A Pig Chase and a Prayer

Don’t you just love a good pig chase? Bahahaha!

Hold.

The.

Phone. (I haven't a clue what that expression even means. Hold the phone…eh…moving on.)

Did I just write that? A good pig chase?! Oy, how my life is different than I ever pictured it. Not worse…just very different. Haha!

Growing up, the number of times I was ever at a farm or even near farm animals could’ve been counted by holding up my ten fingers. (Super interesting, random and funny fact of the day…my husband’s parents were the ones that gave me most of my interaction with farm animals when I was a child. Every year they would bring their horses to the AWANA fair so that all the kids could sit on their backs and be led around the parking lot.)

The fact that I live on a farm now has presented me with many challenges. (Like trying to bottle feed four calves with only ONE bottle. Patience my little cow friends. Your turn will come!)

Some of those challenges resulted in fear.  (Like when the bee keeper told us the queen had 'left' and the bees would not return. Do you see bees? Cause I saw and heard LOTS of bees in the side of my barn the two years after he said they had ‘left’.)

Some pain. (All six of us have been attacked by a rooster at least once!)

Some challenges...okay most of them bring some degree of frustration. Some spark a prayer session. But my favorites are when they result in laughter.

And pig chases…are all inclusive.

A couple of nights ago, my husband returned home from work and requested my assistance in the barn. Our pig was due to go to the butcher shop…and that meant only one thing. We were going on a pig chase! Have you ever seen a pig chase on a movie? I happen to have just watched “The Man in the Iron Mask” this past weekend. It includes a pig chase…complete with an adorable little piglet and a jewel prize for whomever was to catch it. Ours…was nothing like that. Much more manure was involved. Much louder squealing. Much huffing and puffing from chasing and pulling. And cold…it was so cold! Oh…and absolutely no prize jewel, just an angry pig.

I tried to be a competent helper. I really did! My job sounded so simple…just “pull this bucket over the pig’s head,” said my husband. He would “take care of the rest”. After several failed attempts he, surprisingly, calmly asked me to call his father. *Insert a sigh of relief here* I could tell that he was trying to not show his frustration through his heavy breaths from wrestling with a 400-lb pig.

I quickly left the barn to make the phone call that I thought should’ve been made in the first place. I left Aiden (age 7 1/2) alone with Eric and Daisy (the pig). Aiden’s job was to guard the only opening that the pig could’ve squeezed through to get to the open world. I was scared for him because although there was a ‘blockade’ in between the two of them, his only weapon of defense was a plastic bat. I offered him a pitch fork…but he opted for the bat. He did not appear to have fear at all. Do not, on the other hand, ask him to battle a rooster. He has great fear. Much screaming is involved…and maybe a throwing of both of his barn boots in an attempt to scare away the above pictured rooster. ;)

Anywhoooo, Eric’s dad arrived quickly and I watched as they chased the pig around our barn. After several more failed attempts to get Daisy into the trailer I decided to go for a new game plan. The very hilarious “coax her down the isle way with pieces of plywood then grab her tail and attempt to cover her head with a bucket so you can hoist her into the trailer” technique was so not working. I went with the ever powerful…Prayer. Why not?! God cares about everything right? I believe that…and so I quietly prayed for favor and ease.

The guys coaxed the pig down the length of the barn one more time and Daisy walked right into the trailer. SHE. WALKED. RIGHT. INTO. THE. TRAILER!!! That never happens! I laughed out loud. Eric’s dad looked right at me…pointed…and said with tears in his eyes and a quiver in his voice, “You prayed didn’t you?” *Huge grin here!* God didn’t have to ‘show up and show off’…but oh how glad we were that he did! It just gives us a little boost of confidence. If He cared enough to answer that silly request…how much more does he care about the health of my children. Or the restoration of my husband. He hears. He really listens! I have proof…and she will soon be in the freezer of my pastors. =)

Why is it that we don’t take the small things to God? Why do we suffer when we have access to the Almighty? We wait until things seem huge…and then we pray. We get frustrated with daily struggles without a thought as to what God could offer. It won’t always be an immediate answer, but maybe it is our attitude that he will change. Maybe it is our patience that will grow stronger. Maybe it is our outlook that will gain fresh perspective. ;)

I’m sure most of you have heard it said, “We serve a crock pot God in a microwave world”. I can say that I always, not-so-secretly, want to have microwave results. But I am sure that I would grow to be unappreciative of those immediate answers as well. *Eeesch…the truth hurts!* Those are the ones that help to strengthen our faith little bits at a time.

How about those crock pot answers though? You know, the ones that you pray for months or years maybe even decades. What enormous strides of faith are gained when we see God prove that he is forever faithful to our constant prayers? When we finally see that God had us through every prayer. He was working while we were sleeping. He was molding while we were busy living our day to day. He was preparing us for what was to come…while we were still concerned with what was.

