Just when you get frustrated with life...

...you open the Bible and God speaks! (Praise the Lord) The past couple of weeks have been pretty difficult. Nothing horrible, just things that come with growing up, and becoming an adult (I do suppose that I should already be there, but it seems that each season of life makes you "grow up" even more)...How come my parents never fully explained how hard this life could be, that decisions would have to be made, and not just ones that affect me but affect others as well? Probably because they didn't want to stress me out prematurely...they were fully aware that when the time came, I would do a very adequate job of stressing ALL BY MYSELF! Anyhow, the past few couple of weeks, my brother and I have had some long talks about decisions that need to be made...and my husband and I have had those same talks, but about other decisions! One of the most current decisions that Ray and I have talked about in the recent days is "Where are we suppose to live?" We have always known that we had to stay at least one year in Hardeman Co. and then at that time we could get transferred! And as we all know September is SLOWLY creeping up on us and there are some major decisions that need to be made, and its not just about where Ray is going to work...Its decisions about schools for the girls, jobs for me, churches for all of us! I mean, it can get overwhelming if you allow it to and well, yesterday that is what I did. My mind kept spinning around all these different options, different scenarios and I stressed myself out! (Parents know best!) So after a day of be stressed to the max, worrying like crazy, I decided to sit myself down and spend alittle time with God! We had gotten all of the duties around the house done, and both kids were asleep by 9:00(another reason to Praise the Lord)so I went to my room and sat down with my Bible and my Beth Moore study (the life of Paul...it is excellent!) and Ray said...what are you doing? I replied, I'm going to talk to God about where He wants us to live" So I open my study and it tells me to go to Acts 17:22-31 and read about Paul going into Athens to preach to these people about having all of these idols. So I read and think to myself..."Lord, what are you trying to teach me... I was really hoping for a word about where we should live" and I continue to read! I get to verse 26-27 and this is what I read (ARE YOU READY FOR THIS)

"From one man He made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth and He determines the times set for them and THE EXACT PLACES WHERE THEY SHOULD LIVE. God did this so men would seek Him and perhaps reach out to find him, though He is not far from each of us"

OH MY GOODNESS! Did you hear that (well read it!) Are you dying? I couldn't believe my eyes...I was so excited, I called Ray in there and told him what I had just read! How amazing that I opened my study, it told me to open to Acts (I can guarantee that I probably wouldn't have chosen Acts by myself) and right there at verse 26-27 God SPOKE to me and the situation that had taken my mind captive ALL DAY LONG! So I quit reading the rest of the study and just sat there and prayed, thanking God that He cares about every detail in my life...He did NOT create me and my family and send us out into this crazy world and make us figure all this out on our own! He cares for us and the every detail about us and that included "...THE EXACT PLACES WHERE we SHOULD LIVE" I was ecstatic after I read this. I continued to read what Beth had written about this verse and she write, "Every breath we take, every move we make, every place we live, and even the time in which we live has been ordained by God. IN His mercy, He set a stage in which "Men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (v27) He is complete. Nothing in your life is beyond His jurisdiction. Reach out for Him, He is there!" (thanks Beth for that!) I know that God cares about me, but every once in a while, it is nice to come to a verse, that you know God has led you to...and read that God already knows...He knows my time here on earth, He knows where Ray will get transferred (or that we might stay put?) where the girls will go to school...and I am the one that takes it upon myself to WORRY about it, instead of totally trusting HIM and HIS perfect plan. Her certainly doesn't need me to come in and start messing things up! I decided after Thanking Him for His word, that I need to sit and listen for a while...and God kept saying "Be still and Know...
Know that I AM...
Know that I love you...
Know that I am not concerned...
Know that I will never abandon you...
Know that I have it ALL under control...
Know that I have your life in my hands...
Know that I care about every detail of you life...
Know that I don't need you to worry about a thing...
JUST BE STILL AND KNOW...

Thank you God for loving me and my family. For picking up the pieces when we seem to be broken and mending us back together and filling us with your Word and with your spirit! I pray that I have adequately put into words what you taught me last night and may others see and hear from you as well. You are an awesome and amazing God and I am so thankful for all you are in my life and all that you continue to do!

P.S. I did continue the finish the study and it was all wonderful...but nothing as wonderful as hearing from my Father!