I can't believe that it has been 9 days since I last posted. I usually have so much to say. Every time I thought about writing something, it just didn't seem like the right time. Now, it is the right time.
This past week has been quite a busy one, it seems. Today we had quite a few storms throughout the state. I must confess that I am not the least bit a fan of bad weather. I do okay with a little light rain. But when the weather channel starts talking about tornadoes and such, I can just feel my skin crawl.
When we talk about storms, we think of the ones that come hidden in dark clouds raring their ugly heads with bolts of lightning. But those are not the only storms. A dear friend of mine was whirled into a massive storm Tuesday. It started with a phone call. My friend was on her way to work in New Orleans when the phone rang. Her daughter had been in a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler dump truck. They couldn't tell her what condition her daughter was in. My friend immediately started to cry, scream, yell, and call out to God. Thankfully, my friend knows how to battle the storms. She's already had to do that just 16 months ago tomorrow when her 16 year old daughter was killed in a car wreck on Christmas day. She called out to our Lord. Within a few hours, thousands of people were praying for my friend, her family and her daughter. Her daughter suffered a broken arm and her neck was broken in two places. All of the praise be to our God, because she was able to go home yesterday. It looks as though her neck should heal itself and they are waiting to find out what needs to be done next week on her arm. Now tell me, after reading that, that God doesn't still perform miracles! Wow! He most certainly does!
I'm still doing a slow process of healing around here. I have to say that this surgery has made every attempt to get the best of me. I went back to the doctor Wednesday. The hysterectomy aspect is healing fine, but there are a few complications from the bladder surgery. The pain is getting worse at times, but I still know that God is watching over me and is going to completely heal me. I just need to learn a little better how to ask for help. I have always had the attitude of "If I have to ask someone to do what they can see needs to be done, then I would rather just do it myself." Not the right kind of attitude to have at all, especially when you are recovering from surgery. Every time I think I have this pride thing conquered, something else comes along! God is such an excellent teacher, isn't He?!
I have felt as though it has been Christmas around here the past few days. A friend sent me a stack of Karen Kingsbury books. I can't wait to read them. He also included 2 other books. One is a daily devotional called "Jesus Calling" and the other is a little book on evangelism called "Secret to an Open Door". I am already halfway through with that one and I can already see that I will be reading it over and over. It is definitely a treasure. It is on my top 10 books to recommend!
We are supposed to go look at an RV sometime this weekend, if possible. A friend of ours found it and everything sounds good about it. But it is definitely in God's hands and many prayers are being said before our eyes are even going to be laid on it. I am so excited about what God is doing in our lives. Every day is a new learning experience with Him.
The mid-part of the week brought another learning experience to me. I have a few friends on Facebook that it seems it is apparent that they are not fans of one another. Both are Christians, but it seemed as though one was just way too abrasive and harsh. The words that he spoke and typed were reeked with condemnation. I found myself getting angry with him for how he was acting. Then, all of a sudden, the mirror surfaced and I didn't care for what I saw at all. Slowly, I was being pulled into the same attitude towards him. Thankfully, God threw that mirror in front of my face and I was able to see clearly what was happening. I was able to talk at length with that friend later on and share with him one of the things that I feel is so important: Above all, put on love. Colossians 3 tells us the rules for holy living. Colossians 3:14 tells us "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Another lesson that I learned this week through this quarrel was the fact that we are not supposed to quarrel. 2 Timothy 2 tells of a workman approved by God. Verse 24 tells us that "The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." I feel that he and I both learned a little this week. I sure hope so. It's all about God. And God is love. We have to deal with situations in a way that is pleasing to our Father. It's not about our anger or our hurt feelings. Every day there will come situations upon us that we do not agree with or support. But how we deal with those situations is the defining point. We must handle ourselves in a Christ-like manner. Once again, God is an excellent teacher.
Every day, there will be a storm. Trials are storms. Temptations are storms. Life on this earth is a storm. But through each and every one of those storms, we have a bright shining light just waiting to shine through. Our God is watching over us, waiting to throw out that rainbow telling us that all is well. Can you see it?
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Stopping to Smell the Roses
On any path that we are on, we have to take time to stop to smell the roses. Basically, God doesn't want us on a journey where we don't take the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the wonderful gifts that He has given us. And oh my! With spring here, His gifts are certainly in full bloom.
He has given us so many other roses, too. Not in the form of flowers, but in other things...your child dancing in the sunshine, the funny way your spouse looks at you in the morning when your hair is a mess, the phone call from a friend who just wanted to touch base with you to see how you were feeling today. Those are just a very few of His amazing gifts. Being able to realize those gifts can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.
Depression is the ultimate way to have His gifts concealed from us. I can speak of what depression is because I have battled it for over 12 years now. Even those who are absolutely in love with our Father can still suffer from depression. It is not something that we can avoid just because we want to. We have to learn to let God pull us out of it. If we can't do that, then we have to learn other ways to do so. Some take medicine. Some just force themselves to go on, perhaps finding something to occupy their minds in order to forget the negativity. I believe with all of my heart that depression is satan's way of destroying a fragile mind. He has done that with two of my cousins already. He has tried to do it with me. I'm determined that I won't let him do it, though. I wish that I could have given my cousins some of that determination.
Family is definitely one of God's gifts that we tend to really take for granted. I realized that more than ever today. I was surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins that I haven't seen in years. It was so wonderful to see them. I had really missed them. But we gathered at a funeral. I don't want the next time we all get together like that again to be at a funeral. We stopped having family reunions years ago, probably because we were all busy with our lives and didn't want to take the time out for family that we didn't see all of the time. Quite a few of us today remarked how it was sad that we were all gathered as we were and it had to take a funeral to get us all together. I pray that my dear cousin's death will at least bring the realization to my family that we need to gather together more often. I will definitely be planning a reunion this year. I hope that we are all able to attend. We need family. Our family needs us.