Our God does not slumber. He does not forget us. He is always working on our behalf. Trusting in His timing is one of the most freeing steps we can take in our Christian walk. It frees us from doubt. From fear. From worry. From anger.

What reason have you for not trusting? Think hard. If you are able to come up with a reason…find scripture that will cover over that lie. Find a prayer partner who can help pray you through this hurdle. Because once you are on the other side…you will have JOY. Unexplainable joy! It won’t make sense…and you won’t care.

Whatever it is that we are to learn. Whether it is to pray without ceasing, or to talk to God about all things big or small, or to trust God’s time. Let’s just try to do this one thing first. Let’s put God back on His throne. Let’s not put Him in the same group as the people that surround us. There are people in our lives that just don’t care. They don’t want to be bothered to pray for our headaches and sniffles. Or for our stubbed toes. Or for our success to chase a pig into a trailer. But God is unlike ‘us’. He is flat out A-mazing! He is always waiting, anticipating the next time He will hear our voice.

I leave you with the beauty of our Maker. He orchestrated this sunset for me us to enjoy last night. (He knows I’m a lover of these colors!) I took several pictures over a span of about 15 minutes. And each one was different than the one before. Meaning that the sky was rapidly changing from sun set to night fall. I marvel at His handiwork. I was so excited to capture it so that I will not forget what He taught me last night.


Prayers are forever beautiful just like pictures. They are unique and beautiful. (All the more reason to write them as well as speak them!) God does not forget a single one…just as I do not forget each picture in which I have captured God’s Creation. Keep speaking to your King. Keep laying your requests before Him. Keep speaking of His faithfulness in His answers. Keep looking for people to pray for. Get excited to pray. Ask a table full of children who wants to pray for the meal and watch as they, without hesitation, fight over who gets to go first. WHY NOT learn from them?!

I had a powerful time of prayer in my hubby’s truck tonight. I had to run a quick errand and I decided to do some warring. God was in that truck with me. NO QUESTION! I could feel His presence. I could sense that my Spirit was talking directly to Him and hearing directly from Him. It was so so so fun! I laughed. I cried. I screamed a bit…just making sure the enemy knows that I do not watch my spiritual family or actual family suffer without getting involved. I put him in his place. Beneath!

Do you remember a few posts ago when I wrote about God breaking my heart for what broke His? (Click here if you want to gain understanding into your emotional reactions to what may seem to be a simple prayer request from a friend/stranger.) At the end of that post I asked for requests. I wanted to be used as a prayer warrior for you. Whoever you may be.

To my surprise I actually got a few responses. Yipee!! Each time a new person called or texted, I knew it was them that I had been praying for God to send to me. They would give me their circumstance…and I could not help but smile. When you see the hand of God orchestrating something powerful, you just have to get excited! I get to talk to God. I get to pray passionately for the healing and restoration of these women that God has sent to me. Haha…I am excited! I can’t wait to see how God uses these things in their testimony. I believe because I have no reason not to. The God that I talk to…He is the same one that rose from the dead. He is the same one that parted the sea. He can handle this! I have no doubt!

Keep them coming. Keep sending me your requests. I don’t have to know you to pray for you. I don’t have to know details to speak life into your circumstance. This thing you battle…it is no surprise to God. He knew it was coming. Let’s ask Him what He wants to do with it! Let’s trust Him…and let’s become over comers.

You want to pray for me? I would absolutely LOVE that!!! Pray for healing and restoration in this house. Completeness. Pray for softness. Pray for supernatural understanding and grace.



How about you? How can I pray for you? It is my delight. It is my honor. It is my privilege. It is my joy to pray. Make a girl’s day would ya? =)

Am I Genuine? If Not…HOW?!

Genuine. It is the word that God kept speaking to me at the end of 2012. So I am starting off 2013 in search. Searching for whatever it is that God has to say to me not only about being genuine…but also about knowing genuine. I want to know genuine when I see it.

Let’s start off with an example that includes pictures! If you are like me (and I am going to assume that you are)…you are totally and completely awesome! Oh wait…that isn’t were I was going with that. Tee hee! *wink wink* *slap on the back* *nudge nudge*  

Okay…if you are like me, you enjoy picture examples. (Like little kids books…they are able to keep the child’s interest because they have pictures.) I am not only trying to keep your interest in my sea of words…I am using them to help prove my point. (And…they allow me to show off my beautiful children. (All bias aside.)) I am also banking on them helping you to remember my point. Then you can, in your mind, recall my picture example…and I pray that the point I was making is soon to follow.

That is, after all, why I write. I want to inspire you to take what God is teaching you and live it in your day to day. I am aspiring to do the same. This is not a blog in which I am sitting on a throne of knowledge…bestowing my wisdom to my lowly servants. I am serving right there with you. I am sitting at the foot of my Father asking to be forever changed by His Words of life! I am the one beside you with a tear stained face. I mess up. I ask forgiveness. And I learn so that I know I am passing the test.

