How Quickly Things Can Change

Just the other day, we were sitting at a restaurant and the owner came up to our table. He greeted us with the usual, "Hi, Folks. How are y'all? Are you enjoying the food tonight?" Then, his tone changed, "I just wanted to let y'all know there's been a tornado spotted up the road from here (still a few miles away). It may be headed this direction. Our plan is to pile into the cooler, if we need to. We will keep you informed."

One minute, we had been enjoying our meal...ya know, just talking and laughing like normal, but in the next minute, things drastically changed. Suddenly, our minds started racing..."Should we leave? Should we stay? Lord, help us to know what to do." It was hard, after that, to really focus on anything "normal". Well, as it turned out, we were fine and ended up riding home in some very dark clouds, but that was it (thank you, Father). However, as I thought about it later that night and as I sorted through photos of areas of the Southeast that were hit by devastating tornadoes, I was impressed by just how quickly things can change. And it also made me think about this:

"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business - eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building - until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left."  Luke 17: 26 - 35

On THAT day, when Christ returns, alllllll the stuff that we debate, argue, and go round-and-round about will not matter one single bit!!! When I was sitting at that table thinking about what to do next if the tornado came our way...the trivial stuff like our house or our car, those things didn't matter. What mattered was the life of each member of my family around that table! Don't you know the same thing will matter on that great day when our Lord appears?! It will be all about LIFE and if you chose to hold onto yours, living it by your own standards, or if you chose to give it to Your Heavenly Father, letting Him take full control. It is by that decision that you choose where you will spend all eternity.

When the Lord returns, the Bible says it will happen in the "twinkling of an eye". There will be no time to make a final decision about your eternal life. The time for that is NOW, while you have a chance!!!!

If you've been thinking about making a decision to follow Christ, please seek Him right now by CLICKING HERE.

And, please, let me know if you are seeking Him! I would love to encourage you and send you some links to help you. (I read all comments prior to publishing them and will not post yours on this blog if you ask me not to do so...promise!) Please read my previous post called Nothing Compares. You will find that I am CONVINCED that there is nothing better to be found (in this life or the next) than a relationship with Jesus!!!

Please turn to Him while there is still time, for none of us knows what tomorrow holds and things can change quickly.

For His glory,

Nothing Compares

Just the other day, I started thinking about the times in my life that have been the most precious and the most memorable. You know, times such as falling in love, getting married, the days my babies were born, special Christmases and Thanksgivings, etc. If each of us made a list, we probably all would come back to the same basic things. But you know what? As precious as those times were, I can now look back and say with all sincerity, those times will never compare to the intimate times I have spent with my Lord…those sweet times when His very presence rests upon me. I LIVE for those moments and I long for the next time that I get to be alone with Him. I guess you could say that I’m ruined for His touch. I’m like a kid in a candy store craving more, more, more of Him! 

 

I have a sweet family member who recently said exactly what I used to say as a young girl and it is this, “I hope the Lord doesn’t come back before I get married and have kids.” Come on now (if you are a Christian) haven’t you said that at some point in your life too? If you didn’t say it, I bet you at least thought it!  I totally get that feeling and understand it (it is a worthy desire), but in a way it makes me sad. Why? Simply because it showcases a classic trap. 

As an adult, I now realize that having those feelings of longing for something else are satan’s way of distracting us from what truly matters. He tries to get our minds on future goals so much that we forget about God in the here and now. He plants thoughts in our minds like, “If you could just find the love of your life, you would be fulfilled. If you could just have a child, then you would have joy. If you could just have a big house, you’d be happy.  If you could just have a wife or husband like that other person has, then your marriage would be awesome, too. If you could just land your dream job, all your problems would be over. If you could just prove yourself to others by doing (insert whatever), then you will have arrived.”

