My Hundred-fold Blessings

Today, June 15, 2012, my heart is overwhelmed by all of the many blessings I truly have to be thankful for.  My family, amazing friends, my job, my health, my dreams waiting to become reality, but most importantly my salvation.  I have SO very much to be thankful for today.  It was 7 years ago today that my family packed up the U-Haul and moved from Flomaton, Alabama to Owen County, Kentucky.  An 11 hour trip on a good day.  Most people thought we were nuts!  Who would leave their home land, with all of the family and friends, 3 small children,  and good jobs to pickup and move because God was telling them so?  Even my closest family and friends could not understand it all.  It does seem a little far fetched BUT I know this is where God wanted David and I to move to without a shadow of a doubt.  I look back seven years ago and cannot believe all that has taken place.  There have been many trials along the way and lots of mountain tops as well but it seems as if right now, he is truly pouring out the 100-fold blessings upon me.  I feel so undeserving but I KNOW it is HE who is just blessing me for doing what he tells me to do.  Being in the smack dab center of His will is the best and only place I want to be.  Outside of that can take you down roads that you will wish you had never journeyed.  Seek Him to show you today where you need to be and what it will take to get you where you can be in the center of His will for your life. 

Just to give you a glimpse of a few of my hundred-fold blessings, here are a few that he has recently blessed me with.  I almost feel a little embarrased because He has been showering me with blessings and answered prayers lately but THANK GOD He is.  Finally, I am where He can do so again.  He longs for us all to be in this place.

1. Opportunity to make my very own instrumental CD as well as singing CD of songs that I've written in my life with my friend from Owen County.  Little did I know, my answer to my prayer was waiting right here in Owenton. See what I mean...if we had stayed in AL, this would have not been possible.

2. Specific answers to prayer in providing a job and house for a friend who plans to move  here.  The very next day God sent our answer to prayer into the library, just like I asked him to do.  THAT'S GOD!

3. My son Connor is high-functioning autistic and has a few oddities that goes along with being on the autism spectrum.  God allowed me to run into Susan Burress, the director of Special Education in all of Owen County.  She just 'happened' to walk into the high school office where I just 'happened' to be there THAT DAY for our Summer Reading program.  To top it all off, she is leaving her position this year from Owen County and plans to be a consultant so if you need her, I can put you in contact with her.  She is an AMAZING woman and a Christian which is why I prefer working with her over anyone else.  She is a very talented woman who knows the autism spectrum disorder and is wiling to share her wealth of knowledge with those who need it.  I'm one of those who do.  Connor will be attending High School next year and I will definitely have questions that I know she can help.  So, realize that it wasn't a coincidence...it was GOD who sent her in to the office that day!  I'm not sure if it was her last day as well, I know it was the secretary's last day before she left for vacation.  See, I promise you, God is IN CONTORL!

4.  I'm getting the opportunity to fulfill my dream of writing.  I've always wanted to write but never really thought I could and still can't.  But, I know it is not me, it is HIM that is doing the work.  I am nothing without Him but through Him, I can do all things!  So, here goes, you get to read a little into my world, my innermost thoughts of my heart, my struggles, my pain and tears, my victories, my blessings along the way.  If I had to go back and relive my life, I'd do it all over again, if it meant getting to this exact place that I am right now with God!  He truly is a wonderful God to me!

Ok...enough for now.  Time to get up and get ready. I'm heading to Florence to spend the day with one of my dearest friends today and take her out for her birthday.  Kim, I've been looking forward to this day for a long time!  It is a much needed break from all that is happening in my life right now.  Just remember, He is there and always ready to help you in your time of need.  Trust Him to see you through no matter what your situation might be.  There's no problem too big, no mountain too tall, no valley too wide that He cannot help you get through.  Trust me, if you knew, really knew me, and all that has happened in my life, you would KNOW that it is a miracle for me to even be writing this today.  God is in the miracle working business.  Let HIM perform a miracle in YOUR life today!   ~Blessings4u   ~Jennifer

Mark 10:29-30

King James Version (KJV)

²⁹ And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
³⁰ But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

One Day At A Time...