Let’s take a looksie at this picture I took of my nephew recently.
 

It was freezing cold and I asked my brother to bring his three sons to my house so I could do a real quick photo shoot. Well, just incase you don’t know or remember…we live in Northwestern Pennsylvania…so winter is in full swing. I had to shovel a path through some pretty deep snow to get to one of my favorite spots for black and white portraits. But the idea, the goal for my pictures, was to really capture my subjects. The real them. And the picture above, although handsome, just wasn’t cutting it for what I wanted.

Genuine. I wanted the genuine smile of my sweet and thoughtful nephew, Brady. I kept talking to him. Being silly and requesting for him to turn his head this way and that…look up, look down until…



I GOT IT! A real smile that truly captures this man…in waiting.
What is he to become? What type of ministry is God designing for him as he matures? What part of his testimony of God’s faithfulness is being written right now?

I don’t know the answers to this question…but I DO know that God has placed me here in his path. I am privileged enough to be one of his aunts. And I hold within me a powerful tool. I can come to his/our Heavenly Father on his behalf. I can pray for the man that he is to become. I can pray that the passions that God has placed within him will continue to be fed and encouraged by those around him. And I can pray for this leg of his testimony. The ‘test’ portion of it doesn’t promise to be easy. But Romans 8:28 has him covered. The grace of God. The strength of God. The will of God…they will see Brady through to be a more powerful man of God because of what he has been the victor over.
I am excited for God’s faithfulness to be shown to Brady. I am excited for his child-like faith to be strengthened. There is nothing like the untainted by disappointment faith of a child. Spend some time with children. Pray with them and you will see how we are to be. Expecting. Believing. Trusting without a doubt. Without worry. We serve a powerful God…and His strategy is unlike any other!

Let’s move on to my next picture example. My niece Brittany…


Everyone should know someone like her. She has the heart of a servant. She adores children. (Minus their germs.) And she is the definition of quirky. While I also loved this picture above…I wanted something not so traditional of my non-cookie-cutter-stylistic Brittany.



Voila! Adorable. Non-traditional. And a style all her own. I love it! I see much of my own little 6-year old daughter in Brittany…so it is fun to see how she might grow up to be/act. Like maybe she will wear a winter pom-pom topped hat in July because she didn’t ‘feel like doing her hair’. (And maybe she will willingly and proudly admit it! Haha!) I just love it! I think there should be more genuine people just like Brit. Honest, but still somewhat tactful, and willing to be unique and true to herself.

Now to get serious. I already see a couple of God-given passions in Brittany. I know that God can use them for His divine purpose and glory. So I await…as if on the sidelines. I pray…as though I am just an assistant to the regional manager coach. I have no idea what God has in store for her future…but I know that He is preparing her now. It is really awesome to play a part as a partner in prayer. I have that right as a sister in Christ. I have that privilege as her aunt. And I know that this generation growing up now, has the power and ability to do more miracles and wonders than I have ever known! I can’t wait to see it all unfold!


What does it mean to be genuine? All I know for now is that it means to be the same on Monday as you are on Sunday.

It means that we do as we say.

It means that we pray with the same passion no matter what the request nor who is requesting.

It means that we live as we say we do.

It means that we show love to all people.

It means that we speak words of life from our hearts. (If the words that automatically come out are not life-giving, encouraging, up-lifting words…then we look within ourselves to change. NO excuses!)

It means that we are always looking for ways to serve others without the expectation of reward.

It means that we are always growing and never content with how close we are to Christ.

It means that we search the Scriptures to find characteristics of God so that we can aspire be more like Him. (And also so the we are a good reflection of Him as His sons and daughters.)

It means that we teach what we actually do. (Not the ever-familiar, unspoken, hypocritical ‘do as I say…not as I do’.)

It means that we show compassion to all people.

It means that we practice mercy to the seemingly ‘undeserving’.

It means that we extend grace to our brothers and sisters. (Leaving no one out…lost or saved.)

It means that we show Christ through our actions and our conversations.

It means that we speak of Christ to the friends, family, strangers, the intimidating, the sweet, the
powerful, the common…all are worth your time for the gift of an eternity in Heaven. Your Sheperd would come back if it was only you who was lost. Imitate Him!

This year, let’s try to become a church that is genuine. Let’s look to our Maker and set our goals high. Let’s not settle for what has always been normal. Let’s not accept the slightest bit of darkness in our days. Let’s not lay in our own filth and wonder why we feel so dirty.

Be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Let His healing, saving rain wash you clean…and vow not to step in the path of filth again. WHY NOT?! Why can’t we become a church that lives like we are heirs to the throne? Genuine and real just like the smiles and prayers of these amazing nieces and nephews of mine…
  

Pray with faith like a child. They are!

Sunrises…I Pray Never Get Sick of Them!