One gift that we receive every day is forgiveness. Yet, with receiving that gift, we fail to give it to others. We EXPECT God to forgive us for anything. And He pretty much does. Yet, we can't forgive someone for saying something ugly to us or for not behaving in a way that we expected them to do so. How dare we?! We get our feelings hurt all of the time and get mad about it. Our spouses may do something to break our trust and we never forgive them for it. But isn't it funny how with ALL of the bad things that we have done in the past, we expect God to forgive us, and yet we refuse to extend that courtesy to others. A couple we know who had managed to survive a troubled marriage said to us in our Love Dare class "We don't choose to forget, we choose not to remember." I like that. It is hard to forget things. But we can most definitely choose not to remember them. We choose whether or not we are going to dwell in the past or move forward into the future.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Tonight, as you get ready to go to sleep, I pray that you are blessed with God's hand touching you and releasing you from the past. I pray that you are open and eager for His blessing.
I hope that you have had an incredibly blessed day. And I pray blessings over you so that you may slow down and stop to smell the roses.
He has given us so many other roses, too. Not in the form of flowers, but in other things...your child dancing in the sunshine, the funny way your spouse looks at you in the morning when your hair is a mess, the phone call from a friend who just wanted to touch base with you to see how you were feeling today. Those are just a very few of His amazing gifts. Being able to realize those gifts can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.
Depression is the ultimate way to have His gifts concealed from us. I can speak of what depression is because I have battled it for over 12 years now. Even those who are absolutely in love with our Father can still suffer from depression. It is not something that we can avoid just because we want to. We have to learn to let God pull us out of it. If we can't do that, then we have to learn other ways to do so. Some take medicine. Some just force themselves to go on, perhaps finding something to occupy their minds in order to forget the negativity. I believe with all of my heart that depression is satan's way of destroying a fragile mind. He has done that with two of my cousins already. He has tried to do it with me. I'm determined that I won't let him do it, though. I wish that I could have given my cousins some of that determination.
Family is definitely one of God's gifts that we tend to really take for granted. I realized that more than ever today. I was surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins that I haven't seen in years. It was so wonderful to see them. I had really missed them. But we gathered at a funeral. I don't want the next time we all get together like that again to be at a funeral. We stopped having family reunions years ago, probably because we were all busy with our lives and didn't want to take the time out for family that we didn't see all of the time. Quite a few of us today remarked how it was sad that we were all gathered as we were and it had to take a funeral to get us all together. I pray that my dear cousin's death will at least bring the realization to my family that we need to gather together more often. I will definitely be planning a reunion this year. I hope that we are all able to attend. We need family. Our family needs us.
One gift that we receive every day is forgiveness. Yet, with receiving that gift, we fail to give it to others. We EXPECT God to forgive us for anything. And He pretty much does. Yet, we can't forgive someone for saying something ugly to us or for not behaving in a way that we expected them to do so. How dare we?! We get our feelings hurt all of the time and get mad about it. Our spouses may do something to break our trust and we never forgive them for it. But isn't it funny how with ALL of the bad things that we have done in the past, we expect God to forgive us, and yet we refuse to extend that courtesy to others. A couple we know who had managed to survive a troubled marriage said to us in our Love Dare class "We don't choose to forget, we choose not to remember." I like that. It is hard to forget things. But we can most definitely choose not to remember them. We choose whether or not we are going to dwell in the past or move forward into the future.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Tonight, as you get ready to go to sleep, I pray that you are blessed with God's hand touching you and releasing you from the past. I pray that you are open and eager for His blessing.
I hope that you have had an incredibly blessed day. And I pray blessings over you so that you may slow down and stop to smell the roses.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Window Shopping
I got out of the house today and went RV window shopping with our dear friend, Mr. Phil. I'm not planning on buying because I have no means to do so at this time. However, I feel that I need to be prepared in what we are about to face. And I am a firm believer of praying specific prayers. One of the first things that I learned is to make sure to pray for a bathroom that has a toilet on the OUTSIDE of the tub! I just don't think I am comfortable at all with a toilet being on the inside of my tub. So that is specific prayer #1.
The little place we went had around 10 or so campers set up. They ranged in price from $6,500 (A FEMA handicapped trailer) up to $35,000 (Camper of my dreams that I am not even going to bother asking for! YIKES). There was a really nice one that came in at $9,000. The master bedroom was separate and it had a separate bedroom for the boys. I like that. I want the boys to have their own space, if possible. I believe that will help them in the transition. You may ask what was wrong with the FEMA trailer. Well, it had only one bed in it. Specific prayer #2 is two bedrooms. I like my children, but I don't want us all in the same bed. And it also did not have holding tanks. This means that we would always have to park in a travel park. This may not always be an option and we need to be prepared for it. So that is specific prayer #3.
I'm not so much picky about anything else. The rest will fall into place. I do know that there are many other options out there price wise, and that is an encouragement. It just takes looking around, talking about it, asking if anyone knows anyone selling one, and doing research. That is all part of the planning aspect. I do know that we need to have the RV lined up before we sell the house. I just feel more comfortable knowing that a place to go is secured. That is specific prayer #4. God is good and I know that in our obedience, He is going to provide what we need, not necessarily what we want, but always what we need. One of my favorite passages is Luke 12:6-7 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." He WILL provide and look after us.
