Well, the time has come!
I leave tomorrow morning, bright and early at 5:00 AM, to go on our mission trip to Tennessee. I can't wait!
We'll be hosting a camp for children of single moms and then on Thursday the moms get to come for a mom retreat. We have exciting stuff planned like a spa day - complete with nails and facials, relaxing music and a chocolate fountain - of course. Wanda made a little card with a verse about the fountain of life (can't remember the reference right now) to post beside the fountain. She's so funny! The most important part of our day will be our Bible study. (Still working on that. Pray for me please.)
And, Amy Stephens will be coming to speak on Friday night. Can't wait! I haven't met her yet but I've been very encouraged by her enthusiasm for God from our phone conversation and emails. What a blessing that will be!
Our theme is "Facing Our Giants" this year. The kids down at Creekside will be doing all kinds of football things. I guess we'll be the homecoming queens.
Anyway, I'm so very excited and doubt I'll sleep a wink tonight.
I'll try to post some pictures during the week.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill Deer Run up - "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" - full up! Pray that women will be saved a God's wonderful love will be revealed. I'm praying for BIG things!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Unexpected Messengers
Sometimes God sends the most unexpected messengers.
For over 2 years I’ve been dealing with a watery right eye. Well, its not just watery; its full of puss sometimes and hurts a good deal of the time. I’ve been to all kinds of eye doctors. Every doctor would say, “If this doesn’t work, you may have to see an eyelid specialist – one who deals with tear ducts.” It was the worst case scenario threat.
This week I went to see him. Dr. Mather – educated in all the right medical schools, highly recommended, well respected in the medical community and one of only 200 eyelid specialists in our country.
Anyway, Dr. Mather explained what he thought and what he was going to do before he began to probe my tear duct. He told me we were looking for something that was blocking it, usually that was a little stone, crystallized matter that had built up. He would clear it out and that would be it. All done; I’d be better. He said, “99% of the time this works.”
I knew right then I was the 1% and sure enough I was right. No stones. So, now what? Wait. That’s what he said. We could do surgery but that would compound some other eye issues I have and he didn’t want to do that unless he absolutely had to. So, we’re waiting.
Now, I’ve prayed for healing of my eye for these 2 years, especially since March or so, when it started to get really painful. My husband has even put his hand over my eye everyday and prayed. So, a lot of verbal prayers have been lifted up. But, some silent prayers have been lifted up too. After my visit, I sent up one of those silent prayers. “Give me something, Lord. Tell me what to do.”
The next evening I was watering my potted plants in the backyard. My driveway is really long and goes all the way to the backyard and then opens into a patio. Most people who know us will pull all the way down the drive but those who don’t will stop near the front door.
I’m watering away when I notice an old yellow Mercedes – driven by an old black man slowly pulling down the drive. I didn’t know the man so I yelled at Jeff that someone was here. Sometimes people from his work will come by and bring him something to fix. He’s very clever with small engines. I just assumed Jeff knew the man. He didn’t.
By the time the yellow Mercedes had come to a stop, Jeff and I were both standing at the back edge of the house and the man had driven all the way down our drive – all the way to the backyard. We were curious.
Then, thick with old Charleston accent, the man started talking.
“I’m just doin’ me some drive-by healin’. Yeah, our preacher said lots of folks in this world need healin’. He sent us out. So, I’m just doin’ drive-by healin’.”
Drive-by healin’? I was floored. How many years had I been praying for healin’ of my eye? Didn’t I just go to my last hope doctor? Didn’t he just say I was the 1% and we could wait and hope for the best? Didn’t I place my hope in the LORD?
I was ready to burst out, “Pray for my eye!” But Jeff said, “That’s very nice of you. Thank you sir.” And with that, the old man mumbled again, “I’m doin’ drive-by healin’,” and began to back out the drive.
I watched him creep slowly down the street. I suppose he was praying for healin’, being led by the spirit to where healin’ was needed, but he didn’t pull into anyone else’s drive. Jeff and I watched him disappear around the corner – speechless. Then, he looked at me and said, “Drive-by healin’? I never heard of such a thing.”
“He was an answer to prayer,” I shouted. “He was sent by my Lord to give me a message! Honey, I got me some drive-by healin’! Praise the LORD!” I laughed and laughed with joy at the message my Lord had sent me.
