Day 10 (6-23-2011)

Who needs to rent a house when your friend's parents own one and will let us live there free??? FREE!!!

Where is it located??

Oh just across the street from my parents (Which by the way, is the best thing I could have asked for!)

Who can say "MY GOD IS AWESOME!"

I have been praying that he would send me some sign that he was working in my life....DONE

I have prayed for a roommate... DONE

I have prayed to move out of my house.... DONE .... FREE....

I have prayed for my husband this summer or something better..... REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT HE DOES!!!

I have prayed that this summer will be the best summer I have ever had.... Looking like God is coming through for me :)

Day 9 (6-22-2011)

Met up with my best friend that I haven't spoken to in almost a year. Such a blessing. And now I have a new roommate!!! Going to look for rent houses!

Thank you, Jesus!!!!

Praying for peace, hope, joy, and happiness!! :)

Day 8 (6-21-2011)

We have had some CRAZY storms! I have had such a better day today.

I am still praying that God will send me my husband this summer or something better.

Also, I love my family, but I just feel like I need a place of my own, but I don't want to live by myself. :( Giving it to God.

Day 7 (6-20-2011)

I had a terribly hard day today. I really feel like Satan was trying to get me down. It was the first time since my break up that I truly cried. The entire day I felt like there were tears welling up and ready to fall at any minute. I was a ticking time bomb. My mom is the best, though, she really says what I need to hear. I have decided that I am going to start asking God to send me my husband this summer or something better :) I am praying that God will be with whoever he has prepared for me, that he will lead and guide him straight to my doorstep.

Thank you, Jesus!

Day 6 (6-19-2011)

I have to start being honest with myself. I created this blog for me. To watch how God proves his ability in my life. Sometimes I think I forget what all God has done for me, and I thought this would help me see how my life is constantly changing and being molded into something glorifying to God. However...after I started this blog I began to have insecurities about people maybe seeing it. I have really monitored what I have said, and I think that it totally voids the purpose of this blog when I do so. Therefore, I have decided to make my blog private and really pour out my true feelings.

I have been doing pretty good since my recent break-up. I have been sad at times thinking about fun things we had done together, but it never turned into tears because I could also remember all the nights I cried as well. Anytime I thought of "good times" I had 15 heart-breaking memories to go along with them. I knew it wasn't God's plan, and had peace about it. So I guess I could say I was really doing well. UNTIL yesterday. I don't know what was up. I couldn't sleep. I cried and cried and cried. I felt absolutely hopeless.

I still live at home!
I just broke up with my boyfriend who I thought I was going to marry!!
Now I have nobody!
I'll be living in this tiny, boring, sad little town forever!
I want a husband!!
I want my own family!

Is that a terrible thing to ask for? Is that being selfish?? That I want to share my life? That I DON'T want it to be all about me. I was struggling. And truth be told I still have those thoughts. Where is my husband?? But I woke up this morning, and I knew God was very close to me. He has been for a long time, I am just now able to recognize it. I know God will send him. I know it will be better than anything I could have ever created for myself, and I will rest easy knowing that. And until that day comes and even after, I am going to fix my eyes on God and trust him with my whole heart.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.

Day 5 (6-18-2011)

Matthew 21:22
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."




Mark 11:24
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."




John 11:22
"Even now God will give you whatever you ask."




John 14:13
"I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."




John 15:16
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will alst. Then the Father will give you whateve ryou ask in my name."




John 16:23
"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."




The only thing these verses are missing is the word, "now." I have faith that God will give me the desires of my heart. I believe that his plan will fulfill every want that I have ever asked for. My problem is I want it now. I think God is teaching me patience right now. I also feel like He wants me to find contentment in the "now" and trust that the things I have asked for will come, IN HIS PERFECT TIME. And why would I want anything else? So for now, I will praise him for what I have now, and look forward to what he has in store.

Today I want to praise God for the sunshine :) Yesterday a friend and I speant the day at the lake. We had a wonderful time, and now I have the worst sunburn in the world, and I can barely walk. HOWEVER..... it reminds me how blessed I am to have the opportunity to spend the day with friends, relaxing, and enjoying my summer.

