When we are frustrated it’s a big clue that our pride is flaring because we’re not getting our way, and it points us to our unwillingness to surrender.
spoken from a faithful friend!!!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Scar Me Lord - it's gonna be worth it.
O Lord at what point and time will I not feel this pride and insecurity???
This season of allowing my Jesus permission to dig to "THAT" part of my heart that I have forever nurtured and "spiritually - covered up" is so stinkin painful. Studying the book of Galatians has brought me to this place of saying, enough is enough ! - I no longer choose bondage. I choose freedom!!! Now as lovely as that sounds, the reality is a process that is just about making the consequence of my chooses unbearable. Sure I get it - I see why and that it has to cost me something. It has to be painful. It has to bring me to that place of, I'm no longer breathing. However, today i have breath - which in my perspective is HOPE. Hope is being able to breathe. I feel His love and grace on me assuring me that it's gonna be worth it. His love is so perfect and knowing that this season of breaking me out of my self inflicted prison will leave scars but in those scars will be freedom that will enable me to be more useful for His glory. So this day I pray that when it hurts me, I will praise Him through the emotional pain and know that there is a day coming when I will feel light as a feather with a heart of gladness for having chosen the harder road.
OOOOOO I wonder if I will look light as a feather tooooo!!!!
This season of allowing my Jesus permission to dig to "THAT" part of my heart that I have forever nurtured and "spiritually - covered up" is so stinkin painful. Studying the book of Galatians has brought me to this place of saying, enough is enough ! - I no longer choose bondage. I choose freedom!!! Now as lovely as that sounds, the reality is a process that is just about making the consequence of my chooses unbearable. Sure I get it - I see why and that it has to cost me something. It has to be painful. It has to bring me to that place of, I'm no longer breathing. However, today i have breath - which in my perspective is HOPE. Hope is being able to breathe. I feel His love and grace on me assuring me that it's gonna be worth it. His love is so perfect and knowing that this season of breaking me out of my self inflicted prison will leave scars but in those scars will be freedom that will enable me to be more useful for His glory. So this day I pray that when it hurts me, I will praise Him through the emotional pain and know that there is a day coming when I will feel light as a feather with a heart of gladness for having chosen the harder road.
OOOOOO I wonder if I will look light as a feather tooooo!!!!
Monday, October 11, 2010
I Believe!
I wasn't going to post this then tonight I got to thanking God for all he did last week with the prayers that were prayed during our 3-Day Prayer and Fast for our kids and i just couldn't resist putting this praise out here in blogsville.
A little prelude: after a series of many frustrating weeks and dire situations for myself and some friends, I figured we needed to pray and fast for our kids. Satan is relentless in his desperation to destroy our kids and it's time we get proactive and go to battle with the big guns PRAY & FASTING. We know its expected of us and we know that it works, yet we are so weak to deny our flesh that we can come up with many excuses why we don't. However the Word is clear:
1. Fasting helps subject our bodies to our spirits. (I Cor 9:27)2. Fasting is disciplining the body, mind, and spirit. (Prov. 25:28)
3. Fasting is subordinating our flesh-desires to our spirit-desires. (Gal 5:17)
4. Fasting helps set the priorities in our lives. (Mt 6:33)
5. Fasting is longing after God. (Ps 63:1-2)
Why Should We Fast?
1. Honor God - Mt 6:16-18, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2, Mt 5:6
2. Humble Yourself - 2 Chron 7:14-15
3. Discerning Healing - I Cor 11:30, James 5:13-18, Isaiah 59:1-2
4. Deliverance from Bondage - Mt 17:21, Is 58:6-9 (loose bands of wickedness)
5. Revelation - God’s vision and will - Dan 9:3, 20-21, Dan 10:2-10, 12-13
6. Revival - personal and corporate - Acts 1:4, 14 / 2:16-21, Joel 2:12-187. Repentance - personal failures - Psalm 51: Jer. 29:11-14, James 4:8-10
Anyway, I called upon some friends and was blessed beyond blessed to have 14 of them say yes lets do this - so we did. We denied the flesh to feed the spirit and fight the fight for our kids. to God be the Glory!!!! So that leads me to my story that I wanted to share.
It was the last night of the fast and i was driving home from church alone as Bobby and Aaron stayed behind to play basketball in the gym with some other guys. I was just praising the Lord for all things about Aaron and his life. i started really being thankful for his health. i realized how very blessed we have been as this kid never gets sick. as active as he is there have been no broken bones and no stitches and barely any normal sicknesses. I was just enjoying my drive home thanking the Lord for good health. So I'm home for about an hour and in walks Aaron, "Mom please help me it hurts real bad" there i stood looking at his arm thinking it must be broken. It's already black and blue and the lump was huge. At first I panicked then I started laughing- really cracking up laughing. he is looking at me like 'what is wrong with you, I'm hurt!' How could it be that I was just praising God for good health and no accidents and this walks in my house. O the comedy of it in that moment. I quickly composed myself as i new it looked pretty rude and I went into real mommy mode. Bobby was assuring me that it wasn't broke but that it was indeed a pretty bad bruising. I guess you want to know how this happened - okay well it's not glamorous but the bottom line is he kept missing his layups and well his temper got the better of him and he slugged some part of the wall. yes you heard me right. Well anyways after i iced it and helped him get ready for bed ( he can't use it all). I lied there and I prayed for him, realizing this was the end of the fast so I just stayed there praying and asking God for a miracle, asking him to show Himself strong to Aaron and the power that He has to heal and bring comfort. i stayed and prayed until Aaron was at peace and ready to dose off to sleep. I begged God to do this for my son. How he needs to know the power of God for himself - his parents faith will not save him and make him a surrendered sanctified soul for the Lord. he has to know the power of God for himself. So the next morning i am sitting out on my chair having my quiet time and Aaron gets up, comes over to hug and kiss me good morning and I realize he is using his arm like it's nothing but a thing. I said, " Aaron how is your arm?", he says, " good why" I just laughed and said thank you Jesus. His response made me realize that he was saying 'why are you asking mom didn't we pray for a miracle'. So my 3 day fast ended in more than I could have hoped for and I know that this is just the beginning of many times on my knees for my son. I BELIEVE!!!!!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Lessons From My Yard
This morning I woke with this thought on my mind. Is today His? I lied there and thought duh of course, isn't everyday His?! Then I realized that yes of course that is factually true however, will I allow it to really be His in all things in all ways. You see I'm really struggling these days with choosing all things Jesus over my deep painful hurt and insecurities. I went to my inbox and I read these 2 very separate yet somehow connected verses.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
The little article was talking about how easy it is to live this out at a retreat as apposed to our daily lives. Saying that it is because at a retreat everything we do is based upon Jesus. So it dawned on me that is the answer - everything I do needs to be with the mindset of Jesus. Ok sounds simple enough - let's see how this plays it's self out today.
Then I read
I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (John 4:35)
This one made me laugh a little. I have a friend who always talks about how she and I see life so very differently. She sees the field and is overwhelmed by the work and I see it and get excited for what can be produced from it.( Ministry) The little devotion that went with it was great but it didn't seem to be the thing that God was wanting to speak to me about. So I decided to take a literal approach and go in my back yard and and look at the 'field'. So as I did this the Lord began to pour into me so many thoughts. You see I have this thing about homes and how they can really speak to the real condition of our hearts. I also have this avocado tree in the back yard that from day one God has used to speak spiritual wisdom to me about myself. Today I looked at my backyard - the grass! God was opening my eyes yet again. You see there is this weird thing going on with it. It has been dying all season. It gets watered and cut on a very regular bases. Yet it is dying. In fact 50% of the yard is painful to even walk on, as it feels kind of like dull thorns. Just very perplexing. I've been thinking I should talk to my Gardener and ask him why or for help. it's odd that he comes every week and sees it as well but hasn't done anything to help it either. I got to thinking that I'm going to have to spend some extra time with it, tilling it and planting new seeds and adding fertilizer. So all of these things make perfect sense right?! But I tend to go out side always and look at the part of the grass that is nice and just keep hoping that by some chance it will bleed into the died grass. The weird thing is I think the dead grass is taking over the good grass. So here I am this morning with this verse in my head looking at my grass and realizing that it's time for something different. I need to invest in a new way. Just going out there and spending a little extra time with water isn't helping anything. I have been doing that for months now. I know that my yard is reacting to the odd abnormal summer season we have had, it's as if it just didn't know how to behave under that condition so it just gave up and died. But why did the other part of my yard adjust and thrive?? As you can imagine my mind is pounding with these aahhaa God thoughts and I have to laugh. No seriously laugh out loud by myself in my back yard. Wonder what my neighbor who sits in her back yard all day was thinking? funny that I even care. All of this to say that I now am completely aware that God is doing a work and I'm beginning to get it. Looks like I'll be having some dates with my backyard. You may be reading this with alot of " what is she talking about" but one thing if you know anything about me God always seems to talk to me most in the everyday things and I can tell that He is beginning to really show me what i need to know from My yard and it looks like we, my yard and i are gonna be doing some work - the horrible part is I HATE LOATHE did I say HATE yes HATE yard work. So isn't it just like God to take me to the very thing that I never want to do in fact i do the very bare minimal with it always just so it doesn't look trashy. - or at least knowing that other peoples yards are struggling too i don't feel so bad about mine ( Good stinkin grief )
If you know anything about my story with my avocado tree here is a funny thing. My tree is in the part of my yard that is green and doing well. my tree is full of so many avocados -even after my gardeners cut like 5 majorly huge branches off - they did it when there were about 200 total babies on it. i was so frustrated when they did that thinking, 'seriously why now - there were so many babies on those brances' but looking at it this morning those branches that were cut have already produced new growth with many new babies on it. i hope everything I'm saying isn't nonsense and that you can see the spiritual analogy here. It's just blowing my mind. I'm just feeling thankful that today is a new day and I will make it His and consider the field!!!