Are you seeing the pattern? As long as he can keep you grasping for something you don’t yet have thinking it will fulfill you, then he has you trapped! He has you distracted. He has you running in circles and getting nowhere. He doesn’t want you to seek THE REAL ANSWER to all of your deepest needs. Those answers can only be found in a LIVING, ACTIVE, COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!! He wants to keep you thinking that SOMETHING in this life is going to fill you up and finally make you truly happy.

I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s never, ever going to happen. Take it from a person who, although I called myself a Christian, tried to fill my deepest needs through so many other things. I was drowning in the lie and chasing a fantasy...a façade. Now that I’ve lived a few years and have experienced much, I can tell you from the core of my being…THE LORD IS “IT”!!! In Him, humanities deepest desires are met, and not only that, they are surpassed to the ten thousandth degree!

God is my Center, my Father, my Lover, my Best Friend, my Everything! All good and perfect gifts flow from Him (and I am richly blessed), but He is the SOURCE of it all!!! And His presence, I’m telling you… NOTHING COMPARES to it. It is indescribable and utterly amazing and ultimately life-altering!

If you have been searching and trying to fill your desires with anything other than Him, I encourage you to repent and go after HIM ALONE. Pursue Him like your life depends on it, because it truly does. Matthew 10: 37 - 39 (NLT) says, “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

I’m begging you to give up trying to put other things in God’s rightful place. I’m begging you to quit searching for fulfillment outside of Him. Give up your life, your goals, your dreams, your ambitions and go after God…and through Him TRUE LIFE, TRUE LIVING, AND TRUE RELATIONSHIP WILL BE FOUND.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to Him!!!!!!!!!! I personally guarantee it;)

For His glory,

This Melted My Heart

Just the other day, my first grader came into the room with a card in her hand...

It reads:

"Mommy, I love you. You're the best mother I could ever have! And thank you for doing homeschool with me and being my teacher. I love you a googleplex plus a googleplex more googleplexes! Love, S"

Literally, I had to fight back the tears.

My heart swelled with pride.

And I gave thanks for my big girl...who is growing up way too fast.

Oh Lord, help me to savor every single moment with Your little princesses.

Now, are you wondering what a googleplex is? Well, here's your answer.

May our Lord shower you with a googleplex of blessings today:)

Baby # 2, On the Way!

Just the other day, I found out K-Bug was on the way and here's how (actually it's a pretty funny story...just strap on your imagination):

S was nearly two years old and we had recently had her pictures taken. I decided that she and I would go out shopping and swing by to pick up her photos. Our first stop was Target (love!), to pick up a few picture frames (cause what fun is having the pictures stay in the package?!). While we were there, I decided to buy a pregnancy test, only because I was just a couple of days late. However, I just knew I wasn't with child! And I couldn't be (could I?!) because we were doing NFP (natural family planning). Plus, I had just recently had an infection and popped down a few pills that clearly read, "DO NOT TAKE IF PREGNANT". Pretty much, I had read the warning label, thought "Nahhhh! I'm not!", and down the pills went. Stupid.

Because I was SO convinced that I wasn't, when S had to go the bathroom, I decided to just go ahead and take the test. Stupid again. Get this...I...you know...followed the directions (ha!) and placed the stick on top of the toilet paper holder (on tissue paper, mind you!). S starts saying, "I want to hold that toothbrush". I go to wash my hands, because we were in one of those stalls with a sink in it. Meanwhile, S starts getting a little louder and more demanding..."I want to hold that toothbrush!" I dry my hands, walk over to look, and immediately notice the dark pink cross. In disbelief, I pick the stick up and literally slide with my back against the wall all the way down into a squatting position, bawling my eyes out. The more I cried the louder Miss Drama Queen got, yelling, "I WANT TO HOLD THAT TOOTHBRUSH!!!" Thank the sweet Lord that no one else had to potty while she and I were both melting down because oh my soul, can you imagine?! I would have been mortified! (Which makes me think, you know, us ladies need to have serious compassion for one another. You never really know what that mean/stressed out/in tears momma in the store is going through. Amen?!)

