Ft. Jackson retreat

Today I'm leaving to go to Ft. Jackson Army base in Columbia, SC for a prayer retreat for the wives of men who are going to be deployed around the world in the coming months. Would you join me in praying that the Lord will speak in a way that He never has to these women? The impact these women could have globally is mind blowing and I pray the Lord will renew them as they prepare for their journeys.

Father God I pray that everyone who will hear your messages at the prayer retreat will believe, adhere to and trust in Jesus as the Christ and that all the women You have called to attend will be there and receive the Word You have for them. Let it be known and understood by all that it is in the name and through the power and authority of Jesus Christ that this retreat is successful.

Lord fill the speakers and control them by Your Holy Spirit. Lord may everyone there know that they have been with Jesus and give Him all the praise and glory for every word that the speakers deliver. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You that You have seen the enemy's threats and have granted everyone involved in the planning, Your bond servants, full freedom to declare Your message fearlessly. I thank You Father, that when we pray this weekend, the place in which we are assembled will be shaken, and will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and Your daughters will continue to speak Your Word with freedom, boldness and courage.

Thank You Father that the ladies who will be speaking are of good and attested character and repute, full of Your Spirit and wisdom. Lord I pray that the ladies who hear will not be able to resist the message You have prepared for them and the call You are placing on each of their lives. Grant safety to all of us who will be traveling and begin - even now - to soften harden hearts and make ready the way of Your word! I love you Lord and I thank you for this opportunity to serve You. I ask all of these things in the strong and mighty name that is the only name worthy of glory and honor, Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Does a momma proud!

Like I stated earlier we're having a big Conference at church tonight. My kids came home from school today telling me how many kids they had invited to come. Then my Joshua was on the phone with a little girl in his class who had called to tell him her mom couldn't bring her tonight but she wanted to come on Sunday. He said to her "If you come you'll need to wear your best. At my church we honor God by always wearing our best - like dresses for girls and suits or nice pants for boys." I tell ya my heart skipped a beat! To hear him say that on his own without my prompting! Some of it is sinking in! Thank you God for that affirmation! I needed it today!

Be in prayer...

Please be in prayer for our church this weekend. We're having the Empowered Church Conference and have some WONDERFUL preachers coming. It's gonna be VERY busy for us as the choir is singing tonight and Sunday and I'm singing with a vocal team on Saturday and Jimmy will be playing drums ALL DAY Saturday!! BUSY time! Just pray that God will give us strength and help our kids cope with our schedule (of course they love getting to go hang out with friends) but most of all that God will anoint the ENTIRE church and will speak in such a fresh way that everyone will know it's His Presence! Thanks for your prayers. If you're local and interested in checking it out go to www.empowerthechurch.org. We'd LOVE to see you there!

Out of the burbs!

Today I've been getting caught up on my Nehemiah study online with Beth Moore. Wow, what an amazing book! It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord continues to open the Word and make it live and active every single time. Fresh every time I open it! I just LOVE that about Him!

She taught today about the difficult task of moving out of the suburbs and into the Holy City of God's will for our lives. How uncomfortable it can be in the city, how dangerous, how humbling it can be and yet how fulfilling! My prayer for myself, my children and all of you is that we pack our bags, move out of the burbs of Christianity and become "one of those" Christians! Completely living out the crucified life for Jesus! Lord, move me today! I'm tired of the comfort and ready to get dirty in the City! I love you Lord!!!

OH MY STARS!!!!!!

If you look at the time on my post just now it says 6:26!

THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! June 26th!! TOO COOL!!! ;-)

Wahooooooo!!

I don't know about you guys but boy am I glad it's FRIDAY!! Not sure why since I have to work tomorrow but still...Thank you God for another GREAT week!! Ya'll have a good weekend!

Neatly tied with a bow...

This week has been a bit on the hectic side. Can anyone relate? haha I just know that everyone who reads that sentence is going "You think your week is hectic?!"

Anyway, I've started my Kindermusik semester with 10 children - THANK YOU GOD!! I've got a Pampered Chef order going and another shipment expected soon. We've got a big conference coming up at church I've been learning new music for as well as our spring recording project AND our Easter music!! My kids have had a TON of homework as 3rd quarter is winding down and on top of all that I've got my "Breaking Free" homework, my Karen Kingsbury novel and, and, and...You get the point right?

It's so amazing how the Lord just brings everything to full circle though. I've been reading Ezekiel in my quiet time and I have to admit it's a bit daunting. I'm in the upper 20 low 30 chapters where there's lots of wrath and judgement being poured out for disobedience. Sometimes it seems difficult to find application when reading prophesy against a king or a country. Yet, what has been the source of my hectic life lately...dealing with my son's disobedience. He's been struggling in school. Nothing major, just talking when he's not supposed to, making loud noises in the media center, talking on SILENT LUNCH (when are they supposed to socialize? - don't get me started) just that kind of thing. More than once in the last week I have said "Son, do you think the rules don't apply to you?"