I shared our journey with our Pastor's wife tonight. I think she was as excited as we are. She is such a precious woman. I think a lot of her and it means a lot to me to have her excited about what we are doing. I shared with a few more people that sort of looked at me like we were nuts! That's funny. It does sound sort of nuts to want to sell everything you own and pack up into an RV with two boys and travel the country depending solely on sponsors, churches, and God. That's what faith is, though. We have known for over a year that we would eventually be doing this. Now, God is telling us it is time. We trust Him and choose to be obedient to Him. Just think of all of the people in the Bible who were considered nuts! I'm very thankful that Noah chose to listen to God instead of the people. Aren't you?
It's about time to wind up another beautiful day. I hope that your day has been incredible. If not, I pray blessings over you for an absolutely amazing day tomorrow. Seize the day for what it is - a gift from God. Make tomorrow your day to share God's love. Someone you will encounter will desperately need it.
Many blessings!
The little place we went had around 10 or so campers set up. They ranged in price from $6,500 (A FEMA handicapped trailer) up to $35,000 (Camper of my dreams that I am not even going to bother asking for! YIKES). There was a really nice one that came in at $9,000. The master bedroom was separate and it had a separate bedroom for the boys. I like that. I want the boys to have their own space, if possible. I believe that will help them in the transition. You may ask what was wrong with the FEMA trailer. Well, it had only one bed in it. Specific prayer #2 is two bedrooms. I like my children, but I don't want us all in the same bed. And it also did not have holding tanks. This means that we would always have to park in a travel park. This may not always be an option and we need to be prepared for it. So that is specific prayer #3.
I'm not so much picky about anything else. The rest will fall into place. I do know that there are many other options out there price wise, and that is an encouragement. It just takes looking around, talking about it, asking if anyone knows anyone selling one, and doing research. That is all part of the planning aspect. I do know that we need to have the RV lined up before we sell the house. I just feel more comfortable knowing that a place to go is secured. That is specific prayer #4. God is good and I know that in our obedience, He is going to provide what we need, not necessarily what we want, but always what we need. One of my favorite passages is Luke 12:6-7 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." He WILL provide and look after us.
I shared our journey with our Pastor's wife tonight. I think she was as excited as we are. She is such a precious woman. I think a lot of her and it means a lot to me to have her excited about what we are doing. I shared with a few more people that sort of looked at me like we were nuts! That's funny. It does sound sort of nuts to want to sell everything you own and pack up into an RV with two boys and travel the country depending solely on sponsors, churches, and God. That's what faith is, though. We have known for over a year that we would eventually be doing this. Now, God is telling us it is time. We trust Him and choose to be obedient to Him. Just think of all of the people in the Bible who were considered nuts! I'm very thankful that Noah chose to listen to God instead of the people. Aren't you?
It's about time to wind up another beautiful day. I hope that your day has been incredible. If not, I pray blessings over you for an absolutely amazing day tomorrow. Seize the day for what it is - a gift from God. Make tomorrow your day to share God's love. Someone you will encounter will desperately need it.
Many blessings!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Donkeys Lead the Way
We brought our first donkey, Bobo, out to the farm here almost 4 years ago. Ginny and Lulu followed shortly afterward. And to pull up the lead, Blackjack was born June 2008. We have really enjoyed having them here. Even with having to fix the fence in the middle of the night, walk them home from way up the road, and daily throwing hay to make sure they are nourished, they have been enjoyed. But I can't see trying to leave on a missions journey on the back of four donkeys. Not really the way that I would like to travel. I misted up as they left, but I knew it was God letting the donkeys lead the way. His path is opening up and it is just another part of the process of getting there. They will hold a special place in our heart.
It has been a long week here, already. My daddy's 82nd birthday was Sunday. Wow! I hope that I have just half of his energy when I am his age. He still works full-time cutting hair, on his feet all day. He is a good man. I am proud to call him my daddy.
What started as a good week with my daddy's birthday, quickly went a little darker. I got the phone call late Sunday evening to pray for one of my cousins. She passed away later that night. It was suicide. My family had lost another cousin to suicide, just a few days before my daughter died. What a sad way to go. It really breaks my heart. I know now that when you are at that darkest place, satan attacks you full force. He knows the weakness of our minds and dwells in there if we allow it. Depression is something that haunts my family and that can be a scary thing. Without a faith in God and the strength to rely on Him and allow Him to pull you out of the depression, there doesn't seem any hope at all. I hate seeing the heartbreak that it leads behind. It makes me even more passionate about finding the ones that are hurting and leading them to this awesome fellowship with Christ.
I know that God is steadily lining things up and teaching me. I received an email today from someone who is contemplating suicide. She feels as though that may be her only option. She has sought out my trust and prayers. I am thankful for that. I pray that God will use me and give me the words that He wants me to say to her. I know what depression is like and I want to help her learn how to pull herself out of it. But first, she has to learn to reach out to God.
There is death. A beautiful little girl in the community was killed this week in a tragic accident. I'm not sure that her parents are believers at all. I know how hard it is to survive losing a child, knowing that God has a plan. I can't imagine losing a child without that knowledge. A friend from church gave my number to her brother-in-law and told him to make sure that she calls me. I pray that God gives me the right words at that time, too.
There is life. A precious little boy was delivered Sunday out in California. He has spina bifida and underwent corrective surgery today. Things are looking good. His family has a strong belief in God as our Master Healer. I am so glad to know that this is the walk that they are on. Having God at our side certainly makes the journey easier.