Lessons from my yard:
- The part that is dead needs to be tilled up and re-seeded fertilized alot. that is a messy stinky process but the grass is dead and if it stays it will continue to kill the good that is in my yard. The dead is of no longer any use it needs to be gone and it's gonna take work.
- My Gardener comes weekly yet I never ask him for help I just expect him to do the work. I can only imagine what he is thinking. "I wonder if she even cares that her grass is dying - i can help her if she will only ask - it will only cost a little extra for her" - " if she doesn't ask soon it will cost her more as it is becoming a bigger problem" - do you see they similarities between my "Gardener" and my Jesus!!!!
- Of course the dead grass in infecting the good grass - things need to be removed and it's gonna take time and I need to be willing to get a little messy and stinky. Sure i can pay the gardener to do the whole thing for me but somehow I want to be apart of the growth. I don't want to miss out on the blessing that I know will come from it.
- There is a time in our walks that just being watered on a daily basis is not enough anymore for the deeper growth. Things like praying and fasting - taking time to be still before the Lord - yielding first before reacting - all these need to become a more substantial part of my life. We need to long for the deep things but it comes at a sacrifice and are we really willing to make it.
- this season of odd weather we have been having has made all things in my yard react very differently. I never thought that I should have been taking precautions or that it even mattered. But how like us that when the storms come or the droughts we begin to get a bit unnerved and behave differently. They show whats really deep down in our hearts - the yuck is exposed and it becomes clear what needs to be cut away.
- of course the growth will come from me becoming disciplined in doing the things that I would not rather do.
- the "Gardener" cutting my branches off my tree - he knows what is best. i never even asked him to do that and yet he went to town on that tree. I was sad and frustrated to see very fruitful branches leave but he knew best that what would grow from it would be a more healthier branch and ultimately my tree is better balanced and not breaking down my fence or invading my neighbor's yard. So like ministry right now.
so as you can see in just a few minuets of going out and 'considering the field' so many spiritual truths have begun to take root in my heart. The really really stinky thing is I still do not want to go out there and dig up that yard - why do i hate yard work so much - most people love it and find it very therapeutic. Yea well not me - I JUST DONT WANT TO DO IT!!!
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
The little article was talking about how easy it is to live this out at a retreat as apposed to our daily lives. Saying that it is because at a retreat everything we do is based upon Jesus. So it dawned on me that is the answer - everything I do needs to be with the mindset of Jesus. Ok sounds simple enough - let's see how this plays it's self out today.
Then I read
I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (John 4:35)
This one made me laugh a little. I have a friend who always talks about how she and I see life so very differently. She sees the field and is overwhelmed by the work and I see it and get excited for what can be produced from it.( Ministry) The little devotion that went with it was great but it didn't seem to be the thing that God was wanting to speak to me about. So I decided to take a literal approach and go in my back yard and and look at the 'field'. So as I did this the Lord began to pour into me so many thoughts. You see I have this thing about homes and how they can really speak to the real condition of our hearts. I also have this avocado tree in the back yard that from day one God has used to speak spiritual wisdom to me about myself. Today I looked at my backyard - the grass! God was opening my eyes yet again. You see there is this weird thing going on with it. It has been dying all season. It gets watered and cut on a very regular bases. Yet it is dying. In fact 50% of the yard is painful to even walk on, as it feels kind of like dull thorns. Just very perplexing. I've been thinking I should talk to my Gardener and ask him why or for help. it's odd that he comes every week and sees it as well but hasn't done anything to help it either. I got to thinking that I'm going to have to spend some extra time with it, tilling it and planting new seeds and adding fertilizer. So all of these things make perfect sense right?! But I tend to go out side always and look at the part of the grass that is nice and just keep hoping that by some chance it will bleed into the died grass. The weird thing is I think the dead grass is taking over the good grass. So here I am this morning with this verse in my head looking at my grass and realizing that it's time for something different. I need to invest in a new way. Just going out there and spending a little extra time with water isn't helping anything. I have been doing that for months now. I know that my yard is reacting to the odd abnormal summer season we have had, it's as if it just didn't know how to behave under that condition so it just gave up and died. But why did the other part of my yard adjust and thrive?? As you can imagine my mind is pounding with these aahhaa God thoughts and I have to laugh. No seriously laugh out loud by myself in my back yard. Wonder what my neighbor who sits in her back yard all day was thinking? funny that I even care. All of this to say that I now am completely aware that God is doing a work and I'm beginning to get it. Looks like I'll be having some dates with my backyard. You may be reading this with alot of " what is she talking about" but one thing if you know anything about me God always seems to talk to me most in the everyday things and I can tell that He is beginning to really show me what i need to know from My yard and it looks like we, my yard and i are gonna be doing some work - the horrible part is I HATE LOATHE did I say HATE yes HATE yard work. So isn't it just like God to take me to the very thing that I never want to do in fact i do the very bare minimal with it always just so it doesn't look trashy. - or at least knowing that other peoples yards are struggling too i don't feel so bad about mine ( Good stinkin grief )
If you know anything about my story with my avocado tree here is a funny thing. My tree is in the part of my yard that is green and doing well. my tree is full of so many avocados -even after my gardeners cut like 5 majorly huge branches off - they did it when there were about 200 total babies on it. i was so frustrated when they did that thinking, 'seriously why now - there were so many babies on those brances' but looking at it this morning those branches that were cut have already produced new growth with many new babies on it. i hope everything I'm saying isn't nonsense and that you can see the spiritual analogy here. It's just blowing my mind. I'm just feeling thankful that today is a new day and I will make it His and consider the field!!!
Lessons from my yard:
- The part that is dead needs to be tilled up and re-seeded fertilized alot. that is a messy stinky process but the grass is dead and if it stays it will continue to kill the good that is in my yard. The dead is of no longer any use it needs to be gone and it's gonna take work.
- My Gardener comes weekly yet I never ask him for help I just expect him to do the work. I can only imagine what he is thinking. "I wonder if she even cares that her grass is dying - i can help her if she will only ask - it will only cost a little extra for her" - " if she doesn't ask soon it will cost her more as it is becoming a bigger problem" - do you see they similarities between my "Gardener" and my Jesus!!!!
- Of course the dead grass in infecting the good grass - things need to be removed and it's gonna take time and I need to be willing to get a little messy and stinky. Sure i can pay the gardener to do the whole thing for me but somehow I want to be apart of the growth. I don't want to miss out on the blessing that I know will come from it.
- There is a time in our walks that just being watered on a daily basis is not enough anymore for the deeper growth. Things like praying and fasting - taking time to be still before the Lord - yielding first before reacting - all these need to become a more substantial part of my life. We need to long for the deep things but it comes at a sacrifice and are we really willing to make it.
- this season of odd weather we have been having has made all things in my yard react very differently. I never thought that I should have been taking precautions or that it even mattered. But how like us that when the storms come or the droughts we begin to get a bit unnerved and behave differently. They show whats really deep down in our hearts - the yuck is exposed and it becomes clear what needs to be cut away.
- of course the growth will come from me becoming disciplined in doing the things that I would not rather do.
- the "Gardener" cutting my branches off my tree - he knows what is best. i never even asked him to do that and yet he went to town on that tree. I was sad and frustrated to see very fruitful branches leave but he knew best that what would grow from it would be a more healthier branch and ultimately my tree is better balanced and not breaking down my fence or invading my neighbor's yard. So like ministry right now.
so as you can see in just a few minuets of going out and 'considering the field' so many spiritual truths have begun to take root in my heart. The really really stinky thing is I still do not want to go out there and dig up that yard - why do i hate yard work so much - most people love it and find it very therapeutic. Yea well not me - I JUST DONT WANT TO DO IT!!!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I hate the truth about myself
I've been going through this time of uncertainty of what is going on physically with my body. you see I found a mass in my neck 8 months ago or so. Well finally after all this time of test, Dr appts, blood work - you know the drill. I have an answer. Nothing that is going to take my life or cause me continued grief - it's only a lymph node reacting to something in my body. 1st I say Praise the Lord for answered prayer - then I have to stop and say O MY Goodness what in the world is wrong with me that I have worried off and on for over these 8 months. Bringing loved ones into a place of concern with what 'might' be happening to me. WOW crazy. Sure I know we need prayer and that is important but I get to thinking about my lack of faith and all that I have not done for Jesus because I would have rather been thinking about the "what ifs" of this situation. So not liking what I'm seeing in myself in all of this. I know these things are brought into our lives to shake us up and show us our lack of faith, our lack of trust, our lack of really living what we preach of wanting to be a disciple of His. But once the hard reality of it all hits, it becomes a bit humbling, an awareness of how much I need Jesus. Just when i think I'm growing I become that much more aware of the filthiness of who I am and all I can really do is fall on my knees in humbly surrender to a Holy God who loves me, died for me, uses me, and thinks I'm worth it. Isn't He amazing!!!!
Thank You Lord that You put the hard things in our way to expose the hardness of our hearts that are useless to You. Thank You that You never promise us a life of ease but only one of peace if we but stay the course with You and trust You in the storms of life.
Crazy how a stupid lymph node can bring such self awareness and even greater awareness to who He is.
Thank you Lord for a reactory lymph node!!!!!!
Thank You Lord that You put the hard things in our way to expose the hardness of our hearts that are useless to You. Thank You that You never promise us a life of ease but only one of peace if we but stay the course with You and trust You in the storms of life.
