Merry Christmas!!!

Hey everyone!!! Just wanted to tell you "Merry Christmas!" It's a very busy time for me, but who isn't busy right!!!??? :-D I don't have an aweful lot of time, but know that God has great things in store for all of us this coming year! We are always on His mind. Seek Him and always look to Him! Love to everyone!!!!

Aprill ;-)

Where is Fall?

Okay...I know it's been a while since you've heard from me...I know...I have the same old, age old excuse...Th-th-th-that's right...I've been busy.

Work is going really, really well. I continue to learn new things. Seems like every week there's a new challenge. I love it...really I do. God has prepared me for the exact time in history and brought into my life exactly what He wants me doing right now. Wow! That is such an amazing thought!

How's the weather where you are? It's suppose to be fall here in southern New Mexico, but it doesn't seem like it! I am wearing short sleeves and the other day I wore my sandals to work...but earlier in the week I thought I was going to freeze! That's weather in New Mexico for you!!! Wait five minutes and it will be different! :-) Oh well...Keeps us guessing!

The holidays are rapidly approaching aren't they!? Wow! Where has this year gone? They already have Christmas decorations in the store and music playing! It's not even Thanksgiving yet! But I do love this time of year! Can't wait to start decorating!!!! Yay!!!!

I know this is a rather random entry...but what can I say!!???

I went down to Dallas a few weeks ago and shared with the girls at EXCEL, sold my book and made many new friends! Wow! If any of you gals are reading this...Howdy from me!!! God was so awesome and did such a work in many hearts. I know that it was a divine appointment and I am so blessed and honored to have been given this opportunity to touch lives. I am also thankful for the exposure for my book. I know that God will get it into the hands of those He wants it...it's just that timing thing that I'm having a hard time with. (If that makes any sense!) Yes, sales are slow at the moment.......

My best friend is coming home for Thanksgiving!!!! Yeah!!! I cannot wait!!! She moved across the country in June and I haven't seen her since. We've had a lot of long telly conversations which are always a plus (one weekend we talked for a total of eight hours!!! not all at once though...but we were using our weekend minutes!!!!). :-) Can you tell I can't wait to see her!? We're going to be exchanging our birthday gifts....her's was in August and I just bought the gift today.....crazy I know.........

See, I told you this was a random entry....

Okay...well, I need to go...hope I didn't bore you too much....maybe I even made you laugh and that would be a good thing! If you haven't laughed yet....now would be a good time to do it. Did you know that laughter is the only exercise your liver gets!? Hee Hee!!!

Until later.....

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Have an awesome day today!!!
Aprill ;-)

Hey there!

Hey! Just wanted to say hello to everyone and let you know that I am still alive and counted among the living...just busy, busy, busy. :-) It rained here in southern New Mexico night before last and sure did...hold on a sec....think there's a bug crawling on my neck....ahhhhh!!!! :-D just a little bitty one though...black with wings...hmmmm....interesting...liked my shampoo maybe??? Anyway, about the rain...sure did enjoy it! And we needed it too. :-)

Okayyyyyyyyyyy....that all was really random and crazy...I am doing very very well. Coming up on my schedule though is my birthday this weekend!!! Not going to say how old though....it's easy for you to figure out.....and then coming towards the end of October I am going to be in Dallas, TX!!! I am going to get to share with the EXCEL girls down there and am really looking forward to it! I'll be there October 21-24. So, if you think about it, I would appreciate your prayers for me!

Guess I'll sign off for now....hopefully I will be able to keep this updated more and get a little more interactive too.

Would love to hear from you so drop me a line or two!!!
Love,
Aprill ;-)

What People are Saying...

"…Entertaining and heart-warming, inspiring and honest, sometimes painful and sometimes too funny, Life In the Single Lane should be recommended reading for everyone wrestling with yieldedness in any season of life.Another important point Aprill makes is the extraordinary power of God to transform and use ordinary people with apparently ordinary lives. Her chapter on being a Single of Service is a particular favorite. If she can persuade this generation of believing singles to harness their energy for purposeful service, it will transform the world as we know it."

