Several years ago, I participated in a study group based upon Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life. It was an awesome learning experience, I can assure you. I remember the first sentence in the book was "It's not about me." Or it could have been "It's not about you." I don't have the book in front of me, so I am going with the former for blog purposes.
The premise of the book is to get our focus off of ourselves and figure out what we are really here for. I'm encouraging anyone who hasn't read the book to take the time to do so. Therefore, I'm not going to give out all of the good stuff. But basically, one of the main points is that we are not on this earth for our own benefit. We are here for God. We are here for God's glory. We are here to build His kingdom.
The book made a profound difference in my life. It stirred a passion and a desire for God that I didn't know was possible. I began to look at others before myself. I started considering what I said and what I did and how it would glorify God. I started walking with God instead of just lagging behind Him and straying whenever I could.
But sometime during the last few months, I have let "me" creep into the picture again. Some things have happened regarding our move and people saying ugly things about it. Also, with homeschooling. Some people don't care much for homeschooling at all. I've watched people get put down by others, some you would have never expected. I have seen wolves in sheep's clothing. And I don't mind telling you that I have taken it a bit personal. I've even been accused of taking a few digs here and there at people. And ya know, I have to admit that there have been times that I have. I get mad when I see people being led astray or being shown a really good front, knowing what is going on behind the scenes. And I have used my comments and some of my blogs to sort of get the message to people that "Hey, you aren't fooling me." Well, there's that word - ME.
Here's the thing...I have been enraged by someone I know sitting in judgment. And my anger has accomplished one thing - getting itself weaseled in between me and God. And ya know I am just not going to allow that to happen any more. I like the relationship that God and I had going. And I don't like the relationship that satan imposes upon me. I find that I have been a little judgmental myself in watching what this person is doing to so many that surrounds them. I am no better than they are or anyone else. And there is always a stone laying around and I don't want to have to repair any windows.
So today, I am releasing the hold that satan has had over me and I am going to focus on what I am here for - glorifying God! The offense that I have taken will no longer control me. I will pray for the wolves and ask my Father to bless them immensely. After all, He's got the final say, doesn't He? He knows what He is doing far better than I ever will. And as long as I trust in Him to handle the situations, all is well.
When you get down and someone has stepped on your toes, remember this one little thing - that's God's way of showing you who you need to be praying for. I've done a little toe stepping lately, so please keep me in your prayers.
I have been reading this awesome book lately. I had to skip to the last chapter, though. I am a sucker for awesome endings. And this book really has one. There is an incredible battle, but the Good Guy wins. Look around your house - I'm sure you already have the book. The Bible. LOVE it!
I wish for blessings to be poured all over you tomorrow. Pray for those that have offended you and just let it go. It's not about you.
Love ya!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Number One
The past year has certainly proven to be an interesting year. I've learned a lot about people. I've learned to listen more closely to what God wants us to do and not hold so much stock into what others may say. I've learned not to put people on pedestals because they will most surely fall every time. And I have learned a lot about numbers...particularly, the number one.
For such a small number, it can certainly cause a lot of confusion, disappointment, and hurt. People are sometimes referred to as numbers, with a ONE being the lowest of those. I've witnessed a church preferring to have 8's, 9's and 10's because of the negativity that those 1's and 2's may bring. I have seen people singled out as the ONE who did the damage or said what shouldn't have been said. Instead of reflecting on the pitiful acts that I have seen toward the number 1, I'm going to share what importance that number holds to us all.
According to Wikipedia, the number one is sometimes referred to as "unity". When I read that statement, it started me thinking about how we should all come together as one. However, we don't see that happening near enough. We all seem to find reasons for not uniting. But the number 1 is the basis for all numbers. With that being said, I would say that 1 is extremely important in that sense.
The number one is spiritually significant to us. There is only ONE God. To us, He gave His only (ONE) Son. God saw something in Mary and Joseph that others probably looked right over. What an incredible gift they were given.
"Jesus loved the little children; all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they were precious in His sight. Jesus loved the little children of the world." Jesus did love the little children in the same way that God loves all of us. We are all so very precious to Him. Our social standing does not matter to Him in the least. What matters is our heart and our love for Him.