My passion is increased by seeing the people who are suffering without God in their lives. I pray that I am able to show God's love and speak the words He wants spoken in order to lead them to Him. Gaining His eyes makes your heart even more passionate to the mission.
I hope that you have had an amazing day. I have. Every day is amazing to me because I am blessed with another opportunity to do my Father's work. And my, what work He has in store for me! It's going to be a busy few months, I imagine.
Have a blessed night tonight. As you lie down on the pillow, close your eyes, and feel God wrap His arms around you. If you are quite enough, I'll bet you can hear Him sing you to sleep!
Be Blessed!
It has been a long week here, already. My daddy's 82nd birthday was Sunday. Wow! I hope that I have just half of his energy when I am his age. He still works full-time cutting hair, on his feet all day. He is a good man. I am proud to call him my daddy.
What started as a good week with my daddy's birthday, quickly went a little darker. I got the phone call late Sunday evening to pray for one of my cousins. She passed away later that night. It was suicide. My family had lost another cousin to suicide, just a few days before my daughter died. What a sad way to go. It really breaks my heart. I know now that when you are at that darkest place, satan attacks you full force. He knows the weakness of our minds and dwells in there if we allow it. Depression is something that haunts my family and that can be a scary thing. Without a faith in God and the strength to rely on Him and allow Him to pull you out of the depression, there doesn't seem any hope at all. I hate seeing the heartbreak that it leads behind. It makes me even more passionate about finding the ones that are hurting and leading them to this awesome fellowship with Christ.
I know that God is steadily lining things up and teaching me. I received an email today from someone who is contemplating suicide. She feels as though that may be her only option. She has sought out my trust and prayers. I am thankful for that. I pray that God will use me and give me the words that He wants me to say to her. I know what depression is like and I want to help her learn how to pull herself out of it. But first, she has to learn to reach out to God.
There is death. A beautiful little girl in the community was killed this week in a tragic accident. I'm not sure that her parents are believers at all. I know how hard it is to survive losing a child, knowing that God has a plan. I can't imagine losing a child without that knowledge. A friend from church gave my number to her brother-in-law and told him to make sure that she calls me. I pray that God gives me the right words at that time, too.
There is life. A precious little boy was delivered Sunday out in California. He has spina bifida and underwent corrective surgery today. Things are looking good. His family has a strong belief in God as our Master Healer. I am so glad to know that this is the walk that they are on. Having God at our side certainly makes the journey easier.
My passion is increased by seeing the people who are suffering without God in their lives. I pray that I am able to show God's love and speak the words He wants spoken in order to lead them to Him. Gaining His eyes makes your heart even more passionate to the mission.
I hope that you have had an amazing day. I have. Every day is amazing to me because I am blessed with another opportunity to do my Father's work. And my, what work He has in store for me! It's going to be a busy few months, I imagine.
Have a blessed night tonight. As you lie down on the pillow, close your eyes, and feel God wrap His arms around you. If you are quite enough, I'll bet you can hear Him sing you to sleep!
Be Blessed!
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Wheels Are Turning
I just have one word. Wow! I am sure that is a word that you will all see me using quite frequently in the near future! When God starts working it just always Wow's me! I love to see Him in action.
Robert got up from his sleep today (he works at night and sleeps during the day) he came in to the computer and started immediately looking at rvs for sale. This was a big jump. We have been talking about this path for quite a while. I have always felt that Robert was a wee bit more indecisive of the journey than I was. I am thinking that God whispered in his ear while he slept. Having him come in here and search for rvs was a major step. And he was excited about it! Keep in mind that we have no money whatsoever to purchase an rv with, but God expects us to do the legwork and see what is out there. Did you know that you can buy a really nice pull behind for around $5000 if you look hard enough? So we know that they are out there. And we know that in God's time, He will provide the way.
The second Wow! came tonight when Robert called from the road. He had spoken to a friend of ours about the path that we are traveling. The friend realized immediately that in order for us to do that, we would have to home-school the boys. His friend said that they had all of the curriculum from start through 8th grade PLUS offered to pay half of whatever tuition fees that we came across. That is a big WOW! Before, my husband would have declined this offer. But today, he grew. I am so proud of him. He is realizing more and more every day to accept the gifts that people are offering. His friend knows that Robert has always had a hard time with this and immediately told him not to say no. But the wonderful part is that Robert chimed in and said that he wasn't going to. He told his friend that he realizes that we will be living solely on faith and that God will send friends and strangers that want to help. How awesome is that? God is growing us both so much. I am so blessed.
It has just been a day of confirmation for us. We know now, more than ever, that this is the path that God wants us to travel and we are so excited about it. We realize that it is going to be a very hard path. Living on faith and relying on others is not an easy thing to do. But trusting in God and believing that He is going to guide us and provide for us makes the path a little easier. I am excited about traveling where He sees fit and sharing His love with others. I am excited about getting our hands dirty if need be. Our God is amazing and I can't wait to be able to share Him more and more every day!
I hope that you have all had an amazing day today. All days are amazing. You just have to slow down enough to find the things that God wants you to see. Even a blade of grass is amazing if you look at it through the right lenses. I pray blessings of a wonderful sleep all over you. Just close your eyes and let God wrap His arms around you. That is such an incredible feeling. Have a blessed night!
Robert got up from his sleep today (he works at night and sleeps during the day) he came in to the computer and started immediately looking at rvs for sale. This was a big jump. We have been talking about this path for quite a while. I have always felt that Robert was a wee bit more indecisive of the journey than I was. I am thinking that God whispered in his ear while he slept. Having him come in here and search for rvs was a major step. And he was excited about it! Keep in mind that we have no money whatsoever to purchase an rv with, but God expects us to do the legwork and see what is out there. Did you know that you can buy a really nice pull behind for around $5000 if you look hard enough? So we know that they are out there. And we know that in God's time, He will provide the way.
