Jehovah-raah

The Lord My Shepherd

I find it no conincidence that I post about warnings and the enemy starts. Yesterday evening a very dear friend of mine was robbed outside the grocery store. She is fine physically, but her purse was stolen (Coach bag at that) with her wallet, checkbook, cellphone, everything inside. Then today there was a group of young boys that I didn't recognize walking down my street, going between houses, just looking suspicious. I call the police and they "disappear" and at last check were nowhere to be found.

So I got my Word out and started to just claim me some promises from my Jehovah-raah. Maybe they'll help you today too.

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress. I will never be shaken." Ps 62:1-2 Think about those words. God is my fortress. The Creator of the galaxies is around me, protecting me, guarding me. Then I will never be shaken. When my car is broken into, I will never be shaken. When my friend is robbed, I will never be shaken. When suspicious people are lurking, I will never be shaken.

Now it may seem easy to say those words but believing it down in my heart...well that's another story. Fortunately, the Lord reminded me of my time with Him at the beach when He gave me Mark 5:36. (Jesus said) "Don't be afraid; just believe." So today I choose to believe. I choose not to sit locked up in my house in fear.

I choose to "say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" Heb 13:6

Thank you Jehovah-raah for taking care of this lost sheep today. Thank you for surrounding me with your Presence and for being my Fortress. I choose to believe Your Word and not to live in fear. Thank you for protecting me and my family. I love you Father. You are worthy to be praised!!!

FWD's......

We all hate to see that in the subject line in our email inbox don't we? It's so funny because most of the time...sorry to anyone who sends them to me...I don't even open them and read them. Sometimes I do, however, and occasionally they are funny or cute or whatever. But for the most part they go straight to the delete folder because I'm scared to death to give this dinosaur computer of mine any potentially lethal virus it can't recover from.

Lately though I've been getting these "warning" fwd's. Warning about political candidates and where they stand, warning about movies that are harmful to my kids, warning about exposing kids to household cleaning products, warnings. It can drive a person to lock your kids in the house and never go out again, if you've lost your mind anyway! haha Seriously though it's strange that these warning fwd's have hit me so much lately.

So, how does God meet my rising anxiety? With a message from Dr. Rummage yesterday that laid it wide open for me. "Developing Spiritual Discernment" was the title and I Thess. 5:19-22 was the Scripture. For time sake I'll just give you his points. To have spiritual discernment we must 1. FOLLOW God's Spirit. 2. LOVE God's word. 3. TEST ALL THINGS. 4. Embrace the TRUTH. 5 REJECT falsehood. (emphasis mine) This is how we're gonna experience maximum joy in this life. Do these things. Easy enough right? HARDLY!! Living a Christ-centered life is WORK people. There's no free ride, easy train, life. We gotta do the hard work. We gotta say NO to the movies we know aren't good for our kids. We gotta say NO to relationships that we feel are not in our/their best interest. We gotta be willing to be unpopular, to be unliked, to be DIFFERENT.

So while I appreciate the warnings I get it's not the first time I've heard of these things. I think we have a tendency to get so wrapped up in our own little bubbles of life that we lose our "Kingdom Vision". Jesus told us thousands of years ago "Watch out that no one deceives you (political candidates). You will hear of wars and rumors of wars (Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/North Korea), but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." Mth 24:5-6 with my inserts. Ya'll none of these warnings are new and yet I get these things from people who seem surprised. Look at the hope, even in the middle of all that stuff Jesus was talking about. Do you see it? "but the end is still to come" Ya'll, He's coming! If we're His, He's coming to get us! He's coming to rescue us! Praise His Name!

"'Yes I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Rev 22:20

My treat last night...

My man took me to the Celtic Woman concert last night. (thanks for the tickets Ty!) It was incredible!! You may not like their style but their passion for their music will draw anyone in. My man loves the percussion! (of course the girls are easy on the eye too! haha) Enjoy!

Good stuff...

Well, land sakes. God is good ya'll and He just cracks me up! After the day started like it did I have to tell you how it ended. I still am not feeling all that great, but with the illnesses I have, such is life. My thorn, if you will.

