So my precious Mother-In-Love sent this message to me & my husband (her son) and my brother & sister-in-law a few weeks ago and there is so much wisdom in it that I HAD TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE!  She will probably kill me for this… but, wisdom is supposed to be shared!  I love you, Jeanie!

Gigi with Miss Georgia!

Unhappy with the snow and unhappy without it.

The recent snow storm has brought out some good sanctifying from the Lord in my heart.  It is funny to watch people’s comments right now because all opinions of snow are very clear!  The Lord has shown me just how discontent I am through other people’s discontent!  He does that sometimes… I can have a very critical spirit in me, so I very quickly start to pass judgement and then the Lord stops me in my tracks and reminds me of my own heart.

We are never content with what we look like, what we wear, how white our teeth are and if our hair style is in fashion or not. When we are bored, we immediately pull out our phones to either play a game or cruise through facebook to see what everyone else is doing.  We complain because we are too busy and when the weather forces us to slow down, we are frustrated with slowing down.  We wish we had more time to read our bibles, but then the Lord gives us more time and we choose to watch our favorite tv show instead.  We are constantly thinking about our comforts and our desires.  Have you ever wondered how many actual hours we spend thinking about our comforts?  That is a question for another day.

Why are we so discontent?  Well, why are we so discontent with only the things of this world?  Only the things that we are going to leave behind when we see Jesus face to face….

Maybe today is the day to become discontent with the things of this world that have eternal value.  What if we each shoveled our neighbor’s driveways?  What if we prepared an entire home cooked meal and left if for the widow who lives next door? What if we became discontent with how close to the Lord we walk?  What if instead of thinking about our waistline we started thinking about the Savior Who provides the only food that will last?  What if today we said we were only going to spend time in the Word and see where that led….what if we sold our televisions?  Our smartphones?  What if we sold everything that competed with The Voice of the Savior?

When is the last time you went an entire evening without technology and only focusing on the beautiful family that the Lord has blessed you with?  When is the last time you stopped, slowed down and looked up at the stars?  My challenge for today, slow down long enough to see Him: in the face of my little girl, in the sweet love of my husband, in the beautiful white covering on the ground and in the amazing stars He places above me every night.

2.13.15

Life is completely different.

I have a precious husband that I have now been married to for 8 years!  My sweet baby girl is a big one year old…. really, 15 months old, but who is counting?  My church has a new pastor, who should really be pastoring at some mega, crazy big church in a major big city, but is serving at our church in the middle of nowhere… literally, we call it God’s country… so far away!  The church is growing like crazy!  I had the amazing privilege to serve my God and my church by participating on the pastor search committee.  It was definitely one of the most amazing times of my life… there will be a completely separate post about that journey!  I have seen His amazing Hand at work so mightily.  But now what?

I am exhausted!  So extremely tired!  I can’t focus on what my name is, must less anything else.  The whirlwind has been so great… my now I can’t seem to catch my breath…

I can’t claim to feel exactly how the disciples felt after the resurrection, but I have to wonder if they though to themselves, “Okay, now what?”

I know The Lord is finished with me yet, but I am not sure what is next.  What does He want to do next with me?  With my family?  Maybe seminary?  Maybe a trip back to SE Asia?  Maybe a trip back to SE Asia with my family?  So, Lord, I am asking, “What now?”

My bible study today was about Psalm 46:10- “Cease striving and know that I am God.  And I will make my Name know among the nations.”  Be still.  Beth Moore says, “Don’t default to our past.  Don’t jump the gun to our future.  Just behold and know.  Instructions will come when the time is right.  In the meantime, just be —  even though being is so much harder than doing.”

So I now I am to be still and await instructions.  I hope that I have been faithful with all of my previous assignments and I pray that I am faithful with all of my future.  Use me and my family as YOU see fit.  Thank you, Jesus, for Your sweet word today.

1/21/15

As I sit here at Kbrew Coffee Shop on Broadway, I am left to think about all of the lost that I just drove through.  I just left Bearden area and drove through Sequoyah Hills… many, not all, of the people who live there have the blessing of money.  The Lord has granted them the ability to do anything for anyone anytime.

