Failed Expectations

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

These words are ringing very true for me today. I think of all of the things I thought I would have accomplished by this time in my life, and really only one of them has been done in the time frame I thought. I was a teacher. In some of the things I expected, I am farther than I had planned. I always thought I would go into administration after the age of 40, and I actually went into administration at the age of 34. My expected life for myself at the age of 22 looked very differently than the journey God and I have been on, and I'm completely okay with that. I have lived my life with Jesus, letting Him guide my steps, and this is where it has gotten me. I have become a person at peace, with big hopes and dreams. I pray continually that God will match my desires with His because it has become so obvious that His plans are far more incredible than I could ever dream for myself. This doesn't mean that I don't still hope for a few of those things I had planned years ago, but it does mean that I am trusting God to bring those things into my life at the perfect time, as He has done with everything else. Life is good (I think that's the saying), but life in Jesus is perfect.

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His Strength

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. I was prompted to read this verse and it was perfect for today, of course. All of Psalm 100 is praise to God. For me today, I am praising God because He was faithful in something He had revealed to me a while ago. Let me explain. Have you ever asked God for His strength? Not just strength, but His strength. This is something that I was prompted to do about a year ago, not to just ask for strength in general, but to specifically request His strength to be given to me. I know it sounds a little like a bit of rhetoric, but keep reading. In requesting God's own strength, I have noticed something tremendous has happened each time. When God bestows His strength within me, it is so much more than just endurance. His strength comes with clarity of mind, lightening of the spirit, and a depth of inner joy that cannot help but make me smile. I feel energized in a way

For Mom

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. This is a post for Mom. She is the embodiment of these words written by Paul. When I think of Mom and who God created her to be, this is it. Each of these phrases describes her perfectly. Mom learned very early on in her walk with Jesus to let Him have His way in her life. Who she is and has been to people is the testament to that. Her patience with a super naughty 2-year old, namely me, rivaled that of Job. I don't ever remember her getting angry. Quite frankly, Mom and the word angry in the same sentence is laughable. She never bragged or boasted about us (even though we know she's proud of us) because that wouldn't be showing love to her listener. Mom was never rude, she was always serving others, and she was never judgmental of anyone, no matter their past or

The Heart of Jesus

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. I have had a difficult time finding a single verse today. I have been all over my Bible, reading and thinking. I'm settling on this verse, mostly because it is closely related to one of my favorite verses. I sometimes get caught up in thinking I need to do certain things to grow in my faith. These things are not inherently bad, nor are they necessarily good. Two big stumbling blocks for me are fasting and tithing. I find myself getting hooked into the religious value of them rather than the relational value. I find that spending time with God gives me a clearer picture of my own motives for wanting to do these things. I find that I usually feel the need to fast when I'm feeling poorly about my body image. I find that wanting to tithe usually comes after reading verses in the Old Testament about God blessing Israel for its offerings. Both of these are motivated by my selfishness. I am always am

Abbie Coffey

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