The second Wow! came tonight when Robert called from the road. He had spoken to a friend of ours about the path that we are traveling. The friend realized immediately that in order for us to do that, we would have to home-school the boys. His friend said that they had all of the curriculum from start through 8th grade PLUS offered to pay half of whatever tuition fees that we came across. That is a big WOW! Before, my husband would have declined this offer. But today, he grew. I am so proud of him. He is realizing more and more every day to accept the gifts that people are offering. His friend knows that Robert has always had a hard time with this and immediately told him not to say no. But the wonderful part is that Robert chimed in and said that he wasn't going to. He told his friend that he realizes that we will be living solely on faith and that God will send friends and strangers that want to help. How awesome is that? God is growing us both so much. I am so blessed.
It has just been a day of confirmation for us. We know now, more than ever, that this is the path that God wants us to travel and we are so excited about it. We realize that it is going to be a very hard path. Living on faith and relying on others is not an easy thing to do. But trusting in God and believing that He is going to guide us and provide for us makes the path a little easier. I am excited about traveling where He sees fit and sharing His love with others. I am excited about getting our hands dirty if need be. Our God is amazing and I can't wait to be able to share Him more and more every day!
I hope that you have all had an amazing day today. All days are amazing. You just have to slow down enough to find the things that God wants you to see. Even a blade of grass is amazing if you look at it through the right lenses. I pray blessings of a wonderful sleep all over you. Just close your eyes and let God wrap His arms around you. That is such an incredible feeling. Have a blessed night!
Clearing the Trail
I love when you voice a need for prayers when contemplating a particular endeavor, God just starts clearing the trail. I have mentioned before that a desire Robert and I have is to be able to go onto the missions field. Right now, we are focused on what we can do in-country and to be able to learn as we go. I think it is safe to say that we will be learning until the days that we go home to our Father.
When preparing for such a journey, there are so many things to take into consideration. You just don't pack a suitcase and head out the door for a month on end. Well, I guess some do, but we aren't in a position to do so. We have debt just like the majority of America. So one step in our process is eliminating our debt. It has been our desire for quite some time to sell the house and our belongings and to purchase a travel trailer and go throughout the country wherever our Lord leads us. It's one thing asking for sponsors to contribute to your gas and your groceries. It's another when you are asking for sponsors to pay your house note, your financed obligations, your utilities, etc. I realize that many missionaries do just that and I am in full support of that. However, we don't feel that is the path God is leading us down. Right now we are still in the listening phase and are patiently waiting for God to tell us what He is ready for us to do.
We have someone who is perhaps interested in purchasing our house. Wow! Like I said, when God gets ready, He starts slinging the machete and clears the way. We don't have a massive amount of debt other than our house. Because we have only been in the house for 4 years and it was not the wisest decision in home-buying to begin with, we will be fortunate to break even with the sale. We also have to arrange to purchase a pull behind trailer along with a used vehicle to pull it with. So there is still SO very much to do if God continues to lead us this way. Robert and I were talking about the journey this morning before he laid down. God could lead us to sell everything and do something as simple as lead us to stay at Big 10 for the next year just to test our obedience! Who knows what He has in mind!? But it is still very exciting to see Him lining things up.
I can imagine the thoughts that will run through so many people's minds with the trail that we are on. I am sure that there will be quite a few border bullies (taken from The Dream Giver) who will lovingly try to convince us that this is not the right thing for us to do. We know that those people do so out of love and concern. But Robert and I are dedicated to doing what is asked of us and expected of us, not by others, but by God. So the journey is still on, bullies or not.
Continue to keep us in your prayers. We have so much leg work to do. We have so many decisions to make that will definitely be life changing - not just for us, but our children, as well. But we can only pray that we make the decisions that will do the most important changing - the building of His Kingdom.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot..."
We pray for God to give us wisdom in knowing the right time....
Have an incredibly blessed day today! It is certainly a beautiful one!
When preparing for such a journey, there are so many things to take into consideration. You just don't pack a suitcase and head out the door for a month on end. Well, I guess some do, but we aren't in a position to do so. We have debt just like the majority of America. So one step in our process is eliminating our debt. It has been our desire for quite some time to sell the house and our belongings and to purchase a travel trailer and go throughout the country wherever our Lord leads us. It's one thing asking for sponsors to contribute to your gas and your groceries. It's another when you are asking for sponsors to pay your house note, your financed obligations, your utilities, etc. I realize that many missionaries do just that and I am in full support of that. However, we don't feel that is the path God is leading us down. Right now we are still in the listening phase and are patiently waiting for God to tell us what He is ready for us to do.
We have someone who is perhaps interested in purchasing our house. Wow! Like I said, when God gets ready, He starts slinging the machete and clears the way. We don't have a massive amount of debt other than our house. Because we have only been in the house for 4 years and it was not the wisest decision in home-buying to begin with, we will be fortunate to break even with the sale. We also have to arrange to purchase a pull behind trailer along with a used vehicle to pull it with. So there is still SO very much to do if God continues to lead us this way. Robert and I were talking about the journey this morning before he laid down. God could lead us to sell everything and do something as simple as lead us to stay at Big 10 for the next year just to test our obedience! Who knows what He has in mind!? But it is still very exciting to see Him lining things up.
