Ask and You Shall Receive!

For a long while now I have been learning about peace and contentment. It's sometimes hard to have either, but you need one to have the other. I asked God to teach me about peace and contentment as I plodded along on this journey. He said "ask and ye shall receive"! I was getting the peace thing down pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good. So I moved on to the contentment. This must have pleased God that I wanted to learn something about contentment so much that He decided to give me a hands-on lesson. The first thing I learned is that contentment (and peace for that matter) has nothing to do with my circumstances and everything to do with God being in control. The hands-on learning began this weekend when I discovered several large charges to my account that I didn't make myself. The lesson included several phone calls and visits to the bank and the police station. Even though I was stressed about the situation I still felt a stillness in my heart, a confidence if you will, that God had it all under control--even if the outcome was negative. I knew this feeling wasn't from me or anything that I could work up. Now, I am the one that is calm when everyone else is freaking out. But that's not to say that I am not capable of my own freaking out episode. I just mean that trying as this has been, I had peace and contentment that I would not have normally. I even slept well the night after I found out about this little bit of thievery! So I trust that God has it all under control. The good and the bad. Though stress and anxiety is a normal human emotion, peace and contentment is possible through it all. Through Him.

Hold My Hand

Last weekend I watched another friend lay her child to rest. Gut wrenching for anyone, especially Moms I think. Age of the child is no factor in the loss. I have been to funerals for infants, teens, and those in their fifties and sixties and the hearts of the parents are crushed regardless of how long they had their child with them.

My best friend lost her son at 19. He was my son's best friend and spent many hours at our house. I don't know what it feels like to lose a child (thank you, God), but that was as close as I care to come. One of the songs that was played at his funeral was played at this funeral last weekend. When I heard it I felt like I couldn't breathe. All of the sudden I was attending two funerals. It was just too much for me and I had to go out.

I don't know why these things happen. I don't know how anyone could get through that without the Lord. Where could you go for comfort or strength or peace? I don't see any other possible source.

"I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says, "Do not fear, I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

BEAUTY IS SNOW WHITE

I am captured again for the second time in two weeks by the beauty of the snowfall. The snow is so white and clean. There is a stillness in the air as the flakes float through the sky. The ground is covered in a blanket of soft purity. All the surronding countryside stands still and seems to hold its breath.

Pardon me for waxing poetic. Why am I so taken with the white stuff? Well, because I live in Alabama. We RARELY ever get any snow above a flurry. This year we have had two very significant snow events within two weeks of each other. The day after Christmas we got almost two inches. January 9th brought another 4 to 6 inches here.

I know that may be nothing to you depending on where you live, but we here in the South are totally unprepared for such weather. With half an inch of snow on the ground and everything closes including the roads. We can't drive in this beautiful icy stuff that so gracefully covers everything in sight. Snow plows are few and very far between down in these parts.

Each time this rare event occurs, I am absolutely fascinated with it. The snowy blanket that covers the ground always reminds me of God's forgiveness and how His mercy washes us clean so that our hearts are pure. The quiet stillness in the air brings with it a reverence that I liken to the feeling I get whenever I enter into communion with my heavenly Father in prayer. Knowing that each snowflake is different from the next is a reminder of God's endless creativity. Sitting in my window looking out at the snowcovered countryside I appreciate again the beauty of my Creator. I am thankful for eyes to see this snow white beauty.

Take time to pause a moment and appreciate whatever beauty is around you right now. Thank God for the experience and for your ability to enjoy it.

