Remaining To Win The Prize!

As a child, I remember my teachers giving instructions before beginning my work, especially during competency tests.  "Circle in the bubble completely and do not make any stray marks outside the circle", my teacher would say.  And then she would repeat herself to make sure we understood.  Today, if I am trying to get a point across to my kids, I will repeat myself two or three times and then ask them to repeat to me what I have said to make sure they understand and "get my point". 

This morning, I found myself in the gospel of John reading the following passage (and this is all in red by the way):

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" John 15:4-7

In these 4 verses, did you notice a word Jesus seemed to keep saying over and over?  I did: remain.  In just 4 verses, He used remain 7 times!  You think He was trying to make a point?!?  I believe so!

So I went to my handy, dandy dictionary app to look up the meaning of remain and this is what I found: to continue in the same state; to stay behind or in the same place; to be left after the removal, loss, destruction, etc.; to be left to be done, told, shown, etc.  

Lamentations 3:23 says: "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."  Each morning, God remains faithful to us to pour out His love and grace on us so we can "make it" each day being graceful and loving towards others.  But sometimes WE aren't so faithful to go to Him to receive that love and grace EACH AND EVERY DAY.  We don't REMAIN in Him because we are too busy with our own lives to bother!  (Ouch, that last comment hurts a little doesn't it)!  But it is TRUE, even for ME!

Think about it like this: you get a call from a local car dealer letting you know that your name has been randomly selected out of a phonebook to win a new car.  You are pretty pumped up about it because you have done absolutely nothing to deserve the car (you didn't even have to stop by and sign a piece of paper with your number on it so you could be hounded by a salesperson)!  So the brand-spanking new car is sitting down at the local dealership waiting on you to take it home but you never take the time to go by and pick it up because you're "too busy" with other things!  

Now that sounds a little crazy doesn't it?!?  I mean who in their right mind would leave a brand-spanking new FREE car on a lot?  I can answer that question: NO ONE!  Why?  Because even if you didn't like the car or need the car, you would go get it, sell it and put the money in your pocket, right?  Or maybe you are feeling a little generous and know a family in need so you give the car to them (does that happen much anymore)?  

You see, we have the winning ticket!  Not to the newest, hottest, most popular music artists concert; not to the Super Bowl; not even to the lottery; but the winning ticket to approach the One who created us so He can pour out His love and grace on us.  He is like the "guy or girl" that is anxiously awaiting the call from the person they are head over heels in love with; He is CRAZY about you!  

REMAIN in Him, and He will REMAIN in you.  You cannot be fruitful unless you REMAIN in Him.  Those who REMAIN in Him, and Him in them, will produce much fruit.  Anyone who does not REMAIN in Him is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  But if you REMAIN in Him and His Words REMAIN in you, you can ask for anything you want and it will be granted!

So will you continue in the same state and spend time with Him?  Will you stay behind or in the same place with Him?  Will you be left after the removal, loss, or destruction because you have remained with Him and you know He will see you through?  Are you willing to allow Him to show you what is left to be done; to be told or shown what He needs you to do?  Or will you remain with the life you are accustomed to and never go "claim your prize"?

Not Words With Friends, but words with friends

I don't know about you but I love "Words With Friends" on my iPad.  Basically, it is the electronic version of the board game Scrabble from long ago.  I wasn't much of a Scrabble fan when I was younger but the "gaming industry" can make almost anything fun!  Anyway, I am far from a pro at it (ask my man) but I do like to try and fit words together to see what I can come up with.  And seven out of ten times, I have no idea what the word I have "made" means!  Anyway, it is entertaining and I can waste A LOT of time playing.

But "Words With Friends" isn't my main topic for this post.  Rather, it is words with friends and family.  I have been thinking an awful lot about how we, as humans, speak to each other and how our words can ever so delicately hurt others.  Not long ago I was talking with someone who had gotten their feelings hurt by a comment that someone had made towards them.  Now the person was not intentionally meaning to hurt my friends feelings but they were just "poking fun".  What the person didn't realize, was the "poke" or "words" happened to be a sensitive issue with my friend because of uncontrolled circumstances in her life. 

You see, many times we have no idea what is going on in the lives of those around us.  And it might just be that our "poke" hits a wounded part of their heart and a snipit of their soul is shaved away.  Sometimes, it is so difficult to sensitive to others, especially when WE are in a "good mood" and are trying to be a comedian! 
In no way am I saying we should always be solemn and never "poke fun" at people, I am just saying it would probably be wise if we would THINK a bit about what we say (or write for that matter) before letting it roll off of our tongues!  

Now, I am the poster child for ADD and do not mind whatsoever about others poking fun at me, heavens, I poke fun at myself (which actually I say it ISN'T ADD, it is the mind of God - I am just NOT omnipresent like Him so that makes me somewhat scattered) but some people are very sensitive to the issue!  But, I have had my feelings hurt a time or two from "pokes" about other things that were a little sensitive to me but I always remember that whoever it is that has made the comment has no clue what is going on in my life at the time and I am the one who has to get over it!  By all means, DO NOT HARBOR THE HURT AND UNFORGIVENESS or it will consume you (yes, I am speaking from experience)!  Plus, we can't rely on our feelings to tell us how we are suppose to feel, we have to rely on The Word of God (and if it isn't a GOOD and POSITIVE feeling, then it isn't from God)!

So, with that said, let go of the hurt from "words with friends", and go get your i(Pad, Pod, Phone, etc.) and play "Words With Friends"!  That game can make you forget your worries because you're too consumed with trying to figure out a "word" that is worth at least 50 points with the seven scrammbled letters given to you by the game! 

Catch you next time! 

Peace to you my friends!  

A Dose of the "Good Stuff"

Dog tired is not even the word; I am plain ol' WORN OUT!  But a good kind of worn out.  I've just returned from yet another (shorter) mission trip with the youth and can I just tell you I love those guys and gals so stinking much!  They are all a HOOT to hang with and some of THE BEST young men and women I know!

For the last couple of days, we have served as counselors at Touched By An Angel Ministries in Tupelo, MS.  God spoke to Brian Aldridge many years ago about starting a camp for those with disabilities who may not have an opportunity to attend a "church camp".  Thankfully, Brian was obedient to God and answered the call to minister to those in need.  He, along with his precious wife, Jenna Leigh, and his adorable parents, founded TBAAM.  The website to TBAAM is http://www.tbaam.org/.  When you have time, you should check it out and see what great things are going on over in Tupelo!

Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures with you of our last couple of days while we were serving there:

We did a lot of smiling...

and some dancing...

and some slipping and sliding...

 



 and we even had some super-heros, celebrities and the like show up...



but most of all we laughed and had ALOT of fun with our campers...

And as Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."   I reckon we have had a good dose of medicine the last couple days so our souls should be well!  Thank You LORD for the laughter and joy!



Monday Ponderings

I have survived another crazy weekend where I again, thought I was "superwoman"!  I am thankful to be at home today catching up on some MUCH NEEDED housework.  I thought I would take a break and blog a bit!  

I guess I consider today to be "down time" sort of.  Even though I am home doing housework, it is quiet (my kids are at my Mom and Dad's) and I have some time to let my mind slip into neutral (as opposed to overdrive most days) (and I keep adding parenthesis because I am thinking and typing my interjections at the same time which could get REALLY dangerous)!  And if you don't know me very well, if I don't write something down, it may not recycle in my brain for another 6 months or longer!  Anyway, on to my pondering of the morning!