After my kids got home we went to go pick up my other kids (the Jeu De Vine's) to take them home. On Wednesday's I usually have to sit with them for 30 min or so til Grandma gets home so we're sitting on the couch yesterday and the middle child comes over and starts showing me this "cool book" her mom has. It's called "Prayer Portions". Now I don't know if any of you have ever seen or participated in this book, but every time I've ever done it, I get the BIGGEST zit on my face! No lie! The purging just causes this incredible mass on my face! =0) So as she's flipping thru the book she gets to this section on personal prayer and praying over personal sins and she takes her little finger down the list and says "Oh, self-pity, that's a tough one don't ya think Ms. Val?" Yeah. I know!!! I didn't know if I should smack her or hug her! hahaha So I had to spend a few minutes with the Father making sure my grief wasn't taking me to a place of self-pity. OUCH!

Ok. So then, my middle son gets home and he's struggling BIG TIME with his science homework so we miss church because I had to help him. He has a test this morning so we had to nail it down. (Lord, help it come to his mind today.) So I get everyone in bed and my man comes home from church and I'm telling him about my day and apologizing to him for blasting him, via email (the chicken route), for putting one of my favorite shirts in the dryer and shrinking it. Yeah. Special. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the girl from earlier also pointed out "Demanding your rights. That's a tough one too isn't it Ms. Val?" in the personal sins book. (See why I get a zit every time I pick up that book?) So, I had to fix that too. SPECIAL!

So as if that wasn't enough, I turn on Life Today for some Wednesday's with Beth. If you didn't see it, go to the Life Today site and watch it. LAND SAKES! So she's talking about Paul and Silas in prison from Acts 16:16-35. Yeah, you know where this is going don't you? She starts talking about how praise can alter our attitude on a daily/hourly basis even. She said the more we engage in praise and not speak about our misery the more we'll want to praise despite our feelings. Ok, I want to know which one of you called her and told her about me? haha She reminded us how powerful the mouth is and instead of staying in the cycle of feeling sad, lonely, depressed, opressed, whatever and then speaking about how bad we feel, making us feel even worse (sound like anyone you know? sure sounds familiar haha) we should just open our mouths and praise the Lord! Praise Him even when the first word isn't sincere! It will become sincere, heart-felt praise, because of who God is!

She talked about the season she's come thru - losing her dad and all - and how she was getting ready to speak but didn't "feel like it" so she put on her Kirk Franklin music - which I have to just stop right there for a minute. Get the visual with me. Here's this tiny, little, dare I say 40-50ish white woman (sorry Ms. Beth) gettin her praise on with Kirk Franklin! That just cracks me up!! Anyway, she was listening to "Revolution" - the song I put on my blog last night - and how when Kirk said "Do you want a revolution" she looked at her ipod and said "Yes I do - woo woo" I'm tellin ya I about fell off the chair. Even my man was rollin!!! I just had to share that with ya'll. It doesn't at all pertain to me, but it's still so stinkin' funny!!!! LOVE IT!!

Ok, so this morning I choose praise. "I will rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word." Ps 119:147 "I will life up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Ps 121:1-2 "I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone." Ps 71:16 "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." Ps 69:30

I praise you Father! If you choose to never bless me again I will still praise your name! I love you Father! I thank you Father! You are Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, my Jehovah-shammah!! Thank you Lord for loving me, for caring for me and for reminding me that it's time to stop the misery cycle and praise!!

I CHOOSE TO REVOLT! WOO WOO!!

Land sakes after the day I've had did God Almighty send me a Word thru our sweet Siesta Beth tonight on Life Today or what?!

Forgive me Father for keeping myself in a cycle of misery this day when I should've been opening my mouth to praise you! I love you Father and you alone are worthy of my praise! I choose to praise you! I choose your peace in my heart and not the lies the enemy is feeding me!! I choose you!!! I love you Father!
WOO WOO!!!

Appropriate for how I feel today!

God I thank you that YOU know how I feel. I praise you even when I feel like staying in the bed! Thank you for running to me today. You are good! I love you Lord.

Tis the season...

Well here it comes. The season. While Christians have every reason for this to be our FAVORITE time of year - being thankful for our Saviour, our family, etc and then celebrating His birth - it's also the busiest time and for some of us, the saddest time of year. (no doubt the enemy planned it that way)

The enemy is starting early on me this year. November 12 was the day my daddy died and as I get closer and closer to that day the harder and harder the evil one works. My body is tired, it's achy, it's just yucky! I feel like just getting back in the bed and sleeping all day. My lupus is starting to act up a bit, my joints are more achy than normal and I had my thyroid check-up last week and it is TOTALLY out of whack which does nothing but exasperate all of these symptoms.

