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Jul 27, 2016
Adoption· Faith

God and His Timing

“Any word . . .” was the text that I got this week that I still didn’t answer.

woman-smartphone-girl-technology.jpg

 

It’s not that I don’t have an answer.  I do.  It’s just not the kind of answer that makes people think, “oh yeah, she’s totally normal (read sarcastically!!!)”

Ya see, “any word . . .” means:

“Have you heard anything about what was – or could still be – a possible adoption match?”

The short answer is, “not really.”

But the inside my head and heart answer is “not from the woman we met with, but God is answering me, and being a little “loud” about it.”

listeningtoGod

In the past day, week, month and year I have seen, witnessed and experienced these amazing “signs”.  Maybe they are called “signal graces”  [I will be googling signal graces later, but my gut tells me that term is a better way to describe what I have experienced].

God keeps showing me and telling me:

 My timing is perfect”

This week I have felt this message being “louder” in a sense.

There are things in the works I only once dreamed of . . . and I hear God saying, “this before baby . . .”

And my heart leaps with gratitude.

Here is just a small example of what has been happening A LOT lately . . .

Today I went somewhere on a whim . . . and received something just a few days ago I realized I needed (or at least really wanted).

Let me explain . . .

On Sunday I am having a “prayer journal party”.  I actually have a much cooler name for it, but bottom line, friends are coming over and I am hosting a “How to ‘Prayer Journal’ Class”/ let’s have a girls’ day with wine, adult coloring and – if the guests feel comfortable -prayer journaling.  I volunteered to lead a class on how to journal at a local crisis pregnancy center next month, so I am going to discuss some ideas I have with my guests coming over on Sunday.  Plus, I am getting some much needed time to do what I never have time to do.  Pray.  Pray in a way that brings me peace and joy.

My thought this week was . . .I have all of these holy cards to offer – but no Jesus holy cards! Recently, I started a new prayer journal.  I left the first page empty because I want Jesus to be on the first page  . . . just like He was in my first prayer journal.

JesusItrust1.jpg
This is a picture of the Holy Card I pasted on my prayer journal from the year 2000.

Plus, I want to have pictures of Jesus to offer the women I guide through my version of “prayer journaling”.

So, today, in between going to the Post Office and getting ice cream with my son; I stopped at that crisis pregnancy center with two never used baby items that had been sitting in my basement for 4 years.  I stopped in to say hi and give my donation.  I mentioned to the volunteer there that I was leading the next class and if she had any holy cards she didn’t need, to please donate them.  She responded,

“I think there are some in that drawer behind you.”

I opened the drawer and saw tons of pens, markers and other stationary supplies.  This was clearly a stationary supply cabinet.

stationary.jpeg

On top of all those markers, pens and other stationary supplies was a stack of holy cards wrapped in a rubber band.  They were all the same.  They were all Jesus.  And they were the exact holy card I had on my first page of my prayer journal from the year 2000. Just bigger.

Then a client walked in for an appointment.  She just happened to need the two things I brought in as a donation.

Then my son and I went to get ice cream at the dairy farm.  I had a strong feeling, since it was a nearly 100 degree day, that the cows would not be out. Honestly, that’s a huge reason why we go there to get ice cream. It makes it a fun event, “let’s go see the cows and get ice cream” is a very fun event for a four year old (and this city girl haha)!  The cows were not out, but we bought ice cream and ate it.  As we went to leave . . .the cows started to walk out of the barn and onto the pasture.  We stayed a little longer.  My son counted them.  It was very exciting ;).

To me, God was saying . . .

Yes, it is Me and yes, I am reassuring you.  Trust Me.  I am really good with timing.”

So, in answer to “any word . . .”

No . . . but I heard a lot of “words” before that ended up being just words.

I’ll just keep looking up and believing . . .

God’s timing is perfect 🙂

Interested in other times God showed off His timing skills?  Check out:

5 Lessons I Learned from The Daughter of a Saint

God Hears Us: A Spiritual Adoption Miracle {Free Printable}

Hear, Listen, Understand: St. Katharine Drexel’s Prayer for America

The Most Humble Chocolatiers

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Previous Post: « Books on My “Catholic” Shelf
Next Post: How to Host a ‘Sip and Script’ Party: Prayer Journaling with Friends »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina says

    July 28, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    This is beautiful, Amy! Thank you for sharing. God is so good!

    • Amy says

      July 28, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      Thank you Christina! God is so good 🙂

  2. Christina says

    July 28, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    Thank you, Amy. You are so talented! God bless!

  3. Kerry says

    August 15, 2016 at 6:56 am

    What a wonderful, comforting feeling when you can see God is with you 🙂

    • Amy says

      August 15, 2016 at 11:08 am

      <3 Thank you Kerry!

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Mary, Mother of the Eucharistic Lord, pray for me 
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=
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This is my handsome husband and our awesome nephew with the Bishop that Confirmed him on Friday.
Matt was -and is- such a proud Sponsor and Uncle!
God bless Grayson Patrick FRANCIS!

Thank you God for all of your gifts!!!
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Don’t you love when a plan comes together for a Don’t you love when a plan comes together for a retreat and you see joyful faces! 

Listen, this is the best retreat hack for Catholic girls!
****The Be Yourself Journal Scrapbooking activity.****

Give each girl a Be Yourself Journal.
Explain how, “We are all called to holiness but we take different paths.” ~ Saint Katharine Drexel.

Have each girl pick out a Holy card and two Catholic stickers.

Put scrapbooking paper and Catholic washi-tape (thank you @thestumpofjesse ) on the tables and get them started with decorating the back of their journals.

As they work add more stickers and quote cards to their table.

Point out that they were all given the same set of instructions… yet each cover design is unique.

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Huge thank you to the women who donated journals and holy cards!!!
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Not sure what to do with all those prayer cards? Not sure what to do with all those prayer cards? 

Holy cards can be a fantastic prayer journal prompt. 

Copy the prayer off the back and glue the card to the page ;next to, underneath or above where you wrote the prayer).

Follow me for more prayer journaling tips!
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Getting ready for a Confirmation Retreat this week Getting ready for a Confirmation Retreat this weekend!

So excited to help these young Catholics see that each is called to holiness… but each mission is unique and unrepeatable!

Huge thank you to the women who donated journals for the retreat (11 donated!!!) and the women from my Bible study group who donated Holy cards!

If you would like to donate a Journal for one of the girls attending the retreat this weekend… send me a private message and I’ll explain how!

Holy cards are GREAT prayer journal prompts!

Which Holy card would you put in your prayer journal?
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