I'm so thankful God DOESN'T answer every prayer I have!  I am thankful He knows what is best for me at the time because I would surely of made an embarrassment of myself had I plowed right on with MY desires!  Several years ago, I thought I might enjoy speaking in church.  I was very involved in church, Sunday school, women's Bible study and other ministries.  I thought I had what it took to "deliver a message" but looking back now, I realize I didn't!  It is un-telling what might have come out of my mouth because at that time, my walk with God was not mature enough to deliver a message to others.  Yes, I was studying, praying, talking, etc., but I wasn't LISTENING to Him!  I was too busy with MY plans.  I hadn't made Him a priority in my life at that time.  Yes, I loved Him, but I think I was just going through the motions of "being a Christian".  I was living out Hebrews 5:12 and needing milk because I wasn't ready to "chew the meat"!

I'm not where I want to be in my faith journey, but I'm thankful I'm not where I use to be.  I think so many times we get complacent with our faith and study of God's Word but there is so much more that He wants to reveal to us!  I think it's neat how we can read a piece of scripture one time and jot down what God is speaking to us and then the next time we stumble across it, we get a new revelation!  He is just cool like that!

Anyway, it has taken much time with God to build my knowledge and understanding of Him.  And just this morning, I was thinking back over the last couple of years how He has led me to speak to others through speaking engagements, small group Bible study, social networks and even blogs!  I was "speaking" without even really realizing I was speaking.  You see, He gives us our hearts desires, not in OUR time, but His time!  

So if there is something you have been desiring or praying for, don't think God isn't going to answer it, for He knows best.  It might take some time for Him to develop you so you can handle His plan!  And, if it is something that will do you harm, He might not answer it but thank Him for looking out for your best interests!

Goosebumps...the REAL ones

No, I'm not talking about the series of books and movies by R. L. Stine, I'm talking about the kind that pop up on your arms & legs when something extraordinary happens!

Last night, I was at dress rehearsal for Come Back To God America and could have almost turned into one BIG goosebump! No, it wasn't because the stage in the auditorium was freezing (it's was hot as blazes up there), it was because the presence of the Lord coming through those who were performing! I even remember watching one soloist that has goosebumps on her arms while she was singing! I'm just here to tell you, there is some talent up there on that stage!

Come Back To God America is a production by Dogwood Productions in Fayette, AL that is a somewhat patriotic but is ALL about God. My family has been a part of the Dogwood family for several years now and we have been so blessed by it! You can check out their website at www.dogwoodproductions.org for more information! And if you have some free time on your hands TODAY, you should really consider watching a show! Show times are at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. today and there are tickets still available at The Fayette Civic Center! I feel certain you wouldn't be disappointed!

I have to run and get the ball rolling today...we have hair appointments and makeup to do before the first show so I will catch you all a little later! Here's hoping you have some "goosebumps" with the Lord today!!!

Long Time, No Hear

I am a total slacker when it comes to blogging I guess!  I noticed when I logged in this morning it has been over a month since I last posted and I AM SORRY!  My life has been a wee bit busy lately with church stuff so I've been kind of flying under the radar. 

Anyway, last week was our youth mission trip to Knox County, Tennessee with Appalachia Service Project and we had an adventure!  Our accommodations were not what we had hoped for but we survived and have some great stories to tell!  I enjoy road trips with the youth because you get to see their everyday life outside the walls of the church and I have to say, I am blessed with an amazing group of young people! 

During our trip, our group was responsible for a morning devotional two mornings and I thought I would share one of the devos with you that I shared with the teams that were housed in Knox County. 

A young woman went to her mother and told her about some things she was dealing with in her life.  She didn't know how to handle some of the things and she just felt like giving up.  To her, it seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three kettles with water and put them on the burners on the stove and turned the burners on high.  Soon the pots came to boil.  In the first, she placed carrots.  In the second, she placed an egg and in the third, she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil without saying a word. 

After about 20 minutes, she turned the burners off.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  Next, she pulled out the eggs and placed them in a separate bowl.  Last, but not least, she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a separate bowl also.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."  "Carrots, eggs and coffee," the daughter replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted they were soft.  Then her mother asked her daughter to take and egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed a hard-boiled egg.    Finally, her mother asked her to take a sip of the coffee.  The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.  The daughter then asked, "what does all this mean?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.  Each reacted differently.  The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.  The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.

The coffee beans were unique though.  After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.

James 1:12 ESV reads: Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

I know each of us have faced trials this week,  We've been cooled down by cold showers and heated up by no air conditioning.  Some of our projects haven't went as we had planned and there is probably a board or two that didn't fit exactly how we thought it would.  Yes, trials come in all size packages and we've all received them but the question is this: How did you stand the test?

Are we the carrot?  We seem strong but with pain and adversity, we wilt and become soft and lose our strength?  Maybe we are like the egg.  We start with a malleable heart but change with the heat.  We have a fluid spirit but after a death, a break-up, a financial hardship, the disappointment from a loved one or some other trial, we have become hardened and stiff.  Does our shell look the same, but on the inside, are we bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or are we like the coffee beans?  The beans actually change the hot water; the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases fragrance and flavor.  If we are like the coffee beans, when things are at their worst, we get better and change the situation around us.  When the hour is the darkest and trials are at their greatest, do we elevate our self to another level?

How do you handle adversity?  Are you a carrot, an egg or coffee beans?  May we ALL be coffee beans!

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy!

Checking Out Our "Room"

I love going on trips!  I like the time away from my normal hustle and bustle.  I like getting to my destination and checking into the hotel.  As soon as I get into my room, I like to check the place out.  I like to make sure it's clean and to see all the neat stuff it has to offer! I like to check out the smell of the shampoo and conditioner; I like to see how soft the pillows are; I even like to check out the mirrors, tile floors in the bathroom and towels.  I know it's crazy, but it's fun to me!  As I was reading this morning, I came across a verse that brought to memory all of this hotel garb.  1 Peter 1:17 NASB reads "If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear DURING THE TIME OF STAY on earth.  I love the phrase "during the time of your stay on earth".  You know, we just "check in" here on earth when we are born.  Sometimes we have extended stays here on this earth and some, more brief.  This passage just reminds me that our stay here is a temporary thing.  And then I thought about how good it feels, after being "away" from home for a couple of weeks, to finally get home and back in my very own bed.  There's no sweeter sight, sometimes, when you hit the county line or city limits of our "hometown".  I have a feeling we will experience that same joy when we "check out" of here and make the journey home.  And from all the books I've read, I'd say "home up yonder" is 20 times better than "home" here on earth!

Well, that's about all the time I have right now!  Gotta run and get my man off to his deep sea fishing trip this weekend and then get my girls ready for school!  Catch ya next time sweet friends!

A Song In My Heart

I love music.  All kinds of music.  But this season of my life has me listening to Toby Mac, Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, Kutless, Mandisa, Jamie Grace and the like.  I recently downloaded Mandisa's newest album What If We Were Real from iTunes.  I love all the songs on the album but my favorite is Good Morning with Toby Mac.  The first couple of days, I would plug my iPhone into the car and crank that baby up on the way to school and it would get the girls dancing, smiling, singing and laughing.  There were even a couple of morning that Anna Kate would grab hold of the volume knob and turn it down once we got close to the porch where they unload.  That song would just set the mood for a good day.  Sure enough, as soon as they would pile in the car those afternoons I would ask how their day went and the reply: GREAT!  So we are beginning to make a habit of it because who can't use a GREAT day every now and then?!? 

GOD'S WORD translation of Ephesians 5:19 reads: by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.

Singing, for the most part, is soothing for the soul.  It just puts most everyone in a good mood! Why not try it a day or two and see how you fare?  See if it lifts your spirits.  Your family or co workers may not appreciate it, but your God adores your music and song!

Crazy Holy Week Randomness

Sorry I haven't blogged lately but with 2 girls on 2 different softball teams that travel and a busy youth season, spare time to blog has been minimal. 

So yesterday was the beginning of Holy Week.  In the Gilliam family, it began with Sunday school and attending the traditional service at 11:00 where the children's choir at FFUMC paraded down the aisle with palm branches while the hand bells played and chancel choir sang.  On into the service, the children sang two songs.  It was a beautiful scene.  As I sat in the choir loft gazing out over the congregation, I could see there were smiles on every face there.  Isn't that the way it's suppose to be?  The joy of children and their voices just makes us all glow doesn't it?

