No video but this is my new favorite song!!!!

Fellow "Grover's" prepare to hear this at church ASAP!!! WOOOHOOOOOOO!

The difference.

What a difference a week makes!! You may remember last week I posted a pic of one little bloom - the first of the season and look at it now!! This was shortly after a storm so they were kinda droopy, but still!! GORGEOUS!!

So in the last week not only did my roses open up, but so did I! The Lord opened some areas in my heart that had been closed and hidden. Some areas where I thought that surely the way I was going would work out. But oh the difference His rain/reign can bring. Not only to the beautiful roses in my yard but to the heart of His child!

He rained on me - it got a little stormy even - there were flickers of power where I tried to resist Him but ultimately I surrendered to His gentle touch and opened up and allowed His warmth to work in me, flow thru me. Now I pray that I can share as much beauty and joy as my roses have given to me!!

Is there something you're keeping closed off to Him? Some area that is comfortable, safe, even fun but He is asking you to open up and let it go. Trust me sisters, it's worth it!!

Recap....(long)

I've been so busy the last couple of days and will be the rest of the week as we prepare for our Children's musical "Xtreme Praise" this Sunday night. Costumes, routines, songs, oh my! :-0

I must tell you how amazing my weekend with God was!! He spoke thru His vessel Priscilla Shirer at Going Beyond and can I just tell you that it was beyond anything I could've asked or imagined. I had been asking Him in the weeks/days before the event to refresh me, to revive me, to ignite me and to show up so clearly that I could smell Him! (yes, I know it's weird but I love to smell things - it's an illness really haha) I was volunteering for the event as an "Encourager" and when our ministry leader asked me to do that I was kinda surprised. See, I'm a social kinda gal and usually work the bookstore or greet and really enjoy it, but I was truly looking forward to this new role - though not exactly sure what it meant.

So, we get there and we're going over our "directions" for the various roles and they asked a few of us who were encouraging if we could cover concessions during our down time and I tell ya, I clearly felt the Lord say "NO" to that one. Now, I have to say that when I'm in a volunteer setting and there's a job that needs to be done and it looks like no one really wants it - I'm the one who jumps in - usually purely from guilt - not a giving spirit - believe me! So it was hard to sit there and not lift my hand for the job but I seriously felt the Lord heavy on me NOT to do it. THEN they took all those volunteers to a different area for directions and the rest of us stayed to pray and prepare our hearts for the evening. The leader from the LifeWay team, Melissa, tells us to open our Bible to 1 Corin 15:58. I did and as she read the Words I nearly jumped out of my seat!

See, we've been going thru some "drama" in our church and I have inadvertently been pulled into it - not in a BIG way - but big enough to distract me. Thru all that's been going on I have CLEARLY heard the Lord telling me 2 distinct things. "Be Still" and "Stand Firm". So, if you haven't opened your Word yet let me just tell you what 1 Corin. 15:58 says, "Therefore, my dear brothers (sisters), STAND FIRM. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (emp mine) I KNOW!! I nearly ran a lap right then and there! We hadn't even opened the doors and I was already gettin' a Word! LOVE IT!!

So then we get started with some INCREDIBLE praise and worship with Alex Williams and his praise team and then the special artist Vicki Yohe blew me away! Let me just say that girl can SANG!!!!!! (not sing, but SANG!!)

Ok, I have to pause for a second here to tell you that at this moment my baby girl is sitting in the living room singing "Nearer My God to Thee" and "Shall We Gather at the River" and I'm about to have a fit!! LAND SAKES! Jesus, you're so good to me!

Ok, I'm back. So Priscilla spoke from Exodus on how the Lord led His people out of Egypt - a place they were comfortable in, a place that held them captive, a place that felt like home to them even though it was NOT their Promised Land. Since this is turning into a novel I'll just share one thing the Lord spoke to me CLEARLY about. When the Israelites set out for the Promised Land they pretty much had a straight shot into it (well a bit east and a bit north but you get the point) but God had a different plan. He led them in the opposite direction from the Promised Land. The Lord reminded me this weekend that sometimes when I go thru things that aren't easy it's Him leading me thru them. He's not doing it to hurt me, He just knows that it's the BEST route for me at that time. That going the easy way WILL NOT benefit me. That as His child it's my role to simply follow.

There's so much more I could share and maybe I will - but right now my baby girl is wanting me to come sing with her - so I'm outta here!

Weekend Worship - Love me some Mandisa

Hope you have a great weekend!! I'm going to be gettin' a Word from the Lord thru Priscilla Shirer and Vicki Yohe this weekend!!

Hope you hear the "Voice of the Savior" as well!! Listen.....He's speaking!!

Tag

Ok, so I've been tagged a couple of times this week and I finally decided to sit down and do it so here we go.
Here's the rules.
) Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4) Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here's some random, weird stuff about me.