Crazy how a stupid lymph node can bring such self awareness and even greater awareness to who He is.
Thank you Lord for a reactory lymph node!!!!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Hard Truth in my In Box
I love when I'm reading the devotions in my inbox and the very thing I read is the very thing i went to bed praying about. This is just way to powerful of a painful truth to not share here.
Inquire of the Lord
1 Samuel 30:8 tells us what David did as He sought to deal with the troubles that besieged him. After grieving and strengthening himself in the Lord, here is what he did, So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
David inquired of the Lord.
There is a story in the book of Joshua that shows the importance of inquiring of God, of seeking His guidance, no matter how things may seem. The nation of Israel had entered the Promised Land and they were gaining great victories. One day a group of Gibeonites showed up. They had bags full of old moldy bread, their sandals were worn out, their water skins were cracked and old, and their clothing was old and worn.
They told Joshua and the leaders that they had come from a country far, far away. They went on to tell them they had heard about the great things God was doing through Israel, and they wanted to make sure they would not be attacked. So they had traveled from afar to make a covenant so that when Israel eventually reached them in the future, they wouldn’t attack the Gibeonites.
The Bible says specifically that Joshua and the men did not inquire of the Lord. Rather, they looked at the people’s provisions... the moldy bread, the old sandals, the old water skins... and they made a covenant with them. It turns out they were the next door neighbors and Israel had been deceived. And it caused huge problems in Israel’s future.
I am telling you, things are not always as they appear. It pays to inquire of the Lord when you are going through difficult times. He will lead you
___________________________________________________________________________________
I've been studying/praying/ and pondering the whole idea of being deceived for a long time now. I wont get into all of that right now but let's just say that the 'church' needs to wake up, humble themselves and stop being against one another. Satan has infiltrated us and has spun such a web of deception that now he is just sitting back watching us destroy one another. We are no longer fighting the good fight. We now are obsessed with offenses, being selfish, not humbling ourselves in love, not sticking with what God calls us to so that we can learn what the real spirit of unity is. We have become a people who arrogantly stand in our rightness and leave dead bodies along the way.
God help us!
God remove the scales from our eyes!
God please save your people from themselves!
Inquire of the Lord
1 Samuel 30:8 tells us what David did as He sought to deal with the troubles that besieged him. After grieving and strengthening himself in the Lord, here is what he did, So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
David inquired of the Lord.
There is a story in the book of Joshua that shows the importance of inquiring of God, of seeking His guidance, no matter how things may seem. The nation of Israel had entered the Promised Land and they were gaining great victories. One day a group of Gibeonites showed up. They had bags full of old moldy bread, their sandals were worn out, their water skins were cracked and old, and their clothing was old and worn.
They told Joshua and the leaders that they had come from a country far, far away. They went on to tell them they had heard about the great things God was doing through Israel, and they wanted to make sure they would not be attacked. So they had traveled from afar to make a covenant so that when Israel eventually reached them in the future, they wouldn’t attack the Gibeonites.
The Bible says specifically that Joshua and the men did not inquire of the Lord. Rather, they looked at the people’s provisions... the moldy bread, the old sandals, the old water skins... and they made a covenant with them. It turns out they were the next door neighbors and Israel had been deceived. And it caused huge problems in Israel’s future.
I am telling you, things are not always as they appear. It pays to inquire of the Lord when you are going through difficult times. He will lead you
___________________________________________________________________________________
I've been studying/praying/ and pondering the whole idea of being deceived for a long time now. I wont get into all of that right now but let's just say that the 'church' needs to wake up, humble themselves and stop being against one another. Satan has infiltrated us and has spun such a web of deception that now he is just sitting back watching us destroy one another. We are no longer fighting the good fight. We now are obsessed with offenses, being selfish, not humbling ourselves in love, not sticking with what God calls us to so that we can learn what the real spirit of unity is. We have become a people who arrogantly stand in our rightness and leave dead bodies along the way.
God help us!
God remove the scales from our eyes!
God please save your people from themselves!
Monday, August 30, 2010
End of the Summer Ramblings
How did this entire Summer get away from me without blogging. Maybe that's why I've been on the verge of insanity this entire summer, seeing that blogging tends to be my therapy. Anyway, in typical Susan fashion there wont be much sense to any of this, just me trying to get A TON of thoughts out of my head. I apologize in advance if you take the time to read and at the end find yourself in need of a slap upside the head because you actually read this.
Summer started with a much needed trip to Montana. I posted some pictures of our time there and little did I know that being there in Montana was going to be the most rest I would get all Summer long. It was a great trip though being in that beautiful part of the Country and being with very missed family. I only wish i could have actually had the cup of coffee with my brother that i had hoped for but instead i got to see him for but a moment from a distance. I am however thankful that Aaron got to see him for a couple minutes and give him a hug. Time with Mom and Dad, Nancy, Brad and the kids, was so great. We shared many laughs that week.
Aaron had a Summer that was packed with all things not involving me. I guess I could see that as a blessing in some ways but there is much sadness wrapped up in all of that as well. He had 2 weeks of basketball camp - youth camp - Serving in VBS- a missions outreach - concerts - movies and many hang out dates with friends. This boy of mine is growing up so fast. All the mistakes I've made as a parent are starting to become so evident as he is getting older and going about his life. Gosh to only know then what I know now. I need to post those things someday. Just maybe they might help someone out there - OKAY NO THEY WONT we always think our situation is different. Well for the record IT'S NOT!!!!
Bobby's Summer except for the trip to Montana and taking the week off so he could serve in VBS, it was pretty much life as normal. Work / Ministry / Work / kiss the wife / Work / ministry / Kiss the wife and so on and so on. I'm just grateful I'm in that equation. See this is the benefit of being married to someone with slight OCD - the pattern in his life is forever consistent. I will never go without in his pattern of life. (heheheh). he still amazes me at how sacrificial he is. I have honestly never known anyone ever who is as sacrificial as he is - except for JESUS!!!!
Me - my summer has been one of thankfulness for the perfect weather we had here in Cali. Okay truth is my grass and avocado tree have no idea what season it is and they are both behaving very inappropriately. My poor avocado tree had it's babies way to early. I just pray the fruit is good this year. i suspect it wont be and some how this tree that continues to speak spiritual truths to me will give me many lessons in fruit that looks good but not so good to eat. So not lookin forward to this season. Or maybe the lesson will be fruit that needs to be used for something else instead of the same known way. hhhhmmmmmm stay posted for that. Regardless it will speak hard things to me about myself. It always has. O here's a big thing that happened this summer - I spent 7 hours in a salon chair doing color correction. yes you heard me correctly. In my attempt to make the black be brown, I ended up looking like a calico cat. No there are not any pictures but poor Margaret. 7 stinkin hours and finally I was brown - no hair damage either - shoot that girl sure knows her stuff. To top it off at the end of a very long day with my hair she reaches in her pocket and slices her finger on a razor blade she had in there. So not only did she waste her day on my hair and barely get any money for it, her tip was to cut the tip off. Good thing I'm a good conversationalist - other wise her day would have completely stunk. But i got my brown hair!!!!
VBS - The Adventures of The Apostle Paul. I love VBS. My favorite time of the year in ministry. I was super blessed to wear many hats this year. Worship / Food / Worker Kid entertainment / Janitorial and many services of registration. The more the better. for me it's always just a giant blessing to see Gods hand in all things so I get pretty hoggish to do what ever I'm allowed to do. Not sure why but i tend to thrive on serving with exhaustion. Seems like it's easier to die to self and allow God to do what only he can through me.
I tried to make many dates with friends this summer but well 97% of them never panned out. hhhmmmm I wonder why God continues to think aloneness is best for me. I must not be learning the better lesson in all of this.
Well regardless of what any given days agenda became one thing I know for sure. God is Good - God is Faithful - God is Strength - God is Love - God is Peace - God is Forgiving - God is Truth - God is Mine and I am His!!!!!! Thank you Jesus for a good Summer and beautiful weather and lessons.
Summer started with a much needed trip to Montana. I posted some pictures of our time there and little did I know that being there in Montana was going to be the most rest I would get all Summer long. It was a great trip though being in that beautiful part of the Country and being with very missed family. I only wish i could have actually had the cup of coffee with my brother that i had hoped for but instead i got to see him for but a moment from a distance. I am however thankful that Aaron got to see him for a couple minutes and give him a hug. Time with Mom and Dad, Nancy, Brad and the kids, was so great. We shared many laughs that week.
Aaron had a Summer that was packed with all things not involving me. I guess I could see that as a blessing in some ways but there is much sadness wrapped up in all of that as well. He had 2 weeks of basketball camp - youth camp - Serving in VBS- a missions outreach - concerts - movies and many hang out dates with friends. This boy of mine is growing up so fast. All the mistakes I've made as a parent are starting to become so evident as he is getting older and going about his life. Gosh to only know then what I know now. I need to post those things someday. Just maybe they might help someone out there - OKAY NO THEY WONT we always think our situation is different. Well for the record IT'S NOT!!!!
Bobby's Summer except for the trip to Montana and taking the week off so he could serve in VBS, it was pretty much life as normal. Work / Ministry / Work / kiss the wife / Work / ministry / Kiss the wife and so on and so on. I'm just grateful I'm in that equation. See this is the benefit of being married to someone with slight OCD - the pattern in his life is forever consistent. I will never go without in his pattern of life. (heheheh). he still amazes me at how sacrificial he is. I have honestly never known anyone ever who is as sacrificial as he is - except for JESUS!!!!