To get back to my story, did you remember that I had taken those pills? See I was immediately happy (overjoyed!), but almost in the same moment, I remembered that I had so carelessly taken those pills. I was so scared that I had done something to my baby!!!! HALLELUJAH, those pills had no effect on K whatsoever! My doctor actually told me that God seems to give women a little window of protection during those first few weeks when they don't know they are pregnant (not that I advocate testing Him in this!).

I wish I could remember what I told S to get her to calm down and stop wanting that darn "toothbrush", but you know, after time memories start to blur a bit. I seriously can't wait until she's old enough to understand so that I can tell her this story. It's a funny and very precious memory. (And I think it's really great that K is so funny and full of life. Even the way we found out about her just seems to fit!)

Live Generously, Give Generously

Just the other day, I started thinking about giving and how God has really been working with me in this area. According to a spiritual gifts test I took, my most dominant gift is the gift of mercy. By God's perfect design, it's just in my nature to want to help those who are hurting and in need. I say all that just to say, I've never really had a problem with giving. My philosophy has been, "If a person is in need, then give to them, period". What God has been showing me lately though is that I have usually given out of my abundance...not really sacrificially (think: widow who gave two cents in Mark 12: 40-42). In "The Message" version of the Bible, this passage says that all of those in the crowd that day gave what they would never miss, but the widow gave extravagantly...she gave her all. I LOVE her!!!! And do you know what this passage reveals to us? It gives us a glimpse into this precious lady's heart. She showed that she truly trusted in the Lord to meet her every need. It also showed that she wanted to honor and obey Him, no matter what it "cost" her. God clearly teaches us here that when we give, we are not to give grudgingly (i.e. selfishly). If we do, what it truly reveals is that we are full of fear, not believing that we can give extravagantly and still trust in Him to provide us with all that we need. I really, really, really want to be like the widow, don't you?! What do you have to loose when the God of the universe is your caretaker?! You have only to gain.

Well, guess what? I happen to know of a perfect opportunity for you to start exercising your faith in the area of giving! STAY WITH ME!!! DON'T LEAVE!!!

I have a friend from college who has adopted a precious little girl from Ethiopia. Now, he and his wife are adopting a little boy from there:) They are literally weeks away from traveling over to get their son (named Huxley), but they still need to raise about $13,000. Would you please consider giving extravagantly to help bring this precious little boy HOME to his forever family? I know some of you who read my blog just loooove to give, so go do it...for God's glory!!!! :) Please donate by going to my friend's personal blog <---click there! Instructions are found by scrolling down a little and looking on the right-hand side of the page (that's the "online professor" coming out in me, sorry)! This is a wonderful Christian family who will raise little Huxley to know the Lord, that's for sure! Please, please help them. Give generously, or better yet, extravagantly.

Resting at Your Feet

Just the other day...I was cooking supper. D had taken the girls (all 3...woohoo!) with him on an errand, so I was alone…a rarity! I was talking to the Lord about what He wanted me to do for Him. Ya know, I was giving Him suggestions (because that helps Him make a decision right?! ;) Suddenly, I heard Him ask me a couple of questions, “Why must you DO something for me? Could you just BE with me?” As usual, His truth sent tears down my face. Those questions pierced my heart. It's so TRUE!!! I get so intent on DOING, that I forget, He just longs for me to just quietly sit at His feet and cultivate a relationship with Him. He created me for that!!! It's His hearts desire.

 "Oh, I’m so sorry Lord, for neglecting THE MOST IMPORTANT thing. “Doing” is not bad, but if it comes before “being”, it becomes an idol. It becomes about ME and not about YOU (even though I tell myself that I’m “doing” it..whatever it may be…for You). Father, I love You with all of my heart. I never, ever mean to get distracted and overwhelmed with life. It just happens before I know it. Thank You for Your long-suffering and amazing patience with me. Thank You for grace that forgives my weaknesses. I know You are showing me a better way. Please help me, daily, to walk in it. Show me the discipline that I need. Help me to be diligent. And always, always, remind me to just BE with You...because that is where ALL I need is found…resting at Your feet."

