Spring has finally bloomed in middle TN. I love this time of year - the lovely flowers and extra sunshine, but I could do without the allergies. Ugh. Not so fun, but allergy meds seem to be helping so far. 

Thanks for stopping by and reading my stroll through March 2022!

Something Loved: March is my birthday month and I was blessed to have the week off from work. My husband and I traveled to OH to visit my parents. I loved going to our favorite restaurants, DeRienzo's (Italian) and Das Dutch Haus (breakfast), talking, laughing, reading, and crocheting (more on that below). I also loved waking up in my childhood home on the morning of my birthday. It was a great trip and always so special to spend time with Mom and Dad.

Something Gleaned: I am currently in a Zoom Bible study with some friends and this time around we are reading Beth Guckenberger's book Throw the First Punch: Defeating the Enemy Hell-Bent on Your Destruction. I thought the title sounded interesting and I have not been disappointed. Beth writes with sincerity and shares great stories of God's intervention in her life and of those around her. It has been helpful on a practical basis as well.

A few weeks ago, I had a particularly hard day at work. It seemed like nothing went well all day. I was replaying many of the situations in my mind and felt increasingly terrible and a traffic tie-up on the route home didn't help. This quote helped me put words to what I was experiencing. 

"Like a hamster in a wheel, I realized that when a thought becomes almost obsessive, running around in my head, it's most likely not authored by God. I then found myself intrinsically motivated to avoid the consequences of runaway thoughts not centered on God. Lies lock down our minds, and we feel trapped, frozen, and stuck. They work us up, and we are the opposite of settled. On the other hand, truths flow in and out; they are free. They settle, even when they are hard." (emphasis mine)

My thoughts were obsessive and I felt sick to my stomach. I had not done anything wrong, but the enemy was wanting me to believe that I had. I spent some time, in the privacy of my car, worshiping through my frustrations. Then, I took I Corinthians 10:4-5 to heart and made my thoughts obedient to Christ! 

"The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth. We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One." II Corinthians 10:4-5 (Voice)

I also talked with my husband about my day and that helped; bringing what was in the darkness of my mind into the light so God could remove those lies and replace them with His truth! 

Something Braved: The next morning after that tough day at work, I truly did not feel like going back. I felt led to ask my Bible study friends to pray for me and they were happy to do so. They even thanked me for letting them know so they could pray specifically. I don't know why it is hard to reach out to others sometimes, but it is. Have you been there, too? 

As I got closer to work, I could feel God's presence settling my spirit, and I felt calmer. I felt brave going into the building and knew that God was with me. 

"Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." Isaiah 41:10 (The Message)

I walked down the hallway and a co-worker caught up with me. She shared, "I saw you deal with that one situation yesterday and you did exactly what the Lord wanted you to do." I was overwhelmed with God's goodness. He indeed saw me and I felt Him speaking directly to me through my co-worker! My prayer is that the next time you feel attacked, or have lies from the enemy rolling around in your mind that you will remember to praise Him and take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ! That is the brave way to walk with Jesus. 

Something Achieved: If you have been following my "Share Four Somethings" for the past year, you know that I've been working on Jayda InStitches' Mighty Mile-A Minute Crochet Calendar Blanket 2021. Well, I'm happy to report that I finished the 12th and final row and have started the border. I'm very pleased with it and even took a nap underneath it when I was in Ohio. Here is a part of the row that I just completed (the yellow with the blue border on the right). I will post a full picture of the finished blanket, hopefully in April! 

What do you like most about Spring and what was special about March for you?