I am going to give up using salt. I know that sounds strange, but I love salt, and I use way too much, so today I decided I am not going to use salt. :)

Day 4 (6-17-2011)

Since I have made a point to read my bible and pray everyday I have had different songs stuck in my head. Not just any songs, though... church songs. Hymns, vacation bible school songs, worship songs. Without even realizing it, I will be singing songs to God throughout my day, and it is awesome. Many times the songs are comforting and once I realize I am doing it, it almost seems like it was put in my heart for a reason. For the past few days I have had the same song in my head. Over and over... you may recognize it.

Oh be careful little ears what you hear

Oh be careful little ears what you hear

For the Father up avove

is looking down with love

Oh be careful little ears what you hear

Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Oh be careful little eyes what you see

For the Father up above

is lookind down with live

Oh be careful little eyes what you see

I have been singing this song for at least 4 days now. I thought it was kind of random and funny until yesterday. I was googling the top 100 christian songs and before I clicked "enter" on the google homepage the option "top 100 christian blogs" popped up. I was intrigued so I clicked on it. There were lists upon list of christian blogs. I happened to come across a blog entitled "Sex tips for Christian girls." Now I won't lie... I was curious. I needed no tips considering I am very intent upon not being sexual until I am married, however, I couldn't help but wonder what this was about. Was this for newly married women? Or were these tips to help girls stay virgins until they were married? I had no idea. So I decided to check it out. Well... ummm.... there was absolutely nothing "Christian" about this blog. It was basically pornography. I was shocked. I didn't read much of the blog, and I clicked out of it as soon as I could. None the less, what I read stuck with me. I couldn't get some of the words they used out of my head. I had subjected my mind to things that I didn't need to be thinking about. That is when I remembered the song that I had been singing. I didn't guard my eyes.

God wants us to believe fully in him. He wants us to trust in His will for our lives. He wants us to rely 100% on him. But satan fills our lives with lies. He tries to sneakily insert things into our minds (whether obvious or not) to keep our focus off God. Any distratction he can come up with, he will use.

I have mentioned that my faith is often weak. I need to see proof that God is working in my life. But how can God show me when I am letting things like "Sex tips for Christian girls" take up most of my thoughts. I don't know about everyone else, but when I get visuals like that in my mind, it's hard to get them out. It consumes me. Just like satan wants it to.

Proverbs 4:20-27

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23 ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART, FOR IT IS THE WELLSPRING OF LIFE. 24 PUt away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from our lips. 25 Let your eyes looks straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

I am a kindergarten teacher, and I often tell my kids this:

If you fill your heart with good things, good things will come out.

If you are happy on the inside, you will treat people in a way that will make them happy.

If you fill your heart with bad things, bad things will come out.

If you mad, angry and bitter on the inside, you may treat people in a way that will make them feel lmad, angry and bitter.

We can't control other people or how they treat us. However, we can control how we react to it, what we let come into our hearts, and how we manage what we see and hear.

There are different things and people in our lives that effect us in different ways. I have had relationships that have brought me down, discouraged me and made me feel bad about myself. Those relationships needed to be severed. On the other hand, there have been friendships that have made me a better person. Those friendships are God sent.

I guess today I have learned that there are things that are good for us, and things that are not so good for us, and God has given me the wisdom to discern.

Today I praise him for discernment and the ability to know when things are not good for me.

Today I am going to give up needing to be with someone every second of the day. Since my recent break up I haven't been able to be alone for a second. Today I am going to take some time to be by myself and trust God to give me the same sense of peace and solace He has given me since the very first day.

Day 3 (6-16-2011)

I have serious control issues. I need to know when, where, why, how... and I need to know now. For a very long time I have depended on myself to achieve the things I "THOUGHT" I wanted. Let me just say, I was a wreck. That is a lot of pressure. I want a lot of things! I sought my own discernment when looking for a husband, and I failed miserably. I had overwhelming amounts of anxiety, worry, fear and hopelessness, and it was because I was looking to my own abilities to find hope and peace. I have always believed in God. I know who He is, what He has done, and I love him. But when it has comes to my own life, I wasn't really concerned about what he had planned because I already had a plan. I didn't really ask him for any of the things that I truly desired because I could get it on my own, and you know... He has things to do. I didn't have a faith that reflected how able my God is to blow any plans I have for myself out of the water. It wasn't until "my plans" blew up in my face that I realized that maybe... just maybe... I am doing this all wrong.