One day at a time Sweet Jesus, is all I'm asking from you.  Help me today to do everything that I have to do.  Yesterday's gone, Sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine, Teach me today, as I kneel down and pray, it's ONE DAY AT A TIME!

I heard this song as a child but you really don't understand this concept until you grow older.  You learn that God has ordered our steps and wants us to JUST BREATHE and take life one day at a time, one step at a time.  It's hard to do, believe me.  I want to plan for the future and know what's going to happen but God wants me to trust HIM fully and learn that He will take care of me no matter what.  He wants me to lead me and I follow behind him.  He truly knows what is best for us and we have to trust His will to be performed in our lives. 

Life has its series of ups and downs.  It is a roller coaster sometimes, especially for me lately.  It seems one day can be one of the best days of my life, then wait until the next day, and it become one of the most heart-wrenching valleys I have walked through.  Thankfully, the SON is coming up in the morning!  (And no...that wasn't a typo, the sun and the SON is coming up)  God is with me each day through every storm and valley that I go through.  He's with me on the mountaintops too.  He's always there to see me through.  God give me a song last July that I wrote and I hope it can be a blessing to you like it has been to me.  No matter what we face in life, God is with us  ALL THE WAY!

He Will See Me Through

In this valley I've been facing, it seems the walls are closing in,
This life is full of heartaches, time and time again,
But I have a God in heaven, who gives me peace to make it through,
So no matter what I'm facing, I know my Jesus will be there too!

Someday the clouds get so dark and low, it feels like there is no place to go
The emptiness, and pain, overwhelm my soul,
Then He whispers Child, I'll take your hurt away
I will send you a brighter day, Trust me now, and I will see you through.

Chorus:
I know Jesus, He will see me through,
He has been there, Oh, a time or two,
So no matter what lies ahead, He's already been through
For my Jesus, He will see me through!

There is a Remedy...

My heart is so full of joy tonight....It has been a GREAT day!!  One of the best I have had in quite a long time.  So many specific prayer requests have been answered, burdens beginning to be lifted, and new friendships made and other friendships rekindled after 20 years that only GOD could do.  It is pretty amazing I will say.  I had no idea what was in store for me today but am totally in AWE by His divine leading in my life at this moment. 

I could say so much right now but I just want to share what is on my heart at this moment...

Even though trials come our way, I know God can and will see us through any and every situation that comes in our lives.  The key to successfully getting through it, is getting into the CENTER of God's WILL for YOUR life, not the life of your spouse, or family or anyone else, but YOUR life.  When you know that you are in the center of HIS will, the peace and fellowship with God is so sweet.  I have longed for this moment for quite some time.  To be honest, I'm not proud to say this,  but it honestly has been six full years that I can say that I have been in this position.  The truth is, you can play church all you want.  You can straddle the fence and have one foot in the church house and one foot in the world....I know, because I did it for a while.  Its easy to play church but its not easy to get out of the sin your in or get over it.  Sin always comes with a price tag.  Sin can come in many forms....its not a big sin or little sin, it's all SIN!  God doesn't justify some sins more than another.  They all need forgiveness and cleansing that only His blood can give.  He longs for us to talk with him and commune with Him but that is only when we are right with Him.  You can't do so having unconfessed sin in your heart, he WON'T hear you.  It's a sad place to be when you can't feel God or hear God.  It hurts when you sit there all alone and you long to feel His arms around you but yet, it seems like they are a million miles away.  The truth is, Jesus is waiting with open arms ready for you to come back to Him.  He is wanting to forgive you for all the wrongs you've done.  You just have to be willing to give it 100% completely over to Him.  You can't be an 'indian giver' and give it to him and the next day take it back up.  It won't work that way.  You have to be ready to submit and allow Him to take control.  He truly is waiting for us to come back to Him right now.  How long will you wait?  How much more of your life will you waste before you stop running and call out to God? Are you going to drag your children down the same road you are going?? He loves you and wants to be your Savior.  Will you let Him?  Don't wait until it's too late, please, I beg of you.  I am here as well as many others,  waiting to help you.  Give in to God and you will be so utterly blessed and wonder why you waited so long in the first place.  Praying you will see HIM and him alone in me and want what's REAL!  ~Blessings~  Jennifer


As the song goes...

