Doug and I attended our annual Valentine Banquet at church this past Saturday night and it was a real treat! The speaker was great, the food scrumptious and the games hilarious! The colors were chocolate brown and pretty pink and it was just beautiful! Each place setting had a dainty pink paper doily and candles, flowers, of course the plates, flatware, etc. It also had a very classy program and a piece of paper and pencil. This was the part that intrigued me.
I looked at that paper and thought maybe they were going to ask us to write down something sweet about our mate or something that we loved about Valentine's Day. It was for questions but different from what I had imagined. They asked what was our favorite thing to do in the whole world. What famous person would we like to meet. And then this question...."If you could ask God anything, what would it be?"......Wow...I guess because I am me, I thought about this one to deeply or took it to heart more seriously than some. That's just my personality. Someone said "Why did he invent mosquitos."....and other questions that were "lighter" in spirit than the thought that kept my minds attention. All I could think of was asking the question "Did I make you smile?" I fear the Lord, I know he is Holy and Omnipotent and Omnipresent, but he is also my Father....my Dad and more than anything I want to make him smile. I want him to be proud of me. My earthly dad never spoke those words to me. He spoke to others about me and they told me at his funeral how "proud" of me he was but he never told me. Over the years those words I heard at the funeral home from others has really helped me to know within myself that Daddy was indeed proud of me and that he loved me. My earthly dad did so much for me. He provided a good home, a good work ethic, a nest egg for my future with Doug that helped us get our first home and I appreciate it all so much! But my heavenly Father gave me LIFE! He forgave me, He took the payment for MY sin.....He loves me unconditionally and He will NEVER leave me. He is always there to listen and always there to lead. He has prepared a home for me to live with Him for all eternity. With all that He has done I can't hardly stand the thought that at times in my life I know I've brought him shame, but I have. At times, I've not talked with him and had fellowship with him...but there have been those times. So now in my life I am to the point that the only question that will really matter is "Lord, did I make you smile?" I pray I live a life that would enable Him to say "Yes child."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Lessons I learned in the Dark
We have started a new series in Sunday School and it is by Jennifer Rothschild. She became blind at 15 years of age and has several books out, but the one we are studying is called "Walking by Faith...Lessons I learned in the Dark" It has been soooo good!!! I encourage all of you to get it that have not read it. I have heard her speak at the Women of Faith conferences and she is a wonderful speaker and sings like an angel!
Here are some of the quotes she has given:
"Many of us STAND in faith but how many of us actually WALK by it?"
"It can be well with your soul even when it is not well with your circumstances"
"Being governed by your circumstances is walking by sight"
"When we allow ourselves to be dominated by fear, there is no room for faith"
There are so many more but those are enough to "chew" on for a while if you know what I mean. The truth and insight are great in each statement. As you read them ask yourself how they apply to you.
Jennifer has lived through many trials that most of us will never experience and yet she has such a love and passion for Christ that it is contagious! I leave SS each week feeling rejuvenated!
Father God, help me walk by faith and rest securely in your grace, knowing it is sufficient! Amen.
Here are some of the quotes she has given:
"Many of us STAND in faith but how many of us actually WALK by it?"
"It can be well with your soul even when it is not well with your circumstances"
"Being governed by your circumstances is walking by sight"
"When we allow ourselves to be dominated by fear, there is no room for faith"
There are so many more but those are enough to "chew" on for a while if you know what I mean. The truth and insight are great in each statement. As you read them ask yourself how they apply to you.
Jennifer has lived through many trials that most of us will never experience and yet she has such a love and passion for Christ that it is contagious! I leave SS each week feeling rejuvenated!
Father God, help me walk by faith and rest securely in your grace, knowing it is sufficient! Amen.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Seeing it all anew....
Hey girls! I've been studying Luke 5 and I'm finding myself seeing this passage in a whole new light. I wonder what you think? I've always heard this story preached with Peter being this disobedient rebel that missed out because he didn't cast the "nets" but only the "net". I have also always believed that partial obedience is disobedience......I still do. If I tell my girls to clean their room and they do everything but make the bed...they still did not obey because making that bed is part of cleaning the room and they know that. But with that thought in mind let's look at the story of Peter, Jesus, and a fishing boat in Luke 5.
