About Me

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Phenix City, Alabama, United States
I have been called by God to serve Him through ministry to the orphan children of Africa! I have just started this journey! My prayer is that God will grant me wings so that I may swiftly arrive on the field! Please pray for his guiding!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

I'm Still Amazed!

I am so full after church this morning. We had the most wonderful Sunday School class, the music was very moving this morning, the preaching excellent and I am just looking forward to our Sword Conference over the next couple of days. Danielle and I have implemented our "no TV" rule for the week. We have always made it a family practice during the week of any special preaching at church, we keep the tube off and try to keep those kind of distractions to a minimum. Not trying to sound self-righteous by telling you that...but I challenge you to give it a try. It is amazing how much you DON'T even miss it. Danielle and I spend more time talking about the messages and how God has spoken to us.

In Sunday School, Mrs. Shelton Smith (I think her name is Betty) was our guest speaker and she challenged us with the 7 greatest pitfalls of Christianity. They are:
1. Authority - Hebrews 13:17 (someone is in charge and it's not me!)
2. Truth - Ephesians 4:25
3. Pride - Prov 16:18, 29:23, 13:10, Psalm 138:6 (insecurity and being easily offended are on this list!)
4. Lust - 1 John 2:16 (unbridled appetite)
5. Peers - Prov 13:20 (even adults have to watch this one)
6. Culture (tempting to give in)
7. Faithfulness - 1 Corinthians 15:58, James 5:11

How do we overcome these?
Bible
Prayer
Giving
Strong Preaching
practicing self-discipline (OUCH!)
Good friends
Mentors
Accountability (to someone)
Steadfastness
Compassion/Kindness
Good Music/Books

As Christians, we never truly arrive. It is a life-long battle with our "striped nature" (Romans 7:15,22-25). We all have struggles. We are all awaiting the redemption from the flesh (Romans 8:18-25). Until we are freed from this body of sin...we must all continue to fight against the things listed above. Praise God he is long suffering and full of mercy towards His children...amongst which I am so blessed to count myself.

I'm amazed to know, how far God would go...to set a lost soul free! I'm amazed at the thought that he paid the cost...for a poor sinner like me. Oh, yes...I'm still AMAZED!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Parenting is Scary....

Being a parent is scary business. I am now going to indulge myself in an old cliche..."I wish kids came with an instruction book"...(I just remembered, they did, it's called the Bible). You're given this precious gift from the Lord. You're made the steward of a life that actually belongs to Him. And, if you're like me, you spend a lot of time trying to stay out of God's way so that you don't mess it up! I have spent so many years being Kyle and Dani's Mom, it has become the major identifier in my life. If I wasn't that, I don't know what I would be (well, I would still be a child of God).

I remember the good old days when my primary concern was whether they remembered to brush their teeth before they left the house, whether they put their bike back in the shed, whether they took their shoes off before tracking through the house, whether they were eating enough green beans. Someone wrote a book, it may have been Dobson, that was called "Parenting Isn't for Cowards". That is so true. I can't fathom this journey without the Lord and I am so grateful to have Him with me.

I wish I could take all my knowledge and experience and funnel it into my daughter's brain so that when I'm trying to give her my perspective on her life, she could trust that, to some degree, I know what I am talking about. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that I have a teenage daughter that is willing to listen; albeit, at times, reluctantly. But I can tell by her facial expressions that, sometimes, she thinks I'm plain nuts (and that isn't far from the truth). But (here comes another cliche) "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". And how about "she is her mother's daughter". I see so much of myself in her. I wish I could teach her all the lessons I learned so that she wouldn't have to experience the bad stuff herself...but, alas, some lessons have to learned or is it learnt 1st hand! It's my mother's curse...I remember it well..."some day I hope you have a daughter and I hope she acts just like you!" Well...I did...and she does...and I thank God for every minute of it!

And for my final cliche..."That which does not kill us makes us stronger".

I AM THE LORD! THE GOD OF ALL FLESH! IS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR ME? (From Jeremiah) Survey says....NO, nothing is too hard for God. Not even raising teenagers. Glad she belongs to HIM.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

It's Not About Me.........

A sleepless night brought me to a book I read about a year and a half ago...It's Not About Me...Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy, by Max Lucado. It is a wonderful book, and an easy read, I encourage you to get a copy (ask to borrow mine if you'd like).

Mr. Lucado tells us that when our deepest desire is not the things of God or a favor from God, but God Himself, we cross a threshold. In Exodus 33:11, the Bible tells us that "the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend..." (what a thought!) In this conversation, Moses has beseeched God to go with him and to show him the way as he leads the hard-headed, forgetful Israelites through the wilderness. God agrees and grants Moses one more, very special, request. In Exodus 33:18, this man, this friend of God makes his request. Was it to save him from the trials ahead, from the wilderness looming before him, full of giants and armies, not to mention the millions of ungrateful complaining people he would be leading? No...his request was for a glimpse of God's glory. "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory (Exodus 33:18).

God has promised to be with Moses, not save him from the trials ahead. This glimpse of God was all Moses needed to steel him for what was ahead. There is a most beautiful description of that moment. "And so Moses, cowering beneath the umbrella of God's palm, waits, surely with face bowed, eyes covered and pulse raising. When the hand lifts, Moses' eyes do the same and catch a distant, disappearing glance of the back parts of God...I'm seeing the long gray hair of Moses wind-whipped forward and his leathery hand grabbing a rock in the wall lest he fall. And as the gust settles and his locks rest again on his shoulders, we see the impact. His face. Gleaming. Bright as if backlit by a thousand torches. Unknown to Moses, but undeniable to the Hebrews, is his shimmering face."