1) I have only broken one bone in my life - my left collarbone - while cartwheeling down the stairs in 6th grade. Yes I said cartwheeling DOWN the stairs!
2) I have moved 12 times in my life in only 3 states.
3) I have marched in a Disney parade - as myself not Goofy - not the REAL Goofy anyway!
4) I have over 20 1st cousins on my dad's side alone. 12 kids makes for LOTS of cousins!
5) I have eaten moose - the animal, not the dessert.
6) My sister went on a date with George Carlin - I know, sad, but true!
7) I have six toes on one foot - ok, not really, but I just wanted to see if anyone was actually reading these! hahaha

Ok. I think this tag game has gone on enough so I'm not gonna tag others. Sorry for breaking the rules - don't worry, God's still working on me! ;-)

Desperate

Trekking thru Luke today into chpt 5 and my oh my what a chpt. I've been there for a couple of days now because it's just such GOOD stuff!!! Jesus catches record numbers of fish for Peter, James and John, he heals a man with leprosy - not just heals him but actually TOUCHES him - then the story of the paralytic being lowered thru the roof - then Jesus eating with "sinners" and predicting a time of fasting to come. See? GOOD stuff!!

The thing that has really hit me thru this chapter is (well, one of them anyway) the desperation of the people. The Israelites were living in a time of bondage. They were waiting for their hero (Messiah) to come because they knew it had been prophesied for him to come. They were facing death, poverty, diseases, governmental unrest.....sound familiar? They were desperate. Then Jesus comes and begins teaching about loving your enemy, reaching out to those less fortunate, calling out their hypocrisy and they are not real happy about it all. Sure, it's hard for them to dispute the miracles. I mean, 4 men climb on a roof carrying a man on a mat and lower him thru the roof, all to get a chance to have the Master's touch...that's desperate.

Ok, I gotta pause and talk about this one for a sec. Get this picture in your mind. They were in a house made of stone with roofs made of a mixture of mud and straw laid out in "tiles". The place was packed with Pharisees and teachers of the law "from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem" according to verse 17. We know that in those days most people didn't travel alone, especially religious leaders, so we can assume there was a LOT of people there. The men have their friend, a paralytic, which means he is dead weight, lying on a mat carrying him to Jesus. They push thru the crowds to no avail. Can't you just see them standing outside scratching their heads going "Ok, how we gonna get in there y'all?" (yes I believe they spoke with a Southern accent! haha)

So like any typical red-blooded male would do - they devise a plan. 2 men climb up while the other 2 hoist up the friend. The other 2 climb up, then they drag him up across the roof. Then they tear a hole big enough to fit him thru - being sure they're getting close enough to Jesus - then lower him gently down to the Master. Ok, so you know I'm just imagining this - this is not Biblical exposition here - but stick with me. Now we know that Jesus knew what was happening. Jesus knew the man was coming. He knew the friends had carried him - from just how far we have no idea. He knew the man needed healing. So why not, just say "Time out guys, I'm needed out front" and spare them the work. I believe it was so that you and I could see not only the faith of these great friends, but the desperation.

I believe that not until we're in a place that we're willing to do whatever it takes to get a touch from God. A place where we know there's no other way. A place where we are willing to let it all go and take whatever risk we have to just to be near Him, will God work. I don't believe He does this to punish us, or to make us look weak, or to embarrass us. I believe He does this so that when our miracle comes, we'll have no other choice but to go out praising God. We'll have no other choice to but to look over our lives and say "We have seen remarkable things".

Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of these men and so many others in your Word that remind us of our desperate state. Thank you for showing us how much you long to bless us. Thank you for loving us and longing that not one of us should perish. Thank you for coming to the earth and fulfilling the Promise of Scriptures to bring sinners to repentance. Keep me desperate Lord. Remind me who I am in you. In your precious name I ask it. Amen.

So pretty....

Ok, so I have to share what FINALLY happened yesterday.....


Yes my rose bush FINALLY bloomed!! It's got several more blooms on it, but this was the 1st and I just had to share it.

There's a story behind this bush. (I have a story for EVERYTHING!) I had the BEST job ever a couple of years ago - teaching preschool music!! It was a BLAST! I taught all the classes and the day care kids too so it wasn't the same kids day in and day out and each week we did something new. It was truly a blessing in my life! (Loved me some Liney, SJ, Madeline, Becca and Hope!!! ;-) )

So one of my sweet little girls gave me this rose bush at the end of the year. Her momma came to me and said that her daughter hadn't really shown any interest in music despite her best efforts to expose her to different things as a toddler. Mostly she would cry every time music came on - I know! Can't even imagine!! Anyway, when she first came to my class she would sit quietly in the corner, or even shut herself in my bathroom to keep away from it all. Then came instrument day!!! Oh yeah!! Out of the bathroom she came running and she NEVER looked back!

So this rose bush will go with me wherever I go. If I move, I'll be digging it up and taking it with me!! Every year when I see those blooms I think of that sweet little girl and the difference the Lord made in her life thru this donkey and it makes me smile!! Hope it makes you smile too!!!