A FRESH Word

Don't ya'll just love it when the Lord - the Creator of the Universe - takes the time to fall fresh on you each day? It just blows my mind!


Let me tell you how my morning has begun. Had a quick appetizer with the Lord before getting the kids and hubby off to their perspective destinations, then sat down for my meat and potatoes from Him. Needless to say He did NOT disappoint. I was in Hebrews Chpt 10 reading about perseverance and endurance. I told you all a few days ago that we were going to start a Bible study with the ladies of our music ministry and then just days later Debra, our minister's wife, was in a horrible car accident. I had thought that God had finally provided me with the teacher we needed for this study, but obviously, He has other plans. Surely, He doesn't mean for me to lead! (that's been my reaction) I've spent the week reminding the Lord of all my short-comings, my inadequacies (as if He needs to be reminded) but today He's reminded who I am and what He's called me to do. I'm not saying that I'm going in like gang busters and starting this study because I'm waiting for Him to swing the doors open and send the burning bush! haha

But after my meal I decided to come by for some dessert and popped onto Beth Moore's blog. If you haven't read it today, GO READ IT! I about fainted! I just sat here crying like crazy. So then, I read my email and a friend who blogs had gotten some comments on her blog that made her a bit uneasy and was asking me to pray for her heart to stay pure and her motives to stay in check. This from a girl I've known for years and have NEVER, not one time, doubted her motives when it came to ministry! So, with my feathers all ruffled I thought I'd just hop online and defend my friend. (that's just like me ready to go to battle)

Before I reacted though I needed a potty break so as I walked toward the rest area I glanced over and realized I hadn't read my "God Calling" for today. So I open it up and here's the title for today "Divine Restraint". Oh yea! I didn't make that up! It spoke about God's desire to share His salvation and His power with each of us but how He shows restraint until invited in. How limitless His power is in our lives "but only to the extent of the lack of vision of that individual." OUCH. The last line says "Comfort my waiting, loving, longing Heart by claiming My Help, Guidance and Miracle-working Power." Ya'll, got me a Word! I didn't need to jump on and defend my friend. I needed to pray for her to release God's power in her life. I needed to pray for those who criticized her for the power to be released in their lives. I want God's limitless power in my life! Don't you? I don't want to get to heaven and see what He "wanted" to do for me but I wouldn't "let" Him because of my unbelief!

So anyway, I just had me some church right here in the house! After all those "Words" I put me on some praise music, had me a good cry, danced around and praised my Abba Daddy! I hope ya'll are in the Word every day! He's got so much to say and wants us to stop, slow down and listen!

Get your praise on ya'll!!!

Don't have much time this morning but I wanted to get my praise on and hope you'll do the same! HE IS WORTHY!!!

Will you worship?

Well yesterday at church was amazing! Not because our music was great - which it was - not because our preacher brought it on - which he did - not because I got to visit with my "family" - which I did - but because the Holy Spirit fell fresh on me yesterday! He moved not only in me but I could feel Him moving in our whole church. God is working at the Grove!

It's difficult coming to worship when you've faced some of the things life throws at you. Marriage stuff, kids, finances, family problems, arguments with friends, not to mention some of the stuff we faced as a church family - more specifically a music ministry family - this week. (Our music minister's wife being in a horrific accident) It was very emotional for all of us. Emotional when we think of the what-if's for her and the what-if's we all face. BUT GOD in His love for us, wants us to come and to bring our emotions, our hurt, our fear, our questions, our anger, EVERYTHING to Him. To leave it at His feet. To let it go. To lay it down. He's big enough to handle the what'if's of our life.

The question then becomes will you worship? Will you come and leave Him your stuff? I did that yesterday. I left it all and just worshipped my Abba Daddy! He alone is worthy to be worshipped! My prayer is you'll do the same. He's waiting...

MORE WEEKEND WORSHIP LIFT HIGH HIS NAME!!!

Weekend Worship

Who will you worship?

Oh my lands! Did ya'll see Survivor last night? Now I've only watched an episode here and there over the last few years but I wasn't ABOUT to miss last night. Leslie Niese - the Christian radio host - is a local girl who I've missed hearing on the air while she was gone. She's also a good friend of Leigh's so I wanted to see how she did. I have to admit that I figured they would find out she was a Christian and boot her off the first night, though I was praying it didn't happen. BOY WAS I WRONG!