I was running late. (Not a shocker for me.) I had my camera and computer beside me in the car. I looked up and…

I

could

not

help

it!

I had to stop. I knew the consequence. I knew I would be even more rushed. But…LOOK! Look at the view that God blessed me with this morning!

 

 

 

I screeched slid stopped my truck quickly on the very icy country road. I snapped the picture, only to realize that I was in the way of my neighbor trying to leave her driveway. (Sorry Rachael! If I made you late…just show your boss the glory of God…and it should shut them right up. Haha! I just couldn’t pass this up!!)

I dropped my two youngest sons off with my mother-in-law, and hopped back into the truck to take my kids to school. No sooner did we start off and the radio started our fave song. We worshipped to the Great I Am, as I looked over the rural countryside view of the sun rising. When the song finished, my kids prayed…then I prayed. As soon as I dropped them off at school God spoke to me.

“I saved the best for morning. When you wake up to meet with me…you get to see what I have created for you to enjoy. The sun rising each day is to remind you that I am in each day. I have new beautiful things for you to enjoy. Keep looking for Me. Keep noticing Me in your day. I have more to come. I have barely begun!”

I cried at His powerful message to me. What a beautiful thought. I meet with God in the morning and I am blessed. I see His beautiful creation and I am blessed. I write for Him and I am blessed. This all seems one-sided. I seem to be getting blessed when I am trying to be a blessing. A-ha! That is His design. Only a God who is fully Love can create a world in which that is real. We serve so we can reach out in our family or community, and God turns around and pours blessing and goodness onto us.

I don’t know how I would live without Him! As a believer, an heir to the throne, I am so blessed that I don’t EVER have to find that out. It only gets better each day. The more I know, the more I want to gain knowledge of how God works in my life. I want to get closer to Him so that He will fill in any emptiness. And shine light on all darkness. I want more so I can give more. I want to be taught so I can teach.

Wake up tomorrow. Wake up the next day. Sit and meet with the King of Kings. Then go out and enjoy the rising of the sun. His gift to YOU! Once it is up…the magic has passed. Don’t sleep through it! It will bring tears to your eyes because of it’s majesty! Once you have followed these instructions…inspire someone else to do the same. Let’s start a ripple across this nation. Wake UP! =)

My Beautiful Little Fuzzy Blob of Color

God brought this illustration to my mind recently. It was given to me years ago by a man named Ben, who at that time attended a Bible study in our home. =) I have used it so many times since I first heard it. If I gave Him a dollar for every time I repeated this example…he would not be rich…but I’d owe him a pretty good chunk of change. Haha. Anyway, God prompted me to share this with you…so it must be for someone out there! =)

Tell me…what is this a picture of? Can’t tell can you? This blurry, fuzzy color blob just doesn’t make sense, does it? This is actually a close up of just one teeny tiny part of a mural. I’m talkin’ a huge building-size mural in my hometown. Let’s pretend that this mural represents our lifetime. This is what we see through our own eyes.   It is as if we have our faces smashed against a building-sized mural. How can we make out what is our next step? How can we make a decision on whether this is good or not? Is this part of God’s plan…or is this a dangerous scheme of the enemy? This is what you see. Is this what you are basing your life decisions on? A fuzzy blob of color that doesn’t make sense. Are you just floating through life…hoping for the best?! There must be a better way!

This little chunk of the picture is the part that God allows you to see. Why? Why does He do that? Why just little pieces of the mural? Why can’t we see what the picture looks like too? Why doesn’t God just show us the ‘big picture’? Why can’t we see what is to come? It seems as though it would alleviate some frustrations on our part, right?

I know for me…it is because I would not have followed the same path. I would not have gone through some of the things that God gave me victory over if given the choice. And if I hadn’t, I would not be who I am now. I would not be where I am now.

I would not have experienced a miraculous healing from post-partum depression, because I would have avoided ever going through it if God had allowed me to see it coming. I would have missed out on the blessings of my four living children if I had known that I would have three others that would never make it to full term, and chosen not to go through that heartache. I would have chickened out on a lot of things that have been used for my good.

I know now that I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT REALLY IS BEST FOR ME! I do not know what it takes to stir up the calling that God has placed on my life. But I can trust Him 100%. I know that NOW. If I had not seen God work all of these things together for my good…I would not trust Him as I do now. I have absolutely no reason NOT to trust Him. He has been the only One who has never failed me. He has always been faithful!

You have heard it said that only God can see the ‘big picture’. This is the whole mural on the side of a building in Corry.    This is what our lives look like to God. A beautiful masterpiece. Each trial, just one stroke of our design. Each mountain. Each valley. Used to mold and shape us for His purpose. What powerful warriors come out of pain! What amazing ministries are birthed out of following God’s path no matter where it leads.

The way I see it, there are four different types of people.