I can imagine the thoughts that will run through so many people's minds with the trail that we are on. I am sure that there will be quite a few border bullies (taken from The Dream Giver) who will lovingly try to convince us that this is not the right thing for us to do. We know that those people do so out of love and concern. But Robert and I are dedicated to doing what is asked of us and expected of us, not by others, but by God. So the journey is still on, bullies or not.
Continue to keep us in your prayers. We have so much leg work to do. We have so many decisions to make that will definitely be life changing - not just for us, but our children, as well. But we can only pray that we make the decisions that will do the most important changing - the building of His Kingdom.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot..."
We pray for God to give us wisdom in knowing the right time....
Have an incredibly blessed day today! It is certainly a beautiful one!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
A New Growth
We had a wonderful service this morning at church. We are so blessed to have a teacher who really enjoys what he is doing. He's funny. He's spirited. And he listens to God whisper into his ear. We are truly a blessed church.
We were able to see the visual presentation of our new facility. I am very excited about it. However, when I saw the new auditorium, my heart fluttered a bit. It seems like God is bound and determined to get me out of that comfort zone and into the world of the unfamiliar. I am not a huge fan of big crowds. It's one thing when we have three to four hundred in a service. That is a huge crowd to me. With our new auditorium we will have the ability to seat over 1500 people. WOW! Double WOW! So, this is just another challenge that I will be overcoming. But you know something? It's going to be quite easy because I know that it is part of God's wonderful plan to bring us all together and to grow our church even more. I figure that I might as well accept and get used to the crowds now. When God decides to move us into the missions field, He might just plop us right smack dab into the middle of a 2000 person crowd. YIKES! But once again, knowing it is part of God's plan makes things a whole lot easier. I wish that I could show you the video. Perhaps one day I can. It was pretty amazing. Better yet, hopefully I can show you actual pictures from our brand new worship center in the very near future.
Praying for this growth is a key element. Some people might be concerned that the bigger we get, the quicker it is to lose the connection with the existing members and the new members to come. We have a brilliant staff, though. I know that they have already taken all of that into consideration and are already in the midst of preparing for what God has in store for us. No one wants to get lost in a crowd. We need to pray to continue that personal aspect, no matter what our size.
I'm all about outreach. I'm excited to see what we will be able to do with a larger campus and more disciples coming in. If just one person can make a difference in ten people's lives, imagine what 1500 can do! Outreach doesn't just start at a church, though. It starts within ourselves. What are you determined to do to further the Kingdom? It isn't just talking about it. Find others who are passionate and get started. See what a difference we can make.
It's a beautiful day outside today. There is new growth all outside, too. I think I will take a stroll and enjoy a little of it!
Be blessed!
We were able to see the visual presentation of our new facility. I am very excited about it. However, when I saw the new auditorium, my heart fluttered a bit. It seems like God is bound and determined to get me out of that comfort zone and into the world of the unfamiliar. I am not a huge fan of big crowds. It's one thing when we have three to four hundred in a service. That is a huge crowd to me. With our new auditorium we will have the ability to seat over 1500 people. WOW! Double WOW! So, this is just another challenge that I will be overcoming. But you know something? It's going to be quite easy because I know that it is part of God's wonderful plan to bring us all together and to grow our church even more. I figure that I might as well accept and get used to the crowds now. When God decides to move us into the missions field, He might just plop us right smack dab into the middle of a 2000 person crowd. YIKES! But once again, knowing it is part of God's plan makes things a whole lot easier. I wish that I could show you the video. Perhaps one day I can. It was pretty amazing. Better yet, hopefully I can show you actual pictures from our brand new worship center in the very near future.
Praying for this growth is a key element. Some people might be concerned that the bigger we get, the quicker it is to lose the connection with the existing members and the new members to come. We have a brilliant staff, though. I know that they have already taken all of that into consideration and are already in the midst of preparing for what God has in store for us. No one wants to get lost in a crowd. We need to pray to continue that personal aspect, no matter what our size.
I'm all about outreach. I'm excited to see what we will be able to do with a larger campus and more disciples coming in. If just one person can make a difference in ten people's lives, imagine what 1500 can do! Outreach doesn't just start at a church, though. It starts within ourselves. What are you determined to do to further the Kingdom? It isn't just talking about it. Find others who are passionate and get started. See what a difference we can make.
It's a beautiful day outside today. There is new growth all outside, too. I think I will take a stroll and enjoy a little of it!
Be blessed!
My Father's House
I love Sundays! When you are walking with God, Sundays just seem a little more special. It's a chance to go to HIS house. He's at mine all week long. But today, I get to go to His. I am able to see all of my brothers and sisters and I am able to see all of the company that is coming to visit. I can't wait to have them as part of our family, too.
Satan has a way of knowing when you are excited about going to church. I remember the very first Sunday that we had decided to go to Life Church. That morning we woke up and Robert announced that we were going to try this new church. I had already been a couple of times, but hadn't continued because he didn't want to go. When he said that we were going, I was thrilled! Then...satan struck. Our water pipes had frozen. YIKES! No stopping us! We went over to my mom and dad's house to get ready for church. Jason Crabb was visiting our church that morning. We didn't know that before we arrived, but boy! We were certainly glad to have gone. We quickly made that our church home. Fact is, satan doesn't want us to go to church. He doesn't want us to grow in God. He certainly doesn't want us walking with Him. So when Sunday morning rolls around and one thing after another happens, realize that it is all satan and stay determined to go to your Father's house! You will be blessed.
We used to think that we didn't need a church. We loved God, read our Bible and taught our kids about God. We thought that was enough. We had no idea how much we were missing until we went. If you don't have a church home for whatever reason, please just get out there and give it a shot. You might finally find one that you are as blessed with as we are!