Me - my summer has been one of thankfulness for the perfect weather we had here in Cali. Okay truth is my grass and avocado tree have no idea what season it is and they are both behaving very inappropriately. My poor avocado tree had it's babies way to early. I just pray the fruit is good this year. i suspect it wont be and some how this tree that continues to speak spiritual truths to me will give me many lessons in fruit that looks good but not so good to eat. So not lookin forward to this season. Or maybe the lesson will be fruit that needs to be used for something else instead of the same known way. hhhhmmmmmm stay posted for that. Regardless it will speak hard things to me about myself. It always has. O here's a big thing that happened this summer - I spent 7 hours in a salon chair doing color correction. yes you heard me correctly. In my attempt to make the black be brown, I ended up looking like a calico cat. No there are not any pictures but poor Margaret. 7 stinkin hours and finally I was brown - no hair damage either - shoot that girl sure knows her stuff. To top it off at the end of a very long day with my hair she reaches in her pocket and slices her finger on a razor blade she had in there. So not only did she waste her day on my hair and barely get any money for it, her tip was to cut the tip off. Good thing I'm a good conversationalist - other wise her day would have completely stunk. But i got my brown hair!!!!
VBS - The Adventures of The Apostle Paul. I love VBS. My favorite time of the year in ministry. I was super blessed to wear many hats this year. Worship / Food / Worker Kid entertainment / Janitorial and many services of registration. The more the better. for me it's always just a giant blessing to see Gods hand in all things so I get pretty hoggish to do what ever I'm allowed to do. Not sure why but i tend to thrive on serving with exhaustion. Seems like it's easier to die to self and allow God to do what only he can through me.
I tried to make many dates with friends this summer but well 97% of them never panned out. hhhmmmm I wonder why God continues to think aloneness is best for me. I must not be learning the better lesson in all of this.
Well regardless of what any given days agenda became one thing I know for sure. God is Good - God is Faithful - God is Strength - God is Love - God is Peace - God is Forgiving - God is Truth - God is Mine and I am His!!!!!! Thank you Jesus for a good Summer and beautiful weather and lessons.
Friday, June 4, 2010
A few pix from our Montana trip
tryin to get a pic of my boy is just short of impossible - we were at Giant Springs, my fav place at Mom's house.
Giant Springs - this is the smallest river in the nation or maybe even world - any whoseit i love to just sit there and listen to that water - it's peace at it's finest.
Everything Green - really really green!!
This had to be taken from very far away and zoomed in - I wonder what he's thinkin??
Morgan, Madison and my love - these girls ,ove them some uncle Bobby but duh who doesn't love Bobby. My nieces are so pretty.
Daddy, Aaron, and mom - I had to pay the child to take a pic with his grandparents - Yes I am that horrible of a parent. You see I figure it doesn't matter how much I mess the kid up God can fix anyone - shoot look at me!!!!!
Mom was telling him something so i actually got a real smile out of the kid.
Now this is Fred~ he is the squirrel that has lived in Mom's yard for 4 years. He is stealing the birds food. Now picture this Mom is outside yelling at Fred that he is stealing food. He just stares at her. it's hysterical. I just know that the neighbors call her the 'crazy old lady who talks to the squirrels" It's funny: all 4'9" of this lil'ol grannie shakin her finger at a lil'squirrel - lol
Now here's Taylor my nephew - this pic happened by complete accident because this kid is just like Aaron - no one ever gets a pic of him. Him and Aaron were actually in cahoots to take my camera and delete pics - UGH!!!!! He's a love though. I'm so glad him and Aaron had a great time together.
Bobby and Morgan (Mouch) - sweet!!
Madison and Bobby - proud uncle!
Just goofin around and no that is not my Geoffrey that is Josie down there. She helped me make it through the week w/out my baby.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
MY BIGGIE TO MY SON
I love this devotion I just read. This is the big one~ I live to give my son. I always tell him the only thing we ever have that no one can take from us ( beside our salvation ) is our integrity. We live in a world today that most people have no idea what that really is and the compromise of it, is nothin but a thing. Enjoy this - it's a keeper for sure.
Sowing Righteousness
The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
And in Proverbs 11:18 it says,
The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
The Bible teaches the law of the harvest, that what you sow, you will also reap. If you treat others fairly and uprightly, it will come back to you.
We live in a world that doesn't put much stock in integrity, fairness, uprightness, and righteousness. We must be careful to not give in to that influence. We need to be different.
How? By not cutting corners. By putting in an honest day's work. By giving people what they pay for and more. If you will pursue righteousness, it will come back to you.
You may remember a story back in the eighties about an armored car that crashed in Columbus, Ohio. Two million dollars in cash spilled out on the highway, and the motorists helped the armored car company gather all of its money.
But, when it was all said and done, only $400,000 of the $2 million made its way back to the armored car company. $1.6 million ended up in the pockets of the people who stopped along the highway to "help."
I'm sure they had every excuse under the sun. Some probably even said, "Well, I've been praying for God to meet my needs, and it was a miracle!" No, it was not a miracle. They were thieves!
You cannot make an excuse for that kind of thing. And yet, that is the way the world thinks. There should be a difference between us and the world. We need to pursue uprightness, integrity, honesty, and godly character. They need to be hallmarks of our lives.
Sowing Righteousness
The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
And in Proverbs 11:18 it says,
The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
The Bible teaches the law of the harvest, that what you sow, you will also reap. If you treat others fairly and uprightly, it will come back to you.
We live in a world that doesn't put much stock in integrity, fairness, uprightness, and righteousness. We must be careful to not give in to that influence. We need to be different.
How? By not cutting corners. By putting in an honest day's work. By giving people what they pay for and more. If you will pursue righteousness, it will come back to you.
You may remember a story back in the eighties about an armored car that crashed in Columbus, Ohio. Two million dollars in cash spilled out on the highway, and the motorists helped the armored car company gather all of its money.
But, when it was all said and done, only $400,000 of the $2 million made its way back to the armored car company. $1.6 million ended up in the pockets of the people who stopped along the highway to "help."
I'm sure they had every excuse under the sun. Some probably even said, "Well, I've been praying for God to meet my needs, and it was a miracle!" No, it was not a miracle. They were thieves!
You cannot make an excuse for that kind of thing. And yet, that is the way the world thinks. There should be a difference between us and the world. We need to pursue uprightness, integrity, honesty, and godly character. They need to be hallmarks of our lives.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Just a random thought I'm trying to figure out.
How to be effective in encouragement or exhorting a mature christian.
It is hard to just give people the Word of God. They know it and somehow they have rationalized their situation as not really fitting into the boundaries of what the Word says. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but think about it for a minute. How many people do you now that hear the Word of God all the time, they have walked with the Lord for years, and somehow they still do not choose the right thing. See, now you hear what I'm saying. It's not that God's word is ineffective, it's just that their hearts have become hardened. They have chosen disobedience for so long that they now have a hardened, often times dead heart, therefore causing their minds to be without any clarity for anything in their lives. Do you know anyone like that?
So what do we do, how do we help this kind of person.???
Try to find out why their hearts are wandering. What is the real root issue going on. Try to get them to a place of choosing prayer, Meditation with Jesus. Somehow they need to find that connection of abiding back with the One who loves them more then anything. Show them how to meditate on the scriptures. Get them to pray and meditate. This is a good place to start to begin to break down those walls they have build around their hearts. Please know that I am not saying not to give them scripture but the purpose of the scriptures needs to look different. they need to find themselves in the Lord. People often have way more Bible knowledge then they are apply - so what is the missing link? The bridge between knowledge and doing is meditation. This is a place God can work.
add some wisdom to this table - trying to figure it all out. Just tired of "mature" believers not choosing God.
It is hard to just give people the Word of God. They know it and somehow they have rationalized their situation as not really fitting into the boundaries of what the Word says. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but think about it for a minute. How many people do you now that hear the Word of God all the time, they have walked with the Lord for years, and somehow they still do not choose the right thing. See, now you hear what I'm saying. It's not that God's word is ineffective, it's just that their hearts have become hardened. They have chosen disobedience for so long that they now have a hardened, often times dead heart, therefore causing their minds to be without any clarity for anything in their lives. Do you know anyone like that?
So what do we do, how do we help this kind of person.???
Try to find out why their hearts are wandering. What is the real root issue going on. Try to get them to a place of choosing prayer, Meditation with Jesus. Somehow they need to find that connection of abiding back with the One who loves them more then anything. Show them how to meditate on the scriptures. Get them to pray and meditate. This is a good place to start to begin to break down those walls they have build around their hearts. Please know that I am not saying not to give them scripture but the purpose of the scriptures needs to look different. they need to find themselves in the Lord. People often have way more Bible knowledge then they are apply - so what is the missing link? The bridge between knowledge and doing is meditation. This is a place God can work.
add some wisdom to this table - trying to figure it all out. Just tired of "mature" believers not choosing God.