In case you don't know they're in China this year and I wondered if Buddhism would somehow play a factor into the game and it hit the 1st episode! They had the little disclaimer at the beginning saying it wasn't a "worship ceremony" (nice try Jeff) but they had their hands clasped in "prayer like" fashion and they were bowing down. I kept going "Oh Leslie, oh Leslie" as I watched her wrestling with respect for their culture and her faith in Jesus. But then she just couldn't take it and she got up and left the temple!!! I stood up and shouted "YES!" I was so proud of her for taking a stand and then dropping Scripture to tell why she did it!! YOU GO GIRL!!!

The funny thing was, I just couldn't help but wonder if I was in the same situation what I would've done. There was a time in my life when I would've bowed and not a single thing about it. Rationalizing that it didn't change what was in my heart. However, the word of God is VERY clear about bowing to any idol and I believe God is QUITE serious about the act of bowing!! I'd sure like to think I'd have the courage to do what Leslie did but in that situation....well, I don't really have to worry about going on Survivor, my lupus prevents that! hahaha

I do know that the Lord led me thru the Beth Moore Daniel series to teach me about who I worship. If you haven't done it, DO IT! I can't say I've got it licked, but I am certainly WAY more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction when I allow something to take God's place. Sometimes it's my man, or my kids and I rationalize that with it's what a wife/mother is "supposed" to do, but is that what God says we should do? NO WAY! HE MUST be first for everyone! Mom, Dad, wife, husband, son, daughter, sister, friend, church servant, EVERYONE! God will not share His throne with ANYONE or ANYTHING!

God, thank you for opening my eyes to things that I have placed ahead of you and for removing them! Keep me clean. Bara my heart Lord!! I love you and want NO ONE or NOTHING to stand between us! You are good Lord and I praise You simply because You are who You are!!

In the blink of an eye...

Last night I had a real wake up call. After church our minister of music's wife was hit on her way home from church by a drunk driver. She doesn't have any life threatening injuries - PRAISE GOD - but she's got some broken bones a ruptured spleen and will be in a LOT of pain for a while! Ya'll please say a prayer for her!

I was in a hurry last night and did something I don't usually do but I parked across the street from church and ran my little ducklings across a 4 lane road. Now, don't start on me, I know, I know. Twice this week the Lord has talked to me about slowing down for my kids. About telling them to hurry up and get in the car, hurry up and hook their seat belts, just hurry, even when there's really no need to hurry. Then as I got the news about the accident that happened right where my kids and I had just been I knew the Lord was reminding me of my responsibility to protect them.

Ya'll life is so durn fragile. I know as Christians we don't fear death and actually anticipate being with Jesus, but I just think about the hurt for those who are left behind. Today is the day my brother-in-law killed himself 3 years ago. I know that's not the same kind of thing but still death is death. Some people turn to the Lord as their help but others just don't know where to turn. Especially those who don't know Him. I praise God that my sister, my niece and my nephew knew where their strength comes from but if you think of it today please pray for them too. Every day is a gift ya'll. Live like you appreciate it as such. I know I'm going to!

"Don't be afraid; just believe."

What are you afraid of? Death, sickness, the dark, strangers, our kids safety? The list could go on and on. This past weekend at the beach I spent some time with the Father and He showed me how much fear had me in bondage. Now, I certainly didn't THINK I was afraid, but He showed me otherwise. Then He lead me to this verse in Mark 5.

We're all familiar with the story of Jarius, the synagogue ruler and his sick daughter. Here was Jarius, a leader in town falling at the feet of Jesus on behalf of his sick daughter. Jesus, being full of mercy, went with him to see the child but then the crowd pushed in, the woman with the bleeding touched his clothes and Jesus "realized that power had gone out from him" so He had to stop and ask "Who touched me?" (As if He didn't know already!) So Jesus stops and heals this woman on His way and then the some men came from Jarius' home to tell him the girl was dead and not to "bother the teacher". Jesus ignores them (don't you LOVE that?) and looks at Jarius and tells him "Don't be afraid; just believe." (Mark 5:36) Jesus then goes in and wakes the girl from her "sleep".

Now, I've read that story before and that verse before but this weekend God's Word fell so fresh on me. "Don't be afraid; just believe." Why have I let fear have such a stronghold on me? Do I think my anxiety over whatever I'm afraid of is bigger than God? Obviously so if I can't let go of it. If I TRULY believe God then why be afraid? I truly let God have that fear when I sent that shell flying and since then I've slept better, I've been more at peace. I've TRULY rested in my Abba Daddy's lap. He really wants that for all of us. He wants us to trust Him with our WHOLE lives. He wants us to trust Him with our marriages, with our kids, with our finances, ALL OF IT! There's such freedom in a life with the Lord! It is amazing! Won't you let that fear go? God can handle whatever you're afraid of SO MUCH better than you!