Later, I went inside and knelt in thanksgiving before my Lord. I began to realize what an unexpected messenger He had sent. He knew I needed more than a word of encouragement from family or friend. I needed something other than a Bible verse. He knew I needed words of hope from an unexpected messenger. Its amazing how fast an unexpected messenger will get our attention, isn’t it.
I marveled at how my Lord weaves our lives into something beautiful. I marveled at His messenger – an old black man, sent out from church, choosing a very white neighborhood, driving down my drive to tell us he was doing drive-by healin’. I marveled at how God uses His people. The man never asked if I needed healing. He never asked to pray for me. That wasn’t what he was there for. He was a messenger –sent to give hope. And, this side of heaven, he’ll never know what he did for me that night because I never told him.
“but those who hop in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know what awaits me and my eye in the future. Maybe like Elijah my messenger was sent to give me bread and nourishment because the journey ahead of me is long and difficult. Or, maybe he was a messenger of good news like the 3 visitors sent to tell Abram and Sarah they would have a son. (If so, I’m glad I didn’t laugh in doubt like she did.)
Time will tell. But for now, I’m pleased to feel encouraged by my Lord. It’s just another way He shows me I am chosen and loved and strengthened by Him. Thank you, LORD!
For over 2 years I’ve been dealing with a watery right eye. Well, its not just watery; its full of puss sometimes and hurts a good deal of the time. I’ve been to all kinds of eye doctors. Every doctor would say, “If this doesn’t work, you may have to see an eyelid specialist – one who deals with tear ducts.” It was the worst case scenario threat.
This week I went to see him. Dr. Mather – educated in all the right medical schools, highly recommended, well respected in the medical community and one of only 200 eyelid specialists in our country.
Anyway, Dr. Mather explained what he thought and what he was going to do before he began to probe my tear duct. He told me we were looking for something that was blocking it, usually that was a little stone, crystallized matter that had built up. He would clear it out and that would be it. All done; I’d be better. He said, “99% of the time this works.”
I knew right then I was the 1% and sure enough I was right. No stones. So, now what? Wait. That’s what he said. We could do surgery but that would compound some other eye issues I have and he didn’t want to do that unless he absolutely had to. So, we’re waiting.
Now, I’ve prayed for healing of my eye for these 2 years, especially since March or so, when it started to get really painful. My husband has even put his hand over my eye everyday and prayed. So, a lot of verbal prayers have been lifted up. But, some silent prayers have been lifted up too. After my visit, I sent up one of those silent prayers. “Give me something, Lord. Tell me what to do.”
The next evening I was watering my potted plants in the backyard. My driveway is really long and goes all the way to the backyard and then opens into a patio. Most people who know us will pull all the way down the drive but those who don’t will stop near the front door.
I’m watering away when I notice an old yellow Mercedes – driven by an old black man slowly pulling down the drive. I didn’t know the man so I yelled at Jeff that someone was here. Sometimes people from his work will come by and bring him something to fix. He’s very clever with small engines. I just assumed Jeff knew the man. He didn’t.
By the time the yellow Mercedes had come to a stop, Jeff and I were both standing at the back edge of the house and the man had driven all the way down our drive – all the way to the backyard. We were curious.
Then, thick with old Charleston accent, the man started talking.
“I’m just doin’ me some drive-by healin’. Yeah, our preacher said lots of folks in this world need healin’. He sent us out. So, I’m just doin’ drive-by healin’.”
Drive-by healin’? I was floored. How many years had I been praying for healin’ of my eye? Didn’t I just go to my last hope doctor? Didn’t he just say I was the 1% and we could wait and hope for the best? Didn’t I place my hope in the LORD?
I was ready to burst out, “Pray for my eye!” But Jeff said, “That’s very nice of you. Thank you sir.” And with that, the old man mumbled again, “I’m doin’ drive-by healin’,” and began to back out the drive.
I watched him creep slowly down the street. I suppose he was praying for healin’, being led by the spirit to where healin’ was needed, but he didn’t pull into anyone else’s drive. Jeff and I watched him disappear around the corner – speechless. Then, he looked at me and said, “Drive-by healin’? I never heard of such a thing.”
“He was an answer to prayer,” I shouted. “He was sent by my Lord to give me a message! Honey, I got me some drive-by healin’! Praise the LORD!” I laughed and laughed with joy at the message my Lord had sent me.
