A Peaceful Home

So, after several attempts at a post, I'm going all or nothing right now! For some reason this theme of peace and home won't leave my brain, so I'm gonna go with that!

My Music-Man and I work very hard to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in our home. Of course we have our moments where we snap at the kids, or at each other. Come on! We're not perfect! BUT, peace is very important to us.

My house is not the nicest, or the best decorated or furnished by far, but it is very comfortable, and very welcoming. I want people to feel at home when they walk through my doors, and want to come back! I love coming home to what we've worked so hard to cultivate....and I long to be here when I've been away for too long.

Isaiah 32:18 says - "My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." This is what I so desperately want for my home, and family. There is so much strife and uncertainty in the rest of the world, I do NOT want that spilling into my home or my family!

We aren't perfect, but we love each other, and we love people, and we love having people in our home!! I am learning that home may not necessarily be where the heart is, cause I'm leaving parts of mine all over the eastern seaboard...but I feel VERY at home here! Home is your refuge, your safe place, the place you long to be when you're away from it. The place that looks like you, and reflects you, the who you are in the very core of you. Home is where your story begins! :)

Dreams, Plans and a New Year

Well, the holiday season was just amazing for our family! We had a fantastic, peaceful Christmas, followed by a week of a house full of family, and a great start to this new year!

2010 could not have ended any better for my little family. We had a new friend (and now, new addition to our family) stay with us on Christmas Eve, and enjoy all of the Christmas morning chaos in our home! This was her first Christmas away from home, and we were happy to welcome her into our hearts. We all (especially the kids) were excited to bless her, and share our family with her on Christmas morning. Judith is  now living with us, and quickly becoming a part of our family unit.

Shortly after Christmas, my mom, brother and sister in law and niece and nephew came to stay with us for a few days, and see what life in Alabama is like for us. We packed a lot of fun into just 5 days! We went to Gulf Shores, New Orleans, the doctor (for my brother's back-he hurt it on the plane on the way here) and took a driving tour of downtown Mobile. It was just a good time to reconnect and show my family the new area of the world we are living in.

Since the start of 2011, God has been doing some amazing things in Jon and I. We had a women's conference this past Saturday, and God just spoke to me in such an impactful way! There were some dreams in me that I had let die, due to lack of support and sense of self worth.....but God is faithful, and if He has called you to do something, He won't let it die out! He spoke to me in such a clear way about some things that I was completely blown away, and now even more excited to see what this year will hold for me! Even the fact that I am thinking about something for me is a huge deal!

God shows me more and more the importance of even having a dream. My heart breaks for the people walking around out there with no dreams or plans for their future, the people who are stuck in survival mode. That is just no way to live! Life is so much fuller when you have a vision, or goal, to work towards, something that makes you feel alive, and gives you the desire to move forward. I grieve for those who feel they have no dream, or that their dreams have died. As long as you are alive and breathing, you can dream! If one dream has failed, its not too late to dream another dream! Live for something bigger than you! It makes everything worth it!

So, I am excited for this new year, and all the possibility it holds. The beginning of this year is so drastically different from last, and leaves me with an overwhelming feeling of - HOPE! I pray that you and your family will experience that same feeling for 2011....

Amazing People

Well, here we are in one of the busiest seasons for pastors. Our Christmas dinner theater started last night, and runs twice today. It was so much fun!!! We're doing "God With Us", the theme is seeing God in the stories and lives of others....and that has got me to thinking....(uh oh!)

Life is hard. Most of us have experienced this in one way or another. And sometimes it stinks! BUT - we survive, we enjoy and we love through it all!! Hearing the testimonies of the amazing things God has done in the lives of others is inspiring, and thinking about all we've been through as a family is amazing! Through all of it God is good, and His love endures forever. His mercies are new every morning, and His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I stand by a statement I have made many times in my own trials....I don't know how people get through life without the grace and mercy of God!