Where the rubber meats the road...

Often times we ask the Lord to open doors for us, to show us where He wants us to serve and promise Him that we'll go thru. I know I certainly have. Then when He slings the door open we stand there going, "But I'm not ready, I'm not smart enough, I'm not sure, I'm not...I'm not...I'm not..."

I'm at one of those points right now. I've asked Him to open some doors for me and He's done it and now I feel the enemy starting to whisper that I'm not good enough. He's right too. I'm not enough anything, BUT GOD (my favorite phrase) makes me enough! Before He created the first star He knew what He had in store for me and He's been getting me ready for it for the last 39 years. So, am I going to follow or stand here frozen in fear?

While we were at the beach the Lord revealed some areas of fear in my life. Like sleeping with a night light on, like being in closed places, just fear. So I spent some time in the Word flooding myself with His promises to protect me, to go ahead and behind me, to guide me, to never leave or forsake me. Then I found the UGLIEST shell I could find on the beach, I carried that nasty thing all day then before I left the beach I took that fear, that ugly nasty fear and I cast it into the depths (ok, so it really didn't even quite pass the breakers - hahaha)!

So, when I got home I spoke with a few ladies and we are going to start a Bible study with the ladies in our music ministry at church!!! I am so excited! The Lord had laid this on their hearts before I ever mentioned it and we've all just been waiting for Him to make it happen. So I'm asking that you join me in prayer for this study. I ask that you pray for the Lord to work in my life and the lives of whoever He sends to this study, for Him to make us hungry for His righteousness! Most of all I ask that you pray that this not be about me and that I am totally empty before these ladies! I'm nothing without Him and that's all I want them to know about me!

I'll keep ya "posted" on how He irons out the details but please pray! If you have any great suggestions for a study for worship leaders I'd LOVE to know! Thanks.

Jesus said "Don't be afraid; just believe." Mark 5:36

YAHOOO-JAH!!!!!!

Oh ya'll I just don't know where to start today! First, I just gotta praise my Abba Father for such an AWESOME time in His House this morning! What a day of worship! We sang "God is great, sing His praise, all the earth, all the heavens" and let me tell you that I was singin' His praise so much that our pastor - who was sitting in front of me - said he was afraid I was gonna smack him in the back of the head! hahaha Could you imagine? TOOOO FUNNY!!!!

I had a GREAT time at the beach! Let me thank Jesus for bringing Lisa into my life! I have grown so much with her as my friend and she has such a kind, generous heart that she allowed me to come to her beach house - for free! WAHOOOO! I love ya girl! Antonia, Lisa and I laughed til we cried, cried til we laughed and stayed up talking til 3:00am! You would've thought we were in high school except we talked more about Jesus then anything else! GOOD STUFF! Of course, we had a 2:00am tv show theme song competition! What a blast!

Ok, here's where the Yahoo-Jah comes in! Land sakes, my fingers can't go fast enough because I'm so excited to share this with you all! Ok. My man works in the mortgage division at a bank and as I'm sure you all know the mortgage business is struggling right now. It's been tough, but God (oh how I love those 2 words) has been faithful. In fact, the company had a contest for the sales guys as an incentive. They earned points for each "sale" and had to get a certain amount of points to win a 3 day 2 night stay at any Hilton anywhere in the US. Well, my man qualified! We got that prize. Oh, BUT GOD! had a better surprise for us! Of the guys who qualified for that prize they had a grand prize drawing (there were 4 guys who qualified) and MY MAN WON THE GRAND PRIZE! Are you wondering what the grand prize was?.......get ready.....oh land sakes I still can't believe it..........AN ALL EXPENSE PAID 4 DAY 3 NIGHT TRIP - INCLUDING MEALS - TO THE ATLANTIS RESORT IN THE BAHAMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, God gave me and Jimmy a trip to the Bahamas!!! CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT? I sure keep pinching myself!

The morning of the drawing I was really having a hard time praying about it because it seemed so selfish but I just told God that He promised me abundant life and THAT WAS abundant life! Then when I got in the Word He led me to Mark 9:24 which says "Lord, help my unbelief" so I just started praying that He would help me to believe that He really does want to give me abundant life and I was THRILLED with the hotel prize and content with that. BUT GOD decided to bless us with even more! Ya'll, He is so good! He wants to bless us! He wants us to be faithful to Him and obedient to Him and He wants to reward that here on earth as well as for all eternity! He did it for us this week and He's waiting to do it for you too! I promise! HE PROMISED!