Have an awesome day today! Today is YOUR day! Want to know why? Because God made it for you!
Satan has a way of knowing when you are excited about going to church. I remember the very first Sunday that we had decided to go to Life Church. That morning we woke up and Robert announced that we were going to try this new church. I had already been a couple of times, but hadn't continued because he didn't want to go. When he said that we were going, I was thrilled! Then...satan struck. Our water pipes had frozen. YIKES! No stopping us! We went over to my mom and dad's house to get ready for church. Jason Crabb was visiting our church that morning. We didn't know that before we arrived, but boy! We were certainly glad to have gone. We quickly made that our church home. Fact is, satan doesn't want us to go to church. He doesn't want us to grow in God. He certainly doesn't want us walking with Him. So when Sunday morning rolls around and one thing after another happens, realize that it is all satan and stay determined to go to your Father's house! You will be blessed.
We used to think that we didn't need a church. We loved God, read our Bible and taught our kids about God. We thought that was enough. We had no idea how much we were missing until we went. If you don't have a church home for whatever reason, please just get out there and give it a shot. You might finally find one that you are as blessed with as we are!
Have an awesome day today! Today is YOUR day! Want to know why? Because God made it for you!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A Beautiful Day
Today has been such a beautiful day. It was filled with sunshine, fresh air, friends, burgers on the grill and family. I walked around the yard and enjoyed seeing all of the fresh new growth. It is truly a gift from God when we have beautiful days like this.
When you change your frame of mind, you can find beauty in even the darkest of days. The cloudy days used to really depress me. If the sun wasn't shining, then I knew that my mood would be of despair. However, I have changed that frame of mind. I have come to look at each and every day as a beautiful day. After all, even the sun needs a chance to rest once in a while. And when you have Jesus in your heart, the Son will shine throughout the darkest of days. How wonderful a day that will make!
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 118:24. It reads: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it". Before I was old enough to know scripture, I would hear my grandmother at her organ in the living room singing that hymn to the top of her lungs. How I love that song!
Every day is a beautiful day. You know why? Because it is a gift from God!
Have a truly blessed day!
When you change your frame of mind, you can find beauty in even the darkest of days. The cloudy days used to really depress me. If the sun wasn't shining, then I knew that my mood would be of despair. However, I have changed that frame of mind. I have come to look at each and every day as a beautiful day. After all, even the sun needs a chance to rest once in a while. And when you have Jesus in your heart, the Son will shine throughout the darkest of days. How wonderful a day that will make!
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 118:24. It reads: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it". Before I was old enough to know scripture, I would hear my grandmother at her organ in the living room singing that hymn to the top of her lungs. How I love that song!
Every day is a beautiful day. You know why? Because it is a gift from God!
Have a truly blessed day!
Listening to God's Voice
God has been talking to me for years, since the day I was born. Fact is that He talks to you, too. We all just have to slow down, be quiet, and listen to what He has to say. I finally did that last year. And let me be the first to tell you: He has A LOT to say!
My daughter Jesse died Christmas Day 1997 from viral pneumonia. It was a type of strain that within 12 hours from the first symptom they were gone. The first symptom was a runny nose. Our oldest daughter, Jordan, had been sick with a cold the entire week. Naturally, we assumed that Jesse had caught the same cold. We were so very wrong. God knew what He was doing, though. There was no stopping this once it started. All of our efforts to save her would have been in vain. Instead, we woke up the next morning to get the girls for Santa. Jesse was already gone home. That's one Christmas that will never be forgotten. It's also the Christmas that changed my life.
When Jesse died, I found my comfort in God. My husband didn't. Within a few months, he left and it was just Jordan and me. Once again, I thought my life was hitting rock bottom. Then God surprised me with Robert. We were married in October and started a new chapter in our lives.
Robert is a God loving man and we were able to bring God into our lives and our marriage. When I tell you that made all of the difference in the world, I mean it. We tried a few churches here and there, but could never find one that we both felt comfortable with. After almost 9 years of looking, a series of circumstances led us to Life Church in Laurel, Mississippi. Wow! We immediately knew that we had found our home.
For years I knew God was there. Finally, I figured out how to walk with Him. Big difference. We started serving in various ministries in the church. We took the attitude of when the doors were open we would be there. Robert and I both started delving into the Bible and any study that we could find to go with it. As I look around my computer den now, I giggle at the many materials that we have. There are at least 8 different Bibles opened at any given time. Many times I had tried to read the Bible in the past and didn't get past Genesis. But now, my eyes are opened and I am enjoying learning more and more every day.
I found Facebook almost a year ago. It was during a very dark period in my life. Robert and I had just taken over a program at our church, Celebrate Recovery. We were on FIRE! We were so passionate in this incredible disciple building program and couldn't get enough of it. All of a sudden, I was under attack. I went into a horrible depression and couldn't figure anything out. Thankfully, I was able to meet with a few ladies from our church and they helped me realize that satan was attaching me head on. Within no time, my spirits were lifted and I was determined to be a more powerful warrior for Christ.
Since losing Jesse, I always felt that I had a story to tell. Many times I would sit at the computer or I would grab a pencil and paper. I would manage to get one sentence and then it would stop. Nothing. I couldn't figure out where to go with what was in my head. Then it happened. God spoke and I typed. Dragonfly Kisses was born. I posted the story on Facebook for my friends to read. After that, the stories started flying. God would first give me a title. I would ponder on it for as long as He would allow. Then He would have me just sit down in front of the computer and my hands would find the keyboard. The movie started right before my eyes and I typed as quickly as I could to keep up with it. Before I knew it, over 20 stories were written. Dragonfly Kisses and other inspirational stories was published in December 2009. God has grabbed me out of my comfort zone and thrust me into a world of marketing. I am being told continuously to publicize the book, and for me that is difficult. I tend to get very nervous talking to people. Selling is not my forte. But this is God's project and He sees me in a different light. The first step to walking with God is to learn obedience. And trust me when I say that it is usually something that you wouldn't choose to do on your own!