Then this past Sun morning in church I look at the big sign in our lobby that says "Please no food or drink in sanctuary" and then I look at myself and my fellow vocal team/orchestra members all with our bottles of water in hand and I wonder where my son gets that attitude?! I mean, we can certainly justify our NEED for water in the sanctuary - singing, playing instruments - but what kind of example am I sending my kids? VERY CONVICTING! So, this week I've had my son looking up some of the things Ezekiel was called to obey - speaking ONLY when the Lord told him to, lying on one side for 390 days and then the other for 40 days, not grieving when his wife died - just to name a few. We talked about the fact that we all struggle with disobedience at times but we need to strive to be like Ezekiel. Obedient no matter the cost. Tough stuff!!

Anyway, God is still good and still on the throne and still loves me and my kids! He will see us thru these times and He will continue to bless us as we seek to serve Him! I pray the same for you and yours!

Prayer changes things...

Father God this morning I come to You with such a heavy heart. Lord I know that you are in control and that your ways are not my ways. I know that you have a plan not just for my life but for the lives of those who love you. Lord this morning I come claiming that I don't understand the plan you have for my friend Laura and her family. I don't understand why cancer has to hit. Lord I know it hurts your heart as much as it does ours so right now I just give you my broken heart for Laura, Duffy and Donna. Lord I pray that in their situations you will reveal yourself to them in a mighty way so that they will draw near to you. I pray for healing in Duffy and in Donna. I pray that you will give the Dr's wisdom to know what and how to treat them and that you will give them peace in this storm. Lord I pray that you will bring such a peace to them and to Jerry and Jim that they will know your peace does pass all understanding! Lord give Laura strength to face these trials with her mom and stepmom. Help her to know what to say and when to say it. Draw her to you Lord. I love this family like they are my own Jesus and above all I want them to know you and your love. Thank you for your promise of shelter in the cleft of your holy rock Lord. I love you and I praise you for who you are despite these awful circumstances. You are Holy and you alone are worthy of all praise. Do a miracle Lord. In the name of Jesus I ask it. Amen...

For anyone who reads this please pray for my friend Laura, her mom Duffy and her stepmom Donna. Also their husbands Glen, Jerry and Jim. Thanks.

Most important job

The theme of my week has been what is my most important job. I have several jobs. Jobs in the home and jobs outside the home. The outside jobs are part time while my jobs inside the home are 24/7 jobs! The jobs God has given me are complete blessings from His hand and this week has been one in which my outside jobs have needed a bit of extra attention. This has left my inside jobs a bit vulnerable to the enemy.

Now I don't wanna give the enemy more credit than his slimy old self deserves but he's been working. I know the Lord has been allowing him to have some liberties with me and my family this week. He's seen that there's not a lot of cracks in our armor but he certainly hasn't stopped trying to find them this week and the Lord let him find a big one in me this week! I've spent a great deal of the week at the foot of the cross begging forgiveness and cleaning some things up! But I think the Lord is saying to me "Yeah girl I've blessed you with some opportunities out of your home but remember what your most important job is! MOM!"

I love the way He gently reminds me instead of pouring His wrath like I've been reading in Ezekiel. Scary stuff! He loves us too much to destroy us but he'll break us to pieces because He loves to sew them back together! He's so good!

Get off that fence!!

This past week I was having a conversation with a friend about the status of our walk and we both had described times of "fence riding" in our pasts. We agreed that not only were we jumping off the fence but we were gonna start encouraging all our friends to do the same. Then today did anyone see on the news the guy trying to escape from jail and ended up stuck in the fence? What a visual!!!

If you don't know what I'm talking about listen to this... In Revelation Jesus tells John to write a letter to the church in Laodicea and this is what He says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Rev 3:15-16 That's fence ridin' if I ever heard it! Imagine God Almighty wanting to spit you out of His mouth! That's what fence ridin' makes him want to do. May that NEVER be said of us!

It's time for this generation to step up, get off the fence and decide this day whom you will serve! I choose Jesus! I'm going to make sure my kids wanna choose Jesus! I'm gonna tell all my friends so they will wanna choose Jesus! There's work to do people and it's time we work for Jesus! Let's all roll up our sleeves, pull our hair into a ponytail (or headband if you prefer) and get on our knees so we'll know where and how He wants us to get busy. Not just busy for business sake but busy for God's Kingdom sake!

Praise the Almighty...

Today as I did week 6 of "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore all I can say is praise the Lord! I've been listening to an arrangement of "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" that our choir is doing and it knocks my socks off! I know in this contemporary generation some of us have never even heard these old hymns but if you'll indulge me just a second I gotta get some praise on! Read these lyrics and even if you don't know the tune, sing along...

"Praise to the Lord the Almighty, the King of creation; O, my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation; All ye who hear now to His temple draw near; Join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth; Shelters thee under His wings, yes, so gently sustaineth; Hast thou not seen how all thy longings have been granted in what He ordaineth.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee; Ponder anew what the Almighty can do if with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him; All that hath life and breath come now with praises before Him; Let the Amen sound from His people again; Gladly forever adore Him.

Praise the Lord!!!!"

Thanks for singing along! He is worthy!!
(Words and Music by Joachim Neander)