Mystery Gift Exchange!

So another one bites the dust! This adventure was told to me by my new friend Layla. She had us collectively think of 10 things that were smaller than a shoe box and the total amount of them couldn't cost more than $10.00. We had to come up with a gift for each other using everyone of those items. Well I will admit that I didn't do it right but it was fun either way. We could use the items anyway we wanted. So she is much more creative then me, but a caterpiller was one of the items and I got a little dump truck that said caterpiller on the back and she made a little caterpiller out of a noodle and craft items. She is much more craftier than me! So anyways, Layla and I finally decided to exchange gifts after a couple of months. We met at the zoo, I was so grateful to finally get to see her face. We had only talked through facebook before. Had a wonderful day that the zoo, getting to know her family and spending time with another friend. Then we exchanged gifts, hers was wrapped up in a beautiful scarf, which is so like her, and i saw my new treasure box. I was thrilled, and a little embarassed at my feeble attempt to finish mine, but the thought is the same. I love handmade gifts, the time and energy that someone has made something for me and only me. Now I am not a big fan of crocheted potholders, or scarfs, they remind me of itchy things and oldy, moldy stuff. But my friend made Joslyn a beautiful crocheted sweater, and it was soft and perfect for her. Its all about the love in the gift. If you forget to add the love in the gift, well might as well send it back to the store. When you add love, it doesn't matter what the gift is, they will probably remember it more. There was so much love in Layla's gift, I will never forget it! Thanks my new true friend!

The purpose of purpose....

I need to know my purpose! Is my purpose for God only to raise Joslyn right in the Lord and help her to know him. Don't get me wrong, that is the goal of my life! But, that can't be it. I have this desire to do. Do what, I don't know! So long I have lived my life in a box, a comfortable box that was safe and as unscary as I could make it. I am tired of being scared to tear through that box. Well I will tear through that box! God has an amazing purpose for me, and my box will be no where in sight. Through his grace and mercy, I hope to live an amazing life, being content that I am doing his will and that I will be a part of impacting the world for him.
I have vowed to take a year off of commitments. That means no leadership roles or serving positions in church until I am sure that I am at the place that I need to be and that I am living the role I was born to fill. Where that will be, I don't know yet. But, I do know that today, I finally figured out that I have been looking in all the wrong places to find out where that should be. I have been asking my friends, baiting my husband for clues, and searching in valleys, when all I had to do was ask my Lord! Sometimes I think that I am so dense. I mean, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has given me my desires and dreams, and that what he can produce in our lives can fulfill us past full. I know that he speaks to us in many ways, but I didn't think of sitting down, reading his word, and simply asking him to show me my path. Duh! The Bible study that we had in Sunday school was awesome, it was about the Acts 2 church and how do we get to be Spirit filled? I want to be spirit filled, but one of my fears was becoming a spirit filled crazy person, who looked crazy to the outside world. Well, forgive me if I offend anyone, but crazy is not living life to the fullest. Crazy is sitting in your box and not using what God gave you. I am learning this lesson. I've been crazy, I'm going crazy by not knowing what I am supposed to do. I'm tired of crazy, I want to be filled with the spirit no matter how it looks to the outside world!
So I am going to change that, all I have to do is focus my eyes on Jesus. He will lead me out of this wandering path, give me a purpose and help my dreams come true. Tonight I wrote down my questions for God and read Romans chapter 16. I got good incite into what kind of person God is wanting me to be. Goood reading. I said my prayers. I hope to do this every night and spend most of the day, making a conceious effort to talk and pray to God. I can't wait to see what he has to say. It feels good to call up on God, knowing that he will answer me. Sorry God that I haven't called in a while and that I haven't read your letters. I will do better! Amen!