my prayer to the promise keeper...

Lord, "be all glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time, now and forever" =)

Jude 1:24-25

Daddy, YOU ARE ABLE and I thank you for the journey you've led me on..like Hannah, I will praise you. I will come into your house, lift my hands into your presence and walk away full. I can see that our journey has been one oh so quite different from the world's typical ways..and I love it. I trust you...you are showing me what it means and looks like to wait and to experience your goodness in the waiting...God, when Brett and I got married, you saw my desires to adopt..you placed such a longing in my heart so long ago, before I had even met my sweet husband, to become a mother to the motherless..to love a precious angel who has no one else...you saw my deep desire...because you were the One who placed it there...two years ago, that desire just looked about near impossible...as if it were simply a far away dream...but you never fail me. you never birth something into the life of your daughter and do not see it through...

YOU ARE THE PROMISE KEEPER.

Lord, you have answered my prayer...a few weeks ago, Brett and I stood amazed as you allowed us to scoop up a beautiful foster baby, flawless, innocent, loved by you, wanted by you...and keep her for an entire WEEK. THE sweetest desire fulfilled in my life...we were not able to go through the foster care classes through this season in our life and you knew that..you always know. you always see. you always get me. and even still, you made a way...YOU ARE ABLE.  I flippin love you Lord. Throughout the span of a year, Brett and I have had the beautiful opportunity of keeping four different foster children at different times...we were given the opportunity to love on them, to show them Jesus, to wrap them up in our arms and to cry over them, to pray over them..all the while being filled to the brim with just straight up awe over how you truly ARE the promise keeper...

i cling to "delight yourself in the Lord and He WILL give you the desires of your heart.."

from the time I was just a teeny girl, you used my sweet and beautiful hearted granny to speak this promise over me...it wasn't a promise for selfish gain..but a promise that all good things are found in you, Jesus. that the beautiful desires you birth into me come to be when I simply find all of my delight in just being with you...you work things out for those who love you...even when through the journey we don't understand it all...

Daddy, you have made this promise come to life for me...every desire has been met..with meeting my godly, Jesus-loving, crack me UP husband, to opening the door of my dreams to becoming a girls minister, every day waking up with the purpose of breathing YOUR life into your beautiful daughters, to Brett and I taking care of orphans in our home...Lord, you have answered the desire of my heart to become a "sister to many" and you see my desire still to become a "mother to many"...through adoption, through ways I don't see now...Jesus, what can I say? 

YOU ARE GOOD. YOU ARE THE PROMISE KEEPER.

thank you for always being so faithful. thank you for always directing...

"now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of glory with GREAT joy.."

"now to HIM.." I look to you for ALL things, i look to you for ALL power, for ALL opportunities, for ALL answers, through YOU is the only way to live and walk in the day...Holy Spirit, guide me...direct me even still...thank you for the peace through the fog of not understanding...you are just so  good. Jude 24 goes on to say.."who is able"...

Daddy, you are the God who is capable of ALL things...you hold all things under your authority, because we KNOW that me, myself and I are absolutely NOT capable..ASHLEIGH IS NOT CAPABLE...but my JESUS, my Daddy, my Hope...YOU are. 

you come to my rescue when I don't understand life's journey...when things don't make sense, you flood my life with peace that is just insane...I see you lining up the stars to fulfill your promises to me..and although I don't see the whole picture right now, I sure do see where you have given me each instilled desire along the way and even now...you bring me such hope, such great joy..you lead me "blameless before the presence of glory with great joy =)"...

i may not understand it all, i may not see it make sense just yet, but this i know...

YOU ARE THE GOD WHO KEEPS YOUR PROMISES

AND 

I AM THE DAUGHTER WHO SOAKS IT UP.

i love you Daddy, 

Ash