This image breaks my heart. I am saddened to know that our ancestors before us let it get to a point to where God felt that His only (ONE) son had to undergo this incredible amount of torture and pain so that we may have eternal life with Him. But what an incredible act of love on Jesus' part that He took every bit of this for us. He didn't just do it for the lady up the road in the fancy house. He didn't do it just for the rich banker who makes a sizable donation into the collection plate. He didn't do it just for the drunkard in the alley, either. He took that beating and He carried that cross and He hung on it to die for each and every ONE of us. To God, ONE matters.
I love the way that Luke 15:3-7 shares with us just how important that Jesus felt the number ONE was. In the parable of a lost sheep, He tells us of the rejoicing in heaven over ONE sinner that repenteth, more than ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. It does us no good to be a shepherd to a flock of hundreds of sheep if we have no regard for that ONE that was lost.
There are churches spread out all over this country. There are big ones, little ones, fancy ones, and some that are really casual. They are in buildings that range from costing nothing to some that cost millions of dollars. In these churches, there are shepherds leading their flocks. The good shepherds tend their flocks, taking care of them, watching over them, making sure that they are being fed as they need to be fed. They take their flocks out into the lands so that they may benefit from the pastures around them. Occasionally, a lamb might go astray. But the good shepherd is quick to go after that one lamb so that he is not lost. Even the runt of the litter lamb is important to that shepherd. If you are in a church where the shepherd is not tending his sheep, then ask why! Each and every ONE matters. And if you are in a church that stays between the four walls, ask the shepherd WHY? Stop straddling the fence in order to fit in. Grab that shepherd by the hand and go out to make a difference.
As I said before, I have seen a lot within the last year or so. I've really been disappointed. But at the same time, I am disappointed with the way that I handled things, too. I was in a church with the lost shepherd. Several times I suggested different things that we needed to be doing. My husband and I went to him about mission work and really gained no guidance at all. But instead of questioning the shepherd about his leadership, I got offended. And in that action, I grew resentful. We knew when God was trying to move us. We should have gone when we were told instead of trying to stay in a flock that He didn't want us in. In staying, we were shown things that weren't favorable at all. However, in those moments, we were taught lessons, as well. In all of this, God has drawn me closer to Him. I guess when the one on the pedestal fell, I immediately ran to God to ask why. I didn't get any answers from Him. But I did realize that none of us are perfect, not even shepherds in the church. And I also realized that we are all still loved and cared for even when we do fall. We are all just a small step away from falling. But the good news is that God is there.... waiting for us to get back up and dust ourselves off. He's got His arms stretched wide open for us.
The next time that someone uses the number one in a negative way around you, take that opportunity to tell them just how special that ONE really is!
Have a wonderfully blessed evening!
For such a small number, it can certainly cause a lot of confusion, disappointment, and hurt. People are sometimes referred to as numbers, with a ONE being the lowest of those. I've witnessed a church preferring to have 8's, 9's and 10's because of the negativity that those 1's and 2's may bring. I have seen people singled out as the ONE who did the damage or said what shouldn't have been said. Instead of reflecting on the pitiful acts that I have seen toward the number 1, I'm going to share what importance that number holds to us all.
According to Wikipedia, the number one is sometimes referred to as "unity". When I read that statement, it started me thinking about how we should all come together as one. However, we don't see that happening near enough. We all seem to find reasons for not uniting. But the number 1 is the basis for all numbers. With that being said, I would say that 1 is extremely important in that sense.
The number one is spiritually significant to us. There is only ONE God. To us, He gave His only (ONE) Son. God saw something in Mary and Joseph that others probably looked right over. What an incredible gift they were given.
"Jesus loved the little children; all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they were precious in His sight. Jesus loved the little children of the world." Jesus did love the little children in the same way that God loves all of us. We are all so very precious to Him. Our social standing does not matter to Him in the least. What matters is our heart and our love for Him.
This image breaks my heart. I am saddened to know that our ancestors before us let it get to a point to where God felt that His only (ONE) son had to undergo this incredible amount of torture and pain so that we may have eternal life with Him. But what an incredible act of love on Jesus' part that He took every bit of this for us. He didn't just do it for the lady up the road in the fancy house. He didn't do it just for the rich banker who makes a sizable donation into the collection plate. He didn't do it just for the drunkard in the alley, either. He took that beating and He carried that cross and He hung on it to die for each and every ONE of us. To God, ONE matters.