The school week has begun now as I type this and while driving back home this morning, I began thinking about the week that is ahead.  Today will feature physicals this afternoon for both kids in preparation for summer camps and then onto a ballgame for Hanna.  Tomorrow Anna Kate has a ballgame and then Wednesday is our routine schedule at church with children's choir and youth.  Thursday, Anna Kate and I have to be at the school at 5:45 AM to depart for a field trip to Montgomery.  Also Thursday, there will be two softball games in two different towns so Anna Kate and I will have to zip back home to get her suited up and onto the softball park while Wayne gets Hanna to her game.  Thursday night is also Maundy Thursday service at FFUMC but I'm not 100% sure I will be able to swing the service.  Friday, Good Friday, is the day I've been looking forward to since February.  Well, I look forward to Good Friday every year but this year I am attending Secret Church at Brook Hills with David Platt.  If you've ever read the book Radical, you will know what I am talking about but if you haven't, you should check out the website at http://www.brookhills.org/secretchurch/.  Also, I have a couple of extra tickets if you want to attend.  Either call, email, or comment here and I will let you know the details!  I can hardly wait!!!  After grabbing a couple winks, I will be heading to Guthrie Smith Park Saturday for the 3rd Annual Community Wide Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by FFUMC.  It is so much fun and I love the fellowship and visiting with all those who attend!  Then Saturday night, God willing, we are going to have dinner with some great friends and maybe play a little corn hole!!! 

And then Sweet Sunday, Easter Sunday!  My 2nd favorite day of the year! (My favorite is Christmas because if He hadn't been BORN, He couldn't have DIED).  Anyway, Easter sunrise service is always special to me.  As I drive to the service in my car, I imagine Mary running to the tomb of Jesus when dawn was breaking.  I imagine her heart pounding with anticipation to place the ointments she had prepared on the body of her beloved.  And to her astonishment, the stone has been rolled away.  In past sunrise services, in the still of the morning, the birds are singing, the water is falling from the fountain in the courtyard and it is just serene.  It is almost as if the world is standing still awaiting the stone to be rolled away.  If you have never been to a sunrise service, where ever you are, I encourage you to attend one this year.  To me, it just makes the celebration of the risen Savior more real.  As I type this, I can feel the emotion of the entire event well up in me. 

So that is what is planned for this crazy Holy Week for the Gilliams.  What do you have planned?  I am hoping to get a couple minutes each day to revive my blog but I can't make any promises!  Happy Holy Week Yall! 

Dropping Hints

So this morning I am reading in Joshua and this scripture just JUMPS off the page at me: Love the Lord and follow His plan for your lives.  Cling to Him and serve Him enthusiactically (Joshua 22:5).  I love the enthusiastically part.  It's my favorite. 

As I am getting ready in the mornings, I try to catch Joyce Meyer or Creflo Dollar or TD Jakes or John Hagee but this morning, I watched Jesse Duplantis.  Jesse isn't regularly on during the 6-7 am time frame so I normally catch one of the others.  I love Jesse Duplantis because he is a hoot when he brings The Word.  He makes it fun and interesting because God is fun and interesting.  I once heard him say to a group of preachers: don't give no boring blah blah blah sermon because people think God is a boring blah blah blah God.  So now I DVR all of Jesse's new sermons (I use his first name like we are on first name basis but he doesn't know me from Adam, or Adamette shall I say) (I guess I could stalk him down like I did Travis Cottrell at Deeper Still last December but I haven't been close enough to stalk him so that won't work I guess) (I need to quit typing what I'm thinking and putting them in parenthesis otherwise this entire blog will be one big parenthesis).  Anyway, I push play and guess what his sermon was on: SERVING GOD WITH ENTHUSIASM!!!  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  Yep, God is dropping hints!!!

So many times we get beat up by this world and get "stuck" in our ministry.  And I have been vicitm to that from time to time and well as many others I serve alongside.  Anyway, I needed to be reminded of this today because my enthusiasm has been lacking the last couple months.  You know how you are on the mountaintop with God and then you start heading down the mountain and can feel yourself sliding faster and faster?  Well, that's been me.  But I am reminded in Joshua that I don't need to cling to the world and all it has to offer (or not offer), I must cling to the Lord!!!  I need to be following the plan He has for my life instead of listening to what the world is telling me I need to do. 

Today, I will begin focusing on His promises to and for me and what He has to offer.  By just focusing on those promises alone, I have begun to feel my enthusiasm rise.  So watch out world, I'm back!  I will leave you with the lyrics to Mandisa's (Never Gonna) Steal My Joy.  It's "my song" for this season!

I look at my life
And I still can't believe it
How did I make it
To where I stand now?
You don't understand
I was up against the whole world
And all I could feel was it breaking me down
But out of a hopeless situation
There came a song of redemption

Life may push my heart to the limit
But I won't let go
Of the joy in my soul
‘Cause everything can change in a minute
And the world may try
But they're never gonna steal my joy

So get up, stand up
And rise above it
If every plan
That you've made goes so wrong
You don't have to give in to the struggle
You may be down
But don't stay there for long
In every hopeless situation
There is a song of redemption

The world may say
You're never gonna make it
The world may say
You're not strong enough to take it
But I don't care
‘Cause the joy of the Lord is real
And they're never gonna steal my joy

Disecting Life To Pieces

SUDDENLY the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him (Moses) AS A flame of fire in a bush.  When Moses saw that the bush was on fire and that it didn't burn up, he went over to investigate.  Then God called out to him, "Moses!  Moses!" "Who is it?" Moses asked.  "Don't come any closer," God told him.  "Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground."  Exodus 3:2-5 The Living Bible Paraphrased

I read through this scripture in a couple different versions this week and love The Living Bibles wordage best.  Especially the part where it reads that Moses went over to investigate.  I thought to myself, when we see something happen that seems "unreal", we tend to go over and investigate as well don't we?  We know now the bush had the Angel of Jehovah (or LORD) in it but I wonder how many times the Angel of the LORD has been in something that we try to rationalize or explain? 

You see, when we meet up with God, He changes stuff.  We should pray to God that when He is going to make normal things abnormal, that He will open our eyes to notice when He is there.  LORD, will you open my eyes so I will be aware of when You show up in my life?

When we see the supernatural activity of God, what is our tendency?  Do we rationalize, explain, or try to figure it out?  Do we ask why?  Are we too smart for our own good where we HAVE to know the reasoning behind EVERY LITTLE STINKING THING?

Moses didn't stand around and try to figure out the burning bush out, he just turned his eyes to look.  Immediately, we find him taking off his sandals (it says shoes but I figure it was in the desert and I feel certain he was sporting his Rainbow flip flops rather than his newest pair of Nike's).  He didn't stand there trying to convince himself of some logical thing happening, he just began to worship God.

So my thoughts are this:  When we hear God's voice, do we call it intuition or God?  When our marriage is happy and thriving, do we call it good counseling or God?  When we get a raise in a depressed economy, do we call it luck or God?  When the depression has finally lifted from our life, do we call it it good medication that finally worked or God?  When we get a new house, do we call it good financial planning or God?  When we encounter one open door after another after another, do we call it good timing or God?

What is it about us that makes us have to explain everything away?  Why can't we just let things be God appearing to us AS A (you fill in the blank)?  Why can't it just be that the Angel of the Jehovah was in it?  Why can't it be that it was just God? 