1) Those who have their nose smashed against the mural and are desperately trying to figure it out before they move at all.

2) Those who have their nose smashed against the mural and have their eyes closed because they fear what they will see and might not like.

3)Those who have their backs to the mural and can’t figure out why they don’t know where to go next.

4)And then there are those who have their nose smashed against the mural and trust that God will reveal His way. They wait when He says wait. They move when He says move. They trust because they have every reason to…and absolutely no reason not to!

I want to be the one who trusts. I want to be the one who is willing to go wherever God instructs. I want to stand when He tells me to stand. I want to speak when He tells me to speak. I want to sing when He tells me to sing. And I want to write when He tells me to write. (Right now…I should be sleeping. It is almost 1:00 am and the alarm is set for 5:10 am.) But, here I am practicing what I am preaching. God told me to write this post tonight. As I am typing I don’t even have the pictures taken that you will have for the final draft of this post. But when God speaks…I write. I have learned that my fuzzy color blob is beautiful when I trust the eye that sees it all!

Relevant Reflections (Why Not?!?!)

Do you ever daydream about being a world changer for Christ? Why not?! This past Sunday’s sermon sets the theme for this year, 2013! I will say it again and again…Why NOT?!? God has placed within each of us specific skills. Specific abilities. Specific dreams. And all that He requires from us is the willingness to be used. He does the hard work…and the awesome thing is…we still end up being blessed. Think about it! God deserves all that we have, all that we are. He deserves our best, not just our final moments of the day seconds before our head hits the pillow. Or a rushed, monotonous prayer before a meal. He deserves the passionate side of us. He has created us to be passionate people. I can not think of anyone more worthy of my best!

 
Let’s start out by reading from the book of Ephesians. When my pastor said to turn to Ephesians because it was packed full of amazing verses…I smiled. Do you want to see my Ephesians? This is what my Bible looks like. ======>

I clearly LOVE the book of Ephesians! I have written all around the verses. In the margins. I write whatever the verses speak to me that day. And I try to always add the month and year beside what God speaks to me. It is awesome to see when I heard from God…and how far I’ve traveled since. =) Try it. It is liberating. I just realized today…I will probably never go to technology forms of Bible for my quiet time. I want to be able to underline and write next to the Word of God. After all…the same God that spoke the Bible…is speaking to ME! I want to remember my Father’s Words!!

Let’s look at the word of God and apply it to our challenge for this year 2013 that we are in. Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Think your dreams are too big? Doubt that they can ever really happen? Read those verses again. Immeasurably more than all we ask or IMAGINE! Those are not words for the doubting church. They are living and active! They still apply! Align yourself with God’s Word. Ask Him what His goals are for you this year. Then brace yourself. Be ready. Be willing to follow through with His answer. Your life will be so full of purpose and power that I promise you will not regret it!

I’m not trying to brag here…but do you  have a team of pastors in your church and IN your life that are committing themselves to ‘do everything in their power to make sure that you get closer to Christ’? I DO!!!!! If you don’t, it is for your benefit that you find one! You see…those are the words that were spoken by my pastor Bruce this past Sunday. They sounded loud and clear to my listening ear. To know that they really WANT their church body to know Christ more deeply and passionately…oh how wonderful news that is. And to know that they want to see new ministry, new life, new believers, new callings…called into existence. That is what it is about. Genuine love for the body of Christ…rare, but remarkable!

And how about this statement? “THE CHURCH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!” All caps makes it seem in writing like I am yelling those words right? That is what it is about. We go to church to commune. To be fed. To serve. To be built up and encouraged. To use our giftings. But then…we are called to go out. Out to the lost. Out into our community. Out to other countries. Out to whoever God places in your path. We become the hands and feet of Christ. We put into practice what we have been taught. We pray when God speaks to our hearts. We speak when God prompts our lips. We do what God instructs. What a world that would be to live in! Close your eyes and picture it. His design is perfect in every way! Get out of His way…and step into His way. Does that make sense?

My church’s challenge for 2013 is to make an effort, each week, to try to become 2% closer to Christ. Just 2% per week. That seems do-able right? And by Christmas, at the end of 2013…oh the world changers that will have been made. I am in. I am ready. I am really excited for the year 2013! I could not have said that a month ago. But God, oh He can do wonders, miracles when we just trust His ways.

I, in my house, in my life…I am making some life goals for myself. I am writing them to you…so that you can pray them into reality too. I want to change as much this year as I did last year…plus some! I want to be relevant and alive. I want those who meet me, to know Christ because He is just bursting out!

