old normal vs. brand new normal

While I never mentioned it here, my husband and I referred to 2010 as "The Year of the Suck" - four very large lifequakes hit around the same time and my world flipped upside down for a while. A very loooooong while. I turned to my closest friends for prayer and support during that time and cut out every extra thing to focus on what mattered most - my marriage and family. With my history of addiction, I knew how important it was to make sure I was dealing with life and feelings - working through the pain instead of trying to bury it with busy-ness or food or alcohol or shopping or the Internet. Survival mode is what I called it.

Coming off "The Year of the Suck" left me feeling broken. A little lost. The jolt of the storms had bumped me off track and I've spent the better part of 2011 trying to hop back on the same track... to no avail. It finally dawned on me that God was up to something NEW. Having focused on simply surviving for so long, I'd stopped asking God for direction on where to go next. (No wonder I've felt a little lost.)

The fog has lifted and I am praying for clarity in this new place. Looking to please God above all else and open to the adventure that surely awaits.

God quieted the storm to a whisper;
the sea’s waves were hushed.
So they rejoiced because the waves
had calmed down;
then God led them to the harbor
they were hoping for.

Psalm 107:29-30 (CEB)

If you find yourself in a similar place, perhaps you will find these resources to be helpful:

1. Life Quakes, Part 1 (Beth Moore) - click HERE for video.

2. Praying and Believing God, Part 1 (Beth Moore) - click HERE for video.

3. Praying and Believing God, Part 2 (Beth Moore) - click HERE for video.

4. Putting Plan B Into Action (Pete Wilson) - click HERE for DVD-based bible study and HERE for participant's guide.

5. One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land (Priscilla Shirer) - click HERE for book.