The book sales are going well. I have quite a few places to take it to that I still haven't visited. But those will come within the next few weeks. The book is now available on Amazon, which I am still in awe of. God does amazing things, even when there is nothing in your checkbook to start with.
I'm working on my next book now, He Moves the Pebbles. I am very excited about this one. I know that God is an amazing God and He wants to show more and more people that He is still in the business of miracles. And let me tell you, He is! Hopefully, Pebbles will be published within the next month or so.
God is now putting something else onto our hearts. We have felt the calling to do this work for over two years. Now it is getting stronger. Robert and I both have a passion for going to others and telling about our Savior. We both long to be in the missions field. With that calling comes great responsibility, great planning, and great faith. We still have a lot of planning to do. So that is the path that we are hoping to travel in the near future. But for now, we are being still and listening to what He has to say.
Every day is an adventure. Every day we make a decision: to have a good day or not. We make the choice every day to either walk in His path or linger on the side of the road. I'm through with lingering. I'm ready to walk. I'm ready to run! Come join us in our journey.
Many blessings!
My daughter Jesse died Christmas Day 1997 from viral pneumonia. It was a type of strain that within 12 hours from the first symptom they were gone. The first symptom was a runny nose. Our oldest daughter, Jordan, had been sick with a cold the entire week. Naturally, we assumed that Jesse had caught the same cold. We were so very wrong. God knew what He was doing, though. There was no stopping this once it started. All of our efforts to save her would have been in vain. Instead, we woke up the next morning to get the girls for Santa. Jesse was already gone home. That's one Christmas that will never be forgotten. It's also the Christmas that changed my life.
When Jesse died, I found my comfort in God. My husband didn't. Within a few months, he left and it was just Jordan and me. Once again, I thought my life was hitting rock bottom. Then God surprised me with Robert. We were married in October and started a new chapter in our lives.
Robert is a God loving man and we were able to bring God into our lives and our marriage. When I tell you that made all of the difference in the world, I mean it. We tried a few churches here and there, but could never find one that we both felt comfortable with. After almost 9 years of looking, a series of circumstances led us to Life Church in Laurel, Mississippi. Wow! We immediately knew that we had found our home.
For years I knew God was there. Finally, I figured out how to walk with Him. Big difference. We started serving in various ministries in the church. We took the attitude of when the doors were open we would be there. Robert and I both started delving into the Bible and any study that we could find to go with it. As I look around my computer den now, I giggle at the many materials that we have. There are at least 8 different Bibles opened at any given time. Many times I had tried to read the Bible in the past and didn't get past Genesis. But now, my eyes are opened and I am enjoying learning more and more every day.
I found Facebook almost a year ago. It was during a very dark period in my life. Robert and I had just taken over a program at our church, Celebrate Recovery. We were on FIRE! We were so passionate in this incredible disciple building program and couldn't get enough of it. All of a sudden, I was under attack. I went into a horrible depression and couldn't figure anything out. Thankfully, I was able to meet with a few ladies from our church and they helped me realize that satan was attaching me head on. Within no time, my spirits were lifted and I was determined to be a more powerful warrior for Christ.
Since losing Jesse, I always felt that I had a story to tell. Many times I would sit at the computer or I would grab a pencil and paper. I would manage to get one sentence and then it would stop. Nothing. I couldn't figure out where to go with what was in my head. Then it happened. God spoke and I typed. Dragonfly Kisses was born. I posted the story on Facebook for my friends to read. After that, the stories started flying. God would first give me a title. I would ponder on it for as long as He would allow. Then He would have me just sit down in front of the computer and my hands would find the keyboard. The movie started right before my eyes and I typed as quickly as I could to keep up with it. Before I knew it, over 20 stories were written. Dragonfly Kisses and other inspirational stories was published in December 2009. God has grabbed me out of my comfort zone and thrust me into a world of marketing. I am being told continuously to publicize the book, and for me that is difficult. I tend to get very nervous talking to people. Selling is not my forte. But this is God's project and He sees me in a different light. The first step to walking with God is to learn obedience. And trust me when I say that it is usually something that you wouldn't choose to do on your own!
The book sales are going well. I have quite a few places to take it to that I still haven't visited. But those will come within the next few weeks. The book is now available on Amazon, which I am still in awe of. God does amazing things, even when there is nothing in your checkbook to start with.
I'm working on my next book now, He Moves the Pebbles. I am very excited about this one. I know that God is an amazing God and He wants to show more and more people that He is still in the business of miracles. And let me tell you, He is! Hopefully, Pebbles will be published within the next month or so.
God is now putting something else onto our hearts. We have felt the calling to do this work for over two years. Now it is getting stronger. Robert and I both have a passion for going to others and telling about our Savior. We both long to be in the missions field. With that calling comes great responsibility, great planning, and great faith. We still have a lot of planning to do. So that is the path that we are hoping to travel in the near future. But for now, we are being still and listening to what He has to say.
Every day is an adventure. Every day we make a decision: to have a good day or not. We make the choice every day to either walk in His path or linger on the side of the road. I'm through with lingering. I'm ready to walk. I'm ready to run! Come join us in our journey.
Many blessings!
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