New Year Do Over

It's a new year today. I feel like I am getting a do over. Really I am not because the choices I've made follow me into the new year. But I always feel like the slate is wiped clean at the end of each year.
One of the goals I have set for myself this year is to memorize more scripture. To hold myself accountable to someone, I joined Beth Moore and the other siestas on her Living Proof Ministries blog. Twice a month we each post our scripture verses that we will be working on. Siestas (sisters) encourage each other on the journey and celebrate with one another at the end of each year.
I logged on this moring just three hours after Beth's first post was up. We were to each log on and post our first scripture and Bible version. In just that short time there were already 22 pages of comments. As I write this there are 75 pages and 3,900 posts. There are probably alot more posts awaiting moderation. WOW! That's a lot of women making scripture memorization a priority this year.
As I scanned down the pages reading the scriptures that were posted tears came to my eyes. It was so touching. All those women trusting God, trying to grow closer to Him. Some hurting and struggling. Some just trying to find more peace and joy. What a marvelous thing our God is doing and will do in our lives this year! I am so glad to begin this journey. Hope you will joing me.

What Makes Me Happy

There are few things that make me truly happy besides my God and my family. Teaching the children at our church, a huge VBS each summer, and having a packed children's department on Sunday mornings are a few things that do go a long way to making me happy. Today as I went from room to room and saw how each one was full of happy kids and teachers, my heart was warmed. I was filled with excitment that lasted all day long.
There is just something about seeing those kids actively engaged in learning and enjoying being at church that makes a wave of excitment sweep over the whole department. Having five new visitors just added to the whole experience. Teachers were smiling and thrilled. Games were going great. Lessons were going great. Yes, it was a great day! (Well there was this one little girl who decide to try and find her mother all by herself. But, that's another story.)
I love this feeling. I wish that I could hang on to it, have it every Sunday. But ministry is not always exciting and sometimes is down right hard. I wouldn't trade this for anything though. Next Sunday I will arrive with a sense of anticipation. Will that excitment fill our children and teachers? I pray that it will. There is nothing that compares to serving our Lord.

Passing Thoughts

My brother-in-law passed away one week ago today. He was diagnosed with Alzheimers in February of this year. He had progressed so fast that his wife was about to have to put him in a nursing home. She had called and started the admitting procedures, but he died that very evening. I regret that he passed away and left his family. However I am so grateful that he is no longer suffering. He won't have to live in a nursing home. That is a great comfort to me and my husband.
Our three-year-old granddaughter ask what happened to him. Not knowing exactly what to say to her, I just told her that he was asleep. Later on during the service she was sitting on my lap as a PowerPoint slideshow began to play on the screen at the front of the church. She looked up at the pictures of my brother-in-law and said, "OH! He woke up!" "Yes, he did." I thought to myself. He really did. He went to sleep here and woke up in heaven.
At times like these my faith is a great comfort to me. I believe the Bible and what it teaches us about Heaven, God, and Jesus. I know that someday I will also go to Heaven because Jesus is my Savior and he died to pay the payment for my sins. I will see my brother-in-law again as well as all those I have known who have passed on before me. I will also see my Jesus and thank Him for all He has done for me.
If you have any questions about my faith, just ask. I will do my best to answer. This same comfort is available to everyone.

Connections

I love to read. Recently I read "Visioneering" by Andy Stanley and "A Journey to Victorious Praying" by Bill Thrasher. That may seem a strange pair without any connection. I would agree--until. Until I had finished both the books and saw how the book on prayer would actually help me with the visoneering.
In the book "Visioneering" I was lead to develop a vision for every area in life--not just ministry. A vision is just how you want your family, your job, your life, your whatever to be. Then you take steps to realize that vision. In the book "A Journey to Victorious Praying" I learned how to take trials, temptations, and struggles and turn them into opportunities to pray. Like when I am tempted to eat even when I am not really hungry (emotional eating), then I stop and pray for people all over the world who are hungry even starving and people who don't have enough to eat. My temptation then becomes an opportunity to pray.
So, here's the trick. Whenever I begin to worry about people or situations that I cannot change, I turn to the Lord in prayer and pray for that person and situation. When I am discouraged about minsitry, I pray for the children and parents to which I minister. I pray for the ministry volunteers. I add in a little prayer for myself too! :) These prayers will help me realize my visions.
Try this, it really works!