Fight for you

Exodus 14:14- my thoughts

I love this verse so much. How many of us in the deepest part of our hearts want someone to FIGHT for us! To have someone be on your side, to stand up for you when you can't defend yourself? Imagine that the God of the universe is right there waiting to fight for you! He loves us so much, but more than that He knows what's best for us. All we have to do is..... be still. Hmm... seems like God is trying to tell me something lately. BE STILL. Ok so that means giving up whatever idea I have that I am in control, in charge, or know what's best for my life or my familys. Which of course I'm not and don't know but  more often than not  I think I am. Which of course makes it hard for someone to fight for me when I'm always fighting for me. I think though that it would be a whole lot easier to just let God do the fighting for me. I am awed and amazed that He would want to  but I am grateful. So I am choosing to be still today. What about you?,

Book Review- Living with Less: An unexpected key to happiness

Book Review:
Just finished reading this book that is coming out today. To say I loved it would be an understatement. For someone like me, who tends to be scattered and stressed on a regular basis this book was a huge breath of fresh air and an new outlook on my life and my family.
The author, had such a simple but profound truth to share with readers. Living with Less is a book about just that living with less. In our culture today it seems like this would not be a very popular message but it should be. The author brings the focus back onto the life we all would want. One where you can focus on the things most important to you. When asking yourself what's the most important thing to me, the answer isn't usually my piles of clothes or my skis. It's usually family, faith, love. Not materialsitc things.
Simply put this book changed my life and outlook. I highly recommend that you read it and see what it has to offer. It will free you to  live the way God had in mind. As the author points out Jesus Chist is the perfect example of livng with less and serving others. This lifestyle will free you to do the things most important  and closest to your heart. You'll spend less time maintaining your stuff and more time with the things that make you live vibrantly!

Here's where you can find out more, Joshua Becker's website; http://becomingminimalist.com/living-with-less

The Kindle version is available here: http://amzn.to/OVJwBy
The paperback version is available here: http://amzn.to/PjjJpf 

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone and I hope you do as well. Also I have found the Becoming Minnimalist website extremely inspiring and helpful!

God Bless! <3 Marissa

Stessed... me?? No way :)

So this morning I was sitting down to check my e-mail and “get organized”, which for me usually means seeing how many appointments I missed yesterday. Lol I was thinking about how there is only 3 weeks until we leave for vacation and then when we get back all 3 kids start school,….. And… and… ugh. To say I started feeling a little stressed is probably an understatement. I started jumping ten zillion steps ahead of myself. I’m surprised I wasn’t crying about how the kids are going to be graduating soon. (12 years until that happens for the first time lol) So then I hear the still, small voice telling me “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10. So I took a deep breath and thought about that for a minute. Thinking back over the last few years of my life how God has shown up in some amazing and big ways. Why wouldn’t the God who has done all this help me through the next month? God loves us so much and cares about the little things just as much as the big things. He cares about us. I just get a little worked up and lose sight of that sometimes. So if you ever feel this way just remember to be still and know God’s got you in His mighty hands. He will be there through all things, even the things you might think He would be too busy for or things that are not big enough for Him. God loves us and cares about what we care about. We just need to remember to turn to Him in our moments of confusion, hurt or yes even when we are having a mini panic attack!!

Looking forward

So it's been a very interesting day. Just found out that one of my boys is allergic to tumeric. Had to rush him to the walkin earlier the poor guy had hives all over his body but praise the Lord he is much better now and resting peacefully so I decided to take a minute to update my blog. I am super excited to be working on my first book review!! Reading about cutting down on clutter and focusing on Christ. Love this concept. It's quickly changing my whole outlook on things. But I will save the rest for later! :) Make sure you keep checking the review will be coming soon! Just wanted to encourage you all to keep looking ahead.I was reminded earlier today that I can focus on the past and the negative or I can focus on Crhsit and what He has in store for me today and tomorrow. I am choosing to look forward and see possibility because of Christ and His love. He is always fairthful and I am very tahnkful for that. Keep hoping for more out of life, God has an abundant life for us, it will probabluy look much different than WE plan but it will look just right when seeing our lives through His eyes!

