Celebrations!!!

So I am not usually up this early in the morning.  The house is quiet and will be just my husband and I until this evening.  We are hoping to accomplish some serious prayer and job searching today.  Praying for clarity today!

As I was reading the scripture this morning I was struck by a few parables, the ones most of us know all too well.  The one about the lost sheep and the lost coin.  The 1 lost sheep out of 100, and how you go and look for the lost one and then rejoice when you find it.  Or the lost coin, when you search and search until you find it, then rejoice when you do!!  Both of these end with the same thing.  "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents..." and "there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  Do you think that your sins are just too big to forgive?  Do you ever feel ashamed by them that you don't even want to talk about them with God?  Remember the TRUTH!  Heaven rejoices when we repent.  God doesn't condemn us or look down on us but celebrates with us when we repent.  How cool is that?

When I was reading again the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) I caught some words that I hadn't before.  This son, took his inheritance and spent it all in wild living.  He lost everything and was feeding the pigs when verse 17 says "But when he came to himself..."  He must have had a moment when all of a sudden he thought "what am I doing?"  He must have thought he had been out of his mind.  So he went home to his father hoping to be treated as a servant but instead his father celebrated his return with a feast.  The father said "for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.  And they began to celebrate."

No matter what you have done Jesus loves you.  He wants to celebrate with you a free life.  A life that embraces his forgiveness - a new life.

We are so free!!!

Re-learning how to ride a bike!

Do you ever feel defeated?
I do - I have.
I watched the clip below (don't watch it till your done reading. :) and I was overwhelmed with, well, I'm not sure exactly how to descibe it.

When children are little they work so hard to learn things.  As a parent, aunt, babysitter, grandparent or however you interact with children don't you notice how hard they try to learn a new task.  When a child is learning to walk they fall so many times, banging their head even, but they still get back up and keep trying.  When my girls were learning to ride the bike the same thing happened.  And sports - mistakes made, game play improves.  The list can go on.  Do we teach children to quit?  No, we cheer them on to keep trying, to not give up.

Now watch this clip.



I couldn't help but think about this little boy inspiring adults.  How often do we, as we get older give up and feel defeated.  Situatations in life seem so hard, they get so hard, and we just give up. 

I want to re-learn to ride a bike, with this boy cheering me on. :)

Romans 12:11-23 "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervant in Spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

The rich and the poor - so cool!

Awesome night on the West side of Toledo tonight. Tim and I went to a Community dinner at someones home.  People were coming in and out from the area neighborhoods. Homeless and Doctors, the rich and the poor.  It was by far the coolest mix of people fellowshipping I have ever seen.  We talked with a homeless man in one conversation and then to a young dating couple who are both in med. school.  One neighbor came in the house for food and asked if she could go and get her friend to come over.  "Well of course" was her answer.  Half hour later here she comes back with her friend.  You see, everyone is welcome there.  Nobody is allowed to donate for the food otherwise some might not come because they would feel bad if they can't give.  We didn't know people but met a few and loved just watching the interaction among people.

It was the epitomy of what the body of Christ is suppose to be about.  Just loving on people with no barriers between each other and giving, giving and giving to others.  I plan on going again.

We gave a homeless man a ride home (not sure how your homeless if you have a home, although we dropped him off at a corner so who knows) and he told us that God will bless us for giving him a ride home.  Sounds good to me, although he blessed me.  As we listened to him talking to us from the back seat my eyes filled with tears.  Seriously, why do I ever think I don't have enough?  Why do I ever want more?  Why am I not more content?  He said "people tell me your shoes are so old and your clothes are so old, how can you talk about Jesus?  I just tell them that it's not what's on the outside but what's on the inside that counts.  I have Jesus in my heart?  Have you ever felt Jesus so much in your heart that you just want to explode?"  I could feel the tears in my eyes.  He sat in my back seat for maybe 15 minutes but he blessed me and reminded me of what is most important in life.

I think Jesus would have hung out with him.

Do you ever worry?

How many times have you been guilty of worry?  How many times have you been in a place of wondering how you will pay your bills and put food on your table?  Maybe you haven't had to deal with these types of issues but most people have at some point in their life.  Jesus talked about this in Luke 12 when he said "do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on."  He goes on to talk about the birds and how he cares for them - how we are more valuable to him.  "...how much more will I clothe you, O you of little faith!  And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.  For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek his kingdom, and all these things will be added to you."

I have read this so many times in my life.  So many - but do we really take to heart the underlined words?  I think in those trying times we can easily forget them.  To "seek his kingdom" - well I think that means for him to be Lord of our life.  We should seek relationship with him more than anything else in life.  Is he in every aspect of your life?  I know for me it's daily.  The world has so much that can take our eyes off of him and distract us from what is most important.  And remember that he knows what we need.  Let's not forget that!!

