OVERWHELMED

OVERWHELMED. That's the feeling that I have this morning as I look out the window. March 1st will forever be one of the most significan days in my life. It was March 1st 1991 that the Holy Spirit got a hold of me and it was March 1st, 2009 that my husband of 13 years abandoned my daughters and I and NOW..it's March 1st 2010 and I'm waking up with JOY. The reason why I have JOY is because of the choice I made to allow God to lead me on this journey, and because I have, I have never been more free and healthy in all of my life! God has touched me in areas that I didn't even realize needed healing. I think my life was like a wall that was built without a plumbline. I believe that the foundation has always been Jesus, BUT there were bricks of rejection and insecurity and other elements that were not part of Him that allowed my wall to lean or be jagged. On March 1st, one year ago, my wall came crashing down around me and it was then that I told the Lord.. PLEASE... if You are going to put me back together, will You please heal every area in my life that is not of You? Give me YOUR identity and Yours alone. Today.. the wall of my life is being built with a plumbline so that it will not fall again.
I'm laughing as I think back over this year. As hard as it was.. I had a GREAT time! It was full of really great moments! I had the BEST summer vacation of my entire life with the girls in St. Augustine Florida! Soooo many nights on the phone with new friends laughing til my face hurt. A TON of brand new friends and healed relationships. Celebrating Father's Day with MY Daddy (one of my biggest cheerleaders!) and soooo very thankful that he showed me what the love of God looks like. Tranining and running a half marathon when it seemed impossible to do and how God revealed Himself to me on Sooooo many of those runs, helping me to discover a strength inside of me that I NEVER imagined I could have. Celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom and the realization that our relationship was strained for the past 13 years because of someone standing in the way between us and the healing that I believe took place. FUN TIMES IN PHILADELPHIA! TODD RICHARDSON and the MANY MANY MANY days (and I am choking back tears as I write this) that I could not see the computer at my desk through the tears of brokeness and running to the bathroom only for Todd to make me laugh or remind me of how far I've come and that I'm making it! A swarm of pastors who spoke into my life on so many different occasions and one campus pastor who cried with me and allowed me to lean on him and who spoke the truth, in love, to me. I can't thank God enough for allowing me to work in the place that I do. The support and accountability that I received was and still is AMAZING!
McKinny SUNSHINE and new adventures.... the name Christy Joy that was given to me because I allowed God to heal me and not run away from Him. Monster Truck Rally's, floating down the James River, Countless Photoshoots with my girls and being VERY silly!
It was MY beautiful daughters who held me one year ago today as I was doubled over and sobbing over a trash can in the kitchen. It was them that gave me strength to go on LIVING. It was them who made me laugh first. We had a huge snow storm last year on March 1st. It was then that they said... COME PLAY in the snow with us Mommy. Come laugh with us. Get out of the house and Live with us! We're gonna be ok cause we have each other. My daughters are the greatest gift of God that I have ever recieved! No it's not been easy to be a single mom, to be completely broken and still have to try and heal us all, BUT God is good like that. His strength is PERFECT when our strength is GONE. Today... I'm whole. I know who I am in Christ. Like I said before.. I've discovered Christ in Christy. I look in the mirror today and know the reflection that I see is HIS. Beautiful. I want MORE of HIm than I ever have before. I want others to know that YOU CAN MAKE IT! THere is NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING that you Can't do when You allow God to have control. Today I'm ALIVE. I'm LIVING the most amazing life! It's my year of JOY and I'm OVERWHELMED by His UNENDING LOVE!

Cling to Jesus... allow Him to write your story. Allow Him to have the pen and sit back and be AMAZED! I hope you laugh today!!
WOW.

You are worth loving and I love you.

Christy JOY