We're so grateful for every single one of you.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15
Considering that I was in the Dominican Republic less than three weeks ago, I am more aware than ever of all the things I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Things I have tended to take for granted such as air-conditioning, clean water straight from the tap, and electricity.
So this year as I sit around the dinner table, I will thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon my undeserving, often ungrateful self.
I'll thank Him for His love and sacrifice. I'll thank Him for His mercy. And I'll thank Him for blessing my life so richly with precious family and friends.
How about you? I'd love to hear what you are most thankful for this year.
Every once in awhile I'll read something that hits me right where I'm living.
And today, it was this:
"I have to learn that the aim in life is God's, not mine. God is using me from His great personal standpoint, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him, and never say - Lord, this gives me such heart-ache.... He simply asks me to have implicit faith in Himself and in His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, if I go off on that line I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. I have 'a world within the world' in which I live, and God will never be able to get me outside it because I am afraid of being frost-bitten." - Oswald Chambers
That'll preach, won't it?
I've been thinking a lot this week about Melanie's post from Monday - wondering what my little guy will remember from his childhood, thinking about all the great stuff I remember from mine.
And I guess it's only natural for holidays to make us nostalgic - especially when it feels like the little ones in our family are growing up way too fast. I PROMISE that my nephews were just born last year, but somehow they've turned into nine and ten year-old football players. Blows my mind.
But one thing that alleviates the bittersweetness of time flying by is thinking about Thanksgiving traditions in our family that stand strong year after year after year: Mama's cornbread dressing and sweet potato casserole (with pecans, not marshmallows). Circling up and holding hands while my daddy prays. Watching college football all day long. Planning a fun day-after-Thanksgiving activity with my sister (this year we're driving down to the very small town where my grandparents lived). Wandering into the kitchen around five o'clock in the afternoon for a "light snack" of turkey and congealed salad. Listening to my aunt, my mama and my cousins tell story after story about the good ole days. Laughing until my whole body hurts.
Makes me smile just thinking about it.
So what about you? What are some your favorite family traditions at Thanksgiving? And if you could only pass down one of those traditions to your kids, which one would you choose?
I'll be waiting on y'all in the comments. And I may even have some of Mama's homemade chocolate pie with me.
There's something about cold weather that makes me want to read non-stop. And when I'm reading, you can find me one of two places in our house: in our den or in our guest room. Both places just feel cozy to me - and a big down coverlet ensures that I am as snug as a bug in a rug while I'm poring through whatever has my attention. I also like to remain wide-open to the possibility of napping in between chapters. I feel it's good to have options.
And there's one other thing that makes reading / Bible study time even more special when it's chilly outside: apple tea. I love it so much. My mama's friend Mary John makes one of the best versions I've ever tried, and in addition to tasting great, it makes your whole house smell absolutely divine.
1 qt. cider
1 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
8 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat until it boils, then reduce heat until ready to serve.
Now obviously we talk a whole bunch about books, authors and Bible studies here on AllAccess, but I'm curious: do you have a special place you like to "settle in" when you read or have your quiet time? Are there things you do to make that time especially relaxing? Do you have a special routine you like to follow?
And don't worry - I'll snuggle up under a comfy blanket before I read your comments. That only seems right. No apple tea today, though - just diet Coke. I'm pacing myself for the holidays, you see.
Have a great Tuesday, y'all!
One day after school last week, I took Caroline and one of her little friends to the park near our house. It was one of those rare days in South Texas that actually feels like Fall, not too cold and not too hot. I sat on a bench in the shade and watched them as they ran from the swings to the slide and back again.
A few minutes later a man about my age came walking into the park with his little boy who looked to be about two years old. The little boy immediately toddled off towards the slides and the man and I began to visit.
He introduced himself to me and told me they had just moved to San Antonio from Connecticut about four months ago. I laughed and told him he must be in the midst of a huge culture shock. He said he'd actually lived in San Antonio when he was about the same age as his son because his dad was in the military, but had no memory of the city other than pictures from family photo albums.
I told him the girls were five and I was giving them the chance to burn off some energy before we headed home for the day. And then he asked me a question that I can't quit thinking about, he said, "Do you remember being five?"
Yes. I remember bits and pieces of being five. I remember that my Kindergarten teacher's name was Mrs. Sudela and I thought she was beautiful. I remember that we walked through the school searching for a leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day. I remember that I wore some socks with a patch featuring a banana wearing a cape complete with pom-pom fringe for Super Sock today. I remember that one day I didn't get off the school bus and the driver had to turn around and bring me home.
But there are other things I don't remember. I don't really have any memories of day-to-day life. I don't know if my mama had a snack waiting for me after school. I don't remember if I played with my little sister or if I watched a lot of T.V. I can't remember dinner time or the things we talked about. I know those things existed, but I can't recall them.
And maybe I just have a bad memory.
It made me think about how strange it is that Caroline won't remember a lot of her life at this point. Yes, she'll have bits and pieces, but as much as all these days and years will be memories I will hold onto and treasure forever, she probably won't remember the day I took her to the park after school and she slid down the firemen's pole by herself for the first time.
Yet, even though she may not remember, these things are making her into who she is and who she will become. They are part of the tapestry of her life.
It's made me think about what I hope she remembers for the rest of her life. It's made me want to take the time to laugh with her more, pick her up while I still can, and give us lots of chances to make some sweet memories together.
Because of all the things I want her to remember, what I hope for the most is that she will always know how much she is loved. She may not remember that we made chocolate chip cookies yesterday and she definitely won't recall the night she was two years old and threw up every thirty minutes, but I hope she'll remember that I was always there.
I know I'll make (and have made) my share of mistakes along the way, but God will cover my weaknesses. And I pray that He will fill her mind with sweet childhood memories.
How about y'all? What do you hope your kids remember about you and their childhood? I'd love to hear about it.
Today in church we sang "Yours" by Steven Curtis Chapman - and I cannot get it out of my head.
So now I will share it with you. You're welcome.
And seriously - what a word.
All right, y'all. I'm gonna be dead-honest.
Yesterday was one of those days where I just had enough. Enough of me, enough of other people, enough of the world - ENOUGH. And by the end of the day, when my husband asked me if I was okay, I told him that I was fine except for the fact that I was in a horrible mood and would like to go to a cabin somewhere ALL BY MYSELF for at least three days and maybe four.