And then I continued on through campus.  It just so happened to be at class change, so I had to chance to see hundreds, or thousands, of students in the rat race of life chasing the next thing.  Many of those students are just bouncing from one desire to the next, never slowing down long enough to consider the Lord and what He wants.  Do I think the Lord is calling some of them to drop out of college and follow His leading?  Possibly.  Do I think the Lord has a great purpose for many of them if they would only stop and dwell on His Presence and face?  Absolutely.

And then my next turn took me through the part of Broadway that many people in Knoxville avoid, the section around Magnolia Ave.  This part of Broadway is where the homeless live in abundance.  It can be uncomfortable to see and it may even make you lock your doors again.  But have we ever slowed down long enough to think about what our Saviour would do in this part of Broadway?  Is it right to avoid it or run from it fast?  Is it right to try not to think about them?

And that places me where I am now, in the coffee shop, sitting and looking out the window as the cars drive by and each person walks in off of the street to get another dose of God’s gift to mankind… coffee!  What is He teaching me today?

The Lord knows that I want to serve Him with every fiber of my being.  The Lord knows that He controls my days and my actions in those days.  The Lord knows that I want to be obedient more than anything else.  So, I am here now, Lord.  I acknowledge Your Presence and Your direction and Your leadership in my day today.  I sit and wait for you to show me what is next on this journey.

The lost are all around us.  The hopeless are all around us.  The people seeking are sitting right next to us.  The question is, are we going to see them?  And if so, what are we going to do about it?

4.

How often do we fail to obey God’s clearly revealed Will because we do not exercise faith?

Sometimes God delays because He has to expand us so that we have enough faith to believe.

A season of delay so that God could display so that you can get deliverance.

Mark 5:19- The man who was healed begged God to let him go with Him, but Jesus denied him.  He told him that his job was there, that his ministry was there, and he obeyed.  Everyone marveled at him and then a church was formed.  Believers were formed.  The church grew because of his obedience to stay where God placed him.

He has to remove from us what we love best in order for Him to give us what we need most.

On the wings of his greatest agony, He is about to have his greatest awakening.  (Jairus)

They wanted the promise of the land, but not the presence of the Lord.

FATHER FORGIVE ME, FOR I KNOW NOT WHAT I DO

How often do I not believe God to be true or real?  How often do I doubt Him?  How do I doubt His existence?

In the moment when Peter denied Christ, he said that He wasn’t real.  True.  The Savior.  The King.  I never say those words aloud, but how often do I say them with my actions?  Is God really big enough to help me?  Is He really big enough?  Is He really strong enough?  Does He really have control?

If God is big enough to help me overcome stress, then why do I choose coffee or chocolate or worry instead?

If God is big enough to overcome my hunger, then why do I say I can’t go a day without food, when I KNOW that fasting will connect me closer to my true lifeline?

If God is big enough to keep me safe, then why do I refuse to go to places that might be dangerous to share the Gospel?

If God is big enough to provide for me, then why do I refuse to give until it hurts?  Why do I refuse to give away more to others than store away for myself?  Is it wrong to make my life a life that requires God to intervene in order to survive?  Is it “immature” to be radically obedient in giving all… all time, all money, all of my life for the Gospel?

If God calls true religion “taking care of orphans and widows” then what am I doing today for them?  Why did I only do 12 shoeboxes?  Why don’t I foster kids?  What widow have I invited to be a part of my life all of the time?

If God says He will provide for all of my needs, why do I force myself to do it all by myself?

If God supplies all money, why do I limit my obedience to the money I have?

If God is who He says He is, then why don’t I believe Him?  Why don’t I believe Him?  Why don’t I believe Him?  If I don’t believe Him, then who do I really say that I am?  A follower of Christ who doesn’t believe Him?  Or do we believe Him on the surface where it is comfortable to believe Him?  But what about where it is uncomfortable to believe Him…. What about then?

[This is where I am with the Lord right now.  The lessons that He is currently revealing to me.  He is working on me… growing me, sanctifying me, changing me and convicting me.  I pray that He works in you the way that He desires to work in you.  And I pray that I am always growing in love for Him.  Grow my love for You, Father.  Grow my love for You.]