First of all let's think about what details we are provided. In verse 1 we know that Jesus had drawn quite the crowd to Lake Gannesaret (which is the sea of Galilee) and he must have felt a little crowded or overwhelmed because he asked the fisherman that had their boats drawn to land if he could get in one of them and push out a little so that the people could hear him better. Peter was the ship owner in this case and he granted the request of Jesus. V2 tells us that Peter was washing his net. He was finished with the fishing thing for the day. V5 tells us that he had fished all night and caught nothing. I don't know about you but staying up all night alone is exhausting and puts your body out of whack so to speak and then to be up all night and not catch anything? Are you kidding? How frustrating! I wouldn't have been in the best of moods. That was Peter's livelihood. That was his profession....if he knew how to do anything, he knew how to fish.
Simon Peter must have had a soft heart and recognized that there was something special about the teachings of this man called Jesus. Why would he have granted him the wish of using his boat...I'm sure Peter just wanted to go home and go to bed. But there's no record of even a complaint. He just did what Jesus asked.
In v4 Jesus makes his second request. "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught." What?....Fish some more???? Really Lord, that is pointless. We've fished all night....haven't caught one thing! We JUST got the nets washed....that in itself is a lot of work...we are tired....we are frustrated....we have no fish which means no money.....(don't you think you would have had these thoughts?) Here's what the Word records for us v5 "Simon answering said unto him, Master we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." This is where I've heard preachers really give Peter a hard time, because he only let down a "net", singular instead of "nets", plural, like Jesus said. But girls, he did let one down!! Would you have done that? I don't know if I would or not. My flesh and the exhaustion I would have felt may have said, maybe next time Lord, Maybe tomorrow, there really isn't any use....etc.
Well, you read the rest of the story and you'll see that they took in so many fish that their net brake and then even their boats began to sink. Then in v8 we hear what Peter's reply was "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Now, I want you to think through this part too. Just think about what Peter had just witnessed. Like I said earlier, if there was one thing Peter knew it was fishing...he knew he had done his best and it yielded nothing! Now at the command of a man named Jesus they had enough fish to sink 2 boats! He witnessed a miracle unlike any he had ever seen. His feelings may have went from excitement to amazement and maybe even to fear...v9 says astonished and in the amplified it says "For he was gripped with bewildering amazement (allied to terror)" I would have been scared....or more like freaked out! What about you?
I think Peter really caught a glimpse of the holiness and power of Jesus and it opened his eyes to who he was in comparison and that yielded the phrase "I am a sinful man" We are all sinful compared to Jesus. That's why we need salvation.
Should Peter have cast both nets....I think so. But Jesus reply to him tells me that even though he didn't obey fully....his heart was not disobedient. God knew his faith was weak. Look at the response from the Lord in v10 "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Jesus didn't rebuke Peter; He didn't lecture Him or tell him how horrible he was. He spoke the words that I think we all would want to hear if we were face to face with God "Fear not"....wow...what comfort. What peace that would have brought. And then on top of that he told Peter what his future had in store for him. He told him he would be catching souls! Read Acts chapter 2....boy did Peter catch some souls.....3000 of them!!! The Lord doesn't see you as what you are.....He sees you as what you can be in Him!
I love Max Lucado's words so much when he says "God loves you just the way you are but to much to leave you that way; He wants you to be just like Jesus." How true! How wonderful! God knows where you are, he knows how much faith you have and he sees your heart. He knows if you are sincere and even though you are, you may sometimes falter and even fail....but dear sister don't worry.....He's right there waiting to say...."Fear Not". There's comfort in those words!! Amen!
One more thought.....If Peter had not had his faith muscle worked out in this part of his life....do you think he would have been able to step out of the boat onto the water later on in life??? He may have started to sink but at least he stepped out of the boat..that was a HUGE leap in faith.
Meditate on it and let me know what you think.
I love you all! Keep on Keeping on!
First of all let's think about what details we are provided. In verse 1 we know that Jesus had drawn quite the crowd to Lake Gannesaret (which is the sea of Galilee) and he must have felt a little crowded or overwhelmed because he asked the fisherman that had their boats drawn to land if he could get in one of them and push out a little so that the people could hear him better. Peter was the ship owner in this case and he granted the request of Jesus. V2 tells us that Peter was washing his net. He was finished with the fishing thing for the day. V5 tells us that he had fished all night and caught nothing. I don't know about you but staying up all night alone is exhausting and puts your body out of whack so to speak and then to be up all night and not catch anything? Are you kidding? How frustrating! I wouldn't have been in the best of moods. That was Peter's livelihood. That was his profession....if he knew how to do anything, he knew how to fish.