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Word - YOU NEED IT
I love how the Word of God is "LIVING AND ACTIVE". It doesn't matter what you read if you allow God to open your eyes, ears , and heart, He will speak straight to your very situation. I always find it interesting that people will be going through many trials and consequences of their sins and they try to do so without any guidance from the Lord. O you'll hear them say, " I just wish God would tell me what to do" but then if asked if they are in the Word they himha around it and try to say, 'well sometimes'. Which actually means sure maybe a month or so ago. Really people how do you think God speaks His love, His heart, His correction, His guidance to you if not from His Word??? Yes I know prayer, but for argument sakes let me just state this. Are you really praying and fasting? Okay, back to the Word. I know there are a million and one perfectly good reasons why we all can not be in the Word daily - at least that's what I've been told over and over again by so many people who claim to desire a sanctified walk with Him yet well honestly I have never heard one reason that I can say, 'you're right, you get a pass'. I guess this is sounding way harsher then I intended but to anyone who may be out here reading this, the days are dark and there will be no getting back to good ol' days. We need God and Him alone. Crazy doctrine that tickles our ears are around every corner, just like the Word has warned us. IF WE DO NOT KNOW THE REAL DEAL WE WILL NOT KNOW THE COUNTERFEIT! If you are His, please guard yourselves. There is not one of us that is exempt from falling away. From being pulled into false teaching. Now if I can make one big giant praise to God in all of this it would be that we are finally living in a day that it is getting way easier to recognize the wheat from the tares. And for that I praise the Lord - I shout it from the mountain top "THANK YOU FAITHFUL LORD JESUS".
If you are trying to live your life in Jesus apart from His Word then please I say with the most love, encouragement, and exhortation. You can't, you are listening to the great deceiver, it will never work for you. Please make this right in your life before the enemy gets a bigger foothold in your life. To continue to walk just an inch of His path, you eventually will be as far away from Him as one who serves and worships the the enemy. Today is the day to make right with your Heavenly Father who chose the cross for you, in your place, who has a blessed life in Him for you, who has peace and grace abundance for you.
Deuteronomy 30:2-3 and when you and your children RETURN to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your hearts and with all your souls according to everything I have command you today then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather again from all the nations where He scattered you.
This my friends is a promise of restoration from the Lord. If we but return to Him with all our hearts and souls then He is faithful to restore. So let me ask you what is in need of restoration in your life today? Return to Him and do what he says in His Word and you WILL be restored.
One last little key thing. Repentance - then comes healing - then comes restoration. This is what the Word teaches. So today is the day to return to Him and repent!
may this day end for you in great victory, for he is faithful to do as He has said!!!
HE PROMISES!!!!
If you are trying to live your life in Jesus apart from His Word then please I say with the most love, encouragement, and exhortation. You can't, you are listening to the great deceiver, it will never work for you. Please make this right in your life before the enemy gets a bigger foothold in your life. To continue to walk just an inch of His path, you eventually will be as far away from Him as one who serves and worships the the enemy. Today is the day to make right with your Heavenly Father who chose the cross for you, in your place, who has a blessed life in Him for you, who has peace and grace abundance for you.
Deuteronomy 30:2-3 and when you and your children RETURN to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your hearts and with all your souls according to everything I have command you today then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather again from all the nations where He scattered you.
This my friends is a promise of restoration from the Lord. If we but return to Him with all our hearts and souls then He is faithful to restore. So let me ask you what is in need of restoration in your life today? Return to Him and do what he says in His Word and you WILL be restored.
One last little key thing. Repentance - then comes healing - then comes restoration. This is what the Word teaches. So today is the day to return to Him and repent!
may this day end for you in great victory, for he is faithful to do as He has said!!!
HE PROMISES!!!!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
gotta get back to my blog
so here's a post about a bunch of stuff - it'll sound like a bunch of rambling but I just wanted to get alot of this out there. besides if it didn't sound like rambeling you would wonder who took over this blog.
On the home front:
Bobby - he's good, working real good. praise the Lord he still has a job. everyday i am thankful that he has a job to go to. Now of course he is working WAY TO MANY HOURS. You know when one works over 60hrs a week the decent salary pay just doesn't seem so decent any more. But AGAIN I say thank you Jesus for Bobby's job! Now one crazy thing his company does is every 50,000 miles they give him another brand new car. good grief he has only had this one 2 1/2 years maybe less. it looks brand new and well in a few weeks there will be another new one in our drive way. But let's also say thank You Jesus for company cars. He is still busy in ministry: sports, men's , children's, worship, youth - yes he wears many hats. But he loves it that way. I honestly do not think I know anyone who loves to serve as much and with such excellance as my husband. you see we learned the secret many years ago - when you serve alot you get to see the Hand of God ALOT!!! now that's the good stuff. It's basketball season at church and this is what Bobby lovcs loves loves - the extra pound and extra years sure hasn't stopped this man from dunkin on the youngens. Him and Aaron are still playing alot of paintball. These 2 boys are crazy for this hobby.
Aaron - he is finishing up 6th grade this coming month. he is so excited to finally officially be upstairs in the youth group. Now he has been participating in that group over this past year alot; going street witnessing, youth camp, broom hockey, discipleship classes but he will be officially a Jr. higher in 1 month. he is growing so much he is aunt Tammy's size 5'1" and wears a size 9 shoe. I'm not ready for this!!!! My baby is gone and this monster crazy thing has taken his place. HHHEEELLLPPPP!!!!!! We are still homeschooling so guess what I TOO am excited that 6th grade is ending in 1 month. The summer will bring a couple of weeks for basketball camp, a week of youth camp, a trip to Montana, a trip to Arizona, a week of Youth Ministry outreach. 1st year serving in VBS and many trips to DLand, beach and prayerfully kisses for mom at the start of every day. WOW sounds exhausting to me - I think I'll stay home and read a book.
Geoffrey - he is great in need of a good bath but I'm waiting for his new shampoo from HSN to arrive. he really is such a gift to us. I love my Geoffrey!
Me - I'm doing the same thing as always, anything God will let me do. I'm learning alot from the Word these days. Still studying the life of Moses inductively. Should be finished with this study in about 2 months. Crazy to think it's been 2 years. Exodus / Numbers and now Deuteronomy. yea makes sense 2 years.
I'm crazy busy with VBS prep. LOVE IT!!! My Favorite time of year. Just finished recording the training DVD for all 15 new praise and worship songs. Great stuff this year. The choreography was real easy this year. Thank you Jesus!. Now the fun begins of teaching the 11 member worship team. 1st practice this Sunday. We will be posting the training DVD on You Tube this year so you can go check it out if you want. I'll let you know when that happens. we decided to do it this way this year because i now send the DVD's to 8 different churches so this just seemed to make sense. It's so great to see all that God is doing through His vision for worship at our church and to think that I get to be the part that i am just blesses my socks off. A little story about worship from this past Sunday. So I was teaching the kids Chris Tomlin's Exalted. when we did it with the music and of course if you know the song you know how powerful it is. This little girl 1st grade, is sitting on her knees, she stops doing the hand motions and she closes her eyes and lays her open hands palms up on her knees and sinks about 2 inches down, as if she exhaled . She just sat there and sang her heart heart out and praised our Lord. NOW THAT IS WHY I DO WHAT I DO. I began to cry and just with such a grateful heart that I get to see the fruit of ministry so fast. To watch a child connect with the Lord on that level that most adults wont ever allow themselves to do is such a great joy and blessing.
The house - well i'm hoping painting is on the horizon for the inside walls, carpet cleaned, and finish getting baseboards done.
That's been on my summer list for 3 years so who knows what will happen.
On the home front:
Bobby - he's good, working real good. praise the Lord he still has a job. everyday i am thankful that he has a job to go to. Now of course he is working WAY TO MANY HOURS. You know when one works over 60hrs a week the decent salary pay just doesn't seem so decent any more. But AGAIN I say thank you Jesus for Bobby's job! Now one crazy thing his company does is every 50,000 miles they give him another brand new car. good grief he has only had this one 2 1/2 years maybe less. it looks brand new and well in a few weeks there will be another new one in our drive way. But let's also say thank You Jesus for company cars. He is still busy in ministry: sports, men's , children's, worship, youth - yes he wears many hats. But he loves it that way. I honestly do not think I know anyone who loves to serve as much and with such excellance as my husband. you see we learned the secret many years ago - when you serve alot you get to see the Hand of God ALOT!!! now that's the good stuff. It's basketball season at church and this is what Bobby lovcs loves loves - the extra pound and extra years sure hasn't stopped this man from dunkin on the youngens. Him and Aaron are still playing alot of paintball. These 2 boys are crazy for this hobby.
Aaron - he is finishing up 6th grade this coming month. he is so excited to finally officially be upstairs in the youth group. Now he has been participating in that group over this past year alot; going street witnessing, youth camp, broom hockey, discipleship classes but he will be officially a Jr. higher in 1 month. he is growing so much he is aunt Tammy's size 5'1" and wears a size 9 shoe. I'm not ready for this!!!! My baby is gone and this monster crazy thing has taken his place. HHHEEELLLPPPP!!!!!! We are still homeschooling so guess what I TOO am excited that 6th grade is ending in 1 month. The summer will bring a couple of weeks for basketball camp, a week of youth camp, a trip to Montana, a trip to Arizona, a week of Youth Ministry outreach. 1st year serving in VBS and many trips to DLand, beach and prayerfully kisses for mom at the start of every day. WOW sounds exhausting to me - I think I'll stay home and read a book.
Geoffrey - he is great in need of a good bath but I'm waiting for his new shampoo from HSN to arrive. he really is such a gift to us. I love my Geoffrey!
Me - I'm doing the same thing as always, anything God will let me do. I'm learning alot from the Word these days. Still studying the life of Moses inductively. Should be finished with this study in about 2 months. Crazy to think it's been 2 years. Exodus / Numbers and now Deuteronomy. yea makes sense 2 years.