The Most Important Place

Resting at Your feet,

Is where I want to be.

Quiet and at peace,

In the presence of my King.

Here my soul’s at rest,

No worry and no fear,

Here I am assured,

That You hold me and You’re near.

I feel Your love surrounding me,

You envelope me with peace.

In all Your ways, for all my days,

This is where I want to be…

Resting

Stopping

Basking

...at Your feet.

For His glory,

An Open Letter to My Love on our Tenth Anniversary

Just the other day, I was given a gift. It was the gift of you, my darling husband. I call you my gift because I can remember night after night, laying in my bed, praying for you. I didn’t know who I was praying for, of course, but I knew that God knew (and ultimately, our story is HIS STORY)!

You know, back then, I had such a “Hollywood” picture in my head of romance and marriage. That description, that view, was the one I always thought of as perfect. But now…now “perfect” is completely different in my mind. “Perfect” IS us…not that our marriage is the ultimate marriage on the planet, because we both know it isn’t…but perfect as in, “God sure knew what He was doing and I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Perfect for me….for us… that’s what I’m getting at!

In ten years, we have been through a ton, and what I love about both of us is that we are fighters. We have fought our way through some very tough times. We have hit our knees together to hold on to what we have. We have dug in our heels and done some hard work. And the payoff is what I see in our marriage today. You…this…has been worth sticking in there!! God has blessed us more than we could possibly have imagined!

Today, on this tenth anniversary, I just want to let you know how amazingly thankful I am that God gave me you! There’s a multitude of things I appreciate about you and I don’t want you to ever think that I don’t notice all the hundreds of ways you sacrifice yourself to take such wonderful care of me and the girls. You know I’m a list-maker, so it’s only natural that I make a list. I love you, for all the things listed below, and for soooooo much more!!!  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABY!!!! As you said in church on Sunday, I look forward to the next sixty more;)

Things I love about you (in no particular order):

That you are yielded to the Lord

That you love me unconditionally

That you are an amazing dad

That you load the dishes a lot because you know it’s the chore I most hate

That you don’t let me carry suitcases because you know it will hurt my back

That you put up with my injury and all that it involves

That you took such great care of me when I was physically at my worst 

That you can cook really delicious food (lucky chubby me!)

That you put up with my “stopping to smell the roses” attitude

That you get something on your mind and you have to do it, right then!

That you throw yourself wholeheartedly into everything you do

That you are the most non-judgmental person I know

That you can “see” people for who they are, not what they say (perceptive)

That you notice things no one else does (like the little girl who lost her mommy at the mall)

That you are willing to give anybody a second chance

That you are a Southern gentleman who knows how to treat a lady

That you don’t hold grudges

That you take pride in your family

That you can make me laugh at myself and life in general

That sometimes when I pick up the phone, you still say, “Hey Beautiful!”

That when we are apart, I still know you are thinking about me cause you send me little text messages

That you don’t complain about having to do all the big grocery shopping cause I can’t (heavy carts with sticking wheels!)

That you buy me Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, Dr. Pepper, and Nutella cause you know they are my addictions

That you give me lots and lots of hugs

That you bought me a camo baseball cap

That you take me hunting with you

That you get so excited when I go hunting with you (like a kid at Christmas)

That you treat each of our girls like a princess

That you turn to mush with each of them

That you don’t complain…ever…when you are called out in the middle of the night, early morning, at supper, or anytime to go and help someone in need

That you would give someone the shirt off of your back if they needed it

That you love a good deal and you are frugal

That you are a leader

That you don’t shy away from preaching the Word (and stepping on a few toes for the glory of God!)

