2013

Good afternoon, my sweet friends, and Happy New Year!

It's so hard to believe that 2013 is here. I was thinking back on last Year's New Years Day and was comparing it to this years. In alot of ways they are very different and in others they are very much the same.
Last year I was still waiting for Nathan. Last year I was still in part grieving. Last year I didn't know what to expect but knew that at the end of the year I would have some answers, one way or another. Last year I cried because I felt the reality of starting another year without a home of my own, my own little family, without the love of that special person. Last year I was hopeful.

This year I'm single. No longer in limbo waiting on him. I've been given a release from God, to move on and look ahead to find the wonderful man who will be my hubby. This year I am healed. completely, wonderfully healed. This year I still don't know what to expect but I know that at the end of this year I will look back and see how everything worked out.This year I am hopeful because I know that God is working everything out and that the Sunshine will soon break through. This year I am overwhelmed. Overwhelmed to a point at the enormity of the decisions I must make this year. How will I ever make them? I don't know. There are so so many. So many options to consider. So many thoughts and emotions that go with them. Overwhelmed... yes... but I am also Overwhelmed so much more by the knowledge that God is with me. He knows exactly what this year will hold for me. He knows His plans, and He isn't finished yet. I'm a work in progress. My life is under construction and I have the best "Contractor" on board to make it turn out right. I know I can trust Him. My prayer on this first day of 2013 is that in this year He will help me to turn everything over to Him and allow Him to show me what to do, where to go, who to meet, and what decisions to make. I'm asking Him for clarity because I honestly don't know which way to turn. But. He does. So on this first page of a book that has 364 more pages to be written I find consolation and peace by resting in His love. His love that will never disappointment me or let me down. Love that will hold me close and never let me go. When this year comes to an end, I want to look back over it and say I made it through this year by trusting Him and resting in His love. That I know is the only way for me to have a truly successful year.  

In His Love

In His love, there’s a place where you can always hide away
In His love, there’s no need to run, no need to be afraid.
If the world’s a sea of trouble, you can always rise above
If you know that you are safely, In His love.

In His love, where all pain and sorrow quickly fade away
In His love, there’s a bright tomorrow just beyond today
If your heart is filled with sorrow, if it’s all you can think of
Still there’ll be a new tomorrow, In His love

Chorus
His love is never far away, yet sometimes hard to see
If we would take the time to pray,
His love would flow through you and me

In His love, there’s a place where you can watch the world go by
In His love, there’s no need to hurry, everything’s on time
When the world’s a sea of trouble, you can always rise above
If you know that you are safely, In His love

In His love, there’s a place where you can always hide away
In His love, there’s no need to run, no need to be afraid.
If your heart is filled with sorrow, if it’s all you can think of
Still there’ll be a new tomorrow, In His love


Happy New Year, my Friends!

Update

Hello Friends,
 This blog has been silent for far to long. For so many reasons. It's been a very very busy year and its been a good one. It's also been one full of obstacles and challenges. 
Our greatest "busyment" and also our greatest joy was that mom ran for  Highlands County Supervisor of Elections. She started the campaign process in February and it ended in November. I am happy to say that all of the hard work paid off and she won the election with a 70%/30% win over her opponent in November. She will take office January 8th. I am so very proud of her! 

So many other things have happened and a catchup will probably come soon. But tonight I want to speak from heart and give a little update on my life. 

I've been single now for nearly 2 years. The road has been hard. The days long. The nights dark. It has also been good... Bright... And joyful. I've grown so much and learned so many lessons about faith and trusting God when it's hard and when it's easy.  I'm completely ready and open to finding love again. To finding ultimately the one person who is God's "new perfect" as I don't believe that Christians take second best when Gods plan for their life is changed by another mans disobedience. I wholeheartedly believe that there is someone amazing out there for me who will love me for the woman I am... Will love me unconditionally and protect my heart. That will stand up for me when others try to lie and slander my character. Who will stand with me when the battles on and when I'm soaring on Victory's sweet wind. Who will be devoted to me above everyone else except our precious Lord. Who will obey HIM above everyone... Family, friends, church people, secular influences etc. their allegiance will be first to God and His divine Will. I believe this with all that I am. 
In that belief I am joyous and excited to see where God may lead me, who He will lead me to, and how the story will end... Or rather begin. 

