Reflections on a Year of Blogging...

Today marks a year since I opened this blog.

9,000 + page views have a sobering affect on me.

To know that my words are being read so often

is both humbling and challenging to me.

Oh, I so desire that only words that inspire

you to lift your heart to JESUS would be

found here on this blog.

As I look back 

over the year,

I praise my God for His protecting hand.

So many obstacles

 along the path

of the journey 

through this life.

The older I get, 

the more sobered 

becomes my outlook

 on life

as I see shipwrecks 

along the shores

of Time...

and as I see the 

rebellious ones,

the scoffers,

the mockers,

the sleeping ones,

the careless ones...

and my heart breaks.

I weep for the things done

in Jesus' name that have

nothing to do with Him at all.

But then, my heart leaps with joy

whenever God brings into my day

someone who LOVES Him

wholeheartedly and desires 

to know Him more fully.

I am blessed as I look back over

this year and find the sweet memories

tucked away in my heart...

memories of my my husband and children

choosing Him, discussions we have

had in our home that lifted my heart to heaven,

  inspiring emails,

notes from various sisters in the Lord

that lifted my weary hands,

texts at 'just the right time' 

that were a blessing to me.

I get discouraged.

I get weary.

I get lonely, too sometimes.

The biggest lesson of the year

for me has been:

WALK BY FAITH,

AND NOT BY SIGHT.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr,

"I have dreamed a dream,"

in fact, I have dreamed 

many dreams...

The lesson of the year has been

to let GOD work out His purpose

fully,

in His own time,

in  His chosen way,

and be joyful...

So often throughout this past year

I have read from Scripture to

be thankful,

to praise the Lord,

and to pray with thanksgiving.

Like a photographer who sees

the world through different eyes

behind the camera lens,

I have learned to see the world

through more thankful eyes than ever before.

My journals hold many entries of

moments of goodness I may have missed

were I not willing to be thankful.

I have dreams...

unrealized dreams, godly dreams.

But I choose to let God work them out

as He wishes.

They are godly dreams and I am

willing to even admit that maybe

they will not be fully known 

until generations from now.

That thought has sobered me this past

year as well...

Am I willing to be at my post,

humble as it may seem,

behind the closed doors of my household,

praying for this generation,

and the generations that shall come after?

Am I willing to teach multiplication facts,

and spelling...

grammar and history...

to memorize Scripture,

and sing theme songs filled with

deep thoughts of Christ

and call that a worthwhile life to live?

Can I see even in small glimpses

that my life will affect generations

and that I seriously need to

choose today to live accordingly?

Or am I going to be so prideful 

that I insist on seeing just what my life

is amounting to right now, that I get

discouraged because I don't see

the results I am looking for currently?

Will I choose humility and contentment

in being the servant of Christ

in whatever capacity He calls me to?

I live with deep perplexities.

We all do.

I wonder at times just where things will 

end up or how they will turn out.

Am I willing to believe that God 

will truly work out all things for my good

because I love Him and because I 

walk in His Spirit and not in my flesh?

I so desire that these will be my

constant choices of living.

For Christ.

Because of Christ.

By Christ.

Only and always about HIM!

So, here's to another year

of blogging as God tarries.

Love and blessings to all,

~Marcia

PS

On another note:

in light of it being a year since

this blog has opened,

and in gratitude to 9,000 +

views on this humble little blog,

I decided to host a give away.

I've not done this before but

I'm going to give it a try.

Look for details of the give away 

on Monday, Lord willing.