As a child I foolishly turned God away,
Not knowing the heartbreak a sinner must face,
But God in His goodness, has let me return
To share with His children, these lessons I've learned.

So with pleasure and promises, sin took control,
Leaving me dying with nothing to show,
Gone were all my loved ones and my dearest friends
Only a Savior would love me again!

Sin will take you farther, than you want to go
Slowly, but wholely, taking control
Sin will leave you longer, than you want to stay
Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay.

Praise God that THERE IS A REMEDY and His name is JESUS CHRIST!

In Control

A dear friend once wrote a song entitled, IN CONTROL, that God gave him after going through such a hard battle in his life.  He had no idea that all those trials that he would face back then would lead him to write a song that would be such a blessing to my life years later.  God is teaching me so much right now and I am learning that HE is fully in control when you don't think he is.  HE is aware of your problems, your heartaches, your valleys, your lonliness, and your short-comings, your sin.  He knows your frame.  He knows you are but a vessel in the potters hand.  He wants to mold you and make you what He wants for you to be.  The song goes,

In Control, though the storm around you is ragin,
He's in control, in your life, no matter what you're facing,
Even in your darkest night, when there seems to be no light,
He's always with you, He'll never fail you, HE'S IN CONTROL!

God truly is in control of your life.  You may try to take their reins yourself and mess up what God has for you.  Be so careful!  Every decision you make can and will have a direct effect on the rest of your life.  You need to pray about EVERYTHING.  When you think you know God's will for your life, or your childs life, seek Godly counsel. If your pastor or a trusted friend who is a Godly advisor, then listen to them.  Please be so careful because one wrong move here can and will cost them their life.  Yes, God can fix whatever mess you make of it but....there will be scars.  There will be hurt.  There will be pain and memories that you will never get over.  That ONE wrong decision can and will cost you missing God's perfect will for your life.  Please seek HIM to show you the right way to go.  It's such a huge ordeal that I cannot write into words what it means.  I know in my own life that God has used situations that I have been in to open my eyes.  For example, six years ago this week, God allowed my youngest son, Cameron who was 6 years old at the time, to get E-coli which led into full-blown HUS (Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome)  For those who don't know, (I was one of those before this illness) HUS is a very rare disease.  You can read up on the internet if you google it.  When the doctors walked in and told me that there was nothing they could do.  They could give Cameron dialysis if he needed dialysis or a blood transfusion, if he needed one, then they could do that but they could not give him any medicine to cure this willness.  It would take the BLOOD transfusion to heal him and make him feel like himself again.  The doctors told us to pray for a miracle.  And that is what God gave us a true miracle.  My son is now 12 and completely healed.  It wasn't until that Thursday, June 15, 2006 that God allowed him to get his blood transfusion which brought my son back to life.  He brought my sick son who hadn't eaten anything in 10 days straight out of the bed and back to his normal self again!  Praise God!  It's been a journey but I know HE WILL SEE ME THROUGH! 

Just remember that nothing happens without a reason for it, and God is truly IN CONTROL!

One last thought God give me yesterday is this:

If I had to go through every valley, every trial, heartache, hurt, hell that I have lived through in my life, to get me to the place where I am today, that if ONE soul would be saved, one life changed, one life salvaged for HIS glory, then I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!  If you knew me, who I was, what I have been through, you would know that is a miracle in itself.  Many times I have said I wanted out, but I never left.  Many times I wanted to leave and run away and hide, but God wouldn't let me.  No matter what came my way, God has always given me the grace to get through any trial I have faced...and HE will do the same for you.  Thank the Lord for being so good to you today.  He is your friend.  He is your Savior if you will just let HIM be.  He loves you and wants to be your friend that sticketh closer than a brother.  Thank HIM for what He has done for you and all that He is going to do.  I love him and thank Him for every trial that He has put me through and allowed in my life.  Its made me stronger and made me learn to praise Him in the valley, but lastly, it's allowed me to help others.  God saw me through the hard times.  He has seen me through the trials and the valleys and allowed me to go through them to bring HIM glory one more time.  I can't say thank you enough for saving a sinner like me.  He's such a good God who deserves our praise.  I love him today and I hope you will seek Him while He may be found.  Praying that God's arms will wrap you up tight like only HE can and prove to you that HE IS REAL!  Don't ever doubt His love for you.