I am constantly confronted with how brutal life can be for people. I see good people being hurt, abused, abandoned, and forgotten all the time. I see some of them come through it stronger and with more faith than ever before. I see some people walk away from God and head down a path of sure destruction. My heart breaks for every one of them.

What my MusicMan and I went through over this past year alone could have destroyed us, if we had let it. The things our extended family has endured could have done the same. BUT for the grace of God! It was in those times that we chose to draw near to the one who in turn, draws near to us. Nothing looked perfect in the process, and it was HARD....but we made it! Things still aren't easy, and memories will invade at the most inopportune times, but God has and will continue to sustain us. I know this with all certainty because I TRUST Him - and He hasn't let me down yet!

He hasn't always worked things out the way I would have done it, but it looks so much better with His stamp of approval. There have been times in my past that God has allowed me to have exactly what I prayed for, and it was a total disaster! Then, He gently showed me what He had for me all along.....and it was exactly what I needed.

I tried life on my own, completely shutting God out of every thought and decision I made. From that, I made a horrible mess of my circumstances, friendships, and my heart. There is still work to be done to undo what I created in me....but I know God is working all things out for my good, because I love Him, and I trust Him and I have completely and wholly turned my life over to Him.

There are people out there who think God miraculously makes your life into a sunny bed of roses when you decide to follow Him. How untrue and absurd that is! God stands by His Word, and whatever a man sows, so shall he reap. Ouch! Good or bad, you're gonna get a harvest....so be careful what you're planting! Yes, bad things happen for no reason at all, and to good people, but that doesn't mean God's not there. There is an enemy of our soul who wants to kill us, any way he can, and he will try everything! BUT, there is a lover of our soul, who wants good and perfect gifts for us, and He is our protector, our banner, our strong tower, our provider, our healer, our deliverer!! We just need to take one simple step, and believe Him to be true!

I know in my life, I wouldn't have it any other way! I pray that someone will read this and be encouraged, and hope will spring alive inside you, and you will believe that God is in control, and He won't let you down! He may not deliver you from what you're facing, but He will surely carry you through it!

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. 

~ Psalm 23:4

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. 

~ Psalm 25:4-5

Monday, Monday

Hello blog world! It's so nice to be back....

I guess I kinda disappeared for a while there. Things got a little crazy in my life, and since everything is so new, I got overwhelmed. I really missed sharing my life, and reading about yours, and I am making a stand on this rainy Monday in Mobile. I will blog again!!

I will just post the highlights for now....I don't want to overwhelm everyone with everything all at once.

First, we had to give our dog back. My adorable Smooter is gone to a new home.  We had an altercation with her, and she bit me and drew blood (and left a scar!) and then the kids were afraid of her. After she drew blood, she seemed to change in personality too....so we are a pet free home once again. *sigh*

We took our first road trip since we've moved. We got to go to SC to visit our family for Thanksgiving....and we enjoyed every second of it! My only complaint about the trip is that it was way too short!

Things have been going well for us all the way down here in Alabama. We are getting more and more settled, and still building all of those deep, meaningful relationships that we so desire. But the longer we are here, the more we are certain that God is doing something awesome in our lives, and through our church. We couldn't be more grateful to have gone through what we did, to get to where we are, so we have the ability to be what God has called us to be!

I guess a lot of this has been very general, and big picture....but I'll get to details later. I am just happy to be writing again.

Well, I hope everyone enjoys their Monday! I know that seems quite paradoxical to say, but I pray it will happen for you!!

Staff Retreat

Well, tomorrow is the big day....the start of our staff retreat! I have to admit, I am a little nervous. This is our first time away with our new staff (we have only been here for a little over 4 months!), and we don't know what to expect. It will be fun, and challenging, and nerve-racking, I'm sure!

So, for the next few days, I will be off-line. This is my short post to say, there will be no post for a good week or two, because we are going away.