Later, I went inside and knelt in thanksgiving before my Lord. I began to realize what an unexpected messenger He had sent. He knew I needed more than a word of encouragement from family or friend. I needed something other than a Bible verse. He knew I needed words of hope from an unexpected messenger. Its amazing how fast an unexpected messenger will get our attention, isn’t it.
I marveled at how my Lord weaves our lives into something beautiful. I marveled at His messenger – an old black man, sent out from church, choosing a very white neighborhood, driving down my drive to tell us he was doing drive-by healin’. I marveled at how God uses His people. The man never asked if I needed healing. He never asked to pray for me. That wasn’t what he was there for. He was a messenger –sent to give hope. And, this side of heaven, he’ll never know what he did for me that night because I never told him.
“but those who hop in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know what awaits me and my eye in the future. Maybe like Elijah my messenger was sent to give me bread and nourishment because the journey ahead of me is long and difficult. Or, maybe he was a messenger of good news like the 3 visitors sent to tell Abram and Sarah they would have a son. (If so, I’m glad I didn’t laugh in doubt like she did.)
Time will tell. But for now, I’m pleased to feel encouraged by my Lord. It’s just another way He shows me I am chosen and loved and strengthened by Him. Thank you, LORD!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Are You Thirsty?
Yesterday I wrote a long list of things to do in my journal. I was complaining about never having enough time to get everything done. After I wrote out my frustrations, I went to check my e-mail. I get these devotionals via e-mail everyday. I never read them. I probably have 77 unread, just sitting there. Anyway, I clicked on one to read, just by chance, and there it was – a devotional on taking time with your kids and not worrying about the “To-do” list. Funny how God works. Guess he was letting me know that life isn’t about a to-do list.
The problem is, my focus seems to always be on those kinds of things. What has to be done today? Where will I get the money for that? How will this or that ever happen? My life is full of details to manage and I’m constantly focused on them.
I pray about them a lot too. “LORD, help me get this done today.” I’ve prayed this way for years. Maybe you have too.
It started occurring to me a while back and honestly, I haven’t really let it come to the front of my mind where I might mull it over but I started thinking that this is not what Jesus would want me to ponder. It would not be on his list of things to think about. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
Think about The Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. The woman is thirsty or needs water for chores, so she goes to the well for water. She goes about her daily chores. Jesus is there at the well and he asks her for a drink but, she questions him, since Jews don’t normally associate with Samaritans. Jesus didn’t worry about cultural divisions and he wasn’t really concerned about getting water from this lady either; he was digging much deeper than that. He was concerned about her soul for he answers he, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water . . . Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 10, 13-14)
Did you notice that? Let’s not skim over that too quickly. Jesus did not get up from his seat, pull the water from the well and take it back to her house for her. He didn’t offer to help her with her “to-do” list. He looked straight through her list of chores, right into her heart and that’s where he saw something that needed to be done. She had a need in her heart to know Jesus Christ, savior, redeemer, giver of living water.
Our “to-do” lists are superficial. The heart is what matters to Jesus.
You know, I’ve often thought as I was praying away my things to do, that if Jesus suddenly appeared in front of me so that I could touch him and have a conversation with him, he wouldn’t say a thing about my chores or my money or whatever aches and pains I might be suffering that day. He would look right through those superficial things and into the deepest part of my heart. He would pull some unnoticed thing up out of there and say, “Here, let me fix this for you. This is what I see needs to be done.”
Maybe it would be some bitterness I hold deep inside. Or a greedy root I didn’t know was there. Perhaps it would be some insecurity I hadn’t noticed that was bearing some bad fruit in my life. Whatever he might pull out and bring to my attention, I can promise it wouldn’t be dishes or laundry or errands to run. If Jesus showed up in my prayer time, those superficial things would melt away and all that would matter would be the state of my heart.
Think about that for a while . . . It’s true.
So, I must ask myself, “Do I never ask for help with my to-do list?” I believe the answer to that is no – go ahead and ask. Jesus cares about our daily lives. He wants us to come to him in the big things and the small things. But, we should also take time and ask him to reveal things that need to be fixed. We should ask Jesus to give us a pure heart, one more like his.
