Squishy face pics are truly the best!

A few years back. :)

My cousin and forever best friend, Amy, is amazing. Our spiritual lives have strangely paralleled each other, especially after we both got married. Most of our spiritual parallels involved some sort of struggle, pain, or challenge. Half of the time, our trials involved relocating somewhere, and usually they were related to ministry.

One of my favorite things about our relationship, aside from the ridiculously ugly faces she only makes for me when nobody else is looking, is how God speaks to us through each other. He speaks through Bible verses, prayer, gut feelings or just an inescapable knowledge of something we have to share with the other person.

Recently, Amy texted me to share a Bible verse she was praying for our adoption. Hold on a minute! Do you know how amazing it is to have people who randomly text, message, or email you that type of encouragement? OK, if you don't have people like that, find someone. They are crucial! Oh, and you should be that person for someone else, too. We aren't in a passive relationship with each other and God. We are in an active and vibrant one... Remember that! Back to Amy...then, my cousin followed the first Bible verse up with another one that she felt led to share with me.

Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask for or think, according to the power at work within us..."

Of course, this encouraged me and humbled me in so many ways. God's plan is HIS plan, in HIS power, not ours, not what we can "pull off," not what we can make happen. Taking control of our own lives is not just dumb--it's sin. It's a sin I'm pretty good at actually. Anything that we accomplish, we accomplish because of what He allows and what He gives us.

My baby girl!

Thursday night, we enjoyed a Night of Worship at our awesome church, New River Church. We are so blessed to be a part of this place and all that God is doing here, but that's another blog post or two or three for another time. Chloe usually stays in this particular service with me but this was Violet's first time in a Night of Worship gathering. Chloe is a "natural" worshiper. She loves singing and usually joins in. But, let me tell you, my Baby Violet worshiped Thursday night. She sang songs with all of her heart and she lifted up her arms. She even took extras of the Lord's Supper! That, my friends, was not part of the plan. :) My Southern Baptist roots were getting all knotted up over that fact.

Our pastor, Arthur Mace (who is also amazing), spoke about extravagant worship and reckless abandonment. If you know me, you know that Jesus and reckless abandonment and I have a history. Arthur talked about one of my favorite Bible verses--one I needed to hear.

Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

"Draw near to the throne of grace" sounds nice and comfy, but the best part about this verse is the context. The reason God asks us to draw near to him isn't ooshy gooshy. It isn't because we're perfect, it's because we aren't. It's because we are dumb, we sin, we try to take control and "make things happen" which at its very core is a lack of trust in God's plan, provision, and timing. Do you hear me preaching at myself? If only I could get this through my red head.

I don't need someone else's approval. That was in the other verse Amy sent me, Psalm 90:17. I don't need the next perfect adoption fundraiser. I don't even need to know the plan... Wow, that one is difficult to say without cringing a little. I need His mercy, His grace and His help because I am in a constant state of thinking I need all of those other things I just mentioned. What I truly need is more of Him and less of me.

Just so you know, we loooove seeing the Bulgaria shirt pictures! Keeping them coming! Please tag us on Facebook or Instagram and type #teamlayne! Thanks guys for your support.