- Susan Tsyitee

Christian Association of Parent Educators of New Mexico board member

* * *

"[Life In the Single Lane] is a good book that is needed nowadays for all the young women out there not knowing ‘what may be wrong with them.’ The message of the whole book, ‘…God supplies our needs, not our wants’ may be a hard lesson to learn. But we must also have faith. I encourage you to continue writing and developing your skill. This book makes a terrific addition to our collection."

- Mannie Salgado

Acting Library Director at the Alamogordo Public Library, Alamogordo, NM

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"Life in the Single Lane is like getting a long email from a friend. But it's really a new book by Aprill M. Brunson, 23-year-old self-proclaimed ‘Old Maid.’In a cheerful, casual manner, complete with email abbreviations and smiley faces, Aprill writes using the analogy of the highway of life. You can almost hear her laughter as she shares her hilarious perspective with her fellow old maids in the single lane. And at the end of each chapter she proclaims, "‘Take it straight from the Old Maid's mouth!’"

- Gretchen Glaser

Webmaster for Heartbeat of the Young Ladies Christian Fellowship (www.ylcf.com)

* * *

"Thank you for sending your book. I read half of it the day I got it and I’m sure when I pick it up again, I won’t want to put it down.
You look at life very much the way I do. Everything I have and have had has been given to me by God and our lives will go in whatever direction ‘He’ leads us.
May God bless you in the future as you walk the path of life with Him."

- Eva Reder
Twice a widow

Wow! God, You're Awesome!

Dear Friends,

Forgive me for being silent for so long. A lot has gone on in my life the last several months causing me to be very busy – who in this world is not busy (…hmmmm….).

Without further adieu, allow me to fill you in on the exciting events that have taken place!!!

No, I have not met a guy. (That’s what you were thinking weren’t you???) It’s not a man, but it is something very exciting and how can it not be with God in control and orchestrating everything! He is so incredibly awesome! I stand in awe at His faithfulness, loving care and tender dealings with this ol’ gal!

Since about the middle of February, beginning of March, I have felt that something in my situation would change – be it the coming of my man or a change of scenery in my current season of life. As the months ticked by, you can read my journal and see different times when the inner struggle of wanting something to change in my life and having contentment where God had me serving at the moment was strong. During these times I would claim the promise that God is in control, knew what was best for me and would carry out His perfect plan in His perfect timing. At times it was hard, but I held onto the truth that God sees the big picture and I only a small part of His plan for me. He would reveal what I needed to know when I needed to know…besides, He had to finish laying the groundwork for what He had in store.

Several times, the Lord brought Psalm 25:15 across my path, which says, "Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net." So I waited and kept my eyes on the Lord Jesus.

I couldn’t really see a whole lot of change in my situation for almost three months. During this time I had my eye on several opportunities of service – different ministries and such. I prayed and prayed about what God had, but continued to serve by taking care of my grandmother with Alzheimer’s Disease. She continued to go down hill, but like God being who He is, He sustained me.

The end of May there was a significant change in our situation with Grandma (my Mom and I had been a team for her care for the past fifteen months). She became more violent and out of control and so her children opted to place her in a home. Suddenly I found myself where I have been many times before – at a loss as to what God has for me. I prayed and prayed about my options and what He would have me to do. What’s next, Lord? But there were really no obvious open doors.

Little did I know (isn’t that always how it is?) that God had put me on the heart of a very special woman in my life. On April 22, four days, four days after grandma was put into a home, this Godly woman came up to me at church and asked if I was interested in serving in a different capacity in church with the tech ministry – at the time I was serving as a Greeter. I said I was and then she said that God had placed me on her heart and she had been praying for me for a month. (It always blesses me when God tells someone to pray for me and they do it, then tell me about it and I am totally caught off guard!) She then told me of a job/ministry opportunity that would be opening up in the church and was I interested. Isn’t God amazing!!!??? Had she approached me a week earlier what would I have said considering my position as caretaker with Grandma? God’s timing is always right on time!!!

To make a long story short, the Lord led me to apply for this position and wait on Him. It wouldn’t be until the end of June (27th) before I got a call to come in for an interview. (Two months after she talked to me!) I do, however, have to share with you how scared I was during that interview! I was shaking inside and continued to do so as I left the parking lot! I mean it, I don’t know what came over me, but my prospective boss was intimidating – nice as can be, but intimidating nonetheless! :-)

Four days later (what’s with the four day thing here???) I got a call and was asked if I would accept the job of being Pastor Crispin’s Assistant. Wow! Isn’t that amazing!!!??? Of course I said "Yes!" God opened the door clearly where He wanted me and then it was up to me to walk through it.

