God Defines Me...

Hi, friends! I'm going to be honest--I have been struggling with a lot of things internally lately. I am trying to face some battles that I have been overlooking for a long time. I don't even know that I am ready to share my insecurities--but God has laid it on my heart to write it all out. Praying that someone else will gain some encouragement from it. I will start by saying this--I feel like I am failing sometimes. Okay--more like all the time. I look at other people in my life, and it seems like they have got it all together. It seems like they have "perfect marriages" and tons of people who love them. It seems like they are so "good" when I am so "bad." I look at my husband who I'm sure deserves a better wife. I look at my friends who deserve more encouragement and prayer from me. I look at my God who deserves for me to be focused whole heartedly on Him. The list could go on and on...I just feel like I am nothing sometimes. At least that is what Satan wants me to believe. And I must confess, that even though I may put on a happy, confident face, I sometimes end up believing the lies that Satan is throwing my way. God has REALLY been working on my heart lately--in a big way that has required me to realize that I am full of imperfections, but that I am LOVED by Him. I have been reading a book lately called Sacred Influence: How God Uses Wives to Shape the Souls of their Husbands by Gary Thomas (which I would highly recommend for any wife...) and there is one quote that I have been reflecting on for a couple of weeks now. Thomas says "God, not your marital status or the condition of your marriage, defines your life." Now, I took this quote to another level in my head by saying God, not other people, not my husband, not my family, not my mom and dad, not my friends etc. etc., define my life. God defines my life. It is one of those things that I have always "known"--but I am just now really starting to live by it. For so long I have compared myself to other people, in a way that has always made me feel less and never good enough. But the truth is--the only person that should matter is God. By focusing on that, I have felt more love than ever before. The Lord has formed me and knows every intricate part of me--and the 'ole saying "God doesn't make junk" (although humorous) rings true. By focusing on God's love for me, and worrying less about how I compare to other people, my relationship with Him is becoming deeper and more authentic. He is who is shaping me into the person He wants me to become. I'm ready to just throw everything out and say "It's just you and me, God. Make me who you want me to be." I'm so thankful for a God who loves us no matter what. Sorry this is like a book--but I hope that someone will be encouraged by it Be blessed! Jenn

Missed Opportunities...

In reflecting on the last year (or really my whole life, for that matter), I couldn't help but think about all the times I should have acted...but didn't. When I felt that deep conviction to say something, but didn't. When my heart started racing, and my palms sweating--and I just sat frozen. Unwilling to give up a bit of "comfort" to love on someone, whether it was a stranger or my closest friend. What if God gave me an opportunity to completely change someone's day--or life, for that matter--and I selfishly shrugged it off? OUCH. I can honestly say that all the times in my life that I decided to reach out to someone or say something the Lord placed on my heart--I ended up being the one who recieved a huge blessing and often a beautiful lesson of God's love. So, why do we let those opportunities pass when God is so clearly putting us in the path of someone who needs a glimpse of His love? My mom told me a story today about my Daddy, who if you don't know him, is an incredible man of God who I have learned so much from. My mom recently went to the ER because she just wasn't feeling right (She is fine, by the way). My dad took her, and while she was getting checked out, he hung out in the waiting room. A man was brought in, who was fighting lung cancer and it didn't look like he was going to make it. His wife was in the waiting room with my dad. My dad witnessed the doctor come out to tell the man's wife those dreaded words, "We did everything we can--he isn't going to make it." She was all alone, no one there to comfort her, and my dad felt such an urge to do something. He went over to the woman, put his arms around her, and asked if he could pray with her. I am getting so choked up just typing this because my Daddy was Christ to that sweet woman right in the waiting room. He could have just sat by and watched her cry, but he didn't. He followed the Spirit's nudge to show the love of Christ to her. How beautiful is that? I don't want to miss any more opportunities to show the love of God to anyone. I don't want to look back and think, "I should have said something, I should have done something." You never know how God is going to work through you if you give Him the chance... Be Blessed! Jenn

A New Year...

I have been pondering for days about what I would write in this blog. I have not written in months--and to be honest--didn't want to. I am ready to get back at it--and much more often now that I have plenty of free time. Much has happened in the last month in the Raney household. So much and so quickly that I don't even know if everything has had a chance to sink in. I can't even fathom how the Lord orchestrated everything. I am just thankful. David graduated from Physical Therapy school in December. It was such a sweet moment--it was like an end to a really hard couple of years, and a chance at a new start. The Lord answered something I had been praying for and longing for the whole time hubby was in school--that we would be able to move "home" where our family is. David was blessed with an amazing job and we are finally back amongst friends and family and so thrilled to be back with our church family. I wish I could express in words how blessed we feel right now. How amazing it feels to let God do all the work--and plot out the path He has for us. To feel like our hearts and desires are in sync with the Lord's will. So, although 2011 was an incredibly rough year we ended it on such a hopeful note. I am incredibly excited about 2012! And just a side note--maybe someone just really needs to hear this today--but when you are going through a storm, hold tight because God is still working through it. There is hope and sunshine at the end of the storm. It is a lesson that I continue to learn over and over in life. God is good. Period. Be blessed, friends! Jenn