So as I approach the 5 year anniversary I'm leaning more and more on the Lord. I know my dad is happy. I know he's with Jesus, he's with his parents and my mom's parents and I know he's rocking my babies. You would think that after 5 years it would be easier but it's just not! Yeah, I don't think about it as much, but I still miss him so badly.

Ok, enough. Anyway, I just covet your prayers. I work so hard at putting on my happy face for my man and for my kids and for my friends but today just isn't one of those days. Today, I just wanna curl up in my Abba Daddy's lap and let Him love on me! I'm so thankful He cares enough to do just that! Thanks for praying for me ya'll and sorry this wasn't a very fun post.

Quick note...

Hey all. Just a quick note. Lucy (aka Tracy) is back to blogging land! Her demon possessed computer has been healed and she's back! Go check her out. I know she'll be glad you popped over.

www.allthingslucy.blogspot.com

Distractions, distractions, distractions...

Does the enemy get on ya'll's nerves as much as he does mine? Man oh man, he was not happy that I intended to get me some alone time with my Abba Daddy this weekend! He started working on me Thursday with the whole van break-in thing. (sad but I don't know if I told ya'll my van was broken in to - nothing stolen) But he was even working on me at church last night. Tireless I tell ya. He knows his time is short so he's gonna do his best to slow me down. But here's a newsflash Satan, YOU LOSE, I WIN THRU JESUS!!!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yesterday at church was just an AWESOME day! Great time in worship, great sermons and my sweet friend Lisa gave me a copy of Jim Cymbala's "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" so I spent the afternoon reading it. AWESOME BOOK! I was gonna post all the ways the enemy used people and circumstances to distract me this weekend, but I think I'll spend some time lifting up my Jesus instead!

Friday night my girl Leigh spoke and don't you know an older lady prayed to receive Jesus!!! Is that amazing or what? God is good! Saturday someone hurt my feelings REALLY bad but then several girlfriends sent notes of encouragement and love and I just felt the Father telling me it was ok and not at all about ME but what the other person was dealing with! If that's not a miracle of God I don't know what is!! Can I get an amen?! By Sunday afternoon that person had emailed to apologize and ask forgiveness. God is faithful! Then last night at church Dr. Rummage brought the fire as he started a series on worship. Oh my lands! There were a lot of choir and orchestra members all around us and we were all shouting amens and clapping - just gettin downright Bapticostal! LOVE IT!! (You missed it Melissa! haha) God is moving!

Then this morning my "God Calling" was titled Home-Building. Here's a couple of lines. "You are building an unshakable faith. Be furnishing the quiet places of your soul now. Fill them with all that is harmonious and good, beautiful and enduring." Is that the best? After a weekend of a roller-coaster emotional ride - one that was intended to be a quiet time I'm encouraged to keep furnishing those quiet times! Don't you just love God? He's so loving and gentle and kind to us. He is faithful!

God alone is worthy of worship! What else is there to say...

Be still...

Ya'll. The Lord is good. Sometimes it's so loud in my life. It's so loud in my head! (all those voices =)) My plans are to really take some time this weekend and be still. "Be still and know..." Not be still and question. Not be still and worry. Not be still and wonder. "Be still and know..."

My prayer is that you'll do the same. Even if you can't physically be still, take time to be still in your heart. In the hours when the little ones are tucked in tight and the man has begun his nightly "noise", in the hours in the morning before the stir begins, be still. He LOVES it when we take the time and He speaks...

Will you listen?...

Ps 4:8

A few weeks ago I went to the beach with my girlfriends and we had a BLAST! We stayed up til the wee hours of the morning talking about so many things but mostly about the Lover of our souls. It was great. You may remember that I wrote about fear and what a stronghold it had on me. I didn't realize how many areas of my life it had crept into but I really dealt with it quite a bit that weekend and released a lot of it to my Abba Daddy.

