Holiday Blindness

So the holidays are here, that time of year that people look forward to because it's the time of year when families old and young, far and close draw near to one another. Maybe not physically but they feel that closeness and that bond. Families gather in hopes of reminiscing on past memories and humorous stories, and there's always a somber loving warmth to that holiday together. Most generally we see people caring for strangers and being there for loved ones when any other time of the year they'd be forgotten. This year is no different in some instances.

However this year in some instances have changed....

I don't know how to write about this, I don't even know where to begin in all honesty. There's something to be said to be in your 20's feeling the world at your fingertips, feeling like you can go anywhere and do anything and there is nothing that can stop you, your young and your invincible. Then it happens... Life happens.... your flying high in the clouds and then a brick get's tied to your foot and pulls you down low in the valley. The brick you ask? Cancer. Not my cancer, not my husband having cancer, but a very close and important relative, I choose not to share the name or the relation because it's not relevant to what I am trying to express and it's not my story to share. I am the person on the outside looking in the window to this brick, I am the person who while flying high looks at the ground and sees the reality of what's going on all around. There is an amazingly scary thing that happens when a loved one has cancer, while hearing the news and processing it and living so close to it knocks the breath out of you single handedly it also draws a force stronger than a tornado, stronger than a hurricane and it's family.

The past few years in my life Christmas has had many scary moments, last year my grandfather in a nursing home one of my biggest nightmares come true, the year before my amazing sweet little cousin having multiple surgeries and the year before that even more. I can't begin to fathom the great devestation that my family has seen... That I have seen. Yet somehow each Christmas wasn't tainted, each Christmas came out with some loving memories, each Christmas I experienced a free gift but a gift that means the world and that's unconditional love. I know there are many people who don't have family that are close, or who have separated themselves from family in fear, or shame or hurt. I encourage you to look beyond it, see if there's a way of working through it with compassion and love and kindness, and most importantly grace. By now I am sure you have thought of someone close or distant that you care about, by now I am sure you have thought of a hurt relationship that you have dealt with and by now I am sure before I even finish typing this sentence that you have a perfect image of that person. My recommendation to you? Reach out. Pray without ceasing for the natural opportunity for wounds to be healed and relationships to be mended.

My last hope and prayer this holiday season is that you open your eyes to the disasters of this world, you open your eyes to the lost and the hungry and the hurting, to the lonely and to the ones who are full of everything but love. I pray that after New Year's day you don't forget about the homeless who still need jackets and food, and you don't forget about the animals who have no warmth or shelter, and you don't forget about the children living in poverty hoping for a bed of their own or a new pair of socks. I pray that you carry those hurts and burdens and until the day you take your last breath you do all that you can to help others. Christmas while a beautiful and fun season is not about gifts, or food, or parties, it's about a sweet innocent love for the world that caused the amazing miraculous birth of Christ to help heal the broken and lost without judgement. I could go into a Bible lesson about judging others but I won't. Grace is for everyone so extend it this year and beyond that.

This year has been a trying year for many of us and unfortunately next year will probably be trying as well however if we hold fast to the grace and love and support that God has blessed us with whether it be through family, friends, a church congregation then maybe just maybe we can see a little bit more hope next year.

God Bless,
Ashley

It's the Morning!

A few posts back I had made the mention of Joy coming with the morning, and how I was wondering where that morning had gone. I am happy to say it's that morning. My husband and I have gone through many obstacles it seems as though for us 2016 started out as one of the roughest years for us, however it also started as one of the most trying and bonding times. While it would have been lovely to continue as newlyweds with our "heads in the clouds" I am appreciative that we had the hurtles to jump, and the race to run together. Today my husband and I turned a page in our journey, today we opened the curtains let the sun shine in and face the day with a smile and heart dependent on God and what His will for us is.

I try not to judge anyone and I try not to judge those with differing beliefs but sitting here in amazement at the things God pulled us through some moments even having to carry the both of us through, I wonder how people who don't believe in a God survives, I wonder how a marriage flourishes to the full capacity that it can be. Then I face the reality, a lot of marriages don't survive, a lot of marriages never reach that flourishing potential, a lot of marriages end in divorce, broken homes, unhealthy vices, and hurt feelings. I am not saying my husband and I are perfect, we are imperfectly perfect through God. What I am saying as a newlywed to those married forever and ever or those married just a short time or those thinking about marriage is, you need your faith, you need to have that sustaining power of knowing the hard times are coming or the hard times are here and their going to be gone eventually. Just like someone would take shelter in a basement during a tornado, we must take shelter in our marriage and in our relationships in God.

With this morning, and with the joy that God has restored to us, my husband and I this past weekend took the necessary precautions to safe guard our spiritual well being, and also our marriage's well being, along with our ministry's well being. We supported a local christian book store (we highly recommend doing so, even though the internet may have more to offer its still important to support local businesses) and stocked up on books to last us these next few weeks educating ourselves on our weaknesses, our strengths, and our goals as a married couple and as people individually and together in ministry.

Whether you have gone to college or not, always educate yourself, no one can take the knowledge your receiving away from you, they can take books, tv, internet even but they can't take away your knowledge.

**My point is this, we have joy again and we are sustained in Christ. We pray for those who read this blog, that you find yourself sustained in Christ as well.

Where is that morning?!

I previously went on a tangent of how joy comes in the morning but we just aren't sure what morning that is. Well this morning wasn't it. I truly believe we all go through those dry and trying times in life only to at the end of it be over flowed with Gods love and to let it just pour and flood all that surrounds us. I've been praying that I read that point but so far it's still a dry desert. 

I could quit and give up, I could yell and throw a fit but I'm not going to. For Job (pronounced jobe) he lost everything and then some and still he trusted God, still he was faithful to God. So I must to stay faithful. 

Being peaceful and uplifting when your going through a dry and weary time isn't easy but it's necessary to reach that everlasting spring of refreshing love that God has to offer.

Joy Comes In The Morning

We all have those weeks where we have a hard time and it just seems like you can't find your joy, I had one of those weeks, I am still in one of those weeks. There's something important that I find myself having to keep saying "Joy comes in the morning" yes this is biblical, Every morning you can find joy, I feel like Paulina saying "Let's play the Glad Game" but its true, your perspective is going to deeply impact how bad that bad day is.

For instance today from the time I woke up at 8:15 am till now 11:11am (yes I know make a wish....I don't need to that's what prayer is for) I had a washcloth crisis (its laundry day and Randy unknowingly took the last washcloth this morning), which delayed my shower, which then when doing laundry the washer decides to have a mind of its own, which delays clean clothes and such (no worries I have enough to clothes to supply the town) but then I move on in my day, I'm cleaning the kitchen and I find that the top of my microwave is a little dusty no biggie I can just lysol wipe it all only to open it and find buffalo chicken dip splattered everywhere inside (thank you hubby). So now your caught up with my day.

Now all of this you think could throw me into over drive, you think it could stop me or get me to throw my hands in the air and say "I quit" or "Not today" but no, I won't allow that, instead I turn the worship music up a little louder than usual, and I remind myself "Joy comes in the morning"

All it tells us is Joy comes in the morning, God never said which morning it was going to be, so you got to smile and move on. So with that being said

Joy Comes in the Morning.