Thankful for the Journey!

Some days on this journey, I have to ask myself, "Alicia, have you done the most important thing today?" Have you spent time with Jesus today?  Have you bowed your head in prayer and thanked Him for the blessings in life?  The realization comes, I can't do life without Jesus: Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.  Here's the real truth, I don't want to.

In the not too distant future we will ring in a new year.  We will all make resolutions to be better people, loose weight, become better at organization/time management.  In 2014 my biggest resolution is to continue to enjoy the journey He has me on.  I love spending time with God.  It's the most important part of my day.  If I don't spend time in His Word and prayer, the day is a nightmare.

In 2014 I want to run and follow hard after Christ!  I want to be so hungry for God that the passion wells up in me and that I can feel Him even closer than before.  I desire more than anything to point others to Jesus and His word. There's nothing else that matters more to me.

2014  will have it's mountains and valleys. Having Jesus as my guide through the journey will make it ever so sweet!

It is my sincerest prayer and wish for you that in 2014 that Jesus makes Himself ever so real to you and that you too will run and follow hard after Him!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark

A sweet smelling savor! Living Wonder Struck

It is no secret that I am HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE with my husband!  You see, we've been married for 14 years!  I've been reading a new book by Sharon Jaynes called "Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe."  This is a MUST HAVE book for wives everywhere!  I confess that I got all choked up praying for him this morning.  Sure, I'd prayed for him before but not like this.

The other day I was in the kitchen and He was baking his famous ginger snap cookies that are to die for.  I said, "Honey, the whole house smells Heavenly."  He just smiled.  He let me have a cookie and it was simply divine.  Then the Holy Spirit whispered, "I want your life to be just like those cookies, a sweet smelling savor for me."

I am WONDER STRUCK by the mere fact that Jesus gave me Sean Roark for my husband!  He's truly a sweet, humble guy who truly has a servant's heart!  He'd give you the shirt off of his back.  He's 6 feet tall with blonde hair and blue eyes!  He is jolly and we both happen to be morning people!  It's really fun at our house around 7 a.m.!  Stay with me...I am going somewhere with this.

Even more than that, is the fact that Jesus Christ is a morning person, evening person, and night person.  He doesn't sleep or slumber.  Above all else, I want to please him in all that I do as a wife, woman in ministry, and a person in the workplace.

So as in the words of my sweet friend Margaret Feinberg, I double dog dare you to encourage your husband today, pray for him today and show him the love that only comes from Christ!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark

A Season for Hugs! Living Wonder Struck

Let me tell you, I LOVE hugs!  I"m a hugger!  Well, never did I know the very place that I work (which I consider my mission field) would turn into a hugging adventure!  Sit back and relax as I tell you about a Wonder Struck moment that happened not so many weeks ago!

I was new to my position.  Laterally promoted to a department with 99% men.  All burly and masculine they would say hi to me.  So, I began to pray that God would break down the barriers for me to just show them love one day.  It was a Monday afternoon, and I was about to go home.  One of the guys, (I'll call him Sam to protect his identity) said, Mrs. Alicia can I ask you a question?  I said, "Sure, ask away, I may not have the right answer but I'll get you one.  He said, "Can I give you a hug?"  I said Sure!  This guy stands around 6 ft 2 and weighs about 350 lbs.  I gave Sam a hug and he said, "Thanks Mrs. Alicia, I needed a hug today, but I normally don't hug anybody."  I left work that night and told my husband. He said, "This is your mission field and God is answering your prayers and opening people up."

The next day at work I saw Sam and He greeted me and smiled!  I worked my shift and at the end of it another guy (I'll call him Joe) came to me and said, "I saw you hug Sam yesterday, can I have a hug too?"  Sure, I said!  Well, it didn't take long and one by one these masculine guys let down their guard and one by one eventually asked me for a hug!  Now, every day before I leave, they have to have a hug!

You see love is a universal language!  It doesn't take much to show God's love to people.  Eventually, those same guys began to ask more questions about who I am outside of work.  Then came the question, "Will you pray for me?!"  Guess, what, I told them I would pray for them!  It's an honor and priviledge to pray for them.