Well, the enemy was paying attention. It's 8:20am here and it's already been quite an eventful morning. As my man went to take the babies to school my van had been ransacked, his truck had been jimmied open and the bag he carries to church and another box were laying out in the yard. Someone had broken into our vehicles. As he quickly assessed things and went on to take the kids to school I was left to clean up. Nothing appeared to be missing because I'm usually good about not keeping anything valuable in my car - however there were 2 baby dolls left in the van and THANK GOD they were ok. That would've been MAJOR DRAMA! haha

As I went to pick up the broken box in the yard I realized it didn't come from Jimmy's truck because of the contents. My next door neighbor is a policeman and I looked at his car and the trunk was popped and the door was partially open - they had hit him too. They did manage to steal some of his equipment but no weapons - THANK GOD! Also, my other neighbor's home was broken into about 2 weeks ago.

This neighborhood used to be a really good one but things are changing despite the installation of street lights. I guess that's the way the world goes. No neighborhood is really exempt. My friends live in an upper scale neighborhood in the area and their home was broken into as well. "In this world you will have trouble".

While we were at the beach I talked about my fear of sleeping with all the lights off. I know. It's pitiful. My friend Lisa shared a verse with me then and I know the Lord planted it in me for this morning! Thank you Lisa for speaking this Word over me and thank you Father for being my shelter, my strong tower, my hiding place!

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Ps 4:8

Father God thank you for protecting our property and our lives. Lord I pray for the person who is so desperate to break in to cars in the middle of the night. Lord may they find You, their only safe haven. Lord, please continue to protect my family and our home. You alone, O Lord are my safety and I thank you for loving me enough to keep my family from harm. Your plans are to give us hope and a future so Lord I now thank you for completing those plans in us and I cling to the only hope I have. YOU! Thank you Father. I love you and I praise Your name! All these things I offer to you thru the name above every name, the name of your son Jesus. Amen.

Obedience

I've told ya'll 100 times that this is NOT my favorite word, however, as I've opened myself up to the Lord more and more, it's certainly becoming more common. (I started to say easier but that would be a lie! ;-0) I've learned that the power God wants to release in me won't come until I obey ALL His commands! Now, God knows that there's NO WAY I'm gonna obey them all on every turn, otherwise what would the Holy Spirit have to do, but He wants me trying my hardest. He's there cheering me on at decision time, then when I blow it He's there to pick me up, dust me off, chastise me if need be and send me off to try again. That's what an Abba Daddy does! Don't you just love that?

So as we walk this road of our lives, let's do our best. Obey when it's not fun. Obey when it's not easy. Obey when it doesn't make sense. Obey when you don't feel like it. Obey. Surrender. Release control. Easy? NO. Worth it? EVERY TIME!!

Now it's your turn. Leave me a comment about where it's the hardest in your life to obey. Money? Marriage? Safety of kids? Whatever. I'm anxious to "hear" what you have to say.
"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world." 1 John 5:3-4a

God Calling

If you don't have a copy of "God Calling" PLEASE go get one!!! It is incredible! It's the Word of God put together as a letter from God to you daily.

I usually have my copy with me as I start my morning, however, yesterday I had left it on my dresser as I carried my Bible and study books to our place. So, last night shortly before bed I saw it and realized I hadn't read it so I picked it up. Are you ready? "October 15 Feel Plenty Live in My Secret Place and there the feeling is one of full satisfaction. You are to feel plenty. The storehouses of God are full to overflowing, but you must see this in your mind. Be sure of this before you can realize it in material form. Think thoughts of plenty. See yourselves as Daughters of a King. I have told you this. Wish plenty for yourselves, and all you care for and long to help." YA'LL!!!!!! I about had me a holy fit right then and there!!! God was answering me as I was posting about contentment. How in the world people think the Bible is an old book of myths and that it isn't relative today...well it's just beyond me!

So, this morning I open it up and it's a lengthy one so I won't type the whole thing but here's a few lines. "October 16 The Imprisoned God As all reform is from within out, you will always find the outward has improved too. To do this is to release the imprisoned God - Power within you. That Power, once operative, will immediately perform miracles. Then indeed shall your mourning be turned into Joy." OH MY LAND SAKES! Is it just me or are ya'll about to shout too? Didn't God just speak to me about releasing His Power in me yesterday and then He confirms it again today?! OH MY LANDS!!!!!!! I know there are some that would call this "coincidence" but I'm telling you that God speaks to those who are ready to listen! When you call it chance, you're not ready to hear Him but when you call that the Voice of the Almighty - HOLD ON TIGHT!!!