That you hunger for more of God

That you are yearning to do His will, even if it’s a hard path to follow at times

That you are an encourager

That you go along with some of my silly ideas just to make me happy

That you are a giver

That you sometimes have a weird sense of humor

That you love to laugh and have a good time

That you are such a true friend to others

That you keep me on my toes

That you help me in my unending quest to make it on time

That you know how to make the girls’ start laughing in the middle of a crying fit (and ok, I admit it, you’ve done that for me once or twice too)

That you always remember my birthday

That you give good advice

That you take time out for your family

That you go out of your way to make “us” work

That you are a good listener (let me repeat, “That you are a good lis-ten-er!”…hahaha!)

That you sing silly stuff all the time

That you are cute when you are ornery and tired (most of the time)

That you sometimes keep the kids so I can go shopping alone

That you are honorable

That you let God speak through you

That you tell me you love me all the time

That you would fight for your family, or die for us, if that’s what had to happen

That you asked me to marry you!!!!

I love you,

How I Met My Husband

Just the other day, or more like ten years ago this week, I married the "one" for me and this is how we met...

My older sister had just moved to a new place and decided to join an online group for stay-at-home mom's in her area. At a play date where all of the mothers met in person, she and another lady (who is now my sister in law) started discussing their siblings. They figured out that D and I might be a good match and exchanged our pictures. That night I got a call from my sister, asking if I would consider getting to know this guy. I had just come out of a God-inspired six month "fast" from dating and was not looking for anything (in other words, I was very content). Also, the last blind date I had been on was terrible, so I was in no mood to go on another one. I told her these exact words, "You can give him my email address, but I'm not making any special trips to meet this guy" (he lived two hours away). Well, that night I received my first email from D (his sis had gone straight over to show him my pic/tell him about me) and as they say...the rest is history! We emailed daily for about two weeks, and then I decided to let him call me. After talking on the phone for about a week, we decided to actually meet in person.

Our first date was on Feb 11, 2000. We met in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel about an hour from me because it was the half-way point. I remember him getting out of his SUV, lookin' all cute in a blue collared shirt and khaki pants (insert smile). It was a good first impression (although I had seen his pic that my sis had sent me through snail-mail). He opened the car door for me to get in. He asked me the same question twice in just a few minutes, so I could tell he was nervous, but I thought it was just adorable. He was really trying! We drove to a larger city nearer to where he lived and decided to eat at Joe's Crab Shack. I had suggested it, but with a motive. I thought that if we had absolutely nothing to talk about I could try to start a conversation based on some of the crazy stuff they usually have displayed in those restaurants (lame, I know)! I don't remember much about the restaurant, but I do remember that we signed our names right beside our booth. (Why would we do that if we didn't think something "special" was going on?! Hmmmmm.)

After we ate, D took me ice skating. He was the Minister of Students at a church and had recently taken some children there for an outing, so he thought it would be fun. It was! We skated around and talked for the longest time. My favorite part of this story happened at that skating rink. For some reason, D made the remark that he never fell when he was skating. I promise you not thirty seconds later, he fell down for no apparent reason!!! Oh my soul, looking back that is so funny!!!! Don't worry, nothing was hurt but his pride (insert smile with a wink).

We ended the night at a coffee shop where neither one of us drank coffee, but we just got some dessert and talked some more. The "it" moment for me, the moment that got me hooked (ok, besides some pretty good flirting), was on the drive back to my car as the night was coming to a close. We got into a really deep conversation (remember we had already been "talking" for a few weeks through email and on the phone) about what we wanted life to look like for us...as individuals, mind you...in the future. I remember D saying something like "Sure, I want children and I will love my children, no doubt...but whoever my wife is....ultimately, I will CHOOSE her. I want to love her first and put her first, before the kids, because I chose her and I will choose to love her for the rest of my life. Each night, when my kids go to bed, I just want to enjoy hanging out with my wife. I always want her to know that she is special." Now, that may not sound amazingly romantic to anyone else, but to me at that time, he painted a picture that I wanted to be in!  He kinda was also saying (in not so many words), "I know what I want and I'm not playing games here" which was good to know, cause I was DONE playing games (can I get an AMEN from all my sista's who are still "in waiting" out there?! There's hope...hang in there!).  Well, to try and make this long story shorter, guess what?! He chose me and he still chooses me and I am living in the picture he painted that night.........how sweet it is:)