I'm crazy busy with VBS prep. LOVE IT!!! My Favorite time of year. Just finished recording the training DVD for all 15 new praise and worship songs. Great stuff this year. The choreography was real easy this year. Thank you Jesus!. Now the fun begins of teaching the 11 member worship team. 1st practice this Sunday. We will be posting the training DVD on You Tube this year so you can go check it out if you want. I'll let you know when that happens. we decided to do it this way this year because i now send the DVD's to 8 different churches so this just seemed to make sense. It's so great to see all that God is doing through His vision for worship at our church and to think that I get to be the part that i am just blesses my socks off. A little story about worship from this past Sunday. So I was teaching the kids Chris Tomlin's Exalted. when we did it with the music and of course if you know the song you know how powerful it is. This little girl 1st grade, is sitting on her knees, she stops doing the hand motions and she closes her eyes and lays her open hands palms up on her knees and sinks about 2 inches down, as if she exhaled . She just sat there and sang her heart heart out and praised our Lord. NOW THAT IS WHY I DO WHAT I DO. I began to cry and just with such a grateful heart that I get to see the fruit of ministry so fast. To watch a child connect with the Lord on that level that most adults wont ever allow themselves to do is such a great joy and blessing.
The house - well i'm hoping painting is on the horizon for the inside walls, carpet cleaned, and finish getting baseboards done.
That's been on my summer list for 3 years so who knows what will happen.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
When Others Fail Us - Charles F. Stanley
Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-18
I. Introduction: Friendship brings us some of the greatest joys in life—but also can cause immense pain. If you haven’t experienced rejection or betrayal yet, you probably will someday. The apostle Paul learned to forgive others for their failures and reconcile with them when appropriate. Let’s discover how he dealt with betrayal and abandonment by trusted friends.
II. Friends Sometimes Fail Us
A. Despite Paul’s faithfulness to the Lord, his friends failed him. They weren’t reliable when he desperately needed them (2 Tim. 1:15; 4:14-16).
B. What are some reasons why friends might desert you in times of trouble? They . . .
1. Feel inadequate and/or unsure of how to help.
2. Don’t want to be identified with you in a conflict, for fear they could end up on the losing side.
3. Are jealous and hope to see you fail.
4. Selfishly don’t want to sacrifice their time to support you.
5. Judge you and thus excuse themselves from the responsibility to help you.
III. Forgiveness Must Prevail
A. Paul responded to betrayal and abandonment with forgiveness: “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them” (2 Tim. 4:16, emphasis added). Both Jesus and Stephen said something similar in the final moments of their lives (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).
B. Paul practiced what he preached—the importance of forgiving. Don’t be a fair-weather friend, interested only in what you can get from another person. Be willing to help even those who mistreated you in the past. Waiting for a chance to get them back—to let them down as they did to you—indicates that you have an unforgiving spirit.
IV. The Presence of the Lord Sustains Us
A. Paul was able to forgive because he knew that God would never leave him: “The Lord stood with me” (2 Tim. 4:17). Although Paul’s friends all left, he knew that the Lord Himself was with him. Christ promises all believers, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).
B. The apostle was able to forgive because he trusted God to empower him: “The Lord . . . strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Tim. 4:17). Paul could rely on the presence of God to accomplish his calling—taking the gospel to the world (Phil. 2:13). Chances are, people will persecute you, and some of your friends will abandon you in tough times. But God has promised that all adversity will eventually come to an end (1 Peter 5:10).
C. He was able to forgive because he was confident that God would deliver him: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18). The Father may deliver us from hardship or through it (Isaiah 43:1-4). He also rescues us by bringing us home to be with Him. God delivered Paul by allowing Nero to execute him. Four years later, the ruler committed suicide. No one can violate the principles of God and avoid His judgment.
V. Conclusion: What kind of friend are you? Are you dedicated to those you love? Or do you often disappoint them? Perhaps you are faithful, but your friends consistently fail you when trouble comes. I urge you not to hold it against them. Hurt and rejection are painful but unavoidable parts of life. Healing is always available if you are willing to forgive. And you and I can take comfort in knowing that the most faithful Friend—the Lord Jesus—never leaves our side, even if everyone else deserts us
Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-18
I. Introduction: Friendship brings us some of the greatest joys in life—but also can cause immense pain. If you haven’t experienced rejection or betrayal yet, you probably will someday. The apostle Paul learned to forgive others for their failures and reconcile with them when appropriate. Let’s discover how he dealt with betrayal and abandonment by trusted friends.
II. Friends Sometimes Fail Us
A. Despite Paul’s faithfulness to the Lord, his friends failed him. They weren’t reliable when he desperately needed them (2 Tim. 1:15; 4:14-16).
B. What are some reasons why friends might desert you in times of trouble? They . . .
1. Feel inadequate and/or unsure of how to help.
2. Don’t want to be identified with you in a conflict, for fear they could end up on the losing side.
3. Are jealous and hope to see you fail.
4. Selfishly don’t want to sacrifice their time to support you.
5. Judge you and thus excuse themselves from the responsibility to help you.
III. Forgiveness Must Prevail
A. Paul responded to betrayal and abandonment with forgiveness: “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them” (2 Tim. 4:16, emphasis added). Both Jesus and Stephen said something similar in the final moments of their lives (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).
B. Paul practiced what he preached—the importance of forgiving. Don’t be a fair-weather friend, interested only in what you can get from another person. Be willing to help even those who mistreated you in the past. Waiting for a chance to get them back—to let them down as they did to you—indicates that you have an unforgiving spirit.
IV. The Presence of the Lord Sustains Us
A. Paul was able to forgive because he knew that God would never leave him: “The Lord stood with me” (2 Tim. 4:17). Although Paul’s friends all left, he knew that the Lord Himself was with him. Christ promises all believers, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).
B. The apostle was able to forgive because he trusted God to empower him: “The Lord . . . strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Tim. 4:17). Paul could rely on the presence of God to accomplish his calling—taking the gospel to the world (Phil. 2:13). Chances are, people will persecute you, and some of your friends will abandon you in tough times. But God has promised that all adversity will eventually come to an end (1 Peter 5:10).
C. He was able to forgive because he was confident that God would deliver him: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18). The Father may deliver us from hardship or through it (Isaiah 43:1-4). He also rescues us by bringing us home to be with Him. God delivered Paul by allowing Nero to execute him. Four years later, the ruler committed suicide. No one can violate the principles of God and avoid His judgment.
V. Conclusion: What kind of friend are you? Are you dedicated to those you love? Or do you often disappoint them? Perhaps you are faithful, but your friends consistently fail you when trouble comes. I urge you not to hold it against them. Hurt and rejection are painful but unavoidable parts of life. Healing is always available if you are willing to forgive. And you and I can take comfort in knowing that the most faithful Friend—the Lord Jesus—never leaves our side, even if everyone else deserts us
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Found a TREASURE!!!
There was a Pastors Conference out in Tuscon Arizona this past Mon-Wed. Some of my favorite pulpit boyfriends were there teaching. I was so thrilled to see that i can watch and or listen to them all online. SO I HAVE!!!!! WOW there really isn't enough adjectives to describe what a powerful life changing tool these are. The 2 that have impacted me the most so far are James McDonald and Damien Kyle. I hope you check them out.
http://www.calvarytucson.com/listen.asp?id=21
always remember
Keep chasing righteousness!!!
http://www.calvarytucson.com/listen.asp?id=21
always remember
Keep chasing righteousness!!!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
do we really chose Him
to say YES means we say YES to HIS WAYS and trust HIS WAYS. Even when it's messy and goes against everything that makes sense in our heads.
What if He takes things away that we hold close?
What if He needs us to leave?
What if He needs us to stay put and love with humility?
What if He needs us to suffer great pain?
What if He needs us to give up our place of comfort?
What if He needs us to lose our Home?
What if he needs us to lose our jobs?
What if through all of it He promises to pour His peace, strength, and love on use daily.
DO WE STILL CHOSE HIM?
What if He takes things away that we hold close?
What if He needs us to leave?
What if He needs us to stay put and love with humility?
What if He needs us to suffer great pain?
What if He needs us to give up our place of comfort?
What if He needs us to lose our Home?
What if he needs us to lose our jobs?
What if through all of it He promises to pour His peace, strength, and love on use daily.
DO WE STILL CHOSE HIM?
Monday, March 1, 2010
Just Missin Her
Don't be mad
If I cry
It just hurts so bad, sometimes
'Cause everyday it's sinking in
And I have to say goodbye all over again
You know I bet it feels good to have the weight of this world off your shoulders now
I'm dreaming of the day when I'm finally there with you
(Chorus)
Save a place for me
Save a place for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon
Save a place for me
Save some grace for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon
I have asked the questions why
But I guess the answers for another time
So instead I pray, with every tear
And be thankful for the time I had you here
(Chorus)
I wanna live my life Just like you did
Make the most of my time Just like you did
And I want to make my home up in the sky Just like you did
Oh, but until I get there...
Until I get there...
(Chorus)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
VBS ~ already
WOW here it is that time when i kick it into fast drive and start plannin' worship for VBS. Sure it's not until July but shoot do you have any idea how much time it takes to plan one of these things. Ok it sounds like I'm complaining NO WAY!!! this is what I love. Find songs, 16 new songs - learn 16 new songs - choreograph 16 new songs - make training DVD for 16 new songs - teach 16 new songs to a worship team, 10 - 12 people. Then it will be here, the craziest, no sleeping most exciting week ever - VBS. Lord give me 16 new awesome songs: songs that will minister to every person in that Gym from the little 4yr. old to the oldest 75 year old. May we be a sweet sweet sound in Your ear. Here is what I'm playing with right now, does anyone have any to add to this list:
Never Will - by Tim Timmons
With All Of My Heart - by Stand In Awe
You Are the One - by Lincoln Brewster
Joyful Sound - by Scarlet Hope
Big House - Audio Adrenalin
Sing Sing Sing - Chris Tomlin
With All Of My Heart - by Stand In Awe
You Are the One - by Lincoln Brewster
Joyful Sound - by Scarlet Hope
Big House - Audio Adrenalin
Sing Sing Sing - Chris Tomlin
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I want that Mountian!