I love the way that Luke 15:3-7 shares with us just how important that Jesus felt the number ONE was. In the parable of a lost sheep, He tells us of the rejoicing in heaven over ONE sinner that repenteth, more than ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. It does us no good to be a shepherd to a flock of hundreds of sheep if we have no regard for that ONE that was lost.
There are churches spread out all over this country. There are big ones, little ones, fancy ones, and some that are really casual. They are in buildings that range from costing nothing to some that cost millions of dollars. In these churches, there are shepherds leading their flocks. The good shepherds tend their flocks, taking care of them, watching over them, making sure that they are being fed as they need to be fed. They take their flocks out into the lands so that they may benefit from the pastures around them. Occasionally, a lamb might go astray. But the good shepherd is quick to go after that one lamb so that he is not lost. Even the runt of the litter lamb is important to that shepherd. If you are in a church where the shepherd is not tending his sheep, then ask why! Each and every ONE matters. And if you are in a church that stays between the four walls, ask the shepherd WHY? Stop straddling the fence in order to fit in. Grab that shepherd by the hand and go out to make a difference.
As I said before, I have seen a lot within the last year or so. I've really been disappointed. But at the same time, I am disappointed with the way that I handled things, too. I was in a church with the lost shepherd. Several times I suggested different things that we needed to be doing. My husband and I went to him about mission work and really gained no guidance at all. But instead of questioning the shepherd about his leadership, I got offended. And in that action, I grew resentful. We knew when God was trying to move us. We should have gone when we were told instead of trying to stay in a flock that He didn't want us in. In staying, we were shown things that weren't favorable at all. However, in those moments, we were taught lessons, as well. In all of this, God has drawn me closer to Him. I guess when the one on the pedestal fell, I immediately ran to God to ask why. I didn't get any answers from Him. But I did realize that none of us are perfect, not even shepherds in the church. And I also realized that we are all still loved and cared for even when we do fall. We are all just a small step away from falling. But the good news is that God is there.... waiting for us to get back up and dust ourselves off. He's got His arms stretched wide open for us.
The next time that someone uses the number one in a negative way around you, take that opportunity to tell them just how special that ONE really is!
Have a wonderfully blessed evening!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
I Have Decided
I had made plans to travel back to Laurel this morning and go to church at Agape. I really enjoy Pastor James' teaching and just feel wonderfully fed when I leave. Well, often plans go astray. During the week, the campground is relatively deserted. However, come Thursday nights and Friday days, the campers start rolling in. During the weekend, the lake is alive and full of excitement. The boys have made new friends and wanted to spend the extra time with them. So today, we went to church under the trees.
The Pastor was a Brother Martin from Oral Baptist Church in Sumrall. Here at the campground, I think a particular church will take over the services for the month. Then next month it will change to another one. I thought that was pretty neat. There was a good crowd in attendance - about 40 or so. Most were wearing shorts and t-shirts. I like that - just everyone gathered to worship God and not caring about who wears what. It was a little funny, though, to see the preacher in a long sleeved shirt and tie out here at the lake. Bless his heart, I am sure that he is ready for the fall to get here!
We all had hymnals that they passed around. The first song was "Jesus Loves Me". This song holds a special place in my heart. When my daughter passed away, we had a graveside service. My cousin James sang only two songs: Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children. To this day, when I hear either of those songs, I just feel an extra little tug at my heart for my Jesse. The next song was "Amazing Grace". One of my favorites, as well.
Bro. Martin's message was on Peter and how he had chosen to follow Jesus. He was so close to Jesus, and yet denied Him three times. But ya know, Jesus still loved Peter very much. The thing is, we all mess up. But Jesus loves us so much. He is passionate for us.
The closing song was "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus". Wow! To me, that song says it all. To follow Jesus, you don't have to sell your home and move into a camper and go out on the road to spread His word. You only have to make that commitment to Him in your heart. That's the first step. But you never know what He might put on your heart to do - you might wind up at the campsite next to us! Ha!
New little friends came to visit this morning. Last night I hung up bird feeders. They were quickly spotted this morning! If you look closely, you can see one sitting on the top right hand peg. How cool is this to wake up to? Picture perfect creations singing to us all day. I am so blessed!
While sitting here on the deck typing, another friend has returned to get a drink of water out of the water bucket. How cute is that little tale sticking up from the bucket? I do believe that if I were to have had my peanuts out here, he would have come right up into the chair with me! I am in such awe of His creations. What a wonderful God we have to give us little treats like this!