I think it is time to get to the point in our walk with God that we give Him the credit that He deserves.  Don't try to explain it, just join Him and praise Him and thank Him for His hand upon you!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

A couple years ago, I began sending out a scripture with a short devotion via text each morning of the week to my fellow Sunday school class.  At the time, we were studying the scripture about meditating on God's Word in Psalm 1:2 and I decided I would send them a text to meditate on during the workday.  Once I accepted the call that God had placed on my life to work with the youth in our church, I added them to my text list and by word of mouth, my text list grew.  So each morning, after my quiet time with God, I share with them what God has spoke to me about that day. 

It's common for my kids to find me sitting in the recliner or on the couch with my Bible in my lap and my phone in my hand typing the scripture out in the mornings.  They no longer ask, "Mom, what are you doing?", they just know.  Just this week, I went to Hanna's room to gather her dirty laundry from her hamper and found her sitting on her bed with her Bible open and her iPod touch in her hand.  It took me by surprise but also sent my soul soaring.  I asked, "What are you doing?" to which she replied, "reading my Bible and sending out a devotion to my friends in my contact list."  Wow, I thought!  She said she had even texted her big sissy in Kentucky and asked if she could send her a devotion text.  Monkey see, monkey do I guess!

After I left her room, I thought of 1 Corinthians 11:1: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.  Our children follow our examples, whether good or bad.  If we use bad language, they use bad language.  If we are kind to others, they tend to be kind to others.  If we are impatient, they become impatient.  If we dress provocatively, they dress provocatively.

I once read a story about a lady that had a dog that was pregnant.  One day, the lady was out mowing her grass on a riding lawn mower and the dog was out in the yard with her.  Not paying close attention, the lady accidentally ran over the back of her dog injuring its back legs.  She immediately stopped and took the dog to the veterinarian hoping the dog would be OK.  Sure enough, after an examination, the vet told the lady her dog and her unborn puppies were fine and the dog would learn to "get around" her with injured back legs.  A couple weeks passed and she gave birth to a litter of healthy puppies.  Several weeks later, the lady was out on her front porch and noticed her dog out in the yard with her puppies.  What she observed blew her mind.  The momma dog had learned to "get around" by taking a step with her front legs and then flipping her backside in order to proceed forward.  She didn't seemed to be bothered with her handicap.  But to her amazement, every puppy that followed would also take a step with their front legs and then flip their backside even though they had four healthy legs.  Monkey see, monkey do!

So as I sit here and think of my actions, words and demeanor in my everyday life, I ask myself this question: Is this something I would want my children to mimic?  Do I scream at them so they are going to scream at their children?  Am I part of an abusive relationship they are witness to and are they going to accept the same thing in their life once they are married?  Have I gossiped about someone so they think it is OK to gossip about others?  Do they observe the way I pay attention in church so they will one day pay attention in church?  Am I negative about situations so they are going to look for the bad in situations as well?  Am I quick to judge others so they will be judgemental as well?  Is the life I am living something I would like to see my children follow in my footsteps?

I don't think we really pay enough attention to ourselves sometimes when it comes to TRYING to life a righteous life, a life that is in right standing with God.  Our kids adopt our behavior!  So I leave you with this question: Is your behavior something you would be proud for them to adopt?

Playing Favorites

I love quotes.  I write them down or put them on my notepad in my phone.  Here are some of my recent favorites:

• Don't judge each day buy the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. - Robert Louis Stevenson
• In all His displeasure with His children (Hebrews 12:5-11), God never feels contempt, but rather affection for us. - John Piper
• As long as we are planted and rooted by the Living Water, we will never wither.  Whatever we do will prosper (Psalm 1:3) - Me!
• Hurry destroys prayer.  Inner calm opens my inner-com to God.  "Be still..." (Psalm 46:10) - Rick Warren
• Worship isn't an event to attend and watch.  It is a LIFESTYLE to be lived - Rick Warren
• There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread. - Mother Teresa
• Jealously guard your time with God...He will love you for it! - Unknown
• TWIST - God grant me the serenity to accept the PEOPLE I can't change, the courage to change the ONE I can and the wisdom to know it's ME! - John Maxwell
• Worry is a 100% waste of emotion.  It cannot change the past.  It will not change the future.  It just ruins today.  If you prayed instead of worrying, you'd have a lot less to worry about. - Max Lucado
• Children spell love with four letters: T-I-M-E. - Max Lucado

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I have!  May your day be overflowing with the love that God pours out to you each and every day.  Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23.

Third Times A Charm

Sorry I haven't blogged lately folks!  Between two girls on two different teams, I have made the ballpark a temporary home these last couple weeks and softball season hasn't even started yet!  It's fun though!  I love watching my girls play, even out in the damp night air like tonight!

Anyway, as I was driving home, I began to think about God's grace.  How He knows EXACTLY what you need EXACTLY when you need it!  We try so hard to control a situation that seems out of control but thankfully He steps in and grabs the reigns and takes over.  And you know what?  I don't know why I don't go ahead and give Him the reigns to begin with because I KNOW He can do a much better job with my life that I can!  After all, He knows the outcome!  But so many times, my carnality kicks in and I snatch the reigns right out of His hands and give it a try again.  Maybe, just maybe, one of these days it will stick! 

I saw a friend today that I admire so much.  He was our minister of music at FFUMC up until August of last year when he decided it was time for a break.  You see, his daughter, who is in her early 20's, is enduring a second bone marrow transplant in hopes of defeating leukemia.  She has been such a trooper and I have learned so much grace, hope and endurance from this family.  They are all fighters.  There isn't many hours that go by that I don't stop and pray for that sweet young lady and her family.  I admire them for keeping the faith like Job.  This precious family is totally saturated in prayer.  As a matter of fact, Chris told me today he has been blow away at the response they have received from people all over the world.  Yes, the world.  There are people praying in nations across the seas, even in countries where Christianity isn't the prominent religion.  I know we aren't suppose to question God but sometimes I wonder how many more prayers it will take on her behalf to receive healing?  Chris shared that the CEO of Lifeway, the huge Christian bookstore, sent out a mass email to all those at Lifeway and asked them to also be in prayer for Anna.  Wow!  One life, one battle has affected so many others!

On another note, I had something a little crazy happen to me a couple weeks ago and God has refreshed my mind of it today.  If you know me, you know I zip around going 100 miles an hour doing 8 different things at one time.  And if you are a cop reading this, I really don't go 100 miles an hour, it's just a figure of speech, okay :-), I only go 60!  Anyway, I was zipping up to Wal Mart one afternoon around 2:30 so I could get my groceries before picking up the kids.  About the time I reached the local college, I saw this womas walking on the side of the road.  Then it was almost audible; God said, "Stop and offer her a ride".  I am sorry to report that I told God I really didn't have time because I was trying to make it to the grocery store and back to the school by 3:00.  Yes, I felt bad but I didn't meditate on it.  Then a couple days later, I was driving by a local Exxon station and I saw the woman AGAIN and yes, God said, "Dana, stop and offer the woman a ride".  A little frustrated I replied, "God, I don't know her and I have never picked up anyone" and drove on.  (I know, shoot me now!)  Well, Sunday of that week, I was leaving church and had a little time to waste because we get out of church at 11:00 and Anna Kate had spent the night with a friend and her church didn't get out until 11:30.  Instead of going my normal "get out of church and find somewhere to eat" route, I went a different way.  Now this Sunday was cold and rainy.  I went to the light and turned left and about 100 or so yards up the road, I was someone walking.  The closer I got, the clearer the image appeared.  It was her.  Walking down the side of the road with about 6 bags of groceries.  You know the routine by now: God: Stop and offer her a ride.  Me:  Pause.  God: Dana.  Me: turn the blinker on.  I made the block and pulled up beside her.  Now my youngest was in the car with me at the time and she asked, "Um, mom, what are you doing?" to which I replied, "Finally obeying God" and she just looked at me.  I rolled the window down and asked the lady if she would like a ride.  Immediately, she burst into tears and answered YES!  So in the car she gets and gives me directions to her house.  I make small talk with her for the 3 minute ride to her house and we pull up and stop.  She asked me to wait while she got something.  I told her I didn't want anything but she insisted I wait.  Out she walks with a Styrofoam cup from Sonic with the prettiest, most fragrant flowers.  She said, "It's not much but it's all I have.  Thank you so much for stopping."  I busted out crying.  That was the kindest thing I had received in a long time.  The minute I pulled out from her house, I remembered Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

So that's been about three weeks ago and I have looked and looked for her since.  Fayette is a small town and surely I would have seen her again but no.  I have even driven by her house in hopes of catching her outside during the beautiful days we've had but she is no where to be found.  How crazy is that?  Did God send that angel in ordinary street clothes to see WHEN I would finally obey Him?  Did He send her to show my daughter that we are to be kind to others and help them when they are in need, even if we don't neccesarily know them?  I don't know the answer to those questions but I am thankful I finally obeyed Him! I would hate to think He might have shoved her out in the road in front of me so I would finally stop. 