Based on the Hebrews behavior and what lay before him, Moses had reason for anger and for fear, but instead God's glory was what was evident on his face. Now, having seen God's face, Moses can face what was ahead.

Max reminds us that we can look around and find fear, or look at our Father's face and find faith.

"You and I need what Moses needed - a glimpse of God's glory." It's in His Word, His love letter to us....my prayer is you take some time to find Him there.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Circumstances

Proverbs 40:20 - 22 says, "My son (and daughters), attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." God's word is so powerful. I am thankful that "I can believe God's Word rather than what I might believe by looking ay my circumstances. Circumstances can deceive me, but God's word NEVER will."

Today I spent some time in some notes that I made from devotions during a difficult time in my life. It was very overwhelming. Some of the emotions I was experiencing at time came flooding back, but what I was MOST overwhelmed with was the goodness of God and how far he has brought me since then (which wasn't that long ago, chronologically, but miles away spiritually). I was also overwhelmed at the realization at how God had allowed that painful time in my life to be used to minister to people I care about. We CAN trust what God says. All things do work together for GOOD...although it can be hard to see at the time.

I am thankful to be around young people, including my daughter, who are willing to listen and learn and who have tender hearts and are seeking God's will in their lives. I envy them that opportunity, which I missed during my teenage years. I agree whole-heartedly with Pastor's mom, who said, "I am not trying to raise an ordinary teenager." I'm not, and I'm thankful my daughter is not and her friends are not...by God's grace. I am thankful that God has raised my children....in spite of me. HE IS SO GOOD....

Monday, March 06, 2006

Happy(?) Birthday to Me.......

It is my birthday week. True to form, it is the year before and the year after the milestones that get to me, not the milestones themselves. This year it is the big 4-1. I think I get frustrated because I set my life goals around the milestones in my life. The year before I hit them, I am panicked because I only have a year left to accomplish those goals and the year after I hit them, I am irritated because I have not accomplished more of my goals. This year, I am going to set the goal to set goals around non-milestone birthdays and do away with birthday angst.

I am thankful for another year to serve our Lord...another year to learn more about Him....another year to see what He has in store for me (and my children). One of my favorite verses is from Isaiah (I can't remember the address)...Your ear shall hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it". I love to imagine the Lord behind us, his hands on our shoulders, guiding us as we take faltering steps forward. The closer we listen for that voice, the more boldly we can step forward as we learn to trust his guidance and lean on His everlasting arms.

Psalm 145:7 "You open up your hands and satisfy the desires of every living thing".

Thursday, March 02, 2006

That's Good Preachin....

Last night at church Pastor preached on Ebbs and Flows, from Deuteronomy. He asked the congregation if we ever experienced ebbs and flows, ups and downs, blessings and curses, especially after coming off a spiritual high (see the previous post). God knew I needed that lesson. It is His way of molding us into the people he created us to be. It was very kind of Him to plan that just for me.

Pastor also said God gives us just enough water to keep us encouraged....and just enough of the Philistines to keep us humble. He said that of all the aspects of salvation that we should be thankful for, one of the greatest should be that God saved us from ourselves....from lives of bitterness, anger, disappointment. I can amen and amen to that.

That's good preachin'....

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Blessings and Curses...

I have had an interesting couple of days. In my life, it has been my experience that whenever I am coming off of a spiritual high after a great revival meeting or a missions conference, like the one we just had at Grace this week, that I experience a couple of bumps. I hesitate to always blame Satan as my flesh has as much to do with it. But I am trusting in the Lord....no worries.

Blessing:
During the Missions Conference we had to make our faith promise pledge. The preaching at this conference on giving was the best I had ever heard. God really spoke to my heart about making my faith promise just that....a promise of faith. Instead of fitting the pledge into my budget, I decided to make it hurt...not at an irresponsible level, but certainly at a level of inconvenience. I made my pledge with full confidence that I can not out give God. I can't tell you how excited I was after making that pledge. I look forward with great anticipation to see how God will provide!

What do you know...Monday I get to work and make a stop at the bank (we have an branch office at my work place). I'm concerned about the balance because I appear to have too much money in my account (not normally a problem) 2 days BEFORE pay day. The teller looks up my account and there is a sizable payment from the Kansas Payment Center which could only mean one thing....child support. I have been in a battle with my X for the last 2 years. He owes me (Danielle) a very sizable amount. I now owe my lawyer a very sizable amount. But this payment was wholly unexpected and the timing did not escape me. The Lord is letting me know that he is in control!

Curse:
The faith promise is made, the money comes in...and now, car problems. This started over the weekend (although the van has been a lemon from the start). It appears I have electrical/transmission problems that will probably cost far more than the car is worth to have fixed. I still owe a small amount on the vehicle, so now the decision needs to be made...buy or fix? I don't want to put the money into the vehicle, but I don't want to take on a big car payment...blah, blah, blah. Out of all the "frustrations" of single-motherhood, transportation issues is one of my hot spots. I'll keep praying and seek counsel before I make a decision on this one. I know God even cares about my solenoid (sp?).

Blessing:
To end on a positive note, Danielle received a good report on her injured knee. This has to be of God as well. She has been on our Sunday School prayer list. She has not been faithfully doing her exercises and where just weeks ago we were at eminent surgery, the therapist is now raving about how great it all looks. Thank you, God.