Will this be difficult? Probably. Will he identify some touchy subjects you don’t want to talk about? Most definitely. But, his aim is to free us, redeem us, purify us. Won’t you let him do that for you? It is a Godly To-Do list with an invitation to let Him get it done. For the LORD says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
And, you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me that your soul may live.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Jesus stands in front of you, arm extended, beckoning. Come. You are thirsty for living water. Come. He offers what no man possesses. It costs nothing but is rich and will delight you. Come. Enjoy the covenant of faithful love promised to you. Won’t you come?
Oh, dear LORD, I thank you for this invitation. I thank You for Your deep love. I thank You for your desire to set me free from the things of this world that want to entangle me. I thank You for your Godly to-do list and I thank You that in the end, mine doesn’t matter. LORD, let me remember this. When the world is closing in on me and I’m being strangled by my chores, let me remember Your open invitation to come to You so that I might eat Your satisfying bread – the Bread of Your Presence. Remind me, O LORD, to come to you. I ask this in the name of my redeeming Lord, Jesus Christ . . .
The problem is, my focus seems to always be on those kinds of things. What has to be done today? Where will I get the money for that? How will this or that ever happen? My life is full of details to manage and I’m constantly focused on them.
I pray about them a lot too. “LORD, help me get this done today.” I’ve prayed this way for years. Maybe you have too.
It started occurring to me a while back and honestly, I haven’t really let it come to the front of my mind where I might mull it over but I started thinking that this is not what Jesus would want me to ponder. It would not be on his list of things to think about. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
Think about The Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. The woman is thirsty or needs water for chores, so she goes to the well for water. She goes about her daily chores. Jesus is there at the well and he asks her for a drink but, she questions him, since Jews don’t normally associate with Samaritans. Jesus didn’t worry about cultural divisions and he wasn’t really concerned about getting water from this lady either; he was digging much deeper than that. He was concerned about her soul for he answers he, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water . . . Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 10, 13-14)
Did you notice that? Let’s not skim over that too quickly. Jesus did not get up from his seat, pull the water from the well and take it back to her house for her. He didn’t offer to help her with her “to-do” list. He looked straight through her list of chores, right into her heart and that’s where he saw something that needed to be done. She had a need in her heart to know Jesus Christ, savior, redeemer, giver of living water.
Our “to-do” lists are superficial. The heart is what matters to Jesus.
You know, I’ve often thought as I was praying away my things to do, that if Jesus suddenly appeared in front of me so that I could touch him and have a conversation with him, he wouldn’t say a thing about my chores or my money or whatever aches and pains I might be suffering that day. He would look right through those superficial things and into the deepest part of my heart. He would pull some unnoticed thing up out of there and say, “Here, let me fix this for you. This is what I see needs to be done.”
Maybe it would be some bitterness I hold deep inside. Or a greedy root I didn’t know was there. Perhaps it would be some insecurity I hadn’t noticed that was bearing some bad fruit in my life. Whatever he might pull out and bring to my attention, I can promise it wouldn’t be dishes or laundry or errands to run. If Jesus showed up in my prayer time, those superficial things would melt away and all that would matter would be the state of my heart.
Think about that for a while . . . It’s true.
So, I must ask myself, “Do I never ask for help with my to-do list?” I believe the answer to that is no – go ahead and ask. Jesus cares about our daily lives. He wants us to come to him in the big things and the small things. But, we should also take time and ask him to reveal things that need to be fixed. We should ask Jesus to give us a pure heart, one more like his.
Will this be difficult? Probably. Will he identify some touchy subjects you don’t want to talk about? Most definitely. But, his aim is to free us, redeem us, purify us. Won’t you let him do that for you? It is a Godly To-Do list with an invitation to let Him get it done. For the LORD says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
And, you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me that your soul may live.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Jesus stands in front of you, arm extended, beckoning. Come. You are thirsty for living water. Come. He offers what no man possesses. It costs nothing but is rich and will delight you. Come. Enjoy the covenant of faithful love promised to you. Won’t you come?
Oh, dear LORD, I thank you for this invitation. I thank You for Your deep love. I thank You for your desire to set me free from the things of this world that want to entangle me. I thank You for your Godly to-do list and I thank You that in the end, mine doesn’t matter. LORD, let me remember this. When the world is closing in on me and I’m being strangled by my chores, let me remember Your open invitation to come to You so that I might eat Your satisfying bread – the Bread of Your Presence. Remind me, O LORD, to come to you. I ask this in the name of my redeeming Lord, Jesus Christ . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