So what is it that God is asking YOU to do that you've been a little hesitant about?  Is He asking you to step up and serve Him with your WHOLE heart?  Is He tugging at your heart to step out of your comfort zone and do something for Him?  There's one thing about Him, He's constantly moving in our lives the question is, are you hearing Him and if you are, are you doing what He's asked?

Being Real

We all do it.  Every day.  Every morning.  We get up and start our day.  Some might have their quiet time.  Some might head straight to the coffee pot.  Some might get up and hit the floor running.  But before we are out the door into the real world, we put our masks on.  We put on the smile that says we are OK.  We put on the front that our lives are just honky dory (is that a word?).  We all "act" as if we have it together and know what we are doing.  We want to APPEAR to others that we are who we pretend to be.  We even convince ourselves of it most days.

After going on an Emmaus Walk a couple years ago and being a part of an amazing group of ladies, I realized we all have our junk.  Broken or strained relationships, disappointments and discouragement from our loved ones, too much temptation to bear in some situations are just a few that come to mind.  But to the outside world, we want everyone to think life is OK so we put on our mask.

One think I have learned in ministry is that I can reach more people by being real.  Revealing mistakes I have made and disappointments I have caused others are just naming a few.  After all, I am human.  But One thing I have come to know is this: Jesus loves me regardless of the mistakes I have made in my life.  He loves me so much that He suffered on a cross and bore the shame just so I can be forgiven.  Oh how I love Him for this.

I once heard a preacher say, "We go through unpleasant things in life and learn from them.  And while those unpleasant things are miserable when we are going through them, they can be used for God's glory."  Yes, as a matter of fact they can.  You see, God can take the dirt that Satan has on us and sprinkle His love into our soil make us bloom and grow.  That is what He has done for me.  I guess He has had to sprinkle A LOT of love because I had A LOT of dirt but PRAISE GOD He had and continues to have enough to saturate my soil!

This week in Bible study, I heard Priscilla Shirer say that God doesn't want us to just HEAR Him, He wants us to KNOW Him.  When we KNOW Him, we will hear His voice.  And how do we get to know Him?  Like any other relationship we have: we spend time with Him.  Reading His Word and thinking about what we've read, talking to Him, singing to Him, praising Him and the list could go on and on.  Don't you think our lives get so busy that we don't take the time to "spend" with Him?  Yes, they do but that's when we have to prioritize our time.  It's easy for me, especially with 2 girls involved with so many activities, to keep putting off time until at 9 p.m. and then I am exhausted from the day and doze off when I crack my Bible open.  I make it a priority to take a little time first thing in the morning to devote to Him.  It makes a huge difference in my day.  Then throughout the day, I will think back about what I read that morning and can hear Him softly speak something into my spirit.  Now I will admit, some mornings I want to just hit the snooze button and sleep an extra 15 minutes but I am to the point in my life that I know if I do that, my day will NOT go as smoothly.  He just gets me off on the right foot!

Now don't go and beat yourself up if you haven't taken time to spend with Him today.  There is tomorrow.  Make Him priority.  Try it and see if your day doesn't go better!  If it doesn't, will you please comment and let me know?  And if it does go better, will you let me know also?  I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!  God willing, I will catch y'all later!    

One Down, A Million To Go

Journey To The Cross, "Temptation Along the Journey" was the title of today's sermon at FFUMC.  And let me just tell you, Pastor Kathy BROUGHT IT! 

Just this morning as I was getting ready for church, I was thinking about temptation.  You think God is trying to tell me something?  YES!

On this journey we call life, we are delayed by crossroads.  At those crossroads, we have a choice to make.  While we SHOULD stop and study which road to take, many times we are speeding through this life and don't take the time to STOP and look.  We just zip on down the road and end up in a major construction zone that slows us down or we might even wreck!  We get sidetracked by the sights around us and we aren't focused on the road ahead. 

I remember my younger years when I was a little speed demon.  Flying from here to there and barely taking time to stop at the crossroads.  Whichever road looked the most fun, I dropped a gear and sped on down it!  I admit, I received a few tickets but even those tickets really didn't slow me down.  Now you may think I'm just talking about me and my car on a road but I am also talking about my life in general.

We throw caution to the wind and supposedly live life to the fullest.  We don't INTEND to get ourselves into trouble because we wouldn't knowingly do that but by not taking the time to THINK about situations we are a part of will ultimately be our demise.  At the mere age of 38, I am BEGINNING to learn to stop and take a look around.  Which path is the best for me?  One path may LOOK more fun and exciting but will that path be laced with traps and temptations that will lead me off the path God has for me? 

I know for a fact I will be tempted on this journey.  Will I let the temptation stay around me and allow it to grow?  I know if I do that I will eventually be entrapped by sin.  Jesus, FULL of the Holy Spirit in Luke 4, was tempted by Satan while in the desert.  You see, Satan likes to get us away from people who are TRYING to live a life in right standing with God.  He doesn't want us to be "influenced" by them.  He wants to draw us to the dark side where he can convince us what we are doing is OK.  Ultimately, when we fail, and we WILL when we are dealing with him, he leaves us high and dry to crash own our on!  You see, Satan doesn't REALLY want us, he just doesn't want God to have us!

Now, how do we get there?  How do we get the life God desires for us after crashing and burning time after time?  One decision at a time!  At the crossroad, stand there and look.  We KNOW what we are suppose to do but do we do it?  Do we do the right thing or do we do the thing that "feels good"?  Do we lie or do we tell the truth?  Do we keep our mouth shut or do we gossip?  Do we eat the dessert because it looks good or do we stick to our diet?  Do we login to facebook just to sneak a peek or do we abstain from it and stay true to ourselves?  Do we not drink tonight and stay sober or do we have just a couple of drinks to "take the edge off"?  Do we refrain from clicking on the porn site or do we just have "one more look"?  There are many, many, many "do we" questions.  Right or wrong.  That's the question.  We can justify it to pieces in our minds but if Jesus Christ was sitting right beside us when we ask ourself this question, how would we answer?  You know what...He is.  The Holy Spirit indwells in us.  He knows the decisions we make.  Some decisions He is proud of and some break His heart.

Victorious living begins one day at a time.  The days we obey and do the right thing, we place a mark on our "Right" Calendar.  And eventually, we have more marks on our "Right" Calendar than we do on our "Wrong" Calendar.  We get there One. Day. At. A. Time. 

I still have "Wrong" Calendar days but thankfully my "Right" Calendar days are beginning to outnumber the "Wrong" ones!  Is it easy?  NO.  But is it worth it?  ABSOLUTELY!

The Chase Is On!

Monday night is Bible study night at my church and I get excited about it EVERY week we have it!  Right now, we are doing Discerning The Voice Of God by Priscilla Shirer.  It is AWESOME!

