One of my favorite prompts in the Bible comes from Psalms - in the 34th chapter and the 8th verse.  It tells us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."  I have taken Him up on His offer and it stands true!

I have tasted and I have seen how good He is.  There is nothing at all special about me.  I've just been curious to see that He really is who He says He is - and sometimes I was unaware of my own curiosity!

There was a time in my life when faith was all I had to walk on.  I realized that some of my requests could have been insignificant to Him, but they weren't.  He heard each one of them.  Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not a spoiled little girl that gets her every wish!  He has practiced "No" and "Not now"  and "Not yet" plenty of times.  But there was this one time that His answer was "Yes".

I asked Him for some new perfume.  As a single mom, there was not a lot of extra money floating around, but I really wanted some perfume.  The afternoon of the morning I made my request, I was at a friend's house.  She came down her hallway carrying a gallon-sized Ziploc bag full of perfume.  As she approached me, she held the bag out and said, "Freda, would you like some perfume?"  Amazed - with tears, I said "Yes". 

He is good.  He hears us when we pray - even the prayers that will affect no one but us.  He cares about silly little details, like, "Daddy, I would like some new perfume."  Did that change the world or have an eternal impact on anyone?  Maybe not, but it taught me a big lesson.  He cares about us like a father should - and He isn't always just about the "big" things in life.

What insignificant "big" thing has He done for you? 

In the busyness of the middle of a school year, I find myself sitting in my "quiet time" chair pondering a new ministry, a new website, and a new outlook on the years to come in my life. 

2013 was a significant year in my life.  The most significant thing being  - I turned 50!  Half a century.  More than half of the average life span.  It's quite sobering, actually.   Turning 50 has caused me to pause and measure how well I have lived out "being Freda".  After all, there is only one me.  I need to do it well!

In 1995, God spoke to me through Jeremiah 29:11 and told me He had a hope and a future for me - a great purpose.  On that day in April, I wrote in the margin of my dearly loved Bible that I had been called into some kind of ministry.  I had no idea what it was going to be - but I said, "Yes". 

The years rolled by, my children grew, my two oldest grew so much they actually graduated from high school!  Time kept passing.  I kept waiting.  I kept wondering, "Now, why had God spoken so clearly to me in 1995, then again in 2003, then again in 2011 and again in 2013 - telling me He had something for me to do, and I'm still not doing "it"?!" It came to me in bits and pieces over many years.

Then, like perfect clockwork, it came.  I have never been so amazed in my life. 

You see, when we say "Yes" to whatever He wants us to do, especially when it is completely out of our range of ability, we take a step of faith.  We step into the unknown with all that we are, trusting that He really is there and that He is going before us and being our rearguard, as well.  Blindly, I stepped out and told Him I would do whatever He laid on my heart and that I would walk through whatever doors He opened. 

I look back over the last month, and see that He is ever faithful.  The ministry He called me to is entitled "Broken Hearts - Healing Hearts Retreats for Women".  It became a reality last month.  Eight ladies.... a home in the mountains... time for sharing... time for crying... time for praying.  We dug into God's Word to learn how He desires for us to be whole and healed, and lacking in nothing.  We got our hands dirty through a project that revealed a lot about ourselves - things we may have never realized before.

Looking back, I can see God's intricate workings all over the place.  He did it all.  I just got to go along for the ride!  I want my life to be a series of "Yes's" to Jesus. "But, because He says so, I will" has become my life motto.  I would love to hear your "Yes" stories - and how your ride has been!