He Cleans Us Up

Today, I am off work AGAIN due to yet another winter storm. Laubhan and his team are 2/2 this winter in predicting inclement weather. You rock, Matt! I am a first grade teacher and usually we teacher's pray and hope that this kind of weather comes so we can enjoy a nice, relaxing kid-free day. But we are OVER it. You see, if we miss anymore, we are going to have to make it up on a SATURDAY and some of our summer. Yep, you read right. Instead of the usual teacher prayer that we would miss work, we are all praying and hoping to go in. Like I said we are OVER it. Want to make a teacher mad, take her Saturdays and some of her summer days away. Scary thought. Teacher claws will come out. 

Which leads me to my latest blog….today's entry. I haven't blogged as much here lately. There are several reasons why but one reason is because I like to blog when I feel inspired. Mostly I like to blog when I feel like God is laying things on my heart and spirit to share. Here lately there have been several occasions where he has taken simple tasks that I am doing and reminds me of His grace and mercy. He may speak differently to you, but when He speaks and you hear, it's indescribable. 

So I will get to the main topic of my blog today. He Cleans Us Up. Like I mentioned I am off work today. Typically, I would lay in bed all day and watch Netflix--which I did do before I realized I needed to do some cleaning. At least I'm honest, right??? I decided that I would start in the bathroom and actually paused mid-scrub to come and write before I lost what my spirit was trying to tell me. My bathtub was pretty, ummmm…I will just leave it at that. Don't judge. So I get the Comet and get to scrubbing. Literally, my arms are going to be sore from all the scrubbing. As I continued to clean, I honestly hadn't noticed just how dirty my bathtub was until I had scrubbed off parts of the grime. Then it  hit me square on the head. We, as humans and sinners, don't realize how really dirty we are until Jesus comes and cleans us all up. Except, Jesus doesn't have to scrub. When we come to him and admit how dirty we are and how we need a Savior, he cleans us up right then and there. No Comet necessary. Just blood. He takes the dirt and grime and shines it all up and makes us NEW!!!

 As I was scrubbing, I made that bathtub an altar. I began thanking Jesus for cleaning me up. Daily. Hourly. Monthly. Yearly. I thanked God for sending His son to die for ME! Dirty, selfish, unclean, grimy, me. I, we, you, don't have to scrub away your dirt. You can't do it on your own. You NEED a Savior to do it. Jesus can and Jesus does SAVE.

Is there going to be build up again in my life? Yes, I am a sinner. I am human. But by the grace of God, he continues to clean me up. Daily. Hourly. Yearly. Monthly. His grace is sufficient for you, me, EVERYONE. That's powerful. 

Thank you JESUS for always cleaning me up. You don't have to scrub or use Comet and a sponge. Your grace is sufficient for me! Your blood was, is and will always be enough. Thank you for using a house chore to remind me of your unending grace and mercy. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN!!!!

" But he said to me, " My grace is sufficient for you…"

2 Corinthians 12:9

Stay Salty,

Annie

You Are

You are hope when I've lost all of mine.

You are peace when I don't feel fine.

You are grace when I don't deserve it.

You are courage when I want to quit.

You are mercy when I don't like me.

You are love even when I cannot see.

You are power when my world is crumbling down.

You are contentment when I want what's all around.

You are truth when I'm surrounded by lies.

You are understanding and hear my cries.

You are friend and know me by name.

You are constant and always stay the same.

You are sovereign when there's evil all around.

You are steady when there's shaking in the ground.

You are righteous and make my heart melt.

You are SALVATION and I want to tell everybody else. 

Stay Salty,

Annie

Chasing After the Wind

"I have seen all the things that

 are done under the sun;

 all of them are meaningless,

 a chasing after the wind."

Ecclesiastes 1: 14

Do you ever feel like you are chasing after the wind??? Boy, I have and especially here lately. I'll spare you all the details, but I have just felt………dry, dissatisfied, drained, and down right discouraged--just to name a few. I don't know about you but, it's like I chase after all of these things and once I get what I am after, it doesn't really satisfy me and I start chasing after the next thing that I think will. Isn't it crazy how FAST we humans can become so unsatisfied??? 

