What have you asked for lately?

An old 80s song "What have you done for me lately?" has been the one liner in my head since watching Facing the Giants last Friday night. I know, I know, not the most "spiritual" song but when you look at it as "What have you asked for lately?" as a question from God it takes a new meaning. How did I get there you asked? Well, I'm glad you did.

In watching Facing the Giants, it reminded me how big God is. Sometimes I do not think we, as human beings, truly understand that. So, in watching the football team make it to the state championship, the football coach receiving a new truck, and being blessed after 3 miscarriages to have a baby. Whew, what can God not do? Well, I've yet to find an answer to that question.

At the end of Facing the Giants there is a saying "With God all things are possible." As I watched the movie end, I began to think of all the things that are facing the Youngkins' going into the new year more specifically myself and I thought maybe I should write about this, how things are possible but I chose not to.

So, after attending church yesterday morning, the pastor's message was about setting goals for the 2009 year and to be honest, I'm not a big one on New Year's resolutions because most are not followed through but yet throughout the sermon I could hear "What have you not asked me for?" At the end of the sermon, we were asked to focus on what God was speaking to our hearts and to make a commitment to it for the 2009 year.

I know God has moved in my life as well as my family's the past few years but I think I have been most in tune with it this past year. Let me just share a recap of our year and I almost can't wait until the end to tell you about this upcoming year.

In January, I was working a full-time very stressful job. We lost our cat, Tagg, at the end of January. February was hectic with my work and even more stressful. In March I lost my job and felt the most peace I have ever felt on that particular day. The next day I hit the ground running to make transcription a career.

April brought my nephew, Bryant, into the world. May was kind of quiet but quite busy and entering June was a whirlwind. In June, we made a trip to see my husband's grandfather in Atlanta and then his grandfather passed. So we got things together to go to Phoenix and in the midst of getting ready, our son was getting sick. While in Phoenix we ended up twice in the doctor's office and in pediatrics ER when we got back. Grey was sick for almost 30 days with a horrible gastroenteritis virus.

Things settled down and then August came. Monet, our youngest dog, became sick and required an ER visit and stayed on drugs for the next few months. September was a great but very busy month as well as October.

As holidays approached, we were quite blessed and on November 18th, we had our third loss for the year, our beloved Monet. The death of Monet was not only hard for us but explaining to our son and transitioning our other three dogs with the lost of their companion.

December came Christmas and our first Christmas without Tagg or Monet but Santa's first visit to the Youngkin household. After Christmas, came another issue with our oldest dog, Venus. Back in August we had noticed a lump and decided to wait on it because Monet needed care, well, now the lump had grown and we took her in. It is cancerous and will require surgery for removal. After that we will know the extent of cancer and how to proceed.

So to say, 2008 was a hard year. Yes it was but not as bad as it could be and in each one of these situations, God has provided for us either emotionally or financially.

To be honest, I cannot recall specifically asking God to move in any of those situations and watching Facing the Giants and hearing the sermon this past weekend moved me. I felt God pointing out to me all the these things from 2008 that He had done for me, for my family, and I haven't even asked and then I heard it as clear as I'm typing this blog.

Why haven't you asked me? If you think I'm so great and you tell others about me, why haven't you asked?

I have felt stumped about that the last few days because I talk about how God has provided and how you can trust Him. Yet, in my own walk, I have not asked him for specific things.

So publicly here are a few things I'm asking for this year. I know God is BIG and He is faithful as He has shown over the past year but I'm so excited about this year because I'm placing things in His hands specifically to see what great work He will do.

So in all this, please do not take away that I am some special person that deserves all this because I do not. I ask for forgiveness daily just like anyone else and God has made me one of His own and I am totally indebted to Him for that.

I would pose to you................................What have you asked God for lately?