Can anybody relate?
Really, I can't even pinpoint why I was so annoyed. I just was. And everything was on my nerves: the phone, the email, the laundry (OH MY WORD THE LAUNDRY), the dust bunnies under my sofa, the responsibilities of work, the deadlines that never seem to go away, and hey, Y'ALL FEELING ENCOURAGED YET?
I know. I am a joy and an inspiration, aren't I?
But I like to think - or maybe I just need to think - that we all have our days. Days when we feel overwhelmed or unequipped or ill-prepared or all of the above (like the study says: it's tough being a woman). And for me those days are like a spiral - I feel guilty about my mood, which makes me feel selfish, which makes my mood even worse, which makes me feel worse, and before you know it I'm rummaging through the Halloween candy and pulling out the mini Snickers like a madwoman.
ALLEGEDLY.
So here's my question: how do you cope when you have a rough day? Do you fight it? Do you pray through it? Do you call someone to talk about it? Or do you just surrender to the ornery and sort of lean in to hear whatever lesson God may have in it?
Thanks in advance for sharing your hearts via the comments, y'all - there's strength in numbers, you know.
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Cor. 4:17-18
Last night at Bible study we watched the Bonus Session on the Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed DVD. The bonus stuff is from a Q&A session that Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Kay Arthur did at the end of Deeper Still Nashville, and it. is. hysterical. I rolled laughing when I was at the conference in Nashville back in 2007, and I rolled laughing in my Bible study leader's den last night. So, so funny. Girl talk at its finest.
On the way home from Bible study I was thinking about the joy of fellowship with other women. I'm one of those people who loves nothing more than a weekend with my girlfriends - the whole experience is like Happy Overload for me. I love making tons of super-unhealthy appetizers (CREAM CHEESE, ANYONE?), having a refrigerator that's stocked with countless cans of diet Coke, putting on my comfiest pajamas, and then settling in for a night of laughing until I hurt.
MOST. FUN. EVER.
So what about you? Are you a fan of girl talk, too? Do you have regular girls' night outs? Do you and your girlfriends ever get away for a weekend? What are some of your favorite things that you and your girlfriends have done together?
I'll be in the comments, living vicariously through every single one of you.
Okay, so I have a really fun video from a visit to one of the projects here in the Dominican Republic and I planned to post it here today.
However, sometimes in a developing nation the internet decides to go down, like when a video is 97% uploaded to YouTube. And there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
I promise I'll get the video up later today, but for now I'm off to love on some more kids. I can't wait to see their sweet faces this morning. And in the meantime, you can go read about everyone's experiences over at Compassion Blogger.
One of the biggest blessings of my life has been the privilege of being on this trip. God knows me better that I know myself. Imagine that.
And you could play a huge role in the lives of these children by becoming a sponsor.
Several years ago I was at a Living Proof Live event where Beth showed the audience some pictures from a recent trip to Africa. The images were devastating - heart-wrenching, really - but as I sat in my chair and looked at that screen, there was one phrase in particular that ran through my mind over and over again:
"Lord, please don't call me to Africa. Please don't call me to Africa. Please don't call me to Africa."
And then: "Lord, I NEVER want to go to Africa."
For some reason the prospect of going to Africa and seeing the devastation there absolutely terrified me. There was no logical reason for it - it just was.
A little over a year later our pastor preached a pretty intense sermon about our command to go and make disciples of all nations. He mentioned over and over again that we're not called to be comfortable, and my flesh didn't like it one little bit. I was ticked, to be perfectly honest. And later that afternoon, as I was setting up for an event with one of our associate pastors, I vented my frustrations in a moment of oversharing. I said, "What am I supposed to do? Just hop on a plane and go to AFRICA or something? I have a three year-old, for pete's sake!"
So y'all know what happened. About a year later, the Lord totally called me to Africa. He took a heart that was completely hardened to serving overseas and found countless ways to soften it. By the time Compassion contacted me in August of 2007 about a trip to Uganda, I truly wanted to go. No one but God could have changed my heart like that. I'm so grateful that He was patient with me, because that trip was a watershed moment in my life for a whole host of reasons.
So I'm curious: has God ever led you to do something that you vowed you'd NEVER do?
Tell us all about it in the comments.
As we may have mentioned once or eleven times, I'm in the Dominican Republic this week with Compassion.
I left San Antonio on Sunday morning at 9:30 and arrived in the Dominican on Sunday night around 10:00 p.m. There were various time changes along the way, but I can't really explain them to you because in some way they involve math skills and I am not a fan of the math.
We spent most of Monday visiting the first of many Compassion projects we will visit this week and it was an amazing experience. It was only Day One and I've already seen precious faces that I'll never forget.
I also saw poverty like I've never seen before.
But the thing is that Jesus sees it all. He sees the beautiful faces, the sweet smiles and the hearts that are learning to love Him even in the midst of these circumstances.
He knows their name.
He knows their heart.
He holds them in the palm of His hand.
And, hopefully, this week many of them will become sponsored children because God moves hearts to see their need.
You can read everyone's stories by going to the Compassion Bloggers site.
Last night I was trying to get some writing done, and I pulled out my notebook from Living Proof Live in Knoxville (it was way back in 2005) because I was trying to remember something Beth Moore said about serving globally. And as I was making my way through my notes from the different sessions, I ran across a Scripture reference in the margins.
Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to look up the passage. And when I read it, I started to cry right there at my kitchen table. I cannot imagine a more timely word for Melanie and the Compassion team that's serving in the Dominican Republic this week:
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." - Isaiah 58:6-12
Praise you, Lord. Praise your holy name.
I can't even tell y'all how excited I am for my sweet friend Melanie and for the rest of the bloggers who are going to the Dominican Republic with Compassion next week. Their trip is going to change their lives and rock their worlds and, most importantly, it's going to result in hundreds of children being rescued from poverty in Jesus' name. That's a mighty cool thing.
But I also know from my own Compassion trip that what Mel and the other bloggers experience in the Dominican Republic is going to change them forever. As my friend Brian told me in Uganda, "Once you've seen poverty up close, you can't pretend that you haven't." He was so right. And it's hard to process those third-world country experiences and reconcile them with the relative prosperity we enjoy in this country.
