Paige Barnes

So, Job is not one of those books of the Bible that most people just pick up and begin to read. In fact, I tend to read it most when I am really struggling. Finally after the last few months of feeling far from God and wondering where myself actually went, I am slowly beginning to feel like my old self again. I feel God. I feel His closeness. I know He was never far from me. In fact, I'm sure He was holding me, perhaps so tightly that I couldn't even feel it. So, I decided to pick up my Bible and read through the book of Job. Here are a few lessons learned this read. ~When the worst happened and Job lost all of his children and belongings, He still had strength and faith enough to bless the name of the Lord. In fact those were some of the first words out of his mouth. That's strong faith. I want that kind of faith. ~When his friends didn't know what to say (at least at first) because the situation was so horrible, they just sat with him. They didn't speak f...

One Pure and Holy Passion By: Passion Worship Band Give me one pure and holy passion Give me one magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after You Give me one pure and holy passion Give me on magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after You To know and follow hard after you To grow as your dicsiple in your truth This world is empty, pale, and poor Compared to knowing you, my Lord Lead me on and I will run after you Lead me on and I will run after you Give me one pure and holy passion Give me one magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after you To know and follow hard after you To grow as your disciple in the truth This world is empty, pale, and poor Compared to knowing you my Lord Lead me on and I will run after you Lord to know and follow hard after you And to grow as your disciple in your truth This world is emp...

There is a new project starting up in the Barnes household. (Aside from the baby that is currently growing in my belly). :) We are going to be writing down our experiences over this past year since our son's diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes. We have no idea of knowing where this will go, of course, but we have spent this last year spinning up and down and all around. If there is an emotion to be had, we've had it this year. And we have grown as a family more than we ever imagined we could. So we decided that perhaps others could be helped from our experience. We have long given this diagnosis over to the Lord for Him to make us (especially our son) stronger because of this. For Him to use this to help others. So after a night of being awake all night and feeling a prompting from the Lord, and after a family meeting - we are all in! So, we are praying about where God would lead this new endeavor. And we give it over completely, 100 %, whole-hearted to God for Him to use i...

I am notorious for buying books and letting them sit on my bookshelf for years before I get around to them. I'm like a book hoarder, so I can never get them read in a timely fashion! I am reading a book that I've had on my shelf for a few years. It's called "Life Wide Open - Unleashing the Power of a Passionate Life" by David Jeremiah. I've read several things by David Jeremiah, and I highly recommend him. He's an easy, to the point, simple facts and thoughts kind of writer. A good, quick, encouraging read. I am not very far into this book yet, but it's already speaking to me. See, I think for the past year one of the things lacking from my life has been passion. Too many things have gone on and taken over and, I guess, kind of squelched the passion way down. But this is not what we created for - to be passionless. I read this just tonight and just had to share. "That wellspring of all that is good and pure and vital is placed within each ...

The past few months have quite literally been the toughest for me personally thus far in my journey on this earth. I have been a coward. I have been disobedient. I have tried to do things on my own. I have failed to listen. I have argued with God. I have whined (a lot) to God. I have had resentment over some things. I have wished things weren't this way. I have not spent time with God. I have not focused on Him. I have run at times. I have hidden at times. I have been weak. I have wanted to crawl in a hole. I have not made Him proud. But my Hero has spoken to me (and I actually listened!). He told me that he has not moved. He will uphold me and my family with his mighty right hand. He has shared with me that he is proving me genuine. In a sense, I am getting a skin graft. The old needed to come off and it has been very painful. The new is being put on and it is not without its pain as well. But in the end, it will be worth it. It will be new and living and use...

In June last year our whole world changed. Our son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It hasn't even been a year yet and our heads are still spinning from it all. Just yesterday, the hubbs and the boy had to leave a major church youth event because his blood sugar was over 500 and we couldn't get it down. Then he bottomed out once home. Then at 4 am this morning he was low again. Poor Cole, he had to get up twice with him, because I was worn out from working and then being at this youth event and my pregnant body is not getting the rest it needs these days. I am so tired and sick all the time. It's very tough this time around. So, since June it seems as everything has changed. Left job, left church, left school. I've felt alone. I have felt defeated. I have felt like a failure. I have felt like a loser. I have felt like the world's worst mom and wife. I have felt I was far from God. I have felt unsupported. I have felt uncared for. I have felt exhau...