Ya'll, He longs to speak. He has so much to say. I've been busy making myself clean and ready to listen - not an especially pleasant experience - but my, oh my is it worth it!!!! To think, that the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Noah, Jacob, David and so many other heroes of our faith wants to speak to ME! ME, of all people! Stubborn, selfish, hard-headed ME?! Yes, me, Daughter of the King! Me, the apple of my Father's eye! And you...the precious child He's longing to hold in His lap! He's waiting for us sisters, won't you come along...

Addendum to Contentment

I was in the prayer room at church this evening with some ladies from my Sunday school class and the Lord said I should clarify something. I AM content with my circumstances. I AM content with the resources available to me. What I am NOT - and hope to never be content in is my relationship with the Lord. My worship of the Lord. My hunger for the Lord. That was the contentment I was referring to. Hope all of this makes sense to ya'll. Thanks.

Contentment

You know, lately it seems that I've heard more and more people using the word content. Things like "I'm learning to be content with my home." "I'm learning to be content in my marriage." "I'm learning to be content in our church." "I'm trying to teach my kids to be content with what they have." Content.

I looked up content in the old Webster's 10th and listen to this. "To appease the desires of, to limit oneself in requirements, desires or actions, to hold in, contain" I'm not so sure I like that definition. Then I look to the Word for content(ment) and up comes the familiar Phil 4:12-13 verses. "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (NIV) Now, I love these verses and have used them and shared them with others during difficult times in my life. I think, sometimes we even use verses to the point that they become cliche' - if that's even possible!

This ending of the letter to the Philippians from Paul was written about him receiving gifts from the church for preaching. He was telling them that he didn't need anything - though it was their duty to care for him - because he had learned to be content in every situation. I think we sometimes aspire for contentment and end up missing a blessing. Now, I DON'T think that means we need to get ourselves so wrapped up in wanting more that it becomes sin, but I do think God wants more for us and wants to give us more and we end up missing it because we're so busy being "content".

Look again at verse 13. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Let's think about that. I can do everything. Does this really mean everything? I think it does. The verse says "I can DO everything" not "HAVE everything". I think as Americans we get our "doing" and our "having" a bit mixed up at times. I think about other countries where people line up outside of churches waiting for one service to end so they can get into the next one, or where they meet in the shade of trees in a field as their "church", or sit in an empty building with a mud floor instead of an air conditioned, padded seat "sanctuary". Don't get me wrong, we don't have to go to that extreme to have a real church. We are blessed and I'm thankful to live here but I think it's time we tap into the power at our disposal!

Look at Eph 1:17 - 20. It speaks about the power that we have thru Christ. vs 19 - 20 "and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms." Do you get that? The very same power that it took for God to raise Jesus Christ out of that grave and seat Him on His throne is the same power in which "I can do everything"! Anything I need to do, NOT anything I need to HAVE, when I ask God to extend "his mighty strength" in me, HE WILL DO IT! I know you're gonna say "As long as it's His will." You're right about that, however, when you're asking for that kind of power from the place of contentment in HIM, I believe He'll grant your request! In fact, I've seen Him do it in me!

I've asked to do things in the past and truly believed it was His will for me, but then He ended up showing me whose will I was truly seeking and it WASN'T His. OUCH! So when I think of contentment and it's "limiting desires, actions or requirements" I say phooey on contentment. I want more! I want more of the "power of His mighty strength in my life"! I want more of Him!! I want to serve Him more! I want to love Him more! I want more for my man! I want more for my kids! More of Him! More of my Abba Father! MORE!

2 quick things!

First I just wanted to tell ya'll about this AWESOME site you need to check out. www.5minutesformom.com Land sakes they're givin all kinds of free stuff away! LOVE FREE STUFF!!

Also, on a serious note, please pray for Ashley Adams tonight. If you don't know her story go to www.ashleyadamsjournal.blogspot.com. She's not doing well today. Thanks ya'll.
Love to ya.

Father God, I beg you to heal sweet little Ashley. However your will be done, Lord do it in this sweet little girl. Thank you for her life. Thank you for her family. Bless them with a supernatural presence tonight Lord. You are Jehovah Rapha, and we pray now that you will heal her. Thank you for loving us enough to offer us healing either here on earth or ultimate healing in Your presence thru the blood of your Son Jesus. Thank you Father and it's in Jesus name I ask and beg these things.
Amen...

