One Step Forward...AHHH...Two Steps Back

I know I haven't written in a LONG while...sorry to those who actually enjoy reading about my life. My life has been a roller coaster ride to say the least here lately...to the point where nothing (other than God and Jared's and my marriage) was making the least bit of since. I was just walking a long through my day to day, and it seemed every other turn frustration was lurking just waiting for me to pass its way. It was, as if, I was losing all my inner joy and getting frustrated at EVERY LITTLE thing (which is in no means who I am).

All of this frustration got me thinking, "What is missing in my life? Why is everything frustrating me? What is wrong with me?"

I starting thinking back to more joyful days...what I did and didn't do in those less frustrating times. And it hit me I was no longer doing the things that brought me true joy...Waking up early, reading my Bible, reading books period, being around/working with children all the time, being outside, etc.... Life had gotten boringly routinish: I'd waking every morning, making Jared's breakfast and lunch, hug and kiss him goodbye, go back to bed, wake up around 9 or 11 (depending on what time I had to be at work), straighten the room if I had time, grab a shower, get on the internet (Facebook, email, etc.), grab a cup of coffee, get ready for work, maybe grab something to eat, head out the door, be bored most the time at work, drive home, cook dinner, eat, spend time with the hubby, go to sleep, wake up and do it all over again.

Now you may be thinking, meh that doesn't sound that bad and at first it wasn't, but did you see everywhere in there where I was taking time to spend with God? Did ya? Look again...nope you sure didn't.

My frustration with life just keep mounting...pile after pile of frustration. Then I was silly enough in all of this frustration to go to Wal-Mart (the most frustrating place in the world...to me at least). Every time I go there something always happens, someone is always rude (that someone being workers), or like last Sunday when I lost one of my last contacts and made a quick emergency run to Wal-Mart I had to wait 15 mins to just find out they lost my prescription.

It was Sunday when things started to hit home. After getting home from Wal-Mart, frustration in tact, we had to go over the Drew's house to get ready for our Coastline Community Church meeting. The Drew's were on their way back from Birmingham and had asked me to make sure everything was ready for that night because they were going to be a little late getting in. Well I'm trying to rush getting out of the house but I guess Jared didn't see that because he was take his sweet little time. As I'm loading the car, I start getting more frustrated that he isn't hurrying because in my mind we were running out of time. It was there and then I knew things needed to change. I have never gotten overly frustrated like that with my husband. He is amazing and extremely helpful. It was time things got re-prioritized in my life.

I had been praying that God would show me what's up, and slowly He did. A few days earlier I got a new job teaching kids again. Then that Sunday night Allen was speaking on letting God back in control of your life...sitting there as he was speaking I tried so hard to hold it back but I couldn't...tears just started to trickle down my face...thankfully no one was looking (I hate crying and rarely do). Right there I jumped back in the passengers seat.

The next morning was my first day back teaching and man waking up early again felt great! Woke up, took my shower, grabbed my coffee, and sat down to my Bible. What a difference it makes to your whole day giving God your first! After that I went to work and had a blast with the kids and then headed to Pier One (Yes I am pulling two jobs...for now). Oh yeah, I'm also fasting/steering clear of a few things that were over packing my life/frustrating the crap out of me...fasting Twitter, Facebook, and email...and steering clear of Wal-Mart.

As I sit here now with my cup of coffee and cup of orange juice at my side...enjoying my morning...I wonder how I could have ever given this up. This is true joy. Pastor Chris spoke Sunday morning on doing 5 things everyday that bring you joy and that help make life its greatest. Here are my 5:
1) Spend time with God
2) Spend time with my husband (serving and loving him in every way possible)
3) Laugh & Sing
4) Have a servants heart
5) Do something for myself (be outside, read, me time)

Thank you God for helping me be renewed with joy!

Where are you Christmas...

I am normally a huge Christmas lover (or freak...whichever term you prefer), but for some reason this year I don't feel it...as if I'm living Faith Hill's song "Where are you Christmas". Why? Even I, myself, don't know...I wish I did but for some reason I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it is the fact that I didn't get the decorate a Christmas Tree which is one of the many things I love about Christmas...I don't really know. Christmas just doesn't really seem like Christmas this year, and that makes me sad.

WHERE ARE YOU CHRISTMAS?

Happy Birthday Celeste!!!