It is hard for me to truly accept how much my God loves me. I forget that the things I often worry about (even though they can be petty and minute) are important to my God, too! He wants me to be happy, live prosperously, have peace, and live abundantly in all areas of my life. The only thing I have to do is trust that he will bring me through. However, satan would like us to think that we are silly, and simple, and the things that bear heavy on our hearts are the farthest thing from God's mind. But he is a liar. God wants give me the desires of my heart, I just have to give him the control.


Matthew 10:30
And even the very hairs on your head are numbered.


If he knows how many hairs I have on my head (Which seems of litte importance to me) don't you think he is going to be in control of things like... I don't know.. my future?


Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also along with him, graciously give us all things?


I feel like God is saying, "Danielle... haven't I proven my love for you enough? Why do you not belive that I will do great things in your life, why do you keep trying to do it yourself??? I promise I will come through for you. Just look what I have already invested in you. Chill out, I've got this."

It is funny, though, how much my desires have changed in the few days that I have been diligent in seeking his will, reading my bible, and praying. What used to be so important really isn't anymore. The things that I was afraid of and anxious about don't even cross my mind. When I am walking closely to God, I feel that my desires change to match his will for my life. Before I really cared about his plan for me, my desires and wants were things that I "THOUGHT" would be bring me so much happiness. Now I realize that I can have happiness, contentment, self-control right now because I am leaning on God to give it to me. I used to find myself just waiting for the next stage in life to feel fulfilled. You know.... "When I get a husband....then I'll be happy"... God has spoken to me through this bible study I am doing, and He has said, "Danielle... why wait!! Feel fulfilled now!" My time will come, and this stage of my life will be over soon enough, but I don't want to look back and think, "Wow, that was really great, I wish I would have appreciated it while I had it." God's plan is so great. I am at the edge of my seat, so excited about what is in store for me, and while on the journey I am enjoying to the fullest what he is giving me now.


So for now I cling to Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; MY GOD WILL HEAR ME.


Today I want to praise God for his answered prayers. He has blessed me with peace and hope and fulfilled my faith in him. I no longer sit around wondering if my life will turn out ok. I KNOW it will because it already is, and He isn't stopping now.

Yesterday I gave up saying anything negative about anyone else. I had to really pray to God to carry me through on that one. Today I am going to give up any type of secular music. I am going to praise God all day, and I will especially praise him through music that lifts up his name in honor and glory!

Day 2 (6-15-2011)

Yesterday morning I wrote my first entry in what I hope will be a year long journey watching God's ability and perfect plan play out in my life. It is funny though, how satan whispers lies in my ear. As soon as I posted yesterday I immediately began feeling so many insecurities.

What if someone reads it, and they don't like it?
What if someone comments and criticizes me?
What if someone I know reads it and knows what kind of person I have been and thinks I am a hypocrite?
What if what I say offends someone who doesn't believe the same things I do?

And then I stopped, and I prayed that God would give me a peace about this. As I was praying thoughts began to flood my mind, and I was ashamed of some of the things I let my mind think.

I have been doing an amazing bible study that has been perfect for me and where I am in my spiritual life right now.

Faithful, Abundant, True

Going Deeper Still

It has been such a blessing!! Today the study focused on "Fixing" our eyes on God. It was what I totally needed. I had spent all day yesterday worrying about what other people might think, and God spoke to me and said,

"Danielle!!! I wanted you to reflect daily on your walk with me for YOUR benefit! Quit worrying about anybody else. This is about our relationship. Focus on me."

My insecurities and thoughts completely coincide with how our country handles pressing issues. We are a nation so worried about being politically correct that we are scared to stand up for what we think is right because it might "offend" someone. I find myself holding back and purposely not talking about my relationship with God because I am afraid of what people might say, think, or feel about it. I am careful not to say what I think about same sex marriage because it might insult someone or even worse, someone might call me intolerant, self-righteous, or judgemental. I have tiptoed around so many controversial, worldly issues that I have found myself conforming to them. I am ashamed to say that because my focus has been on what other people might think, that I have become indifferent. I have found myself accepting things of this world because its easier than actually standing up for what I know is right and not being afraid of what someone else might think.

John 15:4-5, 7-8

4 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you main in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

7 "IF you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it willbe given you. 8 This it to my Father's golry, that you bear much fruit, SHOWING yourselves to be my disciples."

