me.

So, here's to the best year of my life. I am glad that it is over, but the lessons I have learned will remain with me forever. Now I can believe that God is working on the heart of the man He is preparing for me. I know He continues to work on mine. And who knows, there may be wedding bells before you know it!

Lady in Waiting

So, I started this new book called 'Lady in Waiting' by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones. Let me tell you, I have just got through the first chapter, and I am beginning to learn a lot. I have about 6 large note cards full of quotes from the book and about 6 new Bible verses that I just love but have never really thought about before.

I have always dreamed about the perfect man. My prince; my night in shining armor; my rescuer. What I never thought about before is that I was putting this 'desire' before my desire and relationship with God.

About a year ago, I was so desperate to find a husband. I mean, I am really close to 30 and I am still single. Not cool! I prayed one night for God's will in this area, and he began to speak to me the following morning. It was 9am to be exact. He told me to give Him a year, and if I am faithful to Him, He will bless me with my heart's desires (kinda like the verse Psalm 37:4). It has been a very rough year, but I am finally learning to trust God. And I will remain faithful to His calling.

My year is almost up, and I feel closer to God than I have ever felt, but I am still not nearly as close as I desire to be. I picked up this book and immediately knew I had to read it. I am a Lady in Waiting, so this is perfect for me. I can draw closer to God as my year draws to an end. It may take longer than that year for God to bring my earthly prince, but for now I want to learn to become God's best.

Adding some pics!

The 'Rose' Children
(From Dinner at the Rose's drama we did this week)

Me

Noah

Hailey

Me and Jordan

Just some pics of my life!