User ID and Password

I got into bed tonight and went to the Bible App on my phone...haven't been there in a while. I was trying to set up a reading plan and it kept taking me to the sign in screen. I put in my user name and password (so I thought) and it would say incorrect password, so I tried to figure out what I had previously set up as my password. After several attempts at either trying to get it right or trying to set up a new account, I became very frustrated and said to Peyton "I just want to read the Bible!"  I felt Satan trying to deter my plan. Obviously all I had to do was reach to my bedside table and grab the Bible that lay there, but I was really wanting to start a certain plan in the App and it became a challenge. 

During my quiet time, I started thinking how grateful I was that reading the Word of God was as easy as reaching to the table beside me. I mean, can we really even grasp how amazing that is?? 

Thank you Lord for making Your Word available to me. You require no User ID, no password, no secret security question...just a heart that longs for you!

What is our life reflecting?

Sometimes I feel like this is a place to confess instead of a blog. When I write, I write what weighs on my heart. I use examples of what goes on around me in my daily life or beautiful things that God has set before me that I have often ignored.  This one is a doozy and I am ashamed, but feel like it is something I do without even realizing. This time it was so blatant, I was convicted instantly. For my friends who do not know...my blog instantly goes on my church website. I truly am an open book and I want my weaknesses to be used however God sees fit. So here goes....

Peyton and I were at Verizon this weekend. We had been arguing over a stupid phone and I was super irritated. We had gone through loop after loop to try and get the situation fixed, but ran into several bumps in the road. I was talking to the man and I said "she doesn't need a "_______" 5C, she can settle for whatever she can get. (You can fill in the blank). No more than 1 minute later, I said "I forgot....someone at my church has one for sale." Boom!!! Instant conviction. I had instantly labeled Christians in two sentences. So many people reject Christianity because what they see from a Christian is no different than what they see from the world. I was that Christian. Oh how I wished I would have turned around and told him how truly sorry I was for my "example". But I didn't....I just walked out and whispered "Lord, please forgive me."  

We are stamped with a precious label "Child of God". Even if someone can't physically see our stamp, they should be able to tell by our actions. How often have I hid my stamp? How often have I brought shame to my Savior's Name? We are called to be different, to be Holy. My actions were anything but. We represent the Most Holy King every second. How are we representing Him? 

I could lie and say this is my first time...but it's not. So I am asking prayer to help remove the sin of profanity. But please understand it's not just the words we say...it's our actions. When we leave church and go out to eat...how do we treat our waitresses or waiters? When someone needs help, do we help with a cheerful heart or wait for someone else to do what we should do? There are so many ways our life should bring glory to God. Let's remember this as we live our lives. We are representing Him! 

Proverbs 27:19 "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."

My outward actions show me I have a lot of cleaning to do in my heart. 

Guilty as Charged

I have watched the St.Clair Saints football team play at home for years. I love going and hearing the sound of the band playing, the cheerleaders cheering on their team and watching the enthusiasm spread as the team bursts through the signs the Cheerleaders have painted.  I love the high fives, the "good game pats" and the chest bumps given from player to player. There is just something about those Friday nights! 

So here's the part that I haven't liked since I have been a Saint's fan. I have sat on the home side with my hand over my eyes complaining year after year about the sun blaring in my eyes. I mean after all...isn't the stadium supposed to be set up where it blares in the opposing fan's eyes? (No offense to our opposing fans.) 

This Friday night I saw something more beautiful than I've almost ever seen. (Don't get out much.)  It had been raining most of the afternoon and somehow the weird weather had made the most beautiful sunset. (Y'all know I'm a sucker for a sunset.). My eyes were fixed upon the glorious sight and I had no idea what was going on in the game. As I later looked at the picture I snapped, I thought how many times have I missed this sight because I was too busy complaining about the sun being in my eyes? Had our stadium been built the way I think it should have been...I would have missed this moment. 

Life is so similar isn't it? We think things should be this way or that way. We are too busy complaining about small stuff that we miss the big things. How many blessings has God laid before us and we haven't even noticed because we are so wrapped up in the way we think things should be? Too busy complaining about trivial things to even notice the Big picture?  I titled this "Guilty as Charged" because I am that person. How much have I missed because of my grumbling? 

I don't ever want to miss anything this beautiful again....

Chasing the Sunset

Last week I was going somewhere on 174 towards Springville. It was evening...the sun was just about to set for the night. As I was driving, I saw the sun as beautiful as I have ever seen it. It was so big and words couldn't describe how it took my breath away. Unfortunately, as soon as I saw it, it lowered into the trees that were in my vision. I sped up and almost raced down 174 just to try to get one last glimpse before it was gone. I almost felt a sense of urgency to be able to soak in the beauty that was placed before me. Unfortunately it set entirely too fast and I was only able to see the first glimpse. 