My first day at FAWC was July 5, 2005. In the weeks that followed my training and the ones that continue to simply fly by, I am so excited and so blessed by what God is doing in my life. I absolutely love my job and love the wonderful people I get to work with and work for. Let me tell you, Pastor is not intimidating to me anymore. He is a wonderful, Godly man who has a huge heart and loves to be about the Father’s business. It’s such an incredible thing for me to have this opportunity to be a part of furthering God’s kingdom in this way. Wow! Isn’t God awesome!? :-)

I continue to learn new things every day and it’s always so amazing to me to see how that all the things I’ve done leading up to this point have prepared me for this task. Isn’t that always the way it is? I mean I talk it all the time and believe it with all my heart, it’s just when God does something so awesome and so incredible and proves Himself true to His Word and His character, I stand in awe of How awesome He is. I just love it when God reveals Himself to me in such incredible ways. My love for Him truly grows more and more each day. Now I don’t always react to His love for me in the way that I should, but He’s always there waiting when I get my head back on straight and run into His loving embrace.

Listen to something encouraging I read the other day:

"It is amazing how patient God is in preparing her for her destiny. He knows how long it takes. He knows whom to send into her life. He knows what events it will take to bring her to a place of maturity in Him. He is emphatically her Lord." (T.D. Jakes)

Isn’t that cool!!!???

I’m sitting by my open window as I write this. It’s a cloudy, drizzling day. The rain has been very light yet steady for several hours now – something rare for the desert. It’s peaceful and still. Calm and soothing. And isn’t that just like our God? Sometimes He seems slow in carrying out His plan for our lives, yet it’s according to His steady and complete timing. He pours Himself out upon our dry parched hearts. His work and love is peaceful, calm and soothing. But we have to allow Him to do that work, to pour into our hearts His peace and love. We have to be open to what He has for us and trust Him with everything.

So be encouraged, my friends! Trust God completely with your life and watch what awesome things He will do! And as always, I would love to hear what He’s doing in your life! May you be blessed and enriched by His unique and awesome work in your life!

"Be still, and know that I am God…"
Psalm 46:10

The Man on His Way

As single women, we have the advantage and opportunity to think about the kind of man that we want to marry. We cannot change any man after we’re married (only the Lord can change someone), so what we see is what we get. Therefore, let’s be sure that we don’t rush into something or accept someone less than God’s best. I know I talk about this in my book Life In the Single Lane, but I came across something the other day that adds to what I say in the chapters "Setting Your Sights High" and "Thinking Ahead" – that we should set our sights high in regards to the character and integrity of the man and also think about the compatibility of our principles, convictions, etc. Here’s what I read:

"When Adam was introduced to Eve, he was a man on his way. She was to add to him, accessorize him. She was to be a ‘help meet’ to him. But you cannot help someone who isn’t on his way!" (T.D. Jakes)

If we marry a man who doesn’t know where he’s going or what God is calling him to, how will we be a "help meet" to him? Are we going to help him wonder around? Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be sarcastic or degrading to any man who doesn’t know where God is leading him at this point in his life. Everyone’s circumstance is different, as is God’s plan for each of us. However, I personally would rather marry a man who knows where he’s going and is already heading there.

For example, when I marry, my desire is for my husband and I to be in some sort of ministry for the Lord together. I serve the Lord and do His work while I’m single, so why would that all stop once I become one of the "Un-Single"? I don’t want the normal "nine-to-five," go to work, come home mentality, but instead actively serving the Lord together in some capacity. I don’t want to marry a man who has no vision where I would have to drag him along into some sort of ministry. That wouldn’t be right. I am not to lead, but follow and be his "help meet." But if he doesn’t have somewhere that he’s going, how can I help him get there? Anyone can get nowhere with no one’s help.

I want to "add" to my "on his way" Mr. Junior Right, how about you?

"Action!"