So given all of that, I think this would be a great opportunity for us to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds." If you've served in the mission field overseas (whether short-term or long-term) or if you've witnessed extreme poverty firsthand, do you have a verse or a word of encouragement that you could offer my sweet friend and her fellow bloggers before they leave? I know whatever you have to share would mean so much to them.
Here's mine: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."- Philippians 2:1-4
Thanks in advance for your sweet words, everybody.
That's the countdown of how long until I leave for the Dominican Republic with Compassion. By the way, if you click "share" on that graphic, you can get the code to display it on your blog if you'd like.
Anyway, yesterday on my personal blog I wrote about a few of my fears as I get ready to go on this trip. I made the comment that it is definitely out of my comfort zone.
Then, this morning I opened up my "Discerning the Voice of God" Bible study and the topic was "God's Challenging Voice". As I read Priscilla's words I had no doubt that God was speaking directly to me.
"I find that His message challenges me because His purposes are always higher than mine. When followed in obedience, His Word causes me to step away from the comfort zone of my natural abilities and into the realm of His supernatural possibilities."
That's what this trip is for me. It's stepping out of the comfort zone of my natural abilities. My prayer is that everything we do in the Dominican Republic next week will bring glory to Him and that lives will be changed forever because of His mercy and goodness.
I'll be reporting live next week from the Dominican and I pray that his "supernatural possibilities" will be revealed.
In the meantime, what supernatural possibilities is He calling you to?
I spent a pretty fair chunk of my teenage years at various and sundry church retreats. I actually accepted Christ at church camp when I was 13 (and in true teenage fashion, proceeded to rededicate my life at least four or twelve times in the years that followed). But once I hit college, the camps stopped, save for a trip to an adult retreat when I was around 22. Which means that before Festivals of Marriage (FOMMMMMM) this past weekend, I hadn't been in an overnight conference setting in, oh, about seventeen years.
As soon as my husband and I pulled into Ridgecrest, all those "camp memories" flooded my brain. I remembered the practical jokes, the camp food, the way our junior high camp always seemed to coincide with the first hint of fall. I remembered the Amy Grant songs I'd listen to on my Walkman (you know, the ones that played CASSETTES), and I marveled that my husband and I were actually together on so many of those junior high and high school trips (we were just buddies, mind you). It seemed exactly right that I'd make my inaugural trip to Ridgecrest with him by my side.
Now that the weekend is over and I've had a little time to process everything, I have to say that the structure of FOM is excellent - it's ideal, in fact, for people like us who don't necessarily like to be "locked in" to one session after another. There were optional individual classes throughout all three days (some of the topics were respect, sexuality, seasons of life, parenting, etc.), and then there was corporate teaching and worship on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning (Travis Cottrell led worship; Jena & Dale Forehand did the speaking) .
We enjoyed that corporate time so much...it was such a treat to go into the sanctuary with my husband and know that we didn't have any other commitments pulling at us. We also had some really, really good post-session discussions, and to be able to dig deep in conversation without any intrusions was such a blessing.
(sidenote: I bet most of us are probably good at remembering that we love our husbands, but sometimes it's also really fun to remember how much we like them, you know? I got to do that over and over again in North Carolina. And it was good.)
Just like church camp of yore, the most memorable part of the weekend was the fellowship - the time we spent with each other and with some of our sweet friends. In short, we had a blast. The weekend was a total treat for us. We came home without a bit of that typical post-retreat let-down. We were rested, recharged and more grateful than ever for the blessing of our marriage. I've often said that our marriage hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it.
And after this past weekend, I'm more certain of that than ever before.
I mentioned last week that I'm doing Priscilla Shirer's Bible study, "Discerning the Voice of God". The study is unbelievably good and I thought I'd share a quote from Priscilla.
"Even seemingly meaningless activities are used by God as tool to guide us toward His plans. Never think your circumstances are disconnected from God's leading and His will. Don't spend your time wishing you could get out of the season of life you are in; rather, spend your time looking fervently at God's hand in your situation."
When I look back at the last two years of my life, I see the hand of God all over it. At the time I wasn't sure what was going on and why things were happening that didn't seem to fit into my idea of a good time, but now I see how God has used those things to refine me and draw me closer to Him.
I'm not going to lie, it hasn't always been fun. There have been times that I've wanted to pull my hair out from the frustration, but ultimately it's been worth it.
Keep your eyes on Him. He's worth it.
...and even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come
You are autumn.
- "Every Season" by Nichole Nordeman
Well, we made it to North Carolina (MY WORD the roads are twisty and turny - I had no idea) for FOM, and we are having a wonderful time here at Ridgecrest. I have to confess that at first the thought of being somewhere without a television in the room made me want to twitch just a little bit (HGTV is my friend, and I miss her when we're apart for too long), but I actually haven't missed the television at all.
Perhaps it's because I'm enjoying a strong Wifi connection at the moment.
OH, I kid.
Another confession: my mood for the last couple of days has been pretty rotten. I've been agitated, short with my hubby, out of sorts, you name it. I know in my head how these things work - it's the same as when you're trying to get your family out the door on Sunday mornings and find yourself saying something like, "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR SASSINESS, NOW LET'S GET IN THAT CAR AND GO PRAISE JESUS!"
See: author of distraction, etc.
But I'm happy to report that I'm all better now. It's impossible to look out on the majesty of these mountains and these trees - with the colors ranging from light gold to the deepest red you've ever seen - without remembering why we're here, without praising the One who made us.
So I'm soaking up the time with my husband, enjoying some mighty fine teaching, and laughing my head off with some sweet friends who are also here this weekend. In fact, last night around 10:30 you would've found the four of us riding down the road (in a MINIVAN, OH ROCK ON) singing love songs from the 80s at the top of our lungs. I felt like I was sixteen - only maybe a smidge wiser - and I loved every second of it.
In short: it's all good.
Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend!
I've been a little reflective about marriage this week - I guess because we're going to the Festival of Marriage conference this weekend (sidenote: for some reason the word "festival" makes me think that there will be mimes, crafts and cotton candy, but I'm fairly certain that I'm dead wrong on all counts, and I'm not really sad about that because, well, mimes scare me).