This week our family has been faced with uncertainty, pain and fear. I can't help but think about the way I felt driving that evening....as if my life wouldn't be complete unless I were able to fully place my eyes on the beauty that God had set before me. I have felt that same urgency this week. Obviously not about seeing the sunset, but about the urgency and desperation of hearing God's words and promises. I have chased Him with urgency and hung on to every word He has given me. I have searched Him and ran as fast I could to get a glimpse of His glory. Unlike the sun that quickly sets, He has been here every step. I have seen His beauty and felt His presence and comfort. I have whispered His promises until I lay fast asleep. 

I have also felt convicted and wondered why it takes feeling desperate before realizing that I am truly desperate for Him. Why do I chase Him with such urgency during bad times when His beauty is the same in good times? Don't I want to feel His presence everyday through all circumstances? He is much more than a sunset....He is the CREATOR of that sunset. He is the ONE who should be chased. The most beautiful part is, He isn't hiding behind the trees. He is here and waiting with open arms to welcome us. 

" As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalms 42:1

Accepting the power and grace of the Holy Spirit through our times of suffering

So many times I have heard how strong I am to have dealt with the loss of my daughter Blair. My answer is always the same "no no I'm really not strong." I never know how to react to this statement because I know myself and my weaknesses. It's sometimes hard to make it through a full day without just wanting to crawl up in bed because of something trivial, so how in the world could I have made it through the most devastating time in my life? When I say I am weak... I mean I am weak. 

So how do I explain this? I am reading a book by Beth Moore about John. It is called The Beloved Disciple. My answer comes in 1 Peter 1:7 "These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold , which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  She states those who are faithful in the midst of immense suffering somehow allowed their fiery trials to purify them rather than destroy them. 

Like so many who I have heard say " I could never get through this or that", I myself have stated these same words. As a matter of fact I still find myself saying "I can't imagine" when hearing many stories of people's suffering. We automatically set ourselves up for failure before our trials even come.  Beth states "God grants us grace and mercy according to our need."

We aren't able to handle these things until the times comes and God grants us the grace through the Holy Spirit. It is our choice to accept it or not. Friends, the only thing I did right during my time of suffering is run to Him and embrace his grace and power given to me through His Holy Spirit. He gives us just what we need just when we need it. He's never late or stingy. Praise God! I am weak, oh so weak....but He is oh so strong!

Against the Odds

So today I am celebrating 20 years of marriage with Poncho. I look back and think how in the world have we made it through everything that has been thrown at us through the years? Being pregnant at 19 and not having a clue what life was really about. Taking a lifetime vow with someone who could barely stand to be around me two weeks in a row. Moving in with his parents whom I felt expected way to much from me. (Cleaning that one room and doing my own laundry was tough!)  Changing the way I was used to living and trying to learn to care for another living being that God blessed us with.  Suffering a miscarriage 2 years into our marriage, struggling with finances, dealing with health issues, and the most difficult of all...trying to cope with the loss of our sweet Blair. 

I say all of this not to sound prideful, but to show that we serve a Mighty God who for some reason has chosen to use these circumstances to make our bond stronger. I'm so thankful He didn't give up on us even on the days we have felt like giving up on eachother. 

There is no one in this world I would want to share the joys and hardships of this  life with than my Poncho! I hope to share many more years with the man God chose for me. 

Dusty Ministries

What do you think of when you see the picture below? A place that is actively used...so therefore gets dirty?  Or a place that hasn't been used in a long time...so it has collected dirt and dust through the years? If your answer was the second one, you are correct. This is a picture I took as I was sweeping out our choir loft at church today. So often as I am cleaning, The Lord uses that time to talk to me. Today as I swept this pile of dust and dirt I heard "how beautiful!" Wait...how beautiful? How is this beautiful? Well, let me explain. This choir loft has not been used for several years. By several...I mean a lot. I sang here many Sundays and enjoyed fellowship many Sunday afternoons here with other choir members. Over the years this sweet part of our church has been forgotten. Until now! A few weeks ago it was announced that we will be starting our choir again. We have gained a wonderful woman of God who has so graciously and ambitiously taken on the roll of worship leader and choir director! We praise God for her! It excited me to climb back there and sweep the dust off the floors because I knew that meant the renewal of something special! 

I can't help but think what other areas of our churches need to be swept off and prepared for renewal? Is there a Sunday school class that needs renewed? Maybe a youth room that needs to be prepared for young people. What ministry in your church needs to be dusted off and brought back to life? And who better to get it started than you? 

I want to clean a church full of dirt because so many people have trodded on the floors throughout the week. Let's clean the dust off these ministries and put some life back into our churches. Everyone has a place in the church(and I'm not talking about your Sunday morning pew). We all have a ministry that God has equipped us to be a part of. Dust off and get to work!