Although Priscilla and I don't know each other personally, I feel like she, of course along with the Holy Spirit, was the one who nudged me into Youth Ministry.  A couple years ago, I was at a Going Beyond event (Priscilla Shirer's ministry) in Roswell, GA with a couple of gals from my church when God whacked me over the head and said, "GO".  I had heard the call to youth ministry the prior year but kept telling God he had the wrong person.  My kids weren't "youth age", I was past my 20's, I was normally in bed by 9 p.m., and the list went on and on.  Needless to say, God didn't listen to me.  And now I thank Him every day He didn't!

Anyway, Priscilla was teaching on Jonah that night.  As she read 1:17, the Holy Spirit opened my ears.  But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.  Priscilla said, and I quote, "The LORD ALWAYS provides when He asks us to do something."  The Lord had asked Jonah to do something, he didn't do it and we all know what happened after that!  Not that I thought I was going to be swallowed by a rather large fish, I just knew it was confirmation of the call He had placed on my life.

In Mark Batterson's book, Wild Goose Chase, he pretty much sums up the leading of the Holy Spirit:  Most of us have no idea where were going most of the time. Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit, Geadh-Glas, or the Wild Goose. The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what its like to follow the Spirit through life.   

Needless to say, from the time I entered youth ministry until now, it has been a WILD ride!  I am so thankful God has allowed me to be a part of the lives of the youth I shepherd.  They are a fun, crazy bunch!  We have laughed, cried, been scared, joyful, and every other emotion there is together.  We have been on mission trips that have totally took us out of our comfort zone and made us realize what blessings we have been given.  We have prepared meals, locked ourselves in the church overnight, been to Six Flags and too many other things to mention.  They are truly a great group!

I am so thankful for "the call".  I am thankful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in ministry.  But most of all, I am thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made for me, a broken vessel, so He could fill with His Spirit that I may have life and have it more abundantly!

Packing/Unpacking for This Journey

If you've been reading my blog, you will know Lent began last Wednesday and I decided to deny myself logging on to facebook in order to spend some extra time with God and do some self-examination.  I really thought I would probably blog every day but as you can see, that hasn't happened.  To be honest, I am kind of enjoying the absence of facebook.  You know, Beth might have just hit the nail on the head when she said I might not ever go back but I guess time will tell!

Anyway, this past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and I participated in the Ash Wednesday service at my church Wednesday night.  Pastor Bryan asked the question "What Are You Packing For The Journey" during his message.  "The Journey" he was referring to is these next several weeks leading up to Easter.  What is it that we are "taking with us" or "unloading for our journey"? 

That is a great question for all of us.  During these upcoming weeks, will you unpack forgiveness, anger, bitterness, resentment, hate?  Will you pack love, patience, kindness, goodness?  I don't know what is easier; packing or unpacking.  It's easy to SAY we forgive someone, especially in our minds, but if we don't ALLOW God to help us forgive them in our HEARTS, our efforts are futile.  The same goes for love, patience, kindness and goodness.  We are sure to fail if we think WE can do this on our own.  Only with the help of the Holy Spirit as our guide each and every day will we be successful.

I can tell you from experience, unless you TOTALLY, and I mean TOTALLY, turn your anger, bitterness, resentment over to God, you are fooling yourself.  You tell Him you can't handle it any more and you HAVE to have His help.  As soon as you do that with a pure heart, you are a captive set free!  See, Satan delights in creating turmoil in our lives and we live with it long enough that we begin to think it is normal.  That is a BIG FAT LIE!  With the help of God, He can set us free from that mess so our journey will be enjoyable! 

So, what is it that you will be packing or unpacking?  Munch on that question for a while and let me know!

He said WHAT?!?

I received an email yesterday afternoon that made reference to Ezekiel which sparked my interest.  Once I got the girls a snack and settled doing their homework, I got my Bible and started at the beginning.  It is quite an interesting read!

Ezekiel was a man who chose to obey God.  He served as a "street preacher" in Babylon for 22 years, telling everyone about God's judgement and salvation, urging them to repent and obey.  And he was a man of his word, he LIVED what he preached. 

I found it interesting that he described the wheels on the throne of God.  "They sparkled like chrysolite and all four looked alike.  Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.  As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions; their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around" according to verses 15-18.  How cool is that?!?  Able to move anywhere, these wheels show that God is present everywhere and is able to see all things.  And I also find it interesting that chrysolite means "golden stone" in Greek.  Well, if His streets are paved with gold, can't the wheels of His throne be a golden color too?

As I sit and think about the details that Ezekiel has given to us about the throne of God, I wonder how many other intricate details there are in the Bible that I haven't taken note of?  I use to speed read through a chapter so I could say "I've read my chapter for the day" instead of taking my time and really getting the meat of the scripture. 

I found another couple of verses that kinda stuck out at me.  Chapter 3 verse 26 reads "I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your moth so that you will be silent"....I just think that's hilarious!  The trouble God goes to to get us to shut our mouth!!!  And Chapter 4 verse 15 reads "'Very well', he said, 'I will let you bake your bread over cow manure instead of human excrement'"...are you thinking I might have mistyped that verse?  Seriously, bake bread over cow manure....I think I will just pass on the bread that day!

I wonder what other crazy things in The Good Book I have skimmed over in the past but will now blow me out of the water?!?  Harlequin nor John Grisham have NOTHING on God.  The stories I've come across, when I have taken my time, are the BEST STORIES EVER!!!  Back to digging a little deeper, catch y'all later!

And The Referee calls interference

Today begins the season of Lent.  Although "Lent" isn't in the Bible, it is the 40 days preceding Easter in which some denominations observe.  It is a way for Christians to remind themselves to repent of their sins in a manner similar to how people in the Old Testament repented in sackcloth, ashes and fasting as did Esther, Tamar and others in the Bible.  In preparation for Lent this year, I began to seek God's guidance in what I needed to fast, or remove, from my life.  As I was "milling" around my house Saturday with no TV or kids to distract me, I began to ask God again what He desired for me to put aside.  It was almost audible as He said "facebook".  Now some of you know, I am an avid facebooker and use it as a tool in my ministry.  "Are you sure God" I asked Him.  "Yes, Dana, quite sure" He replied.  "God, you know I use it for Your glory don't you", I asked.  "Yes, dear, I know that but I need you to lay it to the side for this season" God said.

So here I am.  The first day of Lent and no facebook and I have survived so far!  Actually, it has been quite refreshing.  My morning started off the usual: alarm goes off, I grab my Bible and go to my chair, read a passage, meditate on it, and then post it on.....wait, no facebook!  Well, I think, I will just read a little more.  Before I knew it, I had been sitting there, reading and meditating on what I had read and it was almost time to get the girls up.  It was a glorious time with God!  I took our dog outside to potty and as I was waiting on him to finish his "business", Anna Kate pops the door open to tell me school has been delayed two hours because of flooding.  Really, I thought?  She told me she had heard it on the television.  Immediately, I thought I could just login to facebook and see if anyone had any posts about the delay.  WOAH, WOAH, WOAH....God said.  Just that little temptation that was completely innocent, I thought.  Once back inside, I turned the television on only to find that Cullman County schools were on a 2 hour delay and Fayette County was under a Flash Flood Warning.  Two different counties, two different problems.  Her wires just got a little crossed.  God right then spoke to my spirit, "You see how easily tempted you were to login to facebook just for a bit of information" He said.  Yes, all it would have taken was a couple of keystrokes and I would have been logged in to "my world".  But thankfully, I listened to the news and got things straightened out!

Isn't that just like the devil?  He entices us with the smallest little thing sometimes and gets the focus off of God.  Not necessarily on him, but certainly off of God!  Facebook, although it can be a tool used in my ministry, it can also be an interference between me and God.  I have even deleted the app off of my iPhone so the temptation to "sneak a peek" will not be there to entice me.  And I have to tell you, it has been nice not to look to my phone for "updates".  I was talking with a friend earlier about this and she said, "Dana, you might not even get back on it after Easter" and you know what, I might not!  I will do what God tells me to do!