I've mentioned before on my personal blog that while I know there are some couples for whom marriage is effortless and breezy, we are not one of those couples. Our marriage has endured some downright grueling seasons, and there have been a couple of times in the last eleven years when I thought that we were done. There have even been a couple of times in the last eleven years when I thought I wanted to be done. If you've ever walked through anything like that in your own marriage, you know how difficult it is. It's heartbreaking. And it's exhausting.
Sometimes I think back on our wedding day and marvel at how clueless the two of us were. Since our pre-marital counseling consisted of a pastor meeting with us for five minutes and saying, "Oh, I'm not worried, you two will be fine," we didn't dig deep into some topics we should have addressed before we were married. And it took all of four days of marriage for us to realize that UH-OH, WE HAVE US SOME ISH-AHS.
It took us another five years before we got to the heart of those issues, so for those of you keeping score at home, that's five years of dancing around the big stuff. Five years of hiding the pieces and parts of our hearts that we didn't want the other person to see.
It's not an approach to marriage that I can really, you know, recommend.
But now? I'm so grateful that we didn't give up in those first five years. I'm so grateful that in the midst of all our hurt and disappointment, we both believed that God was doing something in our midst, even though it hurt like crazy. I'm so grateful that we know firsthand the blessing - the JOY - of His restoration. He just flat-out does things that we, in all our humanness, cannot.
What about y'all? What are you most grateful for in your marriage?
We'll have us a Festival of Praise in the comments.
Or as I like to call it: FOP.
Catchy, don't you think?
I had never had the opportunity to hear Priscilla Shirer speak until I went to Deeper Still Atlanta. I'd heard that she was great and assumed it must be true because it's not like they ask just anyone to get on stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.
For instance, I haven't been asked.
Which is a good thing considering I have a touch of the stage fright.
Anyway, Priscilla took the stage that night and talked about when God takes you into the wilderness. I knew in the first two minutes that I absolutely wanted to do one of her Bible studies. God used her to speak right to my heart.
So this fall my Bible study group decided to do "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla. We specifically chose this study because we all agreed that we struggle to hear the voice of God in our lives and wanted to hear Him more clearly.
For me personally, I always wonder if what I'm hearing is God's voice or just some random thoughts in my head. I've always been hesitant to act on certain things because I get caught up in my fear of hearing something wrong.
One of Priscilla's main points that has stuck with me is that intimacy is the foundation for getting to know God. If I'm not spending time in His word and listening for His voice, then I'm going to miss out.
I need to wait expectantly for His voice, not hoping I will hear it, but KNOWING I will hear it. When I expect to hear Him, I will be more patient knowing He will come through in His time.
And yes, sometimes His timing isn't the timing I would like. There have been so many times that I've gotten a promise from Him and I'm ready to see that promise fulfilled sooner rather than later, like maybe yesterday.
But that's not how He works. Just ask Abraham. God told Abraham that he'd have a son, but Abraham and Sarah thought they should help God out by getting Hagar involved. (Gen. 21:1-2)
Oh, how many times have I been delusional enough to think I was going to help God out by working on my own plan while I wait on His? More than my pride would like to admit.
And ultimately, obedience is the key to hearing His voice.
I need to work on my obedience, even when He says something I don't really want to hear. I need to work on my patience, even when I'm ready to see things start to happen.
"Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord."
Psalm 27:14
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Matthew 6: 25-31
Over the last few months as I've watched gas prices go up and the stock market go down, I've had moments of worrying what it all means. Will my family be okay? Do we have everything we need?
When I read this passage from Matthew 6, I am assured that we absolutely have everything we need and it is found in Jesus Christ.
Why should I worry? Instead I am reminded to "seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you".
I'll be back next week to talk more about all the behind the scenes stuff at the "Five Conversations You Should Have With Your Daughter" taping. There may even be another caption contest in which we give away an array of fabulous prizes, otherwise known as a free book or two.
In the meantime, here's a quote from Oswald Chambers that I just read in Priscilla Shirer's "Discerning the Voice of God" study. It's really made me think about my ability to hear God's voice.
"What hinders me from hearing is that I am taken up with other things. It is not that I will not hear God, but I am not devoted in the right place. I am devoted to things, to service, to convictions, and God may say what he likes, but I do not hear Him. The child attitude is always 'Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth." Oswald Chambers.
After I posted about struggling with time management this past Monday morning, I started making my way through my email.
And in a devotion someone sent me, I found this quote. It pretty much jumped off the page.
"Do not try to do a great thing, or you may waste all your life waiting for the opportunity which may never come. But since little things are always claiming your attention, do them as they come from a great motive, for the glory of God and to do good to men." - F.B. Meyer
I'm praying that we would all do those "little things" well today..."for the glory of God and to do good to men."
Amen.
I know I've mentioned two or ninety times that my Bible study group is going through Anointed Transformed Redeemed right now, and something from this week's homework (written by Priscilla Shirer) really hit home with me.
I struggle with managing my time, and even though I keep a calendar so I know what's coming up when, I don't budget the time in my day. My husband is a HUGE proponet of budgeting your time, and he has no problem working on one thing for an hour and then moving on to the next scheduled task.
But honestly, I'm too scattered most of the time for that approach to work. After all, it's hard to stick to writing a blog post when you're also trying to cook supper and change sheets and redecorate your dining room.
I'm only sort of kidding about that.
This week in our study homework Priscilla encouraged us to examine how we budget our time. She writes, "just as we budget our finances to determine where our money should be going, it behooves us to budget our time to ensure that we spend it wisely."
And it occurred to me that my tendency is to let time control me instead of me controlling my time. I'm forever feeling like I'm at the mercy of deadlines, of last-minute preparations, of trying to juggle six things at once instead of sitting down and doing one thing really well. I don't know if any of you have the same struggle, but it's probably no surprise that sometimes I frustrate myself to no end with my lack of time management.
So what about you? Do you have any tips on time budgeting? Had any success with it? Any suggestions you could offer the rest of us?
We can't wait to hear what you have to say.
For the last year I've been in a weekly Bible study with about eight other women. We range in age from 30-something to 60-something, and the fact that we're at different stages in life has been a huge blessing. Being able to soak up the wisdom of women who have already walked this sometimes rocky road of parenting is a major encouragement to me.
For instance, right now I'm trying to write this post while a certain five year-old is screaming about Star Wars in the background, but I'm not complaining because I know my sweet Bible study buddy MJ - who is now a grandmother of four - would tell me to treasure every single second of my precious little man's tendency to speak in surround sound.
