Holiday Travels

Hey again interwebs! Merry Christmas!!!!

So, my family traveled up to Northern Wisconsin this Christmas to spend time with my dad's mom, my  Oma. Well, we're from the south, and it doesn't snow too terribly often. But up in Wisconsin, it snows a lot!! Anyway, we had lots of fun in the snow, and I saw God in the beauty of the Wisconsin scenery. It's amazing all the different types of natural beauty there are in the world. You can see that in people too. But anyway, that's a different conversation.

My next SGM is a little weird to be calling it a "Seeking God Moment." In fact, I wouldn't say I sought God in this instance, but it caused me to seek Him out, so I guess it is. Anyway, on our way home from Wisconsin, our car started freaking out. It wasn't working, so we pulled over. We had to spend the night in Illinois, about halfway home. It's caused a lot of stress, and frustration, and a lot of contention amongst the three children has been hugely increased. I'm actually posting this from our hotel room. It's been incredibly frustrating, but it's made all of us look to God for strength, and reminded us to trust Him, no matter the circumstances.

My last SGM is (I think!) really cool. Last night, I was in a horrible horrible HORRIBLE mood. Like, mean and snarky and negative and just nasty. Anyway, I was going into my parents' room in the hotel, (our rooms are just next door, but not connected) and as I was about to knock, I happened to look down the hall. There was a window at the end of the hall, and just out of the window, I could see a cross. I walked to the window to look at it, and it was the sign of a church. It was so cool. It was a little bit of a slap in the face, like God saying "Becca, I'm in Illinois just like I'm in Wisconsin and down in the South. Everyone's stressed out," but it was also a comfort, like "God's with us, even when our car's broken down and I've spent way too much time with my brother and sister and I don't have the books I want or the clothes I like or my own bed or my teddy bear or my friends or even the comfort of a private cry." I regret to say that despite God's sign to me, my attitude toward my family didn't change immediately, but slowly, I did become at least tolerable.

Anyway, if you would pray that our car would be fixed ultra soon, and that we would get safely home sometime today, I would really appreciate it.

A Fervent and Heartfelt Prayer for Forgiveness

Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,

Please, forgive me. I, the least deserving of your children, am coming to you in my greatest need. I need forgiveness, and a reminder of your love. You are my shield, my Portion, every breath I take. You are how and why I live today. Help me to remember that. Keep my safe within Your arms, and help me love you more and more every day. Please forgive my selfishness, my pride, my ill-founded anger directed toward those who I love, and the consequent foul actions of my anger. Forgive my complaining, and my dwelling upon these same negative things. I’m so sorry. I love you so much, and I want to love you so much more.

In Jesus' holy, precious wonderful name I pray.

Amen

I'm back!!!

Hey again!! Long time, no post!! It's been a REALLY long time, now that I think about it!! But I'm trying to get back in the groove of life, now that my first semester of my last year of high school is over.

So anyway, I have SO MANY Seeking God Moments, but of course I can't share them all because I don't have the time. My main one is a missions thing.

My church goes downtown once a month to play with kids who live in the housing projects. We go the last Sunday of every month. Well, I've been able to go twice, and it's so amazing to get to share God's love with all these crazy, lonely, unruly, wild, wonderful children! It's so humbling to me, and it reminds me every time of all the things I'm blessed with. Having the cops come to my house is so far from a regular occurrence, and shouting, followed by breaking bottles and pulling knives has NEVER happened to me. I'm very very blessed to live where I live, with the parents I have, being the person I am.

I do have one other SGM, and it's that my sister made it home safely for the Christmas holidays. She's in school up north, and I'm a senior in high school down in the South. So that she made it home is really a blessing.

Merry Christmas!!! Don't forget the Reason for the Season this year!!!