Thank you again God for your amazing love for me and I just can't wait to get to heaven and fall at your feet in worship and then to squeeze that Holy Neck of yours for all eternity!!! I love you Abba Daddy! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

I'm off!!

Ok, those who know me well can quit with the "Tell me something we didn't already know"! haha (I'm off)

I'm leaving in about an hour for a MUCH needed weekend with some girlfriends. We're going to the beach! Ya'll know I'm gonna be cryin again! teehee Pray for our safe travels and for a fresh Word from the Father this weekend! Also for my sweet man as he's home with the children! Bless his sweet little heart!! DADDY TIME!

Love to all. Be back soon!

Chris Tomlin Indescribable

So glad to be back...

Ya'll. I'm so glad to have my computer back. The funny thing is, a few weeks ago when it first went into the ICU (haha) I thought I would go crazy not being able to check my email and to pop on my Siesta's blogs to see how God was working in their lives. But do you know what I missed the most? Having access to my sites with Biblical translations. After I do my quiet time with my "old faithful girl" Bible, I LOVE popping on and reading different translations and the Lord usually speaks to me in a TOTALLY different way. I pray that all of you do the same thing. I know it seems strange having "quiet time" in front of a computer and it can be tempting to pop around, but when you seek Him first then He adds all these things!!!

The last couple of weeks there have been so many changes at my church! We've been doing the "Legacy" campaign (for lack of a better word) and I can see changes happening in so many of my friends. My Sunday School class has changed how we "do things" and are spending a lot more time in prayer. We even started meeting 2 nights a week to pray together as a class. Then the music ministry has started meeting once a month to pray over the choir suite (where we practice) and the loft and platform in the sanctuary. Our "house" is truly becoming a "house of prayer"! I DO NOT say this boastfully but only in totally humility because I think of the missed opportunities we've had as a congregation and individually and there is NO PRIDE in what we're doing! We are on our faces begging for forgiveness for doing it any other way!!

Also, God has led me into Gethsemane. I heard Beth Moore teach about Jesus going into this place that means "oil press" and how He HAD to go there alone. He wanted His "brothers" nearby praying (even though they decided to take a quick snooze instead) but still it was a place He had to go Himself. No one else could do it for Him. No one else could do it with Him. That's where I've been lately. On my face being pressed down. God is faithful to lead me to that place only because He's got some beauty to make out of my ashes. He's got some gladness for my mourning. He's replaced by despair with some true, authentic praise!

My family has been thru so much. Some friends tell me I should write a book about some of the UNBELIEVABLE things we've gone thru. But what's greater than all the difficult circumstances we've faced is how often my Abba Father has reached down and carried me/us thru them all! If I were to write a book, that's what I'd call it! "He has carried me thru it all"! I can only tell you all that every day with my Jesus is sweeter than the day before! (that should be a song, hahahaha) It just blows my mind how much I love Him but even more so how much He loves me! He's so good ya'll! In fact, good doesn't even begin to describe Him! I'm glad to be back most of all so I can brag on my God! So I can proclaim love in the morning and His faithfulness at night!

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

Oh ya'll! Can I just tell you what a time I've had with the Lord since this machine has been down? I've missed all of you but boy oh boy did He call me away! We went to Gethsemane and did a little pressin'!! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! (Hurts, but I still love it!)

Anyway, I don't have long tonight because I gotta feed my young'uns and get ready for church but I promise I'll blog tomorrow and fill you all in! God is sooooo good ya'll! He's my everything! I just can't wait to tell you all about it!

WAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!

In the library....

Ya'll!! OH MY STARS!! We're going to be holding a memorial service for my computer this Thurs. at 10 am! haha Really, it's dead and we're gonna have to replace it. Not sure how that's gonna happen, but God will provide. Anyway, I'm at the library posting this today and praying that this will work.

God has been doing some pretty amazing things in me during this time and I just can't wait to share it all with you. He's brought many of you into my life for a reason and each time I think of you I whisper a prayer since I can't pop on your blog and "check in". I know that's the way He'd rather have it anyway! Thanks for caring enough to stop by and I'll be sure to keep you "posted" on my computer situation.

BTW Did ya'll see the Siesta Fiesta on Beth Moore's blog? SHE CRACKS ME UP! If you haven't seen it, go check it out!
Love to all!
Val