I wonder if Caleb knew what that mountain would hold for him. Did he just see the biggest one and desired to bring glory to God by wanting what seemed the most impossible without the empowerment of God. Sure he remembered the promise of God to have it but here was this mountain full of enemy, full of what would seem everything most difficult and all Caleb can do is stand on the promise of God and desire with his whole heart that mountain. Change is good - painful, sad, and lonely but when it means to be able to bring glory to God then change is perfect, sweet and full of peace.
Where is my ginormous mountain? I want it!
Where is my ginormous mountain? I want it!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
#200
OK this snuck up way to fast but what in the world could i do for my #200 blog post???? So I know you're praying that I won't do something crazy like list 200 _ _ _ _ _ (fill in the blank) well I wont because quite frankly I can't even begin to think what I would put in that blank. So let's just bless everyone and say a hip hip hooray I actually have made it to 200 post. See I do know how to be sweet and simply.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Guess what I got for Valentines?
When Donna passed, I prayed for almost a year that I would have a dream to see her face again. How I longed to look in those eyes and see that smile again. But, no that would never be my dream. I eventually decided to just let it go, trusting my Jesus that he knew best as He has with everything else, so I let that desire go and moved on from those thoughts. But how very odd that I never dreamt of her. Along with those days I often regretted time that I could have spent with her that I chose not to out of pure laziness. Lord was I wrong in not taking every single moment I could have ever spent with her???
So this morning at 3:45am I awoke from the best gift I could have gotten on this Valentine's Day. Dreaming that Donna came back from heaven and we were hanging out in her house like we used to. It was a normal day. When I woke up I was so full of love and thankfulness. The thing that struck me most was that I wasn't doting over her, it was just normal how we always were before. What this gave my heart was no more regrets of if I never spent enough time with her. I felt like the Lord was telling me -' no Susan it was as it should have been and having her back the 2 of you would fall right back into the same perfect way'.
So this day I am thankful that I have finally had a dream about Donna just hanging, laughing, talking, just sitting with her - just being who we always were.
So this morning at 3:45am I awoke from the best gift I could have gotten on this Valentine's Day. Dreaming that Donna came back from heaven and we were hanging out in her house like we used to. It was a normal day. When I woke up I was so full of love and thankfulness. The thing that struck me most was that I wasn't doting over her, it was just normal how we always were before. What this gave my heart was no more regrets of if I never spent enough time with her. I felt like the Lord was telling me -' no Susan it was as it should have been and having her back the 2 of you would fall right back into the same perfect way'.
So this day I am thankful that I have finally had a dream about Donna just hanging, laughing, talking, just sitting with her - just being who we always were.
So thank you Jesus for my Valentine's gift.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
So how was the rest of the RETREAT
Our Leader's retreat was so amazing. This year more then ever it seemed as if God did so many different layers of hard work in the lives of so many of us. For me retreat started back in August as I began to make certain commitments to the Lord as to how I would pray and what I would be willing to do leading up to and at retreat. This was the first year that I started a prayer journal that I was committed to writing and although I regrettably did not write every prayer I did manage to write appox. 600 7 1/2 by 10 1/2 pages of prayers / thoughts over a period slightly over 5 months. This morning looking over this journal and reading so many prayers and the constant theme of "Lord whatever it takes may we be yielded to the process of consecration so that our hearts will be pliable ready to receive all that You want and need for us" "may we learn love for one another as this process gets messy, offensive, and often fighting mad" " give us Your strength to exercise love, grace, compassion and mercy living in an understanding way with one another". WOW what was I thinking praying those crazy difficult prayers - lol
The week before retreat I was so super blessed to be ask of God to head up a prayer and fast vigil for our leadership team for the process of praying for our retreat / ministry and each leader and the spiritual needs of all of us. This was such a great work of God. We started the night 18 strong ( way more then I could have ever believed would come) and ended the next day 8 strong. It's hard for me to write about that time of praying all through the night with a group of ladies but I am sure your mind can fill in the blanks. The thing I took away from that night was freedom - for me in ways I never knew I wasn't living in freedom with. Cleansing - healing and a strengthening of my ability to Believe that He is more then able!!! I had to just lift my hands to the Lord and smile saying " of course there's 8 of us standing - this is a new season for our ministry. ( 8 - the number of new beginnings) I love how God loves to work in the details - that is often where I hear His voice the clearest. Well this laid a solid foundation for us getting ready to go the following week up to that mountain, in that house, with 24 women ready to seek God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
So retreat came and we worshipped, gurlll did we worship - I'm sure Lori must have known putting me in charge of worship what that could potentially look like. O how I love to worship. And guess what I had a giant answer to prayer - I was able to let myself go and have freedom in worship. It's a crazy prideful thing but in a group of people I get so caught up in my inabilities that I never let go and let God, well not this weekend - it was me and my Jesus lovin each other up. Do you have any idea how loud one can sing "Jesus Lover oF My Soul" ? - lol LOUD!!!!!
Okay let's sum this up - how was retreat?
The Word - came forth in Power and with great conviction challenging us to make the final choice either "Yes Lord I will obey' or " No Lord I chose DISOBEDIENCE" so which camp each heart is on remains to be seen but shoot I'm way to terrified to not chose obedience.
Thank you Lori for being willing to go to the hard places of truth with us.
Prayer - much needed and a lot really alot of praying
Worship - now I'm super partial but this was good worship - I only regret that I didn't add more. Not sure anyone else holds that truth but i do (lol)
Praise - we are growing in this - WOW what a year we could have if we allow this work to grow in our lives.
Discussion Time - this was a great new addition to our retreat. To sit after the teachings and reflect on what we heard / felt and questioned. This for sure gave us insight into what is going on in all of our heads.
Fellowship - good solid times: long over due apologies / difficult conversations that needed to happen for walls to be torn down / funny stories / sad stories / many nails to be painted / catching up with friends that we barely get a chance to really talk with at church / sitting in silence just holding each other / things happening in bedrooms with one another that well guys think they only hold those things sacred (tee-hee) / stories stories and more stories that knit us closer together / friends running away to the loft to let God do the needed work to take the friendship to the next God level. So much good stuff
Food - I'm not at liberty to disclose anything in this category for fear of being accused of gluttony :0D but when you get this many women together and so many of us love to cook well you can imagine - like I said sinful gluttony!!! :0D
Weather - sunshine/fog, sunshine/rain, sunshine/snow, sunshine/hail - we had it all and it was all beautiful. Even the foundational leak that got me wet had it's purpose. Funny thing there, so I'm standing in my socks praising God and all of the sudden my socks are soaking wet - literally that much water. When it first started happening I thought Lord what is going on my feet feel wet, what does this mean - DUH !!!! It meant my stinkin feet were wet. shoot you know me I'm always lookin for a spiritual picture. It was pretty funny though. So 4 blankets, 20 towels, 10 sheets later that small little area where I stood finally was dry enough for me to stand once again in socks.
O by the way our retreat was
The week before retreat I was so super blessed to be ask of God to head up a prayer and fast vigil for our leadership team for the process of praying for our retreat / ministry and each leader and the spiritual needs of all of us. This was such a great work of God. We started the night 18 strong ( way more then I could have ever believed would come) and ended the next day 8 strong. It's hard for me to write about that time of praying all through the night with a group of ladies but I am sure your mind can fill in the blanks. The thing I took away from that night was freedom - for me in ways I never knew I wasn't living in freedom with. Cleansing - healing and a strengthening of my ability to Believe that He is more then able!!! I had to just lift my hands to the Lord and smile saying " of course there's 8 of us standing - this is a new season for our ministry. ( 8 - the number of new beginnings) I love how God loves to work in the details - that is often where I hear His voice the clearest. Well this laid a solid foundation for us getting ready to go the following week up to that mountain, in that house, with 24 women ready to seek God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
So retreat came and we worshipped, gurlll did we worship - I'm sure Lori must have known putting me in charge of worship what that could potentially look like. O how I love to worship. And guess what I had a giant answer to prayer - I was able to let myself go and have freedom in worship. It's a crazy prideful thing but in a group of people I get so caught up in my inabilities that I never let go and let God, well not this weekend - it was me and my Jesus lovin each other up. Do you have any idea how loud one can sing "Jesus Lover oF My Soul" ? - lol LOUD!!!!!
Okay let's sum this up - how was retreat?
The Word - came forth in Power and with great conviction challenging us to make the final choice either "Yes Lord I will obey' or " No Lord I chose DISOBEDIENCE" so which camp each heart is on remains to be seen but shoot I'm way to terrified to not chose obedience.
Thank you Lori for being willing to go to the hard places of truth with us.
Prayer - much needed and a lot really alot of praying
Worship - now I'm super partial but this was good worship - I only regret that I didn't add more. Not sure anyone else holds that truth but i do (lol)
Praise - we are growing in this - WOW what a year we could have if we allow this work to grow in our lives.
Discussion Time - this was a great new addition to our retreat. To sit after the teachings and reflect on what we heard / felt and questioned. This for sure gave us insight into what is going on in all of our heads.