Dancing in the Rain

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the rain showers in my life. My sister-in-law, Christy, did a blog series called Silence in the Storm, which you can read here at Fearfully. Wonderfully. Trust me, you will be blessed! Reading her blog caused me to think about how I am handling the storms in my own life. To be honest, there has been, what seems like, an abundance of rain in my life lately. And right when I think the sun is beginning to peek out from behind the clouds, the downpour starts again. Sometimes I just feel like I may be washed away from all floodwaters in my life. Like I am losing my footing. I was reminded by a friend that my JOY comes from the LORD. Satan is not allowed to steal that from me. And despite what storms we may face, the Spirit of God is still living within us. Therefore, we have joy and hope and peace. There is something so powerful about knowing that no matter what is going on, I will ALWAYS have those things in my life because I am a daughter of Christ. I am ready to start looking at the rain, the storms, the showers as a blessing, instead of a curse. The Lord must see some tiny bit of strength in me if He is putting me through some of the things I am going through. He must believe I can give more of myself and that through these trials, He wants to have more of a relationship with me. He must KNOW that even though it is raining at the moment, that ONE day the sun is going to shine again, and I will be in a more gracious and humbling place than I was before the storm. Maybe His rain is a way of cleansing me...of washing me...of refining me. I find so much peace and joy in that. I find strength in that. My God loves me so much that He is willing to throw trials my way to bring me to a better place. I don't want to waste another second of my life dwelling on the rain in my life. I want to rejoice in the Lord...always. It's time to start dancing in the rain. Be blessed! Jenn

Yummy Goodness- A Summer Supper

Several months ago, a collegue and friend, Laura gave the recipe of Healthified Garlic Shrimp Pasta for me to try. It has become a big hit in the Raney household. Not only is it a light dish that doesn't leave you wishing you wore your stretchy pants, it is pretty on a plate, easy to make, and most importantly, DELICIOUS and HEALTHY! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Healthified Garlic Shrimp Pasta

(from www.eatbetteramerica.com- a great resource for healthy eating and cooking)

Ingredients

8 oz. uncooked multigrain angel hair pasta

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

3 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I left this out--we don't do onions)

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic I keep on hand)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I add more for a little spice)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons butter

Steps for Making this Yummy Goodness

1. Boil water in a large pot, and cook pasta according to the package.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, broth, salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat and add parsley and butter.

3. Drain pasta and stir in cherry tomatoes and baby spinach. 4. Combine shrimp mixture with pasta mixture. 5. Scoop onto a plate, add a little parmesan cheese, and ENJOY!

Bon Appetite!

Be Blessed!

Jenn

Quote...

"The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can."

Robert Cushing

No More "I Can'ts"...

"I can't do it.."' Ever mumbled those words or screamed them for that matter? Oh, I have. Time and time again. How often do we completely doubt that we can accomplish something that is so far out of our "comfort zone"? If you read my blog, you may remember that back in January, I completed the Disney Half Marathon. That is 13.1 MILES! To be honest, I still have a hard time believing that I actually finished without passing out or my legs just falling right off. My husband first presented the idea to me several months before the actual race. I am pretty sure that I laughed right in his face when he suggested that I RUN IT! Was he absolutely crazy?? I could barely run a mile without passing out. Apparently, he saw a lot more potential in me than I saw in myself. I automatically thought those dreaded words, "I can't..". Somehow he convinced me to do it. Training was rough!! I was exhausted everyday after work, and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was run. There were days when I just thought, "I can't do this--why am I even trying??" Those were the days that I look back on, and am so thankful that my hubby pushed me to get out and run (even though at the time, he made me angry--he just didn't understand how TIRED I was!)... I had several great runs during training, but also had several really hard runs leading up to the race. Even on the day of the race, I kept thinking, "There is no way I can do this, this is crazy!" But even though I thought I couldn't do it, I tried to believe that I really could. About a mile or two into the race, I actually started believing that I could do it...I could run 13.1 miles! And I did! I couldn't move the next day, but I ran a half marathon successfully! I literally had tears in my eyes when I crossed the finish line because I couldn't believe I actually accomplished something that, in my eyes, seemed impossible! I learned a valuable lesson through this experience that has carried over to many other areas of my life: If I work hard, stay disciplined, and believe in myself--I can do anything! Satan has a way of placing those "I can'ts" in our heads when in reality the Word says we can do ALL things through Christ. There is something great about challenging yourself, and then working hard to successfully meet that challenge. I am tired of saying "I can't..." and am ready to challenge myself in new ways. What is a challenge you are willing to face??? I love to hear. Be Blessed! Jenn