Ever ask yourself the question, "Why is it taking so long to bring this guy around?" I know, I know, crazy question to be asking single gals…but humor me. J I personally have asked that question once…or twice…or something. It is all about God’s perfect and truly impeccable timing, but in our human thinking and human desires, we want it to happen "now." [Do I hear any "Amen’s"!?] We know it all in our heads and we’re doing our best to have the faith and trust and rest in the Lord, but let’s face it – it’s HARD!!!

Well, hold onto your hats, because I read something the other day that just plain knocked my socks off and I hope it will be as encouraging to you. In one of his books, T.D. Jakes eloquently describes the timeline of when Eve was brought to Adam. I think it can be applied to us single gals in waiting for our Mr. Junior Right. He said this:

"She was reserved and held until all things were in place and the stage had been set. She steps onto the stage only when every prop had been carefully contemplated by a God who cares enough to give the very best and is rhythmic enough to know the timing that is required to bring her forward in step with all that he had created."

Isn’t that beautiful!? We’re being reserved until the exact moment when the stage is set, everything and everyone is in place and God calls "Action!" Wow! Isn’t that exciting!?

Of course, while we’re in our season of being single, we’re not just back stage behind the door marked "Star" putting on our make-up, dressing in the most beautiful gown ever seen or styling our hair in the most elegant way, making sure we look our absolute best. We should be busily serving the Director in every role He casts us in. We’re never idle, but always working faithfully doing what He calls us to right now, right here, today. But it is fun and exciting to think about all the behind-the-scenes work He’s doing to get the stage set for our next season premiere!

Remember – let God write and direct your story, it will win the Academy Award, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress!

"God Knows Just What We Need"

I recieved this story via e-mail from a friend of mine. I thought it was very good and just goes to show us that God does have a plan and a lot of the time it's not quite what we expect, but it is the very best plan! So don't be afraid to trust God! He has awesome things in store for each one of us!

"A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a
fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter.

Upon returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter. She didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do.

The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door." The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." So she bowed her head and askedGod to send her some help.

Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.

The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"

He said, "Sure". He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened.
She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank You So Much! You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison yesterday. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out less than 24 hours."

The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, "Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional!"

God may not always send us what we expect, but He will always send us what we need. It's up to us to have the wisdom to recognize the difference and be thankful."

-- Author Unknown

An Alarm Clock, A Dome Light and the Lord

Don’t you love it when God cares about the little things in life? We care about them, but why would almighty God be concerned if little ol’ Aprill’s alarm clock goes off? Or even that her car dome light was on all night and her battery is probably dead but she needs to be somewhere in half an hour and who is she going to call to give her a jump at this hour in the morning? But God does care even about the little things. When they are important to us, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, they are important to Him as well. Isn’t that awesome!? I am soooo glad! And it’s neat how God does something great in our little lives because He loves us but also to give us the opportunity to praise Him. But we do have a choice and can simply brush it off as coincidence or credit it to chance, but when we do that, we rob God of His glory. So let’s remember to give God all the praise, all the glory and all the honor He so deserves – because He is always working!!!

I was staying the weekend at my grandparent’s house while they were out of town, but needed to be back at work (my other grandma’s) by seven o’clock Monday morning. I set my alarm the night before so that I would have plenty of time to get ready, load the car and leave the house as I found it.

The next morning I woke up and looked at my alarm clock and it was past time to get up! For some reason it didn’t go off. The A.M. and P.M. were wrong, but they were opposite so it should have went off. The strange thing about it too was that Sunday morning it went off and the only thing I had changed the night before was the minutes. I don’t know what happened but I thanked the Lord as I jumped out of bed and rushed around to make it in time.

I was carrying my bags out to the car when I saw that my dome light was on. Great. It had been on all night! I prayed and then asked who I was going to call to come give me a jump! I set my bags down with my heart in agony (I had to be in town by seven – it was vital and no room for being late) and rushed to the driver’s seat. I pleaded in earnest as I put the key in ignition and turned…..

It started – with no problem! Wow! Thank You, Lord! I praised God the entire way into town and made it on time with even time to spare! Isn’t God incredible!? There is no doubt in my mind that God hears when we cry out to Him – no matter what we’re crying out to Him about. Woowhoo!!! Praise the Lord! So the next time something "small" happens in your life, give credit where credit is due – the Lord! :-)