I literally felt like I drove that hour back to my home on a cloud. I am not kidding you, it just felt like I floated home (I know, "gag me"...but it's true). I just remember praying and smiling and thinking about the night and praying and smiling and........floating.

And that's the story of how we met.

Now you know:)

P.s. I ended up making LOTS and LOTS of "special trips" just to see "that guy". We lived two hours apart, but we ended up seeing each other every weekend for the next 14 months (except for one when he went on a ten day mission trip).

No More Bad Cop

Just the other day, we were riding down the highway and a cop pulled out in front of us. What do you imagine everyone did? Do you even have to imagine it, cause you know immediately what everyone did, don't you?! Yep, they all slowed down! Brake lights flashed all over the place! Even if you have your cruise control set on a reasonable speed, when you see a cop, don't you immediately "check" yourself?! I know I do!

Right after that happened, I was looking out the window at the trees rushing by and I had this thought, "That's what you feel like people do when you show up, isn't it?"

What? Wait.....ohhh..........YES!!!!!! That's it, Lord!!!! That's exactly what I feel like!!!!!!!

You see, I very conveniently haven't mentioned it before now, but my husband is a pastor. I'm HAPPY that he is and he is amazingly used by God, but me, well...........I just don't like being "the pastor's wife" for the very reason I mentioned above! People change when they get around me. They treat me like I'm the cop on the highway. They are happy I'm there, glad to see me "doing my job", but they don't want me paying attention to them really. They are content to acknowledge me, to say a courteous "hi", but they don't want me hanging around long enough to get in their business....not "the preacher's wife"! And, just keeping this very real here, for a long time I have let this confuse me to no end. For WAY too long, I have analyzed myself and looked inward and wrestled with thoughts of "what is wrong with me?" and "why do I have such a hard time having any real relationships when it used to be sooooo easy for me to get close to others?". It's an exhausting dialogue I have been having, let me tell you!

Anyways, to bring this around to my real point, I think God showed me this very thing so that I could finally understand people. Oh, His ways of dealing with us are just so perfect, aren't they?! I don't know that I would have ever understood it any other way. But now, I see! I understand! Seriously y'all, listen to this - I was just pulled over by a cop a couple of weeks ago and I can guarantee you now that God had something to do with that. I was given MUCH GRACE by a person who I thought was so scary, by someone I was terrified of...I just knew he was going to write me a ticket, but he didn't! Not only did he not do what I expected, he did what I least expected and went out of his way to help me get where I needed to go in an unfamiliar area. OK....are you getting it?! (cause I sure am!...let it sink in!) Yep, I need to be doing that very same thing! I need to literally quit being what people expect............to ruin their preconceived ideas and just let Him flow out of me in the ways He created, because He made me who I am for a reason...........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, FREEDOM!!!! (as the Hallelujah chorus plays in the background, of course)

Why do I need to change? Because the real me doesn't let people push me away (or doesn't want to anyhow). The real me pursues and tries to build a relationship. The real me is loyal to a fault and once you are my friend, I consider you a friend for life!!! And the real me is so very, very tired of not getting to be the real me:(

So, here's to the new pastor's wife who will not stand by and be treated like the bad cop any longer, like it or not. Please pray for me as I try to undo nearly four years (or honestly, more like 10 yrs!) of feeling like a fish out of water. I'm warning you now, this might not be pretty! And then again, maybe it will be:)

NOTE: This is certainly NOT how I have felt about every relationship! Please give me some grace in this :)