I have not been fruitful. I have focused on my own wants and asked God to form his will around it. I have been selfish and unwilling to "show" myself as one of God's disciples because I thought I could have an awesome relationship with God in secret... you know... so as not to "offend" anyone. But God is calling me to make it known, and the more I diligently seek him, the more I want to tell everyone.

Today I want to praise God for my job. I am so lucky to work for Godly people who are not afraid to live a life that "SHOWS" what they believe and stand for.

Today I am going to give up saying anything negative about someone else. (Yesterday I gave up facebook, and that was difficult... today's....well... it might take me a few days to nail this one.)

Day 1 (6-14-2011)

As a christian, I haven't been living the way I should. I have recently experienced things in my life that have brought me closer to God than I have ever been. It is usually during the low points in life when we, as christians, truly seek God. I have had no other choice. I have tried to ignore God long enough, and my life has reflected that, so I started reading my bible. And as I have grown closer and allowed God the opportunity to work in my life, he has done exactly that. I was praying the other night that he would show me his will. That he would somehow prove himself to me (which I realize is probably not what I should be praying). But as a human I needed physical evidence, my faith is weak, and I needed reassurance. It was after that prayer that I felt an overwhelming need to start reflecting everyday how God is working in my life. With computers being so accessible, I decided to blog. Everyday for one year. If you are reading this that is perfectly fine, but these entries are written for me as a way to see God's ablity to work in my life more abundantly than I have ever given him credit for. I also feel like blogging will hold me accountable. So here goes....

As christains God calls us to be set apart, the salt of the earth, a light in a dark place, however, sometimes it takes "hard times" to remember what we are supposed to be doing. It takes struggles and heart ache to cling tightly to God and focus our eyes on what is most important. I am a christian but sadly my daily walk hasn't really shown it. I have relied on my own abilities, which is why I have ended up where I am. I have decided what I wanted without even considering what God has planned for me. My prayers have been dishonest and unwilling to listen. Instead of praying for God's will, I have insisted and begged him to just mold his will around what I want. I am 24. I am living with my parents while I finish graduate school, and I am single. With the social pressures of today's society I have found myself desperate for a husband, feeling like a failure, and wondering when it will be my time. About a year and a half ago I met a man who quickly turned into who I thought would be my husband. I was ecstatic and ready to plan a wedding. I look back now and realize I fell in love with an idea of the "happily ever after." I never asked God. I had picked what I wanted, and that was that. As that relationship began to fall apart, I desperately clung to what I thought was my only chance for the life every girl dreams about. But now I know that satan lies and brings us down and although that man was a good man, he wasn't who God had planned for me, and I had to learn the heart breaking hard way. Before I decided to cling to God in everything I do, I would often feel as though I was a failure, hopeless, desperate, scared, worried, anxious and defeated. But in just a short time of being truly diligent in reading God's word and praying to him without seasing, I am reminded of his promises, and I know he is going to fulfill them in my life.

2 Timothy 1:7 says:
For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind.

Fear is not of God, so I can only assume that I am in the midst of a spiritual warfare over the thoughts that I allow to stay in my mind. Satan knows I am vulnerable, and he is determined that I will be anxious and nervous and fearful, but I know God's promises, and I know he does not want me to fear. He wants me to praise him and have faith that he will fulfill his perfect will in my life.

John 10:10 says:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I can rest easy knowing God wants me to live abundantly. He wants me to have faith that he is ABLE!!! He will not leave me, and I just have to continue to diligently cling to him in every aspect of my life.


Today I have been praying this prayer:
Ephesians 3:14-21

14 For this reason I kneel before the father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, 18 may have the power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurabley more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generation, for ever and ever! AMEN!

I say this prayer and replace "you" with "me". I know this to be truth, and I have faith that God will fulfill his promises.


It hasn't even been a week since we broke up, but I can tell that God is granting me the peace and solace that I have been praying for. I am sad, but I am often distracted from that sadness due to the overwhelming excitement for what I know God has in store for me. I have to praise God for my mom. She is an amazingly wise woman who has prayed for me and my future since she found out I was in her belly. She keeps telling me that God will "put my dreams to shame." Her faith has been such an encouragement to me, and I know that I have so much to look forward to.

Everyday I am going to give up one thing for God. Today I am not going to check my facebook. I spend too much time on it anyway.