Midnight meetings

So it's a funny thing, personal devotions, right? I mean, they're supposed to be personal, yet we continually hear people setting forth the mold into which they should fit. I mean there's a little variety at times between morning vs. evening devos, but really that's the major diff. Otherwise they're fairly cut and dried to me. BUT...that's ridiculous...isn't it?

You really don't have to agree with me. I don't care either way. Wait...nod your head....ok, now repeat after me, "Tiffany is always right. Her word is..." HA! Just kidding...that's silly.

What I'm getting at though is how I've found that God meets with me in very different ways than He meets with everyone else. He knows what time I'm most receptive and what's going to hit me hard and what I'm going to be oblivious to. I'm not saying God doesn't expect me to dig into the Scriptures and to talk to Him like He expects us all too, but He has various ways of drawing me in at other points.

I think that's pretty cool.

God and I have an understanding about two things: 1) I'm a visual person 2) I'm a music person. Now does this mean I'm the same as other visuals and music junkies? Nope. But God knows that. He will catch me quite off guard with a sudden realization of how very beautiful something or someone is! Sometimes I'm a little overwhelmed with how this affects me. And feel like there just no way I can share the beauty I can see in God's kingdom. How I wish I could put it into words! Then there's music. Ugh...this has been the bane of my existence at times in life when my choices have been less than superior, but wow...when God gets a hold of it?!? Such amazing things can happen. I'm not a musician, but when it comes to listening to a new song or an instrumental...sometimes I find tears in my eyes. I can become so deeply moved by a song. It's beautiful.

Recently I've been trying to strengthen and grow in my prayer life and it's been interesting to see God personalize that too. I'm a night owl, but I'm trying to learn to be a responsible adult that gets up a reasonable hours, so this has been fun. God, however, has found the perfect time for us. I know this sounds silly, but between the hours of 2:00am-5:00am I feel closer to God than any other moment in the day. Maybe it's because it feels like the rest of the world is asleep and it's just me and Him, but even after doing evening devos and hitting the hay, I'll suddenly find myself wide awake at these hours and thinking about Him. It's cool. So I've started just hitting my knees and sharing. We've really had some good talks due to this. I've even set my alarm to be sure and be up then some nights.

All I'm saying is, God is personal. He wants to meet us where we are and define our relationships according to what will most impact us. But do we comply? Do we realize that if we don't fit the cookie cutter mold, we're still allowed to meet with Him? Trust me...it's so much better to find your style, your best fit, than to keep stressing over not doing whatever the person you measure yourself against is doing. Forget that. Be you and let God find you in the moments you'll benefit the most. Look for Him. Seek Him. Spend time with Him.

Stay encouraged readers...I'll be praying for you!

It's the little things

I am blessed. God is good. All the time.

I'm so excited to be at a place in life where the tiniest of things make me aware of God. I realize that I've had points in life where this wasn't always the case. God is so good and patient and has once again brought me away from bad decisions and points of life. I'm reminded of where I was this time last year. I was trying to get my feet back under me again, but wow! A year can make all the difference, can't it? God has been teaching me, molding me and turning me into a beautiful display of His power. He and I can do anything, ya know?

This morning it was the sunshine. God was beaming it down on me as I woke up. Then it was the birds and squirrels in the backyard. The incredible serenity found in a cup of coffee with Him, the reminder of what He's done through a new song, the smell of fresh air, the intricate design of a butterfly that floats past. I have four words:

My God is AMAZING.

Know what's amazing? ...God...He's amazing!

So I'd just like to revel in the fact that I serve the most amazing Being ever. Ever there was, ever there is, ever there will be...ever.

God is too good to me, and I find myself overwhelmed with His blessing and faithfulness in my life. It seems that I find some reason daily that I feel like He should throw in the towel on me, but He never does...He just chips away at those imperfections and flaws...He reminds me that I am His and that I have value. He reminds me that others have value too and that I need to appreciate it more. Oh to see the world as He does...to see each individual as God Almighty sees them, to see their innate value, to see their humanity, to realize their suffering and to be able to love them as He does. I pray to grow more in this area...I long to, I need to, I have to. God, teach me...mold me. Make me more like Christ.

So thankful to be His child!

How about you? Are you thankful? Do you know how much value you have? Do you know how much value God sees in you? Can you say you're thankful to be His child...?

He is there waiting...all you must do is ask...believe on Him and allow Him to start chipping away at you...it's so worth it.

To my MOST beloved Sister!!! I love you bunches!

Celebrating 200 posts together!!!

So I just realized that this is my 200th post on this blog! Wow. I had that much to say? Somehow I'm sure most of it wasn't really all that important to life as we know it, but I really appreciate having had somewhere to express myself. There have been times in years gone by that I leaned heavily on this blog as a form of self expression. I suppose it's not been as much for others as for myself, but I think that's OK. For those of you that cared enough to follow me, or for that matter to leave your comments and feed back...thanks! It's been fun.

Now, for the future! I'm newly graduated, still single, formulating plans for what's ahead of me and seeking God with renewed fervence. All in all, I think I'm at an important point in life...in fact I was told by one of my professors that I'm prob at the best point in my life ever, that I've been learning so much about who I am and what's what in college, that now I'm at the point to see how I'm going to let it all affect me.
I'm out on my own and ready to see how I will proceed from here on out. Life's in front of me and the choices are mine. Whoa. Overwhelming in some ways. Crazy exciting in so many others. Thankfully though, God is in charge of my life, so I find myself a little less scared and a lot more excited with the anticipation of it all.

So go...live...be an impact and be impacted...but always remember where you've come from and Who you're following...