Weekend Worship

Hope ya'll enjoy this! I know I do!

Til the storm passes by....

This old hymn is one of my momma's favorites. I can remember her barely getting the first few words out and she'd start ballin' so bad she couldn't even sing. I remember as a child thinking that I didn't understand why she was so upset because there were no storms in our life. (or so I thought) Then I remember as a teen being mortified because she'd start ballin' and I would worry that everyone would THINK there was a storm when there wasn't. (again, or so I thought) I now know that there were storms RAGING around my mom. Storms in her heart, storms in her marriage, storms in our church, but she did her job to protect ME from them and for that I am ETERNALLY grateful. I got to grow up - for a time at least - not knowing why in the world that storm song got my momma so upset.

I wonder now, if I have done the same for my kids. Jimmy and I have been thru so many storms. Losing babies, losing my dad, losing my brother-in-law, losing our home, losing jobs. So many things. Too often I'm afraid I haven't sheltered them as much as I should have. Thinking it was best to be honest, maybe it was TMI for their little minds. God forgive me for that.

Another storm is brewing for us. One that will surely break their little hearts. We're going to have to move AGAIN. You see, we've finally moved into a neighborhood with lots of kids and they have friends over every day and there's someone for EACH of my little ones but now we have to move. The couple that owns the house we're renting has decided to sell and we can't, and don't want to buy it so here we are. So, once again, I get to break the bad news and watch the hurt on their sweet little faces. So guys, PLEASE pray for us. Pray that God will place us around other kids when we move and pray that I'll have the words that will make this as easy as possible. It KILLS me to have to do this to them again, but I know that God is in control and has a plan. Convincing my little ones is gonna be the tricky part.

Needless to say, I haven't told them yet, so if you're reading this and will come in contact with my kids I BEG YOU NOT to say anything to them. Just pray!! Thanks!

"In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.

When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by."

“Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) is to make more disciples. In the spirit of this award, the rules are simple. Winners of this award must pick five other “Disciples” to pass it on to. As you pass it on, I just ask that you mention and provide links for (1) this post as the originator of the award (Dan King of management by God), (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name and sites of the five that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ…”

Thanks Leigh! My first award! YAHOOOOO! Pretty cool.
Now my job is to nominate 5 others so here we go:
1. www.sharibraendel.blogspot.com
2. www.lisawhittle.blogspot.com
3. www.concordmomofone.blogspot.com
4. www.raisingfive.blogspot.com
5. www.mandythompson.wordpress.com

These are some blogs I check up on regularly. Love to all and keep spreadin' the Word!

"Be forever near me, Breath of Heaven"

Well the conference was just AMAZING!! I'm not sure why all the other women were there because God clearly had a fresh "Breath" just for me! (isn't it funny how that happens for each of us - love that about Him!) God moved in me this weekend in such a way that I laughed, I cried and I even had the "nerve" to put on a t-shirt that was a size too small, a skirt that was WAAAAYYYY too short and my boots and participate in a mock fashion show of "What not to wear" for the speaker I was shadowing! Now, realize that in the past this would not have been a stretch for my personality. I'm kind of a dingbat, if you know what I mean. However, I had allowed the enemy to use his demon of fear and judgement to encamp around me in the wee hours of the morning Sat. morning and I got up and wasn't going to do it. BUT GOD, reminded me that I had committed to it, and that there are women who have just never been TOLD that how they dress doesn't glorify Christ. That sometimes God uses an "over the top" example to make us go "Wow, I never realized....(fill in the blank)". So I got up, hiked up my skirt, zipped up those boots, squeezed that shirt over the girls (shirt that said "Modest is Hottest" by the way - heehee) and I strutted my stuff in front of all those women! TOOOO FUNNY!! They got the point, I believe!! ;-)

So the Father gave me one fresh Word after another all weekend. Jennifer Rothschild could've just spoken my name her Word from God was so applicable to me, Elizabeth Luter - oh my lands - gave me a Word that I am claiming and I'll tell ya'll about that on another post (not quite ready to share that one yet) and Lysa Terkeurst, well every time I've ever heard her speak the Lord has used her message in my life and He did not disappoint again!

Isn't that just like God, ya'll? He's PERSONAL! He's in every one of our lives! It might seem like He's only relevant to a select few - Super Spiritual Beth Moore types, but that is a lie from the enemy!! He cares about all of us. He cares if I'm home cleaning the toilets. He cares if I'm changing a flithy diaper for the 10th time that morning. He cares if I'm going to volunteer at school. He cares if I'm cooking - AGAIN! He cares if I'm going to a job where I'm not appreciated. He cares ya'll. He's there for us. He's near. He wants to help us. He wants us to ask for His help. It's all about relationship.

"Breath of Heaven hold me together, be forever near me, Breath of Heaven.
Breath of Heaven light of my darkness, pour over me your Holiness, Breath of Heaven."

Worthy Is The Lamb

I told ya'll I've had a crazy week, but as I get ready for Breath of Heaven, this song says it all! I love you Lord and I thank you for everything I have, everything you've done, everything Father. You are worth!! I praise you!!!

14 years ago today!!!

Today is the anniversary of the second best day of my life! Second only to the day that I asked Jesus into my heart (May 12, 1980). This is the day that the most handsome, the funniest, the most caring, the most sensitive, the most compassionate, the most loyal, the most passionate man I have ever known took me for his bride!!

14 years ago today I (in true drama queen style) put on the biggest gown I'd ever seen, poofed my hair as high as 1993 would allow, opened my heart and gave myself like I never thought I would to Jimmy! He has lovingly handled it with great care to the best of his ability for 14 years! He has treated me like a queen! He has loved me, DESPITE me! He has given me his entire heart, leaving no corner of it closed off to me. That had NEVER happened to me before.

I thank God every single day for bringing this man into my life. His plan for us hasn't always been an easy road to take but we have taken it TOGETHER! Never straying or getting distracted by anything else!

I love you Jimmy, more today then I ever dreamed possible. I thank you for being my husband, which I know isn't easy and I know the Father is gonna give you a special crown in heaven for it!!!! ;-) You know that I went into this marriage expecting it to fail. Expecting you to be unfaithful. Expecting to leave. That was because at that time in my life, I didn't have my expectations in Christ and I'm so sorry for that! I'm so grateful to you for NEVER giving up on me and now, I know that God intends for this marriage to end when one - or both - of us is in His presence and not a day before! I will love you til that day comes! I'm Forever Yours!
I love you baby!

Pray for Tracy/Lucy

Hey ya'll. Some of you may know Tracy over at All Things Lucy and that she hasn't been blogging for a while. Her computer is completely, totally dead. No signs of life, whatsoever.

I wanted, however, to ask ya'll to pray for her. Her husband co-owned a restaurant and they closed it last week leaving their entire family without jobs. Tracy has just gone back to school and they have 2 teens. You would think that she'd be losing her mind, BUT GOD (don't ya love those words) has granted her His peace and assurance that He has a plan, and that He is in control. So, we need to pray that God will thwart whatever plans the enemy has to attack her family during this time and continue to surround her with His peace.

Thanks ya'll.
I love ya Tracy!

Whirlwind

Well my weekend was a complete whirlwind and it's not going to get much betther this week. My prayer is that the Lord will keep me focused on the things I need to take care of but keep my eyes open to His "Stops" for me along the way.

I went to WV this past weekend to visit my sister. She's still so depressed. Sept. is a HORRIBLE month for her. The month her husband died, the month of their anniversary and his birthday. Tough stuff. Ya'll say a prayer for her. The enemy has encamped his demons of depression, guilt and grief around her and she's just drowning. Her only Lifeline is the Lord but right now she's having a hard time focusing on the line He's casting her. Pray ya'll!

Then this weekend is our Breath of Heaven conference at church. I'm just so excited! I did Jennifer Rothschild's "Fingerprints of God" study and it was great. Really got me to thinking about looking for the Prints of the Potter on my life. Anyway, if ya'll would like to come, I'd LOVE to meet you there. Ya'll can all stay at my house and we'll just have a great big pajama party!! (won't my man die for me making that invitation! hahaha) Go to www.bohconference.com for details ya'll!

God has been good to me this weekend. He's kept me calm and peaceful - even while dealing with my mom - He's given me strength and safety and supplied my needs. He's just so good. I just love Him. That's all that matters. Not much else to say, I just love my Abba Daddy!