Love & Prayers,
Jennifer

Life in Bloom!

Sometimes the most unexpected blessings come from the most unusal places!     ~Jennifer Chancery~ 6/8/12 

Boy, is GOD showing me so much right now that I cannot begin to fathom what the end result will finally be.  I'm in awe and amazement to know how much He is working behind the scenes like He is right now and answering so many prayer requests for me...IMMEDIATELY and SPECIFICALLY as I pray.  He is teaching me that you truly CAN achieve your hearts desire if you will only stay faithful to Him.  That means submitting and yielding your life whole-heartedly, 100% of the time (not 99.9% or less) but FULLY and completely give him your ALL, your everything!

He's teaching me so many things right now....

1. NEVER judge a book by its cover!  Just because someone doesn't look the part doesn't mean that they are what you think.  For example, a friend of mine who came to our Jubilee 2012 and sang is a mortician in Alabama.  Trust me, if you looked at Amber, you would NEVER guess that is what she does for a living.  Another example is Ernie.  Most people think so little of him for his odd ways.  Ernie is a millionaire but most importantly, he is one of the most praying men I have ever met.  God has taught me that you cannot judge a book by its cover whatsoever.  Last example, is my friend Nancy.  I had no idea when she walked in the library so many years ago that we would become the best of friends....but not only one of my closest friends and co-worker, but a prayer warrior.  There is so much to this story but I know He is teaching me to learn to look beyond the appearance.  God shows up in the most unusual places and circumstances.  You will see!

I will post more but need to stop, duty calls and I have to go to work.  Just know that I am totally and amazing overwhelmed by all my many blessings right now.  I cannot and did not have any clue of what lied in store for me when I yielded fully to His will.  I still can't believe it.  Two weeks later and so many blessings and answers to prayer have taken place that I would literally blow your mind if He would allow me to tell you them all right now.  But, until He does, you will get a glimpse into what He is showing me daily. 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things shall be added unto you!

I love you Ashley - and thank God for sending you to be my best friend forever who knows me and my heart like only you can.  There is no question He arranged this one!  Love YOU!

Author of Me...

As I begin writing this blog, I am quickly reminded of all that I have to be thankful for in my life.  My family, my friends, my job, my health, and my salvation, just to name a few.  God has so richly blessed me beyond measure when I feel so undeserving of his love for me.  I cannot understand why a Holy God in heaven would even give me the time of day to listen to my prayer and shower me with His love and blessings.  I certainly do not deserve it.  But, I am so very thankful and grateful for all that He has done in my life.  I am living proof that God saves sinners and know that I am wonderfuly saved by his precious grace! 

God knew before I was born the story of my life.  He is the author of me.  He knows each step I will take along my path.  He knows when I will fail him and when I will exalt Him.  He loves me despite of who I am.  A song written by a friend of mine goes something like this....

Author of Me...

Long before you made me, You knew what I would be
You wrote the story of my life, you made a plan for me
You signed your name upon my heart, my author and my friend,
You promised you would stand by me, until the story ends.

I can't read between the lines, of the story that you wrote
Jesus I don't really mind it all because I know
That it's you who holds my tomorrow, You are my destiny
So I'll live it through, with faith in you, Author of Me.          ~Author-Vickie~

God knows what we all need.  He knows how our story will end.  He knows our beginning and our ending.  What is most important is in between.  I once read a poem entitled, "The Dash".  When you look at a tombstone, you see two dates.  A person's birthdate and their date of death.  What truly matters is the dash in between those two dates.  In other words, how you lived your life from the time you were born until the time you died.  How about you?  What have you done with your life?  What have you accomplished?  Have you made preparations for when your time ends?  It will be here before we know it.  Death is certain and it will come to all of us.  Please make sure you are ready to meet God. We do not know when He will call us home.  We do not know when our last breath will be.  God does and He gives us the opportunity to choose Him.  Have you?  Will you?  If not, I pray God will show you Himself and how He truly is your author as well.  What are you waiting for?  How will the pages of your life be written?  I pray that I can be an encouragement to you and show you God's love through this blog. Thank you for reading! ~Jennifer~ 2/15/12