Simon Peter must have had a soft heart and recognized that there was something special about the teachings of this man called Jesus. Why would he have granted him the wish of using his boat...I'm sure Peter just wanted to go home and go to bed. But there's no record of even a complaint. He just did what Jesus asked.
In v4 Jesus makes his second request. "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught." What?....Fish some more???? Really Lord, that is pointless. We've fished all night....haven't caught one thing! We JUST got the nets washed....that in itself is a lot of work...we are tired....we are frustrated....we have no fish which means no money.....(don't you think you would have had these thoughts?) Here's what the Word records for us v5 "Simon answering said unto him, Master we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." This is where I've heard preachers really give Peter a hard time, because he only let down a "net", singular instead of "nets", plural, like Jesus said. But girls, he did let one down!! Would you have done that? I don't know if I would or not. My flesh and the exhaustion I would have felt may have said, maybe next time Lord, Maybe tomorrow, there really isn't any use....etc.
Well, you read the rest of the story and you'll see that they took in so many fish that their net brake and then even their boats began to sink. Then in v8 we hear what Peter's reply was "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Now, I want you to think through this part too. Just think about what Peter had just witnessed. Like I said earlier, if there was one thing Peter knew it was fishing...he knew he had done his best and it yielded nothing! Now at the command of a man named Jesus they had enough fish to sink 2 boats! He witnessed a miracle unlike any he had ever seen. His feelings may have went from excitement to amazement and maybe even to fear...v9 says astonished and in the amplified it says "For he was gripped with bewildering amazement (allied to terror)" I would have been scared....or more like freaked out! What about you?
I think Peter really caught a glimpse of the holiness and power of Jesus and it opened his eyes to who he was in comparison and that yielded the phrase "I am a sinful man" We are all sinful compared to Jesus. That's why we need salvation.
Should Peter have cast both nets....I think so. But Jesus reply to him tells me that even though he didn't obey fully....his heart was not disobedient. God knew his faith was weak. Look at the response from the Lord in v10 "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Jesus didn't rebuke Peter; He didn't lecture Him or tell him how horrible he was. He spoke the words that I think we all would want to hear if we were face to face with God "Fear not"....wow...what comfort. What peace that would have brought. And then on top of that he told Peter what his future had in store for him. He told him he would be catching souls! Read Acts chapter 2....boy did Peter catch some souls.....3000 of them!!! The Lord doesn't see you as what you are.....He sees you as what you can be in Him!
I love Max Lucado's words so much when he says "God loves you just the way you are but to much to leave you that way; He wants you to be just like Jesus." How true! How wonderful! God knows where you are, he knows how much faith you have and he sees your heart. He knows if you are sincere and even though you are, you may sometimes falter and even fail....but dear sister don't worry.....He's right there waiting to say...."Fear Not". There's comfort in those words!! Amen!
One more thought.....If Peter had not had his faith muscle worked out in this part of his life....do you think he would have been able to step out of the boat onto the water later on in life??? He may have started to sink but at least he stepped out of the boat..that was a HUGE leap in faith.
Meditate on it and let me know what you think.
I love you all! Keep on Keeping on!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Another monumental moment....
Well, in less than an hour Hope will be 18. Wow! My oldest child will be the age I was when Doug and I got married!!! That is freaky! lol!
I find myself feeling incredibly thankful. Thankful for the young woman Hope is, and for how I see God at work in her life. Thankful that she is healthy and happy. Thankful that she is following the natural process of growing up. Thankful that I've been priviliged to be her mom for 18 years. I've had the opportunity to love her, nuture her, teach her, guide her and be not only her mom but her friend. I've been able to teach her about Jesus and his great love for her and for all of us. I had the extreme honor of explaining the plan of salvation to her and leading her to Christ. Wow...how exciting that was!! I'm thankful that Ben is in her life and that I'm allowed to see their love grow for one another and to see them begin to serve Christ together through Upward and teaching Junior church, through the Christmas Day hospital ministry, the Samaritan's purse, and many other things. My heart overflows with gratitude and love for Hope Lauren. She'll never know how proud I am of her and all her achievements and until she has a child of her own, she'll never understand how powerful a mother's love is. It runs deep and has a fire that burns within, it started for me when I found out I was pregnant and was confirmed when I held that 6lb 12oz bundle of pure joy in my arms.
I don't know what tomorrow holds but I do know who holds tomorrow and as long as He gives me breath to breathe I'll be trusting Him and thanking Him for my girls, their lives and my ability to participate in them.
