Whoa.

Whoa.
Like seriously- WHOA.
I just have to write it down... I just realized that living in God's will...doing as He tells me to do is CHOCK-FULL of the blessing of His presence. THAT is the blessing!! KNOWING that God is with you... KNOWING that you are doing what is right and good and holy- THAT is what it means to be blessed. (At least that's what I think right now - today.) :)

I stepped out in faith and did the most difficult thing I've done in a long time (if ever). I put my faith and trust 100% in God and with my whole heart, I jumped. (And this wasn't a jump of joy- this wasn't a "jump" filled with self-oriented purpose-seeking desire. It was a jump of humility and a jump INTO GOD's will.) I can't and won't share the circumstances here. Not now. But I will just say that since I put my faith into action- since I breathed it out into the world, I have been given sign after sign after sign (peace after peace after peace) that I did the right thing. If I HADN'T done it- I would have been doing the wrong thing. God's miracles live through US. If we squelch them then we diminish the holiness of God. Maaaaan - I don't know what will come out of this in the long run - but I'm SURE it will be countless blessings. Just the ability for me to say that I did what was right - to show others - that through God, ANYONE can do what is right and that when we DO, that miracles abound and grace takes over.

Carissa, just remember, this was you being FAITHFUL. This is NOT something that YOU did. I must be careful and remember my propensity for pride to take over. This is not something I did... the only thing I did was submit...and that alone was enough to bless me (just in the act of surrendering to God I was blessed and rewarded as He poured out his grace and filled my world with God's LOVE - which is what my soul thirsts for- more of HIM).

Ok. I just had to share (because each message I get, conversation I have, and song that I hear is just filling me more and more and I didn't want to completely explode- thanks for listening and letting me get a little of this enthusiasm OUT!)! :)

<3

[God, you are SOOOOO GOOD! May I remember this always... may I be in constant search of your voice and then when I hear it- when you instruct me- may I respond with truth and integrity. Thank you for your teaching...for your pruning...for your whittling of my life. You are all I need. I love you so much. I love you so much. I love you so much!!! - Oh, but my heart breaks. I feel it now. There are so many out there that are hurting. There are so many out there that need you to come close to THEM...to comfort THEM. Please go and be with them. Help me to see them and please use me to help them... fill me Lord...fill me with your love so that it truly overflows from my life into the lives of those you have placed around me. Thank you dear God for my sensitivity- it is a gift, isn't it? I must use it for others and not for myself. Hm. Wow. Thank you Lord. Amen.]