Watkins House Revival

One thing I want to be on this blog is honest. I don't want you to read my posts and come away feeling like I have the perfect life and yours is inadequate (like so many people portray in social media). So I'm going to tell you, I've been in a very spiritually dry place in my life for a while now.

This past year of marriage, I focused too much on Dearest Carl, learning how to be a wife and becoming one  with him instead of my relationship with Christ. That relationship became horribly neglected and when I realized it, I thought it was too late to do anything about it. I don't have any young people at church to ask for encouragement, I don't have any close friends (that live here) that I can turn to. I was stuck with what I could get from Sunday morning and my meager and sporadic morning devotions. 

This past summer, I put my foot down and said that something had to be done. I bought the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp in preparation for a church Women's Retreat next month and I've been slowly working through it. It has been good to be reminded to be thankful for the little things in life like the sound of birds and the smell of baking bread. But still, being thankful seemed really hard when my life seemed so empty and monotonous. 

Cue Sunday September 29th. One reason Dearest Carl and I have stayed at our little church is because my Dad speaks truth, unabashed real soul-searching truth! And this past Sunday was no different. If you weren't there, you can listen to his sermon here:

A Life Changing Experience

I cannot tell you how it spoke to my heart AND to my Dearest Carl! We both are Christians without a doubt. We know all the answers to the Bible Quiz questions. We know what a Godly marriage looks like on the outside. But inside, well lets just say that God woke us up! We'd been living a dead life, searching for our happiness and fulfillment in each other instead of Him. This past week has been one of trying to break old habits and establish new ones.

Then, just on the way home from work yesterday, this song came onto Pandora:

I've known this song as long as I can remember. I sang it as a Joy Jammer at my old church and I remember all the dance moves. I know the words by heart, words about giving thanks to the Lord in the dry places as well as the overflowing. And then came the part that goes "Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise!" There, it hit me! Here I am reading a book about giving thanks to God for the little things and here is a song about praising Him for His blessings. So I'm praising him for EVERY blessing.... and I'm counting small things as these blessings...I should be praising Him ALL THE TIME!!! So instead of just counting my blessings like shredded cheese and clean sheets, I should be counting them and THEN blessing His name for it! Because really, who am I that He should be so good to me?

I don't share all this with you for you to think I'm so spiritual and have it all together. I don't. I share my heart with you because I know that there are others out there who may be in a dry place like me. I want you to know that there is hope for you! God hasn't abandoned you! He's just waiting for you to turn around and see that he's right there and has been all along! So be encouraged!

You are LOVED so stay happy!