The End of a Chapter *Please Read*

My days have been full, my heart has been heavy, & my world has been tinted with new shades of color… like the murky brown from being stuck where I am at, the deep purple of resting in God through the sadness & the unknown, and the bright blue in the sparkle of my now 5-month old little girl’s eyes!

  

Through these days of uncertainty & beauty, God continues to make Himself known. And it is amidst the smudges on the mirrors, the tiny fingers grasping mine, the longing eyes begging me to play a game, the tears poured out before God, & the sweet whispers of training & love- that I believe God is showing me that this is the end of a chapter for now… not for forever, but for now! Therefore, I’m going to be taking a bit of a “bloggy break” until the new year!

This decision has been hard- so. very. hard.!  And it has left me feeling vulnerable & scared… scared that others will think I am simply giving up when life gets difficult… scared that I will fail at being the wife & mommy God wants me to be without the accountability that this blog provides… scared of feeling alone, cut off from you- family & friends… & vulnerable, for I realize that although I only plan to be “gone” for less than 2 months, many of you will forget- forget me, forget my family, forget about this little blog of mine. But, it is not about me, is it!? And although, I am not someone who flippantly tosses around the phrase “this is God’s will” or “God told me to do this,” I have felt a nudging from the Spirit to take this time… time to heal… time to rest… time to love on my family… & (most importantly) time to seek God like never before!

A little over a month ago, a verse in Hosea was given to me in a letter from a dear friend & woman of God. I won’t go into all of the background of the verse, but the verse was written when Hosea was pleading with the people to turn away from their sins & turn to God… & to let Him sow righteousness in their lives. Sadly, most of them depended on their own strength & chose to reap evil instead. In the end, the LORD completely destroyed them. However, it is a verse that I need… we need… today…

Hosea 10:12 says “…it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”

That is what I want to do!!! Seek God until he comes… until He shows up!! Oh, and He will come!! And when He comes, His righteousness will be poured out!!

And, so, for the next month & a half (or longer, if God so leads), instead of writing about Christmas, & discipline, & family time, & marriage, & blogging, & cleaning, & encouragement, & no TV, & gift ideas, & homeschooling, & leading little ones to God, & answering your wonderful questions, & our family, as I had so planned… I desire to seek the LORD, until he comes & showers righteousness on me & on our family! And I pray that this time away will bring much needed healing & rest & precious time with my family & with my God, so that I will come back renewed & refreshed & better equipped to encourage others as we together seek to live our lives all for HIS glory!

  

I do want you to know that I have not forgotten about you & I will not forget about you!! I love & care about & pray for each one of you… whether I know your name or not & whether we have ever “met” or not!

Will you seek the LORD with me??

* * * * *
Because there are so many things that I have on my heart to write, & yet it will be quiet around here, I thought I would leave you with some of my favorites around the web lately (Truly, there are SO many… please check on the sidebar for even more favorites!)…

*There are many around the web that I feel would make amazing friends in “real life”. Here are a few whose words really touch my heart, as if they put to words what I am often thinking…
*Lara at “To Overflowing” {{Her post “The 4 letter word that Stopped Me” spoke right to me, as well as every other post she writes!!}}
*Katie at “Living Devotionally” {{I’m always so encouraged by her words!}}
*Joy at “Grace Full Mama” {{She is beautiful on the inside & out! I love reading what she writes from Indonesia where she is the wife of a missionary pilot & mama to 5!}}
*Trisha at “The Good Life” {{A sweet, sweet mommy to 8 kids! You’ve got to read “But We Make Them Brush Their Teeth”… love it!}}
*Rachel at “Finding Joy” {{A mom of 7 who truly finds joy in the every day, in her family, in her God! I’m always blessed to read of how God is working in her!}}
*Amy at “A Faithful Journey” and Aurie at “Our Good Life” {{They are always full of encouragement! I just love them!}}

*I have been in tears & in awe reading through the journey of one my friends as she faced her child’s diagnosis with Down Syndrome (& then went on to adopt another precious girl a couple years later)! Ellen, at “Stumbo Family Story” is one of my “real life” friends from college!! I encourage you to read her story! If you have a child with special needs, you will be so blessed to read her encouraging words- I promise you! And if you do not have a child with special needs, please, please head to her blog… your eyes will be opened to a whole new world!

*Looking for Christmas ideas for your kids!? Check out Amanda’s Truth in the Tinsel- An Advent Experience for Little Hands, a new e-book that looks fabulous!! & if you’re looking for ways to “Impress Your Kids” with the Word of God, visit her blog for some wonderful ideas!

* * * * *

Those of you that are new here… feel free to look around a bit! I’m so grateful you’re here. I hope you will stick around! My “old” friends ;) you are so dear to me- words can’t even express what an encouragement it is to walk through life with you (even if it is from afar)! I will still be checking & responding to comments & e-mails as best I can; I may even pop in from time to time, & I am looking forward to some exciting things starting fresh in the new year! May you all have a blessed Christmas!

Sending Love,
Jessica