May Scripture Writing Plan & some other things

Before I go any further, here is May's writing plan, from Sweet Blessings blog.  I particularly love this one and the design and the TOPIC!  (That's new.)  I struggle with anxiousness, so I am going to get lots out of this month.

I've had many people join me in doing this, and I'm so glad!  I think accountability helps, and when I get to the end of each month, I'm excited to start all over again.  I won't lie, though~this month has been long almost every single day.  For me that is not really an issue, because I have oodles of time at home, but most of you do not, and some of you had to drop off.  AND THAT IS OKAY!  No condemnation for you.  I would like to encourage you to try again, though.  This month's seems shorter, and though May is crazy busy, that just means we could use it all the more.

Today is such a bittersweet day for me.  It's my last day at Renewed Moms, our homeschool group that I've been a part of for four years.  These ladies have come to mean so much to me over these last few years, and they have been instrumental in encouraging me throughout my homeschool journey thus far.  I'm partly excited because this last day means that we're wrapping up our school year soon and that means SUMMER!  I'm sad because I hate to say goodbye.  Seriously.  I hate saying goodbye.
I do feel like I will keep in touch with these sweet ladies.  I know that some of them are doing a study together over the summer, and I hope to go when I'm in town.  I also feel like that I may just go every once in a while during the next school year and say hello to my dear friends.  One of my dearest friends ever of all time is from this group, and our friendship was borne out of me being in her small group my first year.  That friendship will last through anything, though, and so will all of the others.  I love the ladies that have been in my small group and I just know that we will keep in touch.  I hope to even get together some, something we never could make work this whole year at RM.

I feel so blessed (#blessed) (that made me laugh), though, to have so many such godly friendships.  I was always the one in school that struggled in this area.  I never knew who I could trust and I really couldn't stand the fact that girls were so mean to each other.  (That still rings true today, and God knew to not give me girls so that I wouldn't kill them.)  Because of those things, I was always the one who hung out with the guys.  All of my best friends in youth group were the guys, and my parents knew them well enough to let me hang out with them.  Once you're married, that is no longer appropriate, though, and I started to pray for friends.  Well, at least at the point when I turned back to God, because for a while, I turned my back on Him.  Church had really messed me up and some of the sordid things that I found out went on inside the walls and because of one pastor's blatant disapproval of my marrying Todd.

But God drew me back to Him, and that's when I started to pray for friends.  And you know that verse that says that God will do abundantly more than we can ask or imagine?  Well, He did just that.

That verse was Ephesians 3:20.

God has answered my prayer time and time again.  All of my friends come from how I spend my life.  In Bible study with like-minded women, from church, and from this homeschool group He has put into my life for a season.  I wouldn't have it any other way, and I would never do one thing differently.  Because of my struggles throughout life, I am who I am today.

I don't believe that God causes bad things to happen, but I surely believe that He will use any means He needs to draw us back to Him.  I also believe that He uses those hard things in life in us to minister to a watching world around us.  My prayer today is that this is speaking to someone who needs to hear these words.

Have you turned your back on God?  Have you quit being faithful in attendance in church?  Have you given up on praying for your kids?  Have you been talking to someone that you shouldn't in an inappropriate way?  Texting them or stalking them on social media?

Please, if you never get one thing from this blog, get this: IT IS NOT TOO LATE.  If you are alive and breathing, God is only a whisper away.  Ask Him to forgive you!  Confess your sins to Him and He will forgive you of them.  Ask Him to change your heart from the inside out, making it soft and teachable again.  Ask Him to change you.  I promise you that He hears every single word we utter.  And even before a word is on our tongue, He already knows it!  The Bible tells us that in Psalm 139.
Even if you feel beyond hope and that you can never have these godly friendships that I speak of, I promise you, you can.  Go back to church!  Or go for the first time.  You don't have to come to my church, though if you want to, I'd love that.  But find a church home.  Get plugged in.  Volunteer.  Serve.  Join a Sunday school class.  It may take a while, but keep at it and stay faithful.  It will come.  I promise.

Well, that wasn't quite what I'd had in mind to share today, but it works, so I'll keep it there for whoever needs it this morning.

Love to all.