Exciting things have happened to me already. Really! This year has JUST begun. Here it is the 8th of January and let me show you two things that God has already blessed me with…


The first…I got published in my first devotional book!!!!! It is called Living the Gospel Life. (Click <== that link if you want to see how you can get copies of these in your home, your church!)                                                                          
Here is my first devotional page the January-March issue.  <=Ack! That’s my name! =)


This is my first writing job where I get paid to do what I LOVE! That can only be the planning and workings of my God. He placed this desire to write, within me. He molded it along the way. He tweaked it. And now I feel humbled, blessed and extremely excited to be able to write with a divine purpose. What is to come? My very own devotional! Full pages of what God speaks to me. In print. In stores. Because…why not? Why wouldn’t God do that with me? He placed the desire within me…and this year I am going all out! =)


The second…I won my first photography contest!
I am pretty confident that when I ripped open the magazine to see the contest results…that I squealed.


I had hoped, but not expected.

I know I posted this picture recently…but I will post it again. This was the winning photo in the ‘Editor’s Choice’ category for the 2012 Penn Lines Magazine contest. And just to keep me humble…my daughter’s favorite photo is the beautiful butterfly in the bottom left hand corner of the magazine. Bahahaha…I love her honesty! And I do admit ,without any hesitation, that it IS a beautifully captured butterfly!

And again…it is not much…but there is a cash prize. Isn’t God so good? He taught me to do some amazing things with my photography and writing this year. I am fully aware of who my Teacher is! I give Him the credit because without Him I have no purpose. He is the reason I create! He has created such wonderful things of beauty. Sunrises. My Children. Flowers. Animals. Churches. I can keep going… ;)

I have no idea how photography fits into His plan for 2013. I have some ideas for Him…but I will wait for His lead. I will trust that His eye is on target. When He is in it…it is just easy.

I am also praying for new songs to be poured out from God, into the hearts of people that surround me. New songs! As in songs never heard before. We serve a God who is a very creative Artist! He has does not run out of ideas. His song book is just bursting as it waits to enter into the earthly realm. Be open to Him. I know I am! I am praying for it. I am believing for it. I am waiting…with my mind wide open to His will in 2013! Join me! Why not?

I have always heard it said. Find out what you love to do…and figure out a way to get paid for it. WHY NOT!?!? I am actively searching to be used and utilized for a divine calling!


How about you blogger land? How can I pray for you? Seriously! Write me a comment. Email me. Message me on facebook. I want to hear how I can speak to the heart of Christ for YOU, my friend. What did God bring to your mind while reading this post? What can you do this year to become closer to Christ?

Will you memorize Words of Life? Will you write a new song to your King? Will you give your testimony of salvation, of healing, of provision, of God’s never-ending faithfulness to someone that God sends into your path? Ask God to speak to you. Ask Him to be specific. Write down what He tells you. Tell someone you trust…tell me if you’d like. I would love to know that I am not alone.

Be excited, because in 2013, the church is going to Rise Up and make a difference. Don’t sit back and think you aren’t/can’t be a part of it. You are not weak. If you think you are…you are believing a lie. The God who resides in your heart is all-powerful! Rise up to what He is calling forth in you. I am praying for you! Much love my sisters and brothers!

Relevant Reflections (Wake Up oh Sleeper)

Okay, so I’m just going to admit it…I failed to finish writing this post…two weeks ago. Oopsie!
The irony in it, is the message. These were the passion-filled words of my pastor that said Sunday morn…”What is happening while you are sleeping? What is going on in this world while your head is on the pillow?” I promise, I haven’t been sleeping 24/7 for two weeks…but I’ve allowed myself to be ‘too busy’ to sit and write. Same thing!

Today though, God added to what He taught me last week. So I will combine my reflection
to include both. =) Since I’m the author…I’m allowed!! Ha-ha! I’m a wee bit anxious about today’s post. Good anxious. That is how I know that the time is now. That God is revealing truth over the lies that someone has been believing today. You are about to experience truth followed by the freedom of grace. Read on!

The ‘pre-message’ at church a couple Sundays ago was my favorite part of the service. First Pastor Les had us listen to a song by Casting Crowns. I had never heard it before so my eyes were glued to the screen. What I could see through my tears…was amazing! God has blessed that group immensely to be able to touch the hearts of people everywhere. What is really powerful about this particular song is that it makes no difference if the listener is saved or unsaved. Either way the listener can not deny that it is truth that they speak. I will explain my theory after you listen to the song for yourself.

If you click on THIS LINK, it will take you to YouTube to listen to the song, ‘While You Were Sleeping’ by Casting Crowns. I promise you that it will be worth your time. It IS that good!!
Truth. Isn’t that song just stuffed full of truth?!? “We say save the trees but kill the children.” Wow!! That puts it into very simple, real words. Saved and unsaved alike can not deny that statement. Whether they believe in Pro-life or Pro-choice…the reality of what this world has become is still blaringly obvious. We put worth in and believe that trees are essential for our future. But life. Real, living human life…means little. Let’s apply this concept to the days of old. Stay with me, I have a point! Let’s go back to the day that Christ was being made in the image of man. Let’s think about Christ stepping down from His Throne of Glory…and becoming just like us. He made Himself vulnerable. He had to trust in the free will of man. And trust that man would choose the path of God…even if it wasn’t easy.