 I haven't been in The Word much here lately and I have never read or studied the book of Ecclesiastes extensively, but I woke up this morning wanting to read this book. Thank you, Spirit, because this scripture was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Even Solomon knew that all of his wisdom, wealth, and power were meaningless without God and would never make him happy apart from God. This was a good reminder for me. The world we live in is an illusion. It promotes that the more you have the happier you will be. Do not be tricked. It is okay to have things, but it is not okay to think those possessions will satisfy your soul. Only Jesus can do that. :)

So let's stop chasing after the wind and find our true happiness in Jesus. 

Stay Salty,

Annie

Psalm 51:10

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

Stay Salty,

Annie

How Can It Be?

"You plead my cause

You right my wrongs

You break my chains

You overcome

You gave Your life

To give me mine

You say that I am free

How can it be."

Lauren Daigle-How Can It Be

Y'all, this song. is. amazing. Thankful for Jesus' love and grace he pours out to me daily. How can it be that someone loves me that much? I hope you find encouragement from this song as much as I do! :)

Click the link and have a listen. Prepare to have it on repeat. 

http://youtu.be/Wt5X91ciE6Y

Stay Salty,

Annie

Early Morning Poetry

Good Morning! It has been a while since I have posted in my blog. I hope you are doing well and are enjoying this beautiful weather. I know I am. 

There have been a lot of things happening lately in my life. Good and bad things. When I say bad, really I mean, things that aren't going my way. You see, I think I have everything under control and tend to forget, quite often, that I do not control anything. Then, sure enough, God humbles me and so I find myself right back at the feet of Jesus pouring my heart and soul to him. 

With that being said, I have picked up writing here and there. I write in a journal. Sometimes it's prayers. Sometimes it's just what has been going on in my life. Sometimes it's prayer request. Sometimes it's praises. And sometimes, its poetry. Very rare is it poetry. I tend to write poetry when I am sad or have faced a life lesson. It helps redirect my focus on the One I am supposed to be focused on. So here is the latest poetry entry! Hope you enjoy!

"You know my deepest sorrows and my heart's desires.

Help me trust your resounding power.

You alone control my life and will. 

When my plan doesn't work, I will love you still.

I know life is one big trial and test, 

but knowing you gives me rest.

Help me not to fix my eyes on the loss.

Instead, help me lay it all at the cross."

Stay Salty,

Annie

Why Do Bad Things Have to Happen?

I find myself asking this same question when I talk to God sometimes. PROBLEM: Bad things happen because their is sin in the world. Solution? JESUS. This is not the way God intended for us to live. Sin entered into the world and that is why we have national disasters, diseases, addictions, and death. That is why Jesus went to the cross. He took our sins upon him, died, and rose again so that we could live eternally with him. One day we (Christians) will be with Jesus in heaven and He will make all NEW things and we will live how God intended us to in the first place. God is sovereign and his ways are ALWAYS best. 
No matter what your situation looks like, God's way is PERFECT. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. Learning that God is sovereign and good has really been where I struggle in my faith sometimes. I have been praying and asking God to heal a really close family member and it seems like the situation has honestly gotten worse. Today, as I was talking to my little sister, I realized, God is good and we had a good discussion about God and his sovereignty. Knowing that and confessing that released a lot of my anxiety. No matter how bad the situation, God has it under control and it is all happening so that his name will be lifted up and glorified. 
If you are reading this, I would like for you to take a minute and say a prayer for my family. The situation we are currently facing has been an ongoing battle for the past 8+ years and has reached a breaking point. I can honestly tell you that this has made my relationship with Jesus so much closer. He has heard me cry and cry asking him to help heal this family member with an addiction countless times. My family is strong and I am so thankful for them. Mostly, I am thankful for a God who hears my cries and has promised me that this current place is NOTHING compared to the place he is preparing for me. 


Until next time….

Stay Salty,

Annie