So anyway.
Last week our group started Anointed Transformed Redeemed, and y'all, it is GOOD. Even though I was in Nashville for the Deeper Still event where this study was recorded, I watched the first DVD session like I had never seen it before.
The word was still fresh. That's all I'm sayin'.
This week's homework has focused on how God establishes and equips us for our callings, and something on Day Two really jumped out at me. Priscilla Shirer writes: "Think about your season of life and...come up with a list of practical suggestions that you can incorporate into everyday living to assist you in being constantly aware of God's presence."
The first thing that popped into my mind? Worship music. It is HUGE for us. I cannot overemphasize how it changes the tone of our time in the car. In addition to that, it's led to some pretty cool discussions with the little guy who rides in the backseat. I also try to find chunks of time throughout the day when I can listen to worship music on my iPod because it makes such a big difference in my attitude...it has a way of snapping all my petty frustrations right back into perspective.
So what about you? What helps you to be aware of God's presence in the midst of your daily responsibilities?
And if you say that you're a retired empty-nester who now has countless hours to sit and look at a large body of water and think about Jesus, those of us who have young kids or demanding jobs (or both) won't even be jealous.
Okay. We may be jealous just a little bit.
But still. We're all ears.
In the next few weeks, I'm going to head to Nashville for the DVD taping of Vicki Courtney's new Bible study, "Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter".
I have a vested interest in this study because not only do I have a daughter, but I like to have conversations with her.
And sometimes I could use some help.
In fact, here's a sample of a conversation we had late last week.
"How was school today, Sweetie?"
"Good."
"What did you do?"
"I ate lunch with my teacher."
"That's fun. What did y'all talk about?
"Remember that time I had to go to the doctor and get four shots?"
"Yes. Is that what you talked about?
"No."
And scene.
So, anyway, in light of my stellar conversation skills and my apparent ability to just draw out information, I'd love to hear from y'all.
How do you get your kids talking? What are some of the keys to keeping communication flowing as they get older? How do you get them to share what's going on in their lives?
I'd love to hear your thoughts and I know others would, too.
I'm going to be honest.
Yesterday completely won.
It just beat me down and I ended the evening in tears because I was out of powdered sugar. But just so you don't think I'm overreacting, let me explain that I needed the powdered sugar to make the chocolate icing for the chocolate cake I'd made to drown out the day.
Clearly, it was a powdered sugar emergency.
Anyway, here are three quick things.
1. Who's going to be in Las Vegas for Deeper Still this weekend? Leave us a shout out in the comments.
Tickets are still available if you want to go. We'd love to see you there.
2. I went to the LifeWay store today and, after much deliberation, my Bible study group has decided to do Priscilla Shirer's "Discerning the Voice of God" for the Fall.
Yes, I realize it's September, which is technically the Fall, but we're a little behind. We'll start the study in two weeks.
If any of you want to buy the book and play along at home, I'd love for us to do the study together and have weekly discussions about what we're learning in the comments. Let me know if you're interested.
3. The bright spot in yesterday, other than learning that you can put granulated sugar in a blender and make powdered sugar, was the release of Chris Tomlin's new CD "Hello Love".
It's every bit as good as I thought it would be. So far, I particularly like "All the Way My Savior Leads Me" and "My Beloved".
Last week, my Bible study group finished week seven of A Heart Like His.
For those of you playing at home, you may be thinking that we finished week six about three weeks ago. And you would be right.
But summer is a time full of vacations and no schedules. We have embraced summer and are not getting bogged down in Bible study legalism.
And, sure, we may not be finished learning about David until Christmas, but whatever.
Anyway, week seven is entitled "The Wages of Sin".
You just know it's not going to be pretty.
Sure enough, day one kicks off with David seeing Bathsheba taking a bath and ends with her being pregnant with his child.
Not good.
As many times as I've heard this story, I kept reading it wishing and hoping it would end differently than it did the first 100 times. Especially after I've spent the last six weeks following David's incredible rise to the throne and the character, dignity and faith in God that guided him along the way.
How did this happen? How did David fall?
Well, first, he fell because he was human. All of us are going to fail which is why we need Jesus.
But there were a few other factors.
He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had never noticed this before, but Beth points out in 2 Samuel 11:1 that we see David send Joab off to war instead of going himself. David stayed in Jerusalem when he should have been with his men.
When he walked up to the roof and saw Bathsheba bathing, he was in a place he shouldn't have been in the first place with too much time on his hands. That's a dangerous combination.
The sight of Bathsheba caused David to have thoughts he shouldn't have, which led to him sending for her, which led to the conception of a child.
I'll let y'all put all those pieces together.
The bottom line is that it was David's thoughts that began his journey down a bad road. If he had asked God to give him the strength to think on what is pure, what is lovely, what is holy as opposed to asking one of his men to go get Bathsheba, that would have been the end of the story.
Beth made it very clear how important it is that we safeguard ourselves from wrong actions by confessing the sins of our thoughts.
It's really made me think about my thought life. How many times do I let my mind go down a path it shouldn't go? How often do I get all judgy in my head about someone? How often do I dwell on something longer than I should?
I've spent the last week trying to remember to ask God to take those thoughts and forgive me for them before they turn into words or actions that could be hurtful.
I have a long way to go, but it's definitely made me think more about where I let my mind go and where it shouldn't go. Because how much better is it to stop something potentially hurtful in my head before it becomes a word or an action?
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2
If you missed the interview that Steven Curtis Chapman and his family did with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America then you are missing out.
I can't even imagine what they are going through, but what an incredible testimony of the power of hope in an Almighty God even in the midst of tragedy.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
Okay, I am in need of some assistance. Actually my beloved Bible study group is in need of assistance and I just know y'all will be able to help us out.
I mentioned before that we first started meeting last summer. We did Beth Moore's "Jesus, The One and Only" study and we all agreed that it was awesome. I loved meeting every week and hearing what everyone had learned as they completed their homework.
Then, last fall, we did "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place" by Beth Moore. (Is it just me or do you sense a theme?) We loved it and it was really cool to be immersed in the Old Testament after spending the summer learning about Jesus. It allowed us to get a grasp on God's plan from the very beginning.