What if God were here

I was thinking today about how things would change if I pictured Jesus standing next to me as I went about my day. When I was in high school I saw a skit that depicted this idea. The teenager had Jesus following him around and he of course changed what he would normally do and say because Jesus was right there. The thing is though, Jesus is always right here. He is always with us. Most of the time I forget the reality of this truth. He can be a constant source of strength to make the choice to do the right thing, to say the kind thing, to turn the other cheek. I was thinking in terms of relationships with the people around us, how it would change how we speak to others if we remembered God is listening. That He loves that person so much, that He sent His Son to die for that person as well as us. Would we choose to let an injustice slide instead of rise to the challenge? Would we choose to give love in the face of anger? Could we have the strength to love when it’s not returned? I think that is the most shining example of God’s love…. When flawed imperfect people choose to love beyond human ability, to love with God’s love. There is no way other than through Christ. It’s a choice. God gives us all the tools we need to make the choice, to choose love, hope and peace. I pray that I will choose these daily and remember God is here….. Right here with me always.

When God Shows Up

We have a small group that meets in our house every week to discuss life, our walk with God, and they have very quicky become apart of our family. Over the summer we have had each couple share a "stone" in their lives. A time when God has shown up in such a way that the only explanation is that it was Him working our the situation, that it was God showing up for them.
Tonight was the night for Scott and I to share about our "stone". It got me thinking about sharing one or two of the stories here on my blog. This one will be a small part of getting to know me and  how God has grown me over the last few years. So I will start a few years ago (ok maybe more than a few lol) when I was in eigth grade. I started wearing glasses that year. I still held everything right up to my nose. My grandpa used to tell me I was going to get ink on my nose from holding the book so close. I love to read. Anyway, then when I was 18 I got my drivers liscence and watch out! I was a horrible driver. 2 accidents within ayear of each other where I totaled my car(s) each time. Everyone thought I was just a reeeaallly bad driver but turns out I was slowly losing my central vision. I got married when I was 21 and got pregnant right away. It was during that year with a new baby that I started seeing a specialist in my area. After another year and 2 more babies (yes I said 2 but that's a story for another day) I was sent to a retinal specialist who told me if he didn't know I was in my 20's and he just looked at my scans he would have said I was 80 or 90 years old. He suggested I see another specialist this time in NYC. So off we went, Scott and I, to the city where his superb driving skills were put to the test and he passed with FLYING colors. :) The specialist there diagnosed me with cone dystrophy and we left with little hope that I would keep my eyesight and not go legally blind. Basically the doctor told us there was nothing he could do and good luck.
At this point I was very discouraged. I went home and was not able to drive. My oldest son was just starting preschool and I had the twins at home all day. I was completely dependant on my husband and others to take me anywhere, grocery shopping, church, etc. This was a very dark period of time for me. I never thought of myself as a control freak or someone who liked to be behind the wheel ( literally). Boy was I wrong. I was so angry, angry at God, angry at everyone who could drive lol I was just angry. Then I went thru self pity. Why would God let this happen to me.... Then over time and God's faithful pursuit of me, I came to a realization. it's not earth shattering or amazingly profound but it was life changing for me. Everyone has something they struggle with, everyone. Someitmes it's a disease, a temptation, addiction, fear, etc. but everyone has something that could put distance between them and God... if we let it. And no matter the circumstance it doesn't change God and it downs't change our own personal responsibility to respond to God's call on each of our lives. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and focus on what I could do for God not what I couldn't do.
After 6 months I went back to see the specialist in my area for a checkup, to see how my vision was progressing. I was still not out of my anger/self pity stage but I went anyway. I was not optimistic but God had other plans. My vision had improved! Enough that I could drive again. I was speechless. So was my doctor. He kept saying he didn't know how this happened but I knew and I was so grateful!
Recently I went for a second opinion and was diagnosed with macular dystrophy. Better diagnosis but similar disease. My vision has been stable for the last year and according to this doctor I should stay where I'm at. But I know that no matter what it's all in God's hands. I choose to trust, I choose to have faith, and I choose HOPE.

Ok So here goes nothing! :) Frst attempt at blogging. My name is Marissa and I am a wife and mother of 3. Life is busy but life is never boring. I've been thinking about just haveing a place to share my thoughts and favorite things so I thought blogging might be the way to do it!
I've been thinking alot about Hope lately, hence my blog title. When things are hard and life is often hard, what else do we have but hope. Hope and fairth that God has a plan. In Jeremiah God promises that He has a plan for us, a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. Some days that's all I hold onto. Other days are filled with the hope of heaven, of a better place. But always there is hope because of Jesus. Praise God for the gift of hope today. He loves you and He has a plan  even when it feels like there is no order or calm. God is our calm in any storm.