Happy birthday to you Celeste! I hope you have a wonder birthday, one to remember for the rest of your life. You are such a beautiful little girl that is growing so fast. You grow in beauty and intelligence day after day. You light up every room you enter, and that is a powerful gift that I pray stays with you for the rest of your life. I miss you more and more every day. Mr. Jared and I pray blessings, grace, and mercy over you for all your birthdays to come! I love you little princess!
Mrs. Elisha

Here Lately...

Here's just a little update on my life "Here Lately" :

Jared and I are making some pretty big plans (unspoken to most of the world so far) and we need some pray in that. (I'll expound on at a later date) Just know these plans do involve us having more money coming into our family. Pray that God opens the right doors at the right times for this to be possible. (sooner than later if preferable) *And no I'm NOT talking about the "pitter patter of little feet"*

We are also making plans on traveling during the Thanksgiving season to Birmingham to do Thanksgiving with my side of the family. This is setting up to be the craziness trip between here and there we have ever made. Seriously, now that I (FINALLY) have a job (at Pier One Imports) our plans might be kinked...we were planning on Jared possibly being off work the Friday after Thanksgiving (eliminating any rushing)...leaving here Wednesday after Jared gets off work and coming back late Friday. But now that I have a job (unless I can get a late shift on Friday) the "rush" as been throwing back into the equation. :-/ Oh well...(I can finally say again) at least I have a job!

I did a super deep cleaning of our room yesterday and now my back in killing me! (little random add-in...no worries...free of charge)

Please be keeping Coastline Community Church (the church we moved down here to help plant) and everyone helping in your prayers. Allen and Stephanie Drew (the pastors of the church) are starting our meetings tomorrow to introduce the vision of the church and to take those helping out throw the growth track and introducing them to the "Highlands DNA." We are super excited and KNOW that God has a ginormous plan in store for the Eastern Shore...and it just makes me giddy to know we get to be apart of the huge move that is going to take place for His Kingdom!

And that is all for "Here Lately"

Prayer Request...

So there has been a lot of stress that Jared and I have been under lately. I have had to hardest time finding a job, and some people are thinking I'm just being too picky...saying, "It's all about the money" to just find something that pays well. And no, I'm sorry tis not all about the money. Tis better to be happy than wealthy. Yes, money help us get through life, but tis not all there is to life. I've always told myself I'm not going to work somewhere where I'm not happy. It would only be a "chasing after the wind."

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He had made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--that is the gift of God I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-14

Some days I feel as if I am living in Ecclesiastes...while it is one of my favorite books of the Bible, I don't feel like always have to explain myself to the same people on almost a daily basis. I want to work at a place I enjoy, so I don't toil in vain...so I won't be chasing after happiness in a place where it won't be achieved. I choose HAPPINESS!

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:6

So to the prayer request the title insinuates...There have been a lot of open doors for both Jared and I that right as we start to step through they slam in our faces. Yes...yes...yes I know this means that they weren't the right doors, but it seems for me since we've been down here no door has been the right door, and here recently a huge opportunity opened up for Jared and totally clasped right in front of him. What I'm getting at is we need the right doors to open and stay opened...we need a way to get out of his parents' house and begin married life the way it is meant to be. We are praying for a better job opportunity for Jared, he has a great job has it is and get paid well, when he has the hours, but down here there isn't a high demand for his work right now meaning low hours. We either need a higher position, with guaranteed hours or salary. And for me I just need a job period...I had a call this morning for a job interview on Thursday, and I really need prayer on this one...prayer for peace. We also need prayer for wisdom in the steps we take and the way to handle certain situations. And a big one is prayer for understanding for both Jared and I on why things are going the way they are, and also for the people we are dealing with to understand why we live/make decisions the way we do (Biblically) because for some reason they aren't understanding.

Happy Birthday Danielle!!!

Happy Birthday Danielle!
That year flew by! I remember the kids and I making your birthday card last year...that was so much fun! I pray more blessings for you, the family, and the year to come! Hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday!

Elisha

Apologies...

This is my apology to those who may be reading my blog! Not to be making excuses...I've had a pretty rough couple of weeks. The roughness is just starting and will probably be here for a while, but God is showing me that for the last two-three weeks I've been dealing with it completely wrong. I've lost my positiveness in this aspect which totally disturbs me because positiveness is who I am. I cling to positiveness...it makes me me and keeps me happy. God is positiveness and I cling to Him which is how I discovered my short coming. Though there will be days, moments, times where I probably will slip back into my horrible, frustrated mood...we all slip, but that's where God comes in and lifts me back up! So please consider this my written apology for the past few negative...frustrating blogs!