In the spring, we went through "Believing God", also by Beth. This has been my personal favorite so far because it completely ministered to me where I am at this point in my life. I watched my faith and trust in God grow immeasurably during that time and, even now when I feel the fear and doubt start to rise, I begin to say "God is who He says He is, He can do what He says He can do, I am who God says I am, I can do all things through Christ, God's word is alive and active in me." And I feel his peace envelop me.
Guess what we're doing this summer? Another Beth Moore study. SHOCKING.
It's "A Heart Like His" and is about the life of David. It's pure awesome.
We know we want to meet in the fall, but we're trying to decide on a study. Our summer study is actually going to run through mid-September because of vacation schedules, etc., so we're looking for something that may be a little shorter.
It would be ideal if we could find something that we could finish by early December so that we can break for the holidays.
So what Bible studies have you loved? Any suggestions? Any of you doing Kelly Minter's "No Other Gods" on LPM? Do you love it? We need some input.
Our Bible study future is in your hands.
Seriously, no pressure.
We're counting on you.
It dawned on me the other day that there may be some of you who read this blog who don't read my personal blog. Which is totally fine. It's not a requirement or anything.
Anyway, I thought I should tell you a little more about me than what is contained in that ever so brief bio in the top corner. I originally wrote this for my blog about two years ago, but thought I would share it here so we can get to know each other better.
And if you feel like it, I'd love to hear a little bit about your own personal story in the comments.
I grew up in church, so I can't remember the first time I heard the story of the Prodigal Son. It was just another Bible story like Noah and the ark, Joseph and the coat of many colors, or Moses and the parting of the Red Sea. I never gave it much thought.
As a teenager, I slowly turned away from the Christian foundation I had been given as a child. I had always been just on the fringe of being really popular because I didn't drink and go to all the parties, and by my junior year I was sick of it. I jumped in with both feet and pretty quickly found myself dating one of the most popular boys in school, going to all the good parties (you know the ones that involved parents being out of town and kegs of beer), and rebelling from all I knew to be right.
My downward spiral continued throughout high school and well into college. I knew what was right, but I was so stubborn. As I became more and more unhappy with the choices I was making, I started looking for answers. Finally, one night during my senior year in college, I picked up a book called "No Wonder They Call Him the Savior" by Max Lucado.
His account of the prodigal son rocked me to my core. I had never before understood how much God loved me, how much He wanted me and how His grace completely covered every mistake I had made.
The next week I started attending a Bible study called Breakaway. I walked into the room feeling a little intimidated. A guy named Chris Tomlin (maybe y'all have heard of him?) started leading worship and sang a song called "Grace Flows Down".
I cried like a baby, not just a few tears but a full on ugly cry.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
Amazing Love, now flowing down
from hands and feet that were nailed to a tree
Your Grace flows down and covers me
and covers me
and covers me
and covers me
I knew that I was desperately in need of that grace.
I didn't care how I looked, I didn't care who was watching, and I didn't care what it cost me because, for the first time I realized that it had cost Him everything and He did it for me. And like the prodigal son, I went running home and the best part...my Father came running to meet me.
Five and a half years ago, P and I sat in a room while an ultrasound technician looked at the screen and told us we were having a baby girl.
I had long suspected it was a girl, but actually hearing the words made me start to cry. I was going to have a daughter!
As much as I thought I knew about having a girl, since, you know, I am one, there have been so many things that have surprised me.
Things like how 5 1/2 pounds of baby sweetness wrapped in a fluffy pink blanket caused my life to change forever or how obsessed I'd become with finding hairbows to match every outfit.
But of all the moments that have caught me unaware, the biggest one happened a few months ago.
Late one night, I heard Caroline calling for me from her room. I went in to see what she needed and she started to cry. Not just a little cry for sympathy, but a real heart-wrenching sobbing kind of cry.
She told me she had some "thoughts in her brain" that she couldn't get out of her head. And as I pressed her to tell me what was going on, she began to tell me about how one of her little girlfriends had been mean to her that day at school.
She'd told Caroline that unless Caroline played the game she wanted to play then she wasn't going to play with her anymore and would tell the other girls not to play with her either.
Before that time I had never wished harm on a four-year-old child, but I had also never experienced someone being mean to my baby. I had a strong desire to call that other little girl and threaten her Polly Pocket collection.
But, of course, that would have been inappropriate. And also psychotic.
The thing that struck me was the fact that "mean girl" politics had arrived in preschool. I thought it would be sometime around junior high and orthodontia before Caroline came home in tears because of something another girl said or did.
I was shocked we reached that occasion before elementary school.
Vicki Courtney is in the middle of working on a great new Bible study/DVD called "Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter" and she could use your input.
For those of you raising daughters, what have you had to deal with that has caught you completely off-guard?
Also, what are some situations you have encountered where you have not allowed her to participate in/do/own something and then been discouraged when her friends' parents give in with their own daughters. In other words, fill in the blank: "But Mom, eveeeeeeeryone but me gets to/has a ___________________ !"
And lastly, (oh I am demanding today) how old was your daughter when you experienced these moments?
I'd love to sympathize with those of y'all in the same stage and begin to pray hard as I realize what lies ahead.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that my Bible study group was doing Beth Moore's A Heart Like His this summer. Yesterday, I finished Week 5 entitled "The Long-Awaited Throne".
After all that David had been through, after all the times he had to wonder what God was doing and if he would really ever be king, he was finally anointed King of Israel. He'd spent fifteen years fighting battles to finally see God's promise revealed.
I tend to get impatient when God hasn't answered me in a day or two, much less waiting for fifteen years. How many times did David wonder if he had imagined the whole thing?
Anyway, the last lesson of Week 5 focused on when David brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel. 2 Samuel 6: 14 tells us that David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might.
His wife Michal, who was also Saul's daughter, watched him dance and the Bible says that she despised him in her heart. Later on, when David returns home, Michal mocks him and says that he has disgraced himself by disrobing in front of the slave girls.
In 2 Samuel 6:21-22, David replies, "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes."
Lately, I've been struggling with the realization that sometimes I am too concerned about the approval of man. I worry what other people think of me, I worry if I'm doing the right thing or acting the right way, I worry that people are judging my mothering abilities, or how I look, or what I'm wearing. I get caught up in the vicious cycle of wanting human approval.