However, I still have days where I am lonely, where I am frustrated... And many other things. 
Sometimes I want to hear someone special that they love me. I want to buy Christmas gifts for them. I want to pick out a special card. I want to look in their eyes and know that they are never going to break my heart... Never going to leave me... Always cherish me...And always always Always! Obey God. I long to share my heart and love with someone again. I long to cherish and love them with
All that I am. I long to devote myself to them and be a faithful companion, rock, support and friend to them. The one person they can always count on. 

Some days I feel frustrated that the one person I thought would never break my heart did... And in turn has left me with insecurities. Has left me to wonder who will break my heart and leave broken and with a bleeding heart next.  Will I ever find someone who loves God and me enough to turn a deaf ear to the devils ways when he comes to try to break us apart.

I am also thankful. Thankful that he left before I committed my life in marriage to a man who does not honor God and His Will. One who does not honor his promises and commitments but rather seeks the approval of man. So in my pain and loneliness that I feel at times I am still grateful! I have healed. I have grown. I can say Thank You to the ones who hurt me. For they forced me to throw myself deeper into the Arms that will never let me go. Ones that will never hurt me. Closer to the One that will never break my heart or disappoint me. Thank You for allowing me the opportunity to find someone amazing by removing the person who was not. I am thankful. 

Most of all I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who takes care of me, holds me while I weep, quiets the storms, gives me peace, and loves me unconditionally.  I love Him so...

Also to all of you who have stood by me and prayed and cared, thank you so so much!!  I love you all! 

There will be more updates soon I promise... :) 

Work in Progress/Chapter in Progress

It's been so long since I've posted. There's so much to my story that I honestly don't know how to start or how much to say. Maybe when this chapter is done, I'll be able to share it with you. I'm still waiting on the end of the chapter, most likely coming this summer. I hope, know that is... God's promised... I believe. enough said. Don't think that I don't think of you all so often, I just can't write what's on my heart at this time... I will share one day though, I promise. When God works His divine miracle... I WILL share. Thank you to all who have stood with me and prayed for me through out this time. You all are dearer to me than you will ever know. Stay tuned as my work in progress, chapter in progress, becomes FINISHED. Can't wait to share that happy news with all of you!

Love always,
Me

Catching Up...

Hello, my friends! I have been incredibly lax in my blogging in recent months! I am going to try desperately to do better, for I have missed it (and all of you of course.)

Last year was very busy and brought a lot of change. This year promises to be the same! :) It's already been a VERY busy month!

I'm still working at Bank of America as a part-time teller. I love the people I work with! They are awesome, and I love the work! I am almost 20 years old... enough said. (I am NOT looking forward to this birthday at all... just saying lol) My "adopted" brother and my "adopted" sis-in-law, are going to make me an "aunt" again, in April! :) My little "Nephew", Jaren, is almost 3 and there will be a little girl making a grand entrance a week or so before his birthday! I am just a little(ok a lot) excited! My littlest cousin, Hannah Joy(yes, she was named after me) will be turning one in a little over a week! That just blows my mind!! She's crawling, jabbering alot, says, Pap-pa, Mam-ma, Mum-Mum, Da-Da, Bubba (for her brother), duck, baby, tree, ball, Ba-Ba (bottle), hi, bye-bye, good, num-num(yum-yum), uh-oh, etc. tooooooo cute! She is really starting to take a lot of steps so we're thinking she'll be walking by her birthday! She's absolutely precious!! I made my first fondant/gum paste cake this week... turned out pretty good, pics to come. We have a new cat named, Twizzler. We went from having 30-something chickens to 12 this week. My car which I've had for almost 4 years and had 4,000 something miles on it when I got it, is almost to 18,000 miles... Yikes! :) Other than that Annie's doing fine. I've been able to hang out with an amazing friend, Katie Webster, a few times over the last few months... Have only talked or texted all my other besties... and I miss them. Just saying. Dan, Bethany, Kristen... it STINKS that you all don't live here!! Dan is my "adopted" brother, just so nobody gets the wrong idea. I popped my hip out of joint the other day... that was fun... it was even more fun to pop it back in place. No seriously it was. The relief was AWESOME!! I have a mild sore throat today... and feel kinda sore, maybe it's from moving the piano...... I'm going to Sun City camp sometime next week probably. It's been almost year since Nathan and I broke up... like 20 more days and it will be a whole year. Still seems so weird. I have grown sooo much this year Spiritually, it's been truly amazing! I am so thankful for God's help and leadership in my life! More on that later... But for now, that's pretty much a catch up. Talk to you all soon!!