Fellowship - good solid times: long over due apologies / difficult conversations that needed to happen for walls to be torn down / funny stories / sad stories / many nails to be painted / catching up with friends that we barely get a chance to really talk with at church / sitting in silence just holding each other / things happening in bedrooms with one another that well guys think they only hold those things sacred (tee-hee) / stories stories and more stories that knit us closer together / friends running away to the loft to let God do the needed work to take the friendship to the next God level. So much good stuff
Food - I'm not at liberty to disclose anything in this category for fear of being accused of gluttony :0D but when you get this many women together and so many of us love to cook well you can imagine - like I said sinful gluttony!!! :0D
Weather - sunshine/fog, sunshine/rain, sunshine/snow, sunshine/hail - we had it all and it was all beautiful. Even the foundational leak that got me wet had it's purpose. Funny thing there, so I'm standing in my socks praising God and all of the sudden my socks are soaking wet - literally that much water. When it first started happening I thought Lord what is going on my feet feel wet, what does this mean - DUH !!!! It meant my stinkin feet were wet. shoot you know me I'm always lookin for a spiritual picture. It was pretty funny though. So 4 blankets, 20 towels, 10 sheets later that small little area where I stood finally was dry enough for me to stand once again in socks.
O by the way our retreat was
Devoted - Mark 12:20 Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
We have been greatly challenged in this verse and we come home with lots of homework. May this time next year each one of use point to this retreat as the crossroads that we picked His road. Hard YES regreats NO worth it YES!!!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Going into retreat I had shared with Lori that I knew I was going to get the word obey or yield. It just seemed like in all my conversations and in all my studies that those were the resounding ideas. I hadn’t been ready to let go of my last year’s word “BELIEVE” and get a new one. I was actually a bit sad, because God had tested me so much in that word over the year and I felt like I was just beginning to live in a place of victory in it. So when it came time to receive the new word I had to really take a moment to pray and tell the Lord that ‘yes I was ready and could receive it in faith that He had a good work for me in the new word”. Looking at these pretty little red bags, which one Lord do I grab? I took the one closest to me. Unzipping it revealed the word YIELD. My heart was beating so hard, it was this complete sense of thank you Jesus, You told me this and yes I heard. Do what you need and want Lord. Sharing my word with many of my friends it became comical because of course that’s what I got.I choose not to do the study time for my word during the designated time. I just wasn’t ready yet. So come Sunday morning I sat down in a very quiet private living room to look at my first verse for YIELD. There it was Joshua 24:23. Now what you need to know is that Joshua is my current Bible boyfriend. In ‘k’ group we are inductively studying the life of Moses but ever since the beginning when Joshua is mentioned in any small verse I am drawn to him, what he is doing, what he is not doing and am desiring to acquire his character. So here I was with my new word ( that God had already prepared me to get) and looking at my first verse (in the book about my Bible boyfriend). How could I not believe that God was showing me something solid to start my year off on His path.
Joshua 24:23 "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
Great verse but as I sat there and thought Lord what are my foreign gods? Nothing came to mind. Well I’m not one to be deceived by my self in thinking that I’m doing great. So I sat there and told the Lord I wouldn’t move on to the next verse until I could dig through my deceptive heart and hear truth from Him, in what my foreign gods were. I decided to read the verse in context. And of course guess what was the ending verse of that - - obey. The other word I thought I might get. So now I knew God was trying to reveal something to me just in case my flesh or the enemy wanted to deceive me. Good grief how could I not see His fingerprints all over this. I sat there for awhile and still nothing. By this time there were the kitchen girls up getting coffee / breakfast started. Joanne, Mary, Becky, and Nidia. I knew what I should do, humble myself enough to go to them and ask them if they would please be willing to share honestly with me what they thought my foreign gods are. Yes I know CRAZY-COO COO. Who does that??? I'll blame it on sleep deprivation ;0D
Well Joanne piped in right away (this girl loves me so I know anything she says comes from a pure heart of love towards me). She looked at me and said,” your expectations of people” uuhhgggg – the rest of her words are a blur because as the words came out of her mouth I knew exactly what she was saying. OUCH this hurt so much but I knew she was right. Then Becky came over and sat at the table with me. Now Becky is someone I am barely getting to know. She sat there and shared with me that she sees in me a mom that has expectations on her son that is driving him to become a bitter angry person. She didn't say it that matter of fact but that was the bottom line. “O God rescue me from this conversation – I’m dying here” As we sat there and talked I could see the wisdom in what was being said. Now I knew that everything that God was preparing me for over the past very long time, was for this moment. This was MY RETREAT moment. The faithful God in Heaven who loves me with that perfect relentless love had prepared me for this truth. A few things flooded my mind: In the months leading up to the Prayer / Fast vigil that I organized, the main thing God asked of me was to not have any expectations on who I thought "should" be there. For months I was tested over and over again, but I can stand with honest words saying that I did it, I made it to the very end not assuming who should be there – I chose to barely have any conversations with people except that which was necessary. In fact walking in that was a lesson in love that I could have never understood not walking it the way I did. The other thought was how I had handled things at home with Aaron ( school ), for the last 2 weeks, I had made the decision to make school simple. We did 2 subjects a day. I did this for selfish reasons, not wanting the 3-6 hour fighting battle that I deal with on a daily basis. With the prayer / fast vigil and then retreat I needed to have a different focus ( so I thought that was the only reason I was doing it) Well what came out of that was a kid that was excited about getting his work done, a light-heartedness in him that I never saw with school. Aaron saw that he could do it! I saw a glimpse of a child I pray constantly that I would have. So you see when these 2 women spoke these difficult truths to me I was well prepared by the Lord to receive them. So now here I am beginning my year (Leaders Retreat always marks the beginning of my new spiritual year) with a solid truth from God as to the road He is taking me on. I am both thankful and scuuurrreeed!!!!. But in both I BELIEVE He is in it, He will walk with me through it all, and that somewhere along this year I will become a yielded heart to my Jesus.
So in closing to all of you that I have ever not loved purely because I put expectations on you. If I have ever hurt or offended you please forgive me. Never my intention EVER. I don’t get all of this yet I only have this first step of obedience that I need to walk. I know that as I take this step God will bring clarity to my mind and show me the next step. Please be patient with me.
Thank you Becky and Joanne for loving me enough to be boldly honest!
Thank You Jesus for loving correction - I love You and feel Your love right back to me
Monday, February 1, 2010
Happy Birthday Bobby
Yesterday was Bobby's birthday. What a kick in the pants time we had with some friends at the House of Blues Gospel Brunch. Awesome food - crazy fun music and super friends. We had a blast. They took Bobby up on stage and he danced his hiney off - well sort of lol !!! it was so much fun. Now that's how you celebrate a Birthday - hint hint hint hint!!!!!!
By the way did you know you can sing "Jesus" for about 10 minutes and its AWESOME!!!! - I just kept thinking Danette should have been there, she would have been lovin' that up.
Happy Birthday Honey
16 years with Jesus
42 years on this earth
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
It's Gonna Be Worth It
so I just finished reading my friends blog post of her Thank you letter to Jesus for 2009. She has had a very difficult year with her health. As I read that post all I could hear was this song playing in my head. I thought I'd post the words here as we all could probably use a good reminder this day. If you don't know the song go listen to it and allow the words to become your true hearts cry.
Worth It All - Rita Springer
I don't understand Your ways
Oh but I will give You my song
Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways
Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperate in seeking, frantic believing
That the sight of Your face
Is all that I need
I will say to You
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
I believe this
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
I believe this
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
pass this website on
If you have a High School or collage age student have them ck out this website. Some of the kids at church started it . It's amazing and so worth getting kids across America on this journey with them.
http://liveitoutnow.com/
Vision
We pray that our generation will be the generation that stands steadfastly for Jesus Christ.That doesn’t conform or compromise to this world, but instead transformed through the Word of God.May we not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.Oh God, let us be a generation that is after your own heart.All praise, honor and glory to God and God alone. Amen.
http://liveitoutnow.com/
Vision
We pray that our generation will be the generation that stands steadfastly for Jesus Christ.That doesn’t conform or compromise to this world, but instead transformed through the Word of God.May we not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.Oh God, let us be a generation that is after your own heart.All praise, honor and glory to God and God alone. Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
It's all about LOVE
So this morning I was actually going to write about love and what God has been showing me, correcting in me, and requiring in. Then I went to my inbox and found this little devotion and well I figured shoot why overly vomit all the info I was gonna say when this sums it up in a perfect little box.
Building Each Other Up by Nancy Leigh DeMoss:
The apostle Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians to a group of believers who were dividing into factions and fighting with one another. He addressed their problems by writing about love. Throughout 1 Corinthians you’ll discover things we can avoid from their example.
For instance, in a community where there’s love, we’ll build each other up. We’ll limit our own personal freedoms if it edifies others. Even if something is scripturally permissible, we won’t do it if it causes someone to stumble in their walk with God. That's the way of love.
If we're walking in the way of love, we’ll yield rather than claim our rights. We'll even be willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel.
Are you walking in the way of love? Are you demonstrating the beauty of God’s love in your church?
Building Each Other Up by Nancy Leigh DeMoss:
The apostle Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians to a group of believers who were dividing into factions and fighting with one another. He addressed their problems by writing about love. Throughout 1 Corinthians you’ll discover things we can avoid from their example.
For instance, in a community where there’s love, we’ll build each other up. We’ll limit our own personal freedoms if it edifies others. Even if something is scripturally permissible, we won’t do it if it causes someone to stumble in their walk with God. That's the way of love.
If we're walking in the way of love, we’ll yield rather than claim our rights. We'll even be willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel.
Are you walking in the way of love? Are you demonstrating the beauty of God’s love in your church?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Larry - thanks for the memories
Our last visit with the ol' wise LarrySo to all the people who loved the Lar Bear - Sorry for your lose - we're sad too over here at the Richardson home.
Thanks Steph and Kevin for allowing us to care for him. xoxoxo
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