Happy Birthday Hope.....I love you so much!.......Mom
I find myself feeling incredibly thankful. Thankful for the young woman Hope is, and for how I see God at work in her life. Thankful that she is healthy and happy. Thankful that she is following the natural process of growing up. Thankful that I've been priviliged to be her mom for 18 years. I've had the opportunity to love her, nuture her, teach her, guide her and be not only her mom but her friend. I've been able to teach her about Jesus and his great love for her and for all of us. I had the extreme honor of explaining the plan of salvation to her and leading her to Christ. Wow...how exciting that was!! I'm thankful that Ben is in her life and that I'm allowed to see their love grow for one another and to see them begin to serve Christ together through Upward and teaching Junior church, through the Christmas Day hospital ministry, the Samaritan's purse, and many other things. My heart overflows with gratitude and love for Hope Lauren. She'll never know how proud I am of her and all her achievements and until she has a child of her own, she'll never understand how powerful a mother's love is. It runs deep and has a fire that burns within, it started for me when I found out I was pregnant and was confirmed when I held that 6lb 12oz bundle of pure joy in my arms.
I don't know what tomorrow holds but I do know who holds tomorrow and as long as He gives me breath to breathe I'll be trusting Him and thanking Him for my girls, their lives and my ability to participate in them.
Happy Birthday Hope.....I love you so much!.......Mom
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Life isn't slowing down....
On Monday my baby girl Hannah reached a milestone in her life. You see she received permission from the NCDMV to drive a car..........yep...she got her learner's permit! I can't hardly believe it! Because of her petite stature she still seems so young to me...she is my baby...but, she is also 15 now and there is no denying that life is not going to slow down just because I'm having a hard time accepting that I do not have "little ones" anymore. lol.
I couldn't help but get tickled at Hannah on Monday. She was so nervous about that test. She couldn't even sit still. She had studied....a lot! She had been through 2 weeks of drivers education in the classroom and the mandated hours of driving time through drivers ed but the nerves were still there. She was afraid of the unknown. She sat beside me and quoted Philippians 4:13 under her breath.
Soon it was her turn and she went back to take "the test"....and a few minutes later she returned to ask for $15.00....that meant she passed. lol! It was amazing that as nervous as she was about the test, she wasn't one bit nervous to actually climb behind the wheel of my car and drive us home. I couldn't help but think on that. She was just as prepared for the written test as she has been to drive so what made the difference? She had to leave momma's side to take that written test and be with people at the DMV (which aren't the friendliest in the world)behind a closed door away from me; but to drive she was with me. She knows me, she's comfortable with me and knows that I only have her best interest at heart. I would NEVER do anything to hurt her, but I would give everything to help her. I'm on her side, every day, every time.
Well, dear sisters, that is like our Father. He is with us, encouraging us to do things we don't think we can. He only wants what is best for us. He is there every day, every time. He NEVER leaves us (Hebrews 13:5) and even when we face "unfriendly" people or situations...he CAN go back with us...He lives within us! What a treasure that is!! The better we know Him, the more we are in His presence the more we will feel at rest.
I'm glad that God shows himself through the mundane things of life. Who knew spending an afternoon at the DMV could be such a blessing!
I couldn't help but get tickled at Hannah on Monday. She was so nervous about that test. She couldn't even sit still. She had studied....a lot! She had been through 2 weeks of drivers education in the classroom and the mandated hours of driving time through drivers ed but the nerves were still there. She was afraid of the unknown. She sat beside me and quoted Philippians 4:13 under her breath.
Soon it was her turn and she went back to take "the test"....and a few minutes later she returned to ask for $15.00....that meant she passed. lol! It was amazing that as nervous as she was about the test, she wasn't one bit nervous to actually climb behind the wheel of my car and drive us home. I couldn't help but think on that. She was just as prepared for the written test as she has been to drive so what made the difference? She had to leave momma's side to take that written test and be with people at the DMV (which aren't the friendliest in the world)behind a closed door away from me; but to drive she was with me. She knows me, she's comfortable with me and knows that I only have her best interest at heart. I would NEVER do anything to hurt her, but I would give everything to help her. I'm on her side, every day, every time.
Well, dear sisters, that is like our Father. He is with us, encouraging us to do things we don't think we can. He only wants what is best for us. He is there every day, every time. He NEVER leaves us (Hebrews 13:5) and even when we face "unfriendly" people or situations...he CAN go back with us...He lives within us! What a treasure that is!! The better we know Him, the more we are in His presence the more we will feel at rest.
I'm glad that God shows himself through the mundane things of life. Who knew spending an afternoon at the DMV could be such a blessing!
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