Creme Puffs

So, I love stories like these, and I just had to share.  A little background, of course.  As of November 17th, Michael is now finished with the Air Force.  We will stop drawing a paycheck as of December 1st.  That's not that far off in case you haven't realized that December is already here!  Are we worried?  Nope.  We have full faith that God is going to bring the perfect job/career to Michael.  Everything thus far has been this big orchestrated plan that God is putting together, so we feel this is just one more part of the plan. 

Lately, I've been praying the names of God.  He has lots of names that show His character and explain who He is.  He loves when we learn about all the different facets of who He is.  I was studying His name, Jehovah-Jireh, which means God our Provider.  I first learned this name of God many years ago when my dad was out of a job and was praying to Jehovah Jireh to provide for our family.  My dad was so enthralled with this name and attribute of God.  I remember it so vivdly.  God was just storing that tidbit of information in my brain to pull it out and use it now...in 2010, when I would truly need it most.

Jehovah Jireh shows Himself to Abraham in Genesis 22:14 only after Abraham has followed God on an amazing journey that required tons of faith.  I can relate, Abraham.  God showed up and provided for Abraham in a big way!  I have full faith that God will provide for the Corsars right now, too.

So, here's my story.  I'm working in the lunchroom at school on Friday needing to get to the grocery store that afternoon.  Michael reminded me that we are on a strict budget (yes, I need reminding) until he finds a new job.  So, any fun foods at the grocery store are just out for a while.  That's okay.  I can live without Oreos for a season.  :)  The lunchroom had a few leftover tacos.  Tara, lunch lady galore and my wonderful new friend, puts them in a baggie for me along with some salad to take home to my hubby for lunch.  Who says God does not still provide when we ask Him?!  And the best part is that God loves me enough that He even provided creme puffs!  The kids at our school had creme puffs for dessert on Friday...now that's an awesome school, I must say.   And there were some left over, so those got sent home with me as well.  I pray and ask God to provide for my family and what does He give me?  Creme puffs!

God has constantly been reminding me of Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?"  God wants the best for us.  He tells us that He has great plans for us; plans to give us a future and a hope!  So, I'm clinging to that promise.  While eating my creme puffs.  I hope that you realize all the provisions God makes for you.  He does provide in just the nick of time.  So, pull up a chair with me, have a creme puff and let's just WAIT on God!

Life Without God

I love callin' up  my momma and chatting with her.  She's my bestest friend in the world.  We were talking last night about my crazy year I've had to endure and about all the trials that have come our way.  Every time I call her it seems I have one more "issue" to tell her about.  It just seems a never ending cycle of challenges in my life right now!  I tell her about an issue, but then I tell her the lesson God is teaching us through a particular challenge.  She asked me, "How would you have handled this past year without God in your life?"  Wow.  What a question.  The Corsars have been through the deepest valley we've ever been through this past year, but what would be different for us if we didn't have God in our life?  I'll be happy to tell you.

If we didn't have God, our loving Heavenly Father, who is Sovereign over all things:
*we would not still be together
*Michael would be in a deep state of depression
*our children would be having nightmares
*we would have NO hope for our future
*we would be miserable
*we would be in family counseling
*laughter and cheerfulness would be gone from our lives
*we would not have a testimony of God's goodness
*we would be bitter toward the Air Force, God, and the church
*we would be extremely lost

Just writing that list almost made me have an anxiety attack just thinking about it.  But God has delivered us from anything that could possibly cause pain in our lives.  Have we had to endure consequences?  Yes.  Have they been painful? Yes.  But a diamond goes through a really refining process that could be viewed as painful as well, and in the end, it is shiny and gorgeous!  And priceless. 

We wanted an object that we could put on our mantle to always remind us of this past year.  We thought the best object that could describe the Corsars in 2010 would be a geode.  They are those rocks that are really ugly on the outside.  Gray and bumpy.  Not very pretty. 

 But when you crack them open, they glimmer with the most gorgeous of colors and crystals on the inside.

We have discovered that what is on the inside of a Corsar is beautiful.  And it's only because God was there forming and creating this beauty.  It was nothing we ever could do on our own.  We would have been content to stay an ugly old gray, bumpy rock.  But God wanted us to be cracked open so the world could see His glory and the beauty of following God!  So, life without God is totally not an option for us.  And I would hope it's not an option for you, either!  Because who wants to stay ugly and bumpy when you can SHINE?!