The Three Musketeers

I have to take some time to write about two very special girls that God has placed in my life.  Chelsea and Jocelyn, I love it that you are my musketeers.  :)  I have shown my crazy to these girls in ways that I am embarrassed and ashamed of, but I am very grateful to still have friends that knew this version of me.  They knew me before Jesus took over my life, and somehow they are still around.  When I think about us now, talking and sharing about how God is changing our lives, it takes my breath away.  God is so good!  And no, I'm not perfect now by any means.  I still have crazy that needs taming, but I leave that to God now.

On January 9th, Jocelyn came up with the idea that we should share bible verses daily.  Ones that we felt were speaking to us that day.  We loved the idea and started sharing every day.  I soon realized how much this would help me to begin to heal.  This was only two days after I saw Kate for the first time.  God was really working on me in January!  Jocelyn, I think God was speaking to you that day, and He used your idea to bring His healing to both Chelsea and me.  I've said it before, but I want to emphasize that there is something special about sharing your belief in God with others that immediately makes you best friends.  But it's something so much more than "best friends."  You become sisters in Christ.  Girls, I dream that one day, when we get to heaven, we will be next door neighbors.

So this daily bible verse sharing had me searching the Bible and searching facebook for some inspirational notes on bible verses (one of my favorite bible based fb pages is Beauty for Ashes), and eventually I found my Jesus Calling devotional, by Sarah Young.  This devotional has spoken to me every. single. day.  I got it last year or the year before, I don't recall exactly when, but I hadn't given it much thought.  I had my bible study, which has been my daily read for about 2 1/2 years now, and it had been good enough for me until now.  Now I need more, and I hadn't realized that yet.  But God knew who He could use to push me into His arms, and she listened.  I don't think we realize how God uses us to be blessings to each other most of the time.  

If you are a bereaved mother or father, or even if you just know someone who is, I encourage you to drown yourself in God's word.  You will need Him to reassure you every day that He is good.  You need to really know who He is to understand that, and the only way to know Him is to read His word.

My Jesus Calling devotional had this written for the date of November 13:

"I am Christ in you, the hope of Glory.  The One who walks beside you, holding you by your hand, is the same One who lives within you.  This is a deep, unfathomable mystery.  You and I are intertwined in an intimacy involving every fiber of your being.  The Light of My Presence shines within you, as well as upon you.  I am in you, and you are in Me; therefore, nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from Me!
As you sit quietly in My Presence, your awareness of My Life within you is heightened.  This produces the Joy of the Lord, which is your strength.  I, the God of hope, fill you with all Joy and Peace as you trust in Me, so that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Colossians 1:27; Isaiah 42:6; Nehemiah 8:10; Romans 15:13

I have seen Romans 15:13 pop up everywhere since Jaxon's death.  Maybe this is just a popular verse, but maybe it is more than that.  I believe God is using this verse to comfort me.  If I focus on Him, and cling to His promises that I will be reunited with my son again, and there will be no tears in heaven, and death on this earth is not the end of the story, then I will be filled with His peace.  He is my God of hope and He will fill me with peace.  I feel that.  Romans 15:13 reminds me of my anchor whenever I see it.  And my musketeers have played a big role in helping me search the Bible for that anchor all over again every day.  Thank you musketeers :)