Blessings!
Holly

Blessings

Life is hard... But His yoke is easy
Our loads maybe heavy... But His burden is light
We are tossed on the sea of life... But He brings peace.
Days are long... But His grace is sufficient
We become weary... But He brings rest
Dark night's come... But He shatters the darkness for He's the Bright Morning Star.
The world is bleak... But our outlook is BRIGHT.
Trial's come... But blessings come more.
Sorrow's come... But His joy always abounds more.

Jesus never promised that our way would be trouble free, but He did promise that He'd be with us all the way! We are blessed beyond measure!! Jesus has given us so much... When you start to feel overwhelmed think about all the blessings you DO have!!

Faithful

Hello, my friends! I've been thinking so much about the song, "Find Us Faithful," recently and what it really means. Faithfulness. Being consistent. Always the same. Not changing or floating about. Standing firm on ones beliefs and values.



Influence is something that begins as soon as there is a younger person than you. You become an influence. An example. This is something that we hear preached to older people, and it is true. But, I want to share with you what's on my heart about this. And I firmly believe that influence is also a HUGE part of a YOUNG person's life.



I have 11 first cousins, ranging from 9 to 19 years younger than I am. I am definitely old enough to have an influence on them! What kind of example do they see in me? Am I a wishy-washy, in and out, up and down, sometimes doing the right thing and sometimes not, "Christian" or am I a solid, determined, stedfast, REAL Christian? If they see me taking my Spiritual life lightly, not caring about God, or His Word, what are they going to think is acceptable for young people? Being rebellious, hard to get along with, defiant teen/young person is NOT acceptable. God wants our WHOLE lives, and you know what? He DESERVES our WHOLE lives back in service to Him, just as a small, small token of our love and appreciation for what He's done for us! I want them to realize that not only is being a Christian young person, is not only the ONLY acceptable thing, but it is the absolute BEST thing in the world. It's not hard to serve Jesus! Situations are hard, but not walking with Him! He is what makes life worth living, He's the One that understands our sorrows and pain, He's the One who can keep us from carrying baggage with us for the rest of our lives. Jesus can and He will! I am called to be FAITHFUL to God. There is someone watching me. If I fail what will they think? Who can they look at then? Will they give up too? Will they think that it's not possible to stand? There is too much at stake for me to fail. Not only my own soul, but those of others.



Not only do I have the responsibility of being Faithful for the little ones, I have those of my own peer group and age, and older people yes, older people. I may be the only Christian an older person comes in contact with... I have an impact on everyone that I come in contact with, whether they 5, 15, 25, or 95. I have an influence. It is my responsibility to so live my life so that I may leave a Heritage of Faithfulness.... Holy footprints to follow... and a desire for all that God has for me.... behind me for ALL to be able to follow.



This is an awesome responsibility. Because it is so great I must stay close to God, follow Him and obey Him in all things, and keep Holly, on this beautiful blood-sprinkled way, of Holiness and Truth. I must. For myself and for all of those whose lives I effect. I must be faithful.



I haven' t been able to get this out the way that I hoped, but I hope the main point came across. I am responsible and so is other young people to follow God and to leave a Godly example for those around us. We can't put it off on older folk, blame them if we don't have the glory in our services... what's wrong with our prayer bones? What's wrong with our hearts? We are just as responsible to keep the glory in our lives and our churches as the older people are. If we don't take that responsibility of faithfulness, we are taking on the responsibility of many many souls that could be lost because we didn't step up and do our part. Didn't say, "I'll be faithful, I'll leave a Godly heritage behind me!" Instead we sit like bumps... ashamed to look old-fashioned... "too busy" to pray and push to see God's work go forward... to lean in our souls to bring the glory to church with us... We gotta be careful, young people, we've gotta do our part! We must make Heaven, and bring someone else along with us!



Enough of my ramblings.... signing off for now.... Much love... and request for many prayers! This topic was for me. I have to set a Holy example. I have to be faithful. There is no choice. I must. Please pray for me as I strive to live a Godly, Holy, Faithful life so that others may find their way to Jesus.


Please take a minute to listen to this song! May we all be found faithful!

I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb...

This Fourth of July weekend, I want to honor my Country, and those serving in for my Country, but I want to be sure that I honor my Jesus, as well! I want to verbally say that I pledge Allegiance to my FLAG... and most importantly, MY Lord! I love You, Jesus!