David's words reminded me that all I have to be is who God made me to be. I need to seek Him with all my heart. I need to celebrate before the Lord and not be so concerned about what people think of me. I need to become "even more undignified than this" before my God.
Because no one is ever going to love me more than He does. No one will ever do for me what He has already done for me.
It's you, Lord, that I seek.
A long, long time ago before Deeper Still Atlanta, Sophie wrote a post on modesty that generated a lot of discussion in the comments.
And then we got all busy with official LifeWay stuff and didn't get to continue the conversation, so Sophie and I thought that we'd talk a little more about modesty.
Specifically, where to find modest clothes without showing up at the pool in what Ma Ingalls would have called her bathing dress and petticoat.
Since I have a four year old daughter, who already has strong opinions about what she wears, I thought I'd share what we do at our house and where we like to shop.
I have some basic rules. No Bratz anything, no strapless or tiny tops, no snarky sayings written in glittered calligraphy across a t-shirt, and always wear shorts or bloomers with dresses and skirts.
Oh, and nothing with Strawberry Shortcake. Not because she's immodest but because it gets on my nerves how she uses the word "berry" instead of "very".
It's a tricky fashion world out there for little girls. I mean, even Dora shows her tummy while she's out exploring with Boots.
As Caroline has more and more opinions about what she wears, I try to surrender my desire to dress her in perfectly matched ensembles complete with coordinating hairbows. She likes to pick out her own clothes and, within reason, I let her.
Well, with the exception of special occasions and church on Sundays. I prefer that we not look like we're raising a hobo.
My thought is that as she gets older there will be bigger battles to fight over modesty issues and for now I want to give her some freedom. As much as I cringe as I walk through Target with someone wearing jeans that are too short with a purple leotard, cowboy boots, and a ski cap, I let it go because she is immensely proud of her sartorial efforts.
I know that many of y'all have older kids and are fighting the modesty battle in full force, while I am still figuring it out. At one point this spring I bought Caroline what looked like a darling one-piece bathing suit from Gap, but once she tried it on I realized it looked too sophisticated for a little girl, so I returned it.
It wasn't that it revealed too much, it just seemed too grown up. So I'm realizing that modesty isn't always just about coverage, but about the overall look.
So, enough of my rambling thoughts. Here are some places where I've had great luck finding cute, appropriate clothing for girls.
I love CWD Kids because their stuff is stylish, yet perfect for kids.
Lands End is another great place to find age appropriate clothes, plus you can now find a lot of their stuff at Sears.
Hanna Andersson is a little pricey, but their stuff lasts forever.
Kelly's Kids always has the best stuff and it's 50/50 blend so it doesn't shrink no matter how many times you dry it.
Most of the stuff at Orient Expressed is for younger kids, but I just love all their sweet things.
I am a huge fan of Gap clothing. It holds up really well and I can always count on finding sale items.
And, honestly, one of my favorite places in the world to shop for Caroline is on Ebay. I have found some great deals on retail and handmade clothes over the years. It's always the first place I look when I'm shopping for new clothes.
Speaking of, I am going to be doing a lot of shopping for new clothes this fall. After going through her closet, I've discovered that she has officially outgrown everything. We will be starting over from scratch.
Oh the joy of spending money on a new wardrobe that's not for me.
What about y'all? Where do you like to shop for your kids? What do you look for in clothes for them? What are your rules?
Last night I went to dinner with about ten other bloggers. We all live in the same town, and we decided a couple of months ago - after reading each other's blogs for awhile - that it might be fun to get together and hang out in person. Face-to-face. Without computer monitors in between us.
And do you know what? We had the best time. I so enjoyed getting to meet everybody live and in person, and I feel like I have a new little community-o-bloggy-buddies right here where I live. I hope so much that we'll get together again. I have a feeling that we will.
Now for the record, I would just like to state that if you had told me in the early- to mid-nineties that I would be making friends on the computer, I would have told you to put down the science fiction novels and get out in the real world with those of us who were engaging in deeply meaningful activities like watching "The Arsenio Hall Show" and talking on our bag phones.
But the fact of the matter is that over the last two and a half years I've met some amazing women through blogging. Melanie and I laugh all the time that we met ON THE INTERNET, and yet she is now such a huge part of my life that it feels like we've known each other forever. I don't know what I'd do without her.
And that reminds me.
When Mel and I were at Deeper Still a couple of weeks ago I noticed a group of women sitting to our left. They wore matching brown t-shirts, and I just assumed that they were from the same church group or Bible study. But a few days ago someone sent me a link to this post, and I read the story of the girls in the brown t-shirts. Then I cried like a baby.
(Go ahead and click on that link. Really. It's a must-read. I'll wait right here for you. No rush.)
There's no question that the internet has its issues. OH MERCY does it have its issues. But one of the most amazing benefits it offers - at least in my opinion - is the opportunity to fellowship with other women, to engage in community with people who are walking the same road - whether that road is lined with demanding careers, tight budgets, three children under the age of five or hurts so deeply profound that you're not even sure if you can get out of the bed most mornings.
I think what touches me the most about the story of the women in the brown shirts is just the simple fact that they found each other. It would have been practically impossible for those women to connect even ten years ago, but thanks to the internet, they found each other.
And as a result of finding each other, they've prayed with each other. Ministered to each other. Worshipped with each other.
The interweb is a marvel, y'all.
So what about you? Have you met any "blogging buddies" in real life? Have you found any unexpected friendships along the way?
Can't wait to read your stories.
I got home from the She Speaks Conference yesterday around 12:30 p.m.
It would have been sooner but apparently the flight crew was having some issues with the airplane plumbing. Something about potable water and not wanting the plane to become filled with any stank nasty during our flight.
The flight attendant didn't actually use the term stank nasty, but I feel certain she was thinking it.
The conference was awesome and I was especially moved by the fact that when Lysa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries began her talk on Friday night that she spoke about David and the importance of tending your sheep.
It sounded vaguely familiar.
I believe in some circles it would be referred to as GETTING A WORD.
Any time God is trying to tell me something He tends to get repetitive.
So, after an awesome weekend this past weekend, I'm so excited about heading out to Deeper Still in Atlanta this weekend.
Because something tells me that God is going to use Beth, Kay and Priscilla to give a lot of women A WORD.
Do you see how I just call them Beth, Kay and Priscilla like we're all going to be hanging out in our jammies eating Funyuns and M&M's on Friday night?
