A new beginning...

So, I had this spiritual revelation the other day... I have been struggling for awhile now, in my walk with the Lord, in life, pretty much with everything. Granted, circumstances have not been ideal for the past 9 months or so... Anyway, I was reading an old journal entry where I wrote that I felt broken and empty. As I was reading it, I was like, "I still feel like that." A year later, nothing had really changed. It really made me evaluate my life and my walk with the Lord. Now, when I say I felt (or feel) broken, its not a feeling of being broken before the Lord, but more of being broken, like a toy gets broken. I don't work. Something is wrong. So, I got my bible and the little Daily Light my mom gave me several years ago. I started praying and asking the Lord to speak to me. It was so awesome because I read the Daily Light entry for that day (morning) and it said:

I have seen his ways, and will heal him.

I am the Lord that healeth thee.
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

It was so awesome. It totally encouraged me. Revived my spirits and gave me a new passion for God. It seems so simple, but I have just been on auto-pilot for so long that I was dry and empty and broken. Auto-pilot wasn't working.

Anyway, I am excited to see what the Lord has for me. I'm beginning a new small group with our high school girls at church, which I am actually leading. I know that I am going to have to be filled in order to pour out to them, but I know that God is faithful and He promises to fill us with what we need. I need a lot.

I'm also amazed at how faithful God is, especially when I am not. He continues to provide for us again and again. Through garage sales, someone anonymously giving us a gas card, even someone doing my dishes while I wasn't home... All huge blessings.

On a more earthly level, Ricky has been driving us all crazy. I don't know if its his age or what, but he is such a naughty little kitty. He has major attitude too. He is usually pretty sweet for most of the day, but once evening hits he starts scratching the couches non-stop and is an overall turd. I can't figure out what his deal is. We give him attention, but he doesn't want to be touched or held. Maybe he wants to be played with more, but I can't devote my entire day to entertaining and playing with Ricky. We've got a few ideas up our sleeves. What to do with a naughty kitty???

Update on the Digit

My injured finger has almost completely healed. It has a tiny speck of a scab left. Other than that, the skin has regrown over the entire surface that was cut off. Its amazing. It even regrew its rounded shape at the top. I was a little worried about that, as the doctor didn't think the shape would return. I would always have a flat finger tip. Bodies are fascinating in how they work and how they are designed. It makes me glad to know my Creator.

Days gone by and far removed

I recently found bits of my past online. Faces and names I haven't thought about for a very long time. Its odd how little things like faces and names can bring back a thousand memories. Over the past couple days since I found them, I've continued to remember all these little things. Spaces in time that I thought were lost. Wished were lost. Yet, I find myself now almost relishing their memory. Fondly reliving them. I find it stranger still how many years later one can still be so affected by those faces and names. Awake now, I find that this was all a dream.