Jesus concludes by saying "for where your treasure is there will your heart be also."  I would love to be able to say that I have my heart in the right place all the time.  It is a daily walk and a daily coming to him and laying everything in his hands.  But the more we do the stronger our faith becomes.  Never stop.

Today is a beautiful day outside - sunny - 70's - low humidity!  I turned off the air conditioner and opened up all the windows - my favorite.  "This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Now What?

I/we have been going through a mix of emotions lately.  In this place of unknown in ministry/job and just life my husband put it simply in an email he sent to his sister.  It was beautifully said but very "real."

But in the end it was the voice of God that we followed, with His timing.  Now we are in that challenging time of "what exactly next?"  It is uncomfortable, but I am sure God has his shaping purposes at work in us.  That is the nice translation.  The other translation is "some days if feels like a train wreck."  Yet somehow in the middle of it all we cling to the fact that we followed His lead, so we will cling to His promises, even when we do not yet see them.

Sometimes I wish that I was more encouraging to him.  Sometimes I feel the same as he does and the frustrations make it hard to encourage.  You know those times in marriage when your both down so you can't lift each other up.  I highly dislike those times.  This morning he woke up looking like that "train wreck."  He usually goes to a men's prayer group on Friday's with some other pastors in the area but was thinking about not going today.  It was my chance to encourage him to go.  I don't think the enemy wanted him there.  Lord bless him this morning!!!!!  I should interject here that we have been dealing with a serious water issue in our basement which is causing more stress.  It is an added challenge that I wish we didn't have.

So we cling to the promises of Jesus.
2 Cor. 4:8-9 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

JOY--------------:)

This past week has been challenging for me as I have been doubting way too much.  Doubting the next step and even doubting God.  Ever been there?

Until.....I read these words from a young missionary.  "Satan can only take from you what your willing to give him.  Don't give him your joy."  Those words hit me as I realized that's what I had given him.  In the midst of uncertainties it's easy to get down and lose the joy.  But it is true that it is the thief who wants to steal that from me.  Jesus said "I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly."  That sounds pretty joyful to me!  Isaiah 55:12 says "you will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song for you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

This morning my heart was joyful as I attended our youngest daughters Senior high school send off.  It is a time when the students all share something, a story, a thank you, whatever they want to share at the end of the year.  I was so proud of Angela as she got up and shared her testimony, with tears, about how thankful she was for Toledo Christian and the genuine friendships that she has made here.  After moving in the middle of her junior year she is able to see how God took care of her.  And she thanked her parents for listening to God and moving, even though she didn't want to.  I love that girl!!!!!!

So even though there are uncertain days ahead, I love that God is in control of all of them and  already knows what each of our next steps will be.  Some of you have had the same job most of your life, lived in the same house and in the same town.   That is awesome how God has settled you.  That is not my story though.  I have had many a day where I wish it had been like that but things in my life would not be as they are if they had.  Guess God's plans are always best - and when I wonder if God knows what he is doing - well, I just need to get out of the way and remember the amazing things that God has done and come back to the truth.

Thank you Jesus for all you have done and all you will do.  
You are always good.

It's been a while...

Yes, it has been a while since I blogged last. 

God is always changing up my life, all the time.  Ministry for my husband is going to look different - so different that I don't even know what it will be.  That's funny!  God is funny!  He tells us what step to take and makes us wait for the next one.  Seriously, come on God.  You always want me to "wait."  Why is that?  But the truth is always the same - God is God and his plans are always better than mine.  So I will wait - again!!!  I say that with a smile. :)

I was at my moms bible study at my daughters school this morning, which is always a blessing to me.  The ladies there are awesome, we just love each other, not judge, and it's so great  to be in this kind of envioronment.  But today they just blessed me, they blessed me so big.  They didn't just share encouragement and love they showed it. 

Then I was thinking about our prayer time together.  As everyone had different prayer requests and different people we were praying for, I started getting this picture in my mind.  Try to hang with me for a minute.  Picture you, praying for someone specific, or for a situation in their life.  Now picture you and 10 more people in different places also praying for the same person or situation.  I started imagining these multiple prayers rising.  Then I started imagining this over and over from many different people.  But the number of people praying can grow so huge too.  Now imagine yourself needing prayer - maybe you have cancer, or your husband lost his job, or your child is sick, or your marriage is crumbling - the power of so many prayers being said on your behalf is so cool.  Then I wondered what it must be like to be God and hearing all these prayers.  That just must be so cool.

2 Corinthians 1:10-11
"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Keep praying people, keep praying.  And if you are being prayed for - those prayers are going straight to your Heavenly Father who hears them.  Can't get any better than that.