My Season with God

We've all been there...that moment when your entire world feels like it's falling apart and you don't know what to do but cry out to God.

For me that breaking point and moment of truth happened a couple of weeks ago. I lost my job, was struggling with things in my marriage and honestly just felt broken in so many ways. I cried out to God and I was angry with him for allowing these things to happen to me. "Why me Lord? Why are you allowing me to go through all of this." I felt more alone than I ever had and I honestly reached the point where I became numb to everything, which is never a good sign.

I was going back and forth with what God wanted me to do with my marriage and my life in general, but I wasn't ever truly listening to him. I never stopped and listened because I was too busy complaining about everything.

Then God intervined....

My friend Jacquie called me and invited me to a Mom Heart conference which I wasn't too excited about because I was worried about how I was going to pay for the conference and the fact that I'm not a mom yet. Jacquie's mom, who I also consider my second mom, was willing to fund the conference for both of us and Jacquie convinced me (what I thought was Jacquie, but was always God) to attend the conference. That first day when we arrived I was anxious and nervous and still unsure of how much I would benefit from this conference and then I prayed and asked God to speak to me and let me hear from him about my situation, and let's just say he did more than that!

The speaker was Sally Clarkson and the first thing she did was pray. She asked God to speak to all of us individually and that we all take something away from the conference, and that opened my heart to want to hear more of what she had to say. To say the least the conference was phenomional!! I met so many amazing women whose stories and lives inspired and encouraged me. The conference that was geared toward being a better Christian mom also focused on being a good Christian woman, which of course leads to becoming a good Christian wife, which is what I needed to focus on.

Then God revealed to me...

 I heard about several blogs and websites that inspire Christian women (www.goodmorninggirls.org and www.womenlivingwell.org  please check out both of these! These women are AMAZING!) and I learned how important it is to study God's word DAILY. If you know God's words you can remind him of his promises. If you know God's word you can use it to encourage others and yourself. If you know God's word you can use it to help you pray better.

After attending this conference there was a flame in my heart for God and I wanted more of him and his goodness. I wanted to shout to the world how awesome, loving, patient and kind our God is. I attended church on Sunday and before I walked in the door I asked God to prepare this sermon just for me because I needed to hear from him and he did.

The sermon covered Matthew 6:25-34 and our Pastor said he wanted us to focus our attention on one verse and if we did that it could change our entire lives. That verse was Matthew 6:33 "But seek FIRST his Kingdom and his righteousness..." Just like that a light bulb went off for me. I realized at that very moment why my entire world felt like it was turned upside down. It was all because I hadn't been putting God FIRST! I had been putting all the things he blessed me with (Husband, friends, family, TV, Facebook, ect.) before him. I didn't have time to study the word because I was watching TV or spending time with my friends or playing on Facebook. I never made time for him. I learned that you shouldn't have to "make time" for God, you should have to make time for everything else because God comes first.

I think many of us struggle with this. It's easy to do. We are busy with work and school and kids and a million other things and by the time we even think about God we are exhausted from everything else we did that day. I wondered to myself, how much could my life possibly change if I put God first in everything I do. The way I talk, how I react to situations, the way I let situations affect me, ect. I wondered if it would improve my marriage, my job situation, my schooling and everything else in my life and I said "You know what God SIGN ME UP!"

I honestly have never been so excited, nervous, on fire and scared in my entire life. I told God that I wanted him to use me so that I could help others experience this excitement! I've always loved God and I have never lost or struggled with my faith, but I did struggle with remembering what's important.

I decided that Monday would mark the first day of his change in me. I was going to get up early in the morning and study his word, clean my house, prepare food for my husband, be more patient with my dogs even though they drive me crazy :), and I was going to see if this changed anything and of course it did.  My husband seems to notice a change in me and my friends and family. I have not been this happy and content in a very long time.

God's plan for me

As I was doing my study early that morning I was thinking about starting a Note on Facebook to tell everyone all the wonderful things I had learned at the conference and at church this weekend. I was praying about it and God told me he had more in mind for me. He told me that he wanted me to start my own blog. He told me that he wanted me to name it "A Woman After God's Own Heart" and he said that once I get enough followers and subscribers I was going to create a website and title it "Women After God's Own Heart" because instead of it just being one woman it would be many women! :)

Purpose and Plan of this blog:

The purpose of this blog is for all of us to come together and support, encourage, inspire and love one another and also to lift eachother up in God. I want and need friends that will do all of these things and that will remind me of God's promises when i'm to weak to remember them. I think we all deserve that. This is a support group for ALL women, not just believers! :)

My plan is to continue studying God's word daily, writing a post about what i've read and how it applies to my life or others around me. I think this will help alot of people because some of us don't know where to start when we are studying, which can discourage us from studying. So please feel free to email me or follow along with what I'm reading. I'll also post about things going on in my life and open up the floor to discussions about things going on in your lives so that we can all help eachother through it and pray for one another.

Once we have a group started I want to start doing monthly bible studies where we all get together face to face and have bible study together, talk, pray and encourage eachother.

Plans for the future

-Attending Women/Mom conferences together (Come up with ways to fund this so everyone can attend)
-Starting a book reading (ex. I'm currently reading A Wife after God's Own Heart)
-Volunteer work together

Who is this blog for:
This blog is for anyone who is in need of love and encouragement and anyone who needs someone to support them. :)



This is all that God has laid on my heart that he wanted me to share with you. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. If you have the desire to help with this blog or any other part of "A Woman After God's Own Heart" please feel free to let me know. :)

Oh and I promise future blogs will not be this long! Lol!

Thank you ladies and I pray that all of you can take something away from all of this! Love you all! :)

Raynisia Nagel
A Woman After God's Own Heart