One day one of the guys was going through something difficult and asked to speak to me.  We went to the break room.  In that little bitty room this guy broke down and let me into his world.  He told me about heartaches, pains, and struggles of his life.  He literally buried himself in my shoulder and cried like a baby.  He said, "Mrs. ALicia, you show us all love every day.  I've never felt love like this before."  I said, "It's God's love inside me and it's Him that I desire to reflect every day."  He said, "Mrs. Alicia, I know you're married, but I mean this in a business and friendly way, I love you.  Thank you for showing us all love at work."

I'm not a perfect person but this scenario left me Wonder Struck to watch these young men break down and ask for a hug and trust me enough with their deepest issues of life.  Those issues I take before the throne of God.

Divine appointment too can come in the form of a hug!  Be ready!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark

Hungry for God-Living Wonder Struck

Just less than 48 hours ago, it hit me.  I had a stomach issue and I felt HORRIBLE.  My precious husband sat up with me practically the entire night.  At one point he said, "Honey, why don't you try the crystalized ginger by your bed."  I groaned.  He said, "You don't have to if you don't want to, but it might settle your stomach."  I ignored his suggestion and well by ignoring his suggestion, the waves of sickness kept coming until I was in so much misery and discomfort that I finally gave in."  I started to suck on the crystalized ginger and wah lah...I quit getting sick.  I FINALLY fell asleep.   When I woke up the next morning he asked "Are you hungry?"  I said, "No, not at all."  He had gone out and gotten me some soup and ginger ale.  I sipped on ginger ale and just chilled out.

Later on that evening hunger hit.  I nursed soup along and then had 2 oranges.  I felt like I could eat everything in sight.  I was HUNGRY.

Yesterday I received my Christmas gift to myself, another book from my favorite author, Margaret Feinberg!  It's called Hungry for God.  Now I've just cracked it open this morning for a tad, but there's one thing the Holy Spirit spoke to me.  Alicia, just like your appetite came back with a roaring force,  I hope you hunger for me like that every day.  You see, in order to survive spiritually, I need God; God's WOrd, the Holy Spirit's guidance.  If I go one day without reading HIs Word, it's distaster.  Such a day happened on Monday.  I didn't read my Bible and OH MY.  The events of that day are now behind me but I had the WORST Monday I'd ever had.  My attitude stunk, I was unhappy, and I wasn't productive.  All because I starved my spirit.

Are you hungry for God?  I would like to encourage you to read His Word daily and therefore keeping your spiritual body full!

May God bless you and keep you today!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark

God Came Down to Man!

I know I've been talking lots about Jesus' Birth lately.  Yesterday, my Pastor preached on Jesus' birth but yesterday was different.  It left me Wonder Struck like never before.  I'd forgotten a few important pieces of information of this annual sermon.  Yesterday was God's way of answering a prayer I'd prayed recently to have His Word become alive to me and to let this year's Christmas Story become new in my heart.

I could make the attempt to tell you about yesterday's sermon, but I'm gonna put the link here and let you listen.  Grab a hot cup of coffee, a Bible, a highlighter, some tissue (because even my Pastor got choked up in his sermon) and a heart that's ready to hear the Christmas Story like never before.

Go to yorkriver.org then click on sermons then click on the sermon titled "God Came Down to Man"
I"m asking you to please listen.  It will bless you.

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark

Do you have room for Jesus?

There are now 20 days until we celebrate Jesus' birthday!  As I've been reading my bible lately, over and over again I'm reminded of the lowly place where He was born.  I'm sure Mary and Joseph were exhausted from the journey and then to find out there was no place for Him to be born?

Here in America this time of year we have our Christmas lists, grocery lists, and to-do lists.  I would like to pose a question today?  Do you have room for Jesus?  Are your lists so full that He has no place?  I would like to encourage you to make a room in your home where you and He can meet.  I meet with Jesus in my bedroom.  I close the door, hop on my bed, and pray, read the Bible and spend time with Him.  You see, when your heart and Home have room for Jesus your lists suddenly seem to get taken care of.  They seem less insurmountable.

You might say, well, if I start having a quiet time, I wouldn't know where to begin.  Here are just a few resources that I use almost daily in my quiet time:

1)  www.girlfriendsingod.com (devotional)
2)  www.margaretfeinberg.com (blog/devotion)

Another good one is:  www.crosswalk.com

Starting is the important part!  Do you have room for Jesus?!!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark