HERE IT IS - THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!! - GIVEAWAY

Ok, first of all let me thank each of you for praying for our Bible study! It went GREAT!! The ladies were relaxed and engaged and had a great time with one another. We also had a fresh Word from God even though we were going over some very familiar passages. Don't you love when God does that? So thank you, thank you, thank you for praying and thank you Abba Daddy for showing up and stirring hearts! YEAH GOD!!!

Now to the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!! (I love typing in caps if you can't tell! haha) I know you've heard me mention my "God Calling" a time or FIFTY (see there I go again) and now you can have one for your very own!! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and I will draw a random name at 9am Monday morning!! If you already have one, enter anyway so you can give it to someone you love. So here we go......

OH LAND SAKES!

Ya'll I know this may seem a bit selfish - especially today - but I NEED this vacuum! Do you hear me people? I NEED it!! ORECK'S ROCK! Go to this site but don't enter because I wanna win!! hahahaha Just kiddin'! You could win an Oreck XL Ultra!! Can you imagine?!

Good luck and don't forget to check back here for a big GIVEAWAY annoucement!! WOOOO!

Today's the day...

Today's the day! The sun is shining. The tank is clean!! (My favorite line from Finding Nemo!)

Isn't it funny though that this line is speaking thruth? Today IS the day. The sun IS shining here in Charlotte - beautifully I might add. And this tank IS clean! haha I'm prayed up, cleaned up, emptied out and ready to be filled!!! Not filled with water and fish, but filled with the Living Water of the Holy Spirit! Ya'll, I still can't believe this is happening. I mean, I can stand in front of just about anyone, anytime and sing or tell a joke, but speak a Word?! AHHHH! Lord help me!!

Ya'll come back tomorrow for a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! I'm gonna have a give-away and I KNOW you love some free stuff!!! I hope it's something you don't already have, but even if you do, you can always share it with someone else!! (Oh now that's a tease isn't it?! haha)

Ok, so God has been reassuring me ALL WEEK that I don't need to try this study-thang on my own power. I need to make an effort to prepare - otherwise we may just be telling jokes all night (which would be ok with me! haha) - but all I need to do is come to the table! It's not about what I BRING to the table, it's just about having the courage to walk up to it, pull out the chair and sit down! I just about can't hardly wait. I'm headed to the prayer room shortly and to do some last minute things to get ready, but ya'll JUST PRAY!!!!!

Let me share the first couple of lines from my love letter this morning - aka "God Calling". "Trust and be not afraid. Life is full of wonder. Open child-trusting eyes to all I am doing for you. Fear not. Only a few steps more and then My Power shall be seen and known." I KNOW!!!!!! I just about can't wait to see His Power shown!!! WWWWAAAHHHOOOOOO!!
Can you tell I'm a bit excited?! hahaha Love to all and PRAY PEOPLE, PRAY!!!!!

QUICK UPDATE

Hey ya'll. Just wanted to pop on real quick to let you know that I just got a call from my sister in WV and it looks like my mom is going home from the rehab center Saturday!! (not at all like the Britney rehab! haha) The Dr. that runs the facility and her team of therapists said that her recovery is nothing short of miraculous!! When she was admitted on Sat. Jan 26th they told us they would do her treatments and would reevaluate in 4 - 6 weeks and take it from there. But God (WOOHOO) had such bigger plans!! Yes that's right, she's going home after 2 - count them - 2 weeks!!! GOD IS GOOD!!! You guys rock and let me just tell you that the Father heard and answered your prayers so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

SING IT WITH ME NOW -
God is good, all the time, He put a song of praise in this heart of mine. God is good, all the time and thru the darkest night, His light still shines. God is good, God is good, all the time!
When you're walkin.... OK I'll stop!!

I love you all so much!!

Show some love...

Oh my word - IT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW!!! AHHHHHHH!

Ok, I'm better! Ya'll know that Prov 3: 3-4 are my verses for this year - or maybe you didn't know that - but anyway the Lord has laid LOVE on my heart this year. Funny how my first big test of that love came with my momma!! Just a touch of history, but my mom and I have had a VERY rocky relationship all of my life. Enough said. Anyway, this year I'm trying to love not just Jimmy and my kids more, not just my brother and sisters and their families more, not just my "circle" of friends more but to really show God's love to every person I come into contact with! Even the person who takes my parking place - right Leigh?! hahaha

Today my "God Calling" was powerful, people, POWERFUL! (I'm gonna make an announcement on Friday so stay tuned....) It was speaking of dwelling in the Presence of God and, well, it'll be best if I just share it. "Think of the multitudes, who thronged Me, when I was on earth, all eager for something. Eager to be healed, or taught, or fed. Think as I supplied their many wants, and granted their manifold requests, what it meant to Me, to find amid the crowd, some one or two, who followed Me just to be near Me, just to dwell in My Presence. How some longing of the Eternal Heart was satisfied thereby." Do you get that? Notice that the "Eternal Heart" has caps. That means the Heart that was satisfied - meaning there's a longing there TO BE satisified - was God's. His Heart was satisfied - need to be satisfied - with the one or two who just wanted to be near Him for who He is!

I don't know if that hits you like it did me but I certainly never thought God NEEDED anything! Truth is - as we think of needing "things" He's got that one covered. What His heart's need - His heart desires is for us to be the one or two. For us to long to dwell in His Presence not just for something, healing, teaching, feeding but just to be there! WHOA! Do you get that? The Creator of the Universe - the Most High - the Alpha and Omega - God Almighty wants, needs, desires to have YOU in His Presence! Just to be near Him!

Listen to how today's devotion ends. "Comfort Me, awhile, by letting Me know that you would seek Me just to dwell in My Presence, to be near Me, not even for teaching, not for material gain, not even for a message - but for Me. The longing of the human heart to be loved for itself is a something caught from the Great Divine Heart. I bless you. Bow your heads." Ya'll that's really what God wants me to do. Love HIM more! Love Him for HIM!! Sure, I have the honor of taking my needs, my fears, my hopes and dreams to Him, but how often do I just be near Him?! It's time girls! Take some time today to just crawl up in our Abba Daddy's lap and be near Him. Feel His breath. Smell His sweet aroma. Comfort His heart. BE THE ONE OR TWO!!!

Addendum - I know I talk alot about this book and it is derived from Scripture but please know that it will NEVER take the place of Scripture in my life or in yours! It's a refreshing aspect into God communicating with us, but please don't make it your Bible! It certainly isn't mine!!!

The final countdown!!

Do you remember that song? I really don't except for that one line! haha That's where we are today! 4 days til the Bible study begins!! WOOHOOO!! AAAAAHHHH!!

So like I said the enemy is busy, busy, busy! Last night a friend whose intentions were TOTALLY pure reminded me of a sometimes ugly side to leadership. The side where people expect you to do Jesus' job. People with some misplaced focus suddenly think that because you're "leading" things that you have all the answers. I hadn't really spent much time asking the Father to guide me with this because of all the other insecurities I've been giving Him! haha Anyway, while I was glad she brought it to my attention, it did give the enemy a little crack in my armor to slip thru and I had a VERY restless night last night. Thankfully, Abba Daddy sent me a sweet little love letter this morning! He's so good that way!

Please know that my "God Calling" is not my substitute for being in the Word, however, after having this book for over a year and seeing how the authors used the Word in it, I do read it EVERY morning!! So, what's the title for today? "Drop Your Crutch"! Here's a few lines. "Just go step by step. My will shall be revealed as you go. You will never cease to be thankful for this time when you felt at peace and trustful, and yet had no human security. When human support or material help of any kind is removed, then My power can become operative. Never limit my power. It is limitless." I KNOW!!! I about flipped!!! Is that funny or what?! He's so good to me ya'll!

My sweet friend Melissa blogged about the churchwide study we're doing on Joshua and I've been so mixed up lately with all this stuff with my mom that I don't know if we were supposed to do it last week, or the one to come, but I did mine last week. Then in our new music ministry Sunday school class we talked about it, THEN my little "Completely Loved" devotional book talked about Joshua again this morning. (Think maybe God's trying to tell me something?!) We're all familiar with Joshua's story but the thing that has spoken fresh to me this time around is how Joshua got the plan for Jericho and DID IT! There was no pause mentioned - and if he did I believe God would've told us that - there was no committee formed - there was no "I'll pray about this and get back with you" - NO EXCUSES! He turned to the people and said "Ok ya'll here's the deal! You 7 priests grab the ark - you 7 trumpet players grab those ram horns and get ready to march!" Then the other thing that hit me was the Israelites actually DID IT!! The generation of whiner-schnitzels had all been knocked off in the wilderness and these new young'uns knew that if God said "Jump" they'd best be askin' "How high"!!

That is where God has been speaking to me. So much of my life was/is spent in disobedience. Even when by the world's eyes I was doing everything right - there was still disobedience. However, the Father, ever so gently, (well most of the time! haha) took me by the hand, led me to the altar of sacrifice and told me there were some things I needed to lay up there and kill! I'm so grateful He did! His patience with me is unbelievable! His gentleness takes my breath away! His kindness brings me peace! Ya'll He longs to set us free! Free to love! Free to live! Pray for me this week that I'll not allow the enemy to distract me! Pray for the ladies coming to the study - for their hearts to be made ready. Thanks ya'll!! Have a good one!!

Restoration

Ok, I have a little time this afternoon so I thought I'd pop on and tell you a bit of what the Lord has been doing in me. I've shared how faithful He's been during this time with my mom and how I've felt closer to Him than ever before, but you all know that does NOT make the enemy happy.

This Thur night is the kickoff to the Music Ministry's Ladies Bible study that I will be leading so needless to say, the evil one has been busy reminding me what I'm not. I'm not worthy, I'm not educated, I'm not adequate, I'm not....you get the idea. The Lord knew this battle in my mind was going to happen and He sent a sweet little Southern Bible Teacher (ya'll know who I mean) to give me the tools to FIGHT that battle. Every time he whispered a "you are" I stood and raised my hand and said "Thank you Jesus, I'm not that person anymore"! Every time he wshipered "you're not" I said "Thank you Jesus that I can do all things thru Your Power!" In the past I just sat there and let him play his little games with my mind and it kept me in so much bondage, you just wouldn't even believe it, but ya'll the freedom!! The freedom to know that in Christ I can!! The freedom to know that I'm changed! The freedom to know that I'm His!!!

I had said earlier that I felt this year would be a year of restoration and you just wouldn't even believe how many times the Lord has confirmed that to me. Scriptures read, prayers prayed, even radio dj's talking about it! Amazing! In fact, I'll share a good one with you. I went on the Apple Hill Prayer Retreat last weekend. (Came home from WV on Wed and left Thur morning - my husband ROCKS!!!) While we were there one of the leaders - Dona Goforth (amazing woman!) - prayed with me and she said "Thank you God for restoring us"! Now I had not spoken with her AT ALL about restoration and I know that some would just call that conincidence - but why would God give her those particular words? Because He just wanted to whisper a sweet little "I love you" in my ear!!! Don't ya'll just love when He does that?!

So, here I am facing another giant. A giant I've never faced before. One that has me shaking in my shoes!! But PRAISE GOD I've got the victory!! Ya'll, God has worked thru so many details, and so much "junk" to bring me to this that I KNOW He's got something BIG for me! I don't know if a single one of the 20 women who signed up for this will get one thing out of it, but I know that I'm going to! I already have! I just pray that the Lord will use this donkey to speak His truth! Pray for me, pray for the ladies who are coming. More than anything, start living in victory!! Start living in FREEDOM!!!