If you happen to think of me this week, pray for me. I want to be myself, and have fun, and not be nervous and worried about what I'm saying and what everyone else is thinking the whole time. Thanks!

Wordless Witness

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." ~ Matthew 5:14-16

God has really been dealing with me about this subject lately -- Am I an example of His love and power in this world? Can people see Jesus in me when they walk by me in Wal-Mart? Do I need to actually open my mouth for others to know that I love Jesus, and Jesus loves them?

I have to say, I honestly don't know. And that disappoints me. I want to be so full of the love of Christ, that when someone walks by me, they can tell there's something different about me. I want to be able to smile at someone and change their life. I want to be able to look at someone and make them feel like they are worth a million bucks! I want a continuous flow of the love of Christ to be coming out of me!

There are so many hurting, hopeless people in this world, and we come into contact with them EVERYDAY! How are we, as Christians, making a difference in this world? These are the questions that have been bothering me lately, and I don't have any easy answers for them. I do know, that for the first time in my life, I really care about them! God has been changing my heart from being selfish, and self-centered, to begin looking toward others. I know how good I can be at hiding when I'm having a bad day, so how many people do I run into that are even better at it than I am!?! And how many of those people have it so much worse than I do? Dear Jesus!

The world we live in is so desperately wicked, and produces many who are living in survival mode - not the blessed life! I said in my last post, I really don't know how people can make it in life without Christ as their focus and stability...especially when the going gets rough! I wanna be an agent of change! I want to be able to be effective in seeing the brokenhearted restored, and full of love, and then sharing their love with others! I want to see a drastic change in the world we live in!

So, I am going to challenge you, who have taken your time to read this post, and I include myself in this challenge, and say - be the light in this world! Be the example of Christ that can't be mistaken! Be the only love that someone may see today, and make a difference in your community! Let your light shine before men!!

Crazy Week

(this is Smooter the day we brought her home....she is now over 25 pounds!)

Hello friends! Sorry I have been a bit absent...I am amazed at times that I made it through this week alive! It has been eventful, to say the least. Let's do a quick recap....

Monday - I went to the doctor, diagnosed with kidney infection, made it through the day, had a great small group meeting at my house at night, went to bed

Tuesday - went to work, left 10 minutes early in extreme pain, did nothing the rest of the night, I was done

Wednesday - horrible pain + fever = emergency room visit....the infection was gone, and they could give no explanation for my pain except that my kidneys were irritated and hadn't caught up to the antibiotic yet....not fun

Thursday - our day off, actually had a pretty good day!, finally watched The Blindside (great movie!), got bit by dog (my Smooter!) that night....and she drew blood

Friday - back and forth all day about whether or not to keep Smooter, decided we can't trust she won't bite again....have to take her back to the Humane Society tomorrow.....have very mixed feelings about this

So, that's my week in a nutshell! Aren't you jealous!?!? :o)  Thank God I have a sense of humor, and his grace is sufficient for me - otherwise, I'd be a cooked goose right now!

This whole week has just been an all out attack of the enemy on our church staff and leadership! I went to the ER, another staff person's son was hospitalized, there have been several different-household cases of a stomach bug, a sinus infection, an unidentified rash, power outages, and financial strain to the breaking point! And that's just the stuff we know about!! It's war time!!

I am thankful that I have a God who is strong when I am weak, who is my joy when I am sad, who gives me grace to make it through the day when I don't think I can, who meets my every need! I have said it before, and I'll say it again....I don't know how people survive in this world without a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord! It seems impossible to me!

So, myself and the rest of my church staff would appreciate any prayers you would like to send our way! My personal, immediate concern at the moment is the children's reactions to giving up the dog. Gabe has totally bonded with her, but does get sick of her pretty quickly, and they all lock her out of the room that they are in more often than they play with her. Libby did admit to me today, that after seeing Smooter bite me, she is a little afraid of her. So.....please pray for us! Thank you!!

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." ~ Psalm 91:1-2