"Captivating" Christmas Celebrations...

WOW! is really all I can say... God is SO AMAZING!!!

ok, so, you're probably wondering why yesterday I posted how I have very little to say and now today I am so excited.... well I'll explain...

Last night was the Ladies Fellowsip Christmas Party at church. This is a time of fellowship, carolling, eating and just having a wonderful time with the women in our church. We also pick "Prayer Sisters". When you fill out the little form to get a prayer Sister, you have the option to have a secret prayer sister or a known prayer sister.... last year I had a secret Sister. And yesterday I met her face to face (for the first time) in the food line, a little while before the gift exchange when she would then know that I was her prayer sister. When they handed out the gifts, I saw them put the gift that I brought in front of her, and shortly after one of the ladies helping pass out the gifts handed me mine. I quickly opened the card on the outside of the bag to find out my Sister's identity... but all that was written was my name... so I looked inside and found another card, as I scanned over it, I saw the name written on the bottom....


It was the same person that I had be praying for this last year... we had had each others names!!
I let out a heartfelt laugh and then (kinda) yelled "Oh my gosh... we had each other!!!"
Then I opened the present to reveal a book that she had purchased for me. It's called "Captivating".

Now... there's a really interesting story behind this book... this past summer when I was working at camp - because of my broken engagement and all that happened following that... I met a wonderful woman of God at Youth Camp named Sue... She was the wife of our guest speaker... but I truly believe that she was a guest speaker as well for the impact she had on my life.
If Sue and I had not kept in touch at all after camp, all I would be able to tell you about her was that she was truly a God-sent angel. She was so awesome and wonderful... not WAS..... IS!
Through the course of stuff that both her and I went through at camp that week, God brought us so close. On one of the nights, God had told her that she needs to share some stuff with the kids and be open and honest. When she was sharing, God was bringing things to my memory that I either needed to repent of, or forgive others for what they had done to me.
After she shared she said that we were going to have a time of prayer for those who wanted. As soon as she sat down, I leaned over and asked her if we could talk... we went outside.... and that was the most incredible night in my life! We talked, prayed, laughed, cried... and it was so nice to share things in my life knowing that she loves me and God loves me and that I'm forgiven and that God gives me the strength to forgive those people in my life that need forgivness.
After we talked (and killed the spider... LOL - long story...) she gave me a list of books that I should read to continue to allow God to help me overcome and heal from the events of the last year...
The first book she wrote was "Captivating"...

So now... jumping ahead to last night... as soon as I opened the book and saw the title, Sue's face immediately jumped into my head... When I arrived home, I emailed her this whole story... only to find out this morning that she had called me last night and left a message on my machine and I missed her... and I totally forgot to check my messages last night...

I find it so amazing how God can be working here in my life, and then put it on Sue's heart (she lives pretty far away from me) that she needs to call me...

Isn't God so AMAZING! He knows what we need even before we even know what we need... that's pretty awesome... Praise God!!!