Wishing you all a wonderfully blessed day today! Time to grab a little lunch and make the most of the day!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A Peaceful Night
It's hard to believe that we have been on this new adventure for over a week now. The house is almost completely packed up. I still have a few things left to throw into a few boxes. The house is officially up for sale! Wow! Sometimes this all seems a little surreal, but definitely in a good way. I look forward to having the house sold and being a little closer to the debt free part of the plan. No worries at all, though. God already knows whose house that will become. And I pray that they have many beautiful memories in it, as we did. There were many things that needed doing in the house, but even with that, it held a lot of laughter. I'm so glad that we can carry those memories with us in our hearts everywhere we go.
We have finally gotten settled into the RVing lifestyle. It is absolutely beautiful here on the lake. When God placed the whole idea of selling everything and buying a camper on our hearts, I had no idea just what benefits it would hold for us, as well. We are still getting used to the small amount of storage space. It certainly makes you reevaluate what is important and what isn't. But ya know, none of us has complained about letting go of anything - especially the kids! I am so proud of them. They have been great throughout this entire experience. It's very quiet here during the week. But come Thursday night, the weekenders start rolling in and new sets of friends pull up for the next few days. The boys spent most of the day today hanging out with new friends from Seminary. I'm glad that they are enjoying it as much as they have been!
We have a new little friend that comes to see us each day. We have been feeding him some of the boiled peanuts we picked up in Laurel this week. He favors them quite a bit. Aidan gets the biggest kick out of his visits. Well, maybe I do! I haven't managed to get a picture of the spectacular bluebird that comes every day. I hung a few feeders today. Perhaps tomorrow he will show out for the camera.
Tonight is such a peaceful night. I hope that it is the same for you, wherever you are. Know that God is right there with you, waiting to hold you in His arms and sing you to sleep. Have a wonderfully blessed night!
We have finally gotten settled into the RVing lifestyle. It is absolutely beautiful here on the lake. When God placed the whole idea of selling everything and buying a camper on our hearts, I had no idea just what benefits it would hold for us, as well. We are still getting used to the small amount of storage space. It certainly makes you reevaluate what is important and what isn't. But ya know, none of us has complained about letting go of anything - especially the kids! I am so proud of them. They have been great throughout this entire experience. It's very quiet here during the week. But come Thursday night, the weekenders start rolling in and new sets of friends pull up for the next few days. The boys spent most of the day today hanging out with new friends from Seminary. I'm glad that they are enjoying it as much as they have been!
We have a new little friend that comes to see us each day. We have been feeding him some of the boiled peanuts we picked up in Laurel this week. He favors them quite a bit. Aidan gets the biggest kick out of his visits. Well, maybe I do! I haven't managed to get a picture of the spectacular bluebird that comes every day. I hung a few feeders today. Perhaps tomorrow he will show out for the camera.
Tonight is such a peaceful night. I hope that it is the same for you, wherever you are. Know that God is right there with you, waiting to hold you in His arms and sing you to sleep. Have a wonderfully blessed night!
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Winds of Time
Whoever said that time stands still needs to be right in the middle of an adventure and see how the winds of time can spin you around like crazy! It's been a little bit since I have posted, but with so much going on, there hasn't been much time!
The camper was moved Wednesday down to Little Black Creek in Purvis. The area is beautiful! We were FORCED (ha) to stay lakefront for the weekend, but we were able to move directly across the road yesterday afternoon to our more permanent location. There is more room at the location we picked and we aren't going to have to move the camper anytime soon. In the lakefront sites, you have to move every two weeks. The perk of a lakefront site is not worth the hassle of continuously moving. But it is still an amazing site and we are so blessed that it came available when it did.
Our first day there, we walked down to the edge of the lake and set out bait traps. Just standing there with my family looking at that view was simply peace in motion.
We spent the weekend fishing, walking, bike riding, and just sitting around the campsite. We have already benefited more than we realized that we would - we rode bikes with our kids. I can't remember a time that I have ever ridden a bike with any of my children. It saddens me that we took something so simple for granted. I called Jordan, my oldest, this morning and told her that she had to bring her bike down there so that we could ride bikes together! She laughed. Something so simple and yet never done.
We went to the spillway and tried our luck fishing there. Aidan and I were more intent on enjoying the huge hill that looked as though it led directly into heaven.