Other than the fact we've never met, we are very tight.
In all seriousness, I can't wait to see what God is going to do. I know He has planned this weekend from the beginning of time and has some incredible things in store.
My prayer this week is that He will speak to the Deeper Still team in a profound way, that He will help everyone arrive safely in Atlanta and that He will rock our worlds in ways we can't even imagine.
If any of y'all happen to have any tickets that you aren't going to use, I know a few women who may be interested. Just let me know in the comments.
And if you're thinking you'd love the chance to go to Deeper Still but can't be in Atlanta, you've got one more chance this year.
LAS VEGAS, BABY.
Beth, Kay, and Priscilla are going to bring the JESUS to Las Vegas on September 5-6.
Now THAT will be something to see.
So, grab your girlfriends and make plans to head to Las Vegas this September. You'll be so glad you did.
So, Sophie's Bible study group is doing Kay Arthur's "Return to the Garden" study this summer and my group is doing "A Heart Like His" by Beth Moore.
She's studying sex and I'm studying the life of David.
And judging by a little story about David and Bathsheba, I'd say David dealt with some sex issues.
But that's not what I'm talking about today. My group just finished Week One, so we haven't really gotten that far. We're only to the part where he killed Goliath with a slingshot.
Of course everyone knows that story because it is a big hit on the Sunday School flannel board circuit, as opposed to the whole Bathsheba thing which doesn't translate well to the Sunday School crowd.
It would raise some awkward questions from the six year olds.
Much better to stick with being thrown in a pit of fire or a den of lions. You know, family friendly stuff.
Anyway, as I finished my lessons last week, something really stood out to me about the life of David that I'd never thought about before.
In I Samuel 16: 1-13 God tells Samuel to go see Jesse of Bethlehem because He has chosen one of his sons to be the new king. Samuel went and when he got there He listened to God and anointed David with oil. Verse 13 says, "...and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power."
Yeah, so that's pretty cool.
But here's what I thought about. What happened after that moment? David has just been anointed with oil in the presence of his brothers, did any of them realize the significance of that moment? Did they know what was in store for their little brother?
And what about David? Did he just head on back to tend his sheep? I mean, I'm sure he did because that was his job. He tended the sheep. It wasn't as if he all of a sudden found himself sitting on a throne up in some sweet palace.
Haven't you ever felt that way? Something big happens or you feel like you've had some huge life moment and then the next day or the next minute you're back to scrubbing the toilet and cooking up some Kraft mac and cheese for the family.
Hopefully, you're not doing both at the same time because EWWW.
And if you're like me, you may wonder how God is going to bring you from where you are to where He wants you to be. How is He going to use you when you're busy running carpool or cleaning out the fridge?
How is He going to provide for your family? How is He going to use something bad that happened for good?
How is He going to get a young shepherd boy from the pasture to the throne?
In I Samuel 16: 14-23 we begin to see the answer. Saul is tormented by an evil spirit and was in need of some harp music. And, really, who doesn't benefit from a little harp music from time to time?
One of his servants happens to know a friend of a friend that knows David (I just made that up, I don't know how the servant actually knew David) and Hey! He plays the harp.
So Saul summons David to the palace to play the harp.
From the pasture to the throne.
Not because of anything David did or any situation he tried to work to his benefit. He was doing what he was supposed to be doing, where he was supposed to be doing it and God was in control.
God knew how to get David to the throne.
I know I have days (okay, honestly, maybe weeks) where I wonder how God can use me when I'm playing Kids' Cruise Director all day long.
"Welcome to your playroom. I don't feel bad that you're bored. Find something to play with or I will sell your toys to neighborhood children for $1.00."
But what I realized doing this study this week is that God knows the plans He has for me (doesn't it say that in the Bible somewhere?) and He is going to work in my life to fulfill those plans.
I need to listen to His voice and go when He says go, stay when He says stay, and pray when I'm not sure what He's saying one way or the other.
He can take me from my pasture to my throne.
Because, you know, He's God.
After I had my daughter Caroline in the summer of 2003, I struggled with a lot of things. Things like why does she wake up every night at 3 a.m. and will my stomach ever go back to its former size. Oh, and the crying. All the crying.
Of course everyone assured me the crying would stop once my hormones leveled out. And chocolate helped immensely. Not so much with the stomach issue, but with the hormonal surges.
At the time I was a working mama so I was also having a hard time finding a good balance for my life. Specifically, I wanted to get involved in a women's Bible study, but there just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day.
Most of the churches in my neighborhood only offered morning Bible studies but that didn't work for my schedule. And by the time night came, all I wanted to do was sleep. Oh sweet sleep, how I adore thee.
So I didn't do anything. And as a result I felt my faith growing really stagnant, which isn't really a good thing considering that I was at a point in life where I knew I needed God's input more than ever.
Finally, last spring, my best friend Gulley asked me if I'd be interested in doing a summer Bible study with her, even if it was just the two of us. I told her to count me in.
And thus, the best Bible study group ever was created.
No, it's not just Gulley and me.
At first glance our group seems completely random. None of us were really tied together in any way, other than we all had some association with Gulley.
I remember thinking the first night we met that we couldn't have tried to come up with a more diverse group.
We spent last summer studying Beth Moore's "Jesus, The One and Only" and none of us have ever gotten more out of a study than we did in those ten weeks. Of course the study was phenomenal and is one of my personal favorites, but the relationships that developed during that time were incredible.
In fact, as the summer went on we started talking about what we wanted to do in the fall because we couldn't imagine breaking up our little group. God has truly knit our hearts together in a way that only He can do.
And when I look at our group now, I realize it wasn't random at all. Each one of us was put there for a specific purpose.
Our group has a mama with older kids who assures us that there will come a day when we'll get to sleep without a little person in our bed, and those of us with little ones tell the ones without kids to RUN! RUN LIKE THE WIND AND GO TO THE MOVIES! OR OUT TO DINNER! DO IT NOW WHILE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIRE A BABYSITTER!
We laugh with each other, we pray with each other, we encourage each other. We know that if any of us has a need then the others are just an email or a phone call away.
And most importantly, we can't wait for Tuesday nights.
This summer we're doing "A Heart Like His" by Beth Moore. I already know it will be awesome. I'll keep y'all posted!
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris
Dawn
Dawn