Now during my reading time this morning, the LORD lead me to Luke 17:11-19.  This passage talks about Jesus healing the 10 men with loeprsy.  The verse that really stuck out to me this morning was 14.  It reads like this: When he (Jesus) saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And AS THEY WENT, they were cleansed.  Jesus didn't go up to them, annoint them with oil, lay hands on them or anything like that.  He just merely said to go and show themselves to the priests.  It was the men who BELIEVED they were healed even though they couldn't SEE their healing!  AS THEY WENT, THEY BELIEVED!  Wow, what faith! 

I wonder if our TRUST in God is like these 10 lepers?  Do we REALLY believe God will do what we DESIRE even if we can't SEE it with our very own eyes or do we think "that's too out there"?  You know what the world says, "Seeing is believing".  But you see, the world tells us alot of things that are NOT true and the sad part is WE ARE BELIEVING THE WORLD!  Are we holding ourselves back from blessings because of our unbelief, because we can't "see" it?  I know God is no respector of persons and if He can do something amazing for these lepers, He can do something amazing for me!  Yes, people will probably look at me crazy sometimes but isn't the crazy looks worth the "out there" things He can do for us?  Yep, I believe it is!

Tornado warnings of life

We are approaching tornado season here in the great state of Alabama.  When winter can't make a smooth exit and spring is opening the door to come on in, it can cause great turbulence.  I love the warmer days of spring and to me, it's worth the a couple turbulent days of tornadoes.  As I was thinking about this earlier today, I began thinking about my life.

There are days and weeks that life seems to run ever so smoothly and then there are those days when you hang on for dear life so you won't be blown away.  As I was thinking about this, the Lord led be to Isaiah 43:2 which reads like this: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Lately, a storm has been raging in my life.  I could focus on my storm or I could focus on my God.  I chose to focus on God.  He has been with me.  He has sustained me.  He hasn't left me.  As I thought about the storm, I became thankful for it.  I know that sounds crazy but hear me out.  You see, if this storm had hit another person who wasn't as rooted in faith as I, they would have been uprooted.  The first strong wind and they would be toppled to the ground.  They might have even dropped out of corporate worship altogether.  But see, God has instilled His strength in me and I am drawing from that.  I know who I am, and WHO'S I am.  I don't mean to sound arrogant at all, but I know my Shepherd's voice and I will follow His lead.  I thank God for this storm.  I have actually become closer to Him during this time.  He can take the crap that the devil has used and turn it into good for Him...and I believe that is exactly what He has done!


     

Sloshing love or bitterness

Sorry I haven't blogged in over a week.  My Granny always told me if I didn't have anything nice to say then to keep my mouth (or in this case my fingers) shut!  I have been drawing close to God this past week seeking answers and healing and love.  I have been "released" by Him to blog again so I'm baaaack!

I am so thankful for Godly friends.  Friends that lend an ear.  Friends that pray for you even when you don’t know it!  Friends who stick with you even through the hard times.  Friends who love you no matter what.  You know, the same kind of love that God has for us!  Agape love.

Agape love is hard to find these days.  People love you as long as you agree with them.  People love you as long as you don’t cross them.  People love you if you do stuff for them.  People love you….well, you get my point. 

I remember reading in a book about the agape love of God.  It was a fiction book but one part really stuck in my mind.  The story goes something like this:

This man, we will call Charles, murdered this little girl, we will call June.  June’s dad was bound and determined to find Charles and get revenge.  After all, Charles murdered his little girl.  Well, June’s dad had an “encounter” with God.  God explained to June’s dad that although Charles had murdered June, He still loved Charles.  God didn’t agree with the actions of Charles but He loved him anyway.  After all, Charles was formed by God.  God explained it like this to June’s dad: You have 4 children whom you love dearly.  I want you to choose 2 of them to go to heaven and 2 of them to go to hell.  Of course, June’s dad couldn’t choose between them.  He wanted ALL of them to go to heaven, as would we.  June’s dad didn’t want ANY of his children to perish and neither does God! 

God loves us all the same.  He may not LIKE our actions, but He LOVES us always.  And there’s not one person on this earth that He loves more than another.  We are all equal in His eyes.  We shouldn’t look down our noses at others because they aren’t the same color as we are; nor should we shun others because our opinions differ.  We SHOULD love each other unconditionally with AGAPE love, not the fake stuff that is so transparent!

Now, you know as well as I do that this is easier SAID than DONE.  We have to draw the agape love FROM God and extend it to others.  How do we do that?  Spend time with Him; talking to Him, reading His Word, letting Him love on us. 

Lamentations 3:22-24 from The Message reads God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up.  They're created new every morning.  How great your faithfulness!  I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).  He's all I've got left.

Will you take a little time each morning and let God just love on you?  Will you take just five minutes out of your schedule and allow Him to pour His grace into you?  If you will allow Him to fill your cup (your soul) with His goodness, when others “bump” into you throughout the day, you can slosh some of His grace out on them!  What a difference that would make in the lives of those who come in contact with us.  We can slosh a little love out on them!  Are you up for the challenge?  I am!

Timely Words

God is so timely.  He knows EXACTLY what we need to hear EXACTLY when we need to hear it.  But sometimes, we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we don’t hear Him.  This week has been a hustle and bustle for me.  Crazy schedule.  Unplanned occurrences.  I just needed a little down time. 

The girls and I went to the Mexican restaurant after church to eat and then came straight home.  They have changed clothes and went outside to play on this beautiful Sunday afternoon and I grabbed a blanket and crawled into Wayne’s recliner.  I kicked back and before I knew it I was waking up from a nap.  I am still tired but that little power nap did a lot of good! 

When I woke up, I thought about a book I had read a couple years ago, When the Enemy Strikes by Charles Stanley.  I went to my bookshelf to get it and look over some passages I had underlined.  It wasn’t there.  I guess I have it on my bookshelf in my office at the church.  As I was standing there looking at the other books on the shelf, God spoke to me.  “Pick up that book,” He said as I was looking at “So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore” by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman.  I had completely forgot about this book.  I had read it a couple years ago and somehow it had got moved to the side.  Being obedient, I picked up the book and thumbed through it.  Like many of my books, I had underlined sentences that really spoke to me when I was reading them.  Here are the first 6 underlined sentences I read:

1. I’d never seen a group of people treat one another with such hostility and deceit while working so hard to appear sweet and innocent.
2. We give our affection only to those who serve our interests and withhold it from those who do not.
3. That’s why institutions can only reflect God’s love as long as those in it agree on what they’re doing. 
4. Every difference of opinion becomes a contest for power.
5. Rather than become an authentic demonstration of God’s life and love in the world, it ends up being a group of people who have to protect their turf.
6. This road is rarely easy, but you will find the joy of living in His life will far outweigh any pain in the process.

Talk about a timely Word.  And then as I turned the computer on to blog, a file I had worked on a month or so ago popped up and you want to know the name of the document: Stand Alone.  The youth have just completed a Bible study by Francis Chan entitled Courage and one of the studies was on having the courage to stand alone even when you are the only one standing. 

I believe God gives us what we need because He knows the road ahead.  He knows the darts the enemy will fire but He also gives us the strength to stand, and not just alone, but with Him.  Now the choice is ours.  Will we allow the darts to penetrate and consume us or will we look to Him for strength, guidance and peace?  Will we allow our minds to venture off to the dark land that Satan inhabits or will we take captive those thoughts and think on the good things of the Lord?  Ultimately, the choice is ours.  God isn’t a pushy god.  He allows us our own free will.  He allows us to think for ourselves.  What will we think?  How will we act or react?  Will we allow the enemy the victory?  The choice is ours.