Once on top of that hill, it was as though you could simply reach out and grab one of the clouds. Absolutely beautiful! And as any little boy would, Aidan had to roll down the hill as quickly as he could.
We all loaded up and headed to Lake Catch-a-lot, the catfish pond in the park. Dalton and Robert are both content with just being on the end of a fishing pole. They have so much more patience than Aidan and I do. Aidan is a lot like me - we don't do "be still" and "be quiet" very well!
We would much rather marvel at all of the beauty around us. Our God is such an incredible artist. The sunsets that we are each given throughout the year can not be captured in all their beauty ... not with a camera or with an artists' brush. There is nothing better than just standing there in awe of His masterpiece.
When God first put it on mine and Robert's hearts to sell everything that we considered ours and to move into a little camper and move toward a position that we could better serve Him, Robert and I both thought that perhaps we weren't hearing things clearly. We have had more than enough people tell us how foolish we are. And we have had more than enough people tell us what they think God was trying to tell us. But ya know, when God speaks to your heart and you start obeying what He says, you get your confirmation. For the past several months, there have been quite a few concerns for us. Moving from a house into a small camper limits your space. But one thing that Robert and I realized this weekend is that we have more space than most...it's just no longer limited to four walls. And look at these faces.....
God is SO good!
We are back in Soso for the week. We have so much to do to finish packing up the house and getting it ready to sell. I never realized just how much stuff we have actually accumulated. But ya know, most of it is just "stuff". The things that really matter will be traveling with us or coming to visit us quite often. And the most important will be in our hearts wherever we go... our precious Lord!
Wishing you all a wonderful day! Spend time today enjoying the gifts that GOD gave you. There are SO many!
The camper was moved Wednesday down to Little Black Creek in Purvis. The area is beautiful! We were FORCED (ha) to stay lakefront for the weekend, but we were able to move directly across the road yesterday afternoon to our more permanent location. There is more room at the location we picked and we aren't going to have to move the camper anytime soon. In the lakefront sites, you have to move every two weeks. The perk of a lakefront site is not worth the hassle of continuously moving. But it is still an amazing site and we are so blessed that it came available when it did.
Our first day there, we walked down to the edge of the lake and set out bait traps. Just standing there with my family looking at that view was simply peace in motion.
We spent the weekend fishing, walking, bike riding, and just sitting around the campsite. We have already benefited more than we realized that we would - we rode bikes with our kids. I can't remember a time that I have ever ridden a bike with any of my children. It saddens me that we took something so simple for granted. I called Jordan, my oldest, this morning and told her that she had to bring her bike down there so that we could ride bikes together! She laughed. Something so simple and yet never done.
We went to the spillway and tried our luck fishing there. Aidan and I were more intent on enjoying the huge hill that looked as though it led directly into heaven.
Once on top of that hill, it was as though you could simply reach out and grab one of the clouds. Absolutely beautiful! And as any little boy would, Aidan had to roll down the hill as quickly as he could.
We all loaded up and headed to Lake Catch-a-lot, the catfish pond in the park. Dalton and Robert are both content with just being on the end of a fishing pole. They have so much more patience than Aidan and I do. Aidan is a lot like me - we don't do "be still" and "be quiet" very well!
We would much rather marvel at all of the beauty around us. Our God is such an incredible artist. The sunsets that we are each given throughout the year can not be captured in all their beauty ... not with a camera or with an artists' brush. There is nothing better than just standing there in awe of His masterpiece.
When God first put it on mine and Robert's hearts to sell everything that we considered ours and to move into a little camper and move toward a position that we could better serve Him, Robert and I both thought that perhaps we weren't hearing things clearly. We have had more than enough people tell us how foolish we are. And we have had more than enough people tell us what they think God was trying to tell us. But ya know, when God speaks to your heart and you start obeying what He says, you get your confirmation. For the past several months, there have been quite a few concerns for us. Moving from a house into a small camper limits your space. But one thing that Robert and I realized this weekend is that we have more space than most...it's just no longer limited to four walls. And look at these faces.....
God is SO good!
We are back in Soso for the week. We have so much to do to finish packing up the house and getting it ready to sell. I never realized just how much stuff we have actually accumulated. But ya know, most of it is just "stuff". The things that really matter will be traveling with us or coming to visit us quite often. And the most important will be in our hearts wherever we go... our precious Lord!
Wishing you all a wonderful day! Spend time today enjoying the gifts that GOD gave you. There are SO many!
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