Amazing Faith

I have been reading a lot in Luke lately. I love the way you can read the same passage over and over again and have the spirit speak to you about different things each time! While I was reading, Luke 7:9 has stayed on my heart over the past several days. It says "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!”

Jesus was amazed at this roman soldiers faith. Our faith can amaze Jesus. Has my faith amazed Jesus?

There are some days when I am just on survival mode.. just making it through the day with everyone alive seems like the greatest accomplishment ever! But Jesus does not want us to just survive. I don't want to just survive! I desire to have the kind of faith that amazes my King!

We are so quick sometimes to shout "AMEN" to something but in the very next breath, we criticize someone or something that is so insignificant and we forget about what we just hear not just a second ago! It is easy to simply believe that Jesus is our savior! Though that is all we are called to do to become heirs to the throne. But when we live our life that way, that Jesus is just our "back up plan" we are missing out on so much more! The disciples didn't just say they believed Jesus rose from the dead, they acted like Jesus rose from the dead! There is power in our faith, the power to overcome anything in this world, yet we walk around defeated!

I do not want to remain defeated anymore. I do not want to remain unproductive anymore... I want my faith to amaze Jesus! What about you?

My Story (the short version, lol)

Holly's Story

Here is brief insight into my ministry! We tend to forget through the trails in life that God has authority in everything, even what we deem to be the most impossible!

An apology!

I have an apology to make! I have not been keeping up this these blog at all for well over a year now! So many things have been happening.... from getting a house, to having a new baby, to starting a new ministry at my church! Life has been crazy and I am running out of time each day.

But I have recently attended a conference called "She Speaks" and it was amazing! However, I realized at the last second that I needed to hand out business cards. I do not have website for my very recently started and very hopeful speaking ministry, so I had to quickly put something on the card that could direct people to a place where they could remember that crazy talkative girl. So I directed them here. Only for them to find the last update from 2009! Not very professional, I know.

So this is my public apology! If you came to this blog via a card from "She Speaks" then I apologize for sending you to a blogging graveyard! However, I promise to change that! Consider this blog revived!

When you make plans,

You realize that they are nothing if they are not Gods plans!

We have been so excited getting ready to move into our new house and all the other fun stuff we had planned this fall, I guess we kinda of forgot to ask God if that is what he wants! I thought we did, but apparently we did not. 

We ended up having to get out of our contract with the house featured below. After a couple of days of wondering what we were going to do, we were in place to buy another house at an incredible deal and just as we had settled into that plan, we were informed that it was not going to work out as well. 

So we are homeless. Ok, that may be a little dramatic, but we do not have a house as of yet. 

Before we started on our home buying quest, we felt God calling us into the one particular neighborhood. We fell head over heals in love with a house there, but our offer was not accepted so we quickly moved on. 

How quick were we! We felt God calling us there, had people tell us they had been praying for us to be there, and we gave up at the first sign of defeat. Have I not learned ANYTHING from cancer?! 

We are back to square one. Still praying for a miracle to get into that house while believing that God is in the business of miracles and God will decided when we are to move. 

Shame on us! 

Angels Among Us!

I had a totally weird and unbelievable experience today as I was taking Jonah to school! 

As we were driving down the road, jamming to some worship music, I felt something come into the car. I have no idea what it was, so I am just going to call it an Angel for the sake of labeling... I just felt this presence with me. Those who know me, know I like to talk... a lot. However, I am certainty not in the business of talking to myself, but before I knew what I was doing/saying I just asked out loud what is was doing here and I heard it respond to protect you. Needless to say I thought I was 1. going crazy and 2. maybe I should slow down a little and watch the road more. I traveled a little further down the road, slow and cautious, and all of a sudden this car traveling in the opposite direction starting coming into my lane. I slammed on brakes, swerved and tried my best to avoid a rather bad accident. We ended up stopping inches from that car, but we were safe. Then before I knew it, the presence I had felt earlier... was gone. 

For once in my life I was left speechless.

I am constantly humbled by our Lord

 

Thats a Big Boy!

Big Boy Holton that is! As a special treat for Jonah, we are getting a dog. We figured it was going to be a hard transition moving out of my parents house and thought a dog would be a great distraction. Plus with a 1/2 acre of land, there will be plenty of roaming available. We also thought it would be best to get a puppy while we do not have any furniture and before we get our new furniture! 

A friend of mine that I have known since middle school had some golden/lab puppies for sell and I just fell in love with them! So today Jonah and I hiked out to Rockwell and picked out the one that fits us best. Jonah immediately bonded with Big Boy. When asked when one he would like to take home one day, he immediately responded with Big Boy! I am so happy, he was one of my favorites. Here are some pics of the newest member of our family! We will be bringing him home middle of October! 

We're Outta Here!!

After two LONG (but totally blessed) years, Ryan and I are moving out of my parents house! We could have never done it without their help. When I was unable to take care of Jonah, my mom was there to take over. When we were looking at finances and wondering how we would pull of two years without either one of us working, they welcomed us into their home, without any thought as to how it would work for their finances. When Ryan thought he would have to quit school to stay home and help me out after my third surgery, they were there encouraging him to continue. I love my parents so much! 

But alas it is time to move on. 

Time for us to be a family of three again. 

Time for life to get back to "normal". 

After a lot of thought, we decided to move into almost summerfield. The neighborhood seems fantastic and there are a lot of young children around for Jonah to play with! We got to meet some of our neighbors the other day and I am super excited! It turns out that they do a Halloween "haunted trail" for the kids every year! How awesome! We both were longing to be in a neighborhood where people were more then neighbors, but friends. Looks like we found the right spot! 

This month also starts what promises to be an exciting year.. and exciting other then in a medical sense... as we have had enough of that! I am going back to dancing (tap and hip-hop for those curious). Dance was such a HUGE part of my life growing up and I have been itching to get back in for awhile now! I am also involved in a MOMS group, Bible Study, Small Group Leaders, Ministry Mentoring, Acting in Kids Stuff on Sunday Mornings.. the list goes on and on! 

Let me also say how proud I am of my husband, Ryan. He has to be the smartest man out there! He got through Anesthesia School while dealing with all the cancer drama at home. The stress was high and there were many nights he should have been studying but chose to serve me. I love him with all my heart and I have been so blessed to have such an awesome husband and awesome man of God.