Crazy Day-sies

So I guess you've noticed I've been on a hiatus with life in the last couple of days so I haven't had time to blog!  Life is crazy sometimes isn't it!?!  I can't believe I missed the opportunity to blog on Valentine's Day but life just gets cranked up some times! 

Anyway, I have a couple minutes this afternoon before Praise Team Practice so I thought I would drop a couple lines (and of course you know it's gonna be more than a COUPLE lines because I can't do anything in a couple of lines)!

Have you ever had that feeling that God is up to something in your life but you aren't sure what it is?  It's exciting and scary at the same time and that's precisely where I am right now.  I am excited to see what opportunity He is going to provide me but at the same time I am a little scared that it will be out of my comfort zone.  But this I do know; if He calls me to it, He will see me through it.  And who knows, it can be a minute little thing but I am trusting Him.  I just don't want to miss it!  I'm pretty good at discerning God's voice but there's times that I wish He would just take a frying pan and whop me upside my ever-loving head!

Speaking of discerning, our ladies group at church will be starting a new Bible study Monday night, February 28th, beginning at 6:15 in the fellowship hall.  We will be doing Priscilla Shirer's Discerning the Voice of God and would LOVE for you to join us.  Study books are $11.00 and if you are interested, call the church office at 205.932.5544 and let Sherrie know!  We have a great group of ladies that love the Word and have so much fun studying together!

On to other ramblings...Monday night was basketball practice for the girls and the devotion during their break was great.  Joe Cotton, from Southside Baptist Church, talked to the kids about David and Goliath.  I love that story and I get enamoured every time I hear it.  Joe talked to the kids about the single stone that David used to kill the giant and how it hit him in the perfect spot.  Immediately, Goliath was taken down.  It reminded me that with God on our side, we need not be scared of the battles we face because we KNOW God "has our back". 

Gotta run for now.....got to go spread a little Jesus around to some folks! 

Much love to you all!   

Excitement, Secrets and Stars

I am happy to report that my new Parallel Bible came in Friday so I have been as happy as a pig in the sunshine.  It is so cool!  There are four translations in it and it is much easier to look at the pages and read the difference in the wording rather than flipping back and forth on a computer screen or having four different Bibles piled across my table! 

I am also pretty crunk about getting tickets to Secret Church!  If you haven't read the book Radical by David Platt, it is a MUST!  David is the pastor at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL.  He is younger than me but totally souled out to Jesus and his passion for our Savior is over the top.  A couple times a year, he has Secret Church.  If you are interested in learning about this, visit the website at http://www.brookhills.org/secretchurch/.  I have read Radical and am now reading in again because it was so good I kinda rushed through it the first time.  This time, with a pencil in hand, I am going slower, savoring the words and ideas.

As I was pulling in our driveway tonight after an afternoon in Tuscaloosa getting things for the youth's coffee and doughnuts fundraiser tomorrow morning at church, I noticed the stars shining so bright.  After a closer look, I saw the Big Dipper directly over the top of my house.  "That looks so cool" I thought.  And no more did that thought pop into my mind that God spoke to my spirit.  "If you will obey me, I will use that scoop to scoop blessings from heaven and pour them out on you, " He said.  "Seriously?" I asked.  "Yes child, seriously," He answered.  Then He reminded me of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 which reads like this:

 ¹ If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
 ³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
 ⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
 ⁵ Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
 ⁶ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
 ⁷ The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
 ⁸ The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
 ⁹ The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him. ¹⁰ Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. ¹¹ The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
 ¹² The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. ¹³ The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. ¹⁴ Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

I want to be set high above all the nations of the earth.  I want to blessings to come ON me and accompany me, not just come TO me and then leave.  I want to be blessed in the city AND in the country.  I want the fruit of my womb, my children, to be blessed.  I don't have any livestock or crops right now but if I ever get any, I want them to be blessed too!  I want to be blessed when I come in and when I go out from my home.  I want my enemies to be defeated before they ever even get to me and flee from me.  I want blessings on everything I do for the Lord.  I want ABUNDANT PROSPERITY.  I want to be able to lend to many but borrow from none.  I want to be the head and never the tail; I want to be at the top and never at the bottom.  I want all these things but most of all I want to be obedient!  Is it easy?  Heavens no; if it was, everyone would be doing it!  But there is one thing I do know, IT IS WORTH IT!

LORD, help me be an obedient, open vessel for You to use.  Let others see not me LORD, but You.  More of You in my life, and less of me!  AMEN!

Giddiness with Heart Conditions

Don't you love the excitement and giddiness of something that you've ordered being delivered?  Whether it's something for a tackle box or new outfit that is adorable, we kinda get excited about the delivery don't we?  Well, I had someone order me a parallel Bible last week and I have been anxiously waiting for it to be delivered.  Every morning as I leave my house I think, "I bet it's coming today" and my stomach does a little flip!  Isn't that crazy!  A 38 year old woman getting butterflies because she THINKS a Bible might be delivered that day.  And then at night, a little disappointed, I go to bed and think maybe tomorrow.  Wake up, giddy, go to bed, disappointed.  I wish I could tell you my Bible came today and my routine would stop tonight but it still hasn't so I guess I will crawl in bed in a bit and think, "maybe tomorrow".

I have fallen in love with the Word of God.  I have used the NIV Life Application Study Bible for over 10 years now.  I have actually worn one Bible out and and to have it rebound.  I had to be away from it for almost 2 weeks while they were fixing the the cover and spine so I went and bought another one that had large print!  I didn't mean to be cheating on my old Bible but while it was at the Bible hospital, I fell in love with the large print.  So now I have two NIV Bibles that have tons of notes in them!

Last August, I bought my man a New King James Version Bible.  I would get his out and read a section of verses and then compare the words in his to the words in my NIV.  Doing that has really sparked my interest in other translations.  I also love The Message although it clumps scriptures together.  I have a Bible app on my iPhone called Blue Letter Bible and I LOVE IT!  You can highlight a verse and then tap "version comparison" and it lists about 15 different versions to that one scripture.  The app is FREE so if you are interested in a Bible app, I recommend it highly.  Not only does it compare the different versions, it has a concordance and lexicon, dictionary and even commentaries.  It totally rocks for me!

So this morning God had led me to Genesis 3 and I began reading in verse 1.  It reads like this:  Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?" and that is the NLT version.  I stopped and thought about that for a minute.  Isn't that just like Satan to make us second guess things.  Did God REALLY say...  You know the devil knows scripture better than some of us do and he knows how to twist and turn it into a trap for us.  And people that are not very familiar with The Word are an easy target for him.  Anyway, skip on to verse 4.   "You won't die!" the serpent hissed.  Hissed.  That word makes you wrinkle up your face doesn't it.  I don't like that word.  I do however, like how the NLT version replaced "said" with "hissed".  It kinda gives us a feeling of how Satan really is.  He hisses at people doesn't he?  The Hebrew word for said is 'amar and it means to say, speak, utter, to say in one's heart, to think.  WOWZERS.  Satan doesn't audibly SPEAK to us, he puts things in our minds and in our hearts.  Yes, even in our hearts.

We are told by many to follow our hearts but let me tell you, our hearts can get us in a world of trouble, especially when the devil has put something in there.  Jeremiah 17:9 reads, " The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "  I don't know about you, but when I've "listened to and followed" my heart, I ended up in a M-E-S-S!  Now God can take a mess and make good come out of it but if we will seek out the Holy Spirit instead of our heart, we will be sitting pretty!  So just beware, you can't always take what your feeling because the devil can mess with those feelings.  He can dangle something that looks good in front of us but if our gut is telling us it's not the real thing, then chances are it's not.

I want to encourage you to stop trusting in your heart, yourself, and things of this world and trust in Him. Your heart and its desires will allow you to do and think all sorts of things that do not line up with the Scriptures. You will be amazed at the things He will bring into your life when you continually surrender everything to Him.

I am.