Let’s fast forward to this past Sunday. It was Christmas Eve Eve. Most of us probably attend church the Sunday before Christmas expecting to see lots of people and to hear the same story. The story really is a remarkable one. A flat out amazing story. But, do we just sit and listen like it is just that? A story?

It was REAL life. Can you fathom that? Can you fathom being Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25? Can you picture yourself being the man that just found out that the woman promised to be his wife, is pregnant? Just as you make plans to quietly divorce her…an angel appears to you in your dream. What now? You choose the path of God. You are scared…but the consequence of not choosing that path would have been an eternally fatal mistake, and not just for him. Joseph did not, could not fathom what responsibility he held in his choice.

And how about Mary. She knew the truth. She knew that she had never been with a man. How could she explain that a virgin was pregnant? Surely no ONE person would believe her. And the one that she had just been promised to…what would he think? He couldn’t possibly be with her when their marriage started off in what seemed to be betrayal. In Luke 1:26-38 we can read that the angel, Gabriel appeared to Mary. Okay…that is NOT an everyday occurrence. Just imagine finding yourself in that position. You are SURE that no one will believe you. And the consequences of being ‘with child’ out of wedlock back in those days were nothing like they are here in the United States in today’s culture.

Let’s put Mary into life today, 2012. The scenario is the same. The outcome…? I know that this is all just for thought…but what if pro-choice had been a choice for Mary? The reality of our life, our faith would be drastically different. If Mary had chosen to abort Jesus…just think of the eternal consequences. Our Savior. Our Healer. Our Provider. Our Comfort. Our Omni-Present. Our All-Knowing. Our Maker. Our Heavenly Father. He would have been thrown aside. Who would have known? Abortion is done in secret. In silence. Because the enemy knows that his deception must be kept far from the prayers of the righteous.

Abortion…oh how that word attaches itself to my heart and just breaks it. I saw that word beside my own name once before. "Spontanious Imcomplete Abortion". When I read that on the hospital computer as my diagnosis after my second miscarriage...my eyes instantly teared. I wanted desperately to make it go away. If it weren't 'tampering' 'with' 'medical' 'records' (insert finger quotes in your head) I would have tried to change it. It was not my choice to abort my baby...and for years I hated that my name was attached to that diagnosis. Now I trust and know that God has a plan. God has a purpose. And it will all make sense when that plan plays out to it's fullness.

Let’s try to see abortion through the eyes of Christ, the maker of all children. He forms each child. He has plans for that child. And in the quiet, dark deception of the enemy, through a ‘choice’…that child is stolen. Ripped from it’s nourishing mother’s womb and tossed aside. All because a choice has been presented. Who is the enemy taking out? Who’s ministry is being ripped away from them? What world changers are being aborted because the choice seems easier than the path of God?

Maybe you know someone who has chosen this road. Maybe you are that person. I am sitting here right now, broken for you. I can’t imagine the aftermath of such a choice. But as I have said before…Romans 8:28 is for all of us! God WILL use, even our most secret mistakes to build our faith.

I in NO way condone abortion…I just need to state that so there is no question. But, I do know that we serve a God who gives us new mercy EVERY morning. I need that mercy. You need that mercy. And even IF you chose death where their was life…God can use you in a powerful way. He can use your testimony to help someone else who thinks they have a right to choose. Don’t stay silent. Speak life and heal the hearts of millions! You owe it to the lost ministry of your child to speak on their behalf. Please contact me…and I will pray you to the Throne of Grace!!!! I was born for such a time as this my dear friend!!!! I would absolutely LOVE to be a part of unlocking your testimony!

Wake up, oh sleeper. The savior of the world was born while men slumbered. And now, babies all over the world are being stolen while we slumber. Who were they to be? Who is the enemy silently suffocating because he is afraid of who they might become? The choice of abortion is not limited to the unsaved. How much MORE would the enemy want a Christian to abort? World-changers can’t change anything if they are never given the chance. And in many cases I am sure that two lives are seemingly taken out. The baby and the parent(s). To live with such a skeleton would seem impossible. And when you think like that…you are exactly where the enemy expected you to be.

I am fired up today. God spoke this powerful message to me on the eve of Christmas Eve. Might not seem like a happy holiday message, but words of life are meant to make us think. Wake up won’t you? Allow God to speak to you right where you are. Listen to His voice. Choosing the path of God might not seem easy…but it will make sense. The price you pay for taking any other path…will not be worth it. The price has been paid remember?!?!

Whew…What a Night!

I’ve been stuck staying home from work so far this week. Not by choice…but because it has been a necessity. If wasn’t one child it was another. Seriously! One child has a sinus and throat infection accompanied by two days of constant fevers. Another was throwing up. And Wednesday night something hit me. UGH! I had plans. I went from excited…to very annoyed. I hate staying home from church when God is evidently moving! I just couldn’t muster up the energy to get off the couch though. My head was pounding and I just couldn’t. Keep. My. Eyes. Open.

Normally I’d be a bit bummed to have to stay home while my husband went on to church without me. (Is bummed a strong enough word? Border line angry maybe…) That night though, I was really, really excited that he was going! I knew that God had a purpose. I trusted it. I had a relaxing night of working from my bed. (No really…I was working. Not as in the ‘keeping track of my eyelids’ type of working…but for real work. Promise! Haha!) God used my children to bless me and it was so awesome to experience, that I had no regrets. =)

These were the highlights of my night. (They might not ‘appear’ to be highlights…but I can assure you, they encouraged me to change my outlook. What a blessing these young children of mine are to me!!)

If you don’t know me…keep in mind that my children are all young. They range in age from 7 to 2. My two youngest were my sickly ones last night. At one point right after my husband got home from work I laid down on my couch to doze. As soon as my daughter walked in and saw me resting…she got my favorite warm, fuzzy blanket and gently covered me up. I am not even sure if I thanked her…but oh how thankful I was. I snuggled in for a quick, much needed snooze.

Random acts of thoughtfulness and kindness…those are traits of my King. =)

 

 

Just a short while later, after my husband had left for the evening, I walked into the living room to see my oldest son holding a bucket for his little brother to throw up into. While my daughter was gagging and complaining…my son was right there soothing his little brother.

Random acts of service…another trait of the King.

 

 

After Titus had gotten sick several times, I told the kids that we needed to pray for him. Aiden’s response…”I’ve been praying for him mom. I’ve been asking God to heal him and take away his pain and discomfort.”

Oh the sweet, but ever powerful prayers of a child…conversations with their King.

 

 

Finally it was bedtime for all the kids…and their mother! ;) I had made it! 7:30pm! I put it the movie of that the kids had agreed on. (Aiden tried really really hard to get them to agree to a coon hunting video…but he did not succeed. Go fig. *shrugs shoulders*) They settled in to watch a series of bible stories. Before I crashed for the night I went to the basement to check on my laundry and fill up the wood stove. Pretty soon I heard a little sniffle from the basement steps. I turned to see Ariel standing at the bottom of the steps crying. What could’ve happened? If I’m being honest…I was a little annoyed because I assumed it was because of a fight.

I’m sure I sighed. And I’m sure I asked what happened with a ‘tone’. Haha! My children are good at shutting me up. They down-right shock me on many occasions. Last night was no exception.

To my surprise, she explained that her tears were because of the movie she was watching. They had been watching a bible cartoon about the last days of Jesus. She said, “Mom, I knew that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but I didn’t like watching it. I didn’t like seeing Him dead.”

Heart…melting… We went right up and sat down on my bed. I wasn’t going brush off this opportunity to speak life into my little 6 year old daughter’s heart. I had her attention and she had mine! This is how I responded. “I understand how seeing that must have been hard. It is difficult to see what Jesus had to go through for us. But remember…He didn’t stay dead. Right?!”

She nodded her head slowly.

I continued. “And do you know what? We get to have Jesus ALIVE in our hearts because he was willing to die for us. When you see Mom cleaning and you decide to come help without being asked…that is because Jesus is in your heart telling you to show kindness. When you see Mom crying and you hug me and tell me you love me…that is because Jesus is living in you and wants you to speak words of life. When you see that Mom is stressed and you tell me how beautiful I am…that is Jesus in you speaking words of encouragement through you. It is a never ending blessing that Jesus suffered like He did.” She accepted my answer and the tears stopped. We hugged and kissed and off to bed she went. It is moments like that. That is what I was created to do. To be a mother, encourager, teacher, and example to the four most precious people in my life. I want to help shape and mold God’s design in them. And all it takes is trust and time. I trust God’s plan and I trust His time.

 

Had I gone to church…I would’ve missed that conversation. God’s strategy is unlike mine. He makes sense of what seems to be a mess. I bow humbly at His feet and continue to trust His path. Every day he teaches me something new. Each day fresh, with a new sunrise to enjoy.

  This one was from a few weeks ago over a cemetery. God’s beauty is not limited to what we might think is beautiful. He can make anything beautiful!

As for my husband…God had a specific plan for him that night too. Had the kids and I been there it would not, could not have happened. I believe in God’s plan. I trust His hand. And I am so in love with how extravagantly He loves me and mine. If you you’ve forgotten what it is to be loved like that…listen to the words to this song about his Extravagant Love. Sing it out. You know I am! =)

Oh and if you get a chance you should check out another blogger that I have come upon recently. It seems as though God is teaching us similar things when it comes to our children. Her blog post title said it perfectly…and I had tears as I read it. “Show Them ME”. Click on those words to read how the move of God is specific and simple.